Monthly Archive for: "September, 2018"

A layer representing signal sources – sources C and D (Screens). It can be placed anywhere and freely scaled. The layer represents a place in the studio where additional content can be displayed (video material, panels, etc.), i.e. virtual Screens.

The Screen layer can be scaled and moved.

The simplest set design may consist of three layers (the program operates on two-dimensional layers, placed one above the other). The first one is a background layer (Studio layer). You can place any image depicting an interior of a studio (it can be, for example, a photo) on this layer. The image will be scaled to fill an entire video frame (in the pre-defined resolution).

Subsequently, you should add layers representing signal sources – source A (Talent) and source C (Screen). Both can be placed anywhere in the studio and freely scaled. The first source represents a form of a presenter, while the second one – a place in the studio where additional content can be displayed
(video material, panels, etc.), i.e. a virtual Screen.

A Talent layer should be placed on the very top, so that the presenter would not be accidentally covered. Unless, of course, you want to achieve such effect intentionally, when the presenter is, for example, partly obscured by a desk. In such case, a layer with a desk object should be placed in front of the Talent layer.

The program, however, allows you to change the order of already added layers at any time.

The image below shows a set design created with the use of three layers. A photo is loaded to the studio layer.

At this point, the studio is ready to be used in LITE Production module. As you can see, Virtual Space Maker editor is a tool that is very easy to use and which allows you to create a new virtual studio set design with layers in just a few moments.

In addition, the studio can be completed with an object layer, where you can place any piece of interior design, e.g. a lamp. This layer can be placed wherever you want on the screen by moving and scaling it.In the image below, 3 hanging lamps have been added to the studio.

If you have a set created with two layers – e.g. Screen (source C) and presenter (Talent – source A), then the presenter will be moving against the background of what is currently being displayed on the Screen. If you choose a video with an image of a street filmed with a stationary camera to be displayed on the Screen, it will be a background for your presenter. With that, you can achieve an effect that the presenter is visible, for example, on a busy street in the middle of a city.

Such created composition can be now saved and so it becomes immediately available in the production module.

Naturally, along with RECKEEN LITE system, you get a package of ready-made set designs that can be used in a program broadcast. You can edit any of these set designs supplied in the package using Virtual Space Maker editor module.

In the case of ready-made sets, you have, among others, the following editing options:

• hiding / revealing selected layers – an easiest way to get a different version of the same studio is to, for example, hide a table behind which a presenter should sit in the studio, creating an open studio set design,
• inserting additional graphics, e.g. placing additional objects in the studio.

Due to the fact that a structure of ready-made sets can be very complex (multi-layered), it is easy to accidentally ‘break’ such composition, e.g. by removing one of the layers. To protect against this kind of error, the provided set design files are protected against modification. However, you can always save such set under a different name, marking a new file as unprotected, and then modify it as you like.

RECKEEN LITE system is delivered with a package of ready-made set designs, that is, virtual studio scenographies. In addition, the system includes a rich library of objects used in these sets. The objects are available as PNG files with a transparency layer. Each of these objects can be used also in other sets.

With the Virtual Space Maker editor, every user can create their own studio set design or make modifications to an existing one.

There is no difference between the set designs from LITE Production module perspective, regardless of how they were created. Note that some functions, such as assigning signals (media, camera, image) to the sources, only takes place in LITE Production module, not in the VSM editor.

In the VSM editor, a new studio consists of flat layers, previously prepared in, e.g. Photoshop, 3ds MAX or GIMP. No operations can be performed on the original set design (provided in the package), as its file is protected. To be able to modify it, you need to create a copy of the studio file, change its name and operate on a new file. However, for Reckeen LITE program, there is no difference between the previous studio and its modified copy.

A layer representing signal sources – sources A and B (Talents). This layer can be placed anywhere on the Screen and can be resized freely. It represents a figure of a presenter – the Talent layer is a ‘place for the source signal’ from the camera. For the ease of use, there are several Talent thumbnails depicting
different shots of the set. You choose a type from Source Type drop-down list.

Talent and Screen layers are represented differently in the editor, but the difference between them is arbitrary – they are identical on a technical level. It is even more evident later on, in the LITE Production module, where they can have any kind of input signal assigned, i.e. camera image, video, static image, etc.

It is possible to place several Talent layers in your studio’s set design. The maximum number of layers with sources (Talent + Screen) in the set design is 8.

The maximum number of sources in the set is 4 and they are marked with letters A, B, C and D. It means that if you put more than 4 sources in the set, e.g. 1 talent and 5 screens, then on some screens the same content will be displayed (they will have the same source, e.g. A).

By default, A and B sources are for the Talents and C and D are for the Screens, but you have always a possibility to change the source. Image below: selecting a signal source from Source Index drop-down list.

