Ventmedia Posted September 29, 2020 Report Share Posted September 29, 2020 I have a show/installation in which during the first part it has two projectors mapped onto the walls of the interior space. These require an edge blend between the two with the content mapped with virtual displays. Later these same projectors are used in a compleatly different way, through haze. The different effect is with the content on more virtual displays mapped seperately which don't require a blend/mask. I've seen that an auxilary timeline can be placed above the edgeblend, which would be perfect except that this second sequence needs to follow timecode and lasts for about 30 minutes. As timecode syncing an auxilary timeline is possible, is there a way to achieve switching the masks off as part of the programming of the show, i.e a script I can send that switches the mask off and on? Or some other method I'm overlooking maybe, or layer specific masking? many thanks 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Morgan Wong Posted September 30, 2020 Moderator Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 There's no "direct" control of the mask/edge blend. I can think the following workaround: -capture a screenshot of the mask/blend as still image, then apply it the timeline/layer. -use video switcher and switch between display computer -if time allow, use 2 separate project. go online/offline. -turn on/off the manual masking through display setting(with live update or manual update) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dataton Partner RBeddig Posted September 30, 2020 Dataton Partner Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 If I understand it correctly, you want to use your two computers with softedge in a part of your show without being slaved to an incoming timecode and later in the show, you want to use the same projectors as a slave to timecode without applied masking? As Morgan wrote already, there is no way to switch off the mask while a show is running. I would follow Morgan's advice and capture the applied masks in some way and add those to the show as a "mask media". The first part of your show could probably live in an auxiliary timeline since you don't control this by timecode. You can of course use a timeline set to "above edge blend" and start this with a control cue from your other timeline but you could also consider to use the top most layers for your mask. Take a look at the conditional layers which could maybe help here. You can control the conditional layers from within your show by sending control commands internally. The command is described in the manual. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted September 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 Many thanks for the replies. The whole show is actually timecode dependant, but i can see that making a screenshot of the blends and using this as a controllable layer is a workaround method with possible control of the conditional layers. Unfortunately I won't be able to get the powers that be to add another computer and switcher. Again thanks 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator jfk Posted September 30, 2020 Moderator Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 Just curious, why not just create different shows for each scenario and switch between them? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted September 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 It's a seamless show, no breaks, no cues, fully automated from timecode. The audience are in the same space as the performer, a mix of installation and dance. The truth is it's been running on Catalyst for about 6 years, I'm hoping to bring it up to date. The images show examples of the different states I've mentioned but there are more 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator jfk Posted September 30, 2020 Moderator Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 It is possible to load a new show without the image being interrupted between the shows. granted, there is a pause. as for automated, the second show can be loaded from the first show. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 Again, thanks for the reply. There isn't a moment between the sections to have a pause unfortunately. I think my final way to sort this is to convince the sound designer to move the audio into Watchout thus eliminating the timecode problem. It does make me nervous running both audio and video of one machine but I'm willing to try it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dataton Partner RBeddig Posted October 2, 2020 Dataton Partner Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 Well, as I said before, you could place your masks (taken as screen shots and imported as transparent images) in a layer above everything else and turn the layer on and off by sensing control cues to yourself. This would allow you to enable the masks at one part of the show and to disable them when you reach a certain timecode. On the other side, if your servers and your production computer are good, you could of course also play sound from WATCHOUT. The sound can come from either the production computer or from a display server! Both works. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiesemann Posted October 2, 2020 Report Share Posted October 2, 2020 hm... why not mask only the overlapping (blended) area with an additional layer which can be controlled via Midi, OSC, Keyframes etc for the moments not needed. But maybe I am getting this all wrong... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 19 hours ago, RBeddig said: Well, as I said before, you could place your masks (taken as screen shots and imported as transparent images) in a layer above everything else and turn the layer on and off by sensing control cues to yourself. This would allow you to enable the masks at one part of the show and to disable them when you reach a certain timecode. On the other side, if your servers and your production computer are good, you could of course also play sound from WATCHOUT. The sound can come from either the production computer or from a display server! Both works. I will give this method a test, I can see it working. My only reluctance is loosing the ability to quickly tweak the blends if required between shows. One thing I haven't mentioned is that the projectors we are discussing are also on the floor. On the tour the only variable I can't control is the floor, sometimes sprung sometimes solid etc. It means these projectors need to be checked and tweaked generally between every show. I'll try this out though. Many thanks 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dataton Partner RBeddig Posted October 3, 2020 Dataton Partner Report Share Posted October 3, 2020 Just in case that you're not aware of it. Most tweens can be controlled dynamically through MIDI or Artnet. E.g. scaling, position, rotation, etc. Maybe this helps to adjust some settings while you're live. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 Hi, It seems like a newbie question to follow all this but I can't get a screen shot of the display computer whatever I try - I keep getting just a white screen or Watchout in a window, not what's being displayed - is there a knack to this? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dataton Partner RBeddig Posted October 4, 2020 Dataton Partner Report Share Posted October 4, 2020 If you have a second computer and a capture card, you could capture the output of the display computer and generate the screen shot. If not, you'll need to do it on the production computer. I would use the feature to record and export a video. For this you need to have Quicktime installed and you've got to scale the stage window up. Then you make sure that only the screen you want to capture is fully visible in the stage window. Check the manual for information regarding the video export function. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 12 hours ago, RBeddig said: If you have a second computer and a capture card, you could capture the output of the display computer and generate the screen shot. If not, you'll need to do it on the production computer. I would use the feature to record and export a video. For this you need to have Quicktime installed and you've got to scale the stage window up. Then you make sure that only the screen you want to capture is fully visible in the stage window. Check the manual for information regarding the video export function. Again RBeddig thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the export video method seems impossible as the production computer is running on an HD monitor and the outputs of the display are 4k -I can't make the displays fully visible on the stage window to capture them - it's a shame this would be a good workaround. The capture card method I'll tinker with but I feel it's adding significantly more kit and workflow to the process which I feel should be relatively straight forward. Has anybody got a screenshot method of working with Watchout? A third party app that''l do the job? I don't know enough about what's happening with Watchout to allow for the Watchout icon window to be captured and not the output display itself 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Morgan Wong Posted October 5, 2020 Moderator Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 connect keyboard on the display computer, then use print screen button. paste it on "Paint" save the file. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Morgan Wong Posted October 5, 2020 Moderator Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 you should get something like this 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 31 minutes ago, Morgan Wong said: connect keyboard on the display computer, then use print screen button. paste it on "Paint" save the file. I thought that would be the case - I've got the images displayed with the mask but when I print the screen I get the following 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2020 OK, I've done further tests on this and striped down the set-up to do it. It seems the screen print/capture works when a single display is attached but two or more and I'm unable to do it - I get the WO screens. Is this the same as other folk? Is this a bug? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Fahl Posted October 8, 2020 Report Share Posted October 8, 2020 You can just make the edge-blend gradient in Photoshop or similar, and add it as a separate layer on top. It's essentially a black image with a transparency gradient. Test, djust the curvature of the gradient as required, update the media, rinse and repeat. Mike 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventmedia Posted October 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2020 On 10/8/2020 at 4:10 PM, Mike Fahl said: You can just make the edge-blend gradient in Photoshop or similar, and add it as a separate layer on top. It's essentially a black image with a transparency gradient. Test, djust the curvature of the gradient as required, update the media, rinse and repeat. Mike Sure, as was the method with After Effects tens years ago as well as embeding the mapping and distortion into the artwork, it's nice to think we've moved on from there a little though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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