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The Best Book
of Autodesk
Deke McClelland
HOWARD W. SAMS &. COMPANY

A Division ofMacmi/lan. Inc.
11711 North College, Suite 141. Carmel, IN 46032 USA
1990 by PRI, Inc.
FIRST EDITION
FIRST PRINTING-1990
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the publisher. No patent
liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information
contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the
preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability
assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.
International Standard Book Number: 0-672-22735-5

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 90-60958
Product Director: Richard Swadley

Manuscript Editor: Justine Couts
Production Coordinator: Becky Imel
Cover Artist: DGS&D Advertising, Inc.
Cover Photography: Cassell Productions, Inc.
Indexer: Joelynn Gifford
Technical Reviewer: Grant Blaha
Compositor: Shepard Poorman Communications Corp.
Production: Tom Emrick, Tami Hughes, Bill Hurley, Chuck
Hutchinson, Jodi Jensen, Lori Lyons, Jennifer Mathews, Dennis
Sheehan, Bruce Steed, Mary Beth Wakefield, Nora Westlake
Printed in the United States of America
Trademark Acknowledgments
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be

trademarks or service marks are listed below. In addition, terms
suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been
appropriately capitalized. Howard W. Sams & Company cannot
attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this
book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any
trademark or service mark.
Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple

Computer, Inc.
Atari is a registered trademark and Neochrome and ST are
trademarks of Atari Corp.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoSketch, and AutoShade are registered
trademarks and Autodesk Animator is a trademark of
Autodesk, Inc.
Commodore-Amiga is a trademark of Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe
Information Network.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corp.
MacPaint is a registered trademark of Claris Corp.
Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corp.
PC Paintbrush is a registered trademark of ZSoft Corp.
Dedicated to EP, the lovely missus.
Overview
1 Painting on the PC, 1
1 Getting Started, 3
2 The Basics of Creating a Painting, 23
3 Operating and Modifying Tools, 4 5
4 Using and Modifying Inks, 93
5 The Color Palette, 1 4 5
6 Automated Painting Features, 189
2 Animation, 225
7 Introduction to Animation, 2 2 7
8 Animating Type, 2 6 9
9 Changing Colors Over Time, 295
10 Automated Movement Features, 317
11 Cel Animation, 371
3 Input and Output, 391

12 Converting Artwork from Other Environments, 393
1 3 Capturing Photographic Images and Artwork, 4 1 5
1 4 Playing Animations On-Screen, 429
15 Recording Flies to Film or Videotape, 445
vii
Contents
Introduction: An Overview of Autodesk
Animator xxi
Using Autodesk Animator xxi
Learning Autodesk Animator xx vii
What You've Learned xxviii
p A R T
Painting on the PC
1 Getting Started 3
Installing Autodesk Animator 3

Quick Installation 4
ix
The Best Book of Animator
Starting Autodesk Animator 4

Did It Work? 5
Using a Mouse or Tablet 6

Mouse Operations 6
Tablet Operations 7
The Home Window 8

The Cursor 10
T h e Drawing Area 10
The Menu Bar 11
The Home Panel 13
Quick Animation 18
Quitting Autodesk Animator 19

What You've Learned 19
2 The Basics of Creating a Painting 23
Loading a Picture 23
T h e Pie Menu 23
The Files Panel 25
The File Selector Panel 26
Painting a Picture 30
Drawing and Undrawing 31
Canceling a Drawing 33
Restoring a Picture 34
Clearing the Screen 36
Making Detailed Changes 36
Saving a Picture 39
Overwriting a File 40
Saving a Picture under a New Name 40
3 Operating and Modifying Tools 45
Resetting the Window 45

What Went Wrong? 46
Using the Original Tools 47
Changing the Brush Shape 51
Accessing Other Tools 54
Modifying a Tool 56
Tool Descriptions 57
T h e Box Tool 58
The Circle Tool 60
x
Contents
The Draw Tool 60

The Driz. (or Drizzle) Tool 60
The Edge Tool 61
The Fill Tool 63
The Fillto Tool 63
The Gel Tool 65
The Line Tool 66
The Move Tool 67
The Oval Tool 69
The Petal Tool 70
The Poly (or Irregular Polygon) Tool 73
The RPoly (or Regular Polygon) Tool 75
The Sep. (or Separate) Tool 77
The Shape Tool 79
The Spiral Tool 79
The Spline Tool 81
The Spray Tool 84
The Star Tool 85
The Streak Tool 86
The Text Tool 87
4 Using and Modifying Inks 93
Drawing with an Image 93

The Swap Menu 95
Clipping to the Cel Buffer 97
Using the Original Inks 100
Other Ways to Apply Ink 105
Pasting a Cel in the Selected Ink 106
Accessing Other Inks 107
Modifying an Ink 108
Ink Descriptions 112
The Add Ink 112
The Bright Ink 1 14
The Close Ink 115
The Dark Ink 1 16
The Emboss Ink 1 16
The Glass Ink 1 18
The Glaze Ink 119
The Glow Ink 120
The Gray Ink 121
The H Grad (or Horizontal Gradient) In k 121
xi
The Hollow Ink 122

The Jumble Ink 123
The L Grad (or Line-Contour Gradient) Ink 125
The Opaque Ink 127
The Pull Ink 1 27
The R Grad (or Radial Gradient) Ink 128
The Scrape Ink 130
The Smear Ink 131
The Soften Ink 132
The Spark Ink 133
The Split Ink 1 34
The Sweep Ink 135
The Tile Ink 137
The Unzag (or Anti-Aliasing) Ink 137
The V Grad (or Vertical Gradient) Ink 140
The XOR (or Exclusive Or) Ink 140
5 The Color Palette 145
Home Panel Colors 145

Accessing More Colors 146
Changing the Mini-Palette 147
Changing the Current Color 149
The Palette Window 150

Changing Mini-Palette and Cluster Colors 151
Color Theory 156

Coloring with Pigments 157
Coloring with Light 158
T h e Color Wheel 158
Creating New Colors 159
The Palette Menu 1 60

Cycling Colors 1 62
One Palette 1 64
Changing the Colors of Panels and Menus 165
Loading and Saving Palette Files 167
The Cluster Menu 167

Isolating Unused Colors 169
xii
Contents
Emulating an On-Screen Color Series 171

Gradations Using Existing Colors 172
Capturing a Range of Colors 172
Simple Cluster C hanges 173
The Arrange Menu 174

Sorting by Luminance 176
Sorting by Spectrurns and Gradients 176
Cluster Manipulation 177
The Value Menu 177

Reducing the Palette 179
Creating Continuous Gradations 179
Tinting Palette Colors 181
Contrasting Colors 182
Importing Colors 183
The Color Buffer 185
6 Automated Painting Features 189
Cel Transformations 189

Clipping a Cel 191
Pasting Cels 194
Resizing, Flipping, and Rotating 196
Altering Cels Without Pasting 201
Options 203
Emptying the Cel Buffer 207
Loading and Saving Cel Files 208
Masking Images 208

The Mask Menu Options 208
Using a Mask 209
Establishing a Grid 213

The Grid Snap Control Options 214
Using a Grid 215
Making Macros 217

The Macro Recording Options 218
Using Macros 218
xiii
p A R T
Animation
7 Introduction to Animation 227
Animation Theory 227

The Importance of Movement 227
How Animation Works 228
The Animation Process 230
Frames and Flies 231
The Frame Icons 231
The Frames Panel 232
Editing Flies 234
The Time Select Panel 237
A Sample Time Operation 239
Linking Flies 244
The Flic Menu 244
Creating Composite Flies 245
Joining Flies 250
Special Effects 257
8 Animating Type 269
The Titling Panel 269

Using the Text Buffer 271
Specifying Movement 273
Increments of Movement 274
Justification 275
Counting Frames 2 78
Do Titling 279
A Sample Text Animation Sequence 279

xiv
Contents
9 Changing Colors Over Time 295
Animating Color 295

The Fit Button 295
Fade to Black 296
An Exercise in Fading 296
False Colors 303
Blending Colors 305
The Movement Buttons 305
An Exercise in Blending 306
Color Cycling 311
An Exercise in Color Cycling 312
10 Automated Movement Features 317
Polymorphic Tweening 317

The Tween Button 319
Creating a Tweening Sequence 320
Tweening Like a Pro 323
3-D Transformation Theory 333
Three-Dimensional Space 334
The Basic 3-D Transformation Process 338
The Element Menu 339
The Presets Menu 340
The Movement Menu 342
Applying a 3-D Transformation 344
The Optics Panel 349
Transformation Types 351
Dynamic Transformations 352
Changing the Starting Orientation 355
The Transformation Determinants 357
The Axis Slider Bar 358
Spin Determinants 359
Size Determinants 362
Move Determinants 364
Path Determinants 365
11 Cel Animation 371
Cel Animation Theory 371
xv
The Story Line 373

The Storyboard 375
The Cel Animation Process 375
The Trace Menu 376

A Sample Cel Animation Sequence 378
p A R T
Input and Output
12 Converting Artwork from Other

Environments 3 93
The Converter 393

Transferring Images to the PC 3 94
Convertible File Types 395
Using the Converter 395
Loading Files 396
Adjusting a Converted Picture 399
Viewing and Saving Files 408
The FLimaker 409

Saving an AutoCAD Slide 410
Saving an AutoSketch Slide 410
Saving an AutoShade Slide or Rendering 410
Creating a File List 411
Converting the File 412
xvi
Contents
a
13 Ca turing Photographic Images
an Artwork 415
Using Digitized Images 415

Enhancing Scanned Images 418
Combining Scans 418
Special Effects 421
Input Devices 423
The Jovian VIA 424
The Targa 16 425
Scanning Devices 426
14 Playing Animations On-Screen 429
Using the Player Utility 430

The Player Menu 430
The File Menu 431
The File Selector Panel 432
The Frame Control Panel 436
Keyboard Lock 437
Using Scripts 438
Flic Scripts 438
Adding Pictures 439
Additional Scripting Code 440
Scripting Options 441
15 Recording Flies to Film or Videotape 445
Film Recording 445

Print and Shoot 446
Filming Considerations 446
Recording to Videotape 447
VGA to NTSC 447
Recording Your Flic 448
Video Output Devices 449
The Targa 16 449
VGA/NTSC Board Combos 450
The VIN Controller 450
xvii
A P P E N D X E S
A Installing and Configuring Autodesk

Animator 453
B Error Messages 469
C Guide to Peripherals and Utilities 477
Index 483
xviii
Acknowledgments
My heartfelt thanks to the people at Howard W. Sams for their help in
this project, including Richard Swadley, Marie Butler-Knight, and the
extremely capable, occasionally clairvoyant Justine Couts. Also thanks
to Bill Gladstone for getting the project off the ground.
For technical support, thanks to Rick, Brian, and Kathy at
Autodesk, Inc.
On this, the eleventh project, our continued appreciation goes out
to RD, SR, JG, AE, and JM.
Thanks to CMD for sharing his hovel and his pretzels. May your
garage forever remain an impenetrable fortress.
A special thanks to Don Sr. for the camcorder and to Virginia for
putting up with the mess on the pool table.
xix
Introduction:
An OvervielV of
Autodesk Animator
This section introduces you to Animator's principal features and func
tions. If you have not yet used this software or seen it demonstrated,
you will find this information useful in assessing Animator's ability to
meet your specific needs. However, if you already know what Anima
tor can do and can't wait to begin using it, skip to Chapter 1.
Using Autodesk Animator
Animator doubles as a Animator is a powerful artist's tool for drawing original artwork and
powerful painting enhancing scanned images. These can then be combined to create im
program and a sophisti
pressive video presentations, the kind that only a few years ago would
cated animation
package.
have been unthinkable for any company or individual operating on a
limited budget.
Animator has broken down the process of creating professional
quality presentations into three parts:
Painting on the PC. Still images are created and manipulated

using Animator's highly specialized painting tools, whose capabil
ities rival and even surpass those offered by the most sophisti
cated painting programs currently available for the PC.
xxi
Animation . Images are transformed in gradual steps, then stored

as frames, like the frames in a movie reel. Animator plays these
frames in a specified order to create the illusion of movement and
life.
Input and O utput. Photographic images and backgrounds are
added using a scanner or video camera connected to a video cap
ture board. The final animation can be recorded to videotape or
film or played directly on any PC with a VGA-compatible moni
tor.
Each of these parts is introduced in more detail in the sections

that follow.
Painting on the PC
In the vernacular of personal computers, a painting is an image created
by assigning a color to each of the thousands of points on your com
puter's screen. These colored points are called pixels. In Animator, the
screen is divided into 320 pixels horizontally by 200 pixels vertically,
for a total of 64,000 pixels per painted image. Viewed from a slight dis
tance, these pixels fuse to form a single picture. Figure 1 shows an Ani
mator painting viewed both from a normal distance and in magnified
detail with individual pixels of colored light.
Luckily, you don't have to manipulate each of these 64,000 pixels
individually. Animator provides a number of painting tools so that you
can draw on the screen much as you would on a piece of paper. For
example, there is a box tool for creating rectangles, a draw tool for cre
ating freehand lines, and a spray tool for creating airbrush effects.
If you don't like the way a line or effect turns out, you can always
undo your most recent action, returning the screen to its previous ap
pearance. If you want to alter a small detail, you can use Animator's
zoom feature to magnify a specific area of your painting, as in the exam
ple in Figure 1. Zooming allows you to clean up ragged images more
precisely by manipulating individual pixels.
Animator also provides a wide selection of inks so that you can
vary the manner in which color is applied by a tool. For example, if you
draw a line using an opaque ink, the line appears solid, covering images
that lie beneath it. If you switch to a glass ink, the line becomes trans
parent, as if composed of colored glass; the images that lie beneath it are
merely tinted with the new color.
As far as colors are concerned, Van Gogh should have had such a
palette! Animator allows over a quarter million col ors , 256 of which
xxii
Introduction
Figure 1 A typical painting at normal view size and at a

magnified view size that shows individual pixels.
can be used i n a single-screen display. Should you want to alter one of

the 256 colors in your palette without changing the overall appearance
of your painting, you can instruct Animator to remap the screen dis
play to change all screen occurrences of the altered color to the next
closest color. Or if yo u prefer, Animator can change on-screen colors to
reflect your palette changes exactly. Animator also has the capability to
organize colors into clusters so that one color gradually fades into an
other, a simple trick guaranteed to elicit "oohs" and "ahs" from even
seasoned viewers.
Animator's painting aids further facilitate the drawing experience
and make it less time-consuming. For example, you can establish a net
work of grids to help guide the movement of your mouse when con
structing geometric images. Grids are especially useful when creating
charts and technical illustrations. You can paint around a finished im
age using Animator's masking feature, which is similar in technique to
protecting an area with masking tape when operating a traditional air
brush.
Like elements created in any other electronic environment, noth
ing in Animator is etched in stone. An image can be enlarged, or re
duced, or rotated, or even erased, all by choosing a command and
moving your mouse. Figure 2 shows a few examples of Animator's
transformation capabilities.
xx iii
Figure 2 Some of the many transformation possibilities

in Animator.
Animation
After you've established Once you establish the images you want to use, you can make them
your images, you can move. The first step is to determine the number of frames required for
begin to animate.
the length of your animation. This number is by no means fixed; you
can always add or delete frames as the need arises. Next, you specify
the speed at which the frames flash by. Faster speeds create more fluid
animation but require that you draw more frames; slower speeds re
quire less frames (and thus less effort on your part) but produce choppy
animation. The frame speed can be changed at any time.
Finally, you must address the most difficult part of animating: fill
ing in the frames. In traditional (non-computer) animation, each frame
has to be drawn by hand, a technique known as eel animation. Figure 3
and Color Plate 1 show an example of a string of the individually drawn
frames which constitute eel animation.
While the most memorable animated works have been created us
ing this technique almost exclusively, eel animation is extremely diffi
cult and time-consuming. The feature length film Fantasia from the
Disney studios required over 2 00,000 separate original drawings , not
counting the myriad background and foreground images. It's no won
der animation of this caliber is as rare as it is expensive.
Animator allows you to create eel animation if you so desire, and
XXIV
Introduction
Figure 3 Cel animation requires that each frame in an animated

sequence b e drawn individually.
if you have the inclination, time, and talent; you'll be gratified that
technology has lightened the workload a little. For example, if you cre
ate two frames of a bird in flight, one with its wings fully up and one
with wings fully down, you can instruct Animator to create a new com
bined drawing between the two frames, as shown in Figure 4. This
tween frame, as it's called, will include a blue image of the first frame
and a green image of the following frame, allowing you to trace an in
termediate drawing. After you draw your new bird with wings in a
middle position, you instruct Animator to delete the blue and green
tween images, leaving you with a 3-frame animation. You could then
create two more tween frames-one between the first and second
frames and another between the second and third-and so on, until the
animated sequence plays fluidly.
Cel animation is possibly the b e st method of animation but not the
only one. Other animation features in Animator can also produce high
quality effects while doing much of the work for you! For example, you
could use Animator's titling (pronounced "title-ing") options to create
animated text for a presentation. Animator can scroll a block of text
across the screen in any direction, or even produce each letter individ
ually as if it's being typed in. Both of these effects require almost no
effort on your part.
Even more exciting automated effects are possible. Using Anima
tor's color cycling commands, you can change a background gradually
xxv
Figure 4 A tween frame combines images from the frames

before and after it.
from blue to green to yellow, and so on, through a rainbow of colors. Or

you can fade an image or background in or out, allowing for smooth and
effortless transitions between scenes.
For advanced users, Animator approaches some of the boundaries
associated with high-end computer animation. For example, Animator
can automatically enlarge or rotate images along three-dimensional
axes over a span of time . If you define an image as a polygon (any shape
with multiple straight sides), you can instruct Animator to create a s e
quence that alters t h e shape of t h e image entirely. An example of this
process, called polymorphic tweening, is shown in Figure 5 .
I n general, you will find that a mastery of Animator's automated
features and a dash of eel animation technique are the best recipe for
creating efficient and effective presentational sequences.
Input and Output
When it's time to present your animation before an audience, you will
most likely present it on videotape since it is a universal medium. Ani
mator has the capability to transfer images from and to videotape, pro
vided you own or have access to the proper hardware. For example,
photographs and artwork can b e imported using a flat-bed scanner. The
photo is laid face down on the scanner's glass surface; a sensor then
xxvi
Introduction
Figure 5 Polymorphic tweening creates intermediate images

between any two polygons automatically.
reads the image directly onto your computer's screen. Live images can
be captured as well, by linking a video camera to your computer.
Your finished animation can also be recorded on videotape di
rectly from Animator using a standard VCR receiving signals translated
by a video output card. You can then duplicate this original master re
cording to other vid eot apes for promotion or distribution.
Animator includes a Unfortunately, translating animation input and output from the
public domain utility for VGA display of your computer to standard video signals requires spe
playing your animation
cial video boards, cameras, and so on. Purchasing this hardware can be
on any VGA-equipped
difficult or even impossible for those operating on limited funds. Never
PC.
fear, Animator include s AAPLAY.EXE, a projection utility that runs on
any VGA- equipped PC. Best of all, you can distribute this program on a
disk with your animation without paying licensing fees to Autodesk.
A detailed guide to the use of input and output hardware with
Animator is included in Chapters 12 through 1 5 of this book.
Learning Autodesk Animator
If you have used other Autodesk applications in the past, such as the
popular AutoCAD technical drawing application, or i f you have used
xxvii
any PC painting programs like Splash! or Dr. Halo, you will find much
of Animator's environment familiar.
If you haven't used any drawing software before or if you are un
familiar with computers in general, don't worry. Chapter 1 provides a
step-by-step introduction to Animator in which you can get your feet
wet without destroying your computer or your morale. In fact, Chapter
1 is probably the most important portion of this book for beginners.
If you are a more advanced user and have already installed Ani
mator on your hard drive, you should at least skim The Home Window
section of Chapter 1. You can then skip to Chapter 2 where the real
operational discussions begin.
What You've Learned
Animator is a powerful program for creating and animating color

ful pixel-based images (also referred to as bit-mapped images).
Animator's tools, inks, and sophisticated color palette can be used
together to create still images that rival or surpass artwork created
with top-of-the-line PC painting programs.
Animator lightens the workload of traditional eel animation and
provides automatic aids for adding special effects and motion to
text and graphics.
With the proper hardware, Animator can turn your personal com
puter into a desktop video production studio.
Animator provides both a simple interface for beginners and
enough powerful tools and commands to satis fy veteran presenta
tion enthusiasts.
xxviii
p A R T
Painting
on the PC
1
0 N E
Getting Started
This chapter focuses on getting Autodesk Animator up and running on
your computer and becoming familiar with its interface. You will learn
how to use your mouse and keyboard to access Animator's commands
and panels.
This chapter is recommended reading for-users new to drawing
software or to personal computers in general. The chapters which fol
low will draw upon techniques learned i n this chapter.
Installing Autodesk Animator
Before you can use Animator, you must install it on your computer's
hard drive. If you don't have a hard drive, you can install Animator on
two 720K floppy disks or four 360K floppy disks. Although the main
Animator program, AA.EXE, can fit on a single 360K floppy disk, it will
execute faster from a hard drive. Animator will run only on an AT
model PC, or better, that is equipped with a VGA video board and mon
itor and a Microsoft-compatible mouse. Users with CGA or EGA equip
ment will need to upgrade their hardware before running Animator.
(Contact your local computer dealer for more information.) If you use a
non-Microsoft mouse or a drawing tablet, refer to Appendix A at the
end of this book for specific configuration instructions.
If Animator is already installed on your computer, you can skip to
the Starting Autodesk Animator section of this chapter.
If you have not installed Animator, you will need to complete the
Quick Installation steps.
3
Painting on the PC
Quick Installation
The steps which follow explain briefly how to install Animator on your
computer's hard drive. If you want to install Animator on floppy disks
or if you have questions about any step, refer to Appendix A.
1 . Get the four floppy disks included in the original software package
or four copies of these disks.
2. If you have not done so already, turn on your computer and load
the operating system. (Most PCs with hard drives are set up, or
configured, to load MS-DOS or some other operating system auto
matically after you turn on the computer.) The standard DOS c>
prompt should appear on your screen.
3. If you want to install Animator on a drive other than the standard
C drive, change to that drive by typing the drive letter followed by
a colon (such as d : ) and pressing Enter.
4. Make a new direc tory for the Animator program by typing
md \ a n i m a t o r and pressing Enter.
5. Change this directory to the current directory by typing
c d \ a n i ma t o r and pressing Enter.
6. Your Animator package includes either four 360K disks or two
720K disks. Insert the disk labeled "Disk 1 " into your computer's
A drive. Type copy a : * . * and press Enter to copy all files from Disk
1 to the current directory.
7. Repeat step 6 for the remaining disks.
The unpack1 and 8. After copying all disks, type u n p a c k 1 and press Enter. This runs a
unpack2 files contain utility program which converts the animation and picture files in
the sample pictures and
Animator to a useable form. If your version of Animator included
animation sequences
used throughout this
four 360K disks (rather than two 720K disks), type unpac k2 and
book. press Enter after unp a c k 1 has finished.
You have now installed Animator in the current directory on your

hard drive. To retrieve some space on your hard disk, remove any dis
kettes from your diskette drives, then type de l unp a c k 1 . e x e . If you used
360K diskettes in your installation, type de L unpa c k 2 . e x e after you have
finished deleting UNPACK1 .EXE.
Starting Autodesk Animator
To use Animator, you must first change to the directory that contains
t he program. If you installed Animator according to the preceding
4
1-Getting Started
steps, you can enter the proper directory by typing cd\animator and
pressing Enter. If you did not follow these steps when you installed Ani
mator, or someone else installed the program for you, your directory
may have a different name. If, for example, the directory was named aa,
as suggested in the Animator manual, you will need to type cd\aa. If
your computer does not have a hard drive, insert the disk containing
the AA.EXE file into a floppy drive, and change to that drive by typing
the drive letter followed by a colon (such as b:) and pressing Enter.
Now type aa and press Enter. This tells DOS to launch the Anima
tor program.
Did It Work?
If you have launched Animator successfully, your computer screen
will display a window like the one shown in Figure 1.1. Unlike other
programs that run on the PC, Animator requires no special configura
tion before it's used for the first time. If the window in Figure 1.1 is
displayed, proceed to the Using a Mouse or Tablet section.
If the message Bad command or file name appears instead of the An
imator window, this means the AA.EXE file is missing from the current
directory. You are either in the wrong directory or the program has not
been installed. You may need to consult with the person who installed
Figure 1.1 The Home window appears after Animator has been
l a unche d successfully.
5
Painting on the PC
Animator to find out where the AA.EXE file is located. Or reinstall Ani
mator according to the instructions in the Quick Installation section.
If the normal DOS messages disappear and a large message
reading I n s e r t d i s k e t t e for d r i v e D : (or some other drive letter) and
s t r i ke any key when ready appears, j ust press Enter to dispense with it.
Other similar messages may appear directly below this message. Sim
ply press Enter in response to each such message; the Animator win
dow will appear eventually.
These messages most often occur if your PC is connected to a net
work and if you use communications software such as Tops. Animator
isn't smart enough to compensate for extra drives established i n the
CONFIG.SYS file by networking utilities. Be reassured there's nothing
wrong with your computer or with Animator, nor is there a need to
change your CONFIG.SYS file.
Using a Mouse or Tablet
If you are already familiar with a mouse or drawing tablet, and under
stand the difference between operations such as clicking, double
clicking, and dragging, skip to The Horne Panel section. Otherwise, read
on.
Mouse Operations
A mouse can have two or three buttons. If it is a three-button mouse,
the center button is inoperative inside Animator. Only the left and
right buttons can operate and modify the program's many options.
If you haven't used a mouse before, you may want to consult the
manual that came with it for specific instructions. Get a feel for the
mouse by moving it around. Position the mouse in relation to your
computer so that it is easily accessible. Some Animator functions don't
require a mouse, so you will be switching your right or left hand back
and forth between the keyboard and the mouse on a regular basis. The
mouse should be in easy reach so you don't have to grope around.
In this book, the terms Now press the left mouse button, then immediately release it.
clicking and left-clicking This quick pressing motion is called clicking. Clicking the left mouse
are synonymous.
button is also called left-clicking. L ikewise, if you click the right mouse
button, you are right-clicking. Other clicking variations are possible. If
you press and release the mouse button twice in rapid succession, you
are double-clicking. You can also press a key on the keyboard while
clicking with the mouse. All clicking variations are performed with the
mouse s ta tion a ry .
6
1-Getting Started
In addition, there are two basic mouse movements. An instruction

to move the mouse means to move it without pressing a button. An
instruction to drag the mouse means to press a mouse button, move the
mouse, then release the button. All drags in Animator are performed
using the left mouse button.
Double-click
Figure 1.2 Operating the mouse.
If the mouse does not seem to be operating correctly from the out
set, it may not be configured correctly. Refer to the Configuring
Autodesk Animator discussion in Appendix A. If the mouse stops work
ing after you've been using it for a while, it more likely needs cleaning
or servicing. Refer to the documentation included with it or call the
dealer from whom the mouse was purchased.
Tablet Operations
If you are accustomed to drawing with a standard pencil or pen and
can't get comfortable with the mouse, you may want to use a digitizing
tablet. Many users find tablets easier to draw with since they utilize an
ele ctronic stylus about the size and wei ght of a large pen. This stylus is
1
Painting on the PC
attached to a flat sensory device, the tablet itself. The tablet tracks the
stylus as it's drawn across the face of the tablet.
Tablets are also sold with an alternate tracking device called a
puck. Generally larger than a mouse, a puck includes several buttons
and has a clear reticle attached to its top, which is used similarly to the
sights on a gun to position the puck accurately. Like a stylus, a puck is
connected to the tablet by a cord. Due to its bulky size, a puck is re
served primarily for tracing hand-drawn artwork or photographs, or for
creating technical drawings.
Animator supports only Summagraphics Corporation's Summa
Sketch MM1 201, or a compatible tablet. For information on configuring
your tablet, refer to the Configuring Autodesk Animator discussion in
Appendix A.
How you operate the tablet depends on whether you're using a
puck or a stylus. If you are using a stylus, follow these instructions:
To click, press the stylus nib against the tablet surface and quickly
release.
To right-click, press the button on the barrel of the stylus and
quickly release.
To drag, press down on the stylus, move the stylus, then lift up,
just as if you were drawing a line on a sheet of paper.
If you are using a puck, operate the tablet as follows:
To click, press the white button on the l eft side of the puck and
quickly release.
To right-click, press the green button on the right side of the puck
and quickly release.
To drag, press the white button, move the pen, then release the
button.
You can use Animator equally well with either a mouse or a tab
let; any operation performed with a mouse can also be performed with
a tablet. However, to simplify future discussions, the term mouse will
be used generically to refer to either input device.
The Home Window
When Animator first launches, and before you choose any commands
or perform any other actions, it displays the Hom e window, a view of
8
1-Getting Started
your animation document. Also known simply as home, this window

contains the following elements, which are labeled in Figure 1.3:
The cursor. A small white plus sign tracks the movement of

the mouse. Notice that when you move the mouse, the cursor
moves too.
The drawing area. The area in the middle of the window always
contains the current painting.
The menu bar. Moving the cursor over the names at the top of the
screen displays menus of commands that can be used to load files,
create special effects, and so on.
The Home panel. The main control panel at the bottom of the win
dow contains buttons used to access tools, inks, and colors, and
play animation se quences.
To get back to the Home If you clicked on any b uttons or chose any commands after
window from any other launching Animator, the window may not look right. The menu bar
window, press the
may contain different names or have disappeared entirely, or the panel
Spacebar one or more
times.
at the bottom of the window may look different. If this is the case, move
the mouse so that the cursor appears anywhere inside the drawing
area. Then click the right mouse button. See how the screen changes?
Keep right-clicking inside the drawing area until the Home panel reap
pears. If you click the right mouse button one too many times, both the
Figure 1.3 Elements of the Home window.
9
Painting on the PC
menu bar and the Home panel will disappear, leaving only a blank
drawing area. Just right-click again to bring everything back.
Pressing the Spacebar performs the same function as right
clicking in the drawing area; it gets you home or hides menus and
panels. The only exception to this is when you are entering text using
the text tool; pressing the Spacebar then creates a normal space.
The Cursor
The cursor is the most important element in the window. It allows you
to draw, choose commands, select options, click on buttons-in short,
the cursor is your visual guide to all actions that you perform with the
mouse.
Move the mouse and notice how the cursor moves with it. If the
cursor is over the drawing area, dragging with the mouse will create
lines and shapes on the screen. If the cursor is over the menu bar, click
ing with the mouse will choose commands. And if the cursor is inside a
panel, clicking will activate buttons. Try this: Position the cursor over
the rounded box containing the word "Fill" in the Home panel. Now
click the left mouse button. The Fill button lights up because the cursor
was over that button when you clicked. Now position the cursor over
the drawing area and click. The entire drawing area becomes a light
blue. Though you may not understand what you're doing yet, it should
be apparent that the same mouse operation produces different effects
depending on the location of the cursor.
The Drawing Area
The drawing area is the locus of all artwork and animation. Imagine the
drawing area as a sketch pad on which the menu bar and Home panel
are resting. In fact, the menu bar and Home panel cover some of the
drawing area. To display the entire drawing area, move the cursor in
side the drawing area and click the right mouse button. The menu bar
and Home panel disappear. Right-click again to bring them back.
You can create images on the obscured parts of the drawing area
even though a menu bar or panel is displayed. Try this: Position the
cursor over the Draw button in the Home panel and click on it so that it
lights up. Then click on the orange square in the top row of color boxes
in the center of the panel. A light red outline will appear around it.
Move the cursor into the middle of the drawing area and drag by hold
ing down the left mouse button; then move the cursor around. Notice
that an orange line follows the cursor. Drag downward, still keeping the
10
1-Getting Started
mouse button pressed, until the cursor goes into the Home panel; then
drag up again, as in Figure 1.4. Now release the mouse button. Right
click in the drawing area to hide the Home panel, and you will see that
you have drawn a line that dips below the area previously covered by
the panel, as shown in Figure 1.4.
Figure 1.4 A line can be drawn i n the sections of the drawing

area that are covered by a menu bar or panel.
Mastering the movement of the cursor is fundamental to drawing

on-screen. For new users, this will require time and experimentation.
Drawing with an obj ect the size of a mouse may be awkward at first,
but with practice, it b ecomes s e c ond natu r e.
The Menu Bar

To execute a menu The menu bar contains the names of seven menus: Animator, Flic, Pie,
command, position the Cel, Trace, Swap, and Extra, Each menu offers a different set of com
cursor over the
mands for controlling different aspects of your painting or animation.
command name and
click. You can view a menu by positioning the cursor over the menu name or
by pressing the key corresponding to the first letter in the menu name.
For example , press the F key. Notice that the Flic menu is now dis
played.
Each command in a menu performs a specific function, indicated
by its name, when you choose i t Choosing a command whose name is
11
Painting on the PC
Figure 1.5 Menus and panels can be hidden to display

the entire drawing area.
followed by an ellipsis (. . .) will produce a special menu or panel that

asks you to provide Animator with more information before the com
mand is performed. Commands without ellipses execute immediately.
If you use the mouse to display a menu, a red rectangle will sur
round, or highlight, the current command as you move the cursor up
and down the menu. Click the left button to choose the highlighted
command. To hide a menu displayed using the mouse, move the cursor
off the menu and away from the menu bar.
If you display a menu by pressing a key, such as pressing the F key
to display the Flic menu, you must use the keyboard thereafter to
choose a command, again by pressing the key corresponding to the first
letter in the command name. For example, press the F key to display
the Flic menu, then press the R key to choose the Reset command. An
alert box will appear, warning you that you are about to do something
drastic. In this case, the message reads Reset to de fau L t . f l x ? , meaning
you're about to reset options in the Home panel and elsewhere. Since
you haven't changed any options so far, feel free to click either the Yes
or No button to hide the alert box. Or press the Y or N key, since press
ing keys also activates buttons in all alert boxes and in some panels.
To hide a menu displayed by pressing a key, click either the left or
right button of the mouse. Or press any key that does not correspond to
the first letter in a command name.
12
1-Getting Started
Notice that some commands have a letter displayed to the right of

them. For example, to the right of the New command in the Flic menu
is an "N''. Any command labeled similarly can b e accessed without
first displaying its menu by pressing the key corresponding to the dis
played letter, even when a different menu is displayed. To try this, move
the cursor over the word "Swap" in the m enu bar to display the Swap
menu. Notice that no command in this menu begins with an "N", Now
press the N key. An alert box will appear with the message New fl i c -
abandon current fl i c?, indicating that you have successfully chosen
the New command. Press the Y or N key to hide the alert box.
Note: If you displayed the Swap menu by pressing the S key, press
ing the N key does not choose the New command but hides the menu.
This is because Animator is interpreting the N key in combination with
the S key. The key combination "SN" doesn't mean anything to Anima
tor, so it simply hides all menus.
Gray commands or Press the S key again to display the Swap menu, shown in Figure
buttons are dimmed, 1.6. Notice that the last four commands in the menu appear dimmed
indicating that they are
(gray) rather than solid black. Choosing a dimmed command has no
not available under
effect. This is because dimmed commands are not applicable to the cur
current circumstances.
rent situation. For example, in this situation, an item must be clipped
before it can be traded, pasted, viewed, or released. Only after you draw
an image and then choose the Clip command will all commands in the
Swap menu become solid black.
The Home Panel
The Home panel is the main control panel for using Animator. It allows
you to access drawing tools, inking effects, and colors, as well as to play
and design animation.
The rectangular shapes with words or letters inside them are
called buttons. All buttons in the Home panel fall into one of five cate
gories, as shown in Figure 1.7:
The Home button.

The command buttons, including Zoom and Undo.
The tool buttons, including Draw, Box, Poly, Text, Spray, and Fill.
The ink buttons, including Opaque, V Grad, Glass, Scrape, Soften,
and Tile.
The mode buttons, including Filled (F), Time (T), Mask (M), and
Clear Key Color (K) .
Generally, clicking on a button selects that button. This is true for

all tool, ink, and mode buttons. When you select a button, it becomes
1J
Painting on the PC
highlighted; that is, the button turns white and the word or letter inside
the button turns red.
Figure 1.6 Dimmed commands appear gray rather than black,

which indicates that they cannot be chosen.
Command butto ns Mode buttons
Tool buttons I n k butto ns
l 1
Figure 1 . 7 C ategories of buttons in the Home panel.
14
1-Getting Started
Selecting a button gives it control over how images are created in

the drawing area or how commands affect your animation. For exam
ple, if you select the Draw button, dragging the cursor across the draw
ing area will create a free-form line. But if you select the Spray tool, the
cursor will act as an airbrush, creating a pattern of loose pixels as you
drag.
Only one button at a time can be selected from among either the
tool or ink buttons. If. for example, you select the Box tool button, the
Draw, Poly, Text, Spray, and F ill buttons become deselected. Likewise,
if you select the Glass button, all other ink buttons become deselected.
This is not true for the other categories of buttons. As many as four
mode buttons can be selected at a time; selecting one button does not
deselect any others. Instead, you both select and deselect a mode but
ton by clicking it. If a button is not highlighted, clicking on it will select
it. If it is highlighted, clicking a button will deselect it.
Like commands, buttons may appear dimmed. Notice that the let
ter "M" inside the Mask button is gray rather than black. Clicking on
this button will not select it because, for now, it does not apply to your
drawing. As soon as conditions warrant the use of this button, the "M"
will change from gray to black.
T he Zoom and Undo buttons are special command buttons.
Rather than selecting these buttons, you click on Zoom or Undo to pro
duce an immediate effect. For example, clicking the Undo button elimi
nates your most recent action. Both buttons are explained fully in
Chapter 2.
To return a panel to its Many panels in Animator have a title button like the Home but
original location on the ton. Its darker color indicates that it's the name of the current panel.
screen, right-click its
You can also click on this button to move the panel. Click on the Home
title button.
button. A dotted rectangle will appear in place of the panel, indicating
its present location. Now move the cursor upward. The dotted rectan
gle follows along, as shown in Figure 1.8. When you are satisfied with
your positioning, click again to display the panel at its new location, as
shown in Figure 1. 9.
There are other interesting items inside the Home panel besides
buttons. These include the following color and animation controls,
shown in Figure 1.10:
You can select from any of the seven colors in the mini-palette.
Or you can select one of the slices of color in the cluster box.
The current color indicator displays the color selected above.
The key color indicator displays the current background color; in
this example, black.
15
Painting on the PC
Figure 1.8 Moving the Home panel by first clicking

the Home button.
Figure 1.9 Establishing the Home panel at its new location

by clicking again.
16
1-Getting Started
The brush shape indicator controls the width of lines created with
the Draw tool and other tools.
You can play animation or access a specific frame in an animated
sequence using one of the frame icons.
Current color
Cluster box indicator
Frame Key color Brush color --

icons indicator indicator
l Mini-palette
1
r "
r====" l::::"J. OPA-UE)
kLl' 't--J)} ... . s
Figure 1.10 Color and animation controls in the Home panel.
All of these controls are discussed in detail in future chapters. In

general, the mini-palette and cluster box colors operate similarly to the
tool or ink buttons. Clicking a color selects it. Only one color from all of
the colors in the mini-palette and the cluster box can be selected at a
tim e. (You can even select the key color indicator, deselecting all other
colors.) A selected color in the mini-palette or key color indicator is
surrounded by a red outline. A selected color in the cluster box re
ceives a small white dot and a small black dot . Jn either case, the se
lected color is displaye d in the current color indicator.
The brush shape indicator and the frame icons operate similarly
to the Zoom and Undo buttons: clicking one of these icons does not
select it but produces an immediate effect. If you click on the brush
shape indicator, the single-pixel dot changes to a larger dot. Dragging
with the Draw tool inside the drawing area will now create a thicker
line. If you click on the brush shape indicator again, the brush will re
turn to its former single-pixel size.
17 .
Painting on the PC
The gray box in the center of the frame icons is the current frame
indicator. In your case, it probably reads 1 , indicating that you're at the
first frame. Since you haven't created any other frames, this is also the
only frame. If you had created some other frames, you could click one
of the arrow icons to move to a different frame.
If you're anxious to experiment with these buttons, complete the
exercise in the next section.
Quick Animation
For a glimpse at how to use the animation controls, follow the steps
outlined below. These steps are designed only to get your feet wet. If
you're afraid you'll get in over your head, you can skip to the Quitting
Autodesk Animator section. Then again, you've come this far. Why not
have some fun?
1. Before you can play an animation, you either have to make an

animated sequence yourself or borrow someone else's. Luckily,
the Animator disks you installed earlier include sample movies.
Press the F key to display the Flic menu. Then press the F key
again to choose the Files . . . command. This command allows you
to access files created in Animator.
2. The Files panel appears. Click on the Load button or press the L
key. This allows you to load an Animator file into the program.
3. A panel labeled Load a F l i c? appears. On the left-hand side of the
panel is a list of pre-created animation sequences. Click on the last
name in the list, Ti g e r c a t . f l i , and press Enter.
4. After loading the file, Animator returns you to the Files panel.
Don't worry that the drawing area appears empty. The first frame
in this sequence is simply blank. Right-click in the drawing area
above the Files panel or press the Spacebar to return home.
5. Now to play with the frame icons. Notice that the current frame
indicator reads 1, indicating that you're at the first frame . Click on
the right-most frame icon, the one that looks like an arrow point
ing down. This takes you to the last frame in the sequence . Since
the current frame indicator now reads 44, there are 44 frames in
this animation.
6. Click the icon directly to the left of the down arrow, the one that
looks like a double arrow. This is the play button. The panel and
menu bar disappear, and a cat runs across the screen. It takes 44
frames to make the cat go by one time, although the animation
will continue to play over and over again. Once you've seen the
18
1-Getting Started
cat go by enough times, right-click with the mouse or press the

Spacebar to return home.
Quitting Autodesk Animator
To quit Animator If you want to use a different program, or i f you want to stop working on
quickly, press the Q key, your computer altogether, you must first quit the Animator program.
then the Y key at the
This will take you back to your computer's operating system, presum
Home window.
ably DOS. To quit, you must choose the Quit command from the Ani
mator menu on the menu bar. You can do this in three different ways:
1. Move the cursor over the word Animator in the menu bar to dis
play the Animator menu. Next, move the cursor to the bottom of
the command list so that the Quit command is highlighted (out
lined in red), then click. If you move the cursor down too far and
the menu disappears, move the cursor over the Animator menu
label and try again.
2. Or simply press the A key to display the Animator menu, then
press the Q key to choose Quit.
3. Or, even simpler, just press the Q key. Since the Quit command is
followed by a Q in the Animator menu, you can press this key to
choose the command without displaying a menu.
After you choose the Quit command successfully, an alert box ap

pears, querying you Exit Autodesk Animator? CYou have unsaved
changes.). This is Animator's way of making sure that you aren't quit
ting the program by mistake. Animator is warning you that if you quit,
all of the work you have created so far will be lost. Assuming none of
the work you've done so far is worth saving, press the Y key or click the
Yes button to complete the command. If you've been working ahead
and have already created a masterpiece, good for you! Press the N key
and skip to Chapter 2 to l earn how to save your artwork.
What You've Learned
If you don't quite understand the purpose of every element in the menu
bar or Home panel, don't worry; all items are explained in more detail
in future chapters. At this point, it's only imp ortant that you under-
19
Painting on the PC
stand the general workings of the Home window. In this chapter, you
learned the following:
Before you can use Animator, you must install it on your com
puter.
To launch Animator from your hard drive, type cd\ followed by
the name of the directory in which the Animator program is
stored (for example, cd\ani mator) and press Enter. Then type the
command aa and press Enter.
To launch Animator from a floppy disk, insert the Animator disk
containing the file AA.EXE in the floppy drive, enter the letter for
the floppy drive followed by a colon (such as a : ) and press Enter.
Then type the command aa and press Enter.
There are four basic mouse operations: clicking, right-clicking,
moving, and dragging. All clicking variations require that you
keep the mouse. stationary. Moving and dragging require that you
move the mouse.
If you get lost, you can always return to the Home window by
clicking the right mouse button in the drawing area or by pressing
the Spacebar. If the Home panel doesn't appear, continue right
clicking or pressing the Space bar until it does. Both right-clicking
and pressing the Spacebar also hide the menu bar and Home panel
so that you can view the entire drawing area.
The on-screen cursor tracks the movement of the mouse continu
ally.
The drawing area takes up the entire screen, including portions
covered by the menu bar and the Home panel.
You can display any menu by typing the first letter in the menu
name or by positioning the cursor over the menu nam e . If you
display a menu using the k eyboard, you choose a command by
typing the first letter in the command name. If you display a
menu using the mouse, you must click on th e command name to
choose it.
Some buttons, including those in alert boxes, can be activated by
typing the first letter in the button name.
The names of dimmed commands and buttons appear gray rather
than black, indicating that they are not applicable under current
conditions.
Only one tool, one ink, and one color can be selected at a time.
You can move the Home panel by clicking on the Home button. A
dotted rectangle, which you can move up and down with the
20
1-Getting Started
mouse, will then appear in the panel's place. When the dotted rec
tangle is positioned where you want the panel to appear, click,
and the panel will reappear in its new location. Right-click the
Home button to return the panel to the bottom of the window.
Animator displays an alert box when you quit the program to
warn you about any unsaved changes.
21
T w 0
The Basics of
Creating a
Painting
This chapter provides an opportunity for you to experiment with some
of the basic painting features i n Animator. You will learn how to utilize
these features and also acquire some time-saving techniques.
If you quit Animator as recommended at the end of Chapter 1, you
will need to launch i t again before you can experiment with the pro
gram. Change to the directory containing the Animator files using the
cd\ command, then type aa and press Enter to launch the program.
After a moment, the Home window will appear on the screen .
Loading
. a Picture
Start by loading an image included with the Animator program onto

the screen. You can then view and edit the image using the tools, inks,
and colors found in the Home panel.
The Pie Menu
Move the cursor over the word "Pie" in the menu bar to display the Pie
menu, as shown in Figure 2 .1. All commands in this menu affect still
images, or pictures. These commands are as follows:
Clear. Choose this command or press the X key to erase the cur
rent picture. The entire screen will become black (or some other
color if you've changed the key color).
23
Painting on the PC
Restore. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the

