Ren'Py Daz Post production work with animation

[Aristro]

I always work on my images with photoshop before adding to renpy. I change stuff like Vibrance, exposure etc. Now I am planning to add animation to my game. So I was wondering how can I edit animation file in post production? Because if the color between other images and this animation are different, it will be off putting. Also which format is recommended for animation work?
PS : I am using DAZ Studio for both animation and image render. And of course game is VN Renpy.

 

[NemesiaProductions]

Do you render your animations as image sequences and merge them via an external application or do you just render and mp4/avi like video file?

 

[Rich]

Nemesia is on the right track. You don't want to have Ren'py render a movie directly. Instead, you want to have it generate an image sequence and then use another tool to create a movie from that. This gives you the opportunity to edit the images if you want before building the move. But it's also important in case Daz crashes mid-way through - you don't have to start again from the beginning.

In terms of editing the whole sequence, Photoshop has batch editing capabilities.

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[Aristro]

Do you render your animations as image sequences and merge them via an external application or do you just render and mp4/avi like video file?

Hey. I didn't render any animations yet. As I said, i am still debating about adding them. Because the process seems complicated. So I wanted to know if it will compliment with rest of the scene.

 

[Aristro]

Nemesia is on the right track. You don't want to have Ren'py render a movie directly. Instead, you want to have it generate an image sequence and then use another tool to create a movie from that. This gives you the opportunity to edit the images if you want before building the move. But it's also important in case Daz crashes mid-way through - you don't have to start again from the beginning.

In terms of editing the whole sequence, Photoshop has batch editing capabilities.

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What tools and format would you recommend for this process? Right now I am kind of familiar with Photoshop and DAZ. I also know Vegas pro but I don't know if that is useful here

 

[Rich]

What tools and format would you recommend for this process? Right now I am kind of familiar with Photoshop and DAZ. I also know Vegas pro but I don't know if that is useful here

There are a number of different packages people use to combine image sequences into movies, if that's what you mean. I have a whole scripting environment set up using ffmpeg, but that's probably not useful to you. VirtualDub has this capability, as do several other tools. Google "image sequence to webm", for example, will list quite a few options.

I know nothing about Vegas Pro, unfortunately.

 

[Madmanator99]

I personnaly use Renpy to play animations as a set of individual pictures, but if you realy need to make them into a single file, then you can use photoshop to make a gif as a first step (it's very good at making gifs, there are many tutorials on how to make gifs in photoshop, but if you need help, say so).
Another option for example is a google chrome app that does it very well called GIF Maker - I'm not kidding, it runs on the chrome explorer. You just pick your set of pictures and it spits out a gif file. It is actually very good, I use it alot because it takes less time to setup compared to photoshop.
Then you just have to turn that gif file into a webm that Renpy can play. And as Rich said, google "gif to webm".

Personnally, I render the animation as image sequences in daz, and make the animation in renpy. It takes more HD space, but saves me alot of troubles/steps hehe.

 

[Aristro]

I think I am gonna go the Image sequence route. Right now I am still working on my regular renders, I will leave animation for the last. I am still confused about how to save am image sequence but I think I can figure it out once I actually do it. Thanks for all the tips, guys. Appreciate it...

 

[Madmanator99]

Oh, well, assuming you have an animation set in daz, that takes 30 frames for example, let's say

You go to your Render setting and change the Render Type to Image Series:

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Then you set the start frame and end frame, along with the folder where you want the renders to be stored, and the name of the serie's base files (they will have an incremental number automatically assigned for each frame):

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Once done, go to that folder and you will find a render for each frame.

Some Tips: Set the resolution quite small compared to what you want for final product, because it will take a long time to render! So if you test, you can go as low as 400x400, just to have quick tests, then use a gif maker and check how the anim looks like, If happy then go full-on Hd.

But honestly, don't hesitate to ask!

 

[Aristro]

That was tremendously helpful. If I ever get stuck in future, I will ask here... Thank you... <3

 

[Aristro]

Oh, well, assuming you have an animation set in daz, that takes 30 frames for example, let's say

You go to your Render setting and change the Render Type to Image Series:
Then you set the start frame and end frame, along with the folder where you want the renders to be stored, and the name of the serie's base files (they will have an incremental number automatically assigned for each frame):

Once done, go to that folder and you will find a render for each frame.

Some Tips: Set the resolution quite small compared to what you want for final product, because it will take a long time to render! So if you test, you can go as low as 400x400, just to have quick tests, then use a gif maker and check how the anim looks like, If happy then go full-on Hd.

