Short: Layers Animator for ImageFX v3+ Author: steve.chapple@mcr1.poptel.org.uk Uploader: steve chapple mcr1 poptel org uk Type: gfx/ifx Architecture: generic ************************* Time Machine v2.06 Steve Chapple 23/8//2000 steve.chapple@mcr1.poptel.org.uk ************************* Overview -------- Time Machine can be thought of as "AutoFX on layers" - a series of stills, sequences, videoclips etc are loaded into ImageFX as layers, positioned, processed, flattened and saved. It has the advantage of being able to load images of different sizes, being able to position layers visually and does not require video clip style file formats to be broken down into single frames, or single images to be multiplied before being combined together. Requirements: ------------- ImageFXv3+; lots of RAM and other goodies can't hurt. The Gui4cli system (included) by Demetris Keletsekis. (http://users.hol.gr/~dck/gcmain.htm) Installation: ------------- Copy the files Gui and Gui4cli to your c: directory Copy the TimeMachine directory to the root of your ImageFX directory. (e.g. it should be on the same level as storage, rexx etc.) Copy the TM_Effects directory to your ImageFX/Rexx directory Starting Time Machine: ---------------------- Time Machine is designed to be used from the "windowed" version of ImageFX. Please do not attempt to run it from the Classic version. From the "Arexx" button on the main ImageFX panel run the "Start_TM.ifx" script in the TimeMachine directory. On the title screen you will be asked if you want to start a new project, or load a TM project from disk. If starting a new project you will be prompted for the number of frames in the finished project, the image format for the background layer, and a filename, if appropriate. Image sequences should be defined as a "basename", that is the filename common to all files, without any frame number extension. For example, if your sequence is named effect0001, effect0002 ..... effect1234 enter "effect" as the basename in the sequence file requester.(Note that sequences named "effect.0001" should be entered as "effect.", and currently Time Machine does not recognise sequences not ending in up to six digits, or not starting at frame 1. "pic0001.jpg", for example, will not be recognised). For image sequences, ANIMs, JStreams and Flyerclips you will be asked which frame you wish to load on frame 1 of your project. For Anim files and video clip formats there is the option of setting a "freeze frame" - the frame number specified in the "start frame" dialogue will be loaded on all frames of the Time Machine project. Saves having to break apart a file to get at one picture (and I'm told loads faster with some PPC loader modules than using a single image). Due to the way IFX works if you load an ANIM as the background layer it won't allow any more layers to be loaded, because the background is a CMAP image. Time Machine catches this (and CMAP still images), and won't load the ANIM in the first place. You can load CMAP layers on top of an RGB background, however, so quickest work-around is to make your background layer a blank frame, and load the ANIM as Layer 1. (Remember to add a GreytoColor command at the start of any Arexx scripts on ANIM or CMAP layers to allow use of the full set of IFX commands.) *** I believe that IFX users who have upgraded to version 4.1 will no longer be able to load ANIM files due to a change in the way that the ANIM loader works. I hope that this may be rectified in the future. *** ImageFX Controls ---------------- Selecting layers in the Time Machine project is done in the ImageFX layers palette as usual. When saving ANIM files the render toolbar will be opened, the colour depth, dithering etc. can be set here. If the settings are not correct at the prompt cancel rendering, alter the render settings and then press "Render" on the Time Machine toolbar again. Toolbar ------- Currently Time Machine has three items on the toolbar: Load Layer Loads a new layer to the project. Render Start the Time Machine! Your project will step forward frame by frame, loading the necessary files into the layer system, setting the saved layer parameters, processing, and flattening the image for saving. Quit Quit Time Machine, and close the current buffer. Menus ----- (Note, the menus will only be visible with the Time Machine toolbar highlighted) Project/Load Loads a project from file Project/Save Save all TM settings for the current project to file Project/Restart Delete the current project, and reset all saved parameters. You will be prompted for a new project length, then proceed adding layers as usual. Layer/Snapshot Position Save the layer offset for the currently selected layer. Only one "global" value is currently saved. Layer/Snapshot Blend As above, but for layer blend Layer/Snapshot Mode As above, but for layer mode. (This includes whether a layer is a "mask" layer. If you want to use an image stream as a mask for the layers above it's currently best to set it as a mask than try and load it as an alpha channel in a layer) Process/Layer Script Apply a previously saved Arexx script to the selected layer. Again, one script per layer is supported. AutoFX scripts should be avoided, as they use variables set by the AutoFX hook. Process/Post Script Apply a previously saved Arexx script to the final, flattened image. Save formats ------------ Sequence: saves a series of 24 bit files with a 4 digit frame extension (file0001, file0002,.....file9999). You can choose between standard Amiga ILBM files, or JPEG files with quality of 85 or 50. JStream: writes a new JStream (you will be prompted for an existing file to clone compression settings from), or appends to an existing file. Flyerclip: Well, God knows? Hopefully someone will tell me if it works! Anim: Anim5/7 anims with or without locked palette. Warnings and other strangeness: ------------------------------- Do not try and delete layers or try and swap them around: at the moment TM is not smart enough to realise you've done it! This has the hidden benefit, however, that you can create a new layer, play about with it so it fits with the currently loaded layers, save the layer to disk, delete it, then load it back in through TM's Load Layer button. TM doesn't know you've done any work on a layer, so there is a little room for experimentation with scripts and such like. All TM will remember when you press "Render" is what has been set from the TM menus and toolbar. Thanks and greets ----------------- Thanks to everyone who has tested TM, especially Don Paul, Ed Vishoot and Ron Jensen. Big shout to everyone on the IFX mailing list (www.egroups.com/group/imagefx). Thanks to Tom and Kermit for making IFX in the first place. Hello Mum. History ------- v2.06 Added render frame number tracking to make incremental hooks such as clouds work from TM. Added some TM_Effects scripts for fire, clouds etc. v2.05 Lots of housekeeping and error trapping. Fixed the Gui4cli console appearing when cancelling a requester. Added saving sequences as .jpgs. v2.04 Fixed some foolishness in the load projects script - still something odd in saving? Added saving projects as ANIM files v2.03 Added Freeze frame option to loading Anim/Jstream/FClip files (Don) Made default load path the same as IFX prefs. Will now return to the last used directory for loading new layers. Added trap to prevent loading grey/Cmap buffers on the background. Added load/save project function. v2.02 Added saving JStream files, and possibly Flyerclips. v2.01 Added Anim5/7 loading. Actually turned on Flyerclip loading at render time. v2.0 First release to interested parties