# Creating a custom scoreboard projection



## malex (Dec 9, 2016)

I'm trying to make myself a simple live digital scoreboard projection, but what I thought would be an easy task is proving either outrageously expensive or tough on a Mac.
All I'm looking for is to overlay text boxes on a scoreboard graphic and manipulate it without the audience seeing my mouse, cursor, taskbar, etc. This is live scoring, so no making a video or QLab image cuelist out of it. Maybe QLab can still help with some creative method?
I've found ProPresenter Scoreboard, which looks to be perfect, but the license is over $1000 and only valid for a year (and that's with the EDU discount). Besides, the salesperson there doesn't seem interested in even letting me download an evaluation copy (guessing since I'm not part of an Athletic department).
It looks like Powerpoint can add live text boxes through VBA as well as link live Excel worksheets, but these features seem to be missing on a Mac, or at least I can't find the right method.
The best thing I've come up with so far is mirroring displays and running Photoshop in Full Screen Presentation mode, but that still doesn't solve the mouse/cursor issue.
Anyone have a solution? This seems like it should be so simple...


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## JChenault (Dec 9, 2016)

( because I just got through teaching this to my software class ). 

Call up your CS department. This would be either something a helpful prof could write for you in Java or another language, or would make a great student learning project.


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## Amiers (Dec 9, 2016)

Maybe this free app would help. Since you have a Mac. I'm not sure if apps work on Macs as I'm a PC guy. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scoreboard-free-score-keeping/id496758984?mt=8


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## malex (Dec 9, 2016)

Amiers said:


> Maybe this free app would help. Since you have a Mac. I'm not sure if apps work on Macs as I'm a PC guy.
> 
> https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scoreboard-free-score-keeping/id496758984?mt=8


There are quite a few apps on iOS and MacOS that do this, but I am looking to create a custom scoreboard, which none of these do.


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## Amiers (Dec 9, 2016)

Then what JC said. Hit up your CS professors and provide the custom overlay images you want and have them build it for you.


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## kiwitechgirl (Dec 9, 2016)

Have a look at the Carolina Rollergirls Scoreboard - it's specifically designed for roller derby but it is fairly customisable and a lot of the features you just won't need. You may be able to tweak it too.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/derbyscoreboard/


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 10, 2016)

If you have the time to learn, Isadora would work for you. Earlier this year I created a version of The Price is Right. As we couldn't build sets for all the games, it was all projected. It took some playing around, but it worked great. A license is pretty cheap, I think $450 for a regular license and they have educational discounts.


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## Jay Ashworth (Dec 10, 2016)

You might also be looking at Caspar CG, which is HD capable TV graphics software, and ought to both let you simulate the design you need and let you set up the next score off-line and then TAKE it when you want. Not completely automatic as far as I know, but might be good enough; can you dedicate a tech to running this during the show?


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## MikeNebraska (Aug 1, 2017)

malex said:


> I'm trying to make myself a simple live digital scoreboard projection, but what I thought would be an easy task is proving either outrageously expensive or tough on a Mac.
> All I'm looking for is to overlay text boxes on a scoreboard graphic and manipulate it without the audience seeing my mouse, cursor, taskbar, etc. This is live scoring, so no making a video or QLab image cuelist out of it. Maybe QLab can still help with some creative method?
> I've found ProPresenter Scoreboard, which looks to be perfect, but the license is over $1000 and only valid for a year (and that's with the EDU discount). Besides, the salesperson there doesn't seem interested in even letting me download an evaluation copy (guessing since I'm not part of an Athletic department).
> It looks like Powerpoint can add live text boxes through VBA as well as link live Excel worksheets, but these features seem to be missing on a Mac, or at least I can't find the right method.
> ...



Hi Alex,
I'm Mike. I am employed as the Video Producer for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL. I can help steer you in the right direction.
What is your budget approximately? Do you need a running clock? Will this be scoring for a sport and if so which sport?


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