Output Identity; Texture Size (Width And Height); Object (3D) Effects; Texture Effects - PRG MBOX User Manual

Output Identity

Mbox v4 currently does not use the concept of output identities that was used in Mbox v3.x. Every output of a server
can be viewed and edited separately within the Mbox application, and the projection settings of each output can be
adjusted in Mbox Remote.
For purposes of main/backup operation, overall server identities may be introduced in future versions.

Texture Size (Width and Height)

Mbox v4 no longer needs to have the texture size values manually entered in advance. The "texture size" for each layer
is dynamically adjusted on the fly.

Object (3D) Effects

The majority of the object effects remain in Mbox v4. Some have been removed – Specular Highlight, Allegiance,
AutoCrop. The AutoCrop effect's functionality has been replaced by mixes and the mix selection and mix mode
parameters on every layer. Meaning that an effect no longer has to be used to get the same result.
The Texture scale, rotate, and x/y position effects do not work in Mbox v4.0 but should be included in a future version.

Texture Effects

Mbox v4 keeps all the same texture (2D) effects as Mbox v3.x [except for a couple that are broken in El Capitan] but the
numbering of effects has been changed to group similar effects. Additionally, the majority of the effects have received
some enhancements made possible by the addition of three effect modifier parameters for each effect, giving a total of
five per effect. Where possible, effects now have a Mix parameter that allows the effect to be blended in, rather than just
on or off as in Mbox v3.x.
CAUTION! Some effects may take a while (2-3 seconds) to load the first time they are used. This appears to be due to
delays in the OS. As a safety workaround, it may be necessary to create some pre-show cues that turn on the effects in
order to preload them. Alternately, load the effect onto a background layer or a layer with opacity of 0 prior to using it on
a visible layer.
CAUTION! Loading some effects may cause a brief click or pop in audio output. As with the previous warning above,
preloading the effect is a valid work around.

Timecode Input

Mbox v4 allows an audio input (for timecode) directly into the application. Previously, Mbox v3.x required the use of the
TC Reader application or Mbox Remote to receive timecode audio and send that to Mbox over the network. The Mbox
application is now able to recognize and automatically compensate for the rate of the incoming timecode.
TC Reader and Mbox Remote are still able to perform the task of receiving timecode and broadcasting it to the Mbox
application over the network. This will continue to work for some timecode formats (a notable exception is 29.97ndf).
However the recommended practice for Mbox v4 is to input audio directly into the application as this will apply the
correct compensation for all timecode formats.
The timecode input preference allows for the selection of the input device and the input channel on that device. The
selected device does not have to be the same as the default audio input device selected in the System Prefs.
Note: The Mbox v4 application now supports timecode hours beyond 23:29:59:29. While times above 23 aren't officially
kosher, situations have come up where a show uses times beyond 24 hours. Mbox v4 allows times up to 39:59:59:29.
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