Video Manager

You can bring a live or pre-recorded video into WYSIWYG and play it back while you set looks in DESIGN mode and while you precue in LIVE mode.

In this section

Video_Manager

Video_sources

Video_subsources

Chroma_keying

Video_stream

I-Mag_camera_screens

Image_placeholder for video

Video Manager

The Video Manager enables you to create Video Sources and Subsources, which you can then apply to screens, 3D primitives (surfaces, risers, spheres, cylinders, and cones), LED Walls, and to projectors that you have inserted in your drawing.

In the Video Manager, you can:

• Select the type of Video Source input you want to create and apply to the relevant objects in your drawing. You can choose a Video File, Video Capture, Video Capture with Blackmagic Design Device, CITP Video Stream, NDI® Source, or I-Mag Camera.
• Split a Video Source into single or multiple Video Subsources.
• Clone a Video Subsource into a new Video Source.
• Enable Chroma Keying for a Video Source.
• Change the properties of a Video Source or Subsource.
• Change the display settings of a Video Source or Subsource.
• Assign a DMX Patch to a Video Source.
• Mute the sound from a Video Source.

To access the Video Manager

1. From the Managers menu, choose Video Manager.

Result: The Video Manager appears.

Note: The Video Manager window can be resized to accommodate videos that have a higher or wider aspect than the default window size.

Video Playback

To play a video in WYSIWYG, use the Video Designer Tool. For more information, see To use the Video tool. You can view the video in any of the Shaded views, using the controls on the Video Designer Tool to pause, fast forward, rewind, or stop the video.

You can also patch the control of the Video Source to a console. You can use the console to control the progress of a live video stream or a video file by making the video play, pause, fast-forward, or rewind. You cannot use WYSIWYG to change different aspects of the video itself.

To control the Video Source, the DMX patch is given three channels. For details on controlling the video with the console device in LIVE mode, see To control a DMX patched video source with a console.

Notes:

• Before you render your drawing, you can either pause the video at the precise image you want to see in the final rendering, or you can let the video run while the Render Wizard processes the information in your drawing. In this case, the Render Wizard captures the video frame that was showing when it processed the screen information.
• If the video control is patched and DMX is connected in LIVE mode, then you will not be able to control the video using any of the Video Designer Tool commands in DESIGN mode. Video Sources can only be controlled by the Video Designer Tool when the DMX source is disconnected; therefore, you must first disconnect the applicable console from LIVE mode before using any of the Video Designer Tool commands.
• For details on drawing screens, see To draw a screen.

Video sources

The Video Source window opens when you create a new Video Source from the Video Manager.

In the Video Source window, you can:

• Browse and select the Video Source input type you want to apply to the objects in your drawing.
• Configure the general settings of a Video Source if available.
• Assign a DMX Patch to the Video Source input.
• Mute the sound from the Video Source input.

Video Source inputs

• Video File is a pre-recorded video saved in your computer in a specified video file format. WYSIWYG supports video files in the following formats:
• MPEG-4 “.mp4”
• MPEG-2 “.mpg”
• Matroska “.mkv”
• Windows Media Video “.wmv”
• Audio Video Interleave (AVI) “.avi”
• QuickTime File Format (QTFF) “.mov”

Note: If you cannot view these file types, you may not have the proper CODEC installed on your PC. Install the appropriate CODEC, and then try viewing the file again. For more information about playing back video files and the use of CODECs, please see https://forums.cast-soft.com/index.php?threads/playing-video-files-in-wysiwyg.370/#post-1016.

• Video Capture is a live video stream that comes from an external video capture device or a Blackmagic Design Device.
• CITP Video Stream is a live video stream that comes from a media server or other devices on your network which support CITP/MSEX protocol.
• NDI® Source is a live video stream or pre-recorded video file that can be accessed in real-time from multiple video sources in the IP space through the NDI® (Network Device Interface) streaming standard.
• Camera (I-Mag) is a Video Source that displays the view from Cameras drawn in WYSIWYG when applied to the Screens, LED Walls and Video Projectors.

To create a new video source in the Video Manager

1. In Video Manager, click the New Video Source icon.

Result: The Video Source window appears.

