Can't Import TGA sequence

[zareh]

OK, I know I've done this before, but it's not working now. Why is it so hard to import a seqnece of frames into Speed Edit.
I hold down alt and drag and drop the 1st frame into Speed Edit. DOESN'T WORK.
Tried Control, didn't work either.
Here is a screen capture of what I did:
also included are some of the TGA frames.

Frustrated Speed Edit User,
Zareh

[zareh]

P.S. I have a feeling it's the file names that confusing SE. It should look at the last characters in the file name for a frame count and not let other numbers in the file name confuse it. For example the file name 2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0829.tga should be interpreted as frame 829 not frame 2007 or frame 24 or frame 02. Speed Edit should be smart enough to see this.

[zareh]

confirmed, when I renamed all the frames from:

2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0001.tga ...

to:

EarthFlyby_0001.tga ...

this is a serious bug, please fix it.

Zareh

[KiloWatkins]

I hold down alt and drag and drop the 1st frame into Speed Edit. DOESN'T WORK.

You don't use ctrl or alt. How many other programs do you know of that can get confused with other numbers in the filename? iow, it is not only SE.

GoodLuck

[zareh]

AfterEffects, Digital Fusion, Frame cycler and LightWave don't have any problems handling file name sequences like the ones above. Hopefully SpeedEdit will be fixed to handle such file names soon.
Best Regards,
Zareh

[SBowie]

I think you nailed it. There's another thread here a while back that turned out to be a problem with leading digits in a filename. I think John mentioned it would be fixed, but you can likely find that to confirm. In any case, you ought to put it a bug report to ensure the problem is noted (again.)

[KiloWatkins]

Yeah, I seem to remember that mentioned as well Steve. For most of the LW community, suddenly only now getting into an NLE like SPEdit, learning a few new workflows is just spending more time with SE. LW users just need to remember little things like naming and alpha, to get SE able to do the nearly same Newtek magic at a different level. The import of .tga's for me is wonderful, as I do less work in LW, then use SE to slowdown a .tga sequence. I use an HDV camera Perspective, and can make 240frames go a long way. WaveFilter is free and great to rename.XXX to .tga. Let me know if you want WaveFilter, the author said on the LW3D it was ok to share it.

[CreatvGnius]

...LW users just need to remember little things like naming and alpha, to get SE able to do the nearly same Newtek magic at a different level... ...and don't forget LightWavers need to deal with the need for correlation of each image frame, to timecode frames in hour: minutes: seconds: frames (drop-frame) format.
-PeterG

[zareh]

I think you nailed it. There's another thread here a while back that turned out to be a problem with leading digits in a filename. I think John mentioned it would be fixed, but you can likely find that to confirm. In any case, you ought to put it a bug report to ensure the problem is noted (again.)
Yes, that other tread was started by me as well, back in Feb of 2007! :)
I stated what the bug was back then. It's been over a year now, and the bug is still there.

http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63186&highlight=sequence

What e-mail address should I mail this bug report to?

Best Regards,
Zareh

[SBowie]

Funny, then, that it slipped your mind. As to the longevity of the bug, maybe for many it's simply not considered THAT BIG A PROBLEM ... since it's ridiculously easy to sidestep. :D

I imagine it will be resolved in the next version, but to answer your question, use the bug report menu in the SE section of the Windows Start menu ...

[KiloWatkins]

Hahahahahah How Big Is A Big Problem???? Lolollllolllol

[zareh]

Funny, then, that it slipped your mind. As to the longevity of the bug, maybe for many it's simply not considered THAT BIG A PROBLEM ... since it's ridiculously easy to sidestep. :D

I imagine it will be resolved in the next version, but to answer your question, use the bug report menu in the SE section of the Windows Start menu ...
Actually it's not that strange that it slipped my mind. I can hardly remember what I ate for breakfast :). I don't use SE daily, and figured since I put in the time to mention the problem, and diagnose what the bug was, NT would have fixed it in a years worth of development. They did not, so I had to run into the bug AGAIN and re-diagnose it's fix. I'm sure a few months down the road, if the bug still isn't fixed, I'll probably start another thread about it, having forgotten this one and the previous one. :)

Bottom line, NT should have fixed this bug in the last 13 months!

Best Regards,
Zareh

[ScorpioProd]

So the bug was or wasn't actually entered into the Newtek bug reporting system?

A lot of us talk about problems on the forums, but doing that doesn't put it into the bug fixing system.

[zareh]

So the bug was or wasn't actually entered into the Newtek bug reporting system?

A lot of us talk about problems on the forums, but doing that doesn't put it into the bug fixing system.
Good point. I looked in the menu area SBowie mentioned and found this e-mail address SpeedEDIT-support@NewTek.com

and sent the following text to it:

Speed Edit 1.5 can't handle frame sequences that have numbers in their file names other than the frame sequence. For example the following frame sequence can't be imported into Speed Edit:


2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0001.tga
2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0002.tga
2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0003.tga

Speed Edit can't tell these are frames 1,2 & 3 of a sequence. It should skip over the "2007", "24" and "02. Other editing programs, compositing programs (like After Effects and Digital Fusion) and LightWave have no problem with file names such as these.

