Importing DNX HD files into Avid

[wenchiac]

I'm working on a project shot on the Red One Camera in 4k resolution. We used Red Rushes to transcode everything into DNX HD 175 Quicktime (.mov) files. However, importing into Avid creates an additional MXF file per DNX HD clip, taking up valuable hard drive space. Is there any way to import the DNx HD files into Avid without the creation of an additional MXF file.

If not then what's the point of transcoding into DNx HD? Why not go directly from the 4k r3d files to MXF. Also, how will that effect the workflow since we were under the impression that the DNX HD would be our offline, but now there is an additional MXF file that is the offline....?

[Jason Diamond]

AVID is basically copying and re-wrapping the files to the AVID media directory for media management. its as if you digitized a tape. you have your tape (xcoded file) and your digitized media (mxf wrapped QT in AVID MXF folder)

[MichaelP]

When MetaFuze is available it will create an MXF wrapped DNxHD directly. Because you are using an embedded QuickTime as the source, it makes a copy with MXF wrapping. You can avoid that by importing the QT references directly, but will take longer than the transcode in REDrushes.

Direct transcode to MXF wrapped DNxHD requires a license.

Michael

[wenchiac]

Are you referring to the QT proxies automatically created by the camera or something else? If so, why would that take longer then transcoding in REDrushes?

If not, what exactly are you referring to and how would I go about "importing the QT references directly"

[MichaelP]

A QuickTime reference is the same regardless of how it got made as far as the Media Composer is concerned. Either in the camera when enabled, or via REDrushes via the Create QT wrappers command.

The reason it is fast is that the import transcode function in Media Composer currently only uses 2 processors whereas REDrushes uses more. So depending on system, REDrushes will be faster to create QT wrapped DNxHD (embedded movies).

Michael

[Kristin Stewart]

Hi Michael,

Any news about the release date of the Metafuze version which will allow r3d import ?

Thanks,

Kristin

[MichaelP]

Nothing to declare at this point. We are working on it...

Michael

[Sean]

Nothing to declare at this point. We are working on it...

Michael

Waiting with bated breath.

Phrase: Wait with bated breath. Derived from the word abate, "to put an end to" or "decrease in intensity," so effectively meaning "to hold one's breath." The first recorded usage of bated breath is once again William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice (1596), “With bated breath, and whispring humblenesse.”

[Scott Philbrook]

I am attempting to follow the most current Red camera Avid workflow and am having no luck.

I have 2 hours of raw RED footage. I brought it into RedRushes 3.6 following the workflow instructions. The conversion time was about 8:1 real time. 16 hours for 2 hours of source footage. The RedRushes settings were to create Scaled 1280x720 QT's using the 720P DNx60/75 8 bit Codec.

After RedRushes finished, I created a 720P Avid Project thinking this would facilitate the fast import. However the ALE file that RedRushes generated would NOT IMPORT into any Avid project that wasn't 1080i. There appeared to be no way to modify the ALE for a 720P project. It also disregarded 4 or 5 columns of meta data, and when it did come in, it added a '"~g@" to the beginning of every single file that had to be manually removed in order for batch import to work.

When attempting to batch import all of the files into an Adrenaline Mac MC, the ONLY resolution option available in the Avid Adrenaline HD (Vers 2.7.5 - is this too old?) pulldown for the import was DNxHD-TR145, and the import does not seem to be a fast import at all. The import was coming in at 6:1 real time.

So my questions are:

1) Is 8:1 the best time on transcoding I can get on a dual core 2.66 Xeon with the debayer set at Half (Standard)?
2) Why is the fast import not working?
3) Why am I forced to create a 1080i project to import the ALE?
4) Why did the ALE Import add characters to the front of all the RED file names?
5) Why does the workflow refer to RedRushes as creating QT Reference files when what it is really doing is creating entirely new QT files?
6) Is there another workflow that would work better for me since I am at Avid 2.7.5, if that's what's causing my issues and if so, where can I find it?

Thank you.
Scott

[MichaelP]

You need to use MetaCheater to create the proper ALE when working in 720p since 720p is really a 59.94p format with 24fps inside of it controlled by 30fps timecode. A real bastard. ;)

Open up QT's
Select 24 to 30 down in the bottom right
go to settings and set to 23.976 and 720p
save EDL

merge as per normal steps.

Once imported in MC highlight the entire START column (click column header). Do a command D and select TC24. It will now convert back to original 24TC for online needs later.

Michael

[Michael Cioni]

Scott-
PlasterCITY has a realtime Avid workflow that enables our clients to receive MXF wrapped DNxHD files (most commonly clients request 115). This workflow can be delivered to you as files only or in the form of tape that can be captured by yourself via an ALE. The ALE will allow for auto-batch capturing and full connectability back to R3D source files. This is render free and allows for custom color correction or RedSpace LUTs to be applied to files prior to MXF wrapping.

best,
michael

[M Most]

Scott-
PlasterCITY has a realtime Avid workflow that enables our clients to receive MXF wrapped DNxHD files (most commonly clients request 115). This workflow can be delivered to you as files only or in the form of tape that can be captured by yourself via an ALE. The ALE will allow for auto-batch capturing and full connectability back to R3D source files. This is render free and allows for custom color correction or RedSpace LUTs to be applied to files prior to MXF wrapping.


While Plaster City is certainly a fine organization, I would also point out that the ability to do this is not proprietary to them. Any facility with a Scratch system capable of real time 2K playout (i.e., based on a Redboxx, Silverado, or Globalstor computer set up for the purpose) or a ScratchCine setup, and an Avid Media Composer with HD-SDI I/O can do the same thing. And there are a number of facilities that are so equipped.

[Martin Tlaskal]

Doesn't help you right now, but for interest, Baselight Transfer or any Baselight system with 4.1 installed will also be able to directly render DNxHD MXFs which an Avid can read. It's running about 10fps at present (from 2k Good debayer setting), but without needing video i/o or tying up a MediaComposer. Swings and roundabouts.. :-)