Welcome to Autodesk
Flame Premium 2016. This release introduces many new creative features, performance and workflow enhancements, and other user-requested improvements. Follow these links to navigate to the sections below:
Note: Follow these links for other What's New information from the 2016 release:
New options are available to provide a more flexible proxy workflow, that eliminates scaling in the viewers and broadcast monitor. If proxies are generated for media when you create your project, you can now dynamically toggle between full resolution and proxy resolution using the Proxy Quality box.
The Proxy Quality box is available everywhere there is a viewer in proxy-enabled projects. The following options are available:
Full Resolution: Media is displayed at full resolution.
Proxy: Media is displayed at proxy resolution.
Proxy On Scrub: Media is displayed at proxy resolution only when scrubbed.
Tip: Toggle between Full Resolution and Proxy using the
Ctrl+P keyboard shortcut.
The Proxy Quality options allow adjustments to the display quality in order to increase system responsiveness. This can be useful when a project progresses and the effects pipeline requires heavier computation. When proxy resolution is selected from the menu, the media is displayed at full frame size, but the quality is reduced by showing fewer pixels that are larger in size.
Project Migration & Restore
Options for creating proxies have been revised. Fixed width proxies, variable bit-depth proxies, and proxies conditional to bit-depth are no longer available. The number of proxies size options has been reduced to 1:2, 1:4, and 1:8.
The following scenarios apply if you migrate or restore a pre-2016 project which uses: fixed width, variable bit-depth proxies, proxies conditional to bit-depth, a non-standard proxy size, or a combination of these. In each case, a message detailing the application's behaviour is displayed, and you are prompted to confirm.
Fixed Width Proxies
Migrating a Project:
When migrating a project with fixed width proxies, the migration is aborted. This is because unsupported proxies have already been generated for that project. To workaround this limitation, you can create a new project in Flame 2016 and wire your media from the old project to the new. Supported proxies can be generated in the new project.
Restoring a Project: When restoring a project archive with fixed width proxies, proxies are regenerated at 1:2 resolution.
Variable Bit Depth Proxies
Migrating a Project: When migrating a project with variable bit-depth proxies, the existing (variable bit depth) proxies are used.
Restoring a Project: When restoring a project archive with variable bit-depth proxies, proxies are regenerated at the bit depth of the original media.
Conditional to bit-depth Proxies
Migrating a Project:
When migrating a project with proxies conditional to bit-depth, the existing (variable bit depth) proxies are used.
Restoring a Project:
When restoring a project archive with proxies conditional to bit-depth, proxies are regenerated unconditionally to the bit depth.
Non-standard Proxies Size
Migrating a Project:
When migrating a project with non-standard proxies size , the existing proxies are used.
Restoring a Project:
When restoring a project archive with non-standard proxies size, proxies are regenerated at the closest supported resolution (1:2, 1:4, or 1:8).
Rendering
Some rendering options have also been updated to accommodate this enhanced proxy workflow. There is a new Resolution box in the Basic tab of the Render and Write File node menus, which offers two options:
Working Resolution:
Renders the media at the current working resolution. If the current working resolution is set to Proxy, Batch renders at proxy resolution. If the current working resolution is set to Full, Batch renders at full resolution. This is the default option.
Full Resolution:
Forces Batch to render at full resolution, regardless of the current working resolution.
Tip: These options are also accessible in the Render List tab under the Resolution column.
Some media file formats have provisions for tape name that can be used for Conform. Others that do not. MediaHub now better handles Tape Name. See
Importing File-Based Media Tips for the various formats rules.
The widget indicating the amount of files being dragged from the MediaHub is no longer limited to displaying "99+". The new maximum displayed is "9999+".
You can now override the aspect ratio of media files without applying a Resize. Located in the General tab, Pixel Ratio offers the following options:
From Source (default option): Imports contents using the aspect ratio defined in the file header metadata.
Square Pixels: Overrides the file header metadata and use Width x Height.
Added support for the new Panasonic VariCam 35 and HS by supporting the following formats:
AVC-Intra 100
AVC-Intra 2K 4:2:2 and 4:4:4
AVC-Intra 4K 4:2:2 and 4:4:4
AVC-Intra LongG 25 and 50
Apple ProRes 422
Note: If footage was recorded as QuickTime ProRes (as opposed to MXF), the .mov files are not displayed in the CONTENT folder of the P2 structure: you have to open CONTENT/AVCLIP/ to display them.
Added support for the new Canon XF-AVC codec.
Canon XF-AVC clips are OP-1a clips with LPCM 16- or 24-bit 48 kHz audio.
Canon XF-AVC media is recorded to a folder structure.
