SuperStar Sequencer Images

[BrianBruderer]

I have a pre-beta version of superstar with the import image feature in it. If you want to give it a try do the following;

1) Shut down SuperStar

2) Look for SSEdit.exe. It will be in one of the following two places:

c:\Program Files\Light-O-Rama\SSEdit.exe
c:\Program Files (x86)\Light-O-Rama\SSEdit.exe

3) Rename it to something like SSEdit_original.exe

4) Use the link below to get the new SSEdit.exe and copy it to the same place where you renamed the original SSEdit.exe

http://superstar.synchronizedchristmas.com/SSEdit.exe

5) Launch SuperStar. If you have done everything correctly, it will say v0.1602.3 in the title bar in the upper left of the program.

 

This is a pre-beta so it is likely to have bugs in the import image feature. Use at your own risk. Launch the Image dialog box and you will see it is much larger now. For now, I am not going to give any instructions. See if you can figure it out on your own. Let me know the parts of the interface that are not clear, and give me suggestions of how to make it better. If you need help, let me know.

Also, the above version allows you to copy/paste between two different instances of superstar.

[Grinch]

Thanks Brian  I will give it a try

[Grinch]

Brian

This is awesome.   You gave me a lot more that I expected. I will be a programming fool now.

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[Grinch]

Brian

Did I tell you Thank you yet?   This is awesome

[tomsusie]

Fantastic news Brian.  Looking forward to checking it out.  Thank you!!

[jimswinder]

trying to figure it out...

why does it change my Matrix when I import an image...from a 15 ribbon tree to a 75 ribbon tree!!!!  lol

and of course found the answer..set Grid Mode to "Standard" as opposed to "Edit Image File"...

I realize it is just a BETA...but would be nice to be able to name all the images instead of them being 01 Image, 02 Image, etc...or have it use the file name..

 

Edited February 4, 2016 by jimswinder

[Lee T.]

Brian, thank you so much for this update to the SSS. 

I can't believe that in less than 30 days you have taken our suggestions and actually completed a beta version incorporating our requests.  It took me a while to get the hang of it and once I did, I know that my graphics will look great. 

Again, thank you very, very much.   

[Grinch]

3 hours ago, jimswinder said:

trying to figure it out...

why does it change my Matrix when I import an image...from a 15 ribbon tree to a 75 ribbon tree!!!!  lol

and of course found the answer..set Grid Mode to "Standard" as opposed to "Edit Image File"...

I realize it is just a BETA...but would be nice to be able to name all the images instead of them being 01 Image, 02 Image, etc...or have it use the file name..

 

Jim

You can just click on the image name in the IMAGE list and change the name to whatever you want and click modify to change the name.

[lightzilla]

I will say this that a 75 ccr image looks really good. So I saved an image to my Desktop & then exported into Superstar.So I coloured in the Santa & out came this fine looking 75 ccr Santa. So how do you take that image & get it down to the 16 ccr image that I want? In reality I can pull up the image on google then draw it like always but it takes just a bit more time than just colouring it in. The new route makes it easier I just need to get it to a 16 ccr tree. 

[BrianBruderer]

Are you are using the v0.1602.3 "pre-Beta" version of superstar that has the "import image" feature? If so, when you have "Edit Image File" selected then you will see 64 columns, each column being 50 high. When you say you saved an image to your Desktop and then exported into superstar, are you saying that you used another product to create a 75x50 image and then imported that image into superstar using the new "import image" feature?

The intended usage was for you to be able to import high resolution "stock" pictures from the internet and then import the image into superstar using the "import image" feature. Then you can click on "Set Grid Bitmap from Image File" and it will create an image on the green 64x50 superstar sequencing grid. As you say, at a resolution of 64x50 images look pretty good. If you make them smaller to fit onto just 16 CCRs then it won't look as good. But you can use the 64x50 image and use an image action to move the image through your 16 CCRs and you will be able to see the large image. I do this in my "Let it Go" sequence. I have a large image of Elsa and I scroll it through the CCRs and it allows you to see the large image of Elsa.

To use the scrolling trick, do the following:

1) launch superstar

2) bring up the image dialog box

3) Click on "Import Image File (JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, ICO, etc.)"

4) select an image file and click on Ok, you should see the hi-resolution image on a large 64x50 grid. You can use the controls to move, stretch, enlarge, or rotate the image.

