Calibrated Spotlight
free macOS Spotlight plugin for MXF and RAW formats
Designed for fast file search and metadata discovery
The Calibrated Spotlight Plugin is a free macOS extension that enables Spotlight and Finder to read technical metadata from MXF and RAW formats.
Once installed, macOS can index essential properties inside MXF files (including ARRIRAW, Sony RAW, Avid, Panasonic and more), RED RAW .R3D files, ARRIRAW image sequences (.ARI and .ARX), Canon RAW files (.CRM and .RMF), Nikon N-RAW (.NEV), and DPX files.
The following fields appear in Spotlight search and Finder’s Get Info → More Info panel.
- Production – Company, Production, Reel, Scene, Shot, Take, Good Take, Director, DP, Location, Description, Comments, Keywords
- Camera – Camera Model, ISO, White Balance, Tint, Shutter Angle, Aperture, Lens Model, Camera Name, Camera Operator
- Technical – Format, Video Codec, Resolution, Color Space, Frame Rate, Time Code, Audio Codec, Audio Channels, Date Created
Built for production and post-production workflows
This plugin is ideal for DITs, assistant editors, post engineers, and archivists who rely on accurate file metadata during prep, ingest, and conform. macOS automatically indexes supported files in the background, allowing productions to organize footage using standard Spotlight searches, Smart Folders, or automation tools that depend on Apple’s metadata system.
Because the plugin integrates directly with the macOS Spotlight architecture, it improves everyday workflows without requiring any additional applications to run. Search results update instantly, metadata becomes system-wide, and tools such as Finder, mdfind, and Smart Folders gain a deeper understanding of professional camera media.
Simple installation
Installation is straightforward: run the Tin Man macOS installer package, during installation, the Calibrated Spotlight plugin is registered with macOS. After installing – launch Tin Man at least once to complete the Spotlight integration. No additional setup is required. Spotlight indexing begins automatically.
It works on macOS 12.4 and newer, and supports both Intel and Apple Silicon systems.
The Calibrated Spotlight Plugin is completely free and is included as a community resource to make MXF and RAW-based workflows easier for production and post teams.
Documentation
Full documentation, troubleshooting steps, and metadata details are available at: