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makeIFL
Generating Image File Lists
Overview
This program generates a text file whose lines are (a subset of) the names of files in
the specified directory which match the specified pattern. The files appear within the
generated file in ascending order. The idea is that the file specifies a clip of moving
images, by specifying each image in the clip. Such a file is called an image file list (by
3D Studio Max) or script (by Softimage). By editting the image file list one alters the
resulting clip of moving images. In particular, by removing images or causing images to
appear multiple times one can alter the speed of the clip.
Here is makeIFL's graphical interface:
Here is what each of the controls do:
- Image Filename Pattern
- The Image Filename Pattern consists of a filename pattern preceded by a directory path.
The directory path specifies where on the disk to look for files which match the pattern
you specify. The path must be absolute. The filename pattern is used to match file names
within a directory, in regexp syntax. This means that d:/images/mice*9.pic, e:/textures/dogs*.tga,
and f:/cats/cats01*.tiff are all OK, but ../dogs*.tga and ~/cats01*.tiff
are not.
- Output Filename
- The Output Filename contains the image file list itself, after the list is generated. It
consists of a directory path and filename, specified by the user. You can either browse
for the file or type it in yourself, preceding it with an absolute directory path.
- Number of Frames
- An image file list usually is used to map images onto objects in an animation. The image
file list should contain an entry for each frame of the animation. This parameter tells
makeIFL how many frames there are in the animation the image file list will be used in, so
that it can make an entry for each frame. There are frequently more frames in the
animation than there are images, in this case makeIFL can either list the images over
again (Loop) or stop on the last image (Repeat Last).
- Speed
- makeIFL can vary the speed of the moving images clip by omitting or duplicating image
files. One can speed a sequence of images up by specifying 2.0, which omits every other
image, or 1.5, which omits every third image. One leaves the speed of an image sequence
unchanged by specifying 1.0. One slows a sequence down by specying 0.5 which duplicates
every image.
- Repetition Style
- If, after adjusting the speed, there are more frames in the animation than there are
images, this parameter tells makeIFL what to do when it runs out of frames. Loop
means that makeIFL should start over again from the beginning. In this case the clip of
moving images appears to play from beginng to end and then start over again at the
beginning. Repeat Last means that makeIFL should just keep using the last
image over again. In this case the clip of moving images appears to stop moving at the
last image
- Entry Format
- This parameter controls whether the path is prepended to the filename in the entries of
the generated image file list. Selecting Include Absolute Path prepends the
complete path to each entry (Softimage requires this). Selecting Base Name Only
does not prepend the path, instead each file list entry consists of only the file name,
for instance: dogs0078.tga. 3D Studio Max requires Base Name Only.
In all cases makeIFL entries are in ascending order, ordered by the numeric portion of
the image file name.
You can use any text editor to alter the image file list makeIFL creates. If you are
using NT be careful when saving files created with Notepad, since some applications reject
image file lists that have been saved as Unicode.
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makeIFL