ColorTools 1.4 replacment?

[LSchafroth]

I would love to find another filter that works like Color Tools 1.4 did. However it does not work under Windows 7. I found a post on Doom9( dont get me started on their retarded sign up process on their site) where someone mentioned using compatibilty mode and Windows 98/ME to get it to work. That does make the filter work but the SAVE AS feature in Virutaldub no longer works!

I would love to have a similar filter with a waveform to help me with colors and black and white levels like it did.

Any suggetions? I wuld like to avoid avsynth if at all possible. I HATE the process of editing text files to do basic filtering. I will use it if it's the only thing that will work.

Thanks!

Lannie

[sanlyn]

Which Windows 7 (32? 64?)
Which VirtualDub (32? 64?)

[LSchafroth]

Which Windows 7 (32? 64?)
Which VirtualDub (32? 64?)

Windows 7 x64
Virtualdub x32 (thought this was more compatible with filters)

Lannie

[jagabo]

Windows 7 x64
Virtualdub x32

Yes, I have the same problem with ColorTools -- it crashes VirtualDub. So I use VideoScope() and Histogram() in AviSynth instead.

[LSchafroth]

Windows 7 x64
Virtualdub x32

Yes, I have the same problem with ColorTools -- it crashes VirtualDub. So I use VideoScope() and Histogram() in AviSynth instead.

Can you show me how? I havent tried vsynth for 5 years or more.

[sanlyn]

Working in YUV is very different from working in RGB. YUV is more adept at analyzing how video data is stored, and making basic fixes before conversion to other colorspaces if needed. RGB is more adept at correcting video for display. One can work in either, or both. When color correction gets critical, as in requiring very narrow range or notch filters, I make captures in VirtualDub and view them with Photoshop or other graphic apps' RGB histograms that can be set for icm profiles and various delivery formats. Then again, many work exclusively in YUV. Both methods work.

[poisondeathray]

How about using a video editor e.g. sony vegas pro, premiere pro ? They are easier to use than vdub or avisynth and have the commonly used scopes : waveform monitor, RGB histogram, vectorscope, a few others . And you can see what you're doing in realtime / instant feedback with the monitoring



Avisynth's histogram in default mode is actually a Y' waveform tracing . Beware it's rotated clockwise 90 degrees. "levels" mode can be useful as well for Y'CbCr adjustments
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Histogram

Avisynth has RGB histogram, RGB parade, and CMY histogram as a separate function
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1570968#post1570968

To use these you just type them in the script

e.g

AVISource("video.avi")
Histogram()

I strongly suggest avspmod if you are making adjustments in avisynth (push f5 to refresh the preview)

[sanlyn]

How about using a video editor e.g. sony vegas pro, premiere pro ? They are easier to use than vdub or avisynth and have the commonly used scopes : waveform monitor, RGB histogram, vectorscope, a few others . And you can see what you're doing in realtime / instant feedback with the monitoring

Agreed. Somewhat on the pricey side (gasp). Learning curve, too (double gasp). I'd go for After Effects and its Color Finesse plugin, masking capability, etc. That's not to say that poor ole VirtualDub can't get good results, but.....AE's image correction controls are hard to beat. I'd pass on Vegas. But that's just me. I think After Effects allows more in terms of image correction and enhancement than does Premiere, the latter being more of an editor\encoder.

Avisynth has RGB histogram, RGB parade, and CMY histogram as a separate function
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1570968#post1570968

True. But RGB corrections in AVisynth are a different matter. There's a plugin that mimics some of the functionality of Gimp's gradation curve, but.....that's a long way from VDub's gradation curve or the one in Color Finesse. But if one is going to RGB anyway, may as well use the VDub color plugins that do work OK in Windows 7.

Now I feel better about building my new custom PC around XP. Although it might be time to consider double-boot.

[NJRoadfan]

I just said eff it and got a real vectorscope and waveform monitor. Well not quite, its a DPS Personal V-Scope card which outputs the scopes on a standard composite output. Knowing if you are clipping whites or crushing blacks before the video is digitized is nice, and you can monitor it in realtime! It's also useful for testing the "transparency" of devices in your chain like procamps and TBCs.

[poisondeathray]

How about using a video editor e.g. sony vegas pro, premiere pro ? They are easier to use than vdub or avisynth and have the commonly used scopes : waveform monitor, RGB histogram, vectorscope, a few others . And you can see what you're doing in realtime / instant feedback with the monitoring

Agreed. Somewhat on the pricey side (gasp). Learning curve, too (double gasp). I'd go for After Effects and its Color Finesse plugin, masking capability, etc. That's not to say that poor ole VirtualDub can't get good results, but.....AE's image correction controls are hard to beat. I'd pass on Vegas. But that's just me. I think After Effects allows more in terms of image correction and enhancement than does Premiere, the latter being more of an editor\encoder.

Well if you were buying a NLE alone, I would argue vegas is less expensive than premiere (but many people buy premiere in a bundle with other apps like photoshop, illustrator, AE etc so the price might not be comparable directly) . Both have more than you need for intermediate color correction and grading . Both can do secondaries and masking

If we're talking about price, blender is free , (works on windows 7 ) and has waveform, vectorscope , RGB histogram, but has even more of a learning curve than the others IMO

[themaster1]

@LSchafroth
Have a look here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=164720

[jagabo]

Avisynth's histogram in default mode is actually a Y' waveform tracing . Beware it's rotated clockwise 90 degrees. "levels" mode can be useful as well for Y'CbCr adjustments

It's easy to get a more traditional horizontal version:

TurnRight().Histogram().TurnLeft()

[sanlyn]

It's easy to get a more traditional horizontal version:

TurnRight().Histogram().TurnLeft()

Hm. Another goodie to try. Thanks for that.

@LSchafroth
Have a look here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=164720

Odd, a couple weeks ago I copied that same thread as html but haven't tried its ideas yet. I was tempted to debate in that thread (the color correction shown as example is still "incorrect" IMO) but my technical know how isn't up to the level of some of the replies . I note lately that most users don't bother with levels and color anyway, they just reduce noise -- a necessary chore, but made more difficult with out of bounds levels.

If I did use Windows 7 and had to work without some tried and true plugins from either Avisynth or VDub I'd be flustered working out all these fixes. Some prefer one and totally reject the other; I maintain that one should learn to work with both.

[LSchafroth]

@LSchafroth
Have a look here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=164720

I will dive back into the avsynth world again. Thanks for the info, I will check into it this weekend.

Lannie