Hi,

I have LUT’s with .3dl extension.
When I try to import them inside my preferences, I can see them, but when I click them to load, they don’t show up and it still says <no LUT>

When I try to import them inside the actual LUT menu, it says: problem loading LUT (and then the path).

So, what extension do I need, in order to be able to use a LUT?
And how can I just use a LUT to simply look at the file, without actually having to process (and therefore baking) the LUT?

And, when I bake the LUT, Smoke generates DPX again, right? So that would mean, that since DPX are logarithmic, the colorspace isn’t correct anymore…

The workflow we want to achieve is:
I have DPX files
then I need a LUT (from Log to sRGB) - but just to SEE the image correctly
then I do my color correction (while looking at the image with the LUT)
now I have to turn the LUT off, and export the image with the CC to the VFX department
when they are finished, I get the shot back, and now I have to apply that LUT again, and hopefully have the same image (with the added effects).

I hope I make any sense :)

Hi Summerfun,

First, be sure to load the LUT in by using the import in the 3D LUT tab.

It could be a formatting problem with the LUT as they are not all created with the same internal syntax. Where was your LUT created?

Let’s try a test by loading one of the Lustre Color LUT’s that come with all Creative Finishing products. In preferences where you are preloading your 3D LUT’s, navigate to

/usr/discreet/Lustre_Color/lut/Lustre_Color_3DLUTs/display/Eizo_CG245W_LCD/Kodak2383

Load the LC3DL_Kodak2383_Eizo_CG245W.3dl and then go out to your player and see if it can be used as a display LUT. This way you can confirm that the LUT tools are working. If this preset works and your custom LUT does not it is time to investigate how your custom LUT was created. Ask where it was generated. 

Paul

So the Lustre Color LUTs work. Sounds like the LUT for Nuke is not in a compatible format for Smoke. Did the Nuke artist have the ability to create the LUT in an Autodesk format?

Hotkeys are listed on the LUT’s in the LUT preference menu. 1D LUTs are Shift-Control 1, 2, 3, etc. 3D LUTS are Alt-Shift 1, 2, 3, etc.

Paul

Cool! Glad that helped.

And yes, when Smoke renders a new clip from the LUT tool it is managed media in Smoke which is inherently DPX. But DPX is just the wrapper for the RGB image. That image can be in a variety of color spaces. DPX files from a digital camera or film scanner may well be LOG in order to preserve image latitude. But images digitized into Smoke from HDCam are REC709. So a DPX images are whatever you make it.

Paul

No, not exactly. There is much more to consider beyond our simple example of is DPX log or lin. You have to consider bit depth as well and that was not part of the original question.

In your example of RED which is a 12 bit format, Smoke would translate that into a 12 bit unpacked clip in the Smoke framestore. In fact, give it a try. Load a RED clip in Smoke using the WireTap Gateway and alter your gamma and/or colorspace settings. Now do a store local copy you will see that the color space parameters you chose for the R3D clip are now baked into a 12bit unpacked managed media result clip.

Paul

And one last question:

How can I save the LUT’s in the preferences tab? Whenever I restart Smoke, all the LUT’s are gone…

Hmmm. I am running a new user on my recent install and the 3D LUT’s I have used restore in my preferences panel.

Try making a new user and see if the LUT’s are preserved.

Paul

hi,

the luts used to be linked to projects (can make sense in a way ...)
i would like to have them definitely as user prefs - or config related (as it was in the last century) - smoke could be started with different configs then ...

robert

Robert is right. The LUT’s do follow the project even though it is in the preferences menu which has values typically stored as part of the USER. If you make a new project, you’ll have to reload your LUT’s.

Another thought is you could create a generic project. One that might have a number of tools, settings and LUTs you use often. When you create your new project, change the button Setup Mode from New Setups to Copy from <generic setup>. This will grab your LUT’s for you along with any other setups from the generic project. 

Paul