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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 :)

Scratch 3.9 rocks on MacPro 8 core

This is my first full test using Scratch to conform 4K DPX files that is done on

Apple MacBook Pro 17" 2.4 GHZ with Nvidia GeForce 8600 graphic card.

The test consists the following steps:

1. Shoot on RED and record your footage on CF card or RED Drive.

2. Offload, also backup shots and get your R3D files in MacBook Pro.

3. Open FCP and set your project sequence at QT proxy resolution 512x256.

4. Import QT_P proxy files from R3D folders.

5. Cut your footage.

6. Add a sound and music if you have it already prepared.

7. Export EDL.

8. Close your project and quit FCP.

9. Launch Windows XP from Booth Camp.

10. Launch Scratch.

11. Set up new Scratch project (in this case with 4096x2048 resolution), Media and Export Directories.

12. Load FCP EDL file in the Scratch Construct.

13. Start with Player.

14. LUT - load if you have one.

15. Edit - you can do it if it is an additional need or correction.

16. Matrix - a full set of CC tools for grade a footage and if you would have Tangent Wave you are also a real colorist.

With MacBook Pro's DVI out could even connect Barco XLM H25 projector that is the first DLP™ projector

with a native wide-screen aspect ratio,native 2048 x 1080 resolution and light output

of 27 000 Center Lumen, the XLM is the most powerful projector available on the market today.

Just to be sure about your BLACKS.

17. Pipeline, Process and Confirm your footage in this case to 4K DPX 4096x2048 RGB 10 bit Lin.

18. Output on external drive(s) or SATA RAID because DPX files are huge and each frame/file is about 32MB.

Now your footage is ready with a full 4K resolution for a film or digital print.

And all this data driven workflow is done with RED camera, a couple of CF drives, MacBook Pro 17" 2.4 GHZ/Nvidia GeForce 8600, FCP 6.0.3 and Scratch 4.0.

4K acquisition and 4K delivery that is just simple and easy as it is.

Today's film auteur is able to deliver in full 4K resolution the first version of his/her film out of Apple's MacBook Pro just within a couple of hours/days.

Is this amazing and is this a real digital film revolution?

Yes, it is definitely.

Terribly sorry Mr. Speilberg but the future of movie making belongs to digital.

Scratch_Guides.jpg

Scratch Guides on MacBook Pro.

Scratch_Matrix.jpg

Scratch Matrix for color correcting and grade on MacBook Pro.

Scratch_Process.jpg

Scratch Process on MacBook Pro.

Scratch_Output.jpg

Scratch Construct Output on MacBook Pro.

The test on MacPro 3.0 GHZ, 8 core with ATI X1900XT will follow soon.
 
Andrew said:
Very, very nice........ finally something works.
I just had good results with the Quadro 3600M on Dell.
See my post.
Couldn’t make it working though on 8800M in 4K only in 2K and with the warning errors in the log files.

What ver. of 8600M driver do you have on your Mac?
Click to expand...

The latest driver Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT for XP.
 
So you are running on Mac XP?!
I loaded latest for 8800M 174.31 and it doesn't work well, full of Pixel Buffer size errors and blue screen in the view port when 4K is scaled to fit the view port.

How XP driver for PC can work on Mac?
 
Andrew said:
How XP driver for PC can work on Mac?
Click to expand...

It is The Intel® Core™ Duo processor and Apple managed with Boot Camp software to run both systems from one partitioned drive.
 
So Boot Camp alows you to go on the hrdware driver level, didn't know that.

Can you change 8600M to 8800M on your Mac?
I just changed 8700M to 8800M on Dell and it works 50% faster but I still have this problem with Pixel Buffer.
Such a nice fast card this 8800 and I have to stick to Quadro 3600.
 
Also I would like to add that I'm not affiliated with or working for RED, Scratch and Apple.

I am totally independent RED user.

The main purpose of this test is to show how a data driven 4K workflow is simple, easy of use and fast with RED R3D files.

Also I wanted to show that all workflow is possible to do it just from the one box even a laptop in this case MacBook Pro.

This test was not about equipment that is suitable for use with SCRATCH®, a benchmark and the results, performance, a storage system, etc...

At the end it is not in my hands to make any influence and decision in the name of RED, Scratch or Apple.
 
:)
Happy that you're happy, S!

BUT I am curious about render and playback times.
If this workflow (to 4k or rather 2k in my world) should be of any use, I'd need full DPX render in a reasonable speed... As the turnaround (timewise) on productions is usually quite slim.
 
gunleik said:
:)
Happy that you're happy, S!

BUT I am curious about render and playback times.
If this workflow (to 4k or rather 2k in my world) should be of any use, I'd need full DPX render in a reasonable speed... As the turnaround (timewise) on productions is usually quite slim.
Click to expand...

I mastered in 4K DPX and then I could go down to 2K, etc...

Also you can do one reference movie in a smaller size to show your customer.

Probably you should ask Assimilate or Boxx for a proper hardware solution (in that case SCRATCH runs on a separate PC only).
 
In the next 10 to 12 months SCRATCH will remain probably as the fastest and the most efficient R3D data driven workflow.

So if you are now in a hurry there is no other address to ask then SCRATCH.
 
Or go traditional DPX... even though I'd be surprised if there didn't pop up other RAW solutions earlier...

Thing is that I don't think they all will be equal, by far. What will differenciate them is how imagedata is processed after the initial development. Scratch sure looks like it has a good selling point here, but there isn't anything to compare with either...

The big hurdle with thr DPX workflow are the lacks in RC... RC with Crimson would be a good idea if RC was bugfree and could send color/render info to Redline... But as Jim has stated today - all the tools are rewritten with build 16...

Working online with DPXs is a very well established workflow, and Lucas has (AFAIK) stated that WITHIN SCRATCH (I do understand that that's what he is referring to, so don't bomb me... :) ) these two workflows give the same results qualitywise. The disadvantage is of course that if you need to go back to the development stage of the raws, you have to go through all the steps again. Still quicker/cheaper than to go back to the lab and scan your negative, though...

Just pondering here and really appreciative of your finds!

Gunleik
 
gunleik said:
Just pondering here and really appreciative of your finds!

Gunleik
Click to expand...

Maybe SCRATCH CINE is a solution for you?!

Also I just wanted to show to others and to myself that today the R3D workflow

can be really easy and fast (of course if you have a budget to pay for it).

Of course that doing it on MacBook Pro is a bottom line and doing it on

equipment that is suitable (REDBoxx) is a top of the line approach.
 
Say you don't need to return to film, so no use of 4K finish, but you shoot 4K anyway because of the amazing quality...

Okay. You just need to go on TV (commercial, music video, sitcom, whatever...)...

Is there an easy workflow that can be ALL done in FCP Pro (from cutting to grading)? Like sampling down in SD?

Can someone explain please? A lot of us are going to do that... I don't have my cam yet (July ;)) so I can't test anything...

Thanks
 
The Third Man said:
In the next 10 to 12 months SCRATCH will remain probably as the fastest and the most efficient R3D data driven workflow.

So if you are now in a hurry there is no other address to ask then SCRATCH.
Click to expand...
I think and hope you are right.:)

We are dropping a lot of cash on a full Scratch/DI suite right now.
 
tab32 said:
I think and hope you are right.:)

We are dropping a lot of cash on a full Scratch/DI suite right now.
Click to expand...


I think you are safe with SCRATCH even longer that I said before.
 
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