tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55910382694558829132024-02-07T16:53:36.862-08:00The Stickman CreatorSven Nilsen
software developer and creator of Stickman & ElementoStickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-65511462289902357732010-01-28T06:43:00.000-08:002010-01-28T07:04:43.801-08:00Elemento My Dear WatsonSoftware: Cutout Pro Stickman<br />Click <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com">here</a> to download.<br /><br />Many users ask me about pictures in Elemento and how to create skeleton without creating matrix layers and renaming them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">This is how you import a picture into Elemento:</span><br />1. Add an image node from the toolbox.<br />2. Use the Open File action at the bottom.<br />or<br />Goto File->Import->Photoshop layers (if you use Photoshop).<br /><br />There is a simple way to create skeleton, but it requires two things:<br />1. Group the graphics into matrix layers<br />(orelse Elemento does not know what a body part is)<br />2. Add control points with bone tool (F3).<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/insaRmSU2Bc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/insaRmSU2Bc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-373724662046311802009-11-20T12:37:00.000-08:002009-11-20T12:40:30.415-08:00Stickman 5.5 New InterfaceCreate cartoons and cutout movies with Stickman.<br />Click <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com">here</a> to download.<br /><br />Stickman 5.5 is released. This is the new design:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzHM_SimihvqZIcn2PmKKMirnJdps14zl0ZI8dcvlXTeRNhje05byLyNnFVrkGH7yM1rmXJS7TSlwu3xlSnLHH7O04mYIJpQtpbonysjYJMxlObfiijGVABg7Z5vj78ih0pdgKMs3EvN8/s1600/stickman5-5.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzHM_SimihvqZIcn2PmKKMirnJdps14zl0ZI8dcvlXTeRNhje05byLyNnFVrkGH7yM1rmXJS7TSlwu3xlSnLHH7O04mYIJpQtpbonysjYJMxlObfiijGVABg7Z5vj78ih0pdgKMs3EvN8/s400/stickman5-5.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406288136825877506" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-84308391239111525732009-11-03T11:57:00.001-08:002009-11-03T12:44:47.232-08:00Image Paint in ElementoStickman 5.3.2 is released.<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com">Download Here</a><br /><br />Finally Elemento got an image paint editor!<br />To use it, select an image element or create a new one from the toolbox.<br />Then select the "Image Paint" action (bottom of the screen) and the "Paint Image...".<br /><br />Editor functionality:<br />- Pen<br />- Fill<br />- Erase (Pen and Fill)<br />- Right-click in image to pick color<br />- Undo<br />- Center<br />- Change resolution<br />- Zoom<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirULKl6E1CrF5HeAQrLm-4xgMYj0qY3DqzBK60tfdMwnyq6iiUYG0ZZHjBvNvv9k-X6D8WQ-xm8l9bNV66oDk_QcidEEmXfNFxlLzo8jLTzZOQNsjIIMb-Ut6APel7MSntD7qMYytjUxFX/s1600-h/image-paint.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirULKl6E1CrF5HeAQrLm-4xgMYj0qY3DqzBK60tfdMwnyq6iiUYG0ZZHjBvNvv9k-X6D8WQ-xm8l9bNV66oDk_QcidEEmXfNFxlLzo8jLTzZOQNsjIIMb-Ut6APel7MSntD7qMYytjUxFX/s400/image-paint.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399977952740960450" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskTaV57W25lWSzoloXtaJkcDlDbljDdx0YFrkOAGguM0Yk9cSapwp2WNUn1GFvkEAKFCIQZHsqDDgty_GawIoSLC9yRsmI_sgxGmMX9Wx2kV_BAoJ_ira5faUQrGYllfOyjpPb5jeWK7a/s1600-h/image-paint-results.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskTaV57W25lWSzoloXtaJkcDlDbljDdx0YFrkOAGguM0Yk9cSapwp2WNUn1GFvkEAKFCIQZHsqDDgty_GawIoSLC9yRsmI_sgxGmMX9Wx2kV_BAoJ_ira5faUQrGYllfOyjpPb5jeWK7a/s400/image-paint-results.