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crooker  
#1 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 6:37:49 PM(UTC)
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First of all, I am very happy, so far, with vMIX as a broadcasting software choice. We are doing a semi-professional broadcast with multi-cam for live streaming and youtube broadcasts, and vMIX has hit the mark in all but some areas. I am also excited for version 13, and can't wait (I'm currently in my trial period) to register the software permanently.

My one question right now is transitioning between overlays.

I have two animated MOV files, one is an animated 'bug' with the logo coming in, fading to 50% and then just staying there. I also have an "OUT" bug animation where the bug transitions off the screen.

I currently have these in 2 video files. BUGIN.mov and BUGOUT.mov

I would like to hit BUGIN.mov in an overlay, let it animate in, and stay on screen as long as I need it (It pauses on the last frame after it's finished playing). When I want it to transition out, I hit overlay on BUGOUT.mov and it animates out.

The problem is, there is a 1 frame blackout between the in and out transitions as I switch the overlay from BUGIN to BUGOUT.

Is this preventable (so it doesn't flicker before it animates out), or is there some better way I should be taking care of this process?



For the record, my only source of disappointment with vMIX is the current lack of a quality graphics solution for titles, lower thirds, etc... I like my graphics to animate, however, it seems very difficult (without learning XML, which I am very hesitant to do) to create on-the-fly titles without pre-building them in After Effects. Any input you may have on a better way of creating quality overlay titles would be MOST appreciated.

Thanks, Martin for an AMAZING piece of software. And I know it's only getting better.
ask  
#2 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 10:17:59 PM(UTC)
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Have a look at the Overlay duration settings: http://www.vmix.com.au/h.../index.htm?Overlay2.html
crooker  
#3 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 10:22:38 PM(UTC)
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ask wrote:
Have a look at the Overlay duration settings: http://www.vmix.com.au/h.../index.htm?Overlay2.html


Yes. I looked at this.

The Effect Duration (by definition) of a CUT is 0. I tried to enter 0, and it gave me an error, so I entered 1.

I set the duration of the stinger to 4000 (as each one is 4 seconds long), but perhaps I should try setting that to zero as well.

ask  
#4 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 10:42:33 PM(UTC)
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OK. Create an input with your graphic, or use a lower 3rd from the pre-designed titles. Open the overlay page (click on the overlay button lower right). Select 1 as the overlay. Select type=fullscreen and effect=for fun "cube zoom" or "fly". Enter Effect duration=1000. Enter Duration = 10000 (or whatever).OK.

Now with a camera input in the program window, click "Overlay 1" button on your graphic input. The image will appear screen over a 1 sec duration. Clicking that "Overlay 1" button again will remove it in reverse. Keep extending the duration to cater for the max. length of the segment you want the graphic to appear in.

In Version 13 you can also set the input mouse-click Action to "Overlay 1" which allows you to bring in the graphic by clicking on the input rather than the small button.
crooker  
#5 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 10:55:37 PM(UTC)
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ask wrote:
OK. Create an input with your graphic, or use a lower 3rd from the pre-designed titles. Open the overlay page (click on the overlay button lower right). Select 1 as the overlay. Select type=fullscreen and effect=for fun "cube zoom" or "fly". Enter Effect duration=1000. Enter Duration = 10000 (or whatever).OK.

Now with a camera input in the program window, click "Overlay 1" button on your graphic input. The image will appear screen over a 1 sec duration. Clicking that "Overlay 1" button again will remove it in reverse. Keep extending the duration to cater for the max. length of the segment you want the graphic to appear in.


Yup, that works fine. But creating my own IN/OUT transition would require using messy Microsoft Expressions or XAML or something nasty, right? Is there a way I can take a standard Alpha Channel Quicktime movie and turn it into that same IN/OUT transition? I'm not a developer and am not really interested in learning how to code this behaviour.

Your help is appreciated.

ask  
#6 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 10:59:06 PM(UTC)
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Simply build a .png file with a transparent background. If you have Photoshop you can do it there. Otherwise look for Paint.net which is free.
crooker  
#7 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 12:32:20 AM(UTC)
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ask wrote:
Simply build a .png file with a transparent background. If you have Photoshop you can do it there. Otherwise look for Paint.net which is free.


