Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

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Zyper
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2019 19:54

Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Zyper »

Hello Everybody,

I'm very confused about the way the main transform is working. I will try to make it easy.

SETUP 1 :

So I'm running a 3840x2160 comp with one layer.

Layer size is 1920x1080 and play a 1920x1080 video.

On the advanced output I have one Output at 3840x2160 and one slice at 1920x1080 perfectly centered (so exact video and layer size).
Capture resolume 1.PNG
They way I understand it, If I apply a slice transform that has the exact same size and position nothing should move.

BUT then comes that fixed transform effect that rescales everything to the comp size and so makes my video 2 times smaller.
Capture resolume 2.PNG
If I want to bring it back to real size I have to add an other Transform and scale it up at 200%.
Capture resolume 3.PNG
That works, but I'm gettin confused, why do I need 2 times a transform that does work the same way and on is just doing the opposit of the second one.
Last edited by Zyper on Tue Mar 26, 2019 01:59, edited 2 times in total.

Zyper
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2019 19:54

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Zyper »

SETUP 2 :

Let's go on something more funny, 14 strips 256x1336
Capture resolume 4.PNG
I do my inputmap with a 5px gap between each for a 3649x1336 composition size.

This tim I will use a Group with some layers to play with my 1920x1080 content. And Add extra layers over it that should not be affected by any effects.

This way all my effects are not cropped and I can use the full potential of my 1920x1080 loops to play live.
Capture resolume 5.PNG
Now the only way to rescale that is to apply a Slice transform + transform for each rescale scenario.
Capture resolume 6.PNG
Capture resolume 7.PNG
Capture resolume 8.PNG
BUT as the main transform alway brings it back to the comp size, it's never matching my 16/9 slice perfectly.

Is there any way to make that fit perfectly in the slice so that I can control all my upscale pixel perfect with slices in the advanced output, instead of playing with non precise size sliders.

Joris
Doesn't Know Jack about VJ'ing or Software Development and Mostly Just Gets Coffee for Everyone
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Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 11:38

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Joris »

Yeah, I think there's a lot more going on in that setup than you actually need. Let's see if we can optimise it a bit.

Slice Transform is all about your stage and how you want your content to look on it. So before we get technical, let's start with that. What does your (hypothetical) stage look like, and what looks do you want to have on it?

Zyper
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2019 19:54

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Zyper »

My main focus is to have the same workflow on most of the gigs, specially when we tour with an artist during the summer.

I usually need :

4 Layers with 1920x1080 content in a group that has effects, speed control, and up to 4 different slices transform setups.

Depending on the setup I usually use :

Only center
Over eveything,
In every single screen
Other variation when the setup looks cool.

Then over the group I need

1 Layer for logos animations with own effects and slice
1 Layer for texts animations with own effects and slice
1 Layer for Camera Input with own effects and slice
1 Extra layer for custom content and chaser
Capture resolume 9.PNG

The way I'm working now with the slices and transform gives me a quick way to adapt all this to every setup. I'm just wondering why I can not make it pixel perfect
Last edited by Zyper on Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:47, edited 1 time in total.

Joris
Doesn't Know Jack about VJ'ing or Software Development and Mostly Just Gets Coffee for Everyone
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Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 11:38

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Joris »

Great! That looks like a good way to approach it.

Still, how you set up the transforms in your comp depends on your stage, because you are *transforming* your content onto it. So my question remains: what does your stage actually look like, and what looks do you want to have on it?

Zyper
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2019 19:54

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Zyper »

It's a bit hard, as I'm looking for a method that works on every type of stage.

But ok let's take a club setup I did last month :
Capture resolume 12.PNG
Composition size is 8519x1551, with a lot of stufff going on. Upper stuff is on the wall and lower stuff in on the roof.

If I apply a regular slice setup without any transform upscale it slice transform to my comp size.
Capture resolume 11.PNG
If I do all my slices at 16/9 Ratio (like my content) and mask out the screens it looks like I have better result, But I still transform the comp size and need to upscaled my content to make it fit.
Capture resolume 14.PNG

So what ever the setup is, I'm still in the first config situation where I have a useless Downscale / Upscale to do.

Joris
Doesn't Know Jack about VJ'ing or Software Development and Mostly Just Gets Coffee for Everyone
Posts: 5185
Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 11:38

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by Joris »

Okay, without a practical example I can't show you how to do it. So I'll try to explain how it works.

Think of it like a kids' coloring picture. Slice Transforms are the black and white outlines of the shapes that make up your picture. They prevent you from coloring outside of the lines. But you still have to decide how to fill them.

So you're going to need to do some scaling yourself. Every stage is different, every look is different. So you need to eyeball how to scale your content on the stage. Depending on your content, a stage with very wide wings needs a different scaling than a stage with lots of thin vertical pillars. There is no way to automate this. In fact, deciding which looks work on a particular stage is what sets a good VJ apart from a technician.

If you really, really want to automate this, you can use the Auto Size mode on the layer, set to Fill. Combined with Slice Transforms set to Fill, this will make sure your content will always fill the slices you're using it on. If your content is mostly just abstract moving wallpaper, you can get away with this. If you're trying to tell any type of story, you need to make sure your story is visible. I would always use my programming slot to go through my content and my looks, and see if they translate/transform well to the particular stage I'm playing that night.

Practically, I would use the single default transform on the clip to adjust each clip to taste. Using Slice Transforms on the layer, I would then decide which parts of my stage that bit of content ends up. I'd throw out the second transform you're applying everywhere. It doesn't do anything the first one couldn't also do, and just adds confusion.

EBMCreative
Is taking Resolume on a second date
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Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by EBMCreative »

Joris wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2019 13:30 Okay, without a practical example I can't show you how to do it. So I'll try to explain how it works.

Think of it like a kids' coloring picture. Slice Transforms are the black and white outlines of the shapes that make up your picture. They prevent you from coloring outside of the lines. But you still have to decide how to fill them.
Yes this is how I am wanting and do use them.
Joris wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2019 13:30 If you really, really want to automate this, you can use the Auto Size mode on the layer, set to Fill. Combined with Slice Transforms set to Fill, this will make sure your content will always fill the slices you're using it on.
This does not work for me. I have to always use the scale setting in the layer transform in order to get the slice to fill the actual screen area.

EBMCreative
Is taking Resolume on a second date
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Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2023 08:41

Re: Transform x Slice Transform x Transform

Post by EBMCreative »

I have had some time today to really dig into this.

I have discovered that I have to have the layer the same size as the composition for this to work correctly.

WHY?

My comp is 5000x2290
I have about 50 different slices that are for all different screens plus a few helper/cheat slices to combine separate screens into one bigger screen.

If i have the layer at the size of the content size 1920x1080 or what ever it would be, which is the most efficient so it is not rendering out a bunch of black pixels I can't get the slice transform to fill the screen unless I zoom the layer 215%

But if I put the layer at the same size as the composition then I don't have to zoom and I don't need to do much of the fit and fill as most of the screens are smaller then the clips I will be playing.

This seems like this is wrong. Why does the layer size need to be the same as the composition size? Why doesn't slice transform take what ever clip on what ever sized layer and apply to the slice and fit/fill/stretch for what is selected.

This seems like a major fopah and causes a lot of wasted rendering of the graphics card/processor/ram/finite computer resources with having to render a 5000x2290 image to fill a 1920x1080 or smaller output slice.

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