postdeko for editorsresources.avid.com/supportfiles/attach/rm_avid_postdekoforeditors_v8.4.pdfthe...

PostDeko for Editors

Version 8.4 ReadMe

Important Information

Avid® recommends that you read all the information in this ReadMe file thoroughly before installing or using any new software release.

Important: Search the Avid Knowledge Base for the most up-to-date ReadMe file, which contains the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was published.

This document describes new features, operational changes, and issues resolved.

2

Contents

About PostDeko for Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Installing PostDeko for Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

User Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Installing Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Enabling PostDeko for Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Using the Multi-User Floating License. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

If Your License Authentication Fails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Showing Windows File Name Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Hiding the Windows Taskbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Video Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How PostDeko for Editors Differs from PostDeko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How PostDeko for Editors Opens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Three Modes of Operation with PostDeko for Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

New Features in Version 8.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Operational Changes in Version 8.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Fixed in Version 8.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

New Features in Version 8.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Operational Changes in Version 8.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Fixed in Version 8.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Fixed in Version 8.0.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Fixed in Version 8.0.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

3

If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Legal Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

4

About PostDeko for Editors

PostDeko for Editors is an AVX plug-in that lets you insert Deko® graphics into an Avid editing application Timeline, edit the graphics in PostDeko for Editors if you want, and then render the graphics into the video. See “Graphics Production Mode” on page 14.

In PostDeko for Editors version 8.4, there is new functionality available to allow you to integrate Deko Select graphics into your timelines. You can do the following:

• Publish graphics to iNEWS using the News Graphics Integration Mode. For more information, see “News Graphics Integration Mode” on page 25.

• Render the graphics into video. For more information, see “News Template FulFillment Mode” on page 35.

PostDeko for Editors is supported on the following editing application versions on Windows® systems only:

• Avid NewsCutter® version 7.0 and later

n In order to use News Graphics Integration mode, Avid NewsCutter Version 9.5 or later is required.

• Avid Media Composer® version 3.0 and later

• Avid Symphony™ Nitris® or Symphony Nitris DX version 3.0 and later

Installing PostDeko for Editors

n You must insert your application key into a USB port before you install the PostDeko for Editors software.

n IMPORTANT: If you are upgrading from PostDeko for Editors v8.2, you should first uninstall that version. Otherwise, you will end up with multiple programs listed in the Control Panel/Add or Remove Programs.

To install PostDeko for Editors:

1. Log in as Administrator on your Avid editing application system.

2. Run the the PostDeko for Editors installer on the PostDeko for Editors CD and follow the installation prompts until you are asked if you want to restart your system, and then click Yes.

3. Follow the installation prompts.

User Documentation

5

4. If you want to use News Graphics Integration mode or News Template Fulfillment mode, do the following:.

a. Install Deko Select Client version 3.13 or later on your Editor machine.

n Deko Select v3.13 can be found on the Avid Download Center.

b. Upgrade your DekoMOS Gateway to version 3.13 or later. News Graphics Integration mode is only available on Avid NewsCutter®, version 9.5 or later. See “Three Modes of Operation with PostDeko for Editors” for more details about these modes

5. Do one of the following:

t If you purchased the multi-user floating license, see “Using the Multi-User Floating License” on page 6.

t If you purchased the single-user license, update the application key that came with your Avid editing application; for instructions, see your customer letter titled “Important Information for Avid Upgrade Customers.”

User Documentation

For general information on using PostDeko for Editors, select Help > Avid Deko Help or see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide PDF file.

n Features described in the documentation depend on your PostDeko for Editors model. Your model might not include all the features included in the documentation and the documentation might not reflect the particular features for your model.

Installing Fonts

A CD containing a library of approximately 500 TrueType® fonts might be provided separately with your Deko system. To install the fonts, insert the Deko Fonts CD in your drive and follow the instructions. The PostDeko for Editors software license grants you the right to use these fonts only on your PostDeko for Editors system.

PostDeko for Editors also supports OpenType® (.otf) and PostScript® T1 fonts.

6

Enabling PostDeko for Editors

PostDeko for Editors requires you to use one of the following methods for enabling your system:

• The application key (dongle) for your Avid editing system. It will get the “PostDeko for Editors Rev2” option added to it. This involves obtaining an updater file and updating the application key for PostDeko for Editors . See the Customer letter that came with your application.

• A floating NetHASP™ license. See “Using the Multi-User Floating License” on page 6.

• An application key (dongle) that only has the “PostDeko for Editors Rev2” option on it. This would be sent to you if you are doing a single user license and your Avid Editor uses software licensing rather than a dongle.

Using the Multi-User Floating License

If you use the multi-user floating license, you need to install and configure the NetHASP license manager and associated files, and then verify your license. You can also add more licenses to an existing NetHASP application key; see the Customer letter that came with the additional licenses option.

See the following topics:

• “Installing and Configuring the HASP License Manager and HASP Driver” on page 6

• “Installing and Configuring the NetHASP.ini File” on page 8

• “Verifying the Multi-User Floating License” on page 9

• “If Your License Authentication Fails” on page 10

Installing and Configuring the HASP License Manager and HASP Driver

You need to designate a system as the license server that you can leave operating at all times. The system needs to be on the same network as and accessible by your editing application system that has the PostDeko for Editors plug-in installed on it.

To install and configure the HASP® License Manager:

1. Select a system that you can leave running at all times (the server) and determine the system’s name.

2. Insert the PostDeko for Editors application key (dongle) in an available USB slot.


7

3. Insert the PostDeko for Editors CD-ROM.

4. Copy the NetHASP folder to the top level of the server’s C: drive.

5. Determine whether your license server is running Windows 7.

t If your license server is running Windows 7, go to Step 6.

t If your license server is not running Windows 7, go to Step 7.

6. (Optional) If your license server is running Windows 7, you must change the HASP License Manager properties as follows:

a. Right-click the file in Windows Explorer.

b. In the file menu, click Properties.

The lmsetup.exe Properties dialog box opens.

c. Click the Compatibility tab.

d. In the Compatibility mode area, select Run this program in compatibility mode for; then select Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) from the list.

e. In the Privilege Level area, select Run this program as an administrator.

The lmsetup.exe Properties dialog box should now appear as follows:

8

f. Click OK to close the lmsetup.exe dialog box.

7. Navigate to C:\NetHASP\HASP_LM_SETUP and double-click lmsetup.exe.

The HASP License Manager Installation Welcome dialog box opens.

8. Click Next.

The End User License Agreement dialog box opens.

9. Read the agreement, click “I accept the license agreement” and then click Install.

The Installation Type dialog box opens. You are asked if you want to install HASP License Manager as an application or as a service.

10. Select Service, and then click Next.

The Choose Destination Location dialog box opens.

11. Select a location or accept the default location, and then click Next.

12. Accept the defaults until the installation finishes.

The HASP License Manager dialog box opens.

13. Click Yes, and then click Finish.

You are now ready to install and configure the NetHASP.ini file.

Installing and Configuring the NetHASP.ini File

To install and configure the NetHASP.ini file on the server:

1. On your server, navigate to C:\NetHASP\NetHASP.ini.

2. Open NetHASP.ini with Notepad.


9

3. On the following line, NH_SERVER_ADDR=DEKO2-GWY, change DEKO2-GWY to the name of your server.

4. Save the text file as NetHASP.ini in the same location.

To enable the NetHASP license on each editing application system:

1. Copy the server copy of NetHASP.ini.

2. On each editing application system that has PostDeko for Editors installed on it, paste the NetHASP.ini file into C:\PostDekoEdit\Bin.

n If you do not copy the NetHASP.ini file, you can still enable the NetHASP license. See “If Your License Authentication Fails” on page 10.

