Description
Hardware specs
Additional applications
FAQ
Video tutorials

MagicSoft CG – production and broadcast character generator and graphics software

Broadcast quality

MagicSoft CG has a GPU-based rendering engine that supports all SD, HD and 4K modes. The graphics are 24 bit (TrueColor) with an 8 bit alpha channel (256 transparency levels). De-interlacing and anti-flicker display options guarantee the proper output of images and live video.
The engine offers Antialiasing for TrueType and OpenType fonts and Anisotropic filtering for images by using the GPU.

3D working environment (without layers limitation)

The objects can be animated by moving, rotating and changing color and transparency and can be dynamically moved on the z-axis eliminating the limitations of the layer oriented programs. Rendering for both Preview and On Air is done in the GPU, so a powerful CPU is not required. A key-frame concept is used to describe the characteristics in time of an object and can be used to interpolate previous-mentioned characteristics in the time intervals between key-frames.

Scripting and Automation

MagicSoft CG supports scripting which can make it possible to run an application like SMS to TV. The TCP/IP protocol allows you to control the displaying and content of a project.

Features of latest MagicSoft CG

          support for 4K video modes
          support for up to 4 simultaneous inputs
          support for Decklink or NDI inputs
          option for NDI output as RGBA
          64-bit application
          implemented a new blending mode that improves the look of the highly transparent pictures / rectangles and eliminates the black contour of the white text
          sharing rendering buffer to be keyed by MagicSoft Playout (so using a Decklink for MagicSoft CG card is not mandatory )
          on the fly lossless compression of the textures
          possibility to play clips covering a wide variety of codecs and containers ( like H264, Quicktime png or tga with alpha etc )
          lower CPU consumption for live capturing
          support for OpenType fonts
          support for GPU accelerated text rasterization (by using Direct2D)
          improved “2D text fit” feature for Arabic text
          kerning support for GPU accelerated 2D text items
          autofit with kerning support
          implemented “text-justify” as an option for text fit feature
          possibility to adjust the distance between rows of text
          improved preview dialog of the image selection
          improved user interface for PC monitors with lower resolutions
          support for latest Decklink and Intensity drivers
          manager application with watch-dog and email reporting
          extended logging

The CG can be used as a solution for news allowing simultaneous management of Live input, Lower Thirds and Tickers.

The Roll project can be easily previewed during the editing of multiple rows. The content can be changed dynamically.

The TCP/IP protocol can be used for controlling the CG from another application. For example a specialized application for soccer.

The Lower Third project is very flexible and can be easily used for managing the promo or self-promo events.

Televoting and interactive games can be implemented by using scripting, TCP/IP control or both of them.

The Script project can be combined with animated smileys for producing hourly weather presentations.

Third -party software

Scoreboard OCR recognizes digits from physical scoreboard and sends them to MagicSoft CG.

     Recognize any digits for any sport
          (match clock, score, fouls, penalties, shot clock, etc)
     Read scoreboard using capture devices, NDI, SRT, etc
     Recognize symbols (timeouts, fouls, serve directions, etc)
     Capture two scoreboards (main basketball scoreboard and shot clock)
     Auto invert functionality

The following configurations are based on Intel motherboards ( socket 1151 / 2011 / 2066 / 3647 ).

The list of compatible hardware is open. The hardware vendors update their systems on a regular basis and it is difficult to evaluate every new system that comes to market.
The most important thing to consider is that the Decklink or Intensity card must be compatible with the motherboard and the rest of your system. Our software will work for sure if the systems are configured correctly.

The supported operating systems are : Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10/ 11 and Windows Server 2012 / 2016 ( only the 64-bit OS version works ).

4K configurations
CPU Socket	MotherBoard	Processor	RAM Memory	Video Card	Blackmagic Card
Socket 3647	SuperMicro	Intel with 8 core or better	6 X 8 GB	nVidia GTX 1070 or newer 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink Pro 4K/8K Decklink Extreme 12G / Decklink Extreme 4k
Socket 2066 chipset x99	Gigabyte Asus SuperMicro	Intel with 6 core or better	4 X 8 GB	nVidia GTX 1070 or newer 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink Pro 4K/8K Decklink Extreme 12G / Decklink Extreme 4k
Socket 2011-v3 chipset x99	Gigabyte Asus SuperMicro	Intel with 4 core or better	4 X 8 GB	nVidia GTX 1070 or newer 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink Pro 4K/8K Decklink Extreme 12G / Decklink Extreme 4k

