Gimpdome

Don't know if you saw my response to your question at GT, but you've added a few extras here so I'll respond again, addressing your new comments.  Your experiment looks good and it would be easy enough to code. 

It wouldn't be difficult at all to give the option to avoid merging the layers, but it would require the merging off all layers manually (or with GAP)....at least until I can get my script written that does merging of multiple layers.

The snow is actually 2 separate layers: one with "larger" snow and one with "smaller" snow (hoping to give some perception of depth although it probably doesn't work well).  At any rate, each layer is moved independently of one another and then merged with the background.

Here's the steps I use to create the snow:

Transparent layer filled with noise using the "hurl" tool.  Amount is set by the user, but default is 10.
Threshold is run on the layer with the black set to 0 and the white at 255. (converts all colors of noise to white)
The cubism plugin is then run on each snow layer to give the noise more of a 'flake' look rather than just a dot.  However, I run a different setting on each layer.  For the larger "flakes" I run it with a Tile Size of 4.0, Tile Saturation of .7, and the Use Background Color checked (background is set to white).  For the smaller "flakes", the only change I make is setting the Tile Size to 2.0.

That's it.

I could code it to allow the user to set the flake size.  And, could add in a blur option.  Wouldn't be a problem, just take a little longer.

Would it be ok if I send you a test script to experiment with?

Art

I sent you a PM with a link to the test script.  It allows you to decide whether or not to merge the snow layers, the option to blur the snow layers, the option to set the flake size, and the combined random/straightdown capability.  Run it through its paces and let me know if you run into any errors or think it could use some other functions.

Art

P.S.  I can't get GAP to export anything video-wise.  I get some weird errors in the GAP export dialog.  However, we'll discuss that in PM's.

I'll check out the high quality version tonight, but it looks good so far.  I also sent you a PM to discuss another option for the script.

Posted on: November 30, 2009, 11:00:31 AM

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One last update.....well, at least until my next update!    Click on the link in my first post to download.

I'm pleased with this script and have added some additional functions as requested by PhotoComix, as well as my own.  The updated script allows you to specify the snowflake size, the option to blur the flakes, and you can do three main things with the script: create an animation from a single image, add snow to an existing animation (convert it to RGB type first), or you can export the individual snowflake layers to 2 separate images for use in other programs or within GAP.

Thanks for the suggestions, PC!

Let me know if you have any problems with the script.  Make sure you delete your previous script to avoid conflicts.

Art

Glad you like it!  There's one major "potential" flaw with adding snow to an existing animation: if there's a pause in any of the frames, the animation won't look right because the snow would appear to be suspended in mid-air.  I have a way to solve the problem, but it would generate extra frames in the animation, which, in turn, would create a large file sizes.  I may or may not add this solution.  The easiest way to get around it is to have no pauses!   Thanks for the kind words and helpful assistance with moving this script forward.

i just saw on TV a "IronMan" (but protagonist was on a son of the original Marvel's Iron Man)sort of 3d animation with some action on the North Pole

Just to remark that the snow in that animation was just crap this script does a much better work

PS
the standing snow may even be a cool effect