Officer Marrion Baker's mad dash for the.... Dal-Tex building?

[Tom Neal]

BTW,

What software is everyone using to make/work on these GIFs?

Tom

Tom,

Not that I recommend what I'm using, but I use the Lunapic.com website for drawing lines and text on animated GIFs. It's actually not bad, but it hates anything over 10 GB in size. Also, it doesn't like large pictures (in numbers of pixels). So if I find have trouble, the first thing I do is resize the photo to a smaller size. Then it works. One really great feature of Lunapic that it has multiple levels of undo.

When I'm done with Lunapic, I use EzGif.com to make the pixel size large again. Doing this increases the file size, but the limit on EzGif is 16 GB.

I also use Lunapic to extract individual frames and to adjust the global frame display time.

I also use a program I've installed on my PC call Microsoft GIF Animator. This is useful for individual frame display times, so parts of the video play back at different speeds. It's also useful for copying and moving frames around. And for single stepping the video. This program is no longer available, but I'd be happy to share it. It's less than 2 MB in size. To install, just move it to the folder of your choice and make a shortcut to the executable and put that where you want. It's easy to learn and use. But it crashes if the file size is too large. I'm not sure what the limit is, but it is somewhere between 10 GB and 14 GB. If the file works on Lunapic, then it works with Microsoft GIF animator.

Judging by the work Chris Davidson does, I assume he's got much better software. If he doesn't, then he must have an awful lot of time and energy to accomplish what he does.

Trying to find the best software for this job.

I'm thinkin' it took you quite a while and a lotta work to construct those GIFs!

Thanks for the info...

Tom

[Chris Davidson]

Baker takes approx 6 steps from the annex edge to Truly. 6x3.5ft =21ft

Another 1.5 till we see his shadow upon the curb. 1.5 x 3.5 = 5.25ft

If Baker's shadow is approx 6ft, that's a total distance of 32.25ft

The angled path from curb to curb is 33.4ft

That puts Truly about 12.4 ft on angle, away from the TSBD curb.

The Truly X LOS(line of sight) is aligned with the west end opening of the TSBD staircase.

Thanks Tom,

The 6ft shadow length I used was from Sandy's estimation.

Shorten Baker's steps to 3ft and you have a difference of 3.75ft (26.25 - 22.5) added to Baker's shadow now equals 9.75ft.

Or, move Truly's LOS position closer to the annex corner 3.75ft.

Truly's position in relationship to the TSBD stairway is key. imo

chris

[Chris Davidson]

BTW,

What software is everyone using to make/work on these GIFs?

Tom

I use Photoshop. Specifically within, the animation option. This allows using the "auto-align layers option". If I don't like the result, I'll align the frames manually (as layers) using my good old fashioned eye-sight.

chris

[Tom Neal]

BTW,

What software is everyone using to make/work on these GIFs?

Tom

I use Photoshop. Specifically within, the animation option. This allows using the "auto-align layers option". If I don't like the result, I'll align the frames manually (as layers) using my good old fashioned eye-sight.

chris

Thanks, Chris, that is what I'm using, also. I just switched to CS6 from 4, and there a few changes. Of course, there's SO MUCH this program can do, I doubt I'll ever learn enough to consider myself an expert.

The only time I've tried to use "auto-align layers" it didn't do a very good job. But, the source was AWFUL, so I wasn't a bit surprised.

Tom

[Sandy Larsen]

Baker takes approx 6 steps from the annex edge to Truly. 6x3.5ft =21ft

Another 1.5 till we see his shadow upon the curb. 1.5 x 3.5 = 5.25ft

If Baker's shadow is approx 6ft, that's a total distance of 32.25ft

The angled path from curb to curb is 33.4ft

That puts Truly about 12.4 ft on angle, away from the TSBD curb.

The Truly X LOS(line of sight) is aligned with the west end opening of the TSBD staircase.

Thanks Tom,

The 6ft shadow length I used was from Sandy's estimation.

