OBS camera control options

The PTZOptics Camera Control Plugin comes in two varieties. You can install the plugin for direct access through the OBS software OR use Dockable Web sources. The plugin allows for direct access through the user interface on your computer so that you can use camera presets and settings on the fly. The plugin allows for the most advanced control because it creates new hotkeys for camera control, and provides Xbox controller compatibility. The dockable web controls are nice because they can be placed directly into the OBS interface. Either way you can create PTZ camera presets that are used to quickly and automatically operate your cameras through the OBS interface. The video below reviews how you can use the open source control software from PTZOptics to automatically have your PTZ cameras move when you select a scene in OBS.

As the PTZ in PTZOptics designates, these cameras are a “pan, tilt, and zoom” type that allows for presets that snap them into place at the click of a button. Users have a variety of control options when it comes to using the OBS plugin and the devs are constantly adding new inputs on a consistent basis. Some popular options include the keyboard and mouse as well as a Microsoft Xbox One controller. Support for a variety of hotkey commands as well as these control inputs means that the OBS Plugin is as robust when it comes to access as it is when it comes to performance. Installation couldn’t be simpler, either. You just install the plugin, go to the Tools section of the menu, and locate the new PTZOptics controller functionality.

There you will see that you can adjust the settings for up to 8 different cameras. Available for both Mac and Windows, the OBS Plugin is a must-have for live streamers that are serious about getting the most out of their sessions. A quick overview of the core features reveals a plugin with a full fleet of useful features.

These include controlling up to 8 PTZOptics cameras simultaneously via IP, PC support for the use of an Xbox controller for user inputs, various modes such as compact, preview, and advanced. You also get full-screen camera preview modes in SD or HD for Windows systems. Users are allowed to assign a name to each camera as well which should help with the organization and setup of the stream in terms of camera placement.

You can set up to 9 presets for each camera and you can even assign a name to these presets themselves as well as implement an image preview that shows you what that designation does. Naturally, producers get control over pan, tilt, and zoom speeds as well as pan and tilt speed locks.

As for the camera itself, you get iris controls, focus controls, varying exposure modes like Auto, Manual, SAE, AAE, and Brightness as well as image controls like Contrast, Luminance, and Hue. You can choose between the various exposure modes as well as flipping or mirroring the image on the screen.

For ease of use, you can implement on-screen input controls and receive a real-time report on camera options. Another amazing aspect of the OBS Plugin that has nothing to do with the software itself is how dynamic and supportive the community of users is. If you’re having a hard time, or you need to learn a few tips or tricks, there are so many resources on the Internet for this that it is astounding. Users need not worry about going all-in with the OBS Plugin because it is ready for the job.

http://143.198.120.149/apps/obs/

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What are VJs?  

You may be familiar with the term “VJ” from the old MTV days where video jockeys – as opposed to radio’s disk jockeys – introduced the next video. In 2020, DJs are now so much more than radio hosts. They are cutting edge musicians who have created their very own musical categories like EDM, Techno, and House.

VJs have evolved too into Visual Artists who mix video, graphics, and light to accompany the music to give concertgoers or live stream viewers a true audio/visual experience. To create the visuals that go along with a DJ set or other musical performance VJs use specialized software solutions that provide them the tools they need to create their visual art. Most modern visualization software that is designed for musical performances take a SMPTE time-code and a BPM (Beats Per Minute) information stream and incorporate that information into the graphics. Computers can then be connected over the network and incorporated into a system that takes information from the musicians DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to create amazing live graphic displays.

PTZOptics has worked with renowned DJs such as Deadmau5 who uses live SDI PTZOptics cameras with his graphics systems to project onto LED screens. You can learn more about this case study here.

Here are some of the top VJ software programs on the market today.

Top 5 VJ Software Solutions

Resolume. 

Considered by many to be the industry standard, this program has been around since 2002 and has an incredible set of features that both beginners and pros can utilize. It is a powerful VJ program that is the most fully equipped you will find on the market. Resolume comes in two main versions. Resolume Arena Media Server is used for projection mapping and blending projectors which can be controlled with lighting desks. Resolume Arena is ideal for syncing up with the music coming from the DJ via an SMPTE timecode. Resolume Avenue VJ software that is significantly less expensive but still perfect for visual artists and DJs. Both applications are supported by a content store called Juicebar that can be used to download hundreds of effects and sources for increasing your visual graphics options. Resolume is available for both Mac and PC computers.

Modul8. 

