• Editor

  • Keyable, dynamic image output

    inglese

This is a request for a feature.
Could our Spine > Export... > Video function allow for creation of dynamic framing/cropping in a single movie creation?
Ideally -

  • describe a max format (1920x1080, for example)
  • allow for keyframed events that crop within that 'full' aspect/format
  • export the movie, resulting in dynamic Viewport: Crop functions to simulate a 2D camera (panning, 'zoom'-ing)

I realize that Spine is not created as a movie-making app, but you'd likely enjoy more full usage if this function were available. Akin to the existing options available - varied encoding, background colors, anti-aliasing and smoothing, etc.

Related Discussions
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Currently, Spine does not support keyframed dynamic framing or cropping directly within the video export function. However, there are some workarounds and related features that might help you achieve similar results:

  1. Clipping and Exporting: You can create a clipping region around your scene to define the area you want to export. This can be done by specifying the exact size in the video export settings. More details can be found in the Spine User Guide.

  2. Using External Tools: For more advanced video editing features like dynamic cropping and keyframed panning/zooming, you might consider exporting your animation as a sequence of images or a video file and then using video editing software like After Effects to add these effects.

  3. Feature Requests and Future Updates: There have been multiple feature requests related to improving the export functionality, including dynamic key offsetting and better export options. These are tracked in various issues on the Spine GitHub repository, such as Export improvements and Define viewport for image and video export.

While Spine is primarily focused on 2D skeletal animation, the team is aware of the demand for more advanced video export features and is continuously working on improving the software.

  • Erika

  • Messaggio #3
  • Questo post è in inglese

Instead of moving the cropping, you may use clipping for previewing purposes and them move everything else by parenting it to bone that will mimic your camera movement! I did this in the past for videos and it's definitely comfortable enough! I sometimes also replace clipping with an image on a separate skeleton on top that has a hole in the middle of the exact size of the video export and that also works really well as I can just make it unselectable. Hope it helps!

    Erika I've also done the trick of parenting rigs to bones that work like an animation 'pegbar' - move the pegs to the left to simulate a camera move to the right.
    This won't work with framing though (which would be done by scaling this 'camera' bone), as I have several rigs that have scale->inherit turned OFF, so these child bones will stay the same size. If it did work it would involve putting a camera bone on each of several rigs, all at the same origin, then making sure they all have the same curves - which wouldn't be such a chore but animating crop/framing at export time would be ideal overall.

    • Misaki ha risposto a questo messaggio

        • Misaki

        • Messaggio #5
        • Questo post è in inglese

        arbycoors Hmm, I think your point is very interesting, but if we are going to do it, it would be easier to understand and more flexible if a camera function was in the editor, instead of being limited to the export.

        Is there any video editing software that allows you to simulate panning and zooming when exporting? I can't really picture it in my head, so if there are any examples, I'd like to know 🙂

          Misaki, that would be marvelous - having a camera module in the editor! Being able to keyframe the crop/framing of the exported image (as applied to multiple skeletons within one Spine session) would be the ultimate tool to solve this, yes.
          I was calling it out as an export function because that's where I find those Viewport > Crop settings that define the editor-space values used to crop for a final image. If those could be keyable and visualized while animating in editor, so much better! Ideally the math/placement might be more intuitive if the first two (placement) numbers in Export -> Viewport: [x] Crop represented the center of the screen rather than bottom/left, in Spine editor values.
          (to answer your last ??, no I don't know of a software that allows panning/zooming at export time).

          • Misaki ha risposto a questo messaggio

            • Misaki

            • Messaggio #7
            • Questo post è in inglese

            arbycoors Thank you for the additional explanation! I thought the camera feature was worth considering, so I created an issue on GitHub about it: EsotericSoftware/spine-editor837

            Ideally the math/placement might be more intuitive if the first two (placement) numbers in Export -> Viewport: [x] Crop represented the center of the screen rather than bottom/left, in Spine editor values.

            Hmm, considering that you can click and drag the cropping frame in the export window preview after deciding on its size, I don't think this is necessary. I mean the kind of operation I do in the video below:

            I think this approach is the most intuitive.

            (to answer your last ??, no I don't know of a software that allows panning/zooming at export time).

            I see. I thought that there might be some kind of simple editing tool for mobile devices, but that's not the case.

              I've never needed an actual camera tool in Spine since I've always make did (made did? made do?) with a camera bone and manual scale corrections where needed, but I don't see a reason to not use a dedicated tool if it was real!