Grass Valley Media Conversion - Manual (Page 27)

Media Conversion Software Animation Builder
Miranda Technologies Ltd Page 27
Animation Builder
The Animation Builder is the tool used for viewing, converting and
modifying both still images and animations for use with Imagestore product
range including Imagestore HDTV and Intuition. A variety of file formats
can be imported and sequences of numbered images can be assembled into an
animation. Keying parameters and other information (such as image titles)
can be set up and the resulting files can be transferred (via the Ethernet or
floppy disk) directly into the Imagestore units.
Preparing Image Files for Animations
The best animation results will always be obtained using images with
separate keys. The most appropriate file formats to use for still images are the
32-bit formats such as Targa and TIFF, which can typically be generated by
most 3D animation and paint packages. These files hold RGB channel
information and also the Alpha channel information that is essential for
broadcast-quality keying. Many 3-D graphics systems and painting tools such
as Cinema 4D, Adobe Photoshop
TM
and Paintshop Pro
TM
can produce files in
the formats described. A number of file conversion utilities are readily
available which you can use to convert other image files to the required
format.
Animation Builder uses the files extension to determine the file type. For
example:
♦ .TGA (Targa image files)
♦ .BMP (Windows bitmap image files)
♦ .OXT (Miranda Technologies Ltd. still images files)
♦ .OXA (Miranda Technologies Ltd. YUV Animation/Clock files)
♦ .OXI (Miranda Technologies Ltd. RGB Animations)
♦ .VPB (Quantel video paint box image files)
The files must be named sequentially, using a series of frame numbers as the
ending characters. For example:
my_anim_0001.tga , my_anim_0002.tga etc.