This software is specifically designed for real-time video mixing. Modul8 is often used during live performances. It is easy to use and offers the flexibility to be utilized in all sorts of settings. With Modul8 predefined effects do not limit your creativity. All your media can be combined in any way you can imagine. Modul8 is only available for Mac computers so you will need to be an apple user. You can download a free trial to get started and Garagecube the creator does offer educational discounts.

VDMX. 

An amazing professional quality system at a reasonable price, VDMX is different than other VJ software because it is designed by a group of programmer that are major supporters of open source code. The audio-reactive software is built to analyze audio and create amazing graphics with a wide range of benefits. It is only compatible with Mac but supports all kinds of software. It also has a competent HD video capturing option and can function as a media server and lighting console as well. If you are a computer programmer, using VMDX might be the perfect solution for you because you can use languages such as Quartz, Composer, Vuo, and GLSL to create custom and sophisticated visual effects.

ArKaos Grand VJ. 

The easiest to use the software on the market may be the Arkaos Grand VJ. This program can be configured multiple ways for a personalized touch and is compatible with PC, Mac, and all MIDI controllers. It also accepts all common video and image formats. The software is available in two options: ArKaos GrandVJ and GrandVJ XT. Just like Resolume Arena vs Resolume Avenue, ArKaos has a premium version of their software designed to provide additional LED wall and projection mapping features. ArKaos is ideal for live video mixing for musicians, DJs and of course VJs in clubs and performance spaces.

Millumin. 

Millumin bills itself as “powerful, yet easy” and that is definitely what you get with this software. It is a full VJ software set up that has the ability to connect with devices that allow you to do video mapping, LED mapping, lighting, after effects, shader effects, and more. Millumin is only VJ software on our list with NDI integration. NDI integration will allow visual artists to ingest video directly from PTZOptics NDI cameras. NDI also allows VJs to bring in video from sources such as OBS, Wirecast, vMix, xSplit, and many more video encoder solutions that support NDI. Millumin can also output NDI video and can, therefore, be incorporated into NDI workflows for live streaming and video broadcast.

Conclusion

VJs have come a long way from the days of Adam Curry and Downtown Julie Brown (if you are too young to know who they are, look them up!). Today’s VJs create amazing visual landscapes that take the DJ experience to a whole new level. With any of these top VJ programs, you can easily create stunning visuals that will energize any crowd. PTZOptics cameras are being used with VJ software all the time. When we got a call from Deadmau5 asking us about using our cameras in his Cube v3 we realized that it’s time to start taking a closer look into visualization software being used for live performances. It turns out some of these software solutions already support our cameras via NDI and others have integrations that can be used with USB capture cards, our USB camera models and even PCIe cards. So expect a bunch more coming from our blog soon!

The post The Importance of VJs and VJ Equipment appeared first on PTZOptics.

Mobile Devices Android/iOS & Kindle

Control PTZOptics cameras with mobile devices have really made camera operation easy. By connecting your smartphone to the same WiFi network as your PTZ camera is connected to, you can easily take PTZ camera controls by using a static IP address for your camera. The PanTiltZoom app is now available on iOS, Android and Kindle stores. This app has been updated many times and it allows users to easily control up to 8 networks connected PTZOptics cameras using any iPhone, Android or Kindle touch screen device. Using a mobile phone or touch screen device like an iPad is perhaps the easiest way to control PTZ cameras because you have complete wireless freedown. Some of our customers for example in churches will control their PTZOptics cameras from the church pew. Others will take PTZ camera control with them anywhere they have access to a strong WiFi connection.

Software Camera Control Integrations

Integrated PTZ camera controls are now available in a host of video production software providers including Open Broadcaster Software, Wirecast, vMix, MimoLive, Livestream Studio and NewTek NDI Studio Monitor. By integrating PTZ camera controls directly into your favorite video production software, you can run your own live production without having to leave the interface to operate PTZ camera operations. This is ideal for one-man video productions but also for any video production team that wants to automate camera operations. In a video production software such as vMix or Wirecast, you can automate PTZ camera movements with a single transition button click between two sources. In vMix you can create PTZ camera presets that are new inputs available in the software. With a single click in vMix, you can transition to any of these inputs which automatically triggers the camera to move to a given PTZ camera preset at a specific movement speed that you can set up inside the input settings. In Wirecast, you can have any source in the software trigger a PTZ camera preset. This automates the video production workflow and allows video production experts more flexibility when deploying PTZ camera systems.

