Getting Started in 5 minutes

evrExpanse 7 is a macOS application for on-set and post-production media workflows. It handles three stages of the media pipeline — offload, transcoding, and metadata export — in a single coordinated session, or independently when you need only one piece.

This page walks through every workflow pattern available. Read it once before your first session and you will know exactly what to configure and why.

Table of Contents

The Window

Setting the Source

Workflow Patterns

While a Session Runs

The Session Summary Sheet

What to Read Next

The Window

When you open evrExpanse 7, the window is intentionally small.

At the top, a tab bar with two entries — Workflow and Tags — and a gear icon for Preferences in the corner. The Workflow tab opens first: a source path selector, then three collapsed WorkflowBlocks — Offload, Transcode, Export Metadata.

Nothing is expanded until you enable it. The window grows as you activate blocks and shrinks back when you disable them. At any point, the window shows exactly the configuration relevant to your session — nothing more.

Click blocks to expand, run a simulated session, and explore Preferences. [ Open in a floating window ↗ ]

Setting the Source

Drag any folder from Finder into the source area at the top of the window. This is the folder evrExpanse will read from — the card root, a camera subfolder, or an existing footage directory on a drive.

The source path locks in. Every enabled block will use this as its starting point, unless chained — in which case each block feeds its output to the next automatically.

Workflow Patterns

evrExpanse 7 supports seven distinct workflow configurations. Enable only the blocks you need.

Offload Only

When to use it: backing up cards to one or more drives with checksum verification, without transcoding or metadata export.

Enable the Offload block. Set a primary destination. Optionally enable up to three additional destinations.

Press Start. evrExpanse transfers every file in the source folder to all enabled destinations and verifies each one by xxh64 checksum. If a file already exists at the destination, a full hash comparison is performed — content-based, not name or date.

When complete, the Session Summary Sheet shows verification status and file count for each destination individually.

Export Metadata Only

When to use it: media is already on a drive — you need to generate NLE metadata files from an existing folder without copying or transcoding anything.

Enable the Export Metadata block. The source is already set. Select the export formats you need — DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Media Composer, Silverstack, SCRATCH, Sony RTMD, evrExpanse TSV, or Extract LUT.

By default, the output lands in an evrE_FolderName subfolder inside the source folder. If you'd rather keep your source media untouched, set a dedicated destination in Preferences → Metadata Export → Metadata Destination: click to choose a folder, or drag and drop one onto the row. All enabled formats — including extracted LUTs and Sony RTMD — are then written to an evrE_FolderName subfolder inside that destination instead, so each exported source keeps its own subfolder. If the destination folder can't be reached, evrExpanse tells you before the workflow starts rather than falling back to the source.

Press Start. evrExpanse reads every media file in the source folder and writes all enabled formats simultaneously.

Transcode Only

When to use it: footage is already offloaded — you need ProRes or DNxHR files from an existing folder without re-copying or exporting metadata.

Enable the Transcode block. Set a destination. Select codec and mode.

Three transcoding modes are available:

Smart — analyzes each file and transcodes only what needs it. Clips already in a mezzanine codec pass through untouched: ProRes always, and DNxHR, CineForm, or uncompressed YUV when the matching compatibility option leaves them alone. Everything else is transcoded to your selected codec. Audio already in PCM is copied as-is. The most common choice for mixed-codec card offloads.

Rewrap — changes container only, no re-encoding. Output is MOV. Use this when you need QuickTime compatibility without touching the streams.

Manual — full control. Every file is re-encoded to your selected codec, bitrate, and audio format regardless of source.

Offload → Export Metadata

When to use it: copy cards to drives and immediately generate NLE metadata from the offloaded files in one uninterrupted session.

Enable Offload and Export Metadata. Leave Transcode disabled.

evrExpanse runs Offload first — full transfer and verification. When complete, Export runs automatically using the primary offload destination as its source. You do not need to set the export source manually.

Transcode → Export Metadata

When to use it: transcode existing footage to an intermediate codec and immediately generate NLE metadata from the transcoded files.

Enable Transcode and Export Metadata. Leave Offload disabled.

Export runs automatically after Transcode completes, using the transcode destination as its source.

