QuickClipXO How Do I . . .
Please note, this help file contains specific solutions to
common questions. For a more general manual, please see:
How do I . . .
- Start a new session
- Change my video input
- Change my audio input
- Change my video output
- Change my audio output
- Change my up or down converter
- Check that my video and audio inputs are valid
- Change the file type I am going to capture
- Set up or check the reference (genlock) on my system
- Check or Change my Record Folder
- Change the color/compression and bit depth/count type I am going to capture
- Change the audio file type (wave or aiff)
- Change the audio bit depth (16, 20, 24, 32)
- Change the audio frequency (48000)
- Configure items not available in QuickClipXO
- Dealing with media files
- Controlling a VTR from QuickClipXO
- Controlling QuickClipXO Remotely
- Make files that are compatible with:
- Discreet/Autodesk Flame, Smoke, etc
- Discreet/Autodesk Combustion
- Sonic CineVision
- Final Cut Pro (pre 5.0)
- Final Cut Pro (5.0, Studio, Studio2)
- Avid DS
- Avid Composer
- Avid Xpress DV/HD/Pro
- Avid Liquid
- Piranha, Assimilate, NuCoda, Iridas, Silicon Color, etc
- Digital Fusion
- Sony Vegas
- Adobe Premiere
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe After Effects
- Grass Valley/Canopus Edius
- Mac video applications
- Windows video applications
- Encoders (h264, Envivio, etc.)
- Linux/SGI/Other video applications
- Graphics applications
- Common Questions
When you first start QuickClipXO, the last mode, clips, EDL and position will be reloaded. At
this point, you can start a new session (or open an existing one), leaving the old one on disk.
Clip Mode: Select Clip from the Mode selector. To create a new or select an existing
Clip Bin, click on the File button and
select Open/New Clip Bin. Browse to a good location for the new Clip Bin (or locate and select
an existing one). Give the new Clip Bin a name (be sure to include the *.log or *.cls extension) and press the
Open button.
To create a new or select an existing ::Film space, select Clip from the Mode selector.
Click on the File button and select Open/Film Space. Browse to a good location for the
new Film Space (or locate and select an existing one). Give the new Film Space a name
(be sure to include the *.film extension) and press the Open button.
Conform Mode: Select Conform from the Mode selector. To create a new or select an existing
Conform EDL, click on the File button and select Open/New Conform Space. Browse to a good location
for the new Conform EDL (or locate and select an existing one). Give the new Conform EDL a name (be sure to
include the *.edl or *.log extension) and press the Open button.
Important: when creating new sessions, you have to specify the file type:
- Clip Bin - *.log or *.cls
- Conform (Time Code) Space - *.edl or *.log
- ::Film Space - *.film
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On the View selector, click on the Video Setup button. On the Video Setup page, select
the Video Input pulldown menu to reveal input options. Inputs can include Serial Digital, IEEE-1394, Composite,
S-Video, Component YCbCr, and Component RGB.
While this drop down box sets the physical input, you may also need to confirm the type of input if more
than one type is supported. Click on the
View selector's Setup button. Under the Storage/Format section on the upper right, use
the Video pulldown menu to select between Single Link, Dual Link (RGB 4:4:4) or
Single + Alpha. Press the Set button to enable the change.
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On the View selector, click on the Audio Setup button. On the Audio Setup page, select
the Audio Input pulldown menu to reveal input options. Inputs can include AES/EBU, embedded (in video signal),
Balanced, Unbalanced.
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On the View selector, click on the Video Setup button. On the Video Setup page,
select the Video Output pulldown menu to reveal output options. With most hardware all outputs are active
at all times, but if more than one type uses the same physical connectors you can use this pulldown menu to select
the correct type. On hardware that includes up or down converters, the second output or analog outputs may be
affected by the up and down converter setup.
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On the View selector, click on the Audio Setup button. On the Audio Setup page, select
the Audio Output pulldown menu to reveal output options. With most hardware all outputs are active
at all times, but this selector is used to set output levels (+4 vs -10) or physical connectors (XLR vs BNC).
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To change the up or down converter, click on the Video Setup button in the View
selector. In the box on the upper right you can select the Conversion type. Depending on the conversion
type chosen, the converter will use the SD Analog and Down Mode settings, or the HD Analog
(which can also affect secondary digital outputs) and Up Mode settings.
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On the View selector, click on the Setup button. In the System Info panel
on the left, there are indicators for Input, Ref and Audio Inputs.
If the Video input is invalid, the video field will be red. If valid, it is plain gray.
If the video standard of the input signal can be detected, it will be displayed as well.
If the Audio inputs are invalid, the audio fields will be red. Valid audio inputs are
displayed in green.
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On the View selector, click on the Video Setup button.
On the Video Setup page, in the Lock area on the lower right, check the Lock check box.