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399977888448918274" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-32457164200603995952009-03-08T01:20:00.000-08:002009-03-08T01:35:38.488-08:00Z Order EditorStickman Animation 2D Software<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download here</a><br /><br />A problem Stickman animators have is to decide the display order of body parts.<br />For example, in one scene, I may wish to have the left arm before the body, in another scene behind the body. This is solved by grouping the body parts into visibility nodes and add them as sub nodes to a zorder element. The hazzle is to program the ZValues property with control points to control the depth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Before:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbI3skmMNWZkW8-drwKAFUH_4WITuyhXyK0gEkUma_6sF3ECwVhi87Sx0BOVaU4EqZNPmg41wmnPl3Qs-Mkg1KYpYIxtFbRSbOmmBWYTU_ekIEXcc2odwI-BrUcAjEIT2Vhif0igA2-lb/s1600-h/depth-tool.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbI3skmMNWZkW8-drwKAFUH_4WITuyhXyK0gEkUma_6sF3ECwVhi87Sx0BOVaU4EqZNPmg41wmnPl3Qs-Mkg1KYpYIxtFbRSbOmmBWYTU_ekIEXcc2odwI-BrUcAjEIT2Vhif0igA2-lb/s400/depth-tool.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310745880177262946" /></a><br /><br />In most cases, there are no need to animate the body part draw order. A better way is to have a tool to setup the z order in the beginning of the animation.<br /><br />Stickman 5.2.28 got now an editor tool in 'Edit Fonts and Colors' dialog to edit the body part draw order. This is only done once per scene and affects the figure through the whole animation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Now:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwil0Qb4_D67QZFX48cJPnmkTh5SclsYbSa2W5faNARNu7aVHSNxN0FXf5nk7nBjBmf_cxDnviXX_qysuV-r8m9b_JXwfVv8X_BnaLE99fy-EOisuyA9DCNYiT5251xxHkprmwXMpO3pM/s1600-h/bodyparts.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwil0Qb4_D67QZFX48cJPnmkTh5SclsYbSa2W5faNARNu7aVHSNxN0FXf5nk7nBjBmf_cxDnviXX_qysuV-r8m9b_JXwfVv8X_BnaLE99fy-EOisuyA9DCNYiT5251xxHkprmwXMpO3pM/s400/bodyparts.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310744468757095458" /></a><br /><br />All you need to do is to group the body parts in visibility nodes and add them as sub nodes to a zorder element. Then add the figure to the scene and select <span style="font-style:italic;">Figure->Edit Fonts and Colors</span>.<br /><br />This new feature solves one of the biggest hazzles within figure design.Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-467382121241806092009-02-28T01:40:00.000-08:002009-02-28T01:43:49.105-08:00Swing Test AnimationStickman 2D Animation Software<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download here</a><br /><br />This is a small test animation I created:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzntoWsEszlITH3RmaUO_oM1-Ciguv8LBjmLUJ7ONQUuVajyXkL_w8PZcFD7vS7p2NoBzif-kSpLmtt4X_ORg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-73412554719503125492009-02-27T22:35:00.000-08:002009-02-27T23:00:32.997-08:00SpaceshipStickman Animation Software<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download here</a><br /><br />Did you know that you can use Elemento Figure Creator in 2D games developement?<br />Instead of spending much time adjusting parameters under game development,<br />you can create a simple model of your avatar in Elemento.<br />It requires little code and uses the same coordinate system as many 2D games.<br />This is possible because Elemento allows you to do physics simulations.<br /><br />For example, to rotate a matrix node, add the following expression<br />to the Rotate property:<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />.Rotate+TurnKey()*DeltaTime()</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkwOVFYlkKPZL-lH57039uVkUDRzCsLBKKkWyEJPWZTt2GRpKzF4baKyiX0qJ3TJFSNLoDWNufsLyWSc9FqeT-zMF4DAv9GAW4G6w4w2T3c5l89jFwAyocqG5Jklob1UgHdPXNbXq3q9k/s1600-h/spaceship.