Introduction

Altera is a clip-based metadata management application for camera footage and clip-data for on-set DITs, Data Managers, Lab Operators and Editorial Department.

Altera helps to import metadata from a variety of clip-based file formats from ALEs to Avid Bins and OpenTimelineIO. One of the main features of Altera is that it works as a translator between different file formats. For example, you can import ALEs from OSD and export a CSV for Resolve, or import an EDL from Avid and export CCC. 

Project Manager

Altera is a project-based application. The project can live in any folder accessible by your computer. Altera offers three storage pools so that the user can have different project locations: local drives, external drives or network/cloud based drives.

Bin Manager

The main working area is the Bin Manager, where all bins are stored and organised. 

Tool Bar

A variety of useful operations can be done from the menu on the side, like:

  • Appending or merging data
  • Find and Replace
  • PDF Reports.
  • Export
  • Check and Compare
  • Database
  • Pivot Tables
  • and Layout Mapper

Viewer

This is where Altera displays a loaded project with bins.

Layout

The column headers can be customised with column layout rules. A Layout helps to organise and identify your bin’s metadata to make it easier to read. Different layouts can be modified for consistency and help to filter data for quality control purposes as well as quick reviews. 

Bin Operations

Edit the data contained in your Bins to correct or add new metadata to your clips. Add, rename or combine columns like Scene, Take, and Camera ID to automatically create the perfect naming convention.

Smart Bins

The Smart Bin window can be found below the Bin Manager. Smart Bins allow you to filter and group clips by looking for metadata attributes dynamically based on user-defined rules and keywords. With Smart Bins, you can view and work with a dynamically always updated list of clips that fit a specific criteria.

For example, you can group all clips from camera ‘A’ or filter the clips with a specific QC Error Code. A Smart Bin can then be exported as a new standalone metadata file or PDF Report.

Export

Use the Export tab to create different types of Export Presets. Export multiple formats with a click of a button. Use Dynamic Tags to automatically generate the file path or divide the bin into multiple files.

Database

In Altera, a Database is a table that contains a set of reference data. For example, a database can be used to store CDL values or LUT names and be used against your bins to make sure each clip has the right colour values applied!

Check and Compare

This handy tool simplifies quality control. It has two main functions: comparing a bin against another bin or comparing a bin against a database. Altera shows two tables side by side and highlights discrepancies between them to easily view the difference and amend them. The results can be exported as a PDF to easily share with other stakeholders via email to flag the potential errors. 

Check and Compare can also be used to understand what metadata your clips are missing when compared against a database and fill the gaps automatically and error-free.

Pivot Table

PivotTable is a powerful tool to calculate, summarise, and analyse data to see patterns and trends in Bins or to make comparisons between bins. For example, Pivot Table can help identify which specific Reel ID and how many are contained in each LTO tape burned for your show or to calculate the total runtime of your production broken down per camera or shoot day.

Layout Mapper

With Layout Mapper, you can reroute specific metadata to new or previously existing headers within a Bin with a different name. The most common use case is converting an ALE to a CSV for DaVinci Resolve, where most of the columns need to change their name to be imported correctly in DaVinci Resolve.

OS Specifications

MacOS 10.13 or newer

Assumptions

Altera (also referred to as “the software”) is intended for screen professionals. Assumptions are made that you are at least familiar with the operation of the Mac Operating System (MacOS). Assumptions are also made that you are also familiar with television, broadcast and film terminology.

Installation

When you have downloaded the Altera .dmg file, double click it and Altera files will unpack. 

The following dialogue will appear:


Drag the Altera file across to the “Applications” folder and Altera will be installed.