Maxtix singing face animation

[Box on Rails]

I plan on using a 50 x 48 pixel matrix in 2020 and I want to do some animation using it. I have been trying to figure out a way to use my finished Papaguyo files that have 10 different face positions and can't seem to find an easy way do it. Bob O has his Papaguyo to LOR which I use for both my Pixel faces and regular LED faces but It is not set up for an S5 Matrix prop. Other then doing it pixel by pixel or frame by frame with JPG files in the Motion effect generator, is there an easy way to accomplish this in S5? 

[Vince4xmas]

I too am adding a small matrix next year (18 x 25) and would like to do the same thing. I have my different face movements as images and do not want to

sequence each movement. I know Superstar has an automated singing face tool. But currently do not have Superstar. Using LOR S5.

 

[TexasLights]

I played a bit with animated gif files which can be played with a motion effect in S5. There are online tools that will take a number of separate pictures and combine them.   It worked Ok.  50X48 should come up with some good clarity, but 18 X 25 (450 pixels) does not give quite as much to work with,. 

I used Superstar and that was easy.   There is a cost, but it probably will save you a lot of time in the long run (although it is based on 5 different faces not 10 per face) 

Edited January 1, 2020 by TexasLights

[dibblejr]

SuperStar will be your friend. The auto face sequencing tool and with it you can import any face image and address your different mouth movements. My great friend James Morris has pretty much mastered it. He has went through it with me and I did two for HAlloween but didn't take it any farther. To busy sequencing faces.

As someone who does free hand singing faces I am pretty impressed by the quality of the SS auto faces. Yes just like you guys that know anything about pgo, you still have to clean it up if you are a perfectionist but it looks pretty good right out of the box.

JR

[Box on Rails]

These are helpful but in my case I have 4 sets of 10 faces for one animation. each set has 10 mouth movements that match the Papagayo setup. The reason for 4 sets is I have 4 different eye positions. 1 normal eye set. one set for eye blinks, one set with angry eyes and one set with shocking effect. these are just my Eric Cartman animation for Oh Holy Night. I have found a way to use Papagayo to LOR program to set up the matrix. I add 10 separate Motion effects channels for my matrix prop each one is for each of the 10  mouth movement.  they import great. But when I import the Clipboard created by the Papagayo to LOR program the motion effects channels nave no effects assigned to them and must be assigned the proper Picture. and each segment in the channel has to be done one by one. very time consuming but the end result is great. it would be nice if I could add 10 motion effects channels to my matrix and assign the channels a Picture so that when that channel is turned on it plays the assigned picture. This would be a built in animation feature for a matrix. Maybe something to add down the road in S20. lol I'll see if I can do a screen captures of my Preview to my shows I'm working on for 2020. I can't post video of the matrix yet because all the controllers and lights are in the LOR factory waiting for my Tax return. Ha Ha..  

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, Box on Rails said:

These are helpful but in my case I have 4 sets of 10 faces for one animation. each set has 10 mouth movements that match the Papagayo setup. The reason for 4 sets is I have 4 different eye positions. 1 normal eye set. one set for eye blinks, one set with angry eyes and one set with shocking effect. these are just my Eric Cartman animation for Oh Holy Night. I have found a way to use Papagayo to LOR program to set up the matrix. I add 10 separate Motion effects channels for my matrix prop each one is for each of the 10  mouth movement.  they import great. But when I import the Clipboard created by the Papagayo to LOR program the motion effects channels nave no effects assigned to them and must be assigned the proper Picture. and each segment in the channel has to be done one by one. very time consuming but the end result is great. it would be nice if I could add 10 motion effects channels to my matrix and assign the channels a Picture so that when that channel is turned on it plays the assigned picture. This would be a built in animation feature for a matrix. Maybe something to add down the road in S20. lol I'll see if I can do a screen captures of my Preview to my shows I'm working on for 2020. I can't post video of the matrix yet because all the controllers and lights are in the LOR factory waiting for my Tax return. Ha Ha..  

Are you importing the scb files into SS?

Would you happen to have an scb for that, that you could share?

This is something I just started trying to do. I'm gonna get a 5000 pixel Matrix , this would save me storage space from my 32 individual singing faces.

Oh the possibilities.

JR

Edited January 3, 2020 by dibblejr

[Box on Rails]

1 hour ago, dibblejr said:

Are you importing the scb files into SS?

Would you happen to have an scb for that, that you could share?

This is something I just started trying to do. I'm gonna get a 5000 pixel Matrix , this would save me storage space from my 32 individual singing faces.

Oh the possibilities.

JR

I don't know what a scb file is so the answer is probably no on sharing it.  Here is a video that i made with a quick version  of how I am doing my Matrix animation. it is a little blurry. I guess somrthing happened on the conversion at you tube but it does explain what I am doing to create animation using motion effect channels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5djhOUL_SbI

[dibblejr]

16 hours ago, Box on Rails said:

I don't know what a scb file is so the answer is probably no on sharing it.  Here is a video that i made with a quick version  of how I am doing my Matrix animation. it is a little blurry. I guess somrthing happened on the conversion at you tube but it does explain what I am doing to create animation using motion effect channels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5djhOUL_SbI

That explained it, S5.

