Global Timeline Management

Wondering how to accomplish a certain animation task? Ask here.

Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger

Post Reply
desta1972
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:49 am

Global Timeline Management

Post by desta1972 »

Hi there. First of all, excuse my english. I'll try to explain my question the best I can.
I'm new to AS, and I think it has a very good learning curve. Since I'm a very skilled Flash developer, the biggest problem i have is about Timeline/Audio Syncronization.
The usual Flash workflow is the following:
1) animation setup and keyframes (mutiple timelines, a lot of layers, and so on)
2) audio importing and "timeline stretching". It means moving and sliding a bunch of timeline events/keyframes in order to make them happen at the desired time.

I mean something like "adding/removing keyframes" feature.

This because usually in my workflow i get the soundrack from the recording studios only when the design and animation process is already at an advanced step.
I found this task very difficult in AS, since there's apparently no way to control the timeline globally. I'm only able to manipulate the events layer-by-layer, so i have to take count of the exact frame number of every event i want to shift in time, and that's for EVERY SINGLE LAYER. This often generates unpredictable animation results in other layers, making the entire process very time-spending.

Am losing something?

i can't believe the only good way to animate is to start from an existing soundtrack!

Thank you for any suggestion
Genete
Posts: 3483
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:27 pm
Location: España / Spain

Post by Genete »

Yes, it is a weak feature of AS/Moho. Meanwhile it is improved in new versions you can try to use Rescale Keyframes from Animation Menu.
Here the Manual link:
http://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/m ... #animation
User avatar
jahnocli
Posts: 3471
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:13 pm
Location: UK

Post by jahnocli »

I understand that traditional animation practice is to record a soundtrack fairly early in the wiorkflow, and animate to that. Anime Studio is based on this working method. There are one or two workarounds, but if you want to feel comfortable with AS, it would not be wise to impose a workflow based on another piece of software. I've used Flash for years, too, and you just have to work at making the most of what each software offers...I certainly find it easier to animate to a soundtrack than the other way around.

HTH
You can't have everything. Where would you put it?
User avatar
slowtiger
Posts: 6240
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:53 pm
Location: Berlin, Germany
Contact:

Post by slowtiger »

Oh, I know this situation quite well. The soundtrack arrives lately, or "we just made some minor changes", and everything is fucked up ...

Hava a close look at your specific problem.
- Is the voice track changed? Just use Papagayo to get the lipsync file for the new voicetrack and link it to your scene.
- Did you do the editing of several scenes in sync to some soundtrack, or has the final edit to fit the sound? Put your scenes into a video editor and shift them around in time until it fits.
- Only if you really really need to fit some actions within one scene to the soundtrack, you have to shift keyframes within AS.
desta1972
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:49 am

Post by desta1972 »

slowtiger, i'm glad you can understand me so well... :wink:
the problem is that my case mostly fits exactly with the third, worst, situation...

But, nevermind. I better get used to it.

Thank you :)
Post Reply