| frequently asked
questions
watermark through my footage
A
|
|
The Microcosm 1.2 demo watermarks gray lines through your footage. (The older versions watermark with a red X.) Your application is still looking at the demo version. To fix this, you need to enter your serial number. Go to the Compression dialog box, make sure that Microcosm is the type chosen, then click the Options box that appears. A dialog asks you for the Name, Organization, and Serial Number that we sent upon your purchase.
|
do you support all QuickTime apps?
Q
|
|
What applications does Microcosm
support?
|
A
|
|
Microcosm works with any QuickTime enabled application. These apps include (but arenot limited to) Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro, Discreet Combustion, Pinnacle Commotion, Apple Shake, Eyeon Digital Fusion, Avid Xpress DV, Sorenson Squeeze, Apple Compressor, and QuickTime Player.
If you are buying for a specific purpose or application, we recommend downloading the Microcosm demo
and doing some tests before purchasing. Let us know if you need help.
|
what's the support for bit depth?
Q
|
|
What bit depth does Microcosm support?
|
A
|
|
Microcosm supports 32- and 64-bit depth. The bit depth it works in is limited to the application. For instance, Microcosm only works as an 8-bit format in DVExpress, since DVExpress does not support 16-bit QuickTime. Shake imports 64-bit files but only exports in 32-bit. Currently, the only app that fully supports 64-bit QuickTime is After Effects.
If you are buying for a specific purpose or application, we recommend downloading the Microcosm demo
and doing some tests before purchasing. Let us know if you need help.
|
can I use the codec for final render?
Q
|
|
Should I render out my final footage with Microcosm?
|
A
|
|
No, you're best off using a codec like Animation for final renders.
There's no way we know of currently to get Microcosm to play back in real time, as would be necessary to get it to tape. For archiving it's useful because it's completely lossless, but gives you file sizes that are about 2-4 times smaller than most similar lossless codecs/file formats. It's not really an I/O codec. |
does Microcosm save audio?
A
|
|
Yes, you can save audio. |
is it an i/o codec?
A
|
|
Microcosm is designed for moving between applications and archiving footage so that there's no degradation that you find with lossy codecs. It's not really an I/O codec.
The advantage of Microcosm is that you can render something out of After Effects (for instance), take it into Combustion, render it from Combustion, and take it into Final Cut Pro without any degradation of the image due to compression.
This is in contrast to, let's say, the DV codec, which is lossy and degrades the image somewhat every time you save it.,And, you save out as DV only once, as opposed to three times.
|
do I need QuickTime Pro?
A
|
|
Because it's a QuickTime codec, Microcosm does require QuickTime to be
installed beforehand. However, it does not require the Pro version of QuickTime. The standard free QuickTime player will work just nicely. You can download that free app from www.quicktime.com.
|
where do I install Microcosm?
A
|
|
Unlike many installers, you do NOT need to select an install location. The installer knows where to put the necessary files and doesn't need any prompting. Since Microcosm is an extension to QuickTime, all the files get placed within your system folder.
Mac OS X : Files are placed in the top-level Library/ QuickTime folder. The 'Microcosm Encode.component' is the compressor. The 'Microcosm Decode.component' is the free Reader utility.
Windows: Files are placed in the Windows/ system32/ Quicktime folder. The 'MicrocosmEncode.qxt' is the compressor. The 'MicrocosmDecode.qxt' is the free Reader utility.
This codec will appear in your file type list for all QuickTime based applications.
|
the installer asks for my 'passphrase'
A
|
|
When installing Microcosm under OS X, you may get a message that ‘requires you to type your passphrase’. This is your operating system's User account password, not the Microcosm serial number. Microcosm is installing some files into your system folder and therefore needs full access.
|
what does the 'quality' slider do?
A
|
|
The Quality adjustment slider doesn't work. This is because Microcosm is always lossless. Therefore, you can't adjust the settings for Quality. This is unlike codecs such as PhotoJPG in which you can decide the tradeoff of quality vs size. The slider is included simply because this default QuickTime parameter could not be removed.
|
crashes Sorenson Squeeze and QuickTime
A
|
|
Make sure that you are running the latest version of Microcosm. Version 1.1 fixed compatibility issues with programs such as Sorenson Squeeze and Quicktime 7.1. To update Microcosm (we're now at version 1.2), please contact us using this Request Form. |
open a Microcosm file without owning the codec?
A
|
|
Anyone can open a Microcosm file without owning the codec. The demo version of Microcosm installs an Encoder and Decoder. The Encoder gives a watermarked version. However, the Decoder works in non-demo mode. This means that you can decode but not encode. Download the free demo of Microcosm from here. |
difference between QuickTime and Microcosm?
A
|
|
QuickTime is a file format that Microcosm saves its files as. Microcosm is the 'codec' that provides the compression/ decompression portion of the QuickTime file format. |
where is Microcosm in After Effects?
A
|
|
To access Microcosm in After Effects, go to Composition> Make Movie. Click on the 'Output Module' option. In the 'Format' popup, choose QuickTime Movie. Under Video Output, click the 'Format Options' button. This gives you methods for compression. Now choose Microcosm from the popup list.
|
|
