Frequently Asked QuestionsTutorials
These quick tutorials will show you how easy it is to make a simple move from your particular system:
What's the difference between the Plug-In and Producer versions?
- How do I Import QT Movies into iMovie?
- Where can I find Codecs for Producer?
- Is there a User's Group or Forum?
- How can I make the motion have no Slows?
What can MovingPicture do that After Effects can't?
Nothing. It's just easier. After Effects is a very robust compositing tool that shines in complex imaging situations, but it is overkill for doing pans and zooms on stills. MovingPicture is faster and easier to use. The moves can be instantly changed as your show changes, without going outside your editor.Why is it better than the internal DVE in my editor?
MovingPicture will do pans and zooms on hi-res images, up to 8,000 by 8,000 pixels, so the image will not break up as you zoom into it. The internal DVE will only zoom on video-size images. MovingPicture is fast and easy to useWhat's the difference between the Plug-In and Producer versions?
The MovingPicture Producer functions as its own program and does not need an editor to run. Its operation is identical to the Plug-Ins, but can create digital movie files for import into any editor that can accept them. Producer will create QuickTime files and AVI files (Windows only).The Producer is able to create movie files with multiple pictures, placing transitions between them. It can also create Macromedia Flash movie files if the free StageFlash option is downloaded.
You can use any version of a MovingPicture plug-in or Producer on the same computer at no additional charge.
Will MovingPicture run on Mac OS-X?
Yes. We have version for both Classic and OS X for all our editors. The Producer version will run in both.Can it do image Rotation?
Yes, but it is a $69 option over the price of the standard MovingPicture plug-in or Producer version. Besides rotating the camera around, you can also rotate the camera in 3D, to skew the image.Will it run in PAL or HighDef (HDTV)?
Yes. The Plug-In gets the frame rate and size from its host editor. If the editor can run in PAL, (they all do) the Plug-In runs in PAL, or any other frame rate the host editor runs. Since we can handle images up to 8,000 pixels in size, it handles HDTV with ease.How can I Streamline Offline to Online using Avid?
Since MovingPicture works on all Avid editors, it is very common to offline a show on one system and online it on another. We have written a guide aimed at sharing some techniques editors have used to streamline their workflow. Click here: Streamlining the Avid Off/Online Workflow.Is it resolution- independent?
Yes. MovingPicture responds to whatever resolution the host editor is set to, up to 8,000 by 8,000 pixels. It will also render as interlaced, single field, or progressive- as requested by your editor.Can I use the same version on multiple computers?
No. You must purchase a separate license for each computer you want to run MovingPicture on. However, if you have different editing systems on the same computer, one licensed version can be used on each different editor at no additional cost. (see below).Can I use the same version on different editing systems?
Yes. If you have different editing systems on the same computer, one licensed version can be used on each different editor at no additional cost. This makes it easy to use the Plug-in on some jobs, and the Producer on others, as makes sense. You will however need to load the version that matches each editor you want to use, but will only need to register one. All the others will register themselves automatically.Will it work with Final Cut Pro Express?
No. The $300 FCP Express does not support 3rd-party plug-ins like the regular $1000 FCP does. I guess Apple wants there to be some good reasons to buy the full version...How does MovingPicture compare with Imaginate?
Imaginate is aimed at a different audience than MovingPicture. See this page for a comparison table. Also see Charlie White's ReviewWhat do I do once I've downloaded it for Windows?
Windows files are in self-extracting compressed installer to speed up the downloading process. Simply double click on the .exe file and it will ask what folder you what to put them in. Close your editor, if it is open. Choose the proper place to extract them to (listed below) required by your editor. The Moving.chm help file should be copied into c:\ folder (the root) for all Windows-based editors.What do I do once I've downloaded it for Macintosh?
Macintosh Files are in a SIT format. Some browsers will automatically decompress the .sit file into a folder. If you do not see a new folder with the same name as the SIT file you just downloaded, drag the SIT file over Un-StuffIt (version 7 or higher).
Inside the folder is the help file, called QuickStart.html, a readme file called ReadMe (in RTF or PlainText format) and the application itself, called MovingPicture. Move the resulting MovingPicture file into the proper folder required by your editor if you are using the plug-in version.How do I get a registered version?
You will need to download the evaluation version from our Web site if you haven't already done so. The evaluation version can be magically transformed into the full version by obtaining a unlock key number, which is specific to the computer you plan to use the product on (based on your computer ID).To find your computer ID, run MovingPicture. When the MovingPicture menu bar appears, click on the Register menu option (in the Help menu on Windows systems). A dialog box will bring up a message with your computer ID number is.