Yes. I have photoshop. But as I stated in my original post... I need it to be animated, in/out.
ask  
#8 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 12:57:53 AM(UTC)
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So your bug is animated not just the transition? Why not make the background green, then chromakey it in.
crooker  
#9 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 1:08:00 AM(UTC)
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ask wrote:
So your bug is animated not just the transition? Why not make the background green, then chromakey it in.


No..... the bug works perfectly. It's an alpha channel .mov which is beautiful. No chromakey is required. That is not my issue at all.

MY issue is simply moving from the animate-in state to the animate-out state. Currently, I have to have a separate IN video and OUT video. But I can't switch between them smoothly. I thought I explained this adequately in my opening message, but perhaps I didn't.

I can animate the IN video by hitting the overlay 1 button. It animates in and pauses at the last frame... sitting perfectly as a bug in the lower corner.

When I want to animate the bug OUT, I have another video of the out snimation. If I click OVERLAY 1, it will switch to the Animate Out video. However, as it switches from IN to OUT, there is a 1 frame dropout, which prevents a smooth switch from the IN animation to the OUT animation.

I thought maybe there would be a way to switch seamlessly between overlays, but I'm beginning to think there isn't.

ask  
#10 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 1:25:54 AM(UTC)
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That is what I thought....so if your bug sits there, you can simply reverse the overlay transition by hitting the same overlay button again. You should not need another overlay. However I have just set up two inputs as overlays. The effect type= cut. Duration is same as before. Now if I choose the "Overlay 1" button the overlay swaps on the Program screen without a discernible gap. What you might be seeing is a lag on the .mov file starting to play.

Perhaps try a fade setting with a 200ms or so timing
admin  
#11 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 1:38:00 AM(UTC)
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I think he means the animation is in the video itself, so he created a video with an in transition and another with an out transition.

You might have better luck with converting the animations to an image sequence and importing them into vMix that way.
Failing that there are a couple of other approaches, I have listed one possible solution below:

1. Create a List input with both videos
2. Right click the Input and under Edit untick "Automatically play next item"
3. In the Input Settings tick Automatically Restart with Transition

4. Leave this input always on the 1 overlay channel.

5. To transition in, select the first video and click play.
6. To transition out, select the second video and click play.

5 and 6 can be automated with some shortcut keys.

Regards,

Martin
vMix

thanks 1 user thanked admin for this useful post.
crooker on 7/4/2014(UTC)
crooker  
#12 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 2:50:14 AM(UTC)
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admin wrote:
I think he means the animation is in the video itself, so he created a video with an in transition and another with an out transition.

You might have better luck with converting the animations to an image sequence and importing them into vMix that way.
Failing that there are a couple of other approaches, I have listed one possible solution below:

1. Create a List input with both videos
2. Right click the Input and under Edit untick "Automatically play next item"
3. In the Input Settings tick Automatically Restart with Transition

4. Leave this input always on the 1 overlay channel.

5. To transition in, select the first video and click play.
6. To transition out, select the second video and click play.

5 and 6 can be automated with some shortcut keys.

Regards,

Martin
vMix



Compelling idea! I will certainly try it tomorrow.

Thanks, Martin!

IceStream  
#13 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 11:34:38 AM(UTC)
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@ crooker

Another thought that occurred to me, if I understand correctly, would be to use 2 overlay channels. Transition on with overlay 1 and transition out with overlay 2 (and an advanced shortcut trigger to remove overlay 1).
Although this might ad a slight burst as the two "bugs" overlap, but it might work depending on the timings of your clips.


Ice
crooker  
#14 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 12:06:49 PM(UTC)
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IceStream wrote:
@ crooker

Another thought that occurred to me, if I understand correctly, would be to use 2 overlay channels. Transition on with overlay 1 and transition out with overlay 2 (and an advanced shortcut trigger to remove overlay 1).
Although this might ad a slight burst as the two "bugs" overlap, but it might work depending on the timings of your clips.


