Production Switchers

I need a macro (and a Dashboard button, but I'll get to that next) to cue a video clip from XPression clip server. Problem is, some videos change weekly and if I use a VTR cmd, I have to have set up the clip first - and change them every week. I can keep the Take ID/Recall ID the same from week to week, but I don't see a way of cuing using a RossTalk command, so that the video auto-rolls when the TD takes that input. Am I missing an option? Do I have to set up a GPI on Xpression to cue a clip, then call the GPI from RossTalk? Seems overly complicated just to cue a clip.

There seems to be a Cue cmd for Xpression in Carbonite...

Well there are lot's of items here :) Yes there is a CUE command -- So you can CUE up a Specific Take ID. Then if you send the Take ID command it will trigger it. However that means you need a command that will send that Take Command and do the transition. Another Option is to use the Focus Command to select the Take ID by moving the XPression Focus Bar. Then the NEXT command that can be linked to the ROLL CLIP function will also work for the auto Roll. Note that the issue with this is if you have the Roll Clip enabled then even when you use the Keyer to bring in a graphic it will also send the Next Command as well.

Are you using separate Channels from the Xpression for Clips? Meaning could you configure the AMP Media Gateway so that you could use AMP (server) commands with the Virtual Server Channels and then use RossTalk Commands when needed with the XPression Channels??
#Acuity

We have two separate video (fill-only) channels for the clip server set up as VDCP on the Acuity, and we put our video clips into the sequencer. I guess my main issue was that in the VDCP ("VTR" in the macro Insert section) commands, there's no CUE. Would using AMP work better in this case?

We have Roll Clip permanently enabled in Personality (and it needs to stay like that - our regular switcher operator gets confused very easily...) When we cue the clips with the period key from the sequencer, they roll as soon as that video input goes live. I don't want to have to rely on a 2nd macro command to 'Take' something from the XPN sequencer - that would complicate our workflow.

I know I can roll videos directly in macros by sending a TakeID or SEQI cmd) and I'm doing this as necessary, but what I'm trying to do here is make a set of macros and associated Dashboard panel to help graphics ops not familiar with Xpression to cue clips for the director, or help the director/switcher cue videos without the need for a graphics op. These macros/dashboard buttons should not be rolling the clips, just cuing them so the director can bring them on-air as desired.
#Acuity

Yes you have the ability to CUE using VDCP. You can do it in a few different ways. There is the Assign Clips to the Clip List then cue those Clips. Also you can Learn the Loaded Clip that is in the Channel using the Custom Control Insert Event - VTR Menu where you can scroll down and pick the correct command that you want to issue.

When you load the clip list from XPression you will get the ability to either cue Clips by name (every clip that is in the XPression Clip Store) or you will Get Take IDs that will look like this <10001> so if you want to use the Take ID number so that you don't have to worry about editing the Custom Controls this is the way to do it as you just replace that Take ID again.

Here is a video of using clips with a BlackStorm but it applies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwqjrXw6rNs&list=PL6dsd1iSl_0vR4mgoXRZylxhJPcMXdhY4&index=6

Hope that helps get you started and then you can reach out if you need more.

Les
#Acuity

That's what I was missing - the ability to assign clips based on Take ID instead of VDCP name (which for us changes every week). Thanks. Hope using Take ID works with VDCP from Dashboard as well...
#Acuity

Well you could always setup the RossTalk In on the Acuity -- Then have a custom panel that fires Custom Control triggers at the Acuity. That way you build the CC in one place then the Buttons in the DashBoard panel will use the same path to get to the XPression :)

You can then also build other effects (like say auxkeys for a IMAG screen to do dissolves and/or animated transitions) that the DashBoard operator would be responsible for. Then they can control elements from either the acuity panel or the DashBoard panel. If you make any changes on the Acuity to the CC then you don't have to worry about touching the DashBoard panel either.

#Acuity

I cannot successfully replace the VDCP name with a Take ID in the Custom Controls | Insert Special | VTR commands. The only three relevant commands I see are Go To Cue, Cue Cliplist and Cue Current. None of them allow me to specify a Take ID, only to choose from the clip list - which works, but changes weekly, whereas Take IDs will not.

I've also tried assigning clips from the clip list using Take ID but the clip is not found when specifying a Clip ID (and I've confirmed both Take ID and Recall ID match what I'm typing) - it only works with VDCP name. Tried with and without the angle brackets. I did notice in our Xpression Media Control Gateway settings in the General tab, the Take ID format is shown as "". Does this relate in any way? Clip ID format is "" for comparison.

I really need Take ID to work since our clips change weekly; is it possible to get a more detailed step-by-step? Is it documented anywhere? Should I get the Xpression team involved (since I also need a Dashboard command to do the same thing - cue clips based on Take ID/Recall ID)?

Edit: I can use Xpression/RossTalk to cue a clip to a framebuffer, but it does not work the same as a server channel - even when FB4 = server channel 1, cueing a clip from Xpression to server channel 1 results in an auto-roll when channel 1 is taken to air on the switcher, but cueing the same clip to framebuffer 4 WILL NOT auto-roll the clip. Otherwise this would be an acceptable work-around. We have the Xpression Quad configured as 3 CG channels (fill/key), and two fill-only server channels, equivalent to FB 4 and 5). However, videos need to roll from server channels so as not to completely confuse our director/switcher...
#Acuity

Agreed - RossTalk In is already configured and working on the Acuity. I'm going to call switcher macros wherever possible from Dashboard. If we can get clips to cue via Take ID from Acuity, that's two birds down.
#Acuity

So you need to assign the clips to the clip slots first. Like in the Video Link I sent where we were using a BlackStorm. From that list you should be able to Pull in the Clip list from the XPression that has the Media Gateway running and it should show you all of the take IDs as clips but in the <> brackets . That should allow you to then use the Insert Special menu for the Go to Clip and then picking from those Clip Slots.

If you were to use the RossTalk function instead you could try using the Acuity Insert Event (go to Page 2) RossTalk then you would use the Type in command (as the CUE might not be present in your version) Now you can manually enter CUE 1001 And that is all. There you would have the Take ID of 1001 but no :Ch:Ly add on to it. XPression should then also use the default from the sequencer assignments which you have set as Server X and Layer Y.
#Acuity

I'm able to assign clips and cue them that way, as in the video, but I see clip name, not Take ID in the list. I wish it did this - I will explore this further.

Using RossTalk TypeIn cmd sounds like exactly what I'm looking for - didn't realize I could omit the framebuffer parameter (which Take/SEQI require) to get the pre-assigned server channel from the sequencer. Thanks, Les.

#Acuity

Les, using TypeIn works perfectly - THANK YOU!!
#Acuity

So I spent some more time on this today and I get the Take IDs via the protocol. So I have to ask do you have the include option enabled in the Media Gateway? There is a check box to make sure that it adds the TAKE IDs into the VDCP control. Also noticed with a DashBoard panel that does some VDCP stuff that it does not like <> brackets. So in the Gateway I changed the <> to be () instead.

Though that should not effect the Acuity.

#Acuity

Les, after my last post I finally realized I was seeing the Take IDs ("") in the clip list on Acuity and I understood what you meant above. Earlier I hadn't realized those IDs would include everything in the sequencer including videos. However, in the brief time I had to test, I couldn't get the clip to play or cue when assigning a clip based on Take ID to the Clips list, but it works when choosing the same clip by its VDCP name. I will keep playing with this, given that using Type In works. I'll also double-check the Media Gateway settings. I also have the Blackstorm VDCP Dashboard panel example downloaded; I'll see how it does VDCP commands and play with the Xpression Clip Store some more.

If I can't get the clips assigned in Acuity based on Take ID, I'll post again. Thanks again for all your help.
#Acuity

Just a quick reminder from above -- If you try to use the Blackstorm VDCP DashBoard you will need to change the Media Gateway to change the Take ID formatting from <> brackets to () brackets. Otherwise you will not see the Take IDs. They will be blanked out and become these tiny lines you don't even see :).

Also check how you have the servers setup -- you can setup the gateway and the server channels to either Cue to Preview mode or Cue to PGM mode.
#Acuity

Ok, thanks - I wasn't going to use the demo directly, just look at the code to see how the commands are sent and formatted. I did read that there are different 'flavors' or dialects of VDCP protocol, so just need to learn what Xpression Clips expects.
#Acuity

Okay -- You can also just use the same Type In Command ability to use the CUE command in DashBoard.
#Acuity