~ Red Praises ~

 

 

What would we be without each other? Here you can read praises made by and made for CodeBastard "Codie" Redgrave, citizen of the SecondLife metaverse. Vanity? Maby a little. But it's not about bragging. It's about all those marvelous people that surrounds me. It is a praise to them, their caring, thoughtfulness, talent and beauty. I just love you all.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sat May 9

Class given on 02/04/2009: More machinima tools, indepth MachinimaCam and intro to FilterCam

  • CodeBastard Redgrave: BTW here's a recap of last week's class: http://codie.tumblr.com/post/102696488/class-given-on-02-04-2009-introduction-to-machinima
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: And Gabby made this awesome primer based on last week's class: http://www.mechanizedlife.com/2009/05/07/the-machinimacam-hud-a-primer/
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This week, we will try and review a few more things you should know about machinima making, mostly control hardware, and go deeper into MachinimaCam itself. And we will have a primer about the FilterCam special effect filter.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Last week we covered the requirements, hard and software, needed to capture machinima and edit it.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: One of the important points that was not covered was movement control hardware, namely joysticks.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Joysticks is one of the most flexible way to move your camera inworld. You can do camera tricks like zoom in and out, camera travellings, or simulate camera paths.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Of course you can use the classic big handle joystick, it works just fine.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: But, you could also use a very popular device that has been created for the special purpose of moving your camera in virtual worlds or similar 3D environments, called a Space Navigator.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: http://www.3dconnexion.com/3dmouse/spacenavigator.php
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: They are not very expensive and became one of the easyiest way to move your camera inworld.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This is an overview of a Space Navigator in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Y7V8uyMKQ
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: How to configure a Space Navigator is a bit beyond the scope of this class, but if you can afford it, I recommend you get one. Most machinimists that are seriously into it uses those instead of the joystick.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Know that the joystick dialog in the SL (tm) viewer have presets to use the Space Navigator, as well as a normal joystick.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There is a whole wiki page on the SecondLife Wiki dedicated to joystick/Spacenav configuration. The dialog is called Joystick Flycam: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Flycam
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There's a button expressly called "SpaceNavigator Defaults". If you hit it when your SpaceNav is connected, it will set the flycam to operate using SpaceNavigator.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Another thing you guys should know, there is other inworld tools to do machinima. For example to do camera paths, or "dolly shots".
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There's a bundle of useful camera tools on the SL (tm) Wiki, a whole section is dedicated to machinima and such tools: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Machinima
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: The most popular machinima tools inworld, apart MachinimaCam, would be the ALT-ZOOM camera by ALT-ZOOM studios, which allows "dolly shots".
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Dolly shots are a special follow cam that follows your avatar with a framed upper body.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Also, machinimists sometimes need to use filming paths. Filming paths are a special way to set an itinary for your camera. By installing invisible prims, the camera just follows it's path from point A to point B.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: A popular tool for that is Filming Path.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: All the tools I just mentioned are detailed on the Machinima wiki page I just mentioned earlier.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This wiki is a very valuable resource for machinimists, professional as well as debutants.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: (moment please)
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Okay, any question about this section on other machinima tools?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Okay then let's go back to MachinimaCam from the last class.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: As you probably noticed while practicing, MachinimaCam is an avatar centric scripted camera which allows special effects.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: It has it's own limitations, as it was written more than a year ago. One of this limitation is that it cannot target other avatars, unfortunately. This will change in the future as it is probably the #1 feature request for this device.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: But it is still very popular, as it's allowing scripted camera movements even with an invisible interface.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: We will revise the basic camera controls again, as you guys should know them by heart, and to see if there's any supplemental instructions needed.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Last time we overviewed installation and controls. So we will try to just overview them again, and dig deeper into the controls.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: So, everybody remembers about the MachinimaCam gestures. They need to be activated to enable the Hotkeys that controls every function in this device.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Then, we attach the camera and it will start working. A click on the camera will hide it and pop you a menu so you can select the first effect.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Once the first effect is selected, the menu will clos
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: We also remember that we must give camera control to the scripts by pressing ESC.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Most of you must have experienced it by now, if you use mouse cam, the camera will refuse to do any tricks until you press ESC to give back camera controls to the HUD.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This is annoying at first, but you will quickly understand that it is essential.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: If you use a SpaceNavigator along with MachinimaCam, you will like that you can move around with a navigational device, and switch back to MachinimaCam at any time.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Once the camera is ready and gained control over your inworld camera, we saw last week that we had 14 effects to play with. 7 motion effects and 7 follow effects.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Did anyone still had questions about the difference between those two types of effect?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: I will re-explain them quickly.
