Worms' Challenge

[_acecombat_]

Now Worm we all know you are good at dll's for audio but here is a challenge for you:
Can you make a dll that could analyse a song and get a beat pattern or something so you could get something happening like on the vizulisations in media player. This could add some very good effects to AMS apps if you could.

[_acecombat_]

Or you could also try to work out how to use the windows media vizulisation dll's either way if you could it would be great!

[Worm]

I guess I don't understand exactly what you want. What would the end result be?

[_acecombat_]

something that can cause events to happen on the beat so you can have it change backgound or something.

[eric_darling]

This can be done, at least it has for other products. I don't know if this is too deep for development in conjunction with AMS 4. You have to have something that can analyze the waveform of the audio file in question.

There's a superbly written plug-in for After Effects that can do some incredible stuff. I once shared a cab with the kid that started Trapcode - a real genius type.

Here's the link: http://www.trapcode.com/products_soundkeys.html

[Corey]

Holy snap, their gallery is probably themost impressive I've seen vis-a-vis "How in tarnation did they do that" as well as "Dang, I wish I had done that". I must try out their stuff at some point in time.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[eric_darling]

Yeah, and if you know anything about trying to incorporate volumetric lighting in 3D renders, you know how long that takes. This guy started his company based on the Shine plug-in, which tackles that subject in 2D for After Effects both much better and much faster than any other plug-in before it came along.

It was, and still is, revolutionary.

I think he was 19 when he wrote Shine, or something like that.

[Corey]

That's cool. As for the volumetric slabs, they take along time to render as well as set up. particleIllusion (nee Illusion) is pretty cool too although it seems to me it renders everything at 26ppi or some stupid thing. Fun though, and easy to get similar results. It uses something called blockers and reflectors so that you can very quickly make your particle effects or lighting effects conform to whatever structure your video contains. The blockers and reflectors can also be animated across the timeline, etc.

Illusion was the very first "expensive" app I ever bought, I think I paid $200 or something like that... Their support was absolutely terrible, perhaps the worst I've ever seen, but the brand has since been sold, so...

BTW just downloaded 3D stroke and made a couple projects from their tutorials. Amazing stuff, you wouldn't believe how hard I used to have to work to get those effects... Very cool tool, don'tbe surprised if you see it used in upcoming promo materials here at IR.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[eric_darling]

Glad you have found that link so useful! I'm looking forward to that upcoming material, Corey. /ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif

[Worm]

Well, the problem as I see it, is that AMS4 has no way of letting you fire an event to poll with a DLL to get the information. Sure you could put it in a silent mp3 and work off from that, but that event fires only about once a second. To do the visualizations, you'd need to get info more often than that. Looping is out of the question because it hijacks the interface.

I even tried thinking outside of the box on this one. But I simply couldn't come up with anything.

[Corey]

I know for sure it's possible in Flash, I've seen several dynamic EQs built in Flash which were clearly analyzing the spectrum somehow. If you go to Flashkit.com you'll see little tiny ones which accompany all the sounds in their download section. Like I say, I've seen it several times so there must be a tutorial on how to do it out there somewhere, i.e. Flashkit.

If I wasn't so crazy busy I'd check it out and build something but it's too nuts right now... If no one figures this one out I'll revisit it in a few weeks if I can...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[User1]

Worm, you mentioned that you would need an event that fires more than once a second, well I have an idea. Couldn't you use a repeating flash file with just a couple of frames and the action to send an fscommand. That way it would be sending an fscommand many times a second. You could use the onfscommand event in AMS to pick up on this and get events much more frequently. Might cause slow down though ..... but just a suggestion.
I have no idea about writing DLLs, but this would be a really nice feature if someone got it working.

[Corey]

Naw, Flash won't slow down anything at one event per second. I've created many projects which used Flash timers to trigger events, never seen a slow down yet...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Worm]

That probably would work, but I am not at all fluent in FLASH, nor do I own a copy. Maybe someday I can take the time to learn it, but for now I'll have to settle.

[Corey]

If you ever need a component built or something just post the specs, I'd be happy to assist you with Flash anytime...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Worm]

Thanx Corey. If it comes to that, I will definately take you up on that offer.

[Corey]

/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif




If it comes to that



/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Corey]

Snap! I reckon these trapcode plugs are more confusing than a crate full of Rubik's Cubes to a one eyed Raccoon. (Dukes of Hazzard flashback) Is it just me or are these particularly hard to use vis-a-vis visualizing an effect in your mind and then quickly setting up the paramteres to create that effect?

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[Worm]

Holy Snap Batman!

Corey; I think you need some sleep dude!
Where did this post come from? Actually, don't tell me. I'm afraid to know.

[eric_darling]

Nah, it's just you. /ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif

Actually, when I really think about it, I believe the Trapcode plugs are among the easier plugs to figure out. If you really want to get mushy, try playing with Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator or the Final Effects Complete series (Mr. Mercury is particularly crazy if you ask me). I also find some of the former Atomic Power Evolution series plugs a bit esoteric: Multiplane is wild. I finally figured out Vegas and found some very excellent uses for it. I also found the Shatter Plug-In especially neat - as did Total Training - they did an entire 2 hour training video just on that plug-in! It's unbelievably deep and useful.

If you want to see what else is out there to make After Effects even more magical, check out the relatively comprehensive offerings at Toolfarm (http://www.toolfarm.com).

[eric_darling]

Yeah, some sleep might be beneficial, but read back in this thread, and you'll find what we are talking about. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

[Corey]

How does such a huge company manage to end up with such a crappy web site? No samples, no gallery, no user related info, nada, zip, zilch, zero. Their sales would grow with a little care and attention on that site by a good pro. Reminds me of the time me and Cooter went down to Boars' Nest to root for Daisy Mae in the county waitressing contest and those two mysterious strangers were trying to sabotage her drink tray so we... No wait a minute that's still the Dukes of Hazzard I think...

Sleep is for weaklings. Greetings from the ultra turbo world.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[eric_darling]

I don't know how big they are - they just resell that stuff, and I've never really thought of them as anything but a warehouse with a few folks working the phones and the net. I agree, though. Nasty site.

Of course, you can go to the sites of the folks who actually wrote the software to see examples. /ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif Some of those are pretty lame too, I would fathom.

[Worm]

Ahhhh I see. He threw me by replying to my post.

Sorry Corey. Maybe I need the sleep.

[Corey]

Oh I see Eric, it's just a reseller. Got it now... BTW, "Whachoo talkin' 'bout Mr. D.?" Easy, schmeasy, if that's simple to use then I'm Carl Sagan. Or wait, Carl Sagan was never on the Duke Of Hazzard, was he? Hmmm... Never mind... (Would've made a decent episode though, "Episode 413: Crystal Lattice [Boss Hogg learns from Cousin Carl that the symmetric lattice of atoms can support resonant lattice vibration modes just in time for the county fair.]")

Fight the power Worm.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)

[eric_darling]

Hey Corey...

Cooter wants his molecular musings back. You got swept up the nexus somewhere in this thread Corey. Easy, boy... You can come on down now. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

[Corey]

Shucks...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software (http://www.indigorose.com)