EXR to Avid workflow

#1

Hi,

I just switched from Vegas Pro 9 to Avid Media Composer 5 to render my video projects.

Most of the footage I work with comes directly from Maya in EXR multichannel 32 bits. I like this format a lot because I can render out passes that I want (or can, hmm nevermind that haha…), and then composite/tweak my sequence in Toxik/Maya Composite.

However, it seems that Media Composer 5 (Avid) doesn’t support Open EXR image sequences.

How can I bring 3d material from Maya to Toxik to Avid as fast as possible while keeping the highest control over quality? If I use another format, will I be able to render out passes all at the same time in Maya as with the exr format?

Thanks for helping!

#2

Do your composite and then edit.
Use ProRes 4444 or DnxHD. Both are limited to 10bit. You may also try dpx sequences, not sure if Avid supports those though.

#3

Thanks for helping!

The way I understand it, I should use ProRes 4444 or DnxHD formats to edit in Avid to maintain the highest video quality.

So I have to figure out how to convert my exr sequences into one of those two formats.

Maybe if I output dpx or tiff files from toxik I will be able to open them in Media Composer 5and then convert them to ProRes 4444 or DnxHD…

#4

Maybe if I output dpx or tiff files from toxik I will be able to open them in Media Composer 5and then convert them to ProRes 4444 or DnxHD…
No. IF Avid imports dpx files without any problems you don’t need to convert anything, because Avid converts anything to the projects codec automatically(unless you use AMA). If I remeber right, DnxHD is the highest quality available, I’m mainly on FCP so don’t take my word for granted. ProRes 4444 is an FCP codec but should be readable for Avid if you install the codec(you can’t write to ProRes though unless you have FCP on the same machine).

What you can do is either do an offline edit to determine which frames you really need in a lower quality, then composite and render out into whatever format you whish in one sequence or do your composite, import into Avid and edit then and output in any format Avid is able to export to(Tiff does definetely work).

Keep in mind that both ProRes and DnxHD are 10bit only.

Maybe Avid Nitris does support exr or higher bit depths since it’s a finishing app(according to wikipedia it does support dpx and 16bit), Avid’s MC should be used as what it is intended - as an editing software.

#5

One of the guys at Avid makes a tool called Metafuze which converts between sequential tif/dpx and avid movie files.

http://www.avid.com/US/industries/workflow/MetaFuze

#6

GREAT! Thanks a lot for the info!

This will save me tons of time indeed.

#7

After a week in Avid Media Composer 5, the best workflow I can imagine from Maya to Avid is:

  1. Render your image sequences, but don’t forget to render your alpha channel in a separate file or render an “alpha file” in post… If you don’t create different files in the process, you’ll be stucked in Avid, MC5 deals differently with transparency and…

  2. DNxHD does not support transparency, but it is an awesome format. Bring all your image sequences in Metafuze and convert them (in a batch) in DNxHD. Don’t forget to save an ALE file or you’ll have to browse one file at the time to open in MC5.

  3. import the ALE in AVID… You have all your sequences in DNxHD.

It’s also a good idea to work in TIFF (or dpx) 16 bit. 32 bit won’t work… You can load your TIFF sequences directly in MC5 (even with an alpha channel embedded!!), but it’s not as optimized for editing as DNxHD.

…oh yes OR you can create a Green background to your file to key it in Avid instead of an alpha channel.

#8

…oh yes OR you can create a Green background to your file to key it in Avid instead of an alpha channel.
I’d advise against that. Rather render a matte from your alpha channel and use that.

#9

yeah I think you’re right…

Anyway you can still import TIFF sequences with an embedded alpha channel in Avid Media Composer and use them, but not in batch like in Metafuze and the DNxHD format. If you really need transparency, I guess it’s better to work with the TIFF sequence directly.

#10

Yeah I almost always work in TIFFs now. Avid MC5 is awesome because it always offers realitime preview whatever the source is. Does FCP do that too?

All my video footage is converted in DNXHD with metafuze.

All my 3D comps or edited footage are rendered in TIFF 16 bits RGBA (after comp/editing) and imported in Avid.

Avid outputs in 10 bit only true, but applies effects and color correction in 16 bits if you set it in this mode. In any way your footage is max 10 bit at the moment it enters MC%.

Thanks for the help!

#11

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