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Importing Image Sequence (JPEG, etc)
gisnar [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Toronto, Canada Joined: Jan 29, 2014 20:11 Messages: 8 Offline
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I'm currently a PowerDirector 11 user. That version of PD does not (to best of my knowledge) include the ability to import image sequences and converting them to video (I'm not talking about pictures to be used in a slide show). Other NLEs have this feature, including Virtualdub and Sony Vegas. Can anyone tell me if image sequence import is available in PD 12?

Thanks for your help!
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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Gisnar,
welcome to the forum.
If you are referring to GIF images being used in the timelines??? A very big YES, but only in V12. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
gisnar [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Toronto, Canada Joined: Jan 29, 2014 20:11 Messages: 8 Offline
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Hi Barry,

Thanks very much for your quick reply. If this new feature in PD 12 is limited to GIF images, then we may not be talking about the same thing. More specifically I'm talking about a numbered image sequence that can be imported into some computer edit systems. The editor will automatically string the separate images together to create a video movie file. The images are typically in JPEG format, but could also be PNG, BMP or TIF. As mentioned previously, both Virtualdub and Sony Vegas have this capability. In my case the image sequences are produced by a 8 mm film to video scanner.
BarryTheCrab
Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline
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That guy http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/37883.page#194860 might be talking about
(a) animation files from a GIF, or
(b) an image sequence from time lapse photography, or
(c) any individual frames extracted from a video

So - the answer is YES - PD can do that. This tutorial might help - http://youtu.be/NW9-c-jINBY

A comrade of mine was kind enough to chime in with this. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT
gisnar [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Toronto, Canada Joined: Jan 29, 2014 20:11 Messages: 8 Offline
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Thanks very much for this. The youtube video suggests that this can be done, and the example shown demonstrates how the image duration/frame rate can be set (although a little strange). I'm perhaps a bit concerned about limitations, such as the total number of images that can be imported per sequence. In my case the sequences are sometimes as large as 30,000 + images.
ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Hi gisnar -

What you're wanting to do can be done, but there is a system limit of 2500 imported items.

To get around this you need to:
1. import the first 2500 images & put them in the timeline
2. purge the media library
3. import the next 2500 images & put them in the timeline
4. purge the media library
5. import the next 2500 images & put them in the timeline etc. etc. etc.

Someone clever than me may be able to chime in with some registry change that can be made to allow PD to import larger numbers of files...

Cheers - Tony
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gisnar [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Toronto, Canada Joined: Jan 29, 2014 20:11 Messages: 8 Offline
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Hi Tony,

Thanks very much for your reply. The 2500 image limitation is exactly what I was afraid of, since it's the same in PD 11. Although I could do what you are suggesting, it becomes too complicated and time consuming. I would be better off creating a video movie with another editor and then importing the result into PD.

I will ask Cyberlink if they can remove this limitation in the next update of PD. Of course, I have no idea if they pay attention to those sorts of requests.

Thanks again!
Jimbo223 [Avatar]
Member Joined: Apr 25, 2012 02:59 Messages: 95 Offline
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Gisnar,

The traditional method of working with image sequences involves working with Targa files (.TGA). They hold on to frame size and pixel aspect ratios (4:7, 16:9, 1.33, etc) and is intended for video work.

You can also have interlaced or progressive and output in YUV spectrum or RGB, whatever takes your fancy.
gisnar [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Toronto, Canada Joined: Jan 29, 2014 20:11 Messages: 8 Offline
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I'm sure what you are saying is correct. However, in my case this is not an available option, since I'm processing image sequence files from an 8 mm film scanner. These files are usually JPEG, but could also be PNG, BMP or TIF. The scanner cannot produce TGA files.
Carl312
Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline
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Quote: I'm sure what you are saying is correct. However, in my case this is not an available option, since I'm processing image sequence files from an 8 mm film scanner. These files are usually JPEG, but could also be PNG, BMP or TIF. The scanner cannot produce TGA files.

Does the Image scanner come with its own software for creating a video from the images captured?

It Should.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

gisnar [Avatar]
Newbie Location: Toronto, Canada Joined: Jan 29, 2014 20:11 Messages: 8 Offline
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Yes, it does, but I am not qualified to make changes to it. Besides the JPEG, PNG, BMP and TIF files work just fine. I see no need for TGA files and what would the advantage be anyway? I don't see those helping me get around the image import limitation of 2,500 in PD 12. As stated earlier, I can import very long image sequences into both Sony Vegas and Virtualdub - no problem. However, PD has features I'd like to make use of, such as a good easy to use stabilizer and video denoise processor (to reduce grain from the captured 8 mm film). Therefore, it would be handy to be able to import the image sequences directly into PD and not have to pre-process with another video editor first.
Carl312
Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline
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What kind of Video does your scanner software make?

I thought the purpose of the 8 mm scanner was to digitize the film into a digital movie.

You can make a movie (video) from the 30,000 or so images, but not in Powerdirector in one shot.

Ynotfish (Tony) told us of the 2500 image limit. You can still make a movie, but in 2500 image chunks. Once you have each of the 2500 images made into a movie, you can later combine the little movies into one longer movie.

30,000 images / 2500 images = 12 small movies.

12 small movies on the timeline = produce one longer movie.
Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

Jimbo223 [Avatar]
Member Joined: Apr 25, 2012 02:59 Messages: 95 Offline
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Hi Gisnar,

I too would like to know what you are using for 8mm scanning.
Could you tell us?

You're right. Since you're scanning film, that's different.
Targa was made for broadcast interlaced video, it's not so good for film (film is different, has no interlace and is better quality than broadcast tape).

Given the choice between JPG, PNG or TIF, JPEG is lossy (even when zero compression is applied) and degrades image quality.

If you want image quality, use either PNG or TIF (TIF is mostly for archiving or print-design, very high resolution work, and produces massive files which isn't what you want for video), PNG is good for loss-less compression and ideal for scanning film/negatives, you could also use it for archiving, but it's less popular if you want to print from them. PNG is also very good for video!
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