Issue with lo-res grainy video from Zwobot M4L

Hi,
Very new user to Spout.
I have downloaded 2007 DEMO and am attempting to use but have found that the video into the receiver is very grainy (example here: Imgur: The magic of the Internet)

SpoutSettings has been reset and reloaded. I have not attempted to edit the spoutsettings.ini - I wondered what the best would that help in any way?

Logs from receiver here:

Spout log file

========================
2021-02-03 20:29:16
[notice] spoutGL::OpenSpout - 64bit 2.007 - this 0x9C716C40
[notice] spoutGL::OpenDirectX
[notice] spoutDirectX::OpenDirectX11()
[notice] spoutDirectX::CreateDX11device - pAdapterDX11 (0x0000000)
[notice] device (0x9C8483C8)
[notice] spoutGL::GLDXready - testing for GL/DX interop compatibility
[notice] GL/DX interop extensions available
[notice] spoutGL::GLDXready - testing GL/DX interop functions
[notice] spoutDirectX::CreateSharedDX11Texture
[notice] pTexture = 0x9C8694B8 : dxShareHandle = 0x0000102
[notice] Linking test - OpenGL texture (0x0000002) DX11 texture (0x9C8694B8)
[notice] spoutDirectX::ReleaseDX11Texture (0x9C8483C8)
[notice] Test OpenGL and DX11 textures created and linked OK
[notice] Using texture share mode
[notice] Spout::InitReceiver(ZwobotSpout, 1280 x 720)
[notice] spoutFrameCount::CreateAccessMutex - [ZwobotSpout_SpoutAccessMutex] already exists
[notice] SpoutFrameCount::EnableFrameCount : sender name [ZwobotSpout]
[notice] Semaphore handle [0x0001E48]
[notice] spoutGL::CreateInterop
[notice] spoutGL::CreateInterop - m_pSharedTexture = 0x9C8694B8 : m_dxShareHandle = 0x0001442
[notice] m_hInteropObject = 0x000FDB0
[notice] spoutFrameCount::HoldFps(60)
[notice] SpoutFrameCount::CleanupFrameCount
[notice] spoutGL::CleanupInterop
[notice] spoutGL::CloseDirectX()
[notice] spoutDirectX::CloseDirectX11()

Specs
Intel i7 6700k
AMD Radeon RX-570
Windows 10
Running Zwobot from Ableton Live 10 with clear picture in Zwobot Sender.
Texture Share mode
DirectX11: 1280x720 (BGRA)

As I say I am very new to spout but any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m genuinely not even sure I’ve got the right download as the folder I have downloaded is listed as demo.

Thanks
Stephen

Hi Stephen,

That’s certainly corrupted!

I have seen this effect quite some time back with AMD graphics and it turned out to be a driver problem. But your log shows no errors and Texture Share mode. I notice that your specs show Intel as well as AMD Radeon graphics. Is this a laptop with AMD switchable graphics?

Is this limited to Zwobot? You should be able to confirm that by running the demo sender and receiver together. Also programs like Resolume should send and receive OK.

I have contacted the Zwobot developers to find whether they see the problem.

I am sure that you have the right download. Spout isn’t an application that has a demo version. The demo programs are for testing purposes.

“spoutsettings.ini” is used to save the settings that SpoutSettings loads at the start and if “Reload” is used instead of “Reset”. Editing it will not have any effect on the problem you see.

Hi

Thanks for the reply.
It’s a desktop PC so motherboard has on-board intel graphics and the PC the additional Radeon card.
I have tested the spout sender and receiver at the same time and the demo video plays with no issues in the receiver window so I do think the issue might be down to zwobot. I have tried variable FPS and setting manually to 30FPS but I will have another look at zwobot and see what else I can try there.

Thanks again.
Stephen

I contacted the Zwobot developers and tested on my system with AMD Radeon R9 200. All works perfectly. They mention that a customer had seen this before in 2019. One day it was OK and the next it was not. The effect looks identical, including the diagonal line that suggests a resolution problem.

I also recall a previous report in entirely separate software. Again the same symptom. It appeared to be related to the alpha channel, but most software can’t alter this.

I am no expert with it, but I wonder if you could briefly try Resolume. A Spout source has options for alpha Premultiplied and straight. Try Premultiplied. It might do something.

It looks like an AMD driver problem, so updating the driver might help, even if you re-install the same one.

Thanks.
That does look similar.
This week I’ve been able to record video directly in zwobot with no artifacts or problems so I can use that for now. Initially I had major problems running zwobot at all initially but since clearing a few older max plugins from my template the local zwobot recorder has been more stable.
I may have another look at Resolume though. Thanks so much.

I have also just checked my graphics driver and it is set to beta so I will downgrade to stable and test again. Thanks.

Hi headless, you can write to me directly, and then we’ll see if we can find a solution.: info@zwobotmax.com

The Zwobot developer has offered to communicate by email to track this down, so please do that if you have not done so already.

In the meantime I have another test that you can do.

So far we have Zwobot as the sender and corrupted graphics in the Spout demo receiver.

First we need to reproduce this with different software.

Please try Magic Music Visuals. There is a free version that will be fine for the test. RH Click > Add > Special > GLSL Shader. Then Window > Magic Window Options > Spout Output. Make sure that “Use Spout 2” and “Send Alpha Channel” are also set.

Now you have an OpenGL sender independent from Zwobot. What do you see in the Spout demo receiver? Is it still corrupted?

OK so let’s say it’s still corrupted. I have updated binaries for DirectX11. These will bypass OpenGL. You have to download them individually.

Sender
Receiver

Run Tutorial04.exe (the sender) and then Tutorial07.exe (the receiver). My guess is that it will be fine.

Now for another test. Run Zwobot as you normally would. Then “Tutorial07.exe”. This bypasses OpenGL but only for the receiver.

What happens?

That’s enough for now.

1 Like

Thanks.
I will try and test with the alternate receiver but as I said before in the mean time I am able to use Zwobot’s recorder quite well so this isn’t very time sensitive.
I will hopefully be able to test soon and let you know.
Thanks again.