Synfig Studio :: Documentation - User contributions [en]

User talk:Pxegeek

2007-08-26T14:04:20Z

Grin: spmmmm

You should ask for admin rights and start blocking the spammers, without it its hopeless. Try to convince the guys to upgrade mediawiki, too. :-/ --[[User:Grin|grin]] 07:04, 26 Aug 2007 (PDT)

Doc:How Do I

2007-08-26T13:41:10Z

Grin: How do I transform encapsulated objects? + possible good answer ;)

Feel free to add your own questions here. Or put them on the [[Wiki Wish List]].

__TOC__

== Apply a gradient to an object instead of the entire canvas? ==

# Create the region you want to fill with a gradient, and the gradient layer, if you haven't already.
# Make sure that the gradient layer is above the region layer in the [[Layers Dialog]].
# Select both layers, right click, and select [[Encapsulate]].
# Expand the new [[Inline Canvas]] layer if it's not already, and select your gradient layer.
# In the [[Params Dialog]] select the [[Blend Method]] parameter, and choose [[Blend Method#Onto|Onto]] from the drop-down menu.

The gradient will clip to the visible area of the region below it inside the [[Inline Canvas]]. (and any other layers in that section).

==Show or hide a layer, or fade the effect of a blur?==
In the [[Params Dialog]], look for an option labeled [[Amount Parameter|Amount]] - this controls how much of the blended result of the layer is composited with the blend of the layers beneath it.

In other words, for a typical layer, this will 'fade it out'. For a [[Blur Layer]] set to "[[Blend Method#Straight|Straight]]", this will fade ''between'' the blurred version and the unblurred version of the canvas. If you want it to become less blurry, adjust the [[Blur Layer#Size|Blur Layer's 'size' parameter]].

== Fill an outline? == (Requested by [[User:Karlb|Karlb]])

There are several options:
* The easiest way is to link a new region layer to the outline's shape.
*# Create the [[Outline Layer|outline]] you want to fill.
*# From the [[Layer Menu]] (either context-click on the [[Layers Dialog]] or use the [[Canvas Menu Caret]]) create a new [[Region Layer]]
*# Make '''sure''' that the [[Region Layer]] is above the [[Outline Layer]] in the [[Layers Dialog]] - this affects which layer's shape remains after the link.
*# Select both layers in the [[Layers Dialog]] This will display only the parameters shared by both layers in the [[Params Dialog]].
*# Context-click on the [[Vertices Parameter]], and select [[Linking|Link]].
*# The [[Region Layer]] will snap to the shape of the [[Outline Layer]].
* When you create an [[Outline Layer|outline]] with the [[bline tool]] that you intend to be a filled area as well, make sure you select the Fill checkbox in the [[bline tool#Options|tool options dialog]]. Obviously, this doesn't help much if you realise later that you needed a fill here.
* If you are using the [[draw tool]], there is a button at the bottom of the [[draw tool#Options|tool options dialog]] labeled "Fill Last Stroke", which creates a new [[Region Layer]] and links its shape to the previously drawn outline. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as of Synfig Studio v0.61.04
* Create a [[Region Layer|region]] with the same number of ducks, and manually link each duck. If you want a region that depends on multiple outline layers, this is really your only choice for now.

==Dock Together Windows?==

*To dock (join) separate windows into one you must drag the tab ''icons'' for each of the tools into another window.
*You can create subdivisions inside the windows by dragging the icons into the side tabs (located around the edges, the look like rectangles).
*Tool tabs inside the window can be arranged by dragging them on top of one another, therefore changing the order.

==Use an external Bitmap?==

* In the image menu (>) choose file-->import. PNG with alpha channel works fine.
* To animate it without accidental stretching, right-click on the layer and choose encapsulate. You can then animate the position of the new "Inline Canvas" layer instead of the bbox.

== Close a bline? ==

* Right click on the starting point and then click on loop bline.

Note: It doesn't work unless the initial point has a tangent - ie the first segment is curved.

== How do I transform encapsulated objects? ==

* Right click on the Encapsulated object in the Layer dialog and choose "select all child layers". Then you select the ducks you want to transform (usually just all of them, like for rotating the object), and the rotate or scale tool and do the work.

Doc:Animation Basics

2007-08-26T12:37:28Z

Grin: a few days ;-) its one year anniversary was just today! :)

(Draft)
''Note to the reader: Please be patient. It may take a few days/years to finish the initial draft.''

== Introduction ==

Creating an animation in Synfig is really easy: It basically means to change a drawing - you just need to create the first state and the last state of a change, and Synfig will take care of the steps in between.

Let's have a look at a simple example. Consider a moving light similar to the one in front of the KnightRider car. Drop the realism and you get a circle that is moving from the left to the right, and back. In other words, you need to create three 'steps' or 'stages':
# The circle is on the left.
# The circle is on the right.
# The circle is back on the left.

Let's do it.

== Setting up the workspace ==

Start Synfig Studio, and create a new file. A dialog called 'Properties' will appear. Give your new file a name and a description, and then click "Apply" (don't click "Save" yet -- we're not quite done with the 'Properties' dialog). Make sure to edit 'End Time'. The strange looking '0f' will change to a more familiar presentation as soon as you click it. Set this to 2 seconds.

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/synfig_tut_1.png

Now create a simple black rectangle that will serve as our background. It's not necessary to make it cover the whole canvas.

