Video Design Software has unveiled its next-generation broadcast paint product, Twister Paint Station, a graphics application designed specifically for broadcasters. The application is fully compatible with Windows 2000, NT and XP operating systems, and is available in either a rack-mount or tower configuration. Twister PS is also available in plug-in form for Chyron’s Lyric paint and graphics creation platform.
Twister PS includes a number of broadcast-friendly features and direct connection/file support for most nonlinear editing and graphics systems.
Twister PS draws from VDS’ library of Chyron Liberty code, which has been re-engineered from the ground up into a Windows interface, the company said. It’s designed with a number of broadcast-friendly features such as R/W Photoshop layers and direct connection/file support for most industry-standard devices (including those from Avid Technology, Chyron, Pinnacle Systems and Quantel).
Twister is resolution-independent and allows the operator to easily switch from analog to digital, NTSC to PAL, or SD to HD at the click of a mouse. It delivers all the general features found in most commonly-used paint applications, but also adds many extra features that are vital to broadcast graphics production, VDS said.
The operator can route broadcast-quality SDI video into the Twister PS I/O by way of the Chyron Digital pcCODI board to enable the video to appear directly on Twister’s interface screen. From there, the artist can then grab an image, treat it with the image tools library provided, add graphics and layers, add text or shadows, and then output the composited image back through the digital pcCODI card’s SDI I/O with key.
The product also allows images to be saved over a network to a still-store, character generator, NLE or video server as a native file on that particular device, all the while working in the desired video aspect ratio with built-in safe title/action generator and illegal color suppression options. Twister can also update the database information where applicable.
An evaluation version of the software (with save disabled) is available for download on the VDS Liberty Web site at www.libertydesigntools.com/products.html.
For more information visit www.videodesignsoftware.com .