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkwOVFYlkKPZL-lH57039uVkUDRzCsLBKKkWyEJPWZTt2GRpKzF4baKyiX0qJ3TJFSNLoDWNufsLyWSc9FqeT-zMF4DAv9GAW4G6w4w2T3c5l89jFwAyocqG5Jklob1UgHdPXNbXq3q9k/s400/spaceship.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307738229318130930" /></a><br /><br />You can read more about these functions by going to<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">View->Object Browser</span>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-41197570634462294932009-02-05T10:50:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:25:08.382-08:00About Simulation and Stickman PhysicsStickman Animation Software - <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com">Download</a><br /><br />This is the software algorithm that was the beginning of Stickman, now 7 years ago.<br />Bone simulation keeps two control points in constant distance.<br /><br />Given two points, p1, p2 and constant distance n (scalar).<br />diff = p1 - p2<br />delta = n - |diff| (|diff| is the absolute value of diff, length of vector)<br />diff *= delta / |diff|<br />p1 += diff * delta * 0.5<br />p2 -= diff * delta * 0.5<br /><br />You can replace 0.5 with 0.4 to have less stiffer simulation.<br />Iterate for each bone many times (10+)<br />Simulation with rigids, feedback and rope are company secrets, so I can't tell you.Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-26943097203581926682009-01-25T06:01:00.000-08:002009-02-01T06:21:25.679-08:00Create a Side CharacterStickman Animation Software<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download here</a><br /><br />Total length: About one hour.<br /><br />Step 1<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzGnuKhXERhfzzUa8dPj54l3DoGC09Yq5jQSPWFBAjtwKlHCP39oh7xcN0rJ0Qt__R_JO7UPvORtkYODeNxXw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Step 2<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzRW0SIiE1vzwpScZqPiiX7K52M7zUPkGuQvSzL-RAmCdCeEIdlIu72-qYxS7i0JTNqiNWwFowL0vMYKVDeJw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Step 3<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxXrNiAqUUNf3Kv6jdQWNmltA4ugr4Inbcgh8dXAmY0-fmIu65MvHPDKFc7dv0HPEoMp8qGOIFB2e3lJFqdXg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Step 4<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyk0hnykwD0Km6_cBcy2MQ9MQFm_8qD_dlHRsQFWQf_1S9Yih0uG43gOBSSOMAiMNRpIKc1LK1zBNvMfWSU5g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Step 5<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZVtvAR3s5LfupUVCk4n9VAh6NIX_qb7LM1F-VsuWq-jlPCQa11_vSXmiCpna0Hb2vlGCIt72MG2dZTHmUsQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-8443264987399484972009-01-14T10:34:00.000-08:002009-01-15T22:31:16.937-08:00Stickman 5.2.24 Released<a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Click here to download</a><br /><br />Hi folks!<br /><br />Happy New Year!<br /><br />Time to make some upgrades.<br />The new thing in Stickman 5.2.24 is that online content is much faster.<br />The old code timed out after 3 seconds, but with this one, it reads the data length from the HTTP header and then closes immediately after reaching the end.<br /><br />Users that had problem with timeout can now use Stickman!<br />Welcome Mexico and other countries on the other side of the earth!Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-13739561612859589842008-12-14T11:53:00.000-08:002008-12-14T11:53:00.819-08:00Key Down ActionsStickman 5.3 Beta<br />Download from <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com">this site</a><br /><br />The effectiveness of Stickman 5.3 will be on a high level because you simply press and hold a key to perform a specific action.<br />This sample move demonstrates 'Add Point to End A', 'Add Between Points B' and 'Delete Point D' with a polygon shape.