Using Command-Line Rendering
Command-line rendering is possible with Anime Studio. These rendering commands let you start a rendering sequence without initiating it from the Anime Studio menu command, making it possible to create a system script that automatically runs at a predetermined time. For example, using the command-line interface, you can create a script to render the completed project for the day during the night when you’re away from your computer. Then the next morning, you can see the results without having to wait for each frame to render.
To use command-line rendering in Windows, simply enter the following text command into a BAT file, into the Command Prompt window, or into the Run dialog box:
Anime Studio Pro.exe -r filename.anme
Note
BAT files are simply text files saved with the .bat extension. This allows you to enter multiple commands in a single file. On Windows machines, BAT files can be executed just like EXE files by double-clicking on them.
Since the Mac system handles applications differently, the syntax needs to be slightly altered.
Anime Studio Pro.exe/Contents/MacOS/Anime StudioPro -r filename.anme
And on a Linux system, the command-line syntax looks like this:
Anime Studio Pro.exe -r filename.anme
This command executes Anime Studio Pro and renders the filename.anme file. If you add the -v switch, then the task is run in Verbose mode, which returns information on the status of each frame.
Caution
Verbose mode doesn’t work under Windows.
Adding the -f switch lets you specify the format to use when rendering. If this switch is not included, then the default format for Mac and Windows is QuickTime and the default format for Linux is JPEG. The available formats include QT (for QuickTime), JPEG, TGA, BMP, PNG, and SWF.
The -0 switch lets you specify an output file name, such as -0 outfile.mov.
Note
AVI is not a supported format for command-line rendering because the format requires that you specify the codec to use to compress the video file, which cannot be accessed from the command line.
The -start switch followed by a frame number lets you specify the starting frame of the rendered project; the -end switch followed by a frame number lets you specify the ending frame. If either of these switches is not included, then the file starts rendering at frame 1 and ends at the frame range.
The rendering options found in the Export Animation dialog box can also be included on the command line using the switches listed below followed by either yes to enable the option or no to disable it:
-aa: Switch for enabling the Antialiased Edges render option.
-shapefx: Switch for enabling the Render Shape Effects render option.
-layerfx: Switch for enabling the Render Layer Effects render option.
-halfsize: Switch for enabling the Render at Half Size render option.
-halffps: Switch for enabling the Render at Half Frame Rate render option.
-fewparticles: Switch for enabling the Use Reduced Particles render option.
-extrasmooth: Switch for enabling the Extra-Smooth Images render option.
-ntscsafe: Switch for enabling the NTSC-Safe Colors render option.
-premultiply: Switch for enabling the Pre-Multiply Alpha render option.
-variablewidths: Switch for enabling the Variable Line Widths render option.
To export a project using command-line rendering, follow these steps:
1. | Locate the file that you want to render and note its path, such as the Doorway.anme file in the Chapter 33 folder on the CD. |
2. | Open the Run dialog box in Windows by clicking the Start button and selecting the Run option. You can also enter a command in the Command Prompt interface. To open the Command Prompt interface, click the Start button and select the All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt option. You’ll then need to navigate to the Anime Studio Pro directory in order for the command-line commands to work. On a Mac system, open the command-line interface, or on a Linux system, access a command-line prompt. For each, make sure that the current path points to the Anime Studio folder where the executable is located. Tip Within the Command Prompt interface, you can use the dir command (directory) to list the subdirectories of the current folder. The cd foldername command can then be used to move into a subdirectory named foldername and the cd .. is used to move up one directory. Remember that folder names are case-sensitive. |
3. | In the Run dialog box, click the Browse button and navigate to the Anime Studio Pro executable found in the Program Files/e Frontier/Anime Studio Pro folder. |
4. | Enter the following command into the Run dialog box or in the Command Prompt interface after the program’s path, as shown in Figure 33.13: Anime Studio Pro.exe -r D://Chapter Files/Chap 33/Doorway.anme -f QT -o C://temp/Doorway.mov Figure 33.13. Run dialog box.
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5. | Then press the OK button to execute the command: This command opens and renders the Doorway.anme from the CD as a QuickTime movie and saves the results in the temp folder. |
