Broadcast Pix CG Gets Rapid for Content Creation

Broadcast Pix has introduced Rapid CG, a new option for its Granite and Slate integrated production systems. Rapid CG, promises Broadcast Pix, streamlines the creation of data-intensive CG graphics and automatically integrates databases, RSS feeds, and custom actions like scorekeeping into templates for customized graphics with significantly less manual effort.

The company says it works by simply dragging and dropping a Microsoft Access or XML database into Rapid CG, link it to a template created in Inscriber GS CG (which is included with every Broadcast Pix system), and the information is automatically updated in specific fields within the template – no re-keying of data necessary. Because Rapid CG operates within specific fields, the operator can only change the data, not the templates. Data can include text and graphics, so photos can be changed automatically as well. RSS feeds can also be used to update weather and other information from the Web automatically.

The automated process can be applied to a number of templates simultaneously. For example, if a sporting event features the score on a full screen image and a small scoreboard positioned in the corner of the screen during the game, the information can be changed once but applied to both graphics.

Users can also create custom action buttons easily to add incremental graphics if there is no automated database. For example, an action button can be designed to add six points to the score if a football team scores a touchdown, which makes data input easier and eliminates mathematical errors. Other information, such as clocks and dates, can be added as well.

“Rapid CG is ideal for live sports, election results, and other data intensive productions that feature a lot of graphics that change throughout the show,” says Ken Swanton, president of Broadcast Pix. “It’s easy to link a database to a graphics template for clean information updates on the air. Plus, you never have to worry about altering the template by mistake during the show, because Rapid CG does not allow access to the additional graphic elements.”