Creating an Image Action

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Creating an Image Action

In the Light-O-Rama SuperStar Sequencer, an "image action" will move an image from a start point to an end point.  At the end, a ramp can be applied.  An image action consists of:

 

Layer: Defines priority if there are collisions (future)

Acceleration: The image can accelerate or decelerate as it goes from point A to point B (future)

Image: A bitmap

Start point

End point

Ramp

 

Ramp consists of:

 

Time length

Start color (future)

End color (future)

 

Here is an example of how to create an image action:

 

Get a new screen

Launch the Image Action dialog box

Observe the default settings

Draw an image

Add an image name

Add the image

Observe the default image action values

Type an image action name

Add the image action

Play the image action

Add another image action

Play the image actions

Stop at the right edge

PreRamp and PostRamp

View the image actions on a square grid

Play it again

 

Get a new screen

 

Click on the toolbar button that has a picture of a piece of paper on it.

 

Launch the Image Action dialog box

 

Click on the Tools menu and select "Images".  The Image Action dialog box will launch, and the Morph dialog box will automatically be shut down.  Whenever the Image Action dialog box is launched, the "Draw" mode is automatically selected and the toolbar button with a pencil on it will be depressed.

 

Observe the default settings

 

By default, the left red color control will be set to 100%.  The time duration will be 1.00 to 2.00 seconds.  All pixels in the pixel grid will be black.

 

Draw an image

 

Leave the left red color control at 100%.  Set the left green color control to 100%.  The start color will now be yellow.  When drawing an image, only the start color is used; the end color is not used.

 

Click on the pixel grid to draw a smiley face at the top of the pixel grid.  Single clicks will draw one pixel; click and drag will leave a trail of pixels.  Right click erases pixels.  Ctrl-right click will clear the entire grid.  

 

Add an image name

 

At the top of the dialog box is the Image group.  In the "Name" field of the Image group area, type "Smiley Face".

 

Add the image

 

In the Image group at the top of the dialog box, click on the Image "Add" button.

 

Observe the default image action values

 

The default start point (x,y) is (0,0), and the default end point (x,y) is (0,50).  The default start and end times are 1.00 and 2.00.  Leave these settings at their default values.

 

Type an image action name

 

In the Image Action group at the bottom of the dialog box, type "Smiley down".

 

Add the image action

 

In the Image Action group at the bottom of the dialog box, click on the Image Group "Add" button.

 

Play the image action

 

Play the image action.  at 1.00 seconds, your image will start from the top and travel downward, disappearing off the bottom of the ribbons.

 

Add another image action

 

We will use the same image again, and this time move it horizontally.

 

For the time, select 2.00 to 3.00.  For the start point, type (-12, 10) (enter minus twelve so that the start point and end point are different).  For the end point, type (12, 10).  For the Image Action name, type "Smiley right" in the bottom name field.  Click on the bottom "Add" button.

 

Play the image actions

 

At 1.00 to 2.00 you will see the first image action, which goes from top to bottom.  At 2.00 to 3.00, the second image action will move from left to right across the ribbons.

 

Stop at the right edge

 

Select the image action that goes from left to right.  Keep the start point at (-12, 10), but change the end point to (0, 10).  At the bottom of the dialog box, enter a "Post Ramp Time" of 1.00.  Click the Modify button.

 

Play the image actions and you will see the first image action go from top to bottom.  The second image action will move from the left to the right edge and then fade for 1.00 seconds at the right edge.  

 

PreRamp and PostRamp

 

"PreRamp Time" will fade the image in.  Selecting "Make Brighter" with a "PreRampTime" will fade the image in brighter.  It gives the effect of "poof" and the image appears.

 

"PostRamp Time" will fade the image out.  Selecting "Make Brighter" with a "PostRamp Time" will make the image brighter and then fade to black.  It gives the effect of "poof" and the image disappears.

 

View the image actions on a square grid

 

At the right end of the toolbar are three buttons.  If you hover the mouse over the buttons you will see they are called "Star Rays", "Wide Grid", and "Thin Grid".  Currently the "Star Rays" button is pressed.  Click on the "Wide Grid" button.

 

Play it again

 

Play the image actions again and you will see how they look when the ribbons are parallel to each other and form a grid of pixels.