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An update to Windows 11 will be released on September 26th. It contains a number of AI driven features, including free photo background removal and AI image generation. The aim will be to find ways to integrate these free features into the RightBooth photo capture workflow. Taster video here: Full presentation:
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The AI ship has set sail so I thought I had better jump on board !! Development work is currently underway to add the following AI features into the event workflow of RightBooth:
The functionality will initially rely on an Internet connection and also obtaining AI credits from one or more of the many AI service providers. Here are a few examples of what you will be able to achieve. The guest types the words: 'beach sunset' into RightBooth and then the AI background replacement feature automatically generates a totally unique background:
Examples of some of the initial cartoon replacement styles that will be provided:   An example of heads being converted into cartoons, leaving the rest of the original photo untouched:  New features and fixes:
New Countdown item styles and properties in RightBooth v7.12.12 Explaining RightBooth Screen Multicasting RightBooth version 7.12.10 has the following new features and fixes:
New features in this release:
New features and fixes in this release:
Note: The complete functionality described in this article is available in RightBooth version 7.12.0 (or newer). RightBooth provides an 'Access code' feature which can prevent unauthorised use of your events by requiring guests to enter a 6 digit access code or by showing a QR code to a webcam camera. If the access code is recognised by RightBooth, then the guest will be allowed to use the event. Create Your Access Codes Access code can be created in RightBooth Settings --> Security --> Access codes. Click the '+' button to create a quantity of unique access codes. Here you can see we have created 20 codes:  Notice that each code in the list is followed by #1. This is the code Usage count, signifying that the code can only be used one time to access an event. You can increase the usage count of one or more codes by selecting the codes in the list, then clicking the 'Usage count' button and entering a value. Here we are changing the usage count of the first few codes to 10:
Providing Access Codes to Guests The idea is to provide each guest with a printed access code that they can take with them to use at the event booth (or booths). So before the event starts, print out your codes. There are two options: Print numeric codes or Print QR codes. To print codes, first select the codes in the list, then click the 'Print' or 'Print QR' button. Here we are printing all 20 access codes. Notice that the print layout provides white space around each code to facilitate easy cutting:  Alternatively, the codes can be printed as QR codes. The slider can be used to alter the font size and/or QR code size:  Now, print your codes and cut them up, ready for handing out to your guests. Setting up your event for Access Code input
Your event is now ready to accept access codes ! This video demonstrates both access code methods in use: Each time a guest uses their access code, the Usage count associated with the code will be reduced by 1 and the access code file will be updated with the new value. When the Usage count for any code drops to 0, that code can no longer be used. However, you can always increase the 'Usage count' feature (as described previously) to add more counts to expired code(s). Using The Same Access Code At Multiple Locations You might have more than one booth in operation at your venue and would like your guests to use the same access code at each booth. To do this, make sure your booths are networked together and can all access the same location on the network that contains your access code file. In RightBooth Settings --> Security --> Access codes choose a network folder for saving the access code file, then in RightBooth on each booth, make sure it is using the same access code folder. In this example we are using a code file that is located in the shared folder: \Codes of the MAIN-PC:  Note: The Web Gallery feature is available in RightBooth version 7.12.0 (or newer). With a RightBooth Sharing Station event, you can provide your guests with a touchscreen (or mouse) driven interactive system that displays all videos and photos taken during the event. Guests can then interact with the system and download their chosen file(s) onto their mobile phones (via your local WampServer web server and router), using QR code scanning. For more information on how to create and use a sharing station event see here. However, providing a sharing station event can cause bottlenecks as guests queue up, waiting for their turn to use the sharing station. A solution to this problem is to provide your guests with a way to access a Web Gallery of the videos and photos directly on their phones, so that they can browse and download files independently (and away from) your sharing station. This article shows you how to provide this feature. The Web Gallery When you run a sharing station event, RightBooth will automatically create and maintain a Web Gallery web page structure, which is placed in the sharing station event's local web server folder. As an example, let's assume you are running a sharing station event named 'TheSharingStation'. This event will maintain the videos, photos and web gallery in the following folder: c:\wamp64\www\TheSharingStation\ The main web page for the Web Gallery is named: rbgallery.php and it is automatically created and maintained by RightBooth. This file contains php script that can be processed correctly by the WampServer local web server. The Web Gallery automatically maintains thumbnail files for each video and photo in the folder: c:\wamp64\www\TheSharingStation\rbthm\ The Web Gallery also maintains a separate download web page for each video and photo in the folder: c:\wamp64\www\SharingStation\rbqr\. Note: This folder also holds a copy of all the event videos and photos. The reason for this is to prevent file access conflicts between guests who are using the sharing station and guests who are downloading files using the Web Gallery. Here is an example screenshot of our SharingStation1 folder structure, containing four event videos, the two sub folders, the web banner file: rbban.jpg and the file: rbgallery.php:  Accessing the Web Gallery Note that the Web Gallery can only be accessed from mobile phones when the computer is running a local web server which is made accessible over a private router. Details here. The simplest way for guests to use the Web Gallery on their phones is to show them a QR code that they can scan to gain direct access. To do this: on any of your sharing station event screens, add a QR code item and set its QR code type to 'Web gallery'. In this screenshot you can see we have provided two QR codes on the Media browser event screen, one to join the network and the other to allow direct access the Web Gallery:  Tip: You might want to print a large copy of the two QR codes and display them around your venue location. To help with this, in the RightBooth Screen Editor, right click on a QR code and choose 'Save image' from the popup menu. The QR code can then be saved as an image file on your computer and used for printing purposes. Modifying the Web Gallery In RightBooth Settings --> Social media --> Local web server, you will find a panel of settings that allow you to change certain aspects of the Web Gallery and web download pages. You can also Test the Web Gallery in your browser as long as WampServer is also running. Also in RightBooth Settings --> Social media --> Media size there is a Thumbnails section where you can set the size and quality of the video and photo thumbnail jpeg files that will be used in the Web Gallery. Setting smaller sizes and lower quality will improve the Web Gallery rendering speed. Now play the event
While the event is playing, RightBooth will maintain the Web Gallery, allowing guests to have independent access to videos and photos from their mobile devices. A few issues have been reported recently regarding RightBooth not playing MP4 videos correctly. Issues include:
If you are experiencing MP4 video playback issues, try the following suggestions: 1 - Change the RightBooth rendering settings In RightBooth Settings --> Start / Stop --> Performance, you will find the following two settings:
Try altering these settings in various combinations and then check to see if it fixes the problem. This suggestion is more relevant to videos that RightBooth is playing on an extended desktop monitor, but it could also have an affect on the primary monitor. 2 - Use the RightBooth Video Player RightBooth version 7.12.0 (or later) includes two video players to choose from. These are available in RightBooth Settings --> Miscellaneous --> Video Player. By default, RightBooth uses the Windows Media Player tech for all its video playing features, but if you are experiencing problems you can now switch to using the RightBooth player to see if that makes a difference:  3 - Install LAVfilters LAVfilters is an Open Source video decoder pack for Windows that provides added support for playing many video formats, including mp4. The new RightBooth player (see above) will especially benefit from installing LAVfilters on your computer, but it can also improve the Windows media player option. You can download and run the latest LAVFilters-x.x.x-Installer.exe from here: https://github.com/Nevcairiel/LAVFilters/releases
RightBooth version 7.11.0 contains the following new features and fixes:
Add the 'Video frame' option in Video enhancements This allows you to place one frame from the source video at the start of the enhanced video for the number of seconds you specify. This feature is useful to give all videos a different thumbnail if hosted on your own websites. Add the option to 'Watch subfolders' in a Sharing Station event This option will cause a RightBooth sharing station event to show all sub folders that contain videos and images. Users can then navigate into and out of the sub folders while interacting with the Media Browser. Add the option to process the 'Oldest file first' in a 'Watch folder' event In a 'Watch folder' event you can tick the 'Oldest file first' option to force RightBooth to process incoming files in the order that they arrive in the folder. Add the 'Files to Android' event action Adding this action to a button on the 'Show video' or 'Show photo' event screen will allow your users to select the button. RightBooth will then prompt the user to connect an Android device (phone) to a USB cable connected to the PC. RightBooth will then auto detect the connection and transfer the chosen file to the DCIM folder on the Android device. This action can be used in a Recording event or Sharing station event as another option to allow users to transfer event files to their phones. Allow the keyboard arrow keys to alter the grid selection when the user input mode is 'Multiple keys' or 'Multiple USB buttons' Users can now use the 'Left' 'Right' 'Up' and 'Down' arrow keys on the keyboard to allow them to select an item in any RightBooth grid item, e.g. Media browser, karaoke file selector, greenscreen image selector, etc. Include the 'RestartRB' utility The new RestartRB utility app is installed in Program Files (x86)\RightBooth and it allows you to quickly stop all running instances of RightBooth and restart the first instance. This is useful if RightBooth crashes and remains in memory. GoPro Configuration Options RightBooth now provides 4 different configuration options for controlling a GoPro camera:
Include the RBCameraController mini app This new app can be used to allow RightBooth to remotely control a GoPro that is connected to another computer on the network. Full details on the RBCameraController app and how it is used can be found in the Option 4 documentation here Add the 'GOPROWIFI' text variable Use this new text variable on an event screen to allow you to see the current GoPro WiFi status as either 'OK' or '??' Show all FTP files (uploaded during the event) in Tasks All files that are FTP uploaded (or attempted upload) during the event are now added to the FTP file list in RightBooth Tasks. This allows you to upload the files again at a later time and this can be useful if one or more files had failed to upload during the event. Fixes:
This video explains the main new features added in RightBooth v7.10.0. Full list of new features in RightBooth v7.10.0:
RightBooth version 7.9.7 has been released. New features and fixes:
Note: This feature requires RightBooth v7.9.3 (or later). This article explains how to use RightBooth to create videos and photos by taking the camera feeds from two webcams and combining them into one file, as shown in the following demonstration video: Step 1 - Setup the webcams
 Your webcams are now set up to be used for Picture in Picture recordings. Step 2 - Design your event
 Choosing this option will cause RightBooth to overlay the camera feed from webcam 2 directly on one half of the camera feed from webcam 1. The two feeds will then be treated as one combined feed for the purposes of recording videos and taking photos in RightBooth.
You are now ready to Play the event and record videos and photos from two combined webcams. Note:
Demonstration video showing augmented reality photo capture in RightBooth: How to create your own greenscreen videos for use in RightBooth: How to take augmented reality photos in RightBooth using greenscreen videos: How to record augmented reality videos in RightBooth using greenscreen videos: RightBooth now includes support for wireless Canon cameras, including wireless live view. Details here
See the Release notes page to read the complete list of new features and fixes in this release. Here are some suggestions to help reduce your GoPro video transfer time and also reduce the video processing and enhancement time in RightBooth. 1 - Reduce the GoPro Video File Transfer Time 1.1 - Record GoPro videos in HEVC format Newer GoPro models provide the following choice of video recording formats:
Choose HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding). This is the H.265 format and it produces smaller file sizes than the older H.264 format. By choosing HEVC you will benefit from faster file transfer times between the GoPro and the PC. Note: RightBooth can process HEVC files. Here is a comparison of the file sizes and transfer times of a 10 second video that was recorded at 1920x1080x120fps using each of the formats:
1.2 - Record videos at 60fps or less Most GoPro models let you record videos at 120fps and some allow recording at 240fps. Recording at a higher frame rate will produce larger files which will take longer to transfer and longer for RightBooth to process. Try dropping the recording rate on the GoPro to 60fps (or even 30fps). Transfer times and processing times will be quicker and most people will be unable to see much difference in the finished results. 1.3 - Use the GoPro 5Ghz WiFi Band If your GoPro offers both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi band options, try using its 5GHz WiFi band. In our tests we have seen that this can significantly reduce the file transfer times. Typical saving: 11 second transfer time on the 2.4GHz band equates to an 8 second transfer time on the 5Ghz band. Note: If you find that the GoPro 5GHz band is not working with your PC WiFi adapter you will have to use the GoPro 2.4GHz WiFi band. 2 - Reduce the Video Processing and Video Enhancement Times 2.1 - Reduce the frame size of the video file The GoPro will usually be set to record videos at a frame size of 1920x1080. After each video file has been transferred to RightBooth, you can set RightBooth to reduce the frame size of the videos, which effectively reduces the amount of data in the video file. This can have a significant effect on reducing the video enhancement times and most people will not be able to see any difference in the final video quality. We recommend you reduce the videos to 1280 x 720 or (better still) 960 x 540 (quarter HD). You can do this in RightBooth Settings --> Miscellaneous --> Conversion settings:  2.2 - Reduce the video quality and increase the conversion speed In the Video Conversion Settings, experiment with reducing the Quality slider setting and increasing the Speed slider setting:  2.3 Reduce the number of video enhancement segments If you are using RightBooth Video Enhancements and you are including a list of video segments, try reducing the number of segments used. Each segment you define will add extra time to the overall enhancement process. Also, try to use 'Fast mode' if possible:  This video demonstrates 2 new features in RightBooth version 7.7.33: RightBooth Version 7.7.31 was released on July 5th 2022. It contains the following new features, modifications and fixes:
RightBooth version 7.7.27 is released today. The full list of new features and bug fixes is available here. Watch this video for an explanation of the main new features: |
AuthorNigel Pearce 
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