Adobe's Color Finesse vs FCP's Color -mask tracking capability

I just came back from the HD expo in NYC and one of the speakers/presenters there was a colorist. He showed a commercial that he had colored using FCP's Color Application. I came home to check out Adobe's Color Finesse for comparison and noticed that it did not have some of the features of FCP's Color, i.e. the ability to create a mask for the purpose of doing secondary color correction and to be able to track that mask to the object being corrected. Is there a way to do this within Color Finesse or outside of Finesse even. If not, what would be a Color Correction Application that you could recommend that is as robust or better than FCP's Color.
Thank You

One of the advantages of Color Finesse being a plug-in inside of After Effects is that you get to combine all of After Effects' features with Color Finesse's color correction capabilities.
You can create whatever masks you want as an AE mask, and track those masks using AE'a built-in motion tracker, or use Mocha. Or you can hand animate the motion.
When creating masks and tracking them, it's easiest to adjust the color correction parameters using Color Finesse's Simplified UI in the Effects Control Window, rather than the CF Full UI, although that is still available, of course. You may need to twirl open the Simplified UI in the ECW to see the controls. And you may want to twirl closed some of the slider groups so that you see only the controls you want to use.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Similar Messages

No Color Correction to FCP from Color

I have project that I graded in Color, I rendered it and send it back to FCP, when I viewed to clips in the FCP timeline from Color, no color correction was applied to the clips, did I do something wrong?
How do I make work properly?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Sigi

Sigi
I am new to Color but had the same problem, I was rendering out to an external harddrive. Re-render or move your files to 'Documents Folder' > 'Color Documents' > 'Renders'.
Then re-send your color project to FCP.
I'm no expert but this might work.
Chris

Significant color shift between FCP and COLOR?

Hi there,
I get a significant color shift when sending footage - either adjusted or unadjusted/unmodified - from FCP to COLOR.
Before anyone asks, the color shift is visible both internally or on an external broadcast preview monitor.
From within COLOR, I 'send' back to FCP this sequence - which is still without any form of adjustment (apart from being sent to COLOR), the apparent color shift is now visible/added to the imported sequence (from Color).
I've tried this on three separate Macs:
1. The Mac above (6.0.6). (Leopard)
2. A Mac with the same version of FCP as above. (Snow Leopard)
3. FCP and on a third Mac with an earlier version of FCP. (Leopard)
Does everyone have the same problem?
If not, does anyone have a solution?
Cheers,
Dan
PS: I've tried:
FCP > Color ProRes contrast shift
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2150962&tstart=75

I had the same problem except that I am using version 1 of color and Final Cut Pro 6. I isolated just the video and double checked that I had no filters or if I did I turned them off. I had a smooth cam filter on one shot, but that didn't effect it. I was then able to send it to color without issue, once I had no sound or filters or transitions messing up the pass between final cut and color. Try doing the same, just duplicate or copy your timeline to a new timeline. I would have rendered your footage out to ProRes however as using the DVC Pro codec is probably not ideal. Color also only works with actual full raster files, not so good going from HDV or DVC Pro as they have an anamorphic frame size. This may be causing issues also.

Premiere 5.5 and Color Finesse

Folks I have a strange problem. I converted a project from CS3 to CS5.5 and now my color finesse settings have disappeared and returned to default. I have spent weeks perfecting the color matching to have it all goto waste. Is there anything that I can do to get this back or am I stuck starting from scratch?
Please help, I am desperate for an answer.

Do you still see Color Finesse applied to your clips, but with reset parameters, or are you getting a "missing effect" instead of Color Finesse?
Color Finesse 3 should read Color Finesse 2.1 settings and update them, but if you were using the older Color Finesse 1.x, then that was considered a different effect and won't get translated by CF 3.
One way to bring the settings forward would be to install CS3 and the older version of Color Finesse on your system (I have CS3-CS5.5 installed on my Win7 64 system), then step through each clip that has Color Finesse applied and do a Save Settings. The saved settings files can then be reloaded into Color Finesse 3 running under AE CS5.5.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Often I can only right click or double click in after effects (usually while using Color Finesse)

