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netmojo  
#1 Posted : Tuesday, May 31, 2016 12:35:17 PM(UTC)
netmojo

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Hello,

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask, but is there an API (programming interface) for controlling the mixer programatically? We control our Panasonic HMX100 mixer over RS232 serial port, to do live automated mixing with no human interaction (see http://www.birs.ca/facilities/automated-video for overview). Is this possible with the vMix? If not, maybe this can be moved to the feature request section. If we could use an API to control the mixing and other functions over IP, that would be fantastic.

Thanks!
Brent

Mathijs  
#2 Posted : Tuesday, May 31, 2016 1:05:19 PM(UTC)
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netmojo  
#3 Posted : Tuesday, May 31, 2016 2:35:03 PM(UTC)
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Mathijs wrote:
http://www.vmix.com/help17/index.htm?DeveloperAPI.html
http://www.vmix.com/help...utFunctionReference.html


Thanks. So it appears a subset of the functionality is available, but not enough for full automation.


Mathijs  
#4 Posted : Tuesday, May 31, 2016 5:46:23 PM(UTC)
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Why not enough? I can do what I want with it.
What function do you want that is not there?
thecloudmediagroup  
#5 Posted : Wednesday, June 1, 2016 10:05:38 PM(UTC)
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netmojo wrote:
Mathijs wrote:
http://www.vmix.com/help17/index.htm?DeveloperAPI.html
http://www.vmix.com/help...utFunctionReference.html


Thanks. So it appears a subset of the functionality is available, but not enough for full automation.




Everything should be there to use. We developed an iOS app that allows you to control audio as well as monitor levels. Is there something that the API doesn't do for you?

https://itunes.apple.com...surface/id978932322?mt=8
netmojo  
#6 Posted : Wednesday, June 1, 2016 10:51:39 PM(UTC)
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Can you tell it to take video source 2 and put it inside a Picture in Picture (PIP) overlaid on video source 1, positioned in the lower left corner? Then tell it to resize the PIP by a specified amount? Then move the PIP to the right side instead?

If I can do that via API, its the best option I've seen yet. :)



ask  
#7 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 3:23:24 AM(UTC)
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The best option in answering your query is for you to try it. There is a 60 day free trial. download it and become familiar with the tool. Mathijs has pointed you to the releveant section of help. Focus on the input section and on
SetPanX, SetPanY and SetPosition commands. But you do need to understand how vMix uses inputs.

Once you become familiar with vMix the forum will be of more use to you.

Regards
thanks 1 user thanked ask for this useful post.
richardgatarski on 6/2/2016(UTC)
netmojo  
#8 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 1:06:40 PM(UTC)
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ask wrote:
The best option in answering your query is for you to try it. There is a 60 day free trial. download it and become familiar with the tool. Mathijs has pointed you to the releveant section of help. Focus on the input section and on
SetPanX, SetPanY and SetPosition commands. But you do need to understand how vMix uses inputs.

Once you become familiar with vMix the forum will be of more use to you.

Regards


Please forgive my ignorance; I think I have created confusion by not clearly specifying the product about which I am inquiring. I'm specifically looking for information on the vMix U hardware:

http://www.vmix.com/products/vmix-u.aspx

Our environment is a mix of Linux and Mac OS X, and our production system is fully automated with no human interaction. I would like to control the above hardware using an API -- probably the Web API -- and am wondering if it can do the PIP manipulations that I described, programmatically, without the Windows desktop software.

We do not possess the hardware yet -- so "just try it" is not an option, and downloading the vMix desktop software, which we don't plan on using at all, won't help. Unless the vMix desktop software is a requirement for the vMix U hardware -- is it? The documentation mentions a Web API, and so I was thinking I could use that to control the hardware. Before ordering the hardware, it would be really nice to know if it is possible to do the PIP manipulations I describe via the hardware's API, either serial interface or IP interface. The sales people don't know.

Thanks again!

richardgatarski  
#9 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 3:00:57 PM(UTC)
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vMixU is "Powered by the versatile vMix live production software" (ie the same software you can download and try,even on a Mac with Windows).
netmojo  
#10 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 4:09:38 PM(UTC)
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richardgatarski wrote:
vMixU is "Powered by the versatile vMix live production software" (ie the same software you can download and try,even on a Mac with Windows).


Does that mean that there is absolutely no way to control the vMix U hardware without using the Windows desktop software?

The Windows desktop software talks to the vMix U hardware via some sort of API -- is that an API that we can use as well, with our own custom software? If so, is it documented anywhere?

I misunderstood the documentation posted earlier for the Web API -- I am thinking now that Web API is for controlling the Windows desktop software, and not the vMix U itself. Can we skip the middleman (Windows), and talk directly to the hardware from our machine-controlled automated system?

Thanks
r@wisla  
#11 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 4:49:43 PM(UTC)
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netmojo wrote:
I am thinking now that Web API is for controlling the Windows desktop software, and not the vMix U itself. Can we skip the middleman (Windows), and talk directly to the hardware from our machine-controlled automated system?

Now you are thinking correct.

vMix U is a Windows PC in 1u rack case, with 4-input capture card and vMix software that works only under Windows. You can externally control many features of vMix software with the API.
netmojo  
#12 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 5:02:44 PM(UTC)
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r@wisla wrote:
netmojo wrote:
I am thinking now that Web API is for controlling the Windows desktop software, and not the vMix U itself. Can we skip the middleman (Windows), and talk directly to the hardware from our machine-controlled automated system?

Now you are thinking correct.

vMix U is a Windows PC in 1u rack case, with 4-input capture card and vMix software that works only under Windows. You can externally control many features of vMix software with the API.


Ah-ha! OK, I did not realize that the mixer was a PC running Windows. That is very unusual for a mixer!

So presumably you can connect a monitor to the vMix U and you will see a Windows desktop running the vMix desktop software. Now it makes sense why it was suggested that I just download the desktop software -- it is literally the same software as on the hardware. I suppose I could set up static files as video sources to play with PIP settings etc..

OK, now I get it, sorry everyone for my newbie confusion!

Mathijs  
#13 Posted : Thursday, June 2, 2016 7:56:02 PM(UTC)
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Quote:
Ah-ha! OK, I did not realize that the mixer was a PC running Windows. That is very unusual for a mixer!

I know multiple broadcast level mixers that are based on a windows PC, so it's not that unusual.

Also, what you want to do is for sure possible within vmix, but you better forget about how you did things with the panasonic and look how you can accomplish what you want with vmix in the best way.
In this case, I would add the background input and create a lot of virtual inputs from that. Within the virtual inputs you can set up the pips you want with multiview.
When you use merge to transition between the virtual inputs, you can make the pip's fly from point a to b, zoom, rotate, whatever you want. That way you can build it while seeing what you are doing instead of having to enter parameters. There are api commands to change inputs of the multiview inputs, so I'm quite sure you can do what you want to with it, either automated or by hand. Coming from that Panasonic to vMix, I can guarantee you it can do lots more than you can do now, without the need of external players, recorders, etc.

Check THIS simple example.

When you buy the vMixU, you know for sure it is a hardware set-up they test with while developing, so less chance to run into hardware specific bugs.
When you build your own system you can make it fit your needs, but could run into problems because of unforeseen bugs.
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