t@b ZS4 Free Video Editing Software - Technical Articles

Upside-Down AVI Work-Around

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 07:07:27 -0800

We've had the following user feedback from users of our t@b encoder frontend: "When the AVI output is viewed with other programs (WinAmp and Jetaudio) then the video appears to be upside down". We've checked several programs and run into the same problem also with (Real)Producer.

Getting ZS4 to run on Odd-ball Linux systems

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 08:47:49 -0800

It's a jungle out there. t@b currently builds the linux version of ZS4 on a SUSE 9.2 box, the very same box we use for capturing editing video. It turns out that the linux binaries do not necessarily run on other Linux flavours (Ubuntu related complaints were the latest). So we've made a bunch of changes/additions/fixes which hopefully will help in making ZS4 run on you very own Linux box. Just read on....

Interlaced and Progressive Scan

Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:13:07 -0700

This image shows typical freeze frame artifacts as experienced when looking at a single frame of something/somebody in motion. This article examines a few issues about interlacing and progressive scan.

Understanding Opacity

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 12:12:36 -0700

ZS4 is based on a 32Bit RGB compositing engine. This means that every pixel (about a half-million per DV frame) is composed of 4x8Bits per pixel where 24 bits (the Red, Green and Blue values) indicate the actual color and the Remaining 8 Bits describe Transparency/Opacity. This article will go into some detail into the mechanics of Compositing with the use of opacity/transparency.

Using FreeFrame Effect Filters

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 23:41:18 -0700

As of version 0.942, ZS4 supports FreeFrame effect filters. The FreeFrame plugin-in architecture enables 3rd party developers to create (and sell) functionality for ZS4. Here are a few remarks about FreeFrame plugins for ZS4 end users.

Dynamic Depth Controls

Sat, 27 Aug 2005 00:11:05 -0700

ZS4 so far is a two dimensional video compositing engine with timeline controls and a large set of bundled video effects. it is, however, possible to dynamically arrange the depth (z-position) of component video streams. This article assumes that you are familiar with the default zs4 rendering strategy, where the bottom (child) track in the project treeview is rendered into the parent (mixer) track first and the top child is rendered last which results in the basic compositing strategy.

Issues Of Linearity

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 22:49:02 -0700

Lately i've been running more and more into those things: Issues of linearity. Like many things, this may be a matter of "definition". This article is atempting to illustrate the concept of (non-) linearity in general and, more importantly, from a zs4 perspective.

Using ZS4 for the Creation of Music Videos

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 02:21:36 -0700

It has always been our intent to use ZS4 for the production of t@b music videos. This document will outline some thoughts pertaining to the production methods which we are employing/testing.

Translating ZS4

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:35:54 -0800

t@b is producing ZS4 (Zweistein, level 4) with a team of exactly two people. We have produced a side-kick program, called tabtrans (t@b gui translator) which allows anybody on linux or windows to translate our software to their local language. Read this article if you are interested in the little we can offer somebody who assists us by creating a foreign language translation.

How to Modify ZS4 Skin Files

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 23:04:49 -0700

It is, of course, possible to drastically alter the appearance of the zs4 (ZweiStein, Generation 4) by altering skin file/directory data. Here's some (hopefully) helpfull information on the topic. (valid starting with version 0.926)...

What is ZS4 "Motion PNG"?

Fri, 27 May 2005 10:06:24 -0700

ZS4 advertises as a "format" feature the input/output of "Motion PNG". this really is nothing more than a sequence of PNG still images embedded in an AVI file format. this is done in the same fashion as motion JPEG is typically embedded in avi.

Video Mixing and Effect Objects

Wed, 25 May 2005 11:51:35 -0700

ZS4 essentially allows the user to create a hierachical "tree" of objects, the stem of which usually represents the "project", and branches or leafs of this tree (-view) represent sub-mixers, audio/video tracks or effects. this oject tree is typically displayed in the bottom left pane of the zs4 window under the "project" tab:

ZS4 and NRT technology

Mon, 18 Apr 2005 06:16:41 -0700

NRT in the context of zs4 means "non-real-time". zweistein is not real time technology. you cannot (pre)view/audition any signal until after zs4 has computed a mixdown of your project/track.
now, what on earth is so cool about that?

Mixers, Mixing

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 02:37:41 -0700

within the framework of zs4, the term mixing means the combination of multiple media tracks into one.
the zs4 Project icon in the project treeview as well as sub-mixers (added from the effects treeview) represent what we refer to as (sub) mixer. the audio of such tracks is a combination of the audio tracks in the child/sub-tracks of the mixer track.