Typing Text

[Nick Pollock]

I tried to search if this has been attempted, but is there a recommended way to create typing texts (like a typewriter, where the text comes out being typed) in Qlab 3. I have used Title Slides, but I have never needed to have them look like they were typing. If this can't be done directly in Qlab, is there another recommended program which can do it?

Thanks 

[GuruRo]

You can make that in Keynote, record the slideshow and than export it as a QTime and import it in Qlab.

[Chris Ashworth]

Nick,

QLab won’t be the easiest place to accomplish this effect, but the release I just pushed out (3.1.11) includes a new OSC method that could be used to accomplish it a little more gracefully than in 3.1.10.

The new method allows you to edit the “live” text of a cue, which means it’ll change what it displays but it won’t mark the workspace as edited. If the cue is reset the text will be reset to what is shown in the inspector.

Thus, you could theoretically do something like create a series of OSC cues that target the workspace and update the text one letter at a time.

However, the easiest method is probably just generating the effect elsewhere and importing it as a video.

[Nick Pollock]

Thanks. I will try Keynote. I am working it now and it should be fine. Thanks So Much

[Geep Howell]

I had to create this effect for a show involving telegrams to relatives during WW2.  

The director wanted a projection of the telegram being typed out letter by letter informing the family of a deceased serviceman of the death.  I used Photoshop, a telegraph form jpeg, and a lot of laborious creating of one frame for each letter and space.  A good deal of the text could be used multiple times, but each of the 19 telegrams had to eventually be personalized with the right name.  It was very time consuming but looked great once finished. The projection was accompanied by the sound of a Model 15 teletype machine clacking away.

The show was an original play written by the director about the little town of Bedford, VA, which sustained the most casualties per capita of any US town or city during the D-Day invasion. Nineteen Bedford Boys died on D-Day, so the impact of all those telegrams coming in one by one was pretty devastating to a town which had only 3,200 residents.  The National D Day Memorial is in Bedford.

I hope you find a better method.

Geep

HH Audio

On May 6, 2015, at 3:12 AM, GuruRo <gurur...@gmail.com> wrote:

You can make that in Keynote, record the slideshow and than export it as a QTime and import it in Qlab.

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[Rich Walsh]

We used to have to write our own software to do this:

http://www.totaltheater.com/?q=node/319

Rich

[micpool]

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 3:14:43 PM UTC+1, Chris Ashworth wrote:

QLab won’t be the easiest place to accomplish this effect,

Of course it's easy. Here you go, although I used the old OSC text address, There is clearly something I am not understanding about the liveText thing, I couldn't get it to work.

Someone else can tidy up the sound. It needs a space bar when it types spaces and a carriage return on line ends.

Mic 

[Tom Hafner]

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 7:07:44 PM UTC+2, micpool wrote:

Of course it's easy. Here you go, although I used the old OSC text address, There is clearly something I am not understanding about the liveText thing, I couldn't get it to work.

Someone else can tidy up the sound. It needs a space bar when it types spaces and a carriage return on line ends.

this is great, was wondering how to do this, just added "stop target when done" to the fade cue

cheers, Tom 

[micpool]

On Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 3:45:21 AM UTC+1, Tom Hafner wrote:

this is great, was wondering how to do this, just added "stop target when done" to the fade cue

Yes Indeed,  and it's also worth adding a stop instruction to the top of the script, so it can be retriggered. 

It's also worth  making all reference in the script to the cue numbered "TYPE",  a variable, so if  you have lots of these title cues you can just change 1 line in each script to have it refer to a different cue.

set thecuenumber to "TYPE" -- cue number of Titles cue this script controls

set speed to 0.2 -- gap between typed characters in seconds

tell application id "com.figure53.qlab.3" to tell front workspace

stop cue thecuenumber

set thetext to notes of cue thecuenumber

set thecount to number of characters in thetext

set the text of cue thecuenumber to " "

start cue thecuenumber

repeat with i from 1 to thecount

set thetype to text 1 thru i of thetext

set custom message of cue "LIVE" to "/cue/" & thecuenumber & "/text \"" & thetype & "\""

delay speed

start cue "SND"

start cue "LIVE"

end repeat

end tell

The script cue and the Titles cue it controls can also be grouped so that they can be conveniently copied and pasted. After copying a group and pasting it you need to give a new number for the Titles cue in the pasted group and change the first line of the script cue to refer to this number .e.g.T2

I have attached a revised workspace.

Mic

[Chris Ashworth]

Hm, what wasn’t working? I edited your script from this line:

set custom message of cue "LIVE" to "/cue/TYPE/text \"" & thetype & "\""

To this line:

set custom message of cue "LIVE" to "/cue/TYPE/liveText \"" & thetype & "\""

And it works beautifully. (Great script!)

On May 6, 2015 at 1:07:49 PM, micpool (m...@micpool.com) wrote:

Of course it's easy. Here you go, although I used the old OSC text address, There is clearly something I am not understanding about the liveText thing, I couldn't get it to work.

[micpool]

For me the text is persisting after the cue is reset even though the  text inspector has reverted back to the empty string set at the top of the applescript

i.e 

I run my cue 

Press ESC ESC

Select Titles cue. There is no text in Inspector. Press V Text appears on screen. Screenshot attached.

Mic

[Chris Ashworth]

Ah, in this case “reset” has a specific meaning that is different from “stopped” or “panicked and stopped”.

