![\"Smoke](\"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Header.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nGoing alphabetically through the ConnectFX Nodes in Smoke, “Action” would be the next on the list (see our earlier post on the first few nodes). \u00a0However, Action\u00a0is the most powerful node in <\/span>ConnectFX<\/strong>, and is so deep that it needs a blog series of it’s own. It is the <\/span>3D compositing<\/strong> hub. \u00a0This series will explore all of the other nodes in ConnectFX, as they are tools that complement and support Action\u00a0inside Autodesk Smoke 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n Smoke’s Auto Matte<\/strong> is a\u00a0very\u00a0basic node. \u00a0It functions a lot like 2D Histogram<\/a>, but in a very stripped down way, with little UI feedback. \u00a0When a front clip is fed in to Auto Matte<\/strong> a high contrast\u00a0image\u00a0is made based on the\u00a0luminance levels of the clip.<\/p>\n \u00a0(Click image for larger view)<\/em> You can adjust the\u00a0minimum and maximum values<\/strong> for the blacks and whites, which when the output is used as a matte input on another node, will give you more\u00a0transparency\u00a0and\u00a0opaqueness\u00a0to your keyed result. \u00a0There is also a Gain Adjustment<\/strong> which is processed after\u00a0the\u00a0min\/max values are set.<\/p>\n Smoke’s\u00a0Average Node<\/strong> is a great node for many uses, both practical and artistic. Average will\u00a0simulate the motion blur<\/strong> of a moving object in a clip. \u00a0It bases the amount of blur on the number of frames set in the “Average Over”<\/strong> slider. \u00a0The higher the number the more frames will be blended together to make the simulated blur.<\/p>\n You also have the option of a uniformed or weighted<\/strong> average. \u00a0This controls the amount of the fade of the blur. You can have each averaged frame fade uniformly or you can weight the frames that are closest to the target frame and they will be less transparent than later frames. \u00a0This will give you a more realistic trail blur, as the frames near the object in motion will be less\u00a0transparent\u00a0than the frames further away. The final option is to base the blur on just past frames or on both past and previous frames.<\/p>\n A practical application for Average<\/strong> would be in using it to blend frames together to create a clean plate for a background. \u00a0With a lock-down shot, you can\u00a0average\u00a0the\u00a0frames\u00a0together which will blur out and fade the moving images and leave the background image untouched. However, a bit of softening may occur. \u00a0Average is a great way to add motion blur to an image that didn’t have it before, like sports images shot with a high shutter.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(Click on images for larger view of the before\/after)<\/em> On the artistic side you can use Smoke’s Average node to create a stylized look to video. Again a\u00a0lock-down\u00a0camera shot works great to make the moving images in the frame blur, add a bit of strobe to that and you have a very filmic 15 fps\u00a0blurred\u00a0fast motion result. \u00a0It can also be used to animate still graphics into a flowing motion background. \u00a0 Or take almost any quick moving handheld shot, average multiple frames, add a\u00a0little\u00a0blur and color and you can make a smooth flowing\u00a0animating\u00a0background.<\/p>\n When you come back from a shoot and find that your handheld shots are a\u00a0little\u00a0shaky or bumpy on your driving footage because of a rough road, then Smoke’s Auto Stabilize<\/strong> is the node for you. \u00a0You can think of the Auto Stabilize node like the Warp Stabilizer\u00a0in Adobe Premiere and After Effects – <\/strong>and like the stabilizer in FCPX<\/strong>. \u00a0I put the Auto Stabilizer to the test on a shot that I edited for WTHR-TV<\/a><\/strong> in Indianapolis, during Superbowl XLVI<\/strong>. \u00a0The shot was a\u00a0time-lapse\u00a0city shot where the photographer moved his tripod 6 inches every 30 secs and shot\u00a05616 x 3744<\/strong> still images using the Canon 5D. As you can see, this shot needed a lot of stabilization.<\/p>\nSmoke’s Auto Matte Node<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSmoke’s Average Node
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\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\nSmoke’s Auto Stabilize Node<\/h3>\n
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