# Welcome to the TACHYON Documentation ## Welcome! ## Get Started {% content-ref url="/pages/-MYzMl4iSy5hQgdJDgjP" %} [USER GUIDE](/user-guide/1.-prerequisites) {% endcontent-ref %} ## V11 is now available! {% content-ref url="/pages/Ko4f3v7tPC7lsniAgn9m" %} [TACHYON - V11.1 Release Note](/user-guide/tachyon-v11.1-release-note) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/xVU8iccPvzwMiWCbZwaO" %} [TACHYON Learning walkthrough](/tachyon-learning/tachyon-learning-walkthrough) {% endcontent-ref %} # TACHYON Learning walkthrough {% embed url="" %} # 1. Prerequisites # Before Starting TACHYON (Licensed Version) ## TACHYON Installation TACHYON is pre-installed on the servers you acquired. Some circumstances might force you to perform a new install of TACHYON. {% hint style="success" %} VYV recommends to use the VYV Network Assistant to perform software installation. Read the following sections to learn how to use the VYV Network Assistant to install TACHYON. {% endhint %} ## VYV Network Assistant Installation The VYV Network Assistant is an external tool that runs independently of TACHYON. It allows you to perform the following tasks over a network: * manage the version of TACHYON you are using; * install and uninstall different versions of TACHYON; * manage your TACHYON Projects; * start TACHYON with arguments (for example, no UI or no splash screen on startup); * restart TACHYON; * quit TACHYON; * reboot the server; * shutdown the server. {% hint style="info" %} All of the above actions can be propagated across the network on any number of connected servers. {% endhint %} The VYV Network Assistant makes it possible to automatically launch a specific version of TACHYON and start a specific project after Windows boots. 1. After retrieving the installer (.exe) — downloaded from our website, or sent to you by someone from VYV— double click on the (.exe) file. (You might have to answer a Windows security question.) 2. Click on the **`Install`** button, wait for the installation process to complete, then click on the **`Finish`** button. A window will open right away, asking you to start the VYV Network Assistant. ![](/files/-MZT5dokQc8rh3C__apG) ## Network Configuration TACHYON servers **must reside on the same network**. Make sure your servers and network switch share the same network prefix and subnet number (the first 3 octets in the IP address). Servers should be connected through a network switch. The network switch’s host number (last octet in the IP address) should be 1. The network switch will probably use a browser-based interface to allow parameter modifications. The **host numbers** for the servers should range from **2–254**. {% hint style="success" %} VYV recommends the **assignation of static IP addresses to servers** in order to facilitate troubleshooting. Servers should resign on a dedicated network, since critical data such as sync, external control and image content will transit through it. {% endhint %} ## Remote Install or Uninstall Once all of the servers are communicating on the same network and have fully functional versions of the VYV Network Assistant installed, you will be able to execute the following actions on all servers from one server using the VYV Network Assistant’s interface. {% hint style="info" %} The TACHYON versions directory is located under …\VYV\TACHYON\versions\\... {% endhint %} ### Install a New Version of TACHYON 1. Select the servers on which you will install a new version of TACHYON by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list. 2. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green ✔ check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name. Select **{Tools > Remote Install...}** from the menu bar OR press **`Alt`****+****`I`** to open the Remote Installation pop-up window. 3. Click on the **`...`** button to open a Windows file dialog. 4. Select the TACHYON installer (.exe) and click on **`Open`**. A confirmation box will appear showing the list of servers where you will remotely install TACHYON. 5. Click on **`Yes`** if you want to proceed, or **`Cancel`** if you don’t. Installation progress will be indicated in the Status column. The newly installed version of TACHYON will be available in the System Configuration pop-up window. ![](/files/-MZT5dolUR_en6roWK0A) ### Uninstall a version of TACHYON 1. Select the servers targeted for the uninstall TACHYON process by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list. 2. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green ✔ check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name. 3. Select **{Tools > Remote Uninstall...}** from the menu bar OR press **`Alt`****+****`U`** to open the Remote Uninstall pop-up window. 4. Select TACHYON in the **{Product}** dropdown menu. 5. Select the TACHYON version you want to uninstall from the **{Version}** dropdown menu. 6. A confirmation box will appear showing you the list of servers targeted for the Remote Uninstall process. Click on **`Yes`** if you want to proceed, or **`Cancel`** if you don’t. ![](/files/-MZT5domcGRcxDFu7ypv) ## Project Configuration Project configuration will allow you to select which version of TACHYON will run on your Server Group. It will also allow you to create new TACHYON Projects or load previous ones. A TACHYON Project consists of an independent set of folders that contain important files such as media content, 3D models, saves, and various configurations targeting network and third party hardware. Keep in mind that a new Project will not have access to the files used in previous Projects. Once you have selected the desired configuration options (see below), click on **`Apply`** to propagate the changes over the network or **`Cancel`** to discard them. {% hint style="info" %} The TACHYON Project directory is located under …\VYV\TACHYON\projects\\... {% endhint %} ### Configuration Procedure 1. Select the servers you want to configure by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list. Project configuration will be pushed across the network to all of the selected servers. 2. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green ✔ check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name. 3. Select **{Tools > Configure...}** from the menu bar OR press **`Alt`****+****`C`** to open the System Configuration pop-up window. 4. Select TACHYON from the **{Product}** dropdown menu. ![](/files/-MZT5donDKfNBQa0Yanc) ### Create a new TACHYON Project 1. Select **{New…}** at the top of the **{Project}** dropdown menu. 2. Type the name of your Project in the text box. ### Load an existing TACHYON Project * Select the Project you want to use from the **{Project}** dropdown menu. ### **Launch TACHYON with Arguments** Arguments instruct TACHYON to perform special operations when the program is launched. Arguments can be selected in the System Configuration window. 1. Select **{Tools > Configure…}** from the main menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`C`** to open the System Configuration window. 2. Arguments can also be manually typed into the Arguments text box, OR added by clicking on the **`+`** button. The **`+`** button will open the Command Line Arguments pop-up window. 3. Select the desired arguments from the list by checking their boxes. When selected, the arguments will be identified by a green ✔ check mark. This will push the selected arguments to all of the servers via the network. ![](/files/-MZT5doo2_FewYe8jiEi) #### **Available Arguments** **Hide User Interface (UI) on Startup** The UI will not appear on startup, but it can be accessed by pressing the **`Tab`** key. This option might be useful if your server is a Display Master Server and you are using all of its video outputs to display video content. **Keep Taskbar** The Windows taskbar **usually disappears** when TACHYON launches and reappears when it is closed. Selecting the Keep Taskbar option will make the Windows taskbar available. **Keep Windows 7 Aero** This argument is only pertinent when using a legacy version of TACHYON. \ TACHYON only runs on Windows 10 & 11. **Disable OptiTrack Cameras** This argument is only pertinent when using [PHOTON](https://www.vyv.ca/products/photon/), [XENON ](https://www.vyv.ca/products/xenon/)or [ALBION](https://www.vyv.ca/products/albion/). \ TACHYON does not accept OptiTrack cameras input. **Disable Splash Screen** This option will prevent TACHYON’s splash screen from being displayed on startup. **Subnet** The subnet is used to force the network adapter used to communicate between Tachyons. By putting the subnet based IP address in this field, VYV network assistant will overwrite the windows settings on boot and select the desired network adapter to connect Tachyon servers. > **Example:** If you are utilizing 172.17.1.100/24 as the IP address for Tachyon network, put in 172.17.1.0 in this field to force the binding of that address. {% hint style="warning" %} For windows 7 machines, sometimes the selected adapter used for Tachyon communication will be overwritten by the built in windows priority. {% endhint %} ### Network Settings #### **Adapter** Defining the Network Interface Card (NIC) that will be used for VYV Network assistant communication #### **Use Multicast** This option is used for discovery and communication between VYV Network assistants via Multicast. ### **Startup/Shutdown Options** #### **VYV Network Assistant Autolaunch** If you want the VYV Network Assistant to automatically start after Windows launches, check the box in front of “Run Network Assistant on System startup” (a green check ✔ mark will appear). #### **TACHYON Autolaunch** If you want TACHYON to automatically start after the VYV Network Assistant launches, check the box in front of “Run Local Target when Network Assistant starts” (a green check mark will appear). #### **Autolaunch and Shutdown Delays** If you want to delay TACHYON’s launch after the VYV Network Assistant’s boot procedure, change the value (seconds) in the Run Local Target Timeout(s) slider. > **Example:** this could be useful if you have network latency problems (i.e. the network switch is slow to wake up). {% hint style="warning" %} This timeout is only applied if TACHYON is auto-launched using parameters set by the VYV Network Assistant. {% endhint %} If you want TACHYON to shutdown after the VYV Network Assistant’s launch, change the value (seconds) in the Quit Local Target Timeout(s) slider. > Example: This could be useful if the Project you are working on uses a lot of memory and needs more time to complete a Default Save procedure. {% hint style="info" %} When TACHYON quits, the software automatically saves in the Default Save file. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} This timeout is only applied if TACHYON quits by means of a command sent by the VYV Network Assistant. {% endhint %} ## Graphic Card Configuration NVIDIA’s Mosaic technology allows the creation of a large virtual canvas regrouping all of the connected displays by combining them into one large screen. This larger unique canvas reduces the impact on performance when using 2D or 3D applications in a multiple display context. TACHYON will still be able to identify each video output as an individual screen. {% hint style="info" %} NVIDIA Mosaic is a requirement for maximum performance when using TACHYON. {% endhint %} Follow the steps listed below to build a Mosaic display group. ### Before Opening the NVIDIA Control Panel 1. Physically connect the video displays (projectors, monitors, LED screens, etc.) to the server. 2. Make sure video signal reaches all of the displays by changing the desktop color: 3. Click on the \[Windows Start] button and select {Settings > Appearance & Personalization}. 4. Select Background from the menu at the left of the window. 5. Select {Solid color} from the Background dropdown menu and choose a bright color. 6. You should see bright color in all displays. {% hint style="info" %} When TACHYON starts, the desktop background will automatically turn black. {% endhint %} 7. Check the Windows Display settings to make sure all of your displays are identified. 8. **Right-click** anywhere on the Windows desktop background and select **{Display settings}** from the contextual menu, OR click on the **`Windows Start`** button and select **{Settings > System > Display}**. 9. You should see all of the displays that are connected. Display numbering starts at 1. 10. The Display settings window allows the modification of many parameters. You will need to set correctly the resolution, orientation and desktop spanning for each of the connected displays: 11. Select a display by clicking on its numbered representation. 12. Select the appropriate size in the Display resolution dropdown menu. The same size should be selected for all connected displays in order to be able to complete the Mosaic configuration. 13. Select **{Landscape}** in the Orientation dropdown menu. 14. Select **{Extend desktop to this display}** from the Multiple displays dropdown menu. 15. Repeat these previous steps with all connected displays. {% hint style="warning" %} Make sure the appropriate display is selected as the main display by checking the box located in the Multiple display section. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZT5dopxeWF8iSuhy98) ### Open the NVIDIA Control Panel * **Right-click** anywhere on the Windows desktop background and select NVIDIA Control Panel from the contextual menu, OR click on the **`Windows Start`** button and select **{NVIDIA Control Panel}** from the app list. ### Manage the 3D Settings 1. Select **{Manage 3D Settings}** in the “Select a Task…” list under **{3D Settings}**. Make sure the Global Settings tab is selected. 2. Select “Workstation App - Dynamic Streaming” in the **{Global Presets}** dropdown menu. 3. In the Settings list below: 1. set the Power Management Mode to “Prefer maximum performance”; 2. set Triple Buffering to “On.” 3. If you make any changes click on the **`Apply`** button. ![](/files/-MZT5doqN8vHAaVe3K4S) ### Change Resolution 1. Select **{Change Resolution}** in the “Select a Task…” list under **{Display**}. 2. You should see all of your connected displays represented as small icons that look like monitor screens. By selecting these icons you can adjust the resolution, refresh rate and depth of color for each video output. Make sure that all of your video outputs have the same parameters (both for resolution and frequency rate). 3. If you make any changes click on the **`Apply`** button. An “Apply Changes” confirmation box with a 17-second timeout will appear. Click on **`Yes`** to apply changes, OR **`No`** to cancel changes. {% hint style="warning" %} To set up a Mosaic display group, all of your video outputs must be set at the same resolution and refresh rate. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZT5dorauwkqwbPVVQr) ### Adjust the Color Settings 1. Select **{Change Resolution}** in the “Select a Task…” list under **{Display}**. 2. Select the display you want to change. 3. Select the “**Use NVIDIA color settings**” radio button located beneath section “3. Apply the following settings.” 4. Select **{Full}** from the Output dynamic range dropdown menu. 5. **Repeat** steps 2, 3 and 4 for each display. {% hint style="danger" %} If you are using **HDMI** or **DP** connectors, it is crucial that you set correctly the Output dynamic range. Not doing so might result in altered image content in the brighter and darker areas. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZT5dosZuj8pfOs1i6y) ### View System Topology 1. Select **{View System Topology}**. {% hint style="info" %} The Quadro cards feature Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) management. (Please refer to for more info.) EDID management allows you to force a similar behavior on all of your video outputs by pushing the same manufacturer's metadata onto them. This will allow you to hot swap displays without breaking the Mosaic configuration, while facilitating its creation. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZT5dottqjtBx6yAUiV) 2. Select **{View System Topology}** in the “Select a Task…” list under **{Workstation}**. 3. Select any of the EDID links in the Settings column of the System Topology table. This will open the Manage EDID window: #### **Export** Export will allow you to grab the EDID in a (.txt) file from a display connected to the graphic card. 1. Select the Export tab. 2. In the Select Connector to Export EDID list, select the display from which you want to export the EDID. 3. Click on the **`Export EDID`** button at the bottom of the window. A Save As window will open and allow you to select the destination where the file will be saved. 4. Name your text file. 5. Click on the **`Save`** button. #### **Load** The Load tab will allow you to load the EDID onto all of the selected displays, forcing all of the video outputs to use the same manufacturer's metadata. 1. Select the Load tab. 2. Click on the **`Browse`** button at the top of the window. 3. An Open Windows file dialog will prompt you to select the EDID file (.txt) you want to load. 4. Click on the **`Open`** button. 5. In the Select Connector to Force EDID list, select the displays you want to load the EDID onto by checking the boxes beside their name. 6. Click on the **`Load EDID`** button. 7. You will see a black flash in the connected displays. 8. A pop-up will confirm the Load procedure was successful. 9. Click on the **`OK`** button. {% hint style="danger" %} Don’t load EDID in video outputs that aren’t connected to a display, as it might create **ghost video outputs.** {% endhint %} #### **Unload** The Unload tab allows you to remove a Forced EDID from the selected video outputs to regain the original display’s metadata. 1. Select the Unload tab if you wish to do so. 2. In the Select Connector to Unload EDID list, select the displays from which you want to unload Forced EDIDs by checking the boxes beside their name. 3. Click on the **`Unload EDID`** button. 4. You will see a black flash in the connected displays. 5. A pop-up window will confirm the Unload procedure was successful. 6. Click on the **`OK`** button. Once all of the connected video outputs have the same EDID, go back to Change Resolution. Make sure each display has the same resolution and refresh rate. ### Set Up the Mosaic Display Group Now you are ready to set up the Mosaic display group. 1. Select **{Set Up Mosaic}** from the “Select a Task…” list under **{Workstation}**. 2. Click on the “Create new configuration” link. This will open the NVIDIA Mosaic set up window. Follow the next steps to established the Mosaic display group: ### Create a Mosaic Display Group 1. Select Topology tab 2. Select the number of displays you want to include in the Mosaic display group with the help of the dedicated dropdown menu. {% hint style="warning" %} **You must include all of the available video outputs in the Mosaic configuration.** {% endhint %} 3. Select the Topology — how the displays will be positioned on the grid — with the help of the dedicated dropdown menu. {% hint style="warning" %} **Always use a single row topology (1 X ...) because TACHYON works through horizontal screen spanning.** {% endhint %} 4. Select the display Orientation with the help of the dedicated dropdown menu. {% hint style="warning" %} **Always use Landscape even if your project includes rear projections or projectors set up in portrait format. TACHYON will automatically manage these cases.** {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} For the maximum and minimum GPU topology, this is a feature that only matters if mixing different Quadro GPU models. This should be set to Maximum GPU Topology, but it doen not matter since Tachyon does not support mixing GPUs models in one machine. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZT5douqLGcUCCCCaYK) 3. If your screens are listed correctly and placed in the right order, you can immediately check the box next to “I am using the recommended connections for the selected topology” and click on the **`Enable Mosaic`** button. This will open the “Apply Changes” confirmation window. If the Mosaic display group seems to be set up correctly, click on the **`Yes`** button. You should be ready to launch TACHYON now. If not, click on the **`No`** button and go through the next steps. ### Display Mosaic Setup 1. Select Displays tab 2. All of the available displays listed underneath “Displays for Mosaic” should already be checked. If not, check the boxes next to their names. 3. Select the desired refresh rate in the **{Refresh Rate}** dropdown menu. Match the one specified earlier in the Display settings. 4. Select the desired resolution in the **{Resolution Per Display}** dropdown menu. Match the one specified earlier in the Display settings. 5. Click on the **`Next`** button. ![](/files/-MZT5dov0wcZKOZHlmH8) ### Organizing display 1. Select Arrange Displays tab 2. Arrange the displays by dragging them from the top of the panel to the white rectangles located in the bottom section. This will set their position in the Mosaic large canvas. 3. You can also type the display numbers into the white rectangles and press **`Enter`**. {% hint style="info" %} Each display is identified by the large number in the top-left corner {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZT5dowzafYFjta51hJ) ### Display Number As mentioned above, displays are identified by numbers. The numbers indicate the order in which the displays are connected to the graphics card: * display #1 is connected to the output port closest to the motherboard * display #2 is connected to the next output port, and so on. This system for prioritizing displays by using numbers that represent their proximity to the motherboard applies to the other output ports as well. The small-number pairs displayed in the lower-left corner of the displays represented are another element of this prioritization system. * The first number (before the comma) represents the hierarchical position of the graphics card (starting at 0). * The second number (after the comma) represents the hierarchical position of the output ports on the graphic card (starting at 0). 1. When the displays are in the correct order, click on the **`Apply`** button. An “Applying Changes” loading bar will appear, and you will see a black flash in all of the connected displays. (This might take a while.) 2. An “Apply Changes” confirmation window will appear. Click **`Yes`** to apply, or **`No`** to cancel. 3. The upper section of the window, where the drag and drop displays were initially placed, will have changed. A pop-up window should tell you that the “Mosaic is enabled.” 4. You can still reorder the displays by dragging and dropping them, but you will have to go back and Apply Changes again. 5. The Mosaic display group’s maximum resolution will be written near the bottom of the window. 6. Click on the **`Finish`** button. (**DON'T** click **`Next`**.) {% hint style="warning" %} Do NOT adjust overlap and bezel because TACHYON will take care of these issues while calibrating. {% endhint %} ### Finish Mosaic Setup 1. The Set Up Mosaic window will have changed, and will present a summary of the current Mosaic configuration. If you wish to make changes, click on the **`Modify`** button OR the **`Disable`** button. 2. You can also find out if the Mosaic display group is recognized in the Windows display settings. Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop background and select **{Screen Resolution}** in the contextual menu, or click on the **`Windows Start`** button to access **{Control Panel > Screen Resolution}**. {% hint style="info" %} You should see a single monitor representing all of the connected displays. It should be **#1.** {% endhint %} The Mosaic display group is now established and you are ready to launch TACHYON. ## Launch or Quit TACHYON 1. Launch the VYV Network Assistant. 2. Once the VYV Network Assistant window is open, select the servers you want to affect by checking the boxes situated on the left side of the Systems list. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green ✔ check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name. {% hint style="success" %} VYV recommends using the VYV Network Assistant to launch or quit TACHYON. {% endhint %} ### Launch TACHYON * Click on the **`Restart Program`** button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely start or restart TACHYON on all of the servers selected in the Systems list. ### Quit TACHYON * Click on the **`Quit Program`** button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely shutdown TACHYON on all of the servers selected in the Systems list. {% hint style="warning" %} When TACHYON is running, you might have to press **`Alt+Tab`** to bring the VYV Network Assistant back in order to simultaneously quit the application on all servers. You can also bring the VYV Network Assistant back by using a button located in the Settings module Network tab. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} When TACHYON quits, the software is automatically saved in the Default Save file. {% endhint %} {% hint style="danger" %} While TACHYON is shutting down, you will see a Windows console prompt. **Don’t shut it down**. You will crash the system and prevent TACHYON from creating a Default Save file. {% endhint %} ## Reboot/Shutdown Servers * Select the servers you want to reboot or shutdown by checking the boxes located on the left side of the Systems list. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green ✔ check mark. The server you are using as the control interface will have (LOCAL) in front of its name. ### Reboot * Click on the **`Reboot System`** button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely reboot all of the servers selected in the Systems list. ### Shutdown * Click on the **`Shutdown System`** button at the bottom of the VYV Network Assistant window. This action will remotely shutdown all of the servers selected in the Systems list. # Fundamentals of TACHYON ## User Interface Visibility By default TACHYON’s interface will not be visible on start-up. In some configurations (e.g. when the Display operation mode is selected), all physical output of the graphic card will be used to display content. ![](/files/-MZTJUjwWG6N9j0xhQsW) * Press **`Tab`** to show or hide again TACHYON’s UI[^1]. ![](/files/-MZTJUjxPnR--pCVYNf5) ## Layer Rendering Order In TACHYON, the rendering order is organized from top to bottom. This means the lowest item in the list will always be the last one rendered, and as a result it will be placed on top of the composition. This applies to both the Timeline module (where compositing is done) and the 3D Scene list. {% hint style="warning" %} It is important to remember that the logic of TACHYON’s rendering order is inverted when compared to Adobe’s image compositing applications. {% endhint %} ## Virtual and Physical Screens TACHYON has been designed to facilitate the creation of shows and installations that involve complex programming, signal distribution and display of video content, and also include interactions with various external controllers and protocols such as DMX or MIDI. A key characteristic of a powerful, efficient and easy-to-use software designed specifically for video projection in stage productions or installations should be to represent reality as accurately as possible. Therefore, TACHYON is based on a virtual representation of a physical stage’s three-dimensional space and its components. The virtual counterparts of projectors, screens, LED displays, lighting fixtures and stage props can be found in the 3D Scene module. The properties of the virtual components included in the 3D Scene can be manipulated so they will perfectly match their physical counterparts. It is through the creation of these correlations that TACHYON is able to apply geometric corrections on a video feed to match the positioning and orientation of projectors and screens during stage production. This particular approach explains a lot about the software’s structure. In a TACHYON project, technical components coexist in different ways (physical and virtual), but also across different modules in the software. TACHYON Screens are a perfect example of this, in that they act as pivot points between different TACHYON modules and the stage space. Screens simultaneously correspond to: * physical screens in the stage or installation space; * virtual representations of the physical screens in the 3D Scene module; * content assignation structures in the Timeline module. Screens in the Timeline can hold many layers, where multiple media clips can be placed sequentially. Whenever a new Screen is created in the 3D Scene, it will create its own dedicated content assignation structure in the Timeline. This impacts the way video content is produced, programmed and shown. Instead of working in one large video space that will be cut up for many projectors, you work directly on separate Screens. Placing a media file on the Timeline in a Screen will automatically display the file’s content on its physical counterpart. ## Internal and External Data Exchange TACHYON’s parameters and their corresponding UI[^1] representations (such as sliders and number boxes) have been designed to support mapping internally (across the software) and externally. Data sent from one point to another can be intercepted and changed using a mathematical function. > **For example:** Data could be rescaled for a new context or can also be wrapped and sent through various protocols (UDP, PSN or MIDI) so they will be accepted by a wide variety of devices and software. TACHYON’s Mapping Manager module is dedicated to data exchange. Through a series of tables you will be able to map scaled data from UI components, an external keyboard, or MIDI and DMX devices directly to any other UI component. UI components can also be linked to time-based markers and then animated through TACHYON’s Keyframe Editor. ## Real-Time Everywhere TACHYON was built entirely on real-time processes and delivery for **live show environments** and specializes in **being able to adapt to on-the-spot changes** that characterize this type of presentation. Interactivity is at the very core of TACHYON. All parameters are exposed and can be changed without any rendering time. At VYV, our philosophy is to provide full flexibility. A TACHYON project can have as many modules, media files and treatment processes as users need. However, it is the project programmer’s responsibility to ensure the project is properly optimized so the system’s frame rate does not drop below a specific threshold. (Depending on the circumstances, this could mean 60, 50, 30, 25 or 24 fps.) ## Normalized Values Most of the UI components in TACHYON, such as sliders, are normalized so their values range from 0. to 1. Values were normalized in this way to facilitate data exchange between modules and data treatment using mathematical functions. One of the notable exceptions to this rule is the measurement of degrees, which ranges from 0. to 360. ## UI Components Lexicon A few terms describing User Interface (UI) components will be used regularly throughout TACHYON’s technical documents. Some of the terms might be self-explanatory; others have a meaning that is specific to TACHYON’s UI. We decided it would be best to provide definitions for all of them. ### **Module** A module denotes a structure in TACHYON dedicated to a group of similar tasks. For example, the I/O Module is dedicated to the exchange of data between TACHYON and external third-party devices. Along with the underlying methods, routines and behaviors dictated by the code’s structure, a module will always have its own window containing various widgets such as sliders, toggles, menus, and checkboxes that allow the user to modify parameters, launch tasks, etc. * Modules can be accessed through the File, System and Show dropdown menus or through shortcuts beginning with the **`Alt`** key. ![](/files/-MZTJUjyFTtLWe4gAQ-9) ### **Window** A window is a rectangular frame that contains various widgets such as sliders, toggles, menus and checkboxes that will allow the user to modify parameters, launch tasks, etc. Windows can be divided in sections or can contain tabs. * To select a window and focus on one of its components, **`Left-Click`** anywhere inside it. When selected, the window frame will turn green. * To move the window around, **`Alt`****+`Click`-Drag** inside the window. * If you launched a module but the window does not seem to appear, press **`F3`**. TACHYON will redraw all windows. * To minimize a window, **`Left-Click`** on the minus sign located at the top right corner of the window. * To maximize a window, **`Left-Click`** on the plus sign located at the top right corner of the window. * To close a window, **`Left-Click`** on the x sign located at the top right corner of the window. * To full screen a window, **`Left-Click`** on the rectangle icon located at the top right corner of the window. {% hint style="info" %} The full-screen icon only appears in the Timeline, 3D Scene and Preview Modules {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZTJUjz8ho5dhKozbFM) ### **Window Section** A window section is a subdivision of a window used to regroup widgets that are meant to work in conjunction with the execution of a task. > **For example:** a list of clickable items and a button used to add items in the list would be located in the same window section. Window sections are generally identify by a title. In the graphic below, they are outline with outdashes rectangular frames. ![](/files/-MZTJUk-as2HQm9e8XDh) ### **Tab** Some modules encompass more features than others. Windows tied to these modules will usually feature tabs: clickable components that facilitate switching between different panels. Panels accessible through tabs regroup coherent sets of widgets targeting a specific aspect of their module. * Tabs located in the I/O Manager window feature a small pin icon. * These tabs can be “unpinned” from the module’s window and displayed in an independent window by a **`Left-Click`** on the pin icon. ![](/files/-MZTJUk0QezRWeB9lGOn) ### **List** Lists are structured unidimensional sets of items. In TACHYON, the items contained in a list are identified by faded gray rectangles displaying their item’s name or ID. The items usually support various interactions. * The items can be re-ordered through **`Click`-Drag**. * A **`Right-Click`** on a list item will open a contextual menu offering various options. ![](/files/-MZTJUk11eLAepHUnLmO) ### **Main Menu** Main Menus are located at the very top of TACHYON’s main window (the black background that exists independently from the other modules). They either provide access to the software’s various modules or allow the user to perform operations like saving their current project. ![](/files/-MZTJUk2i-dEIJTJvO9u) ### **Dropdown Menu** A dropdown menu appears as a medium gray rectangular frame with a name or a currently selected option written in white. A downward or right pointing arrow will indicate that the menu is clickable and will provide the user with many options. ![](/files/-MZTJUk3jEe5i-EqwxK8) ### **Contextual Menu** A contextual menu provides additional actions available for a selected item. It is activated by performing a **`Right-Click`** **on a** [**UI**](#user-content-fn-1)[^1] component such as an item in a list or a slider. The options displayed vary depending on the nature of the UI[^1] component affected by the **`Right-Click`**. ![](/files/-MZTJUk4GnMjXm0hOjPf) ### **Slider** Sliders are either unidimensional or bidimensional widgets used to graphically and numerically represent the value set for a parameter. ![](/files/-MZTJUk5sEBfWs2lzIIS) ### **Toggle** A toggle is a widget that allows users to set a parameter’s Boolean value (On/Off). Represented by a clickable rectangular frame, toggles are often used to indicate whether or not a particular option is activated. If an option is activated, the toggle’s rectangular frame will be highlighted. ![](/files/-MZTJUk6Xtw_hdMfn1Al) ### **Button** Buttons are widgets that can be clicked. They are used in various ways and their functions are represented by icons or names. ![](/files/-MZTJUk7fNe7gbiYBzMz) ### **Checkbox** Checkboxes are used in conjunction with items in a list to indicate if they are selected to be inside or outside a set before applying an operation. ![](/files/-MZTJUk8cc_hALewvxpq) ## Renaming Labels Most item labels can be renamed in TACHYON. There are two methods for renaming labels: * **`Double-Click`** to put the slider in edit mode, which lets you type in the desired name; or, * **`Single-Click`** to focus on the item label and then press **`F2`** to put the slider in edit mode, which lets you type in the desired name. ![](/files/-MZTJUk9akVHB5R2XIzS) ## Main Menu Bar TACHYON’s Main Menu Bar provides access to the software’s main modules. The modules are categorized based on their functions. * Use the Main Menu Bar to gain access to the various modules that will allow you to build a TACHYON project. ![](/files/-MZTJUkAVMNcjU54lJbi) ## Projects Projects are folders that regroup all of the data tied to the programming of a show. The different files created through saving are tied to their originating Project. Each Project refers to a distinct folder hierarchy located in **......:\VYV\tachyon\projects**. Each Project has its own folder containing the following subfolders:
{% hint style="info" %} These folders contain many different files storing the essential components of a programmed show. If you ever need support, you will most probably have to transfer some of these files to technicians. {% endhint %} ### Create Project * Select **{File > Advanced > New Project}** from the Main Menu. ### Change Project It is possible to switch to another Project on the local server or on all servers included in the Server Group. 