PUB. DIE-0407-000B 1 C Y P O Canon XF Utility Instruction Manual Windows Version 1.
Table of Contents 03 Introduction 03 About Canon XF Utility 03 Conventions in the Manual 17 Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips 17 18 04 Starting Up XF Utility 04 Exiting XF Utility 05 Overview of the Main Window 05 Media panel 06 Clips panel 06 Preview panel 07 Checking Clips Using CF Cards Reading a CF card with the computer Removing a CF card from the computer 08 08 Using the Camcorder Directly Connecting a camcorder equipped with a USB terminal to the computer Disconnecting the
Introduction Introduction About Canon XF Utility Canon XF Utility offers various options for managing and playing back clips recorded with Canon HD camcorders compatible with MXF files. Following are some of the things that Canon XF Utility lets you do. 03 Checking and playing back clips Display a list of all the clips recorded on a CF card, search the list and play back clips.
Running XF Utility Running XF Utility Starting Up XF Utility Double-click the Canon XF Utility shortcut icon on the desktop. After a short while, the application’s main window will appear. 04 Double-click NOTES Y P O • Multiple instances of XF Utility cannot be opened simultaneously. • If Windows’ display font size is changed from the default 96 dpi, some text and buttons on the main window or dialog boxes may not be displayed correctly. Exiting XF Utility C Using the menu: Click File > Exit.
Overview of the Main Window Overview of the Main Window Media Panel Clips Panel 05 Preview Panel Media Panel Shows a list of CF cards and virtual media (0 22) –folders on the computer that can be used in the same way as CF cards–. In the manual, CF cards and virtual media are collectively referred to as “media”. Clips panel Shows a list of the clips saved in the selected media. You can change the display mode of this panel (0 9).
Overview of the Main Window Clips panel Shows a list of the clips recorded on the media selected in the media panel. You can change the way the clips are displayed in the panel using the display mode tool buttons, or use the search toolbar to search or filter clips by different criteria. In the center of the status bar you will see information regarding the number of selected clips and their total duration and file size.
Checking Clips Checking Clips Using CF Cards After you have finished recording video with your camcorder, you can use a computer to read, access and save the clips it contains. 07 Reading a CF card with the computer Connect a commercially available card reader compatible with CompactFlash memory cards to your computer. Start up XF Utility and then insert the CF card into the card reader. When the CF card is correctly recognized*, it will appear in the list of available media in the media panel.
Checking Clips Using the Camcorder Directly If your camcorder features a USB terminal, you can connect the camcorder directly to a computer using a USB cable. In such case, if CF cards are inserted in both CF card slots, both CF cards will appear in the media panel at the same time and you will be able the access and work on clips from both media. 08 Connecting a camcorder equipped with a USB terminal to the computer 1. Power the camcorder using the compact power adapter.
Checking Clips Clip List View When you select a CF card or a virtual media in the media panel (쐃), a list of all the clips in the media will appear in the clips panel (쐇). When you select multiple media, all of the clips they contain will be displayed in the clips area. 쐃 09 쐇 Changing the way clips are displayed You can change the way clips appear in the clips panel using the Display Mode tool buttons or the options in the View menu.
Checking Clips Icons displayed on thumbnails When you change the display mode to one of the views that display thumbnails, the following icons may appear next to the thumbnail to give you additional information about the clip. Relay recording icon , , Appears for clips created when you continuously record video spanning two or more CF cards. The icon displayed depends on the position of the clip in the series: first clip, clip in the middle, or last clip.
Checking Clips Selecting the columns shown in detailed information view You can customize the information displayed in detailed information view by adding or removing columns and rearranging the order in which they are displayed. 1. Click View > Customize Columns. 2. Select the fields you want to display in detailed information view. 11 • Check the fields you want to display and remove the checkmark from fields you do not want to display (쐃). Scroll down to view all the available fields.
Checking Clips Displaying Additional Details About a Clip In addition to the clips panel, you can open three other information windows that offer a large number of additional details about a selected clip. These windows do not require any user input (they are modeless dialog boxes) so you can have them open all the time and use them as a reference while you work on the clips in the main window.
Importing and Writing Back Clips Importing and Writing Back Clips Importing Clips into the Computer You can import clips from a CF card displayed in the media panel to the computer. You can import all the clips at once or select which clips to import. You can also select multiple CF cards to import in one go all the clips they contain. 13 Importing all clips at once (Media Backup) You can import all the clips contained in a CF card at once by backing up the CF card.
