2017

On a Mac system, in the Smoke Setup application, in the VTR tab, enable every VTR you plan on using with
Smoke. Also verify the Preview tab for the timings you want to make available to your projects. If you do
not have a sync connected to your workstation, you might want to define for your project some free run
timings. They are turned off by default.
NOTE When working in HD projects and capturing material from a VariCam (variable frame rate 720p material),
ensure that the following VTR are enabled: VTR DVCProHD 720 59p, SERIAL1, 1280x720_5994P and VTR
DVCProHD 720 60p, SERIAL1, 1280x720_60p.
Inputting Clips From a VTR
Once you have set up your hardware devices and configured the software initialization file, you are ready
to perform clip input and output. The VTR Input module contains various controls to help you perform
operations, such as capturing a single frame, capturing a single clip, capturing and logging multiple clips.
Accessing the VTR Input Module
1 Select a folder from the Media Library. This is where the captured clips will be created.
2 Select File ➤ Capture from VTR...or press F9.
The VTR Input module appears.
If VTR Input is not available, connect your workstation to a VTR, and configure Smoke to use the VTR.
Capturing Media with a VTR
You can capture a single clip from a VTR. You can capture on the fly with your in and out points determined
by mouse clicks during playback, or be more precise by setting in and out points in the corresponding fields.
A single frame capture, or a frame grab, is the simplest clip input operation. This is useful for extracting
snapshot frames for a preview or promotion piece.
To capture a single clip:
1 Cue up the tape to the frame at which you want to begin capturing.
2 Do one of the following:
■ From the Capture Method box, select Start On Click/Stop On Click.
■ Enter clip input in and out points in the In and Out fields.
3 To begin capturing, click Process.
The timecode field turns green, indicating that capture is in progress. Depending on your hardware
configuration, the preview window may go black during capture.
4 To end the capture at any time, click the cursor anywhere over the preview window.
Depending on your project proxy settings, a post-process may occur, generating proxies for each
captured frame. You can see a notification on the process that is taking place in the message bar.
Once all capture-related processes are complete, the clip is saved to the Workspace location that you
selected before you entered the VTR Input module.
254 | Chapter 6 Importing and Exporting Media