Virtual Video Screen (Jumbotron)
The video screen object allows you to enhance the production with big virtual video wall. The video screen is made of two components:
| Feature | Description |
| Clip | The look of the video screen is made by the clip file. The clip defines the opening/closing animation and the overall design of the video screen. The clip also defines how the video signal is inserted into the clip images. |
| Live Video Input | The video is delivered to computer as SDI signal and mixed with background clip. |
Video Screen Configuration
You have to configure video texture. This configuration must be done manually.
- Open config.xml (Use shortcut accessible via Start → Programs → Virtual Placement → Config Editor)
- Navigate to section VideoTexture and change the setting based on following tips:
<VideoTexture>
<Enabled value="1"/>
<WithAlpha value="0"/>
<CardId value="0"/>
<ConnectorId value="1"/>
</VideoTexture>
The card Id/ connectorId depends on your HW configuration. If you have one Bluefish SD DualLink Pro card, then the CardId is 0 and ConnectorId is 1. (ConnectorId 0 is used for main video input).
Once you modify the file, restart User Field Product = Virtual Placement. You can verify the video texture functionality by adding product „Video Input“. You should see the picture that comes on SDI input.
Video Screen Preparation
The clip can be designed and rendered using 3DS Max 7 or newer. The rendered image sequence must be converted to GTC file use AKI ClipConvertor 2.0 or newer.
| See page Appendix A – GTC Video Warping Support for more details. |
Video Screen Production
To show the video screen you need the clip file (GTC), properly configured User Field Product = Virtual Placement and valid SDI signal.
When you load a valid clip file the system automatically recognize that the clip contains information about insertion of video feed. The clip is then mixed with video in both preview and main output. Once the clip is loaded, the production is then exactly the same as normal clip file.
Video Screen Settings
There are some options that can be adjusted inside the warping clip's Video editor.
|
Options |
Description |
|
|
Video Feed |
Background |
Background video is used as the effect video. |
|
|
Input 1 |
Video texture input (see config.xml) is used as a video source. |
|
Warp Mode |
DEFAULT |
Video feed color is combined with a gtc clip color. Allows to create e.g. shadow on the video area. |
|
|
BLEND |
Useful when there are some semi-transparent areas of video. Handles premultiplied aux alpha better than BLEND. |
|
Warp UV Source |
TEXTURE |
Aux UV channel of gtc clip is used as a warp effect UV source. |
|
|
CONTENT |
Bounding rectangle of the clip defines mapping UV coordinates. No need to have aux UV channel in gtc clip. Useful for video masking. |
Chroma Keyer
To adjust keyed colors for the chroma keyer, display the Chroma Keyer Editor using the Chroma Keyer button (1) in the main toolbar.
The editor contains button for removing the whole chroma key setting for current chroma key instance (2), button to Undo the last pick (3), 3 preview modes (4) and 4 chroma key instances (5).
First, select the instance you want to edit. The instances are independent on each other, each product can use different chroma key instance. The chroma key instance can have user defined name. Rename action is accessible from the popup menu for each instance.
All the time the editor is active, you can pick the chroma color in the video preview. The picked area used to recompute the keyer color is drawn as square. You can adjust its size by mouse wheel. Currently picked color is added to the set of existing colors. The color setting is camera-wise and must be set for all live cameras individually. Recorder uses color settings from it's live camera.
There is a Copy&Paste feature accessible from the main menu or keyboard shortcut. Copy and Paste operations are invoked in context of currently selected chroma key instance. They don't affect other instances. Settings for all cameras are copied/pasted.
Export/Import
You can export the keyer setting into an external file of your choice (.chr). This allows you to create collection of settings in pre-production time, and switch the setting during production. Or share the settings among several computers.
Export and import is done on the selected chroma key instance, the others are not affected. Exported is only setting for the currently selected camera, and import replaces setting selected camera only as well.
Try to pick colors that are similar by one pick. If the colors inside the picking area differs too much then make two picks.
The best way to set the chroma key correctly is using one of the keyer preview modes.
Mask – shows the keyer mask. The white areas will be used for keying and will be replaced by a product. The black areas will keep the original color and won't be used for keying.
Preview – Shows combination of mask and original video, which makes the picking easier. Partially transparent color shows the areas which will be keyed.
Keyer Setting
- Select one chroma key instance
- Select one of the preview modes.
- Resize the picking area by the mouse wheel so it covers as large an area as possible for picking.
