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Some Questions

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:18 pm
by Debo
I work in a traditional way, which means: pencil and paper. I scan my drawings, color them in Photoshop, then use those images for my animation work in Anime Studio Pro. And I'm on a Mac.

A couple of things...

a) Is it possible to import a batch of images? I have to do them one by one now.

b) When I want to update an image used in an image layer, nothing happens. I choose "Source Image...", follow the steps, but nothing. Same old thing. I tried to restart the app, but that didn't help. Am I overlooking something?

c) The image at frame 0 is always visible. Which means that, behind the other images in the animation sequence, there's always that one image that's just sitting there, which makes it a bit hard to 'read' my stuff sometimes. Sure, I can do a Preview to check, but still -- is there a way to turn this off?

Re: Some Questions

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:42 pm
by heyvern
Debo wrote: a) Is it possible to import a batch of images? I have to do them one by one now.
A couple of ways. One would be to use the Photoshop CS script that outputs PSD layers to an AS document. I have never used it. I don't have Photoshop CS.

The other way is to use the import sequence script. It loads a numbered sequence of images into a switch layer. You don't need all that but you can just drag the layers out of the switch and delete the switch layer.
b) When I want to update an image used in an image layer, nothing happens. I choose "Source Image...", follow the steps, but nothing. Same old thing. I tried to restart the app, but that didn't help. Am I overlooking something?
Not sure what you mean by "updating"? If you change the image linked in the AS image layer it won't update unless you reload the file. Just open it again and the image that was modified will be displayed. AS does not store images in the file format. They are just links to a file on the hard drive. If you modified an image in a layer and reopening AS or the project does not update it then... uh... you aren't modifying the correct image, or you have linked to the wrong image in AS. AS does not store the image.
c) The image at frame 0 is always visible. Which means that, behind the other images in the animation sequence, there's always that one image that's just sitting there, which makes it a bit hard to 'read' my stuff sometimes. Sure, I can do a Preview to check, but still -- is there a way to turn this off?
Not sure what you mean by "the image at frame 0". Which image? Can't you just turn off that layer while animating? Turn it back on to render? Need more info.

-vern

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:04 am
by Debo
I've tried the Import Sequence script, but received an error. I'm exporting something now so I can't give you the actual text of the error, but in any case it failed.

I don't have Photoshop CS either, though. I use Elements.

By "updating" I meant: changing the original image. For example, I have an image on an image layer in Anime Studio. It's in Folder X. In Photoshop (Elements, but that doesn't matter), I rework this image, and save it to Folder X again. Now, back to Anime Studio. I choose "Source Image..." et cetera, picking the reworked one, but the image doesn't change into the new one, the updated one. It keeps the old one.

"The image at frame 0" is just the first image I import, and the first one of my intended animation sequence. The slider's at frame 0 when I import the image -- where else should it be? -- so that's where the image goes. That's its starting key. Thing is, you keep seeing it behind all the images that come after it. It doesn't disappear, even when I tell it not be visible at a certain point.

Also: the Rescale Keyframes option. Say I have an image X that starts at frame 19, and ends at 21. After this image, there are two more: Y, Z. Now, I change the frames for X: start at 19, end at 23. Why don't the other two images move with it? Y still starts at its old place, instead of at X's new end frame. So in other words: X's end frame moves, Y and Z stick where they are. Or am I misunderstanding this feature?

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:24 am
by Debo
And now I can't choose Sorenson Video 3 from the compressor drop-down list anymore. It ends at the letter "P": PNG. I used to pick Sorenson, then as a test tried DV - PAL, but apparently that caused something that broke the thing. What is this?

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:14 am
by synthsin75
The import image sequence script only likes a certain method of numbering. You might search the forum for more detailed instructions on its use. I ran into this myself.


If you reassign the edited image, save the AS file and reopen it, you should see your changes.


How are you 'telling the image to not be visible'? If you use the 'visible' checkbox in the layer settings dialog, you will see this in the workspace, but opacity settings are not reflected in the workspace.


