RCM Input Colour Space and Metadata tagging annoyance

So it looks like in Resolve 15, if you are using Resolve Colour Management then the Input Colour Space will be automatically filled in according to what Resolve thinks it is.

So if you export something where your Output Colour Space (when using RCM or ACES) or your Timeline Colour Space (when using DaVinci YRGB) is a display referred colour space, then if you import this into a Colour managed project, the Input Colour Space will be automatically assigned to reflect this.

Seems good in theory, but in practise not only does it not work properly but also I just find it really annoying.

1. although ACES colour spaces are tagged in RCM, neither RCM nor ACES colour space selections are tagged in the IDT column

2. only movie files support tagging, not images or image sequences

3. worst of all, ProRes camera files are being detected as Rec709 Gamma 2.4 when they are ARRI LogC, so I can't simply set my Input/Timeline colour space to Arri LogC, I'll now need to manually fix every source file I'm given!!

4. as stated, only display referred colour spaces are tagged, so even if someone were to transcode camera files output as Arri LogC, it would only be assigned the Project Input Colour Space anyway!


This feature only makes my life more difficult, both as an online editor and as a colourist. I can't think of a single job I've done where it would have been handy, at least given the limitations stated above. Please go back to having everything default to the Project Input Colour Space, this worked great, so I can set my project Input Colour Space and then manually adjust the minority of files that won't conform to this, without worrying about Resolve having messed things up for me. And if you insist on implementing it then it should be optional, and defaulting to OFF.

I must admit I have also been caught at this thinking input transforms didn't work while not realizing Resolve already set them at the clip level.

However I think it is a step in the right direction of improved workflow, however a little indicator at the clip level that the input transform was set is probably a good idea.

Did you try the ARRI clips with the latest version (b5) of the beta release?

4. as stated, only display referred colour spaces are tagged, so even if someone were to transcode camera files output as Arri LogC, it would only be assigned the Project Input Colour Space anyway!

I do not think that is correct.
PQ gamma is display referred, most other gammas are scene referred.

Log gammas and HLG are correctly tagged.

RCM doesn't seem to be working properly for me on the Linux Studio 15B5 builds as it ignores the input color space unless you manually select all the clips in the timeline and define the input color space. It appears to ignore the input color space that's set in color management, at least with Alexa Log-C footage.

RCM doesn't seem to be working properly for me on the Linux Studio 15B5 builds as it ignores the input color space unless you manually select all the clips in the timeline and define the input color space. It appears to ignore the input color space that's set in color management, at least with Alexa Log-C footage.

Are you sure the input color space was not set automatically at the clip level during import? It's a new (undocumented?) feature.

Since the input color space at the clip level overrides the input color space at the project level it may appear the input color space does not do anything.

Cary,

Didn't catch that, it was set to Rec 709 Gamma 2.4 on import. Good catch, thanks!