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How to Navigate & Use the PFS App

8 min. readlast update: 02.28.2025

 

 

How do I download the PFS App?

First, navigate to the PFS App page on the Pixel Film Studios website. You can download the PFS App here FREE:
https://store.pixelfilmstudios.com/pfs-app/ 

 

How do I install the PFS App?

When you download the PFS App you will get a zip file. Simply unzip the file and you will get the PFS App. Move the PFS App into your Applications folder. The correct path in Finder is:
Macintosh HD > Applications > PFS App 

 

How do I launch the PFS App?

Double click the PFS App application to open it. A pop up box will appear asking for you to allow permissions for the app to perform functions in the Finder. Click OK.

A login window should appear asking for your email and password. In this window, enter your login information for the Pixel Film Studios website. If you have signed up with Apple or Google, you can instead use the PFS App Link Code that is listed on your user dashboard on store.pixelfilmstudios.com.

 

How do I install my products?

You can install all of your purchases from the My Products tab located on the left side of the PFS App.

Most plugins are single installation that will install one specific pack while other plugins may come with multiple downloads. You can distinguish whether a plugin is a single download by looking below the plugin's name. If it shows the file size the plugin will contain one download. If a product has an x/x installed text below with an expand button to the right the product will contain multiple downloads. You can install all from the top level Install All button or alternatively you can press the blue Expand button and a list of all included plugins in the mega pack in the drop down. You can then install the individual packages from their own Install button.

Tip: You can use the search bar at the top to search for a specific plugin, or scroll through your list of plugins to locate a purchased product. 

Click the green Install button on the right side of the product information to install your purchases with a single click.

There is a progress bar at the top of the app that shows the progress of your installation. Once the button switches to Installed you can then open Final Cut Pro to use the plugin.

Tip: There is a row of icons below each product that have the symbol for Titles / Generators/ Effects/ Transitions. The highlighted icon will be where you can locate the plugin in Final Cut Pro. 

*In this example, we can see that the Titles, Generators, and Effects icons are highlighted blue indicating that this specific plugin will install into those Final Cut Pro libraries.

Download Composite products

As an additional note the last icon indicated by a film strip will indicate that a file is a composite file. Composite files don't install into Final Cut Pro and instead install into your Finder under the following path:
Macintosh HD > Users > Your User > Movies > PFS Composite 

Next to any installed Composite download you can click on the box with 3 dots next to the footage and select Show in Finder if you wish to locate a specific file.

We have more guides on how to use composite footage on our help page.

 

How do I uninstall a plugin?

Next to the installed plugin or mega pack, click the 3 dot box. A small drop down menu will appear. In the drop down options, click Uninstall. This will remove the plugin from Final Cut Pro. You can reinstall the plugin at any time. 

 

How do I upate a plugin?

When a plugin has a content update, a red dot will appear over the 3 dot button on the right side of the plugin. 

Click the button with 3 dots to the right of a product Installed button. Then select update. Wait for the update to complete. The progress bar at the top will indicate the progress of the download. 

Once done, the plugin will no longer have a red dot and show as Installed. If you are having any trouble with updating you can instead simply uninstall and reinstall the plugin to get the latest version.  

 

How do I use my rewards coupons?

When purchasing from our site, you can get rewards coupons that give you discounts on future purchases. To access these, click the My Rewards tab.

Under My Rewards, you will see a progress bar showing how much you have spent towards the next reward.

Each reward coupon becomes available with every $100 spent on our site. For example, the $10 reward becomes unlocked at $100 spent on the site. This continues up to and caps at $1000 spent, for a reward of $100. 

You can click the copy button next to the code to copy to clipboard. Then, you can use it on your order under the “Coupon” section on the top of the checkout page.  You must be logged into your account on store.pixelfilmstudios.com in order for the coupon to work. Each reward is a one-time use coupon.

For more information on how discount rewards work, check out our help page below:
https://pixelfilmstudios.kb.help/how-to-apply-a-coupon-to-your-order/

Final Cut Pro Tutorials

Our library of Final Cut Pro Tutorials can be accessed in the FCPX Tutorials section of the PFS App. Under this tab, you have access to the full playlist of our FCPX tutorial youtube videos, which go over everything from navigating Final Cut Pro and setting up a project to more advanced editing techniques. Check these out if you’re interested in learning more about how to use Final Cut Pro!   

 

Account Settings

  • Profile Details

    • Under Account Settings, you can see a few helpful features. At the top, you can see Profile details section. This will display your username and PFS Email. You can select Edit to change this information. Or, click Log Out if you want to log out of the PFS App.

  • PFS App Version

    • The next section is the App version section. Here, you can see what version of the app you have installed is, and if you have an update available for the PFS App. We recommend keeping the PFS App up to date. You can double check our PFS App page to make sure you have the latest version. If you have an older version than is stated on the PFS App page we recommend deleting the PFS App and redownloading the latest version here:
      https://store.pixelfilmstudios.com/pfs-app/

  • Devices

    • In the Devices section you will see the devices you have activated. You may have up to three macs activated with the PFS App. To the right is the Device ID. 
      Your Device is your Mac's Serial Number shown in your About This Mac panel. The About This Mac panel can be accessed from the  icon at the top left of your mac. You can view your Active and Inactive devices online in your profile's Account Details. 
    • Finally, to the right you have the Activate and Deactivate button. Use this to activate or deactivate your PFS App on a mac.

  • Additional Tools

    • Clear Cache

      • At the very bottom left is a Clear Cache button. This button can be used for troubleshooting purposes if your PFS App appears to be displaying products incorrectly, or if you need to refresh your My Products tab after you have just purchased a new product. The My Products button will become temporarily greyed out while it refreshes the Cache.

    • Show in Finder

      • The Show in Finder button opens the Pixel Film Studios folder located in your Applications:

         Macintosh HD > Applications > Pixel Film Studios 

        Customer Service may request files or screenshots from this folder or its subfolders for troubleshooting purposes.

    • Launch FxRun

      • On the bottom right, you will see a green button labeled Launch FxRun. If you are seeing a red screen on your products in Final Cut Pro, you can use this to help reset the applications used to run the plugin and help solve a red screen. With Final Cut Pro Closed, click the Launch FxRun button. You may see some icons flash on your Dock. In some cases, a couple of pop up windows may appear. If any windows appear, they will close automatically after the script has run. You will get a message that the process is complete and can press Ok to close the window. Next, you can reopen Final Cut Pro to check the plugins.
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