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ACES Documentation

System Documentation

Project Organization and Development Procedure

Provides details on the organizational and decision making structure to be used in the development of the ACES.

Versioning System

Describes versioning numbers and format of TransformIDs for components the ACES system.

UX Guidelines

Provides guidelines on how best to present ACES terminology and concepts within products to end-users.

Alternate Viewing Pipeline

Describes an alternate approach to implementing and presenting the ACES viewing pipeline.

ACES White Point Derivation

Describes the derivation of the ACES white point and why the chromaticity coordinates were chosen.


System Components

Component Names

Describes preferred terminology for key ACES component names for ACES 1.0.

Input Transforms (IDTs)

Describes methods to create Input Transforms (IDTs) for use within ACES.

Look Modification Transforms

Describes the design, integration and use of Look Modification Transforms.

Reference Gamut Compression Specification

Specifies a Look Transform to bring pixel values within AP1.

Reference Gamut Compression User Guide

Describes suggested user workflows for on set, dailies, visual effects, and finishing using the ACES Reference Gamut Compression (RGC)

Reference Gamut Compression Implementation Guide

Implementation guidelines related to the usage of the Reference Gamut Compression.

Common LUT Format (CLF) Specification

Specifies a flexible XML-based file format for color Look-Up Tables (LUTs) and other basic image operators.

Common LUT Format (CLF) Implementation Guide

Implementation guidelines related to the usage of the Common LUT Format.

ACES Metadata File (AMF) Specification

Specifies a ‘sidecar’ XML file intended to exchange the metadata required to recreate ACES viewing pipelines.

ACES Metadata File (AMF) Implementation Guidelines and Best Practices

Implementation guidelines and best practices related to the usage of the ACES Metadata File (AMF) in various workflows


ACES Encodings

ACES 2065-1

Specifies ACES, the fundamental colorimetric encoding in the Academy Color Encoding System.
See SMPTE ST 2065-1

ACEScg

Defines a colorimetric encoding appropriate as a working space for use in CGI tools such as compositors, paint and rendering systems.

ACEScct

Defines a logarithmic colorimetric encoding more appropriate for legacy color correction operators.

ACEScc

Defines a logarithmic colorimetric encoding appropriate for legacy color correction operators.

ACESproxy

Defines an integer logarithmic colorimetric encoding appropriate for on-set preview and on-set look management applications.


Informative Notes (legacy documents)

SMPTE standards supercede these legacy documents and links to purchase the standards are included in the next section.

Some informative notes on some of the ACES-related SMPTE standards are provided via Technical Bulletins. In most cases, these include the original Academy documents that were modified into the SMPTE standards documents.

Academy Color Encoding Specification (ACES)

Provides background and contextual information on SMPTE ST 2065-1:2012.

ACES Image Container File (OpenEXR)

Provides background and contextual information on SMPTE ST 2065-4:2013.

ADX Image Container File (DPX)

Provides background and contextual information on SMPTE ST 268:2003 Am1:2012.

APD and ADX

Provides background and contextual information related to SMPTE ST 2065-2:2012 and SMPTE ST 2065-3:2012.


SMPTE Standards

Below are the ACES-related standards documents published through SMPTE to date. Those wishing to implement ACES should adhere to the SMPTE standards. These must be purchased in order to view.

SMPTE ST 2065-1 - Academy Color Encoding Specification

SMPTE ST 2065-2 - Academy Printing Density (APD) — Spectral Responsivities, Reference Measurement Device and Spectral Calculation

SMPTE ST 2065-3 - Academy Density Exchange Encoding (ADX) — Encoding Academy Printing Density (APD) Values

SMPTE ST 2065-4 - ACES Image Container File Layout

SMPTE ST 2065-5 - Material Exchange Format — Mapping ACES Image Sequences into the MXF Generic Container

SMPTE ST 2067-50 - SMPTE Standard - Interoperable Master Format — Application #5 ACES

SMPTE ST 268:2014 – File Format for Digital Moving Picture Exchange (DPX) – Amendment 1