Hello All,

This may be subject of a feature request, but I'll start in the general discussion, because I'm new to LRT and don't know if there are some obviously relevant functions I'm failing to understand.

I wish to experiment with VFX of non-uniform, non-linear and patterned time lapses frame sequences.

Has anyone tried to apply LRT rendering gradients to frames within a series of camera raw files multiplied and rearranged from their sequence given as recorded?

A typical sequence represents a unidirectional, forward progression of changes in the scene over time encoded by file name and meta-data: 1.nef, 2.nef, 3.nef...

Below are a few arbitrary examples of sequences non-linear relative to time. I would like to find a means with LRT to effect smoothly graduated changes in rendering values across the run time of patterned sequences such as these:

1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3

1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3

Of course, for the above examples, the file names “1”, “2” & “3” would actually need be changed to maintain the pattern in an alphanumeric file list, e.g. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1 = a1, b2, c3, d1, e2, f1, thus effecting multiplication and patterning within a work folder to be import to software like AfterEffects, Premier, LRT & etc.

Experimenting with LRT I find it possible to create a series containing one file duplicated any number of times to produce a video frame hold with a gradual change of rendering across the run time of the segment.

However, it appears that LRT generates sort order and sequence independently of however groups of different files may be duplicated and renamed with intent to effect a pattern arrangement non-linear with respect to the time line of the original capture. Presumably LRT ignores file names and uses some other code to effect and track sequence order. Thus, I’ve tried using Adobe editing tools to modify the time index in the file meta-data and these experiments did NOT change the sequence resulting from import to LRT. The LRT software must be reading some other data encoded to the files, presumably some other source of time code and presumably editable, to arrange the files in the key frame indexing & and rendering interface. With these initial conditions:
1) starting with a set of NEF time lapse capture files arbitrarily re-named and all mixed up in a file list relative to their actual sequence of capture in time,
2) the time code meta-data accessible via Adobe software functions is edited to set all the NEF files to the same time code value,
I have found:
3) import to LRT of these internally changed and renamed files will result in an editable sequence within LRT exactly as if nothing had been changed except for the duplication of the files which exist in the list (those duplicate files distinguished in the OS directory and API only by file name differences).

I am certainly holding a number presuppositions about work flow and appropriate use of tools which may or may not be relevant topics of examination in the context of this inquiry. At face value, it seems to me that LRT is a well developed sequence editing tool appropriate to resource intensive gradient rendering operations sourced from thousands of raw camera files. As such, I’m interested to know how its efficacy may compare and be made to intersect with tools like Premier, AE, Twixtor and SpeedGrade for purposes of the counterintuitive experiments I wish to play out.

Please advise.

Thank You,

Christian Korab

LRTimelapse by default sorts by exif date/time (capture time).
But you can change the sort order by clickin on the sort order button on the top left of the table. It will then sort alphabetically.
You can them make any sort order you want by renaming your sequence files appropriately.
Just make sure to change the sort order in Ligthroom also before exporting (you can do so via the toolbar in the LR library) set it to filename sort.

Thanks for the helpful and prompt reply, Gunther !

I'll see where I get with this information.

In some of the previous experiments I was using the the LR Metadata menu function "edit capture time...", but and the adjacent "revert capture time to original" would seem to indicate that this data remains intact and perhaps it's that original data that LRT reads (rather than the edited capture time)?

~ Christian

It depends on the way in which the camera stores the Exif-Data. Please try it for yourself with your setup.

Thanks !