[Scott Freeman]

also to note newer version Link settings under Link tab SD specific for 16:9 or 4:3

Project Window > Settings Tab > link settings:

Link Settings Window > Link Options Tab > 5th tear down

and specify ‘Always use 16:9 aspect ratio for SD clips’

[Scott Freeman]

Perchance, are these standard definition source-files?

If not, then I would love to know what your width and height is for those source-files in question?

I am hoping that maybe I can help shine some light on this subject matter.

For some standard definition source-files, I have noticed that Avid Media Composer might choose an undesirable aspect ratio upon ingest into the bin. The ‘Pixel Aspect Ratio’ is an undesirable result. Updating the master clip ‘Image Aspect Ratio’ updates the ‘Pixel Aspect Ratio’.

When this happens for master clips in the bin:

Step 1: In the bin bring up the column heading ‘Image Aspect Ratio‘

Step 2: Select the master clips in the bin

Step 3: Click under ‘Image Aspect Ratio’ and select the desired ‘Image Aspect Ratio’

Done!

This is a non-destructive selection and updates the master clips instantly.

The user can update all the clips in the bin at once by selecting all master clips in the bin and then updating the ‘Image Aspect Ratio’ with the desired selection.

If a sequence is already pointing to these master clips with the undesirable aspect ratio. Once the master clips in the bin are updated with desired aspect ratio, the user would need to use the ‘Refresh Sequence‘ command.

I have wondered if perchance Avid is choosing an undesirable selection for standard definition source-files that use non-square pixels. Standard definition non-square pixels examples 720×486 and 720×480.

[Scott Freeman]

I find it best practice to let Avid Media Composer Create the Proper Folder Directory. I have seen many shared systems and believe it might be fastest and easiest to try these steps to allow Avid to direct you to the correct folder on the Volume you decide:
https://blogs.creativecow.net/blog/14275/avid-please-open-the-folder-for-me-to-drag-my-avid-native-mxf-opatom-media-into

I wonder if this helps?

[Scott Freeman]

Michael Thibault,

An automated tapeless reconform should have a strategy in-place for the reconform. Several strategies are available for the DaVinci Resolve / Media Composer User.

For this reconform you presented to me, it looks like the strategy for the reconform is a sequence of master clips using Source File column metadata as the metadata you would like to use for the automatic reconform in DaVinci Resolve from an avid sequence AAF? Maybe, perchance, this is why the AMA plug-in path was used here in the first place? In DaVinci Resolve to initiate using the Avid Master Clip Source File column metadata, the DaVinci Resolve user when importing the Avid AAF places a checkmark next to the words “Link to source camera files” .

Avid AMA Plug-in Ingest reconform back in Resolve problem seen here:
one issue I have noticed with DaVinci Resolve, if the user renders out MXF OP-Atom files and the Avid Media Composer user uses the AMA MSP_MXF Plug-in as the ingest method, I have seen the Avid assign wrong timecode values upon ingest for those master clips.
If the Avid user ingests those same MXF OP-Atom media files by importing a media database into the bin, then the timecode is correct for those master clips.

Below are steps for a possible ingest reconform in Resolve solution:
Because you already created a sequence with master clips that have the wrong timecode values, here is my attempt to update the metadata for the master clips linked to the sequence for Resolve using Media Composer as the metadata manager.

Here are the steps I am taking to automatically perform a reconform in Resolve with correct timecode values and keeping the Source File column metadata intact for use as the tapeless reconform strategy in Resolve.

Thank you so much for presenting this ingest path issue. From what I can tell to create an automatic reconform in Resolve from an Avid sequence for this scenario, this is my best attempt to update the metadata for an automatic reconform using Source File Column metadata with correct timecode values that match your original tapeless master files.

I looked at the bins you sent me and these are the steps I did to update the bin metadata for the master clips linked to the sequence, if the strategy for tapeless reconform is to use Source File column metadata with accurate timecode in DaVinci Resolve.

