From Livid Wiki

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Welcome to Livid Cell and DNA 1.2 System Requirements 1.2.1 Minimum Requirements 1.2.2 Preferred System 1.3 Installation and Authorization Procedure 1.3.1 Installing Cell 1.3.1.1 Installation Instructions 1.3.1.2 Running Cell 1.3.1.3 Authorizing Full Version 1.3.2 Authorizion FAQ 2 Getting Started 2.1 Quick Start Guide 2.1.1 Starting Cell for the first time 2.1.2 Selecting a Video Clip 2.1.3 Adding Effects 2.1.4 Adjusting the Playback 2.1.5 Transitions 2.1.6 Quick Help 2.2 About MIDI 2.2.1 MIDI Setup 2.2.2 MIDI Learn 2.3 Using Media Files 2.3.1 Resolutions 2.3.2 Preparing Content 2.3.2.1 Video 2.3.2.2 Audio 2.3.2.3 Images 2.3.2.4 Codecs Not Recommended 2.4 Saving States 2.5 Livid Block and Ohm64 MIDI Controllers 3 Using the Software 3.1 The Interface 3.1.1 A. The Clip Bank 3.1.2 B. Bank Controls 3.1.2.1 Bank Selection 3.1.2.2 Trigger/ Edit Mode 3.1.2.3 Sequence 3.1.2.4 Crossfade/Cut Mode 3.1.2.5 Clearing a Clip Bank 3.1.3 C. File Browser (Loading the Clip Bank with media) 3.1.3.1 Loading individual files from the browser 3.1.3.2 Loading entire folders from the browser 3.1.4 D. Movie Controls 3.1.5 E. Preview Window 3.1.6 F. Crossfader and Layer Controls 3.1.7 G. Functions Buttons 3.1.8 H. Effects 3.2 Preferences 3.2.1 General 3.2.2 MIDI 3.2.3 Video input 3.2.4 Displays 3.3 Effects Details 3.4 MIDI Learn 3.4.1 Learn Mode 3.5 Video Input 3.6 Presenting Video 3.7 Saving 3.7.1 Save As 3.7.2 Save with Media 3.8 Key Guide 3.9 Extras (DNA only) 3.9.1 More Controls 3.9.2 Networking 3.9.3 Record 3.9.3.1 Recording your output 3.9.3.2 Recording with sound 3.9.4 MultiScreen 3.9.5 ClipSets

Introduction

Welcome to Livid Cell and DNA

Livid Cell is the easiest way to create and perform real-time video on your laptop or desktop computer. Cell is designed for immediate playback and sampling of media files with an easy-to-use interface, easy image control and captions, and a sophisticated video engine for demanding performances. DNA adds a variety of powerful and easy to use effects to Cell, for expressive video performance. If there are any suggestions you have to help us enhance your experience with Cell, please drop by the Livid Support forums at http://blog.lividinstruments.com/forum/ and let us know.

System Requirements

Cell is designed for real-time media playback and manipulation. In general the more video memory and processing speed you have the better Cell will function. While we cannot support all computers and video cards, we have done our best to support a wide range of operating systems and dedicated video cards. We urge you to try the Cell Demo to determine how the program performs on your computer. Below is a list of the minimum requirements to run Cell. While we specify “minimum”, for best performance and recommended systems, please refer to the Livid Support Forums.

For live performance situations, we recommend you turn off all other applications and processes before running Cell including networks, anti-virus programs, and system applications.

Minimum Requirements

Macintosh

• Macintosh G4 800Mhz+
• OS X 10.2 or above
• Video card that supports dual displays
• 512 GB of RAM

Windows

• 1GHz Processor (2GHz+ recommended)
• Windows XP SP3, Vista, or Windows 7
• QuickTime 6+
• Video card that supports OpenGL, dual displays *
• 1 GB RAM
• Java Runtime (installed from http://www.java.com)

Preferred System

• Processor 2ghz or faster
• 2 GB RAM
• Dedicated video card with 512GB of video RAM
• Dedicated hard drives for media files

Installation and Authorization Procedure

To protect our software from piracy, Cell is protected with an anti-piracy registration system. We have made the registration system as simple as possible to ensure ease-of-use, while giving us the protection we need to continue developing quality applications. If you have any problems registering the software, please contact us through our support form.

Installing Cell

If Cell is not authorized, it will run in demo mode, allowing you to thoroughly test the software on your system. Demo mode has all the functionality of the purchased software but has a watermark over the output and limited full-screen output time. By proceeding with the registration with your serial number, the watermark will be removed.

Installation Instructions

1. Install Cell from an installation disc or if you have purchased Cell from our online store, download the installer from http://www.lividinstruments.com/support_downloads.php.
2. 
Double-click on the INSTALL CELL application. 

