The external module lets you feed the image result of the “up-stream” modules into a program that can run outside of Animate Pro. This external program in return must generate an image that is fed back into Animate Pro. The resulting image is fed into the remaining modules "down-stream"
Heres a basic example that uses the external module to run the freely available package called ImageMagick. This package runs in the command line and ships with a collection of commands, like the convert command, that can be invoked directly by the external module.
In this example, an image is composited on top of a white color card using a composite module
(Please note that the image to the left actually has no backdrop, but you cant tell from here. If not for the color-card, the background would render black)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_I46h7gJMDOQ/SmwaMp8EXWI/AAAAAAAAADk/oYxb0XryWRo/s400/external02.png
Next, the external module is connected right below the composite.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_I46h7gJMDOQ/SmwaMqaDQ8I/AAAAAAAAADo/GrntbynLCsA/s400/external03.png
In the external module the external program is set to instruct the “convert” command to run a valid ImageMagick instruction.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_I46h7gJMDOQ/SmwaMpPcVFI/AAAAAAAAADs/rI6xmupt2OM/s800/external04.png
The command that goes here should resemble the command line that you would run in the terminal/command prompt, except that the so-called incoming image is replaced with the placeholder $IN1 and the outgoing/resulting image is replaced with $OUT
The command here grabs the image being fed to the right-most port of the external module and colorizes it 80% with a color named peru (a Web color).
The “Program First Input File” can be set to any existing location and any filename. The temp directory can be a good location. Note that that the period or filename extension are not included. This is automatically set based on the “Extension”, if Im not mistaken. The output is also set in a similar fashion. Theres also an option for supplying a second incoming image (the image connected to the left most port)
When its the external module’s turn to run, $IN1 is replaced with the “Program First Input File” (plus extension) and $OUT is replaced with “Program Output File” (plus extension)
The result is this:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_I46h7gJMDOQ/SmwaMhT6t7I/AAAAAAAAADw/tDtUgclb0sY/s400/external05.png
While you can achieve this look using other operations, I hope this illustrates the potential of using the external module to run command-line external programs.
PS I will post another example soon.
