Ultimatte CC ( Color Control) NodeThe Ultimatte CC (Color Control) node enables you to match the color levels of an image to a reference image. Typically, the Ultimatte CC node is used to adjust the output from an Ultimatte PFG (Processed Foreground) node to match the background image over which it will be composited. The Ultimatte CC node only affects the input image; there is no change to the reference image. Additionally, Ultimatte CC does not affect spill or flare. (Any spill or flare problems should be corrected in the Ultimatte PFG node before using Ultimatte CC.) One example of how Ultimatte CC is used is the stereotypical "twins" scene, in which a single actor plays dual roles. In such a case, you may be faced with two clips: one of the actor against a background, and one of the actor turned in the opposite direction, speaking twin to self, filmed in front of a bluescreen. It is likely that each clip was shot under different lighting conditions, and you may therefore need to adjust the flesh tones or clothing colors of one image to match the other. The Ultimatte CC node will enable you to make the colors of two such images compatible. Using Color ControlStart by setting up an A/B wipe between the input image and a reference image in the Ultimatte CC work monitor. Refer to "Performing A/B Wipes " in chapter 8, "Monitors and Flipbooks ," if you need instructions. Click on a pixel in the A (input) image to select the sample color, and in the B (reference) image to select the reference color:
Then click the appropriate button (Match Image Levels, Match Image Gamma, or Match Image Blacks) on the Ultimatte CC parameter tab and Ultimatte Intelligence will automatically match highlights, midrange tones, or blacks. You can match more than one color attribute for an image. For example, you can match brightness levels using Match Image Levels and then select new sample and reference pixels to match flesh tones using Match Image Gamma. You can use the Controls parameter tab to further adjust these settings. In fact, you can use the Controls parameters to manually adjust various color attributes of the input image without using a reference image.
The Ultimatte CC accepts one input. (The reference image, if used, is accessed via an A/B wipe in the Ultimatte CC work monitor.) Ultimatte CC Parameter TabThe Ultimatte CC parameter tab enables you to use Ultimatte Intelligence to automatically adjust color parameters of the input image to match a reference image. ![]() Work Monitor / At ResolutionFirst, select a display resolution for the work monitor from the At Resolution popup menu. Then click the plus icon to display the work monitor, which is used to set up an A/B wipe between the input (sample) image and the reference image, as well as to select the sample and reference colors. You click on an appropriate pixel in both the A and B images of the wipe and the corresponding RGB values are displayed in the Sample and Reference parameters of the Ultimatte CC tab.
Reference & Sample ParametersThe Reference parameter displays the RGB values of the selected pixel of the reference image (the image that contains the color values you want to match). The Sample parameter displays the RGB values of the selected pixel of the input image, which you want to correct to match the reference image. "Match Image" ButtonsWhen you click any of these buttons, Ultimatte Intelligence automatically makes the appropriate adjustments to the RGB values of the input image. Sample and Reference parameter values must be selected before invoking a Match Image operation. Each Match Image button affects a different set of parameters, which can be viewed and adjusted manually on the Controls parameter tab. Match Image LevelsUse Match Image Levels to match highlights. This is effectively a brightness control; pure blacks are not affected at all. (This adjustment is reflected in the Red Level, Green Level, and Blue Level parameters on the Control tab.) Match Image GammaUse Match Image Gamma to match midrange tones, as when you need to match flesh tones or other like colors. Pure blacks and pure whites are not affected. (This adjustment is reflected in the Red Gamma, Green Gamma, and Blue Gamma parameters on the Control tab.) Match Image BlacksUse Match Image Blacks to match black levels. Pure whites are not affected. (This adjustment is reflected in the Red Black, Green Black, and Blue Black parameters on the Control tab.) Reset Parameters to Default ValuesClick this button to reset all of the Control tab parameters to their default values, whether these parameters have been adjusted manually or by clicking one or more of the Match Image buttons on the Ultimatte CC tab. This will not affect the Sample or Reference parameter values. (To reset all node parameter values to their default settings, select the "Defaults" option from the node's Presets menu.) Controls Parameter TabThe Controls parameter tab enables you to manually adjust RGB values for Level, Gamma, Black, and Saturation parameters to facilitate or finetune the color correction process. (Any automatic adjustments to Levels, Gamma, or Blacks made by Ultimatte Intelligence will also be reflected here.) ![]() You set each parameter by keying in a numerical value between 0 and 100 or by using the mouse to set the tuner to the desired value. Level: Red, Green, BlueThese three parameters are used to control highlights. Use Level to adjust brightness; pure blacks are unaffected. The level parameters are effectively gain controls on the color components because they provide a multiplier for each pixel value. The default value for all three parameters is 80. Gamma: Red, Green, BlueThese three parameters are used to control midrange tones; pure blacks and whites are unaffected. Increase Gamma to boost the contrast of darker colors; decrease Gamma to boost the contrast of brighter colors. When you increase the dynamic range of color values at one end of the range, colors at the opposite end are correspondingly compressed. The default value for all three parameters is 50. Black: Red, Green, BlueThese three parameters are used to control black levels; pure whites are unaffected. Impure whites (less than 100 percent saturated) can be noticeably affected, however, if all three Black parameters are not adjusted equally. If the Black parameters are set below 50 (which is their default value), the darkest color components in the image will clip at 0. Saturation: Red, Green, BlueThese three parameters are used to control saturation by proportionally replacing each color component with its luminance value (R * 0.299; G * 0.587; B * 0.114). If you set all three Saturation parameters to zero, the result will be a grayscale image. The default value for all three parameters is 80. |