Any problems with using FLASH?

[Dorian]

I want to use Flash to make some animation and put it together with some DV video. I can save a Flash movie as AVI, but it keeps rounding up the 29.97 frame rate to 30. Is this a problem? I'm making this video to sell, so it has to be as perfect as possible.

Dorian

[mats.hogberg]

Well, besides Flash not being the tool of choice for video animations, I see no real trouble in changing the fps back to 29.97 with AVIFrate.

/Mats

[Dorian]

Why not? Is it alright if I can do what I need to do with Flash? Or, is there some other reason? What would be the tool of choice?

Dorian

[mats.hogberg]

Well, in my book, Flash is for web animations. But if you get what you want out of it for other purposes - go ahead.

/Mats

[Cunhambebe]

I want to use Flash to make some animation and put it together with some DV video. I can save a Flash movie as AVI, but it keeps rounding up the 29.97 frame rate to 30.

Is your flash file at 30 fps??? Or you're trying to animate something at 30 fps???
As far as I know most flash animations are not 30 fps because the web is not NTSC, neither PAL or PAL M...and also because 30 fps would render bigger files. For instance, there's a flash file on the web called I'm a Cow. I have converted the file to AVI with Magic SWT2AVI at 24 fps (sound comes along with the file) and then I rendered the whole thing with Vegas to MPEG2 NTSC film (23,976) with pulldown. The result was absolutely perfect.
Most web animations if converted to 30 fps will not show correctly (you'll notice the effect of interpolation, specially on you pc - poor tv quality may cover up this side effect).

Well, besides Flash not being the tool of choice for video animations

- As far as I know there are a lot of people animating videos with Flash nowadays

[mats.hogberg]

- As far as I know there are a lot of people animating videos with Flash nowadays

Look what happens when you're looking the other way! Like I said, I still regard(ed) Flash as a tool for web animations, with the limitations Internet imposes, and thought video animations was made by huge Silicon Graphics render farms, and apps like 3D Studio Max and such...

/Mats

[guns1inger]

happy tree friends is one of a number of TV shows produced using flash as the basic tool. It is also used a lot for the sort of motion graphics that used to be the domian of after effects.

As pointed out earlier, render to 24 fps instead, then use it as 23.976 footage with pulldown.

[thecoalman]

, I still regard(ed) Flash as a tool for web animations, with the limitations Internet imposes,

I think it's the limitations the software imposes, many of those animation programs overlap. Probably more so if it's a flash program... Some just do things better than others. My 3-d animator will export AVI, flash or GIF. The AVI's are great which is it's main focus. The GIF's are OK but I usually have to import into my GIF aniamator to tweak them. The flash blows..... :P It creates huge files because it doesn't take advantage of flash using the plug in for the animation as opposed to the source files.

[Dorian]

Is your flash file at 30 fps??? Or you're trying to animate something at 30 fps???

My plan is to make my own animation at 30 fps, and not get one off of the web.

Dorian

[Cunhambebe]

My plan is to make my own animation at 30 fps, and not get one off of the web.

If you plan to edit and insert this material with your DV file (which runs at 29.97, right?!), as you well explained in the beginning, I would strongly suggest you animate the whole sequence at 30 fps. Flash cannot make animations at 29.97, neither at 23.976, it's 30 or 24. So, animating the whole thing at 30 will be OK! On the other hand if you taped your DV sequence to NTSC film (DV 24 p - 23,976) I would suggest you animate at 24 and render the whole thing as NTSC film (23,976 - pulldown) - you will save a lot of room on your final output - which is probably a DVD...I guess

and thought video animations was made by huge Silicon Graphics render farms, and apps like 3D Studio Max and such...

Just a note here. As far as I know 3D Studio Max is a great application, but you can do the same thing and much better and cheaper with Lightwave. Lightwave rocks. Point! That's why Zoic studios is using Lightwave for animating the new season of Battlestar Gallactica and many other tv series and movies as well.

BTW, some inspiration for your flash animations you can get here...
http://www.eye4u.com/home/
Those germans definitely know what they are doing with Flash!
Good luck friend..