I have made an animation that zooms into a face that is going to talk.
I have recorded the audio and used Papagayo to export the .DAT files. That works fine. When I import the mouth into my existing AS project it comes in fine. But when I go to Layer settings and select the .DAT file nothing happens. And nothing appears in the layer switch line on the time line.
But if I open a new blank project and only import the mouth, then connect it to the .DAT file it works fine. The settings are in place on the layer switch line in the time line and when I play the animation the lips move correctly.
So, I know it is not the .DAT or the imported mouth. What can it be that stops the connection to the .DAT?
Mark
Papagayo and AS Pro .DAT not working
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
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themuseboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: New Milford, Connecticut
Yeah, and it might be helpful to note there is no "connection" to a DAT file.
A DAT file is "processed" -- it creates the keys on the timeline. As soon as that happens any relationship between it and that switch layer is lost. You can prove this two ways -- you can edit the timeline keys, or you can change the DAT file, and in either case there will be no corresponding changes until you "reload" the DAT file.
This is a Good Thing -- but the knowledge of this might help you track down what is happening.
A DAT file is "processed" -- it creates the keys on the timeline. As soon as that happens any relationship between it and that switch layer is lost. You can prove this two ways -- you can edit the timeline keys, or you can change the DAT file, and in either case there will be no corresponding changes until you "reload" the DAT file.
This is a Good Thing -- but the knowledge of this might help you track down what is happening.
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themuseboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: New Milford, Connecticut
Hi Vern, you are correct there must be something I am overlooking.
Mkelley thanks too, I did not realize how the dat file is just used for the moment and there is no permanent link.
That would mean the problem is at the moment of doing the link and nothing is happening and since I know it is a good dat file the issue is within my project in AS.
I'll try your suggestion.
Mark
Mkelley thanks too, I did not realize how the dat file is just used for the moment and there is no permanent link.
That would mean the problem is at the moment of doing the link and nothing is happening and since I know it is a good dat file the issue is within my project in AS.
I'll try your suggestion.
Mark
Yeah, ST's probably hit it. As a rule, if you load in a DAT file and get no keys generated (or not all keys generated) 9 times out of 10 it's because your switch layers don't have the EXACT names PG expects.
And that means no extensions, either (if you use image files rather than vector layers). Must be named just as per the examples.
And that means no extensions, either (if you use image files rather than vector layers). Must be named just as per the examples.
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themuseboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: New Milford, Connecticut
Here is what I figured out is happening, but first I will give you my layout.
1. Currently my project is 1176 frames long.
2. Only backgrounds and character movement from 1 – 792.
3. At 792 – 864 the camera zooms in on the character and he goes from a 45 degree angle that he walked into the scene with, to a face forward position. I did a simple fade out of the 45 degree and fade in on the front shot.
4. Frame 866 is where he begins to talk.
5. This is what happens; I have the marker/Red Vertical bar set at 866. I have the mouth selected in the layers window. I mouse click the “…” box at the top of the Layers window. I go to the switch tab and click on source data. Then I select the dat file I want to use.
6. When I click the ok button nothing happens, the Layer Settings window just closes. But what I have just found out, it is putting the dat data in the time line. Just not where I expected it. It is placed at position 1. I can but the box around it then slide it to position 866 and it works fine.
7. Except, if I pull in another dat file at say frame 918 for more dialog both sets of data from the dat files are put at frame 1 and clobbered over the top of each other.
8. Oh, to answer the question from SlowTiger, I am using mouth 2 that came with Papagayo.
So, to recap, it is working and I will be able to do what a want, it just seems like a very cumbersome way to do it.
I really appreciate all the help, Thank You.
Mark
1. Currently my project is 1176 frames long.
2. Only backgrounds and character movement from 1 – 792.
3. At 792 – 864 the camera zooms in on the character and he goes from a 45 degree angle that he walked into the scene with, to a face forward position. I did a simple fade out of the 45 degree and fade in on the front shot.
4. Frame 866 is where he begins to talk.
5. This is what happens; I have the marker/Red Vertical bar set at 866. I have the mouth selected in the layers window. I mouse click the “…” box at the top of the Layers window. I go to the switch tab and click on source data. Then I select the dat file I want to use.
6. When I click the ok button nothing happens, the Layer Settings window just closes. But what I have just found out, it is putting the dat data in the time line. Just not where I expected it. It is placed at position 1. I can but the box around it then slide it to position 866 and it works fine.
