Camera Setup
Q: Will my digital still camera work with Dragon?
Q: Will my digital video camera work with Dragon?
Q: What is the maximum resolution that Dragon supports?
Q: Do I have to have a digital still camera with live-view?
Q: Why does Dragon stop the live view mode of the camera?
Q: Is there a quick way to re-start the live view mode of the camera?
Q: I connected my digital still camera and shot some frames, but they don't show up. Also, Dragon says "No Video Source". Why?
Q: How do I eliminate flicker with my digital stills?

General
Q: Why can't I open Dragon by double-clicking on my scene (.dgn) file?
Q: There is a tool palette that appears over my video feed and won't go away. How do I get rid of it?

Workflow
Q: How do I review my digital stills?

Q: Will my digital still camera work with Dragon?
A: Dragon currently works with high-end Canon and Nikon DSLRs. The supported cameras are listed here. There are other Canon and Nikon cameras that we expect to work, but haven't had the opportunity to test. In the future we hope to support more cameras. If you want us to consider adding support for your camera, fill out this form.
Top

Q: Will my digital video camera work with Dragon?
A: Probably. Any standard DV source (with a firewire or USB connection) should work.
Top

Q: What is the maximum resolution that Dragon supports?
A: Dragon does not limit the resolution of your capture source. A typical DSLR may shoot images at 4000x3000 pixels, for example. Full HDV will output a 1920x1080 image. Dragon will limit the size of the feed frames used for animation and playback. So, you will animate to something less than 1024x800, but your "real" frames will be in the full resolution of your source.
Top

Q: Do I have to have a digital still camera with live-view?
A: No. Most of the supported cameras do not have a live-view option. To work with those, you would use any Digital Video source to provide your live feed (for animation), and then Dragon will shoot your "real" images on your camera.
Top

Q: Why does Dragon stop the live view mode of the camera?
A: The DSLRs with live-view (such as the Canon 40D and Nikon D300) may overheat if left in live-view indefinitely. To protect your camera, Dragon disables the live-view after a period of inactivity. This option is configurable in the Preferences.
Top

Q: Is there a quick way to re-start the live view mode of the camera?
A: Yes, press the "Live" button on the keypad (#3), or step away from the live frame and back to it. Also, if you have physically disconnected your camera, you can choose "Reset Connections" (Apple-R) in the Capture menu.
Top

Q: I connected my digital still camera and shot some frames, but they don't show up. Also, Dragon says "No Video Source". Why?
A: Right now Dragon requires you to have a live video source and a capture source. The idea is to use the live video source for animation. That way you can step between the frames you have shot and the live video feed. Then when you are ready to shoot, Dragon captures both a video image (for animation) and a high-res capture from your digital still camera. If you are using a digital still camera that does not have a live-view feature, you may need to get a DV camcorder or USB/firewire video camera as your video source. You can set this up next to your digital still camera, or possibly point it through a viewfinder.
Top

Q: How do I eliminate flicker with my digital stills?
A: One way is to do this is as a post processing step with a tool like After Effects. Another way is to use older Nikon lenses with a Canon camera. You can buy an adapter ring from B&H: the Novoflex EOS / NIK adapter. This will save you from the flicker because the aperture will stay where it's set.
Top

Q: Why can't I open Dragon by double-clicking on my scene (.dgn) file?
A: Dragon scene "files" are actually normal folders. Dragon organizes all of your frames within a scene folder. This is the most convenient way to work with sequence editing software such as After Effects or Final Cut Pro. Open your scene file in the splash page or the file menu.
Top

Q: There is a tool palette that appears over my video feed and won't go away. How do I get rid of it?
A: The tool palette appears when the mouse is within the video area, and disappears when you move the mouse away. If the animation window is maximized, move the mouse down into the button area.
Top

Q: How do I review my digital stills?
A: You can check the focus, color, and lighting of your high-resolution digital stills using the Cinematography window. This is available under the Window menu and can also be accessed using Apple-E.
Top