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agruts  
#1 Posted : Wednesday, April 15, 2015 9:45:03 PM(UTC)
agruts

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Guys, you made very good software, and since a couple of days using it I gotta endlessly surf over the internet for the answers, because I can't get them right there where they should be. Look, for the years could you spend a bit more time to fill the manual and make it clear enough?
I spent all day long in struggling with stinger, trying to make transition with gradien matte and left it, because I'll better do assemble it in Premiere. The same to triggers and so forth.
Just fresh example. I made a virtual set with animated bg, image, title. I made a trigger somehow, to play and audio on transition in.
Then I make the same input, just a copy of the first one. And almost three hours gone, as I can not understand why an audio doesn't play with the second set.
It's really 'pain in ass', as someone said in this forum earlier.
IceStream  
#2 Posted : Wednesday, April 15, 2015 11:09:11 PM(UTC)
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@ agruts

The closest thing to a 'user manual' is the vMix help page:

http://www.vmixhd.com/help15/

As I am sure you have already discovered. It is not always the most thorough explanation of vMix operation but it is accurate in its descriptions.
The next best step is right here on the forum to get answers on those things that are 'not working as expected' or somehow are not "intuitive" to a new user.
There are a number of tutorials by various parties on YouTube, but few that get into the 'nitty gritty' of complex set-ups such as designing your own virtual sets.
Failing all that, 'experimentation' and simply 'playing' with the software is the best way to learn it.
Unfortunately, that can eat up considerable time, especially if you are attempting things that vMix might be capable of but were never actually conceived of doing.
It is very likely that what you want to achieve is possible, it's just a matter of setting it up properly.
I agree that a comprehensive 'manual' may be beneficial for some, but for the most part, vMix can be 'figured out' by those who take the time to learn its intricacies.
Besides, a lot of us like to help where we can....


Ice
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agruts on 4/16/2015(UTC)
agruts  
#3 Posted : Thursday, April 16, 2015 3:29:13 AM(UTC)
agruts

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Thanks. Yes, this is the first page I visited right after vMix finished installing om my PC.
Besides, this page is opened in a tab next to this forum.

I do not whining. All I need is a comprehensible soursce of the answers about using the software. I never flood on forums and for more than fifteen years using the internet I am always RTFM first :)

Yes, I found and watched tutorials on Youtube, most of them are in spanish, to my sorrow. So I watch them, trying to intuitively understand what they do, repeating the same and in my case nothing works. Either this is due to different versions or anything else, I don't know. But the fact is like that.

Almost everything I got intuitive in vMix and, saing truth, fell in love with it from the first glance. But sometimes it makes me to freeze in a screeching halt.
IceStream  
#4 Posted : Thursday, April 16, 2015 8:36:13 AM(UTC)
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@ agruts

Language is often a secondary barrier that can complicate matters, especially 'English', which although considered to be "universal" in our world and usually pretty easy to understand when spoken, it is actually quite difficult and complex when it comes to writing (just try to get through a legal document)...

Back to your original difficulties, what exactly are you trying to achieve with 'stingers' and/or 'triggers'?
There are certain limitations built in to vMix to prevent "loops" and undesirable behaviours, so what might seem plausible on the surface is not always feasible or "do-able" in the manner attempted, but there is often a 'workaround' that will accomplish the desired effect and if not, there is probably a good reason why or perhaps an even better reason for a feature request.


Ice
agruts  
#5 Posted : Friday, April 17, 2015 5:17:07 AM(UTC)
agruts

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IceStream, I don't say 'a function isn't work'. Maybe, I try to do what I need to, in a wrong way. The way the other programs do which I used before.

Well, let me explain my current problem.

1. Stingers. As I understand it right, the stinger in program allows to perform custom transition from video A to video B. For example, I have a 2 seconds b/w matte which I want to use as a transition mask.
I make an input where I load this short matte video. What should I do next, could you name my folowing steps to achieve my aim?

2. Triggers. I have a video input and separate sountrack input. In the video properties I add triggers which I would like to give such behavior: when video cuts from preview window to the active, the sountrack must begin. In a while, let's take 10 seconds, this video must be changed (or FTB) with transition. During (or right before) transition the sountrack must fade out. Btw, it works when I add a trigger "SetFader". But the video does Cut instead CubeZoom, as I want, and not in 10 seconds but much longer or if do it manually.
I know that trigger OnCompletion sends an order to execute it when a video goes to its end, but what if there's not a video but a Title with background audio in the active window, which I want to go off with a transition over 10 seconds?

This is what I can't get in desired way. Yes, I have much more questions but, let's deal with these two.

