Overview — Two Separate Systems

Ross Overdrive has two components that integrate with Kinetica in different ways:

• Template Editor — uses CII protocol, configured on this page. Controls specific overlay instances directly via buffer mapping.
• Caprica (automation engine) — uses RossTalk protocol, configured on the RossTalk page. Fires items globally by automation ID.

Both systems can run simultaneously and independently.

What is CII?

CII (Chyron Intelligent Interface) is the protocol used by Ross Overdrive's Template Editor to control character generators. Kinetica acts as a CII server — when Overdrive connects, it locks the mapped instances and routes page commands to them by buffer number.

Content Delivery — Two Network Paths

CII fires graphics by MOS item ID (KIN-xxx). That item must already exist in Kinetica before Overdrive fires it. How it gets there depends on your network:

Path A — Standard (iNews → MOS TCP → Kinetica): A MOS receiver must be running and linked to the same overlay instance as the CII buffer mapping.

• Set up a MOS receiver on the MOS Protocol page
• Link the receiver output to the same instance mapped in the buffer table above
• iNews pushes items to Kinetica via MOS; Overdrive fires them by MOS item ID via CII

Path B — Direct Push (Restricted Network): If iNews cannot reach Kinetica via MOS TCP (ports 10540/10541 blocked), use the NRCS panel in Direct Push mode. No MOS receiver or open TCP ports are needed.

• Configure the NRCS plugin URL with &directPush=1 on the NRCS Plugin page
• The NRCS panel sends items directly to Kinetica via HTTPS from the journalist's browser
• iNews still stores the MOS XML (for Overdrive to read the item ID), but Kinetica receives the item without MOS TCP
• CII resolution is identical — Overdrive reads the KIN-xxx ID from iNews and fires it via CII

Template Editor Setup

1. In Ross Overdrive Template Editor, create a new CG device
2. Set Protocol: CII (Chyron Intelligent Interface)
3. Set IP Address: [your Kinetica server IP]
4. Set Port: [port configured above] (default 5168)
5. Set Page ID format to use the MOS objID field — Kinetica matches this against MOS item IDs in the rundown
6. Add buffer-to-channel mappings in the buffer table above to match your instance layout

Buffer Mapping

Each CII buffer number corresponds to a Kinetica overlay instance. When Overdrive sends a command targeting buffer N, Kinetica routes it to the mapped instance. Buffer 0 is typically the primary output (e.g. Lower Thirds), buffer 1 a secondary (e.g. Fullscreen).

Instance Locking

When Overdrive's Template Editor connects, Kinetica automatically locks all mapped instances. This disables manual CUE/TAKE buttons in the Live Rundowns panel to prevent conflicts during a live show. Instances unlock automatically when Overdrive disconnects.

CII Command Flow

Overdrive sends CII commands over TCP. Kinetica translates these into overlay operations:

• Read Page — loads a template into the buffer (CUE)
• On-Air — takes the buffer content on-air (TAKE)
• Off-Air — takes the buffer content off-air
• Clear — clears the buffer

Testing

Verify the connection by checking the Active Connections section above. When Overdrive connects, the client IP and connection time appear in real-time, and mapped instances will show as locked in Live Rundowns.