Blackmagic Ultimatte12 User Manual Settings

The settings section in Ultimatte Software Control lets you change video settings, access the media pool and make adjustments to the inputs and outputs.

System

The system menu lets you select your Ultimatte’s video format, change color space settings and set the 3G-SDI output level.

Video Format

Select your video format from the menu, or set it to ‘auto detect’.

3G SDI Outputs

Ultimatte will detect a level A or level B 3G-SDI input automatically. The output is set to level B by default, but you can change it to level A if needed.

To change the 3G-SDI output to level A or B:

1. Go to the ‘settings’ menu in Ultimatte Software Control.

2. Click on the ‘system’ button. A window will appear with checkboxes for level A and Level B 3G-SDI.

3. Select the desired level checkbox, then click ‘apply’ to confirm the setting. Click ‘close’ to exit the window.

HD/UHD Color Space

All Ultimatte models, except Ultimatte 12 HD Mini support Rec. 2020 color gamut for both HD and Ultra HD. When Rec. 2020 is selected, all input signals must comply with Rec. 2020, and all output signals will conform accordingly. When your Ultimatte detects standard definition, it will automatically set the color gamut to Rec. 601 so you don’t have to change the setting when using SD video.

To set the color space:

1. Go to the ‘settings’ menu in Ultimatte Software Control.

2. Click on the ‘system’ button. A window will appear with checkboxes for Rec. 709 and Rec. 2020

3. Choose the color space you want to use, then click ‘apply’ to confirm the setting. Click ‘close’ to exit the window.

Media

The media button gives you access to the media setup settings. Click the media setup button to open the media pool window, you can then upload still images to the media pool and assign images as sources using the ‘assignment’ tab. For more information, refer to the ‘using the media pool’ section.

Inputs

The inputs menu gives you access to the timing controls if you need to delay the foreground input to be synced with the background signal and to make subtle timing corrections to a source input signal.

Frame Delay Foreground Input

This control will set the number of frame delays to the foreground input. The control range is from 0 frames to 14 Frames.

In a 4:2:2 signal, the relative timing samples between luma and the chroma, or Y and UV respectively, are well defined. However, some cameras might have some amount of relative luma or chroma timing error. When viewed on a monitor as red, green or blue only, the image will look like an ‘embossed’ picture. This timing error will cause unnatural transitions and off color edges.

If there are no adjustments in the camera to correct the timing, Ultimatte’s inputs menu gives you access to the timing controls if you need to make subtle timing corrections to a source input signal.

Foreground Input U Position

This control will only adjust the U timing relative to Y in sub pixel values. The maximum range of adjustment is +/- 2 pixels.

Foreground Input V Position

This control will only adjust the V timing relative to Y in sub pixel values. The maximum range of adjustment is +/- 2 pixels.

Foreground Input UV Position

This control will adjust both the U and V timing relative to Y in sub pixel values. The relative difference between U and V will be maintained. The maximum range of adjustment is +/- 2 pixels.

Outputs

The output configuration settings let you customize the appearance of the outputs and route certain outputs to help your workflow. For example, setting the talent output to mirror, or routing the monitor output to the program output. Some of the output settings are dependant on the Ultimatte model you are using.

You can also enable the powerful cascade monitoring feature which lets you view the program output for multiple Ultimatte units via one single unit as soon as you select a unit to control in Ultimatte Software Control.

Talent Highlight Level

This control adjusts the amount of highlight applied to the image viewed on the talent output areas where background mattes, garbage mattes, holdout mattes and layer mattes are used.

Matte Out Level

Internal to the unit, the matte signal is set so that fully opaque foreground objects are at 0% black and peak backing areas are at 100% white. The matte out level of 100% white is set at 940 for a 10-bit output. Similarly, 0% black is set at 64.

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NOTE The ‘matte out invert’ function will invert the polarity of the matte out.

The matte out level adjusts the level of the matte out from the white end. This control can lower the matte out level to 0% or push it into the legal ceiling.

