Teeny Test of Photoshop Actions & Filters on Moho Animat

[Toontoonz]

Here is teeny, tiny (I am almost embarrassed to show it) sample of what one can do with a Moho animation that is exported as .psd files than Photoshop does its magic and then the files are brought back into Moho and assembled as an animation.

This animation shows 4 different views of the same simple animation:
It is a woman bending back and forth, arms moving.

1st Segment: The original drawn in Adobe Illustrator, imported into Moho, animated. This 14 frame animation was then exported as .psd files.
The files were then changed in Photoshop:

2nd Segment: Same woman animation above, but the "Glowing Edges" filter applied to it.

3rd Segment: Same woman animation as first segment, but a special Photoshop action applied to it. Gives a real artistic look to the cartoon.

4th Segment: Same woman animation as first segment, but another Photoshop action applied to give it a Sunday comics book look to it.

This is not even barely scratching the surface of the new possibilities opened to everyone with the new ability for Moho to export layered .psd files.

(Now Moho needs to find a way to be able to import image files more than one at a time! Mulitiple file import, please.)

Here is the small test I made showing all of the above - its quick, its not the best of quality video, but remember you could not even make this type of animation in Moho before:
ToonToonz Photoshop Tests Movie.mov
1.24MB

This opens up a whole new world of animating possibilities and styles with Moho.

[Toontoonz]

Hey, you could do that by simply renderng the movie as .png or .jpg files!!!
Is what I thought somebody would have said by now.

Ah....but imagine you have 2, 3, 4, more layers in Moho; for example a woman, the floor, a bird flying in the background, a volcano exploding, the ocean,etc., etc., etc.

If you rendered the animation as .png or .jpeg files everything would be flattened to one layer. But with the .psd files (each layer the woman, bird, volcano, etc.) is on a separate layer in Photoshop- one can now do an action, apply a filter , add text, add more layers and do lots of great stuff....AND THEN export back into Moho as .png or other file type.

The new .psd file gives one lots more flexibility for creating imaginative and stylish animation.

[Toontoonz]

Check the test animation I did using layers in Moho and Photoshop.
See forum entry
"The New Power of Moho 5.2"
http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1947

[Nichod]

What is also nice is us Adobe AE and Premiere folks can import sequenced PSD files with layers intact and edit to our heart's content.

Brian

[jorgy]

What is also nice is us Adobe AE and Premiere folks can import sequenced PSD files with layers intact and edit to our heart's content.

Brian

Wow, I'm using an ancient version of Premiere (5.1) just because I didn't have anything else, but I didn't even think of this! Thanks!

[Nichod]

Yeah. It gives a wide array of possiblities.

Brian

[DaleG]

so.. you export your work to photoshop.. and all layers come in at once, but everything now becomes rasterized and you lose all your vectors dont you? and you cant import back into moho to continue working without everything getting squashed into one png file layer. What am I missing?

[Nichod]

Well when you render out the vectors become rasterized (unless its swf) the point is that you can better post process the final look. I don't see it as an export and then reimport back into Moho option. Rather one to finalize coloration, etc.

Brian

[Toontoonz]

Well when you render out the vectors become rasterized (unless its swf) the point is that you can better post process the final look. I don't see it as an export and then reimport back into Moho option. Rather one to finalize coloration, etc.

Brian

That is exactly right! Also your note regarding importing files into AE and Premiere (or other video editing program).
I was testing this at first to see how it would work just staying in the Moho & Photoshop environment to show those that don´t have AE that one could still use Moho to re-assemble and make a final animation.

The Moho - Photoshop layered file connection use is only limited by the vision and style the artist/animator wants to create. What´s nice is now one has more choices in the style of animation they want to create.

[Toontoonz]

Check out the before and after animation I did at this forum:
http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1947

There you can see some of the changes in each layer and added layers to the Moho .psd file.

One other note - this exporting the Moho .psd file does not effect the original Moho file and it´s vector drawings (if one is using that). If one wants to make vector or other changes in the original Moho animation file they can and then export again to manipulate in Photoshop or other program if they want.

This new layered .psd file export option gives one more tools to work with in creating animation (that is if they have the programs to take advantage of it, of course).