stick figures

Wessel · May 29, 2008, 2:07pm

How do i create stick figures in synfig studio? It’s not working for me with B-Lines…

Genete · May 29, 2008, 6:55pm

You can do it in two ways:

Using Outline Layers (BLines): just be sure to hide the tangent ducks before manipulate it and during bline creation (use ALT-3 to toggle show tangent ducks.
Using any kind of shapes (Polygon, Images, Regions, Outlines or what ever you want) and move them by rotating the limbs using the cut-out animation technique --> synfig.org/Cut-out_Animation

I think the first one is the more reliable.

-G

Wessel · May 29, 2008, 8:26pm

i don’t get your first way to make a stickfigure. The problem is, i add a few vertexes, then i have this:

Then i want to add a vertex, without the line that will be drawed… It’s hard to tell what my problem is, but hopefully you understand (and I’m very new to synfig studio, i started today ).

Genete · May 29, 2008, 8:36pm

I see you’re online. Can you join to IRC?

mibbit.com/?server=irc.freen … kname_here

Genete · May 29, 2008, 9:22pm

This is the conversation Wessel and I maintained to solve the question of this post. I hope it could help to any other new user.
Cheers!

-G

HI
Hi Wessel
I’m very new to synfig studio
first question: what’s your synfig version?
so… the solution is meby very simple
i’ll check
don’t worry, I’m here to help you
0.61.07
ok
follow those steps
make a new file
empty one
done
select the Bline Tool.
ok
synfig.org/Bline_Tool is this one?
i selected that yes
Ok
now look to the Tool Options panel, what’s checked on?
fill - outline - link offsets
Uncheck FIll
ok
what’s the default foreground color in the tool window?
black
(black?)
ok
that’s the color used for outlines when they are the onlu one checked
now
for testing the tool and unsderstand how it works
make a sequence of click and drag in different positions of the screen
of the canvas I mean
you’ll produce a bline curve
ok, i’ve worked with b-lines before
ok
(I’m going so slow but I think you don’t mind)

i don’t mind, my english is bad also (I think)
now press ALT-3 (but the 3 from the row of numbers not the num pad)
ok, nothing happend
that would hide the tangents ducks
if any
don’t worry
now use the bline in this way:
what are tangents ducks?
Mmmm
I thought you have worked with blines before…
please press ALT -3 again and TEST the bline tool
yes, but i read a bit about tangent ducks, and i didn’t understand
and you’ll see what are the tangent ducks
PLEASE make a bline
yes, i have a bline
after click and drag in several places you have to click on the gear button to produce efectively the bline
but i don’t see anything different
did you get a black outline?
yes
not dashed?
no
(by your screenshot in the forum it seems that you have not completed the bline creation
press the gear button in the Tool Options panel
yes, that’s because of the line i get
have you pressed the grear button?
gear*
gear button, that is the button with ‘make bline and/or Region’ ?
below Feather option (see the wiki link)
yes press it
ok
got a black outline?
yes
now select the normal tool
(the black arrow with blue background)
ok
and select the just created outline layer if not already selected
ok, now i’ve got a weird shape:p
can you see a set of small orange circles?
yes, those are the vertexes?
yup
ok
and the red and yellow ones are the tangent ones
if they don’t appear just press ALT-3 again
i used the wrong alt+3 i see now:p
so you can toggle the tangent ducks now?
but ok, now i have a body + 1 leg
yes
the concept is: click and drag produces tangent ducks
ok
just click produces tangent ducks with a lenght of 0.0
the ducks lie over the vertices so you cannot maipulate the vertices because you would get the tangents fisrt
just hide the tangents and you only manipulate the vertices ducks
ok, i see now
but how do i draw the other parts of the body?
it depends on what do you want
other leg, arms and head
you cannot have a multiple connected polyline in one single layer
so draw them apart and I’ll explain you how to construct the whole body
please make a second arm and then tell me you’ve done
where is the multiple connected polyline then?
moment
please make the second arm and let me explain it
in another bline?
yes
but separated of the body
to help for the explanation
ok
i’m done
ok,
so you have one layer with (I guess) the body and an arm and another layer with other arm, right?
yes
ok, ->Normal Tool
ok
with the mouse go to the layer pallete and select both layers using CTRL + click
they’re both selected now
do you see the tangen ducks?
no
ok
you would like to “join” the arm to the body, right?
how many vertices have the arm oultine?
yes, so but I want to move them seperate
ok
2
and the body + arm has 3
nice
with the mouse and pressing CTRL at the same time drag a box around the vertex of the arm that represent the shoulder
the vertex duck becomes more brillant, right?
yes
the shoulder is now selected
now repeat the same for the vertex of the shoulder of the body
ok, they’re both selected now
now comes the magic of synfig
right click - link ?
make right click in one of them and
yes

thanks
the other parts of the body go thesame?
I think so

Gede · June 18, 2008, 8:11pm

That is great! Thank you for the step-by-step.
But the lines are still seperate. When I move one Origin duck, the vertices go seperate ways. Is there a way to avoid it, and group/combine the blines to keep this from happening?

Genete · June 18, 2008, 11:03pm

Moving Origins of different layers produces an Offset of the just linked ducks. All the Origins should remain static or move the same. Usually is better to select all the layers and make right click → encapsulate and then move the origin of the encapsulate layer to move all the layers at the same time.
To animate your stick figure you have to move the vertices ducks not its origins.

If you need specific help it is better to ask directly with a sample file. It would allow us help you in a better way.
Also try to drop by the IRC channel and obtain direct help from me and other users.

-G