GearShift feature requests at DVinfo.net

Matt Howell · January 6th, 2006, 04:38 PM

Here is a list of features I would like to see in Gearshift:

1. A comprehensive user's guide with examples of efficient and "best practice" workflows, preferably in downloadable pdf.

2. would like to see templates for Cineform intermediates, 1080 24p, 1080 30p, 720 24p

3. would like to see templates for for DV proxies, 30p, and 24p (2-3-3-2)

4. sample or optional templates for making our own mjpeg or other proxies.

5. change the name of the intermediate templates to Cineform to avoid confusion.

6. expand the use of gearshift to help us working on non-HD projects, such as editing DV proxies of material in Sony YUV or mjpeg, DV 50, etc.

Thank you for your consideration,

Matt

Laurence Kingston · January 12th, 2006, 03:45 PM

Now that I've worked a little more with Gearshift, I'd like to echo and expand upon these requests.

1/ I'd like more flexibility as far as choosing the proxy settings. I'd like to be able to select a higher quality rendering for the proxy files for instance so that I can render a more respectable SD Mpeg without an extremely time consuming swap back to the original files.

2/ I'd like more flexibility as far as naming the proxy files. As things are, the prefix is unneccessarily long and when you look at the proxie files on a compact listing, all you see is a listing of the same prefix over and over. A simpler prefix like "GSP_" would be better IMHO.

3/ I'd like to be able to choose the choose and preset the project properties for each of the "switched gears" modes. In other words, I'd like to be able to switch not only between original and proxy clips, but also to switch between HD and SD resolutions as I'm switching gears. This would give much better previews in proxy mode.

I also seem to be having trouble with Gearshift's skin not showing completely. None-the-less I do love this program!

Mark Bryant · January 13th, 2006, 04:22 AM

Laurence,

I'm confused by your point 1. For me the "swap back" takes no time at all. What does take time is the render from the m2t to MPEG (be it SD, or HDV), is this what you mean?

Not to be pedantic, but if you are looking to render DV and then from there to MPEG (without swaping), than that DV isn't really a "proxy", it is an intermediate render.

Mark

Laurence Kingston · January 13th, 2006, 07:46 AM

When I use Gearshift, I don't seem to get as high quality an SD file as I do if I do a regular render to SD at best quality. This doesn't matter if you switch gears back to the original HDV files to render, but this is an order of magnitudes slower render than if you just render SD from the proxy files. If I had more control over the proxy quality I could render a high quality SD mpeg from the proxies and save quite a bit of rendering time in making the DVD.

I would still shift gears back to HDV to render an HDV master. Nobody but me seems interested in HDV copies that only play back from a computer. With more quality control over the proxies, I could use them as "intermediates" and not have to wait for the time consuming original files render until after a project was delivered and I was archiving a high quality version for myself or later HD delivery.

Also, often the project may never end up as anything but an SD project. One really cool thing about Gearshift is that you can extract frames for the cover art and promotional material by switching gears and capturing stills from the HDV project. With higher quality proxies (intermediates) I could do my regular quicker SD workflow but have access to much higher quality frame grabs (which are useful even without a standard HD delivery format).

Mark Bryant · January 13th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Laurence,

Thanks - I understand now, and this makes sense. It isn't the switching back to the HDV which is time consuming, it is the subsequent step to render from the m2T HDV file to MPEG.

Mark

John Rofrano · January 16th, 2006, 12:34 AM

You guys make my job very easy. Instead of wondering what my customers would like to see in the next version of GearShift, you guys spoil all the fun and just come right out and tell me. ;-)

Matt, I’ve got your first request covered. I’ve completed the User’s Guide and its available in PDF format as download on the GearShift page at VASST. It’s just under the tutorials and FAQ link.

It will also show you how you get GearShift to recognize your own templates but I agree it’s more fun if I create them. I’ll add these templates to the next version. For now, you can create these yourself. It is documented in the User’s Guide.

I will take your other suggestions under consideration. For number 6, are you saying you want GearShift to consider other non-M2T files as source for conversion?

Laurence, Your first request is satisfied in the User’s Guide. Vegas will only render from a template and the User’s Guide will explain how to get GearShift to recognize new templates both for Proxy Media and HD Media. You can then set your render quality as high as you’d like.

I can shorted the GSProxy name if you’d like. I just wanted to be sure it was unique. I also have the swapping of project properties on my list of todos for a future version. This needs to be used with care because when you add Generated Media to be used for HD delivery you wan to be sure the project is set to HD and not DV.

Thanks and keep those cards and letters coming in. ;-)

~jr

Mark Bryant · January 16th, 2006, 03:54 AM

John,

Thanks for the user guide!

