Does anyone have a truly simple method of quickly displaying a straight line on a map between two marked locations please?
I returned to this again today but it took me an unduly long time before I got this result. I opted for the intuitive method using two KFs on a small solid rectangle. But getting the right combination of size, position and angle was much more elusive than I'd expected.
If it is a picture: make a double, go to PSP or some one else and draw the line.
Now you need only a moving mask
Thanks Walter, I'd forgotten that method. I've even used it before! Imminent senility... 😉
It's good for simple curved routes too.
Hi
I use a similar method to Walter's however the second image only contains the 'road line', as a png image with transparent background,which follows the road and a shaped mask, as seen on the timeline below which I have found to be the best for complicated routes, keyframed both for size, position and rotation.
John EB
Thanks John, that looks versatile. I’ll try it tomorrow.
Works fine. I assume you made the track in PaintShop Pro using its Magic Wand to extract it from the map? With colour tolerance gradually increasing until it started affecting the adjacent map colours? And then sized and positioned the track manually?
Hi Terry,
Another way is to right-click on the map (selected) in MEP, Video effects, Create overlay graphics/animation, and create a line (start of line - very short), name it, give it colour and thickness that you want, Copy in the Animation Frame Gallery to advance 0.5s or change it to what you want, double-click on the line, drag the right end out to where you want, Copy, Copy..., exit. You will now have an animated line in MEP.
And another way, which you don't have yet but will probably be with the next version of MEP, is with Travel Maps. TM allows you to import your own map. Just put in the 2 points, turn off the text and avatar, view it, export it.
John CB
Hi Terry
. . . . I assume you made the track in PaintShop Pro using its Magic Wand to extract it from the map? . . . .
Yes, and then created a new layer and painted the selection red, hid the map and then saved the track as a transparent png.
John EB
Hi John
. . . . Another way is to . . . .
I did try that, back in 2015, when I created the route you see in my post above - the full route is nearly 1 minute long and it proved very time consuming so I abandoned that method.
John EB
Hi John,
Thanks. But that means I first have to learn how to use Xara!
Take a look at my tutorials on Xara with MEP.
If you just want a static image, there is nothing to do in the animation part, just draw your shape and exit (upper right X) and the shape that you have drawn will be in an object on the timeline below the video clip. Double-click on it to edit it back in Xara. Alternatively, if you want to keep the shape as a png file, once the shape is drawn, File, export, png as I mentioned in the other post.
In the animator, if you click on the copy button, the video advances by the amount indicated, 0.5s by default. You can change the default or from any frame to any frame. If you have named your shape, you can move it in every frame. Xara does a tween in the video.
It took me 2 years to figure out how to draw a line in PSP, 5 seconds in Xara.
Leaving for another 2 weeks of camping.
John CB
Timely point, John. Yes, I did, maybe 20 years ago. Perhaps it’s time to play with it again soon.
Although the masking methods give a fast result with minimal effort, I’d still like to find a neat way to draw a straight line at any angle between two points using KFs. I can quickly calculate the angle using Excel, after capturing the co-ords of the two points, but drawing the line is still taking trial and error.
Hi John,
Thanks. Yes, John CB and I had some lengthy email discussions about that interesting ‘Echo’ method. It’s good to have it my line-drawing toolkit, but rather too complex for regular use. And the tracks I mainly animate are from walks and are typically tortuous. That makes it tricky to get a uniform appearance and speed with this technique.
My favourite method is still the one I’ve been using for years, using an imported GPX in Google Earth, animated with its Time Slider, captured with FRAPS and imported to MEP.
Second best, especially for more general use, is one of several masking methods. (Although 90% of my walks are circular, an obstacle with this method.)
And, of course, it’s time I renewed acquaintance with the Travel Wizard.
Focusing on the special case raised in my post, straight lines, I’ve now developed a satisfactory way to do that with two KFs. The critical aspect was getting the correct angle without tedious trial and error. Happily it can be calculated automatically with either Excel or my macro program (Macro Express Pro), or even with Calculator.
When John gets internet access after emerging from his camp site I’d be interested to hear whether he regularly uses the Echo method?
Hi John,
Hopefully your German language skill plus Walter’s tutorial will help!
