[WINDOWS] MLV to DNG Batch Converter v1.9

Started by tonybeccar, January 27, 2014, 05:08:15 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

joaomoutinho

Quote from: tonybeccar on February 07, 2014, 01:00:05 AM
Are you SURE? Checked the folder you selected? Has at least one setting? Can you tell us a bit more? :S OS version? It should work well really...

I am running a win 7 64Bit  with i7processor and 1tbHDD.

I put everything as it should be. The Conversion of MLV to DNG takes some time (i still do not know how can I improve this time, because it is a killer in the workflow :(  )

and it does not make any proxies at all!


Malex

Hi Tony, Thanx a lot for making MLV converter, I have read through the 6 pages, and it's cool to see how dedicated you are doing this and updating it like you do! Thumbs up!

I just downloaded it and tested it, my 2 cents:

- the UI is cool, it could maybe benefit from a drag&drop feature (though it's cool that we can save the settings).

- the naming is nice but I have to agree with CoresNZ, it's a bit long.

MLV_PROJECT_A001_280508_C00009_f000000.dng
could become
PROJECT_A1_280508_C00009_f00000.dng

taking away the MLV, and 2 digits off of the card number since nobody got more than 9 CF x1000 (or maybe just take off 1 digit), and 1 digit off the frame number since 34560 frames is 24 minutes of RAW 1080p 24fps. (it's around the max possible with a 128Go).

- proxies don't work for me too. (v1.7)
I got some errors sometimes, check here : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2478549/proxie%20error.txt

- the overall processing is slow, but like you said it has nothing to do with you. I checked the task manager while converting, and none of the app used in the process uses hyperthreading or multicore:
I have 4 core cpu with hyperthreading and I get this :
Dcraw used 13% max of my CPU
Adobe dng converter : 7%
mlv_dump : 11%
I didn't see ffmpeg
hopefully mlv_dump will get faster in the future.

- the .dng don't open at all in Premiere.
Before trying out .mlv I was using raw_rec and I was using raw2cdng.1.4.8.exe to convert the RAW to .dng and since the update of Premiere 7.1 in november it can import .dng, but we all had a pink cast over our footage!! (because adobe only bothered importing well the .dng coming out of the BMCC)
So chmee from this thread make a fix to take away that pink cast and it works fine now, he called it partymode, check it here: http://www.phreekz.de/wordpress/2013/06/magiclantern-raw2cdng-cinema-dng/

the thread is here : http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=5618.375

It would be great if MLV converter could have a similar partymode/Premiere checkbox as an option for those who wants to go directly in Premiere. Maybe you could check with Chmee how he did it in his raw2cdng ?
here are some of my .dng with that partymode : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2478549/140128_1211_M281211H.rar

My DNG workflow would be :
1- MLV converter (Loseless, ACR profile/LUT)
2- Premiere import DNG & wav
3- Speedgrade
4- Premiere render

Or Prores 4444 workflow :
1- MLV converter
   Prores 4444 export only (delete the DNG).
   embedded sync with audio
2- Premiere import
3- Speedgrade
4- Premiere render

About Dual-iso, I'll be happy to send you some MLV files done with Dualiso if you want to check that out.

Thanx again.

tonybeccar

Quote from: Malex on February 07, 2014, 01:40:14 PM
Hi Tony, Thanx a lot for making MLV converter, I have read through the 6 pages, and it's cool to see how dedicated you are doing this and updating it like you do! Thumbs up!

I just downloaded it and tested it, my 2 cents:

- the UI is cool, it could maybe benefit from a drag&drop feature (though it's cool that we can save the settings).

- the naming is nice but I have to agree with CoresNZ, it's a bit long.

MLV_PROJECT_A001_280508_C00009_f000000.dng
could become
PROJECT_A1_280508_C00009_f00000.dng

taking away the MLV, and 2 digits off of the card number since nobody got more than 9 CF x1000 (or maybe just take off 1 digit), and 1 digit off the frame number since 34560 frames is 24 minutes of RAW 1080p 24fps. (it's around the max possible with a 128Go).