Best Regards,
Zareh

hope the issue gets resolved soon, otherwise SpeedEdit it useless to me for editing our LightWave animations. We routinely include dates and shot numbers in our frame sequences. It's common practice and something that Speed Edit should have supported at version 1.0.

Best Regards,
Zareh

[KiloWatkins]

hope the issue gets resolved soon, otherwise SpeedEdit it useless to me for editing our LightWave animations. We routinely include dates and shot numbers in our frame sequences.

WorkFlow, ever consider a folder dated name to save your sequence? Since you seem to be stuck with this issue, others simply aren't. Sure, the small group, with major talent will fix this at some point, but negative opions just doesn't fly, when your problem is yours. You never asked for WaveFilter Sequencer, so maybe you can get it somewhere else. Just one of many rename.XXX free programs in the world, designed for your, cough,cough workflow. I'd much rather see the small SE team keep up with codec and added SE features their small staff can provide. SE is at 1.5.1 btw. It can be installed into its own folder to have both.

GoodLuck

[zareh]

hope the issue gets resolved soon, otherwise SpeedEdit it useless to me for editing our LightWave animations. We routinely include dates and shot numbers in our frame sequences.

WorkFlow, ever consider a folder dated name to save your sequence? Since you seem to be stuck with this issue, others simply aren't. Sure, the small group, with major talent will fix this at some point, but negative opions just doesn't fly, when your problem is yours. You never asked for WaveFilter Sequencer, so maybe you can get it somewhere else. Just one of many rename.XXX free programs in the world, designed for your, cough,cough workflow. I'd much rather see the small SE team keep up with codec and added SE features their small staff can provide. SE is at 1.5.1 btw. It can be installed into its own folder to have both.

GoodLuck
Thanks for your suggestions. Also thanks for the SE 1.5.1 tip. By the way the About box should state what version SE is at, it doesn't. I know the title screen has that info, but the about box should have it too. Another inexcusable Bug! SE is useless to me until this about box issue is resolved! :)
Best Regards,
Zareh

[Rich Deustachio]

Instead of naming it 2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0001.tga ...
you could use TwoThousandSeven_TUtwentyfour_Earth_Flyby_text_Rze roTwo_00001.tga

or Newtek could fix the problem :)

[zareh]

Instead of naming it 2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0001.tga ...
you could use TwoThousandSeven_TUtwentyfour_Earth_Flyby_text_Rze roTwo_00001.tga

or Newtek could fix the problem :)
:agree:

[KiloWatkins]

Fix your workflow. FYI, one of the best at converting is SuperConverter, TIA JimC, as they are keeping up on new codec's and can uncompress most any .EXT out there. As Frames.EXT are also included. Converting with Super is directly proportional to the uncompressed bitrate you enter. I just finished a folder of 320x240.WMV's that was ~ 5meg befor, and set to a DV 16x9 @ 5meg bitrate. The folder of ~ 40.WMV finished overnight, and now the uncompressed folder is at 40 gigs. The point is, LW users of SE, where they never ran Tedit in VT, need to adjust their workflow, or get up to speed with the VT community, who know and understand SPedit, as the program the VT community had wanted for 5-6 years. iow, as VT editors, converting client videos is just part of the workflow, and LW SE newbies need to apply tips and tricks VT editors are trying to share. The issue will get fixed at some point, but Newtek has many divisions that are working hard with their small teams, to fill the needs of HD/HDV editing and VT/HD switching for the 2009 Digital standards. They are not able to have 15 Programmers for one issue like a FCP, Avid or Vegas, read BIG company. Please give it a rest, and do what has been offered to fix YOUR issue. More time has been spent about this, than it would take to rename/convert. Posting your not going to use SE because of one issue is up to you, but not really what others care to read. iow, I don't care if your going to abandone SE. If that is your goal, stop waisting others time trying to help you, with YOUR problem, since your not going to use SE.

GoodLuck

[mojographix]

To add to this thread i have a very annoying problem which i hope someone can help me with, im using LW 9.3. Im trying to setup an animation as a surface on a screen.. but the animation wont run when i render my sequence? I tried using image sequence and it works fine but i have some .avi (cinepack compressed) animations i wanna play on a screen in my animation but it just shows the first image the whole time. I tried changing framerate, startframe and pre and post behavior but nothing makes the movie run during render??

Now i have tried several diffrent mov and avi movies but with same result
Anyone have same problem or a solution to this?

[SBowie]

We're talking about applying an image sequence to a sruface in LW here, right? In that case, open up the Image Editor, and check that Image Type is set to either Animation or Sequence, as the file type dictates. Also check that First and Last frame settings, In and Out settings, and both Pre and Post Behavior are valid for the current section (frames) of your LW project.