R key, to restore the frame to its original state. All changes to the
current frame, including loading a new picture file, will be erased.
Apply Ink. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by
the A key, to paint the entire picture with the currently selected
ink.
Separate. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by
the S key, to search for all occurrences of one or more specified
colors in your drawing area and replace them with the current
color. Then click or drag in the drawing area to select the colors to
be changed.
Choose the View View. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the V
command to display the key, to hide the Home panel, menu bar, and cursor, and display
entire drawing area and
the entire drawing area. This command is somewhat redundant,
hide the cursor as well.
since you can accomplish a similar result by right-clicking in the
drawing area or by pressing the Spacebar.
Files. . . . Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the F
key, to display the Files panel, which is used to load or save pic
ture files.
Don't worry if you don't fully understand these commands. All

but two of them are covered in more detail later in this chapter. The
other two commands, Separate and Apply Ink, are covered in C hapters
3 and 4, respectively.
Figure 2.1 The Pie menu.
24
2-The Basics of Creating a Painting
With the Pie menu displayed, position the cursor over the Files . . .
command and click to choose it. The Home panel and menu bar disap
pear and the Files panel displays in place of the Home panel, as in Fig
ure 2 . 2, which indicates that you are now i n the Files window. Notice
that the cursor still appears as a small white plus sign tracking the
movements of the mouse, and that the drawing area remains black in
the background. The cursor and drawing area are the two constants
which carry over from the Home window into all other windows in
Animator.
J[
- + - ))'-+- I F IFLIC
CTURE I J:::=::;;;:; F; O ::;T
;;; N ;: :: I !SETTINGSI
; =:
( LOAD J [ EX IT ) I CEL 11 POLYGON [I MASK
'
( SAVE ) (,DELETE ) I PALETTE I { . PATH 11 RECORD
Figure 2.2 Choosing the Files ... command displ ays

the Files window.
T h e Files Panel
The Files panel allows you to load, save, and delete files. Animator uses
many different kinds of files, which are discussed throughout this
book. For now, you will be loading a picture file.
Shown in Figure 2 . 3, the Files panel includes the following ele
ments:
Click the Files button to move the Files panel to a different loca
tion on the screen. Click again to display the panel in its new posi
tion.
25
Painting on the PC
The frame icons in the Like the frame icons in the Home panel, the frame icons in the
Files panel let you vie w Files panel allow you to play animation and view frames.
an animated sequence
so you can make sure Click the Load button or press the L key to select a picture to load
you 're opening the right into the drawing area.
file.
Click the Save button or press the S key to save the picture in the
drawing area to disk.
Click the Exit button, press the E key, or right-click in the drawing
area to hide the Files panel and return to the Home window.
Click the Delete key or press the D key to select a picture to delete
from a floppy disk or hard drive directory.
The file type buttons indicate the type of file you intend to load,
save, or delet e . The Picture button is highlighted currently,
allowing you to load a still image. Selecting any file type button
deselects all others.
Frame icons File type buttons
Figure 2.3 Buttons in the Files panel.
The File Selector Panel
The title bar of the file Click on the Load button or press the L key to load a picture file. The
selector panel displays Files panel will be replaced by the file selector panel, which provides a
the action to be taken.
list of picture files that can be loaded into the drawing are a . The title
You are precluded from
performing other actions.
bar at the top of the panel should read Load a Pi c t u re? as shown in
Figure 2 . 4 . Under different circumstances, it might read Save a Pi c-
26
ture? or Delete a Picture?, since the title bar also appears when you
click the Save or Delete button in the Files panel.
Figure 2.4 The file selector panel.
In panels with title bars, The title bar of the file selector panel works like the Home button
click the title bar to in the Home panel. You can click on the title bar to move it to a new
move the panel up and
location in the drawing area. After you move the panel, you click again
down on the screen.
to fix it in place.
Other elements in the file selector panel are as follows:
The scrolling file list contains the names of all files in the current
directory (plus the names of any subdirectories under the current
directory) that match the current file type. For example, if the title
bar reads Load a Picture?, the scrolling list will contain picture
file names only.
The drive and directory buttons allow you to change drives and
directories.
The Fi le: option contains the name of the file currently selected
in the scrolling file list.
The Dir: option displays the current path. If you followed the
directions for installing Animator in Chapter 1, the path will read
c:\animator, indicating that you're currently in the Animator
directory on the C drive.
27
Painting on the PC
The Wi L dcard: option displays the extension name corresponding

to the current file type. For example, since it now reads * . g i f, the
file selector will display only those files in the scrolling list with
gif extensions.
Click the + button to Click the OK, Cancel, or + button to exit the file selector panel
add a number to the end and return to the Files panel. As you might have guessed, the OK
of a file name as you
button loads the file selected in the scrolling list, and the Cancel
load it. This creates a
series of sequentially
button cancels the loading operation. The less obvious + button
numbered pictures for appends a number to the file name (or if a number already exists,
later use in animation. it increases the number by one) and loads the file with the new
name .
A series of file names ending with the gif extension should ap

pear in the scrolling file list. If no file appears in this list, you may have
stored the sample Animator files on another drive or directory. Click a
drive button (A : , B : , C : , and so on) to search other floppy disks or hard
drive partitions. Click the button labeled to back up one current di
rectory to the drive or directory in which the current directory resides.
Or click the root directory button (\) to exit all subdirectories. The D i r :
option box will update the name o f the current path a s you change
drives and directories.
If you cannot locate any picture files ending in a . g i f extension,
you probably installed Animator incorrectly. Refer to Appendix A for
an explanation of the complete installation procedure.
To understand the file selector panel better, complete the follow
ing experiment:
You cannot select 1. Position the cursor inside the D i r : option box, then click. The
buttons or menus from thin vertical line inside the option box changes to a rectangle,
the keyboard when a
called a text entry marker. Any letters that you type now appear in
text entry marker
appears on the screen.
the Di r: option box.
2. Press the Backspace key. The marker moves to the left one charac
ter , deleting the r i n c : \animator. Pressing the Backspace key
with the text entry marker activated deletes individual charac
ters.
3 . Now press the Esc key. This clears the entire option box. The Esc
key deletes all characters in an option box containing a text entry
marker.
4. Type c : \ and press Enter. Notice that a text entry marker no
longer appears in the option box. Also, the scrolling list now item
izes the contents of the root directory of your C drive. Files with
.g i f extensions are not likely to be in the root directory, so only
directory names (preceded by \ 's) should appear in the list.
28
5. Click on the name of the directory in the scrolling list containing

the Animator program (\animato r). This takes you back to the
directory, much as a cd\ command would in DOS. Note that the
scrolling list again contains files with g i f extensions.
.
6. Click on the word Dir:. You're back at the root directory. Click
again, and you'll see the previous path name reappear in the
option box. Clicking on Dir: toggles back and forth between the
current path and the most recently entered path name.
7. Now click on the word Wi Ldca rd:. The contents of the Wi Ldca rd:
option box change to*.*, which directs the scrolling list to display
all files in the current directory, regardless of their extensions.
Although many of the files in the list, such as AA. EXE, cannot be
opened in Animator, it's often helpful to view the entire contents
of a dir e ctory or drive.
8. To the left of the scrolling list is a scroll bar. Click on the down
arrow at the bottom of the scroll bar. The arrow becomes high
lighted, and the list scrolls downward one file name. You may
notice that the black box inside the scroll bar (called the scroll
box) shifts slightly downward. Click the down arrow a few more
times, paying special attention to the file nam es and the scroll
box. Then click the up arrow at the top of the scroll bar, and notice
that it has an opposite effect.
9. You can also click inside the empty gray areas above and below
the scroll box. If you click just under the scroll box, the list scrolls
down one entire display, such that the file name after the last
name in the list (prior to clic k ing) now becomes the first name in
the list. Likewise, clicking in the scroll bar above the scroll box
scrolls the list up an entire display.
10 . Now drag the black scroll box itself. The file names scroll up and
down as you drag. This is probably the most efficient method for
locating a file name in a long list.
Clicking on an option in 11. Click on the word Wi ldca rd: again, toggling the contents of the
the file selector panel option box back to *. g if. The scroll box grows to fill a larger por
toggles the contents of tion of the scroll bar since there are fewer files in the list. This is
the option box between
the current specification Animator's way of telling you that the number of files displayed
and an alternate one. represents a large percentage of the total number of files in the
list.
This may seem like a lot to remember just to locate a few files. But
you'll become proficient with the file selector panel in a surprisingly
short period of time.
Now scroll to the bottom of the list of picture file names and select
29
Painting on the PC
wa l k . gi f by clicking on it. Press Enter or click the OK button to load

the file into the computer's memory. After a moment, the file selector
panel disappears and a photographic image of an astronaut space-walk
ing fills the drawing area, as shown in Figure 2 . 5 . The Files panel also
appears at the bottom of the window.
Figure 2.5 The image in the wa l k . g i f file loaded

into the drawing area.
After loading a file, Animator redisplays the Files window, in

stead of returning you immediately to the Home window, so that you
can confirm your selection. If you are satisfied with your selection, as
in this case, click the Exit button, or simply right-click in the drawing
area, or press the Space bar to return home. If you want to make another
selection, click the Load button to redisplay the file selector panel. You
might think of the Files window as a way station where you can view
your selection before accepting it.
Painting a Picture
Mastering Animator's many painting features is a more difficult propo

sition than loading a picture into the drawing area. For this reason,
many of the features you'll experiment with in the rest of this chapter
are explained more fully in Chapters 3, 4, and 5.
30
Drawing and Undrawing

Like most painting programs, Animator provides methods both for
drawing images on the screen and for "undrawing" mistakes. (One of
the easiest ways to delete a mistake is to click the Undo button.) The
following example demonstrates step by step how to draw a simple rec
tangle and then delete it from the screen:
If youcan't remember 1. Select the Box tool by clicking on the Box button in the Home
which buttons are ink panel. Make sure that Opaque is selected from the ink buttons.
buttons or where the
mini-palette is, refer to 2. Select light blue from the mini-palette. (Click in the leftmost of the
Figures 1.1and 1.10 in seven color boxes.)
the previous chapter.
3. Move the cursor to a spot above and to the left of the visor of the
astronaut's helmet. Click at this point to fix the location of one of
the rectangle's four corners.
4. A status line now appears at the top of the screen in place of the
standard menu bar. Move the cursor down and to the right until
the pair of numbers farthest to the right in the status line read 202
90, as shown i n Figure 2.6. Then click to fix the location of the
rectangle's opposite corner.
Figure 2.6 The status line displays the coordinates of the cursor
as you draw .
31
Painting on the PC
5 . A blue rectangle now covers the astronaut's face. Perhaps this is

not the result you anticipated. You wanted to modify the astro
naut's helmet, not obliterate it. All is not lost. Click the Undo but
ton in the lower left corner of the Home panel. The rectangle
disappears and the drawing area appears j ust as it was b efore you
drew the rectangle. Clicking the Undo button always "undoes"
the most recent significant operation.
But what is a "significant operation"? Designed to give you as

much freedom to experiment as possible, the Undo button ignores mi
nor operations, such as hiding or displaying panels. Thus, you can view
a painting in many different ways without changing it permanently.
The following example demonstrates this:
1. Sglect the Box tool if it is not alrgady sglgct9d. Sglgct thg Glass ink
button.
2. Draw a rectangle in the same location as before so that it covers
the astronaut's visor. The result will be another light blue rectan
gle. It will be transparent because you selected the Glass ink.
3. Press the Spacebar to hide the menu bar and Home panel and to
get a better view of your drawing.
4 . Right-click anywhere on the screen to redisplay the menu bar and
Home panel. (Be careful not to left-click in the drawing area, since
this would be interpreted by Animator as a new significant opera
tion!)
5. Display the Pie menu (by moving the cursor over the word "Pie"
in the menu b ar) and choose the Files . . . command. Now click on
the Load b utton in the Files panel.
6. Click on Wi Ldc ard : several times, toggling the option between
* - g i f and * * and back again.
7. Suppose you change your mind and decide not to load a new file
after all. Press the Spacebar twice to return to the Home window.
8. Click the Undo button. The rectangle disappears! Despite hiding
and displaying panels, choosing commands, and toggling options,
you haven't performed one significant operation since you drew
the rectangle. Since you didn't complete the Load operation, Ani
mator ignored the actions leading up to it.
The Undo command is obviously useful. But keep in mind that it

only removes the effect of your most recent manipulation. Suppose you
draw a line. Then you draw another line . As soon as you begin to draw
this second line, you lose the ability to undo the first line. The next
example demonstrates the full potential of the Undo button:
32
A fter you undo an 1. Click Undo again. The transparent rectangle reappears. In this
operation, you cannot instance, your last significant operation was to choose the Undo
undo the operation
command and delete the rectangle. Clicking the Undo button
before it.
twice redoes your previous operation, which was to draw the
transparent rectangle.
Double-click a file name 2. Choose the Files... command from the Pie menu. Click the Load
in the file selector panel button, then double-click on the portra i t . g i t file name in the
if you want to bypass scrolling list. Double-clicking on the file name to load it is the
the OK button when
performing file opera
same as selecting the file name and pressing Enter.
tions. 3. Press the Spacebar twice to hide all menus and panels and display
only the drawing area. Only a woman's face and the cursor appear
on the screen.
To undo an operation 4. Whoops! What were you thinking? You've loaded the wrong file,
without using the and now you want the astronaut back. Press the Backspace key,
mouse, press the
the keyboard equivalent of Undo, and the astronaut will reappear.
Backspace key.
Now that you've loaded a file-a significant operation-you can
no longer undo the blue rectangle you've drawn over the astro
naut's face.
Canceling a Drawing
The Undo button and Backspace key are only one of several ways to
correct a mistake in Animator. For example, Animator allows you to
abandon an image in the middle of creating it simply b y right-clicking.
Try the next example to see how this works:
1. With the Box tool selected, click in the center of the American flag
on the astronaut's shoulder.
2. Move the cursor around the screen. A rectangle with a dotted out
line follows its movements, tracking the size and shape of your
prospective rectangle.
3. Suppose you had wanted to surround the American flag with the
rectangle . By beginning the rectangle in the center of the flag
If you are creating an you've foiled your plans. This wasn't obvious to you at first, but
image with any tool that
requires two clicks to with the aid of the dotted rectangle, it is now. The only way to
complete its operation, surround the flag accurately is to start over.
simply right-click to 4. Now right-click. The dotted rectangle disappears, as does the sta
cancel the creation
tus bar. You have successfully canceled the process of creating an
process.
image with the Box tool.
33
Painting on the PC
Restoring a Picture
What if you make a really big mistake-not just creating an odd rectan
gle or loading the wrong file-but a mistake that entails several mouse
operations? The answer is the Restore command in the Pie menu.
The Restore command restores the drawing area to its appearance
when you entered this frame. This command may seem odd to some
experienced users, since it does not refer to the file as it was last saved.
Rather, it is linked to your use of the frame icons. The following example
demonstrates both how the command works and how it does not work:
1. Select the Draw tool along with the V Grad ink. This tool and ink
combination allows you to create free-form lines in a rainbow of
colors.
2. Click on the brush shape indicator in the top right corner of the
Home panel. This increases the thickness of the single-pixel brush
shape.
3. Press the Spacebar to give yourself a lot of room. Then go to town!
Draw by dragging the cursor across the screen. Create as many
images as you want, the more the better. Notice how your lines
fade from one color to another, as shown in Figure 2 . 7 .
Figure 2 . 7 The V Grad (Vertical Gradation) ink allows you to

create multi-colored lines and shapes.
34
If you can 't remember 4. After you 've expressed yourself sufficiently, press the Spacebar to
how to display a menu display the menu bar and Home panel. Suppose you dislike what
or choose a command, you've drawn and want to start over with a clean astronaut. Using
refer to the Menu Bar
the mouse or keyboard, choose the Restore command from the Pie
discussion in Chapter 1.
menu.
5. O h no, the screen turned black! Not only did your lines disappear,
but so did the astronaut. This is because this frame was empty
initially. When you started working in Animator (many examples
ago), the screen was empty, j ust as it is now, and that's the last
image the Restore command remembers.
If you get an unexpected 6. Lu ckily, you can undo the Restore command by clicking the Undo
result by choosing button. In this case, it won't do much good since the screen was
Restore, press
such a mess. So reload the file and try again, this time preserving
Backspace or click the
Undo button.
an image you'll want to revert to in case of another crisis.
7. Choose the Files . . . command from the Pie menu and select the
Load button from the Files panel. Double-click o n the wa l k . g i t
file to reload it onto the screen. After the image loads, press the
8 . Click any of the frame icons, except the current frame indicator
(the gray box with a number in it). If you click the play button (the
one that looks like a double arrow), you'll have to right-click in
the drawing area to regain control of the screen: Animator is try
ing to play your single-frame animation sequence over and over
again.
9. No matter which frame icon you clicked, you instructed Anima
tor to leave frame number 1 and go to frame number 1. After all, a
picture file only has one frame. As soon as you left the frame, how
ever, Animator stored its image in a buffer on your hard disk . This
is the same buffer the Restore command uses when rebuilding
your screen, as you shall soon see.
10. Using the Draw tool, scribble all over the screen again. When it's
as messy as you would want it, choose the Restore command from
the Pie menu. Voila, the astronaut is restored to his original
appearance.
Click a frame icon before Used properly, the Restore command can be a powerful tool. Sup
embarking on a risky pose you want to perform a series of operations but you're uncertain
experiment to ensure
about the results. You might create a masterpiece, or you might create a
that the Restore
command will return the mess. By clicking a frame icon prior to your experiment, you provide
screen to the current yourself a safety net to which you can retreat simply by choosing the
image. Restore command.
35
Painting on the PC
Clearing the Screen

If you inadvertently or Severe problems call for severe measures. If worse comes to worse, you
mistakenly clear the can always erase the screen and start over. Choose the Clear command
drawing area, click the from the Pie menu or press the X key, and the entire drawing area will
Undo button or press
Backspace to bring your
be returned to the key color, in this case, black.
artwork back.
Making Detailed Changes

With sufficient practice, even novice computer artists can learn to
draw with Animator's collection of tools and inks. Regardless of your
skill level, it's unlikely you'll ever execute drawings perfectly. Stray
pixels and jagged lines are a hazard inherent in any painting program.
To remedy small problems, you must alter individual pixels. Because of
their small size, however, editing single pixels is a feat few can manage,
requiring miraculous dexterity and a keen eye.
To cut down on your optometry bill, Animator provides a screen
zoom feature that can magnify a section of your drawing area to twice or
four times its normal size. To see the Zoom button in action, make sure
WALK.GIF appears on your screen, then try the following example:
1 . Click the Zoom button, located directly above the Undo button in
the Home panel.
2. The menu bar and Home panel disappear, replaced by a status bar
and a dotted rectangle called a marquee, as shown in Figure 2.8.
Only the portion of the drawing area inside the marquee will be
magnified.
3. Move the cursor. Nothing happens. Now click anywhere on the j
screen and move the cursor again. The marquee moves with the
cursor. Clicking instructs Animator to move the marquee accord
ing to your placement, allowing you to select the portion of your
artwork to be magnified.
The status bar is 4. As you move the marquee, watch the status bar at the top of the
generally useful only screen. The first pair of numbers (in parentheses) are the coordi
when you are zooming a
nates of the top left corner of your marquee, measured in pixels
very specific area of
your artwork. from the top left corner of the drawing area. The second pair of
numbers indicate the distance that you've moved the marquee. A
negative number indicates that you've moved up or to the left; a
positive number results from moving down or to the right.
5. After you position the marquee where you want it, click to com
plete the zoom operation. The area inside the marquee is magni-
36
fied to twice its original size, as shown in Figure 2 . 9. In addition,

the menu bar and Home panel reappear.
Figure 2.8 Clicking the Zoom button displays the marquee

and status bar.
Figure 2.9 The drawing area magnified to twice its normal size.
31
Painting on the PC
The Draw tool is the 6. You can paint with any tool in a magnified view, but you will
most useful tool for probably find the Draw tool most useful for detail work. Select the
editing individual pixels Draw tool and Opaque ink. Also select white from the mini-pal
in a magnified view.
ette. Click inside the astronaut's helmet. A white dot appears
where you clicked. You have j ust edited a single pixel. Now drag
inside the helmet. See how you have more control in a magnified
view?
7. To return the view to normal size, click the Zoom button again .
Animator allows you to magnify the drawing area by 200% or

400%. To change the magnification, or zoom level, right-click the Zoom
button. A list of options, titled Set zoom L e ve l , appears at the bottom of
the screen as shown in Figure 2.10. An asterisk indicates the current
setting. To select a setting, click the option name or typ e the number
that precedes the option name.
Figure 2.10 The zoom level options.
Complete the following experiment with different zoom levels:
1. After right-clicking the Zoom button, select the Times 4 option.

The menu disappears immediately.
Press the Z key to select 2. Click the Zoom button, or press the Z key.
the Zoom button from
3. A smaller marquee appears this time, since a smaller amount of
the keyboard.
your drawing area is magnified at this zoom level. Cl i ck to grab
38
the marquee, and move it over the American flag on the astro
naut's shoulder.
4. Click to magnify the area inside the marquee. Notice that the pix
els are blown up to a large size, as shown in Figure 2 . 1 1 . Now paint
with the Draw tool.
You can change the 5. Right-click the Zoom tool again , displaying the zoom level
zoom level even when options. Select the Times 2 option. The drawing area changes
the drawing area Is
magnification immediately to twice normal view size.
already magnified.
6. Press the Z key again to return to normal view size.
Saving a Picture
You never know when something will go wrong with your computer. A
power surge or operation error could make Animator lock up or crash,
and you could lose a substantial amount of work. It's a good idea to save
your Animator file every fifteen minutes or so, not j ust when you've
finished working on it.
To save a painting, choose the Files . . . command from the Pie
menu, j ust as you did when you loaded your artwork. When the Files
panel appears, click the Save button or press the S key. The file selector
panel will appear, its title bar reading Save a P i c t u r e ? .
Figure 2.11 A portion of t h e drawing area magnified

to four times normal size.
39
Painting on the PC
Overwritin g a File
Be careful when If you are simply updating a file, you will probably want to save it to
overwriting a file. You disk, using the same file name it had when it was loaded. In this case,
cannot undo a save
simply click the OK button or press Enter to initiate the save operation.
operation.
An alert box will appear, asking if you really want to overwrite the
current version of that file on disk, as shown in Figure 2.12. To over
write a file means to replace the old version of a file with a new version;
as a result, you can no longer access the information contained in the
old file. If there isn't information in the old file you'll want to access,
click the Yes button or press the Y key. If you don't want to overwrite
the file or you aren't sure, press the N key for No and return to the Files
panel. Then click the Save button and follow the directions for saving a
picture under a new name.
OVERWR I TE
c : ,A N I MATOR,WA L K . G I F
.
r YES ] f NO ,
--
Figure 2.12 The alert box asks you if you want to overwrite
an existing file on disk.
Savin g a Picture under a New Name
If you don't want to lose an old file in the process of saving a new one,
you must change the name in the F i L e : option of the file selector panel
prior to clicking the OK button. There are three ways to do this:
40
When modifying a file Click in the F i L e : option box and modify the file name from the
name, do not change the keyboard. Pressing the Backspace key deletes individual letters
extension, and and pressing the Esc key deletes the entire file name. You can also
remember that file
names in DOS cannot use the left and right arrow keys to move the text entry marker
exceed eight characters. back and forth inside the option box.
Click on a different file name in the scrolling list to insert that
file's name in the Fi L e : option box. You can then modify the new
name or overwrite the file on disk currently using that name.
Clicking the + button is Click the + button to add a number to the file name as it is saved. If
the easiest way to save the file name already ends in a number, clicking the + button adds
a new version of a file 1 to the number as the file is saved.
without overwriting the
old version.
You probably don't want to overwrite the astronaut picture on
disk with the version you've been scribbling on, so click the + button.
The file selector panel will disappear while Animator writes the file to
disk. After a moment, the Files panel will reappear. Click the Save but
ton to redisplay the file selector, and scroll down to the end of the file
list. You'll see a new name at the bottom, wa L kO 1 g i f . If you clicked the
.
+ button again, Animator would save the file as wa L k02 . g i f , and so on.
To quit the program and take a break, right-click in the drawing
area to return home, then press the Q key to choose the Quit command.
When the alert box appears (erroneously informing you that you have
unsaved changes), press the Y key to select Yes and you will return to
DOS.
41
Painting on the PC
What You've Learned
This chapter provided you with important firsthand experience using

Animator. By experimenting with various options, you learned j ust
about all there is to know about loading files, correcting mistakes, and
saving files. Other features mentioned in this chapter will be covered in
more detail in future chapters. Take a moment now to review the im
portant points of this chapter:
Loading a picture file from disk is a three-part process: 1) choose

the Files . . . command from the Pie menu or press the P key fol
lowed by the F key 2) click the Load button in the Files panel or
press the L key 3) select a file from the scrolling list in the file
selector panel, then click the OK button or press Enter.
The same file selector panel is displayed whether you are loading,
deleting, or saving files. The only difference is the title bar, which
always displays the specific action Animator will allow you to
perform.
You can click the + button in the file selector panel to add a num
ber to a file name as you load or save the file. This precautionary
measure prevents you from overwriting the existing file when
you save your changes. Note that there is no purpose in both load
ing and saving the same file using the + button.
When you click inside an option box, a rectangular text entry
marker appears, signifying that any text entered from the key
board will display inside the option box, rather than activate com
mands or buttons.
In an option box, press Backspace to delete a single character,
press Esc to delete all characters.
Click the word D i r : in the file selector panel to toggle the display
of the scrolling file list between the contents of the current direc
tory and the contents of the root directory. Click Wi L d c a r d : to tog
gle the display between files of the current type and files of any
type.
Use the arrows in the scroll bar to scroll up or down the scrolling
file list one name at a time. Click in the empty area of the scroll
bar to scroll ten names, or one display. Drag the scroll box to scroll
up and down the list as you drag.
C licking the Undo command or pressing the Backspace key
undoes the effects of your most recent operation, except saving a
file.
42
Right-clicking generally cancels an operation if you are in the

middle of performing it.
The Restore command restores the drawing area to the way it
looked when you entered the current frame. In the case of a sin
gle-frame picture, the command restores your painting to the way
it looked when you last clicked a frame icon.
Pressing the X key clears the screen to the current key color.
Click the Zoom button or press the Z key to magnify the drawing
area to 200% or 400% of normal size. Right-click the Zoom button
to change the zoom level.
If you have doubts about overwriting an existing file when saving
a file, don't overwrite it. It's better to have too many files on your
disk than to delete a file you might need later. If you are certain
you no longer need the file, delete it by clicking the Delete button
inside the Files panel and selecting the file in the file selector
panel.
43
T H R E E
Operating and
Modifying Tools
The previous chapter encouraged you to experiment with some of Ani
mator's painting features. Now that you've had some fun, it's time to
get down to business. Comprehensive information pertaining to Ani
mator's tools and inks is contained in this chapter. You should read it
carefully, because Animator's tool palette operates very differently
than those in other painting programs.
If you quit Animator as recommended at the end of the previous
chapter, you will need to launch it as described in Chapter 1 . If the
astronaut file from Chapter 2 was the last picture you worked on, the
astronaut will appear i n the drawing area after you launch Animator.
This is because Animator saves temporary files to your hard drive or
disk as you work, as described below.
Resetting the Window
As a precautionary measure, Animator saves temporary versions of

your files to the drive specified using the Configure. . . command in the
Extra menu. (For complete information about this command, refer to
Appendix A.) When launched, Animator refers to these temporary files
so that it can return you to where you left off when you last quit. If the
astronaut file was the last file you worked on, it appears in the drawing
area now.
But what if you're not interested in working on the image dis
played when you launch Animator? How do you get rid of it? Animator
allows you to clear the drawing area and the Home panel settings at the
45
Painting on the PC
same time by choosing the Reset command from the Flic menu. Choose
this com mand now. An alert box will appear, r eading Reset t o
defa u l t . f l x ? . This message refers t o a document residing in the same
directory as the Animator program. The DEFAULT.FLX file contains
information about the default s ettings for the Home window as well as
for other windows and panels throughout Animator. Click the Yes but
ton or press the Y key to complete the command.
Whereas the Clear The drawing area will appear black and the Home panel will dis
command merely erases play its original settings, as shown in Figure 3 . 1 . Original settings in
the current drawing area,
clude: the Draw tool and Opaque ink are highlighted; the cluster bar
the Reset command
clears the drawing area
contains a rainbow of colors; the Zoom button is not highlighted (indi
and resets all panels. cating that the drawing area is not magnified).
Figure 3.1 The Home panel reset to its original settings.
What Went Wrong?
If your window looks exactly like Figure 3.1, skip to the Using the Origi
nal Tools section. If your settings don't match those in the figure, it is
because you, or someone else with access to the program, have changed
the contents of the DEFAULT. FLX file using the Configure . . . command
in the Extra menu, which is described in Appendix A. To restore the
DEFAULT.FLX file to its original settings, complete the following steps:
46
3-0perating and Modifying Tools
1. Choose the Files . . . command from the Pie menu.

2. After the Files panel appears, click the Delete button. The file
selector panel appears and the title bar reads De l e te a f i l e ? .
3. Click o n W i L d c a r d : t o select * *
4. Scroll down the file list until d e f au l t . f l x appears. Double-click
this file name to delete it from your disk. An alert box appears
asking if you really want to delete this file. Click Yes.
5. Press the Spacebar to return home. Choose the Reset command
from the Flic menu. Press the Y key in response to the alert box.
After a moment, your window will be identical to the one shown
in Figure 3 . 1 .
Deleting the Because you deleted the DEFAULT.FLX file, Animator was forced
DEFAUL T. FLX file from to reset the window to its original default settings. You do not need to
the Animator directory
do anything to save these settings. Animator will automatically create a
allows you to restore the
original default settings.
new DEFAULT.FLX file containing the default settings.
Using the Original Tools
The six tools currently displayed in the Home panel are the Draw, Box,
Poly, Text, Spray, and Fill tools. You experimented briefly with both
the Draw tool and the Box tool in Chapter 2. In the next example you'll
experiment with all six tools:
1. The Draw tool is currently selected. Select the light green color
from the mini-palette. By dragging inside the drawing area, draw a
rough oval shape as shown in Figure 3.2. Make sure that the oval
is complete; there should be no breaks in its outline.
If you make any 2. Select the Box tool and the white color from the mini-palette. Cre
mistakes using one of ate two rectangles toward the top of the oval, as shown in Figure
the tools, click the Undo
3 . 3 . The two rectangles represent a pair of glasses on a face.
button or press
Backspace, then try 3 . Select the Draw tool and draw a small bridge between the two
again rectangles, completing the pair of glasses.
4. Now select the Poly tool, which allows you to create a polygon, a
name given to any shape with multiple straight sides. Also select
orange from the mini-palette. Click with the cursor at about the
middle of the bottom side of the left rectangle. Now move the cur
sor upward to j ust below the bridge of the glasses and click again.
Notice that an orange line connects your two click points.
47
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.2 Draw a rough oval using the Draw tool.
Figure 3.3 Create two white squares with the Box tool.
48
Click with the Poly tool 5. Move the cursor and click at each of the other corner points
to establish each comer shown in Figure 3.4. After clicking at the last point (identified in
of a polygon, then right the figure by the cursor) , right-click. The polygon fills with
click to fill it.
orange, indicating that the shape is finished. This shape repre
sents a bird's be ak.
Figure 3.4 Click at each corner of the beak with the Poly tool.
6. Select the Fill tool , which is used to fill an outlined area with a
selected color. Select blue from the mini-palette. Click anywhere
in the black area inside the green oval. The entire shape fills with
blue. If the background outside the shape fills with blue as well ,
there is a break in the outline of your oval. Press Backspace to
undo the fill, use the Draw tool to repair the break in the outline,
then fill the shape again.
7. Click inside any other areas that should be colored blue. For
exampl e, there is probably a small pocket of black between the
bridge of the glasses and the beak. Click inside this area to fill it.
8. Select the Spray tool and the light green mini-palette color. The
Spray tool acts like an airbrush, creating a spray of loose pixels as
you drag the cursor across the screen. Drag in an area above the
bird's head to create outrageous plumage, as shown in Figure 3 . 5 .
Don't worry i f some of i t goes behind the menu bar.
49
Painting on the PC
" Figure 3.5 Give the bird some plumage with the Spray tool.
9. Finally, select the Text tool. Select white as the test color. To oper
ate this tool, you first draw a box to delimit the amount of space
that the text can occupy in the drawing area. Click with the cur
sor about an inch below the Trace menu. A status bar will display
in place of the menu bar. Move the cursor down and to the right
until the pair of numbers inside the parentheses read 75 30, which
is the distance in pixels from the top left corner of the text box to
the lower right corner. Click at this point.
When the text entry 1 0. The Home panel disappears and a white rectangle with a text
marker appears inside a entry marker appears in the drawing area. Type the following: Be
text box, any letters that
on t h e lookout f o r t h i s b i rd ! As shown in Figure 3.6, the type
you type will appear
on-screen.
au tomati c ally wraps to fit inside the text box.
11. Position the cursor inside the text box and click. Now move the
mouse; note that the text box moves with it. Click again to set the
text box down at its new location.
Click inside a text box to move it to a different position in the

drawing area, then click again to fix it in place. Click outside
a text box to change its size so that words wrap differently.
1 Click with the c urs o r outside the text box. The text box disap-
50
:e : r1 -.e
.
l =.. = f-:. = .Ji; t' : r

Uu s t l r::I !
Figure 3 . 6 Enter text onto t h e drawing area using t h e Text tool.
pears; then a short status bar appears. In addition, a pair of hori

zontal and vertical dotted lines e manate from the cursor, as
shown in Figure 3 . 7 . By clicking outside the text box, you have
indicated to Animator that you want to resize the text box so that
the type will wrap differently. Animator is now waiting for you to
establish the first corner. Click at the point where the status bar
reads 240 70, 240 pixels to the right and 70 pixels down from the
upper left corner of the drawing area. The status bar expands to
include the size of the text box and the coordinates of its bottom
right corner. Move the cursor down and to the right until the
numbers inside the parentheses read 50 60, then click again.
1 3 . The type wraps differently to fit into the new text box. Right-click
anywhere to secure the type to the drawing area and redisplay the
Home window.
Changing the Brush Shape

Animator provides various controls to alter the effects of a tool. Fore
most of these is the brush shape. In Chapter 2, you learned that the
brush shape affects the thickness, or weight, of lines created with the
Draw tool. The influence of the brush shape is not limited t o the Draw
tool; in fact, it extends to almost every tool Animator offers.
51
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.7 Click outside the text box to resize it.
You may also recall that clicking on the brush shape indicator (the
small dot in the upper right corner of the Home panel) toggles between
a single-pixel brush and a brush 4-pixels thick.
Right-click the brush You can select additional brush sizes by right-clicking the brush
shape indicator to shape indicator. You can set the brush shape to any size from a single
reduce or enlarge the
pixel to 11 pixels wide.
weight of future lines by
single-pixel increments.
Try the following example to learn more about the brush shape:
1. Select the Draw tool. Click in the key color indicator (to the left of
the mini-palette) to select black as the current color.
To toggle the brush 2. Press the B key to toggle the thicker brush shape. Pressing the B
shape without using the key is the same as die.ki ng the brush shape indicator.
mouse, press the B key.
3. Draw a smile on the bird's beak as shown in Figure 3 . 8.
4. Right-click o n the brush shape indicator. Animator displays a
slider bar labeled Set brush s i ze, as shown in Figure 3.9. You
adjust the slider bar much as you would a scroll bar. Click the left
arrow to reduce the brush shape one pixel; click the right arrow to
enlarge the brush shape one pixel. As the black slider box scoots
back and forth, the number inside it changes to reflect the size of
the current brush in pixels. You can also drag the slider box to
resize the brush shape. If you click on an empty portion of the
slider bar, the slider box moves to that spot. Using any of these
52
methods, move the slider box so that it reads 7, then press the
Spacebar to hide the slider bar.
Figure 3.8 Draw a smile on the bird using a thick brush shape.
Figure 3.9 Set the brush shape slider bar to 7.
53
Painting on the PC
Of the six original tools, 5. With the Draw tool, click inside each of the white squares to give
the brush shape affects the bird eyes.
only the Draw tool and
the Spray tool, but you 6. The brush shape also affects the Spray tool. Select the Spray tool
can modify the tools so and the Glass ink. Also select the color blue from the mini-palette.
that the Box and Poly Press the Spacebar to hide the menu bar and Home panel so that
tool are also affected. you can view the entire drawing area. Drag around the edges of
the drawing area to create a soft border for your painting, as
shown in Figure 3.10. Notice that the cursor sprays giant blobs of
Using the Spray tool
with a heavy brush
deep blue as you drag. Since the Glass ink is transparent, the black
shape creates giant background shows through the blue, creating a very dark color. If
blobs of color. You can you want some lighter shades, click on areas that have already
easily overwhelm your been painted.
painting if you also use
the Opaque ink.
7. Press the Space bar to redisplay the menu bar and Home panel.
At this point, you may want to save your bird picture under the
file name b i rd . g i f . If you have forgotten how to save a painting, refer
to the directions at the end of Chapter 2.
Accessing Other Tools
If Animator limited you to the six tools currently in the Home panel,
with only the brush shape as a modifier, your painting capabilities
would be severely handicapped. In fact, Animator offers 22 tools, each
of which can be modified in several ways. This array of tools multiplies
your capabilities dramatically.
The Home panel contains six tool slots, into which you can plug
any of Animator's 22 tools. To use a tool not currently displayed, you
have to unplug one of the current tools, since only a single tool can
occupy a slot.
To access other tools or modify an existing tool, right-click a tool
slot. For example, right-click the Box tool. The Drawing Tools panel
will appear with the Box tool highlighted, as shown in Figure 3 . 1 1 .
The Drawing Tools panel i s divided into the following sections,
which are labeled in Figure 3 . 1 1 :
The tool slots display the six tools a s they appear i n the Home
panel. The current tool is highlighted. You can select a different
tool slot by clicking on it.
The scrolling tool list contains the names of all 22 Animator tools.
Clicking on a tool name inserts that tool in the highlighted tool
slot and in the Home panel.
54
Figure 3.10 Spray around the edges of the picture using the Glass
ink and a heavy brush shape.
Scrolling tool list
Tool slots
. r
1 '
"c:
-. " -5
ORA-I ING TOOLS

- -..
BO:X: ) DRFtk' Ft R E CTFtNG LE USE S

BOX t ORFIW )f
C I RC LE . ' (. . CURRENT E:RUSH I F NOT ' F I L LEO .
I
CRAW l PO LY ' TEXT ). . .
OR I Z . I. SPRFIY '( F I L L . D escnpt1on box
EDGE
FI LL
F I L LTO
r-;iie: ;IcL;R Mod ification option s

L:...! MOVE
Figure 3.11 The sections of the Drawing Tools panel.
The description box explains how the current tool works. If you
select a different tool in th e tool slots or the scrolling tool list, the
55
Painting on the PC
contents of the description box will change to correspond to that

tool.
You can modify how the current tool operates by changing set
tings in the modification op ti on s. The modification options vary
from tool to tool.
All of Animator's 22 tools and their modification options will be

described fully in this chapter.
Modifying a Tool
To learn how the modification options work, complete the following
example, which demonstrates how to modify the operation of the Box
tool:
1. Return to the Home panel by pressing the Spacebar. Using the Box
tool, create a rectangle around the text in the drawing area. To
accomplish this: click above and to the left of the text, move the
cursor to the opposite cor ne r then click again to create the shape.
,
2 . A transparent blue rectangle surrounds the text now, as shown in

Figure 3 . 1 2 . Notice that although the brush shape in di ca tor
remains set to 7 pixels, this has had no measurable effect on the
Figure 3.12 Surround the text with a transparent blue rectangle.
56
Box tool. By modifying the Box tool, however, you can bolster the
brush shape 's influence.
3. Right-click the B o x tool to display the Drawing Tools panel. Notice
the two modification options for this tool: the Filled button and
the 2 Color button. Currently, the Box tool is set to create filled
rectangles (rectangles with colored interiors). Click the Filled but
ton to deactivate it. Now your rectangles will have no interiors,
only colored borders.
When the Filled button 4 . Press the Spacebar to return home. Notice that the F button in the
is not selected, a lower right corner of the Home panel is no longer highlighted,
rectangle has an outline
indicating that the fill function is turned off. Select lavender (light
whose weight is deter
mined by the brush purple) from the mini-palette. Redraw the rectangle, tracing the
shape. transparent blue shape as closely as possible. The finished shape
has a heavy outline, in accordance with the brush shape, but no
fill. Since the outline is transparent, you can see that some of the
width of the outline overlaps the blue shape and some extends
outside its boundaries. This is an indication that the blue rectan
gle was assigned no outline.
The 2 Color button 5 . To create a rectangle that has both fill and an outlin e , you must
produces an effect only select the 2 Color button. Right-click the Box tool to display the
if the Filled button is
Drawing Tools panel and click on both the Filled and 2 Color but
also highlighted.
tons.
When the 2 Color button 6. Press the Spacebar to return home. Trace each of the two rectan
is selected, any shape gles that make up the lenses of the bird's glasses. You will create
you create will be filled
two new shapes that have lavender fills and white outlines, as
with the current color
and outlined with the
shown in Figure 3 . 1 3 . How do you specify the color of the outline?
rightmost color in the Animator always uses the rightmost color in the mini-palette-in
mini-palette. this case white-for the outline of a two-color shape.
You can also select and The Filled and 2 Color buttons are common to all of Animator's
deselect the Filled shape tools. These tools include Box, Circl e , Oval, Petal, Poly, RPoly,
button using the Filled
Shape, Spline, and Star. Selecting or deselecting either button for one
(F) mode button in the
Home panel. tool selects or deselects it for all other tools as well. For example, if you
select the 2 Color button for the Box tool, you will discover that it is also
selected in the modification options of the Circle tool, the Oval tool,
and so on.
Tool Descriptions
This section explains how to operate and modify every tool in Anima
tor. The tools are listed in alphabetical order. You should read through
57
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.13 Trace the bird's glasses using the Box tool with the 2
Color button selected.
the tool descriptions at least once to learn how each tool works, al
though some of the descriptions repeat information you already know.
After you have had time to experiment with the tools, you can use this
section as a reference guide.
The Box Tool
You can cancel the Operation: Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the first
creation of a rectangle corner in a rectangle. The menu bar is replaced by a
by right-clicking before status bar containing coordinate information for this
you locate the opposite
corner point. rectangle. The coordinate information is updated as
you move the cursor. A dotted rectangle shows the
dimensions of the shape. Move the cursor to establish
the size of the rectangle, then click to fix the location of
the opposite corner. The completed rectangle now
appears filled or outlined, in accordance with the mod
ification options, and the menu bar reappears.
Status bar: When you establish the opposite corner point of a rec
tangle, three pairs of numbers appear in the status bar.
The first pair represents the location of the first corner
58
of the rectangle (the point at which you have already

clicked) , as measured from the top l e ft corner of the
drawing area. The second pair (in parentheses) repre
sents the distance from the first corner of the rectangle
to its opposite corner. The third pair represents the
location of the opposite corner of the rectangle (the cur
rent cursor location), as measured from the top left cor
ner of th e drawing area.
All measurements are in screen pixels.
When the 2 Color button Modification: The only modification options are the Filled and 2
is selected, the color of Color buttons. When the Filled button is not high
a shape 's outline
lighted-whether or not the 2 Color b utton is high
depends on the current
ink. Many inks ignore lighted-you will create a shape wi th no fill and with
the outline completely. an outline as heavy as the brush shape and colored in
the current ink. When the Filled button is highlighted
and the 2 Color button is not, you will create a shape
filled with the current ink and with no outline.
When both the Filled and 2 Color buttons are
highlighted, you will create a shape filled with the cur
rent ink and outlined in the current brush shape using
a second inking technique. If the current ink is Add,
Glass, Glaze, Opaque, and XOR, the outline is inked
with the rightmost color in the mini-palette. If the ink
is H Grad, L Grad, R Grad, or V Grad, an alternate gra
dation effect is used to distinguish the outline. No dis
tinction is made between the colors of the outline and
the fill if the ink is Bright, Close, Dark, Emboss, Glow,
Gray, Hollow, Jumble , Pul l , S crape, Smear, Soften,
Spark, Split, Sweep, Tile, or Unzag.
Use: You can use the Box tool to:
Surround text with a rectangular border.
Create geometric sketches.
Create rectangular or cityscape backgrounds for text
and other images.
Fill large areas with color.
Create rectangular color overlays when you use it i n
combination with the Glass ink.
Erase images when you use it i n combination with
the key color and the Opaque ink.
59
Painting on the PC
The Circle Tool

You can cancel the Operation: Click in the drawing area to pinpoint the center of a
creation of a circle by circle. As you move the cursor, an outlined circle
right-clicking after you
expands or contracts, depending on the proximity of
establish the center
point.
the cursor to the center point, as shown in Figure 3.14.
Once the circle is the correct size, click to fix it in place.
The completed circle appears filled or outlined, in
accordance with the modification options.
Modification: The only modification options are the Filled and 2
Color buttons. Refer to The Box Tool description for an
explanation of these options.
Use: You can use the Circle tool to:
Sketch round objects, such as eyes and clocks.
Create three-dimensional spheres when you use it in

combination with the R Grad ink and other gradient
inks.
The Draw Tool
Operation: Drag in the drawing area to create a free-form line with

a consistent weight; drag as if you were drawing with a
pencil on a sheet of paper. The line will be as heavy as
the brush shape and colored in the current ink.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Draw tool.
Use: The Draw tool is probably the most useful drawing tool
in Animator. You can use the Draw tool to:
Draw or sketch any image, regardless of shape.
Add finishing touches to existing images.
Repair or smooth out mistakes in a magnified view of
the drawing area.
Erase images when you use it in combination with
The Driz. (or Drizzle) Tool
Operation: Drag in the drawing area to create a free-form line

whose weight varies depending on how fast the cursor
moves; drag as if you were drawing with a traditional
60
Figure 3.14 Cre ating a circle with the Circle tool.
For best results, use the paintbrush. When you draw slowly, the line appears as
Drizzle tool in combi heavy as the current brush shape. When you draw
nation with a brush
quickly, the line becomes thinner, sometimes as thin as
shape at least four
points thick. a single pixel, as shown in Figure 3 . 1 5 . Thick brush
shapes produce the most dramatic effects.
A line drawn with the Drizzle tool is colored in
the current ink.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Drizzle tool.
Use: Like the Draw tool, the Drizzle tool is a useful drawing
tool . You can use the Drizzle tool to:
Create lines in a calligraphic style.
Draw natural images, such as a river.
Create smoke or clouds when you use it in combina
tion with the Glass ink.
Trail off images to indicate motion in an animated
sequence.
The Edge Tool
Operation : Click o n an image in the drawing area to surround that

image, and all other images of the same color, with a
61
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.15 A line created with the Drizzle tool and a 1 0-pixel,
or 10-point, brush shape.
Figure 3.16 Clicking on an image with the Edge tool outlines all
areas that have the same color as that image.
62
3-0perating and Modifyng
i Tools
The brush shape does thin outline in the current ink. In Figure 3 . 1 6, all the
not affect the weight of rectangles are the same color. If you click on one of the
the outline created with
rectangles with the Edge tool, the current ink outlines
the Edge tool.
every point at which that rectangle meets an image of a
different color.
Modification : There are no modification options for the Edge tool.
Use: The Edge tool is powerful but limited in scope. You can
use the Edge tool to:
Separate images from one other in a cluttered pic
ture.
Make an image heavier by surrounding i t with a
matching color.
C reate highlights around i mages to convey the
appearance of back-lighting.
Outline large type.
The Fill Tool
Operation : Click on an image in the drawing area to fill it with the

current ink . All adjacent pixels of the same color will
be affected.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Fill tool.
Use: The Fill tool doesn't do much, but it's used so widely
that it's indispensable. You can use the Fill tool to:
Add color to a sketch.
C hange the color of an image quickly.
Fill free-form lines with gradated colors using the V
Grad ink or other gradient inks.
The Fillto Tool
You can cancel filling Operation: Click on the boundary of the area that you want to fill.
the area inside a Then click inside the boundary to begin the fill. The
boundary by right-
entire area within a single-color boundary will be filled
clicking before you click
inside the boundary. with the current ink, even if that means filling areas of
different colors. Note that a boundary can be noncon
tinuous. Figures 3 . 1 7 and 3 . 1 8 show before and after
shots of using the Fillto tool.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Fillto too1.
63
Painting on the PC
flN I MATO R F l. I C PIC CE L. TR ACE SWAP EXTR A
Figure 3.17 First click with the Fillto tool on the boundary of the
area you want t o fill.
AN I MATOR: F L. I C P IC
Figure 3.18 Then click inside the boundary and the entire area
will be filled with the current ink.
64
Use: The Fillto tool is the Fill tool's more powerful relation.
You can use it to perform any of the Fill tool's functions
and to:
Erase areas inside an image.
Tint a portion of the drawing area when you use i t in
combination with the Glass ink.
Reapply a gradation to the interior of an image, or
delete a gradient fill.
The Gel Tool
Operation: Dra g in the drawing area to create a free-form line,

whose edges blend with its background, as shown in
Figure 3. 19. A variation on this is shown i n Color Plate
2. When the Gel tool is used with a heavy brush shape,
the ink is applied to the drawing area as a series of four
concentric, increasingly transparent circles.
Figure 3.19 The word was drawn with a 2-point brush shape and
the R Grad ink. The line underneath was drawn with a thicker
brush shape.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Gel tool.
65
Painting on the PC
Us e : The Gel tool is an extraordinary special effects tool.

You can use the Gel tool to:
Create highlights when you use it in combination
with a thick brush shape, the Glass ink, and white.
Write in neon letters.
D raw natural concentric images quickly, such as
raindrops.
The Line Tool
You can cancel the Operation: Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the first
creation of a straight endpoint in a straight line. The menu bar is replaced by
line by right-clicking
a status bar, which contains coordinate information
before you establish the
second endpoint. about your straight line, as shown in Figure 3.20. The
coordinate information is updated as you move the cur
sor. Also as you move the cursor, a thin line increases
in length and changes direction, depending on the
proximity of the cursor to the endpoint. Once the line
is the correct length and angle, click to fix it in place.
The weight of th e completed line corresponds to the
current brush shape. The menu bar now reappears.
< 59 1 34 > WID 1 87 HGT 94 < 245 41) DEG 63 RAD 207
Figure 3.20 Drawing a straight line with the Line tool.
66
Status bar: After you establish the first end point of a line, four
pairs of numbers appear in the status bar. The first pair
(in parentheses) represents the location of the first end
point of the straight line (the point at which you have
already clicked) , as measured from the top left corner
of the drawing area. The second pair represents the
dimensions of an imaginary rectangle, drawn from the
first endpoint of the rectangle to the current cursor
location. The third pair (in parentheses) represents the
location of the second endpoint of the line (the current
cursor location) as measured from the top left corner of
the drawing area. The fourth pair includes the angle of
the straight line, as measured in degrees (counterclock
wise from 3 o'clock), and the length (or radius) of the
line from endpoint to endpoint.
All measurements, except the angle, are in screen
pixels.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Line tool.
Use: You can use the Line tool to:
Emphasize text with an underline.
Insert rules between lines of text to make them more
legible and more visually interesting.
Label an image by drawing a line from the image t o a
block of text.
Create geometric sketches.
Connect images with straight lines.
The Move Tool
Operation: This tool is used to move images from one area of the
drawing area to another. You specify the portion of the
drawing area that you want to move by drawing a mar
quee around it.
You can cancel the Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the
movement of an image first corner of the marquee. The menu bar is replaced
by right-clicking any by a status bar, which contains coordinate information
time after you first click
with the Move tool. about your marquee, as shown in Figure 3 . 2 1 . The
coordinate information is updated as you move the cur
sor. A dotted rectangle indicates the dimensions of the
marquee. Move the cursor so that the marquee sur-
67
Painting on the PC
rounds the image you want to move, then click to fix

the location of the opposite corner of the marquee.
Figure 3.21 Surround the portion of the drawing area that you
want to move with a marquee.
After you complete the marquee, the Home panel

disappears and a new status b ar is displayed. Click
inside the marquee to pick up the image, then move
the cursor to move the image. All areas inside the mar
quee that match the key color will be clear, as shown in
Figure 3 . 2 2 , as long as the K (Clear Key Color) mode
button in the lower right co rn er of the Home panel is
highlighted. If the K button is not highlighted, the key
color will be opaque. For more information about this
mode button, see Chapter 6.
After moving the marquee to its new position,
click to fix it in place. The menu bar and Home panel
now reappear.
Status bar: The status bar that appears when you create a marquee
is identical to the one that appears when you create a
rectangle.
When you move the marquee, two pairs of num
bers appear in the status bar. The first pair (in paren
theses) represents the location of the cursor as
68
Figure 3.22 Portions of the marquee i n the key color will appear
clear when moved because the K mode button is highlighted.
measured from the top left corner of the drawing area.

The second pair (in parentheses) represents the relative
distance from the point at which you clicked to the cur
rent cursor location; in other words, the second pair
records the distance you moved the image.
All measurements are in screen pixels.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Move tool.
Use: The Move tool is used strictly to move a rectangular
portion of the drawing area from one location to
another.
The Oval Tool

You can cancel the Operation: Click in the drawing area to fix the location of some
creation of an oval by point in the outline of a circle. As you move the cursor,
right-clicking any time
an outlined circle expands or contracts, depending on
after you establish the
first point. the proximity of the cursor to the first point. Once the
circle is the correct size, click to fix its position in the
drawing area. As you move the cursor again, the circle
stretches and rotates into an oval, as shown in Figure
3 . 2 3 . Once the oval is correctly angled, click to fix it in
69
Painting on the PC
place. The completed oval appears filled or outlined, in

Figure 3.23 The initial circle created with the Oval tool is
stretched and rotated into an oval.

