Christmas Snowcube - Make a Template/Tutorial???

[Lin Evans]

Just wondered if anyone would be interested in a template and tutorial for this? If so I'll do one, if not that's O.K. too. It would be controllable in terms of size, placement, rotation, etc., and could have snow on one or two or all six sides. The snow could be constrained to an area of the cube (as in through window demo) or cover the whole thing as in the rest of the sample.

http://www.learntoma...tmascubemac.zip (MacIntosh) no sound

http://www.learntoma...stmascubepc.zip (Windows) no sound

http://www.learntoma...ubemacsound.zip (Mac w/upbeat jingle bells)

http://www.learntoma...cubepcsound.zip (Windows w/upbeat jingle bells)

Small - 4.7 meg (without sound)

Medium - 8.8 meg (with music)

Lin

11/30/09 Template and elementary AVI Tutorial ready here - # 19 in list:

12/01/09 Tutorials on using PhotoScape to crop a square image of your choice of pixel dimensions and how to split and combine for cube face here - tutorials #20 and 21:

http://www.picturest...st=0#entry49109

[Lin Evans]

Hey Tom,

No problem - Actually, it's not that difficult when the "animation" lives as a separate entity via masking - probably no one else thought it was all that important - LOL.

I'm talking to Panos about a template for this so thought some folks might find it interesting. I'll get to work this week and have a template and tutorial posted as soon as I can.

Best regards,

Lin

[mhwarner]

As always, Lin, thanks for sharing your wonderful imagination with us! Clever animation and lovely pictures. Makes me want to go into the living room and sit by the fire. I look forward to your tutorial.

Thanks again for the time you put in here!

[Lin Evans]

Hi Mary,

Thanks! I replaced one side of the cube with a "through the window" snow scene to show one of the possibilities. It's on the same link.

Tom, if you get a chance to download again and check on the MacIntosh I would appreciate knowing if this works O.K. on the Mac.

thanks,

Lin

As always, Lin, thanks for sharing your wonderful imagination with us! Clever animation and lovely pictures. Makes me want to go into the living room and sit by the fire. I look forward to your tutorial.

Thanks again for the time you put in here!

[nelson]

Hello Lin,

I would be interested in your snow cube.

I would also like to take the time to thank you personally for your training tutorials.

They have helped me tremendously and I refer to them often.

Kieron

[Lin Evans]

Hi Kieron,

Thanks much, I'm glad that the tutorials were helpful! I have added another slide to the demo animation showing the possibilities of a 3D effect in the snow through the "window" scene. This is achieved via the "pan Z" feature.

Best regards,

Lin

[JRR]

Lin:

Great little cube

I had to watch it a couple of times as I was positive I saw the huskies' tongues moving independently of the overall image.

It was the interplay with the falling snow I think, but for a while I was saying "how the heck did he do that !?!?!"

[Lin Evans]

Hi Jim,

Just interplay with the snow, but actually it wouldn't be that difficult to animate their tongues somewhat. Watch this one - the first time through just watch the little Pika's ear.....

http://www.learntomakeslideshows.net/sample/captive.zip

Best regards,

Lin

[JRR]

Very good sir!

(reminds me of a show I did with a lion that winks at the audience at the end of the show)

I'll be careful not to suggest anything else

[Lin Evans]

O.K.

For you who have considerable understanding of PTE animation - just go to the link (tutorials) under PTE Made Easy, PTE for Smarties section (FAQ and Tutorials) and you can download the template.

Create 800x800 pixel (square) images for the six sides, name them side1.jpg through side6.jpg. Unzip the template into its own folder and copy your own cube sides overwriting the placeholder files and run the PTE file, create an exe, modify the movement, size, etc., as desired.

For those less familiar, download and look at the AVI tutorial (same link).

Essentially, there is a master controller frame for motion. A child frame for size and each side of the cube (side1.jpg, etc.) has an attached mask with the snow animation. Delete this for any side you don't want snow animation on (don't delete them all). To replace, just copy one of those you have left and make it a child under the side1.jpg, side2.jpg, etc.

Use the master controller frame to control motion of your cube. You can change the center of this frame to get non-linear motion, etc. Use the size frame to control the size of the cube (with keyframes, of course). Remove the "smooth & custom" motion before changing size or adjusting motion. Put it back if you like, or not.

A link to the Tutorials section is provided on the original post above for convenience....

Best regards,

Lin

[Lin Evans]

Hi Tom,

Good to hear! Thanks!

The template and first tutorial are ready - link above on the original post which has been edited to add links to the template and tutorial and two other versions with sound.

Best regards,

Lin

Works great on the Mac. I like the depth perception inside the window. Very realistic.

Thanks!

Tom