Q.Cing Rendered DPX Files?

[Jesse Korosi]

Hi All,

I am looking to find a quick way to Q.C rendered DPX files.

This is what I have tested:
- Render out ProRes dailies with TC and Reel Name columns Q.C'd to ensure they are there and are accurate
- Create a quick edit
- Export an EDL and also a quicktime reference file.
- Import that EDL into RedcineX 351, render out new DPX files
- Import the EDL into FCP and attempt to reconnect to the DPX files.
I would then like to overlay the quicktime reference video on track2 above my EDL reconnected to my DPX frames. Make the opacity on the reference file 50% and I would then be able to just scrub across my timeline to q.c. that all appropriate frames have indeed been rendered.

The Problem:
I am using Glue tools to be able to import DPX sequences as QT wrapped files into FCP. Therefor I can not batch import these files, nor can they be reconnected to an EDL created from the dailies I made...(or at least I dont think they can be based on this test?)

Is there any way to do this in FCP? Or some other software? This could also maybe work in Color....but I am not sure if there is a way to blend 2 layers over top of each other to make this work?

Either way the goal is to simply be able to check the DPX files to ensure that RedcineX has indeed rendered what it should have.

If anyone has any advice that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[M Most]

Is there any way to do this in FCP? Or some other software?....
If anyone has any advice that would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Jesse,

Sounds like you could really use either a Scratch or a Smoke system.

Another possibility is Resolve, but it won't be as editorially flexible....

 

[Nick Shaw]

If you are limited to Final Cut Studio, I think Color would be a better bet than FCP for conforming DPXs. FCP doesn't really do file based conforms at all.

 

[Jesse Korosi]

Agreed Mike,
I do have a Scratch although it will not always be readily available so I just wanted to see if there are any other options.

Color will conform all of the DPX files no problem, but that would mean I would have to jump back and forth between QT (to view the reference clip) and Color to check the in and out points of every cut etc.. Unless of course you know a way as mentioned above, to lower the opacity of a second layer of footage?

 

[M Most]

Agreed Mike,
I do have a Scratch although it will not always be readily available so I just wanted to see if there are any other options.

Color will conform all of the DPX files no problem, but that would mean I would have to jump back and forth between QT (to view the reference clip) and Color to check the in and out points of every cut etc.. Unless of course you know a way as mentioned above, to lower the opacity of a second layer of footage?

I don't, but I would repeat what I hinted at earlier: Resolve is a much better tool for this purpose than Color. And it can play this stuff in real time, given a fast array.

 

[Jesse Korosi]

I guess if I am Q.C-ing with Divinci there isn't much point in rendering with RedcineX at all then...?

 

[Nick Shaw]

I guess if I am Q.C-ing with Divinci there isn't much point in rendering with RedcineX at all then...?

Except for new options like REDcolor2, which will always appear in RCX before they are available in 3rd party software.

 

[Jesse Korosi]

Touché

 

[Jesse Korosi]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys, its been very much appreciated!

I thought I would update this thread with 1 option that seems to be working and would be o.k for a commercial or something under a few minutes in duration. (This would not be ideal at all for a long format job though!)

- Open Color.
- The software will ask you to save a project file and or Open one. Locate your EDL and hit Open.
- EDL Import options will then come up.
- Select CMX3600 (assuming this is what the editor has given you)
- Choose your desired framerate
- Choose your frame size
- Set the directory where you have rendered all of your DPX files to. Color will look within sub directories, so if you have made a folder called DPX Masters and you have put each folder per file within this you should select this folder.
- Click Import

- Your files should all appear within your timeline.

- Right click on your timeline.
- Select New Track

- Locate your Reference file from within the top left browser.
(Ensure you receive a reference file from the editor is you are ever going to offer this workflow. If you do not have one you will not be able to QC that you have rendered the appropriate material)

- Drag the reference QT into the new timeline track you have created.

- Drag the reference clip to have both the first frame of this and your timeline match.

- Right click on your top timeline and select Hide Track. This will now reveal the timeline underneath in your viewer.

** You can now jump from clip to clip and turn on and off the top layer. Only bummer is for turning the layer on or off you will have to do this with the mouse.
There could be a way to set a hot key for this but I am not sure yet. Doing this for a commercial or something short in duration will not take long at all. For a long format show...as mentioned above, this isn't ideal!


Cheers,