Graphics Pool

Can I use Photoshop Elements to work with the Graphic Pool in the TV Studio HD switcher?
Cliff Whitney

Or, does Photoshop CC work with the Graphics Pool?

You can use any graphics program to create graphics that can be imported into the Media Pool.

When you install the switcher software, there is a Photoshop Plug-in that allows Photoshop (but, I don't imagine that includes Photoshop Elements) to export directly into the Media Pool into a specified Media Player.

There is a whole chapter on it in the switcher manual, including how to prepare graphics for the Media Pool.

In short, you want to max sure that the frame size in Photoshop matches what you are using with all of your inputs into the ATEM: 1920 x 1080 for 1080p or 1280 x 720 for 720p (or 720 x 576 for SD PAL or 720 x 486 for SD NTSC).

Also, the background layer of the graphic in Photoshop needs to be empty of any content, just a full black frame.

Also, you'll want to make sure that the pre multiply alpha is checked in the settings, especially when creating lower thirds or other graphics that aren't full screens.

We usually export all of our graphics out as a .png, but the Media Pool can also take tga, bmp, gif, jpeg and tiff.

Thanks, I already have Photoshop installed on my Mac desktop at home and it works fine. The switcher is at church and every time I change something the graphics pool goes away and I have to lug everything home to make changes. I was just looking for something cheap to put on my wife's Macbook Pro so I could take it to church to make changes.
Cliff

i would suggest to install ATEM control software at this small Mac and update the ATEM using this. I think there is no big difference in sending the pictures from a graphics program or the ATEM control.

When the graphics don’t need to be modified, there is no real difference in the needed time. In both cases, you need to load the pictures into a software and uplozad to ATEM.

The Photoshop plugin only makes sense, when graphics need to be modified on the fly during the show (e.g. score in a scorebug or name in a lower third) The graphics operator saves some time in live situation. If it is really time critical, you must pay the saved time in buying Photoshop.....or using an other graphics program and go the longer way - save in graphics program and recall in ATEM control.

Maybe an idea. The TVS has two DSKs. So create your standard lower third once and store it „empty“ without any caracters to media pool. Use the second DSK to insert the plain colored text. So you could use any program to do it, maybe a simple powerpoint send by computers graphics card to ATEM videoinput.

Thank you Thomas, I appreciate your answers very much.
Cliff

Hey Cliff,

Also, Adobe (with the CC versions - can't remember with the old perpetual licenses) allows you to install its programs, including Photoshop, on as many computers as you like, and 2 of them can be activated at the same time, as long as you are only using 1 computer at a time. So, if you don't have it activated elsewhere, you could install it on the Macbook.

Wasn't sure if your copy of Photoshop was business or personal, and if it was CC or the perpetual, so I'm not sure what your licensing would be.

Also, they do have a Photographer's Plan of Photoshop and Lightroom for $9.99/month, which again could have 2 activated licenses at a time. (Perhaps as tax-deductible donation to the church!)

I also concur with Thomas' suggestions. For our Township Council meetings, which are in a separate location from our studio, we are using a dirt cheap HP Stream laptop that couldn't fit Photoshop on it if we tried. But, we use it to control the switcher with the ATEM software control. So, we create the graphics in Photoshop ahead of time here at the studio and upload them to Google Drive. Then, shortly before the meeting, we download them from Drive onto the cheap laptop and drag each one into the Media Pool. Of course, a Council meeting is going off of a strict written agenda, so the graphics can be made ahead of time without ever having a need to change them on the fly. Not sure if you are needing to make late changes for a church or not.