Hello All -
Just thought I would give a status report on Dodcap 1.30. As a reminder, here are the changes since the last version:
- Batch processing for applying speed changes and timecode burn-in
- Custom media player that allows frame-stepping, DV playback/record
- Speed improvement when using interpolated pulldown
As of this morning, I have finished programming 1.30. Now I need to perform organized testing of the new features, update user documentation, and create the new install package. I expect to be finished with this within one week.
This should put the release date of Dodcap 1.30 in the first week of February.
Later!
- Jeff Dodson
Dodcap 1.30 Status Report
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
Another Update
Another update on Dodcap 1.30 (in case anyone cares!).
In addition to the things mentioned above, I have added "sticky" windows. This means that almost all windows in Dodcap--the pulldown module, video preview windows, Dodcap main window, etc.--remember their last position and size automatically. This was done at a user's request, and I believe it will make Dodcap easier to use.
As far as progress goes, the documentation (help file) is finished, and testing is complete on Windows 2000 and Windows 98 SE. The install program is about half finished. This means I have to perform Windows XP testing, complete the install package, and update my web site.
ETA on this would be Monday, 10 February.
- Jeff Dodson
In addition to the things mentioned above, I have added "sticky" windows. This means that almost all windows in Dodcap--the pulldown module, video preview windows, Dodcap main window, etc.--remember their last position and size automatically. This was done at a user's request, and I believe it will make Dodcap easier to use.
As far as progress goes, the documentation (help file) is finished, and testing is complete on Windows 2000 and Windows 98 SE. The install program is about half finished. This means I have to perform Windows XP testing, complete the install package, and update my web site.
ETA on this would be Monday, 10 February.
- Jeff Dodson
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Dave Anderson
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Andreas Wideroe
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Me too!
Sticky windows rules when you're using dual-screen setups!
Sticky windows rules when you're using dual-screen setups!
Andreas Wideroe
Filmshooting | Com - Administrator
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-
Kurt
I care too.
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet about the PAL tests you asked me to run. Just haven't had time - or have you gotten that straightened out already? I'm actually totally satisfied with the my current version of Dodcap, would you say that the update is a must?
My newest test will involve the workprinter and Dodcap using a 3CCD analog camera and the Canopus analog to DV converter. I got the camera for dirt cheap and later found out that Roger uses the exact same camera on his big machine. Roger was a bit concerned about the timing of the converter and has yet to have anyone test this type of setup. I just refuse to spend that much money on a 3CCD DV camera so this could be a nice solution.
Kurt
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet about the PAL tests you asked me to run. Just haven't had time - or have you gotten that straightened out already? I'm actually totally satisfied with the my current version of Dodcap, would you say that the update is a must?
My newest test will involve the workprinter and Dodcap using a 3CCD analog camera and the Canopus analog to DV converter. I got the camera for dirt cheap and later found out that Roger uses the exact same camera on his big machine. Roger was a bit concerned about the timing of the converter and has yet to have anyone test this type of setup. I just refuse to spend that much money on a 3CCD DV camera so this could be a nice solution.
Kurt
Update
I've been busy too, so I certainly understand. I don't expect you to do my testing for me anyway! However, I would love to hear feedback from any PAL user that has tried the interpolated pulldown options.
Is the new update a must? It depends on how you work. If you typically do pulldown during capture, then it is not a must. If you do lots of captures and then apply pulldown to these captures as a post-processing step, it is a must. In fact, it could save you a whole lot of time in that case. Also, version 1.30 is (I think) a lot easier to use than 1.22, due primarily to the fact that 1.30 remembers where you like to place its windows.
The next Dodcap release after 1.30 will probably contain no new significant features. Instead I will concentrate on "workflow" in Dodcap, and on making it easier/faster to work with.
Also, it looks like I will actually be ready to release some time tomorrow--probably at night for those of you who are in Europe.
