I've been looking at this monkeyjam program.
Is how exactly would it work? I have a camera, i take all the frames of my stopmotion, import them all into monkeyjam. But i can't find anyway to import sounds onto it.
So, if were to create it all with no sounds on monkeyjam, export it as one of the video files (could you suggest one, there are so many ^^) Then import that video into flash where i can add sounds. Would that work? or is there a way to add sound onto monkeyjam which i've overlooked?
Oh it's ok, You've covered that in your previous posts never mind :)
The one problem with my camera is that it saves the pictures at around 1117x1243 give or take a few, which is insanely large. I have to run it through photoshop to reduce them which is a pain when your working in the 1000+ margin of photos. After reading your posts i think i should try with a simple Webcam instead
You can hook up the camera and capture the pictures directly in monkeyjam. No need to import.
Click on new or insert a new layer.
Click capture->Video (or photocam symbol)
Mode->stopmotion, Image hold: one (otherwise it takes two at a time).
Maybee you want to assign a name that makes sense for the image series.
Now happy capturing.
After that you close the capture window and there you can delete, move, copy, lengthen frames and so on.
Then click on movie-preview or change the fps under settings.
Now click on Movie -> build.
Change the export size to something like 320x240 - 640x480, but flash can resize it afterwards.
Since Flash will compress your video anyway, use something good quality. Maybee Intel indeo, cinepaq on low compression or no compression at all (not recomended).
You will have to ad sounds either in flash, or if you dont have flash (well, if others read this) they can use Zweistein to cut, edit, insert sound... (see software links on page one of this thread).
http://Audacity.sf.net is a great tool for recording sounds and voice by the way.
Also, if you dotn have flash, i have listed a few programs that can make Flash files out of AVI, even if you dont have flash. But flash can compress them better....
There is a small overview of monkeyjam's functions at his site:
http://www.giantscreamingrobotmonkeys.com/monkeyjam
At 7/22/04 07:13 PM, Paper_SFX wrote: I've been looking at this monkeyjam program.
Is how exactly would it work? I have a camera, i take all the frames of my stopmotion, import them all into monkeyjam. But i can't find anyway to import sounds onto it.
So, if were to create it all with no sounds on monkeyjam, export it as one of the video files (could you suggest one, there are so many ^^) Then import that video into flash where i can add sounds. Would that work? or is there a way to add sound onto monkeyjam which i've overlooked?
No need to!
When you are in the capture mode of Monkeyjam you can go to SIZE and change it to something lower.
Also most graphicprogramms can resize many pictures in one directory at once (batch conversion/resizing)
Thats great thanks!
Sorry for i won't reply for a while, it's in the early hours here in England ;)
Ah, thats no excuse, its 4 am here now :-)
Just to complete my free software list:
A PRESENTATION SOFTWARE a bit like Powerpoint that can save as SWF (Flash files), free. I wish it had more features like flash.
http://powerbullet.com/download/install_powerbullet.exe
VIDEO EDITOR "wax" from Debug Mode (free)
http://www.debugmode.com/wax/download.php
"WINK" Screen recorder from Debug mode (free)
http://www.debugmode.com/wink/
Unlike capturepad and the others i mentioned it is also a presentation software. You can make interactive tutorials with stop/next/OK Interfaces, Text boxes, and of course, save as flash.
The pictures will be saved as GIFs, unlike other programms that will save as video file OR JPG. The quality therefor is good, and if you reduce the palette (16 colors for example) the filesize is not bad either, since the GIFs only save changed parts of the screen.
Anyone else aware of any good freeware somewhat fitting into the collection? :)
OK... comming in a few days, NotTOXIC.com !
Tutorials and lots of animation.
Mostly on stopmotion (clay, lego, figures...), but also on Flash and many other things.
What would you like to see tutorials on?
Any other ideas?
i use monkey jam then i edit it with video mach then import it to flash mx. check out my movie clay battle i submitted yesterday (check my profile)
Yey, another MonkeyJam user :-) Did you stumble across it here, or somewhere else?
Nice little movie by the way.
At 7/31/04 05:20 AM, schorhr wrote: Yey, another MonkeyJam user :-) Did you stumble across it here, or somewhere else?
Nice little movie by the way.
i found it on brick films dot com when i was looking for stopmotion programs
Cool. Do you know of any other programs?
Yey, my thread has been revived :-)
Well since i live in germany I cant give you advice on a brand, but do not get playdough-like clay, which is way to soft.
