PRG MBOX EXTREME, User Manual, Page: 80 / 136

72 MBOX EXTREME
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MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL
EFFECTS AND TRANSITIONS
Effects and Transitions with Additional Input Files
Effects and transitions that require additional image input files will use numbered files placed in a specific location
inside the Mbox folder on the RAID hard-drive. The actual parent folder of the image files will depend on the effect or
transition in question:
+
Alpha Mask From File Effect -
RAID drive/Mbox/plugins/images/masks/…
+
Custom Wipe Transition and Shaded Material Effect -
RAID drive/Mbox/plugins/images/grayscale/…
Within each of these folders, you may have numbered files. In the case of the Alpha Mask effect, you may have up to
255 files, numbered 001 – 255. In the case of the Custom Wipe transition, you may have up to 20 files – ten are hard-
edge wipes 001 – 010, and ten are soft-edge wipes 011 – 020. Numbering, naming, and file extensions conventions
follow the same rules as standard Mbox Extreme content. [e.g. 001.MyFile.png]
The input image files must be sized appropriately for their intended purpose. To use the Alpha Mask effect on a layer,
you need to make sure the additional input image file is the same size as the content you wish to use it on. i.e. If you
want to mask content that is 1024 x 768, you will require a mask file that is also 1024 x 768. To use the Alpha Mask
effect on the Camera fixture, you need to make sure the input image file is the same size as your fullscreen output
size. To use the Custom Wipe transition, you need to make sure the additional input image file is the same size as the
content that you are using it with. For best results the outgoing and incoming content also need to be the same size.
Furthermore, the input image files themselves need to be formatted correctly to work. The Alpha Mask input image file
must be either a PNG or TIFF file saved with an alpha channel. The effect uses the alpha channel information in the
input file to generate the mask.
The Custom Wipe input image file can be a JPG, PNG, or TIFF and can be grayscale or color. No alpha channel is
required since that information is ignored. The grayscale file will provide you with the best indication of how the
transition will work as this effect uses luminance values to create the wipe. The darker areas will start to show the
incoming content first, followed by lighter areas.
Adding Custom Effects or Transitions
Mbox Extreme provides the user with the ability to add their own effects and transitions or to make custom versions
of existing effects and transitions. This process is quite complex and the following information only outlines the
process. If you wish to modify existing effects or create your own effects, the process should not be attempted
without talking to a PRG representative for further instruction.
The Mbox Extreme software can access Image Units placed in the folder: /Library/Graphics/Image Units . In order to
enable Mbox Extreme to use these Image Units properly, a file must be created to define the parameters of the effect.
These files are saved in the standard Apple Property List Editor format but with special file extensions – not ".plist".
For effects, the file extension will be ".txfx" (texture effect), and for transitions, the file extension will be ".txtx" (texture
transition).
Creating a working Image Unit (the basis of effects and transitions) is far harder than generating the definition file and
this document will not go into the process or creating an Image Unit.
It is much easier to modify existing effects and transitions to create new versions. In order to do so you must know the
predetermined input structure of the Image Unit you are using. The easiest way to do this is to look at the plist file that
dictates how the stock Image Unit is used. You can then modify certain variables in that file to end up with a different
version and then save your new version appropriately for use with Mbox Extreme.