Getting Started

Forge is a deterministic post-production automation tool for macOS. It generates proxies and deliveries from explicit job specifications, with full auditability and no silent failure. Every run produces the same output given the same input and spec.

Installation

  1. Download the latest .dmg from the Download page.
  2. Open the disk image.
  3. Drag Forge into your Applications folder.
  4. Launch Forge from Applications.

macOS may prompt you to confirm the application on first launch. Follow the standard Gatekeeper approval flow.

First Launch

On first launch, Forge will ask you to activate a license or start a trial. The trial is fully functional for 14 days. No credit card is required.

Once activated, Forge opens to the job dashboard. This is your primary workspace.

Creating Your First Job

A job in Forge is a unit of work: one input, one spec, one output. To create a job:

  1. Click New Job.
  2. Select your source media.
  3. Choose or define a job specification (codec, resolution, frame rate).
  4. Set the output destination.
  5. Run the job.

Forge executes the specification exactly as defined. There is no adaptive logic or automatic correction.

Where Outputs Go

By default, outputs are written to a directory adjacent to the source media. Each job produces its output file alongside a manifest that records exactly what was done: input path, spec used, timestamps, and result status.

You can configure a custom output directory per job or globally in Preferences.

Getting Help

If you run into issues, visit the Support page or consult the Troubleshooting guide.