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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

MetaCheater Utility

FYI, using a little tool called Sebsky Tools you can convert ALE>FCP batch list & FCP>ALE.

I've found the easiest way to get Tape/Reel Id into FCP is by using MetaCheater to make the ALE and converting to FCP batch list through Sebsky Tools.

Just in case you or your facility have both.

:biggrin: B
 
Ok, I have a new version of MetaCheater, v0.9

The link is in the edited original post of this thread.

Oh yeah, and this version has not been tested very much... so let me know if anything is not working

cheers

-Jabez

--------------------

New Features in v0.9:

The ability to Find and Replace in some columns

A setting to choose between having a VFX column or a DPX column, both work the same way in the Avid.

A setting to choose whether the VFX/DPX count starts at frame 1 or frame 0. It now defaults to 0.

Two new features for RED workflows only:
The first removes the "_H", "_M" or "P" suffixes that RedAlert adds from the filename and VFX/DPX columns, so that the filename is the same as the r3d file. This is to make conform tracking easier.
The second feature adds the Shoot Date part of the filename to the Tape column to make the Source/Timecode combination more unique.


Bug fix: if you have the VFX/DPX option to 'Convert TC' chosen then it does so when you import the QTs.
 
The first removes the "_H", "_M" or "P" suffixes that RedAlert adds from the filename and VFX/DPX columns, so that the filename is the same as the r3d file. This is to make conform tracking easier.
Click to expand...

While that makes sense, unless you also remove those suffixes on the original file, it probably breaks the ability to do a batch import by identifying only one of the files in the list. Am I wrong about that?

cogito said:
The second feature adds the Shoot Date part of the filename to the Tape column to make the Source/Timecode combination more unique.
Click to expand...

I hope that's user selectable. As I said to Michael P, some conforming systems (well, Scratch in particular) read the R3d files directly and rely on the tape ID in the EDL being the same as the tape ID in the file. Using standard naming conventions, the names are already unique if the production is done by a professional crew. For others, this feature might be very useful. For some, it renders the EDL unusable.
 
mmost said:
While that makes sense, unless you also remove those suffixes on the original file, it probably breaks the ability to do a batch import by identifying only one of the files in the list. Am I wrong about that?
Click to expand...


I asked for this feature, so I could batch import files I saved out of Redcine with the exact same filename as the original r3d file. You have to select this, and it is not on by default, so it gives you a choice.


Thanks Jabez for adding this feature!
Now I wish I had more .r3d files to play with, so I could try some large batch imports.:biggrin:
 
mmost said:
While that makes sense, unless you also remove those suffixes on the original file, it probably breaks the ability to do a batch import by identifying only one of the files in the list. Am I wrong about that?
Click to expand...

It only removes the suffix from the 'Filename' and 'VFX/DPX' columns, not from the 'Name' column. This is for just the reasons you have mentioned. The difference between the 'Name' and the 'Filename' columns is that 'Name' is the exact name of the matching Quicktime file, and 'filename' is the name of the r3d files. In the Avid the Clips actual Name has to match the Quicktime if it is to be automatically imported.



mmost said:
I hope that's user selectable.
Click to expand...

It is.
 
Jabez,
thank you for this. is it possible to send you at least symbolic donation for your work. maybe paypal account? i will do this with a pleasure.

all the best,

filip

p.s. this place (reduser) is really something! i'm in love with it!
 
New Version

New Version

Thanks for the talk of donations. I don't really know how I'd go about setting anything up though, but I'll look into it.

In the mean time here is a new version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?d7wzjjemz7x

Version 1.0
It has the ability to add Prefixes and Suffixes.
Also it allows for the use of each clip's filename as its Tape name. Actual it is the Reel, Clip and Date parts of the R3d filename, limited to the first 16 characters (in order to work with Avid's EDL template for Red)

cheers

-Jabez
 
Hi

Your tool is great.

Is it possible to use Quicktime Pro (or Cleaner XL which uses QT) to convert the Red Proxies to an Avid QT like Avid DV so you don't need the actual Avid software to do this? Are the metadatas stored in the proxies as well?

Or is there a way to make Avid Fast-Importable files without having to buy an avid suite?

Regards
Simon
 
As long as the Avid QuickTime codecs are loaded on the system, available free form Avid.com, QuickTime Pro can make the proxies as needed. No Avid needed on the system.
 
As long as you can read the RED Proxies (so have the QT codec) and can write Avid QT files (have the Avid codecs) then you should be able to do the conversion in any QT-capable product.

I've done it with Compressor on the Mac. It took about 2x realtime for a 2-minute clip from 1k Proxy to DV50 Avid QT (so around 4 minutes) on our 8-core MacPro. And then the fast import to Avid still takes around 30 seconds.

It would be better to import directly to Avid from the QT proxies, I think, as that way you're getting Avid-ready mediafiles and a nice Bin.
 
Yes. The best would be if there was an mxf tool that would make the media files directly. The bin file would be a plus but not necessary.

On the p2 system you just copy the mxfs in the AvidMediaFiles folder and the import into the project is very fast.

Is there a software that makes MXFs out of Quicktime? It doesn't have to be an Avid software since MXF is an open format.

What would be the best setting for Avid QT? For me this is always a long trial and error procedure...

For PAL DV I would set it to DV 4:2:0, lower field first, RGB color space. Is this correct?

-Simon
 
You don't want to go the extra step of an already created DNxHD encoded QuickTime to MXF since the lengthy part of the process is the essence encoding, not the metadata wrapping.

Michael
 
Also just from practical experiance, if you use the quicktime methodology, it prevents a lot of the problems of transferring avid media to multiple different stations that arn't on some kind of shared storage. It continuosly suprises me some of the ass backwards editorial workflows that exist, ie but I can just have my editor log and capture to both avid meridien's and save the cost of getting a lanshare.
 
MichaelP said:
You don't want to go the extra step of an already created DNxHD encoded QuickTime to MXF since the lengthy part of the process is the essence encoding, not the metadata wrapping.

Michael
Click to expand...
Yes, the MXF would be in an native Avid format. Even Fast-Importing Quicktimes takes a while if there are a lot of clips. Especially if audio is involved.

I noticed that Avid is not a multi-core application. If I encode to an Avid codec in Quicktime pro, are all available cores used?

-Simon
 
I have been focusing more on RedCine of late which does have multicore support.

Michael
 
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