[Dave Andrade]

Mathew,
Thanks for the information!! It’s nice to hear from someone who has been in the field for a while.

Unfortunately, I’m a Windows user, and I don’t see the option to export in that format. And from a couple other things I have read, this is something “exclusive” to Apple machines.

I also read somewhere else, since I read your post that ffmpeg is the best way to go about doing that. I did see an option for an uncompressed YUV format and I am wondering if that is the best approach.

[Dave Andrade]

Ivan, now that you bring it up, it just occurred to me that I did convert the file from the *.mov file from the camera (I shot on a Canon t2i for this) to an mp4. Do you believe this may be the cause? Will the source file inherently give me more latitude as far as whites/blacks are concerned?

This all being said, I may start working on the source file on a different computer. I only did what I mentioned above to make the file more “accessible” on my laptop (does not have the best graphics card).

[Dave Andrade]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the input. Chris …that sounds like the way to go. As far as magic latern…it just installs on the SD card right? So if something goes sideways and the cam acts funny…format the card….let the Canon boot up with its own internal system bios…right?

[Dave Andrade]

Update:

Come to find out there wasn’t an actually issue as it was more just my interpretation of events.

I downloaded a plugin from frischluft.com and it just wouldn’t show up. Then I downloaded another plugin from another reputable site and that also didn’t show up.

However, others did, and I even downloaded a free effect and that showed up. I did some further research and apparently the plugins are very specific in how they have to be installed. (In other words, they cannot just be thrown in a folder and it will automatically work.)

Anyway, good to know, and spreads a little light on custom made plugins.

[Dave Andrade]

John,

No dice. I really had hope for that option too. I did reset the preferences, and I saw the name of the preset flash by while it was loading, but…nothing. Still very strange.

Unfortunately, I guess I will have to re-install. Eh, shouldn’t take long…things could be worse 🙂 Thanks again.

[Dave Andrade]

You can import custom images into Particle Playground too. I’ve imported images and even made them appear to disappear off into the distance. The only problem with PP is that it is a 2D system and new particles render behind older ones, and it takes a little getting used to. Once you know what everything does, even though its not Particular, it can get you a lot of what you are looking for.

[Dave Andrade]

Roland,
Thanks for your response!!
A few things:
Thank you for the mention of making the precomp a larger size than the final comp. I was getting random particle generating along the edges, and I ended up scaling up the particle comp to hide it. I never considered what you mentioned, but it makes sense.

As far as the rest, I am already there. I apologize. I should have been clearer in my post. Right now I have a null linked so that when it moves in x and y, it controls the position of the Particle playground emitter’s x and y. As far as the null’s Z, I have that linked to the scale in the mapper.

Please check out the link and picture below for my issues. The youtube link is what I have accomplished. and the image is what happens when I attempt to move in Z space toward the camera. Ideally, I would like to tell the system to put the new particles up front, but I am sure this is embedded into the effect, and there is no way to adjust that.

I also realized a flaw with my thinking. even if I were to use older/younger than to make the old particles disappear when I move “forward” in Z space, a new issue would arise. My thought was “hey, the old ones disappear, and new one generate in the back…so, perfect!!” but then I realized with the way i just presented that, anything generated while the Z is moving “toward the camera” would disappear.

But anyway, sorry about the length of this response. Again, I appreciate the input. I think I may have pushed PP to its limits with what 3D simulation (or imitation I should say)it can do. I can see any good way to fake forward movement. (unless you already answered me, and I misunderstood your response)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufatLIzYqM8

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[Dave Andrade]

Hey Bob,

What I’ve done in the past is download RealPlayer. They have a converter built in where you can change it into a cell phone format. When you hover over the video with your mouse within RealPlayer there is an option across the bottom of it to ‘convert’. One you do that it is up to you to determine how to get it on your phone. What I did was just hook up my phone via USB to the computer and then opened my DCIM folder to find my other videos and just pasted it there.

Hope that helps.

[Dave Andrade]

Kalvin you beat me to it. If you research some videos for the Matrix, they did it the same exact way. You COULD in theory, use only 2 cameras, but you can’t make whats NOT there APPEAR there.

What I mean by that is, it would be hard if not impossible to interpolate what the images would look like in between where you have one camera and the location of the next camera. You would have to literally have the subject stand still for a minute and then take still frames around them.

Which, again, isn’t impossible…but unless you have some type of rig where you can follow an arc, it may look sloppy if youre not only changing location, but also inadvertently…distance.

[Dave Andrade]

Thanks John! I appreciate the help!