A Few basic Questions

[byanfu]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on this forum and I'm brand new to animation. Last week I bought the basic version of AS to see if I could get the basic of animation down before upgrading. So far I love the program.

My question is I have done some concept art in Xara that I would like to animate in AS. With the basic version of AS you can not import vector files so I was planing on importing the background in as a bitmap file, and redrawing the character in with the AS tools.

Here is a picture of the concept art.



I have a few basic question about work flow related to animating the character:

DRAWING
1. What is the best way to create a cell shaded look in terms of simplicity of animation so that the shading is below the outline. I hope that makes sense. Would it be better to create an object with the fill and shadow and another object with the outline on top of that? Or would it be better to create an object that had both the fill and outline in one object with the shadow object on top of that.

VECTOR IMPORT
2. Since I do not yet have the full version does anyone that might use Xara know if gradients and transparency's also import. I have been going though the archives and see that there is extensive reworking necessary because of the difference in how curves are calculated but was not able to find information on gradients. Also from readying in the archives I have found that gradients are only shown in AE until rendered. Is this also true in the pro version?

SCENE MANAGMENT
3. My last question is related to scene management. When you have a scene that requires multiple cut shots of taking heads is it better to place each cut, with all its assets in separate folders to simplify the animation process, or to animate the whole scene and just rerender it three different times (sort of like a multi-cam, long shot and two close up shots of the faces) and then re editing it in an video editor.

Sorry for the rambled wall of text. I haven't slept for a while.

[slowtiger]

1. Create the shape and make the outline and the fill in one go. It's the easiest way and the best way in terms of control over the points later in animation. A separate shape just for the outline is only necessary if you work with masks. Oh, and although line width can be set individually at every point, it is not animatable over time.

2. I don't know Xara, but expect problems here. Your idea about importing backgrounds as bitmaps is correct. You might want to have a look at http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7967 where I collected some real-life experience with import problems - other combination of software, but see it as the worst which might happen.

3. The latter: one long scene animated completely, then rendered with different camera settings. You're thinking in the right direction, especially for someone new to animation. Really no experience before?

[byanfu]

Thanks slowtiger,

I will read though that thread. This forum is almost like a mini animation school. Also I don't have any experience in animation, I use to do a lot of 3d character modeling but not much these days.

[Touched]

I had problems at the edges of the light and shaded areas when I tried filling both the fills and strokes in one go, with my 2-toned cel shading. There's a forum post I think in "How Do I?" where I asked how to solve it, and Vern suggested making the stroke as a separate shape, but on the same points, which is a feature unique to AS as far as I can tell. So that's the way I've been doing it, and it's been working very well. Don't duplicate the points, just create new shapes with the same points selected, and that will prevent the lines from separating from the fills when you animate. I generally have 3 shapes -- the light, the shaded, and 1 outline around both.

[byanfu]

Touched, I think I found the posts you were talking about

http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtop ... ght=#33816

That is a good idea that I am going to have to experiment with tonight. I'm going to try and set up a rig and create a model sheet for him, I will try that method. Thanks!

[myles]

Hello byanfu and welcome to the community.

Nice concept art!

Oh, and although line width can be set individually at every point, it is not animatable over time.

Minor correction here - line width became animatable in version 5.2


I can confirm that neither object transparency nor gradient fills from Xara Xtreme import via AI or EPS into Anime Studio Pro (athough areas without objects are of course completely transparent in vector import).

In PNG export from Xara where True Color + Alpha is selected in the Color Depth option then gradients and transparency are supported when the bitmap file is imported into Anime Studio (standard and Pro versions) - possibly useful for layered backgrounds and foreground props/layers (including semi-transparent windows etc), or possibly when imported into a video editor for layer compositing at that stage.

Regards, Myles.

[byanfu]

Thanks Myles,

Thats good to know. Is probably just easier to do all the backgrounds in after effects anyway and the character animation in AE. Might give a little more flexibility in the end with compositing it all together .

[slowtiger]

Minor correction here - line width became animatable in version 5.2

Hm, didn't work so far with me. I had a carefully adjusted line of different widths at all points, but when I touched one of them in animation, all got the same width uniformly.

Must experiment some more with this.

[LittleFenris]

Great concept art! I actually thought that was done in AS, so I know you won't have a problem recreating it in AS. I can't wait to see this guy in action. Love the style.

[byanfu]

Thanks LittleFenris,

I actually finish redrawing him in AS last night and he looks almost exactly the same. Took a little time getting use to the line width tool, but I love that tool now. I will probably move him over to the "Show your work" forum when I start doing some basic animation tests.