Huge dimension animation on multiple screens

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Seems like you will have one long stripe “20 output of 1024×768, that is 20480×768. ” In this situation I would set up a 1024×768 comp. Make 20 layers comp size, each with a different color. Offset each layer with 1024 pixels on the x axis from the previous one- this way you will get the 20480 pixel width. Set up 20 cameras, so that each “sees” one layer full frame only. Work your animation jumping from camera to camera. Render out each camera- this way you’ll get 20 1024×768 clips that will run from your video server on 20 screens and that will form one wide animation. Of course, previewing the whole thing will not be easy, but since you said you have simple animations this may work.
You should also check the Live and Stage events forum:
https://forums.creativecow.net/livestageevents

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist
Bucharest, Romania
http://www.ennstudio.ro

[Walter Soyka]

I design for widescreen systems like this very often.

You could use cameras as Ted mentions, but I prefer to create one large master comp (20480×768), and then a series of output comps (1024×768) with the master comp re-positioned appropriately for each display segment. (The playback system requirements will determine your output requirements.)

My suggestions for working with huge pixel spaces like this: loads of RAM, CS5, and workflow adjustments like proxies/pre-rendering, Shift-RAM preview with very low quality settings, and region of interest rendering.

Widescreen render times can be shocking if you are used to SD or HD render times. You might do some tests upfront to get an idea of what your final render times will be like and build it into your schedule.

I’d also render to image sequences instead of Quicktime movies. The raster size won’t cause problems, and if your render fails for any reason, you’ll be able to resume the render of an image sequence where it left off.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Araw Deleon]

Hello, Walter. Where do I choose the output comps of 1024 x 768? I am new to AE, but if you can point me in the right direction, I’d appreciate it.

thanks!

AD

[Walter Soyka]

[Araw DeLeon] “Hello, Walter. Where do I choose the output comps of 1024 x 768? I am new to AE, but if you can point me in the right direction, I’d appreciate it.”

You don’t choose them — you create them.

By way of example, let’s assume you have one 2048×768 MASTER COMP. We’ll create two 1024×768 comps, called OUTPUT 1 and OUTPUT 2.

Drop MASTER COMP into OUTPUT 1. Set its anchor point to [0,0] and its position to [0,0] so that the left edge of the MASTER COMP lines up with the left edge of OUTPUT 1. The left half of MASTER COMP will be visible, and the right half will be cropped.

Drop MASTER COMP into OUTPUT 2. Set its anchor point to [2048,0] and its position to [1024,0] so that the right edge of the MASTER COMP lines up with the right edge of OUTPUT 2. The right half of MASTER COMP will be visible, and the left half will be cropped.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Araw Deleon]

Thank you for your help, Walter. With 3072 x 768, I tried it by using left-right crop points at

0, 2048
1024, 1024
2048, 0

and it seems to work as well!

Thanks again!

AD

[Ben Pritchard]

Hi Walter,

I appreciate this is an old thread but hopefully you can still answer my question.

I’m creating an animation for a video wall of 16 screens in total. 4×4 to create a one big screen.

I completely understand the workings and reasons for how you would normally set this up , but just to be clear this is how I was going to do it.

I was essentially just going to create one comp the size of one screen and then make the entire animation on that, using rulers and guides to divide that up into the 16 spaces. Then on final output just send the one video source to the entire 16 screens as one animation.

I have got parts of the animation where I only want things to happen in one screen, that’s what the rulers and guides would be for.

Is this completely wrong?

I would really appreciate your professional advice.

Regards

Ben

[Walter Soyka]

Hi Ben,

The very first thing to consider on any multi-screen project is the playback system; this really drives the considerations for how to produce content.

What will actually be feeding these 16 displays?

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Ben Pritchard]

Hi Walter,

Thank you so much for your response.

Im not sure as of yet, Im waiting for that information. The client is passing me the details of the company in charge of the displays so should find out then.

The only piece of information I had from the client is that they can send one signal to all 16 monitors, or a separate signal to each monitor. How true this is though, Im waiting for the response from the company.

One thing I couldn’t get my head round though is if its one signal to all screens, would you make the comp size to fit one screen and effectively blow it up to fill the entire video wall?

Or is this all dependant on the playback system still? I should have an answer today so will let you know as soon as I find out.

Thanks again.

[Walter Soyka]

[Ben Pritchard] “One thing I couldn’t get my head round though is if its one signal to all screens, would you make the comp size to fit one screen and effectively blow it up to fill the entire video wall? “

Some displays have a zoom feature which lets them scale up the incoming signal, displaying only a small portion of the total. This lets you feed a whole wall with a single source — but scaling a video source up 400% will very likely look hideously soft or pixelated if people can get close to it.

[Ben Pritchard] “Or is this all dependant on the playback system still? I should have an answer today so will let you know as soon as I find out.”

I would advise anyone in this situation to hold on production until the delivery specs are finalized.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Ben Pritchard]

Hi, Its been a while as I have only just had some sort of confirmation of the requirements.

The company are being very vague and this is the information they have provided.

They sent this PDF to show the screens being used and said they “It will be one channel output for entire video wall”.

So I have made a couple of test files for them and it all seems to work ok. However I would be interested to hear how you would tackle this, what output video size would you do etc? The video wall again is 4×4 screens so 16 in total.

Another question I do have is I made one video file to the native resolution of the screens which is 1366×768. My after effects file is coming out huge, which is expected.

Normally with my 1080 videos I can compress the file size through quicktime or even final cut, however with the odd screen size of 1366×768 I can’t seem to find any way of getting the file smaller.

Any ideas?

Thanks

6701_necx462unenglishwall.pdf.zip