Lightworks Video editor

[Rodney]

Is anyone familiar with the Lightworks video editor?

It went open source a year or so ago and phase 2 of their release is to provide source code to potential developers.

 

http://www.lightworksbeta.com/

 

 

Windows only at this time. Sorry.

 

Edit: While I had read that this was to be Open Source Software, according to their website there are to be three software models (one of which addresses the licenses that probably address the open source aspects):

 

Lightworks Free Membership: Free

Lightworks Educational Membership: £20 (€25, $30) per year

Lightworks Professional Membership: £40 (€50, $60) per year

 

So, yet another subscription model but a bit unique in that one method of access is free... very interesting.

[itsjustme]

Is anyone familiar with the Lightworks video editor?

It went open source a year or so ago and phase 2 of their release is to provide source code to potential developers.

 

http://www.lightworksbeta.com/

 

 

Windows only at this time. Sorry.

 

Edit: While I had read that this was to be Open Source Software, according to their website there are to be three software models (one of which addresses the licenses that probably address the open source aspects):

 

Lightworks Free Membership: Free

Lightworks Educational Membership: £20 (€25, $30) per year

Lightworks Professional Membership: £40 (€50, $60) per year

 

So, yet another subscription model but one of which is free... interesting.

 

I messed with it...I think a year ago? I wasn't impressed at the time. Maybe it has gotten better.

[HomeSlice]

I spent quite a few hours with it about a year ago. At the time it was quite a job just to get it running. Then there was an issue where it would not let you set the location of your project files. The location defaulted to the root of the drive and there was no way to change it. And the file import/export options were very limited. And it required proprietary Matrox codecs, which didn't always play nice with the rest of the system. It may have improved since then though.

[Rodney]

Thanks guys.

 

Hmmm... sounds like still very much a work in progress.

As I get time I'll try to investigate to see if they've been able to improve upon it since last year.

 

Thus far I am of the opinion that for the really big projects programs like Final Cut Pro and/or Premiere are about the only videos worth investing in. If I would have just bought one of them years ago I would have saved quite a bit of time investigating the alternatives. I'm fine with that now because I don't have any tight deadlines or big projects to edit.

 

There are a ton of video editors (free and paid) but very few pass the basic usage test.

[John Bigboote]

Thus far I am of the opinion that for the really big projects programs like Final Cut Pro and/or Premiere are about the only videos worth investing in.

 

You should throw Sony Vegas in that bag too.

[Rodney]

You should throw Sony Vegas in that bag too.

 

I hear ya.

Normally I would but I don't think I've actually used Sony Vegas.

If I have used it, I would have to conclude that it didn't measure up to FCP and Premiere in my experience.

Since it is so well considered I don't think I've yet tried it, therefore I cannot recommend it personally.

FCP and Premiere I have used and can wholeheartedly recommend either.

If/When I get a chance to try it out I will!

[Fuchur]

You should throw Sony Vegas in that bag too.

 

I hear ya.

Normally I would but I don't think I've actually used Sony Vegas.

If I have used it, I would have to conclude that it didn't measure up to FCP and Premiere in my experience.

Since it is so well considered I don't think I've yet tried it, therefore I cannot recommend it personally.

FCP and Premiere I have used and can wholeheartedly recommend either.

If/When I get a chance to try it out I will!

 

It is even better than Premiere... I am using it for all my editing-work at work and at home. Very easy to use, many fileformats to in-/output (much more than the other editing programms... it is like a inbuilt convertertool in it) and very effective because it includes DVD-/BluRay-Authoring and so on...

 

I highly recommend Sony Vegas especially because you nearly never have to think about what your input-source-codec is. Premiere or others (especially Avid Xpress) are very likely to not read what you put in, if it is something not totally standard to it.

 

I had a look at Lightworks recently too. It has the same approach as Avid Xpress if you ask me... very powerful (and somehow fun to use), but hard to work with, because you need at least a good converter to load and export to different video-formats so it is very well suited to do feature length videos, etc.