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy7YTwg90f5mb2GN_oqcIXQgn_Uy-L54iKFGU8ixMv59oX5H5Fncfd0qVKr61fxsGPo5BMAuZ5XPB_-5El13w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-47765342974389015332008-12-13T07:37:00.000-08:002008-12-13T07:53:31.496-08:00Sub Shape ClippingStickman 5.3 Beta<br />Download <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com">from this site</a><br /><br />A frequently requested feature is now added to Elemento.<br />Sub nodes of a shape will now be clipped inside the region of the shape.<br />It was not possible to add a sub node to a shape earlier.<br /><br />As you may notice in the sample movie below, all new shapes are put into a matrix node by default.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='480' height='399' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxSFDXEckw8DYY_9-6JC-SVy0eClQ3Zd1SzyHs01APx7LIt-51LdeTFDusBAXSzlJV8vAWmQjPA2geu9bcdKg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-56341607533553039202008-12-08T13:31:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:36:01.087-08:00New Time SliderStickman 5.3 Beta<br />Download <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/contact.html">here</a><br /><br />I've made the time line easier to use.<br />A traditional scrollbar replaces the fancy stretch and zoom scrollbar.<br />No zooming. It shows the current frame in bold and every 5th frame.<br />You can also right-scroll like the old one.<br />Personally I think the new one is much better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnws21uZiU6ry1_kHgV8M7nKPzY6yk8tpMQNtIrPgp3QBYV9h-dckeCitblmWiCXSHMzEGcsEHMT8TnRr79Ray6ahsC1KmyEUrNLKPv8IXJLGJ_Skz2KTaLdcGzpiiCU9V30GVVYZWM0Mu/s1600-h/new-slider.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnws21uZiU6ry1_kHgV8M7nKPzY6yk8tpMQNtIrPgp3QBYV9h-dckeCitblmWiCXSHMzEGcsEHMT8TnRr79Ray6ahsC1KmyEUrNLKPv8IXJLGJ_Skz2KTaLdcGzpiiCU9V30GVVYZWM0Mu/s400/new-slider.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277535517623535042" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-76724764850794946912008-12-05T23:16:00.000-08:002008-12-05T23:34:14.013-08:00PatternsStickman 5.3 Beta<br />You can download <a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">here</a><br /><br />I've experimented with something I call "Patterns".<br />A pattern is an intelligent structure that can be created by analyzing a figure.<br />For example "matrix leftArm is attached to leftArmBone".<br /><br />Other examples:<br />"curve1 is deformed by point1.Pos, point2.Pos, point3.Pos"<br />"there is a rope connection between point4, point5 and point6"<br />"point1, point2, point3, point4 is connected to a rigid"<br /><br />The good thing with patterns is that they can be changed.<br />For example, I want to make a leg a little longer.<br /><br />In the bone tool, when you use the "move point" action, Stickman recognize all patterns connected to that control point.<br />Elemento updates the patterns while the user drags the control point.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3FdhL3IzfJC-MVGJ5LXobYu3Z6bp02NSWscDgbhnESEZy_EzKR1U93rwzeisZ9Z8Gf_rvhokMEf05M_h2TlYotjZwu7bumqer7mFh2Uc-L9jQWouZ_j8nqNpYccDcPWjjH8aB88_4daJ/s1600-h/move-control-point.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3FdhL3IzfJC-MVGJ5LXobYu3Z6bp02NSWscDgbhnESEZy_EzKR1U93rwzeisZ9Z8Gf_rvhokMEf05M_h2TlYotjZwu7bumqer7mFh2Uc-L9jQWouZ_j8nqNpYccDcPWjjH8aB88_4daJ/s400/move-control-point.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276575801336929794" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-70972252857571539862008-11-25T23:43:00.000-08:002008-11-25T23:43:00.395-08:00New Open DialogStickman 5.3 Beta<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download</a> (scroll to bottom)<br /><br />Working on a new open file dialog that preview pictures (including Photoshop) and Stickman Elemento Figures. It just works!