Moho Forum

Hello, I want to create a game but my problem was that I was going to do the animation frame-by-frame which consumed a lot of time. I didn't want to use Flash, because its tween is terrible. So I found and I just started to use Anime Studio. I have seen some really smooth animations and looking forward to create the same effect. Figuring out the bones mechanism was a matter of minutes to me. What I can't figure out still is how to add custom frame-by-frame animations like blinking eyes on top of my animation (like in that anime guy tutorial). Any light on this?

You could just put in keys right next to each other or use the "step" interpolation for the key frames for a blink.

Blinks could also be done with a switch layer. Read up on switch layers.

-vern

And if you have a satisfying sequence of switch layer keys for a blink, you can make it an action.

Thanks for the replies, I looked into the help file but could not find enough information for switch layers or "step" interpolation. I'll start googling now and hope something's come up. Is there any non-official tutorials for this?

p.s. Is it possible to make an object/layer invisible for a particular frame or set of frames?

Step interpolation can be found in the Help, under the Timeline Window section of the User Interface section. Scroll down to where it says Working with Keyframes, and you'll find an explanation there of all the different interpolation styles for keyframes. These are accessed in the timeline by right-clicking on a keyframe, and you'll get a list. Step simply means that there is no transition between keyframes, in other words, no tweening. That's why step is good for an eye blink - the eye is open, then it is closed, then open again. If you used smooth interpolation between the keyframes, you would see tweening as the eye closed and then opened. Linear also gives you tweening, but the movement is constant, with no easing in or out. Smooth is usually adequate for most movement, so it is the default, but sometimes you want to use a different method.

Here's a page with some tutorials:


viewtopic.php?t=7244

Jack

Sindarin wrote:Thanks for the replies, I looked into the help file but could not find enough information for switch layers or "step" interpolation. I'll start googling now and hope something's come up. Is there any non-official tutorials for this?

p.s. Is it possible to make an object/layer invisible for a particular frame or set of frames?

From myles (thanks myles you're the best!):
http://members.fortunecity.com/myles/Ti ... ation.html

To turn invisible an object (Shape fill or shape outline) just change its color to full transparent (alpha = 0). If it is a layer just turn its visibility off and that's all.

-G

To turn invisible an object (Shape fill or shape outline) just change its color to full transparent (alpha = 0). If it is a layer just turn its visibility off and that's all.

This doesn't seem to work with me. I am using images not vector.
What I want to do, is for example, show the eyelids full closed in a frame, next show it half open and then make it disappear. I did that by moving the eyelids out of scene, but it would be more practical if I could make it non-visible for some frames.

http://members.fortunecity.com/myles/Ti ... ation.html

Very good one. I finally figured it out. Thanks.

Anime Studio indeed needs a better manual.


Another question. When I animate the eyes, if the character is moving, then the eyes won't be in the same position. How I can make them always be in the correct place of the face?

Hi Sindarin,
If you're using images they would be in one layer each. So go to your image layer, select it, then scroll down the time line and look for the visibility layer icon . Then make a click into its corresponding line at the desired frame and the layer would become not visible. Click again at other frame if you want to make visible again later. Also can do the same going to layers settings and check - uncheck the "Visible" option in General Tab. See User Interface-> Layers window for further information from the built in help.

To maintain all the pieces of the character together without taking care of moving them one by one, you can place the image layers inside a Bone layer. Then you can create some kind of skeleton that holds the child objects (image layers, vector layers, group layers... what ever...) and attach a layer to a bone of the skeleton using the Bind Layer tool . Bones can also bind individual points and group of them by its region influence or by flexible influence, but for that you should work with vector layers instead of image layers. Read the tutorial #3 and the Using Anime Studio -> Layer types -> Bones and the Tool Groups -> Bone tools sections from the built in help for further information.
Best
-G

o maintain all the pieces of the character together without taking care of moving them one by one, you can place the image layers inside a Bone layer. Then you can create some kind of skeleton that holds the child objects (image layers, vector layers, group layers... what ever...) and attach a layer to a bone of the skeleton using the Bind Layer tool

So I can create a "torso" layer and attach "child" bones at it?

So I can create a "torso" layer and attach "child" bones at it?

Not exactly...

You can't put bones on any layer except a bone or switch layer. Bone and switch layers are group type layers and only hold other layers.

You create a single bone layer and place multiple image layers inside the bone layer. The bones are your "skeleton". You would then bind those image layers that are now INSIDE the bone layer to individual bones in the skeleton. Or you could use the bone influence to control the image layers.

The torso might be made up of multiple bones. Then you might have arm bones that are children of the chest bone... etc etc. You would bind say an arm image layer to the arm bone.

I'm simplifying this to give you the big picture. I would suggest reading the help files... read them all... won't take that long. Read it like a book. Do all the tutorials. It starts to sink in after a while.

-vern

Ah I figured out how AS handles bone hierarchy. I am halfway reading the manual, however I skip the drawing parts as I don't draw vectors in AS, hope I did not miss anything important.

Just as a matter of interest, what do you draw vectors with?

Actually I meant, I don't draw vectors at all.
All my animations are png images which I draw in paper, scan and digital color in Photoshop.