Moho Forum

In my animation I have this little mouse. The animation starts with the mouse at a 3/4 angle to the camera nibbling on grass. It looks up, then stands up on only two of it's legs revealing it has a longer body and was simply mushed up. Then it turns to run away. I knew that this would be no easy task, but I tried. First I started using switch layers to make the head appear like it was turning(same with the body) and I used this kind of layer to change the body types(fat to long).
My problem is this. Switch layers are a little too choppy for this, is there another method to making all the parts turn AND make the body longer after it was fat?

Here is an animation I did ages ago that... sort of addresses those things. It doesn't "squat down" exactly the way you describe but it can be done, probably using layers.

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

I use what are called "fan bones". The trick is to place bones with constraints so that you can "stretch" and bend the shapes/points while other bones follow along.

This may be more advanced a technique than you are interested in. I can provide the AS file... I have to track it down.

-vern

http://www.lowrestv.com/anime_studio/bo ... s.anme.zip

-vern

Aside from using interpolated switch layers or actions, I think this is the perfect task for my new technique. viewtopic.php?t=12808&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30 Near the bottom I posted an example file.

A concept for a stretching body:

Think of a piled up column of coins. Make a body out of some 4 or 5 circles, all overlapping each other. Now if you shift them close together, you'll have the small mouse, or the mouse in front view. If you place them further apart, you have the elongated or side view.

Of couse the "circles" need to be distorted to form a smooth outline, also there is some trickery needed to adjust the outline. This calls for some point animation.

you could also simply draw the frames
and be done with it!

Thanx! These are all extremely helpful suggestions! But no one answered my other question(maybe it has the same answer, I dont know), But how do I turn a head? That's been one of my biggest problems in AS. Oh, and Vern, I have AS pro 5 but it didn't open that file on my computer. It said it was an advanced version of Moho and that my AS couldn't open it. But thanx for trying to help!

The update from ASP5.x to ASP5.6 is free. Check on the Smith Micro site. Otherwise you can search the forum for instructions on modifying new version files so they can be opened in older ASP versions.

For head turns, try searching the forum for it. There are many ways to handle it. (Or wait until I figure it out for my 2.9D technique.) Depending on how far you need the range of the turn to be, you may really need the layer sorting in the new 5.6 version of ASP.