Display Quality options
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:48 pm
My current Project Settings are 1024 x 576 pixels for PAL widescreen. 3D camera is enabled.
I wanted to create a character that I could animate in close-up as well as the full figure. It’s probably a common requirement. I started my vector drawing with the face, to ensure that there was enough detail for a close-up. This occupied the full screen, enabling me to include moveable eyes, eyelids and even teeth. I used the default line thickness of 2.4 pixels, which seemed OK.
The vector layers for the character and other props, were all moved into a group (bone) layer. I used Scale Layer on the group to zoom out, so that I could get him comfortably within the TV-safe limits. It required the X and Y scale values to be reduced to 0.145 for this, with all the vector layers still remaining at X and Y scales of 1.
The next problem I encountered, was line width reduction. The "Preview" option in Display Quality (bottom of screen) that I had been using as a reference, had displayed the lines in the original width all the time. However, when I used the "Render" function (Ctrl/R) for the zoomed-out view, the outlines virtually disappeared! I exported a few frames to video and the result on the screen was exactly the same. I had to de-select "Scale compensation" for all the main layers, so that all outlines had visible thickness when "Rendered" or exported, irrespective of the zoom setting.
In the options for exporting to video, "antialiased edges" is normally selected. Logic would suggest that "Antialiasing" should be selected as the Display Quality option if we want to see the scene at its absolute best. However, I found that with "Antialiasing" selected, the lines are displayed noticeably thicker than in the video, so this is another option that gives a misleading impression! So "Render" is the only function that always gave a true prediction of how a scene will look on video.
I find it surprising and disappointing that both Preview and Antialiasing can give misleading views of a project, and the only reliable representation is obtained by using "Render." I am using an older version of Anime Studio Pro, so it would be of interest to know if these functions behave correctly in a later version?
I wanted to create a character that I could animate in close-up as well as the full figure. It’s probably a common requirement. I started my vector drawing with the face, to ensure that there was enough detail for a close-up. This occupied the full screen, enabling me to include moveable eyes, eyelids and even teeth. I used the default line thickness of 2.4 pixels, which seemed OK.
The vector layers for the character and other props, were all moved into a group (bone) layer. I used Scale Layer on the group to zoom out, so that I could get him comfortably within the TV-safe limits. It required the X and Y scale values to be reduced to 0.145 for this, with all the vector layers still remaining at X and Y scales of 1.
The next problem I encountered, was line width reduction. The "Preview" option in Display Quality (bottom of screen) that I had been using as a reference, had displayed the lines in the original width all the time. However, when I used the "Render" function (Ctrl/R) for the zoomed-out view, the outlines virtually disappeared! I exported a few frames to video and the result on the screen was exactly the same. I had to de-select "Scale compensation" for all the main layers, so that all outlines had visible thickness when "Rendered" or exported, irrespective of the zoom setting.
In the options for exporting to video, "antialiased edges" is normally selected. Logic would suggest that "Antialiasing" should be selected as the Display Quality option if we want to see the scene at its absolute best. However, I found that with "Antialiasing" selected, the lines are displayed noticeably thicker than in the video, so this is another option that gives a misleading impression! So "Render" is the only function that always gave a true prediction of how a scene will look on video.
I find it surprising and disappointing that both Preview and Antialiasing can give misleading views of a project, and the only reliable representation is obtained by using "Render." I am using an older version of Anime Studio Pro, so it would be of interest to know if these functions behave correctly in a later version?