I want to put a Bryce animation on VHS and eventually SVHS. For each format, what would be the best resolution in which to render my images? I am going to output them as .BMPs, initially. Then I may compress them later, depending on how well I am able to output with my T.V. output card (ATI Rage Fury 32MB, T.V. out). I guess what I'm really wondering is: Is it better to output to a higher resolution at first, and then downsize through subsequent compression? Or should I output at exactly the video/VHS resoulution at which I will be recording? If I should use a higher resolution, has anyone advice on what would be the best resolution to use? Also, as to antialiasing: It seems that the eye can barely notice antialiasing in scenes that are changing quickly. But I can't figure out how--or even if-I can render some frames with, and others without antialiasing within the same animation. I could piece together two different animation clips in a video compositing program, but achieving this "variable antialiasing" within a single Bryce animation would be handy. Does anyone know if this is posssible?

Standard NTSC resolution (for VHS) would be 72 dpi @ 720x486. If you bump the resolution up, it won't help you because your monitor (your TV) has extremely low resolution. I suggest that you output with the above parameters with antialiasing ON. You definately will see a flicker in the final output with only some AA, and others not.

Render to sequential images then assemble them in video editor. Probably TGA format will be best. This will allow you to edit, cut, insert and adjust timing correctly. If you use compressed clips and edit and save them they will lose detail and gain "schmutz" on each save. This also allows for post processing in aftereffects or photoshop to add detail and cut overall work (create a mask rendering of animated areas of image with flowing water, waterfall, fire etc. Render the animated areas alone and apply the mask to a completed still of image and render. This saves mucho time as Bryce doesn't have to render entire screen for each frame (and take into account all the ray hits possiable)) You might want to think of final output going to hard disk and then publish it to mpeg and cdrom. The ATI tv out will skip frames and colors will be wierd when showqn on TV. If you had targa pro $2000/$10000 card and commercial quality single frame recorder then the output to tape would be correct (as all previews, and actual manipulation of vid takes place on RGB TV monitor while computer screen handles the Editing program screens. I have Ati AllInWonderPro w/TVout and havent gotten anything worth spitting on, even by using full quality professional video as input. Good Luck its expensive and a lot of work. Even with the correct stuff you could find yourself using 100 Gigibiits of disk.. (check out the movie by Susan Kitchens made entirely in Bryce They had to use borrowed Hard drive arrays/raids with networked computers and she workked for MetaCreations)