- proxies don't work for me too. (v1.7)
I got some errors sometimes, check here : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2478549/proxie%20error.txt

- the overall processing is slow, but like you said it has nothing to do with you. I checked the task manager while converting, and none of the app used in the process uses hyperthreading or multicore:
I have 4 core cpu with hyperthreading and I get this :
Dcraw used 13% max of my CPU
Adobe dng converter : 7%
mlv_dump : 11%
I didn't see ffmpeg
hopefully mlv_dump will get faster in the future.

- the .dng don't open at all in Premiere.
Before trying out .mlv I was using raw_rec and I was using raw2cdng.1.4.8.exe to convert the RAW to .dng and since the update of Premiere 7.1 in november it can import .dng, but we all had a pink cast over our footage!! (because adobe only bothered importing well the .dng coming out of the BMCC)
So chmee from this thread make a fix to take away that pink cast and it works fine now, he called it partymode, check it here: http://www.phreekz.de/wordpress/2013/06/magiclantern-raw2cdng-cinema-dng/

the thread is here : http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=5618.375

It would be great if MLV converter could have a similar partymode/Premiere checkbox as an option for those who wants to go directly in Premiere. Maybe you could check with Chmee how he did it in his raw2cdng ?
here are some of my .dng with that partymode : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2478549/140128_1211_M281211H.rar

My DNG workflow would be :
1- MLV converter (Loseless, ACR profile/LUT)
2- Premiere import DNG & wav
3- Speedgrade
4- Premiere render

Or Prores 4444 workflow :
1- MLV converter
   Prores 4444 export only (delete the DNG).
   embedded sync with audio
2- Premiere import
3- Speedgrade
4- Premiere render

About Dual-iso, I'll be happy to send you some MLV files done with Dualiso if you want to check that out.

Thanx again.

It's also very nice to see a dedicated person as yourself!!! Thanks so much for the info and the files, I'm looking at them now..

Sorry about the error, discovered it last night after uploading.. it does not kill your process luckily, you can click continue. The progressbar value exceeds 100% IF you have only 1 proxy on the queue. (hehe, nothing is as simple here as it looks like)

Regarding the naming option... the card number increases for ALL your cards in the project, so if in day 01 you have 9 cards, and in the other, 6, it's a total of 15 cards.. A015. I am planning on including an automatic camera identifier based on serial numbers.. should be cool! And, the prefix, you can take it off!! Just delete it and use the project name instead, or backwards.. the mandatory fields are camera, card and clip.. and original name (formatted to be cleaner).. But I am gonna include a checkbox to disable naming.. But right now you can get very close to what you're saying! And you say to take 1 digit off the frames? What about a 128gig in 2.35:1? or a 256gig? I think those work in 5D3.. don't wanna take the chance really.. i think it's unnecessary for a 0 you are never gonna see cause it's on the dng file, you only look at the folders right???

So, premiere only supports CinemaDNGs? No common DNGs? Damn! mlv_dump only makes dngs... I am wishing for Cdngs and Cineform proxies... but first you gotta convert to raw.. I can make it though.. but it'll be one extra process in the middle! MLV still not widely supported yet...

It'll be HEAVEN to do all of the workflow directly in premiere... though.. what about Adobe Camera Raw? You loose it completely? Is it better that way? The color handling and highlight recovery is unique!

And Yeah! Send me a dual iso file!!! :)

Thanks man!! Good info!
Cheers!!

Malex

Quote from: tonybeccar on February 07, 2014, 04:13:56 PM
And, the prefix, you can take it off!! Just delete it and use the project name instead, or backwards..
When I try to delete the prefixe, it comes back by itself once I clic somewhere else.

Quote from: tonybeccar on February 07, 2014, 04:13:56 PM
It'll be HEAVEN to do all of the workflow directly in premiere... though.. what about Adobe Camera Raw? You loose it completely? Is it better that way? The color handling and highlight recovery is unique!
Yes if ACR can be in the process it's great! what's bad is having to go through AE or Resolve for files conversion to be able to open it in premiere.

