new features

[toonertime]

hi

i am not seeing some features like layer reordering
and the control line for the layer movement

are these for pro only?

are there any instructions for these new
improvements?

[heyvern]

There are only two features that I focused on:

Animated Layer Order

Put layers inside a bone layer. Go to any frame and change the layer order in the layer palette.

In the parent layer (bone or group) there is a new channel that shows keys for layer order.

Improved Image Texture Effect

A vector layer inside a bone layer with a shape that has an Image Texture Effect. The image texture will deform with the vectors from the bone motion. This is only for bones. Normal point motion has no effect on the image texture.

In the past this could only be achieved using an image layer and masking. Now by using the effects for a shape along with named styles you can easily stack up to 6 images on a shape without the need for multiple image layers and masking.

Like I said, this could be done before... it was just a lot more trouble and made the file more complex by requiring multiple layers.

Also now you can "layer" other effects over the image. This couldn't be done before without extra layers. For instance you can put a halo effect on a shape that has an image texture. The halo is OVER the image. The image will distort with the bones.

This is a very powerful new technique... it is my new favorite. I have been waiting for this one. The beauty of it is the simplicity of the application. Make the image parts "fit" the shape of the vectors and you can have a totally image based character IN ONE SINGLE LAYER!!!!! No need to have an image layer for each body part. Just put them INSIDE a vector shape using the new image texture effect. You get the best of both worlds.

I have to play with the stroke image texture effect. Apparently it has some cool features that involve scaling of the widths.

-vern

[mkelley]

Although I love layer ordering my favorite new feature is the ability to edit paths by adding points and moving them around.

The fill thing doesn't do much for me -- since so many of my animations need some point tweaking during the course of the animation I can't see how I could make this work for me. But different strokes, so to speak...

[heyvern]

Point "tweaking" shouldn't be a big problem.

The key is to do as much of the "big" movements with bones. If you include some "bleed" on the image you can do point tweaking without noticeable problems. The fact that in some small areas the image doesn't distort "exactly" like the mesh shouldn't really show that much.

-vern

[Squeakydave]

Sigh.
I have just completed a very intense 2 week 4 min animation with anime studio and am not in the best of moods with it. In fact every time I do something like this I end up looking enviously at 3d apps with all the cool rigging abilities and optimized workflows. And now this.

Not only are we not told about an upgrade when we do download it there is no doccumentation on the couple of new features there are.

Thanks to Vern for fathoming some of them out but can anyone enlighten me about the path animation 'feature'. (honestly this is many years overdue and a basic in just about anything else in the world - including my microwave!)

GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE.

Honestly, I love AS to bits and I'm just tired after too many hours of key framing feet that were supposed to be locked with bone locking.

We do not seem to have got off to a good start with the new sales company do we?




Anyone tried ToonBoom digital pro? does their rigging work?

[Squeakydave]

I shouldn't really need to be doing this but....

It seems that to add points to a path you need to CTRL click.

I can find no way to remove points though

[Rhoel]

Big thanks Mike for the layer ordering, it is going to make a very big difference in animating/project times. It is working exactly as I hoped it would when we discussed it.

For those who have not figured out how to re-order groups, just add a dummy group folder, and drag the character folders into the new dummy folder - then you can have character A cross in front of B then cross behind B, all without duplicating character groups or using switch layers.

I'm a happy bunny.

I wonder what other new toys lurk beneath 5.6.

Rhoel

[Manu]

I can find no way to remove points though

New points just come in as keyframes (always halfway the previous and following keyframe). Deleting them is the same as deleting any keyframe.

[mkelley]

I can find no way to remove points though

New points just come in as keyframes (always halfway the previous and following keyframe). Deleting them is the same as deleting any keyframe.

Yes and no. They do come in halfway IF you use the CTRL key. However, if you are anywhere else in the timeline (and with the path movement tool selected) and click on the path it adds a control point right at that frame (without using the CTRL key). Try it -- it's very useful.

Now, the best part of all of this isn't adding more points to the path, it's moving them around. But even better than moving them away from the path is sliding them ALONG the path, so that you affect the timing. IOW, it's like doing whatever ease in/out you want, much more powerful than the curve editing you can do on the timeline.

I think in time (no pun intended) this will become regarded as the greatest of the new features added (even better than layer ordering). If you could edit bone paths in this manner it would make AS the king of all 2D animation programs.

[Manu]

However, if you are anywhere else in the timeline (and with the path movement tool selected) and click on the path it adds a control point right at that frame (without using the CTRL key). Try it -- it's very useful.

Weren't you always able to do this?

What bones need is onionskinning.

[Squeakydave]

Ah. I get it. Thanks Manu.

What bones need are a complete overhaul though.

[mkelley]

However, if you are anywhere else in the timeline (and with the path movement tool selected) and click on the path it adds a control point right at that frame (without using the CTRL key). Try it -- it's very useful.

Weren't you always able to do this?

What bones need is onionskinning.

Um, I kind of doubt it -- if you were I'm *sure* I would have "accidentally" done this before (with layer movement active I'm sure I would have clicked somewhere in the frame without trying to move something, and I never remember creating extra points before). But I suppose I could have missed that (I'm old).

I don't find onion skins necessary for bones -- all I want to see is the movement of the object anyway -- but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be added for those who want it (as long as I can turn it off without the PITA of having to always disable the bone display when I do an onion skin).

[MR. Hesham]

i cannot see any different between
LAYER REORDERING and SORT LAYERS BY DEPTH

[heyvern]

i cannot see any different between
LAYER REORDERING and SORT LAYERS BY DEPTH

Animated layer reordering is much easier and doesn't require that the 3d camera be turned on.

-vern

[Genete]

i cannot see any different between
LAYER REORDERING and SORT LAYERS BY DEPTH

Animated layer reordering is much easier and doesn't require that the 3d camera be turned on.

-vern

You don't need that the 3D camera to be turned on for layer order. Even if you turn off the 3D camera off then the layer order can be done with big amounts in Z and there is not distortion in the perspective.

The pluses I see with the new feature is that you can use layer order with 3D camera enabled without need to use tiny z depths to maintain layer perspective projection, and its easy use (just drag and drop).