Render Settings and Editing in Premiere

Render Settings and Editing in Premiere

1. Decide on the frame size you will render at AND STICK TO IT as it important that you stay consistent with this, for example 1280 x 720 PAL 25fps.
2. Open Adobe Premiere and choose a file location to save the project. Then from the presets list, in the 'HDV' folder select the 'HDV 720p' preset that matches the frame rate that you rendered your work at. 
3. In Premiere set the duration of each still to equal one frame. see this link http://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/importing-still-images.html
4. Import your frame renders into Premiere.
5. It may be best to create a new sequence for each scene. 
6. Drag and drop each render set into a sequence edit accordingly.
7. Render as .avi in Windows or .mov on Mac and choose "uncompressed" as the compression setting.
8. In the media encoder (Once you export the finished sequence) chose flv/f4v format and in the preset selection choose "F4V-HD 720p" (Feel free to experiment with this, as you find that other presets such as 'H.264' will give you a smaller file size).
   
   ADVICE - IT IS ALWAYS WORTH EXPERIMENTING WITH RENDERS AND SETTINGS BEFORE YOU GO AHEAD AND COMMIT TO A FORMAT. Do some test renders to see if the quality is good enough before wasting time doing renders you don't need!

Week_8 _Mark_Sheet

Things to remember for the assignment hand in date: TBC.

1) Your work is marked INDIVIDUALLY make sure that your personal blog is up to date and that it contains everything that you personally have done during the module. Print out your blog and hand this in.

2) You must put all of your work on a CD or DVD including all work files. Again you MUST hand in your own work on your own disc. Don't just put everything on one group disc unless all files are VERY clearly labelled so I can see who did what.

3) The group blog should contain minutes of every meeting you've had throughout the semester. Print this out and hand it in with one group member’s work. It is not necessary for every member of the group to hand in a copy of this.

4) Your final animation can be included on each group member’s disc if you like but it may be best to include a separate disc for it and attach it to the group blog printout.



Copy of the mark scheme is below.

Virtual Environments MOD002688 2013-14 Marking Scheme

SID:

Criteria	Comment		Mark
1) Research and preparation	Evidence of background knowledge historical perspectives and interpretation, script, storyboard, design planning.	20%	0
2) Standard of modeling and animation	Form to function,  appropriate use of primitives.  Example on Blog	40%	0
3) Integration of new skills	3D studio Max specific, student examples on blog.	10%	0
4) Individual Contribution to group work	Documentation and blog.	10%	0
5) Validity and quality of final video	Editing style- use of establishing shots, close up shots, cut aways etc, pace and narrative, contribution of audio and visual FX.	20%	0
		Total	0

7. Learning Outcomes as defined in the MDF	Demonstrated by
Research topics relevant to specific modeling and animation needs	1
Design and create complex scenes including, animation, rendering , lighting and camera work to produce special effects	1, 3 and 5
Generate, manipulate and apply materials – computer and independently generated.	2,3, and 5
Produce animated sequences of real/fictitious images and characters including movement through the scene	2, 3 and 5
Work independently to a set brief	1 and 4
Critically appraise and reflect on the effectiveness of the work produced via critique, sketchbook and blog.	1, 3 and 4

Week_8  Controllers and Constraints

 



A controller is a program module that manages animation
A constraint is a type of controller in which one object is controlling another.


Using bouncing sphere is a simple way to test it, bounce a ball.
1_create a sphere in the perspective view, currently there's no animation here because the default controller for an object transform such as position is something called a Bezier Float controller, and that's what gives us the ability to animate tangent handles and adjust the shape of a curve and adjust the keyframe interpolation, so that's a default type of controller is Bezier Float.

2_There are lots of types of controllers and many different things can be done.
with the ball selected, go to the Graph Editors > Track View - Curve Editor, scrolling down in the list here highlighted the Z-Position. If I want to assign a controller, I can go up to the Controller menu and choose Assign, and I have got a list of the valid controllers for that particular animation channel or track, and you will see Bezier Float is active.

Choose a different controller.

3_Try the Waveform Float. Play this back and see that it’s an oscillating motion. It is actually procedural animation. This is moving up and down according to a sign wave. Going back into the Track Editor, with the Properties page for this Waveform controller, and try out different types of waveforms like the Half Sign, which is basically creating a parabolic bouncing shape, and with things like the Period. That's the duration of one cycle, you can make that longer so it has fewer bounces.

