Slot manager

The slot manager allows to configure “Inputs” and “Outputs” in Livegrade.

You can open the slot manager

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

Open Slot Manager

Open Slot Manager

Inputs#

Inputs represent one camera of your setup and are the base of an input slot.

You can use an input slot to

grade one or more look devices (e.g. LUT box or monitor)
capture frame grabs (via a LUT box or a monitor)
capture SDI image streams (via a video input device)

On the left side, you will find a slot list which shows all configured slots.

Clicking on a slot within the slot list will open the detail view of a slot.

Slot list#

The slot list on the left side of the slot manager shows all configured slots. It allows you to

quickly overview all configured slots and devices
select a slot and open its detail view

Let’s take a look on to the elements shown in the slot list

Slot description#

Slot character label
Shows the slot character of the slot

Slot label label
Shows the label of the slot

Devices#

Within the slot list you will see the devices which are assigned to each slot.

Assigned look devices are listed before image and metadata source devices.

Device type tag label
Shows the type of the assigned device. The type tags are as followsLUT indicates a LUT Box used as look deviceMON indicates a LUT Box used as look deviceFGB indicates a frame grab used as image and metadata sourceSDI indicates an SDI stream capture as image and metadata sourceWEB indicates a web cam device used as image and metadata source

Device description label
Shows the device name and a specifier (IP address or MAC address for look devices; port number for SDI input devices)

Bottom bar#

Plus/minus buttons
Use the + and – buttons on the bottom left to add or delete input slots.

Tip: You can add up to 8 input slots. This number can be extended via an extension module. More information can be found in the article Number of Slots.

Detail view of a slot#

Within an input you will find the following sections.

Slot description#

Slot character textfield
Allows to edit the slot character of a slot.

Slot label label
Allows to edit the slot label of a slot.

Look devices#

This section contains devices that can be graded, such as LUT boxes or monitors.

You can add multiple look devices to one slot, for example if you need to send the look for a certain camera to several LUT boxes and monitors.A list of supported devices can be found here: All device integrations in Livegrade 7

If a look device provides a frame grab, it can be chosen as image and metadata source below.

+ Add Device button
Click on + Add Device to add a new look device to the slot. Each device type comes with different configuration options. For more detailed information about a certain device, please refer to their corresponding reference articles.

Image and metadata#

In this section you can configure your image and metadata source.

Image Source popup menu
Select the source to be used for the slot to provide an image within Livegrade. This source can be either

a frame grab provided by a look device or
a video input source provided by
- an attached SDI video input device or
- other devices in the same network via NDI

The menu will lists all available frame grab and video input sources.

After selecting an image source for a slots, the image will be shown the slot preview in the main screen.

Tip: If you want to do a test on a limited setup and you don’t have a LUT box or capture device at hand, you can use a webcam as an input image source.

Metadata Source popup menu
Select the source to be used to provide auto-populated slot metadata. As most image sources carry comprehensive metadata already, the metadata source for the slot can be set to “Same as Image Source”.If a dedicated metadata source is available (e.g., a camera providing metadata over Ethernet), it will be listed in the popup menu and can be selected as metadata source.

Image source provided by an SDI video input device#

If you are using an SDI image stream as image and metadata source, following configuration options become available:

Format label
Shows the format of the incoming SDI stream.

Camera type dropdown menu
Allows to select the camera type in order to read out SDI metadata correctly

Record trigger dropdown menu
Choose which detection method should be used to trigger the recording automatically. Note that the appropriate method depends on your setup and camera:

Record Flag (HANC) Choose “Record Flag (HANC)” when capturing SDI streams that contain a record flag within the horizontal ancillary metadata of the SDI signal, e.g. when working with ARRI, RED or SONY cameras.
RecRun Timecode Choose “RecRun” to trigger auto recording based on starting and stopping the a recrun timecode.
Sony Clip Name Available on supported devices that receive Sony clip name metadata. Enables auto-record for Sony cameras based on clip name changes.
None Choose “None” if you don’t want to trigger auto-recording via the captured SDI stream.

Signal range dropdown menu
Select the signal range of the incoming signal. Change the signal ranges from legal to full, for example, if you receive an ungraded signal from a Sony camera that outputs an SDI signal in extended range.

RGB-YCbCr Conv. dropdown menu
Select the RGB-YCbCr matrix for the incoming signal.

Processing State dropdown menu
Choose “Original” when capturing un-processed (i.e. “log”) image signals.Choose “Look Applied” when capturing graded image signals. Note that stored shots can not be updated, recordings and stills will be saved graded and “Exposure Assist” will bei disabled.

Tip: You chose a video input source (such as an SDI stream) for up to 4 input slots. This number can be extended via an extension module. More information can be found in the article Number of Slots.

Outputs#

Outputs represent the image shown in the viewer and which can be displayed on an external device.

Tip: Using outputs to display your viewer image via a video output device makes particular sense if you want to review stills or clips on your reference monitor or if you want to use filters such as crop that are not sent to the grading device.

To configure your attached video output device, click on Output and select an output in the slot manager.

On the left side, you will find an output list which shows all configured outputs.

Clicking on an output within the slot list will open the detail view of an output.

Outputs

Outputs

Output list#

Output description#

Output character label
Shows the slot character of the output.

Output label label
Shows the label of the output.

Devices#

Within the output list you will see the device which is used to output the image stream of the output.

Device type tag labelSDI indicates the output of an SDI stream via a video output device.LST indicates the output of a local stream. Outputting to a local stream requires the “Output and streaming” module.IST indicates the output of an internet stream. Outputting to a internet stream requires the “Output and streaming” module.

Device description labelShows the device name and a specifier (e.g., used port number of an SDI output device)

Bottom bar#

Plus/minus buttons
Use the + and – buttons on the bottom left to add or delete output slots.

Tip: You can add up to 3 outputs. This number can be extended via an extension module. More information can be found in the article Number of Slots.

Detail view of an output#

Device dropdown menu
Shows all available output devices that are currently available on your computer.If you’ve activated the Output and streaming module, you can also choose a local or internet steam as device.

When selecting an SDI output device, following options become available:

Format dropdown menu
Select the format of the outgoing SDI stream.

The video format of the incoming video signal sets the device’s video format automatically when “Video Output Format” is set to “Auto”. If you have selected a fixed video output format, make sure the output frame rate is either identical to the input or a compatible higher rate. Supported higher-rate equivalents include 23.98 → 59.94, 24 → 60, 25 → 50, 29.97 → 59.94, 30 → 60.

Tip: Using a higher output frame rate can also reduce latency, as frames are transmitted more frequently. Note that your wireless systems and monitors must support the required SDI bandwidth (3G for HD, 12G for UHD/4K).

Tip: If you experience intermittent signal loss—such as when the camera is powered off or a wireless system temporarily outputs an invalid format—setting a fixed video format helps maintain a stable and continuous output.

Signal Ranges dropdown menu
Select the signal range of the incoming signal. Change the signal ranges from legal to full, for example, if you receive an ungraded signal from a Sony camera that outputs an SDI signal in extended range.

RGB-YCbCr Conv. dropdown menu
Select the RGB-YCbCr matrix for the outgoing signal

Accessing outputs in the main UI#

To switch between outputs in the viewer, use the buttons in the top of the viewer.

Alternatively you can also use

menu items in the View menu or
Stream Deck and controller actions

to switch between outputs and their current view mode.