I just had an MXF deliverable fail out of a broadcaster's pipeline because it didn't have a Random Index Pack in the file. They were also concerned that they could not preview the file in VLC before submitting it to their pipleline.
The spec of the file was DVCProHD with 10 channels of audio. The asset management system they would've submitted it to was a Digital Rapids StreamZ, but they have some sort of file checker script they run on it first so that they don't waste time copying or re-encoding any files that don't conform to their spec. (which is a bit vague, but it sounds like my MXF would've passed except for this one issue)
I just wanted to share this document I came across while looking for info on MXFs. URL.....It sheds some light on this dream I have where I might someday be able to insert edit a single shot into a feature length file as simply as I can on a tape.
I was waiting for a long time to get back to smoke since I left that FFI platform few years ago. Installed a demo to check the stability of the program on OSX. Have a problem with Stone+Wire. Smoke wont start - i get an error that he cant connect to stone. Checked Service Monitor - Stone+Wire is blinking red and green, the same as wiretap server. When I press restart, it goes green for a few seconds then goes back to red again.
My rig : 2 x 2.66 6-Core Xenon 17GB Ram os 10.6.8 and I'm setting up media storage to external G-Speed raid-5 that is connected by ESATA.
I can scroll through UNRENDERED CFX clips in the timeline and have an amazingly fast realtime-preview of the result on the broadcast-monitor (only). I had to record this phenomenon with my phone.It instantly feels completely different!!! URL...
Not sure if it's a bug or not but when removing a whole project the "random" folder(s) are still in the Media Storage folder. Everything connected to the project(s) are gone but not the random folder smoke creates when creating project files. Any specific reason their still in the Media Storage folder?
Im a bit of a neat-freak... After removing a whole project, is it safe to remove all the empty folders? Or would that cause problems for other projects?
I know that the AJA Kona 3 card has 2 outputs. Can Smoke send one eye to one channel and the other eye to the other of the Kona 3 card? Dual Stream output is what I am really getting at.
Is there any way that Smoke can see/output sub-blacks and super whites? Can't find any way of seeing them on my scope, Smoke just clamps everything. It won't even see anything below zero in order for me to make a correction on it, everything seems to be clamped on import. I'm using ProRes HQ footage.
What is the best plugin to do spline warps in smoke?(need something like the distort in flame) I notice revisionfx don't make a warper for smoke on mac.
I am experimenting with Smoke 2013 pre-trial and I am having issues with importing images and video with alpha channels.
1. If I have a layered Photoshop file or png with an alpha channel (a still frame lower third), I see that I can import it as a multi layered clip, but what is the best way to have it in the sequence to show up properly?
2. If I have a QuickTime in animation format or Pro Res4444 format with an embedded alpha, how can I import that file to show and cut it on a top layer to animate above my video?
Does Smoke have selection functionality similar to that of Combustion? As an example, you might want to selectively blur part of an image. In Combustion, you would draw a selection and then apply an operator above the selection to achieve this. I don't see a similar selection tool function in Smoke, but I imagine you could achieve the same effect by duplicating a layer and using a Gmask via the Wipe timeline FX.does Smoke not have a selection tool similar to Combustion?
Whats the dealing with importing TWs to Smoke? I have a show that's 70% keyframed with timewarps and need a way other then baking the effect to bring it into Smoke. It's comming from FCP7 and we have Automatic Duck but neither the XMLs or AAF bring anything other then the first speed of the clip. Any way to retain the keyframes?
I have RED footage which I exported as EXR. When I import them back in, they look exactly like the RED footage. But when I import the EXR in Fusion, export it back out, and then import that EXR into Smoke, it looks brighter, although I didn't change anything in Fusion. (when I compare the EXR from Smoke and the EXR from fusion in my finder on my desktop, they look exactly the same). So what is Smoke doing with the "foreign" exr on import?I was also playing with the LUT settings. I get a result which is close, but I need to be exact.
When I export a XML from FCP 7 all of my files come over and link but there is no video with my HDV files (1440 x 1080) all of my other files (Canon FX etc) come over fine.
I converted the h.264 files to uncompressed 10bit. Bringing in the footage and XML was fine, but as soon as I resize to PAL (the timeline was changed to PAL, as was the output on the AJA) the picture starts anti aliasing in detail areas. I have processed this with every filter in Smoke with no satisfactory result.
