FirstLight: how to correctly Load Snapshot?

[Alex Raskin]

Suppose I have two clips loaded in FL.

Made all necessary adjustments to Clip A and Saved Snapshot.

Then I'd like to apply these same adjustments to Clip B. I highlight Clip B and Load Snapshot that I just saved. However, everything looks wrong - either too washed out, or otherwise unholy.

I usually start playing with the 2D curves - changing back and forth a couple times from the drop-down menu usually restores peace.

But why is this happening? What is the correct procedure to apply a saved snapshot to a different clip? I'd expect this to be very painless...

[David Newman]

I never use snapshot as it is no where need as powerful as a simple copy and paste. Select clip A, Ctrl+C, select clip B, Ctrl+V. If you only want some parameters to go across to the second clip use Shift+Ctrl+V.

[Geoff Gartside]

I have the same problem when applying a snapshot.

Usually I increase exposure and contrast settings by a similar amount with our Red footage to give a "normal" look to the image. When I save that snapshot and apply it to a subsequent (similar looking) shot, it burns it out, even though the sliders move correctly to their new positions. Resetting the sliders does not reset the image properly either.

This has only started to happen since upgradng to (Neo4K) 5.1.2.271.

I think that being able to save a snapshot is a very useful feature, and would like it to work properly possible.

[Alex Raskin]

Geoff, have you tried the copy-paste workaround, as proposed by David? Did it work for you?

[David H. Wilson]

Originally Posted by David Newman

I never use snapshot as it is no where need as powerful as a simple copy and paste. Select clip A, Ctrl+C, select clip B, Ctrl+V. If you only want some parameters to go across to the second clip use Shift+Ctrl+V.

This is what I've always done and it seems to work perfectly. I tried snapshot in the early days for FL somehow it never made sense for me. I turned to copy/paste and it has always worked seamlessly for me.

[Geoff Gartside]

Yes, copy & paste works fine - I just find it convenient to save a snapshot so that when I come across a shot from a batch which I've worked on previously I can recall the snap to get a quiick correction.

I guess that was the reason CineForm develoed it in the first place!

Alex, do you have the same problem as me in not being able to reset the blown out image you get when applying the snapshot, by using the sliders? I discovered that I can reset it by having the data on the clipbord, applying ctrl-V (which copies the new settings correctly), and then resetting the sliders.

For my money Snapshot is a useful feature and CineForm should get it working properly.

[Alex Raskin]

Definitely they should. I hope they are going to fix this issue in the next release of the software - CF is pretty good at listening to users' input, usually.

Glad there's a workaround though. (Didn't have the opportunity to really test it yet, personally. Will soon.)

[David Newman]

I just need a quick test of the snapshot and it is work fine. The only parameter it don't change here was input(encode) curve, and it shouldn't be changing that, as that is modeling the source image not the output. Are you commonly changing the encoding curve, if so why?

[Geoff Gartside]

We've been working mostly with Cineform RAW, but the problem is the same with RGB444.
It's only happened since we changed from Prospect 4K to Neo4K

When FL opens it's default Input curve is SiLog and the output curve Video Gamma. I have been changing the output curve to SiLog i.e. same as the input curve. Whatever settings I make (or don't make) to the curves, the snapshot problem is the same (copy & paste is always O.K.).

It always seems to over-expose, but the colour sliders move to the positions given by the SS, so there is a mis-match between what the sliders say and what you see in the image.

When this happens I cannot reset the shot (to which the SS has been applied) to its original state by resetting the sliders, but if I apply ctl-v to the shot the sliders stay the same and the image alters to the correctly adjusted picture, resetting the colour sliders then reverts the image to original.

I7, 12G RAM, GTX285, Win7prof 64 bit, BM Multibridge, CS4, Neo4K 5.1.2.271

[David Newman]

Ahh, seems to mostly impact Log encoding.

Here is the patch
http://cineform.com/downloads/FirstLight275a.zip

Unzip and replace the one in C:\Program Files (x86)\CineForm\Tools

[Geoff Gartside]

BRILLIANT!

Many thanks.

[Alex Raskin]

Geoff - should we take it that you tested the patch, and that it had restored the functionality in question? (sure sounds that way, but I thought I'd ask :)

Also, is patch version-dependent? For instance, I currently run Neo4K 5.1.2.271; will the new patch require me to update to a newer version first, or not?

[David Newman]

This is for the beta of 5.1.4.275. It might work fine on older installs, but it best not to get too out of sync.

[Geoff Gartside]

Alex, yes - an instant solution. Sorry for the slightly less than factual response!

I just installed it directly over 5.1.2.271. I only did a quick check last night, so I can't say whether all else is O.K. It has certainly solved the snapshot issue.

FL still shows up as version 5.1.2.271 on the spash screen?

[Alex Raskin]

Many thanks, I'll try it.

Hey Geoff, if this install screws something up on my machine, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!

:))

Anyway, Cineform ydy 'r enilla!