It doesn’t show up in too many cues, but “reset” is a separate action that is more forceful than stopping, and restores state to an original condition.  

It’s used here and when re-targeting cues.

Thus you’d need to press the reset all button in the right panel or use a reset cue to reset it.

-C

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[micpool]

Does it on your system??

The big reset top right doesn't fix it for me . Neither does a reset cue targeting the main cuelist. (Nor does Load)

Mic

[Chris Ashworth]

On May 7, 2015 at 10:37:17 AM, micpool (m...@micpool.com) wrote:

Does it on your system??

Yes — it does, although for a moment I had thought it wasn’t because I hadn’t re-edited your script to be editing the “liveText” property.  

Maybe double check that you’re modifying the liveText property prior to reset?

-C

[micpool]

Ha Ha

That's probably the most subtle way of saying Mic, you are an idiot who has edited the OSC cue and not the Script cue that writes it's custom message, which would be correct!

Shouldn't load reset it though?.  And if it has to be specifically reset, then you have to explicitly set it to something at the top of the  script (or reset it there) , in case the operator has stopped it,  with ESC ,the last time it was run. And if you are doing that, I am not quite seeing the advantage between text and liveText addresses.

Mic

[Chris Ashworth]

On May 7, 2015 at 11:01:45 AM, micpool (m...@micpool.com) wrote:

Ha Ha

That's probably the most subtle way of saying Mic, you are an idiot who has edited the OSC cue and not the Script cue that writes it's custom message, which would be correct!

Ha, well, for what it’s worth I did the exact same thing at first. :-)

Shouldn't load reset it though?  And if it has to be specifically reset, then you have to explicitly set it to something at the top of the  script (or reset it there) , in case the operator has stopped it,  with ESC ,the last time it was run. And if you are doing that, I am not quite seeing the advantage between text and liveText addresses.

The general idea with reset is to have a state available that is “stickier” than normal adjustments. Normal state get set back to the default on load, but for things we want to be stickier (such as the control flow defined by retargeting cues) the idea is to make that more resilient.

That said, perhaps the “live” state is something that should only require a load, and not a reset. Seems reasonable.

-C

[micpool]

New version of this now in The Qlab Cook Book

http://qlabcookbook.com/1989/01/25/qlab-manual-typewriter/

Have added spacebar, bell and carriage return sounds to make it all rather jolly.

Mic

[Chris Ashworth]

On further reflection and discussion, we think the “live" text should indeed only be changed back to the initial state on an explicit reset.  This allows for re-running the cue with the most recent change after it is stopped, which otherwise wouldn’t be possible.  And if you need to reset the state, there’s a command for that.

[Thomas Quinn]

Hi All,

on this same line of thinking... has anyone ever tried to put together an iphone message type thing? where you could "see" a scripted conversation being "typed" back and forth?

I'll embark on building something based off this wonderful genius by Mic if not, but figured I'd ask before reinventing the wheel.

Thanks!

------------------------------------
Tom Quinn
T...@battle4heaven.com
877-793-5175
www.battle4heaven.com

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[Andrew Moyer]

For the 2015 Canadian Juno Awards during the Sean Mendes performance (https://youtu.be/tJ6FlzvdTYk) they used video feeds from 8 iPhones going out via AirPlay to 8 AppleTV units that were then shown on the LED panels on stage. So if you can get the AppleTV feed into Syphon it could then appear in QLab. Ready and Go!

Andrew

[Andrew Moyer]

Actually you just need AirServer to mirror the AirPlay feed and it can create a Syphon server that can then be added to QLab as a Camera feed.  AirServer costs $18.99 (Canadian) at the moment.

[micpool]

Two further thoughts on this.

At present, the only other live OSC command (liveRate) resets after each use (It doesn't even alter the inspector display for the cue)

In relation to Mike Post's recent request for a hotkey method to allow preview of  a video cue set at an initial 0% opacity, a live OSC method would be very useful here to make a temporary change in opacity, but again would only be useable if, like liveRate, it reset when the cue was reloaded.

If, as you have previously indicated, more Live OSC methods are under consideration e.g live levels etc, shouldn't they work consistently with respect to reset behaviour?

Mic

[Chris Ashworth]

Ah, yes, I see your point.  Hm. I agree it needs to be consistent one way or the other.

Not sure which one seems the right way to go across all cues...

[Gary Maguire]

This typewriter effect is exactly what I am looking for, but would anyone know how I would need to edit this script so that the text direction would be reversed i.e. so the text would appear to be typing from right to left.

Thanks

Gary

[micpool]

Not clear what you are asking. are you tyoing in a language that reads right to left, or do you want English words typed backwards. Or do you want them scrolling in from the right edge one character at a time?

Mic

[Gary Maguire]

I want an english sentence for example "Hello, how are you" to be typed from right to left in a backward order. So the first letter to appear will be the u, followed by an o and then a y. The idea is to replicate how a word processor types where the first line is typed left to right then it jumps down and types right to left and so on. 

Gary

[micpool]

Much of this can be achieved by changing the titles cue to right justified and changing a line in the script

from

set thetype to text 1 thru i of thetext

to

set thetype to text thecount thru (thecount - i) of the text

Mic

[Anahita Dehbonehie]

hey!  

this is awesome, how can i change the font of the typed text?