Deko® 3000 / Deko 1000

Version 5.3.5 ReadMe

Important Information

Avid® recommends that you read all the information in this ReadMe file thoroughly before
installing or using any new software release.

Important: Search the Avid Knowledge Base for the most up-to-date ReadMe file, which
contains the latest information that might have become available after the documentation
was published.

This document describes new features, operational changes, and issues resolved.
Contents
If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Typical and Custom Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installing Deko Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Improving Performance in this Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing a New NVIDIA VGA Driver (v91.85) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Updated Clip Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
FastAction Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
User Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
QuickTime Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Installing Deko Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Desktop Settings and Windows Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Enabling Deko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Video Standards for Deko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Selecting a Video Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Windows Explorer Hide Extensions Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Fixed in v5.3.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Fixed in v5.3.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fixed in v5.3.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Operational Changes in v5.3.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Fixed in v5.3.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
New Features in v5.3.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Charts and Graphs Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
720p/50 Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Added UI for ODBC User and Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
“Clock” Command Enhanced to Set time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Added Clock Format MM:SS With or Without Leading Zeroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Auto-Motions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Auto-Update Preview Graphic While Effect is Paused at Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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 Added “play_linked_effect_from_graphic” Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Deko3D Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
CAP Shader Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Choose Representative Frame for CAP Shader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Operational Changes in v5.3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Fixed in v5.3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Documentation Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Resolving Filenames in .dko and .seq Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
General Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Database View Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chart Designer Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Resize Limitation on Systems with SD/HD Video Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
HD Compositing Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Capturing Video to a Clip File in 720p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Blurry Font Edges in 1080i Graphics in DekoObjex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Running Effects or Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Deko 3D Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Power Clips Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Deko Help Oversized Window Limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Technical Support Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Legal Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using Deko:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task. It is especially
important to check each step of your workflow.
2. Check this ReadMe file for the latest information that might have become available after
the documentation was published. Also check online for the most up-to-date ReadMe
because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To
view the online ReadMe, select ReadMe from the Help menu, or visit the Knowledge
Base at www.avid.com/readme.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit Avid Online Support at www.avid.com/onlinesupport/. Online support is available
24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search the Knowledge Base to find answers, to view
error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join
online message-board discussions.

Symbols and Conventions

ReadMe documents use the following symbols and conventions:

Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action

n A note provides important related information, reminders,

recommendations, and strong suggestions.

c A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to
your computer or cause you to lose data.

> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the

order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the
File menu and then select the Import command.

t This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list

indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.

Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.

Courier Bold font Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.

Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the
mouse action. For example Ctrl+drag.

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 Before You Begin

Before You Begin

You must install all required video drivers on your Deko system before upgrading the Deko
application software.

To verify the required VGA driver is installed for your Nvidia card can be done by following
the steps below:
1. Close all applications running on your Deko system.
2. Open “Computer Management” by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting
Manage from the menu.
The Computer Management dialog box opens.
3. Select Device Manager.
4. On the right side of the dialog box, expand Display Adapters by selecting the + or
double-clicking Display Adapters.
5. Select Nvidia and right click to select Properties.
The Properties dialog box opens.
6. Select the Driver tab.
7. Note the Driver Version on the display:
- For Nvidia 1500, 540, & 560 drivers, they must display 6.14.10.9185. If not, the
Nvidia driver must be updated first before proceeding.
- For Nvidia 3700 and 570 drivers, they must display 6.14.11.7846. No driver update
is required.
8. Once you have identified the driver version, close the Device Manager and Computer
Management windows.

If you are required to upgrade your Nvidia driver for the Nvidia 1500, 540 or 560 cards first
before proceeding, the Nvidia driver installer has been provided on the application CD for
this purpose.

n If your system has an Nvidia 3700 or 570 card installed, the driver has already been
installed during the manufacturing process and does not require any additional updates or
installation.

n After the Deko application software has been updated, the OGLRegistry.exe must be
executed in order to guarantee optimal performance on all systems with the 6.14.10.9185
Nvidia driver installed. The OLGRegistry.exe is located at C:\Deko1000\Utilities or
C:\Deko3000\Utilities.

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 ClipAutoUpdate requires DirectX version 9.x in order to properly transcode .avi files if the
option to convert to I-Frame .mxf is selected. Windows XP should have it installed, but
Win2K systems might not have it installed.

For more information, see “Installing a New NVIDIA VGA Driver (v91.85)” on page 8.

For more information on hardware and software installation and configuration, see the Avid
On-Air Graphics Setup and Configuration Guide.

For information on antivirus recommendations, see the Avid Knowledge base.

For recommended peripheral devices, see the Avid Knowledge base.

c Black burst or Tri-level sync must be connected for the Deko products to perform
correctly. See “Selecting a Video Reference” on page 14.

Typical and Custom Installation

There are two types of installations available:
• A “Complete” installation installs the components marked (Complete).
• A “Custom” installation allows you to select which components you want to install.

The following table describes the components of the installation:

Installation Component Description Table

Component Description

Program (Complete) Installs all binary executable files and other supporting files necessary to
run Deko.

Dongle Driver Installs the HASP® Dongle driver.

(Complete)
Deko software is protected through the use of a physical “key” known as an
application key, or dongle, which plugs into the computer's parallel or USB
port. The HASP dongle driver must be installed for Deko to operate.

ODBC™ Database Installs the Microsoft® database drivers.

Drivers

Help files Installs the Deko Products Help.

FastAction Keyboard Installs software necessary for the optional FastAction Keyboard.

Spell Check Installs spell-check dictionaries for several languages.

(Complete)

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 Before You Begin

Installing Deko Software

Before installing the Deko software, you must be logged in to Windows® XP and you must
belong to the Administrator group.

To install Deko software:

1. Exit all Windows XP programs before installing the software. The installation requires
that you exit Deko.
2. Insert the installation CD into your drive.
The CD runs automatically and the Deko installation begins.

n If autorun is turned off on your computer, you can use My Computer or Explorer to navigate
to the CD. In the CD's root directory, double-click SETUP.EXE.

3. Follow the directions on the screen. For more information, see the Avid On-Air Graphics
Setup and Configuration Guide.

Improving Performance in this Version

UDevC00096892 If you used a Deko product prior to this release, you might have noticed
slowed performance when you opened or browsed for files across a network. The slowed
performance was caused by a problem in Microsoft® Service Pack 2 (SP2). The Deko
application CD for this release includes a hotfix to the service pack.