Quote from: tonybeccar on February 07, 2014, 04:13:56 PM
And Yeah! Send me a dual iso file!!! :)
There you go : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2478549/MLV_DUALISO_100-800.rar
Here is a .rar containing dual iso footage .dng processed with MLV converter, you can see it looks like interlaced footage, dual iso setting was 100/800iso. You'll just need to select all of the .dng and drop them onto cr2hdr.exe included in the folder. The .dng will become .DNG, and the lines will go away. Then you can open it in ACR and you'll see how well you can recover the shadow.

tonybeccar


tonybeccar

Wow thanks man!! But it would be 50% more useful to me to have the original MLV file as well! So I can look into it and make an autodetect function for Dual Iso files!

Malex


tonybeccar

Quote from: Malex on February 07, 2014, 07:25:09 PM
et voilĂ : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2478549/M07-1629.rar

Maybe we can hope for a v2.0 with dual-iso! omg omg! :O

Thanks! And mmhh.. it's not difficult to implement I suppose.. we'll see! ;)

gary2013

Quote from: tonybeccar on February 07, 2014, 05:31:39 AM
My god that sucks... I wonder whats going on with ffmpeg.. did you move any files inside the program folder???? There's no apparent reason why it shouldnt be working :S, it just skips the process?? No error? No nothing?
when i ran ur  app for the first time i get two pop ups asking me to show it where the adobe dng exe is and also the mlrawviewer.exe  I do for both and then the apps runs. i set up maybe 3 raw files and the proxies and start the convert. when it is done, the proxy folder is empty. i set it to the correct folder before converting. i tried 444 and a second time with HQ. neither of them worked.

Frank7D

For the people who aren't getting proxies:

While the program is running, do you see the tiffs appearing in the same folder as the DNGs? (the tiffs are the intermediate files that are generated after the dngs but before the proxies and then are automatically deleted)

The program tells you what it is doing while it is doing it. What is the program doing right before it finishes?

Does it finish with the normal pop up message saying it is done?

The more detail you give about what is happening, the easier it will be to figure out what is wrong.

Arthur Rambo

Don't know if it's relevent, but even though I shoot 25 fps, when I open my mlvs, MLraw Converter from time to time indicates a 29.776 fps number for some random clips.

joaomoutinho

You are doing a great job! It is really a nice workflow to get the Digital Negatives. I will have a look into the 1.7.1fix.

One thing that bothers me, and I think it is my fault, is that, in between the transcoding from MLV to DNG it appears a POPUP that freezes the processe until I it "Continue". This is bad because I put my footage to transcode while I am out, and I would expect it to be done when I get home, so, with this, I have a huge break in the workflow... Some Idea how to stop this POPUP from windows OS?

It is a shame that it cant be faster... It would be lovelly to get this process quickly! There must be a way... =)

Thanks a lot guys. You have been life savers!


Arthur Rambo

Hi Tony, I have a question, maybe you could help me out !
When I convert mlv using the "lossless" option, the file size is around 70% of the size I get using "Normal".
70% of the original size is already a great gain. Is there a downside using this method over the "normal" one ?
Thanks again !
Samuel

Malex

Quote from: joaomoutinho on February 08, 2014, 11:47:31 AMSome Idea how to stop this POPUP from windows OS?
I believe he fixed it in 1.7.1

Quote from: Arthur Rambo on February 08, 2014, 12:05:42 PM
70% of the original size is already a great gain. Is there a downside using this method over the "normal" one ?
It should be the same thing, it optimize the file size without degrading the quality, that's what lossless means.

jayzed

No worries on the cineform, it's no longer a priority for me at this stage of my workflow. And as I said, I think you have to use the paid version to get the best quality (cineform RAW, or 444) anyway. I love this tool, thanks so much for creating it. It's really been useful for me and I'm enjoying coming back every few days to see yet more useful features.

arrinkiiii

With the latest version:

-I have full fill a 8GB card and it produce 2 files, .MLV and .M00  Wend i convert  and arrives to 100%  he will pass from it and then it show a error message... if i click "continues"  the progress bar will continuous above 100% and showing the same error. If i quit he ask me if i really want to quiet, i chose no and then after a few seconds the app shut down. 

The folder here are the dng's are only with 4,5GB... i think is not merging correct the split MLV files. 

Frank7D

Quote from: joaomoutinho on February 08, 2014, 11:47:31 AM
One thing that bothers me, and I think it is my fault, is that, in between the transcoding from MLV to DNG it appears a POPUP that freezes the processe until I it "Continue". This is bad because I put my footage to transcode while I am out, and I would expect it to be done when I get home, so, with this, I have a huge break in the workflow... Some Idea how to stop this POPUP from windows OS?