Use: You can use the Oval tool to:
Create sketches for ovoid objects, such as eggs and
faces.
Create three-dimensional ellipses when you use it in
combination with the R Grad ink and other gradient
inks.
Establish a tweenable shape for animation purposes.
See Chapter 10 for more information.
The Petal Tool
Operation: Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the cen
ter of a symmetrical flower. As you move the cursor, an
70
You can cancel the outlined flower expands or contracts, depending on the
creation of a flower by proximity of the cursor to the center point, as shown in
Figure 3 . 24 . Once the flower is the correct size, click to
fix it in place. The completed flower appears filled or
point.
outlined, in accordance with the modification options.
Figure 3.24 Creating a flower with the Petal tool.
Modification: The first two modification options are the Filled and 2
Animator displays the second pair of options as
slider bars, as shown in Figure 3 . 2 5 . By moving the
slider box inside the Inner Radius Ratio slider bar, you
can set the ratio between two distances: the distance
from the center of the flower to the intersection of any
two petals, and the distance from the center to the out
side tip of any petal. A small ratio makes for elongated
petals while a large ratio makes for a less articulated
flower, as shown in Figure 3 . 2 6. The ratio can vary
between 0 (petals only) and 100 (a circle).
By moving the slider box inside the Points slider
bar, you can determine the number of petals in the
flower. The number of petals can range from 3 to 3 2 .
71
Painting on the PC
I F I L LED I POI NTS.:

1 e coLOA:
1 It-I 1
Figure 3.25 The modification options for the Petal tool.
Figure 3.26 A flower created with a ratio of 10 and a flower

created with a ratio of 75.
Use: You can use the Petal tool to:

Sketch flowers and plumes.
72

The Poly (or Irregular Polygon) Tool
The only way to cancel Opera ti o n : An irregular polygon is an unsymmetrical shape with
an irregular polygon is any number of straight sides. Click in the drawing area
to complete it, then
to fix the location of the first corner point in the poly
press Backspace to
undo
gon. As you move the cursor, a thin line increases in
length and changes direction, depending on the prox
imity of the cursor to the point. Once this first line is
the correct length and angle, click to establish a second
corner point. Now as you move the cursor, two straight
lines track your movements. Continue to click to estab
lish additional corner points and straight lines. After
creating the last corner point, right-click to fix the
shape in place. The completed polygon appears filled or
If the sides of an irregular polygon overlap, as in
the case of a five-pointed star, the enclosed areas will
be treated as if outside the shape, and will not be filled,
even if the Filled button is highlighted. Create a five
pointed star to observe this.
Color buttons, which are common to all shape tools.
Refer to The Box Tool description for an explanation of
these options.
To see the effect of Another modification option is the Closed button.
selecting the Closed When highlighted, this button ensures that all
button, you must
polygons are closed shapes. The first point and last
deselect the Filled
button. point are always connected by a straight line. If the but
ton is not highlighted, you can create an open polygon,
in which the first and last points are not connected.
The Closed button is common to the Irregular
Polygon and Spline tools. Selecting or deselecting it for
one tool selects or deselects it for the others as well.
The remaining modification options are the
Reuse, Tween, and Files buttons. These buttons do not
work by changi ng the effect of a tool. Therefore, they
do not appear highlighted when selected; rather, they
produce an immediate effect.
13
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.27 The modification options for the

Irregular Polygo n tool.
Clicking the Reuse button allows you to edit the

most recent shape created with any tweena ble shape
tool , including the Oval, Petal, Poly, RPoly, Shape, Spi
ral, Spline, and Star tools. Click the Reuse button now.
The Drawing Tools panel disappears and points
assigned to the shape appear in the drawing area. Click
on any point to activate it. As you move the cursor to a
new location, the point moves with it. Click again to fix
the point in its new location. Keep moving points in this
manner until the shape conforms precisely to your
intentions. Right-click to stop editing the shape and
return to the Drawing Tools panel. You might think of
the Reuse button as an Undo button that fixes the most
recent image, rather than deleting it.
C licking the . Tween button displays a list of
options labeled Tween i ng opt i ons. These options are
used to create automated animation sequences with
the polymorphic tweening technique. Complete infor
mation about these options is included in Chapter 10.
Clicking the Files button displays the Files panel
with the Polygon button highlighted. C licking the
14
Load, Save, or Delete button on the Files panel displays

the file selector panel. You can then specify a file name
and location for an irregular polygon that you want to
load, save, or delete .
The Reuse , Tween, a n d Files buttons a r e e x
plained in more detailed in Chapter 1 0 .
Use: T h e Irregular Polygon tool i s t h e most versatile shape
tool in Animator. You can use the Irregular Polygon
tool to:
Create geometric sketches and images, simple or
complex.
Add irregular corners and lines to existing images.
Create geometric lettering.
See Chapter 1 0 for more information.
The RPoly (or Regular Polygon) Tool

You can cancel the Operation: Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the cen
creation of a regular ter of a regular polygon (a shape with straight sides of
polygon by right-clicking
equal length, including a triangle, diamond, pentagon,
after you establish the
center point. hexagon, and so on). As you move the cursor, an out
lined polygon expands or contracts, depending on the
proximity of the cursor to the center point, as shown in
Figure 3.28. Once the polygon is the correct size, click
to fix it in place. The completed regular polygon
appears filled or outline d , i n accordance with the mod-
ification options.
Animator displays the Points option as a slider
bar, as shown in Figure 3.29. By moving the slider box
inside the Points slider bar, you can determine the
number of sides in the polygon. Three sides produce a
triangle, four produce a diamond, and so on. This num
ber can range from 3 to 32.
15
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.28 Creating a hexagon with the Regular Polygon tool.
J F I L LE'.D ,
l ;;:: CO Le.R: . l JJ . 18.
l-i+
-
'
Figure 3.29 The modification options for the

Regular Polygon tool.
76
Use: You can use the Regular Polygon tool to:

Create multi-sided symmetrical shapes.
Draw familiar geometric images quickly, such as the
octagon of a stop sign.
The Sep. (or Separate) Tool

Operation: This tool is used to replace all occurrences of one or
more specified colors in the drawing area with the cur
rent ink. This tool operates identically to the Separate
command in the Pie menu, first discussed in Chapter 2.
Click in the drawing area to select a single color to
be changed. Drag in the drawing area to change all col
ors that fall under your drag. The colors are changed in
Modification : There are several unique modification options for the
Separate tool, as shown in Figure 3.30. The first three
buttons-Single, Cluster, and Near-determine which
colors in the drawing area will be replaced. Only one of
these buttons can be in effect at a time. If the Single
. MOVE
OVA L
PETA L
P O L\"
RPO LV
SEP .
::::> I NG LE BOXEO
SHAPE
I RA L C LUSTER
NEFiF.: T.HF.:ESHO LO
L I NE NEAR:
RAY l+-I m 11
Figure 3.30 The modification options for the Separate tool.
11
Painting on the PC
button is highlighted, only those colors on which you

click or drag will be replaced. If the Cluster button is
highlighted, clicking in the drawing area will replace
all on-screen occurrences of colors contained in the
cluster b o x (under the mini-palette) , regardl ess of
where you click. This allows you to erase or replace
gradations created with the V Grad ink or another gra
dient ink. If the Near button is highlighted, all colors
similar to those colors on which you click or drag will
be replaced.
You can determine the sensitivity of the Near but
ton by moving th e slider box inside the Near Threshold
slider bar. The number in the slider box determines
how close the value of one color must be to the value of
another, measured as a percentage. A 1 % threshold
replaces only those colors that are identical to the col
ors on which you click or drag; a 1 00% threshold
replaces aU colors. For more information on color the
ory, see Chapter 5 .
When the Boxed button The Boxed button changes the manner i n which
is highlighted, you can you select colors on-screen. If the Boxed button is not
cancel the replacement
highlighted, the entire drawing area will be affected by
operation by right
clicking any tim e after
the Separate tool. If the Boxed button is highlighted,
you first click with the you can select a specific portion of the drawing area to
tool. be affected by enclosing it with a marquee. Click in the
drawing area to fix the location of the first corner of the
marquee. The menu bar is replaced by a status bar, like
the one describ e d in The Box Tool section. The status
bar contains coordinate information about the mar
que e , which is updated as you move the cursor. A
dotted rectangle indicates the dimensions of the mar
quee. Move the cursor so that the marquee surrounds
th e portion o f th e drawing area you want to change,
then click to fix the location of the opposite corner of
the marquee. Now that you have specified a replace
ment area, you must tell Animator which colors to
replace by clicking or dragging in the drawing area per
normal tool operation.
All modification options for the Separate tool also
affect the operation of the Separate command in the Pie
menu.
Use: The Separate tool is used strictly to replace colors in
the drawing area with the current ink.
78
The Shape Tool
Opera tion: Drag in the drawing area to create the outline of a free
form shape. Drag as if you were drawing with the Draw
tool . After you release the mouse button, the com
pleted shape appears filled or outlined, in accordance
with the modification options.
If the sides of a free -form shape overlap, all
enclosed areas are treated as outside the shape, and are
not filled, even if the Filled button is highlighted.
Use: The Shape tool is basically a free-form version of the
Poly tool. You can use the Shape tool to:
Draw or sketch images, with no restriction on the
shape of the images.
Add finishing touches to existing images.
Erase images when you use it i n combination with
The Spiral Tool
Operation: The Spiral tool is used to create curved lines. You first
create a straight line, then you bend it.
You can cancel the Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the
creation of a straight first endpoint i n a straight line. The menu bar is
line by right-clicking
replaced by a status bar, which contains coordinate
before you establish the
opposite endpoint. information about the straight l in e . As you move the
cursor, the coordinate information is updated. Also as
you move the cursor, a thin line increases i n length and
changes direction, depending on the proximity of the
cursor to the endpoint. Once the line is the correct
length and angle, click to fix the location of the second
endpoint. The line now changes to a dotted line which
be nds according to the movement of the cursor, as
shown i n Figure 3 . 3 1 . The s tatus bar displays the
degree of arc produced by the line. When you are satis-
79
Painting on the PC
fied with the curved line, click to fix it in place. The

weight of the completed line corresponds to the current
brush shape. The menu bar now reappears. To make a
spiral shape, follow the same procedure, but move the
cursor in a spiral direction.
Figure 3.31 Drawing a curved line with the Spiral tool.
Status bar: The status bar that appears when you first click with
the Spiral tool is identical to the status bar that appears
when you create a straight line. Refer to The Line Tool
description for an explanation of this status bar.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Spiral tool.
Use: The Spiral tool is basically a curved version of the Line
tool. You can use the Spiral tool to:
Emphasize text with a curved underline.
Label an image by drawing a curved line from the
image to a block of text.
Connect ima ges with curved lines.
Piece together precise curving images as if you were
using a traditional French curve.
80
The Spline Tool
The only way to cancel a Operation : A spline curve is an unsymmetrical shape with any
spline curve is to number of curved sides. Click in the drawing area to fix
complete the shape,
the location of the first point in the spline curve . As you
then press Backspace to
undo. move the cursor, a thin line increases in length and
changes direction, depending on the proximity of the
cursor to the point. Once this first line is the correct
length and angle, click to establish a second point. Now
as you move the cursor, two lines bow out from these
points to track your movements. Continue to click to
establish additional points and curved lines. After
establishing the last point, right-click to fix the shape in
place. The completed spline curve appears filled or
If the sides of a spline curve overlap, all enclosed
areas are treated as outside the shape, and are not
filled, even if the Filled button is highlighted.
Modification: The modification options include the Filled and 2 Color
buttons, which are common to all shape tools . Refer to
The Box Tool description for an explanation of these
options. Like the Poly tool, the Spline tool is also
equipped with Closed, Reuse, and Tween buttons.
Refer to The Poly (or Irregular Polygon) Tool description
for more information about these options.
A tension setting below The remaining modification options are displayed
-6 or above 7 tends to as slider bars. The Tension slider bar (labeled Tens)
produce excessive
determines the curvature of lines. A tension of 5 is no
curves which are difficult
to control. curvature at all. A tension of -3 produces circular
curves. Tensions above 5 force lines to curve backward
on top of themselves, as demonstrated by the first
shape in Figure 3.33. Tensions less than -3 force lines
to curve well beyond their established points, as dem
onstrated by the second shape in Figure 3 .33 (the points
of which were displayed by clicking the Reuse button).
The Continuity slider bar (labeled Cont) controls
the angle at which all lines in a spline curve exit and
enter their points. A positive continuity forces lines to
bulge out from their points, as demonstrated by the first
shape in Figure 3 . 34. A negative setting forces lines to
collapse inward, as demonstrated by the second shape
in Figure 3.34.
81
Painting on the PC
Figure 3.32 The modification options for the Spline tool.
Figure 3.33 Two spline curves, one created with the tension set
to 10, the other created with the tension set to -8.
82
Figure 3.34 Two spline curves, one created with the continuity
set to 1 2 , the other created with the continuit y set to -1 2.
The Bias slider bar rotates the axis about which

each line on a point is symmetrical. In other words,
there's an imaginary axis cutting through th e center of
each point . Each line enters or exits the point at the
same angle with respect to this axis (specified using
the Continuity bar). By moving the slider box inside
the Bias slider bar, you can rotate the axis clockwise or
counterclockwise so t h at a line enters a point at a
slightly different angle than the next l ine exits the
point. You might think of the Bias slider bar as a "cock
eye control," since it's used to offset the balance of the
final spline curve.
Right-click the Tension, Each slider bar in the Spline tool mo dification
Continuity, or Bias slider options can range in value from -20 to 2 0 .
bar to reset its slider
box to O. Use: The Spline tool i s basically a curved version of the Poly
tool. You can use the Spline tool to:
Create curving geometric sketches and images, both
simple and complex.
Piece together precise curving images, as if you were
using a traditional French curve.
83
Painting on the PC

The Spray Tool
You can achieve Operation : Drag in the drawing area to create a free-form spray of
spectacular results using loose pixels. Drag as if you were painting with a tradi
the Spray tool when you
tional airbrush. When you draw slowly, the spray is
use it in combination
with the mask options, saturated. When you draw quickly, the spray is airy.
described in Chapter 6. The size and speed of the Spray tool can be adjusted
using the modification options. The size of individual
dots of spray is determined by the current brush shape.
Modification; The two options for the Spray tool are displayed as
slider bars, as shown in Figure 3 . 3 5 . By moving the
slider box inside the Air Speed slider bar, you can
determine how fast the Spray tool covers pixels as you
draw. This slider bar can be set between 1 and 1 00. The
Spray Width slider bar controls the diameter of the cir
cular boundary of the spray, measured in pixels. This
slider bar can be set as high as 3 2 0 pixels, a diameter
wide enough to spray the entire drawing area at once.
Figure 3.35 The modification options for the Spray tool.
84
Use: Like the Drizzle tool, the Spray tool is a unique special
effects device. You can use the Spray tool to:
Create realistic shading effects.
Create a background of stars or city lights quickly
after setting the Spray Width slider b ar to 320 pixels.
Create smoke or clouds.
Trail off images to indicate motion in an animated
sequence.
The Star Tool
You can cancel the Operati on: Click in the drawing area to fix the location of the cen
creation of a star by ter of a symmetrical star. As .you move the cursor, an
outlined star expands or contracts, depending on the
point.
proximity of the cursor to the center point, as shown in
Figure 3 . 3 6. Once the star is the correct size, click to fix
it in place. The completed star appears filled or out
lined, in accordance with the modification options.
Figure 3.36 Creating a star with the Star tool.
Modification : The first two modification options are the Filled and 2
85
Painting on the PC
explanation of these options. The two slider bars are

identical to those included with the Petal tool. See The
Petal Tool description for an explanation of these
options.
Use : You can use the Star tool to:
Sketch stars and explosions.
Surround text with blast lines to add impact to your
message.
The Streak Tool
For best results, vary Operation: Drag in the drawing area to create a free-form, dotted
your speed from fast to line. The distance between each dot depends on how
slow as you draw with
fast you move the cursor. When you draw slowly, the
the Streak tool.
line appears solid, as if it were created with the Draw
tool. When you draw quickly, the line becomes broken,
as shown in Figure 3.37. The dots which constitute a
line drawn with the Streak tool are the size of the brush
shape and colored in the current ink.
Figure 3.37 A line created with the Streak tool and a 7-point
brush shape.
86
Modification: There are no modification options for the Streak tool.

Use: You can use the Streak tool to:
Sketch images when you use it in combination with
a one-point brush shape.
Draw lines that represent motion, especially in ani
mated sequences.
Create type that appears to be made up of small light
bulbs, like letters on a store front.
The Text Tool
Operation: The Text tool is used to create type in the drawing area.
First you create a box to hold the type, then you enter
the text from the keyboard. Click in the drawing area to
fix the location of the first corner of the text box. The
menu bar is replaced by a status bar containing coordi
nate information about the text box. The coordinate
information is updated as you move the cursor. A rec
tangle indicates the dimensions of the shape. Move the
cursor to determine the size of the text box, then click
to fix the location of the opposite corner. The com
pleted text box now appears with a text entry marker;
whatever you type will appear in the drawing area.
After you fill up the length of the text block, the text
entry marker drops down, or wraps, to the next line
and the text continues there. If you enter text past the
last line in the text box, the text in the box scrolls up
and the first line of text becomes hidden (but not lost) .
You can m o ve the text entry marker, scroll text,
or edit text by pressing the following keys:
The right or left arrow key moves the marker for
ward or backward one character.
The Home or End key moves the marker to the
beginning or end of a line.
The up or down arrow key moves the marker up or
down one line of type. You can also force the text to
scroll up or down if the type exce eds the limits of the
text box.
The Page Up or Page Down key scrolls the marker up
87
Painting on the PC
or down one complete display (if the type exceeds

the boundaries of the box) .
The Backspace key deletes the character to the left of
the marker; the Delete key deletes the letter beneath
the marker.
You can cancel the If you click with the cursor inside the text box,
creation of a text box by you can move the text box to a new location in the
right-clicking before you
drawing area; a second click fixes it in place. You can
establish the opposite
corner point.
resize the text box by clicking outside it. Click outside
the text box now. Vertical and horizontal dotted lines
appear on the screen, permitting you to respecify the
location of the first corner of the text box. Move the
cursor to redetermine the size of the text box, then
click to fix the location of the opposite corner.
Complete the text block by right-clicking while
the text box is displayed. The text now appears in the
current ink and font, and th e box around the text is
hidden. The menu bar reappears.
Status ba r : The status bar that appears after you first click with the
Te xt tool is identical to the status bar that appears
when you create a rectangle. Refer to The Box Tool
description for an explanation of this status bar.
Modification: Five buttons are included in the Text tool modification
options, as shown in Figure 3.38. Each of these buttons
produces an immediate effect when selected.
After you load or edit The Reuse button is used to edit text in the text
text, click the Reuse buffer and apply it to the drawing area. The contents of
button to apply the text
the text buffer will be the most recent text entered
to the drawing area.
using the Text tool, or the most recent text loaded into
memory by clicking the Edit or Load buttons. Click the
Reuse button now. The Drawing Tools panel disappears
and a text box filled with the contents of the text buffer
appears in the drawing area. You can edit the type, or
move or resize the text box, a s described in the Opera
tion paragraph. Right-click to fix the text box in place
and redisplay the Drawing Tools panel.
The Edit button is used to edit text in the text
buffer without applying it to the drawing area. Click
the Edit button now. The Drawing Tools p,anel and all
images currently in the drawing area disappear, and a
white text box loaded with the contents of the text
88
$'./STEM
Figure 3.38 The modification options for the Text tool.
buffer appears in the drawing area. You can edit the

type, or move or resize the text box, as described i n the
Operation paragraph. Right-click to save the text to the
buffer and redisplay the Drawing Tools panel. The text
no longer appears i n the drawing area.
Click the Load button to display a file selector
panel reading Load t e x t ? . You can specify the location
and file name of the text file you want loaded into the
text buffer. Formatted text cannot b e loaded into Ani
mator.
C lick the Save button to display a file selector
panel reading Save t e x t ? . You can save the contents of
the text buffer to disk under a specified file name and
location. Font information cannot be saved.
Click the Font button to display a file selector
panel reading S e l e c t a font. You can select from one of
the 18 fonts included with Animator, as shown in Fig
ure 3.39, or load one of your own fonts in the FNT for
mat. The current font is displayed to the right of the
option buttons in the Drawing Tools panel.
89
Painting, on the PC
arc
li 3 6
p1
w o < t e - 1lt
1\lll\'2 LI decl)24
orc p
.
d etC> 48 t3 6
s u p b a l2 2 p o st 5 4
]?lo cl<2 0 s u p b a l3 2
- : -
WI n dy 1 8 ve l ve t 1 4 hl1 i 11 r1 1 1
Figure 3.39 The 1 8 fonts included with Animator.
What You've Learned
This chapter contained comprehensive information on the operation

and modification of Animator's collection of 22 tools. If you skipped a
few tools here and there, don't worry. You can always come back later
and read about them. Do take a moment now to review the important
points of this chapter:
Choosing the Reset command from the Flic menu resets all
options, buttons, and colors, as well as the contents of the drawing
area, to the settings stored in a file named DEFAULT.FLX . If you
saved a new DEFAULT.FLX file, you can revert to Animator's orig
inal settings by deleting the DEFAULT. FLX file from the directory
containing the Animator program and choosing the Reset com
mand again.
Click in the drawing area with the Irregular Polygon (or Poly) tool
selected to establish the corners in an unsymmetrical shape with
multiple straight sides. Right-click to secure the shape in the
drawing area.
The spray tool creates loose dots the thickness of the current
brush shape.
90
You must draw a box with a Text tool before you can type in the
drawing area. While the text box is displayed, click on it to move
it, or click outside it to resize it. After you finish typing, right-click
to secure the type in the drawing area and hide the text box.
Right-click the brush shape indicator to display a slider bar. Drag
the slider box left or right to reduce or enlarge the brush shape in
one-pixel increments.
Right-click any tool slot to display the Drawing Tools panel. You
can then select one of 22 tools to display in the Home panel and
modify the performance of any tool.
The brush shape affects the weight of o utlines created by any
shape tool (such as the Box or Poly tool) only when the Fill b u tton
is not highlighted or when the 2 Color button is highlighted.
The Box, Circle, Oval, Petal, Poly, RPoly, Shape, Spline, and Star
tools are known generically as shape tools. They all offer Filled
and 2 Color buttons, used to control the fill and outline of shapes.
The setting of each b utton applies to all shape tools.
If you don't understand how to use a certain tool or what purpose
a specific modification option serves, refer to the tool descriptions
contained in this chapter.
91
F 0 u R
Using and
Modifying Inks
The previous chapter described how to use Animator's 22 tools to paint
images inside the drawing area. This chapter describes the second part
of the drawing formula, inks, which determine how colors are applied
by the current tool. A knowledge of tools and inks combined provides
the solid foundation necessary for fully understanding Animator.
Before you read on, make sure Animator has been launched and
that the Home panel is displayed on the screen. If you have been exper
imenting with various tools discussed in Chapter 3, choose the Reset
command from the Flic menu to restore Animator to its original set
tings.
Drawing with an Image
Working with inks requires knowing more about Animator's capabili

ties. You saw in Chapters 2 and 3 that most inks allow you to vary the
way in which the current color or cluster of colors is applied by a tool.
But this is not the only way inks operate. Some inks, for example, allow
you to paint with images, not j ust with colors. To understand how to
paint with an image try the following example:
1. First load the WALK.GIF file into the drawing area. To accomplish
this, first choose the Files . . . command from the Pie menu. Next,
click the Load button i n the Files panel , then double-click
wa l k . g i f in the scrolling file list. After the astronaut appears in
the drawing area, press the Spacebar to return home.
93
Painting on the PC
2 . Move the cursor over the word " Swap" in the menu bar. The
Swap m enu appears, as shown in Figure 4 . 1 . All commands
except the Clip command are dimmed.
Figure 4.1 The Swap menu.
3. Choose the Clip command b y clicking on it. The screen will flash
briefly, but there will be no other effect. The contents of the dr aw
ing area have been stored, or clipped, to a special portion of com
puter memory, called the swap buffer. You might think of the
swap buffer as a scratch pad - for storing sketches or information
that you intend to use in more than one painting.
The Reset command 4. Choose the Restore command from the Pie menu. The Home
also resets the frame window is now returned to its original settings, even though you
buffer, which is used by
never clicked a frame button to save those settings. When you
the Restore command.
(The frame buffer is chose the Reset command at the beginning of this chapter,
independent of the swap . you also reset the frame buffer used by the Restore command. The
buffer.) frame buffer is independent of the swap buffer.
5. The astronaut no longer appears in the drawing area, but he still
exists in the swap b uffer. To prove this, click on the brush shape
indicator to toggle to the thicker brush shape, then s e lect the
Scrape ink. Now scribble in the drawing area. As you draw, you
reveal portions of the swap screen, as shown in Figure 4.2.
94
4-Using and Modifying Inks
Figure 4.2 Revealing the image in the swap screen by drawing

with the Scrape ink.
6. By scraping away portions of the current drawing area to reveal

the swap screen, the Scrape ink allows you, in effect, to draw with
an image. You can use other tools like the Box and Poly tools to
achieve similar results.
Notice that the colors of the astronaut appear slightly off when
using the Scrape ink. This i s not due to the ink or the swap buffer, but a
result of changing the color palette when you chose the Restore com
mand. See the next chapter for complete color information.
The Swap Menu

Display the Swap menu by positioning the cursor over the menu name.
Notice that the commands in this menu are no longer dimmed. Now
that you have clipped an image to the swap buffer, all commands are
active. These commands include the following:
Once you choose the Clip. Choose this command, or press the S key followed by the C
Clip command, you can key, to save the contents of the drawing area and other Home win
no longer access the
dow settings to the swap buffer. The previous contents of the swap
previous swap screen.
buffer are displaced.
95
Painting on the PC
Trade. Choose this command, or press the S key followed by the T

key, to trade the contents of the swap buffer for the contents of the
drawing area. The color palette is also exchanged.
When you choose the Paste. Choose this command, or press the S key followed by the P
Paste command, you key, to restore the settings of the Home window to those in the
automatically forfeit the swap buffer.
contents of the drawing
area and the current View. Choose this command, or press the S key followed by the V
color palette. key, to display the swap screen. Click anywhere to hide the swap
screen and return home.
Release. Choose this command, or press the S key followed by the
R key, to empty the swap buffer. All commands except the Clip
command are dimmed again.
The swap screen is utilized only by commands in the Swap menu

and by the Scrape ink. Nonetheless, it is exceptionally useful, espe
cially when creating backgrounds for animated sequences. Try the fol
lowing short example:
1. With the astronaut image still in the swap buffer, load the painting
called MOON. GIF by following the load instructions at the begin
ning of Chapter 2, and return to the Home window. Your screen
appears as shown in Figure 4.3.
FIN I MFITOR F l. I C PIC CE L TRFICE SIMFIP EXTfi!:FI
Figure 4.3 The MOON. GIF picture.
96
Use the Fill tool with the Z. The lower portion of this picture contains a lunar mountain range.
Scrape ink to insert a The upper portion is black, or empty. Select the Scrape ink and
background that can be
the Fill tool, then click in the empty portion of the painting. The
shared by different
pictures.
astronaut now appears in the background as shown in Figure 4.4.
Figure 4.4 Fill the area behind the lunar mountain range with
the picture of the astronaut.
For more information about animation backgrounds, see Chapter 7 .
Clipping to the Cel Buffer

Another memory buffer used to store images from the drawing area is
the eel buffer. Like the swap buffer, the eel buffer is used by one of the
original inks in the Home panel. But the eel buffer is more versatile
than the swap buffer. It can contain all or only a portion of an image i n
t h e drawing area. When reintroduced t o t h e drawing area, this eel can
be moved, rotated, stretched, or otherwise transformed. Furthermore,
eels can b e saved to disk, j ust like standard Animator pictures.
The following brief example introduces you to working with eels:
1. Load the REDLINE. GIF file into the drawing area and return to the
Home window. The image of a World War I I bomber appears in the
drawing area, as shown in Figure 4 . 5 .
97
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.5 The REDLINE.GIF picture.
The Tab key is a 2. Choose the Clip command from the Cel menu. The Home panel
shortcut for the Gel and menu bar disappear, and a rectangular marquee surrounds
the airplane, as shown in Figure 4 . 6 . After a moment, the marquee
menu 's Clip command.
disappears and the Home window reappears. The airplane has

now been clipped to the eel buffer.
3. Since you no longer need the airplane picture, remove it by choos
ing the Paste command from the Swap menu. The astronaut pic
ture replaces the airplane in the drawing area.
4. Now choose the Paste command from the C el menu. The airplane
reappears inside a marquee at the location in the drawing area
from which it was clipped. A status bar also appears, as shown in
Figure 4.7.
5. Click inside the marquee t o activate i t s o that you can move the
eel image on the screen. Move the image down and to the right
until the second pair of numbers in the status bar read 90 60. Then
click to secure the eel in the drawing area.
After you choose the 6. Choose the Stretch command from the Cel menu. This command
Stretch command, click is used to enlarge or reduce a eel image. First, you need to move
inside the marquee to
the image to a position more conducive to stretching it. Click
move the image, click
inside the eel marquee, then move the cursor up and to the left
outside the marquee to
resize the image. until the airplane appears in the approximate center of the draw
ing area. Click again to set the image down.
98
Figure 4.6 Clipping the airplane to the eel buffer.
Figure 4.7 The airplane eel pasted in front of the astronaut.
7. The marquee still surrounds the airplane because Animator is

waiting for you to resize the image. Click j ust outside the lower
right corner of the marquee. Then move the cursor up and to the
99
Painting on the PC
right until the percentage values inside the status bar read 50% X
50% Y, as showr:i. in Figure 4.8. These values indicate that you have
scaled the airplane down to half its previous size. Click again to
complete the reduction process.
Figure 4.8 Reducing the airplane to half its original size.
8. The marquee still surrounds the airplane. You can move the
image again by clicking in the marquee, or you can fix it in place
by right-clicking anywhere.
You have now seen how you would transfer an image from one
file to another using the eel buffer. You also know how to move an im
age and resize it. For further information about the Cel m enu, see
Chapter 6.
Using the Original Inks
Now that you're familiar with th e swap and eel buffers, you're ready to
experiment with more inks. You've already experimented with the
Opaque, V Grad, and Glass inks in previous chapters. The next exam
ple allows you to experiment with all six inks in the Home panel
Opaque, V Grad, Glass, Scrape, Soften, and Tile .
100
1 . Choose the Reset command from the Flic menu, then click the Yes
button in the alert box.
2. Choose the Stretch command from the Cel menu. The airplane
image appears in the lower right corner of the screen. Move it to
the center of the screen and reduce it to 50%, following the direc
tions i n step 7 of the previous example. Then right-click to fix it in
place.
3. Choose the Clip command from the Cel menu or press the Tab
key, the keyboard equivalent of this command. A marquee briefly
appears around the reduced airplane, then disappears. The
smaller airplane has now been clipped to the eel buffer.
4. Select the Spray tool and the Opaque ink. Drag across the screen
to create a gentle stream of lavender dots, as shown in Figure 4.9.
Figure 4.9 Spra y a stream of lavender dots i n the drawing area.
The Tile ink creates a 5. Now select the Box tool and the Tile ink. The Tile ink is used to
repeating pattern of the create a repeating pattern of eel images. Press the Spacebar to hide
images contained in the
the menu bar and Home panel. Move the cursor into the upper
eel buffer.
most left corner of the drawing area and click. Then move to the
bottommost right corner of the drawing area (the second pair of
numbers in the status bar should read 320 200) and click again. A
barrage of airplanes fills the drawing area, as shown in Figure
4.10.
101
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.10 Using the Tileink to fill the drawing area

with airplanes.
6. Right-click in the drawing area to redisplay the Home panel.

Select the Fill tool and the V Grad ink. The V Grad ink is used to
produce gradations in color. Right-click in the drawing area to
hide the Home window, then click on an empty (black) portion of
the drawing area. The area between airplanes fills with a gradient
of color that fades through a rainbow of colors from red at the top
of the drawing area to purple at the bottom of the drawing area, as
shown in Figure 4 . 1 1 . Stray blac k pixels show through here and
there where the ink was blocked from filling by spraypainted pix
els. Leave these areas unfilled and continue on.
7. Press the Spacebar to redisplay the Home panel. Right-click on the

Poly tool to display the Drawing Tools panel, then select the Shape
tool from the scrolling tool list. Press the Spacebar to return home.
Select the Glass ink and the color blue from the mini-palette.
8. Draw several cloud shapes by dragging in the drawing area. As
you recall from the previous chapter, the Shape tool is used like
the Draw tool, the only difference being that images created with
the Shape tool are filled. One possibility for cloud shapes is shown
in Figure 4 . 1 2 . Notice that areas where clouds overlap become
darker in color.
102
Figure 4.11 Using the V Grad ink to fill the area between
airplanes with color.
Figure 4.1 2 Clouds drawn with the Shape tool and the Glass ink.
9. This step is fun. Select the

Spray tool and the Scrape ink. The
Scrape ink is used to draw with the image stored in the swap
buffer-in this case, the astronaut. Now spray in the drawing
103
Painting on the PC
area. Wherever you spray, the astronaut emerges from the paint
ing, as shown in Figure 4.13. The longer you spray, the clearer the
astronaut becomes.
Figure 4.13 Spraypainting with the Scrape ink to reveal the

astronaut image stored in the swap buffer.
10. Select the Shape tool and the Soften ink. This ink is used to blur
the edges between different colors to create gradual transitions.
Press the Spacebar to hide the menu bar and Home panel. Draw a
large shape that encompasses the portions of the astronaut
exposed in the previous step. Release the mouse button then sit
back and watch. Animator softens color transitions as you watch,
creating a less focused but also less obtrusive image of the astro
naut, as shown in Figure 4.14 and in Color Plate 3 .
It's good enough to hang in a gallery, don't you think? And you
created this masterpiece in a relatively short period of time. By manag
ing the contents of the buffers carefully, you can use Animator's inks to
create powerful special effects in a matter of minut es, effects that
would have required hours using traditional drawing techniques.
At this point, you may want to save your painting to disk under
the name me rge . g i f .
104
Figure 4.14 Softening random pixels associated

with the astronaut image.
Other Ways to Apply Ink
You learned in previous chapters that inks are applied b y tools. There
are a few exceptions to this rule: the Apply Ink command in the Pie
menu (introduced in Chapter 2) and the Paste, Stretch, and Turn com
mands in the Cel menu.
The Apply Ink command The Apply Ink command is used to apply the current ink t o the
can be used in combi entire drawing area, as demonstrated i n the following e xample:
nation with the Time
Select panel to create
animation sequences
1. Select the Glass ink and the orange color from the mini-palette.
that fade in or out. Then choose the Apply Ink command from the Pie menu or press
the P key followed by the A key. A coat of orange wash covers the
entire drawing area, rather than m erely filling one color or
another.
2. Select the Tile ink, then choose the Apply Ink command. The
army of airplanes fills the screen, as shown in Figure 4 . 1 5 .
3 . This time, choose the Apply Ink command with t h e Scrape ink
selected. The astronaut picture appears, but it obscures the other
images in the drawing area.
105
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.15 Using the Apply Ink command in combination

with the Tile ink.
To see the difference 4. Since the current color palette is not the same as the palette that
made by applying an accompanies the WALK.GIF picture, the transitions between col
ink, press the Backspace
ors appear harsh, an effect known as polarization. (To compare the
key to undo the most
recent Apply Ink colors in the current astronaut image with those of the original
command. astronaut painting, choose the View command in the Swap
menu.) To soften the picture, select the Soften ink and then choose
the Apply Ink command again. Similar colors are now grouped
together, as shown in Figure 4 . 1 6.
You do not need to save the painting at this point.
Pasting a Cel in the Selected Ink

An image from the eel b uffer, or eel, is always introduced into the draw
ing area in the current ink, whether you use the Paste, Stretch, or Turn
command (described fully in Chapter B). For example, select the Glass
ink, then choose the Paste command. Right-click to fix the airplane in
place. Notice that the airplane appears in the drawing area as a semi
transparent image, as if it had been drawn with the Glass ink. Choose
the Paste command and right-click again. The airplane becomes less
transparent with each repetition of the command.
106
Figure 4.16 Softening the polarized astronaut picture.
Although eels work with all inks, the Opaque and Glass inks gen
erally produce the best results.
Accessing Other Inks
By virtue of its 2 2 tools and the six inks discussed so far, Animator pro
vides more painting flexibility than almost any other painting program
for the PC. But once again, there's more to Animator than meets the
eye. There are actually 2 6 inks, which can all be swapped and altered
much like tools .
The Home panel contains six ink slots, into which you can plug
any of Animator's 26 inks. To use an ink not currently displayed, you
have to unplug one of the current inks, since only one ink can occupy a
You can access the Ink slot.
Types panel by choosing To access other inks or modify an existing ink, right-click an ink
the Ink Types command
slot. For example, right-click the Glass button. The Ink Types panel ap
from the Animator menu
in the Home window, or pears with the Glass button highlighted, as shown in Figure 4.17.
by pressing the A key The Ink Types panel is similar to the Drawing Tools panel , and
followed by the I key. includes the following sections:
The ink slots display the six inks as they appear in the Home
panel. The current ink is highlighted. You can select a different
ink slot by clicking on it.
107
Painting on the PC
The scrolling ink list contains the names of all 26 Animator inks.
Clicking on an ink name inserts that ink in the highlighted ink
slot and in the Home panel.
The description box explains how the current ink works. If you
select a different ink in the ink slots or in the scrolling ink list,
the contents of the description box will change to correspond to
that ink.
You can modify how the current ink affects the application of
color by changing settings in the modification options. The modifi
cation options vary from ink to ink.
All of Animator's 26 inks and their modification options will be

described fully in this chapter.
Modifying an Ink
To learn how the modification options work, complete the following

example, which demonstrates how to modify the operation of the Glass
tool. B efore you begin, right-click to remove the Inks panel, if you have
not already done so.
r "
GRAO) MA KE A 5 I NG LE T;';:;At'4SPAENT
LAVER . RE LEASE: MOUS:E BUTTQN
A
5I
... Description box ZQR
Mod ification O I THEI<:

opti ons INK STRENGTH
l+-1 m -....--.I-ti
Figure 4.17 The sections of the Ink Types panel.
108
1. Choose the Paste command from the Swap menu. The same astro
naut from previous examples appears in the drawing area, but the
settings of the color palette change to the settings contained in the
original WALK.GIP file.
2 . Select the Box tool and the Glass ink. Also select the pale yellow
color on the right side of the color palette. Draw a rectangle any
where in the drawing area.
Ink strength, or density, 3. Right-click the Glass ink slot. Notice that there are two modifica
determines whether tion options for this ink: the Dither button and the Ink Strength
colors appear solid or
slider bar. The second option controls the density of the color
watered down.
applied by the current tool, measured as a percentage of the cur
rent color. A 1 00% density produces a solid color, as if you used
the Opaque ink ; a 0% density produces a transparency. Currently,
a 50% dose of pale yellow is added to the colors in the drawing
area.
4. Move the slider box to 2 5 , then press the Spacebar to return to the
Home window. Now draw a second rectangle below the first, as
shown in Figure 4.18. Notice that this box is lighter in color.
Figure 4.18 Two rectangles created with the Glass ink, the upper
with a 50% density and the lower with a 25% density.
The remaining steps demonstrate the effects of selecting and

deselecting the Dither button.
109
Painting on the PC
5. First, right-click the Glass ink, then set the Ink Strength to 75.
Leave the Dither button deselected. Press the Spacebar to return
home, then select orange from the mini-palette. Draw a rectangle
anywhere in the drawing area.
6. Right-click the Glass button again. Highlight the Dither button by
clicking on it, then press the Space bar to hide the Ink Types panel.
Draw another rectangle directly to the side of the previous one.
7. Dithering affects the color of individual pixels in an image. Since
it is difficult to compare individual pixels at the normal view size,
you may want to magnify the two shapes by 200%. Click the Zoom
button or press the Z key. Move the marquee over the orange rec
tangles, then click to zoom. (If the drawing area magnifies by
400%, right-click the Zoom button, then select the 200% zoom
level option.)
Figure 4.19 The colors of the right box were dithered;

those of the left box were not. A white line was added
to distinguish the two.
Dithering mixes differ 8. As shown in Figure 4 . 1 9 , the colors in the non-dithered (left) rec
ently colored pixels to tangle are smooth and continuous. The colors in the dithered
create an effect similar
(right) r ectangle vary from pixel to pixel, like the colors in an
to an impressionist
painting. impressionist painting. Dithering blends pixels to fool the eye into
seeing more than the 2 5 6 colors permitted by Animator. Dithering
1 10
produces more true-to-life results; however, dithered images may

appear ragged and sketchy. Images that are not dithered appear
smooth and precise.
Dithering is most noticeable with the gradient inks, such as the V

Grad ink. The following example illustrates this:
1 . Choose the Reset command from the Flic menu to restore all origi
nal settings.
2. Select the V Grad ink, then choose the Apply Ink command from
the Pie menu. Notice how the colors dither into one another. The
dithering will become more obvious with the next steps.
3. Right-click the V Grad ink slot, then deselect the Dither button.
Press the Spacebar to return home.
4. Select the Box tool, then press the Spacebar again to hide the
Home window. Draw a rectangle to cover the entire right half of
the drawing area, as shown in Figure 4.20.
Figure 4.20 Drawing a rectangle t o cover the right half

of the drawing area.
5. The colors in the right half of the screen are not dithered; they are
applied in even rows. Figure 4 . 2 1 displays the gradations in both
the dithered and non-dithered rectangles magnified to 400% .
111
Painting on the PC
FLIC PIC CE L TRACE SWAP .EXTRA
- .
I
Figure 4.21 The rows of colors on the left are dithered;

those on the right are not.
Dithering is most The Dither button and the Ink Strength slider bar are common to
noticeable with one of many of Animator's inks. Both options are available for the Bright,
the gradient inks-H
Dark, Emboss, Glass, Glaze, and Gray inks. Only the Dither button is
Grad, L Grad, R Grad,
and V Grad.
available to the H Grad, L Grad, R Grad, Scrape, Soften, Tile, Unzag,
and V Grad inks. The Ink Strength slider bar is the only option for the
Jumble and Split inks. Unlike the tool modifiers, altering an option for
one ink does not affect the status of that option for any other ink.
Ink Descriptions
T his section explains how to operate and modify every ink in Anima
tor. The inks are listed in alphabetical order. You should read through
the ink descriptions at least once to learn how each ink works, although
some of the descriptions repeat information you already know. After
you have had time to experiment with the inks, you can use this sec
tion as a reference guide.
The Add Ink

Effect: Animator allows you to use up to 256 colors in any sin
gl e painting or animation frame. Each color is assigned
1 12
The results of using the a register n u m b er between 0 and 2 5 5 according to its

Add ink vary consid location in the Palette panel, which is describ ed in
erably, depending on the
Chapter 5. (The register number has nothing to do with
configuration of the
colors in the Palette the shade or hue of a color.)
panel. The Add ink works by adding the register number
If the register number of of the color currently selected in the Home panel to the
the current color is 0, register number of the color of each affected pixel in
the Add ink produces no
the drawing area. The color whose register number
effect.
equals the resultant sum becomes the new color for the
affected pixel.
Figure 4.22 The right half of this woman's face has been
subjected to the Add ink. The register number of the
currently selected color is 2 1 .
Modification: There are no modification options for the Add ink.

Use: You can use the Add ink to:
Reorganize colors in the drawing area.
Create psychedelic effects.
Cycle the colors of an image via an animation
sequence.
1 13
Painting on the PC
The Bright Ink
Because the Bright ink Effect: The Bright ink lightens the color of each affected pixel
works according to in the drawing area by the percentage specified in the
percentages, it affects
Ink Strength slider bar. For example, if the slider bar is
light colors more
dramatically than dark set to 50, the color of a pixel will become 50% brighter.
colors. The Bright ink ignores the current color.
Modification: The only modification options are the Dither button
and Ink Strength slider bar. When the Dither button is
highlighted, Animator considers the colors of all pixels
within an affected area and changes the colors of these
pixels in relationship to one another. The result is that
pixels of different colors are blended, which fools the
eye into perceiving additional colors. When the Dither
button is not highlighted, each pixel is treated individ
ually. Animator merely selects the color from the Pal
ette panel that most nearly meets the mathematical
requirements.

.
.
, - " -
.
.
Figure 4.23 The B right ink was applied to the picture in five
horizontal strips, with densities of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%,
and 100o/o, respectively.
1 14
If the Ink Strength slider Moving the slider box inside t h e Ink Strength
bar is set to 0, the slider b ar changes the degree to which the colors of pix
current ink produces no
els are affected by the current ink.
effect.
Use: You can use the Bright ink to:
Create highlights in a painting.
Bring out details in the shadows of a photographic
scan.
Diffuse an image into whiteness via an animation
sequence, as if an incredibly bright light were being
shone upon it.
The Close Ink
Use the Close ink, in Effect: The Close ink closes up single-pixel gaps in lines in the
combination with the drawing area which are no more than one-pixel thick
Apply Ink command, to
and whose color matches the current color.
close up gaps in free
form lin es that you plan Modification: There are no modification options for the Close ink.
to fill with the Fill tool.
Us e : You can use the Close ink to:
Close gaps in lines that you want to fill.
Clean up breaks in scanned artwork.
Figure 4.24 Lines one-pixel thick may have single-pixel

gaps in them.
1 15
Painting on the PC
Figure4.25 The Close ink closes up single-pixel gaps in lines that

match the current color. Lines thicker than one pixel are ignored.
The Dark Ink

Like the Bright ink, the Effect: The Dark ink darkens the color of each affected pixel in
Dark ink affects light the drawing area to a percentage of its former lightness,
colors more dramatically
as specified in the Ink Strength slider bar. For example,
than dark colors.
if the slider bar is set to 50, the color of a pixel will
become half as light.
The Dark ink ignores the current color.
If the Ink Strength slider Modification: The only modification options are the Dither button
bar is set to 100, the and Ink Strength slider bar. Refer to The Bright Ink
Dark ink will change the
description for an explanation of these options.
entire affected area to
black. Ink Strength Use: You can use the Dark ink to:
settings greater than 15
Create shadows in a painting.
are not recommended.
Darken details in an overexposed photographic scan.
Fade out an image via an animation sequence.
The Emboss Ink
Effect: The Emboss ink adds a line of lighter or darker pixels

along the top and left edges of contrasting pixels in the
1 16
Figure 4.26 The Dark ink was appli ed to t h e picture in four

horizontal strips, with densities of 0%, 25%, 50%,
and 75%, respectively.
Think of the Emboss ink drawing area. It also adds a line of darker or lighter pix
as the opposite of the els along the bottom and right edges of these contrast
Soften ink, since it
ing pixels. The lines are lighter on the top and darker
contrasts, rather than
blends, pixels of
on the bottom if the affected pixels are lighter than the
different colors. surrounding pixels. If the affected pixels are darker
than their neighbors, the lines are darker on top and
lighter on the bottom. The degree to which a line is
lighter or darker than the affected pixels is determined
by the Ink Strength value, as per the Bright and Dark
inks.
The result of all this is that an image subjected to
the Emboss ink appears sharper or raised from its back
ground.
The Emboss ink ignores the current color.
and Ink Strength slider bar. Refer to The Bright Ink
Use: You can use the Emboss ink to:
Heighten the appearance of detail or texture in an
image.
1 11
Painting Ofl the PC
Figure 4.27 The right half of this woman's face was subjected to
the Emboss ink, giving it a sharper, more textured appearance.
Make a photographic scan look weathered or

antique.
Rough up smooth images in a painting.
The Glass Ink
If the Ink Strength slider Effect: The Glass ink mixes the color currently selected in the
bar is set to 100, the Horne panel with the color of each affe ct e d pixel in the
Glass ink will be drawing area, according to the percentage value speci
opaque.
fied in the Ink Strength slider bar. For ex ampl e if the
,
slider bar is set to 50, the current color will b e averaged

with the color of each pixel.
When using a palette Modification: The only modification o pt i o ns are the Dither button
with a limited range of and Ink Strength slider bar. Refer to The B r i gh t Ink
colors, select the Dither
button to increase the
accuracy of the Use: Next to the Opaque ink, the Glass ink is probably the
Glass ink. most frequently used ink in Animator. You can use the
Glass ink to:
Introduce transparent versions of eels into a picture.
Create translucent or ghost-like images.
1 18
4-Using af]d Modifying Inks
Sketch images over other images.

Trail off images to indicate motion in an animation
sequence.
Merge one image into another in an animation
sequence.
The Glaze Ink

The Glaze ink is most Effect: Like the Glass ink, the Glaze ink mixes the color cur
effective when used with rently selected in the Horne panel with the color of
Ink Strength settings of
each affected pixel in the drawing area, according to
50 or less.
the percentage value specified in the Ink Strength
slider bar. The only difference is that the density of the
color laid down by the Glaze ink increases the longer
you hold down the mouse button in a single location.
Therefore, the Glaze ink only produces noticeable
effects when used with tools that require dragging.
These include the Draw, D rizzle, Gel, Spray, and
Streak tools. The Glaze ink works exactly like the Glass
ink when used with any other tool or with a C e l menu
command.
Figure 4.28 The Glaze ink and the Spray tool were used to
produce a snowy effect. The Ink Strength setting varied
between 10 and 50.
1 19
Painting on the PC
The Dither button slows Modification: The only modification options are the Dither button
down the performance of and Ink Strength slider bar. Refer to The Bri gh t Ink
tools which are operated
by dragging, such as the
Draw and Spray tools. Use: You can use the Glaze ink to:
Create watercolor or charcoal effects when you use it
with the Draw or Drizzle tool.

