Please see the comments from the requesting user below:

"...it IS very similar to how the Aspect Ratio Matte feature would be implemented. At former studios that had custom software with this type of functionality, the field-guide was actually tied into the Hard Mask function, because it is similarly aspect-ratio dependent... In other words, there might be a hotkey that would both enable and then cycle through a few options... CTRL-M might toggle a hard-mask on, another press of CTRL-M might remove the hard-mask and enable the field-guide, another press of CTRL-M might revert back to both off.

In regard to the field-guide itself, it would need to match the Aspect Ratio of the content, so it's probably ideal for one to be able to load their own PNG or vector file. (If SS were to have its own, it could try to have one per each "common" aspect ratio, maybe, 2.39:1 , 2.35:1 and 1.85:1, 1.78:1, and 1.33:1, but even that wouldn't account for additional variations- for instance, many productions add pixels to the top and bottom of content in order to add space for burn-ins, etc. ) The priority for MOST feature animation productions will be to have the field-guide match the field-guide where the camera-work/animation is being generated, and in most cases- this is still in the form of a viewport playblast out of Autodesk's Maya. That is the de-facto standard, and that is the source from where I generated that 14-field field-guide. So in my specific case, [our project] are playblasting/rendering at 1.85:1, with a resolution of 1998x1080, however we are applying extra pixels above and below the main image area for HUD/burn-ins, and therefore have an output resolution of 1998x1124. That is the 14-field-guide PNG overlay with alpha I provided... 1998x1124. Once we get this working, during Director Reviews the director can call up the field-guide, reference any notes to a coordinate on the guide, and be certain that the layout artist can toggle on that very same field-guide overlay that is standard in their Autodesk Maya viewport, and reference those very same coordinates, in order to address the director's notes. I think I covered everything... Levels of transparency aren't important..."

"...One last thought of mine for SS (as a potential quick solution) would be to add the ability to utilize a PNG w/alpha to their 'watermarking' feature (that currently only supports text). If 'watermarking' on-demand had a hotkey toggle, and the ability to utilize a PNG, we'd be in business:)..."

Thank you

Would you want to load your own guide as a transparent PNG or a vector file, or have one generated based on the aspect ratio of your content?

If we were generating one, should it be at a fixed number of fields or selectable? I haven't seen a 14-field guide like this one in use but I could have overlooked that.

Would we need to add a transparency control?

This is a good idea, thank you. I imagine it to be similar to the Aspect Ratio Mattes or the ActionTitle Safe Zones requests.