Flame Premium interprets that structure to present in MediaHub a clip that includes both audio and video tracks, in a manner similar to its processing of Panasonic P2 media.
Supports both Intra and Long GOP flavors.
Improved support for Sony camera formats:
Added support for Sony XAVC-Long format (OP-1a MXF long-GOP files recorded by Sony camcorders like the PXW-Z100).
Support for the DNxHD and Apple ProRes files generated by Sony PMW-F5/F55 cameras that were updated with the new codec board (CBK-55PD).
If you upgrade from Red Hat Linux 4 to Red Hat Linux 6, you now have access to the following codecs:
SonyRAW
Sony SStP
Note: These formats are already available to applications on Mac OS X, and Red Hat Linux 5 or 6.
Improved support for ARRIRAW media:
Support for ARRIRAW SDK 5.0.
Support for Apple QuickTime ProRes 4444 from ARRI ALEXA & ALEXA XT (3.2K) created with camera firmware SUP 11.
Other improvements:
Support for Apple QuickTime ProRes 4444 (HD and UHDTV) generated by Blackmagic Design URSA camera with Camera Utility Version 2
Support for Apple Quicktime ProRes 4444 (4K) from AJA CION camera (firmware 1.1 released in February 2015)
Support for RED SDK 5.3, which adds support for R3D Monochrome on RED Rocket X, and new REDColor4 and DRAGONColor2 colour spaces.
Added support for Canon C-Series spanned MXF files. These long clips are made of smaller spans that up to now were not seen as a continuous clip. See
Canon Format Settings - Import.
The export generates MXF files that are Sony-compatible.
You can use the new XAVC Movie export format presets. These presets cover a wide array of use case, from XAVC Class 480 4K DCI to XAVC Class 50 1080p.
Create your own XAVC: enable Show Advanced Option, and then setting Movie Format to Sony MXF, with the following available compressions:
Sony XAVC Class 50
Sony XAVC Class 100
Sony XAVC Class 200
Sony XAVC Class 300
Sony XAVC Class 480
Other media export improvements:
When exporting contents as QuickTime and using an RGB codec, such as Uncompressed, the YUV headroom option is now automatically disabled.
Export presets using H.264 or MPEG-4 codecs created in a previous versions of the application are now correctly supported.
You can now perform exports in the foreground.
You can export in the foreground by enabling Export in the Foreground in the Export dialog box.
Flame Premium then renders sequences directly to destination files, without first writing frames on the framestore, saving space and time. For example, it allows you to transcode RAW files (.r3d, .ari) to a streaming format such as ProRes without writing a single frame on your framestore.
Note that when exporting as Sequence Publish, some elements might be rendered to fit the exported timeline structure.
This release improves support for Apple Final Cut Pro X and Avid Media Composer.
Support for Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.2:
Flame Premium generates XML files that can be imported in Final Cut Pro 10.2.
Final Cut Pro X added native support for MXF media files, and
Flame Premium can now conform FCP X XML files referencing MXF files.
Support for Avid Media Composer 8.3 AAF:
Note that Media Composer introduced the Avid DNxHR codec, which is not supported by
Flame Premium. When conforming an Media Composer 8.3 AAF that references DNxHR intermediates. See
Importing an AAF Sequence.
Miscellaneous Conform improvements.
You can now conform AAF referencing Canon C-Series spanned MXF (MPEG-2) clips by using both the Original Sources media options and the Filename as a Match Criteria. See
Conforming an Avid AAF.
When importing AAF or XML files with the Link To Media Files option enabled, the progress dialog now displays the clip scanning process.
You can now define the audio track status (mono or stereo) when performing a VTR Capture by enabling or disabling a new S button (for every stereo pair).
Flame Premium uses the latest version of Autodesk Colour Management (also known as SynColor).
Inverting Colour Transforms
Using the Custom mode of the LUT Editor, you can invert an imported colour transform, and invert individual colour transforms in a custom transform chain. For example, this allows you to convert content from ARRI LogC and other colour spaces to a single working space such as linear Rec. 709 or ACES, and convert back to ARRI LogC for grading and finishing.
The Colour Transform Builder now has an Invert column. To invert a single transform in a chain, click in the Invert cell next to the transform you want to invert.
When importing content using the Use LUT options, the selected LUT or Colour Transform options become Preprocessing options that can be edited from the Timeline FX editor. In addition, these parameters are shared with Lustre when content is imported in Source Grading mode, or when no Timeline FX are applied to the timeline segment.
Note: You cannot directly invert a LUT or Colour Transform that is applied to the display, but you can load a custom Colour Transform file that contains one or more inverted LUTs or Colour Transforms and apply it to the display.