1. Select **{File > Advanced > Change Project}** from the Main Menu. 2. Select a Project from the dropdown menu. 3. Decide whether to change Project on the local server or on all servers by activating/deactivating the **`Apply Change on Connected Systems`** toggle. 4. Click on the **`Apply and Restart`** button. {% hint style="info" %} It is possible to load a project from an external drive by selecting the **`Browse...`** option instead of a project, a file dialog will be prompted to select a project outside of the regular file structure. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} It is possible to specify which project to load when launching TACHYON from the VYV Network Assistant. Select **{Tools > Configure}** to open the Configuration Window and then select an item from the Project dropdown menu. {% endhint %} ### Reset Project Resetting a Project will erase all previous programming and reset it to its default values. 1. Select **{File > Advanced > Reset Project}** from the Main Menu. 2. Click on the **`Yes`** button located in the Confirmation Window. ## Synchronize Command The Synchronize command is used to push the current Project’s programming from the local server to the others that are included in the same Server Group. Here follows a few examples where the Synchronize command can prove useful: > **Example:** A server acting as a Controller (or Display Master) could push a completely programmed show to the networked Display servers. This feature is very useful in cases where blank new servers are added to an on-going Project. > > {% hint style="warning" %} > In such cases, keep in mind you will have to import again all of the media onto the new servers. > {% endhint %} > **Example:** It is frequent to edit shows offline on a remote Controller. When time comes to do the update, just load the Project file onto the connected Controller or Display master and then use the Synchronize command. Updates will be applied on all servers included in the Server Group. {% hint style="warning" %} If you encounter problematic situations where the current state of a project was not correctly distributed over servers, use the Synchronize command to manually push it over the network. {% endhint %} ### Synchronize a Server Group 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the Main Menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Make sure the **`Tachyon`** tab is selected. 3. Make sure a Server Group has been created previously. {% hint style="warning" %} The Server Group must include all of the servers you want to synchronize. {% endhint %} 4. Select **{File > Synchronize}** from the Main Menu OR press **`Ctrl`****+****`Enter`**. ![](/files/-MZTJUkBlTsBvgRldyr_) {% hint style="danger" %} Be careful, if the Reset command was used on the Controller or the Display Master before applying the Synchronize command, a blank empty Project will be pushed across the Server Group. {% endhint %} ### Inverted Synchronization An inverted synchronization consists in pulling a Project’s data from a remote server and applying it to the local server. This might be useful in a situation where a new Controller server is added to a Server Group and you need to transfer the show data locally. 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the Main Menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Make sure the **`Tachyon`** tab is selected. 3. Make sure a Server Group has been created previously. {% hint style="warning" %} The Server Group must include all of the servers you want to synchronize. {% endhint %} 4. **`Right-click`** on the server from which you want to pull the Project’s data in the Tachyon Selection list to open a contextual menu. 5. Select **{Sync From Server}** form the contextual menu to perform the inverted synchronization. ![](/files/-MZTJUkCXfsb7Lp4FUqS) ## Saving Methods Saving in TACHYON may differ in some ways from what you might be accustomed to in other software. TACHYON’s Default Save **{File > Save Default}** writes in the main memory slot used for backing up a TACHYON Project’s files (using the **.phd file extension**). * The Default Save is automatically loaded when TACHYON starts. * The Default Save is automatically overwritten when TACHYON quits. A new save is created in the same memory slot, with the project’s current data. ![](/files/-MZTJUkD1jdTXjY1azeK) {% hint style="info" %} All types of Saves strictly include TACHYON’s data. None of the media files or 3D objects will be backed up through any of the saving methods. {% endhint %} * All saves will be located in ...VYV\tachyon\projects\\*current\_project\_name*\config\\... * A TACHYON Save is divided into 3 files: * a **.phd** file (TACHYON Data) * a **.io** file (all the configurations of your input and output devices) * a **.uuc** file (UI configurations; your current Workspace) * There are 3 ways to save your TACHYON Project. * Save Default **`Ctrl`****+****`S`** * Save Incremental **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`S`** * Save Project… **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`S`** {% hint style="success" %} We recommend you to **save regularl**y using both the Save Default method and either the Save Incremental or the Save Project method to **create timestamped snapshots of your project**. {% endhint %} ### Save Default TACHYON uses the Default Saves as its standard way of backing up your progress while working on a project. * If you select **{File > Save Default}** or press **`Ctrl`****+****`S`** the current state of your project will overwrite the file that was previously saved as the Default Save. Therefore, Default Saves are destructive. * By selecting **{File > Load Default}** or by pressing **`Ctrl`****+****`L`** you will revert your project to the previous state that was saved in the Default Save. Furthermore, if you let TACHYON quit properly, by letting the Windows console finish its process, your project will automatically be saved as a Default Save. {% hint style="info" %} Default Save is the save that will be loaded when TACHYON starts. {% endhint %} ### Load Default 1. Select **{File > Load Default}** or press **`Ctrl`****+****`L`** to load the version of the project currently saved in the Default Save memory slot. A Confirm Load Project dialog box will open and ask “Are you sure you want to reload the last default save?” 2. Click on the **`Yes`** button to reload the last default save. Click on the **`No`** button if you decide to keep on working with your project in its current state. ### Save Incremental Save Incremental is the fastest way to save. It incrementally creates new save files. * By selecting **{File > Save incremental}** OR by pressing **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`S`** you will automatically create a saved project file without prompting a Windows file dialog. The save will be named as follows: Currentprojectname\_yyyymmdd\_hhmmss > **Example:** Myproject\_20260305\_185423 {% hint style="info" %} The date and time is determined by the local server’s operating system. {% endhint %} ### Save Project… The Save Project command lets you save specially named versions of your project when it reaches a state that you want to keep as a backup. Save Project is an inalterable step, a backup of your TACHYON Project’s data at a specific point, except if you manually delete it or choose to replace it. * Select **{File > Save Project...}** OR press **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`S`** to prompt a Windows dialog that lets you name the project save. ### Load Project * Select **{File > Load Project...}** OR press **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`L`** to open a Windows file explorer that lets you access previous versions of your project created through any of the save methods. * To load a previous version of your project, select the desired project file from the Windows file explorer and click on the **`Open`** button. ### Auto-save Select **{System > Settings>General>Auto-Save}** and enable the Auto-Save Toggle, Select the Frequency in minutes with the slider. TACHYON will automatically do a Save incremental every n Minutes set in the slider. ## Slider Types and Behaviors TACHYON uses three kinds of sliders determined by the type of data it needs to represent. ### 1D Slider Allows control over a large variety of parameters in the software. This UI component’s value can be modified by sliding the bar horizontally within the defined zone. The 1D Slider can be edited in the following ways: * **`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value within the hardcoded range. * **`Ctrl`****+L`eft-Click`+Drag** changes the value, with the option to exceed the hardcoded range. * **`Shift`****+`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value within the hardcoded range at a slower pace to achieve more precision (10 times slower). * **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value at a slower pace (100 times), with the option to exceed the hardcoded range. * \[**Double-Click**] puts the slider in edit mode and lets you type in the desired value.![](/files/-MZTJUkEbXvXqaJ5m5b5) * **`Single-Click`** to focus on the slider, followed by **`F2`** puts the slider in edit mode and lets you type in the desired value. {% hint style="info" %} Note that the 1d slider is also capable of basic maths functions including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and modulo using +,-,\*,/ and % . Extended range and 100 times pace reduction only work with 1D Sliders. {% endhint %} ### 2D Slider Allows control over a large variety of parameters in the software, such as size or position values. This UI component’s value can be modified by sliding the cross horizontally and vertically within the defined zone. The 2D Slider can be edited in the following ways: * **`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value within the hardcoded range. * **`Shift`****+`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value within the hardcoded range at a slower pace to achieve more precision (10 times slower). * **`Double-Click`** puts the slider in edit mode and lets you type in the desired value. * **`Single-Click`** to focus on the slider, followed by **`F2`** puts the slider in edit mode and lets you type in the desired value. * **`Tab`** allows you to cycle your selection through the 2 values. ![](/files/-MZTJUkFbnW1yTjKe3sY) ### Time Slider The Time Slider allows control over timing parameters in the software by sliding the bar horizontally within the defined zone. > **Example:** it will allow you to modify the In and Out of Clips on the Timeline. ![](/files/-MZTJUkGxdJ_spKXuydY) The Time Slider can be edited in the following ways: * By clicking on the **`In`** button, you will set the current time of the Timeline’s Playhead to the Time Slider. * **`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value within the hardcoded range. * **`Shift`****+`Left-Click`+Drag** changes the value within the hardcoded range at a slower pace (10 times). * **`Double-Click`** puts the slider in edit mode and lets you type in the desired value. * **`Single-Click`** to focus on the Time Slider, followed by **`F2`** puts the slider in edit mode and lets you type in the desired value. ![](/files/-MZTJUkH7lBeurl536nR) {% hint style="info" %} In edit mode, the Time Slider can be affected by using the basic (+) and (-) math commands. The Time Slider is the only slider to display this behavior. {% endhint %} [^1]: User Interface # 2. Setting-Up a Show # Settings ## TACHYON Network TACHYON can use networking technology to operate simultaneously and transparently on multiple servers controlled from a single unit. The first step in creating a Project is to establish a Server Group. Once servers are assigned in a group, TACHYON automatically creates a ring network to maintain communication between each server. Servers within a group will share media content, maintain communication and sync together. ### Server Group Creation 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Make sure the **`Tachyon`** tab is selected. 3. Click on the **`Create Network Group`** button to open the Create Network Group window. A list located on the left side of the window will allow you to include or exclude servers from the group by checking or not checking their associated checkboxes. ![](/files/-MZTNJmikvcdaIvT-Zu0) {% hint style="info" %} If TACHYON has been launched on all of your servers, and if the servers reside on the same network, they should appear in the TACHYON Selection servers list located on the left side of the Settings window. {% endhint %} 4. Select the servers you want in the group by checking the boxes next to their name. When selected, the servers will be identified by a green check mark. 5. Click on the **`Apply`** button to create a Server Group. ![](/files/-MZTNJmjjwwsf0kYsgYN) ### Removing Servers from a Server Group 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Make sure the **`Tachyon`** tab is selected. 3. Select the server you want to remove from your current group by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 4. Click on the **`Remove Selected Tachyon from group`** button. A confirmation box window will appear in order to validate your selection. Click on the **`OK`** button if you still want to remove the server from the group. 5. Repeat this last operation until all of the servers you want to remove are not in the list anymore. ### Remove and Shutdown TACHYON This operation will remove a server from a group and shutdown TACHYON on the server. 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu or press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Make sure the **`Tachyon`** tab is selected. 3. Select the server you want to remove from your current Server Group and shutdown by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 4. Click on the ON/OFF button. A confirmation box window should appear in order to validate your selection. Click on the **`OK`** button if you still want to remove the server and shutdown TACHYON. 5. Repeat this operation until all of the servers you want to remove are no longer in the Servers list. ### Multiple Server Groups Most projects will use a single Server Group. However, you might encounter situations where completely independent video installations co-exist within the same project. > **For example:** a Server Group might be dedicated to a video installation in a theater lobby while a second Server Group runs the video projections on the main stage. It is under these circumstances that multiple Server Groups should be considered. ### Monitoring and Troubleshooting Once a Server Group is created or modified you should make sure the TACHYON Network is fully functional and that all of your servers are communicating properly. * Select **{System > Network Monitor}** from the main menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`M`** to open the Network Monitor module. This module displays information about each server in your Server Group. {% hint style="info" %} The Network Monitor module provides feedback regarding resource usage (CPU, disk, RAM, VRAM), GPU performance (megabits per frame and temperature) and shows the project’s current frame rate output. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZTNJmljqO9kudXhJUh) If a server is missing from the list, if its feedback cells are blank, or if the connection state cell shows a warning sign, it means communication problems are affecting the network. If such problems arise, you should check the following: #### **Physical Network Connections** Make sure the Ethernet cables are in good working order and are properly connected to the appropriate physical network interfaces. #### **IP Addressing** Make sure your servers coexist on the same network. Their IP addresses should share the same network prefix and subnet number (the first 3 octets in the IP address). #### **Traffic Management** Some network switches can filter out traffic, or a VLAN might have been set up on one of your servers. Make sure there is no interference of this kind on your network. #### **Network Ports** TACHYON uses specific network ports to synchronize data and transmit Show Control commands through a Server Group. Make sure the network ports on the servers included in the Server Group match: * For each server, select **{Settings > Network tab}** OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** and select the Network tab. The window will display the port numbers corresponding to Time Sync, Data Sync and Show Control. * Each of these port numbers should be the same across your Server Group; with each port you should see the same number for Time Sync, Data Sync and Show Control. * If the port numbers don’t match, you can reset them to Default by clicking on the **`Reset`** button or you can manually modify them by typing new values into their corresponding text boxes. {% hint style="warning" %} If you change any of the port numbers, TACHYON will have to be restarted on all of the servers in the Server Group. Once this problem is identified and corrected, the server’s state will automatically change in the Network Monitor. {% endhint %} **Network Ports Functions** TACHYON establishes Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Data Protocol (UDP) communication between servers in a group in order to allow multiple devices to act as a whole. Three different ports, each characterized by a specific function, are used by TACHYON. * **Time Sync Port** This port is dedicated to TACHYON’s master clock. Current time (frame accurate) is sent from the primary server (either a Controller or a Display Master server) to the secondary servers (Display servers) so each device shares the same clock. * **Data Sync Port** This port is dedicated to data exchange corresponding to project structures, configurations and saves. * **Show Control Port** This port is dedicated to show related commands such as Cues. This port will be used by TACHYON to trigger events in the Server Group. This port might also be used by external devices or software for sending cues to TACHYON. ![](/files/-MZTNJmmf5krTmnEPjjk) #### **Access the Local Server Network Ports Configuration Tab** * Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu or press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module and select the Network Ports tab. {% hint style="warning" %} While it is possible to modify a local server’s Network Ports, doing so might isolate it from other servers included in the Server Group since the port numbers need to be shared across servers. {% endhint %} #### **Modify the Network Ports across the Server Group** If for any reason you need to change the Network Ports, its is best to do so while creating a Server Group. New port numbers can be assigned simultaneously to all servers included in a group on its creation. Follow these steps to change port numbers for the whole Server Group: 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu or press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module and select the Tachyon tab. 2. Click on the server names in the Tachyon Selection list you want to include in a the Server Group. 3. Click on the **`Create Network Group`**. 4. Modify the Network Port numbers from their dedicated numeric fields. 5. Click on the **`Apply`** button. ![](/files/-MZTNJmnvNzUilVWSaa_) ## Server System Modes TACHYON features different System Modes which represent the functions linked to the roles assigned to each server in the Server Group. **Access the Server System Modes Dropdown Menus** 1. Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Make sure the Tachyon tab is selected. ### Hierarchy A TACHYON Server Group is organized around a primary server which maintains synchronization and control over the remaining secondary servers. The primary server will also communicate with external devices such as audio interfaces, MIDI controllers or lighting consoles. Secondary servers are used to display images through their graphics card output ports. If for any reason the primary server is dropped out of the Server Group and another server isn’t set up to take its place, the server with the lowest number IP address will take care of the group’s synchronization and control. Even though a Server Group is driven by a central primary unit, a complete copy of the show’s data resides on every server. {% hint style="info" %} Each server acts like a backup unit (with one notable exception; see Controller further on in this section). {% endhint %} ### System Modes and servers roles TACHYON servers feature different System Modes. These System Modes will affect how a server behaves in relation to others within a TACHYON network. System Mode attribution is based on the role that is assigned to each server. #### **Controller** The Controller is a primary server that controls secondary servers dedicated to media output. The Controller synchronizes the secondary servers and takes over their Timeline during playback. If there is more than one Controller in the Server Group (this situation might arise if you have a backup unit), the secondary servers will be driven by the Controller that has the IP address with the smallest number. Low-resolution versions of the project’s media will be stored on the Controller because servers using this System Mode have to render content for all Screens (Display Servers will only render content for Screens that are visible to them). While a Controller does not feature any video output, its physical graphics outputs can be used to extend the UI on multiple screens. Using a Controller makes programming and operations significantly easier and is essential for large projects. #### **Display** TACHYON Display Servers should be thought of as secondary units programmed and driven by a primary unit such as a Controller or a Display Master. While in Display mode, the server will store media at full resolution. Display Servers will only playback video content linked to Screens that are assigned to its outputs in the 3D Scene Objects Visibility list. #### **Display Master** The Display Master Server is a TACHYON Server mode that provides video content outputs while acting as a primary control unit at the same time. The Display Master mode should be viewed as a hybrid, combining aspects of the Controller and the Display Server modes. The Display Master Server will: * synchronize and control the Display Servers located on the network. * import and convert media in full resolution and will be able to output content for the Screens that have been assigned to it. {% hint style="warning" %} While it would be tempting to see this mode as a practical replacement for a Controller, keep in mind that using a Display Master Server comes with drawbacks related to overall system performance. Primary servers set in Display Master mode are usually found in simple installations, not largescale productions. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZTNJmo4jXp6vRnpwUn) ## I/O Control Assignation The Settings module Control tab contains two dropdown menus that will help you determine which server has access to which control data stream. TACHYON can receive the following control data stream protocols: * MIDI * OSC * DMX (sACN & Art-Net) By selecting specific servers in these dropdown menus, you will inform TACHYON to allocate resources on the appropriate servers to receive and treat incoming data control streams. Once these streams are acquired by the specified servers, all of the others included in the Server Group will be able to access the data and will work in sync. It is highly recommended to specify which servers are receiving control data streams in order to reach optimal performances. {% hint style="info" %} The interfaces linked to the various types of control data streams can be accessed through the I/O Manager module. Select **{System > I/O Manager}** OR press **`Alt`****+****`I`** to open the I/O Manager window so you can monitor the state of the following I/O Control Interfaces: MIDI, DMX, Network Protocol, OSC. (The I/O Manager module contains additional tabs related to external systems, software and devices.) {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} TACHYON can receive Timecode, both in MIDI and LTC format. Ingested Timecode will control the Timeline’s module Playhead. The I/O Control assignation dropdown menus do not have any effect on incoming LTC Timecode since it is encoded in an audio format. However, if you are planning to receive MIDI Timecode, you will need to specify to which server the stream will be sent. {% endhint %} ### **Access the Control Assignation Tab** * Select **{System > Settings}** from the main menu or press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module and select the Control tab. ![](/files/-MZTNJmpAd-7b_3nCUVq) ### I/O Control Dropdown Menu This menu can be used to specify to which server will be routed the control data streams. Three different types of selection can be made with this menu: #### **{-default-}** * If a server included in the Server Group is acting as a Controller, it will by default be designated to be in charge of the control data streams. * If there is no Controller in the Server Group, the server operating as the Display Master will be designated by default to be in charge of the control data streams. * If there are multiple Controllers (or multiple Display Masters and no Controller) in the Server Group, conflicts are avoided by selecting by default the server that has the lowest IP address. #### **{-inactive-}** * If **{inactive}** is selected in the I/O Control dropdown menu, no server in the Server Group will listen to any control data stream. #### **{anyservername}** * The selected server will be designated to receive the control data stream, including DMX if the **{-default-}** option is still selected in the DMX Control dropdown menu. Otherwise, DMX will be routed elsewhere apart from the rest of the control data stream. ### DMX Control Dropdown menu * This menu is strictly dedicated to specify to which server the DMX stream will be routed, apart from the other control data streams. Three different types of selection can be made with this menu: #### **{-default-}** * The DMX data stream will be assigned to the server which receives the other control data streams. (Therefore, the DMX data stream is not segregated from the other control data streams.) #### **{-inactive-}** * If **{inactive}** is selected in the DMX control dropdown menu, no server in the Server Group will listen to any DMX data stream. #### **{anyservername}** The selected server will be designated to receive the DMX data stream. The stream will be sent to the specified server apart from the other control data streams. ## Sync The Sync tab located in the Settings module contains a wide variety of tools that allow the user to specify the sync signal offset tolerance in relation to various components such as timecode, audio, network events, etc. {% hint style="danger" %} VYV advises not to modify the default values of these parameters. They are targeted for advanced users and should only be modified when severe sync problems are experienced. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZTNJmqGSZUoBAdC4nr) ## Windowing for the [UI](#user-content-fn-1)[^1] and the Video Outputs TACHYON will automatically draw windows across connected devices such as projectors and screens to display the User Interface (UI) and output video. This default configuration allows users to operate the software without a Mosaic configuration. {% hint style="warning" %} It is highly preferrable to run TACHYON on a server where a Mosaic configuration has been enabled. A Mosaic will create a single large openGL context containing all of the video outputs and the UI. Such a configuration offers better performance and flexibility than the default auto window creation behavior. {% endhint %} Many different options can be activated in order to modify how TACHYON handles windowing. Do the following in order to access those: 1. Select **{System > Settings}** OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** 2. Click on the TACHYON tab to access windowing and display options, represented by toggles in the right side of the window. ### Mosaic Mode (manual) If you previously created a Mosaic display group using the NVIDIA driver (which is recommended by VYV for better performance), you have to enable this option to profit from the advantages provided by the Mosaic configuration. ![](/files/-MZTNJmrjjzc7CnV_IFw) 1. Select the first server that features a Mosaic display group by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Activate the **`Mosaic Mode (manual)`** toggle to enable the option. 3. Repeat this operation with all servers in the Server Group that feature a Mosaic display group. ### Set First Out as GUI[^2] By default, TACHYON Servers always use the first video output on their graphics card to display their UI. The server’s System Mode has no effect on this. {% hint style="info" %} A Display Server or a Display Master Server will feature the same behavior. {% endhint %} If you wish to dedicate the first output to the UI and avoid displaying any other video content, you have to keep this option enabled. If you wish to use the first output to display video content as well as the UI (which could turn a Display Server from a 3 or 7 video output device to a 4 or 8 video output device), you will have to deactivate this option on all of the targeted servers. 1. Select the first server for which you want to change the option by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Click on the **`Set First Out as GUI`** toggle to deactivate the option. 3. Repeat for the previous steps to change the options on any other servers. ### Letter Boxed Window This option is meant to compensate with a behavior found in some video projectors that crop a portion of the image content on the vertical axis. It should only be enabled if the projectors connected to the servers display this type of behavior. 1. Select the first server for which you want to change the option by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Activate the **`Letter Boxed Window`** toggle to enable the option. 3. Repeat for the previous steps to change the options on any other servers. ### Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) Multiple Sample anti-aliasing (MSAA) can be enabled to remove visual artefacts such as jagged lines and ensure a smooth appearance of the vectorial visual components displayed by TACHYON. 1. Select the first server for which you want to change the option by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Activate the **`Anti Aliasing (MSAA)`** to enable the option. 3. Repeat for the previous steps to change the options on any other servers. ### Bit Depth Mode A dropdown menu located in the TACHYON tab of the Settings module allows users to specify TACHYON’s framebuffer bit depth. Media produced in a 10-bits or 10-bits HDR format can be handled properly by the software if the corresponding bit depth mode has been selected. 1. Select the first server for which you want to change the option by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Select **{*****anyoption*****}** from the Bit Depth Mode dropdown menu to enable the option. 3. Repeat for the previous steps to change the options on any other servers. ### Modify Resolution for Outputs and the UI[^1] If the Mosaic Mode is enabled, it is possible to modify the resolution of the outputs and the User Interface (UI). The content will be displayed in windows redrawn according to the selection made with dropdown menus. {% hint style="info" %} The Mosaic will still be maintained and cover the full dimensions specified for each output. {% endhint %} #### **Output Resolution** 1. Select the first server for which you want to change the Output Resolution by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Select the desired resolution from the Output Resolution dropdown menu. 3. Repeat for the previous steps to change the Output Resolutions on any other servers. #### **Controller Resolution** 1. Select the first server for which you want to change the Controller Resolution by clicking on its name in the TACHYON Selection servers list. 2. Select the desired resolution from the Controller Resolution dropdown menu. 3. Repeat for the previous steps to change the Controller Resolutions on any other servers. ### Hide/Show the UI[^1] Locally * Press the **`Tab`** key to turn the User Interface (UI) on or off, using the server that has keyboard control. ### Hide/Show the User Interface Remotely * Select **{System > Settings}** OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** and click on the General tab, under UI Options. **`Hide/Show Network UI`** buttons will hide/show the interface remotely on all Display Servers and Display Master Servers. {% hint style="info" %} A server set in Controller mode will ignore this command. {% endhint %} ## Virtual Video Output Creation Once the System Mode and the proper windowing attributes have been applied to all devices in the Server Group, you will have to create the TACHYON Project’s video outputs. These virtual video outputs are the virtual counterparts of the physical outputs on the servers’ graphics cards. They are associated with video media delivery and should be connected to a physical display device such as a video projector, LED processor or video monitor. ### Virtual Video Output 1. Select **{System > Settings}** OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** 2. Click on the `Tachyon` tab to access the Outputs window section. 3. Go to the TACHYON Selection servers list and select the first server that will be used to display video by clicking on its name {% hint style="info" %} It will be a Display Server or a Display Master Server. {% endhint %} 4. Once the server is selected, you can add the virtual video outputs to it by clicking on the **`+`** button in the Outputs window section.
