Comments

LoTN wrote on 11/14/2010, 6:53 AM
If you read French, you may also have a look at

I should have put an english version too, hmmm too lazy for that. Sorry :)

In a nutshell, the outcome of the tests I did with some ugly footage is the below

SCS WB plugin is not the one I want to use. It induces noise and also a red or magenta cast.
AAV is good but the FBM WB is slightly better and it provides a handy way to fine adjust the white point once it has been set thanks to the color picker.

Of course, big balance errors will put these plugins to their knees. For what I call extreme WB correction, curves, color wheels or reverse gamma is the way I'll go.

To make it short, I really liked it and I think it's worth having a try with it.
Grazie wrote on 11/14/2010, 6:54 AM
@Frederic:

>"[I] I have initially developed this plug-in for my own needs, finding no satisfying white balance tool on the market, compared to what is available in the photography world. [/I]

Just what were your differential observations between present video WB options and then those available PS?

Grazie



Andy_L wrote on 11/14/2010, 8:17 AM
Grazie,

It was definitely a quick and dirty comparison. I exported two identical stills from DV on the Vegas timeline, one with Vegas' WB correction enabled, one disabled. Then imported these stills into Photoshop and used the Open-As RAW dialogue's white balance tool on the disabled still. Compared side-by-side within PS.

However you do it, it gets obvious pretty quickly that the Sony WB plugin isn't a masterpiece of color correction technology. :)

Still puzzled by *why* this is so. Both Vegas and PS edit in RGB environments, so you'd think anything PS can do, color-wise, Vegas could theoretically do just as well...
Frederic Baumann wrote on 11/14/2010, 9:38 AM
Hi,

thank you all for your comments.

@Grazie:

the differences I see are that, while eye-dropping the same point on the same picture, in both software, one was giving neat pictures, while the other was kind of blueish/pinkish colored, and like slightly desaturated colors. Actually I cannot say more than the screenshots posted on my web site.

@others:

I have updated the licensing model - you were perfectly right, I missed something in the Vegas one, and I just wanted to be as close as possible to it. Web site and license agreement have been updated.

I believe the goal of this forum is not to address this kind of issues, I have individually answered to each of you on this point (well, to those talking about licensing), except for you RRA as I cannot send you emails. Please send me one (my email is on my website) if you want to know the details.

Frédéric
Marc S wrote on 4/25/2011, 7:37 PM
Just downloaded the trial of this plugin. It works really well, I'm very impressed. Finally an easy way to get really good white balance in Vegas.

I’m a little confused about when to use the HSV, HSL or RGB setting. Does that affect how your white balance comes out or just the way you see your adjustment options? I could not find a help file.

Also is the plugin written to take advantage of the 32bit floating point mode?

Thanks, Marc

Update: Response


Hi Marc,

HSV/HSL/RGB are just 3 different ways to define the color you want to become the white reference - in addition to the color picker, which is the one users mostly use.

Once a color is chosen, the white balance correction is done whatever method has been used to choose this color.

And yes, 32-bit floating point is supported.

Best regards,
Frédéric
Massimo Rossi wrote on 4/27/2011, 1:17 AM
It works VERY well !!! It does a great job. Bright, clear images with natural colors. I think I will buy it...

Bye.
Grazie wrote on 4/27/2011, 1:56 AM
Can somebody check the Save Preset function? I'm not getting Preview when I change to a saved preset from the default. I can SEE the numbers and slider positions change, but not Preview.

I've contacted Frederic and await a response.

I like the Tool very much and would be delighted if I could get this Preview of Saved Preset to function I would be grateful.

Cheers

Grazie
Richard Jones wrote on 4/27/2011, 2:58 AM
Grazie,
Not too certain how to deal with your problem as my Preview shows the changes as I make them but I've always found that Frederic dealt with my questions to him with impressive speed (although we're hovering around the Easter holiday period at the moment).

Good Luck,

Richard
Grazie wrote on 4/27/2011, 3:12 AM
Richard, I too get changes showing when I make them. No, that's not it. It's the Saved Preset function that I don't get to see the stored changes SHOWING in Preview. Do you?

I'm sure Federic will get back, I'm asking here as others who used the Plug can confirm or deny.

Cheers

Grazie

LoTN wrote on 4/27/2011, 3:35 AM
Grazie,

I believe we're on the same timezone. If you can wait a couple of hours I can check on my system this evening.
Grazie wrote on 4/27/2011, 4:01 AM
LoTN - Cheers

Grazie

Richard Jones wrote on 4/27/2011, 6:49 AM
Grazie,

Yes. you're right. Let's hope Frederic gets back to you soon.

