1.5
Table Of Contents
- Color User Manual
- Contents
- Welcome to Color
- Color Correction Basics
- Color Correction Workflows
- An Overview of the Color Workflow
- Limitations in Color
- Video Finishing Workflows Using Final Cut Pro
- Importing Projects from Other Video Editing Applications
- Digital Cinema Workflows Using Apple ProRes 4444
- Finishing Projects Using RED Media
- Digital Intermediate Workflows Using DPX/Cineon Media
- Using EDLs, Timecode, and Frame Numbers to Conform Projects
- Using the Color Interface
- Importing and Managing Projects and Media
- Creating and Opening Projects
- Saving Projects
- Saving and Opening Archives
- Moving Projects from Final Cut Pro to Color
- Before You Export Your Final Cut Pro Project
- Move Clips That Aren’t Being Composited to Track V1 in the Timeline
- Remove Unnecessary Video Filters
- Organize All Color Corrector 3-Way Filters
- Divide Long Projects into Reels
- Export Self-Contained QuickTime Files for Effects Clips You Need to Color Correct
- Use Uncompressed or Lightly Compressed Still Image Formats
- Make Sure All Freeze Frame Effects Are on Track V1
- Make Sure All Clips Have the Same Frame Rate
- Media Manage Your Project, If Necessary
- Recapture Offline Media at Online Quality, If Necessary
- Check All Transitions and Effects If You Plan to Render 2K or 4K Image Sequences for Film Out
- Using the Send To Color Command in Final Cut Pro
- Importing an XML File into Color
- Before You Export Your Final Cut Pro Project
- Importing EDLs
- EDL Import Settings
- Relinking Media
- Importing Media Directly into the Timeline
- Compatible Media Formats
- Moving Projects from Color to Final Cut Pro
- Exporting EDLs
- Reconforming Projects
- Converting Cineon and DPX Image Sequences to QuickTime
- Importing Color Corrections
- Exporting JPEG Images
- Configuring the Setup Room
- The File Browser
- Using the Shots Browser
- The Grades Bin
- The Project Settings Tab
- The Messages Tab
- The User Preferences Tab
- Monitoring Your Project
- Timeline Playback, Navigation, and Editing
- Basic Timeline Elements
- Customizing the Timeline Interface
- Working with Tracks
- Selecting the Current Shot
- Timeline Playback
- Zooming In and Out of the Timeline
- Timeline Navigation
- Selecting Shots in the Timeline
- Working with Grades in the Timeline
- The Settings 1 Tab
- The Settings 2 Tab
- Editing Controls and Procedures
- Analyzing Signals Using the Video Scopes
- The Primary In Room
- The Secondaries Room
- What Is the Secondaries Room Used For?
- Where to Start in the Secondaries Room?
- The Enabled Button in the Secondaries Room
- Choosing a Region to Correct Using the HSL Qualifiers
- Controls in the Previews Tab
- Isolating a Region Using the Vignette Controls
- Adjusting the Inside and Outside of a Secondary Operation
- The Secondary Curves Explained
- Reset Controls in the Secondaries Room
- The Color FX Room
- The Primary Out Room
- Managing Corrections and Grades
- The Difference Between Corrections and Grades
- Saving and Using Corrections and Grades
- Managing Grades in the Timeline
- Using the Copy To Buttons in the Primary Rooms
- Using the Copy Grade and Paste Grade Memory Banks
- Setting a Beauty Grade in the Timeline
- Disabling All Grades
- Managing Grades in the Shots Browser
- Managing a Shot’s Corrections Using Multiple Rooms
- Keyframing
- The Geometry Room
- The Still Store
- The Render Queue
- Appendix A: Calibrating Your Monitor
- Appendix B: Keyboard Shortcuts in Color
- Appendix C: Using Multi-Touch Controls in Color
- Appendix D: Setting Up a Control Surface
Setting Up a Control Surface
Color was designed from the ground up to support control surfaces specifically designed
for color correction from manufacturers such as Tangent and JL Cooper Designs. These
control surfaces typically include three trackballs that correspond to the three overlapping
tonal zones of the Primary and Secondary color balance controls (shadows, midtones,
and highlights), three rotary controls for the three contrast controls (black level, gamma,
and white point), and a number of other rotary controls and buttons that support different
functions depending on which room you’ve selected.
B3R3
B2
B1R1
R2
F1
M1
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
JOG SHUTTLE
M2 M3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
PAGE
M4 M5
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
F7
F8
F1
MEM
ALT
GRACE DELETE
OUTINMARK
CUE
DO UNDO
MORE
REDO
7
4
1
00 0
2 3
-
5 6 +
8
9
PREV NEXT
MODE
CLEAR
F2 F3 F7 F8 F9
F4 F5 F6
You can either choose a control surface to use when Color starts up, or click Show Control
Surface Dialog in the User Prefs tab of the Setup room to choose an available control
surface at any time. For more information on setting up a control surface, see Setting Up
a Control Surface. For more information on configuring a control surface from within
Color, see Control Surface Settings.
Using Onscreen Controls
If you don’t have a control surface, you can still operate every feature in Color using the
onscreen controls. In addition to the standard buttons, checkboxes, and pop-up menus
common to most applications, Color uses some custom controls that are described in
this section. See the referenced sections for more information on:
• Using the Mouse
• Tabs
• Using Text Fields and Virtual Sliders
• Using Timecode Fields
• Using Color Balance Controls
78 Chapter 3 Using the Color Interface