Some colour transforms are impossible to invert perfectly. This happens when they map multiple input colours to the same output colour, such as when transforming from a large space to a smaller space. It is analogous to the fact that you cannot convert from a 12-bit signal to 8 bits and back to 12 bits again without data loss. In these situations, the Invert option maps the original output colour back to one of the original input colours, but applying the forward transform followed by the inverse transform will inevitably change some colours.
To check that the inverse is as accurate as possible, compare the result of applying just the forward transform to the result of applying the forward transform, followed by the inverse transform, followed by the forward transform again. If they match, then the inverse is accurate within the range of colors that may be inverted.
Copying and Inverting Colour Transforms
In
Batch,
Batch FX, and the Modular Keyer, you can use the
Shift+T+click combination to copy Colour Transformation settings from one node to another while toggling the Invert option.
Set the Colour Management attributes in any node that supports them (i.e., Clip node, LUT Editor, Render node, Write File node, etc.).
Make sure that a colour transform or a custom chain of colour transforms is selected.
Make sure that Custom is enabled.
If you haven't already done so, add another node that supports the Colour Management attributes.
Make sure that the destination node is selected.
Press Shift+T and click on the node that you want to copy Colour Management attributes from.
New Colour Transforms
There are new colour transforms to support ACES 1.0.
There are new transforms to support the following camera formats:
Canon LOG
Panasonic VariCam 35 Vlog
Note: LUTs from Panasonic VariCam 35 cameras (.vlut files) are not supported. However, CDL files created in-camera can be imported using the Custom mode of the Colour Transform Builder.
New View Transform Presets
When creating a new project, the following Colour Transforms are automatically included in
Preferences > LUT > 3D LUT & Colour Transform.
Enabled keyboard shortcuts:
Alt-Shift-1: transforms/tone-map/PhotoMap_LC.ctf
Alt-Shift-2: gamma/apply_sRGB_encoding.ctf
Alt-Shift-3: gamma/apply_2.40_gamma.ctf
Consider using PhotoMap_LC instead of the default Linear viewing option for viewing linear content. It is a tone-mapping transform with S-shaped curves for a photographic response.
Enhanced 3D LUT Support
3D LUT files with cubes larger than 17×17×17 are now supported, for both integer and floating point values, and can be loaded either as 3D LUTs or as Colour Transforms. These include LUTs generated for the following products:
Adobe After Effects (.cube)
Adobe Speedgrade (.cube)
Apple Color (.mga)
Assimilate Scratch (.3dl)
Blackmagic Design HDLink Pro (.3dl)
Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve (.cube)
Cine Tal (.3dl)
Eyeon Fusion (.3dl)
Filmlight Baselight (.cube)
Pandora (.m3d)
Pomfort SilverStack (.lut)
The Foundry Nuke (.cube)
Blend Modes and HDR Values
All tools using blend modes such as Screen, Overlay, Softlight, Hardlight, Exclusion and Pinlight have been updated to produce better results with HDR colour values. In particular, they will no longer create image corruption, and will retain as much out-of-range colour information as possible. This might affect the results of previously saved projects.
You can no longer create a user or a project from the within the application, using the Projects and User Settings window. To create a new user or a new project, you must click New from the startup screen. You can still switch between existing projects or users from within the application.
Systems with more than 32 GB of RAM automatically use 33% of their available memory for
Flame Premium, if the MemoryApplication token is disabled in the init.cfg file. Systems with 32 GB or less behave as before:
RAM of 11.5 GB or less -> the software uses 50% of the RAM up to 3 GB.
RAM is less than 32 GB -> the software uses 50% of the RAM up to 4 GB.
Burn-In Letterbox is now available as a Timeline FX.
A Timeline Segment composited against the background using a Comp node, now outputs the proper Matte output in
Batch or
Batch FX. This fixes the case where a Matte Container on the bottom Track of a clip was outputting a complete white frame when it was brought into
Batch or
Batch FX.
The Opaque button is no longer available when a Gap is selected, because the same functionality is available through the Colour Source option when a Gap is selected.
It is now possible to reveal a sequence in the Media Panel using the Reveal Clip option, accessible from the Contextual Menu of a Timeline tab.
The Match workflow has been improved to be more consistent between the Desktop Reels and Timeline. See
Matching Clips with Their Sources.
It is now possible to search a Timeline for segments with uncached media using the Is Not Cached option in the Timeline Search function.
Flame Premium 2016 introduces
Batch Groups, integrating the Timeline, the Desktop Reels, and the Batch creative environment. Each composition in Batch is assigned its own Batch group, and there is no limit to the number that can be created. A Batch group contains three default components:
Schematic Reels: This Reel group contains all the sources for the schematic and its associated setup (the latter is invisible to the user).
