[Thomas Leong]

AFAIK, the common way to do this is not via Export, but via the Render Queue, within AE. No 3rd party app is required.

In the Render Queue, you can batch and crop the 5120 x 768 to whatever you want, name the destination files (eg. Video1_0-1024.xxx, Video2_1025-2048.xxx, Video3_2049-3072, etc.), then render away.

The crops are either –
0 – 1024
1025 – 2048
2049 – 3072
3073 – 4096
4097 – 5120

or –
0 – 1024
1024 – 2048
2048 – 3072
3072 – 4096
4096 – 5120

It depends on whether position 0 is considered a pixel or not. My bet is the first option ‘cos that = 1024 pixels across all the files.

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Dene,

If you are still researching your options, found this for the ArKaos GrandVJ software –
https://forum.arkaos.net/viewtopic.php?t=5531&sid=341ed51dc6c101e284faacdf33e3a267
Total price seems reasonable for one laptop, one software licence and one Matrox TripleHead2Go box. Can pack all into one carry case too, excluding cables.

For live video input however, with a laptop, you will need to research into Express Card type Video Input options, or USB options. Not sure of video in quality though. Else only a desktop (Shuttle PC series?) will allow you to add a 3rd party Video Capture card.

Additionally, try specifying your search here –
https://www.softwarevj.com/vj_software_detective.php

Best of luck,
Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Yes, both Watchout and Wings are timeline-based software. BUT, both can also be operated on a peudo-event based method.

Watchout has its conditional layers, programmed loops and standby mode together with conditional and F-key jumps to anywhere in the timeline. Wings has its Control Panel wherein F-keys and/or buttons can be programmed to also jump to anywhere in its timeline. Additionally, a video clip in Wings can be assigned an Asynchronous Loop property whereby the video will play in a loop whilst the Timeline is in Pause mode. From here, one can jump to any other part of the timeline (perhaps to another video) on an F-key/button press.

A Live Video feed can be similarly programmed in the Timeline to go on and off screen via pre-programmed F-keys or virtual on-screen/off-screen buttons.

As for Live Video Preview before sending it to the Slave/Display PCs, agreed there is no preview within the software. One would have to use the traditional hardware vison mixer and monitor for this before switching the feed to the distribution amp and Slave/Display PCs’ capture cards. In any case, one camera is rarely used in a live environment these days. So the multiple cams would have to feed a Vision Mixer first anyway. This traditional method is actually a safer method, as it would take a different crew to operate cameras, angles, takes, mix, etc. The person doing the projection can then concentrate on what goes on screen, especially in a multi-screen multi-projection scenario.

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Yet another alternative is hardware-based, eg. the Spyder from vistacontrol.com
Many configurations, probably the 6-in, 5-out model…but be prepared for serious $$ as I hear they are not cheap. But for travelling, it is probably reduces you to one case rather than distribution amp + 4 PCs (1 Master + 3 Slaves, no spares!…though the Master can be a turbo’ed laptop with video in capability.

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Hi,

Though I have not used Renewedvision’s products before, I have looked at the info provided at their website and I do not see the capability to feed LIVE video into the Master, let alone the mini-Mac slaves! You would need a video capture card on each Slave to do that. I, therefore, have my doubts that renewedvision’s products can do what you require. However, it can substitute your current 3 DVD players playing out to 3 projectors since playing/mixing video FILES already stored on the hard-disk seems not to be a problem for renewedvision.

The alternative is from Windows-based applications, of which there are two – Dataton’s Watchout, and AvStumpfl’s Wings Platinum. Both operate based on the Master-controlling-multiple-Slaves principle, same as renewedvision’s. Both are proven products worldwide.

Using either Watchout or Wings to include LIVE video in your 3-screen presentations, you would need a Video Capture card in each of the Slave/Display PCs. If you wish to see the video on the Master as well, then the Master PC will also need a capture card. All capture cards would be fed by a distibution amp such that the same video signal is output to all 3 screens at the same time, or you may have the Live Video feed as a PiP (picture-in-picture) and travel across the 3 screens. If you have multiple cameras, then an external Vision mixer taking in the various camera feeds is required before its output is fed to the distribution amp. Add the monitors, and you are looking at quite a bit of equipment, and personnel. If you want each screen to have its own discrete LIVE Video material, i.e. mix it up between the 3, then I’d suggest a Matrix Video Switcher instead of the distribution amp. However, monitoring the matrix in the Master PC would be complicated…probably requiring a capture card in the Master that can take 3 or more inputs (Osprey has such a card if I’m not wrong!). Both Watchout and Wings allow you to select and use from 1 to 8 Video inputs if the capture card has the multiple input feature.

