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Operators Guide

Vinten RadamecControl System

V4009-4980

VRC SystemOperators Guide

Original InstructionsPublication Part No. V4009-4980 Issue 3.1

Copyright © Vitec Group plc 2009

All rights reserved throughout the world. No part of this document may be stored in a retrieval system. transmitted, copied or reproduced in any way including, but not limited to, photocopy, photograph, magnetic or other record without the prior agreement and permission in writing of Vitec Group plc.

Trademarks

Vinten Radamec Broadcast Robotics® and Vinten® are registered trademarks of the Vitec Group plc.

Wiindows® and Windows XP® are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.

Important information about this document

Information contained in this document is subject to change. Camera Dynamics Limited reserves the right, without notice, to make changes in equipment design or performance as progress in engineering, manufacturing or technology may warrant.

Published by:

Technical Publications DepartmentCamera Dynamics LtdWilliam Vinten BuildingWestern WayBury St EdmundsSuffolk IP33 3TBUKTel: +44 1284 752 121Fax: +44 1284 750 560

Printed in Great Britain by DPS, Newmarket, Suffolk

Publication Part No. V4009-4980 Issue 3.1 3

Safety - Read This First

Understanding these instructions

EnglishThe original instructions presented in this operators guide were written in English, and subsequently translated into other languages. If you are unable to understand these instructions, contact Vinten Radamec or your distributor to obtain a translation of the original instructions (EU Countries).

БЪЛГАРСКИОригиналните инструкции, представени в настоящото ръководство на производителя, бяха написани на английски език, а след това - преведени на други езици. Ако не разбирате тези езици, свържете се с Vinten Radamec или с Вашия дистрибутор, за да получите оригиналните инструкции (за страните от Европейския съюз).

ČeskyPokyny uvedené v této operátorské příručce byly původně napsány anglicky a následně byly přelo_eny do ostatních jazyků. Nerozumíte-li těmto pokynům, kontaktujte společnost Vinten Radamec nebo svého distributora, abyste získali překlad originálních pokynů (členské státy EU).

DanishDe originale instruktioner, der præsenteres i denne betjeningsvejledning, er skrevet på engelsk og derefter oversat til andre sprog. Hvis du ikke forstår disse instruktioner bedes du kontakte Vinten Radamec eller vor forhandler for at få en oversættelse af de originale instruktioner (EU-lande).

DeutschDie Originalanleitung in diesem Bedienungshandbuch wurde auf Englisch verfasst und anschließend in andere Sprachen übersetzt. Bei Verständnisproblemen in einer der übersetzten Sprachen kontaktieren Sie bitte Vinten Radamec oder Ihren Fachhändler; dort erhalten Sie eine Übersetzung der ursprünglichen Anleitung (EU-Staaten).

EestiKäesoleva kasutajajuhendi algtekst on koostatud inglise keeles ning seejärel tõlgitud teistesse keeltesse. Kui juhend osutub teie jaoks arusaamatuks, võtke juhendi emakeelse tõlke hankimiseks ühendust Vinten Radameci või kohaliku esindajaga (Euroopa Liidu riigid).

ΕλληνικάΟι αρχικές οδηγίες αυτού του οδηγού για το χειριστή συντάχθηκαν στα Αγγλικά και μεταφράστηκαν στη συνέχεια σε άλλες γλώσσες. Εάν δυσκολεύεστε να καταλάβετε αυτές τις οδηγίες, επικοινωνήστε με τη Vinten Radamec ή το διανομέα σας για να λάβετε μια μετάφραση των αρχικών οδηγιών (Χώρες ΕΕ).

EspañolLas instrucciones originales que se indican en esta guía del operador se han redactado en inglés y posteriormente se han traducido a otros idiomas. Si no entiende estas instrucciones, póngase en contacto con Vinten Radamec o con su distribuidor para obtener una traducción de las instrucciones originales (para países de la UE).

FrançaisLes instructions originales présentées dans ce guide d'utilisation ont été écrites en anglais puis traduites dans d'autres langues. Si vous ne comprenez pas ces instructions, contactez Vinten Radamec ou votre revendeur pour obtenir une traduction des instructions originales (pour les pays de l'UE).

GaeilgeScríobhadh na treoracha bunaidh don treoirleabhar oibritheora seo as Béarla, agus aistríodh iad go teangacha eile ina dhiaidh sin. Mura bhfuil tú in ann na treoracha seo a thuiscint, téigh i dteagmháil le Vinten Radamec nó le do dháileoir, chun aistriúchán de na treoracha bunaidh a fháil (Tíortha an AE).

ItalianoLe istruzioni originali presentate in questa guida per l'operatore sono in lingua inglese e successivamente tradotte nelle altre lingue. Qualora le istruzioni non fossero disponibili nella lingua desiderata, potete contattare Vinten Radamec o il vostro distributore per ricevere la traduzione delle istruzioni originali (Paesi UE).

4 VRC System Operators Guide

LatviešuŠajā operatora rokasgrāmatā iekļautie norādījumi sākotnēji tika sarakstīti angļu valodā un pēc tam pārtulkoti citās valodās. Ja nesaprotat šos norādījumus svešvalodā, sazinieties ar Vinten Radamec vai tirgotāju, lai saņemtu norādījumu tulkojumu (kādā no ES dalībvalstu valodām).

LietuviųŠiame operatoriaus vadove pristatomos pirminės instrukcijos parašytos anglų kalba ir vėliau išverstos į kitas kalbas. Jei šių instrukcijų nesuprantate, susisiekite su „Vinten Radamec“arba savo platintoju ir gaukite pirminių instrukcijų vertimą (ES šalies kalba).

MagyarA kezeloi útmutatóban található utasítások angol nyelven íródtak, és utólag fordították azokat más nyelvekre. Ha nem érti ezen utasításokat, kérjük, vegye fel a kapcsolatot a Vinten Radamecnel vagy a helyi képviselettel, és igényelje az eredeti utasítások fordítását (EU országok).

MaltiL-istruzzjonijiet originali ippreżentati f'din il-gwida ta' operaturi kienu miktuba bl-Ingliż, u sussegwente-ment maqluba fl-lingwi ohra. Jekk ma tistax tifhem dawn l-istruzzjonijiet, ikkuntattja lil Vinten Radamec jew id-distributur tieghek biex tikseb traduzzjoni ta' l-istruzzjonijiet originali (Pajjiżi ta' UE).

NederlandsDe oorspronkelijke instructies in deze bedieningshandleiding zijn geschreven in het Engels en vervolgens in andere talen vertaald. Als het onmogelijk is deze instructies te begrijpen, neemt u contact op met Vinten Radamec of met uw distributeur om een vertaling te bemachtigen van de oorspronkelijke instructies (EG-landen).

PolskiOryginalne instrukcje zamieszczone w niniejszym podręczniku operatora zostały napisane w języku angielskim, a następnie przetłumaczone na inne języki. Jeśli nie rozumieją Państwo tych instrukcji, prosimy skontaktować się z siedzibą lub dystrybutorem Vinten Radamec, aby uzyskać tłumaczenie oryginalnych instrukcji (kraje UE).

PortuguêsAs instruções originais apresentadas no guia do operador foram escritas em Inglês e traduzidas para outros idiomas. Se não conseguir compreender estas instruções contacte a Vinten Radamec ou o seu distribuidor para obter a tradução das instruções originais (Países da UE).

RomânăInstrucţiunile originale prezentate în acest ghid pentru operatori au fost scrise în limba engleză, şi traduse ulterior în alte limbi. În cazul în care nu înţelegeţi aceste instrucţiuni, contactaţi Vinten Rad-amec sau distribuitorul dumneavoastră pentru a obţine o traducere a instrucţiunilor originale (Ţările UE).

SlovenskyPôvodné pokyny, uvedené v tomto návode na obsluhu, boli napísané v anglictine a následne preložené do iných jazykov. Ak nerozumiete týmto pokynom, obrátte sa na spolocnost Vinten Radamec alebo vášho distribútora, aby vám zaslal preklad originálnych pokynov (krajiny EÚ).

SlovenščinaOriginalno besedilo teh navodil za uporabo je bilo napisano v angleščini in prevedeno v ostale jezike. Če ne razumete teh navodil, se obrnite na podjetje Vinten Radamec ali lokalnega zastopnika, ki vam bo posredoval originalna navodila (velja za dr_ave EU).

SuomiTähän käyttäjän oppaaseen sisältyvät ohjeet on kirjoitettu alun perin englanniksi ja käännetty sitten muille kielille. Ellet ymmärrä näitä ohjeita, ota yhteyttä Vinten Radameciin tai jälleenmyyjään ja pyydä alkuperäisten ohjeiden käännöstä (EU-maat).

SvenskaInstruktionerna i denna handbok skrevs ursprungligen på engelska och har sedan översatts till flera språk. Om du inte förstår dessa instruktioner, kontakta Vinten Radamec eller din återförsäljare för en ny översättning av originalinstruktionerna (EU-länder).


Safety Guidelines

Warning symbols in this operators guide

Where there is a risk of personal injury or injury to others, comments appear highlighted by the word WARNING!—supported by the warning triangle symbol.