5) Click on "Set Grid Bitmap from Image File" and it will create a lo-resolution image on the 64x50 grid. You can then edit the image if you want to. You edit it the same way as you would any image in superstar.

6) In the "Image" section in the upper left of the Image Setup dialog box, type in a name and click on "Add". The image is now in superstar.

7) Set "Grid mode" to Standard and the grid will return to you standard 16 CCRs that your actual display has.

8) Select a region on the time ruler that is about 5 seconds long. In the "Image Action" section set the Start X,Y to 16,0 and set the End X,Y to -64, 0. Click on "Add" in the "image Action" section

9) click on the play button and you should see your image scroll through your 16 CCRs.

 

The above is how to use large images that are bigger than your display. If you want to make a smaller image that fits in your display then you will want to shrink the hi-resolution image to the size you want and then click on "Set Grid Bitmap from Image File". The detail of the image will of course not be as good.

[Grinch]

3 hours ago, lightzilla said:

I will say this that a 75 ccr image looks really good. So I saved an image to my Desktop & then exported into Superstar.So I coloured in the Santa & out came this fine looking 75 ccr Santa. So how do you take that image & get it down to the 16 ccr image that I want? In reality I can pull up the image on google then draw it like always but it takes just a bit more time than just colouring it in. The new route makes it easier I just need to get it to a 16 ccr tree. 

Right below the image select import box

on the left side moves the image around

on the right resizes the number of ccr 

[jimswinder]

17 hours ago, Grinch said:

Jim

You can just click on the image name in the IMAGE list and change the name to whatever you want and click modify to change the name.

Thanks Grinch!!!!

[lightzilla]

I said 75 ccrs but it was actually 64. It looks good in 64 but I did get it to 16 ccrs (before I came on the forum & read what was written). It still came out looking good in 16 ccrs. I have both the original SSEdit & the new SSEdit. So I can see the image in the original Superstar, or I can switch to the new one & see the image and touch up or make a new image. I had a hard time trying to do the instructions you laid out for the Beta. My computer wouldn't accept the change & so found another way to get it. 

I saved the test image from the internet & I put it on the Desktop. Then in the image select I picked the image from the desktop. I found images that work just wonderful.  Anyhow I wanted to figure it out on my own before I came on the forum again. Now I figured that out & so I am posting now.

Any how Brian this is good stuff, a great add on.

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by lightzilla

[bbayjohn]

Great new feature for importing pictures in v0.1602.3 "pre-Beta" version. So much easier to add images now. Thanks.

I noticed the close sequence tile is missing and when you open a second sequence the first sequence closes. I was hoping with the new copy paste function, I could have 2 sequences open and be able to copy images etc. from one to the other.

[BrianBruderer]

When you say "the close sequence tile is missing" do you mean the dialog box that asks you if you want to save the sequence before closing?

I did not intentionally change anything relating to closing the sequence. Describe the steps you do where you see the "close sequence tile is missing."

Each instance of superstar is still limited to containing one sequence. The new copy/paste ability that has been added is that you can launch two different instances of superstar and copy/paste between those two instances. This means that you launch superstar and open a sequence, then you can launch superstar again and open up another instance of superstar and open another sequence in that second instance. You can then copy from one and paste into the other. And you can copy/paste both ways between the two instances.

 

[bbayjohn]

I may of gotten confused with sequence editor, wasn't there a close sequence tile next to the save & open tiles. The tiles I am referring to is under File Edit Tools play view help. The command tile icons underneath .

Was able to open a second SS , I needed to hold the shift key and was able to open a second SS Another great usable function,

 

[BrianBruderer]

The buttons on the toolbar underneath the menus have not changed. From left to right, the buttons are:

New, Open, Save, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, Fast Rewind, Rewind, Pause, Stop, Play 8 seconds, Forward, Fast Forward, Play All, Scenes, Morphs, Smooth Effects, Images, Text, Nudge Left, Nudge Right, Nudge Length Left, Nudge Length Right, Move Effects Up, Move Effects Down, Star Rays, Wide Grid, Narrow Thin Grid, Select Props, Select Fixtures

To open a second instance of SuperStar you should be able to go to where you launched the first instance and click on it again, you should hat have to press the "Shift" key.