The source of the genlock signal can be selected via the pulldown menu. It is recommended that the input be used
as the genlock source if doing any form of editing - select Input from the lock pulldown menu.
For locking outputs, a reference in may be used by selecting Ref. In from the pulldown menu.
To check the genlock status, on the View selector, click on the Setup button.
There are two fields for the Ref input. The first will indicate connection status (i.e. Not
Connected/Connected), and the second will indicate the genlock type, whether input or
source
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Local Control - On the View selector, click on the Setup button. On the Setup page,
click on the Record Folder button. This opens the Record Folder dialog box which displays the current
record folder. To change it, click on the Browse button to open a browser. Navigate to the location in
which you want to record your files. Press the Set Record Folder button. This returns you to the
Record Folder dialog box. To confirm your choice, press the OK button. To cancel the operation without changing the
record folder, press Cancel.
Remote Control - On the View selector, click on the Setup button. On the Setup page,
click on the Record Folder button. This opens the Record Folder dialog box which displays the current
record folder. To change it, click on the Browse button to open a web-based browser. This displays all
the folders that have been shared out to the remote user, allowing you to access them.
If the necessary folder is not present, you can add it. Select the correct folder
and press the Set button.
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On the View selector, click on the Setup button. In the
Storage/Format area on the upper right, select the File Type pulldown menu. A number
of file types will be displayed, some of which may not be licensed or available on your system. All systems currently
support AVI, MOV, WMV (streams) and YUV (series of stills). Your system may also support GEN, JS,
DVS, HDR, DPX, CIN, TGA, TIFF and RAW file types.
Once you have changed the file type, the Compression and Bit Depth pulldown menus
will change to reflect the possible compression and bit depths available for that file type. Select
a valid compression and bit depth using these menus. To confirm any changes, press the Set button.
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On the View selector, click on the Setup button. In the upper right area, called
Storage/Format, use the Compression pulldown menu and Bit Depth pulldown menu to set these
parameters. To confirm your changes, press the Set button. Both of these settings will be dependent on the File Type setting at the
top of Storage/Format. Please see the Make files that are compatible with
section for the most common settings.
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Close QuickClipXO and run LocalConfig from the Start Menu |
All Programs | Drastic Technologies | QuickClip | Config | Local DDR Configuration. In
LocalConfig select the Internal H/W tab. On the upper right there will be two
audio pulldown menus. The first is the bit depth and the second is the file type. The possible
settings for the file type are:
- Wave Normal - Place the first two audio channels in the file (AVI/MOV/WMV) if possible, and the rest as stereo pairs
- Wave Stereo External - Place all audio as stereo pairs in the same directory as the video file
- Wave Mono External - Place all audio as mono files in the same directory as the video file
- Wave Multi Channel - Place all the channels interleaved in one file
- Aiff Normal - Place the first two audio channels in the file if possible, and the rest as stereo pairs
- Aiff Stereo External - Place all audio as stereo pairs in the same directory as the video file
Press the Done button to set these changes and exit LocalConfig.
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Close QuickClipXO and run LocalConfig from the
Start Menu | All Programs | Drastic Technologies | QuickClip | Config | Local DDR Configuration. In
LocalConfig select the Internal H/W tab. On the upper right there will be two
audio pulldown menus. The first is the bit depth and the second is the file type. The possible
settings for the file bit depth are: 16, 20, 24 and 32. Press the Done button to confirm
any changes. Note: If the file type does not support the
bit depth selected, the next higher supported bit depth will be used.
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Although some supported hardware supports 96000 capture, this
mode is not currently available in QuickClipXO. As more external equipment begins
to support 96K this feature will be added.
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Local Control - Clip Mode: press the Clip button in the Mode selector.
Click on the Add Media button. The Java file browser will appear. Select the file you want and press
Add Clip. This loads the clip into the Add Clip Options
dialog box. This dialog provides a default name which you can reset.
Press the Set Name button to confirm any name changes, then
press the Add button to add the clip to the Clip Bin.
Local Control - Conform Mode: press the Conform button in the Mode selector.
Click on the Add Media button. The Java file browser will appear. Select the file you want and press
Add Clip. This loads the clip into the Add Clip Options dialog box.
Set the Timeline In, and optionally the Clip In, Clip Out (to add a portion of the clip)
and Channels (to only add specific audio or video channels).
Conform Mode also allows you to add media directly from the Clip Bin.
Press the Add Clip button to see a pulldown menu containing all the clips in the Clip Bin.
Clicking on a clip in this menu loads it into the Add Clip dialog box so you can set the parameters
and add the clip as above.
Remote Control - Clip Mode: press the Clip button in the Mode selector.
