This section describes each keyword in the software initialisation configuration file /usr/discreet/<product_home>/cfg/init.cfg.
The DiskHealthNotify keyword defines an e-mail address to which a message is sent if any framestore disk health problems occur. Only one address can be listed. The mailer daemon for the workstation must also be properly configured for notification e-mails to be sent.
DiskHealthNotify <e-mail_address>
where <e-mail_address> is the address to which you want the message sent.
The MemoryApplication keyword allocates memory for frame buffers. A frame buffer is a chunk of memory set aside to store image data in RAM for the fastest possible display of frames while working in the application.
In most cases, the MemoryApplication keyword should be commented out. When it is commented out, the default memory configuration is used, and is based on the physical memory installed on the system. This default configuration is sufficient for most projects, regardless of the different resolutions you may be working with.
Uncommenting the MemoryApplication keyword overrides the default memory configuration. You should only override the default memory configuration by uncommenting the MemoryApplication keyword under the following conditions:
where <megabytes> is the amount of memory dedicated to the corresponding token, in megabytes.
Even with the recommended amount of RAM, working with 4K 12-bit film puts great demands on memory management. Set the RAM allocated for buffering frames to between 2000 and 4000.
The ability to mix different resolutions in a 4K 12-bit film project increases memory requirements even further. Even with an override of the default memory management configuration, working at this resolution may not support some advanced features that require a large amount of memory such as the Colour Warper™.
Cannot Allocate Memory Buffer Messages
“Cannot allocate memory buffer” messages indicate a shortage of memory allocated to frame buffering, so uncommenting the MemoryApplication keyword and defining an amount of memory for frame buffers can resolve this problem. The amount to set in this case depends on how much RAM your system has: start with 400 MB for Finishing applications or 700 MB for Visual Effects applications. Allocate more memory to frame buffers in increments of 50 MB as required.
A memory panic indicates the system is running out of heap memory. Heap memory is memory allocated for use by applications and the operating system. Make sure no other applications are running. If memory panic still occurs, lower the amount of memory allocated to frame buffers.
Remember that overriding the default memory management configuration is only required under these specific conditions. If your system experiences problems related to memory management under normal conditions, contact Autodesk Media and Entertainment Customer Support.
The Video keyword initialises the video device and specifies the video input type.
Video <video_device>, <default_video_format>
The DviRamp keyword enables control of the Miranda DVI-Ramp external device. The DVI-Ramp outputs a standard definition serial digital video signal (SMPTE-259M-C) or a high-definition serial digital video signal (SMPTE-292M).
DviRamp <serial port>, <baud rate>, <parity>, <size>, <stopBits>
The VideoPreviewDevice keyword specifies the device used for the graphics-to-video display.
Specify entries for the resolutions of the projects on which you will be working as well as the resolutions supported by your hardware configuration.
The init.cfg file contains all supported tokens for the VideoPreviewDevice keyword. The project configuration file will determine which one of these should be enabled for a given project.
VideoPreviewDevice is also used in conjunction with the VideoPreviewWindow keyword in the project configuration template files; VideoPreviewWindow specifies the width and height of the window and the refresh rate. See VideoPreviewWindow.
When the application is started and a project is selected, the VideoPreviewWindow must match one of the VideoPreviewDevice entries. If no match is found, graphics-to-video output is unavailable.
The VideoPreviewDevice keyword applies to workstations configured with either a Miranda DVI-Ramp external device, a NVIDIA SDI card, or graphics readback (SD timings only) if the hardware is not available.
