ALICE COLOR MANAGEMENT Instruction Manual As of: April 2003 ALL THEY MUST NOT BE COPIED FOR REPRODUCTION (E.G. ON IF YOU ARE DOWNLOADING WE ARTWORK, PICTURES AND TEXTS ARE COVERED BY OUR COPY-RIGHT. CD-ROM DISKS OR INTERNET-SITES) OR USED IN PDF-FILES THEIR ENTIRE FORM OR IN EXCERPTS WITHOUT OUR PREVIOUS WRITTEN AGREEMENT. FROM OUR INTERNET HOME-PAGE FOR YOUR PERSONAL USE, MAKE SURE TO CHECK FOR UPDATED VERSIONS.
Contents Contents Safety Instructions ......................................................... 3 3 The File Menu .................................................. 18 1 ALICE ARRILASER Interactive Configuration Editor........... 5 4 Configuration................................................... 20 2 Operation.......................................................... 7 4.1 2.1 Viewer area....................................................... 7 Timeline.........................................
5 Color Management for Video Look .................... 28 5.1 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3 Operation from ALICE ...................................... 28 Configuration of CMS node in ALICE................. 28 Soft clip Parameter ........................................... 29 Display settings ................................................ 30 Caution: This manual is an addendum to the existing ARRILASER instruction manual.
Introduction 1
The ALICE offers the fastest, easiest and safest way to generate a new image processing configuration file and gives visual control over the whole image process from the raw input sequence to the final images positioned on the film. General input parameters like start/end frame, calibration and loader-LUT can also be specified and will be transferred to the GUI input window when quitting and saving the ALICE window.
Operation 2 viewer area • • projectable area • pixel info film view • processed view • • display settings original view • timeline • • home button • configuration area 6
2.1 Viewer area To start ALICE click the ALICE Button beneath the image processing configuration list in the input tab of ALGUI. Any preselected image processing file will be applied in ALICE, as long as it is compatible with ALICE’s configuration. If not, or if no file is selected at all, ALICE will be opened with default settings. Geometry, loader LUT and calibration can be preselected before opening the ALICE window or inside the ALICE window.
Operation 2.1 Timeline • To change the displayed frame range, enter the start/end frame in the corresponding text field at the beginning and end of the timeline photo. The ‘cur‘ field shows photo the actual displayed frame number. Typing a particular number in that field will show this frame on the display. The ´inc´ value photo indicates the step width for moving through the timeline using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
Display Settings • By choosing an output format in the ‘projectable area‘ photo, internally the corresponding ‘projector mask’ is selected. The ‘projector mask‘, the ‘save title area’ or both together can be activated. Additionally the reserved region for the soundtrack and the frame line can be displayed. • Choose a zoom factor from the drop down list in the ‘display settings‘ area photo to zoom in/out (25% - 200%) or use the right mouse button or keyboard shortcuts.
Operation 2.2.
This chapter explains all available ALICE nodes and their parameters in a systematic way according to the standard GUI configuration. It is mainly intended as a reference. In this window a configuration file for the image processing can be build. Note: This configuration file works only together with the chosen geometry. See chapter 5.5, Image Processing of the ARRILASER Manual, for a detailed description of the image processing function.
Operation 2.2. Output Format Calibration • The determination of the ‘output format’ photo is a two-stage selection procedure: • Select the actual ‘calibration‘ photo and ‘loader LUT‘ photo for the used film stock and lab and the format conversion look-up-table (LUT). First the desired projection aspect ratio must be choosen (i.e.: 1:2,35 CS means squeezed for projection with cinemascope lenses). All available geometries for this aspect ratio will appear in the second drop down list.
• With the crop node a ‘crop area‘ photo can be specified by the x/y-size and the origin of the crop box in relation to the original image. By selecting a projection aspect ratio (e.g. 1.66) in the ‘output format’ node the maximum appropriate ‘crop area’ settings are adjusted automatically and, if necessary, the image is auto scaled to fit into the chosen ‘output format’. Operation 2.2.
Operation 2.2. Crop box handling with the aspect unlocked: If the image should not be cropped in order to get the selected output format the ´lock aspect´ button photo can be switched off. This mode allows to only downsize the aspect ratio starting from the chosen ratio in the ‘output format’ node. The result is a horizontallycentered image with a letterbox on both sides. Check in the film view for the look. The projectable image height remains constant according to the chosen projection aspect ratio.
