Light Saber Maker by LSMaker 2004.

You may not modify, reverse engineer, sell, or distribute this program without permission from the developer... You may use it on your own risk. There is no responsibility for any damage of computer or person, it may cause... as usually.


Q:What does this program do?

A:This program is developed for creating LightSaber effects, like in the movies.
You need a video camera to record the movie where you replace swords with sticks (or something else, broomsticks), then capture the video with a capture card, and you can put the effects on the movie.

Q:How to use it?

A:If you want to create a new project, then select File|New. Now you have to specify the color file of the sword's glow (ex. Green.jpg), and then the file of the blade (ex. Blade.jpg). You can also generate color and blade images. Press the Generate button.
Remember, that only the filenames are used, and they are loaded from the program's path \picts directory.
In the next dialog you must create a list of images, which will be on the timeline. Every single picture will be one frame. You can load multiply BMPs, JPGs (don't forget to select the last one first, then hold shift, and select the first to import them in right order) or AVIs. All frames of the AVI file will be loaded automatically. After importing, you can modify the list (clear, insert, delete, move up and down). Select OK.
Now you see the main window. The trackbar (down) is the timeline. On the left, you can set the properties of the LightSaber effect (detailed later). 
To apply an effect, you have to specify 3 options: 2-points, 4-points and Render 2 as 4 points. 
2-point mode is the most simple. Simply specify 2 points on the picture (these are the two ends of the stick). Click with the LEFT (mouse)button to set the first point, and use RIGHT button to set the second point. You can set the width of the sword, by setting width1 and with2 on the property panel (left). You can also use Shift+wheel and ctrl+wheel. You can also set the lightness/glow too (Alt+wheel).
4-point mode works similar, but width1 and 2 is not used. You must specify 2 more points with Shift+Left click and Shift+Right click. Remember not to exchange Point3 with Point4. But you can exchange them if you have mixed them up.
Render 2 as 4. This option doesn't always work good. It uses the movement of points to calculate 4 points.

Other options:

	Checkboxes next to the color browsing buttons: When checked the program renders the blade/glow.

	Fast input: Pressing the right mouse button, you will get a popup menu. The first means: No need to hit the L key or click on the Set positions button to "Set the positions". It is done automatically when you set the first or second point. The other two lines mean: Point 1 or 2 (depending on whether line 2 or 3 was selected) will be placed where the mouse was when "O" or "P" (step forward/backward) was pressed.

	Forward: Once you click on the picture with a mouse button, the program will step to the next frame.

	Auto preview: Each time you move on the timeline, the effect on the current layer will be rendered.

	Auto render: Same as auto preview, but it renders all the layers. Don't use Auto preview and render at the same time.

	Clash: This is a bit tricky. Use this, when you're ready with the swords. This mode is for creating clash effect when two swords are hit/clashed. Use the first point to set the clash's middle point, and click with the bight button to set the clash effect's one corner. Don't forget, to open a clash picture file (this is a color file too) (ex. clash.jpg) for the effect.

	Render mode: Add is normal, subtract is another kind of rendering the lightsaber. It should be called darksaber, because it darkens the image. It looks very good. Don't use it on dark parts of the picture, because you can't see it. Also don't use the normal saber on light image. Us mix and replace with other images, not color or blade pictures. These functions are rarely useful. You can specify a transparent color, and whether to use transpareny.

	Scroll image: If the image doesn't fit to the window and you scroll, check this option to see scrolling picture.

	Use Anti Aliasing: Check this to get better quality effect. It is slower!

	Input mode: Press this button to swich between input modes. Fast inpu: when you modify anything (set a point, set Width1/2...) the program memorizes it. Extra fast, Point1/Point2. When you press O (steo forward) or P (step backward) the program memorizes point1/2. This is very useful, but don't forget to swich back to fast input!

	Vertical trackbar: Use this to zoom, but don't forget to check Zoom to enable zooming. Use button "100" to zoom to 100% and use OK button to set zooming (not always necessary).

	Layer: This program handles 10 layers, which means that you can put 10 effect on one frame. It should be enough.

	Goto: Got to a frame number (or press G).

	><: Exchange first and second point.


You can find some more buttons on the bottom. You can play the video forward, backward with real-time rendering. Checkbox "Show 2 points only" only is for disabling rendering. But don't forget to clear the auto preview/render ("U") checkbox. If you want to render all layers while playing the video, check auto rennder instead of auto preview.

The menu:

	File: You can save, open projects. Don't forget, that this program doesn't save the images on the timeline, only the filenames. Mahe sure, that you don't delete them.

	Import: Opens the import dialog, where you make a list of files, which are on the timeline. If you want to move your project (and these files) somewhere, use this dialog to specify the files' at their new place.

	Export: Here you can export to BMPs, JPGs, and AVI. The best is to export to BMPs after you finished, and if you want to correct just a few frames, it is no need to export the whole again, just the modified frames. BMPs can be compressed to AVI with ex. VirtualDub (www.virtualdub.org). JPGs are also good, but VirtualDub cannot load them. AVI can be good too, I prefer MJPEG to import from and export to. Don't forget, that many codecs cannot work with any frame sizes or bitdepth. The program inserts white borders to correct the size.

	Frame manager: For "post processing", when you want to change color or something for many frames. Select from the menu, and you will be asked the interval, and the new value or others. You can also manually edit, to set the new value, press Enter. Flicker glow makes your light saber flicker. Set the min and max lightness, then frequency, which means that how many frames should it take to move between min. and max. lightness. You can also modify point order, interpolate length, position... Create shoot effects: use P1 and P2 on the first frame to set the length and the starting position of the effect (P2 will be modified!) and use P1 on the last frame to fet ending position.

	Change screen res.: You can change the scren resolution here. This is another way for zooming.

	Homepage: Click to visit my homepage for updates...etc. (http://lsmaker.uw.hu)

	E-Mail: Click to send me an E-Mail. (lsmaker@uw.hu)




Q: What is the fastest way to make the light sabers?

A: The normal one: First put two points on the picture, and set w1, w2, lightness. Then turn off Auto preview, then click (left) on one end of the stick then press right key (or check "Next"). Repeat this many times. Then go back to the beginning, and use the other button (right) then press right key (or check "Next") and repeat this.
	The fastest: Use Extra fast input as described above.

Q: My video is low resolution. It is hard to point, because the picture is too small.

A: Use the zooming option or windows magnifier or lower the screen res.


Q: Zooming is too slow.

A: Lower your screen res, so it's no need to zoom. That'll help.

Q: Video displays very slow.

A: Perhaps your video uses deltaframes, not just keyframes. This means that frames are calculated by using previous frames (delta), which are also calculated, by prev. frames. That's why it is so slow. Keyframes are stand-alone frames. A keyframe-only video consumes much more space than a delta-based video. You can recompress the video with a keyframe-only codec (ex. MJpeg), or move the timeline only forward, and back to the beginning (or a littlebit after keyframes).

Q: Rendering is slow.

A: Convert the jpgs in Picts directory to bmps. This might improve the performace a bit.


Thanks for trying my program. Don't forget to register!

Mail me suggestions!

E_Mail: lsmaker@uw.hu


Copyright 2004. LSMaker All rights reserved.