Features
2D and 3D Text
Electronic character generation is both an art form and science that has been advanced and refined over several decades. XPression takes full advantage of this development and delivers superb text quality in 2D and 3D in almost any written language. Thanks to XPression’s support for TrueType, OpenType and Type 1 fonts, font choices are limitless.
Materials and Textures
Delivering a great looking design requires the combination of a variety of elements into XPression templates. The Material Editor allows textures, images, and reflection maps to be layered and combined in a highly flexible fashion. It is easy to blend multiple textures such as video clips, images or live inputs which can then be applied to any object such as text, quads, 3D primitives and meshes from imported 3D models to achieve complex, sophisticated looks.
XPression’s powerful Materials Manager supports the import of a variety of industry standard file types such as Adobe Photoshop files. Materials can be organized in a variety of ways giving the user easy access to any material.
3D Models
XPression provides the user with a set of 3D primitives that can be used in building cool 3D designs. XPression excels in its ability to import 3D models from popular design tools like 3D Studio Max. These models are imported intact, with groups, pivots and materials from the original model. XPression allows the user to animate, resize and re-skin all of these elements.
Object Based
Each element in XPression, graphical or not, is an object with certain properties and features. This design makes it easy to efficiently reuse assets like materials and fonts by assigning them to different objects. Objects can be organized in groups. Properties can be animated and each object can be automatically named. The scene’s object manager makes keeping track of objects very easy.
Animation Controller
What could be easier than creating animations by dragging and dropping the objects? XPression’s keyframed animations are created exactly that way. Create elegant looking animations using one or multiple individually timed animation segments, which we call AnimContoller.
Scene Director
Each scene in a project comes with its own track-based timeline, called the Scene Director. Using the scene director, one can visually schedule, composite and reuse animation, video, audio, effects, materials and clips.
The Scene Director makes it a breeze to crossfade any clip in your scene by simply dragging and dropping the clip items onto the desired position in the director’s timeline controllers.
Sound Effects & Voice-Overs
Timing is essential when working with sound effects. XPression’s Scene Director provides multiple audio tracks and allows frame accurate control over your sound effects and voice-overs. XPression is able to output sound effects embedded with the SDI video stream as well as on discrete AES digital outputs. Creating teasers could not be easier.
Continuous Animations
Continuous animations can be used to move elements or entire groups within a scene without keyframing. Multiple tracks can be combined to create complex motion paths. This easy to use animation technique is additive to the traditional keyframing method and is often used to create more dynamic scenes or to draw attention to certain details in the design.
Virtual Cameras
XPression’s virtual perspective and orthogonal cameras provide a powerful yet easy method to view and animate templates in a variety of ways not possible with a static front-view camera. You can set up as many different virtual cameras as your design requires and animate them using XPression’s powerful keyframe animations.
Standard & High Definition
Out of the box XPression software is SD and HD enabled. XPression comes with presets for the most commonly used video formats including SD and HD formats, PAL, NTSC, interlaced or progressive. Additional presets can be added and configured for custom video formats and resolutions. Switching formats is instant.
Chroma Keyer
The integrated real-time vector based chroma keyer completes a very cost-effective set of tools for creating eye-catching virtual studio productions. Using the color-picker, you can simply select the color to be keyed before fine-tuning its parameters. Multiple chroma keyers can be used within a single scene. Thanks to the algorithm used, keying of transparent objects is no problem.
Live Inputs and Screen Captures
Using live inputs as part of a design is an everyday task. XPression lets you apply live input sources to any object and animate the result in real-time. Without the use of external scaler equipment you can even output live websites to any 2D or 3D object’s surface thanks to window capture functionality.
Smart GPI
In addition to the traditional GPI functionality, XPression can be configured to use Smart GPIs. Smart GPIs enable the execution of more advanced actions like clearing framebuffers or taking specific sequencer items online or offline. This is done using simple commands via either RS-232 or TCP/IP.
Fast sequencer recall
Traditional character generator operation has not been forgotten. XPression supports the “page number” recall method. Operators can quickly recall sequencer Take Items by entering the Take Item’s numeric ID on the keyboard’s number keypad. Take Items can be auto-renumbered and grouped according to the show’s workflow or script.
Sequencer
XPression’s segmented sequencer delivers a clear overview of your playlist. Flexibility is an essential part of every live production and the sequencer allows you to add and remove Take Items freely by dragging and dropping them into the sequencer, while continuing the playback of other Take Items. XPression’s template based workflow enables you, during airtime, to replace content and modify parameters that have been published. The rest of the template remains locked, ensuring look and brand consistency.
A unique feature of XPression is the ability to run segments via automation while manually controlling other segments of the same sequence. This offers the benefit of flexibility in getting what you want on the air.
TrueD! Stereoscopic output
Providing the audience with a 3D experience is a powerful way to stay in the lead. XPression is equipped with all the necessary tools to give your graphics a spectacular 3D look. XPression can provide lineby- line, side-by-side multi-channel and anaglyphic based 3D output – in other words TrueD!.
Package & Deploy
In addition to the traditional file based project hierarchy, XPression supports single file packages. These packages can be created from any project and are an easy and reliable way to archive or move projects. Packages provide an efficient method to deploy a project to a different workstation or location and will ensure all necessary files are available to successfully load the project.
Object Oriented
Automation API Your programmers will love XPression’s powerful and easy to use API. The COM based API allows a choice of programming in C++, C#, Visual Basic, VB.net, Delphi or other COM or .NET programming language. Through XPression’s API, it is easy to create a powerful application to dynamically load projects, recall templates, build score boards, start and update rolls and crawls and more.
XPression’s API environment incorporates a non breaking debug monitor. This is a real time saver. It automatically informs users of common mistakes like “index out of range” and “resource X not found” errors. This provides direct feedback without disrupting or crashing your application and means less searching for bugs and more productive coding.
From simple logo triggering to complex touch screen monitor control, the XPression API provides a powerful tool set to get the job done. XPression’s unique SimulDrive™ feature enables automation to be used simultaneously while modifying the automated scenes in the scene designer, providing instant feedback. In XPression, automation and manual, last minute changes work together, hand in hand.
Datalinq™ Data Integration
XPression’s DataLinq feature makes template data integration very easy. DataLinq provides a simple way to connect to multiple data sources such as: XML, ODBC databases, RSS feeds, Excel spreadsheets, the NFL GSIS system and more. Once the data source is connected, text fields, images and video clips can be automatically driven by changes in the data source. Stock market data, weather information, sports statistics, news headlines and other types of data and graphics can update on air directly via DataLinq.
.NET Based Scripting
XPression comes equipped with a .NET based scripting system. This system can be used to create dynamic templates that conditionally handle data or animation based on conditions within a template. There are a wide variety of applications for this such as moving a branding logo when a lower third is brought onscreen. It is also useful in making customized data driven behaviors like triggering an animation when a piece of data hits a certain threshold, changing a color or animating a bar chart.
Customer Downloads
Brochure