Where there is a risk of damage to the product, associated equipment, process or surroundings, comments appear highlighted by the word CAUTION!

Warning symbols on the product

On encountering the warning triangle and open book symbols it is imperative that you consult this operators guide before using this product or attempting any adjustment or repair.


Important safety instructions

This product is designed and manufactured to meet strict quality and safety standards. However, it is important that you are aware of the following installation and operation precautions. Many of these instructions are commonsense precautions, but for your own safety and to ensure that you do not damage the equipment, we recommend that you read them.

1 Take heed of warnings and instructionsYou should read all of the safety instructions before operating the equipment. Retain this operators guide for future reference and adhere to all warnings in the guide or on the equipment.

Do not attempt to operate this equipment if you do not understand how to operate it.

2. Usage StatementDo not use this product for any other purpose other than that specified in this usage statement.

The VRC System is designed for use within television studios to remotely control cameras, pan/tilt heads and pedestals. Only trained television camera operators should use this product. This product is not suitable for use outdoors in an exposed environment

3. Water, moisture and dustProtect the product from water, moisture and dust. The presence of electricity near water can be dangerous. Do not use the product near water and take care that liquids are not spilled onto the equipment.

4. ClimateThe equipment should not be used outside the operating limits. Refer to the Technical Specification in the Technical Guide for the operating range of the equipment.

5. CleaningWe encourage regular cleaning of the product.

• Do not use oil or grease on any exposed part of the equipment. This is unnecessary and traps dirt which acts as an abrasive.

• Do not use solvent or oil based cleaners, abrasives or wire brushes to remove accumulations of dirt as these damage the

protective surfaces. To clean mechanical surfaces, use only detergent based cleaners.

• External electrical connection ports should only be cleaned with a semi-stiff brush or using a vacuum cleaner.

6 ServicingYou should not attempt to service the equipment. Contact Camera Dynamics Ltd or your local distributor to arrange servicing. Refer to the Technical Guide for information on regular maintenance.

7. Notes about Robotic equipmentDisplay prominent warning signs in studios, alerting personnel that robotic equipment is present and may move without warning.

Ensure personnel remain a minimum of 1 m (40 inches) clear of robotic equipment in use.

Operators must familiarise themselves with the resulting working envelope of robotic products including all ancillary equipment (lens, zoom and focus controls, viewfinder, prompter etc.), to prevent inadvertent collisions.

Only operate robotic products remotely when you can see them to avoid harm to personnel and collisions with obstacles and other hazards.

8. Power sources Only connect the equipment to a power supply of the type described in the Technical Guide or as marked on the equipment.

9. CablesAlways ensure that all power and auxiliary communications cables are routed so that they do not present any danger to personnel. Take care when routing cables in areas where robotic equipment is in use.


Certificates and Compliances

This product conforms to the following European Directives:

2006/42/EC (CE Marking Directive)

73/23/EEC (Low Voltage Directive)

2004/108/EC (Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive)

This product has been tested and found compliant to the following test standards:

EMC:

EN 61000-6-4:2001

EN 61000-6-2:2001

EN 61000-3-2:2000

EN 61000-3-3:1995 (+A1)

LVD:

EN 60950-1:2006

Other Certification

FCC:

CFR 47:2006 Class A


Caring for the environment by recycling

Recycling old electrical and electronic equipment

This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product must not be treated as household waste (applicable in the European Union and European countries with separate collection systems). It shall be handed over to the applicable collection point for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. Please visit www.vintenradamec.com/support/WEEE Information for details.

By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potentially negative consequences for the environment and human health, and help conserve natural resources.

About this manual

This manual is intended as a guide to television camera operators with a working knowledge of broadcasting robotic equipment and systems. This manual contains information about using the VRC Control Panel and the VRC software that is operated using a touch-screen monitor to remotely control cameras, pan/tilt heads and pedestal.

The VRC system can be supplied with various Control Panel options and is configured to suit customer specific requirements. Therefore this guide may include references to functions that are not applicable to your system.

For information on system installation and configuration, technical support and troubleshooting, please refer to the VRC Technical Guide (Publication Part Number V4009-4990).

Technical specification

Software

VRC software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .version 1.17

Refer to the VRC Technical Guide (Publication Part number V4009-4990) for the technical specifications of the VRC Control Panels and associated system equipment.


Contents

Page

Safety - Read This First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Understanding these instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Important safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Certificates and Compliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Caring for the environment by recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

About this manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Technical specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Section 1 Getting Started

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Starting the controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Starting the VRC server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Starting the User interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

User Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Creating a user account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Editing a user account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Deleting a user account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Calibrating the touch-screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Section 2 - Control Panel Operation

VRC control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Single joystick control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Dual joystick control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Operating the control panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19


Contents (Cont) PageSwitching on the panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Configuring the operation of the control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Locking the control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Remotely operating a Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Camera preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Pan/Tilt/Zoom joystick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Focus control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Black level and iris CCU controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Cut, Fade and Stop buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Fade Time control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Wash wipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

X4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Remotely operating a Pedestal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Joystick enable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

XY/Height joystick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Pan follow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Bumper disable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

RP2A control functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Section 3 - VRC System User Interface

VRC System User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Camera Selection and Status bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Functions and menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Publication Part No. V4009-4980 Issue 3 11

Contents (Cont) PageCut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Fade or Cut multiple shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Virtual stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Sequence of shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Page up/Page down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Opts menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Section 4 - Targeting Pedestals

Targeting the pedestals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Fusion pedestal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Pedestal orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Targeting the pedestal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

SP-2000 pedestal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

RP2A pedestal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Section 5 - Shots and Shows

Shots and shows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Show management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Creating a new show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Loading a show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

List all shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Deleting a show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Creating the home or target shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Adding shots to a show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41


Shot status colour codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Stopping A Fade Or Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Fade Timer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Edit menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Latched delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Latched time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Resave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Swap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Return. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Section 6 - Putting it all together (Tutorial)

Putting it all together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Blocking additional shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Air time philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Cueing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Sample news show rundown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53


Section 7 - Configuring the VRC System

Configuring the VRC system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Grid display options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Stick settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Panel options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Camera control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Shot options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Shot preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Section 8 - Database Scheduled Service

Database Schedule Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Section 9- Parts List

Parts list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67


Getting Started

The Vinten Radamec Control (VRC) System enables an operator to remotely control cameras, pedestals, and pan and tilt heads. There are a number of VRC system variations, designed to ensure compatibility with current Fusion products and, Radamec and AutoCam robotic products.

The VRC controller system includes a Windows XP computer with keyboard and mouse, touch-screen control monitor and control panel. In most applications a video switcher and preview monitor are also installed.

Starting the controller

During normal operation the controller is left powered on. However, if the server has been powered down, turn on the power at the controller and at the touch-screen monitor. The controller will perform a normal Windows XP boot up and display the start up screen with the VRC short cut icons on the desktop (Figure 1).

Starting the VRC server

The VRC Server application is the communication interface to the pedestals, heads and cameras in the system. The VRC Server must be running at all times. Double click on the VRC Server icon to launch the VRC Server window (Figure 2). Verify that the server commands scroll through the window continuously.

WARNING!

The VRC system should only be used by experienced television camera operators with a working knowledge of broadcasting robotic equipment and systems.

Figure 1 VRC system desktop icons


Note that when the VRC system is initialised, the lights on the pedestals will flash (if the pedestals are in Auto mode (robotic control) and any heads that were left in Manual mode will automatically switch to Auto mode (robotic control). The VRC Server window can be minimized or left running behind the User Interface window.

Starting the User interface

The User Interface window provides all the functions for operators to control the robotic pedestals and heads, and allows operators to create shows using preprogrammed movements. All users must have a user account before attempting to logon onto the VRC system (see User Accounts on page 16).

To launch the User Interface, double click the VRC Client icon on the desktop. The User Selection dialog appears (Figure 3). Select your user login from the list and then click OK. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to scroll through the list of users if needed.

Figure 2 VRC server window

Figure 3 User Selection dialog


When you have selected your user login, the Enter Password dialog appears (Figure 4). Type in your password and select ENTER.

When the password has been entered and accepted, the VRC User Interface is launched and the workspace appears (Figure 9).

User Accounts

The User Editor application s used to add or edit a user account. The User Manager shortcut can be found on the desktop or in the current version folder on the desktop.

1.Double click on the User Manager shortcut. The Fusion User Editor dialog appears (Figure 5). This dialog lets you add new accounts, and edit and delete existing user accounts.

Creating a user account

1.Select ADD USER on the Fusion User Editor dialog. The AddUserForm dialog appears (Figure 6).

2. Enter the name of the user in the User Name field and then enter the password in the Password field.

3. It is preferable to create all users as Super Users by selecting the Super User option. See Super User on page 17 for information on Super User accounts.

Figure 4 Enter Password dialog

Figure 5 Fusion User Editor dialog


4. Click OK to create the user account.

Super User

All users have access to load any shows that have been created by any other user. The Super User option on the AddUserForm dialog defines whether or not any changes to shots will be saved in the show file on the hard drive or if the changes will be lost the next time the show is loaded.

If the Super User option is selected, any changes to shots made by this user and that are resaved will automatically be saved to the show file on the hard drive.