Click on the Add Media button. The web-based file browser will appear. This shows the folders
accessible to the system you are controlling which have been added,
allowing you to access them remotely. Select a file and press the Open button to add it to the
Clip Bin.
Remote Control - Conform Mode: press the Conform button in the Mode selector.
Click on the Add Media button. The web-based file browser will appear. Again you will only see
folders which have been added.
Select the file you want and press
Add Clip. This loads the clip into the Add Clip Options dialog box.
Set the Timeline In, and optionally the Clip In, Clip Out (to add a portion of the clip)
and Channels (to only add specific audio or video channels).
Conform Mode also allows you to add media directly from the Clip Bin.
Press the Add Clip button to see a pulldown menu containing all the clips in the Clip Bin.
Clicking on a clip in this menu loads it into the Add Clip dialog box so you can set the parameters
and add the clip as above.
Please note, if the media file you are adding does not have the same frame rate,
compression type and bit depth as the current DDR settings, it will appear in orange in the
list and probably will not play back in real time.
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Close QuickClipXO on the remote system being controlled. Open LocalConfig
on that system. Select the Network/Front Panel tab. The File Directories section will display
a list of all currently mapped folders. If the folder you want to share is not already present in this list,
press the Add button, browse to that folder and select it, then press OK. This loads the selected
folder into the Enter Alias box. Enter a name for the folder if you like, and press OK.
The remote user will now be able to "see" the folder for records, lists, media etc.
To provide password-controlled access to a folder, you can set a user name and a password for
the folder. During the above procedure, select the UserName field and type in a user name.
Select the Password field and type in a password. A remote user will now have to provide these
credentials to open the folder. Close LocalConfig and open QuickClipXO on the system to return to
being controlled remotely.
To provide access only to those folders required for use, you can always remove
a folder from view.
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Close QuickClipXO on the remote system being controlled. Open LocalConfig on that system.
Select the Network/Front Panel tab. Select a folder from the list and
press the Delete button. This removes the folder from the list.
The folder will no longer be visible to remote browsers and
the remote user will not be able to "see" the folder to select it. If a folder has been removed by accident,
you can add it again at any time.
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Clip Mode: To remove a clip from the Clip Bin, select Clip from the Mode Selector.
Select the offending clip, right click on it and select Remove from the context menu. This removes the clip
but does not delete it. To delete a clip in Clip Mode, select the clip,
right click on it and select Delete from the context menu. A dialog box arises
which asks you to confirm that you actually intend to permanently erase the clip, because this action cannot be undone,
and the media will no longer exist.
Conform Mode: To remove a clip from the Conform EDL, select the clip by clicking on its row. Right click on it
and select Remove from the context menu. There is no delete function for Conform Mode.
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Clip Mode: Select the Clip button in the Mode selector.
If the clip is not in the Clip Bin, add it.
Load the clip by clicking on its row in the Clip Bin. Click the Play button (right pointing triangle)
or press the 'c' key to play the file.
Conform Mode: Press the Conform button in the Mode selector. If the media is not
present in the Conform EDL, press the Add Media (browse your storage for files) or Add Clip button
(look at the Clip Bin for files) to select and add media to Conform Mode.
Once the media is present in Conform Mode, select it by clicking on its row in the Conform EDL.
Pressing the Prev button will play the selected section of media as referenced by its In and Out
points in the Extents section.
Both modes: Preview - You can also set a new In and Out point in the Extents section
and play from the In to the Out by pressing the Prev (Preview) button.
Both modes: Looping playback - To loop playback, click the small Loop button in the Extents section on
the lower right before pressing Play (Clip Mode) or Prev (Conform Mode).
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Clip Mode sub clips: Click on the Clip button in the Mode selector.
Make sure you have added the media you want to make a sub clip
from. Load the clip by clicking on its row in
the Clip Bin. Use the Extents section to edit the clip parameters. Edit the In point to remove
frames from the beginning of the clip. Edit the Out point to remove frames from the end of the clip. Edit the
Duration to remove frames from the beginning of the clip. Click on the Make Sub Clip button.
This calls up a dialog box which lets you rename the sub clip. Press the Create button to make the new sub clip
Conform Mode sub clips: Click on the Conform button in the Mode selector.
Make sure you have added
the media you want to make a sub clip from. Load the clip by clicking on its row in
the Conform EDL. Use the Extents section to edit the clip parameters.
Edit the In point to remove frames from the beginning of the clip. Edit the Out point to remove frames
from the end of the clip. Edit the Duration to remove frames from the beginning of the clip. Click on the
Make Sub Clip button. This calls up a dialog box which lets you rename the sub clip and set the Timeline In.
Press the Create button to make the new sub clip
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On the Mode selector, click on the Clip button. Before making your PlayList,
make sure you have added all the files you plan to use.
