Why I think Masking isn't good solution for blink animation

[Admiral Halsey]

Hello, guys!

I would like to talk about blinking animation here. Ive seen tons of Tutorials where everyone is prasing Masking function as a perfect solution for character blinking which I honestly think it's not. The problem I have with Mask-blinking is that it really looks bad and unnatural - eyelid is kinda moving inside an eye i.e like a part of an eye itself while it's really should cover an eye.
Here's an example:



You can also add eyelashes sticking out as well which I believe would be a problem using Masking option.




So can you, guys, think of any way how to create similar blink-animation in Anime Studio?

[slowtiger]

Since there's no limit as to how many elements or layers you put inside a switch layer: where's the problem? Do your eye blinks exactly as your style demands, with or without masks.

[Víctor Paredes]

Since there's no limit as to how many elements or layers you put inside a switch layer: where's the problem? Do your eye blinks exactly as your style demands, with or without masks.

Exactly. Also, many times you can combine masks and other layers to get it. It's not a war between techniques, you try to use them the way you need.

[funksmaname]

you might want to use masking to keep the pupils on the whites, but if you're having an obscuring layer above the eyeballs (eye lids) like in your attached examples the lids could happily live outside the mask group (or inside and 'do not mask this layer')

in fact, to create the pink dog example - one way would be to have two masking groups. One for hiding the area above the eyebrow, then inside that the eye with dark purple lid area. You could then have an unmasked layer just to add the 'lip' around the opening of the eye...

[funksmaname]

I fancied trying this as a challenge.



Due to a couple of issues currently with AS masking, I found no choice but to use the meshinstance script to complete the task.
Should it not work as expected when trying the file, embed the script to under, under.dup, eyebrow-mask and eyebrow-mask.dup
The other problem is that the preview is a little weird, but it renders just fine.

because the 'blobs' need animating along with the blink, I did it in an action. I bound certain points to the bones for correction purposes so you dont have to do point motion for corrections.

This may not be the very best way of achieving this but it gets the job done If anyone else fancies a try and finds a simpler way i'm all eyes.

created in AS Pr8.2
http://www.overplay.net/r.php?i=4284549900

[heyvern]

Well, this is a loaded question. If that is the style of the character than you just find a way to do it. That type of eye blinking can be done in AS with some combination of masking and unmasked layers and bones. Making eyelids appear to be "over" the eye instead of inside it, can simply be the way you create the styles of the eyelids and/or the masking shapes and set up.

There is no one best way to do anything with ASP. Each person has their own preference. Some people key frame points for eye blinks which can be switch layers or actions. I set up eyes and eyelids with masking and bones. I agree that masking isn't always the way to do eyes and blinking, but in a lot of cases for people who want a simple, quick set up for eyes, it does the job.

If you find yourself wanting to get past that keep playing around with it, ask here for alternate techniques.

--------
Here's my horrible example. Funksmaname blew mine out of the water.
I did this one with a combo of masking and layer ordering [edit]and of course bones! [/edit]. I chose not to go "all the way down" with the top lid to keep it simple. Just added a simple lower lid coming up. The "lid edge" is actually just fat strokes layered.

[slowtiger]

Eye blinks are a perfect example fo something that should go into an action. So it's worth the effort of doing point animation here, on several layers if necessary, because you do it only once.

Tip: keep the pupils as independent as possible, outside the action, if possible.

[funksmaname]

Hey vern, your vid is private so we can't see it
Yeah, I kept the pupils out if the action

[heyvern]

Fixed it.

Thought it would work if I posted the link here. I guess it doesn't work with the forums youtube code.

-vern

[Víctor Paredes]

Fixed it.
Thought it would work if I posted the link here. I guess it doesn't work with the forums youtube code.

I think you must set the video as "unlisted" instead of "private".

[Genete]

I fancied trying this as a challenge.

There isn't a render bug on the sides of the eyelids? Could it be the long discussed thin white line bug?
-G

[Admiral Halsey]

Hi, guys!
First of all, thanks everyone for your input.
Your examples are perfect and exactly that style of blinking Im trying to achieve.

to create the pink dog example - one way would be to have two masking groups. One for hiding the area above the eyebrow, then inside that the eye with dark purple lid area. You could then have an unmasked layer just to add the 'lip' around the opening of the eye..

Hm, Im new at this but this sounds quite complicated to me. Would it be possible to just put everything eye-related in one "eye" group or swith layer with eyelids on top and just use layer (in)visibility option to hide eyelids then they are not needed?

Im sorry, what is "meshinstance script"?

[funksmaname]

Yes, this is ate a complicated example. Whenever you have things that wrap around parts need to be in front and others in the back. This is impossible to do with a single shape and if you split things on layers you need a copy on top and bottom where parts are exposed. Mesh instance is a scrip that allows you to create a clone of a layer (with a .dup suffix) so that the duplicate can have different colour and line settings while keeping the point position locked to its original. If you move a point in the main layer, the dupe layers points remain in exactly the same position as their original which makes things like this possible.

The most complicated issue with this example is the blobs on the sides of the eyes. They need the above Trent and need to be animated individually in order to follow the curve of the eyeball. You have t ask used is the extra time preparing and animating the blobs worth even haing them? When not in extreme close up are they even visible? And even so, will omitting them make a significant impact on your end result? IMHO, no... I would leave those blobs out in a heartbeat, and the rest can be done in a single layer...

[slowtiger]

Hm, I still think I could do this with just a lid and an eyeball - two shapes. Point animation for blinks.

[funksmaname]

hmmm, i suppose you could if you weren't masking the pupil or the eyebrow area... it would take a lot of points to animate the eye lid and blobs properly though?
I suppose you could use masking ignoring the blobs, and could add the blobs on a single layer on top, like a sort of pacman shape... that would avoid the hairline crack issue genete pointed out