Eastman Kodak Co has introduced an upgrade for its image manipulation software developed for Cineon digital workstations. It demonstrated the enhanced speed and film manipulation tools of the new Cineon Digital Film Software, version 2.3, during the Silicon Graphics Entertainment Authoring Conference in Los Angeles last month. Version 2.3 offers greater efficiency and faster image processing, enabling it to operate up to two and a half times faster than previous versions, Kodak claims. New tools added include an image stabilisation tool for eliminating unsteadiness; a motion tracking tool for automating the process of following a moving object; enhanced animation curves for precise control of the manipulation of images over time and a degrain-regrain module for manipulating a film’s grain signatures. Cineon software version 2.3 enables users to remove or reduce a film’s original grain, manipulate the image, then re-apply a grain pattern from any current colour negative Eastman Motion Picture Film including the EXR 5293 and 5296 formats. Users can produce their own grain which emulates a film that is no longer manufactured. The combination of all these features, for example, enables users to intercut archival footage seamlessly with live-action film and add grain to computer-generated imagery. Developer’s tools are included with version 2.3 enabling users to create their own image processing software extensions for use in the Cineon Flowgraph. Cineon retouching software code has been improved, increasing brush speeds between two and 10 times depending on the application.
