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Stop Motion in Flair

[BOTH] Stop motion (stop frame animation) in Flair uses one of two modes: Continuous Step (also called Stop Motion mode) or Moving Step (go-motion). Flair can operate as the sole controller of the rig and camera, or it can work under Dragonframe control for animator-driven workflows.

Overview: Stop Motion Modes

Mode What it does Use for
Continuous Step (Stop Motion) Rig moves between frames with camera stationary; camera triggered at rest Traditional stop frame look
Moving Step (Go-Motion) Rig moves through the frame position while camera is exposed; Flair triggers camera mid-motion Motion blur on stop frame

1. Continuous Step (Stop Motion) Mode

How it works

Flair's Stop Motion mode is essentially a very slow playback rate. The Move FPS (bottom of screen) determines the exposure window — not the playback speed. Setting a low FPS like 0.5 fps gives you 2 seconds per frame: Flair "thinks" the shutter is open for 2 seconds, during which the rig is stationary. The rig moves between frame positions when it thinks the shutter is closed.

Setup steps

  1. Plan the move — determine your desired playback FPS and total frame count.
  2. Set Move FPS (bottom of screen) to a low value — for example 0.5 fps (= 2 seconds per frame).
  3. Set the actual exposure on your camera to the correct exposure time (typically well under 2 seconds).
  4. In External Camera setup in Flair, set the shutter trigger pulse to fire at the correct moment within the 2-second frame window. Set pulse length to suit your camera.
  5. If you need settling time after the GOTO to eliminate vibration, add this under SFX / Film Effects.
  6. If your rig is fast and still vibrating between steps, lower the GOTO speed in Miscellaneous Settings.
  7. Disable autofocus and auto iris on the camera.
  8. Enable Digicam if you want Digicam to download images and then press Step to advance to the next frame.

Frame rate alignment with Dragonframe

If you connect Dragonframe, both Flair and Dragonframe must share the same start frame number (Dragonframe normally starts at 1 — set Flair to match, not 0) and the same total move length. A mismatch causes the rig to go to the wrong frame positions.

No 0.006s warning

You will not see a "0.006 seconds" timing warning when operating at 0.5 fps because 2 seconds is plenty of time for any exposure.

2. Dragonframe Integration

Dragonframe gives the animator direct forward/backward step control over the rig. The Flair operator remains responsible for safety at all times.

Requirements

  • Two-PC setup recommended for Windows/INtime systems (a second network card or USB-to-Ethernet adapter on the Flair PC)
  • Single-PC setup possible: set Dragonframe's Flair IP to 127.0.0.1
  • For Linux Flair: connect directly to the MRMC control network (no second NIC needed)

flair.ini entries required

*Api:            TCP
*ApiPort:        53025
*ApiAutoAccept:  True

Connection procedure

  1. Program the move in Flair and place the rig at the start of the move before connecting Dragonframe.
  2. In Flair: Set Ups > Miscellaneous Set Ups — enable Auto Run Short Gotos.
  3. In Dragonframe: Scene > Connections > Add connection, select Flair interface.
  4. Enter the IP address of the Flair PC's second network adapter followed by the port: 192.168.1.101:53025
  5. Check Connection required for shooting. Click Connect — the indicator turns green.
  6. In Flair: go to Run / Run Job > Run from Dragon. Flair displays Under Dragon Control.
  7. In Dragonframe: a small infinity symbol appears — blue = enabled and ready.

Animator has rig control

When Flair shows "Under Dragon Control", the animator can move the rig at any time. The Flair operator must monitor the system continuously and be ready to press STOP on Flair if there is any axis trip, fault, or unsafe condition. The Flair operator is still wholly responsible for safe operation.

Ending Dragonframe control

  • Press STOP on Flair, or
  • Click the blue infinity symbol in Dragonframe to disable, or
  • Physically unplug the Ethernet cable.

Windows 11 network note

Windows 11 may reset a new direct Ethernet connection to "Public" network profile on each restart, blocking connectivity. If Dragonframe cannot see Flair, open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Get-NetConnectionProfile
Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex <index> -NetworkCategory Private

3. Step Size and GOTO Speed

  • Step size is determined by the number of frames in the Flair move and the physical distances programmed.
  • To reduce vibration on a heavy or fast rig, lower the GOTO speed in Miscellaneous Settings.
  • Settling time can be added via SFX / Film Effects in Flair.

4. Moving Step (Go-Motion) — Motion Blur

For motion blur on stop frame animation, use Moving Step mode. See Moving Step Mode — Motion Blur in Stop Motion for the full procedure.

Dragonframe incompatibility with Moving Step

Moving Step requires Flair to trigger the camera at the correct moment mid-move. If Dragonframe is triggering the camera, the trigger will not fire at the correct position and motion blur will not work as intended. For Moving Step, Flair must be the camera trigger source.

Source: Programming Timelapse in Flair — talk.mrmoco.com
Source: Connecting Dragonframe to Flair - updated — talk.mrmoco.com
Source: Triggering External Camera — talk.mrmoco.com