Verifying the Multi-User Floating License

To verify PostDeko for Editors licenses:

1. On the server system, navigate to C:\NetHASP\dekohasputil.exe and double-click it.

The Deko HASP Utility dialog box opens.

2. Make sure PostDeko for Editors is selected.

3. Confirm that the number of Enabled Clients is the number you expect to see.

4. Click OK.

5. (Option) Create a shortcut to dekohasputil.exe on the desktop for future use.

10

If Your License Authentication Fails

When PostDeko for Editors starts, if you have not set up your NetHASP license correctly, the PostDeko for Editors License Authentication dialog box opens.

To authenticate your license in a multi-user floating-license environment:

1. Type one of the following:

t The name of your license server

t The IP address of your license server

2. Click OK.

The NetHASP.ini file is created for you.

To authenticate your license in a single-user environment:

t See the registration pack that came with your PostDeko for Editors application.

Showing Windows File Name Extensions

For the PostDeko for Editors File Open dialog box to operate correctly, you need to show Windows® file name extensions on the Deko system.

To show folder extensions:

1. Open Windows Explorer.

2. Select Tools > Folder Options.

3. Click the View tab and make sure the setting “Hide extensions for known file types” is deselected.

4. Click OK.

Hiding the Windows Taskbar

11

Hiding the Windows Taskbar

If your system’s desktop resolution is set to 1024x786 or lower, you need to set the Windows taskbar to be hidden for PostDeko for Editors to operate correctly.

To hide the Windows Taskbar:

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Properties.

The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box opens.

2. In the Taskbar tab, select Auto-Hide the taskbar and then click OK.

The taskbar disappears.

3. To display the taskbar temporarily, place your mouse over the bottom of your monitor until the taskbar reappears.

For more information about the taskbar, see your Windows Help.

Video Standards

PostDeko for Editors supports most of the video standards supported by Avid editing applications. For details, see the appropriate editing application documentation.

How PostDeko for Editors Differs from PostDeko

The user interface for PostDeko for Editors differs from PostDeko in the following ways:

• There are menu functions in PostDeko for Editors for saving and restoring path preferences. They are:

- File > Save Path Preferences

- File > Restore Path Preferences

• You see a single Graphic window instead of Program and Preview windows.

• The Channel menu is not present.

• The F3 and F10 keys are disabled because they enabled switching between the windows that are not present.

• The Sequencer window is not available.

• The following playback effects are not available in PostDeko for Editors:

- Associated

- Clear

12

- Slide

- Slideoff

• The Effect Playback layout and the Motion Compose layout have Graphic and Output views instead of Preview and Program views.

• The Color Bars option and the Show Key Output option are in the Layer menu.

• PostDeko for Editors features menu and button options not part of PostDeko, including the following:

- For finishing an edit, the Finish Edit button, the F12 key function, and the File menu option Finish Edit of Graphic and Return to Avid Editor, which save the graphic, save it to the Timeline, and return to the editing application. In PostDeko, pressing F12 merely saves the file.

- For cancelling an edit, the Cancel button, the F11 key function, and the File menu option Cancel Edit of Graphic and Return to Avid Editor, which cancel your changes and return to the editing application. In PostDeko, pressing F11 takes you to the Sequence layout.

How PostDeko for Editors Opens

Consider the following about how PostDeko for Editors opens:

• If your Timeline contains an unrendered Deko effect and you click in the Timeline, PostDeko for Editors opens.

• If your Timeline contains a rendered Deko effect, PostDeko for Editors does not open when you click in the Timeline.

• When you click the Edit button in the Effect editor, as described in Step 9 in “Adding Deko Graphics into an Avid editor’s Timeline” on page 14, PostDeko for Editors always opens.

Three Modes of Operation with PostDeko for Editors

13


With version 8.4, there will now be three modes of operation (two new ones) for use with PostDeko for Editors. These modes can be selected from the Effect Editor palette in your Avid editor.

Each mode is described below:

• Graphics Production: The Graphics Production mode is the only mode that was supported in previous versions of Post Deko for Editors. In this mode, graphics are created and edited using the full set of Deko tools, placed on the timeline, and composited when rendering the timeline. For more information, see “Graphics Production Mode” on page 14.

• News Graphics Integration: (New) The News Graphics Integration mode can be used only in version 9.5 or later of Avid NewsCutter, in association with Avid iNEWS. In News Graphics Integration mode, you associate an editor sequence with an iNEWS story using the NewsCutter NRCS Tool. You can then edit Deko Select graphics that are in the iNEWS story through a Deko Select template browser that is integrated into the PostDeko for Editors plugin. The placement of the graphics on the timeline will get translated into In, Out and Duration times in iNEWS. When you are done editing the graphics, use the PostDeko for Editors plugin to “Publish all graphics to iNEWS” the updated set of graphics for the iNEWS story.

n In News Graphics Integration mode, you only see a representative frame on the timeline, as opposed to the other modes, where the associated motion, clips, CAP shaders, etc. are played out on the timeline.

n When you perform a Send to Playback from NewsCutter, the graphics are not composited into the clip, since they will be played back on a Deko through Avid iNEWS Command.

For more information, see “News Graphics Integration Mode” on page 25.

• News Template Fulfillment: (New) The News Template Fulfillment mode combines features of the above two modes. It can be used on either NewsCutter, Media Composer, or Symphony Nitris (Nitris DX). In News Template Fulfillment mode, you place Deko graphics onto the Editor timeline by using the Deko Select browser to select the graphics from the DekoMOS Gateway and type in replacement data. This mode is not connected to iNEWS. The Deko graphic is rendered to the timeline, just as in the original Graphics Production mode. Both Graphics Production and News Template Fulfillment modes of the PostDeko for Editors plugin can be put onto the same Editor

14

timeline. You cannot expect guaranteed real-time video output when playing or scrubbing the timeline and you should not attempt to play the timeline with associated Deko effects live-to-air or to a capture device.

n This plug-in is reserved for real-time Preview only.

For more information, see “Using the News Template Fulfillment Mode” on page 35.

Graphics Production Mode

PostDeko for Editors lets you insert a Deko graphic into an Avid Media Composer, Avid NewsCutter, or Avid Symphony Nitris (or Nitris DX) Timeline and edit the graphic in PostDeko for Editors from within the editing application. You can insert still graphics or motion graphics. In the Graphics Production mode, graphics are created and edited using the full set of Deko tools, placed on the timeline, and composited when rendering the timeline. For more information, see “Graphics Production Mode” on page 14

n PostDeko for Editors does not support Deko effects and motions between contiguous graphics on the timeline; that is, each graphic goes off before the next graphic comes on.

Adding Deko Graphics into an Avid editor’s Timeline

To add Deko graphics into an Avid editor’s Timeline:

1. In the Avid editing application, open a sequence.

For information about using the editing application, see the Help that comes with the application.

2. In the Timeline, create a new video track by pressing Ctrl+Y. Avid recommends that you deselect all other tracks.

3. Position your cursor at the location where you want to have the graphic first appear in the sequence and click the Add Edit button or press the H key.

n You have to use the Add Edit button; don’t use the Mark IN button.


15

4. Drag the cursor to the location where you want the graphic to stop playing and click Add Edit again.

n You have to use the Add Edit button; don’t use the Mark IN button.

5. Position the cursor anywhere between where the graphic starts and where the graphic stops.

6. Select Tools > Effect Palette.

The Effect Palette opens.

7. Select Deko in the left pane of the box, and then drag the PostDeko icon from the right pane into the area you created in the new video track of your sequence.

The effect appears with a dot, which indicates that it needs to be rendered. For more information, see the Avid Advanced Effects Guide.

