Going from Flash to Anime Studio

[Fenkoto]

Search for "Bone slave" or "Bone Master" in the forum.

I wrote a set of scripts that allow for "linking" bones to other bone folders anywhere in the file.

The scripts work well with pretty simple files. If you have a ton of bones it slows down. I really need to redo the scripts now that my skills have improved.

The only thing that absolutely can not be slaved is the "Lock" attribute of a bone. There is no way to copy this attribute with a script.

-vern

Hi Vern, do you have a good description on how this would work? I have been looking around a little, and will keep looking. It strikes me as a little strange that there is no easier way of doing this.

If anyone knows how to do this, and have time to help out, I would really appreciate it!
You can find the file I am working on here:
http://www.goober.nu/Moho/CryptozoologistRig.anme

I have built a character, divided him into two layers, Head and Body. Now I need a skeleton outside those layers. I have put up one, but I have no clue how to link it to the bodyparts. I have tried to use "Bind layers" but it does not like me!

Thanks!

[funksmaname]

Hey Fenkoto,
Nice characters you seem to be getting to grips with AS drawing tools!

Anyway, i'm no expert but i have a couple of thoughts...

I dont think theres a way of binding the contents of a folder to a parent skeleton as such, only a parent bone (which does general rotation/translation of everything inside the layer)... this is a bit odd imo too, but its the same with switch layers.

What i would suggest is rather than have 'Head' and 'Body' folders, use bone layers, which are just folders with the ability to use bones at the end of the day. So bone the head on the Head bone layer, bone the body on the 'Body' bone layer and then have a general bone above them in a 'Zoologist' bone layer, where there is just a single bone for translating the entire rig...

Thats how i would do it, but maybe someone has other ideas

Also, i dont know if theres any need for you to spread your parts over quite so many layers - i'm doing the same thing, being quite new to the program, but the more i use it the more i realise how much i can actually pack onto a single layer without any problems - when it comes to point animation, you will be glad you've kept layers to a minimum as there doesnt seem to be a way to navigate up/down the layer hierarchy without the mouse!

Good luck and looking forward to seeing more of your work

[heyvern]

Yikes!

You got some work ahead to fix this guy.

Just kidding! It isn't that bad. First off I would recomend that you avoid scaling group layers or bone layers within an individual character. I know it's tough but you will thank yourself later trust me.

When you scale group layers the way you have (head group is scaled up, the parent folder is scaled down) you will have a hard time maintaining consistent stroke widths and relationships to all the parts. I know this guy doesn't have strokes but you may do that at some point and then it's a nightmare to match them up or get what you expect. If one group is scaled one way, and the stroke width is say... 2, then another layer in a group also has a stroke width of 2 but the group is scaled differently the strokes won't match. Also effects will render differently.

Seems silly to worry about that but that is my personal opinion. I did that sooo many times early on and kicked myself later for being so stupid. Having all these bone layers for one character with a different scale just caused headaches. It was best to draw the character all at once just the way I like it and THEN split it up if I need to.

It is much easier to keep all the parts of one character the same layer scale. Just scale the points instead.

Having multiple layers is okay as long as it doesn't frustrate you while working. This is a very simple character so putting all the elements on just a few layers would be fine. A different layer for the head arms and body would be a good place to start with this guy.

The next step is to pull all those layers out and rescale them to match the group layer scaling. This is very very easy. Just duplicate the whole bone layer of the whole character, pull all the parts out of the group folders and then use the original that you still have underneath the new one as a "template" to scale down the vectors to match it.

You could copy and paste all the body part vectors into one layer to make this even easier before you start. You can easily separate them out again if you like working that way. Just duplicate the layer and delete parts. I do this all the time. If I have bunches of layers and want to scale all at once I just copy and paste into one layer, scale the points, copy them out again into separate layer. It doesn't take that long.

Once you get to that point, with the head as a single vector layer, the arms a vector layer, the body etc etc... they should all be children of one bone layer. THEN you can do bone binding if you like OR you can do flexible binding if you like. This gives you more choices.

You could even have bone layers with body parts under the main bone layer skeleton if you want. I find this is great for hands. Sometimes having all the fingers in the main skeleton is a pain. Put the hands in a sub bone layer bound to one hand bone in the main skeleton. Usually you do broad animation of the main body then you can go in an focus on the hands. That's just my opinion anyway.

I don't think you need my bone slave script for a simple character like this. It's up to you later if you think you need it.

Wonderful character by the way! Reminds me of the guy in the yellow hat in "Curious George".

-vern

[gilbertconcepcion]

I rigged it again. You should use bind layer options in case of using folders... here is the link. Not perfectly rigged though. But you can make some adjustments.

http://rapidshare.com/files/40112627/Cr ... .anme.html

[funksmaname]

The future of 1-Click web hosting

yeah right... 1 click to upload, 19 clicks and a questionnaire to download.

[Kankuran]

Hi there and thank you for your replies! I have been away for a while and not been able to check out the thread.
I am getting a hang of it now, but as I advance into this new world of animating I also have bumped into new issues.

Here is a file:
http://www.filmproduktion.se/web/Captai ... loseUp.zip

Captain Flame is standing in the doorway of a helicopter that is flying inside a volcano.