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/synfig_tut_2.png

We now need a circle. Change the painting color to red, and draw a circle. It doesn't matter if it's not perfect: You can edit it. Activate the 'Normal' tool, and click the circle. It will go into a sort of editing mode which is easy to detect by the small green dot in the middle and the white rectangle around it. You can move the red circle by grapping it on its green dot in the middle.

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/synfig_tut_3.png

This are the first steps to draw an object and to move it, but not yet an animation, you may say. Indeed. Let's have a look how this works.

== Adding movement ==

In the beginning, you entered a value of 2 seconds in the 'Properties' dialog. Due to this, your canvas window (the one where you draw) got additional capabilities. There's a grey time slider, for instance. You can click on it, and a small orange indicator will appear but nothing changes. This is because you need to switch to 'Animate Editing Mode' first by clicking the green dot just to the right of the grey time slider. You will note that your canvas gets a red outline; it reminds you that changes to your objects now affect your animation.

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/synfig_tut_4.png

Previously, three 'steps' or 'stages' were mentioned. These are represented by so-called 'keyframes' (Just in case you're familiar with video encoding: No, that's not the same!). A keyframe is an image in time where something important happens with your objects.

Click the keyframe tab -- this is the one with the small key in the 'Params, etc.' window -- to be able to edit keyframes. Now click the small 'plus' sign and you should get a new entry in the list displaying '0f, 0f, (JMP)'.

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/params.png

If this didn't happen, you made something not mentioned so far. Close your file and start again.

If the entry appears, go to the '1s 0f' mark in the timeslider. The small orange indicator should move there. Then add another keyframe by clicking the small plus sign. Repeat the process with the time slider indicator set to '2s of'. You should have three keyframes in the list, now.

== The s's and f's: Understanding the Timeline ==
By now, you may have figured out what those mysterious '1s 0f'-type marks represent. They indicate a specific point on the timeline, expressing a location in terms of seconds (s) and frames (f).

Each second is divided into 24 frames, much like a meter on a measuring tape is divided into 100 centimeters. The frame markings begin at zero (0) and go up to 24, whereupon a new second is entered and the framecount returns to zero.

For example: "three frames into the sixth second" of an animation using this timeline notation would be "5s 3f." Why "5s" instead of "6s"? Because we always begin counting ''from zero''.

== The Keyframe List ==

The keyframe list is rather easy to understand: It displays 'Time' which is basically the start time, 'Length' which is self-explanatory, 'Jump' which we'll cover next, and 'Description' which is, again, self-explanatory.

Now what the hell are the entries called '(JMP)'? In fact, these are links just like web links: Click them, and the indicator in your timeslider will jump to the correct time.

You can use this to edit your image for a given moment in time. For instance, you can now jump to the first second, and move the red circle to the right. There! You made your first movement; your first animation with Synfig!

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/synfig_tut_5.png

You wonder where the animation is? Just click to arbitray position on the timeslider: You will note that the red circle is in positions where you didn't move it to! What happen? Snyfig figured out what you would like to do, namely move the circle, and draw all the images between these states. Each image will later make a frame in your animation; and the circle will appear to be moving.

== Rendering your animation ==

Before you can see your animation, you need to process (or render) your work. There are two ways to do so; using the synfigstudio (what you have been using so far), or the command-line program synfig.

To do so, close the animate editing mode by clicking on the red dot in the timeline editing widget, and save your file; for instance under the name BasicKnightRider.sif. Then press on the > symbol in the upper left corner of the image window to open the menu, open the File menu and click on the Render item. Change the target filename to BasicKnightRider.gif in the same location you saved BasicKnightRider.sif and choose your render settings, then click Render. Depending on your processor speed it should take a few moments, but finally the image window status bar should say "File rendered successfully".

Open BasicKnightRider.gif in Firefox or another application that is able to show animated gif's. However, Firefox will replay the GIF all the time which makes your short animation a rather long one. If you're now seeing a red circle moving from the left to the right and back: Congratulations! You just made your first animation!

''Note: you can also preview your animation. Press on the > symbol in the upper left corner of the image window to open the menu. There choose File->Preview.''

http://www.mondojohnson.com/Synfig/synfig_tut_6.png

If you would rather use the command line instead of the menu to render your animation, then open a terminal (On Windows, go Start -> Run -> type cmd<enter>), change to the directory you saved the file, and type something like

synfig -t gif BasicKnightRider.sif

WARNING: The version you are using may not support the GIF output format at the moment, it depends on the version and compilation settings.

A few messages appear that don't matter right now. Depending on your processor speed it should take a few moments, but finally a line like

BasicKnightRider.sif ==> BasicKnightRider.gif: DONE

should appear, then you are done and can view your animated gif using firefox or another program as mentioned above.

== Conclusion ==

Of course, the position of an object is not the only thing you can change with Synfig Studio. Other possibilities incude its size, its outline, its color, etc. Synfig comes with several example files that should let you dig deeper into the possibilities.

User talk:Grin

2007-08-26T12:35:27Z

Grin: if by chance anyone wants to

You are advised to use email with or instead of this page. --[[User:Grin|Grin]] 05:35, 26 Aug 2007 (PDT)

User:Grin

2007-08-26T12:34:45Z

Grin: me

I'm [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/user:grin myself].