To install the SP2 hotfix:

1. Navigate to the Extras folder on your application CD.
2. Double-click WindowsXP-KB894463-v2-x86-ENU.exe.
The Hotfix window opens.
3. Click Next.
The license window opens.
4. Click I Agree, and then click Finish.
Your system restarts.

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Installing a New NVIDIA VGA Driver (v91.85)
A new version of the NVIDIA VGA driver (v 91.85) was introduced with Deko version
4.1.2. The driver is included on your application CD. It is also available for download from
www.avid.com. If you have not already updated your Deko system to the new NVIDIA
VGA driver or you are not sure it has been done, you need to update your system by carrying
out one of the following procedures.

c Installing the NVIDIA VGA driver before you upgrade your Deko machine to version
5.3.x might cause monitor problems.

The installation procedure differs slightly for certain older Deko machines and all other
Deko machines. See the following topics:
• “Installing the NVIDIA Driver on Older Deko 1000 and Deko 550 Machines” on page 8
• “Installing the NVIDIA Driver on All Other Deko Machines” on page 10
• “Checking the Deko’s Display Properties” on page 10

Installing the NVIDIA Driver on Older Deko 1000 and Deko 550 Machines

This topic contains information on how to install the NVIDIA driver on older Deko 1000
and Deko 550 machines.

Certain older NVIDIA cards do not support the new driver and it will not get installed even
after running the setup.exe. Running the install will not have any ill affect on the current
driver installation.

To install the new NVIDIA driver (v91.85):

1. Make sure that you have installed Deko 5.3.x software on your Deko machine. For more
information on installing Deko software, see “Installing Deko Software” on page 7.
2. Turn off your Deko machine and then turn it on again.
3. On the Deko v5.3.x application CD, navigate to the folder _nVidia_Driver91.85.
4. Double-click setup.exe.
The NVIDIA Windows XP Display Drivers dialog box opens.
5. Click Next.
6. Do one of the following, depending on the message you see:
- On some older versions of Deko 1000 or Deko 550 machines, when the NVIDIA
driver is upgrading, you might see the following message:
“The system has not been modified. To install this program at a later time, run the
installation again....”

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 Before You Begin

a. Ignore the message; you do not have to run the installation again.
b. Click OK to close the message dialog box.
c. Select “Yes, I want to restart my computer now.”
d. Click Finish.
- On other older versions of Deko 1000 or Deko 550 machines, when the NVIDIA
driver is upgrading, you might see the following message:
“Error in NvCpl.dll. Missing entry: NvCplUpdatePersistData.” Go to Step 7.
7. Click OK to close the message dialog box.
8. Restart your Deko machine.
9. Uninstall the NVIDIA driver.
10. Start your Deko machine again.
11. On the Deko v5.3.x application CD, navigate to the folder _nVidia_Driver91.85.
12. Double-click setup.exe.
The NVIDIA Windows XP Display Drivers dialog box opens.
13. Click Next.
14. Select “Yes, I want to restart my computer now.”
15. Click Finish.
16. After the Deko machine restarts, navigate to C:\DekoModelNumber\Utilities (where
ModelNumber is 550, 1000, 3000, and so on).
17. Double-click OglRegistry.exe.
A confirmation message box opens.
18. Click OK.
19. Restart the Deko machine.
The NVIDIA driver 91.85 is now installed and correctly configured on your
Deko system.

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Installing the NVIDIA Driver on All Other Deko Machines

To install the new NVIDIA driver (v91.85):

1. Make sure that you have installed Deko 5.3.x software on your Deko machine. For more
information on installing Deko software, see “Installing Deko Software” on page 7.
2. Turn off your Deko machine and then turn it on again.
3. On the Deko v5.3.x application CD, navigate to the folder _nVidia_Driver91.85.
4. Double-click setup.exe.
The NVIDIA Windows XP Display Drivers dialog box opens.
5. Click Next.
6. Select “Yes, I want to restart my computer now.”
7. Click Finish.
8. After the Deko machine restarts, navigate to C:\DekoModelNumber\Utilities (where
ModelNumber is 550, 1000, 3000, and so on).
9. Double-click OglRegistry.exe.
A confirmation message box opens.
10. Click OK.
11. Restart the Deko machine.
The NVIDIA driver 91.85 is now installed and correctly configured on your
Deko system.

Checking the Deko’s Display Properties

To check your Deko machine’s display properties:

1. Click Start and select Settings > Control Panel > Display.
The Display Properties dialog box opens.
2. Click the Settings tab.
3. Change the Screen resolution to 1024 by 768.
4. Change the Color quality to either “True color 32 bit” or “Highest 32 bit,” depending on
what is available for your system.
5. Click OK.

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 Before You Begin

Updated Clip Database

If you are an existing Deko user and you install the new version of the software, the system
updates the clip database to add functionality. When you open the Clip Editor for the first
time, a message box opens.

The message lets you know that a new clip field has been added. The system saves your old
database; the message box also gives you the name and location of the saved database.

FastAction Keyboard
The FastAction keyboard is an optional keyboard that has many additional function keys for
direct access to Deko functions. Proper functioning of the FastAction Keyboard requires a
supplied special driver which is optionally installed as part of the Deko custom installation.
The FastAction Keyboard firmware must be version 1.6 or later. The firmware version is
displayed in the FastAction Keyboard's display when power is first applied.

User Documentation
For information on using Deko, select Help > Avid Deko Help or see the Avid Deko Products
User’s Guide. This guide can be found in PDF format on the Avid Knowlege Base.

n Features described in the documentation depend on your Deko model. Your model might not
include all the features included in the documentation.

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QuickTime Support
Deko enables you to import Apple® QuickTime® .mov files. Before you import .mov files
into Deko, you must install QuickTime from the Apple web site. QuickTime is not supplied
by Avid. Deko supports Apple QuickTime version 7. You might need to purchase and
download QuickTime Pro. For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide
or the Help for your application.

n QT 7.4 or higher is not supported in Windows 2000.

For additional information, see www.apple.com/quicktime.

Installing Deko Fonts

A CD containing a library of approximately 500 TrueType® fonts might be provided
separately with your system. To install the fonts, insert the Fonts CD in your drive and
follow the instructions. The Deko software license grants you the right to use these fonts
only on your Deko system.

Desktop Settings and Windows Toolbar

Deko requires that you run with a desktop screen resolution of at least 1024 by 768 pixels,
and color quality of “True color” (32 bit) or “Highest” (32 bit).