4_If you wanted this to actually just bounce on the floor and land at exactly a Z value of zero. Maximize this window with Alt+W, get a little bit closer in. On frame 0, where the waveform is at its lowest. Going back to the Track view, and I've got the ability to manually adjust an offset.

5_Organize the view a bit better. At frame 0 you can set this manual amount, just scrolling that up until it's just touching the floor, and you can also see that the waveform is moving too, so when you adjust this, the waveform is moving in the Graph Editor too, in the Curve Editor. Play that back and it is an infinitely bouncing ball motion.
Go back into the controller properties, and right-click on the name of the track and then choose Properties, and it will take you back in, and here you can do things like change the Period. So there are lots of different types of controllers. The default is the so-called Bezier Float.
6_There are many to choose from, and they need playing around with. Things like have the motion of objects be driven by the volume of an audio file can be done. So controllers are very powerful. To go back to a standard way of animating,
Controller > Assign and switch this Z-Position back to Bezier Float, and now it’s back to creating standard keyframes in the normal way.

Applying path constraints
========================
A constraint is a type of controller in which one object controls another object, or one entity controls another entity. So constraints are very powerful.
One of the most common ones is a Path constraint where you can attach an object to a Spline Curve and have it animate down that path.

Here we will make a simple turntable animation. It's a very common thing that modelers need to do so they can show off their work. So with the robo_arm create a circle that's going to be the path and then a camera to attach to the path.

1_In the Create panel>Shapes, make a circle. With snap to the grid on, position the cursor right at the origin so that the circle is right there centered on the model, and if I am not sure whether it is or not, I can always go into the Move tool and right-click on that and make sure, okay, the circle is at an absolute position of 0, 0, 0. 
2_Create a target camera, in the Perspective view, click and drag, and place that target at the origin once again 0,0,0
Make the front viewport the camera viewport, and I can hit F3 as well so I can see shading. It isn’t attached to the path yet. I'm going to attach the camera to the path using the Path constraint. Constraints work by selecting the object that you wish to constrain first. I want to select the camera and constrain it to this path.

3_With the camera selected, open the Animation menu set and the category for Constraints, choose Path Constraint. Then click spline curve, the cursor changes to a different icon. So click on that and now you'll see the camera is attached to the path, and you rewind and play that back, you'll see the camera is orbiting around the object.

Checking in the Camera viewport, you see a turntable movement. All you need to do now is move that path and possibly move the target as well.

4_With the circular path, just move it upward. The camera is constrained to the path. Also you want to move the camera target up to, in Ortho View, grab that target and move that up. And also probably want to change the field-of-view, Go into the Camera View, right-click on that and use Field-Of-View control to zoom out a little bit, and play back, we have a turntable animation.

Path constraints are good for this sort of thing. So the camera is just spinning around and around and around. Because this is a procedural circle, I can actually go to the Modify panel and select my Select Object tool, grab the circle, and I can change the radius too. So maybe move the camera further out and then use the Field-Of-View tool. Once again going back to the camera.

Zooming in a little bit, remembering that you always want to have Safeframes enabled. Shift+F to visualize my Safeframes and frame that up and play it back. Maybe zoom back out again, and I've got a Path constraint, and it's working great. If I want to change the speed of the motion, all you have to do is select the constrained object, so in this case it's the camera. Select that camera, and you'll see there's a keyframe here and here, and this is distance along the path in percentages.

So this is 0% along the path at Frame 0 and 100% along the path at Frame 100. So if I wanted this to go more slowly, I go to my Time Configuration, increase the number of frames, let's say 300 frames, which is 10 seconds, say OK, and just move this second keyframe down to the end. So it will be 100% along the path at Frame 300. Going back and playing that back, and now I've got a nice slow turntable. So that's just one simple example of the utility of using constraints. 


The circle could be a collapsed editable spline shape. Draw out a similar size circle, collapse to an editable spline. Check out the vertex numbers and add a few more vertices. Move some of the vertices vertically and perhaps alter the circle to something you might prefer as a path. Break the other path link and link the target to the new path.










Assigning a link constraint
==========================
To move an object as part of the operation of the movement of a hierarchy it is necessary to add a link constraint at the points you wish the hierarchy to take charge and relinquish control. The following shows this:

 

To move an object, we will use a link constraint.  Above the cylinder will be constrained by the floor.

The purpose of a link constraint is to enable you to transfer a parent-child link from one object to another over the course of an animation. 

