If you are looking to set up vMix to use in combination with Cuez and Automator, have a look at vMix and the Automator first. In that article we explain how to add your vMix device in the Automator, as well as how to configure the download folders and more.
Once your vMix has been added to the Automator, as described in the article linked above, we can start configuring the automation actions in order to play clips, graphics, lower thirds (straps), and more.
Download and load example files
Download files
In order for you to follow along with the example in this article, we have created a basic vMix profile for you to download. This file includes:
an input for a camera
an A 'list' input for clips
a B 'list' input for clips
a (GT Title) input for graphics
an input for a moving background for our graphics
a GT Title input for lower thirds / straps
Besides the vMix profile, we also included the GT Title file for graphics (stills), which we use to overlay images over a moving background.
Load files
Download the linked files and open the vMix profile in your vMix. When asked, make sure to point vMix to the location of the 'STILL.gtzip' for input number 4, as well as to the location of an animated background for input number 5 (which will be a file of your choosing).
In the end, your vMix should look something like this:
Cuez Block configuration
Before we go ahead and configure the Automator to work with our vMix, let's first have a look at an example configuration of the corresponding Blocks in your Cuez.
When creating a Project in Cuez, you can select from one of our 'Cuez configurations' or you can select to use one of your own existing Projects as the base. Depending on your selection, your Blocks might already be configured in a similar way as what we'll show in this article.
If you have already created and customized your Project, you can skip this part, but do of course keep in mind that there will be differences between your configuration and the examples used in this article.
Finally, seeing that this article focuses on the Automator, we will focus on the Cue Blocks, not the Text Blocks. For more information on Cue Blocks versus Text Blocks, see How can I create my own custom Block configurations or edit existing ones?
Cuez Block configuration examples
To keep the example straightforward, we will focus on three main Blocks: Clips, Graphics and Lower Thirds (Straps).
Clip
Clip
For our clips, the main fields will be:
Title: Plaintext field to add a title to our Clip Block
Sound: Label field to indicate whether or not our clip will have sound, which in turn could be used for further automating
Media: Media field to add our actual clip
Optionally, you can also add fields for first/last words, voiceover text,...
Graphic
Graphic
For our graphics (images/stills), the main fields will be:
Title: Plaintext field to add a title to our Graphic Block
Media: Media field to add our actual image
Template: Label field to indicate whether our graphic will be landscape or portrait for example, which in turn could be used for further automating
Optionally, you can also add fields for position, bug,...
Lower Third
Lower Third
For our lower thirds (straps), the main fields will be:
Title: Plaintext field to add a title, name, topic,... to our Lower Third Block
Subtitle (or Description): Plaintext field to add a subtitle, function,... to our Lower Third Block
Type: Label field to indicate if it is a name strap, topic,... , which in turn could be used for further automating
Optionally, you can also add fields for location,...
Automator configuration
Once our vMix and Cuez blocks are ready, we can start configuring the automations in the Automator. In this article we focus on a basic setup, which you can then expand as needed for your own specific purposes.
Displaying all useful fields on the 'triggers'
First, let's make sure all useful information is shown on our triggers in the Automator. For this, go to the gear icon in the top right corner, then select 'Project settings'.
Next, for each of your Cue Blocks, select which information you want to see as a 'Title' and which you want to see as a 'Subtitle' on the lines below.
The end result are triggers that clearly indicate the different details such as the sound, template info, and more.
Automator Block configuration examples
Clips
AB-alternator variable
AB-alternator variable
In order to automate Clips on vMix, we will need an 'AB-alternator' variable to allow us to nicely play clips back-to-back using separate inputs. To do so, go to the gear icon in the top right corner, then select 'Variables'.
Here, create an 'AB-alternator' - you can give it any name you want, but make sure to enter the 'Default Value' and 'B-Value' correctly, this being the exact names of the two inputs in the vMix profile.
Clip automations - On Cue
Clip automations - On Cue
For our 'On Cue', we can now have the Automator ('System' device) toggle the variable so that, whenever we trigger a clip, it will alternate between the 'CLIP A' and 'CLIP B' inputs.
Next, seeing that our CLIP A and CLIP B inputs are 'List' inputs in our vMix example, we can add a function to make sure our lists are empty first before we send media to it. This is done using the 'ListRemoveAll' function which we will execute on our AB-alternator variable (so not on the actual inputs themselves).
