Kaleider is not just about creating pretty static images. The display
can continually evolve as different effects are rendered and pattern tiles are
shifted with automated Wandering motions. While in Rooms mode,
Roaming can be activated to travel around 3D environments, with patterned
Bubbles bouncing off intricately tiled walls. Of course, such action can
easily be recorded using the Scripting
function. However, the resulting Scripts can only be played by the
Kaleider program. The Video Capture feature makes it possible to
preserve performances as AVI or WMV Video files that can be played with any common
video program. Video files can be shared and viewed from websites. Action
can also be captured as sequences of still image files, which allows greater control
and flexibility for producing high-quality animations.
The Video Player 
is available to play captured
Kaleider Videos and most other Video files. (Videos and Image
Sequences can also be played in the main Kaleider window to serve as the
source for effects.)
The Video Options screen provides
parameters that control how animated Kaleider scenes are captured to Video files
or as sequences of still image files. (Press the 
button on Edit Tools to access.) Either
AVI or WMV (Variable Bit Rate or Contstant Bit Rate) Video files can be
produced. Still Image Sequence files can be saved in most common image
formats. Optionally, an Image Sequence Control File can be created
along with an Image Sequence capture to contain timing data for each frame,
allowing much more precise control over animation of the still images.
Just press the 
button
on Edit Tools to initiate recording. The Capture button will
change to 
while
recording. Press again (or hit the Esc key) to stop capturing.
Image Sequences can be played as animations with the Image Sequence Player, accessed via the 
button on Edit Tools.
The Image Sequence Player also provides options to record to AVI or WMV Videos
while playing animations. Particularly when using a Sequence Control File,
better efficiency and more precise control over timing is possible, often resulting
in captured Videos of greater quality.
HINT: It can be very useful to first capture actions as a Script (Script files are very small). Then after the Script has been perfected, it can be played while Video Capture is activated. That's also a good way to compare different Compression formats.
DVD Creation
Kaleider is not currently able to create DVDs directly. Primarily this is because the MPEG2 technology used to encode DVDs is proprietary, and that would make it necessary to pay royalties to the several companies that own related patents. However, Kaleider does provide the capability to create Videos and Image Sequences in formats that can fairly easily be converted into DVDs by other programs (like Windows DVD Maker). Another excellent program for creating DVDs from Video files is DVD Flick, which is freeware (http://www.dvdflick.net/) This makes it quite practical to produce high quality DVDs of Kaleider action sequences that might then be viewed on TVs with standard DVD players.