I have put the whole character on the same layer (except for his simple face). And I have made a bone structure of his body. Then I animated his hair, flaping viciously in the wind. But then I wanted to animate his arm a little, then I realised that the keyframes of each and every bone is animated on the same layer. So the animation of the hair contains loads of keyframes, and if I would like to animate the more slow moving arms I run into problem. Is there a way to make different bones on different timelines but still apply to the same graphical layer?

I realise that I might solve the problem by animating the arms first, and then the hair, but it is not good to work like that in the long run.

Do I make any sense?

Thanks for your help!

Ola

[Genete]

... Then I animated his hair, flaping viciously in the wind. But then I wanted to animate his arm a little, then I realised that the keyframes of each and every bone is animated on the same layer. So the animation of the hair contains loads of keyframes, and if I would like to animate the more slow moving arms I run into problem. Is there a way to make different bones on different timelines but still apply to the same graphical layer?

In the timeline window are (where applicable) two channels per object: one for all the existing objects in the layer (the black outlined icons), and one for the selected objects (the red outlined icons). In the channel for all existing objects, all the keyframes are mixed: all the keyframes for all the objects. In the selected object channel the keyframes are shown only for the selected objects. In the case of bones the selected channel shows only the keyframes of the selected bone(s). It allow to see what are the keyframes of each bone and operate with them individually (copy, paste, delete and drag).
For your example just select the bone of the arm you want to animate. Go to the desired frame and change the properties of the bones until it reaches the desired position, angle or size.

For further information please read:
http://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/i ... newnd.html
or its equivalent entry in the AS's built in help.
You'll find tons of useful hints there.
-G

[Kankuran]

Thanks Genete.

The problem was this:
When you work with the "Manipulate Bone" tool it does not really select the bone in the way that it should as it keeps the timeline from the previously selected bone. So if I wish do create a seperate animation for any other bone then I first have to select the bone using the "Select Bone" tool. Then I can manipulate it using the "Selected Bone" timelines.

Either it should not be possible to select a bone using the manipulate tool, or the selection should work properly.

Maybe I am doing something wrong here, any solutions?

[Genete]

There's nothing wrong. The problem is that when you use manipulate bones tool it (probably) would change the angle of all the upstairs connected cinematic chain of bones attached to the bone you're manipulating. It means that a keyframe is create at that frame for all the bones that change its angle when use the manipulate bones. That's not a problem if really you want to manipulate the bones in that way.
Later, if you want to know what bone have a keyframe in a certain frame ther is only a way to know it: select the bone and look the selected bone channel. It would reveal if that bone have a keyframe or not.
Also you can select several bones using the select bone tool and SHIFT. Then the selected bone channel would display the keyframes for all the selected bones. You can copy, paste, delete or drag the keyframe for all the selected bones at the same time. It would allow you place a pose of the arm in anothe place easily.
The interference with the hair bones's keyframes would not be a problem if you select the proper bone of the arm and look to the selected bone channel.
-G

[mooncaine]

...
The next step is to pull all those layers out and rescale them to match the group layer scaling. This is very very easy. Just duplicate the whole bone layer of the whole character, pull all the parts out of the group folders and then use the original that you still have underneath the new one as a "template" to scale down the vectors to match it.
...
-vern

If I understand you correctly.... the topmost layer of my character should be a bone layer? In other words, the "container" in the Layers palette that holds all my character's parts should be a bone?



So far, my topmost layer is a Group layer, as shown here. I'm going to work through your steps now to fix scaling on my characters now, before I get too deep into animating them. Should I put everything under a bone layer instead of a Group layer?

[mooncaine]

Fenkoto, I am IN AWE after seeing your clip. I'm amazed that you did that with flat art and just made it seem like the robot was 3D [and the camera move around the robot....] I can't say enough how impressed I am. It's AWESOME!

I like everything about it -- the motion, the colours, the design, the sound... you totally rock! Stunningly beautiful.

[heyvern]

Should I put everything under a bone layer instead of a Group layer?

Yes. I would do it that way. The group layer you have called "Sean" should be a bone layer.

I hardly ever use group layers anymore to be honest... it makes no sense to use group layers to me. A bone layer works exactly like a group layer. So... it works the same way and if I ever need to add bones to it I can. If I don't want to add bones... no harm no foul.

I could see efrontier eliminating the group layer entirely from AS. It is totally redundant. Just have a single "group" layer... that you can add bones to when needed. Maybe the icon could change when it has bones in it.

-vern

[mooncaine]

I understand. Makes sense. Thanks! I'm doing that now, but the eyes [with eyelid masks in a switch layer] will be left alone, and I'll just deal with it if they pop to the wrong size and place. I suppose that's not likely to happen because I won't be moving the eyes layer up and down the Layer palette.

But I will move the arms, perhaps, so I reckon it was worth doing just to "normalize" the scale of the arms with everything else.

[heyvern]

With the layer "layout" shown and the style of the character I would make sure that all the layers inside the parent bone layer are not scaled.

It just makes life easier in my opinion.

As far as the eyes go that's up to you. With a simple set up like you have I would actually put each eye in separate folders/layers right at the top level so I can control them with bones along with the rest of the character.

Or at least I might make the eyes group folder a bone folder. this way you can control both eyes more easily.

-vern

[Kankuran]

Ok, now I am confused. This is the first program that I have seen where you can apply more than one fill to a single line. This is really a nice feature, but I just can not find a way to remove the lines, they are just added ontop of eachother once I change them.

What do I do?

Thanks for all your help! You are helping me a lot here!

Ola