16

8. Place the blue position indicator in between your Add Edit points, and select Tools > Effect Editor.

The Effect Editor opens.

9. Make sure Graphics Production is selected from the menu, and click the Edit button.


17

Avid PostDeko for Editors opens. If you had already saved a graphic in the Timeline, the graphic opens in PostDeko for Editors. If you hadn’t saved a graphic, PostDeko for Editors opens, and you can open, create, or import a graphic. For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide or the Help.

10. (Option) Edit the graphic in PostDeko for Editors.

When you edit a graphic in PostDeko for Editors, a frame from the Avid editing application Timeline appears in the background of the Graphic window. It is the current frame from the Timeline at the time you started editing.

For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide or the Help.

11. If you are adding or creating a motion or effect graphic, see “Inserting Graphics with Linked Motions or Effects” on page 20.

18

12. To save the graphic, save it to the Timeline, and return to the editing application, do one of the following:

t Click the Finish Edit button.

t Press F12.

t Select File > Finish Edit of Graphic and Return to Avid Editor.

The Save Graphic As dialog box opens.

n You can avoid having the Save As dialog box open by saving the graphic before you select an Finish Edit option.

13. Select options and then click Save.

14. (Option) To cancel your changes and return to the editing application, do one of the following:

t Click the Cancel button.

t Press F11.

t Select File > Cancel Edit of Graphic and Return to Avid Editor.

15. Render the Deko graphics in the editing application.

16. (Option) To save the graphic and stay in PostDeko for Editors, do the following:

a. Select Save Graphic As.

The Save Graphic As dialog box opens.

b. Select options and then click Save.

n Do not go back and forth from the editing application and PostDeko for Editors via the tabs on the Windows Taskbar.


19

Using the Look Browser

In PostDeko for Editors, you can select a style from dozens of pre-rendered looks in the Look Browser.

To use the Look Browser:

1. Select View > Look Browser.

The Look Browser opens.

2. Select a look and then click OK.

20

Linking and Unlinking Effects and Motions to Graphics

In PostDeko for Editors, you can easily associate an effect or a motion with a graphic.

To link effects and motions:

1. Click in the effect playback window or the motion editor.

2. Select one of the following:

t File > Link Effect Playback to Graphic.

t File > Link Motion to Graphic.

The effect or motion is linked to the graphic.

To unlink an effect or motion from a graphic:

t Select File > Unlink Efx/Motion from Graphic.

The effect or motion is unlinked from the graphic.

Inserting Graphics with Linked Motions or Effects

When you insert motion or effect graphics, do the following:

1. (Option) In the Avid editing application Effect Editor, select one of the following duration options:

t To preserve the duration of the motion or effect graphic, select Use Deko motion’s duration.


21

t To scale the graphic to the duration of the marked portion of the Timeline, select Use Timeline duration for motion.

n Scaling might be most effectively used with rolling and crawling titles.

t To select a custom duration, select Override motion duration and then use the sliders to select the duration in seconds and frames. The slider range is from 0 to the length of the marked area in the Timeline. The range of frames is appropriate for the video standard, for example, 0-24 for PAL, 0-29 for NTSC.

22

Opening Sequences

When you create a PostDeko graphic, you can edit it only on the machine on which you created it. The graphic is stored locally until you render it. If you move sequences between Avid editing systems, consider the following when you open an unrendered or a rendered sequence on a system on which it was not created.

RenderedPostDeko for Editors Installed

Behavior on system other than where the graphic was created

No Yes • Sequence opens.

• PostDeko graphic is not available or editable.

• PostDeko effect icon shows a blue dot.

• If you try to edit the graphic, PostDeko for Editors prompts you to browse for the file, which it will not be able to find. Click No to stay in PostDeko to create another graphic or click Cancel to return to the editing application.

Yes Yes • Sequence opens.

• PostDeko graphic is available.

• PostDeko effect graphic is not editable.

• If you try to edit the graphic, PostDeko for Editors prompts you to browse for the file, which it will not be able to find. Click No to stay in PostDeko to create another graphic or click Cancel to return to the editing application.

Yes No • Sequence opens.

• PostDeko graphic is available.

• Effect icon in Timeline is blank.

• PostDeko effect graphic is not editable.

No No • Sequence opens.

• PostDeko graphic is not available or editable.

• Effect icon in Timeline is blank.


23

Fading Deko Graphics

You can use the Fade Out and Fade In options in the Effect Editor to fade off a Deko graphic at the end of the marked area of the Timeline or fade into a Deko graphic at the start of the marked area. You can also change the fade length and opacity.

To fade out of a graphic at the end of the marked area of the Timeline

t Select Fade Out Deko graphic in the Effect Editor.

n The option is deselected by default.

A Fade Out of .5 seconds appears at the end of the marked portion of the Timeline.

n You can add additional keyframes to create multiple fades.

To change the Fade-Out length:

1. Select the next-to-last keyframe in the Opacity parameter in the Effect Editor.

2. Press the Alt key and drag the keyframe to the length you want.

24

To fade into a graphic at the beginning of the marked area of the Timeline:

1. Select Fade In Deko graphic in the Effect Editor.

n The option is deselected by default.

A Fade In of .5 seconds appears at the beginning of the marked portion of the Timeline.

To change the Fade-In length:

1. Select the second keyframe in the Opacity parameter in the Effect Editor.

2. Press the Alt key and drag the keyframe to the length you want.

To change the opacity value of a keyframe:

1. Select the keyframe you want to modify.

2. Click the Opacity slider and drag it to the value you want, from 0 to 100.


25

News Graphics Integration Mode

The PostDeko for Editors supports the News Graphics Integration workflow, which is available on Avid NewsCutter® v9.5 or later systems integrated with the Avid Interplay® or standalone Transfer Manager option. Selecting this mode enables you to add Deko graphics to NewsCutter sequences.

n Deko Select v 3.13 is required for this mode, and can be found on the Avid Download Center.

n News Graphics Integration mode is not currently supported in 720p/50 and 720p/59.94 video standards. Due to a current limitation in Command, time codes with a frame field value over 29 will be rejected and will not appear correctly in the Command rundown.

Once you install the PostDeko for Editors plug-in to your NewsCutter system, you have the ability to select graphics with replaceable text boxes for your sequence in the DekoMOS Browser. When a graphic is selected and loaded, the Editor opens, allowing you to type text or browse to stills and clips to fill the replaceable text boxes.

You can browse for the graphics you want to use, and then simply double-click or drag and drop the selected graphic into the DekoMOS Browser's Preview window to fill the replaceable image text boxes of your templates.

See the following topics:

• “Setting Up Your iNEWS Environment” on page 25

• “Inserting NRCS Graphics into a Sequence” on page 26

• “Publishing Graphics to iNEWS” on page 32

Setting Up Your iNEWS Environment

Before you can use the News Graphics Integration workflow to insert an NRCS graphic into a sequence, you must set up the environment on your iNEWS machine with the necessary components.

To set up your iNEWS environment:

1. On your Avid iNEWS machine, launch iNEWS.

2. Select Tools > Plugins > DekoSelect.

3. Create a new story, or open an existing story that includes Deko graphics and publish it to the iNEWS server. For more information, see the iNEWS documentation.

4. Add a template from Deko Select to the story.

5. On your NewsCutter machine, launch NewsCutter.

6. Setup the NRCS tool by selecting Settings > NRCS.

26

The NRCS Login dialog box opens.

a. In the Server name field, type the name of the server that you want to access.

b. In the User name field, type your default user name.

Inserting NRCS Graphics into a Sequence

This topic contains information on how to insert an NRCS graphic directly into the body of a sequence. For example, you might want to insert a graphic containing the names of two anchor personalities with placeholder video.