- Pick one of the 'dirty' regions which you would like to be keyed, but is not covered by the keyer color yet.
- Repeat steps 2–3 until the chroma keyer colors contains all desired colors for keying
- Repeat steps 4–4 for all live cameras.
- Repeat steps 1–5 for desired number of chroma key instances.
Choose chroma key to use
Each product can use different chroma key, the list of chroma keys available is in the Keyer & Fade editor accessible from each product's popup menu.
Automatic (Adaptive) Chroma Keyer
If Adaptive keyer has been enabled in the Config Editor, the Chromakey editor will only show the key that has been generated automatically. It is not possible for you to add or remove Chroma keyer colors when Adaptive keyer is enabled.
Recorder
Virtual Placement 7 comes with built-in disk recorder. You can switch from live feed to recorded footage using the Camera button in the Toolbar. The Recorder mode allows to use all the production tools available in Live. You can go through recorded footage using the Jog/Shuttle device.
Jump to time (time of the day of the target record) function is available in the main Menu → Tools.
RAM Recorder
The built-in video recorder set to RAM mode doesn't have large capacity. Ram recorder is useful for quick replays (typically an offside situation).
RAM clips export
It might be useful to store the current clip for later playback, e. g. for highlights after the match.
If you're in an offside clip, which you would like to save for future use, press the export clip button. A dialog with export progress appears. The operation may take a while, about 10 seconds for HD clips.
The clip is exported including data to replay the offside. The export process is executed in the background. You can use the system normally during the export.
Length of the exported clip is the same as recorded footage available for offside production, in default about 30 seconds.
The clips are exported in internal format and can be played in Virtual Placement only.
Stored RAM Clips Playback
Exported clips dialog can be invoked from the exported clips button or from JLCooper Jog/Shuttle controller by pressing button W4 (default function). The dialog allows simple clip administration (remove, rename).
Before import, make sure the calibration corresponding to the source footage is loaded. As the clip is loaded, you can do usual operations available during offside production.
| Important note: The clip is exported including all tracking data which are used for playback. If the tracking is incorrect, you can override the saved data with semitracking. Mind, you can use either saved or semitracking data only! Semitracking in clip doesn't restart tracker to produce exact automatic data as you're used to it from live cameras! |
The exported offside clips dialog could be controlled also using JLCooper Jog/Shuttle as shown on the following schema:
Video file recorder
Recorder set to Video file allows to use larger video file than RAM mode.
When part of recorded footage is marked as Clip, it is locked and never overwritten. Not locked footage is periodically overwritten.
Each clip is defined by its In and Out point. These points can be redefined later.
Existing clips are accessible from the menu for Camera button. For better orientation the menu contains date and time when the clip was created.
Once the clip is selected, its name is rendered on the Camera button.
The clip might be locked in all available recorded cameras (depends on the configuration, see Installation Guide, chapter 'Recorded Clips'. You can switch between cameras using the camera popup menu or keyboard / Jog Shuttle mappable actions.
Create clip
Mark In and Out point of the clip and press Create clip button. The clip is created and recalled.
Clip can be created with only In or Out point. Mark one of the points and press Create clip button. The system automatically computes the complementary point according to the default duration specified in config and creates a clip. In this case the clip is not automatically recalled.
When a clip is selected you can Delete and Rename the clip from the Camera button menu.
You can map actions to set In/Out point to the Jog/Shuttle controller.
There's also FastJogSwitch action mappable to the Jog/Shuttle controller, which accelerates jog and shuttle for faster navigation in the recorded footage.
Toolbar buttons
The point is not defined. Press the button to define In/Out point.
The point is already defined. You can still press the button to redefine the In/Out point. Current timecode differs from In/Out point of the clip.
The point is already defined. Current timecode equals to the In/Out point of the clip.
Create clip with previously defined In/Out points.
| UI | Description | |
| The point is not defined. Press the button to define In/Out point. | ||
| The point is already defined. You can still press the button to redefine the In/Out point. Current timecode differs from In/Out point of the clip. | ||
| The point is already defined. Current timecode equals to the In/Out point of the clip. | ||
| Create clip with previously defined In/Out points. | ||
| Store product selection to the clip. | ||
| Play recorded footage. | ||
| Stop playback. When pressed in Live, recorder camera is selected. | ||
Clip Playback
Select the clip in the Camera button menu and press play. Start point of the clip is cued. Playback stops on the End point of the clip. You can go over the In/Out using the Jog Wheel.Start and End points of the clips is computed from its In/Out point after Preroll and Postroll are applied.
