Media Composer and Film Composer. n c. Release 7.1 Release Notes

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1 a Media Composer and Film Composer Release 7.1 Release Notes This document describes new features, hardware and software requirements, compatibility issues with previous releases, software installation instructions, utility information, and documentation information. It also lists fixed bugs and all known remaining bugs or limitations. n c Only If you are upgrading to Release 7.1, read about important changes described in Compatibility with Prior Releases on page 30. Mac OS 8.1 is supported at this time. If you do not have it on your system, you must install it. A copy of Mac OS 8.1 is on the CD-ROM included in the Avid PCI Extender package. For instructions on installing the operating system, see Installing Mac OS 8.1 on page 37. Part Rev. A

2 2 Release 7.1 Release Notes Contents Symbols and Conventions New Features in Release Your Projects Can Conform with Symphony Windows-Compatible File Names Setting Effect Mode Improvements Improved Speed, Quality, and Performance Showing or Hiding Interface Graphics on the Client Display.. 12 New Tab-Delimited Cut List Template ALE Log Cleaning Option Batch Importing the Master Clip System Utilities Enhancements to Release 7.0.x Series Title Tool Support for 16 x 9 Mode Field Based Effects Editing Improved Import Settings Controls Graphics Import Enhancements Enhancements to the Fast-Save Option for Titles Title Tool Enhancement for Typing Crawling Title Text Restoring Media with the Avid/Mezzo Archiver Software Hardware Changes Hardware and Software Requirements Macintosh Operating System Ethernet Network Built-in RAM Changing the Memory Allocated to the Application Troubleshooting Memory Allocation Problems Requirements for Using AVRs Requirement for Using Editcam Media with Release Required Libraries and Extensions Part Rev. A

3 Release 7.1 Release Notes 3 PCI Peripheral Board Revision History Using the Avid System Test Compatibility Compatibility with Prior Releases Compatibility with Symphony Compatibility with Avid Xpress for Macintosh Compatibility with Avid Xpress for Windows NT Compatibility with Broadcast Products Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version Installing Mac OS Installing the Avid Composer System Software Preliminary Information Installation Procedure Checking Virtual Memory and Cache Size Disabling Hard Disk Sleep Mode Custom Installations Running Updaters Avid Software Utilities Special Notes Overfilling of the Internal Drive with Project Backup Files Warning Regarding Your Application Key Startup Times Disabling the System-Wide Platinum Appearance Disabling Serial Arbitrator Extensions Using the Reveal File Feature Rerendering Effects Choosing a Controller in the Serial Ports Tool Video Input Signal for the Serial Digital I/O Board Changes to AVIDdrive Utility Erasing and Partitioning Drives DigiSystem INIT VTR Emulation Cable Transferring Files Part Rev. A

4 4 Release 7.1 Release Notes TCP/IP Settings Three-Perforation Film Stock Custom Installation of EDL Manager Release Norton Utilities Avid Codec, AVRs, and Compression Ratios Third-Party Fibre Channel MediaShare SCSI MediaShare F/C Viewing Disk Space Statistics Replacing Clips That Contain Invalid Data Recording with a TAO Media Systems Device Documentation Changes Avid PCI Extender Power Supply Changing Project and User Names Deleting Slates, Takes, and Script Marks Putting a Subclip in a Bin MultiCamera Mode Interpolating Position for Script Integration Avid System Utility Getting Started Guide and Tutorial Using the Media Conversion Tool Choosing the Audio File Format Calibrating Global Output Levels AudioSuite Plug-ins and Time Compression/Expansion Importing Audio Files to Pro Tools or AudioVision Importing Photoshop Files with Transparency Reimporting an OMF Composition with Media Film Composer Help System Correction Picture of Keyboard Turning Off Word Stemming in the Help System Transferring Help to Another Macintosh Fixed Bugs Known Bugs Part Rev. A

5 Release 7.1 Release Notes 5 General Systems Installed with the 3D Effects Option OMF Import/Export QuickTime Import/Export Digitizing Editing Grouping and Multicamera Audio PAL Effects Titles Film Media Tool FieldPak Hardware and Software Limitations Part Rev. A

6 6 Release 7.1 Release Notes Symbols and Conventions These release notes use the following symbols and conventions: The term Avid Composer system represents both Media Composer and Film Composer. A An n c A w A check mark indicates a bug that has been fixed. X indicates a known bug or limitation. Where appropriate, a workaround is provided. A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions. caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data. warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the guidelines in the manual or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment. New Features in Release 7.1 This release offers many new features as well as performance, speed, and quality improvements. Your Projects Can Conform with Symphony You can move a project between Avid Composer Release 7.1, which runs on the Macintosh platform, and Avid s Symphony product, which runs on the Windows NT platform. Symbols and Conventions Part Rev. A

7 Release 7.1 Release Notes 7 The Symphony documentation contains detailed information on transferring projects between both platforms. Preparing a Project for Transfer to Symphony When you move a project from either an Avid Composer system Release 7.1 and later (or Avid Xpress Release 2.1 and later) to Symphony, consider the following guidelines: Set the audio file format to AIFF if your system supports it. If you do not specify this setting, and your project has Sound Designer II (SDII) audio, you can export the audio media as an OMF file. Use file names that are compatible with Windows NT. This includes project, bin, title, and other file names. See Windows- Compatible File Names Setting on page 9. Any title in a project must use the same font and exact same font name on both the Macintosh and Windows NT platforms. If the fonts have slightly different names, you must replace the font. For example, the name Times New Roman on the Macintosh platform is different from Times New Roman Regular on the Windows NT platform. Therefore, you would have to replace the font. Symphony, which recognizes when a title uses a font it does not have, prompts you to replace the font and then records the replacement information for future use. If you return that title to an Avid Composer system, the new font information will be associated with the title. You must reapply the Macintosh font to restore the title to its original Macintosh condition. TrueType and PostScript fonts offer the best results. AVX plug-in effects must be the same on both systems. Plug-ins currently available on both platforms are: - Ultimatte from Ultimatte Corporation - Boris FX from Artel Software Determine how to transfer the files (network, diskette, or other method). Part Rev. A New Features in Release 7.1

