Qlab able to read scope and execute based on settings

[Morte615]

Quick setup, we have an outside feed coming in that during commercial breaks goes to black. The truck is not willing to send us a tag or anything so we sit on black, sometimes as long as 10 minutes!
We have very little time and can't go out and purchase hardware but we have a bunch of macs with Qlab installed.

So what we were thinking was if it is possible to use Qlab to read a scope so whenever the screen is more than 25% black Qlab would switch to a standby graphic, or text, and when it drops below 25% it would go back to feed.
Is this possible, and if so is there a scope program for Mac that could work with Qlab?
Any other suggestions using software that could automate a switch? Also anyone know of a hardware device that would do it, any switchers with this feature built in?

 

[rhedgehog]

While this isn't a built-in feature of QLab, your idea got me thinking, and I made a custom video effect for QLab that does exactly that. All you have to do is select "Custom Composition" and specify this file in the "Video Effects" tab for your camera cue in QLab, and then use the threshold slider to adjust when the video feed opacity should drop to zero. After that, it's just a matter of putting your graphic/text in another cue, on a lower layer. Hope this helps!