Curator 3.5.1

Curator Clip Link

This release completes the migration of Curator Clip Select functionality into Curator Clip Link, including:

• A completely new advanced search and saved search GUI has been written from the ground up.
  Note: Saving a search will save all search and filter configuration details present in the GUI. This includes all simple/regular search term(s), advanced search configuration, AI generated assets, filters and asset types to display, and the system / specific folder selected. Everything is saved as part of the "search".
  Note: All saved searches are visible to all users (though you can filter to display only your own), and only the user that created a saved search or an Administrator can delete them. Different users can create saved searches with the exact same name between them, but the same user cannot save duplicate named saved searches.
• A new System Tree and an updated Asset List have been implemented, allowing for assets and folders to be dragged and dropped between the two and within themselves under the Folders tab
  Note: You cannot drag assets from the Filters tab Asset List into the Folders tab System Tree. You can however cut and paste between the two as described in the new right-click context menu functionality below.
• Thumbnails can now be set in the asset previewer. For sub-clips, this can only be set within the limits of the start and end frames, and for bookmarks only on the bookmarked frame itself. This option is deactivated for Image type assets.
• New right-click context menu functionality (NOTE: this will only appear for relevant asset types):
  • Show asset locations - Opens a new bottom tab and displays the folder(s) and any collection(s) that the selected asset resides within.
  • Navigate to the original folder - Navigates from a "shortcut" to the original asset location.

  • Move Assets (under Folders tab) and Move folder acts like a "cut" option for assets (including folders), before "pasting" them with Place assets into the System Tree or Move to in the Asset List. 
    Note: If you move an asset and then change the selected folder in the System Tree then you will no longer be able to place the assets. The contents of the "cut buffer" are lost when you change folders. You must therefore place the asset by either right-clicking the destination folder in the System Tree or else a child folder already visible in the Asset List.

• Various bug fixes
• UI/UX improvements including improved sorting and searching functionality for assets.

Curator for Adobe

This version fixes an issue causing marker metadata to not display correctly in Premiere Pro. This version requires at minimum the use of Curator File Service 1.1.1.34, Core Module v3.5.0.5 and the Edit & Publish Module v1.9.0.1 in order to support Mogrt (motion graphics templates) functionality.

Curator Logger

• This version contains a number of Curator Logger 2.3.1.67 Hot Fix issues that were not present (listed below), as well as some GUI data-control related issues:
  • Subclips are no longer duplicated when switching between assets
  • The keyboard shortcut for frame stepping has changed to SHIFT + > or SHIFT + < to skip forward and backward through frames
  • Cleared asset values will no longer appear following a save
  • With a value selected, the dropdown list for dependent metadata now displays options that correspond with that value
  • Vue-ui has now been updated to fix an issue with the Date Time picker
  • The logging lock button now works correctly

Curator Connect

This version contains a Hotfix for a BoringSSL certificate expiry issue and multiple mezzanines for camera card functionality that builds upon the previous hot-fixes' ability to upload (and create appropriate side-car files with the source locations) mezzanine or hi-res source files.

Curator Gateway

GUI improvements:

• Deactivated users will now be hidden by default with the ability to display these provided by a toggle
• The ability to delete users has been removed in order to maintain history and integrity
• API routes will now be sorted alphabetically

New functionality:

• The ability to obtain a user's avatar for possible future usage
• The ability for Curator Gateway to create the System Administrators group with a dynamic GUID if this does not already exist in the database created by the Curator Server creation scripts.
  Note: At the present time if this functionality is required, it will render the system unusable as it does not link the sysadmin user to the CG created System Administrator workgroup.
  
  
• A bug has also been fixed where a deactivated user requesting a password reset would result in a webpage error.

Curator File Service

This Hotfix version includes all that was included in the previous release plus fixes an issue processing messages and adding files to the CuratorFileService database, as well as providing a fix and guidance on settings for migration of the metadata stored paths information from larger Curator Server databases.

Process Engine

For this version, the provided core version needs to be updated from 3.5.0.7 to 3.5.0.9 (this requires manually upgrading via the Process Engine Monitor for existing systems). This Hotfix version fixes a Write to File activity locking issue as well as improving memory spike and general usage issues.

