#Slow Speed PAR Problems?
21 messages in this thread
I've got a question about using the PAR, and can't find any help in the
documentation. I'm hoping someone else here has found a way around this
problem.
I've been trying to play stuff back at 15fps, but the video keeps breaking
up. When I play the segment at 30fps, it plays back just fine – you'd
think playing at 15fps would be no problem!
All I'm doing is taking a sequence of RGB images, importing them into the
PAR, and trying to play it back at 15fps. As far as I can tell, you don't
need to do anything special. Am I doing something wrong, or is this how
the slower speed playback works?!?
Thanks, &
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
Erik,
To get the smooth playback all you have to do is select the "Slow Play"
button (just to the right of the "Stop" button), set the play speed to 15
fps, and then >>> select the FRAME/FIELD toggle and set it to play FIELDs.
You'll get smooth 15 fps playback, but you'll only be seeing single
fields, not full frames. You can also choose which field, 1 or 2, you
want to see. It's still a mystery to me why some pieces of animation of
video footage have this glitchy breakup during playback and others do not.
I think there needs to be a better way to explain to the cyber-technically
challenged among us how PAR's Q-Factor and Block Limit can be understood
with real world examples of getting the optimum squeeze out of it.
Sean Hannon
Ad Rats – Stamford, CT
Thanks much for the response!
I hadn't tried setting the Field mode on.
I just tried it, and it works great! Losing one field is kind of a pain
though….
BTW, I just DL'd the latest version of their s/w (PAR v2.28, & TBC-IV
v2.5) from their BBS. If interested, I could UL it here.
Thanks again, &
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
So,mewhat unrelated. Read in Cinefex that the DPS PAR was used for some FX
shots in the FX abundant "True Lies" movie with Arnorld and Jamie Lee
Curtis
On the AMIGA no less
Member of the Association of Media Professionals
Hmm. I wonder what capacity it was used in? Did the output actually show
up on screen, or were they using it for previewing dailies?
Interesting factoid though…..
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
It was used for some of the harrier footage. I think for some rotoscoping
work. Pick up Cinefex cool rag
Also Elastic Reality was cited as being used in WOLF starring Jack
Nicholson.
Member of the Association of Media Professionals
Sounds interesting. Thanks for the details.
Also, it seems like ER is being used for everything these days? (And it
does Windows, too! :^)
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
Yupper, seems interesting. Wonder how ER is in comparison to Morph Plus
which I did NOT like
Member of the Association of Media Professionals
I really haven't had much cause to do morphing recently……
It's too bad – I had a copy of ER on that ShaBLAMM! system I was running
(the MIPS version no less!), and I didn't have time to even do more than
boot it up!
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
oh Well, no more Morphing 'Vette's eh?
Member of the Association of Media Professionals
I've run into this same problem (I'm using the low end Seagate drive, what are
you using?), and while I don't have any definite answers as to why it happens,
it seems counterintuitive, I can tell you how I handle it.
Using the map function, I check to see what kind of block rate transfer I'll
get where my animation will be recorded. Then, if I'll be slowing it down, I
set the block limit and q-factor to limit the block size to about 10% less than
the map function shows. This seems to work, and lets me play back at 15 fps
without resorting to single fields.
Stephen
It probably isn't drive related, since I had trouble with a Micropolis
2210A, and then with the current 2217A (1.6GB) drive.
The best solution to the problem seems to be to use a new feature of the
importer. When importing the images, you can choose to duplicate each
image a set number of times. In essence, it makes duplicate copies of each
frame, so you achieve 15 fps by playing the each frame twice, at 30fps.
(Go figger?!?)
'Using the map function…' Oh wow, so that's what those numbers along the
top are for?!? (I've really got to start paying more attention. :^)
Thanks for the tips!
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
>> to use a new feature of the importer
I'll have to look into that. My technique developed out of a need to slow down
real time video. PAR is a wonder tool!
Stephen
I have to admit that I've found the PAR to be an incredibly useful device!
And every new version of the software just keeps making it better.
You could probably use the new import feature, combined with their YUV
exporter to resample captured sequences at slower frame rates……
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
>> You could probably use the new import feature, combined with their YUV
>> exporter to resample captured sequences at slower frame rates…..
Interesting… and then I wouldn't have to kick down the Q factor to make the
slo-mo work, so my image quality would improve. This definitely bears
investigation. Thanks.
Stephen
Actually, the reason I mentioned the YUV exporter is that they claim it's
a proprietary format that allows you to process the PAR frames w/o any
degradation. Though I have as yet to try it, it seems perfect for your
situation. Keep us informed?!?
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
>I've been trying to play stuff back at 15fps, but the video keeps
>breaking up. When I play the segment at 30fps, it plays back just fine –
>you'd think playing at 15fps would be no problem!
Yeah I thought the same thing when I first used the PAR and tried it. The
reason is because the PAR has to re-read the image 30 times a sec
regeadless of the speed it is playing back at. So if you set it for 15 fps
it will read the image from the HD twice meaning the HD head has to
read/back-up, read/back-up, ect…
I haven't tried the field trick but the only other way is to use more
compression so that the head doesn't have to move around so much.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
(Any render time >0 needs acceleration.)
Thanks for the feedback! The latest version of the s/w allows you to dupe
frames as they're imported. By duping each frame, I end up w/ an animtion twice
as long as the original, but it plays back cleanly. Later, Erik Flom
Erik, a couple of other things seem to cause that as well…make sure you have
the loop button off, the frame and field switch to the proper one (however you
rendered it) and last but not least do a cleanup on your HD it will defrag your
anim and put the sectors together. I have had the flashing grid problem many
times and using one or more of the above methods has worked for me.
jmb
Fortunately, about the only time I run into any breakups w/ the PAR is
when trying to run stuff at slow speeds. Usually, I just set the block
limit to 240, and forget it.
Once or twice, I had some breakups, but it was when the disk was full. As
you pointed out, once the drive is defragmented, it goes away.
Thanks!
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.