Hey, I can't seem to find anyone else that is having this issue.
I use Dynamic linking from Premiere to color a project using Color Finesse in After Effects. Whats the timeline is dropped in, I'll drop in the color finesse effect, open up color finesse, color, and hit okay. When I come back to After Effects, it seems like every other time I do this sequence of events, I can't left click anymore. The only way to scrub through is to left click or double click on the player head. I can't click and drag effects (I just double click). I can't load presets or anything. I have to get back into color finesse and then it works normally again. But once I'm back out of color finesse and into after effects.... it's back. This is driving me insane, as it makes everything take twice as long. Also, I might add that this happens on MULTIPLE computers. So I do believe it's something that I'm doing wrong or something and not the computer. However, it could quite possibly be a setting with color finesse or something with color finesse, cause I'm really the only one on these computers that uses color finesse.
Anyway, thanks for any help in advance.
-Patrick

Hey, I can't seem to find anyone else that is having this issue.
I use Dynamic linking from Premiere to color a project using Color Finesse in After Effects. Whats the timeline is dropped in, I'll drop in the color finesse effect, open up color finesse, color, and hit okay. When I come back to After Effects, it seems like every other time I do this sequence of events, I can't left click anymore. The only way to scrub through is to left click or double click on the player head. I can't click and drag effects (I just double click). I can't load presets or anything. I have to get back into color finesse and then it works normally again. But once I'm back out of color finesse and into after effects.... it's back. This is driving me insane, as it makes everything take twice as long. Also, I might add that this happens on MULTIPLE computers. So I do believe it's something that I'm doing wrong or something and not the computer. However, it could quite possibly be a setting with color finesse or something with color finesse, cause I'm really the only one on these computers that uses color finesse.
Anyway, thanks for any help in advance.
-Patrick

Final Cut Pro - Recently downloaded Quicklooks and Color Finesse Wont show in FCP

This is really confusing. Quicklooks originally worked, then I got an old copy of motion and installed it and it messed everything up (Quicklooks stopped showing and Motion just kept crashing). I removed Motion, uninstalled Quicklooks and reinstalled it and it still wouldn't show in FCP. I've been troubleshooting with a Quicklooks Service rep for a week and still no dice. I then downloaded Color Finesse to see if it was maybe a Quicklooks problem but that didn't show up either. Any ideas?

See!?! Told ya so!
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1172945
Thphphpthpthpthpthpthtph!

FCP 5 and color finesse

I am trying to install the color finesse plug in into my FCP 5. I have updated FCP to 5.0.3 and have downloaded the correct Color Finesse instaler for FCP.
Colour Finesse does not come up in the video filters list, once installed
My problem I think is the Color Finesse installer routine asks me to install it to the "plug in" directory, what is FCP 5's plug in directory called?. I can't find one in the applications folder for FCP, other programs such as AEffects have them. Do i just let color finesse install to the applications directory and it should work? , this is what i have done and it did'nt work. Do I have to do anything in FCP intself post instalation to enable this plug in.
I am using OSX 10.3.9.
cheers

As noted in the other replies:
- Make sure you're using the installer for FCP and not AE. The AE plug-in will crash FCP.
- Quit FCP before installing Color Finesse.
- When the installer asks, point it to "/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Pro System Support/Plugins".
- When the installer exits, start FCP. Color Finesse will appear in the Effects > Video Filters > Synthetic Aperture menu.
- To apply Color Finesse, double-click a clip to load it into the Viewer. Select Color Finesse from the Effects menu. Go to the Filters tab. You should see the Color Finesse logo and a "Setup" button to its right. If you don't see the button, widen the column until you do. Click the Setup button to launch the Color Finesse UI.
If your setup doesn't work after installation, check for the following on your hard drive:
- In the "/Library/Application Support/Final Cut Pro System Support/Plugins" folder there should be a Synthetic Aperture folder containing "SA Color Finesse Plug-In".
- In the "/Library/Application Support" folder there should be a Synthetic Aperture folder containing, among other things, "SA Color Finesse UI".
You can manually move the Synthetic Aperture folders around if they were installed in the wrong location.
That's about all I can think of for installation issues. You can always reach our tech support department via support at synthetic-ap dot com.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Is the 3rd party plug-in 'Synthetic Aperture Color Finesse' which comes with Adobe After Effects, free to use?

Is the 3rd party plug-in 'Synthetic Aperture Color Finesse' which comes with Adobe After Effects, free to use? 'Synthetic Aperture Color Finesse' installs its documentation in the plug-in’s subfolder in the Plug-ins folder.
I cannot locate anywhere on the Adobe site which specifies that this plug-in is free to use for educational institutions.
Can anyone assist please?
Regards
Susan O'Reilly
Staffordshire University

Yes, it's free and inclusive with every AE install.
Mylenium

Sa Color Finesse in After Effects Cs6 is locked how to unlock?

