Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
This is probably the most complex idea for what I want to do, but its still quite simple. Im just going to present this idea in hopes to get some useable feedback to make life easier for me as I attempt it.
The idea is to have the animation one frame in size, as shown here:
http://stillnem.com/avrilfangz/images/filmframe.jpg
I want the sprocket holes on the side to animate constantly in one direction so they will need to be seperated. That by itself is 'how to' by itself...
The image area would move up (or down) the screen much more slowly, sometimes changing direction to go backwards one frame. Acceleration would be nice, but I think that would affect the whole animation, perhaps negatively, but also might turn out really cool for the sprocket holes to change speed, who knows?
The actual images will not be constant. Some will be static, others will be zooming in or out, and fading in and out and transitioning from one to another as they animate behind the film frames.
So, a combination of any of these things would be a cool flash animation, but the overall complete idea would probably be one of the coolest image display/slideshow type flash animations I can think of, except for one that shows 1 and 1/2 frames tall. But I am 1st wondering how to cycle named objects as they go up the screen to start back at the bottom, which means I need them to be removed completely to reappear, or drop behind a solid black rectangle...
Im sure there is an easy way and a hard way, and probably several in between.
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
Hi alpinedigital,
Quote:
Im sure there is an easy way and a hard way, and probably several in between.
No, there's no easy way! You're talking about a very complex animation, one which would be very difficult to achieve using Flash but even harder to do using the limited Flash functions of XXP. Firstly to simplify the animation as much as possible you'd need to create movieclips within the main movieclip. Something that XXP can't do.
Let's just look at the first scenario, having the sprocket holes move down. These would need to created within their own time line so they can loop separately from the main time line. The same with the rounded rectangular frame. (leave it static and it looks crap).
This animation occupies 2 frames (plus a background frame) now imagine trying to produce a serious animation that may cover 200 frames. XXP's Flash animation is excellent but it's very basic.
See attached files.
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
well Im not ready to give up that easily!
My problem is I want to get the project underway without knowing for certain what all is possible, for instance:
I'd have a background which I will use to apply clipview because the shapes will need to slide up and off the edge. At this point, I figure two options, both of which are pretty difficult to keep track of:
Slide A moves off as Slide B moves on, then Slide C moves on as Slide B moves off, and at some point, Slide A needs to return to the starting point and move on as Slide C moves off. With this, I should be able to do this continuously until all images are used and I return with the 1st image again (and now that I think about it, Slide A would have to be at the start as well)
So two options: 'move Slide A behind Slide C (window and image) and sneak it right back underneath, or delete Slide A maybe for an instant, then replace it at the starting point 1 frame later.
Not sure if Xara could do either during an animation, and Im hoping I can apply clip view with several objects off the side. Im hoping THAT wont be an issue.
Yeah, this all sounds good in theory but as u said, no easy way, especially without testing. I'll do a simple 1 first, then add to its complexity as I become more familiar with the procedures :o
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
Ha ha!! I totally figured out a few tricks to doing this. 1st, I decided to run a solid sprocket piece, twice as long so it moves twice as fast. Its also more than twice the length of the final size so Strip A is fully out of frame before Strip B passes by. At this point, I create a frame with no duration, and remove Strip A, create another frame with no duration, and place Strip A back at the starting point. This extended size and jump frames (I guess I'll call them) allowed for the animation to be much taller than I originally hoped for. :D And I must say, even before adding anything fancy, its already something to be proud of :cool:
http://stillnem.com/avrilfangz/images/film.xar is the full animation, before I applied the clipview.
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
Very impressive alpinedigital, you've grasped XXP very quickly. However I'd like to comment it's visually not convincing. Why are the sprocket holes going up at twice the speed of the images? Not criticizing , just pointing out an anomaly.
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
Here's what I'm thinking about. The sprockets move at the same speed as the frames. The alignment of frame1 and the final frame needs a bit more work but you can get the idea. Good fun, isn't it?
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
Yes of course, the actual idea, (if we could all be spot on with every attempt,) was for the film strip to be moving so fast, as to approach actual playback speeds, but with slight varriances, so viewable frames would slide forward or back as if the speed was almost synchronized, but going a lil too fast, then a little too slow... Thats where the the idea of having images fade from one to another comes in, which would enhance that effect further with movie-like transitions, zooming and panning across the images.
As it sits now, the sproket holes moving out of sync, is just the beauty of chaos and complexity ;) But this is just stage 1; - a wonderful learning excercise in cycling images past the viewable area. There's 12 images total that I need to work in from that Maxim photoshoot, so I figure double this animation and have 4 of the images fade from one to another, and at THAT point, rework the sprocket speed. I think having that synchonized to where they almost seem to stand still and change directions MAY be the effect that makes it more convincing. Also, that should be easiest to achieve by just tweaking the frame durations ever so slightly.
Re: Still coming along...
Excellent work! I must admit that trying to create such a complicated swf within Xtreme would drive me up the wall. It would be far easier to create it in Flash (and I assume Swish) as they allow different movies, with their own time lines to play on the main timeline. So for example you'd have a movie called Signature. Another 2 called filmstrips and the final one called lavine_fade in. This makes editing far easier as you can change one without it effecting all the others.
Re: Flash Filmstrip Slideshow tasks
Hi,
Well done Alpinedigital! I think you done great job if it waas within Xara!!
Jim