I am having issues for a long time regarding importing XML into smoke 2013. Will try and explain you in breif.
First When we try an import XML into smoke it just doesnt do anything, in the message history box it comes up saying FOUND 0 SOURCES.
Nothing gets imported at all. No footage is imported, nothing is shown in timeline as well.
Second For a different project when the XML does get imported, the videos get imported but then again nothing is coming up in the timeline and in the message history box we get the following error.
XML Validation Failed.
Cannot process unliked media.
we have checked all the import options to make this work, including max up level and the rest but nothing is working.
I must have changed a setting because today my interactivity in CFX has taken a hit, specifically when making Axis moves. The move doesnt register until after I have made a change in the Axis field.
I know there is a setting for this but cannot remember. Am not having the same issue grabbing Axis in viewer.
I'm currently trying to conform an XML from FCP 7 into Smoke 2012 (Linux). The issue I have is that the files I want to conform with are MFX, however the files used in the FCP timeline are PRORES, therefore have a '.mov' extension. This means the Smoke is not seeing the MXF files due to the extension & the only way around it I have found, is to edit all of the '.mov' extensions to '.mxf' extensions in the actual XML. This works well, but is a complete nightmare, particularly as I'll have to do this for 13 half hour episodes!!!!
I have tried all the different combinations of Filename, Timecode, Tape, etc, but none work due to other metadata issues from the filming of the footage to it being delivered to our edit suites!!!!
Any way of making the Smoke ignore the file extension?
Can i remove the fx history ? for example i render a cfx clip. then i want to keep the render only and disconnect the relationship with its 'cfx history' . And is there any practical benefit of it ? You maybe will ask me : 'why do you wanna do it?' , my answer is " i don't know man, it just came across my mind .
All of a sudden, I'm unable to scroll through clips with real time feedback. Did I turn on some preference?
Also, I've noticed that when I'm in Action, I don't get realtime feedback going to the broadcast monitor, but rather the image catches up upon pen up. I don't see anything about it in the options in Action or global preferences.
When applying CFX to the clip it ignores resolution of the project and the time line and creates a resolution of the whole CFX based on clip.
In other words 1080 clip in 720 timeline creates CFX with 1080 out node, ( all action creates in 1080 swell) and only then send 1080 output to timeline where it applying resize soft effect. I know i can change resolution of action, but a can't change resolution of output node ( the las node that feeds output to timeline.) Is there an easy way to work around to feed lets say 720 to escape resizing in timeline.
I'm on 2012 SP3. I'm able to import and work with ProRes 422 just fine. But when I go to output and choose Quicktime, no ProRes options appear. Do I have to set this up somehow?
I'm doing far too many inadvertent moves/deletes/copies, simply by clicking pen for menu to appear, only for it to commit to whatever the pen position was at. This happening in the library area is no fun at all....not sure what the answer is really! but it's not ideal....
I just want to import some media (and do a conform) via the network. I can see everything, but it won't connect. I also don't get any error messages. I already restarted all components and they all show a green status. I don't know what else to do....
Smoke 2012 SAP2 SP4 and Smoke 2013 SP2 (Smoke Classic Keyboard Shortcuts) Mac Pro 4,1 OS X 10.6.7 12 GB RAM NVIDIA Quadro 4000 14 TB RAID (Areca)
Is there a way to access the timeline within CFX ( much like in Flame ) ? I see the timing button but this doesn't seem to have the same control as a timeline for a specific clip.
Also, is there a way other then "explode one" or "explode all" to go within a CFX within a CFX ( pre comp ) ? i.e. a setup that is then put within the BG of action.
I find the need to keep manually refreshing directory listings to be kind of retro. Would it be possible to add a preference to auto-refresh after each export. Its very disconcerting in this day and age to export a file and not see it listed without additional manual interaction.
Also I find it a bit odd that the GUI refers to File Sequence not Image sequence but i can live with that if I don't have to keep refreshing.
How to deal with vector images in smoke? I would like to use smoke for working with vector images for mograph work. Howo work with AI/PDF and EPS files? As pixelating them would be a waste. It would be nice if smoke 2013 has this feature.