Whenever an output is created, a window titled Create Display will open and ask if you want to create a Projector or a LED Processor in the 3D Scene module and link it to this output. The physical video display devices connected to your outputs are represented in a virtual space called the 3D Scene, which corresponds to the real-life stage where your TACHYON Project will be presented. {% hint style="info" %} The term “Projectors” applies to a wide variety of video displays, with the only exception being LED processors, which are represented by a different type of structure. {% endhint %} If you are starting your TACHYON Project from scratch, you should accept the creation of new Projectors or LED Processors so the 3D Scene will already be populated with virtual display devices. Click on the appropriate button to do so. There are a few cases where you might want to add virtual video outputs without automatically creating projectors in the 3D Scene. Such cases would be the following: * video outputs are connected to LED processors; or, * projectors will be imported from another Project; or, * the current Project is built over a Projection Study and already has projectors in the 3D Scene. * The server mosaic has additional monitors plugged into the matrix but not being used for output. When in mosaic mode manual, every output represented in the mosaic must also be in the tachyon output list. ![](/files/-MZTNJmtRSvIenfz1EMx) If these conditions apply to you, simply click on the **`No, Let me link`** button and repeat this operation with every server in the TACHYON Selection servers list. ### Signal Routing Validation through Display Ident Once the virtual video outputs have been created, you should make sure that signal routing and projector assignation are correct. 1. Make sure the Settings module is open. 2. Select **{System > Settings}** OR press **`Alt`****+****`S`** and select the TACHYON tab to access the Outputs window section. 3. Activate the **`ID`** toggle. ![](/files/2MJ2Ttixde2T4KaLhu1q) Once enabled, this option will cause all video outputs to display a random solid color. Each generated image also features an inverted color border, 4 pulsating VYV logos, as well as the name of the output and the projector assigned to it. ![](/files/-MZTNJmvrx5NkI-2SZpb) {% hint style="info" %} This will allow you to make sure the signal routing is OK. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} Display Idents are rendered on top of everything and there is no automatic mechanism to disable them. Make sure you disable Display Indents manually when you are done with the signal routing testing procedure. {% endhint %} ### Virtual Video Output Assignation Dropdown Menus Each of the virtual video outputs listed in the Outputs window section has an Assignation dropdown menu next to it. This dropdown menu links the virtual video output to a representation in the 3D Scene. * If Projectors were automatically created while creating video outputs, the virtual video outputs listed in the dropdown menus will reflect the fact that they are already linked. * If you want to set the assignation of a video output to a corresponding 3D Scene virtual display, use the dropdown menu to select the desired virtual output Primitive. ![](/files/-MZTNJmwAVRcV_g3xv-w) [^1]: User Interface [^2]: Graphical User Interface # 3D Scene The 3D Scene module is used for integrating video outputs (such as projectors), video inputs (such as cameras), screen surfaces and decorative elements in a virtual representation of the real-world stage space. It is through manipulations of this virtual stage space (the 3D Scene) that operations such as projector calibration, primitives manipulation and blending will be made possible. {% hint style="info" %} Tasks and operations described in this section of the documentation mainly have to do with the binding between the real-world stage space and the virtual stage space as it is represented in TACHYON. Naturally, if you want to see actual results in the real world, Displays (such as video projectors or monitors) must be connected to the Video Output Ports, and you have to declare all of your project’s Virtual Video Outputs in the Settings module (see Section 1.6 Virtual Video Outputs Creation in Chapter 2 Setting Up a Show). {% endhint %} ## 3D Scene Lexicon Throughout this section of TACHYON’s technical documents the following terms are regularly used: ### Displays Displays are any kind of device used for displaying video signals, such as video projectors, video monitors, LED walls, etc. ### Signal Transmission Signal transmission refers to the act of sending a video signal point-to-point from a Video Output Port (a graphic card’s physical output) to a device used for display, such as a video projector or monitor. Signal transmission is usually accomplished through cable distribution (fiber, HD-SDI, Ethernet, etc.). ### Video Output Ports Video Output Ports are the physical connectors attached to the graphic cards that are installed in the servers used to output video signal. ### Virtual Video Outputs TACHYON uses Virtual Video Outputs as a way to represent the Video Output Ports. Virtual Video Outputs have to be declared in the Outputs list located in the TACHYON tab of the Settings module window (see Section Virtual Video Outputs Creation in Setting Up a Show). ### Virtual Displays Virtual Displays are the virtual counterparts of the tangible, real-world displays described in this lexicon. Some types of Virtual Displays, such as Projectors, can be automatically created when Virtual Video Outputs are first declared. ### Screens TACHYON’s structure is based on real and virtual screens. All screens used as displays in the physical world have a virtual counterpart in the 3D Scene module, which acts as a simulation of the stage (or exhibition) space. Each real-world screen will have to be represented by a virtual one, which in turn will be linked to one or more video outputs. In the 3D Scene module, Screens act as a virtual representation of the Projection Surfaces. They are also represented in the Timeline module, where you can assign layers of media clips to them. ### Video Content The term “video content” refers to the still images and video files that are imported into TACHYON, mapped as a texture onto Screens, and eventually played back using the Timeline module. ### Calibration Calibration designates a process through which geometric coordinates are established between elements in the virtual scene and their real-world counterparts. By aligning the geometric features shared by a real screen surface and its model, TACHYON can reconstruct the position and orientation of displays as a means of mapping video content onto physical objects and other structural elements of the real-world stage. Many processes taking place during calibration are handled automatically by TACHYON. > **For example:** edge blending between video outputs can be calculated dynamically with minimal user intervention (pressing a button once). The system also automatically differentiates between cases where 2D or 3D transformations are applied, based on the geometric characteristics of the screen’s surface. ### Blending Blending designates a process through which the projected images of multiple projectors are altered and seamlessly blend into one another, creating an uninterrupted surface (see Section Blending in Chapter 4 Programming a Show). # Signal Routing and Display Identification Before starting a calibration process, you should always validate signal paths and make sure the various video displays (monitors, projectors, etc.) are correctly identified. Beyond the obvious problems caused by broken signal paths, incorrect video output identification might lead to confusion during the calibration process. {% hint style="info" %} Before activating Display Identification, make sure all of your Displays are powered and properly connected to the Video Output Ports on all servers. Also make sure you have declared all of your Virtual Video Outputs in the Settings module (see Section 1.6 Virtual Video Outputs Creation in Chapter 2 Setting Up a Show). Otherwise, TACHYON will not output video content. {% endhint %} ## Signal Routing In order to send video content to a display, the following path must be followed: * Media > Screens > Virtual Display > Virtual Output > Graphic Card Physical Output > Signal Transmission > Display {% hint style="warning" %} If the signal does not reach the Display, you should test the signal path in the order described above. {% endhint %} ## Display Identification TACHYON features an identification card system designed to simplify troubleshooting operations related to display identification and signal path continuity. TACHYON can simultaneously generate random-colored identification cards featuring output names and corresponding display names for each declared Virtual Video Output. {% hint style="info" %} Note that animated VYV logos and an output name are integrated in each identification card. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZIeGa6nltURKy8jHEF) Sending identification cards simultaneously through every output will allow you to visually validate the signal path and the output configuration (and naming). ### Enable Display Ident Before enabling Display Ident you should have: * integrated your Display Servers and Display Master Servers into your Server Group, and * declared all of their Outputs in the Settings module. Doing so will allow you to see the identification cards in your Displays. (see Server Group Creation AND and Virtual Video Outputs Creation in Setting Up a Show). To Enable Display Ident: 1. Open the 3D Scene module by pressing **`Alt`****+****`C`** or by selecting **{System > 3D Scene}**. 2. Enable the Calibration mode by pressing **`2`** or by clicking on the **`Calibration`** toggle. 3. Open the Settings Panel by clicking on the gear icon button. 4. Click on the **`Display Ident`** toggle to activate Display Ident. ![](/files/-MZIeGa77c3boDh_CZk9) OR * Enable the **ID** toggle in the quick options bar of the Calibration Tools Panel ![](/files/-MZIeGa894JoZwK9Vog1) OR * Open the Settings module by pressing **`Alt`****+****`S`** or by selecting **{System > Settings}**. 5. Click on the ID toggle to activate Display Ident. ![](/files/-MZIeGa9bv7tdxKm8TA0) {% hint style="info" %} Identification cards will be rendered on top of everything, and will therefore hide calibration and display rendering. Make sure Display Ident is off when you are done with it. {% endhint %} # Adding Projection Surfaces Projection Surfaces need to be added in the 3D Scene in order to create Screens that will be made visible for Virtual Displays (see Section Projection Surfaces Visibility in Setting Up a Show). When Screens are paired with Virtual Displays they can be calibrated with their real-life counterparts. Screens will also co-exist in the Timeline module, where they hold layers of video content. Projection Surfaces are virtual 3D objects that formally correspond to their real-life counterparts; they make it possible for a wall (onto which video content is projected) to be represented by a rectangular plane, or the surface of a planetarium to be represented by a hemisphere, etc. TACHYON features a library of Default Objects from which you can pick and choose. This library contains commonly used Projection Surfaces (sphere, cube, rectangular plane, etc.). It is also possible to import custom-made 3D objects in TACHYON in order to represent complex Projection Surfaces such as theatrical props and set elements (see Import 3D Objects in Importing Content). ## Add a Projection Surface 1. Open the 3D Scene module by pressing **`Alt`****+****`C`** or by selecting **{System > 3D Scene}**. 2. Enable the Modeling mode by pressing **`1`** or by clicking on the **`Modeling`** toggle. 3. Select a Default Object through **{Primitive > Default Objects > *****one of the objects listed in the Default Objects library*****}** or a custom 3D model through **{Primitive > XSI or OBJ or FBX or .BLEND}**.(which need to first be imported via the File Manager) Once selected, the new Projection Surface will appear in the 3D Scene as an entry in the Scene Primitives list. It will also appear in the 3D Scene Preview. ![](/files/-MZIfyTZktrfbODRQ9o0) ![](/files/-MZIfyT_nwgOwOdMNqbr) # Manual 2D Keystone Calibration Once signal paths have been tested and Displays properly identified (see Signal Routing and Display Identification inSetting Up a Show), it is time to calibrate outputs. Manual 2D keystone calibration is the simplest form of calibration offered in TACHYON. It should be used in cases where video content is projected onto flat surfaces or displayed on video monitors. By manipulating the four corners of a Screen within a Virtual Display, the user can position them in relation to the four corners of a Display (corner-pin). This method can also be used to correct the trapezoidal distortion of an image caused by a difference in angle between the alignment of a real-world projector and projection surface (keystone correction).
## Add a Projector in the 3D Scene In order to start the calibration process, you will need a virtual representation of the real-world display. If you are attempting a manual keystone calibration, the appropriate Virtual Display type is a Projector (even if you are attempting to calibrate a video monitor such as a TV). Make sure the Virtual Video Output that corresponds to the Video Output Port was declared in the Settings module when you created your project’s Network Group. If this wasn’t done, please do so before continuing (see Virtual Video Outputs Creation in Setting Up a Show). ### Automatic Virtual Output Creation When a Virtual Video Output is declared in the Settings module, a confirmation box opens and displays the following message: “Do you want to create a display in the 3D Scene and link it to this output?” By clicking the **`Create Projector`** button you will automatically add a Projector in the 3D Scene linked to the new output. ![](/files/-MZIqomGaO9ba7FFPYVw) ### Manual Projector Creation If for any reason you created a Virtual Video Output but did not assign a Projector to it, you will have to follow these steps: 1. In the 3D Scene module, select **{Primitive > Display > Projector}** to create a new Projector. A new entry (named Projector) will appear in the Scene Primitives list. A pyramid, representing the light beam emitted by the Projector, will also be visible in the 3D Scene Preview. ![](/files/-MZIqomHKDjRMrsu6q0Y) 2. In the Settings module, go to the TACHYON Selection list and select the server you want to use as an output for the video signal. 3. Beside each of the Virtual Video Outputs you created, you will find a dropdown menu with the **{no output}** option selected. Using the dropdown menu linked to the appropriate Virtual Video Output, select the Projector you created. ![](/files/-MZIqomID7oSMt7PcVV7) ### Renaming a Projector Once a Projector in the 3D Scene is linked to a Virtual Video Output, you can rename it to make it easier to identify. (In complex projects involving many Displays, renaming Projectors is a must-do.) * **`Double-click`** on the Projector’s entry in the Scene Primitives list. A text field will appear allowing you to enter a new name for the Projector. ![](/files/-MZIqomJ0Y25Y7-HEEt7) ## Add a Plane in the 3D Scene For a manual 2D calibration the Projection Surface is necessarily a plane. This plane can represent a video monitor (a TV screen, for example) or a wall upon which video content will be projected. * To add a plane to the 3D Scene, select **{Primitive > Default Objects > Plane}** in the Primitive dropdown menu. ![](/files/-MZIqomKoSxtQnF7_8ha) The plane will appear in the Scene Primitives list, and a visual representation of it will appear at the origin (0,0,0) of the 3D Scene Preview. {% hint style="info" %} Many ready-to-use 3D objects are available in TACHYON. They can act as Projection Surfaces and simplify the construction of the virtual representation of your real-world stage space. 3D objects can be selected from the Primitive dropdown menu **{Primitive > Default Objects}**. {% endhint %} ## Scale, Translate and Rotate the Plane It is possible to modify the shape of the plane in order to match the ratio of the real-world display it represents. You can also position and rotate the plane in space to match the position and orientation of the real-world display. ### Why Apply 3D Transformations? Scaling, positioning and orienting are crucial in stage contexts where many real-world projectors cover many Screen Surfaces. Under these circumstances, it is important to accurately represent the spatial relations between all objects in TACHYON’s virtual world. If the spatial relations between objects aren’t accurately represented it won’t be possible to complete the calibration process. Scaling, positioning and orienting are not crucial in stage contexts involving single Displays linked to single Screen Surfaces that act as autonomous pairs. However, doing so is considered a best practice and will give you access to a realistic pre-visualization of the project. {% hint style="info" %} Project pre-visualization is one of TACHYON’s key features. VYV’s software can create full 3D simulations of the real-world stage space. In the 3D Scene module Screen Surfaces (with their video content), Displays, lighting equipment, and set elements can be placed in a virtual space that provides a complete overview of a project. {% endhint %} ### Applying the 3D Transformations An object’s size, position or orientation (Decorative Objects as well as Projection Surfaces) in the 3D Scene can be modified using the Transformations Panel or Transformation Manipulators. ### Transformations Panel The Transformations Panel contains multiple sliders that allow the modification of the Scale, Translate and Rotate parameters for each axis (X, Y and Z) for any object previously created in the 3D Scene module. 1. Select the object you want to alter by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. 2. To open the Transformations Panel, press **`T`** on the keyboard or select **{Options Panels > Transformation}** in the 3D Scene’s main menu. 3. To change the geometric coordinates of an object, adjust the value of the sliders. You can adjust the value of a slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag**, or you can **`Double-click`** on it to open a text field where you can enter a desired numeric value. ![](/files/-MZIunG-S5FhIZvKm3_8) The effects of these transformations can be seen in the 3D Scene Preview. The graphic representation of the selected object will be modified as well. Slider values differ depending on the parameters they represent. The Scale sliders are not dimension sliders; they act as scaling coefficients applied to the object’s original size. > **Example:** if the scale value of a cube featuring edges of 2 meters is changed from 1 to 4 on all three axes, the cube will now have edges of 8 meters. The Translate sliders express a value in meters. The Rotate sliders express values in angles. And the Rotate Axis sliders are used to apply a rotation expressed in an angle that corresponds to specific vectors. > **Example:** an angle is set with the first slider while the three other sliders represent vector values for each axis that will determine how the ### Transformation Manipulators The Transformation Manipulators facilitate direct modification of a 3D object’s parameters —Scale, Translate, Rotate — by manipulating your mouse in the 3D Scene Preview. Enable the desired Transformations Manipulator using the following methods: * **Scale Manipulator:** * Press **`X`** on the keyboard or click on the Scale button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. * **Translate Manipulator:** * Press **`V`** on the keyboard or click on the Translate button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. * **Rotate Manipulator:** * Press **`C`** on the keyboard or click on the Rotate button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZIqomMpYVhNANVYKE8) The Transformation Manipulators will appear when a 3D object is selected. TACHYON’s Manipulators feature a standard color-scheme for its 3D coordinate system: X is red, Y is green and Z is blue. * **`Click`****+Drag** the handle of the axis parameter you want to modify (X, Y or Z). The handle will become yellow when selected. * The Scale and Translate Manipulators feature a yellow dot at the intersection of their axes. **`Click`+Drag** the yellow dot to simultaneously apply transformations to all axes.
{% hint style="warning" %} Enabling a Manipulator will disable camera movements in the 3D Scene Preview. To switch back to camera control, press **`S`** on the keyboard or click the Camera button located at the top-right corner of the 3D Scene. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} If you want to control the camera while a Manipulator is enabled, **press and hold ****`S`** on the keyboard. This will allow you to manipulate the camera. To switch back to Manipulator control, release the **`S`** key. {% endhint %} ## Map the Plane to the Display Once the plane that acts as the Projection Surface has undergone the appropriate geometric transformations, you have to add it to the Mapped Objects list. In order to calibrate a Display (find its position and orientation in the real world), TACHYON has to build geometric correspondences with at least one 3D object representing a physical structure in the real world. In this case, the plane will act both as a Projection Surface and a Mapped Object. 1. Select the 3D Scene module’s Calibration mode by pressing **`2`** or by clicking on the \[Calibration] button located at the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZIqomOhp7-DJnHwU7Y) Once the Calibration mode is enabled, the 3D Scene Preview will turn red and the Calibration Tools Window will open in the lower part of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZIqomPilcd_NsdwOkD) 2. Select the Display you want to calibrate by clicking on its entry in the Calibration Tools Window list. (If you haven’t renamed the Display, it will be listed as “Projector.”) {% hint style="warning" %} Make sure the **Display Grid is enabled**. By showing a representation of how the Display’s texture map is distributed (both in the 3D Scene Preview and in the real-world projection), the Display Grid will let you preview the amount of distortion affecting the projected image. Normally, you will try to limit distortion as much as possible by manipulating the Calibration Points. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZIqomQRukFsdMTI0Z8) 3. Press **`D`** or click on the gear icon button to access the 3D Scene module’s Settings menu and click on the **`Display Grid`** toggle if the Display Grid isn’t already activated OR use the display grid toggle in the quick option bar: ![](/files/-MZIqomR_No_Wr8YlS6d) 4. In the Mapped Object window section (right of the Calibration Tools Window), select the plane from the **{Model Selection}** dropdown menu. 5. Click on the **`Map`** button to add the plane as a Mapped Object. The plane will be covered by green dots corresponding to its vertices in the 3D Scene Preview. ![](/files/-MZIqomSnocq7YK10DOD) * Multiple 3D objects can be added as Mapped Objects for the same Display. This allows the Display to simultaneously support multiple calibrations. > **Example:** in a case where a single video projector covers two different Screen Surfaces, each Screen Surface would be represented by a 3D object, and both 3D objects would have to be added as Mapped Objects to the same Display (representing the video projector). * A single 3D object can be added as a Mapped Object for multiple Displays. > **Example:** in a situation where beams of light from multiple projectors fall on a single Projection Surface, the same 3D object (corresponding to the Projection Surface) would have to be added to each of the Displays (corresponding to the video projectors). ## Calibration Point Creation and Manipulation In order to calibrate the Display, you will have to create four Calibration Points that match the four corners of the plane. You will then manipulate these Calibration Points until the image being displayed isn’t distorted. ### Calibration Point Creation Calibrations Points are created by converting vertices: the green dots that correspond to the 3D object’s vertices. This is done through a **`Ctrl`****+`Double-click`** applied to a vertex. To perform a manual 2D keystone calibration, you will have to create Calibration Points using the four corners of the plane. * **`Ctrl`****+`Double-click`** sequentially on the four vertices that match the four corners of the plane. ![](/files/-MZIqomT8GlAZe0R0mSf) Whenever a vertex point is converted to a Calibration Point and is selected, it will double in size and turn white. An unselected Calibration Point will retain this double size but will turn blue. Once the four Calibration Points have been created, the plane displayed in the Calibration Tools Window will snap to its four corners and completely fill its space. If you want to use the full pixel space offered by the Display and there isn’t a need for any kind of geometric correction (if you plan to output the signal to a video monitor, for example), you are done. ### Calibration Points, Crosses and Lines Whenever a Calibration Point is created, a green cross will appear in the Calibration Tools Window Preview where it is positioned. The green cross will also be projected by the Display it is linked to. If the Calibration Point is moved, the cross will also move to reflect the change of position. If the Calibration Point is selected, its corresponding green cross will feature elongated white lines that will extend until they reach the edge of the projected image. These two features — green crosses and white lines — should help you calibrate the Display. Parameters for both the crosses and the lines are accessible in the Options menu. If you want to modify these parameters, click on the gear icon button to access the Options Panel and manipulate the following widgets: * **Display Cross toggle:** * **`Click`** on the toggle to show/hide the green crosses. * **Display Lines toggle:** * **`Click`** on the toggle to show/hide the white lines. * **2D Point Size slider:** * **`Click`+Drag** the slider to change the size of the green crosses. * **Line Width slider:** * **`Click`+Drag** the slider to change the width of the white lines. ![](/files/-MZIqomU-vKuY6rztK0W) ### Manipulating Calibration Points If you have to apply 2D geometric corrections (such as keystoning) to the video output, you will have to manipulate the Calibration Points. By moving Calibration Points in TACHYON you will alter the projected image’s geometric coordinates and compensate for alignment differences between a Projector and its related Projection Surface. Calibration Points will have to be selected and moved one by one from those that were previously declared. This step has to be repeated with each of the previously declared Calibration Points (a keystone correction will involve four Calibration Points). The final positions of the Calibration Points in the projected image (on the real-world Projection Surface) will make it possible to project an accurate (geometrically correct) image. Calibration Points can be manipulated by using the keyboard on it’s own, or by using a combination of the mouse and keyboard. ![](/files/-MZIqomV640S6Hd5_AXy) ### Keyboard Calibration Point Manipulations * **Select Previous/Next Calibration Point** * **`Page Up`** selects the next Calibration Point. * **`Page Down`** selects the previous Calibration Point. * **Move the Calibration Point that is Currently Selected** * **`Arrows`** move the selected Calibration Point in any of the four directions represented by the arrows keys. * **`Shift`****+****`Arrows`** applies the same effect as above, only 10 times slower. * **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Arrows`** applies the same effect as above, only 100 times slower. * **Move the Entire Calibration** * **`Alt`****+****`Arrows`** moves all of the Calibration Points at the same time. * **`Alt`****+****`Shift`****+****`Arrows`** applies the same effect as above, only 10 times slower. * **Add/Remove a Calibration Point** * **`-`** removes the Calibration Point that is currently selected. * **`+`** adds a new Calibration Point corresponding to the vertex that is currently selected, or re-adds a previously deleted Calibration Point. ### Mouse and Keyboard Calibration Point Manipulations * **Select a Calibration Point from the Calibration Tools Window Preview** * **`Ctrl`****+`Left-click`** selects the Calibration Point that is closest to your cursor and moves it to where you have clicked. * **Select a Calibration Point in the 3D Scene Preview** * **`Ctrl`****+`Left-click`** on a Calibration Point (blue dots) to select it (it will turn white). * **Cycle Through Calibration Point Selection** * **`Mouse wheel`** : Place the mouse over the Calibration Tools Window Preview and use the mouse wheel to cycle through the previously declared Calibration Points. * **Move a Calibration Point** * **`Left-click`** anywhere in the Calibration Tools Window Preview to move the selected Calibration Point to its new location. * **`Left-click`+Drag** anywhere in the Calibration Tools Window Preview to move the selected Calibration Point in the direction that you drag the mouse. * **`Shift`****+`Left-click+`Drag** applies the same effect as above, only 10 times slower. **Add/Remove a Calibration Point** * **`Ctrl`****+`Double-click`** on a vertex (green dots) on the Mapped Object in the 3D Scene Preview to create a new Calibration Point. * **`Ctrl`****+`Right-click`** on a Calibration Point to remove it. # Manual 3D Calibration The manual calibration process for a 3D projection surface (for example, a cube) is only slightly different from the one described in section Manual 2D Keystone Calibration. The main difference resides in the number of Calibration Points needed by TACHYON to achieve a geometric match between the real-world projector and projection surface with their virtual counterparts. If a 3D object is selected for calibration and a sufficient quantity of well-distributed Calibration Points are identified on its surface (with regard to width, height and depth), TACHYON will automatically perform a 3D calibration. There is no need to specify if a calibration is tridimensional or bidimensional. {% hint style="warning" %} A **minimum of six Calibration Points** will be needed to calibrate a projector for a 3D object. These Calibration Points correspond to some of the vertices of the 3D object acting as the Projection Surface. You can use as many points as needed to facilitate calibration **but ensure they are placed strategically**. While additional points can improve precision, they can also lead to inappropriate calibration, as it increases the risk of human errors and can make misplacements harder to identify. {% endhint %} The vertices selected for the calibration should be distributed along the 3D object’s three axes (X, Y and Z) in order to convey enough information about its volume and surface to TACHYON. > **Example**: selecting all of the Calibration Points on the same surface of a 3D object will prevent the software from performing tridimensional calibration since coplanar vertices do not carry information about the 3D object’s volume. ## Add a Projector in the 3D Scene In order to start the calibration process, you will need a virtual representation of the real-world display. If you are attempting a manual 3D calibration, the appropriate Virtual Display type is a Projector. Make sure the Virtual Video Output that corresponds to the Video Output Port was declared in the Settings module when you created your project’s Network Group. If this wasn’t done, please do so before continuing (see Virtual Video Outputs Creation in Setting Up a Show). ### Automatic Virtual Output Creation When a Virtual Video Output is declared in the Settings module, a confirmation box opens and displays the following message: “Do you want to create a display in the 3D Scene and link it to this output?” By clicking the **`Create Projector`** button you will automatically add a Projector in the 3D Scene linked to the new output. ![](/files/-MZIxLQO3PDAS8PLaRzS) ### Manual Projector Creation If for any reason you created a Virtual Video Output but did not assign a Projector to it, you will have to follow these steps: 1. In the 3D Scene module, select **{Primitive > Display > Projector}** to create a new Projector. A new entry (named Projector) will appear in the Scene Primitives list. A pyramid, representing the light beam emitted by the Projector, will also be visible in the 3D Scene Preview. ![](/files/-MZIxLQPWAJe7XwzfLrU) 2. In the Settings module, go to the TACHYON Selection list and select the server you want to use as an output for the video signal. 3. Beside each of the Virtual Video Outputs you created, you will find a dropdown menu with the **{no output}** option selected. Using the dropdown menu linked to the appropriate Virtual Video Output, select the Projector you created. ![](/files/-MZIxLQQk7u7IAP4Zqxt) ### Renaming a Projector Once a Projector in the 3D Scene is linked to a Virtual Video Output, you can rename it to make it easier to identify. (In complex projects involving many Displays, renaming Projectors is a must-do.) * `Double-click` on the Projector’s entry in the Scene Primitives list. A text field will appear allowing you to enter a new name for the Projector. ![](/files/-MZIxLQRopX3QpT5C84X) ## Add a 3D Object in the 3D Scene For a manual 3D calibration the Projection Surface is necessarily a 3D object. This 3D object can represent a prop or the surface of a tridimensional set element onto which video will be projected. The 3D object can either be selected from the ready-made Default Objects in the Primitive dropdown menu or it can be a custom made model (.obj, .fbx, .blend or .xsi) imported through the File Manager module. The following subsections will use the cube corner model (listed as a **{Cube}**) from the Default Objects as an example. * To add a 3D object to the 3D Scene, select **{Primitive > Default Objects > Cube}** in the Primitive dropdown menu. ![](/files/-MZIxLQS0EfGPXXUyh0-) The cube corner will appear in the Scene Primitives list, and a visual representation of it will appear at the origin (0,0,0) of the 3D Scene Preview. {% hint style="info" %} Many ready-to-use 3D objects are available in TACHYON. They can act as Projection Surfaces and simplify the construction of the virtual representation of your real-world stage space. 3D objects can be selected from the Primitive dropdown menu **{Primitive > Default Objects}**. {% endhint %} ## Scale, Translate and Rotate the 3D Object It is possible to modify the shape of the cube corner in order to match the ratio of the real-world prop it represents. You can also position and rotate the cube corner in space to match the position and orientation of the real-world prop. ### Why Apply 3D Transformations? Scaling, positioning and orienting are crucial in stage contexts where many real-world projectors cover many Screen Surfaces. Under these circumstances, it is important to accurately represent the spatial relations between all objects in TACHYON’s virtual world. If the spatial relations between objects aren’t accurately represented it won’t be possible to complete the calibration process. Scaling, positioning and orienting are not crucial in stage contexts involving single Displays linked to single Screen Surfaces that act as autonomous pairs. However, doing so is considered a best practice and will give you access to a realistic pre-visualization of the project. {% hint style="info" %} Project pre-visualization is one of TACHYON’s key features. VYV’s software can create full 3D simulations of the real-world stage space. In the 3D Scene module Screen Surfaces (with their video content), Displays, cameras, lighting equipment, and set elements can be placed in a virtual space that provides a complete overview of a project. {% endhint %} ### Applying 3D Transformations An object’s size, position or orientation (Decorative Objects as well as Projection Surfaces) in the 3D Scene can be modified using the Transformations Panel or Transformation Manipulators. ### Transformations Panel The Transformations Panel contains multiple sliders that allow the modification of the Scale, Translate and Rotate parameters for each axis (X, Y and Z) for any object previously created in the 3D Scene module. 1. Select the object you want to alter by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. 2. To open the Transformations Panel, press **`T`** on the keyboard or select **{Options Panels > Transformation}** in the 3D Scene’s main menu. ![](/files/-MZIxLQTK3QUrkrbMwro) 3. To change the geometric coordinates of an object, adjust the value of the sliders. You can adjust the value of a slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag**, or you can **`Double-click`** on it to open a text field where you can enter a desired numeric value. The effects of these transformations can be seen in the 3D Scene Preview. The graphic representation of the selected object will be modified as well. {% hint style="info" %} Slider values differ depending on the parameters they represent. {% endhint %} The Scale sliders are not dimension sliders; they act as scaling coefficients applied to the object’s original size. > **Example:** if the scale value of a cube featuring edges of 2 meters is changed from 1 to 4 on all three axes, the cube will now have edges of 8 meters. The Translate sliders express a value in meters. The Rotate sliders express values in angles. And the Rotate Axis sliders are used to apply a rotation expressed in an angle that corresponds to specific vectors. > **Example:** an angle is set with the first slider while the three other sliders represent vector values for each axis that will determine how the rotation will be applied to each. ### Transformation Manipulators The Transformation Manipulators facilitate direct modification of a 3D object’s parameters —Scale, Translate, Rotate — by manipulating your mouse in the 3D Scene Preview. Enable the desired Transformations Manipulator using the following methods: * **Scale Manipulator:** * Press **`X`** on the keyboard or click on the Scale button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. * **Translate Manipulator:** * Press **`V`** on the keyboard or click on the Translate button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. * **Rotate Manipulator:** * Press **`C`** on the keyboard or click on the Rotate button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZIxLQU78BoFsZnWqK7) The Transformation Manipulators will appear when a 3D object is selected. TACHYON’s Manipulators feature a standard color-scheme for its 3D coordinate system: X is red, Y is green and Z is blue. * **`Click`****+Drag** the handle of the axis parameter you want to modify (X, Y or Z). The handle will become yellow when selected. * The Scale and Translate Manipulators feature a yellow dot at the intersection of their axes. **`Click`****+Drag** the yellow dot to simultaneously apply transformations to all axes.
