#Montage Ships
25 messages in this thread
My Toaster got Montaged today, and yeah "It will never be the same!"
The real time scalable fonts are too cool! Type text, drag to resize, and
drag to the position you want it. It reminds me of some broadcast CGs
that I have played with. This is the most creative CG I've seen for
designing pages. The Smart Paste feature will change the attribute you
want (instead of changing everything). Looking for a quick way to do CAPS
where the lower case is just a smaller cap size .. check out the Small
Caps feature. One can go crazy playing with transparency levels, on
faces, boxes, shadows, imported pics… Some of the keyboard commands
will be familiar to BT2 users.
The program features framestore, roll, and key page modes, with
transitions triggered through Montage! Chroma fonts are now usable again!
You can add border, shadow, and cast. The PowerData Powerpacker loader
from Michael Berg works great on my .pp font files with Montage! (I
believe that Kara's Plagueground comes with it, it is also shareware.)
Some negs…
With my 030 the program is slow. It imports only 24IFF, so it could really
use a link to ADPro. You must save the BGs you create before moving to
another page or you loose it! The Amiga fonts don't work on my system,
but who really would use them. Boxes and pics can not be moved once the
BG is created, so save in steps. Though there is an Undo.
Joe Maulucci >>> Accadia Electronic Arts
DTV/DTP – Amiga Style!
Joe,
You neglected to mention that MONTAGE will also Directly import Toaster
Framestores as well as 24 bit IFF, and that the gradient color fills both
inside fonts and border colors are worth looking at as well. So many features,
so little time to chat!!
I am still working with an early version of the product, but I hope to have the
shipping version in hand by next week. I agree with your observations on both
the positive and negative sides, but after having the oppourtunity to work with
the new Toaster 4000 CG, I am convinced that MONTAGE's color preview is worth
the slow-down compared to Toaster's CG (which is in gray scale). When you load
a T4000 CG page all uou see is a bunch of gray blobs where your fonts and
graphics overlap, there's no point of reference until you render a page. I also
think that the way T4000's CG handles font resizing sucks big time compared to
the click and drag mode of MONTAGE, but the availability of all those
postscript fonts forgives T4000's CG for the moment. At least until Innovision
ships their postscript font converter for MONTAGE, then it's be AHSTA LA VISTA
BABY for T4000's CG!
Regards
Frank
Frank,
Yeah, so many features … here's something else … I didn't know that
the roll pages of a T4000 (and I guess 3.0) still limits you to one face
color. So the MONTAGE! rolls with lots of options, no restrictions here!
The gradient and emboss works great o the old Toaster CG fonts. The
PostScript module will also do real-time font scaling. That surprised me,
I thought that Innovision would keep that feature for their own font
collection.
Things can only get better! I wonder what their end of summer product
will be … Montage-AGA, the stand alone version!?
Joe Maulucci >>> Accadia Electronic Arts
DTV/DTP – Amiga Style!
Joe,
I think feedback from beta testers helped to convince Innovision that their
Postscript module's availability would broaden their market to include those
Toaster owners who are upgrading to 3.0. Since the Toaster's postscript CG
fonts are resizeable, there really isn't any point to marketing a module that
would only import fixed sizes. You mentioned Innovision's font packs for
MONTAGE, I really don't feel that font packs are much of a comodity now that
Postscript fonts are available to the platform thru Compugraphic and the new
Toaster upgrade.
It's a shame that Newtek isn't being more co-operative with Innovision (or any
other vendors for that matter) because products like MONTAGE make the Toaster
even more desireable. As an example; If I purchase a new car, and I decide that
I want to pay to have the engine souped up or the body customized, it's not
because of a definciency of the car, it's just that I may want more than the
average buyer, and I'm willing to pay extra for it. You would think that after
all the chest beating that Newtek has done over the years and their complaints
about how CBM has had no vision of the real marketplace, that they (Newtek)
would make some effort to support the efforts of companies that wish to enhance
the market for their product.
Regards
Frank
Thanks Frank! I couldn't have said it any better myself. All we at InnoVision
would like to do is help end users produce network caliber work. MONTAGE was
produced without any help from NewTek and even perhaps….. Your advice,
feedback and creativity are appreciated by not only me and my company but all
the user's I see you help here on the nets! We'd love to see some of your work
with MONTAGE as I understand you do alot of TV commercials. Thanks!
All The Best,
Tom Patrick
InnoVision
Patrick (and all),
I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone who is currently
doing video/toaster work, or who is looking in to doing this type of work
with the Amiga, that Frank Vanella (76527,723) is available here to answer
questions, give opinions, point people in the right direction, etc.
Frank owns a production company in California and has been producing
"Desk-Top-Video work for quite some time now and has extensive
professional experience with the Amiga/Toaster as well as MAC's and
Clones.