2. In the Name box, type the name of the Video Source.
3. Select the Video Source from the options in the Input section.

• Video File: Click Browse and select a pre-recorded video saved in your computer. For more information about video file playback, see http://forums.cast-soft.com/index.php?threads/playing-video-files-in-wysiwyg.370/.
• Video Capture: Select to use live video stream captured from an external device that is attached to your computer.

Note: When a Blackmagic Design video capture device is detected, the Video Capture with Blackmagic Design Device radio button is automatically selected. In order for these devices to work properly, always use this option, not the Video Capture option above it. To connect them, their input source and resolution are selected through the utility that was installed with their driver.

• CITP Video Stream: Select to use a video stream from a media server or other devices on your network which supports CITP protocol.
• NDI® Source: Select to use a video stream from a media server or other devices on your network which supports the NDI® protocol.
• Camera (I-Mag): Select to use the view from the camera drawn in WYSIWYG.

4. On the Video Source window, click OK.

Result: The video is added as a Video Source input in Video Manager.

The table in the Video Manager displays the Video Source information.

• Name: The video’s file name.
• Border: If there are Subsources, the Border columns shows the border color. To change the border color, click in the box and choose the new color from the color picker that appears.
• Source: The path to the physical file.
• Dimensions: The file’s dimensions in pixels.
• In Use: Informs you of whether the Video Source is in use. If the Video Source is currently in use, it cannot be deleted from the Video Manager.
• Mute: Indicates if the sound has been muted in the video.
• Patch: Indicates if the video source has been patched.

In the Source Properties section, you can configure the properties of the Video Source.

• Source Name: The video file’s name.
• Placeholder: Select the image file that was created in Image Manager, or click New to create a new placeholder image in Image Manager.
• Flip Horizontal: Select this option to flip the Video Source horizontally.
• Flip Vertical: Select this option to flip the Video Source vertically.

Note: The Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical options do not appear when a Video Source input is set to NDI Source. Any flipping required must be set at the NDI Source (e.g., in the media server’s “output options”).

• 4-byte Alignment: Select this option to align the pixels of a distorted video image. The 4-byte Alignment checkbox is automatically available only if the video source requires the alignment.

In the Display Settings section, you can choose how to display the video.

• Show video at: Select the zoom level for the video. You can choose to Fit the video in the display window, or show it at a percentage of its actual size: 100%, 200% or 300%.
• Placeholder: Select this option to display the placeholder that was set in the Source Properties section.
• Borders: Select this option to show the Subsource borders in the display.
• Selected Only: When you have selected a Subsource in the table, select this checkbox to only show the Subsource in the display area; if you do not select this checkbox when a Subsource is selected, the entire source is shown (with the Subsource borders highlighted in the display if you selected Borders).
• Grab New Video Frame For Preview: Click this button to display a preview frame for CITP Video Stream and Video Capture sources.

For details on patching the video control in DATA mode, see To patch the control of a video source.

For details on using the Video Designer Tool to play the video in DESIGN mode, see To use the Video tool.

For details on using a console device to control the video in LIVE mode, see To control a DMX patched video source with a console.

Video subsources

Video Sources can be split into Video Subsources in the Video Manager. This enables you to apply portions of the video to multiple screens, 3D primitives, LED Walls, or projectors. For details, see Splitting video into subsources.

Splitting video into subsources

After you set up the Video Source in the Video Manager (see To configure a new video source for streaming video), you can take the Video Source (video file, capture card, or CITP) and literally split it into Subsources that you can apply to multiple screens, 3D primitives, LED Walls, or projector-style fixtures that you have inserted from the Video Projection section of the Fixtures library.

In the Video Manager, you can select a Video Source that you set up, and then choose the options in the Create New Subsources section to split the Video Source. You can create the Subsources manually (by defining the pixel coordinates of each split) or automatically/evenly (by setting the number of rows and columns). You can then split these Subsources further, if desired.

Once you split the Video Source into Subsources, you can attach the Subsources to the objects that you want to use to display the video, just as you would attach a regular Video Source, and then play the video using the Video Designer Tool (DESIGN or LIVE modes) or via DMX control.

To create a single video subsource

1. In the left pane of the Video Manager, click to highlight the image for which you want to create a Subsource.
2. On the Create New Subsources section, click Single Subsource - create one.

Result: The Create Single Subsource dialog box appears.

