Transcode

Project-based Transcode Settings

When working with media files coming from digital cameras such as Red One, Red Epic, Arri D-21 and Arri Alexa, it can be useful to transcode the media into a file format that is more optimized for interactive playback and grading. Lustre 2012 Extension 1 introduces new transcode options to ease configuration and support re-conform workflows.

Backburner Manager default is "localhost"

When you install Lustre, the default value for Backburner Manager in the init.config file is set to "localhost". This means that your local Linux workstation is automatically configured to transcode R3D or ARRIRAW. If you are using remote servers that are not running Wiretap Gateway, the Backburner Manager will take care of translating the media location, avoiding unnecessary modification of configuration files. For Lustre on Windows configuration, you still need to configure a remote Backburner Manager.

Note: you still need to define the Path Translation settings in the init.config file for remote rendering with Burn.

Transcode Host in the init.config File

It is now possible to define the default Wiretap Gateway server to use when transcoding R3D or ARRIRAW media. By default, "localhost" is used. For Lustre on Windows configuration, you still need to configure a remote Wiretap Gateway Server.

Project-based Transcode Location

When creating a new project, you can define the location where transcoded media is generated. Since the init.config file contains the Transcode Host value, the Transcode Full Home and the Transcode Half Home are automatically filled (the default location is located in Scans Full and Half Home). This location can be edited but has to be available through the Wiretap Gateway server defined in the init.config file.

About Versioning Transcode Settings

Lustre 2012 Extension 1 introduces a new workflow for R3D and ARRIRAW files.

In previous versions of Lustre, transcoding the same shot with different transcode settings overwrote the transcoded media files.

In Lustre 2012 Extension 1, you can now:

• Update the transcode settings in a shot and share those settings with all shots that come from the same source clip.
• Share the transcoded media with other timelines that use the same shot, which eliminates the need to transcode footage that has already been transcoded.
• Create versions of transcode settings to match the characteristics of a particular shot.

All of the transcode settings and their versions are stored in the Library source clip. When you change the transcode settings for a shot, all shots from the source clip are updated with the new settings. You can use the same transcode setting for shots from the same source clip or use versions to create different settings for different shots.

Creating Versions of Transcode Settings

The default version of the transcode settings is labeled "Transcode00".

The "Transcode00" Transcode settings come from the camera as stored in the metadata of the R3D/ARRIRAW file. When the camera settings are in use, the Camera button is enabled in the Image/Transcode menu.

You can edit or create a new version of the transcode settings:

• Edit the existing transcode settings to update all shots that use that version with the new settings.
• Create a new version of the transcode settings to adapt to the requirements of the shot you are working on, without changing other shots.

If you want to create a new version, click New and create the new version before you start editing the settings. Otherwise, you will edit the current version of settings and all shots that are using it.

All versions are stored with the Library source clip. However, each shot can use its own version of the transcode settings.

Use the Transcode Version menu in the Image/Transcode/Output menu to create multiple versions of transcode settings:

• New: create a new version of the transcode settings. You can use the Comment field to add a comment (similar to Grade comment).
• Save: save the current version of the transcode settings. The Library source clip is updated.
• Load: load the selected Transcode Version from the version list to the shot.
• Delete: delete the selected Transcode Version. Removing a version does not remove the actual media on the storage.

Note: It is only possible to transcode R3D & ARRIRAW files. If you work with different file formats, the Transcode menu is available, but cannot be used. The Transcode button is grayed-out.

Shot-based Transcode Location

When R3D or ARRIRAW files are transcoded, you can see the actual location of the transcoded media in the Transcoded Hires and Transcoded Proxy fields from the Image/Transcode/Output menu. From this location, you can change the Wiretap Gateway clip referencing the transcoded media. This can be useful in the case where transcoding tasks have been generated by another workstation. This field is updated when you select a different version in the Transcode Version list.

Cut Files and Transcode Settings

The timeline file (.cut) stores all the transcode settings. This means you can share the .cut file with a different workstation and still preserve all the transcode settings.

It is possible to use a timeline (cut file) from previous versions of Lustre in Lustre 2012 Extension 1. Old timelines will be converted to the new 2012 Extension 1 format and each R3D or ARRIRAW shot will have a Transcode00 version containing the Transcode settings as defined in the original cut file.

Transcoding multiple segments of the same source clip

It is now possible to transcode multiple segments of the same source clip and have the Library clip updated. This means that reloading the original source clip from Library may show transcoded media and red X (i.e. red X indicates segments that are not transcoded).

Transcoding and Shot Media status

In previous versions of Lustre, when sending transcoding tasks to Backburner Manager, the state of the Shot Media was automatically set to Transcoded, showing you the transcoded media (or red X if the media was not available). In 2012 extension 1, this is no longer the case and you have to manually enable the Transcoded state for the shots you transcoded. You can use the Selector to set this state on a selection of shots.