Hello. Great news.

I will release a beta version of Windmotion 2 within a few days. This beta version will have a set of a few of camera model support (Sony and Panasonic).

The final release will have ~50 camera support and it will cost ~ $150 for a standard edition and ~$350 for a premium edition. There will be a free edition for AviSynth lowers with no profiles.

Each camera profile lets you to give the maximal possible image quality, ready for pro usage on TV, reclaim, films.

The coming release lets you to create proxy or final quality files using only a few of mouse clicks. I personally create templates for each camera. As a result you will get the maximal possible quality (anti-aliased sources in 10 bit 4:2:2 or 4:4:4).

For example, default NEX-7 (bitrate 25 Mbps) profile gets final 80 Mbps quality equivalent with minimal MPEG compression artifacts and digital noise.

If you want to get your camera support in this beta release, please share to me some short daylight and low-light source files.

PS. This version is no more multistage and it is now 3-10 times faster for rendering of final quality. Also you will get much better quality.

For my tests:

4K to 4:2:2 4K profile transcode performance is 0.1-1.0 fps on 4 core I7 4Ghz. Typical Full HD 4:2:2 profile camera performance is 2.0-5.0 fps. 4:4:4 is possible, but true 4:4:4 (strong equivalent) is possible for some high quality top consumer cameras with a bitrate >50 mbps.

Full HD proxy generation fps is 20-120. Typical value is 35 fps for most cameras.

Proxy feature is now a core program feature. You can create your film quickly, then render final version files later (or in parallel with NLE/grading).

PS. the premium edition now also has a 32-bit 3D LUT color correction support for quality color grading on a post-production stage. You can create a 3D LUT file using BlackMagicDesign Fusion (free software with a top-quality 32-bit color corrector) or 3D LUT Creator (shareware).

The coming version is much simple for end user. Only a few of mouse clicks. Total development time of this release is ~ 7 months.

Andrew

@spacewig, yes. I can try to support this camera Prores files with full dynamic range reading. CinemaDNG files reading is better in Davinci. But if you get noised source, you can export the result in Prores and read it in Windmotion to denoise. Windmotion 2 has 16-bit source file reading now.

Also I can fix Prores compression artifacts of low quality compression (MPEG blocking).

@domenl, to create a profile for a new camera I need different light source files to see: - camera codecs and bitrate - noise level on different light - color balance and color primaries, gamma etc - camera sharpening - compression artifacts, if any: halos, oversharp, blocking, overcompression, aliasing, etc. - for AVCHD source: typical span file size (when camera records next file). For example: SONY NEX cameras write 2026 megabyte spans.

Of course, there are many camera settings. But I assume that is better to make templates on the basis of the files created with the best camera settings for the corresponding lighting, because Windmotion is for advanced users, so we need a maximal possible quality:

Record settings: Use maximal possible frame size and bitrate settings. If camera can record progressive video, record progressive shots. If camera can record 50 or 60 fps - record on these settings (better quality for typical cameras).

ISO: Use minimal possible ISO for these light conditions.

ISO compensation: Use better value to get no cutoff of white areas. Most cameras require -0.3...-1.0. Do not use Manual mode. Aperture priority is better.

Sharpening: Some low cost cameras have hardcoded sharpening or very huge sharpening level by default settings. They produce ugly halos. For hardcoded sharpening I can add dehalo filter to the template by default. If you can setup sharpening, please setup it to a better level (minimal in most cases). It is better to add sharp in software than remove halos (very hard to remove).

Color balance: Use gray card or if it is not possible use manual color balance by a preset.

Make very short shots: 5...20 seconds with nature and peoples. Do not record abstract household things and cats - it is better to record a nature or a city landscape.

Upload these files to any sharing resource: Google Drive, Yandex Drive, Dropbox, etc. Do not edit them in video editor. Do not change file names. I assume to get files directly from the camera. Send me in a private message these download links.

I guarantee these files will not be published from my side. They will be used for Windmotion development only.

So, if I will have many different light sources, I can create more quality templates for a new camera. In most cases 2 templates per camera is a good start point: daylight profile (sunny day= minimal noise) + low light profile (noised).

I have currently some sources from camera review web sites, but most of these sources are for default camera settings.

