Global Streams GlobeCaster STUDIO 8000 User manual

Switcher™ Manual

Copyrights. Copyright 1998-2004, GlobalStreams, Inc. All rights reserved. The GlobeCaster System software,
content and documentation are copyright 1998-2004. This User Manual may not, in whole or in any part, be
copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable format
without the prior written consent of an authorized representative from GlobalStreams, Inc.
Certain image and clip art files are Copyright © 1998, Image Ideas Inc., Richmond Hill, ON, Canada. Certain
images are Copyright © 1998 Izzy Schwartz Photography, Sacramento, CA. Certain font files are Copyright ©
1996, Bitstream, Inc., Cambridge, MA and copyright © 1996-1999, Media Workshop, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Certain 3D objects are Copyright © 1999 Zygote Media Group, Provo, UT. All rights reserved to their respective
holders.
Trademarks. GlobalStreams, GlobalStreams and the GlobalStreams logos, GlobeCaster and the GlobeCaster
logos, Warp Engine, GlobeCaster Editor, GlobeCaster Animator/Compositor, Time Machine, GlobeCaster Effects
Generator, GlobeCaster Character Generator, GlobeCaster Switcher, GlobeCaster Virtual Sets, ClipMem, and 3D
Video Tracing are trademarks of GlobalStreams, Inc. Trinity is a registered trademark of GlobalStreams, Inc.
Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Bitstream is the registered
trademark of Bitstream, Inc. Artbeats, InnoVision, Izzy and other trademarks used in the GlobeCaster materials
are the property of their respective holders.
Patents. Various technology in the GlobeCaster System is patented in the United States, including without
limitation patent numbers 5,941,997, 5,978,876, 5,872,565. Other patents, in the United States and
othercountries, are pending.
Acknowledgments. The Software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group. Artbeats
Software, Inc. provided visual imagery for the Fire, Arc, Bloom, Cityscape, Waterfall, Smoke, Tvwater, and
FireStage effects.

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Document Overview .................................................................... 3
Introduction ..................................................................................4
Conventions ..................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Quick Start ................................................................................9
The Switcher Interface ......................................................................10
Performing A Cut ...........................................................................12
Performing A Dissolve ......................................................................14
Performing A Wipe .........................................................................16
Effect Properties Panel ......................................................................20
Creating A Timeline .........................................................................23
Digitizing Live Clips With Time Machine .....................................................28
Chapter 3: Reference ...............................................................................35
Switcher Overview .........................................................................36
Video Busses ...............................................................................37
Matte Color Panel ...........................................................................43
Effect Controls .............................................................................45
Effect Properties Panel ......................................................................50
Effect Border Color Panel ...................................................................52
Freeze and Strobe Controls .................................................................53
Keyer Controls ..............................................................................54
Keyer Settings Panel ........................................................................55
Application And Additional Panel Buttons ...................................................60
Audio Mixer ................................................................................61
VTR Transport/Sync Roll/Live Digitize .......................................................68
Switcher Options Panel .....................................................................73
Mixer Preferences Panel ....................................................................76
Other Switcher Controls ....................................................................78
Chapter 4: Tutorials .................................................................................87
Setting Up a Chroma Key ...................................................................88
Setting Up And Performing Live Switching ..................................................98
Appendix I: Keyboard Commands .............................................................109
Appendix II: Troubleshooting Guide ............................................................117
Troubleshooting Switcher .................................................................118
Frequently Asked Questions ..............................................................119
Index ..................................................................................................123
FCC Notice ........................................................................................... 127
GlobeCaster System License Agreement .................................................... 129
Application Notes ..................................................................................135

ii
Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1
SWITCHER MANUAL
DOCUMENT OVERVIEW

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
Chapter 1
Document Overview
This manual gives you an overview of what GlobeCaster Switcher is, and how to
efficiently use it. It also shows what you see when you navigate through the
GlobeCaster Switcher interface.
Within these pages are instructions on how to switch video, use transitions, digitize
clips, set up a timeline, and set up a keyer. All of the GlobeCaster Switcher’s, buttons,
panels, and functions are covered here as well.
This chapter contains the following:
• Introduction..................................................................................... 4
• Conventions..................................................................................... 5

