Hippotizer is continuously being developed and improved; please read these notes carefully to understand the changes and limitations with each version.
Release Date: 01-Nov-2018
All V4 and V4+ systems with Software Assurance valid as of 01-Nov-2018 can install 4.4.5.
Software Assurance determines what version of Hippotizer will install and run on a system. Once installed, software will continue to function indefinitely.
4.4.5 Fixes two key issues in 4.4.4
- Aspect Mode would not work correctly
- The engine would not shut down on certain hardware.
Green Hippo recommends upgrading to 4.4.5 as soon as possible.
Improvements in 4.4.4
- The behaviour of Overlay and Softlight Mixmode has changed: they now show lower layers beyond the layer bounds instead of showing black.
Features added in 4.4.3
- Added highlight to Timeline window to indicate when space bar will pause / play a timeline.
- Added Factory DMX personalities for Mix and Viewport with Presets.
- Added ability for PREP users to set the output to have no borders.
- Added Kinesys K2 Automation Protocol to MultiController
- Added ability to clear LUA memory management to Macro Manager
Features added in 4.4.2
- Added ability to disable Windows Firewall and defender to HippoLaunch.
Features added in 4.4.1
- Added support for HAP Quality Alpha to Media Manager
- Added input resolution options to Videomapper on Layer
- Added compact view of Performance meter
- Added Temperature and Fan status control to Zookeeper
- Improved the number of shapes Livemask can contain
Features added in 4.4.0
- Added Cross Fade on Layer
- Added Key on Layer
- Added Video Mapper on Layer
- Added Inner Loop playmode
- Added advanced Media sync to Media Manager
- Added controls for 8 Channel Audio in the Media Player
- Added ability to clear and load EDID emulation to Hippo Launch
- Added 2nd input and timecode input to Notch
- Added ability to set a default timecode frame rate in Sync Manager.
- Added frames dropped counter to the performance counter.
- Added support for sACN to Videomapper’s colour blocks.
- Added 2nd effect engine to mix
- Added HippoNet Advanced UI Item
- Added ability to set videomaps to 16K resolution limit.
- Added Stream Deck Support to Multicontroller
SHAPE Features Added in 4.4.0
- Added the ability to edit model UV’s in real time.
- Added a Visibility controller.
Functionality changes in 4.4.0
Existing aspects of Hippotizer have been updated as part of this software release.
- DMX personalities for Layer, Mix and Viewport have been changed.
- The Media Player has been tabbed to allow for more controls to fit into a smaller space
- The Media Player now handles in and outpoints in frames, not time.
- The Matte Mix Mode has been removed and replaced by Key on Layer.
- Sync Manager has been changed to better reflect local or network timecode.
- The personality editor in DMX has been simplified and made faster.
- The representation of the media player in timeline has been updated to reflect new controls
- The logic in Output Manager uses to discover and reconnect displays has been updated and improved.
- Key on Layer is now saved as part of the Source filter in layer presets
- The Playhead pin is no longer drag-able from the media player interface
- The layer Preset select pin has been moved into a new group pin under layer
- The method for Watchfolders has been changed: it now polls in every case. The option for polling has therefore been removed.
- NDI source detection has been improved: new sources will not change the index of previously detected ones.
- The NDI capture button has been renamed ‘refresh list’ to better reflect it’s function
- Relay select is now two pins instead of one.
Hippotizer Fixes
Fixes in 4.4.4
- Fixed an issue where the drop downs in Key on layer would not populate on startup
- Fixed an issue where the output could become distorted when the last layer of a composition was zoomed in Overlay or Softlight Mixmode
- Fixed an issue in Multicontroller where action mappings would not correctly display the target host.
- Fixed an issue in the Installer where a hyphen could not be typed into the license field.
- Fixed an issue in Pixelmapper where removing a Fixture from a group could lead to a Zookeeper Crash
- Fixed an issue in Timeline where symbols such as ‘,’ and ‘/’ could not be entered.