3. Type the Subsource name.
4. By default, the system uses the start and end coordinates of the selected source, but you can change these values as desired. When you change these values, the system automatically updates the dimensions:

• Start Coordinate: Type the starting coordinate for the Subsource (the top-left corner of the Subsource) in the format "x,y", where x is the horizontal coordinate and y is the vertical coordinate. Note that the coordinate system uses the top-left corner as the origin (0,0). Also note that when video is shown at 100-300%, a tooltip appears under the cursor, indicating its position.
• End Coordinate: Type the ending coordinate for the Subsource (the bottom-right corner of the subsource) in the format "x,y", where x is the horizontal coordinate and y is the vertical coordinate. Note that the coordinate system uses the top-left corner as the origin (0,0).

5. Click the Border box to specify the color of the border that will appear around the Subsource when displayed.
6. Click OK.

To create multiple video subsources

1. In the left pane of the Video Manager, click to highlight the video for which you want to create Subsources.
2. On the Create New Subsources section, click Multiple Subsources - create many.

Result: The Create Multiple Subsources dialog box appears.

3. Type the Subsource name.
4. Define the Subsource matrix by specifying the number of columns and rows. The dimensions of the Subsources are displayed for your reference:

• Number of columns: Type the number of columns of Subsources to be generated. If the video resolution cannot be equally divided by this number, the remaining pixels will be left at the end (for the horizontal pixels this means the ones at the far right, and for the vertical pixels this means the ones at the bottom).
• Number of rows: Type the number of rows of Subsources to be generated. If the video resolution cannot be equally divided by this number, there will be a few gaps in the generated Subsource grid.

5. By default, the Subsources are created by taking the overall source area (height & width) and evenly dividing it by matrix provided. However, you can modify the total area by changing the start/end coordinates and, therefore, the overall dimensions used to create the Subsources. To do so, select the Modify total area for subsources checkbox and then enter the appropriate values:

• Start Coordinate: Type the starting coordinate for the Subsource (the top-left corner of the Subsource) in the format "x,y", where x is the horizontal coordinate and y is the vertical coordinate. Note that the coordinate system uses the top-left corner as the origin (0,0). Also note that when video is shown at 100-300%, a tooltip appears under the cursor, indicating its position.
• End Coordinate: Type the ending coordinate for the Subsource (the bottom-right corner of the Subsource) in the format "x,y", where x is the horizontal coordinate and y is the vertical coordinate. Note that the coordinate system uses the top-left corner as the origin (0,0).

6. Click OK.

Result: The Video Manager displays the video with the specified number of Subsources in columns and rows. The following graphic shows a video with nine Subsources (three columns and three rows).

Notes:

• Subsources are always listed below the source from which they were created.
• The table in the Video Manager provides a convenient way of displaying Video Source and Subsource information. All Video Sources and their Subsources are grouped and can be expanded or collapsed.
• You can rearrange the columns in the table by clicking the column header and dragging it to the new position.
• You can adjust the width of columns by clicking the column border and dragging the column to its new width.

To clone an existing subsource to a new video

1. In the left pane of the Video Manager, click to highlight the video you want to clone a Subsource to.
2. On the Create New Subsources section, click Clone From Existing Subsources.

Result: The Clone From Existing Subsources dialog box appears.

3. Select the media type that contains the Subsource you want to clone, either Image Sources or Video Sources.
4. Select the desired Subsource from the corresponding source drop-down list.
5. Enter a name for the cloned Subsource in the Subsource Prefix box.
6. Click Apply.

Result: The selected Subsource is cloned and applied to the selected video.

Changing the properties of video sources and subsources

Note: If you change the Video Source after the creating Subsources, and the new Video Source has different dimensions that do not match the Subsources dimensions, the affected Subsources are highlighted in yellow (a dialog box appears to notify you as such).

