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BryceTalk Novice Q n A
July 13, 1999
Part 3 of 3
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BryceTalk Novice Q & A, July 13, 1999
part 3

Purusha: Renato can you outline the process?

renato!: sure

gdmsynth: !

renato!: take yer QT movie

the player allows you to save out frames

put em all in a folder to keep things organized

AuntiAlias: (uh, you gotta have QT pro to do that, yes?)

renato!: hmmm, dunno... I have QT pro, not sure if the 'lite' version lets you do that

AuntiAlias: prolly not

pixelpusher: It used to be painting over live film to simulate animation. The term is morphing into new territory.

renato!: well, somehow you have to extract your QT movie as still frames

Debabelizer can do it I think

then I set up the scene and motion and everything else, that's my 'master' scene

scene file

then I go to ME (Mat'ls Editor)

(for the object that's gonna have the still frames as a texture map)

Tonebone: Gotta go, Cya'll soon!

renato!: enter the Pict texture editor

Texture SOurce Editor, sorry

renato!: then I click on each of those 'empty' frames, and compile all the still frames I am gonna work with

then down at the bottom, click 'save list'!!!! when you are done bringing them in

AuntiAlias: ? Clarification

renato!: on 'save list'?

it saves all the pictures you just brought in

AuntiAlias: click on each of the empty frames... in the pictures editor?

renato!: yes

you can click on any of them, it will load into the next empty frame from left to right

AuntiAlias: so you're sayign that you click the empty spot, bring in one of the anim still frames, then click next one to bring that in?

renato!: yep... on and on and on and on

AuntiAlias: i.e, to bring in the next.. okay. thanks! : )

renato!: I like to name the still frames logically

so, if it's 3 seconds of still frames at 15 fps

it goes

0;00

0;01

and so on

...

0;14

1;00

anyway, you gotta do a Save List once you've brought them all in

or else when you quit B4 and go back to work on it later... you'll hafta bring em in again

anyways, so now you have a master scene...

you have all the still frames you want to work with

save that master scene

then save again under a different name... you are going to have to create a separate B4 scene file for each frame

AuntiAlias: (yow.. hope your scene file is not a 30-megabyte monster!)

renato!: so, let's say our master scene is named, 'reflection.br4'

true!

well, you can render one by one...

I am thinking of setting this up as a batch render

anyway, so I would name the scene file for frame #1, 'reflection001.br4'

select the object that will get the still frame as a texture

go into the Picture Source Editor (in the Matl's Editor), select the first still frame

then go back to the ME

renato!: you may need to use the Editor to rotate or move the Pic texture so it shows correctly

correct orientation

once you have that down, it's a simple repetitive process...

renato!: move the Scrub Time bar fwd a frame, bring in the next still frame, save...

gee, am I scaring everyone off?

um, you want more AA?

3d~?~elf: nahh...

AuntiAlias: EXCELLENT!!

Purusha: maybe it was my question..?

renato!: final step...

3d~?~elf: i'm curious about this, please?

renato!: once you have all your scene files for each frame saved

go in and dump all the PCT (or BMP) files in the folder

that is, the ones associated with the B4 file

NOT the still frames

renato!: if you do a batch render with those in there, the renders may not come out right

then select all your scene files, drag them over to the Bryce icon, and you'll be batch rendering!

finally you'll need a way to assemble your rendered still frames into a movie

QT Pro can do that, or Premiere, or After Effects, or...

done

AuntiAlias: if you do a batch render with THOSE IN THERE: er.... how's that? with those what? the still frames or the pct frames?

renato!: when you save a Bryce file, it also saves a .pct file of the scene (even if you didn't render it)

AuntiAlias: so you separate the bryce scenes from any rendered image files to get perfect, clean batch render?

renato!: right

AuntiAlias: aaah! cool.

renato!: I've ended up with a weird, 'grid' kind of render when I've left those in there

AuntiAlias: yeah, I know that beast! ; )

renato!: and yeah, you also don't want partially rendered scenes messing things up when you assemble your frames

I've been jonesing for QT import in B4!!!

AuntiAlias: great technique, your labor-intensive image composition!! :D :D :D

renato!: it IS labor intensive

AuntiAlias: after all that description, I see why!

renato!: but the only way to do it currently

done

we now return you to your regularly scheduled host...

Purusha: thank you :-)

AuntiAlias: there you go, Purusha! your work is cut out for you!

gdmsynth: You can also composite Bryce images,animations, and other animations nicely in AfterEffects and other programs by rendering out separate objects and creating a mask to use as an alpha channel.

AuntiAlias: heh.. newbie q & a.... we've been covering some pretty advanced techniques!

Purusha: yes Renato, but then you don't get the beautiful Bryce water reflections...

Wombat: ?

AuntiAlias: go ahead, Wombat (we didn't have anyone else in the queue before Wombat, did we?)

