ARRIRAW 7 Format Settings

About ARRIRAW 7

ARRI developped the ARRIRAW 7 decoder as a major update to the ARRIRAW SDK. It introduces new capabilities, and what it loses as import options, it gains in the simplification of import options. ARRIRAW 7 is also essential to the support of new cameras such as the ARRI ALEXA 35.

What is new in ARRIRAW 7:

ARRIRAW 7 always debayers at full resolution. In previous versions, you could set the debayer setting to, for example, half or quarter resolution.
Display Window allows you to select between the native (Full) resolution and the cropped format (Camera) resolution.
2 new colour spaces:
- LogC4 / ARRI Wide Gamut 4
- Scene linear ARRI Wide Gamut 4
New ARRI Debayer Algorithm (ADA 7)
Support for ARRIRAW HDE in MXF format
Limited support for legacy LogC3 content. See below for more information.

Note: The ARRI Look File (ALF-4) is not supported in Flame Family products.

The following colour spaces are no longer available as colour spaces from Cameras > ARRI:
- LogC native
- LogC Film
- LogC Monochrome
- Scene Linear Native
- Scene Linear WideGamut
- Scene Linear ACES
- Video P3
- Video ITU709
- Video ITU2020
- Video DCI D60
- Video DCI D65
- Video Monochrome
- Video ITU2100PQ
- Video ITU2100 HLG

How ARRIRAW 7 Handles LogC3 Content

LogC3 is the colour space that was used for content created before the introduction of ARRIRAW 7. Flame Family products before version 2023.2 would decode ARRIRAW content using the LogC3 colour space.

LogC4 is the colour space now used for new content, either shot on new cameras such as the ARRI ALEXA 35, or on older cameras updated to the latest firmware.

Whenever you import content shot in LogC4, you are importing content using the ARRIRAW 7 decoder and using the ARRI Debayer Algorithm version 7 (ADA-7). With ADA-7, you do not control the debayering of the imported clip. In MediaHub and Timeline Format Options, you can set Metadata, Resolution, and Image Settings. The Debayer options are either ignored (MediaHub) or not available (Timeline).

When you import content shot in LogC3, you are also importing content using the ARRIRAW 7 decoder. But in this case, the decoder uses an old version of the ARRI Debayer Algorithm, ADA-5. In MediaHub and Timeline Format Options, you can set Metadata, Resolution, Debayering, and Image Settings.

Also be mindful of the following limitations when working with LogC3 content.

If you are importing content using MediaHub > Files or Batch > Import Node:

Set General > Colour Space > Tagged Colour Space to From File or Rules.

Note: Do not tag LogC3 content as LogC4. More generally, do not apply a LogC4 LUT to LogC3 content as the rendering will be wrong. This rendering difference is most obvious when working in a project using ACES 1.0 or ACES 1.1 colour policies.

If you are using LogC3 clips that were already imported when you installed Flame Family 2023.2 (or later) from Project Conversion, restored Archives, or wired from MediaHub > Projects:

For backward compatibility with content created in Flame Family product versions 2023.1 and earlier, LogC3 clips from converted projects, restored archives, or wired is always decoded using ARRIRAW SDK 6 and uses the options listed here. This applies to the following clips:
- ARRIRAW (.ari)
- ARRIRAW (HDE)
- ARRIRAW (MXF)

Metadata Settings

Clip Name box

Select how the clip is named when imported.

Options are:
Clip Name from File Header
Clip Name from File Name
Enter Clip Name (manual entry)

Clip Name field

Enter the name to use when importing the clip. Enabled when the Clip Name box is set to Enter Clip Name.

Tape Name box

Select an option to determine how the tape name is set when importing clips.

Select:	To:
Enter Tape Name	Activate the Tape Name field where you enter the tape name. When selecting multiple files for import, this tape name is used for all imported files.
Tape Name from File Name	Use the name of the imported file as the tape name.
Tape Name from Directory	Determine the tape name from the detected directory structure. Use the Level field below to configure the relative path to the directory from which the tape name can be determined.
Tape Name from Header	Read the tape name from the header of the imported file.

