[ANSWERED] Isadora live datafile for After Effects data generated graphics

bonemap

Hi,

I am starting to test linking Isadora with After Effects data generated graphics feature. So far I have the Data Array actor updating a data file that is then subsequently read directly into After Effects composition via expressions. I am just wondering if there is anyone who has come across a serviceable configuration to link the two softwares that approaches any kind of interactivity?

At the moment I have to click out of After Effects and activate the isadora window before clicking back into After Effects to get the data to update.

best wishes

bonemap

Michel

@bonemap

Make sure to deactivate the AppNap. Otherwise if Isadora is in the background it might goe to sleep.

bonemap

@michel

Thanks Michel

Best wishes

Bonemap

bonemap

@michel

Hi Michel, I am thinking that the external data file associated with the Data Array actor might not ‘save’ to disk each time the Data Array actor is triggered to ‘Write’. If I look at the file in a system list the time of last save to disk doesn’t appear to keep up with the ‘Write’ trigger. For example, in my non-exact test I was able to get new data to After Effects once every 4 seconds approximately.

There are probably all kinds of factors effecting the timing of the data file saving to disk and being read by After Effects. And this method is not streaming data between the two applications - so it is very cumbersome.

However, there are some interesting possibilities linking Isadora output data to be read by After Effects and with the ability to stream After Effects preview window back into Isadora as a Syphon/Spout source some integration is going to be possible. And this might get better in the future as Adobe starts to look more at facilitating non-rendered output from After Effects related applications. Character animator already integrates interactive triggering using Midi.

Best Wishes

Bonemap

Michel

@bonemap

Thats strange, I use the data array actor to save the current scene and the current position of the movie playing, it gets updated 25 times per second. If there would be a crash (and I tested it forcing a crash several times) it picks up the scene and movie position very accurate every time. So I don't really understand why in your case the file does not get updated more often.

Best Michel

bonemap

@michel said:

why in your case the file does not get updated more often

Hi,

So you are suggesting that the 'write' trigger is the same as 'saving' the external text file? I was thinking that there might be some caching going on and the actual 'save file to disk' might be less frequent than what is available for recall by the actor in a cache.

I would be interested to know what is going on there.

best wishes

bonemap

Michel

@bonemap

See attached video, in the preview you see the text file getting updated.

DataArray.mp4

Best Michel

bonemap

@michel said:

you see the text file getting updated

Yes I see that. Well that proves the bottleneck is definitely on the After Effects side - I can't get it to update the data any quicker than about once every few seconds. But thank you for preparing that video, it clears up what Isadora is doing with the datafile.

best wishes

bonemap