I have 2 Questions about Moho

[Wolf642]

Hi I have 2 questions. Can you bring hand drawn images in Moho like trace bitmap in Flash mx. I animate the hard way by scaning images and importing them in Flash mx. If you can do this in Moho could you tell me how or point me to a tutorial.

If you can't do that can you bring a flash fla file into Moho somehow? If you can answer any of these questions I would be most greatful thanks.

[Regul8R]

Scan the images as normal. Then in Moho, create an Image Layer. Select the Pic you want to use. Tadaa...

[The400th]

That's not what Wolf642's asking.

The question is, can Moho vectorize?

[jahnocli]

Unless I've missed something down the line, Moho can't vectorise OR import fla files. So the answer to both of your questions is "no".

If you scan in drawings, divide up your artwork into manageable pieces (eg, thigh, shin, foot), scan them in and save as 32-bit png files. You can then import these into Moho and animate with them using the bones system.

HTH

J

[victorialatham]

what i do is, trace the bitmap in flash mx, and colour in flash, then export image and choose to export as adobe illustrator image, then go into moho and go to import adobe illustrator file (choose the exported file).

[WillBellJr]

In my opinion, you can skip some steps - >design your characters directly in Moho<.

You may find you have way more control over coloring (shadows, noisy outlines, fill, stroke etc), plus you'll then have a native Moho object...

Going from Flash to Illy then to Moho is unnecessary IMO. Once you get used to Moho's modeling toolset, you may find your character design time go way down; Moho's splines are very nice.

Or as mentioned you can squash and stretch the image layers using bones.

-Will

[bupaje]

There are some free programs to vectorize line art listed in the "Other Software" forum. Simple drawings seem to be easier to just trace with Moho's built in tools but several forum users have referenced using the free vectorization programs.

[victorialatham]

In my opinion, you can skip some steps - >design your characters directly in Moho<.

the thing is, when you simply want to vectorise then animate a drawing you have done by hand and scanned in, it is so easy in flash, with there trace bitmap option, once you have exported from flash then imorted into moho, its as if you'd drawn it in moho. moho adds vector points etc, and you can add bones to it like you could if you had drawn it in moho. i think moho, should look into introducing something like the "trace bitmap" option in a future version, the only thing that keeps me going back to flash since i discovered moho is the drawing tools, i find the ones in moho very tedious and i just cant get the right amount of detail or look in a character as i can drawing with pen and paper, but it it must be said, they definately make up for it when it comes to animation tools.

[thies]

maybe i dont undrstand all of the technical stuff you are talking about but i like the way you can animate images in moho, and i think this is what makes it a unique program. you are totaly free in your technique, you can animate your paintings and scetches.
(i did this that way (top left)
http://www.lostmarble.com/moho/gallery/ ... deos.shtml
these are scetches coloured in photoshop. i'm now working on a project where i animate painted images.
i dont understand why everybody is trying to do flash animation in moho; why dont you use flash for that???

is that just to keep it small? or do i miss another big advanteg in vector animation?
i think it looks kind of dull and boring most of the time...

[mr. blaaa]

...but i like the way you can animate images in moho, and i think this is what makes it a unique program. you are totaly free in your technique, you can animate your paintings and scetches.
(i did this that way (top left)
http://www.lostmarble.com/moho/gallery/ ... deos.shtml
[...]
i dont understand why everybody is trying to do flash animation in moho; why dont you use flash for that???

Yes, moho has great capabilities in animating images, image textures, brushes etc.
I guess, the style one chooses is depending on the effort one wants to make or can afford to make.
Mostly the ones who want to have good results with less effort prefer the flash-like style.
And some who have enough time to prepare for the "big deal", which i find a complete animation of images is, do it the high-quality and more time-consuming way.
At least i think this is why most people ask about propable flash capabilities... But moho is not a flash-clone.

Anyway to trace images there is a good tutorial out there from myles:
http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~myle ... xport.html
http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~myle ... mport.html

And BTW: THIES i must say you did a very good animation with "underground".
Is my memory confusing me or is it possible that nobudget has to do something with "underground"?

[thies]

thanks for the compliments,
but i dont now nobudget realy wel, i dont now where you got that idea?
its mostly a teacher in school who told me about the cut out features of moho who convinced me to use it this way.
but sure, nobudget is a nice guy who is always ready to answer questions, respect!

[mr. blaaa]

Uuups, sorry thies! My mind played a trick one me i guess

I saw some test screens of some work nobudget was doing a couple of months / years (?) ago and maybe i mixed up something

Nevertheless very good movie you made. really.

[MarkBorok]

is that just to keep it small? or do i miss another big advanteg in vector animation?
i think it looks kind of dull and boring most of the time...

One advantage to vectors; you can distort shapes without losing quality, as happens when you distort bitmaps. A second advantage; you can zoom in and out without having to make really huge bitmaps. I ran into a lot of trouble with this in one project I was working with, as the frames took forever to render.

Moho has several features to break up the dullness and boringness of vectors. You can combine different fill styles, layer shapes of different opacities and put in as much detail as you like. Also, you can add noise grain to your final animation in the project settings.

[Evil Sock Pupet]

I have not yet been able to add bones into images to make them move So I just trace over the top of the picture. I only really use imported images as backrounds. or for traceing.