3. Follow installer instructions

4. After the installer finishes, quit installer and Cell will be located in your Applications folder (Macintosh) or Start folder (Windows)

Running Cell

1. Locate the “Livid Cell” folder in your Applications or Programs folder
2. Double-click on the Cell icon to start the application
3. When the programs starts, sample videos (located in the "CellMedia" folder) will load to get you started. If you have imported your own media files, Cell will open with your files and retain all your settings.

Authorizing Full Version

1. Open the Cell installer by inserting the disc or downloading the full version from http://www.lividinstruments.com/support_downloads.php. Confirm that you have a connection to the Internet.
2. Run the “Install Livid Cell” File
3. Locate the Livid Cell folder in your Applications or program folders.
4. Open the Cell application. A dialog box will ask you to Register.
   
5. Click the Register button. This will take you to our online registration form.
6. Fill in your name, email address and serial number that can be found in your online receipt or on the CD install disc. *note- please use your current email address as your authorization number will also be sent to you via email for your records. We do not sell or share these emails with anyone, and will only be used, if at all, to notify you of a new version of Cell.
   
7. If all of the information from Step 6 is correct, press NEXT. You will then receive your Authorization Key number. Copy this number and past it in the Authorization window in the Cell registration window. This number will also be emailed to the address you supplied for your records. Please keep this number in a safe place, as you may need it in the future if you decide to reinstall it on the SAME computer with a new operating system. This number will only work on the computer you installed the application on. The license allows you to install Cell on three personal computers. Each computer will need a unique Authorization Key number and will need to follow all the steps above.
   

Authorizion FAQ

Can I Install Cell on more then one of my computers?
The license you purchase for Cell allows you to run Cell on one computer at a time. We understand however that many of our users may have multiple computers such as studio desktop and performance laptop, or frequently upgrade their computers so we allow you to register it on three computers. If you need additional registrations you can fill out the request on the registration page requesting additional authorizations.

I registered Cell and received my authorization key, but it doesn’t work on my new laptop.
Each computer with a full installation of Cell will need a unique Authorization Key. This means you will need to register each computer by clicking on the "Register" button after you install it on your computer and follow the authorization instruction. To receive the proper key for your computer you will need to complete the entire registration process. The Authorization Key that you will receive will only work on the computer you registered it with.

Getting Started

This chapter will get you started with Cell and introduce you to some of its basic concepts. We recommend reading this chapter even if you are familiar with other VJ applications to give you a better understanding of the unique features of Cell.

Quick Start Guide

Starting Cell for the first time

The first time you open Cell you will notice the 6x6 grid of 36 video clips in the “Clip Bank”. The Clip Bank is the area of the software interface that contains your video clips and their previews for quick triggering, playback, sequencing, and editing. The clips you first see are included with the program and provide immediate access to the functions and features of Cell.

Selecting a Video Clip

There are three ways to trigger a video clip in Cell.

1. Use your mouse to click on individual clips starting playback and display on the Output and Preview windows.
2. Press the QWERTY keys on your computer’s keyboard to select clips within a Clip Bank row. To change rows that respond to the QWERTY keys, use the 1-6 number keys.
3. Use a MIDI device such as a keyboard, generic MIDI controller, or a Livid controller for a more hands-on approach to presenting live video.

All of Livid’s software products can be completely controlled with MIDI devices, and we urge you to utilize a MIDI device for a more expressive video performance. For more info on MIDI, please visit the MIDI section of the manual.

For additional video clips please visit the Refills store at http://lividshop.com/clips.html, easily reached from the "Refills" link in the top Application menu.

Adding Effects

Cell DNA has over four dozen effects that can be mapped to the knob controls. Simply select an effect from the knob’s popup menu, and turn the knob to activate it. Many effects, depending on their style, can be blended with other effects by leaving the knob only partially turned. If you change the effect assignment of a knob when the knob is turned up, the previous effect will turn off, and the new effect will take its place, using the value of the knob.

Sets of knob assignments can be stored as Effect Presets. You can create up to 32 different sets.

If eight knobs is not enough, you can use the “More Effects” window, accessed in the Extras menu. These provide additional assignable knobs, as well as fixed controls for Contrast, Saturation, Brightness, Speed control, Volume, and Scrub.

Adjusting the Playback

Use Cell’s movie controls to change the direction, speed, loop method and image quality of your videos. Pause and play, slow or fast playback, reverse or forward play, loop on or off, and brightness, contrast, and saturation controls are provided. Advanced settings for these controls can be changed in the preferences.

