Looking for Real Time GreenScreen software « Videomaker Community Forums

billh
Member

Hi I am an amateur video user, I have a camcorder for the kids B-days etc.

I have been given a video project at work.

All seems to be going well but I need to find some software.

We need to do Real Time chromaKey. Green, Blue, Grey screen it doesn't matter.

Quality is not the highest priority ease of use would be the most important as far as I am concerned, I am not really under budget restraints but I can't see spending a lot of money on a one use application.

Does any one have any suggestions for me? We have both Mac and Wintel platforms to work from but I would probably prefer windows.

I searched the forum but saw nothing about Real Time.

The end product will be web based.

Thanks

Posted 5 years ago #
Ken
Member

Bill, I wonder if maybe hardware is what you should be looking for. This sounds like a job for a video switcher that has some built-in effects. I think Newtek makes some products (Tricaster or Video Toaster) that might do that. Of course, those would be in the thousands of dollars. Check bhphotovideo.com for Consumer Video Editing equipment. They sell a Sima SFX-9 Digital Video Effects Mixer for about $500. Its description says it does ChromaKey.
Good Luck! :)
Ken Hull

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Check out Visual Communicator, Bill. I think it's just what you're looking for.

http://www.seriousmagic.com/products/vc/index.cfm

Also, most 3-chip cameras (possibly 1-chip also ,not sure) have more pixels for green than for blue. That will help your keys come out cleaner when you use a green (not blue) screen.

Posted 5 years ago #
jetson
Member

Man, those VC products look so cool! I've spent a great deal of time drooling on their website...

So where is the Mac version??????????

Posted 5 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

8-O OK am I missing something? When I first started reading the original post, I thought he was broadcasting live thus the term real-time chroma keying but in the end, he said that the finish product would be on the web.

Now unless my wife put something in my coffee, he doesnÃ¢Â€Â™t need any special real-time software (unless of course he has no NLE or maybe a very weak NLE package), all he needs is a chroma screen. If he has a decent NLE, he can key it all up in post.

YeahÃ¢Â€Â¦ NoÃ¢Â€Â¦ MaybeÃ¢Â€Â¦ :P

RAM

Ps: This coffee does taste kind of funny now that I think about it! X-D

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Web-based doesn't necessarily mean it isn't "live". Did I link to the wrong Serious Magic product? I'm editing on another computer and perhaps posted too quickly, but I do know that Serious Magic has a rather inexpensive, easy-to-use product that allows greenscreening with live keying.

I'm not too sure just how you'd do this - key live while broadcasting directly to your web server - with just any old NLE - but I'd be happy to hear how it's done!

Posted 5 years ago #
billh
Member

Hi Guys

Maybe this will explain what I need better.

Source 1 is a video clip that will eventually run as the background, it has various actors interacting with each other and interacting with an other person who is not in the clip.

Source 2 is a real time feed from a camera with a subject in front of the green screen that will interact with the ones from the video clip (source 1) that replaces the green screen. The subject needs to see a monitor with source 1 (the clip) and source 2 (him self) this all will be saved to a file for eventual placement on a web page.

I looked at the Sima SFX-9 Digital Video Effects Mixer it looks great.

Has anyone here ever used it ?

I am not sure if its new or not the web page at Sima says "Available January 2007" also I saw an "A" designator on the Sima site and no such designation on the retail sales sites.

I found the Manual in .PDF and read it and it seems real simple which is what I need.

http://www.simaproducts.com/support/files/User_manual_for_SFX-9A_Video_Mixer.pdf

I am going to call them (Sima) on Monday I will let you know what they say.

I went to VC web site watched the video (and was impressed). I downloaded the trial version only to find that it (the trial version) doesn't include the chroma stuff or what they call the V-Screen.

It seems pretty strait forward as well.

I am going to call them on Monday also and see if I can get the V-Screen stuff sent to me.
They have a lot of stuff left out of the demo that they say is for space reasons and all the output is watermarked as "Trial version" so I am guessing they may send it to me.

And yes the Studio version of it does LIVE streaming to the Web, not actually a feature we need but still cool.

You guys have been extremely helpful already any more ideas would be appriciated.

Thanks
Bill

Posted 5 years ago #
TheLukaMan
Member

I am only a student but i may be able to help, and I know of a program called Ultra made by serious magic. Its pretty simple, you can do it life, or in post production. The best thing about it is, you need little lighting. Normally Chromakeying requiers an evenly lit surface, and it must be flat, However with ultra, your backdrop can be wrinkly, and only lit with floresent lighing, and it still looks perfect.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

I gotta clear up this misconception before it spreads -

Yes, ULTRA is a good product, but "NO" it does not give you "perfect" keys wth wrinkled backdrops and uneven lighting. Even with Ultra (we use it all the time!), it is important to have an even greenscreen (we iron ours before each use) and even lighting, taking care with shadows from your subject, green light spllage, etc.

Ultra (by Serious Magic) is a very good software tool for greenscreening, but you must take prudent care in setting things up for truly good key effects.

Posted 5 years ago #
;0)
Member

Search the Apple developer site for quartz composer. (try qctv).
You already have it, in the developer tools package on your osx disk.
It can do chroma-keying and output to quicktime, which means you can set it up to record and broadcast it live.
not easy to learn, but free.

Posted 5 years ago #
TheLukaMan
Member

compusolver Wrote:
I gotta clear up this misconception before it spreads -

Yes, ULTRA is a good product, but "NO" it does not give you "perfect" keys wth wrinkled backdrops and uneven lighting. Even with Ultra (we use it all the time!), it is important to have an even greenscreen (we iron ours before each use) and even lighting, taking care with shadows from your subject, green light spllage, etc.

Ultra (by Serious Magic) is a very good software tool for greenscreening, but you must take prudent care in setting things up for truly good key effects.

I seen it work, and the Keys looked real good to me, Then again I am a student, and you are the Pro, sorry it what I said was mis-leading.

Posted 5 years ago #
dgorham
Member

I've been using Visual Communicator for years. Don't know if this post is so old that problems have already been solved, but I can help with VC and keying...

Dave

Posted 4 years ago #
tonsofpcs
Member

B&H says that the Sima SFX-9 (which looks like crap btw) is discontinued.

Posted 4 years ago #