Outline Help??????

[Stephen X]

Hi everyone.

I am trying to use the outline/shadow function for my character in the layer folder. She is broken up into individual parts and I am using the outline/shadow function in the bone layer to create an outline around the figure. This makes all of her parts (arms, torso, legs) seamlessly blend together with one continuous outline.

When I did this, it looked great unless something like the arm/hand layer moves over her torso or leg layer. When this happens, the outline disappears.

Now to work around this, for part of the arm and leg that might overlap, I created an oultine on those individual part. The only problem is now the Shadow/outline functions throws an outline around the fill AND outline, causing the outline to be chuncky in areas.

Now mind you, I am not out of tricks yet. Next I separated the outline areas and pasted them behind the filled objects. Since the outline by default is a centerline, I loose half of the bulkiness.

Is there anything I can do to make a continously smooth line. Am I overlooking something?

Ideally, I would LOVE a button that you could select in that shadow/outline function that tells the program to ignore the outline on the drawing. Of course since I am not a programmer, I need a workaround.

I hope this explains my dilemna. Hopefully I will be able to put a sample online so you can see what I am talking about.

Thanks
S:)

[heyvern]

I played around with this in the past and the only solution I came up with was to duplicate the while body into a new layer/layers (all the body parts are duplicated below the "main" body parts).

I then created a "special" fill style just for the outline. No need for doing the layer shadow/stroke trick. I put the stroke on the shape just for the outline. Then I put in whatever nice stroke I needed for the "regular" body parts above the outline. I made the outline stroke thicker than the regular body stroke.

Since all of these layers and parts are controlled by the same bones it was simple to just dupe those layers and forget about them. Even when I adjusted or changed the main body shape layers it was very easy to just copy that mesh to the "outline" layer and fill it with the outline style.

Actually at one point I just pasted all the body parts for the outline into one layer. There was no need to keep them separated since they always were behind everything else.

So after all this what happens is that the stroked outlines are visible around the whole body and when an arm or part overlaps the outline is the same for that shape. You don't get a thickening of the overall out line.

EDIT:
If you do a search in the scripting forum there is a layer script somewhere that "copies" the point position of one layer to another layer that is identical. What this means is that if you change the points on your main body part layer and it has a matching outline layer the outline layer points will automatically move to match. Both layers must have the exact same points.

-vern

[Stephen X]

Vern. Thanks so much. Of course I was overthinking this.

I still want Anime Studio to perfect the shadow/outline function. It is such a great 1 click solution if it was just tweeked slightly.

S:)

[heyvern]

The one feature needed that would solve the whole thing would be the ability to change how strokes are applied to shapes.

We just need 3 options:

Inside
Center
Outside

This would solve the whole outline issue you've encountered. If strokes had these options on how they appear on a shape then it could blend in with an overall outline described in the above technique. Or it could be hidden by another out line shape as it crosses over another shape.

For instance a thinner stroke around an arm that tapers to the inside. when the arm is "out" the stroke is thick and matches the rest of the outline of the whole body. When the arm crosses the stroke is thinner because the thicker out line is hidden.

This is still difficult to do even using the styles idea I described.

-vern

[Stephen X]

I would love the solution to be in the Shadow/outline function.

I can't thank you enough Vern. It worked out perfectly. I did find that when I copied the layer and made it the outline, the outline was weaker on one side usually. The weird thing was that there was no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes it would be the left side and other times it would be the right. I was able to plump the line slightly to accommidate. I don't know if it is because they are complex shapes with multiple fills.

I agree though. This program can't be touched by anyone else out there. If they fix these minor issues, it will really sing. I first started looking at Moho/AS back to version 4. The number of rendering and line quality improvements that they have accomplished is amazing. let's hope that that momentum continues.

Thanks again Vern!

[heyvern]

Your line thickness issues could be due to "custom" adjustments you made?

If you change the widths of the strokes of a shape (the width tool), those settings stay with the mesh even if you delete the shape or change the style.

Or maybe you have overlapping shapes that hide portions of the stroke.

Anyhoo... glad it worked it out for you... and I agree... AS is the best!

-vern

[Stephen X]

I tried keeping a complex shape and simplifying it. No avail. I also reset the stroke weight. Nothing. Plumping it did work though.

You are a God Vern. Thanks!