thanks Stephan
i'd already managed to add a metadata set timecode node with
themetatime=newfing.AddTool("Fuse.SetMetaDataTC")
(where newfing is a new composition) but it's the syntax for setting the timecode within that SetMetaDataTC node i can't find!
it does what i want when i set it manually with the sliders etc, but i need to set it automatically from a parsed EDL. the parsing of the del is all done i just need to alter the timecode for the Quicktime render.
i'm just new to fusion and the documentation for scripting seems…errr…thin

thanks for the help though and if you find anything else let me know!
j