Smashdood
11-25-2006, 02:54 PM
This tutorial is a work in progress. I'm starting off with effects and I'll make additional posts for the next parts.
Normal animations are at 17fps, slowed down anims are at 6fps. I've marked them accordingly.
Difficulty ratings are out of 10, with 0 being "you can do this with both arms cut off" and 10 being "holy shit."
Part 1: Effects
Effects are important to any interesting animation. Let's start with the bare basics. . .
1. Basics
A. The Motion Drag
Difficulty: * (1)
Motion drags are simple. They're used mostly to give emphasis to the speed of a punch or kick, or as windups for beam effects. These are some of the most common and most versatile effects because they can be moved to whatever positions you need them and can track movements easily.
Motion drags usually look like this:
http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/6541/blur1pi6.png
Simple. You just create a small line, duplicate it a few times, reducing the thickness by 1 each time, and you have your stick. Most of these have 3-6 joints, more or less isn't useful.
Examples for use:
Punch.
Slowed down (http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/4185/blurpunchszc7.gif)
Full speed (http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/774/blurpunchma9.gif)
The blur follows the movement of the punch to suggest movement between frames.
Kicks.
Slowed down (http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4387/blurkicksjd6.gif)
Full speed (http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/7439/blurkickmo4.gif)
Same deal as before. A small difference is that the blur only follows on the speed up and recoil for the kick, it usually fades out as those movements finish.
Beams (simple ones, windups).
Slowed down (http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2948/blurbeamstw1.gif)
Full speed (http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7346/blurbeamxl1.gif)
It's almost the same thing here. Follows the movement, then expands as he fires it. It's also easier to see how it tracks here because it's a different color from the stick itself.
All example animations/sticks for Blur [89 kb] (http://rapidshare.com/files/4821867/Blur_examples.zip.html)
B. The Matrix-style Movement Trail
Difficulty: * (1)
Another no-brainer effect. This is where a stick's previous movements are saved over frames and lightened until they disappear. The trail can be used to emphasize either speed or slowness (as in the Matrix).
Motion trails don't require any effects. You just make a stick:
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9443/move1vx2.png
Press 'next frame' and change it to a gray color:
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7163/move2qs2.png
And add the same stick and place it as you want:
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7214/move3eh9.png
This can be used in two ways.
Faster motion:
Slowed down (http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/9560/blurfastsgj5.gif)
Full speed (http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5920/blurfastig4.gif)
Slower motion:
Slowed down (http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7356/blurslowsvy9.gif)
Full speed (http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1420/blurslowrm6.gif)
All example animations for Motion Trails [68 kb] (http://rapidshare.com/files/4859659/Motion_trails.zip.html)
C. Ground Shakes and when to use them
Difficulty: (0)
Ground shakes. Probably the most used effect of Pivot, no matter the skill level. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of people use them right.
You should not do this when using ground shakes:
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/2874/wrongai6.gif
It looks like the ground's having a seizure. People do this a lot.
Ground shakes are meant to be used for the really hard hits only, to give emphasis:
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/2466/righttt7.gif
It makes the kick look more powerful since it's the only exaggerated thing. The kick is now clearly the most powerful attack used in the animation.
Implementing a ground shake is easy. Just move the ground in a down-up or up-down movement, like this:
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/6683/shakedd0.gif
[slowed down]
This can be used for pretty much any powerful attack, something falling hard, an object exploding, whatever. Just don't use it for every single attack, because it will look bad.
To come:
- Fading in/out without changing stick colors
- How gravity works
- Using screen flashes
2. Beginner Skills
To come:
- Starting off with blood
- Basic particles
- Using screen blackouts properly
- Basic background stickmaking
- Starting off with beams and blasts
3. Intermediate Skills
A. One-point perspective backgrounds
Difficulty: **** (4)
I've explained this already in a pretty good tutorial.
http://www.stickpageportal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37560
I'll fix the images in that one as soon as possible.
One-point perspective allows you to make 3D backgrounds that will make your anims look better.
To come:
- Using smoke
- Improved beams
- Advanced particles
- Making better blood
- Explosions
- Fire/water
- Jetpacks :O
4. Advanced Skills
To come:
- Custom beam making - the stick drawing method
- The "fuzz technique" for beam charge-ups (I came up with this :B)
- Making gradient backgrounds
- Lightning/electricity - the 3 different styles
- More complex explosions
5. Elite Skills
To come:
- The outline technique (invented by Lf2Master)
- Advanced 3D backgrounds - changing perspective during animating
- Other stuff? (suggest something you want to know about!)
