Special note about Notch

Using Notch in Hippotizer requires specific considerations: please read this warning carefully.

Notch is a 3rd part tool allowing for ground breaking generative and real-time effects.

To accomplish this, Notch utilises the Hippotizer’s graphics card to calculate and render video in real time.

!Rendering Notch effects can be extremely computationally heavy, and may lead to system instability including render failure at show time. Green Hippo strongly recommends thoroughly testing all Notch effects and cueing before use.

All effort has been taken to ensure system stability, though the flexible nature of Notch makes any guarantee impossible. For this reason Green Hippo strongly recommends the following:

• Notch effects running within Hippotizer have the ability to disrupt or stop video rendering. Carefully plan the use of Notch and patch as little as possible to DMX to avoid accidentally rapidly changing block selection.
• Fully test all Notch effects and blocks before use in a live environment.
• Carefully plan and test Notch usage regarding performance; a single Notch effect can dramatically slow even the fastest Hippotizer.
• Do not load new blocks during show time as it will effect the output. Pre-load all blocks. If multiple blocks are to be used, consider using cached resources.
• Always have a back-up running, ideally not simply mirroring the main to avoid one issue affecting both systems.
• Carefully monitor Green Hippo’s website for graphics driver updates. Graphics driver crashes are the single biggest point of failure for Notch
• In the event of a Notch Crash, Restart the entire machine before continuing use. Where the graphics drivers have crashed, a full system restart is the only way to continue regular operation.
• Green Hippo and Notch will support our products to the greatest extent possible — where graphics drivers are crashing often times the only timely solution is to re-engineer the Notch Block.
• In mission critical environments consider rendering Notch on a separate machine and capturing the output into the show machine.

More information about Notch in Hippotizer can be found here.

More information about the Notch application can be found here.

Hippotizer V4 and V4+ Notch Performance