3D vegas and cineform problem

[Ian Knowles]

Im new to this forum so let me just take this opportunity to say Hi,

My problem is a little bit strange but well within the realms of this forum. I perform AV shows with cut bits of video and self made content with music. I also scratch (DJ wiki wiking lol) video live so I had to make a choice on codec that was a low load on CPU, compressed and used only I frames. Cineform ticked all the right boxes, reminded me of Indeo for performance but with all the extra quality and it also has the benfits of creating a really fast workflow for me and being able to use it as an intermediate and final perfomance codec.

Obviously I have been doing this for a while now and have been plotting away to do a 3D show. Problem being up until now I have never had an easy workflow for this until vegas 10 landed. I absolutely love the fact the the cineform files are saved the way they are with 2 streams that only one thumbnail shows and when they are imported into vegas it detects the correct 3D mode. Brilliant as I only have to do a little extrawork at the aquisition of 3D content stage converting to cineform inside vegas. I can keep my workflow from there on exactly the same.

The problem arises when I come to render off my work in vegas with the cineform codec. It forces 2 streams only and doesn't allow me to have just 1 stream with the video side-by-side. Any other format allows me to this put I really need cineform for the afore mentioned reasons. Anyone have a clue on how to save from vegas 10 as full side-by-side to cineform codec?

[John Reeve]

Originally Posted by Ian Knowles

Im new to this forum so let me just take this opportunity to say Hi,

My problem is a little bit strange but well within the realms of this forum. I perform AV shows with cut bits of video and self made content with music. I also scratch (DJ wiki wiking lol) video live so I had to make a choice on codec that was a low load on CPU, compressed and used only I frames. Cineform ticked all the right boxes, reminded me of Indeo for performance but with all the extra quality and it also has the benfits of creating a really fast workflow for me and being able to use it as an intermediate and final perfomance codec.

Obviously I have been doing this for a while now and have been plotting away to do a 3D show. Problem being up until now I have never had an easy workflow for this until vegas 10 landed. I absolutely love the fact the the cineform files are saved the way they are with 2 streams that only one thumbnail shows and when they are imported into vegas it detects the correct 3D mode. Brilliant as I only have to do a little extrawork at the aquisition of 3D content stage converting to cineform inside vegas. I can keep my workflow from there on exactly the same.

The problem arises when I come to render off my work in vegas with the cineform codec. It forces 2 streams only and doesn't allow me to have just 1 stream with the video side-by-side. Any other format allows me to this put I really need cineform for the afore mentioned reasons. Anyone have a clue on how to save from vegas 10 as full side-by-side to cineform codec?

Hi Ian,

I think I can see what you are trying to accomplish but I use a much different approach to dealing with Cineform3D files. I also don't understand how you are making your Cineform3D files? Are you converting your cameras RAW files to Cineform and then muxing them in Firstlight? Or are you just working with a pair of 2D cineforms? If you are working with a Pair of 2D files go and mux your files with firstlight, and then come back to this. To work with the Cineform Codec you must purchase a Neo Product.

When you install one of the Cineform "Neo" products you get an app called "StereoModeStatus". This app shows up in the tool bar and is responsible for how your computer displays cineform content. By setting the stereo mode status to "side by side", all your Cineform 3D content will become side by side instantly. This means that you can now render to another codec or generate a 2D DVD in side by side.

Your end result should not be to get Vegas to output a side by side cineform. All muxed 3D cineform files are capable of being displayed in side by side mode without any rendering, simply by changing the stereo mode status (SMS) app.

Cineform is an intermediate codec. If you want to save a master copy in Cineform you are forced to output two streams and then ReMux those streams with firstlight. Then you can set the SMS to SxS and you are able to export from that file too.

I hope that helps. by the way there is a dedicated Cineform Software Showcase in DVinfo. You can get support for firstlight and remaster / hdlink there when they break down. =)

-John

[Ian Knowles]

Cheers for the reply was unaware of the StereoModeStatus app. I only have NeoScene but it seems its a little more intergrated with vegas giving extra functionality to the 3D workflow.

Think you missed the problem though. I know in most cases "Your end result should not be to get Vegas to output a side by side cineform." but I need my final files to playback in side by side as I am using a dual projection rig for my gigs the a matrox splitter and although I could render of each view seperately and remux them. This adds massive workloads as I quite often have to change parts of the show quite fast and rerender hence if I could just tell cineform to playback side by side by default my workflow would be dramatically reduced on that note I will be checking for the stereomode app when I am back in the studio and I will report back to you.

Thanks again,

Ian