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Dimi

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hi,

 

 

I'd like to propose smaller features for a future release. The GUI should always stay simple and that's I think one if not the main feature of Watchout.

 

1)Using the arrow keys for warping X an Y in the geometry setting. X for left/right (as it is now) and up/down for Y (without having to use TAB to switch between X and Y)

 

2)not a must but would be nice: Possibility to save the geometry and the edge blend settings

 

3)Tween Compositions:

A possibilty to save a bunch of tweens in to one composition and the ability to apply them to the beginning of a media file and to use the same tween composition in a reversed manner for the end (simple example: tween opacity 0-100 in 1 sec and a button to apply the same from the end but reversed so it actually fades out). this would be very helpful with files of different length. And it could perfectly fit into the GUI without complicating it to much (I could live with a Tween Compostion window like task or input or output).

 

4)

and if 3 is not a way you want to go with your software the least an Auto fade in/out button within the settings of a media file would be great or even as a global setting.

 

best regards

Thomas

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Thanks for your suggestions!

 

Note that "Possibility to save the geometry" can already be accomplished, sort of, by copying the geometry and pasting it into a text document. Then, to re-use, open that text document, Select All, Copy and Past into a geometry dialog in WATCHOUT.

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While we're on the topic of feature requests, I would love a little more flexibility in entering times. Personally I wold love if entering values from 60 - 99 were automatically interpreted as 1:00 - 1:39, if values with three or more digits were automatically interpreted as being in hh:mm:ss format, and if you could use + or - to enter incremental/decremental values relative to the start of the media file (or tween points) or the cursor position (for media files and compositions).

 

Jim

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Here's a request for the future (near future we hope) -

 

The abilitiy to use multiple graphics cards across the one motherboard rather than limited to one Eyefinity card. 2-output graphics cards are cheaper and less complicated (in determining which output is which and does away with dp and mdp adapters) than the Eyefinity stuff.

 

Thomas Leong

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Hi Thomas,

 

Re: "2-output graphics cards are cheaper and easier than dealing with dp and mdp adapters"

 

They might be cheaper, BUT they are also, normally, less capable, for WATCHOUT use.

And will not keep the same frame sync as ONE card with multiple outputs.

What could be achieved is similar to sync between individual WATCHOUT Display PC:s.

 

/jonas

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Hi everyone

I have a request regarding the new v5 preview option.

 

Using the prduction pc as audio backup line, i find it annoying having the preview video default ON on each media

and switching to thumbnails preview editing to avoid unuseful process during live session also block the audio output.

 

In v4 the audio streaming was on even if the timeline preview was set to thumbnails.

 

Caould you implement a dedicated audio preview selection

or give the possibility to invert the preference settings for the medias?

 

thanks in advance.

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Feature request:

 

Having the option to see the geometry correction grids on the Displays would be awesome! I can make some really nice grid patterns but being able to see the real grid, or turn it on and off, would be a hugely useful tool for me and hopefully others!

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Also being able to increase/decrease the numbers of grid points and the ability to grab a single grid point and move it would be huge... I can do this in my projectors and typically don't use the geometry correction in watchout because its too basic. The curves are nice but with Christy Twist and BARCO Warp I feel like I have much more granular control. The ability to shift one point, or a row of points would add amazing power to the geometry correction engine especially when it comes to correction for projection mapping distortion.

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Also being able to increase/decrease the numbers of grid points and the ability to grab a single grid point and move it would be huge...

You can add points to the geometry correction grid, as well as move the points individually. See the User's Guide (page 164) for details. Or perhaps you mean something else entirely?

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Say Mike. Would it even be possible to include in Watchout such things as:

 

1. Black level matching ability

2. Camera based auto-align

3. Pixel Level Matching for color correction

 

I understand that including such things could be stepping on some toes, but I'm guessing that Watchout would become the "Product of the Century" if those were included. Sure would make my life a lot easier. I know that other companies make boxes that do the above, but if somehow Watchout could do the same thing, I'd be happy to send you the rest of my retirement savings. ; )

 

But I'm just curious to know if it could even be done?

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You can add new points and you get awesome control over them but what I was shooting for would be the ability to add points any where on the grid, currently it seems you can only get points to certain grid locations.

 

Also the ability to move one point without pulling the others around it...

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+1 Lloyd:

Black level adjustment outside of blended areas would be awesome for making dark content on blends look amazing... I can do this in some projectors or in a Spyder but i don't always have that luxury!