Batch Shelf: This Reel group contains clips that have been added to the parent Batch group but are not stored on the schematic reels. This includes rendered clips, or associated media not yet added to a Batch pipeline.
Iterations Folder: This folder contains all of the saved Batch iterations. Iterations are dynamic snapshots of the Batch environment that can be used to save and share specific stages or versions of ongoing work along with all of their media.
Each new Desktop contains a single Batch group containing three schematic reels by default. A Reels group can also be added using the contextual menu or created automatically by enabling the Create Reel Group button. Additional Schematic reels, Reels groups, and Batch shelves can be automatically generated with new or cleared Desktops by setting the
User Interface Preferences.
For more information about working with Batch groups in conjunction with other reels and libraries, see
Organizing Media in the Workspace and its sub-topics.
Saving, Loading and Renaming Batch Groups
Batch groups can be renamed by selecting and then clicking the name again, or by using the contextual menu. In addition, iterations of Batch can be automatically named and incremented by adding tokens in the Rename Batch Iteration window. For more information, see
Saving Work using Batch or Batch FX Iterations.
Batch iterations can also be renamed directly within the Batch Interface in the Save / Load setup area.
The legacy workflow for saving and loading setups (ASCII / XML files written on disk) uses the name defined as the Current Batch. Token information is saved inside the setup file. In addition to the Load and Append and Load and Replace options, it is now possible to load a setup as a new Batch group, using the Load and Create option, which is now the default option (Load button).
Iterations
Unlike their predecessors Batch snapshots, Batch iterations are not saved in a directory at the root of the Desktop. Instead, each Batch group contains an Iterations folder, which contains all the saved iterations for that group. The Iterations folder is hidden by default in the Media panel. You can enable its display in
Preferences > General > Media panel or by using the contextual menu of the Batch group.
Alt-click the Iterate button to replace an existing iteration with the current, identically named Batch.
Batch FX has been updated to work alongside Batch groups. However, these differences apply:
A Batch FX clip created in Batch preserves the legacy Schematic reels structure in its Batch FX setup.
It is possible to create as many Schematic reels as you like to organize clips in a Batch FX. However, it is not possible to represent them in a Desktop Reels view.
A Batch FX does not have a Batch shelf and its iterations are not directly attached to the Batch FX structure in the Media panel like a Batch group.
Previously, Batch FX Snapshots were added to the Batch Snapshots folder of the current Desktop, making them more prone to change or deletion. For better security, a Batch FX Iterations Library is created in the Libraries section of the Media panel and a Batch Group is created for every Batch FX name. This Batch group contains the current iterations.
Iterations of the current Batch FX appear in the BFX tab of the Media panel.
The following changes have also been made to the Batch FX naming scheme:
The BFX Output Node and Batch FX (Media Panel) inherit the timeline segment name by default.
Renaming the BFX Output Node automatically renames the segment at the timeline level and the Batch FX (Media Panel).
Renaming the timeline segment automatically renames the BFX Output Node and the Batch FX (Media Panel).
Batch FX can be renamed directly in the Media Panel, like a Batch group.
The name given to the Batch FX is used in the Iteration's <batch name> token.
Once you have explicitly modified the Batch FX name, it is no longer automatically updated when you modify the timeline segment and BFX Output Node names.
Rendering
The Render node offers a number of new features, such as setting the destination and creating new reels and reel groups during the operation. For more information, see
Render Node Settings. Render nodes can also now be automatically named and incremented by adding tokens to the Name field or by setting the Default Render Node Name in the
Timeline FX / Batch / Batch FX Preferences.
Undo / Redo
Improvements have been made to the Undo / Redo workflow.
All tabs (MediaHub, Conform, Timeline, Batch, Tools) now share the same Undo / Redo stack.
The application automatically switches tabs to place the user in the context of the last Undo / Redo operation when needed.
The Replace Desktop, Clear Batch, and Clear Desktop operations are now undoable.
Adaptors
This release introduces Adaptors to automatically apply the proper bit depth conversion(s), when you bring media into
Batch or
Batch FX. This greatly reduces the number of mismatches (red dots on nodes), without the need to manually convert anything.
You can now add break points in a
Batch,
Batch FX or Modular Keyer schematic connection, allowing you to shape the connection between two nodes (to clean up the schematic view, and avoid links crossing each other). See
Creating Break Points in Node Connections.
You can now set a default name for the Render and Write File nodes:
To define a name for one user, use the Default Render Node Name and Default Write File Node Name fields located in the Timeline FX / Batch / Batch FX tab of the Preferences panel.
To define a name based on your own criteria, use the
batchDefaultRenderNodeName and
batchDefaultWriteFileNodeName python hooks, located in /usr/discreet/<installed_application>/python/batchHook.py.
