Adding some tools to KM to aid in animation

Just was tired of the old thread title which I created. Thought we could start fresh here and continue where we left off.


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Originally posted by Bob Hartzell
TDolce, I thought your name was familiar. If I remember correctly, you prodded me to add onion-skinning which I did.
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Yep,..you did! Yeah, we were talking looong before KM was in this forum!

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I do have a simpler form which I would call a tappered line tool:You draw with the tool like a pencil. On releasing the mouse, the line (actually a shape) appears with a taper to 1 pixel on each end and going to a constant width some distance from each end. In the properties box, you will be able to set the length of the taper and widest width.
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Bob,..this could be very nice!!! I use a similar type function in XaraX all of the time!! It takes a bit more time at times,..but it does the job well!!! Very well!!! Do you already have that tool or is it something that's in the works? Regardless,..yes, that would be a definate nice alternative.


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I could maybe figure out a transform tool which would allow selective squishing or expanding of the line shape. Is this useful?
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YES!! That would also be very Kool and useful!!(well to me at least)


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I am obviously interested in holes in functionality which if added would appeal to a lot people.
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I understand,...and I know that although I may not be "alot" of people, I probably do have the biggest mouth! I know Brian's shaking his head yes right now!!

I'm really getting high hopes for this app and maybe even Flashpulse will get a lip synching feature integrated!

Also,..Brian,..I like the image you shared! Thanks. Very cool style.

I will try to add the tapered line tool for 5.0 due out in June/July. I would like more information on the XaraX implementation.

Being able to add our own extensions would be a Kool function for KoolMoves.
If I remember right I did ask about this earlier...
Looks like the secret lies within the motion script engine.
Could we use the motion script menu to sneak in functional action scripts?

IE: A script that gives a MC car movement controled by keyboard...

Or just use the external actions script???

Ahh, let's just see.
Doc'Ree

Bob,..I can do a complete flash visual lesson on the use of the tapered tool in Xara X if you'd like. I can then e-mail it to you. As far as the technical side of what it took to write the code for Xara...I'm useless to you there. Your idea of controlling the widths with numerical adjustemts is sweet too!!!

td

I am not trying to totally rip them off. I just want some inspiration and a clue as how it is parameterized.

LOL,..no,..I know you're not trying to totally rip them off. I just figured if I sent you some visuals,..you could see their approach to it is all. What you're thinking about is better anyway because you mentioned setting the width parameters numerically (thickest to thinnest) That is actually more control than what they have. They have pre defined styles, which is great,..but adding the possibility of changing the width size at the widest points would be great! You can change the thickness of the lines in Xara simply by changing the point size,..so I guess that would be considered their way.

Basically,..I select the pencil tool and I can select the variable width line type that I want. Some close off with a nice tapered point,..some end off with a tapered but rounded point etc. Then thereafter every line is created,..the line automatically assumes those properties. Very nice! I usually have it default to a tapered line at size 3 pt. (which tapers to a point of probably .05 or something) If I want it thicker at the widest point,..I go back and adjust the size to 4 or 5 etc.


TD

Some visuals would be helpful.

Bob,..it's a .swf file,...so if the forum doesn't post it here as an attachment, I'll just go to the KoolMoves site and simply e-mail you and attach it.



td

Flash has no tapered line tool in built. So normally you would accomplish a variable line width for that cartoon inked style a couple of different ways. One of which will work in kool moves and one of which will not as far as I can tell. The first way you could accomplish this would be to create a shape without a stroke say a black oblong for example. Then Create another colored oblong inside the black oblong slightly smaller. Now you have a black outline that is editable because it is a fill so you can pull on it's handles and such to vary your line width. The other way I can think of in flash that as far as I can tell won't work in kool moves is convert lines to fills. Flash will allow you to convert lines to fills at which point again they can be edited and you can pull on points or add remove points to create just about anything. The convert lines to fills is what I would like to see in KM. Also Bob if you want to see an implementation of skeletal brush stroke technology which is what the taper line tool in Xara is. Then go here http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/ and download Creature Houses Expression 3 for free from Microsoft. Creature house invented skeletal vector brush strokes and still has possibly one of the best implementations. Microsoft bought Creature House and is going to use this technology in an upcoming supposed flash killer called sparkle. But for now you can download the last version of Expression for free. You guys that want this feature could just download that and import your vector stuff from there. Here's http://www.allenjeter.com/uploads/4/12/cartoonhead.fun a quick cartoon head I did in about 10 minutes or so with variable line width using the first method I described above. The one thing I ran into that I missed from flash was being able to save gradients to a swatch so I can reuse the same gradient over and over. Update: Nevermind on the gradient swatch thing I found the samples button perfect!