If you are referring to the Windows security warning window that asks "are you sure you want to run this software," then just uncheck "Always ask before opening this file" and you shouldn't see it again (but if you get a new version of the software, you will have to do this again; probably would be smart to run a short file through it once so you can disable all the warnings quickly).

Frank7D

Tony, the proxies are in sync now; thanks!

Frank7D

Quote from: arrinkiiii on February 08, 2014, 01:39:57 PM
With the latest version:

-I have full fill a 8GB card and it produce 2 files, .MLV and .M00  Wend i convert  and arrives to 100%  he will pass from it and then it show a error message... if i click "continues"  the progress bar will continuous above 100% and showing the same error. If i quit he ask me if i really want to quiet, i chose no and then after a few seconds the app shut down. 

The folder here are the dng's are only with 4,5GB... i think is not merging correct the split MLV files.

I just ran a .MLV and a .M00 through it and they merged with no problem.

tonybeccar

Aaaaaa!! lol!!

I wish I could be in all of your computers.. and really to have my cards by now.. for example I cannot test the split feature, cause I can only record for a couple of seconds yet (10)... so, arinkiiii vs frank7D, one works and the other one not! haha, don't really know what way to go..

The progressbar issue is supposed to be fixed.. it happened because when creating only ONE proxy, the progressbar went beyond 100% (the programs kept on running though), I think what you guys are telling me is another error that freezes it.. if before clicking continue you can give me the log of that would be useful.. if not I dont have much to work with...

About the non proxy creation... :S.... I suppose there's a problem with ffmpeg and it just quits.. so the program will never tell you an keep on going... gonna see if it's possible to add an error message in between programs.. I really am learning through this process.. Nice that the frame rate issue's been fixed.

About Dual Iso, g33g0 told me that the file header doesnt contain any information about it.. so there will not be an automatic detection for now.. when I implement it, you'll have to select which files are dual and which now... will be tricky and will have to expand the UI a lil bit I guess...

gary2013

Quote from: Frank7D on February 08, 2014, 12:05:29 AM
For the people who aren't getting proxies:

While the program is running, do you see the tiffs appearing in the same folder as the DNGs? (the tiffs are the intermediate files that are generated after the dngs but before the proxies and then are automatically deleted)

The program tells you what it is doing while it is doing it. What is the program doing right before it finishes?

Does it finish with the normal pop up message saying it is done?

The more detail you give about what is happening, the easier it will be to figure out what is wrong.
i still do not get proxies. i do not see tiffs and it does say it is done. i only get dngs.

tonybeccar

Ok thank you, so there's the problem!

Do you use the mlv metadata? Text and take?
Are you shooting with sound?

arrinkiiii


where i can fine the log file? Here the screen picture for the message that show up  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3dwurxclbgkv7b1/ZAGa47p1QI 

Also you can see the progress bar... I will do more tests, for example, record more than 4GB but not let the card finish...





tonybeccar

Quote from: arrinkiiii on February 08, 2014, 05:24:39 PM
where i can fine the log file? Here the screen picture for the message that show up  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3dwurxclbgkv7b1/ZAGa47p1QI 

Also you can see the progress bar... I will do more tests, for example, record more than 4GB but not let the card finish...

Ok.. thing is I cannot test a splitted mlv file! grrr... So I dont know what's the mlv_dump behaviour in such.. if it quits to encode the m.00 file then we're screwed.. because once it quits, mlv converter advances.. have you tried using a different output folder? (random question haha)

tonybeccar

I think I know what's going on... I'm 90% sure... I ask you, is the frame count accurate with the TOTAL of frames? Or just the first 4gb file???? :)

According to my calculations, yes... so, Frank7D, can you test yourself with only ONE file in the queue? Theory says that it is supposed to go over the 100%, because the program doesnt know the total frame count.. BUT:

If you encode multiple files, the bug will NOT be there, because once the extracting process finishes, the %%% bar goes to the state it should be.. Ok.. something to fix then... can make a temporary fix for now myself...

But anyway, the program still continues encoding, right????