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SmartTitler (for effective control of Title inputs)
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
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We are developing an application that makes it easier to primarily manage many names/affiliations for Title inputs. For example at conferences with a lot of speakers and large panels. A demo of SmartTitler (beta) is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lVMO1fK8ps. My idea and design, programmed by Kristoffer Östlund (here known as drklump). Highly recommend him for vMix add on hacks, and more. When we are ready to release the free (limited) version I will let you know here. Fully functional (paid) version will then follow. Initially it must be run on the same PC as vMix. But we plan to develop it for remote control too. Please submit your comments and questions.
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3 users thanked richardgatarski for this useful post.
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Joined: 9/8/2014(UTC) Posts: 244 Location: Southaven MS
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SWEET!!! Richard that is very nice. If you are able to add the ability to add a picture then that will a super product for me :)
You are simply adding adding data to a Title layout. If a picture can be placed on the layout, then ideally when the data is imported via a CSV (or other format), then the path of the image could be imported and your program would place each individual photo in the layout for the correct person along with their data. In our case it would be an athlete with their stats.
In football we would create multiple layouts, example. 1. Offensive Lineman 2. Offensive Running Backs 3. Offensive Receivers 4. Quarterbacks
The layouts for each of these would be slightly different. However, the layout would be fixed. And we would simply import a CSV file for each layout which would contain the players and specific data for that layout.
Now the real trouble for me in production is that I need to have about 20 stat images. I need to be able to throw a stat image up on the screen within 1 second of hearing the commentator mention their number. Right now, I have to find their name, look at the shortcut key assigned to them, then bring it up. That is too long and the play has moved on. Unfortunately vMix does not allow for Multi-Key-Shortcuts (ie ALT+99). If inputs could have multi keystroke stortcuts then that would not be an issue. In sports it would be most logical to assign player numbers.
It is possible that you would want multiple layouts for the same player (ie Offensive stats and defensive stats). If multi keystroke shortcuts are available, for player number 23, we may use ALT231 for his offensive stats and ALT+232 for the defensive stats (with the last digit defining offense or defense.
I am using sports here since that is what I do, however, I would imagine that if a large event with many speakers is taking place, the ability to use multiple keystrokes would be nice.
So maybe your add-on could use multi keystroke shortcuts :)
I am getting excited as I think this will be very nice for me. Do you have any idea on the price for the full version?
Tim
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
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Tim, Glad you liked it :)
I've tested some ideas and I think that SmartTitler could be developed to include images/photos. Simply by using the SetImage shortcut (in addition to SetText which it currently uses). Not a high priority for our needs, but I'll discuss with the programmer.
Not a high prority thing (no immediate use for my company). But if the price is right ;)
I've spent quite a lot of money developing SmartTitler. So, the price is dependent on how many interested buyers there might be out there.
If anyone out there would like to indicate how much you would pay for SmartTitler, please let me know (here or PM). As well as for SmartStats (ie a more complex version with image control and key stroke selection (eg alt-2-2).
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Joined: 1/13/2010(UTC) Posts: 5,228 Location: Gold Coast, Australia Was thanked: 4332 time(s) in 1528 post(s)
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Hi Richard,
Great video and great program! I have moved this thread to the 3rd party forum and you should now be able to reply and post new threads here.
Regards,
Martin vMix
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Joined: 3/7/2012(UTC) Posts: 503 Location: The Netherlands Thanks: 9 times Was thanked: 45 time(s) in 39 post(s)
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hi richard, nice video and nice programme. i will be up for beta testing.
in general i have some reservations with using titles because you can not remove or change it from a recording. when you make a mistake it' s a nightmare.
any ideas how to takkle that one? i now tend to make titles in a production an option for post processing and only use a basic title. so it would be great if the titler has a logging function that one could edit. then in live production you send it out but record a blank recording. if all went well the title could be inserted again by running the recorded file and playing the title again. in case og mistakes it can be edited first.
or am i thinking too complex now ( i have spend a whole day over writing titles in a production because it had a typo...) stefan
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
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Stefan, great idea with logging!
We always let the customer proof read and accept titles/graphics before we go live. And tell them that what we do is what they get. Of course, if we then (rarely) put out the wrong name we have to post edit.
You can always route a Fullscreen output to externally record a (partially) clean feed (eg using an Atomos Ninja or Blackmagic Hyperdeck). Just set the check boxes in Settings/Outputs to mark what should be in/excluded.
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Joined: 5/7/2012(UTC) Posts: 185 Location: Bucharest Thanks: 48 times Was thanked: 13 time(s) in 11 post(s)
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Very good and useful approach .
I am here to help testing and using it in production. :)
Good luck with it
Clement
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Joined: 2/26/2013(UTC) Posts: 373 Location: London Thanks: 41 times Was thanked: 37 time(s) in 36 post(s)
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Hi Richard,
Fantastic programme, I will love to be part of the testing team...
Good luck and keep me posted
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
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Hi everyone and thank you very much for the feedback and interest! We have a handful beta testers already. Hopefully our next step will be to release the free version soon. When depends very much on drklumo, who besides coding SmartTitler is busy studying programming in London. Maybe before the end of November...