Let me know how it goes with the Canopus converter. I have never use it myself, but I have tried both Dodcap and Adobe Premiere 6.0 with a Sony analog to DV converter, and it worked perfectly. By "perfectly" I mean that I was able to capture at 6 fps without even having to readjust the sync of my WorkPrinter. I expected a delay of some sort, but there was not one. I guess it really depends though on how Canopus it. I do seem to remember that there is another Dodcap customer who is using a Canopus analog to DV converter. I can email him and ask what his experience has been.
I am jealous of your camera! If you get tired of it, you can always send it to me...I would even be willing to pay for the shipping!!
- Jeff Dodson
Is the new update a must? It depends on how you work. If you typically do pulldown during capture, then it is not a must. If you do lots of captures and then apply pulldown to these captures as a post-processing step, it is a must. In fact, it could save you a whole lot of time in that case. Also, version 1.30 is (I think) a lot easier to use than 1.22, due primarily to the fact that 1.30 remembers where you like to place its windows.
The next Dodcap release after 1.30 will probably contain no new significant features. Instead I will concentrate on "workflow" in Dodcap, and on making it easier/faster to work with.
Also, it looks like I will actually be ready to release some time tomorrow--probably at night for those of you who are in Europe.
Let me know how it goes with the Canopus converter. I have never use it myself, but I have tried both Dodcap and Adobe Premiere 6.0 with a Sony analog to DV converter, and it worked perfectly. By "perfectly" I mean that I was able to capture at 6 fps without even having to readjust the sync of my WorkPrinter. I expected a delay of some sort, but there was not one. I guess it really depends though on how Canopus it. I do seem to remember that there is another Dodcap customer who is using a Canopus analog to DV converter. I can email him and ask what his experience has been.
I am jealous of your camera! If you get tired of it, you can always send it to me...I would even be willing to pay for the shipping!!
- Jeff Dodson
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Kurt
Canopus
Okay, I will email him in just a minute.
Hitachi HV-C10A...this is a 3CCD camera? And it turns up cheap on ebay sometimes? I will have to keep an eye out for one of those.
About the Canopus converter though--exactly which model are you referring to (I believe Canopus has two).
- Jeff Dodson
Hitachi HV-C10A...this is a 3CCD camera? And it turns up cheap on ebay sometimes? I will have to keep an eye out for one of those.
About the Canopus converter though--exactly which model are you referring to (I believe Canopus has two).
- Jeff Dodson
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Kurt
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Kurt
Here's a good link to the Hitachi.
http://www.hitachi-denshi-uk.com/indust ... hvc10a.htm
I don't know what your idea of cheap is, but I've seen them go for around $250.00 on eBay. I got mine for much less here in Germany! Just watch out for dead pixels. The camera is perfect for the workprinter because we don't really need a viewfinder anyway - your program provides us with that. A high-end 3CCD transfer camera for that price is hard to beat.
Kurt
http://www.hitachi-denshi-uk.com/indust ... hvc10a.htm
I don't know what your idea of cheap is, but I've seen them go for around $250.00 on eBay. I got mine for much less here in Germany! Just watch out for dead pixels. The camera is perfect for the workprinter because we don't really need a viewfinder anyway - your program provides us with that. A high-end 3CCD transfer camera for that price is hard to beat.
Kurt
Canopus
Dodcap 1.30 Beta is now officially posted on http://www.alternaware.com. If anyone tries it soon, please let me know what you think.
Also, Kurt: I checked through my email history, and the Dodcap user was using the very Canopus model you mentioned, i.e. ADVC-100.
I emailed him and asked how it was working now with Dodcap & Premiere both. I will email him again and send him your address.
- Jeff
Also, Kurt: I checked through my email history, and the Dodcap user was using the very Canopus model you mentioned, i.e. ADVC-100.
I emailed him and asked how it was working now with Dodcap & Premiere both. I will email him again and send him your address.