It is focused on the very professional market where people have to work years with one workflow... it gives you one that is highly effective, if you can keep in its very tight ranges... for us individuel artists and small studio workers that is not very well suited.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[jason1025]

Lightworks is a sad story. They had it all before anyone else. Before Avide, premiere, or FCP. They dropped the ball. I remember talking to them at NAB 11 or 12 years ago and it was so sad. They knew they had made major mistakes in promoting their product. Avid quickly over took them. But Avid did not learn from their predecessors mistakes and now they are in trouble big time.

 

They were very greedy charging 10's of thousands of dollars more than Adobe or FCP. All the while apple was giving away software to schools training a legion of editors who have now come of age.

 

Even with all the bitching about FCP X, it is by far the most streamline editor I have ever used. I was once a master Jedi of Avid, Premiere, and FCP. I always felt they were clunky. I felt like a lefty in a right handed world. Always thinking maybe its something wrong with me.

 

Not anymore. FCP X for all its flaws and boy does it have a bunch, It is the fastest most intuitive editor I have ever used bar none.

[Fuchur]

Lightworks is a sad story. They had it all before anyone else. Before Avide, premiere, or FCP. They dropped the ball. I remember talking to them at NAB 11 or 12 years ago and it was so sad. They knew they had made major mistakes in promoting their product. Avid quickly over took them. But Avid did not learn from their predecessors mistakes and now they are in trouble big time.

 

They were very greedy charging 10's of thousands of dollars more than Adobe or FCP. All the while apple was giving away software to schools training a legion of editors who have now come of age.

 

Even with all the bitching about FCP X, it is by far the most streamline editor I have ever used. I was once a master Jedi of Avid, Premiere, and FCP. I always felt they were clunky. I felt like a lefty in a right handed world. Always thinking maybe its something wrong with me.

 

Not anymore. FCP X for all its flaws and boy does it have a bunch, It is the fastest most intuitive editor I have ever used bar none.

 

Jep, Avid is really getting on my nervs with some of the restrictions, especially the hardware-restrictions are killing me... if you don't use a certificated Avid-System you dont get support... and I am talking about hardware-restrictions like a special kind of RAM (I mean really one kind of, not only a brand or something..., etc.)

 

Jep, FCP is great... used it too... so it is not available for Windows and that is the biggest draw back... Vegas is for me the best editing-software for the PC-world and FCP for the Mac... which is better? I can't really say, since I don't really like the userinterface of apple (I am too used to Windows and find it not at all that intuitive and logical as it is alwas promoted... so that is more of a user-error from my side).

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Shelton]

As a former "video editor", (that is how Design Dynamics got started), I have played on both sides of the fence (Mac and Windows). FCP was easy to get up and running. Vegas was too, but early days it was buggy. So I keep using Premeire. Pro tools, Avid even back in the day of the Toaster, when it dominated the scene, my favorite was Vegas. Open format, unlimited tracks, no matter the content, etc..

 

I have not edited a video since 2006. I still have all the software. Loaded Premiere the other day and it would not capture with the new computer hardware technology, oh well. Those days were a lot of fun.

 

Steve

[Rodney]

I see that an update to Lightworks has been released.

 

http://www.lwks.com/

 

Top Features

All Features

 

Note there is the free version and the annual subscription ($60 but 50% off with educational discount).

The sub seems to be there mostly to cover development and licensing fees that allow the full integration of cutting edge/professional grade codecs which eliminate the need for transcoding. Anyone that'd use the app professionally would be able to easily afford the $60 annual fee.

For those interested, they have a comparison table that shows what is added for subscribers on the site: here.

 

There are several things that I find compelling about these guys approach. Much of it can be seen from their Roadmap. Their approach is different from the typical hobbleware approach that follows most software versioning. I'll post the Roadmap here to highlight what is most interesting to me:

 

Roadmap

When we started the Lightworks Beta program, we set out to make a difference. We wanted to engage people in a community that was driven by the desire to nurture and develop editing software based on what mattered to editors; we didn’t want to follow a rigid corporate strategy, servicing shareholders who have no idea about our industry. We have come a long way in the past 18 months, from an early beta version of Lightworks to a full release, and we are proud of that journey.