8 8 Release 7.1 Release Notes Limitations for transferring projects to Symphony include: To transfer video media, you must first export it as an OMF file (maximum 2-GB file size) and then import the file into Symphony. AudioSuite plug-in effects can be transferred, but cannot be adjusted further unless you render the audio clips or sequences and then export them in OMF or AIFF format and then import them into Symphony. Alternatively, you can leave the effects unrendered but add a comment describing the effect in the sequence. Crawling titles will not transfer. Symphony inserts a placeholder for them. You can re-create the crawling title by using another tool. Preparing a Project for Transfer to Media Composer or Film Composer When you move a project from Symphony to an Avid Composer system Release 7.1 or later, consider the following guidelines: Set the audio file format to AIFF. If you do not specify this setting, and your project contains WAV audio, you can export the audio media as an OMF file. Any title in a project must use the same font and exact same font name, on both the Macintosh and Windows NT platforms. If the fonts have slightly different names, you must replace the font. For example, the name Times New Roman on the Macintosh platform is different from Times New Roman Regular on the Windows NT platform. Therefore, you would have to replace the font. If you do not replace the font when you transfer a project to Media Composer or Film Composer, the font will be replaced with the Macintosh system font. AVX plug-in effects must be the same on both systems. Plug-ins currently available on both platforms are: - Ultimatte from Ultimatte Corporation - Boris FX from Artel Software New Features in Release 7.1 Part Rev. A

9 Release 7.1 Release Notes 9 Determine how to transfer the files (network, diskette, or other method). Limitations for transferring projects to either Media Composer or Film Composer include: Keyframed color effects do not appear in Media Composer or Film Composer. The effect displays the values associated with the first keyframe. You cannot transfer video media in an OMF file from Symphony to Media Composer or Film Composer. Exchanging Files with QuickTime Macintosh Applications Symphony includes software for exchanging files with QuickTime applications on Macintosh systems. This software is shipped on a Macintosh diskette that accompanies the Symphony installation CD. For more information, insert the diskette in a Macintosh system and open the readme file. Windows-Compatible File Names Setting To be more compatible with Symphony and the Windows NT platform, a new setting in Media Composer and Film Composer prevents you from using restricted characters in file names and automatically adds the correct file name extensions to files for your project. The setting Use file names compatible with Windows is located on the General settings dialog box. The setting is disabled by default. When you enable it, the application adds the file name extension.avp to project files and.avb to bin files when they are saved, as well as to existing files. If you open a file that does not have an Avid file name extension while you are in a project that has the Windows compatible setting enabled, the file will be renamed with the correct extension when it is saved. Part Rev. A New Features in Release 7.1

10 10 Release 7.1 Release Notes Effect Mode Improvements Two new methods are available for closing the Effect Editor: you can either double-click a source clip listed in a bin or close a project. Other Effect mode improvements include: the Escape key exits Effect mode; step keys are enabled even if no effect is selected; and the New Tape dialog box floats above the Effect Palette. In addition, effects in Release 7.1 conform with those in Symphony, and three new effect parameters are available. Effects in Release 7.1 Conform with Effects in Symphony Effects in Release 7.1 behave the same as they do in Symphony. Therefore, you can easily move between Macintosh and Windows NT platforms. Some effects, however, behave differently in 7.1 than they do in earlier releases of Media Composer and Film Composer. See Effects Issues on page 32. Effect Parameters In previous releases, the Reverse parameter had inconsistent meaning depending on which effect you used. For example, in some effects it meant reverse direction or in others it meant reverse the background and foreground layers. Table 1 shows the new parameters. Table 1 New Effect Parameters Parameter Reverse Animation Description This parameter is available for all effects except for Paint and Animatte effects. It causes the entire effect to be reversed, including the direction of movement as well as the incoming and outgoing sources. This option effectively creates a mirror image of the sequence of keyframes for the effect as they appear in the Effect Preview monitor s position bar. New Features in Release 7.1 Part Rev. A

11 Release 7.1 Release Notes 11 Table 1 New Effect Parameters (Continued) Parameter Swap Sources Invert, Invert Key Description This parameter applies to key effects (such as Chroma Key and Luma Key), 3D effects, and the PIP (Picture-in-Picture) effect only. Swap Source swaps the image source for the foreground and background layers of the effect. Invert reverses the key. Invert Key applies to the following key effects only: Chroma Key effect (2D or 3D) inverting the key displays the key color regions while showing the background image source through the foreground image area. Luma Key effect (2D or 3D) inverting the key displays the background image source through the darker areas rather than the lighter areas of the foreground image source. Matte Key effect (2D and does not apply to imported Matte Key) inverting the key effectively reverses the black and white areas of the alpha channel so that foreground and background are reversed. Improved Speed, Quality, and Performance Various effects now render more quickly. These include Luma Key, Chroma Key, Matte Key, and Picture-in-Picture effects. Also, the performance of cycle time between digitizing clips is improved. Cleaning databases now occurs only when you exit the application, thereby making the application run more quickly. In previous releases, this process happened during various other actions, such as when you closed the Digitize tool, or when you used the Finder. Part Rev. A New Features in Release 7.1

12 12 Release 7.1 Release Notes Showing or Hiding Interface Graphics on the Client Display In the User Interface Setting dialog box, select Show Graphics on Client Display to display the raw client video output along with the interface graphics such as marks and grids. Deselect this option to hide the marks and grids. New Tab-Delimited Cut List Template A new cut list template is available for generating tab-delimited files, which describe a sequence. The tab-delimited files can be imported into most database programs. Only assemble lists and pull lists are supported with this template. To open the template: 1. Open the Cut List Tool by choosing Cut List from the Output menu. 2. Select Global. 3. Select Tab_Delimited from the Template menu. Most fields that appear in the tab-delimited list can be selected from the Cut List Options window. Fields that can appear are: Project a Reel Ink Start and End List Title a Labroll Aux Ink Start and End Event Number Scene & Take Address TC Clip Name Slate Custom Column from Bin Duration in Frames a KN Start and End a. This field always appears in the tab-delimited list. New Features in Release 7.1 Part Rev. A