To reset the crop box to its default, to maximize or center the crop box use the right mouse button, when the mouse is located in the image area. Operation 2.2.
Operation 2.2. Deinterlace The ‘deinterlace‘ photo node enables the merging of two fields of video originated frames. There are no arguments required. • For quick comparison between ‘deinterlace’ on/off toggle key D in the processed view mode. Pushing down the key will disable the effect on the image and the color of the icon will change to black & white. For ‘effect on’ release the key. Sharpen The ‘sharpen‘ node photo applies a sharpening process on the image.
The Color Management system (‘CMS‘ photo) node is used to apply high quality profiles for standard devices such as Sony HD Monitor and Kodak Vision print stock projected by a xenon lamp in order to bring the colors of the film output close to what can be seen on the monitor. • In the ‘CMS‘ node a monitor profile (M) and a print film profile (P) is selected. Operation 2.2.
The File Menu 3. 3 The File Menu ‘Preferences’ has three tabs: • Appearance: to adjust the background, perforation, film, soundtrack and frame line color in the film view. Transparency of soundtrack and frame line can also be adjusted. The general ALICE font can be changed as well. • Color Management: The profile for your workstation monitor can be selected here. It is necessary to make a selection in order to use the ´proof´ button.
• ‘Save configuration as…’ will open the file menu. The actual image processing configuration can be saved without leaving ALICE. • ‘Save job as…’ will save the actual job (including all settings from the ALGUI) without leaving ALICE. You will first be asked to save the image processing configuration file for that new job and then be prompted to save the job. Note: JPEG image saves the view as displayed, with a size according to the present magnification factor.
Configuration 4. 4 Configuration 4.1 Naming Conventions in ALICE On startup, ALICE analyzes all configuration files, directories and environment variables relevant for recording. In addition to the information stored in the files, there are some conventions for naming files.
Geometry files named ‘ipfullap*.cfg‘ are used as fullap geometries for intermed positive recording. For each supported pitch there must be one (and not more than one) ip fullap geometry file. ALICE is installed with ip fullap geometries for all supported pitches. Example: Format: xSize: ySize: xOffset: yOffset: xOrigin: yOrigin: pitch: pullDown: 2Kipfullap 2048 1583 0 0 1797 2352 1200.
Configuration 4.2. 22 4.2 Input Format File Specification Location of input format file Syntax of input format file The fully qualified path and filename of the input format file is specified in the environment variable ALICE_ INPUT_FORMAT_FILE. The suggested location is ‘c:\al\alice\config\aliceInputFormats.cfg‘. The syntax of the input format configuration file follows the general syntax of ARRILASER configuration files, as for example the film format file.
# examples of entries for images scanned from # cinemascope film, thus having a pixel aspect # of 1:2 : imageformat: 2k_cinemascope xSize : 2048 ySize : 1556 pixelAspect : 0.5 ALICE uses the following internal rules to determine the list of input formats: It internally maintains a list of input formats, consisting of the entries of the user defined file followed by predefined HD and SD formats. For any given input image, each format matching the size of the image is displayed in the input format panel.
Configuration 4.3. 24 4.3 Fine-tuning ALICE Memory Footprint Multi Threading The amount of memory ALICE consumes depends on the maximum image size to be processed, and the maximum size of its internal image cache. Besides running parallel to image loading and recording, the image processing can operate multi-threaded to make optimal use of the dual CPU system. The image cache limit can be influenced by the environment variable ALICE_MEM_FRACTION.
Together with ALICE comes the possibility to directly access DVS HDTV and SDTV disc recorders. Direct access to disc recorders is also possible via the command line interface (CLIF). The direct frame access uses the DVS API, and does not need the DVS virtual file system to be installed. Frames are accessed as raw YUV data, and converted to RGB by the ARRILASER software. The conversion follows the DVS SMPTE274cgr matrices, thus converting the video save range into full 16 bit range. 4.4.
