Projection Control Software...

Maybe I'm trying to make things more complicated rather than simplifying them...

We're a camera club that puts on presentations.

Right now our computer has two outputs, the main one to the projector (and to a preview monitor to view image when projector is muted), and a lower resolution "control" monitor where we can select the files we want to show, JPEGs, video files, PowerPoints, etc. If something we open appears on the control monitor that we want on the projector we use the Windows-Shift-Right to send it to the projector.

But today I came across the "Elgato Stream Deck" and wonder if something like that along with control software may make things easier rather than trying to find something in Windows Explorer. Then on that I can have shortcuts to things used in every presentation, including a shortcut to the Windows-Shift-Right key combination.

This is the "Stream Deck" (each key is an LCD screen that you can change via the software, and are backlit so I can see in the dark theatre):

One of the programs I came across is "Screen Monkey" but barely looked into it yet...the only thing is we're not-for-profit so have to watch the expenditures, but looking forward to your replies/suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Is the scenario too complicated for MS 'PowerPoint' or Open Office 'Impress'? I've used OOI which is free, very successfully for putting up stills and movies (Fireworks in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof etc)

To me, this would be better suited for the effects where you want something spontaneous. If you are doing a presentation, even with a lot of different media, you shouldn't need a device like this. Even if you want to jump around in PP, you can use the slide viewer and jump around in your presentation to the next slide that you want. On the other hand, if you want to add emphasis (say you are taking a poll and want to say if red or blue wins), then this might be a nifty tool. Thanks for sharing as I had not seen this yet.

Something like ProPresenter might be an easier solution. Or one of the alternatives. It's geared towards churches, but it's very good for trying to prepare the next "slide" while showing the first.

mikefellh said:

. . . the only thing is we're not-for-profit so have to watch the expenditure

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This mindset is not useful to your organization's growth. 'Non-profit' does not have to mean 'poor', it is just a legal classification for tax accounting purposes. If you keep thinking you are poor, then you will, generally speaking, act poor and stay poor. Separate your business classification from your operational needs, and don't let the administrators make the same mistake. There are multi-million dollar operations with non-profit tax status. It only means that the organization cannot pay dividends to investors and that operational expenses must be for the benefit of the organization and not it's staff or Board of Directors. Personnel can be paid, and paid handsomely, and the corporation can still be 'non-profit'. The investment in equipment to serve the needs of the organization is always a legitimate expense. Use it.

Darn. I can only like that post once.

Jay Ashworth said:

Darn. I can only like that post once.

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@Jay Ashworth I liked it for you. (You can pay me later.)
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

teqniqal said:

This mindset is not useful to your organization's growth. 'Non-profit' does not have to mean 'poor', it is just a legal classification for tax accounting purposes. If you keep thinking you are poor, then you will, generally speaking, act poor and stay poor. Separate your business classification from your operational needs, and don't let the administrators make the same mistake. There are multi-million dollar operations with non-profit tax status. It only means that the organization cannot pay dividends to investors and that operational expenses must be for the benefit of the organization and not it's staff or Board of Directors. Personnel can be paid, and paid handsomely, and the corporation can still be 'non-profit'. The investment in equipment to serve the needs of the organization is always a legitimate expense. Use it.

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This goes along the same lines as "I/we are just volunteers or amateurs" to be a volunteer is rewarding and just because you volunteer or amateur does not mean that you do not act in a professional manor or skills to the expected level of a professional. To be an a professional simply means you get paid to do what you are doing. To be amateur means you do it for the love if it. The level of service is up to you.
Regards
Geoff

teqniqal said:

This mindset is not useful to your organization's growth. 'Non-profit' does not have to mean 'poor', it is just a legal classification for tax accounting purposes. If you keep thinking you are poor, then you will, generally speaking, act poor and stay poor. Separate your business classification from your operational needs, and don't let the administrators make the same mistake. There are multi-million dollar operations with non-profit tax status. It only means that the organization cannot pay dividends to investors and that operational expenses must be for the benefit of the organization and not it's staff or Board of Directors. Personnel can be paid, and paid handsomely, and the corporation can still be 'non-profit'. The investment in equipment to serve the needs of the organization is always a legitimate expense. Use it.

Click to expand...

I hear (read) what you are saying and appreciate it. However we are a 125+ year old camera club that is 99.9% volunteer operated...only people who are paid is the cleaning company, the snow shovelling, and fees to any outside presenters. We operate on membership fees paid yearly by our 300+ members, so we do operate with a strict budget especially since that also includes building upkeep since we own our own building.

We do put good money where it counts, projection and sound (we have a 180 seat auditorium). However the Elgato Stream Deck I talked about above would have been a "frill" or tool to make things easier for less experienced people to put up different "scenes" or graphics on the projection.

But the device is moot for now because Amazon jacked up the price by 30% before I could click "Proceed to Checkout"!

Anyway thanks for this and all advice posted in the thread...it's all been read.

I have used Screen Monkey for several years, both in school assemblies, and now at the high school performing arts center that I manage. I can have the control panel for it on my PC monitor and the actual presentation, whether it be video, powerpoint, image or even live streaming website, can be presented seamlessly on the screens. We also use it for sending sound effects during drama productions. I totally agree that being non-profit or voluntary does not mean you have to be low value, but one of the redeeming qualities of Screen Monkey is that it is open source.

geebee said:

I have used Screen Monkey for several years, both in school assemblies, and now at the high school performing arts center that I manage. I can have the control panel for it on my PC monitor and the actual presentation, whether it be video, powerpoint, image or even live streaming website, can be presented seamlessly on the screens.

Click to expand...

I'll look at it during the holidays. Right now I have a big presentation to do on Monday (14 video clips) and I have Windows Explorer working exactly the way I need it, and don't want to risk messing up my machine now.

More and more I'm thinking that using Windows Explorer is the easiest way, for me, to call up images and videos to show.

I admit though that if I could have something like the following...ignore the words, it's a button panel with links to regularly used files that I could keep on my control monitor I'm interested in, as well as having a Windows Explorer window open on the same screen.

Have a look at Screenmonkey. It's a free download and you load the squares with whatever media you wish to use. I have used it for several years in most of my presentations and shows.

I've looked at Screen Monkey and watched tutorials, but it seems unsuitable for MY needs.

For the shows I run I usually get the files at the last second, and it's just easier to start the show in Windows Explorer rather than fiddling with a third-party application. What I'm looking for though is a small program that has buttons to things I run at EVERY event rather than having a third Explorer Window open. The "EASY PANEL" I use in my example is actually a plugin for Photoshop, but it shows the type of interface I'm looking for...the buttons would have titles like, "Before Start", "Opening", "Intermission", "End of intermission", etc., and the buttons would link to files that would run on the main screen; the stuff in the Explorer Windows would be changing EVERY show, but the stuff in the button panel would change at most once a month.

You can try V-Control to control your show. It's free open source. I also use the Elgato Stream Deck with V-Control. I have a Playlist, and I can assign keys to Playlist items. The Stream Deck send these keys and fires my cues. Notice that the Elgato software has to run in the background. Without the software running, the Stream Deck only shows a logo, nothing else.
But one can use the playlist without the Stream Deck very efficient. The Elgato device is just nice to play with (for me).
There is also a very very simple interface to have buttons in V-Control that trigger tasks. And there is a more complex, powerful GUI Designer, but that is commercial. And there is an open API, you can design your own GUI interfaces and link them with V-Control using html requests, websockets, TCP, UDP or RS232 connections.

Last but not least: If this is boring you, sorry. I'm the developer of V-Control and don't want to hijack your thread for advertising. I just want to point you to a free, open source solution.