ImageAnimTut


	ANIMATED SETTINGS TUTORIAL A Video Processing Mixing Board, Right In Layout

WaveFilter Image filters can be used to apply the same effect or correction to multiple frames, or they can be animated by loading scenes with existing WaveFilter nulls or by adding individual nulls from the WaveFilter interface. With animated settings you have access to eighteen separate nulls, giving you the maximum flexibility possible. You can mix and match effects to tweak every bit of quality out of your images. Using animated settings with null objects opens up a wide world of image processing magic.

By using null objects with WaveFilter, you add the ability to animate the same settings you set on the WaveFilter interface. Unless you are already familiar with how to use animated nulls, we recommend you get use to the WaveFilter Image interface first. Learn one null object or one set of null objects at a time. Once you grasp the fundementals of using animated null objects, you may find yourself rarely using the WaveFilter Image interface controls. Instead, you may choose to load scenes you have saved with your favorite animated null settings. Null scenes are similar to using the equalizer on your stereo, but for image effects rather than sound.

In the following tutorial we will do a simple 120 frame animation that fades from black, holds and fades to black by using WaveFilter’s Bright% filter with nulls. We will explain how to add nulls directly from the WaveFilter Image interface, how to load and use the null sets located in the WaveFilter Image directory and how to envelope the nulls through LightWave’s Motion Graph.

Adding Nulls Through the WaveFilter Image Interface

Since adding individual nulls through the WaveFilter Image interface is considered as scene preparation, you can only add nulls as a Pre Render process. For more information on the Pre Render process, see Applying Filters.

1. From LightWave’s Effect Panel, select the Image Processing tab and open the WaveFilter pass that you want to add nulls to.

2. Select Animatable Settings from the preferences menu.



		Animatable Settings preference


	3. While the WaveFilter Image interface is open, click on the Add button on the LightWave interface and drag down to Add Null Object and release. Note that Layout’s Selected Item is now “Null”. 4. On the WaveFilter interface, click in the Bright% field to designate it as the filter you want to create a null for.


Adding a Null from Layout

5. A dialog box will pop up informing you of the null created, it’s name, and some tips on how to control that null. Click OK. The Bright% field will display the position of the associated Null Object at frame zero, “0”, and grey out, not allowing you to enter amounts.
		The dialog for the WF1Bright% null.



		Bright% field with null created


	6. You now have a new null object in your scene named WF1Bright%. Layout’s Selected Item will still show “Null” until you click on it. Then the name will change to reflect the newly created null.


		Layout’s selected item displaying the newly created null object.


	NOTE: You can at anytime turn off the Animated Settings option, allowing you to access the greyed fields from the WaveFilter Image interface. You can also clear any nulls you have created simply by deleting it. Each WaveFilter Null Object’s name starts with the number of the WaveFilter pass it was loaded into, followed by the name of the filter. See NULL NAMES REFERENCE LIST for more information on filter names, control method and value ranges.

Using the Graph Editor to Envelope the Null Objects

1. With the WF1Bright% null selected, go to the Graph Editor to view the Motion Graph for the Bright% filter. It will display the X Postion and have one keyframe at 0m. In the Motion Graph you can add additional keyframes.

2. First key one frame at 120 with a value of 0m, then anothor at frame 30 with a value of 100m and another at frame 90 with a value of 100m. After adding the keyframes you can use the Auto Limits option to expand the graph to include all keyframes used in the graph. Click on Use Motion to apply the enveloped nulls to the scene.

You now have a scene that will fade from black for 30 frames, hold at 100% Bright for 60 frames, and fade to black for 30 frames.

The example shows four keyframes:
   keyframe     0 = 0m
   keyframe   30 = 100m
   keyframe   90 = 100m
   keyframe 120 = 0m

This preceeding tutorial provided you with a very simple example of how use animated settings directly from the WaveFilter Image interface. This same procedure can be applied to all combinations of Image and Color Filters in WaveFilter.

NOTE: Edge Blend, Palette and Colored Grain have secondary setting options or preference settings that will need to be set prior to adding their null.

Loading Null Scenes

In the WaveFilter2 directory that was created by the setup program, are several separate sets of null scenes that can be placed in each WaveFilter pass, these sets are named:


	Sets for WaveFilter 2-1 WF2-1_All Filters WF2-1_Color Filters WF2-1_Image Filters Sets for WaveFilter 2-2 WF2-2_All Filters WF2-2_Color Filters WF2-2_Image Filters Sets for WaveFilter 2-3 WF2-3_All Filters WF2-3_Color Filters WF2-3_Image Filters Sets for WaveFilter 2-4 WF2-4_All Filters WF2-4_Color Filters WF2-4_Image Filters



		Scene with WaveFilter nulls loaded, in perpective view. Click on interface to see a larger view.

After loading or adding a null, there are several ways to animate the null:

1. Select the null you wish to animate, adjust the X value by numerically changing the Objects
Position and create a keyframe for the new value.

2.. Select the null and create a Motion Graph through the Graph Editor.

3. Select and manually slide the null in the scene across the X axis to the desired position, and create
a keyframe for the null’s new value.

After using and fully understanding Null Objects, you may find yourself never opening the WaveFilter interface to apply animated settings. The ability to save your favorite null settings and load them into your current project, makes animating WaveFilter Image and Color Filters quick and painless.