Before you perform this procedure, you must have created a story in the iNEWS client that includes Deko graphics and published it to the iNEWS server.

For more information, see the iNEWS documentation.

To insert an NRCS graphic into a sequence:

1. Launch NewsCutter.

2. Open a project.

3. Select Tools > NRCS Tool.

The NRCS Tool dialog box opens.

4. Click Connect.

The iNEWS Login dialog box opens.

5. Do the following:

a. In the host Name field, type the name of the iNEWS server you want to connect to (first time only).

b. In the User Name field, type your user name.

c. In the Password field, type your password.

d. Click OK.


27

n If you have previously connected to the iNEWS server, you only need to type in your password, and you will automatically be connected to the iNEWS server.

6. Navigate to your story in the NRCS Tool window.

7. To associate a timeline with an iNEWS story, you can either create a new timeline based on an iNEWS story or link an existing timeline to an iNEWS story. Do one of the following:

t To create a new timeline based on an iNEWS story, do the following:

- Select the story name in the NRCS tool

- Load it into the NewsCutter timeline by clicking the Create Sequence button (filmstrip icon). The Select dialog box opens, asking you to select a bin for the story.

- Select the bin for the story. The story appears in the bin and the timeline.

t To link an existing timeline to an iNEWS story, do the following:

- Select the story in the NRCS tool.

- Open the NewsCutter bin that contains the sequence you are looking for.

- Right-click the sequence, and select Associate with current NRCS Story.

The story appears in the timeline.

n Deko graphics can be inserted directly into the body of a sequence.

8. Create a new video track by pressing Ctrl+Y. Avid recommends that you deselect all other tracks.

9. Position your cursor at the location where you want to have the graphic first appear in the sequence and click the Add Edit button or press the H key.

n You have to use Add Edit; do not use the Mark IN button.

28

10. Drag the cursor to the location where you want the graphic to stop playing and click Add Edit again.

n You have to use Add Edit; do not use the Mark OUT button.

11. Position the cursor anywhere between where the graphic starts and where the graphic stops. In other words, click on the Filler. You will be in Effects Mode.

n When making cuts in the timeline, graphics should be at least 1 second apart in News Graphics Integration mode. Otherwise there will not be enough time for them to be ready for playback on the Deko.

n When making cuts in the timeline, frame accuracy for playback on the Deko is not guaranteed. This is a limitation having to do with Command and Deko itself.

12. Select Tools > Effect Palette.

The Effect Palette opens.

13. Select Deko in the left pane of the box, and then drag the PostDeko for Editors icon from the right pane into the area you created in the new video track of your sequence.


29

14. Place the blue position indicator in your marked area, and select Tools > Effect Editor.

The Effect Editor dialog box opens.

15. In the Effect Editor dialog box, select News Graphic Integration.

30

16. Click the Edit button.

The Deko Select Browser opens to the NRCS Item Browser tab, showing all of the available Deko graphics that are in the iNEWS client that you can add to the NewsCutter timeline. Or, you can click the Deko Select Browser tab to select the graphic from the Deko Select Browser.

n If the Deko Select Browser does not open, you might get an error message stating that you need to install the Deko Select client on the same machine. Deko Select v 3.13 can be found on the Avid Download Center.

n If the iNEWS Login dialog box opens, you need to log back in to iNEWS. Type your host name (the name of the server that you are connecting to), user name, and your password, and then click OK.


31

17. Select the graphic from either tab of the Deko Select Browser.

n The NRCS Item Browser tab displays the graphics of the story that you dragged to the bin from the NRCS Tool window.

18. Double-click the graphic you want to insert into your story, and change the text on it as it relates to the story.

As you are changing the text, the Preview window shows the change as you are typing.

Double click file name, or picon, in browser

Preview graphic of the template you selected appears here

Type text here

32

19. (Option) To view a larger preview of the currently selected template with the edited fields, do one of the following:

t Double-click the preview graphic.

t Click the Full Preview button.

20. Select the channel to which you will send the graphic.

21. (Option) Click the Spell Check button to check spelling of text in the replaceable fields.

If In-line spelling is enabled, the Deko Select Browser underlines spelling errors as the user types in the fields. The underline does not appear in the graphic output.

22. When you are finished editing, click OK.

The dialog box closes and the graphic appears over the video in the location of the story that you had selected for it to appear.

n You cannot drag and drop the graphic into the sequence.

23. (Option) Scrub the Timeline to see the graphic play in the story.

24. Repeat this procedure for all graphics you want to add to the story. Once you are done, you can publish the graphics to iNEWS. For more information, see “Publishing Graphics to iNEWS” on page 32.

Publishing Graphics to iNEWS

Once you have added all of your graphics to the sequence, you need to publish the graphics to iNEWS. You can also delete published graphics.

c Do not publish graphics to iNEWS until you are finished working with your graphics. After you click the “Publish all graphics to iNEWS” button, any changes you made in the NRCS are overwritten.


33

To publish graphics to iNEWS:

1. In NewsCutter, place the blue position indicator over the graphic and select Tools > Effect Editor.

The Effect Editor dialog box opens.

2. Click the Publish all graphics to iNEWS button.

A dialog box opens asking if you want to publish to the story and rundown you previously selected. This action overwrites all previous publishing.

34

3. Do one of the following:

t Click OK to publish to the story and rundown you already selected.

t Click Cancel to select a new story or rundown.

A confirmation dialog box opens stating that the story was published to iNEWS.

4. Select Transfer > Send to Playback, and select the server you want to send it to.

The Send to Playback dialog box opens.

5. Click OK to send the sequence to Playback server.

The sequence is rendered, and sent to the iNEWS server so that iNEWS is aware of the timing of the graphics in the story.

6. To check your results, go to your iNEWS Command or iNEWS client, and check to see if the titles have been published.

Now, you can make changes in iNEWS and they will appear in iNEWS Command.

To delete published data:

1. Select Tools > Effect Editor, and click the Delete all graphics from iNEWS button. You will get a warning message.

2. Click OK to delete all graphics from iNEWS, or click Cancel to cancel.

The Delete Published Data from iNEWS dialog box opens.

3. Select the story or stories you want to delete from any rundown, and click OK.

All Deko Select items are deleted from the story, but remain on the Timeline.


35

News Template FulFillment Mode

The News Template Fulfillment mode combines features of the Graphics Production mode and the News Graphics Integration modes. It uses the DekoSelect plug-in to to select, compose and insert graphics to the sequence, but the graphics inserted into the timeline can be burned into the sequence.

n In the News Template Fulfillment mode, you are not connected to iNEWS.

News Template Fulfillment mode can be used on either NewsCutter, Media Composer, or Symphony Nitris (Nitris DX) editors. In this mode, you place Deko graphics onto the Editor timeline by using the Deko Select browser to select the graphics from the DekoMOS Gateway and type in replacement data.

n Deko Select v 3.13 is required for this mode, and can be found on the Avid Download Center.

n If your Deko graphics refer to Deko Clips, you must have on your machine a Deko Clips database and any clips referred to by the graphics. To set up a Clips database, open Deko and go to Clip view. For more information on setting up a Clips database, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide, or the Deko Online Help.

The Deko graphic is rendered to the timeline, just as it is in the Graphics Production mode. Both Graphics Production and News Template Fulfillment modes of the PostDeko for Editors plugin can be put onto the same Editor timeline.

n We can not guarantee real-time video output when playing or scrubbing the timeline, so do not attempt to play the timeline with associated Deko effects live-to-air or to a capture device.

