General Information

What is Final Pass?

Final Pass is a lightweight folder comparison tool designed specifically for digital techs and photographers to reconcile capture session RAW files with processed output files. It provides a fast, reliable method to verify file completeness between any two folders, making it an essential quality control tool for professional workflows.

How is Final Pass different from other folder comparison tools?

Final Pass prioritizes speed and simplicity by focusing exclusively on file name comparison rather than content analysis. This approach makes it exceptionally fast even with datasets containing tens of thousands of files, while maintaining the accuracy required for professional production environments.

What platforms does Final Pass support?

Final Pass is a native macOS application requiring macOS 13.5 or later.

Can Final Pass compare folders on external drives or cloud storage?

Yes. Final Pass can compare any accessible folders including local drives, external media, network-attached storage, and cloud-synchronized directories.

Does Final Pass modify or move files?

No. Final Pass operates in read-only mode for safety. It provides analysis without altering your files.

How does Final Pass handle large folders?

Final Pass has been extensively tested with folders containing tens of thousands of files. The name-only comparison approach ensures consistent performance regardless of file sizes.

How to Use

How do I compare two folders?

1. Select folders via drag-and-drop or manual selection using the folder buttons
2. Click Compare to initiate the analysis
3. Review the detailed results in the hierarchical view

Can I save my comparison results?

Yes. Final Pass offers comprehensive export functionality in both PDF and TXT formats. Reports include detailed file statistics, format breakdowns, and customizable production metadata fields for complete documentation.

Folder Selection

How do I select folders to compare?

Select folders via drag-and-drop onto the folder wells or use the folder buttons to browse. Final Pass can compare any accessible folders including local drives, external media, network-attached storage, and cloud-synchronized directories.

Does Final Pass remember previously selected folders?

When you save a document, Final Pass preserves the folder paths for future reference. However, comparison results are intentionally cleared when the application closes to ensure each analysis reflects the current folder contents.

Hierarchy View & Results

How do I interact with files in the results?

You can select single or multiple files in either folder column and use the right-click context menu to:

• Show All in Finder: Open selected files in Finder
• Copy All Filenames: Copy just the filenames to clipboard
• Copy All Paths: Copy complete file paths to clipboard
• Deselect All: Clear the current selection

How do I filter and navigate the results?

Final Pass provides multiple ways to filter and view your comparison results:

• Use the filter search bar to search for specific files by name
• Click the menu icon (next to the filter search bar) to access filter options and view commands
• Use the View menu for quick access to filter commands:
  • Show All Unique Files (⌘U): Display only files that don't have matches
  • Hide/Show Filter Options (⌘F): Toggle filter controls visibility
  • Clear All Filters (⇧⌘F): Reset all active filters
  • Collapse All Folders (⇧⌘C): Collapse the entire hierarchy for easier navigation

What filtering options are available?

• Show: Toggle visibility of Unique, Matching, or Multiple match files
• View: Switch between Files Only or Folders Only display
• Filter: Quick filter by specific file formats (e.g., CR3, JPG)

Settings & Customization

What settings are available in Final Pass?

Final Pass provides four settings panels accessible from the application menu (Final Pass > Settings):

• General: File extension exclusions
• Advanced: Comparison modes and filtering options
• Appearance: Visual preferences and custom branding
• Database: Storage information and debug tools

General Settings

What does "Ignore File Extensions" do?
This setting excludes specified file types from comparison analysis, useful when certain formats should be omitted from verification. You can add custom extensions and reset to the default list that includes common system files (.DS_Store, .xmp, Capture One files, etc.).

Advanced Settings

What are the comparison modes?
Final Pass offers two distinct comparison strategies (Smart Match is enabled by default):

• Exact Match: Traditional 1:1 file matching where each file must correspond to exactly one file in the comparison folder. Ideal for standard output verification.
• Smart Match: Flexible matching that accommodates 1-to-many relationships, identifying files as unique, matching, or having multiple matches. Perfect for complex workflows with variations or multiple output formats.

Match mode changes take effect on the next comparison.

What is the "Ignore Folders" feature?
This allows you to specify folder names that should be excluded from comparison. Any folders matching these names, along with their entire contents, will be skipped during analysis. Common examples include "CaptureOne" session folders or temporary directories.

What are "Ignore File Name Parts"?
Available exclusively in Smart Match mode, this feature enables you to disregard specific prefixes or suffixes during comparison (e.g., "_proof", "copy_"). This facilitates matching between files with minor naming variations while maintaining core filename integrity.

Appearance Settings

Can I change the appearance of Final Pass?
Yes. You can select between System (follows macOS settings), Light, or Dark appearance modes.

Can I add custom branding to exports?
Yes. The Appearance panel allows you to add a custom logo or image that will be displayed on PDF exports. You can adjust the branding size from Small to Large using a slider control.

Database Settings

What database information is available?
The Database panel displays the database directory location, total database size, and lists all document databases with their individual sizes. You can open the database folder in Finder for direct access.

Are there debug logs for troubleshooting?
Yes. Final Pass automatically creates troubleshooting logs with the following behavior:

• A new log file is created for each session
• Logs older than 7 days are automatically cleaned up
• Personal information is redacted for privacy

You can view logs in Finder or clear all logs from this panel.

Can I clear all databases?
Yes. The Database Settings panel includes a "Clear All Databases" option that removes all stored file information from all open documents. Warning: Clearing databases will reset the user interface and require you to run new comparisons to view results again. Use this feature when you need to free up storage space or start fresh with your comparisons.

Export Customization

Can I customize export reports?
Yes. Export reports support comprehensive customization including:

• Production metadata (production name, location, photographer, digital tech)
• Custom information fields definable per project
• Selective inclusion of file summaries, detailed breakdowns, and format analysis
• Choice between PDF for formatted reports or TXT for plain text documentation
• Custom logo branding for PDF exports (configurable in Settings > Appearance)

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting an error when selecting folders?

• "Can't Compare the Same Folder": You've selected the same folder twice. Final Pass requires two different folders to perform a comparison.
• "Invalid Folder Selection": One folder is a subfolder of the other. Please select folders that are not in a parent/child relationship, as comparing nested folders would produce unreliable results.

Why is the Compare button disabled?

The Compare button remains inactive until two valid, distinct folders have been selected that pass the validation checks above.

Why am I not seeing expected files in the results?

Check your Advanced Settings for active filters:

• Ignore File Extensions: Specified file types are excluded from analysis
• Ignore Folders: Named folders and their contents are skipped
• Ignore File Name Parts (Smart Match only): Files with matching ignored prefixes/suffixes may not appear as expected

Why am I seeing more files than expected?

If you're seeing system files or Capture One settings files (.COS, .COL, .COT, etc.) that should be hidden by default, your ignored file extensions list may have been modified. To fix this:

1. Go to Final Pass > Settings > General
2. Click "Remove All" to clear the existing list
3. Click "Reset to Defaults" to restore the default ignore list
4. Run a new comparison to see the updated results

The default list includes common system and metadata files that are typically excluded from production workflows.

How can I contact support?

For technical assistance or feature requests, please contact our support team at app-support@thedigi.tech.