VideoPreviewDevice <description>, <device>, <channel_number>, <xsize>, <ysize>, <refresh>, <syncsource> [, <xoffset>, <yoffset>
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <description> | A string describing the resolution and sync configuration of the video preview device: ntsc, pal, or an HD resolution and timing. |
| <device> | The graphics-to-video configuration for your system. Set to dviramp (if you are using a DVI ramp), nvidia (if you are using a NVIDIA SDI card), or readback. |
| <channel_number> | The channel on which the signal is output. |
| <xsize>, <ysize> | The width and height of the area of the image window output to the graphics-to-video display. |
| <refresh> | The refresh rate of the corresponding resolution. |
| <syncsource> | The reference sync. Set to 601sync when you are using NTSC or PAL timing and you are connected to an external sync generator. Set to DTVsync when you are using HD timing and you are connected to an external sync generator. Set to freesync when you are not connected to a sync generator. |
| <xoffset>, <yoffset> | The horizontal and vertical offset of the video sent to the broadcast monitor relative to the graphics display. These parameters are required for some resolutions to display accurate field dominance during playback. Use these optional parameters with NTSC. |
VideoPreviewDevice ntsc, dviramp, 1, 720, 486, 30, 601sync, 0, 1
VideoPreviewDevice pal, nvidia, 1, 720, 576, 25, 601sync
VideoPreviewDevice 1920x1080@50i, nvidia, 1, 1920, 1080, 50i, DTVsync
When working with variable framerate material, enable the video preview device token corresponding to the 720p timings, for example:
VideoPreviewDevice 1280x720@5994p, nvidia, 1, 1280, 720, 5994p, 601sync
The TabletDriver keyword identifies the tablet driver. Only Wacom® Intuos-series USB tablets are currently supported.
The MidiDevice keyword identifies MIDI devices that are used with Autodesk Visual Effects and Finishing systems. Only one device is recognized at a time.
MidiDevice <name>, <device_configuration_file>, <serial_port>, <protocol>, <baud_rate>, <parity>[, <stopbit>]
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <name> | The name by which you want to identify the MIDI device in the application. |
| <device_configuration_file> | The name and path of the device configuration file for the MIDI device. The path is optional. |
| <serial_port> | The serial port to which the MIDI device is connected. |
| <protocol> | The protocol used to communicate with the MIDI device. It can be either direct_RS422 or direct_RS232. |
| <baud_rate> | The baud rate used to communicate with the MIDI device. |
| <parity> | The parity setting to communicate with the MIDI device. It can be set to EVEN, ODD, or NOPARITY. |
| <stopbit> | The size of the stop bit (optional). |
MidiDevice myMidiDevice, midi_LUCID_ADA8824_A232, /dev/ttyS1, direct_RS232, 9600, NOPARITY
The Vtr keyword identifies video tape recorders that can be used for clip I/O. You can uncomment VTRs of different video formats. Any enabled VTR can be selected for a project, regardless of the project's video I/O timings.
You can also use the Vtr keyword to identify supported High-Speed Dual-Link (HSDL) devices for clip I/O, such as telecines. HSDL devices are supported for clip I/O in Flame Premium. HSDL devices appear as separate entries in the list of supported decks for the Vtr keyword.
