Noise vector works only sometimes

Wondering how to accomplish a certain animation task? Ask here.

Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger

User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

Hello,

I'm creating a frame by frame animation. When the vector line gets to the last frame, I want it to squiggle. So I set the vector noisey outlines and fills to animate.
Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. I've even tried taking the last frame and placing it on a new vector layer and adding the noise outlines there. Nothing!

But is has worked sometimes, so I'm not sure if I'm doing something different or the program is doing something.

Thanks.

I'm in Anime Studio Pro 11 on a Mac.
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

Also, I'm trying to find a basic definition and use of Shapes. I can find all kinds of things about shapes but nothing that shows when and why you'd use them. I was wondering if I could makes some lines, turn them into a shape, and then make the lines noisy.
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

Just been experimenting and found out that only the top layer can have noisy outlines/fills.
I've set 2 layers to noisy vectors. Only the layer on top does the squiggly. When I switch the order, the new top layer is the only one doing it.

Is this the way it's supposed to work? Is there a way to get more than one layer to be noisy?

Thanks.
User avatar
Greenlaw
Posts: 9192
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by Greenlaw »

Haven't used this in a while but is what you're seeing in the on-screen preview or in actual rendering? Some fx features don't necessarily update accurately until you render it.
User avatar
synthsin75
Posts: 9935
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:20 pm
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by synthsin75 »

That effect doesn't show if GPU acceleration is enabled, but it works fine otherwise. Do you have a problem file you can share?
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

The effect shows immediately when you hit play.
But the odd thing is that if I have two layers with that enabled, only the top one does it. If I rearrange the layers, whatever ends up on top is the only one that wiggles.

Maybe it's supposed to be that way for some reason? But it sure would be nicer to be able to wiggle all of them. I'm trying to do a "Dr. Katz" style animation where all the outlines have that effect.

I don't have a file with that but I can create another and upload it.
User avatar
Greenlaw
Posts: 9192
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by Greenlaw »

If you enable it on the group, I thought it should work on all contained vector layers but let me check...maybe the feature got broken in this build.

Edit: Oops...sorry, I see it's a layer property and not a group property. Still checking.
User avatar
Greenlaw
Posts: 9192
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by Greenlaw »

Hm, it's working here. I made a group containing a bunch layers with one circle in each and applied Noisy Outlines and Animated Noise to every layer. When I scrub, they all wiggle as expected.

Try selecting all the layers at once using Shift-Click, then choose the Noisy Outlines and Animated Noise options. Finally, click apply. This should apply this to all the layers in one go.

If that's what you did, then I'm stumped because it's working here.

There is one other thing to check: Try selecting a layer that isn't working, disable the properties, apply, then enable and apply again. A while back, I ran into a problem where the check box got mixed up and showed the opposite of what it was actually set on; resetting it like this fixed that problem so maybe it will work here?

Let us know how it goes. If you still have trouble with this, post a sample scene.
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

Thanks for the reply.

I just started a new file and now it's even stranger. One layer, a ball shape. I added the animated outline and fill to it.
When I hit play, the outline of the ball gets jagged but does not animate. When I hit stop, it goes back to a perfect circle.
I added another layer. Just a line. It does nothing.

I'd upload the file but can't find how to do it here.
User avatar
synthsin75
Posts: 9935
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:20 pm
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by synthsin75 »

NealF wrote:I just started a new file and now it's even stranger. One layer, a ball shape. I added the animated outline and fill to it.
When I hit play, the outline of the ball gets jagged but does not animate. When I hit stop, it goes back to a perfect circle.
I added another layer. Just a line. It does nothing.
That's exactly what I'd expect if you have GPU acceleration enabled.
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

Hm. Well, two things.

How come it was working (at least on the top layer) before? And should I be turning off GPU acceleration? Not sure what it does or how to turn it off.
User avatar
synthsin75
Posts: 9935
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:20 pm
Location: Oklahoma
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by synthsin75 »

GPU helps workspace responsiveness when drawing, but does not support a lot of effects. It does this by basically rendering unselected layers to raster images for display, so it doesn't process effects on those layers. So the selected layer with GPU acceleration will not show unnecessary effects that could slow down performance, but unselected layers only show static effects, like unanimated noise. You can disable it in the display quality settings or preferences.

I typically leave it off unless I start to notice performance issues.
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

I looked through all the prefs but can't find any setting that talks about GPU or display settings.
Is this a Windows thing? I'm on a Mac.

I searched the manual and it DOES have a check box for it, but it's not in my program.

Just tried again and now it doesn't work at all. Here's the exact thing I'm doing:
1. Draw a line with the freehand tool or
2. Draw a shape
3. Double click on the layer (only one layer this time) and go to the vectors tab.
4. Check Noisy outlines (also fills sometimes)
5. Click apply and OK.

Nothing happening anymore. Although, as I said, it was happening at least on the top layer before.
User avatar
Greenlaw
Posts: 9192
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by Greenlaw »

There are two places for GPU settings. The first is at the bottom-right of the Workspace under Display Quality. Disable GPU Acceleration there and it should fix the problem.

This is a scene display setting though. If you want to fully disable GPU for ASP/Moho, you need to disable Enable GPU from the Preferences panel. It's in the middle of the General tab.

Are you using Pro or Debut? I don't have Debut installed here so I don't know if the option is available in that version. I think it's in Debut but I'll have to ask around.
User avatar
NealF
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Noise vector works only sometimes

Post by NealF »

OK.
Unchecking the GPU Acceleration in the Display Quality pop up did the trick.
Tried with 2 layers and both do the squiggle.

Just a curiosity. There is no mention of GPU anything in my General Prefs tab.
I'm on Pro 11 on a Mac.

Thanks for all the help. This solved it!
Post Reply