Project Overview
Final Cut Pro X is an awesome video editing tool, but it's still missing a key feature that was present in FCP7: the ability to export Chapter Marker information.
To solve this I created FCPX Marker Tool. Written in Python, it allows users to parse, display, and save marker metadata from FCPXML files. It supports both the older .fcpxml and newer .fcpxmld formats.
FCPX Marker Tool in Action
Version 2 has now been released and was completely re-written, allowing for more parsers and export options to be easily added. One notable addition is the ability to export a YouTube chapter list.
Combining my experience in both video editing and software development was really fun as I worked on this project, and I've even been able to use it for several client video projects.
What I Learned While Working on This Project
FCPX Marker Tool was actually one of the first entries into an "App Ideas" list I started several years before learning to code, and I learned so many great lessons working on this project.
Some notable topics I learned about included:
- Parsing XML files using the xml.etree.ElementTree module
- Examining how Apple structures data in FCPXML files
- Using rational numbers to store timecode data more accurately.
Ex: representing the frame rate of 23.976 as (24000/1001). - Properly structuring a Python project:
- Setting up a virtual environment
- Creating a setup.py file for configuring version information and entry points
Check out the project on GitHub for more information and installation instructions.