Test/Fail procedure to import .png image sequences.

[Juls_3000]

1

Trying to import one image sequence with this nomenclature :

frame_00000.png, frame_00001.png, frame_00002.png, ... etc

2

Configuring "Loading" as this :

3

No succes

4

Making those changes : 

a) Nomenclature: frame_0000.png, frame_0001.png, frame_0002.png, ... etc

b) Configuration: _+[0-9]{4,4}\.png

OT Crash when trying to opening the folder with images

5

Finally it works whith those adjustments:

a) Nomenclature: frame_0001.png, frame_0002.png, frame_0003.png, ... etc

b) Configuration: _+[0-9]{4,4}\.png

I guess "Regular expresion" configuration is not working properly. Some insights ?

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Update (11.04.16): reading this in ToonzArequin User guide : 

"Sequences of full color images can be recognized by Toonz file browsers

as a single animation level if they are named with a progressive

four-digits number written between the file name and the file extension,

e.g. animation.0001.tif, animation.0002.tif, etc. They are displayed in the

file browser with a double dot before the file extension, e.g.

animation..tif."

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Update (12.04.16) 

I see that not all versions of.psd files with layers can be imported ok to OT. A workaround for these cases, that worked to me, is to open that file with GIMP 2 and save layers as a sequence of .png images, using : File> Save layers or Save complete Layers.

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PS

I use this to rename files : http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

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https://workflowy.com/s/JtI13Zub8a#/8f2866608d88

[Rodney Baker]

I'm posting this here in this topic because it relates to the same area of interest (importing image sequences).

Part if this may present a repeatable bug but just in the typing of this message I had success... yay!

But I'm also interested in fully addressing/resolving the problem.

Background

I'm was experiencing some issues with importing image sequences and in fact had never been able to successfully import a sequence...  (I had used workarounds before such as using .mov sequences or manually moving frames into proper position).

All problems persisted even with the latest nightly build but I was also experiencing the same thing in previous (official) releases.

Problem

When attempting to import an image sequence I could get multiple (sequential) images to load but when they came into the Xsheet they did so one as frame per column (sideways) rather than as multiple frames in one column (downward).

In reading the troubleshooting tips above from Juls I thought to create my image sequence with a period/dot between the filename and four digit number but run into a different problem there.

Namely, if images with the formatting of filename.0000.ext (where ext is png or other image extension) OpenToonz crashes upon selecting the folder the images are residing in.

Workaround/Temporary Resolution

Just as I was about to submit this post I wondered if moving the images to the root of the directory/drive might fix the problem and... it did!

The image sequence successfully imported into the Xsheet in one column of sequential frames/images.

So my problem of importing sequential images appears to be solved via the workaround of not having the image sequence in any folder/directory.

If this can be repeated elsewhere by other folks this might constitute a reportable bug.

At any rate, if anyone is experiencing problems of a similar kind you might try to place the images in a root directory.

The root directory in question is on an external hard drive.

Additional Info:

The same success and failure is seen if using the default Retas Pro formatting or a custom one of my own.

Success if the image sequence is not in a folder/directory.  Failure if the (correctly formatted) images are inside.

.

 

[Juls_3000]

Rodney, doing as explained in step 5 of my former message and also as said in User guide (*) it works ok for me just draging first image to Xsheet:

(*) Notice: numeration start by 0001 not by 0000:

[syn1kk]

Having your first drawing in the level name 0000 (or 0 or 00000 or what not) is a known bug...

But I couldn't find the issue number on github... so maybe I never got around to posting it... but I thought I had. (Sorry I'm on mobile so not so agile).

You have to start on 0001 or however long your reference expression is.

---

I saw your regex expression and it looked good IMO. So try again after fixing the numbering to start at 1.

Tell me please if THAT one small tweak fixes your loading regex.

Here's how I rename my files.

https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!category-topic/opentoonz_en/tips--tricks/Y9Iv4KwM7o8

[Rodney Baker]

Dragging and dropping into the xsheet appears to work for me in cases where the name is correctly formatted.

It's the Right Click/Load Level and navigate to the image sequence (correctly formatted) that leads to a crash to the desktop.

All in all there are several workarounds that work well enough but it'll be good to get this all smoothed out.

A minor issue is that some other software balks at the use of periods and underlines in a filename (thus requiring a rename that in optimal conditions could be avoided).

I may have some time this coming week to record the process demonstratrating what works well (for me) and what does not.

The crash upon selecting the directory folder was completely unexpected and I'm sure the devs would want to fix that.

I do understand that that might not be the primary way folks import image sequences but I'm a big fan of Right Clicking and using what is available by context.

The difficulty in some of this (i.e. typing a lot of text) is that there are a lot of variables and depending on where you are in OpenToonz an approach will work well but in another similar case but in a different part of the software it will not.  An example of this is the success of dragging and dropping image_0001.png from a folder c:\renderfolder into the xsheet producing a sequence whereas Right Clicking in the Xsheet and attempting to load that same image sequence via a new level from that same directory (for me) is resulting in a crash.

But, the most important thing to consider beyond the occasional avoidance of a crash by forgetting not to use a specific method is that there are currently ways to successfully import image sequences and those ways work quite well.  :) 

[syn1kk]

For all the image sequences with N files I always create a directory for all the N images.

Maybe this helps?

I always name the dir the same as the level name.

[Rodney Baker]

Syn1kk,

Added:  I was typing my post while you posted... the following should explain how I'm experiencing issues with properly named image sequences in folders/directories...

Also:  Because I render a lot of files on a daily basis I tend to have them output into a dedicated folder which I often initially name 'renderfolder' or 'rf' if I'm feeling lazy.  

This is a workflow that work well for me with other software but I can't yet say I'll continue that naming practice with OpenToonz. I suspect I will however because I try to limit render time (and looking for where I put an image sequence) every chance I get.

I should have also mentioned that the crash upon selecting a directory with the folder containing correctly formatted image sequence also occurs for me when using OpenToonz internal file browser.  This is tells me that OpenToonz is seeing the image sequence inside of the folder because if the image sequence is NOT properly formatted the browser will simply open the directory.  So this relates to how OT's file browser 'sees' an image sequence and displays it as image..0001.png (with the two periods cluing us in that we are seeing a sequence.  

The odd part of this is how that exact same sequence will show and load correctly if in the root of the drive (i.e. not inside a folder/directory).

I'll add for completeness sake here that the import that fails does come into OT successfully via drag/drop.

[gaming]

Hey, Rodney I need help with importing a image sequence aswell.

though my problem is different, i'm having trouble importing my png files.

whenever i import them they are importing into seperate columns instead of being in the same column in seperate frames.

This basically means that whenever i import my png files (which are labeled with a name followed by a underscore, followed with a number)

they always go into seperate columns instead of the same column