Raylight Cutter Bug Release

Raylight Cutter (Windows version) bug release is today. The new version is 1.0 Build C.

Release Notes:

1. Audio editing and Transitions

Many bugs were fixed in the audio fades and audio editing in transition mode. The length of an audio fade can now be controlled by dragging a crank handle off the audio scissors. The audio rolls are shown correctly now when you click on a transition in the pie chart: the top rolls show the sound for the tail of the previous cut, the bottom rolls are for the head of the next cut. By clicking on the top or bottom video rolls you can highlight the corresponding audio rolls. If a roll is selected, any cuts made are applied only to that roll.

2. Secondary Monitor

The size and quality of the 2nd monitor is now controlled using a temporary solution. This will eventually be done with an icon in the settings screen, but for now, the file monitor.txt (in the Documents/RaylightCutter folder) can be edited with NotePad to set the scale and frame size. For example

scale     2

width    1280

height    900

scale = 1 is for full resolution, 2 for half resolution, etc.

the height and width must be supported by the monitor. To see a list of supported sizes, look at the file DirectDraw.txt in the same folder, after the program has run at least once with the 2nd monitor connected.

Also the "2" icon on the viewer must be enabled (lit up) for the 2nd monitor to operate.

3. Deinterlacing

Deinterlacing preview has been improved. High-quality deinterlacing is turned off when you scrub through footage or playback in real time. Deinterlacing is turned on when the video roll is 60i or 50i format and the project settings are progressive, and you are stepping through the video frame-by-frame using the page down key, or when rendering. The upper field/lower field first icon now works, and has the correct effect on 60i to 24p conversion. The frame rate interpretation (60i/30p/24p) is now saved when you change it and has the correct effect on deinterlacing. 3:2 and 2:3:3:2 pulldown removal is working now when you either render or step through footage frame-by-frame.

4. Stability

Some improvements have been made to prevent the program from crashing due to a video frame buffer overrun.

5. Audio Box

The audio box has been modified to make the local and global icons bigger.

6. Flicking Clips

The "flick a clip" feature has been implemented. You can drag your finger (or mouse) from the center of a clip in the folder view towards the project reel and it will assemble into the project after the last cut. We will put up a video this week to demonstrate this.

What's Next

Looking ahead the next release will support the HEVC (H.265) codec using the Main Concept decoder in demo mode, and will have further improvements to the user interface.

A bug release is coming soon with some of the above changes (1,3,4,5,6), and more, for the Mac OSX version.

Cryptowall 3.0 Attacks! (with solutions)

Ugh! DVFilm was hit by the "Cryptowall 3.0" ransomware last night. Only one of our workstations was affected. The malicious software encrypts Word documents and Jpegs (among other type files) with unbreakable encryption and then demands ransom in bitcoin to give you the key to unlock them.

It took us 2 hours of research to find a program to help recover the files. In this case it was for a computer running Windows Vista, so after stopping the virus (which we did manually by running MSConfig in Safe Mode and deleting the suspicious files in the startup folder) we had to download Shadow Explorer and run it to recover the Word documents and other files from saved older versions.

I've read that Cryptowall can also be stopped with the latest antivirus programs and the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool here:

https://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/malware-removal.aspx

Windows 7 can be protected if you have an up-to-date version of Microsoft Security Essentials or for Windows 8.1, Windows Defender, We had Windows Defender running on Vista but it was useless for this particular attack.

Other helpful links:

Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download

Shadow Explorer (works with Vista only): http://www.shadowexplorer.com/downloads.html

More info: https://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/threat/encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?Name=Win32/Crowti

Lion OSX 7 Quicktime 10 & Raylight for Mac

The .mxf.mov reference link files created by Raylight for Mac 3 on Lion OSX 7, do not play correctly in Quicktime X (10) . This does not affect using the Raylight for Mac link files with Final Cut Pro 7 or earlier.

Please use Quicktime 7 for viewing the .mxf.mov files. If you need to download QT7 for Lion, go here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3678

How Many Times Can I Activate?

DVFilm puts limits on the number of times you can activate our software. The limits are to prevent software piracy. However if you are a purchaser, you can always get more activations, if needed, as long as you follow the terms of the license agreement.

Preserving Activations

If you write down the activation code for each computer, or save the activation code emails from our server, you can reduce the number of activations you need from us. The activation code can be used over and over again as long as the computer motherboard is not changed. Installing or rebuilding the operating system or other software does not force you to use a new activation code.

