Need help with stopping an overlay's infinite loop mid-scene

Creator's Corner Directing Help & Tips
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1

Hi there, can you help me out?

I’ve been writing a scene where an overlay of a hand moves over a map to point at certain spots on that map. The only thing I’m not getting is stopping an overlay from a loop it’s in.

It’s not ‘use & instead of @’, because I already did that. The script can move on with the next line.
The issue is that after the overlay has done it’s loop (shifting from place to place over and over), I want it to go to one spot and stay there, no more looping, but it won’t stop when I put in a new command to shift to one spot and stay there.

I tried putting ‘loop 1 time’ after the code with the overlay going to one spot where I want it to stop, but this didn’t help.
I’m fearing that I have to clear the overlay mid-scene and have to add it the next line all over again just to get it to stop the looping. Kind of like hitting the reset button.

Here’s the piece of script. In bold you can see the code that makes the overlay loop infintely and the code where I want that same overlay to stop it’s loop and just go to one spot and stay there, but again, it won’t do that.
Perhaps someone else has come across this problem as well? Maybe I’m the only one and just can’t figure it out :see_no_evil:

@zoom reset
EXT. CONSTELLATION MAP - DAY with PHERA POINT to 0.900 172 -283 in zone 2 at layer 1 with KOCHAB POINT to 1.150 -522 -462 in zone 1 at layer 2
@cut to zone 2
@transition fade in 1
@speechbubble is 160 170 to 100%
NARRATOR (PHERA)
Let’s see.
&overlay PHERA POINT shifts to 211 -94 in .8
NARRATOR (PHERA)
So Ursa Minor is here.
&pan to zone 1 in 1
&overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -227 -265 in 1
NARRATOR (KOCHAB)
And there’s the queen’s castle.
&pause for 1.2 THEN overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -522 -462 in 1
NARRATOR (NIM)
Where’s the Big Cross?
NARRATOR (PHERA)
The map doesn’t show it. I guess that’s why we got lost in the first place.
&overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -308 -283 in .7 THEN overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -313 -312 in .5 THEN overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -275 -337 in .5 THEN overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -246 -307 in .5 loop INFINITE times
&speechbubble is 165 280 to 100%
NARRATOR (KOCHAB)
It should be in between these constellations.
&pan to zone 2 in 1.5
&overlay KOCHAB POINT shifts to -525 -250 in 1
&overlay PHERA POINT shifts to 200 -243 in 1
NARRATOR (PHERA)
Pegasus is right here, next to Andromeda’s constellation.

2

@pause for 2

u can use whatever time u want but pause just pauses everything pretty much

3

Sorry, that’s not it.
I tried it, but is just pauses the scene. The overlay keeps on moving and I need it to stop.

1 Like
4

that’s okay !! can’t know everything :3

5

Thanks for trying anyway!

6

Um I’m still confused so what is the problem exactly? Is it that you want to stop the looping immediately?

7

Yes, exactly.

It’s looping in 1 line and a little further I want the looping to stop and then that same overlay to shift to one spot and stop there, like it usually does with the shift to command.
Any ideas?

8

You can’t do that, once it’s on an infinite loop all you can do is remove it in order to stop it.

Apparently you need to entirely remove the overlay and re-add it again. Then do the code to move it to another position.

You can move on from that scene, but not move the overlay whilst it’s on an infinite loop. [For example: spinning.]

9

Thank you very much for your answer.
I was afraid I would have to use the clear command before putting it in again and giving it the ‘shift to one position then stop’ command.
At least now I know there’s no other way possible I couldn’t figure out or anything.
Thanks again!

1 Like
10

Make a copy of the overlay with the create command, place it making sure it’s invisible. Then at the appropriate time make the infinite loop overlay invisible and make the copy overlay visible.

11

Oh, a fascinating alternative solution! Thanks for your reply :blush:

12

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