Cool Effect

[paddy.]

This is a very simple but very cool effect made using Photoshop's threshold feature and some creative masking in Flash. Check it out.

http://www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/subway.htm

Download the .fla file HERE (http://www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/SubwaySeats.fla).

thanks
Paddy

[thesparky007]

cool!
i like it

[lunatic]

:stunned: I am speechless flash gordon, that is a beautiful thing . . .

[elefen]

what filters or smt you used in photoshop ? :crazy:

[dreeft]

Hasn't this been around for a while? Interesting effect.

[[uber]]

sweet gordo.. real sweet

[paddy.]

what filters or smt you used in photoshop ? :crazy:
Just the threshold feature. Image>Threshold and then set it to a whole range of values and save each result.

I'm trying to write a tute for this effect but I'm a bit busy at the moment. Give me a few weeks and then you'll all be doing it.

Thanks guys.

[j_polo9]

Bah! a few weeks, oh well anticipation is healthy, i think.

[nabskater]

it is indeed. i cant wait:D

[paddy.]

I may give up on this tutorial unless I get a few more requests. Sorry but I can't be bothered to be honest. If enough people ask though I'll do it.

[lunatic]

Sorry but "yes please!" :beam: if you find the time someday, I'm sure it will be well used here.


:hr:

[hl]

nice effect
i would use a tutorial on it

[DarkChild]

same here, i like it a lot :thumb:

[Pomme_]

got the MX version somewhere?
At work, MX2004 is a no-no.

[e-sarbak]

WWOOWW :tb:

[Jasninder]

that is sweet :)
well done

[paddy.]

Here's the MX version Pomme:
www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/SubwaySeatsMX.fla

Updated:
www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/subwayseats.htm

[lunatic]

wow, so cool! thanks flashmastergordon :pleased:

[spastic]

Awesome! A tutorial would be much appreciated.

[ieatrulers]

looks cool, but it could be better if there were more frames and you up-ed the framerate.

[kirupa]

The effect looks really nice Flash. A tutorial for it would be really helpful to us all normal people :beam:

[Pomme_]

^^ looks easy when you look at the file, yet...

[paddy.]

I'm gonna write a tute for this effect over the next few days (or weeks) but first I need a name. Any suggestions?

[j_polo9]

i dunno, maybe something like masked image animation.

[paddy.]

Writing a tutorial is so much bother. (Not that I've started yet.) Just thinking about how to explain to people step by step how to do the effect gives me a headache. Just download the fla and you can work it out. Sorry peoples.

[Solidus]

ahhhh paddy please please please :(

[pete_zahut]

If you edit the threshold of an image this is always black&white. So how did you kept the color in it at the last pictures?

If I know this a tut isn't necessary.....


Thanks in advance :elderly:

[paddy.]

I used the first animation (the black and white) part as a mask for the colours. The coloured picture is just posterized.

[pete_zahut]

I used the first animation (the black and white) part as a mask for the colours. The coloured picture is just posterized.


Thanks! Posterize is the key!

I need this effect to create a creepy/grungy atmosphere in a drugs-related game I have to make for school!

Thanks again!


Cheers

[SteadyScene]

Patty, you have my vote for a tutorial :)

[Tommy_S]

Nice. =)

[SteadyScene]

Let's get everyone to beg Paddy for a small tutorial :)

[josefjohny]

Tut please --- :ponder:

[Voetsjoeba]

I like the effect very much, but I don't find the fla very spectacular ... it's just a serie of jpgs. Pretty high filesize because of that. Nonetheless, the effect is cool.

[aquafuse]

That looks pretty cool actually, is this a picture of a subway in the UK?

[imported_mucho]

enough already..... with the beggin` how about a tut now?! ;-)

cheers,
m.

[Mr.CrabApple]

Indeed, a tutorial would be nice.

[paddy.]

