both .mov and .swf export quality blow up at scene change

[markthomas1967]

Apparently every type of image is forbidden to upload to this post so you'll just have to take my word for it that the video pixelates into oblivion at precisely the moment that the export process continued from scene 1 on to scene 2.

The only thing that's "weird" about what I'm trying to do is that the last frame of scene 1 is identical to the first frame of scene 2, for editorial reasons.

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone

[JoãoCésar]

Hi.

You shouldn't have any problem uploading any mainstream image format or even embedding video.

Is it possible for you to upload your pictures to somewhere like Imgur and post the link here?

About your problem, it's very strange indeed. I can't imagine a reason for a quality change when scenes switch other than different assets with different sources, publish settings or transformations.

I think that the best way of helping you is by looking at your FLA even if you have to remove or change assets.

Regards,

JC

[markthomas1967]

OK, I imgurd the images (was still getting "this image format is not permitted" for jpgs, tiffs, etc., when I tried to "Insert Image" via the button in the toolbar)

SCENE ONE (last frame) - Imgur

SCENE TWO (first frame) - Imgur

same assets, same everything

someone suggested making sure stage quality is set at best for both scenes (using script), haven't tried this yet

[JoãoCésar]

Thanks.

Can you share a link to your FLA or at least part of it?

[markthomas1967]

I'd be happy to, but not sure where the FLA could exist online?

[JoãoCésar]

You can use Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer or another file sharing service of your choice.

[markthomas1967]

ok so I made a new FLA that contains the ast bit of original scene 1 and the first bit of original scene 2, which I dropped into a DB folder, along some of the relevant assets (the .psb files), but I can't find the Configuration folder that apparently holds the .png files? (Other library objects like symbols and bitmaps look like they're part of the FLA file? (as you can tell i have no f****** idea how Animate actually works (this is an Animate 2018 project btw)))...

[markthomas1967]

While waiting for help finding/sharing the assets attached to my FLA, I tried implementing two versions of this solution (another script solution someone recommended was stage.quality = "16x16";)

What happened was that, at the scene change, not only did the pixelation occur, but the whole image went blurry as well:

SCENE TWO (first frame): quality = ____

[Colin Holgate]

This article shows the differences between "best" and "16x16". Basically, "16x16" is two levels of quality higher than "best":

StageQuality - Adobe ActionScript® 3 (AS3 ) API Reference

I'm not sure what the Linear version does differently.

You should check all of your bitmaps in the library, make sure they are set to Lossless, and Allow Smoothing.

[markthomas1967]

OK, all bitmaps were set to Lossless and to Allow Smoothing, but problem persists (also tried with & without 'stage.quality = "16x16";' (adding script once again created the blur but did not prevent pixelation))...

[JoãoCésar]

Hi.

Are you able to share at least a part of your FLA?

Regards,

JC

[markthomas1967]

hi

I added a FLA which demonstrates the problem to a DB folder, but you also need the assets, right? i'm having trouble accessing the Configuration folder in which they live (I think), because I can't find the Library folder in which (I think) the Configuration folder I supposed to be (under Macintosh HD > Users > my user name/home icon). So I'm not sure how to provide you with the BMP and PNG assets that go with the FLA... nor for that matter am I sure how to tell the new FLA to link to the attached BMPs and PNGs...

Please tell me if all you need is the FLA, e.g., to check for script errors around the scene change... or otherwise how to get you what you need...

[JoãoCésar]

Aren't your bitmaps inside of your FLA?

Anyway, I think only the FLA may give us a small idea of what is going on.

Thanks.

[markthomas1967]

Again, I have no idea how Animate actually works. But as I recall now (I think), BMPs and PNGs are generated by the program whenever I place an imported object like a PSB on the stage (correct?). So as long I give you all the PSBs that are associated with the PNGs and BMPs in the FLA, you have what you need?

In any event, here's the folder: Dropbox - SCENECHANGE.BLOWUP.TEST - Simplify your life

[JoãoCésar]

Thanks.

One thing I suspect that may be causing the problem is the bitmap sizes. I really would like to suggest to you to reduce them. They are really huge. This may be causing some memory issue. That tablecloth, for example, has an original size of 5642 x 2981 pixels but you are scaling it to about 10% of its original size.

What about reducing the bitmaps first in Photoshop?

[Colin Holgate]

I think the problem is the opposite of what JC said. In scene 1 you are using a 5642x2981 image, then in scene 2 you're continuing with a 564x298 similar image. There is 100 times as many pixels given to the scene 1 image.

Another issue is that your images are using a color dither, as if you have scanned them from a book. That dither may not give the best results when scaled down.

But the main issue is how small the bitmap is in the second scene.

[markthomas1967]

Hey guys:

I have added a new FLA to the DB folder, called "TEST.SCENECHANGE.BLOWUP copy 2." Both scenes in this FLA use the same "shrunken" table BMP, i.e., 564x298 pixels, in an attempt to remove the "memory challenge" that JC speculated might be behind the blow-up at scene change. But while there is no discernible change to the "shrunken" table in the exported video at scene change, the only other element on the stage, the (lossless) arm-and-fist BMP (839x1463, not small but not a monster like the "big" 5642x2981 table BMP), blows up at scene change just the same as it did in the original "TEST.SCENECHANGE.BLOWUP" doc (maybe even a little worse??).

Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Thoughts?

UPDATE: Just to be thorough, I created a "copy 3" version of the test FLA that uses same "shrunken" table but also uses a "shrunken" arm-and-fist BMP (420x732). Same blow-up in the export.

PS. I don't know if this is a clue or not, but whenever I move from scene 1 to scene 2 using the Edit Scene button, I always have to correct my view of scene 2, that is, I have to ask for "Show Frame" to get the view of the stage in scene 2 to look like the view in scene 1...? A glitch?

[Colin Holgate]

I noticed the glitch when changing scenes. I wonder if it's because you're using a Camera layer? What is the reason that you're using a Camera?

Can you try what I suggested, and use a higher quality bitmap in scene 2? What JC says about the size of bitmaps relates, I think, to what real time performance you will get. But as you're animating to export to video, the scene can be so demanding that you only get 1 frame per second in a SWF test, but you will get perfect frame rate from the video export.

[markthomas1967]

Hi

I have just added two MOVs and two SWFs to the shared DB folder, all exported from the FLA named "TEST.SCENECHANGE.BLOWUP copy 2" (also in the shared DB folder), which FLA employs "full-size" table PNGs (generated from "master two table 2.psb") and "full-size" arm-and-fist PNGs. (The images are, in fact, hi-res scans from a book of artwork by Hieronymus Bosch.)

As the filenames indicate, the camera layer has been removed from "copy 2" before exporting two of these four vids.

The vids exported with the project's camera layers turned on blow up at the scene change. The ones exported with the camera layers turned off don't.

This difference that the camera layer apparently makes is a difference I did notice as I was tinkering/struggling before posting this thread, but I wasn't sure what significance to attach to it. I probably "moved on" from this observation because I didn't want to face going without a camera layer, both because the movie I'm building (from which all these "test" FLAs are excerpted/pirated) makes heavy use of camera movement, and because I didn't think I should have to go without it/work around it!

Any ideas??

Thanks for sticking with me on this