Batch

Metadata

The support for metadata keys has been greatly improved in Batch, Batch FX, and Modular Keyer.

All metadata keys, including frame-based values, part of a clip node, are propagated through the branches in the Schematic, and included in clips created using the Render and Write File nodes, when the format used supports them.

The metadata keys can be viewed, edited, added, and discarded in the Clip, Render, or Write File nodes, and at any point in the Schematic using the Metadata node.

For more information, see the Batch page in the Metadata chapter page.

Render and Write File Nodes

Display

Modifications have been made to the display of Render and Write File nodes in the Schematic view:

The nodes are expanded by default.
- Use the Display option setting in the Render / Write File section of the Batch & BFX tab of the User Preferences to select whether Render and Write File nodes are collapsed or expanded by default.
The input sockets remain at the top of the node when channels are added.
The stereo input sockets are hidden when the Stereo mode is disabled.
An empty socket is present between channels.
The triangle icon indicating the status of a Render or Write File node is displayed when a node is expanded.
The BFX icon is displayed on a collapsed BFX Output node.

Rendering

Use the Apply Expanded Status setting in the Render / Write File section of the Batch & BFX tab of the User Preferences to select whether clips rendered or added to the Workspace are expanded or collapsed in the Batch Schematic view when they have more than three output sockets.

Note: All clip nodes, group nodes, and most nodes with many input or output sockets can be collapsed and expanded on demand using the Expand/Collapse Current Node keyboard shortcut, assigned to Shift + C in the Flame and Smoke Classic keyboard shortcuts profiles.

Basic Metadata Propagation

The values in the Source Timecode, Record Timecode, Shot Name, and Tape parameters can be filled automatically with the information fetched from the clip connected to the Front input or the Metadata input by selecting Use Input Values in the Basic Metadata section of the Node Prefs menu. To allow the manual editing of these parameters, or to continue using workflows such as Paste Special and T + Click, select Custom Values instead of Use Input Values.

When Custom Values is selected, the parameters are displayed in editable numeric or text fields. When Use Input Values is selected, the parameters are displayed in non-editable fields and cannot be changed.

Default values for the Basic Metadata and Basic Metadata Input options can be set in the Batch & BFX System Preferences.

Markers

Markers can be added in a Batch Group, Batch FX setup, or Modular Keyer setup.

Note: Segment markers cannot be added in Batch and Batch FX, but can be added in the timeline of a clip node.

Note: Markers cannot be added in the Modular Keyer accessed from the Tools environment or the Action Media list.

Adding Markers

To add a marker, either use:

The Marker button located in the viewing toolbar.
The Add Marker keyboard shortcut.
The drop-down attached to the Marker button to add a marker of a different colour than the current one, displayed to the left of the Marker button.

In all cases, the Add Marker window is opened, making it possible to set a name, comment, or different colour.

Tip: Alt + Click the Marker button to bypass the Add Marker window and use the default name, comment, and current colour values.

Default Values

The default name and comment for markers added in Batch, Batch FX, and Modular Keyer can be set in the Batch & BFX System preferences using the Default Node Marker Name and Default Node Marker Comment parameters.

Where are the Markers Added

Markers are associated with the currently selected node in the Schematic view. When the Schematic view is not displayed, that selection can be identified by the controls shown at the bottom of the screen, when the FX Nodes menu is not displayed. The Marker button is greyed-out when no node is currently selected.

When looking at markers in the Markers list of the Explorer, use the Jump to Marker option in a marker's context menu or double-click on a marker to frame its associated node in the Schematic view.

Context Views

When a marker is added while the current viewport displays a Context view, the marker is associated with the node on which the context is set instead of the primary selected node in the Schematic.

Editing Markers

It is not possible to have multiple markers on the same frame. Therefore, if an attempt to add a marker is made on a node/frame that already has a marker on it, the Edit Marker window is opened instead of the Add Marker window.

To edit existing markers, use the Markers list inside the Explorer.

Display in the Timebar

Markers associated with the primary selected node or to a node on which a context view is set can be displayed in the Timebar. Use the Markers list in the Explorer to visualise all the markers present in a Batch Group, Batch FX setup, or Modular Keyer setup.

The display of all markers in the Timebar can be enabled/disabled by selecting Show Markers or Hide Markers in the Markers submenu of the Timebar's Options drop-down.

When Show Markers is selected, the markers associated with the primary selected node are always displayed. In addition, the markers of one node on which a context view is set can be displayed. This workflow is useful if, for example, a node is required to perform changes, but the markers used to identify the required work were set on a clip.

To visualise the markers of a node while using another node:

Set a context view on the node that contains the markers.
Select the node to use to perform the required work.
In the Timebar's Options drop-down, navigate to the Context submenu of the Markers submenu.
Select the context view set at step 1.

The Markers of the node associated with the Context View 1 appear in the Timebar.

It is also possible to display markers from another node using the Current Clip Node and Current Node options. These options are used to display the content of the last selected clip node when a node is currently selected or the last selected node when a clip node is currently selected.

Displaying the Full Duration of Markers

Use the Show Markers Duration option to either display only a single line representing the marker, even when it spans multiple frames in the Timebar, or to display a coloured region spanning its full duration.

Display in Batch FX

In Batch FX, it is possible to either display the markers associated with a node in the Batch FX setup, or the markers and segment markers present at the sequence level. This is done by selecting Batch FX Level or Sequence Level in the Markers submenu of the Timebar's Options drop-down.

Note: This setting does not affect the display in the Explorer's Markers list, which has its own set of filtering options.

When Sequence Level is selected, all the markers of the sequence are displayed, depending on the range option. Segment markers present on the timeline segment associated with the current Batch FX setup are also displayed. Segment markers on other segments are not.

Search for Nodes with Markers

Enable the Has Markers criterion in the Search and Select in the Schematic dialog window to find nodes with at least one marker in the Schematic view. The search can be scoped using the option in the drop-down associated with the Has Markers button.

Select:	To:
All Nodes	Search for all clip nodes and other nodes.
Clips Only	Only search Clip nodes.
Nodes Only	Only search nodes other than clip nodes.

Annotations

Annotations can be added to markers in a viewport set to a view showing an image.

For more information, see Annotations.

Navigate Between Markers with Annotations

Options to navigate between Markers with annotations are available in the Timebar navigation controls. Keyboard shortcuts are also available. For more information, see Navigating between Marks and Markers.

Batch Iterations

The maximum value of the Current Iteration field in the Iterate As... dialog has been increased to 99999.

Render List

Modifications have been made to the Render List:

The FCM column has been renamed Frame Rate.
The content of the Type column better reflects the new Format options of the Render and Write File nodes.
The Load Script functionality has been deprecated. To achieve a similar workflow, use the Python hooks in /opt/Autodesk/<application version>/python/batch_hook.py.