VideoClock Quick Start Connect Limitimer, thetimeprompt, or PerfectCue to the dongle and the dongle to the USB port. (Note: Both the dongle and software are matched to the respective device. Do not mix. Note: As of VideoClock version 075, the same dongle and software can be used for Limitimer and TimePrompt.) Launch the program For convenience, a start screen guides you to open a preset configurations. Each configuration demonstrates a different feature of the video clock. Right click the screen to open the first dialogue box. Click Load Configuration. Select by name any of the screen layouts that are displayed on the intial screen. To make this the default layout that is the layout that will load automatically when the program is launched, click Save Configuration and save with name Default.cfg To Open Display Mode Dialogue, Right click any Video Clock object
Introduction...3 Display Modes...4 Connecting the Dongle...5 Device Setup...6 Display Groups...7 Full Screen Background...9 Image/Logo...10 Time Digits...12 Signal Lights...13 Cues...14 Moving...15 Moving Time Digits...16 Resizing...17 Show Background...18 Translucency...20 Creating Bitmaps...21 Order of Display...22 File Names and Locations...23 Placing VideoClock on the Extended Desktop...24 Resources...24 Count Past Zero...25 Time Digits Translucency...25 Fonts...26
Introduction The VC-2000 is a Cat5 USB dongle that passes serial data from any DSan timer or cue light product to the dongle's companion software application running on a PC*. The software parses the data stream into time and light activation signals and configures a display according to usercontrolled parameters of size, color, background, position and transparency. The resulting graphic output may be displayed alone or on top of other running applications such as PowerPoint. If displayed alone, a window background color may be selected and then this color can be keyed to be transparent so that the output can be mixed with another video signal such as a TV broadcast. Note: Dongle and software are unique for each device do not intermix. (As of Version 075, the same dongle and software can be used for both Limitimer and TImePrompt.)
Display Modes In Window Easily move and resize window Full Screen w/background Mix with other source Full Screen w/o Background Display on top of another application Select Window Color Select Window Color Window is Transparent The default setting is Full Screen w/o Background. Typically, the Video Clock would be in this mode when used in conjuction with a concurrently-running application such as PowerPoint. The Video Clock objects (Time Digits, Signal Lights, Cues, Image/Logo) if enabled would appear on top of all other application windows. Background is defined as the color or image that fills the Video Clock application window behind enabled objects. To use a background color or background image, Right Click any Video Clock image or digits, then Left Click Setup and configure Full Screen Background. See "Full Screen Background" topic below. If Full Screen w/background is selected, the desktop or an running application window will appear under the Video Clock objects, thus they won t be visible. Note: If you are mixing the VGA signal with another video image, you could use the specific background color as a chroma color and make it transparent.)
Connecting the Dongle Connect the VC-2000 dongle to Limitimer via the RS485 (CAT 5) data cable and to the computer via the USB port. When all connections are made and if the selected device (see below) matches the connected device, the dongle s green LED will come on. If the yellow LED lights, this means that there is a problem with the data coming from the connected device. Note: No LED will come on when you are connecting a Cue Light because there is not a continuous data stream. When any of the cue light buttons are pushed, the dongle s green light will come on if there is good data. Version 075 has added the ability to grab a Limitimer data stream over a network connection. You will need DSan part IP-2000X (see http://www.dsan.com/sc/shop/item.asp?itemid=67).
Device Setup Open the Display Mode dialogue box by right clicking a Video Clock object on the screen. Then click Setup. Note: The application name, version number and open configuration file is shown in the title bar. The first grouping is Device Interface. Most likely, you are using the USB Cat-5 dongle. Select USB.
Display Groups Grouping enabled objects allows easy resizing or repositioning. During the setup, you might want to uncheck them.
Full Screen Background Usually a solid color would be used for a Full Screen Background. An image can be used to produce a pattern. The image is automatically re-sized to fill the full screen by one of three selectable methods. Original Image Normal Strech Center Stretch Tile To display a full screen image that is not automatically stretched by the Video Clock software, use an Image/Logo that is created to the actual size of the screen.
Image/Logo A bitmap image is displayed separately or under other Video Clock objects Time Digits, Signal Lights, or Cues. The image may be a logo, a background color or pattern, or a frame for the Time Digits or Signal Lights. The image/logo can be stretched to the entire screen size. Some Images/Logos are included in the program's Images directory To move an Image/Logo, left click it to select. Arrow key clicks move the image about 2% the width of the screen. Ctrl + Arrow key click nudges the image about 1% of the width or height of the screen. There are two options for re-sizing the Image/Logo: Normal and Center. These settings are found in the Setup dialogue box. Normal Stretch : Shift + Arrow keys expands or decreases the image size while maintaining the horizontal and vertical proportions. Center Stretch: Shift + Arrow keys expands or decreases the image in a single dimension by duplicating the pixels found at the center line of the image. Center Stretch Use Center Stretch when adjusting the size of an image that is intended as a frame around Time Digits or Signal Lights. The thickness of the frame will not change.
