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Overview:
Watchout is a scalable system for presentations based on
digital media. It is software that allows you to create
BIG shows while maintaining unprecedented image fidelity.
Images can span several video projectors or monitors, if
desired. Watchout automatically applies smooth edge blending
to overlapping projection areas, resulting in a seamless
image. While doing so, it also maintains the combined resolution
of all projectors/monitors in the system, avoiding the pixelization
effects often associated with video walls and other large
format video and graphics systems. You can apply transitions
to images or image elements, as well as animate them across
screen areas. Video can be integrated and used in the same
way. You can imports a wide variety of video and image formats,
making it compatible with virtually any production software
you may already have. You can use it whenever you need to
display or project high quality digital media. While it
can be used for single screen applications, it’s primarily
designed for multiscreen use.
System overview
Remark: Positrack could be lost when using "Goto
Control Cue" command as well as using Control Cues
inside the Watchout timeline. Some other commands like setRate or timecodeMode can also causes the MXM to lost the positrack if they are used. If you want to use positrack
feature, use only "Play", "Stop", "Locate"
commands from the MXM.
Note: When using players in a Display Cluster, it
may occurs that some players switch to windowed mode which
causes the player to stop playing back and to do not accept
any other command. This occurs if some other application
in the player try to get the focus (visible in foreground).
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Installation (MXM):
No special installation required.
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Creation (Device):
Device creation window
:
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IP Address (or name):
IP address or name of the target watchout computer.
Auto re-connection:
Enables to automatically try to reconnect the watchout computer after
a disconnection.
Watchout device
:
Type of watchout device to control. It can be a Production Watchout
or a Display Cluster (master of a serie of watchout players).
Note that some feedback information like Timecode are only available
with Display Clusters.
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Commands (List Of):
Load
Show:
Description
: Load a new show.
Parameters:
Show Name: [Type : String]: Name of the show
to be loaded.
Layer Conditions: [Type : String]: Defines which layer conditions must be used instead of Show project defined layer conditions
(empty means keep default).
Usage: For Watchout Production, the name
of the show must be the complete name of the show including
the path and the file extension (Ex : C:\Program...\Shows\MyShow1.watch)
and for the Display Cluster the name must be the
show name without the path and without the file extension
(Ex : MyShow1).
The name of the show must NOT contains space caracters.
If Layer Conditions is empty then default show project
settings are used else Layer
Conditions should
contains a list of activated condition, separated by a
comma caracter (Ex 1,2,5,12). 0 means no conditions.
Stop:
Description: Stop the presentation currently in play mode.
Parameters: no parameter.
Play:
Description: Play the presentation currently in stop mode.
Parameters: no parameter.
Locate:
Description: Set the presentation time position to the specified
position.
Parameters:
TimeCode: [Type: Time]: Time position to go
to in 1/100s.
Goto Control Cue:
Description: Set the presentation time position to the specified
cue name position.
Parameters:
Cue Name: [Type: String]: Name of the cue to
be located.
Reverse Only: [Type: Enum]: Indicate if the Control
Cue must be search only in reverse direction.
Availables
values:
"Off": The search is forward and backward.
"On": The search is only backward.
Standby:
Set Logo String:
Change Layer Conditions:
Timecode Mode:
Description: Enable or disable the internal timecode reader. When enabled, the show chase the incomming timecode.
Parameters:
Mode: [Type: Enum]: Timecode reader status and mode
Availables
values:
"Receiver Off": The playback is freerunning, timecode readed is off.
"Auto-Detect": Timecode reader is on and timecode format is auto-detected.
"EBU 25 fps": Timecode reader is on and timecode format is set to EBU 25 fps.
"SMPTE 29.97 fps NDF": Timecode reader is on and timecode format is set to SMPTE 29.97 fps non drop frame.
"SMPTE 29.97 fps DF": Timecode reader is on and timecode format is set to SMPTE 29.97 fps drop frame.
"SMPTE 30 fps": Timecode reader is on and timecode format is set to SMPTE 30 fps (Black & White).
Timecode Offset:[Type: Time]: Defines the offset to apply to the incomming timecode. This parameters has no meaning when Mode is Receiver Off.
Set Rate:
Power Down:
Description:
Power down all players within the cluster.
Parameters: None.
Usage:
This
command ought to be used when a show is currently
loaded and not playing, because the players within
the cluster are defined by the show itself.
If multiple shows are used, involving a different
number of players, then a dedicated show (i.e 'PowerDownShow')
can be created to include all the players in the installation
in order to powerdown all of them.
The player whereby the MXM is connected, will be powered
down at the lastest.
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Variables (List Of):
Status:
Type: Enum.
Description: Current general status of Watchout.
Available Values:
"Unconnected": Watchout not connected.
"Connecting": A connection to watchout
is in progress.
"No Show Loaded": Watchout is online but there is
no show currently loaded.
"Ready": Watchout is ready to play (show is loaded).
"Busy": Watchout is performing a blocking operation
like downloading files.
"Stopped": Current show is stopped (only provided
from Display Cluster 2.0.1 if a show is loaded).
"Playing": Current show is playing (only provided
from Display Cluster 2.0.1 if a show is loaded).
"Authentification
Failed": The authentification needed for Display
Cluster has failed.
"Play Failed": The play command has failed, this
may occurs if player are in windowed mode.
Standby:
TimeCode:
Type: Time.
Description: current time position of the presentation.
Note: When the device type is a Production Watchout
this value is updated as long as "Goto Control Cue"
command is not used. If "Goto
Control Cue" command is used the timecode value is
reset to 00:00:00/00 until a Locate or Load Show command
is issued.
If the device type is a Cluster, this value is always
updated.
Error:
Type: Enum.
Description: Current error status.
Available Values:
"No Error": There is no error.
"Target OS Error": Indicates a generic operating system
error from the host’s OS. This error can also be generated
when a show cannot be loaded on Watchout Production.
"Quick Time Rendering Error": Similar to the Operating
System Error, but originating from QuickTime.
"Win32 Rendering Error": Error occurred specifically
related to rendering (typically DirectX).
"Network Error": Error occurred specifically related
to network communication.
"File Server Error": Error occurred when attempting
to get a file from the designated file server (if any).
"Command Error": This indicating that the command being
sent has failed.
"General Runtime Error": Other errors, not covered
by any of the above cases.
"Authentification Error": Indicate that the level for
authentification does not match on the target device.
(This value is only used with Display Cluster devices).
"Cannot Load Show": The requested show cannot be loaded.
"Show Not Loaded": The requested command cannot be performed because there is show loaded.
Message:
Type: String.
Description: Display messages that are sent back by the Cluster.
Usage : To enable Watchout Cluster to send back text messages to the MXM, just create a Control Cue (in WO timeline) and type in the name field a text beginning with ':' (ex : ":My Message").
ShowName:
Type: String.
Description: Display the name of the show currently loaded.
Note: This variable stays empty with Watchout Production.
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Support (Difference with previous versions) :
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