Using the News Template Fulfillment Mode

This topic describes the workflow for using the News Template Fulfillment mode to insert graphics onto the timeline.

n If your graphics use motions, you must set up the Motion directory in the DekoMOS Gateway. DekoMos Gateway version 3.13 or greater is required.

To do so, click the Configuration button. In the DekoMOS Gateway Configuration window, select Client Styles > Motion folder.

To use the NewsTemplate Fulfillment Mode:

1. Create a new timeline in NewsCutter.

2. Use the DekoSelect Browser plug-in to to select the graphics from the DekoMOS Gateway and type in replacement data, and insert the graphics to the sequence.

36

3. (Option) If the template on the DekoMOS Gateway has associated motions, you need to specify the location of the motion files.

4. After all graphics have been inserted into the timeline, use Mark In and Mark Out from the beginning of the sequence to the end.

5. Render all effects in NewsCutter.

Motions embedded into the graphics template will be applied to the graphics inserted into the sequence.

New Features in Version 8.4

37


The following new features are available in this release.

Three Modes of Operation

With version 8.4, there will now be three modes (two new ones) that you can work in. These can be selected from the Effect Editor pallette in you Avid editor. Each is described below:

• Graphics Production: The Graphics Production mode is the only mode that was supported in previous versions of Post Deko for Editors. In this mode, graphics are created and edited using the full set of Deko tools, placed on the timeline, and composited when rendering the timeline. For more information, see “Graphics Production Mode” on page 14.

• News Graphics Integration: (New) The News Graphics Integration mode can be used only in Avid NewsCutter, in association with Avid iNEWS. In News Graphics Integration mode, you associate an editor sequence with an iNEWS story using the NewsCutter NRCS Tool. You can then edit Deko Select graphics that are in the iNEWS story through a Deko Select template browser that is integrated into the PostDeko for Editors plugin. The placement of the graphics on the timeline will get translated into In, Out and Duration times in iNEWS. When you are done editing the graphics, use the PostDeko for Editors plugin to “Publish all graphics to iNEWS” the updated set of graphics for the iNEWS story.

n In News Graphics Integration mode, you only see a representative frame on the timeline, as opposed to the other modes, where the associated motion, clips, CAP shaders, etc. are played out on the timeline.

n When you perform a Send to Playback from NewsCutter, the graphics are not composited into the clip, since they will be played back on a Deko through Avid iNEWS Command.

For more information, see “News Graphics Integration Mode” on page 25.

• News Template Fulfillment: (New) The News Template Fulfillment mode combines features of the above two modes. It can be used on either NewsCutter, Media Composer, or Symphony Nitris (Nitris DX). In News Template Fulfillment mode, you place Deko graphics onto the Editor timeline by using the Deko Select browser to select the graphics from the DekoMOS Gateway and type in replacement data. This mode is not connected to iNEWS. The Deko graphic is rendered to the timeline, just as in the original Graphics Production mode. Both Graphics Production and News Template Fulfillment modes of the PostDeko for Editors plugin can be put onto the same Editor

38

timeline. You cannot expect guaranteed real-time video output when playing or scrubbing the timeline and you should not attempt to play the timeline with associated Deko effects live-to-air or to a capture device.

n This plug-in is reserved for real-time Preview only.

For more information, see “News Template FulFillment Mode” on page 35.

New Motions Folder Field

In the Client Styles tab of the DekoMOS Gateway Configuration window, we have added a Motions folder field that identifies where motions come from when you are in Template Fulfillment mode of PostDeko for Editors.

Charts and Graphs Functionality

All Avid Deko models now include a new Charts and Graphs feature added to the Layer properties of a rectangle. For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide, or the Avid Deko Online Help.

The Charts and Graphs feature does not get installed on legacy Windows 2000 systems.

720p/50 Support

PostDeko now supports 720p/50 formats for IO and clips.

Added UI for ODBC User and Password

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00134489. You can now connect to User/Password protected databases from the Database view.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132713. The odbc_connect command now has optional user and password parameters.

Added “play_linked_effect_from_graphic” Command

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00135788. We have added a new command called 'play_linked_effect_from_graphic”. This command plays the effect, if any, that is linked to the named graphic.

Operational Changes in Version 8.4

39

CAP Shader Improvements

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00100349. we have added a new “Duration” control in the CAP shader. We also removed the “Continuous” control.

Choose Representative Frame for CAP Shader

You can now choose a representative frame for a CAP shader.


The following operational changes are available in this release:

➤ Two new options have been added to PostDeko for Editors:

• File > Save Path Preferences - Saves path preferences. The preferences are saved in a macro called path_preferences.mcr.

• File > Restore Path Preferences - Restores path preferences.

➤ Two new modes of operation have been added to the Effect Editor palette in your Avid editor. The Graphics Production mode was previously the only workflow. Now it is called out by a separate menu item. The two new modes are as follows:

• News Graphics Integration

• News Template Fulfillment

For more information, see “Three Modes of Operation” on page 37.

➤ There is a new control in the DekoMOS Gateway’s Configure/Client Styles page in which to enter the Motions Folder information.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00133469, UDevC00133471, UDevC00133472, UDevC00133550, UDevC00133473.

• Add current directory and searchpath for “Sequences” and “Effects”

• Add current directory and searchpath for “Power Clips”

• Add current directory and searchpath for “Standard Clips”

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00133480, UDevC00133481, UDevC00133477, UDevC00133475. On “file open” of .seq, .efx files, Deko now reports “file not found” for any associated files, and allows search of “current directory” and “searchpath”, and allows browse.

40

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132293. When resolving filenames during file open of seq, .efx and .dko files, Deko now modifies the document that has been read in to reflect those changes. If you then save the document, those changes will be saved.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00134259. New preferences have been added to provide compatibility with previous versions. If you wish to use them, you must run the indicated command on the command line. If you want the change to be permanent, do an Options/Save Settings Now.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132307, UDevC00132306, UDevC00133479. There is now a “Resolve Filenames” entry in the Graphic menu, Sequence menu, and in the Clip Editor.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00133474. When a standard or power clip file is not found, allow search of current directory and searchpath, and allow browse for various files.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00131743, UDevC00132105. Texture Shader: For a Shape layer (rectangle or ellipse), the Replace control has been removed from the user interface for the first texture applied (in detail order) “Replaceable” texture.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00131812. CAP shaders and unnamed Texture shaders are now not allowed on a letter.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132617. There is a new variable in the macro language: @video_standard. It returns a string representing the current video standard.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132902. There is a new macro command “refresh” that corresponds to the Channel menu item Refresh. Refresh is used to refresh a graphic to its original state. For example, when an effect has stopped, and the output in the Program Channel looks different than the graphic’s original state, you can return the graphic to its original state by selecting Channel > Refresh from the Menu bar.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132997. The Effect Playback view now allows you to specify a “command” effect. You can enter the desired macro command by pressing the Options… key. If you have a graphic (.dko file) with such an effect (.efx file) attached to it, the graphic will not appear in Program when the associated effect is played; only the command is performed.