Note: Create your images/logos at approximately the size you intend to use them. A round edge will become jagged when enlarged. A thin line may disappear when reduced The size of the margin of the background color around an image may be reduced to 0 such that the actual first pixel may be that of the shape iteself, and if Show Background is unchecked, the image shape or part of it will disappear. If Show Background is unchecked, the blue square will be transparenent. Further reduction makes background margin disappear. See Graphics: Transparency for more information. Since the image frame is now the first pixel, it is transparent.
Time Digits Although the digits of most fonts are equal-spaced width, some, especially serif fonts, have 1s that are narrower than other digits. If possible, select an equal-spaced font that is installed on your machine. Windows machines, usually have Courrier or New Courier fonts. This ensures that the Time Digits group does not shift position when the numbers change. The VideoClock installer provides an equal-spaced font that looks like 7-segment LEDs. It is found in the Program Files directory but it must be installed into the Windows Font directory. (Note: The font contains only digits and a colon no letters.) If background is checked, a rectangular background color will surround the digits. In the above example, the background is actually a bitmap. See Signal Lights below. The height of the box is a function of the vertical spacing of the font itself. This space is larger than the digits because the font includes letters such as d and t which are higher and y and p which are lower.
Signal Lights Signal Lights are bitmap images that are displayed under Time Digits and over Images/Logo. Signal Light bitmaps must be prepared as groups of 4 bitmap with these names: VC_Idle.bmp (used when clock is stopped), VC_Green.bmp, VC_Yellow.bmp and VC_Red.bmt. VC_Idle.bmp VC_Green.bmp VC_Yellow.bmp VC_Red.bmp When Show Background is unchecked, blue background of signal lights will be invisible. Sets of Signal Light bitmaps are found in the Signal Lights subdirectory of the Program directory. Signal Light bitmap images should be at approximately the size you intend to use them.
Cues Cues are bitmap images that are displayed in response to signals from connected PerfectCue cue light. Make sure you are using the software and dongle for PerfectCue. Check Device Setup. Note: Because PerfectCue only provides momentary communication to the PC, the VC-2000 dongle will not show connected confirmation light. The connection must be tested. Cue bitmaps must be prepared as groups of 4 bitmaps names: CC_Idle.bmp (used when there is no cue light signal), PC_Green.bmp, PC_Yellow.bmp and PC_Red.bmp. VC_Idle.bmp VC_Green.bmp VC_Yellow.bmp VC_Red.bmp Please observer: VC-Idle.bmp is should have some visible area (shown above as a dot). Without this area, you won t be able to find it on the screen. Recall, to configure, you mush Right Click a bitmap image or digit so you need to find it. When Show Background is unchecked, the background of cues will be invisible. We recommend that for the Idle bitmap, at least a few pixels of a color other than the background be present so that the object can be moved, resized or right-clicked to open the settings dialogue box. Sets of cues bitmaps are found in the Cues subdirectory of the Program directory.
Moving To move any Video Clock object, left click it to select. Then, use the arrow keys to move. Each arrow key click moves an object right/left or up/down by approximately 2% of the screen width. Ctrl + arrow keys provide fine movement about 1% of screen size.
Moving Time Digits The re-sizing behavior of the Time Digits depends on the selected font and whether Show Background is checked. The minimum background size is larger than the digits. This is due to the height of letters of the selected font that have ascenders and descenders. If Show Background is unchecked, you still may not be able to move the digits to the very top or bottom of the screen because of the height of the letters in the selected font, even though the letters are never visible. To enlarge or shrink Time Digits, alternately click the right/up and the left/down arrow keys. Using just the right or up arrows will expand the background in only one dimension but not the digits. Right Arrow only Down Arrow only Up Arrow only Left Arrow only
Resizing Use Shift + Arrow keys to re-size objects. For Signal Lights and Cues, the objects are re-sized without changing the horizontal and vertical proportions.
Show Background The Video Clock treats the first pixel in the upper left corner of a bitmap as the Background Color. Pixels of this color throughout the bitmap can be made transparent by unchecking Show Background. Show Background Checked Show Background Unchecked This function can be used to place a frame around a shape in a bitmap. Show Background Checked Show Background Unchecked Show background can be used to place a color behind Time Digits. Show Background Checked Show Background Unchecked If you are using a square or rectangular image/logo, be sure to check Show Background. Alternatively, place a slightly larger background color around it. The Video Clock looks at the very first pixel and, if Show Background is unchecked, makes all similar pixels in the bitmap, transparent.
