Vcube 3.1 User Manual
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User Manual USER MANUAL No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form whatsoever or be stored in any data retrieval system without prior written permission of the copyright owners. This documentation is supplied on an as-is basis. Information contained within this documenta- tion is subject to change at any time without notice and must not be relied upon. All company and product names are ™ or Registered Trademarks ® of their respective owners. Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Merging Technologies makes no warranties express or implied regarding this software, its qual- ity, performance, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The software is supplied “as is” you, the purchaser, are assuming the entire risk of the results of using this Merging Technolo- gies software. In no circumstances will Merging Technologies, its owners, directors, officers, employees or agents be liable to you for any consequential, incidental or indirect loss or damages including loss of time, loss of business, loss of profits, loss of data or similar resulting from the use of or inability to use the Merging Technologies hardware and or software or for any defect in the hardware software or documentation. © Copyright Merging Technologies Inc. 2011. All rights reserved Merging Technologies Le Verney 4 1070 Puidoux Switzerland Tel: +41 21 946 04 44 • Fax: +41 21 946 04 45 www.merging.com Contents Introduction 10 Thank you! 10 Overview 10 What is VCube? 10 Contacting Merging 11 International Office: 11 UK: 11 USA: 11 VCube Keys & Options 12 Installation 14 Early VCube Systems 14 VCube Concepts 14 Project 14 Composition 14 Track 14 Video Track Layer 14 Audio Track Layer 14 About This Manual 15 Assumptions 15 Conventions 15 Important Note 16 User Interface 17 Overview 17 Program Screen 18 Context Menus 19 Navigating the Interface 19 Zoom in the Timeline 20 Timeline 21 Synchronization 24 Requirements 24 Important Note 25 Quick Settings 26 Overview 26 Using Quick Settings 26 Quick SD Settings 27 Contents : Page iii Quick HD Settings 29 Projects 31 Compositions 31 Composition File Tab Page 31 New Composition 33 Load Selective 33 Settings Imported With Composition 34 Import 35 Import Composition and Export Changes 35 Import Layer 35 Import Images Sequence 36 AAF 39 MXF 40 OMF 40 Media Management 43 Media File Browser 43 File Extensions Supported 46 Tracks and Layers 47 Video Tracks and Layers 48 Track and Layer Order 48 Audio Tracks and Layers 49 Tracks and Layers Created Automatically 49 Adding Tracks and Layers 49 Dolby E on the Timeline 49 Transport and Navigation 50 Navigation 50 Time Ruler 50 Zoom 50 Locators 50 Transport Control 53 Transport Control Bar 53 Transport Tool 54 Go To TimeCode 56 Recording and Acquisition 57 Recording 57 Record Settings Tab 57 Editing 61 Editing in the Timeline 61 Clips in a Composition 61 Selections and Groups 61 Nudge 62 Editing Functions 62 Trim 63 Edit Context Menu 64 Motion Rectangles (PiP) 65 Watermark and Text 68 Contents : Page iv Watermark 68 Text Clip 70 Generated Clips 73 Countdown Clip 73 Wipe Clip 75 Video Test Pattern Clip 76 Audio Tone clip 77 Conversion and Rendering 78 Export Composition 78 XML 78 Conversion, Rendering and Wrapping 78 Convert Media Files 78 Render Composition 85 Convert Still Images 86 Wrap Audio 87 Wrap Audio Dialog 88 Level Magic™, from Jünger Audio 92 Jünger Level Magic Expert Settings 92 Final Check Meter 93 MXFix™ (Batch Export, Re-Wrapping) 95 MXFix Quick Procedure 96 MXFix Folders dialog 97 MXFix Wrapper Dialog 98 Running MXFix 102 Frame Rate Management 103 QuickTime 104 MXF 106 MPEG 106 Control Settings Page 107 File Tab 108 VCube Compositions 109 Media File Browser 110 Locator Tab 110 View Tab 110 Clip Info 110 Video Clip 111 Audio Clip 114 Shortcut 117 Workspace 118 Edit 122 Main 122 Clips 123 Layers 124 Tracks 125 Contents : Page v Settings 126 Settings Page 126 Preset 126 Creating Global Presets 127 Format & Sync 128 Video I/O 133 Overlay 134 Preview 136 Composition 139 Buffer & Cache 142 User Interface 143 Encryption 144 Media Settings 145 Timeline 146 Video Engine 148 Audio Engine 149 Isis Controller 150 Tool Bar 152 Tools and Toolpickers 152 Applications 160 Non Compensated Telecine at 24 fps 160 24fps Composition Chasing other Timecodes 160 Using the Graphic Card S-Video Output 161 Remote Control 162 VCube Chasing Pyramix Via Virtual Transport in the Same PC (PyraCube) 162 VCube Chasing Pyramix Using Virtual Transport Via Network 163 Remote Control VCube with a Sony 9-pin Controller 165 Synchronizing VCube to a Sony 9-pin Chase Synchronizer 166 Sony P2 Protocol over IP 166 VCube Controlled by Sony 9-pin, Chasing an LTC Source 167 Synchronize VCube with an LTC Source 168 Synchronize VCube with a VITC Source 169 Machine