AXIOM Ecosystem - New Platorm

AXIOM Ecosystem launched

Submitted by getzingo on Mon, 06/15/2015 - 16:45

AXIOM Ecosystem launched

The AXIOM ecosystem offers a communication-platform for already planned developments and services around the AXIOM cameras. The underlying idea is to offer a platform for the community to promote DIY-experiments, with the possibility to develop and offer their professional services in the future. This can be rentals or repairs, but also more advanced services such as rugged housings, individual modifications or even something completely different to what we can think of now. The initial launch of the AXIOM ecosystem will be used to collect feedback from you (the community) to assist with further developing and improving the system in the future. The launch of the AXIOM ecosystem marks an important step for us that will ensure the growth of services and products around the project. The ecosystem acts as the “backbone” for innovative products and services, and is open to the general public. This means you can offer your services and expertise here with the whole community and a large audience interested in Open Source cinema.

With the launch of the AXIOM ecosystem we are presenting a database of local, as well as European and worldwide offered services, matching supply and demand by location. The first step of the ecosystem represents an overview of expertises provided by the community, that are currently mostly educational and development based - but has the potential to drastically expand in the future as soon as the AXIOM Beta, and subsequently the AXIOM Gamma, cameras are in circulation.

You can find the current map here, if you want to add yourself to the database, you can do so by adding the information to the "ecosystem"-tab from your personal profile (or sign up if you do not have an account yet). A step-by-step guide of how to use the ecosystem can be found in the apertus Wiki.

The current categories in the ecosystem are:

• Operator - you own an AXIOM and/or are familiar with operating it.
• Rental - you plan to offer your AXIOM camera(s) for rent.
• Repairs - you offer fixing or upgrading AXIOM cameras locally.
• Hardware Customizations - you are planning on creating new modules or adapting existing ones; either as service or as an individual product.
• Software - You plan to or already are creating software for and around the AXIOM platform.
• Addons & Accessories - anything that can be used with the AXIOM platform, sales or services.
• Training and Support - sharing AXIOM related knowledge in trainings, workshops or as consulting services.
• Personal lending / rental - you are offering to share your camera with someone who is interested in it - not meant for commercial rental (which has its own category)
• apertus° ambassador - you are interested in introduce the project and philosophy to your local community (or already are actively doing this)
• other - anything not covered by the other categories

Project: 

AXIOM Beta

AXIOM Gamma

AXIOM Ecosystem launched

AXIOM ECOSYSTEM

Apertusº just launched the first edition of the AXIOM Ecosystem, a web platform meant to open up new opportunities in the future and act as a first-contact and communication hub for local communities. At the current stage it is meant as invitation to participate, to fill it with life, provide feedback and help us make this platform even better together.

Read more about the ecosystem here:

https://apertus.org/axiom-ecosystem-launched-article-june-2015

Regards your

apertus° Team

Open Cine development

Open Cine - Cinema DNG Clip Manager

Reviewing and Sorting Footage
- Import DNG sequence that was shot with a raw camera (Apertus or other) into Open Cine
- View footage in real-time
- Mark unneeded clips, rate good clips, write comments for each clip later a filter can be used to hide  all the bad/unneeded clips. Director could now review only the good ones and continue working with them.

During the continuing development of the Open Cine software for the mounting and management of CDNG media (and other flavours) there are naturally points of the build that require dressing at many points in the life cycle of the software.

Everything is available online through GitHub and Fabricator for the source code, and QT5 is used for the UI build.

Here we have some examples of where the software development is at this stage in June 2015, later we can elaborate on getting closer to the final release version.

The examples below are frame grabs from the software and are very early examples of the build to this date, and not close to any beta release.

