Importing and Exporting Media > Clip Input/Output Using a VTR >

# Setting Video Input and Output Engineering Menu Controls

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 Smoke, 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 Smoke 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 VTR configuration files using the provided Smoke Setup utility available in the folder Applications > Autodesk > Smoke > Utilities.

To open the Engineering menu:

1. From the VTR Input module, click Eng, or from the VTR Output module, click the Engineering tab, to open the Engineering menu.

## Engineering Menu Options

Consult the following illustration (broken into three parts) and explanations of the options in the Engineering menu. These illustrations are of the VTR Input Engineering menu. The VTR 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

Device name box
  The Device Name box differentiates between 3G and non-3G capable VTR and provides an option for each uncommented VTR keyword line in the software initialisation configuration file. To modify settings for a specific VTR device, select the corresponding option from this box.
Video I/O Timing box
  Provides video timing options (resolution and frame rate) corresponding to different video formats supported by the video input/output board of the system.
Precision box
  Determines the video interface precision, or SDI bit depth used. This value cannot be changed.
Audio Preferences button
  Click to view the Audio Preferences menu.
Timecode Source box
  Determines which type of timecode is obtained from the VTR device. 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 obtain:
  --- | ---
  Timecode VITC | Vertical interval timecode (VITC).
  Timecode LTC | Longitudinal timecode (LTC).
  Timecode VITC & LTC | Both types of timecode. At normal playback speed, Smoke obtains LTC, but switched to VITC when the tape is rewinding, fast-forwarding, or otherwise moving at a non-playback speed.

Input and Output Connection boxes
  These boxes determine the connection by which the video signal is transferred. This box is automatically set to reflect the selected VTR.
  - In Serial 1 3G / Out serial 1 3G: The video signal is transferred through one SDI 3G link. This is the only available option when you use a 3G VTR. The VTR Status field indicates any conversion that might happen because of the sampling used, 4:2:2 (conversion YCbCr <-> RGB) or 4:4:4 (no conversion RGB <-> RGB).
  - In serial Dual 444 / Out serial Dual 444: The video signal is transferred through dual SDI links; one video field is sent through one SDI cable, the other field through the other cable.
  - In Serial 1 4:2:2 / Out serial 422: Traditional VTR, single-SDI connection.
Colour Space box
  Determines the YCrCb colour space conversion method.

  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. 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® 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. Use this option with the 4:4:4 input and output connections to input clips from and output clips to a Telecine.

Output Sync box
  Determines the output sync reference source. The reference signal may originate from several different sources. Select the source you are using from this box according to the following table.

  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 Smoke workstation.

PreRoll field
  Indicates the pre-roll, in frames.
PostRoll field
  Indicates the post-roll, in frames.
Video Input Delay field
  Indicates the video delay on input, in frames. If this value is incorrect, the result clip when you click Frame Grab in the VTR Input module does not match the frame you see in the preview window.
Video Output Delay field
  Indicates the video delay on output, in frames. If this value is incorrect, the clip you output does not get recorded to the proper place on the tape.
Audio Input Delay field
  Indicates the video delay on input, in frames.
Audio Output Delay field
  Indicates the video delay on output, in frames.
Stop VTR on EXIT button
  When enabled, sends a stop command to the VTR when you exit the Input Clip, Output Clip, Auto-Capture, or Archiving menu. For example, if the VTR is playing a clip, or if it is cueing to an in point, the transport operation in-progress is interrupted.
Cue Up box
  Determines the speed of the cueing process.

  Select: | To cue up the VTR:
  --- | ---
  Cue Up VTR | Using the internal cueing algorithm of the VTR.
  Cue Up Fast Forward | Using Smoke. Use this option if Cue Up VTR is too slow for far cue points, such as on the betacam SP.

Error Retry field
  Indicates the number of times Smoke retries failed input or output processes.
2:3 Removal/Insertion button
  Enables automatic, real-time 2:3 removal on output and insertion on input. This is only available when the VTR is set to 29.97i or 59.94i.
Edit Sync Creation button
  Automatically create edit sync groups for clips with audio channels on input.
Proxy box
  Determines proxy management when inputting clips.

  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.

Monitor box
  Set this to Monitor VTR or Monitor Output. In Monitor VTR mode, the signal coming back from the VTR is displayed, and video may be appear to be late compared to the audio. In Monitor Output mode, the signal being output to tape is displayed, and the video and audio should be in sync.
Dual Image Resizing Filter box
  Select the resize algorithm used to scale back to full resolution clips captured using the Dual Image - Scale resolution. Ordered from lowest quality (Triangle) to highest (Lanczos). On some lower-end workstation, you might need to select a lower quality algorithm to capture every frame.