#Rotoscoping with the PAR
5 messages in this thread
3DS has a _small_ bug in the R3 revision in that it always wants to open a file
several times (for some unkown reason). This confuses PARDRV. The way around
this is to use an IFL list instead of the increment mode as it states in the
manual. (this is not really a 3ds bug, but it is really, really hard to work
around, anyhow…)
1. Make sure that your animation is named with the typical
(4letter)(4number).(3_letter_extension) format. For instance if you have an
animation called Boating.ANI, rename the animation from the PAR software to
BOAT0000.ANI.
2. Create an IFL list by using the program MAKEIFL.EXE that comes with 3DS.
This program creates a list of image names that are going to be used for
texture maps (rotoscoping). You use MAKEIFL.EXE by typing: Makeifl BOAT BOAT
0 199 (if there were 200 frames). This would create an IFL file called
BOAT.IFL. The file would contain sequential names: BOAT0000.TGA, BOAT0001.TGA
etc.
3. Start the PXP as stated in the manual, but do not use increment. Set the
export mode to TARGA, and set it for filename.
4. Make sure that the PAR drive is available in the image paths and map paths.
5. From the materials window select ?.ifl and the BOAT.IFL file and away you
go!
Hope that helps.
Brick- Thanks for the thorough explanation. I had tried using IFL's ( that
always seems to work the best) but I had made the mistake of putting the drive
and path to the par in the IFL. That was what was fouling everything up.
Thanks again….It seems to be working great now. -Mark
>> 3DS has a _small_ bug in the R3 revision in that it always wants to
>> open a file several times (for some unknown reason)….
Well, I hate calling anything a bug unless it's really a bug. Just for the
record, I define a bug as something that doesn't do what it was supposed
to do, or something that while doing what is supposed to do, breaks something
it wasn't suppose to break.
The fact 3DS opens a file twice (not three times) is just the way the image
file loader works. First, 3D Studio issues a call asking the file loader for
image information. The loader will open the file, read the image info, close
the file, and send the info over to 3D Studio. 3D Studio will then evaluate
the data and then call the loader to load the image file. The loader proceeds,
opens the file and reads it in. It was never a problem as there is nothing
else out there that has a "counter" for every time a file is open.
Not that this will change anything but at least let's not classify it as a
bug. 🙂
Gus's evaluation re why 3DS opens the file twice is correct. It's not a bug…
there's just a lot going on and the file needs to be opened twice to get the
job done.
– G
>Gus's evaluation re why 3DS opens the file twice is correct. It's not a
bug… there's just a lot going on >and the file needs to be opened twice to
get the job done.
I think I said that.<g>
" (this is not really a 3ds bug, but it is really, really hard to work around,
anyhow…)"
Like I said, it is "really, really hard to work around" and the IFL seems to
be the only solution. The IFL seems to be a bit like work to some people at
first, but once they get the hang of it they will find it to be pretty
painless. Thank god for MakeIFL!
Brick