Importing and Writing Back Clips Importing selected clips You can select which clips to import to the computer from the clips recorded on a CF card. In such case, you will need to create in advance a virtual media in the local folder on the computer where you want to save the clips. 1. If necessary, create a new virtual media (0 22). 2. In the media panel, select the CF card that contains the clips you want to import (쐃). 14 • You can select multiple CF cards. 3.
Importing and Writing Back Clips IMPORTANT 15 • While writing back to the camcorder clips that were previously saved on the computer, please observe the following precautions. Failing to do so may result in corrupted clips that cannot be played back on the camcorder. - Do not remove the CF card and do not remove the CF card reader from the computer. - Do not open any of the CF card slot covers on the camcorder. - Do not disconnect the USB cable. - Do not turn off the camcorder or the computer.
Importing and Writing Back Clips 5. To rename the exported files, check the Rename Files box and enter the desired file name in the field below it (). • To number multiple MXF files consecutively enter the starting number in the Initial Value for Consecutive Numbers field (). You can check the Remember Consecutive Numbering box below it to automatically continue the consecutive numbering also for future export operations. 6.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Playing Back Clips You can play back the clip currently selected in the clips panel. 1. In the clips panel, select the clip you want to play back (쐃). • The video display area will show the first frame from the clip. 2. Click 17 to start the playback (쐇) or double-click the clip in the clips area. • The playback position slider and time code display will advance as the clip is played back.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Adjusting the volume and selecting output channels Drag the volume slider to adjust the playback volume. You can click to temporarily mute the sound ( ). Click on the audio channel selection buttons ( CH1 or CH2) to select the audio channel that will be played back. Click to mute the audio Volume slider 18 Audio channel selection Changing the playback position You can change the playback position during playback or in playback pause mode in the following ways.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Playing back clips recorded using Canon Log gamma Clips that were recorded using Canon Log gamma will look darker when played back in their original form. When playing back such clips (marked by the icon in the clips panel), you can click or press the B key to apply a LUT (lookup table), which is a color profile that will let you see the video closer to how it could appear in your final results.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips 3. Click Search All (쐋). • XF Utility will search all the clips in the selected media and display in the clips panel only those clips that meet the search criteria. • When you want to further narrow down and refine the search results, repeat the procedure entering additional criteria and click Narrow Results (쐏). 4. Click Display All (쐄) to reset the search and display all the clips in the selected media.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Managing Clips Using standard cut, copy, paste and drag & drop operations you can copy, move and delete the clips stored in virtual media. 21 Copying clips You can copy clips from a virtual media to other media. 1. In the media panel, select the virtual media that contains the clips you want to copy (쐃). 2. In the clips panel, select the clips you want to copy (쐇).
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Managing Virtual Media Virtual media are simply local folders on the computer where you can save and organize clips. You can create, set, rename or delete virtual media as necessary. 22 Creating virtual media Create virtual media to easily organize clips on your computer. Virtual media have the same folder structure as CF cards so XF Utility will recognize virtual media and be able to handle them in exactly the same way as CF cards. 1.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips 3. Click OK. • The selected folder will no longer be set as virtual media and will be removed from the media panel. NOTES • After you remove the virtual media, you can select Set Virtual Media to set the folder as virtual media again. 23 Renaming virtual media You can rename virtual media, for example, to give backup folders a more descriptive name. 1. In the media panel, select the virtual media that you want to rename. 2. Click File > Rename Virtual Media.
Playing Back, Searching and Managing Clips Checking a Media's Properties You can display the properties of a media to check the type of clips (NTSC/PAL/24.00P) that are contained. Also, for virtual media, you can check the local folder on the computer that contains the files. 1. In the media panel, right-click on the media whose properties you want to check and select 24 Media Properties from the contextual menu that opens (쐃). • ·The Media Properties dialog box will open. 2.
Editing Clips and Associated Metadata Editing Clips and Associated Metadata Editing Marks When a clip contains shot marks or event marks, these marks will appear in the preview panel, below or above the playback position slider. 25 Shot mark There are two types of shot marks, Mark 1 and Mark 2, that you can add freely at any point in the clip. The icon is the same regardless of the shot mark type. Event mark Event marks are added automatically while recording in response to predefined changes.