Create realistic highlights or shadows in a painting.
The Glow Ink
Effect: If the color of an affected pixel in the drawing area is

found in the cluster box, the Glow ink replaces the
color with the next color in the cluster box. This shift
ing of one color to the next is known as color cycling.
Affected pixels whose colors do not appear in the clus
ter box are not affected.
Figure 4.29 The Glow ink was applied between one (top) and five
(bottom) times to the five sections of the pictu re .
The Glow ink ignores the current color.

Modification: There are no modification options for the Glow ink.
Use: You can use the Glow ink to:
120
Reorganize colors in the drawing area selectively.

Boost the values of light or dark colors.
Cycle the colors of an i mage via an animation
sequence.
The Gray Ink
Effect: The Gray ink lowers the saturation of affected pixels by

a specified percentage. Saturation is the quality of a
color that makes it colorful. For example, colors in a
black and white movie are represented as gray values.
Each gray value is the same shade as the color it repre
sents. However, since the gray value lacks saturation, a
shade of pink appears identical to the same shade of
yellow or sky blue. To transform a pale gray to pink,
you would need to apply red saturation.
In other words, the Gray ink robs pixels of their
colors an d makes them more like black and white pho
tographs.
The Gray ink ignores the current color.
and Ink Strength slider bar. Refer to The Bright Ink
Use; You can use the Gray ink to:
Transform color painti ngs into black and white
images.
Ma ke an image appear cold and lifeless.
Fade images from color to black and white in an ani
mation sequence.
The H Grad (or Horizontal Gradient) Ink
Gradient inks work best Effect: This ink creates a horizontal gradation using the colors
when the colors in the in the cluster box. All colors occupy equal amounts of
cluster box are
space. When you draw with a shape tool with the Filled
organized using the
Gradient command from button selected, the gradation b egi ns at the left edge of
the Arrange menu in the the shape and ends at the right edge. Similarly, when
Palette window. you use the Text tool, the gradation begins in the first
letter and ends in the last letter. When you use other
121
Painting on the PC
tools, colors are distributed as if the gradation fills the

entire drawing area.
Figure 4.30 A picture created exclusively with the Horizontal

Gradient ink.
Modification: The only modification option is the Dither b utton.

When this button is highlighted, pixels of one color are
mingled with pixels of the next color to create gradual
transitions. When this button is not highlighted, colors
are applied in smooth bars.
Use: All gradient inks are useful fo r creating three
dimensional images. Specifically, the Horizontal Gradi
ent ink can be used to:
Indicate a light source on the left or right h an d side of
a painting, such as a sunrise or sunset.
Create interesting, yet unobtrusive, backgrounds for
text animation.
Draw naturalistic lines and outlines.
Add details to scanned photographs.
The Hollow Ink
Effect: Apply this ink to an image to replace adjacent pixels of

the same color with the key color (usually black), leav-
122
The Hollow ink is ing only a single-pixel outline of the original color to
generally useful only for identify the shape. Masses of color are therefore " hol
hollowing out simple lowed out. " You might think of the Hollow ink as pro
images. Results are less
predictable when it is ducing the opposite effect of the Fill tool used with the
applied to complex Opaque ink.
paintings or photo The Hollow ink ignores the current color.
graphic scans.
Figure 4.31 A sample painting containing text and graphics.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Hollow ink.

Use: You can use the Hollow ink to:
Hollow out shapes selectively using the Fill tool,
then refill them with a different color or image using
a different ink.
Hollow out areas in a painting to create a transparent
overlay that can be combined with another painting.
The Jumble Ink
Effect: Apply this ink to an image to mix the colors of affected

pixels randomly. Higher Ink Strength settings mix the
on-screen colors more intensely than lower settings.
123
Painting on the-PC
Figure 4.32 The painting from Figure 4.31 after the Hollow ink
was applied.
Figure 4.33 The right half of this woman's face was subjected to
the Jumble ink with an Ink Strength setting of 3 .
124
Figure
4.34 This effect was achieved by applying the Jumble ink
with a density of 8% and spraying around the edges
with the Glaze ink.
The Jumble ink ignores the current color.
Ink Strength settings Modification: The only modification option is the Ink Strength slider
higher than 20 tend to bar. Refer to The Bright Ink description for an explana
mix images past the
tion of this option.
point of recognition.
Use: You can use the Jumble ink to:
Transform a photographic scan into a mosaic or
impressionistic image.
Make images appear as if they are behind a panel of
textured glass.
Take the edge off an image or further mix a cluster of
colors applied with a gradient ink. (The Ink Strength
setting of the Jumble Ink must be 1 .)
The L Grad (or Line-Contour Gradient) Ink
Effect: Using the colors in the cluster box, this ink creates a
horizontal gradation con toured to the outline of a
shape. In other words, each color is applied in conform
ity with the shape's outline , mimicking its curves and
125
Painting on the PC
corners. The e ffect is such that colors don't always

occupy equal amounts of space. This ink produces
noticeable effects with the Circle, Fill, Fillto, and Gel
tools only. Used with other tools, the L Grad Ink pro
duces results identical to those of the H Grad ink.
Figure 4.35 A picture created exclusively with the Line-Contour

Gradient ink.
To use the Line-Contour Gradient ink to fill a non-circular

image, first draw the shape with the Opaque ink and no fill,
then use the Fillto tool to apply the contoured gradation.
Observe the effect of Modification: The only modification option is the Dither button.
turning the Dither button Refer to The H Grad (or Horizontal Gradient) Ink sec
off when drawing a
tion for an explanation of this option.
circle.
Use: All gradient inks are useful for creating three
dimensional images. Specifically, the Line -C ontour
Gradient ink can be used to:
Draw spheres that appear to be lit longitudinally
(with color bands following the lines of longitude) .
Create abstract or cubist effects.
126
Add dimension to an image when the Horizontal

Gradient ink appears too flat.
The Opaque Ink
Effect: The Opaque ink creates lines and shapes with solid
colors.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Opaque ink.
Use: D espite its s implicity, you will probably use the
Opaque ink most often. You can use the Opaque ink to:
Introduce opaque images from the eel buffer.
Draw solid lines to fil l l ater using the Fillto tool.
Create solid backgrounds.
Repair or smooth out mistakes in a magnified view.
the Draw tool and the key color.
The Pull Ink

The Pull ink smears a Effect: The Pull ink smears color in the drawing area. Because
new color whenever you you must drag at an on-screen color to smear it, the Pull
change the direction of
ink only produces noticeable effects when you apply it
your drag.
with tools that require dragging. These include the
Draw , Drizzle, Gel, Spray, and Streak tools. The Pull
ink produces no effects when you apply i t with other
tools or with a Cel menu command.
This ink works like the Smear ink , except that the
latter produces more subtle, controllable results.
The Pull ink ignores the current color.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Pull ink.
Use: You can use the Pull ink to:
Blend colors in the drawing area.
Adjust or alter details in a photographic scan.
sequence.
127
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.36 This image was created using the Drizzle tool
with the Pull ink.
The R Grad (or Radial Gradient) Ink
Effect: Using th e colors in the cluster box, this ink creates a

gradation that emanates from a central point and pro
gresses outward in concentric circles. All colors occupy
equal amounts of space. Regardless of the tool used to
draw, colors are distributed as if the gradation fills the
entire drawing area. The l eftmost color in the cluster
box b ecomes the central color in the radial gradation;
the rightmost color in the cluster box becomes the out
ermost color. The effect produced by the R Grad ink is
shown in Figure 4.37 and Color Plate 4.
To use the Radial Gradient ink to create highlighted images,

arrange the colors in the cluster box with the lightest color
on the left and the darkest on the right.
Modification: The first modification option is the Center button, an

option unique to this ink. Click the button to determine
the location of the center of your radial gradation. The
Ink Types panel disappears and a status bar appears in
128
Figure 4.37 A picture created exclusively with the Radial

Gradient ink.
the upper left corner of the drawing area, displaying

the location of the cursor. Also, a pair of horizontal and
vertical dotted lines emanate from the cursor, as shown
in Figure 4 . 3 8 . Click to set the center point, then move
the cursor to expand or contract an outlined circle. The
perimeter of this circle represents the location of the
outermost color, after which the colors in the cluster
box will repeat. Once the circle is the desired size, click
to establish the size of the radial gradation. You are
then returned to the Ink Types panel.
Since the locations of colors in a radial gradation are abso

lute with respect to the drawing area, feel free to occasion
ally relocate the center point within a single painting.
The second modification option is the Dither but

ton. Refer to The H Grad [or Horizontal Gradient) Ink
description for an explanation of this option.
Use: All gradient inks are useful for creating three
dimensional images. Specifically, the Radial Gradient
ink can be used to:
129
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.38 Establishing the center of a radial gradation.
Create voluminous spheres and globes.

Draw lines and sprays that appear to fade in and out
as they flow across the drawing area.
Apply highlighted fills to almost any shape.
The Scrape Ink

If the eel buffer is Effect: This ink scrapes away portions of the current painting
empty, the Scrape ink to reveal the image stored in the swap buffer.
functions like the
Opaque ink. Provi d e d a swap screen exists , the Scrape ink
ignores the current color.
Modification: The only modification option is the Dither button.
Refer to The Bright Ink description for an explanation
of this option.
Use: You can use the Scrape ink to:
Mix images from two different paintings.
Erase future changes to the current painting, pro
vided the current painting is stored in t h e swap
buffer.
Create backgrounds for animation sequences.
130
The Smear Ink
You can create Effect: This ink smears colors in the drawing area. Because
surprising and inter- you must drag at an on-screen color to smear it, the
esting effects simply by Smear ink only produces noticeable effects when you
dragging back and forth
over an area with the apply it with tools that require dragging. These include
Smear ink. the Draw, Drizzle, Gel, Spray, and Streak tools. The
Smear ink produces no effects when you apply it with
other tools or with a Cel menu command.
This ink works like the Pull ink, except that the
latter produces more radical, deliberate results.
The Smear ink ignores the current color.
Figure 4.39 Compare this image using the Smear ink to the Pull
ink example in Figure 4.36.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Smear ink.

Use: You can use the Smear ink to:
Blend colors together in the drawing area.
Gently adjust details in a photographic scan.
sequence.
131
Painting on the PC
The Soften Ink
Effect: T h e Soften ink smooths out the color differences

between pixels to create softer, less focused textures.
This ink works like the Unzag ink, except that the
latter is designed specifically to smooth the rough edges
of diagonal lines and text.
The Soften ink ignores the current color.
Figure 4.40 This painting shows unsoftened (left) and softened

(right) versions of images created with the Smear (top) and
Jumble (bottom) inks.

Refer to Th e Bright Ink description for an explanation
of this option.
Use: You can use the Soften ink to:
Make images appear out of focus or blurred.
Smooth the effects of using the Jumble, Pull, or
Smear ink.
Hide imperfections in badly scanned photographs.
Smooth the rough edges of a dia gonal line.
132
The Spark Ink
When the Spark Ink is Effect: The Spark ink adds the register numbers of the colors
applied to a painting, of the four pixels (above, below, left, and right) sur
pixels around the
rounding each affected pixel. The color whose register
perimeter will look
inconsistent with their number equals the resultant sum becomes the new
neighbors because these color fo r the affected pixel. The result is supposed to be
pixels have fewer than a sparkling effect. The outcome depends considerably
four pixels surrounding on the organization of the Palette panel (discussed in
them.
the next chapter).
The Spark ink ignores the current color.
Figure 4.41 The Spark ink was applied to the right half of the
woman's face, creating a veritable contour map of her features.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Spark ink.

Use: You can use the Spark ink to:
Reorganize colors in the drawing area.
Create psychedelic effects.
Cycle the colors o f an image via an animation
sequence.
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Painting on the PC
The Split Ink
Lower Ink Strength Effect: The Split ink moves every other affected row of pixels
settings create some number (determined by the Ink Stre ngth setting)
"television " lines.
of pixels to the right or to the left. For example, if you
Higher Ink Strengths
create double images,
apply the Split ink to the entire drawing area with an
as shown in Figure 4. 43 Ink Strength setting of 2 , the first row of pixels will be
and in Color Plate 5. moved two pixels to the right, the second row will
be moved two pixels to the left, the third row will be
moved two pixels to the right, and so on.
The Split ink ignores the current color.
Modification: The only modification option is the Ink Strength slider
bar. Refer to The Bright Ink description for an explana
tion of this option.
Use: You can use the Split ink to:
Make images appear out of focus or blurred.
Split an image into a double image, as if the image is
in the foreground and the viewer is looking past it.
Figure 4.42 An Ink Strength setting of 1 was used on the left side
of this painting; an Ink Strength setting of 11 was used
on the right side.
134
Figure 4.43 An Ink Strength setting of 44 was used to create this

double image.
Impart a sense of volume by applying it selectively to

the edges of an image and/or to its center.
The Sweep Ink
Effect: The Sweep ink cleans up single-pixel inconsistencies

in the drawing area. If an affected pixel of one color is
surrounded by four pixels (above, below, left, and right)
which share a second color, the Sweep ink replaces the
central pixel with the second color, making it consis
tent with its neighbors.
The Sweep ink ignores the current color.
Modification: There are no modification options for the Sweep ink.
Use: You can use the Sweep ink to:
Close gaps in large, single-color shapes or thick,
single-color lines.
Clean up breaks in scanned artwork.
Selectively eliminate loose pixels created with the
Spray tool.
135
Paintjng on the PC
Figure 4.44 Single-pixel gaps in a painting or scanned photograph

can be filled, provided each gap is surrounded by four pixels of
the same color.
Figure 4.45 Applying the Sweep ink fills in the single-pixel gaps
in Figure 4.44.
136
4-Usfng and Modifying Inks
The Tile Ink
It the eel buffer is Effect: This ink displays multiple versions of the current eel,
empty, the Tile ink acts repeated in strict vertical and horizontal formation.
like the Opaque ink.
Figure 4.46 displays the current eel. Figure 4.47 and
Color Plate 6 show the effect of transferring the eel
image to the current painting using the Tile ink.
Provided a eel exists, the Tile ink ignores the cur
rent color.
Refer to The Br i g ht Ink description for an explanation
of this option.
Use: You can use the Tile ink to:
Mix images from two di fferent paintings.
Transfer images from one painting to another.
C reate repetitive background patterns such as wood
grain, marble, etc.
The Unzag (or Anti-Aliasing) Ink
Always apply anti- Effect: The U nzag ink smooths out diagonal lines so they
aliasing after an image appea r less stair-stepped. This ink uses a technique
has been set against its
called anti-aliasing, whereby an intermediary color is
final background.
inserted between a j agged line and its background,
fooling the eye into perceiving that the line ends grad
ually, rather than abruptly. This technique is also use
ful for making type appear less jagged.
This ink works like the Soften ink, except that the
latter softens pixels indiscriminately, while the Unzag
ink is designed specifically to anti-alias jagged edges.
The Unzag ink ignores the current color.
Refer to The Bright Ink description for a n explanation
of this option.
Use: You can use the Unzag ink to:
Smooth the edges of diagonal lines and edges.
Soften the appearance of large type.
Hide imperfections in high-contrast scans.
137
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.46 The small image is stored to the eel buffer.
Figure 4.47 The small image is then transferred to the astronaut

painting using the Separate (Sep.) tool, and the Tile ink.
138
Figure 4.48 Type created in Animator is jagged originally.
Figure 4.49 Using the Unzag ink to soften the edges of letters,
making them more attractive and legible.
139
Painting on the PC
The V Grad (or Vertical Gradient) Ink
Effect: This ink creates a vertical gradation using the colors in

the cluster box. All colors occupy equal amounts of
space. If a shape tool is used to draw and the Filled but
ton is selected, the gradation begins at the top of the
shape and ends at the bottom. Similarly, if the Text tool
is used, the gradation begins at the top of the first line of
type and ends at the bottom of the last line. If any other
tool is used, colors are distributed as if the gradation
fills the entire drawing area.
Refe r to The H Grad (or Horizontal Gradient) Ink
description for an explanation of this option.
Use: All gradient inks are useful for cre ating three
dimensional images. Specifically, the Vertical Gradient
ink can be used to:
Indicate a light source above the image, such as the
sun, or below the image, such as an eerie lumines
cence.
Create interesting, yet unobtrusive backgrounds for
text animation.
Draw naturalistic lines and outlines.
Add details to scanned photographs.
The XOR (or Exclusive Or) Ink
Effect: The XOR ink is useful for isolating images of a specific

color from the rest of a painting. The ink uses the exclu
sive or logic function, whereby a comparison of two
statements produces a true ruling if and only if one
statement is true and the other is false. For example,
suppose you bet a friend that it's going to rain or snow
tomorrow. The next day comes along, and sure enough,
it snows all day. Do you win your bet? Of course you
do, since only one event or the other had to transpire in
order for you to collect your money.
However, if both statements are false or both are
true, the XOR function produces a false ruling. If your
bet was an XOR bet, and it ended up raining in the
140
morning and turning to snow that afternoon, you

would have to pay your friend. After all, you specific
ally said it would rain or snow, not that it would rain
and snow.
The XOR ink uses this same principle to compare
the colors of pixels. Each color register number is
expressed as an eight-digit binary number, which is a
number made up exclusively of Os and ls. The number
1 is expressed as 0000000 1 , 2 is expressed as 000000 1 0 ,
3 is 000000 1 1 , 4 is 00000 1 0 0 , a n d s o o n , up to 2 5 5 which
is expressed as 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . Imagine counting if you only
had two numbers to work with!
When you draw over a pixel in the drawing area,
XOR compares the color of the pixel with the currently
selecte d color by comparing each binary digit in their
respective register numbers. If both digits are Os or both
digit's are ls, XOR produces 0 for false. If one digit is a 1
and the other is a 0, XOR produces 1 for true.
The result of all this is that drawing over an on
screen color with the same color produces O's for every
digit and changes the pixels of that color to the color
with register number 0 in the Palette panel (generally
black) .
The XOR ink turns pixels For exampl e , suppose you want to isolate the
black if they match the white shapes from the other shapes back in Figure 4.49 .
current color.
First, choose the Clip command from the Cel menu.
Next, select white as the key color by right-clicking on
the key color indicator and then clicking on any white
pixel in the drawing area. (This technique is discussed
in more detail in the next chapter.) Whenever you
paste from the eel buffer, pixels in the key color
become transparent, so that the white pixels don 't can
cel themselves out. Select the XOR ink and choose the
Paste command from the Cel menu. Right-click to fix
the image in the marquee to the drawing area. By past
ing the image on top of itself, you force all nontranspar
ent pixels to produce false XOR rulings and turn black.
The only pixels that remain visible against the black
background are the white pixels, as shown in Figure
4.50.
Modification: There are no modification options for the XOR ink.
141
Painting on the PC
Figure 4.50 By selecting the XOR ink and white as the key color,
you can paste an image on top of itself, canceling out all
non-white colors.
Use: You can use the XOR ink to:

Isolate lines and shapes of a specific color in the
drawing area.
Erase lines and shapes of a specific color.
Cycle the colors of an image via an animation
sequence.
What You've Learned
This chapter contained complete information on the operation and

modification of Animator's collection of 26 inks. If you skipped a few
inks here and there, don't worry. You can always come back later and
read about them. Take a moment now to review the important points of
this chapter:
The commands in the Swap menu are used to store paintings in,
and retrieve paintings from, a portion f computer memory called
the swap buffer. Using the Scrape ink, you can combine selected
portions of the swap buffer with the current painting. Provided
142
the current painting is stored in the swap buffer, you can also use
the Scrape ink to erase future changes to it.
The eel buffer serves a purpose similar to the swap buffer. How
ever, commands i n the Cel menu are more comprehensive; they
can store partial images as well as move, resize, and rotate the
images retrieved. The Tile ink creates a repeating pattern of the
contents of the eel buffer, also called the eel.
The gradient inks use all colors in the cluster box. These inks
include Horizontal Gradient, Line-Contour Gradient, Radial Gra
dient, and Vertical Gradient.
The Soften ink blends transitions between neighboring pixels to
create a tidier but less focused picture.
The Apply Ink command from the Pie menu applies the current
ink over the entirB drawing are a .
Images in the eel buffer are always introduced into the drawing
area in the current ink.
The Dither button blends the pixels of different colors to create
the impression of colors not included in the current picture's 2 5 6 -
color Palette panel.
The Ink Strength slider bar controls the density of an ink, that
is the degree to which the current ink affects the colors of pixels in
the drawing area.
Changing the status of the Dither button or the Ink Strength slider
bar for one ink does not affect the status of that option for any
other ink.
If you don't understand how to use a specific ink or understand
the purpose of a specific modification option, refer to the ink
descriptions contained in this chapter.
143
F I v E
The Color Palette

So far, you have experimented with colors from the seven-color mini
palette, the cluster bar, and the key color indicator in the context of
Animator's array of tools and inks. This chapter delves more deeply
into the Animator color network, explaining how to change and add
colors and clusters, and how to organize the Palette panel. Lessons on
color theory are also included.
As in previous chapters, Animator should be launched and the
Home panel displayed on the screen. If you have been experimenting
with the tools and inks discussed in Chapters 3 and 4 , choose the Reset
command from the Flic menu to restore Animator to its original set
tings.
Home Panel Colors
As you know, you can access colors by clicking on them in the Home
panel. For example, if you want to draw a blue line, you click the blue
color box on the far left side of the seven-color mini-palette. If you want
to erase a line, you select the key color indicator box to the left of the
mini-palette. If you want to know the currently selected color, you look
in the current color indicator box in the upper right corner of the Home
panel. To review the location of these color controls refer to Figure 5 . 1 .
145
Painting on the PC
Cluster box
Current color
indicator
Figure 5.1 Color controls in the Home pane l .
Accessing More Colors
You can use up to 256 Between the mini-palette and key color, you have eight colors from
colors per picture or which to select. However, Animator allows you to use a total of 2 56
frame.
colors per picture. How do you get to these other 248 colors?
In fact, there are many ways to access colors not found in the cur
rent mini-palette. First, as you have discovered in previous chapters,
you can use an ink that mixes colors in the drawing area to produce
new colors, such as the Glass ink. For example, select the Box tool, the
Glass ink, and the color blue from the mini-palette. Draw a rectangle in
the drawing area. S elect lavender from the mini-palette, then draw an
other rectangle which partially overlaps the first. You have now cre
ated three new colors-a deep blue, a lighter blue, and a grayish
purple-none of which appears in the mini-palette, key color indicator,
or cluster bar. Even without changes in the Ink Strength setting, the
Glass ink alone offers the potential to create 84 color permutations!
Another way to select different colors is to click in the cluster bar.
Each thin band of color represents another color that you can access
from the Home panel. For example, click on the lightest shade of blue.
A pair of pixels, one white and one black, will appear inside the color
band, indicating that it's selected. This shade of blue will also appear in
th e current color indicator.
146
5-The Color Palette
Changing the Mini-Palette
A third way to select other colors is to lift them off the screen. To ac
complish this, you must replace a color i n the mini-palette or in the key
color indicator by right-clicking on the appropriate color box and then
clicking on the color you want to lift. The following example demon
strates this:
1 . Right-click on the lavender color box in the mini-palette. A red

outline surrounds the color and lavender appears in the current
color indicator, j ust as if you had selected the color. Animator also
displays a status bar in place of the menu bar, as shown in Figure
5 . 2 . The status bar lists the register number and the RGB (red,
green, blue)
values associated with the color under the cursor.
Both of these color properties are discussed in more detail later in
this chapter.
COLOR: 2:S0 (;B 36
Figure 5.2 Right-click the lavender color box in the mini-palette.
2. Now move the cursor around in the drawing area. Notice that the
status bar and current color indicator are updated continually to
indicate the color under the cursor.
3. Click on a black portion of the drawing area. The status bar disap
pears and the current color indicator returns to its original laven-
147
Painting on the PC
der color. However, the mini-palette box that used to contain

lavender now contains black.
4. Select the Draw tool and the Opaque ink, then draw a line in
the drawing area. The line is lavender because the lavender
color is still selected, even though it no longer appears in the
mini-palette.
If you select a color that appears more than once in the Horne
panel, An im at o r shows all occurrences of the color as se
lected. Generally, such repeat colors indicate an inefficient
use of the Horne panel.
5. Select the black box in the mini-palette. Since this is the same
color as the key color, red outlines surround both the selected
color box and the key color indicator. Repeating a color in the
Horne panel in this way is, in fact, a waste of your limited space.
All colors visible on the 6. Right-click in the black box in the mini-palette. This ti m e move
,
screen are members of the cursor over the Horne panel. As before, the current color indi
the set of 256 colors
cator displays the color under the cursor, which demonstrates
allotted to the current
painting.
that you can lift colors from buttons and other icons in an Anima
tor panel. You can even select a color from the status bar. Click on
any light gray portion of the panel or status bar; notice that the
color appears in the mini-palette.
To cancel a color 7. Right-click on a different color, such as red. Suppose you don't
change, simply right want to change this color after all. To cancel the alteration of a
c/ick anywhere in the
mini-palette color, you can either click again on the same color
window.
box, which still contains its original color, or right-click anywhere
in the window. Right-click again, and the color box remains
red.
8. You can change the key color in the same way you change color in
the mini-palette. Right-click the key color indicator, then click on
the lavender line in the drawing area. Lavender appears in the
key color indicator, indicating that this is the new background
color.
9. Choose the Clear command from the Pie menu or press the X key.
The entire drawing area becomes lavender. Drag the cursor in the
drawing area to create a black line, as shown in Figure 5 . 3 . Laven
der is now the background color and black is the current fore
ground color.
148
5-The Color Palette
AN I MATOR PIC CE L TRACE SHAP EXTRA .
01 .
CB
fffi
Figure 5.3 Change the key color to lavender,
then draw a black line.
Changing the Current Color

You can also access the Another method for selecting a new color involves Animator's Palette
Palette window by window. Right-click on the current color indicator to display the Palette
choosing the Palette
window, shown in Figure 5 . 4 complete with Palette panel and a differ
command from the
ent menu bar. All 256 colors available to the current painting are dis
Animator menu in the
Home window, by typing played in the giant palette grid at the bottom of the window. Click on
@. or by right-clicking one of these colors. It now appears outlined i n red to indicate that it's
on the cluster bar. selected. The selected color is also displayed inside the enlarged cur
rent color indicator box in the upper right corner of the window. Press
the Spacebar or right-click in the drawing area to return to the Home
window where you can paint with th e new color.
Finally, you can lift a color off the drawing area by pressing the F1
key. Position the cursor over the black line in the drawing area, then
press the Fl key. The current color indicator now displays black. This
is a very useful technique for editing scanned photographs, which typi
cally contain hundreds of colors in a small area.
The Palette window allows you to do much more than choose
from one of its 2 5 6 colors. You can also select or establish new cluster
colors, reorganize the order of colors, load or save palettes, or com
pletely change one or more colors in the giant color grid. The Palette
window is the subject of the remainder of this chapter.
149
Painting on the PC
Figure 5.4 Right-click the current color indicator to display

the Palette window.
The Palette Window
To display the Palette window, right-click the current color indicator or

the cluster bar in the Home panel. Whether you're painting or animat
ing, the Palette window is the color control center of Animator. With its
four menus and extensive Palette panel options, this window offers a
multitude of options for organizing and creating colors that your ances
tors could only dream about.
Labeled in Figure 5 . 5 , the Palette panel includes the following ele
ments:
Click the Palette button to move the Palette panel to a different

location on the screen. Click again to display the panel in its new
location.
Click the Undo button to undo the most recent change to any color
or colors. The Backspace key does not activate the Undo button in
the Palette panel.
Highlight the Fit button to maintain colors in the drawing area
despite organizational changes to the colors in the giant palette
grid. This button is discussed in conjunction with various com
mands in the Palette window in the latter half of this chapter.
150
5-The Color Palette
The Palette panel allows Like the frame icons in the Home panel, the frame i c ons in the
you to advance to a Palette panel allow you to play animation and view frames.
different frame in an
animation sequence so Highlight the Time button (labeled T) to perform a command from
as to access and manip the Palette, Arrange, or Value menu in several frames at once.
ulate its 256-color This mode button is described in detail in Chapter 7 .
palette.
Like its counterpart i n the Home panel, the key color indicator
Color changes made to
displays the current background color.
one frame in an
animation sequence do The mini-palette displays the colors contained i n the mini-palette
not automatically affect of the Home panel.
the palettes of other
frames. Like its counterpart in the Home panel, the current color indicator
displays the currently selected color.
The mutually exclusive range buttons (All and Cluster) determine
the range of colors affected by commands from the Arrange and
Value menus. These buttons are discussed in conjunction with
these commands i n the latter half of this chapter.
To select the current cluster, click either of the mutually exclu
sive cluster buttons (lab eled A and 8). The current cluster appears
in the Home panel cluster box.
The mutually exclusive color model buttons allow you to select
the color model for the numbers displayed in the color slider bars.
RGB stands for the Red, Green, Blue color model and HLS stands
for Hue, Luminance, Saturation.
The three color slider bars allow you to alter the selected color
according to the selected color model.
The giant palette grid (or simply palette grid) contains the 2 5 6 col
ors available to the current picture. Regi ste r numbers are assigned
to colors according to their location in the grid. The colors are
numbered 0 through 2 5 5 , starting in the upper left corner and
working left to right, th en top to bottom.
Changing Mini-Palette and Cluster Colors

The key color indicator and the mini-palette operate j ust as they do in
the Home panel. You can click any of the eight color boxes to make it
the current color. A red outline will surround the selected color box
and the selected color will appear in the current color indicator. To
exchange a key color or mini-palette color for another color in the giant
palette grid, right-click on the appropriate color box, then click on the
substitute color.
Likewise, you can select a color from either of the two cluster bars
by clicking on it. A pair of white and black pixels will appear in the
151
Painting on the PC
PFtLETTE C LUSTER: VFILIJE
Palette grid
Colo model
butt Color Key color Cu rre nt colo
slider bar
Frame icons
1

i ndicator i ndicator
M i n i -palette
1
' r '
Figure 5.5 Elements in the Palette panel.
color band and the selected color will appear in the current color indi
cator.
The current cluster affects all future images created with the gra
dient inks. It also affects the application of the Glow ink. Finally, it
affects the Separate tool and command when the Cluster button in
the Drawing Tools panel is highlighted.
Notice that white outlines surround a series of 30 color boxes in

the palette grid. These colors match the bands found in cluster B, the
currently selected rainbow gradation. If you click the A button to select
the gray-scale gradation, the white outlines will migrate to the top of
the palette grid where the 32 gray values are located.
The following example demonstrates how to select and change
clusters:
1. Click the B button to select the cluster on the right, then press the
Space bar to return home. Select the Box tool and the Vertical Gra
dient ink. Press the Spacebar again to hide the Home window,
then draw a large vertical rectangle that occupies the left half of
the drawing area, as shown in Figure 5.6.
152
5-The Color Palette
Figure 5.6 Draw a large rectangle with the V Grad ink.
2. Right-click to display home again, then right-click the cluster box

to display the Palette window. Click the A button to select the
gray-scale cluster, then press the Spacebar to hide the window.
Notice that the gray-scale gradation now appears in the cluster
box of the Home panel.
3. Select the Fill tool, then click in the right half of the drawing area.
Press the Spacebar to display the entire drawing area, as shown in
Figure 5 . 7 .
Right-click a cluster box 4 . Press Shift-2 (@) t o display the Palette window. Suppose you're
in the Palette window to tired of the rainbow cluster and want to create a new one. Right
change its colors.
click on the right cluster box. A red outline surrounds the cluster
and a status bar appears in place of the menu bar, as shown in
Figure 5 . 8 . The number in the status bar is the register number of
the first color in the cluster. As you move the cursor, the number
is updated continually to represent the color under the cursor.
5. Move the cursor over the first black color box in the bottom row of
the palette grid. If your status bar reads S t a r t 242, as shown in
Figure 5 . 8 , click this color.
To cancel the alteration 6. The status bar now displays three items. The first item, S t a r t , is
of a cluster, right-click locked in at the register number of the specified first color, in this
before selecting a
case, the first black color. The last item, Stop, indicates the regis
"stop " color.
ter number of the last color in the cluster. As you move the cursor,
this number is updated to represent the color under the cursor.
153
Painting on the PC
Figure 5.7 The gradations from cluster A and cluster B

displayed side by side.
Figure 5.8 A status bar appears when you right-click a cluster.
The middle item, Colors, indicates the number of colors in the

cluster.
154
5-The Color Palette
7. Move the cursor over the dark red box i n the bottom row of the
palette grid so that the last two items in the status bar read C o l o r s
8 S t op 249, then click. Eight thick bands now appear in t h e right
cluster bar.
8 . Select cluster B. Notice the series of white outlines surrounding
the selected colors. Press the Spacebar to return to the view of the
drawing area only, the view from which you entered the Palette
window. Press the Spacebar again to display the Home window.
9. Select the Box tool, then draw a vertical rectangle in the left half
of the drawing area, as shown in Figure 5 . 9. Despite the dithering,
you can see the transitions between colors clearly because there
are few colors in the clusters and b ecause each color is very differ
ent from its neighbors.
Figure 5.9 Apply your new gradation with the Box tool.
1 0. Right-click the cluster bar in the Home panel. Th en right-click

cluster A in the Palette panel. Select the last color in the first row
(white, register number 31) for the starting color in the cluster and
the first color in the first row (black, register number 0) for the
ending color. The color bands in cluster A now reverse their pro
gression; they are black to white instead of white to black.
1 1 . Select the gray-scale cluster by clicking the A button. Right-click
in the drawing area to return to the Home window. Using the Box
155
Painting on the PC
tool, draw a rectangle in the right half of the drawing area, as

shown in Figure 5 . 1 0 .
ANI MATOR F L I C: PIC CE L TRACE SWAP EXTRA
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- \.
.. ,-: ,;\,... }"'

/;"("'
( - ,,,;lt;& ...
J.' :t:

.r."':. '\ .. ..:
:r '<l
l ORAl-l 11. SOX ) (OPAQUgt.J GR ADJ [.__!
I ZOOM I ( PO LY )( TEXT ) ( GLASS )I.SCRAPE) LEJ (jJ

I UNDO I ( SPRAY )( FI LL ) "' +-- )) .+- (SOFTEN)l T I LE :i IE!
Figure 5.10 Create a vertical gradation that is opposite in

direction to the original gray-scale cluster.
To learn how to create In general, you'll find that a fluid gradation requires 2 0 or more
more fluid gradations, colors per cluster. The rule of thumb is to include at least eight transi
see The Value Menu
tional colors between each unique hue-purple, blue, green, yellow,
section at the end of
this chapter.
orange, red, brown, black, and white.
Color Theory
To understand the remaining items in the Palette panel, you need a

solid grasp of the principles of color theory, especially as they apply to
Animator. If you already have a thorough understanding of additive
and subtractive primary colors, and of the RGB and HLS color models,
s kip to the Creating New Colors section of this chapter.

Whether they appear on a television screen or in a magazine ad
vertisement, all hues (subtle variations in color) are created by mixing
two or more primary colors. The identity of these primary colors is a
function of the current color model . If you create colors on a sheet of
156
5-The Color Palette
paper, you use the subtractive primary model . If you create colors with
light, as on a computer screen, you use the add itive primary model .
Both color models are described below.
Coloring with Pigments
In nature, colors are created according to the subtractive color model.

Sunlight contains all visible colors. When sunlight is directed at an ob
j ect, the object absorbs (subtracts) so me of the light and reflects the rest.
This reflected light is the color tha yYc)
u see. For example, a fire engine
9
is red because it absorbs all other 01os from the white light spectrum.
Pigments on a sheet of paper ;work the same way. A purple crayon
absorbs all non-purple colors; green ink absorbs all colors that aren't
green. As a child, you learned i t you can make any color using red,
yellow, and blue. Red and yello
mix to create orange, yellow and blue
make green, and so on. This is he subtractive primary model.
Unfortunately, what you earned in elementary school is only an
approximation of the truth. Di you ever mix a vivid red with a bright
yellow, only to produce a disq.ppointingly drab orange? And the very
idea that deep blue and vivid i!ed make purple is almost laughable. The
actual result is more like a washed-out gray.
In commercial printing,
The true subtractive pr mary model used by commercial artists
the primary pigments are and printers consists of four colors: cyan (a pale greenish blue), magenta
(a bright purplish pink), yell dw, and black, each of which is applied to
cyan, magenta, yellow,
and black. Secondary
pigments include violet, white paper. In this CMYK t olor scheme, the primary colors can be
red, and green. mixe d as follows:
To create accurate
colors, apply pigments Equal amounts of cyan and magenta make violet. Additional cyan
1

only to white paper. pigment produces blue; additional magenta pigment produces
purple. I
Equal amounts of mJgenta and yellow make r e d . Additional
/
magenta pigment produces carmine; additional yellow pigment
produces orange.
Equal amounts of yellpw and cyan make green. Additional yellow
pigment produces chrtreuse; additional cyan pigment produces
turquoise.
J
Equal amounts of cy n, magenta, and yellow make brown.
Black pigment added, to any other pigment darkens the color.
No pigmentation results in white (assuming white is the color of
the paper). 1
I
157
Painting on the PC
Coloring with Light
Colors on a computer screen work very differently than in nature or on

paper. Recall that sunlight appears white because it includes all colors
in the visible spectrum. In the subtractive color model, colors added to
each other produce darker hues; in the additive color model, colors
mixed together become lighter. Because computer monitors and other
projection devices, such as televisions, use light rather than pigments
to display colors, they utilize the additive model.
Adding primary colors on The additive primary model consists of only three colors: red,
your computer screen green, blue. In this RGB color scheme, the primary colors can be mixed
creates brighter hues.
as follows:
Equal intensities of red and green make yellow. Subtract some red
light to produce chartreuse; subtract some green light to produce
orange.
Equal intensities of green and blue make cyan. Subtract some
gre en light to produce turquoise; subtract some blue light to pro
duce j ade.
Equal intensities of blue and red make purple. Subtract some blue
light to produce magenta; subtract some red light to produce
violet.
Equal intensities of red, green, and blue make gray or white.
No light results in black (or darkness).
The Color Wheel
In the HLS color model, Animator allows you to specify the amounts of red, green, and blue
hues are measured on a ligh t in a color. It also provides a second model for adj usting the amount
wheel, where red blends
of light in a color. This HLS color scheme, as it is called, makes use of
into orange which blends
into yellow, on through
the properties of hue, luminance, and saturation. The hue of a color is
the spectrum back to measured on an imaginary color wh el representing the entire color
red. spectrum. Animator divides this wheel into 256 equal slices, each rep
resenting a unique hue. Some of the most popular hues are found at the
following numbered locations:
R e d is 0.
Orange is 2 1 .
Yellow i s 42.
Chartreuse is 64.
158
5-The Color Palette
Green is 8 5 .
Jade is 1 06.
Cyan is 12 8 .
B l u e i s 1 70.
Violet is 1 9 1 .
Purple is 2 1 4 .
Magenta i s 2 3 5 .
Luminance is merely the lightness or darkness of a color. A lumi

nance of 0 results in black; a luminance of 2 5 5 results in white. A lumi
nance of 1 28 is used to achieve each of the colors listed previously. If
the hue is red, a luminance of 64 produces dark red, 1 2 8 produces
bright red, and 1 92 produces vivid pink.
Saturation represents the purity of a color. A saturation of O pro
duces gray; a saturation of 2 5 5 is required to produce each of the colors
listed above. You can think of the saturation value as the difference
between a black and white and a color television. When the saturation
value is low, all the information about a color is expressed except the
hue. Most natural colors require moderate saturation values. Highly
saturated colors appear bright or fluorescent.
Creating New Colors
Changing a color in the In Animator, you can use the color slider bars to change any of the 2 5 6
palette grid changes all colors in t h e giant palette grid to a color not originally included i n the
occurrences of that color
grid. When the RGB button is highlighted, the color slider bars can be
in the drawing area,
whether or not the Fit set to a value between O and 6 3 . Assuming that your eyes and your
button is highlighted. monitor are sensitive enough, you 'll notice that adjusting the intensity
of red, green, or blue light by as little as a single i ncrement creates a
slightly different color. This means your VGA monitor is capable of dis
playing more than a quarter million colors (64 x 64 x 64 262, 144),
=
which is a thousand times more colors than you can display in a single
painting. You might think of each box in the palette grid as a color slot,
into which you can plug any new color.
The following example demonstrates how to use the color slider
bars to create new hues in any of the 2 5 6 color slots:
1. Select lavender from the mini-palette (if it is not already selected).

The color bars are set to 3 6 units of red, 36 of green, and 63 of blue.
Medium amounts of red and green added to a full intensity blue
create a pale lavender.
159
Painting on the PC
2. Click the HLS button. The values in the slider bar change to 1 7 0
for h u e , 1 98 units of luminance, and 238 units o f saturation. As
you recall, blue is at location 1 70 on the color wheel. The lumi
nance value of 1 98 indicates a very light color. The saturation
value of 2 3 8 indicates that the color is not pure, but has some gray
mixed in.
Each combination of 3. Move the hue (left) slider box to 0, the color wheel value for red.
RGB slider bar values The current color indicator changes to reflect your new choice, a
produces a different
warm pink.
color. However, moving
an HLS slider box a 4. Click the RGB button. The red and blue slider bars have swapped
single increment does values. Red is now at full intensity while the amount of blue has
not always produce a decreased.
different color.
5. Move the red (left) slider box to 36, the same value as green and
blue. Th e current color in dicator now appears gray.
6. Click the HLS button. Notice that the saturation slider bar is set at
0. This is how a warm pink would appear if you were color blind.
The luminance value is also lower, since you have subtracted
some of a primary color.
7. Click the Undo button. The luminance and saturation slider bars
return to their previous settings. The current color indicator again
displays warm pink.
A timely note on the Undo button: it restores the setting of only

the most recently moved slider box. In the example just given, this was
the red slider box in the RGB color model . But since you were viewing
th e HLS color model when you clicked Undo, two slider boxes ap
peared to move.
The rest of this chapter is devoted to a discussion of the menu bar
in the Palette window. The basic function of each menu command is
discussed, as well as how each command is affected by options in the
Palette panel. The Fit, All, an d Cluster buttons, for example, affect the
performance of many commands dramatically.
The Palette Menu
The first menu in the Palette window is the Palette menu, as shown in
Figure 5 . 1 1 . The commands in this menu perform the following miscel
laneous functions:
160
5-The Color Palette
Restore. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the

R key, to restore the current frame to its original state. The effects
of all operations since you last changed frames will be erased. This
command is identical to the Restore command in the Pie menu of
the Home window.
The Cycle Draw Cycle Draw. This command is toggled on or off when you choose it
command is automati or press the P key followed by the C key. When you select it, as
cally deactivated indicated by an asterisk, all inks which normally use the current
whenever you select a
color use the colors in the cluster box instead.
new current color.
One Palette. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by
the 0 key, to make Animator examine all the frames in the anima
tion sequence, calculate the pallette closest to all the pallettes in
the flic, and fit the new pallette to all the frames.
Menu Colors. Choose this command, or press the P key followed
by the M key, to employ the colors in the last five slots of the pal
ette grid as the new menu and palette colors.
Files. . . . Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the F
key, to display the Files panel, which allows you to load or save
color palette files.
PA LETTE > C LUSTER VFiL.1.JE

'RESTORE
C'v'C LE DRAi-.1
ONE PA L.ETiE
MENIJ CO LORS
Figure 5.11 The Palette menu,
161
Painting on the PC
Cycling Colors
The Cycle Draw command allows you to apply colors from the cluster
bar using such inks as Opaque and Glass. The following example dem
onstrates how to use this command:
1. Choose the Cycle Draw command from the Palette menu. Press
the Spacebar to return to the Home window.
2. Select the Draw tool and the Opaque ink. Also click the brush
shape indicator to select a larger brush. Draw a free-form line in
the drawing area. As you draw, the colors cycle from one color in
the cluster box to the next, creating a continuous gradation, as
Figure 5 . 1 2 Draw a line after you choose the

Cycle Draw command.
3. For a more spectacular effect, select the Spray tool, then drag
across the screen. Each dot of spraypaint appears in a different
color.
4. The Cycle Draw command works with any ink that uses the cur
rent c olor Select the Glass ink and experiment with the Spray
.
tool some more. Each dot now appears in a different, transparent

color.
162
5-The Color Palette
5 . Some tools cycle through the cluster colors one click at a time.
Select the Fill tool, then click in an empty portion of the screen. A
single color is applied. Now click again at the same location. The
next cluster color is applied.
6. Select the Box tool, then create a rectangle in the drawing area.
The Box tool is another tool that cycles one click at a time.
7 . Right-click the Text tool. Select the Edge tool from the scrolling
list in the Drawing Tools panel, then press the Space bar to return
home. Now click inside the rectangle you j ust drew. An outline is
drawn around the shape in the next color. Click again. Another
outline is created inside the first, using a different color from the
cluster box.
To create a gradation that conforms to the boundaries of a

shape, click repeatedly inside the shape with the Edge tool
when the Cycle Draw command is active.
8. Click several more times. Eventually, you'll create a tunnel effect,

as shown in Figure 5 . 1 3 .
.F L. l C .P t C CE.l.
, . }
... .
..... ... . '14

....
...
. , . '
-
.:.
rl' .
4
...
.
.. , .,.
,

. .
Figure 5.13 Clickrepeatedly inside the rectangle

with the Edge tool.
163
Painting on the PC
Selecting a different 9. Click a new color in the mini-palette. This turns off the Cycle
cluster or altering the Draw command.
contents of a cluster
does not affect the
selection of the Cycle
Inks that are affected by the Cycle Draw command include Add,
Draw command. Glass, Glaze, Opaque, and XOR.
Tools which cycle colors continuously include the Draw, Drizzle,
Gel, Spray, and Streak tools. The Box, Circle, Edge, Fill, Fillto, Line,
Oval , Petal, Poly, RPoly, Shape, Spiral, Spline, and Star tools cycle one
color per application of the tool. The Separate and Text tools use the
most recently cycled color but do not themselves cycle to the next
color.
One Palette
Each frame in an animation sequence can use an entirely different pal

ette of 256 colors than its neighbors. However, unless you use this capa
bility adroitly, you run the risk of creating an undesirable "flickering"
effect between frames, which can be confusing or even irritating to
viewers.
Always save your To merge all the colors used in the current sequence of frames into
animation before a single common palette, choose the One Palette command. An alert
applying the One Palette
box will appear, reading M a k e a L L f r a m e s use one c o l o r map? T a k e s a
command.
w h i Le
with Yes and No buttons. Click No to cancel; click Yes to con
tinue.
If there are more than 2 1 ,000 colors in a single animation se

quence, the One Palette command will abort. Break up the frames
into two or more sequences and try again.
If you click Yes, a message will appear in the upper left corner of
the screen reading 000 t o t a l c o l o r s u s e d , p a c k i ng
where ODO is the
total number of colors used in the current sequence of frames.
When the One Palette command finishes, a single palette is
formed containing the colors most commonly used throughout the ani
mation sequence. You should check all frames to verify that gradations
still appear the way you intended. Be careful when using the One Pal
ette command, since you cannot undo a palette transformation with
either the Undo button or the Restore command.
164
5-The Color Palette
Changing the Colors of Panels and Menus
In Animator's menus and panels, five colors are used to represent but
tons, options, commands, and so on. Normally, these colors are as fol
lows:
Black is used for both command and button names.