I have a cloud subscription and After Effects Cs 6 will not unlock SA Color Finesse 3. How do I unlock?

The Adobe AE installer always installs Color Finesse for you with no extra work on your part. It is then automatically serialized the first time you apply Color Finesse to a layer.
If you've tried using an installer from our website (which does require a serial number), then as Myleium says, the easiest fix is to uninstall AE and then reinstall it.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

In After Effects when I use the Color Finesse 3, A grid appears in the display window. How do I turn that off?

When I click on Affects, then Synthetic Aperture, then SA Color Finesse 3 in the Creative Cloud a grid appears over the video in the display window, and I am un sure how to take that off?

Color Finesse 3 LE is included with After Effects and is installed automatically when After Effects is installed. The only reason to upgrade to the paid version is if you want to use Color Finesse in Premiere Pro as well as in After Effects.
Since it's a college computer, do you have the ability to install/uninstall software? Many colleges lock down the computers to limit such access. You'll need full access, including an admin password, to use the following steps. If you're not allowed the necessary access, you can pass the following along to whoever does computer administration.
To remove the trial version, delete the entire "Synthetic Aperture" folder found in:
/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/7.0/MediaCore
(Note that this is the Library folder at the base of your boot drive, not the one in your home folder.)
Next, re-enable the bundled version of Color Finesse by going to the following folder:
/Applications/Adobe/Adobe After Effects CC/Support Files/Plug-ins/Effects/Synthetic Aperture
Now, within that "Synthetic Aperture" folder you'll find a plug-in with parentheses around the name:
(SA Color Finesse 3 AE64)
Remove the parentheses from the filename so AE will see it. Do NOT remove the parentheses from the "(CF3 Support)" folder or AE will launch very, very slowly, and Color Finesse won't work right.
Finally, within the "(CF3 Support)" folder, locate the "(SA Color Finesse 3 UI)" application and remove the parentheses.
Launch AE, apply Color Finesse to a layer, enter a name, and you should be good to go with no grid lines.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Did I need to pay for use Color finesse?

Hello, I want to ask about Color finesse. I have that Effect in my After Effect CS 5.5 but when I want to use it the program ask me about registration. I want to ask if I need to pay after the regisration color finesse or the registration is free with AE CS5,5?
Thanks for answering

You don't need to pay extra to use Color Finesse in After Effects CS5.5. Color Finesse is installed automatically by the Adobe installer and serializes itself the first time you use it.
When you apply Color Finesse to a layer for the first time it will ask for your name/organization. You need to enter something here and click OK to cause Color Finesse to serialize itself. Color Finesse as included with CS5.5 should never ask for a serial number. Nor do you need to register your copy on-line (although we suggest you do so).
Or is Color Finesse not behaving this way? A screenshot of what you're seeing could help us understand what is going on.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Install of Color Finesse for CS5 Is A Mystery

Hello:
I just installed CS5 Master Collection, and I have a left-over serial number for Color Finesse. After posting questions to Adobe support, searching the contents of my "Contents" disk, and just about everything else, I still don't see the procedure to install the Color Finesse plugin to After Effects. Has anyone done this? Where is the install software? I looked on every one of my CD's (all 4 of them). At least I think Adobe should have provided written instructions or a Read-Me that contained that information, but I have yet to find it.
Thanks,
Rich Locus

Color Finesse is automatically installed by the CS5 installer, so you already have it all ready to use.
Within AE, select a layer and go to the Effects menu. You'll find a menu item for Synthetic Aperture, and within that is "SA Color Finesse 3". Choose that to apply it to the selected layer, just as you would any other effect.
The very first time you apply it you'll be asked for that "extra" serial number you have. Be sure to use the serial number labeled as "Color Finesse CS5" as that's the one for Color Finesse 3.
Once you've applied Color Finesse to a layer, you can twirl open the Simplified Interface to view the controls, or click the "Full Interface" button to see the full UI. Within that full UI you'll find a link to the Color Finesse Users Guide in the Help menu.
Hope that gets you up and running.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Color Finesse 3 and AME CS4

I'm sorry, I'll have to be brief, but I came up with an issue regarding Color Finesse and AME.
I already had used the plugin once without problems and exported at least one video with it, but now, everytime I export a video and AME opens, the following window pop's up:
And I came across with other users with the same bug. Their solution was to upgrade the CF 2.1.8 to 2.1.11.
However I am using CF 3.02 and not 2.1.8. And I think there is no more recent version than this one...
I already tried to uninstall and install both the whole Creative Suite (deleting manually the preferences, and other files) and the plugin, but after that, the same error shows up...
Does anyone here knows a solution? Or why this bug starts to happen after some time working fine?

