All Windows/Play, Rhythms and Bounce/Export/EXPORT ANIMATION, or Print or Copy (Ctrl 234)
From Bounce Metronome
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Controls Common to Many Windows
Screen Shot (More)
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This is what you get in the More version of this window (you use the More button to show it).
EXPORT ANIMATION, or Print or Copy
Save an animation in AVI video format for the bounces (2D or 3D) or the bouncing ball lyrics- or print or copy any single frame (2D or 3D)...
The options have no resolution limits except for memory - the final image has to fit into your computer's RAM - obviously also with a bit of overhead for the program itself as well.
So - if the image is very large then you may not be able to copy it or print it. If that happens, then reduce the width or height.
(It's possible to get around this restriction with a technique called memory mapping, also by banding in the case of printed images - but I expect few users to need images large enough to exhaust available memory. If you do then let me know!).
Type - DROP LIST
Choose what you want to export
No print currently available for the Ball bouncing on Lyrics option, also in order to do the animation, a copy of the text will be shown in a separate window which also has to be shown in front of all the other windows and within the screen.
That's because currently it's done by showing the lyrics on the screen, then making that screen image directly into the frame to copy or animate. So it is limited to the size of your screen, and can't be printed.
I plan to add a proper print and copy later on - and animation - based on formatting the text to match your printer's capabilities as in the preview windows in word processing programs - that will permit much higher resolution.
The other options have no resolution limits except for memory - the image has to fit into your computer's RAM - if it is very large then you may not be able to copy it or print it. If that happens, then reduce the width or height.
Save animation (Alt + A)
The first time you use this in the session you are asked to set the compression options. After that, if you need to change them use Shift + click on this button...
The AVI files tend to be large so you probably want to convert them to other files if you want them compressed. If you do that then it's best to save the first file as high quality as you can. But probably best to avoid the uncompressed option - files tend to be very large, maybe even gigabytes, and some players may not play them.
Which compression format should I use?
Cinepack, or Microsoft Video 1 are good choices. They compress fairly well and every modern Windows PC has them. Try both and see which works best. You may prefer to set the compression level low and quality high and convert to another format later on - see below.
Some of the other formats on the list may only work with some colour resolutions. So, Microsoft RLE will only work if you set your screen colour resolution to 256 colours.
You can add new compression formats by installing the appropriate codecs.
For a full explanation of the avi formats available see:
http://www.jmcgowan.com/avicodecs.html
About the avi format
The save is in .avi format (Audio Video Interleave). The older avi codecs don't compress so very well, without loss of quality. More modern compression formats can make much smaller files.
However you can easily convert an avi movie to any other format, using third party tools such as Any Video Converter:
http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/
or Prism converter
http://www.nchsoftware.com/prism/index.html
A good file format to convert the output to
A good file format to use is mp4, if you want high quality combined with small file size.
For best results, set the compression for your orignal avi to high quality (low compression) before the conversion - as it generally doesn't help matteres to compress the same movie twice over. The resulting file produced by your converter will often be just as small but better quality because it's starting material was better quality.
For the very best results, do the original save as full frames (uncompressed). However this will create very large files, easily in the gigabytes for high resolution movies, so make sure you have enough space first. You may want to delete the originals as soon as the conversion is done.
If you might want to resave the videos again from Bounce Metronome in the future with exactly the same parameters, be sure to save it as a project in Bounce Metronome from File | SAVE AS PROJECT... One way to keep track of things is to save the project with the same name as the movie and in the same location - do it immediately after you make the movie - then keep both files together.
How to change the compression format for the .avi save
The first time you save a movie in the session you are asked to set the compression options. After that, if you need to change them again, you can use Shift + click on this button. That will bring up the compression dialog again before the movie save.
Alternative codecs for the avi save
There are modern codecs for avi e.g. mpeg-4, since the file format allows any encoding method to be used. But then the files can only be played on other computers if they have the same codecs installed.
So, you can install and use any of these codecs, if you know the PC that plays the files will also have them. But for more general use it is probably better to convert into one of the other widely supported formats. E.g. instead of getting a mpeg-4 codec for avi to do an avi which "wraps" a mp4 compressed file, just convert it directly into mp4.
Save exact Bars
Sets the duration for the animation to an exact number of measures - if the bar size varies you may also want to switch on Favour Measures in the More version of EXPORT ANIMATION, or Print or Copy (Ctrl + 234)
Save exact Bars
How many measures to save - as you vary this the Secs field will vary to match.
Auto set
Automatically sets number of measures to smallest number needed for animations that loop smoothly...
For bounce back and forth, sets to 2 measures. Otherwise to 1. For lyrics, then if you select Entire Lyric (in More version of this window) then this sets it to the number of measures in the lyric.
This option will be automatically unselected if you edit the time, or the number of measures, to a different number by hand. Just reselect to get back to the preset number of measures for the animation.
Secs to save
How many seconds to save for the midi file
Frames per sec.
Youtube HD is 24, 25 or 30 fps. For faster streaming, try e.g. 10 or 12 - Make this less for faster streaming video, or more for better time resolution.