Once we've emptied the list, we can add the media to it using the 'ListAdd' function, which we will again execute on our AB-alternator variable.
For the following automation functions, it depends on how exactly you want to automate your show, but in our example we will send our clip to the Preview in vMix first. Here we use the 'PreviewInput' function, again using our AB-alternator variable.
Clip automations - Steps
Clip automations - Steps
Because in the example above, we only put our clip in preview but not yet in the output/program, we can create a Step button to take more manual control over when to bring the clip in the output/program. We've called this Step button 'PLAY' and gave it a green color to indicate that we use this button to bring in the clip.
Using the (optional) 'Play' function, we can start our clip.
Next, we also add a 'CutDirect' to bring our clip (using the AB-alternator variable) to the output/program.
A 'SetPosition' function could also be added to have the clip always play from the start for example.
Apart from a 'PLAY' Step button, we can of course also add Steps to pause, and more.
Clip automations - Timecode
Clip automations - Timecode
Because we always have the option to manually prepare the next element of the rundown by clicking its trigger and/or Steps, the Timecode automations for Clips are not always needed, but they can add some extra efficiency either way.
Using the Timecode option, we can listen to vMix where the clip is playing and get timing information back from it. That information can then be used to perform automations X amount of time before the end of the clip or after the start of the clip.
In the example below, we listen the the AB-alternator variable to make sure we're using the correct vMix input again. Here, 100ms before the clip finishes, we will have the Automator (device 'System') automatically trigger the next element in the rundown.
Graphics
Graphics automations - Steps
Graphics automations - Steps
Similar to the Clip example above, we only put our graphic in preview but not yet in the output/program. To take more manual control over when to bring the graphic in the output/program, we can create a Step button.
Seeing that we will overlay our graphic (input number 4 'STILL') onto an animated background (input number 5 'Still Background'), this means that we do the following functions:
Using the 'CutDirect' function on input number 5 'Still Background', we bring our animated background to the output/program.
Using 'OverlayInput1In' on input number 4 'STILL', we overlay the actual image over the animated background.
We've called this first Step button 'IN' and gave it a green color to indicate that we use this button to bring in the graphic.
We can also create an 'OUT' Step button, this in red for example to indicate that we use this button to take out the graphic/overlay.
Lower thirds
Lower thirds automations - On Cue
Lower thirds automations - On Cue
use the 'SetText' function
apply it on our number 6 'STRAP' input
select the 'Headline.Text' layer of our GT Title in that vMix input
then select 'LOWER THIRD.Title', which is the title field in our Lower Third Block in Cuez
We can repeat this function and adjust accordingly to do the same for our subtitle/description fields.
Lower thirds automations - Steps
Lower thirds automations - Steps
The two functions above send the text, as entered in Cuez, from Automator to our GT Title in vMix. Next, using a Step button, we can bring in and out our lower third as well.
Using 'OverlayInput2In' on input number 6 'STRAP', we overlay the lower third ovr whatever else is already on screen in our vMix. This allows us to put lower thirds over graphics, clips, cameras,...
We've called this first Step button 'IN' and gave it a green color to indicate that we use this button to bring in the lower third.
We can also create an 'OUT' Step button, this in red for example to indicate that we use this button to take out the lower third.
CuezDeck button examples
Besides automating the Blocks themselves, we can also add 'CuezDeck' buttons to our Automator.
CLEAR button
CLEAR button
Using the 'Button' type CuezDeck button, we can easily clear overlays in our vMix. For this, we use the 'OverlayInput1Out' and 'OverlayInput2Out' functions so that our graphic on overlay 1 and the lower thirds on overlay 2 can be cleared with a single click.
REC button
REC button
Using the 'Status' type CuezDeck button, we can listen to certain properties in our vMix, such as the recording state. Using that information, we can create a button to start and stop recording our show in vMix.
Here we use an 'IF ELSE' condition to execute different functions based on whether or not our condition is true.
If the condition is true, meaning that vMix is recording, then clicking this CuezDeck button will stop the recording.
Else, if the condition is not true, meaning that vMix is not recording, then clicking this CuezDeck button will start the recording.
This 'Status' type button for recording will also pulse when the recording is in progress in vMix, showing you the status in the Automator.