13 Release 7.1 Release Notes 13 You can select a maximum of two of the following sets of timecodes: Film TC Start and End Sound TC Start and End Aux TC 1 Start and End Aux TC 2 Start and End Aux TC 3 Start and End Aux TC 4 Start and End Aux TC 5 Start and End The resulting list will have a header containing the names of the fields that appear, followed by the event list, with one line per event. ALE Log Cleaning Option Version 2.8 of Avid Log Exchange (ALE) offers a new Relaxed option for cleaning logs. If you use the Clean option without the Relaxed option, the end timecode is removed from any clip that overlaps the start of the next clip. If you use the Relaxed option, the log can contain breaks in the increasing timecode order of clips. A group of clips can be listed starting at one timecode and another group can be listed after that but starting at an earlier timecode. Using the Relaxed option avoids incorrect overlap comparisons between the two clips. Batch Importing the Master Clip When an imported Matte Key, shown as an effect icon in the bin, is batch imported, the precompute master clip that the effect references will be imported. This allows you to more easily find this precompute master clip and reimport it. By batch importing the master clip that the effect references, any edits made with this effect will also be linked to the new import unless the sequence has been consolidated or decomposed with the Imported clips option selected. Part Rev. A New Features in Release 7.1

14 14 Release 7.1 Release Notes System Utilities The following new system utilities are supported in Release 7.1: Avid Codec version 7.1 supports AVR 2s through AVR 77, as well as compression ratios that are compatible with those of Windows NT based Avid systems. QuickTime Version 3.0. n A new version of the Avid System Test application is automatically installed in the Utilities folder via the Easy Install option. The Avid System Utility is no longer part of the utilities applications. Board functions that it performed are now performed by the Avid System Test. The Avid System Test allows you to view a profile of the Avid system configuration and run various system-level tests. Enhancements to the Avid System Test include: - Support for testing Revision A of the 2D effects board, and improvements to the Playback Aladdin PIP test. - Incorporation of functions previously performed by Avid System Utility Version These functions include allowing you to view alphanumeric rather than a hexadecimal representation of the board revisions for the Advanced JPEG board (Janus), the 3D effects interface board (Boa/Python), and the 2D effects board (Mandrill). You can also view HUB revision for the video baseboard (TARGA 2000), the serial digital video I/O board (D1 daughter board), and the Advanced JPEG interface board (Avid gasket). For information on using these utilities, see the Avid System Test Setup and User s Guide. New Features in Release 7.1 Part Rev. A

15 Release 7.1 Release Notes 15 Enhancements to Release 7.0.x Series Enhancements made to the previous release and that are now part of Release 7.1 are described in this section. Title Tool Support for 16 x 9 Mode For more information on HDTV and the 16 x 9 option, see the Avid Media Composer User s Guide or the Avid Film Composer User s Guide. n The Title tool now supports the 16 x 9 aspect ratio for display of NTSC and PAL footage. The 16 x 9 option allows you to display the full aspect ratio of wide-screen video, often used for offline editing of video transferred from the high-definition television (HDTV) format. When you select the 16 x 9 option in the Composer settings, the Title tool increases its maximum horizontal size, and saved titles appear correctly in the Source and Record monitors set to 16 x 9. Because the 16 x 9 aspect ratio extends the horizontal dimensions of the footage, when you first open the Title tool in 16 x 9 mode, you must use the Video Pan tool (with the hand icon) to pan back and forth to view footage on the sides. Click the Maximize button in the upper right corner of the Title tool window to automatically resize the tool to fit the monitor. Field Based Effects Editing For more information on Intraframe editing, see the Avid Media Composer and Film Composer Effects Guide. You now have greater control over each field of an effect while in Effect mode. You can now view all fields of video effects and add keyframes to individual fields. You can also expand the Effect Preview monitor s position bar to better view and manipulate multiple keyframes. Field-based effects editing is especially useful during Intraframe editing. Single-Field Step When you enter Effect mode, the timecode display in the upper right corner of the Effect Preview monitor displays an additional.1 or.2 Part Rev. A Enhancements to Release 7.0.x Series

16 16 Release 7.1 Release Notes to indicate which field you are viewing and manipulating when working with two-field media such as AVR 70 or AVR 75. You can use the Step Forward or Step Back keys to step through the fields. Keyframes are attached to fields and will interpolate between them. Effect Preview Monitor Scale Bar The Effect Preview monitor in Effect mode now contains a pop-up scale bar for expanding or contracting your view of the position bar containing the effect keyframes. To scale the Effect Preview monitor s position bar: 1. Click and hold on the small box located on the left side of the position bar. A scale bar pops up. 2. Continue to hold down the mouse button and drag to the left or right to expand or contract the position bar. Improved Import Settings Controls The import setting Import sequential files has been renamed to Autodetect sequential files and is now set by default. With this option set, when a file selected for import is part of a sequence of files, the entire sequence of files is automatically imported. If the option is not set, only the selected file is imported. Graphics Import Enhancements Import options Force to Fit Screen and Maintain Aspect Ratio in the Import Settings dialog box have been replaced by the following three options: Aspect Ratio, Pixel Aspect: Use CCIR, non-square creates a fullscreen image from the import, scaling the graphic if necessary. Enhancements to Release 7.0.x Series Part Rev. A

17 Release 7.1 Release Notes 17 For example, any graphic created using a 3:4 aspect ratio, including one with square pixel dimensions of 640 x 480 or one with nonsquare pixel dimensions of 720 x 486, will be imported as a fullscreen image. Larger or smaller images, such as a 320 x 240 image, are also scaled to fit the screen. Use this option, which is similar to Force to Fit Screen, if your graphics are correctly sized. Aspect Ratio, Pixel Aspect: Maintain, square maintains the aspect ratio of the graphic as well as its relative size on screen. If the graphic has dimensions smaller than full screen, or does not have a 3:4 aspect ratio, empty regions of the screen are filled with alpha channel for keying over a background. For example, a square graphic with square pixel dimensions of 320 x 320 will be imported as a square that occupies roughly a quarter of the screen, centered. Aspect Ratio, Pixel Aspect: Maintain & Resize, square scales the imported graphic to fill the frame, while maintaining the visual square pixel aspect ratio of the graphic (without distorting the visual dimensions of the graphic). For example, a graphic with the 3:4 aspect ratio of the screen, regardless of its size, will be scaled to full screen. A square-shaped graphic, however, will be scaled until the vertical dimension reaches full height of the screen, while the remaining areas on the left and right of the horizontal dimension are filled with black. Import of small, square pixel graphics has also been improved. In Release 7.0.1, when importing a small square pixel graphic the black border areas would not be keyed out, so the underlying video would not show through the key. Now, when you import a graphic with alpha that has black borders due to importing a small square pixel image, the border regions are automatically created as alpha channel. Part Rev. A Enhancements to Release 7.0.x Series

