Frame Blending in Combustion

#1

I’m a 3ds max user trying to solve an output problem. The solution I’m looking for is conceptually rather simple, but it doesn’t look like either Combustion or After Effects will do it. Here it is:

I want to process output frames from 3ds max in a way that evenly blends frames 1-10 into output frame #1, then frames 11-20 into output frame #2, frames 21-30 into output frame #3, and so on…

I need to have all 10 frames in each set blended with equal weight into each output frame, but neither After Effects nor Combustion seem capable of it. In both apps, I’ve changed the frame rates/durations of the clips to run at 10x normal speed and enabled frame blending.

Combustion doesn’t even try to blend frames when the footage speed is set to an even speed such as 1000%. If set to an odd speed like 991%, Combustion will blend frames using uneven weighting and only samples two input frames at a time. Although After Effects does sample each frame, it weights the frames being sampled like a bell curve…those input frames at the center of each frame interval are given more opacity in the blending than the rest.

Am I missing something? The help files don’t make me think that these apps are capable of it, but this seems like such a simple task for 2D post software. Thanks.

#2

Your combining an editing problem with a compositing one. Try rendering from max using nth frames into different folders. Then you can just load up each folder.

In max render from frame 1 on, with nth frames on every 10th frame into folder 1
Then from frame 2 into folder 2 and so on.

#3

I think I understand the process you’re describing. The lack of any other posts here answers my question: There isn’t any easy way to do this (i.e. its not a built-in feature of the app).

There is a way to do what I need using Video Post in 3ds max, but its fairly cumbersome and complicated. Easier than this, though. Looks like I might have to dabble in MAXscript to automate some of it…Crap. Thanks for the reply, Punk.

#4

Why not using the motion blur with 10 samples, all evenly weigthed and then just rendering out the 5, 15, 25, … frame either directly in Max or later in Combustion. That should work.

#5

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