Dark gray is used for button outlines and for the interiors of some
items, such as title buttons.
Medium gray is used for backgrounds.
Light gray is used to highlight buttons.
Bright red is used for highlighted button names and selection out
lines.
Notice that these same colors appear in the last five color slots of
the giant palette grid. By altering the colors in the last five registers and
applying the Menu Colors command from the Palette menu, you can
change the appearance of the menus and panels. Try the following ex
ercise to learn more:
By right-clicking a mini 1. Right-click any color in the mini-palette, then move the cursor
palette color, you can over the medium gray background of the current panel. Notice
determine the register that the status bar reads C o l o r 253 RGB 37 37 37. This indicates that
number of any color in
your palette. the current color of the panel background is located in register
number 2 5 3 , the third-to-last color slot in the grid. Right-click
again to cancel the color edit.
2. With the Palette panel displayed, select this medium gray color
slot. Each of the color slider bars now contains the number 38,
assuming the RGB button is highlighted.
3. Change this color to black by dragging each slider box to 0. Notice
that the menu and panel backgrounds change colors when you
move the first slider box, but revert to their original gray color
when you release it. Animator automatically maintains a consis
tent panel coloring scheme by locating the closest color in the
panel.
4. To determine this color, right-click in some color in the mini-pal
ette, then move the cursor over the panel background. The status
bar now reads C o l o r 18 RGB 37 37 37. Right-click to cancel the color
edit. If you were to alter the color in register 1 8 , Animator would
compensate again.
165
Painting on the PC
5. To force Animator to accept a new background color, choose the

Menu Colors command from the Palette menu. An alert box
appears, reading Sor ry, menus wou ldn ' t be v i s i b l e
. , as shown

in Figure 5 . 1 4. Animator also demonstrates the affects of using a

black background on the screen. True enough, neither black com
mand names nor black button names show up against a black
background. Click the Continue button or press Enter.
Figure 5.14 Animator does not allow you to use identical colors
in panels and menus.
6. Although Animator does not allow you to use identical colors

inside the panels and menus, it does allow you to use similar colors .
Move each of the color slider boxes for the selected color slot to 6.
Then choose the Menu Colors command. Another alert box
appears, asking Use thi s c o l o r set for menus?. Click the Yes button.
If the menus or panels 7. Whoops, now you can barely read the screen. How can you rem
ever become obscured, edy this? Use the keyboard, of course. Press the Space bar to return
use keyboard equivalents
to the Home window, press the F key to display the Flic menu,
to navigate around the
screen and reset it. press the R key to choose the Reset command, and press the Y key
to select the Yes button inside the alert box. The menus are now
back to normal.
Generally, you would only change menu and panel colors if you
were having problems reading them after you loaded a painting or
scanned picture with a limited palette.
166
5-The Color Palette
Loading and Saving Palette Files
Highlight the Time (T) Palettes can be loaded and saved j ust like picture files or font files. Re
button to load a file into fer to Chapter 2 if you've forgotten how to use the Files ... and file selec
several frames at once. tor panels.
For more information
While saving a color palette is like saving any other type of file,
on this button, see
Chapter 7. loading color files can b e a little trickier. The following example dem
onstrates this:
1 . Return home, then load the WALK. GIF file using the Files . . . com
mand from the Pie menu.
2 . Enter the Palette window. The giant palette grid looks very differ
ent than it did a moment ago. The variety of colors is limited.
3. Choose the Files . . . command from the Palette menu, then click
the Load button in the resulting Files panel. The file selector
panel appears, with the title bar reading Load a pa l ette?. Double
click on the NTSC. C OL file name (a color file designed fo r record
ing to NTSC video displays).
4. The astronaut painting will change dramatically, as shown in Fig
ure 5 . 1 5 . Each color in the painting has changed to match its new
color in the palette grid. An alert box also appears, asking if you
want to color fit the painting; that is, change each pixel to the color
in the new palette that most closely matches its original color.
Also called rem appi n g , this t e chnique preserves the original
appearance of the painting. Click the Yes button or press the Y
key.
5 . Although the astronaut appears more polarized than before, the
painting as a whole appears the same as before.
Press the Spacebar to return to the Palette window.
The Cluster Menu
You cannot undo the The second menu in the Palette window is the Cluster menu, as shown
effects of any command in Figure 5 . 1 6 . The commands in this menu affect the arrangement of
in the Cluster menu. colors in the currently selected cluster (A or B), as follows:
Get Cluster. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by

the G key, to change the colors in a cluster. This command is iden
tical to right-clicking a cluster box in the Palette panel, a process
167
Painting on the PC
Figure 5.15 All colors in the painting change to match

th e new grid.
described fully in the Changing Mini-Palette and Cluster Colors

section earlier in this chapter.
Un used Colors. Choose this command, or press the C key followed
by the U key, to change a cluster so that it includes all colors in the
palette grid not used in the current painting.
Line Cluster. Choose this command or press the C key followed by
the L key, then draw a line. All colors traversed by this line will
appear in the current cluster.
Find Ramp. Choose this command or press the C key followed by
the F k ey, click the color slot for the first color in the cluster, then
click the color slot for the last color. Animator will try to create a
continuous gradation (or ramp) between the two colors, using any .
colors available in the palette grid.
Near Colors. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by
the N key, to change a cluster so that it includes all colors similar
to a specified color in the palette.
Invert. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the I
key, to change a cluster so that it includes all palette colors not
currently included in the cluster.
Pin g Pon g . Choose this command, or press the C key followed by
-
168
5-The Color Palette
the P key, to repeat the colors in a cluster in the opposite order, so

that a gradation fades in then fades out.
Reverse. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the
R key, to reverse the order of colors in a cluster.
C LUSTER : ARRANGE:
GET C LUSTER.
UNUS.EO CO LORS
L I NE: C: LUSTEF<!:
F I ND RAMP
NEAR CO LORS
I NVERT
P I NG -PONG
REVERSE
Figure 5.16 The Cluster menu.
Isolating Unused Colors
When painting a picture, you may never get around to using all 2 5 6
colors in the palette. Colors which do not appear in the drawing area
are called unused colors. For example, if y ou use the Reset command,
the drawing area empties and becomes black ; all colors but black are
now considered unused colors.
The Unused Colors command isolates all unused colors and
places them in the current cluster. The colors do not have to be contig
uous in the palette grid. White outlines appear around each color slot
not used.
The following example demonstrates this command. (The astro
naut picture with the new color palette should occupy the drawing
area.}
1 . Typically, remapping a painting by loading a different palette

results in many unused colors. The current palette grid, for exam-
169
Painting on the PC
ple, includes many shades of oranges, reds, purples, and gray

which do not appear in the original WALK.GIF file. To isolate
these colors, choose the Unused Colors command from the Clus
ter menu.
2. A message box appears, as shown in Figure 5 . 1 7 , asking how many
unused colors you want to include in the current cluster. The
number 1 73 represents the number of palette colors not being
used in the drawing area. This is over half of the palette. You can
specify a number lower than 1 7 3 if you want to include only a
fraction of the unused colors in the current cluster. Both a slider
bar and an option box are provided for this purpose.
YMBE _ OF UNIJSED CO LORS

FOR CLUSTER-?..
Figure 5.17 Animator allows you to include all or only part of

the unused colors in the current clust er.
Choose the Invert 3. Keep the number of colors at 1 7 3, and click the OK button or press
command after you Enter. White outlines appear around 173 colors in the palette grid,
choose Unused Colors
all of which appear in order in the selected cluster box.
to isolate only those
colors which currently
appear in the drawing The Unused Colors command is most useful for locating colors
area. that you can then change without affecting the appearance of your
painting. Another command which serves this purpose is the Squeeze
command in the Value menu, described later in this chapter.
170
5-The Color Palette
Emulating an On-Screen Color Series
Occasionally, you'll need to replicate a gradation or color series that

appears in the drawing area. The Line Cluster command allows you to
apply a series of colors in the same order that they appear elsewhere on
the screen. The following exercise demonstrates how to use this com
mand:
1. Reload the WALK . GIF fil e with its original palette using the
Files ... command from the Pie menu of the Home window.
Altering colors or 2. Right-click the cluster box in the Home panel to redisplay the Pal
loading new palettes ette window. Notice that white outlines surround the same 1 7 3
does not affect the color
color slots as before, though these colors no longer represent
slots included in a
cluster. unused colors.
3. Choose the Line Cluster command from the Cluster menu. The
Palette window disappears, leaving only the drawing area and the
cursor. Click in the blue area about an inch to the right of the
astronaut's elbow. A status bar appears, containing the same items
as the status bar that appears with the Line tool. Move the cursor
up and to the right, creating the straight line shown in Figure 5 . 1 8,
then click.
. ..
Figure 5.18 Draw a line after you choose the
Line Cluster command.
171
Painting on the PC
4. All colors that fell under the line now appear in cluster B. While
only a few color slots are surrounded by white outlines, these col
ors are repeated as many times as there are pixels for that color in
the course of the line. Many colors even appear several times in a
row in the cluster box.
5. Choose the Cycle Draw command from the Palette menu. Then
press the Spacebar twice to display the drawing area only. Scrib
ble around on the surface of the earth. Your free-form lines blend
in with the background, allowing you to create subtle alterations
that appear consistent with the painting as a whole.
Type @ to redisplay the Palette window.
Gradations Using Existing Colors
Right-clicking a cluster box allows you to select a new range of colors

for the cluster. These colors may or may not flow into one another to
create a continuous gradation. The Find Ramp command, on the other
hand, guarantees a gradation by selecting only those colors that fit the
current gradation scheme.
Using the Find Ramp command is similar to using the Get Cluster
command and to right-clicking a cluster box. After you choose the com
mand, a status bar appears, displaying the red, green, and blue values
for the color under the cursor. Click a color to select it as the first color
in the cluster. Then click a second color to select it as the last color in
the cluster. Animator will create a continuous gradation between the
two colors, using as many colors as it can find in the palette grid. De
pending on the palette, this may be only a few colors.
If a gradation includes four colors or less, this means you have few
colors within the specified range. Choose the Find Ramp com
mand again and select a slightly different first or last color.
Capturing a Range of Colors
The Near Color command allows you to include a limited range of col
ors in a cluster; all of the colors resemble a specified color. After you
choose the command, a status bar appears, displaying the red, green,
and blue composition of the color under the cursor. Click on a color to
make it the central color in the cluster. A message box will appear, as
1 72
5- The Color Palette
shown in Figure 5 . 1 9 , requesting you to specify a near threshold, a

number that indicates how far a color can deviate from the selected
color and still be included in the current cluster.
Figure 5.19 The near threshold determines the range of colors

that will be included in the current cluster.
When the near threshold is higher than 20, the current cluster
often ends up encompassing over half the colors in the palette grid. You
will create more specific clusters by selecting values between 20 and
10. Click the OK button to complete the command.
The Near Color command is especially useful when you want to
draw lines and shapes with only a hint of depth. Such images appear
more realistic than if they were created with a single, flat color.
Simple Cluster Changes

The last three commands in the Cluster menu modify the current clus
ter in simple ways.
The Invert command replaces the colors in the selected clu st e r
with those colors not in the cluster. This command is especially useful
for altering the results of other commands. For example, if applied after
the Unused Colors command, the Invert command affects only those
colors which appear in the drawing area. If applied a fter the Near Col-
173
Painting on the PC
ors command, the Invert command affects the colors farthest from the
selected color.
To turn the ping-pong The Ping-Pong command repeats the colors in the current cluster
effect off, choose the at the end of the cluster and in the opposite order. Suppose that blue,
Invert command twice in
turquoise, and green are the only colors in the current cluster, in that
a row.
order. After you choose the Ping-Pong command, the colors in the clus
ter will change to blue, turquoise, green, turquoise, blue. This com
mand allows you to create gradations that fade in then fade out. This is
useful for softening harsh borders between colors in gradated lines, as
shown in Figure 5 . 20.
Figure 5.20 A zoomed view of lines created with standard (top)

and ping-pong (bottom) gradations.
The Reverse command simply reverses the order of the colors in a

cluster. Blue, turquoise, green will change to green, turquoise, blue.
The Arrange Menu
The third menu in the Palette window is the Arrange menu, as shown
in Figure 5 . 2 1 . Most of the commands in this menu affect the arrange
ment of colors in the entire palette grid, if the All button is selected, or
in the current cluster only, if the Cluster button is selected. All com
mands in this menu rearrange colors in the palette grid, actually chang-
1 14
5-The Color Palette
Figure 5.21 The Arrange menu.
ing the contents of color slots. If the Fit button is highlighted, colors in
the drawing area are remapped in an attempt to preserve their original
appearance. If the Fit b utton is turned off, each pixel in the drawing
area accepts the new color for its corresponding slot in the palette grid;
in other words, the colors in the drawing area change to reflect your
rearrangement of the palette.
The commands in the Arrange menu operate as follows:
Luma Sort. Choose this command, or press the A key followed by

the L key, to sort all colors or only those in the current cluster
according to their luminance, from lightest to darkest.
Spectrums. Choose this command, or press the A key followed by
the S key, to sort all colors or only those in the current cluster into
spectral groups. Reds are allocated to one area, blues to another,
and so on.
Gradients. Choose this command, or press the A key followed by
the G key, to sort all colors or only those in the current cluster into
Both the Cycle and continuous gradations. Each color is similar in hue, luminance, or
Trade Clusters saturation to the previous color slot.
commands affect the
current cluster, even if Cycle. Choose this command, or press the A key followed by the C
the All button is key, to advance the colors in the current cluster one register. The
selected. last color wraps around to become the first color in the cluster.
1 75
Painting on the PC
Trade Clusters. Choose this command, or press the A key followed

by the T key, to trade the colors in the current cluster with those
in the other cluster. The locations of these colors in the palette
grid are also swapped.
Sorting by Luminance
In theory, the Luma Sort command sorts colors in the order of their
luminance values in the HLS slider bars. In actuality, Animator adds
the values in each color's RGB slider bars. Colors are sorted from the
color with the highest RGB total, white, to the color with th e lowest
total, black.
Unfortunately, this command rarely produces color series that
progress continuously from dark to light. For example, a color with a
high green intensity, such as y e ll ow , appears lighter than a color with
an equally high blue intensity, like purple. Yet, both colors have the
same RGB totals, and would therefore be placed side by side.
To avoid sloppy-looking results, use this command only within a
single cluster (with the Cluster button highlighted).
Sorting by Spectrums and Gradients
The Spectrums and Gradients commands work similarly. Each com

mand uses the first color in the grid or cluster as the starting point. It
then finds the next closest color in terms of hue, lightness, or saturation
and places that color in the next slot to the right. It then finds the next
closest color to that, and so on, until the entire palette or cluster is
sorted into continuous gradations , which fade in and out in rainbows of
colors.
The difference between these two commands is that the Spec
trums command sorts colors into spectral groups while the Gradients
command ignores hues. In other words, the Spectrums commands tries
to keep like colors together. Reds fade into yellows which fade into
greens and so on. Not all reds will be together-bright reds and dark
reds will be separated-but in general, the colors will be arranged into
increasingly darker rainbows.
The Gradients command does a better j ob of finding the next clos
est shade, but similar colors may appear in different groupings. A shade
of yellow may be followed by a similar shade of purple which is fol
lowed by a green, as long as they progress in continuously lighter or
darker gradations.
1 76
5-The Color Palette
Cluster Manipulation
The performance of the Cycle and Trade Clusters commands is not af

fected by the All or Cluster button. Each command affects clusters
only.
The Cycle command advances all colors in the current cluster one
color toward the last color . The last color then becomes the first color in
the cluster. Generally, this command is only useful when the Fit button
is turned off, so that colors in the drawing area are also cycled.
By highlighting the Time button and turning off the Fit button,
you can cycle the colors of a painting over several frames of ani
mation, creating a pulsating effect. For more information on the
Time button, see Chapter 7.
The Trade Clusters command simply swaps cluster A for cluster B.

The corresponding colors in the palette grid are also traded. If one clus
ter contains fewer colors than the other, the smaller number of colors is
traded. For example, if you trade clusters A and B in the DEFAULT.FLX
file, all 30 of the rainbow colors will be transferred to cluster A while an
equal amount of gray values are transferred to cluster B. Two of the
gray values are left in cluster A with the rainbow colors.
The Value Menu
The fourth menu in the Palette window is the Value menu, as shown in
Figure 5 . 2 2 . Most of the commands i n this menu affect colors in the
entire palette grid, if the All button is selected, or in the current cluster
only, if the Cluster button is selected. All commands in this menu alter
colors in the palette grid, changing not only the contents of color slots
but also the composition of the palette. If the Fit button is highlighted,
colors in the drawing area are remapped in an attempt to preserve their
original appearance. If the Fit button is turned off, each pixel in the
drawing area accepts the new color for the corresponding slot in the
palette grid; in other words, the colors in the drawing area change to
reflect your rearrangement of the palette.
The commands in the Value menu operate as follows:
Squeeze. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by the
1 77
Painting on the PC
S key, to reduce the number of colors used in the entire palette or

current cluster. You can eliminate only unused colors or reduce
the palette more substantially.
The Squeeze command Ramp. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by the R
always remaps colors, key, to create a continuous gradation in the c urrent cluster
whether or not the Fit
between any two colors in the palette.
button is highlighted.
Tint. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by the T
key, to tint every color in the palette or current cluster with a
selected color at a specified density.
Negative. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by
the N key, tc1 create contrasting versions of all colors in the entire
palette or current cluster by inverting their RGB values.
Use Gel. Choose this command, or press the V key followed b y the
U key, to replace the colors in the entire palette or current cluster
with those associated with the image in the eel buffer
Default. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by the
D key, to replace the colors in the entire palette or current cluster
with those from the DEFAULT.FLX file.
Cut. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by the C
key, to clip the colors in the entire palette or current cluster to the
color buffer.
Figure 5.22 The Value menu.
178
5-The Color Palette
Paste. Choose this command, or press the V key followed by the P

key, to replace the colors in the entire palette or current cluster
with those from the color buffer .
Blen d. Choose this command, o r press t h e V key followed b y the B
key, to tint the colors in the entire palette or current cluster with
those from the color buffer.
The Tint, Negative, Use Cel, Default, Paste, and Blend commands
can be used in combination with the Time button. For information on
animating with color, see Chapter 9.
Reducing the Palette
Earlier in the chapter you learned that you can isolate unused colors in
a palette by choosing the Unused Colors command from the Cluster
menu. If you want to go a step farther, you can eliminate unused colors
using the Squeeze command.
After you choose the Squeeze command, the message box shown
in Figure 5 . 23 will appear, asking you to indicate the total number of
colors to be used in the current picture. The number 83 in the figure
represents the number of palette colors currently being used in the
drawing area. If you specify a smaller number than this, using the slider
bar or option box, you i nstruct Animator to remove colors which ap
pear in the drawing area and risk reducing the quality of your image.
Click the OK button to complete the command. All unused and
removed colors become black and are moved to the end of the palette
grid or current cluster.
Creating Continuous Gradations
The Ramp command is By choosing the Find Ramp command from the Cluster menu, you can
always applied to the establish a continuous gradation using colors in the current palette
current cluster, whether grid. By choosing the Ramp command from the Value menu, you can
the All or Cluster button
is selected.
create a continuous gradation using new colors mixed automatically by '
Animator.
To cancel the creation of First select the cluster, A or B, that will hold the new gradation.
a gradation, right-click The number of colors in the cluster determines the number of colors i n
anytime before selecting t h e final gradation. After you choose t h e Ramp command, a status bar
an ending color.
appears, displaying the RGB values for the color under the cursor. Click
a color to select it as the first color in the gradated cluster. Then click a
second color to select it as the last color in the gradation. Animator will
1 79
Painting on the PC
TO HOW MANY .
Figure 5.23 The number in the message box indicates the

number of colors used in the current picture.
create a continuous gradation between the two colors, replacing every

color in the current cluster.
The following example demonstrates how to use this command:
1 . Return home, then restore the settings from the DEFAULT.FLX

file by choosing the Reset command from the Flic menu. Return to
the Palette window by typing @.
2 . Choose the Ramp command from the Value menu.
3. Click in the first color slot in the second row (register number 32;
the numbers in the status bar read 63 51 5 1).
4. Click in the first col o r slot in the sixth row (register number 160;
the numbers in the status bar read 1 5 3 39). Animator automati
cally creates a fluid gradation from peach to violet.
5. Press the Spacebar to return to the Home window. Right-click on
the V Grad ink, then select the L Grad ink from the scrolling list in
the Ink Types panel. Press the Spacebar again.
6. Right-click the Text tool, then select the Circle tool from the
scrolling list in the Drawing Tools panel. Press the Spacebar twice.
7. Click in the center of the drawing area. Then move the cursor
outward to create the biggest circle that will fit in the window.
8. Right-click, then right-click again in the cluster bar to display the
180
5-The Color Palette
Palette window. Choose the Reverse command from the Cluster

menu to reverse the progression of colors in cluster B.
9. Right-click in the drawing area. Select the Fill tool, then right
click in the drawing area again. Click in an empty portion of the
drawing area. The result should look something like Figure 5 . 24.
Not a bad effect for a few seconds of work!
Figure 5.24 A painting created using the Ramp

and Reverse commands.
This command is effe ctive for creating full color gradations which
do not exist in the default palette. Be careful, however, to first establish
a cluster that contains only unused colors or that contains as few colors
in t h e current drawing area as possible.
Tinting Palette Colors

Choosing the Tint The Tint command is used to apply a percentage of a specified color to
command is analogous every color in the palette or current cluster. After you choose this com
to using the Glass tool mand, the words T i nt i n g s o u r c e will appear in a status bar, followed by
directly on the colors in
the palette. the RGB values of the color under the cursor. Click a color to select it as
the tint s o u r c e , the color to be applied to all colors in the palette or
cluster.
A message box will appear, asking Max t i n t pe rce ntage ? , followed
181
Painting on the PC
by a slider bar. Like the Ink Strength slider bar available to many inks,
this slider bar determines the density of the applied color. You can ad
just the slider box to indicate any density between 0% and 1 00% .
By highlighting the Time Unless you want to limit the variety of colors in the palette, this
button and turning off command is most effectively applied to individual clusters. Tints ap
the Fix button, you can
plied at densities greater than 70% may overwhelm the colors in the
create fade-ins and
fade-outs.
palette.
Contrasting Colors
Contrasting colors are any pair of colors which are exact opposites.
Black and white are the most obvious example. Other examples in the
RGB model include blue and yellow, purple and green, red and cyan,
and so on. These are colors for which each of the RGB values is re
versed. For example, blue contains no red and no green, while yellow is
composed exclusively of red and green.
The Negative command from the Value menu is used to produce
contrasting versions of every color in the palette or current cluster. You
simply choose the command and the effect is performed.
Contrasting colors produce a sort of fluorescence at the point
where they meet, as if the colors are bouncing off each other. This fluo
rescence is demonstrated in the following exercise:
1. In the Home window, choose the Restore command from the Pie
menu. Then right-click the cluster box to display the Palette win
dow.
2. Right-click the right-hand cluster box. Click in the tenth color slot
in the fourth row (the status bar reads S t a r t 1 05). Then move the
cursor rightward 12 slots to the purple color in register 1 1 6.
3. With cluster B selected, choose the Cut command from the Value
menu. (This command is explained later in this section.)
4. Select the left cluster by clicking the A button. Then choose the
Paste command from the Value menu. The colors in cluster B now
appear in the first 1 2 slots of cluster A.
5 . Right-click the left-hand cluster box, then click in register 1 and
click in register 1 2 . Clusters A and B now contain identical colors,
located in different portions of the palette grid.
6. Choose the Negative command from the Value menu, filling clus
ter A with contrasting versions of the colors in cluster B.
7. Press the Spacebar to return home. Right-click the L Grad ink.
182
5-The Color Palette
Click the Dither button to deselect it, then press the Spacebar to
hide the Ink Types panel.
8. Choose the Apply Ink command from the Pie menu. The drawing
area fills with twelve bright color bars.
9. Right-click the cluster box. Select cluster B from the Palette panel,
then press the Spacebar to return home.
10. Select the Box tool. Press the Spacebar to hide the Home window.
Then create a rectangle across the entire bottom half of the
screen. The rectangle must be the full 320 pixels wide.
Any two colors which 1 1 . Each column of vertical bars that now appears on the screen rep
contain opposite RGB resents a pair of contrasting colors. Notice that there appears to be
values are contrasting
a horizontal line forming a border between the first and second
colors, and will create a
fluorescent effect if
clusters of colors. In fact, no line exists. This is an optical illusion
positioned next to each created by the fluorescence between each pair of contrasting
other. colors.
Contrasting colors are indeed dramatic (see Color Plate 7); none
theless, you should use them sparingly. Like dissonant chords in music,
contrasting colors can produce unpleasant results if used unwisely.
Importing Colors
Both the Use Cel and Default commands allow you to replace every
color in the palette grid or current cluster with colors from other pal
ettes. The Use Cel command imports colors from the palette stored with
the image in the eel buffer. The Default command imports colors from
the palette stored with the DEFAULT. FLX file, the same file used by the
Reset command in the Flic menu of the Home window.
Both commands import colors according to register number. For
example, if the Cluster button is selected, a n d the current cluster is
composed of 30 colors between registers 92 and 1 2 1 , these colors will be
replaced by the 30 colors between registers 92 and 121 in the eel b uffer
or DEFAULT. FLX palettes.
The following example demonstrates how to use both commands:
1. Load the REDLINE.GIF file using the Files . . . command from the
Pie menu.
2. Return to the Home window, then choose the Clip command from
the Cel menu. The airplane and its palette are now stored in the
eel buffer.
183
Painting on the PC
3. Now load the WALK. GIF file. Return home, then right-click the
current color indicator to display the Palette window.
4. Select the All button in the Palette panel. Also make sure the Fit
button is selected.
5. Choose the Use Cel command from the Value menu. The 2 5 6 col
ors from the REDLINE. GIF file appear in the palette grid. And
because the Fit button is highlighted, Animator remaps the colors
in the drawing area in an attempt to match those in your original
astronaut picture.
Remapping colors using a Value menu command, in combi

nation with the Fit button, often results in a dramatic in
crease in the number of unused colors in a palette.
6. Remapping the colors in a painting usually reduces the number of

palette colors used in the drawing area. Choose the Squeeze com
mand from the Value menu. A message box appears, informing
you that you can reduce the palette to 1 3 8 colors without affecting
the current painting. Press Enter to complete the command.
7. The palette has been reduced to 1 3 8 colors. This means that the
color slots numbered from 1 3 9 to 256 are empty and contain black.
You can fill these color slots with new colors by first assigning
them to a single cluster. With the B button highlighted, choose the
Unused Colors command from the Cluster menu. A message box
appears asking if you want to include all 118 unused colors in the
current cluster. Press Enter to indicate that you want to include
them.
8. Select the Cluster button. Choose the Default command from the
Value m enu. The colors in registers 1 3 9 through 2 5 6 of the
DEFAULT.FLX file are now induded in similarly numbered color
. slots of the current palette.
9. Press the Spacebar to return to the Home window, then right-click
the V Grad ink. Select the R Grad ink from the scrolling list, then
press the Spacebar to hide the Ink Types panel. Choose the Sepa
rate command from the Pie menu. The Home window disappears.
Drag in a free-form line over the surface of the earth, touching as
many colors as possible. These colors are replaced with colors
from the current cluster. The result is shown in Figure 5 . 2 5 .
The picture is a little rough, but it demonstrates the power of pal

ette alterations.
184
5-The Color Palette
Figure 5.25 A painting created by importing new colors

into the pale tt e .
The Color Buffer

The last three commands in the Value menu-Cut, Paste, and Blend
all make use of a portion of computer memory called the color buffer.
Like the other buffers already mentioned, the color buffer is used to store
part of an Animator file t emporarily. However, the color buffer can only
store colors, from either the entire palette or the current cluster.
Choose the Cut command to store colors in the color buffer. If t h e
Cluster button i s selected, only those colors i n t h e current cluster are
stored. If the All button is selected, the entire palette is stored.
The color buffer does Choose the Paste command to import colors stored in the color
not keep track of register buffer. Colors from the buffer will always be pasted into the first avail
numbers. The first color
able slots in the palette grid or current cluster. For example, suppose
is simply pasted into the
first slot of the palette
the current cluster contains the three colors in registers 2 1 8 through
or current cluster, and 220. You select the Cluster button and choose the Cut command. Later,
so on. you select the All button and choose Paste. The colors in the buffer will
be pasted into slots 0 through 2; all other slots are unaffected.
The Blend command tints colors in the palette with those in the
color buffer. Suppose again that the color buffer contains three colors.
C hoosing the Blend command will produce a message box displaying
Max b l end p e r c e n t ? and a slider bar ranging in value from 0% to 100%.
This message box is similar to the one that appears after you choose the
185
Painting on the PC
Tint command. Click OK or press Enter to complete the command. If

the All button is selected, the first three colors in the palette grid will be
tinted. If the Cluster button is highlighted, the first three colors in the
current cluster will be tinted.
What You've Learned
This chapter provided you with essential information on using and ma- .
nipulating the 256 colors available in Animator. Every menu command
and option in the Palette window was discussed. Take a moment now to
review the important points of this chapter:
Animator allows you to use a total of 2 5 6 colors in a single paint

ing or animation frame. These colors am known as the picture's
palette. Each fr ame in an animation sequence can contain a
unique palette.
You can select a new color to occupy a slot in the mini-palette by
right-clicking the color slot, then clicking on an occurrence of the
new color in the drawing area or anywhere else in the window.
You can lift a color from a pixel in your painting by positioning the
cursor over the pixel and pressing the F1 key.
Most color manipulations are performed in the Palette window,
which can be accessed by right-clicking in the cluster bar or in the
current color indicator of the Home panel.
Clicking the Undo button in the Palette panel undoes the most
recent change to a color or range of colors. The Undo button does
not undo the results of the One P a lette or Menu Colors command,
nor does it undo any command in the Cluster menu. Also, press
ing Backspace does not activate the Undo button in the Palette
window.
To change the colors in a cluster while the Palette window is dis
played, right-click the cluster or choose the Get Cluster command
from the Cluster menu. Then click on a color slot to select the first
cluster color, and click on a second slot to choose the last cluster
color. All colors between these two slots are also included in the
current cluster.
Right-clicking cancels most color-editing operations in progress.
Colors are produced on a computer screen by mixing spe cific
intensities Of red, green, and blue light, known collectively as the
additive primaries. Intensities can range from 0 to 63 units, 0
186
5-The Color Palette
being the darkest and 63 the brightest. Therefore, you can select
from one of 262, 144 colors for each slot in the palette grid.
Yellow and orange are created by mixing high intensities of red
and green; purple results from mixing blue and red; brown con
sists of a small amount of red with a dash of green and blue. Black
is the absence of all color; gray uses equal amounts of red, green,
and blue at various intensities; white is created by mixing full
intensities of all three primaries.
The Fit button remaps colors in an attempt to preserve the origi
nal appearance of the drawing area, despite the results of com
mands chosen from the Arrange and Value menus. If the Fit
button is turned off, on-screen colors take on the colors of their
corresponding color slots in the palette.
Changes made to a color slot with the color slider bars apply to all
occurrences of that color in the drawing area as well, whether or
not the Fit button is selected.
The All and Cluster buttons determine whether commands in the
Arrange and Value menus affect the entire palette grid or j ust the
current cluster.
If you don't understand how to employ a specific menu command
in the Palette window, refer to the menu descriptions contained
in the last half of this chapter.
The color b u ffer is used to store colors, which can then be
retrieved for subsequent use. This buffer is used by the Cut, Paste,
and Blend commands from the Value menu.
187
s I x
AutoDiated
Painting Features
If you read the previous chapters, you know everything you need to
know to paint any conceivable picture in Animator. Now it's time to
hone your knowledge of the electronic painting environment by ex
panding your skills and increasing your efficiency.
This chapter discusses the specific automated painting features,
commands, and options in Animator that can perform much of the hard
work for you. Among these are the commands from the Cel menu, in
troduced in Chapter 4 , and the Mask .. ., Grid .. ., and Record . . . commands
from the Extra menu. Together, these commands provide you with a
painting power you won't find outside the realm of computer graphics.
The time you spend now learning to master this power will be repaid
many times over by the countless future hours you'll save.
Cel Transformations
In Animator, a transformation is a manipulation that changes the place

ment or size of an image without altering its fundamental appearance.
Enlarging, reducing, rotating, and simply moving an image are exam
ples of transformations.
Most of Animator's transformation capabilities are available as
commands in the Cel menu, shown i n Figure 6.1. (The only exception
is the Move tool, discussed in Chapter 3.) These commands include the
following:
189
Pinting on the PC
By selecting a new eel Clip. Choose this command or press the Tab key to save the con
using the Clip or Get tents of the drawing area along with current palette information to
command, you automati
the eel buffer. The previous contents of the eel buffer are replaced.
cally forfeit the previous
contents of the eel Get. After you choose this command or press the Escape key, Ani
buffer. mator allows you to create a marquee around the exact portion of
the drawing area you want to save to the eel buffer.
Move . Choose this command or press the M key to move the con
tents of the eel buffer without pasting the eel into the drawing
area.
Paste. Choose this command or press the - key to import the con
tents of the eel buffer into the drawing area. A eel appears in front
of all other images in the drawing area when pasted.
Below. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the B
key, to paste the contents of the eel buffer behind all images in the
drawing area.
Stretch. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the
S key, to enlarge, reduce, or flip the current eel and paste it into
the drawing area at its new size .
Turn. Choose this command, o r press the C key followed b y the T
key, to rotate the current eel and paste it into the drawing area at
its new angle.
C:E. l. : T ACE
CLIP CTAB J
GET l:i:SC3
MOVE M
PASTE
BE LOH
STRETCH
TURN
1 COLOR
Of>T X ONS
R E L EASE
F.. :!: LS$ CF
Figure 6.1 The Cel menu.
190
6-Automated Painting Features
1 Color. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the

1 key, to change the colors of all pixels in the eel buffer to the
currently selected color without pasting the eel into the drawing
area.
Options. . . Choose this command, or press the C key followed by
.
the 0 key, to display a list of options labeled C e l o p t i on s , which

allow you to change how a eel is pasted into the drawing area.
The Undo button does Release. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the
not undo the effects of R key, to empty the eel buffer. All commands except Clip, Get,
the Clip, Get, Move, 1
Options . . . , and Files, . . will b e dimmed.
Color, Release, or
Files... command. Files. . . . Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the F
key, to display the Files panel , which allows you to load or save
eels.
Each of these commands is discussed more fully in the following

sections.
Clipping a Cel
Both the Cel and Get commands allow you to capture an image and
place it in the eel buffer. When you choose the Clip command, Anima
tor briefly displays the smallest rectangular marquee that can surround
the image in the drawing area. If the image fills the entire screen, like
the astronaut painting, the marquee surrounds the entire painting. If
the image is smaller, as shown in Figure 6.2, the marquee shrinks to the
image, ignoring all portions of the drawing area in the current key
color.
The marquee disappears after the image has been successfully
stored to the eel buffer.
The C lip command selects everything in the current drawing
area. To clip a rectangular detail, you must choose the Get command.
The following example demonstrates how to use this' command :
1 . Load the AMBER.GIF file into the drawing area using the Files . . .
command i n the P i e menu. The picture o f a woman's face appears
in the drawing area. Now return to the Home window.
Both the Clip and Get 2. Suppose you want to create a eel containing only the lips on the
commands also store face. Since choosing the Clip command would capture the entire
the location of the eel
face, choose the Get command from the C el menu instead.
(relative to the drawing
area) in the eel buffer. 3. A pair of horizontal and vertical dotted lines appear in the draw
ing area, as shown in Fi gu r e 6.3. A status bar displays the coordi-
191
Painting on the PC
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Figure 6.2 The marquee created by choosing the Clip command.
nates of the point at which the lines meet. Move the cursor to the
point above and to the left of the lips, so that the status bar reads
106 1 25. Click to set the first corner of the marquee.
4. Two additional pairs of numbers appear in the status bar, j ust as
they do when you draw a rectangle with the Box tool. Move the
cursor down and to the right to the point where the pair of num
bers in parentheses read 70 30. Then click again.
5. The Home window reappears, indicating that the lips have been
saved to the eel buffer. Now select the Glass ink as well as the key
color indicator (which should contain black). Choose the Apply
Ink command from the Pie menu. A transparent layer of gray now
veils the picture.
6. Choose the Paste command from the Cel menu. The lips appear in
a marquee in the drawing area; the marquee is the same size as
the one used to select them. Also notice that the lips appear in the
same portion of the drawing area from which they were clipped,
as shown in Figure 6.4. Right-click to complete the Paste com
mand.
You will be using the image of the lips in future exercises. If you
lose this image inadvertently, you can always retrieve it by repeating
steps 1 throl.l-gh 4 of the example just given.
192
Figure 6.3 Choose the Get command and surround the lips
with a marquee.
Figure 6.4 Paste the lips into the grayed drawing area.
193
Painting on the PC
Pasting Cels
For now, skip over the Move command of the Paste and Below com
mands. (The Move command is discussed later in this section.) Both of
these commands import a copy of the image from the eel buffer to the
drawing area.
The Paste command displays the eel in front of all other images in
the drawing area. The Below command pastes the eel behind all other
images in the drawing area, so that the eel is visible only where it over
laps portions of the drawing area in the key color. The following exam
ple demonstrates some of the subtleties of these commands:
1. The darkened picture of a woman from the previous exercise

should be displayed in the drawing area. Select the Opaque ink,
then click in the brush shape indicator to display the larger brush.
Using the Draw tool, erase both of the woman's eyes, as shown in
Figure 6.5. If you have difficulty seeing the slight differences in
color around the eyes, click the Zoom button to magnify thE'. pic
ture.
To access the Paste 2. Choose the Paste command from the Cel menu. The lips now
command from the appear at the location from which they were clipped. A status bar
keyboard, press the -
also appears, listing the coordinates of the upper left corner of the
key.
marquee as well as the distance the marquee has been moved.
Click in the marquee, then move the cursor up and to the left to
the location at which the second pair of numbers in the status bar
read -45 -85. The lips follow, obscuring the left eye. Click at this
point to fix the eel to the drawing area.
Both the Paste and the 3. Now choose the Below command. This time the marquee appears
Below commands record at the location where you j ust pasted. Click in the marquee, then
new locations of a eel in
move the lips rightward until the second pair of numbers in the
the eel buffer.
status bar read 90 0. Click to fix the image in place.
4. Because you used the Paste command, the left-hand set of lips
appears in front of the left eye. Because you used the Below com
mand, the right-hand version of the eel appears behind the face,
so that only those portions of the lips inside the eye are visible, as
shown in Figure 6.6.
As you have seen, both the Paste and Below commands record eel
movement information in the eel buffer. The next pair of commands,
however, perform their transformations without affecting the contents
of the eel buffer.
194
Figure 6.5 Erase the eyes using the Draw tool with a thick brush
shape and the Opaque ink.
AN I MATOR FLIC
Figure 6.6 Use the Paste command to apply lips i n front

of the left eye; use the Below command to apply lips
behind the right eye.
195
Painting on tbe PC
Resizing, Flipping, and Rotating

The next two commands in the Cel menu are Stretch and Turn, which
allow you to paste the contents of the eel buffer in a transformed state.
The Stretch and Turn commands work like the Paste and Below com
mands. To move an image pasted using Stretch or Turn, click inside its
marquee, move the cursor, then click again. To stretch the image or
rotate it, you must click outside the marquee. Right-click to secure the
image to the picture.
The following exercise is fairly long, but it provides an excellent
opportunity to become acquainted with these two powerful transfor
mation commands:
1 . Reload the AMBER. GIF file so that the drawing area no longer
appears darkened. Then return home and choose the Clip com
mand from the Swap menu (not the Clip menu). The image is now
saved in the swap buffer for later use.
2. Choose the Clear command from the Pie menu. The entire draw
ing area becomes black. Choose the Paste command from the Cel
menu to display the lips in a marquee. Right-click to fix the image

in the drawing area.

3 . Create a second picture that you can swap back and forth with the
swap screen; you will use this picture as a work area for editing
the contents of the eel buffer. Using the Draw tool with the
Opaque ink and the key color, trim the excess flesh around the
lips as shown in Figure 6 . 7 .
4. Choose the Clip command fr o m t h e C e l menu. The trimmed lips
are now stored in the eel b uffer.
Use the Trade command 5. Choose the Trade command from the Swap menu. The picture of
in the Swap menu to the woman's face reappears in the drawing area and the empty
swap the current picture screen you were using to edit the eel is stored in the swap buffer,
back and forth with a
eel-editing screen.
so that it can be retrieved later.
6. Choose the Stretch command from the Cel menu. At present, the
lips appear over the right eye. Click inside the marquee, then
move the lips over the woman's lips in the picture. Click again to
set them in place.
After clicking inside or
outside a marquee to 7. Click below and to the right of the lips. This allows you to reduce
begin a transformation, or enlarge the lips proportionally, that is, by equal horizontal and
you can cancel the vertical percentages.
transformation by right
c/;cking. You cannot, 8. Move the cursor to the point where the numbers in the status bar
however, cancel the read 132% X 132% Y. This indicates you have enlarged the lips to 132%
paste. of their normal size. Click at this point; the marquee reappears.
196
Figure 6.7 Erase around the lips with the Draw-t ool.
9. Right-click to paste the lips in the drawing area. S elect the Soften
ink, then drag around the lips to eliminate the rough edges. The
result is shown in Figure 6.8.
10. Choose the Get command from the Cel menu, then construct a
marquee around the left eye. Don't worry if you get extra flesh or
eyebrow in the marquee. Click again to store the image in the eel
buffer.
1 1 . Choose the Trade command again from the Swap menu. The cel
editing screen appears in the drawing area, replacing the face,
which has been sent to the swap buffer.
If a paste operation 1 2 . Choose the Paste command from the Cel menu, then right-click to
doesn't work correctly, paste the image on the screen. What happened? The eel disap
you probably have the
peared. The problem is that the Soften ink is selected. The eel is
wrong ink highlighted.
Select the Opaque ink,
therefore being used to soften the pixels in the drawing area.
then try again. Select the Opaque ink, choose the Paste command, then right
click again. The eye now appears in the drawing area in an opaque
form.
1 3. Erase excess flesh, eyelashes, and eyebrows around the eye.
14. Choose the Get command, then select the eye as the current eel.
15. Choose the Stretch command. The eel now appears over the origi
nal eye. Click to the right of the image, then drag outward. Notice
that you can only enlarge the eel horizontally, due to the location
191
Pairrtri.n!J on the PC
Figure 6.8 Smooth the rough edges around the lips

with the Soften ink.
at which you clicked. Drag to the point at which the status bar
reads 200% X 100% Y, then click.
1 6. Click below the marquee. Now you can only resize the eel verti
cally. Click when the status bar reads 200% X 1 50% Y. Then right
click to paste the image in the drawing area.
1 7. Choose the Get command again, then clip the enlarged eye.
18. Choose the Turn command. The enlarged eye now appears in a
marquee. First, click inside the marquee, then move it straight
down, ample distance away from the existing eye. Next, click out
side the marquee. As you move the cursor, the image rotates; the
status bar indicates the degree of rotation. Rotate the image clock
wise slightly so that the status bar displays the number 9, then
click to terminate the rotation. Then right-click to fix the image in
place. Figure 6 . 9 shows how the screen should look so far.
19. Choose the Get command again, then select the rotated eye.
20. Choose the Trade command from the Swap menu. The picture of
the woman reappears.
2 1 . Choose the Paste command, then move the eye to the approxi
mate location shown in Figure 6.10. Use the Soften ink to smooth
the j agged edges around the outside of the eye and around the iris.
198
Figure 6.9 Enlarge the lips with the Stretch command and rotate
them clockwise with the Turn command.
Figure 6.10 Paste the enlarged and rotated eye

into the drawing area.
199
Painting on ifJJe PC..
You may want to add some lines with the Opaque or Glass ink to
help the eye blend in, as in the figure.
22. This woman's face is beginning to look pretty gruesome; she
would look better if her eyes were symmetrical. Choose the
Stretch command from the C el menu. Click inside the marquee,
then move the cursor directly to the right so that the eel covers the
woman's original right eye. Click again to complete the move.
23. Now click to the left of the marquee. The eye flips horizontally,
creating a mirror image of itself. Move the cursor to the point at
which the status bar reads -100% X 1 00% Y, then click. Finally,
right-click to fix the image in place. (If the image doesn't appear as
you expected, it could be that the Soften ink is selected. Click the
Opaque ink, press Backspace to undo the paste, then repeat steps
22 and 23.)
24. Once again, use the Soften ink to clean up j agged edges. The com
pleted image should look like Figure 6. 1 1 . A variation on this
image is shown in Color Plate 8.
Figure 6.11 The completed face with transformed lips and eyes.
As you saw in the previous exercise, rotating an image is a matter

of: 1) clipping the image to the eel buffer, 2) choosing the Turn com
mand, 3) clicking outside the marquee, then moving the cursor to
rotate the image, 4) clicking to establish the angle of rotation, and 5)
200
right-clicking to fix the image in the drawing area. Resizing or flipping

an image is a similar process, involving all of the above steps, except for
some possible variations in the third step. For example, when you use
the Stretch command, you click relative to the outside of the marquee
to achieve a specific transformation:
Click to the right or left of the marquee to resize or flip the eel
horizontally.
Click below or above the marquee to resize or flip the eel verti
cally.
Click outside the bottom right or upper left corner to resize or flip
the eel proportionally.
Click outside the bottom left or upper right corner to resize or flip
the eel non-proportionally.
By highlighting the Time Keep in mind that neither the Stretch nor the Turn command
(T) button, you can stores transformation information in the eel buffer.
perform the Paste,
Therefore, if you want to resize and rotate an image, you must clip
Below, Stretch, or Turn
command over the span
the newest version of the image between each transformation.
of several frames at one
time.
Altering Cels without Pasting
Both the Move and the 1 Color commands allow you to adj ust the con
tents of the eel buffer without actually pasting an image into the draw
ing area. The Move command, for example, operates identically to the
Paste command except for the paste. After you choose the Move com
mand, the eel appears in a marquee. A status bar identical to that de
scrib ed for the Paste co mmand is also displayed. C lick inside the
marquee then move the image, referring to the status bar for specific
coordinates. When you again click to set the image down, however, the
eel disappears. The next time you choose a transformation command,
the eel will appear on screen in its new location.
To move a eel prior to its transformation, use the Move command

rather than relying on the move capability of the Stretch or Turn
command. Because the Move command provides a status bar con
taining movement coordinates, it is more accurate.
The 1 Color command changes the color of all pixels in the eel
buffer to the currently selected color. The current ink does not affect
201
Painting on the PC
this command, although the ink will affect the single-color eel when it
is later pasted into the drawing area. The following example shows how
this command can b e applied:
1. Choose the Trade command from the Swap menu. The eel-editing
screen will appear.
2. Press the Escape key to choose the Get command from the Cel
menu. Draw a marquee around the lips, sending it to the eel
buffer.
3. Select the V Grad ink, then click in the far right color slot in the
mini-palette which contains yellow.
The 1 Color command is 4. Choose the 1 Color command from the Cel menu. The lips appear
useful for creating the briefly inside a marquee, not in a gradient of colors, but in a single
outline of a eel image.
color, yellow.
5. Choose the Paste command. The yellow lips appear in a marquee.

