When RED introduced REDCINE-X, it took the moderately useful and occasionally maddening REDCINE and turned it into an actual usable application. The best thing about this essential RED workflow tool is that it’s in a constant state of being upgraded with bug fixes and new features … and it is free! This past weekend RED posted yet another new version of their Useful Tool with two big features: 3D stereo support and R3D trimming.

3D was inevitable but one of the most useful features is going to be R3D trimming. With the introduction of trimming we’re finally able to actually write a new R3D file. There was no way to do this before, so if you wanted to send just a few seconds of a shot to vfx or grading, you had to send an entire R3D file. That could mean sending a lot of unnecessary media. Combine R3D trimming with another new feature, EDL and Final Cut Pro XML import, and it should be possible to media manage/consolidate a finished, locked edit and archive just the edit instead of the entire shoot. Now, I don’t know if this really is possible at this point as it says in the REDUSER post: Import Options:EDL (CMX 3600)FCP XML (Very beta). If not, then this would be a logical next step in the evolution of this tool since R3D trimming is now possible. As new advances in RED Color Science/color management happen over the years the idea that you could open a finished edit from years ago and regrade with some new RED color technology is quite intriguing. I was able to test the single-clip trimming today as I sent just a few seconds of an R3D, at 300 megs, over the network instead of the multi-gig file of the original. There are a lot of new features and updates in this build, so check out the full feature list for all the details and to download.

Oh, and RED also announced that they have “successfully tested EPIC HDRx to 18 stops of dynamic range in motion,” which is kinda cool if you’re into the camera part of RED too. All those details are available at the EPIC HDR post.