How High?

[artfx]

I continue to find it amazing how well TVP Animation handles extremely high resolution animation projects. Even working with a camera size of 1920x1080 pixels with a 200% increase given for the page space, TVPaint can handle it, and do so quite well even on my older laptop. When working a bit smaller, though, like 1280x720, with the same 200% increased page size for camera work, TVPaint can be a dream.

Resolution and file sizes have always been hurdle for me in the past, especially working with 3D graphics and video, or the integration of these many different elements. In the world of 2D hand drawn animation though, even though one might expect things to slow down or to have long waits for effects, TVP seems to push through it all quite well. The fact that I can build a storyboard in it, and then in the same project begin to move towards final animation is like a big bonus.

As an independent animator, I am finding more and tools collecting dust in my toolset as I turn towards TVP to accomplish more and more tasks. I guess sometimes, the tools can change the artist!

[Elodie]

Thanks again for your nice words. It's always nice to see an enthusiast TVPaint user =)

[idragosani]

I agree, I always work at 720p or 1080p, and go in at 200-500% zoom levels and see no degradation of performance!

[Paul Fierlinger]

And when you render that out with the CineForm codec you can burn a DVD that looks like a BluRay.

[artfx]

And when you render that out with the CineForm codec you can burn a DVD that looks like a BluRay.

I have the Cineform codec, but I still haven't really played with it yet. Are the files sizes from it really small?

[Paul Fierlinger]

For a test I rendered two versions of the same clip, 720p:
1. GoPro-CineForm Codec v7.5.6 ..... 149 MB AVI
2.Uncompressed (BGR24) ............... 2.21 GB AVI

I first started in TVP 10 with the free GoPro which would crash TVP.
I then purchased the Neo-Scene Pro ($ 129) which works in TVP 10.

My menu of codecs in the Export Panel lists
GoPro-CuneForm Encoder-2
Go-Pro-CineForm Encoder
GoPro-CineForm Codec v7.5.6

The first two cause my TVP 10 to crash so they must be from the Free package, which did work in TVP Pro 9.5.

I must say I know very little about CineForm because the staff, which is very accommodating on the Vegas forums and caters to videographers because the CineForm is the Vegas' crowd's most popular codec and answer all questions, treated me in a bewildering, unhelpful and dismissive way when I presented them with questions from my standpoint of an animator who never works with a camera. They seem not to understand that films can be made without cameras. Having said that, I enjoy the same benefits camera people do; fantastic, uncompressed quality at smaller rates than true uncompressed. The ownership has also just recently changed hands and if you approach them with your questions, you might get better treatment. Please keep us posted as to your results.

CineForm works very well of course in Vegas but shows up as black frames in Final Cut Pro (but it shouldn't). I know this because I am now doing some work for a producer who works only with Mac. They prefer H.264, which I create from TVP with the QT format(Key Frame every ... must be unticked to work) or from Vegas I can render H.264 with the Sony AVC format.

[hansrichter]

On the subject of codecs;
Our Sesame street movie 'Zusje' is selected for the Holland Animation Festival
and they want the screening copy to be a Quicktime mov, using the Apple ProRes
422 LT codec with highest possible resolution.(1920x1080 )
Now I have two questions (actually four )
First, when I try to export the TVPProject as a quicktime I, this codec doesn't show up in the pulldown menu.
So, I would like to know; does TVPaint 9 pro ( 9.5.21 ) support this codec and if so, where can i find it and how do I install it?
Secondly, the films original resolution is 1024x576 pix. Should I change this, by modifying the project or rendering in a higher
resolution and will this in, or decrease the quality?
Many thanks in advance,
Hans

[Sewie]

Our Sesame street movie 'Zusje' is selected for the Holland Animation Festival
and they want the screening copy to be a Quicktime mov, using the Apple ProRes
422 LT codec with highest possible resolution.(1920x1080 )

Congratulations Hans!

I would just export it without compression and let them worry about how they are gonna project it. You'll get a big file size but this way they can use any compression they want without losing too much image quality.
The codec you mention seems to be a Final Cut Pro codec. I'm not sure if it is available on Windows....

[Paul Fierlinger]

FCP people try to pull this one off all the time. Just send them an uncompressed AVI and it causes them no pain or trouble to convert an AVI to their proprietary format, in a word; snooty arrogance.

[MrChoy]

Just thought I'd chip in here as I am doing a bit of encoding at the minute. I'm using a free app called format factory http://www.pcfreetime.com/
It is a real encoding swiss army knife and really saved my life when a client requested some format that my version of Vegas Movie Studio couldn't do. I'm not connected. I just found it very useful

[Paul Fierlinger]

Just by coincidebnce, 5 minutes ago, a client wants me to do the same and requires QT H.264. TVPaint does this very well if you uncheck the "Key frame every...frames in the QT Compression Settings.

[hansrichter]

Thanks for all the swift reactions!
I just had a talk with a technical guy from the festival and I can also send them a quicktime using the animation codec.
Now I'm wondering, is this what you all mean by saving uncompressed and if not, how would you do that?
I also modified the TVPP from 1024x576 to HD resolution, which seemed to work fine..
Oh yeah...If the 'animation' codec didn't work I could also try and use the QT H.264.codec.
gr.
H.

[Paul Fierlinger]

The animation codec is the same as uncompressed. I don't understand why they just don't call it that.

[slowtiger]

Technically, not exactly - it should, but I remember doing some tests and finding it to add artefacts to my stuff.

As to h.264: it is a great codec for internet, but I wouldn't choose it for big screen because it reduces colourspace: all colours are a bit "washed out".

[Paul Fierlinger]

Technically, not exactly - it should, but I remember doing some tests and finding it to add artefacts to my stuff.

As to h.264: it is a great codec for internet, but I wouldn't choose it for big screen because it reduces colourspace: all colours are a bit "washed out".

Good to be told -- I never knew any of these details. The client that asked me foe QT H.264 is an Internet targeted job, so that explains it. They are very happy with it.