Transitions

There are two ways to transition from one clip to another when a clip is triggered: "crossfade" or "cut". The default setting is "crossfade" - press the button to change to "cut" mode. The speed of the transition can also be set to a custom time in the General preferences pane. Now that you understand the very basic functionality of Cell, we urge you to read the rest of the manual, and experiment with Cell to discover and understand all of its features and functions.

Quick Help

Cell has a section of the interface called “Quick Help” that will give you basic information about the program and its features while mousing over certain sections of the interface. This information will be displayed directly under Cell logo on the top right of the screen and can be activated by moving your mouse around the interface.

About MIDI

Cell may be controlled with your computer keyboard, track-pad and/or mouse. To get the most out of Cell as a “performance” product however, we urge you to try a MIDI device for playback and manipulation. Almost everything you can control with your mouse in Cell can be mapped to a MIDI device for a more expressive performance. You can control the triggering of clips, turning effects on and off, scrubbing the video playback, switching clip banks, and controlling the output.

MIDI Setup

To set up your MIDI input you will need to refer to your MIDI device manuals and have the proper installers. Most MIDI devices either have a built in USB port or require a MIDI to USB interface. Once you have the proper MIDI device and/or interface installed and connected, start Cell.

1. Make sure your MIDI device and/or interface is connected to the proper USB port on your computer.
2. Connect the MIDI OUT on your device and/or Livid Controller to send MIDI messages to Cell.
   1. OSX: Macintosh OS X has a built in MIDI application called Audio MIDI Setup that gives complete control over your MIDI devices. To locate this application go to Applications/Utilities and click on Audio MIDI Setup. Find your device in the MIDI setup. Please refer the manuals that came with your MIDI device. You may also need to install drivers depending on the device you are using. Only for the more advanced setups would you likely need to visit this application.
   2. WINDOWS: Depending on your MIDI device you may have to install hardware drivers for your device. Generally when you connect a new device through a USB MIDI interface it will be recognized by the operating system and prompt you to install the drivers. Please refer the manuals that came with you MIDI device.
3. To see if Cell recognizes your device, open up the Preferences window and select the MIDI tab. MIDI notes, controllers, and values will be visible in the MIDI Spy section if your system is properly configured.

• For complete MIDI settings please refer to the Advanced MIDI section.

To Select a MIDI Device in Cell

1. Select Configure/Preferences from the application menu, and click on the MIDI tab.
2. Select your MIDI input from the Master Port selection window in the MIDI SPY section

If your MIDI device is not in the not listed in the MIDI port list, you may need to:

• check your AudioMIDI setup
• check your USB connections
• press the “refresh” buttons
• restart Cell

MIDI Learn

MIDI Learn mode makes it easy to assign notes, controller, program changes, or pitch bend to most of Cell's features. Press the MIDI learn button in the main interface to put the software into “listen” mode and allow you to assign MIDI for remote control. While in learn mode, all MIDI-controllable functions are tinted green, and if already assigned a MIDI value, the number will be shown. To assign, click on a control (it will change to yellow), and then send a note, control, pitchbend, or program change to assign it to that control. The number assigned is then displayed. Continue in this manner until you are finished assigning. Click MIDI Learn button again to turn learn mode off.

For more advanced mapping please refer to the Advanced MIDI section.

Using Media Files

To get the most of out Cell, it is important that you prepare your media files. Cell is designed to use QuickTime files including images, audio and video files. In general, Cell can play any file type that QuickTime does. This includes QuickTime movies, DV movies, mp4s, gif, jpeg, bmp, pict, png, flash and shockwave, and audio formats such as aiff, wav, and mp3. Flash movies will play as bitmaps, not vectors, and there is no support for programmed interactivity. Playback and performance will depend on your computer speed and the types of files you are using, this is why it is important to prepare your files before using them in Cell.

Resolutions

Cell supports all video resolutions, however higher resolutions will affect your frame rate and performance. Depending on your cpu speed and output specifications, you may want to test different resolutions and codecs to find out the best combination for you. For live performance, lower resolutions will give you more compositing flexibility with higher frame rates, while higher resolutions can be utilized for simple playback.

Preparing Content

For optimal results we strongly suggest preparing your media in the following video formats and codecs.

Video

PhotoJPEG Given all that flexibility, your best frame rates will occur with movies compressed with a codec that requires little calculation for decompression. PhotoJPEG has become the most common codec used for VJ performance due to its fast decompression and low data rates.

DV DV is the standard video codec for editing applications such as Final Cut Pro and iMovie. Although it is not the most efficient codec choice, it is often convenient, since any clips captured from a DV camera will be in this format. Although Cell can playback DV files quite well, its slow decompression rate is CPU intensive and is generally not recommended for extremely responsive triggering or speed changes is needed.

Sorenson and Cinepak When disk space is a priority, Sorenson or Cinepak may be suitable for playback. While the high compression of these files may take up less disk space, it is good to note that it will require more processor speed to play these files back.

