Flame Family 2018.1 Update Highlights
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Markers View
- Centralized display of all Markers and Segment Markers.
- New Markers filtering options.
- Enhanced colour-coding of Markers.
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Keyboard Shortcuts Management
- New Category column defines the area of the software to which a shortcut is associated.
- Easier keystroke assignment.
- Clearer dialog windows.
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Publishing & Exporting
- CBR in Apple ProRes
- 16-int to 32-fp back to 16-int import/export path
- Additional Link Media export controls
- Continued improvements in AAF support
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Security & Configuration
- Support for multiple OS groups
- License inactivity timeout
- New Wacom support
- New configuration file for user permissions
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Make sure to check
http://www.autodesk.com/flame-docs for the latest Flame Family documentation (including Installation Guides, Release Notes, and other documents). Also, many new feature videos (as well as other workflow videos) are available at
https://www.youtube.com/user/FlameHowTos. This Learning Channel is updated frequently, so be sure to subscribe or bookmark the page. Links to specific 2018.1 Update videos are also provided in this What's New topic, denoted by this icon:
Note: Look for the
tag throughout the documentation for sections indicating new or updated 2018.1 Update content.
For details on all the new features and enhancements in this release, follow these links to navigate to the sections below:
What's New in Installation, Configuration, and Licensing
- Multiple Groups Supported
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When creating Operating System users, it is now possible to assign users to groups in addition to their primary group. See
user management.
- License Inactivity Timeout
- The Network License Manager can be configured to reclaim a license when a Flame Family application is inactive and not using the license. Reclaiming the license makes it available for another Flame Family workstation. If it is not set, there is no retrieval of a license if a client session dies accidentally, in which case the license being used at the time of the failure may not be returned to the license server and won’t be available for other users. See
products & licenses.
- Support for Latest Wacom Tablets
- DKU 12.0.1 includes the new Linux driver input-wacom v0.34.0 required by the latest tablets.
- New Configuration File for User Permissions
- When using custom user accounts to run Flame Family applications, the application by default does not respect the OS user's permissions if it is launched from the desktop icon (/opt/Autodesk/<application>/bin/startApplication). This can be overridden by setting a umask value in the startApplication script. It can also be done via the file
/opt/Autodesk/cfg/umask.cfg. This configuration file is created during installation. If it already exists, it is not overwritten by the installer. Additional information is in the comments of the
umask.cfg.
What's New in the Wiretap SDK
Projects created through the Wiretap SDK can now be defined as
32-bit fp.
What's New in Media Import
- Added support for Apple ProRes wrapped in MXF (OP-1a).
- OpenEXR: The Previewer now indicates the number of parts in an OpenEXR file. Look for this information in the Metadata tab, under.
- You can now import a 16-bit integer media file as a 32-bit float clip, for a lossless import. See
here for additional information.
What's New in Media Export
Apple ProRes support update:
- You can now select between Variable Bit Rate (VBR) or the new Constant Bit Rate option when encoding Apple ProRes.
- CBR-wrapped QuickTime with Apple ProRes codec allow you to create content that can be used with Cinedeck cineXinsert product.
- New Cinedeck export presets in Flame Family products and Lustre are now available.
Avid DNxHD/HR support update:
- Improved robustness for interlaced content exported as Avid DNxHD/HR codecs.
16-bit Integer Export:
- It is now possible to export 32-bit float point content as 16-bit integer (DPX, Maya, SGI, TIFF, and Wavefront) for lossless 16-bit export. This, combined with new support for 16-bit integer imported as 32-bit float point, allows for a lossless 16-bit round-trip.
Improved Link Media Export Options
The Link Media option has been updated to provide you with more flexibility when you publish a sequence. In the Video Options tab of the Media Export window, the Link to Original Media option has been replaced with a drop-down menu that offers you to link to media based on the file format, the resolution, the bit depth, and the compression. Click
here for additional information.
What's New in Conform and Interoperability
FCP X XML Support
- Improved support for the 1.6 version of the .fcpxml file output by Apple Final Cut Pro X.
AAF Support
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AAF Import
- Limited support for AAF from Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017. See
About Limited Support for AAF From Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve for additional information.
- General improvements to Avid Media Composer AAF support, resulting in more accurate imports of AAF: subclips no longer translate into a segment within a container; Timewarp's Strobe parameters are now set in the Timeline FX.