Level field

Set from which directory the tape name is taken, relative to the location of the clip in the directory structure.

Although available for all types of files, the Level field is intended for directory structures output by film scanners. A typical image file directory structure looks like this: ./<tape>/<resolution>/clip.######. In this case, selecting Levels Up 2 in the Level field identifies the directory that corresponds to the tape name (./<tape>). Enabled if Tape Name is set to Tape From Directory.

Tape Name field

Enter the name to use as the tape name when importing the clip. Enabled if the Tape Name is set to Enter Tape Name.

Orientation box

Flip (vertical) or flop (horizontal) the media when importing the clip. Camera uses the orientation defined on the camera during the shoot. Select Disable Flip to use the true orientation of the image, as it was shot.

Timecode Selection box

Select which timecode to use, as ARRIRAW clips can have multiple timecodes. If the selected timecode is not available for the selected clip, the clip displays timecode 00:00:00.

Selection:	ARRIRAW Definition
Clip Code	Internally generated timecode frame count increasing with each new take.
Edge Code	Internally generated timecode frame count increasing with each new media.
Record Run	Internally generated record run timecode starting at a value defined by the user.
Free Run	Internally generated free run timecode starting at a time defined by the user.
External LTC	Longitudinal Time Code from an external sync.
External VITC	Vertically Integrated Time Code from an external sync.
Time of Day	Internally generated free run timecode starting at time of day.
Master TC	Internally generated timecode.

Resolution Settings

Display Window box: Select Full to use the full sensor resolution of the camera, and appears as the File Res in the Clip Info tab. Select Camera to use the cropped resolution set by the camera at capture, and appears as the Clip Res in the Clip Info tab.
Aspect Ratio box: Set the frame aspect ratio used when importing clips, including anamorphic ratios. Select Ratio from File Header to use the ratio set in the clip.
Aspect Ratio field: Enter the frame aspect ratio (width:height) to use when importing clips. Available when the Aspect Ratio box is set to Enter Aspect Ratio.

Debayering Settings

Most of the settings in the Debayering menu are used only for LogC3 content. LogC4 content is always decoded using ADA-7 and ignores these settings. The one exception is Decoder box that selects where the decoding happens, CPU or GPU.

Debayering Mode box

Select the ARRI Debayer algorithm (ADA) to use when importing files. HW (hardware) and SW (software) refer to the methods ARRI cameras use when decoding RAW media. To choose between the CPU or GPU to decode, use the Decoder box.

Option:	Description:
ADA-5 HW	Improved image quality, sharper images, more details, less noise in red and blue channels, less aliasing and has a new regulation of parameters. Especially useful for VFX work when keying blue or green screens. Default setting.
ADA-5 SW	Enhanced software debayering, based on ADA-5 HW.

ADA-5 SW Red field

Set the sharpness of the ADA-5 SW Red channel. Enabled when the Debayering Mode box is set to ADA-5 SW.

ADA-5 SW Green field

Set the sharpness of the ADA-5 SW Green channel. Enabled when the Debayering Mode box is set to ADA-5 SW.

ADA-5 SW Blue field

Set the sharpness of the ADA-5 SW Blue channel. Enabled when the Debayering Mode box is set to ADA-5 SW.

Sharpness field

Amplify or attenuate the contrast of edges without changing fine details in the image. Enabled when Sharpness and Detail box is set to Set Sharpness and Detail.

Detail field

Works on fine details in the image. A negative value removes fine details, such as skin details. A positive value enhances fine details in the image, but increases the risks of a Moiré effect. Enabled when Sharpness and Detail box is set to Set Sharpness and Detail.

Decoder box

GPU ensures the debayering happens on the GPU. This is the option to use for best performance. Select CPU if GPU decoding causes issues such as image corruption.

Image Settings