In other words, if you have a character or, in this case a robot, that needs to pick something up and carry it and then set it down or maybe pass it off to someone/thing else. If you need to do that, then you have to use a link constraint, because you cannot use a standard link to do that. Standard linking-up is permanent.
If you linked the cylinder to the robot wrist, that would be permanent through the entire animation and it would be nearly impossible to animate the wrist and the cylinder separately in order to get a realistic motion.

So, when you want to have something pick something up and then throw it or drop it or pass it off, you're going to have to use a link constraint in order to transfer that parent to another parent.

Start this off. Start on frame 0, what you want to do at first is to constrain this cylinder to the room/floor.

1_This should be link-constraining to an immobile object, usually, the ground or the room or something that's not animated. So, select the cylinder, go up to Animation menu, looking for Constraints > Link Constraint. Select that. As soon as you do that, you'll notice that the Command panel is changed and I'm now looking at the Motion panel.

2_But in any event, you are ready to select the object you will constrain to the room. So click on that. Now a Link constraint has being created. The first target has been assigned. So, 3ds Max has opened the Motion panel automatically.

3_Within that, you will see parameters for the selected object. So, for example, what controller I have assigned and so on. You'll see here now it's constrained to the room currently. So as I play my animation currently, I've done the whole animation in advance, but it's not selecting anything.

Using the Motion panel

We have got some animation, here, and we've constrained the cylinder to the room on Frame 1, and you'll see actually if the cylinder is selected we've actually got a keyframe there. That's an indication that there is some data in that frame. And what that is actually is a target for the Link constraint, and you can see that in the Motion panel. In the Motion panel and I've got the Link Parameters rollout visible. So what you need is go forward to the point in time where we want the robot arm to actually pick up the cylinder.

1_Get in a little bit closer. So sometime after the claws dip to their minimum, but before it starts moving up, you want to transfer the link to the wrist, instead of the floor or the room. So here I am.


2_Here its on 2 minutes 22 frames. In the Motion panel click to Add Link and then you want to click on the robot's wrist and transfer the linkage to that object and that's happening on frame 92 as  can be seen here.

3_All right, rewind this and play this back. So it's actually connected. Now it's staying connected. That's fine. And when I want it to drop, I'll transfer the linkage back to the room. So get in a little bit closer on that.




4_So when do I want it to drop? Right after those claws start to open. So right around seven seconds and four frames. I've got Add Link still active here, and I'll just click on the room and I just transfer the linkage back to the room. So now when I play this further, it's no longer linked to the arm during that period of time after Frame 229. So rewind and play this back, and see what happens.

 Wk_8

 Setting up a Hierarchy

Open the robo_start.max file
  

1_Open the Coordinate dropdown list and check out the names. The ones used most are  world, view, local and parent.

2_Examine each unit of the construction to check its pivot point. With each selected in the Hierarchy panel press the affect pivot only button. Set each pivot at an appropriate place for that object with rotate in mind.

3_Starting from the two claws link to the upper arm. Then link the upper arm to the  lower arm, then the lowerarm to the turntable and the turntable to the base.


The schematic (Graph Editor>New Schematic view) should be as below.

4_Rotate the turntable>local coordinates>z-axis. Turn 45deg and release. Note the x-  type-in at the bottom status bar reads 45deg then zero.The reason for this is that  each part is the child of the next part of the chain.The base is the parent of the  turntable, turntable is the parent of the lower arm, the lower arm is the parent of the  upper arm and so up the chain. You rotate the turntable and is reading is relative to  the next link up the chain - the lower arm. So to keep the reading in the z-axis  status at the bottom of the max screen the coordinate needs to be set at parent.
5_select the turntable and set the coordinate to parent and rotate in the perspective  view, the turntable with angle snap on 45deg, release and the z-axis  type-in on the  baseline status bar. Type 0 and the turntable returns to its former setting.
6_Point to remember that in 3dsmax. In a hierarchy the transforms of position, rotation and scale are calculated RELATIVE to that objects parent

LOCK the transforms_Working in local coordinate system

1_Starting with the base, in the hierarchy panel open the 'locked' tab and lock  everything move, rotate and scale, except the rotate in y lock.
2_moving up the chain, all move and all scale will be locked. Source the axis of rotation for each level and lock all others.
3_Test all the parts for correct rotation.
Example below is for the upper arm

