#SnapPlus
4 messages in this thread
I'm about to buy 3DS, and have some questions. Is the Cardinal SnapPlus
supported at all? BTW, any comments on the board appreciated, I've heard
horror stories, but I'm getting it used with a Vbox, for not much more than the
Vbox. Besides, its about the only card that my other multimedia (Mathematica
Media Author) software supports. I'm looking to do low-res stuff, not single
frame for awhile, so…
David,
The SnapPlus has both good and bad features. I use Media Author with the
SnapPlus. The board is good but not directly supported by 3DS. I used it with
3DS but not as a frame buffer. It will not do frame accurate output, and
neither will the VBOX. However, it does overlay in real time very nicely. The
quality is only half that of a TARGA 32 as far as NTSC output/input go. You
cannot run full screen animations out to tape very easily with the SnapPlus. If
you use several FLI at 320×200 and smaller, with a black (0,0,0) background,
and then convert them to FLX from FLI with the TEMPRA TURBO ANIMATOR, then when
you write your sequence in Media Author you can run the flics without palette
changes in Hi mode and generally run fast enough for a smooth output to video
tape. I use it to overlay flicks such as butterflys or birds animating in my
hand as I would bring in a live video window with a camcorder pointed at my
mug. It works great in that respect, and you do get true color with the 2 meg
board, but for only about 500 dollars more you can find a used TARGA board, run
AAPLAYHI configured for the TARGA and do live dumps to tape providing the
animations are rather conservative. Other than that you will need a frame
accurate setup. I think VIDEOMEDIA makes a device that uses the LANC or VISCA
protocol that would give you decent editing . Anway, hope that helps in your
decision. It would be nice to have BOTH boards, but if only one is all you can
have then go the TARGA route. Also, one VBOX is kinda wierd, you need at least
two.
Merlin G. Farmer
Crystal Cave Animagix
Thanks for the useful info. I am getting the bundle for $500, and I already am
stuck with Media Author, so I might as well get some use out of it, and it
seems to support the Cardinal. I hope in the near future to get a second PC,
and to find a good buy on a Targa, while I wait for the nonlinear future.
>>Also, one VBOX is kinda wierd, you need at least two.<< All of this is new
to me, but I thought the Vbox could control several devices, so why would you
need two? Can you explain? I thought I would be able to use it for cuts only
editing, controlling 2 machines.
I want to output FLICs or VFW walkthroughs to tape, using Renderize Live and
3DS, as well as use MA to cut in site shots and overlay renderings, then output
it all to tape, or run on a PC. With the appropriate video equipment, will I
be able to do so with the setup as described?
Again, thanks very much for your advice. Since I'm new to this, I would enjoy
hearing more about what you have done with this type of equipment and software,
especially Mathematica, now that they are kaput (Too bad, I wanted to try out
their new modeler/3d animation package).
David,
You can use one VBOX, but you need one for every VTR. They do
daisy chain together, up to seven. However, you still need one for
each VTR. I used only one and was able to do cuts only editing by
manually controlling one VTR and letting the VBOX contro the other.
It is still nice because you can pick all your edit points or
segments and then if you have a good target deck with the insert
feature you manually run that. However, two VBOXES or one VBOX and
one VDECK is ideal.
I am not familiar with RENDERIZE LIVE. but with MA you can put FLICS
live or overlayed to tape. If the flic is too big it will not run
smoothely.
I have done LIVE stuff with media author, such as run three
camcorders a switcher and a target deck shooting a rock band playing
live. I had several scripts pre-written and made a menu for all, when
I need to switch, I'd bypass the computer to the third camcorder,
switch scripts snd then go back to one of the two cams being fed into
the computer. The scripts would have all sorts of fli files and color
cycleing, still frames, text, inverse video, etc. all for overlaying
on the incoming video window, also I would move the window around and
resize etc for effects, grab and freeze 1/4 of the scree and open a
video windo diagonal to that etc, all pre-written scripts mind you,
and all would be recorded onto the target VTR.
The resolution is the biggest drawback with the SnapPlus and it seems
to capture a little slow. I'd digitize several frames of one of the
band members, such as the drummer and make a fli iof that to be rand
in part of the screen next to a video window. Works good for the
above stuff, but you can forget frame accuracy altogether.