  • Arteer Oliva: no, I like the term "motion effect" better than "special effect" tho ... is that the same thing, Codie?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Motion effects have a starting and an end. They are timed effects, starting from Point A to end to Point B. They have a beginning, duration, and end. They can be repeated as needed.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: I prefer saying motion effect. Special effects often refers to visual effects like filtering.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Follow effects on the other hand have no definite duration. They start, and will last as long as you are wearing the camera or switch to another effect, simply. Follow effects does what it says, the camera will just follow you from different camera positions.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: As an overview of the different controls available, you probably noticed it is easy to operate.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: F2 is for hide and show, but again, you probably noticed it is rarely useful. All controls can be done while the camera is invisible.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: F3-F4 cycles through the effects and will show what effect is selected as hover text that lasts 2 seconds on your screen.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Then the F5 Action key will repeat the effect at will.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Now how to use that efficiently is a question of getting your hand at it and practicing. It can be used quite spontaneously.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: As the motion effects depends on where your camera is, sometimes you will notice slight variations.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: But this is part of the game, you will get what you need by re-taking the same shot a few times, then at cut and edit stage, you will select what's good to keep and throw away the rest.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Some special effects are even random, like Spaz cam.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There is no way to predict exactly where your camera will be positioned while using Spaz cam. It will hop randomly and finally go back to it's original point.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: An important note about camera position: Mousewheel is your friend.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: You will noticed that even if the camera is NOT in free mode and MachinimaCam has control over your camera, you can always use the mousewheel which has the same effect as if you were doing zoom ins and outs.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: So for example, if you wanted a "closer" SpinCam, you can use your mousewheel to position the camera closer to you.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: When you start the SpinCam using F5 Action, you will notice the spin will start closer to you than it would have normally done.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This is valid for most of the motion effects. Playing with the mousewheel, will move the camera forward and back to your avatar, this will give you more fine tuning on your motion effects.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Also, of course, you can always use the keyboard shortcuts for zoom control as well. They are CTRL 8 to zoom back, CTRL 0 to zoom closer, and CTRL 9 to default.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Another fine tuning for your effects is the effect speed, which also influences the duration, and sometimes the camera distance, depending on the effect.
  • Arteer Oliva: is there a secret to smooth scrolling, Codie ... so it rolls smoother to and fro?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There is no miracle solution apart using a Space Navigator, Arteer, tho the next MachinimaCam will have such features as "soft smoothing" when stopping and starting effects, it is not implemented yet.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: BUT, what you mention can as well be arranged during post-processing.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Most cut/edit software like Sony Vegas will allow smooth transitions, and slowdown/acceleration.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: While we mention this, you will notice that when you play with F11-F12 speed hotkeys, what it effects is that it adds a "delay" between every camera movement. Depending on the actual camera effect, adding too much delay will make the camera do more clunky moves. It is normal but something you may want to be aware of.
  • Cuwynne Deerhunter: I have a question about the Function commands Codie.
  • Cuwynne Deerhunter: Any command on open chat..."hidecam" will effect any cam within hearing range. Is that a personal setting for open chat or is there a command channel for the cam that can be cghanged
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Unfortunately there's no control for that. When i designed it at first it was for personal use, I didn't expect groups of people to use it. This should be fixed in the next versions as they will all have their own configurable chat channel.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Furthermore, this will become a feature in fact. Camera remote control.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Authorizing other people to control your own camera will be implemented in Mcam 2.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: While we talk about features... here's a few of the features that will be implemented in the new camera:
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: - Avatar scan and target: you will no longer be stuck filming yourself, the camera will be able to scan any avatar around and target it through a menu
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: - Camera remote control: gain control on someone else's Mcam using your own Mcam
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: - Dolly shots
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: - Filming paths through avatar position snapshots
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: - Camera movement recording and playback
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Such features will open the door for more, as I am doing a complete overhaul of the MachinimaCam core scripts, which will allow "plugins" for various types of usage.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Camera record and playback?
  • Arteer Oliva: yep ... the previos play?
  • Arteer Oliva: repeats?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This will allow you to "record" a session using MachinimaCam, and play back the effects in the same exact sequence you recorded them.
  • Arteer Oliva: neat!
  • Arteer Oliva: like an Action in PS, sort of?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Yeah it is a complex feature but will be included directly into the core of the system.
  • Arteer Oliva: and can be saved?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Yes, sort of.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: As for saving, scripts in SL (tm) have lots of limitations for recording large amounts of data. I think it may be a "dump" mode where it will give you a sequence of strings into chat, so you can copy it back into special notecards which will contain the sequences for playback.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This would enable MachinimaCam to do any type of automated sequence, for example filming paths.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: I still have a few months of hardcore development to do on those, we will see how it will become. While then you are always welcome to suggest features.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Anybody has further questions about MachinimaCam before I pass to FilterCam?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Okay, let's take a 2 minute pose for biologicals, and we shall proceed with FilterCam
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Introduction to FilterCam
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Instead of actually explaining what FilterCam does, we will start by viewing a very cool demonstration machinima movie made by Osiris Pfalz
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: FilterCam demonstration movie: http://vimeo.com/3401209
