Scrolling text speed and frame rates

I'm working on scrolling text on Fusion 672 LED battens. I created a custom 6 pixel high font and can get smooth scrolling at 25fps if I create the scrolling text in AE one pixel per frame. If I attempt to speed it up, or slow it down slightly, it ceases to be smooth scrolling. If I slow it down by half, or double the speed, then it scrolls smoothly again. I've tried creating movies at 30fps or 35fps and setting the Catalyst frame rate accordingly, but the smoothness is nothing like the 25fps. I've also just tried scrolling a PSD in Catalyst, but I can never get it to be smooth the way I can in AE. Presumably due to the limits of the x,y position stepping needed for DMX control. The fusion mapper that does the pixel mapping is a box that comes up as 1024x768 at 75hz. So I'm guessing that the 25fps works best being exactly 1/3 of 75. Any thoughts on how I can speed this up just a bit, or slow it down, just a bit, and keep it smooth? At 6 pixels and no anti-aliasing, every stutter in scrolling is noticeable.

Any help much appreciated,

Kevin

Two things to look at:

1- use a static image and move X pos to "scroll" with a zero count cue....then set your "Image Speed" parameter of the layer to have Catalyst calculate the move rather than DMX.

2 - try using "unity scale" FX on your animated clip.

Hope this helps. :)

Thanks for your response. When you say "Image Speed" parameter, what are you referring to? Is that Image Smoothness? I've tried playing with that parameter and if I set my x position to a snap, that parameter does nothing. The x-position still snaps. Even if I don't set it to a snap, it doesn't appear to do anything to the x movement smoothness.

Part of the problem with scrolling a PSD is that if I move the x position one Catalyst step at a time (not DMX, just standalone) that every few steps the letters appear to be in the gap between pixels. So whenever you go through that step when scrolling the x position, the whole word appears to go dim every few steps and you get a nice, undesirable pulsing of brightness as the word falls through the gaps in the pixels.

I also tried using Unity Scale, but that doesn't really help. Same problems as before. Maybe it is just not possible when all I have to play with is 6x72 pixels.

Kevin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kmclights

When you say "Image Speed" parameter, what are you referring to?

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I'm referring to Channel 22 on the layer, called "Movement Speed" by Richard.....it is called "Image Speed" on the Hog desks....if you are using another desk it might be called something else.

One thing to make sure of with this parameter is that it is set to your desired value before you make your position change (ie- part of your Mark/Load cue). Otherwise you might be crossfading that parameter and messing with the server. Also be sure that your actual "x position change" cue is a zero count crossfade.

Hope this helps. :)

Thanks. Initially I was trying to use attribute 22 without a desk. Although the Catalyst presets contain the value, it doesn't do anything. Now that I've got a desk hooked up, it works, but not as you would expect. With the value preset in the load/mark cue and tracking right through the move, the movement speed starts quite quickly and then slows down to virtually nothing. So the speed is changing, not constant. This is with a zero count cue in the desk. Strange. I checked the manual and it says that attribute 22 is a Damping Factor.

Anyway, as it works that way, it is pretty much useless for what I want to do. Maybe Richard can change it?

Thanks for your help,

Kevin

This is just to update for other users who might have this problem down the road. I had a chat with Richard and for this case, the best way is to use AE because pixel accurate positioning is needed. My problem lie in the refresh rate of the Fusion Mapper. In the Catalyst frame rate settings, I was using 25fps. Turns out I needed to use Screen 2 div 3, which for my display is 25.01Hz. Turns out that that 0.1 Hz was causing my inconsistent glitching. It started doing it again when I turned off full screen mode on Screen 1, so if anyone else runs into this problem, keep both screens in full screen mode.

Cheers,

Kevin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kmclights

the movement speed starts quite quickly and then slows down to virtually nothing. So the speed is changing, not constant.

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Just a followup and not related to your results needed. But something for people to be aware of with Image Speed:

This sounds like a fade time on the channel. I know you said you Marked it but it sounds like there is a fade from zero Image Speed to some value in Image Speed.