In the rescale keyframes dialog, you need to select 'entire document' in order to effect more than the currently selected layer.


As for losing the Sorenson compression, I assume that this was the first time you selected another option. On first install I think AS displays a generic compression list, or what is assumed might be there. Actually choosing something else forces it to check what compressions are actually available on you computer.

:wink:

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:09 am
by DK
Genete wrote a very handy script for updating image sequences in AS.
D.K


-- **************************************************
-- Provide Moho with the name of this script object
-- **************************************************

ScriptName = "GE_reload_image"

-- **************************************************
-- General information about this script
-- **************************************************

GE_reload_image = {}
function GE_reload_image:Name()
return "Reload Image"
end



function GE_reload_image:Version()
return "1.0"
end

function GE_reload_image:Description()
return "Reload image form disk"
end

function GE_reload_image:Creator()
return "Carlos López (Genete)"
end

function GE_reload_image:UILabel()
return "Reload Image Source"
end


-- **************************************************
-- The guts of this script
-- **************************************************

function GE_reload_image:IsEnabled(moho)

if (moho.layer:LayerType() == MOHO.LT_IMAGE) then

return true

end

return false

end

function GE_reload_image:Run(moho)

local l=moho.layer
if(l:LayerType()~=MOHO.LT_IMAGE) then
return
else
-- print("reloading...")
l=moho:LayerAsImage(l)
local fname = l:SourceImage()
l:SetSourceImage(fname)
return
end
end

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:17 pm
by Debo
Thanks for the script, I'll look into it.
synthsin75 wrote:The import image sequence script only likes a certain method of numbering. You might search the forum for more detailed instructions on its use. I ran into this myself.

If you reassign the edited image, save the AS file and reopen it, you should see your changes.
I see -- thanks. It all sounds very clumsy, but if that works, I don't think I have much of a choice.
synthsin75 wrote:As for losing the Sorenson compression, I assume that this was the first time you selected another option. On first install I think AS displays a generic compression list, or what is assumed might be there. Actually choosing something else forces it to check what compressions are actually available on you computer.
Gee, that's really handy. But why does the drop-down list suddenly stop at the letter P? What comes after it -- just Sorenson?

Does anyone use Anime Studio Pro with OS X Leopard? Keys that are deleted sometimes still perform the animation that was assigned to them, like ghosts. Say you have a text that fades, and you delete the key that tells it to do that -- you delete the key, you delete all the keys, still the text fades. You close the app, you reopen it, try again: still the text fades. You close the app, you reopen it, try again: well, look at that, it catches on.

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:48 pm
by heyvern
Debo wrote: Does anyone use Anime Studio Pro with OS X Leopard? Keys that are deleted sometimes still perform the animation that was assigned to them, like ghosts. Say you have a text that fades, and you delete the key that tells it to do that -- you delete the key, you delete all the keys, still the text fades. You close the app, you reopen it, try again: still the text fades. You close the app, you reopen it, try again: well, look at that, it catches on.
Uh... no. That can't be right. There must be something else going on. You need to document this by replicating it and noting each step... how many times you reopen before the file "catches on" (which is impossible really).

It sounds to me like maybe you didn't delete the correct keys or maybe you deleted some keys it didn't work and then later you deleted keys and it did work but you mis-remembered the steps you followed. Maybe you don't have certain key channels visible in the time line. Deleting keys by selecting won't delete hidden channels. You also can't delete keys with the delete key. You have to use the delete button.

Saving the file after deleting keys would... delete the keys. There would be no "ghosts" in the file. Are you certain you are opening the correct file that was changed? Are you certain you deleted those keys? Is the system doing some sort of "back up" that could be reverting the file?

I am willing to eat my words if this bug can be confirmed. I remain strongly skeptical though. ;)

-vern

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:07 pm
by gyula
Debo wrote:Does anyone use Anime Studio Pro with OS X Leopard? Keys that are deleted sometimes still perform the animation that was assigned to them, like ghosts
I have got AS Pro running on both Tiger and Leo but did not experienced this problem. Are you sure you delete the right keyframe?