If you have chosen to run at exactly 1024 by 768 pixels, please do the following to check
your desktop settings:

To check or change desktop settings:

1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.
The Display Properties dialog box opens.
2. In the Themes tab, select Theme > Windows Classic.
3. Click the Appearance tab, and make sure the Font size is set to Normal.
4. Click the Settings tab, and make sure the options are set as follows:
- Color quality: True color (32 bit) or Highest (32 bit)

To hide the Windows toolbar:

1. Right-click the Windows XP toolbar and select Properties.
The Toolbar Properties dialog box opens.
2. Select Auto hide.
3. Click OK.

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 Before You Begin

Enabling Deko
Deko systems require the supplied application key, or dongle, to be plugged into the system's
parallel or USB port.

Video Standards for Deko

SD Deko Models

Deko standard-definition (SD) models (Deko 1000, Deko 3000, Deko 550, FXDekoII, and
Deko 2200) can run in NTSC and PAL.

HD Deko Models

Deko high-definition (HD) models (Deko 1000 HD and Deko 3000 HD) can run in the
following video standards:
• 1080i/50
• 1080i/59.94
• 1080i/60
• 720p/59.94
• 720p/60
• 720p/50 - Only supported for systems with an active Serrano card.

HY Deko Models

Deko Hybrid (HY) models (Deko 1000 HY, and Deko 3000 HY) can run in either SD or HD
video standards.

See the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide or the Help for instructions on how to change
video standards.

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Selecting a Video Reference
You need to select the appropriate video reference for your Deko model. When connecting
the reference for your system, use the following table.

Video Reference Setup Guidelines

System Type Select this option

High Definition (HD) Tri-level sync (Recommended)

Hybrid (HY) Analog Reference Black

n Tri-level sync does not work in SD. However, if the system always
remains in HD mode, and does not switch to SD mode, Avid
recommends that you use Tri-level sync.

Standard Definition (SD) Analog Reference Black

Note the following guidelines:

• Do not use a video signal that contains active video as a reference.
• NTSC black burst can be used for 1080i/29.97 and 720p/59.94 video formats.
• PAL black burst can be used for the 1080i/50 and 720p/50 video formats.
• When you use high definition tri-level sync, or black burst, the format of the analog
reference signal must match the video format specified in the software setup. The
following video formats can be supported through tri-level sync:
- 1080i/50
- 1080i/59.94
- 1080i/60
- 720p/59.94
- 720p/60
- 720p/50
• System instability results if the video format configuration of the Deko system does not
match the analog reference connected to the input.

Windows Explorer Hide Extensions Option

For the Deko File Open dialog box to operate correctly, you need to show Windows folder
extensions.

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 Fixed in v5.3.5

To show folder extensions:

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Select Tools > Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab and make sure the setting “Hide extensions for known file types” is
deselected.
4. Click OK.

Fixed in v5.3.5
The following issues have been fixed since Deko v5.3.4:

➤ UDevC00150025 The issue where the "clear" effect doesn't clear text layers every time (if
graphic has a "clip layer") has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00150264 The crash in Deko that was related to browsing to a graphic with an
Underline in it when the previous browsed graphic had no details has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00153064 Deko was doing incorrect color space conversion when importing and
saving Stills to Thunder. This has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00153328 The Deko Spell Checker has been fixed so that words ending with
punctuation (period, comma, semicolon) are no longer being ignored.

➤ UDevC00154665 Performing a File > Open from the Style view in Deko no longer retrieves
the wrong directory.

➤ UDevC00154664 The issue where Preset style names were getting lost has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00156013 The option_enable command for remote time expiration has been fixed to
work past 2011.

➤ UDevC00156302 We have fixed the intermittent “Out of Memory” crash that occurred when
running Blur effects.

➤ UDevC00157732 The issue where some style labels were lost, and changed to “Arial Black”
in the 720p video standard if a different video standard was used when they were created has
been fixed.

➤ UDevC00157994 The issue where Deko would crash in the Layer Properties view if the
<Alt> + C, <Alt> + D, <Alt> + I or <Alt> + U keys were pressed has been fixed.

➤ Updated the End User License Agreements (EULAs). This also included a fix for Chinese
EULAs (Simplified and Traditional were reversed).
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Fixed in v5.3.4
The following issues have been fixed since Deko v5.3.3:

➤ UDevC00149162 For users running in 720p60 or 720p59.94 video standards, there was a
possible glitch in video (keyer) output occurring in previous versions of 5.3.x software. This
behavior would happen when the Deko was not running with video input coming into it.
Instead, the output of the Deko was keyed over video through a switcher. In addition, they
were running an effect or motion that lasted for more than 5 seconds. This issue has been
fixed so that this glitch in video output no longer occurs.

Fixed in v5.3.3
The following issues have been fixed since Deko v5.3.2:

➤ UDevC00145112, UDevC00146374 Ideograms (such as Chinese characters) in a Top to

Bottom Rotated field were always rotating 90 degrees. For some customers this was desired
behavior, but in the original Deko implementation they were not rotated. There is now a
Preference in the Preferences > Advanced tab that lets you specify whether to Rotate
Ideograms in a Top to Bottom Rotated field. By default, it is On. Turn it Off to return to the
original Deko behavior, and then select Options > Save Settings Now.

➤ UDevC00143981 At some installations there was a severe delay (3 minutes) during Deko
initialization. This was because the application was going to the Internet to verify that it had
good Charts and Graphs DLL’s. If access to the Internet was enabled but limited in some
way, this delay could occur. This has been corrected. The application no longer goes to the
Internet for this purpose.

➤ UDevC00142258 Charts and Graphs: Deko was sometimes hanging when loading a graphic
with a Chart and the database used for chart auto-update was not available. A connection
timeout control has been added to the "Import" sub-tab of the "Series" tab in the Chart
Designer. If you set the “Connection Timeout” value to something small, say for example, 1,
then save the graphic and load it back when the SQL Server stopped, you will see that the
Deko user interface is much more responsive than it was previously.

➤ UDevC00142260 Charts and Graphs were not working with Oracle databases. That has been
corrected.

➤ UDevC00143240 Charts and Graphs: In previous versions, you could not import data from a
system database if there was no user database. This has been corrected.

