Converting Raw BMPCC Files at DVinfo.net

Ron Coker · November 19th, 2013, 06:45 AM

In need of direction. The raw DNG camera files download as a series of frames .DNG + a WAV audio file. All DNG files are composed of colour bands. Would this be camera metadata?

My target is Resolve v9. The folder imports to the media pool and colour window, displaying as empty black frames.

My rig: OSX.8.6 iMac 27in. Apple custom modified. FCPX, Davinci Resolve v9. Photoshop CS6 is available (not installed)

What would be my best course of action? Clearly the camera files are in need of conversion to be viewed as a photo series.

Info & suggestions appreciated. Thank you.

Craig Seeman · November 20th, 2013, 08:14 PM

Resolve 10 is needed for BMPCC raw from what I understand. Different (lossless) compression that BMCC which Resolve 9 supports.

Jay Bratcher · November 20th, 2013, 10:17 PM

Craig is right - there are a few options, but Resolve 10 is likely the best, if only for speed. Some have tried using Lightroom - myself included - and it seems to work fine for short clips, but if you get into something more than a few minutes, it quickly becomes cumbersome. I have 2 clips - some 90 GB total, over 50,000 frames - that Lightroom gagged on for over 10 hours, and barely got 1/3 of it rendered to TIFF.

One very interesting thing about BMPCC footage that I have noticed - each DNG is not necessarily a single frame grab, as most people seem to believe - rather, it is (or can be) an encapsulated MXF video clip if I understand the technical doc correctly. When I look at the project I am currently working on, I see anywhere from 1 - 14 frames in each DNG file. This probably allows the camera to write a uniform file size (about 2 MB per DNG) to the card, which may help maintain data rates, since the writes would come in bursts rather than a steady stream (I'm guessing here). I also have to wonder if this MXF encapsulation is why Resolve 9 does not deal with BMPCC footage. I've never used it, so I can't really say...

I believe that any application which properly deals with Cinema DNG can deal with these clips, even if they don't know what to do with a whole folder of them. Lightroom can turn them into a series of TIFF or JPEG files, and I've heard that Photoshop and Camera Raw can do the same - that makes sense though, as Adobe invented the Cinema DNG format.

I am curious if other raw converters handle the MXF clips properly. If not, that could be why they show up with stripes when you try to view them with the standard Apple or Microsoft RAW viewers.

Ron Coker · November 21st, 2013, 04:30 AM

Craig and Jay, Thank you. Installed Resolve v10, problem solved. My only remaining hiccup, I'm unable to move the debayered DNGs to the edit and colour page!! Davinci Resolve v10 users manual contains info on raw file management, starting P 133. This may provide the answer.

Regards,

Ron.

Frank Glencairn · November 27th, 2013, 10:03 PM

You have to make a new timeline on the edit page first.

Ron Coker · December 15th, 2013, 07:52 PM

I really appreciate your assistance. Thank you.

The Sony 95mb/s SD card generated drop frames, displayed in Resolve v10 as a series of RGB images instead of a single clip icon. A SanDisk 95mb/s Extreme appears to be the card for BMPCC, no problem. My colleague loaned a 32GB Extreme SanDisk for testing. Purchased 2x 64GB SanDisk cards, (in transit) The two cards should provide 24min of camera recording.

Many thanks.

November 19th, 2013, 06:45 AM	#1
Ron Coker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Randwick Australia Posts: 59	Converting Raw BMPCC Files In need of direction. The raw DNG camera files download as a series of frames .DNG + a WAV audio file. All DNG files are composed of colour bands. Would this be camera metadata? My target is Resolve v9. The folder imports to the media pool and colour window, displaying as empty black frames. My rig: OSX.8.6 iMac 27in. Apple custom modified. FCPX, Davinci Resolve v9. Photoshop CS6 is available (not installed) What would be my best course of action? Clearly the camera files are in need of conversion to be viewed as a photo series. Info & suggestions appreciated. Thank you.

November 20th, 2013, 08:14 PM	#2
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Re: Converting Raw BMPCC Files Resolve 10 is needed for BMPCC raw from what I understand. Different (lossless) compression that BMCC which Resolve 9 supports.

November 20th, 2013, 10:17 PM	#3
Jay Bratcher Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 110	Re: Converting Raw BMPCC Files Craig is right - there are a few options, but Resolve 10 is likely the best, if only for speed. Some have tried using Lightroom - myself included - and it seems to work fine for short clips, but if you get into something more than a few minutes, it quickly becomes cumbersome. I have 2 clips - some 90 GB total, over 50,000 frames - that Lightroom gagged on for over 10 hours, and barely got 1/3 of it rendered to TIFF. One very interesting thing about BMPCC footage that I have noticed - each DNG is not necessarily a single frame grab, as most people seem to believe - rather, it is (or can be) an encapsulated MXF video clip if I understand the technical doc correctly. When I look at the project I am currently working on, I see anywhere from 1 - 14 frames in each DNG file. This probably allows the camera to write a uniform file size (about 2 MB per DNG) to the card, which may help maintain data rates, since the writes would come in bursts rather than a steady stream (I'm guessing here). I also have to wonder if this MXF encapsulation is why Resolve 9 does not deal with BMPCC footage. I've never used it, so I can't really say... I believe that any application which properly deals with Cinema DNG can deal with these clips, even if they don't know what to do with a whole folder of them. Lightroom can turn them into a series of TIFF or JPEG files, and I've heard that Photoshop and Camera Raw can do the same - that makes sense though, as Adobe invented the Cinema DNG format. I am curious if other raw converters handle the MXF clips properly. If not, that could be why they show up with stripes when you try to view them with the standard Apple or Microsoft RAW viewers.

November 21st, 2013, 04:30 AM	#4
Ron Coker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Randwick Australia Posts: 59	Re: Converting Raw BMPCC Files Craig and Jay, Thank you. Installed Resolve v10, problem solved. My only remaining hiccup, I'm unable to move the debayered DNGs to the edit and colour page!! Davinci Resolve v10 users manual contains info on raw file management, starting P 133. This may provide the answer. Regards, Ron.

November 27th, 2013, 10:03 PM	#5
Frank Glencairn Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Germany Posts: 176	Re: Converting Raw BMPCC Files You have to make a new timeline on the edit page first.

December 15th, 2013, 07:52 PM	#6
Ron Coker Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Randwick Australia Posts: 59	Re: Converting Raw BMPCC Files I really appreciate your assistance. Thank you. The Sony 95mb/s SD card generated drop frames, displayed in Resolve v10 as a series of RGB images instead of a single clip icon. A SanDisk 95mb/s Extreme appears to be the card for BMPCC, no problem. My colleague loaned a 32GB Extreme SanDisk for testing. Purchased 2x 64GB SanDisk cards, (in transit) The two cards should provide 24min of camera recording. Many thanks.