Production Switchers

Hey folks,

We're testing out our new Carbonite/Xpression setup at UW-Wisco today, and we've run into a problem we can't find an answer to.

Is there a command I can insert into the CC on Carbonite to tell the Xpression to take the animation it just played offline?

Explaination:

We built a replay CC that works fine but leaves end of the keyed animation in an "online" state on Xpression. While it's no longer being keyed it still is a problem because when it is in an "online" state we see a frame of that animation before it runs the next animation in the sequence on Xpression.

Also, I've been looking through the manuals for both units and there doesn't

seem to be a section that covers the commands Carbonite can send to Xpression, or how to locate and execute them in a CC.

Is this info available in electronic form or online anywhere?

Thanks

Hey Kenneth,

You can have Xpression automatically take that graphic for you after it has played. When building the Scene, open up the Scene Director. In one of the Tracks add an Event to Take Offline. Place this at the end of the Animation after it plays out and it will automatically clear that layer when it is done playing.

To Execute commands from Carbonite to Xpression you just need to simply preview Xpression (Assuming the device has been setup properly). That brings up the Xpression Menu on Carbonite. When Building a custom Control do the same thing, but be sure to go back through your CC and delete the Preview command.

As far as Commands you can send to Xpression, I don't know of any current documentation but then again I haven't looked. But you can pretty muck do anything you need to do in the sequencer from Carbonite.

Scroll through the sequence, Take command, Advance Next command (like hitting the + key), Clearing Channels or Layers, running specific Take ID's, Forcing Take ID's to a specific Channel and Layer, and More. You can also setup GPI triggers through the Ross Talk protocol (no extra wiring) to do just about any command you want.

Hope this Helps

Brandon

#Carbonite

To go a little further on Brandon's fantastic response.

You can get away from the need to delete a command in the macro if you use the Key Sel button to toggle the menus for the source of the keyer -- in this case we will say Key 4 had the XPression in it. If I were to press the Key 4 Sel menu just above the key bus I would be able to press it multiple times and cycle through the available menus. In this case first would be AutoKey menu and second would be the CG device menu for RossTalk commands with XPression.

Now you can cycle through as Brandon pointed out and get access to all of your commands using the Next button.

All of the commands are in the Device cut sheet -- including the setup instructions. They are on the DVD disc that shipped with the product and also available here:

http://www.rossvideo.com/production-switchers/carbonite/interface-list.html#7

Also note that there is a setting for the Roll Clip effect when setting up the device. If you don't want XPression to advance the sequencer every time it is taken to air then you should set the extra option that way. Also depending on how you have your XPression setup and the format your working with you will need to set the pre-roll here if you want it to be clean every time you take it to air and want the sequencer to advance (basically takes about 2-4 frames depending on format). This will ensure that the switcher sends the "next" command but waits those 2-4 frames before actually transitioning the source on air.

Les

#Carbonite