Quicktime H.264 ?

[GraphicAnime]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone else have this problem with AS6.

I was able to export QT H.264 successfully before, but now when I export the animation, only the first frame is rendered only, even though the progress bar showed it was 100% completed.

Is this a bug in AS 6 or does is have to do with the qt plug-in?

Thanks in Advance

[heyvern]

I don't think AS could ever export to that codec. It has to do with how QT handles it. It does some sort of post processing after the final animation based on the entire animation... something that AS can't handle.

H263 worked I think. But not H264. I think it is different.

Best bet is to render to an image sequence or NO codec (none) and then export THAT out of QuickTime to H264.

-vern

[jwlane]

I think Vern's correct. I don't remember rendering anything but the 'Animation' codec for Quicktime - straight out of Anime Studio Pro. H.264 is a good, but very compressed format. Though my data is a couple of years old now, I spent several days testing every available application for movie compression, and at any price since I could get demo versions. The best quality H.264 render was from Apple's own Quicktime Pro, about $32 US. Unless something has changed, I very much recommend the Animation codec as a master render, then import that into Quicktime Pro.

More info than anyone really wanted: Since I don't have a real understanding of what the compression code is doing, I downloaded some good looking movies that were about the size (dimensions) I wanted. I opened them in Quicktime Pro and looked at their compression setting, bit rate, etc., then used those settings as a starting point for my compression settings.

[Víctor Paredes]

Hi GraphicAnime, I have the same problem with h264, but to solve it I just uncheck the "reference each" checkbox on quictime export dialog. Then your animation will run normally.

[w2wprod]

Hello, I'm new to this side of things. Been in the production biz since the early eighties. Been using programs like Final Cut Pro since it launched as well as After Effects and all of the other programs. I've been an AS users for only two years. And very limited at that. Just for a single character for only a few seconds. Now I am doing an approximately 2:30 multi-character animation. I have been plagued with various crippling issues that have really begun to sour my love for this app.

As well as the issue with H.264 and the single frame export. I cannot get audio to export either. SInce I'm creating in HD 720 @ 24P I tried exporting at half resolution I got it to export in H.264. When I then tried HD-720 24 it just sat there and did nothing.

Help. This is just the first of 18 scenes. That has to be delivered by Wednesday. What is the best output workflow WITH audio?

I also found out—after major time loss—that Papagayo was hindered by bit rate issues when dealing with audio files. I finally figured out on my own that it needed a lower bit rate to play the files. But I could find nothing anywhere that tells the user of THIS limitation.

[slowtiger]

What is your final output format? If it is video, as I assume, you're much better off to import the audio snippets into your video editing suite, as well as the video files rendered from AS.

[jwlane]

Been using programs like Final Cut Pro since it launched as well as After Effects and all of the other programs.

Animation programs are not appropriate post-production tools, like FCP and AE are. Audio in animation is primarily (historically) for reference. I'd take SlowTiger's advice and match back audio in post, where you have proper controls, which equals less stress. Render PNG files as your animation 'source' format. This will ultimately save you time and be more flexible - safer.

Good luck on your deadline.

[deliaslamp]

Animation programs are not appropriate post-production tools, like FCP and AE are.

So true.

w2wprod, had you been able to export your animation with audio as a h.264 file you would likely have run into problems editing it precisely. The h.264 codec uses inter-picture prediction. The codec uses neighboring frames to assemble the current frame -- storing the difference between the current frame and its neighbors keeps the file size small. While you can bring the h.264 encoded files into FCP, you lose the ability to make frame accurate cuts. May not be a problem initially but once you transcode the file, and depending on the number of cuts, you'll see it.

I don't know of any animation program that will (reliably) render an h.264 compressed file.

Better to render the animations from AS as uncompressed Quicktime movies and once assembled in FCP render for targeted distribution using the h.264 codec.

Good luck!