Simtropolis Animation Thread

[airman15 4,111]

Welcome to the Simtropolis Animation Thread!

The thread for people who love drawings that move

Instead of having several different threads for specific cartoons, styles, etc; why not have a thread that welcomes any kind of moving cartoon character? This is the place to share interests, likes/dislikes and so forth. Other types like .GIF and works created by yourself are also welcome.

May the pencil meet paper and posting begin!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I made this with GIMP's animation package just to show it could be done. I don't suggest staring at it too long.

[airman15 4,111]

I tried to use Gimp before, but it was a bit confusing especially since tutorials were scattered across the web and most of them didn't really give me a direct answer for basic pic editing. As for my own creations, so far the only method that worked for me was flipbooking.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I tried to use Gimp before, but it was a bit confusing especially since tutorials were scattered across the web and most of them didn't really give me a direct answer for basic pic editing. As for my own creations, so far the only method that worked for me was flipbooking.

I don't suppose you noticed the very excellent tutorial on the www.gimp.org site. It is called Grokking the GIMP. Sometimes hunting around in the web doesn't pay off if you don't know what you are looking for. The GIMP help files are not bad either. I hope you downloaded the GAP (GIMP Animation Plugin) as well.

GTK (GIMP Tool Kit) is one of the most widely used packages in the Linux/UNIX community. Most Linux desktops are made with it.

[airman15 4,111]

I checked the site, but it didn't show how to cut out part of one photo and place into another one. I will, however try it again when I get the chance.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I checked the site, but it didn't show how to cut out part of one photo and place into another one. I will, however try it again when I get the chance.

The selection tools are in the upper left of the tool box. You use cut and paste on a new layer with the transparency set to around 50% for the cutout so you can move it around to where you want it. Transparency controls are in the window on the right in the layers chooser.

You really need to spend some time with Grokking the GIMP. Waiting will fill.

[airman15 4,111]

I also hear Adobe Flash can make .gifs and I'm hoping I can try out that program in the near future.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I also hear Adobe Flash can make .gifs and I'm hoping I can try out that program in the near future.

Well, I hope you don't have to push money at Adobe to get it.

[airman15 4,111]

Haven't had the time to draw much, but I have been looking into how traditional animation works and why Rotoscoping makes this process easier.

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Last Airbender/Legend of Korra, Futurama, and Japanese animation.

[airman15 4,111]

I like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Last Airbender/Legend of Korra, Futurama, and Japanese animation.

Futurama and Courage are among my favorites from the 90s and early 00s

[airman15 4,111]

Found this animation from gifsoup. This animation helped me understand the process of how internal combustion engines work:

  Edited June 16, 2012 by usfighter15  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

8 cyl. anyway. Now have a thought to one and two cyl. diesels (often found on sailing vessels).

[airman15 4,111]

1 and 2 cylinder engines have a simpler setup than 8 cylinder motors; most 2 cylinder engines I'm familiar with are gas burning and fitted on certain motorcycles, but in the case of a 2 cylinder diesel engine, the ones I have found have an Opposed Cylinder arrangement:

  Edited June 16, 2012 by usfighter15  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Yup. However, for a marine diesel this design doesn't let you maintain the engine very easily. My last Yamaha 2GM20 had in-line arrangement so that you could service it without hauling the boat out of the water and the engine out of the boat. You would have loved the manual. The first sentence was "Under normal abuse this engine ...".

I could do minor servicing on this baby, but not injectors nor work with the head off. There was a little old lady in town who spent all her time raking in money rebuilding diesel injectors. She had some of the nicest microscope equipment you ever saw outside a forensic lab.

But back to topic:

What programs do you like for animations? For the little I do, I generally use the GIMP GAP. I have Blender, but it is a whole different kettle of fish. With GAP it is like working on an animated cartoon in the 1930s, but it does the job. Each frame is really a cell, and you can work backgrounds as well.

  Edited June 16, 2012 by A Nonny Moose  

[airman15 4,111]

When it comes to animating, I am working with 3d models. Currently, I am working with a program called Milkshape 3d. This program is relatively easy to use and is meant to create low-poly models for games like the Sims 2 or the Half-life series. I mainly use this program to create models for the aircraft and other vehicles I upload onto the STEX, but I am experimenting with the animation process offered in the program.

It involves making the model, setting up bones and joints and then setting up keyframes to complete the process. 3d animations can be tedious as sometimes you can select wrong points of the model (vertices) to move and the difference can really show:

  Edited June 17, 2012 by usfighter15  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I take it that this program can generate the 'tweens for you. I used to have a GIF editor that did that, I've now lost it, but it did my signature.

[airman15 4,111]

-Clears Cobwebs and whatnot-

To reply to your lat post: This program can sort of do that. Because it's a 3d model, it can export even animated models to nearly any other program. Although Milkshape seems to be more of a stop-motion program.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Sounds like a fun toy.

[airman15 4,111]

It's ideal for those who are just getting started in 3d animation. A more complex example of such a program would be GMAX

[samima 92]

[airman15 4,111]

^ Now that's what I call a Milkshake!

  Edited July 24, 2012 by usfighter15