Download the fla I tells ya! :pir:

[RevoGiant]

Paddy I am impressed at your creativity at such a young age. And I mean that in the upmost non-condesending way. :)

[bananaism]

hullo.
we need the tut.
bye.

(p.s - do it for the good of the people. if you write a tut i will donate two months wages to charity. seriously.)

C:-)

[Tommy_S]

we need the tut.
http://www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/SubwaySeats.fla

[a_richards25]

thumbs up paddy, nice work! ...what about that tutorial for your ol' kirupa mates? :hugegrin:

[paddy.]

Thanks.

I started writing a tute just after I finished the effect. I had about half of it done (with no pictures or anything) but I seem to have misplaced it which is rather a bugger.

The .fla is pretty self explanatory to be honest. Just try and work it out for now.

[a_richards25]

Yeah i guess you're right... well we should get of paddy's back now so he can get back and be creative! ;)

Later guys.....

[n4c]

i like it...

Never Too Late!!! Never Too Early!!!

n4c

[RomantorV]

cool! I love too! :angel:

[brndn]

all the raves have caught my attention. unfortunatly I am an MX user and it does not open? any chance of getting hold of a mx version???

[paddy.]

www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/SubwaySeatsMX.fla (http://www.paddyduke.co.uk/lab/SubwaySeatsMX.fla)

[netrix]

nice... would love to see a tut for that effect!

[benFusion]

OK, from checking out the file this is what I *believe* to be the process... I'm gonna try to give a general overview because, well I'm at work ;)

First, take an image. Whatever you want... you'll need two versions of this, a black and white (for the first part and the mask) and then the color one for the final version. If you're working in photoshop make sure that you're done messing with the image and ready to go cuz if you want to change anything in the image you'll have to start over from square 1. It also works better with layers flattened at this point so save out a JPG/GIF whatever.

To get the black and white fade in effect there are several methods to do this. But basically you're saving a series of images that then get imported into Flash sequentially. Take your picture and desaturate it (Ctrl+Shift+U), mess with the levels to make them balanced for now.

Now to the meat of it, take the image and Image->Adjust->Brightness/Contrast it. Set the contrast to 100 and the brightness to 100 (or something where there's only a few black dots)... after that SAVE the image as a 2-color GIF file (or 4 color if you're hardcore, the file size should be pretty small) as slide1.gif or whatever... after that, undo the brightness/contrast and then do it again, only with the brightness at 95 instead of 100 (leave contrast at 100)... save as slide2.gif... repeat until you get down to brightness 0.

Now here's where I get a bit shakier. Import the series into Flash... you should get the first part no problem. After that you need to put the color picture down and mask the white over it. There are a few ways I can think of doing this... I think what you do here is this.

Put the color image on it's own layer and then set the same GIF sequence in as a mask. Now for each frame do a Modify->Bitmap->Trace Bitmap with the settings "Color Threshold: 1 or 2" "Minimum Area: 1"... basically you're trying to break the black from the white... delete the black, go to the next frame, repeat.

...does that help? :) Sorry no pictures... use the supplied FLA above as reference, should explain itself with the above :)

[paddy.]

Actually it's slightly simpler than that. Instead of using Brightness/Contrast and Saturation, just use the Threshold feature. (Image > Adjustments > Threshold) This creates a two tone b&w image and makes it easier to create a sequence. Actually if you go into Threshold and move the slider from one side to another you'll see where I got the idea for this effect.

Other than that benFusion is absolutely right. Good job man. :thumb:

[paddy.]

Remember when people thought I was cool for making this?

[freeskier89]

Ya but not everyone will say cool a million times.... I think it has gotten publicity and bumping threads in source and expirements is kind of lame. I clearly remember seeing it 4 months ago.

[paddy.]

Pfft it's just a little fun. Humour me.

[ElectricGrandpa]

Yeah so where is this subway? UK? It looks an awful lot like the one here in toronto(red seats)...

-Matt

[dipsb_13]

I'd love a tutorial if poss!