wtf is fcpluttoeffect?

lutfx is a command line tool for macOS, built in Swift, that solves a specific problem in Final Cut Pro. If you have a collection of .cube LUT files, which are color grading presets used in video editing, Final Cut Pro normally makes you use a generic Custom LUT filter and manually browse to each file every time you want to apply a look. This tool converts each .cube file into its own named effect that shows up directly in Final Cut's Effects browser, so you can drag it onto a clip like any other built in effect. Behind the scenes, it does not rely on Motion or a custom plugin. Instead it generates a Motion template that wraps Final Cut's own built in Custom LUT filter with the correct LUT already selected. This keeps things simple: no code signing is required for the generated effects, and everything relies on features Final Cut already has. Alongside the command line tool there is a SwiftUI companion app. You can drag .cube files or whole folders into its window and see a live preview of each LUT before installing it. You can also drop in a screenshot of your own footage so the previews and thumbnails use your actual image instead of a generic gradient, and you can manage or uninstall effects you installed earlier from a dedicated tab. Installation is through Homebrew for a prebuilt universal binary, or you can build it from source with Swift's own build tools. Running the tool on a folder converts every LUT inside, including subfolders, into its own effect, and pointing it at a single file works too. Options let you set a category name for organizing effects in the browser, force overwriting existing ones, preview changes without writing any files, and skip thumbnail generation to save time. The README also documents the file formats involved in detail, including how Final Cut identifies and stores references to each LUT internally. This project is aimed at video editors and colorists who work in Final Cut Pro and want faster access to their LUT collections, and it is useful for anyone maintaining a personal or shared library of color looks.