- Fixed an issue in Media Manager where the component status would not update correctly after a media sync or encode.
- Fixed an issue where the Engine would not shut down on some systems.
- Fixed an issue in Zookeeper where the layer selector in Kiosk mode would not always display correctly.
- Fixed an issue in Timeline where moving the play head would deselect the Timeline
- Fixed an issue in the Installer where a Zookeeper license could be applied in an aborted installation.
- Fixed an issue in Media Manager where syncing media with proxies would fail
- Fixed an issue in Output Manager where importing an export with SHAPE patch would not load correctly.
- Fixed an issue in Output Manager where resetting the component did not remove SHAPE.
- Fixed an issue in Media Manager where media with a proxy would not sync.
- Fixed an issue in Multicontroller where switching between automation mappings could change their values.
Fixes in 4.4.3
- Fixed issue where multiple timeline windows on a single machine would not always connect. 17010 , 16780
- Fixed issue where certain image sequences would encode upside down. 17007
- Fixed issue where non-ASCII characters in DMX personality names did not work. 17336
- Fixed potential memory leak when taking Hippo-Snaps. 16898
- Fixed issue where the manual was not searchable. 17361
- Fixed issue where the Media Manager API commands in Macro Manager did not work. 17479
- Fixed issue where FlexRes lossless and FlexRes Quality always encoded Alpha 17364
- Fixed issue where special characters such as / or . into fields in Multicontroller. 17330 , 17331
- Fixed Zookeeper crashes deleting interpolators and changing IP adaptors in Multicontroller. 17470 , 17466 , 17487
- Fixed an issue on Portamus where only the last added Viewport would render correctly. 17443
- Fixed an issue in VideoMapper where colour blocks would not work correctly on first startup. 17412
- Fixed issue where the remote updater could fail to stop the fan controller service and then fail to update. 17593
- Fixed an issue where layer presets would save the livemask XML, potentially restoring deleted masks. 16752
- Fixed an issue where sACN from ETC lighting desks would flash values. 17333
- Fixed an issue where sACN in videomapper would not work if running in DMX. 17580
- Fixed an issue in output manager where PLAY laptops would not show the local screen. 16366
- Fixed an issue where the viewport keystone would not be saved on engine restart. 17304
- Fixed an issue where applying a non-source preset would cause playing media to skip several frames. 17513
- Fixed memory leak in fan control service. 17652
- Fixed an issue in DMX where Zero to Int max setting of DMX personalities was not duplicated.
- Updated MA2 stock personalities to correctly set outpoint to end of clip.
Fixes in 4.4.2
- Improved system performance by reducing the load of bypassed layers. 17045
- Fixed issue where some controls could not be dropped into containers in Zookeeper. 17085
- Fixed issue where SHAPE projects would not load into future 4.4.X Versions. 17181
- Fixed issue where it was not possible to set in/out and loop points in timeline by Frames 16968
- Fixed issue where the time controls of timeline viewer could not be set. 17081
- Fixed issue where the track filter in timeline did not work. 17078
- Fixed issue where the clip offset could not be set to 0 in Timeline. 17079
Fixes in 4.4.1
- Added scrollbar to Stream deck pages window in Multicontroller. 16427
- Fixed issue where the Zero to Int Max setting of a DMX personality was not saved. 16448
- Fixed issue where the Timecode offset in Timeline would not recognise the default Timecode format. 16438
- Fixed a Timeline interface crash when the window extents of a long timeline were brought close together. 16474
- Fixed issue where presets would not crossfade in certain circumstances. 16473
- Fixed an issue where the Key on Layer relay source UI would not populate on the first run. 16415
- Fixed an issue where the default clip selection of Timeline was Bank Zero, Clip 1 instead of 0,0. 16503
- Fixed an issue where the output would flash when switching between a still image and a clip on the media player. 16449
- Fixed an issue where the accuracy of float pins (faders) would decrease using the mouse’s scroll wheel 16462
- Fixed an occasional engine crash when enabling PosiStageNet in Multicontroller. 16476
