Requirement for Professional Workflows
======================================

:Author:    Brian J.M. Rytel
:Email:     <tesla.drummer@gmail.com>
:Date:      July 2010
:Revision:  2.1


1. Requirements & Considerations
--------------------------------
It seemed easiest to me to just go through the workflow chronologically

=== (a) Ingest
==== i.Technical
All ingest sources need a solid metadata structure, suggestions welcome:

- Media Type attributes (codec, frame mode/rate, aspect, color science/LUT)
- Clip Attributes (name, length, I/O, media I/O, bitrate, size
- Acquisition Attributes (Modified EXIF data, ie: format, frame mode/rate,
  aspect, resolution, ISO, f-stop, shutter speed focal length, color format,
  camera,)
- UID & Project/Sequence & Subclip & Render Reference
- Production Info (scene #, shot #, angle #, take rating, night/day, production
  name, DP, Camera Op, Director, set/location, date shot, actors/characters)

===== Tape/Video Ingest
Connect to capture system through back-end/modules/plug-in.
Deck-control needs to handle both Firewire (1394) and Serial (RS232, RS422,
Sony, Panasonic, JVC) could be internal controller, but at least a timecode
hand-off to a plug-in. Needs to be able to control decks in single frame
increments with precise TC.

Ability to mark the source tape it came from in the metadata, with the ability
to reconnect a when later rerunning the ingestation step. Integration with batch capture

Question: would it make sense just to integrage +dvgrab* ?

===== Data Ingest
Extract/Write metadata to file module needed. Should parse files to make sure they're not corrupted

====  ii.User
- Should we look into set metadata collection systems to see if modules to sync
  and copy that data to the clip is viable?
- The GUI Ingest element should be logical and convenient to use, and in my
  opinion should handle both tape-based logging-capturing and data ingest.

=== (b) Edit
==== i.Technical

===== A. Video & Audio playback
*Requirement-1*: Engine should handle at least 4k, 32-bit, 200+MB/s, selectable LUTs (?)
Real-time of native codecs is important.
Engine should handle in-sync minimum 8 audio tracks, 96kHz/24bit

- Support for extended colour space, no built-in hard limits (-> Gimp is limited to 8bit)
- ``offline'' capability

*Requirement-2*: Main media playback windows, clip selector & timeline output both should meet *Req-1*
Live scope simulators, vector and waveform a must, 3d/wheel good choice
Live playback TC readouts from playheads

*Requirement-3*: Compatibility for low-latency hardware output to video & audio devices,
w/timecode, likely a hand-off but would latency is important.
- Integration to JACK, ALSA, or OSS would be ideal.
- Real-time rendering of simple filters: support OpenGL
- Background CPU rendering

===== B. File Handling
Other apps (FCP) are unable to or inconsistently work with updated media files
mid-session, this is a back-end design concern.

===== C. Project/Sequence Requirements
- Project 'bins', user-created bins, media filtering (ex: all video or everything in scene #1)
- Thumbnail & list views
- Drag & Drop of clips between bins, playback windows & timelines.
- File and directory import

===== D. Timeline
_All the normal essentials_

Render indicators (needs render, RT) on clips and/or timeline
Should be adjustable (frame mode/rate, would require script to translate old TC numbers to new timebase)

I recommend that the timeline video format setting be the “box” and clips “fill
in” the box. FCP for example does weird things to the clips when you change the
resolution/aspect of the sequence. Further it would make sense to have options
in the sequence for how to handle non-native resolutions and aspect ratios
(stretch, scale w/boxes, leave alone)

We have Track Nesting, but we need to have some way to gang sync/lock video with
its audio track so both are cut and move simultaneously.

Currently, NLEs all use vertical, additive layering. We should work on including
the ability to “flowchart” tracks (AE's pick-whip) like a compositor would, and
change the “blend” modes.

Draw-on automation/keyframes & editing for both video & audio tracks.

===== E. Misc
- We need to have accessible, easily scriptable FX/Filter menus for clips,
  all NLEs throw a tab into the clip selector pain.
- Whole app should be multi-core aware, especially any rendering engines.
- Needs to work on multiple monitors
- auto save / auto log operations



==== ii.User
===== A. The 6 things an editor thinks about at work:
- The clips in the bin
- Timeline
- Timeline output
- The edit tools
  * slice / roll / slide / slide through
  * move selection
  * fill
- Transitions
- Filters/FX
  * no need for gimmick filters
  * matte filters, colour keying
  * automatable mask

===== B.Features that make life better
- Edit review/edit on the fly (Avid)
- Quick Transitions (1-2 key/click transitions)
- Match-frame
- Media Search


=== (c) Export/Finishing
==== i.Technical
EDL export::
  Should export all major EDL formats
XML::
  We should look into something along the lines of the Apple XML, so that the
  project could be passed to XML compliant programs
Media Export::
  Need to build a module that will render project and possibly re-encode it as
  well, but that could be a hand-off
Tape Export::
  Essentially the reverse of the Ingest issue, must pass frame accurate deck
  control and fully synced audio/video.
Finishing::
  I'm not sure if they plan to integrate color grading/finishing into Lumiera at
  some point but if not we need to look into compatibility for those
  applications.

==== ii.User
EDL/XML Export::
  We need to leave the workflow that passes on lists in standardized forms.
  These also need to be easy enough to use without some application console
  script.
Media Export::
  Whether handled internally or externally we need to build an interface to make
  this seamless and intuitive, my favorite exporter is Premiere's which will
  render the output with any given setting.
Tape Export::
  Should be able to handle both straight lay-off and “edit-to-tape”.

Batch export of multiple projects with multiple selectable output formats at once.


2. Types of Workflows
---------------------

=== (a) Film
. Captured Film-TK-Sound Sync
. Ingest-NLE-
. Three possible output formats
  .. EDL-Optical Print+Neg Cutting
  .. DI (Either new or oringinal TK)-Film
  .. DI (Either new or oringinal TK)-Video/Media
 