Andrew

Great work Rean. How does this new release differ from the 'old' Windmotion? Can users fine tune the denoiser/noise profile as in the old '3.Edit' Folder?

@fancydancer finetune with a difference viewer (like in version 1) will be possible on Premium Edition only. Core and Postproduction editions have no such feature.

@zcream, I agree with you. It is the main purpose why upsample is required. I have used a lot of new computer graphics methods to make edges nonaliased. My experience with the version 1 showed its bottlenecks and ways of improvement. The new version uses 5 various antialiasing filters for achievement of this effect. And all camera templates will already contain edge smoothing in all color channels. For my green screen tests, it works perfectly now. I will publish learning videos to demonstrate this later.

Unfortunately aliasing is the main problem of all H.264 cameras. I found that MPEG compression algorithms produce aliasing because edges are the main point where compression makes artifacts. Also many consumer cameras have additional aliasing because modern photo matrices are too slow to reading from them. So many camera engeners read only a part of full matrix scan so we get aliasing. Summing aliasing of MPEG compression we get very ugly edges. It is the main point why modern camera videos are looking blurred - it is a way to masking aliasing.

please please some video instructions in not russian PLEASE!!!!!!!!

FROM FIRST STEP TO FINAL STEP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some grate footage from my movie, this is the program i need, but wont pay you 300 bucks for creating scripts downloading apps, and aplying complex prosses to make video output.

Rean i really want to use your software please help me.

this is my company,

www.siriusfilms.pe

i have footage that need this software, but its not user friendly, cant even run the avsynth+

@endotoxic please read the readme file from a desktop folder "Windmotion Project".

You have 5 steps to get your video improved (within the Core edition limitations - please note: it is a 90% of Windmotion 1.x power):

1. Place your video on the folder "Windmotion Project". (try one file first to learn)
2. Run Edit.bat from this folder and it will execute the video script editor with fullscreen video preview.
3. Change script to apply filters-it is just one edit operation: type "#" or use Backspace to remove "#". To apply, press "Ctrl-S" or use "Update" GUI button.
4. Close the video editor.
5. Run Out.bat to get your video improved - the result will be located on the "out" folder there.

It is as simple as using WinWord. As soon as you have some experience in this, you will find it more faster and usable than using many video editors. The Postproduction edition will be more simple-you will not type anything - just bat file execute to get the complete and very quality result. So the software will be really one button-oriented.

After my coming video instructions you will get more knowledge. But it is a bit later.

@chauncy Thanks for reporting.

Apple Quick Time should help Premiere to read. Probably it cannot read audio.

By default Windmotion exports ProRes + Alac lossless audio codec. If Adobe do not understand Alac, try to change it to PCM audio:

Open "Out.bat" in any text editor and change "@set audio_codec=alac" to "@set audio_codec=pcm_be".

If this does not help, try another settings - there are many setting alternatives for video, audio and container. You will see the full list there. And send me combinations those can get it to work.

@rean

By different light source you mean daylight, fluorescent, tungsten both bright and low light? Or one shot that includes varying luminance values?

I'll be able to upload BMPCC files after Monday as I have to meet a deadline.

the pcm_be allowed premeir to import the files. I am seeing a slight quality difference in areas of the image. I ran at 4:2:0 then also ran @set video_codec=prores 4:2:2 @set qscale=2.

Is there any difference with a native 4k 4:2:0 file when windmotion renders it to 4:2:0 or 4:2:2 or 4:4:4? I realize it is making 4:2:0 to 4:2:0 look a little better but will the others make more of difference in this case. Or are the files just being padded.

I understand this prog is not making 4:2:0 4k into 4:4:4 1080, right? (not that I believed that was possible for an instant). So what ways are there, other than blind changing of parameters, that can increase quality.

I'm inputting h265 files by the way not h264

ok, here is the file I've been working with. This is UHD h265 with 80kbs bit rate, which is like 160kbs in h264. There are a few dust spots from a dirty sensor, so ignore them. This is straight out of the camera with no grading at all.

When this is exported as h264 pro res or through windmotion the file size is 10 times larger.

password: nx1 https://vimeo.com/kevinconder/nx1h265

if you click on the download button, you can download original file. I want to see this in 1080p 444.