You can map actions to select a clip to the Jog/Shuttle controller.
Preroll and PostRoll
When the Preroll or Postroll is defined, the playback of the clips starts or ends beyond In/Out point of the clip. You can change the value in the Config editor, in the Advanced tab:
<RecordedClips>
<Preroll value="250"/> <!-- seconds * fps -->
<Postroll value="250"/>
</RecordedClips>
Production selection stored in Clip
State of selected products is stored into a clip when the clip is created. On clip recall, all products are deselected, the products stored to clip are selected.
Products are referenced by their names in the clip. Having multiple products with same name may lead to unexpected results.
Clip export
Clips can be exported from the Video file into standalone file which can be played by any video player.
Export is available in the Camera button menu when a clip is selected.
Export dialog
Displays and allows to edit properties of the exported clip.
Clip ID
File name for the exported clip. Destination folder is added automatically if not specified. File extension is added automatically according to selected export profile. You can see full path to the exported clip right bellow the Clip ID edit box.
Destination
You can have several predefined export settings (configurable in the Config Editor) and switch quickly among them. Destination contains path to export folder and predefined Profile.
Profile
You can have several profiles defined (with different parameters for the output codec). These profiles can be added and edited in the Config editor.
Export fails when there are invalid parameters set for the profile. Usually with error “Operation not permitted”.
Some of the codecs (like DnxHD, ProRes) are not available until a valid license is present. These licenses are distributed within Virtual Placement license.
Exporting
The process itself is blocking - a dialog with progress of the export is shown and prevents any action that would corrupt the exported clip. Once the export is finished, the clip is ready for playback in any media player.
Tracking data
Exported clip can contain information about tracking, players movement etc. These data are stored as metadata in the exported clip file. The data are present when:
- this information is available (the tracking is not disabled)
- selected file format supports storing metadata (currently only .mov is supported)
Tracking data might be used later when the clip is imported into Paint.
Game Actions
The idea of Actions is to mark start and end of interesting segments during the match. Later you can navigate through the Actions and create Clips from the Actions.
Unlike Clips, the action is defined just by marks in the recorded footage. Until no Clip is created from the Action, the footage remain unlocked (might be overwritten) and all Actions are lost when the application is closed.
Production in a Actions works the same way as for Clips.
Toolbar Buttons
Show Action toolbar via 'View → Action Toolbar' menu item.
| Buttons | Description | |
| In/Out point has not been defined. | ||
| The In/out point has been defined. | ||
| Create clip from currently selected Action. The clip is selected and ready to play. | ||
Use IN/OUT point buttons to define start and end of the Action.
| Sequence | Meaning |
| IN, OUT | Mark in and out of the Action. |
| IN, IN | Redefine in to current timecode. |
| OUT, OUT | Redefine out to current timecode. |
| IN, OUT, IN | Mark in and out of the Action, mark in for the next Action. |
Navigation
There are actions mappable to the Keyboard shortcuts or MCSP Jog/Shuttle buttons.
Available Actions
| Action | Summary |
| ActionBegin | Mark IN. |
| ActionEnd | Mark OUT. |
| ActionJumpToFirst | Go to first Action. |
| ActionNext | Go to next Action. |
| ActionPrevious | Go to previous Action. |
| ActionToClip | Create Clip from current Action. |
Camera Snapshots
You can create snapshots from the live camera feed. It is helpful to create or tune graphics, without live input at time of preparing. In the office you can load snapshot of real stadium, and arrange graphics for the next production. You will get immediate feeling “how it looks like”, without any additional source of video stream.
You can see the snapshot with the graphics at the video output line. See installation Guide, Snapshots chapter.
Snapshots are controlled by the Camera button in the main Toolbar.
Snapshot menu item shows previously taken snapshots. It contains only those, which have been taken using the same Video Format, that is used for current session.
To load one of them, just select the corresponding menu item. Leave it by selecting one of Live cameras in the menu.
Snapshot Import/Export
Snapshot images can be exported or imported to/from image file. Supported are common image formats (.jpg, .png etc.).
The export and import of snapshot image causes lots of certain information that are normally stored in snapshots. Data like chroma keyer setting and tracking data are not exported.