Add frame number
Select this to show the frame number at top left of every frame.
animation time
Edit this to show a single frame of the animation at any desired time...
This is the animation time to show when stopped. You can edit this to show the image for a particular time which you can then save it as an image using EXPORT ANIMATION, or Print or Copy (Ctrl + 234)
To look at the frame more closely, since the preview pane in EXPORT ANIMATION, or Print or Copy (Ctrl + 234) is quite small, you can also stop the rhythm and bouncing balls and then use the option "When stopped show for time ..." in Bounce Preferences (Ctrl + 220).
This is particularly useful for the 3D frames. You can zoom into the 3D scene, and show it from any angle using the ALT or CAPS LOCK + click and drag method in 3D Bouncing Balls, Drum stick or Conductor's baton (Ctrl + 224). So you can use this to adjust the image to your preferences, or look closely at the details of the 3D scene before you save your image.
frame
Shows the frame number reached. You can edit this by hand to show any desired frame in the animation
BouncingBall
Shows balls bouncing in time with the rhythm, and various controls you can use to adjust the rhythm...
Quick start for the Bouncing Balls controls
LEFT CLICK ON THE GRAY SEMICIRCLES to Show / hide the blocks and the parts adjustments.
LEFT or RIGHT CLICK on BLOCKS to ADJUST INDIVIDUAL BEATS, e.g. to skip beats, accent beats, or change volumes. Hover the mouse over a beat for more information.
You can also LEFT CLICK on the main display to restart the bar. This only works if the balls are bouncing silently. When the sound is playing the bouncing balls always synchronise with the sound.
You see this tip when you hover the mouse over the bouncing balls themselves. hover the mouse over the title bar of Metronome Bouncing Ball (Ctrl + 219) for background information.
More Details
The gray semi-circles to left and right can be used to show the beats for each part as blocks below the bouncing balls - and to show controls you can use to adjust the individual parts in the rhythm.
Each row of shaded blocks shows one of the parts. For instance 6/8 has three parts. One of the parts plays the six beats to a bar (as quavers). Another part plays two beats to the bar, so that you can hear the middle beat clearly. Another part plays the bar beat.
Each row is the same colour hue as its bouncing ball, though lighter in shade. In each row, the blocks show the individual beats in the rhythm, and the size of each block shows the duration of the beat. The blocks are all done with the first beat of the bar to the left, and last beat to the right (and shown reversed when the balls bounce from right to left).
If you have the display set up so that all the balls bounce together then the balls for each part bounce on the divisions between the beats. However you may have the balls bouncing in opposite directions for polyrhythms like 3 with 4 / 4. If you have a setup like that and also beats varying in size, then the balls may not bounce on the divisions between beats for all the parts.
How to use the blocks to adjust the rhythm
You can LEFT CLICK on a beat to SKIP it, or to adjust the timing of individual beats. You can RIGHT CLICK to ACCENT it, and MIDDLE CLICK or SHIFT + CLICK to adjust the volumes. For more details hover the mouse over the blocks.
Tap out rhythm
You can RIGHT CLICK on any of the parts, to tap out an entire new rhythm. The last click ends the bar so for instance to tap out a bar with four beats, tap four times for your rhythm, then add a fifth tap for the start of the next bar.
Right click on the part you want to adjust the rhythm for - as the rhythm is used for the currently highlighted part.
Another way to tap out an entire rhythm is to use the SPACE BAR on your keyboard. Again, right click on the desired part first to choose the part to set the rhythm for.
Then use Ctrl + SPACE to switch on the SPACE BAR RHYTHM TAPS. Then tap out the rhythm. Use CTRL + SPACE to switch the taps off again when finished
How to play your rhythm back at speed
To play your rhythm at the speed you tapped it, set the beats tempo in the main window to 60 beats per minute. Set it faster than that, or slower. if you want it speeded up or slowed down.
Parts adjustments
You can ue the diamonds, circles and rectangles to the left of the bouncing ball display to hide any of the bouncing balls, change the instrument for a part, or silence any of the parts.
You can use the triangles to the right to vary the number of beats in each part or the number of parts.
To find out what one of those controls does - just hover the mouse over it.
How the blocks work for scripted additive rhythms
These rhythms show up as separate measures along the bottom of the window, one after another, with only one of them highlighted.
With these rhythms, you can click to select one of the measures of the rhythm - this lets you change between the sections of the script manually.
These rhythms are made automatically by Bounce Metronome by creating a script for Tune Script (Ctrl + 171). Because the rhythm is scripted, you can't adjust the beat timings by hand for these rhythms, at least not permanently. If you do adjust the individual beats (for instance using Beats volumes and times (Ctrl + 76)) then the next time that bar is played the script will just set the beats back to the way they were before.
However you can play these rhythms with swing.
You can also make your own scripted rhythms with skipped beats or using any of the other features of Bounce Metronome using Tune Script (Ctrl + 171) - explore auto script in that window.
For instance, one way to do it, if you switch on auto script and then play the rhythm slowly until the script highlight reaches the bar you want to adjust, you can then adjust the beats using Beats volumes and times (Ctrl + 76) as normal and your changes will be added into the script at that point.
