X-CG character generator — good choice for titles creation

By Shaovi Lee

Review contents:

CGs yesterday, today and tomorrow Software and hardware tools for TV programs graphic branding Graphic tools of DMS module system The use of XDR2-GENSEC in the systems of regional air branding Akula VTM video compositing system. New model range — new features Profitt’s titling and air branding systems, clock and logo generators Overview of the systems based on extended version of Alpha Pro software X-CG character generator — good choice for titles creation TitleBox graphic manager Clock Station Leitch’s equipment for air branding Matrox InfonetTV Deko CGs from Pinnacle Systems Company Pixel Power equipment Stream Labs.’s video cards Videoprinter system for DSC video switchers Videonics titling machines

Dayang Technology Development Company is the one of leading Chinese manufacturers and vendors of the systems and services for broadcast industry. Dayang is being specialized on high quality digital systems which allow creation, storage, playback and distribution of TV programs.

The main place among company’s products belongs to CGs, DNLE systems and 3D virtual studios. All these systems adopted for work within networks of TV companies, production facilities, and government and education organizations. The reputation of the company is proved by the fact that it has partner relations with companies like ADIC, DataDirect, Matrox, Panasonic, Pinnacle, Sony, Thomson and others.

In this article one of the main Dayang’s products X-CG is given. Besides, an author made efforts to give readers additional information about such air branding elements as clock and logos.

Accommodating the most leading edge achievements and concepts in the field of titles and graphic elements creation and output them to the screen, X-CG is a multifunctional modular system allowing creation of multilayer compositions of 2D titles in real time. Number of layers placed on the timeline of user interface is not limited and the system itself is multitask one. It works under WindowsNT/2000 and supports PAL and NTSC standards.

Titles

Use of render algorithm with 256-grade antialiasing of fonts and effects allows reaching the level of titling which looks mostly like 3D. Arcs and Bezier curves are used in titling. Besides, CG allows creation very smooth and precise edges of titles and graphic objects. Underline, spin, stretch and bend can be applied to all objects. Objects can be created concave, embossed and relieved which enhances reality of titles. Powerful color palette contains monochrome and gradient colors (linear, radial, bent, 4-vector radial etc.) and color gradient templates, textures, channels, light and samples of materials. Titles can be created by rendering symbol-by-symbol or all symbols at once which means that separate color and font can be used for any symbol. For those users who apply rolls and crawls the system has different backgrounds.

Effects

Sports programs branding samples

Due to the fact that X-CG’s interface is based on timeline it allows placing a scene right on any timeline’s track, defining in/out points for each object on timeline after which starting simultaneous multitrack playback. Any object can be synchronously associated with 4 Effect Track sub-tracks. They contain fixed special effects such as Blur, Explode etc, and allow realizing shift, resize and alpha-channel functions. Besides, they can be applied several times which makes general palette of effects rich and diverse.

Multitask and multilayer

Simultaneous playback of several projects with large number of layers allows utilize different titles, output animations and graphic objects in parallel. X-CG supports unlimited number of layers as well as synchronous realization of tasks with automated appliance of hardware resources to each of them. Synchronous output of several projects is being done simultaneously and from single timeline providing frame accurate playback of objects located in different projects.

Playback

To answer users needs in TV production field X-CG provides different modes of playback: from timeline, scheduled, draft etc. During work one can change playback mode to reach desired effect.

Functional modules

X-CG contains special functional modules which in fact give user previously developed templates for branding of general purpose programs, news, sports events, weather forecasts, financial reports and so on. On of the main modules are clock and logo generator.

Clock and logos

X-CG’s working environment

Do you want to create your own clock template? X-CG will help you. Powerful tools of it give opportunity of templates creation both for analog and digital clock. Developed according to different requirements X-CG supports several modes for clock value display including minutes, seconds and frames. Moreover it is possible outputting even tenth and hundredth of second etc. Beside these possibilities CG provides hour-by-hour time indication, countdown, timer, time code display and other modes.

If we’re talking about sports events coverage, than X-CG allows displaying several clocks for different time indication (for example, match time count plus countdown). And if connect CG to external time counter it can read precise time by itself. Clock display doesn’t affect to X-CG’s work on other tasks because the system is multitask one.

Weather forecast branding using X-CG

One more useful function of X-CG is its ability to work as logo generator also. Logos can be both downloaded from external sources and created by CG itself. Logos can be displayed statically or animated. The work is being simplified due to availability of hot keys each of which associated with particular action (for example, playback control of some graphic object). Automated distribution of hardware resources between tasks guarantees smooth simultaneous realization of several tasks. Number of repeats can be specified by user and loop playback mode is available.

Material provided by Dayang Technology Development Company