Fixed in Version 8.4

41


The following issues were fixed in PostDeko for Editors v8.4:

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00145112, UDevC00146374. Ideograms (such as Chinese characters) in a Top to Bottom Rotated field were always rotating 90 degrees. For some customers this was desired behavior, but in the original Deko implementation they were not rotated. There is now a Preference in the Preferences > Advanced tab that lets you specify whether to Rotate Ideograms in a Top to Bottom Rotated field. By default, it is On. Turn it Off to return to the original Deko behavior, and then select Options > Save Settings Now.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00150821. After changing video format in an existing project in the Editor, the PostDeko for Editor user interface was sometimes coming up in the wrong video standard when editing an existing graphic on the timeline. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00108827. The issue that occurred when you insert a PostDeko effect that uses the “Use Deko motion’s duration” option in the editing application Timeline and then trim the effect, it might begin to play at the beginning again after it ends, has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00146673. An inefficiency keeping track of used textures has been corrected. In some circumstances it was leading to the program slowing down after running for a long period of time.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00145809. Deko was sometimes crashing when using a graphic with a texture that contained missing references for certain sources. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00144123. In graphics that contained a layer with an unnamed texture, under certain circumstances it was not allowing you to add a named texture to a text field Face shader. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00143879. When the Preference/Prompts Convert MessageBox prompts to log entries, some MessageBox prompts were not going to the log. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00147919. CAP Shaders: There was an “Integer divide by 0” failure when using a CAP shader that had been saved with 0 images. That has been corrected.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC001147861. CAP Shaders: Many messages were getting logged when you scrubbed a CAP shader. That will no longer happen.

42

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00146664. Motion on letter with CAP shader no longer causes Deko to crash.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00144199. CAP Shader: The representative frame number was incorrect when accessing the CAP shader via the “Look” tab in the “Layer Properties” dialog box. This has been corrected.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00142236. Under unusual circumstances a Motion Playoff of CAP shaders or PowerClips was causing a crash of Deko. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00142259. CAP shader: The "play duration" control was sometimes not getting saved and reloaded correctly if it was edited when there was not a valid filename for the CAP shader. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00145079. CAP shader: Playoff of CAP shaders with extra details (say an Edge) was using the wrong wrong image number if the duration was "motion_duration_full_cycles". That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00142243. Power Clip and CAP shader: Sometimes there was an "Unexpected failure during Motion Effect" when playing a motion that refers to PowerClip or CAP that was not found. That has been corrected.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00144050. PostDeko was crashing if you were scrubbing in the Motion view and brought up the Clip view for the first time. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00147722. PostDeko was sometimes crashing when the user changed the Font Size and Width % to very large numbers. The crash no longer happens, although other failures will happen when the numbers get too big.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00103760. The PostDeko for Editors plugin now saves the Deko path preferences that existed when you save a graphic on the timeline, and restores them when you come back to that graphic.


43

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00146145. There is a new pair of functions in the File menu in the PostDeko for Editors user interface that you can use to establish a default set of paths that you can return to when creating a new graphic on the timeline. They are as follows:

• Save Path Preferences saves the current path preferences. The preferences are saved in a macro called path_preferences.mcr.

• Restore Path Preferences restores them.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00129814. CAP shaders were continuing to play throughout their graphic on the timeline when you did not expect them to. There is now a new “duration” control in the CAP shader (UDevC 100349) that should help clear this up.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00146518. Under certain circumstances when using the Motion view, it was possible to get a Preview view in the Deko user interface instead of the usual Graphic view. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00146688. While in the PostDeko for Editors plugin’s Edit mode on a graphic, if you were to move a window in the Editor, sometimes the Edit mode would end prematurely. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00141597. In the Database View, Oracle databases (connected through an ODBC driver) were not working. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00140644. In Options/Spell Check/Language, the menu was not showing a checkmark next to the current language. That has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00139584. Graphics with unnamed textures (originally NTSCW), saved at 1080i, and opened in NTSC now scale correctly.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00139076. If an edge or shadow is added to a power clip layer, Deko will now show its representative frame instead of black. Deko has never played such a power clip. A warning message is now issued.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126942. In previous versions, if the Deko graphic had a background clip, the Output window would sometimes become all white during a scrub. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00135143. Use of Layermove (crop) effect on Background clip no longer produces an "unexpected failure during motion effect" error message.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00127127. Motion: “Force Play” has been fixed to now work for the "Clip Layer" action.

44

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00135534. The reporting of “file not found” has been improved by including where the file was “referenced from”.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00098197. "Append Layers" and "Replace Layers" (in preview) no longer cause "associated effect" playback.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00136391. Glow & Glint: If both Glow and Glint behaviors are used on an object, each one no longer causes both to be applied.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00130872. “Prompt for missing file” is now working correctly.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00133906. The file_append command now uses the search path and prompts for “file not found”.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132292. If a filename was modified during File > Open, the “modified” asterisk now appears in the title.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00134515. In the Auto-Motion view, the View Motion and View Graphic buttons now prompts you if the file is not found.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132080. Auto-Motion: File open of Auto-Motion file (.amt) no longer sets the “current graphics directory”.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132302. The Sequencer & Effect Playback now displays motion names relative to the current “motion directory”.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132303. The Sequencer & Effect Playback now updates the view when the current "graphics directory" or "motion directory" is changed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132861. The default glyph cache maximum size is no longer too large.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132885. The CAP shaders no longer are incorrectly limited on 64-bit systems with more than 4GB memory.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00127685. File properties are now displayed if you open a file by typing the file name in the File name field.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132285. Auto-Update: A Texture updated by “replace” no longer might appear incorrectly scaled.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00129282. A CAP playback from a Motion no longer might flash a frame before starting or when starting with a Hold.


45

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125789. The Layer Browser has been fixed to display the layers of the currnet graphic.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132003. The Max # of chars per field has been fixed to not sometimes allow one extra character.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125497. A motion created in previous Deko versions now works correctly even if “force play” is turned off.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125840. In the Motion editor, the Effect drop down menu now shows all the items.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00127190. In the Motion editor, “rotate” and “skew” now appear red for the clip layer.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132499. AutoUpdate no longer continually updates “flashes” when in the Layer/Style dialog box and the Shader dialog box.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00133910. Motion "Force Play": If a parent has "Force Play", don't display "Force Play" control on child action.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00131948. In the Texture Shader, we no longer allow a Shadow to be added to an unnamed texture.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00130602. All settings are now being retained when @settings is edited.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00132658. Auto-Motion .amt files no longer include unnecessary blank lines.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00124848. The slow redraw of effect parameters that existed for “All remaining” layers when it involved a complicated motion has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00100349. A CAP Shader now only plays once if it is not marked as "continuous".

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126155. Selecting Help > Shortcuts has been fixed to correctly point to the Shortcuts topic in the Help.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126779. The issue where multi-line crawl settings did not stay for 'seconds' and 'frames' has been fixed.

46

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00134238. Auto-Update: Updating now occurs when you click on a pull-down menu.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00134765. You no longer experience long delays when browsing folders (as in clips view).

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00129025. When the clip database was empty, there was an unnecessary line in the Deko log concerning a CFileException in ReadBrowserImageList. That message no longer appears in the log.


The following new features are available in this release:

Real-time “Green Dot” Preview of Deko Effects

PostDeko graphics are now “Green Dot” status on the Avid editor timeline, which means that Editors can insert Deko graphics and animations to the edit timeline and view a real-time preview of the assets without having to render the full timeline. This saves a lot of time in the edit process and allows graphic assets to be a more dynamic component of the edit.

You cannot expect guaranteed real-time video output when playing or scrubbing the timeline and you should not attempt to play the timeline with associated Deko effects live to air or to a capture device. This plug-in is reserved for real-time Preview only.

Glow and Glint Behaviors

Glow and Glint are now available as Local Behaviors, with pre-defined parameters for ease of application to text and images. For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide.

User Interface Improvements

A new Graphic menu with a submenu called Graphic Properties has been added so that the operator can now go directly to Graphic Properties without having to use Layer Properties and then selecting the Graphic tab. For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide.


47

Motion Editor Improvements

• There have been various improvements to the Motion Editor for Motion Behaviors.

• Motion-in-Motion” functionality has been extended to support "Ignore Parents”.

• Local Behaviors now support Copy and Paste functionality.

For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide.

