#PreLoading CG pages
11 messages in this thread
Is there any way to keep a CG key page ready to do an auto and still exit from
the switcher screen.
I have been using MediaEditor and Trexx for my EDL's and triggering toaster
events but if trying to pre load a CG overlay or Color page for an immediate
"Auto" I find that when I preload it and then come back with the MediaEditor to
actually do the auto the "clapboard" is no longer present.
Rocky
Gerald,
I think I solved this by calling an Arexx script from MediaEditor that also did
the AUTO. Actually, I use one that lets me string together as many toaster
commands as I need. This only becomes a problem if you want to pre-render the
CG overlay, but wait for a later TC position to auto it. I think I even solved
that. If timing is the problem, you can pre-render the CG pages in the CG
program so that you don't spend edit session time rendering. What version
Toaster and Toaster Software and MediaEditor are you using?
Brian
Brian,
Pre-rendering the CG page is exactly what I would like to do. Like you say so
that I don't spend editing time with the sometimes time consuming rendering.
I had tried to (using TREXX through Mediaeditor) pre render the page then go
back (in the script) to beginning the edit cut ex: Player a:in etc then do an
auto through arexx only to find that the page is no longer rendered.
I am using the toaster4000 in a 2000 w/ 040/33.
Rocky
I think we may be talking about two separate things on one hand. While in the
CG program, you can prerendeer each of the pages to disk. Then, when your edit
session is going, instead of rendering the CG page, all they basically do are
load like framestores. You can tell if the pages are pre-rendered by seeing a
little lightning bolt next to them as you scroll through them in the switcher
interface. In order to know why your script isn't working, I need to know
exactly what the script is in total. I assume in goes something like this
Arexx command to Toaster to CG Page 13 % causese toaster to render CG page %
Player A in at some Time Code % Source queues up, edit deck starts at A's time
code%
Arexx command to Toaster to AUTO %presumably this would cause CG page to auto%
In this situation, when you leave the toaster from arexx, the toaster may
realize that the frame buffer states are unknown and you lose the pre-rendered
CG page.
If you prerender the frames in the CG as described above, so that all you
basically do is suffer the time of loading rather than rendering the CG page.
Then you should be able to issue the CG then Auto arexx commands during the
edit without losing a lot of time. Also, you could set up and arexx command
file to issue multiple toaster commands with one Arexx call. Your line would
look something like:
Amiga:ARexx(exec toastrex.arexx CG 13 AUTO)
I am not in front of my amiga so I can't remember the exact script commands in
Mediaeditor. I haven't used MediaEditor in a while because of the hanging
problems (which I understand are now solved, but I don't have a good version),
that's why I am rusty on specifics. I will play with my scripts next week and
get back to you. It would help if you could send me an exact script listing via
email if it is different from my guess above.
Brian
Brian,
I too am not near my Amiga and can't give you the exact but basically what you
say is what I am doing.
Script:
Amiga:arexxscript(trexx.cg13) – to load up the cg page Player a:in(00:23:14:10)
Amiga:arexxscript(trexx.auto) – to key the page over the now running video
Amiga:waittime(3secs) Amiga:arexxcript(trexx.off) – pull the key page off.
Player a:out(00:23:24:10)
I understand about saving the CG page to disk for faster operation but it still
is pretty slow. I mean if you only have a cut that is 6 seconds or so long and
you need to overlay almost immediately after cueing up then it doesn't seem to
work too well. I am using a Zeus 040/33 too.
First time I tried to do page building. ie Key line 1 then key line2 on the
same page I found out the CG was not up to snuff.
Sometimes I wish I could still go back to DPAINT and my Supergen. Then all I
had to do was pop the next frame from the keyboard at the exact instant I
wanted to overlay.
Rocky
I know the problem you are talking about, to get titles to move along in a
snappy fashion. I haven't found a solution. The think the only one is to get
a faster Amiga. What I do in cases like this is to put all of the commands in
my TRexx script, i.e. instead of MediaEditor's Waittime command, but that in
your TRexx script as well. It might take a few frames to transfer back to
MediaEditor to execute the next line. Put all of your commands for that CG
page in the TRexx script, and only the IN and OUT points in MEdiaEditor.
The lastest word on MediaEditor (only a few days old) is that the lastest
version is 3.9.6. I got version 3.9.5 in April, loaded it, and a lot of things
didn't work, including any Amiga: command line. I spent a lot of time trying
to figure out what was wrong, called them, and was told that version was very
buggy and had been "recalled". You got to watch those people because they come
with new versions about every 2 weeks. The improvements to the program in this
new version are well worth having, but check your version. Some of the
annoying idiosyncracies have been eliminating. It's getting much better.
If you set your framestore device to be RAM: then re-prerender the CG
pages, the framestores will bu put in ram, which may speed up loading a
bit. If you long for supergen and dpaint, then try dpaint and the Toaster
genlock utility.
Aki,
Now why didn't I think of that? How many times have I asked myself THAT
question. Good idea. I will try it out – must be faster. I can probably
write a TRexx script to do this to insert before it is needed while the
MediaEditor script is just recording a clip. A WAITCOUNT … PLAY command
could be run during a clip and then run the title overlay next when I need it.
Thanks.
Glenn
Aki's recommendation is probably the best one. I did that to do a few
transition takes (using the keyer and transitions to move CG stuff on and off)
to make a poor mans animation of stuff flying on and off the screen. The other
recomendation about making an AREXX script to do multiple things is also a very
good idea. In the AREXX script that lets me do multiple commands in one call,
it also has a wait command so that my call arguments look like this
(CG 13 AUTO WAIT 4 AUTO).
I find this to be much cleaner too. Anyway, good luck and let me know if you
find any other tricks. Anybody know what the last stable version of MediaEditor
is? I think mine is 3.8.4 or somehting like that. The last good news I heard
was about 3.8.9, but they are obviously making and breaking it with versions
after that. Brian
I left a message somewhere here, that the latest, and apparently stable version
of MediaEditor is 3.9.6 (I am waiting for my disks). Avoid 3.9.5 which is full
of problems. You will like this new generation. Lots of improvements
including a better Transition command, automatic player recognition in logging
cuts, a different, better interface, etc.
ROcky,
Try using the genlock utility that's in your Toaster drawer. If I'm not
mistaken, it can be called from ARexx.
Frank