Announcing Bobs VideoSketch Plugin a simple Telestrator for VT 5.2b

Bobt

Bobt

Creator of BobFX for VT


BobsVideoSketch is a simple Telestrator plugin for VT5.2b
Draw on your video in realtime while on the air. Great for sports or
sketch effects.

You can download a demo at
http://www.bobfx.com/BobsVideoSketchInstall.zip

The price will be $199, BUT, for a "limited time" the price is 50%
off, or $99.95,
BUT there is more, for the first 100 buyers you can own in for $75
cause I need the cash.

Ask questions on usage and I will write something up.
If someone wants to help me out maybe they can download
it and write something up for me.
I dont have Camtasia on this box so the tutorial will have to wait.

To access the plugin go to the switcher panel and
right click near the T Bar. In the drop down menu it will show
BobsVideoSketch as a selection. -- VideoSketch shows up in the DownStream Key Fade to DSK click on Draw and start drawing.
Reset erases what you have drawn.
Click on the colored square and you can choose a different colored pen.
Thats it. Hit OK closes the application. Its a simple little application.

The demo is fully functional but you do not get output from the VT. You can try all the features though.
 
Kurt_Henning

Kurt_Henning

He said "member"
Wow.

Cool beans.

Unlike the other BobFX plugins (filters or effects like StrobeFX, OneTouch or Multicam), VideoSketch is a switcher plugin, so you need a VT with the switcher running. Many of his plugins work on SpeedEDIT as well, but in this case, you need a VT with 5.2b on it. Many of us do.

If you want to take it for a test drive, click here http://www.bobfx.com/BobsVideoSketchInstall.zip It's so new, it's not on the website -- yet.

Unzip, install in your VT5 folder, yada yada, Fire up the VT 5.2b rig

Now you move you mouse over the switcher, and click RMB. This is where you configure your switcher for 8 or more inputs. And......

Look South, below the "Keyboard Shortcuts" and "Help" and North of the "Copy" menus. Here you will find "Launch VideoSketch"

Choose it, Launch it.

Now a "VideoSketch" window pops up, and if you have some video in a switcher channel, you can DRAW on it. Very cool. If you don't then load a DDR, put a clip in it, patch the DDR to the output, hit play and now draw away. I had a blast, and I can't draw!

This is a demo, so if you don't see anything on the output monitor, it's on purpose. You will need to contact Bob at www.Bobfx.com to get a full version, where the "telestrating" or "videosketching" appears on the output. I have a real copy, a close cohort has one, so there are only 97 or less left. $75, even in this economy is not a lot of scratch, for what it does.

My only experience with VideoSketching is in post, and this is WAY faster. I think the sportscasters will go nuts. Now, more sportscasters can draw "funny nose and glasses" when it's time for break. That was my second project.

Bob has made the offer, it's up to you to accept. It's worth $200........easily.

If you don't take advantage, please don't blame me, I tried to "plug" a plugin.

Click It
Get It
Test It
Love IT
Buy It.

This is really cool.

Back to it
 
ted

ted

Active member
I'm hooked. It's worth more than twice the price.
Thanks Bobby! :thumbsup:
 
Kurt_Henning

Kurt_Henning

He said "member"
Hey there VT Video Sketchers.

Hopefully you have checked out the demo. If you purchase the plugin, you will get to see the sketching on the output monitor.

So how do you do that? It's cake.

All you do is make "Videosketch" active in the DSK channel and you are good to go.

I am not a sports guy, but even in convention work (IMAG and such) this might have some interesting uses as well. With the caveat that the TD will likely need to do any "videosketching."

Jef Kethley had asked about a long controller for the Video Sketch. A very cool idea.

I think a sportscaster type could be trained to use this, it's pretty straightforward. There is a very important button on the interface. It's called "reset." The local cable affiliate has some type of oldshool telestrator, and it sticks. So, some funny guys will write something a bit off color, like "a$$hole" and an arrow pointing to a player/coach/referee and as they come back from the commercial, more than 1 time has this "stuck." It's pretty funny. But with VideoSketch, you simply click "reset" and you clear the "video sketching". This would save embarrassment in some markets. Perhaps Sportscasters are better trained outside the midwest, but I have even see John Madden have the "X" and "O" on the new play. This is probably the classic struggle for control over the output, the technical director or the talent. With John Madden, I would not tell him he could not have control of the output, and I don't know who here would. That guy is an institution. But, I do not see many opportunities to work with him. I do see opportunities in smaller markets. I have learned of some television trucks doing sports that actually have VT units to switch.

Those guys definitely would benefit from VideoSketch, if the introductory price lasts much longer.

BTW, if anyone has an old school or new telestrator, how much was it? I don't need it, I have VideoSketch, I was wondering how much they go for, and how big is the hardware to run it?

There are already some improvements coming, but as it is, it does the job. Nice work.
 
Bobt

Bobt

Creator of BobFX for VT


OK this is an example of something you can do with Video sketch.
The Brushes are any 32 bit PNG image. You load a new brush by using the load button.
It uses the Alpha channel of the PNG to display the image so make sure you have an image with a transparent background. If you dont know how to make one ask a Newtekian that does. I created 2 brushes in about 10 minutes. I used Photoshop.
Make sure to save them to a reasonable size like 50x50 because you only have a 720x486 display area.
Now in the switcher you bring up BobsVideoSketch like you would Bobs3rdChannel.
You hit the Draw button. Then switch in the Down Stream Key. Thats it.
you mouse click or draw depending on what you want to do. Hitting reset allows you to
erase everything without stopping the draw mode. Its so simple and looking at these two exmaples along with the original image it can be used as a special effects or it can be used as a simple draw tool. The Brush and Color are saved when you exit by hitting OK. You should switch back out of the DSK before you stop the draw mode of VideoSketch.

