Guillaume,

Perhaps not ideal, but you could create SetMultViewOverlay Shortcuts to change the source for your PiP.

I just posted the Stereoids for shortcuts: soft, virtual, and named Feature request. If you have the time, take a look. It might be an alternative solution to some of your needs.

Coming back to this feature request to try to explain better. Basically it's like a Group on an audio mixer or a basic 2ME feature.

So my request is to have a new input type: I call it "Sub Group Virtual Input"

When you select this input, you must choose others inputs that will compose this Sub-Group. Let's say you select Cam1 Cam2 Cam3 and ideally you can also select Audio inputs or Audio Buses (A or B i.e.)

How to use it? 2 suggestions
- Right-click this input (like NDI sources) and select which sub-group entry this input will output
- Or like virtual sets, this virtual input has a special appearance allowing to click on buttons to select which source to output
- (optionnally it could use triggers and shortcuts like other inputs)

So now you have set this special input and you now how to use it. What can you do with it?
Well you can use it in many ways...

- in multiviews (or multiview titles) so that you can switch easily inside to build dynamic and more flexible multiviews
- as an independent switchable NDI output (possibly associated with a different audio than Master)
- as an independent switchable External output (possibly associated with a different audio than Master)
- as an independent switchable input in Virtual Sets (to be able to have several talents)

Some use cases :

- 2 streams with different video switching AND/OR different audio (multilingual support)
- 2 simultaneous recordings with different switching options (compulsary for politics)
- stream/record regular program out AND output another switching to videoprojector for the venue audience
- stream/record regular program out AND output another switching to monitors on a TV studio set
- simplify the setups for using Skype, Zoom or any videoconferencing system and WebRTC
- simplify the configs for more dynamic multiviews (without multiplying the number of multiviews with different static configs)
- avoid the risk of video loops when you shoot a stage with a big screen fed by vMix
- etc...

I'd like to have Martin's opinion about this, but I have the feeling that it wouldn't be so difficult to implement because it looks like what's already developped for virtual inputs and virtual sets.

The main point is: because this sub-group (multi entry) virtual input is usable like any other single inputs, it gives a lot of flexibility when defined to an output AND without the need to be in PREVIEW or PROGRAM.

So if you like the idea and consider it would be a great added-value for vMix, don't forget to +1

Guillaume

I think I understand your idea better now, but still considering that my feature request with soft (and virtual) keys would allow you to do the same thing. Main advantages would be left-click (easier) and more functions (one shortcut can do multiple actions). Main dis-advantage would be not as intiutive (adding shortcuts required).

For example, if you would like to do a sub-group switch between Cam1, Cam2, and Cam3 for External2 you create three shortcuts. As is now for example F1, F2, and F3 (with virtual shortcuts they could be named "SubCam1" etc). Each shortcut performs a SetOutputExternal2. Then make three virtual copies of your camera inputs, and for each define its click-action to be the corresponding shorcut. Viola! If you want to be really cool you could add a graphics MultiView layer on each of the virtual inputs, to distinguish them from the originals.

Even so, I thought the design idea mimicing the Virtual Set interface is a nice one.

+ 1

Although I am not completely clear on your workflow description, I think having those kinds of capabilities within one PC would take vMix to the next level of professionalism.


Ice

+1

I hope Martin can include the audio part, perhaps easier now after the ASIO implementation (guess the reason for only having bus A and B was how vMix was built when buses was introduced).
Don't consider these sub-groups to be an alternative to soft shortcuts, just a use case.

This is essentially creating an AUX Bus for video control as another output such as a projector or on-set monitor, so I'm a ++1 on this one.

The switchable virtual input idea is close to what you can do with the blank virtual set template.
Add it and select the Setup tab to quickly switch in and out any input to one of the 5 layers.

The SetMultiViewOverlay shortcut can also change these inputs (or any inputs setup on a particular input)

Further, it is worth pointing out that the essentially every input in vMix is a mini M/E bus already, so really the question
is how to make this easier to control live.

One idea I have considered is adding a "Matrix" tab, that has buttons for every possible routing configuration.
I.E there would be rows for the four outputs (Fullscreen 1, Fullscreen 2, Recording, External 2)
but it could also have selectable input rows, where you can see the MultiView (or M/E) selections for a particular input and switch them using the buttons.

Regards,

Martin
vMix

I very much like what Guillaume is after, and share his concerns regarding doing it with the currently available options. But I am not really sure about how it would look like in practice. And while the matrix idea sounds very promising, I guess it would take quite a lot of development efforts as well as thoughts about the control interface.

Meanwhile, and please excuse me but I am not trying to hi-jack this topic, I still think that at least some of the needs discussed here could easily be solved as "Soft shortcuts". Please take a look at the demo video I just posted in the Feature request "Stereoids for shortcuts: soft, virtual, and named".

As I explained in Richard's feature request, Martin from zenvideo.co.uk created a small app for NDI. It's called "NDI Router" and it's basically a 6x2 video hub for NDI.
http://zenvideo.co.uk/ndi.htm#Router

My wish is basically that we could have a special vMix "INPUT" that could act the same way. Being for example a 4x1 hub. And not being restricted to NDI only.
Fill it with switchable audio and video inputs and use its virtual output to other inputs like multiview or physical outputs.
Also I think this shouldn't be able to go to PROGRAM (unless used via other regular inputs). Ever!

+10 for an AuxBus feature.

Basically let you create Multiviews and other PIP's and stuff. And instead of linking an input to it. Its an AuxPlaceholder. ( Aux 1/2 ? )
And you can assign an input by trigger to the Aux 1 / 2 bus which basically put that Media into the Placeholder on those Multiviews.

This way you would be able to quickly switch between sources in multiple layouts without the need to physically change those layouts over and over again..

We are now sort of doing this by Output 3 & 4 as NDI output and pull them back in as NDI source.. But while it takes a lot more of resources on the machine, and difficult to get audio right and not get video loops etc.. So an internal AuxPlaceholder, where you can assign a source to would be GREAT!! :)