Please feel free to barrage Frank with your computer video questions,
comments, ideas, etc! <g>
Frank,
The PSfonts on the Toaster are "fixed" in that when you load a font you
also load the size you want. The ability to load a PSfont and resize it
on the spot is, in itself, worth the program.
As far as NewTek goes, I thought that they did open up their doors to
other vendors (Wasn't there a NewTek vendor party?). I thought the 3.0
delay was do to compatablity problems with some third party programs.
After all the talk of NewTek being upset with C= for releasing a new
product that was not compatable with the Toaster, you would think that
NewTek would be sensitive to third party vendors.
Joe Maulucci >>> Accadia Electronic Arts
DTV/DTP – Amiga Style!
Joe,
Just for those catching this thread late;
<The ability to load a PSfont and resize it
on the spot is, in itself, worth the program.>
Refers to a MONTAGE feature, as opposed to Toaster CG's inability to do same.
As far as vendor support and 3.0 delays, Newtke may have gotten better about it
than they used to be, but I see posts up here all the time that leads me to
believe that their support for third party products is still limited to
hardware ony.
Frank
Thanks Joe, we didn't want to "lock" the user into just our fonts so MONTAGE
imports Toaster, Chroma and Amiga. Although converting Amiga fonts to
Toasterfont format is advisable. We also felt that the industry as a whole
would be better off supporting the Postscript standard, thus the MT PostScript
Mod.($99, avail late summer). We've had a overwhelmmmmmming response and look
forward to feedback to make this even better. Isn't it time that a video
CG/Graphics program be as easy to use as a DTP product? I'd love to see some of
your or other user's work. Perhaps we could include it in a demo or Ad? Keep in
touch.
Tom Patrick
InnoVision 510-638-0800
Tom,
It seems that both DTV and DTP on the Amiga is making that move to the
PostScript standard. In the last few months, I have been downloading
PSfonts, and just purchased TypeSmith so that I can use logos in their
PSfont format in credit rolls! I ordered Montage's PostScript Mod on
Friday.
In fact you called me that day with Amiga font to Toaster font suggestion.
Which I tried, but did not work. The converted font worked in the Toaster
CG but not in Montage. So let me play further … I am quickly getting
hooked on this.
I guess I won't be using BT2 to make Toaster CG pages anymore.
Joe Maulucci >>> Accadia Electronic Arts
DTV/DTP – Amiga Style!
Tom-
What do you and your company see doing in 12-18 months? I don't wish for
you to divulge future developements. I'm more interested in your vision
and place in the market. If you were to expand your interests, where would
that be?
Nice to see you here-
–Paul < Motorola Inside >
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the post! Some interesting questions. It is my personal feeling that
the industry as a whole is and is going to go thru a fairly major swing period
with alot of people going belly up. We need to establish some standards re; DTV
what it is and isn't, what will work with what, etc. (The PC multi-media folks
do this very well)
Additionally, we in the software end of things need to address cooperation from
OEM's and PIRACY. Until we as a nation find a way to protect intellectual
property true innovation will never take place.
anyway…..
InnoVision is very excited about the new AA/AGA/AAA developments and the new
Amiga platforms in general. There is no doubt that someone, somehow, somewhere
is going keep making Amiga's, so….(MONTAGE for the VT)
At the same time the PC market IS exploding giving the end user more bang for
the buck and more "plug & play" solutions (PrimeTime, GVP's VGA).
The introduction of new products (that actually work) like OpalVision, The
Producer and SGI's new Indy are going to help the industry to grow and provide
new opprotunites for 3rd party developers.
I will also say that the real growth, I feel, is not here in the US but rather
overseas in places like India, the Mid-East and the Pacific Rim. We do alot of
our business overseas.
In general—you know all those badly confused people who are spending 30, 40,
50 thousand dollars (?!) for a CG? We are going to show them a better way!
I love to talk about the industry, the con-artists/rip-offs that are starting
to infest and help answer questions about CG's, our products and general
questions on Video/Film/Audio production. Hope I didn't chew your ear off! All
The Best, TP
Tom, Iknow you guys would like to get all excited about Montage hitting the
stores, but I need to make a more down-to-earth suggestion.
You guys need to focus on a multi-tasking version of BT that will work with
genlocks like the G-lock. BT is a great product (the best of all CGs for the
Amiga genlock) but the fact that it grabs the whole computer for its work makes
is pretty limited. Do you agree?
Hi, Thanks for the post! As I understand it, and I'm not a programmer, there
are some hardware limitations in doing what you suggest. The SuperGen the
exception. However we do have many users who are using the GVP G-lock for the
Amiga successfully but, you are right, they do not have multi-tasking ability.