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Black level adjustment outside of blended areas would be awesome

 

 

I think you can do this already, albeit in a somewhat manual way. Try this:
  • Make a 10% gray rectangle image (PNG), about the size of the none-overlap area, possibly with a very slightly feathered edge (one or a few pixels only), where the image fades to black. No alpha channel needed.
  • Create an auxiliary timeline in the Task windtw that sits on top of all others.
  • Add the above mentioned image to this Aux timeline, one for each non-overlap area. Scale and position the rectangle to eactly fit the darker area.
  • Add a Color tween track, and use its Brightness setting to tone down the image so it's just bright enough to match the brightness in the overlap areas.
  • Set the blending mode of each of those cues to "Lighten".
I haven't tried this myself, but I think it should allow you to get pretty close. At least it could provide a way for further exploration of this idea. Let us know how this works out.

 

Mike

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Mike, I'm very inrigued by this idea and want to make sure I understand the concept since I'm not near any equipment to test with. The gray cue in the Aux timeline creates a seamless black field. Because it's on top of all other timelines, it will stomp on all negative space. But because the blend mode of the gray cue is set to "lighten" any content underneath this black field will still show through, leaving you with your pleasantly blended images floating on an even field of black. Hope I've interpreted this correctly.

 

Jim

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Should I post more feature requests here??

 

1: The ability to add "display arrays". It would be nice to say:

 

Select Add Array

Then select Number Of Displays for the array (2 or more)

Then select the resolution of the array Displays (1400x1050, 1920x1080, etc)

Then select % overlap or # of pixel overlap (# of pixels would be better for me but some might want %? I don't know...)

Then select Horizontal or Vertical layout.

Then select Done or Apply and have WatchOUT add multiple displays that are pre-aligned with the proper overlap.

 

I can easily go back in and set the IP and Display #s.

 

Currently I just do this all by hand. And maybe there is a way to do this and I am totally missing it. The show I am on right now is 8 Diplays, but only 6 are active. The two inactive Displays are bookends for doing a seamless 360 screen. Being able to quickly setup this array through some settings and a procedural build through WatchOUT would be make this very quick and prevent silly mistakes that can happen while assembling the array manually.

 

2: The ability for Video Proxy to automatically add its own Length?

 

Currently I tale one of my proxy clips, give it a .mpg extension, import into WatchOUT, record the Length, delete the import, rename the clip, and then import the Video Proxy using the Length from the standalone clip import. It seems there should be an easier way. Again, its possible that WatchOUT will do this, somehow, and my paranoia of always setting the Length has made me miss some automated process in WatchOUT. I do like that the Add Video Proxy window holds the settings from the previous import... this prevents me from ending up with 7250x1050 clips imported as 800x600 because I missed a step :) but I am afraid that without manually setting the Length that the new proxy will take on the Length setting of the previous proxy import and my video will be too short or too long.

 

Thanks!

Brian Lynn

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Re: Brian's idea about rapidly building 'arrays' of displays. I guess one way around this is to duplicate and move the displays one by one - e.g. if you know you have a series of 1980 displays with 300px overlap, then you can duplicate the first display, move the copy 1680px on the x-axis and so on, but it's fiddly if anything changes.

 

Recently, when a client was thinking about a video wall with 20 LCD monitors in a grid, I built a little Processing application that would do the layout maths for me - a bit like you described: choose a resolution, then the number of displays, set the overlap/spacing and generate the array of displays and their coordinates. The next step was to be an export to Watchout, but I never got that far! So yes, I could see something like this being a useful addition to Watchout - the question is how to integrate it into the software without the UI getting too messy. Perhaps something like the 'distribute' command in Adobe apps - position the first and last displays accurately, then automatically distribute the copies, equally spaced between the two? Or the 'repeat' command - choose the number of copies and the x & y offset for each copy (Added bonus if WO can calculate the x-offset from a given overlap)?

 

On a related note, yesterday I spent a while making changes to a project, which involved creating compositions to fit a certain number of displays (rather than the default size which fits all displays). Despite the fact that I'm working on a powerful multi-core computer which could do the calculations in a fraction of a second, this involved a lot of writing numbers of bits of paper, adding things up with calculator, and then typing them back into Watchout! Anything which results in the computer doing more of the dull maths, and me spending more time doing more interesting stuff would be good by me!

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I always calculate manually. Daily business and easy as hell, but when really lazy, try WScreenPro (app for iOS in AppStore, possibly also in android?). It has a 'Media Server' screen where you can enter the in-pixel and it will give you all necessary numbers

 

But for real, arranging the display's is usually less then 0,001% of the project's programming time, isn't it...

 

Please concentrate the WO development on usefull features and more tweens (dropshadow and blur i.e.)

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Default fades for cues would be nice... Beats fiddling with / copying of opacity handles. Or was this already requested? Of course with a general duration setting somewhere.

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Select Add Array

Then select Number Of Displays for the array (2 or more)

Then select the resolution of the array Displays (1400x1050, 1920x1080, etc)

 

 

You do know that you can copy displays from one show and paste them into another, right?

 

Mike

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