Configuration 4.4.2. 4.4.2 Network Timeouts 4.4.3 Partition Change Policy Whenever browsing file servers or disc recorders with the ‘Open Sequence‘ dialog in ALICE, or the ‘Browse” dialog in the ALGUI, waiting for inactive servers can be annoying. Therefore timeouts can be adjusted in the network tab photo of the preferences panel of ALICE. On DVS disc recorders, frames of different sizes are stored in different partitions.
Frames on a disc recorder can be accessed by the alexpose command as files, using the protocol-like filename convention: ‘dr://///‘ e.g. ‘dr://mydiscrecorder/PART1/testclip/42‘ means frame 42 within the clip testclip. Frame enumerations starts with frame 0. Note: This is a name convention built in the CLIF and ALGUI software, not a protocol. Therefore, no extra drives have to be installed to use this feature.
Color Management 5. 28 5 Color Management for Video Look 5.1 Operation from ALICE 5.1.1 Configuration of CMS node in ALICE • Choose monitor profile ‘sony_hd‘ from the list beside M • Choose print film profile vision from the list beside P • Choose soft clip parameter from the list beside clip If you have your own ICC profiles, copy them into the folder ‘c:\al\ipconfig\icc‘. After restarting ALICE they will appear in the profile selection list beside M and P.
As the color gamuts of film and monitor are different, not all colors that are visible on the monitor can be reproduced on film. In order not to lose too much detail in those areas, it is required that either the lightness or the chromaticity of these areas is reduced. In the list of soft clips a preselection of recommended soft clips can be found.
Color Management 5.1.3. Note: • Go to file-preferences-Color Management. Choose workstation profile: ‘sony_hd.icm‘. There it can be judged, if the loss of resolution in those areas is acceptable, or not. If not, a soft clip can be applied. Using a soft clip, it is recognizable, that more colors are different to the original, but at the same time more detail can be achieved in back. 5.1.
fixed color: All out-of-gamut pixels are drawn with the out-of-gamut color selected in preferences. blend to fix color: The color of all out-of-gamut pixels is smoothly blended with the out-of-gamut color selected in preferences. The mixing ratio depends on the distance of the color to the gamut, so that colors being far outside the film gamut finally are displayed in the out-of-gamut color only.
Color Management 5.2. 5.2 Configuration 5.2.1 Monitor Setup 5.2.2 Film Setup Calibration of the HD class A reference monitor The vision print film profile is established under the following circumstances: The HD Monitor that has been used for the color timing shall be calibrated according to the following guidelines: • The color temperature shall be 6500K • 100% white shall be at a luminance of 80 cd/m2. • 20% gray shall be at a luminance of 2.2 cd/m2 32 Y U V 20% gray 2.
The CMS node syntax The Color Management node is part of the ARRILASER image processing system. It allows the use of all features of the Color Management through its scripting interface. Please refer to chapter 5.5, Image Processing Software Engine of the ARRILASER manual for detailed description of the image processing itself. The CMS node creates a 3D lookup table from the ICC profile specified as monitor and recorder profile.
Color Management 5.2.3. 34 Node type identifier and node arguments The Color Management node is identified by the keyword ‘CMS’.
Syntax of soft clip configuration file Colors outside the recorder gamut cannot be recorded without changes, since they do not exist on film. By default, these colors are hard clipped into the recorder gamut. To smoothly clip these colors, a compression of the monitor gamut has to be done. The strength of the compression can be controlled by the parameters given in the soft clip configuration file. This chapter explains the syntax and use of this file.
Color Management 5.2.4 For each entry in the soft clip configuration file, the following parameters are valid: soft clip name of the setting, used as value of soft clip parameter of the CMS node. Example: “mysoftclip”. DL dC dL.R dL.G dL.B dL.C dL.M dL.Y dC.R dC.G dC.B dC.C dC.M dC.
Gamut compression can be achieved in general by reducing the chroma of colors, thus moving colors slightly towards the gray axis. In the case of recording CRT monitor images to film, due to the fact that film gamut reaches its maximum chroma at lower levels of lightness than the monitor gamut, carefully reducing lightness also moves colors into the film gamut. Best results are achieved by balancing chroma and lightness reduction.
technical data are subject to change without notice © ARRI 2003 available languages: English ARNOLD & RICHTER CINETECHNIK Türkenstraße 89 • D-80799 München Phone +49-089-3809-0 • Fax +49-089-3809-1244 www.arri.