16
 Fixed in v5.3.3

➤ UDevC00146408 Charts and Graphs: You must share the workbook in Microsoft Excel if
you want to have the Excel file open when you view the database in the ChartDesigner. To
do this, open the .xls file in Microsoft Excel, select Tools > Share Workbook, then check the
box “Allow changes by more than one user at the same time. This also allows workbook
merging.” If you do this, then you should be able to view the Excel database in the
ChartDesigner while you have it open in Microsoft Excel.

➤ UDevC00140119 Charts and Graphs: In the previous version, there was no way to add rows
to the DataGrid in the Series DataPoints menu. This has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00144447 Deko Chart Designer, you can now add more than one axis text to axis X
and axis Z of Grid Surface chart.

➤ UDevC00145339 Auto-update of a Chart layer no longer causes the Face shader for the
current layer to be set to Chart texture (or black).

➤ UDevC00146673 An inefficiency keeping track of used textures has been corrected. In some
circumstances it was leading to the program slowing down after running for a long period of
time.

➤ UDevC00145809 Deko was sometimes crashing when using a graphic with a texture that
contained missing references for certain sources. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00144123 In graphics that contained a layer with an unnamed texture, under certain
circumstances it was not allowing you to add a named texture to a text field Face shader.
This has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00143059 Deko Clocks: In previous versions, pressing the Start button on a

Countdown clock that had already counted down to zero was yielding unpredictable results.
Now, the Start button is disabled in this circumstance, and you need to hit the clock Reset
button to reset the countdown clock to its original setting.

➤ UDevC00146671 Graphics with textures were sometimes being marked as modified (with
an asterisk) when read in. This is a bug that was introduced in version 5.3.1. It has been
corrected.

➤ UDevC00146672 Graphics with attached motions were being marked as modified (with an
asterisk) when read in. This is a bug that introduced in version 5.3.1. It has been corrected.

➤ UDevC00143879 When the Preference/Prompts Convert MessageBox prompts to log

entries, some MessageBox prompts were not going to the log. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00148256 Deko3D: When saving the layer mapping table for "Playon", "none" was
not getting remembered. That has been fixed.

17
 ➤ UDevC00148122 Power Clips: The "current directory" for power clips was being set
incorrectly when importing more more than one clip at one time. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00147919 CAP Shaders: There was an “Integer divide by 0” failure when using a
CAP shader that had been saved with 0 images. That has been corrected.

➤ UDevC00147861 CAP Shaders: Many messages were getting logged when you scrubbed a
CAP shader. That will no longer happen.

➤ UDevC00148134 Deko3D: After changing a motion table to none and saving the motion,
the motion would sometimes no longer be readable. That has been corrected.

➤ UDevC00133550 Deko3D: After browsing for a Deko3D file for a motion, the path was
being added to the "search path" for Motions. It is now being used to set the "current
directory" for Deko3D.

➤ UDevC00146115 Deko3D: Deko would sometimes crash when opening a non-Deko3D

graphic while scrubbing a Deko3D motion. This has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00146664 Motion on letter with CAP shader no longer causes Deko to crash.

➤ UDevC00144199 CAP Shader: The representative frame number was incorrect when
accessing the CAP shader via the “Look” tab in the “Layer Properties” dialog box. This has
been corrected.

➤ UDevC00142236 Under unusual circumstances a Motion Playoff of CAP shaders or

PowerClips was causing a crash of Deko. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00142259 CAP shader: The "play duration" control was sometimes not getting saved
and reloaded correctly if it was edited when there was not a valid filename for the CAP
shader. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00145073 CAP shader: Playoff of CAP shaders with extra details (say an Edge) was
using the wrong wrong image number if the duration was "motion_duration_full_cycles".
That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00142243 Power Clip and CAP shader: Sometimes there was an "Unexpected failure
during Motion Effect" when playing a motion that refers to PowerClip or CAP that was not
found. That has been corrected.

Operational Changes in v5.3.3

Deko contains the following operational changes in v5.3.3:

18
 Fixed in v5.3.2

➤ UDevC00145046 Power Clips: There is a new

@preference:stop_power_clips_at_end_of_motion. Possible values are all, noncontinuous,
and none. Default is none.

➤ UDevC00145047 CAP Shaders: There is a new

@preference:stop_cap_shaders_at_end_of_motion. Possible values are all, noncontinuous,
and none. Default is noncontinuous.

Fixed in v5.3.2
The following issues have been fixed since Deko v5.3.1:

➤ UDevC00140431 AThere was an issue that first appeared in version 5.3.1 and would
sometimes lead to the Clip Database getting corrupted. Entries would end up pointing to the
wrong clip or key file. This has been fixed.

19
New Features in v5.3.1
The following features are new in the Deko 5.3.1 release:

Charts and Graphs Functionality

All Avid Deko models now include a new Charts and Graphs feature added to the Layer
properties of a rectangle. For more information, see the Avid Deko Products User’s Guide, or
the Avid Deko Online Help.

The Charts and Graphs feature does not get installed on legacy Windows 2000 systems.

720p/50 Support
The Avid Deko 3000 and Deko 1000 models now support 720p/50 formats for IO and clips.

n 720p/50 is only supported on systems that have an active Serrano card.

Added UI for ODBC User and Password

➤ UDevC00134489 You can now connect to User/Password protected databases from the
Database view.

➤ UDevC00132713 The odbc_connect command now has optional user and password
parameters.

“Clock” Command Enhanced to Set time

➤ UDevC00134110 Parameters have been added to the “Clock” command to allow resetting
any kind of clock, including Countdown, Countup, and Time of Day.

clock set_time 1 0 2 30

This command resets a countdown or countup clock to the new start time of 0 hours, 2
minutes, 30 seconds. It will set a time of day clock to have an offset of 2 minutes and 30
seconds from the current time of day. Also, there is a another parameter after the seconds
that will you to change the current status of the clock.

clock set_time 1 0 2 30 stopped

This command will do the same as above, and the clock will be stopped at that time.

20
 New Features in v5.3.1

clock set_time 1 0 2 30 started

This command will do the same as above, and the clock will be counting.

clock set_time 1 0 2 30 same

This command will do the “same” as above, and is the default and not necessary.

n If the clock is already counting, it will continue to, with the time adjusted.

n If the clock is not counting, it will remain not counting, and just show the new time.

Added Clock Format MM:SS With or Without Leading Zeroes

➤ UDev00134102 We have added a Clock format of MM:SS with or without leading zeroes
for countup and coutdown.