- Fixed the re-map of Action Mappings into Multicontroller on component import. 13211
- Removed the Generator level pin from Timeline. 16467
- Set the responsiveness of the layer and mix volumes to be the same. 16451
- Fixed an issue where the layer geometry’s UI would show the incorrect aspect ratio. 14318
- Fixed an issue in Videomapper where the accuracy of panning would decrease with increased zoom. 7302
- Fixed a Zookeeper crash when importing background images in Videomapper greater than 1920×1080 16428
- Selection a clip in the media selector now will react on mouse up. 16397
- Fixed issue where the UI would not update to reflect Livemask name changes. 15853
- Fixed issue where presets would revert changes to Livemask. 16752
- Fixed issue where advanced media sync would not read the folder structure of remote systems 16500
- Fixed an engine crash when renaming a host with non-ASCII characters. 16881
- Fixed issue where locked videomap tiles would still rotate. 16917
- Fixed potential engine crash when importing settings into multicontroller. 16981
- Added a check to Pixelmapper to block creating fixtures greater than a single universe. 16835
- Fixed Livemask UI Crash when editing a mask feather. 16779
- Fixed issue where the UI of Float pins under DMX control would not update correctly. 16724
- Fixed an issue where the Timeline Playback position pin was not visible in pin selectors. 17005
- Fixed a Zookeeper crash when the smoothing pin from Pinbridge was dragged out. 16878
- Fixed an issue where adding Sync Manager on a Karst+ could stop audio output from working. 16813
Fixes in 4.4.0
- Fixed issue where content encoded to HAP-Alpha would show Alpha as false. 15801
- Fixed issue where deleting the first fixture of a DMX patch would delete the entire patch
- Fixed issue where audio files encoded as .wav would not transcode to allowed bit-rates on ingest
- Removed the option for “Any IP” for MA-Net in DMX component as it did not work
- Fixed issue where components would report failure on import incorrectly. 14381
- Fixed issue where mix presets would not play back on a different type of mix. 15957
- Fixed issue where media could be dropped into Bank 0, slot 0. 15937
- Fixed issue where new personalities in DMX would try to patch invalid pins.
- Fixed issue where the ‘h’ key could trigger HippoNet window to open or close. 15131
- Fixed issue where on V4+ machines the Output manager could fail to show any available outputs. 15935 and 15364
- Fixed issue where disabling interframe blending on 60FPS clips would decrease performance. 15964
- Fixed issue where the command line show importer would fail. 15724
- Fixed issue where the output could flash when switching to images with Alpha. 15795
- Fixed issue where the installer would not update Code meter if it was previously installed. 15661
- Fixed issue where imported Multicontroller exports would not re-map actions. 15904
- Fixed issue where a sub-folder in Media Manger was not created when importing a folder. 15906
- Fixed issue where the pinboard could fail to be edited after an aborted drag and drop. 15896 14942
- Fixed issue where replacing presets quickly could crash Zookeeper. 15744
- Fixed issue where media with more than 10 consecutive numbers in its name would crash Zookeeper 15885
- Fixed issue where rotation controllers in Multicontroller did not understand wrapping 15791
- Fixed a potential engine crash when deleting the Timeline component. 15665
- Fixed issue where sync bus would not pass speed of zero 15807
- Fixed potential zookeeper crash when a visualiser source is on the pinboard. 15654
- Fixed issue where the contents of Tabs would not restore with default layouts. 15717
- Fixed an issue where Sync Manager did not pass timecode over SyncBusLink. 16076
- Fixed a series of issues that could stop Output Manager from showing attached outputs in Windows 10. 15975
- Fixed issue where Sync offset was not being saved in Mix presets.
- Fixed issue where changes to the media folder tree on remote systems that changed STRATA path would not appear. 16009
- Fixed issue in Output Manager that stopped SHAPE from re-patching between mixes. 16239
- Fixed engine crash while creating proxy media for HAP files. 16113
- Fixed issue where many unusable pins were added to Timeline 16216
- Fixed issue where pause and rewind on dark were not included in Timeline Source controls.