 

A key part to its continued success is the open nature of the project. We stated at the beginning that the project would have four stages:

 

Release a free version of Lightworks

Release a full version, which includes the extra professional codecs

Release cross-platform versions of Lightworks for Mac OSX and Linux as well

Release the source code

 

With this release, we have reached stage two. It has taken us a little longer to get here, but we’re not far away with phase three - cross-platform support.

As before, we will publish an outline roadmap. It’s not set in stone, and is liable to change. If it does, we’ll keep this page updated. But it is there as a guide to where we are taking the product. We will also throw in a few surprises along the way.

 

We will also be making some announcements in the coming months about our approach to open source with Lightworks and the plans for this going forward.

 

Our new roadmap will be published shortly. Please check back for regular updates.

 

While they state that they are at stage three it looks to me that they are well on their way to stage four and the release of the source code could make this application the ideal video editor for use and integration with A:M.

 

I haven't fully embraced Lightworks yet because my computer doesn't fully meet all of the required specs (Note: It doesn't meet the specs for any mid to high end video editor). During my initial testing I thought navigating the Lightworks interface was considerably different from my experience with that of Adobe Premiere (so there is the inevitable un-learning curve we have to navigate if we are use to editing video in other applications) but then again the current release of Premiere is considerably different than that early version as well.

 

Specs:

Operating Systems

All versions are designed to run on Intel and AMD chipsets and motherboards. Lightworks is currently a 32 bit application, but will shortly be released as a 64 bit version as well.

 

Windows

Mac OS X (in development)

Linux (in development)

Systems

 

Minimum Recommended System Specs:

PC with Intel Core Duo, Intel Xeon or AMD processor

Windows XP Professional SP3, Windows Vista or Windows 7 Professional (32 bit or 64 bit)

2GB RAM (EditShare recommends 3GB RAM)

Display with 1024 x 768 resolution or higher

PCI Express graphics card (NVIDIA or ATI) with 256MB or higher and support for DirectX 9

IEEE 1394 Interface (FireWire) 800Mbs if you plan to use a FireWire digital device

Windows compatible sound card

200MB Disk space for Lightworks installation

Internet connection for activating Lightworks (first time only)

 

Recommended Specs:

Intel i7 chipset or faster, fast AMD chipset

Windows 7 Professional (32 bit or 64 bit)

3GB RAM or higher

Two high-resolution displays (1920 x1080) or above.

PCI Express graphics card (NVIDIA or ATI) with 1GB or higher and support for DirectX 9

IEEE 1394 Interface (FireWire) 800Mbs if you plan to use a FireWire digital device

Separate media and system drives (these can be internal or external as long as the the interface is suitably fast. eSATA is an example).

Sufficient storage space for all the media

Windows compatible sound card

An audio monitoring system

(Optional) a Lightworks Console.

(Optional) a Lightworks keyboard.

200MB Disk space for Lightworks installation

Internet connection for activating Lightworks (first time only)

Graphics

 

Lightworks is able to use the power of your graphics card or chipset to accelerate video processing. We get good results with NVIDIA and ATI graphics cards. We are currently using these two cards for the majority of development and internal testing:

 

Nvidia FX 4000

NVidia FX 2000

 

Using Lightworks on the same computer as A:M will work but not optimally. If really serious about video editing I'll need to invest in a dedicated machine.

[robcat2075]

thanks for the update. On paper it looks good. Their site sure is slow.

 

If they were quite clever they would make an import filter that would let you load an existing Adobe Premiere or FinalCut project. That would get converts

[robcat2075]

Well, I finally gave this a brief try. The immediate show-stopper is that it doesn't seem to support anything other than standard video framerates like 24, 25, 29.97, 30...

