How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

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JimH
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Joined: 12 Jun 2016, 12:35

How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by JimH » 01 Aug 2016, 14:39

Hi there,
I'm hoping someone may have an answer for my query (my guess is that material and shaders might be the right forum).
I'm trying to create a story board (animatic) using single hand drawn images for each camera shot that I can time against a piece of music (use the mixer to easily time each camera shot in time with the music).
I understand this can be done in a video editing program but hoped I could rough out my animatic in soft and build from there all in soft.

I've tried a number of things so far including using textures on separate planes and animating visibility / transparency and rotoscoping different cameras, etc.
This may be a simple question.
Thanks in advance
Cheers
Jim

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mattmos
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by mattmos » 01 Aug 2016, 14:57

Could try using the camera sequencer? Though it probably works better with simple 3d environments, but 2d planes with textures should work as well.


JimH
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by JimH » 01 Aug 2016, 15:21

Thanks mattmos,
I looked at this option also. I couldn't seem to see the effect of the single image clips 'rotocoped' to each camera in the sequencer camera.
Cheers
Jim

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sirdavid32
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by sirdavid32 » 10 Sep 2017, 06:36

I think you skipped the part where you pretend a hand drawn picture will be imported into softimage (hence we estimate you could *directly draw* on softimage?)
Making Jumpcuts with the camera, already has been posted for you.
I just don´t understand HOW you´d draw and then use the camera. Using vector effects? using curves on the viewport?
If you´re using the compositor route, that´s even easier to achieve. So what will it be?
Nah. I think you just want to push the software to another direction.

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FXDude
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by FXDude » 11 Sep 2017, 16:51

JimH wrote: 01 Aug 2016, 14:39
I've tried a number of things so far including using textures on separate planes and animating visibility / transparency and rotoscoping different cameras, etc.
Did you know that mixer clips could hold any animatable parameter?
so did you try storing Actions of visibility animation of several grids (1 action per grid) stepping from hidden to visible to hidden in say 30 frames,
essentially making a visibility clip for each grid that you can scale and offset in time?

And for each grid, you could creating bogus temp textures that you can import as FXTree references of those clips, which you could swap inputs with vector paints on constant colors?

You could have the backgrounds with 0 alpha so you could paint while still see through to your scene.

Anyhoo, just a thought :-B *-:)

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Draise
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by Draise » 05 Oct 2017, 20:05

I'm am trying to do Animatics in SI, and some quick sketching would be nice. I know of TC Sketch to draw curves, but they aren't all that pretty looking.

What is that way of placing drawn images from the FX tree onto cards with alpha infront of the camera!? Sounds ideal to me.

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FXDude
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by FXDude » 13 Oct 2017, 16:42

Hi Draise,

Sorry I missed your reply.

You can easily plug any texture on a grid, then goto the the fxtree and get the image clip, and swap the input with a vector paint.
you can Keep the fxtree views floating while the main 3d view remains visibl, OR you can open-up an ObjectView while in the FX tree layout,
also while making sure transparency is enabled in your viewport.

You can set it up so that each frame is a new drawing , or keep some common things by daisy chaining them.

You can also edit and animate the shapes you painted.


It's also worth reading-up on the paint node, not becasue it's complicated, but because it's almost entirely hotkey driven.

If you're not doing any heavy simulations, you can provisionally enable pen pressure so that your strokes look more natural..

by adding :
XSI_ENABLE_WINTAB_SUPPORT=1

to your X:\Program Files\Autodesk\SoftimageXX\Application\bin\setenv.bat file.

let me know how it goes!

best,

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sirdavid32
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by sirdavid32 » 21 Nov 2017, 00:40

"set it up as new frames for each drawing"? ohh boy!! Where does one configures that?
I´m SO interested.
Thanks.

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FXDude
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Re: How to create image based story board /animatic in softimage

Post by FXDude » 21 Nov 2017, 15:53

Indeed sorry for the abstraction, the "Paint Clip" (raster) paints a new image at every frame,
(comp using the ->OVER node, over your texture source clip)

and the Vector Paint (daisychainable) if you want to animate shapes or brush strokes over time,
or you can animate the opacity or visibility of the shapes/strokes between frames.

On Vector paint, you can open an explorer in current selection mode,
which you can lock while Vector paint is active, and see all your strokes there.  (with post editable brush properties including visibility)

Until you change tool or brush properties of new strokes, all your strokes will be grouped in one "stroke" item.
which you can still edit or delete one of multiple strokes contained in one "stroke" item,
and you can break-out to another Vector Paint node to not have to manage too many strokes at a time
(you can also batch edit or batch rename strokes, by opening a stroke PPG before selecting a bunch of others you want to rename or edit... like everything in XSI :) )

Also The previously mentioned hotkeys are also visible and accessible in the top menu bar when a paint node is active,
the "Tools" menu is where you find color (and alpha level independent of opacity), and brush properties of your next strokes etc...

Happy painting! *-:)

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