Click inside the marquee, then move the image down and to the
left so that the second pair of numbers in the status bar read -45
85. Then click again. The lips appear in the drawing area in a ver
tical gradient of colors.
6. Select the Scrape ink. Press the - key to choose the Paste com
mand again. Right-click to fix the image in place. The lips appear
in full color again. By using the Scrape ink, you have displayed a
lip-shaped portion of the swap screen, which itself happens to
contain lips.
7. Select the Opaque ink, then choose the Paste command from the
Cel menu. Right-click to cover the naturalistic lips with the yel
low lips.
8. Right-click the Tile ink slot. Select the Hollow ink from the scroll
Types panel, then p ress the Spacebar. Select the
ing list in the Ink
Box tool, then draw a rectangle around the yellow lips. They will
now appear outlined in yellow with a transparent interior.
9. Press the Escape key, then marquee the outlined lips to store them
to the eel buffer.
10. Choose the Trade command from the Swap menu. The modified
woman reappears in the drawing area.
1 1 . Select the Opaque ink. Choose the Stretch command from the Cel
menu, then enlarge the lip outline to 200%, as shown in Figure
6.12. Right-dick to apply the lips to the drawing area.
202
Figure 6.12 Enlarge the single-color, hollow lips to 200%.
1 2 . Right-click the Fill tool, then select the Fillto tool from the scroll
ing list in the Drawing Tools panel. Press the Spacebar to return
home.
1 3 . Right-click the Glass ink, then change the Ink Strength setting to
25. Also sel ect the Dither button. Press the Spacebar to return
home.
14. Select white from the mini-palette. Click on the yellow outline in
the drawing area, then click inside the outline. A transparent
white fill covers the lips, as shown in Figure 6. 1 3 .
For students o f Picasso who like this picture, now i s a good time to
save it to disk, since you will be deleting it from the screen in the fol
lowing text. Use the + button in the file selector panel to save the file as
AMBER0 1 . GIF.
Options
You can edit the way in which a eel is pasted by choosing the Options . . .
command from the Cel menu. A list of options will appear, labeled Ce L
opt i an s , as shown in Figure 6 . 1 4. Asterisks indicate the current set
tings. To select or deselect a setting, click the option name or type the
number that precedes the name.
203
Painting on the PC
Figure 6.13 Fill the yellow outline with a 25% white.
Figure 6.14 The Cel options.
The first option, C l ear key co lor, determines whether eel pixels
in the key color are treated as opaque or invisible. The second option,
204
determines whether colors in the eel buffer are re

Auto f i t co l o r s ,
mapped or pasted, using the register numbers in the new palette.
The following example demonstrates how both options work:
1. Choose the Options . . . command from the Cel menu. Press 1 to

deselect the first option. The asterisk in front of C l e a r key c o l o r s
disappears.
2. Right-click i n the drawing area or press 0 to return home. Choose
the Paste command from the Cel menu, then right-click to fix t h e
image i n the drawing area. The black portions of the eel appear
opaque, as shown in Figure 6 . 1 5 .
A N I MATO FLIC
Figure 6.15 A eel image whose key color pixels are opaque.
Select and deselect the 3. Press Backspace to undo the paste. Notice that the K button in the
K button in the Home lower right corner of the Home panel is not highlighted. This but
panel to determine the
ton is termed the Clear Key Color button . Click on the button to
transparency of key
colors In a pasted eel. highlight it, then choose the Paste command. The black portions
of the eel appear transparent again. Right-click to fix the eel in
place, then press Backspace to delete it.
4. Choose the Options ... command from the Cel menu. C L e a r key
c o l o r is again preceded by an asterisk. This is because highlight
ing the Clear Key Color button performs the same function as
selecting C l ear key co lor.
205
Painting on the PC
5. Press O to hide the options without changing them. Choose the Get
command, then select the portion of the drawing area shown in
Figure 6 . 1 6 .
Figure 6.16 Clip the woman's eyes to paste them i n a n e w file.
6. Choose the Reset command from the Flic menu to display the con
tents of the DEFAULT.FLX file. Choose the Paste command from
the Cel menu, then right-click. Because the palette colors have
changed completely, Animator remaps the colors in t h e eel to
mimic the eel's original appearance. The result is a highly polar
ized pair of eyes.
7. Choose the Options . . . command, then press 2 to deselect Auto f i t
co l o r s . Press 0 to hide the options. Choose the Paste command,
then move the image to the bottom half of the screen before you
complete the paste. Each pixel in this image accepts the current
color in the corresponding slot of the new palette grid. The result
is an indecipherable mess, as shown in Figure 6 . 1 7 , resembling a n
infrared heat graph you might s e e o n a PBS science program.
8. Right-click the cluster box to display the Palette window. Choose
the Unused Colors command from the Cluster menu. A message
box informs you that there are 66 unused colors in the current
palette. Press Enter to accept this option.
206
Figure 6.17 Remapped and unfitted images from the eel buffer.
9. Choose the Invert command to place all used colors in the current
cluster box. Click the Fit button to deselect it.
1 0 . Choose the Use Cel command from the Value menu to replace all
colors in the current cluster with those from the same slots in the
palette stored i n the eel buffer.
11. Press the Spacebar to return home. Notice that the top image is
now a mess and that the bottom image appears exactly as it did
when you clipped it.
Turning off Animator's color fitting options makes for strange

looking eel images initially. However, by avoiding remapping, you are
able to retain spe cific register number references for future color ma
nipulations.
Emptying the Cel Buffer

Choose the Release command to empty the eel buffer. Generally, you'll
choose this command in response to an alert box warning you that an
other operation requires additional memory. Emptying the eel buffer as
well as other buffers frees up the computer's random access memory
(RAM), enabling Animator to perform memory-intensive operations
successfully.
207
Painting on the PC
Loading and Savin g Cel Files
Cels can be loaded and saved j ust like picture files or font files; conse
quently, you can keep several eels going at once. Like choosing the Clip
or Get command, loading a eel replaces the current contents of the eel
buffer.
Cels are saved with a CEL file extension. Refer to Chapter 2 if
you've forgotten how to use the Files and file selector panels.
Masking Images
One of Animator's most powerful painting features is masking, which

llllows you to protect a portion of th e drawing area from future tool and
ink applications. The technique is similar to using masking tape to
cover moulding and windows when painting a house. You can then
paint indiscriminately and not waste time with delicate brush strokes.
Airbrush artists also use masking tape to create crisp edges. The Mask . . .
command i n the Extra menu likewise saves you time and protects
images when you are applying random pixels.
The Mask Menu Options
Right-clicking the Mask Choose the Mask. . . command to display a list of options, labeled M a s k
(M) button in the Home a s shown i n Figure 6 . 1 8 . These options work as follows:
Menu,
panel also displays the
Mask menu options.
Use. Click this option or press 1 to turn the current mask on or off.
An asterisk precedes this option when the mask is active. You can
also turn a mask on or off by clicking the Mask (M) button in the
bottom right corner of the Home panel.
You can also exit the Create. Click this option or press 2 to toggle the mask creation
mask creation mode by mode on or off. An asterisk precedes this option when the mask is
selecting the Use or
active. When you enter the creation mode, the previous mask is
Release option, or by
clicking the M button.
deleted. All ink applied between the time you enter and exit the
creation mode is added to the current mask buffer.
Clip. Click this option or press 3 to save the contents of the draw
ing area to the mask buffer. The previous contents of the mask
buffer are replaced.
Invert. Click this option or press 4 to save the portion of the draw
ing area not included in the current mask to the mask buffer.
208
View. Click this option or press 5 to view the contents of the mask
buffer in the current color. Click to hide the mask and return to
the Mask Menu options.
Paste. Click this option or press 6 to import the contents of the
mask buffer into the drawing area in the current ink. This option
will not work if the Use option is selected.
Release. Click this option or press 7 to empty the mask buffer.
Selecting the Release option deselects the Use and Create options.
Masks are saved with an Files . ... Click this option or press 8 to display the Files panel, from
MSK file extension. which you load or save masks.
Refer to Chapter 2 to
review how to use the Exit Menu. Click this option or press 0 to hide the Mask menu
Files and file selector options and return home.
panels.
USE
a C:REf'ITE
s C L;l; P
4 I NVERT
s V I EH
e. PASTE
., RE LEASE
s FI LES
0 E X I T MENU
Figure 6.18 The Mask menu options.
These options are demonstrated in the following exercise.
Using a Mask
Accessing Animator's masking feature is similar to accessing images in

the eel buffer. The results, however, are very different. The following
example demonstrates how to mask images effectively:
209
Painting on the PC
1. Load the WALK. GIP file into the drawing area. Click one of the
frame icons to save the image to the frame buffer.
2. Suppose you want to create a mask that covers the astronaut com
pletely but leaves the surface of the earth untouched. Choose the
Mask ... command from th e Extra menu. Press 2 to select the Cre
ate option. An asterisk now precedes the option name, indicating
that you are in the mask creation mode.
Any ink you apply in the 3. Right-click in the drawing area or press 0 to return home . Choose
mask creation mode is the Separate command from the Pie menu, then drag over as
added to the mask
many colors inside the astronaut as possible. All like colors now
buffer, even if you click
the Undo button.
change to the current color, presumably black. Don't worry if
small portions of the earth also become black. If you missed some
colors in the astronaut, repeat the Separate command until the
image appears as covered as the image in Figure 6 . 1 9. (If you make
a big mistake, clicking the Undo button will not remove it from
the mask buffer. You will have to reselect the Create option and
start over.)
Figure 6.19 Replace colors inside the astronaut using the

Separate command.
4. Press the X key to clear the screen. Select white from the mini
palette. Choose the Mask . . . command, then click the C reate
option to turn it off. Click the Paste option to display the mask in
the current color, white.
210
5. Press O to hide the Mask m e nu options. Use the Box, Fill, and
Draw tools with the key color to fill in white areas that appear
outside the outline o f the astronaut. Use the same tools with white
to erase black areas inside the astronaut. Your final image should
appear similar to Figure 6.20.
Figure 6.20 Clean up the mask using t h e Box, Fill,

and Draw tools.
6. Select one of t h e light blues in the mini-pale tt e . C hoose the

Mask . . . command, then click the Clip option. The white area of
the drawing area changes to light blue, indicating that it has been
clipp ed to the mask buffer. Click to display the Mask menu
options. Press 0 to return home.
7. Now load a file containing a completely different picture, one that
you haven't experimented with before, such as BACKGRND.GIF.
After the picture loads, choose the Clip command from the Swap
menu, thereby saving the picture to the swap buffer.
For those a little confused, here 's a buffer update: the frame
buffer contains the WALK. GIF picture, the swap buffer con
tains the BACKGRND.GIF picture, and the mask buffer con
tains the astronaut silhouette.
211
aint!flg 017. the PC
8. ChQose the Restore command from the Pie menu to retrieve the
contents of the frame buffer. The WALK.GIF picture appears in
the drawing area.
9. Click the Mask (M) button i n the bottom right corner of the Home
panel. The area inside the astronaut is now protected from any
screen manipulations you perform.
10. To prove this, select the Scrape ink, then choose the Apply Ink
command from the Pie menu. The unmasked portion of the draw
ing area is replaced by a Grecian backdrop, as shown in Figure
6.21 and in Color Plate 9 .
Figure 6.21 Apply a new backdrop using t h e Scrape ink.
1 1 . Right-click the Mask button in the Home panel to display the

Mask menu options, then select the Invert option. The area
around the astronaut appears in the current color, indicating that
it is now protected by the current mask. Click to redisplay the
Mask menu options, then press O to return home.
1 2 . Select the Box tool and the Glass ink. Also select dark green from
the mini-palette. Draw a rectangle that covers the entire astro
naut. The astronaut is tinted with the green, but the background
remains unaffected.
1 3 . Click the Mask button in the Home panel to turn the mask off.
212
Draw with the Draw tool, and notice that both astronaut and
background are no longer protected, as shown in Figure 6 . 2 2 .
Figure 6.22 Combine foreground with background b y turning

the mask off.
Using the Mask menu options, you can create spectacular effects
in a surprisingly short period of time. Masking allows you to divide a
painting into a definite foreground and background, so that you can
create or manipulate an image in the foreground exclusively, or i n the
background exclusively, or in both .
Establishing a Grid
The Grid ... command is provided for users interested in applying Ani
mator to the tasks of creating charts, presentations, and other rectilin
ear drawings. Using the options available for this command, you can
establish a network of vertical and horizontal guidelines, called a grid.
Cursor movements in the drawing area will be constrained to the inter
sections of these guidelines; consequently, you can create straight lines
and geometric shapes more quickly and accurately.
213
Painting on the PC
The Grid Snap Control Options

Choose the Grid... command from the Extra menu to display a list of
options labeled G r i d Snap Cont ro l , as shown in Figure 6.23. These op
tions ope rate as follows:
Use. Click this option or press 1 to turn the current grid on and off.
An asterisk precedes this option when the grid is active.
Create. After you click this option or press 2, you can draw a rec
tangle indicating the size of each grid increment; that is, the verti
c al and horizontal distances between guidelines. The Use
command is activated automatically after you establish the grid
increments.
Paste. Click this option or press 3 to import the current grid into
the drawing area in the current ink.
View. Click this option or press 4 to view the current grid in the
current color. Click to hide the grid and return to the Grid Snap
Control options.
Exit Menu. Click this option or press 0 to hide the Grid Snap Con
trol options and return home.
Ci;!:EATE
3 PASTE
4 V I EW
0 EX I "t MNU
Figure 6.23 The Grid Snap Control options.
These options are demonstrated in the next exercise.
214
Using a Grid
Creating and using a grid is a simple and straightforward process. A grid
ensures that images line up correctly, and that a picture appears regu
lar and balanced. The following example demonstrates how to employ
a grid effectively:
1. Reset Animator to the default settings.

2. Choose the Grid . . . command from the Extra menu. Then press 2 to
select the Create option.
3 . A pair of horizontal and vertical dotted lines appear on the screen.
A status bar is also displayed, listing the coordinates of the cursor,
as shown in Figure 6. 24. Move the cursor to the exact center of the
drawing area, at which the status bar reads 1 60 100, and click at
this point to establish the first corner of a single grid increment.
Figure 6.24 Establish the first corner of the grid increment at the
exact center of the drawing area.
Cancel the creation of a 4. Three pairs of numbers now appear in the status bar, similar to
new grid by right those that appear when you draw with the Box tool. Drag down
clicking after you
and to the right until the second pair of numbers read 32 20. Then
establish the first corner.
click to establish the opposite corner of the grid increment.
5 . The grid shown in Figure 6 . 2 5 appears on the screen in th e cur-
215
Painting on the PC
rent color, lavender. Click to hide the grid and redisplay the Grid
Snap Control options. Notice that the Use command is selected,
indicating that the grid is ready to be used.
Figure 6.25 The grid displays on-screen immediately after you

establish the second corner of the grid increment.
6. Press 0 to return home . Select the Box tool, then experiment by

drawing a rectangle. Notice that the corners of the shape snap to
the nearest intersection of a vertical and horizontal guideline in
the grid.
When a grid is in use, 7. Now draw with the Draw tool using a different color. You are only
you can create only allowed to create straight lines that begin at one grid intersection
horizontal and vertical
and end at another.
lines with the Draw tool.
To create a diagonal 8. Right-click on the Fill tool to display the Drawing Tools panel.
line, use the Line or Select the Move tool from the scrolling list, then press the
Poly tool. Spacebar to return home. Now use the Move tool in the drawing
area. Both the selection and movement of obj ects are constrained
by the grid.
9. Choose the Stretch command from the C el menu, then experi
ment with resizing an image. Once again, your movements are
constrained.
A grid affects the use of all tools. However, some tools are more
positively affected than others. For example, using the Fill tool with a
216
grid is problematic. Since Animator reads clicks at the nearest grid in

crement, you frequently end up filling the wrong line or shape. The
tools that work best with grids are the shape tools (Box, Circle, Poly,
and so on), the Draw, Line, and Spiral tools, and the Move tool. Also, the
Streak tool can be used to create a dot at each grid increment. The Gel
tool can be used to create vertical and horizontal streams of highlights,
useful in drawing a city at night or a board of active circuits, as shown
in Figure 6.26.
Figure 6.26 Drawing with the Gel tool while a grid is in use.
Grids also affect the application of the Get, Move, Paste, Below,
Stretch, and Turn commands from the Cel menu. Other commands that
fall under a grid ' s influence include the Separate command in the Pie
menu and the Line Cluster command in the Cluster menu of the Palette
window.
Making Macros
Sufficiently-organized intermediate and advanced computer artists

can save a lot of time by using macros-recordings of key sequences
and mouse operations that can be played back at will. Macros are ex
tremely useful for performing often-repeated oper ations , such as saving
211
Painting on the PC
a file, selecting a different tool or ink for use in the Home panel, or even
writing a signature; macros can perform them all at the selection of a
single option.
The Macro Recording Options

Choose the Record . . . command from the Extra menu to display a list of
options, labeled Mac ro Recordi ng, as shown in Figure 6.27. These work
as follows:
Start Record. Click this option or press 1 to begin recording a

macro. The previous contents of the macro buffer are deleted.
End Record. After you select the Start Record option and complete
the sequence of keyboard and mouse operations to be performed
by the current macro, click this option or press 2 to stop recording
the macro. The recording is saved to the macro buffer.
While playing a macro, Use Macro. Click this option or press 3 to play back the recording
you can press any key to in the macro buffer.
cancel the playback
Repeat Macro. Click this option or press 4 to play back the record
ing in the macro buffer a specific number of times. You cannot
perform any actions between repeated macros, except cancel.
Realtime Record . To save time, Animator normally plays macros
at a faster speed than they were recorded. If a macro isn't working
correctly, you can record a sequence of actions at their actual
speed by clicking this option or by pressing 5.
Macros are saved with Files . . . Click this option or press 6 to display the Files panel,
.
an REC file extension. which is used to load or save macros.

Refer to Chapter 2 to
review how to use the Cancel. Click this option or press 0 to hide the Macro Recording
Files and file selector options and return home.
panels.
These options are demonstrated in the next exercise.
Using Macros
Many users stay away from using macros because they seem compli
cated, confusing, or even too technical. But with practice, you can de
sign macros that are not only easy to use, but also customized to your
specific needs. How much more user-friendly can a macro get?
The following example demonstrates how to record and play a
macro;
218
1 STAR1' REC!ORE.l
a .ENO i?o
a J.JSE MACRO
4 RE,EA:'i' Mf!CO
$ REf\LT l ME RCipRC)
6 F :t Li=;s "' .
.
e CAC. L
Figure 6.27 The Macro Recording options.
1 . Reset Animator to the d efault settings.

2. Suppose you want to create your name in neon letters. Macros can
help. Right-click the Glass tool, then set the Ink Strength slider
bar to 25. Press the Spacebar to return home. Right-click the brush
shape indicator and move the slider box to 1 1 . Again press the
3. Choose the Record. .. command from the Extra menu, then press 1
to select the Start Record option. The Macro Recording options
disappear, allowing you to perform the actions you want to record.
You cannot undo an 4. Write your name in the drawing area. (If you make a big mistake,
action while recording a don't try to correct it by clicking the Undo bu tton, because the
macro and expect the
undo will be recorded j ust like any other action. To create a clean
action to be deleted
during playback. recording, reselect the Start Record option and start over.)
Undoing is treated as 5. After you finish your name, choose the Record. . . command again,
just another recordable then press 2 to end the recording session.
action
6. Right-click the brush shape indicator again, mov e the slider box
to 9 , and press the Spacebar.
7. Choose the Record . . . command from the E xt ra menu, then click
the Use Macro option. Thinner, lighter letters will be traced
e xac tin gly over the originals .
219
Painting on the PC
Clicking the Undo button 8. Set the brush shape to 7-pixels thick, then play the macro again.
after playing a macro
9. Boost the density of the Glass ink to 30%, set the brush shape to 5
only undoes the last
action performed by the pixels, and again play the macro.
macro, not the entire 1 0 . Increase the density of the glass ink, this time to 50%. Decrease
macro.
the brush shape to 3 pixels, then replay the macro.
1 1 . For the final playback, select the Opaque ink, then click the brush
shape indicator to display the single-pixel brush. Choose the
Record . . . command again, then press 3. The final image should
look something like Figure 6. 2 8 , only with your name displayed .
( CRt=IW )( BOX
I ZOOM I l POLY Jf TEXT
I UNDO I ( SPRA)( FI LL
Figure 6.28 Your name in neon lights.
1 2 . Save the file to disk under the name NEONNAME. GIF.
If you have enough 1 3 . Choose the Record . . . command, then press 6 to select the Files . . .
space on disk, save all option. Click the Save button i n the Files panel, then save the
of your macros. Then
macro under the name NEONNAME.REC.
you can load them into
the macro buffer and
play them back at will. In the previous exercise, you changed settings between playbacks
to change the result of the macro. This is an important property of
macros to keep in mind, since it can prove both helpful and harmful.
For example, if you originally record a drawing using the Draw tool,
then play it back while the Box tool and V Grad ink are selected, the
results will differ dramatically, as shown in Figure 6.29. Even if you
record the selection of a tool, the macro has no idea what tool it's using.
220
It only knows what tool slot was clicked. If the tool in the slot has been
changed, the results of the macro are changed as well.
Figure 6.29 Playing a macro with the wrong tool

and ink selected.
Macros can be even more complex than the one demonstrated i n

t h e previous example. I f you'd like to play back a very complicated
macro, load the macro file WELCOME.REC that came with the Anima
tor program. This macro was recorded using the Realtime Record op
tion, so that it would p lay back at a slower speed. You'll recognize some
of the operations; others are discussed in future chapters.
What You've Learned
In this chapter, you learned how to use every command in the Cel
menu and every option associated with the Mask ... , Grid . . . , and Re
cord . . . commands in the Extra menu. Take a moment now to review the
important points of this chapter:
Both the Clip and Get commands in the Cel menu store an image
to the eel buffer. The Clip command automatically c l ips all images
221
on the PC
in the drawing area; the Get command clips a specified portion of

the drawing area.
The eel buffer stores an image, the location of the image in the
drawing area, and the color palette associated with the image.
Location information is updated by the Move, Paste, o r Below
command. Although a eel image can b e moved with the Stretch or
Turn command, its location information in the eel buffer will not
be updated.
The swap buffer can be used to store a special eel- editing screen,
which can be traded back and forth for the current painting.
Apart from using the Move tool, you can transform an image
move, resize, flip, or rotate it-only by clipping the image to the
eel buffer and then importing i t using one of the commands from
the Cel menu.
To cover a portion of the drawing are a with the eel image, turn off
the Clear Key Color (K) button in the Home panel before choosing
the Paste command. This makes all pixels in the eel opaque.
A mask protects portions of the drawing area j ust as masking tape
protects windows and trim on a house being painted.
By selecting the Create option, you enter the mask creation mode.
All images applied to the drawing area until the Create option is
turned off are stored to the mask buffer. Click the Mask (M) button
to exit the mask creation mode and apply the current mask.
A grid is a network of vertical and horizontal guidelines that helps
you create straight lines for geometric drawings, such as graphs
and charts.
To create a grid, click the Create option, then draw a r ectangle
representing a single grid increment. The grid will appear on
screen. If the grid doesn't look right, click to hide the grid and try
again. Otherwise, right-click twice to return to the Home window.
A macro is a recording o f a sequence of commands and mouse
operations. If you use a sequence of commands and/or drawing
routines repeatedly, using a macro saves time and ensures accu
racy.
Record a macro by choosing the Record. . . command from the
Extra menu, then select the Start Record option. Perform t h e
actions you want t o record, then select t h e E n d Record option.
To play a macro, click the Use Macro option.
You may want to save all of your macros to a special directory o r
disk. This allows you to preserve previously created macros for
later use.
222
Changing settings, such as tools and inks, changes the result of

playing back a macro. You can use this to your benefit if you plan
your actions before recording the macro. However, this may also
produce unexpected results. If you want to ensure that a specific
tool, ink, or other item is used, record the selection of that item
into the macro.
223
p A R T
Animation
225
s E v E N
Introduction to
Animation
Animator is a marvelous painting program. If you use it to create still
images only, you will find that it ranks among the best software avail
able. But Animator shines most brightly when applied to the task of
making images move. This chapter introduces you to the concepts and
uses of animation, as well as to Animator's specific flic-handling capa
bilities.
Animation Theory
Painting and animation are two distinct forms of communication. They

are different not only in how they display visual information but also in
terms of the artistic skills they require . Just because you can draw
doesn't mean you can animate; likewise, the fact that you can't even
draw a straight line doesn' t mean you can't animate.
You don 't have to be an The movement .of images is at all times more important to success
artist to animate; you ful animation than the quality of the images themselves. Your drawing
need only to understand
may look like a formless and unsightly blob, but make it fly like a bird
movement.
and it becomes a bird. However formless and unsightly an image may
be, realistic movement makes it identifiable and entertaining.
The Importance of Movement
Without movement, an image is stuck in time . Robbed of action, the

quality and structure of an image become more noticeable than its pur-
227
Animation
pose or its passion; the who and what outweighs the how and why.
Consequently, a still image must appear accurate in form, color, and
detail, because these are the qualities that make it believable.
Animation is like a race Adding movement to a drawing is like adding a verb to a sentence.
horse-its movement is The how and why are elevated to the position of prime importance and
more important than its
interest. You see the action first and the artwork second. Therefore, a
looks.
stick figure that moves fluidly is a better piece of animation than a com
plex illustration that moves awkwardly or artificially.
You see evidence of this when you watch a Saturday morning car
toon. For example, a cartoon Tarzan drifts stiffly onto your television
screen. He does not bounce as if walking, but rather floats as if on roll
ers: A moment later, he moves his mouth in sync with a line of dialog.
He blinks his eyes. Otherwise, the King of the Jungle is as motionless as
a dead man. Although the image itself appears fairly realistic, its move
ments are stilted and singular. Tarzan appears incapable of walking and
chewing gum at the same time. If you're over the age of ten, Tarzan puts
you to sleep. Tarzan is animation at its worst.
On the other hand, images in a video game tend to be overly sim
plistic, made up of only a few pixels due to their small sizes. Yet you
can't pry your kids (or yourself) away from them. Despite their simplic
ity, arcade creatures react to your commands immediately-running,
jumping, hitting, and throwing in the span of several seconds. Their
actions, though limited, are dynamic and energetic. Even without a co
herent plot line, arcade characters are more interesting and entertain-

ing than the statuesque Tarzan.
How Animation Works

Movement is created in Animator by displaying many pictures, each
for only a fraction of a second, in a sequential order. Each picture, or
frame, is similar to the frame before it, except that one or more images
h ave b een shi fte d, a dde d, or de l ete d. W h en an animated sequence is
played, the multiple frames merge to represent a single picture as it
appears over a period of time; th e images shifted from one frame to an
other are the portions of the picture that appear to move.
Imagine that each of the golfers displayed in Figure 7 . 1 occupies a
separate frame, with the golfer on the far left in the first frame and the
golfer on the far right in the last. When the frames are played sequen
tially, the golfer appears to lift the club momentarily and then swing
the club in a great arc, clipping the ground midway through the swing.
A stationary background has been added to the picture in Figure
7.2 and in Color Plate 1 0 . The background indicates the position of the
viewer in relatio n to the moving images. If the background is station-
228
7-lntroduction to Animation
ary, the viewer is stationary. If the background changes from frame to

frame, the viewer is in motion.
Figure 7.1 Images which change from frame to frame appear

to move when played sequentially.
Figure 7.2 Images which do not change , such as the rolling hills
shown in the lower portion of th e picture, form
a consistent background.
229
Animation
The Animation Process

When you are creating an animated sequence, it is important to avoid
the temptation to draw each frame fully polished and in the exact order
it will appear when played. Like a good painting, a good piece of anima
tion must first b e sketched. The images in Figure 7 . 1 , for example, are
not entirely realistic. They are roughs, preliminary outlines demon
strating the basic form of the final images.
Sketch an animation by In addition, the six golfers in the figure hardly constitute enough
creating a series of frames to represent the fluid swing of a golf club. Rather, they represent
extremes, representing
extremes, points at which one or more portions of the image are ex
every fourth or fifth
frame in a sequence.
tended to the apex of their range. To complete this sequence, you must
fill in the three or four missing frames between one extreme and the
next with additional roughs. These intermediary frames ar e known as
tweens.
After all frames are in place, you should play the sequence to
make sure it flows evenly. If you see a transition that appears awkward
or inconsistent, stop the playback and fix the image in the offending
frame.
Additional animation Only after the entire animation sequence flows to your satisfac
theory as it applies to tion should you go back and polish the roughs into finished drawings.
specific techniques is
The remainder of this chapter introduces you to the specific com
discussed in future
chapters.
mands and options used to create and edit the movement of images in
Animator.
Figure 7.3 Two extremes in the sequence of a man walking.
230
Figure 7.4 Tweens are added between extremes to fill

out the sequence.
Frames and Flies
In Animator, any frame in an animated sequence, or flic, is treated as a

single picture. However, only one frame can be viewed on the screen at
a time. All other frames are stored in a frame buffer, the same buffer
used by the Restore command in the Pie menu. To access a different
frame than the one currently displayed, click one of the frame icons at
the bottom of the Home panel.
The Frame Icons

Frame icons allow you to access frames in an animation sequence.
These icons are available in most Animator panels, including the
Home, Files, and Palette panels, as well as the Frames, Time Select, and
Optics panels, which are discussed later i n this chapter and in other
chapters.
The frame icons operate as follows:
Click the up arrow icon or press the up arrow key to display the
first frame in the current flic.
231
Animation
Click the left arrow icon or press the left arrow key to display the
previous frame in the current flic.
Click the rig ht arrow icon or press the right arrow key to display
the next frame in the current flic.
Right-clicking or Click the double arrow icon or press the down arrow key to play
pressing a key stops the the current flic. Each frame is displayed brie fly in sequential
playback at the frame
order. This playback repeats over and over until you right-click or
just played. This is
useful for locating and
press any key on the keyboard.
fixing inconsistent Click the down arrow icon to display the last frame in the current
images. flic.
The current frame indicator lists the number of the current frame.
Click this box or right-click any frame icon to display the Frames
panel.
If you want a refresher course in operating the frame icons, refer

to the Quick Animation exercise included near the end of Chapter 2 .
The Frames Panel
You can also access the Right-click any frame icon to display the Frames panel . This is the con
Frames panel by trol center for accessing and manipulating an animated sequence. Here
choosing the Frames
you can add frames, delete frames, organize frames, and change the
command from the
Animator menu in the
speed at which a flic is played.
Home window, or by Shown in Figure 7 . 5 , the options in the Frames panel include the
pressing the A key following:
followed by the F key.
Click the Frames button to move the Frames panel to a different
position.
The frame i con s allow you to play animation and access frames.
See the previous section for a description of individual icons. A
current frame slider bar is displayed with these icons. When there
is more than one frame in the current flic, a slider box appears
inside the slider bar; you can drag the slider box back and forth to
access other frames.
The total frames indicator lists the number of frames in the cur
rent flic. Click this option to display a message box that allows you
to set the length of the current flic. The length can vary from 1
frame to 4000 frames.
232
?-Introduction to Animation
Right-click the Insert or Click the Insert button to insert a duplicate of the current frame
Delete button to insert between the current frame and the next frame.
or delete multiple frames
at once. Click the Delete button to delete the current frame. An alert box
will appear and ask you to confirm the delete.
The Segment buttons, labeled A , B, C , and D, organize the current
flic into ranges of frames called segments. You can use the Seg
ment buttons to limit the affect of a command which utilizes the
Time Select panel (introduced later in this chapter). Click any of
the mutually exclusive Segment buttons t o make the segment
associated with that button the current segment.
To change the range of The current segment slider bar displays the range of frames
frames associated with a included in the current segment. You can adj ust the first and last
segment button, edit the
frames in the segment by clicking the slider bar arrows, or by
range in the current
segment slider bar, then
dragging the black segment icon inside the slider bar.
right-click the segment Click any of the mutually exclusive Marks buttons, labeled A, B, c ,
button. o r D , to advance t o the frame associated with that button. You can
tag the current frame for easy future access by right-clicking a
Marks button.
Click a m ultiply frames button , labeled *2, * 3 , or *5, to double,
triple, or quintuple the number of frames in the current flic. In
each case, one, two, or four duplicates of each existing frame are
created.
The mutually exclusive Frame (F), Segment (S) , and All (A) but
tons determine whether a command using the Time Select panel
will affect the current frame, the current segment, or all frames in
the current flic, respectively.
The current range indicator displays the number of frames which
will be affected by a command using the Time Select panel. If the
Frame (F) button is selected, this number is 1. If the Segment (S)
button is highlighted, the number of frames in the current seg
ment is displayed. If the All (A) button is highlighted, the number
in the total frames indicator is displayed.
Increasing the number in The Play Speed slider bar determines the speed at which the cur
the Play Speed slider rent flic is played. The number in the slider box specifies the
box slows down
length of time each frame is displayed in units of 1 / 70th of a sec
playback; decreasing the
number speeds up the
ond. Each 1 / 70th of a se cond is called a jiffy. The Animator
animation. default Play Speed setting is 5 j iffies, or 14 frames per second.
Highlight the Time Select button to apply commands from the
Home window over several frames at once; this b utton performs
the same function as the T buttons in the Home and Palette
233
Animation
panels. Right-click this button to display the Time Select panel

(introduced later in this chapter).
Current
seg ment
s l ider bar
Frame Current M ultiply Total

icons frame frames frames
s l ider bar butto ns indicator
Figure 7.5 Options in the Frames panel.
Editing Flies
The best way to get a feel for the Frames panel is to j ump right in and
edit an existing flic file, as in the following exercise:
1 . Return to the Home window, then choose the Files . . . command

from the Flic menu. This command allows you to load and save
animation sequences.
2. When the Files panel appears, press the L key to select the Load
button. Select the m r numo . f l i file from the scrolling list in the file
selector panel, then press Enter. A cartoon image with a number
in a circle in place of its head appears in the drawing area. Press
the Spacebar to return home.
3 . Right-click any frame icon to display the Frames panel, which
contains information about the current flic, as shown in Figure
7.6. According to the number in the current frame slider bar, the
first frame is currently displayed in the drawing area. According
to the total frames indicator (just to the right of the last frame
icon), this flic contains 8 frames altogether.
234
- 1' 1.. I-; )') "' ITJ t I NSl5:FTI

:q E.! Jfi] (ID@ I @:. t tR K_s [[!@@@) I lll2l llll3l lJEsj ( OE LE T EJ

11 ll s :11 m CTJ
" w
11 1
jI ( T U-11;; SELECT )

PLAV SPEED lf-.l mJ
Figure 7 .6 The original settings for the MRNUMO flic.
4. Press the down arrow key to play the flic file. The Frames panel
disappears and the cartoon image walks in place while the num
bers in its h e ad cycle from 1 through 8 and back to 1 again.
5. Press any k e y to stop the playback. After the Frames panel reap
pears, drag the current frame slider box until it reads 4; this dis
plays th e fourth frame of the flic. In this frame, the cartoon image
stands with its right leg fully raised.
6. Suppose you want the right leg to hang here for a moment during
playback. You can't slow the speed for only one frame in a flic, but
you can insert a duplicate of this frame so that two frames play at
this point instead of one. Click the Insert button. The number in
the total frames indicator increases by one, indicating that you
have successfully inserted a duplicate of the current frame.
7. Press the down arrow key to play the flic. The image appears to
pause momentarily when it raises its right leg, just as anticipated.
8. Right-click to cancel the playback. Now click th e down arrow
frame icon to display frame 9, the last frame in the current flic.
When you inserted the frame in step 6, you shifted each frame
after frame 4 to a position one number greater. Frame 9 now con
tains the image previously contained in frame 8.
9. In frame 9, the cartoon image stands with its left leg fully raised.
Click the Delete button to s ubtract this frame from the current
235
Animation
flic. An alert box appears, as shown in Figure 7 . 7 , asking you to

confirm the delete request. Press the Y key to select the Yes but
ton. When the Frames panel reappears, you will find yourself in
the last frame of a flic, now only 8 frames long.
You cannot undo an option performed in the Frames panel.

Be careful when deleting frames, since you can retrieve
them only by loading the most recent version of the flic file
saved to disk.
Figure 7.7 An alert box appears when you click

the Delete button.
10. Press the down arrow key to play the current flic. Now that the
left leg never fully raises, the pause when the right leg raises
appears pronounced. In fact, the image seems to limp rather than
walk in the drawing area.
1 1 . Press any key to cancel the playback. Now try a different speed.
The Play Speed slider bar is currently set at 10, or 7 frames per
second. Move the slider box to 5, then press the down arrow key
again. Now the cartoon.image limps quickly. If this sequence had
more frames, it might look better at this higher speed (14 frames
per second), but as it is, it appears unnatural.
236
Play speeds higher than 12. Press any key to cancel the playback. Move the Play Speed slider
17 are generally too box to 1 7 , then play the animation again. This slower speed of
slow to be useful in
about 4 frames per second allows you to see every frame clearly
animation, but they are
and individually, making the appearance of movement l ess
useful in presentations
that include stationary believable.
type of charts. 13. Right-click to cancel the playback.
So far, you have experimented briefly with the Frames panel.

More dramatic flic manipulations are possible, but many of these in
volve time operations-commands which make use of the Time Select
panel. Before you experiment further with the Frames panel, you
should read the following introduction to the Time Select panel.
The Time Select Panel
One application of the Right-click the Time Select button in the Frames panel to display the
Time Select panel is Time Select panel, which allows you to apply a command to several
discussed to/lowing this
frames at once. To use this panel, highlight the Time Select or T button
introduction. Additional
applications are
in the current window, then choose the command you want to apply to
discussed in Chapter 9. multiple frames. For example, suppose you want to alter th e palette in
every frame of the current flic. Highlight the T button i n the Palette
window, then choose a palette manipulation command, such as the
Use Cel command from the Value menu. Ordinarily, the colors from
the eel buffer immediately fill the appropriate slots in the palette grid;
in this instance, the Time Select panel appears first, to allow you to
determine which frames will be affected and also how they will be
affected.
Shown in Figure 7.8, the options i n the Time Select panel include
the following:
Click th e Time Select button to move the Time Select panel to a

different location on the screen. Click again to display the panel in
its new position.
The frame icons allow you to play animation and access frames.
Seethe Frame Icons section for a description of individual icons.
The current ink in dicator displays the current occupant of the
upper left ink slot in the Home panel. Right-click this box to dis
play the Ink Types panel and select a different ink.
The mode buttons-Time (T), Filled (F), Mask (M), and Clear Key
Color (K)-operate identically to their counterparts in the Home
panel.
237
Animation
The brush shape indicator also operates identically to its counter

part in the Home panel. Click to toggle a different thickness; right
click to determine the brush shape, which can be from 1 -pixel to
1 1 -pixels thick.
The current color indicator displays the currently selected color.

Right-click this box to display the Palette window.
The current segment sli der bar displays the range of frames
included in the current segment. You can redetermine the first
and last frames in the segment by clicking the slider bar arrows, or
by dragging the black segment icon inside the slider bar.
The mutually exclusive Frame (F), Segment (S), and All (A) but
tons determine whether a command affects the current frame, the

current segment, or all frames in the current flic, respectively.
These buttons are repeated in this panel in the form of the To
Frame, To Segment, and To All buttons.
Because the F button and the To Frame buttons have the

same function, highlighting the F button also highlights the
To Frame buttons, and vice versa. This is also true for the S
and To Segment buttons and for the A and To All buttons.
The current range indicator displays the number of frames which

will be affected by a command using the Time Select panel. If the
Frame (F) button is selected, this number is 1. If the Segment (S)
button is highlighted, the number of frames in the current seg
ment is displayed. If the All (A) button is highlighted, the total
number of frames in the current flic is displayed.
Click the Cancel button, press the Spacebar, or right-click in

the drawing area to hide the Time Select panel and return to the
previous window without completing the current time opera
tion.
Click the Preview button to preview how the current time opera
tion will affect each frame, without actually applying the time
operation. If you don't like the preview, you can cancel the opera
tion. At the end of the preview, the last affected frame remains
displayed until you click.
Click the Render button to apply the current time operation to

specific frames. The Frame, Select, and All buttons determine
which frames are rendered.
238
To cancel a time operation preview or a rendering, right

click or press any key. A message box will appear, allowing
you to return a specified number of frames in the current flic
to their original state.
The movement buttons include Still, Ping-Pong, Reverse , In Slow,

Out Slow, and Complete. Ignore them for now. Due to their com
plexity, these buttons are discussed in detail later in the book (in
Chapter 9).
A Sampie Time Opera ti on
Time operations allow you to edit many different frames at once. The
following example demonstrates how to use a simple time operation to
create a moving background:
1. Go home, then load the MRNUMO.FLI flic using the Files ... com
mand in the Flic menu. This step returns the flic to its original
state.
Cu rrent Cu rrent Cu rrent

seg ment range co lor
slider bar i n dicato r i n dicate
indicator
Movement Frame Cu rrent
buttons icons ink
L
t C:f'INC E I- l J _I.N 1.., ow'I
(F*REVI EH) fp I 1'.'-!G POGI j oUT i..o w)
( RSNQER ) I R:EVESE I ! COMP LETE! TO A L L
Figure 7.8 Options i n the Time Select panel.
239
Animation
2. Return home again, then highlight the Time (T) button on the
right side of the Home panel.
3. Since the cartoon image in this flic walks in place rather than
across the screen, the b ackground must move to create the
impression that the image is going somewhere. This background
will most likely have a different color palette. To prepare for this
possibility, right-click on the current color indicator to display the
Palette window.
Notice that the Time button at the top of the Palette panel is
highlighted. When you select or deselect a mode button in
one panel, you select or deselect it in all others as well. You
selected the Time button in the Home panel; thus, it is also
selected here.
4. The cartoon walker is made up of only seven colors, including

black. This leaves 249 colors unused in the palette, enough to rep
resent the most complex of backgrounds. To open up all but the
seven color slots currently being used, select the All button in the
Palette panel, then choose the Squeeze command from the Value
menu.
5. A message box appears asking if you want to squeeze the palette
down to seven colors. Click the OK button or press Enter.
6. B e cause the Time button was selected when you chos e the
Squeeze command, the Time Select panel appears. Since you
want to change the palette in every frame of the current flic, select
the All (A) or To All button (probably already highlighted). Click
the Render button to complete the time operation.
7. Each frame in the current flic disp lays momentarily as Animator
performs the Squeeze command on it. After the eighth and final
frame displays, you are returned to the Palette window and the
first frame. Every color slot but the first seven and the last five
(reserved for the menu colors) in the palette grid is changed to
black.
Loading a picture 8. Press the Spacebar to go home. You next want to load a back
replaces the contents of p
ground picture. Loading a icture, however, replaces the contents
the current frame.
of the current frame. To save this frame for later use, choose the
Loading a Ilic replaces
the entire animation Clip command from the Swap menu, thereby storing the frame in
sequence. the swap b uffer.
9. Using the Files . . . command from the Pie m enu, load the
MOON.GIF file. Then return home.
240
1 0. This picture of the surface of the moon will serve as the moving
background for the walking cartoon image . Since moving is a
transformation, and transformations are perfor m e d most effi
ciently using commands from the Cel menu, press the Tab key to
store the current picture into the eel buffer.
1 1 . Choose the Paste command from the Swap menu to recall the first
frame image. The Time Select panel appears. Because the Time
button is highlighted, Animator thinks you want to paste the con
tents of the swap buffer into every frame of the current flic. This
would be a big mistake, resulting in an animation sequence that
repeats the same image over and over. Click the Time button to
turn it off, then press the Spacebar to cancel the Paste command.
1 2 . Choose the Paste command again from the Swap menu. This time,
the cartoon image with a " 1 " in its head appears in the drawing area.
1 3 . Right-click the current color indicator to display the Palette win
dow again. You must now import the colors from the palette of the
background image into the current palette. To ensure that the
seven colors of the cartoon image are not affected, highlight the
Cluster button. Then choose the Unused Colors command from the
Cluster menu. Click the OK button in the resulting message box.
1 4 . Select the Time button, then choose the Use Cel command from
the Value menu. The Time Select panel appears. Since you intend
to apply this command to all frames, the current settings are cor
rect. Click the Render button to complete this time operation.
1 5 . Press the Spacebar to return hom e . Now it is time to introduce the
background image. C hoose the B elow command from the C el
menu to place the moon eel behind the existing cartoon images.
The moon appears inside a marquee. C lick about half an inch
from the right-hand side of the marquee. Move the cursor directly
leftward, until the second pair of numbers in the status bar read
-280 0, then click again.
1 6 . The Time Select panel appears. Click the Preview button. The
b ackground moon moves 40 pixels each frame, starting at its origi
nal position occupying the entire bottom of the screen in frame 1
and ending at the position to which you moved it in frame 8. Click
to end the preview.
If you see random white dots at the top of the screen during a
preview or a rendering, don't worry. This is a temporary
video effect, referred to as "snow , " and will not appear dur
ing playback.
24 1
Animation
1 7 . Click the Render button to complete the command.

18. Press the down arrow key to play the current flic. The first frame
of this flic is shown in Color Plate 1 1 . Notice that the cartoon
image seems to walk repeatedly off the edge of the moon into a
black abyss. This flic might work better if the background moved
in a circle, entering from the right as it exited to the left.
1 9 . Right-click to cancel the playback. Press the right or left arrow
key one or more times to advance to frame 2. Now choose the
Move command from the C el menu. The eel image appears on the
far left side of the screen, the location to which you last moved it.
You now want to move it to the far right side of the drawing area, a
move so large that it requires two steps. Click in the marquee,
then move the cursor to the right until the second pair of numbers
in the status bar read 280 0. Click to complete the move.
20. Press the M key to choose the Move command again. Click about
half an inch from the left side of the marquee, move the image to
the right until the second pair of numbers in the status bar read
280 0 , then click again.
21. Choose the Below command from the Cel menu. Click inside the
marqu ee, then drag the image to the left until the second pair of
numbers in the status bar read -240 0. Click to complete the move
and display the Time Select panel.
22. This time, you do not want to affe ct the contents of frame 1 since
this is the o nly frame which contains th e entire backgroun d
image. Instead, click the right arrow on t h e left side o f the current
segment slider bar. The beginning frame number on the bar
changes to 2 , as shown in Figure 7 . 9.
2 3 . Click the Segment (S) or To Segment button so that the time opera
tion only affects the current segment. To verify that the operation
works correctly, click the Preview button.
24. Click the Render button to complete the Below command. Then
press the down arrow key to play the animation.
This sequence has a number of slight imperfections. As shown in

Figure 7 . 1 0 , the right and left sides of the background end at different
heights, which creates the appearance of a sharp ledge. And due to a
slight mathematical incongruity on Animator's part, the background
does not quite meet in frame 4. These are the kinds of problems you can
clean up frame-by-frame, or make adj ustments for before you apply the
background. But all in all, this sequence is a successful first step toward
creating a polished piece of animation, and it was easy to create to boot!
242
Save this file as MOONWALK.FU using the Files . . . command from

the Flic menu of the Home window.
ST .I L L I l I N S LOW I
(PREV I EW} rP I NG -PONGI louT SLOHI
( RENDER J I REVERSE I ICOMP LETEI TQ A L L
Figure 7.9 Change the range o f the current segment

to frames 2 through 8.
Figure 7.10 The background does not meet itself smoothly.
243
Animation
The following Home window commands can be used in combina

tion with the Time Select panel: Effects . . . from the Flic menu; Clear, Ap
ply Ink, and Separate from the Pie menu; Paste and Below from the Cel
menu; Blue Frame, Unblue Frame, and Erase Guides from the Trace
menu; Paste from the Swap menu; the Paste options for the Mask ... and
Grid. . . commands from the Extra menu. All commands from the Arrange
and Value menus in the Palette window, except Cut, can also act as time
operations. All other commands ignore the Time button.
Linking Flies
So far, you have learned how to create and play one animation se
quence at a time. Animator also allows you to link multiple flic files to
create longer sequences, or to blend two flies together to create a third.
These multiple-sequence features can be used to enliven original flic
files, and to collage flies included with the Animator program or ob
tained from other sources.
The Flic Menu

Animator's multiple-sequence capabilities are available from the Flic
menu, shown in Figure 7 . 1 1 . This menu includes the following com
mands:
Choosing the New or New. Choose this command or press the N key to delete all but the
Reset command deletes first frame from the current flic and erase the contents of the first
frames permanently
frame. An alert box will display, asking you to confirm your
(unless they are saved
to disk). Clicking the
request.
Undo button restores Reset. Choose this command, or press the F key followed by the R
only the contents of the key, to revert all settings, including the number of frames and the
first frame.
contents of frames, to those in the DEFAULT.FLX file. For informa
tion about editing the default settings, see Appendix A .
The Composite . . ., Composite . . Choose this command, o r press the F key followed
. .
Join . . ., and Effects . . . by the C key, to display a list of options which allow you to merge
commands are described
the contents of two flic files using the current ink.
in more detail in the
remainder of this Join . . . . Choose this command, or press the F key followed by the J
chapter. key, to display a list of options which allow you to splice two ani
mation sequences into a single flic file.
Effects . . . . Choose this command, or press the F key followed by the
E key, to display a list of special effects and transformations that
can be performed on one or more frames.
244
1-/ntroduction to Animation
Backwards . . . . Choose this command, or press the F key followed

by the B key, to display a file selector panel labeled S ave f L i c
b a c kward s ? ; this panel allows you to save a version of the current
flic with the frames in reverse order.
Files. . . . Choose this command or press the F key twice to display
the Files panel, from which you can load or save animated
sequences.
Figure 7.11 The Flic menu.
Creating Composite Flies

