Multi-cam shootn'

J_Mac wrote on 10/12/2003, 6:13 PM
I recently read a post by Grazie covering an application of this wizard in Excaliber. And trying his suggestion got me thinking. Does this wizard in Exc. only work with 2 cameras? Can the script be adjusted to use more cameras? How many? Is there available a script to segment multiple video tracks, on the markers, and then remove the first clip, (a-1), add it to a 'Master' track, then remove the next clip, (b-2), add to the master, remove the next, (c-3), (d-4), etc. With this tool you could quickly assemble multiole montage type videos to the music, and no two would be exactly alike.

Comments

jetdv wrote on 10/13/2003, 10:05 AM
Multi-Cam wizard is limited to about 35 cameras.

Not sure what you mean on the second part of the question. Excalibur does take the camera you specify and move (or copy) that segment to a Master track.
Grazie wrote on 10/13/2003, 11:33 AM
J_Mac . .can you put this a different/another way . . I think I know what you mean . . but I wanna be sure . . . mmmm .. .

Grazie
J_Mac wrote on 10/13/2003, 5:36 PM
Maybe I misunderstood what the M-Cam wiz does. I could only get it to work with 2 tracks A and B. The wiz removed segmented clips from track A to the Master track, clip 01, clip 03 etc. The even numbered segmented clips from track B, displayed through the 'hole' left in track A. And this is fine with 2 tracks.
My thoughts went to this. If I lay out 'x' labeled clips, in my case 18, and then i ran the 'insert markers at interval script', to match the 'beat of the song 2 minutes long, in my case at .933 seconds, results in a grid on your TL of vertically 19 tracks labeled A thru S, skipping M, and 1 for the music, and horizontally 128 segments divided by the markers on the beat from the script. So on the TL view you have 19 tracks divided by 128 markers, each track has 128 clips. What I did was open a few sessions of V4, V4-1, V4-2,etc. and opened this grid in each project. On track A, I kept clip 1, clip 19, clip 37, clip 55, clip 73,clip 91, clip 109,and clip 127, and deleted the intervening 17 clips between each retained clip. i.e. clip A1, A!9 , A37, etc. I then repeated the process on each track retaining successive higher numbered clips, i.e., B2, B20, B38, etc. for each track. The grid now has a staircase effect from clip A1 to clip S18, repeated every 18 clips horizontally. Once all the deletions were complete, I rendered and got an interesting montage of the clips, to the 'beat'.
I then opened project V4-2 loaded the grid, repeated the process beginning at clip A2, not A1, therefore offsetting each clip to the right by 1, completed all the deletions as described above, rendered and got a totally different although similar montage.
I mostly do soccer and sports video, and once again I am looking for an easy way to add value without tons of edit time. This video montage looks great, can be run a couple of times to pick the 'best' of the bunch, l and the clients love it. The seeming randomness adds to the appeal.
So, if Multi cam wiz could remove clip A1 to the Master track, clip B2, C3, D4, E5, F6, etc., the wizard would assemble the clips on the Master track, on one pass, to render later, and include in the collection for the DVD for the client.
Very lengthy post. I hope it is more clear, and does not muddy the water further. Thanks John.
jetdv wrote on 10/13/2003, 8:32 PM
Yes, you misunderstand what it does. It takes the clip from the camera you specify and places it on the Master track. Once it is run, the Master track should contain the COMPLETE final project. If your clips did not get moved to the Master track when the second camera was specified, then either the camera name was wrongly indicated OR you are still on version 1.0 which was case-sensitive (i.e. b <> B).

In the current version 1.5, b=b and b=B and B=b so the camera name will match no matter what case you use. What you are doing sounds interesting but I'm still not sure I followed the whole thing (without actually trying it). Who knows what interesting uses Excalibur may work to do?

But, the bottom line is: If the markers are named correctly and the tracks are named correctly, the result should be a Master track that is ready to render.
Grazie wrote on 10/14/2003, 2:13 AM
Okay J_Mac, start again, serioulsy, you are doing much more than is needed.

If you've got 4 cameras outputs put each one on its own separate track.

Name them A thru D - let's keep it simple - yeah? Oh make sure of the version of XCal you've got. Version 1.5 isn't case sensitive.

Now, if you want to Preview go to each tracks Track Motion and apply a K/F that gets that tracks postion in the most comfortable place within Preview.

You should now have 4 outputs within the Preview screen - nicely laid out and ready for action!

You need to synch each output - I use any recorded ambient light or sound to do this, with you it maybe a refs whistle and then some action to fine tune.

This is the fun part - well it's all fun but here goes . .

Run the thing from the beginning and hit the marker key where you want to switch to a different camera. You can EITHER do this on the run and have mass of of unamed Markers OR you can freeze the action and go and name the marker - say B, and this will tell XCal to switch to camera B. Do the whole thing and you now have all your "switches" in place.

I've recently been very busy using the Editl Details List. This gives us an option to "view" all marker names AND to reflect and adjust those markers names and positions. This is agood thing - really, try it out - has blown me away!

I think all the rest within XCal you appear to be good to go.

Can you answer me this? Do you have the 2 Camera option selected in XCal? If you are using mulit-camera tracks make sure this is not selected.

As JetDV says, the Master track SHOULD be full of your clips that you selected - there shouldn't be any gaps. I've done this and have had to return and do a bit of a forensic search to discover - yeah? Another use for the Edit Detail List . . . very recently I would have been lost without it.

Keeping it simple doesn't mean you can't do very, and I do mean very, complex manipulation with this superb software . . . kudos to the Excalibur Merlins! - You know who you are ;-)

Best regards,

Grazie