Button to take a screenshot

[veger]

Requested in #37:

A button that I can add to the toolbar that takes the next screenshot. I do a lot of timelapsing where I build in increments. So I set the frame rate high, build something, turn on the timelapse to take a single shot, and then build a bit more. It would be a lot easier if I could just hit a button in the toolbar to immediately take the next shot.

[veger]

Note that, the button would take a screenshot on all cameras (buttons cannot be dynamically added, so it is impossible to add buttons for each camera you have)

[theotherbigfoot]

I only use one camera at a time, that is complicated enough, but it might be different for others. I would suggest disabling this new button whilst normal recording, and enable it when the main recording is paused. If you are recording normally there probably isn't any need to immediately take the next shot.

[veger]

On the other hand: if you want to make an (extra) screenshot, for whatever reason, it is best to leave the button enabled. So the user can decide when to (not) use it 😄

After further thinking, this does not seem to make sense. So better 'protect' the creators from adding extra jitter by using the button!

[theotherbigfoot]

That is completely fair enough. You the boss.

[drdozer]

Would it work for this to be a third tooltip button, along with the camera edit button and the pause all cameras button?

[veger]

That was the plan yes, add a 3rd button that can be put on the toolbar. With this it is also possible to add a keyboard shortcut, like the other 2 buttons have.

While I was thinking about this feature, I was wondering if the camera should or should not transition when activating the button.
On the one way, it makes sense as it is a next frame in the video. On the other hand, it messes up the transition due to different times have passed when clicking it multiple times (causing the animation of the factory to be jittery).

Edit Now that I think about jittery animations will be the case even, without being in a transition. As different number of game ticks have been passed each time you click the button (as you are not a machine, while the mod is able to precisely take screenshots for a fluent video).

@theotherbigfoot Are you sure, this is a desired side-effect of your feature request?

[theotherbigfoot]

I'm not worried about jittery animations if the camera is stationary. We are talking individual frames, nobody is going to notice that.

I can't talk about side-effects, I don't really know the technical details. I understand what you are saying (about tick timers and such) but I would have no idea how to solve the problem we are talking about. The final product is really the most important thing, the video itself, so if fixing the problem (or adding the feature) causes a crappy transition in the final video then I would probably prefer that the mod was left the way it is at the moment.

To be honest, not being able to pause the timelapse whilst the camera is transitioning is a bigger problem for me but I have a feeling this is the exact same issue.

If the feature can't be added then it can't be added. I will just continue doing things the way I do things.

[veger]

I was just reconsidering the effect of such a manual button. It is not a problem it implement. Pasuing cameras in any way, while the world is running, causing this jitter. As the progression rate of the works in the video varies.

I was just wondering if jitter during transitions would invalidate the use-case of the button (wasting spend effort).

TBH I wonder/suppose your current way of working is actually the only way to prevent such jitter, as you keep the camera running at all times. (I understand it causes stress or boredom, depending on the amount of tasks you have to do in-between frames. All for the views I guess? 😉

As said before, I have zero experience with video editing/producing, so it is hard for me to imagine the side-effects of certain changes. So I am happy for you to provide feedback from your pool of experience on such topics 👍

[theotherbigfoot]

Ok, let me give you some perspective. There was a time when I didn't understand how the transitions in the mod worked. It was actually a certain drdozer who explained it to me. So in order to get the camera to transition I would manually change the co-ordinates in the area tracker tab, smooth tracking switched off, capture a single image, build a bit more, change the co-ordinates, capture an image etc. It was a ball ache but it got the job done.

I'm explaining this for two reasons. 1. Thanks to drdozer I am happy just to have automated transitions at all, my original method was incredibly painful. 2. Is this not a much simpler way of doing things coding wise? Move each individual corner by the same amount each tick in a straight line from A to B? I mentioned this earlier with the whole zooming thing based on the centre of an area, because the algorithm of that seems complicated. If we made the algorithm simpler would it solve this issue?

[theotherbigfoot]

I've given up caring about the views. I do this because I think it is awesome. And I'm a perfectionist, so if I am going to do it I'm gonna make the best damn video I can come up with. I put a timelapse up yesterday, the last 2 minutes of that video took about 30 hours to make but now its done I don't have to do it again. I just get to enjoy it.

I don't mind a bit of hard graft if there is a clear end result

[veger]

Thanks for the clarification. It made clear to me how the (preferred) use-case of the button should look like.

The button will be only active when the camera is paused. As I do not see a use-case to add extra frames when the camera is rolling (except for adding jitter to the video).

I feel that a warning (tooltip) is in place to make the side-effects clear (jitter). Then it becomes a powerful tool for the creator to play with. Basically allowing for stop-motion during game-play and during transitions.

30 hours of work for 2 minutes of video? That is some serious dedication! 💪
I just watched it, as drdozer pointed me to it, it looks fabulous. (The jitter is not noticeable, at least to me, when casually watching)

[theotherbigfoot]

I have gone back to my original timelapse compiling software application, Microsoft Photos. This was the issue. I paid for a piece of software that is crap. I needed it for 4k, but that wasn't worth it either. Only Microsoft Photos from here on.

[theotherbigfoot]

I didn't know it would take 30 hours when I started. Once you are committed...

Thank you for the compliment

[drdozer]

I make my timelapses within kdenliven, using the image series importer. I don't know if there's a windows build.

…

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[theotherbigfoot]

There is indeed a windows build. I will take a look.

[veger]

Available in the next release

[theotherbigfoot]

You are my hero

[veger]

If you want to try before the release, you could already grab the source code and replace the TLBE mod in your mods folder:

1. Remove the existing mod (zip archive)
2. Create folder called TLBE (no version is needed)
3. Copy the files from the repo into the folder (there is a download button on the front page to download the latest code)

You could also check that/if the Pause Camera issue is fixed.

Note: As this is still experimental/unreleased code, I would recommend to not save your game, so it won't get messed up on accident 😉

[theotherbigfoot]

YES!!! Works perfectly. Amazing.

[veger]

Released in v1.5.0