The Broadcast Tools GPI- series of devices are supported, which can bring switcher tally signals into the computer for ShotDriver. The GPI-16 requires a generic serial-to-USB adaptor. When connected, the USB adaptor should appear in the list of available serial ports which appears when you click on the "Select serial port" popup menu.
See ShotDriver Preferences> Switcher/Tally tabThe small dot indicator to the left of the serial port selection will be green when ShotDriver finds and chooses the desired serial port adaptor, but it does not indicate that the device is working correctly.
When "Enable automatic switcher advance" is engaged, any signal from the switcher will advance the shot list, but tallys will always indicate the selected input. When an input is selected, the shot list is advanced, or if the operator clicks on any other shot (to skip forward or go back) the selected shot will be sent on the next advance.
If the camera taken on the switcher is not the camera indicated in the shot list, the background of ShotDriver's Tally monitor window turns orange to alert the operator that an intervention might be required to get the shot list back in sync with the action.Alternatively, MIDI can be used to bring in switcher tally signals, using a device that converts GPI on/off signals into MIDI data. Shotdriver supports the Kenton GPIM-16 GPI-to-MIDI converter, which feeds a basic MIDI to USB interface. Each camera/tally signal from the switcher is converted to note-on/off MIDI data for a unique note number. For example the GPIM unit's default note numbers are 36 through 43. So Camera 1= MIDI note 36, Camera 2= MIDI note 37, and so on. Go to ShotDriver's Preferences Switcher/Tally tab, and in table found in the MIDI interface area, enter the MIDI note numbers which correspond to your switcher's inputs.
There is no need to select a MIDI interface. ShotDriver automatically monitors any and all MIDI inputs for timecode and note messages.
Timecode:
ShotDriver will recognize MIDI time code, and when MTC is not available the time of day will be used.
To receive MIDI time code, use the Audio/MIDI setup app, usually found in the Utilities folder, to enable an IAC (Inter Application Communication) bus. In the MIDI setup tab, double-click the red IAC icon. In the dialog that appears, select "Device is online." You should also see an icon for your MIDI interface, and its "Device is online" checkbox should be selected as well.
LTC (audio signal) timecode can also be used:
There is a free utility available which converts an incoming LTC signal (an audio signal containing SMPTE time code) to MTC using no additional hardware. (As of 2014: see nobusiness-soft.com).
Router control data:
When ShotDriver AD is connected to the serial data stream from a Sony video router, it can "listen" to the serial data communication between Cambotics camera control stations and the router. This data allows ShotDriver to track which cameras are under active control at any given moment, and to display the camera operators' names (or the control station/user interface designations) in ShotDriver displays. The serial port events are displayed as green boxes containing a camera number and the operator's name.
Serial port events are also sent to the network, so that ShotDriver Camera applications can automatically switch the camera data being displayed based on the actively selected camera at each station.
The serial port is configured on the Telnet/Serial page of the Preferences window. You can select the preferred serial port, and monitor incoming data.
Operator names:
Also found in the Preferences window> Telnet/Serial tab, you will find a table of Operator names associated with each router bus/user interface, as it appears in the router control data stream. In other words, each camera control station is assigned a router bus. And each camera operator's name can be associated with a router bus number. Names entered in this table appear with the green box in tally displays, to indicate who has control of each camera.