Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switches"

Questions about ATEM Switchers, Camera Converter and everything live!
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redrob

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Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switches"

PostTue Oct 19, 2021 3:17 am

Hi!

When recording a live switch with the ATEM Mini Pro ISO units (including Extreme), an DaVince Resolve .XML file is created to import/setup the project for editing post-stream. Tracks are created, cuts and dissolves preserved, yes?

One of the main reasons for a post-edit is to fix "bad switches" -- an entrance missed, wrong camera selected, etc. When those things happen, it would be *great* to be able to press a "MARK" or "FLAG" button (e.g. using Streamdeck) to add a mark/flag to the timeline at that location, making it evident and simple to identify the areas post-stream that need to be looked at.

NINJA recorders have that ability. My TASCAM multi-channel audio recorders have that.

Is there a way to do this such that the XML file can have markers/flags added to it to serve this purpose?

:-) Rob
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Dave Del Vecchio

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Re: Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switc

PostWed Oct 20, 2021 2:26 am

I'm not sure that there is a built-in way to create a mark via the ATEM Mini, but one alternative might be to perform some switcher action that gets captured as part of the Resolve project file, but wouldn't be visible to users. For example, displaying a fully transparent graphic overlay one of the keyers or perhaps doing a cut to the currently selected video source (not sure if that will show up in the project if the source hasn't changed). Obviously this approach may not be ideal in all situations though.

Another thought is that it is possible to get the current switcher generated timecode through the ATEM SDK (using the RequestTimeCode function). So in principle this could be used to create a timecode event logger by logging the current timecode from the ATEM on demand (I'm not sure whether Bitfocus Companion currently supports getting the timecode via their ATEM module, but it might not be too hard for it to be added).

In some ways this timecode logging approach is more general purpose than having a built-in mark function as it would work on any ATEM switcher with timecode support (not just the ATEM Mini ISO). And it could also work if recording using some external recorders (like HyperDecks) or if editing in a different video editing program. If the timecode events were saved as an Edit Decision List (EDL) file in a supported format, then they could be imported into Resolve or another NLE in order to see markers for those events in the editing timeline.
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nathsteeley

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Re: Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switc

PostWed Oct 27, 2021 10:43 pm

redrob wrote:Hi!

When recording a live switch with the ATEM Mini Pro ISO units (including Extreme), an DaVince Resolve .XML file is created to import/setup the project for editing post-stream. Tracks are created, cuts and dissolves preserved, yes?

One of the main reasons for a post-edit is to fix "bad switches" -- an entrance missed, wrong camera selected, etc. When those things happen, it would be *great* to be able to press a "MARK" or "FLAG" button (e.g. using Streamdeck) to add a mark/flag to the timeline at that location, making it evident and simple to identify the areas post-stream that need to be looked at.

NINJA recorders have that ability. My TASCAM multi-channel audio recorders have that.

Is there a way to do this such that the XML file can have markers/flags added to it to serve this purpose?

:-) Rob



YES!!! I had the same thought a few days ago.
I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to implement, just a firmware update really. If it’s a ‘marker’ software button you could always program it into a macro, which would be great on the Extreme’s dedicated Macro buttons. Otherwise using a streamdeck or the macro buttons on a 1/2/4ME hardware panel would work.
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ettnoll

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Re: Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switc

PostThu Oct 28, 2021 4:51 pm

Here is something i haven't tried myself, but it seems to do what you want.

https://heretorecord.com/logger/
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nathsteeley

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Re: Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switc

PostSun Oct 31, 2021 5:58 am

ettnoll wrote:Here is something i haven't tried myself, but it seems to do what you want.

https://heretorecord.com/logger/


Thanks! It’s all pretty simple really, shouldn’t be hard to BMD to implement.
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redrob

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Re: Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switc

PostThu Nov 11, 2021 10:41 pm

nathsteeley wrote:
ettnoll wrote:Here is something i haven't tried myself, but it seems to do what you want.

https://heretorecord.com/logger/


Thanks! It’s all pretty simple really, shouldn’t be hard to BMD to implement.



Neat little app that H2R "logger" -- I'd have to have it running obviously, but having a "log" button on the streamdeck seems simple enough. I wonder if I could import that XML file with the markers into an existing project -- also wonder how the timecodes would line up with the content imported from the ATEM project.
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redrob

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Re: Adding a "marker" to the ISO XML file to flag "bad switc

PostThu Nov 11, 2021 10:49 pm

Dave Del Vecchio wrote:I'm not sure that there is a built-in way to create a mark via the ATEM Mini, but one alternative might be to perform some switcher action that gets captured as part of the Resolve project file, but wouldn't be visible to users. For example, displaying a fully transparent graphic overlay one of the keyers or perhaps doing a cut to the currently selected video source (not sure if that will show up in the project if the source hasn't changed). Obviously this approach may not be ideal in all situations though.


Hmm... using a transparent upstream keyer could work (if not all upstream keyers are being used for the live switch). And that "KeyOn" event would indeed be inside the final ATEM .drp file. Similarly I could change what the active media player content is, but that could mess things up if the media player happens to be live at that moment.

Code: Select all
{"masterTimecode":"19:24:35;20","mixEffectBlocks":[{"upstreamKeys":[{"onAir":true,"_index_":0},{"onAir":true,"_index_":1}],"_index_":0}]}



Another thought -- is there a way to use "macro substitution/tokens" in macros? For example, if there's a token to represent the currently-active source in the PGM out, we could write a macro to cut from the current source, to the current source. Theoretically there's be no visible output to PGM out, but it might log it to the .drp.

I suppose I could experiment with every button to see if/how it logs into the .DRP file. Unless someone here from BMD already has this answer?

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