Audio

MP3 For Audio files MP3 is the most widely available format and it is suitable for playback in Cell.

Uncompressed Audio If you plan on playing video files with audio embedded in the .mov file, “uncompressed” is the best setting for your audio.

Images

JPEG JPEG is the best setting for images for playback in Cell. If you plan on using image files within Cell you may need to adjust the size or aspect ratio as Cell will stretch your file to fit the aspect ratio that the application is set to. For example if you have your second monitor output set to 640x480, you will need to adjust your images files to a 4:3 aspect ratio to display properly in your output window.

Codecs Not Recommended

Codecs that use temporal compression such as MPEG, MPEG2, or MPEG4 are not recommended for use in Cell. These codec’s are CPU intensive and lossy, making it bad for playback adjustment, scratching, effects, and overall display quality. However, for simple clip playback, these codecs can be used.

To prepare your clips for playback you should use a compression program such as Media Cleaner, QuickTime Pro, MPEG Streamclip or Apple's Compressor (search the internet for more information about these products). Livid also provides a basic batch compression utility called “Batch Export Utility” to re-compress all of your QuickTime video files at once.

Saving States

When you add to or organize Clip Banks, change MIDI settings, or change Preferences, Cell saves this data as part of the software as its current “state”. This state - all of the settings that you have modified or media files you have added - will reappear every time you open the software. This makes it easy to recall your files and setting each time you use Cell. You can change the settings at anytime, and also “archive” a current state (see Saving).

Livid Block and Ohm64 MIDI Controllers

CellDNA automatically detects and maps to the Ohm64 and Block controllers, providing an instant, hands-on control of your media files. Be sure that your Ohm64 or Block is first plugged into USB, then startup CellDNA. Cell will find the controller on the USB port and automatically map the hardware to the software, requiring no effort to learn the controls. The maps are as follows. Larger versions of these graphics, for easy reference, are located in the Manuals folder of CellDNA:

More information about these controllers can be found on our website: http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_block.php http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_ohm64.php

Using the Software

The Interface

Cell (non DNA) effects:

A The Clip Bank
B Bank Controls
C File Browser
D Movie Controls
E Preview Window
F Crossfader and Layer Controls (DNA only)
G Function Buttons
H Effects (DNA only)

A. The Clip Bank

The Clip Bank is an interactive visual database of all the clips used in the program. There are 64 cells (or clips) in each Clip Bank. Clips can be played back using the mouse, QWERTY keys, and can be assigned to a MIDI controller. There are 32 Clip Banks available in Cell that can be changed using the Clip Bank selector buttons.

The Clip Bank is configured to trigger clips from your computer’s keyboard. You can use the QWERTYUI keys to trigger the clips horizontally and use the “12345678” keys to move up and down rows within the Clip Bank. 
For adding files to the clip bank see File Browser.

B. Bank Controls

Bank Selection

The Clip Bank can be changed with the Clip Bank selection menu or the left-right arrow buttons. The left/right buttons are MIDI assignable.

Trigger/ Edit Mode

Use the Trigger/Edit button to put the Clip Bank in either Trigger or Edit mode. In Trigger mode, you can select or “trigger” the clips instantly by clicking directly on the cell. The orange indicator around the cell indicated the clip currently selected, while the blue indicator shows the active (or “hover state”) of the clip you are about to select. When in Edit mode you can move the clips to different cells within the Clip Bank. To move a clip simple click and drag on the cell you want to move, and drag it to a new location. If you drag a clip to a cell occupied by another clip, the clips will “shift” or move the to right to accommodate the new clip.

Sequence

The sequence button turns on the sequencer within Cell. When highlighted, the clips will play sequentially, starting from the currently playing clip. Note that when you change clip banks, the sequencer will start from the current location in the currently selected bank.

Crossfade/Cut Mode

The Crossfade button allows to you to put Cell in either crossfade or cut mode. When highlighted blue, Cell is in crossfade mode. Clicking from clip to clip will crossfade the video (and/or audio) files. You can specify the length of the crossfade in the general preferences. In cut mode, your files will simply cut from one file to the next. In both cut and crossfade modes, if the crossfader is away from the far left or far right, the automatic cut or crossfade is canceled, leaving the blend intact.

Clearing a Clip Bank

You can clear all clips from the Clip Bank by selecting Options>Clear Clip Bank from the top menu. This will clear all the clips from the currently selected bank.

C. File Browser (Loading the Clip Bank with media)

The File Browser consists of two main areas, the File Browser and Favorites. Use the File Browser to navigate your hard drive(s) and folders, and select files and/or folder to populate the Clip Bank. Use the Browse button to select folders and drives from your computer. Click the folder with up arrow icon to go up a directory. You can also double click on a file to preview playback in a popup window; additionally the small window next to the browse button will show you a thumbnail of clip. Click on th emain interface to close the small preview window.

