DCP Features
Validate DCPs
The “Validate” buttons at the bottom right hand corner of both the source and destination areas can be used to validate DCPs which have the “Validate?” box checked. You can check all the boxes at once by right clicking in the appropriate Area and selecting Validate All.
The validate button calculates a special number called a “hash”, based on the number of bytes in each file. This function checks the hash for the new DCP copy against the hash calculated when the DCP was originally created. If the calculated hash and the stored hash are the same, then the DCP has not been altered since it’s creation and is marked with a green OK. If the calculated hash does not match the stored hash, a red Error appears. DCPs or elements of DCPs which have not been validated are marked with a “Not Yet Checked” status.
Common reasons that a file or package would fail validation are:
- An error occurred during a copy operation somewhere in the life of this DCP. This occurs most often with internet transfers via services like Google Drive or Dropbox, but can also take place whenever a DCP is copied from one place to another.
- Someone may have tried to alter the contents of the XML files after the package has been created. Changing the text contents of any element in the DCP after it has been created will cause the validation process to fail and is not allowed. If you desire to change the name or any attribute of a DCP, you’ll need to use a DCP authoring tool such as DCP-O-Matic, Open DCP, or easyDCP Creator to modify the package and re-generate the stored hash.
Verify Drive Format
The File menu contains an option called “Verify Drive Format”. When chosen, this feature will check the formatting of the current drive selected in the Destination Drive Selector. The verification results are displayed including information about the partition map, filesystem, and inode size (if appropriate). This operation requires that the drive be unmounted and re-mounted.
Once the format of the drive has been verified, a green checkmark will appear next to the drive name in the Destination Panel if the drive adheres to the Digital Cinema Industry Standards. If the drive is not properly formatted, a red X will appear next to the drive selector.
Transfer DCPs
To copy a DCP from a source drive (either an existing USB drive, or the internal drive of your Mac) to a new drive suitable for delivery, follow these steps:
- If not already connected, connect the source drive to the computer.
- Once it mounts, add the desired DCP(s) from the source drive to the Source Area in DCP Transfer.
- Proceed to connect the destination drive to the computer.
- Once the volume is recognized by the computer select the desired drive in the Destination Drive Selector dropdown.
- Use the capacity gauges to be sure there is enough space on the destination drive before starting the transfer process.
- Click the Transfer DCPs button at the bottom of the screen.
If the destination drive has been verified, the following transfer options will be displayed:
- Re-format your destination drive (as a safety measure)
- Validate source DCPs before transfer
- Validate DCP copies after transfer
If the destination drive is not properly formatted, the drive MUST be formatted as part of the transfer operation. You’ll be asked to name the drive before the transfer operation begins. We recommend naming the drive something identifiable to your film.
Note: It is best practice to keep the DCP folder name (The top level DCP folder, not the hard drive) within the standard DCP naming conventions.