Sequency includes a command-line tool for Terminal users and a structured workflow for AI assistants. Both use the same conversion engine as the app, so the safest path is always: inspect the source, preview the route, export, then verify the output.
Install the Agent Tools Package
- Open Sequency.
- Open the Sequency app menu and choose Install Agent CLI.
- Sequency verifies your App Store or TestFlight app transaction, copies a short-lived install code, and opens the private install page.
- Enter the code on the website to download the signed and notarized Sequency Agent Tools package.
- Run the
.pkg installer. It installs /usr/local/bin/sequency-cli and lets you choose optional agent skill packages.
- Restart or reload the assistant if it was already open.
- Ask naturally, such as “Use Sequency to inspect this folder and make a ProRes preview.”
The app does not download, unzip, or install executable CLI payloads inside its sandbox. Installation is handled by the notarized macOS package, and normal commands run through the package-installed /usr/local/bin/sequency-cli.
What the Optional Agent Packages Do
- Codex — Installs the Sequency skill into Codex skill roots. Use
/skills, type $sequency when available, or ask for a Sequency conversion naturally.
- Claude Code — Installs a Sequency skill and a
/sequency command.
- Gemini CLI — Installs a Gemini extension with a
/sequency command.
- VS Code Copilot — Adds Sequency instructions and a
/sequency prompt to the selected workspace without replacing existing nested GitHub instruction folders.
- Antigravity — Installs Sequency as a native
SKILL.md skill folder in the supported Antigravity skill roots.
- Templates — Exports skill and prompt files for review or manual installation when you do not want the installer to write them directly.
Reinstalling is safe. The package replaces older Sequency aliases instead of leaving duplicate skills behind, while preserving existing VS Code Copilot instruction and prompt folders.
Use the CLI Yourself
After installation, call the package command directly from Terminal or from automation:
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli <command> [options]
The external CLI validates the installed Sequency app before normal commands run. Local developer builds and tests may bypass that check only with the documented development environment variable.
Main Commands
The main commands are:
agent — Checks readiness and prints the machine-readable command contract.info — Inspects files, scans image-sequence folders, and lists formats or color spaces.convert — Runs one conversion.batch — Runs multiple jobs from a JSON config file.
The Agent-Safe Workflow
- Doctor: confirm this session can write video and image files.
- Manifest: read the current list of supported codecs, containers, image formats, audio options, camera controls, and flags.
- Info: inspect the actual source before choosing settings.
- Dry run: preview the route as JSON before writing anything.
- Export: run the real conversion.
- Verify: check that the output file or image-sequence folder was created and is usable before calling the job done.
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli agent doctor
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli agent manifest
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli info --file "/path/to/source.mxf" --json
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli convert --input "/path/to/source.mxf" --output "/path/to/review.mp4" --codec h264 --dry-run --json
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli convert --input "/path/to/source.mxf" --output "/path/to/review.mp4" --codec h264 --json
For BRAW, ARRI, custom MXF, MKV, and EXR sources, the dry-run JSON is especially useful. It shows prepared camera settings, color spaces, alpha behavior, frame size, and audio behavior before the export starts.
Camera and Audio Defaults
The CLI prepares camera and audio settings the same way the app does after probing the actual source. This prevents automation from guessing at BRAW, ARRI, MXF, or EXR defaults.
- ARRI review video defaults to the SDK-managed
Rec.709 / D65 / BT.1886 render target for native-parity exports.
- ARRI scene-linear EXR dry-runs report
ACES2065-1 to ACEScg with ARRI camera settings in the route summary.
- BRAW scene-linear EXR defaults to
ACES2065-1 to ACES2065-1, matching the Blackmagic SDK's ACES AP0 handoff unless you explicitly choose another output.
- Audio-capable sources preserve the app's playable audio default unless you pass
--audio noAudio. Dry-run and completion JSON include the prepared audioOption.
If an AI agent reports a camera source as generic avfoundation or loses cameraSettings, rerun info --json and the dry-run from a host-permitted session before trusting that route.
Useful Human Terminal Examples
See what Sequency can do
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli --help
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli info --formats
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli info --color-spaces
Inspect a file or sequence folder
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli info --file "/path/to/source.mov"
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli info --scan "/path/to/frames"
Make a review video from frames
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli convert --input "/path/to/frames" --output "/path/to/review.mov" --codec ProRes_422
Export frames from a video
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli convert --input "/path/to/source.mov" --output "/path/to/output_frames" --container imageSequence --format png
Preview a conversion without writing files
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli convert --input "/path/to/source.braw" --output "/path/to/review.mp4" --codec h264 --dry-run --json
Important CLI Options
--container videoFile|imageSequence chooses whether the output is a movie file or a numbered frame folder.--codec h264|hevc|ProRes_422|ProRes_4444|mkv chooses the video codec.--format jpg|png|tiff|tga|exr chooses the image format for image-sequence output. It is not used for MP4 or MOV.--audio noAudio|copyFromSource|aac|pcm controls audio for video outputs. Do not choose noAudio unless you want silence.--preserve-alpha true keeps transparency when the chosen format supports it.--exr-compression zip|piz|dwaa|dwab and the other EXR compression names control OpenEXR output size and speed.--braw-decode-intent and --arri-decode-intent control camera-native decoding when you need to override the safe defaults.--json makes output easier for agents and scripts to read.
Batch Jobs
Use batch when you have many exports to run from a JSON file. Batch files can define default settings once, then override individual jobs as needed.
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli batch --config jobs.json --dry-run
/usr/local/bin/sequency-cli batch --config jobs.json --continue-on-error
How to Read Errors
For normal human terminal use, Sequency prints an error plus a “How to fix” line. For agents and scripts, add --json. JSON errors include a code, message, exit code, and remediation so the assistant can choose the next step without guessing.
{
"status": "error",
"error": {
"code": "inputNotFound",
"message": "Input was not found.",
"exitCode": 2,
"remediation": "Check the path and run info or dry-run again."
}
}
Sandbox note: Some AI agent sessions need permission before macOS video or image-writing services will work. If agent doctor reports a degraded writer probe, rerun the doctor and real export with host permission before assuming Sequency itself is broken.