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Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:07 pm
by shapenaji
Hi folks,

I'm looking for a program that I can run on top of my desktop that will allow me to sketch A LA MSpaint transparently. So that I can draw on top of a live game.

My idea is to present a screencast of games which would be accessible to players who know very little about the game, to purely present the big picture.

Basically, I need something akin to what the American Football commentators use in analyzing instant replays. I thought I found a program that would do what I want (Called "Sketch it"), but it runs on top of the layer that livestream records.

I have this argument that go is unique among board games in that it can be viewed by a lay-person purely visually ("Now black controls these regions, white controls these regions, black is building up a presence here so that he may invade in either of these two directions")

I feel that this would enable a large number of spectators of the game, without having to take them through learning the rules. (Though they might become interested enough to learn the rules afterward)

Anyone know of any programs that might meet my needs.

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:27 pm
by BobC
If the board is viewed as a web page try..

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... hjfa?hl=en

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:51 pm
by shapenaji
BobC wrote:If the board is viewed as a web page try..

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... hjfa?hl=en


Very neat, but unfortunately doesn't work with any of the servers, all are separate applets...

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:56 pm
by hyperpape
It's not ideal, but you can use it with eidogo.

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:02 pm
by shapenaji
hyperpape wrote:It's not ideal, but you can use it with eidogo.


True, the goal however is to make it so that I can review games live. For example if we have a tournament in a public place, I'd like to have a video screen up that people can look at with the general analysis of the game as it progresses.

A JSON enabled eidogo would work too...

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:08 pm
by BobC

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:35 pm
by shapenaji
It's good, I would need some way of relaying the sgf realtime though.

It also has a ton of useful little brushtypes (arrow being one of them)

actually, the only real problem I have with it is that there seems to be no way to close it so I can go back to using the buttons on the webpage... looked through the documentation... nothing is screaming at me..

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:44 pm
by hermitek
What OS do you use? On Linux there's plugin for compiz, on Mac is something called Magic Pen and for MS Windows there's ZoomIt.

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:07 pm
by shapenaji
Thanks Hermitek, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

Now, if I can just get the score estimator to always display and update.

I'd like to use the annotations to discuss tactics, surrounding the current territories every time might get arduous. I can always point out to the viewers exactly how the score estimator is wrong. But it would be a useful tool.

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:18 pm
by daal
shapenaji wrote:
I have this argument that go is unique among board games in that it can be viewed by a lay-person purely visually ("Now black controls these regions, white controls these regions, black is building up a presence here so that he may invade in either of these two directions")


I think so too, and I recently made a similar suggestion in a thread about introducing go to new players.

BTW, I'd love to watch your demonstrations. Any plans to record them for posterity and put them up on the net?

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:24 pm
by shapenaji
daal wrote:
shapenaji wrote:
I have this argument that go is unique among board games in that it can be viewed by a lay-person purely visually ("Now black controls these regions, white controls these regions, black is building up a presence here so that he may invade in either of these two directions")


I think so too, and I recently made a similar suggestion in a thread about introducing go to new players.

BTW, I'd love to watch your demonstrations. Any plans to record them for posterity and put them up on the net?


Well, actually, the first tests (if I can get all the tools running) will be at:

livestream.com/shapengo

I may record them, but what I really want to do is see if it's possible to analyze a longer game on the fly like that.

I suspect, also, that there's an ideal time control to analyze, something that gives me enough time to present the situation, but not so much time that I have to resort completely to my color commentarians

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:31 pm
by shapenaji
In fact, I'd really like to test it right now, I'll be on kgs and on livestream, going to give Zoomit a shot.

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:37 pm
by daniel_the_smith
Looks like you have half a dozen viewers in the queue for when you get it running... :)

Edit: seems like livestream (or maybe my connection) is having trouble, extremely choppy video and audio. :sad:

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:49 pm
by shapenaji
Yeah, my computer is a laggy salty dog...

I need to find a better machine to do this on, ideal would be if one of the local oregon go players has a pad and stylus I can borrow.

Re: Graphical Overlay for Go Screencasting

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:54 pm
by daniel_the_smith
But even the 5 spf (seconds per frame ;-) ) I was getting was enough to see that it would be really cool!