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OTIO Spatial Coordinate System

This document describes a proposed coordinate system for OpenTimelineIO. It focuses mainly on the Bounds object, which is a rectangular area represented through a 2D box within that coordinate system.

Coordinate System

The proposed spatial coordinate system is unit-less.
It allows decoupling clip layouts from pixel density.
It has a single origin (X=0.0, Y=0.0) and is used as a unique canvas across the whole Timeline.
Y-Axis-Up convention is used.

We propose in the OTIO spatial coordinate system that we use planes that are unique in the continuous domain in order to make it analogous to the existing temporal implementation. Currently in a Composition of Items a RationalTime's value (usually a frame) index is seen as belonging to the Item that appears later in time. For example, if we have two Items ranging from value 1 to value 2 and from value 2 to value 3, value 2 will belong to the second Item. Or in other words, we are using exclusive temporal bounds such that the temporal spans are [1,2) and [2,3).

In order to preserve the same logic in the spatial domain we require a plane that is unique in the continuous domain. To use a similar example given a 2 dimensional bound from (0, 1), and another from (1, 2), we require that a sample at the value 1 falls strictly into one bound or the other, in particular, it should fall into the higher value bound (1,2) and not into (0, 1).

Coordinate System

Bounds

A Bounds object is a 2D box that defines a spatial area in the unit-less coordinate system.
Here is an example of Bounds defining a first-quadrant-snapped rectangle with a width of 16 and a height of 9.
Note that, since Bounds are serializable object, they have a metadata member.

"bounds": {
  "OTIO_SCHEMA": "Bounds.1",
  "box": {
    "OTIO_SCHEMA": "Box2d.1",
    "min": {
      "OTIO_SCHEMA":"V2d.1",
      "x": 0.0,
      "y": 0.0
    },
    "max": {
      "OTIO_SCHEMA":"V2d.1",
      "x": 16.0,
      "y": 9.0
    }
  },
  "metadata": {}
}

Example 1

Here is another example of Bounds defining an origin-centered rectangle with a width of 16 and a height of 9.

"bounds": {
  "OTIO_SCHEMA": "Bounds.1",
  "box": {
    "OTIO_SCHEMA": "Box2d.1",
    "min": {
      "OTIO_SCHEMA":"V2d.1",
      "x": -8.0,
      "y": -4.5
    },
    "max": {
      "OTIO_SCHEMA":"V2d.1",
      "x": 8.0,
      "y": 4.5
    }
  }
}

Example 2

When multiple clips are being rendered, either through a transition or through the presence of a multi-tracks timeline, all clips share the same coordinate system.

For instance, if we add an origin-centered square clip on top of the previous one, here is what we get.

Example 3

Since each clip has its own bounds properties, clips can be arranged into complex layouts.

This can be used in several contexts, for instance:

  • Side-by-side comparison
  • Picture-In-Picture
  • Complex spatial layouts for notes (collage)

Example of a Picture-In-Picture layout added on top of the previous 2-clips layout:
Example 4

Bounds and Clips

Currently, we use the Bounds object at the Clip.media_reference.bounds level. This allows support for different bounds when changing the media-representation of a given Clip. For instance, a Clip could have 2 media-representations (a set of High-Res 16:9 OpenEXR files and a Low-Res 4:3 MP4 file). Those 2 media-representations might not cover the same spatial area, therefore it makes sense for them to have their individual Bounds region.

Non-Bounds representations

The coordinate system can also be used to describe non-rectangular coordinates. For instance, effects that have spatial-based parameters that need to be expressed in a resolution-independent way could use the same system.

Examples of potential usage for this coordinate system:

  • Blur amount
  • Annotation position
  • Wipe bar position (angular mask)