liminfoACES Color Reference
Free reference guide: ACES Color Reference
About ACES Color Reference
This ACES Color Encoding System Reference is a searchable guide covering the complete Academy Color Encoding System pipeline used in film, television, and VFX production. It includes detailed entries on ACES 2065-1 (AP0) for archival, ACEScg (AP1) for CG rendering, ACEScct and ACEScc for color grading, and ACESproxy for on-set monitoring.
The reference covers all major ACES transforms including IDT (Input Device Transform) for cameras like ARRI, RED, Sony, and Canon, ODT (Output Device Transform) for Rec.709, Rec.2020, P3-D65, and sRGB displays, RRT (Reference Rendering Transform), and LMT (Look Modification Transform) for creative looks.
Beyond core concepts, this guide provides practical workflow entries for DaVinci Resolve ACES setup, Nuke OCIO configuration, OpenEXR file management, AMF metadata files, CLF/ASC-CDL interchange formats, HDR output transforms with PQ and HLG, gamut mapping, and the upcoming ACES 2.0 improvements.
Key Features
- Complete ACES color space reference covering AP0, AP1, ACEScg, ACEScct, ACEScc, and ACESproxy with encoding details
- IDT entries for ARRI LogC, RED REDWideGamut, Sony S-Gamut3, and Canon Cinema Gamut camera transforms
- ODT and Output Transform guide for Rec.709, Rec.2020, P3-D65, P3-DCI, sRGB, and HDR displays
- DaVinci Resolve and Nuke ACES workflow setup instructions with OCIO configuration
- HDR output transform reference including PQ 1000/2000/4000 nits and HLG standards
- AMF metadata file structure, OpenEXR storage, and CLF/ASC-CDL interchange format details
- Gamut mapping and Reference Gamut Compress techniques for handling out-of-gamut colors
- ACES 2.0 next-generation output transform improvements and scene-referred vs display-referred concepts
Frequently Asked Questions
What ACES color spaces does this reference cover?
This reference covers all major ACES color spaces: ACES 2065-1 (AP0) for archival and interchange, ACEScg (AP1) for CG rendering and VFX compositing, ACEScct and ACEScc for color grading, and ACESproxy for on-set SDI monitoring. Each entry includes encoding type, primaries, white point, and practical usage guidance.
How are ACES transforms like IDT, ODT, and RRT explained?
Each transform type has dedicated entries explaining its role in the ACES pipeline. IDT entries cover camera-specific conversions from ARRI LogC, RED REDWideGamut/Log3G10, Sony S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3, and Canon Cinema Gamut to ACES. ODT entries cover output transforms for Rec.709, P3-D65, Rec.2020, and sRGB. The RRT entry explains the reference rendering transform including tone mapping and highlight rolloff.
Does this reference include DaVinci Resolve ACES setup?
Yes. There is a dedicated entry for DaVinci Resolve ACES workflow configuration covering Project Settings, Color Science selection (ACEScc/ACEScct), ACES version selection, Input Transform assignment per camera, Output Transform selection per display, auto-detection from camera metadata, and node-based grading in ACEScct space.
What HDR output information is included?
The reference includes HDR Output Transform entries covering P3-D65 ST2084 (PQ) at 1000, 2000, and 4000 nits, Rec.2020 ST2084 (PQ) at various nit levels, and Rec.2020 HLG at 1000 nits. It also explains how ACES enables simultaneous SDR and HDR output from the same master and IMF package multi-version management.
How is OCIO integration with ACES covered?
The OpenColorIO section covers OCIO v2 with built-in ACES configurations including aces_1.3 (full) and cg-config-v2.1.0. It lists supported applications such as Nuke, Maya, Blender, and Houdini, and explains OCIO config file usage and environment variable setup for ACES color management across VFX pipelines.
What is the difference between ACEScct and ACEScc?
Both use AP1 primaries with logarithmic encoding for color grading, but ACEScct adds a toe region (smooth curve below 18% gray) for more natural lift and shadow manipulation. ACEScct is preferred in tools like DaVinci Resolve and is more widely used in practice, while ACEScc uses a pure log curve optimized for midtone-centric grading work.
Does this reference cover ACES 2.0?
Yes. There is a dedicated entry on ACES 2.0 covering the next-generation Output Transform improvements including enhanced highlight color paths, more natural saturation rolloff, built-in gamut compress, per-channel vs path-to-white tone mapping approaches, and improved inverse transforms for better round-trip precision.
What workflow and file management topics are included?
The reference covers OpenEXR as the standard ACES file format with 16-bit half float and compression options, AMF (ACES Metadata File) for recording IDT, LMT, and Output Transform settings across facilities, CLF (Common LUT Format) for precise vendor-independent transform distribution, ASC-CDL for basic color correction interchange, and ACES clip naming conventions.