Bending is not working correctly

[LittleTurtle]

I want to bend the trunk of a tree but the trunk gets distorted when I move the upper bones of the trunk. In addition, the gradient isn't moving with the trunk when I move the bones. The binding mode is flexible binding and I bound the points of the trunk to the bones. How can I improve the animation? Why is the gradient not getting bent when I move the bones?

My Anime Studio project: https://www.dropbox.com/s/y4gxqsdqh9nij ... .anme?dl=0
.svg file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ybl548cahqiwk ... e.svg?dl=0

First frame of the animation:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7x4vthpojqzkf ... 0.png?dl=0
Last frame of the animation:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fjgx6nj606zea ... 2.png?dl=0

[heyvern]

Gradients don't "bend" with bones the way you expect. The gradient shape won't "bend".
To get the effect you want with the shading on the sides of the tree, I would use the shading or halo effect with a high blur.

As for the tree not bending correctly... look at where the points are on the tree shape. They seem almost randomly placed and aren't symmetrical. Also there aren't enough points in the center area. The tree needs to bend where there are points. That's how Anime Studio works. It doesn't "warp" the shape like an image warping type thing, it can only "bend" based on the location of points.

Your tree shape only has points at the top and bottom. When you bend it, that center area has no points to create a smooth bend. You are basically only moving the top points creating a stretch instead of a bend. You need to place some relatively equally spaced points on both sides of the tree shape so the center bone can also influence points to create a smooth blend.

You also don't really need to bind all the points. It might be easier to use the flexi-binding.

[LittleTurtle]

In addition, when I import the tree .svg file in Anime Studio, then the clipping preferences that I set in Inkscape are missing. At the beginning(in Inkscape), my tree looked like this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jedvu6aqdzxa9 ... e.png?dl=0
But after importing it in Anime Studio, it looks like this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q7m8k58ov44dj ... e.png?dl=0
I want that the tree looks the same in Anime Studio. How can I do that? Is it possible to do the same clipping in Anime Studio?

[synthsin75]

Gradients DO BEND, but only by bone strength.



AS does not support clipping in imported SVGs, but you can use what it does import to duplicate the clipping with AS masking.

[LittleTurtle]

Gradients DO BEND, but only by bone strength.

Which bone preferences do you use? flexi-binding? Do you bound the points of the shape to the bones?

AS does not support clipping in imported SVGs, but you can use what it does import to duplicate the clipping with AS masking.

How can I do the clipping with Anime Studio?

[synthsin75]

Gradients DO BEND, but only by bone strength.

Which bone preferences do you use? flexi-binding? Do you bound the points of the shape to the bones?

You can use any binding you like, you just need to be sure that the strength regions of the bones you want to do the bending cover the gradient.

AS does not support clipping in imported SVGs, but you can use what it does import to duplicate the clipping with AS masking.

How can I do the clipping with Anime Studio?

Put it in a group/bone layer with masking set to hide all, and put the tree and bands on different layers. With the tree below the bands in the group, set the tree to "add to mask".

[LittleTurtle]

Gradients DO BEND, but only by bone strength.

Which bone preferences do you use? flexi-binding? Do you bound the points of the shape to the bones?

You can use any binding you like, you just need to be sure that the strength regions of the bones you want to do the bending cover the gradient.

AS does not support clipping in imported SVGs, but you can use what it does import to duplicate the clipping with AS masking.

How can I do the clipping with Anime Studio?

Put it in a group/bone layer with masking set to hide all, and put the tree and bands on different layers. With the tree below the bands in the group, set the tree to "add to mask".

Sorry, I couldn't do it earlier. But now I have much more time to create the animation.
I tried it like you said, but I don't get it to work. I created a group layer with masking set to "hide all" and I created the tree layer, but I can't set the tree to "add to mask". How can I do that?
In addition, I added much more points to the tree and the gradient of the tree. But the bending isn't working correctly. What is wrong? Why is the tree getting distorted?

In the final animation, the bands should be above the tree, but under the tree gradient, so that it looks more beautiful.

My Anime Studio file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/spae5ua8m968c ... .anme?dl=0
First frame of the animation: https://www.dropbox.com/s/of6nblvhrjo06 ... 0.png?dl=0
Last frame: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fsr1bxunu4j2b ... 8.png?dl=0

[synthsin75]

NewTreetest(fixed).anme

What I did:

• Remove the group layer and make the bone layer hide all (the only layer the group was using for a mask was the bone layer...it wasn't doing anything to the vector layers).
• Set the "Tree" layer to add to mask and the others to be masked.
• Select all bones, select all points, select Bone>Flexi-Bind Points, and repeat for each vector layer (reselecting bones each time).
• Increase the strength of the bones to cover the visible content.
• Set the gradient layer blend mode to multiply.
• Release the two points at the base of the tree and gradient layers from the bones so it would keep still.

If this doesn't quite have to look you want, play with the blend mode, gradient layer opacity, etc..

[LittleTurtle]

I can't open your file. I get this error message:

Could not open file.
Error details:
Bad file header: <!DOCTYPE

[synthsin75]

I can't open your file. I get this error message:

The link works for me. Anyway, just follow what I did to fix it.

[LittleTurtle]

It works, but I encountered one problem. If I manipulate the lowest bone(for example if I move it to the left), then the entire bone chain is not staying on it's position. It's moving in the direction I move the cursor. But I want that the bones stay on their position if I manipulate the lowest bone. How can I fix the lowest bone so that the bone chain isn't moving?

Problem:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/it5c1se1i8j1l ... 6.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9nowev29rn2o4 ... n.png?dl=0

Anime Studio file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/spae5ua8m968c ... .anme?dl=0

[synthsin75]

No idea what you're wanting here. Why would a tree need its base bone to move without the rest?

[LittleTurtle]

No, I don't want to move its base bone without the rest. I just want that the base bone can't be moved from one position to another position. I just want to change the angle of the base bone, but in my case the three bones are moving to another position if I want to change the angle of the base bone.
You can see the problem in this picture: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9nowev29rn2o4 ... n.png?dl=0
I wanted to change the angle of the base bone, but instead the three bones were moving to another position. You can see that the bones are no more on there initial positions.

[synthsin75]

If you're new to AS10, the transform bone tool now rotates when you grab the middle of the bone (not either of the end control dots, those are for scale and translation). It sounds like you are unintentionally translating the bone.

[LittleTurtle]

I solved the problem. I was moving the bone with "manipulate bones" instead of "transform bone".

Is it possible to see the real/final color of the tree in Anime Studio? If I use a gradient, then the color of the tree is always grey. But if I export the animation, then the tree has its real color. Why is Anime Studio not showing the real color of the tree? Why is the tree grey and not brown?
Color of the tree in Anime Studio: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u46wpvvj9hq2x ... r.png?dl=0
Real color of the tree(exported .png file): https://www.dropbox.com/s/705kx3766h4we ... 0.png?dl=0