Smooth walking stick figure

[Archbob]

I've tried and tried, I can't get a smooth walking stick figure. It always looks all choppy and stuf. Do you really need to draw like 100 frames for a smooth walking stick figure, is there an easier way with actionscript to do this?

[Steve_w_V]

Nope. No AS way to make the legs and arms move (easily), but there is a way to make it move along the X axis...

[ScottTheFlashGuy]

Be sure (and I know you probably do) you have at least 30 frames a seconds, 45 if you want some smoothness. The thing about 45 fps is that I notice "Wow, this looks smooth" on my pc, but on a crappy pc it will look even worse then if you had it on 30. I usually (when making a full blown game) include options for fps. (400 mhz, 800 mhz, 1.2+ mhz)

[oldnewbie]

Excuse me, but 45fps is a ridiculously high framerate, and not at all necessary! Video is at 30fps (29.997) and film at 24fps...

This walking figure is at 8fps, and it's looks pretty smooth to me...

http://www.chourave.ch/wwwboard2-vf/...aniacs0us.html

[Archbob]

I really can't draw a stick figure in the various positions of walking, hmm, I'll keep trying.

[missiseff]

Hi Archbob

If it's the actual walking cycle you're having trouble with, do a search on Eadweard Muybridge on Google. He took photographic sequences of people in motion. His images may be useful resources on which to base your stick figure's movements.

missiseff

[Archbob]

Thanks.

[bitblender]

yeah, Muybridge is definitely a good resource. But if you're REALLY interested in drawing effectively animated walk cycles, I highly recommend a book by PRESTON BLAIR titled: "How to Draw Cartoon Animation". it's published by Walter Foster, and is a cheap, 32 page book. it may appear on the surface as a "how to book for kids", but actually it contains the core fundementals of much of what drives the entire canon of classic Warner Bros, Diseny, and MGM 2-d cartoons from BACK IN THE DAY.
I'm sure a google, or Amazon.com search will dig it up for you.
seriously, you can't go wrong with this resource, no matter how simple or complex your animation needs are. John Kricfaluci, notorious creator of REN AND STIMPY, swears by it, and looks for the fundementals described in the book when hiring animators.
have fun!!

[oldnewbie]

Excuse me! Don't want to sound rude here, but the first link I posted does make a reference to Blair's work and even explains how to use his own animated .gifs to make up your own animations...

http://www.chourave.ch/wwwboard2-vf/...rgifs01us.html

[Bofia]

i suggest u turn on onion skinning and modify the lines instead of drawing new lines

[Archbob]

Onion skinning?

[megatoon]

Preston Blair's Site (Check Chapter 2):
http://www.freetoon.com/prestonblair/intro/frame.html

You can also fins some frame by frame cycle on my site
www.megatoon.org (under Downloads)

The easiest method would be to import a cycle on one layer. Then use it as template to create your walk on another.