Compatible with Graphics Created in Deko v5.2

➤ PostDeko for Editors is now compatible with graphics created in Deko v5.2.


The following operational changeses are available in this release:

➤ PostDeko for Editors is now a ‘green-dot’ plug in so you can now play from the timeline and see the effect on the video preview output.

➤ There have been various improvements in PostDeko for Editors to provide for faster rendering.

➤ In the Motion Editor “Ignore if Equal” is now called “Force Play”.

➤ The Motion Editor now always displays all 3 Origin parameters.

➤ Layers with parents will not pop off air if their parent has an action. The parent action will remove them.

➤ Motion in motion: “Graphic parent” now controls unspecified "background sprite" or unspecified “entire graphic” sprite.

➤ The location of the log file for PostDeko for Editors has changed.

• On WindowsXP it can now be found at: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Avid\Support\Logs\PostDekoEdit\.

• On Windows Vista and Windows 7 it can now be found at c:\programData\Avid\Support\Logs\PostDekoEdit\.

48


The following issues were fixed in PostDeko for Editors v8.2:

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126861. Errors logged in the console view now start with “PostDeko effect” rather than “DekoSelect effect”.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00124236. Graphics with multiple roots saved in an old Deko program (pre version 3.1) now read in with their original layer order.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126796. In previous versions, after you had stopped an effect when in a Pause or Hold at the beginning of the effect, the Graphic window would become the Preview window, and eventually the Finish Edit function would be disabled. This no longer happens.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126779. After playing a multi-row crawl with different rates on each row, sometimes the rates would all become the same as the first rate. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125179. The layout of picons have been fixed to always change accordingly with the resized Layer Browser window.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125181. In the layer browser, a long layer name no longer overlaps with other picons.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125184. The graphic browser can now be resized to any size that the Layer browser is sized to.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00112421. If you are in the Browser view on a Windows Vista® or Windows 7® system and a file in a directory of that view is changed outside of PostDeko for Editors, the browser no longer updates on its own.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00107680. Power clip and CAP shader motions have a special behavior that allow them to keep playing until you trigger them to stop playing. They require an initial motion to bring them on and trigger them to start playing. The Avid editing application no longer ignores the trigger, so the power clip or CAP shader now plays until you trigger it to stop playing.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00124889. “Orientation top to bottom rotated” has been fixed to work with Asian characters.


49

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00124848. The Motion window has been fixed to re-draw the effect options for “All remaining” layers quicker, even if it's a complicated motion.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00124270. Picons in the Layer browser are now aligned.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00123827. In the Clip Edit window, if the clip name is long, it no longer overlaps with the picon below.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00123787. In the Layer Browser user interface, Deko no longer resizes too far horizontally.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00123825. Deleting or importing a clip in the Clip Edit window no longer causes a spacing problem.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00123767. Picons in the Clip Edit window no longer disappear when you switch between a Standard database and a Power Clip database.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00114058. Undoing an Append layer no longer loses the Clip layer.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00125572. After selecting from Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > View > Hide extensions for known file types, the file properties, and auto-scale is now displayed even if there is a dot(.) in the file name (e.g. “a.b.dko”).

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00119876. The “effect 'motion' failed, access violation” that occurred during a motion playback on clip shader with details in the rectangle has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00103799. Motion Editor: Dragging and dropping a Motion Action from the bottom of the list to the top of the list was very slow. This has been fixed.

➤ The Texture dialog box has been fixed to show the original size of the texture even if we don't have a target to apply it to.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00119971. When performing a Motion-in-Motion, the issue where the child object that uses a wildcard in its name will not do the action defined by its parent has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00122500. Alternate graphics: We have fixed the issue that occurred when saving alternate graphics, so that in the event that an alternate graphic just has background, no text, it is now saved.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00121757. Local/Targeted Behavior: Opening a graphic while in Local or Targeted behavior view no longer causes the modification asterisk to appear on the Motion titlebar.

50

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00117244. The File/Revert menu function has been renamed to File/Reload. It is enabled, as always, when the view for a file-based document has been modified. Also, it is now enabled when the file corresponding to the document has been modified outside of Deko.

➤ A new menu item Channel > Refresh has been added to the user interface. It is used to refresh a graphic to its original state. For example, when an effect has stopped, and the output in the Program Channel looks different than the graphic’s original state, you can return the graphic to its original state, by selecting Channel > Refresh from the Menu bar.

Fixed in Version 8.0.3

The following issues were fixed in PostDeko for Editors v8.0.3:

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00124280. PostDeko for Editors now works on Editor dongle series -15 and -16.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00122907. PostDeko for Editors no longer fails to render after changing video standards when running two monitors.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00120077. Creating a motion to play on/off graphics using the "Ignore if an equal Program Object Exists" feature no longer is causes the second graphic to lose its layers as they become part of the background after the graphic is played on.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00117222. Rendering certain Deko clips with audio tracks in them no longer crashes PosDeko for Editors.

Fixed in Version 8.0.2

The following issues were fixed in PostDeko for Editors v8.0.2:

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00111212. When you mouse over certain NTSC clip icons, the dimensions are now correctly reported as 720x480, not 720x486.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00106871. The Shrink-to-layer or Shape-to-layer functions containing in Arabic or Hebrew characters might not have displayed correctly. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00109639. A .dko file from 2005 or before (prior to build 1900) that contained a background texture without text might not have aligned correctly when it was read in. This has been fixed.

Limitations

51

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00110211. Motions might not have played back in a 1080p/24 project. This has been fixed.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00109931. The Output window in PostDeko for Editors might have displayed elements from the desktop along with the graphic. This has been fixed.

Limitations

This version has the following limitations:

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126681. A Deko motion or effect on a power clip (clip shader) must specify Layer in order to appear correctly on the timeline.

➤ Bug Number: UDevC112643. If you are on a Windows Vista® or Windows 7® system, do not set the Custom Typeface directory to be a directory on another machine in the network. This might cause the File Save dialog box to hang the PostDeko for Editors application.

➤ News Graphics Integration mode is not currently supported in 720p/50 and 720p/59.94 video standards. Due to a current limitation in Command, time codes with a frame field value over 29 will be rejected and will not appear correctly in the Command rundown.

➤ When making cuts in the timeline, graphics should be at least 1 second apart in News Graphics Integration mode. Otherwise there will not be enough time for them to be ready for playback on the Deko.

➤ When making cuts in the timeline, frame accuracy for playback on the Deko is not guaranteed. This is a limitation having to do with Command and Deko itself.

➤ Pauses or holds in motions or playback effects are not supported.

➤ Auto-motion is not supported.

➤ PostDeko for Editor does not support Deko effects and motions between contiguous graphics on the timeline; that is, each graphic goes off before the next graphic comes on.

➤ Some motions options such as “force play” and “play as group” are present in the user inertface for compatibility with other Deko products and have no effect on the motion.

➤ In full resolution HD, the real time preview is meant to allow for the Deko graphic and motion to show on the output for previewing only. It is not intended to render to the output in real-time for live playback. Please remember to render the effect into the timeline before playing to air.

52

➤ Bug Number: UDevC00126746. After scrubbing and then playing a motion, the “finish edit” button will be disabled, and the F12 shortcut will not work. To correct this, move focus to the Graphic window.

➤ You cannot use audio in motion graphics or in clips.

➤ You cannot use motions that play off.

➤ The output preview window does not play clips.

➤ Deko graphics that include HD clips will not play back properly using real-time preview. Here’s what you can expect to see when you press the play button on the timeline:

• Frames get dropped when playing back.

• Editor feedback (yellow and red marks) appears on the timeline indicating that playback is not keeping up.

➤ All referenced elements must be available in the search paths.

