[Filip Vandueren]

I don’t use encore, but in DVD studio Pro,I would do something like this:

(for each of the three DVDs):

in AE:

• render the movies,
• export the last frame of the movie as a single frame picture
  (or if possible, let each movie end in a loopable bit of a few seconds, render the loopable bit out to a seperate movie.)

in Encore:

• create a start-menu with 1 button linking to your first movie (this can also be a black menu with an invisble button: looks more pro than a big start button that’s projected threefold 😎 )
• create one track for each movie,
• create multiple menus, each with the single end-frame, or looping background,
• link like this, using endjumps after each track, and invisible buttons on the menus:
  startMenu -> track 1 -> menu 1 -> track 2 -> menu 2 etc.

This should create a seamless transition from movie to holding pattern, to next movie.
You can even do away with the tracks and just jump from animated menu to animated menu.
The advantage of a menu-only approach is that at the end of a skit, you don’t have to think about pressing once (from menu to next track, if the video was done) or two buttons (skip forward from track to menu, OK to next track, if the video is still playing).
The disadvantage is that in the DVD spec. there’s a limit of 1Gb of video material that can be used in menus, so depending on the amount of video, that might restrict the possibility for you.

Also, get yourself three identical DVD-players, so you can use 1 remote, seeing how DVD-players cost $39 bucks that shouldn’t be to much of a problem.
Or if you’re really on a budget, just loan 3 sonys or whatever, different models within the same make should respond to the same remote. BUT maybe different models can be a bit slower to jump from menu to track etc.

Like Mylenium said, It’ll never form a frame-accurate synced up whole this way, but you might get away with it.
Better than pressing three buttons at the same time 😉

I hope this made sense,

Fliip

[Filip Vandueren]

Give the opacity property this expression:

loopOut(type = “cycle”, numKeyframes = 0)

it will loop all the keyframes.

[Filip Vandueren]

Give the opacity property this expression:

loopOut(type = “cycle”, numKeyframes = 0)

it will loop all the keyframes.

[Filip Vandueren]

Use two layers: one for the shape of the mask, the other with the clouds below it.
Enable the Alpha Matte property of the clouds.
Now you can move the mask and tghe clouds seperately.

Check the manual for “Track Matte”

[Filip Vandueren]

I believe the single cube is the 3D-switch that every single layer has to convert it to a 3d-layer;

the cube+sphere is a button on top of the time-line to enter the speedier “Draft 3d” mode (without shadow, lighting etc.)

[Filip Vandueren]

Make sure that all the keyframes have linear temporal interpolation, and make sure that the speed between the last two keyframes is -100%, not -99.5 or something like that.

That’s probably what’s happening.

If you do need to have a more variable timing, with eases and slowmo’s, you should either start from a quicktime with a higher FPS, or pref. use a plugin like Revision fx Twixtor to create additional frames.
You may get away with enabling frame-blending, which is the porr-mans version of twixtor, but I doubt it.

[Filip Vandueren]

Hello F,

Dan Ebbert’s tutorial is here:

https://www.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=2&page=/articles/ebberts_dan/particle_gen/index.html

it’s written in 5.5 so no problem there.
It comes with a project file full of examples you can download, and even has some stars.

Do read the tutorial to help you understand what’s happening in the project, then you can just start from one of the “Moving Emitter” examples he provided.

It renders a bit slower than for example “Particular” I think, but hey: it’s free !

Long Live Dan 😉

PS: I’m Belgian, Flemish. So I speak Dutch 😎

[Filip Vandueren]

Hello F,

Dan Ebbert’s tutorial is here:

https://www.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=2&page=/articles/ebberts_dan/particle_gen/index.html

it’s written in 5.5 so no problem there.
It comes with a project file full of examples you can download, and even has some stars.

Do read the tutorial to help you understand what’s happening in the project, then you can just start from one of the “Moving Emitter” examples he provided.

It renders a bit slower than for example “Particular” I think, but hey: it’s free !

Long Live Dan 😉

PS: I’m Belgian, Flemish. So I speak Dutch 😎

[Filip Vandueren]

Looks like you’ll need to do a full re-install of the OS.
Once some little file somewhere get’s corrupted in an upgrade, it’s quasi-impossible to fix just that one file, if you don’t know exactly what’s going on.

Do an archive and install.

[Filip Vandueren]

Seems like a stupid low level corruption,
something like 1 byte in some mouse driver software that’s gone kaput.

If you try to boot from an OS CD, and don’t have the same problem (so you’re sure it’s not hardware mouse or trackpad related)
Then it looks like a full re-install of the OS is all you can do to get out of this.