Click on the Buy tab on the left menu circle on the Web site and include that number in the form, (or you can email the number later) and you will receive an unlock number by email. Copy that number into the space provided and the program will transform itself into a fully functional and registered program.
To find your computer ID, run MovingPicture. When the menu bar appears and click on the Register menu option (in the Help menu on Windows systems). A dialog box will bring up a message saying what your computer ID number is.
Where can I find Codecs for Producer?
The Windows version of Producer uses codecs in Microsoft's "Video For Windows" format (VFW Type 1). We do not use the NetShow or DirectShow formatted ones. There are many codecs on the web, but great sources for good and inexpensive ($10 to $40) DV and M-JPEG codecs are www.mainconcept.com and http://www.leadtools.comCodecs for both Windows and Macintosh based Avids can be found here.
What folder does the Plug-In go?
After Effects looks in the Plug-ins\Standard\Effects folder for plug-ins.
Avid editors look in the AVX_Plug-Ins folder for plug-ins.
Discreet edit looks in the discreet\edit\plugins folder for plug-ins.
dpsVelocity editors look in the Plugins folder for plug-ins.
FASTStudio looks in the ..\plugins\filter folder for plug-ins.
Final Cut Pro looks in the Plugins folder for plug-ins.
- Final Cut Pro for OS-X looks in the Library\Application Support\Final Cut Pro System Support\Plugins folder for plug-ins.
- Incite looks in the ...\Plugins folder for plug-ins.
- Media 100 looks in the DVE folder within the Transitions folder for plug-ins.
- Pinnacle Edition looks in the ..\PlugIns\Filter folder for plug-ins.
Premiere looks in the Plug-Ins folder for plug-ins.
RexEdit looks in the ..\Effects folder for plug-ins.
SpeedRazor looks in the ..\Effects folder for plug-ins
Ulead editors look in the ..\vft_plug folder for plug-ins
Is the software available on CD & printed documentation?
The software is downloaded from the Web only. It is quite small (about 150KB). We do not ship CDs or printed documentation. There is online help under the Help menu option in Windows versions. The manual is also available on the Web site.Does MovingPicture support multiple CPUs?
Yes. Each additional processor speeds rendering time dramatically for both Windows and Macintosh-based systems. It will also run faster on computers with Intel's new HyperThreading P4 chip.What is a Placeholder Clip?
A placeholder (a.k.a. the "dummy clip") clip is simply a place holder for the effect on the Timeline. Even though we load the image separately, the editor needs a clip to attach the effect. Almost anything can be used, such as still image, a small AVI file, etc...If you use a still image, use a relatively small one, as some editors will have a problem with large images on their Timeline. Final Cut Pro will rescale the video to fit the placeholder, so make sure it matched the video resolution you are using (i.e. 720 by 486).
How do I create Macromedia Flash Files?
The Windows Producer version can create Macromedia Flash movies of moves. In order to do this, you must download the "MovingPicture Jpeg Driver" and "Macromedia Flash Driver" files from the downloads section Web site. When you run it, it will extract itself into your Windows directory.Click on the "Save Flash SWF File" option from the "File" menu. You can specify a quality level from 0-100, which will determine the degree of Jpeg compression, and control the overall file size (in bytes), as well as the background color, and playback frame rate.
What shortcut keys are available?
[0] (zero) Plays from beginning of show
[space] or [p] Plays or stops playing
[j] , [k] and [l] Plays reverse, stops playing or plays forward
[-] Move back a frame
[+] Move ahead a frame
[home] Go to start of timeline
[end] Go to end of timeline
[up] Move the camera up 1 pixel
[tab] Moves you from key to key in the timeline
[Ctrl-<] Make timeline show more frames per gray block
[Ctrl->] Make timeline show fewer frames per gray block
[del] Delete the currently highlighted key
[down] Move the camera down 1 pixel
[left] Move the camera left 1 pixel
[right] Move the camera right 1 pixel
[PgUp] Expand the camera 1 pixel
[PgDn] Shrink the camera 1 pixel
[down] Move the camera down 1 pixel
[Ctrl-left] Align the camera to picture's left
[Ctrl-right] Align the camera to picture's right
[Ctrl-home] Align the camera to center of picture
[Ctrl-PgUp] Expand the camera to picture's height
[Ctrl-PgDn] Expand the camera to picture's width
[shift] Constrains horizontal or vertical when dragging camera
[Ctrl-S] Save show to disk
[Ctrl-O] Load show from disk
[Ctrl-E] Load a new picture
[Ctrl-N] Clear the current show
[Ctrl-K] Make a Movie file (Producer version only)
[Ctrl-T] Make a still Targa file of the current frame on timeline
[Ctrl-Q] Quit MovingPicture and return to editor
[Ctrl-C] Copy the highlighted key to the scratchpad
[Ctrl-X] Copy the highlighted key to the scratchpad and then delete it
[Ctrl-V] Copy the key in the scratchpad to the highlighted key
[Ctrl-Z] Undo the last action that modified a KeyFrame
[Ctrl-Y] Redo the last action via Undo
NOTE: Macintosh users should use the Apple Command key rather than the Control key.How do I Import QT Movies into iMovie?
