Dragonframe 2024 + Bluetooth/USB Controller (Electronic Download)

Dragonframe DF5BT Overview

New in Dragonframe 2024

• Improved system for toggling guide layer visibility.
• New 'dmc-lite' Arduino real-time motion control sketch, for Giga R1 and Portenta H7.
• Playback performance improvements.
• Direct NDI input integration. Add source through Scene|Cameras|IP Cameras screen.
• Option to lock NDI/Blackmagic/Syphon/Spout live view output to specific camera.
• DMX Generate Effect - Auto-generate flicker, pulsing, or static. Right-click on channel and choose 'Generate Effect'.
• Arc: Added jogpad mode that uses jogpad keys but stays in main Arc workspace

Bluetooth/USB Controller Features

The most useful animation tools are available through the included Dragonframe Bluetooth keypad, allowing you to stay focused on animating instead of hunting around with the mouse. The hotkeys are fully configurable, so if you really like a feature that is not on the keypad, you can move it there.

• Highly responsive scissor-mechanism keys
• Rubber molding to protect against drops
• Ergonomic angled design
• Locator nubs on the Stepping keys
• Includes numbers for remote data entry with functions like Cut Back

Animate Your Way

Step directly between live view and captured frames or switch to auto-toggle. Loop playback to get the sense of movement you're aiming for. The playback and stepping functions are fully customizable for your needs.

Reference Material

Load multiple reference stills or videos and view them with your animation. Blend them with opacity, pull a chromakey (blue screen), and even assign a garbage matte to see just the part you want. Pop out reference videos into a synchronized player if you want it off to the side.

Keypad Controls

With the Dragonframe keypad, you can stay focused on animating instead of hunting around with the mouse. And the hotkeys are fully configurable, so if you really like a feature that is not on the keypad, you can move it there.

Camera Controls

Set camera settings such as shutter speed, ISO, and white balance directly from the program. Check and adjust focus with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, or Fujifilm cameras. Take test shots and get your shot right, before you start.

Composition Guides

Compose for multiple formats with confidence. Create custom aspect ratio masks. Combine masks with TV-safe guides. Add grid overlays for help with composition. Add a push-in mask to allow post-production push-in or panning.

Image Review

Check images at full-resolution. Check for over or underexposed areas with the clipping view. Load images from other scenes to compare exposure and composition. Compare image contrast with the Digital Densitometer.

Multi-Track Editing

Import multiple audio tracks and make basic edits. Split tracks and drag segments to adjust timing on the fly. You can even move waveforms and character track readings together, to keep them in sync.

Dialog Track Reading

Create characters, scrub through your audio, and assign words and phonetics for all your dialogue. View this data while animating, in the X-Sheet, Timeline, or Audio HUD.

Automated Lighting

Control up to 512 lighting channels in conjunction with Dragonframe's DMX-512, DMC-32, DMC-16, or DMC+. You define your lighting program before you shoot, and then watch as Dragonframe controls your lights during the shot, leaving your animators to focus on animating.

Keyframe Smoothing

Define your lighting program with keyframes. Adjust the smoothness in each direction with a simplified "bezier" handle, giving you a large degree of control while maintaining an efficient programming interface.

Custom Exposure Lighting

It's easy to create custom lighting programs for different exposures. You can customize the exposure's lighting program directly, or create a new program for one or more exposures to share.

Integrated Motion Control

Integrated motion control means that you can program camera moves and lighting effects from within the same system. It means that you can quickly preview moves using the same camera you will be animating with. It means that the lighting and motion control will be in the right place, at the right time. So if the animator needs to reshoot a few frames, Dragonframe can safely move the rig back into the proper position, every time.

Move Tests

Once you've programmed a move, you'll want to test it out. Run a move test within the Arc workspace and see how it looks. The move test captures video assist frames only, in order to speed up the test process. On a long move, you can reshoot just the section you're working on. You'll have the move perfected in record time.

Hardware Integration

You can use a wide range of hardware, from the do-it-yourself Arduino-based DFMoco sketch to off-the-shelf kits from the eMotimo or Slidekamera. See compatible hardware in Dragonframe's FAQ for more information.

