Another year is over so let’s look back on the past 12 months.

Notable updates

Kollaborate - We made lots of enhancements to our cloud workflow platform over the year including Workflows to setup automated actions when approving files, File Requests for users outside the project to upload files, User Roles replaced the old Positions system, color coding, batch downloading, auto-advance to the next file and many minor tweaks and UI improvements.

Pro Maintenance Tools - Our suite of maintenance and repair tools gained support for salvaging ProRes 4444 XQ, VST2 and VST3 plugin support, support for trashing custom Premiere cache locations and improved FCPX compatibility.

Pro Media Tools - Our suite of media management tools had many updates to our Auto Transfer offloading tool including automatic reel number detection, more options for customizing metadata, new List metadata type, performance improvements and many minor tweaks.

In total we released over 40 updates for our products.

Stats

Our most-downloaded app was Preference Manager but our most-used app was Post Haste. Our most popular paid tool was Pro Maintenance Tools. Our most popular iOS app was Video Space Calculator. The number of Kollaborate subscribers increased by 40% and the number of daily logins doubled.

Over 500,000 unique visitors visited digitalrebellion.com and our products were downloaded over 150,000 times.

The most popular blog posts in 2017 were:

• Understanding render options in Premiere Pro
• Premiere Pro memory settings explained
• Avid codec guide

What’s next

2018 will be a big year for us and we are planning some major new Kollaborate features in addition to at least one new product. We are planning major overhauls of several of our apps and intend to bring them to additional platforms. You can keep up to date with new products, features and tips by subscribing to this blog, following us on Twitter or Facebook or by subscribing to our mailing list.

Kollaborate Premiere Panel for Windows 1.1.3 - Dec 6 2017

• Improved compatibility with Premiere CC 2018
• Minor bug fixes

Kollaborate Premiere Panel for Mac 1.1.3 - Dec 6 2017

• Improved compatibility with Premiere CC 2018
• Minor bug fixes

CinePlay for iOS 1.6.7 - Dec 5 2017

• IMPORTANT: Due to changes in the Dropbox SDK we can no longer support Dropbox and have removed this feature from the app. The app can still play local files on the device, files from direct web URLs and files stored on Kollaborate. For those needing cloud playback on CinePlay, we recommend Kollaborate as a replacement.
• Fixed a stretching issue on iPhone X

Pro Versioner 2.1.6 - Oct 4 2017

Pro Versioner has been discontinued. While there will be no further updates to the software, it is operational and can still continue to be used.

This update removes the registration code so the software will freely function without the need for a license. It also removes Dropbox sync functionality for compatibility reasons. However, Dropbox can continue to be used by choosing your Dropbox folder as the backup destination.

If you need to redownload Pro Versioner in future, it will continue to be available at //www.digitalrebellion.com/support/proversioner .

CinePlay for iOS 1.6.6 - Sep 27 2017

• iOS 11 compatibility
• Fixed a crash when accessing Kollaborate revisions
• Various minor fixes and tweaks

Cut Notes 2.4.7 - Sep 27 2017

• iOS 11 support
• Stability improvements
• Fixed an issue where cloud notes may not update immediately
• Various other minor fixes

Pro Media Tools 1.6.1 - Sep 19 2017

• Auto Transfer - Added a List metadata type that only allows you to choose specific values
• Auto Transfer - Added an option to include the camera number in auto-detected reel names (e.g. A010)
• Auto Transfer - Support for detecting volumes from DJI drones
• Auto Transfer - Fixed an issue where metadata columns in the Transfer view wouldn't reorder when reordered from the Metadata pane
• Auto Transfer - Fixed an issue where files on transferred volumes may not retain their original modification dates
• QT Edit - Times in the Info tab are now shown in your local timezone (there is an option in preferences to force UTC)
• QT Edit - Limited the maximum number of metadata fields to 400 to prevent the app hanging if a movie has corrupt metadata
• Fixed an issue that could cause a "trial has expired" message to appear
• Various other bug fixes, tweaks and improvements