You need to convert the QuickTime file made by MovingPicture to a DV Movie, using the Export option in QuickTime Pro into the DV Stream format (available from Apple for $29).Is there a User's Group or Forum?
Yes. We have a user's forum on the DMN Forums World Wide User's Groups Web site. You can access it here.How can I make the motion have no Slows?
The curves have some inherent slowing down as the move hits a key frame. Click the No Curves item in the Options menu (as well as the No Slows item) to make a totally linear move.My Mac isn't on the net, only my Windows machine
The software is very small ( about 150KB). Download the Mac .sit file on the PC and copy it to a floppy disk. ( NOTE: If you are copying to the desktop, make sure you press the 'Option' key, so that the actual file, and not an alias is copied.)MovingPicture's Timeline length is too small
MovingPicture gets the length of its Timeline from the length of the effect specified. If you used a still image, you need to make sure it covers some time period on the NLE's timeline. Some editors allow you to call the plug-in without attaching it to a clip, which will make a duration of 0.The edges of my picture are jittery.
Since most moves stay within the bounds of the image, we do not filter the edges of the image to improve rendering time. If you need to zoom beyond the edge, put a 1% border on the picture using that option in the "Image Prep" dialog.MovingPicture doesn't load the image from my NLE's Timeline
MovingPicture was designed to work with hi-res images. Most NLE's limit the resolution that is passed onto any plug in to the final output video resolution, which is too small for zooming into without breaking up. When the Plug-in loads, select the "Load Picture" option from the "File" menu and load a TIFF, GIF, PSD or BMP image from disk.My moves have a "stuttering" look when rendered
Different editing systems and/or hardware differ in the order and/ or 'topness' (a.k.a. spatial ordering) in which the two fields are arranged within a full video frame.If the breakup occurs only in the top or bottom half of the image when you have the multi-processing option on, see next item in this FAQ.
The easiest way to diagnose this is by creating a move whose motion that ends midway through the scene. If the motion stutters only in the portion of the scene that actually moves, try reversing the field order by clicking the "Flop Field Order" checkbox in the "Advanced Options" item of the "Render" menu..
If it stutters in both portions of the move, you will need to change the topness. Some older cards, such as the Pinnacle/Miro cards (i.e. DC/DV 1000) require this to be flopped., by clicking the "Flop Top Field" checkbox in the "Advanced Options" item of the "Render" menu.
I'm getting a break-up in exactly half my image
If your get a distorted image in exactly the top or bottom half of the image when the multi-processing option is on, you may need to click on the "Multi-proc offset" checkbox in the "Advanced Options" item of the "Render" menu.Producer will not make Movie Files
Make sure you set the height and width exactly to what you editor needs (i.e. 720 by 480 or 720 by 486, etc.) Check the properties of an existing movie file to be sure. If the sizes aren't right, codecs (particularly DV and MPEG2) will not even create a movie file, or the NL editor may need to re-scale it on import, causing artifacts and time-consuming re-rendering.I'm seeing "banding" in my QuickTime DV movies
Apple's QT DV-NTSC codec is very picky about the image size it wants when making a movie. Make sure the image size is 720 by 480, or the image will have a series of shifted bands.I'm getting an "Not Enough Memory" Message when Loading Pictures
Check the "Border Size %" slider in the "Image Prep" menu (found under the Edit menu), and make sure it is not set too high. MovingPicture can not use a picture greater than 8,000 pixels, so even a 4,000 pixel image will exceed the 8,000 limit with a 100% border around it. (i.e. left border of 4,000 + image width of 4,000 + right border of 4,000 = 12,000 pixels!)I'm getting a "Can't find CarbonLib" message
The Macintosh Producer version uses Apple's Carbon Library. You will need to update to MacOS v8.6 or later to run it, or use this older version that does not require the Carbon Library found here.I can't save files using MacOS X
If you are using the utility program, called Default Folder X there is apparently a conflict with MovingPicture, so make sure you disable its use with MovingPicture. We are working with St Claire Software to solve this incompatibility.What size should my images be?
