Pinnacle Systems DS Nitris - 7.0 User Manual

™

Avid® DS Nitris

Version 7.0

Capture and Output Guide

make manage move | media

™

Avid

®

Copyright and Disclaimer

Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part
of Avid Technology, Inc.

The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of
that license by visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the
product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be
used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the
software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission
of Avid Technology, Inc.

Copyright © 2003 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

The Avid DS Nitris application uses JScript and Visual Basic Scripting Edition from Microsoft Corporation.

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial
computer software” or “commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or
documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with
respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to
FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.

Trademarks

888 I/O, Adrenaline, AirPlay, AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AudioVision, AutoSync, Avid,
Avid DNA, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, AvidNet, AvidNetwork, AVIDstripe, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid
Xpress, AVoption, AVX, CamCutter, ChromaCurve, ChromaWheel, DAE, D-Fi, D-fx, Digidesign, Digidesign
Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, DigiDrive, Digital Nonlinear Accelerator,
DigiTranslator, DINR, D-Verb, Equinox, ExpertRender, FieldPak, Film Composer, FilmScribe, FluidMotion,
HIIP, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, IllusionFX, Image Independence, Intraframe, iS9, iS18, iS23,
iS36, Lo-Fi, Magic Mask, make manage move | media, Marquee, Matador, Maxim, MCXpress, Media
Composer, MediaDock, MediaDock Shuttle, Media Fusion, Media Illusion, MediaLog, Media Reader, Media
Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaShare, Meridien, MetaSync, NaturalMatch, Nearchive, NetReview,
NewsCutter, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, Open Media Framework, Open Media Management,
ProEncode, Pro Tools, QuietDrive, Recti-Fi, RetroLoop, rS9, rS18, Sci-Fi, Softimage, Sound Designer II,
SPACE, SPACEShift, Symphony, the Avid|DS logo, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video Slave Driver,
VideoSPACE, Xdeck, and XSI are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in
the United States and/or other countries.

All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

GOT FOOTAGE?

Editors — Filmmakers — Special Effects Artists — Game Developers — Animators — Educators —
Broadcasters — Content creators of every genre — Just finished an incredible project and want to
share it with the world?

Send us your reels and we may use your footage in our show reel or demo!*

For a copy of our release and Avid’s mailing address, go to www.avid.com/footage.

*Note: Avid cannot guarantee the use of materials submitted.

Avid DS Nitris Capture and Output Guide • 0130-05574-01 • September 2003

2

Contents

Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Who Should Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Using the Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Customizing the Pen or Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Accessing the Online Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If You Have Documentation Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How to Order Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Avid Educational Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Avid DS Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

E-mail Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Web Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

FTP Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Mailing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter 1 Capturing Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Workflow: Capturing Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Preparing to Capture Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Configuring the External Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Opening the Capture Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Selecting the Capture Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Selecting the Capture Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Specifying the Capture Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Specifying Audio Input Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Specifying Video Input Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Previewing Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Monitoring Audio Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Logging and Capturing Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Performing a Live Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

3

Logging and Capturing Clips from Tape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Capturing Clips On-the-Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Capturing Material from File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Capturing from File by Dragging to a Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Capturing from Layered Adobe Photoshop Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Capturing from DPX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Importing Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Creating Linked Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Relinking a Clip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Batch Capturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Recapturing at a Different Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Capturing Clips from the Avid Explorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Capturing Clips from the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Creating a Batch Capture List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Batch Capturing Without Interaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Using Scripts to Capture Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Creating a Script for Capturing Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Running a Script for Capturing Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Importing from SOFTIMAGE|XSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Importing .gen Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Importing a Composite Tree through AAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Managing Tapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Adding a New Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Renaming a Tape and Changing the Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Purging Media from Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Recapturing from Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Deleting a Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Chapter 2 Conforming AAF and AFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Workflow: Conforming AAF and AFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Conforming AAF and AFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Exporting AAF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Exporting AFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Transferring Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

4

Importing AAF and AFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Creating a Sequence and Master Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Recapturing Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Transferring Audio Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Completing the Conformed Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Creating Real-Time Graphics from Conformed Titles . . . . . . . . . . 101

