Final Cut Server 1.5 frees up even more time for creative work, with new features that make it exceptionally flexible and easy to use. Final Cut Server can manage thousands of assets, execute dozens of routine production tasks, and keep every member of your team in sync — all while you continue working.

Robust edit proxy workflow
Final Cut Server can now create edit proxies automatically using the new ProRes 422 (Proxy) format. Because ProRes 422 (Proxy) offers high quality at greatly reduced file sizes, it is ideal for use on notebook computers or over local area networks. Also, the variable frame size of ProRes lets you edit footage from a wide range of source formats, without repositioning text or graphics as you round-trip changes.

After you ingest your footage in Final Cut Pro, save the project to Final Cut Server. Final Cut Server automatically generates proxy files and links them to the project, so you can either edit with original footage over a high-speed network or choose the smaller proxy files for editing on a notebook or over a slower network.

Image sequence support
Graphics compositing applications and film workflows often use an image sequence format for cross-platform compatibility as well as to keep quality high. Image sequences treat each video or film source frame as a still image, which means that one clip may be converted to hundreds of separate files.

Final Cut Server makes it easy to manage image sequences by cataloguing each image sequence as a single asset, with a single video proxy, a thumbnail, and a reference link that gives you direct access to the source files.

Production hierarchies
Productions in Final Cut Server allow you and other users to organise the same assets in different ways, without making copies. Final Cut Server 1.5 lets you organise Productions using a folder-style hierarchy, so you can now organise your media the same way you would in the Finder. You can search an entire Production hierarchy, a particular level of the hierarchy, or a specific Production.

Improved search performance
The database architecture of Final Cut Server has been significantly redesigned to reduce search time and optimise performance. In large databases, searching can be up to 10 times faster. Faster searching lets you find the assets you need with minimal interruption to your workflow.

Selectable proxy format for browsing
When you’re cataloguing media in Final Cut Server 1.5, you can now define different browse proxy formats for different types of source media, with a choice of any of the output settings supported by Compressor. This lets you avoid unnecessary recompression or proxy creation.

Global Saved Searches
Previously a Saved Search was available only to the individual who created it. Now an administrator can provide consistent access to content across an entire organisation by creating Global Saved Searches that are available to everyone.

Support for metadata in audio files
Final Cut Server now parses and displays metadata from AIFF, WAV, CAF, M4A, SDII and AAC files. This means you can search for audio files using file metadata such as creator name and descriptive notes.

Active Directory support
Final Cut Server 1.5 now allows you to assign Final Cut Server permissions to Active Directory as well as Open Directory groups. You can easily set up Active Directory groups to appear in Final Cut Server and assign them directly to permission sets.

Developer extensions
The open architecture of Final Cut Server has been extended to offer new options to developers. You can now write a script or program to bring in existing browse proxies and thumbnails at the same time you catalogue an asset. You can also import and export annotations along with other asset metadata in the XML file.