The following nodes now have extra indicators in the schematic view (under the node):
MUX: Timing Offset value and the Range.
Clamp: Clamp Mode.
Comp: Blending Mode.
Coloured Frame: Mode.
Mono: Channel.
Render: Range.
Write File: Range.
Note: The visibility of these indicators can be enabled or disabled in the
Batch or
Batch FX Preferences.
The following enhancements apply to the MUX node:
Hidden MUX links are now shown in a semi-transparent manner when the MUX node is selected.
The Timing Offset field is now keyframeable inside the MUX node.
The Open and Open as Sequence options have been added to the Clip Node Contextual menu.
The Comp node has been updated so that its usage is similar to the (retired) Logic Ops node:
The order of the inputs in the Comp node is now front-back-matte-backmatte.
The colour of the back input is now green instead of red.
The keyboard shortcut for Back (previously Input 2) is
F2 instead of
F1.
CBlend and MBlend nodes are now available in
Batch and
Batch FX. See
Blend Nodes.
It is now possible to search for a specific node type in the
Batch,
Batch FX or Modular Keyer schematic. See
Searching for Nodes in the Schematic.
The
Batch,
Batch FX and Modular Keyer central (Tools) node bins have been merged with the Project / User bins to provide more room to display nodes. Additionally, you are now presented with a rename window when you drop something into the Project and User bins.
The tape name is now visible and editable from the Render node and the Render List. A horizontal scrollbar is also now available in the Render List table, when needed.
The Explode History and Explode One contextual menu options are now available from a Clip Node, when applicable.
The Reveal in Reels (contextual and keyboard shortcut) operation is renamed to Find in Reels. Also a new Find in Schematic (contextual and keyboard shortcut) operation is available.
When accessed from the Tools tab, Action now has a performance comparable to the performance of Action in Batch, providing better interactivity.
When accessing the Action module from Batch or from the Tools tab, Action direct layers are supported in a Save or Load setup operation.
Action Media List
The Action Media list structure has been converted to a Batch processing pipeline, offering better performance and more functionality. The effects and tools in the Media list appear (from left to right) in the order that Action processes them.
Some highlights:
The Colour Warper and the Colour Corrector now appear as separate effects in the Media list.
You now have the option to enter the full Blur editor from the Media list. By using the X and Y Blur fields, you perform a Gaussian blur. To perform other blur types, double-click the new Blur field to enter the full Blur editor.
You can use the new Lock field in the Media list to lock media at a certain frame.
Shadow Softness has been removed from the Media list, and can now be found directly in the Shadow menu, allowing you to set shadow softness by object, instead of by media.
All the animation channels of Media list effects are now exposed at the Batch level (with the exception of the Modular Keyer).
Matchbox shaders can now be accessed directly in Action. You can use the Matchbox node to enter the browser to select your Matchbox effect, or use the new Matchbox tab in the Action node bin to select specific Matchbox effects. See the Node Bin Improvements section below.
Introducing a new Action node: Lightbox. Lightbox is based on the OpenGL Shading Language (glsl) programming language and the Matchbox UI framework. A Lightbox node, once parented to a Light, allows a casting of fragment-based colour effects through the light cone, respecting every aspect of Light behaviour, including shading, decay, and feathering.
Lightbox effects can be created by users to use in Action, or to share with other
Flame Premium users (a number of preset and example shaders are also available). For this reason, a Lightbox API is available at
http://docs.autodesk.com/flamepremium2016/shader_builder_api_guide_2016.pdf, that allows you to access Action scene information (such as distance, normals, camera position, and other 3D environment variables).
In Action, you can now specify a path where you store your favourite Lightbox and Matchbox shaders, and have them populate a node bin tab that behaves like any other node bin entries. You can specify the default paths in the Shader Paths tab of the Preferences menu. If new shaders are added to the selected file location, click the Refresh button under the node bin to refresh the dynamic display.
Note: The shader paths can also be edited using the Wiretap API, so they could be set by Shotgun, for example.
Action Lights
The shading concept in Action has been enhanced by an explicit ambient lighting scene concept, called Scene Ambient. Scene Ambient lighting can be turned off, have shading apply to the scene, and have its intensity changed via its controls located in the Action Setup menu Rendering tab. You can also turn the Scene Ambient setting on or off in specific Light menus.
Other Action Lighting improvements:
A new Shading option per output allows you to quickly remove shading effects for each individual output. The Shading button is available in the Render Options section of the Output menu for all Comp outputs (if the global Shading Active button is enabled in the Action Setup menu).
Similar to cameras in Action, you can now set a Free or Target light mode. Select Free to light the scene in the direction that you aim the light, or Target to aim the light at a target object in the scene based on a point of interest. Various settings are available in the Light menu based on the choice of light mode.