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwnuoOdDn6kiEjo5N2UcFC4n5toTdnM0n_FKvoaYnqwrNv4xHE_-lLqNTv17gDsyyXjuHg5Z9jAOPP4AMoAnQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-1775974675262040812008-11-24T13:49:00.000-08:002008-11-24T13:49:00.770-08:00Start Relation is RemovedStickman 5.3 Beta<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download</a> (Scroll to bottom)<br /><br />Today I removed the 'Start Relation' controls.<br />I think they just confused the user, took up screen space and created a mess.<br />Now, you can only create animated relations that do not 'jump'.<br />When releasing a relation, an 'after' draw order change is added.<br />The easier, the better.<br /><br />For those that doesn't know what an relation is:<br />It's a connection between a figure and a matrix node inside another figure.<br />That connection moves the child figure when the parent is moving.<br />For example: To carry a box you select the box and choose the figure and hand to hold it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZV_wX5Ym5JSY6zAkvDQnaC9w1anxfUPIBpLQJZSBC9rf4lR6tc68OiSKpOGlh95YSUsw-ajGxpA19pnpmTYvkRDxguy9OUHFtdvp2tElnth0bmkVwm9pdRzeUEN02H_TmX49fG9pN7Xq/s1600-h/skipped-start-relation.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZV_wX5Ym5JSY6zAkvDQnaC9w1anxfUPIBpLQJZSBC9rf4lR6tc68OiSKpOGlh95YSUsw-ajGxpA19pnpmTYvkRDxguy9OUHFtdvp2tElnth0bmkVwm9pdRzeUEN02H_TmX49fG9pN7Xq/s400/skipped-start-relation.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271231347389754018" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-8668377941238891092008-11-23T12:59:00.000-08:002008-11-23T12:59:00.621-08:00New Container BehaviourStickman 5.3 Beta<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download</a> (Scroll to bottom)<br /><br />The container behaviour is changed to the better.<br />Before, only empty matrix nodes were treated as containers.<br />Now, all matrix nodes are treated as containers.<br /><br />This means that you can connect an item to a body part of another figure.<br />Figure designers don't need to think of creating container any more,<br />because the attached matrix nodes will automatically be a container in Stickman.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBSit-WMpObpdFUxWMb5ojROkhPDLi6ZrlySMTdc-B5cXnBp4G6U-SagQcz13v5LjkPAEZ8fNePn0wJ7riHyx2FE9-BRe8uGn5qkg5HkQkpGYMsGBBG2urOpgF2Qt2XRi1jxi4ld4JlWB/s1600-h/new-container-behaviour.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBSit-WMpObpdFUxWMb5ojROkhPDLi6ZrlySMTdc-B5cXnBp4G6U-SagQcz13v5LjkPAEZ8fNePn0wJ7riHyx2FE9-BRe8uGn5qkg5HkQkpGYMsGBBG2urOpgF2Qt2XRi1jxi4ld4JlWB/s400/new-container-behaviour.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271219025331739138" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-55117106171217009412008-11-22T12:03:00.000-08:002008-11-22T12:03:00.937-08:00New Interface ChangesStickman 5.3 Beta<br /><a href="http://www.cutoutpro.com/download.html">Download</a> (scroll to bottom)<br /><br />Today I replaced the category list with some color buttons.<br />Still working hard to get the interface more easier and easier to use.<br />Got a lot of ideas, but if you got some, please contact me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxAAaigFkK4pQz13WECrTlyPOHU_O7pRJBofJofmw95p2J_z3D6_Ia7K1ujYqfv1CuN6jmoEpRE1cXG6uN8cyZy-ecSzaoj5S-kqH1WUIpZZmyqlyxzuxGEMfLMA7vWBDjHjdKYCfiFg6/s1600-h/new-interface-21.11.2008.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxAAaigFkK4pQz13WECrTlyPOHU_O7pRJBofJofmw95p2J_z3D6_Ia7K1ujYqfv1CuN6jmoEpRE1cXG6uN8cyZy-ecSzaoj5S-kqH1WUIpZZmyqlyxzuxGEMfLMA7vWBDjHjdKYCfiFg6/s400/new-interface-21.11.2008.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271217607967015986" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-54666645904004556352008-11-05T12:30:00.000-08:002008-11-05T12:39:35.173-08:00Almost so Easy as ThinkingI have been working a lot on the Stickman 5.3 Beta version.