tutorials

[toonertime]

After reading the above about how many layers, etc.
are created in an animation, I find myself wishing there
was a nice, long tutorial detailing from start to finish the
creation of a little animation. It would clarify the whole
process and demystify the complexities of animation!

[areyouguystwins]

After reading the above about how many layers, etc.
are created in an animation, I find myself wishing there
was a nice, long tutorial detailing from start to finish the
creation of a little animation. It would clarify the whole
process and demystify the complexities of animation!

I agree 100%!

I felt like I was reinventing the wheel learning to use Anime Pro these past four months. It was frustrating because the so-called tutorials and help menus that eFrontier puts on their website describing how to use Anime are bare bones to say the least.

I learned by just doing (in between my crashes which I hope will be fixed by converting my wavs to aifs).

The timeline is not explained at all in the tutorials and help menus that eFrontier puts on their website. Unfortunately the timeline is the most important part of using Anime (especially keyframes). I suppose I could write a basic tutorial on how to animate using Anime, of course the way I animate in Anime may be different than the way others animate.

Plus it seems there are a few options in some of Anime's menus that are not explained in the help menus (or don't seem to work). For example the "options" under the "layer settings." What is "layer blending mode?"

As to "Masking" -- well that goes right over my head.

I used to be a software tester (Y2K anyone?), so I can usually learn to use a piece of software without the need for a massive manual. But yeah, I do agree a nice tutorial about the basics of animating a project start to finish would be ideal for users of Anime.

[heyvern]

Plus it seems there are a few options in some of Anime's menus that are not explained in the help menus (or don't seem to work). For example the "options" under the "layer settings." What is "layer blending mode?"

Do you use photoshop? Just like that... multiply, screen, add, etc etc. Just like Photoshop layer blending.

Most of the stuff I didn't learn here I learned by just experimenting. Especially masking! Masking doesn't even look right when you DO do it right. You have to render to see the results of any complex masking involving nested group folders. It doesn't display correctly in preview if you have masking that involves multple nested folders.

So even with detailed instructions you won't know it's right till you render. You think it's wrong when it is actually right. Because of this the best way to learn masking is to create a simple file and just fool around. Experiment. And do quick renders often.

I spent hours with the help file trying to figure out masking. I was sure I was doing it right... I was. It was easier than it seemed because the preview was incorrect.

Think of the first guy to eat an apple or a kumquat... did he ask the other guys if it was safe to eat? No... he just ate the darn thing! (they probably drew straws and... if you mess up a masking experiment in AS you won't get sick and die. )

By the way there probably wouldn't be just one tutorial like this... there would be 50... or 100... from my experience everyone does it completely differently.

-vern