Open Cine - You Tube early run through

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7BLfjYbS_8

Open Cine - Clip Manager early version

Axiom Developer Edition - Beta 1

Early AXIOM Beta I - Developer Edition

https://apertus.org/axiom-beta-early-option-taking-orders-soon-article-may-2015

First Generation: For Developers

This first generation Early AXIOM Beta I - Developer Editioncontains the entire PCB stack envisioned for the complete Beta camera, but there are some things that are intermediate solutions or are not fully populated/integrated yet. Therefore we clearly state that this first version the Beta is intended for software and hardware developers primarily. People who want to use the Beta for film-making with a good technical background might already be happy with this hardware, but this version is not for people who expect a finished product yet. We want to give you a full and honest overview of what works and what does not work or has limitations currently:

- Early Beta comes with no enclosure
- The image sensor and sensor board design is final
- Early Beta comes with OS (Arch Linux) but only test firmware for FPGA - software updates will be                                  delivered frequently online
- Lens mount: passive e-mount with Canon EF or Nikon F mount adapter (both passive)
- Tripod mount (1/4"-20 thread) available on the Canon EF/Nikon F lens adapter only
- Interface Board is an interim solution with limited capabilities. (only half of the sensor connections are available, thus only half of the maximum bandwidth can be achieved, as a result the optional 180° rotation of the sensor board is not available yet)
- Power supply with 5V DC only - either dual 5V DC (2500mA) or one larger 5V adapter (5000mA)
- Current Power Board is an interim solution (dynamic changing of internal supply voltages not yet supported: using a different image sensor module in the future will require manual reconfiguration of power board)
- Single HDMI 1080p60 module available
- We might already have a triple HDMI 1080p60 module available at time of ordering (if not you can get one at cost later on as well if you are a crowdfunding voucher holder)
- No HDMI 4K module available yet
- Triple PMOD debug module available
- LED matrix debug module available
- Cmosis CMV12000 sensor only currently (different image sensor modules will be available later on)
- Camera controllable only via Ethernet (SSH) or Serial Console (USB)
- Camera webinterface GUI not working yet (will be fixed with software update)
- Screw-on IR/UV cut off filter required (we will offer these for purchase)
- Beta has no Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF) - some people consider that a good thing :)
- Swapping out image sensor module for a different type is not plug and play yet (requires manual reconfiguration of power board)
- Early Betas come without color calibration yet (we want to develop this process together with the community)
- Current Beta Mainboard is an interim solution (no configurable data routing to/from shields yet) - new board revision that takes care of this already finished and will be tested soon, if it works we will use the new design in your Beta
- No addon shields available yet (Genlock, Timecode IN/OUT, Trigger, debug, breakout, etc. shields will be available later on)

Axiom Beta PCB stack

Early AXIOM Beta Update (*Accepting Orders Soon!)

New PCB stack - photo below

First Generation: For Developers

This first generation Early AXIOM Beta I - Developer Editioncontains the entire PCB stack envisioned for the complete Beta camera, but there are some things that are intermediate solutions or are not fully populated/integrated yet. Therefore we clearly state that this first version the Beta is intended for software and hardware developers primarily. People who want to use the Beta for film-making with a good technical background might already be happy with this hardware, but this version is not for people who expect a finished product yet. We want to give you a full and honest overview of what works and what does not work or has limitations currently:

Open Cine - Open Source Software Phabricator

OPEN CINE - 2015

Open Cine has Phabricator development 

Phabricator is a suite of web-based software development collaboration tools, including the Differential code review tool, the Diffusion repository browser, the Herald change monitoring tool,^[5] the Maniphest bug tracker and the Phriction wiki.^[6] Phabricator integrates with Git, Mercurial, and Subversion. It is available as free software under the Apache License, version 2.

