4.5

173Compressor User Guide
Transcode a Final Cut Pro or Motion project using Compressor
Do one of the following:
• Send a project from Final Cut Pro to Compressor: Select the project and choose File >
Send to Compressor.
Note: You can configure Compressor to use the GPU of your computer to process
Final Cut Pro content sent to Compressor in the Advanced preferences in Compressor
pane of Compressor preferences.
• Send a project from Motion to Compressor: Open the project and choose Share > Send
to Compressor.
You can also drag a Motion project file to the batch area in Compressor.
Note: Distributed processing can’t be used for jobs sent to Compressor from
Final Cut Pro or Motion.
See the Final Cut Pro User Guide and the Motion User Guide.
After the Final Cut Pro or Motion file appears in Compressor as a source file in a job, you
can add a setting and other information to the job’s output rows and then transcode the
batch.
Use distributed processing
Transcode batches with multiple computers using
Compressor
Transcoding a series of large files on one desktop computer can be processor-intensive
and time-consuming. Distributed processing decreases the time it takes to transcode
a batch by distributing the work among two or more computers. After you set up a
distributed processing system, Compressor sends portions of your batch to each of the
available computers in your group of shared computers. When the transcoding is complete,
the output files appear in the location you specified when setting up the batch.
The simplest distributed processing system uses two computers. A more complex system
can include many computers.
To set up distributed processing, you turn on access to your computer and then create a
set of shared computers. If you can’t find a computer on your network, you can manually
add it to the computer list.
Distributed processing can’t be used for jobs sent to Compressor from Final Cut Pro or
Motion.
Important: Before you begin, verify that all the computers to be used for distributed
processing have the same version of Compressor installed.
Make a computer available to other computers on your network
If you want to use a Mac on your network for distributed processing, Compressor must
be open and batch processing must be enabled. To have Compressor open automatically
when you log into your Mac, add Compressor to your list of login items. If your computer
is running macOS 10.15 or later, using distributed processing may require you to grant
network access. See this Apple Support article.