Ross Xpression Telestrate User manual

Telestrate User Guide
Version 02

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XPression Telestrate · User Guide
• Ross Part Number: 3500DR-526-02
• Release Date: September 7, 2018.
• Software Issue: 02
The information contained in this Guide is subject to change without notice or obligation.
Copyright
©2018 Ross Video Limited, Ross®, and any related marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Ross Video
Limited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. PATENTS ISSUED and PENDING.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
Ross Video. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, Ross Video assumes no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the
information contained herein.
Patents
Patent numbers US 7,034,886; US 7,508,455; US 7,602,446; US 7,802,802 B2; US 7,834,886; US 7,914,332; US
8,307,284; US 8,407,374 B2; US 8,499,019 B2; US 8,519,949 B2; US 8,743,292 B2; GB 2,419,119 B; GB
2,447,380 B; and other patents pending.
Notice
The material in this manual is furnished for informational use only. It is subject to change without notice and should
not be construed as commitment by Ross Video Limited. Ross Video Limited assumes no responsibility or liability
for errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual.

Warranty and Repair Policy
Ross Video Limited (Ross) warrants its XPression systems to be free from defects under normal use and service for
the following time periods from the date of shipment:
•XPression Server — 12 months
•XPression Software Upgrades — 12 months free of charge
•System and Media hard drives — 12 months
If an item becomes defective within the warranty period Ross will repair or replace the defective item, as
determined solely by Ross.
Warranty repairs will be conducted at Ross, with all shipping FOB Ross dock. If repairs are conducted at the
customer site, reasonable out-of-pocket charges will apply. At the discretion of Ross, and on a temporary loan basis,
plug in circuit boards or other replacement parts may be supplied free of charge while defective items undergo
repair. Return packing, shipping, and special handling costs are the responsibility of the customer.
This warranty is void if products are subjected to misuse, neglect, accident, improper installation or application, or
unauthorized modification.
In no event shall Ross Video Limited be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages
(including loss of profit). Implied warranties, including that of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose,
are expressly limited to the duration of this warranty.
This warranty is TRANSFERABLE to subsequent owners, subject to Ross’ notification of change of ownership.
Extended Warranty
For customers that require a longer warranty period, Ross offers an extended warranty plan to extend the standard
warranty period by one year increments. For more information about an extended warranty for your XPression
system, contact your regional sales manager.

Environmental Information
The equipment that you purchased required the extraction and use of natural resources for its production. It may
contain hazardous substances that could impact health and the environment.
To avoid the potential release of those substances into the environment and to diminish the need for the extraction
of natural resources, Ross Video encourages you to use the appropriate take-back systems. These systems will reuse
or recycle most of the materials from your end-of-life equipment in an environmentally friendly and health
conscious manner.
The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol invites you to use these systems.
If you need more information on the collection, reuse, and recycling systems, please contact your local or regional
waste administration.
You can also contact Ross Video for more information on the environmental performances of our products.

Company Address
Ross Video Limited
8 John Street
Iroquois, Ontario
Canada, K0E 1K0
Ross Video Incorporated
P.O. Box 880
Ogdensburg, New York
USA 13699-0880
General Business Office:
Fax:
(+1) 613  652  4886
(+1) 613  652  4425
Toll Free Technical Support: 1-844-652-0645 (North America)
[phone] (International)
Alternately, you can contact:
Technical Support: (+1) 613  652  4886
After Hours Emergency: (+1) 613  349  0006
E-mail for Technical Support: [email protected]

