Chroma Key Live Preview Software
Tom slick A few things:. What are you using for capturing the video onto your computer. Looking at that link along with several other on your channel, it looks like it is all 240p. If your camera input to the computer is that low of resolution, you’re going to have blurry images into Wirecast which will result in bad edging. The lighting you say you have, have you colour balanced your camera? There seems to be a very distinct blue tinge to the video input. This is likely the reason you’re getting some transparency over the whole subject.
If you can track down something neutral. Something grey. Heck, even a plain piece of paper. Turn on the lights as they normally would be and white balance the camera to that. The green should come out great if the camera has been corrected for the studio lights. If you can send a screenshot of the Wirecast setup with the chroma settings showing, with the right (live) area having no chroma key, the left (preview) area showing the chroma key output, I may be able to offer more suggestions. We are having lots of trouble with Wirecast's Chroma Key functionality also.
We have a full green screen studio at our school with professional lighting. It is also important to note that we use other Chroma Key apps in the same room with the same room and they work just perfectly - with absolutely no adjustments needed. One of the apps even offers color picker options like Wirecast, and we just never need to use it in the other apps. We have tried everything in Wirecast to adjust the clarity, resolution, and basic Chroma functions, but our students still look transparent at times, washed out, and with hazy, gray-looking hair.
I would like to see better functionality in Wirecast for Chroma Key please. I am seeing the same thing with Wirecast 8.2.I decided to upgrade from 7.7 over the holidays and while I appreciate all of the improvements and fixes, the chroma key has become the major sticking point. I have tried different cameras, lighting etc. No matter what I do I cannot get rid of the white outline around the subjects. I went back to 7.7 last night and the chroma was perfect. I can even change lighting angles and it still pops like it should.Whatever was done to the chroma key since 7.7 has made it worse.
Matthew Potter CraigS Good day guys! I do apologize for not getting back sooner but I had some serious family problems. First off allow me again to assure you that I've been working with chroma key for YEARS now! I'm a MASTER with After Effects, Photoshop and Premiere! My studio is full green screen and lit to PERFECTION! I shoot with and have switched each in Wirecast using my Nikon d5100, d7200 - Canon Xl2, Canon G40!
All high end. I have a Blackmagic and a Usb Grabber. Neither have anything to do with The Chroma Key in WC.
I just started using WC last year and I could NEVER get the green screen to properly keep the subject from being Washed out/transparent. I've worked with 6.2, 6.4, 7.1 and recently 8.4.
With the same problem. I've used the 'default, clicked the chroma key and the used the color picker.' With the same results. I've enclosed pics of before /after with wire cast.
Plus pics with just my Nikon. One even using the Virtual Set. Still washed out! Tom slick Key threshhold is VERY low After you’ve clicked the “Pick key color with mouse”, are you clicking on a portion of the green area? You mention colour picker in your post and while you can pick 100% RGB green, it is slightly a different colour.- Enable the Pick key color with mouse- Click on a portion of green in the preview window (even if you cannot see it already due to it being enabled)- Increase your Key thresholdIf you’re still having issues after that, I’ll throw my green screen up and do some more testing myself (not a Telestream member) as this would be an issue if it is truly messing up after performing that. Really a complete disaster.
Worse than that is the Company and the Developer team do not assume the limitations. Anyone that has used a serious Chroma Key to professional job knows. In a reasonable scenario, Chroma is being used outside, sometimes with natural light and much less control. Maybe Telestream is trying to re-create the idea, based on a bad module into a reasonable product.
It should look at Hollywood movies, get in contact with great Chroma Studios in the Cinema. It took a long road since The Thief of Bagdad (1940)! Oscar using that visual effect. Please, let's pay attention to users! Vladimir Cavalcante The chroma key features are limited compared to some of the higher end real time or NLE or compositing software chroma keyers but the keyer itself generally works well if you're using 10 bit 422 sources. Keyer features are separate than the basic function of the keyer. We use the chroma keyer on our live streams and they are OK, not a disaster at all.
Not 'feature film' or broadcast post caliber.For example bring in a signal from a good camera, SDI through a Blackmagic or Magewell card with a proper evenly lit and exposed green screen and I can get a clean key. The keyer does work.Use a webcam, Long GOP compressed sources, less than good lighting, you'll have issues.
Granted you could clean them up in a higher end keyer but one should avoid problems in the first place. In fact I am sure that a thousand of potential users are being lost by Telestream because of that limitation and some others. Some functionalities are not really compatible with a professional use, with the complexity we find in TV business. If OTT is coming as a great chance to producers, we need to improve software attending that community.I will buy a product to use as tool to make LIVE sessions that can offer a minimorum of improvements. It is not fair to pay more than 900 US$ for a software that compromise the balance made in all platform.
Another alternative would be offer integration with other softwares, creating a kind of Plug-in architecture, with tutorials in support to use.
I'm looking to get software (only) for live chroma key preview. (PC - not MAC)We will be shooting full HD (1920x1080) so Ultra won't work. (supports only DV). The camera shoots MP4 so FXhome CompositeLab Pro won't work. (supports full HD but not mp4). I looked into some cheap ones but I don't like them.
