TriCaster Applications: SpeedEDIT & LiveText

By Vanessa Ventura

Vanessa Ventura VFX Digital Artist

Since I’ve been here in the AMC Tribeca green screen studio I’ve really gotten familiar with the new TriCaster 450 Extreme.  Let me take a few minutes to go over with you some of the really cool Tricaster Applications such as SpeedEDIT and LiveText.

There are several Tricaster Applications available for use with the TriCaster line of portable live production systems. From titling and editing software, to specially designed virtual sets that you can customize to meet your production needs. Give your live production a personalized look. It’s easy to do. And you don’t need to use a lot of fancy equipment. It will just look like you did.

TrCicaster Applications

LiveText is a powerful title and CG a TriCaster Application, allowing you to
create title pages for use in the Live Desktop’s Media Players. Title
pages can be still or motion pages, including scrolls and crawls.
SpeedEDIT provides a host of world-class editing tools for pre and
post production purposes. You’ll find it innovative and powerful,
ready to handle numerous editing and also file conversion chores.

SpeedEDIT and LiveText are both full-blown, powerful, professional program also available as a standalone applications. Each of these programs has its own complete manual, which can be accessed from the Help icon in the Startup Screen (the source .pdf files are located in the C:TriCasterDocumentation folder, in case you wish to print them out). In this section, then, we will review matters specific to the different applications when running in as an integrated part of the TriCaster environment

SpeedEDIT projects are launched from the Session Page in TriCaster’s Startup Screen. After creating a new session or opening an existing one, click Edit on the icon ring (see Section 5.3). This reveals options and links at right, discussed previously in the Startup Screen chapter just mentioned.  Likewise when the project is SD, the SDI outputs will all be SD.    As there are multiple connection options for analog SD video, please refer to the following table in this case:

FILEBIN QUICKTABS
SpeedEDIT’s Filebins have pre-configured QuickTabs pointing to the following default paths for the current session.
IEEE1394 I/O OUTPUT
The realtime IEE1394 (DV/HDV) preview found in SpeedEDIT standalone is not supported for TriCasterTM, which has other (superior) video display options. However, the File menu point Send to DV Tape (and the similar icon context menu in the Filebin) is available.

SPEEDEDIT DESKTOP

TriCaster launches SpeedEDIT on a desktop of its own, spanning all connected monitors. You can exit SpeedEDIT by clicking the [x] button in the upper-right corner of the desktop, or by using the File men item Close.
Row Number
SDI
Analog BNC 1
Analog BNC 2
Analog BNC 3
1  SD Y Pb Pr
2 SD Composite Y C
Note: It is possible to use SpeedEDIT’s File menu to open an existing project not using the current session settings. TriCaster will attempt to provide video output, which may require it to reset the display hardware from HD to SD (or vice versa). It’s possible that this could result in a

Normally, SpeedEDIT uses the current session settings for output on TriCaster’s video outputs. The session format is also used for new projects created using SpeedEDIT’s File menu (New) or from TriCaster’s Session Page.

SpeedEDIT sends output to TriCaster’s audio and video outputs continuously, without selecting any menu setting. Unlike the arrangement for Live Desktop output, for SpeedEDIT purposes TriCaster’s video outputs (rows 1-3) will all conform to the session format. That is, if the project is HD, the SDI outputs will all be HD, and the analog outputs will all be Component HD.

If you have a secondary monitor connected to TriCaster, you can drag SpeedEDIT’s Video Output window (opened from the Window menu) onto that screen, then maximize it by double- clicking inside the preview area (double-clicking a second time restores the standard floating window).
Similarly, you might find it convenient to maximize the SpeedEDIT window to fill the primary monitor display. To do this, double-click the window border. In this configuration, the Desktop exit button is not available, but you can exit the application using the File menu’s Close item.

LiveText projects are launched from the Session Page in TriCaster’s Startup Screen. After creating a new session or opening an existing one, click Graphics on the icon ring (see Section 5.3). This reveals options and links at right, discussed previously in the Startup Screen chapter just mentioned.

