Make Movie dialog-box

Background: Most screen recording software, for example Camtasia®, SnagIt®, may skip a machine steps in a recording. The Make Movie dialog-box does not miss steps. Also, you can record a movie with as many steps as you like.

Use the File menu > Make Movie to record a movie

• as a single file animation: with the GIF file-type.

or

•as a series of images, with the PNG, JPG or BMP file-types. The images are synchronized to equal increments of the Master Machine Angle.

To compile multiple the images into a 'movie', I use Avidemux2.6. You will find this free software on the internet.

1.Save the images with the PNG file-type.

Do NOT append the file-name with a number.

2.Import the images into Avidemux2.6
3.Output the movie with the MP4 movie.

MP4, with the x264 codec, is a recommended format for YouTube®. The files are small and without much loss.

Icon-MakeMovie

File toolbar > Make Movie
Make Movie dialog-box

Make Movie dialog-box

To open the Make Movie dialog

or

•The default 'box-frame' shows in the graphic-area

Use the Make Movie dialog to:

1.Edit the 'size and position of the box-frame, the 'file-name and file-type', and 'number-of-frames', start-angle and end-angle
2.Record the movie [GIF], or the images [PNG, JPG, BMP]

tog_minus        Frame Size and Position 

Dialog-13.2-MakeMovie-FamSize

Pre-set Frame Size...

1.Use the 'Pre-set Frame Size...' list-box to select one 'frame size'

- or -

1.Edit Width and Height to define the size of the frame.

Top-Tip: If you use a 'Pre-set Frame Size', click the 'Left' box to take the 'blue-focus' away from the 'Pre-set Frame Size...' list-box.

2.Edit Top and Left to position the frame in the graphic-area.

tog_minus        File-name and File-type 

Dialog-13.2-MakeMovie-FileType

File-path and File-Type button

1.Click the File-name and file-type... button...

When the standard Windows® Save As dialog opens:

a.Enter a 'File name'
b.Select a file-type from the 'Save as type' list box.
2.Click Save in the Windows® 'Save As' dialog

The File-path and File-name show in boxes.

Note:

If you select PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP as the file-type, MechDesigner saves one image file for each frame. See Number-of-Frames

If you select GIF as the file-type... MechDesigner saves the movie in GIF format. Note: GIF files can be very large when the

tog_minus        Make Movie. 

Dialog-13.2-MakeMovie-MakeMovie

Number-of-Frames

1.Edit the Number-of-Frames box [Default = 30 Frames, Minimum=5 ; Maximum=10000]
2.Edit the Machine Start Angle [Default=0 ;  Maximum > Minimum ≥ 0]
3.Edit the Machine End Angle [Default=360 ; 720 ≥ Maximum > Minimum]

Note-Pencil-20: 720 is 2 full machine cycles.

Make Movie... button

4.Click Make Movie button.

When you click the Make Movie button, the model moves the model to the Start Angle and 'Makes the Movie'.

Note-Pencil

 
•If you select GIF as the file-type... MechDesigner save the movie in GIF format. Note: A GIF file can be very large.
•If you select PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP as the file-type, MechDesigner saves one image file for each frame. See Number-of-Frames

MechDesigner appends 001, 002, 003....to the name of each image.

For example: Hinge001.png, Hinge002, Hinge003,... to Hinge&Number-of-Frames

•To compile separate PNG images as a movie, I use Avidemux 2.6. But many other tools are available.
•Always make sure the file-name ends with a 'letter' and not a number.

 

Tutorial and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 13.2 + © Machine, Mechanism, Motion and Cam Design Software by PSMotion Ltd