To merge two animated sequences using the Composite . . . command,
you must first load a flic file into Animator (if one is not currently
loaded) . The Composite . . . command then directs you to select a second
flic file, called an incoming fl.ic, to merge with the current flic.
Merging flic files is much like pasting an image from the eel buffer.
Each frame from the incoming flic is pasted in front of or behind the
image in each frame of the current flic , in accordance with the selected
ink and the setting of the Clear Key Color (K) button. If the Glass ink is
selected, for example. all images from the incoming flic blend with
images in the current fli c . If the Clear Key Color button is highlighted,
the portions of the incoming flic in the key color are treated as trans
parent.
245
Animation
Files will not merge successfully when both the Opaque ink is
selected and the Clear Key Color button is turned off. Generally,
you should only choose the Composite ... command when the
Clear Key Color button is turned on.
Animator always pastes frames starting at the first frame of the

incoming flic and at the currently displayed frame of the current flic.
Therefore, if frame 6 is currently displayed in the drawing area, the
Composite . . . command pastes frame 1 of the incoming flic into frame 6
of the current flic, frame 2 into frame 7, frame 3 into frame 8, and so on.
Choose the Composite . . . command from the Flic menu to display
the list of options labeled Compos i t e F u n c t i on s , shown in Figure 7.12.
These options operate as follows:
Overlay [Ink]. Click this option or press 1 to paste images in the

incoming flic in front of images in the current flic.
Underlay [Ink]. Click this option or press 2 to paste images in the
incoming flic behind images in the current flic.
Cross-Fade. Click this option or press 3 to paste images in the
incoming flic in front of images in the current flic at increasing
levels of opacity. The first frame of the incoming flic is completely
Figure 7.12 The Composite Functions options.
246
transparent; the last frame is 1 00% opaque. The current ink and
Clear Key Color setting are ignored.
Cancel. Click this option or press 0 to hide the Composite Func
tions options and return home.
Selecting any option besides C ancel instructs Animator to pro

duce a file selector panel, from which you can select the incoming flic.
After you select a file, Animator compares the color palettes of all
frames in both flies t o make sure they're compatible. If the palette of
every frame of the incoming flic isn't identical to the corresponding
palette in the current flic, Animator will produce a list of options
labeled W h at about the c o l or maps?, shown in Figure 7 . 1 3 . These op
tions operate as follows:
If in doubt about the Combine Color Maps. Click this option or press 1 to add the two
option to select, select palettes in each pair of frames to be merged. The program then
option 1, which does the squeezes each of these combined palettes down to 2 5 6 colors and
best job of retaining the
color integrity of both
remaps the frame colors accordingly.
the current and incoming Keep Current Colors. Click this option or press 2 to retain the pal
flies. ette of each frame in the current flic but remap the frame colors in
the incoming flic.
Use In coming Colors. Click this option or press 3 to retain the
Figure 7.13 The composite color mapping options.
241
Animation
palette of each frame in the incoming flic but remap the colors in
the current flic.
No Fitting. Click this option or press 4 to retain the palette of each
frame in the current flic without remapping the colors from the
incoming flic. The results are generally messy unless the palettes
of both flies are similarly organized.
Cancel. Click this option or press 0 to hide the composite color
mapping options and return home.
After you select a composite color option (or if no color options are
necessary), a giant marquee encompassing the entire drawing area will
appear, as shown in Figure 7.14. This marquee represents the dimen
sions of each frame of the incoming flic. You can determine the posi
tioning of incoming frames as follows: click in the marquee; move the
cursor; then click again at a new location. A status bar tracks the move.
If an image from the incoming flic enters or exits from either side
of the screen, do not move the giant marquee sideways. Similarly,
if an image enters or exits from the top or bottom, don't move the
marquee vertically.
Figure 7.14 You can determine the placement of the incoming

frames relative to the drawing area.
248
If you want each frame from the incoming flic to be positioned

directly over each frame in the current flic, right-click to avoid moving
the marquee.
After you determine the location of the marquee, a message box
will appear, asking Compo s i t e f l i c s t a r t i ng t h i s f rame?. If any option
you've selected so far is incorrect, you can cancel the composite at this
time . If you are satisfied with your selections, click Yes or press the Y
key to continue.
Animator now begins pasting frames from the incoming flic, start
ing at the current frame and continuing through the last frame of the
current flic. If any frames from the incoming flic remain unpasted
when the last frame of the current flic is reached, the short list of op
tions shown in Figure 7 . 1 5 appears, asking you what to do with the
excess frames. You can respond by selecting either of the following
options:
Wrap at End. Click this option or press 1 to repeat the pasting pro
cess beginning at the first frame of the current flic.
Chop at End. Click this option or press 0 to dispose of all excess
frames from the incoming flic.
Figure 7.15 Excess frames from the incoming flic can be pasted
into the first frames of the current flic or deleted.
249
Animation
If an image from the For example, suppose the incoming flic contains 18 frames and the
incoming f/ic enters at current flic contains 8. If you choose the Composite . . . command start
one side of the screen
ing at frame 6, Animator will paste frame 1 of the incoming flic into
and exits from the other,
frame 6, frame 2 into frame 7, and frame 3 into frame 8. Having run out
you should always select
the Wrap at End option. of frames in the current flic, it will produce the options shown in Figure
This ensures that the 7 . 1 5 . If you select the first option, Animator will continue pasting
image will make its frames-4 into 1, 5 into 2, and so on-until frame 1 1 of the incoming
complete trip across the
flic is pasted into frame 8 of the current flic. At this point, Animator
screen.
again displays the options shown in Figure 7 . 1 5 , asking you what to do
with frames 1 2 through 18.
If you want to experiment with the Composite ... command, refer
to the last exercise in this chapter.
Joining Flies
The Join . . . command is not j ust a method for splicing together different
animated sequences; it is also a method of animation in and of itself. As
you will see, this command provides a number of transition effects for
shifting from one still image to another. These effects are particularly
useful for creating simple, repetitive presentations.
The play speed of the Choose the Join ... command from the Flic menu to display the list
incoming f/ic is changed of options labeled J o i n F l i c ? , shown in Figure 7 . 1 6 . These options op
to match that of the
erate as follows:
current f/ic, whether the
flies are being merged or
joined. To End. Click this option or press 1 to join the incoming flic to the
end of the current flic.
To Start. Click this option or press 2 to join the current flic to the
end of the incoming flic.
Cancel. Click this option or press O to hide the Join Flic options
and return home.
Selecting any option besides Cancel produces a file selector panel,

from which you can select the incoming flic. After you select a file,
Animator asks how you want to join the two flic files by displaying a list
of options labeled How to j o i n the ends?, shown in Figure 7 . 1 7 . These
options operate as follows:
Cut. Click this option or press 1 to splice the two flies together
with no transition effect, so that the last frame of one flic is suc
ceeded immediately by the first frame of the other.
Transition. Click this option or press 2 to apply a transition effect
between the beginning of one flic and the end of the next.
250
1-fntroduction to Animation
Figure 7.16 The Join Flic options.
Figure 7.17 You can either splice two flies together or apply
a transition effect.
Cancel. Click this option or press 0 to hide the splicing options and
return home.
251
Animation
Transition sequences If you select the Cut option, Animator plays through the sequence
interrupt the flow of as it j oins the two flies, then returns you to the Home window. If you
animated sequences;
select the Transition option, the list of options labeled T rans i t i on Type,
therefore, they are most
shown in Figure 7 . 1 8 , is displayed. These options operate as follows:
useful for creating
transitions between still
images. Fade Ou_t. Click this option or press 1 to darken the last frame in
the first flic incrementally until it turns black and then lighten the
first frame in the second flic from black to full density.
Wipe. After you click this option or press 2, the first frame in the
second flic replaces the last frame in the first flic in a downward
motion, like the lowering of a curtain.
Ve n e ti an Click this option or press 3 to introduce the first frame in
.
the second flic as a series of horizontal lines which grow in thick

ness until they consume the entire drawing area.
Dissolve. Click this option or press 4 to introduce the first frame in
the second flic as a pattern of random pixels which become more
and more numerous until the last frame in the first flic disappears.
Circle Wipe. After you click this option or press 5, the first frame
in the second flic appears through a small circle in the center of
the screen. The small circle increases in diameter like the opening
of an iris.
Cancel . Click this option or press 0 to hide the Transition Type
options and return home.
FAOE OUT
l-I IPE
3 VENET I AN
D I SSO LVE
C I R.CLE WIPE
Figure 7.18 The Transition Type options.
252
After you select any option except Cancel, Animator displays a

message box asking you to enter the number of frames used in the tran
sition effect. Any number is acceptable, provided it doesn't cause the
current flic to exceed 4000 frames. Generally, you will want to speci fy
between 6 and 20 frames. A transition that takes longer than 20 frames
might test the patience of your viewers.
Figure 7.19 A message box requests the number of frames used

in the transition.
The following example demonstrates transition effects:
1 . Restore Animator's default settings by choosing the Reset com

mand from the Flic menu.
2 . As noted earlier, transition effects are most useful fo r creating vis
ual links between still images. So first you need to change some
still images into flic files. Using the Files . . . command from the Pie
menu, load the WALK.GIP picture.
3. Right-click a frame icon in the Files panel to display the Frames
panel . Click the total frames indicator in the upper right corner of
the panel; the message box shown in Figure 7 . 2 0 appears.
4. Type 0 to change the number in the option box to 10, then press
Enter. You are returned to the Frames panel, where the total
frames indicator indicates that the current flic is now 100 frames
long. Each frame contains the same astronaut picture.
253
Animation
Figure 7.20 Click the total frames indicator to display

this message box.
5. Press the Spacebar to return to the Files panel. Select the Flic but
ton from the file type buttons in the right half of the panel, then
press the S key to activate the Save button.
6. WALK.FU displays as the default file name. Press Enter to accept
this name and complete the save routine.
7. When the Files panel reappears, select the Picture file type but
ton, then press the L key to activate the Load button. Select the
AMBER.GIF file from the scrolling list in the file selector window,
then press Enter.
8. Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Notice that
the total frame indicator still indicates 10 frames. If you were to
press the right arrow key, you would notice that all of the other
frames contain the astronaut picture, not the picture from the
AMBER.GIF file. To fill these frames with Amber (assuming that's
her name and not her hair color), you must use the swap buffer
and the Time Select panel.
9. Press the Spacebar twice to return home. While in the first frame,
choose the Clip command from the Swap menu. Now highlight
the Time (T) button in the Home panel, then choose the Paste
command from the Swap menu.
254
10. The Time Select panel appears. Verify that the To All button is
highlighted, then click the Render button. The current flic is now
filled with pictures of Amber.
11. Choose the Join . . . command from the Flic menu. Press 2 to select
the To Start option, then double-click the WALK.FU file in the
scrolling list of the file selector panel.
12. The astronaut appears in the drawing area, along with the splicing
options. Press 2 to select the Transition option.
13. Now Amber reappears with the Transition Type options. Press 5 to
select the Circle Wipe option.
1 4 . A message box appears, asking how many frames to assign to the
transition. Press the Escape key, then type 10. Press Enter.
1 5 . Press the down arrow key to play the sequence. Notice that as
Amber emerges inside her circle, the colors on the screen fade
from the astronaut palette of blues and whites to the Amber pal
ette of warm flesh tones and browns. The result is that some
frames, such as the one shown in Figure 7. 2 1 , appear almost
unrecognizable.
Figure 7.21 Frame 15 suffers in the transition.
1 6 . To remedy this problem, click the down arrow frame icon to

advance to the last frame of the current flic, then right-click the
255
Animation
current color indicator in the Home panel to display the Palette

window. Select the All button, then choose the Cut command
from the Value menu, thereby storing the AMBER. GIF palette in
the color buffer. Then press the Spacebar to return home.
Recreating the astronaut 1 7. Again restore Animator's default settings by choosing Reset from
and Amber flies is easier the Flic menu. Choose the Files. . . command from the Pie menu,
than trying to fix the
then load the WALK.GIF file.
many incorrectly colored
pixels in the transitional 18. Go home, then right-click the current color indicator. When the
frames. Palette window displays, select the All button, then choose the
Paste command from the Value menu. The screen colors remap in
accordance with the new palette. The astronaut now floats in
front of an earth filled with seas of chocolate brown.
1 9 . Right-click a frame icon in the Palette window. After the Frames
panel displays, click the total frames indicator, then change the
number of frames again to 10. Press the Spacebar twice to return
home, then save the current flic file as WALK.FU, thereby replac
ing the previous version of this file.
20. The swap buffer still contains the Amber picture. Highlight the
Time button in the Home panel, then choose the Paste command
from the Swap menu. When the Time Select panel appears, click
the Render button.
2 1 . Repeat steps 1 1 through 14 to j oin the current Amber flic with the
WALK.FU file.
2 2 . Choose the Backwards. . . command from the Flic menu. A file
sel ector panel appears. Change the file name to REVERSE.FU,
then press Enter to save the current animation s equence in
reverse order.
23. Choose the Join . . . command again. Press 1 to select the To End
option. Double-click the REVERSE.FU file in the scrolling file list.
Then press 1 to select Cut.
24. Press the down arrow key to play the animation sequence several
times over. The screen cycles between the astronaut and Amber
pictures, displaying forward and backward versions of the circle
wipe technique.
This type of presentation is perfect for trade shows, product dis

plays, and other occasions which require a sequence of information to
be repeated at regular intervals. Generally, you will apply transition
effects to pictures that include text as well as graphics.
256
?-Introduction to Animation
To create a repeating presentation that involves more than two

images, follow steps 1 6 through 2 1 for each image. Then, rather
than play the flic forward and backward, repeat the fi rst image at
the end of the sequence-but display it for half as many frames as
you display the other images.
Before you read on, you may want to save the current flic as
CYCLE.FU.
Special Effects
The Effects . . . command provides access to frame transformation and

special effe cts options, which can be applied to a single frame or to mul
tiple frames if the Time button is highlighted.
Choose the Effects . . . command from the Flic menu to display the
list of options labeled Spec i a l E f f e c t s , shown in Figure 7 . 2 2 . These
Shrink x2. Click this option or press 1 to reduce the contents of a

frame to half their original size. The reduced image is automati
cally positioned in the upper left corner of the drawing area, as
Since the entire screen Expand x2. Click this option or press 2 to en l a rge the contents of a
cannot double in size frame to twice their original size. Animator enlarges each pixel,
and still fit in the
then averages the colors of adj acent pixels to produce a smoothing
drawing area, the
effect, as shown in Figure 7 . 2 4 .
Expand x2 option
enlarges the area most Crop. Click this option or press 3 to display a pair o f horizontal and
recently magnified using vertical dotted lines across the screen. Click twice to establish
the Zoom button.
opposite corners of a marquee. All pixels outside the marquee are
changed to the key color, as shown in Figure 7 . 2 5 .
Trails. Click this option o r press 4 t o display three options which
allow you to merge a frame with all the frames preceding it. This
option affe cts all frames in the current flic, whether or not the
Time button is active.
Pixelate. Click this option or press 5 to decrease the resolution o f a
painting: the painting is partitioned into rectangular quantization
units and each unit is colored in the average color of the pixels it
replaces, as shown in Figure 7 . 2 6 . After you select this option, two
257
Animation
slider bars will display, requesting the width and height of the
quantization units.
Engrave. Click this option or press 6 to convert all pixels in a
painting to black or white. This option uses a vertical-line algo
rithm, which produces results like those shown in Figure 7 . 2 7 .
Lace. Click this option or press 7 to convert all pixels in a painting
to black or white. This option is identical to the Engrave option,
except that it uses a random-dithering algorithm, which produces
results like those shown in Figure 7.28 ..
Grays Only. Click this option or press 8 to convert all pixels in a
painting to one of 64 gray values (gray values are also used to con
vert a color image to a black-and-white photograph). The palette
grid is also reorganized so that the first 64 color slots contain grays.
All remaining slots are changed to red.
Blue Numbers. Click this option or press 9 to paste a frame number
into the upper right corner of each frame in the current flic, using
the color in the first slot of the mini-palette of each frame (which
may or may not be blue).
Cancel . Click this option or press O to. hide the Special Effects
options and return home .
-;
..
: 1 , ,*-, i.
e EXPFtNQ xa-
'-- .:i'f""' : ;QP'., :. ; ., ) -.

fi. 4 TRAi i,.$
s: P
.
txifa.at$
Et-Jf\vi
.. .
':'.': t.;A'E ' . . : ., . .
: :re$:. :
0 L7 : . .
Figure 7.22 The Special Effects options.
258
Figure 7.23 The result of applying the Shrink x2 option to the

astronaut picture.
Figure 7.24 The result of applying the Expand x2 option

when the Zoom marquee is position e d in the center
of the window.
259
Animation
Figure 7.25 The result of applying the Crop option when the key
color is black.
-
-
'
-l.l
. lL.
'
..
Figure 7.26 The result of applying the Pixelate option with a

quantization unit of 4.
260
Figure 7.27 The result of applying the Engrave option to the

astronaut picture.
Figure 7.28 The result of applying the Lace option.
26 1
Animation
The following example demonstrates the Effects . . . and Compos

ite . . . commands:
1 . Choose the Reset command from the Flic menu to restore Anima
tor's default settings.
2. Choose the Files . . . command from the Flic menu, load the TIGER
CAT.FLI file, then return home.
3. The entire drawing area appears black, as if the loading operation
didn't work. However, when you press the down arrow key, you
see a cat slink across the screen.
4. Press any key to cancel the playback. Then choose the Effects. . .
command from the Flic menu. The Special Effects options appear.
5. Press 4 to select the Trails option. A new list of options appears,
shown in Figure 7 . 2 9.
Figure 7.29 Options displayed by selecting the Trails option.
These options determine how images from previous frames are

pasted into the current frame. For e xampl e , the Transparent
option combines frames using the current density of the Glass ink.
The Zero Clear and Key Color Clear options paste opaque images,
but use different methods to determine which colors are treated
as invisible.
262
Since the key color in this case is black, the first color in the
palette grid (register number O), the Zero Clear and Key
C olor Clear options produce identical results. You might
want to experiment with the Transparent option, although it
takes much longer to complete.
6. Press 3 to select the Key Color Clear option. The image from each
frame is pasted behind the image in the next frame. The effect is
cumulative; for example, the cats from frames 1 through 6 are
pasted into the background of frame 7, the cats from frames 1
through 23 are pasted into the background of frame 24. A sample
frame is shown in Figure 7.30.
Figure 7.30 Frame 2 7 after applying t h e Trails option.
7. Play the animation. The cat from each frame remains visible until
the sequence repeats.
8. Stop the playback. Click the Zoom button. A marquee appears in
the center of the drawing area, which is the default position, as
determined by the DEFAULT. FLX file. Click inside the marquee,
then move it straight down until the second pair of numbers i n the
263
Animation
status bar read 0 40. This is the area that will b e enlarged by the
Expand x2 option. Click to complete the Zoom operation.
9. Press Z to return the drawing area to normal size. The Zoom but
ton does not have to b e active when you select the Expand x2
option.
10. Select the Time (T) button. Choose the Effects. . . command from
the Flic menu, then press 2 to select the Expand x2 option. Since
the Time button is highlighted, the Time Select panel appears.
Verify that the To All button is highlighted, then click the Render
button. The Effects . . . command operation will take several
moments to complete.
11. Make sure the drawing area for the current frame contains at least
a partial image of the cat. Then right-click the current color indi
cator. In the Palette window, choose the Unused Colors command
from the Cluster menu. A message box displays, informing you
that there are 244 unused colors. Click OK.
1 2 . Choose the Invert command from the Cluster menu. Only the 1 2
used colors appear i n cluster B . Choose the C u t command from
the Value menu to store these colors in the color buffer.
13. Press the Spacebar to return home. Save the current flic as
MULTICAT.FLI. Then load the MOONWALK.FU file you created
earlier in this chapter.
14. Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. This flic con
tains 8 frames. You may have noticed that the MULTI.CAT file
contains 44 frames, though several frames at the beginning and
end of the file are repetitive. To bring the number of frames in the
current flic up to a comparable level, click the *5 button. Four
copies of each frame are created, thereby bolstering the total num
ber of frames to 40.
15. Move the Play Speed slider bar to 2 to compensate for the addi
tional frames. Press the Spacebar twice to return home .
16. Right-click the current color indicator to display the Palette win
dow. Next, right-click cluster box B, then click in registers 64 and
75; this alters the range of the cluster to a total of 1 2 colors.
1 7 . Verify that the Time button is still highlighted. Then choose the
Paste command from the Value menu. When the Time Select
panel appears, click the Render command. The colors of the cat
animation are pasted into each frame of the current flic.
18. Return home, then right-click the Glass ink. Set the Ink Strength
to 75, then select the Dither button. Press the Spacebar to hide the
Ink Types panel.
264
1 9 . Choose the Composite . . . command from the Flic menu. Select the
Underlay Glass option. Then double-click the MULTICAT. FLI file
from the scrolling list.
20. Since the palettes of the current and incoming flies differ, the
composite color mapping options appear. Press 2 to select the Keep
Current Colors option.
2 1 . The giant marquee appears next. Click inside it, then move it
directly upward 30 pixels. Click again to fix it in place.
22. When the message box appears, asking you to confirm your com
posite choices, select Yes. The Composite . . . command operation
will take several minutes to complete.
2 3 . Since there are a few more frames in the incoming flic than in the
current flic, Animator displays two options so that you can decide
what to do with the excess frames. Press O to select the Chop at
End option.
24. Press the down arrow key to play the file. The large cat now runs
by in the background like some kind of radioactive monster. A
sample frame is shown in Figure 7 . 3 1 .
Figure 7.31 Frame 2 7 after applying the Trails option.
You may want to save the file at this point, preferably under a new
file name.
265
Animation
This completes the introduction to Animator's flic-handling capa

bilities. There are other animation controls in Animator, but those in
the Flic menu and in the Frames and Time Select panels are basic to
creating moving images. The Flic menu, Frames and Time Select
panels, as well as other menus and panels, are discussed in more detail
in Chapters 8 through 1 1 .
What You've Learned
Take a moment now to review the important points of this chapter:
In animation, the aesthetics of movement are more important

than the aesthetics of form or any other quality normally associ
ated with "good" artwork. If it doesn't move effectively, it isn't
go od animation, no matter how nice it looks.
Animated sequences, or flies, are made up of multiple pictures
called frames, which are played in rapid succession to simulate
action.
You can move from frame to frame in a flic using the keyboard.
Use the left and right arrow keys to move backward and forward
one frame, respectively; use the up arrow key to back up to the
first frame in the current flic and the down arrow key to play the
flic file .
The number in the P l a y Speed slider bar indicates how long each
frame is displayed; it represents the number of 1 /7oths of a sec
ond. Therefore, to determine how long a sequence will take to
play, divide 70 by the play speed, then divide the total number of
frames by that number. The answer will b e in seconds.
Right-click the Insert or Delete button to insert or delete more
than one frame at a time.
The easiest way to access a frame many frames away from the
current frame is to display the Frames panel, then move the cur
rent frame slider box.
The Frame (F), Segment (SJ, and All (A) buttons in the Frames and
Time Select panels determine which frames are affected by a time
operation. If the Frame button is selected, only the current frame
is affected. If the Segment button is selected, the range of frames
specified in the current segment slider bar is affected. If the All
button is highlighted, all frames are affected.
The Composite . . . command in the Flic menu provides options for
266
7-lntroduclion to Animation
merging the current flic with an animation file on disk. The con
tents of a frame on an incoming file are pasted in front of or behind
the contents of a frame in the current file .
The Join . . . command splices a flic fi l e to the beginning or e n d of
the current flic file. You can also j oi n flies using transition effects
to create interesting visual links between still images.
The Effects . . . command provides special effects and transforma
tion options.
267
E I G H T
Aniillating Type
In the presentation market, animation is perhaps most commonly ap
plied to words. Logos, slogans, headlines, buzz words, and credits move
across television and computer screens, enticing viewers in a way that
makes stationary type on the printed page look pretty dull .
I n Animator, animating type i s a simple process, requiring no
drawing skill and only a smidgen of design sense. You can float type
smoothly across the screen to introduce an understated and impecca
bly legible message. You can also fly a bulletin b y quickly to attract
viewer attention or, to spark curiosity, display words l etter by letter as
if they are being entered from a typewriter or keyboard.
The techniques and the options used to move type in Animator
are deceptively modest and easy to master. But their applications are
virtually inexhaustible in both variety and utility.
The T itling Panel
All of Animator's automated text animation capabilities are headquar

tered in the Titling (pronounced title-ing) panel . You can only access
this panel by choosing the Titling command from the Animator menu
of the Home window, shown in Figure 8 . 1 , or by pressing the A key
followed b y the T key.
After you choose the Titling command, the Titling panel, shown
in Figure 8 . 2 , will appear. Although not surrounded by dark outlines,
most words in the Titling panel are actually buttons, which you click to
perform various actions. These buttons operate as follows:
269
Animation
Figure 8.1 The Titling command in the Animator window.
Movement Scrolling Justify

options options options
Text editi ng
buttons
,' ;' <' " '''' S:CRO L i i411 'JUT F!it

. .. .
BV F r ::<:if L . LEFT
eV Clh\qRACTEli: RI GHT
CENTER
Fl l.. I.. LINE
FRAME COUNT
Figure 8.2 Buttons in the Titling panel.
Click the Titling button to move the Titling panel to a different

position.
270
8-Animating Type
The Do Titling button Click the Do Titling button to display the Time Select panel and
performs the tilling determine the range of frames to which the current settings will
operation. You should
be applied.
set all options before
you select this button. Click one of the text e diti ng buttons to determine the contents and
the font of the text block you intend to animate.
Select one of the mutually exclusive Movement options to specify
how the current text is to be moved inside its text box.
Highlight one of the Scrolling options to determine the increments
by which the current text block is to be moved.
Select one of the mutually exclusive Ju stify options to determine
how the current text is to be positioned inside its text box.
Click the Frame Count button to calculate the minimum number
of frames required to implement, or render, the current settings.
Using the Text Buffer
The first step in animating type is to store the type into th e text buffer.
This can be accomplished in several ways. You can create a text block
with the Text tool. You can also create or manipulate text in the text
buffer using one of the Text tool modification options, available in the
Drawing Tools panel, shown in Figure 8 . 3 . The Text tool options are
explained i n the Tool Descriptions section of Chapter 3 .
For an introduction to Finally, you c a n manipulate t h e contents of the text buffer using
the text buffer, refer to the text editing buttons, available in the Titling panel . The text editing
the Text tool discussion
buttons operate as follows:
at the end of Chapter 3.
When you click the New New Text. Click this button to enter new text into the text buffe r,
Text button, you erase After you click the button, the Titling panel will disappear and a
the previous contents of
pair of horizontal and vertical dotted lines will appear i n the
the text buffer.
drawing area. A status bar will indicate the location of the cursor.
You can now create a text block j ust as if you were using the
Text tool. Click in the drawing area to specify the location of the
first corner of the text box. Move the cursor to size the text box,
then click to specify the location of the opposite corner. The com
pleted text box will appear with a text entry marker, indicating
that any type you enter from the keyboard will appear in the
drawing area. After you enter enough text to fill the length of the
text block, the text entry marker will wrap to the next line, as
shown in Figure 8 . 4 . If you enter type past the bottom of the text
box, the text will scroll up and the first line of type will become
hidden (pressing the up arrow or left arrow key will redisplay it).
211
Animation
EARLY20
Figure 8.3 The Te xt tool modification options.
If you click inside the text box, you can move the text box to
a new location in the drawing area; click again to fix it in place. If
you click outside the text box, you can resize it. Dotted vertical
and horizontal guidelines will appear on the screen. Move the
cursor to reposition the first corner of the text box, then click.
Move the cursor to reposition the opposite corner, then click.
Right-click to fix the text box in place and redisplay the Titling
panel. If you created text with the New Text button, you will no
lon g er s ee it di sp l aye d in the drawing ar ea
.
Edit Text. Click th is button to edit the current contents of the text
buffer. After you click the button, the Titling panel and all images
in the drawing area will disappear, and a gray text box filled with
the contents of the text buffer will appear in the drawing area.
You can edit the type o r move o r resize the text box as described
earlier. Right-click to save the text to the buffer and redisplay
the Titling panel. The text will no longer appear in the drawing
area.
To apply the contents of the text buffer to the current frame

without going through the Time Select panel, click the Re
use button in the Text tool modification options.
272
8-Animating Type
Figure 8.4 Create text with the New Text button.
Load Text. Click this button to display a file selector panel labeled
Load t e x t ? . Here you can specify the file name and location of the
text file you want loaded into the text buffer. Formatted text can
not be loaded into Animator.
Place Window. This button operates identically to the E dit Text
button, except that the contents of the drawing area remain dis
played and the text block appears in the current color.
Autodesk will ship you Load Font. Click this button to display a file selector panel labeled
6 1 additional fonts if S e l e c t a f o n t . Here you can select from one of the 18 fonts
you register your copy of included with Animator, or load one of your own fonts in the FNT
Autodesk Animator.
format. Selecting a new font changes the typeface in which the
contents of t h e text b uffer are displayed, as shown in Figure 8 . 5 .
Specifying Movement
After you enter type and select a font, you specify the way in which the
text will be animated by selecting one of the Movement options. These
Scroll Up. Click this option to move text upward inside the text
box. The scroll begins with the first letter of text positioned in the
upper left corner of the box; the rest of the text wraps normally.
273
Animation
Figure 8.5 The text from Figure 8.4 is displayed in a new font.
Text extending below the bottom edge of the box is hidden. The
text then moves upward until it disappears from view.
To create text that Scroll Across. Click this option to move text from right to left
scrolls downward or left inside the text box. The scroll begins with the first letter of text
to right, select the
positioned in the upper left corner of the box. Text that extends
Reverse button in the
Time Select panel before
past the right edge of the box does not wrap to the next line as it
clicking the Render normally would; rather, it is hidden. The text then moves left
button. ward until it disappears from view.
Type On. Click this option to display the current contents of the
text buffer one character at a time. If text extends below the bot
tom edge of the text box as it is displayed, the text will scroll up a
line at a time as th e characters wrap from one line to the next.
Still . Click this option to keep text stationary over the course of
several frames. Only the portion of the text that fits into the cur
rent text box is displayed.
Increments of Movement
Select an option in the Scrolling column to determine how far a letter or
line of type moves across the screen from frame to frame. This pair of
options operates as follows:
214
8-Animaling Type
By Pi xel . Click this option to move text an equal number of pixels

from one frame to the next.
By Character. Click this option to move text one character from
one frame to the next. If the Scroll Up option is highlighted, text
will move upward one line from one frame to the next.
The Scrolling op/ions Of the two Scrolling options, By Character requires signifi
affect the functioning of cantly fewer frames but generally provides poorer results.
the Scroll Up and Scroll
Across options only.
Justification
Options in the Justify column determine the justifi cation of a text block.
In typography, j ustification is the relation of one line of text to the next.
If each line of type is positioned so that the first letter of one line begins
at the same horizontal coordinate as the first letter of the next line, the
text block is said to be left-justified. If each line of text is aligned on the
right-hand side of the text block, it is said to be right-justified. If
the center of each row of type lines up, the text block is centered. If a
text block is fully justified, the words in each line are spaced out so that
the left and right edges align.
The Justify options do not affect type if the Scro11 Across option is
selected, since type that scrolls horizontally always begins as left
j ustified (or right-j ustified if the Reverse button is selected in the
Time Select panel) .
The Justify options operate as follows:
Left. Click this option to left-j ustify text created with the Titling
panel. (Note that text created with the Text tool is automatically
left-j ustified.) An example is shown in Figure 8.6.
Right. Click this option to right-j ustify text blocks created with
the Titling panel, as shown in Figure 8. 7 .
Center. Click this option t o center text blocks created with the
Titling panel, as shown in Figure 8 . 8 .
Fill Line Click this option to fully j ustify lines of type created with
..
the Titling panel, as shown in Figure 8 . 9 .
275
Animation
No''l is tl1e tit11e

for a..11 good t11e11 to
........
co111e to tl1e a.id of

tl1eir col111tr;.r.
Figure 8.6 A left-justified text block.
to,.r is tl1e ti111e

for a..11 good t11e11 to--
co111e to tl1e a.id of

tl1eir coL111tr)l.
Figure 8.7 The text block in Figure 8.6 right-j ustified.
276
8-Animating Type
No''l is t11e tit11e

for a..11 good 111e11 to
"-
co111e to t11e a..id of

tl1eir coL111tr).r. -.-
Figure 8.8 The text block in Figure 8 . 6 centered.
N o ,,.r i s t l1 e t i 111 e
for a..1 1 good 111e11 to
"-
co111 e to tl1e a..i d of

t l1 e i r c o L1 11 t r )r .
Figure 8.9 Select the Fill Line option to fully j ustify a text block.
Incidentally, the Text tool does not allow you to alter the j ustifica
tion of a text block. A text block created with this tool is always left-
277
AFJimatlon
j ustified. If you want to right-justify, center, or fully justify a text block

in a single frame or picture, select the Still option from the Movement
column in the Titling panel, select the To Frame button in the Time
Select panel, then click the Render button.
Counting Frames
Before you move on to the Do Titling button and its options, you may
want to determine the number of frames required for your proposed
text animation sequence. Click the Frame Count button to display the
message box shown in Figure 8.10. As you can see, 8 1 9 frames are re
quired to scroll the text shown in Figure 8 . 1 0 from right to left at the
rate of one pixel per frame. If fewer frames are provided, the text will
move more than one pixel per frame. If more frames are provided, the
same image will be repeated in two or more frames. In either case, the
smooth flow of the text animation sequence will be interrupted.
N o,,r is the tin1e

for a..11 good nie11 to4--

co111e to the ajd of _ . _
tl1eir ro -
-.
QT_ ONE
_._

FRAME PER SCR6LL
. .

.
T
- ' J
\JOUl,e NEEO $ 19 FRAHs .

' ' " s ' < , : '
- .
- ..I " ..
.. ' .,
. .
Figure 8.10 Click the Frame Count button to d ispl ay Animator's

recommended number of frames for the propos ed text
animation sequence.
Obviously, this message is a recommendation only. You may be

adding text to an existing flic file that doesn't have 8.19 frames to work
with. In such a case, you simply implement the Titling panel settings
with the number of frames you do have, and hope for the best. But if
218
8-Animating Type
you're creating an entirely new flic file specifically for this text anima
tion sequence, you should consider Animator's calculations carefully.
Do Titling
After you have determined all Titling panel settings, click the Do
Titling button. The Time Select panel described in the previous chapter
will appear. You can then choose whether to apply the proposed text
animation to the entire flic, to the current segment, or j ust to the cur
rent frame.
To apply a text block to a single frame, first select the Type On or

Still option in the Titling panel. The Scroll Up and Scroll Across
options produce no results in a single-frame time operation,
because Animator has space to draw only the final frame in the
sequence.
For more information on using movement buttons in the Time

Select panel, such as the Reverse button, refer to Chapter 9.
A Sample Text Animation Sequence
The following is a long, but relatively simple, example of creating a text

animation sequence using movement t echniqu es available in the
Titling panel and time operations that can be applied to text:
1. Restore Animator's default settings by choosing the Reset com

mand from the Flic menu in the Home window.
2. Choose the Titling command from the Animator menu. The
Titling panel appears.
3. Click the New Text button. The Titling panel then disappears,
leaving a status bar and a pair of dotted lines that intersect at the
cursor. Click at the point where the status bar reads 1 00 40. Then
move the cursor down and to the right, creating a lavender rectan
gle, until the second pair of numbers in the status bar read 1 80 1 1 0.
Click at this point to fix the dimensions of the text box, which will
be similar to the one shown in Figure 8. 1 1 .
279
Animation
Figure 8.11 Drawing the text box.
4. Type the following text: For the f i rs t name i n automot i ve equ i p

ment . Press Enter twice to create a blank line in the text block,
then type Come t o .
5. Right-click to return to the Titling panel. Click the Load Font but
ton to display a file selector panel offering a variety of font files.
Select the EARLY14.FNT file from the scrolling list, then press
Enter.
6. Click the Edit Text button in the Titling panel. The text block dis
plays in the new font. Because the letters are large in comparison
to the text box itself, only the last line of type is visible, as shown
in Figure 8 . 1 2 . Press the up arrow button several times to scroll to
the top of the text block, so that the firs t three lines of type are
visible.
7. Click inside the text box, then move the text box until it appears
to be centered in the drawing area. Click to fix it in place, then
right-click to return to the Titling panel.
The only way to save 8. You won't be using this text block immediately. Instead, you'll
text to disk in Animator create another text block and use it first. To avoid losing the cur
is to click the Save
rent contents of the text b uffer, you must save it to disk. However,
button in the Text tool
the Titling panel doesn't allow you to save text files; it only allows
modification options in
the Drawing Tools panel. you to load them. Press the Spacebar to display the Home win
dow, then right-click the Text tool to display the Drawing Tools
280
8-Animating Tjpe
Figure 8.12 The text block in Figure 8 . 1 1 in a new font.
panel. It is from here that you can save text blocks. Click the Save
button in the modification options to display a file selector panel.
Save the current text block as TEXTO l . TXT. Then return home
and again choose the Titling command from the Animator menu.
9. Using the Load Font button, change the current font to
WEST36.FNT, then return to the Titling Panel.
10. Select the New Text button. When the dotted lines appear, click at
the coordinates 60 90. Move the mouse down and to the right, to
where the status bar reads 200 60, then click again. Type the logo
C a r s -R-Us i n to the text bo x .
Notice that the text box for the logo is centered horizontally
in the drawing area, but not vertically. To prevent Animator
from scrolling text out of view to compensate for lack of ver
tical space, tack on an extra 20 pixels to the bottom of your
text boxes.
11. Right-click to return to the Titling panel. Select the Still option
from the Movement column and the Center option from the Jus
tify column. Then click the Do Titling button to disp lay the Time
Select panel.
281
Animation
1 2 . So far, the current flic contains only one frame. To add more
frames, right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel, click
the total frames indicator, then request 40 frames in the resulting
message box. Press Enter to confirm your request, then press the
Spacebar to return to the Time Select panel.
1 3 . Click the Render button. The logo will appear in the drawing area
of all 40 frames. You are then returned to the Titling panel.
14. Suppose you want the logo to fade onto the screen. The easiest
way to do this is to apply one of the Palette window commands as
a time operation. Press the Spacebar to go home. Then right-click
the current color indicator to display the Palette window.
15. Click the Fit button to turn it off, then highlight the Time (T) but
ton. Right-click cluster box B, then click twice on register 250, the
color slot containing lavender. The only color in the current clus
ter is lavender.
1 6. Choose the Tint command from the Value menu, then click in a
black portion of the drawing area. A message box appears,
requesting the maximum tint percentage. Type 100 then click OK.
1 7 . The Time Select panel appears. Highlight the Reverse button,
then click the Render button. Animator fades the lavender color
slot in each frame from black to full strength. Press the down
arrow key to view the logo fading onto the screen.
Since you turned off the Fit button in the Palette panel, alter
ing the lavender color slot in each frame also altered the
color of the logo in each frame.
18. Cancel the playback, then return home. Press the up arrow key t o
back u p t o the first frame. Ri gh t-c l i ck the Text tool slot. Using the
Save button in the modification options, save the logo text as
LOGO. TXT. You will need this text again later.
19. Return home. Notice that the current color is black. Right-click
the current color indicator to display the Palette window. Right
click the selected color in the mini-palette, then replace it with
the gray-blue color in register 62 (the second slot from the right in
the second row of the giant palette grid). Finally, click the second
to-last color slot in the mini-palette to select this color.
2 0. Now, to introduce the slogan text you entered earlier, return
home, then choose the Titling command from t h e Animator
menu. Click the Load Text button, then retrieve the TEXTOl.TXT
file.
282
8-Animating Type
2 1 . Redisplay the Titling panel, then click the Edit Text button.
Notice that the old text appears in the new text box and in the
new font, as shown in Figure 8 . 1 3 . Click outside the text box to
change its dimensions. First click at the location where the status
bar reads 70 45. Then move the cursor down and to the right, to
where the second pair of numbers in the status bar read 1 80 1 1 0 ,
the same dimensions of the original text box. Finally, click again.
Figure 8.13 The old text in the new text box and font.
2 2 . Don't worry that four lines instead of three appear in the text box.
This is a result of the new font. To restore the original font, right
click to return to the Titling panel, then click the Load Font but
ton. Select the EARLY14.FNT file from the scrolling list, then
press Enter.
2 3 . Select the Type On option. Also select the Left button from the
Justify options. You have now instructed Animator to introduce
each character of your left-justified text block in a separate frame.
To see how many frames Animator recommends for this
sequence, click the Frame Count button. A message box appears,
suggesting 54 frames. If you use any fewer frames, several charac
ters will have to debut simultaneously in one or more fram es.
Press Enter to hide the message box.
24. Click the Do Titling button. Then right-click a frame icon in the
Time Select panel to display the Frames panel. To keep the slogan
283
and logo text from overlapping, right-click the Insert button,
request 40 additional frames, then press Enter. Each new frame
contains the same contents as the current frame-nothing.
2 5 . Press the Spacebar to return to the Time Select panel. Currently,
the To All button is highlighted. If you apply the current text
sequence to all frames in the current animation sequence, you'll
fill BO frames, many more than the 54 recommended by Animator.
To apply the text to fewer frames, select the To Segment button,
then adjust the current segment slider bar so that the segment
begins at frame 1 and continues through frame 54.
26. Before you click the Render button, notice what's wrong with the
current settings. The Reverse button is highlighted. If you clicked
the Render button now, hitters would disappear as you played the
flic. No matter how quickly you caught your error and canceled
the time operation, you would still have to erase the frames that
could not be undone. So click the Reverse button to turn it off.
27. Click the Render button. Each character in the slogan appears one
at a time over the course of the first 54 frames. Animator returns
you to the Titling panel when it finishes.
28. What happens to the slogan after the 54th frame? At present, it
j ust disappears, but it would be nicer if it faded off the screen as
the logo faded on. To accomplish this, select the Still option from
the Movement column. Click the Edit Text button, then delete the
first three lines of the text block by pressing and holding the
Delete key down until the only text left is equ i pment , followed by
a blank line, followed by Come to Right-click to return to the
.
Titling panel.
29. Click the Do Titling button to display the Time Select panel.
Change the values in the current segment slider bar so that the
segment ranges from frame 55 through frame 80, as shown in Fig
ure 8 . 14. Then click the Render button.
30. Return home, then right-click the current color indicator to dis
play the Palette window. Right-click cluster box B, then click
twice in register 62 to fill the current cluster entirely with gray
blue.
3 1 . Choose the Tint command from the Value menu, then click in an
empty portion of the drawing area to select black as the tinting
source. Accept the maximum tint percentage of 1 00 by pressing
Enter.
32. When the Time Select panel appears, click the Render button. As
a result, the gray-blue color becomes progressively darker in the
last 26 frames. After the time operation completes, return home,
284
8-Animating Type
[ C:ANC.E }41 )'

l TO FAt1t J
(P.EtiJrw) j TO SEGMENT !
l;'9NOE;1;t J I TO FI L L I
Figure 8.14 The current segment ranges from frame 5 5
through frame 8 0 .
then press the down arrow key to play the current flic. Each char
acter of the slogan text types on the screen. After the last charac
ter appears, the slogan fades away as the logo fades in.
33. Cancel the playback, then save the current flic as LOGO.FU.
If you're adventurous, you may want to try the next example as

well. It builds on the flic you j ust created. Two additional versions of
the logo scroll in from the top and bottom edges of the screen to meet
the current logo at the screen's center:
1. Click the down arrow frame icon in the Home panel to advance to
frame 80.
2 . Righ t-click the current color indicator to display the Palette
panel. Right-click the currently selected color slot in the mini
palette, then click in register 48 , the pink color in the center of the
second row of the palette grid. Click the mini-palette color slot to
make this the current color. Press the Spacebar to return home.
3. Choose the Titling command from the Animator menu. Using the
Load Text button in the Titling panel, load the LOGO. TXT file
saved in step 18 of the previous example. Using the Load Font but
ton, change the current font back to WEST36.FNT.
285
Animation
4. Click the Place Window button. The current text and text box
appear in the current color, pink. You can also see the lavender
logo from frame 80 in the background. Click inside the text box,
then move it so that the logos line up exactly. Figure 8.15 shows
this movement in progress. Then click to set the new text block in
place.
Figure 8.15 Move the pink logo directly over the existing
lavender logo.
5. The text entry marker covers the first letter in the logo. Press
Enter four times. Then press the up arrow key four times to scroll
back to the top of the text box. The pink logo scrolls down out of
sight.
6. Right-click to return to the Titling panel Select the Scroll Up
.
option from the Movement column. Then click the frame count
button to see Animator's recommended number of frames: 135.
Press Enter to hide the message box.
7. Click the Do Titling button to display the Time Select panel. Then
right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Right-click
the Insert button, then request 80 additional frames , bringing the
total to 1 60, plenty of frames to fulfill the 1 3 5 frame requirement.
8. Move the current frame slider bar all the way to the right, to frame
160. Press the Spacebar to return to the Time Select panel.
286
8-Animating Type
9. Click the ending frame number in the current segment slider bar.
This number immediately changes to 1 60, the current frame.
Then click on the left arrow on the left side of the slider bar until
the number in the current range indicator changes to 1 3 5 . The
current segment now ranges from frame 26 through frame 160.
Click the beginning or ending frame number in the current

segment slider bar to make the current frame the first or last
frame in the range.
1 0 . Right-click the current ink indicator to display the Ink Types

panel. Select the Glass ink, then press the Spacebar.
1 1 . Click the Render button. The pink logo scrolls up from the bottom
of the screen and eventually passes the center logo.
1 2 . Suppose you want the sequence to stop at the point where the two
logos overlap. Press the Spacebar to return home, then right-click
a frame icon. In the Frames panel, move the current frame slider
box to frame 1 3 4 , the frame at which the two l ogos overlap
exactly. Then return home.
1 3 . Choose the Clip command from the Swap menu. Verify that the
Time (T) button is highlighted, then choose the Paste command
from the Swap menu. The Time Select panel appears.
14. Click inside the left number of the current segment slider bar to
change the first frame in the range to frame 1 34. Then click the
Render button.
15. Press the down arrow key to play the sequence. As the slogan
fades away, the logo scrolls up from the bottom of the screen,
meeting with another logo fading i n at the center of the screen.
Figures 8 . 1 6, 8 . 1 7 , and 8 . 1 8 show sample frames from this
sequence.
16. Press any key to cancel the playback. Click the down arrow frame
icon to advance to frame 1 60.
17. Choose the Titling command from the Animator menu. In the
next few steps, you will add another scrolling logo. This time it
enters from the top of the screen and scrolls downward. Click the
Place Window button to display the current text block. Click out
side the text box to resize the box. Move the cursor to the top of
the screen, to where the status bar reads 70 0, then click. Now drag
down to the location where the second pair of numbers in the sta
tus bar read 180 1 40, as shown in Figure 8.19, then click.
281
Animation
Figure 8.16 Frame 5 5 .
Figure 8.17 Frame 80.
18. Click inside the text box, then move it upward to the point at
which the two logos overlap exactly. Click again.
288
8-Animating Type
Figure 8 . 1 9 Resize the text box from the top of the screen.
19. Right-click to retur n to the Titling window. Click the Frame

Count bu tton 135 frames are still required. Press Enter to con
.
tinue.
289
Animation
20. Click the Do Titling button to display the Time Select panel. High
light the Reverse button so that the text scrolls downward instead
of upward.
21. The current segment slider bar is already set to apply a time oper
ation to 1 35 frames. Unfortunately, these are the wrong 1 3 5
frames! Only the first 1 34 frames in the current segment are use
able. The most aesthetic results will be produced if the downward
scrolling logo slides into place at the same moment that the
upward scrolling logo stops moving. Therefore, the segment
should end at frame 1 34.
22. Drag the black segment icon inside the current segment slider bar
all the way to the left. Notice that you are one frame short if you
want to end the current segment at frame 1 34 while still adhering
to the recommendation of 135 total frames. Therefore, right-click
a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Press the up arrow key
to display frame 1, then click the Insert button. A duplicate of
frame 1 is inserted between the old frames 1 and 2.
23. Drag the current frame slider box to frame 1 35. Notice that this is
now the frame where the two logos meet. The segment now ends
at the correct frame and you have also allotted enough frames to
perform the time operation according to Animator's suggestion.
24. Press the Spacebar to return to the Time Select panel. Then click
the Render button. At about the same frame that the logo enters
the bottom of the screen, another logo descends from the top of the
screen.
25. Go home, then press the down arrow key to play the sequence. As
the slogan fades away, two logos scroll onto the screen from oppo
site edges-one from the top and one from the bottom-meeting
with a third logo fading in at the center of the screen. Figures 8.20,
8 . 2 1 , and 8.22 show the new frames 55, 80 and 1 30.
26. Cancel the playback, then save the flic again as LOGO.FL!, over
writing the old file.
This concludes the discussion of Animator's automated text

movement capabilities. However, many of Animator's other flic fea
tures can be applied to text j ust as they are applied to images. In the
first exercise, for example, you applied color palette commands to text
to create fade-ins and fade-outs. For information about other color time
operations, read the next chapter.
290
8-Animating Type
Figure 8.20 The final frame 5 5 .
Figure 8 . 2 1 T h e final frame 80.
291
Animation
Figure 8.22 The final frame 1 30.
What You've Learned
All of Animator's automated text movement capabiliti es are

accessed inside the Titling panel. The only way to display this
panel is to choose the Titling command from the Animator menu.
Although they are not surrounded by dark outlines, all words in
the Titling panel are actually buttons that can be selected, or acti
vated, by clicking them.
Before you can animate a text block, you must first store it in the
text buffer using the Text tool or one of the text editing buttons in
the Titling panel.
You can select a new typeface and type size for text by clicking the
Load Font button and then selecting a .FNT file from the file selec
tor panel.
Select an option from the Movement column in the Titling panel
to specify how the conte nts of the text buffer will be animated.
The Scroll Up and Scroll Across options cause text to move
upward or from righ t to left inside the text box. If you wish to
292
8-Animating Type
move text downward or from left to right, select the Reverse but
ton in the Time Select panel.
The options in the Scrolling column determine the increment by
which text is moved when the Scroll Up or Scroll Across option is
highlighted. Of the two options, the B y Pixel option is almost
always your best choice.
Select an option from th e Justify column to specify the j ustifica
tion of a text block. A text block can be left-justified, right-j usti
fied, centered, or fully j u stified. Fully j ustified refers to text which
lines up on both the left and right sides.
Click the Frame Count button to display Animator's recom
mended number of frames for optimal application of the current
Titling settings.
Click the Do Titling button to specify the Titling panel settings.
Clicking this button will always display the Time Select panel,
since Animator treats its automated text moving functions as time
operations. The options in the Time Select panel are described in
Chapter 7 and in succeeding chapters.
293
N I N E
Changing Colors
Over Time
In previous chapters, you learned how to create the appearance of
movement using animation. This chapter demonstrates not how to
move images but how to alter the colors in an image to create the ap
pearance of transition and how to impart other special effects. Color
animation can be applied to both text and graphics to create fade-ins,
fade-outs, blending, color cycling, and more.
In the course of this chapter, you will also learn more about the
Time Select panel, including the purpose and operation of the move
ment buttons-Still, Ping-Pong, Reverse, In Slow, Out Slow, and Com
plete. These buttons are used to adj ust the effects of color animation,
although they can be applied to standard movement sequences as well.
Animating Color
All color animation in Animator is produced by applying commands

from the Palette window across multiple frames via the Time Select
panel. With the exception of the Files . . . command in the Palette menu,
only commands in the Arrange and Value menus can be applied as time
operations. These commands reorganize and otherwise alter hues in
the 2 5 6 color slots of the palette grid.
The Fit Button

The setting of the Fit button in the Palette panel is particularly impor
tant when you are applying a color time operation. If the Fit button is
295
Animation
turned on, changes applied to the palette of a frame will not be reflected
in the frame's drawing area; consequently, color time operati ons will
not produce animation effects. The Fit button should be highlighted
only when you want to:
Make all palettes in the current sequence the same without affect
ing the contents of the frames.
Reorganize all palettes without affecting the contents of the
frames.
Introduce a gradient cluster to every frame in the current
sequence without affecting the contents of the frames.
You get the idea. In general, highlighting the Fit button instructs
Animator that you don't intend to use a color change as the means to
animation but merely as a step toward future frame manipulations.
Deselect the Fit button . In contrast, if the Fit b utton is turned off, changes to the color pal
in the Palette window ette will directly affect colors in the drawing area of a frame; color time
before you try to operations will then produce animation effects. The Fit button should
animate using
commands in the
be turned off when you want to:
Arrange and Value
menus. Create fade-ins and fade-outs.
Blend colors in the course of an animated sequence.
Cycle colors to create glimmering or psychedelic effects.
Create any other special effects sequence involving color changes.
By way of sample projects, this chapter concentrates on the first

three types of color animation j ust listed. Other types of color anima
tion are possible, but these first three have the most obvious potential.
Fade to Black
In case you're unclear about terminology, fading out or fading off

means to darken a color gradually until it becomes black. Fading in or
fading on means to increase the opacity of a color from entirely trans
parent (or black) to full intensity. Both techniques permit you to intro
duce images to a viewer both gradually and discretely.
Animator allows you to fade the entire screen, a specific image or
portion of the screen, or a single color. Therefore, you can fade an image
and its background separately or at the same time. As you saw in the
previous chapter, you can even fade one image in as another fades out.
296
9-Changing Colors Over Time
In general, fading is a simple technique, which involves the fol

lowing steps:
Display the Palette window.

