Setting up RED cameras

Livegrade comes with support for remote look control and metadata over Ethernet of RED cameras using RCP2. This includes the following camera types:

  • RED V-RAPTOR XL [X]
  • RED V-RAPTOR [X]
  • RED V-RAPTOR XE
  • RED KOMODO-X
  • RED KOMODO

With this feature set you can control the look which is applied in a RED camera and receive metadata over Ethernet.

This has two main benefits:

  • Live-graded image output directly from the camera: Each output of the camera – including the viewfinder – can show the live-graded image.
  • Look metadata stored together with OCF: Without any additional steps needed, the looks will be saved in the file header of each recorded clip. Anyone in the post production pipeline who gets in touch with the material has the opportunity to reveal the look which was set live on set.
  • Comprehensive metadata read-out: Adding the camera as look device to your slot allows you to select the camera as metadata source for your slot metadata.

Preconditions#

  • Network connection: In order to exchange look information with Livegrade, the camera needs to have a working network connection with the computer where Livegrade is running.
  • Enable ethernet access: To connect Livegrade to the camera you have to
    • configure the ethernet access in the camera’s menu
      • at Communication > Connections > [GIG-E] and
      • at Communication > Clients & Services > [FTPS]

Setting up the look in the RED camera#

The look of a RED camera can be set up in the camera’s [Image / LUT] menu.

The RED look consists of three parts:

  • CDL
  • 3D LUT
  • Output transform settings
    • Output Color Space
    • Output Tone Map
    • Highlight Roll-Off
    • Display Preset

CDL#

CDL can be either set to a static file or to dedicated dynamic file, which can be controlled via Livegrade. In order to control the CDL with Livegrade,

  • the CDL has to be enabled

3D LUT#

3D LUT can be enabled and set to a static file via the camera’s menu and tools provided by the camera manufacturer.

Output transform settings#

The output transform settings can be set via the camera’s menu.

In Livegrade, make sure that

  • the last LUT corresponds to the output transform settings. The IPP2 LUT creator tool of REDCINE-X Pro allows to create 3D LUTs for all kind of standard output transform configurations.

Monitoring camera settings#

Within the Monitoring menu of the camera you can select the processing of all available SDI ports.

To show the live-graded image, choose Image / LUT as Look setting.

Adding the RED camera as a look device#

Once the camera is in the same network as your computer, you can add it to any input slot using the slot manager.

Open the slot manager

  • by clicking on the Slot Manager symbol in the toolbar or
  • via the menu: Livegrade > [Slot Manager…]

Open Slot Manager

In the slot manager, click on the input you want to add the device to.

Within an input click on the + Add Device button in the Look Devices section to add your RED camera to the slot.

Host textfieldEnter the device’s IP address of the camera. The IP address of the camera can be set up in the camera’s menu at Communication > Connections > [GIG-E]

Look Update toggleChoose how to update the look on the device.

  • Interactive
    • Adjustments of the look will be sent immediately to the device.
  • Manual Upload
    • Adjustments of the look will be sent on “Upload Look” actions. These actions are available as menu items (Slots > [Upload Look to Device(s)] menu), Toolbar button, Stream Deck and Tangent action
  • Off
    • only available for look devices with the possibility to provide a metadata stream, such as RED and ARRI ALF4 cameras
    • The look won’t be sent to the device

Username textfieldEnter the username for accessing the camera via its FTP service, which is used to upload the CDL when using “Permanently Store Look On Device” actions. The username can be set up in the camera’s menu at Communication > Clients & Services > [FTPS]

Password textfieldEnter the password for accessing the camera via its FTP service, which is used to upload the CDL when using “Permanently Store Look On Device” actions. The password can be set up in the camera’s menu at Communication > Clients & Services > [FTPS]

Finally, click on Connect to add the device to the slot. After that the current look of the corresponding input slot will always be sent to the look device as long as the input slot is in Live mode.

Choosing the RED camera as metadata source#

Once you added a RED DSMC3 camera as look device to your slot, you can select it as metadata source so that Livegrade reads the camera metadata via the Ethernet connection to the camera instead of reading the metadata within the SDI stream or the frame grab coming from a LUT box.

To do so,

  • In the slot manager, click on the slot you want to configure
  • Check the “Look Devices” section and make sure that the RED camera was already added and is connected
  • Scroll down to the “Image and Metadata” section
  • Use the “Metadata Source” drop-down menu and select the RED camera

From now on, the auto-populated metadata in your slot will come from the camera.

Tip: You can also change the metadata source at the level of an individual field. To do this, click the icon to the right of a field’s text box and select either

  • the “Image Source”, if you want the field to be populated via the slot’s configured image source
  • the “Metadata Source”, if you want the field to be populated via the slot’s configured metadata source
  • “User editable”, if you want to enter the data for this field manually

Note: As of now, it is not possible to use the record flag which is received via Ethernet as record trigger for auto-record. Triggering auto-record can only be achieved by using the record flag via a captured. SDI image stream.

Live-grading#

The following grading modes align to that look control mode:

  • CDL and LUT
  • CDL Advanced

When using look control mode CDL, Livegrade adjusts the CDL part of the camera as follows:

  • All CDL and Saturation nodes of your grade will be merged into one single ASC-CDL file and will be sent as such to the camera’s CDL part
  • All other nodes won’t be sent to the camera

The last LUT node in Livegrade’s look#

The last LUT node typically contains the colorspace conversion from REDWideGamutRGB to a display color space (e.g. Rec.709).

When remote grading RED cameras in look control mode CDL you have to manage the output transform in the camera.

  • RED camera:
    • Set the output transform settings Output Color Space, Output Tone Map, Highlight Roll-Off, and Display Preset accordingly to your display environment
  • Livegrade:
    • Make sure the last LUT node corresponds to the output transform settings. The IPP2 LUT creator tool of REDCINE-X Pro allows to create 3D LUTs for all kind of output configurations.

Look setup#

  • Grading mode: Select grading mode CDL and LUT, so that your look setup aligns with the look processing of the camera.
  • Look template: To name your nodes accordingly to the camera, you can apply the RED Camera >CDL and Output Transform template which can be selected by pressing the Look Template button on the right side of the grading mode selector.

Extracting the look#

Extracting the look from a clip that was recorded will then give you

  • an ASC-CDL containing all CDL and Saturation adjustments in one set of values
  • a 3D LUT containing the output transform as it was set up in the camera

Permanently store looks in RED Cameras#

To save a look permanently on the attached camera, use the action “Permanently Store Look on Device” which can be triggered

  • via the main menu: Slots > [Permanently Store Look on Device]

The look will be stored as follows:

  • The CDL part of the look will be stored as LivegradeCDL.cdl

Last updated: April 23, 2026

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