➤ In Graphics Production Mode, on the Timeline, PostDeko for Editors saves a reference to a Deko graphic, not an ATX file.

➤ If you want to use a graphic file created in TitleDeko Pro (a .tdk file) that contains a roll, crawl, or reveal, you might need to open the .tdk file, attach an effect (.efx) file, save it as a Deko (.dko) file, and use the .dko file in PostDeko for Editors.

If You Need HelpIf you are having trouble using your Avid product:

If you need help:

1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow.

2. Check the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was published:

- If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as printed release notes, they are shipped with your application and are also available online.

- If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as a ReadMe file, it is supplied on your Avid installation CD or DVD as a PDF document (README_product.pdf) and is also available online.

If You Need Help

53

You should always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To view these online versions, select ReadMe from the Help menu, or visit the Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/readme.

3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues.

4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/onlinesupport. Online services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join online message-board discussions.

http://www.avid.com/readme

http://www.avid.com/onlinesupport

54

Legal Notices

Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc.

This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the software. The product may only be used in accordance with the license agreement.

Avid products or portions thereof are protected by one or more of the following United States Patents: 5,267,351; 5,309,528; 5,355,450; 5,396,594; 5,440,348; 5,467,288; 5,513,375; 5,528,310; 5,557,423; 5,577,190; 5,584,006; 5,640,601; 5,644,364; 5,654,737; 5,724,605; 5,726,717; 5,745,637; 5,752,029; 5,754,851; 5,799,150; 5,812,216; 5,828,678; 5,842,014; 5,852,435; 5,986,584; 5,999,406; 6,038,573; 6,069,668; 6,141,007; 6,211,869; 6,532,043; 6,546,190; 6,596,031; 6,747,705; 6,763,523; 6,766,357; 6,847,373; 7,081,900; 7,403,561; 7,433,519; 7,671,871; 7,684,096; D352,278; D372,478; D373,778; D392,267; D392,268; D392,269; D395,291; D396,853; D398,912. Other patents are pending.

Avid products or portions thereof are protected by one or more of the following European Patents: 0506870; 0635188; 0674414; 0752174; 1111910; 1629675. Other patents are pending.

Copyright © 2010 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS © 1991-2002, LEAD Technologies, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Portions of this product are licensed under US patent 5,327,254 and foreign counterparts.

Portions Copyright 2003-2007 of MOG Solutions.

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights LegendU.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or “commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.

Trademarks003, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, Adrenaline, AirSpeed, ALEX, Alienbrain, AME, AniMatte, Archive, Archive II, Assistant Station, AudioPages, AudioStation, AutoLoop, AutoSync, Avid, Avid Active, Avid Advanced Response, Avid DNA, Avid DNxcel, Avid DNxHD, Avid DS Assist Station, Avid Liquid, Avid Media Engine, Avid Media Processor, Avid MEDIArray, Avid Mojo, Avid Remote Response, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid VideoRAID, AvidRAID, AvidShare, AVIDstripe, AVX, Axiom, Beat Detective, Beauty Without The Bandwidth, Beyond Reality, BF Essentials, Bomb Factory, Boom, Bruno, C|24, CaptureManager, ChromaCurve, ChromaWheel, Cineractive Engine, Cineractive Player, Cineractive Viewer, Color Conductor, Command|24, Command|8, Conectiv, Control|24, Cosmonaut Voice, CountDown, d2, d3, DAE, Dazzle, Dazzle Digital Video Creator, D-Command, D-Control, Deko, DekoCast, D-Fi, D-fx, Digi 003, DigiBase, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Development Partners, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiLink, DigiMeter, DigiPanner, DigiProNet, DigiRack, DigiSerial, DigiSnake, DigiSystem, Digital Choreography, Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DigiWear, DINR, DNxchange, DPP-1, D-Show, DSP Manager, DS-StorageCalc, DV Toolkit, DVD Complete, D-Verb, Eleven, EM, Euphonix, EUCON, EveryPhase, Expander, ExpertRender, Fader Pack, Fairchild, FastBreak, Fast Track, Film Cutter, FilmScribe, Flexevent, FluidMotion, Frame Chase, FXDeko, HD Core, HD Process, HDPack, Home-to-Hollywood, HYBRID, HyperControl, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, iKnowledge, Image Independence, Impact, Improv, iNEWS, iNEWS Assign, iNEWS ControlAir, Instantwrite, Instinct, Intelligent Content Management, Intelligent Digital Actor Technology, IntelliRender, Intelli-Sat, Intelli-sat Broadcasting Recording Manager, InterFX, Interplay, inTONE, Intraframe, iS Expander, ISIS, IsoSync, iS9, iS18, iS23, iS36, ISIS, IsoSync, KeyRig, KeyStudio, LaunchPad, LeaderPlus, LFX, Lightning, Link & Sync, ListSync, LKT-200, Lo-Fi, Luna, MachineControl, Magic Mask, Make Anything Hollywood, make manage move | media, Marquee, MassivePack, Massive Pack Pro, M-Audio, M-Audio Micro, Maxim, Mbox, Media Composer, MediaFlow, MediaLog, MediaMatch, MediaMix, Media Reader, Media Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaServer, MediaShare, MetaFuze, MetaSync, MicroTrack, MIDI I/O, Midiman, Mix Rack, MixLab, Moviebox, Moviestar, MultiShell, NaturalMatch, NewsCutter, NewsView, Nitris, NL3D, NLP, Nova, NRV-10 interFX, NSDOS, NSWIN, Octane, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, OnDVD, Open Media Framework, Open Media Management, Ozone, Ozonic, Painterly Effects, Palladium, Personal Q, PET, Pinnacle, Pinnacle DistanTV, Pinnacle GenieBox, Pinnacle HomeMusic, Pinnacle MediaSuite, Pinnacle Mobile Media, Pinnacle Scorefitter, Pinnacle Studio, Pinnacle Studio MovieBoard, Pinnacle Systems, Pinnacle VideoSpin, Podcast Factory, PowerSwap, PRE, ProControl, ProEncode, Profiler, Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Transfer, Pro Tools, QuickPunch, QuietDrive, Realtime Motion Synthesis, Recti-Fi, Reel Tape Delay, Reel Tape Flanger, Reel Tape Saturation, Reprise, Res Rocket Surfer,

Legal Notices

55

Reso, RetroLoop, Reverb One, ReVibe, Revolution, rS9, rS18, RTAS, Salesview, Sci-Fi, Scorch, Scorefitter, ScriptSync, SecureProductionEnvironment, Serv|LT, Serv|GT, Session, Shape-to-Shape, ShuttleCase, Sibelius, SIDON, SimulPlay, SimulRecord, Slightly Rude Compressor, Smack!, Soft SampleCell, Soft-Clip Limiter, Solaris, SoundReplacer, SPACE, SPACEShift, SpectraGraph, SpectraMatte, SteadyGlide, Streamfactory, Streamgenie, StreamRAID, Strike, Structure, Studiophile, SubCap, Sundance Digital, Sundance, SurroundScope, Symphony, SYNC HD, Synchronic, SynchroScope, SYNC I/O, Syntax, TDM FlexCable, TechFlix, Tel-Ray, Thunder, Titansync, Titan, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, tools for storytellers, Torq, Torq Xponent, Transfuser, Transit, TransJammer, Trigger Finger, Trillium Lane Labs, TruTouch, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Velvet, Video the Web Way, VideoRAID, VideoSPACE, VideoSpin, VTEM, Work-N-Play, Xdeck, X-Form, Xmon, XPAND!, Xponent, X-Session, and X-Session Pro are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Avid PostDeko for Editors Version 8.4 ReadMe • 0130-30054-01 Rev. E • January, 2011 (1/17/11)