Vtr <protocol>, <name>, <input_format>, <timing>,<colorspace_mode>, <output_format>, <output_sync>, <serial_port>, <timecode_type>, <video_output_delay>, <video_input_delay>, <pre_roll>, <post_roll>, <audio_input_delay>, <audio_output_delay>, <video_precision> [, <cueup_mode>, <TC_transition_delay>, <edit_on_delay>, <edit_off_delay>, <vtr_command_delay>]
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <protocol> | The VTR control protocol (SONY, BTS, BVW50, TASCAM, or NONE). |
| <name> | The name by which you want to identify the VTR in the Input Clip and Output Clip menus (D1, DigBeta, D1 BTS, D5, and DVCpro, for example). |
| <input_format> | The video input format. Set to Serial1 to input using a single-link (4:2:2) connection from a device. Set to SerialDual to input using a dual-link (4:4:4) connection from a device. |
| <timing> | The I/O timing associated with the video standard of the VTR (NTSC, PAL, or HD, if applicable). |
| <colorspace_mode> | The mode that indicates whether colourspace conversion and/or headroom is required for clip I/O. See Configuring Colourspace Conversion for Device I/O. |
| <output_format> | The video output type. Set to Serial1 to output using a single-link (4:2:2) connection to a device. Set to SerialDual to output using a dual-link (4:4:4) connection to a device. |
| <output_sync> | The sync source used for clip output. For AJA cards, the possible values are STANDALONE, HOUSE, or DIGITAL1. |
| <serial_port> | The serial port to which the VTR is connected. It takes the value AJA:0:1 for workstations using an AJA KONA 3G or OEM-2K card. |
| <timecode_type> | The timecode type to be returned by the VTR (Auto, LTC, or VITC). |
| <video_output_delay> | Video output delay in frames. |
| <video_input_delay> | Video input delay in frames. |
| <pre_roll> | Preroll in frames or seconds: Use integers to specify preroll in frames. Use decimals to specify preroll in seconds. |
| <post_roll> | Postroll in frames or seconds: Use integers to specify postroll in frames. Use decimals to specify postroll in seconds. |
| <audio_input_delay> | The offset value to have sync audio with video on input. Integer units represent frames; this delay should be 0 by default. |
| <audio_output_delay> | The offset value to have sync audio with video on output. Integer units represent frames; this delay should be 0 by default. |
| <video_precision> | The precision of the video interface (8 or 10 bits). |
| <cueup_mode> | The method by which the VTR is cued. This parameter is optional. Use vtrcueing to make the application use the VTR Cue command directly to cue the VTR. Use vtrff if using vtrcueing causes the VTR to react slowly when cued, such as with a Betacam SP™. |
| <TC_transition_delay> | The delay in milliseconds after a vertical sync, before requesting the VTR timecode. This value should only be set or changed with the help of technical support. |
| <edit_on_delay> | The delay in frames before the edit sync point to send the ON command. This parameter is optional and it applies only to BVW50. |
| <edit_off_delay> | The delay in frames before the edit sync point to send the OFF command. This parameter is optional and it applies only to BVW50. |
| <vtr_command_delay> | The delay in milliseconds before the application sends certain commands to the VTR. This parameter is optional, but useful for older VTRs such as the BTS. |
Configuring Colourspace Conversion for Device I/O
When you set the input or output format for a device in the Vtr keyword, you should also specify its colourspace conversion method using the <colorspace mode> parameter. The supported conversion methods depend on whether a single-link or dual-link connection is used for I/O with the device. The following table shows the colourspace conversion methods that are available for single-link and for dual-link I/O connections.
| Colourspace Conversion Method | Supported for Single-Link Serial (4:2:2) I/O | Supported for Dual-Link Serial (4:4:4) I/O |
|---|---|---|
| YCbCR -> RGB | Yes | No |
| YCbCR -> RGB + Headroom | Yes | No |
| No Conversion | No | Yes |
| No Conversion + Headroom | No | Yes |
Use the Emulator keyword to enable the VTR Emulation feature and configure your workstation to emulate a Sony™ VTR that is controllable via the RS-422 serial port.
The VTR Emulation feature supports SD and HD video timings. You can specify more than one emulator. Any enabled emulator can be selected for a project, regardless of the project's video I/O timings.
