Answers for your next workflow.

• Import only: Hootio Smart Import copies supported media and related files from your selected cards into your workspaces, with optional separate backups.
• Photo workflow: Hootio creates the Lightroom catalog; PhotoBot makes an adjusted catalog copy and builds Standard and Smart Previews if selected. Finish your creative edit and exports in Lightroom Classic.
• Video workflow: Hootio hands imported footage to VideoBot for preprocessing, with optional proxies. Editing and timeline export are separate steps afterward.

Use the workflow guides for each route’s setup and completion checks. You can run the photo and video workflows independently.

Complete first-run setup before importing: sign in, save both Hootio workspaces, connect the required drives and leave enough room for working files and any backups.

For photos, finish Lightroom Classic setup, install and enable the PhotoBot plugin, confirm it with Check again, and choose a preset or None. For video, sign in to VideoBot and save the relevant output, proxy and LUT settings. Keep the computer awake and drives connected; a missing path, permission or dialog can pause processing.

Follow the setup checklists, then check completion in the app that does the work. An import or handoff message alone does not confirm every later stage succeeded.

The downloads page lists Windows and Mac installers. Hootio and PhotoBot each have one Mac download that works on Apple Silicon and Intel. For VideoBot, choose the Mac download that matches your computer. PhotoBot’s Lightroom workflow also needs a separately licensed Lightroom Classic installation.

Yes. In Hootio, save both workspaces, turn off Create / update catalog, and leave Smart Develop, Build previews, Create proxy and Create Smart Edit off. Previous selections can remain enabled, so check them before pressing SMART IMPORT. Follow the import-only workflow.

Hootio requires both destination fields, even for a photo-only import. Set them in Workspace Settings, choose a folder-naming format and click Save Settings. Backup folders are optional and configured separately. Use distinct folders that do not contain one another; a second folder on the same disk does not protect against that disk failing.

It searches selected cards for supported photos, video and audio. It also copies related non-media files from folders containing supported media. It is not a complete disk image: unrelated documents, databases or other files outside those folders may need a separate copy. Review the media and related-file results and compare them with the source card. The related-files guide explains the scope.

Hootio can reuse existing date folders and recognise matching workspace media using filename, capture date and size. EXISTING is not a byte-for-byte content verification. Review renamed collisions and any suspected matches, especially when different cameras reuse filenames. Use an independent content comparison when needed before treating two files as interchangeable. See repeated imports and conflicts.

When a backup is configured and Hootio is idle, CHECK BACKUP compares supported media under the configured workspace and backup roots using relative paths, file sizes and SHA-256. It is not limited to the last import and does not compare the original card. Sidecars and other non-media files are outside this check. Review missing, extra and different files; a match does not prove that every source-card file was imported. See the backup-check guide.

Smart Import copies files; it leaves the originals on your cards. Before reusing a card, review COPIED, EXISTING and FAILED, plus separate backup and related-file results. Check every source device and expected file category, open representative files, and verify the second copy you require. Keep unresolved source files until you have confirmed their copies. A successful workspace copy does not establish that its backup succeeded.

Completed copies are kept. Reconnect the required drives and confirm the saved destinations before running the relevant cards again. For Network workspace needs attention, choose OPEN NETWORK LOCATION, complete any Explorer or Finder sign-in, then return and choose RETRY. Review existing-file decisions, collisions and backup results on the new run. See import troubleshooting.

PhotoBot uses face analysis to estimate exposure and white balance adjustments and can automatically level photos within your chosen limits. Available options also include similar-photo grouping. Some photographs may be left unchanged or need review. The result is an editable catalog copy; review colour, skin tones, cropping and other creative decisions in Lightroom before exporting finished photographs.

In Hootio’s Workspace Settings → Lightroom Catalog, enable Create / update catalog. Select PHOTOBOT CONNECT → Smart Develop, choose the adjustment options and add Build previews if wanted. Hootio creates the base catalog, then PhotoBot produces the adjusted copy. Before Hootio updates an existing destination catalog, close that catalog in Lightroom. Complete plugin setup first and check the Task queue through to completion. Use the photo handoff guide.

The catalog workflow uses Lightroom Classic. Hootio’s catalog setup requires Classic 12 or newer and checks the installed version and supported catalog format online. Complete Adobe’s sign-in and first-run screens before processing. The cloud-based Lightroom app is a different product and is not the catalog host for this workflow.

Yes. Smart Develop and previews require an installed, enabled and connected PhotoBot plugin. A plugin folder on disk alone is not enough.

1. In PhotoBot, open Settings → Plugin setup and use the folder it shows.
2. In Lightroom Classic, choose File → Plug-in Manager → Add. Select the HootioPhotoBot.lrplugin folder and enable it.
3. Return to PhotoBot and choose Check again. Reload the plugin or restart Lightroom if an older copy is still loaded.

Hootio’s account-readiness check does not confirm the plugin connection. Basic card copying and base catalog creation do not need this plugin. See plugin setup.

In Lightroom Classic Preferences → General:

• Clear Show import dialog when a memory card is detected.
• Under Default Catalog, choose the intended catalog or Load most recent catalog instead of Prompt me when starting Lightroom.

Keep catalog backups scheduled. If an exit backup dialog appears, complete it or deliberately skip that one backup, then return to the waiting job. A media backup does not replace a Lightroom catalog backup. See first-run Lightroom settings.

Before creating the catalog, choose your .xmp import preset in Hootio’s Lightroom settings and save it, or intentionally choose None for Lightroom’s default adjustments. The preset supplies the starting look; PhotoBot’s adjustments follow separately. A preset is not needed for an import-only run. See photo workflow setup.