Any excess material in each file should be removed by making
virtual clips (sub clips). Click on the PlayList checkbox to
open a new PlayList. The clips are now on the right. Click on a clip to select it and click again
then "drag" it over to the PlayList. Dropping a clip into the blank portion of the PlayList will add the
clip to the end of the PlayList. Dropping a clip on top of a clip already in the list will add the clip to
that location and move the rest of the list down. You can also right
click to copy from the Clip Bin. Then, right click on the PlayList and select between Paste Before,
Paste After, or Paste at End. To remove a clip, right click on the clip in the PlayList and
select Remove Clip, or to start over, select Remove all Clips.
To save the PlayList, press the Save PlayList button. To open an existing PlayList, press the
Open PlayList button.
To play the list, click on the Play List button. If the Loop check button is checked the PlayList
will restart at the top after playing the last clip.
To exit PlayList mode, uncheck the PlayList checkbox.
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Make sure you are in Clip or Conform in the Mode selector. To
start the record, press the Record button (black button with the red circle near the main time code display).
In Conform mode it will start recording immediately at the current time code. In Clip
mode a dialog opens that lets you name the new clip and optionally define the length of
record. Press Set Name and then Start to begin recording.
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A pull in can be performed in Clip or Conform Mode. The last mode selected
is used by default, but this can be changed using the Clip/Conform pulldown menu.
If capturing to Clip mode, the capture will create a series of clips. If capturing to
Conform mode each capture will make its own file on the disk, but the files will be added to the
conform EDL as edits. This means that when complete, the conform will have the edit conformed, and
available for real time playback.
Click on the From VTR button to enter From VTR Mode. If this button is disabled it may need to be
reset. Please note, to operate properly the VTR must be in
'Remote' mode and have 9-pin serial selected. Pressing the From VTR button opens a dialog you can use
to set the default clip name prefix, Reel and target In point.
Press the Set Name then the Create button to begin composing the pull-in list.
Once in From VTR Mode the main controls and time code refer to the external VTR.
If the time code is all eights (88:88:88:88), this means the VTR is not
communicating properly.
Cue to the start of the material on tape and press the In button (if you know the start you
can type it into the In point field next to the In button). Do the same for the Out point (or if you know the
duration type it into the Duration field after selecting an In Point). You can change the Clip
name, Reel and Comment and then press the New Clip button to enter this pull in item. To
pull in the item, right click on it and select Single Clip from the context menu.
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When you press the From VTR button, there is a Head/Tail field in the Options
dialog box that lets you specify the number of frames extra to capture at the start and end of the edit.
It can also be adjusted in the Options dialog (Press the Options button)
if you are already in the From VTR area.
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The basic process is the record from VTR repeated for
each edit. Optionally, you can also load a CMX 34xx, Grass Valley or Sony EDL to work from. Once
you have all the edits in the list, they will sort by reel and time code. Right clicking on the
list will let you pull in selected items (Selection) or all of the items on the list (All).
Please note, if you wish to pull in different edits to different folders on disk, set
the first folder and select the edits for that folder. Use the right click menu to pull in your
Selection and repeat for each group.
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This operation uses a PlayList to record material to the VTR.
Before making the list to record to your VTR, make sure you have added
all the files you plan to use. Any excess material in each file should be removed by making
virtual clips (sub clips). Click on the To VTR button in the
Mode selector. If this button is disabled, you can reset it.
Compose a PlayList. Once the list is
ready, set the start time code by entering it in the edit box, or clicking the In
button when the VTR is parked at the correct time code. Pressing the Record To VTR
button will send the clips to the tape as a single insert edit. Once recorded, the list may
be saved as a matching EDL to send with the tape. Please note: The tape should be
pre-striped with the required time code and user bits, and the VTR must be in 'Regen' to
regenerate the internal time code back onto the tape with the new audio/video material.
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By default, QuickClip uses whatever time code it can get from the hardware. By default this
is from RP-188. If the Use VBlank is enabled in the Internal H/W section of
LocalConfig, then it will decode any VITC present in the signal.
For LTC/SMPTE (analog audio time code), you need to use
an audio channel. You can select the audio channel by clicking on the Audio Setup button in the
View to bring up the Audio Setup view. Click the Enable checkboxes in the LTC
input and output areas. Use the LTC drop down box to select which channel will carry the LTC signal.
On systems that do not have analog audio inputs/outputs you may have to convert the analog LTC signal to
AES/EBU using an external converter.
In some cases it is better to get the time code from the RS-422 serial connected to the VTR
for batch capture. Selecting the Force VTR serial time code check box in the General tab of
LocalConfig will grab the time code of the current source from the VTR.
This setting will cause QuickClipXO to capture time code ONLY when in batch capture where QuickClipXO
controls the VTR. Other batch records will have absolute (0 based) time code.