Control 170 VCube Controlling & Chasing a Sony 9-pin 170 Menus 172 File 172 Edit 173 Selection 174 Zoom 175 Locator 175 Goto 176 Transport 177 Overlay 177 Settings 178 Contents : Page vi User Interface 179 Help 181 Output View 182 Output Page Diagnostic Tools 182 System Tab 182 Buffer Tab 185 Playback Info Tab 185 Sync Status 188 Troubleshooting 191 Read Drops During Playback 191 Current FPS Reduced 191 Flickering Video Output 191 Matrox Parhelia Settings 191 Frozen Image on Matrox Parhelia Output 193 Poor HD Image Quality 194 Frame Shifting with Virtual Transport 194 Sony 9-pin Not Controlling VCube 195 Recorded Media Files have incorrect Timestamp 195 Video Playback is shifted 196 User Interface with ATI Graphic Card 197 NTSC Video Output Exhibits Some Dropped Frames with PAL Media Files 197 Apple Compatibility 2GB Limitation 198 Appendices 199 AJA Video Cards and Plugins 199 LH-i - SD-SDI/HD-SDI/HDMI/Analog 199 2K - SD-SDI/HD-SDI/ 2K/ Analog 204 Xena LHe - SD-SDI/HD-SDI/Analog 209 LSe - SD-SDI/Analog 214 VCube Hardware Sync Connections 217 USB Sync Board Option 217 External Connections 218 Driver Installation 218 Default Shortcuts 218 HDTV Recorded Media 225 SDTV Recorded Media 225 Video Formats and Bandwidth 226 Audio 232 PullUp - PullDown 232 Drop Frame 232 Video Codecs Supported 233 Frame Rates Supported 234 Interchange Protocols Supported 234 Resolutions Supported 235 MJPEG Compression Ratios 237 Files Supported. 238 Contents : Page vii AVI 1, AVI 2 and AVI ref 239 MPEG Settings (MainConcept Encoder) 239 MPEG Overview 239 Export 241 Media Storage Requirements 255 Installation Examples 256 A Great Solution for Audio Post for Film 256 Basic VCube Operation 257 ProTools & VCube Operation 258 Pyramix, VCube and ProTools 259 Avid Unity and VCube 259 Fairlight Controlling a VCube 261 Fairlight DREAM/MFX3 261 Fairlight DREAM Satellite 261 Fairlight DREAM Station 261 ProTools and VCube 261 Sony 9-Pin RS422 Wiring Chart 266 Glossary 270 Index 278 Contents : 1 - viii : Document revision-12 Date: 25th-August-2011 : Page 9 Introduction Thank you! Congratulations on your purchase of the VCube HD Video System. More than just a powerful video solution, VCube is part of a comprehensive range of Audio, Video and Show Control products, software and hardware. Wel- come to the worldwide community of users who have already discovered the Merging Technologies advantage. Note: IMPORTANT! - The first thing you need to do is register your software to acquire your VCube key(s) and to be included in our user support list. Please also subscribe to the User Forum at: http://www.merging.com/forum/ Overview What is VCube? VCube is a hard-disk based video player / recorder system with real-time editing and resizing functions. It is designed to be an easy to use, flexible, high quality, and reliable video file play out and capture device synchroniz- able with any time reference standard. For example: In Sound for Picture Post-Production, ADR etc. Theatres Theme Parks Museums Trade Shows AV Presentations Film Festivals are just a few of the possible applications for VCube. VCube can operate as a standalone unit, or as part of a multi-system network, fully integrated with Pyramix or Ovation, over standard Ethernet networks. Like Pyramix it offers sync to PAL, NTSC, 24fps Film and all the HDTV frame rates. The Turnkey versions of VCube are also able to sync to a different TimeCode and reference than the internal frame rate. This enables, for example, playing in 24 fps while syncing to a 25 fps TimeCode. Pro versions of VCube can also be controlled via the 9-pin Sony (P2) protocol by any third-party DAW system, as well as controlling any device equipped with 9-pin remote control for capture. VCube fully supports the Merging Technologies Virtual Transport technology. The integrated video editor with multi-track, multi-layer features enables the VCube user to remove, add or trim Media Files imported from a Composition (VCube native Composition or OMF. AAF, and Apple XML are optional). VCube is able to mix different video file formats at different resolutions and frame rates in the same Timeline. It is only necessary to specify the output format. All video Clips are resized and the frame rate compensated as neces- sary to this format in real time. Therefore it is possible to play out any video file at any frame rate in combination with any other without rendering. VCube is an open solution that can import OMF, AAF, Apple XML Compositions. VCube is also able to convert, and render Media. A password protected watermark feature enables the administrator to tag both video and graphic outputs. The administrator can also protect VCube settings and editing with a second password. VCube will be your Swiss Army Knife for video ! Introduction : Thank you! Page 10 Contacting Merging International Office: Merging Technologies S.A.