18 18 Release 7.1 Release Notes Enhancements to the Fast-Save Option for Titles You can now load and edit fast-saved titles into a sequence. These titles will play as black in the Source monitor, and be labeled as Media Offline (if you step into one, the result is a Media Offline slide). c Be sure to re-create media for all fast-save titles before exporting the sequence using OMF, or before creating any EDLs from the sequence. In addition, avoid putting unrendered rolling or crawling titles into compositions. In addition, the Bin menu now contains the command Select Unrendered Titles. Choose this command to highlight each unrendered title in the bin. When you render the selected titles, the label in the bin changes from (unrendered): Title Type: User Title to Title Type: User s Title where Title Type is either Title, Crawling Title, or Rolling Title. In addition, the command Recreate Title Media in the Clip menu is now active when selected bin entries exist. Only the unrendered titles will be chosen from all selected bin entries and will be regenerated using the current compression setting in the Compression tool. After the title media is re-created, the system deletes the unrendered versions of the titles from the bin. Title Tool Enhancement for Typing Crawling Title Text A new menu command, Make Crawl in the Object menu, improves the workflow for creating crawling titles in the Title tool by allowing you to create and edit the text on a single page before converting it to a long crawling title in the lower-third region of the screen that extends beyond the Title tool window. Enhancements to Release 7.0.x Series Part Rev. A

19 Release 7.1 Release Notes 19 To use the Make Crawl feature in the Title tool: 1. Click the Crawl [C] button. 2. Select the Text tool. 3. Click in the Title window and start typing text for the crawling title. The text wraps around each time you reach the right margin of the current page of the title. 4. After you ve finished entering text and making corrections, choose Make Crawl from the Object menu. The text is converted to a single line of text, extending to the right, and the text object is repositioned one pixel above the safe title area on the screen. Restoring Media with the Avid/Mezzo Archiver Software You can now restore media files from tape by using the Avid/Mezzo Archiver software while the Avid Media Composer or Film Composer software is running that is, without having to close and then restart the application during a restore operation. Previously, when you used the Avid/Mezzo Archiver to restore media files from tape, if the Media Composer or Film Composer application was running, it would attempt to read each of the temporary files created by the Avid/Mezzo Archiver software during the process and would display an error message repeatedly. You no longer need to close the application to avoid this condition. Hardware Changes Release 7.1 can run on Avid-supported Macintosh G3 systems with the Avid PCI Extender. Part Rev. A Hardware Changes

20 20 Release 7.1 Release Notes The Macintosh G3 system provides three slots: One for the Avid audio board. One for the PCI Extender host interface cable. One for Apple s internal SCSI controller for an internal drive. The Avid PCI Extender provides six usable slots for the Media Composer or Film Composer. n For configuration information, see the Avid Media Composer Products Setup Guide. Avid Technology does not support additional devices on Apple s SCSI bus. Hardware and Software Requirements The following sections provide information about the operating system, random access memory (RAM) requirements, required libraries, Avid processor boards, and Avid System Test. Macintosh Operating System Release 7.1, running on a Power Macintosh G3 minitower, requires: Version 8.1 of the Macintosh operating system. 333-MHz processor c Only Mac OS 8.1 is supported at this time. If you do not have it on your system, you must install it. A copy of Mac OS 8.1 is on the CD-ROM included in the Avid PCI Extender package. For instructions on installing the operating system, see Installing Mac OS 8.1 on page 37. Hardware and Software Requirements Part Rev. A

21 Release 7.1 Release Notes 21 For more information, see Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version on page 36. c Make sure your drive has sufficient space. Otherwise, the Macintosh might crash if you export any of the following file formats: Alias IFF QRT TARGA BMP PCX Rendition TIFF Chyron Photoshop SGI Wavefront Cineon Pixar Softimage X Windows System Framestore PNG Sun Raster YUV Ethernet Network If you have MediaShare F/C, the Avid systems in your environment must be connected to a Class C Ethernet network. You can use either a 10 megabits per second (Mb/s) or a 100 Mb/s network. If you use the AvidNet Transfer Tool, your system also must be connected to an Ethernet network. For more information about connecting to a network, see the Avid Media Composer Products Site Preparation, the MediaShare F/C Setup and User s Guide, and the AvidNet Peer-to-Peer Setup and User s Guide. Built-in RAM Built-in RAM refers to the physical random access memory installed in your Macintosh system. Memory requirements vary, depending on what applications you are running. Table 2 shows the RAM requirements for Release 7.1. Part Rev. A Hardware and Software Requirements

22 22 Release 7.1 Release Notes Table 2 Built-in Memory Requirements Installed Application Minimum Requirements Required: Media Composer or Film Composer a Mac OS 8.x Digidesign Audio Engine (DAE) (for AudioSuite Plug-Ins) b Recommended 10 MB free 110 MB 17 MB 20 MB 10 MB Optional: EDL Manager AvidNet Help System AVX Plug-Ins Total Minimum Total Recommended 12 MB 10 MB 3 MB 5 MB 187 MB 192 MB a. You can launch Media Composer or Film Composer with less than the required minimum, but optimal performance might be compromised. b. Your system is installed with DAE; 20 MB of memory is necessary to accommodate DAE when you launch the Avid Composer system. If you do not plan to use AudioSuite Plug-Ins, you may disable DAE and use its memory allotment for another application. For more information about DAE, see Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins in the Avid Media Composer and Film Composer What s New for Release 7.0. Hardware and Software Requirements Part Rev. A