We're not sure why it happens some times and not others. And apparently never on our systems. We've had just a couple of reports of this on the Mac, and none on Windows since the 2.1.11 update was published (3.0.2 incorporates the change that was made in 2.1.11--I just verified that we didn't "lose" that fix in the move to 3.0).
To help us pin this down, can you let us know exactly how you are doing your export as well as the source footage format and the destination format and settings. There seems to something about a specific type of export that is tripping up Color Finesse.
We don't normally monitor this section of the Adobe Forums, so it would be fastest if you can send that information to us via support "at" synthetic-ap "dot" com. Thanks and sorry for the problem.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

CS5 Color Finesse Serial Number caution

Adobe supplied me with the wrong serial number for Color Finesse 3 in CS5.
I started a case with Tech Support but after exchanging emails this weekend then an hour and a half phone conversation with 2 reps today, they were unable to assist me. In fact neither representative knew what Color Finesse is.
I contacted Synthetic Aperture via their web forum and they said I'd been given a PC serial number that won't work on a Mac.
At noon today the Adobe tech said they'd call back within 2 hours with a solution, its now been 5 hours and no call. I'm not impressed.
In case anyone else has this problem the PC serial numbers begin with CFLEP and the Mac ones CFLEM. I tried changing the letter prefix and it seemed to work, however while it got me through the Synthetic Aperture registration process, I now have the dreaded pink grid on layers that have CF applied, indicating it is unregistered... Synthetic Aperture says I have to reinstall After Effects again. Oh joy ;/

I'm happy to report that a few moments ago I received an email containing the appropriate serial number. Tested and it works.
I do appreciate all the employees that have helped.
What was particularly frustrating in this case was the phone call to Tech support – a route suggested by an email from Adobe – that was lengthy and pointless. I was repeatedly asked for my serial number and case number. Surely once you have these it should be a simple matter to locate the required information in an online database. When I explained the problem with the Color Finesse serial number they seemed to have no idea what I was referring to.
I was told by the tech support person that they needed time to resolve the issue and he would call me back or contact me with in a few hours. He took my phone number and email address (again... sigh).
Had he told me to wait several days instead of hours I could have accepted that, a commitment was made and not delivered on. That is poor service.
In contrast, Synthetic Aperture, a smaller company with far fewer resources, responded in minutes to each email.
I'm very grateful to Aldolfo, Todd and all the other Adobe employees who support this and other forums. I don't intend to malign them in anyway, they are real assets to Adobe and the user community, providing helpful support with a plethora of issues.
However basic customer service and support doesn't meet the standard.

What is CS5 Color Finesse??

Hi I have just installed adobe master collection. as part of the package i received 3 serial numbers. I used 2 - one for the master collection and one for adobe acrobat.
the third serial number is for cs5 color finesse. I was not asked to use it - i do not know what color finesse is - i can't find this application??? on my hard drive. I have searched for informat on what it does on the adobe website - nothing i could find- i went on a chat help line with adobe - nothing - so I am hoping someone here can offer some information or direction that will lead me to some answers.
what i did find on my hard disc was these things:
color finesse 3 plug-in user's guide
color finesse docs
color finesse plug-in for AE CS5 release noteslicence
license
register color finesse
sa color finesse 3 ae64.plugin
so im thinking color finesse is a plugin but where oh where do i use the serial number ???
hoping for some clarity
alaz

You'll need the serial number as "proof of purchase" if you ever want to upgrade your copy of Color Finesse.
Minor (bug fix type) updates are free and available from the Synthetic Aperture website, and require the serial number to install.
Plus, when we bring out a major update, we've always given a discount to those who have the prior version. Your serial number proves that you have that prior version.
We've tried to simplify the initial installation of Color Finesse by eliminating the need to enter the serial number, but don't lose it as you will need it later!
It's also a good idea to do the on-line registration on our website. That way should you ever lose your serial number, there is a record of it with us. Otherwise there is no way for either us or Adobe to recover the serial number.
Bob Currier
Synthetic Aperture

Adobe's Color Finesse vs FCP's Color -mask tracking capability

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for