The 6 ft shadow I mentioned was a rough estimate, just glancing at my monitor. Shadows appeared to be about the same as people's heights.

Shadow length is not needed for my proof, but the correct length (9.75 ft for a 6 ft person) is certainly useful.

Shorten Baker's steps to 3ft and you have a difference of 3.75ft (26.25 - 22.5) added to Baker's shadow now equals 9.75ft.

Or, move Truly's LOS position closer to the annex corner 3.75ft.

Truly's position in relationship to the TSBD stairway is key. imo

You can see that Truly's shadow is up on the sidewalk. I'd say Truly is about 8 ft from the sidewalk. And Baker's shadow was up to the top of the curb shortly after his last visible footstep appears. I'd say he is close to 9 ft from the sidewalk for his final step. I will calculate the distances more accurately below.

chris

More accurate calculations:

Here is the formula indicating how far up a shadow will move on a vertical surface (curb) as an object (person) moves horizontally toward it:

y = x tan(Θ)

where:

x is the horizontal distance the person moves toward the curb.

y is how far up the curb the shadow will move as a result.

Θ is the angle of the sun, with zero degrees being horizon level and 90 degrees being straight overhead.

At 31.59 degrees altitude (as per Tom), and with a 6 inch curb height (as per Chris in Post 126), we have

6 = x tan(31.59)

Solving for x we get 9.76 inches, or 0.813 ft.

In other words, Baker and Truly need to be 9.76 inches closer to the curb just for their shadows to rise to the top of the curb.

Since Baker's shadow is risen to the top of the the curb but is not (much) on the sidewalk, he is located 9.75 - 0.813 = 8.94 ft from the sidewalk. Assuming his height is 6 ft.

Truly's shadow does extend onto the sidewalk IMO. I'd say about a foot. If so, and again assuming a height of 6 ft, he is standing 9.75 - 0.813 - 1 = 7.94 ft from the sidewalk.

EDIT: My calculations here give distances from the curb in the direction of the shadows. The shadows, of course, are not perpendicular to the curb. So the azimuth angle relative to the curb needs to be taken into account in order to obtain the perpendicular distances from the curb.

Without elaborating, a correction factor making this adjustment is given by

cf = cos(180 - α)

where:

cf is the correction factor. Multiply the shadow-direction distance by this to get the perpendicular-distance.

α is the azimuth angle. It is assumed the curb runs east and west.

At 151.28 degrees azimuth (as per Tom), the correction factor is

cf = cos(180 - 151.28) = 0.877

So Baker's adjusted distance from the curb is 8.94 x 0.877 = 7.84 ft

And Truly's adjusted distance from the curb is 7.94 x 0.877 = 6.96 ft

I don't believe I've made any mistakes here, but I would appreciate it if somebody would double check my work.

EDIT 2: Changed curb height from 7 inches to 6 inches.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Sandy Larsen

[Chris Davidson]

You can see that Truly's shadow is up on the sidewalk.

I like it.

The curb is 6" high.

The bottom of the "T" is 6.75ft from the curb, in alignment(thin blue line) from the west end of the staircase.

[David Lifton]

Somebody had to be lying, why not Truly?

FWIW:

As I recall --from extensive newspaper research done many years ago--Roy Truly's wife was interviewed by one of the major Philadelphia newspapers, about the encounter. And her account of what her husband told her--was published on either Saturday or Sunday (11/23 or 11/24). Sorry, but I don't have those files readily at hand. If someone has microfilm of the Bulletin or the Inquirer, I am sure it can be ferreted out.

It was simply a paragraph or so in the early coverage of the JFK case. The reporter called the Truly residence, and he wasn't available, and his wife answered the reporter's questions.

DSL

[Paul Brancato]

David - do you think it possible that Baker was supposed to kill Oswald but failed?

[Guest]

Somebody had to be lying, why not Truly?

