Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

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smartelligence
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Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

Hi folks,

I want to produce explainer videos for my own purposes (no client work) and I found out that there are two kind of tools: professional tools like Anime Studio and the explainertools like Videoscribe.

Professional tools are cool, but offer no whatsoever support for the explainer-typical style (pen animation draws a text message or a illustration). You have to do it by hand, yeah. And everytime you change a letter you have to redo the animation itself.
Explainer tools are very restricted - and quite pricy compared to what they deliver.

So I came to Anime Studio Pro since it has a scripting interface which looks quite promising. I would like to develop scripts which take a word or sentence, break it down into individual letters and create a corresponding pen animation. Same for a illustration. I'm myself an experienced programmer so I'm already aware about some of the challenges, but I need a script pro to help me.

Questions/Offers:
- does anyone think this would be doable with the scripting engine at hand?
- are there scripts which are doing this already? (searched, but found none)
- are there scripts which might be the right base for starting the work?
- anyone out there interested in helping me?
- I'm also willing to pay money in reasonable amounts for help to develop the scripts
- I might think about releasing the scripts into the community, if there is interest. If the community helps me we could open source the stuff.

Cheers,
Andrew
dkwroot
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by dkwroot »

I made some tool improvements to help people with explainer videos. This might be useful to you. viewtopic.php?f=12&t=28816
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synthsin75
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by synthsin75 »

The menu command Scripts>Draw>Animated Stroke will do most of what you're talking about. Draw what you want, select the points to be animated, run the script, and enter the number of frames you want animated in the dialog.
smartelligence
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

Hi Synthsin75,

there is no "animated stroke" option in my fesh install of anime studio pro. Could be a script you installed? If so, could give me the source where you got the script from?

Cheers,
Andrew
smartelligence
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

There had been a script collection from crashcore which seem to contain something for animated strokes, but the ZIP with the source isn't accessible anymore.
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hayasidist
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by hayasidist »

smartelligence wrote: there is no "animated stroke" option in my fesh install of anime studio pro.
which version are you on? I think it's new to ASP11 -- it's certainly there in a standard 11.2.1 build
smartelligence
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

I am on 11.1 - which I downloaded today & installed it... seriously? The "download the software" doesn't point to the newest version? :shock: :shock: :shock:
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hayasidist
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by hayasidist »

go to help / check for updates -- that should get you 11.2.1. 18868
smartelligence
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

I got the update and played around with the function, it helps, but for my purposes I still need more automation.

Any more pointers?

Like: I have a text ("this is a text") and a script which creates an motion path for each letter?
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hayasidist
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by hayasidist »

what are you using to create the text? if it's stroke only then you probably have everything you need - write the text; select all the points; run the script; you get keyframes for each letter - if you need to pause between letters and/or words then, rather than running the script once for each letter, you have the base script which, as you're a competent coder, you can modify to spread the keys out.

But if it's a filled shape for each letter that's a completely different problem and animated stroke alone isn't going to solve it. Addressing that can be as simple as doing a wipe to reveal the whole from left to right or as complex as treating the fill as a stroke and revealing that as though it were handwritten...

so, recognising that you have text .. how did you (want to) create that text?
smartelligence
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

what are you using to create the text? if it's stroke only then you probably have everything you need - write the text; select all the points; run the script; you get keyframes for each letter - if you need to pause between letters and/or words then, rather than running the script once for each letter, you have the base script which, as you're a competent coder, you can modify to spread the keys out.
Bascially I want to select a text layer and "the" script then does:
* splits the text into characters
* let the characters appear over the time
* creates the motion path for each character
* adds a layer which contains the hand/pencil
* let the hand/pencil follow the motion path

For drawing pictures its more complicated since the hand/pencil must follow the individual lines. This would mean:
* the script would have to analyse the vector drawing
* create a corresponding motion path for the lines/strokes inside the vector drawing
* and create the corresponding hand/pencil which is then following the motion path
* and, as well, let the individual lines/strokes inside the vector "appear"

This is basically what Explaindio/GoAnimate does. The are more or less just "text/vector to motion path to animated pencil drawing" - generating tools.
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synthsin75
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by synthsin75 »

Vectors in AS are already motion paths, for the follow path tool, so no splitting or vector drawing analysis is necessary. With stroke exposure, or Scripts>Draw>Animated Strokes, the only thing left is to mask fills, if necessary. But the Explaindio video I saw only faded in the fills once the strokes were done, so that's even easier in AS.
smartelligence
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by smartelligence »

Hi folks,

thanks for the replies. What I understand is: its possible, it is not really difficult to implement, maybe even a boring scripting task, since its more a automatisation of whats possible than anything creative.

So I'll give it a try myself and soon will be crying for help. Maybe. Still a programmer, though.

Anyone willing to help out if required, if I'm willing to share the results?
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hayasidist
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by hayasidist »

smartelligence wrote:
Bascially I want to select a text layer and "the" script then does:
I'd create the text as vectors on a vector layer not as a text layer
smartelligence wrote:
* splits the text into characters
make sure that create one shape is not checked
smartelligence wrote:
* let the characters appear over the time
if you mean fade in then that's animate stroke and fill opacity
if you mean as though they are being written - then see below

smartelligence wrote:
* creates the motion path for each character
no need - select the points in the letter and: on frame 1 just move the letter to where you want it to start; on the frame you want to start motion copy that frame 1 keyframe; and on the frame you want motion to end hit "reset selected points" If that doesn't do what you want, add intermediate keys.

smartelligence wrote:
* adds a layer which contains the hand/pencil
you can draw that! - and, if you're feeling adventurous, even animate the fingers and the tilt of the pencil in the fingers
smartelligence wrote:
* let the hand/pencil follow the motion path
now that's the interesting one... where will you want the hand to draw the letter? where it starts? I see this an alternative to motion / fade in so assuming that's the case...

First -- use masking:

group: hide all
> text vector - mask this layer
> mask vector - masking shapes

decision time: how accurately do you want this? if it's a "fast" pen motion that you don't need too much detail, so a wipe from top to bottom or left to right or diagonally will probably be ok. If it's a slow a deliberate piece of calligraphy then you'll probably want to follow the actual pen motion.

fast: a masking shape is a rectangle over the letter (or group of letters or word ...)
slow: a masking shape is one or more polygons that overlay the letter's fill - you'll need to design this mask to take into account if it's cursive and the exact font and kerning

to reveal: on frame 1 shrink or move points for all masking shapes so the text is hidden - choosing where to put them is a significant choice -- see below

for each letter (or group or ..) at the point the reveal is to start copy the frame 1 keys for the relevant masking shape and at the end of the reveal period, just "reset points".

fast: if you've put the mask "in the right place" on frame 1 that's job done.
slow: you'll need intermediate keys - and you'll need to design the mask and its motion


now to hand motion: I'd define the hand in a bone group and use bone motion for the writing action (e.g. in the same way a walk cycle uses bone to control the legs) and ether translate the layer or translate the root bone to move the hand across the page

fast: use a simple cycle
mid: use simple loops and/or strokes according the basic shape of the letter
slow: carefully match the motion to the font
very slow: build in angle changes, pauses, pen lifts ...


comments or questions .. just say
Marbelous
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Re: Explain/Videoscribe scripting, possible job

Post by Marbelous »

hayasidist wrote:
smartelligence wrote:
* adds a layer which contains the hand/pencil
you can draw that! - and, if you're feeling adventurous, even animate the fingers and the tilt of the pencil in the fingers
Is there anything new on "Having animated stroke been followed by a pencil" (and even tilt the pencil)?
Is there an new script available?
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