23 Release 7.1 Release Notes 23 New memory kits are available from Avid for updating your existing RAM configurations. For details, see your Avid sales representative. Supported RAM Configurations Avid always recommends installing the same size and speed RAM from the same manufacturer in paired slots in all Macintosh CPUs. The following RAM configurations are supported. Macintosh G3 Type 168 pin, 3.3 V, 10 ns DRAM DIMMs Banks 3 Modules/Bank 1 Build-in RAM 0 Standard Configuration 192 MB Largest Chip Size 128 MB FPM Yes EDO Yes Mix FPM & EDO No Parity Not applicable Interleaving No Changing the Memory Allocated to the Application n When you install Release 7.1, the Preferred default memory setting for the application is 110,000 KB (110 MB). Release 7.1 does not require any more memory than prior 7.x Releases, but performance might be improved. If you have a system that has less than 192 MB of RAM, change the default memory settings for Release 7.1 back to their original Minimum and Preferred values. If performance problems persist, you might need to obtain more RAM. Part Rev. A Hardware and Software Requirements

24 24 Release 7.1 Release Notes You might need to increase the Preferred size if you are working on large projects with Media Composer or Film Composer. If you increase the amount of memory allocated to the application, make sure to leave enough memory to run the Macintosh operating system and other applications, such as EDL Manager, AvidNet, and Help. The operating system s need for memory is dynamic; therefore, the operating system might require more memory when running certain processes. To change the amount of memory allocated to the application: 1. Click the application icon to highlight it. 2. Choose Get Info from the File menu. The Media Composer Info or Film Composer Info window opens. Minimum size Preferred size 3. Double-click the number in the Preferred size text box. Hardware and Software Requirements Part Rev. A

25 Release 7.1 Release Notes 25 n 4. Type the amount of memory you want to allocate to Media Composer or Film Composer. Do not set the Preferred size to less than the Minimum size. 5. Click the close box in the upper left corner to close the Media Composer Info or Film Composer Info window. Troubleshooting Memory Allocation Problems If you have problems launching or running Media Composer or Film Composer after adjusting the memory allocation, click the desktop and choose About This Computer from the Apple menu. About This Computer shows the total built-in memory installed in your system, how much memory the operating system currently is occupying, and the largest unused block. Depending upon the amount of free memory you have allocated to Media Composer or Film Composer, one of the following problems might occur when you launch Release 7.1: Part Rev. A Hardware and Software Requirements

26 26 Release 7.1 Release Notes A screen message warns you to close other applications to make more memory available. For more information on allocating memory to the application, see your Macintosh documentation. The application might not launch and you might see an error message stating that the system was unable to load one of the required libraries. The error message indicates that not enough free memory is available to run Media Composer or that the required libraries are not installed in the system. For more information on allocating memory to the application, see your Macintosh documentation. For information on installing the required libraries, see Required Libraries and Extensions on page 27. Requirements for Using AVRs Avid MediaShare F/C provides a shared storage environment for up to nine Avid systems. MediaShare F/C users can simultaneously play the same shared media files and audio files. Users can also work in a nonshared single-user environment. For the drive striping requirements to use for different AVRs, see the AVIDdrive Utility 2 User s Guide. To minimize the possibility of problems when you work with AVR 75 or AVR 77, observe the following precautions: Use only striped MediaShare F/C drives. Render all real-time effects. Render all real-time audio EQ effects. Requirement for Using Editcam Media with Release 7.1 If you upgrade to Release 7.1 and need to acquire Editcam media with the Desktop FieldPak Adapter for editing in Media Composer or Film Composer, you must reinstall the Control Panel named Mac-PC Manager that allows compatibility between the Desktop Hardware and Software Requirements Part Rev. A

27 Release 7.1 Release Notes 27 FieldPak Adapter and your Avid Media Composer or Film Composer system. The Mac-PC Manager Control Panel is available on the installer disk that came with the Desktop FieldPak Adapter. Required Libraries and Extensions The libraries and extensions in this section must be installed on your Macintosh for the Avid Composer system application to launch. The following libraries are installed automatically in the Supporting- Files folder within your application folder during the Easy Install: AVX DB GT HIIP MT Universal The following files are installed automatically in the Extensions folder during the Easy Install. Pinnacle libraries (you need the Pinnacle libraries even if you do not have the 3D Effects option) - PGENIE.NDR - SVI.CF PIM3.slib Trillium Utilities If a library or extension is missing and you attempt to launch the Avid Composer application, an error message appears stating that the required item is missing. Part Rev. A Hardware and Software Requirements

28 28 Release 7.1 Release Notes The following files are installed by Apple with the operating system: ObjectSupportLib QuickTime Version 3.0 or later QuickTime PowerPlug n If one of these files is missing and you attempt to launch the Avid Composer application, an error message appears stating that the required item is missing. The QuickTime and QuickTime PowerPlug extensions are also available in the QuickTime folder inside the Utilities folder. The following additional files are installed automatically in the Extensions folder during the Easy Install: DigiSystem_INIT AVIDstripe If the DigiSystem_INIT is missing, a message appears during startup warning you that you cannot use the audio board. If the AVIDstripe extension is missing, you can launch the application but you will not be able to mount striped drives. PCI Peripheral Board Revision History Table 3 lists the minimum revision levels of PCI peripheral boards required to run your Avid Composer system on the Macintosh. To determine board revision levels by using the Avid System Test, see the Avid System Test Setup and User s Guide. Hardware and Software Requirements Part Rev. A

29 Release 7.1 Release Notes 29 Table 3 PCI Peripheral Board Minimum Revision Levels PCI Peripheral Board on a Macintosh G3 System Avid video board set Betacam video I/O board Serial digital video I/O board Advanced JPEG interface board Advanced JPEG board Advanced JPEG board with multicam play 2D effects board External 3D effects interface board Internal 3D effects interface board Eight-channel audio board Two-channel audio board MediaShare F/C controller Minimum Level for Release 7.1 B A A A B A A Not supported A G G D (ATTO) Dual-channel SCSI controller Hardware Rev 5 (ATTO) Single-channel SCSI controller A (ATTO) Single -hannel differential SCSI controller Not supported Using the Avid System Test The Avid System Test, located in the Utilities folder, allows you to view a profile of the Avid system configuration and test system Part Rev. A Hardware and Software Requirements