Kollaborate Encoder 1.1.4 - Sep 13 2017

• Compatibility with Kollaborate Server 2.6
• Minor bug fixes and tweaks

Kollaborate Server 2.6 - Sep 13 2017

• Batch downloading
• Auto-advance to the next/previous file in the folder
• Download proxies instead of original files
• Kollaborate now auto-selects the previously opened file when navigating back to the Files page
• Custom approve / reject button labels
• Images and videos show icon previews while uploading (for video formats supported by a web browser)
• Overhauled QuickLook to be more responsive and look nicer
• Project thumbnails
• You can now favorite a file from the player
• Filter by Favorites on the Files page
• The next / previous buttons in the player now show a preview of the file
• Better support for animated GIFs - hoverscrub thumbs are now generated and file durations are shown
• You can now separate version stacks by right-clicking
• Folders are now ordered before files in the list
• Improved image full screen view in player
• Better displaying of large images in player
• Uploads will stay where they were dragged instead of scrolling the page to the bottom
• Time estimates for uploads
• Digests are no longer sent to unactivated users
• Password security improvements
• Auto login security improvements
• Player UI improvements
• Many performance and responsiveness improvements
• Many UI tweaks
• Various other bug fixes and polish

Last week we released Pro Media Tools 1.6.1, a minor update to our suite of media management tools for video professionals.

New List metadata type in Auto Transfer

Our camera offloading tool Auto Transfer now has a new metadata type - List. This allows you to specify a series of items, separated by commas, and force the user to choose one of these without being able to enter custom values. I use this in my workflows to send video and audio to different folders.

Additionally in Auto Transfer, you can now choose in preferences whether to include the camera ID in auto-detected reels (e.g. A011) or just have it be a numeric value (e.g. 011).

We've also added support for detecting volumes from DJI drones.

Force UTC timezone in QT Edit

By default our QuickTime metadata editing tool QT Edit uses times in your local timezone. This is appropriate for most workflows, especially when adding timecode tracks from the creation time of the file, but some users have requested support for UTC timezone instead, irrespective of the local timezone. You can now force UTC in preferences.

Other changes

 

• Auto Transfer - Fixed an issue where metadata columns in the Transfer view wouldn't reorder when reordered from the Metadata pane
• Auto Transfer - Fixed an issue where files on transferred volumes may not retain their original modification dates
• QT Edit - Limited the maximum number of metadata fields to 400 to prevent the app hanging if a movie has corrupt metadata
• Fixed an issue that could cause a "trial has expired" message to appear
• Various other bug fixes, tweaks and improvements

Pro Media Tools is an essential toolkit for media professionals. To find out more, view the feature list, read the user manual or download the free 15-day trial.

 

Last week we released Kollaborate Server 2.6, a major update to our self-hosted cloud workflow platform for video professionals.

This update contains some important new features but many of the best changes are the smaller ones. We really smoothed and polished a lot of things in this release and many tasks are faster and easier to accomplish than before.

Batch downloading

Select a group of files, then hit the download button next to one of them to download all of them at the same time. This works on the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Auto-advance

Click the circle arrow to the left or right of the player to automatically advance to the next file in the folder after the current one finishes.

Download proxies

If the file has a lower-quality playable proxy, you will now be given the option of which file to download when clicking the download button in the player.

Custom approve/reject button labels

You can now give the Approve / Reject buttons in your workflows custom titles, allowing you to make it clearer what pressing a particular button will actually do.

Project thumbnails

Projects now show the icon of the most recent file that everyone can access. This only applies to files outside of departments.

Keep your place

If you click a file to view it and then press the Back button to go back to the Files page, Kollaborate now goes back to exactly where you were instead of going back to the top of the Files page. This is really useful if you were 20 pages deep.

Quick Look overhaul

We overhauled Quick Look to be more polished and responsive and increased the screen space it takes up so you can see your files better.

Improved image support

Large images are now displayed more prominently in the player and the image full-screen view has been redesigned and polished.

Additionally, we've improved support for animated GIFs, which now have frame rate, duration and hoverscrub thumbnails.