Conforming AAF Sequences with MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Setting Up MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Checking a Sequence into MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Conforming a Sequence with MediaManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Chapter 3 Conforming OMF, EDL, and ALE Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Workflow: Conforming OMF, EDL, and ALE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Conforming OMF Compositions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Opening an OMF File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Conforming an OMF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Exporting an OMF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Conforming EDLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Avid EDL Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Opening an EDL File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Setting EDL Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Conforming an EDL File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Modifying an EDL File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Exporting an EDL File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Printing an EDL File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Proofing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Conforming ALE Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Importing an ALE File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Logging Clips from an ALE File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Chapter 4 Outputting Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Workflow: Outputting Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Preparing for Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Processing Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Selecting an Area to Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

5

Monitoring Audio Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Configuring the External Device for Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Calibrating Video Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Specifying Downconvert Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Specifying the Sync Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Outputting Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Outputting to Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Outputting to File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Exporting AVI or QuickTime Reference Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Exporting Reference Movies to ProEncode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

6

Using This Guide

Congratulations on your purchase of an Avid DS Nitris system. You can
use your system to create broadcast-quality output incorporating every
possible production element from full-speed, high-resolution footage, to
multimedia artwork and animation, to computer-generated effects and
titling.

n

The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models.
Therefore, your system might not contain certain features and hardware
that are covered in the documentation.

Who Should Use This Guide

This guide is intended for all Avid DS Nitris users, from beginning to
advanced, who need to capture, conform, or output material. It provides
comprehensive, task-oriented instructions for:

• Capturing material from external devices and files

• Conforming projects transferred from other systems through AFE,
AAF, OMF

• Outputting material to external devices and files

®

, EDL, and ALE files

Using This Guide

Symbols and Conventions

Unless noted otherwise, the material in this document applies to the
Windows XP operating system.

Avid DS Nitris documentation uses the following symbols and
conventions:

Symbol or
Convention

Meaning or Action

n

c

w

> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands)

t

Margin tips In the margin, you will find tips that help you perform tasks

Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate

Courier Bold
font

A note provides important related information, reminders,
recommendations, and strong suggestions.

A caution means that a specific action you take could cause
harm to your computer or cause you to lose data.

A warning describes an action that could cause you physical
harm. Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit
itself when handling electrical equipment.

in the order you select them. For example, File > Import
means to open the File menu and then select the Import
command.

This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple
arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions
listed.

more easily and efficiently.

variables.

Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.

Bold font Bold indicates a user interaction.

8

Using the Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard

In Avid DS Nitris, you can use a two-button mouse (with wheel) or a pen
and tablet. The left and right mouse buttons perform different operations.
Unless otherwise stated, use the left mouse button.

The mouse and pen operate slightly differently. All the procedures in this
guide are documented for the mouse. You can, however, easily use a pen or
the keyboard. The following table shows the terms relating to the mouse,
pen, and keyboard.

This Term Means This with a Mouse Means This with a Pen

Symbols and Conventions

Click Quickly click and release the

left mouse button. Always use
the left mouse button unless
otherwise stated.

Double-click Click the left mouse button

twice rapidly.

Right-click Quickly click and release the

right mouse button.

Drag Click and hold the left mouse

button or the wheel while you
move the mouse.

Alt+key,
Ctrl+key,
Shift+key,

etc.

Press and hold the first key while you press the second key. For
example, “Press Alt+F1” means to press and hold the Alt key
while you press the F1 key.

Tap the tablet once with the tip of
the pen, or touch the pen to the
tablet with enough pressure to
click.

Quickly tap the tablet twice in the
same screen pixel or press the F5
key to go from single to double­click.

Press the top portion of the switch
on the side of the pen or press the
F6 key to go from left to right­click.

Press the pen to the tablet while
moving the pen.

9

Using This Guide

Customizing the Pen or Mouse

By customizing the pen, you can adjust the click pressure, switch
functions, and other features. For information on customizing the pen,
refer to the documentation provided with your Avid DS Nitris system.

You can also customize the mouse. For example, you can select left­handed configuration or change the double-click speed. For information on
customizing the mouse, refer to the Windows online Help.

If You Need Help

If you are having trouble using Avid DS Nitris:

1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task
in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your
workflow.

2. Check for the latest information that might have become available
after the documentation was published in one of two locations:

- If release notes are available, they ship with your application.

- If ReadMe files are available, they are supplied in your Avid

application folder. ReadMe files are also available from Help.

3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your
hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues.

4. See “Avid DS Customer Support” on page 12.

5. For Technical Support, please call 800-800-AVID (800-800-2843).
For international enquiries and support services, contact your local

Avid Reseller. Support offerings may vary per location.