One thing still confuses me, and that is the use of the feature "Allow you to only convert the parts of your footage that you will actually use".

I am using Gearshift with DV proxy only. To avoid longer render times and save space I'd like to do rough cuts on the timeline, and then create a proxy with just those cuts for more detailed editing.

The user guide implies this is possible:

"Entire Timeline
This option will render the entire timeline and make proxies and/or intermediary files. This gives you the opportunity to trim the source down to just the media you think you will use which will save you time on rendering. To use this effectively, you should just make rough edits (cuts only) and leave only the footage you want to use on your timeline for GearShift to render."

But on another thread http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...t=51982&page=2 you said:

"The error in Gearshift is that swapping M2T files for DV proxies is not supported in Timeline mode. So GearShift should not allow you to specify HD Media=(none) with Timeline selected. You MUST render both HD and Proxy to use Timeline mode and have Shift Gears work."

Please clarify. It seems as a minimum the user guide needs updating to include this restriction... but preferably I'd like to be able to do this. Would it work with regions? Is that a better way?

Mark

John Rofrano · January 16th, 2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Bryant

It seems as a minimum the user guide needs updating to include this restriction... but preferably I'd like to be able to do this. Would it work with regions? Is that a better way? Mark

The documentation does say this in the Timeline section:

Both of these options require you to render both a DV proxy and an intermediary format to keep the files one-for-one. (i.e., DV proxy and M2T Only is not available for this option)

So the documentation doesn’t really need to be update. What needs to be update is GearShift to lift this restriction. ;-) I am planning to include this capability in a future update so I didn’t want to waste too much time explaining it in the documentation (since I’m just goint to delete it once I have this working). Hang in there. I know you want this and I will make it possible.

~jr

Mark Bryant · January 16th, 2006, 09:20 AM

John,

Thanks. I did read it, really...

I see it now. It is actually in the Regions section (which I only skimmed, as I haven't used Regions), right after the Timeline section. I agree you don't need to change the document. If this can be added as a future enhancement that would be great!

Mark

Laurence Kingston · January 21st, 2006, 11:11 PM

The shorter "GSP" prefix would be helpful. I find working with the proxies during most of the editing and unless you really expand the explorer window, all you see are the "GSProxy_" prefixes. The other change I'd really like to see we've already discussed on the Sony forum: being able to set the project resolution for both gears.

I absolutely love Gearshift by the way. It has extended the life of my PC another year or two and previewing proxies looks way better than previewing Cineform on my system. Thanks big time!

January 6th, 2006, 04:38 PM	#1
Matt Howell Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Raleigh, N.C. Posts: 26	GearShift feature requests Here is a list of features I would like to see in Gearshift: 1. A comprehensive user's guide with examples of efficient and "best practice" workflows, preferably in downloadable pdf. 2. would like to see templates for Cineform intermediates, 1080 24p, 1080 30p, 720 24p 3. would like to see templates for for DV proxies, 30p, and 24p (2-3-3-2) 4. sample or optional templates for making our own mjpeg or other proxies. 5. change the name of the intermediate templates to Cineform to avoid confusion. 6. expand the use of gearshift to help us working on non-HD projects, such as editing DV proxies of material in Sony YUV or mjpeg, DV 50, etc. Thank you for your consideration, Matt

January 16th, 2006, 12:34 AM	#6
John Rofrano Sponsor: VASST Join Date: May 2005 Location: New York Posts: 516	You guys make my job very easy. Instead of wondering what my customers would like to see in the next version of GearShift, you guys spoil all the fun and just come right out and tell me. ;-) Matt, I’ve got your first request covered. I’ve completed the User’s Guide and its available in PDF format as download on the GearShift page at VASST. It’s just under the tutorials and FAQ link. It will also show you how you get GearShift to recognize your own templates but I agree it’s more fun if I create them. I’ll add these templates to the next version. For now, you can create these yourself. It is documented in the User’s Guide. I will take your other suggestions under consideration. For number 6, are you saying you want GearShift to consider other non-M2T files as source for conversion? Laurence, Your first request is satisfied in the User’s Guide. Vegas will only render from a template and the User’s Guide will explain how to get GearShift to recognize new templates both for Proxy Media and HD Media. You can then set your render quality as high as you’d like. I can shorted the GSProxy name if you’d like. I just wanted to be sure it was unique. I also have the swapping of project properties on my list of todos for a future version. This needs to be used with care because when you add Generated Media to be used for HD delivery you wan to be sure the project is set to HD and not DV. Thanks and keep those cards and letters coming in. ;-) ~jr __________________ Developer: VASST Ultimate S, Scattershot 3D, Mayhem, FASST Apps, and other VASST Software plug-ins Web Site: www.johnrofrano.com

