Thanks. Did you enable the plugin by pressing the "Update" button?
Also the clips must be in the timeline before it will make the proxies.

If you have more trouble you can contact our support group, there is a form at dvfilm.com, click on the "Support" tab

Yes we will support Vegas 9/64 pretty soon, in the meantime you would have to use the 32-bit version of Vegas 9 in 64-bit Windows

Thanks Marc :-)

I have been in contact with your support already, and I'll try this out in the morning - so far thanks a lot - I'll report back...

/Ulf

No problem

There is a new demo version we just uploaded to the dvfilm.com/epic page, it allows unlimited number of DSLR
quicktime files in the project for testing, it's good for 60 days.

Also here is a short tutorial for new users to get started:
dvfilm.com/epic/EpicTutorial1.htm

It doesn't seem to work with my Canon SX-1 IS which is a point and shoot but should be a similar format to the Canon DSLRs.

Is there any advantage to this approach over swapping in and out proxies with Gearshift, Proxy Stream or Ultimate-S?

I have tried different things with no luck. Now I cannot import mov-files anymore on my test PC. I’ll put on a fresh image when I am finished with a big project for a client and try once more.

I’ll report back to you then. I have several other faster PC’s to try it on – I would love to get it to work, when I start using my own new 550D to make video too.

Thanks for all your help and interest so far – great service.

/Ulf

It seems that if I want to use proxies, I would rather have control over the codec used and when they are generated than have a program do this for me.

You wrote: It doesn't seem to work with my Canon SX-1 IS which is a point and shoot but should be a similar format to the Canon DSLRs.

We have not tested it with that camera. If you send some clips to our support group we can probably make it work.

You wrote: Is there any advantage to this approach over swapping in and out proxies with Gearshift, Proxy Stream or Ultimate-S?

Yes there are huge advantages. Number one is you can switch the proxies in and out with the click of a button, even in the middle of playback, to check fine details, etc. Also you do not have to wait for the proxies to finish before editing, you can start editing as soon as you have the files from the camera.

Also I might add we have observed frequent crashes when trying to edit DSLR quicktimes in Vegas 9 without Epic. If you use a scripting file swapping solution you have to able to bring the original files in, without crashing, to do your final render. With Epic there is no problem with that, we have tested it with 500 files or more, 200 dissolves or more, very stable and no limit on project size.

You wrote:

EPIC does give you three choices: DVCPROHD 1920 x 1080, DVCPROHD 1280 x 720, and DVCPRO 720 x 480, shown in the options panel as full size, half size and quarter size. If you are interested in more choices, please contact our support group and we can add them.

However the choices above cover the range from visually almost identical to the source footage to greatly reduced quality but very fast playback.

Also, you do have control when the proxies are made. If you want them made before you start editing, then import or group-drag the clips or the entire folder into the timeline and go have a cup of coffee. Then open a new project to start editing.

If you would rather make the proxy when you start trimming each clip, then instead bring each clip from the file explorer one a a time and trim them.

If you want the proxies made when the clips are placed into the timeline, then drop one in from the explorer and trim it in the timeline.

Finally you can turn off proxy generation if you wish, either entirely by using the option in the control panel, or temporarily by dismissing the progress bar and clear the queue.

In any case, you also have to consider what advantages EPIC brings to this method: a greatly simplified workflow and a faster workflow (see my previous post).

just bought the plugin off the site after trying out the demo. just bought the rebel 550 t2i and this seems to take care of the choppy (unplayable-ness) when editing in vegas..

couple things.
one, i wish that when you did a render, it would by default, turn off the proxies...
two, that proxy on, proxy off was more obvious in terms of the little icon, it should say ON, OFF on top of the icon pillar.. red is on, blue is off.. i get it now.. but still..

also, i did a test rendering out the file with the proxy on, (and red boarder on as well) and rendered the same file out with the same settings except this time turned the proxy off, blue pillar.. the file size was the same.. the quality was the same.. only in the proxy on version, the red boarder was there, in the NON-proxy version no red boarder... hmmm??
it does work nice though, being able to edit real time without the jerking is very nice.. (im sure vegas will incorporate something like this in version 10, they better anyhow... with the rebel being so popular and the video quality quiet nice!)

what is light-ray by the way... i could find nothing about it on your website...

(another note, similar to the first...) when i turn the pillar on and off, i notice no difference in quality of my clips, i even turned it to BEST, FULL, hit the pillar on, and off and the quality never changed, shouldn't it be switching the proxy files on and off therefore changing quality right??

thanks
pj

just bought the plugin off the site after trying out the demo. just bought the rebel 550 t2i and this seems to take care of the choppy (unplayable-ness) when editing in vegas..
Great, thanks


It will turn them off automatically if you are in Epic purple and
you do a render, then turn them on automatically when you are
in Preview Half or Preview Quarter (see rules below).




Gotcha. If you use the proxy burn-in feature, it will be obvious when the proxy is on


if you are using full-size proxies that could very well happen, there is little change in quality


Great, thanks. Yes hopefully they will license our plugin for Vegas 10.


