Is cineform codec compatible with photoshop cs4?

[Mark Wilson]

I would like to be able to use photoshop to process video clips, but I have never been able to export from photoshop successfully - avi export does not show cineform as a compression option and mov exports have some sort of quicktime error?

Has anyone else been able to make this work?

[Ray Parkes]

I have no problem opening CFHD files in Photoshop. I am working in Vista x64 with CS4 and CS3 using Neo 4K but files from older versions work too. Output as a psd.

[Mark Wilson]

I can open the cfhd files; just can't render them. Saving as a PSD file and then placing the file in After Effects or Premier is a work-around, but it doesn't always work (some filters not in after effects, etc.) so I am hoping to be able to render from photoshop and then replace the clip on the NLE timeline (typically Vegas) using a "lossless" codec. I can render uncompressed and then move along from there, but it is adding extra steps.

Any ideas?

[Ray Parkes]

What exactly are you trying to do? Rotoscope, apply static PS filters? The psd format works like footage at 8, 16 even 32 bit if you need it.

[Mark Wilson]

Hi Ray, Thanks for thinking about this. No, I don't need to rotoscope, and bit depth is not the issue - just want to render the video out and use it on a Vegas timeline. PSD files do not behave like video clips on a Vegas timeline. Also, as I mentioned, there are some photoshop filters that are not available inside after effects (can't remember which at the moment) so taking a PSD file over for rendering in AE isn't always possible.

I would really just like to know if this is possible at all or if it is just my system. Perhaps David Newman could coment?

Is it possible to render video from Photoshop using cineform codec as compression?

[David Newman]

I don't even know how to use Photoshop for video. CineForm uses standard APIs for the codec, QuickTime, Video for Windows and DirectShow, if PS can use one of the those we should work.

[Roger Keay]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

I would like to be able to use photoshop to process video clips, but I have never been able to export from photoshop successfully - avi export does not show cineform as a compression option and mov exports have some sort of quicktime error?

Has anyone else been able to make this work?

Photoshop works with single images while Premiere works with video. You have to convert the fields/frames in a video clip to a sequence of still images to use Photoshop.

I do this with Premiere Pro CS4 and Photoshop CS4. PP has a function to export a clip as a series of sequentially numbered images in tiff format. Open a folder to hold all the sequential images before you export. You can modify each image individually in Photoshop or use the batch capability to process the images with an action. Save the modified images into a another empty folder being careful to maintain the sequence numbering. Go back to Premiere and import the modified image folder as an asset. Use the automate to sequence capability to put them back into the timeline in order.

This method works quite well and allows you to use all the tools in Photoshop. You need to master the actions and batch capability if you want to work quickly. You might be surprised by the results when you use various filters. I tried to process a sequence with a pen sketch effect which worked on individual frames but looked like heavy rain when put into a video sequence.

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by Roger Keay

Photoshop works with single images while Premiere works with video. You have to convert the fields/frames in a video clip to a sequence of still images to use Photoshop.

Assuming you have photoshop EXTENDED, you don't need to do this. Just drag and drop your video clip into photoshop, switch on the "animation" panel so you can scrub your video and go ahead and apply adjustment layers. If you want to run filters then you will need to right-click on the video layer, chose "convert to smart object" and then add your filters, masks, etc. - p shop will now apply the filter to all of the frames not just one (as it would if you did not make the video layer a smart object.)

You can then choose "export - render video" to get the clip out of p-shop in video format.

Originally Posted by David Newman

I don't even know how to use Photoshop for video. CineForm uses standard APIs for the codec, QuickTime, Video for Windows and DirectShow, if PS can use one of the those we should work.

P-shop has a QUICKTIME exporter. It has compression choices like animation, h.264, dvcpro, uncompressed, Cineform HD, etc. I know that animation, uncompressed and h.264 work, but , alas, my codec of choice (cineformHD) does not. Any chance of getting this to work? I was hoping that there was enough similarity between the AE render engine and Photoshop that it might be something simple. But then again...

Thanks!

Mark.

[Ray Parkes]

I suspect this is yet another Adobe CS4 bug rather than one of Cineforms! If you use AE or Premier you can just drop the psd file straight into a project without rendering it. If your restricted to Vegas perhaps output a psd sequence, it can surely import that. You won't loose resolution and it's the same number of steps.

[Roger Keay]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

Assuming you have photoshop EXTENDED, you don't need to do this. Just drag and drop your video clip into photoshop, switch on the "animation" panel so you can scrub your video and go ahead and apply adjustment layers...

Thanks for the description of the PS Extended method. I didn't realize that Photoshop Extended had video capability. I learned the technique I described on a standard version of Photoshop. The PS Extended method has the advantage of simplicity and sounds more efficient but on the downside isn't available to users with PS standard.

[Edwin Baldwin]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

I know that animation, uncompressed and h.264 work, but , alas, my codec of choice (cineformHD) does not.

Mark,

Thanks for posting the PS Cineform problem. I also ran into the same problem.

Ed B