VKey2 Updates, News, etc.
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November 13, 2008 Version 1.0 of the FxPlug version of Vkey2 (VKey2f) was released earlier this year. I received the first bug report on it a couple of days ago. I'm waiting for an answer from Apple as to how I should deal with what appears to be an API anomaly. The bug manifests itself when you embed a Motion project that uses VKey2f into FCP for rendering in the FCP timeline. It's quite obvious, because the color channels are rearranged. I suppose you could use a channel filter to arrange them correctly, but I coded a work-around that I will commit once I've had an exchange with Apple. If anyone needs the work around, please contact support@oakstreetsoftware.com for an interim update. Thanks to Craig for reporting this problem.

May 18, 2007 Version 2.34 was released to fix a chroma-smoothing bug in version 2.33. I know, 2.33 was only out for one day. I try not to let this sort of thing happen, but it still does. Registered users should receive update instructions by e-mail.

May 17, 2007 Version 2.33 of VKey2 has been released. All existing customers should have received free upgrade instructions by e-mail. If you're a registered customer and you are not receiving e-mail notifications, we probably have an out of date or invalid e-mail address on file for you. Send e-mail or call, and we'll update your contact information. If you're not a customer, we encourage you to download the free demo and kick the tires. If you haven't looked at VKey2 lately, it's worth another look. We've made many improvements. Windows users, don't forget to have a look at our Wax Plug-in. Wax is our first step into Microsoft Windows support. The resources that get dedicated to Windows development will be determined by the response from Windows users. If you'd like to use VKey2 on Windows, please send us e-mail and specify your NLE of choice and any other relevant details.

May 11, 2007 We've completed a prototype Wax Plug-in version of VKey2. This is our first foray into extending VKey2 into the Microsoft Windows world. Wax is a free video editor with some very interesting features. If you'd like to try out the Windows plug-in, download and install Wax and then download our demo plug-in for wax, unzip it, and drop it into the Wax program folder.
There is even some good news for our OS X customers; In the flurry of development that culminated in a new version of VKey2 for Windows, we found a couple of things to improve upon and so there will be a version 2.33 of VKey2 coming out very soon. Version 2.33 has more accurate chroma-smoothing and provides better control of anti-aliasing. Look for an update very soon!

May 5, 2007 Version 2.31 of VKey2 has shipped. Current customers should have received an e-mail from us with instructions for downloading the update. Please send an e-mail to support@oakstreetsoftware.com if you did not receive the update notification.

April 2, 2007 Version 2.30 of VKey2 has just been completed. This version adds a new feature for enhanced control over the vector key. Let's face it, in some shots, some vectors are simply unreliable. Now, there is a way to adjust the threshold of reliable vectors. It's just more math I'd rather not bother you with, but if you're running VKey2 2.23, you need to install this update and have a look. If you're not running VKey2, download the demo and test drive it for yourself.

Notice: Look for version 0.6 of the FxPlug version of VKey2 with all the latest features in the version 2.30 product package.

March 11, 2007 I just sent out version 0.5 of the VKey2 FxPlug Beta. If you didn't receive it, and you want it, please send e-mail to support@oakstreetsoftware.com, asking to be placed on the FxPlug Beta tester list. Version 0.5 includes a faster render path for Final Cut Pro users, some bug fixes, and better integration into the new environment. If you recently purchased VKey2, you may have missed a couple of mailings. All customers, for whom I have current addresses, will receive a notice when version 1.0 of VKey2_fxplug is ready to ship. The cross-grade will be free to all VKey2 customers, and will be available as a product for new customers to purchase.

March 1, 2007 VKey2 has been ported to the FxPlug format. The FxPlug version works with Final Cut Pro 5.1, and Motion 2, as a native plug-in effect. I'm in the process of beta testing, and verifying function on Intel Macs. Current users of VKey2 who are using Final Cut Studio are encouraged to request a copy of the FxPlug for evaluation. The cross-grade is free for all VKey2 users. Now that we're in testing, I expect there will be some fixes and improvements to be made. There will probably be another release in a week or two, so stay tuned. Once I'm convinced the plug-in works well on PowerPC and Intel Macs, it will be available for purchase, and there will be a public demo version. Instructions for acquiring and installing the FxPlug plug-in

October 19, 2006 VKey2 has been updated to version 2.23. This is a bug-fix release. There is a bug in version 2.22 that can cause a crash. If you are using version 2.22, you are strongly encouraged to update to version 2.23. The function is identical in 2.23. If you are an existing customer, and you did not get the 2.23 update in your e-mail, please send an e-mail to support@oakstreetsoftware.com, and we'll send you the update.

August 10, 2006 Version 2.22 is now available! Existing customers have been testing it for a few days. You may download the updated demo now. Version 2.22 adds some edge enhancement and exposes the built-in chroma smoothing so you can use VKey2 to enhance your green screen video, and your normal video clips too! Quicktime 7 users, be sure to check out the new setup tutorial. It's a great preview of VKey2 in action, and it offers insights into how the keyer can be set up quickly and optimally.

July 14, 2006 The Vector keyer is now a universal binary. It will run on PowerPCs or Intel powered Macs. It is still Mac OSX only. The Windows version is still in development. By the way; the universal binary requires Tiger (OS X 10.4) or higher. However, the product file includes a separate component for customers who may be running Mac OS 10.3.9 on a G3, G4, or G5 (PowerPC) processor. You will find the PowerPC-only component in a folder named "PowerPC_Panther" in the distribution. This also applies to the universal binary demo download.

April 20, 2006 The current product level is now Version 2.20. The demo has been updated, and the product download is at version 2.20. This seems to be a stable version, and it works great!

April 15, 2006 Current customers may now download an update to VKey2 that supports any color background and has a new slider that controls the alpha gradient on the edge(s) of the matte. This allows greater control over edge feathering. The new features will be available for immediate download to future customers, and future versions of the product will also include them.

Announcing VKey2, Version 2.0 Version 2 of VKey (VKey2) is now shipping. You can check it out by downloading the demo package and installing the VKey2 component. The new keyer has support for 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 chroma sampling (DV50, PAL DV, and HDV). It uses a new keying algorithm, and it provides a luminance choke to help guide the keying software in isolating the background. Owners of our previous versions will get a free upgrade to VKey2.

Send inquiries to support@oakstreetsoftware.com, or call (910) 526-5938.

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