1) Open the Source File Mobs bin (AMA Plug-in Ingest bin), duplicate Source File column metadata to a new Source File7 custom column. The custom column Source File7 for this procedure I am populated to rectify that metadata and then in Avid is used as an auto-merge to the correct timecode master clips.
2) In the Project Window, Click on the “Info” Tab, and Click on the “Clear Bin Memory” button. If the MXF OP-Atom media is linked to the master clips, now go to the located storage device > Avid MediaFiles Folder > MXF Folder > Numbered Folder > clear the media databases.
3) Open up the Tape Mobs bin (msmMMOB.mdb Ingest bin), and make it the Start Timecode Master Clip Metadata Leader Bin by duplicating the master clips start timecode and populating the Auxiliary TC2 column. This is amazing metadata control where avid can now use this master clip timecode metadata and ripple it across the project.
4) Keep the Start Timecode Master Clip Metadata Leader Bin Open, and then open up the Source File Mobs bin to automatically update. The Avid automatically merges the leader and follower metadata giving the user some metadata merging control.
5) In the Start Timecode Master Clip Metadata Leader Bin, clear all headings except for Name and Source File7 columns, then select all, and then export an ALE of that bin.
6) Open up the ALE in a text editor and:
change the column heading “Tape” to “link”
change the column heading “Source File” to “source file9”
change the column heading “Source File7” to “Source File”
I noticed that “_A01” is in the Source File column yet the Name column omitted the “_A01” so if the name metadata is the one for you, then I would rename the “Name” column to “Source File” and “Source File7” to “Name”
7) Save the ALE
8) Create a new bin and import the ALE
9) In the Start Timecode Master Clip Metadata Leader Bin duplicate the “Tape” column metadata into the “link” column.
10) In the Project Window > Info tab, click the clear memory button.
11) Select the sequence and the ALE master clips at the same time and then select the relink command
with the following selections:

here are before and after snap shots of the bins you provided me:

before:

wrong start timecode source file mobs bin with source file column metadata – this is the AMA plug-in bin

missing source file metadata with correct timecode – this is the imported media database bin and is the tape mobs bin. to note because in Resolve there was not a Reel Name assigned at the time of render, the Avid went into a mode where tape gets assigned the name of the file used for the ingest with appended dot number as the tape name making each of these master clip unique. I have noticed if the user would of used the Avid Media Tool for ingest into the bin, the avid would of had blank tape names.

after metadata procedure of steps listed above

updated corrected metadata bin and timeline

After this metadata management for this example, the Source File column populated metadata is also a metadata match to the Source Icon Name Metadata and thus default Reel Name Metadata for Events in the Resolve Edit Index when Avid creates the AAF from the sequence. Now there are two automatic reconform strategies in place for the DaVinci Resolve user to reconform automatically the Avid Sequence AAF with now corrected timecode values and Souce File column metadata.

to repeat:

I have seen this issue before: I attempt to test out codec wrapper combos and all ingest paths into avid that I can think of. I noticed that if creating MXF OP-Atom files with Resolve and the Avid Media Composer user ingests those MXF OP-Atom files with the MSP_MXF Plug-in the Avid does seem to pull those files into the bin and I have noticed a timecode discrepancy.

tested with Resolve v12.0.1 and Media Composer v8.4.1 (Mac OS 10.10.5)
I will keep testing and retesting. And I recommend that users always test out the ingest path to make sure you are getting the desired results before diving in.

From memory: I noticed that if the fps of the mxf op-atom file is different from the project fps and ingested into that project then I was able to recreate the timecode problem. If in a 59.94i project and the mxf op-atom file was also 59.94i then I was able to recreate the timecode problem.

As a workflow note: I currently would not recommend importing Resolve created MXF OP-Atom files using the MXF AMA plug-in. I also currently do not recommend importing an AAF from Resolve into Avid, because I have seen the Avid lock the user out of metadata modification commands. For your project it looked like for at least 10 of the files, you imported an AAF from Resolve into Media Composer and for those files I had to move those into their own bin and manually paste the timecode into Auxiliary TC2. The rest of the master clips I was able to select the start timecode heading and use the duplicate command to populate the Auxiliary TC2 column.

Also to note, when using Resolve to render individual MXF OP-Atom files for Media Composer, before rendering, please enable Reel Names for display in the Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Media Pool. This Reel Name Extraction opens up more reconform strategies for downstream metadata use.

I hope this is helpful

[Scott Freeman]

I wonder if this information is helpful for what you are experiencing?

this is what I have been seeing and doing:

Problem: “Avid Pan & Zoom” effect with source files that are not 72 pixels per inch, display in the video monitor soft, resulting in a low quality video look even when rendered as set to high quality.

Possible Solution for files not using 72ppi: Change the Resolution of the file to 72 pixels per inch.

I change the pixels per inch (dpi dots per inch) to 72 and do a save as (I also make sure and not change the original width and height of the source file!!!). I append to the end of the new file “_clean” to the name and then point to the new “_clean” image in the Avid Pan & Zoom effect.

I hope this is helpful!!!

– scott freeman

[Scott Freeman]

Maybe this is a possible Avid solution for 2:3:3:2 cadence removal?

Master clips that live in a bin pointing to essence with 2:3:3:2 cadence, the “Field Motion” column populated with “2:3 Film”.