BT2 will probably not have this feature anytime soon, however we will, and are,
looking at this issue for the future. Have you heard of our new 24-bit titler,
MONTAGE 24? Realtime font scaling at 1ns in 16 million colors and AGA,
OpalVision and IV24 support! Give me a call or post and I'll send you some
information on it. We value the input, give me a call and we can discuss a few
things as I access the net from my home! All The Best, Tom Patrick 510-638-0800
I would like to but in here, though I haven't read all of the messages in this
thread yet. I purchased Montage last Thurs and discovered I had a defective
file on disk 1 and it wouldn't install. I think I bought the first and only
copy available in Toronto. I faxed InnoVision about the problem (I did not
have the time to register my serial number, obviously). I had two phone calls,
one from Tom Patrick. I faxed them my bill-of-sale and they sent off a
replacement on FRi FedEx. I just received another call
from Tom Patrick enquiring if I had received the disk. While I was writing
this message, I received a call from FedEx asking for directions. NOW THAT
IS CUSTOMER SERVICE! Three cheers to Tom Patrick and InnoVision. Trade does
cross the US frontiers. I seem to spend at least $1000 a month on software
(so far) and it is wonderful to get this kind of response for wee poor folks
up here in Canada.
Glenn Scott Masterpieces in Video
Frank,
What about triggfering Montage page transitions? As I understand it, there
currently is no way to do this from an edit controller, whereas the
Toaster CG pages can be. Not trying to pick, its just that many of usneed
frame accurate page transitons and durations so that total durations are
correct and we don't have time for "punch 'n crunch".
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne,
Although MONTAGE sequences must be acessed while the MONTAGE slice is
controlling Toaster, there is a GPI trigger option for "playback" of sequences
or individual pages that is selectable from the transition menu. You can also
set the transition to begin by using a keypress, this is very helpful to those
without GPI edit controllers or when you want to play sequences/pages in the
middle of an edit sequence instead of the beginning.
Frank
Frank,
This sounds like from AmiLink, I would have to get the $1100 GPI box, loop
a GPI cable to the joystick port for GPI in, just to get to use Montage in
a frame accurate environment? Doesn't sound too inviting. :^{
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne,
Not having direct experience with Amilink's GPI, I can't really speak to that
issue. Most edit controllers output an externally available GPI contact signal
without any special hardware required. The appropriate pins for the GPI trigger
using your mouseport is documented in the Toaster's user manual.
If you are using Toaster as a switcher thru Amilink, there must be some way
that the software sends an internal control signal to the Toaster for a
transition, it seems to me that that same control signal could be interpreted
by MONTAGE as a GPI if needed. You might want to post a message to Tom Patrick
of InnoVision on this one.
It sounds as though you may have hit on a desireable feature for MONTAGE's next
release; A way to assign a transition point via a SMPTE address or event. This
would be useful for applications that allow for scripted transitions such as
Bars and Pipes.
Regards
Frank
Frank,
As I read the Montage manual, they are looking for the GPI at the mouse
port. AmiLink uses a faked space bar depress event to trigger the
Toaster, I think. To get the GPI I have to add a V-Lan box with 16
GPI-outs to it and configure the box using AmiLink to send the GPI out.
Then I'm not sure how AmiLink would react if the GPI is incomming at the
same time it is initiating a software trigger of a VT event. If you
believe the NAB rhetoric, supposedly InnoVision and RGB are working on
Montage control within AmiLink. But a software solution doesn't seem to
be on the hrizon at this point.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne,
Squeaky wheels get the grease, I suggest that you make your voice heard at
InnoVission and/or RGB. It has been my experience that with enough
encouragement, a legit developer will realize that one voice heard many times
usually indicates a larger number of potential customers.
Frank
Frank,
I talked with RGB and there is one GPI out available off the transmitter
board without the external box requirement. They claim that Montage can
be triggered by looping the GPI from the AmiLink card to the Amiga mouse
port2. They are sending me a cable. Meantime I'm trying to free up 8megs
on my Toaster drive so I can load MOntage.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne,
Glad to hear that RGB is coming thru with that cable, it should get you going
with the GPI trigger on MONTAGE. I'll pass the info along to VTU and see if
they'll give it a mention in one of the coloumns,
Frank
Wayne, We are also talking with the people who make most of the popular editing
systems out there, RE: comaptablity etc.
TKS, Tom Patrick – InnoVision, 510-638-0800
Tom,
In case you are taking votes, put a tic mark for me next to AmiLink (I
know you were talking to them at NAB) Pride Integrated Video Systems 2001
(shipping later this year, but at a price that, if features are roughly
equivalent, will kick AmiLink's butt right out of the Amiga market) and
the Nucleus Personal Editor.
BTW, my copy of Montage arrived today. Without the editor interface I
will primarilybe using it as more of a combination paintbox CG thing to
just cerate graphics, keep as framestores for use by the switcher via
AmiLink. So basically I won't be using any of the playback/transision
features (but I gota good price so I'll take it as getting half the
features for half the price.. :^}
wmc – via Autopilot!