Overview
This lesson introduces working with Segments. You will learn about the different types of Segments available in Chyron Weather, as well as how to create, delete, select, copy and move Segments. Additionally, properties and Segment transitions will be discussed.
| Prerequisites: Lessons 01 and 02. |
Types of Segments
There are 5 types of segments available in Chyron Weather:
- Content
- Video
- Video-In
- MeteoEarth
- Web
| Note: Different Segment types have different properties. |
Content segments
Content Segments are Real–time (RT) segments. As such, they contain Subscenes created using Daviz or background maps created using Daviz or Terra3D.
Lesson 3.1 shows a Content Segment containing a Subscene created using Daviz. In this case, a map of the world.
| See lesson 05 for more info. |
Image description: Content segment
Video segments
Video Segments contain video clips.
Figure Lesson 3.2 shows a Video Segment containing a video clip named Map.mgv.
| See lesson 11 for more info. |
Image description: Video segment
Video-in segments
Enables presentation of an external video signal, for example produced by a roof top camera.
Image description: Video-in segment
MeteoEarth segments
Enables presentation of MeteoEarth content.
| See lesson 14 for more info. |
Image description: MeteoEarth Segment
Web segments
The web segment enables full-screen presentation of web content.
Image description: Web Segment
Using Segments
Creating segments
To create a content segment,
- Drag and drop an element (in this example a Daviz Subscene from the content tab) onto the Storyboard.
- Go to Resource panel
- Select according tab for segment type
- Choose object and add it, via drag and drop, to your new (and empty) playlist.
Image description: Lesson 16 Content to create segments
The same principle applies for Video, Video-In, MeteoEarth, and web content: just drag and drop the content on to the Storyboard.
When adding additional segments to a playlist a grey bar will indicate, where the segment will be placed.
Image description: Lesson 17 Creating a Content Segment
Image description: Lesson 18 Add an additional segment
Deleting segments
To delete a Segment,
- Click the remove icon (trash icon) in the Segment window or select the Segment and hit the delete key or button.
- You can select multiple objects by using Shift Click or Crtl+Click and delete them all at once.
- You will be asked to confirm the deletion.
Image description: Lesson 19 Deleting a content segment
If you are deleting the last content segment in a playlist, you need to delete any remaining content layers first.
| See lesson 04 for more info. |
Moving segments
To move a segment:
- Click the segment you want to move
- Drag it to a new position on the storyboard.
- Segments may be dragged backwards and forwards.
- Segments highlight yellow when focused and highlight blue when selected.
Image description: Lesson 1.10 Moving a Content Segment
A grey bar appears when you move a Content Segment to indicate where you can move it. The bar serves as a visual guide to help you quickly place Segments in the Storyboard.
Image description: Lesson 1.11 Grey bar indicating a new position for a Content Segment
Duplicating segments
To duplicate a segment:
- Clicking the Drag to Duplicate button
- Drag the segment to the desired position on the Storyboard.
Lesson 3.12 shows the Drag to Duplicate button
Image description: Lesson 1.12 Copying a Segment using Drag to Duplicate
Exporting content and sharing segments
Segments can be exported as images or videos using the Export button located in the top left-hand side of the segment menu.
| See lesson 12 for more information. |
Segment sharing gives you the ability to share segments between playlists within a single DesignModel.
Image description: Lesson 1.13 Exporting Segment
This feature was released in WeatherSuite R12.1.
There are two methods for sharing:
- Using a newly implemented Save option which has been added to the Segment menu
- Via Drag and Drop
Sharing a segment using the Save button option
Click the Save button located at the top right-hand corner of the Segment Window.
Image description: Lesson 1.14 Sharing Segment
A window will open where you can save the segment. The default is the Segment folder. Once saved it will appear in the Segment Browser.
Image description: Lesson 1.15 Saving a segment
Additionally, you can just drag and drop the segment in the Segment browser.
Image description: Lesson 1.16 Drag and Drop to Save
Once you have saved the Segment, you can drag the Segment into the storyboard as you would any other object.
When sharing a MeteoEarth Segment you must also share the SnapShot.
To share the Snapshot:
- Open the MeteoEarth segment.
- Go to the settings (CTRL+C or double-click in the sky).
- Click and hold on the SnapShot and then select the Share option.
- You will get a box confirming it has been shared. By default, it will save in MeteoEarth > Content > SnapShots folder.
Image description: Lesson 1.16 Sharing a snapshot
To import go back into the Settings menu and select import. A box will open with all the option, select and import.
Each name must be unique, if you try to import a SnapShot with the same name as one in use it will add _0 to the end.
If you wish to make folders for the different types of Segments (MeteoEarth, Video, VideoIn, Chyron Weather, Web) you may do so, just add the subfolders to the Segment main folder. You can edit the default folder in the _directories.xml or in the Daviz3DAuthor UI to point them to the new folder.