{% hint style="warning" %} Enabling a Manipulator will disable camera movements in the 3D Scene Preview. To switch back to camera control, press **`S`** on the keyboard or click the Camera button located at the top-right corner of the 3D Scene. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} If you want to control the camera while a Manipulator is enabled, **press and hold ****`S`** on the keyboard. This will allow you to manipulate the camera. To switch back to Manipulator control, release the **`S`** key. {% endhint %} ## Map the 3D Object to the Display Once the cube corner that acts as the Projection Surface has undergone the appropriate geometric transformations, you have to add it to the Mapped Objects list. In order to calibrate a Display (find its position and orientation in the real world), TACHYON has to build geometric correspondences with at least one 3D object representing a physical structure in the real world. In this case, the cube corner will act both as a Projection Surface and a Mapped Object. 1. Select the 3D Scene module’s Calibration mode by pressing **`2`** or by clicking on the **`Calibration`** button located at the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZIxLQVsYl85jqV6ATq) Once the Calibration mode is enabled, the 3D Scene Preview will turn red and the Calibration Tools Window will open in the lower part of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZIxLQW_hpediL4zT9-) 2. Select the Display you want to calibrate by clicking on its entry in the Calibration Tools Window list. (If you haven’t renamed the Display, it will be listed as “Projector.”) {% hint style="warning" %} **Make sure the Display Grid is enabled.** By showing a representation of how the Display’s texture map is distributed (both in the 3D Scene Preview and in the real-world projection) the Display Grid will let you preview the amount of distortion affecting the projected image. Normally, you will try to limit distortion as much as possible by manipulating the Calibration Points. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZIxLQXkqvNVYxDdCnj) 3. Press **`D`** or click on the gear icon button to access the 3D Scene module’s Settings menu and click on the **`Display Grid`** toggle if the Display Grid isn’t already activated OR use the display grid toggle in the quick option bar: ![](/files/-MZIxLQY-IxxnI5-p_5O) 4. In the Mapped Object window section (right of the Calibration Tools Window), select the **{Cube}** (which is in fact a cube corner) from the **{Model Selection}** dropdown menu. ![](/files/-MZIxLQZ1CJRQvy9AZB9) 5. Click on the **`Map`** button to add the cube corner as a Mapped Object. The cube corner will be covered by green dots corresponding to its vertices in the 3D Scene Preview. ![](/files/-MZIxLQ_xTRyjOSxGBTi) Multiple 3D objects can be added as Mapped Objects for the same Display. This allows the Display to simultaneously support multiple calibrations. > **Example**: in a case where a single video projector covers two different Screen Surfaces, both Screen Surfaces would be represented by its own 3D object, and both 3D objects would have to be added as Mapped Objects to the same Display (representing the video projector). A single 3D object can be added as a Mapped Object for multiple Displays. > **Example:** in a situation where beams of light from multiple projectors fall on a single Projection Surface, the same 3D object (corresponding to the Projection Surface) would have to be added to each of the Displays (corresponding to the video projectors). ## Calibration Point Creation and Manipulation In order to calibrate the Display, you will have to create **at least six of the seven Calibration Points** that match the corners of the cube corner. You will then manipulate these Calibration Points until the image being displayed isn’t distorted. (You can use the corner created by the junction of two straight walls and a floor to simulate an open cube if you don’t have access to such a prop.) ### Calibration Point Creation Calibrations Points are created by converting vertices: the green dots that correspond to the 3D object’s vertices. This is done through a **`Ctrl`****+`Double-click`** applied to a vertex. To perform a manual 3D calibration, you will have to create Calibration Points using the seven corners of the cube corner. * **`Ctrl`****+`Double-click`** sequentially on the seven vertices that match the seven corners of the cube corner. Whenever a vertex point is converted to a Calibration Point and is selected, it will double in size and turn white. An unselected Calibration Point will retain this doubling of size but will turn blue. When you create a Calibration Point, move it to its new position before creating another one. Follow the remaining instructions to learn how to manipulate the Calibration Points. ![](/files/-MZIxLQabHxy3m_vipG9) ### Calibration Points, Crosses and Lines Whenever a Calibration Point is created, a green cross will appear in the Calibration Tools Window Preview where it is positioned. The green cross will also be projected by the Display it is linked to. If the Calibration Point is moved, the cross will also move to reflect the change of position. If the Calibration Point is selected, its corresponding green cross will feature elongated white lines that will extend until they reach the edge of the projected image. ![](/files/-MZIxLQboDV6hFx6F8ur) These two features — green crosses and white lines — should help you calibrate the Display. Parameters for both the crosses and the lines are accessible in the Options menu. If you want to modify these parameters, click on the gear icon button to access the Options Panel and manipulate the following widgets: * **Display Cross toggle:** * Click on the toggle to show/hide the green crosses. * **Display Lines toggle:** * Click on the toggle to show/hide the white lines. * **2D Point Size slider:** * **`Click`+Drag**]the slider to change the size of the green crosses. * **Line Width slider:** * **`Click`+Drag** the slider to change the width of the white lines. ### Manipulating Calibration Points If you have to apply 3D geometric corrections to the video output, you will have to manipulate the Calibration Points. By moving Calibration Points in TACHYON you will alter the projected image's geometric coordinates and compensate for alignment differences between a Projector and its corresponding Projection Surface. ![](/files/-MZIxLQcHMCFRR1abm_K) Calibration Points will have to be selected and moved one by one. This step has to be repeated with each of the declared Calibration Points. The final positions of the Calibration Points in the projected image (on the real-world Projection Surface) will make it possible to project an accurate (geometrically correct) image. Calibration Points can be manipulated by using the keyboard on it’s own, or by using a combination of the mouse and keyboard. ### Keyboard Calibration Point Manipulations **Select Previous/Next Calibration Point** * **`Page Up`** selects the next Calibration Point. * **`Page Down`** selects the previous Calibration Point. **Move the Calibration Point that is Currently Selected** * **`Arrows`** move the selected Calibration Point in any of the four directions represented by the arrows keys. * **`Shift`****+****`Arrows`** applies the same effect as above, only 10 times slower. * **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Arrows`** applies the same effect as above, only 100 times slower. **Move the Entire Calibration** * **`Alt`****+****`Arrows`** moves all of the Calibration Points at the same time. * **`Alt`****+****`Shift`****+****`Arrows`** applies the same effect as above, only 10 times slower. **Add/Remove a Calibration Point** * **`-`** removes the Calibration Point that is currently selected. * **`+`** adds a new Calibration Point corresponding to the vertex that is currently selected, or re-adds a previously deleted Calibration Point. ### Mouse and Keyboard Calibration Point Manipulations **Select a Calibration Point from the Calibration Tools Window Preview** * **`Ctrl`****+`Left-click`** selects the Calibration Point that is closest to your cursor and moves it to where you have clicked. **Select a Calibration Point in the 3D Scene Preview** * **`Ctrl`****+****`Left-click`** on a Calibration Point (blue dots) to select it (it will turn white). **Cycle Through Calibration Point Selection** * **`Mouse wheel`** : Place the mouse over the Calibration Tools Window Preview and use the mouse wheel to cycle through the previously declared Calibration Points. **Move a Calibration Point** * **`Left-click`** anywhere in the Calibration Tools Window Preview to move the selected Calibration Point to its new location. * **`Left-click`+Drag** anywhere in the Calibration Tools Window Preview to move the selected Calibration Point in the direction that you drag the mouse. * **`Shift`****+`Left-click`+Drag** applies the same effect as above, only 10 times slower. **Add/Remove a Calibration Point** * **`Ctrl`****+`Double-click`** on a vertex (green dots) on the Mapped Object in the 3D Scene Preview to create a new Calibration Point. * **`Ctrl`****+****`Right-click`** on a Calibration Point to remove it. # Convergence and Seamless Projection The calibration processes described in sections Manual 2D Keystone Calibration and Manual 3D Calibration involved a single Display and a single Projection Surface functioning as an autonomous pair. However, in many situations, multiple projectors will aim at the same Projection Surface. This might be done to create seamless video coverage: * over the surface of a large screen * over a surface that wraps around a tridimensional structure. * Multiple video projectors can be stacked and aimed at the same screen to increase its luminosity. All cases imply small changes to the calibration procedures and are explained below. ## Convergence Convergence occurs when multiple projectors are stacked and are aiming at the same Projection Surface. Convergent calibrations can be tricky to achieve because the projected image will be blurred if the geometrical corrections applied to each Display are not perfect. To successfully apply a convergent calibration, make sure to follow these guidelines: * Use the same 3D object as the Reference Object for all Displays (in this case, the video projectors aimed at the same surface). * The 3D object acting as a Screen should also be made visible for each of the Displays. * Displays should share Calibration Points. Sharing some of the same Calibration Points will ensure that the Displays are properly aligned. > The two most **common examples** are: > > * two video projectors are aimed at the same area on a wall, the same four Calibration Points corresponding to the Screen’s four corners should be used for both Displays. > * two video projectors are aimed at a tridimensional structure acting as a Screen, Calibration Points placed in the intersection of the video projectors’ beams should be shared by both Displays. * Press **`D`** on the keyboard or click on the gear icon button to access the 3D Scene module’s Settings menu and click on the **`Display Grid`** toggle if the Display Grid isn’t already activated. Once activated, the Display Grid will help you align Displays because the pattern it projects onto Screens exaggerates the blurriness generated by a bad calibration. ## Seamless Projection In stage productions that rely on video mapping, coverage is often intended to span seamlessly across large surfaces. In some cases, large surfaces call for a very high pixel count, which can only be achieved by using multiple video projectors. To create the illusion of a seamless video image on a large surface follow these guidelines: * Video projector beams should cover the whole Projection Surface. * The beams of contiguous video projectors should intersect to create overlapping projection areas. These overlapping projection areas should amount to **15% of a Display’s total projection** area. * Intersecting video projectors should share Calibration Points in their shared projection area. * Press **`D`** on the keyboard or click on the gear icon button to access the 3D Scene module’s Settings menu and click on the **`Display Grid`** toggle if the Display Grid isn’t already activated. Once activated, the Display Grid will help you align Displays since the pattern it projects onto Screens exaggerates the blurriness generated by a bad calibration in the shared projection area. ![](/files/-MZJFsVOPMA0zyclSNrP) # Display Soloing When the Calibration mode is enabled, all of the Displays that are connected will simultaneously project/show Display Grids or the 3D object meshes. This can be overwhelming and might create confusion while attempting calibration. To simplify the calibration process it is possible to select a single Display out of the group and mask the output of the other Displays. ![](/files/-MZJKfyfpDf7nXHRKQma) ## Solo a Display In the Calibration Tools Window Display list, **`Right-click`** on the entry corresponding to the Display you want to solo. A contextual menu will open. * Select **{Solo}** from the contextual menu. You will notice that the Eye icons located to the right of each entry in the Calibration Tools Window Display list will feature a strikethrough, except for the Display that was calibrated solo. ![](/files/-MZJKfygITdz05rNnhSF) If you wish to "unsolo" the Display, repeat the same action. {% hint style="info" %} The solo function will remember which Display you have masked (or not) when you “unsolo.” {% endhint %} # Default Camera Selection The 3D Scene Preview features a Default Camera through which you can see the virtual stage space. This Default Camera has a fixed visual field and is not visually represented. If you want to visualize the virtual stage space with a different visual field or use a Display’s point of view, you can change how the Default Camera is assigned. > **Example:** you could use a Display such as a video projector to act as the Default Camera, to see what lies in front of it. (This is a good way to verify if a Projection Surface is in a Projector’s visual field). A dropdown menu located in the top-left corner of the 3D Scene window will allow you to change the Default Camera’s attributes. Click on the **{Default Camera}** dropdown menu and select the Projector or Virtual Projector you want to use as the 3D Scene Preview’s new point of view. ![](/files/-MZJMPkQD1L_2Y3Rb44A) {% hint style="warning" %} If you select a Projector as the new point of view and move it around in the 3D Scene, you will modify its parameters. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} You can select calibrated Projectors as points of view, but you will not be able to move them or change any of their parameters because the Calibration process locks their position and orientation. {% endhint %} # Blending Multiple projectors are often used to create a seamless video image on a Projection Surface. For calibrating multiple projectors TACHYON features automatic edge blending, a process through which the projected images are altered to seamlessly blend into one another. TACHYON automatically calculates Blending masks on load of the project. The only action a user can take is to recalculate the blending (after a calibration change for example) (once the Calibration process is complete Blending masks are saved and applied to the video outputs) ## Enable Blending and Select Blending Mode Make sure the 3D Scene module’s current mode is set to **{Calibration}** **`2`** . 1. To open the Blending Panel, click on the **`B`** button located in the top-right corner or the 3D Scene window. 2. Click the **`Enable`** toggle to activate Blending. 3. Select **{Static Blending}** from the Blending mode dropdown menu 4. Press the **`Compute Mask`** button: the Blending mask will be calculated every time you click on this button, making it possible for you to recalculate masks if there are changes in the Calibration. ![](/files/-MZJPqKl-bE6Md90Wb_H) {% hint style="info" %} Blending can also be enabled/disabled from quick option bar in the calibration tools by pressing the **{B}** icon toggle. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZJPqKmoeHMZS3pDAgs) # Calibration Lock Once a Calibration is complete, it is possible to lock it in order to avoid unintended modifications. {% hint style="danger" %} Accidently clicking in the Calibration Tools Window Preview could void a perfect Calibration if it isn’t locked. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZJRKMJ7DJ8LSVtNjQQ) ## Locking Calibration 1. Press **`2`** on the keyboard or click on the **`Calibration`** toggle to select the 3D Scene module’s Calibration mode. 2. Click the Calibration Lock button located in the top-right corner of the Calibration Tool window or Access the Settings Panel by clicking on the Settings button. 3. Click on the **`Controls Locked`** toggle to lock all Calibrations. ![](/files/-MZJRTddBiEgCDYJxekY) ![](/files/-MZJR9SWfJbDa0P4liZA) {% hint style="info" %} **`Controls Locked`** will lock Calibration for all Displays. Following this, it will be impossible to add new Calibration Points, manually move Displays (for both position and orientation) or attempt Auto-Calibration. Locking the calibration will also lock the quick option bar in the Calibration Tools {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZJR9SXo8tq1-tz-Nie) # Decorative Objects In the 3D Scene, it is possible to add 3D objects that do not act as Screens. These 3D objects can be used to represent technical equipment, set elements, seating, or other props that are part of the real-world stage space, without being used as Projection Surfaces. By default, TACHYON consider any 3D object added in the 3D Scene module as a Screen. These objects therefore appear automatically in the timeline module. If 3D objects are not a projection surface, it can be declared as Decorative Objects. {% hint style="info" %} As Decorative Objects these 3D objects will NOT be shown in the Timeline module, and will NOT be taken into account for computations related to video projection. {% endhint %} ## Declaring a Decorative Object 1. Select the 3D object by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. 2. Press **`P`** on the keyboard or select **{Options Panels > Properties}** from the 3D Scene module’s menu to open the Properties Panel. 3. Click on the first dropdown menu in the **{Display Options}** section of the Properties Panel to change the default option from **{Projection Surface}** to **{Decorative}**. ![](/files/-MZJSOEBG5E7-xmSo4hf) # LED Screen Calibration LED Screens are not calibrated in the same way that Projectors are. There are many differences between the instructions for LED Screen calibration and projector calibration. The main differences between these approaches are the following: ## Key Differences with LED Displays ### Display Type LED Screens use the LED Processor Display type instead of Projectors.\ They are the only other Display type that can be linked to a video output. ### Calibration Tools Interface LED Processor Display is now located in a separate tab with a new set of options better suited for LED Screens calibration.
Calibration Tools Interface
### Calibration Technique LED Processor Displays use quads (cells featuring a quadrilateral shape) to segment, resize and position video content in a virtual 2D space. The resulting visual composition is then outputted to the real-world LED Processors connected to the LED walls. This approach facilitates content mapping for these devices. ## Add a LED Processor The first step is to add an LED Processor Display in the 3D Scene module. If the project you are working on features many real-world LED Processors, you will have to add an LED Processor Display for each of them. 1. Make sure the 3D Scene module is open by pressing **`Alt`****+****`C`** or by selecting **{System > 3D Scene}** from the Main menu. 2. Select **{Primitive > Display > LED Processor}** from the Primitive dropdown menu. The LED Processor will appear at the bottom of the Scene Primitives list.
Add a LED processor
{% hint style="info" %} The LED Processor Display is not represented in the 3D Scene Preview. {% endhint %} ## Add a Primitive While LED Screens are not Projection Surfaces, they still need to be linked to a 3D object. The shape of the 3D object should match the shape of the real-world LED Screen. The selected 3D object is often a plane because LED Screens tend to have a rectangular format. * To add a default 3D object to the 3D Scene, select **{Primitive > Default Objects > *****any of the objects listed here*****}** in the Primitive dropdown menu. The LED Processor will appear at the bottom of the Scene Primitives list.
Add a Primitive (3D object)
The 3D object will appear in the Scene Primitives list, and a visual representation of it will appear at the origin (0,0,0) of the 3D Scene Preview. ![](/files/-MZNiXty2FwdNWzfr36q) {% hint style="info" %} Many ready-to-use 3D objects are available in TACHYON. Referred to as Default Objects, they simplify the construction of the virtual representation of your real-world stage space. Default Objects can be selected from the Primitive dropdown menu **{Primitive > Default Objects}**. {% endhint %} ## Declaring a LED Surface TACHYON’s default behavior is to consider any 3D object added in the 3D Scene module as a Projection Screen. Tachyon needs to be told that the Plane is a LED Surface: 1. Select the 3D object by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. 2. Press **`P`** on the keyboard or select **{Options Panels > Properties}** from the 3D Scene module’s menu to open the Properties Panel. 3. Click on the first dropdown menu in the **{Display Options}** section of the Properties Panel to change the default option from **{Projection Surface}** to **{LED Surface}**.
Declaring a LED Surface
### LED Surface Properties #### Number of LED Panels The X\&Y Sliders allows you to control the snapping grid in the Screen LED Calibration Panel (cyan dash lines in the next figure) This tool is designed to replicate the actual physical panels of an LED screen.
Number of LED Panels
Screen LED Calibration Panel
#### LED Panels Resolution The X\&Y Sliders and Force Render Resolution Toggle, in conjunction with Number of LED Panels, allows to automatically calculate the Led Surface resolution Render. When the Force Render Resolution toggle is enabled, the X and Y sliders become accessible. These sliders calculate the screen's render resolution by multiplying the number of panels in the X and Y directions by their respective resolutions. Additionally, this action greys out the Render Resolution (px) X and Y sliders in the Texture section of the Screen Properties, thereby enforcing the resolution to match the total of its panels.
LED Panels Resolution, Force Render Resolution
#### Setting Screen Resolution (if you are not using Force Render Resolution) The texture resolution has to be set through the LED Processor properties. 1\. Select the Screen by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. (The Screen is a 3D object you previously added to the list.) 2\. Press **`P`** or select **{Options Panels > Properties}** from the 3D Scene menu to open the Properties Panel. 3\. Set the desired horizontal and vertical resolutions using the width and height sliders located underneath the Texture section of the panel. (The sliders can be manipulated with the mouse or you can fields where you can directly input numerical values.) ### LED Processor Properties #### Setting output Resolution The texture resolution has to be set through the LED Processor properties. 1\. Select the LED Processor by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. (The Screen is a 3D object you previously added to the list.) 2\. Press **`P`** or select **{Options Panels > Properties}** from the 3D Scene menu to open the Properties Panel.
