Renaming and truncating R3D files, free tool

[conrad gaunt]

The link below is to a free tool, for windows, that I've created over the last couple of days. It doesn't use the SDK.

**** WARNING *****
- The files it makes work in Redcine, they won't work in Scratch (I believe), as frame index data is cropped from the end of the file (which Redcine doesn't need apparently, which is good :)
- Always keep original files (if important, thats just sensible)

****** WARNING OVER ***

This is an improved version, that can perform two functions:

1) It can truncate an R3D file, allowing the user to create a new R3D file containing frames 0-> to a user specified frame

2) It can rename an R3D file, externally and internally (so Redcine accepts it)

USES:

1) Making smaller secondary backups of R3Ds that contain junk footage towards the end of the file

2) The ability to send small, or even single frame R3D to people via email (about 1mb exactly), or perhaps even Red support, if a problem is evident in the first frame



At the moment renaming occurs during creation of a truncated file, though I'll add the ability to simply rename the file without a truncation tomorrow.
UPDATE: Done, renaming without any analysis first, just choose a filename and folder

Currently the R3D truncator appends the word "truncated" to the original filename, though you should manually add the extension '.r3d' after that, or after any other name you should choose.
UPDATE: No it doesn't anymore, it has the original filename (but won't let you overwrite it), so change it

Default output is into the original R3D file folder, though I'll add the ability to choose another folder soon.

It won't allow the overwriting of existing files.

R3D analysis speed should increase by order of magnitude quite soon (when I implement better file buffering)
UPDATE: It has got faster, 310x faster approximately, and thats not a typo, its implementing a buffer, doh!

I'd like some feedback on the compatibility of the produced R3Ds if possible.

Below is a link to the tool:
http://helloconradgaunt.googlepages.com/r3dtruncator

[Petros Nousias]

Thanks a lot for this, I really needed a renaming tool, Im sure truncating will be useful as well. Just downloaded it, will post feedback soon.

[Mike Epp]

Ronx,

Pretty impressive tool. Nice job. I gave it a try and it looks good. Like you've mentioned, the buffering is a bit slow, but it works as a 'frame 0 to whatever' truncator.

Is it possible to have truncate from the front also? Essentially, creating an edit from the original .r3d file.

[conrad gaunt]

Ronx,

Pretty impressive tool. Nice job. I gave it a try and it looks good. Like you've mentioned, the buffering is a bit slow, but it works as a 'frame 0 to whatever' truncator.

Is it possible to have truncate from the front also? Essentially, creating an edit from the original .r3d file.

I have tried to truncate from the front, but without success yet. Disk buffering coming in the next day or two, just check the download site for version3

[Jarred Land]

We are always very happy to see new software out there.. This looks like it solves a problem people have been asking for for a very long time.

Just a word of caution though, when you change the actual R3D files, you could be opening a future can of software/camera compatibility issues...

Everyone SERIOUSLY needs to make sure you save your master files if you use this and tuck them away somewhere safe... as a day/month/year down the road these modified files may not open up anymore, and when you call RED for help we will really have no idea how to help you , other than to forward you to 1-800-RONX :)

I don't want to disuade this at all because this looks like a really great tool, but I just wanna make sure everyone is very careful when you start using any tools that create modified R3D files.

[conrad gaunt]

We are always very happy to see new software out there.. This looks like it solves a problem people have been asking for for a very long time.

Just a word of caution though, when you change the actual R3D files, you could be opening a future can of software/camera compatibility issues...

Everyone SERIOUSLY needs to make sure you save your master files if you use this and tuck them away somewhere safe... as a day/month/year down the road these modified files may not open up anymore, and when you call RED for help we will really have no idea how to help you , other than to forward you to 1-800-RONX :)

I don't want to disuade this at all because this looks like a really great tool, but I just wanna make sure everyone is very careful when you start using any tools that create modified R3D files.

The tool won't let you overwrite the original file, and the little google webpage does encourage original files to be kept, I assume thats common sense for most people.

It was only written to give purpose to my hacking attempts, and for fun :)

I'll be posting a new version shortly that does much quicker analysis, and I already have a new version that allows R3Ds to be simply renamed (without analysis of frames, and created in a user specified folder), checking its output as I write this.

The program only chops off data from the end of the file, future software should fail gracefully if it decides something is corrupt, but by then you've output your TIFFs most probably. Removing data from the front of an R3D is another story..