If Super User option is not selected, and this user is the creator of the current show, any changes to shots that are resaved will automatically be saved to the show file on the hard drive. The creator of a show is considered a Super User of his or her own shows. If the option is not selected, and this user is not the creator of the current show, any changes to shots that are resaved will not be saved to the show file on the hard drive.

Editing a user account

1.On the Fusion User Editor dialog, select the user account that you want to modify and then select EDIT.

2. The EditUserForm appears (Figure 7).

3. You can modify any of the account details. The Device Access Permissions section lists the devices that are available to the user and these can be selected or deselected as required.

4. Click OK to save the changes to the user account.

Deleting a user account

1.On the Fusion User Editor dialog, select the user account that you want to delete and then select DELETE.

Figure 6 AddUserForm dialog

Figure 7 EditUserForm dialog


Calibrating the touch-screen

All VRC system monitors are touch-screen enabled, allowing on-screen options to be selected by touching the relevant graphic with a finger. It is also possible to select on-screen options using the left mouse button. The touch-screen user interface closely resembles the Radamec TCPi system, and can control multiple camera units.

The location that you touch and the “button” on the screen are physically separated by the thickness of the touch screen glass. Therefore, depending on how you sit and your angle of view, the touch screen may need recalibration. If you find that the on-screen pointer no longer matches the position of your finger on the screen you should recalibrate.

Sit in a natural position that you will normally adopt whilst operating the touch-screen monitor. Double click on Monitor Control Panel icon on the desktop and follow the on screen prompts.

NOTE: Refer to the User documentation supplied with the touch-screen for information on regular maintenance, cleaning and setup instructions.


VRC control panel

The VRC control panels are designed to integrate with the Vinten Radamec Control System, providing control of robotic heads and pedestals. The control panel can be supplied with one or two joysticks. The right hand joystick (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) controls the pan and tilt movements of the robotic head and the zoom functions on the camera lens. The left hand joystick (XY/Height) controls the steering, travel and height of the robotic pedestals. A separate rotary knob provides focus control for the camera lens and the Fade Time bar adjusts the timing of the transition between stored shots.

Single joystick control panel

Single joystick control panels are designed to control robotic heads only and are supplied with a single Pan/Tilt/Zoom joystick. There are options to control 8 or 16 camera units with or without camera iris or black CCU functions, depending on the installed control panel model.

Dual joystick control panel

Dual joystick control panels are designed to control both robotic heads and pedestals and are supplied with an XY/Height joystick on the left hand side of the control panel and a Pan/Tilt/Zoom joystick on the right hand side. There are options to control 8 or 16 camera units with or without camera iris or black CCU functions, depending on the installed control panel model. In addition to control of Fusion and SP2000 robotic products, there is also an option to support the functionality of the RP2A pedestal.

This guide details the use of all control panel variations, and therefore some functions may not be present on the control panel installed. If a button or control described in the text or illustrations is not present on your control panel, then your purchased model doesn’t support that function. It is also possible that the installation engineer may customise the functionality of the system function buttons affecting functions available and the precise location in the row.

Operating the control panel

Switching on the panel

When power is initially connected to the control panel, all push buttons will sequentially illuminate and then extinguish after a period of approximately 3 seconds.

Configuring the operation of the control panel

The default mode of control panel functions and the sense of joystick controls is set in the Configuration screen (see Configuring the VRC system on page 55).

Locking the control panel

The Panel Disable button locks all other controls on the panel to prevent accidental operation.


Remotely operating a Camera

Camera preview

The Camera Select buttons (1-16) allow selection of individual camera units (camera, pan and tilt head and pedestal - where fitted). Once selected, the depressed push button will illuminate and the camera unit can be controlled by the joysticks. If the optional video switcher and preview monitor are installed, the video from the relevant camera will be displayed on the video monitor.

Figure 8 VRC control panel

NOTE: The on air (tally) indicators show which camera unit’s video signal is currently live on air.

The illuminated camera select button indicates which camera unit is being controlled from the panel.

If a selected camera unit is not available (because it is in Manual mode for example), the camera select button will not remain illuminated.

Pan/Tilt/Zoom

On Air (Tally)

Camera Select Buttons 1-16FadeStopFade TimeFocus

XY/Height

CCU Black Level(option)

CCU Iris(option)

Wash/Wipe (option) Bumper Disable

Pan Follow Backup Link

X4

Panel Disable

Joystick Enable Target Disable

Cut

Override Infrared Disable


Pan/Tilt/Zoom joystick

By default, moving the joystick left and right will pan the camera left and right, moving the joystick forward and back will tilt the camera down and up. Rotating the joystick clockwise will zoom out the camera lens, and rotating it counter-clockwise will zoom in. If required, the direction of camera and zoom movement relative to joystick movement can be customized in the Configuration Screen (see Configuring the VRC system on page 55).

Focus control

Rotating this knob adjusts the camera lens focus.

Black level and iris CCU controls

CCU black level and iris functions are controlled by rotary knobs on the left hand side of the control panel.

Cut, Fade and Stop buttons

These buttons duplicate those on the touch-screen display.

Cut

After a shot is selected on the touch screen you can cut from the current position to the selected shot. Using Cut, the stored time in the shot is ignored and the transition is as fast as possible.

Fade

After a shot is selected on the touch screen you can fade from the current position to the selected shot. Using Fade the duration of the transition is set by the stored time in the shot. However, if the shot cannot be reached within the stored time, the transition is as fast as possible. In addition, the fade time can be modified in real-time using the Fade Time bar (see Fade Time control on page 22).

Stop

Any time that a head or pedestal is moving during a Fade or Cut to a stored shot, the robotic movement can be halted using the Stop button. Typically the Stop button would be used when there is a risk of damage to the equipment or injury to personnel if the robotic movement were allowed to continue.

There are two stopping options that are configurable in the Configuration screen. The first Stop option provides a ‘gentle’ synchronised stop, stopping the pedestal in approximately two seconds and is recommended for on-air use. The other stop option provides a ‘fast’ abrupt stop that is not

NOTE: Ensure that the Panel Disable or Backup Link buttons on the control panel are NOT illuminated before attempting to use the Cut, Fade or Stop functions.


synchronised and may produce a small amount of instability on the pedestal and therefore should not be used on-air. See Panel Options - Always stop fast on page 58.

When a shot is selected on the touch screen the Cut and Fade buttons will illuminate, indicating that these functions are available for selection. Once a cut or fade command is activated, either from the touch-screen or the control panel, both buttons will extinguish on the control panel. The Stop button will then illuminate, indicating that this function is available to halt robotic movement. When the camera unit arrives on-shot or when the stop is selected, the Stop button will extinguish.

After using Stop to halt a robotic transition, you can complete the move by selecting the required shot on the touch-screen and selecting Fade or Cut.

Fade Time control

The Fade Time bar affects the fade time between shots in real-time. When fading to a shot, pushing the bar forwards will increase the fade time (slowing down the movement). Conversely, pulling the bar backwards will decrease the fade time (speeding up the movement).

Wash wipe

The Wash Wipe button activates the wash wipe on the selected externally mounted environmental camera unit.

X4

During normal mode of operation, the X4 button is off so that the speed of the pan and tilt movements are proportional to the zoom angle of the camera lens. Pan and tilt move slowly when you are zoomed in and quickly when you are zoomed out. When X4 is on, the pan and tilt movements are more sensitive when zoomed in.

Remotely operating a Pedestal

The following functions are used to remotely operate a robotic pedestal. There are additional functions on the control panel that are used only when operating an RP2A pedestal (see R2PA control functions on page 23).

Joystick enable

The Joystick Enable button must be on and illuminated before you can move the pedestal around the studio floor (in X and Y axes) using the XY/Height joystick. When the Joystick Enable button is off, the XY/Height joystick only allows robotic height movement. This prevents accidental pedestal travel while rotating the joystick to adjust camera height.


XY/Height joystick

The XY/Height joystick is on the left hand side of the control panel and is used to operate a pedestal. By default, moving the joystick left and right will cause the pedestal to travel west and east relative to the target. Moving the joystick forward and back will cause the pedestal to move north and south. North is the direction away from the side of the pedestal that has the cable connection panel (see Pedestal orientation on page 34).

Rotating the joystick clockwise will lower the camera and rotating it counter-clockwise will raise the camera. If required, the direction of camera movement relative to joystick movement can be customized in the Configuration Screen (see Configuring the VRC system on page 55).

Pan follow

When Pan Follow is off, pushing the XY/Height joystick forwards and backwards on the ‘Y’ axis causes the pedestal to travel north and south as defined by the target placement. north is the direction away from the side of the pedestal with the cable connections (see Pedestal orientation on page 34).

When Pan Follow mode is on, pushing the XY/Height joystick forwards and backwards on the ‘Y’ axis causes the pedestal to travel forwards and backwards in the direction that the camera is pointing.

Bumper disable

The Bumper Disable button turns off the pedestal bumper protection which arrests the SP-2000 and RP2A pedestal travel on contact with an obstacle.

RP2A control functions

The following functions are only applicable when operating the RP2A pedestal. These functions are additional to the other pedestal functions listed above.

