We have included a few new tutorials in this folder to introduce you to some of the new version 1.5 features. More tutorials will be posted to the Synthetik web site at www.synthetik.com over time. The pdf 1.5 User Guide included on this cd-rom has additional information concerning 1.5 features.
WWUG (www.wwug.com) hosts a Synthetik Studio Artist Software Worldwide Users Group, which can be accessed at:
http://216.246.51.202/forums/studio-artist/
Feel free to use this forum as a source of information or a place to ask questions, exchange advice, etc. We check the posts often and post replies to user questions.
Highlights:
Studio Artist version 1.5 offers editable keyframe time animation for all of the different features available in Studio Artist, greatly expanding the range of potential visual effects for movie processing as well as interactive 2D painting. Version 1.5 offers many additional new features, including a new resolution independent core effects processing module called the Texture Synthesizer and improved image and movie morphing capabilities. Paint Synthesizer enhancements include new colorization and brush texture options, new movie brush capabilities, intelligent auto-regionization, full support for pen tilt recording in paint action sequences, and new gradient effects.
3D Paint Lighting Effects
A new Paint Synthesizer panel called Paint Brush Load allows for a wide range of area based 3D paint lighting and special effects. Light source can be positioned in 3D space as well as interactively modulated with Wacom tablet while drawing. New integral dynamic texture generator allows for up to 4 simultaneous dynamic texture generators interacting for real time painting.
New Movie and Background Texture Options
Paint Synthesizer Background Texture Module greatly expanded. Supports color background textures as well as Movie textures. Two dynamic movie textures can now be a part of a paint tool. Dynamic Brush can now be directly modulated by background texture. Tracking options for all Paint Synthesizer dynamic texture generators enhanced.
User Color Palettes and Improved Color Options
There are 2 new Source options, Color Squares and Color Gradient. Color Squares allow a user to specify a palette of colors. Option click an individual square to record a new color, click to choose an existing color. Color Square palettes can be imported and exported to disk. New menu commands allow for automatic generation or evolution of Color Palettes.
New control settings in the Paint Synthesizer (Paint Color Source) allow for automatic colorization based on the Color Squares palette. Color Palettes can be keyframe animated over time in Paint Action Sequences. Single color monochromatic paintings are now also supported in Paint Color Source. Additional paint coloring strategies (like analogous color) are also available.
Source Color Gradient allows for a user specifiable color gradient for texture, line or area fills. Option click to record a new gradient point, cmnd-option click to remove a gradient point.
New Image Processing Operations
New autoregionization image operation (Watershed Regionize). New nonlinear filtering options (Morpholizer and Smart Morpholizer) greatly extend the power of the old Morphol IP OP. Color Mapping Ip OP allows for sophesticated color mapping based on the current Source Color Squares palette. New Gradient Lighting Effects for Canvas. Several additional new IP OPs and enhancements to existing Ip OPs.
Morphing and Warping
Quality of warp and morph transformations has been improved. Additional morph options now include transitional (old method) vs fixed morphs. Fixed morphs allows for user keyframing of percent of morph for ease in/out or fixed percentage morphs between free running movies. Nonlinear filtering option based on the warp transformation field is a new additional option in Timeline Animation.
Warp, Morph, and Nonlinear timeline animations can now be recorded as an action step in a Paint Action Sequence. Masking now works for warps and morphs.
The old timeline animation window is now an integral part of the Canvas Layers window. The keyframe cells are attached to the right of each Canvas Layer in the Layer list.
Enhanced Time-Based Effects
Studio Artist 1.5 Paint Action Sequences are now fully automatable over time via keyframe editing on an animation timeline. Every editable parameter within Studio Artist can be animated over time. This includes everything in the four main effects modules as well as all of the extensive selection options available within the program. This vastly extends the range of possible video effects available within Studio Artist. Option click to record a keyframe cell, cmnd option click to remove an existing cell.
Quicktime movies can now be loaded directly into the Image Source. A second set of movie transport controls above the movie source appear to control source movie playback and in/out points.
Timing of Processed movie files now defaults to the timing of the source movie file being processed. This can be overridden to a fixed frame rate (old way using edit field in timeline animation control panel) by changing the popup in the Movie:Process Settings dialog.
Paint animation is not just for video effects. Studio Artist’s animation capabilities open up a whole new world of potential interaction for 2D artists. Paint animation can be used to perform complex area fills and striking 2D visual effects. Studio Artist’s graphics synthesizer is unique in bridging the gap between traditional 2D painting or drawing and motion-based effects.
New Core Processing Modules
Studio Artist 1.5 includes a new core processing module, the Texture Synthesizer. Studio Artist’s Texture Synthesizer provides a wide range of resolution independent visual effects. The Texture Synthesizer is based on a sophisticated texture generator with integral effects processing and extensive modulation capabilities. Like all of the core visual processing modules, editable Texture Synthesizer presets can be built and categorized for easy access while working. By combining the core visual processing modules of the Paint Synthesizer, Texture Synthesizer, Image Processing Operations, and Image Warping and Morphing, an unlimited number of visual effects can be generated for use in painting on 2D canvases or within video sequences.
Interactive Adjust is a new core processing module. It allows for interactive manipulation of the Canvas image or interactive generation of gradient based effects within the Canvas. This module is in its initial development, but the existing functionality is included in this release.
New Wacom Intuos Demo Projects and Presets examples provide a project based tutorial introduction to the power of Studio Artist in combination with the Wacom Intuos tablets.
