FlipFactory provides the Manage Factories window to create, set up and delete factories in an account. To display the Manage Factories window, log on and click Manage Factories in the Users panel of the console.
The toolbar provides convenient access to common commands.
Save. The Save icon is enabled when you have made a change to your account (by creating or deleting a factory, or making some change to a factory). Click Save to update your account in the FlipFactory database.
Cut, Copy, and Paste. When you select an object in the factory panel you can cut, copy, or paste it. For example, you can select a factory and copy it, then paste it and rename it to make a second factory. You can also copy and paste objects from one account to another. You can also cut and paste text.
Preview. Click Preview to visualize your output based on the pre-processing filters you've set up, before the media is actually transcoded.
Search. Click Search to display a search dialog, where you can enter the name (or partial name) of a factory and find it. This is particularly useful in accounts with lots of factories.
Help. Click Help to display the online help page for the selected codec, process/analyze tool, filter, monitor, destination or notify.
Preview. Click Preview to visualize your output based on the pre-processing filters you've set up, before the media is actually transcoded.
The Manage Factories window is composed of three work areas:
Factory Panel. The factory panel displays your factories in hierarchical format, and allows you to create, delete and set up factories, open and close factories and building blocks to expose details, and focus on the area of your account you're currently working in without distraction.
Enabler and Editor Panels. As you work, FlipFactory displays enabler and editor panels directly to the right of the factory panel, Explorer-style. Use these panels to add and set up objects in a factory.
The factory panel displays each factory in an account. Use this panel to create and build factories, create various factory components, and select and operate on each of the components as you set up your factory to perform a specific type of transcoding job.
Click directly on a folder to select and operate on it. Click the Open/Close key to display (or hide) the folder's contents. Alternatively, double-click the folder to open or close it.
When you select a factory (or any object in it), FlipFactory displays either an editor panel or an enabler panel to the right of the factory panel.
Some folders allow you to add (or create) objects within them, including Monitors, Process/Analyze, and Notifications folders. Folders of this type display a panel of available objects when selected.
You use Enabler panels to select a specific type of object (a monitor, for example) and create it by checking the Enable checkbox, or clicking the Add button. For example, if you click the Vortex Network Folder tab and click Enabled, FlipFactory creates a Vortex Network Folder monitor and displays it in the Monitors folder.
Below each tab, FlipFactory displays online help, including an explanation and details about each setting, value or parameter. When you are setting up an object in the editor panel, this is a great way to learn about each choice you need to make to set it up properly for your use.
After you create the object in the Enabler panel, click the new object to select it for editing. FlipFactory displays the proper editor panel for this type of object.
FlipFactory provides editor panels to allow you to customize a specific object: a monitor, a video analysis, a codec, a notification method, and others. Whenever you select an editable object, FlipFactory displays the editor for that type of object.
For example, when you select a Local Folder destination FlipFactory displays the Local Folder editor.
You use editor panels to view the current values and settings, and make changes. Some editors are simple (as in this case); others are complex.
FlipFactory allows you to create multiple factories in an account. Factories are displayed in alphabetic order by name.
FlipFactory provides two ways of making new factories: creating a new factory, or duplicating an existing factory.
To create a new factory, select the Factories folder and right-click on it (immediately below the account folder) and select New.
FlipFactory creates a new, untitled factory and places it in the Factories folder. A new factory has no default functionality and doesn't create any new media. The building blocks (Monitor, Process/Analyze, Products, and Destinations) are created for you, but they are empty.
Click the untitled factory to display the factory editor.
Enter the factory name and description in the appropriate fields.
Click Save to update the factory settings in the database.
You can also create a new factory by copying and pasting a factory you already created. If the new factory is similar to an existing one, this method may be more efficient than building a factory from scratch. You can duplicate factories across accounts: copy the factory in one account, then log onto another account and paste it.
To create a new factory by copying and pasting, follow these steps:
Select the Factory to copy, then right-click on it and select Copy.
Click on the Factories icon. Click Paste in the toolbar, or right-click the Factories folder and paste.
Click the new copy of the factory to display the factory editor.
Update the factory name and description in the appropriate fields.
Click Save to update the account in the database.
Once you have created a factory, you can modify your factory to transcode incoming media in a specific manner, store one or more output media files, and optionally notify recipients.
To permanently remove a factory, select the Factory you want to delete, then right-click it and select Delete, or click Delete in the toolbar. You cannot delete a factory that has active monitors.
Note: You must disable all monitors and save your changes before you can delete a factory.
Before deleting a factory, you should save any changes you've made, so that the factory can be correctly deleted and all processes associated with the factory terminated (monitors, for example).
Caution. Deleting a factory is a permanent action. The only way to restore the factory is to import the account from an archive, if one was previously created.