Emulator sony, <name>, <input_format>, <timing>, <colorspace_mode>, <output_format>, <output_sync>, <serial_port>, <emulator_output_delay>, <emulator_input_delay>, <audio_input_delay>, <audio_output_delay>, <video_precision (8 to 10 bits)>
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <name> | The name for the emulator. |
| <input_format> | The video input format. For a list of the video formats supported by your workstation, see Video. |
| <timing> | The video resolution and timing of the VTR to be emulated. |
| <colorspace_mode> | The colourspace mode for video transfers. |
| <output_format> | The video output format. For a list of the video formats supported by your workstation, see Video. |
| <output_sync> | The source used to synchronize the video output. By default, this value is set to Autodetect. |
| <serial_port> | The serial port to which the VTR control cable is connected. |
| <emulator_output_delay> | The video output delay used by the emulator in frames. |
| <emulator_input_delay> | The video input delay used by the emulator in frames. |
| <audio_input_delay> | The audio input delay used by the emulator in frames. |
| <audio_output_delay> | The audio output delay used by the emulator in frames. |
| <video_precision> | The interface precision used for video transfers. |
Emulator sony, NTSC, SERIAL1, NTSC, YCBCR_RGB_CONVERSION, SERIAL1, HOUSE, AJA:0:1,-5, 1, 0.00, 0.00, 8
Emulator sony, HSDL 1499 sf, SERIALDUAL, 2048x1556_1499SF, NO_CONVERSION, SERIALDUAL, STANDALONE, AJA:0:1, -6, 1, 0.00, 0.00, 10
The Audiodevice keyword initialises the specified audio device.
AJA specifies that the audio subsystem is part of the AJA audio/video I/O device, respectively. Note that for the audio to work, the Video keyword must be configured with the corresponding video device.
The ClipMgtDevice keyword defines the devices used for archiving.
The following archiving devices are supported:
You can set multiple archiving devices for use with the application. The first device that is defined will be the default device.
You can specify only one VTR for a VTR clip management device. The ClipMgtDevice Vtr keyword contains an optional start timecode parameter:
ClipMgtDevice Vtr[, <timecode>]
where <timecode> is an optional start timecode for the archive.
To archive to a Sony HDCAM VTR, you must use the ClipMgtDevice HDCAM keyword and not the ClipMgtDevice Vtr keyword. The ClipMgtDevice HDCAM keyword adjusts the metadata encoding mechanism to account for the compression method used by the HDCAM VTR.
The ClipMgtDevice HDCAM keyword contains an optional start timecode parameter:
ClipMgtDevice HDCAM[, <timecode>]
where <timecode> is an optional start timecode for the archive.
You can specify several tape devices for clip management. SCSI tape archiving devices are not supported. Use only fibre channel archiving devices, specifically, SAIT and DTF2 devices.
To use a tape device for archiving, you must define the filename, the block size, and the name for the device you are using.
ClipMgtDevice Tape, <file_name>, [<block_size>, [<device_name>
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <file_name> | The filename of the fixed block size device. |
| <block_size> | The amount of data per block written to tape. |
| <device_name> | The name of the tape device as it will appear in the Archive menu. |
| Tape Device | Keyword Example |
|---|---|
| DTF2 | ClipMgtDevice Tape, /dev/st0, 65536, DTF2 |
| SAIT | ClipMgtDevice Tape, /dev/st0, 65536, SAIT |
You can define a portion of your system disk or another volume as the destination for archives created using the application.
ClipMgtDevice File, <file_name>, <size>
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <file_name> | The path for archives created using the application. |
| <size> | The maximum size for a file archive in MB. |
You can also modify the parameters of this keyword through the application.
The MaxLibrarySize keyword indicates the maximum size for any single clip library, in megabytes. The higher the value, the more memory the application uses. Using a larger value reduces memory fragmentation, which optimizes memory use. However, the value should not be so high as to compromise system performance.
The software also uses this keyword to determine whether there is enough free hard drive space available at start-up. To start the software, you must have at least 10 megabytes of free hard drive space in addition to the value set by this keyword.
The size of your libraries can be determined using the following command in a terminal:
ls -lh /usr/discreet/clip/*/*/*.000.clib
where <size> is the maximum library size in megabytes.
The ArchiveLibrary keyword identifies the directory to which online HTML and ASCII tables of contents are saved when archiving. Its default value is usr/discreet/archive.
You can make the target directory relative to the home directory of the application by prefixing the path with a tilde (e.g. ~/archive).
ArchiveLibrary <directory_path>
where <directory_path> is the path to which online HTML and ASCII tables of contents are saved.
The SetupArchiveTape keyword identifies the device to which setup information for an archived project is saved. A project's setups are saved as a .tar format archive, creating a single file that can be extracted, preserving the original directory structure.
