Time Loop & Z Depth

General Synfig general discussion
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#1

I get Z Depths and most of Time Loop functionality, but can anybody explain the use of the Z Depth setting in the Time Loop layer Please?
I cannot for the life of me see that it makes a difference; that does not say that it doesn’t do anything, it might just be too subtle to spot!

SAL:heart_eyes:

PS is it worth trying to ‘nest’ Time Loops or will that just crash SynfigStudio? I had a quick try but didn’t get much play out of it.

(This doesn’t cure crashes outright, but setting AFFINITY on the command line to a single CPU under Win10 helps improve stability on my system

start /AFFINITY n synfigstudio.exe

where n is 2^CPUnumber and expressed as a hexadecimal character, with no 0x prefix or anything).

#2

Hi good day or night.

I make a video about Time Loop and ZRange, but is only on spanish

About the Crash I cant help, I dont know about programing.

#3

But you don’t change the Z-depth parameter in the Time Loop configuration at all: it’s set to zero?
I see the use of Z-depth to allow movement in the character’s legs and the use of Time Loop to sample and make continuous the movement, but not how that relates to my question; as I said, perhaps it is too subtle an effect. That said, thank you so much for taking the time to answer, thank you for sharing your technique on YouTube - it is a nice, quick vid with good views of what’s going on and your work looks fab :heart_eyes:
What’s your tip for screencap software? The closeups look too defined and sharp to be done in post.

PS I’m sure I ran on a bit with the crash comment. Synfig literally had me in tears over the summer with its constant habit of cutting your legs out from under you (yeah yeah I know go Linux. I :sparkling_heart: Linux, check my name, I use it all day at work but it’s not a thing for home right now and SynfigStudio doesn’t play well under the Windows Linux subsystem with an X-windows server. Can you believe that? No GUI support from Windoze? Well it’s too much hassle to sort out with family and everything, but slick to install y’all if you want to have bash on Windows 10 )

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#4

@LinuxLass: VirtualBox works very well with a Linux guest under Windows :wink: (and a lot simple to use)

#5

I shall look, definitely, @BobSynfig.
So. Do you know what the significance is - by that I mean what effect changing the value has - of the Z-depth parameter in the Time Loop layer? :star_struck:

#6

Logically, every layer in a group (or the whole animation tree) is evaluated according its Z-depth.
The deepest ones are evaluated first, all the others above have an effect on them.
Grouping blocks this propagation.
That’s why you can create masking with blending modes https://wiki.synfig.org/Doc:Basic_Masking

So, animating Z-depth parameter of Time Loop should place this layer at a different depth permitting to animate only the layers in a “deeper” position.

However, nothing is mentionned in the wiki about Z-depth parameter https://wiki.synfig.org/Time_Loop_Layer
It seems not to have any effect during my tests (but making Synfig to crash :slight_smile: )
Maybe we could consider it as bug.

Most layer types permit the animation of Z-depth parameter, it is part of the base of the layers.
Some do not expose this parameter: Motion Blur, Curve Warp for example, but internaly they use it as you can notice in the Layers Tree :slight_smile:

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#7

Hi, Im glad that you like my works ^-^
I use linux for some years and double bot another ones, but for the moment I only use Win :stuck_out_tongue: because many app that I use only can run on Win, If they have 100% compatibility with linux I’ll leave win forever but the sad reality is diferent.
Well, for this one I dont really remeber if I use OBS for recorded, but for the Edition I make it with KDenLive and the Letters with GIMP and put it in the video when I edited, and HandBrake for make it a little more lightweight and friendly with the youtube video processator :wink:

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#8

It is the thing with Windows isn’t it?
It’s a bit awkward, it’s a bit dumb down, it’s a bit buggy, but it works enough to keep most people happy most of the time so here we are. You have to use it if you want 100% compatibility with customers or, for my kids, the school. at least I can get bash command line for them!

Thank you for sharing workflow. My boss is a command line guy half the time/rocket scientist the other and has me futzing about with OBS, camstudio, ffmpeg AND davinci resolve as welk as Synfig if I got space in my day.
I’m taking the experience for home use right away. GIMP for my boys too! Never going to make work like real artists though - Im a techie through and through:star_struck:

#9

Thank you Bob Synfig!
I am so happy it not just me:blush:
I saw the wiki when I was trying out the function first and went back to completely learn about it. We all know what Z-depth should do but it didn’t do anything. I did not know it was me or the implementation, so best to ask the Experts.
I can now relax :slightly_smiling_face::sparkling_heart: