Clip input and output engineering options include video I/O settings such as pre-roll, post-roll, play delay, colour space conversion, and settings that define the process by which YUV video material on a tape is converted to the RGB format used by Flame, and vice-versa.
Each VTR device is associated with a set of default engineering settings that are specified in the software initialisation configuration file, in the VTR KEYWORD section.
When you start Flame and set the video I/O timing for your project, uncommented VTR devices are initialized, and the settings in the Engineering menu are populated accordingly. However, if necessary, you can modify these settings on a session-to-session basis.
To change the default Engineering menu settings for a VTR device, you must edit the software initialisation configuration file. See the Autodesk Visual Effects and Finishing Configuration File Reference Guide.
Consult the following illustration (broken into three parts) and explanations of the options in the Engineering menu. These illustrations are of the Clip Input Engineering menu. The Output Clip Engineering menu contains a subset of these controls.
(a) Device Name box (b) Video I/O Timing box (c) Precision box (d) Timecode Source box (e) Input and Output Connection boxes (f) Colour Space box (g) Output Sync box (h) VTR Current Timecode field (i) PreRoll/PostRoll fields (j) Cue Up box (k) Error Retry field (l) Proxy Box
Select: | To obtain: |
---|---|
Timecode VITC | Vertical interval timecode (VITC). |
Timecode LTC | Longitudinal timecode (LTC). |
Timecode VITC & LTC | Both types of timecode. At normal playback speed, Flame obtains LTC, but switched to VITC when the tape is rewinding, fast-forwarding, or otherwise moving at a non-playback speed. |
Timecode VITC & LTC is the default, and recommended option. You should only have to switch to Timecode VITC or Timecode LTC if one of the timecode tracks is corrupted.
Select: | To perform clip I/O with: |
---|---|
YCrCb->RGB | A standard YCrCb-RGB conversion process that clips superblack and superwhite luma (Y). Use this option for typical clip I/O processes with VTR devices. |
YCrCb->RGB + Headroom | A YCrCb-RGB conversion process that preserves superblack and superwhite colour information. Use this option when inputting or outputting greyscale mattes or other clips where preserving extremes in the luma channel is required. |
No Conversion | This is available when using dual link for RGB input and output. Video black and white levels on the SDI stream are mapped to black and white values in RGB on the framestore. See Inputting and Outputting with Headroom. Use this option in conjunction with 4:2:2 input and output connections to input and output 4:4:4 video in two passes (4:2:2 and 0:2:2). Third-party sparks® (in Smoke®, Inferno®, Flame®) are required to split and merge the 4:2:2 and 0:2:2 clips. |
No Conversion + Headroom | Also available when using dual link for RGB input and output. This mode uses all levels available and preserves all but a few RGB values. See Inputting and Outputting with Headroom. Use this option with the 4:4:4 input and output connections to input clips from and output clips to a Telecine. |
Source type | Available on: | Description: |
---|---|---|
House | All systems | A centralized analogue reference signal, originating from a sync generator, sent to the genlock port on the video board or VBOB. |
Digital 1 and Digital 2 | Most HP® 8400s and all HP 8600s and 9400s | Same as Digital, except you can choose between two inputs: Digital 1 or Digital 2. On the HP 8400 with the AJA SD (OEM-LH) video board, only Digital 1 is available. |
Standalone | All systems | The reference signal generated internally by the Flame workstation. |
Select: | To cue up the VTR: |
---|---|
Cue Up VTR | Using the internal cueing algorithm of the VTR. |
Cue Up Fast Forward | Using Flame. Use this option if Cue Up VTR is too slow for far cue points, such as on the betacam SP. |
Select: | To generate: |
---|---|
Proxy in Post | Proxies as a post-processing step |
Proxy on Capture | Proxies during capture |
Generating proxy during capture is the quickest method. Depending on hardware configuration of your system, capture may be performed in real time with playback. Some extra required processing, however, may prevent the graphics board from updating the image window and broadcast monitor in real time, so you may not be able to view the clip being played as it is captured.