Security improvements

We've made a variety of security improvements. These will largely not be noticeable but one noticeable change is that you will need to re-login the first time after this update. After that the site will automatically log you in in future as normal.

Various uploading improvements

• Videos and images now show thumbnail previews during upload if the file is a format your browser can read
• Uploads now stay where you dragged them instead of scrolling you to the bottom of the page
• Estimated time remaining is now shown during uploads
• Lots of performance optimizations

Other changes

• New filter - show only Favorites on the Files page
• You can now favorite a file directly from the player
• The next / previous buttons in the player now show a preview of the upcoming file
• You can now separate version stacks by right-clicking them
• Folders are now ordered before files in the list
• Many UI tweaks
• Many performance optimizations and bug fixes

Kollaborate is an essential cloud workflow platform that allows you to share files with clients and team members while integrating with Digital Rebellion apps and services. Kollaborate Server allows you to host the platform in-house on your own servers and storage. To find out more, see the Kollaborate Server overview or register for the free cloud trial (Server trials are available on request).

Kollaborate 2.6 - Aug 21 2017

• Batch downloading
• Auto-advance to the next/previous file in the folder
  
• Download proxies instead of original files
  
• Kollaborate now auto-selects the previously opened file when navigating back to the Files page
  
• Custom approve / reject button labels
• Images and videos show icon previews while uploading (for video formats supported by a web browser)
• Overhauled QuickLook to be more responsive and look nicer
• Project thumbnails
• You can now favorite a file from the player
• Filter by Favorites on the Files page
  
• The next / previous buttons in the player now show a preview of the file
• Better support for animated GIFs - hoverscrub thumbs are now generated and file durations are shown
• You can now separate version stacks by right-clicking
• Folders are now ordered before files in the list
• Improved image full screen view in player
• Better displaying of large images in player
• Uploads will stay where they were dragged instead of scrolling the page to the bottom
• Time estimates for uploads
• Digests are no longer sent to unactivated users
• Password security improvements
• Auto login security improvements
• Player UI improvements
• Many performance and responsiveness improvements
• Many UI tweaks
• Various other bug fixes and polish

Last week we released Kollaborate 2.6, a major update to our cloud workflow platform for video professionals.

This update contains some important new features but many of the best changes are the smaller ones. We really smoothed and polished a lot of things in this release and many tasks are faster and easier to accomplish than before.

Batch downloading

Select a group of files, then hit the download button next to one of them to download all of them at the same time. This works on the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Auto-advance

Click the circle arrow to the left or right of the player to automatically advance to the next file in the folder after the current one finishes.

Download proxies

If the file has a lower-quality playable proxy, you will now be given the option of which file to download when clicking the download button in the player.

Custom approve/reject button labels

You can now give the Approve / Reject buttons in your workflows custom titles, allowing you to make it clearer what pressing a particular button will actually do.

Project thumbnails

Projects now show the icon of the most recent file that everyone can access. This only applies to files outside of departments.

Keep your place

If you click a file to view it and then press the Back button to go back to the Files page, Kollaborate now goes back to exactly where you were instead of going back to the top of the Files page. This is really useful if you were 20 pages deep.

Quick Look overhaul

We overhauled Quick Look to be more polished and responsive and increased the screen space it takes up so you can see your files better.

Improved image support

Large images are now displayed more prominently in the player and the image full-screen view has been redesigned and polished.

Additionally, we've improved support for animated GIFs, which now have frame rate, duration and hoverscrub thumbnails.

Security improvements

We've made a variety of security improvements. These will largely not be noticeable but one noticeable change is that you will need to re-login the first time after this update. After that the site will automatically log you in in future as normal.

Various uploading improvements

• Videos and images now show thumbnail previews during upload if the file is a format your browser can read
• Uploads now stay where you dragged them instead of scrolling you to the bottom of the page
• Estimated time remaining is now shown during uploads
• Lots of performance optimizations

Other changes

• New filter - show only Favorites on the Files page
• You can now favorite a file directly from the player
• The next / previous buttons in the player now show a preview of the upcoming file
• You can now separate version stacks by right-clicking them
• Folders are now ordered before files in the list
• Many UI tweaks
• Many performance optimizations and bug fixes

Kollaborate is an essential cloud workflow platform that allows you to share files with clients and team members while integrating with Digital Rebellion apps and services. To find out more, see the overview or register for the free trial.