The Favorites area below the File Browser can be used to bookmark important media folders. To set a bookmark you can drag a folder from the File Browser or Finder/Explorer to set that folder as a bookmark. The default folder that opens on application startup can be set in the General Settings tab in the Preferences window.

Loading individual files from the browser

1. Select your files from the browser
2. Click on the filename to preview the clip
3. Drag the clip into the desired cell in the Clip Bank

Loading entire folders from the browser

1. Select folder in the File Browser
2. Drag the folder onto the desired starting cell in the Clip Bank
3. Use MIDI learn to set the Clip Bank cells to a MIDI note or controller.

D. Movie Controls

The Movie Controls give you control of the currently playing media file. In the top area of the Movie Controls, your current media file’s information is displayed. Information includes the filename, duration, and time remaining. Use the playback controls to play/pause, reverse, loop or play once, slow speed, and fast speed. You can adjust the default speed for fast and slow in the General Settings in Preferences. Use the playback head knob to scrub the file or jump to a new time in the file. Note that image files have default duration of five seconds for use in the sequencer. You can change the settings for stills in the General Setting in Preferences.

The Crossfader will let you mix the current video with the previously played video for blending and quick cuts.

E. Preview Window

The preview window will show you the output in real-time. If you are using an audio file, a Livid logo will be displayed (this can be changed by opening the Mac OS X .app package Contents folder or the support folder in Windows XP, and changing defaultlogo.jpg). E1 - a still frame representing the content on Layer A. E2 - a still frame representing the content on Layer B.

F. Crossfader and Layer Controls

The Crossfader gives you blending control over DNA’s two layers. If the Crossfader is nearly full left or right, then it will move to the opposite side when a new clip is selected. If the “A” button is turned on, then all clip selections will be directed to Layer A, and the Crossfader will remain in its current position. If the “B” button is turned on, then all clip selections will go to the B Layer. When the crossfader is controlled by MIDI, the crossfader will not move until the MIDI value is near the current value of the on-screen crossfader. This keeps the blend from “jumping” when the crossfader and MIDI controller are out of sync.

G. Functions Buttons

Function Buttons can be used for immediate access to essential functions within Cell. Press "Full screen" to present your video output on a second display (or the display specified in Display Preferences). Use the MIDI learn button to activate MIDI learn mode and assign functions to a MIDI device. Use the "video in" button to activate a video input, such as a DV camera (this is specified in the Video Input Preferences). When video in is activated you can use the image controls and effects to change the look of the video input. Pressing "video in" again, or triggering a video clip from the bank, will deactivate the video feed.

H. Effects

DNA comes with over four dozen openGL-based effects to stylize your video clips. Multiple effects may be active at a time, though depending on the settings and the amount of the knob , you may not see all the result of all all effects. Use the knob’s menu to choose an effect that you can activate with the knob. Some effects have additional popup windows that appear when you turn the knob.

Instead of effects, Cell simplifies video mixing on presentation, and offers basic image controls in Bright, Contrast, and Saturation, and a master Volume control. Additionally, to allow for lyrics, public messages, or captions, there is an interface for providing text on top of any video or image displayed.

For details on effects, see Effect Details.

Preferences

Cell’s preferences are located in a preference panel that can be accessed from the Configure>Preferences menu.

General

General preferences provide control over movies setting, the default full screen and the default folder for the File Browser. In the Movie settings panel you can set the speed of the crossfade, the fast and slow speeds in the movie module, the duration that stills appear during a sequence, limit the overall fps and set the master volume for the software.

Use the File Browser default media folder section to specify the default folder that will appear when you first set the program. This is useful if you have a dedicated drive or folder where you store your media.

Use the Full Screen selector to change the screen that you use in conjunction with the full screen function.

The “Slide Display Mode” selector will change the color mode of Cell. Normally, for greater efficiency, Cell uses YUV color sampling, however, this impacts the quality of still images. If you want the best quality, turn Slide Display Mode on, which will change the color sampling to RGB.

MIDI

MIDI Spy lets you monitor your MIDI device’s input and set the port to receive MIDI messages from your MIDI device or interface. If your device does not show up in the menu, try using the refresh button or restarting the program. The MIDI thru port will pass MIDI data from interaction in Cell. This way, the mere act of working in Cell can trigger other events. This is particularly useful when working with controllers such as the Livid Block, Ohm64, Akai APC40, and Novation Launchpad.

MIDI Sync can be used to sync effects to a BPM.

