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Working in Linear

Working in Linear

The visual effects industry is moving to a linear workflow for both CGI and compositing. Artists need to understand this workflow and the reasons for it whether they currently work in a linear shop or hope to get a job in one in the future.

This highly informative webinar totally clarifies the difficult subject of working in linear for compositing visual effects and will help to future-proof your career in visual effects.

Steve starts with a clear explanation of what linear images are then how to set up the linear workflow. The advantages of working in linear are demonstrated for image blending, color correction, filtering ops, cgi compositing, and mixing image sources along with the many problems of not working in linear. There is an explanation of why floating point math is the indispensable partner of the linear workflow plus a review of essential file formats including dpx, exr, and log images.

Outline

1. What is linear data?

   1. defining a linear image
   2. what is LUT?
   3. why images aren’t linear
   4. viewing linear images

2. What is the linear workflow?

   1. the four steps to a linear workflow
   2. converting cgi to linear

3. Why work in linear?

   1. affect on image blending
   2. affect on color correction
   3. affect on filtering ops
   4. blending CGI render passes
   5. mixing image sources

4. Floating Point is essential

   1. float definition
   2. advantages of float
   3. problems with integer math
   4. coping with weird linear RGB values

5. important file formats

   1. key file format attributes
   2. DPX files for log images
   3. EXR files for linear images

6. Log images

   1. what are log images?
   2. advantages of log images
   3. the Cineon LUT
   4. negative code values
   5. “camera” log images

7. Where the apps are on linear workflow