Editing Clips and Associated Metadata Checking marks You can click Mark List to display a list of all the shot- and event marks in a clip. 쐃 26 쐇 쐋 ̈ To jump to a marked position Select from the mark list the shot- or event mark you want to check (쐃) and click Jump (쐇). The playback position slider will jump to the selected mark and the marked frame will appear in the video display area.
Editing Clips and Associated Metadata 4. Click Save (쐇) to save the edited metadata with the clip. 쐃 27 쐃 쐇 Y P O ̈ To add or remove an j or Z mark 쐃 Select the Status field and double-click its current value. 쐇 Select the desired value from the list. • Select None to remove the current mark, OK to add or change the current mark to an j mark or Check to add or change the current mark to a Z mark. Both marks cannot be added simultaneously.
Editing Clips and Associated Metadata ̈ To edit User Memo fields 쐃 Select Clip Title, Creator, Location or Description and double-click its current value. • The Edit User Memo dialog box will open. 쐇 Edit each field as necessary and click OK. • You can enter up to 1000 characters into the description field and a maximum of 100 characters for the other 3 fields. • If you prefer, you can leave some of the fields blank.
Managing User Memo Profiles Managing User Memo Profiles User Memo profiles contain useful identifying information, such as a clip’s title, creator, shooting location or brief description. Create User Memo profiles using XF Utility and save them on an SD memory card in advance. Then, you can read a User Memo file from the memory card to the camcorder and use it for recording.
Managing User Memo Profiles Editing a User Memo Profile You can read a User Memo file previously saved on an SD memory card or in a local folder to edit the information it contains. 1. Connect a commercially available card reader to your computer and insert the SD memory card that contains the User Memo file you want to edit. 30 2. Click File > Manage User Memo Profiles. • The Manage User Memo Profiles dialog box will open. 3.
Managing User Memo Profiles Deleting a User Memo Profile Using XF Utility you can delete User Memo files saved on an SD memory card. 1. Connect a commercially available card reader to your computer and insert the SD memory card that contains the User Memo file you want to delete. 2. Click File > Manage User Memo Profiles. 31 • The Manage User Memo Profiles dialog box will open. 3. Check the Card Only box and select the drive of the card reader where the SD memory card is inserted. 4.
Reference and General Information Reference and General Information Menus and Keyboard Shortcuts Following the table for the main commands in the menu bar, you will find commands that appear in contextual menus that open when you right-click certain icons. 32 Menu bar Menu submenu Keyboard Shortcut Function 0 File Eject — Removes a CF card from the media panel. 7 Back Up Media — Copies all the clips in a CF card to a virtual media in a local folder on the computer.
Reference and General Information Menu submenu Keyboard Shortcut Function 0 View 33 Large Thumbnails Q Changes the display mode of the clips panel to large thumbnails. Small Thumbnails W Changes the display mode of the clips panel to small thumbnails. Thumbnails with Information E Changes the display mode of the clips panel to thumbnails with additional details about the clips. Detailed Information R Changes the display mode of the clips panel to tabular, detailed view.
Reference and General Information Contextual menus Following is a list of menus that appear when you right-click certain icons. The contextual menu displayed will depend on the location of the mouse pointer at the time of clicking. Contextual menu in the media panel 34 Menu Keyboard Shortcut Eject — Removes a CF card from the media panel. 7 Backup Media — Copies all the clips in a CF card to a virtual media in a local folder on the computer. 13 Create Virtual Media G Creates a virtual media.
Reference and General Information Troubleshooting Error Messages Following is a partial list of error messages in alphabetical order. Cannot add a shot mark to this frame. • A shot mark cannot be added to the first frame of a clip. Click and try adding the short mark again. 35 (Next Frame) to advance a few frames Cannot add the shot mark. A single clip can have up to 100 shot marks. • The clip already has the maximum number of shot marks (100 marks).
Reference and General Information Cannot detect the virtual media. (The path of the virtual media is *****) The virtual media may be used by connecting the external storage that contains the virtual media. OK to delete the virtual media? • The local folder on the computer where the virtual media was stored cannot be found or was not correctly detected.
Reference and General Information Folder for backup files not found. • Check the local folder on the computer designated as the backup folder. Media not found. • The local folder on the computer where the virtual media was stored cannot be found or was not correctly detected. Display the Media Properties (0 34) and check that the displayed path exists and is correct. • The CF card was removed. Reinsert the CF card into a card reader connected to the computer. 37 Memory card is not detected.
