Macintosh animation control RS-422 DiaQuest (tm) Animaq (tm) QuickPass (tm) alternative uncompressed video Targa NuVista VideoVision
MacAnimator Pro 2.1 performs high-speed recording of animation to video tape or disc and high-speed frame capture from tape or disc using a wide variety of video devices. It eliminates the need for expensive hardware interfaces. It can record QuickTime movies (including audio), numbered PICT files and PICS files to video, or to capture video into any of the three file formats.
MacAnimator Pro uses our proprietary VCD (Video Control Driver) technology to control D1, D2, D3, Sony 1-inch, Betacam, MII, and broadcast or professional 3/4-inch and SVHS editing video recorders with an RS-422 serial remote control port and an internal time code reader. It also supports the Sony LVR-series and the Panasonic LQ-series laser video disc recorders. In all cases the configuration is automatic: Just connect the supplied cable from your Mac's modem port to the remote control port on your recorder or network master, start MacAnimator Pro, and it automatically configures itself to the connected device.
In both record and capture modes using RS-422-controlled video tape recorders, MacAnimator Pro's FastPass mode provides dramatically faster performance and reduces wear and tear on recorders and tapes by recording or capturing multiple frames during each pass of the tape. Depending on the file type, image size, compression method and the speed of the Macintosh being used, FastPass can speed recording and capture by a factor of from three to ten or even twenty times. What used to take hours with sequential recording or capture of single frames can now be accomplished in minutes.
For recording animation to video, MacAnimator Pro works with any NTSC, PAL or SECAM video output card for the Macintosh, at any resolution. Simply enter a starting time code number and the number of frames to be recorded for each image. Then open a PICS file, a QuickTime movie or the first in a series of numbered PICT files, and click the Start button. MacAnimator Pro takes over, recording your animation to video media at high speed. At your option, MacAnimator Pro can create a log file that lists the time code location where each frame was recorded and the duration of each image. If you need to record a lot of files to video, there's a batch record function that can automate the recording of up to 500 files.
If your animation requirements are more complex, you can use the built-in script editor to create an animation script for MacAnimator Pro to follow.
MacAnimator Pro lets you open a background PICT file or QuickTime movie and perform alpha channel compositing of foreground PICTs or QuickTime movies. And a built-in colorbars generator helps you assure that when you use the video you create, your final colors will be accurate.
With MacAnimator Pro, you can capture video frames as either numbered PICTs, PICS files or QuickTime movies (including audio and time code in Adobe Premiere format). In all cases it supports QuickTime image compression. You can even perform unattended batch captures of up to 500 separate sequences.
MacAnimator Pro performs both interactive and automatic alpha channel rotoscoping and QuickTime movie overlays.
In interactive rotoscoping, MacAnimator Pro captures a frame, and then lets you modify it in your favorite graphics program before recording it back to video media, repeating the process for as many frames as you specify. Thus, no disk storage space is used.
In alpha channel rotoscoping, MacAnimator Pro captures a frame, and then performs an alpha channel compositing of numbered foreground PICTs or a QuickTime movie file before recording the resulting image back to video media. The process is entirely automatic.
MacAnimator Pro also provides both “pencil test” and “intervalometer” (time lapse) functions that record from live sources to video or to QuickTime movies either a frame at a time, or at timed intervals.
Despite its rich feature set and depth of capabilities, MacAnimator Pro is easy to use. Its clean design and intuitive controls assure that you'll be up and running within minutes. Plus, its extensive help system includes virtually the entire manual on line. It's the number one choice for Macintosh video animation.
MacAnimator Pro is priced at $195.00. You can place your order via our secure
order page.
Click here to download MacAnimator Pro 2.1f in BinHex encloded StuffIt format. (406K)
The MacAnimator Pro package above is contained in a BinHex encoded StuffIt file. You'll need StuffIt or StuffIt Expander to unpack it, and then extract it.
Click here to download MacAnimator Pro 2.1f in pure StuffIt format. (305K)
The MacAnimator Pro package above is contained in a StuffIt file. You'll need StuffIt or StuffIt Expander to extract it.
If you are a registered user, this will update you to the version 2.1f. If you are not a registered user, MacAnimator Pro will automatically run in demo mode.
(In order to try MacAnimator Pro out in demo mode, you'll need to make a cable to connect the Mac‘s modem port to the remote port on your video recorder. You'll find information on making a cable in the “Tech Notes” folder in the MacAnimator Pro folder that you download. If you subsequently purchase MacAnimator Pro, we will either include a factory-made cable, or credit you the cost of the cable if you decide to use the one you made.)
A list of the changes since MacAnimator Pro 2.0 is available here.
Click here for the current list of available MacAnimator Technical Notes.
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