ATEM Graphics/superimposed images on EACH camera

Hi,

I'm shooting live dungeons and dragons games. Yes I know, nerdy. I'm trying to add more elements to the game, and I am wanting to add graphic overlays that updated with the game. Stats, character traits, enemies etc. I have a few ideas of how this could work, but I'm missing some parts.

I'm using a atem production studio 4k which is limited to 2 upstream keyers. I have up to 8 cameras on the shoot (

), and I would like to have L3's/other graphics come up depending on which player we see. I'd also like an overlay when we cut to the overhead shot of every character and their stats. Instead of having a single graphics person switching graphics like crazy and trying to follow a director, I'd like to have it update automatically (like a sports show). Because of that, I can think of 3 possible ways this may work to have graphics on each camera;

Computer: SDI from each camera would go through a capture card, and a computer would superimpose a graphic over the camera. The graphic would update on the computer, and update it's output. This would then output to the ATEM as a source pre-superimposed/composited. This would be super expensive, and not ideal.

Hardware: A computer would have several virtual displays (one for each camera), each display output would have an alpha channel/graphic designed for that camera, and a hardware device would take that alpha channel and display it/composite it with each camera source. This would be better if I had the ATEM 4, or another switcher with more keys. This would rely on gear I don't have, which again would be an expensive upgrade.

ATEM Software Macro's/External controller: If I can refresh the media pool, I can build out 8 different graphic templates, one for each camera. Then I could build a macro's key for each camera, updating one of the media pool location to match the correct graphic template for each shot. So when i cut to cam 1, the graphic template that matches would also take the screen. When I cut to cam 4, graphic 4 would also follow on that macros.

Can I setup a watch folder for the ATEM Media pool? Is there an easy way for it to autorefresh say every 5-10 seconds?

Take a look at CasparCG graphics system. It works with (modified) Flash and HTML5 templates. You can write your own software client to fill the templates with data. Use a macro software, which can control ATEMs and also CasparCG (Just Macros, Companion-I m not sure)This way, you could switch ta a camera and insert the graphics with one finger tip.

CasparCG client can control ATEMs. So Im pretty sure, that this feature also exists in software library (maybe someone can confirm this). If yes, write a small Client, which fills the template with data and switches to the right camera. In this case, only one DSK is needed.

The graphics system need one or two inputs at your ATEM and can also be used for all other graphic, including playing videos.

Edit: No, there is no watch folder possible. The ATEM stores the graphics internal. It has no access to any file system. If you want to go this way, you need to write your own program watichg a folder an uploading to ATEM.

I have a watch folder solution to update media pool slots when files change. It is a Windows exe that can upload to ATEM and a powershell script that monitors the folder for changes.

JustMacros can also do this if you prefer LUA script over PowerShell.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

You could do the overlays post ATEM mix with the built in keyer found in UltraStudio 4K Mini which can layer graphics over live input which is looped through to the output with only 1 frame delay. CasparCG can generate the graphics as Thomas suggests.
There are several automation/scripting solutions that could then switch the ATEM input and overlay graphic from CasparCG at the same time.

+1 for CASPAR CG ..
It easy to setup ..
U can create HTML templates .. with APACHE SERVER and PHP U can dynamicaly create statistics ..
I was created small templates for FIRST GLOBAL robotics competition .. Referies have Smart phones connected to my wifi AP, so they are on same network with CasparCG Computer .. They have opened webpage and add points when robots scores .. And Caspar is showing lifetime results ..

Thanks everyone. I'll talk to my programmer friend and try to followup.

Hey yall,

Thanks again for all the input a few years ago. Here's what the final product looked like.

The project shut down since covid, but I learned a ton and wanted to follow up and thank everyone for their input.

We ended up using a decklink to control both the ATEM 2/ME and OBS scenes. If we did another episode I would have recorded it and figured out the frame offset between the two programs and created a delay.

We didn't quite get live stats from players (they didn't want to keep up with the input tablets) and we didn't quite have the social following for any relevant interactions but the fundamentals where there!

Screenshot 2021-11-17 at 23.57.04.jpg (440.7 KiB) Viewed 769 times

Screenshot 2021-11-17 at 23.57.04.jpg

Yes we did have an issue with companion missing the cues at one point. I had to reset it and that fixed the issue.