There is also a plugin for AE that does this but I'm looking for software that is designated just to chroma key (like Ultra is). I saw something written about Adobe Visual Communicator 3 so I'm looking into that now.I would also like to be able to use this software to do the final key as well so if you know of a good keyer and compositor like Ultra and FXhome stuff, please tell me.ThanksUPDATE:Ok, Adobe Visual Communicator doesn't seem to be taking MP4. It allows me to import it but it doesn't play it. Zvi, why the insistence on keying live, that adds a lot more cost that you may not need to spend unless the shoot is truly live broadcast. Most people that need to key live I think do it with hardware, using a switcher.
If they want to do a test on location for post, they might run a laptop with the Adobe scope software on it, capture a short couple of seconds and do a test matte with their SW of choice. Or just bring a portable version of their editing apps and hardware to the location. But to do the whole thing live in software, in HD may be asking for something you can't afford. If you're scrambling to afford the lights for this green room, you probably can't afford the higher-end live keying software.
But maybe I missed some new stuff since last NAB. Thanks.It's true we're scrambling to reduce costs. The reason I wanted live is not for a final product but to get an idea of the quality of the lights. I want to get a general picture of my key while adjusting lights while not having to shoot, transfer to computer, check, re-adjust lights, transfer again, check, etc.The shooting and transferring to computer takes up precious time that I think a good keying and composting software can spare me. Also, a program like that, although might not be cheap, will definitely be cheaper then hardware and mixers.The Adobe idea might be ok. What Adobe product is most particular for key checking? Would it be AE with some plugin like Key Correct Pro, or just the plain keyer in Premiere or do you know of some other Adobe product that would better fit what I need?Thanks.
Nuke is US$3,500 plus a grand a year maintenance plan. And needs a pretty powerful computer to run smoothly. And I still don't think that works live like the virtual switcher you're thinking of. You'd still have to capture first, then set up the key.You're wanting to do something like Cameron's Avatar setup on a Plan 9 budget.If the realtime aspect is so darned vital, you could break out a composite video feed from the camera and run that to a Video Toaster or Tricaster and have your instant live feedback, figuring that if the key holds up okay using composite, it will do even better in post as HD. Or spend more for the new HD Tricaster, I just don't feel the same urgency about the fully established live key for your particular needs, but then again, maybe I missed something about the kinds of work you're going to be doing on this set? Anything more you can add in that regard?
My knowledge is based on learning from people like yourself. Until now, all my knowledge on keying has been self taught by reading and watching.
I guess somewhere along the way, I got the impression that the best workflow when on a greenscreen set is to be able to view your key as a preperation part of the production. LiveReal time preview was the way I read and learned.Maybe you are right about this.
Maybe this is only done on high end sets with high budgets. I guess I thought this was a standard workflow with all productions.I guess I will have to shoot a few minutes, import it to the computer and check the key. If it's not perfect, adjust the lighting and do the same thing again.Maybe making a live key previewer program would be a good idea for a business:-).
Zvi, don't get frustrated, I've been doing this stuff since about 1977 and no way do I know even half of what I want or feel I need to know; I'm still learning, every day. That's why I come here.At our studio, we approach chromakeys in 2 ways; we have a Grass valley 200 switcher that will enable a live key against a still or other motion video that's playing off a deck. If you have all the elements ready on shoot day, it is nice to be able to pre-compose the thing live and record it and take that on to post production, a big time saver.until.Until the clients want a change, and now you're locked into what was pre-composited live on the set. Then you have to call the talent back and re-shoot. Hopefully, there is time and money for that. If you just shoot on the green and do the key later in post, you have MUCH more control and the ability to un-do everything as well as re-purpose clips. Thanks again.I'm sorry if I sounded frustrated.
I'm very great-full for your replies.No, I didn't want to record live but just thought the preview would be a quicker way to estimate the lighting quality. My plan was to do the keying later. So yes, I would have the ability to undo stuff if a client wanted.When you mentioned On-Location, that was the kind of responses I was looking for - if a software like that can just give me a live preview. But I also wanted to hear things exactly like you said, like how you can also rely on the zebra and eyeball it - experienced feedback like that is very helpful to me.I know that eventually, I will learn from trial and error but asking for help in forums like this one lets me educate myself a little more.Here's something 2 years old that someone pointed me to:Seems to be something that allows you to preview live video in AE. I need to get to sleep and will check it in the morning but I quickly glanced at the site at it looks like what I was referring too.Good night and thanks again. Using OnLocation is a very good idea for the recording. Roll tape as a backup, too.
Belt and suspenders is the order of the day.Here's a tip: Before you begin shooting, check your greenscreen on the waveform. You should see a fairly flat line. The luminance line ought to be within 5 IRE or so side-to-side. The thicker chrominance line should be even as well.Ideally, you want your greenscreen light levels in the 40-50 IRE range. A good balance between exposure and saturation.And just because it may prove useful, roll some on the empty greenscreen using the same focal length and lens settings. When you're setting up your key, you may find it helps. I've even done this and used the empty greenscreen to do a 'difference matte' key, just to see if that worked.
Chroma Key Live Software
It did - well.Maybe some time later I'll dig the materials out and put up some screen grabs. It was a fun experiment.