Accessing the Online Documentation

The online library contains all the Avid DS Nitris documentation in PDF
format. If it was installed on your workstation, you can access it from the
Help menu in Avid DS Nitris.

10

If You Need Help

n

You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® installed to view the
documentation online.

To access the online library, do one of the following:

t In Avid DS Nitris, select Help > Online Library.
t Insert the Drivers CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive, and select

Online Library from the main menu.

To install Adobe Acrobat Reader:

1. Insert the Drivers CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.

2. Select the appropriate workstation and select Utilities.

If You Have Documentation Comments

We’d appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have about the
Avid DS Nitris documentation.

Please e-mail your documentation comments to:

[e-mail]

Include the title of the document, its part number, and the specific section
you are commenting on in all correspondence.

How to Order Documentation

To order additional copies of this documentation from within the
United States, call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). If you are
placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local
Avid representative.

Avid Educational Services

For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications,
courseware, and books, please visit www.avid.com/training or call
Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).

11

Using This Guide

Avid DS Customer Support

The following sections describe various Avid DS Customer Support
options.

E-mail Support

The e-mail address for Avid DS Customer Support is:
[e-mail].

You can use it for sending bug reports, usability questions, and avidds.cab
audit reports for system analysis. All e-mails are logged in the support
database and assigned a case number. Send one support request per e-mail.

n

Web Support

FTP Support

It is mandatory that you include your SID number in the body of your
e-mail message for verification of your maintenance contract and case
logging, otherwise, response will be delayed.

The Avid DS Customer Support and Download sections at
http://www.softimage.com/avidds provide quick access to a wide range
of resources from the Avid DS teams and user community. Downloads,
including presets, drivers, and Quick Fix Engineering (QFE), provide the
latest solutions for use with your Avid DS Nitris system. Online
documentation, tutorials, and Knowledge Base articles ensure that you get
the most out of your work with Avid DS Nitris. It's like having a dedicated
Avid DS Customer Support engineer sitting at your desk!

For troubleshooting purposes, an FTP server is available for uploading
large files for Avid DS Customer Support personnel to examine. You can
upload a project's archive, media files, or other large piece of data. Simply
zip the files to upload and use a short name for easy retrieval, such as
archive.zip or Case274877.zip. You can use a Windows Command Prompt
or an FTP application to upload files to our server.

12

Avid DS Customer Support

Command Prompt Commands

Command Description

Site access ftp ftp.softimage.com [Enter]

Folder access cd incoming [Enter]

User name anonymous [Enter]

Password “your e-mail address” [Enter]

Transfer mode bin [Enter]

Upload command Put “path:\file name” [Enter]

Once the file upload is complete, send an e-mail to [e-mail]
to inform Avid DS Customer Support as there is no automatic notification
when a file is uploaded on the FTP server. Please provide the complete and
exact file name (case sensitive) to retrieve.

Mailing List

Although the Avid DS mailing list is frequently monitored by Avid
employees, it is not part of the official support channels. You are invited to
send your support requests to any of the above channels when required.

If you have an e-mail account, you can join the worldwide network of Avid
DS users exchanging ideas. The mailing list has proven to be quite useful
for users, with a constant stream of new subscribers.

To subscribe, send an e-mail to [e-mail] with the
following text in the body of your message: subscribe ds. You can get
further information on using the automated list server by e-mailing
[e-mail] with “help” as your message.

You can also go to http://www.avid.com/support/forms.html, which is a
great source of information, available on the Avid web site for Avid DS.

13

Using This Guide

14

Chapter 1
Capturing Material

This chapter describes how to prepare to capture material, specify the
capture quality, and capture and log material so that you can edit it in
Avid DS Nitris. This chapter includes the following topics:

• Workflow: Capturing Material

• Preparing to Capture Material

• Logging and Capturing Material

• Capturing Material from File

• Creating Linked Clips

• Batch Capturing

• Using Scripts to Capture Media

• Importing from SOFTIMAGE|XSI

• Managing Tapes

Workflow: Capturing Material

You can capture material for your project from different sources, such as
tape or file. The following illustration shows you the process of capturing
material:

Chapter 1 Capturing Material

Configure inputs and quality settings.

1

Configure the VTR or other external device.

Preview material.

2

Preview video material.

Log or capture material from...

