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# Important Source Grading Considerations

Multi-resolution timelines

Lustre ignores the soft-resize Smoke/Flame automatically apply to clips with resolutions different from that of the timeline and renders the timeline at native resolution of the first clip. Because of this, the timeline you render from Lustre may not be the same resolution as if it was rendered from Smoke/Flame. To avoid rendering the wrong resolution from Lustre, insert a black frame with the correct resolution in the Smoke/Flame timeline before you save it for import to Lustre.

For example, let's say the first clip in your Smoke/Flame timeline has a resolution of 960 x 720. You apply a soft-resize to that first clip to set the resolution of the timeline to 1920 x 1080. Smoke/Flame applies a soft-resize to all clips in the timeline that are not already 1920 x 1080. If you were to render the final media from Smoke/Flame, it would have a resolution of 1920 x 1080. When you import the timeline into Lustre, Lustre ignores all soft-resize effects and sets the resolution for the final rendered media to the native resolution of that first clip, which is 960 x 720. When you render your timeline from Lustre, the rendered media will have a resolution of 960 x 780. To make sure that the resolution of your media rendered from Lustre is 1920 x 1080, the same as the Smoke/Flame timeline, you must insert a black frame with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 into your Smoke/Flame timeline before you save your timeline for Lustre.

Mixed Bit Depth Timelines

If the Smoke/Flame timeline contains clips of mixed bit depth, disable the Same As Scans Format option in the Render/Output menu in Lustre and set the desired output format, before you render to make sure that Lustre renders it at the correct bit depth.

Smoke and Flame automatically match the native bit depth of clips to that of the timeline, if they differ. Lustre renders the native bit depth of clips by default, rather than the timeline bit depth. To avoid rendering the wrong bit depth from Lustre, disable the Same Format As Scans option in the Render/Output menu and set the desired output format prior to rendering. You can set this permanently for your project in the Project Settings/Rendering menu.

BatchFX

You must render BatchFX segments and BatchFX on gaps prior to importing the timeline into Lustre.

- Rendered effects are seen as source media by Lustre and can be graded along with the rest of the sources.
- Unrendered BatchFX are displayed as black frames in Lustre.

Note Rendered BatchFX segments in Lustre do not display the BatchFX icon. And the BatchFX icon is not displayed on the BatchFX timeline segments in Smoke/Flame after being rendered in Lustre.

Transitions

All transitions are preserved by Lustre.

- Only dissolves (with or without animation) are displayed.
- Axis and Wipe transitions are displayed as dissolves. The original Wipe/Axis transitions are preserved in Lustre and are recreated in Smoke/Flame upon reimport. A special icon is displayed in the timeline in Lustre whenever Axis and Wipe transitions occur.

Axis Transition in Smoke/Flame (Image courtesy of EVN PRODUCTIONS)

Axis Transition displayed as a dissolve in Lustre (Image courtesy of EVN Productions)

Custom Transitions

Custom transitions are rendered media and appear as a clip in Lustre. This clip is maintained in Smoke/Flame when you reload the timeline after it is rendered in Lustre. It is recommended to create your custom transitions after the source media has been graded and replaced in Smoke/Flame.

Custom Transition in Smoke/Flame (Image courtesy of EVN PRODUCTIONS)

Custom transition in Lustre

Custom transition in Smoke/Flame after render from Lustre

SoftFX

All SoftFX are preserved in Lustre. Lustre retains the SoftFX metadata and displays the source clip rather than the result clip of the SoftFX. Timeline segments with SoftFX are displayed in the Lustre timeline with a SoftFX icon. The SoftFX are reapplied in Smoke/Flame when you reload the timeline.

GapFX are supported like any other SoftFX. However, they are not displayed when scrubbing or playing back in Lustre and cannot be graded. The original GapFX is restored in Smoke/Flame when you reload the timeline after it has been rendered in Lustre.

- If there is media under the GapFX, that media is displayed in the viewport.
- If there is no media under the GapFX, a red "X" is displayed in the viewport.

Note In the case of a soft timewarp that is not long enough to cover the duration of the segment (for example, a slow-motion effect), Lustre preserves the duration of the segment but displays a red X on missing frames. This is normal because you are grading the sources, which are not being affected by the timewarp animation curve.

Containers and Matte Containers

Containers and matte containers created in Smoke/Flame are preserved in Lustre.

Tip

- To add a matte to the first frame of a source clip in a matte container/multi-channel clip in Lustre, press CTRL and drag and drop the matte to the container.
- To insert the matte at the first frame of the In point of the timeline segment, press CTRL+ALT and drag and drop the matte to the container.

See:

About Containers

About Matte Containers

Adding a Matte to a Matte Container

Selecting a Matte to Grade Secondary Layers

Multi-channel Clips

Multi-channel clips created in the Lustre timeline are recreated as matte containers in Smoke/Flame.

See:

About Multi-channel Clips