Show Background Checked Show Background Unchecked
Translucency Translucency is the measure of the amount of light that passes through an object. Use a high percentage of translucency to allow images underneath a video clock object to show through. Select Solid to make an object completely cover anything underneath it, including another video clock object.* Each object can have a different translucency setting. *The order of video clock objects from top to bottom is: Time Digits, Signal Lights/Cues, Image/Logo, Full Screen Background. Transclucency for the Time Digits and its background cannot be adjusted separately; they have a single control. To place a translucent background underneath solid Time Digits, use an image/logo together with Time Digits whose Show Background control is unchecked.
Creating Bitmaps Bitmaps should be created at approximately the size of their intended use. Small bitmaps that are greatly enlarged show round edges that are jagged. Very large bitmaps tax the computer's processor to move and resize them.
Order of Display All Video Clock objects sit on top of windows of concurrently-running applications such as PowerPoint. Each object may be hidden by unchecking Enable on the Setup dialogue box.
File Names and Locations When the program is downloaded from the DSan Web site, all configuration files reference images relative to the root directory of the program. Images/Logos, Cues, and Time Digits are found in subdirectories of the Program Files group. You may save your own images and configuration files anywhere you like. When you save the configuration, the program will reference the full physical path of files. We recommend that you create directories for images, cues and signal lights under the Program Files directory so you can easily find them. You may name the directory as you like. However, Cues and Signal Lights file names must be named as follows: Cues: PC_Idle.bmp, PC_Green.bmp, PC_Yellow.bmp and PC_Red.bmp Signal Lights: VC_Idle.bmp, VC_Green.bmp, VC_Yellow.bmp and VC_Red.bmp
Placing VideoClock on the Extended Desktop Frst, a word of explanation. The Video Clock is actually sitting in a window. But that window is invisible. When you move the bitmap around the screen, you are actually moving it around the application window. What you have to do is move the window itself onto the extended desktop. In Window Select Window Color Full Screen w/background Full Screen w/o Background Mix with other source Display on top of another application Select Window Color Window is Transparent The default setting is Full Screen w/o Background. Typically, the Video Clock would be in this mode when used in conjuction with a concurrently-running application such as PowerPoint. The Video Clock objects (Time Digits, Signal Lights, Cues, Image/Logo) if enabled would appear on top of all other application windows. Background is defined as the color or image that fills the Video Clock application window behind enabled objects. To use a background color or background image, click Setup and configure Full Screen Background. See "Full Screen Background" topic below. If Full Screen w/background is selected, the desktop or an running application window will appear under the Video Clock objects. Right Click the Video Clock object to open the Display Mode dialogue box. Select In Window for the Window Mode and Background Style. Click "Close". Now that you can see the application window, drag the window to the extended desktop. Grab the title bar with the mouse cursor and move right. When the window is on the extended desktop, go back to the Display Mode dialogue box (right click) and reselect Full Screen w/o Background. The Video Clock object should be where you want it. As you move it around, remember that you can move it around only within the invisible window which is on the extended desktop. Resources Visit www.dsan.com/videoclock for software updates, user forums, new bitmaps, and answers to questions.
Count Past Zero If unchecked, digits will stop at 0:00 although the connected timer still continue to count. Time Digits Translucency Translucency settings apply to both the text and text background color. If you wish a translucent background color and solid Time Digits, use a rectangular logo/image. Adjust its size and location behind the Time Digits and set its transparency. This is the way to place a background with rounded corners behind Time Digits. Image/Logo: Uncheck Time Digits : Uncheck Show Background Show Background Translucency = 60% + Result
Fonts It's important to select equal-spaced fonts for the time display. For printed materials, proportional spacing is preferred. However, with the Video Clock, the numbers are constantly changing and it the width of each character is different, the position of the time digits will appear to jump left and right. In addtion, the Video Clock pads the left most digit with a space when the Time Remaining or Elapsed Time is less than 10:00. Most fonts use a space character that is slightly smaller than other characters. Most fonts loaded into Windows-based PCs use number digits that are equal-spaced. Video Clock users are urged to select these. They include, Arial, Courier and New Courier. Equal-spaced LED style fonts with an appropriately sized space character and a narrow-spaced colon are available for download on the DSan Web site at www.dsan.com/videoclock. LED_Style_Oblique.ttf LED_Style_Bold.ttf