Scb- is the SuperStar file, just like the LCB that is used with pgo.

I was able to get my custom singing pumpkin faces in SS and sequence last night. (for my matrix or ccr tree). I will still do the non rgb stuff manually vs pgo. Less time consuming for me. 

Thanks for the reply.

JR

[Box on Rails]

20 hours ago, dibblejr said:

That explained it, S5.

Scb- is the SuperStar file, just like the LCB that is used with pgo.

I was able to get my custom singing pumpkin faces in SS and sequence last night. (for my matrix or ccr tree). I will still do the non rgb stuff manually vs pgo. Less time consuming for me. 

Thanks for the reply.

JR

I never tried the Superstar for singing faces. I guess I'll have to check it out. I have the 24 CCR level and I've never used it. Thanks JR

[dibblejr]

3 hours ago, Box on Rails said:

I never tried the Superstar for singing faces. I guess I'll have to check it out. I have the 24 CCR level and I've never used it. Thanks JR

IMO it is better than pgo, it takes about 5 secs to create an instant sequence . Pull the vocals from the MP3 using other software.

Use the vocal MP3 as the music source.

[lanopie]

What "other software" do you use to extract the vocals from an MP3?

[Scott Belanger]

I can see that your matrix is 50 x 48.  What spacing are you using for the physical matrix?

[dibblejr]

8 hours ago, lanopie said:

What "other software" do you use to extract the vocals from an MP3?

There are several but I use phonic mind. It’s a bit pricey. James Morris my great friend got me using it when he was showing me how to build faces in the CCR tree.

He has since purchased software but I can’t remember the name so I tagged him and he can post it up.

You also get the stems - instruments, percussion etc and a Karoeke version.

Ince I use up my pre purchased atuff from phonic mind I will probably purchase the software but I am experimenting with some other things to do with my singing face sequences first.

JR

[MichRX7]

Ugh, I hate computer software I can't "own". And that would start getting a bit pricey. I'll wait for @james morris to chime in, lol... I plan on adding 4 bulb faces next year and want to make each one a unique design so I can give them their own "personality". A little voice fun bantering before the show starts and between songs might be a bit comical. I always loved Melvin, Buff and Max in the Country Bear Jamboree when I was a kid (who am I kidding, I still go watch it when I'm at Disneyworld), and thinking of doing an homage to them and throwing in Sammy the coonskin cap to make the 4th. Not sure I can recreate their voices myself, but as long as they sound different that should work, lol...

BUFF: Hey, Henry, what’s holdin’ ya up? Let’s get on with the show!
MAX: Now, Buff, be patient.
MELVYN: Yeah, we ain’t goin’ anywhere anyhow. We’re kind of hung up here!

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, MichRX7 said:

Ugh, I hate computer software I can't "own". And that would start getting a bit pricey. I'll wait for @james morris to chime in, lol... I plan on adding 4 bulb faces next year and want to make each one a unique design so I can give them their own "personality". A little voice fun bantering before the show starts and between songs might be a bit comical. I always loved Melvin, Buff and Max in the Country Bear Jamboree when I was a kid (who am I kidding, I still go watch it when I'm at Disneyworld), and thinking of doing an homage to them and throwing in Sammy the coonskin cap to make the 4th. Not sure I can recreate their voices myself, but as long as they sound different that should work, lol...

BUFF: Hey, Henry, what’s holdin’ ya up? Let’s get on with the show!
MAX: Now, Buff, be patient.
MELVYN: Yeah, we ain’t goin’ anywhere anyhow. We’re kind of hung up here!

The vocals as I speak of will only be useful to you if you are using SS to auto sequence the Pixel faces, such as on a Matrix, CCR tree or the LOR trees. They will be useless for the LED faces such as the HC props.

I forgot to mention or ask James about this when we spoke a little while ago. Im sure he will chime in.

Just adding that just in case you was hoping for something to help you sequence faces.

JR

[james morris]

Jr is right on what he said but there is a way to export the pixel faces to led there are fair but work but you have to have super star to do it

[Box on Rails]

22 hours ago, Scott Belanger said:

I can see that your matrix is 50 x 48.  What spacing are you using for the physical matrix?

1 inch

[MichRX7]

2 hours ago, james morris said:

Jr is right on what he said but there is a way to export the pixel faces to led there are fair but work but you have to have super star to do it

Yeah, I will be upgrading to SS during the year and the faces will most likely be smart pixels as I want to use color change effects to give them emotion.

[james morris]

The software is Xtrax Stems it cost $100.00

[orchidman]

5 hours ago, james morris said:

The software is Xtrax Stems it cost $100.00

James,

Looking at the documentation for Xtrax Stems, it looks like outputs are .WAV files 44.1kHz, 16-bit.  Are you having to modify the output file in any way before you use it in SS or is the timing match what we use in SE?