Pinnacle Systems Thunder Station User Manual
Avid® Thunder® Station
Configuration and Workflow Guide
make manage move | media
™
Avid
®
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2
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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 Thunder Station Configuration and Workflow Guide • 0130-07649-01 • June 2006
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Contents
Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
How to Order Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 1 Thunder Station Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
System Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installation Checklist and Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
System Requirements and Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 2 Thunder Station Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Check List for Configuring Thunder Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Configuring the Thunder Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Setting Up the ImportWatcher Folder on Thunder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Creating Users on the Thunder Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Configuring the NewsCutter XP Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Check List for Configuring NewsCutter XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Configuring FTP Server Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Adding an FTP Playback Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Adding an FTP Ingest Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Verifying the NewsCutter XP System has the FTP DHM Option Enabled . . . . . 31
Configuring Interplay Transfer or TransferManager Client. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Configuring Thunder Browse Software to Point to the Thunder Database on the
Thunder Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adding the Host Name of Your Local System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Setting up the SQL Server for Thunder Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapter 3 Thunder Station Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Sending Media from NewsCutter to Thunder (Send to Playback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Saving a Sequence to a Specific Location in a Thunder Database . . . . . . . . . . 39
Replacing an Event within a Thunder Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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Retrieving Media from Thunder into NewsCutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Saving PostDeko Graphics to Thunder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Making Changes to Graphics on the Thunder Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Troubleshooting Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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Using This Guide
Congratulations on your purchase of Avid® Thunder® Station. Thunder Station is a
comprehensive multi-channel ingest, editing, graphics, and play-to-air solution for smaller
news, sports, and live production applications. You can use your application 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.
This guide is intended for all Thunder Station users, from beginning to advanced.
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.
Symbols and Conventions
Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
n
c
w
> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the
t
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.
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.
Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.
Using This Guide
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action
Courier Bold font
Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the
If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using Thunder Station:
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:
- If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as printed release notes,
they ship with your application and are also available online.
- If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as a ReadMe file, it is
supplied in your Avid application folder as a PDF document (ReadMe.pdf) and is
also available online.
You should always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe
because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes
available. To view these online versions, select ReadMe from the Help menu. or visit
the Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/readme.
Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.
mouse action. For example, Ctrl+drag.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/onlinesupport. Online services are
available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find
answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates,
and to read or join online message-board discussions.
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.
8
Avid Training Services
Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and
convenient. Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always
changing, and Avid continually updates course content and offers new training delivery
methods that accommodate your pressured and competitive work environment.
To learn about Avid's new online learning environment, Avid Learning Excellerator
(ALEX), visit http://learn.avid.com.
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).
Avid Training Services
™
9
Using This Guide
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Chapter 1
Thunder Station Overview
Thunder Station is a comprehensive multi-channel ingest, editing, graphics, and play to air
solution for smaller news, sports, and live production applications. The Avid Thunder
Station package combines the versatile Thunder MX production server, powerful Avid
NewsCutter
graphics management.
The Thunder Station package allows four editors to work simultaneously and easily send
finished packages to the Thunder for playout right from their workstations. They can also
preview and make modifications to IN and OUT points of content and metadata on the
Thunder using Thunder Browse, and even pull clips back to their NewsCutter XP for editing.
This chapter contains the following topics:
• “System Configuration” on page 11
• “System Requirements and Documentation” on page 14
System Configuration
®
XP editing, brilliant Deko® graphics creation, and Thunder Browse video and
The Thunder Station package includes the following:
• A two channel Thunder MX server with the MX Clips option, and the following:
- Thunder Titling with PostDeko option
• Four NewsCutter XP turnkey systems (CPU and software), each with the following:
™
- Avid Mojo
- Avid Unity
- Thunder Browse for accessing the Thunder database to fulfill the editing needs.
or AvidMojo SDI for ingest
™
TransferManager or Avid Interplay™ Transfer FTP option
Chapter 1 Thunder Station Overview
•A SQL Server™ to manage database connections to the Thunder MX.
Also included are one additional Thunder Browse seat and one additional Thunder Titling
with PostDeko for the graphics department to create and manage graphics.
Installation Checklist and Diagram
Before you install any software, you must connect all systems to the network switch via a
®
1GB Ethernet
connection. The systems in the Thunder Station environment that must be
connected to the network switch are:
• NewsCutter XP systems
• A Thunder server
•An SQL server
• (Option) 1 graphics system with Thunder Browse and PostDeko
For more information, see the following system configuration diagram, as well as the
documentation that accompanies each system. See your System Administrator before
connecting any systems to the network.
Editing Room
4 NewsCutter XP systems with AvidMojo or AvidMojo SDI, Avid Interplay
Transfer/TransferManager server and Client software, and Thunder Browse
software installed on each system
Graphics Room
Customer supplied PC with Thunder
Browse and titling with PostDeko.
Control Room
Thunder server with PostDeko
and 3rd-party FTP server
software installed
12
Playout
to air
Server with SQL Server
software
1GB Ethernet connection
System Configuration
The turnkey NewsCutter XP workstations each include an Avid Mojo or Avid Mojo SDI
device to handle I/O tasks; the Scheduled Record feature of NewsCutter XP simplifies
™
unattended recording. NewsCutter XP also offers easy import of XDCAM
files with
proxies and P2 format support with native editing from P2 media. The Thunder production
server handles ingest tasks, including simultaneous recording on one channel while playing
on another.
NewsCutter XP allows you to easily repurpose news packages. You can acquire and edit
DV 25 or IMX; NewsCutter XP also supports HDV and MPEG2 LongGOP editing.
Included Avid Interplay Transfer or Avid TransferManager software makes it easy to send
files to your Thunder (or other) server, or to another NewsCutter XP.
The Thunder Browse and Titling with PostDeko applications add graphics power for an
artist workstation. Your artist can create lower thirds, over the shoulders, and other static
graphics, and save them directly into the Thunder database.
The Thunder has the ability to easily build sequences of playlists, play them to air, and
quickly and easily find and play items in the database. Thunder’s two completely
independent channels allow for playing keyable graphics on one channel while a news story
plays out on the other. It also allows you to record a feed while a story is being played out.
13
Chapter 1 Thunder Station Overview
System Requirements and Documentation
Depending on the version of NewsCutter XP that you are using, you have either Avid
Interplay Transfer or Avid Unity TransferManager server and Client software. The following
table lists the minimum supported versions and the associated documentation.
System Requirements and Documentation
NewsCutter XP version Transfer Software Documentation
NewsCutter XP v6.2.6 TransferManager v2.9.12 See the Avid Unity
TransferManager Version 2.9.9
Release Notes.
The Avid Unity TransferManager
v2.9.7 Release Notes also have the
correct information. The v2.9.7
release notes are available on the
Knowledge Base.
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NewsCutter XP v6.5 Avid Interplay Transfer v1.0
All of the documentation is available on the Avid Knowledge Base. The Avid Interplay
Transfer Setup and User’s Guide and the Avid Interplay Transfer v1.0 Readme are available
at the top level of the Avid Interplay Transfer CD-ROM. For the latest versions of the
documentation, see the Knowledge Base.
The terms “Interplay Transfer” and “TransferManager” refer to the server and Client
Transfer software that was included with your version of NewsCutter XP. Therefore, these
terms can be interchangeable when discussing the server or Client Transfer software in
general. However, when you are referred to other documents, you must look in the document
that relates to the actual product that you have in your environment (“Interplay Transfer” or
“TransferManager”).
See the following:
• Avid Interplay Transfer Setup
and User’s Guide
• Avid Interplay Transfer v1.0
Readme
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