Image Sequence Importing

[SplineSoup]

As I understand it, one should be able to import a sequence of images into A:M and treat them like a movie. I'm seeking to bring in a previously rendered sequence to A:M Composite to merge with other layers but each time I import a sequence on my Mac, all I end up with is a PWS stuffed to the gills with individual pictures that can only be referenced or manipulated one at a time. 3 layers of 300 frames each suddenly becomes an all day head-to-the-desk-tedious task. I think I've seen a screenshot of how this theoretically should work and a sequence ought to import as a single object with the individual pictures nested inside of it. A:M can do this, right? Am I having a problem with my import plug-in? Have I uncovered another Mac dilemma?

 

Thanks,

Chris

[HomeSlice]

You must make sure your images are sequentially numbered. (myImage_000, myImage_001, myImage_002 etc)

Also, don't select all the images in the folder. Just select the first one, and make sure the check box labeled "Import Image Sequence" is checked.

[Rodney]

It sounds like you are after two different things.

You start out by asking for a sequence of image as a movie.

But you end with a request for all 300 images as one single image.

 

For importing a movie you only need to select the first image in the sequence and make sure they are in sequence.

 

Example:

 

image0001.png

image0002.png

image0003.png

image0004.png

...

image0300.png

 

A sequence like this will not come into A:M as movie for a number of reasons:

 

image 1.pgn

image02.pgn

image3.bmp

 

The best way to import your sequence is via the Project Workspace.

Right Click on the Image container

Select 'Import Animation or Image Sequence'

Make sure the checkbox marked 'Import as an animation or sequence of images' is checked

Select the first image of your sequence

 

It looks to me like you aren't after a sequence of images but rather 300 images all showing up in one image?

One image consisting of 300 layered images?

Perhaps I'm just reading that part wrong.

[SplineSoup]

It sounds like you are after two different things.

You start out by asking for a sequence of image as a movie.

But you end with a request for all 300 images as one single image.

 

Hmmm. You're right, I actually am asking two questions. The whole thing stems from the problem that the process of importing a sequence through the PWS (right clicking on the Images folder) gives me no option to import the images as a sequence to begin with. I remember seeing this button in any number of tutorials but I don't seem to have the option for a sequence in the import browser.

 

As for movies, when I render to QuickTime from A:M and import the movies to a chor layer, all I get is black. This part sounds like a plug-in problem. The sequence issue, though...I'm not so sure. Where do missing buttons go?

 

Chris

[Rodney]

As for movies, when I render to QuickTime from A:M and import the movies to a chor layer, all I get is black. This part sounds like a plug-in problem.

 

The terminology differences has got us speaking slightly different languages but lets stick with this and we'll get it straight.

 

If you are getting pure black renders this is most likely an indication that your Rotoscopes aren't set to render correctly.

Images assigned to Rotoscopes (and pretty much everywhere in A:M) must be set to render into the Alpha Channel.

If not they'll render invisible. With Quicktime this is more likely to render the background as black.

 

You can test this out by rendering to another format.

 

But... But... But...

 

I'm not on a Mac but you shouldn't have to rerender those sequences.

Once you have the sequence in A:M (which at this point we don't... we'll get to that) you should be able to Command Click (Right Click on a PC) and Save As Animation.

 

JohnL3D has a lovely video tutorials that runs through this process (on a PC).

 

I'm tempted to get a Mac just so I can troubleshoot these issues.

Almost did last month.

 

There is difference between Right Clicking and Command Clicking on your Mac is there?

[SplineSoup]

If you are getting pure black renders this is most likely an indication that your Rotoscopes aren't set to render correctly.

Images assigned to Rotoscopes (and pretty much everywhere in A:M) must be set to render into the Alpha Channel.

If not they'll render invisible. With Quicktime this is more likely to render the background as black.

I'm familiar with the black background when rendering to a Quicktime movie with alpha channels on. What perplexes me about this suggestion is that rotoscopes render in the alpha channel, which would mean A:M would only render grayscale information for the rotoscope since alpha channels don't store RGB data. At any rate, I digress. When I import a single image file as a layer or a rotoscope, I have no rendering problems at all. The images show up with perfect clarity. This is only with Quicktime movies and there's a number of other areas where these don't work in A:M that I'm working on as a side.