- Fixed issue where timeline UI would crash when inserting a new event before the 1st key frame.
- Fixed issue where Output manager would not show configuring correctly sometimes. 14433
- Fixed issue where on import, timeline would show an empty system field. 15751
- Fixed issue where mouse scroll wheel was not working to change number boxes 16286
- Fixed issue where auto-tiling could fail on V4+ systems; for 4K+ resolution clips on V4+ systems encoded on pre-4.4 software, a re-encode may yield better performance. 16246
- Fixed issue where double clicking the circle of am item in the Hipponet menu did not open a UI. 15519
- Fixed issue where the Midi timecode source in Sync Manager could sometimes go blank 16333
- Fixed issue where resize media into Lossless 4:2:0 would fail. 13552
- Fixed issue where proxy media creation would fail. 13552
SHAPE Fixes in 4.4.1
- Fixed transparent objects on output.
- Fixed crash in 2D viewer when a objects instead of projectors is selected and focused on.
- Fixed blue art artefacts in masking on some hardware.
- Fixed locking crash in the scene tree.
- Fixed close-spline tick box undo redo loop.
- Fixed controller stacking rotation angle.
- Fixed crash in parenting using the top object of scene tree.
- Fixed shape is crashing on start up on some hardware.
- Fixed shape version pin.
- Fixed problem where shape master is not always at the first viewport.
- Import .C4D now imports lens shift.
SHAPE Fixes in 4.4.0
- Fixed issue where forward data pin was not smooth if both SHAPE and Hippotizer were connected to the same controller
- Fixed issue where texture mappers would not correctly composite overlapping mixes
- Improved overall performance
Installation Notes
- 4.4 Makes significant changes to the structure of Hippotizer; DMX Personalities, Timelines and presets made on previous versions will not work in 4.4
- When moving between feature version (eg. 4.3 to 4.4) always uninstall the previous version before installing new software.
- The minimum supported Datapath capture driver has changed. At least version 7.17.14 must be installed.
- 4.3 Is the minimum version of software supported by V4+ hardware .
- From version 4.2 On wards the Hippotizer data is stored in new locations to comply with Microsoft Windows security guidelines.
- The binaries (executable files) are stored in: C:\Program Files\GreenHippo\HippotizerV4
- The settings are stored in: C:\Users\\AppData\Local\GreenHippo\4_4
- The Media folder by default on Portamus and Play is: C:\ProgramData\GreenHippo\MediaV4
- The Media folder by default on all other V4 and V4+ systems is D:\MediaV4
SHAPE Project file compatibility
- Project files created in SHAPE 4.3 are compatible with SHAPE 4.4
- Project files created in SHAPE 4.3 are compatible with SHAPE 4.3.1.
- Project files created in SHAPE 4.2 or 4.2.1 are compatible with SHAPE 4.3.1
- Project files created or edited in SHAPE 4.3.1 will not load in older versions of SHAPE.
Current Codec Support
Resolution restrictions by Codec:
| Codec | Width | Height | Max Height | Max Width | Min Height | Min Width |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FlexRes Performance | Divisible by 4 | Divisible by 4 | 16,384 | 16,384 | 64 | 64 |
| FlexRes Quality (All Colour spaces) | Divisible by 4 | Divisible by 4 | 16,384 | 16,384 | 64 | 64 |
| FlexRes Lossless 4:2:0 | Divisible by 4 | Divisible by 4 | 16,384 | 16,384 | 64 | 64 |
| FlexRes Lossless 4:2:2 | Divisible by 4 | Any | 16,384 | 16,384 | 64 | 64 |
| FlexRes Lossless 4:4:4 | Divisible by 4 | Any | 16,384 | 16,384 | 64 | 64 |
Content that does not fit within these restrictions can still be encoded through resizing.
Version 4.2.1 Removes Support for MPEG-2 Playback; please re-encode all content to FlexRes.
