Moho Forum

Hey all, this is about anime studio, but it is more about importing background raster images... I am preparing to use artrage to draw raster backgrounds (and foregrounds) for use in my "beoug" series, right now, for the title sequence.

What would you all recommend the resolution in these files? Any recommendations would be great because I'm dealing with vector characters and those are so easily scalable...

Thanks for any suggestions!!!

RonC

with raster images you'll just have to plan more carefully what you intend to do - particularly with camera movement, and the largest final output of your animation.

For example, if you are intending to create a 1080p HD output, then the background has to be made at 1920x1080 as long as there is no camera movement. To have an image large enough to crop into or scroll will really start to strain your resources - so it's better to prepare seperate backgrounds for the tighter shots.

What i would do is get a really rough sketch of your intended background up there, even if its not coloured and too small a resolution... plan/animate your entire scene and then you will know exactly what views you need to make a clean background for otherwise you are working the wrong way round and more than likely doing more work than you really need!

Alternatively, do all your background creation as vector in AS. You can use shading effect etc and if need to you can seperate layers to create nice paralaxing effects/foregrounds with considerably higher flexibility and lower resource overheads...

Another way to make detailed background is using the multi plane method.

You create the parts of your background as separate pieces, wether it is vector or raster is not important for the process.

You then lay your parts in you scene, you can set them in 3 axis, allowing you to pan and zoom and get that old Disney feel when you do so.

Here is a file build that way. Just use the orbit tool to turn the scene around and see how it works.

Stereo Island

What I like with this type of setup, is that you can easily move things around, delete or add parts, and you can render in stereo format, which is way cool!

G

Ok cool! I will plan on using foreground with alpha and large bg...
Very cool. I appreciate the input!

Awww. = ( Link is broken. Was trying to see what you were talking about. But I think I get the idea.

rpc9943 wrote:Ok cool! I will plan on using foreground with alpha and large bg...
Very cool. I appreciate the input!

I started using ArtRage a couple of months back and can't put it down - for me it's the perfect tool for backgrounds. Really needs a pen and tablet to get the best out of it - even a cheapie 5x4 works well.

I calculate the background sizes on the old animation 12" Field scale, * 300dpi. This seems to work well at HD.

The great thing about AR3 is it can output PhotoShop files and png so you can have layer transparency. So you should have no problem with creating foreground elements.

This is a quick sky using the airbrush tool.


The trace tools and things like using stencils and rules with brushes is simple off the end of the scale of usefulness. Pencil "brushes" look like pencils and the oil palette knife is about as much fun as you have have with your clothes on. Add to that soft edge masks and watercolour brushes which 'dry' as you use them means you can get as near to a hand made background as you can digitally.

Have fun, go play.

Rhoel

yeah thanks! ive been working on stuff, i just used the recommended resolution. so far, so good. i just didnt really grasp what sort of dimensions i could be working with, because i will be moving the cam around and zooming, etc... ive worked in 3d a lot and that was a whole different ballgame, so now that after all of that i come back to 2d vector / raster animation, i simply needed a push in the right direction!

i hope to take baby steps in order to get my beoug title sequence worked on im sure it will provoke a few laughs...... thats all ill say for now

RonC

Here's one approach.

Make a quicker vector background first.

Then when your animation scenes are done, you can go back in finalize just those backgrounds that you need.

This way you won't waste time on backgrounds that are not used, and the vector sketch outlines can be imported as outlines to sketch on top of in your raster drawing app.