So I'm helping my partner animate using AS. He's got an art degree but knows little about computers. I'm a computer programmer that knows nothing about art. The rigging system in AS confused him, so the workflow is that he draws the characters and I rig them.
When rigging characters, I often found that it was necessary to break a large shape (like a person's arm) into smaller shapes (a forearm and an upper arm). But breaking up shapes in a way that didn't lead to gaps during the animation was a challenge.
This would all be easier if my friend were drawing smaller shapes to begin with, but he works better if he doesn't have to worry about rigging details while he's designing. And often we won't know what shapes are necessary until after we've already rigged some of the character.
So here's a technique I settled on after a lot of trying:
1. Select the shape you want to break up using the Shape Select tool (Q).
2. Give that shape a name in the "style" palette. I usually use "to be deleted".
3. Using the Add Points tool, draw lines that bisect the large shape into smaller shapes.
4. Using the Select Points tool, select all the points of a smaller shape. Then use the Create Shape tool to create a new smaller shape. Note that the selected points are still part of the larger shape as well. Repeat this step for each smaller shape.
5. After you've defined all your smaller shapes, select the "to be deleted" shape from the styles palette.
6. Hit backspace to delete that larger shape.
7. Use the hide edge tool to hide the lines you drew in step #3.
Split a shape into smaller shapes
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poetbeware
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:15 am
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poetbeware
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:15 am
Well, erasing a shape also erases the line widths. The artist is using the Line Width tool to alter the appearance of virtually every curve. He likes this technique because it makes it look like pen strokes. But to use the Erase Shape tool, I'd have to re-widen every curve segment. And the artist likes to use many, many points along a curve to get the right feel. So the technique I posted is actually quicker, if you ever find yourself with complicated shapes you want to preserve.You can save time doing this:
1) Draw lines to divide big shape in two or more.
2) Select the shape (Q) and delete it with BACKSPACE . It will maintain points and contruction curves.
3) Create new shapes with paint bucket or create shape (U)
Of course the easiest thing would be for him to break up the shapes as he's drawing, but we both prefer the division of labor. It lets him focus on the style without worrying about how to rig things later.
