B



Contents

Background Tracks
SMPTE 16x9 Bars for those who don't have Version 10
The Black Magic Codec
Blend Mode Effect
Blinking Thumbnails
Bob Maple, why he is so sexy


Background Tracks

Multiple background tracks are effectively all the same track, so only one
background clip (or container) can ever be active at any one place on the timeline.
You can only dissolve between tracks if they are "background" tracks.


Black Magic Codec


How to deal with an .AVI that uses the Black Magic Codec
Black Magic Design used to have the codec available on their web page. Lately they took it away but it can be found as a part of their software products.
Try opening the AVI with QT pro and saving a ref QT. Also make sure you have the Blackmagic codecs loaded



SMPTE 16x9 Color Bars

For those who don't have DS Version 10 and for those who do and who accidentally "murfed" them.

SMPTE_Color_Bars_16x9.png



Blend Mode Effect


OK, so you have several video tracks and you need to do a blend mode and you really cannot put them in a container in order to do a tree or to use Layers to blend the video together. What do you do?

It cannot actually be done, though you can set up a blend mode for the top clip and that does, in certain cases, result in a blend. But since blend modes are based on RGB mathematics, you can't apply a math operation between two clips when the operator only has access to one of the clips. 2 + x will always equal 2 + x; you'll only know that it equals 5 when you know that x is 3.

So no, you can't use blending modes on the Timeline. Blending modes are used when Compositing - that's why we have a container of that name.

Here are some ideas that were offered.

  1. Add effect tree to the timeline.
  2. Expand the tree.
  3. You will see input 1 attached to an output.
  4. Add a composite effect.
  5. Attach input 1 to L1 (Back) and L2.
  6. Apply the Composite mode that you wish.. add, hardlight or whatever.
  7. Save your tree to reapply to other clips on the timeline.

OR

it should be possible with an effects tree. If you have one clip on V1 and another directly above it on V2 you should be able to add an "effects tree" to the clip on V2.

  1. Expand the tree
  2. Add a composite node
  3. Add a "Black" source generator
  4. Set the alpha on the Black source to 0.
  5. Plug the Black into L1 (back).
  6. Plug your source clip into L2.
  7. Adjust the blend mode in the composite node to whatever you want.

OR

Try Jay Hunt's Track Add Blend Mode effect

(Special thanks to Annaël Beauchemin Tony Jover, Jamie Diki, Brian Holter Jay Hunt and Jeff Krebs)



Blinking Thumbnails and what they mean


This is new since version 10 and the result of code optimizations done to open data and sequence much faster in the application.

What happens is that there is a scan to validate the Clips in relation to their media but either the specific media storage is offline or there is a problem with the images that populate the thumbnails (or another unknown issue).

A data refresh of the Clips should rewrite the thumbnails with updated information. When that happens, the thumbnails stop blinking.

Questions:





How Bob Maple became sexy


Late in January, 2009, Sherrie White was having problems coming up with a workflow that would enable her to take P2 material shot on a Sony EX3 camera and get it into her DS. Several people on the DS List recommended a tutorial for just that that Bob Maple posted on Avid's website.

Sherrie writes:

I have been reviewing your file transfer video from excam to MC to DS ... well at least 20 times so far ... and wow you have a great sexy voice btw!... no sexual harassment intended. Just wanted to tell you that it is a great instructional video and very easy to listen to!

Bob Maple responded:

'll have to just take your word on that one ... one always hates how they sound when they hear themselves ...

Sherrie wrote later:

... well yes it easy to get distracted by "sexy" Bob's voice. ...


SexyBob.jpg
(totally sexy)























Revised: Apr 9, 2010 7:27 am