Computer Friends, Inc.

Las Vegas Edition is the combination of a high quality output Video Digitizer Card (Video FotoSNAP!-PIP) and an overlay software (Las Vegas Edition). With Las Vegas Edition, you can immediately combine two images. The first image or landscape comes from your hard drive or CD-ROM, the second from a live video source. The result is a combination image where live video shows through user selectable areas of the landscape. For example, as in the sketch above you can take the original landscape image ('Country Woman') and create a 'mask' of the lady in the picture (lady A). Then you can point a video camera at the face of another person (lady B) and show it through the mask of the original 'Country Woman' picture. Then by zooming, you can fit the second face (lady B) to the original mask. Now simply click on the mouse - the combination picture is captured - you are ready to print and then transfer to cloth, mugs, etc.

Operation of Las Vegas Edition is made particularly simple by the use of the Custom Keyboard. In the Custom Keyboard all the commands pertaining to the operation of the Las Vegas Edition are present and displayed as Plain English words on large pushbuttons. The system is designed for immediate use by a computer layman and yet it offers unique, elegant and sophisticated overlay methods. The key to its power is the flexibility in choosing the transparent areas in the landscape pictures. You CAN CREATE AND EDIT HIS/HER OWN LANDSCAPES images or files and combine scanned and video captured images in any mode. You can have a video-captured image as a landscape and overlay a scanned image as a mask, or vice versa. Choose and select different areas of the landscape (in the same picture) to be transparent to video. In the example above, we show the case of the face being transparent to video. But you can also as easily superimpose, for example, a full person with a pet (the 'mask' picture) walking on a Hawaiian beach (the 'landscape' picture). And the combined picture will appear REAL.

Critical features of the Las Vegas Edition are 'AUTOMATIC COLOR CORRECTION' and 'BLENDING LINES'. Automatic Color Correction eliminates any guess work when matching the customer's face to the color of the background. Blending Lines make for accurate matching of the customer's face to the 'mask' in the background. For example, if you make a mask of the Mona Lisa and have a customer's face overlaid on the Mona Lisa image, then Las Vegas Edition will calculate the colors of the customer's face to perfectly match the color and texture of the Mona Lisa painting for an absolutely realistic output. And the blend lines will ensure a natural transition between the face of the customer and the hair of the Mona Lisa. Another unique feature of Las Vegas Edition is CONTINUOUS TRANSPARENCY CONTROL, that is the ability to vary 'live' how much of the 'mask' picture you wish to see overlaid on the landscape. This gives you practically infinite control of the final output. As we write this document, continuous transparency control and user editable landscapes and masks are features unique to Las Vegas Edition and not found in systems costing $30,000 or more (to rent!!!). Las Vegas Edition is Windows based, supports Windows 95 and all the controls are visual and intuitive. We designed the system and the documentation with the Business User in mind - he or she who wishes to start working quickly and easily, without taxing the mind with difficult learning. In fact, Las Vegas Edition is fun to use - you can experiment immediately with landscapes and masks to express your imagination. Look at Las Vegas Edition as the power tool to attract, impress, and sell to your customers.

Las Vegas Edition comes on a CD along with over 200 landscapes, pictures, and masks ready to be overlaid with video.

When you plan to overlay the image of a person over a landscape you can focus the camera on the subject in a generic surrounding or you can position the subject in front of a white screen. In the latter case you can vary the level or degree of transparency of the subject to video, thus creating an endless possibility of special effects.

Method 1 Showing live video in a pre-pared landscape file	Example. A landscape picture showing the sun over the sea. The area of the sun is made transparent to video. Camera focuses and zooms on a person’s face and the face is shown as occupying the area of the sun
Method 2 Loading separately two files, landscape and mask. Using (2) colors, one transparent to the landscape, the other transparent to video	Example. The landscape is the White House file. The mask file shows Bill Clinton somewhere in an office. You use one color to make the area of Clinton’s face transparent to video. Use the other color to make the office space surrounding Clinton (in the mask file) transparent to the landscape. Now using live video capture show and capture your face. The result is an image of a person with your face and Bill Clinton's body standing in front of the White House
Method 3 Loading separately two files, landscape and mask. Using a back lit screen and (1) color to be transparent to video. Subject is placed in front of a white screen.	Example. The landscape is the White House file. The mask file shows Bill Clinton somewhere in an office. Figuratively, of course, remove the head of Bill Clinton and use the color to paint ALL areas of the mask file through which you wish the landscape to show. Then sit in front of the white screen and adjust the camera so that your head matches Clinton’s neck. Now using Las Vegas Edition sensitivity control, you can adjust how much of the mask file will appear on the White House background - your face, or your face with the body of Bill Clinton or your face with the body of Bill Clinton and part of the office etc.