Target disable

The Target Disable button prevents the RP2A pedestal from using the optical studio targets. The selected pedestal will continue to use the dead reckoning positional system alone.

NOTE: Before the pedestal can travel across the studio floor, the Joystick Enable button must be depressed and illuminated (see Joystick Enable on page 22.

WARNING!

Risk of personal injury or damage to equipment when the Bumper Disable button is depressed. The Override function will have no effect on collision with an obstacle.


Backup link

The Backup Link button gives priority control to the control panel in the unlikely event of the VRC system failing. This allows the robotic camera units to remain in operation.

Infrared disable

Where fitted, the infrared disable button turns off the selected Radamec RP2A pedestal infrared proximity protection (which arrests pedestal travel before contact with an obstacle).

WARNING!

Risk of personal injury or damage to equipment when the Bumper Disable button is depressed. The Override function will have no effect on the RP2A pedestal proximity detection.

NOTE: If ALWAYS DISBLE IR is selected in the Configuration Screen (see Always disable IR on page 69), the control panel will have the INFRARED DISABLE function activated by default.


VRC System User Interface

Workspace

The VRC user interface is a Windows-based program that uses a conventional application window, consisting of a title bar, a set of menus and buttons, and an editing pane comprising a grid of frames used for creating shots and editing shows. The VRC user interface window works similar to other application windows, allowing you to reposition the window on your computer desktop by dragging it with your mouse (left button), minimise it (so that it appears only as an item on your task bar) and maximise it (so that it appears full screen) and close the application using the Close button.

The title bar displays the current user logon name (e.g. Robo Operator) and the name of the current show if one has been loaded.

Every time a shot is stored, a thumbnail image is captured from the camera and saved into an editing pane (a grid of grey rectangles). These thumbnails allow you to quickly identify the shots without requiring long descriptive names. Depending on the number of shots per show and the grid size selected, the shots may span several pages. The grid size, number of shots that are visible on a single

Figure 9 Workspace


page can be adjusted using the Grid Size option on the Configuration Screen (see Configuring the VRC system on page 55). After shots are stored they can be moved, edited or deleted using the Edit menu (see Edit menu on page 46). Shots can be created, stored and recalled as part of show files.

The robotic pedestals and heads can be selected and controlled from the workspace and the control panel. Only camera buttons that are coloured white, green or blue are available to be controlled from the touch-screen (see Camera Selection and Status bar on page 26).

Camera Selection and Status bar

Immediately below the editing pane is the Camera Selection and Status bar that displays the available cameras. Once selected, the camera can be controlled using the control panel.

The colour of the camera button indicates the current status of the camera. These colours are described in Table 1.

Figure 10 Camera Selection and Status bar

Table 1: Camera status

Green Camera currently selected and controlled by the control panel.

White Camera available for immediate selection and control.

Black Camera is offline and unavailable.

Blue Camera is currently under the control of another networked control panel. Depending on your user account privileges, you may be able to ‘take rudely’ any camera in the system (see Camera Control - always take rudely on page 60). If you have permission to ‘take rudely’, selecting the camera will display a dialogue box stating that the ‘device is being used by another operator, continue?’ Selecting yes will transfer control of the camera to your control panel.

Brown Pedestal is in Local/Manual mode. Change the pedestal mode to Auto (robotic) mode. The camera status will change to white when the pedestal is in Auto mode. You must then enable the camera by selecting OPTS>ENBALE.

Grey Head is in Local/Manual mode. See Opts menu on page 33 for information to bring a camera online.


Functions and menus

At the base of the workspace is a selection of menu and function buttons that enable operators to create and manage shows including editing shots, target and stop pedestals and configure the VRC system.

Menu

Clicking on Menu will display the following dialog:

Show Management

See Show management on page 38 for details on the Show Management functions.

Configuration

See Configuring the VRC system on page 55 for details on Configuration functions.

Clear show

Clear Show will PERMANENTLY DELETE all shots from the current show. There is no undo function. It is recommended that you backup the show database periodically to an external storage device such as a USB flash drive.

Exit

Selecting Exit will close the VRC User Interface.

Edit

See Edit menu on page 46 for information on the Edit menu functions.

Figure 11 menu dialog


Stop

Any time that a head or pedestal is moving during a Fade or Cut to a stored shot, the robotic movement can be halted using the Stop button. Typically the Stop button would be used when there is a risk of damage to the equipment or injury to personnel if the robotic movement were allowed to continue.

There are two stopping options that are configurable in the Configuration screen. The first Stop option provides a ‘gentle’ synchronised stop, stopping the pedestal in approximately two seconds and is recommended for on-air use. The other stop option provides a ‘fast’ abrupt stop that is not synchronised and may produce a small amount of instability on the pedestal and therefore should not be used on-air. See Panel Options - Always stop fast on page 58.

When a shot is selected on the touch screen the Cut and Fade buttons will illuminate, indicating that these functions are available for selection. When a cut or fade command is activated, either from the touch-screen or the control panel, both buttons will extinguish on the control panel. The Stop button will then illuminate on the control panel, indicating that this function is available to halt robotic movement. When the camera unit arrives on-shot or when the stop is selected, the Stop button will extinguish.

After using Stop to halt a robotic transition, you can complete the move by selecting the required shot on the touch-screen and selecting Fade or Cut.

Cut

After a shot is selected on the touch-screen you can cut from the current position to the selected shot. With Cut the stored time in the shot is ignored and the transition is as fast as possible.

Latched Cut

Use Latched Cut if you want to immediately cut to a shot when you select it on the touch- screen. In the normal Cut mode you cue the shot by selecting it on the touch-screen and then initiate the move by selecting Cut.

1. Make sure that no shots are currently cued (no shot thumbnails have a green background).

2. Select Cut on the touch-screen - the button turns red to denote Latched Cut mode.

3. Check that the operating area around the cameras is clear.

4. Select a shot on the touch-screen. The thumbnail immediately turns red and the camera moves to the selected shot.

5. Select other shots as required. In each case the thumbnail immediately turns red and the camera moves to the selected shot.

6. Select Cut on the touch-screen to return to the normal Fade mode.


Fade

After a shot is selected on the touch-screen you can fade from the current position to the selected shot. Using Fade, the duration of the transition is set by the stored time in the shot. However, if the shot cannot be reached within the stored time, the transition is as fast as possible. In addition, the fade time can be modified in real-time using the Fade Time bar on the control panel (see Fade time control on page 46).

Latched Fade

Use Latched Fade if you want to immediately fade to a shot when you select it on the touch- screen. In the normal Fade mode you cue the shot by selecting it on the touch screen and then initiate the move by selecting Fade.

1. Make sure that no shots are currently cued (no shot thumbnails have a green background).

2. Select FADE on the touch-screen - the button turns red to denote Latched Fade mode.

3. Check that the operating area around the cameras is clear.

4. Select a shot on the touch-screen. The thumbnail immediately turns red and the camera moves to the selected shot.

5. Select other shots as required. In each case the thumbnail immediately turns red and the camera moves to the selected shot.

6. Select Fade on the touch-screen to return to the normal Fade mode.

Fade or Cut multiple shots

If you select shots on more than one camera and then select Fade or Cut, all of the cameras will start moving at the same time. Before initiating a multi-camera move make sure that the area around all of the relevant cameras is clear and that the cameras will not collide with each other.

Store

When a camera is positioned as required, the shot position can be saved in a show for later use (see Adding shots to a show on page 41).


Virtual stick

Virtual Stick provides a convenient method of manually controlling the pedestal and/or head from the touch-screen when a control panel is not available. Selecting Virtual Stick will launch the Virtual Joystick window (Figure 12).

For any axis, use the touch-screen (or click and hold the left mouse button) to drag the Virtual Joystick in the required direction. Removing your finger from the touch-screen (or releasing the mouse button) stops the movement. The direction that you drag for X, Y, Pan and Tilt corresponds to the direction of movement. The distance that you drag for X, Y, Pan, Tilt, Height and Zoom corresponds to the speed of movement.

Sequence of shots

A series of shots can be saved as a sequence, similar to a slide show, and then replayed during the show. The shots are played in the order they were saved in the sequence. The sequence can be created from any existing shots for a particular camera. Shots from other cameras cannot be added to the sequence.

Select Sequence and then click on an empty thumbnail (grey) in the editing pane on the workspace. The Sequence window appears (Figure 13) containing an editing pane similar to that on the

Figure 12 Virtual Joystick window


workspace. Options provided allow you to play the sequence, edit the time of the shot and delete shots from the sequence.

A sequence of shots is created by dragging the required shots from the editing pane on the workspace into the editing pane in the Sequence window. It is preferable to place the shots into the editing pane in the required order because shots cannot be rearranged once inserted. When you have inserted all of the shots, you can run through the sequence by selecting the PLAY option.

When the sequence is complete, select EXIT to save the sequence and return to the workspace. When a sequence has been created, ‘Seq’ appears in the top right corner of the thumbnail. When the sequence is playing, the thumbnail is coloured purple. The sequence can be edited using the options from the EDIT Menu (see Edit menu on page 46).

A sequence can be used anywhere within the show. When one sequence follows another in the show, it is important that you do not start the next sequence prior to completing the first sequence. If you do want to start the next sequence before the first sequence has finished, you must stop the first sequence using the STOP button before starting the next sequence.