Metadata Central

• This version extends the support for the Simple Metadata Hierarchy to multiple SKOS documents where the hierarchy is independent of others, improving the ability to log controlled vocabulary with multi-level hierarchy of descendants and now also with independent Topics which can be updated on regular bases.
• The 'document label' is now a compulsory part of the input and defines the Topic search space for descendants in the hierarchy. The list of available schemas for ingesting via ETL and the formats of the inputs is provided in the ETLSource.config file. The current list of schemas is:  smt, stats, ngss, optaf01, optaf40, ipvxmlv1, sportradarV1, warnermedia, ipvskosxmlv1; and the input formats are applicable to specific schemas.
• This release also moves the log file of the MDC Teragator to the familiar C:\ProgramData\IPV\Metadata Central Service\Logs directory in line with other Curator software.
  NOTE: NHL readout fix for nonresponding streaming service requires an on-site test due to the lack of access to the relevant data streaming service for confirmation of readouts.

Curator Server

• This version upgrades the database version to 3.1.0.0, providing the minimum requirements for Curator Clip Link 3.4.1.89 and greater Advanced Search and Saved Search functionality.
• As with Curator Server 4.0, during an upgrade from Curator Server pre-4.0, you must delete and let Curator Server recreate the Solr Core during startup.

XCode

The 4.1 release changes slightly the 4.0 release functionality around its ability to decode the Alpha only from Apple ProRes 4444 HQ & XQ material. For efficiency reasons, where ProRes 4444 with Alpha needs to be decoded, a Control Switches value of renderalpha must now be manually set in the Device Director profile used (this will be HLS-FMP4-D1 by default). When this setting has been saved, subsequent transcoding should generate an alpha stream for any input format that carries alpha as part of the encoding (usually ProRes 4444). That alpha stream may be empty. For input formats incapable of carrying alpha, you should not get an output alpha stream. If the switch is not enabled, you will get a proxy but a separate alpha channel will not be generated.

When using the 4.1 XCode release, in order for HLS proxies to show the correct number of frames on output, you will need to disable edit lists by manually enabling the Control Switches value of disableqtelst in the Device Director profile used.

XFer

This release provides:

• Additional support for AWS S3 VPC interface endpoints using Service URLs beyond that in the previous XFer 2.13.1.13 release
• Ability to set a delete source on completion option to Xfer AWS S3 DD jobs by adding the Property awss3.deleteSourceOnCompletion with value true, and the ability to set the storage tier for an object uploaded via a DD Xfer AWS S3 job (XFER-293) by adding a Property for awss3.storageclass with any of the following values: STANDARD | REDUCED_REDUNDANCY | STANDARD_IA | ONEZONE_IA | INTELLIGENT_TIERING | GLACIER | GLACIER_IR | DEEP_ARCHIVE | OUTPOSTS (only if Outposts is configured as available in AWS)
• It is now also possible to copy/move multiple files at the same time (similar to BlackPearl) using a DD Job syntax of one file per line and a matching number of destination lines.

Device Director

An issue involving a race condition between submitting a job and clean-up tasks that could cause the monitor to stop monitoring (and therefore updating) jobs has been fixed.

Curator 3.5

Curator for Adobe – After Effects and MOGRTS

MOGRTs (Motion Graphic Templates) are created in Premiere Pro or After Effects to enable fast and consistent branding across departments.

Support for remote working with MOGRTs

• Ability to create a MOGRT and upload (register) it to Curator
• Ability to search and find MOGRTs in Curator and download or place that MOGRT on the timeline in Premiere Pro
• Ability to send projects using MOGRTs for remote render
• Ability to check in and out a project with MOGRTs for remote render

Clip Link

Sub-clips

• Users can select media and then create sub-clips
• Those sub-clips can be added to a Collection or create new sub-clips against the parent

Workflows on request

• Once created, they may be used in the Send To workflows to render and publish to destinations, including Social Media
• A Collection might include bumpers, which can be included in the render

Launchpad in Appcues

• Allows users to run Appcues on demand
• Notifications when new Appcues are added
• Available in Clip Link and Curator Logger in this release
• Targeting new features and infrequent User Journeys
• We are expanding support in the remaining web apps and targeting learning paths in future releases

Feature Focus

Feature Enhancements

• Support for Motion Graphic Templates (MOGRTs) in Curator File Server and Curator for Adobe
• Support for After Effects (MOGRTs) in Curator File Server and Curator for Adobe
• Reduced reliance on Shared Storage

Metadata Central

• A SKOS file dropped into a watch folder can be used as an additional data source. Examples include:
  • A .csv file translated into SKOS using the IPV Translator utility
  • A Third-Party tool, e.g., SKOS export from Mondeca

Clip Link

• Ability to create sub-clips for collections

Curator Connect

• Mezzanine upload
  • Ability to create a local mezzanine on-site and upload or replace the mezzanine with high-resolution media when uploading bandwidth permits
  • Useful for on-site shoots and dallies workflows