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) C – 1
Contents
Introduction 1
About This Guide............................................... 1-1
Documentation Conventions.............................. 1-1
Getting Help....................................................... 1-1
Contacting Technical Support............................ 1-2
Overview 2
Hardware Components....................................... 2-1
Client Hardware .............................................. 2-1
Server Hardware.............................................. 2-2
Telestrate Shotbox........................................... 2-3
Software Components 3
XPression Software Version .............................. 3-1
Telestrate Server/Gateway Application ............. 3-1
Installing the Telestrate Gateway.................... 3-2
Telestrate Client Application ............................. 3-7
Installing the Telestrate Client ........................ 3-7
Telestrate Client Settings .............................. 3-11
Closing the Telestrate Client......................... 3-13
Operation 4
Keyboard Commands......................................... 4-1
Shotbox Drawing Options.................................. 4-1
Drawing Standard Shapes ............................... 4-1
Drawing Modifiers.......................................... 4-2
General Layer Control Buttons ....................... 4-3
Setting Up the Telestrate Scene in XPression.... 4-4
Importing the Telestrate Sketchboard Scene... 4-4
Changing the Custom Shape ........................... 4-6

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 1–1
Introduction
XPression Telestrate is an easy-to-use electronic drawing tool for sports analysis and other types of on-screen
storytelling. Telestration allows commentators to draw directly on a video output and optionally control a replay
server. Unlike other systems, XPression Telestrate has no expensive dedicated hardware and can be output through
a single layer on a channel of an existing XPression Real-Time Motion Graphics system for ultimate affordability.
About This Guide
This user guide describes XPression Telestrate, its configuration, and operation.
If, at any time, you have a question pertaining to the installation or operation of XPression Telestrate, please contact
us at the numbers listed in the section “Contacting Technical Support” on page 1–2. Our technical staff are always
available for consultation, training, or service.
Documentation Conventions
Special text formats are used in this guide to identify parts of the user interface, text that a user must enter, or a
sequence of menus and submenus that must be followed to reach a particular command.
Getting Help
The XPression Telestrate User Guide is supplied as print-ready PDF files. Locate the guide in the C:\Archives to
open the guide PDF in Adobe® Reader® for viewing or printing.
Bold text Bold text is used to identify a user interface element such as
a dialog box, menu item, or button.
For example:
In the 3D Model Files section, use the Mode list to select
the folder used to store 3D model files.
Courier text Courier text is used to identify text that a user must enter.
For example:
Enter localhost when the DataLinq server is running of
the same computer as XPression.
> Menu arrows are used in procedures to identify a sequence
of menu items that you must follow.
For example, if a step reads “Display > Widgets,” you
would click the Display menu and then click Widgets.

1–2 XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02)
Contacting Technical Support
At Ross Video, we take pride in the quality of our products, but if problems occur, help is as close as the nearest
telephone.
Our 24-hour Hot Line service ensures you have access to technical expertise around the clock. After-sales service
and technical support is provided directly by Ross Video personnel. During business hours (eastern time), technical
support personnel are available by telephone any time. After hours and on weekends, a direct emergency technical
support phone line is available. If the technical support person who is on call does not answer this line immediately,
a voice message can be left and the call will be returned shortly. This team of highly trained staff is available to
react to any problem and to do whatever is necessary to ensure customer satisfaction.
•Technical Support: ([phone]
› 1-844-652-0645 (North America)
› [phone] (International)
•After Hours Emergency: ([phone]
•E-mail: [email protected]
•Website: http://www.rossvideo.com

