video in background

gaffer2gaffer2 Posts: 67
edited December 1969 in Carrara Discussion

I dont know what I am doing wrong but it dosent run my video or at least I cant see it.is avi interlaced 29.97 FPS the display box shows time runnuning but the video dosent dispay it just shows gray and the main work area changes size but the video is not displayed it dosent render ether

Comments

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited December 1969

    Where did you put it? What size is it?

  • gaffer2gaffer2 Posts: 67
    edited December 1969

    in the video folder on my machine and in background in the aplication

  • gaffer2gaffer2 Posts: 67
    edited December 1969

    it is a 64X64 pixel immage

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited December 1969

    Where is it in Carrara?
    Is it on a plane? Background?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,289
    edited December 1969

    did you put it in the scene backdrop or background?
    Backdrop is an area within the production frame of the camera the same dimensions as the final frame and it will show when previewing through the camera.
    Background is an infinite 360° sphere around the whole scene which only appears in render.
    one usually put a HDRI image or panorama texture map in that though I often do spherical renders of scenes, even videos with moving clouds and background trees 8000x4000pixels looped for backgrounds myself.
    I used sequenced images series in preference to video, avi codecs etc too fussy, many do not work esp in 64bit in all my applications.
    if you choose an image there is an arrow at the right of how you wish to use to open it ie png, jpg, tiff that gives the choice of sequencex png, jpg, tiff etc or bmp NOT bump or BMP Carrara hates that file extension and will not see it, need to change it to bmp.
    For videos behind the action that follow the camera backdrop is best.
    Alternatively you can use a video as a texture on a plane so long as you put it in the glow channel in the texture room.
    Videos or preferably sequenced images (my preffered option) can be used as texture maps in any shader channel on any object.

  • edited December 1969

    Hi all,
    If you load a video into Carrara's backdrop and it shows it as 64 x 64 and either
    a grey or light brown in the 3D view then Carrara is'nt compatable with the codec
    the video is compressed with. As wendy says, using an image sequence usually
    solves the problem but at the expence of playback speed in the 3D view.

    If using an AVI then try different codecs, Carrara is'nt compatible with any of the
    UK's PAL based codecs but the USA formats seem to work fine ie Standard defi-
    nition NTSC. Done a load of tests a long time ago but i have lost this paperwork
    i am sorry i can not tell you all the compatible ones right now.

    Anyother point, if you are using HD/Full HD then render a standard definition version
    to load in the backdrop, geometrically the video will be identical but at a much lower
    resolution, thus Carrara will 'Play' it much faster. I used to downscale a Full HD clip
    in Sony Vegas. The 8.5 Beta has had some code Mods which improves the playback
    performance of backdrop videos, quite a difference to the 8.1 version.

    Hope this helps
    Paul

  • Box8068_31c338ee4bBox8068_31c338ee4b Posts: 292
    edited December 1969

    I have used movie clips in shaders in Carrara.
    I found this. Carrara 8.1 64 bit drops Quicktime support, so of course that doesn't work.
    ( Quicktimes fault not Carrara's ) But I also believe I had problems with AVI files in 8.1 64bit.
    I generated an AVI file on a windows machine, and even though it loaded, I neither saw it in the thumbnail
    preview in the shader load texture, or in the animation. I assumed it was a codec problem.
    I have no idea what flavor of AVI codec Carrara is using, but it didn't work for me, and I didn't want to get sidetracked
    figuring it out.
    So I just went back to 8.1 32 bit when I wanted to Rotoscope something.
    Or you can convert to PNG sequence which seemed to work fine in both versions.
    This is just my experience. I am not an expert. You and others mileage may vary.
    Good luck!
    8068

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited December 1969

    I don't know much about the whole avi thing. But the developer of Project Dogwaffle said to make sure that, when you make an avi to be played in any other place than the native software (where you're making it), make sure that the resolution in each axis is an even number. It the case of the OP, 64 x 64 is beautiful. Just an FYI in case you didn't know. I didn't know. But that isn't saying much :)

    I like to use sizes that I find commonly in use; 1280 x 720, 800 x 600, etc.,

  • evilproducerevilproducer Posts: 9,050
    edited December 1969

    I don't know much about the whole avi thing. But the developer of Project Dogwaffle said to make sure that, when you make an avi to be played in any other place than the native software (where you're making it), make sure that the resolution in each axis is an even number. It the case of the OP, 64 x 64 is beautiful. Just an FYI in case you didn't know. I didn't know. But that isn't saying much :)