Richard
Grazie wrote on 4/27/2011, 7:45 AM
Oh, ok Richard, are you not get a saved preset being shown in Preview too?

Grazie

LoTN wrote on 4/27/2011, 9:49 AM
Well, I can see presets on both x86 and x64 versions. Nothing to add but that all works as expected:
I get the presets saved
I get the presets vignettes
Rolling in the preset list works
Drag and drop of the vignette works too.
Preview displays result of applied preset.



Did I miss something ?
Grazie wrote on 4/27/2011, 1:05 PM
LoTN > "Did I miss something ?

I believe you have. Drop-down the Preset Drop-Down Menu list from within the Fx Menu for the Fx and see if you get the Preset changes being reflected in Preview.

I don't think THAT is one of your test? Anyways, I DON'T get changes when using the Drop Down Presets list.

Grazie



LoTN wrote on 4/27/2011, 10:32 PM
Hmmm, got your point :)

This is what I called rolling (I use the mouse wheel for that). I confirm the drop-down works too.
Grazie wrote on 4/28/2011, 5:34 AM
Now, have you got "Animate" active or not?

Grazie


LoTN wrote on 4/28/2011, 9:48 AM
Animate will never be active unless you have some DX plugin in the chain. OFX keyframing is different and better (curves).

With OFX plugins, each keyframable setting gets a clock button next to the slider. Click on it and you get the associated curve window. For any OFX plugin, you can have multiple curves controlling each plugin setting you choose to automate. A very nice thing.

Animate button is only for what I would call the legacy FX keyframes.

See Gary keyframing webminar if I am not clear.

Edit: one detail I missed: default OFX keyframing is in Lane mode which is somewhat similar to the DX keyframes. You can switch to curves (inflection points, tangents...) and back to Lanes.
ChipGallo wrote on 5/5/2011, 9:29 AM
I have some problem video that I would like to try this plug in on. I can get the trial but there is another project in the queue and a crashing Vegas would be ... bad.

[Note: testing showed an improvement in the WB and matching between a Canon HV20 and 40 in uneven rink lighting. I like it.]

Awaiting word of activation keys being received.

Thanks!
Notlad wrote on 5/6/2011, 10:42 AM
After seeing the demo on the company website we purchased this white balance plugin a few weeks ago and have been very pleased with it.

We do Wedding Videography and with the built in white balance in Sony Vegas Pro 10 when we would use something white in a scene to be the white balance point of reference and would make the change the result would be the white object would be white but everything else in the scene would look terrible and would require extensive color correcting.

With this plugin many times once we apply it to a segment we need no or very little color correction. Love it. Sony should buy the software and integrate it into their next release.
vtxrocketeer wrote on 5/6/2011, 12:46 PM
I am evaluating this plug-in and so far I REALLY like it. I did an A/B comparison of white-balanced clips -- FBM vs. Sony -- and everytime my best attempts with the Sony WB correction came out reddish or otherwise 'off.' The FBM plug-in worked perfectly everytime. Very nice! I think I'll buy.

I did notice a pretty dramatic and positive difference when correcting in 32 bit (full float) vs. 8-bit with the plug-in. I didn't tinker enough to understand why, but suffice to say that to my eyes the correction in 32-bit (full float) mode looked MUCH better.

I also like the brightness adjust, which is reminiscent of the F-stop adjustment in MB Looks, which I've all but discarded.

Steve
jetdv wrote on 5/6/2011, 1:25 PM
Steve, you could also compare to Color Fixer Plus in Video Essentials from NewBlueFX.
Woodenmike wrote on 5/6/2011, 2:18 PM
I bought the full version and have been using it to white balance a 3 camera shoot...I really like the fact that it starts you with a true white and you can adjust the brightness, and go from there with other color adjustments with one of the other tools in the Vegas toolbox if you want. It is very simple to use, which for me is a plus.
Frederic Baumann wrote on 5/7/2011, 12:34 AM
Hi,

I am Frédéric, the developer of the plug-in.

I would like to thank you all for the very nice comments written about it in this discussion. I am very glad that this tool brings its bit of help to so many people now after 6 months.

Regarding Grazie's note, after separate discussions, it looks like the preset thing has been reported by Sony as coming from Vegas, and then having no link with the plug-in itself. However I will double check this by investigating further this point.

About activation keys, as written on the website, the key generation is currently done manually, and may take me up to 2 days to send it if I am away of my desk or travelling. However, I usually send it within a few minutes when I receive the email notification from PayPal.

By the way, if you have any suggestions for additional features or even other plug-ins I could develop, please let me know.

Best regards, and thanks again,
Frédéric - www.fbmn-software.com