To Set Up a Chroma Key in Advanced Mode

The UltraChrome chroma key tries to automatically adjust for the scene you are trying to chroma key. For the best results, initialize the key first, and then identify the areas where you need to adjust the key.

  1. Click Navigation Menu > Live Assist > MEs and select the ME and key that you want to set up.
    Tip: You can use the same procedure for a MiniME™ or MultiScreen.
  2. Click Key Fill and select the video signal you want to use for the key.
  3. Click Chroma Key.
    Tip: Click Show Alpha to have the preview output of the current ME switch to the alpha signal that is being used by the selected keyer. Show alpha is not available for MiniME™ outputs.
  4. Click Advanced.


  5. Click the Color button for the color you want to key out.
  6. Click Init to initialize the chroma key.

    Every time the key is initialized, the switcher resets all the Chroma Key parameters to their default settings.

  7. Click an Additive Keying button to turn it on or off.
    • Off — Reduces the level of detail in the edges of the chroma key as well as the overall noise in the key image that can be the result of certain lighting conditions or high detail camera settings. This is the default setting.
    • On — Include the maximum detail in the edges of the chroma key.
  8. Use the Background Neg Hue slider to adjust the range of hues that are included in the Background, expanding counter-clockwise around the color wheel.
  9. Use the Background Pos Hue slider to adjust the range of hues that are included in the Background, expanding clockwise around the color wheel.
  10. Use the Background Sat slider to adjust the saturation range of the background color.
    • Increasing the saturation range value includes a wider range of saturation values to be included in the background.
    • Decreasing the saturation range value includes a narrower range of saturation values to be included in the background.
  11. Use the Edge Softness slider to add or remove edge softening of the foreground image and alpha channel.
    • Increasing the softness value increases the amount of softness applied to the foreground edges and alpha channel.
    • Decreasing the softness value decreases the amount of softness applied to the foreground edges and alpha channel.
  12. Use the Foreground Clip slider to adjust the foreground clipping.
    • Increasing the clip value removes lower-saturated colors from the Foreground image.
    • Decreasing the clip value includes lower-saturated colors in the Foreground image.
  13. Use the Foreground Hue slider to select the central (base) color for the foreground.
    • Increasing the hue value moves counter-clockwise around the color wheel to select a base color.
    • Decreasing the hue value moves clockwise around the color wheel to select a base color.
  14. Use the Foreground Reject slider to include or reject hues adjacent to the base color.
    • Increasing the reject value decreases the amount of adjacent hues that are included in the foreground.
    • Decreasing the reject value increases the amount of adjacent hues that are included in the foreground.
  15. Use the Background Suppress slider to change the overall brightness of Shadow, Translucent, and Transition areas.
    • Increasing the background suppress value increases the brightness of Background, Translucent, and Transition areas.
    • Decreasing the background suppress value decreases the brightness of Background, Translucent, and Transition areas.
  16. Use the Luminance Reflection slider to change the brightness of semi-transparent reflections (like reflections from glasses).
    • Increasing the reflections value increases the brightness of semi-transparent reflections.
    • Decreasing the reflections value decreases the brightness of semi-transparent reflections.
  17. Use the Shadow Gain slider to adjust the shadow appearance.
    • Increasing the gain value creates darker shadows.
    • Decreasing the gain value creates lighter shadows.
  18. Use the Shadow Range slider to adjust the range of the shadow colors.
    • Increasing the range value widens the shadow area by including lower-luminance background colors. The increased range comes as a result of colors moving from the translucent area to the shadow area.
    • Decreasing the range value narrows the shadow area by excluding high-luminance colors. These excluded colors move back into the translucent area.
  19. Use the Spill Clip slider to adjust spill suppress clipping.
    • Increasing the clip value removes higher-saturated colors from spill suppress correction.
    • Decreasing the clip value includes higher-saturated colors in spill suppress correction. If your foreground image contains bright-colored areas that are suffering from background spill, decrease the clip value to have it corrected.
  20. Use the Spill Hue slider to select the central, or base, color for spill suppress correction. If the color spill does not appear to be the same color as the background, use this control to adjust which hue is considered to be "spilled" into the foreground.
    • Increasing the hue value moves counter-clockwise around the color wheel while selecting a base color.
    • Decreasing the hue value moves clockwise around the color wheel while selecting a base color.
  21. Use the Spill Reject slider to include or reject adjacent hues to the base.
    • Increasing the reject value increases the amount of adjacent hues that are included in spill correction.
    • Decreasing the reject value decreases the amount of adjacent hues that are included in spill correction.
  22. Use the Transition Gain slider to adjust the appearance of the Transition colors.
    • Increasing the gain value makes the transition area pixels more opaque.
    • Decreasing the gain value makes the transition area pixels more transparent.
  23. Use the Translucency Gain slider to adjust the appearance of the translucent colors.
    • Increasing the gain value causes the translucent colors to appear more opaque.
    • Decreasing the gain value causes the translucent colors to appear more transparent.
  24. Use the Translucency Range slider to adjust the range of the translucent colors.
    • Increasing the range value widens the translucent area by including more hues from the background range (the lower-end of the range is defined by the shadow range you just set).
    • Decreasing the range value narrows the translucent area by excluding hues.
  25. Click Mask to apply a mask to the key.