News, updates, and changes in Composer R3 2023

Composer R3 2023, Version 1.7.8727.15888
Release date 2023-11-23

• Media files 

  • Added support for hardware-accelerated decoding of h264 using NVDEC. Using NVDEC will reduce CPU load. 

  • Added support for playback of Quicktime Animation files. This file format supports an Alpha Channel.

• Added new chroma keyer operator: IBK 3D Keyer. This is an image-based keyer based on a clean plate. It may render very accurate and detailed results.

• HSV Keyer:

  • Added a new feature to adjust the key in shadows and highlights. This is very useful for changing the key in dark areas and shadows and for very bright and reflective objects.

  • Added new spill suppression algorithm: Limit to Key Color. In some use cases, this new method is superior to the previous methods (average, max, limit).

  • Added support for spill luminance recovery and spill balance (red, green, blue).

  • Added support for using a layer instead of an image as garbage matte.

  • Added support for resetting Alpha Gain and Alpha Ped.

• Added four new blend modes: Hue, Saturation, Color (=Hue + Saturation) and Luminance.

• Added a new input type Web Page Input (Chromium, WebGL), that supports rendering of web pages using WebGL.

• Added support for converting a scene layer into a new "precomp" scene. The new scene will contain the same input and the same operators as the source layer. This function is practical when structuring your project into several scenes.

• Added support for showing the input of the selected scene layer (CTRL+left click) or by using the context menu and the Show input menu item. This function will make it easier to find the input quickly.

• Added support for showing the name of the input used in a scene layer. The name is shown as a tooltip when hovering over the scene layer.

• Added support for renaming all layers using a particular input to the same name as the input name. This function is helpful if your input has changed and has a new name, and you want all the layers that use the input to be renamed to the same name.

• Added support for reallocating missing media. If your media location has changed, this function will assist you in finding the lost media files.

• Image and media inputs: After using the Load button and loading a new media file, a new confirmation dialog will be shown in which the user can select to either keep the name of the input, or use the new filename as the name.

• When opening a project, there will be a warning if one or more media files are missing.

• Added a delete feature to the right-click menu for scene layers, inputs, and connectors.

• Added a "Confirm delete" dialog for inputs, operators, targets, and connectors.

• HSV Keyer, HSV Range Keyer, and IBK 3D Keyer: added support for selecting output using the function keys. Added support for using the background as output.

• HSV Range Keyer

  • Added support for enabling/disabling the garbage matte.

  • Added support for a more simplified compute model for saturation and luminance.

• Prometheus endpoint (/metrics): added Extended Monitoring plugin  (Requires separate Add-on license, available in Q4)

  • Added summary of all RTMP targets. Find more information in the documentation.

  • Added a new metric for average processing load usage (composer_last_frame_processing_usage). Metric corresponds to the percentage of available processing time (based on frame rate).

  • Added a new metric for average processing time last 10k frames (composer_average_processing_time_10k_frames).

  • Added a new metric for average processing usage last 10k frames (composer_average_processing_usage_10k_frames). Metric corresponds to the percentage of used processing time (based on frame rate) during the last 10,000 rendered frames.

  • Added support for tagging all log entries using a Server Label. This is very useful when analyzing log files using Loki or other log tools. 

• Added support for running inputs, scenes, and targets on separate rendering threads. Experimental feature.

• Runtime performance: added statistics for compute time, on average, for the last 10,000 frames.

• Added additional in-app links to the online documentation.

• Logging: Updated performance logging syntax and content. Example:

         PerformanceLog {"congestionsLastSecond": "0", "processingQueue": "0", "numWorkerQueueFlushesSinceStart": "0", "uptime": "0.00:00:39:979", "avgProcessingTime": "1,7", "avgProcessingTimeUsage": "5,1", "avgProcessingTime10k": "5,6", "avgProcessingTimeUsage10kUsage": "16,8", "congestiveFrames": "34", "processRAMUsageGB": "0,47597885", "runTimeState": "Idle", "gpuRAMUsed": "1,410/24,000"} 

         The new "Usage" metrics represent processing usage in percentage (based on the frame rate).

• After successfully importing new media using the Import Media menu item, Composer will automatically switch to the Inputs tab. 

• Added tooltip icons for scene preview icons and scene layer icons.

• Added support for collapsing all inputs and scenes.

• Added documentation on how to optimize performance.

Bugfixes:

• New FFmpeg download url.

• Consolidate media did not include CAV files.

• Backup media did not include CAV files or garbage matte files used by the HSV Keyer and HSV Range Keyer operators.

• Runtime performance: The last API call date shows a date even if no API call has been made.

• The api/getstatistics and api/target/getstatistics api:s returned null in case of null value. This has now been modified, and a null value will be returned as "".  

• Media Input

  • "Start playing when loaded" was ignored, and the media input started playback regardless of the configuration.

  • Playback of video clips smaller than 48x48 pixels rendered an error when using hardware accelerated decoding (nvdec).

• Log entries containing objects did not include the log message itself.

• After using the Save As... function, the save reference image used the wrong file name. Instead of using the new project name, the image was saved using the original project name.

• The expand icon was not visible after collapsing the input and runtime panels.

• In Windows 11, application windows such as the log viewer window, the settings window, the license window, and the video analyzer window were shown as separate icons in the taskbar.

• PNG files with alpha were loaded in a way that premultiplied the RGB channels with the alpha channel. This could lead to unexpected/wrong edges in the image.

• Connectors using the Contains matching option could trigger in an unexpected manner. Calling the API and the connector "TESTING" could trigger both "TESTING" and "TEST".

• The Spill Suppression algorithm used in the operator HSV Keyer had a bug when using the combination of Key Channel=Blue and "Spill suppression type Limit to maximum of blue&red or green&red".

• HSV keyer and HSV Range Keyer operators: The reload garbage matte function did not work correctly.

• Grading LUT operator: The reload LUT image did not work correctly.

• Consolidate Media and Backup Media did not include LUT images.

Other changes:

• The version number changed from 1.6.x to 1.7.x.

• Added support for creating operators that access different scene layers (within the same scene).

• On application exit, the runtime version will automatically save the settings file.