Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? at DVinfo.net

Brian Parker · June 19th, 2011, 03:57 AM

I am using Cineform NeoHD on the mac. I have been having problems when editing in Cineoform preset sequences. PPro will often crash as I try to create sequences or when dragging effects/transitions onto clips in a cineform timeline. The support ticket with cineform ended with the following (hope it's ok to repost here):

****** Cineform Suport *****
As i suspected... Nesting sequence is simply not supported in CineForm sequences. Apparently there is a bug in the third party SDK provided by adobe that is causing this problem. Adobe says, we can rewrite the code to make it work if we want to... but that's quite a bit of work. The simpler alternative is to use Desktop for the editing mode if you need to nest sequences.
*****

So, with this reality I have the following suggestion:

Change the CS5 installer so that it installs the necessary cineform export presets but ditch the Cineform sequence preset. The cineform sequence preset is pretty much unusable as it is, and by having it installed it actually also end up getting in the way during my regular editing process. I often want to create a new sequence by dragging a clip onto the new sequence icon, but doing so creates a "cineform" sequence now. I want it to create a "desktop" editing sequence.

What do others think?

Jay West · June 19th, 2011, 01:37 PM

This also is true for CS 5 and 5.5 on PCs.

With regard to your problem of always getting a Cineform preset when you start a new sequence, are you going to Edit-->Preferences-->Player Settings to make the change there or are you only changing the "Playback Settings" in "Sequence Settings" or the monitor property button in the upper right corner of your source and timeline monitors?

Brian Parker · June 19th, 2011, 07:36 PM

Hi jay
I am talking about when you drag and clip onto the new sequence icon in the project panel. It automatically creates a Cineform based sequence instead of a desktop editing one. It would be preferable if it just created a desktop editing based one with the right resolution and frame rate.

Jay West · June 19th, 2011, 08:39 PM

Maybe it is different with CS5 on a Mac, but on my systems, the player setting in Edit-Preferences will determine the default new sequence. If I have Edit Preferences set to Cineform, it will be Cineform if I drop a clip on the new sequence icon. If the setting is Desktop or Matrox or Adobe player or whatever, the default will match.

Roger Averdahl · June 20th, 2011, 03:28 AM

Jay, i think Brian means the Editing Mode rather that the Default Player. :)

The Editing Mode is found under Sequence > Sequence Settings.

CineForm media is indeed more problematic to use when using CineForm Editing Mode than lets say the Desktop Editing Mode. Sometimes disabling the CineForm importer by manually rename it so it dont load helps as well. I never use the CineForm Editing Mode.

Jay West · June 20th, 2011, 12:40 PM

I understood that Brian wanted to avoid having each new sequence default to Cineform presets and playback where he has problems with crashing.

AFAIK, you cannot fix that problem in CS 5 or 5.5 by going into Sequence-Settings alone. What I have to do is a two step process. First, set it in Preferences first. Second, after I have set preferences, then I go into Sequence Settings and make any changes there. Sometimes, for reasons I cannot explain, I may also have to go to the playback settings in the menu you get when clicking on the properties button in the upper right corner of the source and timeline monitors. Complex software, no?

Brian Parker · June 20th, 2011, 09:29 PM

Perhaps the crashing with nested sequences issue is only related to the cineform realtime playback engine. In that case the cineform sequence presets would be fine as they are. I will test nesting cineform based sequences with the desktop editing mode and see if I still get the crashes. Thanks for the feedback on this. I'll report back again after my tests.

June 19th, 2011, 03:57 AM	#1
Brian Parker Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Tokyo Posts: 230	Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? I am using Cineform NeoHD on the mac. I have been having problems when editing in Cineoform preset sequences. PPro will often crash as I try to create sequences or when dragging effects/transitions onto clips in a cineform timeline. The support ticket with cineform ended with the following (hope it's ok to repost here): **** Cineform Suport * As i suspected... Nesting sequence is simply not supported in CineForm sequences. Apparently there is a bug in the third party SDK provided by adobe that is causing this problem. Adobe says, we can rewrite the code to make it work if we want to... but that's quite a bit of work. The simpler alternative is to use Desktop for the editing mode if you need to nest sequences. *** So, with this reality I have the following suggestion: Change the CS5 installer so that it installs the necessary cineform export presets but ditch the Cineform sequence preset. The cineform sequence preset is pretty much unusable as it is, and by having it installed it actually also end up getting in the way during my regular editing process. I often want to create a new sequence by dragging a clip onto the new sequence icon, but doing so creates a "cineform" sequence now. I want it to create a "desktop" editing sequence. What do others think?

June 19th, 2011, 01:37 PM	#2
Jay West Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Red Lodge, Montana Posts: 889	Re: Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? This also is true for CS 5 and 5.5 on PCs. With regard to your problem of always getting a Cineform preset when you start a new sequence, are you going to Edit-->Preferences-->Player Settings to make the change there or are you only changing the "Playback Settings" in "Sequence Settings" or the monitor property button in the upper right corner of your source and timeline monitors?

June 19th, 2011, 07:36 PM	#3
Brian Parker Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Tokyo Posts: 230	Re: Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? Hi jay I am talking about when you drag and clip onto the new sequence icon in the project panel. It automatically creates a Cineform based sequence instead of a desktop editing one. It would be preferable if it just created a desktop editing based one with the right resolution and frame rate.

June 19th, 2011, 08:39 PM	#4
Jay West Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Red Lodge, Montana Posts: 889	Re: Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? Maybe it is different with CS5 on a Mac, but on my systems, the player setting in Edit-Preferences will determine the default new sequence. If I have Edit Preferences set to Cineform, it will be Cineform if I drop a clip on the new sequence icon. If the setting is Desktop or Matrox or Adobe player or whatever, the default will match.

June 20th, 2011, 03:28 AM	#5
Roger Averdahl Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Stockholm - Sweden Posts: 344	Re: Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? Jay, i think Brian means the Editing Mode rather that the Default Player. :) The Editing Mode is found under Sequence > Sequence Settings. CineForm media is indeed more problematic to use when using CineForm Editing Mode than lets say the Desktop Editing Mode. Sometimes disabling the CineForm importer by manually rename it so it dont load helps as well. I never use the CineForm Editing Mode. __________________ /Roger

June 20th, 2011, 12:40 PM	#6
Jay West Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Red Lodge, Montana Posts: 889	Re: Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? I understood that Brian wanted to avoid having each new sequence default to Cineform presets and playback where he has problems with crashing. AFAIK, you cannot fix that problem in CS 5 or 5.5 by going into Sequence-Settings alone. What I have to do is a two step process. First, set it in Preferences first. Second, after I have set preferences, then I go into Sequence Settings and make any changes there. Sometimes, for reasons I cannot explain, I may also have to go to the playback settings in the menu you get when clicking on the properties button in the upper right corner of the source and timeline monitors. Complex software, no?

June 20th, 2011, 09:29 PM	#7
Brian Parker Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Tokyo Posts: 230	Re: Ditch the Cineform sequence presets in PPro CS5 on MAC? Perhaps the crashing with nested sequences issue is only related to the cineform realtime playback engine. In that case the cineform sequence presets would be fine as they are. I will test nesting cineform based sequences with the desktop editing mode and see if I still get the crashes. Thanks for the feedback on this. I'll report back again after my tests.