Overlay from iVGA to all outputs??

[cmwerner]

Here is what we are trying to do:

We have an iVGA source to use as an overlay (with chromakey) on all camera inputs, but need to be able to fade or take the overlay on and off. There does not appear to be any easy way to do this on the downstream side. We could use the VGA overlay, however we are also webcasting our event so it does not show up there, and of course it doesn’t show up on the LIVE window on the Tricaster. It’s a bit tough for the director to see the projector screen to know if the overlay is actually on or not.

We can make this work if we select iVGA on the live bus, and then select between cameras on the effects bus. However than we cannot use the VM, the virtual T bar, or any of the take or auto transition switches. We can only change the cameras directly from the effects bus. If there was a way to change the switching functionality (auto/take/t-bar) between Live and Effects than we could make this work very well.

But ideally, we would be able to select iVGA as an option on the Overlay section (in addition to VCR1, VCR2, and Text).

We spent many hours trying to figure out a way to make this work over the weekend. Is there a way to do this? What we plan on doing now is using the VGA overlay and splitting the VGA out and going to a separate laptop to do the webcast. Not an idea situation since the Tricaster can do a webcast very well.

Thanks,
Chris

[theStreamDotTV]

I'm going to bump this thread because I'm having the same issue. The keyed overlay with iVGA works very well and doesn't take up an extra input source, but it only displays out of the s-video port from the back?

How is this useful exactly? is there a way to send the iVGA overlay to the LIVE program feed as logic would expect? otherwise, the only way for all destinations to see it would be to split the DVI/S-Video output (i suppose intended for a projector) out to all our devices, thus eliminating the need for ANY of the front outputs. How does this make sense? I hope I'm just missing something.

[cmwerner]

As far as I can tell, I think we're out of luck... We've used the Tricaster for 2 years now with the same requirements, and we still could not manage to find any way to make it work as one would expect.

We think it has to do with hardware limitations of the video cards inside the machine itself. It's basically just patching the iVGA out over the video card output on the back (VGA, DVI, S-video).

Unless we're mistaken, which would of course be good to know!

[joseburgos]

Attached is a LiveSet that I just made for you to try out. It takes the FX bus and overlays it over the Live bus (that is why I called the shot Bus Swap). If you assign it to all your camera inputs, it will allow you to use the AUTO or TAKE functions to transition while keeping the EXT, on FX, overlay'd.
You would have to set up Livematte on the EXT input to key out the color as well as garbage matte.

The downside to this would be there is no FX transition button on TriCaster so you would have to disable the LiveSet from the input you will transition too before you press AUTO to have the EXT fade off. Then you would make sure the LiveSet is enabled to the input you are transitioning next too so that the EXT will fade on overlay'd.

Not exactly a great workflow but may work for your production. If you have unused inputs on your TriCaster then use a splitter on one of your cameras to have it be on two inputs. Then assign one to use the LiveSet and the other not to use the LiveSet.
This would allow you to fade the EXT Overlay on and off simply by transitioning between the two. This would be easier than turning on and off the LiveSet IMHO.

Good luck and please tell me if it helps,

[ted]

Jose, you da man!

[theStreamDotTV]

Awesome! Can't wait to try this out! Where's the link to your pay pal donations button? :) Seriously!

[pro---studio]

Hi,

if you want a PAL Version of the Overlay Live Set check this out:

http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102285&page=2

(Check Post Nr. 18)

I made exactly the same Live Set for PAL two weeks ago.

Cheers

Pro.

[joseburgos]

Nice work Pro. Do you use a splitter to fade them on and off or do you do it all by turning the LiveSet on and off?

[pro---studio]

I use another way:

I set up the Background to 255% green and switch to that. That results in a 100% main bus picture because all the green is keyed out.

If Newtek would allow us to use the provided alpha in an external Livetext feed via the Live-Set function the titles would be smoother and half opaque elements would be possible.

Cheers

Pro

[joseburgos]

I understand you use LiveMatte with a 255% green as the matte color. But it looks like you TAKE to it using LiveSet. Have you the inputs to split a camera and have it be on two different inputs allowing you to Transition from to the other with one having the LiveSet enabled and the other disabled?

[DeanAU]

Is there any shortcut for the IVGA app to disable input? I'm stumped to find a way to remove the overlay.

[joseburgos]

I only know of a mouse click to change the Ext 1, using the drop down, to black or just clicking on Ext 2 or 3 if no other iVGA computer is on the network.

[DeanAU]

But if you have stuff keyed (i have keyed out a background of a lower third) you get black.

A better way would be to get transparency (over IVGA) and use the overlay button (keying gets disregarded in overlay mode.. i regretfully discovered) :(

[joseburgos]

Are you speaking VGA or Live out?
Or VGA Key or LiveMatte key?
If you speak of VGA, then ESC is take on/off and SHIFT + ESC is fade on/off.
If you speak LiveMatte, then I don't think there are any.

Take care,

[DeanAU]

Hey Jose,

I'm planning to use Powerpoint slides with 255% green, then use IVGA to overlay a lowerthird, and being able to easily show or hide it.

Staring at a big brick wall now..

[joseburgos]

The Power Point slide is the lower third?
Sorry but trying to understand what you are wanting to achieve.

Just as a FYI, LiveMatte is not used by the Overlay. So no matter how you key out green in any input, it will not be used in Overlay.
That said, if you use LiveMatte on EXT and then use the FX bus as a TAKE only switch, you can then have the EXT input be on the Preview and the same input you have on FX be on the Live. Now when you transition using Crossfade, the EXT will fade on with the FX in the background. Now you can do a TAKE by selecting another input on the FX bus while the EXT is still over it via the LiveMatte keying. When you are ready to fade off the EXT, you just need to make sure the input that is on the FX bus is on the preview bus and hit AUTO to fade the EXT off and leaving the background (what ever was on FX) Live since it switch from Preview when you hit the AUTO button.
This also frees the Overlay/DSK to also fade on Titles or a DDR with a clip that has an alpha channel built-in.

Sorry if I just confused you but trying my best to help without truly understanding what you are trying to achieve.

Take care,