HD configurations
CPU Socket	MotherBoard	Processor	RAM Memory	Video Card	Blackmagic Card
Socket 1151	Gigabyte ASUS MSI	Intel Core i7	2 X 4 GB	nVidia GTX 970 or newer 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink 4K / Pro 4K / Pro 8K / Extreme 4k / Duo 2 / Quad 2
Socket AM4	Gigabyte ASUS MSI	AMD Ryzen 7 or better	2 X 4 GB	nVidia GTX 970 or newer 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink 4K / Pro 4K / Pro 8K / Extreme 4k / Duo 2 / Quad 2
Socket 2011-v3 chipset x99	Gigabyte Asus SuperMicro	Intel with 4 core or better	4 X 4 GB	nVidia GTX 970 or newer 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink Pro 4K/ Pro 8K / Extreme 4k / Duo 2 / Quad 2
Socket 2066 chipset x99	Gigabyte Asus SuperMicro	Intel with 6 core or better	4 X 4 GB	nVidia GTX 1070 or better 4GB (or more) DDR5	DeckLink Pro 4K/ Pro 8K / Extreme 4k / Duo 2 / Quad 2

SD configurations
CPU Socket	MotherBoard	Processor	RAM Memory	Video Card	Blackmagic Card
Socket 1151	Gigabyte ASUS MSI	Intel Core i5	2 X 4 GB	nVidia GTX 750 or newer	DeckLink SDI / Studio / Duo 2 / Quad 2
Socket AM4	Gigabyte ASUS MSI	AMD Ryzen 5 or better	2 X 4 GB	nVidia GTX 750 or newer	DeckLink SDI / Studio / Duo 2 / Quad 2

Extra Keyboard

This application allows you to map multiple commands on each button in order to manage projects and the content of the text and images. A powerful wizard will help you to make this only by mouse clicking. This application also supports X-Key external keyboard.

RSS

With our RssToTxt program you can manage the news from an RSS feed and by saving it as Unicode text files you can display them using a ticker project. The latest version adds some function to find and replace strings, convert upper/lower.

GPI

GPIClient converts a serial port to a GPI IN device. Commands can be mapped for contact on and contact off separately.

• What are the primary benefits of MagicSoft CG?

MagicSoft CG creates a 3D working environment using a GPU based 3D engine with low requirements for the processor and the rest of the PC.

• Are MagicSoft CG products available in analog and serial digital input/output?

Yes. MagicSoft CG works with all Decklink cards in Keying mode and , as an example, with Decklink Studio you can have SDI input and composite/YUV output.

• How about licensing?

MagicSoft CG SD is the basic license and allows you to work with unlimited tickers, logo, lower thirds, clock plus scripting for SMS games and UTF-8 TCP/IP protocol.
The HD or 4K options can be purchased from the start or as an upgrade. The license is bound in a dongle USB key , so you can move it to another computer without problems.

• MagicSoft CG offers a preview while having a project On Air?

Yes. You can preview and adjust projects on your computer screen before sending them On Air.

• Do MagicSoft CG products support external commands?

Yes. We have a very flexible TCP/IP protocol that allows you to control the content and status of the projects.

• There is support for animations in MagicSoft CG?

Yes. The animation concept works on text, animated sequences, clock, lower thirds.
MagicSoft CG offers a system of keyframes that is applied for movement, rotation, color and transparency ( please see the pdf tutorial from installer).

• For a longer image sequence there is a possibility to compress the images?

Yes. The images are compressed on the fly and the .dds compression is supported and has a 4:1 compress ratio. In the installer package, there is an additional program for converting .tga to .dds.
The .ddsx2 format allows you a much better quality but the compression is 2:1

• How many more layers/objects can MagicSoft CG sustain?

      MagicSoft CG is not limited to working with layers.
      Being a fully 3D environment with ortho projection it gives you the possibility to move the items on the z-axis as well.
      As for performance , for 4K @ 50 you need an nVidia 1070 card and an Intel i7 processor for having 3-4 tickers with animated smileys, several lower-thirds and rolls and as many graphic sequences that are allowed by the GPU RAM capacity.

Video tutorials for CG
Installing and requirments
Basic concepts
Working with text and rectangles
Working with images and rtf
Working with digital and analog clock
Working with live-input and sound wav
Working with the timeline
Working with a lower-third project
Working with a ticker project
Working with the timer project
Working with the playout project
Working with a script project