Setting output Resolution
#### Width & height Sliders The output rendering resolution is defined here; make sure this value matches the physical output resolution on which the LED processor will be assigned to. Set the desired horizontal and vertical resolutions using the width and height sliders located underneath the Texture section of the panel. (The sliders can be manipulated with the mouse or you can fields where you can directly input numerical values.) {% hint style="warning" %} The LED Processor’s output resolution has to match the resolution of the Video Output Port found in the Settings module. {% endhint %} The resolution will be displayed on the header of the output window in the calibration tool:
output rendering resolution
#### Width & height offset Sliders The Width & height offset Sliders allow to offset the entire LED output in X and Y. Set the desired horizontal and vertical resolutions using the width and height sliders located underneath the Texture section of the panel. (The sliders can be manipulated with the mouse or you can fields where you can directly input numerical values.) ## Scale, Move, Rotate the 3D Object It is possible to modify the shape of the 3D object in order to match the ratio of the real-world LED Display it represents. You can also position and rotate the 3D object in space to match the position and orientation of the real-world LED Display. {% hint style="success" %} Since the calibration process for LED Displays relies strictly on 2D texture mapping (LED Displays are not Projection Surfaces), scaling, positioning and orienting are not crucial. However, doing so is considered a best practice and will give you access to a realistic pre-visualization of the project. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} Project pre-visualization is one of TACHYON’s key features. VYV’s software can create full 3D simulations of the real-world stage space. {% endhint %} ### Applying the Transformations A 3D object’s size, position or orientation in the 3D Scene can be modified using the Transformations Panel or Transformation Manipulators. ### Transformations Panel The Transformations Panel contains multiple sliders that allow the modification of the Scale, Translate and Rotate parameters for each axis (X, Y and Z) for any object previously created in the 3D Scene module. 1. Select the object you want to alter by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. 2. To open the Transformations Panel, press **`T`** on the keyboard or select **{Options Panels > Transformation}** in the 3D Scene’s main menu. 3. To change the geometric coordinates of an object, adjust the value of the sliders. You can adjust the value of a slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag**, or you can **`Double-click`** on it to open a text field where you can enter a desired numeric value. ![](/files/-MZNiXu-Fy6NMpVvUQBr) The effects of these transformations can be seen in the 3D Scene Preview. The visual representation of the selected object will be modified as well. {% hint style="info" %} Slider values differ depending on the parameters they represent. {% endhint %} The Scale sliders are not dimension sliders; they act as scaling coefficients applied to the object’s original size. > **Example:** if the scale value of a cube featuring edges of 2 meters is changed from 1 to 4 on all three axes, the cube will now have edges of 8 meters. The Translate sliders express a value in meters. The Rotate sliders express values in angles. And the Rotate Axis sliders are used to apply a rotation expressed in an angle that corresponds to specific vectors. > **Example:** an angle is set with the first slider while the three other sliders represent vector values for each axis that will determine how the rotation will be applied to each. ### Transformation Manipulators The Transformation Manipulators facilitate direct modification of a 3D object’s parameters —Scale, Translate, Rotate — by manipulating your mouse in the 3D Scene Preview. Enable the desired Transformations Manipulator using the following methods: * **Scale Manipulator:** * Press **`X`** on the keyboard or click on the Scale button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. * **Translate Manipulator:** * Press **`V`** on the keyboard or click on the Translate button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. * **Rotate Manipulator:** * Press **`C`** on the keyboard or click on the Rotate button located in the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. ![](/files/-MZNiXu0WKR-kB1o04LI) The Transformation Manipulators will appear when a 3D object is selected. TACHYON’s Manipulators feature a standard color-scheme for its 3D coordinate system: X is red, Y is green and Z is blue. 1. **`Click`+Drag** the handle of the axis parameter you want to modify (X, Y or Z). The handle will become yellow when selected. 2. The Scale and Translate Manipulators feature a yellow dot at the intersection of their axes. **`Click`+Drag** the yellow dot to simultaneously apply transformations to all axes.
{% hint style="warning" %} Enabling a Manipulator will disable camera movements in the 3D Scene Preview. To switch back to camera control, press **`S`** on the keyboard or click the Camera button located at the top-right corner of the 3D Scene. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} If you want to control the camera while a Manipulator is enabled, **press and hold** **`S`** on the keyboard. This will allow you to manipulate the camera. To switch back to Manipulator control, release the **`S`** key. {% endhint %} ## Map the 3D Object to the LED Processor To calibrate the LED Display, you will need to establish a link between the 3D object serving as a Screen and the LED Processor. The 3D object must be added to the LED Processorʼs Objects Reference list. 1. Select the 3D Scene module’s Calibration mode by pressing **`2`** or by clicking on the **`Calibration`** button located at the top-right corner of the 3D Scene window. Once the Calibration mode is enabled, the 3D Scene Preview will turn red and the Calibration Tools will open in the lower right part of the 3D Scene window.
3D Scene moduleʼs Calibration mode
2. Select the **`LED Processors`** Tab to display the LED Calibration tools.
LED Calibration Tool
3. Select the Display you want to calibrate by clicking on its entry in the list. (If you havenʼt renamed the LED Display, it will be listed as “LED Processor.”)
Select LED Processor
4. Make sure the Display Grid is enabled. The Display Grid will facilitate further operations by showing how the image texture is distributed on the Display. 5. Press **`D`** or click on the gear icon / button to access the 3D Scene module’s Settings menu and click on the **`Display Grid`** toggle if the Display Grid isn’t already activated.
gear icon button
### Add the Screen to the Objects Reference list. 1. In the Calibration Column under Screens, select the screen you want to map to the LED Processors.
Screen Selection to map to LED Processor
2. Press **`Add`** to map the desired screen in the LED Processor
Add the Map
The screen is now mapped:
Mapped Screen
{% hint style="info" %} Multiple 3D objects can be linked to the same LED Processor by repeating the previous steps. Inversely, the same 3D objects can be linked to multiple LED Processors. {% endhint %} ## Create Quads and Resample Texture The LED Processor Display uses Quads to resample video texture and assign it to segments of the real-world LED Display. In order to calibrate a LED Display, one or many Quads will have to be created, modified and distributed while respecting the ratio of the real-world LED Display. ### Create a New Quad * Click on the **`+`** button located at the middle of the LED Options section of the Primitive Preset Panel in the Calibration Tools Window. An entry named “Quad1” should appear in the Quad list located below the **`+`** button. Additional Quads can be created and will populate this list.
Create a new Quad
### Modifying the Quad’s Size, Shape and Texture Mapping By default, a newly created Quad has the same size as the full resolution of the output it is linked to and is “full screen”. However, its size, shape and texture mapping can be modified to fit your needs. This can be done through LED options widgets OR Direct Quad Manipulations. #### **Using the LED Options Widgets** The right side of the Calibration Toolscontains many widgets such as dropdown menus, toggles and sliders that you can use to modify the Quad’s parameters. Below you will find brief descriptions of these options (listed from top to bottom, as in the UI): **Primitive** This dropdown menu assigns a specific 3D object to the selected Quad. This feature is useful in cases where multiple Screens (represented by 3D objects) are linked to the same LED Processor. **Orientation** This dropdown menu rotates the texture inside the Quad by increments of 90 degrees. **`Flip`** This toggle enables (or cancels) the geometrical reflection of the texture along its horizontal axis. **`Flop`** This toggle enables (or cancels) the geometrical reflection of the texture along its vertical axis. **Texture** These 2D sliders will change the size and position of the texture sampled by the currently selected Quad. **Output** These 2D sliders will change the size and position of the Quad in the video output. **Setting Texture Resolution** The texture resolution has to be set through the Screen’s texture properties. 1. Select the Screen by clicking on its entry in the Scene Primitives list. (The Screen is a 3D object you previously added to the list.) 2. Press **`P`** or select **{Options Panels > Properties}** from the 3D Scene menu to open the Properties Panel. 3. Set the desired horizontal and vertical resolutions using the width and height sliders located underneath the Texture section of the panel. (The sliders can be manipulated with the mouse or you can **`Double-click`** on them to open text fields where you can directly input numerical values.) **Setting Output Resolution** You will need to set the LED Processor output resolution so it matches the resolution of its Video Output Port (the graphic card’s physical output). The resolution of the Video Output Port can be found in the Settings module. 1. Press **`Alt`****+****`S`** or select **{System > Settings}** from the Main menu to open the Settings module. 2. Select the Server and the Output you want to monitor by clicking on the appropriate entries in the TACHYON Selection list and the Outputs list. The resolution of the Video Output Port should be indicated in a dropdown menu located in the Output Resolution window section. The resolution of the LED Processor output can be set in the 3D Scene module. 1. **`Alt`****+****`C`** or select **{System > 3D Settings}** from the Main menu to open again to the 3D Scene module. 2. Select the LED Processor from the Calibration Tools display list by clicking on its entry. The height and width sliders located in the LED Options window section of the Calibration Tools can be used to set the LED Processor output resolution. 1. Enter the horizontal resolution value of the Video Output Port using the width slider by either manipulating it directly with the mouse or by **`Double-clicking`** in it to open a text field where you can enter a numerical value. 2. Enter the vertical resolution value of the Video Output Port using the width slider by either manipulating it directly with the mouse or by **`Double-clicking`** in it to open a text field where you can enter a numerical value. **Offset the Output** The width and height offset sliders can be used to offset the entire output. {% hint style="warning" %} The LED Processor’s output resolution has to match the resolution of the Video Output Port found in the Settings module. {% endhint %} #### **Direct Quad Manipulations in Calibration Tools Preview** You can manually resize and position the Quad in the video output by using your mouse. To modify the texture’s parameters follow these steps: * Select the Quad you want to resize or position by clicking on its corresponding entry in the Quads list in the LED Options window section or **`Double-click`** on its representation in the Calibration ToolsPreview. * **`Click`+Drag** inside the Quad to reposition it in the video output. * **`Click`+Drag** the corners of the Quad to resize it. Holding the **`Shift`** key while performing the **`Click`+Drag**]actions on the Quad will increase the mouse’s precision. {% hint style="info" %} You will usually input exact values in the Texture and Output 2D sliders located in the LED Options widget rather than perform direct manipulations on the Quads since LED Displays require pixel-perfect precision. However, you can use the manual method to rapidly get a rough preview of the final LED mapping. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} The coordinates of the texture’s top-left corner are 0,0 (which is standard in the LED industry). {% endhint %} ### LED Processor View Modes You can switch between two different view modes in the Calibration Tools Preview when an LED Processor is selected. * Select either the **`Texture`** or the **`Output`** option from the View Mode dropdown menu located in the LED Options window section of the Calibration Tools. **Output View Mode** Shows what is sent to the Video Output Port (the graphic card’s physical output). **Texture View Mode** Shows the section of the Screen’s texture that is resampled by the selected Quad. ## Assign the LED Processor to an Output In order to output video from the graphic card connector to the real-life LED Display, you will have to link the LED Processor to one of the Virtual Video Outputs in the Settings module. 1. Press **`Alt`****+****`S`** or select **{System>Settings}** to open the Settings module. 2. Click on the entry corresponding to the Server you want to calibrate from the TACHYON Selection List. 3. Once the Server is selected, make sure you identify the Virtual Video Output corresponding to the Video Output Port connected to the real-world LED Display. If the Virtual Video Output is missing, click on the **`+`** button to create a new one. 4. Select the LED Processor you want to assign to the Virtual Video Output by using the dropdown menu located to its right. ![](/files/-MZNiXu63PU1_g72gaGQ) # 3. Importing Content # File Manager ## File Manager Overview The File Manager is a module dedicated to: * importing and converting media files; * creating media playlists; * sort files imported on the servers; * recalling Timeline media clips when programming a show. The File Manager window can be divided into 5 window sections:
### ❶ Module Top Section The buttons and toggles support a wide range of functions, including media file import and conversion, and Media File list display categorization (described in subsequent sections of this chapter). ### ❷ Media Files List This list contains all of the media files (images, video, sound, 3D Models) that were imported in TACHYON (see File Management and Display in Importing Content). ### ❸ Playlist and Sorting Tool The File Manager window contains a list of toggles that correspond to different media categories and control which items will be shown in the Media Files List (see Files Visibility and Media Category in Importing Content). You can also create custom Playlists from selected media files using the **`+`** button and sort them by name, date, etc ### ❹ Media Preview Panel Select a video or sound media file from the Media Files List by clicking on it and press play to preview it. You can scroll through content by clicking and dragging the time slider located beneath the window To hide or show the Media Preview window, click on the `play` toggle located in the window top section. {% hint style="info" %} The Media Preview Panel has audio playback capabilities. If a playback device is set up in the I/O Manager, sound might play (there is a **`Mute`** button at the end of the timeline). {% endhint %} ### ❺ Task List List where the progress of Import and Conversion tasks is shown in sequential order. The Task list has 2 slots for importing media files (copying media files via the network to the devices in the Server Group) and 3 slots for media conversion (creating local VCI copies of the original media files; VCI is VYV’s own uncompressed file format). Ongoing tasks can be: * paused by clicking on the button Pause button * resumed by clicking on the button Play button * cancelled by clicking on the button X button These actions will impact the entire Task list. Other actions, such as “re-prioritize” or “cancel a single task,” can be achieved by using the contextual menu which can be opened by right-clicking on a task. To hide or show the Task list, click on the toggle located in the window’s top section. ## File Manager Settings Click on the button to open the File Manager Settings window. This window contains various parameters that will affect TACHYON’s behavior when performing media imports and conversions.
### ❶ Watch Folder Settings **The folder button** 📁 will prompt a file dialog allowing you to choose a path. * **The number input box** set the time interval between every check for new content. * **The Check Now button** will force a check for new content. * **The Conflict option dropdown menu** lets you choose what happens with files having the same name: * **Ask:** will prompt a pop-up box on every conflicting file. * **Overwrite:** will overwrite already existing files. * **Keep existing:** will keep already imported content and discard the newer file. Once enabled, a Watch Folder On/Off radio button will appear in the module top section. ![](/files/-MZE6VeD4OOJpoI8HdVX) ### ❷ Import Settings This section contains 1 checkbox: * **Refresh model library after import:** If activated this option will enable an automatic refresh of the model library after an import. If deactivated, it will prevent 3D models imported through the File Manager from loading automatically in the 3D Scene in memory. This option can be useful if you don’t want servers to stutter during a viewing session but still need to import 3D objects. ### ❸ Media Versioning This section contains 2 checkboxes: * **Enable Versinoning**: activates Versioning in Tachyon. * **Prefer Latest Version**: will automatically force the latest version of a media when used on the timeline. For more information about Versioning: Click Here. ### ❹ Conversion Settings This section contains 3 checkboxes: * **Auto Convert After Import:** If this option is selected, media conversion will start automatically when media is imported. * **Use Legacy Converter:** to force the use of the legacy (32 bits) file converter. This can help when conversion fails with some older files formats. * **Delete Original Media After Conversion:** If this option is selected, original media files such as .mov or .png will be deleted once they are converted to VCI. {% hint style="danger" %} While Delete Original Media After Conversion frees up disk space, it might prevent you from synchronizing your media from scratch in cases where a new server is integrated in the Server Group. (Note that this action will delete files previously copied on the servers, but not the original files residing on a network drive.) {% endhint %} #### File Format Conversion Dropdown Menu Selecting an item in this menu will determine the destination file format for conversions**.** The menu contains 1 item: * **VCI Compressed:** VYV’s video file format featuring time compression using H.264 or HEVC/H265. {% hint style="info" %} Other formats are available in PHOTON {% endhint %} #### GPU Conversion Toggle TACHYON’s file conversions are usually done by the server’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). If this option if disable, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) can take care of the conversion tasks. {% hint style="info" %} Some encoding formats (YUV422 and YV12 for example) do not allow GPU conversion and will disable the GPU conversion option and will be slower. {% endhint %} ### ❺ Conversion Size Limits (MegaPixels) This section contains 2 sliders: * **Display Server:** This slider will set the megapixel threshold for Display Servers and Display Master Servers. * **Controller:** This slider will set a megapixel threshold for Controller Servers. Since the Controller will playback all of the screens in your installation, it will reduce the size of your media files. {% hint style="info" %} If the media file resolution is greater than the import threshold TACHYON will automatically reduce the resolution to comply with the megapixel limit. {% endhint %} #### Video Encoding Format dropdown Menu ![](/files/-MZE6VeIhTF71mZxMvgw) This dropdown menu allows you to choose between H264 and HEVC/H265 #### Video Encoding Options ![](/files/-MZE6VeJuQ3iXRDB_T96) * **Keyframe interval Slider:** (not currently in use) * **Quality Slider:** set the level of compression * **Alpha Resolution Dropdown Menu:** choose the level of reduction for alpha encoding. (full/half/quarter) #### Task Group Selection List Each entry in this list corresponds to one of the servers included in the Server Group (their names are preceded by checkboxes). All of the servers with a green check mark in the checkbox will be included in file import and conversion processes because they are part of the network ring. # Imports Content imported into a TACHYON Project will be distributed to all servers in the Server Group. This behavior reflects the structure of the TACHYON Network (see TACHYON Network in Setting Up a Show), which uses a ring topology to ensure that content is distributed through all of the servers without relying on a central node. When an Import command has been issued from a Controller Server or a Display Master Server, the system will maintain the integrity of media files as they are being distributed to all devices. The use of a network ring makes TACHYON resilient to potential connectivity failures and facilitates the creation of live back-ups. Servers operating under Albion System Mode **{Settings > TACHYON}** will only receive 3D object files and will be discarded from the network ring when media files are transferred. ## Importing 3D Objects 1. Click on the **Import button** located in the top left corner of the File Manager window. 2. A Windows dialog box will pop up, allowing you to search for and select the file you want to import into your TACHYON Project. 3. To filter out other items — unneeded video, image or audio files — select 3D Files from the dropdown menu located on the right. 4. Use the folder tree structure to locate your files. You can select and import multiple files at the same time. Select the files you want to import by clicking on them. 5. Once all of your files are highlighted, click on the **`Open`** button. ![](/files/-MZEkIuOQDIs7JwRFZBu) ## Importing Media 1. Click on the **Refresh button** ![](/files/B0amuXNo6XqMclIYInaz) located in the top left corner of the File Manager window. 2. A Windows dialog box will pop up, allowing you to search for and select the file you want to import into your TACHYON Project. 3. To filter out other items — unneeded video, image or audio files — select Video Files, Image Files or Audio Files from the dropdown menu located on the right to. 4. Use the folder tree structure to locate your files. You can select and import multiple files at the same time. Select the files you want to import by clicking on them. 5. Once all of your files are highlighted, click on the **`Open`** button. ![](/files/-MZEkIuPAMlabhxdxEpg) ## Import Folder You can access the Import Folder by using the VYV custom file dialog. Select a root folder and press the **`Import Folder`** button. TACHYON will automatically scan all of the child folders selected and import all relevant files contained in this folder structure. ## Import Order Management When importing a large number of files, you might be asked to display one or more files on the Screens before displaying others. While the Media Task list displays all of the files waiting to be imported, it is possible to prioritize the import of files in the list by right-clicking on a file’s name and selecting **{Move On Top}**. This action will change the order of priority for importing and converting files. ## Pause/Resume/Cancel Imports The Task list located in the lower right part of the File Manager window facilitates the management of ongoing imports. Imports can be: * **paused** by clicking on the Pause button button; * **resumed** by clicking on the Play button button; * **cancelled** by clicking on the X button button. {% hint style="warning" %} These actions will impact the entire Task list. Other actions, such as “re-prioritize” or “cancel a single task,” can be achieved by using the contextual menu, which can be opened by right-clicking on a task. {% endhint %} # Conversions In order to playback visual content in TACHYON, you have to convert your media files — .jpeg, .png, .targa, .tiff, .mov, etc. — to the .vci file format. .vci media conversion does compress media. Prior to file conversion, you should choose what kind of video encoding you will apply to the media content. ## Convert Media Files 1. Make sure you have selected the appropriate Color Encoding Format before starting media conversion (see Conversion Options in Importing Content). 2. Make sure the media file you are about to convert was properly imported into all of the servers in your Server Group. Look at the Media Files List. The first column to the left should be titled “**Net**”. {% hint style="info" %} If the column is missing from the table, **`right-click`** in the header to add “Net” with the help of a contextual menu. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZEmsUJcqYtzj2APQAC) A green check mark should precede all of the original media files that you want to convert. If a media file is preceded by a red X mark, it means the file wasn’t properly imported into all of the servers in the group. This problem can be solved in different ways depending on its cause: * **The Media Files List was not refreshed:** * Click on the Refresh button ![](/files/-MZEmsUKTzNBI9qi_R_d) located at the top left corner of the File Manager window to refresh the Media Files List. * **The import was not completed:** * Check the Task list in the lower right corner of the File Manager window. Media files might still be importing or the import could have failed. * **A server was removed from the Server Group:** * Return a server to the network ring by rebuilding the Server Group in the Settings window and relaunching the Conversion (or relaunch Import if the media file is missing). When the media files are consistent on all of the servers in the network, you are ready to start the conversion. 1. Select the original files you want to convert by clicking on their name in the Media Files List and then click on the Convert button ![](/files/-MZEmsULGjxq30r8Wub5). You can also select files that you want to convert by **`right-clicking`** on entries in the Media Files List to open a contextual menu and then selecting {Convert}. ## Pause/Resume/Cancel Conversion To manage media files while they are being converted use the Task list module located in the lower right part of the File Manager window. Conversions can be: * **paused** by clicking on the Pause button button; * **resumed** by clicking on the Play button button; * **cancelled** by clicking on the X button button. {% hint style="warning" %} These actions will impact the entire Task list. Other actions, such as “re-prioritize” or “cancel a single task,” can be achieved by using the contextual menu which can be opened by right-clicking on a task. {% endhint %} ## Conversion on Display Servers or Display Master Servers Conversion is NOT an instantaneous process. The Task list will display a **“Conversion Net” rate** (measured in percentages), which indicates how much of the original media file has been converted on the Display Servers (or Display Master Servers) in the network. The conversion process will create downsized media files on Controller Servers. This speeds up the process and provides early access to the files so you can begin to place them in the Timeline and preview content right away. {% hint style="info" %} Keep in mind that the files will probably still be converting on the Display Servers (or Display Master Servers) and images won’t be projected until this process is completed. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZEmsUMFsMHsR-Z0Uko) # Files Management & Display ## Media Files List By selecting the detailed Media Files List format – it is selected by default, but you can also manually select it by clicking on the **`Show Detail View`** button – you will have access to data related to a selected media file’s resolution, FPS, duration, etc. The Media Files List features columns that display this data. If you want the Media Files List to show or hide specific kinds of media file data, **`right-click`** in the header. A contextual menu will open and allow you to alter the list’s columns (and therefore, its data categories). The “Net” column in the Media Files List will show a green check mark if a specific file has been imported and is available on all of the servers in your Server Group. If there is a red X in the “Net” column, the file is not currently available on all servers in the network. Moving the mouse cursor over the column will display a pop-up window that indicates which servers have the file and which do not. You can interact with the items in the Media Files List by **`right-clicking`** on them. Doing so will open a contextual menu that lets you: * **Delete** a file; * **Convert** a file (only on original files); * **Sync Selected**, which synchronizes a file on all servers in the Server Group (this is useful if you added a new server to a TACHYON Project or are missing a file on a specific server); * **Force Refresh** a file’s thumbnail; * **Show in Folder**, which opens a Windows file explorer in TACHYON’s “content” folder where the selected file is highlighted. ## Display the Media Files List as Thumbnails or as a Detailed List The Media Files List can be viewed as a series of thumbnails or as a list that includes detailed information about the files. ### Show Thumbnail View Click on the **`Show Thumbnail View`** button located in the top left corner of the File Manager window to view the Media Files List as thumbnails. ### Show Detail View Click on the **`Show Detail View button`** located in the top left corner of the File Manager window to view the Media Files List as a detailed list. ## File Order Items in the Media Files List can be arranged in an order based on their attributes, so long as they are represented by a data category in the list’s table. 1. Move the **mouse cursor** over the top row of the Media Files List table that shows the data categories. **`Arrows`** pointing upward and downward should appear near each data category. 2. Click on the **`upward arrow`** to sort files in an ascending order. 3. Click on the **`downward arrow`** to sort files in a descending order. {% hint style="info" %} The order chosen for a specific playlist in the File Manager module will be shared in the Media Properties window section of the Timeline. {% endhint %} ## File Display and Media Types The left section of the File Manager window contains a list of toggles that represent different media types. The toggles can be used to select a specific media type and filter out the other kinds of media contained in the Media Files List. ![](/files/-MZEkv_PHhoCm1_lZTjv) ## File Search There is a search field at the very top of the File Manager window that will allow you to look for specific files in the Media Files List. * To find a specific file in the Media Files List type its name into the search field. {% hint style="info" %} File extensions are also taken into account. {% endhint %} > **Example:** by typing “.png” in the search field, you will limit your search to .png files. ## Group Original and Converted Files The Group checkbox allows you to create a parent-child group where the original media file and the .vci version of it will be included. ![](/files/-MZEkv_QjD1rhn-mcV9M) ## Hide Original Files The **`Hide Originals`** checkbox allows you to mask original media files. .vci files that were created from these originals by means of conversion are the only ones that will be shown. ![](/files/-MZEkv_R6SR9N-4R5AA2) ## File Synchronization Normally, **all files should be present on all servers**, therefore allowing any server to backup the others at any time. If all of a TACHYON Project’s servers were included in the Server Group prior to importing files, this should be the case. There are very few exceptions to this. {% hint style="info" %} If for any reason a media file is missing on one of the servers, you can synchronize the selected file across the network. This operation will send the file to every server, where it will be reconverted. {% endhint %} * **`Right-click`** on the file in the Media Files List and select **{Sync Selected}** from the contextual menu to launch synchronization. ![](/files/-MZEkv_StZcIttr-w663) {% hint style="warning" %} To be able to synchronize a media file across the network, the server from where the operation is being launched must have the original file. .vci files cannot be synchronized. {% endhint %} # Playlists Playlists are collections of media files created by users. They are helpful when programming shows because they can provide access to categorized media content banks. They should be considered a must for shows that use numerous media files. ## Playlist Creation and Management A + button button located under the Sorting Tool (the itemized column on the left side of the File Manager window) will allow you to create Playlists from selected media files (see Playlist Creation in Importing Content). ![](/files/-MZEj4dh3Py71cqPQw8q) 1. Press the **`+`** button to **create a new Playlist**. 2. **Drag and drop** media files from the Media Files List onto the “New Playlist.” They will be added to the Playlist. * By clicking on a Playlist, the Media Files List will only show files that have been added to that specific Playlist. * By selecting a Playlist and starting an Import, all of the imported files will automatically be placed in the Playlist. {% hint style="info" %} Deleting a Playlist will NOT delete the media files identified in it. It will only delete the list. {% endhint %} * **Playlists can be duplicated**, deleted and renamed by using a contextual menu. **`Right-click`** on a Playlist to access this menu. * By right-clicking on selected Media clips in the Timeline a contextual menu will open and offer the **{Create Playlist with Clips}** option. If this option is selected, a Playlist containing the selected media files will be generated. # File Versioning A file versioning system allows TACHYON users to automatically specify which version of a file will be linked to a Timeline’s Media Clip. ## **Requirement** File versions have to respect the following naming convention: *anyfilename* \_V### > **Example:** multiple versions of a media named *nightsky* would be named *:* nightsky\_V001, nightsky\_V002, Nightsky\_V003, etc. ## **Settings** 1. Select **{System > Settings}** or press **`Alt`****+****`S`** to open the Settings module. 2. Select the **General tab** of the Settings module. 3. Select **`File Manager`** Settings panel from the list. 4. Locate the **`Media Versoning`** section. 5. Activate the **`Enable Versionning`** toggle. 6. Activate the **`Prefer Latest Version`** toggle. ![](/files/-MZITuhs53uzApctFrUx) ## **File Manager** 1. Select **{Show > File Manager}** or press **`Alt`****+****`F`** to open the File Manager module. 2. Click on the Import New Media button to open the “Import file(s)” window 3. Perform a group selection of the multiple versions of the media file. (Naming convention: *anyfilename* \_V###). ![](/files/-MZITuhtlUf-IA4pHHr4) ## **Timeline** 1. Select **{Show > Timeline}** or press **`Alt`****+****`T`** to open the Timeline module. 2. Make sure the File Manager module is still open. 3. **`Click-`drag** a media file included in the version collection from the File Manager list onto the Timeline. 4. If the **`Preferred Latest Version`** toggle is activated, the latest imported version will be displayed. A star will be displayed in the clip icons indicating a newer or preferred version is in use. ![](/files/-MZITuhuEa0d4Pp8ajAf) ## **Select/Unset Preferred Version in the File Manager** 1. Navigate back to the File Manager. 2. **`Right-click`** on the version you want to use. 3. Select **{Set preferred}** from the contextual menu. A Mario star will now indicate it is the preferred version. OR 1. Select **{Unset Prefered}** from the contextual menu. * The selection will default back to the latest version IF the **`Preferred Latest Version`** toggle is **activated** * the version currently set in the clip IF the **`Preferred Latest Version`** toggle is **deactivated**. ![](/files/-MZITuhvkdhRnboIJcLT) {% hint style="danger" %} **This will be applied to ALL clips using one of the media in that collection.** {% endhint %} # 4. Programming a Show # Cue Editor The Cue Editor module facilitates the creation of cues. Cues are pre-recorded series of actions and parameter modifications set in a specific order of execution. This sequence of actions can be affected by variables such as delays, timings and target values. In other words, any parameter, slider, toggle, or dropdown menu found in TACHYON’s UI can be affected by a cue. Cues can be recalled in various ways and function like programmable macros found in other types of systems (see Triggering a Cue in Programming a Show). Cues can even execute complex technical procedures such as seamless live backup switching. {% hint style="info" %} Since cues are recalled states of parameters, no change will occur in the software if the targeted parameters are already set at the state specified in the cue. {% endhint %} > **Example:** if a pre-programmed cue containing an event that would set the Master Contrast slider to the value of 100 is triggered while the Master Contrast slider is already at 100, nothing will happen. {% hint style="danger" %} Since cues can recall parameter changes, it might be tempting to use them to create animations. Do NOT do this. Cues are NOT the proper tool to create animations through interpolations between values. They should **only be used to push predefined states during the linear unraveling of a show**. If you wish to create animations please refer to the Keyframe Editor module (see Keyframe Editor in Programming a Show). {% endhint %} ## Cue Editor View Modes ### Open the Cue Editor * Open the Cue Editor by selecting **{Show > Cue Editor}** or by pressing **`Alt`****+****`Q`****.** You can have the editor appear in 2 modes: List Mode or Full Mode View.