Tempi
Tempo in Beats per Minute - OR : TAP with BACKSPACE key at desired tempo - OR USE LEFT, RIGHT, UP or DOWN ARROW keys to increase or decrease tempo by one BPM or one NOTCH - or step through a preset list of tempi and rhythms...
The tempo is measured in beats per minute, like heart rate. For more about this scroll down to read about What do the numbers mean?
>> History
Click here to show recently visited files of this type...
Alternatively, Ctrl + right click on button, text field or drop list
Keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F10.
The menu includes a Current Folder option to explore the folder for the most recent file.
>> History
Choose from recently visited folders for opened files...
You can also bring this up with Ctrl + right click on the folder text box or drop list if the window has one of those.
USING THIS LIST
If you want to navigate quickly to a file in any of the folders you have previously visited - then first choose the folder you want to go to here. Then go to File | Open - or use the Open... entry in the recent files list, and you will find that you go to the folder you selected here.
WHAT YOUR SELECTION HERE CHANGES
For windows with a separate Folder text field, your selection here will immediately update that field as well (e.g. for Record to File).
Your selection here also changes the drop list of files shown in the fractal tunes drop lists, or for the retuning midi player
It doesn't change the drop lists of scales, as those are user editable menus set up with their own navigation system and needn't correspond to the locations of any scales files on disk.
WITH THE PREFERRED FOLDER OPTION SWITCHED ON
Note that you can also choose a preferred folder to go to every time for File | Open - configured in the recent file types opts.That option overrides the folder selected here.
So, if you have the preferred folder switched on, the only effect of your selection here is to change the way the files are displayed in the recent files lists.
Lyrics
The preset list has lullabies and nursery rhymes most for 4/4 time...
The lyrics are only shown for parts with the right number of beats per bar. Other parts are shown as beat numbers. When you change rhythm, automatically selects a lyric to fit the current bar if available.
Most of the preset lyrics are suitable for a metronome at 4/4 (4 and 1 beats to a measure)). Some are sutiable for 6/8 or 2/4.
To edit use the Edit Lyrcs drop list button. Or use Edit Lyric and Lyrics Options (Ctrl + 231)
In the future I'll update this so that you can edit the text directly in Bounce Metronome itself - and also easily add your lyric to the drop list - and also have separate files for different lists of lyrics, e.g. you could have separate lists for nursery rhymes, and lullabies or whatever.
Some day I plan to add an option to enter the melody lines as well, probably in abc notation, so that Bounce Metronome can play the tunes for the lyrics.
Edit Lyric and Lyrics Options (Ctrl + 231)
Edit the lyrics here. Also has options such as text size, bounce height, whether to show bouncing ball or shadow, etc
Options...
The preset here is -ovc lavc - nosound. Best choice of parameters may depend on the file type to save...
These are the parameters used in EXPORT ANIMATION, or Print or Copy (Ctrl + 234). Preset is:
-ovc lavc - nosound
With these preset parameters, MEncoder will make something playable anyway for all the file extensions - but depending on the parameters used for the save perhaps sometimes it won't save it in the desired file format, instead save in some othe rfile format wit the desired file extension.
So it might save it e.g. as a mp4 format file or some such, even when you specify something else for the file extension.
This is something I'll look into later at some point. It should be able to save in any of the file formats if you get the parameters right.
Meanwhile if unsure, try and see if it works, and if not, save as .avi and then convert to the desired file format using another program.
To find out about the best parameters to use, and for other encoding options, try a web search for MEncoder + the desired file type...
Copy to clipboard
Copy this frame to the clipboard - you can then paste it into a document or image editing software. BTW a good free image editor is PaintDotNet
Print the displayed frame on your printer
Page Setup
Set up margins for printer, orientation (landscape or portrait), etc - NOT A PRINT PREVIEW...
It just gives a first impression of the printed page and the main thing is to give an idea of the margins and the orientation - portrait or landscape.
The thing is the picture of the page is to a much lower resolution, and the drawing may often turn out differently depending on the number of pixels available and how the font and other elements auto size to different image resolutions.
With the 3D and 2D bouncing balls then it gives a fair idea for most things apart from font sizes. With the ball bouncing on lyrics then the printed text will probably be quite different in its position and size.
I'll add a proper print preview capability some time. Let me know if you particularly need this feature.
See: http://robertinventor.com/wiki/Bounce_Metronome_Pro_Wish_List.htm
Convert
Shows up if AVI file has already been made - convert it to the selected format in the drop list...
Bounce Metronome comes pre-installed with avi only.
This button uses MEncoder to add .mov, .mp4, .flv, .asf, .mkv, .3gp, .flv and many more video formats.
If you haven't done so yet, get MEncoder for Bounce Metronome from:
http://www.bouncemetronome.com/extra_downloads.htm
You can use these file formats for the animated sky and textures and for this option to output animations as movies.
HD
Set up for HD animation save...
This sets the frame size to 1280 × 720 and the frame rate to 30
When you click on the button, you are asked if this is what you want to do and you can answer SHIFT + YES for 1080p HD, i.e. frame size 1920 × 1080.