When you select a row in the Video Manager table, the properties of the Video Source or Subsource are displayed in the Source Properties section. You can change various properties of the Video Source and Subsources as follows:

• To change the name of the Video source or Subsource: In the table, click the row that you want to rename. Type the new name. Click Update on the Source Properties section.
• To change the border color of the Subsource: In the table, click the border color that you want to change and then select the new color from the drop-down list that appears. Click Update on the Source Properties section.
• If you have already applied a video to multiple objects, and then you want to replace the Video Source file with something different, you can make the change once in the Video Manager and have it automatically applied to all related objects (i.e., you don’t have to individually apply the changes to each object's properties). To do so, you change the underlying Video Source file to the Video name.
• You can define a Subsource either by its start/end coordinates or by its dimensions.
• To resize the Subsource: Click the row in the table. Change the start/end coordinates as desired, and then click Update on the Source Properties section. Note that if you change the coordi­nates, the system updates the dimensions automatically.
• To change the dimensions of a Subsource: Click the row in the table, and then type the new dimensions. When you change the dimensions, the system will automatically add to the start coordinate to determine a new end coordinate. Click Update on the Source Properties section.

Note: You can use the Quick Image/Video Tool to apply the Video Subsources. For details, see Using the Quick Image/Video Tool.

Chroma keying

Chroma Keying in WYSIWYG allows for part of a Video Source to be made transparent (typically its solid color background), and therefore make it appear as if the subject of that video is part of the WYSIWYG environment. (To learn more about the concept of Chroma Keying, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_key.)   

Chroma keying in WYSIWYG

Consider these key points when Chroma Keying in WYSIWYG:

• You can only use Chroma Keying on Surface, Sphere, and Cylinder objects in WYSIWYG. For the video to appear at full brightness, enable Light Emission on each of these objects and set Color to white and Intensity to 100%.
• To increase the brightness of the video, you may either set the Surface's, Cylinder's, or Sphere's Color Tint option to a value above 100% (200% - 400% works best) or enable the object's Light Emission, set the Color to white and Intensity to 100%. Using Color Tint is best for chroma keyed videos that are not meant to cast light on the scene (e.g., those whose subject is a person), while Light Emission is more appropriate for videos from which light does need to interact with the scene (e.g., pyro effects). Please note that the Light Emission Glow option does not interact very well with Chroma Keying, so if you've enabled this in the Shaded view, it is recommended that you disable it for objects that use a chroma keyed video. (This option appears at the bottom of these objects' Light Emission tab.)
• Any color, including black or white, may be used for Chroma Keying in WYSIWYG.
• If you are working with a video where shadows appear on the background due to poor lighting on the greenscreen/bluescreen, you should choose a Chroma Color shade of about halfway between the lightest and darkest shades of your color choice. You can try a different shade if the result from your first selection is not satisfactory.

In the Video Manager, you can enable the Chroma Key Property for a Video Source and select the Chroma Color. You can adjust the Chroma Keying effects using the Video Designer Tool in DESIGN or LIVE mode.

To enable the chroma keying effect

1. Open the Video Manager.
2. Create the Video Source and define a Video File or an NDI® Source as its input. For more information, see the Video_sources section.
3. In the Chroma Keying section of Video Manager, select the Enable checkbox.
4. Click OK.

Result:

• The Chroma Key Property of the selected Video Source is enabled and becomes a Chroma Key Video Source.
• The Tolerance and Smoothness sliders in the Chroma Keying section in the Video Designer Tool are enabled.
• The Video Manager window closes.

5. Attach this Chroma Key Video Source to a Surface, Sphere, or Cylinder in CAD mode.

Note: The Chroma Key effect will display on any flat or curved surface regardless of how it was created. Surfaces may be drawn (with the Surface or Polygon tool) or extruded (with Extrude or Extrude Object); to make curved surfaces, draw an Arc (or a Circle), then use the Extrude Object tool to give it height.

6. Switch to the Shaded view and use the Video Designer Tool (in any mode) to play the selected Chroma Key Video Source input. For more information, see the Video_tool section.
7. Pause playback at a frame where the Chroma Color can be picked accurately.

Note: Pausing the video is not required but recommended. If you do not pause the video, the Video Manager preview will show whatever frame is being displayed at the instant you click the Grab New Video Frame For Preview button.

8. On the Video Designer Tool or from the Managers menu, click the Video Manager button to open the Video Manager.
9. On the Video Manager, select the same Chroma Keyed Video Source.

Result: The frame where the video was paused appears on the Video Manager preview. If necessary, for Video Sources whose Input is set to a capture card, NDI®, or CITP, you may click the Grab New Video Frame for Preview button to capture a more appropriate frame from which to pick the Chroma Color.