❶ If the Cue Editor appears as a small column, it is set in **View List mode**, which is the small-scale representation of cues designed for operation. {% hint style="warning" %} The View List Mode is meant to show pre-programmed cues that are to be recalled. It is NOT used for creating new cues. {% endhint %} ❷ If you wish to create new cues, you will need to switch the module to **View Full mode**. ### Toggle Full View or List View * To expand or reduce the Cue Editor select **{View > View Full}** or **{View > View List}** OR * press **`V`** on the keyboard to toggle between the two view modes. The top part of the left column shows Cue Filter and playlists (see Cue Filter and Playlists in Programming a Show), while the bottom part shows the available pre-programmed cues organized into the Cue list. The search field located at the top of the column lets you filter the list of cues by entering characters. In View Full mode, the module’s window will expand to the right in order to reveal the Edit cue window section. This is where you can adjust all the timings, delays, actions order, etc. for newly recorded cues. At the bottom right of the module’s window you will find the Progress view window section, which is where you will be able to follow the progress of cues being executed. ## Cue Recording ### Create a New Cue * To create a new cue, press the **`+`** button at the bottom left part of the module. The new cue will appear at the bottom of the Cue list. ### Record Actions in a Cue * To **record actions** in a new cue, press the **`Record`** button at the top right of the Edit Cue window section. If the Cue Recording mode is activated, **the entire UI will turn red** and you will see the words “**Cue Recording**” at the bottom right of the screen. ![](/files/-MZEKFPhJN2VGf9Nexr6) If the Cue Recording mode is activated, every time you click on a slider, toggle, list, parameter, etc., **they will appear as actions in the Edit Cue window section** (see Cue Editor View Modes in Programming a Show). * Press on the **`Record`** button again to **stop cue recording**. ## Editing the Cue Actions List Once you have recorded all of the actions needed for a new cue, you can edit the cue’s Actions list. Actions within a cue can be **reordered by dragging and dropping** their names in the list. ### Reorder Actions in a Cue Actions can also be reordered by clicking on the **`Delay`** button at the top of the Delays column in the Edit Cue window section. A sort will be performed on the Actions list to arrange them based on their delay time (**from the lowest delay time to highest**). ![](/files/-MZEKFPi_NywkB7XGGFC) ### Delete, Duplicate or Rename Actions in a Cue **`Right-click`** on the name of any action within a cue to open a contextual menu to delete, duplicate or rename the action. {% hint style="info" %} You don’t have to be in Cue Recording mode to edit a cue {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZEKFPjDLMTsPerxwEB) ## Modifying Cues There are 5 parameters that can be used to modify cues: Delay, Offset and Multiple Delays, Timing, Target Values and Easing. ### Delay Delays are **absolute time values** that can be understood as a **“wait time”** before an action is executed. To delay the execution of an action, use the Delay slider beside it to set a time. You can also **`double-click`** on the **Delay slider** and enter a specific duration in a text field. {% hint style="info" %} Keep in mind that even if the actions inside the cue are organized as a sequence, individual delay times for actions are not cumulative. {% endhint %} > **Example:** Action #1 has a delay time of 4 seconds and Action #2 has a delay time of 2 seconds. Even if Action #1 is the first in the list, it will be executed after Action #2 since its delay time is higher. In this example, Action #2’s delay time is definitely 2 seconds not a cumulative 6 seconds. ### Offset and Multiple Delays The time slider and the **`Apply Offset`** button at the top of the Actions list allow you to automatically offset the delay value for all of the actions selected for a cue. Follow these steps to apply an offset to multiple actions: 1. set a value in the time slider; 2. select the actions you want to be affected by the offset by pressing **`Shift`****+`right-click`** on the first and the last actions that you want in the list, OR press **`Ctrl`****+`right-click`** to select actions that aren’t listed consecutively; 3. press the **`Apply Offset`** button. All the selected actions will be offset by the value set in the time slider from top to bottom. ### Timing Parameter changes can be interpolated over time. Timings are values that will determine how much time the change will take. * To set a timing for an action, use the time slider beside it to set a time. You can also **`double-click`** on the time slider and enter a specific time in a text field. {% hint style="info" %} Some actions, like a true/false toggle, will not allow the use of timings because they are restricted to parameters linked to sliders. {% endhint %} ### Target Values When created, some actions specify a target value to be reached on the execution of the cue. You can change this value after the cue has been recorded if you want to make adjustments. * To change the target value of a specific action **`click`** on the Target Value cells that you want to modify. Depending on the type of data represented, you might have access to a simple toggle or a slider. For a slider, double-clicking on the Target Value cell will open a text field where you will be able to enter the desired value using your keyboard. ### Easing Interpolation created through the use of the timing variable is expressed in a linear way. Under certain circumstances (to smooth a transition, create an expressive transformation, etc.), it might be appropriate to ease in and out of the linear progression from the initial value to the target value. * To ease in or ease out of an action, **`click`+drag** the Ease in OR Ease out sliders to select a value OR * **`double-click`** on the sliders to set values through a text field. ## Rename, Duplicate or Delete Cues from the Cue List Cues can be renamed, duplicated or deleted from the Cue list. ### Rename a Cue * **`Right-Click`** on the cue to open a contextual menu from which you will select **{Rename}**. ### Duplicate a Cue * **`Right-Click`** on the cue to open a contextual menu from which you will select **{Duplicate}**. ### Delete a Cue * **`Right-Click`** on the cue to open a contextual menu from which you will select **{Delete} OR y**ou can also delete the cue by selecting it and pressing **`delete`** on your keyboard. ## Nested Cues Nesting allows the **incorporation of autonomous structures into other structures**. > **Example:** video editing software facilitates the integration of pre-edited sequences into other sequences. TACHYON allows the nesting of cues into other cues. This means that cues, which are already sequences of actions, can in turn be placed and recalled within larger sequences. This makes it possible to construct complex cues that trigger multiple actions and, with a combined use of delays, the automation of tedious tasks and interventions. ### Nesting a Cue * To nest a cue within a cue, **recall the cue** you want to nest **while Cue Recording is enabled** for the “meta-cue.” {% hint style="info" %} A safety mechanism is in place to prevent the creation of infinite loops in nested cues. {% endhint %} ## Cue Filters and Playlists The Cue Editor offers filters and facilitates the creation of Cue playlists, which are specially arranged collections of cues that make programming a show much easier. ### Use Filters Select a filter to display the corresponding group of cues. ![](/files/-MZEKFPkcc59Hf_f3_7P) * **All Cues:** will display all cues. * **Default Cues**: will display the packaged default cues. * **Recently Added:** will display the cues created in the last 24 hours. * **Used:** will display the cues placed on the Timeline. * **Unused:** will display the cues not currently in use. ### Create a Cue Playlist * Press the **`+`** button in the top left part of the Cue Editor to create a Cue playlist. ![](/files/-MZEKFPlCLrXyTLy4EYr) ### Add a Cue to a Cue Playlist * **Drag and drop** the cue from the bottom left to the top left in the desired playlist. ### Remove a Cue from a Cue Playlist * **`Right-click`** on the cue to open a contextual menu from which you will select **{Remove}**. ## Triggering a Cue Cues can be triggered using the following methods: ### Manual Trigger * Click on the **`GO`** button next to a cue in the Cue playlist. ### Timeline Trigger * Create a Cue Clip type on the Timeline (see Clip Type in Programming a Show) and assign the desired cue to it. As soon as the playhead intersects with the clip, the cue will be triggered. ### Midi Trigger * Create a mapping between the **`GO`** button in front of the cue and a button located on a midi board by using the Mapping Manager module. The cue can then be recalled through interaction with the external MIDI device. ### UDP Trigger * Use the Project’s Show Control port found in **{Settings > Network}** to send a UDP command from a third-party software. # Timeline Editor The Timeline module can be broken up into different subsets of tools. Each subset corresponds to a specific window section of the Timeline module (with the notable exception of the Color Correction Tools which have their own window). This section of the documentation focuses on the Timeline Editor window section, which is used for organizing media, cues, effects, etc. The **lower section** of the Timeline window is called the **Timeline Editor** and regroups the tools you will use to edit a Show. Shows are constructed by **placing Clips sequentially in the tracks** of the Timeline. The horizontal axis of the Timeline shows the time progression of a Show, expressed in *hours:minutes:seconds:frames*. Screens (see Screens in Programming a Show) are positioned on the vertical axis of the Timeline. Each Screen can contain one or many Layers, which in turn contain different types of Clips: media, cues, effects, etc. ![](/files/-MZNkbxfeAJHGCpmVud6) # Sequences, Screens, Layers and Clips Many different structures are used to organize media, cues, effects, etc. on the Timeline. Make sure you have a good understanding of what these structures do and how they are used. The following sections of the documentation (from here to Scroll and Pan on the Timeline) provide information on how Sequences, Screens, Layers and Clips are used. ## Sequences A Sequence contains all of the Screens, Layers and Clips used in a project, and it provides a representation of the Show’s temporal structure. This is where you will organize and edit media, cues, effects, etc. A project can have multiple Sequences, but you can only render one Sequence at a time (i.e. the Sequence that is currently selected). Additional Sequences can be used as editing bins to build specific segments of a Show or to hold alternative versions of it. ![](/files/-MZO0dU8sOD_Ln3VaIbi) ### ![](/files/-MZO0dU92BVXgSMOqbum) ### Select a Sequence To select a Sequence: * **`Click`** on a **Sequence tab** to activate a specific Sequence and access its content. ### Create a Sequence There are three ways to create a new Sequence: * Click on the **`+`** button located to the right of the Sequence tabs; or * Press **`Ctrl`**+**`T`** with the Timeline module in focus; or * Select **{File > Add sequence}** from the Timeline menu bar. ### Delete a Sequence To delete a Sequence: 1. **`Right-click`** on the tab linked to the Sequence you want to delete. This will give you access to its contextual menu. 2. Select **{Delete}** from the contextual menu. ## Screens Any 3D object that was created or imported in the 3D Scene will become a Screen (with the notable exception of Decorative Objects). Screens are virtual structures that represent real-world projection screens. A Screen will coexist in the 3D Scene module (where it is created, then calibrated) and in the Timeline module. Each Screen has its own section of the Timeline, where you can create all of the Layers it will hold. ![](/files/-MZO0dUAXqJeVGQh2gpv) ### Create Screens Screens are not created in the Timeline module per se. When a 3D object is added in the 3D Scene, TACHYON will automatically recognize it as a Screen. A newly created Screen will add its own section to the Timeline. ### Collapse and Expand Screens In order to collapse or expand a Screen **`click`** on the small triangle located beside the Screen’s name. ![](/files/-MZO0dUBgH2Hh-uKGWbj) ### Add Screen Metadata It is possible to add text metadata to a Screen by accessing the Screen Properties (see Clip Properties in Programming a Show). The metadata attached to a Screen can be used to show or hide specific Screens when executing a search command. > **Example:** if you add text metadata such as “Aisle Screens” to some of the Screens as a way to identify them, you can easily find them when performing a search. ![](/files/-MZO0dUCwIGB19XkSRGE) ![](/files/-MZO0dUDALD8qZZ6A8c0) ### Screen Render Resolution Screens have a render resolution. The render resolution represents the amount of pixels used to display images on a Screen. You can set a Screen’s render resolution by adjusting its width and height parameters in the Screen Properties (see Clip Properties in Programming a Show). ![](/files/-MZO0dUEJ_8N_z-xLV9k) {% hint style="info" %} When determining a Screen’s resolution many different factors need to be taken into account: * the Screen’s physical size * its ratio * the distance between its position and the audience * the resolution of the media that will be displayed on it. {% hint style="success" %} The best practice when choosing resolution is to match the ratio of the Screen and the resolution of the media that will be displayed on it. Insufficient resolution will result in a pixelated image. Using a higher resolution than the media being displayed is a waste of computing resources. {% endhint %} {% endhint %} ### Search for a Screen A search box is located at the top of the Layers list. You can enter text in the box to filter out some of the Screens on the list. Screens that remain visible in the Layers list will be the ones that match the name or metadata tag entered into the search box. {% hint style="info" %} Note that the names of the 3D objects from which the Screens originate are taken into account by the search box filter. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZO0dUFoAmDanBEMdaK) ### The Root The Root can be thought of as an invisible Screen that holds various Clip types (see Section Clip Types in Programming a Show). These Clips are independent from any of the actual Screens created in the 3D Scene. {% hint style="info" %} Clips placed in the Root can be referenced by other Clips (such as Proxy Clips, Stack FX Clips,Virtual Projectors, etc.). {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} It is considered a best practice to **place Cue Clips in the Root** because by doing this, they will appear at the top of all of the other Screens. Also, since the search box filter affects the visibility of the Screens but not the Root, Cues placed in the Root will always be visible. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZO0dUGkRcZr7RvnHaD) ## Layers Layers are represented as **horizontal tracks in the Timeline**. They can store many Clips horizontally. Layers can be stacked up vertically to create composited scenes. Layers are also useful when **building real-time effects** by combining multiple FX Stack Clips. They are also useful in contexts where automation relies on Cue Clips. ![](/files/-MZO0dUHO1LNKWVICNfv) {% hint style="info" %} TACHYON’s Layers can hold many clips. {% endhint %} ### Create New Layers To create a new Layer: 1. Select one of the Screens (or the Root) by clicking on its entry in the Layers list; 2. Click on the + button button located in the Master Layer panel. The new Layer will be added at the bottom of the Layers list. ![](/files/-MZO0dUI0yxppHRFMRAy) By pressing **`Ctrl`**+**`＋`** the new Layer will be inserted directly below the Layer that is currently selected. {% hint style="info" %} A newly created Layer might not be immediately visible. You have to **`Double-click`** on the Screen or on the triangle found next to the Screen’s name in order to reveal the Layers stored inside it. {% endhint %} ### Reorganize the Layer Order All Layers can be manipulated with the mouse in order to change their position in the Layers list: * **`Click`+Drag+Drop** any Layer to where you want it. Layers can also be dragged from one Screen to another using the same method. ### Layer Rendering Order In TACHYON, the rendering order is organized sequentially, from top to bottom. This means **the lowest item in the list will always be the last one rendered**, and as a result it will be placed on top of the composition. This design applies to both the Timeline module (where compositing is done) and the 3D Scene list. It is important to remember that the logic of TACHYON’s rendering order is the inverse of Adobe’s image compositing software. ## Clips A Clip is a container that can hold various time-based components such as media, cues, effects, etc. (see Clip Types in Programming a Show for a complete list of the Clip types and their description). Clips are placed within Layers (which in turn are placed in Screens, or in the Root). Stacking Clips vertically in the Layers belonging to the same Screen (or in the Root) will allow the creation of visual compositions through Layer blending (see Blending – Create Compositions in Programming a Show). ![](/files/-MZO0dUJtsNxivl9K0XQ) Clips have a **fixed duration defined by their borders**. {% hint style="info" %} By default, the duration of the newly created Clip will match the duration of the whole project. {% endhint %} The Clip’s default duration can be changed by entering a new temporal value for Clips in the field located in the Timeline Default values window. To access the Timeline Default values window **`click`** on the **General tab** in the **Settings module**. ### Add Clips * **`Right-click`** on any track on the Timeline (each Layer has a its own track) to open a contextual menu that contains the following options for adding new Clips (or use the dedicated shortcuts in the Timeline module): * Add Empty Clip **`Ctrl`****+****`N`** * Add Media Clip (Image, Video, Sound) **`Ctrl`****+****`M`** * Add FX Stack Clip **`Ctrl`****+****`E`** * Add Virtual Projector Clip **`Ctrl`****+****`R`** * Add Input Device Clip **`Ctrl`****+****`I`** * Add Cue Clip **`Ctrl`****+****`U`** * Add Proxy Clip **`Ctrl`****+****`P`** * **Drag+Drop** a media file from the **File Manager** module onto a track to create a n**ew Media Clip**. * **Drag+Drop** a cue from the **Cue Editor** module onto a track to create a **new Cue Clip**. * **Drag+Drop** a Live input from the **I/O Manager** module onto a track to create a **new Live Input Clip**. ### Select a Single Clip * **`Click`** on a Clip to select it. ### Select Multiple Clips * **`Ctrl`****+`Click`** on Clips OR * Draw a selection square across the Layers to perform a group selection. (This only works if you draw the selection square within the tracks that are identified by the lighter grey area.) {% hint style="info" %} The selection square works across Screens. {% endhint %} ### Delete Clips 1. Select the Clips you want to delete and press the **`Delete`** key. A Confirmation Box will open to make sure you really want to delete the Clip. 2. Click on the **`Delete`** key to delete the Clip. ### Change Clip Type ![](/files/-MZO0dUKmVKiwKSwSP15) Clip capacities (media playback, send a cue, etc.) are defined by their type (media, cue, effect, etc.). A Clip type is selected whenever a Clip is created. You can also change a Clip type later on without affecting its duration or location in the Timeline by doing the following: * Select the Clip and then select an option from the Clip Type dropdown menu located in the Shared Clip Properties window section of the Timeline module. {% hint style="warning" %} The Clip type cannot be changed when multiple Clips are selected. {% endhint %} ### Change Clip Colors 1. **`Right-click`** on a Clip (or a group of multi-selected Clips). 2. Select **{Change color}** from the contextual menu. A color picker pop-up window will open. 3. Choose the desired color and close the color picker. ### Reset Clip Colors 1. **`Right-click`** on a Clip (or a group of multi-selected Clips). 2. Select **{Reset color}** from the contextual menu. The selected Clips will reset their color to the default specified in the Settings module. ![](/files/-MZO0dULIknCaTokXD0H) **Change a Clip Type Color** 1. Press **`Alt`****+****`S`** or select **{System > Settings}** to open the Settings module. 2. **`Click`** on the **General tab** to access the Default Clip Colors list. 3. **`Click`** on any of the Clip type buttons in the list to open a **color picker pop-up window**. 4. Choose the desired color and close the color picker. # Clip Types ## Empty Clip `Ctrl`+`N` Empty Clips act as empty shells that don’t contain anything. They are mainly used to add operation notes in the Timeline. The default color for representing Empty Clips is grey. ![](/files/-MZO1BIXmudhEYK3rfeV) ## Media Clip `Ctrl`+`M` Media Clips contain different kinds of media: single frame images, videos and sound files. The default color for representing Media Clips is red. ![](/files/-MZO1BIYnYyFZO_-TbFy) ## FX Stack Clip `Ctrl`+`E` FX Stack Clips act as adjustment Layers, transforming one or two sources with basic real-time effects (e.g. Color Correction, rotation, etc.). The default color for representing FX Stack Clips is light blue. {% hint style="info" %} For expanded creative control, hundreds of additional effects are available through Photon {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZO1BIZ-VzlpmJL4dVo) ## Virtual Projector Clip `Ctrl`+`R` Virtual Projector Clips re-project content from a point of view defined by the position and orientation of its corresponding Virtual Projector in the 3D Scene. They virtually project images onto Screens, modifying their texture in the process. Virtual Projector Clips are often used in interactive effects used in combination with camera mapping. The default color for representing Virtual Projector Clips is yellow. ![](/files/-MZO1BI_7QW1CEUYJhSF) ## Input Device Clip `Ctrl`+`I` Input Device Clips refer to input devices such as video acquisition cards, cameras and NDI streams accessed through the I/O module. An Input Device Clip will display its texture (the incoming video feed) onto the Screens they are placed in. The default color for representing Input Device Clips is light purple. ![](/files/-MZO1BIaUHN5ElipVXX7) ## Cue Clip `Ctrl`+`U` Cue Clips refer to Cues which are macro commands created with the help of the Cue Editor module. They are triggered by TACHYON when the Playhead intersects with the boundaries of the Clip. The default color for representing Cue Clips is green. ![](/files/-MZO1BIbLxQ1w1OnIHjw) ## Proxy Clip `Ctrl`+`P` Proxy Clips allow you to distribute a reference texture originating from another Clip to other Screens. The source Clip (media, live input, etc.) is usually placed in the Root. Using Proxy Clips reduces the load on the GPU and the disks because the texture is only read once even if its content is displayed on multiple Screens. The default color for representing Proxy Clips is burgundy. ![](/files/-MZO1BIcznI7Cgq5gDST) # Screen and Layer Timeline Properties Three toggles and a slider are located to the right of the Screens and the Layers in the Timeline. They can be used in the following ways to affect both Screens and Layers: ![](/files/-MZO1w2MI6cru0HGyC-M) ## Cancel Rendering for a Screen or Layer * **`Click`** on the **Lighting** toggle to cancel all image rendering for its corresponding Screen or Layer on the connected Display Servers. {% hint style="info" %} Cancelling image rendering makes manipulation invisible in its corresponding Layer or Screen. {% endhint %} ## Lock a Screen or Layer * **`Click`** on the Lock toggle to prevent any modifications to its corresponding Screen or Layer. {% hint style="info" %} The Lock prevents unwanted changes. {% endhint %} ## Hide a Screen or Layer * **`Click`** on the Eye toggle to turn its corresponding Screen or Layer to black. ## Modify Alpha for a Screen or Layer * **`Click`+Drag** the Alpha slider to modify the alpha channel value for its corresponding Screen or Layer. ![](/files/-MZO2SLuCAHYt3bjwPUm) # Add or Replace Media ## Add Media Create a new empty Media Clip on the Timeline by using one of these 3 methods: **Method** ❶ * **`Right-click`** on a Layer track and select the **{Add Media}** option from the contextual menu OR * **`Click`** on a Layer to select it, then press **`Ctrl`****+****`M`**. ![](/files/-MZO3V_xGPbnRBrgNWeY) {% hint style="info" %} This will create a Media Clip with a duration that corresponds to the duration of the Timeline. {% endhint %} **Method** ❷ * **`Click`** on the empty Media Clip to select it. The Clip Properties window section of the Timeline module will reflect your selection and its name will change to “Media Properties.” ![](/files/-MZO3V_yldKeplP-XiDW) **Method** ❸ * Select an item from the Media File list by clicking on its entry. The selected media file will be loaded onto the Media Clip and will loop to match the Clip’s duration. ## Add a Specific Media File as a Media Clip in the Timeline * **`Drag+Drop`** a media file from the File Manager module onto the Timeline. A new Media Clip linked to the selected media file will be created. {% hint style="info" %} The Clip’s duration will match the duration of the media file (even if it is a single frame or still image). {% endhint %} ## Replace the Media File linked to a Media Clip There are two methods to replace the media file linked to a Media Clip on the Timeline: * **`Click`** on the Media Clip to select it and then **`Double-click`** on the desired media file located in the File Manager module OR * **`Click`** on the Media Clip to select it and choose a media file from the Media File list located in the Media Properties window section. {% hint style="info" %} None of these actions will alter the duration of the Media Clip. {% endhint %} # Timeline Navigation ## The Playhead The Playhead is a mobile time marker that reads the Timeline’s content and indicates the current time of the Show. It is represented by a downward-pointing red triangle located on the Timeline. ![](/files/-MZOsUmB2Jp1q6eCfnZI) ## Playhead Positioning ### Position Playhead using the Mouse Use the following methods to position the Playhead with your mouse: * **`Left-click`+Drag** inside the black area of the Timeline (also known as the Time Bar) to move the Playhead OR * **`Left-click`+Drag** the Playhead to move it across the Time Bar OR * **`Double-click`** in the black area of the Timeline (also known as the Time Bar) to make the Playhead jump to that position. ### Position Playhead using the Time Box The Time Box is a field located at the upper left side of the Timeline Editor, which displays the Show’s current time in numeric values. Use the following methods to move the Playhead to a time value specified in the Time Box: * Double-click or press **`F2`** to edit the numeric value in the Time Box. * Double-click or press **`F2`**, then press the **`+`** key and add the number of frames you want the Playhead to move forward. If the number entered is preceded by the **`-`** key, the Playhead will jump backward. {% hint style="info" %} If the number entered exceeds 99, the time value will be divided as follows: *hours:minutes:seconds:frames*. {% endhint %} > **Example:** entering + 122 will make the Playhead jump forward 1 second 22 frames. ![](/files/-MZOsUmCiNDxuBm3A1An) ### Other Ways to Position the Playhead It is possible to move the Playhead using other methods: * **`Click`** on the transport buttons located to the left of the Timeline Editor window section to move the Playhead. OR * Trigger a Cue containing a pre-recorded change to the Playhead’s position. OR * Select a predefined Region by clicking on its entry in the Region list (located in the far left part of the Timeline editor window section) to make the Playhead jump to the Region’s location on the Timeline. {% hint style="info" %} Many keyboard shortcuts will move the Playhead. A list of the shortcuts linked to the Timeline module can be accessed by selecting **{Help > Shortcut Keys > Timeline Shortcuts}** in the Main Menu bar. {% endhint %} ## Timeline Zoom and Navigation ### Zoom and Navigation using the Mouse and Keyboard * Use the **`Mouse Scroll`** to zoom in on the Playhead’s location on the Timeline OR * Press **`Ctrl`****+`Mouse Scroll`** to zoom in on the cursor’s location on the Timeline. ### Zoom and Navigation using the Zoom Bar Use the Zoom Bar located at the top of the Timeline to zoom in on sections of the Timeline. * **`Click`+Drag** the white handles located at the Zoom Bar’s edges to change the zoom value. * **`Click`+Drag** the center of the Zoom Bar to modify its view position. ![](/files/-MZOsUmDs4NR0rb_M5cY) ## Re-center the Playhead * **`Double-click`** on the Zoom Bar to center the Timeline view on where the Playhead is positioned; OR * Press **`F5`** (the Timeline must be in focus) to re-center the Playhead. ## Scroll and Pan on the Timeline ### Scroll To scroll up or down on the Timeline you can: * Place the cursor in the Screen name column at the left of the Timeline OR * Place the cursor on the scrollbar at the far right edge of the Timeline. ### Pan To pan left and right on the Timeline: * Using the mouse, **`Middle-click`+Drag** anywhere in the Timeline’s tracks. ## Control the Playhead You can use the **`J`**, **`K`** and **`L`** keys to control the Playhead speed during playback. Playhead speed can be increased up to 40 times its normal speed in both directions. * Press the **`J`** key to **reverse playback** (1 times) speed. * Press the **`K`** key to **pause** playback. * Press the **`L`** key to **playback forward** at (1 times) speed. ## Navigate Timeline Using Ins and Outs Clip time boundaries (the In and Out points) can be used to navigate through the Timeline. * Press **`Ctrl`****+****`J`** to make the Playhead jump backward to the next In or Out point on the Timeline. * Press **`Ctrl`****+****`K`** to make the Playhead jump forward to the next In or Out point on the Timeline. # Editing on the Timeline ## Move Clips Clips can be moved horizontally on the Timeline in order to change the timing of their occurrence. They can also be moved vertically through the Layers of the same Screen or from one Screen to another. * **`Left-click`+Drag** a Clip to move it. * **`Left-click`+Drag** on the Timeline to draw a selection frame around the Clips you want to move, then **`Left-click`+Drag** one of the Clips in the selected group to move the whole group. {% hint style="info" %} Clips can also be moved horizontally on the Timeline by first locking the Duration time slider and then by modifying the value of the In or the Out time sliders located in the Shared Clip Properties window section. {% endhint %} ## Change Clip Duration Clip duration can be changed using any of the following methods: * Place the cursor over the beginning or the end of a Clip (its In or Out point). The cursor’s appearance will change showing a double-ended arrow instead of the regular mouse pointer. **`Left-click`+Drag** the In or the Out point to change the Clip’s length (i.e. extend or reduce its duration). This method works as well when multiple Clips are selected. * **`Click`** on the Clip to select it. Enter new values in the In and Out time sliders located in the Shared Clip Properties window section. ![](/files/-MZOyeUYWA0BsJEkyx4p) ## Set a Clip’s In or Out Point Setting a Clip’s In or Out point will move it on the Timeline until it’s beginning or end matches the position specified by the Playhead’s location. The Clip’s duration will not be altered. ### Set Clip **In** Point 1. Position the Playhead on the Timeline where you want the selected Clip’s to begin 2. Click on the Clip to select it. 3. Set the Clip’s In point by using one of the following methods: * **`Click`** on a Clip to select it. Press **`Ctrl`****+****`Home`** . OR * Select **{Edit > Move In point to playhead}** from the Timeline menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on a Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Move In point to playhead}**. ### Set Clip **Out** Point 1. Position the Playhead on the Timeline where you want the selected Clip’s to end 2. Click on the Clip to select it. 3. Set the Clip’s Out point by using one of the following methods: * **`Click`** on a Clip to select it. Press **`Ctrl`****+****`End`**** .