Video File Types
The following codecs and wrappers have been tested for their compatibility with Hippotizer’s built in transcoding system.
On encode, the content is converted to the FlexRes codec chosen.
| Codec | Extension | Status |
| Mpeg2 | .mpg | Does Not Work |
| Mpeg2 | .m2v | Works |
| Mpeg4 | .mp4 | Works |
| Mpeg4 | .m4v | Does Not Work |
| ProRes422 | .mov | Works |
| ProRes420 | .mov | Works |
| ProRes444 | .mov | Works* |
| ProRes4444 | .mov | Works* |
| FlexRes | .fxr | Works |
| AVI | .avi | Works |
| Animation RGB | .mov | Works |
| Animation RGB + Alpha | .mov | Works |
| h.264 | varies | Works |
| HAP | .mov | Works** |
Image File Types
| Codec | Extension | Status |
| Tiff | .tiff | Works |
| PNG | .png | Works |
| Jpeg | .jpg | Works |
| Targa | .tga | Works |
Image Sequences
| Codec | Extension | Status |
| Tiff | .tiff | Works |
| PNG | .png | Works |
| Jpeg | .jpg | Works |
| Targa | .tga | Works |
Audio Encoding
| Codec | Channels | bit depth | Status |
| Wav | 1 | 16b | Works |
| Wav | 2 | 16b | Works |
| Wav | 4 | 16b | Works*** |
| Wav | 6 | 16b | Works*** |
| Wav | 8 | 16b | Works*** |
| Wav | 2 | 24b | Works*** |
| Wav | 2 | 32b | Works*** |
| .mp3 | Any | Any | Does Not Work |
| .aif | Any | Any | Does Not Work |
| .mpa | Any | Any | Does Not Work |
| .wma | Any | Any | Does Not Work |
Notes
- *Content encoded from ProRes 444 may show a slight colour shift compared to the original due to an issue in the 3rd party media encoder. The ProRes 444 family also has limited support in Windows so it is best to test the specific codec and resolution when establishing a content workflow.
- **As of Version 4.2, HAP content can be ingested without transcode.
- ***Audio files with more than two channels can be encoded if they are part of an image sequence (in the same folder as the image sequence with the same name, or are separated from the video file before encode. Place the audio file in the same path as the media to be encoded and ensure they have the same name and same length.
Martin P3-PC compatibility
Hippotizer can send video directly to the Martin P3-PC application running on the same machine, this requires a P3 Dongle.
The version of P3-PC and Hippotizer is important to ensure correct operation:
| Hippotizer Version | P3-PC Version |
| 4.1 | 4.2 |
| 4.2 | 4.2.2 |
| 4.2.1 | 4.2.2 |
| 4.2.2 | 4.2.2 |
| 4.3 | 4.3.1 |
| 4.3.1 | 4.3.1 |
| 4.3.2 | 4.3.1 |
| 4.3.3 | 4.3.1 |
| 4.4 | 4.3.1 |
| 4.4.1 | 4.3.1 |
Current CITP Support
CITP (Capture Interface Transport Protocol) is an open network protocol to allow visualisation software and lighting desks to exchange thumbnails and streaming previews from media servers. Green Hippo works to ensure CITP is working correctly with as many 3rd party applications as possible. Here is a list of currently tested systems against this version.
| Desk or Software | Version Tested | Thumbnail Exchange | Streaming Previews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand MA2 | 3.3.4.3 | Works | Works |
| MA-3D | 3.3.4.3 | N/A | Works |
| MSD | 3.2.2.3 | N/A | Works – Inverted about Y Axis |
| Martin M-PC | 3.50.645.641 | Works | N/A |
| Capture Argo | 21.1.30 | N/A | Works |
| Hog 4 | 3.2.5 (Beta) | Works | N/A |
| Avolites | Titan (9/10) | Works | N/A |
| WYSIWYG | R38 | N/A | Does not Work |
| Chamsys | 1.7.8.1 | N/A | Works |
Current Datapath Drivers
- If using Dual DVI, Dual SDI or AV-SDI capture cards, we recommend Datapath Driver version 7.17.14
- If using Quad SDI and Dual DP capture cards we recommend Datapath Driver version 7.17.14
Capture drivers are available for download here: https://green-hippo.box.com/v/44datapathdrivers
Current Display Drivers
Hippotizer Media servers use one of several type of graphics card, which are tested with current and former display drivers.