For other applications it is preferable to have all the time codes aligned to the absolute
time code, especially in ::Film or Conform mode. To set this mode, use
LocalConfig and select Disable external time code.
For telecine work, including 3 line VITC, RP-215 and separate video/audio time code, see
Record key code.
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Aside from the basic methods of capturing time code, you can also
receive time code from 3 line VITC or RP-215. To enable these you have to check Use VBlank in
the Internal H/W section of LocalConfig.
For VITC you can use any color mode and file type. For RP-215
the only modes it will work in are Single Link 10 Bit YCbCr or Dual Link 10 Bit RGB (DPX/Cineon). Also,
not all formats can maintain all the information on a per-frame basis. QuickTime MOV and DPX support
all metadata. Other formats support all types of static metadata, but not necessarily per-frame data.
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Normally metadata is recorded into the vertical blank area, above the active picture. By
setting LocalConfig's Internal H/W to Use VBlank and
Save VBlank, this extra data will be saved with the active picture for playback
or later processing. These extra lines can be cropped out of any processing, preserving
them in their original form for playout. This works for, but is not limited to, VITC (2, 3 or 4
line), closed captioning, RP-215 and other forms of custom data.
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Open the program called Metadata Configuration under Start Menu |
All Programs | Drastic Technologies | QuickClip | Config | Metadata Configuration. This will
allow you to set the default metadata used to populate recorded files if no other metadata
source is available. There is a system metadata set and a per user metadata set. User metadata
overrides system metadata. Any acquired metadata (LTC, VITC, RP-215, RP-188) overrides the user
metadata.
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Any media currently in the Clip Bin or Conform list will have its actual file name and
directory (in Clip mode) or the directory and file name (in Conform mode) in the list.
This information is also available by clicking on the entry in the list and selecting Clip View
in the View selector.
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If the From VTR and To VTR buttons are disabled/ grayed out, it means the
COM/serial port selected for the External channel does not exist. This can be properly set
using LocalConfig or using Drastic VTR Control, available in
Start Menu | All Programs | Drastic Technologies | QuickClip | Config.
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If you are in QuickClipXO, switching to From VTR will display the current VTR time code
or 88:88:88:88 if it cannot communicate with the VTR. To help set up the VTR, you can run Drastic VTR Control
from Start Menu | All Programs | Drastic Technologies | QuickClip | Config. This utility has a dialog that
lets you switch COM ports and test for the VTR. Once you have the correct COM port, you can set it in
LocalConfig's External VTRs section.
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Controlling the DDR as a VTR requires a COM port, the B&B RS-232 to RS-422 converter and the
RS-422 NULL converter. Once the B&B is connected to the COM port and the RS-422 NULL is connected to the
B&B, run LocalConfig and set the 9 pin Emulation tab's Port
setting to match. Here you can also select the device emulation type. For standard VTR work, select
the Sony A 500 NTSC or PAL. For DDR work, try the Drastic VVW Disk Recorder, Abekus, Accom, Pandora, Pogle,
Pronto Server or Virtual VCR (Drastic VVCR) setting, depending on the controller.
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When editing to the DDR, the controller will assume a certain distance between the
edit commands and the actual edit point. Normally this is based on the emulation, but if your
controller creates edits that start early or late, or edits that end early or late, it may be using
a different edit value. If this happens, you can adjust the controller, or you can adjust the DDR
settings. The adjustment is made in LocalConfig on the
9 Pin Emulation tab. If the in/out is early (you see extra on the start, or not enough
on the end), the Edit On and Off frames should be increased. If the in/out is late
(you are missing frames at the start, or have extra frames at the end), the value should be decreased.
Although there are two values, in almost all cases they should be the same. Please note, changing
the Type will cause you to lose the Edit On/Off settings.
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For color grading or editing where you wish to end up with a series of stills and audio,
the ::Film space should be used. The ::Film space shows up as a 24 hour
long clip. If selected, any edits or records will be added into the ::Film space, rather
than creating new clips. The ::Film space itself consists of a series of 24 sub-directories, each
containing up to 1 hour of still images and audio each named for their hour (e.g. 00h00m, 01h00m, 02h00m).
Edits are collected into the various directories and immediately available for playback on that, or
other channels looking at the same clip. This is similar to the Conform space, except that each
edit in Conform space creates a new clip, and the old edits are preserved.
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There are three ways to control the DDR from other systems:
- RS-422 9 pin serial protocol, emulating a VTR or DDR
- HTTP web using a web browser, typing the name or IP address of the DDR on a connected network
- QuickClipXO Java client run remotely (the same one you are using locally)
Serial protocol support is not present in all versions of QuickClip software.
Web and Java control require the Network Option, or the full QuickClip Server software.
The HTTP uses standard web html protocol, or optionally AJAX for enabled browsers to control the DDR.