7. Except, if I pull in another dat file at say frame 918 for more dialog both sets of data from the dat files are put at frame 1 and clobbered over the top of each other.
8. Oh, to answer the question from SlowTiger, I am using mouth 2 that came with Papagayo.
So, to recap, it is working and I will be able to do what a want, it just seems like a very cumbersome way to do it.
I really appreciate all the help, Thank You.
Mark
Dat files from Papagayo start at the frame that starts in the Papagayo file. If your audio starts at the beginning with no "padding" and you start at frame 1 then that is where the keys will start in AS. Also you can't "combine" or "add" dat files. All the keys must be in ONE dat file. If you load a second dat file anywhere else in the time line it just overwrites or erases all those keys.
What you need to do is have all the the dialog in ONE sound file and that sound file needs to be exactly the length and timing of how you want the lip sync to occur. Use that sound file to create the lip sync in Papagayo.
A better easier solution might be to create a second AS file that is "the close up" or the scene for each piece of dialog, render and stitch/composite those separate renders together in post. Then you don't have to edit your sound files and redo the lip sync.
There is ONE MORE option... not for the feint of heart though. Edit the dat file in a text editor. Change the key frames for the dialog so they happen when you want them to. You can even paste one dat file into another... this is difficult because you either have to edit each key frame by hand in the dat file or use some sort of regular expression search and replace to increment the key frames a specified amount. It can be done but if it were me I would use one of the other options.
-vern
What you need to do is have all the the dialog in ONE sound file and that sound file needs to be exactly the length and timing of how you want the lip sync to occur. Use that sound file to create the lip sync in Papagayo.
A better easier solution might be to create a second AS file that is "the close up" or the scene for each piece of dialog, render and stitch/composite those separate renders together in post. Then you don't have to edit your sound files and redo the lip sync.
There is ONE MORE option... not for the feint of heart though. Edit the dat file in a text editor. Change the key frames for the dialog so they happen when you want them to. You can even paste one dat file into another... this is difficult because you either have to edit each key frame by hand in the dat file or use some sort of regular expression search and replace to increment the key frames a specified amount. It can be done but if it were me I would use one of the other options.
-vern
Vern is right, but there is even a fourth option, and it's not all that difficult. Just "slip" the mouth keys forward by however much you need.
There is a menu item for this -- it's Animation/Rescale Keyframes, only in this case you don't scale anything. Let me give you an example: your character starts talking at frame 201 and talks for 100 frames, but your Anime file starts animation at frame 1. You load in the .DAT (with the sound synced so it starts at 1, even though it should start at 201). Now select the mouth switch layer and "rescale" those keys from 1 to 100 to move to 201 to 301.
It's far easier to do than to explain, and it will work perfectly as long as you understand the process. It's easier than editing the .DAT file (but, as Vern says, the real way to do this is to separate your scenes so your closeup is another file entirely, and combine this in a video editor).
I've done all the things Vern suggests (as well as this one) and they all have their place -- editing the .DAT file is VERY useful when you need to simply add a word you've left out otherwise (because PG doesn't allow this sort of easy insertion). In that case just make a separate PG file (DAT file) with ONLY that word, and then combine this with the other file (really easy to do in a text editor).
Learn how this stuff works and you'll be surprised how much it will come in handy.
There is a menu item for this -- it's Animation/Rescale Keyframes, only in this case you don't scale anything. Let me give you an example: your character starts talking at frame 201 and talks for 100 frames, but your Anime file starts animation at frame 1. You load in the .DAT (with the sound synced so it starts at 1, even though it should start at 201). Now select the mouth switch layer and "rescale" those keys from 1 to 100 to move to 201 to 301.
It's far easier to do than to explain, and it will work perfectly as long as you understand the process. It's easier than editing the .DAT file (but, as Vern says, the real way to do this is to separate your scenes so your closeup is another file entirely, and combine this in a video editor).
I've done all the things Vern suggests (as well as this one) and they all have their place -- editing the .DAT file is VERY useful when you need to simply add a word you've left out otherwise (because PG doesn't allow this sort of easy insertion). In that case just make a separate PG file (DAT file) with ONLY that word, and then combine this with the other file (really easy to do in a text editor).
Learn how this stuff works and you'll be surprised how much it will come in handy.