Note: Also works with USB Webcams, firewire and analog video via a suitable uncompressed Capture card

Note.  The images used on this web page are a reduced and compressed (lower quality) version of the actual captured image.  

With feedback from our users, the people at Stop MotionMaker sat down and had a hard look at what was required for a basic framegrabber application that had a simple layout and was easy to use, but did not lack the essential tools when capturing images for both beginners and professionals.  We also wanted to include access to the new HDMI video interface, which is now available on the new crop of ‘affordable’ consumer HD video cameras.

System Requirements

• Mirosoft DirectX 8.0 or later
• 512 Mb of RAM /  Recommend 1/2 Gb if capturing HD video images.
• Compatible USB Webcam or IEEE 1394 (firewire) camera, or television camera and interface (analog capture card).  Recommend that a analog-to-digital (firewire) converter be used with the newer mini DV cameras that do not have a firewire video port.
  HDMI HD video (1980 x 1080) via a capable video/still camera and ‘BlackMagic intensity’ interface card.
• Example images on this web page are from a Canon HV20.
• P4 2.8G  or equivalent CPU
• Windows XP or Vista Operating System

So why capture with HD 1920 X 1080 live video?

- Higher image resolution means better quality (more realistic) chromakeys and final output, even if the final product is not full 1080 HD.
- Full live HD previews and onionskin for easier and more accurate positioning of the stop motion objects
- Better post edit image matching when required with live video taken in HD.
- Simplier work flow when compared to using a DSLR + standard resolution Video Assist camera setup.

Features of Stop MotionMaker HDMI

-  variable size live/playback display,
-  Hot keys for functions Capture Frame, Play, Previous Frame and Next Frame,on/off onionskin, on/off Loop Last frame and delete.  Any changes to the default keys will be saved. 
-  frame averaging,
-  time lapse,
-  playback to live all frames plus selectable last 15, 24, 25, 30, 50, 60 90 and 100.
-  onionskin,
-  Loop live/last frame,
-  sound synchronisation which is frame start offset adjustable, has start/stop points and can play sound past     captured frames. Has a automatic tracking function that can playback a section of a sound file either side of the last captured frame
-  Instant Preview/Playback at selected framerate (even at HD sizes)
-  Produce AVIs or use compatible compression codecs when available (HD - DivX)
-  Record live video, and
-  Play back video. 
- Video processing - Grey scale, flip Horizontal and flip vertical.
- Saves in Bmp or JPG image format.  .
- Exports in JPG or PNG image format.

-New ‘Xsheet’ function.  Use to keep track of lipsync or other information during a movie scene.

Below is the Main window of the Stop MotionMaker HDMI application. The interface is simple with buttons and Hotkeys for the main controls and menu selections for options that are not used as often.  This leaves the majority of the window available to display the video, which can be adjusted by the ‘Zoom’ slider to fill nearly all of the remaining space on the computer monitor.   ‘Extra’ features have been purposely left out of this product to ensure minimal distractions as requested by users.  It is envisage that other applications (including possibly Stop MotionMaker Advance) would be used to add post effects. 

HD 1980X1080 image at 66% zoom

DV 720 x 576 image at 161% zoom

Click Here to see a actual Stop MotinMaker HDMI captured HD jpg image

A quick explanation of some of the not so obvious features are as follows: Please refer the in program help, or soon to be available tutorials for more information.

Zoom Slider

Used to adjust the size of the displayed live/preview/playback image from 0 to 200% of the actual video image size.  This enables the displayed image to be adjusted as required to fit the available monitor area.

Onion Skin

Used to overlay the last captured image with the live image to help in judging the amount of movement needed for the next frame. It also has a slider which appears when this function is selected, to adjust the amount of mixing of the two images.

Hot Keys

Used as an alternative for the on screen buttons with the system using the following defaults when opened: Has been designed for a USB number pad, which is often used by animators near their work area.

Capture Frame - ‘Enter’ key
Previous Frame - ‘Left Arrow’ key
Next Frame - ‘Right Arrow’ key
Play to live - ‘Ins’ key
Onion Skin On/Off - ‘End’ Key
Loop Last On/Off - ‘PgDn’ Key
Delete Last Frame - ‘Homv’ Key

These can be set to a variety of other keys from a menu selection.   Any changes will be saved and be available when the application is again used.

Frame Average

To keep to the applcations simple theme, only an on or off selection is available, which has been chosen as a good compromise between image quality against processing time. This process removes some of the video noise which is prevalent in most video signals by taking multiple video captures and then averaging these images into one image. 

Without Frame Averaging

With Frame Averaging

 Play Back Frames

This menu selection allows all, or a select amount of last captured frames to be played back to the live image, when either the ‘Play’ button, or asociated Hot Key are selected.

Loop Last Frame

This menu selection will start the system  toggling between the last frame and the live frame. This can often be a better option then ‘Onion Skin’ to help define not only how far to move parts of an object from frame to frame, but also to highlight movement of parts that should not be moving.

Sound Synchronisation

This function can be used to assist in the synchronising of stop motion movements, or lip synch to pre-recorded sounds and/or voice.

New ‘Xsheet’ Function which can be used to keep track of lipsync and other camera or scene information.