ATEM Control

A simple express-based NodeJS server for controlling an ATEM Switcher through a REST API.

This app is far from a complete solution for controlling an ATEM switcher, as it was designed for a very particular use case: switching cameras connected to an ATEM switcher from inside vMix.

Requirements

NodeJS. Tested with NodeJS 10.1
vMix 16 or later. Tested with vMix 20 and 21.
A Blackmagic Design ATEM Switcher. Tested with a Production Studio 4K.

This package makes intensive use of vMix scripting capabilities, which are present in 4K and Pro versions only. If you want to test this package before purchasing vMix, you can download it and use their free 60-day trial period with complete functionality.

Installation

Download the latest release and unzip it.
Run npm install to install dependencies.
To start the server run npm start

To integrate with vMix you also need to install the scripts that will interface with the server. These scripts are located inside the vmix_scripts folder and to install follow this:

In vMix, go to Settings > Scripting > Add > Import.
In the Open dialog, search for *.vb. Select a file and open.
Name your script and Save.

Once you've added the scripts, you can use them with keybindings and the Run script command. Check below for more details about this part.

Usage

Before starting the server, you must set the switcher's IP address. In the config.json file you can set it, alongside a couple of options.

options
- max_listeners sets how many listeners are available for communication with the ATEM switcher. Default value is 3.
- port sets the port the server will use to listen for commands. By default it will use port 8080.
- title sets the figlet text when starting the server. The default is ATEM Control.
switcher
- address sets the ATEM switcher address to connect. This value is required.

Commands

The server is a REST API that will be located at http://localhost:<port>/api/ and, depending on the command, it will accept JSON formatted values as input.

`POST changePreviewInput`

Sets the input as a preview. The following example sets the first input as the preview.

{
  "input": 1
}

`POST changeProgramInput`

Sets the input as program. The following will set the fifth input as program.

{
  "input": 5
}

`POST autoTransition`

Will execute an automatic transition. Equivalent to press AUTO TRANS in the switcher application.

`POST cutTransition`

Will execute a cut transition. Equivalent to press CUT in the switcher application.

vMix scripts

As mentioned, these scripts leverage the scripting capabilities of vMix, as stated in the manufacturer's documentation. They are Visual Basic.NET scripts and are quite limited in scope and functionality. Scripts can't take parameters, so when setting up camera related scripts, as in ATEMPrevCam.vb and ATEMCutCam.vb, you'll have to import as many scripts as cameras you have connected to your ATEM switcher.

For example, if you have cameras 1, 2, 5 and 7 connected to your ATEM, you need to import ATEMPrevCam.vb 4 times and modify the camera variable in the script. You will also need to change the server address and port.

Dim client As New System.Net.WebClient
' Change address and port
Dim api = "http://localhost:8090/api/changePreviewInput"

' This sets camera 1
Dim camera = 1
Dim data = "{""input"": " & camera & "}"

client.Headers.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
client.UploadString(api, "POST", data)

noquierouser/atem-control