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: So, to resume simply, FilterCam is a special effect filter for SecondLife.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: It is a HUD that you wear and can start using immediately. It is as good for machinima as it is for normal everyday SecondLife photography.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: (vendors are on the right of the presentation board Eli)
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Once worn, the FilterCam HUD is extremely simple to use.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: It has 2 modes, minimized or maximized, and operates with a simple click.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Once worn, a short click (under 1 second) will minimize the HUD to get it out of your way for camera zoom or focus operations.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: A long click (more than 1 second) will bring you to the preset menu.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Presets are visual filters already made for you, just select one and it will apply immediately.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There are 65 presets in the latest version of FilterCam.
  • Seikatsu Koba raises her hand
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: go ahead Seika
  • Seikatsu Koba: what can we add other filters to the hud?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: You can.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: I will explain this a bit later.
  • Seikatsu Koba: ok, thx
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Let's start with the beginning, FilterCam combines 4 layers on your whole screen, with texture (masks) color transparency and glow control.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: They are 4 superimposed prims that you can see through.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Each layer (numbered from 0 to 3) can have an independant texture mask, as well as it's own color, level of transparency, and so on.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: For the common user, they will never even notice this, as presets are pre-created for them, and they can simply select them.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: For the advanced users, FilterCam has incredibly flexible control over the visuals.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: FilterCam operates with chat commands at the low level.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Those chat commands gives absolute control over the 4 different layers, which you can alter to create whatever effect you may want.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: for example: /5filter 0 red 0.5 0
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This would alter Layer 0, with applying a red color to it, with 0.5 transparency, and 0 glow
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Then you can apply a mask on this same layer.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: for example: /5mask 0 cinemascope
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This would alter Layer 0 with a texture mask called "cinemascope" that is simply a texture dropped in the HUD.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: By wearing and editing the HUD, you can see there's over 42 textures in it, all of those you can use to create your own presets.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Of course, FilterCam is entierly programmable. So one could simply drop another transparent texture (alpha texture) made with PhotoShop, and create their own presets.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: So let's say one created an effect using /5filter and /5mask on all 4 layers.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: There is a special command to "dump" this filter into an unintelligible string, which you can copy/paste into the _preset notecard to create your own presets.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: It is of course /5dump.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: If you do /5dump after creating your special effect, the HUD will give you something that looks like this:
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: 0 white 1 0 cinema 1 black 0 0 none 2 black 0 0 none 3 black 0 0 none
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: To someone unaware of it, this dump string contains everything FilterCam needs to alter the 4 layers of your filter, including masks.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: If you look at it closer, you will realize that this contain parameters for all 4 masks by blocks identified by 0,1,2 and 3
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: So, if you examine the _presets notecard contained in the HUD, you will see a series of presets already made for you.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: For example:
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Killbot|0 white 1 0 blood 1 <1,0,0> 0.5 0 scanlines 2 <1,0,0> 0.3 0.05 none 3 black 0 0 none
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: You will notice that right after the preset name, and the pipe symbol ( | ), what follows looks pretty much like a dump string.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: So that is exactly how one would make their own presets.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Create a line starting with your preset name (it must be unique).
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Insert a pipe symbol ( | )
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Then paste your dump string after the pipe
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Save your notecard
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: The HUD will reset, new presets will be loaded, and you will be able to use your new preset as any other normal preset.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: The presets are shown alphabetically, and will show in the HUD page by page, starting by the first block. It can show 9 presets at the time. You can re-order the presets in the notecard if you would like, putting your favorites in the top of the notecard will make them more easily accessible.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: When you get used to it, creating presets directly from the notecard becomes easy.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: One could start with a classic standard preset, like Default, and alter the texture name, transparency, color, without using the dump mode. As long as your preset have a unique name, there are no worries and the dump format becomes trivial to manipulate.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Again, to the end user, it is transparent. Your presets once created will be as easy to use as selecting any other preset.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: You will notice this version has a Rule Of 3 preset. This was added to aid with photography.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Important point: This device is a HUD.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: If you want it to show in the pictures, you need to enable Show HUD objects in snapshot from your Snapshot dialog.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: For machinima, it's a given, even with the interface hidden, you will still have the HUD showing, so this is not a problem. It will capture while using Fraps or any capture program.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Both MachinimaCam and FilterCam can be used at the same time of course, they are attachment point compatible.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: This was just a primer of course, even if I went deeper than I should, this concludes this section about FilterCam.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: Any questions before we ajourn the class?
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: we will schedule another class for next week, probably a deeper look at FilterCam.
  • CodeBastard Redgrave: I think we will schedule another machinima primer for those who missed it the first time