Let's do the Time Loop Again

Support Synfig related help
1

Probably showing my age. Anyway, I imported a sequence of 26 files and they loaded into a folder. I added a time loop inside the folder. I want the animation to begin at frame 5520 and last for a duration of 1056 frames. Here’s what I have right now:

Z depth 0.00
Link Time 0f
Local Time: 5520f
Duration: 1056f
Only for Positive Duration: Allow Animation, Constant interpolation
Symmetrical: Check

I also moved from scale 0.0 to 80.0 from frame 5520 to 5562. On playback, the top image appears as it should. However, the animation does not run; just the single image for the duration. I got my information from Gente, Svarov, rylleman, and rodolforg.

I hope I’m close but not there yet. Please help.

2

There was not more easy just make all fot apart and join togeder with Davincy Resolve or blender?

I know that all animations are diferent but That is how a make it, all for apart and join it in a Video editor

3

I think the time loop is way too confusing: I always need to check the manual: https://synfig.readthedocs.io/en/latest/layers/time_loop.html

4

Hi kwilco,

Your loop configuration is correct, the problem is somewhere else.

What do you mean by that? If you used the “Import Sequence”, then you need to place “Time Loop” outside the group.

5

I moved the time loop out of the folder and now everything that went before is affected.

6

I read the page many times and tried to follow the instructions to a “T”.

7

Group “Time Loop” with your imported sequence (yellow folder, called “Switch” layer) and that should do it.

8

So close . . . I grouped the time loop and folder. Then I went from 0.0 opacity to 1.0 opacity for the group folder and the animation plays for about 3 frames and stops. Checked the switch folder and it contains the full 26 png files.

Time Loop parameters:

Z Depth: 0.0
Link Time: 0f
Local Time: 5520f
Duration: 1056f (no green man)
Only For Positive Duration: Checked (no green man)
Symmetrical: Checked (green man)

I promise I will write this up and submit if I can get it right.

Thanks!

9

How is the timetrack of these TimeLoop parameters?
Is there any waypoint?

10

Yes. The opacity change goes from 5520 to 5568. I tried moving 5568 forward but that didn’t change anything. The waypoints are clamped. There are no waypoints for the Timeloop itself.

11

Are you sure Opacity?

12

Wait, of course, the “Duration” should be set to amount of frames your looped animation has (3 in your case?), not how long you want it to run. Sorry, I don’t know how I initially missed that.

13

yes I am sure. Otherwise, the png’s would be on top of everything that precedes them.

14

I have 17 frames I want to loop, so I would set duration to 17f?

15

Oh. I misread it :slight_smile: I thought you changed Opacity values, but those numbers are when you changed them :slight_smile:

16

Exactly. You could’ve already tried it :wink:

17

You guys have been so great! ONE more thing! The animation is now working great except that it runs backward. I tried reversing the Z depth (T01 to T17 then T17 to T01) but it runs backward either way. The original gif runs from the bottom (T17) to the top (T01).

18

If you are using Switch layer, you probably have its “Active Layer Name” or “Active Layer Depth” parameter animated. Check and fix the order :slight_smile:

19

I changed Active Layer Name from “T17” to “empty” for the Switch layer. No change. The Active Layer Depth stays at “-1”.

Something I noticed when I reverse the order of the individual files inside the switch layer, the order also changes. So if I order T01 down to T17 and scrub the timeline, the order moves top to bottom (T01>T17) inside the switch layer. If I reverse the order T17 down to T01 and scrub, the order moves bottom to top (again T01>T17). The animation should begin with T17.

Very interesting. Is there a way to stop this reverse order? (Thank you for your patience!)

20

Layers inside of switch group (in case of “Importing Sequence”) animated by name, not by “Z depth”. Select Switch layer. See the “Active Layer Name” parameter? It has a bunch of constant waypoints, you need to enter animated mode and reorder it by hand, changing T01.png to T17.png and so on.