Your Apple Rocket WorkFlow - Chime In

[Anson Fogel]

OK, who has a solid Rocket-based workflow on a Mac pro? In another thread I talk about my frustration - I need to get some work done, and I've got clients that are editing and finishing in ProRes 1920 444, not using proxy based flow. Thus the rocket...what is working for you? Is RocketCineX more solid than RedCineX? Are you getting solid enough results from a RedCineX flow? What about flows with Flight Director, etc? How are you dealing with MetaData/project saves in the various app options?

Mine (not going well) was simple post-rocket purchase I had hoped -
ClipFinder for selects in projects with long clips or lots of takes/files
RedCineX for grading, in out points, and rocket renders to prores 444 1920, then out of red world, deliver to client or edit in FCP online.
Using original filenames allows future reconnect in Color if possible/desirable. For now grade ProRes 444 in color.

But RedCineX is killing me (RED working on it, maybe its me) see thread at http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41836 - so I'm lost in the woods a bit and under deadlines that depend now on rocket.

What works for you? Let us know what other stuff you have in your machine as well so we can try to correlate what other cards (Aja, etc) in what slots seem to make the rocket/red apps most happy....I have Rocket in slot 4, CalDigit ESATA in slot 1, ATI 4870 in slot 2, BlackMagic Decklink in slot 3. Monitoring rocket via SDI out to AJA converter....but monitor off during renders....

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Hi Anson,

I saw your other thread with the troubles. My experience with Redcine-x has been a little better, but it does crash here and there, for batch conversion I'm still using Rocketcine. It doesn't have as many adjustment features, but is still pretty good for a one light pass and batch conversion to ProRes4444.

I don't bother with trying to fumble around redcine-x and in/out points, etc.. too problematic right now. I get in, tweak, transcode and leave. Depending on what I'm working on, my current workflow lately has been a transcode to ProRes 4444 at either 2K or 4K. I'll just convert all the clips and import them to FCP and go.

Both apps have been pretty stable as far as rendering and I haven't had any crashes while rendering on the most recent builds. I've had other odd crashes like the apps crashing when I go to change the output folder or edit a render preset.

Your slot configuration is a little strange. You have the ATI 4870, so I'm assuming this is July '08, or newer, Mac Pro. That being the case, you should have the 4870 in slot-1 - the bottom slot. Next up should be the Rocket in slot 2. Decklink in Slot 3 and your top slot (4) should be the eSATA card. On '08 and '09 Mac Pros, Slots 1 and 2 are PCI-E 2.0 X16. Slots 3 and 4 are X4 slots and are PCI-E 1.1 on the '08 system and 2.0 on the '09 system.

My Rocket system is an '09 Mac Pro 8-core 2.93GHz w/ 16GB.
Slot 1: nVidia GTX285
Slot 2: RED ROCKET
Slot 3: AJA Kona3
Slot 4: ATTO R380

I'm running an HP LTO-4 and an 8TB RAID-5 off the ATTO card. I had a Kona LHi, which actually made more sense in this system. But it just did not like running in Slot 3 or 4, so I swapped for the Kona3 -- temporarily traded cards with someone. AJA is aware of the issue, have been for a while, I don't know if there will be a fix or not.

Prior to adding the Kona card into this workstation, I had a CalDigit RAID card in Slot-3 and an ATTO H680 in Slot-4. I actually liked that better as I had 12TB of external RAID storage with that configuration and the second port on the ATTO card could be used with a SAS to 4X ESATA fan-out cable. But I had to consolidate to get the Kona card in there. I'm waiting for the 12-core Mac Pros to drop and I'll pick up a new system then. Probably look for a deal on a 2.26GHz 8-core or even a used XServe and start hosting my backups and a few other things there to free up this workstation a bit more.

[Anson Fogel]

Jeff,

Thanks for advice - cards moved. One other variable that research suggests makes a difference - is your rocket machine snow leopard?

Anson

[MichaelP]

For dailies creation, I much prefer Rocket Cine X. Although I am doing DNxHD, the workflow is the same. I am on a Mac Snow Leopard.

Michael

[Daniel Dávila]

My workflow is no perfect yet, but it works in short projects:
1-edit in FCP with proxies or low res QT´s
2-export XML
3-open import clips from XML in Clipfinder
4-(here´s the bad part) use the list of clips in Clipfinder as a guide for import clips in RedCine-X (or Rocketcine). I haven`t figured a way to import the clips automatic.
5-grade and export clips in QT (I just render the whole clips)
6-use the conform tool with your first XML in Clipfinder pointing to the new QT media
7-import the XML in FCP, it should be connected to the graded media
8-if needed, you can send it to Color for further grading

Sure I would like to know a better option!

I´m about to buy a Decklink SDI for the Rocket Macpro, do anyone has tried this combination? (I think the best will be when FCP and Color can use the Rocket to monitor out)

Greetings

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Jeff,

Thanks for advice - cards moved. One other variable that research suggests makes a difference - is your rocket machine snow leopard?

Yes it is. OSX 10.6.2

[Luca Immesi]

My workflow is no perfect yet, but it works in short projects:
1-edit in FCP with proxies or low res QT´s
2-export XML
3-open import clips from XML in Clipfinder
4-(here´s the bad part) use the list of clips in Clipfinder as a guide for import clips in RedCine-X (or Rocketcine). I haven`t figured a way to import the clips automatic.
5-grade and export clips in QT (I just render the whole clips)
6-use the conform tool with your first XML in Clipfinder pointing to the new QT media
7-import the XML in FCP, it should be connected to the graded media
8-if needed, you can send it to Color for further grading

Sure I would like to know a better option!

I´m about to buy a Decklink SDI for the Rocket Macpro, do anyone has tried this combination? (I think the best will be when FCP and Color can use the Rocket to monitor out)

Greetings

You can do FCP>Clipfinder>Redcine X>Clipfinder>FCP>Color
Export an xml from FCP
In Clipfinder File>Import clips from FCP XML
(if you previously edit with offline prores choose Tools>replace mov with R3D or skip to next step)
Edit>Select All and copy the R3Ds
Make a new folder in you system and Paste the R3Ds
In Redcine X open the folder with the browser
Grade and render
In Clipfinder Tools>Run conform from FCP XML
XML input file choose the XML previously exported from FCP
XML output file choose a name and a destination
In Clip Directories put the path to the clips rendered with Redcine X
Open the new XML with FCP
Send to Color

If you feel brave you can disable the safe mode in Clipfinder and using the L&T function to move only the clips used in FCP editing.

[Luca Immesi]

And now with the new version of Clipfinder you can import FCP sequence into Redcine X.
http://www.hamingja.ch/