Example:
01:00:00:00 – both fields to construct the new “A” 23.976 frame.
01:00:00:01 & 02 – frame 01 field 2 and frame 02 field 1 will make up the new “B” 23.976 frame.
01:00:00:03 – both fields will construct the new “C” 23.976 frame.
01:00:00:04 – both fields will be used to make up the new “D” 23.976 frame.

If the video is a 2:3:3:2 panasonic advanced pulldown cadence source file:
Bring the master clip into a 23.976 fps project and under the “Field Motion” click and select “2:3 Film”.

Also, if the user promotes a motion effect to a timewarp effect (parking the blue position indicator on a clip in a sequence loaded in the “Record Monitor”) and uses the “Type: Both Fields” – “Source Film With 2:3 Pulldown” – “2:3 Pulldown: BB BC CD DD AA” selection is also removing the 2:3:3:2 cadence.

I hope this is helpful information!!!

– scott freeman

[Scott Freeman]

(re)conform problem:

• Clips are not (re)conforming when importing Avid AAF into Resolve Timeline
• The Edit Index Events show timecode hour 24 and beyond in the Resolve Timeline
• The clip needed in the Resolve Media Pool shows only hour 00-23 timecode metadata

(re)conform solution:

• Use the AAF as-is from the Avid Media Composer
• In Resolve Media Pool using clip attributes change clip’s hour timecode metadata in Resolve as it appears at the Edit Index Event Timeline.
• Back in Avid when (re)conforming the Resolve Rendered MXF OP-Atom Media Files, in the Avid Bin duplicate the populated metadata in the “start” column (start timecode) into Auxiliary TC2 and then a relink is working in the Avid using Metadata Populated Auxiliary TC2 column.

Reason for all of this so I think:

• Resolve seems to roll-over timecode as displayed for the clip in the Media Pool
• Resolve seems to currently support hours 24 and beyond ar Timeline Edit Index Events from an AAF
• The Avid currently is not relinking using start timecode metadata if the bin is rolling over the numbers. It is like the Metadata pulled by the Avid Relink Command is in a pipeline before the bin displays the metadata, so this becomes hard to spot.

Maybe this is helpful, and here are some more thoughts

I have seen this AAF non-standard hour timecode support with rolling-over-hour-timecode metadata with sources that were MXF files and also with AMA Direct Link of QuickTime movies to name a few.
timecode hour metadata can roll over more than once.

Non-standard hour timecode metadata (example 35:35:36:11) seems to be specif to tapeless source files. All tape decks/tape sources that I have used for digitizing so far, after hour 23 will go to hour 00. While if I have a source file with embedded metadata like hour 35, Avid and Resolve will display hour 11 metadata for the clip.
For fun, I would love to know if there is a tape deck out there that displays hour timecode metadata like hour 99 or hour 104?… …A while back I called blackmagic support asking why I can have a clip in the Resolve media pool with hours like 24, 33, 34, 35, etc?… The response was that graphics need this sort of timecode support deliverable.

***A master clip in an Avid Bin (just tested this out on mc v8.2) and a source file in the Resolve Media Pool (Resolve v11.1) will both roll over the hour of timecode metadata after hour 23. thus by default instead of displaying hour 34 metadata timecode one would see hour 10 metadata timecode in both the Avid Bin and the Resolve Media Pool. An AAF seems to support timecode metadata like hour 33, 34 etc, and in the Edit Page the Edit Index is displaying timecode metadata with hours beyond the standard 00-23.

Another thing I have seen come up with tapeless sources: How the application counts timecode with a clip starting at hour 23 and rolls to the next hour:

Start Timecode hour 23 master clip will it go to 24 or 00 timecode metadata?

Example of how Avid and Resolve count hour timecode metadata of a master clip differently(23.97 frames per second example below)

Avid, if the source master clip timecode metadata is 23:59:59:23 the next frame will be 00:00:00:00.

Resolve, if the source master clip timecode metadata is 23:59:59:23 the next frame will be 24:00:00:00

For Master Clip’s timecode metadata and then the user changes the timecode metadata, currently Avid and Resolve are different with how that timecode is in the Sequence/Timeline:

• In Avid —> Once a master clip is linked to a sequence, if one updates/changes the timecode metadata of that master clip, the master clip in the sequence gets the update of timecode metadata, thus the shot stays as is in the sequence except with the timecode metadata update.
• In Resolve —> If one changes the timecode metadata of a clip linked to a timeline the timecode metadata does not get updated in the Timeline.

—> tested on Resolve version 11.1 and Avid version 8.2 windows os 8:
(Test/Results Example 11-9-14 Resolve 11.1 windows os8 | Avid 8.1 windows os8 | quicktime pro 7 to view the actual source timecode metadata by default)