The HTTP can also be used to download the Java client of QuickClipXO to the client machine.
Once downloaded, you can connect back to the DDR's IP or name through the network and have most of the same
functions as running locally. The main differences of running remotely are HTML file browsers for on-DDR file
operations, and the lack of a real time video window overlay.
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There is a separate configuration utility called Local DDR Configuration. It is in
Start Menu | All Programs | Drastic Technologies | QuickClip | Config | Local DDR Configuration.
To use this program you should first shut down QuickClipXO. Local DDR Configuration provides settings
some of which are not available in QuickClipXO. The settings are broken down into five categories:
- General - Gobal settings enabling types of hardware, quantity of internal channels,
and general operation mode for each internal channel.
- Internal H/W - Settings for each of the internal hardware channels. In general each
'Int' will require a matching hardware video board. Most systems will only have one
internal channel.
- External VTRs - This configures each COM/serial port that will be connected to an
external VTR or DDR via RS-422. Normally this would be set when connecting to an external VTR
to do batch captures and output.
- 9 Pin Emulation - This tab configures COM/serial ports as devices to be controlled by
external edit controllers or automation systems. Each emulation will require one COM/serial
port and will control one internal channel.
- Network/Front Panel - This tab configures folder mapping/networking,and
the front panel controller.
- Advanced - This tab has rarely-used settings that only require adjustment under special
circumstances. These should only be changed if you fully understand the ramifications of
doing so, or under the direction of a Drastic technician.
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Generally these applications work best with DPX files. If you are capturing
key+fill, you may want to use TGA or TIFF files.
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Combustion works well with DPX, TGA and TIFF files. It also supports AVI and
MOV files if you have the correct codec installed. Combustion is an RGB color space
application, so YCbCr based files are not recommended.
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Sonic's CineVision encoding software supports a wide variety of inputs, but some are
used directly, without translation, and others are translated. The HDR file format was actually
developed for use in Sonic's software and is direct when in 8 bit 4:2:2 YCbCr or 4:2:0 YCbCr mode. AVI
can also be used, but to guarantee a direct path (no codecs), you should use 4:2:0 YCbCr and LocalConfig
to generate YV12 by checking the Use YV12 for 4:2:0 YCbCr check box on the Advanced tab.
For both types, you should also set the Dither video (For 8 bit YCbCr only)
check box on the Advanced tab of LocalConfig.
For audio, CineVision prefers 24 bit external *.wav files. This can be set in LocalConfig
under the Internal H/W tab in the Audio: drop down combo boxes (24 Bits, Wave Mono External).
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Apple Final Cut Pro 5.0 and before prefer 8 or 10 bit YCbCr. In Apple terms, these
are v210 (10 bit) and yuv2 (8 bit). These versions can handle some other formats, but
they understand these formats natively.
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Like previous versions of Apple Final Cut Pro, 8 and 10 bit YCbCr are supported
natively. Final Cut Pro 5.1 added native support for 10 bit RGB in QuickTime, using
linear or logarithmic encoding. This is the same quality and format as DPX files,
except in an MOV with extra metadata options available.
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Avid DS imports a wide variety of formats including TGA, TIFF, MOV, AVI and DPX. For
direct encoding you should use the native GEN format in 8 or 10 bit.
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Older Avid Composers prefer AVI or MOV import. If you have
MediaReactor, you
can record 8 bit YCbCr and then convert the files to MXF or OMF. You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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The Avid Xpress series take series of stills (TGA, TIFF) or MOV/AVI. As they translate
the color space it is best to record in the original format (YCbCr 10 for single link, 10 Bit RGB 4:4:4
for dual link). You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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Liquid accepts AVI or MOV files. As it translates
the color space it is best to record in the original format (YCbCr 10 for single link, 10 Bit RGB 4:4:4
for dual link). You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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For maximum compatibility among different finishing software, it is best to use
DPX files. They hold a large amount of metadata and maintain fine color fidelity. You can use IFX
files directly for Piranha and IHSS files for Iridas.
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Digital Fusion supports a wide variety of file types. For best color fidelity, use
YCbCr 10 Bit for single link in MOV or AVI, DPX for dual link 10 bit RGB 4:4:4 or TIFF/TGA if
capturing alpha/key with fill. You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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Vegas works best with AVI files, either 8 or 10 bit YCbCr. You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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Premiere works best with AVI files, either 8 or 10 bit YCbCr. You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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Photoshop works best with TIFF or TGA files. DPX files are also supported with a 3rd
party plug in.
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After Effects works best with TIFF or TGA files. AVI and MOV files are also supported.
You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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Edius works best with AVI files, either 8 or 10 bit YCbCr. You may need to install the
Drastic Codecs on the editing machine for this to work properly.
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In general, Mac applications work best with QuickTime MOV files.