Getting More Activations

If you have only one license, the automatic activation page at dvfilm.com/activate, or the activation dialog in your DVFilm software, will still allow you to request up to 6 activations if you have only one license. It does warn you that you cannot install the software on more than 2 computers, but it will still give you a new code up to 6 times. If you go over six, then you will have to contact DVFilm Support at http://dvfilm.com/support.htm

What to Expect if You Have to Get Activations from DVFilm Support

When customers request more activations from us, we look at the activation history that is logged to our server. If it looks like you are activating the software on multiple computers within a short period of time, we may ask that you purchase more licenses. Sometimes we can provide those extra licenses at a discount. Or if the extra activations were done on the same computer, we will reset your activation count and let you know. Generally, though, we will reset the count no more than once per year.

If You Own Multiple Licenses

If you own multiple licenses from us, we can either provide multiple serial numbers or raise the number of activations allowed per serial number. Contact DVFilm Support if you need that done.

Can I "De-Activate" Software?

No. There is no way to do that right now. Use another activation as required to move the software from one computer to another.

Raylight Encoder Pro and Raylight Decoder Updates

Raylight Encoder Pro has been updated to version 1.4.
Raylight Decoder has been updated to version 3.4.

Both releases have these changes in common:

1. Torn screen bug on QT low-quality mode has been fixed.
2. Uses new Raylight codec for faster playback in high-quality mode
3. Green, Yellow and Red modes no longer supported since high quality mode is fast.
4. Crash on more than 8 cpus fixed, now supports up to 32.
5. Problems with Windows Vista, Windows 7, 32/64 bit OS fixed.
6. Trial versions now have 30-day limit
7. Activation now required on Decoder as well as Encoder
8. Easier activation process, automatically requests codes
9. Matrox codec no longer required for DVCPRO50 support
10. Alpha channel set to 255 when decoding to 32-bit RGBA
11. Other minor fixes

Users may update free at dvfilm.com/update

Support

Follow these links for Questions & Answers for DVFilm software products

Raylight Encoder Pro
Raylight Mac
RaylightMXFX
All Support FAQ

Raylight Ultra Install Issue on Windows 7

Users installing Raylight Ultra on 64-bit Windows 7 will experience a problem preventing the Raylight plugin from registering properly with Vegas 9. If you are running either the 32-bit OR the 64-bit version of Vegas 9 on 64-bit Windows 7, complete the installation as follows:

1. Locate the folder where Vegas 9 is installed.
For 64-bit Vegas 9 the default path is:
C:\Program Files\Sony\Vegas Pro 9.0.
For 32-bit Vegas 9 the default path is:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony\Vegas Pro 9.0.

2. Edit the file DVFilm.fio2007-config file using Notepad. If this file doesn't exist create it.

3. If you are using 64-bit Vegas 9 the contents of the file should contain:

[FileIO Plug-Ins]
DVFilmMxfPlug=C:\Program Files\DVFilm\Raylight Ultra 1.1.1\RaylightVegas90-64.dll

The Raylight Ultra installer will have left off the "-64" at the end of the plugin file name. Naturally, if you changed the default destination path for Raylight Ultra you will need to adjust the path accordingly.

4. If you are using 32-bit Vegas 9 the contents of the file should contain

[FileIO Plug-Ins]
DVFilmMxfPlug=C:\Program Files (x86)\DVFilm\Raylight Ultra 1.1.1\RaylightVegas90.dll

The Raylight Ultra installer will have left off the "(x86)" from the path name. Again, if you changed the default destination path for Raylight Ultra you will need to adjust the path accordingly.

5. Restart Vegas and it should now find the appropriate Raylight plugin to handle MXF files. You can tell if the plugin is installed properly by opening the Vegas explorer pane, and selecting a video MXF file. If the plugin is installed properly and the MXF file is a supported type (AVC-Intra coming soon!), then below the explorer pane, you will see information about the MXF file as well as "DVFilm Raylight Ultra" displayed.

This issue is caused by a failure to reliably obtain the installation path of Sony Vegas 9.0 under Windows 7.0. The issue will be resolved in future releases of Raylight Ultra and Sony Vegas

MXFX for Windows - "Failure to process 720/30p"

MXFX for Windows has a known bug and fails to initialize when processing 720/30p mxf files.

