Vectorscope / Waveform Monitor filter (Windows 7) available?

[Pawpcorn]

Hi, All....

7 years ago, former member Trevlac shared a POWERFUL "VectorScope WFM plugin" filter for virtualdub... (see...http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/212099-Guide-to-using-a-Vectorscope?p=1219401&viewfull=1#post1219401

As a former video engineer who enjoys color-correcting various movies to share with others, I can tell you that there is really NO way to accurately white balance and color correct a video, without this instrumentation. Trying to do this by eye is quite impossible. The "clrtools.vdf" filter replaces the right-hand video display, so you can adjust all aspects of the current video frame, and see the effects AT THE MOMENT! (hue (chroma phase), individual color (dark and light) levels, black level, luminance level, chroma level, etc.)

Unfortunately, this filter (clrtools.vdf) has some problem with Windows 7, in as it CRASHES Virtualdub as soon as you try to use it. Windows XP; no problem.

Unfortunately, Trevlac hasn't been here since 2007. Does anyone know how to contact him?

Had ANYONE written a vectorscope /WFM filter for virtualdub (that works in Windows7), since that time?

Does ANYONE have a patch of some sort that might make Trevlac's "clrtools.vdf" filter work in Windows 7 ???

Since I'm trying to do scene-by-scene color correction, the very basic vectorscope that works (marginally) with Avisynth is of no use to me... I have to stay in the Virtualdub platform to do on-the-fly scene-by-scene color correction.

Right now, I'm having to keep my ancient XP machine up and limping along, tying up a second desk, even, just for the sake of needing to use this one (albeit amazing and powerful) filter!

Thanks, Guys!
Pawpcorn :rolleyes:

[Mounir]

I use histograms a lot in avisynth you should switch to avisynth for that kind of work imo

links:
CMYK histogram (i like this one, can do YUV/RGB/CMYK histogram and RGB parade very useful!):
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=164720
avisynth built-in histogram:
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Histogram
videoscope:
http://avisynth.org.ru/docs/english/externalfilters/vscope.htm

If you want to use virtualdub filters in avisynth directly i recommend you start using AvspMod and learn how to make user sliders, see here: http://avisynth.org/qwerpoi/UserSliders.html

Filters i like to color correct in vdub:
- colormill
- RGB equalizer( i've discovered this one recently, excellent, can make adjustments on very tiny parts of a given channels) see here: http://www.engon.de/audio/vhs4_en.htm
or
- Gradation curves ( but i don't like curves that much i prefer to push sliders)

[librarian]

@ Pawpcorn
To continue using "Color Tools" you can try Troubleshoot compatibility (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-Windows). In my test I used Windows 98/ME and it works for me.

[Pawpcorn]

@ Pawpcorn
To continue using "Color Tools" you can try Troubleshoot compatibility (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-Windows). In my test I used Windows 98/ME and it works for me.

OMG!!!! I never thought to try that!!!!
Thank you SO much for the suggestion! It will be great to be able to retire my old XP machine, and move the extra desk out of the bedroom!

I tried the 98/ME setting, but lost basic windows functions, so I tried the XP service pack 3 setting, and so far... Everything looks fantastic!

As an aside, I have written a series of "hotkey" macros, so that with a single keystroke, all the various filter windows and button settings are automated, so the vectorscope will appear (one keystroke) and one of four various color-correction filter windows pop up or close (1 keystroke) and I'm able to adjust (color correct) any aspect of the picture as needed.

The genius of the "color tools" filter is that it works REAL TIME! As you fine tune this or that setting... You see the results real time, as you make adjustment,, in the vectorscope or waveform monitor.

The hotkey macros reduce the tedious task of all the mind-numbing mouse clicks needed when switching from one filter to another, or switching between WFM or Vectorscope or picture.... So it makes for a pretty efficient color-correction suite, when all's said and done.

I also wrote a single one key macro that stores all of the color correction settings in sequentially numbered .vcf files, and copies the frame numbers, ins and outs, to a spreadsheet EDL, checks for gaps and overlaps, then prepares everything in Virtualdub for the next "edit". The sequentially numbered .vcf's are processed at a later time, utilizing another program that converts the .vcf files to a batch list, which is imported into the batch function of virtual dub.

All of this "frame by frame editing" is made possible by working with the UNCOMPRESSED version of the original video, btw. If the video is compressed, there are keyframes, and edits can only occur on the keyframes, and not the frames in between.

After all the batch processing is finished, the multiple .avi segments are auto-appended in Virtualdub, and video and audio (I prefer 2-stage xvid amd lame mp3) compression can be implimented again.

I was a video and computer engineer in the video editing side of the Hollywood Post-Production business for 20 years.... So this hobby fills some free time, and feels ultimately familiar...

Now... I teach English, in Thailand, to all ages, (go figure). I make an English soundtrack movie with Thai, English, or DUAL subtitles, for my students, every week; while I wait for my social-security to kick in.... 3.33 years to go. Lol.

Take care,
Pawpcorn

[Mug Funky]

histogram, the internal avisynth filter will give you an upside-down vectorscope. flipvertical to get what you're familiar with (ie, red at the top, off slightly to the left, where it makes sense, dammit).

the only downside is that you're limited to 8 bits, so it can look a little rough compared to a proper video scope. you can mitigate this somewhat by blurring, and zooming by amplifying the channels (mt_lut will do this wonderfully).

i had a vectorscope that had all the ticks and everything on it, but it fell down the memory hole. you can overlay "histogram" output over an image of your choice with all the techy things on it.

combine it with a usb capture stick and ffdshow, and you can use it as a realtime hardware scope!