The following terms and concepts are used throughout the Batch chapters to describe workflow and the user interface.
Clips are a sequence of images or frames loaded from an external device such as a VTR, stored in digital format, and displayed in the clip library and on the Desktop. Clips form the root element of a process tree.
Image courtesy of The Post Group
A node is a graphical representation of a function or module that affects a clip or another node in the process tree. Nodes have one or more input points (also called tabs) in order to connect clips to them. For example, a Colour Correct node can accept a Front, Matte and Back connection, whereas an Output node accepts a video and audio input.
A process tree is the structure of clips and nodes that ultimately creates an effect. Clips are connected to nodes, and in turn, nodes can be connected to more clips or other nodes. A process tree ends with an Output, BFX Output, or Export node.
Images courtesy of The Post Group
Rendering is the process of generating the final clip or an intermediate result. When rendering in Batch all process trees in the schematic are processed, and one clip is written to the destination specified by each Output node, BFX Output node, or Export node.
