2010 DS Development Wish List



Drivers and Ingest/Output


  1. Complete drivers/support for Long-GOP sources such as XDCAM and EX for all the devices and software [likewise for other manufacturer's products]
  2. A file based ingest work flow that does not rely on Media Composer.
  3. Better file based conform.
  4. Able to work with OMF, this includes both import and export including video (for ProTools)
  5. Better file output options: Render queue / scriptable output / sparse renders; File name based (automatically) on source or timeline frame no/tc, with more user friendly padding options; ability to output to more than one format at a time (ie render once, write to dpx and qt in one step); Automatic creation of resolution folders (like what Baselight does).
  6. A way to script or queue output to tape. (Isn't this part of #5?)
  7. OpenEXR Ingest and Output
  8. Digitize across time-code breaks
  9. AAF/AFE Export of sequences, also for Audio with media embedded.
  10. Support for Silicon Imaging, Phantom, WeissCam, Arri D21 Digital formats in realtime and the new RAW formats.
  11. XML import-export
  12. Support for more than 8 audio I/O channels with the AJA card.
  13. The ability to edit the capture settings for a file after the file or files have been captured and have the result translate to all timelines. Previously rendered clips will show as unrendered.
  14. The ability to change Reel name and timecode of a captured clip or file with no unlinking of media. The result will translate to all timelines with a Yes/No operation dialog. Previously rendered clips will show as unrendered.
  15. Unleash the full potential of the AJA card in V10! Allow it to be used as a standalone I/O standards converter. Please see this workaround as a temporary expedient.
  16. Embrace any new file format BEFORE FCP does.

Color Correction


  1. BIG BALLS (A user interface for color correction); Tangent Panel support (or any panel with rings and big balls) Seriously if Avid was to do this, they would have to rebuild the entire engine so the screen smoothly reacts to the panel control. The way DS is working now, panels would be useless. If everything worked DS would be taken far more seriously by many more colorists.
  2. Dark & neutral User Interface (to help with Color Correction), Advanced options in CC like colour warpers etc
  3. Layers & effects inside the Color Correction module, masks including invert within color mode so you don't need to work in graphics to build a window or multiple windows
  4. Additional tools for grading ( e.g. masks inside CC for main / secondary .. not only just before ...)
  5. Proper handling of RED files with a color correction effect or an easier LUT workflow. LUT's are not a workaround. We need better support for them.
  6. Adding video scopes (Waveform, Vectorscope, Histogram).
  7. OpenEXR - Full Float or Half Float? - Most certainly half, but asking anyway - will need new grading tools.
  8. Thumbnails for grade presets. (Preferebly user defined sizes - so we can use them for comparison sources)

3D


  1. A workable, flexiable less-than-15-year-old 3D space with 3D trackers
  2. The 3D DVE User Interface intergrated with the rest of DS's tools -- at least have the same icons for the same things.
  3. If no 3D tracker is to be developed, the ablity to import camera data from Bijou -or- PF track. 3D tracking without being able to extract camera data is a non-starter, and Planer trackers do not work on a lot of 3D shots.
  4. Blurs and optical glows working in X, Y and Z as you pan around in a 3d environment
  5. Support for Wondertouch Particles or a particle generator with a tracker.

Graphics


  1. Expressions within Graphics, the same as the rest of DS.
  2. More realtime effects within Graphics, including CC.
  3. Text capitalization tools in graphics effect text tool (Capitalization as a formatting option is rarely retained when copied and pasted from Microsoft Word)
  4. Motion Blur in Graphics / Paint
  5. Some pre-built text animation similar to Apple's Motion.
  6. Object edge feathering controls (eg.: have one edge hard, but another blurring inwards; while onother section could blur outwards slightly).
  7. The ability to add a drop shadow or edge to a stroke
  8. Rotoscoping Features: Bspline rotosplines, double-edged splines to control drop-off.

Timeline


  1. Resolution/FrameRate-independent timeline in REAL TIME.
  2. 8 tracks of guaranteed realtime effects (CC + DVE) for HD DNX projects via SDI output. (NB: This functionality was demonstrated on SD projects when DS Nitris was first released.)
  3. Total (complete) conform from MC & Symphony - now that MC has 3D tools, we need the same 3D modes and the ability to conform those in the same way, we also need to be able to conform different frame rates
  4. The ability to drop sequences and clips of different framerates onto a timeline to play back in realtime.
  5. Modify MULTIPLE clips simultaneously.
  6. UOV - Universal Object View. A unique 'overview' of the Timeline where all objects, effects, graphics etc are all visible and drag-about-able
  7. Duplicate clips indicator in the timeline.

Tracking


  1. Fluid Stabilization similar to MC's tool.
  2. Better Tracker (better than Smoke)
  3. Embed Mocha inside DS

Miscellaneous


  1. Controllable motion blur with shutter angle and weighting to match live action.
  2. Improved Stereoscopic support.
  3. Faster response to loading sequences.
  4. Faster response while confirming.
  5. Ability to truly share projects, by having the same project (but not sequence) open on 2 DS systems at the same time
  6. Decompose, or some similar ability that would enable improved functionality of Masterclip based effects
  7. Give all effects the ability to work in at least 16bit. No more 8-bit only effects (even though there are only a few)! Obviously this doesn't apply to legacy effects such as the old 'Classic' CC.
  8. Make "Recapture with Options" become "Recapture with + options" not only "Recapture with - options"...
  9. Have the number pad "." (period) for double-zeros be able to be used more than once per entry (1:00:00:00 would be 1... instead of 10000. as it is now)
  10. Modify Clip that is MC-like 'modify' capability so you don't have to re-log from scratch in order to add an audio track.
  11. Modify Clip for a selection of Master Clips (for instance, add Audio to a whole bunch of logged clips)
  12. Clip color Selector/Filter
  13. More "cool" effect presets to ameliorate the costs of third-party plugins, Text Presets and 3D presets.
  14. After effects plugin.
  15. An ATTIC-like crash/screwup recovery system. (Please note, DS retains its "Auto Save Files" that may be used for this if you have an issue currently.)
  16. Thumbnails in the Tree.
  17. A method of altering timings within a tree more elegantly than with Keyframes
  18. Print Bin.
  19. Conform of Illusion FX from MC
  20. Aggressive training initiatives to expand the user base.
21. Media Archive: ability to find any media used from other projects and copy into current project's GUID folders to be able to archive the GUID folders and not lose any media used from outside the project.



And need I say we need development and integration of the AVID|DS product to continue and not to stagnate.