Documentation For DaviTools VideoWall

Installation

Download the VideoWall extension and execute the downloaded file. The installer will start and install the plug-in. When installation has finished start Vegas. Navigate to the Extensions menu option in the View menu. Click the DaviTools VideoWall option. The plug-in will open in the Dockable area as the first tab page (when you restart Vegas the extension will be placed in alphabetical order with other extensions you may have installed).

You are now set to start using the VideoWall extension.

VideoWall Basics

The VideoWall extension will let you add a so called channel for every video track or track event in your project. A VideoWall channel is connected to a video track by track number and event number. The first channel you add will be connected to the first video track, the second to the second track and so on. You can add more channels than there are events in your project but the channels will not be connected to any event. When you add more video events you can connect the channels manually by changing the track number and trackeventnumber properties.

Above you see a screenshot of a VideoWall with two channels added. On the left side of the VideoWall window you see the VideoWall screen, here you add channels and move them around. At the top there is a button bar with several buttons that will let you add and remove channels, among other things. On the right side you see several tab pages, here you can change properties of the added channels, set the initial layout of channels and more.

Quick Start

Start off by adding some video tracks to your project. Now open the VideoWall window and click on the "plus" sign. A new channel is added and if you have a preview window open you can see the effect immediately. Add as many channels as you need. You can set the initial properties of a new channel on the Layout tab page. When you are done adding channels you can begin to layout your videowall. Click a channel to activate it and drag it to a new position on the screen. If you need more precision you can also move the channel by using the arrow keys. To move a channel to a specific position you can change its location in the property grid on the Properties tab page.

The Buttonbar

With the buttons in the button bar you execute most of the primary functions of the VideoWall.

	Add a new channel to the videowall (Keyboard: Add key on the numeric keypad).
	Remove the selected channel from the videowall (Keyboard: Delete key).
	Remove all the channels from the videowall. Also clears the applied videowall settings from the video events.
	Apply the videowall to the connected video events.
	Live Update the videowall. When switched on, everytime you make a change to the videowall layout it will be applied to the connected channels automatically. When switched off you have to apply the changes yourself.
	Keep aspect ratio. When switched on the channel will keep its current aspect ratio when you resize it.
	Show Gridlines.
	Snap to Grid. You can set the grid size at the settings tabpage.
	Save VideoWall. Saves your current videowall to file.
	Load a previously saved videowall.

Channel Properties

Each channel in your videowall has properties which define things like Size, Location, Rotation and so on. We will now discuss these properties in detail.

Name	A name you can use to describe the channel
TrackNumber	The Vegas tracknumber to which the channel applies
TrackEventNumber	The Vegas trackevent number to which the channel applies
Location	X and Y coordinates of the channel
Size	Width and Height of the channel
Rotation	Rotation angle of the channel (in degrees)
MaintainAspectRation	Determines whether the channel will strech the picture when the aspect ratio of the channel differs from the projects aspect ratio
BorderType	The type of Border of the channel
BorderSize	Size of the Border
BorderColor	Color of the Border
BorderBevelAngle	The angle of the bevel of a beveled border
BorderAlphaChannel	Alpha channel transparency of a solid border

Initial Layout

On this tab page you can set the initial properties of a new channel. These include the new channel's dimensions and location and its initial border settings.

Preset Video Walls

With presets you can quickly build some basic videowall configurations. Each preset has its own set of settings with which you can fine-tune the layout of the videowall. When you apply a preset, your current VideoWall will be cleared. Presets include:

Rows and Columns	Build a VideoWall whith a variable amount of rows and columns.
Full Width Rows	This will build a videowall of full width rows that are distributed evenly.
Full Height Columns	This will build a videowall of full heidht columns that are distributed evenly.
Picture in Picture	A Picture in Picture effect in one of the four corners.
Large Picture in Picture	A centered Picture in Picture effect that fill most of the screen.
Dallas	A "Dallas Intro" effect with three columns. The two outer columns are rotated inwards to create the cone shaped column in the middle.

Settings

On the Settings tab page you can modify several user settings. The settings will be saved and restored every session. You can load the default settings or revert to your last saved settings. Available settings are:

Grid horizontal en vertical spacing	Sets the horizontal an vertical spacing of the grid.
Grid color	Sets the color of the grid lines.
Background color	Sets the background color of the VideoWall work area
New channel color	Sets the color of newly added channels
Create channel for each Event	When you check this option, each time you add a channel, it is connected to the next available Video Event. When you uncheck this option newly added channels are connected to the next available Video Track.
Clear unused events	When you check this option, each time you apply the VideoWall all of the Events on the timeline that are not included (i.e. not connected to a channel) will be "cleared". Clearing applies to the Pan/Crop settings on the first frame and any Sony Border settings.
Confirm building preset VideoWall	Check this option to get a confirmation dialog before a preset VideoWall is applied.
Show channel info	Check this option to have the channel's name and Track/Event connection displayed on the channel.