Phabricator was originally developed as an internal tool at Facebook.^[7][8][9] Phabricator's principal developer is Evan Priestley.^[1] Priestley left Facebook to continue Phabricator's development in a new company called Phacility.^[2]

Apertusº Lab :

https://lab.apertus.org

Open Cine Workboard :
https://lab.apertus.org/tag/open_cine/

Open Cine - Open Source software GitHub

OPEN CINE - JUNE 2015

OpenCine has a GitHub repository :

GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service, which offers all of the distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well as adding its own features. Unlike Git, which is strictly a command-line tool, GitHub provides a web-based graphical interface and desktop as well as mobile integration. It also provides access control and several collaboration features such as wikis, task management, and bug tracking and feature requests for every project.^[3]

GitHub offers both plans for private repositories and free accounts, which are usually used to host open-source software projects. As of 2015, GitHub reports having over 9 million users and over 21.1 million repositories,^[4] making it the largest code hoster in the world.^[5]

https://github.com/apertus-open-source-cinema

https://github.com/apertus-open-source-cinema/opencine

Open Cine June 2015

OPEN CINE 

RAW Video and Digital Negative processing and viewing suite

There are several free and open raw-image processing tools for still images like: ufraw, darktable, RawTherapee, Rawstudio, digiKam and many more. While some of them offer batch processing capabilities none of these tools are necessarily designed for moving pictures. Processing DNG sequences is cumbersome and time consuming, CinemaDNG MXF files are not yet supported at all.
This is where Open Cine should come in. It will be a raw processing tool designed from the ground up for moving images instead of still images.

Below is a very early reference of the kind of software being developed.

Due to this being an Open Source project then a lot of code is being written and developed. As OpenCine grows there is a GitHub web-based Git repository, explanation from Wikipedia below for those unfamiliar : 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GitHub, Inc.






Launched

April 10, 2008; 7 years ago


GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service, which offers all of the distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well as adding its own features. Unlike Git, which is strictly a command-line tool, GitHub provides a web-based graphical interface and desktop as well as mobile integration. It also provides access control and several collaboration features such as wikis, task management, and bug tracking and feature requests for every project.[3]


GitHub offers both plans for private repositories and free accounts, which are usually used to host open-source software projects. As of 2015, GitHub reports having over 9 million users and over 21.1 million repositories,[4] making it the largest code hoster in the world.[5]

As OpenCine develops further there will be updates with new videos showing it in operation and working.


Dan Mulligan

May 2015

Apertusº updates and links

AXIOM Beta: The first open digital cinema camera

Indiegogo crowdfunding page, has information on the camera and some items not found on their main site :

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/axiom-beta-the-first-open-digital-cinema-camera#/story

Main site :

https://apertus.org

Processing the CDNG file from Axiom beta

Major milestone reached! AXIOM Beta: Hello World! First raw still captured. 

https://apertus.org/axiom-beta-hello-world-article-may-2015

(contains some flaws: image shift, dead pixel zones, ignore the metadata that says its from the AXIOM Alpha)

Above you can see the downloaded RAW CinemaDNG file and above is a link to download the file to test yourselves.

To process the CDNG negative we decided to use Resolve from Blackmagic. The reason for this is that their own cameras record RAW files also as CDNG so already has the ability to manage and process this format and also allow some adjustments.

The CDNG file downloads as such below :

and through Resolve it will automatically mount the file and present it. The file will default to standard settings to make the image appear as above, CinemaDNG Default. 

We then selected the file and right clicked to select Edit Cinema DNG Codec Settings and selected clip and changed the Color Space and Gamma to BMDFilm :

From here we then can grade the image for final delivery :

It is worth noting this is just the very first test image and has some features missing that would be present in a final version from the Axiom release version, but it gives a reasonable demonstration of how the CDNG files would be processed and then  be available for full output to your dailies deliverables.