Offload → Transcode → Export Metadata

When to use it: the complete on-set pipeline in a single session. Cards arrive, drives leave with backed-up originals, ProRes files, and metadata ready for the editor.

Enable all three blocks.

evrExpanse executes in fixed order: Offload → Transcode → Export. Each stage feeds the next automatically. The transcode source is the primary offload destination. The export source is the transcode destination.

Press Start and walk away.

Apply Finder Tags

When to use it: batch-apply macOS Finder Tags to media files from a metadata file exported by DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or evrExpanse — or by scanning a folder directly.

This workflow lives in the Tags tab, independent of the Workflow session.

Switch to the Tags tab and drop a metadata file or folder into the source area. evrExpanse detects the format automatically and reveals the matching field panel — DaVinci Resolve for a Resolve CSV, Final Cut Pro for an FCPXML, or evrExpanse / Folder for a folder scan or TSV. Expand the panel and tick the metadata fields you want to convert into Finder Tags. (For a folder or TSV, the fields are grouped under Creative (XMP), Camera & EXIF, and Production / Clip.)

Live interactive mockup — click on SOURCE to simulate different input.

Click Preview Tags — or Extract & Preview, if your source is a folder. evrExpanse scans the metadata, matches each entry to the corresponding file on disk, and presents the Metadata Tagging Preview — a summary showing the metadata format, the fields you selected, total files, files containing metadata, duplicates, and files ready for tagging.

The preview includes a Select Tagging Mode selector:

Add Metadata to current Finder Tags (default) — adds tags without removing existing ones
Remove Metadata from Finder Tags — removes only the tags listed in the metadata
Overwrite Finder Tags with Metadata — replaces all existing tags

Choose a mode and confirm with Apply Finder Tags in the preview to begin writing.

Tags are applied directly to the media files on disk. Prefixes are added automatically — Scene-, Take-, Reel-, Cam-, ISO-, f/ and others — making files filterable directly in Finder without an external DAM.

After processing, a Tagging Process Summary shows the files processed, the files successfully tagged, and the tagging method used, with an Open Report button for the full log.

Switch to the Tags tab and drop a metadata file or folder into the source area. evrExpanse detects the format automatically and reveals the matching field panels under Metadata Settings — DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, XMP, EXIF, or Clip. Expand the relevant panel and tick the metadata fields you want to convert into Finder Tags.

Click Analyze Metadata…. evrExpanse scans the metadata file, matches each entry to the corresponding file on disk, and presents the Metadata Tagging Preview — a summary showing the detected format, selected fields, total files, and files ready for tagging.

While a Session Runs

Each active WorkflowBlock shows its state through its border.

While running, the border animates — a gradient advances from left to right as the block progresses: by data copied during Offload, by files processed during Transcode and Export. Green at the origin, yellow at the leading edge, fading to white ahead. The tip pulses. This is the live progress indicator for that block.

Illustration only — the live interface differs in detail (file counter, elapsed time, Cancel control).

A file counter and elapsed time appear inside the block. The Cancel button is available at any time — cancellation stops the current block cleanly after the file in progress completes. Partial files are removed.

The Session Summary Sheet

At the end of every session — completed, cancelled, or partial — a sheet slides up from the bottom of the window.

The sheet contains one section per active block. Each section shows file count, elapsed time, and destination path; Offload sections also report per-destination verification status. For Offload with multiple destinations, each destination is listed individually with its own result. A "Total session time" is shown at the top of the sheet.

When MHL sealing has run, a Folder Sealing section appears. It reports the sealing Type (ASC MHL or MHL v1) and the Hash algorithm used, followed by a status line — completed successfully, completed with errors, or failed. Sealed folders are grouped by origin, Offload and Transcode, and each folder is listed individually; folders that failed to seal show the reason inline.

Blocks that were cancelled show a Cancelled banner with results up to the point of cancellation. Blocks that were not enabled show N/A — not run.

A row of actions at the bottom of the sheet provides direct links, without leaving the sheet. Open Offload Destination, Open Transcode Destination, and Open Export Folder each reveal the relevant output folder in Finder, and Log & Report Viewer opens the full event log. For a single Offload destination the Open button is always available; with multiple destinations, select a destination row first and the Open button targets that destination.