Cineform After Effect Exporter Missing (MAC)

[Martin Guitar]

Sorry to plague the board with MAC issues. It's been a really difficult transition for me so far...It feels real different than the PC version and it is missing important features.

I can't find the After Effects export option in the "Output Module/Format" on MAC. I can only access the Cineform option in the codec section and it appears to render in LOW quality Is there a way to patch this? I'm using the latest build of NEO HD with a clean install of OSX.

[David Newman]

The export was never ported to the Mac as it wasn't needed. QuickTime support for CineForm is good, so use the QuickTime export.

There is one enhancement you can do, find this file
MediaCoreQTCodecRulesCS5.xml

Search within your user data for your Adobe install.

Add the end (but before the "</MediaCoreQTCodecRules>")

<QTCodec codec='CFHD' vendor='****' platform='mactel' direction='encode' versionlow='0x00000' versionhigh='*' gammatag='false' cvbuffertag='0' deepdecodefourcc='b64a' decodefourcc='argb' />
<QTCodec codec='CFHD' vendor='****' platform='mactel' direction='decode' versionlow='0x00000' versionhigh='*' gammatag='false' cvbuffertag='0' deepdecodefourcc='b64a' decodefourcc='argb' />

You can just copy the 'ap4h' entries replacing 'ap4h' with 'CFHD'.

We have requested Adobe add this as a default. This instructs AE to using 16-bit I/O for the codec.

[Martin Guitar]

Thanks David.

I can't seem to find the XML file and I don't see any parameters in the Cineform Codec settings. See screenshot below:

www.voicewalk.net/test/cf_export.png

Can you also verify if there's an issue with Remaster YUV correction for 5D footage.

On the PC when i was importing an H.264 canon 5D file and a Cineform converted (with HDlink) clip from the same 5D file into premiere or After Effects, the clips would look pretty similar in the gamma / video level department. Now on the MAC when i do the same, the Cineform file with the YUV correction has lifted blacks compared to the native H.264 when importing them on the timeline.

I made a screenshot with 3 scopes to show you. Is that normal?

www.voicewalk.net/test/Scopes.jpg

Thanks

[David Newman]

Welcome the nightmare that is Apple for professional work, iTunes update could change the way you videos look -- Bad Apple, bad! A semi-recent QT update changed the default H.264 black level handling, so you no longer need the YUV fix.

The XML is a file on disk not in the AE/QT settings.
Default location is here /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/

[Martin Guitar]

Thanks David. I really thought i was loosing my marbles.

With the patch i know have access to "Trillions of Colors" thank you. I still can't select the quality settings though from Low to FilmScan 2. The "codec settings" button only gives me 2 options:

- Enable RGB 4:4:4 Encoding (which is disabled because I am using Neo HD)
- Interlaced video source (small burp...)

See screenshot: www.voicewalk.net/test/CF_Export.png

Thanks.

[David Newman]

Quality slider is all you need.

100% - Filmscan 2
75% - Filmscan 1
50% - High
25% - Medium
0% - Low

[Martin Guitar]

Is there documentation about all this for MAC? You have been a great help though, thanks much.

[David Newman]

Just whatever is on techblog.cineform.com

[Anmol Mishra]

Maybe the settings for OSX should be stickied.