[mojographix]

But does that mean if you have say a 200 frame project ur going to render and u place a 400 frame sequence or a 400 frame animation it wont run?? or am i wrong here? In any case I thought it would just render the project to end and "cut" remaining sequence frame or animation. I guess a way to solve this would be to increase the project frame length but not render them. I still have no luck putting an animation "image type" and render. Only my sequence frame progress while my animation frame wont....

Mojo

[SBowie]

But does that mean if you have say a 200 frame project ur going to render and u place a 400 frame sequence or a 400 frame animation it wont run?? or am i wrong here?Of course you are (wrong.) That would be a bit silly, wouldn't it?
I still have no luck putting an animation "image type" and render. Only my sequence frame progress while my animation frame wont....For an AVI, the file settings are usually detected properly - anim type, and frame count, that is. Set Start to the first (project) frame where you want to apply the animation surface. Set the In slider to the first frame if the animation you want to show up on the surface.

"Pre" determines what will happen before "Start" - so for example, suppose you have a 60 frame AVI of numbers running from 0 to 59, and map those to a single poly. If you set "In" to 10 and Start" to 15, the result will be that frame 10 of the AVI will be assigned to the surface at project frame 15. The Pre setting will determine what happens before project frame 15. (Post is similar, naturally.)

(btw, I've noticed you can't always judge things by the OpenGL view - when considering a frame before or after the range your image settings call for. Do a quick F9 render to be sure which frame is being applied to a surface in that case.)


In the image below, the sixty frames count up from 0 to 59. Anim frame 10 is held until the Start point at project frame 15 - at project frame 16, anim frame 11 is shown on the surface as you can see, and so on.

[SBowie]

oops ..

[KiloWatkins]

oops what? Mojo, how long have you been working in LW? New? If so, be sure the poly surface line is pointing towards the camera, from a side view in Modler. Flip if not.

oops ..
__________________
--
Regards, Steve
steve@vtworx.com

[SBowie]

(btw - I'm not too sure why this thread is in a SpeedEDIT forum.)

[CreatvGnius]

...I looked in the menu area SBowie mentioned and found this e-mail address [B][I]SpeedEDIT-support@NewTek.com
Hi, Zareh! I'm almost certain, that you did not officially file a bug report, given the information cited above.

The link you cite here is more or less, an Email link to Customer Support, but not to the web site through which NewTek handles bug reporting for hardware and software.

Admittedly, I'm speculating here, so anyone is welcome to correct me, if the preceding info and following link is not correct:
https://secure.newtek.com/fogbugz/
:rolleyes:
-PeterG

[KiloWatkins]

oops what? Mojo, how long have you been working in LW? New? If so, be sure the poly surface line is pointing towards the camera, from a side view in Modler. Flip if not.

oops ..

Ok, I've duplicated the issue, and am looking at it with removing/adding plugins but working in 9.5. Lost the NewFeatures page, if you know Steve.

[KiloWatkins]

Ok, I've duplicated the issue, and am looking at it with removing/adding plugins but working in 9.5. Lost the NewFeatures page, if you know Steve.

OK, you need to install the plug-ins. I have it workng, but not with Alpha, yet.

GoodLuck

[zareh]

Hi, Zareh! I'm almost certain, that you did not officially file a bug report, given the information cited above.

The link you cite here is more or less, an Email link to Customer Support, but not to the web site through which NewTek handles bug reporting for hardware and software.

Admittedly, I'm speculating here, so anyone is welcome to correct me, if the preceding info and following link is not correct:
https://secure.newtek.com/fogbugz/
:rolleyes:
-PeterG

Thanks Peter, I had reported it through e-mailing the support e-mail and got the following confirmation e-mail:
(Case 11666) bug report (frame sequence)
https://secure.newtek.com/FogBugz/default.asp?11666_shkenomv

so I'm assuming this bug is finally in the system.

Best Regards,
Zareh

[KiloWatkins]

Not to rehash anything in this thread, you need to start the render at 0 as I've just found out. You can however, if your LW render starts at 1, change in Prefs to 1 frame, click the LW.tga001, hold shift and select the last frame.

FYI

[brianbrice]

Good point. I looked in the menu area SBowie mentioned and found this e-mail address SpeedEDIT-support@NewTek.com

and sent the following text to it:

Speed Edit 1.5 can't handle frame sequences that have numbers in their file names other than the frame sequence. For example the following frame sequence can't be imported into Speed Edit:


2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0001.tga
2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0002.tga
2007_TU24_Earth_Flyby_Text_R02_0003.tga

Speed Edit can't tell these are frames 1,2 & 3 of a sequence. It should skip over the "2007", "24" and "02. Other editing programs, compositing programs (like After Effects and Digital Fusion) and LightWave have no problem with file names such as these.

Best Regards,
Zareh

hope the issue gets resolved soon, otherwise SpeedEdit it useless to me for editing our LightWave animations. We routinely include dates and shot numbers in our frame sequences. It's common practice and something that Speed Edit should have supported at version 1.0.

Best Regards,
Zareh

The problem is not being able to distinguish the different numbers within the file name. The "problem" is that the file name actually starts with a number. This particular check was made to handle certain cases that has been around for a while.