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Seeking Mod Advice: Video Intros/Cutscenes NN:EE

UroborosUroboros Member Posts: 6
edited April 2018 in General Discussions NWN:EE
I currently have the ability to create and edit video. My question, is there a video tutorial or PDF/text tutorial floating around that shows how to implement video intro/cutscenes using the NN tool set? and what video/sound file formats are compatible with the Aurora toolset? NN precedes the era that I learned scripting and C++, so I have no idea what file formats the toolset actually recognizes, can someone help with any information? I'm going to assume it uses avi, wmv, mp3 and m4a?!?!

Also, while I'm on the subject of asking about file formats. Can one use PNG files to create PC Portraits or does the image have to expressly be in the JPG format?? What about TIF files?!?
Post edited by Uroboros on

Comments

  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    RE. Portraits. The answer to your question is neither. NwN uses TGA for portraits. Grab this pdf ebook. It may be old but it is still useful.

    TR
  • UroborosUroboros Member Posts: 6
    TarotRedhand said:

    RE. Portraits. The answer to your question is neither. NwN uses TGA for portraits. Grab this pdf ebook. It may be old but it is still useful.

    TR

    I realize that and even mentioned it, but you still have to convert the JPG to a TGA format using the console command ConvertPortrait. My question was can the original image be anything besides JPG before converting it. Thank you for trying to assist, but really, you completely misunderstood the question I asked.


  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    edited April 2018
    If you use a third party batch image converter, such as xnconvert (or bimp if you use gimp) you can use whatever image format you like and convert to TGA afterwards. I never use the console command and you never mentioned the console in your original post, hence my confusion.

    As another alternative there is an Image Scaler and Duplication tool for NWN called the Portrait Conversion Tool. It takes in bmp, jpeg and png files outputting in tga.

    BTW the following wiki page answers your original question.

    TR
  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    For your movie question this thread may be of a little help. It may deal with converting videos that were originally in bik format to EE's format of webm, but settings needed are in there.

    TR
  • UroborosUroboros Member Posts: 6
    TarotRedhand said:

    If you use a third party batch image converter, such as xnconvert (or bimp if you use gimp) you can use whatever image format you like and convert to TGA afterwards. I never use the console command and you never mentioned the console in your original post, hence my confusion.

    As another alternative there is an Image Scaler and Duplication tool for NWN called the Portrait Conversion Tool. It takes in bmp, jpeg and png files outputting in tga.

    BTW the following wiki page answers your original question.

    TR

    I prefer Corel instead of using Freeware like GIMP. I also prefer to not use outside 3rd party software. I just want to know if the ConvertPortrait command will work on PNG or TIF, the tutorial I saw said JPG expressly, but JPG and JPEG are lousy for high quality images, JPG loses up to 10% of image quality just saving to a JPG file because it is not a lossless image format.

  • UroborosUroboros Member Posts: 6
    TarotRedhand said:
    If you use a third party batch image converter, such as xnconvert (or bimp if you use gimp) you can use whatever image format you like and convert to TGA afterwards. I never use the console command and you never mentioned the console in your original post, hence my confusion.

    As another alternative there is an Image Scaler and Duplication tool for NWN called the Portrait Conversion Tool. It takes in bmp, jpeg and png files outputting in tga.

    BTW the following wiki page answers your original question.

    TR

    Yeah, I don't need a convertor, I just need to know what all video formats the toolset recognizes and a small script example showing how to function call that video and play it. That's all I'm asking for, I can make the video whatever file format I want it to be when I record or edit it. Also, this is for the NN:EE version of the game, so I doubt anything in that thread really has anything to offer. The only remotely interesting thing was that it mentioned bik format. Thanks for your assistance, but I think I need someone with more scripting and toolset experience then what you can offer in this situation.

  • TarotRedhandTarotRedhand Member Posts: 1,481
    edited April 2018
    If you can't be bothered to properly read that thread about bik conversion to make movies work in EE, wherein it is mentioned that your webm movie needs to be use the following codecs - video codec: vp8 and audio codec: vorbis... It also mentions that the extension of your movies must be wbm and not webm. For scripting purposes nothing has changed as the extension was never mentioned when calling void EndGame(string sEndMovie), which is the only script command (currently) that has anything to do with the movies. Otherwise you go through the module properties in the toolset. That is because (atm) you can only have a movie at the very start of your module and at the very end. All in game stuff is handled by cut-scene scripting, but you didn't ask about that in your original post, only the thread title.

    TR
    Post edited by TarotRedhand on
  • TheBarbarianTheBarbarian Member Posts: 58
    I like how, unbeknownst to @Uroboros, @TarotRedhand actually wrote some of the best scripting guides available for NWN, as well as generally simply making his own utilities when tools are needed but nonexistent. ^^ Ahh... life. So fleeting. So impatient. So ready to dismiss data at a glance, blinded by the very things we see.