Hardware Production Systems with PTZ camera controls

More and more hardware systems are working with integrations for PTZOptics cameras. Currently, the NewTek Tricaster and the Wirecast Gear are the only integrations on our list that fully support PTZ camera controls in their hardware video production solutions. AJA, Blackmagic, Echo360, Epiphan, LiveU, Roland, and Sling Studio all accept PTZOptics cameras video feeds, but do not yet feature full PTZ camera integrations. We are working with these companies and one company that has recently released a new PTZ camera integration is Magewell. Magewell now has a full line of NDI camera converters. Magewell’s new NDI Pro Convert products actually feature a 8-pin mini-din camera control connection that can be used to operate PTZOptics cameras. This is ideal because the solution works to control PTZOptics cameras using any NDI integrated solutions. More hardware PTZ camera control solutions will be coming out on the marketing soon.

Dedicated PTZ camera controller integrations

While software and hardware PTZ camera integrations are nice to have, dedicated PTZ camera joysticks and controllers are still ideal for many situations. Video productions can be complicated and multiple members of a team are often needed for larger events. When a video production team has more than 2 or 3 PTZ cameras, having a dedicated PTZ camera operators armed with a joystick controller becomes more common. PTZ controllers come in all different types and they are designed for various scenarios. For example, companies like Crestron and Extron create touch screen controllers that are designed for everyday conference room experiences. PTZOptics has designed pre-written codes available for Crestron and Extron programmers to build custom touch screens for conference room and corporate AV environments. For video production systems that are set up on-site or in a dedicated studio we support multiple PTZ camera joystick controllers such as the HuddleCamHD joystick which features serial controls and the PTZOptics IP joystick which features ethernet controls. Multiple other dedicated controllers allow camera operators to mix additional controls into their worksurface that can bridge the gap between PTZ camera controls and controls for other software and hardware devices. The Xkeys units are a great USB connected controller that can allow software systems like vMix and Wirecast to perform video switching, along with PTZ camera controls. The Elgato StreamDecks are devices that can be used to send all sorts of IP and USB connected device commands from Blackmagic switching to PTZ camera control commands. In fact, there is a project called the Bitfocus Companion app that can be used with the Elgato StreamDeck to control hundreds of IP and USB connected pro audiovisual devices.

Standard PTZ Control Protocols

PTZOptics also supports a long list of standard PTZ camera control protocols. Standard protocols are ideal for working with controllers and systems that have been built over the years to specific specifications standardized by the industry. One of the most popular PTZ camera protocols is SONY VISCA. PTZOptics cameras support SONY VISCA protocols for IP and serial camera control methods although you will notice that PTZOptics cameras have its own version. Additional camera commands have been built on top of the SONY VISCA command set to improve user functionality. All of the PTZOptics camera commands are made available on the downloads page. Another interesting control protocol is called ONVIF. ONVIF camera control protocols come from the security camera industry and they offer some interesting PTZ camera control options. The ONVIF device manager application can be used with PTZOptics cameras to receive low latency IP video and camera control simultaneously. Another newer camera control protocol that can be used with PTZ cameras is called UVC. UVC camera controls are popular with cloud based video conferencing software applications such as VSee and Zoom Video Conferencing.

Computer Programming Languages

PTZOptics cameras offer open-source camera control codes that can be used by beginners and expert developers who want to create custom applications that include live camera video and control functionality. The original open-source control software here has been used and forked by many developers to create new software solutions. One such example is a piece of code created by the proper nerd for his church. All the way back in 2015, the Proper Nerd created and published an open source version of the PTZOptics HTML and CSS control codes using HTTP commands to control PTZOptics camera functionality. This application features a slick new CSS (style) that provides users with a clean PTZ camera control interface. In 2019, the PTZOptics engineering team launched a PTZOptics Robotics online course and manual. This course includes a GitHub repository of new open-source codes that include examples for PTZ cameras control created with Javascript, Node.js, Visual Basic, and more. Using Github computer programmers can fork these codes to create new, organized projects for their custom applications that include camera controls.

Conclusion

There are so many great PTZOptics camera integrations that it’s hard to choose just one. One of my personal favorites is the implementation of Touch Designer by famous DJ Deadmau5. Deadmau5 designed a fully functionality PTZ camera control integration with Touch Designer that moves with his famous Cube V3 DJ platform (more on that here). From out of the box ready to go software and hardware integrations to custom computer programming, there are hundreds of ways to control robotic PTZ cameras. Network camera control is definitely the wave of the future and if you want to learn more about what you can do, I would highly suggest taking one of our online UDEMY courses below.

1. PTZOptics Camera Training Course
2. Computer Programming and Robotics Course

The post Some of the most interesting PTZ camera integrations appeared first on PTZOptics.