REDline - What color science is used?

[Alex Krugel]

What version of colour science is being applied? I am transcoding r3d into dpx using REDline via the command line.

The footage is r3d from a camera with these specs:

Camera model is EPIC-M
Camera model ID is 4
Sensor name is MYSTERIUM-X S35​

The software is REDCINE-X Pro Build 17.26547 with REDline installed. Entering 'redline' on the command line shows the version in use.

REDline Build 17.26547 Mac 64bit Public Release​

Using R3DSDK version 4.5 build 21A02 dated 20130130​

REDline says it is using R3DSDK, and the R3DSDK used is from Jan 2013, which seems recent enough. So my guess is colour science 3.

But the REDline options show this:

--colorSciVersion <int> - Color science version: current version=0, version 1=1, version 2=2 [default = 0]
Note: the current version will always be used if the clip was created with a Mysterium-X sensor or later

Because the footage is from a Mysterium-X sensor it will always be the current version. But note that it only lists versions up to version 2. Is the current colour science version in REDline version 2 or 3?

The latest post I could find relating to REDline and colour science is from 2010. Which seems too old.

 

[Nick Shaw]

AFAIK there is no colour science v3, only 1 and 2. I think you may be confusing REDcolor3 with colour science version number.

There was a colour science version "zero", if you want to call it that, in the original RED ONE, but that is depreciated and no longer available in the SDK.

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Yes I think Nick is right as it was also my understanding that a non synched REDcolor version names, and "new" color science version numbers created this confusion.

"new" color science take 1 = REDColor 2, RED MX sensor only, started on R1 with FW version 30, and available as the only option on early Epic FW
"new" color science take 2 = REDColor 3, RED MX sensor only (introduced with EPIC FW version 3.0), brought slightly warmer and "more natural" color rendition.

Original color science was REDColor, created for original non MX RED-One cameras and no longer available on EPICs.
--colorSciVersion 0 option in REDline will default to the latest color version and not to this obsolete / deprecated color science.

So maybe if they keep the same "logic" REDColor 4 or whatever it will be called for RED Dragon cameras will be known as "new color science take 3"

But as even old files from older firmware or original sensor can benefit the latest color science, unless you specifically prefer REDColor2 over REDColor3 or need to exactly match old transcodes, you can just ignore this option in REDLine and let it use the latest available color science...

HTH

 

[Alex Krugel]

Hmm, okay. My basis for the existence of color science 3 is taken from Autodesk Lustre's interface. Where the value for Colour Science is 'Codec 3.X'.

Colour Science option box

Displays the version of the RED codec currently selected (2.X or 3.X). Using the version 3 of the codec gives you access to the FLUT and the Shadow options in the Colour Settings menu, and enables the Lift/Gamma/Gain menu. It also enables the Curve Settings for you RGB channels.​

So it may be that Lustre calls it version 3.X while Red calls it version 2.

Thanks to you both.