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Author Topic: video entities - couple of questions  (Read 4958 times)

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FogGobbler

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video entities - couple of questions
« on: August 08, 2005, 01:33:43 PM »

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
« Last Edit: August 08, 2005, 02:12:43 PM by FogGobbler »
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Mnemonic

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Re: video entities - couple of questions
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2005, 02:50:01 PM »

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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FogGobbler

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Re: video entities - couple of questions
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2005, 04:11:39 PM »

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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Mnemonic

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Re: video entities - couple of questions
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2005, 05:46:30 PM »

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.

Quote
and I can´t jump to a frame in this viedeo entity, can I?
No, you can't..
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FogGobbler

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Re: video entities - couple of questions
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2005, 07:54:16 PM »

yeah, I´ll give it a try..

thanks,
oli
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Rocco

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Re: video entities - couple of questions
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2005, 11:19:24 AM »

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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FogGobbler

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Re: video entities - couple of questions
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2005, 08:10:10 AM »

yeah, i did some quick renderings to test it and was quite disappointed  :'( .

Anyway, tv-screens are also useful  ;D

Oli
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