Welcome to TVPaint Community forums !

Hi folks,
Today we are releasing a second plugin for both of our products.
Character Generator : this plugin allows to do some titling effects, more complex than using the Simple/Multiline Text FX.

Please note that this plugin is a beta version.

Install :
Unzip the file and place the obtained DLL in your Plugin directory.
Then launch the software, RMB on the Custom Panel's button and choose Load a New Toolbar.
Browse into your system in order to select the chargen.bin file, then press OK.
A new Custom Panel will appear including the button that will allow to launch the plugin.
Have fun !

Edit : This plugin works fine, or the same in TVPaint 7.5

TVPaint wrote:Please note that this plugin is a beta version.

noted!

2 questions to start :

- how can I set the font/color/glow/... option settings on an entire word (or) paragraph, in other words, how can I select the part I want to be active and to be modified? (see pict.1, only the last letter is affected).

- how does work the alpha setting? and why a decimal value?
(I think a 0>255 or 0>100% would be more intuitive), because like this,
I got weird render... (see pict.2)

ZigOtto wrote:

TVPaint wrote:Please note that this plugin is a beta version.

noted!

Thank you :p It's very to keep it in mind if you use it

ZigOtto wrote: 2 questions to start :

- how can I set the font/color/glow/... option settings on an entire word (or) paragraph, in other words, how can I select the part I want to be active and to be modified? (see pict.1, only the last letter is affected).

Zig, you already get how to type a text : Just press the Type button at the bottom of the panel.

If you want to set the font/color/glow/, make sure that you have selected the text you want to set using either your mouse or your keyboard using Shift + Arrows/Home/End (like in a traditional Text editor).

Then press the Edit button at the bottom to set the options as you wish.

ZigOtto wrote: - how does work the alpha setting? and why a decimal value?
(I think a 0>255 or 0>100% would be more intuitive), because like this,
I got weird render... (see pict.2)

The alpha setting works with the Glow parameter and it's true, a value between 0 and 100% must more intuitive.
But you know...

TVPaint wrote:Please note that this plugin is a beta version.

:p

oh, and 2 more :

- what's the meaning of the 2 marks at the top of the project? (see pict.)

- no HUD planed to make easier the lay-out?
to move "Boxes" by dragging them (with the LMB click&drag) in the preview window?

Those markers shows where the text starts when you press Tab.
Press it once and your text will move to the first marker, press it twice and it will move to the second one.

HUD would probably make it easier, that's true but

TVPaint wrote:Please note that this plugin is a beta version.

Thanks for your suggestion Zig, we appreciate it !

for Mac users? No .dll?

this looks like a powerfull tool.
i agree with zig and put my vote up for an extended HUD

the interface looks rather complex and not entirely intuitive

but i too noted this is still a beta version

i also wonder why it is not simply put inside the fx stack?
(maybe this is a little gift for all Mirage users out there?)
my problem with that is that you introduce a new way of keyframing and to me this gets a bit confusing.

Tantalus wrote: (maybe this is a little gift for all Mirage users out there?)

Yes

Tantalus wrote:the interface looks rather complex and not entirely intuitive...my problem with that is that you introduce a new way of keyframing and to me this gets a bit confusing.

I agree with Tantalus. If keyframes are to be involved, this is better off embedded into the FX stack. Otherwise, I believe too that the interface should be simplified. There are too many tabs to go through, and considering this is not as complex as particles its interface should not be so complex either.
and just as everybody else her, I too take its beta-state into account.
but it's a good tool to have.

2 further requests/suggestions for the char generator

-an import source option, where you can point to an external text document.
this way you can set up, for instance, endtitels in an external editor and import them as a whole, keeping the layout(fonts/fontsizes etc) intact

-a subtitel option
where you can set in and outpoints for lines (see image)
either by manually entering framenumbers or smpt code
or (even better) catching those numbers 'on the fly' i.e. while playing the clip each keystroke records the in-point/out-point/in-point/out-point...etc

good one, Tantalus,
I add my support to that kind of improvements.
loading a text file would be a plus,
although a simple copy/paste ability could be sufficient,
I mean, RMB could bring a popup menu [Cut/Copy/Paste/Delete]
ghosted or not regarding current selection and/or text already existing in the buffer.

ah, also a little bug :
style: Normal/Italique seem to be inverted. (see pict.)

ubik wrote:for Mac users? No .dll?

It's comming, I was on vacation last week...

tantalus wrote:the interface looks rather complex and not entirely intuitive

It is an old project that was put on hold for a looonnng time, so we release it *as is* until we get some time to make a full fledged FX out of it.

As others have stated here, it's very cumbersome to use,

and I note that this is an experiment

, but there's one thing I do like the plugin for and that is to type directly into the project window. I don't believe there is any better (more direct) way to do this in TVP, correct?