3

File

Tape

If required, batch capture from the timeline or Avid Explorer.

4

AFE, AAF, OMF

®

, EDL, or ALE file.

Select video/audio input, quality, and storage.

Adjust level of incoming audio signal.

16

Preparing to Capture Material

Before capturing media, you must configure settings for your workstation.
Configuration includes specifying the external device and the input signals
coming from the external device, selecting the capture quality, storage
location for the captured media, and other settings, and monitoring audio
levels.

Use this checklist to help you prepare to capture.

Preparing to capture

❏ Configure the external device
❏ Select the capture mode
❏ Select the capture target

❏ Specify the capture quality

Preparing to Capture Material

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❏ Specify audio input settings
❏ Specify video input settings
❏ Preview material

These tasks are described in the following sections.

Avid DS Nitris requires that the deck and the Avid Nitris DNA be
genlocked to the same timing source when capturing. If you’re
capturing a format that allows either tri-level or black burst sync
(such as 1080i 59.94), you can use either sync source, so long as it is
supported by the deck.

If you are capturing material from file, configure the capture settings in
advance through the Capture Settings view and capture through the Avid
Explorer. For more information, see “Capturing Material from File” on

page 43.

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

Configuring the External Device

Before capturing from an external device, such as a deck, you need to set
options for the device.The first time you work with a new device, you need
to set parameters in the Deck Configuration view. The Deck Configuration
view lets you save your settings as a preset. You can then select the preset
in the Deck Configuration view or select it from the Device pop-up menu
in the Capture Tool.

To configure an external device:

1. Connect the external device to your Avid DS system, as described in
the setup guide for your system.

2. Open the Deck Configuration view by doing one of the following:

t Select View > Multi-Instance Views > Deck Configuration.
t In an Avid Explorer panel, open the Views folder and click Deck

Configuration.

The Deck Configuration view opens.

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Deck presets
list

Fast Menu
button

Preparing to Capture Material

For information about options in the Deck Configuration view, click
the Help button in the Avid Explorer toolbar.

3. Do one of the following:

t In the Deck Configuration view, click the Fast Menu button and

select Add New Deck Preset.

t In the Avid Explorer toolbar, click the New button.
An icon named Deck Preset is added to the Deck Presets list. The

name is selected and ready to be renamed.

4. Type a name for the preset.

5. From the Manufacturer list, select the name of the manufacturer of the
external device.

6. From the Model list, select the model number.

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

7. From the COM Port list, select the COM port that connects the serial

8. From the TC Mode list, select the type of timecode you want to use for

Some models include a frame rate (23, 24, and so on). Make sure the
template matches the playback rate of your deck.

cable from the external device to your system.
The serial cable should be connected to either COM1 or COM2.

input: Auto, LT C, or VITC.
Auto lets the external device determine which timecode to read.

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If your external device cannot find a timecode when previewing material,
your TC Mode setting may be incorrect.

9. When outputting to tape, you must specify the edit mode by selecting

Auto or Assemble from the Edit Mode list.

10. From the Edit Field list, select the field on which the output starts.
Deck Settings uses the Edit Field setting that is set on the external

device.

11. In the Preroll text box, enter the amount of time that you want the
external device to play before Avid DS Nitris starts to capture or
output.

12. If you’re experiencing an offset between the external device and your
system, you can compensate by adding or subtracting frames in the
Play Bias and Record Bias text boxes. The Play Bias option offsets the
timeline whereas the Record Bias option offsets the VCR timecode
entry point.

When you first connect the external device to your system, you should
perform several capture and output tests to verify that the timecodes are
accurate.

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13. Make a selection from the Input and Priority lists.
The input you select will depend on the audio hardware connected to

your system.

14. Use the Audio Physical Patching matrix to assign the audio outputs
from the external device to the audio inputs on your workstation—see

“Using the Physical Patching Matrix” on page 22.

Preparing to Capture Material

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The Input, Priority, and Audio Physical Patching settings are all saved
with the device preset.

15. Click the Check button.

If the communication between the external device and your system is
operating properly, nothing happens. If there is a problem, a message
box appears, stating the possible cause of the problem.

You can also verify that the external device is operating within normal
parameters by checking the five items in the External Device
Status area, located beneath the transport controls.

16. Right-click the new preset and select Save or click the Save button.

17. (Optional) Select the preset as the currently active external
device—see “Activating a Device Preset” on page 23.