Deleting a Shot from the sequence

To delete a shot from the sequence, select the shot and then select DELETE. The shot is deleted from the sequence but is not deleted from the editing pane on the workspace.

Figure 13 Sequence window

CAUTION! Ensure that the area is clear of persons or potential hazards before you select the Play option. The Play option will physically move the camera, pedestal and head, following the predefined movements (shots) in the sequence.


Editing the shot time

The time of the shot within the sequence can be edited by selecting the shot and then selecting EDIT TIME. The New Sequence Shot... dialog appears (Figure 14).

Enter the new time for the shot using the keypad and then select ENTER.

Selecting DELETE will delete the last digit entered. Select ENTER to save the new shot time and return to the Sequence window.

When the time of a shot is edited, the total time of the sequence, displayed in the Sequence window changes.

Focus

When on Shot (thumbnail coloured dark blue), selecting FOCUS lets you adjust the camera lens focal point (position). The lens will zoom to full focal length onto the subject, allowing you to adjust the focus using the Focus knob on the control panel and adjust the pan and tilt settings.

The Focus menu provides options to save the new focus position (KEEP SHOT) or return to the original saved lens position (KEEP CAMERA).

Keep Shot

When the focus has been adjusted, selecting KEEP SHOT will save the camera lens focus position whilst returning the camera to its original shot position, with the original pan and tilt settings.

Keep Camera

When the focus has been adjusted, selecting KEEP CAMERA will return the camera to its original position, with the original pan and tilt settings and original lens focus position. The adjusted focus setting will not be saved.

Page up/Page down

The shots in a show can be positioned on multiple pages depending on the grid size. Use the Page up and Page down buttons to scroll through the pages.

Figure 14 Edit time dialog


Opts menu

Target

See Targeting the pedestals on page 34 for information on using this function to target the pedestals.

Return

Select RETURN in the OPTS menu to go back to the workspace without performing either an Enable or Target command.

Enable a camera

If a camera is offline (black camera select button) then it is likely that there is a problem with the camera or system setup. Check that the camera is powered on and that all cabling to the camera is connected correctly. If the camera does not come online, further investigations are necessary.

If the head is in manual mode (grey camera select button) it must be enabled from the controller before the camera can be controlled. Make sure that the head is powered On. The head will automatically switch to Robotic (auto) mode if necessary. Select the camera on the touch-screen or control panel and then select OPTS>ENABLE to bring the camera online.

If the pedestal is in manual mode (brown camera select button) it must be switched to Robotic (auto) mode and then enabled from the controller before it can be controlled. Make sure that the pedestal is powered On and switched to Robotic mode, then select the camera on the touch-screen or control panel and then select OPTS>ENABLE to bring the camera online.

NOTE: The camera must be re-targeted after enabling, when switching the pedestal from manual to automatic mode. See Targeting a pedestal on page 34. A head mounted on a pedestal can be placed into manual mode without the need for re-targeting.


Targeting the pedestals

Before shots can be created and stored, all robotic pedestal movements must reference a target. The target for each pedestal is either permanently adhered to the studio floor (Fusion and SP-2000 pedestals) or mounted at the edge of the studio as a vertical bar-code (RP2A pedestals). Studio configurations without pedestals do not need to reference a target.

Fusion pedestal

Pedestal orientation

For simplicity, the sides of the pedestal are often referred to as North, South, East or West as shown in Figure 15.

Targeting the pedestal

1. Select the camera to be targeted on the touch-screen or the control panel.

2. Use the XY/Height joystick on the control panel to position the pedestal so that its north side (with the Emergency Stop switches) is over the edge of the target as shown in Figure 16.

Figure 15 FP-145 pedestal orientation

South side

East side

West side

North side


3. If the edge of the pedestal and the edge of the target are not parallel, switch the pedestal from Auto to Manual and from Crab to Steer, rotate the pedestal to align it with the target. Switch from Steer to Crab and switch from Manual to Automatic mode. Enable the pedestal (OPTS>ENABLE).

4. Select OPTS>TARGET.

5. The select the relevant target from the list and select OK. The Fusion FP-145 pedestal will drive itself across the target while optically scanning the floor to determine the datum target position. When the pedestal stops moving, a dialog appears confirming that targeting was completed successfully.

Figure 16 Fusion Pedestal targeting start positions

NOTE: Make sure that the pedestal stops in the position shown in Figure 17 when it finishes targeting. This ensures that the target sensor (located approximately below the handle on the East side of the pedestal) travels completely across the target. If the pedestal stops before the sensor crosses all lines (even if the pop-up window indicates targeting was successful) repeat steps 1 through 5. If the pedestal travels beyond the edge of the target you will get an error message and you must repeat steps 1 through 5.

FP-145 MKI pedestal 3 line floor target

FP-145 MKII pedestal L shaped floor target


SP-2000 pedestal

1. Select the camera to be targeted on the touch-screen or the control panel.

2. Use the XY/Height joystick on the control panel to position the pedestal so that it is positioned over the target as shown in Figure 18.

3. Select OPTS>TARGET.

4. Select the relevant target from the list and select OK. The SP-2000 pedestal will reposition and align itself to the target. When the pedestal stops moving a popup window will confirm that targeting was completed successful.

Figure 17 Fusion Pedestal correct position after targeting

FP-145 MKI pedestal 3 line floor target

FP-145 MKII pedestal L shaped floor target


RP2A pedestal

RP2A pedestals will automatically reference their target - manual targeting is not required.

Figure 18 SP-2000 pedestal targeting start position


Shots and shows

This section covers the creation, editing and deleting of shots and show files.

Show management

A show is a collection of stored shots from multiple camera systems saved in one file. To store shots in the grid display, either a new show must be created or an existing show must be loaded.

• Select MENU>SHOW MANAGEMENT to access Show Management functions. The Show Management dialog appears (Figure 19).

Creating a new show

To create a new show:

1. Select MENU>SHOW MANAGEMENT>NEW SHOW.

2. Use either the keyboard or the touch-screen keyboard to enter a name for the new show.

3. Select ENTER to return to the workspace which is ready to store shots in this new show.

The new show name is displayed in the title bar of the workspace.

Loading a show

To load an existing show:

1. Select MENU>SHOW MANAGEMENT>LOAD SHOW.

2. Select the desired show from the scroll list.

Figure 19 Show Management dialog


3. Select OK to return to the workspace showing the first page of shots in the loaded show. Select CANCEL to return to the workspace without loading a show.

The name of the loaded show appears in the title bar of the workspace.

List all shows

To view a list of all stored shows:

1. Select MENU>SHOW MANAGEMENT>LIST SHOWS.

2. View the stored shows on the scroll list.

3. Select CANCEL and OK to return to the workspace.

Deleting a show

To delete a show:

1. Select MENU>SHOW MANAGEMENT>DELETE SHOW.

2. Select the desired show from the scroll list.

3. Select OK to delete the show or select CANCEL to return to the workspace without deleting a show.

Creating the home or target shot

Before creating shots for your new show (named “morning” in the following examples) you should create a shot called HOME or TARGET for each pedestal. The HOME or TARGET shots position each pedestal at the correct location for targeting. At the end of every show it is good practice to send each pedestal to its HOME or TARGET shot. Then, before the next show, you can quickly target each pedestal to ensure that all of the shots for the next show will be exactly as they were stored.

1. Select MENU>CONFIGURATION and make sure that Require Shot Name is On and Require Shot Time is Off (to use the default shot time). Select RETURN.

2. Select a pedestal on the touch screen or the joystick panel.

3. Use the joysticks to move the pedestal to the correct starting position for targeting (see Targeting the pedestals on page 34).

4. Select STORE on the touch screen and select a position on the grid to store the shot.

NOTE: There is no undo option following a show deletion. A deleted show CANNOT BE RESTORED. It is recommended that you backup the show database periodically to an external storage device such as a USB flash drive as described below.


5. Type in a name (e.g. HOME) and select >ENTER.

6. The shot will be saved with the default fade time (e.g. 4 seconds).

7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for the remaining pedestals in the system.

For SP-2000 pedestals, the TARGET or HOME shot is centered over the target. Therefore, the pedestal will protect the target from any damage which may be caused by people walking on them, scenery being moved over them, floor cleaning and so on. For Fusion pedestals, since the TARGET or HOME shot is located behind the target and does not offer the same protection. You may want to create an additional shot called OVER TARGET to protect the target from damage between shows.

The workspace should now have one target or home shot for each pedestal. In Figure 20 the show called “morning” has HOME shots saved for Fusion pedestals 1, 2 and 3. This show is now ready to have additional shots created and stored.

NOTE: The shot name can be a maximum of 16 characters long.

NOTE: The fade time specifies the number of seconds that the robotic system will take to move the camera from its current position to the selected shot position when FADE is selected on the touch-screen or the control panel.

The default fade time is set in the Configuration Screen. Or you can manually enter a fade time for each shot as it is saved (see Camera control on page 60).

The stored fade time can always be modified on-air using the Fade Time bar on the control panel.

The maximum fade time is 120 seconds.

NOTE: Every time that you store a shot, the show file on the hard drive is automatically saved.