Monitor to Program

In most situations, it is advantageous and safe not to be able to switch the program output to other views. However, there are times when the program out view needs to be changed from the composited image to another view. For example, the matte view. For these few instances, it is possible to route the monitor output to the program output.

When ‘monitor to program’ is enabled, the program output will show the same view selections made in the monitor output. Disabling monitor to program will return the program output to its previous setting.

Fill Linear Mix Correct

If the system you are using to combine the matte and fill outputs does not have an ‘additive mix’ capability, for example linear mix only, the composite image can have dark edges due to a second processing of the processed foreground image. Enabling the setting marked ‘Fill Lin Mix Cor’ will minimize potential artifacts caused by the second processing of the foreground image. Use this setting when you are sending the matte and fill to an external device for final mixing, for example a broadcast switcher.

Talent Mirror

Selecting this option will horizontally mirror the program image viewed on the talent output.

The talent monitor output is used for the foreground subjects on the set to see themselves inserted in the new background scene. By providing the capability to horizontally mirror the viewed image, the talent can have a more natural feedback when seeing themselves on the monitor.

Monitor to Talent

When ‘monitor to talent’ is enabled, the talent output will show the same view selections made in the monitor output. Disabling the monitor to talent will return the talent output view to its previous setting.

Output Range

With normal video signal levels, the maximum white level is specified at 100%, and any signal levels above that level will usually be limited to 100%. In extended video levels, the maximum white level is allowed to exceed 100%.

Ultimatte 12 always uses ‘normal white range’ mode. All other Ultimatte models use ‘normal white range’ mode by default, or you can switch on ‘output full range’ to enable ‘extended white range’ mode. This applies to the foreground, background and layer inputs and outputs. Matte inputs and matte output maintain normal white range for both modes.

In normal white range mode, any input signal levels exceeding 100% will be clipped to that level at the output. Additionally, color adjustments applied to the video signals, for example white levels, that can take signal levels above 100% will be limited to that level at the outputs.

In extended white range mode, all input signal levels exceeding 100% will pass through the system unclipped. Also, color adjustments applied to the video signals will allow output levels to exceed 100%.

Matte Out Invert

Enabling this function will invert the polarity of the matte out signal.

Output Offset

The output offset control allows you to adjust the output reference timing relative to the foreground or analog reference input to match the timing of various devices in large systems.

Monitor Cascade

The monitor cascade feature can be accessed from the ‘information’ symbol on the right side of the menu name section of Ultimatte Software Control. You can find the setting under the ‘configuration’ tab.

When the monitor cascade feature is disabled, the monitor output will be the view selected by the monitor out options. For a single Blackmagic Ultimatte unit, the monitor output can be connected to a video monitor directly. Typically, if there are multiple Blackmagic Ultimatte units, the monitor output for each unit can be connected to a routing switcher for monitoring multiple outputs.

Alternately, with multiple Blackmagic Ultimatte units, they can be daisy chained via their monitor inputs and outputs, with the last unit plugged into a monitor. Then when you select a unit in Ultimatte Software Control, the monitor output for that unit can be viewed on that monitor. This is an efficient and powerful way to monitor the output from up to eight Ultimatte units via one single unit.

To connect four units for cascade monitoring:

1. Connect each Ultimatte unit to an analog reference source or to foreground sources that are locked together.

2. Connect the first unit’s monitor output to the monitor input of the second unit.

3. Connect the monitor output of the second unit to the monitor input of the third unit.

4. Connect the monitor output of the third unit to the monitor input of the fourth unit.

5. Connect the monitor output of the fourth unit to a monitor.

When the monitor cascade feature is enabled, the viewed image on the video monitor will be of the unit that is selected in Ultimatte Software Control as the currently active unit. When the unit selection is changed, the image viewed on the video monitor will change to the monitor out of the selected unit.

On Air Settings

The on air settings let you enable on air indicators for the status bar, LCD display and set your Ultimatte to lock its controls when the unit is on air.

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NOTE These controls only work when tally signals are connected to the GPIO input and properly configured from the external tally generator on all models except Ultimatte 12 HD Mini. Ultimatte 12 HD Mini can receive tally signals via the HDMI PGM output or SDI Return input.