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AAF Publish
- It is now possible to export a sequence from Flame Family as an AAF file with 32-bit float WAVE media files, for use in Avid ProTools.
- AAF files exported by Flame Family now show the correct media file path in Avid Media Composer.
What's New in Shotgun
- How to Create Projects from the Shotgun Desktop for Previous Flame Family Versions
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To create a Flame project from the Shotgun Desktop for a previous version of Flame Family, background services for that version must be running, otherwise Shotgun creates a project for the currently-running version. To create a Flame Family 2017, 2017x1 or 2018 project from the Shotgun Desktop:
- Start the product and press Restart. The services for this version will be used and Shotgun Desktop Flame project creation will be done with the right version of the services.
- Before creating the project in Shotgun, manually start the Wiretap server of the desired version via
/opt/Autodesk/wiretap/[version]iffsWiretapServer.start.
- Flame Family applications support two Shotgun integrations to fit the needs of small facilities with limited review needs as well as studios with larger production pipelines. For an overview of the different types of media generated by the different Shotgun versions and their associated workflows, see:
Shotgun Files & Formats.
- The following options have been added in Shotgun Classic tk-flame (v1.8.4), when creating a Flame Family project from Shotgun Desktop:
- Custom project folder setup location
- Group Ownership
- 32-bit float
- For more information on Shotgun Desktop, click
here.
What's New in Connected Conform Workflow
- Linking clips is now faster than in previous releases.
What's New in MediaReactor
- New Pixel Grouping debayering option for RAW formats:
- MediaReactor version 5.0.0.501 adds Pixel Grouping. Pixel Grouping uses assumptions about natural scenery in making estimates. It has fewer color artifacts on natural images than the Variable Number of Gradients method. It was introduced in dcraw from rel. 8.71 as "Patterned Pixel Grouping".
- You can download the latest version of MediaReactor from
here.
What's New in Colour Management
- The default value for the Graphics monitor Colour Space is now Rec. 709 instead of sRGB.
- Images are no longer clipped in the DVI Broadcast Monitor when Colour Management is applied.
- Clip thumbnails are no longer clipped in the
Batch,Batch FX, Modular Keyer, and Action Schematic views, when colour management is applied.
- It is now possible to modify the Tagged Colour Space inside a Colour Mgmt Timeline FX.
- The Tracker Magnifier widget now displays the content in the right Colour Space.
- The Graphics Monitor Colour Space now defaults to Rec.709.
What's New in Audio
- You can now decide whether or not audio waveforms are built when a clip is captured or imported via the "Build On Input/Import" button located in
.
What's New in the Player
- The Segment range indicator is now displayed in the Source, Container, and Batch tabs.
- The Segment range indicator now displays the range of the selected audio or video segment in the clip. Previously, the range of a video segment would be displayed even if it was an audio segment that was selected.
What's New in the Markers View
- A new panel called the "Markers" view is available from the Player. It is accessed from the Player options dropdown or by using the Toggle Markers Panel shortcut (assigned to
Alt+6 by default in the Flame and Lustre profiles).
- It is now possible to burn the content of Markers to images, using Burn-in Metadata.
See:
Using the Markers View for details.
Markers View Timeline Enhancements
- The "Cue Marks" and "Segment Marks" designations have been changed to "Markers" and "Segments Markers" throughout the application.
- The look of Markers has been modified in the Timeline.
- The Marker icon no longer scales up when it is selected.
- The Marker icon no longer turns entirely yellow when it is selected. It now has a yellow outline instead.
- The Marker icon no longer has a line that spans the entire Timeline canvas when it is not selected.
- Each Marker now has both a Name field and a Comment field. Both fields use the Token system.
- The default Name and Comment strings can be set in the
tab or by using a python hook in the hook.py file.
- The Name string is empty by default. When the field is empty the application gives "Marker n" as the default name for a Marker.
- The Comment string is set to <user>_<time> by default.
- The information dialog of a Marker now indicates both the Name and the Comment.
