How do you know what binding method was used?

[alee]

I am new to Anime Studio and, like many, have been struggling to learn the concepts, especially bone binding. Tutorials, manuals, and videos give incomplete and sometimes conflicting information.

I think it might be helpful if I could see how the pros do it by analyzing and deconstructing the rigged figures that come with the program (in the Library). The problem is I don’t know how to tell which binding methods the animator used. How can you tell whether the animator used flexible binding or point binding or layer binding? The visual clues may be obvious, but I don't see them. And how can you tell if they made corrections using Flexi-Binding or Smart Bone actions?

Speaking of Flexi-Binding, how does it relate to Flexible Binding? Similar terms to add to the confusion?

[synthsin75]

With no bones selected, the bind layer tool will select/highlight the bone the selected layer is bound to, if any. On a vector layer using the bind points tool, alt-selecting a bone will select/highlight the points bound to it, if any. Flexi-binding follows the influence of the bone strength, so where these overlap, more than one bone will effect how the points are warped.

Corrections are not made with Flexible-binding. If "Use selected bones for flexi-binding" (in the bone menu) has been used then selecting that layer will highlight those bones. Generally, you know smart bones are used because points do not move normally, but until you learn what "normal" is you will have to check the smart bone actions of each layer to see what points may have been keyframed.

Flexible and Region binding determine how points and images react to flexi-binding (which is the default binding method for all image layers and for points until you specify another method). As described in the user manual, Flexible binding means everything is influenced by all bones, based on bone strength and proximity, while Region binding restricts influence to the bone strength region.

[alee]

Thanks for replying, synthsin75. I appreciate your taking the time to give me your thoughtful comments. I do understand the issues better now, but I still have a lot to learn. Overall, the bone-binding processes seem cumbersome and confusing to me, but I'll eventually make sense of it.

[medic5678]

If you seem to be having problems with any binding, you can release the layer and points, and then start over. after a bit, binding is old hat and you won't be thinking twice about it. when i first started, it took me 2 days to do a character, and it was wobbly at best. now i can pop out 3 characters a day, have custom mouths, custom hands, etc. It's a matter of learning to reuse your assets and make adjustments. especially here, when copying assets, such as my basic set of hands from my basic rigged character, i release and rebind points/layers/etc.

Of course, I don't hold a candle to the likes of sythsin75. but if you consider i've only been at this a couple of months, you should be encouraged. remember to back up often and update the name of the file. for example, as i go through a character's creation (mikey) , i save it as mikey1, mikey2, etc. with each major revision ... so backtracking isn't so painful if i go down a dead alley.

good luck, stick to it, and don't give up.

and i will second your thanking of sythsin75. he's one of the most awesome and helpful folks you will ever meet online. mike kelley is the same kind of guy.