Adding shots to a show

In this section you will create the first few shots for your new morning show. Let’s assume that the shots are:

• Camera #1 - A wide shot of the news set to open the show - called OPEN

• Camera #1 - A tight shot on anchor Fred - called FRED TIGHT

• Camera #1 - An over the shoulder key shot on anchor Fred - called FRED KEY

• Camera #2 - A 2-shot of the anchors - called 2SHOT

• Camera #2 - A tight shot on the anchor - called ANCHOR TIGHT

• Camera #3 - A tight shot on anchor Liz - called LIZ TIGHT

• Camera #3 - An over the shoulder key shot on anchor Liz - called LIZ KEY

Figure 20 Workspace displaying HOME shots


To add shots:

1. Make sure that the morning show with its target (home) shots is loaded.

2. Select MENU>CONFIGURATION and make sure that Require Shot Name is On and Require Shot Time is Off. Select RETURN.

3. Select camera #1 on the touch-screen or the control panel.

4. Use the joysticks to move the camera into position for the first shot, and then frame and focus the shot.

5. Select STORE on the touch-screen and select a position on the editing pane to store the shot.

6. Type in a name (e.g. OPEN) and select >ENTER.

7. The shot will be saved with the default fade time and its thumbnail displayed on the editing pane.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for the remaining shots on camera #1.

9. Select camera #2 on the touch screen or the control panel and repeat steps 4 through 7 for the required shots on camera #2.

10. Select camera #3 on the touch screen or the control panel and repeat steps 4 through 7 for the required shots on camera #3.

After adding these shots your workspace will look something like that shown in Figure 21.

NOTE: The video signal for the selected camera can be viewed on the preview monitor.


Figure 21 Morning show with Shots added


Shot status colour codes

Shots stored on the grid display are colour coded to indicate the shot status (Figure 22).

Figure 22 Shot status colour codes

Table 2: Shot status colours

Frame Colour Description

Red background Indicates that the camera is moving (via Cut or Fade) to the shot. See Fusion-1 target shot in Figure 22.

Yellow banner across the frame corner

Indicates that this is the last shot selected. See Fusion-1 target shot in Figure 22.

Green background Indicates that this shot is cued and the camera will move to this shot when you select Cut or Fade. See Fusion-4/44 shot in Figure 22.

Dark blue background Indicates that the camera is ‘exactly’ on shot as stored in the show file. See Fusion-3/3WX STAND END shot in Figure 22.

Purple background Indicates that this is a Sequence currently selected for play.

Light blue background Indicates that the camera has been trimmed off shot away from the shot stored in the show file. See Fusion-2/2K shot in Figure 22.


Using shots

In this section you will explore using shots to become familiar with normal on-air operations, using the morning show sample shots that were created earlier Figure 23.

Fade

1. Select a shot on camera #1 and its thumbnail will turn green.

2. Select FADE on the touch screen or the joystick control panel, the thumbnail turns red and the camera starts its timed transition (the time saved in the shot) from its current position to the stored shot.

3. During the move the fade timer in the shot thumbnail indicates the progress.

Frame Colour Description

Grey background Indicates shots that are available for selection.

Figure 23 Using shots

Table 2: Shot status colours


4. When the camera reaches the stored shot the thumbnail turns from red to dark blue.

Cut


2. Select CUT on the touch screen or the control panel, the thumbnail turns red and the camera moves at maximum speed from its current position to the stored shot.

3. During the move the fade timer in the shot thumbnail indicates the progress.

4. When the camera reaches the stored shot the thumbnail turns from red to dark blue.

Stopping A Fade Or Cut

You can prevent a camera from bumping into an obstacle using the STOP button. Or, if a camera is partway through a slow fade to a shot that you no longer want to use, the STOP button will halt the movement so that you can select a different shot. You can select either a profiled (smooth) Stop that is acceptable for on-air use or an abrupt Stop that generally would not be used on-air (see Panel options - Always stop fast on page 58).

1. Make sure that the red thumbnail is the camera that you want to stop.

2. Select STOP on the touch-screen or the joystick control panel to stop the movement of the pedestal and/or head. The selected shot will change from red to grey.

3. Now you can select a the same shot or a different shot and FADE or CUT to it.

Fade Timer Control

The fade time can be quickly modified using the Fade Time bar on the control panel.


2. Select FADE on the touch-screen or the control panel and immediately pull the Fade Time bar towards you to decrease the fade time and speed up the movement.

3. The fade timer in the shot thumbnail will indicate the progress towards the new time for the shot.

4. Push the Fade Time bar away from you to increase the fade time and slow down the movement.

Edit menu

The Edit menu provides options that let you rename shots, modify the fade time, delete shots, resave a shot or swap shot positions on the grid. The RETURN option can be used to cancel out of the Edit menu, returning to the workspace and displaying the Camera Selection and Status bar.

NOTE: If the selected shot cannot be reached within the time stored in the shot, the camera will move at its maximum speed.


1. From the workspace select EDIT. Only the Latched Delete and Return buttons are available from the Edit menu until you select a shot on the grid.

2. Select a shot on the grid to display the additional Latched Time, Name, Time, Delete, Resave and Swap buttons as shown in Figure 24.

Latched delete

Use Latched Delete when you want to delete multiple shots. The normal Delete mode deletes a single shot and then returns you to the workspace. Latched Delete keeps you in the Edit menu after each deletion.

1. Select LATCHED DELETE.

2. Select a shot and confirm the deletion.

3. Select another shot and confirm the deletion.

4. Repeat until all of the desired shots have been deleted.

5. Select LATCHED DELETE to exit the mode and select RETURN to go back to the workspace.

Figure 24 Edit menu


Latched time

Use Latched Time when you want to modify the time of several shots. The normal Time mode modifies a single shot and then returns you to the workspace. Latched Time keeps you in the Edit menu after each shot is modified.

1. Select LATCHED TIME.

2. Select a shot and modify its time.

3. Select another shot and modify its time.

4. Repeat until all of the desired shots have been modified.

5. Select LATCHED TIME to exit the mode and select RETURN to go back to the workspace.

Name

To edit a shot name:

1. Select EDIT.

2. Select the desired shot from the grid display.

3. Select NAME.

4. Type in the desired shot name and select ENTER (on the touch-screen or the keyboard) to return to the workspace.

Time

To modify the time of a shot:

1. Select EDIT


3. Select TIME.

4. Type in the desired shot time (in seconds) and select ENTER to return to the workspace.

Delete

To delete a single shot:

1. Select EDIT


3. Select DELETE and YES to delete the shot and return to the workspace.

NOTE: The shot name can be a maximum of 16 characters long.


Resave

Resave allows you to save a new shot position in place of a previous saved shot in the editing pane.

1. Select EDIT.


3. Use the joystick on the control panel to reposition the camera as desired.

4. Select RESAVE save the newly positioned shot and return to the workspace.

Swap

Allows you to rearrange the position of the shots on the editing pane by exchanging pairs of shots or exchanging a shot with an unused position.

1. Select EDIT.

2. Select the shot on the grid display that you want to move.

3. Select SWAP.

4. Select a second shot or an unused location to swap the shots on the editing pane and return to the workspace.

Return

Select RETURN to go back to the workspace.


Putting it all together

In this section you will use many of the concepts and features covered in the preceding pages. The hypothetical “morning” news is a 3 camera show with 2 anchors (LIZ and FRED), a weatherperson MEGAN and a field reporter REBECCA. You will block a few more shots for the show and use them as you follow the simplified rundown.

1. Make sure that the morning show is loaded. The workspace should look similar to Figure 25.

2. If you do not have these shots created, see Adding shots to a show on page 41.

3. Select MENU>CONFIGURATION and make sure that Require Shot Name is On and Require Shot Time is Off. Select RETURN.

Figure 25 Initial shots for the Morning Show


Blocking additional shots

1. Create the following additional shots that are called for in the rundown for the show:

• Camera #1 - A wide 3-shot of the anchors and the weather centre - called 3SHOT WX

• Camera #1 - A medium 3-shot of the anchors and the weather centre - called 3SHOT WX END

• Camera #1 - A bumper for the end of the show that starts with a 3 shot of the anchor desk - called END BUMP. The pedestal slowly moves away from the desk, increases height and zooms wide - called END BUMP END. Set a fade time of 20 seconds for this shot.

• Camera #2 - An over the shoulder key shot - called ANCHOR KEY

• Camera #3 - A wide shot on the weatherperson standing at the weather centre - called WX STAND

• Camera #3 - A medium shot on the weatherperson standing at the weather centre - called WX STAND END

2. The workspace should now look similar to Figure 26.

3. The positioning of the shots on the grid is a matter of personal preference. You may choose an order that matches how shots will be called for in the rundown for the show, or any arrangement that suits your style of operation. Shots can be used in any order as stories are dropped or added, or as the director requires any last minute modifications to the rundown for the show.

4. If the screen is full of shots, you may want to move the HOME shots to a lower page since they will not normally be needed during the show.


Air time philosophy

While airing a show you will be occupied with three primary tasks - cueing, trimming and tracking shots.

