I'm LOVING Anime Studio so far, by the way. I can't believe it isn't more popular!
Quick newbie questions
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
Quick newbie questions
Hey guys, two quick newbie questions: When I create a character, should I put all his/her/its shapes (i.e., arm, leg, head, etc.) on a single layer, or should each body part get its own layer? Also, lets say I want to make my character walk from left to right across the screen; obviously, I'd use his bones to animate the basic walk cycle, but should I translate the character's layer along the X axis, or would it be better to translate the his parent bone? Sorry for the newbie questions.
I'm LOVING Anime Studio so far, by the way. I can't believe it isn't more popular!
I'm LOVING Anime Studio so far, by the way. I can't believe it isn't more popular!
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synthsin75
- Posts: 10276
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Welcome to the forum!
Whether to split up your character or not depends on the character and what you need it to do. If you plan on just using switch layers to change pose angles, it may be easier to have a single layer.
Splitting up your character allows you to take advantage of animated layer sorting. So your character's arm can go both in front of and behind the body, for example.
I have done both, but I usually split it up now. Though I draw it all on one layer and then copy the parts to separate ones. There is good reason to keep one intact copy, to realine when using bone offset.
Generally you want to avoid layer translations for a character, although I still find myself doing it. Best bet is to translate its root bone.
Whether to split up your character or not depends on the character and what you need it to do. If you plan on just using switch layers to change pose angles, it may be easier to have a single layer.
Splitting up your character allows you to take advantage of animated layer sorting. So your character's arm can go both in front of and behind the body, for example.
I have done both, but I usually split it up now. Though I draw it all on one layer and then copy the parts to separate ones. There is good reason to keep one intact copy, to realine when using bone offset.
Generally you want to avoid layer translations for a character, although I still find myself doing it. Best bet is to translate its root bone.
I agree with Synth on everything he said. And yes... I prefer to move the root bone rather than the layer.
The root bone of the character can be seen much more easily when tweaking animation. You don't have to switch your "brain" when animating the character. It's all bones all the time. I like to have all the animation "types" to be "one thing". If the character is moving and 99% of that motion is bones all of it should be bones. To have that one thing as a layer translation can get confusing. (plus my new save animation script doesn't do layer translations yet. )
There is some advantage to using layer translation. You can see the motion path.
-vern
The root bone of the character can be seen much more easily when tweaking animation. You don't have to switch your "brain" when animating the character. It's all bones all the time.
I like to have all the animation "types" to be "one thing". If the character is moving and 99% of that motion is bones all of it should be bones. To have that one thing as a layer translation can get confusing. (plus my new save animation script doesn't do layer translations yet. )There is some advantage to using layer translation. You can see the motion path.
-vern
I'm in two minds on this one.
Without splitting the shapes up onto layers , you can have no depth sorting.Also switching and shape transparency are a hassle.
It also takes longer to rig and onion skins are a problem.
Unfortunately the more layers you have the slower anime will run (true) and then there are issues with actions, shape interaction and losing compound shapes and drawing/construction, all which will slow you ( the animator ) down.
But then again it's easier to follow the point animation on say a head if it is on a separate layer.Then again, again, the more layers there are the more faffing around there is to track down any point animation there is on each layer (unless you use group actions of course) for adjustment.
And you DO need to use point animation, this ain't thunderbirds.
There is no truly elegant solution to this yet IMO.
Just try and keep the layers to a minimum.
Without splitting the shapes up onto layers , you can have no depth sorting.Also switching and shape transparency are a hassle.
It also takes longer to rig and onion skins are a problem.
Unfortunately the more layers you have the slower anime will run (true) and then there are issues with actions, shape interaction and losing compound shapes and drawing/construction, all which will slow you ( the animator ) down.
But then again it's easier to follow the point animation on say a head if it is on a separate layer.Then again, again, the more layers there are the more faffing around there is to track down any point animation there is on each layer (unless you use group actions of course) for adjustment.
And you DO need to use point animation, this ain't thunderbirds.
There is no truly elegant solution to this yet IMO.
Just try and keep the layers to a minimum.