If for example you
1. placed 5 of the sample images into track 1,
2. applied Chroma key to each so the same "tone" is removed.
You would then have a "project to save" - 001.pds
Close PDR14.
Make a duplicate/cvopy of the pds file and rename it 001a.pds
If you then Open the pds in a Text Editor like NotePad you could rename the image files with alternatives - all in the same location as the previous 5.
You will then save the 001a.pds in NotePad.
Open the 001a.pds in PDR14 and you may find the image files have the applied Chroma Key and the image files are different.
The above is pure theory and I haven't tested it - give it a go, should work.
I hope I've written this up ok.

What is being suggested is image file substitution within a pds. Simply changing the file name to another will result in the newly named image file appearing in your project rather than the originals.
Dafydd

Hi Dafydd,

thank you very much for responding so quickly. I like where you're coming from as I can easily automate this kind of stuff if only I could reverse engineer the .pds file sufficiently.

I did almost as you mentioned, though with two .png images added to the timeline with the Chroma Key set only on the first image. I then spent a little time looking through the resulting .pds file to locate differences that could point to candidates for copying the Chroma attributes to the non-PiP edited images.

From what I can see, the obvious location for the Chroma Key (PiP attribute) is within the <CLIP>....</CLIP> tags as this is where the PiP editing is done in PD (not in images). I then looked through all 96 tags and found the 5 or so that differed between the 2 images. Remember that only the first image has the Chroma Key applied. No other PiP attributes were set.

On the basis that all but one of the differing tags were filename specific or pointed to the image's timeline location, this left only the first tag <CLIP etc... as the potential location for the Chroma Key information.

There are 2 attributes within CLIP that seem obvious for copying over to the other files and these are: PIPPARAMSIZE and PIPPARAM. It is my guess that PIPPARAM contains the encoded values for my desirous Chroma Key value.

Simple stuff??

Not so - when I did this and opened the new resulting .pds in PD it opened OK but didn't load any image files, appearing to be a blank project. Something deeper going on here and without further "inside" knowledge, impossible to reverse engineer from what I can see. The PIPPARAM attribute is heavily coded and waaay beyond my time availability!

So this is probably a dead end I'm afraid but it was certainly worth a go.

Cheers and thanks very much indeed. At least it's been entertaining!

David (or Dafydd had I been born in lovely Cardiff!)

PS. Is it wrong to thoroughly enjoy this nerdy stuff?? PD 15, Cubase 9

Hi again Dafydd,

as a PS - it is my guess that your initial theory would likely work though it's the replication of the attribute from a single image instance to many others that I'm after, rather than the substitution of attributes from X images to X images.

This is why I did a differences analysis to attempt to find the replicable elements that I could automate.

However I'm naturally drawn to testing the theory you propose but I can't see how that approach will solve my problem. Am I properly understanding your idea properly? Any thoughts?

Cheers and a big thanks again,
David (Sydney, Aust) PD 15, Cubase 9

Hi David -

As you've determined, Chroma Key is one of the attributes in PiP Designer that cannot be copied & pasted. Basic object settings & motion can be applied to a sequence easily.

I gather you're trying to avoid opening all the .PNGs in graphics software and applying transparency to each. Yes? I've done that myself on a few occasions. More tedious than time consuming.

Another possibility is to produce the sequence, then apply chroma key to the video file, which is then overlaid on the other video. That would give you the transparency you're after.

Cheers - Tony
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Hi David,

Just tried the theory option - as you wrote, comes up with a blank project.
The video route is a better option, run with that and see if it matches what you're after.
PS. Enjoying the geeky stuff is what keeps one's mind activeeeeeee.
Dafydd (pronounced Da-Vith... with a smile or a white rock.)

Cardiff - yep quite ok as a city, plenty of open parks with lakes. I visit the city quite often.

Quote: Hi David -

As you've determined, Chroma Key is one of the attributes in PiP Designer that cannot be copied & pasted. Basic object settings & motion can be applied to a sequence easily.

I gather you're trying to avoid opening all the .PNGs in graphics software and applying transparency to each. Yes? I've done that myself on a few occasions. More tedious than time consuming.

Another possibility is to produce the sequence, then apply chroma key to the video file, which is then overlaid on the other video. That would give you the transparency you're after.

Cheers - Tony

Hello and thank you Tony,

yes, you are correct about my avoidance of repetitive tasks. I get enough of them maintaining our property, making school lunches, driving kids around etc.! (Doing anything for/with my kids is of course a joy actually, but I can do without manually editing hundreds if not thousands of .png files in my too-busy life!!).

Producing a video and adding a single Chroma Key? Elegant, quick and effective? Now now Tony, where's the fun in that? I don't get to reverse engineer someone else's XML and then write code until all hours while my family are asleep (and I should be)!!

Actually, I should have mentioned that I have tested this route. These are early days but I'm looking to integrate some VideoScribe 'doodling' into my business and so far the video pathway has only produced fairly average results with a thin/grainy result. I haven't been able to achieve bold lines - largely, I'm guessing due to compression in the video produced by VS.

Perhaps there is a line thickness/background colour combination that works best?? Just thought of that - will have a play tonight (when the missus/kids are asleep - and I should be!!).

Many thanks!

Cheers,

David E (Sydney) PD 15, Cubase 9

Quote: Hi David,

Just tried the theory option - as you wrote, comes up with a blank project.
The video route is a better option, run with that and see if it matches what you're after.
PS. Enjoying the geeky stuff is what keeps one's mind activeeeeeee.
Dafydd (pronounced Da-Vith... with a smile or a white rock.)

Cardiff - yep quite ok as a city, plenty of open parks with lakes. I visit the city quite often.

Hi again Dafydd,

Just mentioned above that I have had a cursory play with the video option but so far with disappointing results. I will try some line thickness/key colour combinations and will report back to this forum if it's helpful to anyone else trying to achieve the same thing.

As you say, it's far more stimulating to be messing about under the 'hood'! Shame the dev team obscured the PiP code - so many possibilities would emerge! Now I wonder how I could reverse engineer PIPPARAM...

Some yrs ago I drove from London to Criccieth and back down towards Cardiff and back to London (in a red Mini of course!). Gorgeous countryside and fabulous driving roads. Can't wait to go back - you, like us here in Australia are truly blessed!

Cheers,

David PD 15, Cubase 9