4Chapter 1
Document Overview
Introduction
This manual gives you an overview of GlobeCaster Switcher. It explains buttons,
panels, controls, and pop-up menu functions. It also includes tutorials and a Quick
Start section to help you get started with GlobeCaster Switcher.
The following topics are covered in the tutorial:
• Setting Up A Chroma Key
• Setting Up And Performing Live Switching
• Performing A Sync Roll With The VTR Transport Panel
• Using Virtual Sets

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
Conventions
Before we get too far into the manual, let’s take a moment to explain some of the
conventions that appear within.
General
Conventions
The following formats are used to identify special instructions or important points
in this manual.
1. (numbered) Indicates step-by-step instructions to follow.
Bold Type Indicates words you should type, buttons
you should click, names of menus or
windows, and file path names.
Italic Type Indicates emphasis of important points.

6Chapter 1
Document Overview
Mouse
Conventions
GlobeCaster is designed for use with a two-button mouse. The following explains
mouse commands used in this manual.
Click Place the mouse pointer over an object. Press the
left mouse button and immediately release.
Click-and-drag Place the mouse pointer over an object. Press the
left mouse button. While holding the button down,
move the mouse around. This is used mainly to
draw boxes over objects to select them.
Double-click Place the mouse pointer over an object. Press the
left mouse button twice quickly and immediately
release.
Drag-and-drop Place the mouse pointer over an object. Press the
left mouse button and hold it down. Drag (move)
the object anywhere on your screen. When you
release the mouse button, the object is dropped
where the mouse pointer is aimed.
Right-click Place the mouse pointer over an object. Press the
right mouse button and immediately release.

CHAPTER 2
SWITCHER MANUAL
QUICK START

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
Chapter 2
Quick Start
Welcome to the GlobeCaster Switcher quick start. Before diving into the function of
every button, panel, and pop-up menu in the GlobeCaster Switcher, let’s run through a
general overview of some of the basic functions, as well as a look at some of the
powerful video effects and transitions that only GlobeCaster can perform. To get a
complete list of the function of every button, panel, and pop-up menu, skip ahead to the
GlobeCaster Switcher Reference chapter.
When you finish the tours in this chapter, remember that there is a veritable cornucopia
of other effects to play with in your GlobeCaster bins. Explore and have fun.
The following topics are covered in this chapter:
• Performing A Cut .......................................................................... 12
• Performing A Dissolve ................................................................... 14
• Performing A Wipe ........................................................................ 16
• Using Digital Video Effects ............................................................ 18
• Effect Properties Panel................................................................... 20
• Creating A Timeline....................................................................... 23
• Digitizing Live Clips With Time Machine ..................................... 28

10 Chapter 2
Quick Start
The Switcher Interface
There are two versions of Switcher: Studio 8000 and Studio 4000. The interfaces
only differ in terms of which controls are not available due to the Studio 4000’s
limited hardware: bus row inputs 5, 6, & 7 are permanently disabled, and DSK3 &
DSK4 controls are permanently disabled.
Figure 2.1: The Studio 8000 Switcher Interface

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
Figure 2.2: The Studio 4000 Switcher Interface
The basic function of the GlobeCaster Switcher is to provide a transition between
video sources. Whether or not you are in a live or post-production environment,
there are four basic transitions: cut, dissolve, wipe, and digital video effect.
GlobeCaster provides many variations of all of these including, chroma keying,
alpha keying, down stream keying of animations, freeze frames, and more.
1024 Mode There are some GlobeCaster users who’s monitor and video card do not support
viewing a 1280 x 1024 resolution. For this reason, there is an alternate software
layout that is specific to a 1024 x 768 resolution. Although GlobalStreams stongly
recommends using 1280 mode, you can view the 1024 mode by right-clicking on
your desktop and choosing Properties < Settings < Screen Area and
selecting 1024.
Figure 2.3: The Studio 8000 Switcher Interface in 1024 Mode

