Graphics

Hi everyone

I am using XP Prime, so scripting is not an option for this.  Can I do the following:

1. Create a parameter in dashboard containing a file name or file path.

2. User selects the file they want.

3. File path gets sent to XP via datalinq, and applied to a video material that is on a timeline (it must play a few seconds into the animation). Now, this would be easy to do using a bit of script, but in Prime, you can't. Any idea how I can do this, and if it's even possible?

Note: I got it to work by using the Datalinq option just below the file name in the material's video setup. However, it only works if it's set to auto-start, ignoring the position on the timeline. In that case, it plays from the beginning of the animation....which is not what we need. 

Just throwing out an idea.  If you cannot script in Prime, you may have to render out alpha onto your video and have it auto start just with alpha at the beginning. - I will admit that I am not familiar with prime so I cannot speak too much to it.

I think where you are going to get stuck is trying to have a dynamic video that is on the timeline.  Something a simple play script could fix, but if that isn't an option you kind of get stuck.

And if Datalinq is an option, I am not sure if you have DataLinq keys.  But if you do, you could make an excel spreadsheet that uses a column to have the file path, so then you would just enter a number in the key to select the row that you want and it will Datalinq in the video.  Excel cell would just have the file path to the video. - this step does not fix your issue of playout on beginning of scene.

That's a great idea, Garrett, but there were too many videos, and not enough time to do that. We opted for a low tech solution. We put the video object on its own, in another scene, on a higher layer. Then created a button with a 3 tasks:
1. Play original scene
2. Pause for x frames
3. Play additional scene with video, which contains a datalinqed material.
Not particularly elegant, but it worked.