FAQ
The practical details, before the next project.
Compatibility, timing, storage, creative control and what to expect from each Hootio product.
HOOTIO VIDEOBOT
Questions about VideoBot
Who is VideoBot for?+
VideoBot is for videographers working with wedding and event video footage. It prepares and edits video, while Smart Import helps both photographers and videographers copy, organise and back up their files.
What happens after I press Start?+
VideoBot carries the whole video project forward in one workflow: it creates lightweight proxy video, synchronises every camera and recorder, builds chapters, classifies events, designs the Highlight Story, intelligently edits the project and prepares editable timelines.
Can VideoBot generate editable timelines?+
Yes. VideoBot can generate editable timelines from your video project. You can open them in Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve and continue shaping every creative choice.
Does VideoBot create lightweight proxy video?+
Yes. VideoBot creates lighter working versions of your footage so a large project is faster and smoother to review and edit.
Is it for long-form films, highlight films or both?+
Both. The full smart edit gives long-form work a major head start, while Highlight Story gathers meaningful spoken moments and matching footage into a stronger starting plan for the highlight film.
Can it process a project on a NAS or network drive?+
Yes. Project media can live on a local drive, external drive, NAS or shared network folder. Connection and storage speed will affect processing and playback.
Does hard drive speed affect video analysis?+
Yes. VideoBot reads a lot of footage while analysing a project, so the speed of the drive holding your media matters. Depending on the drive and connection, an SSD may read files 5–10 times faster than an external USB hard drive. This does not mean the entire analysis will finish 5–10 times sooner; footage and computer performance also affect the total time.
Why might preprocessing be unusually slow?+
If your footage is HEVC/H.265 10-bit 4:2:2, your computer or VideoBot configuration may not be able to decode that format using hardware acceleration. VideoBot may then rely on the CPU, which can make preprocessing much slower even when the files are on an SSD. Support varies by processor, graphics hardware, operating system and drivers.
How should I prepare the project folder?+
Create one parent project folder and keep every camera and external audio device in its own subfolder. Do not mix media from different devices in the same source folder.
How long does the one-click workflow take?+
A full wedding commonly takes around 2–4 hours, depending on the length of the footage, your computer and where the media is stored. You can leave VideoBot working and return to prepared timelines.
What makes VideoBot different from a syncing app?+
Sync is only one stage. VideoBot continues through proxy creation, chapters, event classification, Highlight Story planning, the full first edit and editable timelines.
Which editing applications are supported?+
You can continue with your editable timelines in Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Every creative choice remains adjustable.
Does VideoBot create a finished wedding film?+
It creates a major first edit, not a locked final film. You remain in control of story, music, pacing, sound, colour, polish and every final delivery decision.
Can I use it for events other than weddings?+
Yes. The workflow suits long-form multicamera events such as conferences, performances, ceremonies and other productions with continuous coverage.
Is VideoBot free?+
VideoBot is free during the current limited beta. Future pricing has not been announced.
What hardware is recommended?+
Minimum: 4-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, SSD and 10 GB free space. Recommended: 8-core CPU, 16 GB RAM, fast SSD, 20 GB or more free and a capable GPU. Larger workloads benefit from 12–16+ cores, 32–64 GB RAM, NVMe storage and NVIDIA or Apple Silicon hardware.
HOOTIO SMART IMPORT
Questions about Smart Import
Who is Smart Import for?+
Smart Import is for photographers and videographers. It imports and organises photos, RAW files, video, audio and related files, with optional backups. Lightroom Connect can then create photo catalogs, apply your selected preset and generate Standard and Smart Previews. You can also use Smart Import on its own.
What does Lightroom Connect do after photo import?+
When Create catalog and Build previews are enabled, Hootio completes photo import, creates Lightroom Catalogs for new photo date folders, applies your selected import preset, then asks Lightroom Classic to build Standard and Smart Previews for each new catalog.
When is my Lightroom preset applied?+
Your selected import preset is loaded into the new catalog before Standard and Smart Previews are built. In Settings, open Lightroom · import preset and choose an installed preset or a supported .xmp file. Choose None to keep default develop settings.
What do I need for Lightroom previews?+
Install Lightroom Classic 15 or later and add and enable the Hootio Previews plugin in its Plug-in Manager. Return to Hootio and use Check again to confirm setup. Build previews generates both Standard (2048 px) and Smart Previews.
Where are the catalogs saved?+
Each new photo date folder receives a Lightroom Catalog subfolder containing its .lrcat file and preview caches. Photos remain in the date folder. Existing catalogs are preserved rather than overwritten.
What if preview generation stops?+
The imported photos and created catalogs are kept. Check Lightroom for an open dialog or plugin issue, then use Retry and continue in Hootio. The queue reports import, catalog and preview results separately.
Can Smart Import continue directly into VideoBot?+
Yes, for video projects. Choose Smart Import + VideoBot and start once. Smart Import copies and organises your photos and video, with your chosen backups. If Lightroom Connect is also enabled, its catalog and preview tasks run first. VideoBot then continues with the video footage and can generate editable timelines.
What does Smart Import copy?+
Smart Import copies photos, RAW files, video, audio and their related files from your cards to your hard drive. It also includes companion files from folders containing supported media. Source files remain untouched on the card.
How are files organised?+
Capture metadata determines the date. Photos go into the matching date folder; videos also keep a child folder named after their source folder. Existing matching folders can be reused.
Does it overwrite existing files?+
No. An exact match is reported as already existing. A different same-name file receives a safe numeric suffix instead of being overwritten.
How are backups checked?+
Optional backup content is compared with the removable-storage source using file size and SHA-256. A missing backup can be replenished during a later import.
Can I use network workspaces?+
Yes. Hootio stores the chosen folder path, while Windows Credential Manager or macOS Keychain continues to manage network credentials.
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