Hi everyone, I am an animation student and I am wondering if any of you would know a script that would allow me to “Burn” the file name, the date and the frame number on the avi file of a preview (you know when you click on Animation/make preview).
This is becoming essential for my teachers and friends when we are reviewing each other’s work and give comments.
If a script like that doesn’t exist maybe that I could make one. The frame numbering is already dealt by max and “Counter text script” but regarding the date and file name how could I do this with Maxscript?
A cool thing would be to align this text to the camera as well so it doesn’t get affected by too much perspective when using a wider camera angle.
If any idea let me know! thanks for reading.
Olivier
Hi Joshua, thanks for your answer, very nice work on your Lime street visualisation by the way.
The problem with Martins infooverlay is that you need to do a full render since you can only apply his script as an effect and a full render even if i turn off the antialising and shadows take a lot longer than the animation/preview option…
I will have a look and what goes on under the hood though and try to find the elements I would need to create my own script.
Thanks
Olive
thanks!
Oh – I should have read a little more carefully! Maneswares advice is good. If you create a text object, align it to your camera, place it in the safe frame area and then link it to the camera with a self illuminated material you can achieve what you want.
Place this script under a list controller on one of the text objects tracks and it should update every frame.
$text01.text=((slidertime as string)+" ¦ "+localtime+" ¦ "+maxfilename)
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As dumb as it is, you could just make a text object and place it in the safe frame of the view you’re previewing. Maybe you can make an Image overlay that you can process through Video Post after the preview is done? Or make the file, then do the overlay in Vegas or Premiere.
By writing a script, all you’re going to get at is to use a method similar to how Polygon Counter works… but that might be a good script for you to have if you want this on a regular basis… basically cuts out the manual portion of the task… you can query file name, get current date, and current time, imprint that into a text filed you constructed and emblazon that on the screen… take a look at Polygon Counter.
maxFileName (provides the currently loaded scene file name)
localTime (provides local date and time)
Maneswar
Thanks Joshua and Maneswar, it looks like this is exactly what I need. I am gonna try to use Joshua’s script since I am not Maxscript fluent enough to know what to do with just
maxFileName (provides the currently loaded scene file name)
localTime (provides local date and time)
this is very exciting, let me see how it goes and I will get back to you.
Olive
TO expand on what Joshua said… since it took me a minute to figure it out myself…
Create a Sample Scene, Create a Box and a Camera in the Persp View for ex.
Create a Text Object, Press SHIFT + J to turn on Safe Frames, Align Text to Camera by aligning only the Orientation (on align dialog at bottom of dialog).
Resize the text so it fits in your safe frame.
Open Track View, expand out to Text, Pick Render Thickness, assign a Float List (List Controller), expand that out and on the Available slot, assign a Float Script. In the Properties of the Script Dialog, paste in the script text Joshua gave you. Evaluate. Close Dialogs.
Play with it, and make the text renderable in the Renderer because it seems it won’t update if you Extrude / Bevel / add Edit Poly modifiders.
It might not update in the Make Preview, but if you eliminate the Slider Time, you at least get the date, time and file name.
Maneswar