Yes. Drag a .lrcat file into Your Catalog or choose Browse, confirm its original photos are reachable, set your options and select Develop catalog. PhotoBot writes a separate adjusted copy, such as Wedding-hootio.lrcat, with numbered versions for later results. It does not overwrite the source catalog or original photos. Keep the adjusted catalog’s .lrcat-data companion and media paths available. See the existing-catalog workflow.

New-project authorisation requires valid capture dates for every photo and a catalog spanning no more than one continuous 48-hour range. A master catalog combining unrelated shoots can fail this check. Use a catalog for the intended shoot and correct genuinely missing or incorrect capture dates in Lightroom. Existing projects are checked against their registered date range; follow the allowed range in the app’s notice. Keep original files and backups when preparing a separate catalog.

Open the latest completed PhotoBot-adjusted catalog, not just the base Hootio catalog or a partially applied copy. If you selected previews, wait for both Standard and Smart preview totals to finish; their counts can advance at different rates. In Hootio, Build previews requires Smart Develop. Keep Lightroom and the media drive available, then review representative photos in Lightroom. Final photo exports remain a separate step.

Resolve the reported plugin connection, missing media or Lightroom dialog first. If the output catalog is open during adjustment application, close that copy and use Retry catalog apply. For interrupted processing, use Unfinished jobs… → Resume selected job; for a paused Hootio queue, use Retry and continue after fixing the issue. Preserve unfinished checkpoints and temporary files. Closing PhotoBot’s window normally hides it to the tray, where it can still be working. See recovery steps.

For the Hootio-to-VideoBot route, enable Create Smart Edit and optional Create proxy, then press SMART IMPORT. After copying, Hootio hands the destination video folder to VideoBot for preprocessing. This route ends when preprocessing is complete. Chapter editing, Highlight Story design and timeline export are later operations you choose in VideoBot. Follow the video workflow.

Yes. Choose Create New Edit → Choose Video Folder, review the import notice and settings, then select PreProcess → Yes. Use one parent folder for the event and keep each camera and external recorder in its own source subfolder. See the preprocessing guide.

Install and sign in to VideoBot, check access to the Video Workspace, and save the output resolution, video standard and proxy settings for the job. If using Auto Exposure or Smart Expo, configure the appropriate local .cube files in the two highlight LUT slots and the full-length LUT slot. Missing LUTs can cause a prompt; they are not required for every preprocessing route. Use LUTs suited to your footage and recheck their paths after moving computers. See output and LUT settings.

Proxies are optional: select Create proxy in Hootio or Create Proxies in VideoBot and check the saved format and location. They use additional space and do not replace originals. Local, external or network media folders must stay accessible throughout processing. Allow space for proxies, helper audio and temporary files; network speed and disconnections affect the job. Follow the proxy guide.

Open or reopen the named VideoBot project and look for Done. and All preprocessing stages are complete. Check the generated proxy files separately if requested. Hootio’s Sent to VideoBot status confirms the handoff, and a full scanning progress bar alone is not the final result. See completion checks.

Yes. After preprocessing, use the appropriate Chapter Export, Smart Edit or Story Edit workflow. The files available depend on the command. Import the appropriate output into Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, relink media if necessary and review edit points, sound, colour and pacing before rendering. Automatic editing gives you a starting edit; it does not deliver a reviewed final film. See the export guide.

Time depends on footage duration and codec, analysis options, proxy generation, CPU/GPU capability and storage speed. Some formats or stages use CPU processing when supported hardware acceleration is unavailable. A fast SSD, sufficient RAM and suitable acceleration can help, but there is no fixed full-wedding completion time or guaranteed speed multiplier. Follow the current package requirements and use the project’s stage status and progress estimates.

Check whether the named VideoBot project is already processing before retrying. Resolve its sign-in, update or workspace-access message. If Hootio copied the footage successfully, keep those files and open the destination folder directly in VideoBot. For interrupted preprocessing, reopen the same project and select PreProcess to reuse saved progress; unfinished work may repeat. Stopping Hootio cannot recall a task VideoBot has already accepted. See handoff troubleshooting.

Hootio Smart Import and basic catalog creation are free. PhotoBot’s current offer is a two-month free trial, with no payment card required and no automatic paid conversion. PhotoBot access and project authorisation are separate from free importing. Check the PhotoBot offer and the product’s account notice for current access details.

The current Starter offer includes a one-time allowance of five Advanced Projects. Camera/audio synchronisation, chapters and event identification do not use this allowance; long-form automatic editing, Highlight Story design or both use an Advanced Project. The VideoBot pricing page shows paid plans and top-ups. Its current paid-option buttons send an enquiry, without taking payment; any paid offer must be accepted separately.

For an existing subscription, open Account and choose View and manage subscription to use the Stripe billing portal. Check the effective cancellation date and confirmation. If your plan is missing or the portal is unavailable, contact Hootio. Uninstalling an app does not cancel a subscription. Contact us about billing errors or refund requests; applicable consumer rights are preserved in the terms and conditions.

File copying and much photo/video analysis run locally, but the complete connected workflow uses online services for sign-in, project authorisation and cloud features. Depending on the feature, catalogue metadata or snapshots, transcripts and derived video analysis—including face/person features—can be sent to the cloud. VideoBot can also send automatic error reports. Review the Privacy Policy before submitting client material; it explains processing, retention and privacy requests.

Use Contact or email info@hootio.com.au. Include the product and version, operating system, workflow stage, exact error or support code, and what you expected. Explain whether media copying, catalog processing, previews or VideoBot preprocessing completed. If sign-in expired, follow the sign-in prompt and retry. Remove unrelated client information from screenshots or logs, and do not send passwords or payment-card details.