Wintermute Engine Forum
Wintermute Engine => Technical forum => Topic started by: FogGobbler on August 08, 2005, 01:33:43 PM
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Hi!
I´ve just got a couple of questions concerning these new video-entities. I´m not quite sure, if I´ve got this right, so please correct me if not.
Can I create an animation, say an opening door, cupboard, boxes, working machines (simple examples) in my 3d prog, make a "video" of it and insert it into the pre-rendered scene? So if the character opened the i.e. door, the video-entity would be "triggered" and play the animation. Would you notice a difference between the rendered picture and the video (i´m talking about the quality) ?
Is it a good idea to use the "video-animations" for all kind of "moving parts" in the scene? Would it clog up the memory, be slow, or is this even a better way of dealing with animations since you don´t have to have so many single pics. I could imagine that even 20-24 pics/sec smooth long and loopded animations would fit into the scene without any performance hit, or am I wrong?
And .. ehm ..finally.. what about character animation. I would like to do all scene-specific character-animations (except walking, taking) in my 3d-programm and save them as a video (i.e. kicking in a door; no, i´m not violent :-) ). Good idea or not?
Thanks for your comments & time,
Oli
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Video entities are suitable for long/large animations without transparent areas. Animations, which would consume large amount of memory when using sprites for them. One typical example is the large video billboard in Blade Runner, or a running television, that sort of things.
For opening door sprites will be a better solution, I think. And for character animations you will have to use sprites anyway, because you need these animations to be semi-transparent. You can't achieve that with video entities.
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Well, I was actually thinking of putting the video of my animation on top of the scene in the right position, without any transparent aeras. So I would line up my animated "machine" with the background. The same with my "kicking the door" animation. The video should be on top of the background not not turned on yet (invisible). Action is triggered an the, character walks to the right position, turn off, video is played and stops, character is turnded on again. talking about 3d character..Hope that makes sense.
You´re right with the doors and drawers and so, because the engine qould have to "remember" the right state and I can´t jump to a frame in this viedeo entity, can I?
::beer oli
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Oh, I see. Well, it would work, but I think you'd have to try it to see if the quality of compression is good enough not to look weird.
and I can´t jump to a frame in this viedeo entity, can I?
No, you can't..
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yeah, I´ll give it a try..
thanks,
oli
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i had the same question and found out, for ingame sprites the quality is to low.
i my case i work on a fireplace, and also with the best quality settings possible, you got an "jpg" look and
its not usable in rendered environments.
only for television screens, and this kind of things as mnemonic suggested.
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yeah, i did some quick renderings to test it and was quite disappointed :'( .
Anyway, tv-screens are also useful ;D
Oli