ImageFX versus Photoshop?!

[jd997uk]

@Bobsonsirjonny

I mean is it possible to get it to batch process frames 001 to 093 leaving 093 and upwards alone. That would be dead cool if it can.

Yup, piece of cake. AutoFX (IFX's batch processor) can do that and more.
AutoFX is file rather than drawer (folder) orientated, so if you had a drawer with say 1000 files in it, you select only the ones you want to process. It's so easy it's scary. The other thing is your files can be in different folders and still be batch processed together. Very flexible. I'm getting my PC updated to an AthlonXP1800 today and I'm looking forward to running IFX on UAE. I'v got a big animation I want to do which uses the IFX cloud generator, a starfield generator, the PanCanvas and TimeMachine plugins and then Cinemorph to form a transition between two animations. All this is a little too much for my 1200/060 and I'm hoping that I'll get a decent speed increase as at DVD resolution (720x576) it'll take forever otherwise.

-john

[Bobsonsirjonny]

Wow - From an animation point of view - particularly for students I think we may have the OS4 killer App here.

I could see how easily this could be used for cell animation painting - working with files as opposed to folders will be so tidy. Can you specify it to work on odd frames or even frames - could you make a selection and can it duplicate that selection over and over on other files/frames and colour that selection acordingly.

For example - I have an animated man. I know that the torso will only move so far in one direction and so far in the other - so if I select the centre of the torso, I know that no matter where the body moves - the centre of the torso will be selected. If thats the case you could just do a batch colour and have all your torso's done with ease. Is it then possible to render the frames out as a .avi or .mov. Specifying the frame rate, codec and res?. Obviously at the start people will have to take there frames in at the correct res - or at a high enough res at the right aspect ratio so at least it could be worked down if need be. Sound could be added etc in any old edit package.

Animo, CTP, Toonz et all - and other cell animation production tools cost a bomb - and I mean seriously funny money. But if Image FX is the right price - and can do all that - well it may be worth my while to invest in it. Anything that can speed up the ink and paint process is a Godsend. Were animators, so we'd rather spend more time doing that :-)

[ksk]

Once I heard that ImageFX is capable of using photoshop filters. Is it true?

Bobson check out Aura2.5 its got all those features... plus tight integration with NLE cards/Lightwave... very nice app...and the DV version is free still? if you visit a newtek reseller...it does most of what the video version does..

[SilvrDrgn]

I like both ImageFX and PhotoShop.  And besides, ImageFX is the only program I have that can properly drive the flatbed scanner that I have hooked to the parallel port on my A4000T.   :-)

[Bobsonsirjonny]

@ Mips

Thanks! The potential use of this is huge. I'm gonna do more diggining. If such a set up is as/more powerful than the industry standard solutions available, and more economical I will definately get one. I can now justify buying an AmigaOne (I was going to buy one - but with this, well at least I can justify its presence :-) ) Seriously - the market for its use as a tool to assist the 2D animator is massive.

[jd997uk]

@Bobsonsirjonny

Can you specify it to work on odd frames or even frames - could you make a selection and can it duplicate that selection over and over on other files/frames and colour that selection acordingly.

Yup. When AutoFX starts up, you direct it to the Drawer where your files are located and select what you want, as many time as you want.

Is it then possible to render the frames out as a .avi or .mov

Off the top of my head MPEG and FLI animation support is offered, but my personal choice is to save the frames out and load them into an appropriate PC package.

-john

[Valan]

@Bobsonsirjonny

I had Aura 2 for about a year but never used it then I upgraded free to Aura 2.5 but still never used it. Always used Photoshop and Premier. Then I saw the webcam streaming from Siggraph by Newtek showing Aura and it looked great. Still didn't use it though, Photoshop is always there. Correction I did use it to convert an mpeg to avi as it was quicker than Premier.

Now I have this nightmare project. 20 mins of a non edited fashion show(30 garments) on vcd that has to go on the web. Converting the dat to mpeg gives a 450Mb file! Each garment needs to be indevidually edited and given visual treatments.

I wanted to know how Aura would handle this on my home 800Mhz 256Mb PC. It is fine, better than fine. Not quite realtime but just needs a fraction of a second to update. The thing I love is that it allows you to visually set the start and stop markers of the video. This allows me to cut the video file even before loading it in.

The garments tend to get lost as the model wanders around the hall. To solve this I blur the area around the garment. Not by hand but automated using a path that follows a pixel on the garment. At set keyframes I can alter the blur settings.

I had to time section for the quote. The first one took me about an hour to do 4 garments. That's getting the theory, learning how to do it and applying it in practice.

I use the Photoshop Actions and Automate whenever possible. I am also a big fan of Premier and now I can add Aura as another lifesaver. I definately underrated this one.

Valan

[ruffneck]

Check out this link: http://www.quake2.com/modeling/q2modelingFAQ.html
 
and section [1.2] WHAT PROGRAMS CAN I USE TO MAKE SKINS?
Pretty interesting and has some references to Amiga and to non-official DOS Brilliance port too.

[trgse]

well it can use those Filter's that's called
Filter Factory on Photoshop
(called FXForge on IFX) but only those saved as
text files.

[Targhan]

@Valan  

now I can add Aura as another lifesaver. I definately underrated this one.

Good story!  I've been using VirtualDub for a while now, and had been given a copy of Aura.. Now, I've got to try it out ;-)

[Targhan]

Correction:

  I won a copy at AmiWest donated by the NewTek guys.  

Had to clarify; it sounded bad.

:roflmao: