How to create Animated themes*TUTORIAL*

[RADZ1973]

VIDEO TUTORIAL CAN BE FOUND HERE

This is a tutorial on how to create a PS3 animated theme like my Dynamic Joker Rain Theme or my Dynamic Homer Simpson Theme, This tutorial and method was found and created by GLOWBALL i have spoken to him and he gives me full permision to post this here. So now just follow the tutorial and you will be banging out some cool themes any problems just post it on this thread so other people can maybe get help from others questions and answers.

Things You Will Need

1. Glowballs AnimatedTools Folder –
2. Notepad++ –
3. Photoshop with the nvidia DDS plugin (Photoshop cs5 can be found on the net) and heres the plugin

Tutorial

To start get a 5 second clip of your choice then open up Photoshop. Click file and then import video frames to layers.


Check the box for skip 2 frames per layer and import. Use these settings.


Click show all layers (eye icon showing for each layer) then select/highlight all layers (click layer 1 then hold shift and click the last layer). Now go to the layer tab then arrange and click reverse so layer 1 is on top of the layers.


Now we need to resize the layers so go to the image tab then click image size and use these settings (make sure all layers are highlighted)


Next go to the file tab then scripts and click export layers to files.


Then export to C:Users….AnimatedWindow using these settings (remember that you cant have spaces in the directory).


You should now have all your layers as .jpg files in the desination folder.
We need to convert the .jpg files into .dds (DXT1 no alpha). I use automate for this.
Go to the window tab then click actions. Create a new action set and call it "DDS save" then create an action called apply (you will now be recording every step you make).
Save layer 1 to your Desktop as a dds with these settings.


Click stop to stop the record then delete the layer 1 from your Desktop (You won't have to do this everytime you just choose it when doing the next step).
Now we want to use the automate we have just created for this we have created so go to the file tab then automate and click batch…


Choose the folder with your layers in (C:Users…AnimatedWindow) for both "source" and "destination". Also use these settings (remember that you cant have spaces in the directory)


You should then get your layers in .dds format and in numerical order (with CS5 extended Photoshop will convert .dae to .dds also).
Now you have your clip you need to create your picture and border. Open up border.dds in photoshop (This will guide you to where the clip will be shown ). border.dds has an alpha channel and the black rectangle will make a hole/window for the video clip to show through (you can edit the shape of this if you like).
When finished save as dds to these settings


Edit AnimatedWindow.xml and AnimatedWindow.js with notepad++. Add/remove lines/sections according to how many layers/frames you have.


Save and drag AnimatedWindow.xml onto the raf_compiler.exe in my "EXE" folder, you should then get AnimatedWindow.raf in the same folder as AnimatedWindow.xml. Copy Animated.raf to my "Theme" folder then drag AnimatedWindowTheme.xml onto the p3t_compiler.exe. Finally you should get AnimatedWindowTheme.p3t in the same folder. Install to your PS3 and see how it looks.

I have also included 2 other styles for the animation clip. You can use these with this tutorial but the .js and .xml names are different. Also the .dae files are different too.

Here is a quick description for all 3 styles:

AnimatedBorder
Almost full screen in size with a border set around the edge. Use this if your full size is not very good quality as the plane is slightly smaller.

AnimatedWindow
The main focus of this tutorial and my favorite. video clip is alot smaller so quality is very good. The reason I made this style is for gaming/movie themes (acts as a preview for the game/movie). Try out different borders even put a HDTV as a border

AnimatedFull
Full screen (no border) so skip the border editing part of the tutorial. Quality is low so You may have to turn the brightness down for this style. I recommend animation loops or gifs for this style.

Firmware Limitations.
Maximum Number of frames = 87 (4.0) 112 (3.40 – 3.73)

Hope to see some themes soon from you guys pm me if you get realy stuck but im sure you will get the hang of it. And for icons you can use automate batch aswell thats what i do it saves so much time.

VIDEO TUTORIAL CAN BE FOUND HERE

[Phuturistix]

good tutorial bud, I already run Photoshop CS5 Extended, so i'll get the other programmes and get practicing :P.

Once again thanks for sharing :ftw::ftw:

[plat]

thanks for this tutorial

[Rich.]

Very detailed tutorial buddy! thanks for this will try it later

[YnO]

Save and drag AnimatedWindow.xml onto the raf_compiler.exe in my "EXE" folder, you should then get AnimatedWindow.raf in the same folder as AnimatedWindow.xml. Copy Animated.raf to my "Theme" folder then drag AnimatedWindowTheme.xml onto the p3t_compiler.exe. Finally you should get AnimatedWindowTheme.p3t in the same folder. Install to your PS3 and see how it looks.

this is not happening......

but im using animated full i have a clip with 30 frames. this is only a test when i undersand everything i will make a good theme.

so i edit those files

AnimatedFull.xml
AnimatedFull.js

cuz im doing a full dynamic right?

edit/delete lines.

now save....

and here then what copy that file over your EXE folder and then over raf_compiler.exe???

cuz im doing that and nothing happen

.....EDIT:

NVM i was wrong in the editing .js


the test was a success thanks mate. i understant how it works

[RADZ1973]

this is not happening......

but im using animated full i have a clip with 30 frames. this is only a test when i undersand everything i will make a good theme.

so i edit those files

AnimatedFull.xml
AnimatedFull.js

cuz im doing a full dynamic right?

edit/delete lines.

now save....

and here then what copy that file over your EXE folder and then over raf_compiler.exe???

cuz im doing that and nothing happen

.....EDIT:

NVM i was wrong in the editing .js


the test was a success thanks mate. i understant how it works

Ok m8 glad to see you did it once you do one you will get the hang of it im thinking of making a video soon.

[YnO]

Ok m8 glad to see you did it once you do one you will get the hang of it im thinking of making a video soon.

yea that could be great for some ppl with not much experience in pshotoshop. or in the others softwares.

[IMMA B3AZT]

Great tutorial man

[samurai123]

never understood people who want other theme then original one! but good idea for creative people

[RADZ1973]

Thanks mate just what i needed

I have made a video tutorial now aswell you can check it out here