- The following tokens are available in both the Name and Comment field:
- Project
- Project Nickname
- User
- User Nickname
- Workstation
- Second
- Minute
- Hour
- Day
- Month
- Year (YY)
- Year (YYYY)
- Time
- Date
- The following tokens are now available in the Rename, Rename Shot and Comment dialog windows:
- Project
- Project Nickname
- User
- User Nickname
- Workstation
- Second
- Minute
- Hour
- Day
- Month
- Year (YY)
- Year (YYYY)
- Time
- Date
For more details, see these videos from the Flame Learning Channel:
What's New in
Batch and
Batch FX
- The Batch Name, Iteration, and Batch Iteration tokens are now available in the Write File node's Pattern, Create Clip, and Include Setup Tokens lists.
- Alt+Clicking on the Save button to overwrite the current setup without going through the file browser now works properly in Batch FX.
- The following improvements have been made to the Replace Read File node / Import node workflow in
Batch,Batch FX and Modular Keyer:
- Two Clip Replace options have been added to the Read File clip / Import clip contextual menu: Replace from MediaHub and Replace from Desk.
- The first
Shift+double-click /
Shift+Alt+double-click performed on a Read File clip / Import clip using the "Replace Clip from Desk" or "Replace Clip from MediaHub" shortcuts performs the function associated to the shortcut rather than simply displaying the clip menu.
- The Write File node now encodes Tape name metadata in file formats that support this data, such as DPX and OpenEXR.
What's New in the Paint Node (Batch Paint)
What's New in Action
GMask Improvements:
- You can now customize the GMask viewing preference per object and decide to display, or not, individual GMask widgets components: Spline, Vertices, Gradient and Inactive.
- GMask display has been updated. Inactive GMask Shape/Vertices/Gradient are now displayed in grey. You can set another colour using the Non Active option (found in GMask node's Display menu), or restore the previous behaviour by disabling
.
- GMask vertices picking has been revisited to make vertices easier to pick in a complex scene. Vertices of a selected GMask are now always selected over any object stacked over. If a vertex is behind an axis and you click the vertex, that vertex is selected instead of the axis. Essentially, a GMask's vertex has a higher selection priority.
For more details, see these videos from the Flame Learning Channel:
Other Action improvements:
- Mesh selection has been tweaked to make is easier to edit vertices, while ensuring that selecting a vertex does not move it.
- The FBX SDK has been updated to the version 2018.0.
What's New in Keyboard Shortcuts Management
The keyboard shortcuts editor has been enhanced with the following updates:
- A new "Category" column is displayed in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor table. This column identifies the area of the software to which a shortcut is associated.
- It is now easier to assign a keystroke to a shortcut in the Keyboard Shortcut editor.
- Currently used keystrokes are greyed out when the currently selected shortcut Keystroke field is empty.
- A dialog window appears when you attempt to assign a keystroke to a shortcut that is already used in another shortcut. When this happens, you are presented with the list of Shortcut(s) already using the keystroke, and you have the choice to either cancel the operation or to clear the conflicting shortcuts using the "Proceed" button.
- It is now possible to assign shortcuts to entries added in a Contextual Menu using a python hook. Entries appear in the Shortcut editor by default when they are active.
- The search field is no longer reset when you click on it after a search is performed. It is reset when the Shortcut Editor is closed.
- The first selected shortcut after a search is made is now properly displayed. Its information is updated in the right Keystroke and Description fields.
- Conflicting shortcuts are now properly detected even if the keystroke contains <click>.
- The Category associated to a shortcut is now displayed inside the conflicting shortcuts dialog window.
- The Conflicting Shortcuts dialog message now displays the following options:
- Cancel: Cancels the operation.
- Clear: Clears the conflicting keystroke assignation and assigns the keystroke to the new shortcut only.
- Keep: Keeps the Keystroke assignation on the conflicting shortcuts AND assigns it to the new shortcut as well. This may result in conflicting shortcuts and it cannot be guaranteed that the old / new shortcuts will work properly.
For more details, see this video from the Flame Learning Channel:
Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts.
What's New in Preferences
- A new setting named "RAM Play Auto Start" is available in the General tab, under the Player section:
- When enabled, the RAM Player automatically starts caching frames when it is activated and starts playing once all frames are cached. This is the default setting.
- When disabled, the RAM Player behaves the same as in previous releases: it starts caching frames when you press the play button.