Will continue to update this. Tell me any effects you want covered here, because I can only think of so many on my own, kk?
Normal animations are at 17fps, slowed down anims are at 6fps. I've marked them accordingly.
Difficulty ratings are out of 10, with 0 being "you can do this with both arms cut off" and 10 being "holy shit."
Part 1: Effects
Effects are important to any interesting animation. Let's start with the bare basics. . .
1. Basics
A. The Motion Drag
Difficulty: * (1)
Motion drags are simple. They're used mostly to give emphasis to the speed of a punch or kick, or as windups for beam effects. These are some of the most common and most versatile effects because they can be moved to whatever positions you need them and can track movements easily.
Motion drags usually look like this:
http://img457.imageshack.us/img457/6541/blur1pi6.png
Simple. You just create a small line, duplicate it a few times, reducing the thickness by 1 each time, and you have your stick. Most of these have 3-6 joints, more or less isn't useful.
Examples for use:
Punch.
Slowed down (http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/4185/blurpunchszc7.gif)
Full speed (http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/774/blurpunchma9.gif)
The blur follows the movement of the punch to suggest movement between frames.
Kicks.
Slowed down (http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4387/blurkicksjd6.gif)
Full speed (http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/7439/blurkickmo4.gif)
Same deal as before. A small difference is that the blur only follows on the speed up and recoil for the kick, it usually fades out as those movements finish.
Beams (simple ones, windups).
Slowed down (http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2948/blurbeamstw1.gif)
Full speed (http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7346/blurbeamxl1.gif)
It's almost the same thing here. Follows the movement, then expands as he fires it. It's also easier to see how it tracks here because it's a different color from the stick itself.
All example animations/sticks for Blur [89 kb] (http://rapidshare.com/files/4821867/Blur_examples.zip.html)
B. The Matrix-style Movement Trail
Difficulty: * (1)
Another no-brainer effect. This is where a stick's previous movements are saved over frames and lightened until they disappear. The trail can be used to emphasize either speed or slowness (as in the Matrix).
Motion trails don't require any effects. You just make a stick:
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9443/move1vx2.png
Press 'next frame' and change it to a gray color:
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7163/move2qs2.png
And add the same stick and place it as you want:
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7214/move3eh9.png
This can be used in two ways.
Faster motion:
Slowed down (http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/9560/blurfastsgj5.gif)
Full speed (http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/5920/blurfastig4.gif)
Slower motion:
Slowed down (http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7356/blurslowsvy9.gif)
Full speed (http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1420/blurslowrm6.gif)
All example animations for Motion Trails [68 kb] (http://rapidshare.com/files/4859659/Motion_trails.zip.html)
C. Ground Shakes and when to use them
Difficulty: (0)
Ground shakes. Probably the most used effect of Pivot, no matter the skill level. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of people use them right.
You should not do this when using ground shakes:
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/2874/wrongai6.gif
It looks like the ground's having a seizure. People do this a lot.
Ground shakes are meant to be used for the really hard hits only, to give emphasis:
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/2466/righttt7.gif
It makes the kick look more powerful since it's the only exaggerated thing. The kick is now clearly the most powerful attack used in the animation.
Implementing a ground shake is easy. Just move the ground in a down-up or up-down movement, like this:
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/6683/shakedd0.gif
[slowed down]
This can be used for pretty much any powerful attack, something falling hard, an object exploding, whatever. Just don't use it for every single attack, because it will look bad.
To come:
- Fading in/out without changing stick colors
- How gravity works
- Using screen flashes
2. Beginner Skills
To come:
- Starting off with blood
- Basic particles
- Using screen blackouts properly
- Basic background stickmaking
- Starting off with beams and blasts
3. Intermediate Skills
A. One-point perspective backgrounds
Difficulty: **** (4)
I've explained this already in a pretty good tutorial.
http://www.stickpageportal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37560
I'll fix the images in that one as soon as possible.
One-point perspective allows you to make 3D backgrounds that will make your anims look better.
To come:
- Using smoke
- Improved beams
- Advanced particles
- Making better blood
- Explosions
- Fire/water
- Jetpacks :O
4. Advanced Skills
To come:
- Custom beam making - the stick drawing method
- The "fuzz technique" for beam charge-ups (I came up with this :B)
- Making gradient backgrounds
- Lightning/electricity - the 3 different styles
- More complex explosions
5. Elite Skills
To come:
- The outline technique (invented by Lf2Master)
- Advanced 3D backgrounds - changing perspective during animating
- Other stuff? (suggest something you want to know about!)
Will continue to update this. Tell me any effects you want covered here, because I can only think of so many on my own, kk?