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
The Contents of Color Projects
Color projects are actually bundles. Inside each Color project bundle is a hierarchical
series of directories, each of which contains specific components belonging to that
project, which are either image or XML files. It’s possible to open a Color bundle using
the Show Package Contents command in the Finder. The directory structure and contents
of these bundles are described here.
• Archives directory: Contains all the saved archives of that project. Each archive is
compressed using both .tar and .gzip compression (a “tarball”) and is identified with
the .tgz extension.
• .lsi file: This is an image file that contains the frame at the position of the playhead
when you last saved.
• .pdl file: This is the XML-based project file itself, which contains all the information
that organizes the shots, timing, and grades used in that project.
• Shots directory: Each shot in your project’s Timeline has a corresponding subdirectory
here. Each subdirectory contains some or more of the following:
• Grade1 (through 4) subdirectories: These directories contain all the correction files
associated with that grade.
• ShotName.lsi file: This is that shot’s thumbnail as displayed in the Timeline.
• ShotName.si file: This file contains that shot’s name, media path, and timing
information.
• Grade_Name.date.pcc: Primary correction description
• Grade_Name.date.scc: Secondary correction description
• Grade_Name.date.cfx: Color FX correction description
• PanAndScan subdirectory: This directory contains a .kfd file that stores keyframe
data and a .pns file that stores pan and scan data.
• shot_notes.txt file: If a note is present for that shot, it’s saved here.
• StillStore directory: This directory contains all the Still Store images that you’ve saved
for reference within that project. Each reference still has two corresponding files, an
.lsi file which is that image’s thumbnail icon and a .sri file which is the full-resolution
image (saved using the DPX image format).
Important: It is not recommended that you modify the contents of Color project files
unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Making changes manually could cause
unexpected problems.
94 Chapter 4 Importing and Managing Projects and Media