Cinematography & Composition

Multiple Exposures (Sub-Frames)
Shoot multiple passes for each frame for effects like front light/backlight or stereo pairs.

Graphical Camera Control
Adjust your still camera's shutter speed, aperture, and ISO with visual sliders.

Depth of Field Slider
Adjust shutter speed and aperture together to affect depth of field without adjusting exposure.

Exposure Preview Offset
Adjust live view exposure simulation to match final shot (Canon EOS only).

Save Camera Settings In Scene
Dragonframe saves your camera's settings and restores them when you re-open the scene.

Exposure Lock
Lock camera settings for each exposure.

Integrated Test Shot System
Save test shots separately and view them during any take of a scene.

Compare Images from Other Scenes
Import any images and view them at full resolution.

Clipping View
Quickly see if you are clipping in the highlights or bottoming in the blacks.

Digital Densitometer
Compare and match areas of exposure regardless of monitor inconsistencies.

Adjustable Background Gray Value
Adjust the area around images in Cine widow to give your eyes a rest-or to suit the imagery.

Aspect Ratio Mask
Add a standard or custom aspect ratio mask and adjust opacity.

Separate Mask and TV-Safe Overlay
Frame for both 16:9 and 4:3 in one view.

Push-In Mask
Add an adjustable push-in mask for checking TV-safe and framing for pre-planned push-ins.

Grid Layers
Add up to two custom grids to help with horizon line-up and composition.

Advanced Composition Guides
Emulate ground glass with composition guides in the guide layers.

Image Capture

Camera Support
Full integration with most cameras: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, HDV, HDMI, and more.

Folder Watching
Use Dragonframe with many unsupported DSLRs.

Capture Black-Out
Darken your monitor while capturing to keep its glow from interfering with your lighting.

Auto-Detect Cameras
Automatically connect to cameras.

Automatic Live View Rest
Pause live view after configurable period of inactivity to avoid overheating.

Video Frame Averaging
Average 2 - 60 frames to reduce video noise (video only).

External Shutter Control Option
Capture live view and then wait for external shutter release (for timing motion control shots).

Animation Tools

Step to Live
Step directly from captured frames to your live view.

Onion-Skin
Blend the live view over any frame in your animation.

Auto Toggle
Toggle between live view and captured frames with adjustable speed.

Toggle
One keypress toggles between live and captured frames, then back again when released.

Nav-Line
Quickly navigate your animation sequence, as well as select frames for playback.

High-Res Playback
Play back either your video assist frames or proxies of your full-resolution captures.

Short Play
Play back the last twelve frames (configurable).

Drawing Tools
Draw paths and lines on screen to assist with animation.

Difference Mode
Useful for re-lining up a shot if camera or set is bumped.

Lights Prominent / Darks Prominent
Useful when character is dark and background is light, or vice versa.

Rotoscope Layers
Import images, movie files, or Dragonframe scenes as a line-up layer for easy double-pass line-ups, chromakey, or onion-skin.

Chromakey / Greenscreen
Use basic chroma key (green screen) pull for lineup of effects shots.

Layer Position/Size/Orientation
Adjust rotoscope layer orientation, scale, and position.

Play/Loop Markers
Mark in and out points for playback and looping using the Nav-Line.

User-Assigned Hot Keys
Simple interface for re-mapping the default keyboard commands.

Punch-In for Animation
Use Canon, Nikon, Olympus, or Fujifilm live view magnification to punch in on a section of the video assist image.

Auxiliary Monitor
Send main view to second monitor (video village).

Project Management

• Name your project based on the classic clapboard naming convention.
• Create multiple takes within the same scene project. This carries over all of your camera settings, exposures, camera moves, notes, etc.
• Manage the project from a dynamic exposure sheet that updates automatically as you add exposures, audio phonemes, camera moves, and change scene length.
• Enter notes that pop up when it’s time to capture a frame.
• Duplicate a scene or take from within Dragonframe.

Stereoscopic 3D Tools

Integrated 3D Shooting
Automate 3D shooting with a stereoscopic slider.

3D Stereo Review
View anaglyphs, set convergence or edge float, and adjust interocular distances.

3D Test Shots
Take 3D test shots and use the 3D review tools to evaluate them.