 

Screencam files that I record at 10fps get scrunched to 30fps. Also they are not natively supported, they seem to be transcoded on import.

[Rodney]

This post from their forum seems to speak to that issue:

 

http://www.lwks.com/index.php?option=com_k...3&Itemid=81

 

In that someone suggests using VirtualDub to convert from 10fps to a standard fps that will be used in production.

 

While I understand the benefit to to recording in 10fps is it necessary to present your final product 10fps?

 

I'd be interested to know more about the benefits to 10fps as I've been messing with variable fps a lot lately with mixed results (that's an area I need to study!) It seems to me that some errors (for later analysis purposes) could creep into the mix if the presentation isn't standardized on say... 24fps. It seems reasonable to me that further optimization would occur if you standardized on 24fps throughout the whole process.

 

Just as a curiosity, does your preference for 10fps have anything to do with easy conversion to 30fps?

 

Added: There is a response from a guy who also uses Hypercam in that topic. Apparently he captures at 25fps.

 

Some advice from another person to convert from 15fps to 25fps in Lightworks:

 

Create a 25fps project and set the speed for the 15fps clip to 60% and drag it out to its full length. Make sure that you are parked at the beginning of the 15fps clip when changing the speed.

 

They even point to a video tutorial on using Hypercam screencapture with Lightworks:

 

Importing and syncing video clips with non-standard frame rates and resolutions --like screen capture clips--into Lightworks

[robcat2075]

While I understand the benefit to to recording in 10fps is it necessary to present your final product 10fps?

 

10 fps seems to be about the max that my computer can handle for screencamming and not have ghastly audio/video sync problem in the raw file.

 

My presentation is 30 fps because there is actual 30fps animation included, but most of my footage is screencams and I need to be able to incorporate those.

 

AfterEffects handles the mix without hassle. The 10fps footage sits in the 30 fps timeline and is used appropriately by it without time distortion. If you haven't watched my class videos watch one of those, it's a mixture of 29.97 camera footage, 30 fps A:M renders and 10fps Hypercam captures.

 

That works well, but my 13 year old edition of AE is quite pokey during the actual editing process and has trouble with things larger than 640x480.

 

I'd be interested to know more about the benefits to 10fps as I've been messing with variable fps a lot lately with mixed results (that's an area I need to study!) It seems to me that some errors (for later analysis purposes) could creep into the mix if the presentation isn't standardized on say... 24fps. It seems reasonable to me that further optimization would occur if you standardized on 24fps throughout the whole process.

 

If I could find an inexpensive 24fps camera I'd settle on 24 instead of 30 for the presentation. But I haven't found such a thing.

 

Just as a curiosity, does your preference for 10fps have anything to do with easy conversion to 30fps?

 

Yes that was the thinking. It's an easy multiple.

 

If i was planning for 24 fps I'd try to do screencams at 8 or 12 fps.

 

 

 

Create a 25fps project and set the speed for the 15fps clip to 60% and drag it out to its full length. Make sure that you are parked at the beginning of the 15fps clip when changing the speed.

 

They even point to a video tutorial on using Hypercam screencapture with Lightworks:

 

Importing and syncing video clips with non-standard frame rates and resolutions --like screen capture clips--into Lightworks

 

Ah... I searched on "nonstandard" rather than "non-standard" and came up with nothing. Those are plausible workarounds but maybe not thorough enough to settle on lightworks.

 

I should just pony up and get the new AE but aside from being expensive I'm told it no longer has the "vector paint" feature that I use to paint my tracking dots on footage. That would be bad.

[Rodney]

Ah... I searched on "nonstandard" rather than "non-standard" and came up with nothing. Those are plausible workarounds but maybe not thorough enough to settle on lightworks.

 

I haven't explored Lightworks enough to settle on it either (my laptop can't handle it) but as free applications go I'm trying to move toward something the average A:M user can take advantage of. As Lightworks grants an Avid level of video editing and is about to have it's code open sourced I think it's worth sacrificing some ease of use in the short term for the longer term benefits it'll bring.

