Well, I took delivery the other day on Photoshop CS. Installed it, and started reading the manual. My mind drifted off to more exciting things like watching my Snails mate or Paint drying and then fell asleep.

Upon awakening, I turned to the Table of Contents. Scanning through to find the answers I am looking for, and found Rollovers and Animation and then Automating Tasks. I asked these questions back a month or so back and never did get a reply. I see from the manual that these are in the help topics, but the print is so terribly small to read I can't make it out.

So, I thought, before posting any images of what I'm trying to do, I'd like to see if there is anyone here who is versed in these subjects before wasting my time and Rosity's resources posting pictures.

Due to limitations with rendering times (Rhino with Bongo Rendered in Flamingo) I am trying to render my foreground animation first and then toss it in front of my still background images. I'll then need to save these files in chronological order.

I would like to automate as many of these tasks as possible.

Is there any hope?

hmmm, let me think, what format is the animated output from the "render"?

if i understand what you're asking and if you can get the renders as sequental frames, you can open each one, open your background "still", merge them into one file and resave them... all done as an "action". (or maybe a couple of actions...) but you should be able to automate some if not all of the processes. there is also a thing called "droplets" that will let you drag a folder full of images and have the action run.

go ahead and post some images of what you have in mind and we'll try to create the steps needed to automate it.

see ya 'round the forums,
:)
scott

I'll be right back.

Wile this is not the exact backgound I will use, it's close enough for demonstration purposes.

I want to put this image...

...behind this one, after removing all the gray background.

I know how to use the select color range and dodge tools to remove the gray, but the more I can automate the steps the faster I can be done with it.

I have three hundred frames to do for every 10 seconds of animation. When completed, the animation will be 20 minutes long.

Message edited on: 05/14/2005 13:12

This is the effect I am after.

Joe can you render the second (foreground) image with an "alpha channel" masking the gray area?? i'm thinking this would speed up the process.

i'm thinking you'd be able to then record an action that calls up the channel, opens the animation frame and pastes it as a new layer and does a "save as" merged and flatten (hopefully giving you the image you want)

the "alpha channel as mask" would simplify this a hecka' lot as you would not have to try and remove the gray area... i just don't know much about 3D apps.

hopefully some others will jump in on this thread and help my though process.

:)
scott

Thanks Retrocity, that helps some. Good idea. In case I use it, how do I do it?

With some research I can find out what an alpha channel is, I just don't know how to do the rest.

I'm dumb and pictorials work best for me. I get confused easily, English is my native language, but I believe it was developed by the verbally insane!

Hail my friends! Joe, here's where the channels would be, in thier own tab behind the Layer tab. Alphas are, in my experience, often overlooked but extremely powerful if used correctly. You can add an alpha channel to the channel list just like you add layers to a layer list. The alpha channel will show up as black. You then can paint, paste, or filter your desired effect into the file. Alpha channels are black and white and shades of grey, with black being untouched and white being the most effected by whatever change you're making.

I really don't know if I'd do what you're suggesting in Photoshop though. Seems like an awful lot of work. Premiere and After Effects I believe allow you to set a color in a video as a "green screen", allowing you to place other elements in the color that is dropped out. I'm pretty sure you don't have to do it frame by frame but I don't have the ability to check that right now.

What I was suggesting to you via IM was that you consider doing this if you have Premiere or After Effects:

If the background doesn't change, only the foreground (ie. characters and props), then render a single image of your background. Then do a seperate render of the animation for the characters (wihtout background) in the scene and a sepereate render of the animated props (without background). Use the green screen effect and layers in the program to composite your video with the background elements.

---

Now, if you're stuck with just Photoshop (that came out wrong...sorry), then take a look at the automated tab in the file menu. There's something called BATCH, which allows you to automate certian things. I have not used it more than once, so I can't give you any real details on it but there should be info in the manual, helpfiles, or on the net on how to set it up so it does what you need or at least some of what you need.

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Combustion, another program designed just for compositing, is another possiblity if you can afford it. There may even be a demo available that you can use. EDIT: I should mention I use P7. Don't know if they changed the layout for CS or CS2.

Message edited on: 05/15/2005 10:56

I just took delivery last week on CS2 - it the same as 7, just more features and stuff to spend years waiting until the right moment to try and figure it out.

ROFL

I just dropped another 8 Bills at Adobe. Picked up After Effects Standard Version (on sale $399 what a deal! *sarcasm intended) and Adobe Audition (for sound).

On the bright side, Mastered will be happy now that I make the Big Bucks! (grin) After amortizations I'll have them paid of by this time in... ...lets see... ...oh... ...2010!

I'm beginning to see why theres so much porn on the net. Easy to make, few props or tools needed, demand is high, and it takes less than a day to make one!

I'll continue to render as is, then get back with you when the new stuff comes in.

Thanx for stopping by.

Joe

Response from Automate =

Cut Function Not Available
Delete Function Not Available...

Tried Alpha Channel. Does some weird things to make it shades of black and white turning on and off three colors. Tried creating a new alpha channel thinking I could assign it the gray color like a new layer and automate making it transparent through layers.

Wrong!

I got a black image that doesn't do me shit for any good!

What now? Too late for Shurch... ...I got a flesh pack of smokes, a half gallon of Vodka and 4 liters of Squirt... ...looks like it the old Sweaty, Stinky Proletariat Mode again.

$1400 at Adobe this week. I should have stuck to porn!

Attached Link: http://www.3dtotal.com/

Okay...maybe I am not the best at explainign things, so perhaps a more visual guide would be better? goto 3DTotal.com (click the link). At the top left you should see a button for freestuff. goto the tutotrial sections and click the Photoshop link. There's some very good info there that is relevant to what you're tyring to accomplish. It's the best I can do I'm afraid. Sorry. Of particular interest is the Poser woman in a waterfall compositing walkthrough and the tutorial about Channels. There's probably more things there that may be of use also but you'll see them yourself I guess. Also try the digital (or matte) painting link. Compositing is a big part of that and there may be something about doing batch processes.

Why not render the background image and then import it as a background still over which you render the forground image?