BATS - ProxyBuilder

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Custom proxy files, straight in EDIUS

High-resolution material can slow down editing on less powerful machines. ProxyBuilder creates its own reduced proxy files for your video clips with FFmpeg and links them directly to the clip — you decide the format and size, and create proxies on demand, exactly when you need them.

How it works

When you run the ProxyBuilder entry on a video clip, BAT Server:

  1. scales the video down to your chosen size (a percentage of the original, e.g. 50 %) with FFmpeg and encodes it in your chosen format — audio is kept (48 kHz),
  2. links the resulting file to the clip as its proxy file — the clip is now registered in EDIUS as a proxy (status "Ready").

The result is a clip with its own proxy file. Switch EDIUS to proxy mode and it will work on the reduced file for this clip — the original stays untouched.

How to use it

  1. Create the preset (once): Start the assistant from the button in the BAT Server panel or via right-click → "Add function…" in EDIUS, and choose ProxyBuilder. The assistant asks a few questions:
    • Format of the proxy file: MP4, MPG2, ProRes, ProRes LT or ProRes Proxy,
    • Size: height and width in percent of the original (0–100 %, default 50 %),
    • Placement of the menu entry: context menu in the BIN or on the timeline,
    • Name of the entry, e.g. "Add as proxy MP4 50 %".
  2. The assistant creates your personal preset — it appears in the context menu under the Create submenu.
  3. Prepare EDIUS: Disable the "Automatically generate proxy" option in your EDIUS user settings so that EDIUS no longer creates its own proxies on demand.
  4. Switch EDIUS into proxy mode — EDIUS will not create proxies itself anymore.
  5. Whenever you need proxies: right-click one or more videos → Create → your entry (e.g. "Add as proxy MP4 50 %"). BAT Server creates the proxy files and links them to the clips (progress is shown in the BAT Server panel).

Options

  • Format – MP4 (H.264, optimized for fast decoding), MPG2, ProRes, ProRes LT or ProRes Proxy (high-quality formats for proxy use). The format is baked into the preset — for a different format, simply create another preset.
  • Size – height and width in percent of the original (0–100 %, default 50 %). This value is also part of the preset — e.g. 25 % for very light proxies.
  • Menu placement – the entry appears in the clip context menu in the BIN or on the timeline.

Good to know

  • Re-create anytime: you can re-create a clip's proxy file at any time — running the entry again replaces the existing proxy file, no duplicates.
  • One preset per setting: format and size are stored in the preset. Combine several presets (e.g. "MP4 50 %" and "ProRes Proxy 25 %") to have suitable proxies for different projects.
  • Original stays intact: ProxyBuilder does not modify the original — it only creates the additional proxy file and links it to the clip.

Managing the preset

Your ProxyBuilder preset is a personal preset: it appears in the context menu under its own name and can be temporarily disabled or deleted like any other entry. For different settings (other format, other size, other placement), simply create another preset with the assistant.

For advanced users: a preset's .bat0 file is the template from which the BAT Server generates the job file (.bat) — filled with the clip-specific values — every time you pick the entry; the .bat0 itself is never executed. You may edit the .bat0 directly; changes apply from the next time you run the entry.