Pure dynamic xaml overlay for expression encoder

Question

Hello everyone

I come to you with a challenge in hope to solve an issue that plaques expression encoder developers and myself. I have banged my head, trashed about trying to figure this one out.

Vision

I would like to be able to add live xaml overlays to my expression encoder jobs. This would allow us to add timestamps into videos and more intelligent animations other than the normal double animations etc.

Requirement: I want to add a timestamp to my videos, so when they are encoded I can pass or edit my xaml overlay with my start time and when I encode my video the timestamp gets burned into the video and the time is incremented each second.

Problems: the current version of expression encoder 4 (pro or not) only allow one overlay for an entire encoding session so it is not possible to add multiple overlays keyed by each sec with the time increment.

Artifacts: Video that is 1 minute long, xaml overlay with a textblock for the timestamp.

Possible solution: It is possible to add types and call static properties on the xaml, since the overlay will get instantiated it is possible to create what ever types that are available in the gac by liking them as you would using xmlns. I was thinking about using that approach creating a new dll that has a class with a static property that returns the date and time as a string and a second property that allows me to set the start time (videos are recorded at some point and the past and only have the timer burned on them at encoding). And a internal timer that gets started by an animation that fires the property changed event on my property forcing the data binding on the textblock to update every second.

I have been trying to do this if anyone has the know how, specially a pure xaml based textblock timer (even if it uses a static property on a timer) please let me know.

Regards

Daniel Portella 

I know it says expression encoder in the title but this is a xaml question that you should be able to do in blend.

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Daniel Portella - http://dmportella.blogspot.com - http://twitter.com/dmportella - This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. If this post has answered your question please mark as the answer and if it is helpful do like wise.

Answer 1

Hi Daniel - Did you get anywhere with this? I have the same requirement for time overlay on the video

Answer 2

Hi Daniel - Did you get anywhere with this? I have the same requirement for time overlay on the video

Hello

Nope i have not for what I remember the example worked but it seems the xaml overlay is generated only once. I am going to try again with overlay animations but it may not be possible.

It saddens me that I have seen any official response as live overlays is one of the most requested features.

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Daniel Portella - http://dmportella.blogspot.com - http://twitter.com/dmportella - This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. If this post has answered your question please mark as the answer and if it is helpful do like wise.