Graphics

Question 1

I have a lower third with a quad that have a video as material. The video have an input, a loop and an output sequence. I want the scene to begin with the input sequence played once, the loop sequence played in loop and paused indefinitely (with an event set in animation controller waiting for keyboard) and the output sequence played once.

How can I setup this? I separated the input and the loop sequences (input set with Play Once & Auto Start, and loop set with Loop & Auto Start), but how can I have in the loop sequence an indefinitely pause and start the output sequence synchronized with the loop?

Question 2

The Run Mode set to Free Running. The help file say "for this check box, use default setting". What default setting?

Question 3

The Run Mode set to Stopped. The help say "display the first frame in the video file, but do not play the video file". For what can be used? Is this helping for the situation described in the first question? Do I need a script to play the stopped video?

Thanks for the answers.

Answer 1 : I don't know how to do that (synchronized loop+out) but I think it's a good reflexion way for Ross because a lot of graphics are now like that ! Actually I do a mix between loop and out, but it's not a good way to do it.

Answer 2 : I always leave the checkbox unchecked.

Anser 3 : I always set the run mode to stopped, and I drag/drop the videos material on the scene director. When scenes are offline (so video are already offline), videos are not running and the memory not used for them.

#XPression

Yes.. we need a way to have a 3 point loop on a video clip that doesn't involve the Animation Controller.. that function should take place in the video material editor..

Loan.. did anyone respond to you regarding question 1? I'd like an answer two.. Everytime I ask that question I get 'it's a transition logic thing' and needs to be scripted but haven't found anyone who can write a transition logic script..

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No, other that what you can see here, I didn't have any answer yet. What we implemented with succes was a lower third that have the complete animation in material, but only input and loop, no output sequence, and a material rewind from script if another lower third goes online while the previous is still online. The script is bellow:

dim material As xpMaterial

Engine.GetMaterialByName("LowerThird_Video",material)

material.Rewind()

#XPression

Place the video clip onto the scenedirector, then place an "Event" at the point where the video should jump back to a previous frame. Set the event to "Jump To" with the frame number of where the loop begins.. When you play this back from the sequencer it will play the In animation, then keep looping over the looping section. When you double click the sequencer item again it will tell the Event to stop looping and the video clip will play the out animation.

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Thank you Brian, but unless I miss something, it's not working. The animation set inside the video material cannot be controlled with the events set in the animation controller. The video material can only be played once, in loop, ping pong and stopped. Once the scene is online, the video is starting and cannot be stopped or paused. Practically, the video material is just a texture that cannot be controlled.

Maybe the Free Running run mode can help? I can't figure out how.

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I've done the 3 point video loop for a clients Graphics Integration. Needs to be completely scripted. Contact me if you want help.

Neil Hopley

Wireframe Group

514.261.4380

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Can anyone post a video clip that I could use for a 3pt loop?

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I just recorded an example I will share a link shortly

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https://rossvideo.centraldesktop.com/p/eAAAAAAAAwrmAAAAAFANKHA

take a look at this.

FYI You can place more than one clip on the scene director if your opening animation is a different clip.

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Well, as I said before, I missed something. I didn't knew that a video material can be dragged in scene editor. After I saw the video posted by Andrew (thank you Andrew), I discovered a whole new world of possibilities.

I still have 2 questions unanswered. How can be used the Free Running mode and how can be used the Stopped mode?

Thanks to everybody and special thank Andrew, you saved me.

#XPression

anyone have a script you can post here so we can play with it.. let's call the scene in question 'LowerThird'..

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If you don't want it coded, you can separate the the background and Text elements into different templates for now. Or make templates that 1. animate the bg in, and 2. a loop template.

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All - Moving looping functions for clips to the material editor is and has been on the development roadmap. As you can imagine, the XPression "wish list" is longer than Santa's Naughty 'n Nice List. We do our best to bring features to market as quickly as possible in response to our customers' needs. We will elevate this in priority, so it gets done sooner. In the meantime, there are several workarounds and an example video in this thread.

Thank you for your patience and support of XPression!

Brian Olson

Director of Graphics Marketing Product Management

#XPression

Hey Brian.. thanks for upping that priority...

Just today I was part of watching a demo for Avid's Motion Graphics system.. it's not ready for prime time.. you can imagine that wish list :) Xpression is the only realistic option to do cg in a 3d world. I appreciate the upgrades in version 4.

chris

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More cool new stuff coming after the first of the year, Chris. Stand by...

Happy Holidays!

Brian

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About Question 1

In Scene Director put an Event in the last frame of the loop. In Event Properties, set "Jump to" at the first frame of the loop.

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