Exporting to AVI changes color and frame rate

[richardchesler]

Hello all,
I have just run into a problem that I cant seem to fix.

I have been exporting all my tv paint files to avi without any problems. However when I finished a new animation today and tried to export it to avi, suddenly it came out completely distorted. Weird colors, different frame rate (way to fast). I have checked and the export settings are identical to those of my other projects which are still exporting fine.

Obviously I have clicked configuration and tried different video codecs (uncompressed), no luck, although while choosing uncompressed BGR32 the colors are right but the frame rate is still way to fast (while i selected 12). With my other projects almost any codec works fine.

Please, does someone know what the problem is, this is putting a hold to my whole project.
Thanks!

EDIT: Also I should mention I tried resizing the project from odd numbers to even numbers.. Same outcome. Size is 820, 614.

[Fabrice]

Hmmm, did you check the "stretch to framerate" box in the export panel ?

[Paul Fierlinger]

You are exporting as 12fps? I assume you draw your clips in 12fps as well. Where are you using these files? Is it an NLE and if so, which one and what are the playback settings in that app? What happens if you export your clip as a QT. Why are you using the 32 mode for your uncompressed file? Are you working with an alpha channel which you need to export? Otherwise if not, only 24 BITS is needed and will keep your files smaller.

[richardchesler]

Thanks for the replys. Still having the same problem though.

Yes I did check the stretch to framerate box. And I am exporting 12 fps. I havent even come to use an editing program yet (I assume thats what you mean with NLE?) I am simply viewing the file in windows media player. I did export as 24 bits before and only tried 32 bits because i was searching for a solution, i did not even know what it was for (now I do thanks!).

When I export to quicktime somehow when I watch the file the quicktime player has no play button (or pause, fast forward, etc). I hardly ever use quicktime player so I am not sure if this is the player or the file..

It's really frustrating because I have got a deadline (portfolio submission) coming up.. It might be something I am overlooking but what...

[Paul Fierlinger]

Are you using a camera move with the camera in the main panel. Open its parameters and see if those confirm your expected settings. For instance, does the frame rate show 12 or something higher?

[Fabrice]

It is strange,

What is your software version number ? (go into Help > About to find it)
Do you have the same results when the "stretch to framerate" is unchecked ?
Hmm, did you install quicktime alternative or other strange unofficial codecs ?

If you have a tight death line, my advice would be to export an image sequence (like PNG 24 bits) then you can import them into quicktime to export the corresponding .mov unique file.

[richardchesler]

Okay thanks a lot for the help guys, I seem to have solved problem. My guess is that what was different this time was that I did not import a rough linetest that I did in another program but did the whole thing in TV paint which was why the project frame rate wasnt 12. When I tried modifying the project frame rate i had stretch to frame rate selected but now i unchecked that and behold, it worked.

Thanks for all the support!!

[Paul Fierlinger]

All uncompressed files are going to be huge -- that's the nature of the beast.

As for 12fps versus 24:

It is advantageous to always work at 12fps unless you run into a situation where you need to make a key framed camera move or key frame the smooth passage of a car driving through the scene, or to create very precise lip synch, music synch or animate characters in fast motion leaping across the scene, then in these cases you should create a new project template which is set to run at 24fps. Then, once you render this scene to an AVI to use in the world outside of TVPaint, you don't need to stretch the frame rate but leave as is.

But all the other scenes and clips you should keep at 12fps, knowing that when you render those to the outside to join your 24fps world, you must remember to stretch the frame rate to 24fps and the Export Panel will automatically double all your frames for you.

If you are planning to use TVPaint for serious production over a prolonged space of time, I strongly recommend that you also buy an NLE software to assemble your film. Unlike an animation program, which is best if you can afford the pro version so that you can take all the advantages of production available to you, when selecting an NLE you can do very well with many of the low end versions because animators don't need to do as much with editing effects -- we create the effects as we draw.

You also will do best if you use standardized frame sizes because many ancillary software programs used in the video world are preset for these. As you found out for yourself, choosing odd sizes gave you weird distortions and colors. In the TVPaint startup panel you have a good selection of these templates and I recommend you start there.