Indirect Action Media

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Indirect Action Media

You can add Media nodes to an Action node in Batch. Attached to the Action node, a Media node has the following properties:

A Media node is permanently parented to the Action node (you cannot sever these process lines).
Media nodes have red and blue input tabs for the front and matte clips, respectively.
Media nodes support floating-point (OpenEXR) input.

NoteIf a Media node contains media that is missing a Smoke clip, the Action node's name is highlighted in red.

To add media to an Action node in Batch:

Click the Action node.
The Action menu appears.
Click Media.
The Media menu appears.
Do one of the following:
- Hold Ctrl and click Add to add media.
- Select media that has a front and/or matte, and press Ctrl+Add.
The Media node and its clips (if any) are added to the Batch schematic.

NoteDeleting a Media node's clips that have been added to the Batch schematic will make the clips unavailable in the Action module.
Parent the appropriate front and matte clips to the Media node:
- Parent the front clip to the red input tab.
- Parent the matte clip to the blue input tab.
Media nodes that you set up in Batch are represented in the Media List with brackets (“[ ]”) around the input clip names.

Advantages and Limitations

If you create indirect Action media in the Batch schematic, note the following advantage. You can create complex effects processes (for example, a glow or a spark) that you can pipe into a Media node. Setting up indirect media is a good way to work on pre-processes for clips that you want to input into media.

If you create indirect Action media, note the following disadvantage. You cannot change the input clips for media set up in Batch from the Media menu of Action. If you attempt to do so, a message appears indicating that the selected media is indirect media. To change the input clips of indirect media, either return to the Batch schematic and then parent new front and matte clips to the Media node, or delete the Media node.