I would suggest keeping it simple for starters, and use a distribution amp feeding the LIVE material to all 3 screens. Later, you may then think of matrixing the whole thing, when budget allows.

Osprey’s video capture cards are popular, but only S-video and composite inputs are available, if I’m not wrong. Datapath’s RGB cards are much more expensive than Osprey’s but Datapath cards allow a computer’s XGA output to be captured as well as video signals…something to bear in mind if you intend to include Powerpoint presentations in your multi-screen presentations.

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Here is my two dollars’ worth –

If doing this is a business, and a potential screw up can have serious consequences not only to you but also to your client, I would advise you to use ‘distributed computing’ to spread the workload amongst computers via a simple ethernet.

If you’re on pc & Windows, look at Dataton’s Watchout or AvStumpfl’s Wings Platinum. These are tried and proven products worldwide, using a Master PC controlling Slave PCs. Since you already have 3 QT files, Watchout will play those files without converting further and with no problems, other things being equal (i.e. pc oomph! and Quicktime version compatibility).

If you are on Mac, then look at renewedvision as the others have mentioned.

When your show is successful and well received, there is likely to be repeat business so the investment is worthwhile. Penny-pinching is not the way to go before a live audience as you do not even want to hiccup or cough once you push the button to start the show.

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

Hi Andy,

I’ve got a question or two re your comment:
“Another option would be a laptop with Matrox’s TripleHead2go…and play back using Modul8 VJ software or similar. Depending on the size/length of your clip and speed of you machine this might require some testing. I have used it fine on my MacBook Pro w/ 4Gb RAM.”

Q1: What was the resolution of your file for playback? (H x W)
Q2: What codec did you use for the file – QT Animation, MPEG-2 or ??
Q3: Was your MacBook Pro a duo-core Intel machine, or ??? (Pardon, but I’m not familiar with Mac specs)

Enquiring minds would like to know ‘cos TripleHead2Go is a very cost-effective solution for basic 3-discrete screen shows,but I’ve always had my own questions on the playback viability of a high res file without the need for a hefty machine with RAID, etc.

Thanks in advance,
Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

I just googled and found AVMixer Lite a freeware VJ software that will do what you require:
– Mac or PC
– speed control via a slider for video
– mix A/B videos/audio with a fader
– non-sequential playlist, so highly controllable as to what you want to be played next
– easy to learn and use. IMHO productive in 5 minutes!
– free

Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

hi Maxim,

5 synced players…ok, various ways.

Dvd players or solid state players under a controller.
There were some solutions for these at Show-Control Group some time ago.

Here’s one –
Show-Control message 9339. Some of the guys who replied are manufacturers themselves and do/supply museums all the time. I’m confident Doug, Mark and Dan (in those replies) should be able to give you a solution at a reasonable price.

If you have no other choice but the Pioneer DVD players, then this controller software should do it – https://www.videobotics.com/frpolydvd.html

Other solutions.
Dataton’s Watchout – playback does not require the Master present.
AvStumpfl’s Wings Platinum – for playback, Master can be one of the Displays. Can also configure 2 videos out of a dual-head graphics card, thereby saving one licence and one PC for every 2-outputs, i.e. for a 5-screen setup, you would need only 3 licences and 3 PCs where PC1 is Master Timeline and Display1, PC2 is Display2 and Display3, PC3 is Display4 and Display5.

AvStumpfl also has a playback hardware solution where, after the show/sync is finalised, it can be transferred to Compact flash, and playback can then be via their SC Master unit controlling solid-state players such as their SCVideo Player 9 (single or dual player), and their new solid state compact flash HD Player. Going this way, and without investing in the production side, you could hire a production house that has the Wings Multi-Display version to sync up your 5-screen panoramics and transfer your show to compact flash for you for playback on Stumpfl’s hardware.

For Mac, there is Renewedvision. Works similar to Watchout and Wings in that a Master controls Slave Displays via ordinary Ethernet, but in this case, you can use Mac minis as the Slaves.

For Mac, there is also freeware such as multiscreener from https://www.zachpoff.com but since you are doing panoramics, I have my doubts if freeware and shareware stuff are frame-accurate over time and when repeated.

hope that helps,
Thomas Leong

[Thomas Leong]

For 24/7 playback, I’d recommend Compact Flash players – no spinning parts, plays forever! Plenty of choices out there – just google for Compact Flash video players, most not expensive. Not high def though, only Std def video. For high def the costs go up – from Electrosonics, AvStumpfl, and ???.

But in your first post, you asked for genlock? genlock to what?…timecode? to drive/sync with other devices? eg. lighting controllers?? or is that irrelevant now?

Thomas Leong