Mpeg as a bitmap

[Logos_Atum]

Hello there,

recently I attempted to recreate a scenario I managed to

get to work several years ago. Actually I did set up a virtual

cinema screen to enhance and clean a video file.

I am not sure about the colour format I used. The plain mpg2

( 2 4-2-0), looked promising, yet I think I might have to fall

back to mpg1.

If I remember right I used a Macross Plus clip captured with a

BT 484 and Macrovision software. Sadly the Haupauge (winTV) 

disc is gone and mention of the software seems to have vani-

shed too.

Actually I don´t manage to remember at the moment.

Hint in regards of colourspace and resolution restrictions to

adhere to are very welcome.

Kind regards

Daniel

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Hello @Logos_Atum,

Regarding using MPEG's as a bitmap, this should work in most setups though you are correct that the compression codec may have an impact on the ability to be loaded.  In my experience the best option is to convert the movie to frames so that when you scrub the timeline it's not trying to load the entire movie with each frame move.  If you export the frames out and load them into the RAM player, it will automatically create an .ifl (Image File List) that you can use as the target map and it will load the frames in as needed.  

Regarding the rest of your post, all the codec differences are a bit beyond the standard scope for 3ds Max technical problems, but the color space if it's at gamma 2.2 should be pretty close to sRGB.  (If that helps.)

Best Regards,

[Logos_Atum]

Hello Alfred,


thank you for the hint. I did something in the way.
As the avi file conversation to frames helped me to assign an image sequence as a source, the regular rgb colourspace worked just fine.

Gamme is a grey topic to me still.


Thank you for the *.ifl hint, I was wondering how to classify that.

1.8 should be a nice grey gamma.



Have a nice day, and I'll get back to you as soon as I tested it.

Currently on vacation...3 weeks for the first time in 5 years. Have not had more than 5 days in a row sice then.


Kind regards


Daniek

[spacefrog_ · Accepted solution]

Daniek;

what Max version are you using ? Qinming Ren - former 3ds Max developer & viewport wizard - has created an absolutely astonishing FFMPEG reader plugin for 3ds Max 2015 up to 3ds Max 2017 and released it for free.

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=6&t=1357562&highlight=ffmpeg

Using this plugin, you can literally play back any FFMPEG compatible video in REALTIME right in the viewport as viewport background or even as texture mapped onto some geometry. The sad part about this is, that Qinming was hit by the 10% workforce layoff round announced back in february and had to leave Autodesk, but that's a different story ....

I recorded a video about how good this plugin actually works back when it was released....
( And yes - those are two video streams playing right in the viewport in realtime )

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Logos_Atum,

I just wanted to follow up here, did this work out for you?  I'd love to mark one of the posts as a solution if it indeed did solve your problem, or offer further assistance if not.  Is there anything I can do?

Best Regards,

[Logos_Atum]

Hello Spacefrog,

well it´s green.... and I´ll have a look. Currently I´m using the 2016 build of Max.

I´ll have a look at the plugin as soon as I manage to free some resources. FFMpeg

takes me back to DVD and 1999 in general.

Playing mpeg files back in the viewport, worked at some point- yet that´s been years

and it took me a week to consider conversion options prior.

I´ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Kind regards

Daniel

[Logos_Atum]

Hello Alfred,

thank you very much, works exactly as you said. Given

realistic maps are enabled, timeline and frames for the

animation match too.

Thank you so much

Daniel

[lightcube]

Just for INFO: SP2 for Max 2017 broke this plugin for me in 2017. So be aware of that.

[Logos_Atum]

Hello lightcube,

I have not yet downloaded the plugin yet, and
followed Alfreds instructions. Also I remembered I did do it in the same manner more than a decade ago.

A screen recording suite as a medium worked fine. I simply captured a region to frames. The avi's had been supplied already. Usually our video contractor supplies frames too. Recompressed lossy compressed bitmaps aren't desireable, I agree.

Is there a security concern too?

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Logos_Atum,

I'm glad it worked out for you!  If you have any troubles or anything, please let me know and I'll be there asap.  Also, love the sig.  

Best Regards,

[Logos_Atum]

Hello Alfred,

I surely will.

Thanks so much

Daniel l