10. Click the Select Chroma Color button to enable Chroma Color selection.

11. On the Video Manager preview, click on the appropriate spot.

Result: The Chroma Keying Color Box changes to the selected Chroma Color.

12. Click OK to apply and close Video Manager.

Result: All areas in the video where the Chroma Color appears are now transparent.

13. You can adjust the Tolerance and Smoothing of the Chroma Key effect from the Video Designer Tool in DESIGN or LIVE mode.

Notes:

• The preview area will remain the same after selecting the Chroma Color; the checkerboard pattern typically associated with transparency does not replace the Chroma Color background.
• A Video Source with enabled Chroma Key Property will be a "Chroma Key Video Source" until you clear the Chroma Keying Enable checkbox. If the Chroma Keying Enable checkbox is not selected, the video appears in Shaded view as it would in any other video player.
• In the unlikely event that you need to playback the same video file or streaming NDI® Source both Chroma Keyed and also not Chroma Keyed, a copy of the video file, or a secondary NDI® Stream, will be required.

Chroma key tolerance and smoothing

You can adjust the Tolerance and Smoothing of the Chroma Key effect from the Video Designer Tool in DESIGN or LIVE mode.

Use the Tolerance slider in the Video Designer Tool to adjust the range of color values included above and below the current transparent RGB value.

Use the Smoothing slider in the Video Designer Tool to adjust the smoothness of the edge between the subject and the solid color background.

The Tolerance and Smoothing slider controls will only be enabled (clickable) when you select a Video Source with enabled Chroma Key Property from the drop-down list of the Video Designer Tool. Changes to Tolerance and Smoothing will be applied instantly in the Shaded view.

To adjust the chroma keying effect

1. On the Shaded view in DESIGN or LIVE mode, click the Toggle Video Designer Tool icon from the Design toolbar.

Result: The Video tool window appears.

2. Select the Chroma Keyed Video Source from the drop-down list.
3. Use the Tolerance slider in the Chroma Keying section to increase or decrease the Chroma Color range.
4. Use the Smoothing slider in the Chroma Keying section to adjust the edge smoothness between the subject and the solid color background.

Tips:

• Tolerance and Smoothing adjustments are easier to make when you pause the video.
• Adjust Tolerance and Smoothing to just above the point where the Chroma Color disappears or the subject becomes transparent, then use the left and right arrow keys on the keyboard to make point-by-point adjustments.

For more information, see the Video_tool section in Design tools.

Additional chroma keying tips

Surfaces, Spheres, or Cylinders to which a chroma keyed Video Source has been assigned will cast shadows in Shaded views (much like an Image Source that uses an image with Alpha transparency does). If shadows are not desired from such objects, disable their Cast Shadow option. See Cast_Shadow_option in the Appearance tab section, for more information.

Objects to which a chroma keyed Video Source has been assigned are transparent in the Shaded view, even if their Transparency value is 0% (which would technically make them opaque); this was intentionally designed as such, to ensure that such objects do not appear in the Shaded view while playback of their Video Source is stopped. Should such objects need to appear in the Shaded view, set their Transparency to 1% (or above).

Video streaming

You can use the Video Manager to create a new Video Source for streaming video.

Note: You can only incorporate live video if you have WYSIWYG Perform; you cannot use a live video from a video capture device or video streaming via CITP/MSEX or NDI® if you have WYSIWYG Design.

To configure a new video source for streaming video

1. From the Managers menu, choose Video Manager.
2. In the Video Manager, click the New Video Source icon on the upper-left corner.

Result: The Video Source window appears.

3. In the Name box, type a descriptive name for the video.
4. In the Input section, select and configure the new Video Source.

• Video File: To play a video from a file, click the Video File radio button, and then click Browse to locate the file.
• Video Capture: To capture a live video stream from an external source, such as a web cam or a video capture device that is attached to your computer, click Video Capture, and then from the drop-down list, select the appropriate device. (This option is available only if you are running WYSIWYG Perform.) WYSIWYG will detect what standard resolutions the capture device can support, and display them in the Resolution drop-down list; choose your preferred resolution from this drop-down list.

If you select a Video Capture option, configure the Input and Resolution values for the device:

• Input: Choose between various inputs found on video capture devices (e.g., HDMI, DVI, S-Video, and so on).
• Resolution: Select the resolution of the incoming video, provided that multiple resolutions are available from the selected input.