    I'd recommend using something other than the ConvertPortrait command. Even if it turns out not to require converting to JPG first, it'd still mean having to manually convert one image at a time. Batch converting and resizing large amounts of images at once is a built-in feature for most professional image editors and many freeware ones as well. Compared to that, the console command is extremely inefficient and clunky to use.

    That aside... when in doubt, try testing it. Empirical science is a beautiful thing, and should come a step or two before "Complain that the answers you are getting are not helpful enough" and "Conclude that '(The answers I am getting are not equal to the answers I want) equals (The person answering is incompetent)' - tell them so!!1eleven" in the 'How do I make (thing) work?' problem-solving chain. That just discourages people from trying to help you.

    Far as I can see, Tarot's already covered everything. If it helps, in the toolset, you go to File -> Module Properties -> Advanced, to add an intro movie. And, yes. AFAIK it's not currently possible to run movies without ending the module. In the campaigns, this is handled by separating the story into chapters, each of which may have their own intro or outro movies.

    Playing movies whenever you want would be a pretty neat feature for the EE, actually. Is that on the Trello already? ::checks::

    Yes. Yes, it is. :smiley: Awesome. Keep an eye out for that patch, they'll mention the new functions in the patch notes.
  • UroborosUroboros Member Posts: 6
    edited April 2018
    TheBarbarian said:

    I like how, unbeknownst to @Uroboros, @TarotRedhand actually wrote some of the best scripting guides available for NWN, as well as generally simply making his own utilities when tools are needed but nonexistent. ^^ Ahh... life. So fleeting. So impatient. So ready to dismiss data at a glance, blinded by the very things we see.

    I'd recommend using something other than the ConvertPortrait command. Even if it turns out not to require converting to JPG first, it'd still mean having to manually convert one image at a time. Batch converting and resizing large amounts of images at once is a built-in feature for most professional image editors and many freeware ones as well. Compared to that, the console command is extremely inefficient and clunky to use.

    That aside... when in doubt, try testing it. Empirical science is a beautiful thing, and should come a step or two before "Complain that the answers you are getting are not helpful enough" and "Conclude that '(The answers I am getting are not equal to the answers I want) equals (The person answering is incompetent)' - tell them so!!1eleven" in the 'How do I make (thing) work?' problem-solving chain. That just discourages people from trying to help you.

    Far as I can see, Tarot's already covered everything. If it helps, in the toolset, you go to File -> Module Properties -> Advanced, to add an intro movie. And, yes. AFAIK it's not currently possible to run movies without ending the module. In the campaigns, this is handled by separating the story into chapters, each of which may have their own intro or outro movies.

    Playing movies whenever you want would be a pretty neat feature for the EE, actually. Is that on the Trello already? ::checks::

    Yes. Yes, it is. :smiley: Awesome. Keep an eye out for that patch, they'll mention the new functions in the patch notes.

    1) Except I did read it, and I also have all 4 PDF manuals for the Aurora Toolset. My question was can I do it or not, as it pertains to the NN:EE, I suppose I should have been a bit more clear.

    2) No one is likely to have galleries of portraits to convert unless they are clipping them from the internet and using the work of others without permission. I want my project to show off MY work and not the "stolen" work of others.

    3) I had been seeking this information for a week, none of the PDF manuals mention video scripting. I did search the Trello forums, the information was not available in the search and to say these forums need a overhaul is an understatement.

    4) If you knew how many forums, boards, fans and amateur modders I had encountered this week who were offering up suggestions but actually not understanding the questions, you would be frustrated too so you can keep your weak sarcasm to yourself, thank you. NN released a full 10 years before my era of studying C++ to say I may be ignorant of what file formats the tools can and cannot recognize should be understandable, as the PDF's do not really cover this type of thing with any great detail and NONE of them specifically cover video files.

    5) That Trello board was not updated until after I had began to ask this question earlier this week. I understand the scripting with using 3d models and looping animations to create cutscenes. That totally does not answer the question. The .bik article was slightly informing but was not updated to include any information on the NN:EE edition, so...

    6) "And, yes. AFAIK it's not currently possible to run movies without ending the module. In the campaigns, this is handled by separating the story into chapters, each of which may have their own intro or outro movies." Hey thanks for that, it's all you really had to say. I already knew that was the case with intro/outro but my question was to include cut scenes as well for NN:EE.

    7) In the campaign/module project I am hoping to build, the goal is to stick to official/core Beamdog resources so that when I upload to the Steam Workshop, people won't have to risk running around and download a bunch of overrides/haks that may or may not work together with their application. I want the project to be as accessible as possible by the greatest amount of peoples. So surely, this can help clear up why I wish to avoid importing 3rd party tools or pirated artwork.

    8) Actually, it is Edit -> Module Properties -> Advanced -> Starting Movie

    Thank you for your time and have a good day!
    Post edited by Uroboros on
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