i’m asking because i tried multiple times to import a WORKABLE png image into a sitz project i’m working on, when it already had FIVE png images imported as layers already, and i got an error message that read:
Unable to import C:\Users\Gorilla\Documents\Ninja Image Parts\head.png
don’t know! could be another bug!!!
i’ve even gone so far as import the same image into a NEW synfig file, and imported it successfully, then tried to copy it into my project!!! it appeared to copy ok, i.e showing the layer in the layers palette, with correct name, only it apparently pasted OVER another layer that had already been in there!!!
this is actually the second time i ran into this problem with synfig! the other time was in the previous project i did (which happens to be the same, because i started over because of that same problem with the layers, hoping i would be able to bypass it in another sitz document, but no go!!!), with a different part of my character that i created in Photoshop, namely the right arm! now its the head!!!
Does anyone know what the problem could be, or if five layers is the limit in synfig?
5 layers should certainly not be a problem. The limit is probably only memory constrained. I just did a quick test with 10 layers.
If you want to post the png files and the sifz file somewhere, we can take a look at it.
ok…not QUITE sure how to do that!!! lo! could u by any chance give me detailed instructions on how to post the png and sifz files somewhere? i normally upload images to Photobucket, that i’m going to post somewhere, but i think that will only work with the png, not sifz, and take far too long!!! do u know an easier way?
ok…here’s the links of the png images. i’ll just give u all of them, since they’re all part of the same sifz project (and the body parts of my character!), although only TWO of them failed to import!!!
the head and kusari ones are those that failed to import into synfig. the rest imported fine! i’m of the opinion that it really doesn’t matter WHAT ones i choose to import first. just once the five layer limit is reached, i’m unable to import any more, without it messing up!!
as for the sifz file, i couldn’t find it!!! i thought it was in the ‘bin’ folder in the ‘synfig’ folder of my hard drive, but the following names r the only things in it!
libHalf-6.dll
libIex-6.dll
libIlmImf-6.dll
libIlmThread-6.dll
libsynfig-0.dll
libsynfigapp-0.dll
synfig
synfig studio
idk! maybe one of them is it, but i don’t know which one!!!
sifz is the extension of the file of a “Synfig Animation”.
Try this:
Start synfigstudio
Select the Circle tool
Click and drag in the main window (you will obtain a circle)
Press the Save button in the toolbox (it would prompt to a save file dialog). The saved file has the sifz extension. That’s the file that is pixelgeek requesting.
Anyway, thanks for providing the image samples. I’ll load them in my synfigstudio to see if it crash like you mention.
-G
i know, but i saved my project in the bin folder, which was by default. my point is is that i went to the bin folder on my c drive, but i couldn’t find the file!!! or at least it didn’t have the same name that i saved it as!!!
and i REALLY don’t think the circle was what pizelgeek was requesting!!! i’m pretty sure he meant the file that i was using to try to import those images i mentioned!!! HAHA!!!
i wasn’t talking about a crash per se in this case!!! i was speaking about synfig not allowing me to import more than 5 png layers into the same file!!! i would get an error message that reads…well, i forgot what it said!! anyway, i wrote it above, if u want to look at it!!!
EDIT: although, on second thought, now that u mention it…the project happens to be the same one that i had the other crash with!! the one where i was trying to do the ‘inside out’ feature, when the program crashed!!
i’m still working on getting the info for that one, Genete!! once i do, i’ll post it in another thread, so u can look at it!!
I think it is just of memory handling. How many RAM do yuo have? I have 4 GB and the files filled up the memory as you can see in the screenshot (the green memory meter on the top bar of my linux desktop indicates it.
I don’t know how is image memory handling but I think you should compress a bit the images and you’ll obtain much better performance. Also reduce the unused space for each image keeping them all in the same canvas size (the transparent area) would help a lot.
And yes, it seems that there is a problem in memory management with images. Maybe when the image is internally stored it occupies more memory due to the internal storage of colors (16 bit compared with standard 8 bits)
Importing all that images (they have size 1,8 Mb) consumes ~1,8 Gb of RAM.
I think here’s nothing to do with file size. The case is image dimensions. I’m not a dev, but I presume what no matter how image is compressed, after import it’s unpacked into memory (and maybe, as genete mentioned, represented in HDRI color).
Simple experiment. I converted all images to uncompressed tiff format. They took 322Mb on HD. After importing into synfig they took same 1,8 Gb of RAM. (They took much more RAM during the process of import, but after it was finished it became the same).
Anime studio not works with HDRI.
So, I think there’s no memory leak here. It’s just the way how Synfig stores the image data for now.
Coolname007:
To overcome this problem I advice to crop transparent parts of the images and make them a little smaller. You won’t need the 4828x3331 images even for HighDefinition. Well, unless you do background image with panorama. But for characters such dimensions are excessive).
YES!!! that’s pretty much what i wanted to do…although the images WERE supposed to be a LITTLE closer together, so that there was no break between my character’s body parts!!!
as for the RAM, i have 4GBS too, so not sure why that would be a problem!!! lo!
don’t know why it won’t work on mine!!! maybe its because i have Windows Vista, and u have linux!!! maybe that problem doesn’t exist on Linux!!!
uhh…Genete!!! not sure what u meant when u said compress a bit of the images!!! how do i do THAT? r u suggesting that i try saving those image files in a different format that will take up less memory? if so, then which one?
and again, u got me with the comment about reducing the unused space of each image, keeping them all in the same canvas size!!! do u mean that i should somehow reduce the selection of each layer in synfig (i.e. the box when a layer is selected) to include only the image itself, and none of the canvas?
if so, then not QUITE sure how to do that!!! yo! there r many things in synfig that i do not COMPLETELY understand!!!
ok…i guess that PARTLY answers my question for Genete!! but not sure how to crop the images!!! do u mean in synfig, or in the program that i originally created them in, Photoshop?
also not sure about the dimensions u mentioned!!! did u mean that i should make them SMALLER?
as for the background image, i already have it, only i haven’t imported it!!! but i created it with Photoshop!!!
The images you posted in mediafire are 4828 pixels wide by 3331 pixels height. The parts of the ninja can be saved (keeping the same resolution) in an smaller image size in pixels.
this is the ninja head image file with some text onto it. I’ve kept the original image dimensions. As you can see there is an enormous waste of space due to the ninja head can be stored in a 340x340 pixles image. That would reduce a lot the amount of needed memory.
This is the same image you need after crop it using Gimp. I don’t have Photoshop and don’t know how to use it. If you want to do it with Gimp just select the tool with a knife on it and cut the image as desired. Press the Intro button and that’s all. Save the image as png with a different name.
340x340
Right click > “Save as” would allow you to store this image.
-G
i understand what ur saying, Genete!!! but i tried that just now (after reading ur message!), and it still said that it was 4828x3331 pixels!!! i’ll do it with the rest if u want, but i have a feeling that the result will be the same!!!
and about that intro button…i searched BRIEFLY for it, but couldn’t find it!! so i went ahead, and saved the file (overwriting the other one, by the way!!!). but it still said 4828x3331 at the top of the image file!!!
could be another bug!!!
i’m pretty sure he meant the file that i was using to try to import those images i mentioned!!! HAHA!!! 
i was speaking about synfig not allowing me to import more than 5 png layers into the same file!!! i would get an error message that reads…well, i forgot what it said!! anyway, i wrote it above, if u want to look at it!!! 
once i do, i’ll post it in another thread, so u can look at it!!
