Graphics

I need to composite two pieces of video. The first is an intro logo transition, the second is a looping frame for tease video. Set play once on first and loop on second. Dragged each to Scene Director and offset them by the appropriate time, but frame still plays from beginning. XpressionU doesn't seem to cover my problem. I've been working on basics so far and now need to hone skill in the Scene Director.

on the loop, what if you put a "jump to frame #" event at the end in the scene director? It would play the first video, then the second and then jump to the desired frame in the timeline and continue looping.

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I need the first video to reveal the second---first video is a logo that dissolves up and flies away to reveal second video that is a box for tease video. The loop point of the second video would probably be during the logo flyaway. I could assemble the parts in AfterEffects and import as a single video, but I'd rather do it in Xpression. As far as the scene director, I think I am missing something simple---why doesn't the offset in time between the two tracks occur when scene is played?

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James,

I'm not sitting at my xpression right now but if you put the video on a new track in the scene director, you can then drag that track later in the scene to play after the initial track (logo anim). I will double check my thoughts when I get into work in about an hour.

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Yes, I have the first video on a track. Second video on another track that I slid down the timeline 45 frames. I thought this would play the first and then the second 45 frames later.

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Ah, video has been a problem for me too. Perhaps the "autostart" is triggering the video to play as soon as the scene goes on line. Off the top of my head, could you build a delay in your video? Again, I will look at some of my vids and see if I can duplicate the issue. All of mine play as soon as the scene goes on line.

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James,

I see what you are up against. Video likes to just play or not play. It's not like we tell it to go to a specific frame and say play from there. So far all I can come up with is to add x amount of black before the video wants to play. Key frame it's visibility until your logo animates on. The loop back is a problem though. I'm sorry I haven't been of much help. I will keep digging.

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how about if you write a script that changes the material to your video at a specific time? The video would play from there perhaps.

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dim Material as xpMaterial

dim Quad as xpBaseObject

Scene.GetObjectByName("video", Quad)

engine.GetMaterialByName("2014WFbug_Video", Material)

Quad.SetMaterial(0, Material)

pretty simple. Add this to a new track in the scene director at the exact moment in time you want to begin playback of the video. Change "video" to the name of the quad you want to use. Change "2014WFbug_Video" to the name of your video file. It applies the video at the location of the script on the scene director and the video plays from there. Create an animation for your logo and it will reveal this quad with the new video. Then at the end of the video create an event that jumps to the frame where you assign the video and it should loop until you take it off line.

Give it a try

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I believe my issue is with setting up the scene director correctly. I already tried keyframing the alpha of the second video to hit 100% at the cut point, but that didn't play. I want to avoid modifying my video to work around something I don't understand---especially since it would introduce another problem with setting loop on my second video material. Is there a published procedure manual on the scene director function?

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Ive tested this script and it works. Most of the "skills" I have learned by asking questions on this forum. I use it as a barometer for what I have learned. If I can answer the question then I know I've learned something.

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Why not put the Video in twice and then just loop the second instance of it?

That will give you the "reveal" and then you loop on the second instance with the Jump to Frame event.

Les

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hang on, the script isn't working now. Sorry James

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OK, now it works. I had to unbind the material from the quad in order to get the video to replace. I was basically replacing a video with the exact same video

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and if you set the video to loop in the video tab it will start playing where you have placed that script on the scene director time line, and then loop until you take the scene off line.

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Malcolm, I'll try the script when I get back to that part of my project.

Les, I considered that I might have to use one version of the clip adjacent to the intro/transition and then another for the loop. This is complicated by the fact that my video is actually a ping-pong loop. Since I have not been successful at having the logo transition reveal the tease box (even when keyframing the alpha of the tease box from 0-100% at the cut point,) I need to resolve that issue first---still wrapping my head around the scene director function. I am confused by having a set of parts...and then apparently having duplicates of them in a scene director. What decides when the scene director takes priority?

Thanks,

James.

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James, think of the scene director as the "master comp" which holds any number of animation controllers (sub-comps). You can also add various scripts, events such as pause, reverse, jump to, etc. Audio files can be placed on tracks in the scene director to play sound. I have a family feud sort of game that plays a ding with a correct answer, or a buzz with an incorrect answer. These are delayed and play after the answer block appears, or the x animates on. You can also have multiple scene directors if you want the same scene to behave differently in different situations. I'm just beginning to scratch the surface.

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Here is a XPression Package with an example of what I read your trying to do.

There is just one scene in the package and the two Video Clips.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/praf9h1h1qw8wud/RevealWipethenLoop.xpp?dl=0

Maybe this will help visualize what I was suggesting you try.

Les

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Nice Les, I never thought of dragging the video directly into the scene director. Way too simple. I always have to overthink things.

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Thanks Les! I'll check as soon as I get to work...uh and make sure the other fires have all been put out!

Malcolm, I dragged my video materials to the scene director---thought that was the only way to get them there. Does this change operation of your script?

Thanks,

James.

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James,

What I did does not use any Scripts. It uses 1 animation Controller with 3 Key Frames, 2 objects, 2 Videos with the second Video on the Scene Director twice then an event that kicks the scene director back to the beginning of the second instance of the clip and thus avoided restarting the first clip.

Les

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James, you won't need the script. The only reason to do it my was is if you are going to animate the quad that holds the video. Les' idea is perfect for straight playback.

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Les,

I looked your scene over and it works beautifully. However, when I patterned mine after yours, the video might or might not play and keyframes were ignored or misinterpreted. I checked parameters of your video materials and run modes, matched them and got the same inconsistent results. I rebuilt my scene from scratch (using the original video materials) and had the same failures. I started over again...took the video to be repeated, added it to a quad in a new scene, dragged that video to the scene director, with the set beginning at zero instead of the offset to match my cutpoint. Set test alpha keyframes, tested in sequence and it behaved as it should...faded up where I told it and looped ping-pong style. Modified the alpha keyframes to match my cutpoint---it still behaved. Added another quad to the scene, applied my transition video material to it, dragged the transition to the scene director, set alpha keyframes to clean up the head of the video and to clear the last frame---and it worked beautifully!

...and then...went back to find the difference---I had deleted the Animation Controller from the Scene Director in the failed versions!

Thank you for your patience,

James.

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