Bezier for Handwriting! . . <i>Kewl!</i>

johnmeyer wrote on 4/5/2006, 10:37 AM

Did you try using Wax? It might be easier.

Grazie wrote on 4/5/2006, 12:59 PM

Wax? - Maybe its ne, but I just can't make it work. Serious. g :(

Grazie wrote on 4/5/2006, 1:00 PM

Wax? - Maybe its me, but I just can't make it work. Serious. g :(

johnmeyer wrote on 4/5/2006, 1:37 PM

Wax? - Maybe its ne, but I just can't make it work. Serious. g :(
Wax? - Maybe its me, but I just can't make it work. Serious. g :(

Well, whether it's "me" or "ne," I can't always get it to work either. Wax includes unbelievable power, but it is very difficult to figure out what combination of controls are required to create various effects. However, Satish includes an excellent tutorial on doing handwriting in Wax, which I just happened to view the other day while looking for something else. Unlike the particle generator and some of the other more difficult parts of Wax, this actually looked like it might be more straightforward than the way you were doing it, which is why I mentioned it.

[Edit] Here's the link directly to the Flash/Wink tutorial:

Wax Handwriting Tutorial

kentwolf wrote on 4/5/2006, 1:56 PM

>>... just can't make it work...

Me either.

I just did a post the other day about the fact that when "writing," I couldn't make anything appear.

The thing is, it *used* to work for me. I had no trouble some months ago.

Something changed in that it won't work anymore for me.

farss wrote on 4/5/2006, 3:00 PM

I've never tried this, so take all this with a grain of salt.

This effect was being done long before computers existed but how?

Well one way I'm thinking of would be to take a piece of glass and lay say ricepaper over it. Camer under the glass and write on the ricepaper with a felt pen. A simple luminance key will take care of the rest. Another alternative might be drafting vellum pulled tight on a frame.
Either way my idea is to shoot from the opposite side of the material so you don't have to worry about your hand getting in the way.

Bob.

Grazie wrote on 4/5/2006, 10:19 PM

G'morning Guys!

Several things:

Bob, as "per" simplest is oft best!

Wolfie, yeah, I get pulled about by WinMorph too. Loved to have gotten that to work also.

John, now THAT IS how a tute should work! Love it - very simple. But . . . . I have the font typed out, I'm wanting to "reveal" the underlying font. I did this with Bezier. There is another method - Jason Abbott VASST Tute - whereby one created a Path-Gradient in PsP or PS, overlaying the typed font. You then bring this into PixelanSPICEMASTER - which I don't have - and proceed to make a progressively "revealing" underlying type written word. I have PsP8, but the for the life of me I can't get a gradient path to work PLUS not having PSM, I was going to be onto a loser too. However I was hoping that I may have invoked some form of "reveal" by using a Vegas FX - Jason employs Invert on the Luminance function within Mask Generator. Stranger things have been made possible with Vegas - oh yes!

I've d/l-ed the JA veggie and am now researching just how I can do this with my setup. If I get anywhere I'll report back - yeah?

In the meantime, if anybody -ANYBODY - has achieved this with Vegas and PsP8 I would dearly love to know! How does one make a directional gradient-path in Paint Shop Pro. I can make gradients that go from left to right and in any of the vectors around a centre - but in a continuous "one-stroke" sweep of the tablet pen? It is rather beating me!

Grazie

farss wrote on 4/5/2006, 10:35 PM

You have a tablet right?

Simple answer, use any app that'll let you draw on the screen and use an app that captures the screen to video. Job done. Like you said the simplest often the best.

Just hope your handwriting is better than mine.
Bob.

Grazie wrote on 4/5/2006, 10:42 PM

"Just hope your handwriting is better than mine."

I haven't seen yours - but I just KNOW it IS worse! More Shakes than a Milk Bar!

Done this, bit clanky and wanted to "nail" this sucker too! As I said BEzier will get me through-the-night. Path Grads PLUS the Mask Generator/Luminance is a definate A way to go though.

Grazie

FuTz wrote on 4/6/2006, 4:16 AM

farss : this is exactly what I did a few years ago, using my mouse and Camtesia, which was free at the time (I think it's not, anymore..?)
And it worked!

DGates wrote on 4/6/2006, 4:45 AM

Either way, with Vegas or Wax, it's pretty convoluted. This is where Apple's LiveType shines.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 4/6/2006, 5:55 AM

> In the meantime, if anybody -ANYBODY - has achieved this with Vegas and PsP8 I would dearly love to know! How does one make a directional gradient-path in Paint Shop Pro.

In Paint Shop Pro 8.0 it’s done with Brush Variance:

1. Press F11 in PSP to bring up the Brush Variance palette
2. Set the Opacity to Fade In
3. Chance the Fade rate (pixels) to 100000 (or however long you want the fade to take).

This will make the gradient follow the brush stroke.

Grazie, I thought you had particleIllusion SE? This will let you create a path of handwriting and attach any particle to follow the path. Just make the particle persist for a long time and it should look convincingly good. Use the actual title as the background when you make the Bezier with the particles.

Bauhaus Mirage Studio also does an outstanding job at handwriting via path generation. Check out their AutoPaint tutorial. This is a great tool to have in your kit.

~jr

Grazie wrote on 4/6/2006, 9:55 AM

Well Guys! - This is a new path to madness! And no mistake ..

It is like the slipperiest of eels sliding through oil on the slipperiest mud on the Planet "Slippy" ! Arrrghhh...

Just when I "think" I've fathomed this out . . I think of another variable and why it wont work .. . and its gone - whoosh . .

Yes, John, I can get, thanks to you, ALL sorts of gradient brushes now. Great ( I do mean this! ). But my ideas for a "smooth" Jason Abbott stroke to appear, as if by magic, is simply alluding me . .. this IS the Path to Madness!

I've 2 projects backing up and was out most of today getting more material for the 2nd project .. . and here I am .. . twitching!

I can get script to kinda appear through the mist, but not in a progressive way in which I drew the darn thing. I understand WHY it is doing this, this way, but for the life me I can't fathom out a sweeter solution.

The Pixellan Illusion is terrific .. can't get my head around just how this would help/work . ..

I keep thinking of a combination of a Mask Generator and a moving Mask to "reveal" the smooth and flowing script underneath it . . but I just can't bring this all together.

Please go and search out and marvel at Jason's Video of this working. It IS on the VASST site, of just how this CAN look .. it is just toooo dreamy . . .

Colour Me Baffled!

Grazie

kentwolf wrote on 4/6/2006, 12:10 PM

I did the SpiceMaster method with PSCS2 and it worked great!

Once you get the method down, it's pretty easy.

Brilliant methodology whoever thought it up.

Grazie wrote on 4/6/2006, 12:17 PM

What is "PSCS2 "?

G

Tom Pauncz wrote on 4/6/2006, 12:46 PM

Grazie,
The latest Photoshop - Photoshop CS2.

Hey 'kentwolf' ... care to share a veggie or tutorial. I'd love to see how it's done with Spicemaster.

Tks,
Tom

chrisconleyradio wrote on 4/6/2006, 1:10 PM

I just purchased Bauhaus Mirage. Does this work well for "handwriting"? The tutorial was very cool

kentwolf wrote on 4/6/2006, 1:28 PM

I will have to look it up when I get home.

It's from the VAAST site.

If you search for "handwriting," you may find it before I can look it up.

It's pretty slick.

kentwolf wrote on 4/6/2006, 1:30 PM

>>...Bauhaus Mirage. Does this work well for "handwriting"?

From what I read, it's supposed to be the ultimate program for doing this.

I downloaded the demo of Mirage, was NOT taking my time, and got very lost really fast.

The SpiceMaster method as per the VASST site works great...and I already own the stuff.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 4/6/2006, 4:14 PM

> I just purchased Bauhaus Mirage. Does this work well for "handwriting"?

Bauhaus Mirage works great for handwriting. Of course, it helps if you have a tablet, but even if you don’t you can fine tune the spline path before you make it into an animation. The length of the animation controls the speed of the brush, and the selection of brushes is incredible. You can make chalk on a blackboard, or spray paint, or even custom brushes. Just follow the tutorial.

~jr

TeetimeNC wrote on 4/7/2006, 2:50 AM

Good info JR. I spent 20 minutes poring throught the PSP help yesterday after reading this thread, but never made the connection with Brush Variance.

Grazie, how did you intend to animate the PSP brush stroke to reveal your handwriting?

-jerry

kentwolf wrote on 4/7/2006, 5:14 AM

>>...I'd love to see how it's done with Spicemaster.

Tom:

See:

http://www.vasst.com/resource.aspx?id=e06386de-306b-424f-8378-0ecd65ecb163

Works great!

Jayster wrote on 4/7/2006, 8:22 AM

The topic is about handwriting; what about creating the effect using a script font and typing the words? Is this easier? My own handwriting is atrocious.

Guess I'll need to read the tutorial.

Seems like really great effects can really distinguish a video - the difference between raw footage and a great production - but you can lose countless hours and productivity if you don't know what you're doing. Thanks, all, for the discussions!

lwx wrote on 4/11/2006, 2:12 PM

Forgive my just skimming this, but noticed mention of using Mirage for handwriting. It's really too simple using Mirage - pretty sure there's a tutorial on the site illustrating one method, but I can think of a dozen other ways, both 'freehand' and tighly controlled by splines or a motion path

Here's an example of the latter, using a motion path in concert with the Particle Generator.

http://www.bauhaussoftware.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=486&cat=500&ppuser=20&sl=g