[done] A Count Down Timer Would Be GREAT

[MarcusCarey]

A good friend, fellow podcaster and all around super consultant, Cliff Ravenscraft of GSPN.tv uses a countdown timer on his video streams, showing a declining timer and a phrase such as "2:03 until show time". He tells me this is a feature of CamTwist for the Mac.

I start my program with a logo page and then go into an introduction video. I usually try to keep the logo up for a minute or two before beginning the video so that I can increase the audience size.

A countdown timer super imposed over the screen, with my ability to place and maybe even size it, would be great. That way I could get up on Ustream a little before the program starts and maybe net a few more audience members.

Any chance this might be added as a feature to your already great product?

[Mike]

Marcus, I've been giving this some more thought. How about a special code (like %T-10:00% or something) that you can enter in the overlay text field? It would then be automatically replaced with a time indicating the countdown to 10:00. That way there is no need for an extra module just to create a countdown timer.

Example:

Show in %T-10:00%..

would display as

Show in 14:59..

if it would be 9:45:01.

Later, when the overlay text has some extra features like position and font, this would give you a pretty powerful tool. Also this could be easily expanded with other commands.. The biggest challenge (for me) is to find some logical easy to understand coding scheme. Know anything like this that is already common?

[geeknews]

That would be perfect

[Mike]

For the film (http://twitter.com/#%21/MikeVersteeg) we need the overlay date & time on the security camera video feeds, so tomorrow I will be working on adding this feature to the overlay module. For practicality I need to be able to offset the time and I am wondering how to do this. Could be an offset, or a set time (indirectly an offset), or something else? Would you have any need for this option, and if so how would you want to use it?

BTW: I'm thinking a code in the text that will be auto replaced by the (offset) time(r). Like "The time is now %hh:%mm:%ss").

[Mike]

I see this (http://forum.vidblaster.com/showthread.php?t=127) topic is related and should be included.

[zenvideo]

For practicality I need to be able to offset the time and I am wondering how to do this. Could be an offset, or a set time (indirectly an offset), or something else? Would you have any need for this option, and if so how would you want to use it?

BTW: I'm thinking a code in the text that will be auto replaced by the (offset) time(r). Like "The time is now %hh:%mm:%ss").

As a general concept, this is an excellent idea - not unlike a feature that I've used in various NLE software titlers over the years. It could be used to generate a variety of (offset) times to satisfy various needs. To do this, perhaps the codes should be in the form %xh %xm %xs, where h/m/s represent hours/mins/secs and 'x' is a code to select which offset should be used. eg: %th = Time of day hours

Possible codes could include:-
t = time of day.
o = offset by global time value specified via a main-menu dialogue box option
z = "zero time", for countdowns to zero, a target time set as a global value in the same dialogue box as the offset value. Displayed timings would count down, showing the difference between time of day and the "zero time". Only time values less than 12(?) hrs would be shown, otherwise zero would be displayed.
r = time since Recorder module started (starting the Recorder would set the start time and this 'r' value would reflect the difference = recording time.)
s = time since Streamer module started (similar to Recorder time)

[wiav8r]

Thought that came to my mind. "Why, yes sir, I could have a use for this!"

+1

I just built in a countdown in my opening loop video. But this would work better!

[Mike]

Thanks Martin, great ideas.

[Edited & merged both threads]

[Mike]

Available in next release. From Help:

Editor
Text entered here will be properly aligned, resized and added to the overlay. The following special codes are available:
\n inserts a line break
%T% inserts the system time (in Windows' local format)
%T{+|-}hh:mm:ss% like %T% but with an offset (in 24 hour format), e.g. to display the time 15 hours later use %T+15:00:00%, for 90 minutes earlier use %T-01:30:00%
%Tzhh:mm:ss% like %T% but as a countdown to the specified time (in 24 hour format), e.g. at 09:45:01 %Tz10:00:00% will be converted to 00:14:59
%Tm<module>% like %T% but showing elapsed time from <module>, e.g. %TmStreamer 1%

(excuse the formatting, there does not seem to be a tab command)

[zenvideo]

Available in next release.


That was pretty quick work! Looks like you've got it all covered there - I look forward to testing it in the next release. http://forum.vidblaster.com/images/smilies/smiley.gif

[Monoscopio]

As implemented now the timer will show on program video? It will be visible on the finished product so to speak?

Possible to also make an option to have the overlay "invisible" to the audience? This would be a great future and big help for my commentators and talk show host to be able to see time until commercial for example.

[zenvideo]

As implemented now the timer will show on program video? It will be visible on the finished product so to speak?

Possible to also make an option to have the overlay "invisible" to the audience? This would be a great future and big help for my commentators and talk show host to be able to see time until commercial for example.

I think what we need is an option for the Overlay Module to be switchable from Downstream (as it is now), to Upstream of the Switcher (like a Video Effect). That way you could select the Program video as the background to the (upstream) Overlay module, then select that overlay module as the source in a Video Out module and the timer would only be on that output. I've just made more or less the same suggestion in your DSK feature thread.

http://forum.vidblaster.com/showthread.php?t=2107

[Mike]

Possible to also make an option to have the overlay "invisible" to the audience? This would be a great future and big help for my commentators and talk show host to be able to see time until commercial for example.
I call that Source Overlay, which already exists in the Video Effect module. In this case use program video as input and the overlay module with clock as overlay. Then route the output to a Video Output module which displays it on a monitor. Voila! :)

[Monoscopio]

Great routing there Mike. If I could only select one of the external monitors in the Video Out module :) I dont like wasting output cards for this.

[Mike]

A pro like you should never use the external monitor feature as it cuts down on bw to your video card, especially if you do any screen capture. Better to use a dedicated card.

This is going off topic so want to leave it there. If you want to talk more routing, please open a new topic.

[weconverse]

One of these off topics (routing, effects, and bw issues) already have a thread going on:
http://forum.vidblaster.com/showthread.php?p=12674

[lill]

Hi

I would like to be able to format the time more... When counting down eg. 10minutes... it dosen't look so nice to se the 00 for the hour, then it would be nice to format so only the minutes and the secounds show up... And some other time, you might not want to show the sec...