Maybe you mean Raylight, that is our P2 MXF plugin for Vegas


It will act that way in 10-bit YUV mode, but otherwise it is Preview-Half or Preview-Full that forces the proxy on.

There is hopefully a clear explanation in the application ReadMe file, here it is:

There are two rules to remember on switching the proxies on and off during editing. There is one rule for the 10-bit YUV mode (see section on 10-bit YUV mode) and one for normal mode:

10-bit YUV mode H.264 files
The proxy is used only when the EPIC Quality Column is red. Otherwise the H.264 original is used. The Vegas Preview quality setting has no effect in this mode. In this mode, we strongly suggest that the “Mark Proxy” option be turned on. This will warn you if a file is rendered in EPIC Red.

Normal (RGB) mode, H.264 files
In this mode, with 10-bit YUV turned off, it is the Vegas preview setting that controls the proxy usage. If Vegas is in Preview ½ mode, or in the lesser size modes, the proxy will be used. In Preview Full, the original H.264 file will be used. However, you can force the plug-in to use the proxy in all preview modes by setting the EPIC quality to red.

Is there anyway to get this to work with Vegas 8?

I installed the plugin and followed the Quick Start instructions, clicked the update and clicked yes, opened Vegas 9 and dropped my T2i .mov files on the timeline.

From this point I didn't see anything new come up. Seems that I have the original .mov on the timeline since the playback is a little slow.

I really want to test this plugin, anything I could be missing?

Rob

Hi Rob

I had some trouble too, but mine was related to some files I downloaded from the internet aparently not native 5D files.

I got this link from the support (which is really great) though:

http://www.dvfilm.com/epic/EpicTutorial1.htm

You need to enable the plugin when the screen comes up, click 'update' and 'ok'. In the process of importing media, when you just click once on the .mov file it should say '(Epic)' in the media info lines at the buttom, then you will know that it is working.

After I tried with some fresh made 5D files from work it worked, and actually pretty ok on my 3.0 GHz P4 2GB and XP test PC. I have not tried my own T2i/550D on video yet, but it should work.

You can contact the suppport via the website - I have had several emails from them when I first tested, and they really care to fix peoples issues.

Btw.: Thanks to you too, Marcus.

/Ulf

i use a image stabilizer at times, and sometimes it re-samples, and the red boarder is missing.. (maybe i could use the proxy watermark indicator instead)

my point about the proxy turning off, was that it would be AUTOMATIC (have an option under config at least to make it so) so it will turn EPIC purple when you do render as (i was messing around with it, doing some sample clips, and was waiting a while for a sample to finish when i realized i had it turned EPIC RED... should only be on for editing purposes.. (i suppose its one of those things that you learn from, wont do it again.. but... ya never now with me...)

regarding my other question about no noticiable quailty change from proxy on/off i had it set to 1/4 size proxy... i had vegas set to preview/half and tried even best/half.. and would turn EPIC on and off (PURBLE to RED) and notice no change...and the red boarder would stay too, i would have to click somewhere else on the clip to make it disappear...

sounds like i need to use the 10-bit YUV mode... and then i will be able to tell...
thanks for the info! (and the plugin!)
pj

Thanks Ulf, but still not working

I noticed Epic is installed in the "Program Files" but shouldn't it be in the "Program Files (x86)" which is the 32bit folder of Win 7?

Other than that I don't know......I might try to contact support later on, meanwhile I have some work to get done.....

But just can't wait to give it a try!

Rob

As compared to converting the files to Cineform with Neo Scene or Neo HD: Neo Scene (or Neo HD) slows down the frame rate from 30 fps to 29.97 and adjusts the color from cRGB to sRGB. Dealing with DSLR video with the proxy approach of Epic doesn't fix these two problems.

I take it this only works with Vegas 9?

I believe so...

taken from dvfilm.com:

The EPIC I plugin for Sony Vegas Pro 9 allows you to edit DSLR's H.264 Quicktime

It also works with Sony Vegas Movie Studio

Rob

As compared to converting the files to Cineform with Neo Scene or Neo HD: Neo Scene (or Neo HD) slows down the frame rate from 30 fps to 29.97 and adjusts the color from cRGB to sRGB. Dealing with DSLR video with the proxy approach of Epic doesn't fix these two problems.

Hello

Epic does use sRGB and it also features 10-bit YUV (if you want that).

True it does not convert 30p to 29.97, but we could easily add that as a feature.

CF is a great product but of course you should consider the time you will save not making those lossy transcodes :)

I noticed Epic is installed in the "Program Files" but shouldn't it be in the "Program Files (x86)" which is the 32bit folder of Win 7?
Yes. Also the support staff reminded me there is a potential problem with UAC being turned on. Contact them for details or possible fix.

Well I believe that Canon will probably update the firmware of their DSLRs to shoot at 29.97 fps instead of 30p, but they may not get around to updating their point and shoots like the SX-1 IS and SX-20 IS to do the slightly slower frame rate.