Segment Transitions
It is possible to define how some types of Segments transition during a presentation.
| See lesson 05 for how to transition content segments. |
| Note: It is not possible to define transitions between two Content Segments or two MeteoEarth segments. |
There are five standard transition types available:
- Hard cut (None)
- Crossfade (Blend)
- Blur
- Wipe left
- Wipe right
Image description: Lesson 1.17 Segment transitions
Bespoke custom transitions might have been added, which are then also optionally available:
Image description: Lesson 1.18 Custom Segment Transition
These transitions, as their name suggests, are custom solutions requiring development.
Segment Properties
Properties
Image description: Content Segment properties
Segments possess various properties many of which are editable. Properties may vary by segment type. Following is an introduction to a selection of Content Segment properties – not all of them are applicable to other types.
Duration
Defines the duration (playing time) of the Content Segment.
Lesson 3.198 shows a Content Segment with a duration of 10 seconds.
Pause at end of segment
Defines whether playback should pause at the end of the playing time or continue to the next Segment. A dashed red line shows the activated pause visually. Some animations (such as rain droplets on rain fields, wind streams or symbol animations) may be configured to continue to animate despite the pause.
Image description: Pause at the end of the segment
Date-time animation
Defines the date and time of the data. If a range is defined, the data will be animated.
To define a range, click the Activate date–time animation button (stopwatch icon):
Image description: Activate date-time animation button
Two-time options are available to work with: Initial time and Reference time.
| See lesson 02 for more info. |
Toggle between the two options:
Values that you input are an offset to the initial time.
Image description: Initial time is referenced
Initial time may be rounded. Various rounding options are available ranging from 1 to 30 minutes.
| See lesson 02 for more info about initial time. |
Alternatively, time can be defined according to a reference time – midnight of (by default) today. It enables the selection of a specific date and time offset.
Image description: Reference time is referenced
For example, a value of +1 means the reference date plus one day (i.e. tomorrow). Likewise, a value of –1 means the reference date minus one day (i.e. yesterday).
The time value is absolute and defaults to 00:00. Any value input here will override this value. Lesson 3.19, for example, shows a date–time animation beginning today at 06:00 hours and ending at 18:00 hours.
The resulting date and time can be viewed by mouse over:
Image description: Resulting date
| Note: You can work with Local or UTC time – select whichever you prefer from the Toolbar. This is a global setting in your installed Chyron Weather and not saved with the Playlist. |
Lead-in / lead-out
Defines lead–in and lead–out times for the Segment. Default value is 0.
Use it to delay the beginning or the end or both of a data time animation.
Note it has no effect on the duration of the Segment. Data will simply animate more quickly.
Lesson 3.25 plots the effect of a one-second lead-in and lead-out on a Segment with a duration of 10 seconds.
Image description: Lead-in / lead-out graph
Repeat behavior
Defines how many times the Segment is to play before proceeding to the next Segment or pausing. Values are 1 or greater.
The syntax: nx. N denotes the number of times to repeat playback, x simply means times.
Type "Forever" in the checkbox to specify an infinite loop. In that case make sure you have a trigger action set to be able to go to the next segment.
| See lesson 11 for more info. |
Preferences
It is possible to predefine the default values of a Segment.
The settings are accessible via Application Menu/Settings/Preferences:
Image description: Segment preferences
Lesson 3.26 illustrates Segment preferences.
Default values relating to animations and segments are definable here. The values are stored in Chyron Weather’s settings file. Changing presets only affects segments created thereafter.
For example, it is possible to define whether a Segment always pauses at the end.
Image description: Defining a Content Segment preference
Table description: Lesson 3.28 Segment presets
|
Preset |
Definition |
|
Segment skips on trigger |
Trigger action “Skip to next Segment” is set for every new segment |
|
Segment pauses at end |
“Pause at the end of Segment” is activated for every new segment |
|
Segment transition duration |
default transition duration of video segments (see also lesson 11) |
|
GeoFocus transition duration |
default duration of camera zoom from one map cut-out to another (see also lesson 07) |
|
Camera transition duration |
default duration of camera movement in virtual studio (see also lesson 13) |
|
Data time lead-in/lead-out |
default length of data lead-in or –out on segments |
|
Content collection transition duration |
default transition duration of content collections (see also lesson 05) |
Lesson Activities
Quiz |
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Questions |
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Question 1: If you set times for data animation what, please note that _______. A. time is always in UTC. B. time is always local time. C. time zone is editable, but you have to be aware what time is selected (UTC or local).
Question 2: What does a red-white dashed line between two segments mean? A. Segment before line is faulty. B. Pause at end of segment is set. C. Segment is on endless loop.
Question 3: How to add segments to a playlist? A. Under Menu ‘new segment’ B. Duplicate an existing segment C. Via drag & drop from resource panel
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Answers |
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1. The correct answer is C. 2. The correct answer is B. 3. The correct answers are B & C. |
Tasks
- Create a new playlist, add some segments from Resource Panels and save it.
- Add a video segment and play around with different transitions.
- Change length of segment.
- Change time or date of a segment.
- Create a time animation on segment.
- Use reference time and initial time to see the difference.
- Use lead in and out.
- Loop it 3 times.
- Use pause at end of segment.
- Switch between local time and UTC.
- Change the order of segments, duplicate, and delete some.