Excuse me in advance, but I am plain Dummy in vMix.
Egriswold  
#6 Posted : Friday, April 17, 2015 9:31:55 AM(UTC)
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agruts, Here's a link to stinger tutorial Stinger video
It's of a older version but process is still very similar. Instead of numbered channels you'll use the stinger channels.
You will need to click playlist button to see the stinger video. should be second from top on list.
hope this helps
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agruts on 4/17/2015(UTC)
IceStream  
#7 Posted : Friday, April 17, 2015 2:11:16 PM(UTC)
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@ agruts

Firstly, Ed's tutorials above should help to give you some insight into the process.
Personally, I would consider the 'stinger' as a simple overlay with a customizable "cut" point behind it as opposed to a "custom transition" which kind of implies a 'Special Effects' type of transition, although it is essentially a 'personalized' or 'branded' transition, hence the term 'custom'.
The 'stinger' will only 'cut' from 'Preview' to 'Program Out' so it is important that your 'overlay' video or graphic fills the screen at your chosen cut point, otherwise the 'cut' will be seen.
Ed's video talks about an image sequence, the 'stinger' can be that, a graphic or a video with alpha channel or a color that can be keyed out (all will work).
As pointed out in Ed's video, any of the 'overlay' channels can be set-up to function as a 'stinger transition' but I would avoid that and stick to the actual 'stinger' channels in the "Overlay" settings (button at lower right of screen).

UserPostedImage

Once there, select either 'Stinger 1' or 'Stinger 2' from the first drop-down menu and continue to "set-up" that overlay channel.
(Channels 1,2,3 & 4 do not allow for "Stinger Input" but will 'cut' to 'Preview' if you select a "Stinger Cut Point", again, avoid this unless you absolutely know what you are doing)
The important things here are to select the "Stinger Input" you want (video or image sequence) and "Stinger Cut Point" in milliseconds or frames.
The "Duration" is the amount of time the video or image will display (in my case, my replay video is ten seconds with "INSTANT REPLAY" text overlayed that I usually set for 7000 milliseconds. You can download my sample stingers here).
The "Effect" and "Effect Duration" is the actual transition to the 'stinger' and not the 'transition' between inputs.

The next step is to 'set-up' a means of "accessing" the 'effect' or transition...
This can be accomplished with any of the 'Dropdown' menus for transitions in the center of the screen.
Choose the appropriate 'Stinger' you have set-up.
(Remember, the 'effect' only transitions from "Preview" to "Program" so make sure the next input you want is on the "Preview" screen).

UserPostedImage

Alternatively, (and I might add better, in my view) it is advantageous to set-up 'Shortcut Keys' to trigger the effect.
(In my case, I use advanced options to send the input to preview and play the stinger transition, or with the new "Replay" feature you have the option to set-up the stinger as part of the transition, in any event, that is somewhat of another "tutorial" on how to do that).
I hope that helps some and gets you well on your way to using the "Stinger Transition" feature of vMix.

Here is a link to how I use the 'Stinger' for instant replay:


And a link to other tutorials on-line:




Ice
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agruts on 4/17/2015(UTC)
IceStream  
#8 Posted : Friday, April 17, 2015 5:38:51 PM(UTC)
IceStream

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@ agruts

Triggers are very useful for 'automating' certain tasks, but are also designed with "limitations" to prevent 'loops' and unwanted behaviors.
Once again, Ed's video gives a fairly good overview.

Please NOTE:

- 'Transition Effects' (the first 12 options in the 'Function' dropdown menu, that is 'fade' to 'cut') only work for 'OnCompletion' and will be IGNORED for 'OnTransitionIn' and 'OnTransitionOut'

(I know that sucks and confuses a lot of people as to why their "Triggers" don't work, but as stated above, it's to prevent bad things from happening).

Also, timings are cumulative, that is, from the time of the previous trigger, not from the actual 'Transition In' so it is important to layer or stack them properly and time them accordingly.

For your particular scenario, doing what you describe is possible, just not exactly 'practical' or 'functional' in the way you would like.
Triggering an Audio input to play in the background when a particular video is played is fairly straight forward, however, there is no option (yet) to actually fade up or down the volume, just 'On', 'Off' or to set a specific level.
A delay 'transition' to another input before the video is complete can be accomplished if you use an 'overlay' channel and you set-up that channel to 'CubeZoom' in 'Overlay' settings as discussed in my previous post.
As I have said, some of these "automated effects" are achievable in a round about way but are maybe not worth the extra effort to set-up and accomplish since it complicates the overall functionality of vMix.
Once you understand how vMix works, you will realize what is possible and it becomes a lot easier to think of ways to do neat stuff.
I hope that helps some.


Ice
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