MovingPicture will accept images up to 8,000 by 8,000 pixels in size. Most scanner software have an option to specify the image size by pixels. In general, 1,500 to 2,000 pixels is the best size to use for most shows, unless you are really zooming in very tight. As a rule of thumb, you want to have at least 400 pixels to preserve image quality. For example, you could safely zoom in to one-fifth of the picture by using a 2,000 pixel image. This is somewhat subjective though, as some images hold up better than others.At what DPI should I scan images?
If your scanner only allows settings in Dots Per Inch (DPI), the resulting image size in pixels (a.k.a. dots) will be the size of the image in inches times the DPI. For example, an 8 by 10 inch photo scanned at 150 DPI would yield a 1,200 by 1,500 pixel image. That same image scanned at 1,200 DPI would yield a 9,600 by 12,000, which is larger than MovingPicture can handle.Can I use CMYK images?
No. Images must use the RGB format, rather that the more print-oriented CMYK color format.What resolution scanner do I need?
For most work, a 300 DPI scanner will work fine. Slides and other small objects require higher DPIs, 1200 DPI or better. Even $50 scanners will do a good job, but may be slower than more expensive models.What type of images can be used?
The MovingPicture Plug-In will accept 16, 24, or 32 bit images in Windows BMP, Targa TGA, Photoshop PSD, uncompressed TIFF files , JPEG (Windows only) and PICT files (Macintosh only).Can I use JPEG files?
The Windows versions are able to load images in the JPEG format. In order to do this, you must download the "MovingPicture Jpeg Driver" file from the downloads section of our Web site. When you run it, it will extract itself into your default Windows directory.You can use JPEG images on Mac-based systems by turning on the MacOS "File Translation" option in the "File Exchange" Control Panel item in MacOS 8.5 to 9.2. Make sure you have QuickTime loaded on this computer. OSX-based Macs will typically have this feature automatically enabled. See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58098 for more information.
AVR Res for Placeholder Clip: Make sure that the placeholder clip is the same quality (AVR) as you want the still to be rendered to.
Don't use hi-res still for Placeholder Clip: If you must use a still, make sure it is video res (720 by 486), as the huge amount of memory may crash the editor.
Cross-platform PICT/JPEG: Please remember that Windows systems can't read PICT files and Mac systems can't read Jpeg's, so if you are offlining on one and onlining on another. make sure you pick a format like TGA, that both can read.
Can't Open Plug-in in Effects Palette: If the StageTools category is visible in the Effects palette, but you can't click on it to reveal MovingPicture in the window to the right, expand the size of the Effects Palette window to reveal the name StageTools fully.
Do I need After Effects to use the plug-in in Final Cut Pro? No. Apple's Final Cut Pro can use plug-ins designed for After Effects (such as MovingPicture) without needing to have a copy of AE on the system. The MovingPicture icon will appear as a plain "cornered page", if you do not have AE installed, but will function just fine in FCP.
RGB Setting: FCP v1.0 and v2.0 require that "Always render in RGB" is set in the "Sequence/Settings" menu under the "Video" tab.
Placeholder clip size and shape: Make sure it matches the video resolution you are using (i.e. 720 by 480), or FCP will scale the output improperly to match it and if you use a higher resolution image, will slow render times dramatically. In general, it is better to use a movie clip, rather than a still, as FCP sometimes has trouble passing us the proper end point on stills.
Don't use hi-res still for Placeholder Clip: If you must use a still, make sure it is video res (720 by 480), as the huge amount of memory will dramatically slow rendering time.
The Timeline length is wrong and/or the Frame Rate is 60fps: Before setting the options tab to bring up MovingPicture, double-click on the placeholder clip in FCP's sequence. This will cause the timings to match properly. The timeline end will always reflect the total length of the original clip, regardless of what in or out marks you have used to shorten it. This is an Apple problem that they will correct on the next release of FCP. Just ignore the extra time on MP's timeline.
Ken Stone's Tutorial on using MovingPicture in FCP gives a good step-by-step description.
How can I re-render a rendered clip? You will need to 'fool' FCP into re-rendering a clip, by making the clip longer, then back to the size you want.
How to make DPS movie files from Producer: This is useful, as it creates moves 3 times faster than the plug-in version, and does not need to be re-rendered when importing into Velocity.
You will need to have Windows 2000 using DirectX v8.0 or later on your computer and download the DPS File Driver from the Downloads section of the StageTools site.
Make sure you have the frame size set correctly (i.e., 720 by 486 for NTSC), or the driver will fail.
You create a .dps file exactly as you do an AVI file, but you select DPS files from the Save as type option in the file selection dialog when specifying the movie file's name.
Use only Movie Files for the paceholder clip. Unlike other editors, you need to use a movie file rather than a still image for the placeholder clip.
Use only Movie Files for the dummy clip. Unlike other editors, you need to use a movie file rather than a still image for the placeholder clip.