 

The main problem here is in importing a sequence. I noted the checkbox in your screenshot to 'Import as an animation or sequence of images' and was confused about why the mac version didn't have this option (see screenshot from my previous post). In my current situation, I can only import one image at a time or a LOT of images at a time, but no sequence option is apparent. I'm wondering if other Mac users have encountered this.

There is difference between Right Clicking and Command Clicking on your Mac is there?

Ever since Macs have shipped with multi-button mice (like the Mighty Mouse) the Mac OS has supported programming a right-click without the control key modifier. I use a third-party 3-button mouse for all of my animating, though if I were inclined, I could still control-click instead of using the right mouse button. They do the exact same thing in my experience.

 

Chris

[robcat2075]

Try this until we figure out why the mac doesn't do it.

 

1) load this model into a text editor

 

ImageSequenceUser.zip

 

2) and use search and replace to change "output001" to yourimageXXX where yourimage is the name of your sequence (not including frame number) and XXX is the first frame number.

 

if your sequence starts with "catjump01" (notice that has a 2 digit number instead of a 3 digit number) you will replace "output001" with "catjump01". Case is important.

 

3) if your image format is not jpg you will need to do a separate search and replace to change "jpg" to yours. Case is important.

 

4) save this revised file to the same dir as your image sequence.

 

5) rename it to end in .mdl not .txt

 

6) load this model into your PRJ, that will cause your PRJ to import the image sequence which you can then use on other models.

 

7)you will have to correct the frame count to match your sequence in the image props.

 

 

The search and replace operations need to be done exactly right.

[danf]

I was able to import an image sequence to a:m on a mac in this way:

Get the sequence into QuickTime pro (import either image sequence or movie) then export as a targa sequence. The catch that surprised me was to import the sequence, you go to the PwS and right click the... What is one of the top folders, with all imported images in it, (I'm on my phone) and you select import anmination/ image seq, but only need to select the first image of the sequence.

 

If this helps, thank rob cat for being awesome and remembering I went through this.

[SplineSoup]

Try this until we figure out why the mac doesn't do it.

 

Well, it works! It was a little round-about but I successfully imported a PNG sequence into A:M using the model you provided and following your steps. The decal did a weird spill-out glitch on render but that could be resolved by tailoring the object to the aspect ratio of the decal a little better on my part. The missing component was the frame range property that I didn't get if I'd try to import the PNG images myself.

 

Shockingly, danf, the TGA workaround in QTPro worked flawlessly! For whatever reason, even though there is still no checkbox to specify a sequence when I go to import, if the image I select in the browser is the first frame of a TGA sequence then it proceeds and treats it as a sequence automatically without any other fiddling on my part. PNGs don't seem to work like this on a Mac, by default. I'd been consciously avoiding the TGA format in the past, favoring PNGs because of their small(er) file sizes. Looks like I'll go ahead and break my taboo in the name of progress!

 

Double kudos to robcat!

 

The input is highly appreciated. I'm teaching compositing to middle school students and wanted to make sure I had a sound method to combine images and load sequences before dragging them through it themselves. Sometimes the troubleshooting process makes me feel like a middle schooler too!

 

Chris

ImageSequenceUser2.mov

[Rodney]

Chris,

 

Glad to see you got it all worked out.

 

I'm going to attempt to close a loop here:

What perplexes me about this suggestion is that rotoscopes render in the alpha channel, which would mean A:M would only render grayscale information for the rotoscope since alpha channels don't store RGB data.

 

This is a misunderstanding of how A:M composites rotoscopes. My explanation won't be exacting but I'll stab a little closer at the heart of it.

 

By selecting 'Include in Image' for the Rotoscope you are telling A:M to add the image into all the images channels (RGB,RGBA, whatever) with the Alpha Channel used as a transparency for the image that is being composited. The Alpha Channel is not rendered but rather is a mask that is used to determine what will be rendered.