** OR * Select **{Edit > Move Out point Endpoint to playhead}** from the Timeline menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on a Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Move Out point to playhead}**. ## Set Clip Fade In/Out Points Setting a Clip’s Fade In point or Fade Out point will move the Clip on the Timeline until the highest part of the fade slope matches the current position of the Playhead. ### Set Clip Fade In Point 1. Position the Playhead on the Timeline where you want the selected Clip’s fade in to be complete. 2. **`Click`** on the Clip to select it. 3. Set the Fade In point by using one of the following methods: * Press **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Home`****.** OR * Select **{Edit > Move fade-In point Endpoint to playhead}** from the Timeline menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on the Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Move fade-In point Endpoint to playhead}**. ### Set Clip Fade Out Point 1. Position the Playhead on the Timeline where you want the selected Clip’s fade out to start. 2. **`Click`** on the Clip to select it. 3. Set the Fade Out point by using one of the following methods: * Press **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`End`**. OR * Select **{Edit >Move fade-Out Inpoint to playhead}** from the Timeline menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on the Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit >Move fade-Out Inpoint to playhead}**. {% hint style="info" %} Clip fade in and fade out times are set in the Shared Clip Properties window section of the Timeline module. {% endhint %} ## Trim Clip In or Out Point Trimming a Clip In or Out point will change the selected Clip’s duration by moving its beginning or end to match the Playhead’s current position. Multiple Clips can be trimmed at the same time. ### Trim Clip In Point * Click on a Clip to select it. Press **`Ctrl`****+****`[`** . OR * Select **{Edit > Trim In point to Playhead}** from the Timeline menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on a Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Trim In point to Playhead}**. ### Trim Clip Out Point * Click on a Clip to select it. Press **`Ctrl`****+ ****`]`**. OR * Select **{Edit > Trim Out point to Playhead}** from the Timeline menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on a Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Trim Out point to Playhead}**. ## Duplicate Clip Duplicating a selected Clip will create a copy of it in a newly created Layer located beneath it. It is possible to accomplish this operation with multiple selected Clips. * Click on a Clip to select it. Press **`Ctrl`****+****`D`** . OR * Click on a Clip to select it. Select **{Edit > Duplicate}** from the Timeline Editor menu. OR * **`Right-click`** on a Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Duplicate}** from the Timeline menu When duplicating a Clip, it is also possible to position it in any Layer that exists. * Click on a Clip to select it. Press **`Ctrl`****+`Left-click`+Drag** to duplicate the Clip and position it in any Layer that exists. ## Slice Clip Slicing a Clip will separate it into two distinct Clips. ![](/files/-MZOyeUZ3ZLBLIhD9nSL) 1. Position the Playhead on the Timeline where you want the Clip to be sliced. 2. **`Click`** on the Clip to select it. 3. Slice the Clip by using one of the following methods: * Press **`Ctrl`****+****`B`** OR * Select **{Edit > Slice}** from the Timeline menu OR * **`Right-click`** on the Clip to open a contextual menu. Select **{Edit > Slice}**. {% hint style="info" %} If the sliced Clip is a Media Clip, the In and Out time sliders for the new Media Clips created will be set to reflect the Playhead’s position when the slicing occurred. The In and Out time sliders for Media Clips are in the Media Properties window section. {% endhint %} ## Snapping Snapping is a Timeline editing function that facilitates Clip alignment. * Press **`Shift`** while moving a selected Clip to enable Snapping. If Snapping is enabled, the Clip that you are moving on the Timeline will automatically align with or snap to the edge of another Clip in range. White vertical lines appear at the edges of the Clips that are in range. {% hint style="info" %} Snapping can help ensure you don't accidentally insert or overlay a Clip onto another when dragging Clips around within the Timeline. {% endhint %} Snapping also works between the edge of a Clip and the Playhead, Edge of a region with both a clip and the Playhead. In most of the case you will see a cyan hint bar or the Playhead turning cyan. ![](/files/-MZOyeU_gBIbUvxCtRoD) # Inserting Cues on the Timeline Cue Clips are used to insert pre-recorded Cues on the Timeline. Cue recording and editing is covered in another section of the manual. (See Cue Recording in Programming a Show.) A Cue will be triggered whenever the Playhead intersects with the Cue Clip that is linked with it. Follow the next steps to properly insert and adjust a Cue on the Timeline. ## Add a Cue Clip * **`Right-click`** in a Layer track to open the Clip Type contextual menu. Select **{Add Cue}**. OR * Select a Layer by clicking on its entry in the Layers list. Select **{File > Add Cue}** from the Timeline Editor menu. OR * Select a Layer by clicking on its entry in the Layers list. Press **`Ctrl`****+****`U`**. Notice that the Cue Clip’s In point will match the position of the Playhead. ![](/files/-MZP-4ngjt3yFuoQwOec) ## Adjust a Cue Clip’s Length and Position A Cue Clip’s length and position can be adjusted as per any other Clip types. Please refer to previous sections of the documentation for detailed instructions. (See Move Clips as well as Change Clip Duration in Programming a Show.) {% hint style="info" %} A Cue Clip’s length and position should be determined using the following methods: * The Cue Clip’s position has to **match the moment** at which you need it to be triggered. * The Cue Clip’s duration **should exceed 30 frames** to make sure it’s registered even if poor server performances occur. * The Cue Clip’s duration should be long enough to **allow the operator to read its name in the Timeline**. * The Cue Clip’s duration should be **short enough to avoid visually cluttering** the Timeline. {% endhint %} ## Link the Cue Clip to a Pre-Programmed Cue 1. **`Click`** on the Cue Clip to select it. Properties specific to the selected Clip will appear in the top right window section of the Timeline module. (The window section should be named Clip Properties.) 2. **Select the Cue** you want to link to the Clip by clicking on its entry in the Select source cue list. You can use the search box or select an item from the Cue playlist dropdown menu to filter out unwanted Cues from the Select source cue list. Once linked, the Cue Clip’s name (shown in the Timeline) will change to the Cue’s name. It should read as: *Cue # : name\_of\_the\_Cue* (the Cue # is it’s unique ID number). ![](/files/-MZP-4nhnyuPJsrp1I6T) # Universal Crossfade The Universal Crossfade widgets can be found in the far left part of the Timeline Editor window section. This function allows you to execute a crossfade from any point to another in the Timeline. If the Playhead jumps from any location to another on the Timeline, a smooth transition will occur. {% hint style="info" %} The number and type of Clips (Media, FX, Input Device) being read at each location does not matter; the system will still execute a smooth crossfade between the two states. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZP2RLCekyByaH4bBT_) ## Enable Universal Crossfade * Click on the **`Enable`** toggle to activate or deactivate the Universal Crossfade function. ## Set Universal Crossfade Duration * **`Click`+Drag** the Cross Fade Slider (measured in seconds) to set the Universal Crossfade duration. {% hint style="warning" %} The Universal Crossfade function will only work if TACHYON detects a Playhead jump that has a duration greater than 1 second. {% endhint %} # Timeline Duration The Timeline’s duration is determined by the Sequence’s duration. By **default, a Sequence has a duration of 2 hours**. {% hint style="info" %} Every newly created Sequence will have this duration if the default value isn’t changed. {% endhint %} ## Change the Default Value for Sequence Duration 1. Open the Settings module by pressing **`Alt`****+****`S`** or by selecting **{System > Settings}**. 2. Click on the **`General`** tab. 3. Select **`Timeline`** in the list. 4. **`Click`** on the Sequence time input box located underneath the Timeline window section to edit its default value. 5. **Enter the new default values** for Sequence duration using the keyboard. Values are expressed as follows: *hours:minutes:seconds:frames*. ![](/files/-MZP4pyukZ_thAG-hVE6) ## Change the Duration of a Sequence 1. **`Right-click`** on the Sequence tab to open a contextual menu. 2. Select **{Properties}** from the menu; a Sequence Properties window will open. ![](/files/-MZP4pyvwIf5xAVKdYNn) 3. **`Click`** on the Duration time slider to edit its default value. 4. **Enter the new default values** for Sequence duration using the keyboard. Values are expressed as follows: *hours:minutes:seconds:frames.* 5. Click on the **`OK`** button. The Timeline will be extended or reduced to match the Sequence’s duration. 6. A dialog box will open to tell you if some Clips are out of range now that the Sequence duration has been altered. {% hint style="info" %} This is non-destructive; if the Timeline’s duration is returned to its original format the Clips will be reintegrated. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZP4pywzUEHXqyAn-6R) {% hint style="info" %} 30 hours is the maximum duration for a Sequence because this is the maximum value for Timecode data. 1 second and 1 frame (00:00:01:01) is the minimum duration for a Sequence. {% endhint %} # Timeline Auto Loop Playback will automatically stop by default when the Playhead reaches the end of a Sequence, TACHYON c**an be set to loop playback automatically**. When the Playhead reaches the end of the Sequence it will automatically jump back at 00:00:00:00 and playback will resume. ![](/files/-MZP5aEb7jtDdQE5p2WC) ## Auto Loop a Sequence 1. **`Right-click`** on the Sequence tab to open a contextual menu. 2. Select **{Properties}** from the menu; a Sequence Properties window will open. 3. Click on the **`Enable Auto Loop`** toggle to enable the function. 4. Click on the **`OK`** button to close the window. {% hint style="info" %} It is possible to create a playback loop in a Sequence by placing a Cue Clip at its end. The pre-recorded Cue has to move the Playhead to the beginning of the Sequence. {% endhint %} # Timeline Free Run The Free Run function will **activate media playback** when the Playhead comes into contact with a Media Clip, **even if the playback transport function is not enabled**. Once activated, the Free Run function will affect the behavior of every Media Clip in the Timeline. ![](/files/-MZP6QYgDoynI4vFAc9A) ## Activate Free Run * Click on the **`Free Run`** toggle located in the Timeline Editor window section to enable Timeline Free Run. ![](/files/-MZP6QYhUZlYQyBo5FIl) {% hint style="info" %} When used on an entire Timeline, this option is very useful **as a creation tool**. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} Free Run should NOT be used in a show. {% endhint %} # Duplicating, Exporting and Importing a Sequence A Sequence can be duplicated, and it can be exported or imported as a **.seq** file. ## Duplicate a Sequence 1. **`Right-click`** on the Sequence tab to open a contextual menu. 2. Select **{Duplicate}** from the menu; this will create a copy of the Sequence. {% hint style="danger" %} Problems related to Cues and Mappings might be experienced when duplicating a Sequence. Caution is advised. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZP7B_aFi91bMhe7sUV) ## Export a Sequence 1. **`Right-click`** on the Sequence tab to open a contextual menu. 2. Select **{Export}** from the menu. A dialog box will open and ask for the name and location of the exported Sequence. 3. **Enter the exported Sequence** file name and choose a location. Click on the **`Save`** button. ![](/files/-MZP7B_beXgP6EHw3Ct-) ![](/files/-MZP7B_cucDnFQiSJIPA) ## Import a Sequence 1. Select **{File > Import sequence}** from the Timeline Editor menu. A dialog box will open and ask which Sequence file to load. 2. Select the **.seq** file you want to load. Click on the **`Open`** button to add the imported Sequence as new tab in the Timeline. ![](/files/-MZP7B_dxnKIhBDDs0hY) ![](/files/-MZP7B_es77B--usXg_i) {% hint style="warning" %} Importing a Sequence into another project is possible, but given that the Timeline is Screen-based, the 3D Scene objects corresponding to the Timeline Screens need to be present in the 3D Scene prior to the import. Cues will have to be rebuilt because they are project dependent for the most part. {% endhint %} # Color Correction Color grading is a process that lets you correct images or create artistic effects by modifying visual parameters. The Color Correction module allows users to **perform color grading on image-based Clips** that were **previously imported** in TACHYON. Users familiar with professional color grading software will recognize a similar interface in the Color Correction module, along with most of the tools they already use. {% hint style="info" %} If you have any experience with professional color grading software, you will notice that the Color Correction module’s interface features a design similar to the one of these well-established products. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} The Color Correction module only works with image-based Clip types: Media, FX Stack, Input, Proxy and Virtual Projector. {% endhint %} ## **Open the Color Correction Module** The Color Correction module can be accessed either directly from the module or through the Timeline. To **access the module directly**, without having a preselected image-based Clip: 1. Select **{Show > Color Correction}** from TACHYON’s main menu. 2. Press **`Alt`****+****`G`**. ![](/files/-MZEhurmOd7WNzsX39ho) It is also possible to access the Color Correction module **through the Timeline module**, while having an image-based Clip selected. The selected Clip will act as the target for the Color Correction module: 1. Select **{Show > Timeline}** from TACHYON’s main menu or press **`Alt`****+****`T`** to open the Timeline module. 2. **Select an image-based Clip** by clicking on its entry in the Timeline. 3. **Unfold the Color section** of the Shared Clip Properties window section. 4. Click on the **`Edit Color Corrections`** button. {% hint style="warning" %} If an image-based Clip is not selected in the Timeline, the Color Correction module’s UI will be grayed out and will not allow interactions. Once an image-based Clip is selected, the UI will light up and allow interactions. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZEhurnUwBLBCeCa9zu) ![](/files/-MZEhuroYFqYYsReILIy) ## **Color Correction Parameters** Various parameters can be manipulated to modify the visual appearance of an image-based Clip. These parameters are divided along five different sections, each corresponding to a specific toolset. ### **Three-Way Correction Tools** The Three-Way Correction Tools allow you to modify a color’s hue and gain in specific regions of the video signal that are delimited by their luminance. **Shadows** refer to the darkest part of the signal, **Midtones** are delimited by a bell curve at the center of the spectrum, and **Highlights** refer to the brightest part of the signal. ![](/files/-MZEhurp47bWpe4ozOcB)
https://www.provideocoalition.com/wp-content/uploads/content-uploads/AVH/Shadow-Midtone-Hilight.jpg

Source: Provideocoalition.com

Inside each of the three sections corresponding to the luminance of the signal, you will find a **Color Wheel** and a **Gain Slider**. The **Color Wheel** allows you to modify the video signal’s hue. The hue refers to the “pure” color, a color’s dominant wavelength excluding its black and white components. The **Gain Slider** allows you to **increase or decrease the signal’s intensity** to make the image darker or brighter. Modulating gain will make the image darker or brighter. ![](/files/-MZEhurrUx86m9niJqaH) #### **Color Grading Using Three-Way Correction Tools** Follow these steps when color grading an image-based Clip: 1. Press **`Alt`****+****`T`** or select **{Show > Timeline}** to open the Timeline module. 2. **Select the image-based Clip** designated for color grading by clicking on its entry in the Timeline. 3. N**avigate back to the Color Correction module**. A thumbnail of the selected image-based Clip will be loaded in both the Original Preview and Modified Preview windows. 4. **Identify the region of the luminance spectrum** (Shadows, Midtones or Highlights) where you want to apply the modifications. 5. **`Click`+Drag** the Color Wheel’s white marker, located in the appropriate section (Shadows, Midtones or Highlights), to select the hue you wish to modify. 6. Adjust the value of the Gain Slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag** to increase or decrease the intensity of the selected hue, or you can **`Double-click`** on the slider to open a text field and enter a desired numeric value. #### **Reset the Color Grading Modifications** * Click on one of the **`Reset`** buttons to cancel color grading modifications for a specific region of the luminance spectrum. ### **Brightness and Contrast Tools** The brightness and contrast of the image can be modified by using sliders. ![](/files/-MZEhursbugAjP5tR-d9) #### **Modify Brightness** To modulate the overall lightness of the image. Moving the slider will bring all of the colors in the image closer to pure white or pure black. * Adjust the value of the Brightness slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag.** OR * **`Double-click`** on the slider to open a text field and enter a desired numeric value. #### **Modify Contrast** Modulating the Contrast slider will either increase or decrease the difference between the image’s light and dark content. * Adjust the value of the Contrast by manipulating the slider it with a **`Click`+Drag.** OR * **`Double-click`** on the slider to open a text field and enter a desired numeric value. #### **Reset Brightness and Contrast Modifications** * Click on the **`Reset`** button to cancel any modifications to brightness and contrast. ### **HSL, Gamma and Gain Tools** These tools allow you to modify five different parameters of image-based Clips: * Hue * Saturation * Lightness * Gamma RGB * Gain RGB #### **Hue** This parameter can be modified through the manipulation of the Hue slider. * Adjust the Hue slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag.** OR * **`Double-click`** on the slider to open a text field and enter a desired numeric value. {% hint style="info" %} Tonal modifications to the image’s hue will be applied regardless of luminance. {% endhint %} #### **Saturation** Saturation refers to the intensity of the colors in an image. * Adjust the Saturation slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag**. OR * **`Double-click`** on the slider to open a text field and enter a desired numeric value. Reducing saturation will result in an image dominated by different shades of gray. #### **Lightness** Lightness refers to the white component of the image. Increasing lightness will result in a paler image. * Adjust the Lightness slider by manipulating it with a **`Click`+Drag**. OR * **`Double-click`** on the slider to open a text field and enter a desired numeric value. #### **Gamma RGB** Gamma refers to a section of the light spectrum in an image, defined by a bell curve centered on the midtones, excluding content that is pure black or pure white. * Adjust the Red, Green or Blue sliders by manipulating them with a **`Click`+Drag**. OR * **`Double-click`** on the sliders to open text fields and enter desired numeric values. {% hint style="info" %} The Red, Green and Blue sliders will increase or decrease their respective color content in the area defined by gamma. {% endhint %} ![](/files/-MZEhuruQrV659xvqPr9) #### **Gain RGB** Gain refers to a section of the light spectrum in an image defined by a slope function where the lowest point is situated in the pure black region of the light spectrum and the highest point is situated in the pure white region. * Adjust the Red, Green or Blue sliders by manipulating them with a **`Click`+Drag**. OR * **`Double-click`** on the sliders to open text fields and enter desired numeric values. {% hint style="info" %} The Red, Green and Blue sliders will increase or decrease their respective color content in the area defined by gain. {% endhint %} ### **Invert** ![](/files/-MZEhurv6FXDlMoQV5im) Invert functions will flip the expression of light and dark content within a specific color channel (red, green or blue). ![](/files/-MZEhurwvJM5wfDhRGfA) #### **Invert Red Channel** * Click on the **`Invert Red`** toggle to invert the red channel content. #### **Invert Green Channel** * Click on the **`Invert Green`** toggle to invert the green channel content. #### **Invert Blue Channel** * Click on the **`Invert Blue`** toggle to invert the blue channel content. ### **Levels** Levels adjustments allow the user to modify an **image’s tonal range**. The Input Levels control how the source tonal content will be mapped in the area defined by the Output Levels. ![](/files/-MZEhurxvQzA7p2_2f1c) #### **Adjust Input Levels** By manipulating Input Levels sliders, the user can remap an image’s tonal content (values ranging from pure black to pure white) into a different register. You can manually or automatically adjust the input and output level tonal content. #### **Adjust Input Levels manually:** * **`Click`+Drag** to adjust the input level thresholds of the black or white Input Level slider. OR * **`Double-click`** on the sliders to open text fields and enter desired numeric values. #### **Adjust Levels Automatically** * Click on the **`Auto`** button to quickly achieve the desired tonal correction through an automated process. #### **Adjust Output Levels** By manipulating Output Levels sliders, the user can clip the expression of pure black and pure white in the image. * **`Click`+Drag** to adjust the output level threshold of the black or white Output Level slider, OR * **`Double-click`** on the sliders to open text fields and enter desired numeric values. ### **Global Reset** Since many tools can be used simultaneously to modify an image-based Clip’s visual properties, it can be tedious to retrace your steps and reset a specific slider. * Click on the **`Reset Color Corrections`** button located at the bottom of the Color Correction window to cancel all of the color grading modifications that were previously made. ## **Color Curves** Color Curves allow tonal adjustments through the modification of a graph where: * The horizontal axis represents the image’s Input Levels. * The vertical axis represents its Output Levels. ![](/files/-MZEhuryjCFYn0qRV0Kz) ### **Adjust Color Curves** 1. **Select** the desired option from the Color channel dropdown menu (Red, Green, Blue or RGB). 2. **`Click`+Drag** the Color Curve in order to create and position a new point in the graph. 3. **Add** as many **points** as necessary. ### **Reset Color Curves** * Click on the **`Reset`** button located above the Color Curves graph window. ## **Color Looks** Modifications to Color parameters can be saved in a Look. A Look is a data structure containing color modification parameters that can be recalled and applied to multiple image-based Clips. ### **Create a New Color Look** 1. Set the desired **Color Grading parameters** in the Color Correction module’s interface. 2. **`Click`** on the ![](/files/-MZEhurzcK249T--L-Fj) in the top right corner of the Color Correction window. This will create a new Color Look based on how the Color Grading parameters are set. A thumbnail corresponding to the new Color Look will appear in a column located to the left of the Color Correction window. Every Color Look will display the selected image-based Clip, with the corrections applied (except on multi-selection or when a non-valid/rendered file is selected). ### **Create an Empty Color Look** It is possible to create an Empty Color Look linked to the currently selected image-based Clip. Creating additional Empty Color Looks makes it possible to develop alternate Color Correction parameter sets for the same Clip. * Click on the **`+`** button located in the top left part of the Color Correction window to create an Empty Color Look. ### **Rename Color Look** * **`Double-click`** on the Color Look’s thumbnail to open a text field that will allow you to rename it. ## **Original Preview and Modified Preview** The Original Preview and Modified Preview windows are located at the top of the Color Correction window. * The Original Preview window shows the image-based Clip prior to any modification. * The Modified Preview window shows the processed version of the same Clip. ![](/files/-MZEhus-bMmUFwLxaRHf) ### **Pause Content Playback** * Click on the **`pause`** toggle located at the top of the Original Preview window to freeze content playback. (Click the toggle again to resume playback.) ## **Apply Color Looks** 1. **Select** one or multiple image-based Clips by clicking on their entries in the Timeline. (The Timeline is located in the Timeline module.) 2. **`Drag`+Drop** a Color Look thumbnail from the list located at the left of the Color Correction window and move it to the Modified Preview window. OR **`Right-click`** on a Color Look thumbnail from the list located at the left of the Color Correction window to open a contextual menu. 1. Select **{Load}**. A Confirmation Box will open. 2. Click the **`Yes`** button to apply the Color Look to the previously selected image-based Clips. ## **Delete Color Looks** 1. Select a Color Look by clicking on its thumbnail. You can also perform a multiple selection by using **`Shift`****+`Click`** on multiple Color Look thumbnails. 2. Press the **`Delete`** key or **`Right-click`** on the selected Color Look(s) to open a contextual menu. 3. Select **{Delete}** from the contextual menu. A Confirmation Box will open. 4. Click the **`Yes`** button to delete the Color Look. # TACHYON - V11.1 Release Note ## Timeline * **The preload media option is now disabled by default.** * **Timeline Editing**: Shortcut to trim clips to fade-in/out points. * Trim using Ctrl+Shift+\[ or Ctrl+Shift+] to consider the beginning or end of a transition. * **Snap playhead to fade in/out values.** * **Visual cue when a clip snaps to the playhead.** * **Visual cue when a region snaps to the playhead.** * **New DMX clip icon.** * **Display icon when the media clip is linked to a fixture.** * **New media clip icons.** * Icon for media type (image vs. video). * Icon if frame blending is enabled. * **Ability to frame selected clips from Clip Properties using the shortcut \[F].** * **Improved Clips Cache now evaluates all clip types.** * **Added the ability to specify universal cross-fade delay threshold.** * **Photon's new synchronization mechanism supports Nvidia Gsync,** allowing perfect multi-server frame accuracy and smoother playback**.** ## Color Management * **REC2100 colorspace and PQ curve** **are now supported for color transformation**, allowing for even more accurate and vibrant colors. * **The Color Picker is now an independent module**, making it more user-friendly and streamlined. It can directly be accessed with a simple shortcut: \[Alt+Y]. ## UV * **UV Preview with Hierarchy rendering:** * Users can now preview an assembled version of UVs inside a hierarchy of objects. This tool lets users see the UV clusters of each object that makes up a hierarchy rendering and allows them to snap the texture to clusters independently. * **UV conversion and realtime splitting improvements** (automatic media slicing for multi-server super high-resolution playback): * Added splitting support for Virtual Projector and LED screen * Added LED preview and timeline preview splitting support. ## File Management * **Export CSV** * Now includes an index column. * Export CSV index starts at 1. * "Hide original" option is now considered. * **New File Manager filters:** * File Sequence: Groups .seq files and their associated VCI files. * Converted: Groups only converted VCI files. * Originals: Groups only imported original files. Ignores and disables the hide originals toggle automatically. * **New LED splitting on conversion support.** * The systems can automatically crop the required slice of video at conversion for each playback machine based on its connected LED processor coverage. * **Notch blocks now appear in used/unused Filters.** * **P2P version 2023.** * New and improved high-performance internal transfer engine for File Manager is now P2P v3, resulting in significantly better performance on high bandwidth networks. ## 3D Scene * **Improved 3D object transparency rendering.