Chyron is significantly upgrading both their AXIS 4.0 cloud graphics platform for broadcast news and editorial, and Virtual Placement platform 8.1 for live sports graphics operators.
Chyron is significantly upgrading both their AXIS 4.0 cloud graphics platform for broadcast news and editorial, and Virtual Placement platform 8.1 for live sports graphics operators.
AXIS 4.0 is the most recent update to the company’s cloud graphics production platform for broadcast news and editorial teams, with comprehensive news workflows and major improvements to the platform’s News and Maps modules. The News module now features PRIME templates and simplifies graphics production by reducing legacy dependencies. In the Maps module, using new animation tools, operators can prepare animated map sequences for dynamic storytelling.
Expanded customisation capabilities such as custom typography, editable hillshading and broader boundary coverage help maintain visual consistency across productions. A series of UI and UX upgrades across both modules improves everyday usability as well.
Integrated Graphics Authoring
"This release marks a milestone for AXIS," said Peter Matis, product manager of AXIS. "We continuously gather insights from customers and use that valuable feedback to shape the development of features that make their operations more efficient, such as the integration of PRIME templates into the News module and animations in the Maps module."
The integration of PRIME templates brings Chyron's graphics authoring capabilities into the AXIS News system. Without having to depend on separate tools, teams can work more efficiently with simpler newsroom graphics workflows. For instance, AXIS journalists and producers have a new Composite Editor to create image composites that fit directly into their PRIME scenes, allowing them to add images and text that specifically support their stories.
A new Preview Mode enables faster editorial review, so users can preview their compositions without a full render. Users with subscriptions to AP and Getty Images can include images from those services in their previews.
Dynamic Storytelling Support
Another advantage of this release is dynamic storytelling support with new animation tools in the Maps module. Animated map sequences capture audience attention and add geographic context to the narrative. AXIS 4.0 introduces multi-scene keyframing, fluid transitions, customisable timing and flexible export configurations that turn static maps into animations ready for broadcast.
Customisation features in the Maps module now include branded typefaces, editable hillshade rendering and extended boundary coverage for more specific editorial use cases. For rich map detail, the set of icons is broader and supports custom icons with brand-compliant colour palettes. A Style Manager is available as well. This feature creates a cohesive visual standard that can be established across the entire organization.
Some further updates in AXIS 4.0 enhance usability and result in more efficient day-to-day operations. For example, a new continent filter for GeoSearch narrows location suggestions to a selected continent, and intersection mapping will find locations where two streets meet. The bookmark system is rebuilt with the ability to save and restore the exact state of a map, and reutilize saved map views. UI and UX refinements feature across the Maps and News modules as well.
Virtual Placement 8.1 Refines Live Workflows, Tracking, PRIME Integration
Chyron’s Virtual Placement platform for live sports graphics helps broadcasters operate with greater confidence under live conditions. The workflow and graphics updates in new version 8.1 makes production more flexible, reliable and efficient. The release focuses on smarter live workflows, greater reliability downstream, more stable tracking of lines and better integration of Chyron PRIME graphics inside the platform.
Virtual Placement combines virtual advertising, sports analysis, data visualisation and integrated graphics workflows in a single platform. Broadcasters can deliver high-impact live coverage without the complexity of mechanical calibration, for example, or specialised camera sensors. This release aims for control, stability and consistency through updates that help users adapt faster on air and maintain cleaner and more stable virtual graphics, ultimately simplifying live production workflows.
Chroma Keying Automation
The Automatic Chroma Keyer is more flexible at runtime. Operators can switch between manual and automatic chroma keying during live production, making it easier to adapt as sunlight, shadows and field conditions change, without interrupting the workflow. Performance has also been improved when using the auto keyer across multiple cameras to help teams maintain cleaner, more consistent results throughout the broadcast.
Low-latency Calibrated Cameras
This release also introduces a new workflow that compares the program camera with the isolated cameras. By supporting Virtual Placement as a downstream solution, the workflow helps ensure the correct calibration is loaded when a camera goes to air, reducing delay and giving operators a more dependable fail-safe process at the moment a feed becomes live. In the first phase of this update, Chyron supports one isolated feed and lays the foundation for future workflow expansion to support multiple ISO cameras and more precise advert logging.
Virtual Graphics Stability
Virtual Placement 8.1 improves the consistency and stability of tracked lines and virtual elements across varying venues, camera positions and production environments, extending it to additional sports. This is especially valuable for virtual mat replacement, where graphic stability is essential to delivering a clean, believable on-air result. Up until now, the software’s stabilisation work focussed on basketball, but now scales virtual graphics across more sports and locations.
Integrated PRIME Workflow
Version 8.1 continues the integration of Chyron PRIME graphics workflows into the Virtual Placement (VP) platform, making them more practical with more polished results. Operators can work with complex animation, data-driven graphics, 3D positioning and object-level chroma keying directly within the platform. Without the need to move between systems, workflows become simpler.
Through Virtual Placement’s existing PRIME integration, users can access and update PRIME graphics from within VP on the same machine. Access includes the work of Chyron’s Creative Services team, which develops and customises visual experiences that align with broadcasters’ messaging and branding, and has built projects for MLB, NFL and NBA. These projects serve as workflows that give users a head start in the key sports, while flexible templates support adaptation across other sports and demo workflows.
“Virtual Placement 8.1 is about giving broadcasters more confidence at the exact moment a camera goes to air. The new ISO camera workflow is a major step forward for downstream operations, helping ensure the right calibration is ready at the right time while reducing delay. Combined with updates to keying, tracking, and PRIME workflows, this release helps operators work faster and deliver more consistent on-air results,” said Andreas Olsson, Product Manager for Virtual Placement. www.chyron.com
