Live Chromakey software – PC

[Zvi Twersky]

Thanks again.

I’m sorry if I sounded frustrated. I’m not. I’m very great-full for your replies.

No, I didn’t want to record live but just thought the preview would be a quicker way to estimate the lighting quality. My plan was to do the keying later. So yes, I would have the ability to undo stuff if a client wanted.

When you mentioned On-Location, that was the kind of responses I was looking for – if a software like that can just give me a live preview. But I also wanted to hear things exactly like you said, like how you can also rely on the zebra and eyeball it – experienced feedback like that is very helpful to me.

I know that eventually, I will learn from trial and error but asking for help in forums like this one lets me educate myself a little more.

Here’s something 2 years old that someone pointed me to:
https://www.frischluft.com/lensfeed/index.php

Seems to be something that allows you to preview live video in AE. I need to get to sleep and will check it in the morning but I quickly glanced at the site at it looks like what I was referring too.

Good night and thanks again.

[Alan Lloyd]

Using OnLocation is a very good idea for the recording. Roll tape as a backup, too. Belt and suspenders is the order of the day.

Here’s a tip: Before you begin shooting, check your greenscreen on the waveform. You should see a fairly flat line. The luminance line ought to be within 5 IRE or so side-to-side. The thicker chrominance line should be even as well.

Ideally, you want your greenscreen light levels in the 40-50 IRE range. A good balance between exposure and saturation.

And just because it may prove useful, roll some on the empty greenscreen using the same focal length and lens settings. When you’re setting up your key, you may find it helps. I’ve even done this and used the empty greenscreen to do a “difference matte” key, just to see if that worked. It did – well.

Maybe some time later I’ll dig the materials out and put up some screen grabs. It was a fun experiment.

[Zvi Twersky]

Thanks for the tips.

Anyone else who wants to practice keying, compositing or tracking, can download tons of free keyed and tracked footage at https://www.hollywoodcamerawork.us/vfx_index.html

Thanks again to all

[Bj West]

It’s been four years since the last post in this thread, and I find myself asking the same question. I am finding several tools like VeeScope that sound exactly like what I need, but they only run on Macs, not PCs. Surely somebody makes something like this by now.

Beej

[Bj West]

Just in case some other weary traveler follows the same path I did, here’s what I’ve found:

Product: VidStudio
Company: VidStudio
URL: https://vidstudio.com/
Price: Free!
Features:
*Decent key quality.
*Supports BND card input
*Video Output can be large, but not true fullscreen.
*Does *not* support FireWire.

Product: Wirecast Studio
Company:Telestream
URL: https://www.telestream.net/wirecast/store.asp
Price: $495
Features:
*Real time Chromakey
*Supports BlackMagic Design cards
*Super high-end tools meant for broadcasting.

Product: ICanPresent
Company: Kudlian
URL: https://www.kudlian.net/products/icanpresent/Home.html
Price: $90.68
Features:
*Uses Firewire
*Max screen size 1024 x 768
*Intended primarily for use with projectors.

Product: AVmixer Lite
Company:Neuromixer
URL: https://neuromixer.com/collections/avmixer/products/avmixer-lite
Price: $8.41 (Lite) or $42.03 (Pro)
Features:
*Real-time compositing
*Supports BMD input full 1920 x 1080
*Image quality not great, but good enough for shot matching

Product: Lensfeed
Company: Frischluft
URL: https://www.frischluft.com/lensfeed/index.php
Price: $199
Features:
*Lensfeed is a plug-in for After Effects that allows you to use a live camera feed as footage.
*Sounds like a hack with lots of problems.
*No info on video input source compatability.

Product: Chroma Key
Company: MediaLooks
URL: https://www.medialooks.com/chroma_key/
Price: $2,660 (!)
Features:
*Chroma Key plugin for MPlatform SDK (Must be licensed seperately.
*This is for hardcore software developers, not end users.

Product: Chroma Key Live PC
Company: ???
URL: You don’t want it
Price: Probably too high
Features:
Almost certainly malware.
Only available from skeezy looking websites that try to download an .exe file to you automatically, no other information available.

[Drew More]

Beej you are my messiah.

Neuromixer’s demo is only limited by a 20 minute timeout.
Chromakey function is rudimentary, but simple: Point and click to select the key color. No control of the finer points, but free is free and this solves my problem for the day!!

-drew

[Zvi Twersky]

Wow, it’s been 4 years and my post is still alive… I’ve created a legacy! 🙂 Thanks Beej for this info! I’m sure it will help many people.

[Santanu Bhattacharjee]

I had made a prototype chroma for a blue screen long ago in flash. If there is still such a need, I can take the program it further.

Here is the link –

https://www.santanu.biz/demo/demo.php?query=chromacam&count=2#footer

Santanu B
The Swiss Army Knife for All Your Creative Needs