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In general, Windows applications work best with AVI files. Many applications also support
QuickTime MOV.
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For these types of encoders, QuickClipXO supports a special text HDR plus raw image stream.
Select the HDR file type and appropriate color type. Most of the applications are looking for YCbCr
4:2:0 8 Bit.
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This is extremely application-dependent. Most high end applications will take DPX and
TIFF. Many now support AVI or MOV through open source libraries. It is often best to generate
a suite of the same source in a couple of possible formats and see which works best with your
application software.
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For graphics applications, TIFF is nearly universal. TGA is fairly common and DPX is
becoming very common in high end applications.
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An orange entry in the Clip Bin or Conform EDL indicates the clip
may not be compatible with the current compression, color or bit depth, and may not
be able to play back real time. To check the exact problem, click on Clip View in the
View selector. Confirm that the clip is selected by clicking on its row in the list.
On the left hand side will be a list of settings for the system compared to the settings for
the current file. The items in orange are different. To correct this, change the
color, compression or bit depth to match the clip.
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QuickClipXO will stop recording if the hard drives or system cannot keep up. There is
a buffer level indicator meter on the lower right in Clip or Conform modes. In record this meter
should be very low. In play it should be between 50 and 100% full. You can test your drive
speed using SpeedLimit.
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QuickClipXO will stop playing if the hard drives or system cannot keep up. There is
a buffer level indicator meter on the lower right in Clip or Conform modes. In record this meter
should be very low. In play it should be between 50 and 100% full. You can test your drive
speed using SpeedLimit. If you need to have it continue playing
out even when dropping frames, you can set Production Mode in LocalConfig off and
playback will continue despite any dropped frames.
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In DVI output mode, or if Production Mode is disabled in
LocalConfig, the playback will continue even if frames are dropped. The jerky playback and
audio stuttering indicate a system or disk throughput problem. There is
a buffer level indicator meter on the lower right in Clip or Conform modes. In record this meter
should be very low. In play it should be between 50 and 100% full. You can test your drive
speed using SpeedLimit.
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There is a utility called Speed Limit under Start Menu | All Programs | Drastic Technologies |
QuickClip | Utility. This utility will let you test specific hard drives or file types on your system. Set
the slider for the target data rate (e.g. 1080x1920@30fps 10 bit YCbCr), select your file type,
set the number of frames to a reasonable number like 300 (about 10 seconds) and click Start Test. If the read and write
rates test results are less then the target rate plus 25 mega bytes per second, you need to increase the
speed of your drive subsystem.
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Local Control is when QuickClipXO is "connected" to the system upon which its instance of
QuickClip software is installed. Remote Control is when QuickClipXO is "connected" to an
external system via the Java/HTTP interface, and controlling the remote system using the local QuickClipXO
interface. Remote Control offers web-based browsers for certain operations and has limitations on the
VGA display of real time video from the remote system.
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Server Mode and Clip mode are two names for the DDR operation of
QuickClipXO. In this mode, each file is its own clip, with a unique eight character clip
name. This is used more for Odetics and VDCP automation protocol, play lists, VTR laybacks,
and general file handling.
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Conform mode is an EDL whose edits point at media files that are combined
real time to make a cuts-only conform for playout. The ::VTR_TC clip in Clip mode
is the representation of the current Conform EDL as a 24 hour clip. Conform mode lets
you add audio and video media as edits from disk, or edit directly into it using a batch
capture or edit controller. Each new record or edit creates a new media file and sets up
pointers in the EDL to place it at the time you recorded at. Because each edit is a new
media file, the edits are completely non-destructive. This also means that any Conform
records that are no longer in use may need to be manually deleted from the disk, as some edits may
have dropped out of the EDL entirely, yet still exist on disk. For a destructive editing
mode (where old media is deleted), see ::Film.
Because each Conform has its own EDL, previously created EDLs may be loaded
as clips, in their entirety, or as virtual sub-clips. Conform mode even allows clips
to be made and added. Once created, they will be present in Clip mode, even if the Conform
EDL is changed.
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The ::Film clip is a special clip in Clip mode used for editing. To use it
simply select it in the Clip Bin in Clip mode. If this clip is not present in the Clip Bin,
it is because it has not been created. You can create a new ::Film Space using the
Start New Session dialog.
To the controller the ::Film Space looks like a 24 hour, pre-striped tape.
On the disk it is a text file describing its video type, and a
series of directories that can have audio (wave) and video (dpx, yuv, tga, tiff, or v210) recorded into
them. This clip can be edited like the Conform mode or a regular VTR from an external controller.
