Custom RAW Development

This article covers features which are only available in Silverstack Lab.

Silverstack Lab allows you to set custom development parameters for processing selected RAW formats:

• ARRIRAW
• REDCODE RAW
• Sony X-OCN
• Canon CRM
• DJI CinemaDNG

Formats and Manufacturer SDKs

With the new RAW tab in the right sidebar, Silverstack Lab provides a customizable interface to the camera manufacturers’ RAW SDKs, which are in charge of transforming the proprietary RAW data into a processable image. The application of the development parameters in the manufacturers’ RAW SDKs guarantees that the result is of the best quality and in line with the manufacturers’ reference tools.

Each of the mentioned RAW formats allows customizing standard settings like ISO, color temperature, or tint. Depending on the different SDKs or clips, special parameters like sharpness or noise reduction might also be available.

Custom Settings and Clip Defaults

Per default, each clip is processed with the “clip default” parameters. These are extracted from the clip metadata and usually reflect the settings selected in the camera at the time of the recording.

Activating the “Custom Settings” checkbox allows you to manipulate the RAW processing parameters of the currently selected clip. It is possible to drag the sliders or click on the parameter value and type in directly. Changing a parameter instantly updates the clip’s playback view; the corresponding clip thumbnail is updated after a short delay. A click on the arrow symbol on the right side of a control resets it to the clip default (as shot) parameter. The “Reset to Clip Defaults” button on the bottom resets all controls to the clip defaults.

Deactivating the “Custom Settings” checkbox takes you back to the clip default processing but remembers the changed parameters in the background. Toggling the checkbox allows you to compare the custom against the default processing.

Apply to Other Clips

Custom settings are stored for each clip individually; changing the parameters modifies the active clip only. It is possible to take over a custom configuration to other clips in the selection with the “Apply to Other Clips” button.

The button reveals a panel that allows one to granularly specify which parameters to take over. It is only possible to apply the settings to clips of the same format (a set of ARRIRAW parameters can only be applied to other ARRIRAW clips).

Main Table, General Info, and Reports

Custom RAW parameters, as well as the clip default (as shot) parameters, are available as columns or fields in in the main table and general info tab. The fields “EI/ISO”, “WB”, and “Tint” with suffix “(clip)” refer to the clip default parameters, while the fields with suffix “(current)” show the value that is currently used for processing in Silverstack Lab. If the “Custom Settings” checkbox is checked, these fields show the custom settings.

Including both set of parameters in your reports makes the changes transparent.

Decoding Color Space

Some RAW formats allow selecting the decoding color space and gamma. This specifies the result of the manufacturers’ SDK RAW development and is the working color space for Silverstack Lab’s grading module. The decoding color space and gamma can only be specified when switching to Silverstack Lab’s “Custom Look”, “Preset”, or “User selected LUT” modes. Currently, these options are available:

• ARRIRAW (Mini LF): LogC3/AWG3 or LogC4/AWG4 
• Sony X-OCN: S-Log3/SGamut3 or S-Log3/SGamut3.Cine
• Canon RAW: Log 2/Cinema Gamut, Log 3/Cinema Gamut, Log 2/Rec. 709 or Log 3/Rec. 709
• DJI CinemaDNG: Rec. 709/Rec. 709, sRGB/sRGB, DJI D-Log/Rec. 709, DJI D-Log/DJI D-Gamut

The “Apply to Other Clips” button allows transferring of this configuration to all clips of the same format in the current selection.