The settings in the Cache and Renders tab are used when the application writes to its managed storage, for example when:
- Caching media. On demand () or on import ().
- Rendering a Timeline FX, a clip using a Tools module, or when using a Render node in
Batch or
Batch FX.
- Creating virtual media such as coloured frames.
- Creating proxies. On demand () or on import ().
- Preferred Format
- Select Uncompressed to store rendered media as DPX or OpenEXR. Select Legacy Configuration for customized uncompressed configurations. Select a compressed format to control storage capacity and bandwidth use. It does not affect CPU-bound performance. Preferred formats are all available with or without RAW. RAW formats have only DPX and RAW, non-RAW ones have DPX, OpenEXR, and RAW. As a rule of thumb, use the RAW formats, unless exporting material as OpenEXR using linked publish.
- Maximum Width
- Displays the maximum width of a frame for it to use the Preferred Format. A frame wider than this is written using one of the Alternate Formats. Non-editable. A frame wider than this is written using one of the Alternate Formats. None indicates that the preferred format is always used, unless the bit depth do not match the Depths field.
- Maximum Height
- Displays the maximum height of a frame for it to use the Preferred Format. A frame bigger than this is written using one of the Alternate Formats. Non-editable. None indicates that the preferred format is always used, unless the bit depth do not match the Depths field.
- Depths
- Displays the bit depth required for a frame to use the Preferred Format. A frame with a bit depth higher than the one listed is written using one of the Alternate Formats. Non-editable. Displays the bit depth required for a frame to use the Preferred Format. Frames with a bit depth that is either higher or lower than the ones listed are written using one of the Alternate Formats.
- Alternate Formats
- Displays the fallback formats used to write frames that do not match the defined bit depth. Non-editable. The strategy is based on the bit depth of the frame: DPX for 8-, 10-, and 12-bit frames, and OpenEXR for 16-bit floating point ones. RAW is used in fringe cases.
Notes on the 12-bit pack format
Up to the 2018 release, 12-bit or 12-bit u formats were available. The 12-bit option generated 12-bit packed media, a proprietary RAW format only supported by Flame Family applications. 12-bit u generated 12-bit unpacked as RAW or as DPX files. When using the DPX format, it was possible to have a Publish Link to Original Media workflow, avoiding media duplication when source content and intermediates were located on the same volume as the published content.
From the 2018 release 12-bit-u is no longer visible in the user interface. Two new options are available in the Preferred Format list: Packed and Packed / Raw. These options are the same as Uncompressed and Uncompressed / Raw, except that 12–bit media is packed by default and encoded as DPX files. Packed / RAW is similar to Uncompressed but generates 12-bit packed DPX and 16-bit/32-bit float RAW RGB files. 12-bit packed DPX files are supported in third party applications. It is possible to export 12-bit content as DPX (packed).
Notes on the use of DNxHD and DNxHR as an intermediate format (Linux only)
Anything cached at HD resolution (1920x1080 or 1280x720), DNxHD is used. Everything else uses DNxHR. If the project uses interlaced material, do not use the DNxHD LB and DNxHD 444 intermediates, or DNxHR. They do not support interlaced material, and any interlaced frame will be stored using one of the alternate formats, negating any space-saving advantage coming from using a compressed intermediate format. The other formats support mixing interlaced and progressive material.