Clipfinder seems slow - Optimal settings?

[Uli Kunkel]

I am trying out Clipfinder for the first time and I've played with various settings to test out how long it takes to convert my red footage into the format that I want to edit with. I'm noticing on the batch process that it's taking a very long time to process footage that, if converted using the Log and Transfer method in Final Cut, would have taken far less time.

I'm working on a Dual 3gHz Dual-Core Mac Pro with 6GB of RAM.

Settings in Clipfinder are as follows:

Output Format: Quicktime
Debayer Resolution: HD+ (high)
Codec: ProRes HQ
Scale: 1920x1080 (I tested this without scaling and it didn't change the render time by much)
Tasks: 2
Cores/Tasks: 4

I have played around with the tasks and core/tasks settings and it hasn't made much difference.

I've read that some people have had a better experience with Red Rushes.

Anyone have any ideas? Could I be doing something wrong?

Thanks.

Uli

 

[Dustin Cross]

Clipfinder and Redrushes should be the exact same performance. They are both using the same tools.

Log & Transfer will be quicker for the transcode, but many less options and more headaches once you start trying to edit those files.

Is this for an offline edit or will this be your final product? If it is offline, use lower quality settings and it will be much faster and maybe a lower resolution than 1920x1080. You can always reconnect to the R3D files later and render out high res online files and only render what you need.

1k high debayer and Prores SQ work great for offline at 1920x1080. Even 1k normal will get the job done at 1920x1080. Prores SQ or LT works great for offline.


Dusty

 

[Ben Holmes]

Working in 1080p, you will see NO quality improvement in ProRes HQ over standard ProRes. Not sure how much it will help your renders though. It does take a while. Otherwise use the standard RED/FCP workflow using L+T and reconnecting the R3ds for the online.

 

[Uli Kunkel]

Thanks for the input. I suppose without a faster machine or a Red Rocket I shouldn't expect a performance improvement. I just finished a feature where we did the L&T workflow, and it was nightmare after nightmare trying to get through our online connecting back to R3D. I love how fully featured Clipfinder is and conform is flawless.

I'm rendering to 1080 because I want the option to either conform/color the ProRes Quicktime timeline OR conform back to r3d.

I did some tests with the 1K debayer and yes, it did render much faster. I too would recommend it for an offline codec.

Thanks for your input everyone.

Uli

 

[Dustin Cross]

You can do 640x480 and easily conform back to R3D with Clipfinder. Then your transcode is super fast. Plus you could easily render out higher res files from your SD edit and you are only rendering the files used in the edit.

I don't like the L&T workflow. Nothing but problems.

Dusty

 

[Steve MacMillan]

Log & Transfer will be quicker for the transcode, but many less options and more headaches once you start trying to edit those files.

Hi Dusty,

While I am a big Clipfinder fan and that I agree that Log & Transfer has less options, I don't understand what editing headaches come from Log & Transfer. I have done many RED onlines, and the smoothest ones are the Log & Transfer projects. What do you mean by headaches?

STeve

 

[Dustin Cross]

Steve,

I have to admit I haven't used the L&T for awhile now, but when I did the files just wouldn't play smoothly. Lots of studdering and lowering of quality from a single stream. And that was coming off super fast disks on a fast system. A similar file from other tools works better.

Plus limited control of the look settings, not being able to mix 4k, 3k, and 2k because everything scaled to 50% no matter what size. It seems there were other things, but I haven't used it in so long, what I most remember was it was the last option compared to all the other ways you can work with Red footage. Just editing the Proxies was better and that can be a pain.


Dusty

 

[Uli Plank]

L&T in FCP is normally using a half debayer if you convert, if you stay native it's just re-wrapping.

Depending on your system, you can try and play with your settings in Clipfinder. 2 cores per task might be better, if you want one core per task (with 8 taks, of course) you'll need more RAM. And don't forget the speed of your RAID. If you have more than one Mac around, try PMDR. I've found Clipfinder to be the fastest transcoder in software due to it's flexibility (they all rely on REDLine anyway).

Of course you can always choose an offline/online process to speed things up, in particular with high shooting ratios. If you don't aim at film-out, half debayer is OK in many cases, only low-light footage will need full.

If you are working for film, get a RED Rocket!

 

[Steve MacMillan]

Steve,

I have to admit I haven't used the L&T for awhile now, but when I did the files just wouldn't play smoothly. Lots of studdering and lowering of quality from a single stream. And that was coming off super fast disks on a fast system. A similar file from other tools works better.

Plus limited control of the look settings, not being able to mix 4k, 3k, and 2k because everything scaled to 50% no matter what size. It seems there were other things, but I haven't used it in so long, what I most remember was it was the last option compared to all the other ways you can work with Red footage. Just editing the Proxies was better and that can be a pain.


Dusty

Hi Dusty,

It sounds like you were using the Native Quicktime wrapped files, which don't play well in Final Cut. Log and Transfer will transcode to either Half Standard or Half High ProRes HQ which work just fine. When its time to grade you re-connect to the Native Quicktimes and send to Color. This last step in my experience has less problems than the XML to Clipfinder workflow. I'm not suggesting that this workflow is superior overall or doesn't have issues with 3k and RSX files, but the online part is very smooth and it makes sense for people who want the easiest online experience with Final Cut & Color.

75% of the onlines I do, are with Clipfinder because without creating ProRes files in Log and Transfer there is no way to reconnect to Native Quicktimes. Clipfinder works very well, but is not trouble free.

STeve