OnTheAir CG
For each CG project, you can create an unlimited number of items. The only limitation will be what your computer can handle. You can add text (fixed or with moving), shapes, still images, movies (in ProRes 4444 with alpha), clocks (digital or analog), or Live items. Each can be customised and positioned in the CG project very easily.
Each item can then be "timed" in the timeline, set when it will "appear" and you can define animations such as fades, pushes, and moves. In our code, we work with keyframes, but for you the user, it's much simpler, just define an animation and a duration for the animation.
NDI® is an open, low-latency, video-over-IP protocol developed by NewTek, Inc. It uses a simple gigabit ethernet cable to transmit video and audio over a local area network between multiple video systems. Now, thanks to NDI®, you can transfer HD and 4K video over a simple Ethernet cable. There is no need for additional routers or even SDI cables anymore, further demonstrating the ease-of-use and reliability of our products. NDI® opens the world to a different way of doing video production and to an ecosystem of devices supporting the protocol.
You can create multiple Live inputs in the preferences of OnTheAir CG and use them as you would use other media in a CG project. The beauty is that for your Live input you can either use a real video input (AJA, Blackmagic-Design, Deltacast or NDI®) or use the direct link feature to receive the frames directly from a OnTheAir Video or OnTheAir Node that is running on the same computer. You can now use just one video output device to output both video and graphics.
OnTheAir CG’s open architecture will allow any third party application to control the graphics. OnTheAir CG can be controlled using either AppleScripts or a HTTP REST API meaning that the protocol is a proven and open standard that doesn’t need any special requirements. You can change the text displayed on screen, but also change the video or still image. It is very flexible and easy to control your graphics.
OnTheAir CG is a simple to use software, but with advanced feature such as the support for subtitling (Closed Captioning CEA608 or CEA708 and OP47). You can embed the subtilting in a movie item file in your project, and we'll play it out. We will also pass through CC if received in a live item.
The support for SCTE35 is very useful for add-insertion programs. You can send SCTE trigger using either the OnTheAir CG REST API, or AppleScripts.
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Support is included in our permanent licenses. There are no recurring fees.
Softron has a worldwide network of highly skilled specialists ready to assist.
Setting up our software is simple and straightforward. But we are always happy to help.
Our customers love our products and our support.
Get support
Make sure to test with our free DEMO version available for download before purchasing so you are sure it fits your need. In DEMO mode, the application will allow you to create and edit your schedule, but not send it to OnTheAir Node. That's the only limitation and difference. After your test, you will keep on using the same application, just with the demo mode unlocked.
Free download
OnTheAir CG can be used together with OnTheAir Video which can control it to start and stop graphics when playing out video files.
OnTheAir CG Companion is a companion application for OnTheAir CG. It can fetch data from any XML or JSON HTTP source and feed it to OnTheAir CG but also trigger AppleScripts with the data.
| Main Features |
OnTheAir CG
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|---|---|
| Multiple Layers and project control | |
| "Smiley" feature for graphics integration in Tickers | |
| Integration with the playout applications | |
| Overlay RSS feeds | |
| Create graphics with OnTheAir CG Designer for OnTheAir CG Server |
| Items types |
OnTheAir CG
|
|---|---|
| Text | |
| Shapes | |
| Tickers (the content is automatically read from a folder where text files are placed) | |
| Video files | |
| Animated sequence tag or png | |
| Analog and digital Clocks | |
| Variables (to update content from third parties) |
| External Controls |
OnTheAir CG
|
|---|---|
| REST API | |
| AppleScript | |
| Integrates with OnTheAir Video (using OnTheAir Video Actions) | |
| Integrates with OnTheAir Node (using Attributes and the OnTheAir CG plugin for OnTheAir Node) |
| Version |
Sequoia
15.00
|
Sonoma
14.00
|
Ventura
13.00
|
Monterey
12.00
|
Big Sur
11.00
|
Catalina
10.15
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Mojave
10.14
|
High Sierra
10.13
|
Sierra
10.12
|
El Capitan
10.11
|
Yosemite
10.10
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Mavericks
10.9
| |
| 3.6 and later | |||||||||||||
| 3.5.4 | |||||||||||||
| 3.5.3 | |||||||||||||
| 3.3 to 3.4 | |||||||||||||
| 3.0 to 3.2 |
| Required Version by some macOS Version | macOS 10.13 to macOS 10.15: Version 3.3 or later (For dongle compatibility) macOS 11 or later: Version 3.6 or later (Because of UI glitches in the playlist playback controls) |
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| Recommended macOS (for latest version) | macOS 10.15.5 or later* | |||
| Supported Mac computers |
Intel Processors:
Apple Silicon Processors: Version 3.5.4 and later
WARNING: With Apple Silicon processors, some third party libraries may not be able to run natively, so will have lower performances. Other libraries may not run at all. Check the following article to know more
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| Recommended RAM | 8 GB for the first HD channel. | |||
| Supported Graphics Cards |
Version 3.0 until 3.8: A graphics card that supports Metal is recommended. WARNING: the latest Intel MacBook Pros and Intel iMacs (not on Apple Silicon) have a bug with macOS OpenGL, and you won't be able to use the SMART playout engine of OnTheAir Video 3, OnTheAir Node 3 or OnTheAir CG 3 (there is no issue with version 4 of these applications). More info here...