Note: Do not select the Video Capture option when using a Blackmagic Design video capture device. If you are using Blackmagic Design devices, you must select the Video Capture with Blackmagic Design Device option. Devices from manufacturers can only be detected and used if their driver is of the WDM (Windows Driver Model) type. In order for WYSIWYG to be able to connect to the video capture device, that device must not be currently in use by another application.

• Video Capture with Blackmagic Design Device: A Blackmagic Design Device is automatically detected in WYSIWYG. This radio button is automatically selected if a Blackmagic Design Device is detected. A text prompt appears below the Video Capture radio button confirming the detection and asking to select the Blackmagic Design Device. Select the Blackmagic Design Device from the drop-down list.

Note: As with all other capture devices, in order for WYSIWYG to connect to Blackmagic Design devices, that device must not be currently in use by another application.

• CITP Video Stream: To stream video from a media server on your network, first ensure that the CITP Interface option is enabled in the Application Options > Additional Interfaces tab, as detailed on page Additional Interfaces tab. (This option is only available if you are running WYSIWYG Perform.) Select CITP Video Stream and click Browse to select one of the media servers from the network. If you have just enabled this option, you will need to restart WYSIWYG before the CITP interface is turned on.

Note: To be detected, media servers must connect to the same logical network as your WYSIWYG computer and disable all firewalls (on your WYSIWYG computer, on the media servers, if applicable, and so on). For more information about how to correctly assign IP addresses for this purpose, consult your Media Server and/or Microsoft Windows documentation.

If your media server is capable of outputting several video streams at once, you may select which output/stream to connect to by entering the number of the output/stream in the Video Num box. If you leave the default value of 0, WYSIWYG will connect to the first output; if you enter the number 1, WYSIWYG connects to the second output/stream of the same media server; the number 2 connects to the third output/stream, and so on.

• NDI® Source: Use the Network Device Standard to stream video in real-time from an external device within the IP space. NDI® is a standard that allows multiple video systems to encode, transmit and receive streams of high quality, low latency, frame-accurate video over an IP in real-time. For more information on NDI®, see https://www.ndi.tv/ and access basic NDI® tools.

Note: NDI® video streams will be detected when they are in the same logical network as your WYSIWYG computer. NDI® is a registered trademark of Vizrt Group. See https://www.ndi.tv/.

5. To control video playback via DMX, click DMX Patch, select the patch universe from the drop-down list, and type the starting DMX address in the adjacent box.

Note: A patch universe cannot be created from within the Video Manager window; if you wish to patch video control to DMX, you must create the necessary patch universe(s) before you open the Video Manager.

6. To mute the sound of the video, select the Mute Sound checkbox. If this checkbox is not selected, the video’s sound will play.

Tip:  You can also select the checkbox in the Mute column of the Video Source in the Video Manager table.

7. Click OK.

Result: The video connects automatically if available and the Video Source window closes.

8. On the Video Manager window, click OK to save your changes and close.

I-Mag camera screens from WYSIWYG camera

You can apply and show the view from a camera drawn in WYSIWYG to Screens, LED Walls, Video Projectors or any object that can display video.

To create an I-Mag camera in the Video Manager

1. In the Video Manager, click the New icon.

Result: The Video Source window appears.

2. Type the Name of the Video Source.
3. Click Camera (I-Mag) and select a Camera name from the drop-down list.
4. Set the Patch section (Optional, can be left as “None”).
5. Click OK.

Image placeholder for video

Instead of displaying the visuals of a selected video on screens, WYSIWYG allows for an image to display as a placeholder instead. You must create the image in the Image Manager of WYSIWYG. For more information on how to create an image for use on screens, see Image Manager.

To use an image as a placeholder

1. From the table in the left pane of the Video Manager, click to highlight the video you want to add an image placeholder to.
2. From the Placeholder drop-down list in the Source Properties section, select a previously created image to act as the placeholder for the selected video.

Note: If the desired image has not yet been created, click New.... The Image Manager will open and you can then create an image to be a video placeholder. For more information, see Image Manager.

3. Click Apply.

Result: The selected image is displayed as the placeholder instead of the associated video in WYSIWYG.