General Settings

General Settings
General Settings

Export Destination

Destination

You can select your desired location by clicking on the Folder Icon. Upon right-clicking folder icon, Production Data will show the Full Path associated with said folder.

If no folder has been chosen, Production Data will display Please select! If the saved folder can no longer be found, Missing Folder! will be shown.

Export Folder Naming

Each export is saved within a subfolder inside your chosen export destination. In order to mitigate conflicts and potential overwrites of previously generated reports, Production Data incorporates the project name and the current date and time within the folder nomenclature. The timestamp uses the yyyy-MM-dd-HH-mm-ss format. Consequently, each export yields a distinct and uniquely identified result.

Export Mode

Select your desired Export Mode.

  • Automatic Default
  • Manual

In Automatic mode, Production Data begins the export as soon as a project is received. In Manual mode, the project is queued on Extract and you confirm the export with Start Export when you are ready.

In Automatic mode, dropping a project on the Roles tab will switch to Extract before the export runs.

The current mode is shown as a badge on Extract. You can also switch modes from the File menu (Switch to Manual Export / Switch to Automatic Export) or by pressing E on your keyboard.

Export Options

Timecode Format

Select your desired Timecode Format.

  • HH:MM:SS:FF Default
  • Frames
  • Feet+Frames
  • HH:MM:SS

This setting controls how timeline time values appear in the Excel workbook.

Exclude Disabled Clips

Checking Exclude Disabled Clips will prevent Production Data from including disabled clips in the report.

By Default , disabled clips are included in the spreadsheet.

Include Markers Outside Clip Boundaries

Checking Include Markers Outside Clip Boundaries includes markers whose start falls outside the host clip’s media range — markers Final Cut Pro hides from the timeline and Tags list — on the Markers sheet.

When enabled, the Markers sheet also gains a Hidden column: for markers outside clip boundaries and for markers inside. By Default , those out-of-bounds markers are omitted and the Hidden column is not shown.

Enable this option when you need a complete marker inventory, including markers that are not visible in Final Cut Pro’s Tags. It only takes effect when Markers is enabled under Sheets.

Include Speed Change Settings in Role Inventory

Checking Include Speed Change Settings in Role Inventory adds a Speed Change Settings column after Effects on Role Inventory sheets (Selected Roles Inventory and each per-role tab). Cells show the retime percent for clips with a non-identity speed change (for example 50.0%); other clips leave the cell blank.

By Default , this column is omitted. Enable it when you need speed-change values on the role inventory without opening the separate Speed Change Effects sheet. This option is independent of Speed Change Effects under Sheets.

Include Screenshots in Role Inventory

Checking Include Screenshots in Role Inventory adds a Screenshot column after Row on Role Inventory sheets and embeds a Source In frame grab in the Excel workbook (.xlsx). Embeds keep the image aspect ratio.

By Default , screenshots are omitted. Enable this option when you want a visual reference on each inventory row. If media cannot be read, the cell is left blank.

Include Screenshots in Role Inventory applies to the Excel workbook only. PDF export is unaffected — the PDF does not include a Screenshot column or embeds.

When original media is missing or unreadable, Production Data uses proxy media for the frame grab when a proxy file is available. Original and proxy media often live in different folders.

During export, Production Data may show Choose Media Folder if it cannot read the original or proxy media from the FCPXML or export folder alone (for example media on an external volume). The panel title is Choose Media Folder, the message is Original media, proxy media, a Final Cut Pro library, or an enclosing folder., and the button is Grant Access. Choose one of those locations, then press Grant Access.

After you grant original media, the same Choose Media Folder panel may appear again for unread proxy or transcoded media — even when the original files are already readable. Some formats, such as MXF or camera RAW, still need a readable proxy for the frame grab. Grant the proxy folder the same way. Production Data keeps every successful grant for that export.

A Final Cut Pro library (.fcpbundle) is accepted as a file or a folder. A library may only reference external media — if screenshots stay blank, grant the actual original or proxy folder instead.

Screenshots work for most common video files this Mac can decode (via AVFoundation) — not every format. They are reliable for typical Final Cut Pro library media when the files are on disk and reachable.

Typically supported

  • ProRes, H.264/AVC, and HEVC/H.265 in .mov, .mp4, and .m4v
  • Many camera originals Final Cut Pro uses day to day
  • Still images (PNG, JPEG, and similar) — the image file itself is used; Source In time is ignored

Often blank

  • Missing or offline media (the path does not resolve on this Mac)
  • Codecs this Mac cannot decode
  • Audio-only rows (skipped on purpose)
  • Titles and generators with no media file
  • Some MXF, proprietary, or poorly supported wrappers
  • Corrupt or DRM-locked files

The frame is taken at Source In relative to the asset start — not Timeline In. On hard GOP structures, seek tolerance may be loosened and, if needed, fall back to the first frame, so you may see a nearby frame rather than the exact Source In frame.

