<![CDATA[Alpha Mask with Live Video]]>Ok so I am fairly new to Izzy but so far I am loving it. I have an idea that I have been trying to accomplish and I feel that I am close but just not getting the results I want.

What I am trying to do is use live video of a person (a dancer) as an alpha mask so that the silhouette of the dancer is translucent and the background is opaque (black preferably). Then I want to play content thru the mask so that there is video content playing in the form of the live dancer.
I have played with threshold and alpha mask actors but because light levels are uneven and the background is not a solid one-color wall, I am unable to get a clear form of the dancer.
So is there a way to do what I am thinking about? Or would does it need to be more involved (tracking with Kinect) or something?
Thanks Guys!
-Drew
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/topic/250/alpha-mask-with-live-videoRSS for NodeWed, 20 May 2026 09:55:21 GMTMon, 08 Oct 2012 07:36:38 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 08 Apr 2015 05:56:08 GMT]]>Just saw this thread

I made a little processing app way back that makes a black and white image from a certain depth of the kinect depth image and syphons it to isadora. you can just use it with the mask actor. Works with kinect 1414.
Set it to 32bit in the infor  panel and use the arrow keys up and down to find your desired depth.
It also sends you a XY value for the center of the blob over OSC so you can move your background image with the mask.
F

acfd64-impact_trapping_v.5b.zip

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/15428https://community.troikatronix.com/post/15428Wed, 08 Apr 2015 05:56:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Sat, 17 Jan 1970 11:36:32 GMT]]>No need to build it in QC. You can use the Core Image actors. Generally speaking, they all run on the GPU just like FFGL.

CI Blend with Mask to get you what you want.
You'll need three images - the foreground, the background, and the mask. The mask image should be black and white (or grey for transparency.)
See snapshot of a patch in action to get the arrangement.
Note that the CI Constant Color always needs a CI Crop actor to define its size. I'm also using the CI Mask To Alpha to convert the solid black color to transparent (i.e., 0 alpha.)
Hope that helps,
Mark

4af32f-mask-with-ci.png b20e5b-ci-mask-patch.izz

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14688https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14688Sat, 17 Jan 1970 11:36:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:01:33 GMT]]>@mark regarding your 2) point. Would it be possible to build a gpu-based alpha mask patch in QC and then use it in Isadora?
And is there a list of all the gpu based actors?
Sorry for my newbie kind of questions. Im just beginning in this field.

best wishes

Leo

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14608https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14608Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:01:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:11:39 GMT]]>I finally got the isadora 2 upgrade and like you mentioned before, as there is no alpha gpu based effect, I can't get so much speed advantage out of the new version.
I'll try to find a workaround for mixing those to layers with an alpha layer.

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14607https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14607Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:11:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:32:14 GMT]]>@zanetti

Two points:
1) In Isadora 2.0, the Core Video and Core Audio upgrade are both included -- all of those features are part of 2.0
2) The reason Core Video upgrade is still important is mostly because it allows you to use Quartz Composer patches as Isadora plugins.
Best Wishes,
Mark
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14389https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14389Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:32:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:27:31 GMT]]>oh what I meant is, if version 2 of isadora (I though you're all calling it izzy :)) is not gonna have this kind of problems because more actors are gpu based.

so the core video upgrade is good for what exactly? For better hardware acceleration in some specific actors I suppose?
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14387https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14387Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:27:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 03:00:48 GMT]]>Hi,

Yes the screen shot of mine from March 2013 is all CPU based; I don't think I even had access to much GPU stuff back then; or if I was I was under strict orders from the boss not to tell anyone. :-)
You do want to keep it as much GPU as possible. But it can get complicate; because there is no GPU alpha mask actor just yet so you'd need to convert it to CPU again. 
But the movies themselves could be the new version 2.0 players which should help frame rates - with the right h264 codec.
I get a lot of questions, emails and PM's about this topic so it may be time to revisit it and give it a refresh.
I am not sure what you mean by _"__and second question: is this gone with izzy 2"_ - is what gone? Sorry, not following.
Hope this helps for now.
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14358https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14358Wed, 28 Jan 2015 03:00:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 02:41:43 GMT]]>@Skulpture
Hi, regarding your screenshot I wanted to know if the video actors are gpu based and if so, because of the core video plugin?

I have a similar arrangement with my kinect. But becuase its all vid-cpu obviously its very laggy.
It's gonna be a big projection, video-installation project. So its quite crucial, that the resolution is the maximum.
I would be probably able to borrow a new mac pro for the exhibition, but it seems weird to me that my computer can only make 6-10 fps.

The isadora project won't exceed this two video layers and the alpha mask probably. so its fairly simple. its just the performance, which disturbs me.
and second question: is this gone with izzy 2? Because my uni owns the v1 license and it would be probably worth to upgrade for that 125$...