You can complete the studio with object layers. These can be any objects of a studio decor: a desk, a lamp, etc. You can also place logos anywhere in the studio, e.g. a sports club logo on the studio’s floor. This layer can be scaled, moved, and rotated by any angle. It is assumed that this layer is partially
transparent, but it is not obligatory. There can be also several layers of this type. However, if you want to insert a TV station’s logo that is supposed to be in the same place on the Screen all the time on the air, regardless of the virtual camera’s movements, you should not put it on your set design. Instead, use DSK function in LITE Production module at the production stage and load your logo as DSK. On the image, you can see the object layers with two different objects loaded.

This type of layer is used for placing graphic files representing the studio’s interior (background).

Graphics loaded into studio layers are scaled so that they fill an entire Screen. Graphics with a resolution lower than the Screen’s resolution will be stretched to full Screen, which may cause deterioration of their quality. It is therefore recommended to use files in PNG, JPG, JPEG, or BMP formats with resolution of 1920×1080 or 2880×1620, that is with image aspect ratio of 16:9.

You cannot perform any transformations on Studio layers, therefore, when you select such a layer to be edited, its transformation controls are not active (they are dimmed) and a padlock symbol appears next to the layer’s thumbnail. PNG files that you place on a studio layer may contain transparency. This allows you to create a background by combining several graphic files, you just have to note that the files should have the same resolution. If you load a PNG file with no transparency or a JPG, JPEG, or BMP file on a studio layer, it will completely cover all the layers placed below the layer containing such file. The order of studio layers can be freely changed using arrows located at the top of Layers area. On the image
below, a file on a studio layer contains transparency in the areas of studio’s windows (areas with a grid representing transparency on the thumbnail).

NOTE: if you want to avoid automatic stretching of the file you are planning to put as a studio layer (e.g. when you want to use some part of it or scale it appropriately), then you should load it as an object layer.

On the image, you can see a view with an additional loaded layer of a city panorama outside studio windows. When you click an object layer’s thumbnail in the layers window, the size and location of the image is indicated with a white frame.

Composition of a studio consists of flat images and areas for the sources. These are the layers.They are placed one above the other, and their order ‘on the stack’ can be freely changed. There are four types of layers in the program:

• a Studio layer,
• an Object layer,
• sources A and B (Talents),
• sources C and D (Screens).

Studio layer – an image that covers entire screen – it cannot be scaled or moved. However, this layer may be partially transparent and more than one studio layer can be added.

Object layer – it is a graphic layer that can be scaled and moved. It is assumed that this layer is partially transparent, but it is not obligatory. There can also be several layers of this type.

Talent layer – it is an area for the ‘source signal’ from a camera. Such a layer can be scaled or moved.

Screen layer – a place where graphic files or video files can be displayed. This layer also can be scaled or moved.

Talent layers and Screen layers are represented differently in the editor, but the difference between them is arbitrary – they are identical on a technical level. It is even more evident later on, in the LITE Production module, where they can have any kind of input signal assigned, i.e. camera image, video, static image, etc.

Virtual Space Maker’s application screen can be divided into four areas. They will be described in detail in the further part of this manual.

• Area 1 – Menu bar, where you have access to many of the editor’s functions.
• Area 2 – Layers window – contains buttons for adding, removing and changing layers order. In addition, thumbnails representing project’s individual layers are shown in this area.
• Area 3 – Control window with controls to change properties of a layer currently marked for editing.
• Area 4 – Workspace screen window for previewing the created set design. It shows ongoing changes introduced to the studio’s design.

Virtual Space Maker – a virtual set design editor is an additional module of RECKEEN LITE system, complementing its Production LITE module. It has also been prepared to operate as a stand-alone program that can be installed on any PC. With its help, you can easily set up your own virtual studio
scenography. The design of a studio is carried out with the use layers placed one above the other. This way, you can make a composition of pre-prepared graphics and layers representing signals – sources A and B (Talents) and sources C and D (Screens). A Talent is a presenter or an actor in front of the camera. After saving a project prepared in this manner as rec2D file, you can use it as a ready-made virtual studio’s set design, that is, load it into RECKEEN LITE system. Before you begin working with VSM Editor, on a startup screen you should choose an image system in which you are going to work in the editor. See picture section: Reckeen 3D Studio System Startup> LITE VSM Editor.

• create your own virtual set designs,
• graphic file layers layout,
• edit layers: add a new layer, reorder the layers, hide existing layers or remove unwanted ones,
• changes in a layer such as zoom, changes in its position and rotation along its X, Y and Z axes,
• special .rec2D file format that can be easily loaded into the production module,
• menu available in different languages,
• various Talent views to be set: full, behind the desk, middle – showing shots of a set.
• choice of application style: white or black.