FrameExporter

FrameExporter is a macOS app to open a video, jump to an exact moment, and export the current frame as a JPEG.

For End Users

Screenshot

Download And Install

Requires: macOS 13.0 or newer.

1. Open the latest release page: https://github.com/onderk-motion/FrameExporter/releases/latest
2. Download the release .zip file.
3. Extract the archive.
4. Move FrameExporter.app to /Applications.
5. Open the app.

If macOS blocks the first launch, open: System Settings > Privacy & Security and use Open Anyway for FrameExporter.

What You Can Do

• Open videos from the in-app picker.
• Drag and drop a video into the app window.
• Scrub on the timeline with precise time display.
• Play/pause and step frame-by-frame (◀︎ 1 Frame, 1 Frame ▶︎).
• Export the current frame as JPEG.

Supported Video Formats

FrameExporter accepts files recognized by macOS as video/movie types.

• Typical supported containers include .mp4, .mov, .m4v.
• Actual support depends on codec availability in your macOS version.
• If a file cannot be opened, convert it to H.264/H.265 in .mp4 or .mov and try again.

How Export Works

• Export target is the source video folder first.
• Filename conflicts are handled automatically: VideoName.jpg, VideoName_1.jpg, VideoName_2.jpg, ...
• If source-folder write is denied, the app can request access with Grant Folder Access.
• If writing still fails, export falls back to an app-managed folder.

Where Exported Frames Are Saved

• First choice: same folder as the source video.
• Fallback folder name: FrameExporter Exports.
• Fallback may be created under one of these locations: ~/Library/Application Support/FrameExporter Exports, ~/Downloads/FrameExporter Exports, ~/Documents/FrameExporter Exports, ~/Library/Caches/FrameExporter Exports.
• If you cannot find the file, search in Finder for FrameExporter Exports.

Finder Quick Action

After installing the app to /Applications, you can right-click a video in Finder and run: Quick Actions > Frame Export

This opens the selected video directly in FrameExporter.

Troubleshooting

• Export failed or permission denied: Use Grant Folder Access in the app and select the source video folder again.
  If access is still denied, the app falls back to an app-managed export folder.

• App is blocked on first launch: Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway for FrameExporter.

• Frame Export does not appear in Finder Quick Actions: Make sure FrameExporter.app is in /Applications and open the app once.
  If needed, check Finder extensions in macOS settings and re-enable FrameExporter.

Privacy

• No cloud upload
• No telemetry
• No external API calls
• All processing stays local on your Mac

For Developers

Requirements

• macOS 13.0+
• Xcode 15+ (latest stable recommended)

Build And Run (Debug)

1. Open FrameExporter.xcodeproj in Xcode.
2. Select the FrameExporter scheme.
3. Run on My Mac.

Or use CLI:

xcodebuild -project FrameExporter.xcodeproj -scheme FrameExporter -configuration Debug build

Build (Release)

xcodebuild -project FrameExporter.xcodeproj -scheme FrameExporter -configuration Release -derivedDataPath build build

Output app bundle: build/Build/Products/Release/FrameExporter.app

Run Tests

xcodebuild test -project FrameExporter.xcodeproj -scheme FrameExporter -destination 'platform=macOS'

Package A Release Zip

ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent /Applications/FrameExporter.app ~/Desktop/FrameExporter-vX.Y.Z-macOS.zip