Lights now have a parametric falloff model that is easier and faster to use than the graphical model. See
Using the Light Bevel Curve.
Lights now have an Object view (F8), allowing you to see the scene through the point of view of the Light, as if it were a camera.
Lights now support Look At links (also available for Action Cameras and Projectors). Look At links can now be animated using the Auto Key function and drawing Look At links in the schematic. This results in a changing Look At destination following the created keyframe. An animation channel is also present to edit the Look At changes. See
Applying Look-at Connections.
Lights now appear in the Priority Editor, as they no longer create a strictly additive effect. Each light can use the previous result as its processing source with the option Additive Light (in the Light menu), or start back from the original diffuse, using Solo Light.
Even without adding Lightbox to the scene, this option makes lights behave differently, according to the order in which they appear in the Priority Editor.
See
Changing the Drawing Order with the Priority Editor.
Action lights now support GMask links, allowing you to constrain the light result (and any connected Lightbox nodes) to a GMask shape.
In the Rays menu, a new Target mode allows you position the Rays pivot point offsets based on the parent Light target position.
Cameras now have an Object view (F8), allowing you to see the scene through the point of view of the Camera, without making the camera active.
Cameras now support Look At links (also available for Action Lights and Projectors). Look At links can now be animated using the Auto Key function and drawing Look At links in the schematic. This results in a changing Look At destination following the created keyframe. An animation channel is also present to edit the Look At changes. See
Applying Look-at Connections.
Action Projectors
Similar to cameras in Action, you can now set a Free or Target projector mode. Select Free to project the scene in the direction that you aim the projector, or Target to aim the projector at a target object in the scene based on a point of interest. Various settings are available in the Projector menu based on the choice of mode.
Projectors now have an Object view (F8), allowing you to see the scene through the point of view of the Projector, as if it was a camera.
Projectors now support Look At links (also available for Action Lights and Cameras). Look At links can now be animated using the Auto Key function and drawing Look At links in the schematic. This results in a changing Look At destination following the created keyframe. An animation channel is also present to edit the Look At changes. See
Applying Look-at Connections.
Changes to Source Nodes
Updates to the Action Media list and lighting model have necessitated changes to Source nodes:
Source nodes are now applied before any Media list effects. This can lead to unexpected results compared to previous releases. For example, a Modular Keyer effect applied on a media layer is also applied to the Source node. If you do not want to apply the Modular Keyer effect on a Source node, you need to create a new media layer for the source node output.
When working with Source nodes, Scene Ambient lighting has no effect. When you add a Source node, a Light node parented to a Camera node is now automatically attached to the Source node. This light is an ambient type, and appears at the same position as the camera (0,0,0).
A new parametric bevel option is available, added to the previous Bevel, Position, and Rotation options. Parametric Bevel allows you to set the bevel using numeric fields, which is both easier and faster than using the curve.
The Force 2-Sided option is now disabled by default in the 3D Shape menu.
Action GMask
A new Blur field is available in the Mask tab of the Action GMask menu. This allows you to set amount of blur applied to the GMask (with or without gradients), and occurs after Smoothing. Both settings can be combined.
Ambient Occlusion in Action
Ambient Occlusion has been improved to give identical results when toggling between Interactive and Rendering modes. An Interactive option has been added to the AO Degrade box in the Action Adaptive Degradation settings, allowing for better interactive performance.
Action Rendering
Enabling the new Scene Linear option in the Action Setup menu Rendering tab forces Action to assume that ALL the material it is managing is scene linear. As a consequence, it linearizes the Substance textures used for Lens Flares and materials. The linearization is a default transform which takes the Substance output into linear Rec709.
The status of the Scene Linear option is also available in the Lightbox API.
Action on the Timeline
When working with Action on the timeline, you can now interact with more objects and their settings directly in the quick menu. New options allow you to choose between similar objects (such as multiple lights), and children or parent objects.
Along with Rendering settings, you can now control settings for the following Action objects directly in the quick menu:
Axis
Surface
Light
Camera
Lightbox
Matchbox
Lens Flare
Lens Flare Textures
Blooming
Rays
Shadow
3D Text
3D Shape
You can now delete all objects from an Action timeline effect (except for the default Camera).
The
matchbox_builder utility has been renamed to
shader_builder.
Widgets are now available to use in Matchbox menus, such as a Colour wheel or Curve widget.
Matchbox can now use API calls to perform tasks such as converting images from Lin to Log/Log to Lin, or RGB to HSV/HSV to RGB.
The Matchbox XML schema now contains different XML tag to identify if the shader is designed as
an Action node,
a Timeline FX or a Transition FX. The tags
ShaderType and
SoftwareVersion are added automatically to the XML by the
shader_builder script.