** * **Virtual Projectors performance optimization.** * Introducing vertex clipping mechanism to reduce the amount of pixels rasterized. * **FBX SDK update to 2020.3.1.** ## UI/UX * Greatly improved Font Rendering. * **Redesigned Scalable interface (4k compatible) with redesigned iconography.** * **Maximizable windows now have a dedicated indicator icon and can restore the original size.** * **Added instant search in all combo boxes.** * **Keyframe Editor now follows the zoom factor.** * Improved shortcuts consistency. * Albion Monitoring shortcut is now ALT+SHIFT+A ● Profiler shortcut is now ALT+P. * Undo Manager is now ALT+SHIFT+U. ## IO * **Projector control:** * Introducing a new basic control feature for the Christie HS series. * **Network Show Control:** * The GET\_SYSTEM\_STATE command will now provide the current task's percentage (%) in its reply. * The new REMOVE\_MEDIA command can now delete media from the Media Library, including files in playlists and the content folder. * **DMX:** * DMX layer control of "media index" now starts at 1. 0 means "No Media". * DMX layer control performances using a "media index" with many media files are greatly improved. * DMX Show Control value is now applied to its linked parameter only on value change. * DMX timeline control of "region index" now starts at 1. \ 0 means "Do Nothing." ## Logs * **Improved logs when PHOTON connects or disconnects from projectors.** * **Improved log messages in case of errors when pressing on "NVIDIA Control Panel" from the Settings window.** * **Improved "Log Manager" internal networking pipeline.** * **Prevent overzealous logging from PJLink projectors.** * **Reduce the number of log entries for missing VCI / VCD files.** * **Complain only once about excess cameras in a project.** ## Shadow * **You can save a project using the Shadow module without recording other actions.** * The project will be saved in a shadow session if no recording types are selected (e.g. mouse, PSN...) ## Network Assistant * **A new option to delay the startup of VNA to allow all system resources to complete boot.** ## TACHYON * **New FREE and DOWNLOADABLE version Tachyon Learning.** * 2x watermarked output. * Please download, learn, test and have fun at [tachyon.video](https://tachyon.video/). * **Added Virtual Projector support in the 3D Scene.** * **Added Composer clip support in Timeline.** * **Added FBX support.** * **Various UI improvements.** # TACHYON Shortcuts ## **Global Shortcuts** | **Show/Hide UI** | **`Tab`** | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Select Previous UI Container** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Tab`** | | **Select Next UI Container** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Tab`** | | **Toggle Fullscreen (VNC)** | **`Shift`****+****`Tab`** | | **Play/Pause** | **`Space`** | | **Show Console** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`H`** | | **Undo** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Z`** | | **Redo** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Y`** | | **Synchronize All Servers** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Enter`** | | **Load Default Project** | **`Ctrl`****+****`L`** | | **Load Project...** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`L`** | | **Save Default Project** | **`Ctrl`+****S** | | **Save Incremental** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`S`** | | **Save Project...** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`S`** | | **Show Profiler** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`P`** | | **Quit TACHYON** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Q`** | | **Show Settings** | **`Alt`****+****`S`** | | **Show Shadow** | **`Alt`****+****`Z`** | | **Show 3D Scene** | **`Alt`****+****`C`** | | **SLAC Workflow** | **`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`C`** | | **Show I/O Manager** | **`Alt`****+****`I`** | | **Show Mapping Manager** | **`Alt`****+****`M`** | | **Show Network Monitor** | **`Alt`****+****`N`** | | **Show Timeline** | **`Alt`****+****`T`** | | **Show Screen Mixer** | **`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`T`** | | **Show File Manager** | **`Alt`****+****`F`** | | **Show Keyframe Editor** | **`Alt`****+****`K`** | | **Show Cue Editor** | **`Alt`****+****`Q`** | | **Show Color Correction** | **`Alt`****+****`G`** | | **Show Preview Window** | **`Alt`****+****`V`** | | **Show Output Control** | **`Alt`****+****`O`** | | **Show Timecode Menu** | **Alt****+****`D`** | | **Show Undo Stack Menu** | **`Alt`****+****`U`** | | **Show Logs Menu** | **`Alt`****+****`L`** | | **Reset UI Pan/Zoom** | **`Alt`****+****`0`** | | **Reset UI Pan/Zoom** | **`Alt`****+****`NUM 0`** | | **Hide All UI Widgets** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`W`** | | **Toggle Canvas View** | **`F11`** | | **Load Workspace 1** | **`Alt`****+****`5`** | | **Load Workspace 2** | **`Alt`****+****`6`** | | **Load Workspace 3** | **`Alt`****+****`7`** | | **Load Workspace 4** | **`Alt`****+****`8`** | | **Save Workspace 1** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`5`** | | **Save Workspace 2** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`6`** | | **Save Workspace 3** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`7`** | | **Save Workspace 4** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`8`** | | **Show Help Menu** | **`F1`** | | **Gather All Windows in UI** | **`F3`** | | **Screenshot All Windows** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`F4`** | | **Show Advanced Options Menu** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`F7`** | | **Activate/Deactivate VSync** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`V`** | ## **Timeline Shortcuts** | **Strobe Backward** | **`J`** | | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Pause** | **`K`** | | **Strobe Forward** | **`L`** | | **Step Forward 1 Frame** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Step Forward 10 Frames** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Step Backward 1 Frame** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Step Backward 10 Frames** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Next In/Out** | **`Ctrl`****+****`K`** | | **Previous In/Out** | **`Ctrl`****+****`J`** | | **Next In/Out/Key** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`K`** | | **Previous In/Out/Key** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`J`** | | **Next In/Out (selection)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`K`** | | **Previous In/Out (selection)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`J`** | | **Next In/Out/Key (selection)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`K`** | | **Previous In/Out/Key (selection)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`J`** | | **Add Sequence** | **`Ctrl`****+****`T`** | | **Append Layer** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`+`** | | **Create Cue Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`U`** | | **Create Empty Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`N`** | | **Create FX Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`E`** | | **Create Input Device Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`I`** | | **Create Media Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`M`** | | **Create Proxy Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`P`** | | **Create Region** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`R`** | | **Create Virtual Projector Clip** | **`Ctrl`****+****`R`** | | **Duplicate Clip On A New Layer** | **`Ctrl`****+****`D`** | | **Find Media In Editor** | **`X`** | | **Frame Clips And Regions** | **`F`** | | **Go to Top** | **`T`** | | **Import Sequence** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`I`** | | **Insert Layer** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | **Move Clips Left 1 Frame** | **`,`** | | **Move Clips Left 10 Frame** | **`Shift`****+****`,`** | | **Move Clips Left, Set Amount** | **`-`** | | **Move Clips Right 1 Frame** | **`.`** | | **Move Clips Right 10 Frame** | **`Shift`****+****`.`** | | **Move Clips Right, Set Amount** | **`NUM+`** | | **Move Clips Right, Set Amount** | **`Shift`****+****`++`** | | **Next Clip** | **`Right arrow`** | | **Next Layer** | **`Down arrow`** | | **Next Media** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Previous Clip** | **`Left arrow`** | | **Previous Layer** | **`Up arrow`** | | **Previous Media** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Recenter** | **`F5`** | | **Reset Canvas View** | **`P`** | | **Reset Timeline View** | **`R`** | | **Search** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`F`** | | **Search** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | | **Select All Clips After Playhead in All Screens** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`'`** | | **Select All Clips After Playhead in Current Screen** | **`Ctrl`****+****`'`** | | **Select All Clips Before Playhead in All Screens** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`;`** | | **Select All Clips Before Playhead in Current Screen** | **`Ctrl`****+****`;`** | | **Select All Clips in All Screens** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`A`** | | **Select All Clips in Current Screen** | **Ctrl****+****`A`** | | **Select All Media Clips in All Screens** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`M`** | | **Set Clip In Point** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Home`** | | **Set Clip In Point** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Home`** | | **Set Clip Out Point** | **`Ctrl`****+****`End`** | | **Set Clip Out Point** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`End`** | | **Set Original Length** | **`I`** | | **Set Original Size** | **`O`** | | **Set Selected Clip Duration To Current Media Length** | **`U`** | | **Show / Hide Layer** | **`Shift`****+****`H`** | | **Slice Clip (changes in time)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`B`** | | **Slice Clip On A New Layer** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`B`** | | **Snap Play Head To Selected Clip** | **`Alt`****+****`Home`** | | **Trim Clip In Point** | **`Ctrl`****+****`[`** | | **Trim Clip Out Point** | **`Ctrl`****+****`]`** | ## **3D Scene Shortcuts** | **Add Calibration Point** | **`+`** | | ------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Calibration Mode (Enable)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`2`** | | **Calibration Mode** | **`2`** | | **Cancel current measure** | **`Esc`** | | **Change Rendering Mode** | **`W`** | | **Decrease LED Quad Height** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Decrease LED Quad Height** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Decrease LED Quad Width** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Decrease LED Quad Width** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Delete Calibration Point** | **`-`** | | **Delete angle measure** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Del`** | | **Display Advanced Search** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Alt`****+****`F`** | | **Edit Object Rotation** | **`C`** | | **Edit Object Scale** | **`X`** | | **Edit Object Translation** | **`V`** | | **Extend Projector Pyramid** | **`Shift`****+****`E`** | | **Focus on Object** | **`F`** | | **Front View** | **`6`** | | **Hide Display** | **`Shift`****+****`H`** | | **Import Primitives** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`I`** | | **LED Add New Quad** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | **LED Toggle View Mode** | **`M`** | | **Left View** | **`7`** | | **Modeling Mode** | **`1`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Down (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Down** | **`Alt`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Left (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Left** | **`Alt`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Right (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Right** | **`Alt`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Up (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Move All Calibration Points Up** | **`Alt`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Down (100x)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Down (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Down** | **`Down arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Left (100x)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Left (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Left** | **`Left arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Right (100x)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Right (10x)** | **Shift****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Right** | **`Right arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Up (100x)** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Up (10x)** | **`Shift`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Move Calibration Point Up** | **`Up arrow`** | | **Primitive Presets Window** | **`G`** | | **Properties Window** | **`P`** | | **Reset POI** | **`R`** | | **Reset View Mode** | **`S`** | | **Right View** | **`8`** | | **Search** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | | **Search Display** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`F`** | | **Select Next Calibration Point** | **`Page down`** | | **Select Next Projector** | **`End`** | | **Select Previous Calibration Point** | **`Page up`** | | **Select Previous Projector** | **`Home`** | | **Small Decrease LED Quad Height** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Small Decrease LED Quad Height** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Small Decrease LED Quad Width** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Small Decrease LED Quad Width** | **Ctrl****+****`Shift`****+****`Alt`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Snapshot** | **`Ctrl`****+****`P`** | | **Solo Display** | **`Shift`****+****`S`** | | **Toggle Display Grid** | **`D`** | | **Toggle Fixture View Control** | **`Y`** | | **Toggle Measurement Mode** | **`B`** | | **Toggle Object Opacity** | **`H`** | | **Toggle Projection Mode** | **`O`** | | **Top View** | **`5`** | | **Transformations Window** | **`T`** | | **Travel Backward** | **`K`** | | **Travel Forward** | **`I`** | | **Travel Left** | **`J`** | | **Travel Right** | **`L`** | | **View Mode (momentary)** | **`S`** | ## **Color Correction Shortcuts** | **Add CC Look** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Search Looks** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | | **Snapshot Look** | **`S`** | ## **Cue Editor Shortcuts** | **Add New Cue** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Duplicate Cue** | **`Ctrl`****+****`D`** | | **Search Cues** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | | **Toggle View** | **`V`** | ## **Curve Editor Shortcuts** | **Decrease X Value (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Left arrow`** | | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | **Decrease X Value (small step)** | **`Left arrow`** | | **Decrease Y Value (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Decrease Y Value (small step)** | **`Down arrow`** | | **Increase X Value (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Increase X Value (small step)** | **`Right arrow`** | | **Increase Y Value (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Increase Y Value (small step)** | **Up arrow** | | **Select Next Control Point** | **`Page down`** | | **Select Previous Control Point** | **`Page up`** | ## **File Manager Shortcuts** | **Delete Media** | **`Del`** | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Import Media** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`I`** | | **Refresh** | **`F5`** | | **Search Media** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | ## **I/O Mapping Shortcuts** | **Create a New Mapping Preset** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Import Fixtures** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`I`** | | **Search Mappings** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | ## **Keyframe Editor Shortcuts** | **Add Keyframe** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Decrease Keyframe Time (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Decrease Keyframe Time (small step)** | **`Left arrow`** | | **Decrease Keyframe Value (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Decrease Keyframe Value (small step)** | **`Down arrow`** | | **Delete Keyframe** | **`Del`** | | **Display Keyframe Position** | **`D`** | | **Enable Solo Mode for Current Parameter** | **`S`** | | **Go to Default Keyframe** | **`Home`** | | **Go to Last Keyframe** | **`End`** | | **Increase Keyframe Time (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Increase Keyframe Time (small step)** | **`Right arrow`** | | **Increase Keyframe Value (large step)** | **`Shift`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Increase Keyframe Value (small step)** | **`Up arrow`** | | **Reset View** | **`Ctrl`****+****`V`** | | **Select All Keyframes from All Parameters** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`A`** | | **Select All Keyframes from Current Parameter** | **`Ctrl`****+****`A`** | | **Select Next Keyframe from All Parameters** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Page up`** | | **Select Next Keyframe from Current Parameter** | **`Page up`** | | **Select Next Parameter** | **`Alt`****+****`Page down`** | | **Select Previous Keyframe from All Parameters** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Page down`** | | **Select Previous Keyframe from Current Parameter** | **`Page down`** | | **Select Previous Parameter** | **`Alt`****+****`Page up`** | | **Snap Time To Previous Keyframe from All Parameters** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Page down`** | | **Snap Time to Default Keyframe** | **`Shift`****+****`Home`** | | **Snap Time to Last Keyframe** | **`Shift`****+****`End`** | | **Snap Time to Next Keyframe from All Parameters** | **`Ctrl`****+****`Shift`****+****`Page up`** | | **Snap Time to Next Keyframe from Current Parameter** | **`Shift`****+****`Page up`** | | **Snap Time to Previous Keyframe from Current Parameter** | **`Shift`****+****`Page down`** | | **Snap View to Selected Keyframes** | **`F`** | | **Toggle Parameter Visibility** | **`H`** | ## **Network Protocol Shortcuts** | **Create a New Message** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- | ## **Preview Window Shortcuts** | **Frame 2D Transform Handle** | **`F`** | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | **Layer Mode** | **`2`** | | **Move Clip Down** | **`Shift`****+****`Down arrow`** | | **Move Clip Left (10x)** | **`Left arrow`** | | **Move Clip Left** | **`Shift`****+****`Left arrow`** | | **Move Clip Right (10x)** | **`Right arrow`** | | **Move Clip Right** | **`Shift`****+****`Right arrow`** | | **Move Clip Up (10x)** | **`Up arrow`** | | **Move Clip Up** | **`Shift`****+****`Up arrow`** | | **Move Clip down (10x)** | **`Down arrow`** | | **Multi-Preview Mode** | **`4`** | | **Preview 2D Mode** | **`1`** | | **Preview 3D Mode** | **`3`** | | **Reset View** | **`R`** | | **Show / Hide Clip** | **`H`** | | **Toggle Checker** | **`C`** | | **Toggle UV Preview** | **`U`** | ## **Projector Devices Shortcuts** | **Add Projectors** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------- | ## **Settings Shortcuts** | **Copy Outputs Config** | **`Ctrl`****+****`C`** | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- | | **Paste Outputs Config** | **`Ctrl`****+****`V`** | ## **Shortcut Keys Menu Shortcuts** | **Search Shortcuts List** | **`Ctrl`****+****`F`** | | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ## **Time Code Shortcuts** | **Create a New Time Code** | **`Ctrl`****+****`+`** | | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Toggle View** | **`V`** | # Get Started The fundamental tasks to be accomplished when building a TACHYON project are regrouped in this quick start guide. Investigate a few of the software’s modules, and create a simple show. **GEAR** * 2 TACHYON server connected on a dedicated network. * 2 video projectors connected to the server. * 1 half-cube * 1 media asset such as a .MOV video file. ## **1. SETTINGS (Establish Networking)** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Settings module. Select **{System > Settings}** or press **`Alt`****+****`S`**. 2. Press **{Tab}** to display Tachyon UI. 3. Select **{System > Settings}** or press **`Alt`****+****`S`**. 4. Open the **{Create Network Group}** window and select the available server. 5. Set the connection ports and click on the **Apply** button. ## **2. SETTINGS (Create and Configure Outputs)** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Settings module. Select **{System > Settings}** or press **`Alt`****+****`S`**. 2. Set the first server in Controller mode. 3. Set the second server in Display mode 4. Create outputs (auto creation of displays) on the server. 5. Configure the output resolution. ## **3. 3D SCENE (Add a Screen)** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the 3D Scene module.Select **{System > 3D Scene}** or press **`Alt`****+****`C`**. 2. Add a Screen **{Primitive > Default Object > Cube}**. 3. Open the Transformations Option panel. Press **`T`** or select **{Options Panels > Transformations}**. 4. Scale and position the Screen. 5. Open the Properties Option panel. Press **`P`** or select **{Options Panels > Properties}**. 6. Set the resolution of the Screen. ## **4. 3D SCENE (Manual Calibration)** {% embed url="" %} 1. Select the calibration mode. 2. Activate the **`Enable calibration`** toggle. 3. Select both projectors. 4. **Map** the Cube object on the projectors. 5. Select the first projector 6. **`Ctrl`****+`double-left-click`** the Cube vertices to activate the calibration points. 7. Position them in the Calibration Tool window to match the physical model’s points. 8. Repeat the previous steps with the second projector. 9. Display the calibration Grid. Press **`D`**. 10. Activate the **`Enable Blending`** toggle. ## **5. FILE MANAGER** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the file manager module. Select **{Show > File Manager}** or press **`Alt`****+****`F`**. 2. Click on the **`Import`** button. 3. Browse your media assets. 4. Click on the **`Open`** button. 5. Watch for the task’s completion. ## **6. TIMELINE** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Timeline module. Select **{Show > Timeline}** or press **`Alt`****+****`T`**. 2. Add a Media Clip to the Screen. 3. Assign a video file to the Media Clip. 4. Double-click on the timebar to move the playhead. 5. Press the **`space bar`** to start playback. # Map a MIDI Slider **Gear** * A MIDI Controller (the AKAI MPD24 is used in this example). ## **1. Add a MIDI Controller.** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the I/O Manager module. Select **{System > I/O Manager}** or press **`Alt`****+****`I`**. 2. Select the MIDI tab. 3. Select an empty slot from the Active Devices list. 4. Select a device from the Available Devices list to assign it. 5. Enable the **`Show midi messages`** button 6. Validate the MIDI Controller assignation by watching the incoming MIDI messages ## **2. Bind a Physical Slider to TACHYON.** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Output Control tool. Select **{System > Tools > Output Control}** or press **`Alt`****+****`O`**. 2. Open the Mapping Manager module. Select **{System > Mapping Manager}** or press **`Alt`****+****`N`**. 3. Activate the **`Control Learning`** toggle. (The UI will be tinted in red as long as Control Learning is enabled.) 4. Navigate back to the Output Control module and select the Master Contrast slider. 5. Assign the Master Contrast slider to the MIDI controller by moving one of its sliders. 6. Deactivate the **`Control Learning`** toggle. 7. Validate the slider assignation by watching its the repercussion in the UI. # Use Timecode Midi & Audio(LTC) ## **MIDI Timecode** **Gear** A MIDI timecode generator (the Rosendahl mif4 MIDI Timecode Interface is used in this example). ### **Add a MIDI Device.** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the I/O Manager module. Select **{System > I/O Manager}** or press **`Alt`****+****`I`**. 2. Select the MIDI tab. 3. Select an empty slot from the Active Devices list. 4. Select a MIDI device from the Available Devices list to assign it as the Active Device. ### **Manage MIDI Timecode** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Time Code tool. Select **{System >Tools > Timecode}** or press **`Alt`****+****`D`**. 2. Add a new timecode slot by clicking the + button or by pressing **`Ctrl`****+****`+`**. 3. Select a the timecode slot. 4. Select the timecode framerate from the FPS dropdown menu. 5. Select MIDI as the timecode type. 6. Select the **{MIDI device}** from the dropdown menu. 7. Make sure the timecode **`Enable`** toggle is activated. ### **Bind the Timeline to a Timecode** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Timeline module. Select **{Show > Timeline}** or press **`Alt`****+****`T`**. 2. Locate the Time Code window section. 3. Select the **{timecode slot}** from the dropdown menu. 4. Activate the **`Enable`** toggle to listen to incoming timecode. 5. Activate the **`Auto Play`** toggle to lock the Playhead to incoming timecode. ## **Audio Timecode (LTC)** **Gear** * An audio timecode generator * An audio interface. (the Dante Via is used in this example). ### **Add an Audio Device** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the I/O Manager module. Select **{System > I/O Manager}** or press **`Alt`****+****`I`**. 2. Select the Audio Devices tab. 3. Select an empty slot from the Active Devices list. 4. Select an audio interface from the Available Devices list to assign it as the Active Device. 5. Incoming audio timecode will be displayed in the Preview window if set correctly. ### **Manage Audio Timecode** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Time Code tool. Select **{System >Tools >Timecode}** or press **`Alt`****+****`D`**. 2. Add a new timecode slot by clicking the + button or by pressing **`Ctrl`****+****`+`**. 3. Select the timecode slot. 4. Select the timecode framerate from the FPS dropdown menu. 5. Select Linear as the timecode type. 6. Select the **{Audio Device}** from the dropdown menu. 7. Select the **{Audio Channel}** from the dropdown menu. 8. Make sure the timecode \[Enable] toggle is activated. ### **Bind the Timeline to a Timecode** {% embed url="" %} 1. Open the Timeline module. Select **{Show > Timeline}** or press **`Alt`****+****`T`**. 2. Locate the Time Code window section. 3. Select the **{timecode slot}** from the dropdown menu. 4. Activate the **Enable** toggle to listen to incoming timecode. 5. Activate the **`Auto Play`** toggle to lock the Playhead to incoming timecode. # External TCP/UDP Control Specifications Implementation: Tachyon v11 ## UDP/TCP Default Port Unless overridden, Tachyon's default TCP and UDP control port is: **50503** The TCP server will reply with the received commands to each connected client. UDP commands will be replied to as broadcasts on the main network interface using the same UDP port as configured for the reception. ## UDP/TCP Network Syntax ``` [OpCode] [parameters] ``` ### Network Control | Command | Opcode | Parameters | Types | Ranges | | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------- | --------- | | TimeLine Speed | SET\_TIME\_SPEED | Speed | \[float32] | \[-5 ; 5] | | TimeLine Seek | SET\_TIME\_SEEK | Frame # | \[unsigned int32] | \[0 ; N] | | TimeLine FreeRun | SET\_TIME\_FR | FreeRun on/off | \[unsigned int32] | \[0 ; 1] | | TimeLine LTC | SET\_TIME\_LTC | Time-Code on/off | \[unsigned int32] | \[0 ; 1] | | Special Codes | 90BC9E48\_6D84\_4F8C\_AA23\_72E3379AC71C | special\_code | \[unsigned int] | \[0 ; N] | | Execute Cue ID | CUE\_EXEC\_ID | Cue # by ID | \[unsigned int32] | \[0 ; N] | | Query system state | GET\_SYSTEM\_STATE | No parameters | | | | Delete Media | REMOVE\_MEDIA | "media\_name.extension" | | | ### Special Codes
Code ControlID
Normal Mode0
Sleep Mode1
Fire Alarm2
Fire Alarm 23
Reboot Tachyon4
Reboot Server5
Quit Tachyon6
Shutdown Server7
Enable Offline Mode8
Disable Offline Mode9
Show/Hide UI10
## Syntax Rules * Capitalization must be respected. * Spaces between Tag, Opcode and Parameters are mandatory. ## Examples ### Cue trigger via ID number ``` CUE_EXEC_ID 0 ``` ### Set Tachyon in Sleep Mode ``` 90BC9E48_6D84_4F8C_AA23_72E3379AC71C 1 ``` ### Get Server State ``` GET_SYSTEM_STATE ``` When querying the system state using the above command, Tachyon will reply using its internal XML-like syntax. Below is an example of the system-state reply syntax: {% code overflow="wrap" fullWidth="false" %} ``` Tachyon-01 9.30233 23 900344 19.7842 0.772476 0.950111 0.08192 11 77 0 0 0 60.0375 -1 3 11.1.10532 ``` {% endcode %} {% hint style="info" %} * **Hostname:** name of the server * **CPU usage:** total percentage of CPU being used * **Memory usage:** total percentage of the system memory currently in use * **Process Memory Usage:** Memory in use by active process * **VRAM usage:** total percentage of GPU memory currently in use * **VRec Usage:** Video recycler usage * **Disk usage:** Total ratio of disk usage currently in use (1 means 100%) * **Disk Bw:** Disk reading speed in megabytes per second * **GPU Usage:** GPU usage in % * **GPU Temperature:** The current temperature of the GPU is expressed in Celsius * **GSync:** G Sync active/G Sync External refresh rate * **Net:** Tachyon Network usage in % * **FPS:** System’s Current frame rate * **Task:** Current task progress in % (import and conversion). * -1: Inactive * Status: User Interface and openGL context status (Status can be combined ex: 3 is UI(1) + NFS(2)) * **0 - OK:** Everything is fine and no UI is shown * **1- UI:** The user interface is displayed * **2- NFS:** Not full screen, Tachyon GL Context is not covering the entire span of the outputs * **4- NVS:** Not Vertical Sync * **8- RAID:** Raid Problem * **16- Triple Buffering:** Restart Required due to Triple Buffering Off * Version: Current running system version {% endhint %} ### Remove Media #### Original File ``` REMOVE_MEDIA "test_video.mp4" ``` #### VCI ``` REMOVE_MEDIA "test_video.vci" ``` REMOVE\_MEDIA command allows to delete medias from the Media Library (including medias in playlist and actual files in content folder). {% hint style="warning" %} Please note the double-quotes (") in the command are required. {% endhint %} ***NB: it implements explicit removal with a complete filename.*** > *For example if you remove "file.vci" it will remove all related vci/vcd/aci/acd files but not the original media, you will need to explicitly call the REMOVE\_MEDIA command with "file.mp4" to get rid of the original.*