Your First Virtual Studio Project
In this section, we will use a Virtual Studio template project and insert video signal in it.
Create a new project
1. Start PRIME VSAR.
2. Create a new project by selecting the PRIME VSAR example project and press Next.
3. PRIME VSAR comes with a couple of Virtual Studio samples provided at Unreal marketplace. Select the one of the Virtual Studios (e.g. Studio A) and press Next.
4. As for any Unreal projects, settings may be set up before creating it, but may be later changed. It is recommended to have Maximum Quality and Desktop/Console by default.
5. Specify the Project path where the related files will be saved, its name and then press Create Project.
6. PRIME VSAR will automatically restart and load the new Project.
Create a video board and file inputs
1. In the Content Browser, create a new Folder. (Right-click, select New Folder.)
2. Name the new folder (example: "Media" or "Composure").
3. From that folder, create a new Media Player. (Right-click > Media > Media Player).
4. Check the "Video output Media Texture asset" checkbox to allow the Media Player to be inserted into Objects within the Virtual Studio.
- This will create two objects: MediaPlayer and MediaPlayer_Video.
Optional 1: Incoming video signal onto a Matrox board
If incoming video signal onto a Matrox board is available, follow the procedure below, otherwise skip.
1. Create a new "Hal Media Source". (Right-click > Media > Hal Media Source).
2. Double-click the HalMediaSource object and select the input from the dropdown.
Important
⚠️No inputs are available?
Possible causes: Cesium consuming HAL inputs - to solve this in Cesium go to Tools → Preferences... → Video → Enable Matrox and disable it (this will free HAL inputs but Cesium will not see video inputs for calibration, recommended after calibration), HAL.xml configuration, license
Double-click the MediaPlayer object, select the HalMediaSource object to preview it. Then Save.
Optional 2: Use an input video file within Virtual Studio
To use a input Video File within the Virtual Studio:
1. Create a new ‘File Media Source’ (right-click > ‘Media > File Media Source’).
5. Double-click the MediaPlayer object, select the FileMediaSource object to preview it.
6. Enable the Loop option and Save.
Create a billboard actor
1. Add a ‘Empty Actor’ object by dragging and dropping it into the virtual studio.
2. Add a ‘MaterialBillboard’ Component. A Billboard is like a Plane object, excepting that it is always facing the Camera.
3. From the MaterialBillboard settings, add a Sprite element, select the Material drop-down menu and create a new Material asset.
Create chroma-keyer compositing
1. From the top right Composure Compositing’window, right-click and select Create New Comp.
2. On the pop-up window select ‘CompositingElement’.
3. Select the Compositing Element, right-click and select ‘Add Layer Element’. On the pop-up window select ‘Media Plate’.
4. In the Media Plate settings, go to: Composure > Input > Inputs > MediaSource
5. Drop the MediaPlayer_Video object into the Media Source’field.
6. Go to: Transform Passes > Chroma Keying
7. Add a Key Colors element.
8. Click the Color Picker and select a color representative pixel for the transparency.
Chroma sensitivity
You can refine the Chroma sensitivity using (example: with the ChromaBound and the DevignetteOuter parameters.)
1. Go to: Transform Passes > Material Parameters
2. Go to Output and add a Outputs element.
3. Set the ‘OutputPass_0’ to ‘Render Target Asset’.
Create material and resize texture for the billboard
1. From the Content Browser, double-click the Material Asset to edit it.
2. From the left panel, set the Blend Mode to Translucent.
3. Set the Shading Model to Unlit.
4. In the main window, right-click and add a TextureSampleParameter2D.
5. Link the created object RGB output to the Material’s Emissive Color input and the ‘Alpha’ output to the ‘Opacity’ input.
9. This last operation should display the input media into the Virtual Studio.