Grading EXR 16bitFP in Lustre

[JustinBromley]

Hello, all!

I've got a problem with Lustre and I think you may have the answer!! (well…... I can't work it out or find a solution in the online manuals……and I'm a complete novice at Lustre really)

I'm wanting to grade a 16bitFP(scene linear) conform that I have compiled in flame. The files were imported into flame via the gateway. They were R3D files and I simply selected the 16bit scene linear as an import option. I want to grade in lustre and render them back to flame as 16bit.

While in flame I set the monitor playback color space from (video) to (linear). This option appears in the bottom left hand side of the playback screen in very small blue lettering (I hope you know what I'm talking about here…) and my images go from appearing very dark (video) to looking normal (linear). Great… very easy….. so far

My next step is to grab the conform into Lustre, and this is where the confusion begins!!

Immediately I notice that the pictures look very flat (almost LOG like). So I assume that Lustre is applying some sort of LUT to the pictures (maybe it automatically detect scene linear??).

My question is…. What is the correct set up for a grading session with 16bitFP scene linear images? I'd hope that there is a simple LUT solution to get the pictures to look as they do in FLAME.

The best option I have found so far (by just experimenting) is to set the OUTPUT LUT in the RENDER options to a "custom output lut" called (LOG_DEFAULT_TONEMAP). This seems to get the pictures looking similar to flame in (linear) view mode. I ran a test to see if the images go through lustre (no grading done) and come out the other end the same as they went in..... they do. BUT!!!!! here's the annoying part... When I started to grade, adjusting brightness, contrast, tone etc,render out, then jump into flame to look at the conform THE GRADE LOOKS DIFFERENT! Highlights are more blown out and have much more saturation in them.

So how do you have confidence that what you see in lustre is what you see in flame????

Should I avoid the monitor (linear) button in flame and apply a LUT to view my 16bit linear files?

Any tips, ideas or sage advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!!