Localization is a daily task in post production. This refers to preparing a timeline for delivering a multitude of different versions of a production. These versions could be different languages, graphics or footage. In addition to localizing the production, you could also have multiple versions of a timeline as different deliverables. For example a common scenario at the end of a production, you could be tasked with delivering a 10, 15 and 20 second version in English, a 10, 15 and 20 second ve...
Sep 14, 2017•17 min
This video continues with the Projector UV tracking functionality in Action. Part 2 shows you how to track projections on an extended bicubic surface. You would use the same workflow if you were using the deform mesh functionality in Action. This workflow is slightly different than projecting onto 3D models so this video is worth watching. We also talk about the workflow of applying animation and keyframes before using the Projector UV tracking to ensure it works correctly....
Sep 08, 2017•10 min
This video shows how you can customize a paint brush in desktop paint. You can save these brushes as custom presets and load them into any project to use in either Desktop Paint or Batch Paint.
Aug 30, 2017•8 min
In this video we’ll look at the setting marker durations using the Flame 2018.2 update. So now you can set marker durations over areas of the sequence as well as segment marker durations within a segment.
Aug 09, 2017•6 min
This video show you how to colour your segments in the sequence. You can colour code your all your segments with your Flame user or you can apply specific segment colouring through the contextual menus. This is a great functionality to track any segments in the sequence or if you just want to define each type segment with a different colour. This visual usability tool should be useful in all your Flame projects.
Aug 09, 2017•7 min
This video highlights the new Python Scripting in the Flame 2018.2 Update. This initial implementation mainly affects the Batch node compositing in the Flame products. So you are now able to automate a variety of tasks when integrating within a facility pipeline. This includes running a python script when launching Flame. There is also additional functionality to execute python scripts while Flame is currently running which allows you to validate python scripts directly in the Batch flow-graph a...
Aug 04, 2017•16 min
In this video you’ll learn about some of the enhanced UV tracking and shading that you can now use with Action Projectors in the Flame 2018.2 Update. This will definitely help you with various texture projection tasks as well as motion graphics type work.
Jul 25, 2017•11 min
In this video, you'll learn how to add items to the Action Contextual Menus by editing the XML text files. A great example of this is making your favourite matchbox shader available through the Action contextual menu. The contextual or right-click menus were introduced in the Flame 2018.2 Update and hopefully they have increased your usability and speed when working in the Action 3D compositor.
Jul 25, 2017•9 min
One of the most powerful VFX toolsets in the Flame Products is the Action 3D compositing environment. Action allows you to seamlessly blend two-dimensional images and 3D-models in an environment that has traditionally been node driven for maximum flexibility. So typically, your interaction would be a mixture of node bins and connecting nodes in the Action schematic. This is a fast and flexible way to work. But through the integration of the new Action contextual menus in the Flame 2018.2 update,...
Jul 25, 2017•10 min
In this short video, we’ll take a quick look at how you can now export different lists from the Flame 2018.2 Update. This can be really useful when working in the Flame products and you need to provide your producer or client with a list of various details from Flame. You can export any list view from Flame as an XML text file. This includes the file browser, Media Panel, Conform Events, Markers view and even the animation tables. Just ensure that you look at the tables in list view and you will...
Jul 25, 2017•4 min
In this video, we focus on a small but long time requested feature that editors and VFX artists use all the time. This is the ability to hide a selected segment or segments as you work within a sequence. It’s really quick and simple to use with either the contextual menus or keyboard shortcut.
Jul 25, 2017•3 min
Part 3 continues the Connected Conform Workflow and production progresses with the VFX. You’ll now start using Batch to create a more complicated composite with node based compositing. This will cover proper shot naming for VFX work as well as the Smart Replace function for automatic shot replace when rendering and replacing the same VFX media across all the sequences in the Connected Conform. And perhaps you might receive another version of the edit that also needs to be added to the Connected ...
Jul 25, 2017•14 min
Part 2 picks up from where you left off at Part 1 where you conformed the first edit in Flame and created the Connected Conform. Shortly after a new version of the edit was supplied and this was added into the Connected Conform. Now you’ll start adding standard VFX to all the sequences using the Shots Sequence. This allows you to apply the VFX once and it affects all the sequences within the Connected Conform. As as always… you will get revised edits of the production at any point and you’ll dea...
Jul 25, 2017•10 min
In this set of videos, you'll experience the Connected Conform Workflow with an enhanced usability through the Flame 2018.2 Update. The Connected Conform workflow allows you to share the same sources and VFX across multiple timelines. So if you're working on any production that has multiple versions or cut downs of an edit, you can make changes anywhere and all your sequences will remain in sync. The 2018.2 update now allows you to add more edits to the Connected Conform even at different stages...
Jul 25, 2017•9 min
This video picks up from part 2 when you have just conformed a sequence using Open Clips. At this point if you want to start versioning your media, you have two choices. If the media already exists, than you will use the Multi-version Open Clip. If the media does not exist yet and you want to create a place holder that can be monitored for media, than you will use the pattern Open Clip. The pattern Open Clip scenario is more common as new versions are typically introduced as the production progr...