This bug is in the process of being fixed for the next update, but for now a simple workaround is as follows:

In the destination folder, create a new folder named 'card1.' Leave the MXFX Options set to the original destination folder (Do not set the destination to the 'card1' folder you created). Then click ok and start and MXFX should process the clip without a problem.

Usually, MXFX for Windows will automatically create this 'card1' folder in the destination folder, but due to the bug it has to be created manually.

If you have any questions please go to dvfilm.com/support.htm to place a support request.

Installing DVFilm software on a second computer

Q. Can I install DVFilm software on a second computer?

A. Yes. Our short and sweet license allows you to install on a second computer. The DVFilm License Agreement states:

User agrees to make only one copy of the software for use on one computer system, or one workstation and one laptop per User. For more than 2 computer systems the User must purchase additional licenses for each computer from DVFilm or purchase a multi-system license.

Logging in Raylight

When Raylight is processing files, progress messages will be displayed in the output window. The output window can be opened by clicking the triangle in the main Raylight Window.
You can have Raylight display more detailed messages by setting the LogVerbose value to 1 in the file /Users/Shared/Raylight/options.txt:

LogVerbose = 1

If you aren't receiving an email with the update link

DVFilm often makes free updates available. To receive an update you simply request it by filling out an online form. Links to the appropriate form for your application can be found here. For Raylight products the form is here.

Some of the fields on the form are optional, the most important field you must provide is the email address used when purchasing the software. Without it, you will not be able to receive updates. To request a change for the email on record, there is a charge of $8. You can go here to request this registration change.

Once the request for an update is submitted, an automatic email will be generated and sent to the email on record. If you do not receive the email it is most likely because your spam filters have flagged the email as spam. Check your spam folders, or add the email sales @ dvfilm.com to your safe list and request another link.

Problems when Final Cut Pro starts

Q. When I start FCP, even though I have told it to NOT load the last project, there is a long delay and I get errors about not being able to locate files.

A. This may occur if you had a project that used quicktime link files such as the ones created by Raylight, and those files pointed to are no longer available. With FCP closed, you might try clearing your FCP preferences.

This article explains how to clear the FCP preferences. Though it is for FCP 4.0 It is still applicable to the lastest FCP. I have pasted the contents below:

Learn how to resolve issues caused by unusable preference files in Final Cut Pro 4.

When troubleshooting Final Cut Pro, one step you can take is to delete the Final Cut Pro preference files. Doing this restores Final Cut Pro to the default settings and behavior. These files contains user preferences for scratch disk settings, capture settings, window layouts, and so forth.

To delete the Final Cut Pro 4 preferences files, do the following:


1. Quit Final Cut Pro 4.
2. Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
3. From the Go menu, choose Go to Folder.
4. Type: ~/Library/Preferences/ Note: The tilde "~" refers to your home directory. For more information see "Mac OS X: Using Your Home Directory".
5. Click Go.
6. Drag the file named "com.apple.FinalCutPro.plist" to the Trash (Figure 1).
7. Double-click the folder named "Final Cut Pro User Data".
8. Drag the file named "Final Cut Pro 4.0 Preferences" to the Trash (see Figure 2).
9. Drag the file named "Final Cut Pro POA Cache" to the Trash (Figure 2).
[Be sure to Empty the Trash]
10. Open Final Cut Pro.

Here is another thread on the subject.

Activation problems

Once Raylight Encoder is installed, if it detects you haven't activated, you will be presented with an Activation Dialog. Just follow the directions on this dialog.

Serial Numbers, System IDs, and Activation

When you purchase one of our software products, we do not email you the product serial number. We add an entry in our databases with the email address you provided during the order process. This email address is very important and you must remember it.

At the end of the order process, we provide a link where you can download the software. Keep a copy of the downloaded software in a safe place, once you have downloaded it. You can also request the latest version of the software here:
http://www.dvfilm.com/update/

The software will display an activation dialog the first time it is run on a new computer. A unique System ID will be displayed identifying the computer. The System ID is generated by our software and cannot be edited or changed. You must provide your serial number for the software, and an activation code, in order to satisfy the activation dialog and be allowed to use the software.

With some of our products, a button is provided on the installer activation dialog to request the serial number be emailed to you.