Cheers, Allen

The first download is an upgrade only for current users of Creature Expression.

Yeah. I've seen that technique using the shapes as a workaround in KM. Not a huge fan of it,...but indeed it does serve in a pinch. Flash does have a variable width line option,..but it is not very attractive and their really isn't alot of control with it. I would not recommend using or emulating it.

As far as Expression. It has been around a looooong time. Latest word is that MS is just going to leave it as it is and let it die. That would be a shame!!! It is by far the absolute best in vector design! It allows for results to look EXACTLY like painted pixels in a raster app where yet it is indeed truly vector!! Way ahead of its time. Basically,..Creaturehouse sold out when they gave that up. More interestingly enough was the sad tale of Living Cels. It was to be their much heralded release of the INCREDIBLE 2D animation app that also incorporated the skeletal stroke technology. This allowed for a very gentle and soft design feel to animation but yet still retain all of the advantages of vector!! The beta came out about 3 weeks or so before they sold out to MSoft. It has vanished since then. I saw some samples made with it and it was truly a thing of beauty! You would never know that it was vectors!!!

Bob, Xara X is not Expression,..but I used that as an example because it is a fantastic app as well and truthfully a bit easier to get around in than Expression (a bit unconventional in it's approach)
Xara has the support and my confidence, where Expression 3 will always have a place in my tool shed,..but I'm very doubtful about where it's headed with Microsoft.

Allen, is indeed correct. It is the steal of the century,.as it is free right now. If MS decides to do repackage it,...I can assure you that it will no longer be free! If they don't,..well it's definately worth having!! You have to go through the MS song and dance to get to the download,...but once you do,...it's all yours!!!

Todd

It says it's an upgrade. But it is in fact the full version. It does not ask for anything like a previous cd or serial number. This is a widely known freebie. I get the impression they are using it as a way to promote the upcoming tool. I found out about it from here.
http://graphicssoft.about.com/b/a/091204.htm

It says anyone can fill out the survey and get a copy!

Also just thanks Bob for such a great piece of software. I can't remember the last time I ran into such a value in the software space. Great product.

Quick update I just tried downloading Expression 3 for my Mac at work and it looks like it's 404. So not sure if that is permanent or temporary. But that freebie may have gone the way of the dodo.

Also Todd I assume you are referring to the brush tool in Flash? I guess I didn't even consider that. Because it's not a very good implementation. It creates way too many points and thus it creates highly inefficient shapes. I was told to never use the brush tool when I started learning flash. All though I occaionally do use it for an internal line flourish or creating lightning effects or some such.

Also Todd I assume you are referring to the brush tool in Flash? I guess I didn't even consider that. Because it's not a very good implementation. It creates way too many points and thus it creates highly inefficient shapes. I was told to never use the brush tool when I started learning flash. All though I occaionally do use it for an internal line flourish or creating lightning effects or some such.

Yes,..I was,..and yes you are right. It's awful!!! Why did they even bother!?!

Just thought I 'd chime in here for what it's worth.

I'm excited at the prospect of a variable width line tool.

A feature I'd like is a "unite shapes" or "join shapes" function (in additiion to the current "group shapes" function). This would be the feature where you have two or more overlapping shapes and you want to make them into one shape, thereby eliminating unnecessary points in the interior of the newly created shape.

Okay, that's all the chiming I can do without more coffee.