This function lets you convert a series of PICT files into a rolling (from bottom to top of screen) or crawling (from right to left or left to right) movie file.
Movies created with this function can then be used with the Luminence or Alpha Channel Key function to create a title movie that will be keyed over a background movie.
PICT files that will be used with this function must be created according to the following criteria:
･ They must all be the same size (height and width)
･ The file names must end with a decimal and number
For instance, if you have fewer than 100 files to be converted, youﾕd probably want to use the format: Filename.01, Filename.02, etc. Including the leading zero assures that the files will be converted in the proper order.
When converting PICTs into a movie, MoviEffects will increment the number in the file name and load the new file until it runs out of files. (All files must be in the same folder.)
If the Background Movie Size option is selected in the Preferences dialog, the output movie will match the size of the input PICT files. If youﾕve selected a different size, the output movie will be created at the size selected in the Preferences dialog.
Performing the Conversion
Once youﾕve opened the first PICT file, click the ﾒRoll/Crawlﾓ button in the main window. MoviEffects open the Roll/Crawl settings dialog.
Your first choice is the direction of PICT movement. You can have the PICTs roll up the screen, crawl across from right to left or across from left to right.
Your next choice is the speed of the roll/crawl. The speed is set in terms of pixels of movement per frame. You can select any value that can be evenly divided into the PICT image height for rolls or the image width for crawls. If you set a value that isnﾕt acceptable, MoviEffects will let you know when you click the OK button, and will let you set a different value.
Your next choice is the frame rate of the movie that will be created. If youﾕre creating a title movie that will later be keyed over a background movie, set the frame rate to match the background movieﾕs frame rate.
Two sets of buttons provide your next options: You can have MoviEffects start with the first PICT off screen, in which case the screen in the output movie will be blank at the start, with the PICT moving on, or the you can have MoviEffects start with the first PICT centered on screen at the start of the movie.
The last set of buttons let you select the background color that will appear behind the PICT files when the ﾒStart Offscreenﾓ option is selected and after the last PICT has been used. You can select a black background, or a solid color taken from the upper left pixel of the first PICT file.
MoviEffects will add the suffix ﾒ.Rollﾓ or ﾒCrwlﾓ as appropriate to the output movie as the default name.
Creating PICT Files for Use with this Function
The PICT Roll/Crawl function can be used with any type of PICT images. For instance, you could create a slide show, where images ﾒslideﾓ onto and off of the screen.
The primary purpose of this function, however, is to create titles that will later be keyed over background movies using the Luminance Key function. The most common use would be for creating credits that will be keyed over a movie.
To create titles of this type, use your favorite paint program to create a series of PICT files with the movie credits.
If youﾕll be using the MoviEffects Luma Key function and want a drop shadow, create your credit lines twice: First create a text line with a luminance value of 1, and then create the line again with the desired color offset upwards and left or right from the original. When you perform the Luma Key, set the clip level to 0. Everything thatﾕs not absolutely black will be keyed.
(A set of sample files are included to serve as an example. See the ﾒTitle.01ﾓ ﾐ ﾒTitle.05ﾓ PICT files. These were created in Photoshop 3.0 using the layers function. The titles were created over a temporary grey layer to make it easy to position the almost-black drop shadow type and the white or color type positioned over the shadow. After each frame was laid out, the background was changed to solid black with a value of 0. The layers were then merged and saved as PICT files.