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:11 pm
by synthsin75
Looked into getting the image to update changes some more. Sometimes it loads the altered image just fine. If it doesn't, simply assign another image as source then reassign the one you want.


About these ghost keys....

Every once in a while when I delete some keys the animation will still be there. So I can vouch for that part. To fix this, simply scrub the time line (and perhaps change selected layer). Maybe return to frame zero. One of these should do the trick.

And saving more frequently will lessen the memory load, as I assume it has something to do with it.

I'm betting this is what you did right before it 'caught on'.
:wink:

Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:53 pm
by uddhava
With Windows you can select a group of images and drag them on to the stage. I don't know if that will work with your MAC.

Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:01 pm
by Debo
This application is slowly breaking my spirit.

The ghost key issue hasn't been resolved. I'll have to deal with the fact AS itself determines where the keys need to be.

Changing the image source: AS determines when it works and when it doesn't.

Then, rescaling keyframes. I have a series of images, on image layers, sub-layers in a group layer, and like the whole lot to move a couple of frames: say 6 frames. Then add some drawings to the newly opened section at the start. Now, these new drawings don't go where I tell them to go. They appear seemingly randomly among the drawings I already have. Dragging them is useless: once they're at the top, you can't drag them down, as the list of layers doesn't scroll along with you: they're there to stay. I delete them, set everything up again, and hopla, they end up elsewhere again.

Am I doing something wrong, or is the application once again trying to tell me what to do?

Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:11 pm
by mkelley
It sounds like you're dealing with layer ordering.

If so, it's a bit of a PITA. What happens is that when you add layers the layer order doesn't always stay the same (sorry, Wes, but I've never found the time to send you a file that demonstrates this).

The layer order keys will be in that group or bone layer -- your best bet is to delete all layer order keys every time you add new layers (believe it or not this is a feature, and a valuable one, in that you can change layer order as the timeline progresses. It's just that it's a little glitchy when you are still adding layers).

Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:19 pm
by synthsin75
If you've gone through all of the included tutorials, then your only other option is to post a link to the AS file/s giving you trouble. This much trouble is a strong indicator of user error. The problem is that you may not be familiar enough with the software to adequately explain in a way we can really grasp.

Find a file that is producing one of these problems. Make sure it repeats the issue when reopened. Up load it to somewhere like Mediafire and post a link to it here. In the post, explain what we need to do to witness the specific problem.

Do this for each issue. :wink:

Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:47 pm
by synthsin75
Ah, this just helped me figure out what was going on (even without the example, Mike).

What's happening is this. Layer ordering is based on the internal layer IDs. These are assigned from zero at the lowest layer in the group up. So the top layer out of four would be ID 3.

This only gives you trouble if you're adding new layers to that group after you've already done some layer ordering on frames > 0. The only way to avoid this is to only add new layer to the top of the group. That way there are no layer ordering keys for those IDs.

Say you have 3 layers in a group. You layer order the bottom one to the top. So in IDs, 0/1/2 becomes 1/2/0. Now if you add a new layer to the top, it's ID would be 3 so, 0/1/2/3 would become 1/2/0/3. The new layer's "ID" isn't moved.

Now if you add the new layer above, say, the second layer from the bottom (at frame zero), it's ID becomes 2. So now, since ID 0 pushed 1 & 2 down when it was moved up, the new 2 is now under 0 and the original 2 is at the top since it is now 3.



:roll: Okay, I admit that is hard to follow, but it does make sense.

Just remember, if you want to add a new layer to a group that already has layer ordering keyframes, always add it to the top.

Actually, I'd recommend never adding layers after you have animated layer ordering. This is because if you actually need that layer elsewhere, you'll have to move it there for each of your layer order keyframes.

In that case, you'd be better off redoing all the ordering animation. :wink: