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Catalyzer Vol. 3 | Vol. 2 | Vol. 1 | PanCanvas 2

PanCanvas 2:
Motion Control Plug-In for ImageFX
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> Goto PanCanvas 2 Help

PanCanvas 2 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: What does PanCanvas 2 do?
A: PanCanvas 2 lets you take a large image in ImageFX and move a virtual camera over it. You end up with an astonishingly smooth documentary-style animation.

You can output frames, anims, FlyerClips, and even Jstreams for the Broadcaster Elite. The virtual camera can zoom in and out, accelerate and decelerate, and move along a spline curve. You can add motion blur, render fields for video, and run macros on each frame before saving in a variety of formats.

Q: How easy is it to create these animations?
A: Really easy. Here are the steps in a nutshell:

1. Load a picture.
2. Run PanCanvas 2 and set your output format options.
3. Drag the "start" and "end" windows to where you'd like the camera to "shoot".
4. Enter how many frames you'd like the sequence to be.
5. Choose a save format and save location.

There are many more options to control the look of your sequence, and they're all easier than ever to use. You can save the results in a number of animation formats, single frames, or FlyerClips or Jstreams.

> Looking for PanCanvas 2 Help? Click Here!

Q: Is PanCanvas 2 for creating video clips, animations, or MPEGs?
A: Yes! You can create them all with PanCanvas 2 and ImageFX! Using other Amiga programs you can create AVIs, QuickTimes, and streaming video formats.

Q: Is there support for NewTek's Video Toaster Flyer editor?
A: Yes! PanCanvas 2 has direct support for the FlyerClip format.

Q: I've been using PanCanvas for a long time. Why should I upgrade?
A: Speed. Amiga machines aren't getting any faster, so we need to make our programs smarter. We've optimized the code in PanCanvas 2 making it substantially faster, even on an '030 or '040 machine. On our '040 Warp Engine Flyer machine, we were getting render times as low as 16 seconds per frame.

The new version is also easier to use. All of the functions that you use often are grouped together, and PanCanvas 2 remembers the settings you last used - and you can save all of your settings for future sessions.

If you're creating clips to use in a Video Toaster Flyer or Broadcaster Elite, we now have direct support for these non-linear editors. No more exporting and converting frames into clips! This was the most requested feature from our loyal PanCanvas users, and we listened!

Q: What has changed since the original PanCanvas?
A: There are a myriad of changes from small to sweeping...

• Total code rewrite resulting in new efficiency and speed.
• Pre-roll & Post-roll - a new feature that lets a virtual camera move pause at the start or end of a move - no more manually duplicating frames!
• Video Toaster Flyer & Broadcaster Elite direct support
• In addition to IFF & JPEG, you can now save out frames in TIFF or LZW compressed TIFF.
• Save your clip in ANIM format - ready to use in SCALA or your favorite animation program.
• PanCanvas 2 remembers the settings from your last session.
• Animated preview lets you see what your camera motion will look like before you render a single frame.
• You can load & save settings from your favorite render settings, ease in & out curves, and the placement of your virtual camera.
• All of the various operations that used to be separate render processes are now combined into one.
• You can apply up to two macros to every frame before they are saved to the hard drive. This means that you can perform color correction, special effects, filters etc. all in the same easy process!
• Easier to launch from ImageFX

Q: Where can I see examples of PanCanvas 2 in action?
A: Several clips will be available for viewing soon on this website. But to really appreciate PanCanvas, you should see samples on full-screen video.

There are several shows on broadcast TV that use PanCanvas. We saw the results of PanCanvas in the WB network's cartoon show "Pinky & the Brain," and in a PBS documentary on jazz great Stan Kenton. Add to this the hundreds of people who use PanCanvas to add professionalism and value to countless wedding, industrial, and photo memory videos.

If you have the "Ultimate Flyer Demo" Vol. 1 or 2, you can see several examples of PanCanvas in action in the work from The Vantage Point Studios.

Q: How much does PanCanvas 2 cost?
A: It costs only $59.95, or if you are upgrading, you can contact us with your serial number and purchase PanCanvas 2 for only $25.95. If you haven't sent in your registration card, now is a good time to do so. That's got to be worth the 24 bucks you'll save, right?

Q: What kind of Amiga do you recommend for PanCanvas 2?
A: Obviously the faster the better. ImageFX 4 works especially well with graphics cards, and so does PanCanvas 2 - offering responsive previews, and quick screen refreshes. You're not left in the cold if you are using an AGA or ECS Amiga - PanCanvas can run on screen resolutions of at least 800 X 600 down to 16 colors.