If you’re using a deck that can be addressed in a format different from its
recording speed, four bin columns provide you with a quick way to find
your clips on the source tape:

• Avid DS Nitris Physical In

• Avid DS Nitris Physical Out

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• Avid DS Nitris Physical Start

• Avid DS Nitris Physical Stop

These columns show timecodes in the same format as the deck faceplate.

Templates for output devices are located by default in the following folder:
C:\Program Files\Avid\DS_v7.0\Edm\Supporting
Files\Machine_Templates.

The Supporting Files folder also contains the Backup_Machine_Templates
folder, which holds older templates. To access additional templates in the
Deck Configuration view, copy template files to the Machine_Templates
folder.

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

Using the Physical Patching Matrix

The Physical Patching matrix lets you assign the audio outputs from the
external device to the audio inputs on your workstation.

If the material you want to capture has more audio tracks than the number
of physical inputs on your workstation, you can capture the audio tracks in
different passes. For each pass, you can re-assign the audio physical
patching to capture the tracks you need.

For example, assume you only have two physical inputs (I1 and I2), but
have four tracks of audio to capture (A1, A2, A3, and A4). On the first
pass, you can capture tracks A1 and A2.

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On the second pass, you can change the audio physical patching to A3 and
A4, which lets you capture audio tracks 3 and 4.

You can also use the patching to:

• Rearrange the track destination

• Import specific tracks from a device

• Remove unwanted tracks

Since the Audio Physical Patching is saved with the device preset, each
device can have its own specific audio patching.

Editing and Deleting External Device Presets

You can save the settings for your external device as a preset, so that you
don’t have to reconfigure the device each time you use it for capture or
output.

To edit a preset:

1. Right-click the preset.

2. Select the options you want to change.

3. Click the Save button.

To delete a preset from the device list, do one of the following:

t Right-click the preset and select Delete.
t In the Avid Explorer toolbar, click the Delete button.

Preparing to Capture Material

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Activating a Device Preset

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You cannot delete the active preset.

You can select one of your presets as the currently active external device.
The device you choose will be the default device for capture, recapture,
and output.

You can choose a different device preset in the Capture Tool and Output
view.

To activate a device preset, do one of the following:

t In the top part of the Deck Configuration view, right-click the preset

and select Activate.

t Double-click the preset.

A green check mark appears on the preset’s icon.

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

Exporting and Importing Device Presets

You can share presets with other Avid DS Nitris systems by exporting and
importing deck presets.

To export deck presets:

1. In the Bin tools section of the Deck Configuration view, click the Fast
Menu button and select Export Deck Presets.

The Select Deck Presets Export Folder dialog box opens.

2. Select the folder into which you want to export the presets.

3. Click the Select button.
All presets are exported to the folder you selected.

To import deck presets:

1. In the Bin tools section of the Deck Configuration view, click the Fast
Menu button and select Import Deck Presets.

The Select Deck Presets Import Folder dialog box opens.

2. Select the folder from which you want to import the presets.

3. Click the Select button.

All presets in the selected folder are imported to your system.

Opening the Capture Tool

The Capture Tool lets you configure the settings you need to capture media
from an external device and perform the capture.

To open the Capture Tool:

t Select View > Single-Instance Views > Capture Tool.

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Live

Tape

On-the-Fly

Timeline/Deck Control

Log/Capture Mode

Preparing to Capture Material

Start Capture

Video/Audio
Capture Settings

Input Monitor

Deck Configuration Audio Parameters

Selecting the Capture Mode

You can choose one of three different capture modes in the Capture Tool:

• Live: Lets you specify settings for capturing material by simply

starting and stopping the capture—see “Performing a Live Capture” on

page 36.

• Ta pe : Lets you specify settings for capturing material between in and

out-points or for logging empty master clips—see “Logging and

Capturing Clips from Tape” on page 37.

• On-the-fly: Lets you specify settings for capturing material between in

and out-points that you set as the tape plays—see “Capturing Clips

On-the-Fly” on page 41.

Expand/Collapse

Video Input Parameters

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

Selecting the Capture Target

You can choose one of several capture targets in the Capture Tool.

To select a capture target, do one of the following:

t Click the Target list button and select:

- Project Root: Creates master clips in the folder with the project

name (the project folder).

- Auto-Source: Creates master clips in a folder with the same name

as the tape name.

- Main Explorer Location: Creates master clips in a bin you

selected in the Avid Explorer.
The most recently activated bin within the project root becomes

the capture target. An icon in the title bar marks a bin as the
capture target.

t Click the Target button. Avid DS Nitris creates master clips in a folder

you select.
You cannot create master clips outside the current project, so

Avid DS Nitris checks the path to make sure the folder is within the
project folder.

Specifying the Capture Quality

You set the video and audio capture quality when you create your project
or sequence. You can keep these default settings or adjust them for the
material you are going to capture or recapture.

For your video material, you can change the resolution, bit depth,
compression, and storage device. For your audio material, you can change
the sample rate, bit depth, and storage device.

Specifying the Video Capture Quality

Video capture settings let you define the resolution, bit depth, and
compression ratio at which images are captured.

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Preparing to Capture Material

You can save space on your disk array by capturing video material in
compressed format. Typically, compressed material is used for a rough cut,
where you capture large amounts of material at a lower quality. After that,
you can recapture the edited material uncompressed before proceeding
with a more detailed edit.

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You can also set the video capture quality in the Capture Settings view. For
more information, see “Capturing Material from File” on page 43.

To specify video capture quality:

1. Select View > Single-Instance Views > Capture Tool.

2. Click the Video/Audio Capture Settings button.

The video and audio capture settings are displayed.

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

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For information about video capture options, click the Help button.

3. In the Video panel, select a resolution from the Resolution list.
Options depend on your hardware.

4. From the Bit Depth list, select a bit depth: 8-bit or 10-bit, depending on
your hardware.

5. From the Compression list, select a compression or Uncompressed.

6. From the Capture To list, select the storage device on which your video
media will be stored.

The status of the storage device you selected is displayed. If the
storage device is accessible in real time, the status marker is green. If
the storage device is not accessible in real time, the status marker is
red.

The Time Available box indicates how much video material you can
successfully capture based on your quality settings. If you have
insufficient storage space, consider deleting any unused media on your
disk array. For more information, see “Purging Media” on page 443.

Specifying the Audio Capture Quality

The audio capture settings let you define the quality at which your audio
material is captured. These settings depend on the audio hardware
connected to your workstation.

When you’re capturing material from a digital input, the audio input
sample rate and protocol settings are set according to the input signal
detected by your hardware.

Preparing to Capture Material

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With digital input, such as AES/EBU or S/PDIF, the sample rate is
determined and set by the external device (CD player, DAT, etc.). If the
digital input cannot be detected (for example, the external device is turned
off), the default sampling rate is set to 48 kHz.

You can also set the audio capture quality in the Capture Settings view. See

“Capturing Material from File” on page 43.

To specify audio capture quality:

1. Select View > Single-Instance Views > Capture Tool.

2. Click the Video/Audio Capture Settings button.
For information about audio capture options, click the Help button.

3. In the Audio panel, select a sample rate from the Sample Rate list.
The higher the sample rate, the more accurate the capture process will
be.

4. From the Bit Depth list, select a bit depth. The higher the value, the
more precise the audio will be.

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Chapter 1 Capturing Material

5. From the Capture To list, select the disk array on which your audio
material will be stored.

The status of the storage device you select is displayed. If the storage
device is accessible in real time, the status marker is green. If the
storage device is not accessible in real time, the status marker is red.

The Time Available box indicates how much audio material you can
successfully capture based on your quality settings. If you have
insufficient storage space, consider deleting any unused media on your
disk array. For more information, see “Purging Media” on page 443.

Specifying Audio Input Settings

You can specify two types of audio input settings in the Capture Tool:

• Settings for the external device

• Audio format and channel routing

Setting the Audio Format

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Your choices for audio format and available channels depend on the
installed audio hardware.

To set the audio format and assign audio channels:

1. In the Capture Tool, click the Input Monitor button.

2. Select the audio format from the Audio Format list.
For information about audio formats, click the Help button.

3. Use the channel routing matrix to assign the incoming audio tracks to
the desired audio channels of the clip.

Click in the appropriate boxes to make the assignments. The number of
available channels depends on the installed audio hardware and the
selected audio format. You should know, in advance, to which tracks
the audio has been recorded on the tape.

If you click on a square in the matrix and an empty circle appears, that
particular assignment is not available due to limitations of the audio
hardware.