Purusha: (er, yes gdm... (not Renato))

Wombat: Is that me up then?

AuntiAlias: okay.. no one else before Wombat... so I imagine Wombat is feverishly typing away the question..?

Wombat: .. ok, now I will....

gdmsynth: <Purusha> Not always true. You can render the objects with the scene and get the reflections and then mask the object out and composite it in AE.

Wombat: I'm not the artistic type, wish I was. Is there a great site, or list of sites, that focusses on Objects/Creatures etc that can easily be used in Bryce?

ie, free.

gdmsynth: !

AuntiAlias: go ahead, gdm!

gdmsynth: 3d cafe has a large selection.

AuntiAlias: esp if that's an answer! : )

gdmsynth: I think its just 3dcafe.com

AuntiAlias: just saw this,, too (been in the Poser site on metacreations.com looking for learning resources... http://www.stewstras.net/baument/downloads.htm

Purusha: <gdm> but I want the objects-to-be-reflected in animated water to also be animated - so that means the reflection is animated in and of itself - aside from the water texture moving

Wombat: Ok, that looks pretty close, thanx

AuntiAlias: <love this continuing side-discussion on compositing animations in Bryce! :D>

also... don't know if this comes straight into Bryce, but...

http://www.webcom.com/zygote/Pages/poser/poser_2.html

3d~?~elf: http://www.50megs.com/3delf/elfinmagic/wormeat.mov here's a test clip

gdmsynth: <Purusha>The best I can think is to use animated terrains then instead of imported 3d models.

AuntiAlias: hmm... gdm this is not imported 3D model.. this is imported quicktime movie

gdmsynth: Hmmm...I see. Well assuming the QT movies were models you could just import the models into Bryce instead possibly.

Wombat: Thanks all, I'll definitely be back next week. See you round like a risole.

Purusha: <gdm> to clarify - the animation to be reflected in bryce water has to be a QT movie (I need the lens flare effect in AE) (OK for REAL clarity - a god rises up out of the rippling water while his lens flare halo grows stronger)

(that's Lens Flare Pro 3rd party plug in)

AuntiAlias: so lens flare has to also be reflected in water?

Purusha: right! :-)

AuntiAlias: or you can do the lens flare afterwards? after render

gdmsynth: We are importing DXF models into Bryce and getting reflections, creating masks of these and then compositing in AE adding Knoll Lens flares and such. Works great. But reflections of lens flares on water. Hmmm.

AuntiAlias: so.. lens flare is not for the virtual camera lens, but is an effect, a glow, a supernatural phenomenon that is reflected in water, too

gdmsynth: Maybe this requires renato's handiwork!

Purusha: I could do ALOT of masking for that AA, but then how do I get it in the water reflection?

renato!: that's a toughie

AuntiAlias: do you have another plane that has a still lens flare? and move that around? i.e., just change its location?

3d~?~elf: why not make the halo an object and increase the 'glow' in bryce?

Purusha: well even the flare is animated - comes on stronger and scintillates

AuntiAlias: right... thought something like that might be the case...

labor-intensive lens flare... : )

Purusha: http://www.kilcheralaskastore.com/Purusha_Bryce_share/ to see a lens flare which I added to a bryce made QT movie... image 4 & 6

gdmsynth: Ah, you could create the water with the new Psunami plug-in for AE and add the flare as a surface relection on the surface of the water.

AuntiAlias: flaring lenses a-plenty!!

any other questions about Bryce? newbie questions?

er.. novice questions

3d~?~elf: lol

AuntiAlias: (depending who you talk to, newbie can be a neutral term or it can be derrogatory.. I mean it neutrally, but avoid it in case others think it's derrogatroy)

gdmsynth: I've already contacted my lawyer Aunti.

Purusha: lol

AuntiAlias: great. used to be.. I'll have my assistant call your assistant. then it was, Ill have my computer call your computer...

3d~?~elf: <renders atty-proof shield around susan>

AuntiAlias: now it's I'll have my lawyer call your lawyer!

I'll have my bot call your bot!

gdmsynth: That actually happened to me! The lawyers sent me this huge bill for talking to eachother!

AuntiAlias: (I'll call you and raise you one! up the ante!)

yow.. I'm a total newbie at that.. and I DON'T want to know more!!

::::ducking under the desk:::::

gdmsynth: Just go see Liar Liar. It'll cure all your legal problems.

AuntiAlias: er.... any more questions? about skies?

about materials?

I dont have a lawyer renderer in Bryce....

tho, with the right model, you can import a shark model, I guess ; )

gdmsynth: (Errrr no... but you can watch DVD while rendering Bryce)

Purusha: thanks for everything all :-) :-) See you later - late for meeting... :-)

AuntiAlias: Yep.. I think it's time to wrap up here...

Thanks for all the great questions and the great answers, too! :D :D

>>>> Next week: Another great BryceTalk event ; )

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