Cueing

Cueing is the process of setting up the shots before they are used on-air. A shot is selected, the thumbnail turns green, you FADE or CUT to it and the thumbnail turns dark blue when the camera is “on shot”. It is important that you stay ahead of the rundown by cueing shots as early as possible. As time permits (especially during remote feeds and commercial breaks) you can have 2 or 3 shots cued ahead of the rundown.

Trimming

After a camera arrives “on shot” and before it is on air, you will want to take control at the joystick panel and check framing and focus and trim the shot as needed. This lets you correct for a different anchor than when the shot was created or when the talent is not on their mark. After trimming a shot

Figure 26 Shots for the Morning Show


its thumbnail will be light blue and you will usually replace it (select STORE and select the shot) and the thumbnail will turn dark blue. This ensures that the shot will be correctly framed for the rest of the current show.

Tracking

When a shot is on air you can track the talent if they shift in the frame, slide behind an over the shoulder box etc. Select the on-air camera at the control panel and track the shot as needed.

Sample news show rundown

TALENT SLUG DIRECTOR NOTES

VRC OPERATOR ACTIONS

Select OPEN on Cam#1 and CUT to it

Select 2-SHOT on Cam#2 and CUT to itTrim and RESAVE if needed

Select LIZ TIGHT on Cam#3 and CUT to itTrim and RESAVE if needed

ANIMATION OPEN 1-OPEN Select 3SHOT WX on Cam#1

FRED HEADLINE 1 2-2SHOT Select CUT on Cam#1Check Cam#2 framing, track if needed

LIZ HEADLINE 2 2-2SHOT When Cam#1 is at 3SHOT WX (dark blue)Trim and RESAVE if neededSelect 3SHOT WX END on Cam#1

FRED WEATHER CHIT CHAT

1-PUSH 3-SHOT WX Select FADE on Cam#1Check Cam#1 framing, track if neededSelect ANCHOR KEY on Cam#2, CUT to it

MEGAN STORMS STORMTRACKERGRAPHICS

Select FRED KEY on Cam#1, CUT to itTrim and RESAVE if needed

LIZ CONSTRUCTION 3-LIZ TIGHT Check Cam#3 framing, track if neededSelect LIZ KEY on Cam#3

LIZ PAN 3-LIZ KEYGRAPHICS MAP

Select FADE on Cam#3Check Cam#3 framing, track if needed

FRED BUDGET 1-FRED KEYB ROLL INSERT

Check Cam#1 framing, track if necessarySelect Cam#2, trim and RESAVE if needed

LIZ PARKING 2-LIZ KEYLIVE REMOTE 2

Check Cam#2 framing, track if needed

REBECCA PARKING LIVE REMOTE 2 Select FRED TIGHT on Cam#1, CUT to itSelect 2 SHOT on Cam#2, CUT to itSelect Cam#1, trim and RESAVE if neededSelect Cam#2, trim and RESAVE if needed


FRED TRAFFIC 1-FRED TIGHTTRAFFIC CAMS

Check Cam#1 framing, track if necessarySelect WX STAND on Cam#3, CUT to itSelect END BUMP on Cam#1, CUT to it

LIZ/FRED CHIT CHATWEATHER TOSS

2-2SHOT Check Cam#2 framing, track if neededWhen Cam#3 is at WX STAND (dark blue)Trim and RESAVE if neededSelect WX STAND END on Cam#3

MEGAN QUICK WEATHER 3-PUSH WX STAND Select FADE on Cam#3Check Cam#3 framing, track if needed

FRED GOODBYE 2-2SHOT When Cam#1 is at END BUMP (dark blue)Trim and RESAVE if neededSelect END BUMP END on Cam#1

1-BUMP Select FADE on Cam#1

TALENT SLUG DIRECTOR NOTES

VRC OPERATOR ACTIONS


Configuring the VRC system

The Configuration Screen provides default settings for various operating parameters. On the User Interface window select MENU>CONFIGURATION to display the Configuration Screen (Figure 27).

After making the required changes on this screen select RETURN to go back to the workspace.

Grid display options

Grid size

The number of rows and columns of shots that can be seen on a single page in the editing pane is user selectable. The minimum grid size is 2 rows by 3 columns per page. The maximum grid size is 8 rows by 8 columns per page. A show can extend over multiple pages that are viewed by using the Page Down/Up button in the lower right.

To set the grid size:

1. Select GRID SIZE and choose one of the rows x columns display options on the left hand side.

2. The preview panel to the right displays the layout you selected.

Figure 27 Configuration screen


3. Select OK to accept the new Grid Size or CANCEL return to the Configuration Screen without making a change.

Reducing the number of rows and columns makes the shot thumbnails larger and easier to identify as shown in the Figure 29, but if you choose to set the grid size for larger thumbnails you may have to scroll through several pages of shots in a single show.

Figure 28 Grid Size selection dialog

Figure 29 Grid size examples

The picture on the left is an example of the workspace with the grid size set to 7 x 8.

The picture on the right is an example of the workspace with the grid size set to 3 x 4.


Display headers

The column and row headers (ABC/123) can be turned on or off. The headers are useful when a show extends over multiple pages.

Stick settings

These parameters select the sense of the controls on the control panel to suit the operator’s preference. For example, pushing the Tilt joystick away from you can cause the head/camera to tilt up or down. Or, you can choose clockwise on the Zoom knob to result in zoom in or zoom out. You can select Normal (button is blue) or Reverse (button is black) for: Pan; Tilt; Zoom; Focus; Elevation. Selecting the Stick Settings option displays a number of options that let you adjust the gain and deadband settings (Figure 30).

Before changing the settings, you may need to change the profile. The profile for each setting (P/T profile, Zoom profile, Focus profile and Z profile) can be set to either Compound, Linear or Expediential.

NOTE: If you select fewer columns in the grid after creating a show, the shots in the higher columns (E, F, G, H in the example above) will be off the screen to the right and cannot be viewed or selected. Shots in higher numbered rows can always be viewed by using the page down/up button.

Figure 30 Stick Preferences


Use the Up/Down arrows to adjust the gain and deadband settings. The gain is used to set the velocity of the movement of the head, pedestal or camera lens, with the gain setting of 100 being the fastest speed of movement. The deadband setting is used to adjust the amount of play that is often experienced before the joystick starts to physically move the pedestal, head or camera lens. ;

Panel options

These functions can be toggled On (the button is blue) or Off (the button is black). The selections are stored for each User Name that has been created. These settings determine the state of the control panel buttons after a User Name logs in.

NOTE: The pan and tilt settings are synchronised; any change to the pan gain will equal the change to the tilt gain setting.

ALWAYS turn off X4 on the control panel before adjusting the Zoom profile.

Table 3: Panel option settings

Option ON OFF

Always enable pan Rela-tive

The PAN FOLLOW button on the joystick control panel is On after user login.

When selected the X-Y orientation relates to the pan orientation.

The PAN FOLLOW button on the joystick control panel is Off after user login.

When not selected, the Pan Follow function no longer operates and normal X-Y opera-tion resumes.

Always enable drive The JOYSTICK ENABLE button on the con-trol panel will be On after user login.

The JOYSTICK ENABLE button on the con-trol panel will be Off after user login.

Double button push All control panel buttons must be pressed twice to activate any function.

Pressing a control panel button once will activate the function.

Always stop fast

For a pedestal that is in motion during a Cut or Fade between shots, this function defines the behaviour if you select STOP on the touch-screen or on the control panel. In both modes the position of the pedestal is maintained so that you can select a shot and Fade or Cut to it without needing to target the pedestal.

The pedestal will immediately stop moving. This abrupt change of motion is not desira-ble for a camera that is on-air but does ensure an immediate stop to avoid a colli-sion

The pedestal will decelerate and coast to a stop. This smooth change of motion is desirable if the camera is on-air. However, to avoid a collision, you must take into account the amount of pedestal travel after selecting STOP.


Panel options for pedestals

The following options only affect the operation of the RP2A pedestal.

Always override

If ALWAYS OVERRIDE is On, the OVERRIDE button on the joystick control panel will be On after user login. The selected Radamec RP2A pedestal will continue moving at quarter speed after detection of an infrared proximity warning or a collision with an obstacle (see Bumper disable on page 23).

Always disable IR

If ALWAYS DISBLE IR is On, the INFRARED DISABLE button on the joystick control panel will be On after user login (see Infrared disable on page 24). The infrared proximity protection (which stops pedestal movement before contact with an obstacle) is Off for all Radamec RP2A pedestals in the system.

The following option affects the operation of the SP-2000 and RP2A pedestals:

Always disable bumpers

If ALWAYS DISABLE BUMPERS is On, the BUMPER DISABLE button on the control panel will be On after user login (see Bumper disable on page 23). The bumper protection feature (which stops pedestal movement after a collision with an obstacle) is Off for all Radamec RP2A pedestals in the system.

WARNING!

Risk of personal injury or damage to equipment when these functions are activated. Activating these functions will allow pedestals to be used in close proximity.

WARNING!

1. The ALWAYS OVERRIDE function will have no effect on Radamec RP2A pedestal proximity detection, if the Infrared Disable button on the control panel is On.

2. The ALWAYS OVERRIDE Radamec RP2A pedestal function will have no effect on collision with an obstacle, if the Bumper Disable button on the control panel is On.


