Watch Folders
Engine contains a Watch Folder system (sometimes referred to as a Hot folder, or a Drop folder). Watch folders allow you to drop files into specific monitored folders. Each folder is associated with one of the workflow profiles that you have created. When a file is detected in a watch folder, it is automatically added to the Engine processing queue. Watch folders can exist anywhere on your local network – they don’t just have to be on the server running the Engine software.
Shortcuts Watch Folder
In addition to media files, watch folders can work with links to media files. On windows, these are shortcuts, whilst on Mac OSX, these are alias’s. Click HERE to download a PDF with detailed information on watchfolder shortcuts.
Configuration
A standard Engine license lets you run four watch folders, with up to 32 available as an option. Watchfolders are configured from the Engine-Configurator tool. Original files can be automatically moved to new folders, renamed with user defined prefixes or suffixes, or with a time/date stamp adding, or can be deleted after the new file has been created. Files created as a result of processing also have flexible naming options, and can be placed at any chosen path in your filesystem. Bad files that do not meet specifications can be moved to a chosen quarantine folder.
Reports can be enabled for each individual watchfolder, again providing a flexible range of naming options. Summary and detailed reports, including Loudness specific reports can be generated in XML and/or PDF formats, optionally including measurement graphs. Daily reports showing all files processed within each 24 hour period can be generated.
Monitoring All Watch Folders
Engine includes a watch folder monitor tool. Notifications from the Engine‘s processing system are automatically updated directly to the monitor, so you can always see how your files are progressing. Status may be displayed for all watch folders, or just for any individual watch folder.
In this example we are monitoring four watch folders. Two files have correctly completed processing, denoted by the green ‘Success’ status. Two files have been processed but rejected. Brief error messages are displayed, plus more detailed information is available. Three files are currently being processed, and the percentage progress on these processes is dynamically updated on the display until processing completes. There are also two files that are queued for processing. This Engine system was configured with three ESP (Signal Processors), so if more than three files are sent for processing, three will start and the remainder go into a queue until an ESP becomes available.
Monitoring Individual Watch Folders
By default, all watch folders are monitored simultaneously. However each active watch folder is listed on the UI, so you can select just one, and only see status of files in that particular watch folder. Clicking “View All” shows all watch folders again.
You can also expand each watch folder heading to see information on Workflow, and the various folders associated with that watch folder.
The following brief video shows how the status for multiple watch folders, on a three ESP Engine system, updates automatically in real time
