Arch Chases

[Powers_Ronald]

I did a search hoping I would find an answer for how to create a arch chase in PE. I know I can use the BAR effect to sweep across the arches, but the bar starts over. I have 8 - 25 pixel arches in a line. What I am trying to do is to do a single sweep from one end of the arches to the other end. The closest I have gotten is to use curtain - close in both the left and right effects, with the left being slightly faster than the right. Then I mix it Right hides Left, with it fading out. Is there a better option?

 

[MattBrown]

That is a clever way to do it!

 

Another approach in version 4.3.x is to use a picture effect. Create a small png image (say 1 pixel high by 25 wide) using MS Paint with the pattern you want to move across the arches. Select that png image in the picture effect, make sure the "scale" and "repeat" settings are unchecked, and "movement" is set to left or right. Now you should be able to get any pattern you can create in MS Paint to zip across your arches.

 

Matt

[Powers_Ronald]

Nice suggestion. Since the image is the same size pixels as the arch (25) I can use that image on the right and an effect like colorwash or butterfly on the left, with the mix right reveals left, to get any color I want in the sweep. If I want a smaller sweep, decrease the pixels on the image. Thanks.

[Sully]

it's easier to do the sweeps when the arches are sequenced as a group instead of alone. You can also use black to shut down colors on other arches as the sweep goes across

Edited November 24, 2015 by Sully

[MattBrown]

it's easier to do the sweeps when the arches are sequenced as a group instead of alone. You can also use black to shut down colors on other arches as the sweep goes across

 

Good point. I have my arches in a group with the arrangement setting at "horizontal stack".

 

Matt

[Sully]

The nice thing with groups are you still always have the option of programming those grouped items separate also. Grouping is heavenly lol

[BlackwolfK9]

What exactly does the horizontal, vertical, nesting, etc choices do for groups.  Is there somewhere I can read about it?

[MattBrown]

It is not in Pixel Editor help, so I will spell it out here...

 

 

* Use "Horizontal" for elements that are side-by-side. In most cases, you will only want to do this when all of the elements have the same height (as shown in the Prop > Layout window). Rooflines and arches would be 2 common uses for this arrangement.

 

* Use "Vertical" for elements that are arranged one on top of the other. In most cases, you will only want to do this when all of the elements have the same width (as shown in the Prop > Layout window). This arrangement is not commonly needed, but here is an example. Let's say you have a 2-story house and have outlined the house with CCRs. At the sides of the house, a single strip covers the entire 2-story height, but you might want define it as 2 separate elements so that you can apply effects to the first story and second story separately:

 

|  <- 25 pixels (upper story)

|  <- 25 pixels (lower story)

 

But you might also want to sequence both floors together, so you put the 2 25-pixel segments in a group with an arrangement setting of vertical.

 

* Use "Nested" for elements that are nested one inside the other. All props in the group must have the same "starting location". This would typically be used for stars, but could also be used for window frames or wreaths. Effects that move left or right will go around the group. Effects with upward movement will go inside to outside.

 

* Use "Preview" when you want to apply an effect to the grouped elements as they are arranged in the preview. This is typically used to apply an effect to the entire display (bar, curtain, and spiral effects are especially good for this).

[BlackwolfK9]

Thanks Matt for the explanation, one other question, by assigning one of these to a group what does that do during the programming?

[MattBrown]

Thanks Matt for the explanation, one other question, by assigning one of these to a group what does that do during the programming?

 

When you create a group, the group shows up in the sequence grid as a separate row. This means you can apply effects to it, just like any other prop. These effects get applied to the group as a whole, they are not simply replicated onto each prop. For example, imagine that you have 4 arches grouped together with arrangement set to horizontal. If you apply a curtain effect to the group, the result is one big curtain moving across all 4 arches - not 4 individual curtains.

 

You can also apply effects at the group level and prop level at the same time. Using the previous example, let's say you want to highlight one of the arches while the curtain effect is playing by placing a colorwash effect on it. This approach is fully supported - any effects on an individual prop override effects at the group level. So 3 arches will display the curtain effect while one displays the colorwash effect.