<br />A new and better way to use the tools:<br /><br />One finger at the keyboard and the left mouse button!<br /><br />Old procedure (camera tool):<br />1. Right click<br />2. Select 'Zoom'.<br />3. Drag with left mouse button.<br />4. Right click.<br />5. Select 'Move'.<br /><br />New procedure:<br />1. Press Z for zoom.<br />2. Drag with left mouse button.<br />3. Release the Z button.<br /><br />That saves the user for 4 mouse click for every action!Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-85766399974120174642008-10-01T10:08:00.000-07:002008-10-01T10:08:01.294-07:00Some Big Interface ChangesI'm working on the Stickman 5.3 version, and I'm very thankful for the feedback I get. There seem to be a lot of people interested in the new version, since Stickman is moving from a rich color interface to a neutral professional looking interface.<br /><br />I hope people enjoy the new render window, with YouTube, iPhone and DVD alternatives. A new function that has been asked for many times are the GIF export alternative.<br /><br />A young man with the name Jonatan told me that he couldn't figure out how to move the background behind the figures. That can be done with the 'Draw Order' category.<br /><br />Jonatan's brother, Bjørn Sverre, told me that he didn't like the F1, F2, F3 ... shortcuts. Bjørn Sverre asked me whether it was possible to use the numeric keyboard instead. A man from Australia with an injured arm has also asked me about this.<br /><br />Yesterday morning, when I got out of bed, I started working on shortcuts. I found it difficult to use the numeric keyboard without typing numbers other places in the interface. Luckily, I found out that holding Ctrl blocks the input to text boxes.<br /><br />The new keyboard shortcuts are like this (Ctrl+#):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Stickman</span><br />0 - Preview<br />1 - Figures<br />2 - Camera (animated)<br />3 - Matrix tool<br />4 - Control points tool<br />5 - Design camera<br />6 - Switch tool<br />7 - Path tool<br />8 - Speaker tool<br />9 - Volume tool<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Elemento</span><br />0 - Run debug<br />1 - Selection<br />2 - Bone tool<br />3 - Placement<br />4 - Control points tool<br />5 - Camera<br />6 - Switch tool<br /><br />While working on this, I suddenly had a brilliant idea. I merged 'Draw Order' with 'Figures' and got this new interface:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiTX-YvOtWvrDakGRLAo5KSPpTO0Cp9ywPWcsOwmdiTYGdII1ywHPZQzv1sZ2XDG4NcEy6MpLt-ZjrCaamOOj5NpKUiWq4wmN8cyR6aJ4E87So1q9LVYyeHWTrrfW221mjeG70P5Icfod/s1600-h/newinterface.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiTX-YvOtWvrDakGRLAo5KSPpTO0Cp9ywPWcsOwmdiTYGdII1ywHPZQzv1sZ2XDG4NcEy6MpLt-ZjrCaamOOj5NpKUiWq4wmN8cyR6aJ4E87So1q9LVYyeHWTrrfW221mjeG70P5Icfod/s320/newinterface.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251711561424212210" /></a><br /><br />Then I found out that 'Containers' can be merged with 'Animation', visible when 'Matrix Tool' or 'Path Tool' is activated.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXsPXm2aEaYel7f3SHMexsnEqMgr8S1Qcy1DG8_WcGrBQHs8S5rdB-REd9LbX45dlvJVA58DQVrba2y2wN01iVEYZQ22oYVWmuNXPTeuSdm9P5OgLZecb3IBWKnjdI7dyHI8w0HKAVQEy/s1600-h/newinterface2.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXsPXm2aEaYel7f3SHMexsnEqMgr8S1Qcy1DG8_WcGrBQHs8S5rdB-REd9LbX45dlvJVA58DQVrba2y2wN01iVEYZQ22oYVWmuNXPTeuSdm9P5OgLZecb3IBWKnjdI7dyHI8w0HKAVQEy/s320/newinterface2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251711810069392450" /></a><br /><br />I hope this will help new users to overcome some of the new beginner struggles.Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-33589442057343138502008-09-27T10:49:00.000-07:002008-09-27T10:49:00.754-07:00Puppy TestThis is a try to combine frame-by-frame with cutout animation.