I’ll also get on the case in the morning if you haven’t found the solution by then. Meanwhile here are the steps I used:
ANIMATING A TRACK IN MEP 2016 USING ECHO METHOD
1. Open a fresh MEP project (e.g. D:\Videos+Projects\PROJECTS\MISC Projects\Line Drawing\TrackDrawing-2.MVP)
2. Drag onto track 1 a background map. Ctrl+Enter to fill screen.
Maps should be made carefully, with optimum zoom and coverage. Variations, such as with/without the destination, or with/without the GPX-based track, should be based on exactly the same zoom and position before any Snagit capturing.
The initial map should include the start place (either built in to MM or added manually in PSP8) and the finished walk (planned or actual) which will be used as a basis for placing KFs.
Ensure it is roughly 1920 x 1080 and fills screen (Ctrl+Ent). Set its duration to say 4 secs.
3. Drag to track 2 a small, central white circle, e.g. C:\Users\terry\Regulars\Circles\WhtCircle-smaller.bmp. Its size will determine the width of the track and some trial/error may be necessary.
3a. For straight line animation use a small white rectangle, say 36 x 12 after resizing. This will then need to be set to correct angle, using the Excel worksheet 'Animate line.xlsm', which uses the formula
=DEGREES(ATAN2((C3-A3),(D3-B3)))
where C3 = x(End), A3 = x(Start); D3 = y(End), B3 = y(Start), and result is the angle clockwise from top left corner of preview monitor.
4. Select this 'point' object and in Brightness/Contrast set Brightness, Contrast and Gamma to 100.
5. In Chroma key, select Black. The white point may now be visible at the cente of the map. If necessary reduce brightness of the map.
6. SET KEYFRAMES: In Size/Position, carefully set all the keyframes, using the GPX or guidance track to help. NOTE: If pointer moves too quickly, discrete points will be displayed instead of a smooth line.
***** KEEP BACKUP of these KFs safely until line.mxv is satisfactorily working!
Positioning of the track is unimportant if the map is small scale, such as the MM 'OS Route Planner'.
The animated dot should appear to flow smoothly from target to destination place markers. Butting tidily up against them. IOW, symbolic rather than realistic.
7. Duration of animation should be approx 3 or 4s, more for long tracks. If preferred, extend duration a couple of seconds to show final position. Add 0.5s fade-in. PLAY animation until 100% satisfied.
************************************************
8. KEY STEP - SET ECHO DISTORTION & CHROMA KEY: With marker at start, select the point (white circle) object and in Distortion, set Echo to 5. Set Chroma key to black. DO NOT PLAY THE ANIMATION FROM NOW ON!
9. Mute or delete the map.
10. EXPORT: Ensure marker is still at start (or you may get one or more unwanted dots), then Export (Allt+d) as MXV. (Video onl, no sound.) Original instruction was to 'render' the video clip (lightning icon) but that doesn't seem necessary?)
11. Import the export onto track 2. If necessary set Video effects > Chroma key to black.
12. (Optional, depending on result requited.)Place a map in track 1. It should be identical to the temporary map used above for placing KFs, except this one should have no track and no destination.
13. Play and check all is OK.
If there is an initial pointer already visible, a 0.5s fade-in should fix it.
14. May want need to add a static image at start, before animation begins.
15. It can be effective to generate the destination marker just before the track reaches it. This can be done by either:
- fading in an added marker
- having it 'grown' or 'filled', rather like the Portillo railway maps.
Hi Terry
Will have a look at your method tomorrow - rain expected all day.
It will be interesting to see how it works with my Europe map which is 15000 x 13500 px.
John EB
Hi John,
Sorry, can't take a look. I have to get back to the campground. Just came out to check emails and do a couple of Travel Maps animations for our last 2 walks.
Hi Terry,
Try using the animator in Xara. It is actually very easy, once you know how.
You will find Travel Maps quite useful, if and when you get it with MEP.
John CB
Back on topic, I think animated straight lines can often be a good choice to illustrate trips and routes of all sorts.
Here's an example I've just made quite quickly, entirely within MEP, with no add-ins or external video tools, using a pair of KFs for each line.
Looks well!