Choppy video

kinesthtiaSonja

Hello,

I am trying to get two videos to cross-fade when connected to a Maxbotix LV-MaxSonarEZ0 sensor. It works, but is very choppy.

Here is the code for the arduino:

const int pwPin = 7;
long pulse, inches, cm;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  pinMode(pwPin, INPUT);

  pulse = pulseIn(pwPin, HIGH);
  inches = pulse / 147;

  Serial.write(inches);
  delay(500);
}

Processing Code:

import processing.video.*;
import processing.serial.*;

Movie light; 
Movie fog;
Serial port;
float val;

void setup() {
  size(854, 480);

  //videos
  light = new Movie(this, "ChathamLighthouse.mp4");
  fog = new Movie(this, "SkyFog.mp4");

  fog.loop();
  light.loop();

  //port
  port = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[1], 9600); 
}

void draw() {
  if (0 < port.available()) {  
    val = port.read();            
  }
  float  trans = map(val, 5, 30, 255, 0);
  println(trans);

  noTint();
  image(light, 0, 0, width, height);

  tint(255, trans); 
  image(fog, 0, 0, width, height);
}

void movieEvent(Movie m) {
  m.read();
}

Could it be that my graphics card is not powerful enough to for this project? Or is there something in the code that is making it choppy? I am running the program on my Macbook Air. Here are the specs:

MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011); Processor 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5; Memory 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3; Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB.

GoToLoop

https://forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/15473/readme-how-to-format-code-and-text

koogs

decoding and scaling two videos at once probably a bit too much for it.

try it without all the arduino stuff and rule that out.

kinesthtiaSonja

I've tried it mapping the mouseX coordinate to the alpha channel and it works. I think there is too much data coming into the motion sensor to map it directly. Instead, I am trying to set up conditional statements, so when, for example, a person is 20 inches from the video it fades.

import processing.video.*;
import processing.serial.*;

Movie light; 
Movie water;
Serial port;
float val;
float trans;

void setup() {
  size(854, 480);
  frameRate(25);

//videos
  light = new Movie(this, "ChathamLighthouse_2.mp4");
  water = new Movie(this, "Water.mp4");

  water.loop();
  light.loop();

  //port
  port = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[1], 9600); 
}

void draw() {
  if (0 < port.available()) {  
    val = port.read();            
  }
  println(val);

if (val <= 20) {
  trans += 1;
}
  noTint();
  image(light, 0, 0, width, height);

  tint(255, trans); 
  image(water, 0, 0, width, height);
}

void movieEvent(Movie m) {
  m.read();
}

However, I don't want it to fade completely, but just make it semi-transparent. Is there a way to increase the alpha channel value, but then get it to stop at particular number like 100?

koogs

constrain()

https://processing.org/reference/constrain_.html

kinesthtiaSonja

It worked — thank you.

However, now I am getting erratic readings from the serial port. It is reading accurately through the Arduino serial monitor, but in processing I get a loop of specific numbers that do not correspond to the sensor. This continues even when I disconnect the Arduino.

Here is the code:

import processing.video.*;
import processing.serial.*;

//variables
Movie light; 
Movie water;
Serial port;
float val;
float trans;
float alpha;

void setup() {
  size(854, 480);
  frameRate(25);

  //videos
  light = new Movie(this, "ChathamLighthouse_2.mp4");
  water = new Movie(this, "Water.mp4");

  water.loop();
  light.loop();

  //port
  String portName = Serial.list()[1];
  port = new Serial(this, portName, 9600);
}

void draw() {
  if (0 < port.available()) {  
    val = port.read();
  }
  print(val);
  print("in");
  println();

  if (val <= 5 && trans >= 200) {
    alpha += 1;
    trans = constrain(alpha, 201, 255);
  } else if (val <= 10 && trans >= 100) {
    alpha += 1;
    trans = constrain(alpha, 101, 200);
  } else if (val <= 20) {
    alpha += 1;
    trans = constrain(alpha, 0, 100);
  }

  if (val <= 20) {
    alpha += 1;
    trans = constrain(alpha, 0, 100);
  }

  println(trans);
  noTint();
  image(light, 0, 0, width, height);

  tint(255, trans); 
  image(water, 0, 0, width, height);
}

void movieEvent(Movie m) {
  m.read();
}

koogs

in processing I get a loop of specific numbers that do not correspond to the sensor

can we have a clue?