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 2–1
Overview
The XPression Telestrate solution provides tools for talent/analysts to explain a specific sports replay in real-time.
Telestrate acts as a top overlay free drawing application, thus it can also be used in several other scenarios, such as
drawing over computer video output, such as a website, a video file, or images, among others.
One of the key features of the Telestrate solution is that it is intended as a software add-on for existing XPression
machines, so it does not require any additional, expensive dedicated machine to run. Designed for being as flexible
as possible, it can work on standalone configurations, internal/outer keying, and over a single or dual channel
XPression setup.
Another distinctive key feature of this application is the focus on being very easy to use; keeping it simple, intuitive,
and user friendly. Its simple initial setup is handy when adding it to the existing work flow. Inside XPression
software, you only need to add a specific “Sketchboard” scene to your existing Project Group. You can set the
online state of this scene as a standard Take Item in your XPression project, so it can be controlled, enabled, or
disabled directly from a Carbonite RossTalk enabled switcher.
Telestrate not only provides the possibility to draw graphics but also, as an optional feature, can enable the talent to
easily control the video replay server remotely from the same application. By now, the Telestrate Video Replay
Control Option is compatible with Newtek 3Play 425 and Newtek 3Play 4800 video replay server machines.
Hardware Components
The following section explains the hardware components used for XPression Telestrate.
Client Hardware
The Telestrate client side requires:
• Computer
› Windows 7 Pro Operating System
› Ethernet LAN communication; recommended speed is 1 Gigabyte
› Full HD 1920x1080 resolution graphics card
› Recommended: Xi3 Zero Pro device
The client PC must be connected to a display that supports the same resolution as the XPression is outputting so
that the touch application can be the correct resolution.
• Touchscreen
› Full HD 1920x1080 touchscreen display resolution
› USB HUB recommended, because the traditional mini computers have only two USB ports available (usually
used to connect a mouse and keyboard)
• Shotbox USB Controller (optional)
› Necessary for operating Telestrate without using any graphic overlay.

2–2 XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02)
Server Hardware
The Telestrate Gateway requires XPression Studio, XPression Studio GO, or XPression Studio SCE.
To connect both locations, you will require one Ethernet UDP cable and one SDI signal cable. You can see an
example in the following basic diagram:
Figure 2.1 Connections
Replay Server
Telestrate allows the user to draw lines, shapes, and objects on the screen. The replay option allows control of
various replay servers to help illustrate the point of the commentator to the viewer.
The currently supported replay servers are:
• Newtek 3Play 425
• Newtek 3Play 4800
•Abekas Mira
•AMP

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 2–3
Telestrate Shotbox
Telestrate supports optional shotboxes to provide quick access to selecting drawing tools, line features, and even a
replay control.
Telestrate Draw Shotbox
The Telestrate Draw Shotbox provides enhanced control of the Telestrate interface drawing functionality.
Telestrate Draw and Replay Shotbox
The Telestrate Draw and Replay Shotbox provides enhanced control of the Telestrate interface drawing
functionality, and direct control of the customer supplied replay server using the optional Telestrate Replay Server
control.

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 3–1
Software Components
The XPression Telestrate solution has been developed as a client-server operation.
The XPression graphics engine and the replay server are located in the OB van or studio equipment room. The
talent/analyst is in a studio or press box telling the story and using Telestrate as a way to illustrate the discussion.
Telestrate may also be run with the Client and Gateway installed on the same XPression engine using localhost
(127.0.0.1) in the configuration settings.
XPression Software Version
Telestrate requires XPression software version 5.5.2722 or higher.
The version of XPression Telestrate must match the version of the XPression software being used.
Telestrate Server/Gateway Application
The Telestrate Gateway runs in the background on the XPression machine while the XPression graphics engine is
running with the corresponding project already open.
This application receives data from the Telestrate Client and creates the drawing overlay. The Gateway looks for a
scene called Sketchboard, which must be present in the project currently open in XPression.
Figure 3.1 Telestrate Gateway - Main Window

3–2 XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02)
Installing the Telestrate Gateway
The Telestrate Gateway software will create the directory C:\XPressionApps\Telestrate Gateway during
the installation process.
It is recommended that you save the install files to the XPression engine hard drive.
To install the Telestrate Gateway:
1. Launch XPression.
XPression must be launched prior to launching the Gateway. If you attempt to launch the Gateway first, a
warning is displayed that indicates that the required Sketchboard scene could not be found.
2. Launch the Telestrate Gateway X.X.xx for XPN X.X.xxxx.exe file.
After a few seconds, the Telestrate Gateway - InstallShield Wizard opens.
Figure 3.2 Telestrate Gateway Installation - Welcome
3. Click Next.
The License Agreement section opens.
Figure 3.3 Telestrate Gateway Installation - License Agreement
4. Select the I accept the terms in the license agreement radio button.