Auto-Motions
➤ UDevC00135535 For a graphic that uses a “graphic class”, if that class cannot be found in
the current “auto-motion” table, you are now notified and allowed to browse for a different
"auto-motion" table.

Auto-Update Preview Graphic While Effect is Paused at Start

➤ UDevC00135552 Auto-update now updates the Preview graphic while the effect is “paused
at start”. For example, a clock in the Preview graphic should continue to update while the
effect is “paused at start”.

Added “play_linked_effect_from_graphic” Command

➤ UDevC00135788 We have added a new command called
“play_linked_effect_from_graphic”. This command plays the effect, if any, that is linked to
the named graphic, without displaying the graphic or disturbing the contents of Preview or
Program.

Deko3D Changes
➤ UDevC00135917 When creating the Play-on or Play-off motions, we have two sets of
identical layers, with the exception of the layer names. Deko3D now allows the option to
select None in the Layer Source column of the Layer Mapping table.

21
CAP Shader Improvements
➤ UDevC00100349 We have added a new “Duration” control in the CAP shader. We also
removed the “Continuous” control.

Choose Representative Frame for CAP Shader

You can now choose a representative frame for a CAP shader.

Operational Changes in v5.3.1

Deko version 5.3.1 includes the following operational changes since Deko version 5.2:

➤ UDevC00133469, 133471, 133472, 133550, 133473

• Add current directory and searchpath for “Sequences” and “Effects”
• Add current directory and searchpath for “Standard Clips”
• Add current directory and searchpath for “Power Clips”
• Add current directory and searchpath for “Deko3D”

➤ UDevC00133480, UDevC00133481, UDevC00133477, UDevC00133475 On “file open” of

.seq, .efx, .mot, and .amt files, Deko now reports “file not found” for any associated files,
and allows search of “current directory” and “searchpath”, and allows browse.

➤ UDevC00132293 When resolving filenames during file open of seq, .efx and .dko files,
Deko now modifies the document that has been read in to reflect those changes. If you then
save the document, those changes will be saved.

➤ UDevC00134259 New preferences have been added to provide compatibility with previous
versions. If you wish to use them, you must run the indicated command on the command
line. If you want the change to be permanent, do an Options/Save Settings Now.
- @preference:enable_sequence_dir=0 reverses a change made for UDevC 133469 so
that there is not a directory and searchpath for sequences and effects separate from
the graphics directory. This new functionality alters DekoMOS behavior if users
were ever to specify such a directory directly on the Deko.
- @preference:resolve_related_filenames_in_doc=sometimes reverses the changes
made by UDevC 133293 concerning resolving filenames in place when opening a
file, and brings back functionality to the way it was in Deko 5.2 and earlier. In Deko
5.2, it did this only in certain circumstances - such as textures and CAP shaders
referred to in a .dko file. The default in Deko 5.3 is “always”, which causes the

22
 Operational Changes in v5.3.1

program to modify documents when read in if related filenames were resolved and
changed. Another possible value that has been added is “never”, so that this
functionality does not happen for textures and CAP shaders referred to in a .dko file.

➤ UDevC00132307, 132306, 133479 There is now a “Resolve Filenames” entry in the

Graphic menu, Sequence menu, and in the Clip Editor.

➤ UDevC00132902 There is a new macro command “refresh” that corresponds to the Channel
menu item Refresh. Refresh is used to refresh a graphic to its original state. For example,
when an effect has stopped, and the output in the Program Channel looks different than the
graphic’s original state, you can return the graphic to its original state by selecting Channel >
Refresh from the Menu bar.

➤ UDevC00133474 When a standard or power clip file is not found, allow search of current
directory and searchpath, and allow browse for various files.

➤ UDevC00104578 Deko windows can now be resized if you are not running the Windows
Classic theme in the 1024x768 desktop resolution.

➤ UDevC00131743, UDevC00132105 Texture Shader: For a Shape layer (rectangle or

ellipse), the Replace control has been removed from the user interface for the first texture
applied (in detail order) “Replaceable” texture.

➤ UDevC00131812 CAP shaders and unnamed Texture shaders are now not allowed on a
letter.

➤ UDevC00132617 There is a new variable in the macro language: @video_standard. It

returns a string representing the current video standard.

➤ UDevC00132613 A parameter has been added to the “sequence_options” command to allow

a new way test a sequence with pauses in it. You can now specify a pause_limit, and the
program will pause for that many seconds and then continue without manual intervention.
For example, sequence_options pause_limit=2.

➤ UDevC00131252 We have added three items to the Countdown and Countup clocks: SS,
:SS, and :SSS. The “:” actually displays as the specified Separator for Mins/Secs, which
defaults to “:”.

➤ UDevC00126171 The Sequence menu now contains an entry “Show Full Pathnames” to
allow you to control whether the sequence view is displaying full path names or just the file
name.

23
 ➤ UDevC00132997 The Effect Playback view now allows you to specify a “command” effect.
You can enter the desired macro command by pressing the Options… key. If you have a
graphic (.dko file) with such an effect (.efx file) attached to it, the graphic will not appear in
Program when the associated effect is played; only the command is performed.

Fixed in v5.3.1
The following issues have been fixed since Deko v5.3:

➤ UDevC00143879 When the preference is to convert MessageBox prompts to log entries, the
issue where some prompts were not going to the log has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00146672 Graphics with textures or attached motions are no longer being marked as
modified when opened.

➤ UDevC00141597 In the Database View, Oracle databases (connected through an ODBC

driver) were not working. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00140644 In Options/Spell Check/Language, the menu was not showing a

checkmark next to the current language. That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00135039 After scrubbing a Deko3D motion, part of the desktop no longer shows up
on output video on some Deko 3000 platforms.

➤ UDevC00100530 The issue that occurred when using the Sequencer to clear the program
channel, and the command effect Clear (or Clear doc=program) did not reliably clear the
output until the sequence ends (or is stopped) has been fixed.

➤ UDevC0081074 The issue that occurred when adding a .wav file to a motion, and if the
audio was to be played on each character in rapid succession, there might have been a few
frames of delay on the audio has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00100715 the issue that occurerd when using the Command effect in a sequence in
dual-program mode, and the A or B in the Channel column might not affect which output the
commands are applied to has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00136823 There is now improved synchronization between effect playback and clip
playback.