30 30 Release 7.1 Release Notes boards. It displays information about the operating system, mounted volumes, system extensions, control panels, and peripheral boards. For information on using this test, see the Avid System Test Setup and User s Guide. n You can see a visual representation of drive space in the Hardware Tool window. Use Avid System Test to view all other system information. The Avid System Utility is no longer part of the utilities applications. Board functions that it performed are now performed by the Avid System Test. Compatibility This section outlines compatibility issues with prior releases, Avid Xpress for Macintosh, Symphony, and Avid broadcast products. Compatibility with Prior Releases This section addresses ompatibility issues with prior releases and focuses on general issues and effects issues. General Issues Release 7.1 is compatible with previous releases according to issues in the following list. Projects and bins created with Releases 5.01 and later can be used with Release 7.1. However, projects and bins created in Release 4.5 or earlier cannot be used with this release. Compatibility Part Rev. A

31 Release 7.1 Release Notes 31 c Release 5.x user folders are compatible with Release 7.1 and can be brought forward. However, after you open a user setting in Release 7.1, you cannot return those elements to a version earlier than 7.1. Media digitized in Release and earlier cannot be used with Release 7.0 or later without first converting the media. Earlier releases use Media File Manager (MFM), and releases starting with 7.0 use Media Stream Manager (MSM). For digitizing instructions, see Redigitizing Your Material in Chapter 7 of the Avid Media Composer User s Guide or Avid Film Composer User s Guide. You can bring bins forward from Releases 6.5 and 5.5 to Release 7.1; media must be converted by using the Conversion tool in the Utilities folder. This utility works on a per-folder basis for bringing 6.x MediaFiles media into OMFI MediaFiles media. The Conversion tool does not enable 7.1 bins and media to be brought backward to Release Backward compatibility is available by doing an OMFI export from Media Composer or Film Composer Release 7.1, and importing these files back into Release OMF file transfer is supported only if both the sending and the receiving systems are running OMF Version 2.0. n c Consider For more information about media conversion, see Media Conversion tool in the Avid Media Composer and Film Composer What s New for Release 7.0. AVR 70 and AVR 75 files created within Media Composer or Film Composer Release 7.1 cannot be played on Release systems. Also, OMF export of rolling and crawling titles is not supported in OMF Version 2.0. finishing any projects digitized on an Avid Composer system Release 6.5 or earlier system before upgrading to Release 7.1. If you upgrade now, make time to redigitize or convert all your media. Site settings from prior releases are compatible with Release 7.1 and can be brought forward. However, once you open a project Part Rev. A Compatibility

32 32 Release 7.1 Release Notes using the site settings, you cannot return the settings to a previous version. If you upgrade to Release 7.1, you might notice that some options listed in the Console window in prior releases are no longer displayed. This occurs because a number of those options are now standard features. Effects Issues Effects in Release 7.1 are designed to conform with Symphony effects. Although most effects created in Release 7.1 are compatible with prior releases, some effects, particularly those using Reverse Animation, will not appear the same if you move them between Release 7.1 and earlier releases. If the effect renders differently, you will have to re-create it for that specific release. Moving an Effect from Release 7.1 to an Earlier Release With Reverse Animation enabled, the following effects render differently when you create the effect in Release 7.1 and then view it in an earlier release. (If an effect is not listed, then it looks the same in Release 7.1 and in earlier releases.) Blend These effects behave differently: Fade to Color Fade from Color Picture-in-Picture (also behaves differently with Swap Sources) Box Wipe All effects Conceal All effects Edge Wipe All effects Key In Reverse Animation, Swap Sources, and Inverse Key, these effects behave differently: Luma Key Matte Key Compatibility Part Rev. A

33 Release 7.1 Release Notes 33 In addition, Chroma Key is not compatible with Release and earlier. Editing a Release 7.1 Chroma Key in Release and earlier will produce a message. The workaround is to reapply the Chroma Key effect in Release L-Conceal All effects Matrix Wipe All effects Peel All effects Push All effects In addition, black filler appears as a different color in these effects: Bottom Left to Top Right Bottom Right to Top Left Top Right to Bottom Left Top to Bottom The workaround is to delete the effect and apply a new Push effect, or render the effect in 7.1 before going back to the earlier release. Shape Wipe All effects Spin All effects In addition, black filler appears as a different color in these effects: X Spin Y Spin The workaround is to delete the effect and drop another effect on, or render the effect in 7.1 before going back to the earlier release. Squeeze All effects In addition, when you move the following effects from Release 7.1 to an earlier release, they will have these results: Titles Might be truncated or might render in a different font Part Rev. A Compatibility

34 34 Release 7.1 Release Notes Squeeze n Horizontal Centered transposes to Vertical Centered Vertical Centered transposes to Horizontal Centered Although 3D effects behave the same when you move them from Release 7.1 to 7.0.2, if you then edit the effect in Release 7.0.2, you will receive an error message. To edit the effect in 7.0.2, you will have to restart the application. This is a known bug. Moving an Effect from an Earlier Release to Release 7.1 The following groups of effects created in Release and earlier will not appear exactly the same in Release 7.1, if they are keyframed and have Reverse Animation enabled: Blend Box Wipe Conceal Edge Wipe L-Conceal Matrix Wipe Peel Push Spin In addition, when you move the following effects from an earlier release to Release 7.1 they will transpose: Sawtooth Wipe Horizontal Open transposes to Vertical Open Horizontal transposes to Vertical Vertical Open transposes to Horizontal Open Vertical transposes to Horizontal Compatibility Part Rev. A

35 Release 7.1 Release Notes 35 Squeeze Horizontal Centered transposes to Vertical Centered Vertical Centered transposes to Horizontal Compatibility with Symphony You can move a project between Release 7.1 of an Avid Composer system and a Symphony system. However, you cannot move media between them. Instead, you must first move the project and then redigitize the media. Symphony is not compatible with Release 7.0.x of Media Composer and Film Composer. For more information, see the Symphony documentation as well as Your Projects Can Conform with Symphony on page 6. Compatibility with Avid Xpress for Macintosh If you plan to move 3D effects between Avid Xpress for Macintosh and Media Composer systems, use the Xpress 3D Effect category on the Avid Composer system. This is a special category of 3D effects that is compatible with Avid Xpress. If you use the 3D Warp effect from the Blend category, render the effects in Media Composer before bringing them into Avid Xpress. You cannot further manipulate those effects in Avid Xpress. Compatibility with Avid Xpress for Windows NT You can move a project between Release 7.1 of an Avid Composer system and Avid Xpress for Windows NT. However, you cannot move media between them. Instead, you must first move the project and then redigitize the media. Part Rev. A Compatibility