Noteworthy Workflow and Maintenance

• Batch ingest
  • Alternative ingest method by providing an S3 prefix and driving a batch ingest using a dedicated Web App
  • Useful for back catalogue or bulk ingest
• General
  • Ingest performance enhancements for placeholder creation

Curator 3.4

Curator for Adobe Workfront

Main deliverables

The main deliverables that are part of the Adobe Workfront Integration module are

• IPV Curator Adobe Workfront Connector License
• Curator Workflow Agent – An IPV Microservice providing an integration and workflow execution engine
• Curator core workflows supporting the integration
• An Adobe Workfront web application within Curator to publish production status information back to Workfront
• Templates and forms for Adobe Workfront and instructions on configuring them
• Helpjuice Partner instructions on deployment and configuration

Partner deployment responsibilities

Partner deployment responsibilities include deployment of the Adobe Workfront forms and templates and ensuring they work with their customers to customise the Workfront user journey.

The Curator Adobe Workfront web app is configured out of the box to reflect the metadata; partners may extend the form using the layout configuration tools within Curator System Administrator.

Partners are also responsible for adding necessary customer-specific workflow extensions utilising the library of IPV-based nodes and flows in the Curator Workflow Agent.

Configuration guides

A full set of configuration and deployment instructions are included here.

Flow-based programming – Curator Workflow Agent

This is a licensed option; contact sales@ipv.com for more information.

IPV Workflow Agent

• A new IPV Microservice extending the Curator developer platform for integration and workflow execution support
• This has been designed as a containerized system running on Linux. The approach to this is to keep it simple - one purpose, one responsibility.
• As a scalable unit, the engine includes a Node-RED execution engine
• Flow-based programming, extending Curators Developer platform

Benefits include the following:

• Technical teams can easily build workflows and add new devices for customer projects
• Horizontal scaling with elastic compute will be available with dynamic service launch and termination
• Rapid workflow and device extensions with a library of IPV-based nodes and flows

Node-RED high-level Benefits

• Extending the Curator platform; Node-Red is a lightweight system, offering a low-code programming solution; or sophisticated programming for advanced users
• Node-RED is a mature project, open-sourced in September 2013. It has regular releases and a strong community.
• The public repository on GitHub has a lot of contributions, including the engines, Nodes, Dashboards, Flows, etc.
• The community is well supported with channels such as a forum, Slack, user guides, tutorials, API reference, etc.
• More than 3,500 nodes and over 2,000 flows. Ready made integrations include: IoT, SQL and NoSQL databases, Microsoft Cognitive Services, and GCP Storage, to name a small selection relevant to media workflows

Housekeeping

Feature Enhancements

• Ability to localise Graphics directly into a Premiere project
• Updates to accommodate recent RED changes for Get Clip Info

Camera Cards

• Full Camera card structure preservation, including empty folders

Clip Select

• Hot-fix for searching and creating sub-clips

Noteworthy Workflow and Maintenance

• Analytics
  • Improved memory management
  • Update to latest NEO4J
• File Catalyst
  • JobID management improvements

Curator 3.3.1

Curator Connect and ingest workflows

Consistent Metadata Views

• Alignment of Curator metadata views for consistent selection and presentation of input fields
• This allows for connection to a resource handler which presents dynamically managed vocabularies including third-party sources. For example, Mondeca thesaurus.
• Enabled across all the web apps for metadata entry and edit consistency

Curator for Adobe

Support for Proxy workflows with Alpha

• XCode will consume a ProRes 4:4:4:4 HQ and generate an IPV proxy that preserves the alpha channel

Use in remote workflows

• Importing that proxy to Premiere includes the Alpha Channel
• Remote conform will take the alpha channel into account when swapping to the original media

Housekeeping

Client SSO Authentication

• Curator for Adobe and Curator Connect that use embedded frame works (Chromium) now support Google as an authentication service

Noteworthy Workflow and Maintenance

• XFer
  • S3 to S3
  • VPC Endpoint (Private Link) for S3 is now supported. S3 buckets can now be accessed privately over the AWS network and egress costs can be reduced in hybrid environments with Direct Connect.
• XCode
  • Supported format extensions including long (over 12 hour) recordings

Curator 3.3

Graphics panel (Photoshop and Illustrator)

This is a licensed option; contact sales@ipv.com for more information.

• Graphics teams can now utilize Curator by bringing its search and discovery power into Photoshop and Illustrator
  • Curator will work with image/graphics assets, such as .psd, and .ai files
• Initial features in this release include:
  • Lock and release
  • Place images
  • Upload rendered graphics back into Curator
  • Import graphics proxies into Premiere Pro
• Note: In 3.3, assets must be in EBS or a fixed S3 bucket and not moved

Batch export

• Ability to simultaneously export multiple Premiere Pro sequences to different destinations
  • This saves editors significant time by removing repetitive export processes. For example, a master sequence e.g., 1 minute and a number of shorter sequences for social media e.g., 15 seconds 1:1 Instagram, 30 seconds HD Facebook, 10 seconds 9:16 Stories TikTok.

Curator Connect and ingest workflows

Upload to S3

• Direct upload to an S3 bucket

Metadata at ingest

• Aligning with the Curator Logger, this new metadata views approach allows for consistent selection and presentation of input fields
• Arrival 3.3 Update 1: Allows for connection to a resource handler which presents dynamic managed vocabularies including third party sources. For example, Mondeca thesaurus.
• Important Note: Metadata input Consistency: IPV are enabling this input method across all the web apps for consistency, targeted for Arrival 3.3 Update 1 (November 2021)

Custom AI face search

This is a licensed option; contact sales@ipv.com for more information.

• Extends AWS Rekognition face detection to include non-celebrities
• Enables Curator users to create custom face Collections and use those to perform face detection searches
• Benefits brands and broadcasters who cast lesser-known/unknown actors

Housekeeping

Upgrades

• Critical metadata for more modules and default features is now automatically included in the upgrade
• The critical API routes (proxies, new file server) and permissions for default Curator clients are automatically added on updates, requiring only configuration of the client-specific storage

Archive

• Black Pearl; Semicolons can now be used in file names, multiple files can be restored and archived in single jobs
• StorNext; ability to create multiple tape copies in Device Director job

Noteworthy Workflow Enhancements

• Transparency on thumbnails
• Resilience improvements in Process Engine, specifically with very large numbers of activity status records in the database
• Adobe Media Encoder job aborts when occasionally AME stalls
• General admin improvements: e.g., Improved loading speed of MediaStores page in Process Engine Monitor
  • E.g., Device Director –adding devices to a new group

Documentation portals

IPV Partner and Customer support documentation

• Introducing Helpjuice, a new Wiki-style information portal for Customers and users, system administrators, and Partners. From here, you can:
  • Watch how to training videos
  • View release, installation, and configuration guides

Curator 3.2

Clip Link

This is a licensed option; contact sales@ipv.com for more information.

Extended admin support

• Extended admin support in Clip Link, introducing more of the admin capability previously only available in Clip Select
• Folder browsing tree and full location shown and navigable using location breadcrumbs
• Direct display of clip-marks from a parent asset menu
• Delete is now included, so it is now possible to add items to the trash or find and restore them

Custom web apps

• Businesses can now create their own web apps that can be launched through the right-click context menu
• It is possible to register these in the Curator Gateway as options for driving workflow and integration touch points.

Curator Logger

This is a licensed option; contact sales@ipv.com for more information.

Asset type filtering

• Asset type filtering is now possible in Curator Logger (as it is in Clip Link and Curator for Adobe)

Source of Truth

• Designation of a Source of Truth (the “source” clip) for Batch Logging, e.g., so that game data can be seeded from a selected asset.

Curator for Adobe

This is a licensed option; contact sales@ipv.com for more information.

Asset connect menu improvements for large bins

• Additions to the “Connect” menu (introduced in 3.1 Update 1)
  • Disconnect All
  • Connect to Hi-Res
  • Check Out project offline
  • Import entire folders

Copy to clipboard

• Ability to copy the name of the asset or folder to the clipboard for ease of use.

Rekognition in Images and AWS Translate

Extended Rekognition support

• Rekognition for images including labels, celebrity, face and Text search, content moderation
• Text search in video

Translate support

• Adds automated multi-language subtitle creation capabilities to Curator
• Multi-language captions

Intelligent asset overwrite/de-duplication

• De-duplication is currently handled by asset name – which can be insufficient to determine whether an asset already exists
• New capability will enable intelligent asset overwriting/de-duplication based on MD5 checksums
  • If there’s a match, the user will be notified that a match already exists
  • If no match, ingest as normal
• Benefits users by ensuring only one of each asset exists
• Benefits businesses by reducing wasted storage

Advanced streaming security

• Streaming of the proxies may be configured to stream via the Curator Gateway bringing additional security following OAuth 2 security flows
• IPV has used a professional agency of ethical hackers to run penetration testing
• Arrival 3.3 and 3.3.1 includes further work to address minor vulnerabilities identified in Transport Layer Protection and Authentication across the estate