 

On its face the statement, "rotoscopes render in the alpha channel" is incorrect.

Using the option doesn't render into the alpha channel. It just tells A:M to use it.

 

I think it'd be correct to say, 'A:M does not render the alpha channel'.

But it will use it to determine what to render if you opt to use it.

 

Clear as mud?

Hope that makes sense.

 

I'd be glad to have the experts weigh in.

[robcat2075]

a rotoscope is like an image on a flat patch that hangs in front of the camera. It has the option of hanging so close that it appears in front of any model in the scene or so far away that it appears behind any model in the scene.

 

I don't think rotoscopes are what is causing your renders to be black.

[Walter Baker]

Hi Gang,

Been working on this mess myself and this is as far as I can get. I use a mac also and don't get the 'import option either' but if you select the first image as you all have said it will import the entire sequence. Image 1 (into Images) Image 2: then I drag it into the 'shortcut to camera 1' and bingo there it is and it plays if you try it in the timeline.

Now my problem is when you intentionally or accidently change the view it is gone and I am unable to get it back so I can work with it.

If memory serves (my old self) right 'robcat' did a blue screen thing with video and placed animation in the background, HOW DID YOU DO THAT COOL STUFF?????' Any way that's my lil'bit on the subject, still working on trying to figure it out.

[Walter Baker]

Hi Gang,

Been working on this mess myself and this is as far as I can get. I use a mac also and don't get the 'import option either' but if you select the first image as you all have said it will import the entire sequence. Image 1 (into Images) Image 2: then I drag it into the 'shortcut to camera 1' and bingo there it is and it plays if you try it in the timeline.

Now my problem is when you intentionally or accidently change the view it is gone and I am unable to get it back so I can work with it.

If memory serves (my old self) right 'robcat' did a blue screen thing with video and placed animation in the background, HOW DID YOU DO THAT COOL STUFF?????' Any way that's my lil'bit on the subject, still working on trying to figure it out.

[robcat2075]

Now my problem is when you intentionally or accidently change the view it is gone and I am unable to get it back so I can work with it.

 

Does the mention of the rotoscop actually disappear from teh PWS?

 

If memory serves (my old self) right 'robcat' did a blue screen thing with video and placed animation in the background, HOW DID YOU DO THAT COOL STUFF?????'

 

briefly I made an "action" (like a macro) in Photoshop that would add an alpha channel in my video to make all the blue areas transparent, and do that to every frame of the video automatically.

 

I can import that revised image sequence into A:M and use it as a rotoscope over my 3D scene.

 

 

I haven't gotten back to experimenting with it to find the best workflow. When i do I'll explain more about it here on the forum.

[Walter Baker]

Does the mention of the rotoscop actually disappear from teh PWS?

 

No, it is still there but in the chor. window (image3) the image disappears so I can't see what or where i am working. Right clicked and went to views and tried all views but the images stays gone. I am sure there is some option to turn on or off like 'Front Projection Target' or maybe create a 'new layer' ??

 

My thoughts are to have the video images as a background and have my char. models in front with the appearance of being in the video. But my thoughts and real application don't always work well together.

[heyvern]

It may be easier to use the image sequence as a layer in the chor rather than a camera rotoscope. I like this technique because I can see the image layer in any view and not just the camera view. Although this can create issues with perspective distorting the image layer.

 

-vern

[Walter Baker]

Hi heyvern

 

Just tested you idea and it did work with being able to see from all angles yet when I imported a model it disappeared again, only the model was visible. But will work on it more this evening, time to head to work. WORK sucks!!! Hate leaving this to go earn money, Been trying to get them to just send a check to me without working, they just don't get it, what's the matter with these people???????

[robcat2075]

Just tested you idea and it did work with being able to see from all angles yet when I imported a model it disappeared again, only the model was visible.

 

well... graphics drivers updated? Or perhaps this occured after an update and you could un-date?

 

try switching OpenGL

 

Do decals disappear? A layer is pretty much a decal on a flat plane.