 

I am embarking on a multi-tiered approach to support with a goal to satisfy everyone and as that is a tall order in and of itself I initially see a four tier strategy:

 

1 - Full standardization (This is validated and updated on a project by project basis)

2 - Secondary standardization (Using tools that can produce the same results as the standard but aren't optimal for budgeting and workflow through an optimal production pipeline)

3 - Tertiary alternatives (These will work but the overhead is highly restrictive and not generally recommended)

4 - The Whatabout Mes (Research and Development)

 

For Full support, the project itself is expected to pay for use of the standard so open source is a key to access, extensibility and longevity.

 

For Secondary support, some cost is expected to be shoulder personally (an example of this might be taking out a subscription to the Abobe Creative Suite which at the current rate would run approx $1K per anum. This unfortunately and automatically excludes some from participating but through teamwork this deficit can be worked more easily. All that is actually needed to realize success is one person with access and the rest benefit by proxy)

 

Tertiary support is primarily focused on case by case and is fully personal. As such it is high in variation and very costly.

 

The remainder are outside the scope of support but are encouraged to the greatest extent possible to seek a solution within one of the top three tiers. It is important to note that the fourth tier defines the future needs/trajectory of the top three at least as much as do the projects produced at the top teir.

 

Lightworks may not be the best solution but it is the best that I see currently.

[robcat2075]

hmmm... I just found i can get the "cloud" subscription of AE for $19.99 a month with no commitment. that's pretty tempting.

[Rodney]

hmmm... I just found i can get the "cloud" subscription of AE for $19.99 a month with no commitment. that's pretty tempting.

 

For about the same money you can get a cloud subscription to the whole set of Adobe tools but that'd be the educational license.

(Maybe that is what you are talking about here)

 

It'd run at around $39 a month for the full cloud license and access to all the various programs; Premiere, AE, etc. etc. etc.

I think that entails a commitment of a full year so that'd be over $500... and understand that at that years end you'll have to pony up that cash again. All in all it is still a good deal and Adobe is working smart here. They stand to make a lot of money and they are doing it by lowering their price and granting access to more people.

 

When using the student and educator licensing be careful because it's a non-commercial license

For many that will be more than adequate but others would like to be able to make a little money to help pay the rent.

[robcat2075]

I see $49/month for the whole cloud with a one year commitment. Do you see $39 somewhere?

 

I don't qualify for the student/educator deal.

[Rodney]

I see $49/month for the whole cloud with a one year commitment. Do you see $39 somewhere?

 

Now that you ask I can't find one. Figures.

I do see a $29 one for users of Final Cut Pro and Avid...

 

My memory may just be faulty but I'm pretty sure I saw an introductory offer for $39.

I'll keep a look out for it because I'm considering a subscription myself.

In order to justify the cost however I need to be prepared to actually use the programs and to do that every day (well.. six days a week at least) at least $1-$2 worth each day. That seems to be a reasonable goal for me and especially for the first year. After that perhaps the subscription would at least pay for itself.

 

The real bugabear (and this relates to Lightworks as well) is that in order to take full advantage of these tools I'd need to add a new laptop. So there we have yet another expense added into the mix. That is the thing that I cannot quite justify at this point in time and the Adobe cloud falls in line after that. Given that Adobe states the student 'deal' is to expire mid November I'm considering the ramifications of that as well. All it would take for me to qualify as a student would be to sign up for a class locally... and I need to do that as well. Ultimately at this point I see investigating the suite more as an investment in my future than anything else but I've already invested in similar tools and enjoy them... like the CorelDraw suite. Adding multiple apps of the same general function set approaches overkill. Not without good value... but how much time do I actually have to spend?

 

I'll keep an eye out for deals on the Adobe suite... especially things below the $1 a day mark. For someone like you who will actually use the programs (very important!) I think it's a great deal.

[robcat2075]

I'm sure the student deal will come around again in some form.

[Rodney]

The first preview of Lightworks for Linux is making the rounds:

 

V9R0Mxvr-0Q

 

Link:

 

What I'd like to test with this is Lightworks capability to automatically sync rendered sequences/shots rendered out of A:M into a project. In this way the Lightworks project should automatically update each time the sequence is updated or altered via A:M.

 

One of the things that stood out in this video was the speaker's emphasis on using uncompressed video where possible to prevent loss and degradation of the video image over subsequent movement from editor to editor or other program brought into the mix.

[Rodney]

RedShark is the official online magazine from the folks that produce Lightworks. The current release has an (technical) article that explains how to write transition effects for Lightworks.

 

One thing that I find interesting is that they use a form of C programming known as High Level Shader Language (HLSL) to produce Direct X Shader effects compiled via Lightworks. Somewhat trivial perhaps but I note also how the float value is used to create the interface sliders... to me that's an interesting revelation that I feel should have already been obvious to me.

 

Also of note:

Speed is achieved by processing every pixel simultaneously.

Additional processing is then further accelerated through parallel processing.

 

At any rate... it's an article about creating transitional effects programmatically and might be of interest to folks into that kind of stuff.

 

http://www.redsharknews.com/technology/ite...-for-lightworks

 

RedShark is the official online magazine from the folks that produce Lightworks. The current release has an (technical) article that explains how to write transition effects for Lightworks.

 

One thing that I find interesting is that they use a form of C programming known as High Level Shader Language (HLSL) to produce Direct X Shader effects compiled via Lightworks. Somewhat trivial perhaps but I note also how the float value is used to create the interface sliders... to me that's an interesting revelation that I feel should have already been obvious to me.

 

Also of note:

Speed is achieved by processing every pixel simultaneously.

Additional processing is then further accelerated through parallel processing.

 

At any rate... it's an article about creating transitional effects programmatically and might be of interest to folks into that kind of stuff.

 

http://www.redsharknews.com/technology/ite...-for-lightworks

[Rodney]

There has been some interesting movement on the Lightworks video editor front.

Namely, both the 32bit and 64bit (free) releases have added priliminary support for the H.264 (Quicktime) format but... without requiring Quicktime.

 

Why should this be of any interest?

 

Well, for one thing this means there is a way to get Quicktime H.264 movies going on the 64bit platform.

 

Lightworks itself still is a bit rough around the edges but I still find myself hoping the eventual open sourcing of the program will have its path converging with A:M for a lot of folks.

 

The biggest problems at this point include:

- Installation is difficult due to the way security for the program works (the requirement for the hasp for the Pro version has users jumping through a few hoops in order to get the free version of the program going)

- The interface itself is not highly intuitive (i.e. to begin to edit video there is a pretty steep learning curve)

At this time there are a few bugs related to H.264 usage to be squashed that will keep folks from preferring that format; having the audio sync correctly to the movie for example.

 

At any rate, Lightworks is still very much on my radar and with each release it seems to get closer to moving into my workflow.

There is still quite a ways to go but the addition of H.264 video on the 64bit side is noteworthy...

 

Linkage

[Rodney]

It's been awhile since I posted on the Lightworks video editor and I'd like to remedy that.

 

If you are a PC user and do not have a dedicated video editor you owe it to yourself to check Lightworks out.

If you are a Mac user... they do have a Mac release but I can't tell you what the status currently is... I haven't been following that closely.

Similarly the Linux release is still in early stage of release at this point.

 

On the PC front v11.1.1 has been released as well as v11.5 Beta.

There has been impressive advancement with regard to some of the early issues and Lightworks is easily at the stage where I can recommend it.

 

A few notes:

 

If you wish to use .MOV files make sure you install the 32 bit version. Similarly to A:M and other programs that have released in 64bit the issue there is that Apple has not supported the format in 64bit but it can be accessed via 32bit. I believe you can install both 32bit and 64bit Lightworks but you must install them in different directories.

 

I recall one question (I believe it was from Robert) about Lightworks not having a 24fps setting (that issue was resolved several releases ago).

 

Perhaps most importantly the installation/validation process has been greatly improved and issues experienced before are a thing of the past.

 

The educational version is $30 for one year and includes all the bells and whistles of the Pro version ($60 for 1 year).

The free version lacks the majority of professional codecs (the ones that the folks at Lightworks have to pay to use in their program).

 

Note that I do not think the comparison chart between versions (Free, Edu, Pro) at this download page is up to date (although it very well might be):

 

At any rate, if you need a really solid video editor check it out:

 

Lightworks

[markw]

Sadly still no Mac version as yet Rodney.

I also see that their "Roadmap" statement about it going multi platform, still says what it said 2 years ago!

Maybe one day...

[Rodney]

Hmmm.... the release must have hit a snag or two.

 

The Mac version was previewed at NAB last year.

With every release of the Win/Linux side though the Mac release has to be getting nearer.

[Rodney]

It's been a long haul but the Beta release for Lightworks on the Mac is finally out.

 

Link to Redshark news release for Mac Beta

 

For those that haven't been keeping up, Lightworks is a high end non linear video editor on par with AVID.

Over the past few years the owners of Lightworks have been moving toward a cross platform presence across Win/Linux/Mac with an end goal to open source a large portion of its code.

 

 

Direct Link to Download page

 

Note to those that attempted to install earlier versions on Windows: The installation and activation process is much improved so install and test the current version out.

You will want the 32bit release if you plan to use .MOV format!

[Rodney]

Unless I missed something it looks like the non-Pro release exports to MP4/Youtube format only.

 

Web-compatible file (MPEG4/H.264 - max. resolution: 1280x720p pixels) with optional upload direct to Youtube

Lightworks Archive

 

You can therefore either upload via Lightworks to Youtube (it has a direct way to upload) or to local disk.

Other export formats are apparently reserved for the Pro version.

 

Note that all of the following formats will import:

 

DVCAM / DVCPRO 25

DVCPRO 50

DVCPRO HD

Uncompressed SD 8 bit and 10 bit

Uncompressed HD 8 bit and 10 bit

MPEG-2 I-Frame SD

MPEG-2 I-Frame HD

MPEG-2 Long GOP

IMX 30, 40, 50

AVCHD (M2T, M2TS, MPEG4, H.264)

Avid DNxHD – all variants, including Thin Raster**

AVC-Intra 50

AVC-Intra 100

XDCAM EX (native MP4 support)

XDCAM HD

XDCAM HD 50 422

Apple Pro Res

RED R3D

DPX 8 bit, 10 bit, 16 bit

Image Sequence (BMP, DPX, JPEG, PNG, TGA, Compressed TGA, TIFF)

Broadcast Wave Format with drop and non-drop frame timecode options

 

As such a direct path into Lightworks from A:M can be created.

 

Rather than being a detriment I see this limitation as a plus in that we know that any movie created with the free release of Lightworks will be the same/compatible format.

Given the unending variety of formats available it can be good to have some common ground/standardization in formatting.

Final exporting of the film for other usage could then be made by a power editor with access to the full capability of Lightworks Pro.

[markw]

Thanks for the heads up Rodney!

I managed to get a copy of HitFilm2 Express during their give-away promotion, so it will be interesting comparing the two editors in terms of feel and ease of use. Lightworks still being a Beta it might possibly be unfair to focus to much on technical abilities and comparisons between the two just yet.

Looking at the release notes for the Mac version this is definitely a Beta version but still worth a tryout I think.

I would note they say its only been tested on Mac OS 10.8 and 10.9

[Rodney]

I believe you are going to like Hitfilm (even the express version) more than Lightworks.

Hitfilm is much more drag and drop capable and is heavier on integration of effects.

In fact I'd say Hitfilm's focus is on the effects.

 

Lightworks does have some effects, color correction etc. but it's first and foremost a video editor.

It can use many of the plugins available for After Effects and Premiere but I haven't dabbled into that.

