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Thread: Animation Resolution

  1. #1
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    Default Animation Resolution

    Everytime I try to make an AVI in navis works, and use a resolution higher than 256x256, I get neon color and AVI looks like it is tiled in Media Player. Does anyone know how to stop this?

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    Are you also compressing the AVI?
    If so, what codec are you using and what are the settings?

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    I don't think so, all I am doing is exporting the AVI straight out of Navisworks.

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    Here is the best method for getting great visuals out of Navisworks. It's a big process with an awesome outcome. Currently, the best way I know involves using some mac software which may only be beneficial to some, but there is likely a windows based movie maker that will work.

    You will need time and lots of drive space for this.

    For the ultimate guide in resolution, use this chart to pick your output size:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ve...Standards5.svg

    In Navisworks, click 'Animation' in the output tab. Choose your size based on the desired chart from the image in the link above. If you have the time and processing power, you can try using a higher display resolution but ultimately use a final lower resolution for a faux HD look. The higher the resolution the larger your files will be.

    Set your renderer to Presenter for a rendered view (Long Time) or Open GL. Open GL is the better option. Set your output to png. you are not making a video here, you are going to make hundreds of still images. A three minute video will have roughly 1800 stills. The options tab on the output selection is a bit of a gamble so you may want to experiment with it before you shove a three minute 4D build through it.

    Set your FPS (Frames per Second) to 10. (You need to set it to 10 when using iMovie 09, if you have access to Final cut or equivilant use 30 FPS. If you want the ultimate smoothness us 60-90 FPS) Use 10 for now. Set your anti-aliasing to 2x or 4x, you may want to experiment here. Click ok and create a new folder in your destination folder, call it Render 1.

    Go into that folder and save your file as '0001', this should number all your stills in sequence. Depending on the video length you may want to use four or five zeros.

    Using a thumb drive copy the folder to it and transfer the files to a Mac.

    Now this part is time consuming, on the mac Select the files (CMD+A), then copy (CMD+C), in a new project file paste them in. Make sure you have the ken burns effect turned off. Once in (5-10 minutes), select all images and click the inspector tool and set the clip length to .1 seconds then wait a few minutes. Once complete export your video.

    Congrats, you have just made a 10fps video.

    Whoopie Mr. Revit for Breakfast, but the world runs on 30 FPS and 10 FPS is choppy as S***! Here is the magical secret. If you are making a 60 second video, make your Navisworks animation 180 seconds long. Do the process above and export your 10 FPS video.

    Take that video and import it into a new project in iMovie. Select the clip and open the inspector tab. You now have the option to speed up the video (you don't get this when working with stills). Set your length to 60 seconds, you will now have a smoother look. Add titles and music and you'll have a $5K - 10K video to sell to your client.

    Enjoy.
    Last edited by Revit for Breakfast; 2011-08-09 at 12:55 PM.

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    For added wow factor, these videos are killer on an iPad. It is the best delivery tool too because the physical size of the screen. The above method should get you a nice HD look ready for projector. Craming that size onto iPad looks unreal!

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    If you don't have a mac, but do have a 32bit installation you can try this,

    Install the DivX or Xvid codecs (can be found with asearch engine)
    when you open the Animation Export select OpenGL
    Output Format = AVI, but under Options choose the DivX or XviD codec for compression (see note below for x64bit)
    As per RevitforBreakfast's advice, choosing a standard frame size is very important. The larger the frame size the better the quality on larger screens, but the file size and rendering time increases too, so I generally start with a smaller frame for review before comitting to the larger stuff. Whatever you set it to, it should match one of the standard sizes from Revitforbreakfast's link.
    I generally use 24 fps as it seems to work well with many other post production converters etc.
    Choose a low value of anti-aliasing at first and then up this later if needed to reduce ficker etc.

    If you are using a 64 bit system, simply loading the DivX/XviD codecs does not seem to work. I suspect they're not supported but have yet to research this, so above only applies to 32bit installations. If anyone knows more about this please post.

    Update: the 64 bit DivX codec works in Navisworks if you install it to the C:\Program Files (x86) folder instead of the C:\Program Files. (Presenter gives the best quality, but divX give good results much much faster)
    Last edited by payre; 2012-03-02 at 10:34 PM. Reason: Updated Solution

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    I don't know about these codecs but I am running 2011 on a 64-bit machine and have had no luck exporting an animation to AVI. Either Navisworks creates a corrupted file after going through the rendering process or it creates an AVI with the Andy Warhol tiled effect as mentioned above in the first post. I have tried numerous settings and resolutions with no luck. Has anyone found a fix or do you know if Autodesk is addressing the problem?

    We would like ot be able to send our clients videos of the model to show progress and design intent. It is too much to ask for some clients to install Freedom and learn the user interface to explore the model themselves. Not having the ability to export from the NWF limits the value this software provides our company and our clients. Many companies are shelling out big bucks in the BIM investment and when you are unable to produce results they start to second guess the decision to move toward 3D. This issue is worthy of Autodesk's attention IMO.

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    There is no *easy" button in creating quality animation. So much is dependant on the script/storyboard, source models/LOD, material selection and mapping, lighting, hardware, codec use, post-production effects, and on, and on, and on.

    There's something to be said for realistic expectations as well. I keep mentioning to rent an animated video and/or video games and check out the "making of" bits and pieces to see how they get those results. The same is true for the sales videos the executives have seen as advertisements for the 3D engineering products. In fact, I think there would be some interest in a "making of" for the various product demo videos so everybody can see just how much work it takes to get those fancy animated videos.

    Trying to export directly to AVI *really* stretches system resources to the breaking point, even with 64 bit software. After all, its got the model, the render engine, *and* the output file open for use. I've managed to do reasonable test videos on a 32-bit XP station, taking a more conventional production approach: rendering to frames and using non-linear editing software (Blender, to be precise) to stitch and manipulate it all together into something useable.

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    Default Re: Animation Resolution

    Chris, you seem quick to dismiss the codecs that you don't know about and blame Autodesk. There are plenty of people who have successfully exported quality animations from Navisworks.

    Why don't you start by telling us your hardware specs including video card, and the general step by step process you are using to export and we'll see if there's something obvious that you are doing wrong.

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