Everything You Need, Nothing Left Behind
Wrangler imports all standard on-set data from a VES CSV export.
Slate Info
- Slate name
- Scene & shoot day
- Unit & int/ext
- Set & script location
Camera & Take Data
- Take number & camera letter
- Camera model & lens
- Focal length, FPS, ISO
- Shutter & T-stop
Live Camera Data
- Height & distance
- Tilt & dutch
- Focal length start/end
- T-stop start/end
VFX & Media
- VFX shot codes
- VFX work descriptions
- HDRI filenames
- Reference photos (via ZIP)
Five Steps to Migrate
Export a VES CSV
Export your data from your current tool in VES CSV format.
From Setellite
- Open your project in Setellite
- Go to File > Export
- Select VES CSV as the format
- Choose a save location and export
From FileMaker
- Open your project database
- Go to File > Export Records
- Set format to CSV with the VES field layout
- Export the file
Custom column names? Wrangler's column mapping screen lets you manually assign each column during import.
Prepare Reference Photos (Optional)
Bundle reference photos with your CSV in a ZIP. Wrangler matches photos to slates by filename.
Naming Format
Name each photo with slate followed by the slate name:
Gladiator_slate114_1.jpg
Gladiator_slate114_2.jpg
MyProject_slate22ac.jpg
Supported Patterns
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
_slate{name} | Project_slate114.jpg |
_slate_{name} | Project_slate_114.jpg |
_slate-{name} | Project_slate-114.jpg |
| Direct name match | 114_reference.jpg |
Folder-Based Matching
Alternatively, organize photos into folders named by slate:
114/
photo1.jpg
photo2.jpg
22ac/
photo1.jpg
Supported formats: JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF
Create Your Import Package
If importing without photos, use the CSV directly. For CSV + photos, create a ZIP containing both.
ProjectName_VES.csv
ProjectName_slate101.jpg
ProjectName_slate101_1.jpg
ProjectName_slate102.jpg
ProjectName_slate103.jpg
Select all files, right-click, and compress into a ZIP.
Import into Wrangler
- Open Wrangler on your iPad and go to the Home Screen
- Tap Migrate (next to the Import button)
- Select your CSV or ZIP file
- Review the Import Summary: detected format, column mapping, and image count
VES standard columns are auto-mapped. Custom column names can be manually assigned and saved as a preset for future imports.
Verify Your Data
Open the imported project and spot-check a few slates to confirm:
- Slate names, scene numbers, and shoot days carried over
- Take and camera data is correctly grouped
- Reference photos are attached to the correct slates
- VFX fields (shot codes, descriptions) are populated
Good to Know
VES CSV is the easiest path
Both Setellite and FileMaker support VES format. Using it means zero manual column mapping.
Save your mapping preset
Migrating multiple projects from the same FileMaker template? Save your column mapping as a preset the first time.
Photos are optimized on import
Wrangler compresses reference photos to optimize storage and performance. Originals are not modified.
One project per migration
Each CSV import creates a new project. If your CSV contains a "Job" column, Wrangler uses it as the project name.
Common Issues
Photos didn't attach to slates
Check that filenames contain slate followed by the slate name (e.g. _slate114). The name must exactly match the slate name in your CSV.
Some columns show as "Skip"
Tap Customize Mapping to manually assign unrecognized columns. Column names vary between tools, some optional VES columns such as Tk Lens ID are skipped as they're simplified in Wrangler.
CSV shows "empty or invalid" error
Verify your CSV is UTF-8 encoded. Some exports use other encodings that cause issues. Re-export from your source tool with UTF-8 selected.
ZIP file shows "No CSV found"
Make sure the CSV file is inside the ZIP, not just photos. The CSV should have a .csv or .txt extension.