 

I confess I haven't used Hitfilm much since downloading but not for lack of interest... mostly because I've been digging deep into After Effects.

In many ways Hitfilm is more accessible than even After Effects. It's certainly more intuitive for beginners.

 

I see Lightworks as software with a longer term trajectory.

If they keep moving in the direction of open sourcing their code I'm confident they will see much success.

Of course by then who knows what other video editing solutions will be capturing everyone's attention.

In the interim, and perhaps beyond, I see Lightworks as a video editor for folks who don't have access to a powerful video editor.

[jimd]

Thanks for the heads up Rodney!

I managed to get a copy of HitFilm2 Express during their give-away promotion, so it will be interesting comparing the two editors in terms of feel and ease of use. Lightworks still being a Beta it might possibly be unfair to focus to much on technical abilities and comparisons between the two just yet.

Looking at the release notes for the Mac version this is definitely a Beta version but still worth a tryout I think.

I would note they say its only been tested on Mac OS 10.8 and 10.9

 

 

I have the full version of Hitfilm for mac (it's not a beta ) it is like after fx does a great job of composting

3d model import from am works no issues so far

it also has film editing built in with sound meaning unlike after fx you can here the audio playback

 

Pros

does a real good job of

color correction

composting like after fx

3d import of models

camera tracking

 

 

cons

it uses your video card so you better have a good one

it will chug if the project gets too big

 

 

j

[Rodney]

Thanks for the info Jim,

In reviewing various tutorials I was coming to the conclusion that HitFilm 2 Ultimate has a better workflow for use with 3D models than After Effects.

Hitfilm 2 Ultimate seems to have the advantage with the native ability to import 3DS, LWO and OBJ files (and adjust groups and textures during import!) will be more than sufficient for most folks.

I'm sure with the proper plugins (video copilot etc) that might not be true but most people don't want to spend more than the original cost of the software for additional plugins.

 

It's nice that there are a variety of options.

 

unlike after fx you can here the audio playback

I've found a fairly good workaround to this (the period key) but... talk about frustrating.

It's hard to work if you can't work in sync with the sound.

[Rodney]

For those keeping track... Lightworks version 12 has been released for PC, Mac and Linux.

 

While the free version is still available on all platforms there has been a change to licensing of the full release (driven by increased cost of codec licensing according to the folks at EditShare).

 

With this release, gone is the regular subscription which is replaced by monthly, yearly or outright purchase.

 

Month License: £14.99 | €19.99 | $24.99
Year License: £99.99 | €134.99 | $174.99
Outright: £249.99 | €337.99 | $437.99

 

The primary difference between paid and free licencing is the access to the higher end codecs.

 

The free version exports/saves to .MP4 (standard format used with Youtube, Vimeo etc. [Web-compatible file (MPEG4/H.264 - max. resolution: 1280x720p pixels) with optional upload direct to Youtube] ) although it can import other formats.

Import formats (for both free and Pro) include:

 

• DVCAM / DVCPRO 25
• DVCPRO 50
• DVCPRO HD
• Uncompressed SD 8 bit and 10 bit
• Uncompressed HD 8 bit and 10 bit
• MPEG-2 I-Frame SD
• MPEG-2 I-Frame HD
• MPEG-2 Long GOP
• IMX 30, 40, 50
• AVCHD (M2T, M2TS, MPEG4, H.264)
• Avid DNxHD – all variants, including Thin Raster**
• AVC-Intra 50
• AVC-Intra 100
• XDCAM EX (native MP4 support)
• XDCAM HD
• XDCAM HD 50 422
• Apple Pro Res
• RED R3D
• DPX 8 bit, 10 bit, 16 bit
• Image Sequence (BMP, DPX, JPEG, PNG, TGA, Compressed TGA, TIFF)
• Broadcast Wave Format with drop and non-drop frame timecode options

 

At any rate, for those without a dedicated video editor (on PC, Mac or Linux) Lightworks is well worth a look.

 

Here's one of many videos from the Lightworks youtube channel: