Using Notch Blocks

 

Notch Blocks loading into a Screenberry project, control of the parameters exposed in the Notch project, and Notch Blocks playback are organized using the NotchPlayback node.

Typically, the NotchPlayback outputs the Notch Blocks playback to the Display or Context node.

Screenberry supports the following types of Notch exposed parameters:

  • int
  • float
  • string (including Unicode characters)
  • color
  • texture (including multiple textures)
  • enum
  • posquat
  • cameraparams

Upon importing a Notch Block, Screenberry 

  • Respects parameter range limits set in a block.
  • Makes the exposed parameter values marked as “Readable” available for use. 
  • Provides advanced video memory management allowing to unload from the VRAM a block layer.
  • Displays the block Author string.

The Settings panel of the NotchPlayback node offers the following controls and parameters:

Filename    Imports a specified Notch Blocks (. dfxdll) file from Screenberry Server directory.

Block Active    Select / deselect this checkbox to activate / deactivate the Notch Block.

Reload Block    Press this button to reload the Notch Block if it was updated.

Block Version, Block Creators    Provides the Notch Block information.

Size X: Y:   Sets the resolution for the Notch Block playback.   

VRAM Usage    Displays current VRAM usage

Purge VRAM Pool    Press this button to clean VRAM not used for the current Notch Block layer.

Notch Layer    Selects one of the available layers in the Notch Block.

When the Notch Block layer is selected in the Settings panel, the NotchPlayback node does the following: 

  • Switches to the playback of this layer.
  • Creates a separate section in the Settings panel for each layer object with the exposed parameters.
  • Generates custom parameters for all exposed parameters in the layer.

Additionally, various nodes can be connected to the NotchPlayback node in the node graph to do any of the following:

  • Pass textures/video from to the Notch Block.
  • Pass the values for the parameters exposed in the Notch Block.
  • Pass textures/video out of the Notch Block.
  • Pass readable parameters out of the Notch Block.

Note:
For the NotchPlayback node to function, a full Notch Playback License is required and the Notch dongle should be connected to the Screenberry server.