PAR under Windows
15 messages in this thread
David,
I've just installed your product. It was by far the easiest hardware
installation that I've ever done and the product is function excellentaly, but
I do have some questions….
1. I used 3d Studio to render white titles on a black back ground. There
are numerous articcaftcs around the white letters. My Q is set to 23, and my
block is 200. Is there a way to get rid of those artifacts.
2. When using Photoshop under windows, I can retrieve TGA's from the PAR
drive, but I can't save them. Doing so locks the system or gives me an "Acess
Denied" error.
3. The only way to get sequential TGA's from the PAR to 3DS for
rotoscopoing appears to be using IFL files (as per the Pyros Partnership). In
the materials editor, specifing ANIM*.TGA as a map doesn't retrieve
ANIM00001.TGA in the first frame, ANIM0002.TGA in the second, etc. Will there
be a fix for this?
Thanks
Martin Kunert
1. I used 3d Studio to render white titles on a black back ground. There are
numerous articcaftcs around the white letters. My Q is set to 23, and my block
is 200. Is there a way to get rid of those artifacts.
Have you checked the output of the PAR on a waveform monitor to check output
levels, we supply test signals for use and the board has ajustments. Maybe
you should can tech support?
2. When using Photoshop under windows, I can retrieve TGA's from the PAR drive,
but I can't save them. Doing so locks the system or gives me an "Acess Denied"
error.
Should be fixed soon, did you copy this to Gus Gruba?
3. The only way to get sequential TGA's from the PAR to 3DS for rotoscopoing
appears to be using IFL files (as per the Pyros Partnership). In the materials
editor, specifing ANIM*.TGA as a map doesn't retrieve ANIM00001.TGA in the
first frame, ANIM0002.TGA in the second, etc. Will there be a fix for this?
Yes, 3DS needs to quit open files multiple times. The newer IPAS routines
should make it easier to to fix.
Dave
DPS
David,
Thanks for the prompt response. I'll follow your suggestions.
Martin Kunert
Martin, what kind of IDE are you using? You should be able to get higher block
valuess than 200. I would say at least 250 sometimes I get up to 280 but
sometimes it crashes and I have to transfer the frames back to the hard drive
and recompress at at lower block size. Try it higher as this will help
eliminate much of the "artifact" fuzz.
-JE
Thanks for the advice.
I'm using a Micropolis 2217A. I'll try the higher block values.
Martin Kunert
Martin,
>> I'm using a Micropolis 2217A <<
you should be able to use 250 BLF and see a noticeable difference.
-JE
Since you mentioned using BLF of 280, I bumped mine to 260 for the past week
and haven't had a problem yet.
>> I bumped mine to 260 for the past week and haven't had a problem yet. <<
So what does that make you think? Or how do you feel about that? <g>
-JE
Well, I did have a problem, yesterday and had to drop it back to 240 ??? to get
the animation to play without that mysterious flash frame. I have about half
my PAR drive full now so I would like to optomize and dump some test renderings
now that most of these projects have been delivered and see what that does. I
think these higher settings might be good only for the fastest portion of the
drive, and, when the drive is not fragmented which I sure mine is. I just
didn't want to fiddle with optimizing in the middle of all those deadlines. I
have two more projects to get out this week and then it's vacation time! ( I
don't drink Miller anymore <g>)
Vacation time… sounds great. I've been thinking about it but something always
comes up. I was hoping the early part of May.
>> I have about half my PAR drive full… <<
Only half? <G> Gee Don I've got half my hard drive full at least. 🙂
(Just teasing, as I know you already transferred alot to tape.)
Anyway have a good vacation.
-JE
>>(Just teasing, as I know you already transferred alot to tape.)
Yes, I only keep a project on the Par drive until the final check clears <g>
Then the *.ani's are transfered to my Dos drive and archived to QIC-80 along
with the *.prj's and maps for the project. So far the 1G. drive seems about
right for the work load I do but if another animator would be using the PAR as
well I think I would rather have the 1.7G drive.
PS: My vacation isn't really going to be a real vacation, just seems like one
as I go back to a normal life style. I still have three animations due next
week, then, I might get some diving in. 🙂
David has answered most of your questions so let me get the one I can answer.
Your Photoshop problem happens because when you ask Photoshop to save a Targa
file, it will first create a temporary "raw" file, create a second file
containing just the Targa header and finally a third file which is what you
asked for to begin with. The problem is that _only_ Targa files are allowed in
the PAR drive. Those temporary files are denied access (thus the message you
see). The only way to fix this is having Photoshop create those temporary files
in your "temp" directory (what it should be doing if it can't handle writing
directly to a Targa file).
I have never seen any PAR related Windows lock up though. That's probably
something else you got going in your system.
I'll look into the "TEMP" directory suggestion you gave. Thanks for the advice.
Martin Kunert
>> I'll look into the "TEMP" directory suggestion you gave…
There isn't much what to look for. This is a programming issue in Photoshop.
They would have to change their code in order to have temp files created in the
(how appropriate) temp directory. We're pretty much stuck with it.
You can always save those files to your local drive and later copy them to the
PAR drive from the command prompt.
>> There isn't much what to look for. This is a programming issue in Photoshop.
>> They would have to change their code in order to have temp files created in
the >> (how appropriate) temp directory. We're pretty much stuck with it.
… as I quickly discovered. Oh, the joy of computers..
Martin Kunert