➤ UDevC00139584 Graphics with unnamed textures (originally NTSCW), saved at 1080i, and
opened in NTSC now scale correctly.

24
 Fixed in v5.3.1

➤ UDevC00139076 If an edge or shadow is added to a power clip layer, Deko will now show
its representative frame instead of black. Deko has never played such a power clip. A
warning message is now issued.

➤ UDevC00140102 In Deko1000, reading a motion with any of the behaviors z position, glow,
or glint was possibly causing a crash or an incorrect prompt. That has been fixed. Such a
motion cannot be read in Deko1000.

➤ UDevC00138022 Deko no longer occasionally crashes after scrubbing a Deko3D motion if

there was a clock in the Program view.

➤ UDevC00139198 In 720p, MakeDekoMovie and PostDeko clip dissolve transition are no

longer off by a factor of 2.

➤ UDevC00139195 In Make DekoMovie, Reverse Fields is now disabled in the 720p video
standard.

➤ UDevC00139139 The default Deko log size has increased from 500K to 5MB.

➤ When there is a Hold on an effect, you no longer get the following error message in the log
“Severe TRANS_EFFECT::ProduceFullFrameForHold: GetSharedMemAppBuffersInMem
returning 0 when shouldn't.”

➤ UDevC00138018 Deko will now stop an effect in progress if it is being ordered by

Automation to read in a new graphic. The results of opening a graphic with an effect in
progress were undefined.

➤ UDevC00134189 If you create a clip using Make DekoMovie in the 720p/50 video standard,
any audio in that clip now plays correctly.

➤ UDevC00138465 Some HASP (dongle) driver failures were simply reporting HASP not
found. Better information is now being reported.

➤ UDevC00138123 The Crawl Page effect was chopping off descenders on the bottom row.
That has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00091839 The Power Clips feature has been fixed to no longer pop back to the
representative frame when "played off" in a motion (or effect).

➤ UDevC00137542 CAP Shaders have been fixed to no longer pop back to the representative
frame when "played off" in a motion (or effect).

➤ UDevC00137212 The macro command dot2world was returning incorrect information. That
has been fixed.

25
 ➤ UDevC00137099 Whenever a motion went into Hold, there was an invalid error put out in
the log saying “GetSharedMemAppBuffersInMem returning 0 when shouldn't.” That has
been removed.

➤ UDevC00116169 Clip Layers in Program have been fixed to clear at the beginning of a
motion if no Play-off action was present.

➤ UDevC00135230 Some Japanese unicode characters that were typing on top of other
characters when they should have been separate, have been fixed. The characters were:
• FF70 (HALFWIDTH KATAKANA-HIRAGANA PROLONGED SOUND MARK)
• FF9E (HALFWIDTH KATAKANA VOICED SOUND MARK)
• FF9F (HALFWIDTH KATAKANA SEMI-VOICED SOUND MARK)

➤ UDevC00135558 Deko was allowing the user to check the SEQUENCE GPI Enabled
checkbox, even if COM1 was already in use by Automation. There is now an error message
when this is attempted.

➤ UDevC00135143 Use of Layermove (crop) effect on Background clip no longer produces a

"unexpected failure during motion effect" error message.

➤ UDevC00135649 Deko has been fixed to read .aut files from the Enhanced keypad.

➤ UDevC00136092 Auto-Update drop-down list no longer has a blank line instead of sql when
you do not have the Automation option.

➤ UDevC00119604 If a motion action does not play due to "content equivalence", any pauses
in that action will now be ignored.

➤ UDevC00127127 Motion: “Force Play” has been fixed to now work for the "Clip Layer"
action.

➤ UDevC00135088 Motion: Don't insert “pause at end” due to a graphical element that does
not play due to “content equivalence”

➤ UDevC00135564 In the sequencer, motion filenames are now displayed relative to the
“current motion directory”, and graphic filenames are now displayed relative to the “current
graphics directory”.

➤ UDevC00135534 The reporting of “file not found” has been improved by including where
the file was “referenced from”.

➤ UDevC0098197 "Append Layers" and "Replace Layers" (in preview) no longer cause
"associated effect" playback.

26
 Fixed in v5.3.1

➤ UDevC00136391 Glow & Glint: If both Glow and Glint behaviors are used on an object,
each one no longer causes both to be applied.

➤ UDevC00130872 “Prompt for missing file” is now working correctly.

➤ UDevC00133906 The file_append command now uses the search path and prompts for “file
not found”.

➤ UDevC00132292 If a filename was modified during File > Open, the “modified” asterisk
now appears in the title.

➤ UDevC00134515 In the Auto-Motion view, the View Motion and View Graphic buttons now
prompts you if the file is not found.

➤ UDevC00132080 Auto-Motion: File open of Auto-Motion file (.amt) no longer sets the
“current graphics directory”.

➤ UDevC00132302 The Sequencer & Effect Playback now displays motion names relative to
the current “motion directory”.

➤ UDevC00132303 The Sequencer & Effect Playback now updates the view when the current
"graphics directory" or "motion directory" is changed.

➤ UDevC00132131 The Sequencer, when prompting for a graphic filename, no longer

appends the .dko extension. It now correctly appends the .* extension.

➤ UDevC00127685 File properties are now displayed if you open a file by typing the file name
in the File name field.

➤ UDevC00133926 Make DekoMovie no longer crashes when you have an associated effect
followed by a delay in the next effect.

➤ UDevC00132285 Auto-Update: A Texture updated by “replace” no longer might appear

incorrectly scaled.

➤ UDevC00133752 PostDekoLite.ocx no longer attempts to open automation pipes.

➤ UDevC00129282 A CAP playback from a Motion no longer might flash a frame before
starting or when starting with a Hold.

➤ UDevC00125789 The Layer Browser has been fixed to display the layers of the current
graphic.

➤ UDevC00131629 The macro command deko_objex_get_actions_list no longer returns an

empty string.

27
 ➤ UDevC00132003 The Max # of chars per field has been fixed to not sometimes allow one
extra character.

➤ UDevC00125497 A motion created in previous Deko versions now works correctly even if if
“force play” is turned off.

➤ UDevC00125840 In the Motion editor, the Effect drop down menu now shows all the items.

➤ UDevC00127190 In the Motion editor, “rotate” and “skew” now appear red for the clip
layer.

➤ UDevC00132499 AutoUpdate no longer continually updates “flashes” when in the

Layer/Style dialog box and the Shader dialog box.