- Jeff
Feedback
Well, I have already gotten some feedback on 1.30. Based on this feedback, here are some changes I am going to make for the non-beta release of 1.30:
1) Make the Media Player default to playing an AVI file at a standard size (say, 352x240 NTSC, 352x288 PAL) that fits onto a 640x480 resolution screen. There would be a checkbox that lets you switch between actual size of the file and this standard display size. Of course, Dodcap would remember your selection, so you would only have to set this once at most.
2) Make the batch processing module window resizeable, and default to a size that fits on a 640x480 screen. Of course, position and size would be remembered, so if you want to make it bigger you only need to resize it once.
Also, a user has reported that the "16 fps on PAL Video" option + "Interpolate Padded Frames" combination does not in fact produce interpolated padding frames. Instead it produces whole frame pulldown. However, I did a fresh install of Dodcap 1.30 Beta and tested with these exact same options and found that Dodcap was producing interpolated frames in the proper places. My test file had very active motion in it though, which would make the interlaced frames very obvious. I do not know if the user's test file had much (or any) motion in it or not.
- Jeff Dodson
1) Make the Media Player default to playing an AVI file at a standard size (say, 352x240 NTSC, 352x288 PAL) that fits onto a 640x480 resolution screen. There would be a checkbox that lets you switch between actual size of the file and this standard display size. Of course, Dodcap would remember your selection, so you would only have to set this once at most.
2) Make the batch processing module window resizeable, and default to a size that fits on a 640x480 screen. Of course, position and size would be remembered, so if you want to make it bigger you only need to resize it once.
Also, a user has reported that the "16 fps on PAL Video" option + "Interpolate Padded Frames" combination does not in fact produce interpolated padding frames. Instead it produces whole frame pulldown. However, I did a fresh install of Dodcap 1.30 Beta and tested with these exact same options and found that Dodcap was producing interpolated frames in the proper places. My test file had very active motion in it though, which would make the interlaced frames very obvious. I do not know if the user's test file had much (or any) motion in it or not.
- Jeff Dodson
Dodcap 1.30 Online Now
Well, Dodcap is online now. I had one PAL user report that the wrong pulldown patterns were being applied, but I could not reproduce this no matter how hard I tried. I attempted every single pulldown pattern with PAL and NTSC clips, using two different DV codecs. I did this in the single-file and batch pulldown modules, and the results seemed correct.
Any PAL users that would like to give 1.30 a test, please feel free to do so.
Just a slight modification to the idea I mentioned above about the media player. Tonight I changed the media player so that it has a combo box that displays 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. You can switch between these sizes by selecting it in the combo box, even while the video is playing. The default will be 50%.
Later!
- Jeff Dodson
Any PAL users that would like to give 1.30 a test, please feel free to do so.
Just a slight modification to the idea I mentioned above about the media player. Tonight I changed the media player so that it has a combo box that displays 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. You can switch between these sizes by selecting it in the combo box, even while the video is playing. The default will be 50%.
Later!
- Jeff Dodson
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Guest
Trouble
Well, I was in the middle of making an update to the Dodcap 1.30 links on my website today when I suffered a catastrophic computer crash. My main computer is now DEAD, DEAD, DEAD.
This means that the link to 1.30 on the site is down until I can find a replacement computer in which to hook up my old hard drives. I am leaving this message from my laptop, which unfortunately does not have the code for Dodcap or my website on it.
In addition, I am snowed in at the moment! Hopefully I can get this resolved within a couple of days. I know there were some problems with 1.30, most of which I've fixed, I just can't upload it right now!
Sorry!
- Jeff D.
This means that the link to 1.30 on the site is down until I can find a replacement computer in which to hook up my old hard drives. I am leaving this message from my laptop, which unfortunately does not have the code for Dodcap or my website on it.
In addition, I am snowed in at the moment! Hopefully I can get this resolved within a couple of days. I know there were some problems with 1.30, most of which I've fixed, I just can't upload it right now!
Sorry!
- Jeff D.