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2 users thanked richardgatarski for this useful post.
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Groups: Joined: 9/15/2013(UTC) Posts: 168 Location: Barbados Thanks: 14 times Was thanked: 14 time(s) in 13 post(s)
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Would like to test this...looks very interesting
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
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Hi, Just wanted to inform you that we have found some time (Holiday's) to pick up the work with SmartTitler.
Most bugs and beta tester's feedback have been sorted out.
We will now test a couple of different ways to implement Tim's "stat cards", including selection. And also consider implementing Stefan's logging idea.
But most likely the initial release will contain neither stats nor logs. As soon as I know more I'll let you know.
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This looks great, and good job on video.
One of the struggles we've been running into is that the TD at the controls is being asked to do too many things at once. It's nice when we can have an assistant handling tasks like this. As far as freemium features, you might want to consider networking...
For example, the window you used to create a title would go on a second computer, but the vMix box would still have the 'make like' buttons on it's screen.
It might be neat to be able to allow the 'creation window' to rearrange the order of the titles presented in the 'make live' window.
It might be neat to be able to use the creation window to trigger a highlight/color change of a title in the make live window. This would allow the second person to let the person running vMix which title is most appropriate to go live with.
It might be neat if, when using a second machine, both the creation window, and the make live window could be executed from the second computer.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
Thanks: 144 times Was thanked: 297 time(s) in 250 post(s)
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Hi you all, and again thanks for the great feedback! An updated demo video is now available at https://youtu.be/AZNh0bTW_e4As I say in the video we still need a few weeks to tweak some minor things. Then we will release a version with a limited life time, and meanwhile figure out how to manage licensing - and payments ;) (including setting its price). Any tips on the best way to make API calls over network from C# would be grateful. We think there is something disturbing the communication when SmartTitler is running on another PC, some of the API calls gets lost... Also, any creative ideas of how to select the post (eg for a team player) instead of using the Button bar would be helpful. Using combinations of letters and numbers, eg the sequence A-2-2 (for player 22 in team A) is problematic. In particular if SmartTitler is running on the vMix PC as Window's picks keystrokes from the active window. Looking forward to your thoughts, /richard
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Groups: Joined: 9/15/2013(UTC) Posts: 168 Location: Barbados Thanks: 14 times Was thanked: 14 time(s) in 13 post(s)
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This is great....hope I can afford it when it comes out......
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Looks really good Richard.
Does it have a 'web' interface as well to be able to be controlled from another device? Also, any future possibilities within the programming to incorporate 'flash' dynamic text fields and controller or bring us any closer to CasparCG integration?
From a business point of view, since it is a relatively 'custom' software, although potentially beneficial to a lot of users, it may take a while to "turn a profit" or re-coop your investment given the nature of vMix's price points and 'target' clientele... (most of us seem to be 'cash strapped' and looking for cheap solutions, lol, however, I think a lot of that may change as vMix gains more traction in the 'industry') Just my thoughts.
Ice
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Would like to test this looks very interesting WOW!! test test test ++!!
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 2/18/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,838 Location: Stockholm
Thanks: 144 times Was thanked: 297 time(s) in 250 post(s)
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Apparently SmartTitler (as is) spurs a lot of ideas from you (and myself). I've spent quite a lot of time and money, and is reluctant to develop it much further until I know it will pay back. In other words, when we start selling it we'll decide how to procede depending on if it's worth it for us.
@Tim, being able to use the Manager on a second PC, and still let the operator on the vMix PC being able to see and click the Button (adding the Titles to Output) is for sure a great idea. We have discussed it, but because it would need quite a few hours to implement we decided to halt that idea until... (see above).
@Ice, Not possible to control via a web interface. If/when? See above...
Later on I'll post a list of further improvements we are considering, including all of yours shared in this topic. Meanwhile our first priority is to get some kinde of better MS-Excel integration (I say "XML" in the demo video, but meant "XLS"). Second is to look into how we can synchronize with a Flash input to have a little bit more advanced animated background. But CasparCG (and other full fledged lower thirds applications are out there). My ambition is to keep SmartTitler pretty basic. After all, Martin is a smart guy - and he will probably improve vMix's Title management in the future. I don't want to fall into the "Twitter third party apps" trap (killed when Twitter does it themselves). Again, my main driver is that I really need what SmartTitler already do for us.
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1 user thanked richardgatarski for this useful post.
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Joined: 10/29/2013(UTC) Posts: 57 Location: Conroe TX
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Richard,
I was very excited when you posted the first demo of smart titler. It was super simple and filled a need for many of us who needed to use a lot of titles. Since then it looks like you have been battling "feature creep" and are having a tough time finding an ending to the possibilities.
I just want to encourage you. Smartitler idea and understand you're now dealing with the costs of development. You've already produced what I believe many of us are interest in, the ability to handle several titles on one machine. Please consider offering this now, if nothing else to really gauge interest. If Smartitler gets too involved and the price climbs too high, you might miss the market for a "Basic Smartitler".
Many of us are looking forward to what you will finally choose to release
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