ASSIMILATE today announced its most aggressive products update to date with an open-Beta for SCRATCH 8.6 and the SCRATCH VR Suite 8.6, the latest versions of its advanced, real-time post-production tools and workflow — VR/360 and 2D/3D content, from dailies, to conform, grading, compositing, and finishing. Both open-Beta versions give all content creators and post artists the opportunity to actively use the full suite of SCRATCH and SCRATCH VR tools, while evaluating and submitting requests and recommendations for additional features or updates.
SCRATCH Web for cloud-based, real-time review and collaboration, and SCRATCH Play for immediate review and playback, are also included in the ecosystem updates. Both products support VR/360 and 2D/3D content.
Current users of the SCRATCH VR Suite 8.5 and SCRATCH Finishing 8.5 can quickly download the SCRATCH 8.6 open-Beta at http://www.assimilatesupport.com/akb/Download50814.aspx.
To learn more about SCRATCH VR Suite 8.6, see the tutorial and additional VR tutorials below:
To learn more about SCRATCH VR Suite 8.6 https://vimeo.com/202186457
the movie: https://vimeo.com/156395178
the sequel: https://vimeo.com/162653407
“V8.6 is a major update for both SCRATCH and the SCRATCH VR Suite with significant enhancements to the HDR and ACES workflows. We’ve added stitching to the VR toolset so that creators have a complete and streamlined end-to-end VR workflow,” said Jeff Edson, CEO at ASSIMILATE. “The open-Beta helps us to continue developing the best and most useful post-production features and techniques all artists need to perfect their creativity in color grading and finishing. We act on all input, much of it immediately and some in regular updates.”
The new stitching feature in the SCRATCH VR Suite combined with all the advanced grading, finishing, and compositing functionality, as well as unparalleled performance in SCRATCH, gives all creators and post-production artists an extremely flexible and powerful toolset and streamlined workflow. And notably, it’s affordable for everyone.
VR/360 – SCRATCH VR Suite
- 360 stitching functionality: load all your source media from your 360 cameras into SCRATCH VR and combine it to a single equirectangular image. Support for camera stitch templates: AutoPano projects, Hugin and PTStitch scripts.
- Ambisonic Audio: SCRATCH VR can load, set and playback ambisonic audio files to complete the 360 immersive experience.
- Video with 360 sound can be published directly to YouTube 360.
- Additional overlay handles to the existing 2D-Equirectangular feature for more easily positioning 2D elements in a 360 scene.
HDR
- PQ and HLG transfer functions are now an integral part of SCRATCH color management.
- Scopes automatically switch to HDR mode if needed and show levels in a nit-scale; highlights any reference level that you set.
- At the project level, define the HDR mastering metadata: color space, color primaries and white levels, luminance levels, and more. The metadata is automatically included in the Video HDMI interface (AJA, BMD, BlueFish) for display.
- Static metadata has the function to calculate dynamic luminance metadata like MaxCLL and MaxFALL.
- HDR footage can be published directly to YouTube with HDR metadata.
Format Support
- Option to create 10-bit H264, .mp4 or .mov output, important for generating HDR output; the files contain all HDR statistics (such as color space and transfer function info and mastering luminance levels). H264 maximum output resolution is now 8192×6144; higher resolutions are especially important in the VR environment.
- New high-speed DNx MXF encoder for OpAtom and Op1A, including DNxHR.
- New, more efficient DNx MXF decoder, reading OpAtom, OP1a and Op1B variants.
- Increased performance of QuickTime and XAVC MXF playback.
- New DNG raw reader with high performance and high quality Debayer. Reads wide range of DNG variants, including new Panasonic Varicam LT DNG.
- New support for wide range of still camera raw formats like Canon, Nikon, Kodak, Hasselblad, Pentax, Leica and more.
- Updated Kinefinity RAW support with new high-quality Debayer.
- MXF DNx encoder includes audio channel name information into the (OpAtom) audio filename so that info remains available in an AVID round-trip.
- ACES: this version contains all the latest standard transforms as published by the Academy. This version introduces ACEScct, a derivative of ACEScc (also referred to as ACES log) that has a different fall-off in the shadows of an image.
DIT Reporting Function
Create a report of all clips of either a timeline, a project, or just a selection of shots.
- Reports include metadata, such as a thumbnail, clip-name, time-code, scene, take, comments, and any metadata attached to a clip.
- Choose from predefined templates or create your own.
User Interface
- Numerous updates have been made to enhance and simplify the UI for content creators, such as for the log-in screen, matrix layout, swipe sensitivity, Player stack, tool bar, and tool-tips.
- The award-winning SCRATCH VR Suite includes all the features and functions of SCRATCH, SCRATCH Play, SCRATCH Web, plus substantial features, functions, and enhancements that are specific to working in a 360 media environment.
Price and Availability
SCRATCH 8.6 open-Beta and the SCRATCH VR Suite open-Beta are available immediately. Learn more about SCRATCH at http://www.assimilateinc.com/products/. Learn more about the SCRATCH VR Suite at http://www.assimilateinc.com/products/scratch-vr/.
About ASSIMILATE
ASSIMILATE provides real-time post-production and workflow tools that have proven essential to productivity and creativity in the creation of 2D/3D/VR studio and independent feature films, documentaries, TV episodes, and music videos. The SCRATCH product line, running on Windows and OS X, equips directors, DPs, on-set DITs and post-production artists with the latest, state-of-the-art, cost-effective solutions they need to simplify the post process for challenging post-production. SCRATCH is resolution independent, supporting nearly all formats, including ARRI RAW, KineRAW, Sony F5/55/65 and Cyber Shot s700, Phantom, Panasonic Varicam 4K, Canon C300/C500, Canon 3DGoPro, as well as enhanced support for all RED cameras. SCRATCH is the only post-production tool to support native Kinefinity RAW (KRW and DNG) files. SCRATCH enables mixing and matching of any camera format, resolution or color space (including ACES) on the same timeline. Additionally, ASSIMILATE offers the only professional end-to-end VR workflow and tools in the SCRATCH VR Suite for Learn more at www.assimilateinc.com.
