How do I control particles?!

kaerf75 · Post by **kaerf75** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:35 am

Hi! First, I have to apologize for my english. I´m from germany...

I´m very new to Animation Studio (I bought the pro version) and I´m actually working on a simple stickman animation (fighting) - my first animation.

What I´m wondering about is, how can I animate blood when a stickfigure is hit?! ...I thought particle layers would be the answer. But how can I control the particles, because I don´t want them to be animated all the time (hard to explain what I mean): The face should be hit, blood should fly out and drop down to the bottom...

I would be glad if somebody would have an idea/answer?

Thanks daniel

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:54 am

Just turn particles on or off at the appropiate time. To do it just right click on the particle layer or use the particle dropdown menu option when select the particle tool in the palette tool (mmm I think it is in the drawing area). It is difficult to see beacuse it is all the time disbled until you select a particle layer...

Please post your progresses!
Cheers!
-G

kaerf75 · Post by **kaerf75** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:21 pm

WoW. Thank you for your very fast answer!!!!!

Genete, already read very much from you and saw things you´ve already done! *respect*!

Ok, I found out how to switch the layer visible and turn it off again, but the problem is, that still flying particles also are turned off then... My aim was to have the "blood" flying out the face (oh no that sounds hard

) to the bottom in a bow .. meantime I think it can´t be done with particles but has to be done by "hand"..

...or is it possibe to realize tthis with a particle layer? (for example 10 partices that only "fly out" once)

btw heres the first test... please don´t laugh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CMbCSBVp-I

thanks

Daniel

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:47 pm

The particle lifetime control can be done with the particle vector layers or the particle layer itself.
If you give a lifetime of N frames the particle would dissapear after that time independent of if its alive inside the vector layer or not.
On the other hand you can let the responsability of let the particle live and die to the vector layer. FOr example making the particle transparent at certain frames. In that case you should let particle lifetime set to 0 in the particle layer.
Remember to check on "Free floating particles". It would work properly for droping fluids.
Please review the particle layer help entry in the manual and you'll see how it works.
Also create some smoke particle samples through the menu scripts and study them to understand better the mening of every parameter.
I don't have AS now on hands so I cannot show you an example.

BTW, among the violence of the scene, it is very well done. I also started my animations with a sticky characters and also with some fighting (but less violence). Congratulations for your first work as a newbie (to Anime Studio but I guess not to animation). My very first one was ten times worse!

-G

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:26 pm

Hi Daniel,

sehr brutal! Aber schon verdammt gut, und vor allem schön schnell - Anfänger kannst du eigentlich nicht mehr sein.

Blutende Strichmännchen würde ich nicht mit Partikeln bauen, sondern altmodisch per Hand: eine Lache auf dem Boden, eine Wunde am Körper, und einige Tropfen, die herunterlaufen.

kaerf75 · Post by **kaerf75** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:15 pm

Thank you very much for the tips Genete... I think I´ll draw it by hand. The result doesn´t match the way I want it to have. (see result below...

)
Perhaps I just have to excersize(?) with it...

@Slowtiger: Oh sehr geil!! Schön, auf deutsch is die ganze Sache doch leichter.. Ja, ich denke du hast recht. Per Hand is besser (oder ich raffs einfach nicht mit den Partikeln ^^)
/Edit: Du kommst ja aus Berlin!! Ql - wir könnten Nachbarn sein!

Bin wirklich Anfänger. Hab vor Jahren mal mit Moho experimentiert, aber nix wirklich gutes hinbekommen. Hoffe mal jetz wirds besser mit eurer Unterstützung

Die Version mit meinen schlechten Partikeln gibts hier...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8AAlN1cYA

...hast du ne ahnung mit welchem programm kann man gut nachvertonen kann?? der windows movie maker nervt mich ..., weil der nur eine tonspur bietet und nicht sauber "rendert"...

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:24 pm

Ich benutze Final Cut Express - Mac hat Vorteile.

Du solltest regelmäßig auf http://www.animationsfilm.de/tricktisch/ nachschauen, wann das nächste Treffen ist (oder dich auf den Verteiler setzen lassen). Dort sind außer mir noch ein paar mehr Moho-User.

Vielleicht interessiert dich auch http://www.flipbook-online.de/.

kaerf75 · Post by **kaerf75** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:31 pm

@slowtiger: Danke guter Tip!!! Wie findsten den Clip mit Partikeln?

@Genete: What do you think? Now with music...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBc13DwG2rU

Daniel

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:16 pm

Extremely violent for my sensibility. Regarding to animation 3 stars... regarding to content... not qualified.
-G

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:17 pm

The particles don't keep up with the rest of the animation. It is best to first think about how the blood is flowing, then contruct the paths and let the drops follow it (and not use particles).

Evil little film - but well done. I like the speed, it follows the rule that you can get away with everything as long as it's fast. (Shorten the credits at the end, they're much to slow/long now).

-

Bösartiger Film ... aber gut gemacht. Vor allem gefällt mir das Tempo: man kommt mit allem durch, wenns nur schnell genug ist.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:21 pm

There seems to be this "new" type of animation with extremely graphic blood and gore mixed with cute or simple characters. I saw one the other day with these cute anime style rabbits and animals with the big twinkly eyes... that get completely and realistically killed in horrible ways.

I don't know if I care for it myself either.

Actually to tell the truth I don't care for it at all. Cute cartoons with extreme violence... hmm... who is the audience?

-vern

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:25 pm

Ah...perhaps you're thinking about HAPPY TREE FRIENDS?

www.happytreefriends.com

Twisted. I met those guys at Comic-Con last year. I think they're nuts. Animation's not bad, though. Some of the stuff's pretty creative. Gross.

kaerf75 · Post by **kaerf75** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:43 pm

Hey guys, thanks for critics!

..hmm I think I will remove the "movie" shortly from youtube... It really isn´t funny at all. But I have started it and wanted it to be "finished".

Perhaps I shouldn´t start making animations when my "boss" nettled me