D90 Stair-Stepping Removal

i'm not sure why it wouldn't. maybe they know something i don't? the method is just a clever way of scaling the image, so if you haven't done any scaling it shouldn't matter if you've compressed it or whatever, you can even color correct before.

/matt
 
Sorry if this has been answered, but I'm not seeing the new plugins pop up in FCP HD 4.5 ??
Do they only work in later versions of FCP? Your other plugs work great, been using them for a long time. Many thanks!
 
you might need to paste the text into fxbuilder and select "create plugin". fcp 4 is a bit picky about file formats, as is v5. all other versions earlier and later accept text files just fine.

/matt
 
mattsand said:
you might need to paste the text into fxbuilder and select "create plugin". fcp 4 is a bit picky about file formats, as is v5. all other versions earlier and later accept text files just fine.

/matt
Click to expand...


Ok, it took me a second to figure that one out, but it WORKS LIKE A CHARM NOW!

And for those dummies like me who don't know (I went searching all over for a download of FXbuilder)- FXbuilder is in the Tools menu of FCP. Paste text of the plugin file into the box it brings up, then select "create plugin" from the FXbuilder menu that comes up. Place the newly created plugin into your plugins folder and Voila!

Thanks Matt!
 
you're welcome. i deliberately gave rather crappy instructions because the more people who learn these things the better. :)
 
Matt, thanks for the FCP plugin to fix the stairstepping issue. I tested using the displacement map image and your script and the latter is infinitely better.

I sent a small paypal donation your way for all your hard work. It's not much but enough to get a beer or two on me. :)
 
I have read through all of this and am a little over whelmed to say the least. using

Vagas and After Effects

can someone link me to the right file to download and idiot proof instructions on how to install and apply it to footage.

Sorry to be such a NOOB hahah but i am totaly new to both Vid and the D90

Thanks in advance JacobGibbins.co.uk
 
nihilus said:
I'm just hoping someone will point me to a good intermediate video format to convert into that cinelerra can handle that doesn't take up huge amounts of space.
Click to expand...
i just did a test using huffyuv. sure, it takes up enormous amounts of space but it's "uncompressed" so it's worth it. seems like perian has solved its gamma problems on the mac too so it actually works really well in fcp.

i scale up to 1440x1080 instead of back down to not lose any pixels, i also recompiled ffmpeg with sws scaling support and the image gets a bit sharper using lanczos upscaling (back to 720 i don't see a difference). fcp's bicubic was sharper than the default ffmpeg scaling, but this is a tiny notch better still.

the only problem is the conversion from yuv to rgb which causes a significant color shift. the levels are amazingly accurate but the chroma is all over the place. do you know of any "raw" codec that's easy to work with (probably not as easy as ppm but still) but that preserves the yuv data?

/matt
 
A noob is a little confused!!

I am looking for the best workflow to start editing d90 footage in Final Cut Pro. I have the TMTS filters installed--but which and when to apply is confusing.

I would like to edit in HD--so upscaling to 1080p makes sense to me.

My questions are these--
Do I apply both the rescaler and the upscaler-or does the upscaler also remove stair-stepping?
After applying the upscaler should I export in ProRes and then reimport to make editing more efficient (RT effects, etc.)
What should my sequence settings be to start a d90 project?

I apologize if someone has gone over a basic cookbook workflow, but I have not found one yet.
 
720p *is* hd but yeah the upscaler removes the stairsteps too on its own. as for workflows you just have to pick what suits you best, seems like you got the info you need. i apply the scaler on a nested sequence after editing but before grading and effects.

the upscaler will take care of any format conversion including frame rates so just use whatever setting you like to work in. you'll have to change the audio separately if you decide to edit in 25 or 23.976 fps instead of 24 since the plugin changes the speed of the clip to get a 1:1 frame match.

/matt
 
Thanks for that answer. Let me review a workflow to see if this seems reasonable--

1. Import files into FCP
2. Apply upscaling or rescaling to all (upscaling is a bit of a pain--having to create slugs of the same length for each clip, etc.)
3. Create a new project using Media Manager in ProRes 1440x1080 24p (if upscaled).
4. Open up and edit in the new project as usual.

Does upscaling really make a difference (it seems like magic to get 800 lines of data out of 720)?
 
won't work filters aren't processed by media manager. put all clips in one 720p prores timeline, set markers at the edit points, add the rescaler (or drop the sequence into a slug with the upscaler in a 1080p sequence, drop the original on top temporarily to add the markers), export "quicktime movie" self contained with markers, reimport, select the markers in the bin, create subclips, start editing. this is not the only workflow but probably the best if you insist on converting to prores as well as apply the fix first. i always do both as a last step before i start grading though.

/matt
 
So you create a cuts only edit first using the native AVI files, then apply the fix to that before exporting as a ProRes project for CC/FX etc?
 
yes, or if i'm doing the grading in fcp, which happens more and more often the more i learn to love colorista, i never convert to prores until i render out the final master.

/matt
 
Another idea--

Can I use Media Manager in FCP to export the project as ProRes, edit and THEN apply to TMTS stair-step fix. (Or do the TMTS filters have to be applied to the original AVI files)?

This would be the easier workflow for me instead of exporting a giant Quicktime movie that has to be split up again.

As you know these tiny details make a huge difference--and I appreciate the input of those who have already figured these things out!!
 
for sure, but you lose some realtime performance by applying the filter so you're pretty much losing all the benefit you were after by converting. the fix can be applied at any time as long as you don't change the geometry of the video or apply any filters that move pixels around.

/matt
 
btw the splitting up is automatic, just select the markers in the bin and "create subclip" similar to how you would use the dv start stop detection workflow. adding markers is semi automatic using the next edit and add marker keys (down arrow and m). i have a feeling there's an automated way for that too but i don't quite remember. if you have less than 1000 clips the manual method is still fast enough.

/matt
 
My next question is whether I should in fact bother with ProRes at all. Since AVI is 4:2:2 color space (I believe) it is good for color correction. As long as it supports color correction and dissolves as RT effects it might be better to stick with it for editing, applying the stair step reduction as a final step (not RT).

What are others doing, and why?
 
Before I start, I just wanted let whoever reads this that I have very minimal to no knowledge of FCP. I know how to import video from the D90, using the viewer, and putting the footage onto the timeline.

At the moment all I am trying to do is use the "D90 rescaler" to get the true 800 pixel tall footage. When I apply the filter, drag the clip into the timeline, and go to file>export>quicktime movie, and keep the setting where they are, when I view the orignal avi next to the new file, the new file is about half the size of the actual 720p original.

I'm a photographer, who is just learning about videography, so forgive me for my little knowledge. I'm sure I'm doing plenty of things wrong, so if someone could please give me a hand, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
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