first time ASP user needs strong advice.

[thespiritoflight]

hi

i was always been fascinated by animation and mangas so i decided to learn and try to create my own.

i'm having some nightmare on trying to understand the logic of the timeline and layers interaction ("switch" / vector) this software offers.

what should be the correct steps when creating a character's face / head ?

i want to have the character complex animated face distortions representing various types of expressions; as i have understood the "switch" layers are here to act as "macros" of different vector layers stances ? (example: mouth and / or eyes expressions)

the what annoys me now; is what FRAME number should be those layers be created in initial stance? because i have noticed when i have been cloning some vector layers in order to pursue drawing new stances by modifying them (ex: mouth open, smile, sad etc) i have ran in to a confusing copy / paste & mirror problem where the what i have been trying to "paste" was a stance of another frame on the time line.

i probably got it wrong at trying to understand the workflow of this software, i need some expert's advice on building the correct layers structure for a complex animated face, please see here the example of what i have drawn out off hand;


thanks for help in advance.

[dueyftw]

There are no real 'correct' ways to set up a character. Two things, do all your setup and drawing in frame zero, and each layer in a switch needs the same number of points to interpolate between the layers. Then right click the switch layer to add the keys down the time line.

Dale

[rplate]

I had a hard time seeing your work as it was soo BIG.

I can't answer your question but I found that I can now do gif animation so, I took this opportunity to try it out on a smaller version of your drawings.

[thespiritoflight]

There are no real 'correct' ways to set up a character. Two things, do all your setup and drawing in frame zero, and each layer in a switch needs the same number of points to interpolate between the layers. Then right click the switch layer to add the keys down the time line.

Dale

well.. so its "frame zero" ... now i have to step back and redo a lot of things i got now in frame 1.

so if i understand those switches are just simple modifiers, for example they will not transit in a motion tween from one stance of switch to another once set on the timeline?

i guess i have to do all the animation stuff manually with the mouse.. i thought the switches would be of some help to optimize the workflow.. duhh

thanks for this tip

[thespiritoflight]

I took this opportunity to try it out on a smaller version of your drawings.

awesome, dude.

[heyvern]

Here's how switches work:

A switch holds multiple layers. You can switch from layer to the next in two ways, "step" interpolation or linear interpolation. Step interpolation is the default. When a switch layer change is keyed that layer just swithes in one "step" at that key frame, no morphing.

If you want to "morph" or interpolate smoothly from one layer to the next the layers in the switch need to be exactly the same. they have to have the same number of points. Each layer can have those points in different positons. When you key the switch layer AS will smoothly interpolate or "morph" from one layer to the next.

You create all of your switch layers on frame 0. Start with one layer and duplicate it, move the points around etc. Keep doing this for as many switch layers as you want or need.

Now on frames AFTER frame 0 you won't edit the points of the layers in the switch, you just key the switch layer to a different layer by right clicking the switch layer and picking a layer.

When you play through the animation you will see the image "morph" from one layer to the next based on those switch layer keys.

Now, you CAN move points around IN the switch layers if you want to. This can be an interesting way to modify them. For example imagine you have switch layers called "layer 1" and "layer 2" that you animated the point motion on frame 25 of switch layer 2.

If you key the a change from switch layer 1 to switch layer 2 anytime during those 25 frames switch layer 1 will interpolate to whatever position the points are at during the animation of switch layer 2.

Does this make sense? You can make it easier to change from one layer to the next using switches as you describe. You need to understand how it works.

Think of switch layers as "stored" point motion keys of one vector layer. The difference is that motion is stored inside multiple layers with the identical points.

-vern

[thespiritoflight]

Here's how switches work:

A switch holds multiple layers. You can switch from layer to the next in two ways, "step" interpolation or linear interpolation. Step interpolation is the default. When a switch layer change is keyed that layer just switches in one "step" at that key frame, no morphing.

If you want to "morph" or interpolate smoothly from one layer to the next the layers in the switch need to be exactly the same. they have to have the same number of points. Each layer can have those points in different positons. When you key the switch layer AS will smoothly interpolate or "morph" from one layer to the next.

You create all of your switch layers on frame 0. Start with one layer and duplicate it, move the points around etc. Keep doing this for as many switch layers as you want or need.

Now on frames AFTER frame 0 you won't edit the points of the layers in the switch, you just key the switch layer to a different layer by right clicking the switch layer and picking a layer.

When you play through the animation you will see the image "morph" from one layer to the next based on those switch layer keys.

Now, you CAN move points around IN the switch layers if you want to. This can be an interesting way to modify them. For example imagine you have switch layers called "layer 1" and "layer 2" that you animated the point motion on frame 25 of switch layer 2.

If you key the a change from switch layer 1 to switch layer 2 anytime during those 25 frames switch layer 1 will interpolate to whatever position the points are at during the animation of switch layer 2.

Does this make sense? You can make it easier to change from one layer to the next using switches as you describe. You need to understand how it works.

Think of switch layers as "stored" point motion keys of one vector layer. The difference is that motion is stored inside multiple layers with the identical points.

-vern

thank you very much for bringing the light to this. now, i think i understood it better. actually the "morph" / smooth transition feature that offers to switch from one layer to another is the exact thing i was trying to guess and once ill get it working, i think that will be amazing because its gonna save up so much time compared to traditional methods of animating. now my next step will be to setup bones. i guess it needs some time and practice to get used to this great software. i believe with patience i can come up with great results. uhh im having trouble to bring back to frame 0 the stuff i have created in FRAME 1

anyways i really liked the vector drawing features this software offers, i could draw that thing off hand pretty quickly. knowingly that with some other software (ie: flash or toonboom) it would take much more time to create something similar.

im looking forward to see what would be the next steps, for exemple once im done the complete animation of a scene of about.. 15 or 20 sec to start off. What would be the next step to undertake in order to add some coloring? is there any particular exporting format that i should use in order to do the coloring and vector based fx using another software ?

or maybe you can recommend something else?

thanks in advance

[heyvern]

What would be the next step to undertake in order to add some coloring?

Have you done the tutorials or read the help? Anime Studio has color, there is no need for other programs to add color.

-vern

[thespiritoflight]

What would be the next step to undertake in order to add some coloring?

Have you done the tutorials or read the help? Anime Studio has color, there is no need for other programs to add color.

-vern

uhh not yet. i better practice and get the main vector outlined silhouettes properly constructed and animated, ill do the color at nex

[thespiritoflight]

ok; i think i got it going..

the key is to do everything in frame 0 and i was doing the rest as you have advised, here is what i came up with after a few hours of work:


(*.SWF animation)

http://eventyde.free.fr/anime001.swf

[slowtiger]

(... and again I'm stuck in a hold-up by a 4-year-old who looks at me very very threatening and mumbles something japanese ...)

Hrm. OK. Anime style, I guess. Technically not bad, really.

But I recommend that you start your animation training with some more movement - something broad, like characters walking and running around. You can always go for subtle later. But a beginner should start with broad movements, because then mistakes will show up very clearly. A small movement may hide a lot of mistakes.