36 36 Release 7.1 Release Notes Compatibility with Broadcast Products Media Composer 7.1 bins and media are not compatible with Avid broadcast products. Additionally, Avid broadcast bins and media are not supported with Media Composer 7.1. If you require bin and media compatibility with Avid broadcast products, you should continue to use Media Composer Bin and media compatibility exists between Media Composer and broadcast products as shown in Table 4. Table 4 Bin and Media Compatibility Standalone Products Release Number MediaServer Client Products Release Number NewsCutter or earlier NewsCutter 4.0 or earlier Single-Channel AirPlay or 3.9 or earlier AirPlay 4.0 or earlier Multichannel AirPlay or or earlier Media Recorder 4.0 or earlier If you purchased Release 7.1 and require broadcast product compatibility, contact your Avid sales representative. Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version To find out if you have the correct version of the Macintosh operating system (OS), go to the Finder and choose About This Computer from the Apple menu. The operating system shown in the illustration is Mac OS 8.1. Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version Part Rev. A

37 Release 7.1 Release Notes 37 If you do not have the correct version of the Macintosh OS, obtain and load the operating system as described in the following section. Installing Mac OS 8.1 Your Macintosh G3 system ships with Mac OS 8.5. At this time, the Avid Composer system runs on Mac OS 8.1. Therefore, you must install Mac OS 8.1 on your system. A copy of Mac OS 8.1 is located on the CD-ROM included in the Avid PCI Extender package. c The installation process will erase all existing data on the Macintosh internal hard drive. Back up your data before installing Mac OS 8.1. To install Mac OS 8.1: 1. Back up the data on your system. 2. Boot the G3 system and place the Mac OS 8.1 installer CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. Part Rev. A Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version

38 38 Release 7.1 Release Notes 3. Restart the computer while you press and hold the C key on the keyboard until the Happy Mac icon appears. This forces the G3 to boot from the installed CD-ROM. 4. Click only once on the internal system hard drive icon (usually named Macintosh HD). 5. Choose Erase Disk from the Special menu. A dialog box appears. 6. Choose either HFS+ or HFS Standard format. 7. Click Erase to finish erasing the disk. 8. Double-click the Mac OS 8.1 CD-ROM icon and proceed to install Mac OS 8.1 on the Macintosh internal hard drive. 9. Restart the computer and set the Memory Control Panel to 96 KB disk cache. 10. Turn off virtual memory. You may now install the Media Composer or Film Composer software. For installation instructions, see Installing the Avid Composer System Software on page 38. Installing the Avid Composer System Software Make sure you have installed Mac OS 8.1 before you install the Avid Composer software. For installation instructions, see Installing Mac OS 8.1 on page 37. Preliminary Information Verify that the version of the Macintosh OS is a supported version. See Verifying the Macintosh Operating System Version on page 36. Installing the Avid Composer System Software Part Rev. A

39 Release 7.1 Release Notes 39 c This n installation overwrites any prior release of Media Composer or Film Composer software that is loaded. If you prefer, you can save the old release of the Avid Composer system software by renaming the folder on the Avid drive that contains the application. This also saves the old Attic, Settings, and SupportingFiles folders. If you have problems installing the software when using these instructions, try turning off any virus-checking extensions or other system-monitoring software running on your Avid system. Use the Extension Manager to turn off these applications, and then repeat the installation process. After installing the software, use the Extension Manager to turn on any virus-checking extension or other system-monitoring software that you normally run on your Avid system, and restart the system. Installation Procedure This section uses Media Composer as an example. Use the same procedure for Film Composer installations. To install Media Composer: 1. Restart your Avid system. 2. Quit any applications that open automatically at startup. 3. Insert the Avid Media Composer Products CD-ROM. The MC/FC 7.1 Installers window opens. Part Rev. A Installing the Avid Composer System Software

40 40 Release 7.1 Release Notes 4. Double-click either the MC7.1 (Media Composer) or FC7.1 (FilmComposer) Installer icon. A splash screen introduces the Installer. 5. Click Click here to continue. Installing the Avid Composer System Software Part Rev. A

41 Release 7.1 Release Notes 41 The Installer window opens. Avid drive icon Avid Composer system icon 6. Drag the Avid Composer system icon to the Avid drive icon. The installation takes several minutes. A Restart message appears. 7. Click Restart. Part Rev. A Installing the Avid Composer System Software

42 42 Release 7.1 Release Notes 8. Install the MediaShare F/C software from the MediaShare F/C 2.0 CD-ROM. For installation procedures, see the MediaShare F/C Setup and User s Guide. Checking Virtual Memory and Cache Size You must turn off virtual memory and set the cache size to run the Media Composer or Film Composer software. If you have not already done so, do the following: 1. Choose the Memory Control Panels from the Apple menu. 2. Set the Cache Size to 96K. 3. Turn off virtual memory and close the window. 4. Restart your Macintosh. Disabling Hard Disk Sleep Mode The Macintosh OS has an Energy Saver control panel that can put your system, display, or hard drives into Sleep mode when you don t use them for a designated period of time. If the internal hard drive goes into Sleep mode while your Avid Composer system is running, the system might hang or crash. Disable the hard disk Sleep mode on your Avid Composer system by choosing Energy Saver from the Control Panels list, and setting Put the system to sleep when it s inactive for to Never. Custom Installations You can perform a custom installation to install particular files from the installation CD-ROM. For example, you might want to install only the EDL Manager files. You can also reinstall an individual component of the Avid Composer system if it becomes lost or damaged. Installing the Avid Composer System Software Part Rev. A

