15 bits per pixel
11 messages in this thread
Hello,
I'm a game developer and we're making a game requiring 3D movies. I would like
these movies to be 15 bits/pixel "direct color". This format would use 5 bits
each for red, green, and blue.
I will be happy to convert (if req'd) to this format. My problem is that our
3D artist said 3D Studio/animator couldn't make animation sequences with a
pixel depth greater than 256 color. My understanding is that this is a
limitation of the FLC file format.
My question is, does anyone know how to use 3D studio/animator to directly
produce animations at greater pixel depths? Any help in this area would be
appreciated.
Thanks,
Gene Sewell
Minds Eye Games
Gene,
>> My problem is that our 3D artist said 3D Studio/animator couldn't make
>> animation sequences with a pixel depth greater than 256 color.
Who is your 3D artist? You might want to start looking for a new one. Without
knowing all of the details, your information is partially correct.
FLC's are limited to 256 colors. You are only limited to 256 colors if you
have a requirement to use .FLC's for your motion sequences. 3D Studio can
write sequential frames in as many colors as you need, writing out to .TGA or
JPG for example. FWIW,
Bob W.
Gene,
256 (8bit) is indeed a limitation of the FLC format, but that is not your only
choice for rendering from 3D Studio. Your best bet would be to render your
animation as a series of 24 bit .TGA files, and then use some conversion
software to convert this series of individual files into an animation.
I am not sure, however, which format you are talking about that is 15bits.
There is a 16bit flavor of animation with an .FLX extention, or you may be
talking about an AVI file which I think can be either 8, 16, or 24 bits. (I'm
not sure about the 16 part.) Or are you thinking of some other format?
In any case, render to .TGA files, and then compile the individual frames you
render into your animation at whatever bit depth you need.
-Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for the help – and to the others who've responded.
I think the problem is in the scope of the problem. We want many min. of
animation – there could be thousands of frames potentially. The effort of
individually saving each frame is what we're trying to avoid.
I was wondering if there were other ways of generating animation sequences than
FLC files inside 3D Studio or Animator. From what I've heard so far it seems
like the only way is to save individual frames in some format (.TGA, JPG, etc)
and re-string them later.
The 15 bit format, BTW, is custom, and shouldn't be a problem. I will write a
utility to translate 24 bits to 15. As long as the data is direct color, I can
do the rest.
Thanks again….
<< The effort of individually saving each frame is what we're trying to
avoid.>>
There is no additional effort at all, you just need the hard disk space. The
files are generated with sequential numbers as part of the name, and then the
compilation programs read those numbers. It happens all automatically. Your
conversion routine could do the same.
-Brian
Thanks for that. I'm a bit in the middle here. I wanted to try collect and
digest the information, and then relate that to our artist.
As I understand it, you are saying that there are multiple possiblities, while
inside Animator, for producing animations with more than 256 colors. The most
logicial might be a 16 bit .FLX format, but there are AVI formats supporting 8,
16, and 24 bits.
The thing we appear to be losing is the .FLC format. Does that imply that we
can no longer preview the animation inside Animator? If it does, perhaps the
preview could be done with .FLC and when we're all happy with it, we switch to
16 or 24 bit/pixel single frames images.
I will probably write a converter to convert from 24 or 16 bits to 15 bits. I
will be converting all of this to MPEG. I'll have to investigate cool tools.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help
Gene
<<As I understand it, you are saying that there are multiple possiblities,
while inside Animator, for producing animations >>
NO. While inside _3D Studio_ there are multiple posibilities. Animator (and
AAPRO) only work with flic files or bitmaps which are 256 colors.
<<The thing we appear to be losing is the .FLC format. Does that imply that we
can no longer preview the animation inside Animator?>>
Yes.
<< If it does, perhaps the preview could be done with .FLC and when we're all
happy with it, we switch to 16 or 24 bit/pixel single frames images.>>
that is what many people do.
<< I'll have to investigate cool tools. Any suggestions?>>
Check out VFD.ZIP and MPEGMK.EXE in the forum libraries.
-Brian
Thanks so much. Everything is so much clearer now!
Gene
You can create an MPEG file directly from 3D Studio with a 3rd Party Routine,
You could also write a quick routine to have 3DS write out your file format
directly if you get the IPAS developers kit.
We have written our own IPAS routines for 3DS to put out a range of file
formats directly including MPEG, and they are ridiculously easy to write!
Peter
Hi Peter,
>> and they are ridiculously easy to write!
…So it should be ridicoulously cheap…make me an offer.<g&d>
– Sorry, couldn't resist – but, (trying to get serious) if you already have
this routine, why don't you offer it for a modest price ? (shareware with some
formats locked or else)
I think there are a lot of people out here, who would appreciate your work.
-Michael
You can create a TGA stream and create a 24 bit animation with a program called
DTA available in this forum.
You could also work directly from the 24 bit TGA images, or use adobe premier
to assemble them….
Peter