2014 X2 bugs or features

[majush]

a few confusions I have come across during the last one weekon 2014x2. If anyone know anything about these, please advice on how to work around them.

Thanks

1. CW setup saved from timeline cannot be seen when trying to load inside batch. It show the number or files inside the setup folder but not the setup.

2. shift+f1 for action context view while in CW start blinking the UI from grey to black. Basically cannot do a cw matching in context view.

3. some big transparent(black) rectangular box pops up on the bottom left corner and freeze the flame. unable to see wats in it and the transparency of the box keeps changing.

4. Keeping "show icons" to off or selected do not remain when the setup is loaded again.
5. Loading batch setup not always loads the clips. it shows up as red and have to reload them.
6. Going into MK occsionally show only one frame and not the entire duration of the clip.

7. Triptych player not showing up.

I will add to the list as and when I come across something.

[Grant.Kay]

Hi,

1. I have just tested this and it works on on my system. You need to check the file paths when you save the CW in the timeline versus loading the CW in Batch. That's the only thing I can think of.

2. I am aware that this is a current limitation of the colour warper and I'll suggest this to the team.

3. I have seen this happen too but its never frozen my system. I was aware that this was logged and hopefully it will get sorted. Please log this with our support to escalate it.

4. I believe that the setting is tied to the BATCH setup and not the preferences of batch. The reason for this is that this is a setting in an ACTION node. This is a tool inside batch with its own settings. My only thoughts is that you could try reserving action with the DEFAULTS or PREFERENCES through the node SAVE button.

5. This is correct. Saving a BATCH setup is effectively saving a text file of your batch settings. It does not save media or link to media. If you want the media to follow the setup, you need to either create a BATCH SNAPSHOT or create a BFX clip. This will keep the media and setups together.

6. The only time I have seen this happen is when you enter into BATCH with 1 frame and you extend the BATCH duration. When going into the modular keyer, the duration resets to 1 frame. I have not seen this consistently but it has happened.

7. Where is the Triptych viewer not showing up? The Timeline/Batch/Modular Keyer?

Regards
Grant

[renegagnon79]

Grant,

Regarding point 5, I have been bitten with the BATCH SNAPSHOTS in flare (2013_SP4).

If we would save the snapshot at the beginning of the day, even if we were to save the batch setup throughout the day, the only saved setup that we would get is the original snapshot from the beginning of the day. We were unable to reload our last saved setup as it was inexistant... Every saves was getting us to the snapshot from 9am...

So we lost a full day of work. Not very nice when you spent 8 hours rotoscoping a shot that the tracker couldn't process (due to bad shooting on set!)...

So what is the best way to make sure that the batch setups are saved all the time? Do you have to always save the snapshot or should only save the batch setup work?

Thanks,

Rene

[Grant.Kay]

Hi Rene,

I would say to you to create the snapshot to iterate the work.

To properly save the project, you should press CONTROL+S to save the project state.

This should save the state of the Media Panel, including everything inside it.

If this still is not working correctly for you, than please let the support team know and perhaps they might have other suggestions.

But I agree it should work.

Regards
Grant

[lcrs]

Having to save snapshots when working in the timeline on 2013SP4 really winds me up too, but I think this is easier in 2014?

It's especially annoying because you can't bypass the red confirm button if you're inside a BFX level.  And the timed Batch autosave doesn't save a snapshot!

(To be clear, in 2013 you have to always choose "Save Setup & Snapshot", not just click Save)

[renegagnon79]

That's what had happened that day!

Since then, we always save the setup and snapshot all the time!

And yes, it is always annoying to confirm... especially at boot up when you do not have a sync connected... if you confirm without having the correct sync routed, you are in for a long loop of confirm, until you remember that you have to click anywhere else than on the confirm button!

I had forgotten about that and I spent a good 30 seconds when I started here back in November...

For my defence, it had been almost 5 years I hadn't touched a Flame... But I had a good laugh!

Cheers,

Rene

[Grant.Kay]

Hi,

Pre-20th Anniversary edition, the "save and Snapshot function" worked very differently to the current version.

The old "save and snapshot" did two things. It saved the setup and it created a reel in the library with your material. There was actually no correlation between the two. All you actually got were two save functionalities under one button.  You had to manually ensure that you kept them together.

The current Snapshot function creates copy (iteration) of your batch setup as well as packages the associated media with it. The idea was that there was a direct connection between the media and the setup unlike the unintelligence of the previous mechanism.

Just clicking SAVE, as you mentioned, only saved the setup text file. This is still the case in 2014. You need to click the camera icon to make sure a snapshot is saved.

If you want the text file saved with the snapshot, just enable the option in the preferences menu.

I know that snapshotting is different from previous versions but the benefit of the media always following the batch setup is invaluable.

The team have been closely monitoring these workflows and improvements have already been suggested since the workflow was introduced.

Finally, the batch auto-save simply saves the current state of the batch setup at the time of the save. You are correct in thinking that it does not create a snapshot. In fact this was never its purpose. The point of the snapshot is for work iteration and versioning. The auto-save is meant to be a safety net to save the project settings/state/indexing (and not a snapshot) in case there is a crash and we'll attempt to recover as much as possible. Do not rely on it as your main means of saving.  As far as I am aware, this will not change going forward.


Regards
Grant

[Grant.Kay]

Ahhh, the good old confirm.

Rene, you are correct in thinking that you have to hit the button to confirm the sync connection. Clicking any where else will not get past the warning. However, if you just press ESCAPE for the warning, you should be able to bypass it.

With the warnings inside the application, I would highly recommend taking a few seconds to read the warnings to make sure that is really what you want to do.

Too often I have seen people hold down ALT & click. They accidentally lose valuable work by pushing the warnings to the side without realising they're deleting everything.

Welcome back 🙂

Regards
Grant

[BlueMath]

For 6, If you click into the Timeline Tab and then back into the Batch Tab you'll get the full range back in the Modular Keyer.

No need to exet the MK or anything, just quickly hit the Timeline and pop right back into Batch.

[majush]

Thanks Everyone. Sorry for the late reply. I took a week off and just got back.

BlueMath: Yes it worked. But the setup was a bit tooo heavy to switch between. But thats how I got around it.

Grant:

1. I will check again. I could see like 25 of 28 setups but the 3 i saved from inside the desktop CW wont show up no matter how I changed the selection criteria. I will have to check it on another project.

2. Heard its a known bug frm an AD engr as well. So hopefully there will be a fix soon.
3. It never froze my system but It wont go away either and took away part of my UI. So had to restart. Sorry I mentioned it froze. It didnt. my fault. bad memory

4. Will try it next time I get back on flame.

5. Noted. Will go with BFX next time. Thanks.

6. Noted. Will do it next time. I wasnt the one who started this project nor the setups. I took over someone elses job. So have no idea how it all began.
7. Never. I tried from CW and Timeline; only two places i have used triptych in the past. The interface changed to something else but never displayed 3 players. It was always one but in a misaligned manner. I tried to pull the edges to see if it would reveal something. But nothing happened. I will try again on a new project.


Thanks a lot for the inputs. I will try them next time I am on job back on flame.

cheers