<br />I used a switch node for each back leg on the puppy.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyTM7fo6seW16JJKoSQEZlhgwR0inwD-LQ7AlwjxECzyFkQCuovWJwQUz7f3c28_4IFvtuP_aR6AhE_7RKRGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-401925982729360902008-09-26T09:17:00.000-07:002008-09-26T09:17:00.756-07:00Stickman Time LineFour tips about the time line in Stickman:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLABmorui12EiekqloSuTqzKDOX1Y4Xq7Fb3R10pMPk9_3ZjaE9-7iJsmSvLdz1b4NkMGalAmYpiXZ9Rilw_3WEYI0xRVxupsoH0m_ZY5RQwWPNQchSMAdxJootLdHqsW9JVqQhPsfJdZ/s1600-h/time-line1.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLABmorui12EiekqloSuTqzKDOX1Y4Xq7Fb3R10pMPk9_3ZjaE9-7iJsmSvLdz1b4NkMGalAmYpiXZ9Rilw_3WEYI0xRVxupsoH0m_ZY5RQwWPNQchSMAdxJootLdHqsW9JVqQhPsfJdZ/s400/time-line1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248475522059262386" /></a><br /><br />1. The size of the gray scrollbar controls the time line length.<br />2. Double-click below the numbers in the time line to add key frame.<br />3. The red round button controls the time line offset.<br />4. Turn on Edit->Preview: Time Line when working with long animations.Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-71553421833993955592008-09-25T08:01:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:01:00.608-07:00Mountain OverviewIn this simple drawing I combined strokes from Photoshop with coloring in Stickman.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_nr9KE73cjI6ZyBiAox1E_pnNCLesgEUGUNIvdw2NHGEAmOdQktK4fNcOtk3GShAZsfebuhaHxYJXJ5OGVK6eTaexVMFcQbFobTMNCl_a59JUnMvLamzoUqPW5KIhMHbHBXt9atw39JJ/s1600-h/utsikt.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_nr9KE73cjI6ZyBiAox1E_pnNCLesgEUGUNIvdw2NHGEAmOdQktK4fNcOtk3GShAZsfebuhaHxYJXJ5OGVK6eTaexVMFcQbFobTMNCl_a59JUnMvLamzoUqPW5KIhMHbHBXt9atw39JJ/s320/utsikt.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248907885832548930" /></a>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-47474816510013866092008-09-24T10:13:00.000-07:002008-09-24T10:13:00.577-07:00Traditional vs Cutout AnimationI have loved Disney movies since I was a kid, especially 'The Lion King'.<br />It looks so living without being real.<br /><br />But how much work is it to create it?<br />Let's say, one person can animate 3 seconds of smooth 24 frames per second every week. To create 5 minutes, you need to work almost 2 years! Yikes!<br /><br />Cutout is a technique to reduce work in the animation process. Instead of drawing every frame, the pieces are moved from frame to frame or animated with key frames like in Stickman. It's limited but effective.<br /><br />Many of software packages try to bridge the gap between traditional and cutout animation. They hope to get the best out of both worlds. Stickman is very <span style="font-weight:bold;">untraditional</span>. For example, the 'Create Figure' editor (good old Elemento) are more like a programming tool than a graphics designer.<br /><br />Programming is a way of controlling the relationship or logic between elements. In 'Create Figure' you can add skeleton and program attributes with expressions. It's exciting to see how a sketch drawing becomes a figure.<br /><br />So, with programming, it is possible to fake some of the effects created with traditional animation. For example, squeeze & stretch, eye control and skeleton. I don't say cutout animation is better than traditional animation, but it is more effective. Cutout and traditional need to be considered as two different and separate genrees of animation.<br /><br />If you work with traditional animation, your time and your skills is your limit. In cutout, you don't need drawing skills that much, but storyboard planning is more important.