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How to use 20cents Travel series efficiently !


edited on 31st  March 2012

bijoux fantaisie

Topic


Several weeks ago, when reading my tutorial teaching how to build an animated lower third without programming, Christian, asked me if it was possible to display an animated gif image into a travel path animation, to, for example, view a cyclist being pedalling along a route that change color in accordance with cyclist position ...

Too easy may say some of you, as it is possible to apply Pan & Zoom video effect using keyframe animation on an  animated gif converted as montage theme using my online tool !

They would be right, and I could not be satisfied with a so simple answer. However, this decided me to make a montage theme showcasing a "travel itinerary".

It was a real challenge, because the programming language is really not not appropriate, but I finally achieve to do what I wanted after many evenings of work, thanks to all of the knowledge accumulated these last 3 years that I try to record on this site in my various tutorials.

This 20cents Travel series is available for free (but you will need to register if it's not already done, registration is free to)

Positioning your Map and the montage themes


In this series, I do not propose any default background map, so, you will need to find yours. For this you can use screen capture of google map, or any other document in your possession.

  • Just start placing your map on the main track of your timeline.
  • Then, put the montage theme of your choice on the overlay track. As this theme is transparent, the background map will appear behind the travel itinerary...
  • Finally, adjust the duration of the background map.

Here's what it gives on Pinnacle Studio 12. If you use Avid Studio, remember that the order of the tracks is reversed, so, the map should appear on the track below the one of the montage theme...
Put your background map on the main track

Different settings available

Settings of 20cents Travel montage theme series

Unfortunately, the itinerary will not be draw automatically, it will take a few moments and a bit of application to find the good settings.

First of all, set used transport parameters:

  • Vehicle : you need to choose the means of transport corresponding best to the type of trip you want to evoke. To not overload the theme, I have chosen to apply the same means of transport on each of the segments...
  • Size : allows to slightly adjust the size of the means of transport according to your preference
  • Direction is a cursor that you will need to position entirely to the right (default) or to the left, to set the position of the means of transport to the line of travel. If the vehicle moves to the right, it is better then to put this slider to the right, if  it moves to the left, move the cursor to the left...

Then, you will have route adjustment settings:

  • width allows to adjust the thickness of the line of route
  • color picker color allows you to choose the color of the line for the already made trip
  • overview (or Preview) allows to adjust the transparency of the route before passage of the vehicle. By placing the cursor completely on the left, the path before passing vehicle will be hidden, which allows to glide the outstanding moments in the destination...
  • color picker overview (or color in Avid Studio) allows to choose a color for the route before passage of the vehicle

Finally, you will find the settings to control the travel itinerary itself:

  • Start.X and Start.Y : these 2 settings allow you to adjust the starting point of your route by adjusting its horizontal and vertical positions
  • Angle.n and Length.n* : to define the ends of the 5 segments constituting the route. (n worth from 1 to 5). Each point is defined in relation to the previous one by a Direction (Angle.n) and a distance (Length.n), (what mathematicians call polar coordinates). It is therefore imperative to start with the starting point of the route, and then set the first point, then the second, and so on up the 5 th.
Unfortunately, in Pinnacle Studio, a small bug hides labels of the last setting from the list. To help you, know that they are in the order as shown in the figure above extracted using Avid Studio.

Choose your mean of transport

Select a mean of transportation

The initial goal was to move animated images symbolizing the different possible means of transportation. I used my animated GIF import tool to integrate these images in the different themes of this series.

You will have all these images available in each theme :

voiture.gif A (slightly old) car, which hops and has an engine spitting a lot of smoke.
train.gif A steam locomotive, also a bit shadowy, but perfectly expressive.
bateau.gif A nice cruser ship.
avion.gif A plane with propellers turning. I know what you will say, my means of transport are a quite old, but I find them fun!
bus.gif A bus is also available.
moto.gif Hair in the wind, the biker will ride along route 66 !.
jogging.gif I put this runner for a personal video which will trace my preferred jogging itinerary along the sea.
cheval.gif I do not practice horseback riding, but I think that this could still be useful, and then the animation is nice
randonneur.gif Finally, walking is also possible, so the hiker will certainly be very useful.
velo.gif Feet, horse or bicycle?, missing bicycle in this list.
groupe.gif A found funny this gif, so I added it in my list. Ideal to trace the route of "the Caterpillar" in the room of Eve (I'm joking of course, I doubt that it could be ever used, but if it was the case, and you find it useful, send me the video !)