#opensourcecinema

Daniel Mulligan

June 2015

Apertusº Axiom web links June 2015

New web links and stories for Apertusº Axiom

As the new beta version of the Axiom camera starts to shoot and become a more complete camera system Open Source Cinema UK though that for those new to the camera it was a good time to put all the current links to the websites and to new articles :

Main sites :

Apertusº main web site :  www.apertus.org

Apertusº Twitter feed : https://twitter.com/ApertusOSCinema  @ApertusOSCinema

Apertusº Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/ApertusOSC

New stories recently uploaded to the web :

NAB Show 2015 review :  https://apertus.org/nab-show-report-article-april-2015

New CDNG image recorded in 4K : https://apertus.org/axiom-beta-hello-world-article-may-2015

Axiom beta developments May 2015

It has been a big year for Apertusº and their Axiom beta camera. As an Open Source camera system it has come more alive during this years NAB in Las Vegas and has now begun recording at 4K resolution for testing. Below is the team at NAB :

The development and continued research into this camera is very exciting and over the next few months we will be updating and blogging all the news as we come to it. Among the news is new CDNG files to play with, which we will be processing and testing, plus new developments for Open Cine software allowing for mounting and delivery of your RAW CDNG (Cinema DNG) files.

Above is an image of the Axiom beta build of which the test images have been recorded.

It is an exciting time and Open Source Cinema is arriving for 2015.

Daniel Mulligan
May 2015

Open Flow software developing 2015

OpenFlow - RAW video processing and viewing suite - 2015

Open Source Dailies and RAW Processing/Viewer
There are several free and open raw-image processing tools for still images like: ufraw, darktable, RawTherapee, Rawstudio, digiKam and many more. While some of them offer batch processing capabilities none of these tools were designed for moving pictures. Processing DNG sequences is cumbersome and time consuming, CinemaDNG MXF files are not yet supported at all.
This is where Open Cine should come in. It will be a raw processing tool designed from the ground up for moving images instead of still images.

Feature Overview

-Import Footage from Camera over network (FTP Transfer to backup location)
-Import Footage from local drive
-Preview Footage in real-time (GPU based raw debayering at full/reduced resolution resolution equates to better playback performance
-View(all) / Edit(some) Metadata
-Set IN/OUT points in footage
-Apply color relevant RAW transformations (Whitebalance, Exposure, Curves, etc.)
-Save/Load color transformation presets to/from File.
-Adjustments are preserved in a XMP file that stays with the original unaltered footage.
-Compare Color transformations (Presets A,B,C; split screen, etc.)
-Live Histogram/Vectorscope
-Batch Export RAW footage between IN/OUT to non destructive RAW conforming format
(DNG, DPX, etc.)
-Batch Export RAW footage between IN/OUT to destructive digital intermediate format
(Quicktime Prores444, AVI DNxHD, Image Sequence, etc.)
-Batch Export RAW footage between IN/OUT to destructive proxy format
(Quicktime Prores422 (proxy), Quicktime/AVI MJPEG, etc.)

Typical Usages

Reviewing and Sorting Footage
Import DNG sequence that was shot with a raw camera (Apertus or other) into Open Cine
View footage in real-time
mark unneeded clips, rate good clips, write comments for each clip
later a filter can be used to hide all the bad/unneeded clips. Director could now review only the good ones and continue working with them.


Prepare Footage for Editing
Import DNG sequence that was shot with a raw camera (Apertus or other) into Open Cine
Sort through footage and select best clips (rating, marking), shorten to relevant parts in the clips by setting IN/OUT points
Apply color grading nodes to the raw footage (White-balance, Exposure correction, Tonal Curves, etc.)
Export Intermediate Clips in FullHD as Avid DNxHD or Apple ProRes for editing in another software


Prepare Footage for Finishing
An EDL/XML file of a complete edit contains the list of clips we need for finishing, import EDL/XML and link the clips to the raw footage (big win if we find a way to do this automatically)
Apply color grading nodes to the raw footage (White-balance, Exposure correction, Tonal Curves, etc.)
export required clips as *.DPX or *.EXR image sequence (with full bitdepth) for finishing suite
Task Description
Decide on Programming Language and GUI framework for best cross platform support/performance
GUI Design Concept and Implementation
Gstreamer Implementation for Video Playing (or suggest better alternative)
Image RAW processing (could be based on dcraw, RawSpeed, libraw or others)
ffmpeg Integration for Video Encoding (or suggest better alternative)
Name

Reclaim control of your craft!

