Using Node Presets for Looks and Offsets

In contrast to Look Presets, which store an entire look with all nodes in the look library, a node preset only contains one or several nodes of a look.

When a node preset is applied to the current slot, only the nodes of the current look with the same name are updated, while other nodes are left untouched.

An important detail: Node presets can also include metadata. This makes them a powerful tool for managing offsets of lenses, filters, or camera bodies.

Use Cases for Node Presets

Node presets can be used to store and apply single aspects of a look. Common use cases for node presets could be:

• Look adjustment: A single CDL node, that corrects a look just to be a little warmer or cooler
• Correction for a camera-, lens- or filter offset: A single CDL node including metadata, that represents the correction of a certain color cast
• Change of colorspace: a 3D-LUT node with a LUT representing a color space conversion
• Replacing the look: a CDL and a saturation node representing a creative look without the log-to-video conversion LUT
• Replacing the LUT: a 3D-LUT node with a specific log-to-video conversion LUT

Naming nodes

When working with node presets the naming of the single nodes becomes very important, because node presets will always override look nodes with the same name. If a matching node can’t be found, the node(s) will be added to the current look.

To edit the name of a node, move the mouse cursor over the name and click the little pen icon that appears to change it to your needs.

Note: Nodes need to have unique names within a look and we recommend carefully choose meaningful names.

Managing Slot Metadata

If you are going to use metadata within your node presets, you can manage them via your slot.

It’s possible to save the following fields into a node preset

• Camera Model
• Lens Model
• Focal Length
• Aperture
• Filter
• Custom 1
• Comment

If fields are set to be automatically set by the SDI signal of the camera (indicated by an ‘A’ icon instead of a pen next to your slot metadata field), those fields won’t be overridden when applying a node preset including metadata. Change them to be manually set by clicking on the ‘A’ so the pen-icon is shown next to the metadata field.

Saving a Node Preset

To save a node preset, click the Color button in the toolbar to show the Look Library in the right bar. You can then save a node preset by clicking the “Add Node Preset” button above the Look Presets.

A panel is displayed where you can choose, which grading node(s) and which metadata should be stored in the node preset.

• Nodes. The nodes list shows all nodes of the current grade together with their names and types. Check them on the left of each row if you want that node to be part of the node preset.
• Metadata. Below the grading nodes, you find slot metadata of your current slot. Check those you want to save with your node preset. If you want to change certain values, close the dialog again and change the values via the slot metadata.

Clicking “Save” saves a new node preset into the look library.

Inspecting Node Presets in the Look Library

• Collection view. In the Look Library’s collection view, node presets are indicated by a little icon with an N in the top-left corner. You can click on the little “i” in the bottom left of a preset to display information about the nodes of the node presets.
• List view. To see all your presets listed including metadata, switch to the list view.

 

Apply Preset To Current Slot

You can apply the look information (without metadata) of a node preset by simply double-clicking it or via the contextual menu by selecting Apply Preset to Current Slot.

The selected node preset is also applied when clicking the Apply button above the Look Presets or via the menu

• Look presets > Apply selected Look Preset 

Note: If the current look doesn’t have nodes that match by name with the node preset, additional nodes will be added. This can also result in a necessary change of the grading mode, e.g. from CDL and LUT to CDL Advanced mode.

Apply Preset Including Metadata to Current Slot

To override slot metadata with saved values of your node preset, open the contextual menu from your node preset and choose Apply Preset Including Metadata to Current Slot.

Look information will also be applied to the current slot by using this functionality.

If fields are set to be automatically set by the SDI signal of the camera (indicated by an ‘A’ within your slot metadata), those fields won’t be overridden. Change them to be manually set by clicking on the ‘A’ so the pen-icon is shown next to the metadata field.

Note: If the current look doesn’t have nodes that match by name with the node preset, additional nodes will be added. This can also result in a necessary change of the grading mode, e.g. from CDL and LUT to CDL Advanced mode.

Apply Preset To Selected Shots

You can also update existing shots in your library with a node preset. The behavior will be the same:

• If there is a node with the same name in the shot(s) you selected, the grading of the certain node will be overridden
• If there is no matching node, the grading node of the node preset will be added

This functionality is also provided for Look Presets.

Metadata won’t be overridden with this function.

Note: When there is no matching and the node has to be added, this can result in a necessary change of the grading mode, e.g. from CDL and LUT to CDL Advanced mode.

Example: Lens Correction

Let’s illustrate the use of a node preset with an example.

You have a look consisting of a creative CDL node, a second CDL node correcting the color cast of the lens, and a 3D LUT node with the log-to-video conversion.

Let’s assume you have to switch between three lenses regularly, which all have different color casts. You want to save a node preset for each lens, that only consists of the CDL node representing the correction of the lens’s color cast.

1. Prepare
   • Switch to “CDL Advanced” grading mode, click on “Edit”, and remove all nodes except two CDL nodes and one 3D-LUT node.
   • Click on the right bar of the second CDL node “CDL 2”, and rename it to “Lens Correction”. You should now have one CDL node named “CDL”, and one “Lens Correction”.
   • Use the color controls and set a creative look in the “CDL” node and a 3D LUT for the log-to-video conversion.
2. Color correct
   • Use the color controls of node “Lens Correction” and set it to correct the color cast for your lens
3. Edit slot metadata
   • Use slot metadata and change the field for Lens Model (e.g. “Vintage Prime T2.0”) and Focal Length (e.g. “35mm”)
4. Add Node Preset
   • Click on the “Add node preset” button above the presets.
   • In the appearing panel with the list of nodes select the “Lens Correction” node.
   • As metadata to be saved, choose the fields Lens Model and Focal Length and double-check them for the correct values. If the values are not correct, close the dialog, change the values via the slot metadata fields, and open the dialog by pressing the “Add node preset” again.
   • Check that all unused nodes and metadata fields are unchecked.
   • Click “Save” and give the new node preset a name (e.g. “Lens Correction”).
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4. for two more lenses.

You now should have three new node presets containing only the lens correction for your three lenses including their descriptions.

To get a better overview of your corrections, switch to the list view that will show you their metadata as well.

When lenses are switched next time, you can simply right-click on your node preset and choose “Apply Preset Including Metadata to Current Slot” for the corresponding lens in the look library. The node with the name “Lens Correction” will then be updated with the correction for that particular lens as well as the slot metadata fields.

 

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