Anim8or Community

you know we've got reference images?  well, how about reference videos?  exactly the same as a ref. image, but with a video rather than a static pic.

i know anim8or doesn't have any video playback stuff at the moment, but the fact that the renderer can handle multiple compression options, seems to suggest that steve is able to tap into the available video codecs, so i was just wondering, how much work would it be to include in-scene playback functionality?

it'd also be cool if you could make a reference image or video visible in the renders (i guess just have a boolean switch in the ref. image's properties, to set whether it renders or not), so that you could use them to create moving backgrounds, or video/computer screens in your models, etc.  example: if you were building a futuristic city, you could place a 'reference' video on the side of a building to make a giant advertising billboard, a la Blade Runner.   

any thoughts, peoples?

- colclough

hi
i have to admit i'm more of a "just muddle around and find out for myself which button does what" type (the downside is that i sometimes miss things, so it takes ages to discover some useful stuff, of course!), but i know everyone's different, i'd agree that your aim is a worthy one.

re: your final question, "how to do screenshots", they're actually very simple.  in bullet points, as you requested:

• run anim8or at full screen, to get the best image resolution
• each time you want to get a screenshot, you just press the little key marked PrtScrn (or similar), which is found in the top-right corner of most keyboards.  the image on your screen will be copied into your clipboard.

if you're writing your tutorial in MS Word or similar, then:

• get screenshot as outlined above
• switch programs to get back into word-processor
• make sure the cursor is positioned where you want the picture to go in your document
• paste

if you're writing in HTML, or if you want to keep the screenshots as separate image files for any other reason, then you can use any image editor from MS Paint to PhotoShop:

• get screenshot as outlined above
• go into image editor
• set up a new picture with the same resolution as your desktop (hopefully the program will remember your settings, so you don't have to redo the setup every time)
• paste
• save

it looks like a lot of steps when you write it like that, but you'll soon find it's actually quite simple

hope that helps!

- colclough

and with you also, Master Spicy 

- colclough

aha!  so that's the secret.  thanks, hihosilver, i'd been wondering about that, too! 

- colclough

or "plagiarism".  that's the favoured term in the academic world.  at my sixth form, around exam times (january and june, mostly) that word got sooooo overused by the teaching staff, mostly in long speeches aimed at persuading us students not to even think about doing it.  apparently wannabe67's teachers didn't place so much emphasis on honesty as mine did 

and while we're complaining - AT-ATs aren't robots.

- colclough

None of this work is his, personally I'd suggest a lifeban.

as much as i want to like everyone on this forum, i'm afraid i'd have to agree with you, silver.

- colclough

dressedforsuccess, those renders you keep posting are brilliant!  i'm not sure that the plant thing really fits in with the industrial theme you seem to have going in the other pics, but it's a nice plant anyways

- colclough

... I ride a mountain bike and I "fall off a lot"

... hence the fact you always wear that metal crash helmet! 

- colclough