How to create and shorten arcs

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georox
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:10 pm

How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

I have a couple of problems with arcs in AS 8 Pro.

1) To create an arc I first draw a circle with Draw Shape, then I split it into more points using the menu Scripts -> Draw -> Split curve, then I try to delete the points outside the arc that I want to create. Unfortunately this doesn’t work because the 2 end points of the arc are always linked, thus altering the arc itself. So I guess this is not the proper way to create an arc. Could you please suggest the right way.

2) After created an arc (by drawing it over a circle as I said before) I just want to shorten it from a frame to another, e.g. from this initial arc:

Image

after a while I want it to become like this:

Image

and after another while like this:

Image

... until it completely disappears.

I could not find an easy way to do so. It seems that it is not possible to dynamically cut off the points from a frame to another. So I tried to move the points (collapsing them) but this doesn't works too.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
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2ner
Posts: 171
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 1:14 pm

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by 2ner »

Stroke exposure or masking are probably what you want. Hide edge and line width might be useful there too.
sbtamu
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Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by sbtamu »

Something like this?

If so, just make a circle shape with no fill and at frame 0 use stroke exposure and drag the mouse to the left, at frame 1 copy frame 0 at any spot in the time line drag the mouse to the right to any spot on the circle.
Image
Sorry for bad animation

http://www.youtube.com/user/sbtamu
georox
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:10 pm

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

Thanks 2ner and sbtamu for your help.
Unfortunately I'm just a beginner, so would you be so kind to tell me where I find the "Stroke exposure" or "Masking" option in AS 8?
Thanks again.
georox
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:10 pm

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

Hi sbtamu, it's me again.
Yes your animated GIF is exactly what I need. So, while we are on this subject, could you please suggest the easiest way to create an animated GIF from a AS 8 project?
I'm asking this because I noticed that AS does not directly export this format, am I right?
Thanks in advance.
georox
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:10 pm

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

Hi 2ner and sbtamu,
Could you please help me?
Thanks in advance.
sbtamu
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Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by sbtamu »

Are using pro or debut?

I exported it from AS as jpg sequence and use my photo editor to make an animated gif from it.
Sorry for bad animation

http://www.youtube.com/user/sbtamu
georox
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:10 pm

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

Thank you sbtamu,
I'm using Pro, I'll tray what you suggested.
Could you please also tell me where can I find the "Stroke exposure" or "Masking" options?
Thanks a lot for your patience and help.
sbtamu
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Location: Texas
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Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by sbtamu »

The exposure tool is on the tool palette and you can see an example of it in the tutorials in the help section. Masking is done in the layer properties by double clicking on the layer and going to the mask tab.
Sorry for bad animation

http://www.youtube.com/user/sbtamu
georox
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:10 pm

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

Thanks sbtamu, but I don't find any exposure tool in my AS 8 Pro toolbar:

Image

Also, I don't find the Mask tab in the layer properties:

Image

Do I need another AS version?
Thanks again.
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hayasidist
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Location: Kent, England

Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by hayasidist »

forgive the barge-in ...

stroke exposure is there in the Fill group - it's the the tool far right in the middle line ... lloks like a "bold" U with an faint upside down U attached...

masking: you need a parent layer (e.g. bone or group) that has masking enabled; then you'll see the masking tab in the child (vector) layers.
sbtamu
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Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by sbtamu »

georox wrote:Thanks sbtamu, but I don't find any exposure tool in my AS 8 Pro toolbar:

Image

Also, I don't find the Mask tab in the layer properties:

Image

Do I need another AS version?
Thanks again.
Watch this video, and you can see how stoke exposure works.

Sorry for bad animation

http://www.youtube.com/user/sbtamu
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hayasidist
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Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by hayasidist »

georox
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Re: How to create and shorten arcs

Post by georox »

Many thanks sbtamu and hayasidist for your video and sample.
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