What's New in Lustre
Lustre / Flame Interoperability
- Optimized playback performance of OpenEXR managed media when running Lustre and Flame applications on shared storage. When creating a Flame project and setting the Cache and Renders / Preferred Format, certain options allow you to generate managed media for 16-bit float content as OpenEXR (uncompressed). In this way, Lustre is able to natively read these OpenEXR files and provide better playback performance. Use the following Preferred Format options to generate managed media as OpenEXR:
- Uncompressed.
- Any DNxHD / HR that does not use RAW as fallback.
- Any Apple ProRes that does not use RAW as fallback.
Note: Using OpenEXR as managed media may be a slightly slower than using RAW. Playback performance varies according to storage, format attributes (resolution, frame rate, compression, etc). When using RAW media for cache and renders, Lustre reads the RAW media from the Wiretap server network configuration rather than from the actual media storage location. Make sure to route the Wiretap server connection through the fastest network infrastructure available (i.e. InfiniBand or 10 GigE).
- When creating visual effects in Flame Family applications that require grading in Lustre, a new Commit option is available to convert a Matte Container's Composite to a Matte Container resulting from the Composite and the Alpha channel generated by Flame Timeline FX pipeline. The steps are as follows:
- Create a Matte Container with Front and Matte media.
- Using the Comp Timeline FX, composite the Matte Container and the Background.
- Apply any Timeline FX to the composite.
- Right-click on the Matte Container and select Commit / Prepare Matte Container for Lustre.
- The Matte Container is modified in-place and is updated to be used by Lustre.
- The Primary track is the composite result.
- The Secondary track is the alpha from the Timeline FX pipeline.
- Any other available matte tracks from the original Matte Container are not affected and remain available for Lustre.
Note: The Prepare Matte Container for Lustre option converts the content. It is recommended to duplicate content that might require further modification down the line, as the conversion is destructive.
- It is possible to select multiple Matte Containers prior selecting this option.
- A non assigned keyboard shortcut is available.
- When compositing foreground elements (Matte Container) over a background, the source properties of the background content is used to populate the newly generated Front of the Matte Container. This allows for using the Lustre Change Cut capabilities to re-apply grading decisions between a sequence without composited content and another sequence with Matte Container.
Control Panel
- It is now possible to map the following functions on the Tangent Panel using the Tangent Mapper:
- Under Geometry:
- Go to Rectangle
- Go to Ellipse
- Go to Wipe
- Go to Bezier
- Under Menu Tracker
- New Point
- Delete Point
- Toggle Point/Shape
- Assign Tracker
- Unassign Tracker
Keyboard Shortcuts
- New keyboard shortcuts have been added to Lustre:
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-U:
Add ellipse
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-Y:
Add rectangle
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-I: Add wipe
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-P:
Activate/Desactivate Keyer color picker
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-V: Enable/Disable Keyer
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-B: Show Diamond Keyer
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-M: Go to Diamond Keyer
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-N: Go to HLS Keyer
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-K: New Tracker Point
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-J: Delete Tracker Point
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-L: Toggle between shape and point tracker
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-Q: Select the rectangle button
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-O:
Select the ellipse button
- Shift-Ctrl-O: Select the wipe button
- Shift-Alt-O: Select the bezier button
- Shift-Ctrl-Alt-G: Enable Assign Tracker
- Shift-Ctrl-G: Enable Unassign Tracker
Miscellaneous
- Media files imported from Wiretap Gateway that have a system reserved Reel name (i.e. BL, BLK, BLACK) can now be imported.
- Because the BL reel name does conform as virtual black media, you must change the Reel name of the clip(s) in the Library source clip. To do so, follow these steps:Because the BL reel name does conform as virtual black media, you must change the Reel name of the clip(s) in the Library source clip. To do so, follow these steps:
- Import media in Lustre.
- Open the <clip name>.clip file located in the Library folder of the current scene (<Project Home>/default/Library), in a text editor.
- Locate the <EDLReelName> and the <EDLLongReelName> and change the names to any non reserved Reel name.
- Save the clip.
- Refresh the Library in Lustre. Your clips display the correct Reel name.
- Conform your EDL.
- Begin grading.
- The issue where the Float Calibration transform was applied on 16-bit float media in Print View is now fixed.
- The Still Store and Grade Bin Reference now display the media with the Calibration LUT in Print View.
- There is a new project bar displaying activity when loading a large cut & grade.