Version 4.0 and later: Requires a graphics card that supports Metal for the SMART Resize and Graphics option (OnTheAir Video and OnTheAir Node)... Check the list of Macs that support Metal.
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| Supported Outputs | AJA, Blackmagic-Design, Deltacast, NDI. Make sure to check the required drivers depending on the macOS and Softron software version | |||
| Hardware acceleration to decode Apple ProRes |
Supported hardware: Mac with Apple Silicon M1 Max or Ultra; M2 Pro, Max or Ultra; or 2019 Mac Pro with an "Afterburner card"
Required macOS version: macOS 10.15.2 or later
Required software version: OnTheAir CG version 3.5 or later.
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| Hardware acceleration to decode H.264 |
Intel Processors: With all Mac computers with i5 or i7 processors, running macOS 10.9.5 or later for one channel. macOS 10.13 or later is required for multichannel support.
Apple Silicon Processors: All models support hardware acceleration for H.264, but they are more optimised for HEVC, so we recommend using HEVC whenever possible
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| Hardware acceleration to decode H.265 / HEVC |
Intel Processors: With all Mac computers with 6th generation of intel processors (2016 and later), running macOS 10.13 or later. Macs with M1 chips or later can support multichannels as well./div>
Apple Silicon Processors: All models support hardware acceleration, and are optimised for HEVC
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| Compatible Storage | Most storage that can sustain the required constant read speed (depending on the number of channels, the codec and format). If you need to run tests, make sure to do long term tests. | |||
| Requires Monitor Connected | Yes. Even if it should behave fine in most cases, it is recommended to keep a monitor connected at all times for best performances. Or you should make the macOS think that there is a monitor connected. Beware of some KVM switches that can cause interrupts in the signal. | |||
| Number of license required | One complete license required per channel (output). | |||
IMPORTANT NOTE: for video clips with an Alpha channel, OnTheAir CG only supports ProRes 4444. Other codecs are supported for video playback, but without alpha.
Video Codecs
| Format | Support |
|---|---|
| Apple ProRes 422 Family (Proxy, 422, LT, HQ) | |
| Apple ProRes 4444 (4444, XQ) | |
| AVC-Intra (50, 100, 200) | |
| AVCHD | |
| Avid DNxHD | |
| Avid DNxHR | |
| DV-PAL | |
| DV/DVCPRO-NTSC | |
| DVCPro-PAL | |
| DVCPro HD | |
| DVCPro 50 | |
| H.264 | |
| HDV | |
| HEVC | |
| MPEG IMX (30/40/50) | |
| MPEG-2 | |
| MPEG-4 Video | |
| None | |
| Photo-JPEG | |
| Uncompressed | |
| XDCAM EX | |
| XDCAM HD | |
| XDCAM HD422 |
Audio Codecs
| Format | Support |
|---|---|
| AAC | |
| Apple Lossless | |
| MP2 | |
| MP3 | |
| Linear PCM |
Video Wrappers
| Format | Support |
|---|---|
| AVI | |
| DV | |
| M2T | |
| M2V | |
| M4V | |
| MP2 | |
| MP4 | |
| MPEG | |
| MPG | |
| MXF OP1a | |
| QuickTime (MOV) | |
| Transport Stream (ts) |
Still Image Formats
| Format | Support |
|---|---|
| BMP | |
| PSD | |
| GIF ** | |
| JPEG | |
| JPEG 2000 | |
| PNG | |
| Targa | |
| TIFF |
* HEVC requires macOS 10.13 or later and a computer using a Intel Core processor Skylake or later (available in 2016 on the Mac)
** Only first image.
Important Note: Some of the codecs above such as H.264 or MPEG2 can have a lot of variants. This is why we always recommend to have a procedure on how to create the files you put on air. So you are sure it will always behave well. If you receive files from external sources and you don't know how they were generated, it's always a good idea to test them before putting them on air. You can even test them on a different computer with a demo version of one of our playout application.
| Application Version | First Supported Drivers | Last Supported Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Version 3.6 and later | 16.0.0 | latest |
| Version 3.4.2 | 15.0.0 | latest |
| Version 3.4 | 12.4.2 | latest |
| Version 3.2 and 3.3 | 12.4.2 | 14.3 |
| Version 3.0 and 3.1 | 12.1.2 | 14.3 |
WARNING:
- Some AJA devices need to use the latest SDK in our applications. Make sure to check which application version support your device in our help center article.
