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Exporting small individual compositions from one very large composition?
Hi all, I need some helping finding a way of exporting smaller individual compositions from one very large composition. I work for a digital signage company and generally create ads at standard 1920 x 1080 pixels. We have a new project that is a video wall of 19 x 1 screens that are 55″ TV’s. The video content will be capable of playing across all 19 screens or in sections or individually. I’m trying to figure out how to create one long video to span across all 19 screens. The specs for the video has to be 36480 px X 1080 px and an .mp4.
Problem:
This is larger then anything I’ve done and I’m having difficulty figuring out the most efficient way to be exporting the video, because to play across all 19 screens the main video has to be created at 36,480 px X 1080 px, but then it has to be exported as each single screen (1920 x 1080) with exact same time length. So picture a car driving across 19 screens, each one would be a separate clip the size of an individual screen.Solution?
My only guess on how to do this would be to make the first composition 36,480 x 1080, then put it into a smaller composition of 1920 x 1080, and use the position to shift it to the right or left and export each section individually? My worry is that leaves room for human error and lots of work if things need to be re-exported or edited.Someone else suggested to look at creating the large size, pull in the guides for the specific cross sections, make multiple copies of the large comp with guides and use the region of interest to trim each comp to the specific size. Then you can batch render each comp at one time. This one seems like more work but is also a possibility.
Is there a program that could help me do this easier? or a better way ? Any thoughts are appreciated!
Thanks, Kenzie -
6 Replies
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You should post this in the main forum, unique problem that’s more than just AE basic. My 2 cents though would be to go with your first option. That’s how I did it when presented with the same problem, really it’s just a question of math.
Johnny Cuevas, Editor
Thinkck.com“I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
—THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb. -
Setups like that use a Matrix Controller to distribute sections of your video to the various screens. Usually it is not up to the editor to create 19 synced videos. You might want to check into what they are using to send the video to the monitor wall. The find the manufacture of the device and find out all its features and functions.
Joe
Living the SuiteLife!
Stuff for editors http://www.cafepress.com/suitelife -
I’ll chip to say Joe is correct. You must liaise with the people supplying the playback system to discover their specific requirements.
Another aspect you have not yet considered is to take into account the bezel of the 55″ TVs. When there are 2 side-by-side, this is x2 bezel widths to consider, where the images will never be shown. Depending on the bezel width per set, you may have to allow 200-500 pixels for each, which increases the width of your Master comp. Only the supplier of the sets would know.
I suggest you get a free loan of at least 2 of those 55″ sets to do short test renders and playback on them in order to determine the bezel width to allow for. These tests would also give you a better idea of how to next proceed towards the delivery.
As for output, I think the procedure should be, for each output of 1920×1080, in the Render settings, specify a crop of the left and right sides off the Master Comp. You could use a spreadsheet to work out the exact crop for each comp so you could desk-check the settings before entering into the Render windows. Then let it render all.
my 2 cents,
Thomas Leong -
This is a bit unfair of you to say what I haven’t considered and for you to assume that I’ve just simply missed all those things because I didn’t include it in my question. Bezel width and how to account for it was not anywhere in my question at all. This is not my first video wall, I’ve been working on smaller scale projects like this for years now and I’m more then aware that there will be a bezel on normal video walls. However the screens we are using are ULTRA THIN screens and have virtually no bezel.
I’ve been told the technical specs and this was my instruction from the company that made the software. “Make it one large composition and export it out in single smaller videos as required by the video players and software”. This is a different software from what we normally use, but we’ve has spoken directly with the company that it is from and those were the instructions I was given.Thank you for your answer about the spreadsheet, that may be helpful.
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I apologize. I was just sharing what knowledge I have from producing for digital signage in sports stadiums and retail.
Joe
Living the SuiteLife!
Stuff for editors http://www.cafepress.com/suitelife -
My apologies too for assuming.
Perhaps my answer could have been better worded if it started as “Have you considered…”.
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