Distinguish Original and Proxy Media

Checking Distinguish Original and Proxy Media separates missing original and proxy media into distinct columns on the Media Summary sheet, rather than combining them into a single Missing Media column.

By Default , Media Summary uses one Missing Media column. Enable this option when you need to tell original and proxy media apart. It only takes effect when Media Summary is enabled under Sheets.

Protect Sheets

Checking Protect Sheets applies worksheet protection to every sheet in the Excel workbook (.xlsx), including the cover sheet and all content sheets. This discourages accidental edits after export.

By Default , sheets are not protected. Enable this option when you want a light edit lock on the spreadsheet. Excel still opens the file without a password, and anyone can turn protection off in Excel. This is an edit lock, not file-open encryption.

Protect Sheets applies to the Excel workbook only. PDF export is unaffected — use Preview’s Encrypt (or another PDF tool) if you need to password-protect a PDF.

Create PDF Report

Checking Create PDF Report instructs Production Data to write a PDF report (.pdf) alongside the Excel workbook (.xlsx) for each export. Both files are saved in the same timestamped subfolder within your Export Destination.

By Default , only the Excel workbook is exported. Enable this option when you need a shareable PDF for review or distribution. When enabled, Production Data exports MyTimeline.xlsx and MyTimeline.pdf in the same folder (for example, My Project-2026-07-13-10-30-45/MyTimeline.xlsx and MyTimeline.pdf).

The PDF report is generated from the same built report as the Excel export. The columns, sheets, role inclusions, timecode format, and clip filtering reflected in the PDF are determined entirely by the Active Configuration selected in the toolbar or Configurations panel.

Production Data does not maintain separate PDF-specific sheet, column, or role settings. Any change to Sheets, Columns, or Roles in the active Configuration applies equally to both the .xlsx and .pdf outputs for that export. This is intentional.

To produce a different PDF layout or column set, switch to or update the appropriate Configurations before exporting.


Sheets

By Default , Production Data includes Selected Roles Inventory in the Excel report. This tab permits you to choose which worksheets are included in each export.

Full Report

Turning Full Report on enables every optional sheet below. Turning it off allows you to choose sheets individually.

Report Sheets

  • Selected Roles Inventory Default
  • Markers
  • Keywords
  • Titles & Generators
  • Transitions
  • Non-Standard Effects & Templates
  • Video & Audio Effects
  • Speed Change Effects
  • Summary
  • Media Summary

A summary of enabled sheets is also shown in the status bar on Extract.

Checking Non-Standard Effects & Templates includes non-Apple effects and Motion templates from the timeline on their own sheet. Missing effect or template paths are flagged as MISSING. By Default , this sheet is not included.

Label

The Excel and PDF report covers use a four-row branding stack: Created by Production Data, Created on with the export timestamp, Visit https://productiondata.theacharya.co, and an optional copyright line when enabled.

The Label section controls that optional copyright line.

Checking Copyright includes your text on the Excel cover (after Visit) and, when Create PDF Report is enabled, on the PDF cover and centred in the PDF page footer. By Default , no copyright label is exported.

Press Edit Copyright at the bottom of the Sheets tab to enter or change the text. Enter the string as typed — year, ©, or any wording you prefer. Production Data does not insert a copyright symbol or year for you. When text is set, the current value is shown beside the button.

If Copyright is turned on while the text is empty, the editor opens so you can fill it in. Turning Copyright off keeps your saved text for later use but omits the label from the next export.


Columns

The Columns tab controls which columns appear on role inventory sheets in the Excel workbook. Use the table to turn individual columns on or off. Disabled columns are omitted from the export.

Enable All

Pressing Enable All will check all column selections.

Disable All

Pressing Disable All will uncheck all column selections.


Notification

Notification Frequency

Production Data seamlessly integrates with the native macOS Notifications framework, delivering timely alerts upon the successful completion of tasks.

Select your desired Notification Frequency.

  • Never
  • When Export Finishes Default
  • Each Report Step

Show Progress on Dock Icon

By Default Progress Bar is shown on Production Data's dock icon.

Open macOS Notification Settings

Select the Open macOS Notification Settings link to open macOS Notification Settings. Navigate to Production Data to manage notification settings.