- Apple Silicon computers require AJA drivers 16.0 or later.
| Application Version | First Supported Drivers | Last Supported Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Version 3.6.1 or later | 12.0 | latest drivers |
| Version 3.6 | 12.0 | 14.2 |
| Version 3.5 | 11.1 | 14.2 |
| Version 3.3 and 3.4 | 10.9.5 | 14.2 |
| Version 3.0 to 3.2 | 10.3.1 | 14.2 |
WARNING:
- macOS 11 (Big Sur) requires Blackmagic-Design drivers 11.7 or later.
| Application Version | First Supported Drivers | Last Supported Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Version 3.5 and later | Intel: 6.15.01 Apple Silicon: 6.17 Universal beta 1 |
Intel: latest version Apple Silicon: latest version |
| Version 3.2.4 until 3.4 | 5.21 | 6.17 |
| Version 3.2 until 3.2.3 | 5.21 | 6.01.01 (but not 6.0 nor 6.01) |
| Version 3.0 until 3.1 | 5.17 | 5.18 |
WARNING:
- macOS 10.15 (Catalina) requires drivers version 6.13 or later
- You should only download the Deltacast drivers from our website. Indeed we validate them with our applications before putting them online.
| Application�Version | NDI SDK Library Version |
|---|---|
| Version 3.6.1 | 6.0.1 |
| Version 3.6 | 5.5.4 |
| Version 3.6 | 5.5.4 |
| Version 3.5.4b6 | 4.6.2 (First version compatible with Apple Silicon) |
| Version 3.5 | First version of OnTheAir Video with NDI |
About NDI | HX: Only supported for live sources, not for output. Requires the NDI|HX driver.
We know that some of our users can not upgrade their macOS very often. This is why Softron tries to maintain compatibility with older versions of macOS as much as possible, but it is not always possible to achieve. Because Operating Systems are usually significantly improved over previous versions, Softron must use many of the more capable built-in functionalities inherent in Apple's latest OS releases. Failing to do so would mean that Softron software would essentially be blocked from using the new Frameworks provided in the OS. For this reason, Softron's free support is provided only on the current and previous macOS versions. Also, most of our tests will be done on these macOS versions, and only basic tests will be done on the previous OS. We will always try to help, but in some cases, the best solution is to upgrade your macOS to a more recent version.
Softron does not warrant that these recommended configurations will always meet specific user requirements. They are intended as guidelines and are based on extensive testing that Softron has done, they can be changed without notice. Hardware, drivers, software and operating systems change regularly and we advise users and prospective users to evaluate their requirements in their specific environment/workflow using Softron demo licenses that are available for downloading from Softron's web site.
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OnTheAir CG Designer
Version 3.6.1 - 10 September 2024
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Download | ||
OnTheAir CG Server
Version 3.6.1 - 10 September 2024
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Download "Single" Version |
Download "Multi" Version |
Useful Resources
- Pre-Release versions
- Release Notes
- User Manual - OnTheAir CG Designer
- User Manual - OnTheAir CG Server
- Sample projects to get started
- Sample projects with corresponding AppleScripts to show how to control OnTheAir CG Server with AppleScripts
- Sample projects with HTML sample page to control OnTheAir CG Server from a web page
- Help Center: Includes a lot of useful information, sometimes not available in the user manual
- YouTube Channel
Installation instructions
Once downloaded, unzip the file, and drag and drop the Application in your Applications Folder.
Warning!
Do NOT run the Application from your downloads folder or it will be quarantined. Always drag and drop from the Downloads folder to the Applications folder before using it.
Make sure also to download and install the drivers for your video device:
AJA Drivers
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Blackmagic-Design Drivers
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Deltacast Drivers
For Intel and Silicon
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DEMO Limitations
In DEMO mode, the application will burn a blue frame in the recorded file or at output at some intervals. That's the only limitation and difference. After your test, you will keep on using the same application, just with the demo mode unlocked.
How to unlock the DEMO version ?
Purchase a license through one of our resellers or the Softron online store, then just activate your serial number in the License window or plug your dongle in the computer.
Upgrade/Update instructions
Just download the latest version and replace your previous version. It is always recommended to run extensive tests with your specific workflow and setup before putting a new version in production. You can use a free demo version for that on a separate computer. Previous legacy versions are available from the general downloads page.
You do not need to deactivate and reactivate your serial number when updating your Softron software. Read the following article to know when to deactivate.
This software uses code of FFmpeg, licensed under the LGPLv2.1 and its source can be downloaded here.
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OnTheAir CG Designer 3.6.0
12 April 2024
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Download | ||
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OnTheAir CG Server 3.6.0
12 April 2024
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Download "Single" Version |
Download "Multi" Version | |
OnTheAir CG 3.5.4
27 April 2021
|
Download | ||
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OnTheAir CG 3.4.3
19 January 2020
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Download | ||
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OnTheAir CG 3.3.5
6 November 2018
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Download | ||
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OnTheAir CG 3.2.4
26 June 2017
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Download | ||
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OnTheAir CG 3.1.5
25 October 2016
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Download | ||
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OnTheAir CG 3.0.5
9 September 2015
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Download |
Copyright
This software uses code of FFmpeg, licensed under the LGPLv2.1 and its source can be downloaded here.
This software uses the MediaInfo library, Copyright (c) 2002-2023 MediaArea.net SARL.