TriCaster 450 EXtreme SESSIONS, PROJECTS AND DISPLAY

LiveText uses the current session settings for output to TCXD850 & TCX450 video outputs, new projects (created within the LiveText File menu or from the Session Page) and bitmap file exports. If you use the File menu to Open a project whose settings do not correspond to the current session settings, TriCasterTM will attempt to display it on its hardware video outputs, if possible.
LiveText sends output from the canvas to TriCaster’s outputs continuously while running. For this reason, the Live Display pane and associated tools that appear at upper-right (above the Pages Panel) in LiveText standalone do not appear in TriCaster’s LiveText interface.
When Tricaster LiveText is running, TriCaster’s video outputs (rows 1-3) will all conform to the session format. That is, if the project is HD, the SDI outputs will all be HD, and the analog outputs will be Component HD.

Likewise when the project is SD, the SDI outputs will all be SD.

Note: It is possible to use LiveText’s File menu to open a project that does not correspond to the current session settings. TriCasterTM will attempt to provide video output, but it’s possible that a given monitor may not display it correctly.

Ticaster LiveText’s file dialogs (for File>Open, File>Add, File>Save and Save As) have pre-configured QuickTabs pointing to the following default paths for the current session.
LiveText’s File menu has two special items – Send Current Page to Live, and Send All Pages to Live.    (These take the place of other export options appearing in the standalone version of LiveText.) As you would expect, these functions creates files for use in the Live Desktop, automatically storing them in the correct place(s) for easy access.
Titles prepared in LiveText can be either still or motion pages. When you send a still page to Live, it becomes a Title Page file, with the characteristic filename extension “.cgxml”. Title Page files can be edited in the Live Desktop’s Media Players. Send Current Page to Live will automatically store these files in the D:MediaTitlessessionnameprojectname folder.
Motion pages (scrolls and crawls) that you send to Live are stored as bitmap animation files (with an .avi file extension), suitable for playback in Live Desktop’s DDR. These are sent to the session folder inside TriCaster’s main Clips folders. The content of motion pages cannot be edited in the Live Desktop.
When you select Send All Pages to Live, each page in the project is exported in turn to the appropriate format and location. This means they are readily accessible in the Live Desktop’s Media Browser afterward, for easy addition to a Media Player playlist. Title Page icons will appear grouped under their project names in the Media Browser’s File Pane when you select the session name in the Location List at left.

Among other things, the Title Editor in TriCaster’s Media Players (DDR, Still and Titles) allows you to substitute a different image for stand-in (or “placeholder”) images in Title Pages (.cgxml) exported from LiveText (working with stand-in images is discussed in Section 10.3).
When creating title pages for this purpose in LiveText, you may find it saves you time to add the string “_placeholder” somewhere in the filename of images you prepare for this purpose. For example, you might name an image “headshot_placeholder.png”, or “_PLACEHOLDER_crest.jpg”.
Images named in this manner will automatically appear as stand-in images (unlocked) in the Title Pages you export to TriCasterTM using the Send to Live options in LiveText’s File menu.

SpeedEDIT FAQ’s

Does SpeedEDIT support 64bit computers?

Yes. SpeedEDIT works on both 32bit and 64bit systems.

My SpeedEDIT license is valid for one computer, how do I move it to another computer?

SpeedEDIT can only be installed on one computer. If you decide to migrate SpeedEDIT to another computer, you can contact NewTek Customer Service at 1-800-862-7837.

You can also contact customer service onlineand provide your name, address and your existing 6-digit registration code. Additionally, begin the migration to the other system by uninstalling the software from the first system, then install it on the new computer and acquire the Product ID. You will need this new Product ID when contacting Customer Service to receive your new registration code.

Will SpeedEDIT work with my CPU?

SpeedEDIT requires a CPU with SSE2 instructions.

