Re: Workflow Question

[Chris Smith <chris(at)sugarfilmproduction.com>]

Tone:  Good thoughts.  Thanks for the detail.

Michael:  How are things going over at Fastcuts? That's where I first heard of a DS a few years ago and got me thinking about it.  I think you guys even had a reel Cathy gave us showing work the DS could do!  I think it's when you first moved to that spot.  Hope all is well.

Chris Smith

Partner/Film Director

Sugar Film Production

3699 McKinney #222

Dallas 75204

214.655.2662

http://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

On Oct 2, 2005, at 9:24 AM, Michael Jensen wrote:

If I know that a clip is going to only require a simple effect such as a color correction I will just use a clip effect.  If a clip is going to require any more work I will put the clip a composite container.  I have never been a big fan of the effects tree clip effect although it does come in handy if you want to save an effects tree as a preset an easily apply it to multiple clips.

 

Its good to see another DS user in the Dallas area!!!

 

Michael

 

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From: owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM] On Behalf Of Chris Smith
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 3:13 PM
To: DS(at)Softimage.COM
Subject: Re: Workflow Question

 

Good advice. I prefer trees by a long shot, but if the effect started out simple, instead of having a tree with one or two nodes I tend to want to just do a clip effect. But of course there is always that one more thing it needs then you've outgrown your effects stack.

 

Do you just always make a clip a composite container and do trees regardless even if it's a node or two? Or do you make an alternate Edit layout like Tony suggested to do your trees and do your trees in the 'effect tree' clip effect?

 

 

Chris Smith

Partner/Film Director

Sugar Film Production

3699 McKinney #222

Dallas 75204

214.655.2662

http://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

 

On Oct 1, 2005, at 10:05 AM, Michael Jensen wrote:

Chris,

I think you have already found the easiest way to do what you want to do. I personally almost always work with tree effects to begin with because it is easier to rearrange, bypass and visualize your effect overall.

Michael

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From: owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM] On Behalf Of Chris Smith
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 9:11 AM
To: ds(at)Softimage.COM
Subject: Workflow Question

reminder: noob in training.

It seems that when I start to do effects with a clip I just go for a clip effect added in the top timeline. But as soon as I have more than 3 or 4 effects or need to pipe things in multiple branches, it becomes clear it should live as an effects tree. Well, obviously there is the right-clickable option to 'convert to effects tree', however now it is one clip effect. So to modify it, you have to click on that effect, then hit the expand button, then have a floating window covering your workspace. Then I made my own user toolbar with all the effects I want in a specific order which I built in to the main 'compositing' timeline. So now I have to open it as a separate floater. Then when I actually change a node, a parameter editor has to pop as a floater. So now I'm basically in what should be my compositing mode but with all these windows floating over my editing mode.

Like many of you, I re-did the 'compositing' layout to work beautifully for what I need (I simulated Shake for mine). So it seems ridiculous that I should be doing my effects tree work on the top timeline in floating windows.

So the question is: Is there a way to take a clip with effects and with one function, turn the clip into a composite container AND convert the effects to an effects tree piped into that layer within the 'composite' layout? So you basically can just jump over to composite mode and have your effects rebuild into a tree in that mode.

Right now I am collapsing the effects into a effects tree on the timeline. Then turning the clip into a composite container. Then opening said effects tree. lassoing all the nodes. Hitting COPY. Then pasting them into the layer's effect tree in the composite layout. Kind of a hassle.

Chris Smith

Partner/Film Director

Sugar Film Production

3699 McKinney #222

Dallas 75204

214.655.2662

http://www.sugarfilmproduction.com