[Pawel Achtel]

Good job, Ronx. Keep it coming.

[mikeburton]

Hey Ronx,

Not to push or anything but I personally would happily pay a fee for an interactive UI experience and a Mac version :-)
Also, a UI would allow you to easily set in and out points in your footage. This could be a great tool for the Stock Footage world! Think like a REDCINE type Library maybe where you could load all your footage, make your selects, set the ins and out's, select an output folder and truncate all the clips in your timeline to your desired user specified number of frames.

Just thinking out loud here, but i think this would be a very useful tool for many of us. Keep going Ronx, keep going!!!

[conrad gaunt]

Hey Ronx,

Not to push or anything but I personally would happily pay a fee for an interactive UI experience and a Mac version :-)
Also, a UI would allow you to easily set in and out points in your footage. This could be a great tool for the Stock Footage world! Think like a REDCINE type Library maybe where you could load all your footage, make your selects, set the ins and out's, select an output folder and truncate all the clips in your timeline to your desired user specified number of frames.

Just thinking out loud here, but i think this would be a very useful tool for many of us. Keep going Ronx, keep going!!!


I do have a Mac, but I'm not a very proficient programmer, especially in C, although I did write a raytracer in C for Linux once, and I am writing a Colour Grading App. for windows in Delphi, the language this tool is written in.

If someone wants to create a MAC version of the tool as it is, they should PM me, the alterations to the original R3D are small and it'd probably take them less than half an hour, or less than that to create.

As for a cropping tool that can set in and out points, I'm not sure yet, and that could possibly cause problems down the road, and I'm only hacking, nobody knows the R3D file structure, properly, though many know more than me.

I can already extract the data used to create each frame, but I'm having trouble putting them back together into a Redcine readable file. I'll try, for fun..

[conrad gaunt]

Oops, posted twice. Duplicate of above

[MichaelP]

Will it do a "repair" of a file that has been renamed? I have come across a couple of productions that renamed the R3D file to match a QuickTime that was made... having the ability to batch process a directory of R3D file back to their original name would be great.


Michael

[conrad gaunt]

I've just posted a new version on the website, analysis is now 310x + faster. Thats not a typo, it says 310x faster, just so you know how bad the original version was.

Also, it allows you to rename a file without doing any truncating, or analysis (though this takes just over 10 seconds now for a 2gig file now its got faster), and the output folder can be chosen (though not when truncating, haven't changed that yet)

Minor improvements are:
i) Can be minimized
ii) Doesn't allow overly long filenames to be specified
iii) More disk i/o checks
iv) If the number of frames chosen is identical to the original file, the new file is simply renamed, with no cropping of any kind

Still hacking..

[conrad gaunt]

Will it do a "repair" of a file that has been renamed? I have come across a couple of productions that renamed the R3D file to match a QuickTime that was made... having the ability to batch process a directory of R3D file back to their original name would be great.


Michael

if I understand you correctly, I believe so. The original filename is stored in the R3D file, so unless that data was changed, it should be possible. I'll investigate..:detective2:

[Ariana]

Hello ronx,

I tried the tool on some footage that was uploaded to a post house to get processed but they're telling me it crashes their Scratch system and their in house tools. I don't have any other info but am I doing something wrong?

[conrad gaunt]

Hello ronx,

I tried the tool on some footage that was uploaded to a post house to get processed but they're telling me it crashes their Scratch system and their in house tools. I don't have any other info but am I doing something wrong?

sorry to here that. Probably not, not sure. Have you got v3?

What did you do, Rename , Truncate, or both?

Its not for commercial use really, better to upload the originals, then they can rename if they wish, and if there's a problem, they can use the originals. Were you trying to truncate to make the file upload quicker?

Its also not for spanned files either btw, the webpage says that.

I haven't managed to crash anything using a truncated file yet, even when I've "randomly" cut files, without using the truncator. Most software fails gracefully. Maybe Scratch uses data at the end of the file?

The files it generates certainly work with Redcine..

[Petros Nousias]

I used R3D Truncator for renaming today, I did it for 40-50 files(quite time-consuming!) no problems with redcine whatsoever but after the 40th or so file when I got tired of the repetition I renamed a file without changing its name resulting in an unreadable file. Of course I had kept a backup, but a warning would be nice.
If you plan to do improvements I would suggest an automated process where one would point to the folder and the program would automatically rename all files inside in cases where only the magazine number needs renaming.