➤ UDevC00133910 Motion "Force Play": If a parent has "Force Play", don't display "Force
Play" control on child action.

➤ UDevC00131948 In the Texture Shader, we no longer allow a Shadow to be added to an

unnamed texture.

➤ UDevC00130602 All settings are now being retained when @settings is edited.

➤ UDevC00132658 Auto-Motion .amt files no longer include unnecessary blank lines.

➤ UDevC00125812 Since Deko3D does not support clip layer, a Deko graphic with a clip
layer now has the following error message: “Clip layer not allowed with this motion or
effect”.

➤ UDevC00124848 The slow redraw of effect parameters that existed for “All remaining”
layers when it involved a complicated motion has been fixed.

➤ UDevC00133113 Effect Playback view no longer has scroll bars when not using 1024x768
Windows Classic desktop theme.

➤ UDevC00100349 A CAP Shader now only plays once if it is not marked as "continuous".

➤ UDevC00131742 For Auto-Update on a rectangle or ellipse, “Clock” is no longer a choice.

➤ UDevC00126155 Selecting Help > Shortcuts has been fixed to correctly point to the
Shortcuts topic in the Help.

➤ UDevC00129266 Auto-Motion: New motions no longer get stuck using the base graphic
once played on with an auto-motion.

➤ UDevC00126779 The issue where multi-line crawl settings did not stay for 'seconds' and
'frames' has been fixed.

28
 Documentation Changes

➤ UDevC00125867 Make DekoMovie has been fixed to allow you to make .tga files after
changing from HD to SD.

➤ UDevC00132004 Deko has been optimized so that DekoObjex scenes that played properly
in Deko v5.0.2, but not in v5.2, now play properly in v5.3.

➤ UDevC00133126 Some macros created in FxDeko don't work on current software because
commands from a macro are processed during a pause in a sequence.

We added a preference to make the program behave compatibly with FxDeko, and not
process commands while in a pause: @preference:prevent_macros_during_pause=1

To revert to default behavior, specify @preference:prevent_macros_during_pause=0

➤ UDevC00134109 When a clock is running, using a menu no longer causes the clock to
pause.

➤ UDevC00134238 Auto-Update: Updating now occurs when you click on a pull-down menu.

➤ UDevC00134498 Deko3D: Scrubbing an “update motion” no longer shows Preview layers

where Program layers should have been.

➤ UDevC00134765 You no longer experience long delays when browsing folders (as in clips
view).

➤ UDevC00129025 When the clip database was empty, there was an unnecessary line in the
Deko log concerning a CFileException in ReadBrowserImageList. That message no longer
appears in the log.

➤ UDevC00127784 Certain motions that could not be played on a Deko1000 (such as ones
with behaviors) were playing anyway, without an incompatibility warning. These motions
will no longer be played.

Documentation Changes
This section describes documentation changes that are not included in the Deko Products
User’s Guide. The changes are listed under the following categories:
• Resolving Filenames in .dko and .seq Files

Resolving Filenames in .dko and .seq Files

A .dko or .seq file often refers to other filenames that are used as components of those files.

For example:
29
 • A .dko file may refer to a file that is used as a “texture shader”, or a series of files that
are used as a “CAP shader”
• A .seq file may refer to a file that is used as a “graphic, or a file that is used as a
“motion”

When moving component files from one folder to another (or one machine to another), it is
sometimes desirable to reorganize materials, resulting in a change of location of one or more
of these files. In such cases, even though the files can be found in the new location (via a
“searchpath”), it might be preferable to force them to be found directly in the new folder (via
the “current directory”).

To resolve files in .dko and .seq files:

1. Open the original, .dko or .seq file.
2. Select the <resolve filenames> feature (under the Graphic or Sequence menu).
This causes the internally stored path of each component file to be changed to reflect the
first place that the component file is found (by searching the “current directory”, then,
the “first searchpath”, and then the “second searchpath”, etc.).

n If any internal path had to be changed, the title bar shows a “*” to indicate that a change
has been made. If a component file cannot be found, the internally stored path is not
changed.

3. Save the .dko or .seq file.

These changes will be permanently reflected in the saved file.

n Resolving filenames can be set as the default behavior whenever a .dko, .seq, or .efx file is
opened. There is a “hidden” preference, “resolve_related_filenames_in_doc” that controls
this behavior.

n There is similar functionality in the “Clip Editor”, to resolve the filenames used for fill, key,
and mask. Use the “Resolve” button.

30
 Limitations

Limitations
This section describes known software and hardware limitations. The limitations are listed
under the following categories:
• General Limitations
• Database View Limitation
• Chart Designer Limitation
• Resize Limitation on Systems with SD/HD Video Boards
• HD Compositing Limitation
• Capturing Video to a Clip File in 720p
• Blurry Font Edges in 1080i Graphics in DekoObjex
• Running Effects or Sequences
• Deko 3D Limitations
• Power Clips Limitations
• Deko Help Oversized Window Limitation

General Limitations
➤ Deko only supports 8 channels of audio.

➤ UDevC00135040 Deko3D output sometimes gets lost after being played, on some Deko
3000 platforms.

➤ UDevC00113335 If you do not specify a folder to monitor in the Clip Watcher dialog box,
the first time Clip Auto Update starts, it appears maximized. If you want it to start
minimized to the taskbar, specify a folder in the Folder to Monitor text box. For more
information, see Configuring Clip Auto Update in the Help.

Database View Limitation

➤ The Database View in Deko does not support system databases.

Chart Designer Limitation

➤ The Chart Designer does not support Oracle databases.

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Resize Limitation on Systems with SD/HD Video Boards
➤ (DekoObjex only) On a system with an SD/HD video board, resizes are limited to 1920
pixels in width and 2048 pixel lines in height. If you resize a graphic larger than these
dimensions, only the material that is contained in these dimensions is rendered to playout.
Avid recommends creating graphics as close to the actual size as possible. The following
illustration shows this limitation:

1920 pixels

HD Compositing Limitation
➤ When running in HD video standards, Deko has certain performance characteristics that
might limit the amount of compositing that can be performed at any given time. If the limits
are exceeded, Deko’s output might stutter. The factors that contribute to compositing limits
are the following:
• The Video in “plane” enabled.
• The CG “plane” enabled.
• The number of clip streams playing. A clip’s key counts as a stream. When a clip is
transitioning to another clip, both clips’ streams count.