3D Playback
Play 3D sequences using anaglyphs or transparencies in color or black and white.

Export Stereo (3D) Movie
Export 3D sequences to various movie formats.

Time-Lapse

Interval
Set an interval in hours, minutes, seconds.

Start Time
Start time-lapse at a future date or time.

End Time
End time-lapse at a future date or time.

Total Frames
End time-lapse after specified number of frames are captured.

High Precision
Capture within 0.1 second of the specified interval with most cameras.

Export

Direct Access to Source Raw/JPG/TIFF Files
Your camera's high-res source files are saved in an easily accessible directory.

Export Movie
Create a QuickTime, AVI, or MP4 movie with many export options.

Export Image Sequence
Export your frames in different image formats, customize naming, etc.

After Effects
Import image sequence directly from scene source location.

System Requirements

macOS

macOS 10.13+ (M1 or Intel)
4GB+ RAM

Windows

Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-Bit Only)
OpenGL 2.1 Capable Graphics Card
Intel/AMD CPU with 2+ Cores
4GB+ RAM

Linux

x86_64/amd64 Ubuntu 18+ or Fedora 22+ (Ubuntu recommended)
OpenGL 2.1 Capable Graphics Card
Intel/AMD CPU with 2+ Cores
4GB+ RAM

Supported Cameras

Canon EOS
1D Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 1D C, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5Ds, 5Ds R, RP, R5, R6, 6D, 7D, 7D Mark II, 40D, 50D, 60D, 60Da, 70D, 77D, 80D, 100D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 600D, 650D, 700D, 750D, 760D, 800D, 1000D, 1100D, 1200D, 1300D, Digital Rebel SL1, Digital Rebel XSi, Digital Rebel T1i, Digital Rebel T2i, Digital Rebel T3i, Digital Rebel T4i, Digital Rebel T5i, Digital Rebel T6i, Digital Rebel T6s, Digital Rebel T7i, Digital Rebel XS, Digital Rebel T3, Digital Rebel T5, Digital Rebel T6, Kiss X7, Kiss X2, Kiss X3, Kiss X4, Kiss X5, Kiss X6i, Kiss X7i, Kiss X8i, 8000D, Kiss X9i, Kiss F, Kiss X50, Kiss X70, Kiss X80

Canon EOS cameras are the most widely used cameras for stop motion. They have a large live view and support for many camera settings. The Canon EOS M cameras are not supported because Canon does not provide tethered shooting support for them.

Nikon
D3, D3S, D3X, D4, D4S, D5, D90, D300, D300S, D500, D600, D610, D700, D750, D800, D800e, D810, D3200, D3300, D3400, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600, D7000, D7100, D7200, Df, D2X (No Live View), D40 (No Live View), D40X (No Live View), D50 (No Live View), D60 (No Live View), D70 (No Live View), D70s (No Live View), D80 (No Live View), D100 (No Live View), D200 (No Live View)

Nikon cameras do not have live view exposure simulation. This means that the live view brightness will not match the brightness of your high-resolution still image. Make sure to capture test shots and adjust exposure levels before animating. The Nikon D3000 and Nikon D3100 cameras are not supported because Nikon does not provide tethered shooting support for them.

Sony Alpha
A7, A7 II, A7R, A7R II, A7S, A7S II, A77 II, A99 II, A5000, A5100, A6000, A6300, A6500

Olympus
OM-D E-M1, OM-D E-M1 Mark II, OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus cameras are the best MFT option for Dragonframe. They have a large live view and support for many camera settings.

Fujifilm
X-T1, X-T2

Panasonic
Lumix DMC-GH4, Lumix DMC-GX8

These cameras require two connections to the computer (USB and HDMI) and extra hardware (Blackmagic Design capture device) to get both live view and capture control. They are not recommended.

Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Blackmagic Production Camera 4K

Apple
iPhone, iPad, Pod Touch

USB Webcams
Webcams are an inexpensive option for getting started with stop motion animation. They can also be useful as a video assist for still cameras that do not have live view. Dragonframe should support any UVC compatible (USB Video Class) webcam.

*Additional cameras may be added to the supported over time. Feel free to check the Dragonframe website to see if there are any updates.

EAN: 793888172647