Debut: Mesh deform on raster image

[XPISigmaArt]

Hey there! I'm on Moho Debut, and have been trying to figure out how to deform a raster image (like an imported png). I realize Smart Mesh is a Pro thing, but surely there is a manual way to do it on Debut? I can't find any youtube videos or anything on this subject either, they're always referring to vector work or using Pro.

What I really want to do is be able to map a png to a mesh, and distort/stretch etc, while working with the keyframe interpolation.

I'm new to this stuff, thank you.

[MrMiracle77]

I'm not at my home computer at the moment, but you may be able to accomplish something similar with a combination of bones and weight. If you just want some image distortion, point bones that aren't parented to each other can be moved independently to pinch/pull parts of an image.

[Greenlaw]

Hi XPISigmaArt,

Sorry, Debut doesn't support either the Select Warp Layer option in Layer Settings or the new Create Mesh Layer command found in Moho Pro.

The closest option for Debut that I'm aware of is to use a Bone group so you can mask the image layer, and then use pin bones to deform both layers together. A vector layer can can be used to mask the image, and you can create holes in the mask by creating a single shape for the entire selection. Note that Debut can only auto-generate a mesh for the image and you can't edit that mesh because it's invisible, so you can't get as precise with the deformation as you might with the Pro features. But if your needs aren't too complicated, maybe this can address your needs?

Another possibility is to use a mesh filled with the image using the image Texture style effect. You'll need to scale up the image using the widget. Note that unlike a normal mesh warp in Pro, you will need to use bones to deform the image and mesh. It's basically what I used for the Puss rig I animated years ago in The Adventures Of Puss In Boots TV series, but trying to do the same thing in Debut may be difficult. This technique works well enough but without Smart Bone Actions, controlling will be limited keyframing bones directly. But as with the above suggestion, if you're needs aren't too complex, it may work out for you.

I know these are not the tips you are hoping for in Debut but I hope it helps.

[Greenlaw]

Oh, and you'll probably want to use Use Selected Bones for Flexi-binding. This will restrict the deformation to these bones and will work for both the vector mask and image layers.