But honestly, don't hesitate to ask!

I just remembered one more question if you don't mind. Once I rendered with DAZ. What is the next step? I combine those images with a 3rd party software and then edit with photoshop?

 

[NemesiaProductions]

I just remembered one more question if you don't mind. Once I rendered with DAZ. What is the next step? I combine those images with a 3rd party software and then edit with photoshop?

After the image sequence is ready, you need to do the editing prior to combining them via an external software. I personally use Magix Vegas to combine them into a video file(previously known as sony vegas).

 

[Aristro]

After the image sequence is ready, you need to do the editing prior to combining them via an external software. I personally use Magix Vegas to combine them into a video file(previously known as sony vegas).

So I guess I will do that photoshop batch file editing technique as mentioned in this thread. I think I understand the process now. I will give it a try.

 

[Madmanator99]

The edit is really only needed if the rest of your pictures (other renders in your project) have been edited, and if so, then try to edit the first frame of the sequence, then save the actions, and apply it to the rest of the sequence pictures, and they should blend in. Batch method works great for that indeed! Save the actions, then apply to the rest.

But again, you do not "have" to combine the pictures. You can, but if you have 31 pictures (as an example), that can work with Renpy. You can play an animation in Renpy with individual renders. Not optimal, but first steps. Get things to work, then improve.

PS: On a totally different note, Magix Vegas is great, dude I used Magix Music Maker back in the days

 

[mickydoo]

You can change the render engine to viewport or openGL to test animations. The look shit but render in a minute so you can look at them. I use premier pro but the principle will be the same.

I make a fuck animation of the cock going in etc for say 20 frames, then loop them in premier pro by copying them and reversing the copy to make it come out again. It then has to be sped up heaps cos its really slow as it is. But remember if you do this, after you copy the frames, delete the first and last one off the copy before you reverse it.

For ease of typing lets say you have 5 frames
1 2 3 4 5
reversed is
5 4 3 2 1
Joined its
1 2 3 4 5 5 4 3 2 1
The 5 and 1 is doubled up, hence the need to delete them.

 

[palumbra]

my python script for reversign and loop frames:

import os, shutil
import subprocess

img_or = []

print()

a = os.getcwd()
#print (a)


os.chdir("images")

a = os.getcwd()
print (a)

# pulisci prima le image*.jpg
p = subprocess.run ("del image*.jpg", shell=True)
print(p)

for root, dirs, files in os.walk("."):
    for filename in files:
        img_or.append(filename)


quanti = len(img_or)
print ()
print (quanti)
print ()

#giro normali
for i in range (0,(quanti)):
    newname = "image{:03d}".format(i) + ".jpg"
    shutil.copy2(img_or[i], newname)
    print(img_or[i] + " -> " + newname);


print()

# reverse
nn = quanti
for i in range ((quanti -2),0,-1):
    newname = "image" + "{:03d}".format(nn) +".jpg"
    shutil.copy2(img_or[i], newname)
    print(img_or[i] + " -> " + newname);
    nn += 1

print()

very fast

in daz save imges sequence with a name not "image"
scene pic a b z

install

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and
use whit powershell

my scenario:
dir with the ffmpeg.exe and specchia.img.py file
and a subdir images (where to save the daz image sequence) :

blabla
blabla/images

open blabla in file explorer
then shift and rmb -> open powershell here

PS C:\Users\mc\Desktop\1111test> py .\specchia_img_z-002.py

in eng yuo can rename the prg: mirror_img.py





then u have in folder image/image001 to .....


make an uncompressed avi with:

ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -y -i  images/image%3d.jpg -c copy 1.avi

et voila, few seconds an alll done

for compress the file i use

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:

ffmpeg.exe  -hide_banner -r 18 -i 1.avi -c:v libvpx-vp9 -crf 30 -vf hqdn3d,fps=18 -quality good  -rc_lookahead 16  -speed 3  -vprofile 0 -qmax 51 -qmin 4 -slices 4 -tile-columns 6 -frame-parallel 1 -auto-alt-ref 1 -lag-in-frames 25  -row-mt 1  -g 120 -bf 2    -pix_fmt yuv420p out.webm

-r 18 rate input lower to slow the speed, raise for more speed
(-r 25 and fps=25 1 :1 speed, -r 12 and fps=25 slow down 50% the speed)
-crf 30 (5 - 37) quality
fps=18 final fps of the video


if u r maniacs, and use png change all
.jpg with .png



25 frames mirrored and compress -r 8 fps=18 crf 15
all in fews seconds:

View attachment out.webm