SetupArchiveTape <device_type>
where <device_type> is the path to the device where you want to save the setup archive. You can set the path to point to a tape device or use a file destination as a virtual device. If you set a file destination, you must add a filename ending with the .tar extension that you want to use for the setup archive.
Environment Directory Pathnames
The three keywords in the Environment Directory Pathnames section specify the paths to directories for resources shared by all projects. These directory paths should not be modified.
The Menu keyword specifies where application menu files are stored.
where the ~ in the directory path stands for /usr/discreet/<product_home>.
The HtmlLog keyword allows you to specify a directory in which to write the Batch module HTML status and log.
where <directory_path> is the destination directory.
The TextDefaultFont keyword sets the default font for the Text, Paint, and Action modules.
where <font> is the name of the font you want to set as the default.
The FontDPSBase keyword identifies the directory in which PostScript® fonts are stored. At initialisation, the application creates links in the /usr/discreet/font directory that point to fonts in the directory identified by this keyword.
where <directory_path> identifies the directory in which fonts are stored.
FontDPSBase /usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1
If you do not specify the directory pathname, the application uses /usr/lib/DPS/outline/base. In most cases this directory—created when you installed the Display PostScript software as part of the installation—should be the one identified by the FontDPSBase keyword. Using this directory provides access to PostScript fonts.
The FontDPSAFM keyword identifies the directory in which font metrics are stored. Font metrics provide information about each font that improves kerning. At initialisation, the application creates links in the directory /usr/discreet/font that point to font metric files in the directory identified by this keyword.
where <directory_path> identifies the directory in which font metrics are stored.
FontDPSAFM /usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1
If you do not specify a directory pathname, the application uses /usr/lib/DPS/AFM. In most cases this directory—created when you installed the Display PostScript software as part of the installation—should be the one identified by the FontDPSAFM keyword.
The FontProxyLowString keyword, along with the FontProxyHighString keword, specifies which characters to draw in font proxies. By default, the proxy string is “Aa”. You can override the default string for non-extended character sets by uncommenting and editing the FontProxyLowString keyword option.
Both FontProxyLowString and FontProxyHighString keyword options can be uncommented at the same time. Extended character sets try the FontProxyHighString keyword first. If the values in the FontProxyHighString keyword option do not apply to the font, the FontProxyLowString keyword option is used instead.
FontProxyLowString <code>[, ...]
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <code> | The Unicode value associated with the character that you want to display. |
| ... | Up to four (for a total of five) more Unicode values for the font proxy string. |
The FontProxyHighString keyword, along with the FontProxyLowString keword, specifies which characters to draw in font proxies. By default, the proxy string is “Aa”. If a font includes glyph definitions for extended character sets (such as Asian character sets), you can set a proxy string by uncommenting and editing the FontProxyHighString keyword.
Both FontProxyHighString and FontProxyLowString keyword options can be uncommented at the same time. Extended character sets try the FontProxyHighString keyword first. If the values in the FontProxyHighString keyword option do not apply to the font, the FontProxyLowString keyword option is used instead.
FontProxyHighString <code>[, ...]
| Where: | Is: |
|---|---|
| <code> | The Unicode value associated with the character that you want to display. |
| ... | Up to four (for a total of five) more Unicode values for the font proxy string. |
FontProxyHighString 0x3042, 0x30a2
This example displays the Japanese “Hiragana A” and “Katakana A” characters.
The TextFileEncoding keyword is the list of file encodings that will be supported for importing text files. The encoding must be supported for “iconv”. To get the list of supported encodings, type iconv -l in a terminal.