Get moddeling clay, or some cheap one where you would not regrett the buy :-)
There is special light-weight modeling clay which works awesome... At least over here.
Well, as for any other hints & guides, I hope my giant monologue on stopmotion is guide enough :-)
Idd recomend monkeyjam and a few other tools such as audacity.
Oh yes, and get some desklamps, but dont point them on the stage directly, but on a wall or something so the light falls back diffusly, so there will be no hard dropshaddows.
So what will you animate? Just random?
TheAlmightyChet, so what are you going to create? :)
hey cud some1 explain how to use monkeyjam to me?
Well, actually it is quite easy, plus you can click on HELP->Monkeyjam Help.
What exactly are you having trouble with?
At 8/5/04 07:51 PM, TheAlmightyChet wrote: I'm going to buy some clay tomorrow, and make my first claymation =D I'll keep you guys posted.
Any special labels/warnings/ingredients on the clay's packaging that I should look out for?
Had time for anything yet? :)
Ancious to see!
:-)
Well, people usualy underestimate stopmotion.
I would even say it is harder then cartooning, due to the many things that can go irreversible wrong...
I hope I soon can try out my pipe cleaning wire figures with pants, it is better then clay in some aspects.
http://www.spamihilator.com/shaw/shawcartoon/test/walking01.html
I use pipe cleaning wires, felt sheets to make clothing, and wool / cotton to fill the clothing. Also some light weight air drying clay for heads and so on.
The legs have pinboard pins hot glued on them, so i have a steddy standing figure, since i just hate it when clay figures tip over, especialy in monkeyjam :-) While SMA has onion skinning, MJ does not- the only downside i could see so far.
It does not reach the quality of foam latex of course, but I think i can make decent dolls with this, and its a cheap & easy way too.
I want to make some sort of startrek style film, and the colored sheets of felt work fine.
I hope i translated felt right by the way? :)
WOW!
Updates on dacamyo! German and english freeware at its best.
http://labs.dacamyo.net/mo/show.php?act=trick&lang=english
I did not check them out for a long time, but i am glad i did.
They now have:
A very easiy to use stopmotion capture program, which basicly captures frames as pngg/jpg/bmp and saves them. It also has onionskinning!
Its even more basic then SMA, but at least now you can edit single frames without ripping them from the AVI...
Ideal when wanting to import pictures into flash without a hastle (since in flash you can import a series or select multiple pictures)
And even more cool stuff!
SWF Saver (flash to Screensaver)
Blabla Maker (text to speech)
...and dont forgett the classic
MiniCinema
Which will turn AVI Videos into flipbooks & prints them. All you need is a sissor or a cutting knife.
FunPics! - Make Caricatures 1.5.6
(not as good as the other one i mentioned arround here but still great)
And of course
DaCamYo! - Webcam Software 1.7.0
Thank you Michael Oltmanns!
iv got a problem with mj i dont know what to look in help so. whenever i try to build my movie and when i select where i want to put it when i press save movie a thing comes up and says "access violation at address 00504664 in module MONKEYJAM.EXE'.Read of address FFFFFFFF"
Oh.
-choose other video settings
- Well, email the autor
hey i got it working now but what pics shud i set it to png bmp of jpeg? and whats the best compressor cuz when i build a film it comes out like 70-80 meg
At 8/10/04 02:52 PM, ouiskipoiski wrote: hey i got it working now but what pics shud i set it to png bmp of jpeg? and whats the best compressor cuz when i build a film it comes out like 70-80 meg
Well, BMP is a raw format, meaning there is neither lossless nor loss compression.
TIFF / PNG are compressed, but lossless.
JPG is ok, but the compression has quality loss (BUT much much smaller then bmp).
Ok, now for the film- What size do you record it in?
320x240 pixels? More?
Also you can create a smaller resolution in Monkeyjam (in the movie->build box)
which will result in a smaller image, but it obviously takes up less space.
You can also choose a video compression. (will be overriten when importing it into flash though),
The Intel and Cinepak codecs have a good quality/filesize, but divx or some MPEG compression will make the smallest files (but loss compression).
Use macromedia flash, it will compress the video further. See http://www.spamihilator.com/shaw/shawcartoon/test/index.php?f=importvid
You can also change the size.
Any screenshots of your current projects anyone? :-)
but the video i export is like 72 meg for 200 pics wats with that?
a) as what did you export it (compression type)
b) have you imported it into flash