Video input

With a video digitizer, webcam, or a Firewire DV camera, you can easily add effects to a live video streams (or any digitizable source, such as a video cassette). The Video Input preferences allow you specify the settings for your video input. Depending on your device or digitizer you can specify image quality, crop the image and change the resolution.

Displays

The display preferences let you set the RGB values as well as brightness and contrast for connected displays. There are controls to scale (zoom) the output, as well as specifically place size the output window to a given position and size, if you do not want it to simply fill the output window. For example, you may want to stretch the output over two monitor outputs. The “vertical sync” setting reduces the possibility of “tearing” the image when outputting to a monitor or projector. The “anti-aliasing” setting will turn on anti-aliased edges for video cards that support this feature. Some video cards on Windows machines may also need the “doublebuffer” feature turned off to operate properly.

Effects Details

Cell comes with over four dozen OpenGL-based effects to stylize your video clips. Each effect has its own look and function and can be modified by using the effect slider located directly to the right of the effects buttons. To activate an effect on a video clip, image file, or live camera feed press the corresponding effects button. Multiple effects can be used at once, however, different effects will often change what effects show through. Effects that share a name and underscore (such as “scatter_break” and “scatter_slabs”) in the name share the same effect engine, and cannot be blended together. Chromakey, Lumakey, and Feedback all use an alpha channel on the source videos, and cannot be mixed toether.

It is also worth noting that Max/MSP/Jitter users can customize and create new effects. To add an effect patch, in the Mac version, you can ctl-click on the .app icon and select “Show Package Contents.” Navigate to “CellFX” and you will see the max patches that make up the effects. On windows, navigate to the folder that contains the .exe, and go to support/CellFX. Just drop the max patch in that folder and it will appear when you start CellDNA.

bend – bends the video as if projected on the inside of a sphere.
binoculars – creates a twin circle mask, like on shows with private detectives.
burst – video is mapped to a spikey surface that increases in roughness as you turn the knob.
captions – a small window pops up that allows you to type captions onto the video output. For best quality, make sure anti-aliasing is on in the Display Preferences.
chromakey – makes a color of your choice transparent, showing the previously selected video. Just click on the Preview window to select a color. Turning the knob adjust the amount of sensitivity the key has.
explode – creates a burst of tiles with the video on them, rotating and arranging randomly.
extrude – prisms of video pop out, deforming the video with pulsing rectangles.
feedback_0 – using a luminance key, dark areas are make transparent, and the video is feedback on itself for a psychedelic effect.
NOTE: some graphics cards with older drivers, for an as-yet undetermined reason will not display the feedback effect properly. We will continue to investigate.
feedback_1 – feedback is so great, we had to provide multiple versions…
feedback_2
feedback_3
feedback_4
feedback_5
flyby – animates the “camera” in the 3D world, letting you fly around 3D effects. This effect doesn’t do anything for non-3d effects, which may be confusing. But it’s so cool for the 3d effects that we left it in!
freeframe – if you have FreeFrame effects loaded on your computer, you can use the knobs to control different effects and parameters. A popup window appears when you turn this on, letting you select an effect and parameter to alter the video. FreeFrame effects need to be installed in (OSX) <hard drive>:/Library/ApplicationSupport/Freeframe/ or (XP/Vista) <boot drive>:\Program Files\Common Files\Freeframe. If you have a non-english language installation of the OS, the words will be different, for example, in German "C:\Programme\Gemeinsame Dateien\Freeframe"
glitch – warps and breaks the movie randomly.
invert – inverts all colors.
jumbotron_0 – pixelizes the image on large tiles, as if on a very large display.
jumbotron_1 – variant of above.
jumbotron_2 - variant of above.
leds – reduces the image to a matrix of red circles, as if displayed on a low-resolution LED display.
lumakey – makes a brightness level transparent. Turning the knob chooses the brightness level.
melt – warps the image as if looking through a melting piece of glass.
meshtronic – makes a flexible mesh of lines, where the bright areas warp the mesh.
NOTE: due to the differences in graphics cards, there are differences in how the “mx_” effects will display on some machines.
mx_kburns – pan and scan effect.
mx_rotate – rotates the image. The knob will change the speed of rotation.
mx_zoom – zooms out from the image, creating a tiled effect.
metropolis – video is mapped to a city-like surface in which you fly around.
mirror – the left half of the movie is copied and flipped for symmetry.
peu_d'etra – a simple emulation of the classic rutt-etra video effect.
pipes – draws a complex cubic-like structure, colored by the video.
remix – short samples of the video are repeated 4 times, then a new short sample is captured.
ripple – a watery ripple effect.
scatter_break – breaks up the image into tiles.
scatter_slabs – a variation of scatter.
scatter_slicer - a variation of scatter.
scatter_strip - a variation of scatter.
scatter_vert - a variation of scatter.
scatter_zoom - a variation of scatter.
sphere – video is mapped onto a rotating sphere.
spots – three circles scan and mask the video.
tag – a random line is drawn, as if a fat tip pen is “revealing” the video.
tiles – video is broken into squares and randomized.
tint_darks – tint the dark areas with different colors.
tint_duo – duo tone color effect.
tint_whites – tint the white areas with different colors.
twine – a ribbon of twine is drawn in 3D space and rotated.
warp – video is mapped to the inside of a rectangular prism and stretched.
zeerocks – a harsh black and white effect.

MIDI Learn

Cell takes advantage of the possibilities that MIDI has to offer by fully integrating MIDI messages into its interface. MIDI liberates the user from a computer keyboard and mouse replacing them with the more appropriate interfaces of MIDI controllers. To fully utilize MIDI, you must first understand the different types of MIDI messages. The most popular MIDI message you will need to know about are continuous controller (or cc) and note messages. Note messages generally correspond to the notes on the keyboards keys or buttons on keypads (some buttons also send out cc messages). The other message type that you will need to understand is the cc message and its corresponding controller data.

The controller number is the number of the physical controller that can be a knob, slider, or foot pedal. Each controller number will send out variable controller data generally ranging from 0-127. For instance most volume knobs or sliders on a keyboard is controller number 7. When the slider is at the bottom or the lowest level the controller value is 0, when it is all the way up or at the highest level the Controller Data is 127. The numbers in between 0 and 127 make up the variations of volume levels. Both types of MIDI messages can be assigned to almost any parameter within Cell.

MIDI learn allows you to remote control Cell by providing you with an easy way to map external controllers to almost any function within Cell. To configure your MIDI device or Livid controller to be used in Cell you must first follow the connecting a MIDI device section above.

Learn Mode

Press the MIDI learn button in the main interface to enter learn mode. When in MIDI learn mode you will notice certain areas of the interface have green boxes or red numbers around it: this is called the “learn” state. When you press on any of the learn state buttons on the item that you want to map to a MIDI function it will turn yellow, also know as “listen” mode. When in listen mode the software will listen for a MIDI message, allowing you to easily map a control to a function. Moving a slider or knob, or pressing a button or key will enable the map for that function. When the function is assigned you will see the MIDI note or CC number attached to that function. For example if you wanted to map a knob to the fade to black knob in the software you would press MIDI learn, press the fade to black knob in the software and move your controller’s knob. This would enable that knob to control the fade to black. Individual Clip Bank cells can also be assigned to individual MIDI notes or controller numbers. Once you deactivate MIDI learn mode your MIDI mapping takes immediate effect.

It is good to note that learn for the Clip Bank and the functions (everything but the Clip Bank) interact differently. When you initiate learn mode, these areas act as separate entities. You can assign the same MIDI note to both a clip and a function, and you cannot select a function before deselecting a note and vice versa.

MIDI settings are always saved in their last state when quitting the program and can be archived by archiving a project.

Video Input

Using a video digitizer, USB or Firewire webcam, or a Firewire DV camera, you can easily add effects to a live video streams (or any digitizable source, such as a video cassette).

To access the video input options you need to open the Preferences and select video input. The video in digitizer contains controls for selecting the input source and has a list of digitizing devices. If you only have a DV camera connected to your computer's firewire (1394) port, then there will only be one item in this menu - DV Video. If you have other digitizers, such as a PCI-based video card or USB digitizer, you will see these in the menu as well. The second menu is the list of inputs available for a given digitizer. If you have a DV camera and a Firewire webcam (such as a Unibrain Fire-i, Apple iSight, or Orange Micro iBot) attached, you will have two inputs - DV Video and IIDC Video. Choose DV Video for the DV camera, or IIDC for the webcam. Usually, you can switch between cameras and digitizers quite seamlessly, so multiple camera angles are possible for a live performance.

Just below the digitizer panel there is a preview window where you can preview your video input. If the Digitizer is on (activate it by pressing the on button next to the input menu), you will see at least a still frame preview of any attached and active video device.

The Crop Input area of the video in Preferences allows you to crop the video input. Image Quality allows you to change the color and image quality of the video input. Not all digitizers support these controls.

To use the Video in for your output, click on the Video In button in the main interface. All effects can be used with the video input to manipulate the live feed. Although there are a variety of camera types that Cell will recognize, the best frame performance and lowest latency will be achieved with IIDC uncompressed FireWire video streams. Cameras such as the Unibrain fire-i, OrangeMicro iBot, and apple iSight provide this type of input. Products exist that will convert an analog video signal to IIDC video - search IIDC firewire uncompressed conversion on the Internet for more information. DV Cameras provide a compressed stream of video.