Because each still has a known location, re-edits at the same time code will destructively overwrite
previous edits, just like a tape, and at the end of the session only the good edits will remain. The
basic structure on disk is as follows:
- \ProjectFilm\
- Project.film - description/signpost file
- \00h00m\
- Project_00h00m.wav - Audio 1/2 pair
- Project_00h00m.A34.wav - Audio 3/4 pair
- Project_00h00m.xml - Metadata
- Project_00h00m_######.dpx - Stills that have been recorded
- \01h00m\
- \02h00m\
- \03h00m\
As stills are recorded, they are placed with the ###### portion representing their offset within the
one hour directory. Any gaps are automatically filled with black and silence on playback. If the
session is longer then one hour, the naming convention allows the two hour directories to be copied
directly into the same target directory, and simply renamed to make a contiguous stream. If you are
converting the final edits with MediaReactor, then the ::Film
space can be read directly without copying.
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The ::Test clip in Clip mode is a series of test signals (bars, camera bars,
grid, multi burst, etc) and test tones (1 kHz, sweep, segmented sweep, etc) that are internally generated
to test the DDR output. Alternately, the ::Test clip may be selected and used to edit into from
a remote edit controller. The effect will be that the controller can seek to, lock and record into it,
and after it is finished a new clip will have been created and added to clip mode. For other editing
options see Conform and ::Film editing methods.
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The VTR_TC clip in Clip mode is a representation of the current Conform EDL. Any media that
exists there will be available for playback in Clip mode. Other previously created Conform EDLs can be
opened while in Clip mode to provide access to alternate Conform
mode media for playback.
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There are two time codes displayed in QuickClipXO. The top time code is the main time
code for the system. This should almost always be set to CTL, which is the absolute time code. The
lower time code is a user display only time code. It may be set to CTL (absolute), TC (best VITC or LTC),
VITC (vertical interval or video time code), LTC (longitudinal or audio time code), KEY (film key code),
or INK (film ink code). To change the time code source, click on the CTL/TC/LTC/VITC/KEY/INK word
next to the time code.
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The white flashing words near the main time code indicate problems that have been
found in various parts of the DDR. They may not be fatal, but you do need to be aware of them. The
possible problems flagged are:
- IN - The input is invalid, or of a different video standard
- DISK - The record disk is full or nearly full
- AUD - The audio input is invalid or unrecognized
- REF - The reference input is invalid or of a different, incompatible video standard
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QuickClipXO is designed to control a large number of hardware configurations. Some
support advanced audio and video setup features and some do not. These features are disabled
when controlling boards that cannot handle or do not need these features.
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Some features are only available when running QuickClipXO locally. When running remotely
these features are grayed out. Here is a brief description of Local and Remote Control.
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If there is a network problem there will be a small networked computer icon in the
system tray with on 'x' on it. On some systems there are two network cards, of which only one
may be connected. In this case there will always be one such icon, but there should not be two.
Another check can be made by using the web browser to connect to a known good web
host on your network. Open a command shell from the Start menu by selecting Run, and entering
"cmd" into the dialog. Press Enter or the OK button to open the command shell. Type "ping" and
the known good IP address and press Enter or the OK button.
This will "ping" the known good host to confirm your network status.
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Open a command shell from the Start menu by selecting Run, and entering "cmd" into the dialog.
Press Enter or the OK button to open the command shell. Type "ipconfig" and press Enter or
the OK button . This will display the IP addresses on the connected network.
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There are actually two clip names: the short, 8 character name and the long, full
filename. The 8 character names are unique identifiers that allow the system to be used
seamlessly in Odetics, Louth, HP, VDCP, network and local modes. For controllers that
support long file names, the full name of the file is used.
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QuickClip only requires that the file system is Windows XP compatible and fast enough to
read and write the files.
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Yes, almost any file system that is fast enough and can be connected to a Windows XP
workstation should work. In particular there are a number of servers running on the
following SANs:
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MediaReactor is a software media transcoder available from Drastic Technologies®. It
is included in the VVW servers and most ClipRecorders. It can be used to translate from and to most
post production file types including AVI, MOV, OMF, DPX, CIN, TIFF, TGA, MPEG and many others.
Translations may be started manually or automatically through the use of a watch folder. For
more information, see
MediaReactor on the Drastic web site.
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The Drastic Codecs are a QuickTime and Windows codec available to support QuickClip,
DTV-Deck, VVW and MediaReactor. They are available from the
Drastic Website. They provide encoding and decoding of 8 and 10 bit YCbCr in AVI (UYVY/v210) and
QuickTime (yuv2/v210) MOV files. This codec is compatible with most major types including
AJA, Bluefish 4:4:4, Blackmagic Design, Viewgraphics, CineView, etc.
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QuickClip includes a utility called DrasticPreview under Start Menu | All Programs |
Drastic Technologies | QuickClip |DrasticPreview. This utility has a standalone install for
Windows PCs available here. If you don't have
DrasticPreview, here are some other view apps:
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