Thats it. Its made to be SUPER easy and fun.
 
PIZAZZ

PIZAZZ

NewTek System Integrator
Kurt_Henning said:
Jef Kethley had asked about a long controller for the Video Sketch. A very cool idea.

.
Click to expand...

Actually I was responding to someone else that asked about the ability to operate the plugin from afar... Either way I will share that information here for anyone else that is not on the VTNT yahoo list.

You could easily run a dual Cat5 to do this or a Cat5 and a coax. One would be to replicate and bring the Program Out to the On Air Talent's position. (this could be composite out via Coax or VGA out via the Cat5)The other would be to extend out USB control from the VT to the Talent position. I would use USB Cat5 Baluns to extend the USB. Plop down a Wacom or similar Tablet into the USB. One advantage of using the VGA output of the VT is you could put Bob's plugin on the same screen as a Video (VTVision) Monitor output window. The talent could then select Draw or Reset to clear when needed.

I have already asked Bob to look into keyboard shortcuts to select the Draw/Reset which could be controlled in all kinds of ways. Xkeys, Programmable Mouse, Programmable Wacom keys, etc.

I already have a couple clients on VT systems that would like to implement this product. Congrats to Bob for getting this out!


Now how about a TriCaster version? :)
 
Adam_LightPlay

Adam_LightPlay

NewTek Specialist
Ok let's see if I grasp this. We've always been able to do Telestrator by having Aura open and selected as the downstream key source. The advantage to this plug-in, is being able draw on top of a video monitor right on the GUI, rather than having to guesstimate by watching what you draw in Aura, appear on the program out?
 
PIZAZZ

PIZAZZ

NewTek System Integrator
Adam_LightPlay said:
Ok let's see if I grasp this. We've always been able to do Telestrator by having Aura open and selected as the downstream key source. The advantage to this plug-in, is being able draw on top of a video monitor right on the GUI, rather than having to guesstimate by watching what you draw in Aura, appear on the program out?
Click to expand...

Actually that is a good point Adam. No this approach is very much like the Aura approach. UNLESS you use a touch screen monitor or a Cintiq then you would be able to draw on the output window.

I imagine the biggest advantage of Bob's plugin vs. Aura is how simple it operates. Most VT users are afraid to open Aura in any shape or form. Matter of fact, I can count on 1 hand the number of Aura users I know. That is just the way it is.

Now that could change if NewTek opened up that code vault, rebranded it video paint _______, allowed installation on other machines besides VTs, and piped the output down the network like LiveText to feed into the TriCaster.

fun fun fun.
 
Adam_LightPlay

Adam_LightPlay

NewTek Specialist
Funny you mention that.
Actually, I tried to see if I could use LiveText as Telestrator from another PC. Assuming the iVGA pathway, was fast enough, there were only two little hitches.
1. Live Text doesn't have a total free-hand draw tool, but I could almost use the free-hand splines tool.
2. You have to click the "Live" button to update the live page feed, (a good idea in most normal cases).
If NewTek could give us way to lock the "Live" button in the on position, and a good wide free-hand brush tool, we might be there.
 
Bobt

Bobt

Creator of BobFX for VT
Adam,
this is a small form factor easy to use quick to operate and train plugin.
Its not Aura and god knows its not trying to be. Its just quick easy and
takes all of 5 seconds to train someone to use it. This when you are using
many people for a switch makes it pretty handy.
 
Bobt

Bobt

Creator of BobFX for VT
Thanks Bill.
Adam>>
Sounds great. I hope you can make it work on the TriCaster soon, too.
>>>>
Alas.. no tricaster no sdk otherwise I would consider it.
 
PIZAZZ

PIZAZZ

NewTek System Integrator
Back on topic...

the more I think about this the more I can see the following as a workflow:

Same Dual Cat5 cable solution as before except not use the Composite out of VT. You could use a VGA cable plus a Cat5 if your run was 100' or less.

You would need to use the VGA or 2nd desktop of VT as the output for the Talent monitor. Then instead of a Tablet attached to the USB run, you would need to run a Touchscreen LCD monitor. This would make it much much easier for the on air talent to easily operate the effect. The VTVision window would be full screen for the talent to see. This method would make it the easiest for the talent to draw directly on the area he wants to draw on. There would be a bit of learning curve using a tablet instead of the touchscreen. Heaven forbid these onair talent guys having to think. It is best to keep things really simple for them. Kind of like the blocks in kindergarden.

Now Bob if you could integrate the pop up plugin into a VTVision skin, then we be set. Just switch the skin on the VTVision to Telestrator Mode and put that monitor on the Talent's Touchscreen.

Simple and easy cheesy.
 
Bobt

Bobt

Creator of BobFX for VT
. Just switch the skin on the VTVision to Telestrator Mode and put that monitor on the Talent's Touchscreen.
You can stretch that window to any size you need so the talent only sees it and can draw on it. So on a second monitor you can use that full size.
That said with the right short cuts you can operate this via an external USB device.
I am not sure if anything more than reset should be available... The draw can be left on the entire time and selected into or out of the
Down Stream key.

This app is tied to VT its not a seperate app. Not sure if you downloaded and used the demo yet. Its for 5.2b and you can just give it a try to see what it does.
 
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