ETC Unison Mosaic MediaManager v1.0.3 - Manual (Page 27)

Media Slot Anatomy
Media Slot Anatomy
The media slots that you create in Unison Mosaic Designer have three user-modifiable time elements: the slot
Length, Fade in time and Release time. Adjusting these parameters will affect the output of media slots. Some
applications may require fixed fade times for all slot content while others may want to have these times flexible
and set via MediaManager. Each scenario is discussed below:
Typical Slot Usage
When a media slot is created in Designer you select an overall Length. When the same media slot is added to a
timeline you can add Fade in and Release timing as with any preset. Close attention should be paid to these time
settings as you begin to add media to your slots in MediaManager.
Below is a graphical example of a 10 second media slot that has been given a 2 second fade in and a 2 second
release time. Notice that the release time occurs after the slot duration has been reached - you should always
place enough media on a slot to cover the duration & release time.
For example, you could add a 6 second video followed by a 6 second 2D Matrix preset. The two clips total 12 sec-
onds, equalling the duration plus the release time of the slot. When this slot is played on an MSC the media will
start immediately but full brightness won’t be achieved until the 2 second fade completes. When the duration of
10 seconds has been reached the slot’s 2 second release will begin and complete at the 12 second mark.
Note: the transition between the effects is set in Dynamic Media Manager and will output as simulated.
Note: Filling a slot completely provides the best playback results when media slots interact with other timeline
elements.
Alternate Slot Usage
Another approach is to allow MediaManager to govern all fade and release timing. When adding a media slot to a
timeline, set both fade and release times to 0 seconds. This allows you to customize the fades when placing
media on the slots within MediaManager. The example below offers similar playback as the example above,
except the fade in and release times are set in MediaManager. During playback, fade and release timings happen
within the confines of the slot’s duration. The only drawback to this approach is that the transition to another time-
line element will snap through black, rather than crossfading.
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