| V4 System | Driver |
|---|---|
| V4 Taiga (All Types) | FirePro 15.201 |
| V4 Boreal (All Types except Boreal DVI) | FirePro 15.201 |
| V4 Boreal DVI-SL | Radeon 15.7.1 |
| V4 Karst SDI or DP | Firepro 15.201 |
| V4 Karst DVI | Radeon 15.7.1 |
| V4 Amba (S/N: 240037 or Greater) | Fire Pro 15.201 |
| V4 Amba (S/N: 240000 – 240036 ) | Radeon 15.7.1 |
V4 Drivers are available for download here: https://green-hippo.box.com/v/44v4drivers
| V4+ System | Driver |
|---|---|
| V4 Taiga+ (All Types) | Radeon 17 Q4.1 |
| V4 Montane+ (All Types) | Nvidia 387.92 |
| V4 Boreal+ (All Types) | Radeon 17 Q4.1 |
| V4 Karst+ SDI or DP | Radeon 17 Q4.1 |
| V4 Karst+ DVI | Radeon 17.7.2 |
| V4 Amba+ | Radeon 17.10.1 |
V4+ Drivers are available for download here: https://green-hippo.box.com/v/44v4plusdrivers
DMX Personalities
Current Layer Personality: 4.4 Layer
Changes from 4.3 Layer
Please see the manual section on DMX Changes
Current Mix Personality: 4.4 Mix
Changes from 4.3 Mix:
- Added Second Effects Engine
- Changed name of first effects engine
Current Viewport Personality 4.4 Viewport
Changes from 4.3 Viewport
- No functional changes. (Code changes were made to accommodate the new DMX settings system)
Known Limitations
- Adding Notch parameters with the text file does not work. If more parameters are required use either 4.3.3 or 4.5 Notch Mix.
- Crossfade on Layer and non-source presets (ie. Geometry only) does not work.
- Syncbusses do not support Crossfade on Layer
- Layers under sync bus control do not playback audio correctly.
- The DMX personality editor cannot correctly address mappable integer pins. There are two: Layer/Source/Mediaplayer/Mediaoffset and Mixcontrols/TimecodeShift. The default 4.4 personalities have these correctly set up. If building a new personality from scratch copy the XML from the default personalities.
- Zookeeper navigation and pinboard editing can be unpredictable if the zookeeper window is not full screen or screen scaling is enabled. Always use in full screen with no scaling.
- The capture hardware de-interlace (located in the configuration section of Zookeeper) setting will not work while capturing. To change de-interlace setting disable the capture by not using it on any layer, and then set the de-interlace. This limitation does not affect the software de-interlace controlled on each media layer.
- Recalling Presets and Timeline with Notch parameters may not work on first application due to the delay in loading a block. Load the Notch effect and bypass it to reduce subsequent loading times.
- When using more than 4 × 4K (4096 × 2160) outputs always ensure they are arranged in Windows such that the total area in any axis does not exceed 16,000 Pixels.
- Presets are always saved with a playback position of 00.00.00:00. If it is desired to play a clip back from a different position than the beginning use the in-point instead of play-head position.
- Deleting profiles from the Pixelmapper profile library does not work.
- Pressing Delete in string fields in pixelmapper (such as fixture name) will delete two characters at a time.
- Audio playback quality will degrade at speeds greater than 200%.
- The name of the network monitor in HippoNet is shown as host manager.
- Audio files with greater than 2 channels must be encoded alongside a video
- SHAPE on V4+ must run with Virtual Viewports enabled
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