Or, you can have your Serial Number emailed to you by filling out this form:
https://dvfilm.com/serial

On some products, a button is displayed to automatically request and fill in the activation code ("Request Activation Code"). On others. the activation dialog includes a button that will take you to the activation page: https://dvfilm.com/activate/ where you can generate an Activation Code for your specific computer, identified by the System ID you provide.

Once the activation code is filled in, press "Activate."

In Summary:

1. Place your order online
2. Download the software using the link provided on the order screen (or request the software HERE)
3. Fill out THIS form to request that your Serial Number be emailed to you.
4. Run the software on your computer and follow the instructions that appear in the activation dialog.
5. Obtain an Activation Code by filling out THIS form.
6. Store your Serial Number and Activation Code in a safe space.
7. Enter your Serial Number and Activation Code in the Activation dialog
8. You can now run your software without interruption.

Activating a System that is Offline

The procedure for activating a system that is offline is the same, however you must write down on paper the

1. system ID, using numbers 0-9 and letters A-F,
   
2. the serial number, using letters A-Z, and
   
3. the activation code, using numbers 0-9 and letters A-F.

Changing the output folder

Raylight Mac will store all generated files in the default folder /Users/Shared/Raylight. This is also where Raylight stores some system files that it needs including the options.txt file where settings for Raylight are stored.

To change where Raylight stores generated files such as Quicktime link files and P2 card images (P2Maker feature) you can edit the options.txt file and modify the OutputFolder option.

For example, if you have a folder on your desktop named Media you can edit options.txt and replace this line:

OutputFolder = /Users/Shared/Raylight

with this:

OutputFolder = /Users/rak/Desktop/Media

The folder path following the equal sign is the Unix file path representation of a folder. If you aren't sure what that is for a given folder, use the Finder program and highlight the folder you want to make the OutputFolder. Hold down the Command (Apple) key while you press the 'i' key. This will display the Info panel for the folder. You will see the folder path leading up to your folder next to the label "Where:". Type this folder path followed by the folder name, to the right of the equal sign leaving a space between the equal sign and the file path.

Unable to view link files in Final Cut Pro

Q. When I try to open a .mxf.mov link file created by Raylight, Final Cut Pro appears to hang. Some symptoms:

• FCP displays "searching for data in [filename]"
• FCP appears to hang with a spinning beachball

A. This is usually a case of the original MXF files no longer being available. The .mxf.mov link file requires that the original MXF file is available at the location when the link file was created. This can occur if one of the following is true:

• The original MXF files have moved
• The volume name where the MXF files reside has changed
• The volume where the MXF file resides is offline or not connected
• The folder name where the MFX files reside has changed.

If you have Quicktime Pro you can verify the path of the MXF file which the link file is using:

• Launch Quicktime Pro
• Load a Quicktime link file created by Raylight
• From the menu, select Window...View Movie Properties
• Select the Resources Tab
• Review the path of the original .MXF file and make sure it is accessible at that location

If necessary, delete your link files and rescan.

If you have FCP set to load the last project and it is taking a very long time to load due to it trying to search for missing MXF files, you might want to move or clear the FCP preferences to allow you to start FCP. THIS post provides help in clearing FCP preferences.

Link files don't play back properly in Final Cut Pro

Q. Raylight creates the links, but the video is all white or all black, or random noise.

A. Delete the link and rescan the MXF files. Make sure each folder in the path to your MXF files has a folder name less than 32 characters. Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended if you use long file names such as file names with the MetaData "User Clip Name". Make sure you have the DVCPROHD components installed by FCP 5 or 6. They are in the Library/Quicktime folder on your system drive, six files that start with "DVCPROHD" and end with ".component". If the slate frame is visible but no other frames are, most likely the original MXF files have moved or the path to the MXF files have a bad character or uses a folder name greater than 32 characters. If your source files are stored on an external volume, try renaming the volume to a shorter name with no spaces or special characters.

Q: Links render OK in FCP but in real-time playback show up as black

A. Make sure the sequence settings for frame rate match the clip frame rate.

If you have clips with pulldown, remove the pulldown in Raylight when you scan them by using the pulldown removal option.

If you are importing clips of a different frame rate that have no pulldown (e.g. 60P clips into a 24P sequence), instead import the clips into a 60P project, then export a 24P quicktime in ProRes or similar format, then import the exported clip into your 24P sequence.