Presenting Video

Cell is designed to be a real-time video presentation and effects tool. Ultimately this will mean that you are probably using it for presentation with some kind of projector, display, LED wall, or video presentation device. There are a few things you may want to consider before simply pressing the “fullscreen” button to present your video.

If you have followed all the steps above you have probably prepared your media, setup you display preferences, adjusted the color settings, and tested your video input. If you have not done all of this, now would be the time to do it. While pressing the fullscreen button may work in most settings, depending on the computer, video input, presentation device, and video interface you may need to go back and change a few settings in the preferences, or in your system settings to get the best possible playback and performance from Cell.

Saving

Cell will save all of your MIDI settings, Clip Banks and preferences every time you make a change, so in general there is no need to “save” a project. Cell does however give you two options to save projects, “save as” and save with media.

Save As

You can use the Save As from the file menu to save copies of project to recall later. Cell projects will save as with the .lcp extension, which stands for Livid Cell Project. This option is particularly useful if you have files associated with different projects or uses. Saving As will save your clip locations, MIDI setting and preferences to recall at a later time. To open a saved project choose File>Open from the open menu after you open the Cell application. Note that this will not save your media files, so if you move your media files to a different folder or harddrive, or change the name of any folders, you will need to reload them into the project.

Save with Media

You can also archive a project to move to another computer for later use. Use the “Save with Media” option under the file menu to save your project setting and media in one central location. Make sure you have enough drive space to do this, as video can take many gigabytes of your drive!

Key Guide

Extras (DNA only)

DNA has an additional top menu called Extras. The items in this menu extend the functions of DNA with extra controls. Users of Max/MSP can easily add their own extras to this menu, following similar steps as adding effects (please refer to section "Effect Details"). The only difference is that patches go into the “Extras” folder, rather than “CellFX.”

More Controls

Provides additional knobs for control of basic video and image functions, plus eight more programmable effect knobs. All knobs can be MIDI learned, expanding your hardware control.

Networking

Provides controls for remote control of other computers running DNA over a local-area or wide-area network. Use the “Fetch” buttons to seek out other computers in your local network that are running DNA. This will populate the selection menu, so you can select a machine to send the commands, such as play/pause, fullscreen, clip selection, or effect controls. Use “broadcasthost” to send commands to ALL machines simultaneously. For Networking to function properly, you need to make sure that your local network and computers will allow messages on the port specified in the Network interface, which is 8000 by default. If you want to control a computer on a wide area network, you need to make sure that the router ports are open and forwarded to the proper computer on the network. Visit http://www.portforward.com/ for more information on what that means! NOTE: Many network security systems will warn you that DNA is trying to connect to a network. This is a safe operation.

Record

The record function provides a utility to record a performance, exporting it to a Quicktime Movie file. All recordings are set to a user defined size and frame rate, and no frames are dropped during recording. It is worth noting that you need to specify the FPS (frame per second) in the recording preferences to the FPS of your source media. Failure to set the proper FPS may result in file being recorded too fast or slow.

Recording your output

1. Press the browse button to select a destination folder for your recordings. If this section is skipped your recordings will be saved into the same folder as the CellDNA application
2. Use the recording preferences for specifying settings such as compression, size, timer and record mode.
3. Press the record button and to start the recording process.
4. When you are done recording, press the record button again to stop.

It is worth noting that your recording performance will be faster if you record when not in fullscreen mode. When in fullscreen mode, you can increase performance by reducing the resolution of your second screen output monitor.

Recording with sound

The small speaker button turns on sound recording. When record with sound is enabled, this turns on a system in which audio from video files is copied and decompressed into a cache folder, when the video is played. This allows the audio from clips to route into the recording. The other thing this does is switch the recording preference to realtime mode, rather than render mode. This process can be a bit cumbersome, especially for longer files and video with compressed audio. We recommend using uncompressed audio in your clips as a result. This decompression only happens the first time you play a video. After that, the cache file for that video is permanently available on that computer. As a result, you may want to do some prep work before hand and manually trigger each file with audio (or just turn on sequencer!) so the audio can be properly cached, and the recording and playback will be more precise. If for some reason you need to free up harddrive space, since, with a lot of clips, this cache could get several GB in size, you can manually delete the cache files. The uncompressed audio files are located at: OSX: /<username>/Library/Application Support/Cycling '74/spigot-cache/ Windows: C:/Documents and Settings/Owner/Local Settings/Application Data/Cycling '74/ spigot-cache/ so you can just navigate there and delete as desired.

MultiScreen

Divides the output window into multiple sections, and provides an interface allowing you to direct movie selections to different screens.

ClipSets

Store and recall sets of clips in the clip banks. It is similar to "Save" or "Save As," but ignores all other settings, such as MIDI and Preferences.