Custom Vdeo FX in QLab5

[Tommy]

Hi.
Is it no longer possible to apply custom self-made video effects in QLab 5 as it was in the Quartz Composer days?
Or are there any plans to be able to add effects with own shaders (ISFs, MSLs, etc.)?

[Chris Ashworth]

Hi Tommy,

That’s correct; Quartz Composer is not supported in Metal and so we necessarily had to leave it out of the new engine.

We considered a few alternatives for custom effects but for now have focused on expanding the number of built-in effects, chaining multiple effects, adding blend modes, etc.

That said, this is an area about which we’re expecting (and interested) to hear feedback. 

In particular we’re interested in specific descriptions of scenarios for which you need effects.

Best,

Chris

[Kinetic Screen]

Having already suggested to Sam the need for feathering with the Window and Shutter effects (As well as suggested it for the overall Crop functions as well) it also ocurred to me now that a really useful effect would be border stroke and drop shadow. In fact, essentially the standard Layer Effects that are in Photoshop / After Effects would be good, but at a punch being able to add a border and drop shadow seem to be particularly useful.

ie if you're adding a video as a PiP by either resizing or cropping it down, then adding a box around its edge, and a drop shadow onto whatever it is sitting on top of....

[Scott Flanagan]

I agree with the above. The way I use Qlab in corporate events, changes are common up until the doors open. I might have to throw in a logo at the last minute, or change lower third text, and the more I can do inside Qlab, the better.

I had actually made a feather mask effect and a drop shadow effect in Quartz Composer for Lab 4. 

Effects I would love to see:

A soft-edge crop/mask effect - maybe even with ellipses and other geometric shapes

A drop/inner shadow effect

An inner/outer glow effect

An alpha stroke effect

Some type of gradient overlay that could effect the color, or the alpha of a layer

Also, it would be useful to be able to have an effects stack on output. Not sure if this would be best at the stage level, the output route level, or the output device level.

[Dan Light]

I'd love to be able to add a custom LUT to a camera input. Would be a great way to quickly colour grade. 

[Tommy]

After using QLab 5 for a year, I particularly feel the need for the following effects:

 -4 Side Blur Crop (An evolved version of the Shutter FX. I'd like to be able to individually set the blurriness for each of the four crop sides. It would be even better if four-point keystone correction if possible.)
 -Drop Shadow
 -Applying LUTs (.cube or .png)
 -Color adjustment through curves (similar to Photoshop or After Effects)

Additionally, for users like me who use the platform for video output, I really wish for the return of an environment where we can easily develop the effects and transitions we need, much like Quartz Composer in versions prior to QLab 4. Even with Resolume, which I use alongside QLab, I was at a loss after it discontinued the use of QC files, but regained flexibility through the acquisition of Wire.
BTW, here's a part of the effects I created using Wire and FFGL:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsE4xEOZVLjQ8wt7kj3TmW35fdaU3Ld6e

While I'm not necessarily expecting all of these features, it would be great if we could develop to some extent on our own, perhaps in a node-based environment.

Thanks.

[Chris Ashworth]

Thanks Tommy!  I’ve added this to our tracker for this issue.

-C

[Tommy]

Thank you, Chris!
With the addition of these features, I believe the number of QLab users will skyrocket. I'm looking forward to their implementation!

Regards,.
Tommy

[Tommy]

It would be nice if we could perform basic 4-point correction in VideoFX.
That way, we wouldn't have to create a separate Stage just for that.
Even better, however, would be if we could directly grab and manipulate each of the 4 points within the Geometry tab.
Similar to what Millumin or MadMapper offer. (no need for Bézier curves)

Best regards,

Tommy

[micpool]

I agree that a four-point corner pin Video effect would be a really useful addition and a great alternative to the current Keystone Correction Effect, which I find almost impossible to control.

Mic

[Tommy]

Thank you Mic!

If MSL (Metal Shading Language) could be handled within QLab, I think I could create effects and such myself, though :D

[Chris Ashworth]

Hi Tommy,

Can you describe how you’d want to use this on a cue directly, and how that is different / better from doing it on a stage?

Thanks,

C

[micpool]

One classic use case for a corner pin effect is an opening door. A video cue  Corner Pin Video FX set to the closed position could be faded to the open position, as simulated  in the attached video

Mic

[micpool]

Or projecting on an 'Es Devlin' style rotating cube set.

[Tommy]

Hello again!

Boinx Software, well-known for mimoLive app or After Effects plugins (integrated with FxFactory), appears to be developing a successor to Quartz Composer based on Metal/Vulkan, called 'mimoComposer'.

https://www.youtube.com/live/kHuL5gXl8Qk?si=W7CyPF-MMLhxbMXM&t=3645

Their approach of making it compatible with existing QC files is commendable. It's currently at the very early beta stage, just starting distribution, and there are various hurdles ahead such as licensing issues or whether it will become open source. However, the indication that the freedom of custom effect/generator/transition development seen up to QLab4, now armed with Metal, might be revived is very exciting!

Is there a possibility that this framework (or others) will be integrated again in QLab5 or later, similar to how 'Vuo' or 'Wire' serve for VDMX or Resolume?

Thanks

[Chris Ashworth]

Thanks for sharing this Tommy!  What an exciting project for Boinx to be working on.

From the video it sounds like they have a ways to go before they would know whether they are making this technology available to other companies, but this is a great thing for us to keep an eye on to see how it develops.

-C

[Tommy]

In fact, since their applications and plugins really relied on QC as their lifeline, I believe they are working hard on development. I've also joined their Discord. According to them:

'For the future, the sky isn't the limit. We would love to be able to involve the community in taking this forward. We do have some concerns about the licensing:

1) We do not want to enable competition for mimoLive. Alternatively, if we find a way to become independent of mimoLive revenue, we can let go of that.
2) We need to make this project sustainable. Either we find a way to make it an open source project with other developers pitching in with resources, or we need to find some way to create revenue to pay for the development.'

In my head, I keep thinking about Wire, which was absorbed (or maybe acquired) by Resolume a few years ago. LOL