Before anything else
The manual is already in the app.
Choose Help → After2AM Studio User Manual for the complete offline guide. It covers the daily workflow, episodes, scripts, planning, storage, reusable media, publishing, safety, shortcuts, and troubleshooting.
System requirements
The current pilot build is intended for owner-operated testing with copied media. It is ad-hoc signed for local testing, not a notarized general-public release.
Getting started
- Open the bundled sample library and explore Today, Productions, Planning, Strategy, Resources, and the production workspace.
- When you are ready for your own catalog, choose Start Fresh… in the sidebar. This removes examples while retaining storage choices; it does not delete episode or media files.
- Open Settings and configure Primary storage first. Add Archive and reusable B-roll storage when you need them.
- Create an idea, then use Make This an Episode when it is ready for a production workspace.
- Use visible Save/Discard controls—or Command-S—for long-form documents. Leaving a document protects a recovery draft but does not silently commit it.
After you leave sample mode, Settings → Sample library → Open Sample Library opens a separate disposable demo window. It does not replace or write beside your personal catalog.
What Studio is—and is not
Studio is a production hub and searchable catalog. It prepares the brief, schedule, files, copy-ready publishing packet, and handoff. It is not a video editor, cloud drive, media player, or YouTube uploader.
Storage and data safety
Studio’s catalog is local at ~/Library/Application Support/After2AMManager/. Media remains in ordinary folders beneath the Primary, Archive, or B-roll roots you choose. Archive storage is relocation, not a second backup.
Back up the whole After2AMManager Application Support directory plus Primary, Archive, and B-roll Library storage. Never copy only a live library.sqlite while SQLite’s write-ahead log is active.
- Keep camera cards and original sources untouched until imported copies have also been opened and inspected outside Studio.
- Use FileVault and encrypted backup destinations; the local SQLite library is not encrypted.
- Periodically test that backups restore and that stored media opens.
- Treat a global Changes may not be saved warning as blocking. Retry the save, reveal the catalog, and preserve the complete library folder and newly written media before quitting.
Troubleshooting
A configured drive or share is offline
Reconnect the exact configured disk or mount the network share in Finder, then return to Studio. Metadata remains searchable while media is offline, but file actions stay disabled until Studio sees the expected writable location. A similarly named replacement volume is not treated as the same storage.
An item is read-only or unavailable
Check that the configured root is mounted, writable, and contains the expected folder. If a share is involved, verify it in Finder first; Studio does not mount shares or authenticate them for you.
A document has unsaved changes
Use Save or Command-S to commit the document. Use Discard to return to the last committed version. On relaunch, Studio can offer a compatible recovery draft; it refuses to pick a winner silently when both the saved content and draft changed.
An import did not finish
Keep the source untouched. Studio copies to a hidden partial destination and reveals the final item only after SHA-256 verification. If storage goes offline or becomes unwritable, reconnect it before retrying.
Common questions
Does Studio upload to YouTube?
No. It prepares and tracks publishing work locally, including copy-ready title, description, tags, files, dates, and checklist state. It does not authenticate with YouTube, upload media, or verify remote processing or visibility.
Where are my files?
Metadata and internal documents are in the local SQLite library. Episode scripts are portable Script.md files. Media, assets, and previews stay in Finder-accessible filesystem roots. Use the Reveal actions in Studio and Settings when you need the exact location.
Can I delete the app to remove everything?
No. Removing the app does not necessarily remove Application Support data or media in configured storage. See the retention and removal guidance before deleting anything.
What should I include in a support email?
Include the Studio version and build, macOS version, the exact message you saw, what you expected, steps to reproduce it, and whether the relevant storage is online and writable. Do not attach your SQLite library, private media, or full unreviewed logs.
Human support
Still stuck?
Email support@after2am.dev. There is no account, ticket portal, or remote diagnostic service between you and the person building the app.
Email support