Another question. Sorry, I just asked on 4 minutes ago....
I really like how AnimeStudio draws with vectors, colors and line thickness. I could sit all day just drawing pictures with it.
So, I would like to have a background made like that. I would use a layer I guess, is that the norm? What do most do, how do they do this, and can a BMP or JPG be used instead.
Mainly, I am just trying to see what other poeple do.
How do most people create backgrounds for their animations?
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
I don't think there is a standard or best technique.
Layers are good. You can also create a file of various background layers and just import each one when it is needed. Vector layers will also scale well on close-ups.
BMPs or JPEGs are also good, although PNG is probably better (you don't get the lossy compression artefacts that you can get in overcompressed JPEGs, and you can use an alpha channel which neither BMP nor JPEG supports).
You can either load these images into Anime Studio as image layers (good for multi-plane camera and parallax effects in AS Pro, although the same applies to vector layers) or composite them later behind the animation in your compositing/video editing software.
Images can have richer textures when created in paint programs or using scanned artwork, but you need to be aware of how closely and sharply focused they will be on-camera. You might need a different background image for close-ups or in some case you might need a large enough background image that you can zoom in closer without deterioration.
(The same applies with image textures in vector shapes.)
Regards, Myles.
Layers are good. You can also create a file of various background layers and just import each one when it is needed. Vector layers will also scale well on close-ups.
BMPs or JPEGs are also good, although PNG is probably better (you don't get the lossy compression artefacts that you can get in overcompressed JPEGs, and you can use an alpha channel which neither BMP nor JPEG supports).
You can either load these images into Anime Studio as image layers (good for multi-plane camera and parallax effects in AS Pro, although the same applies to vector layers) or composite them later behind the animation in your compositing/video editing software.
Images can have richer textures when created in paint programs or using scanned artwork, but you need to be aware of how closely and sharply focused they will be on-camera. You might need a different background image for close-ups or in some case you might need a large enough background image that you can zoom in closer without deterioration.
(The same applies with image textures in vector shapes.)
Regards, Myles.
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted."
-- Groucho Marx
-- Groucho Marx
Being a very simple person and a newbie to AS, I'm using a very straightforward and VERY basic approach. I'm copying and using backgrounds from the Extras section of 'Tales Animator'. This used to be my main animation program. (Yes, yes, I know it was designed for children and you used scripts (literally scripts) instead of frame-by-frame manipulation --- but don't forget my first 5 words above!)
http://www.dollysoft.com/extras/index.p ... rounds.pc0
I made a lot of the ones that are clearly drawn - using that ultra-sophisticated and Sooooo complex program MSPaint. For my purposes this is proving perfectly adequate but wouldn't be too useful for someone who wanted more sophistication. However. for carrying out experiments, it's proving to be a very time-saving way of doing things.
Something else I've tried (again, purely as an experiment) is to load one of those images into Photoshop (but it could also be any image intended for use as a background and any image-editing software), and to then use a blur filter. This can enhance the 3D effect when unblurred characters are in the foreground. Again - too simple and basic an approach for the more experienced users of AS, but then that's not me. (Yet)
One other small point about the readymade images available from the 'Tales Animator' website - there are also a number of foregrounds which can be used as - er - foreground layers once the blue areas are made transparent. For that I use the equally sophisticated and Sooooo complex program Irfanview.
http://www.dollysoft.com/extras/index.p ... rounds.pc0
In the cases of both the imported backgrounds and forgeounds, I sometimes crop them outside AS, or I leave them as they are and just use Translation to select the area(s) that I want. Layer-scaling also works, of course, although the proportions of TA images aren't exactly the same as those of AS, so there is always a small part remaining outside the frame.
As you can probably guess, I tend to eschew over-complicated ways of doing things and look, instead, for the most direct, fastest, simple and least migraine-inducing.
One small afterthought. The developer of TA seems to have either gone around the world for an extended holiday or stopped the development of the program - so I can't guarantee how long the site will remain active. It's been OK for the last 6 months or so but ..... ???
Now I'll shut up and go back to sucking my thumb.
http://www.dollysoft.com/extras/index.p ... rounds.pc0
I made a lot of the ones that are clearly drawn - using that ultra-sophisticated and Sooooo complex program MSPaint. For my purposes this is proving perfectly adequate but wouldn't be too useful for someone who wanted more sophistication. However. for carrying out experiments, it's proving to be a very time-saving way of doing things.
Something else I've tried (again, purely as an experiment) is to load one of those images into Photoshop (but it could also be any image intended for use as a background and any image-editing software), and to then use a blur filter. This can enhance the 3D effect when unblurred characters are in the foreground. Again - too simple and basic an approach for the more experienced users of AS, but then that's not me. (Yet)
One other small point about the readymade images available from the 'Tales Animator' website - there are also a number of foregrounds which can be used as - er - foreground layers once the blue areas are made transparent. For that I use the equally sophisticated and Sooooo complex program Irfanview.
http://www.dollysoft.com/extras/index.p ... rounds.pc0
In the cases of both the imported backgrounds and forgeounds, I sometimes crop them outside AS, or I leave them as they are and just use Translation to select the area(s) that I want. Layer-scaling also works, of course, although the proportions of TA images aren't exactly the same as those of AS, so there is always a small part remaining outside the frame.
As you can probably guess, I tend to eschew over-complicated ways of doing things and look, instead, for the most direct, fastest, simple and least migraine-inducing.
One small afterthought. The developer of TA seems to have either gone around the world for an extended holiday or stopped the development of the program - so I can't guarantee how long the site will remain active. It's been OK for the last 6 months or so but ..... ???
Now I'll shut up and go back to sucking my thumb.
Once, I saw myself in a mirror.
Or did I?
Or did I?
Backgrounds
I prefer to create my own backgrounds made of several elements; walls, furniture, windows, sky, clouds, etc.
Then it just a matter of become movie studio set dress with whole file of props to choose from.
In any case it comes down to what works for you.
F.C.Snow
Then it just a matter of become movie studio set dress with whole file of props to choose from.
In any case it comes down to what works for you.
F.C.Snow