On Air

When this button is enabled, the unit indicator in the Ultimatte Software Control status bar will illuminate red when on air. The unit identification number above its selection button will also illuminate red.

On Air Lock

When enabled, the on air lock feature will lock all the controls for the unit currently on air. This helps to prevent any accidental changes to a unit that is live on air.

GPI and Tally Settings

These settings enable or disable tally signals when connected to an external GPI and tally interface. Tally lets you monitor on air indicators so you know when an Ultimatte unit is currently on air. GPI inputs and outputs let you trigger Ultimatte preset files as GPI events, similar in nature to loading and running macros.

GPIO MENU

The GPI inputs allow external devices to trigger saved setup files in each input in a predetermined order. The maximum number of events is defined by the number of GPI inputs, therefore the number of events you can use is five.

It is also possible for the main unit to trigger events in other devices using the GPI output. This triggering can be done manually, or upon loading a file if the GPI output was saved as part of that file.

GPI OUT Delay Frames

This control knob sets the delay, in number of frames, between triggering the event and the execution of the GPI output switch closure. The maximum delay is 120 Frames.

GPI Functions Buttons

You can use the GPI functions buttons to add a GPI output to the current workspace settings, toggle between low and high GPI output states and provide a programmable state output.

GPI Output Save

In order to initiate a GPI output upon loading a file, the appropriate instructions must be saved as part of that file. When ‘GPI out save’ is selected, the instructions to trigger a GPI output will become part of the current workspace settings. When the current workspace settings are saved as a setup file, the instructions to trigger the GPI output are saved with this file.

When the saved file, which includes the triggering instructions, is loaded into the current workspace, the triggering instructions will initiate the proper GPI output sequence.

GPI Out Low/High

Clicking this button toggles the GPI output state between low and high.

GPI Out

This provides a programmable state output, whose width and level are dependent on the GPI out low/high setting and GPI out delay adjustment.

GPI Setup Menu

From the GPI setup menu, you can choose GPI files from the list of previously saved setup files and load them into each GPI input. You can step through each file to verify that the selected files were the correct ones, and that the sequence by which these files were listed was correct. If needed, you can edit each GPI list by removing, adding, or inserting any number of files.

GPI 1 to 5

These windows allows the user to set up the files in the order by which they will be loaded when triggered by the signal connected to each respective GPI input.

Add

With each click, this button will add the highlighted file in the files list to the selected GPI events list.

Remove

Click on this button to remove a highlighted file from the selected GPI events list.

Remove All

This button will remove all the files from the selected GPI events list.

Step

Click this button to move down through the highlighted file selection and automatically load the selected file into the current work space. Any file on the GPI events list can be highlighted and loaded in the current work space by touching the corresponding file name.

Reset

Clicking this button will select the top file from the GPI files list without loading the first file. The first file will be loaded when the first GPI pulse is detected.

GPI Input Enable

This checkbox enables or disables individual GPI inputs separately based on the setting of the GPI input select control.

GPI High Enable

Enables the software to detect either low to high or high to low transitions of the GPI inputs.

The GPI inputs are triggered by the logic level of the input signal, not by the transition edges. If GPI high enable is checked, the selected input will be triggered by a high logic state. If GPI high is not checked, the selected input will be triggered by a low logic state.

GPI IN Delay

This is a delay between detecting a GPI input and that of actual execution of the GPI list. The GPI input delay can be set at different values for each input. The maximum delay is 120 Frames.

Close

Selecting this button will close the window and exit the GPI setup menu.

Setting Up a GPI Event List

To set up an event list, preset files must be previously created and saved. Refer to the ‘saving and managing presets’ section for more information.

1. Click on the ‘settings’ menu button and select ‘GPIO’ in the groups section. Click the ‘GPIO setup’ button and the GPIO setup window will be displayed.

2. From the tabs, select a GPI number from 1 to 5 to be used. If the selected GPI number was used before, the event list will show the previously selected files. The existing event list can be edited by removing, adding or inserting files. Alternately, select ‘remove all’ to remove all the files from the event list.

