What size should I make my bitmap graphic?

[PeteX]

Hello, I'm quite new to this software, but I already have a question:

I want to design my graphic in Photoshop, then import the .psd into Anime Studio. I prefer bitmap over vector. But how big should I make the graphic? And does dpi matter?

[GCharb]

DPi does not matter if You output to movie, only if You output to images that will be printed!

As for the resolution of the images, it depends on the output resolution, so say You want to draw a prop in Photoshop that will only appear as a small part of a 1080 p output, then small resolution should be sufficient, but if You are drawing a character's face that will be used for close up on a 4k render, then You need to draw the face at a higher resolution.

I would say that a good rule of thumb is to draw everything larger then the intended finished resolution, this way You will avoid problems if your animation requires close up.

Another solution would be to use Anime Studio vector drawing tools, which are resolution independent!

Hope this helps.

[PeteX]

Thanks, you're right, DPI is ignored on import. Also, camera zoom and workspace zoom is ignored, which makes things a lot simpler. I will aim at keeping all my graphic at the same relative pixel size, so their proportions fit each other on import. I think I add a 1920x1080 px box inside each .psd file, so I get an idea of the maximum zoom level.

It feels a bit wierd that I have no idea how big anything is - I can draw a rectangle, but I have no idea how large it is unless I compare it to something else on the scene. Am I missing out on some features, or is it just that Anime Studio is more intuitive-like and don't do things like 'inches' or 'centimeters'?

[slowtiger]

Since the core of AS is vector, it only gives relative sizes without any units. When you open a new project, each new layer has a size "1", which is the height of the project window. Each imported bitmap is treated like it was 72 dpi at the moment of import in relation to the project settings.

Say you have a project 1920 x 1080, and import a bitmap 1920 x 1080. It will fit the project window, as expected. If you now change the project settings, the already imported bitmap will still perfectly fit the project window and have a scale factor of 1.

[GCharb]

Am I missing out on some features, or is it just that Anime Studio is more intuitive-like and don't do things like 'inches' or 'centimeters'?

Like I said, Anime Studio is mostly used for animation, for which inches or centimeters are irrelevant.

DPI, or dots per inch, is only useful if you are planning on printing your art, in which case You may be better off simply using Photoshop.

Short explication on the use of DPI, just in case We are not clear here.

Say you want to print an 8 X 10 inches image, and say You want to use 300 DPI (dots per inch), which is a standard for printing, then You would need to set your setting at 2400 X 3000 pixels in Anime Studio, but say You want to print a 13 X 19 inches image, then You would need a setting of 3900 X 5700 pixels. (3900/300 = 13 and 5700/300 = 19)

DPI is irrelevant in Anime Studio, since it cannot print, you only need to figure out the amount of pixels you need for the intended print size, generate the image, then import in Photoshop, then set the DPI in it, which You can do by pressing (cmd/ctrl - alt - i), which brings the image resize window!

If You don't intend to print but only create animation, DPI has no relevance, just produce art in Photoshop with enough resolution so it does not look pixelated in Anime Studio final output!

[PeteX]

Thanks, I finally got it! I ended up working in extreme oversize and sizing down to 25 % after import. I have now created my first character - lotsa dislocated bodyparts and unintended moonwalking. I think I'll hang out in the tutorial section for a while!