VideoSkin.net Manual
 

• - General information
• - Configure webcam
• - Preview video window
• - "Blue screen" modes switch
• - Apply Skin
• - Reset Background
• - Start/stop transmitting video
• - Side panel
  • -- Skin tab
    • --- Skins list
    • --- Import skin
    • --- Delete skin
    • --- Search for skins
  • -- Skin settings tab
    • --- Skin Layers settings
    • --- Save skin
    • --- Save skin as
    • --- Smoothing internal edge slider
    • --- Smoothing external edge slider
  • -- Advanced "Blue Screen" tab

Click on the picture below on any button or menu item to get help on it.
 

General information
 

The idea of the program is to apply flash animation or picture over the webcam image to make a video chatting more fun and personolized. There could be three layers of skin animation applying:
 

• Background - placed on background behind you, the same as the picture behind the newsreader on TV
   
• Skin layer - the animation is placed over your figure and hiding you
   
• Foreground - the webcam picture is overlaid by the animation , it could be an animated frame for example.
   

Configure web camera
 

In order to apply VideoSkin.net video effects over your webcam picture you need your web cam to be intalled in the system and connected. In most cases VideoSkin.net program will automaticly take the default webcam in your system as a source camera. If you want to change the camera settings (for example you have more than one webcamera installed) goto Camera in the upper menu. A small window with the list of all available cameras will appear. It is shown below.

 

You can choose the camera from the drop-down menu. After choosing it apply settings by clicking OK. Sometime you may need to change camera settings like brightness and contrast (see tips), click Camera Settings.
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Preview window
 

The result picture with the currnet videoskin applied is shown in this window.
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AI "Blue screen" and Fixed "Blue screen" modes switch
 

If you want to use videoskin with the backgroung, the VideoSkin.net program will cut your figure to apply the flash movie on a backround in the way it is done in TV news and films.



There are two basic modes in which background is detected:
 

-- AI "Blue screen" in this mode the program will try to find you figure automaticly, the quality of detection could vary depending on lighting, your camera drivers and camera software.
 

-- Fixed "Blue screen" mode is more stable and more like the one used on TV.
A more reliable way to use this mode we recommend you turn off automatic light or exposure adjustments in Camera Settings (depends on camera vendor). Then press the Reset Background button and leave the picture area in order to allow the program to shoot the background. After that the program will cut everything new in the picture (eg your figure). Read more tips for accurate ways of applying the "Blue Screening" modes.
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Apply Skin button
 

Turns on and off video effects. To turn the skin off just click on it once, to turn it on click once again
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Reset Backround button
 

Resets the background in the memory of the program with the 4 seconds delay, which gives you time to leave the picture area. After 4 seconds the program shoots the background and puts it in the memory. This helps VideoSkin.net program to split the background and the foreground properly, in order to apply different layers of skin.
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Transmit Video button
 

With this button you can go private mode at any given moment. It starts and stops video, like a pause button.
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Side buttons
 

You could open a side sliding panel with option and skin settings by clicking on one of the side buttons, left or right. The panel will open on the side of the button clicked.

Click on the picture below to get more help

The side panel gives you an access to the menu of video skins, where you can choose the skin to apply, install a new skin or jump to the advanced options tab.
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Skins list
 

The skin list shows all installed skins. The active skin, which is applied at the current moment is highlighted with the gray color and green dot on the right (as Green Leaf frame with Butterflies on the picture on the right).

To apply one of the skins from this list double click on it or click once on the red dot on the right side of the row with the skin, which should go green indicating that the skin is chosen.
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Import Skin button
 

To install a new skin downloaded from the skin directory, click on the Import Skin button and select the zip file you've downloaded and click OK. It will install automaticly.

Now you can apply new skin by double click on it as mentioned above.
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Delete Skin button
 

To delete a skin, select the skin from the skin list by clicking on it and click Delete Skin button.
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Search Skin button
 

This button will bring you to skin directory on VideoSkin.net web site.
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