I'm Confused about Styles

Peteroid · Post by **Peteroid** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:58 pm

AS7PRO here.

OK.... this is the first tutorial I've done that left me confused. I'm referring to the one about Styles, Tutorial 2.7.

A project is opened that is already set up (which is the problem, it never describes how to set it up). When open, there already exist Styles: Skin, Outline, Pants, Shirt, Hair.

Turning to the Style window, the 'Skin' style is opened up. The parameters are changed. The shapes that make up what we (as humans) would interpret as skin for the character all update to reflect the changed 'Skin' style, leaving everything else alone (e.g., the shape that makes up the shirt is unchanged).

In another part of the tutorial, the Style 'Outline' is brought up, and when changed... and this time the outline of EVERY shape in the entire project changes.

What I can't find anywhere in the manual is why some shapes change and others don't. Why does the shape corresponding to forearm change when the Skin style is changed, but the sleeve does not (both are in the same Layer)? Why can it change the shapes selectively across all layers?

I assumed if I selected the Shape that changes when the Skin style changed that the word 'Skin' would appear in the Style Window style name box, but it doesn't! So I can find no way of determining for a particular shape what style is associated with it, or even if there is a style associated with it.

SOMEHOW certain shapes are affected by a style, and others are not. But this 'association' is not detailed. How do I set up the association? How do I later see what this association is (i.e., if shape changes with the Skin style, I should be able to examine the shape and see the style 'Skin' is somehow associated with it)? How do i change this association later on to another style, or remove the association all together?

In short, how do I associate a style with a shape, and then later edit this association (view, change, delete)?

Also, the description on how to 'apply' a Style does not seem to work either. I tried two experiments. One, I opened up the pre-made project file for Tutorial 2.7 I described above. I then selected the Torso Layer. I then selected the main torso shape. I then went over to the Style window and clicked on 'Skin'. No effect. Now, Torso already had its own Style, and I assume that is hindering this. But the manual says that just opening up the style 'Skin' should 'apply' the Skin style to the Torso shape, and apparently it does not.

The other experiment is I opened up a new project (again, following the instructions of Tutorial 2.7). I then created a Style of my own. I then create a new shape, and indeed, the style is applied upon creation. Then I change the Style Window to <none> (to prevent auto application of my new style) and create a new shape. I then select this new shape, got to Style Window, and bring up my new style. NOTHING happens. There is no 'apply' button I can see. The manual says just bringing up the style 'applies' it. But apparently it doesn't.

I can see from the supplied tutorial project Styles do work, but how is not described.

HELP!!!!

jonbo · Post by **jonbo** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:01 pm

if you look in your styles palette, at the top you have ''shapes'' and ''styles''buttons for submenus. The shapes submenu is used for selecting the shape you want to have the style applied to. The styles submenu is used to create different styles you want to apply to your shapes. To apply the style that you have created, look below the stroke/brushes palette, and you should find where it says style one and style two. Click on one of these to apply whichever style you want for the shape you have selected. You should note that to see this palette, you must have the advanced checkbox checked.so use the shape submenu to select your shape then go down to style one or two click on it to call up the submenu of the styles you have created and choose which to apply.

Peteroid · Post by **Peteroid** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:26 pm

jonbo wrote:if you look in your styles palette, at the top you have ''shapes'' and ''styles''buttons for submenus. The shapes submenu is used for selecting the shape you want to have the style applied to. The styles submenu is used to create different styles you want to apply to your shapes. To apply the style that you have created, look below the stroke/brushes palette, and you should find where it says style one and style two. Click on one of these to apply whichever style you want for the shape you have selected. You should note that to see this palette, you must have the advanced checkbox checked.so use the shape submenu to select your shape then go down to style one or two click on it to call up the submenu of the styles you have created and choose which to apply.

Thanks, jonbo!

OK, I'm almost there. What I was missing before was the 'Style 1' and 'Style 2' options below the stroke/brush palette. Now I understand how it is selective in which shape gets which style.

What I still don't understand is the 'Shapes' drop down box next to 'Style' at the top. I have yet to see this list anything but '<none>'.

You say it is for selecting the Shapes I want to apply the Style to. If there were shapes listed that would make sense to me (i.e., it would allow one to pick the shape one wants to work on in terms of style without having to click on it).

So I would have thought this would have listed all the shapes in the project (or the current layer, or current selected layers, or ???). Or, it might be that if you selected a style it showed which shapes it applied to. But since it always says '<none>' I have no clue!

So what am I missing here?

UPDATE: OK figured it out!

As it turns out, the manual, which up to this point has been pretty good, totally dropped the ball on this.

It never mentions the Style 1 and Style 2 fields (how can it not in a Style tutorial?) ... and it says this (page 49):

If you want to apply a style to any other shape, use the Select Shape
tool to click on your shape to select it. The Style window will update
itself to show you the properties of the selected shape. Select your style
from the Styles popup menu. This tells Anime Studio to apply that style
to the currently selected shape

which is totally wrong (note it doesn't say 'Style pop-up' menuS, so it is referring to the one at the top next to 'Shapes', not the never mentioned Style 1 and Style 2 fields). The top portion of the Style window is for creating Styles and giving Shapes names. It dos not 'apply' a Style ever...

But thankfully I have it figured out now, hopefully this will help anyone else with the same confusion...

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:21 am

How to make styles work?

Don't forget to use the search function for basic questions on usage. It may take reading a few posts, but it's likely any problem you have (styles, masking, keyframes, etc.) has come up before. Also, this type of post should go in the How Do I...? subforum.

jonbo · Post by **jonbo** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:36 am

sorry Pete, I was tired and didn't explain that very well. Glad you got it. I agree that there are some features that the help manual isn't very clear on. You might want to think about picking up a copy of ''Anime Studio The Official Guide''by Kelly Murdock. I think some of these things are explained better in there. Between the book, the help manual, and the forum I can find most answers I need.