Define the itinerary


To define the route, I advise you to place the cursor preview on the right (default position). Thus, the route is pre drawn, which facilitates the positioning. Also place the time cursor in a position that shows the route.

Then calibrate the starting point of your itinerary using cursors Start.X* and Start.Y* .

You then have 5 segments to draw your route, which will allow you to draw simple and schematic routes (five segments suffice to pass by the famous four corners of the hexagon  ? (French joke)).
For an animation following rigorously a road, it should be better to use a specialized software, and then import the result.

The end of the first segment is defined by its angle ( Angle.1* ) and its length ( Length.1* ). Once this second point set, Act similarly with the third point, and then all of the following.

Pinnacle Studio (12.14 and 15) users will find unfortunately that outside the initial visible area,  parameter labels do not appear correctly. I cannot do anything, this is a small bug in Pinnacle Studio, but I must admit that they had never planned to do so complicated things with montage themes!

Define a travel path

Some advices


  • The themes are programmed for only 2 seconds between 2 successive points. Accordingly, if a segment of the itinerary is much longer than the other, the speed of progress will be higher. I advise you, therefore, to try when possible to avoid too big difference in length between the 5 segments...

  • The setting of each of the points of the journey can be quite delicate, because theme preview need some time to take slider changes into account (with Pinnacle Studio). When using Avid Studio, you need to move the timeline cursor to  display any update.
So be patient and careful in this phase of work.

Here is an example of what can be done !


To illustrate this tutorial, I propose you a short travel in Paris !



Don't hesitate to send me youtube links of your video using these themes to enrich this page.


Post Scriptum !


This tutorial and this series are fully dedicated to Christian who gave this idea.

Christian, I wish you a rapid recovery after the heart transplantation you had in the beginning of this year.


bijoux fantaisie


Any comment about this page ?

Written by
Etienne Kinnaer
3 messages

Disappointed By The Lack Of Interest In My 20 Cents TravelMonday 16 April 2012 08:58:55

I have downloaded them, and I will use it on my next film travel to Turkey. My personal opinion is that it would be better have a map where for instance a plain avance on the card. (But this is personal) However I will use it like it is on my next film.

Written by
Alaskagram
3 messages

Titre Du MessageWednesday 18 April 2012 08:52:24

I just wanted to say that it is the very beginning of travel season and I plan to use these a lot.Thank you for the effort.


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travel itinerary
dreamscene.org
Web site of the month !

Original motion backgrounds for your DVD menus and montage theme animation


Dreamscene.org propose you many free high quality screensaver. Even if these files were made to be used as PCs screen saver, their installation kit content .wmv video files that you will be able to import into Studio, either for your DVD menus, or, after some adaptations, in my montage themes ...

Go ahead, you will enjoy, and it's very nice !.
2 DVDs for training
Perfect your shooting technique

Thierry Philippon, who manages www.magazinevideo.com has created two training DVDs (the only existing in Europe) offering to video amateur examples and practical techniques for their families and travel movies. Entitled "The best technics of professionals for your stories and movies travel", DVDs are available in Beginner & Intermediate or Advanced level.
These DVDs are made for video enthusiasts who have some basic video skills and willing to progress but also to those who use a camera or iPhone, and want to discover the video capabilities of their device.
Thanks to the contribution of the moving image, the container and contents are in line here. The same situation is sometimes approached with the "bad" example in addition to "good" example. The location of the cameras or the cameraman, making of is also presented when needed.

A free module is available to give you a better idea of the content of these DVDs.



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