The
shader_builder script now allows the extraction of the .xml and thumbnail from any Matchbox or Lightbox package.
Blend Modes have been added to the Matchbox API.
A new Matchbox XML flag called
MatteProvider has been added, allowing you to set if a shader is providing a matte or not. When set to False, the Alpha output of the Matchbox is disregarded, making it possible to use Matchbox Shaders that do not process the Alpha on RGBA sources in the context of the Timeline and Action. When the flag is missing, it is assumed that it is True (to not change old setup behaviour), so all existing shaders need to be updated to benefit from this change.
A new Matchbox XML flag called
TimelineUseBack has been added, allowing you to remove the Timeline Back connection for shaders (when set to False). This value will help performance as well as graph layout, when in a timeline to flowgraph workflow.
In
Batch or
Batch FX, you can now specify a path where you store your favourite Matchbox shaders to have them populate a node bin tab that behaves like any other node bin entries. You can specify the default path in the Shader Paths tab of the Preferences menu. If new shaders are added to the selected file location, click the Refresh button under the node bin to refresh the dynamic display.
You can now select a Remote Host when switching project from within the application.
A new background process monitors and repairs the Stone+Wire database, which stores all the frames metadata. This creates a distributed backup of the database allowing the contents of the database to be rebuilt on-the-fly.
In general, you will not interact with this process: it all happens in the background without need for user intervention. But if you are in the habit of starting the application with the -Z option, you can get a message at startup saying that you can no longer purge your storage. You can remedy this by closing the application and running vic from the command line.
The Pulldown Equivalence buttons that were previously available in Pre-Anniversary releases are now available in the Player settings.
The Animation button is now available at the first level of the Text interface, when the Text Mode is set to Move.
The default Font Type option is now Auto instead of Type 1 in the Font file browser.
Difference Matte is now available from the Tools tab in Flame Assist.
The Absolute Source Frame display in the Timeline Segment Information box and Player Source Frame indicator, as well as the Offset field in the
Batch or
Batch FX Timing View no longer display a 1-frame offset.
The location of presets throughout the application has been updated to
/usr/discreet/presets/<installed_application>.
License Borrowing
It is now possible to borrow a license from the license server. You can borrow a license seat from the license server for a limited time, disconnect from the network and use the borrowed license even with no connection to the license server. It is available for Flare and Flame Assist, Mac and Linux. For Linux license borrowing is available for single GPU licenses only. The license server must be running the latest server software available with 2016 release. To borrow a license:
From the Help menu, choose Borrow License.
In the Borrow a License dialog, set the number of days after which the license will be automatically returned, and click Borrow.
Optionally you can manually return a borrowed license before the end of the borrowing period:
If you have not done so since borrowing the license, quit and restart the application.
From the Help menu, choose Return License, and click Confirm. This option is only available if your workstation is using a borrowed license.
Preference Updates
It is now possible to disable the use of the second monitor, using the Off option in the
Flame Premium SetupUtility.
The Batch/BFX Iteration Save Setup File preference (formerly called Also Save Batch File) is now enabled by default (and is now also available in Flame Assist).
Media Panel preferences have been consolidated under
Preferences > General > Media Panel. The Media Panel Position Box (Left Side / Right Side) preference previously located in the User Interface Tab has moved here.
By default, Flame renders only the timeline effects required for the sequence. Effects located inside Containers & Matte Containers that are not required are not rendered. Since exchanging content with Lustre might require rendering more content, it is now possible to render all timeline effects located inside containers and matte container. Enabling the Full Container Render option located in
Preferences > Timeline > Rendering ensures that all effects are rendered. This option also works foreground rendering, Burn and Background Reactor. This preference is saved on a project basis.
Keyboard Shortcuts Updates
A default shortcut assignation was added for Pin/UnPin Reel Under Cursor:
Alt+P in Flame.
Shift+P in Smoke Classic.
Unassigned in Smoke FCP.
The Trim to Positioner shortcut is now assigned to
P in the Smoke Classic shortcut profile.
The Fit in View function is now assigned to
Shift-Home by default in the Smoke Classic profile.
In the Smoke Classic profile, the Match and Match All keyboard shortcuts are now assigned to
/ and
Ctrl+/ respectively.
The Scale Magnet shortcut has been changed from
Ctrl+S to
Alt+M in the Flame profile, to avoid a conflict with the Save Project shortcut.
The Toggle View Widget Show All shortcut has been changed from
Ctrl+Alt+W to
Ctrl+Shift+W, to avoid a conflict with the Display Tooltip shortcut.
An unassigned entry has been added for Delete All Markers.
Ripple Delete Segment has been renamed to Extract Segment.