Set-up the animation
1_Set the time to SMTE at 10sec no frames
2_Set the start pose and rotate the turntable, then the lower arm, then the upper arm to be as shown below
============


============

1_To start first animation choose set rotation in Key Filters
2_Select all three parts: turntable-lower arm-upper arm press set key button and at frame=0 click create key symbol. This creates a key at frame 0 for all three objects.
3_Use scroll bar to test
4_Rotate the turntable at 2secs to be in a position shown
5_Rotate the lowerarm to drop the claws to be near the floor at 4secs
6_Use scroll bar to examine
7_With lower arm selected move the key at 0-frame to 2-secs. So now the arm only goes  down 2secs to 4secs
8_Add a bit more variation to the move by putting a bit of upward tilt to the arm.  At frame 0:4:5 (4sec,5frame - its SMPTE and NTSC so =30f/s) rotate the upper arm a bit and hit the create keyframe button.

Fine tune an animation in the Track View - Dope Sheet
Here you see the full potential of being able to vary or fine tune the animated moves.
1_Select the whole construction. Open the Track View-Dope sheet and because all parts are selected the relevant keys are shown
2_Open a level say the lower arm and source out that the relevant active sector is the rotation in the transform sector. The keys can be fine-tuned in this dope sheet
3_Click on the world at the top of the dope sheet and also the modify child key to the far right
4_That shows the total keys in the animations world. A very useful possibility here is the edit range. That is the key 2nd from the top-left in the dope sheet. With edit range in use drag the range to 8sec. Play and see that its a much slower move. Drag the range back to 4sec
5_Other detail that can be added is via the Track View-curve editor. Here the curve function of movement could be say changed to linear. So instead of slow-in and slow- out at any rate of change you could set the keys to straight line abrupt change as in mechanical movement.

Week_7

This week is a further look at some of the possibility within the loft, the fit deformation affords many possibilities. 

Essentially with the fit you have the path (a line), a shape lofted ( here a triangle), a shape for  the x-profile (in the fit deformation) and a shape for the y-profile (again in  the fit deformation).
 

1_With 3d snap on draw out a line in the top view, watch it in the perspective  view for appropriate length.(name it path)
 
2_In the left view, snap still on draw out triangle pointing down at 6'0 clock.  not too big.(name loftshape)
 
 3_select the path and loft the triangle along the path (standard primitives  dropdown to compound objects, select loft). Then with path selected, click get shape in the loft dialogue box (triangle).
 

 4_Draw out an extended pentagon in the top view (this will be the x-shape in fit  deformation). Top shape below.

5_Draw out an extended rectangle in the shape of the side of a boat in the top  view.(this will be the y-shape in fit deformation).
 
6_With the lofted shape selected. Open the Fit within Deformations and deselect  the x-y lock
 
7_Click the display-x axis button and the get shape button (finger on the red  line next to the end button on the right). Select the  pentagon shape in the top view.

8_Click the display-y axis button and the get shape button (finger on the red  line next to the end button on the right). Select the distended rectangle (side boat shape) shape in the top view.
 
9_This should give you something similar to the following  screen shot of  the perspective view

To make the shape a cut-out for the boat

10_Take the original shape of the triangle, at the vertex sub-object level add  three vertices via the refine button in the modify panel. check out the amount  of vertices and that they correspond in each of the
triangles, at sub-obj lvl for vertex in the modify panel under selection/  display click show vertex number. Move up to the object level. Shift key, move  down and copy the shape twice.

11_Introduce these two new triangle at 2% and 89% along the path with a simple  loft get shape move.
Should now have something that looks like the screen shot above.

 

Fire tutorial

Personal Development

10% of the overall mark for this module is allocated for "Demonstration of new skills". It is therefore very important that your blog reflects these new skills clearly enough for me to distinguish exactly what new skills you have picked up or developed.
The first thing you should do is choose a new skill. Here are some suggestions which apply to the module but feel free to deviate and do something you really want to do.
1) Successfully light a scene using a realistic daylight system 2) Use Unwrap UVW mapping to accurately apply materials to a complex model 3) Use reference planes to accurately model a complex object 4) Use particle systems to make realistic smoke and fire effects 5) Create a rigging system to animate a complex object
Once you decide what you would like to achieve make a blog post that details what you want to do and how it will apply to the module. Make sure that you continue to update your blog with your progress with this task. A well maintained blog and a successful outcome with the chosen technique will warrant high marks for this section.