Newbie question - Animation output is all distorted!

[MightyOtaking]

Hello again,

Okay, so TVPaint is working magnificently for me, but every now and then I get the following problem. When this problem occurs, that entire animation sequence is lost for good.

Basically, here's my animation as I'm drawing it: http://a.imageshack.us/img842/7890/problem1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This is what it's supposed to look like.
Here is what happens when I export the animation as an .avi: http://a.imageshack.us/img59/8924/problem2k.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here's what it looks like when I export as a gif. The colours are wrong (the eye is no longer white but pink) - http://a.imageshack.us/img59/4830/problem3m.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's going on here? As I say, this only happens every five or six projects, but when it does there is then no way to export the animation because all export formats are corrupted in some way. I've lost animations that are 60+ frames because of this issue, negating two or three days of work.

Here are the settings I'm using if that helps: http://a.imageshack.us/img59/9786/problem4k.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ...as you can see, the preview clip window is showing the colours to be all messed up here as well, despite it looking fine in the actual work window when I'm colouring it.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Paul J.

[slowtiger]

I can only guess what's going wrong.

The AVI looks like what happens if you try to save a CMYK image as JPG. I've never seen an artefact like this in an AVI.

GIF is not recommended as an output format because it just has 8bits, not 24bits like your artwork - it just can't come out right.

Do a test with PNG - this is the best exchange format for artwork between programs, because it preserves the 24bit artwork and can carry an alpha channel.

[ZigOtto]

something you didn't tell us, ... why do you need/choose an animated Gif as export format ?
... to insert it directly in an html web page ...?

anyway, if it should look like your first linked image, start to set the "Background" checked on in the Export Footage panel.

[Hervé]

1) AVI: change the resolution to an even width ( 3865 to 3866 pixels, Avi Codec are buggy with odd dimensions or very big resolution ).
2) GIF: set only 255 colors, dithering and background.

[ZigOtto]

beside BG checked, if you still get wrong colors, you can try the "User Define" palette,
as your art is only few flat colored areas, (12 or 13 colors only), without gradients nor AA (hard edges),
this way should be the best to keep/respect your original palette :
- LMB clic on the little arrow beside the A/B colors button (last used colors),
- go and clic on the "Kill" button (skull and bones) to reset the palette,
- now, in your preview panel, clic once on each color existing in your picture, including the BG color,
- then, in the palette window (bin tab), RMB in an empty area and select "New Palette from Last Used Colors",
that's it ... when you will go to export your animated gif in the Export Footage panel, select Palette: User Define .

ps: for your security, you can save your bin user palette as well, and keep it in a safe place.

... dithering ...

I would avoid dithering, as it could add some "grainy" aspect in his flat colors .

[MightyOtaking]

Hello all,

Thanks for the assistance. I tried all of the methods suggested and none of them worked, sadly... BUT - I restarted the PC and everything was working fine again. I could save as a gif or avi with no problems. Very odd, but well.. I'm not complaining if it's working now!

Paul J.