Thanks for helping!!!

Leo

I have MBP early 2011, i7 2,2 GHz with an ATI Radeon 6750M 1GB and 16GB Ram.
38b80a-bildschirmfoto-2015-01-28-um-12.31.17.png

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14357https://community.troikatronix.com/post/14357Wed, 28 Jan 2015 02:41:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 06:05:23 GMT]]>ok thanks for your answers. .....

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/12003https://community.troikatronix.com/post/12003Fri, 25 Jul 2014 06:05:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 00:51:04 GMT]]>It won't be the USB ports. It will be software/driver related.

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11996https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11996Fri, 25 Jul 2014 00:51:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Thu, 24 Jul 2014 17:21:13 GMT]]>Me too no problems

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11993https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11993Thu, 24 Jul 2014 17:21:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 09 Jul 2014 02:33:00 GMT]]>I use a kinect on a new macbook with only USB3 ports and no problems.

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11640https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11640Wed, 09 Jul 2014 02:33:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 09 Jul 2014 01:49:32 GMT]]>hello everybody.

i have some troubles to use the kinect with my new mac book pro. 
i have nimate license but it crashed at launch , like synapse....
i plugged the kinect on the usb3 on my mac and i think its the problem.
but i dont have any other usb2 port.....
do you know a solution about that?
thats a lot
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11638https://community.troikatronix.com/post/11638Wed, 09 Jul 2014 01:49:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:52:06 GMT]]>@bruno

It looks like you will need a threshold actor - this will boost the white and make the black/grey more black. (if that makes sense?)
Out it directly after the output from the Kinect Actor.
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/9310https://community.troikatronix.com/post/9310Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:52:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 04 Dec 2013 09:19:51 GMT]]>Hello Sculpture, i tried your patch but instead of the syphon actors , I used kinnect actor and the kinnect. My goals is to project video on a dancer. Do you think it's possible with the kinnect? Wher can I find the QC syphon actors? I send you a picture of my patch, just have a look on the right side.

Thank you for all your work
Best wiches
Bruno

b87947-kinnect.tiff

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/9299https://community.troikatronix.com/post/9299Wed, 04 Dec 2013 09:19:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 06:53:30 GMT]]>Thanx @Skulpture I will do so !!

:-)
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6606https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6606Sat, 30 Mar 2013 06:53:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:51:50 GMT]]>Glad i've helped you David. Be sure to take some pictures and I wil put them on my blog.

:-)
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6592https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6592Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:51:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Sat, 17 Jan 1970 11:06:54 GMT]]>Hi Guys,
Thanks to @Skulpture I was able to create this new interactive piece : Indicible Camouflage
I'm presenting it next week to a jazz event and I realise that in Ni Mate only the active user's alpha in active.
Is there a way to capture all alphas no matter how many peaple stand infront of the devise ?

Thank you all for your great knowledge !

David

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6591https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6591Sat, 17 Jan 1970 11:06:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:54:29 GMT]]>Yeah it nearly always needs some blur.

I used to knock old CCTV cameras out of focus slightly to get similar results rather than adding blur in the software. But with ever increasing faster machines i started adding it into the software. Normally Gaussian Blur on 1 or 2 works nicely.
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6428https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6428Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:54:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Fri, 16 Jan 1970 18:39:31 GMT]]>@Skulpture I noticed in your video that the mask has a nicely defined smooth edge, compared to what raw data from kinect will give you. Do Gaussian Blur and Motion Blur do that, or NI Mate? What happens without the Blur filters?

Thanks.
--8
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6422https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6422Fri, 16 Jan 1970 18:39:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:55:57 GMT]]>I never saved that patch it was a quick demo I did for some ex students but it something along these lines.... (open in a new tab its quite big) 0c5c98-screen-shot-2013-03-13-at-08.54.37.png

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6409https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6409Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:55:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:25:23 GMT]]>Hi there,

I'm in the same boat except I am using a Kinect + Isadora. 
I'm trying to create a similar effect as in this one created by Graham 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spd77d6yZ-s&list=UUhr7aQm3W7xQmn4YblveryA&index=21
Could someone give me a lead please? 
]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6407https://community.troikatronix.com/post/6407Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:25:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:43:11 GMT]]>THIS youtube video that Mark posted about the technology used in 16 revolutions can help you aswell.

Best,
Michel

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/4396https://community.troikatronix.com/post/4396Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:43:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Alpha Mask with Live Video on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 06:47:52 GMT]]>This thread has a lot of information that might help you:

http://troikatronix.com/community/#/discussion/265/tracking-two-dancers

]]>https://community.troikatronix.com/post/4377https://community.troikatronix.com/post/4377Wed, 10 Oct 2012 06:47:52 GMT