What Are The Features Of OPCS?

OPCS can control up to 12 axes of motion, including camera, projector and fader control. Here are just some of the features:
• Follow Focus
• Color wheels
• Unlimited fades and cross dissolves, step prints
• Fully customizable fades/dissolves
• Fast straight prints
• Allstop that lets you interrupt and resume complex shots
• Anti-backlash correction
• Command line interface or hot key control panel
• Logging
• Command Scripts
• Access custom DOS programs from within OPCS
• Interpolation channels
• Full customizable home sensing, rotational and linear
• Full online documentation for all commands and features

What Doesn't It Do?

• It doesn't do motion control streaking, and it likely never will

• Although it supports motion control capabilities and simple ease-in/ease-out moves, there is no curve editor. However, you can use the ascii files generated from a Kuper system or from your own custom programs to generate motion control files.

OPCS won't likely ever support streaking, because that would be more of a motion control system, not optical printing.

If you want to do heavy duty motion control stuff, you may want to additinally purchase the Kuper software to have on the system as well to do that kind of work. You can certainly have both the Kuper and OPCS software on the same DOS machine and controlled by both programs separately, without having to swap wires around.

Regarding motion control files, see the manual page for the OPCS feed command for more info about how OPCS does motion control, and for info about the ascii file format.

Who Uses OPCS?

OPCS is owned by Seriss Corporation, a Los Angeles based company. Here are some companies that have purchased the software, listed without their permission:
• Cinetech, Valencia.
• YCM Labs, Burbank.
• Technicolor Labs, North Hollywood.
• Introvision, Hollywood.
• Lookout Mountain Films, Hollywood.
• Title House, Hollywood.
• Visual Concept Engineering, Sunland.
• Electric Filmworks, Glendale.
• California Institute of the Arts, Valencia.
• Peter Wolf Productions, Moorpark.
• Ascent Media Group, Burbank.
• Iwerks, Burbank.
• Fotokem, Burbank.
• Packard Humanities Institute, Valencia.
• A big company with a famous mouse as a logo
  (whom I'm contractually obligated not to mention by name. Throughout the universe.)

How Long Has OPCS Been Doing Business?

Since 1989, and still actively selling the software in 2020 and beyond.

Originally OPCS was written on an Apple ][+ in BASIC in 1985 for California Institute of the Arts, to automate their single head JK printer. OPCS has since updated Calarts with the latest IBM PC version of the software.

In 1989, Pat Oneil of Lookout Mountain Films expressed an interest in this software, so it was rewritten for the IBM PC to control his single head printer, initiating the first commercial sale of OPCS as version 1.00.

Later it was modified to support multiple heads, Kuper RTMC16 card, homing, follow focus, color wheels and various other features, and most recently support for the RTMC48 card, and in 2008, the Kuper Controls "Industrial Card" (now available through General Lift).

Customer Feedback

Even camera operators who aren't familiar with computers maintain it's easy and comfortable to use. That must mean something. Many operators who start out feeling more comfortable in the hot key mode begin to warm up to the command line interface when they realize how much the command line can automate complicated operations easily.

With one line of commands they can do multiple cross dissolves, complex repeating operations, etc. which can keep the machine busy shooting while the operators are free to prepare for the next shot.

Some companies train their lineup people on the OPCS software, so that they can line up multiple shots onto a single roll, and create complex scripts for the camera operators to simply "load and run". These scripts can be created using either a text editor, or can use the OPCS software on a portable computer to let them create scripts offline, test them, then bring them in on a floppy for shooting the next day.

Setting up scripts allows operators to run very complex, unattended or interactive custom operations, minimizing mistakes. Scripts also makes it easy to reshoot complex shots, even modify them.

Advanced users have complimented on the software's open design that lets them tie in their own custom commands and/or DOS programs, making them accessible to the camera operators by extending the OPCS command set. This allows a shop to highly customize the software to their changing needs.

How do I buy the software?

To request a quote or ask questions, contact Greg Ercolano at

See the sales page for pricing info.

---

© Copyright 1997, 2010, Greg Ercolano. All rights reserved. To report documentation errors, send email to