Greenscreen in DSLPro 5

[sdonn]

Hi there. I am using the green screen function and have selected the "confirm before printing" option. This saves a copy of the "confirmed" photos in the "prints" folder. If I select "save a copy of the green screen photo" it also places a copy of the photo in a "greenscreen" folder, but it greenscreens it.

The problem I have is that the "prints" folder also contains the green screened photo. I need this folder to just have the raw photo in it and for some reason it is saving a greenscreened one.
Any idea why?

[Chris Breeze]

The prints folder is used to save a JPEG copy of the printed output and this will have the green screening applied. The original photos before green screening are saved in the parent folder.

[sdonn]

Thanks for that. Can I ask why it creates a duplicate greenscreened image in a separate "greenscreen" folder too?

It would be more helpful if the "prints" folder had the non green screen photo in it as I am currently using this folder to forward on any camera shots that I want printed, to the green screen software. I only want to use photos in the "print" folder as its there where only authorised photos are put. The parent folder keeps all the photos, whereas I would like to use the ones that the user confirms they want printed (by pressing print on the kiosk screen).
So, when the photo is taken and the visitor presses "yes, print it", then it forwards the photo to the green screen pic over to that software. Currently it already green screens it before it passes it over which obviously isnt good.
Does that make any sense?

[apples]

You don't need to use the 'greenscreen function' in the breeze software. The way you are doing it, just use breeze normally, then use your own greenscreen software on the 'prints' folder.

[sdonn]

I do have to. Because I am using the live view window, and green screening the live view background so the guests can see what the superimposed background is, it automatically greenscreens everything in the 'prints' folder.

[apples]

ok, yes, you will need the gs function to see it on the screen in live view. I
Don't think there is a way round what you want to do, let's see what Chris says tomorrow. I don'T think what you are after is needed by anyone else - we are all happy using the Breeze gs funcionality to create the 'prints' with the gs on them and I doubt if many others are using another software to do this.

[Chris Breeze]

Thanks for that. Can I ask why it creates a duplicate greenscreened image in a separate "greenscreen" folder too?
This is useful if you want to run a slideshow of the individual prints, to make larger prints of the photos after the event or to use Hotfolder Prints to email the images, reformat the layout for a slideshow etc.


It would be more helpful if the "prints" folder had the non green screen photo in it as I am currently using this folder to forward on any camera shots that I want printed, to the green screen software. I only want to use photos in the "print" folder as its there where only authorised photos are put. The parent folder keeps all the photos, whereas I would like to use the ones that the user confirms they want printed (by pressing print on the kiosk screen).
So, when the photo is taken and the visitor presses "yes, print it", then it forwards the photo to the green screen pic over to that software. Currently it already green screens it before it passes it over which obviously isnt good.
Does that make any sense?
You could run a script which reads the XML status file and copies the original images to the prints subfolder if the user selects "print". The script could be run using the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\BreezeSystems\DSLRRemot ePro\100\PhotoboothStatusCmdXML
The photobooth_log.ahk script on this page uses a similar technique and probably wouldn't be difficult to adapt to copy the original photos to the prints subfolder:
http://www.breezesys.com/articles/photobooth6.htm

[Woodster74]

This is useful if you want to run a slideshow of the individual prints, to make larger prints of the photos after the event or to use Hotfolder Prints to email the images, reformat the layout for a slideshow etc.


You could run a script which reads the XML status file and copies the original images to the prints subfolder if the user selects "print". The script could be run using the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\BreezeSystems\DSLRRemot ePro\100\PhotoboothStatusCmdXML
The photobooth_log.ahk script on this page uses a similar technique and probably wouldn't be difficult to adapt to copy the original photos to the prints subfolder:
http://www.breezesys.com/articles/photobooth6.htm

Why are you using a separate Green screen application? Why not just use the GS functionality in the photo booth app?

[sdonn]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will have a look at the script option. I need to export to another application as the one in dslr pro is not advanced enough for my application and does not give good enough results for professional use unfortunately.

[Chris Breeze]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will have a look at the script option. I need to export to another application as the one in dslr pro is not advanced enough for my application and does not give good enough results for professional use unfortunately.
The green screening is optimized for speed rather than quality so that it is fast enough to display the green screened images in the live view. The quality is good enough for small photo booth sized prints and isn't really intended for larger prints.

[apples]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will have a look at the script option. I need to export to another application as the one in dslr pro is not advanced enough for my application and does not give good enough results for professional use unfortunately.

Well sdonn, there's hundreds using it for commercial purchases with no problems. Even when we get 6x4 reprint orders of individual photos we just use the image produced by Breeze and don't re-chromakey the greenscreen photo.

[sdonn]

Yes, Im sure the program is fine for a lot of peoples needs, however by using an external dedicated green screen program you get a much better keying, plus special effects to make the images look more real, i.e. shadows, edge effects that take the surrounding background colours and adjust the image so that it looks like the subject is actually being influenced by background colours and lighting. These sorts of features make the images indistinguishable from reality. Im sure even Breeze Systems would recognise that dedicated software would give superior green screening that some need. That is why their magnificent software enables the ability to pass through to other green screening software.

[PhotoJames]

I have to agree with Apples. I've been doing a lot of green screen lately. Did an event outside today with my Plein Air (kiosk style) booth and the results were absolutely fantastic. Yes you could probably do better if you were keying them afterwards. But having the ability to see the background and any overlays is absolutely necessary for the events that I do.

Just keep practicing with it and learn the nuances of your lighting. Lighting is absolutely key (no pun intended) to getting great results. I've heard of people using additional lights for the background to make sure that it is even all the way across, not always necessary, but probably worth investigating.

Good luck.