Apple Compressor 2 - Manual (Page 31)

Chapter 2 The Basic Transcoding Workflow 31
Creating a Compressor Batch
Once you have the necessary settings and destinations available, you can begin to
create your batch for transcoding. A batch contains one or more jobs. A job consists of
at least one source media file with one or more settings and destinations. You can only
submit a batch for transcoding after you have assigned at least one setting and
destination to each source media file in the Batch table of the Batch window. All jobs in
the Batch table are submitted together.
Step 1: Import source media files into Compressor
You import source media files into the Batch table of the Batch window either by using
the File Selection dialog or by dragging the files from their location on the hard disk to
the Compressor icon (if Compressor isn’t open), or to the Batch table (if Compressor is
open). You can import source media files from any folder that you have access to.
See Chapter 4, “ Importing Source Media Files ,” on page 55, for more information.
Step 2: Assign a setting
Once you have imported your source media file into the Batch window, you need to
assign one or more settings to it. This makes it a job. A source media file can only be
transcoded after it has at least one setting assigned to it, and you can only add a
setting to a source media file after you have either selected a pre-existing setting or
created one. Your setting must have an output file format associated with it.
 If you choose a pre-existing setting, the output file format has already been assigned.
 If you create your own setting, you must choose an output file format from the file
format menu that opens when you click the Create a New Setting button ( + ) in the
Settings tab of the Presets window.
You can add one setting to multiple jobs in one step by selecting the jobs in the Batch
table and choosing a setting from the Settings menu in the menu bar, or by drag-
selecting the source media files in the Batch table and positioning the pointer over the
Setting pop-up menu icon in the Setting column.
If you have a favorite setting (pre-existing or customized), you can streamline your
workflow by creating a standalone application called a Droplet containing multiple
settings, and use the Droplet to submit batches without opening Compressor. See
“
Creating a Droplet ” on page 238 for more information.
Note: You can also create groups of settings, which is a quick and convenient way to
assign multiple settings to a source media file. See “
Creating Groups of Settings ” on
page 75 for more information.