// documentation

instructions

PARSER SPEEDS UP FILM EDITORIAL VFX WORKFLOWS

parser reads an AAF sequence file exported from your NLE.

what parser does

parser main window
// parser — main upload window

VFX SHOT CODE IDs are read from SubCap effects matching the pattern XXX_000_000 if they are present in the sequence. The duration of the SubCap is interpreted as the VFX shot duration.

If you have nested the SubCap with an additional SubCap which features a comment, that comment will be extracted. This is useful if you want to burn the work order to picture, and then extract and use it as your shot comment.

VFX shots with SubCap shot codes and complex keyframes
// VFX shots list — SubCap shot codes with detected effect keyframes

You can also nest within your SubCap layer and place a Timecode Burn-in "frame counter" — set to frames, and start counting from a specific frame number. This gives you a frame counter burned into picture that can also be extracted by parser and used as your cut in frame.

For example: if you want 8-frame handles you could set start counting from 1009, making the first frame in cut as frame 1009, with head handles running from 1001–1008.

extracted datasets

parser extracts two datasets:

It resolves the full mob chain of the AAF — from the sequence cut — extracting source timecode, tape, duration, and additional metadata for each shot.

Extraction complete summary
// extraction complete — summary of VFX shots, scan rows, and project FPS
VFX shots summary table
// VFX shots list — shot codes, frame ranges, durations, and detected effects

parser collects all video layers found under an existing SubCap, and creates a scan entry for each subsequent video layer it finds, adding handles as requested.

VFX scans summary table
// VFX scans list — one row per source camera clip with full camera TCs

handle padding

User can configure handle padding for scans during AAF import. Handle frames are added to both the head and tail of each scan timecode.

Handles input
// --handles input — set before parsing

detected effects

Effects on each shot — speed ramps, scale, position, and stabilise — are identified and summarised in the shot list.

When effect keyframes are present, they are mapped to frames. By default these will be sequence absolute frames.

TIMEWARP
Motion Control / speed ramp effects. Keyframe speeds are reported as percentages at absolute sequence frame numbers, e.g. TIME WARP 100.0% @ frame 1009 → 50.0% @ frame 1100.
3D_WARP / SCALE
Scale keyframes from 3D Warp AVX2 and Resize effects, normalised to percentage. Animated position (X/Y offset) is reported separately in the POSITION column.
POSITION
Animated X/Y position keyframes from 3D Warp and Resize effects, reported in effect units at absolute sequence frames.
STABILIZE
Presence of a Stabilize effect on the shot is flagged as STAB. Matched positionally so only the specific shot carrying the effect is tagged.

start frames

User can adjust start frames for shots after import. This would be the cut in frame.

For example: if you requested scans to have 8-frame handles, your cut in frame would be the 9th frame of the scan — e.g. 1009, if the starting frame of the scan was 1001.

when no shot codes are present

When no VFX SHOT CODE SubCap effects are present, parser will prompt the user to label the sequence with shot codes.

The user can choose to label every shot in the sequence, or only shots where a marker is found.

VFX ID, starting number, and shot code increment can all be selected.

Override existing shot codes checkbox
// override existing shot codes — available from the main upload panel
TAG SHOTS dialogue
// TAG SHOTS — assign VFX IDs to clips with markers, preview assignments before applying

Parser will summarise VFX shots but won't extract effect data in this mode.

parser generates a subcap list and a marker list containing the shot codes, which can then be imported into your NLE.

export

Export dialogue
// download — export extracted data in multiple formats
FILE FORMAT USE
_EDL.edl CMX 3600 Import into your NLE to relink to camera tapes. Reel names are the full tape names. Record TC starts at 01:00:00:00.
_SHOTS.tsv Tab-separated Full VFX shot list. Paste directly into a spreadsheet or pipe into a shot-management system.
_SCANS.tsv Tab-separated Camera scan records with handles. One row per source clip.
_MARKERS.txt NLE marker import re-importable  One marker per VFX shot, placed at shot centre. Import into your NLE via Import → Markers.
_SUBCAPS.txt NLE SubCap import re-importable  Tab-separated SubCap data. Import into your NLE as a titles sequence to burn shot codes back onto picture. TC column matches your sequence timeline.
_JSON.json JSON Full extraction report. Contains all mob data, effect keyframes, and a scans_debug trace if scans were empty.

sequence preparation

Before exporting, simplify the sequence to give parser the cleanest possible structure:

aaf export settings

Use these exact export settings from your NLE:

Export as: AAF Use Marks: ✓ Use Selected Tracks: ✓ AAF Edit Protocol: ✓ (checked) Include All Video / Data Tracks in Sequence: ✓ (checked)

Use Marks and Use Selected Tracks let you export a sub-range or isolated tracks. If exporting the full sequence, ensure no marks are set and all video tracks are selected.

custom metadata columns

The SCANS table can display custom UserComments fields embedded in the AAF clip metadata. Click ⊕ metadata columns above the scans table to toggle any discovered fields on or off. These columns are also included in the _SCANS.tsv export when enabled.

Common custom fields include production-specific clip notes, scene/take annotations, and camera report data embedded at ingest.

troubleshooting