3. Select the file to be added to the event list. When selected, the file will be highlighted.

4. Click on the ‘add’ button to add the file to the event list.

5. To add more files to the event list, repeat steps 3 and 4.

When the event list is complete, click ‘reset’ to move to the beginning of the event list. Adjust GPI input delay if necessary. This is the delay, in frames, when loading the files from the time the GPI pulse is received.

• For high GPI input logic state, select the ‘GPI high enable’ checkbox. Leave deselected if using a low logic state.

• Enable GPI by selecting the GPI input enable checkbox.

• Repeat these steps for each GPI input.

To edit an existing events list:

1. Select the GPI event number to be edited.

2. Select a file to be deleted by choosing the file name and clicking the ‘remove’ button.

3. To insert a new file into the event list, select the file below the area in the list you want to insert the new file. Now click the ‘insert’ button.

4. When editing is completed, click ‘reset’ to select the beginning file of the event list, then click ‘close’ to exit the GPI setup window.

GPIO Pinout

The female GPIO connector on your Ultimatte’s rear panel is a DE-15 connector. If you want to build a cable for your own custom GPI and tally solution, a pinout chart is provided below.

Monitor Out Settings

This selection will show all the viewing options available. The button name will be changed to ‘return’ which you can click on to go back to the previous menu. Monitor out settings configure the output from the ‘monitor out’ connector.

Monitor Highlight Level Control

This control adjusts the amount of highlight applied to the image viewed on the monitor output in the areas where background mattes, garbage mattes, holdout mattes and layer mattes are used.

Monitor Setting Buttons

The monitor setting buttons allow you to change the matte view and select individual color channels to view independently.

Matte View Range

The quality of images viewed on video monitors depends on the monitor’s brightness and contrast setup. In many situations, the detail information in the very dark and very bright portions of an image is sacrificed so that the rest of the image can have a more pleasant look. The levels in a matte image cover the whole brightness gamut and most of the matte controls are adjusted while observing matte levels near the darkest or the brightest end.

For this reason, it is difficult to adjust the matte accurately while looking at a monitor and observing the darkest and brightest portions of the images.

Enabling the ‘matte view range’ function will raise the black level and reduce the white level of the matte signal so that detail information in the blackest and whitest sections of the matte can be viewed accurately on a monitor.

Reducing the range of the matte on the monitor output has no effect on any internal processing or the signal levels of the matte out.

Matte View Invert

When combined matte view or internal matte view is selected as the monitor output, the matte polarity can be reversed by the matte view invert function.

Monitor Out RGB

When selected, the monitor output will show all three color channels of the image viewed.

Monitor Out Red, Green and Blue

All three color channels can also be viewed independently. When the respective color channel button is enabled, the monitor output will only show that particular color channel as a black and white image. This can be helpful to spot noise, which is predominantly in the blue channel.

Custom Monitor Output Menu

The monitor out section of Ultimatte Software Control provides six soft buttons which switch the view on Ultimatte’s monitor output. These six soft buttons can be customized using the ‘custom monitor out’ settings.

The first two soft buttons in the functions area of the interface are labeled ‘standard’ and ‘inputs’. These let you set the labels of the buttons to the standard default Ultimatte monitor output buttons, or you can match the buttons to the respective inputs. When inputs is selected, you can easily monitor every source by clicking the respective input button.

Below is the configuration for each setting:

You can also create up to four custom monitor out buttons. These can be set to show your favorite views in the order of your choosing.

To configure a custom monitor output button:

1. In the ‘matte’ settings, click the ‘custom monitor out’ button in the groups Section.

2. Click on the ‘configure’ button in the groups section.

3. In the dialog box, select any of the tabs labeled MONITOR OUT 1, 2, 3, and 4.

4. From the menus, choose which of the following potential monitor outputs you would like to assign to each of the buttons. You do not necessarily need to assign a function to each button. If ‘none’ is chosen, that button will appear blank.

   

5. Click on ‘apply’ to save your choices. To load a custom monitor configuration, select ‘custom monitor out’ in the groups section, and then choose one of the custom monitor buttons.