Ice


That's a good thought, but since Overlay 1 (the bug IN animation) stays put after it's played out, then hitting the OUT on Overlay 2 wouldn't cause the Overlay 1 to disappear. So the BUG OUT (on overlay 2) would simply play on top (or underneath... not sure the hierarchy) of the still visible Overlay 1.

[EDIT: Sorry, I didn't understand your "Advanced Trigger" comment when I originally wrote this reply, but I do now. I will try that to see if it works.]

One feature that might be good would be to implement a "Multi-Part Overlay" Which would allow people to create something like an animation which, similar to the animated titles, play the first x number of miliseconds of the animation when the overlay was initiated, pause ad infinitum, and then play the rest of the animation out when the overlay is disabled.

crooker  
#15 Posted : Friday, July 4, 2014 2:05:05 PM(UTC)
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admin wrote:

1. Create a List input with both videos
2. Right click the Input and under Edit untick "Automatically play next item"
3. In the Input Settings tick Automatically Restart with Transition

4. Leave this input always on the 1 overlay channel.

5. To transition in, select the first video and click play.
6. To transition out, select the second video and click play.

5 and 6 can be automated with some shortcut keys.



This actually worked. No seam between the IN and OUT transition.

One option that would make it perfect would be... In addition to the "Automatically Play Next Item" would be an "Automatically CUE (or queue) next Item" so when the first item stopped, the next item would be ready to play. Otherwise when you hit play, it just keeps the current video again and again. An Auto-Cue function would certainly help an operator who was operating a list of videos because he would know that at the end of the first item, the next one would be ready to go without having to manually cue it up.

(Note, I have not played with shortcut keys yet)
crooker  
#16 Posted : Friday, August 1, 2014 1:44:07 PM(UTC)
crooker

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admin wrote:
I think he means the animation is in the video itself, so he created a video with an in transition and another with an out transition.

You might have better luck with converting the animations to an image sequence and importing them into vMix that way.
Failing that there are a couple of other approaches, I have listed one possible solution below:

1. Create a List input with both videos
2. Right click the Input and under Edit untick "Automatically play next item"
3. In the Input Settings tick Automatically Restart with Transition

4. Leave this input always on the 1 overlay channel.

5. To transition in, select the first video and click play.
6. To transition out, select the second video and click play.

5 and 6 can be automated with some shortcut keys.

Regards,

Martin
vMix



I have this working quite well... except for your comment "5 and 6 can be automated with some shortcut keys". While this seems pretty straight forward, I am having a hard time figuring out how to shortcut this process so PAGEUP plays the first clip (The IN animation in an overlay) then pauses, and PAGEDOWN plays the second clip (the OUT animation), then turns off the overlay. Maybe TRIGGERS is the way to go here? But I'm really vague on how triggers work.

Any pointers for this? (I have set this up exactly as you have described in steps 1-6. I am trying to reduce the amount of things I have to think about during a production by simply setting up hotkeys the way I want them, to smoothly transition between the IN and OUT animation)

If I'm going about this the wrong way (i.e. your comment "You might have better luck with converting the animations to an image sequence") let me know. I don't properly understand how an image sequence would be handled differently than a video (which is essentially an image sequence).

Thanks in advance.


IceStream  
#17 Posted : Friday, August 1, 2014 6:21:07 PM(UTC)
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@ crooker

Not sure I understand the issue.
Have you set-up the shortcuts but it's not doing what you want?
or
You don't know how to set up the shortcuts?
Triggers are set up in the advanced tab of the shortcut window.
They are used to activate other shortcut keys simultaneously (i.e. hitting shortcut key 'A' will do what it was set up to do as well as "trigger" shortcut key 'B' into action).
So whatever the "action" you want to perform needs to have it's own shortcut key. The trigger is merely the computer 'virtually" pushing the key for you whenever you push the other key.
At least that is my understanding of triggers and shortcut keys. If there are more elaborate triggers, someone please educate me.
You can set up Shortcuts from "Settings".
There are several drop down menus in the "Add Shortcut" window to choose keys and what function you want them to perform.

It may take a little while to set things up, but it is well worth the effort if you can get it to work.

Ice
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