It is now possible to add a new Reel above (Horizontal Reels) or to the Left (Vertical Reels) of the current one, using the Add New Reel Above / To the Left shortcut:
Ctrl+Click in the Flame profile.
Win+Click /
Command in the Smoke profile.
Note changes to the following Smoke Classic shortcuts:
Trim View is now accessible using the
F4 shortcut.
The Extract Segment shortcut has been changed to
. (from
Ctrl+.).
The Lift Segment shortcut has been changed to
Ctrl+.
(from
Ctrl+Shft+.).
The Swap Selected shortcut has been changed to
' (from
Shift+').
The Swap Custom Transition shortcut has been changed to
Shift+'
(from
').
It is now possible to use the following Media Panel shortcuts from everywhere the Media Panel is available:
Save Desktop.
Replace Desktop.
Reset Desktop (renamed to Clear Desktop).
Snapshot Clip (renamed to Save Selected Clip).
Snapshot Reel (renamed to Save Selected Reel).
Restore and Replace Batch Setup (renamed to Replace Current Batch Setup).
Restore and Append Batch Setup (renamed to Append to Current Batch Setup).
You can now use Lustre to master High Dynamic Range content using Dolby Vision. Lustre 2016 is Dolby Vision Enabled and exposes additional UI elements when a suitable Dolby Content Mapping Unit connected to your Lustre system is detected. See
Mastering High Dynamic Range Content Using Dolby Vision.
It is now possible to change the Shot Reactor job order from the Render / Shot Reactor menu.
Lustre uses the latest version of Autodesk Colour Management. In particular, this includes support for inverting Colour Transforms. For more details, see
What's New in Colour Management.
The new float conversion LUT float_identity.fclut is useful for projects with EXR files that have gamma or log encoding baked in. For a single clip instead of a whole project, you can continue to use float-to-int-identify.ctf in the Transcode settings.
New Viewer Filtering options: In previous versions of Lustre, the Filtering option used a fast-filtering filter when the viewer was resized. Some users reported content displaying a high level of noise (showing a moire effect). To avoid this, a new Quality Filtering option is available:
Setup/Grade
No Filtering: The viewer is not filtered (same as Filtering Off in previous releases).
Fast Filtering: The viewer is filtered and uses the same filtering as in previous releases.
Quality Filtering: The viewer is filtered with new filtering algorithm that does not show moire on content with noise.
Note: Filtering is only for viewing and does not affect grade rendering, but does affect SDI Preview. The state of this option is saved with the user profile.
New System / Grade-Based Flags User Option (in User / Display & Interface): It is now possible to define if the flags of a grade are propagated to the system-level flags system.
The two choices are:
System-Based Flags: When loading a grade that contains flags, these flags are automatically added to the system-level flag file (located in the home of the application). This means that all projects have access to the flags. This is the default state when creating new user settings.
Grade-based Flags: When loading a grade that contains flags, these flags are only available when using this grade or when creating a new version of this grade.
You can now use the Render Flag hotkey to enable or disable any selected flag. In the Flag List, a new icon ( [ ] ) is located next to the Flag Visibility. By default, this icon is set on the Render Flag but clicking on the left of any Flag Visibility will set the Flag on/off keys to the Select Flag.
The Lustre Second Screen time-out is now set to 24 hours, where in previous releases the service would disconnect after 60 minutes.
You can now use the AJA board with Dual Link RGB (10-bit 444) in 3G mode for HD, UHDTV, and 4K rasters.
Select Dual Link.
Select 3G.
Select 4:4:4.
Select the HD/UHDTV or 4K timing you want to use.
Working with Containers and Matte Containers in Lustre:
By default, Flame renders only the timeline effects required for the sequence. Effects located inside Containers & Matte Containers that are not required are not rendered. Since exchanging content with Lustre might require rendering more content, it is now possible to render all timeline effects located inside containers and matte container. The Full Container Render option located in the Flame preferences menu in
PreferencesTimelineRendering ensure that all effects are rendered. This option also works foreground rendering, Burn and Background Reactor. This preference is saved on a project basis.
Before rendering, make sure to select the Container or Matte Containers. If the Containers are not explicitly selected, only the visible effects will be rendered. This behavior happens when selecting an empty top video track and clicking Render. In this case, the rendering is optimized to only render the required effects, even if the Full Container Render option is enabled.
Matte Containers can be used in Lustre when a sequence is imported from
Flame Premium. Matte Containers availability is not limited to the Source Grading import method, but prior to importing sequences with Matte Containers in Lustre, make sure to:
Render any timeline effects to avoid ending up with missing media in Lustre.
Disable any Comp effects applied on Matte Containers. If the Comp effect is not disabled, only the output of the Comp will be available to Lustre.