12 Chapter 2
Quick Start
The main difference between the two versions is the absence of the three additional
soft buttons and the Auxiliary Bus row. You can toggle between the Key Preview Bus
and the Auxiliary Bus by clicking over the Bus Row button and selecting one of the two
options.
Performing A Cut
Let’s start with a cut, the simplest transition.
1. Find the following picon in the Bins\Stills\Manmade.
Figure 2.4: The First Still Picon
2. Double-click on the picon. This loads the still into one of GlobeCaster’s
framestore channels, and you see it appear in the Preview (Figure 2.7)
monitor.
3. Click on the Cut button near the bottom of the screen, to the right of the T-
Bar handle. (The keyboard shortcut for this is Enter.)
Figure 2.5: Cut Button
You see the image move to the Program (Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2) monitor.
NOTE: The Pro-
gram monitor dis-
plays what is going
out over the air, while
the Preview monitor
displays an image
source that is cued up.
4. Locate the following picon, also in the Bins\Stills\Manmade.
Figure 2.6: The Second Still Picon
Cut
Button

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
5. Double-click on the picon. This loads it into the other still store channel, and
you see it appear in the Preview monitor (Figure 2.7).
Figure 2.7: Picon in Preview Monitor
6. Click Cut again.
NOTE: If you have
one or more video
sources connected to
GlobeCaster, feel free
to use them instead of
one or both stills.
The GlobeCaster Switcher swaps the images in the Program and Preview
monitors, and the second image is now broadcast.

14 Chapter 2
Quick Start
Performing A Dissolve
You can create a dissolve between the two images. This mixes the two sources
together, producing a smooth fade from one image to the other. To create a
dissolve, do the following:
1. Click on the Mix button, above the Cut button (Figure 2.8).
Figure 2.8: Mix Button
You see the Mix button turn yellow.
2. Click on the Auto button, to the right of the Cut button. (The keyboard
shortcut for this is the spacebar.)
Figure 2.9: Auto Button
You see the image in the Program monitor smoothly fade into the image in the
Preview monitor.
You can vary the duration of the dissolve by setting the effect duration above the
Auto button to a different number. The effect duration is the number of frames it
takes the transition to occur. To change it, do the following:
1. Click on the Mix button.
You see the Mix button turn yellow.
2. Click on the number just above the Auto button, delete the existing number,
and type in a new number. Or click in the box and drag up or down on the
screen with your mouse. Try 60 for a two second dissolve NTSC, (50 for two
second dissolve for PAL).
3. Click on Auto to see the framestore image dissolve at the interval you set.
Fade To Black A useful basic function is fade to black. This is often used to fade to black before a
transition to commercials occurs or at the end of a show or segment.
Mix
Button
Auto
Button

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GlobeCaster
Switcher Manual
NOTE: When using
the Fade button, you
see the program fade
to black on your
external monitor only.
The Preview and Pro-
gram monitors in your
GlobeCasterSwitcher
will remain
unchanged.
To perform a fade to black, do the following:
1. Click on the Fade button.
You see the Fade button turn yellow, and the program on your external
monitor fade to black. You do not see this on the Program monitor on the
GlobeCaster Switcher interface.
2. Click the Fade button again to bring the program back to normal.
TIP: The default
duration for this fade
is 15 frames. To
change it, select the
number in the box just
above the Fade button
and type in a new
number. Or click in
the box anddrag up or
down on the screen
with your mouse.

16 Chapter 2
Quick Start
Performing A Wipe
GlobeCaster can also perform a large variety of wipes. For an example, locate the
following picon in the Bins\FX\Sampler bin.
Figure 2.10: Picon For Wipe
1. Double-click on the picon.
This loads it as the current effect, and you see it in the display above the FX
(effects) label, above the Mix button (Figure 2.11).
Figure 2.11: Loading the Current Effect
2. Click the FX button.
You see the FX light up.
3. Click Auto.
In the Program monitor, you see the image from the Preview monitor wiped
on, replacing the image in the Program monitor.
FX
Mix
Button
Auto
Button