Pro Media Tools 1.6 - Jul 26 2017

• Auto Transfer - Support for automatically detecting reel numbers from RED media
• Auto Transfer - Offline destinations are now indicated as offline in the Destinations pane
• Auto Transfer - Leading zeroes of the default reel are now respected when auto-detecting a reel name
• Auto Transfer - Added an option to prepend a metadata item's title to its value when creating a path, so for example it would create a "Day 1" folder instead of just "1"
• Auto Transfer - Modified the default metadata settings so that timestamped folders are now no longer created automatically. The default folder structure is now "Day [day] > [reel]". This change only affects new users but existing users can recreate it manually if desired.
• Auto Transfer - Drag metadata fields to change folder structure order
• Auto Transfer - Metadata folder structure preview now shows values rather than field names
• Auto Transfer - Fixed an issue where some cards may not appear in the list
• Auto Transfer - Fixed an issue where a cancelled transfer couldn't be restarted
• Auto Transfer - When automatically incrementing the day number, a new day is now considered to start at 5am instead of midnight
• Auto Transfer - Prevented system sleep during transfers
• Edit Detector - Improved FCPX compatibility
• QT Edit - When modifying timecode in batch mode, the original file's reel name is preserved unless directly modified
• Video Check - Improved FCPX compatibility
• Various other bug fixes, tweaks and improvements

Kollaborate Transfer 1.5 - May 15 2017

• Uploads no longer have to finish before the next file will start encoding. Kollaborate Transfer will now encode files as quickly as possible and put them in a Waiting state until the previous upload finishes. This should result in faster processing of large batches.
• Accelerated uploading on the cloud (most noticeable for users outside the US)
• Reduced situations where the queue could hang
• Fixed an issue that could cause some hoverscrub thumbnail frames to be black when processing large batches
• Reduced memory usage
• General bug fixes, tweaks and optimizations

Pro Versioner 2.1.5 - May 12 2017

• Stability improvements when scrolling through backups
• General bug fixes, tweaks and optimizations

Pro Maintenance Tools 2.2.2 - May 11 2017

• Housekeeper - Support for trashing Premiere media caches in custom locations
• Plugin Manager - Improved compatibility with FCPX plugins
• Plugin Manager - Improved Audio Unit validator reliability
• Preference Manager - Disabled preference locking for certain apps due to incompatibility with newer versions of macOS
• Preference Manager - Fixed several issues with how unlockable preferences are displayed in the Lock pane
• FCS Remover - Improved compatibility with macOS 10.11 and higher
• General bug fixes and performance improvements

FCS Remover 3.1.4 - May 10 2017

• FCS Remover now requires macOS 10.8 or higher
• Improved compatibility with macOS 10.11 and higher
• Minor bug fixes and tweaks

Preference Manager 4.4.1 - May 9 2017

• Disabled preference locking for certain apps due to incompatibility with newer versions of macOS
• Fixed several issues with how unlockable preferences are displayed in the Lock pane
• General bug fixes and performance improvements

We recently released an update to Kollaborate Transfer that should significantly improve the speed of batch processing.

Encoding behavior has been changed so that it will no longer wait for a file to finish uploading before encoding the next file in the list. Encoded files now enter a Waiting state and will start uploading immediately upon the previous upload finishing. This can reduce total queue time significantly for large batches or long videos.

Additionally, we have now switched over to the accelerated upload system we recently activated on the cloud. This boosts upload speeds for everyone but is most noticeable for customers outside of the US.

Other changes:

 

• Reduced situations where the queue could hang
• Fixed an issue that could cause some hoverscrub thumbnail frames to be black when processing large batches
• Reduced memory usage
• General bug fixes, tweaks and optimizations

Kollaborate is an essential cloud workflow platform that allows you to share files with clients and team members while integrating with Digital Rebellion apps and services. To find out more, see the overview or register for the free trial.