43 Release 7.1 Release Notes 43 To perform a custom installation: 1. Open the Avid Composer system Installer window by following the steps in Installation Procedure on page Click Show Other Installations. Click here The dialog box displays items that can be installed individually. Avid drive icon Items you can install 3. Click any item that you want to install. To install multiple items, Shift-select additional items. 4. Drag the highlighted items to the Avid drive icon. Part Rev. A Installing the Avid Composer System Software

44 44 Release 7.1 Release Notes The system proceeds with the installation. After the installation is complete, the system asks whether you want to install additional items or quit the installation procedure. Running Updaters After you install a new release, Avid recommends that you run the EPCI Updater on your SCSI board, the Drive Updater on your hard drive, and the Targa ROMupdater on your video board. They are located in the Utilities folder and will upgrade the firmware to the most recent version. Avid Software Utilities Table 5 lists Avid software utilities, current revision levels, and in which folder the utilities are located. Table 5 Software Utilities Revisions Software Version Installed Folder Location Avid Codec (extension) 7.1 System Folder/Extensions and Utilities/Backup System Files ADU2 2.1 Utilities AVIDstripe Utilities/ATTO and System Folder/Extensions AvidLogExchange 2.8 Utilities/ALE AVIDstartup_A 2.5 System Folder/Startup Items Avid System Test 2.01 Utilities/AvidSystemTest CommCloser Utilities Avid Software Utilities Part Rev. A

45 Release 7.1 Release Notes 45 Table 5 Software Utilities Revisions (Continued) Software Version Installed Folder Location CompactPro 1.51 Utilities/Compact Pro Conversion Tool 7.1 Utilities/Conversion Tool DigiSystem_INIT Utilities/Backup System Files and System Folder/Extensions Disinfectant Utilities Disinfectant INIT (extension) System Folder/Extensions Disk First Aid 8.2 Utilities Display Name Registry 1.0b1 Utilities Dongle Dumper Utilities DriveUpdater Utilities EDL Manager 7.1 EDL Manager EDLxfer 3.2 Utilities EPCI Updater 1.3.9a3 Utilities/ATTO FreeTerm 3.0b3 Utilities/FreeTerm MacsBug 6.5.4a4 System Folder MediaReaderLoader Utilities/Media Reader MoviePlayer 2.5 Utilities/QuickTime Targa ROMupdater 2.4 Utilities/ABVB Setup QuickTime (extension) 3.0 Utilities/QuickTime QuickTime PowerPlug 3.0 Utilities/QuickTime Part Rev. A Avid Software Utilities

46 46 Release 7.1 Release Notes Table 5 Software Utilities Revisions (Continued) Software Version Installed Folder Location SCSI Probe 3.5 System Folder/Control Panels StorEx 1.3 Utilities/StorEx SVI.CF System Folder/Extensions Vantage System Folder/Apple Menu Items Vantage Installer Utilities/Vantage Utilities/External Functions VXDOSinit 1.0 System Folder/Extensions Special Notes This section contains important information about system-level changes that affect the way your Media Composer or Film Composer software and hardware operate. Overfilling of the Internal Drive with Project Backup Files In releases earlier than Release 7.0, a total of 30 backup files (.bak) were saved for all projects. The default in Release 7.x is for Avid Composer to save 30 backup files for each project. If you experience disk-full problems you cannot save a bin or you lose something you thought was saved your internal disk might be filling up with project backup files. Since you can delete a project from the Finder, the Avid Composer system does not know that it should delete the corresponding.bak file from the attic. Therefore, you must manually delete these backup files. Special Notes Part Rev. A

47 Release 7.1 Release Notes 47 c When you delete projects from the Composer Projects folder, you must also delete the corresponding project folders from the Attic folder. Otherwise, those orphaned attic folders will contribute to filling up your internal drive because they are not automatically deleted. Warning Regarding Your Application Key For information about installing the application key, see the Avid Media Composer Products Setup Guide. The application key, commonly referred to as a dongle, attaches to the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port on your keyboard and allows your Avid Composer application to operate. Protect your application key from loss or theft; your Avid Composer system cannot function without it, and acquiring a new key from Avid involves a fee. Startup Times Your PCI Media Composer system will take at least 30 seconds from the time you restart the computer to the time it takes to display the Welcome to Macintosh screen. This is normal behavior. Disabling the System-Wide Platinum Appearance If you are running Mac OS 8.0 or 8.1, Avid recommends that you disable the System-wide platinum appearance option in the Appearance control panel. The platinum appearance might cause problems with the Avid Composer system graphical user interface (GUI). To disable the System-wide platinum appearance option: 1. Open the Control Panels folder in the System Folder on the Avid drive. 2. Double-click Appearance. The Appearance control panel appears. Part Rev. A Special Notes

48 48 Release 7.1 Release Notes 3. Deselect the System-wide platinum appearance option. 4. Close the Appearance control panel. 5. Restart the Avid system. Disabling Serial Arbitrator Extensions The OpenTpt Serial Arbitrator and Serial Port Arbitrator extensions can cause problems when you use the modem port for deck control. The error message Modem port is in use by another application might appear. OpenTpt Serial Arbitrator is installed automatically with Mac OS 8.0 and 8.1. Serial Port Arbitrator is installed as part of Apple Remote Access, an option you can choose when you install the OS. If the error message appears, restart the Macintosh: 1. Quit the Avid Composer system. 2. Disable OpenTpt Serial Arbitrator and Serial Port Arbitrator with the Extensions Manager. 3. Restart the Macintosh. Special Notes Part Rev. A

49 Release 7.1 Release Notes 49 Using the Reveal File Feature Reveal File allows you to select a clip in a bin and automatically open its related media file. Make sure AppleScript is loaded and active on the Macintosh before using the Reveal File feature. Rerendering Effects When you use the Media Conversion tool to convert MFM files to MSM files, media you created by rendering effects in MFM do not convert to MSM. You need to rerender any effects that do not convert into MSM. All files that do not get converted are logged in the Media Conversion tool log. Choosing a Controller in the Serial Ports Tool The Serial Ports tool has changed for Release 7.1. You need to specify a controller type and its serial port if you are going to use a controller. You can specify the AvidDroid controller, the Steenbeck, or the Manual User Interface (MUI). You no longer choose a controller from the Deck Settings dialog box. Choose a controller. Part Rev. A Special Notes