Video compression problem

[Mikelo]

I recently tried to make an animation using the image files output by Fragmentarium. I use an AVISynth script to import the files into VirtualDub. The animation is fine with no compression, but if I apply XVid MPEG4 compression I get an error code 100 (could be corrupted data). I'm using exactly the same procedure I've used dozens of times to stitch together files from Mandelbulb 3D. I've compared the files output by Fragmentarium with those of M3D and I can't see any difference other than the image size (which seems to be a problem in Fragmentarium).
Has anyone come across this problem? 

[eiffie]

I am guessing the image size needs to be some standard - a quick search for xvid error 100 says something about a size divisible by 4. Try batch resizing your images before compressing. (and keep bugging Syntopia to set a fixed output size).

[Mikelo]

Thanks very much! I just assumed that Error 100 was a VirtualDub error, so I wouldn't have looked up XVid (other than seeing 'No known restrictions' in VirtualDub.)
That makes perfect sense. Now the only problem (as you point out) is how to get the size right without having to batch resize, which must introduce degradation to the image.
I had intended to post this message in the Fragmentarium image size thread originally as I suspected it was related.

[cKleinhuis]

virtualdub contains a nice cropping filter, use it like this:

apply "null filter"
this enables the "crop" button in the filter window

and then adjust it to your desired size, with that you can encode just any image format, usually you have to bring it to some standard aspect ratio like 4:3, 4:5 o16:9 16:10 or something

[Mikelo]

Thanks very much, Mr Kleinhuis. I works perfectly!
I can see now that the render size in Fragmentarium is based on the size of the viewport. If you want to render at 1920x1080 and you don't have a screen that big, re-adjust the size of the viewport to a fraction of that size, e.g. half (960x540) or very slightly larger if you can't get it just right. Then in the render dialog set render quality to 2x2 tiles, do the render, then if necessary the images can be cropped using the filter in VirtualDub.
 

[Syntopia]

Thanks very much, Mr Kleinhuis. I works perfectly!
I can see now that the render size in Fragmentarium is based on the size of the viewport. If you want to render at 1920x1080 and you don't have a screen that big, re-adjust the size of the viewport to a fraction of that size, e.g. half (960x540) or very slightly larger if you can't get it just right. Then in the render dialog set render quality to 2x2 tiles, do the render, then if necessary the images can be cropped using the filter in VirtualDub.
 

Unfortunately you can't render tilebased animations yet.

[Mikelo]

Do you mean that you can only render up to the size you can display on screen?

[Syntopia]

Do you mean that you can only render up to the size you can display on screen?

Yes - animations must follow viewport size.

[Feline]

... however if you hit "escape" (and close the uniforms-window) you can use the whole screen as your viewport...