    I like to use sizes that I find commonly in use; 1280 x 720, 800 x 600, etc.,


    It isn't beautiful if you're trying to use it in the scene's Background. ;-) It also isn't beautiful if you're using it in the backdrop and your movie is widescreen. The only place where I can think it would be an advantage would be in the Texture room- And then only if you're not needing an image for a TV or view screen.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited December 1969

    yeah... there's that! :)

  • edited December 1969

    Carrara will actually accept a 1440 x 1080 Backdrop video which uses non square pixels at 1.33:1

    Unstreched it is actually the standard 4:3 shape but when the pixels are streched 33% horizontally
    is produces the 16:9 HDTV standard. Sony used this 'Cut down' format for their HD Camcorders like
    my Sony HDR-FX1e. Capturing to an AVI using the Cineform Codec quite happily runs in Carrara's
    backdrop, or anywhere else in the software for that matter.

    So Carrara will accept non square pixel clips without a problem as well as render out non square
    pixel output for streching out later in post / the edit.

    Its all down to the Codec used which is where Carrara is a little thin on the ground.

    If anyone wanted to use a live video clip in the backdrop which is full HD and use it purely for reference
    then i usually render an AVI using the Microsoft Video 1 codec with quality set at 50-85% and run it out
    at standard PAL or NTSC definition.....Works great

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited December 1969
  • gaffer2gaffer2 Posts: 67
    edited December 1969

    thanks all of you for your support!! is there a free program to convert video to jpg sequence my coppy of adobe premier is the cheep one doesn't seem to have that option.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,623
    edited December 1969

    If the video opens in Carrara, you could film it in the background of an empty scene and convert to any sequenced image type that way too.

  • ManStanManStan Posts: 0
    edited February 2013

    I'm still waiting for carrara to learn what "loop" means. You have the option to loop animations, it doesn't actually work, and never has.
    But hey, I can use genesis. :long:

    Post edited by ManStan on
  • evilproducerevilproducer Posts: 9,050
    edited December 1969

    ManStan said:
    I'm still waiting for carrara to learn what "loop" means. You have the option to loop animations, it doesn't actually work, and never has.
    But hey, I can use genesis. :long:


    If it's any consolation, it worked in Raydream. ;-) Eovia must have broken it! It's darn near the same interface for it as well.


    I haven't tried to loop one yet, so I assumed it worked. Has this ever been reported to the bug tracker?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,289
    edited December 1969

    putting the slider one end (beginning OR end) at the start and the other at finish then oscillating the tweener works, you can choose length of loops and even make it loop quicker one end and slower the other.

  • ManStanManStan Posts: 0
    edited February 2013

    I've been griping about it for a while. yes I reported it to the bug tracker, have went on about it in the forum. I can't even get looped gifs to loop in it. The only conclusion I can come to is getting carrara to understand what a looped animation is, is beyond DAZ devs abilitys.

    Wendy you do realize if you post a work around DAZ wont ever fix it. It seems there are more work arounds for carrara bugs then carrara features.

    Post edited by ManStan on
  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,289
    edited December 1969

    If the video opens in Carrara, you could film it in the background of an empty scene and convert to any sequenced image type that way too.

    kinda hard when his prob IS the video not playing in Carrara!

    Virtualdub will export image sequences from avi, I use this feature a lot actually on home movies and camstudio screencaps

  • MiloMilo Posts: 511
    edited December 1969

    gaffer2 said:
    thanks all of you for your support!! is there a free program to convert video to jpg sequence my coppy of adobe premier is the cheep one doesn't seem to have that option.

    I personally use quicktime Pro has an export to image. I don't know if the regular quicktime has it or not. (paid for it sometime back and use it to do some simple video functions, clipping, compiling images into a movie file)

    I did find http://www.softwareclub.ws/v_decompiler.html SC Video Decompiler I don't know anything about the software or company, if its good/safe/etc I just don't know :)

  • 3DAGE3DAGE Posts: 3,311
    edited December 1969

    How to loop an animation in a shader or background :

    load in the clip or sequence, making sure to select the correct format,..EG Sequenced png,. and not simply png

    Create a key-frame in the shaders time-line by dragging the little slider in the "preview" area, for the clip / texture map,. to the end of the clip.

    Use the Oscillate tweener,. set to sawtooth,. so that it plays to the end, then jumps back to the start and plays again.
    set the number of oscillations to whatever value you need.

    When you're using animations, it's best to use a Sequenced image format,. (the sequence automatically creates an end key-frame), so it's easy to copy / duplicate the key-frames for start / end,. manually,.
    You can still use the oscillate tweener option if you want to.

    hope that makes sense

    :)

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