Jul 25, 2017•15 min
In this video, you start your way through the key stages of accessing the Open Clip workflow. This video takes you through an example of creating Open Clips on import with the new Open Clip Creator. So you can create Open Clips without any scripting knowledge and get started straight away. Open Clips are treated as regular media clips when working in the Flame applications. So you can import, Conform, Edit and apply VFX using Open Clips.
Jul 25, 2017•12 min
In this video, you are given an introduction to the Open Clip Workflow in the Flame Products. The Open Clip allows you to version external media within your master timeline. So as new versions are delivered from other applications, CGI or VFX, you can choose to use these new versions or automatically update the Open Clips to reflect the latest version of the media. The Flame 2018.2 Update introduce a new easy way to create open clips without any scripting knowledge allowing anyone at any skill l...
Jul 25, 2017•6 min
In this video, you’ll learn the correct workflow to trim multiple segments in the sequence simultaneously. Trimming multiple edits comes down to selecting the segments correctly and not selecting the cuts or transitions between the edits. You’ll also learn how to select multiple segments in the sequence using the Timeline Search window.
Jun 21, 2017•4 min
In this short video, we look at how to slip media under a Timewarp TimelineFX. Normally when it comes to a speed change, speed ramp or timewarp, if you have to slip the source media, any applied VFX animation to the segment is also slipped with the footage. That might be fine in most cases if you want to change the start point of your media and keep the VFX animation in sync to the source media. However there are times when the VFX keyframe animation starts at the right time but the footage does...
May 18, 2017•3 min
In this extended video we discuss the fundamentals of Sequence Publish for sharing media from Flame to external 3rd party applications. Sharing media can refer to the source media but it can also include any media caching or renders done in Flame. So when it comes to sequence publishing, media is being source from multiple locations to give you the most comprehensive sequence sharing experience possible. This advanced level video covers the sequence publish process as well as detailed explanatio...
May 05, 2017•18 min
In this video, we’ll continue to look at the Gmask improvements and focus on the selection enhancements that affect the Gmask splines and to some degree extended bi-cubic vertices as well. Using a new set of selection rules, it easier than ever before to mask or rotoscope your work without worry about overlapping objects in the composite.
Apr 24, 2017•8 min
A few versions back we introduced the Action Gmask and Gmask Tracer node in Batch. This masking and rotoscoping tool is built to take on every day post production tasks but there is always room for improvement. Based on user feedback, there have been some enhancements in the Flame 2018.1 update and this will affect Gmask display preferences and general vertex selection. This video will cover the display preferences and another video will cover the vertex selection.
Apr 24, 2017•6 min
In this update video on Batch Paint, we’ll run through the updated workflow using the consolidate feature when painting brush strokes on a canvas. This was introduced in Flame 2018 but it has been modified in the Flame 2018.1 update for technical reasons and user feedback.
Apr 24, 2017•4 min
This video takes you through the workflow of using the Keyboard Shortcut Editor to customize your own shortcuts or hotkeys. In the Flame 2018.1 update, the workflow has been updated to clarify the shortcuts in new categories. The on-screen keyboard has also been updated to dynamically show you what keystrokes are available for newly assigned keyboard shortcuts. This new built-in functionality should make assigning keyboard shortcuts much easier than previous versions of Flame....
Apr 24, 2017•8 min
When working in Flame, you can use all the new Marker functionality to keep track of your work within the Flame Products. However there is always the scenario when your producer or client is not around and you need to send them a draft version of the sequence. Now you can already burn information into the image using the burn-in metadata tool and this can provide details such as tape name, timecodes, segment information etc. In the Flame 2018.1 update, you can now burn marker information into th...
Apr 24, 2017•6 min
This video will run through the updated functionality with Markers and Segment Markers in a clip or sequence. These redesigned tools will help you stay informed when working with a sequence as well as carrying over a wealth of information when importing sequences from other editing applications.
Apr 24, 2017•10 min
This video looks at using Object IDs generated from a 3D composite as a means of further refining your images. This requires your Object ID data-pass to be at least 16-bit float point. You’ll learn how to generate an Object ID pass in the Action compositor as well as two workflows using Object IDs in the Flame products. The first workflow occurs in Batch and uses a Matchbox GLSL shader node to use the Object IDs when isolating parts of the comp in the node flow graph. The second workflow occurs ...
Mar 24, 2017•11 min
This video features a new texturing technique for 3D geometry called Tri-Planar Mapping. This mapping technique allows you to create seamless organic texturing with minimal stretching over the 3D geometry. This can be used for a wide variety of texturing requirements. This is achieved by mapping the texture three times on the X, Y and Z axes of the model and than blending the textures together for a clean texture. You might be using this great texturing technique more than you think!...
Mar 17, 2017•9 min
In part 4 of the Batch Paint Series, you'll learn how to animate brush strokes over time. This can be useful for writing text, revealing matte, image clean up and loads more creative tasks. In other applications, this may be known as Stroke or Write-On. Previously this functionality was only available in Desktop Paint. With the Flame 2018 products, it's now available as a Batch Paint option.
Mar 10, 2017•9 min
This video series shows you the conforming workflow in the Flame 2018 Products. These workflows particularly apply to Flame and Flame Assist. Part 2 shows a more advanced conforming workflow when no media links to the conformed sequence. This could be for a variety of technical reasons. But through the use of Match Criteria, the events list as well as continuity checking, you should be able to take on very tricky conforms and link their media.
Mar 03, 2017•14 min