Broadcast Now BVE article on Open Source for Film

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/future-of-hire-is-in-the-post/5083589.article?blocktitle=Comment&contentID=40051

Future of hire is in the post

Following Panavision’s purchase of post firm Light Iron in December, Dan Mulligan asks if there is greater emphasis on all-in-one rental models - and makes the case for open-source technology

Panavison’s acquisition of Light Iron combines a traditional box-rental camera facility with a newly established post and location services concern in a model that could prove to be the future for hire and post firms.

Hire companies that offer a multifaceted roster of services deliver a number of benefits to production, not least the ability to build a single workflow pipeline, which will provide more control over costs. By including post services with camera rental, it is possible to affiliate cameras with systems and workflows to create a tight and efficient production process that delivers real benefit in terms of time and cost savings.

With shooting ratios increasing and a greater variety of cameras being used, particularly small, high-quality cameras for travelling and PoV shots, anything that speeds up turnaround will be of benefit.

The quickest way to speed up the post process is to have quick access to the master data from the captured camera cards and media. This has proved to be effective, especially when it happens on location, because it allows transcodes to pass straight from the camera and data back-up utility to the edit.

So which way will it go? Will hire firms expand into on-set and post capabilities, or is there an opportunity for post firms to add hire? I believe there is scope for both.

Back in the 1990s, post firms offered free HD cameras such as the Sony F900 if you used their facilities. I can’t see this being repeated, but with developments in camera sensors, facilities’ deeper knowledge of colour and RAW workflows will inevitably lead to more location-based lab solutions.

There should still be room for the box-shifter hire companies, especially those that already support digital camera hire by providing post toolsets such as laptops and software for data ingest and dailies transcoding. Today’s new cameras are primarily a sensor first, with the build coming around this. Support is needed for all these new cameras – and that support can be considerable.

In the short term, I think dedicated box shifters will still be required, but as digital film production increases workloads and delivers more options, the need to consolidate will become more critical. However, the leap into dedicated post can be huge. Location VFX is increasingly important so integration, which we have begun at Pure Digital Services, is becoming a requirement.

At Rogue Element Films and Pure Digital, we have been running a camera rental and location post business since 2006 and 2008 respectively. We have kept them as separate entities, but the new landscape is changing this.

We are now offering an open modular camera and post system consisting of several open-source hardware and software solutions. We are combining this with efforts to build the first open-source digital cinema camera (pictured) and workflows. As a result, we are helping to evolve a creative platform that really supports the needs of film-makers, industry professionals, artists and enthusiasts.

That will allow collaboration and the opportunity to create and develop new tools for working. The aim is to create free and open technology, and make all the generated knowledge freely available to everyone, encouraging participation along the way.

As well as engaging the open-source community with the possibilities of film production, the Open Source Cinema UK project will take an active approach to establishing new software and hardware that can help deliver these results. We will be creating and developing ‘OpenFlow’, a new slate of workflows and software development for the entire film production pipeline.

From the point of view of our business, we will be able to offer exactly what the client wants and needs for the project they are undertaking.

Dan Mulligan is managing director of Rogue Element Films and Pure Digital Services and CEO of Open Source Cinema UK

TV-Bay article for BVE 2015 : Open Source for Film

TV-Bay online magazine, called KitPlus, has printed this 3 page article on Open Source for Film and TV Production.

Link here : https://www.tv-bay.com/imag/issue098/files/63.html

Pages 63-66 in the magazine, it is online and downloads inside its own browser. Enjoy.