Score Widget
The Score Widget is here for you to ease up production containing actual score. You can change score very simply by clicking the increase/decrease button.
Score Widget sets application variables SCORE1 and SCORE2 to the value shown on the widget.
See Appendix C – Application Variables.section and Text Product section to learn how you can use those variables in the production.
Mask
The mask setting has allows to define portions of video screen that will be excluded from tracking and inserting any of your graphics.
This mask is useful when you want to not overlay your graphics over timing and score graphics already present in the video. The same area is also very good to exclude from tracking. Black borders around the video should always included in the mask. Especially when doing graphics of already letterboxed video.
The Mask is visualized permanently as a red transparent color over the video.
Insert area setting is stored in the project, so it will change when other project is loaded. You can prepare several masks in your project. The masks could be then switched by keyboard shortcuts Ctrl-1 up to Ctrl-9. Switching the masks can be done even if the mask editor is not open.
You can define the Mask in two ways:
- Rectangular area drawn manually
- Loading mask stored in an image file
Mask editor
Click the Show Mask editor button in the toolbar.
The editor contains thumbnails of all masks available for current project.
When the editor is open, an additional toolbar appears next to the main toolbar.
| UI | Description |
| Show/Hide the Mask editor | |
| Add Image mask. File chooser appears to browse for the mask file. | |
| Removes all negative regions from currently selected Area Mask. This button is available when the Area mask is selected. | |
|
Undo last change.
|
Area mask
| Insert area not set | Insert area set to follow the black region |
| Negative region set on the score bar | No negative region set |
Image Mask
When the mask is more complicated you can prepare your own image masks in advance. First prepare the mask. Create a gray-scale image with the same resolution as set in your system. The black pixels makes normal graphics insertion and those that are tracked. The white pixels makes the graphics invisible and are ignored by the tracker. You can use Black/White gradient to control the opacity of graphics insertion. Save the mask into a PNG file and copy into your project directory. The mask image can look like this:
You can remove the image mask from popup menu of an Image mask item.
AutoMask
Automatic masking provides a more automated process for masking out and replacing elements within the video feed.
Typically It can be used on lower third or game clock area within the incoming video feed.
In this mode a mask is selected from a predefined sets of masks, the mast selection is then done automatically according to the Mask templates that were available.
The mask must have the same name as It’s counterpart template image In order for Virtual Placement to replace the image.
To add a mask with its template open mask editor click an mask button and pick a mask image, template images will be searched and associated automatically
Supported file formats are TGA,PNG,RGB and JPG.
Example:
Image mask path: C:/User/User/Documents\VirtualPlacementProjects/mask/ImageMask.png
Template path:
C:/User/User/Documents\VirtualPlacementProjects/mask/templates/ImageMask.png
In order to enable auto masking,Select the virtual placement config editor and the click the Render tab.
It is possible to override automatic mask selection by invoking SelectMaskOverride/DeselectMaskOverride actions. See Actions.html documentation for detailed info about these actions.
Video Status Dialog
Open the Video Status Dialog via Tools → Video Status menu item.
The upper part of the dialog contains table with:
- All available (connected) signals .
- Their actual video format.
- Their audio status (Volume Unit meter). If audio channel count is 4 or less, horizontal audio bars are used, in the case of channel count is greater than 4 and up to 16, audio is rendered to smaller vertical bars.
- The amount of Drop frames.
Reference delay
The plot displays delay between input signals and genlock. Well synchronized inputs with genlock result in delay values close to 0. Constant value other than 0 can be compensated by Genlock setting in the Config editor. Increasing, decreasing or wobbling chart indicates that the input is not synchronized with genlock.
Time Status
Status bar shows both Video timecode and System time.
Video Timecode
Shows video timecode of the video frame currently displayed in the preview formatted human-readable form. This timecode is an internal timecode without real meaning, but might be helpful for navigation in the recorded footage.
JLCooper Jog/Shuttle MCS3 Control
Function Assignment Customization
You can change functionality connected with the buttons. To do that, modify function assignment in the config file. See Installation Guide with more accurate description and list of available functions.
Controller Setting
Mind that JLCooper Jog/Shuttle needs specific installation. See Installation Guide for more information.
Error reports
In case of problems with functionality of Virtual Placement 7 please don't hesitate to contact us at: support@chyronhego.com.
Please don't forget to attach log file, which is located at C:\log\aki\VirtualPlacement.txt.