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 3–3
5. Click Next.
The Customer Information section opens.
Figure 3.4 Telestrate Gateway Installation - Customer Information
6. Enter a user name in the User Name box.
7. Enter the name of your organization in the Organization box.
8. Click Next.
The Ready to Install the Program section opens.
Figure 3.5 Telestrate Gateway Installation - Ready to Install
9. Click Install.

3–4 XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02)
The Gateway installs and the InstallShield Wizard Completed section opens.
Figure 3.6 Telestrate Gateway Installation - Completed
10. Click Finish.
The Telestrate Gateway - InstallShield Wizard closes and the Telestrate Gateway Settings dialog box
opens.
Figure 3.7 Telestrate Gateway Settings
11. Configure the Telestrate Gateway settings as needed.
For details about configuration, refer to Telestrate Gateway Settings.

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 3–5
12. Click Save & Launch.
The XPression Telestrate Gateway opens.
Figure 3.8 Telestrate Gateway - Main Window
13. Once the Gateway is installed and configured:
a. In XPression, open the Telestrate project file TelestrateFinal.xpf.
b. Import the Sketchboard scene from the Telestrate project file and put it on-air in its proper layer.

3–6 XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02)
Telestrate Gateway Settings
Use the Telestrate Gateway Settings dialog box to configure the Gateway settings.
Set the Telestrate scene to be on the output and layer set in the Telestrate Gateway to ensure that custom and 3D
elements will work.
In XPression, in the Object Inspector > Take Item > Default Take Item Options, set the Sketchboard scene
object to Layer 3.
Figure 3.9 Telestrate Gateway Settings
•Frame Buffer Index – the output framebuffer that the gateway will use for the Telestration scene:
› 0 = framebuffer 1
› 1 = framebuffer 2
•Layer Index – the output frambuffer layer that the gateway will use for the Telestration scene:
› 0 = layer 0
› 1 = layer 1
•Shape A Name – name of the material used for Custom Shape A.
•Shape A Animation – type of continuous animation used for Custom Shape A:
› None
›Spin
› Bounce
•Shape B Material – name of the material used for Custom Shape B.
•Shape B Animation – type of continuous animation used for Custom Shape B:
› None
›Spin
› Bounce
• Number Display Time (ms) – when using the Numbers drawing option, this is the amount of time in
milliseconds that the numbers will remain on screen after the last touch.
•PBUS Port – the number of the PBUS port to use, if one is being used.
•Enable – when checked, enables the specified PBUS port.
•Save – click to save the settings to the Gateway. Close and relaunch the Gateway to apply the settings.
•Save & Launch – click to save the settings and launch the Gateway if it is not open.
•Exit – click to exit the Telestrate Gateway Settings.

XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02) 3–7
Telestrate Client Application
This application runs on the talent user side. The application receives the touch interactions and button presses from
the talent, prepares the data, and streams it over the network to the server. This application runs on any Windows 7
or Windows 10 Professional PC. It does not have a GUI beyond the full screen background image.
Figure 3.10 Telestrate Background Image
Installing the Telestrate Client
The Telestrate Client software will create the directory C:\XPressionApps\Telestrate Client during the
installation process.
To install the Telestrate Client:
1. Launch the Telestrate Client Installer X.X.xx.exe file.
After a few seconds, the Telestrate Client - InstallShield Wizard opens.
Figure 3.11 Telestrate Client Installation - Welcome

3–8 XPression Telestrate User Guide (v02)
2. Click Next.
The License Agreement section opens.
Figure 3.12 Telestrate Client Installation - License Agreement
3. Select the I accept the terms in the license agreement radio button.
4. Click Next.
The Customer Information section opens.
Figure 3.13 Telestrate Client Installation - Customer Information
5. Enter a user name in the User Name box.
6. Enter the name of your organization in the Organization box.