<br /><br />Storyboard is like a comic strip of your movie. It helps the animator and director to cooperate. One scene can be very easy or very hard to animate, depending on how it is planned in the storyboard. The important thing is that the director and animator agree about how the movie will look at the end.Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-29091203844618521832008-09-23T12:17:00.000-07:002008-09-23T12:17:00.919-07:00GidaI want to create a funny, simple character that looks like taken a child drawing.<br />I've named it 'Gida'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweaym3r5hWOXfAG3LM6IKuoOLDzvJC5BoK4trNfP0Q1n-atCvkK140CACGEKzCOoqVToO4rHCOxHr_K6_ALjxQxtDyCD4Y_iuJPzBH8HevnjLMKwOXuVIYV_AN1_eNo-471K5Lg_xRYg9/s1600-h/gida.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweaym3r5hWOXfAG3LM6IKuoOLDzvJC5BoK4trNfP0Q1n-atCvkK140CACGEKzCOoqVToO4rHCOxHr_K6_ALjxQxtDyCD4Y_iuJPzBH8HevnjLMKwOXuVIYV_AN1_eNo-471K5Lg_xRYg9/s320/gida.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248484455377993074" border="0"></a><br /><br />For the head and boy, I created a curve element. I used the 'freehand' mode to draw the shape. For the legs and arms, I used opencurve.<br /><br />I used 'deform' nodes for the arms and legs.<br />No bones except for the head. That makes it more difficult to animate, but gives more control for stretch and squeeze.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz-uXNEyz2IPAJ5NYvpckio66fkN2YrD3UAvZgrw4p74tWKZd_qZPOJ1zHKtI4LcRXUA_vZEXU7wBBZAVnl4A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Here are the control points:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzOAQIUMLJyQ2dvFwCHofuOwcB4r_3ecSefZk3LnA74Ytb5xu4dDmPXnFHYXIg5-E7EfeVN0uRfnhZTOJ8gUA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591038269455882913.post-77264489274551659722008-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:002008-09-22T09:38:00.870-07:00Animate a Thinking CharacterThis article will tell you the secrets of good animation.<br />Good animation have more common with theatre than drawing or painting.<br />It depends mostly on how the character acts.<br /><br />Take a look at these two pictures:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILpCfHrte_TccrKUhLWHthFITUWHWvWSdM5RyvUR72OQdAgIXTosiOg3jVUOUqVC2Y67krPgpBNyeP3OPM5SqzQJ-jEhh3sp_zyswgBzIDhmOx_ouVnc00LwVKi1TpaMTeLEW3W4m7QNA/s1600-h/cowboy2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILpCfHrte_TccrKUhLWHthFITUWHWvWSdM5RyvUR72OQdAgIXTosiOg3jVUOUqVC2Y67krPgpBNyeP3OPM5SqzQJ-jEhh3sp_zyswgBzIDhmOx_ouVnc00LwVKi1TpaMTeLEW3W4m7QNA/s320/cowboy2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248470184055617074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_StY4-n_NABSOd-4d964LqeCqrDYZhq5QDzWfqyWtkvNPsMMjOVFXKXUYomwjtmlqxlwbTVf3LLhQp0odlDq-Xn_vBZHjpoWyHFYGcfyD5W0g0XB68ZirR-R4NgIWXH87suKY1f1rfme/s1600-h/cowboy1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_StY4-n_NABSOd-4d964LqeCqrDYZhq5QDzWfqyWtkvNPsMMjOVFXKXUYomwjtmlqxlwbTVf3LLhQp0odlDq-Xn_vBZHjpoWyHFYGcfyD5W0g0XB68ZirR-R4NgIWXH87suKY1f1rfme/s320/cowboy1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248470109986877602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Can you tell me what the cowboy is doing in the first picture?<br />Can you tell me what the cowboy is doing in the second picture?<br /><br />I can't tell you what the cowboy is supposed to do in the first picture. It just looks unnatural.<br /><br />In the second picture, it's clear that the cowboy is tired (or sneezing). Maybe he's going to bed.<br /><br />This is the difference between a thinking character and a controlled robot. Your job as an animator is the create the illusion of live. Make the character behave like it's thinking and acting on it's own.<br /><br />The goal of animation is to make the publicum forget that what they are watching is animated.Stickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09679615052910819478noreply@blogger.com0