January 12th, 2006, 03:45 PM	#2
Laurence Kingston Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Clermont, FL. Posts: 941	Now that I've worked a little more with Gearshift, I'd like to echo and expand upon these requests. 1/ I'd like more flexibility as far as choosing the proxy settings. I'd like to be able to select a higher quality rendering for the proxy files for instance so that I can render a more respectable SD Mpeg without an extremely time consuming swap back to the original files. 2/ I'd like more flexibility as far as naming the proxy files. As things are, the prefix is unneccessarily long and when you look at the proxie files on a compact listing, all you see is a listing of the same prefix over and over. A simpler prefix like "GSP_" would be better IMHO. 3/ I'd like to be able to choose the choose and preset the project properties for each of the "switched gears" modes. In other words, I'd like to be able to switch not only between original and proxy clips, but also to switch between HD and SD resolutions as I'm switching gears. This would give much better previews in proxy mode. I also seem to be having trouble with Gearshift's skin not showing completely. None-the-less I do love this program!

January 13th, 2006, 04:22 AM	#3
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	Laurence, I'm confused by your point 1. For me the "swap back" takes no time at all. What does take time is the render from the m2t to MPEG (be it SD, or HDV), is this what you mean? Not to be pedantic, but if you are looking to render DV and then from there to MPEG (without swaping), than that DV isn't really a "proxy", it is an intermediate render. Mark

January 13th, 2006, 07:46 AM	#4
Laurence Kingston Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Clermont, FL. Posts: 941	When I use Gearshift, I don't seem to get as high quality an SD file as I do if I do a regular render to SD at best quality. This doesn't matter if you switch gears back to the original HDV files to render, but this is an order of magnitudes slower render than if you just render SD from the proxy files. If I had more control over the proxy quality I could render a high quality SD mpeg from the proxies and save quite a bit of rendering time in making the DVD. I would still shift gears back to HDV to render an HDV master. Nobody but me seems interested in HDV copies that only play back from a computer. With more quality control over the proxies, I could use them as "intermediates" and not have to wait for the time consuming original files render until after a project was delivered and I was archiving a high quality version for myself or later HD delivery. Also, often the project may never end up as anything but an SD project. One really cool thing about Gearshift is that you can extract frames for the cover art and promotional material by switching gears and capturing stills from the HDV project. With higher quality proxies (intermediates) I could do my regular quicker SD workflow but have access to much higher quality frame grabs (which are useful even without a standard HD delivery format).

January 13th, 2006, 08:29 AM	#5
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	Laurence, Thanks - I understand now, and this makes sense. It isn't the switching back to the HDV which is time consuming, it is the subsequent step to render from the m2T HDV file to MPEG. Mark

January 16th, 2006, 03:54 AM	#7
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	John, Thanks for the user guide! One thing still confuses me, and that is the use of the feature "Allow you to only convert the parts of your footage that you will actually use". I am using Gearshift with DV proxy only. To avoid longer render times and save space I'd like to do rough cuts on the timeline, and then create a proxy with just those cuts for more detailed editing. The user guide implies this is possible: "Entire Timeline This option will render the entire timeline and make proxies and/or intermediary files. This gives you the opportunity to trim the source down to just the media you think you will use which will save you time on rendering. To use this effectively, you should just make rough edits (cuts only) and leave only the footage you want to use on your timeline for GearShift to render." But on another thread http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...t=51982&page=2 you said: "The error in Gearshift is that swapping M2T files for DV proxies is not supported in Timeline mode. So GearShift should not allow you to specify HD Media=(none) with Timeline selected. You MUST render both HD and Proxy to use Timeline mode and have Shift Gears work." Please clarify. It seems as a minimum the user guide needs updating to include this restriction... but preferably I'd like to be able to do this. Would it work with regions? Is that a better way? Mark

January 16th, 2006, 09:20 AM	#9
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	John, Thanks. I did read it, really... I see it now. It is actually in the Regions section (which I only skimmed, as I haven't used Regions), right after the Timeline section. I agree you don't need to change the document. If this can be added as a future enhancement that would be great! Mark

January 21st, 2006, 11:11 PM	#10
Laurence Kingston Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Clermont, FL. Posts: 941	The shorter "GSP" prefix would be helpful. I find working with the proxies during most of the editing and unless you really expand the explorer window, all you see are the "GSProxy_" prefixes. The other change I'd really like to see we've already discussed on the Sony forum: being able to set the project resolution for both gears. I absolutely love Gearshift by the way. It has extended the life of my PC another year or two and previewing proxies looks way better than previewing Cineform on my system. Thanks big time!