FWIW:

As I recall --from extensive newspaper research done many years ago--Roy Truly's wife was interviewed by one of the major Philadelphia newspapers, about the encounter. And her account of what her husband told her--was published on either Saturday or Sunday (11/23 or 11/24). Sorry, but I don't have those files readily at hand. If someone has microfilm of the Bulletin or the Inquirer, I am sure it can be ferreted out.

It was simply a paragraph or so in the early coverage of the JFK case. The reporter called the Truly residence, and he wasn't available, and his wife answered the reporter's questions.

DSL

I for one would love to see this newspaper article.

Thank you.

[Tom Neal]

Are we now in agreement that Baker turned right to avoid Truly? I can't tell anymore...

Also, does anyone know the location of the camera for this footage?

Tom

[Chris Davidson]

Tom,

I believe the two of us are in agreement. I don't believe Sandy agrees.

My location for camera would be here:

[Robert Prudhomme]

Has anyone been having difficulty logging onto this forum?

[Ray Mitcham]

Baker takes approx 6 steps from the annex edge to Truly. 6x3.5ft =21ft

Another 1.5 till we see his shadow upon the curb. 1.5 x 3.5 = 5.25ft

If Baker's shadow is approx 6ft, that's a total distance of 32.25ft

The angled path from curb to curb is 33.4ft

That puts Truly about 12.4 ft on angle, away from the TSBD curb.

The Truly X LOS(line of sight) is aligned with the west end opening of the TSBD staircase.

Thanks Tom,

The 6ft shadow length I used was from Sandy's estimation.

Shorten Baker's steps to 3ft and you have a difference of 3.75ft (26.25 - 22.5) added to Baker's shadow now equals 9.75ft.

Or, move Truly's LOS position closer to the annex corner 3.75ft.

Truly's position in relationship to the TSBD stairway is key. imo

chris

Chris, a 72" cop would cast a shadow of 95.4" according the sun elevation, at the time, of 37.05.

[Chris Davidson]

Thanks Ray,

That's fairly close to Sandy's calc's in post #125.

At 151.28DEGREES azimuth (as per Tom), the correction factor is

cf = cos(180 - 151.28) = 0877

So Baker's adjusted distance from the curb is 8.94 x 0.877 = 7.84 ft

And Truly's adjusted distance from the curb is 7.94 x 0.877 = 6.96 ft

[Sandy Larsen]

You can see that Truly's shadow is up on the sidewalk.

I like it.

The curb is 6" high.

The bottom of the "T" is 6.75ft from the curb, in alignment(thin blue line) from the west end of the staircase.

Earlier I said that Truly's shadow could be seen up on the sidewalk, and I estimated about a foot of his shadow was there on the sidewalk. I have since studied the clip more carefully and can see that the part of his shadow on the curb is quite wide compared to the part on the pavement. The wide part would be the shadow from his shoulders, arms, and jacket in general. The narrow part from his slacks. (See the GIF below... you can see his shadow at the very end of the clip before it reverses.)

It's hard to say, but I think Truly is a couple feet closer to the curb than what I estimated before. So 5 ft from the curb instead of 7 ft.

The bottom of the red T in the above drawing indicates where I earlier estimated Truly to be standing. I now believe he is standing nearer the top of the T.

As for where Baker was as he passed by Truly, here is what I believe: In the above drawing are two vertical lines that are light blue in color. The red X is just to the left of the leftmost light-blue line. Move the red X to the right such that it is on the rightmost of the two light-blue vertical lines. I believe Baker was roughly at that location when he came closest to Truly.

From there, Baker continued to veer right and never quite reached the light-blue horizontal line that is second from the top in the drawing. When I say "never quite reached the light-blue horizontal line," I mean during the clip. I suspect that he did cross the line after the end of the clip, and was running to the north-west corner of the intersection, out on the pavement away from the sidewalk.

See Truly's shadow here:

Click to enlarge!

Edited April 28, 2016 by Sandy Larsen