TextFileEncoding <character_set>
This list defines the supported image and movie file formats that the application can input or output. These extensions are used to filter files of the corresponding format when you use the file browser. This list may be edited to suit your particular needs.
| Image Format | Extension |
|---|---|
| Alias® | als |
| Cineon® | cin |
| Digital Picture Exchange | dpx |
| Jpeg | jpg |
| Pict | pict |
| Pixar | picio |
| Sgi® | sgi |
| Softimage® | pic |
| Targa® | tga |
| Maya® | iff |
| Tiff | tif |
| Wavefront® | rla |
| Photoshop® | psd |
| OpenEXR | exr |
| REDCODE RAW | r3d |
| Quicktime® | mov |
| MXF | mxf |
| MPEG-4 | mp4 |
This list defines the supported audio file formats that the application can input or output. The extensions are used to filter files of the corresponding format when you use the file browser. This list may be edited to suit your particular needs.
| Audio Format | Extension |
|---|---|
| AIFF (standard) | aiff |
| AIFFC (extended) | aifc |
| Sun | au |
| Microsoft® | wav |
| Berkeley (BSD) | bsf |
| AVR (Audio Visual Research) | avr |
| MPEG-1 Layer3 | mp3 |
The DefaultWebBrowser keyword identifies the Web browser used by the application to browse the Help and view HTML tables of contents for archives.
where <browser> identifies the Web browser you want to use.
The BackburnerManagerHostname keyword serves two functions:
BackburnerManagerHostname <host_name>
where <host_name> is the hostname of the Windows® workstation that is running Backburner Manager.
The BackburnerManagerPriority keyword sets the priority for jobs created on your application for Backburner Manager on your rendering network. Enable this keyword if you are running an Autodesk Backburner background processing network in your facility or will be using Cleaner XL to encode jobs exported from the application. All four BackburnerManager keywords must be set correctly for jobs to be sent to the rendering network.
BackburnerManagerPriority <priority>
where <priority> is a value from 0 to 100, where 0 is highest priority and 100 is lowest. The default is 50.
The BackburnerManagerGroup keyword defines the group of machines to which jobs created in your software application will be submitted. Enable this keyword if you are running an Autodesk Backburner background processing network in your facility or will be using Cleaner XL to encode jobs exported from the application. All four BackburnerManager keywords must be set correctly for jobs to be sent to the rendering network.
BackburnerManagerGroup <group_name>
where <group_name> is the name of a group of computers on an Autodesk® Burn® rendering network.
BackburnerManagerGroupCapability
The BackburnerManagerGroupCapability keyword specifies whether the nodes in your rendering network are equipped with GPU-accelerated graphics cards or not. Based on the value of this keyword, the Visual Effects and Finishing application enables or disables the submission of jobs that require a GPU (such as floating point jobs) to the rendering network.
BackburnerManagerGroupCapability <group_capability>
where <group_capability> can be software, gpu, or hybrid depending on the hardware of the nodes in the rendering network.
The CleanerDestinationPath keyword sets the default path on a Windows workstation where clips are saved after encoding by Cleaner XL.
The default path you enter appears in the Cleaner Destination Path field when you select Cleaner in the Format Box of the Image Export menu. You can edit the path there. If there is an ftp path in the output profile, the ftp path is used as an additional destination for encoded jobs. See your application help.
By default, <path> is set to C:\Tmp, which is the default file path where Cleaner XL saves exported clips after encoding.
The LogDailyReports keyword specifies the number of application log files that are kept. When the number of application log files on the workstation exceeds this value, the oldest log is deleted to preserve space.
where <number> is the number of log files to be kept on the workstation. Set this value to 0 to keep all application log files.
The NetworkPanelDisplay keyword filters the list of framestores in the Network panel to show framestores that are either available on the network and mounted, or available on the network but with undetermined mount status.
NetworkPanelDisplay <filter_setting>
where <filter_setting> is set to either ShowMounted or ShowAll.
| Use: | To: |
|---|---|
| ShowMounted | Show only framestores verified as both mounted and available on the Wire network. |
| ShowAll | Show all framestores available on the network without first checking whether they are mounted. Using this option slightly reduces the time needed for your application to start because no further checks are performed on remote framestores. |