Preperation and results are key

Planning and execution are so important as are practical results

OpenFlow and a film-focused OS– although it does sound very useful and that bringing companies together to create software for everyone's mutual benefit is obviously the foundations of Open Source, we have to bear in mind that when it comes to our marketing material and our presentations, that people can be and are naturally fairly skeptical creatures.

Telling people about a longer term broad goal is all very nice, but no one will take us too seriously and won't believe us enough to jump on board the project unless they can see, and perceive some evidence, specifics and planning to see it as realistic and get excited by it :

-evidence – are there existing functional prototypes of this project or its components, are there precedents, or a proof-of-concept?

-specifics – exactly how does the project work on a technical level, what components are there?

-planning – a realistic, researched and detailed roadmap – how are we going to get there? what resources (human/social/physical/financial) are required and where will they come from?

It is absolutely worthwhile telling people about our OpenFlow project as a future goal, but it should be in combination with talking about the day-to-day reality. We do want to encourage people to interact, share and contribute and if everyone can see what we are already working on with Apertus camera and the testing and workflow support then this will hopefully be the case, engagement and excitement in the project.

OpenFlow is a great set of solutions, but it's also quite far-off, so by introducing small practical steps and components are the all-important evidence, the effect of which lasts longer than a flash of inspiration.

To this aim next we will go to the start of the shooting process with the cameras and explain the philosophy behind the Apertusº Axiom 4K Open Source Cinema camera. Beta testing, image examples, and actual footage and examples so we can show what Open Source for Film Production has the capability to offer.

Why Open Source for Film Production?

Why Open Source for Film Production?

Or perhaps why our Company has decided to take this Open Source journey, what it was that garnered our interest and how we decided that by taking the Open Source approach we feel it will have a positive effect on our business model, even though the perhaps the commonly perceived wisdom is that Open Source should represent the free/libre model (which it should for a lot of areas certainly)

One of the main reasons for looking at Open Source for Film Production was the realisation that so much of what is becoming Open Source today fits into the new digital pipeline. Open Networks, Open Data, Big data all these new enviroments are applicable here also.

Another reason was the huge collaborative scope that a modern movie encompasses could be easily streamlined with a more Open approach.

In some respects I am not only advocating libre/free open source solutions but also a much more open approach to the way we use software and hardware and how that is applied to how movies are actually made. Other elements then become part of the same thinking such as ethical solutions and renewable energy sources.

Huge strides are being made to standardise the digital workflow, one area being the camera sensors and how the colour space is interpreted and what is a future proof approach to 'wrappng' the media (digital negative) into a standard file format.

For me there is huge scope here for a collaborative approach to the storing and delivery of media content, whether shot for TV or Theatrical release. Sensors, capture devices, dedicated Open Source workflow options, open operating systems for speed of transfers are all elements that can be encompassed through Open Source ethos and approach.

Network Nine News Article Feb 2015

Open Source for Film and TV Production …by Daniel Mulligan

via NetworkNineNews

#opensourcecinema

via @NetworkNineNews

New article based on Open Source for Film Production 

http://networkninenews.com/2015/02/19/open-source-for-film-and-tv-production-by-daniel-mulligan-m-d-rogue-element-digital/

Axiom 4K graded still - JPG at 4K

Below is a single image graded at 4K and exported as a JPG.

From the Axiom 4K camera using CMV12000 CMOSIS sensor.

New hardware list for 2015

New hardware updates for our 2015 list on the newly updated website. 

As new options begin to open up for Open Source hardware we will continue to list what is available and who is supplying what.

http://www.opensourcecinemauk.com/hardware.php

Software list for Open Source

Open Source Software lists -updated February 2015

In addition to the new hardware list please find a new software list that is either fully Open or offers the opportunity to engage with the software.

http://www.opensourcecinemauk.com/press.php

New press page online

Since 2014 we have been very fortunate to generate some good early press, hopefully this will continue into 2015 as we grow and develop further.

Link below to our new press page on our updated site

http://www.opensourcecinemauk.com/press.php