In the global section you can define settings that relate to all the libraries that are currently loaded.
Default values
First let’s have a look what default config value that you can set:
label | key | description |
|---|---|---|
Element-Number padding | element_number_padding | Set the number padding for the naming convention. |
Framecount for Filmstrip | filmstrip_length | Set the frames used for the preview filmstrip in the ingest view. No matter the length of the sequence, the filmstrip length will be this many frames. |
First frame of Sequence | first_frame | Set first frame of a sequence when transcoding a file sequence. Some VFX studios start with the common 1001 frame. |
Thumbnail Frame of Sequence | thumbnail_frame | Set which frame of a sequence should be used for the thumbnail frame |
File path definitions
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| Info |
|---|
This is the part where you define your naming convention and file path structure |
This is where you set the naming convention and file structure on disk.
You need to define the file path patterns so the software knows where to store the elements file data. These two path patterns are the most important path patterns that the transcoding template will use.
Types of path patterns
Which path pattern is used is depending on the output format and the transcoding templates setting for each library. There are two types of path patterns.
| Info |
|---|
In transcoding template you can set this with the option: Type of output file |
Single files
Movie files or single textures files without frame count.
| Code Block |
|---|
/some/path/to/element.mov
/some/path/to/element.exr
/some/path/to/element_v01.exr |
Sequence files
Renderings or sequence with frame counter.
| Code Block |
|---|
/some/path/to/element.1001.exr
/some/path/to/element_1001.exr |
Example when the sequence file pattern is used:
Cory process of a movie filemy-movie-file.mov -> fire_000023.mov
Example when the sequence file pattern is used:
For a movie file (source is a single file) that will be transcoded to a frame sequence with frame counter.my-movie-file.mov > fire_000023.1001.exr
Use '#' for the frame counter. The default frame count padding is 4.
path pattern
You can create so called path pattern. A pattern is assembled by placeholder values. These values get resolved into the actual value on ingest/render time.
The reason is that we don’t know some values at this time, because they are dependent on the element that you want to ingest. For example the width and height is depending on the source item.
| Tip |
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By using the combination of path patterns and predefined path values and custom path values, |
| Info |
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Path patterns can assembled out of any number of other path patterns. These will get resolved as much as they can. Finally all values (predefined & custom) will get resolved into actual values. |
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This might look a little bit weird at the beginning, but this system gives you the full control for how to assemble your naming convention. You will see the benefit of it in a second.
So lets look at an example:
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Example
Our source images is an image of a flame with the resolution of width 1920 and the height 1080
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.
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We create a
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path pattern to define the naming convention of the resolution folder as followed:
resolution_pattern
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: <width>x<height>
If we now ingest the element, the pattern gets resolved to: 1920x1080
| Info |
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<width> is a tag. Pattern Tags are defined by the < (greater than) and > (less than) characters. |
Now let’s take it a step further.
We can define custom path values in the path values section.
These values get included in the values that can get resolved by the resolver.
Lets create a path value:
colorspace : linear
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and update the pattern from before:
resolution_pattern : abc_<width>x<height>_<colorspace>
This gets resolved
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to: abc_1920x1080_linear
Notice the tag we added at the end? <colorspace> is a custom pattern tag.
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The resolver will look at the path
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value colorspace and use
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its value linear
| Info |
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In the settings section |
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: library |
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→ transcoding |
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templates |
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the path patterns and path values. |
If we create a library transcoding template that creates a thumbnail preview for our elements, we can overwrite the path value <colorspace> by another value. For example: srgb
The path pattern for this transcoding template gets now resolved to:
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abc_1920x1080_srgb
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Another example for the element folder name:
Lets create an path pattern for the folder of the element.
element_name <category.base.name>_<element.number>
In the ingest view we decide that the category of the element is ‚flame‘.
The base (top parent) category of flame is fire. Because a flame is a type of fire.
This means that
category.name -> flame (which be do not use here)
and
category.base.name -> fire
Why should we use the base category?
We want our library to be sustainable and be as static as possible for many years.
Once we ingest an element it should not move or be renamed.
If we want to open up a project file from years ago all the media files should be found.
Thats why you should decided to store the elements in the base category folder
| Code Block |
|---|
overwrite pattern
values |
Path values are used to resolve the values of the path patterns.
The predefined values are depending on the element that will be ingested.
For example the first and last frame.
Custom values are the values that you can define.
Example:
Root /path/to/server
This means the custom pattern values have to exist in the path values section.
If something can not be resolved, because values are not defined, the ingest or rendering of proxies will fail and you will see an error message.
| Code Block |
|---|
predefined values
custom values
overwrite values |