Camera control

Shot options

Information that is required and displayed for each saved shot is user selectable.

Table 4: Camera Control option settings

Option ON OFF

Deselect A camera that has been selected can be deselected by touching it on the touch screen.

A camera can only be deselected by select-ing a different camera.

Always take rudely Selecting a camera at one controller will immediately take control away from a sec-ond controller that may have been using the camera.

A dialog appears requesting you to confirm that you want to take control of the camera from the other controller.

Table 5: Shot option settings

Option ON OFF

Display Shot Name The name of each shot is superimposed on the shot thumbnail.

The shot name is not displayed.

Require Shot Name You will be prompted to type in a name when you store a new shot. This is the most common mode of operation.

The system will automatically assign a number to each saved shot. This can save time but the shot names are no longer descriptive.

Display shot time The time of each shot is superimposed on the shot thumbnail.

The time is not displayed.

Require shot time You will be prompted to enter a time when you store a shot.

The default shot time will be used for each stored shot. This is the most common mode of operation since it is faster than entering times each time you store a new shot.


Shot preferences

Table 6: Shot Preferences settings

Option ON OFF

Take Camera When you select a shot on the touch screen, the Camera Preview selection on the joy-stick control panel automatically follows and the joysticks will control the camera for the selected shot.

The shot selection on the touch screen and the Camera Preview selection are decou-pled. So, let’s say that camera #1 is on-air and being trimmed with the joysticks. You can select the next shot on camera #3 and Fade or Cut to it while continuing to trim camera #1 with the joysticks.

Delete Warning Every time you delete or replace a shot a warning dialog appears and requires you to confirm the deletion or replacement.

Shots will be deleted or replaced immedi-ately. This mode should be used with cau-tion because there is no undo feature to restore a deleted shot.

Default time Requires you to enter a default time that will be used when you store shots if the REQUIRE SHOT TIME function is Off.

Allow deselect When you select a shot on the touch screen, you can deselect that shot by touching it a second time.

When you select a shot on the touch- screen, you can only deselect that shot by selecting a different shot on the same cam-era. Touching a selected shot a second time has no effect.


Database Schedule Service

The VRC Database Schedule Service lets users specific database replication, restore, user-defined database maintenance tasks in a fully automatic, scheduled way.

Configuring the Database Schedule Service

Standard installation will install the VRC DB Schedule Service in your windows OS. By default this service will work on free distributed SQL Server Express 2005.

To manually launch the service, select Start>AllPrograms>vitec group camera dynamics ltd >VRC Database Schedule Service and then select VRC Database Schedule Service UI. Alternatively it can be launched automatically after the PC is booted by setting this in Services.

How to Schedule a Database Service

Starting the Database Service UI

After you have created the two databases (VrcsConfiguration and VrcsCore) using the Database Creator, the first time you install the Fusion Control System you will be able to manage the database directly using SQL Server Management Studio Express. You can use this program to automatically schedule regular or one time database maintenance locally or remotely on another physical location. This program will remain running in the background as a windows service.

1. Open the SQL Server Management Studio Express program. Check that the databases VrcsConfiguration and VrcsCore have been successfully created.

Figure 31 VRC DB Schedule Service Information


2. Double click the icon on system tray to start the VRC DB Schedule Service UI (Figure 32).

3. All three servers (SQL Server Browser, SQL Server Express and DB Schedule Service) should be running as shown in Figure 32. If any of the servers need to be started, click the appropriate Start button for the server in the Database Service UI window.

4. Click Configure Schedule Service to display the Scheduled DB Services window (Figure 33). This window displays the service schedule list.

The following options are available from the Scheduled DB Services window:

• New Service—launches the Service detail window where you can set the parameters of the new service required.

• Edit Service—highlight an existing service in the list and then select Edit Service to display the detail window where the stored parameters can be edited.

• Execute Service—use this option to run a once only new service or run a stored service once only.

Figure 32 VRC DB Schedule Service UI

Figure 33 VRC DB Schedule Service List


• Delete Service—highlight an existing service in the list and then select Delete Service to delete it.

These options are also available from a menu. Right click on any blank line or stored service line to display a menu list of the four options. See Figure 34.

• Save—select Save to retain configured services for future use.

• Close—select Close to close the Scheduled DB Services window.

The services can be run periodically at a designated time or manually executed by selecting the service from the list and the selecting Execute Service.

Configuring a New Service or Editing an existing Service

When creating a new service (New Service) and editing an existing service (Edit Service) the Service Details window appears allowing you to create and edit the service details (Figure 35). The supported types of a service are: Run Once, Regular interval, Daily, Weekly and Monthly.

Figure 34

NOTE: Once only services manually executed will not be saved.


The supported actions/post actions are:

• SQL Server Backup—to backup designated database to file location.

• SQL Server Restore—to restore designated database from file.

• SQL Server DB Shrink—to shrink the size of designate database.

Post action means the action this service will take automatically after this scheduled service is completed. This allows you to schedule a second action after the first action is completed, for example you can action a backup of the VrcsCore database and then a post action to backup the VrcsConfig database.

Figure 35

From the dropdown list select any one of the following options:- Run Once- At regular intervals- Daily- Weekly- Monthly Enter the date and time to

start the service

Enter the time in hours and minutes (HH:MM) between the service running. This option is schedule type dependant.

Service name - type in a name for the service

Select the service run days. This is dependant on the service type selection.

Enter the time period between which the service should run (24 hour clock)

From the dropdown list select one of the following Post actions to be carried out after the primary service has run:- None- SQL Server Backup- SQL Server Restore- SQL Server DB Shrink

From the dropdown list select one of the following actions for the service to perform:- SQL Server Backup- SQL Server Restore- SQL Server DB Shrink


Settings for Action and Post Action types

After selecting the action to be taken, click the Settings button on the Service Details window (Figure 35) to display the Configure window (Figure 36). In this example it shows the window for SQL server backup.

All the necessary settings and parameters will automatically change depending on the action selected. Note that the file location could be on a remote server where access can be granted.

Figure 36

Highlight database to allow dropdown menu selection of database type for backup or restore.

Highlight backup folder to allow browse option to change default location for the folder.

Insert number of days after which backup files are deleted


Parts list

The following lists include main assemblies, user-replaceable spare parts and optional accessories. For further information regarding repair or spare parts, please contact Vinten Radamec or your local distributor.

For information on-line, visit our website at

www.vintenradamec.com

Item Part No..

VRC CSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V4024-0001

VRC-EPI options:

VRC-EPI-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V4010-0001

VRC-EPI-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V4010-0002

VRC-EPI-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V4010-0003

VRC-EPI-8R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V4010-0004

VRC-EPI-16R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V4010-0005

VRC panel options:

Single joystick control panels:

Panel with GPIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0013

Panel with GPIO and Iris and Black CCU knobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0015

Panel with GPIO and Focus knob (RHS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0017

Panel with GPIO, Iris and Black CCU knobs, and Focus knob (RHS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0019

Dual joystick control panels:

Panel with GPIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0014

Panel with GPIO and Iris and Black CCU knobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0016

Panel with GPIO and Focus knob (RHS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0018

Panel with GPIO, Iris and Black CCU knobs, and Focus knob (RHS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V3976-0020

Note: GPIO is only available with version 1.15 of the VRC software.

Cable Options

VRC panel data cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V3980-5008

Software

System configuration software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V3952-8000

Information contained in this document is subject to change.

Vinten Radamec reserves the right, without notice, to make changes in equipment design or performance as progress in engineering, manufacturing or technology may warrant.

Sales Offices

CHINAThe Vitec Group plc ChinaRoom 1806, Hua Bin BuildingNo. 8 Yong An Dong LiJian Guo Men Wao AveChao Yang DistrictBeijing, P.R. China 100022t +86 10 8528 8748f + 86 10 8528 8749

GERMANYCamera Dynamics GmbHGebäude 16Planiger Straße 3455543 Bad KreuznachGermanyt +49 671 / 483 43 30f +49 671 / 483 43 50

JAPANVinten Japan KKP.A. Bldg. 5F3-12-6 AobadaiMeguro-ku Tokyo 153-0042Japant +81 3 5456 4155f +81 3 5456 4156

UKCamera Dynamics LtdWilliam Vinten BuildingWestern WayBury St EdmundsSuffolk IP33 3TBUKt +44 1284 752 121f +44 1284 750 560Sales Fax +44 1284 757 929

FRANCECamera Dynamics sarl171, Avenue des Grésillons92635 GENNEVILLIERS CedexFrancet +33 820 821 336f +33 825 826 181

GERMANYCamera Dynamics GmbHErfurter Straße 1685386 EchingGermanyt +49 89 / 321 58 200f +49 89 / 321 58 227

SINGAPORECamera Dynamics Pte Ltd6 New Industrial Road#02-02 Hoe Huat Industrial BuildingSingapore 536199t +65 6297 5776f +65 6297 5778

USACamera Dynamics Inc.709 Executive BlvdValley CottageNY 10989USAt +1 845 268 0100f +1 845 268 0113Toll Free Sales: 1 888 2 Vinten

Robotic Camera Control Systems

[email protected]

www.vintenradamec.com

vinten radamec control system

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