The usual computer rules of thumb apply: get as much RAM and hard drive space as you can afford. Once you create one short PanCanvas clip, you'll want to create gentle, pensive zooms and pans all the time - you'll definitely appreciate the extra memory and hard drive space.

Q: Where should I get my source image from?
A: We heartily recommend you use a flatbed scanner. They're very inexpensive, and you'll wonder how you got along without it. (If you'd like to learn more about scanners and ImageFX, you can check out the segment on scanners in our Catalyzer Vol. 3 Tutorial Video for ImageFX). You can also use a high quality image from a megapixel-class digital camera, or a PhotoCD source in one of the higher-resolution modes.

We do not recommend using a video freeze frame. You can use various tricks, though, to make a small video framegrab into an image suitable for panning around. But you will enjoy better results from starting with a large clear picture.

Q: Will PanCanvas 2 ever take advantage of a PPC in an Amiga?
A: PanCanvas uses ImageFX as its engine, so PanCanvas 2 benefits from any speed increases that Nova Design may give to ImageFX. The routines that PanCanvas 2 uses in ImageFX are not very time consuming at all - you'll notice that working in PanCanvas is very fast already. If Nova Design ever speeds up these routines by taking advantage of a PPC, then PanCanvas should automatically benefit from it.

You can show your encouragement for this speedup project by purchasing Nova Design's PowerStation PPC upgrade. This add-on supercharges some of ImageFX's more time-consuming routines (like the notoriously slow Gaussian Blur) - read more about it on their website www.novadesign.com.

Q: Does PanCanvas 2 support the Broadcaster Elite?
A: Yes! You can save a Jstream Clip right out of PanCanvas.

Q: How about Vlab Motion, the DraCo, and other Non-Linear editors?
A: Since PanCanvas outputs single frame images in IFF, TIFF, and JPEG formats, you can interface these finished sequences with virtually any editing system available on planet Earth.

Q: Is there any tutorial material available about PanCanvas 2?
A: Yes. Legacy Maker's Catalyzer Vol. 3 Tutorial Video features a whole section on using PanCanvas 2. You'll learn the ins and outs of the program from Bohus Blahut - an expert user of Pan Canvas.

Q: Who wrote PanCanvas 2?
A: The original PanCanvas was written by Ola Olsson. He turned his artistic eye and programmer's hand to the task of bringing PanCanvas to the world. We're proud to say that we have received many complimentary emails and cards testifying to how indispensable his brain-child is to people.

PanCanvas 2 is written by dhomas trenn. You may recognize his name as an active Amiga programmer, journalist, musician, and recently editor of NewTekniques magazine. Only the appellation "artist" can apply to all of the things that dhomas is capable of, and of all that he has achieved. He was able to find many ways to improve upon an already classic piece of Amiga software. You can learn more about dhomas and his work at www.youngmonkey.ca

Q: Does PanCanvas 2 run on Amiga Classic clones?
A: If the machine can run ImageFX on a graphics card, it will run PanCanvas 2. In addition to standard Amiga models, PanCanvas 2 sees heavy use on the DraCo Amiga clone.

Q: Does PanCanvas 2 work under Amiga OS 3.5?
A: We have not tested it under 3.5, but it should work.

Q: What versions of ImageFX work with PanCanvas 2 ?
A: ImageFX version numbers 2.6 & 3.1a. There are patches to bring versions 2 & 3 up to speed at www.novadesign.com. For ImageFX 4 we include the necessary patch with every copy of PanCanvas 2.

> Looking for PanCanvas 2 Help? Click Here!

Q: What other products does Legacy Maker, Inc. have for ImageFX?
A: We have just released the third installment in the Catalyzer ImageFX video tutorial series. At 80 minutes in length, Catalyzer Vol. 3 is one of the most in-depth tutorial videos that you'll see on any platform. The video demonstrates techniques and features using ImageFX 4, but as always it has a lot to offer you even if you're using earlier versions of ImageFX. In the video, you'll learn about the fantastic layering system in ImageFX, animation, scanners, printers, FXForge, and more.

There are three floppies included with all of the files that you'll need to follow along with the tutorials - including a demo version of PanCanvas 2, and a full version of Time Machine - Steve Chapple's superlative program that makes animating layer compositing easy! We also talk about Time Machine in the video.

Q: Do you have future products in the works?
A: We're working on several new products for creative folks. We have a few more tricks up our sleeves for ImageFX users, and a few others for the Amiga community in general. The best way to stay informed is by checking out our website and joining our mailing list. That way we can let you know what's percolating in our underground labs.

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Catalyzer Vol. 3 | Vol. 2 | Vol. 1 | PanCanvas 2

Copyright 2001 Legacy Maker, Inc.

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