CPU’s with SSE2 as of 12/29/2006:
* AMD Athlon 64
* AMD Athlon 64 X2
* AMD Opteron
* AMD Sempron (Socket 754/939/AM2 versions only)
* AMD Turion 64
* Intel Pentium 4
* Intel Pentium D
* Intel Pentium EE
* Intel Pentium M
* Intel Celeron (Socket 478 versions only)
* Intel Mobile Celeron
* Intel Celeron D
* Intel Celeron M
* Intel Core Solo/Duo
* Intel Core 2 Solo/Duo/Extreme
* Transmeta Efficeon
* Intel Xeon (Except Pentium II and Pentium III Xeons)
* Via C7
* and any newer CPU’s

CPU’s that do not support SSE2:
* AMD Athlon
* AMD Athlon XP
* AMD Duron
* AMD Sempron (Socket A versions)
* Intel Pentium II Xeon
* Intel Pentium III Xeon
* Intel Pentium
* Intel Pentium II
* Intel Pentium III
* Intel Celeron (Slot 1, Socket 370)
* Intel Itanium
* Intel Itanium 2
* Via C3
* Transmeta Crusoe
* IDT Centaurs-Haul Winchip
* and any older CPUs

Can I use my Firewire or 1394 audio device for sound?

These are not recommended.

You should instead use a PCI sound card, USB audio device or the on board audio built into most motherboards.

In most cases, 1394 is not able to transfer DV or HDV footage while also feeding a 1394 audio device, causing crackling, popping and loss of audio playback.

Note: PCI sound cards which double as 1394 cards, such as the SoundBlaster Audigy series, will function correctly.

This only applies to external sound devices connected to the computer by a 1394 cable.

What Nvidia video card driver is recommended?

Currently, we recommend the Forceware version 93.71.

This is available for Window XP here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_93.71.html

For other supported operating systems, please use the latest available version from: http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

How much disk space will I need to capture with SpeedEDIT?

One hour of DV25 or HDV 1080i (MPEG2 transport stream) requires about 12 gigabytes of space.(In general, it’s a good idea to add another 25-50% to the minimum capacity you expect to use.

Will SpeedEDIT work on an Apple Mac using Bootcamp?

SpeedEDIT will work just the same as it does on a PC when running on Windows on an Intel Macintosh running Boot Camp. All other prerequisites apply to running SpeedEDIT as they normally would.

Boot Camp, unlike Parallels, is actually running Windows at a hardware level. Parallels, and other such programs, are emulating Windows– essentially translating information to the CPU through Mac OSX. This results in performance problems and hardware use that can be poor or non-existent (working with a DV camera is next to impossible through a program like Parallels).

All of my hardware is up to specification and working so why does SpeedEDIT still not work?

An often overlooked and crucial piece of hardware is a compatible sound card. Most sound cards (after market or on-board) made in recent years are DirectSound compatible, but old cards like the Audigy (not the Audigy 2) series are not DirectSound compatible. Lack of a compatible sound card may allow SpeedEDIT to launch but will result in both video and audio problems.

If you do have a compatible sound card you should make sure it’s hardware acceleration is enabled. To do this go into Control Panel and open Sounds and Audio Devices Properties. Under Speaker Settings choose Advanced… and click on the Performance tab.

You should see a slider called Hardware acceleration, make sure it is set all the way to the right on Full to take advantage of

Ok,  I’m tired now.   More TriCaster info  next session. 

Any questions call me, Devin or Phil at the studio 212-219-1075

www.AmericanMovieCo.com

TriCaster Virtual Set Editor (VSE). Customize specially designed TriCaster HD virtual sets. VSE sets produce real-time reflections. Edit a wide range of elements. Once your set is customized, simply export for immediate use.
LiveText. Share the workload. Dedicated multi-def titling software. Display real-time data. Scores, times, and other fast-changing information. Managing your live production just got a whole lot easier.
SpeedEDIT. Mix HD and SD on the same timeline. In real time. Complete flexibility. Real-time up and down conversion. 3D position, size and rotation. Interpolated slow motion. And instant playback for quick review.

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