Capturing Video to a Clip File in 720p

➤ When you are running in 720p and capturing video to a clip file, the first capture might
generate corrupted frames. Subsequent captures perform correctly. The workaround for this
issue is to first do a test capture in 720p.

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 Limitations

Blurry Font Edges in 1080i Graphics in DekoObjex

➤ Occasionally, in DekoObjex, you might see blurry font edges on some 1080i graphics
displayed in a layer.

To work around this issue, you can do one of the following:

t For single-layer graphics, change the selected layer to “Entire graphic.”
t In DekoCast, select the Position tab, and in the Position and Scale section, change the Y
position by one line.
t Open the graphic in Deko and reposition the graphic by one line vertically. Make sure
you are in Fine mode (select Options > Transform > Fine), or go to the first character in
the layer and press Ctrl+Down arrow.

Running Effects or Sequences

➤ When you are running effects or sequences, Avid recommends that you keep the Preview
window open.

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Deko 3D Limitations
➤ Deko 3D real-time performance might vary depending on the complexity of your model,
your system hardware, and whether or not anti-aliasing is enabled.

The Deko3D feature is available on all models of Deko 3000, however in HD, it is only
supported on Model C or newer chassis. If you are unsure of your chassis type, please
contact Avid Broadcast Support.

To determine if the Deko3D option is enabled on your machine:

1. Select Options > Enabled Options.
2. See if the Deko 3D option is present and selected.

After you have determined that your machine is enabled for Deko 3D, you need to determine
if it works correctly.

To determine if the Deko 3D feature works correctly,:

t Try to create or play Deko 3D motions in HD. If you are unable to create or play Deko
3D motions in HD, then your VGA card is not qualified for Deko3D in HD.

In HD, the Deko3D graphic should not include more than one third of the screen covered.
This includes textures that are being overlapped by other layers or textures.

➤ There is a known problem with the latest XSI FBX Exporter (Crosswalk 3.2) related to how
materials are named. As a result, the naming convention used to designate Deko
"replaceable layers" based on material names in the model cannot be used when exporting
FBX files from XSI. As a workaround, for each replaceable layer in the model, you should
name the texture file associated with the material to be the same name as the material itself.

➤ There is a known problem with the latest XSI FBX Exporter (Crosswalk 3.2) related to
materials that do not have textures associated with them. The information about these
materials will not be placed into the .fbx file by the XSI FBX exporter. As a result, Deko will
not be able to correctly display objects that are associated with materials of this kind. For
example, if you set the diffuse color of a material to red, then associate that material with an
object in your XSI model, that object will not appear red when played back in Deko. Instead,
it will appear gray. As a workaround, you can modify your material in XSI to include a
texture on a channel that is not supported by Deko (e.g. index_of_refraction). In doing this,
the material with the red diffuse information will be included in the XSI exported .fbx file,
and will play back correctly in Deko..

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 Limitations

Power Clips Limitations

➤ Performance of the new Power Clips feature is dependent on the VGA card installed in the
Deko 3000 machine. Model C chassis versions of Deko 3000 have the best performance.
Older Deko 3000 versions without the Model C chassis might have reduced or unacceptable
performance.

➤ UDevC00115931 Power Clips are not supported in Deko3D models on TARGA systems.

Deko Help Oversized Window Limitation

➤ Maximizing the Deko Help window leads to a situation where the window can appear
extremely large and might not be able to be minimized or closed. To avoid this situation, try
not to leave the Deko Help window maximized before closing it. Or, if your desktop screen
resolution is greater than 1024x768, turn Auto-hide off in the Windows Taskbar properties.

To recover from the oversized Deko Help window, do the following:

1. Move cursor to the bottom of the screen so that the taskbar becomes visible.
This assumes that Auto-hide is on.
2. Right-click on the Deko Help task (with the question mark), and select "Move".
3. Press the Down Arrow on the keyboard a few times to start moving the window down.
4. Without clicking, move the mouse.
The Help Window's title bar will be tied to the mouse cursor.
5. Move the Help Window so that its Title bar is somewhere near the top of the screen, but
not all the way at the top.
6. Now you can grab the top of the window and make it small enough to fit on the screen.
You may have to repeat this last step to get it small enough to fit.
7. Close the window to save it at the current size.

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Technical Support Information
Most products feature a number of coverage options. Avid Assurance service offerings are
designed to facilitate your use of Avid solutions. Service options include extended telephone
coverage, automatic software maintenance, extended hardware warranty, and preferred
pricing on replacement parts. Offerings and options might vary by product and are not
available for all products.

For more information regarding Avid’s service offerings, visit www.avid.com/support or call
Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).

Program availability and details might vary depending on geographic location and are
subject to change without notice. Contact your local Avid office or your local Avid Reseller
for complete program information and pricing. However, if you need help locating an Avid
office or Avid Reseller near you, please visit www.avid.com or call in North America
800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). International users call 978-275-2480.

36
 Legal Notices

Legal Notices

Copyright and Disclaimer

Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of
Avid Technology, Inc.

The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by
visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as
the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the
license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license
agreement.

This document is protected under copyright law. An authorized licensee of Deko may reproduce this publication for the
licensee’s own use in learning how to use the software. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in
part, for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this document or providing support or educational services to others.
This document is supplied as a guide for Deko. Reasonable care has been taken in preparing the information it contains.
However, this document may contain omissions, technical inaccuracies, or typographical errors. Avid Technology, Inc. does not
accept responsibility of any kind for customers’ losses due to the use of this document. Product specifications are subject to
change without notice.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS © 1991-2002, LEAD Technologies, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Portions of this product are licensed under US patent 5,327,254 and foreign counterparts.

Portions Copyright 2003-2007 of MOG Solutions.

Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are “commercial computer software” or
“commercial computer software documentation.” In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf
of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms
of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR §12.212(a) and/or DFARS §227.7202-1(a), as applicable.

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37
 Open Media Management, Ozone, Ozonic, Painterly Effects, Palladium, Personal Q, PET, Pinnacle, Pinnacle DistanTV,
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X-Session, and X-Session Pro are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States
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Adobe, After Effects, and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the
United States and/or other countries. Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries. QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks used under license from Apple
Computer, Inc. The QuickTime logo is registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.

Avid Deko 3000 / Deko 1000 Version 5.3 .5 ReadMe • 0130-07483-01 Rev P • September, 2011 (9/7/11)

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