Highlight the Time (T) button.
Deselect the Fit button.
Apply commands from the Cluster menu or select the All button
to specify the color slots in the palette that you want to fade.
Choose the Tint command from the Value menu, then select black
as the tinting source.
The Reverse button in Select the Reverse button in the Time Select panel to create a
the Time Select panel fade-in. The Reverse button should not be highlighted if you want
determines whether the
to create a fade-out.
Tint command results in
a fading in or a fading Specify the frames you want to affect, then click the Render
out of the specified button.
colors.
An Exercise in Fading
While slight variations in the fading technique j ust discussed are possi
ble, the basics remain the same. The following exercise takes you
through the basics, and also allows you to implement several interest
ing variations on them:

mand from the Flic menu at the Home window.
Z. Choose the Files ... command from the Pie menu, then load the
WALK.GIF file .
3. Return home, then press the left arrow k e y t o store t h e astronaut
painting to the frame buffer for later use. Right-click the current
color indicator to display the Palette window.
4. Highlight the Time button, then click the Fit button to turn it off.
A helpful reminder: The Line Cluster command allows you

to assign colors in the drawing are a which fall under a speci
fied straight line to the current cluster.
5 . Suppose you want to fade the astronaut and the earth background
separately. To accomplish this, you have to isolate the colors that
make up these two elements. The fact that many colors are shared
297
Animation
by both elements complicates this task, but it is possible to fake it

well enough to get by. First, choose the Line Cluster command in
the Cluster menu. The Palette window disappears, leaving only
the drawing area.
6. Click in the upper right corner of the drawing area, then move the
cursor down and to the left to create the straight line shown in
Figure 9 . 1 . Click at the point near the astronaut's elbow where the
pair of numbers in parentheses in the status bar read 2 1 7 1 99, as
shown in the figure.
Figure 9.1 Draw a straight line to assign the colors of the earth
background to the current palette.
7. After the Palette window redisplays, the handful of colors shown

as selected in Figure 9.2 appear in the current cluster. (Although
many colors appear more than once in the cluster, this does not
affect the performance of the Tint command.)
8. Choose the Tint command from the Value menu, not to fade the
colors, but to help isolate them. Click the key color indicator to
select black as the tinting source. When the maximum tinting per
centage message box appears, type 100, then press Enter.
9. The Time Select panel now appears. Select the To Frame button,
then click the Render button.
1 0. Most of the background changes to black, as shown in Figure 9.3.
However, many background colors are still visible. To change the
298
Figure 9.2 The registers surrounded by white outlines appear

in the current cluster.
Figure 9.3 Using the Line Cluster command eliminates most

background colors.
rest of the background to black, you're best off using the Separate
command in the Home window. Return home, then click in the
299
Animation
key color indicator to select black as the current color. Then

choose the Separate command from the Pie menu. After the Home
window disappears, draw a single free-form line that covers as
many background colors as possible. Avoid dragging over the
astronaut! After you release the mouse button, the Time Select
panel appears. Click the Render button. The colors over which
you dragged change to black. If some background colors remain
visible, choose the Separate command again, then drag over them .
Repeat the Separate command until your drawing area looks like
the drawing area shown in Figure 9.4.
Figure 9.4 Repeated applications of the Separate command

eliminate the remaining background colors.
When you erase all of the background colors, you necessar

ily eliminate several colors inside the astronaut. Given
enough time and energy, you could replace these colors with
colors that do not also appear in the background. For the pur
poses of this exercise, this is good enough.
1 1 . Right-click the current color indicator to display the Palette win

dow. To isolate the colors of the astronaut, choose the Unused col
ors command from the Cluster menu. A message box appears,
300
notifying you that there are currently 1 12 unused colors. (Your

number of unused colors may be slightly different.) Press Enter to
complete the isolation of the background colors. Choose the Invert
command from the Cluster menu to select the used colors of the
astronaut.
1 2 . Press the Spacebar to return home, then choose the Restore com
mand from the Pie menu to redisplay the background.
dow again. Then choose the Tint command from the Value menu
to fade the astronaut. Select the key c Jlor indicator as the tinting
source, then press Enter to accept 1 00 as the maximum tint per
centage.
14. The Time Select panel appears. So far, your Ilic file contains only
one frame. Naturally! a fade requires multiple frames. Right-click
a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Click the total frames
indicator. Type 40 when the message box requests the number of
frames, then click OK. Press the Spacebar to return to the Time
Select panel.
1 5 . Select the To Segment button. Change the ending frame number
in the current segment slider bar to 20. Also highlight the Reverse
movement button to specify a fade-in . The proper settings are
shown in Figure 9.5. Click the Render button.
ST ? L L
. I
I F' l NG -PONGj
< I RE'.'ERSE I
Figure 9.5 These settings instruct Animator to create a fade-in.
30 1
Animation
16. After Animator completes the Render operation, you are returned
to the Palette window. To create a fade-out symmetrical to the
fade-in, choose Tint from the Value menu again, click the key
color indicator, then press Enter after the message box appears.
1 7 . In the Time Select panel, drag the segment icon inside the current
segment slider bar all the way to the right, so that the segment
ranges from frame 21 through frame 40. Deselect the Reverse but
ton to indicate a fade-out, then click the Render button.
1 8 . Press the down arrow key to play the sequence. The astronaut
fades in and out as the flic repeats. Press any key to cancel the
playback.
1 9. Choose the Invert command from the Cluster menu to include the
background colors in the current cluster. Again choose the Tint
command from the Value menu, click the key color indicator,
then click the OK button in the message box.
The Ping-Pong 20. After the Time Select panel appears, select the To All button to
movement button plays apply the fade to the entire flic. Also highlight the Ping-Pong
the first half of the flic
movement button, as shown in Figure 9.6, to reverse the Tint
forward and the second
half backward. command time operation in the second half of the flic. The back
ground therefore fades out as the astronaut fades in, then fades in
as the astronaut fades out.
( CFtNC E L )
I l PRR !
ENDER I TO ALL
I.-
Figure 9.6 Select the Ping-Pong button to create a sequence that

fades both out and in.
302
2 1 . Click the Render button. After the time operation completes and
the Palette win dow redisplays, press the down arrow key to play
the sequence. The foreground and b ackground images fade i n and
out in opposite directions.
22. Press the Spacebar twice to cancel the playback, then go home.
Using the Files ... command from the Flic menu, save the current
flic as WALKFADE.FLI.
False Colors
Right-click the current Depending on the frame at which you stopped playing th e flic, you may
frame slider bar in the notice a few bright red pixels in the drawing area of the current frame
Frames panel to advance
that you didn't notice while the animation was playing. For example,
quickly to a specific
frame.
display the Frames panel, then advance to frame 1 2 . You can accom
plish this either by dragging the current frame slider box to frame 12 or
by right-clicking the current frame slider bar and then entering 12 into
the message box, as shown in Figure 9 . 7 .
Figure 9 . 7 Right-click the current frame slider bar i n the Frames

panel to display this message box.
Return to the home panel. Many bright red pixels appear near the
astronaut's right arm. A large number of incongruous white pixels ap
pear in the astronaut's bo dy as well, as shown in Figure 9.8.
303
Animation.
Figure 9.8 Fals e colors appear while a menu or panel

is displayed.
Now press the Spacebar to hide the Home window. When only the
drawing area is displayed, the red and white pixels are replaced by
more harmonious colors, as shown in Figure 9.9. If you press the
Spacebar to redisplay the Home window, the red and white pixels reap
'
pear. When a menu or panel is displayed, these pixels appear in false
colors , colors designed specifically to make the menus and panels visi
ble. When menus and panels are hidden, in order to view the entire
drawing area or as a consequence of playing an animated sequence, the
affected pixels return to their original colors.
When the palette of a frame is altered to the point that panels and
menus become difficult to read, Animator restores the last five
registers in the palette grid to the original menu colors-black,
dark gray, gray, light gray, and red.
False colors do not affect the actual appearance of an animated

sequence when it is played.
304
Figure 9.9 Pixels return to their original colors when no menu or

panel is displayed.
Blending Colors
Blending is a similar technique to fading, except that a color gradually

changes to a specified target color rather than to black exclusively. In
fact , each color in a blend sequence can evolve toward its own target
color. A sunset of blues and yellows could blend to purples and oranges
as the sun sinks below the horizon.
The Movement Buttons
In the blending example that follows, you'll experiment with addi

tional movement buttons from the Time Select panel. Before you pro
gress to the exercise, you need to understand how these buttons work.
Right-click the Time (T) button i n the Home panel to display the Time
Select panel. The six movement buttons, shown as highlighted in Fig
ure 9 . 1 0 , operate as follows:
Still. Highlight this button to apply a stationary image to the speci

fied range of frames. This image represents the final outcome of a
305
Animation
command, which is normally applied only to the last frame of a

sequence. When this button is highlighted, the settings of all other
movement buttons are ignored.
Pi n g Po n g Highlight this button to apply a time operation forward
- .
to the first half of a specified range of frames and backward to the

second half of the range. When this button is highlighted, the set
tings of the Reverse and Complete buttons are ignored.
Reverse. Highlight this button to apply a time operation backward
to the specified range of frames. The final outcome of a command
is applied to the first frame; transitional images are applied to the
rest of the frames.
In Slow. Highlight this button to begin the current time operation
at a slow rate and then accelerate it through a specified range of
frames. (Note: This button is explained incorrectly in older Anima
tor manuals.)
Out Slow. Highlight this button to apply the current time opera
tion at a fast rate initially and then decelerate it through a speci
fied range of frames.
If you highlight both the In Slow and Out Slow buttons, the
time operation will accelerate as it approaches the middle of
the specified range of frames then slow down as it ap
proaches the end of the range.
Co m pl e te . Highlight this button to apply the entire time operation

from beginning to end of a specified range of frames. When the
Complete button is not highlighted, the final outcome of a time
operation is not applied. Instead, the resulting sequence only
approaches the final outcome, as if the last frame in the sequence
has been deleted.
An Exercise in Blending
Creating a blending sequence is a less definable process than fading

colors. Many more variations are possible. The following exercise is
provided in lieu of a general process description; it demonstrates sev
eral different methods for blending colors. The steps in this exercise
may suggest additional methods, which you can try out on your own.
The movement buttons just introduced are also incorporated into this
exercise.
306
!!!!l!j-t-.f- - -H> (OPAQUE) (jJ I FI fB) .I])

l<t-J 40 11 1.EB:I
I ST I L L I I N s Lov I f TO F.RAHE I .
I P I NG -PONGI I O:)U T s LC-.11 I TO. SEGMENT I

1 FP; E l..JEf;;SE I I COMP LETE j I TO A L L I
Figure 9.10 The six movement buttons.
1. Return home, then press the N key to choose the New command
All frames except frame 1 are deleted, and the drawing area of
frame 1 is erased. However, all settings are retained, including the
configurations o f the palette grid and clusters.
2 . Load the WALK.GIF file using the Files . . . command from the Pie
menu. Then return home.
dow. Click the A button to select cluster A. Choose the Get Cluster
command from the Cluster menu to select a new range of colors
for the cluster. Click first in register 0 (the first color slot in the
first row), then click in register 1 1 1 (the middle slot in the fourth
row).
4. Select the color in register 0 by clicking its color slot. Move the
slider box in the right color slider bar to 10 to increase the red
intensity slightly. Then select the color i n register 1 1 1 , which is at
the end of the cluster. Move the slider box in the right color slider
bar all the way to 63 to change the color to a bright orange.
5. Choose the Ramp command from the Value menu to replace the
colors in cluster A with a consistent gradation. Click in register
1 1 1 to specify it as the starting color, then click in register 0 to
specify it as the ending color. Because the Time button is still
highlighted, the Time Select panel appears. Since the current flic
307
Animation
only contains one frame, the Time Select panel's current settings
don't really matter. Click the Render button to complete the
Ramp command.
6. The colors in the astronaut picture change so that the image
appears almost as if it's on fire. Choose the Cut command from the
Value menu to store this cluster in the color b uffer.
Tint and Blend are the only commands from the Value menu
that can be applied as gradual time operations. Therefore ,
you can't simply apply the Ramp command to m ultiple
frames to produce a blend effect. You must first store the
ramped cluster to the color buffer. Then choose the Blend
command to apply the color buffer gradually.
7. Return home, then reload the WALK. GIF file using the Files . . .
command fr o m the Pie menu.
8. Return to the Palette window. Select the All button. Also high
light the Fit button. C h oose the Gradients command from the
Arrange menu. When the Time Select menu appears, click the
Render button. The colors in the palette grid are rearranged into a
fairly consistent series of gradations.
9. Select the Cluster button, then turn off the Fit button. Choose the
Blend command from the Value menu. A message box appears,
requesting a maximum blend percentage. Change the number in
the option box to 1 00, then press Enter.
10. After the Time Select panel appears, right-click a frame icon to
display the Frames panel. Click the current frames indicator, then
change the number of frames to 20. Return to the Time Select
panel.
1 1 . Deselect the Ping-Pong button. Highlight the In Slow button to
create an accel erating blend sequence. Then click the Render
button.
12. Press the down arrow key to play th e current flic. The colors in
the astronaut begin their b lends slowly, then accelerate into a
blaze of vivid browns and oranges.
1 3 . Cancel the playback, then click the down arrow frame icon to
advance to frame 20. Go home, then click the key color indicator
to select bright orange as the current color. Choose the Separate
command from the Pie menu. Notice the random black dots
which appear around the outline of the frame and throughout the
308
astronaut's body. Click on one of these black dots, as demon

strated by the location of the cursor in Figure 9 . 1 1 and i n Color
Plate 1 2 . The Time Select panel appears. Click the In Slow button
to turn i t off. Then click the Render button to change all occur
rences of the clicke d color in every frame of the current flic to the
current color.
Figure 9.11 Click o n one of the random black dots to change all
occurrences of black to the current color.
14. The random dots are actually one of two colors. You have now
changed half of them to the current color. Apply the Separate
command as a time operation again to change the remaining half.
1 5 . Choose the Clip command from the Swap menu to store the con
tents of frame 20 in the swap buffer for later use.
16. Display the Palette window, then choose the Negative command
from the Value menu. When the Time Select panel appears, high
light the To Frame button to affect the colors in frame 20 only.
Then click the Render button.
You may recall that the Negative command changes each

color in the current cluster to its contrasting color. There
fore, orange changes to blue, black changes to white, and
so on.
309
Animation
1 7. The cluster of fiery oranges has been transformed into a collection

of cool sea blues. Choose the Cut command from the Value menu
to save these colors to the color buffer.
1 8 . Go home, then choose the Paste command from the Swap menu.
Click the Render button in the Time Select panel to complete the
Paste command. The orange astronaut picture reappe ars in the
drawing area.
1 9. Return to the Palette window. Choose the Blend command from
the Value menu, then press Enter in response to the message box.
20. Right-click a frame icon in the Ti me Select panel to display the
Frames panel. Click the total frames indicator, then change the
number of frames to 40. Return to the Time Select panel.
2 1 . Change the be ginning and ending frame numbers in the current

segment slider bar to 20 and 40, respectively. Highlight the Out
Slow button to decelerate the blend as it progresses toward the
last frame. Select the To Segment button, then click the Render
button.
2 2 . After the time operation completes, press the down arrow key to
play the current flic. Natural colors catch fire, then cool down.
Although the effect is subtle, you may notice that the orange col
ors are displayed for a shorter time than the natural colors and the
sea blue colors. Due to your application of the In Slow and Out
Slow buttons, the orange colors always appear in the accelerated
portions of the flic.
2 3 . Cancel the playback. Press the up arrow key to back up to the first
frame. Choose the Cut command to save the original cluster of
colors to the color buffer.
24. Click the down arrow frame icon to advance to frame 40. For a
third and last time, choose the Blend command from the Value
menu, then accept 1 00 as the maximum blending percentage.
2 5 . Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Click the
total frames indicator, then increase the number of frames to 60.
Return to the Time Select panel.
26. Change the beginning and ending frames in the current segment
slider bar to 40 and 60, respectively. Highlight both the In Slow
and Out Slow buttons to accelerate the blending process in the
middle of the current segment.
27. Turn off the Complete button. The last frame in this time opera
tion, in which the astronaut picture returns completely to its orig
inal colors, will not be created. Then click the Render button.
310
9-Changii?g Colors Over Time
Turn off the Complete button when you want to create con
tinuous repeating sequences. In this case, the astronaut pic
ture already appears in its original colors in frame 1 , so it
doesn't need to be repeated in frame 60.
28. Press the down arrow key to play the finished flic. The sequence
plays continuously with no visible breaks. By turning off the Com
plete button before you applied the final blend, you ensured that
no frame would be repeated twice in a row. The result is a steady
stream of blending sequences.
29. Cancel the playback, then go home. Save the current flic as
WALKBLND.FLI.
Color Cycling
The last and most fantastic form of color animation is color cycling. The
colors in the palette grid are advanced one color slot per frame of ani
mation. For example, if you apply color cycling to a group of three col
ors-red, green, and blue-they might appear in the order: red, green,
blue in the first frame; blue, red, green in the second; and green, blue,
red in the third. The order of colors in the fourth frame will match that
of the first.
Color cycling gives animated sequences a pulsating effect, used
primarily to attract attention to a piece of artwork or text. The FBI
warnings at the beginning of prerecorded videotapes, for example, are
often set against a cycling background. And though the 60's are over,
color cycling can also be used to produce psychedelic effects to high
light a particularly fantastic segment of animation.
Like fading, cycling is a fairly simple technique, which involves
the following steps:
Display the Palette window.

Highlight the Time (T) button.
Deselect the Fit button.
Apply commands from the Cluster menu to specify the color slots
in the palette that you want to fade.
Choose the Cycle command from the Arrange m e nu.
If you want the colors to cycle all the way back to their original
311
Animation
configuration, the number of frames to which you apply the time

operation must equal the number of colors in the current cluster.
Specify this number of frames in the Time Select panel, then click
the Render button.
An Exercise in Color Cycling

The following exercise demonstrates a simple color cycling sequence:
1. Display the Palette window. Right-click a frame icon to display

the Frames panel.
2. Right-click the current frame slider bar. Type 21 for the frame
number, then press Enter. The bright orange picture of frame 2 1
appears in the drawing area.
3. Right-click the Delete button. Type 40 into the resulting message
box, then press Enter. Frames 21 through 60 are deleted from the
current flic.
4. Press the up arrow key to back up to frame 1 . Right-click the
Delete button, type 19 in the message box, then press Enter. The
single remaining frame now contains the bright orange picture
previously residing in frame 20.
5. Return to the Palette window. You know from previous experi
ence that the current cluster (cluster A) begins at register 0 and
continues through register 1 1 1 for a total of 1 1 2 colors. However,
many of these colors repeat since a VGA monitor is not capable of
displaying 1 1 2 continuous hues between a medium orange and a
reddish black. For the sake of efficiency, choose the Squeeze com
mand to compact the cluster to its unique colors only. A message
box appears, informing you that there are 74 non-repetitive colors
in the current cluster, as shown in Figure 9 . 1 2 . Click OK.
6. The Time Select panel appears. Since one frame exists, don't
worry about the current settings; j ust click the Render button.
7. Animator has now filled all repetitive color slots with black and
moved them to the end of the cluster. To eliminate these extrane
ous color slots from the cluster, right-click the left cluster box.
Click in register 0, then click in register 73, for a total of 74 colors.
8. Choose the Cycle command from the Arrange menu. The Time
Select panel appears.
9. Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Click the
total frames indicator, then change the number of frames to 74.
Return to the Time Select panel.
312
10. Select the To All button. You can turn off any or all of the move
ment buttons, if you choose, since these buttons do not affect the
Cycle command. Highlighting the Ping-Pong button, for example,
will not cause the colors to cycle in one direction in the first half of
the flic and in the other direction for the second half. Although
none of the rendering options affect the cycle, you can simulate
ping-pong and reverse by applying these cluster functions.
When applied as a time operation, the Cycle command ad

vances color one register per frame toward the last color in
the cluster, regardless of which movement buttons you high
light in the Time Select panel.
11. Click the Render button. After the time operation completes,
press the down arrow key to play the current flic .. The orange col
ors dance around the astronaut picture while non-orange colors
remain stationary. Since you made the number of frames equal to
the number of colors in the current cluster, the sequence is seam
less. Its hard to tell exactly when the sequence repeats itself.
1 2 . Cancel the playback, then go home. Save the current flic as
WALKCYCL.FLI.
Figure 9.12 Squeeze the current cluster down

to its unique colors.
313
.4nimation
In general, color animation is used for creating special effects or

for drawing attention to a line or paragraph of text. By applying com
mands from the Palette window over the course of several frames, you
can produce stunning results that would have been unthinkable with
out the power of the computer.
What You've Learned
When creating animation effects with color, deactivate the Fit

button. Otherwise, color changes to the palette grid will not be
reflected in the drawing area.
Use the Tint command from the Value menu with a black tint
source and a maximum tint percentage of 100 to create fading
effects. If you want to fade an image onto the screen, select the
Reverse button in the Time Select panel. To fade an im age out,
deselect the Reverse button.
You can isolate background and foreground colors as follows:
choose the Separate command from the Pie menu in the Home
window; choose the Unused colors command from the Cluster
menu in the Palette window; then choose the Invert command
from the Cluster menu to toggle between the foreground and
background colors in the current cluster.
The Ping-Pong button in the Time Select panel plays a time opera
tion forward in the first half of a sequence and then repeats it in
reverse order in the second half of the sequence.
Right-click the current frame slider bar in the Frames panel to
move to a specific frame number.
When the palette of a frame is altered to the point that panels and
menus are difficult to read, Animator assigns false colors to the
last five registers. False colors do not appear when all menus and
panels are hidden or when an animated sequence is played.
Use the Blend command from the Value menu to create a blend
ing effect using the colors in the color buffer.
Turn off the Complete button in the Time Select panel to create
continuous repeating sequences involving a time operation.
Use the Cycle command from the Arrange menu to create color
cycling.
314
Color cycling is not affected by any of the movement buttons i n

the Time Select panel.
If all colors in the current cluster appear in the drawing area, you
can choose the Squeeze command from the Value menu in the
Palette window to display the number of colors in the cluster.
3 75
T E N
Automated
Moveinent
Features
The remaining chapters in Part 2 delve into the most complex aspect of
animation: how to make images move. This chapter concentrates on
automated animation t echniques, which generally apply to geometric
images. The next chapter focuses on animation techniques that apply
to naturalistic and free-form images.
Animator provides a number of features fot reshaping, moving,
and transforming images over the course of several frames. The reshap
ing feature, known as polymorphic tweening, can be applied to any geo
metric shape created with a compatibl e (tweenable) shape too l .
Animator's menu-drive n movement a n d transformation capabilities,
described later in this chapter, can be applied to any image or even to
an entire flic file.
For the most part, these features are easy to understand, and in
volve little or no math. Their mode of operation is direct, even elegant.
Combined, they offer the kind of intensive image-moving power once
associated only with high-end computer animation software, but now
finally available to PC users.
Polymorphic Tweening
Shapes created with a tweenable shape tool-the Oval, Petal, Poly,
RPoly, Shape , Spiral, Spline, or Star tool-can be edited immediately
after their creation using the Reuse or Tween button. These two buttons
are available in the Drawing Tools panel when the Irregular Polygon or
Spline tool is selected, as shown in Figures 1 0 . 1 and 1 0 . 2 . The Reuse
button, first described in the Tool DescripUons section of Chapter 3 ,
317
Animation
allows you to edit the shape in the current frame. The Tween button,
however, allows you to manipulate the shape over the course of one o r
more frames.
Figure 10.1 The Reuse and Tween buttons are available in the
Poly tool modification options.
Figure 10.2 The Reuse and Tween buttons are also available in
the Spline tool modification options.
318
10-Automated Movement Features
The Tween Button
Click the Tween button to display the list of Tweening options, shown
in Figure 1 0 . 3 . These options allow you to adjust the points in a shape
created with a tweenable shape tool. You can then paste the shape into
the first or last frame in a sequence, and also automatically apply inter
mediate shapes to the frames in between.
The Tweening options operate as follows:
Set Start Position . Click this option or press

1 to display an outline
of the most recent tweenable shape. Adjustable points will appear
as small circles. Click the points to move them, or right-click to
assign the start shape to the first frame in a tweening sequence.
Adjust Start. Click this option or press 2 to display the current start
shape. Adjustable points will appear as small circles. Click the
points to move them; then right-click to accept the new start
shape.
After you click a point, move the cursor to move the point;
then click to set the point in a new location or right-click to
cancel the move . You can move as many points as you like
after you select one of the first four Tweening options.
Set End Position . Click this option or press

3 to display an outline
of the most recent tweenable shape. Adjustable points will appear
as small circles. Click the points to move them, or right-click to
assign the end shape to the last frame in a tweening sequence.
Adjust End. Click this option or press
4 to display the current end
shape. Adjustable points will appear as small circles. Click th e
points to move them; then right-click to accept the new e nd
shape.
End to Start. Click this option or press 5 to replace the current start
shape with the current end shape, making the first and last frames
of a prospective tweening sequence identical.
Do Tween. Click this option or press 6 to display the Time Select
panel so that you can apply your tweening settings to the current
flic. All shapes will be drawn in the current color.
Exit Men u. Click this option or press O to hide the Tweening
319
Animation
SET S1"FUT PC)S I T l ON

AO ..JUST :S:TAR:T
SET ENO POS I T I ON
AO.JUST ENO
$ ND. TO START
-00 TWEEN
0 EXIT MENU
Figure 10.3 The Tweening options.
Creating a Tweening Sequence
In general, creating a tweening sequence is a simple process that in

volves the following steps:
Draw a shape with one of the eight tweenable shape tools-the

Oval, Petal, Poly, RPoly, Shape, Spiral, Spline, or Star tool.
Right-click the Poly or Spline tool to display the Drawing Tools
panel.
Click the Tween button.
Press the 1 key to select the Set Start Position option. The shape
will appear outlined in the drawing area, as shown in Figure 10.4.
Adjust its points if necessary; then right-click to accept it as the
start shape.
After you click one of the Tweening options, your shape may
appear as filled rather than outlined. In fact, you are seeing
through the outl ined version of the shape to the actua l shap e
you j ust created in the drawing area.
Press the Spacebar twice to return to the Home window.
320
Figure 10.4 An outlined start shape with adjustable points that

appear as small circles.
Draw a second shape with one of the eight tweenable shape tools .
Right-click t h e Poly o r Spline tool t o display t h e Drawing Tools
panel, then click the Tween button.
Press 3 to select the Set End Position option. The new shape will
appear outlined in the drawing area, as shown in Figure 1 0 . 5 .
Adjust its points if necessary; then right-click t o accept i t a s the
end shape.
Press 6 to select the Do Tween option, thereby displaying the Time
Select panel.
Specify the frames you want to affect, then click the Render but
ton. A sample of a finished tween sequence is shown in Figure
1 0 . 6. All frames have been recolored and pasted into a single
painting.
Notice that the last shape in Figure 1 0 . 6 doesn't match the end
shape in Figure 1 0 . 5 . This is because Animator is unable to create more
points in the course of a tweening sequence. Since the start shape had
five points, the entire sequence had to be rendered with no more than
five points per frame. The star had ten points, so five of its points were
deleted.
32 1
Animation
Figure 10.5 The end shape can be created with a different tool
than the tool used for the start shape.
Figure 10.6 A 6-frame sequence using the start and end shapes
shown in the previous figures.
322
It's difficult to predict which points Animator will delete from an

end shape. Therefore, your start shape sh ould always contain at
least as many points as your end shape.
Tweening Like a Pro
Animator's polymorphic tweening technique does not always produce

aesthetic results. In fact, as demonstrated b y Figure 1 0.6, th ey can be
downright ugly. The Tween button works like any automated tech
nique; it cannot distinguish good from bad and simply follows your in
structions. Thus, your mastery of the Tween button will depend on
how accurate l y you can pre di ct its reactions.
The following example walks you through the process of creating
a tweening sequence and provides some artistic pointers along the way:
1 . Restore Animator's default settings by choosing the Reset com

2. Right-click the Spray tool slot in the Home panel. When the Draw
ing tools window appears, select the Star tool from the scrolling
list. Press the Spacebar to return home.
3. Using the Star tool , click in the approximate center o f the drawing
area. Drag about three inches down and to t h e rig ht , t h en click at
the position shown in Figure 1 0 . 7 . The position at which you click
is very important; try to match the cursor location shown in the
figure as closely as possible.
4. The shape appears filled in the drawing area. Press the Backspace
key to activate th e Undo button, thereby deleting the shape. Now
the shape will not appear in the background when you are using
the 1\veening options.
To avoid seeing a s h ape w hile using a Tweening option, undo

the shape immediately after you create it. Although you de
lete the shape, Animator still remembers it as the most re
cent shape created.
5. Right-click the Poly tool slot in the Home panel. The Drawing
Tools panel appears with the Poly tool's modification options.
6. Click the Tween button to display the Tweening options.
323
Animation
Figure 10.7 Create this tweenable shape with the Star tool.
7. Press 1 to select the Set Start Position option. An outlined version

of the star shape appears, with a circular point at each corner.
Click one of the inner points , then move it. Click again to fix the
point at a new location. Right-click to cancel the move. Move all
six inner points to create the shape shown in Figure 10.8.
8. When you have finished moving points, right-click or press any
key to return to the Tweening options. Press the Spacebar twice to
display the Home window.
9. Select the Star tool, then click in the center of the window again.
This time, drag up and to the left, then click at the cursor position
shown in Figure 10.9. A giant star appears. Press Backspace to
delete it.
10. Right-click the Poly tool slot, click the Tween button, then press 3
to select the Set End Position option. The star more than fills the
screen, as shown in Figure 10. 10, so that some points are entirely
inaccessible. Right-click to accept this shape as is.
1 1 . After the Tweening options list reappears, press 6 to select the Do
Tween option. The Time Select panel appears.
1 2 . You need more than one frame to create a tweening sequence.
Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Click the
total frames indicator, then change the number of frames to 24.
P ress the Spacebar to return to the Time Select panel.
324
1 0-Automated Movement Features
Figure 10.8 Modify the star shape by clicking and

moving its points.
AN I MATOR FLIC PIC CE L TRACE SWAP EXTRA
TEXT
FI LL
Figure 10.9 Draw another star for the end shape.
325
Animation
Figure 10.10 The end shape displayed with points.
Until you become 1 3 . Click the Preview button and watch the screen carefully. Notice
familiar with creating that the start shape becomes smaller, almost disappearing into
!weening sequences,
nothingness, before growing into the larger e nd shape. This is
you 'll probably want to
preview them before you
because you drew the end star in the opposite direction of the
click the Render button. start star. They don't look different, but one is in fact upside down
compared with the other. Therefore, each point is tweening
toward an opposite point, causing the shape to invert.
14. Click the screen to return to the Time Select panel. Assuming that
this is not the tweening sequence you wanted to create, press the
Spacebar three times to return home.
1 5 . S e lec t the Star tool, then click in the center of the drawing area
again. Move the cursor up and to the right, until it is even with the
"t" in the word "Extra" in the menu bar, as shown in Figure 10.11.
Click to fix the shape in place. Then press Backspace to undo the
shape.
16. Right-click the Poly tool slot, click the Tween button, then press 3
to select the Set End Position option. The star again e xtends
...
beyond the limitations of the screen. Right-click to accept this
shape.
17. Press 6 to select the Do Tween option. When the Time Select panel
appears, click the Preview button. This time the star rotates
slightly rather than inverting, which brings up a qu esti o n: Why
326
Figure 10.11 Draw another star, slightly rotated in comparison

with the start shape.
didn't the star rotate last time? It would have needed to rotate
farther, but it might have looked nicer.
During polymorphic tweening, Animator assigns each point
i n the start shape to a counterpart in the end shape. Frame by
frame, the point in the start shape makes a beeline for its counter
part. In the first example, this resulted i n the shape shrinking and
then growing outward. In this example, the shape appears to
rotate.
1 8 . Suppose this is just the effect you want. Click the screen to hide
the previe w . Click Render to apply the tweening shapes to the
current flic.
19. After the frames have been rendered, Animator returns you to the
Tweening options list. Press the Spacebar twice to go home, then
press the down arrow key to play the sequence. The star rotates
gracefully as it reshapes.
20. Cancel the playback, then press the up arrow key to return to the
first frame. You may want to save your flic file at this time, under
the name POLYTWEN.FLI.
2 1 . Return home, then right-click the Star tool slot. Select the Spiral
tool from the scrolling list, then press the Spacebar to hide the
Drawing Tools panel.
327
Animation
2 2 . Click in one of the blue bars in the cluster box to select a new
color.
23. Click in the center of the drawing area. Move the cursor upward
about 2 0 pixels, as shown in Figure 1 0 . 1 2 , then click again.
Figure 10.12 Create a short line with the Spiral tool.
24. After you click a second time with the Spiral tool, the status bar
displays a single value in degrees. Move the cursor in six counter
clockwise circles around the center of the drawing area. The
dotted line representing the spiral loops around into increasingly
complex curls as you drag. Finally, move the cursor into the bot
tom left corner of the screen until the status bar reads -2290
degrees, as shown in Figure 1 0. 1 3 . Click to fix the line in the
drawing area.
25. P ress Backspace to undo the line, right-click the P oly tool slot,
then click the Tween button. Suppose you want the curly line to
grow out of the center of the screen. The large curly line you j ust
drew should be the end shape. P ress 3 to select the Set End P osi
tion option. The image shown in Figure 1 0 . 14 appears, dotted with
hundreds of round points. Notice that a straight line j oins the first
and last points in the curl. Animator will only apply polymorphic
tweening to closed shapes.
328
Figure 10.13 Creating a huge curly line with the Spiral tool.
Figure 10.14 The huge curly line with hundreds of points.
329
Animation
Curving shapes drawn with the Oval, Petal, Shape, and Spi
ral tools require many more points than straight-sided
shapes. You are well-advised not to combine a straight-sided
start shape with a curved end shape, or vice versa.
26. Right-click to accept the shape. Then press the Spacebar twice to
return home. Select the Spiral tool again, then click three times in
the center of the drawing area, creating a tiny spiral, so small it
looks like a dot.
27. Press Backspace to undo the dot. Right-click the Poly tool slot,
click the Tween button, then press 1 to select the Set Start Position
option. A single point appears in the center of the screen. But wait,
you can't make this the start shape when it obviously contains
less points than the end shape. How can you make this work?
2 8 . The answer is simple. Swap the start and end shapes and apply
the time operation in reverse order. Right-click to redisplay the
Tweening options. If you select the Set End Position option, you
will lose the giant curly line you created in steps 23 and 24. To
avoid this, press 5 to select the End to Start option. Then press 2 to
view the new start shape. The giant curl appears, as shown in Fig
ure 1 0. 14.
29. Right-click to redisplay the Twe ening options. Now press 3 to
select the Set End Position option; the single point appears again.
Congratulations, you managed to swap shapes without losing
either one.
If the situation were reversed, and you had created the single
dot curl before the large curl, you could not swap the start
and end shapes without first recreating the earlier shape.
Animator provides no Start to End option.
30. Press 6 to select the Do Tween option, thereby displaying the Time
Select panel. Right-click the current ink indicator. After the Ink
Types panel appears, select the Glass ink, then press the Spacebar.
3 1 . Click the Preview button. The spirals emerge from the center of
the shape at a constant rate. But a viewer sees your animation
more on a percentage basis, meaning that the spiral appears to
grow at an accelerated rate at the beginning of the sequence and
slow down as the size of the spirals increase. To compensate for
330
1 0-Automated Move ent Features
this, you must select an additional button in the Ti e Select

panel.
32. Click to hide the last frame of the preview. If this sequ ence were
1
playing forward, you would select the In Slow buttn to slow
down the effects of the time operation on the early frames and

speed it up toward the end. However, since you are c eating the
sequence in reverse order, Animator treats the early flames as it
l
would otherwise treat the later frames. Therefore, sel ct the Out
Slow button. Click the Preview button and you'll see that, sure
enough, the spiral emerges more slowly from the ce p.ter of the
screen.
f.
When applying a time operation in reverse order, select the
r
In Slow button to slow down the end of the seque ce and
select the Out Slow button to slow down the begin ng.
33. J
Click the Rende' button. Afte' the frames have bee rnndernd,
press the Spacebar twice to go home, then press the down arrow
key to play the sequence. A few sample frames are shJwn in Fig

u res 1 0 . 1 5 through 1 0 . 1 8 . If you are susceptible t hypnotic
trances, you may not want to watch too closely.
33 1
Animation
Figure 10.16 Frame 9 .
Figure 10.17 Frame 1 6.
34. Cancel the playback, then save the flic file under the same name
as before, POLYTWEN.FLI.
332
Figure 1 0. 1 8 Frame 24 (also shown in Color Plate 13).
Most successful tweening sequences share similar start and end

shapes, as demonstrate d b y both images in the previous example .
While i t i s not impossible t o create successful sequences that employ
dissimilar start and end shapes, such flies typically require more plan
ning and effort.
Unlike the Poly tool option, the Spline tool Tween button curves
all shapes according to the current settings of the Tension, Conti
nuity, and Bias slider bars, even if the shapes were originally
straight-sided. Similarly, the Poly tool Tween button treats Spline
tool shapes as straight-sided.
3-D Transformation Theory
Animator's second set of automated animation features is considerably

more extensive than the set of Tweening options. In fact, an entire win
dow is dedicated to this set of features.
Choose the Optics command from the Animator menu i n the
Home window or press the 0 key. This command provides t h e only
333
Animation
access to the Optics window, the control center for moving and trans
forming images in three-dimensional space. Shown in Figure 1 0 . 1 9 , this
window is the heart of the Animator program. It is also one of the most
challenging portions of the software to learn.
MOUSE" <:: ONTFaOI..

..x.v.i f::X.lf XY)
:z [!Jf xJ. .
Figure 10.19 The Optics window.
Three-Dimensional Space
Before you can appreciate the potential of the Optics window, you must
understand three-dimensional space. The three dimensions are width,
represented by the X axis, height, represented by the Y axis, and depth,
represented by the Z axis. The X and Y axes crisscross the computer
screen as shown in Figure 1 0 . 2 0 . The imaginary Z axis emerges from
inside the monitor toward the viewer and also recedes into the monitor
away from the viewer. Since your monitor is actually a two-dimen
sional device, offering only width and height, it has to imitate depth
using such techniques as scaling and perspective. For example, the
monitor shown in Figure 1 0 . 2 0 is actually a two-dimensional illustra
tion. But the picture appears to have depth because a skewed Z-axis
line was added to indicate perspective. You are not so fooled that you
try to walk into the drawing, b ut you do understand the visual meta
phor.
334
Figure 10.20 The three dimensions of the computer screen.
Every screen location in Animator can be specified by an X,Y,Z

coordinate indicating a distance in pixels from the origin. The origin of
all three axes is defined as the upper left corner of the screen, as shown
in Figure 1 0 . 2 1 . The coordinate of this point is 0 , 0 , 0 . As you know, the
screen measures 320 pixels wide by 200 pixels tall. Therefore, the coor
dinate of the bottom right corner is 3 1 9 , 1 99,0.
Coordinates progress off the screen as well . On the X axis, nega
tive coordinates extend beyond the left side of the screen; coordinates
of 320 and larger extend beyond the right side of the screen. On the Y
axis, negative coordinates are above the top of the screen; coordinates
of 200 and larger are below the bottom of the screen. On the Z axis,
negative coordinates extend beyond the screen toward the viewer; pos
itive coordinates extend beyond the screen away from the viewer.
If you're familiar with the normal mathematical three-dimen

sional coordinate system, you'll realize that Animator's Y and Z
axes are inverted. This may be confusing at first, but you'll get
used to it.
The Optics window allows you to perform transformations over

the course of several frames in relation to the coordinates of these axes.
For example, suppose you want to rotate an image. The best way to
335
Animation
Figure 10.21 The three axes in Animator's three-dimensional

coordinate system.
demonstrate three-dimensional rotations is to experiment with a real

life piece of paper. Hold the page sideways, so that it's wider than it is
tall, and facing you. Hold the page with the forefinger and thumb of
each hand, so that your left fingers touch the middle of the left side of
the page and your right fingers touch the middle of the right side, as
shown in Figure 1 0 . 2 2 .
Now twist both hands toward you so that the top of the page
moves toward you and the bottom of the page moves away, as shown in
Figure 1 0 . 2 3 . You are now rotating the page about the X axis.
Hold the page horizontally facing you again, but this time, move
your left hand to the top side of the page and your right hand to the
bottom side of the page. Turn the page as shown in Figure 1 0 . 24 . This is
a rotation about the Y axis.
The axis of a rotation is the axis which remains stationary when
the element is rotated. When you rotated the page about the X axis, the
page moved toward you and away from you, as well as up and down,
but it did not move horizontally. If you were to rotate an element about
the Z axis, it would move horizontally and vertically, but it would not
move toward or away from you. A rotation about the Z axis is therefore
a standard two-dimensional rotation.
The applications of three-dimensional rotations and other three
dimensional transformations are explained later in this chapter.
336
Figure 10.22 Hold the page horizontally by the left

and right sides.
Figure 10.23 Rotating a page i n three dimensions

about the X axis.
337
Animation
Figure 10.24 Rotating a page in three dimensions

about the Y axis.
The Basic 3 - D Transformation Process
Transforming an image using the Optics window is basically a six-step

process:
Specify the image you want to transform by choosing a command

from the Element menu.
Determine the type of transformation by selecting various options
in t he Optics panel or by choosing an established effect from the
Presets menu.
Choose a command from the Movement menu to determine how
the transformation is applied to a range of frames. These com
mands are duplicates of the movement buttons in the Time Select
panel.
Confirm your settings by clicking the Wireframe button.
Click the Use button, thereby displaying the Time Select panel.
Specify the frames you want to affect, then click the Render button.
The commands and options used to perform a basic three-dimen

sional transformation sequence are described in the following sections,
in the order they appear in the preceding list.
338
The Element Menu

Using the Optics panel, you can transform a range of images at one
tim e. For example, you might transform every image in a range of
frames in the current flic. A range of images falls into one of three

classes-frame images, the eel buffer image, or images in the current
tween sequence. You select the class of images to be affected by choos
ing a command from the Element menu. These commands, shown in
Figure 1 0. 2 5 , operate as follows:
Flic. Choose this command, or press the E key followed by the F

key, to transform the current contents of each frame in a specified
range. Rather than pasting transformed images over existing
images, Animator completely replaces the previous contents of
each frame.
Cel . Choose this command, or press the E key followed by the C
key, to apply the current Optics panel settings to the single image
in the eel buffer. This is the only command that prohibits you
from transforming more than one image at a time. If the eel buffer
is empty, this command will be dimmed.
P o lyg on Choose this command, or press the E key followed by the
.
P key, to transform every i mage in the current tweening

sequence. If start and end shapes have not been defined using the
Tweening options, Animator will transform the single most recent
tweenable shape. If no tweenable shape exists in memory, this
command will be dimmed.
Spline. Choose this command, or press the E key followed by the S
key, to transform every image in the current tweening sequence,
according to the current settings of the Tension, Continuity, and
Bias slider bars included in the Spline tool modification options. If
no start or end shape has been defined, Animator will transform
th e singl e most recent tweenab l e sh ape. If no tweena b l e sh ape
exists in memory, this command will be dimmed.
The Flic, Cel, Polygon, and Spline commands are actually

mutually exclusive options. Choosing one of these com
mands displays an asterisk before its name in the menu and
deselects the other three.
Outline. This command is toggled on and off by choosing it or by

pressing the E key followed by the 0 key. When this command is
339
Animation
E LEMENT
----
F L I C
C:E L
POLYGON
SP L I NE
CE-fi.l 1' 'f-- - -t ff ...,. (OPAQUj) f'fl (E) (B) I]) 0
H I REFR AMif] I USE I I CONT I NUE MOVE I I c LEAR TRAC K !

r---
MOLISE .. . i;.QNTQ!. . SP I N CENTER 'f-- m ..,
s :f zE: + -@ . . .. . . , .
( X'-tH xzj( ZY ) MOVE
AX I S
I{ G3
+
-"
C1J ffi 0 PATH TURNS 1 ,.... :=: 0::.0j vsJ vsJ 1,...4J_ 1 1'2 1
Figure 10.25 The Element menu.
selected, as indicated by an asterisk, a rectangular outline in the

current color and brush shape is drawn around each transformed
image, but only if the Flic or C el command is also selected.
In future discussions, the class of images affected by choosing a

command from the Element menu is referred to as the current element
series.
When any command but the Flic command is selected, the trans
formed images in the current element series are pasted over the ex
isting images of all frames in the specified range.
After specifying the class of images you want to transform, you
must instruct Animator how to transform the images. You could do this
by mod i fying the many options in the Options panel. Determining
which options to alter, however, involves an intricate understanding of
three-dimensional transformations. If you're well-acquainted with
three-dimensional geometry or j ust feeling brave, you may want to skip
to The Optics Panel section. Otherwise, continue reading to learn how
to apply established transformation routines from the Presets menu.
The Presets Menu

The commands in the Presets menu, shown in Figure 10.26, alter the
settings in the Optics panel so as to produce a variety of transformation
effects.
340
To see clearly how each command affects the transformation of a

frame image, reset the program, then specify 50 frames for the cur
rent flic. After you read each command description, choose the
command, then click the Wireframe button.
Clear All. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by

the C key, to restore the default settings to the Optics panel. If you
apply these settings, all images in the current element series will
be pasted unchanged into the specified range of frames.
Pull Back. Choose this command, or press the P key twice in a
row, to apply the settings associated with this command; the cur
rent element series will recede 500 pixels away from the viewer
along the Z axis.
Spin. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the S
key, to apply the settings associated with this command; the cur
rent element series will rotate 360 degrees (one complete circle)
about the Z axis-a standard two-dimensional rotation.
Twirl. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the T
rent element series will rotate 360 degrees about the X axis , as
demonstrated in Figure 10.23.
Whirl . Choose this command, or press the P key followed b y the W
rent element series will rotate 360 degrees about the Y axis, as
demonstrated in Figure 1 0 . 24. (One wonders how many other
synonyms for "rotate," like "Spin," "Twirl, " and " Whirl," the pro
grammers might have included had they not run out of dimen
sions.)
Spin Small . Choose this command to apply the settings associated
with this command; the current element series will rotate 3 60
degrees about the Z a'x is and recede 500 pixels away from the
viewer along the Z axis.
You cannot choose the Squash. Choose this command to apply the settings associated
Spin Small or Squash with this command; the current element series is reduced 50/o
command using the
vertically at the same time it's enlarged 200% horizontally, with
keyboard because these
commands begin with
respect to the coordinate 1 60,199,0 at the bottom of the screen. As
the same letter as the a result, the current element series appears to be flattened, as if
Spin command. stepped on.
Files . . . . Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the F
key, to display the Files panel, from which you can load or save
34 1
Animation
The Files. . . command Optics panel settings. Menus settings cannot be saved. Because
does not save the this panel is awkward to use, you may want to save successful
current path, which is
three-dimensional transformation sequences in their entirety for
created using the Path
future use rather than contend with saving only the Optics panel
button, discussed later
in this chapter. settings.
Optics panel settings are saved with an OPT file extension .
. PRESETS
CL At:.(.
Pl.J t.. L. e-At:K
. SP J: N
'rW il L
WHXRL
SP IN SMA L L
SQUASH
F I L!=.S > .
oom
!!!!!!]ff; -t- - 4 )} -A.- cor-A@ m 1E1 c0 . o
w!RE;F.RFtt'fE 1 r usE 1 1coNTrnuE MbvE 1 1 cCEA TR:AcK 1
MOUSE: CONTROL SP I N
l XV }fXZ}l ZY)
.SIZE
. MQV
mmcJ . PATH TURNS v:se.e t i's 1;'' 6 1 1' 4 1 1'2 1
Figure 10.26 The Presets menu.
Commands from the Presets menu cannot be applied cumula

tively. In other words, choosing the Whirl command followed by the
Pull Back command does not rotate the current element series about
the Y axis as it recedes from the viewer. Instead, the Pull Back com
mand clears the Whirl command's settings before applying its own.
The Movement Menu
The next step in the process of transforming an image is to determine

how the settings in the Optics panel will be applied to the specified
range of frames. Since these commands perform the same functions as
their corresponding buttons in the Time Select panel, this step is
largely optional. Asterisks appear in front of active commands.
The six commands in the Movement menu, shown in Figure
10.27, operate as follows:
342
In Slow. This command is toggled on and off by choosing it or by

pressing the M key followed by the I key. When this command is
active, the effect of the current 3 -D transformation begins at a
slow rate then accelerates through the remainder of the specified
range. (Note: This com mand is explained in correctly in older Ani
ma tor manuals.)
Out Slow. This command is toggled on and off by choosing it or by
pressing the M key followed by the 0 key. When this command is
active, the current 3-D transformation is applied at a fast rate ini
tially then decelerates through the remainder of the specified
range.
Still . This command is toggled on and off by choosing it or by
pressing the M key followed by the S key. When this command is
active , all images in the current element series will be pasted
unchanged into the specified range of frames. The settings of all
other Movement menu commands are ignored.
Ping-Pong. This command is toggled on and off by choosing it or
by pressing the M key followed by the P key. When this command
is active, the 3 -D transformation is applied to the first half of the
specified range of frames and then applied backward to the sec
ond half of the range. The settings of the Reverse and Complete
commands are ignored.
Reverse. This command is toggled on and off by choosing it or by
pressing the M key followed by the R key. When this command i s
active, the 3-D transformation is applied backward t o the speci
fied range.
Complete. This command is toggle d on and off by choosing it or by
pressing the M key followed by the C key. When this command is
active, the entire 3-D transformation is applied from beginning to
end of the specified range. When the Complete co mm a n d is not
active, the final outcome of the transformation is not applied.
Instead, the resulting sequence only approaches the final out
come, as if the last frame i n the sequence has been deleted.
Commands from the Movement menu are most useful when you
are previewing transformations using the Wireframe b utton. For
example, choose the Pull Back command from the Presets menu
while the Ping-Pong command from the Movement menu is ac
tive; then click the Wireframe button.
343
Animation
Figure 10.27 The Movement menu.
Applying a 3-D Transformation

After you finish selecting commands from the Element, Presets, and
Movement menus, you can confirm your settings by clicking the
Wireframe button. If the Flic or Cel command is active in the Element
menu, a dotted rectangle will demonstrate the transformation of the
current element series. If the Polygon or Spline command is active, the
current tween sequence will be displayed in dotted outline form. Re
gardless of which element series is being p review ed a dotted "L" will
,
also appear; it represents the inclination of the X and Y axes.
The Wireframe command is useful for more than quick previews.

It also accurately simulates the timing of optics motion, giving the
artist a feel for time and motion and the overall play speed of a
motion sequence. Preview, on the other hand, is more concerned
with appearances than timing. It disregards all speed modifiers.
If the wireframe preview matches your expectations, click the Use

button. Whether the Time button is selected or not, the Time Select
panel will appear. Here, you can sneak a more accurate peek at the
current transformation sequence by clicking the Preview button.
344
The following example demonstrates how to create a 3-D transfor

mation:
1. Restore Animator's default s ettings by choosing the Reset com

2. Load the GLASS. FL! flic file, then return home. The first frame of
this simple sequence is shown in Figure 10.28.
Figure 10.28 Frame 1 of t h e GLASS.FU file.
3. Right-click the key color indicator. Then click in one of the thick
stripes in the background of the image displayed in the drawing
area, as demonstrated by the location of the cursor in Figure
10.28.
4. Press the Escape key to choose the Get command from the Cel
menu. Draw a marquee around the collection of brightly colored
dots, as shown in Figure 1 0. 2 9 .
5. Pre ss t h e M k e y t o choose the Move command fr o m t h e C e l menu.
The image in the eel buffer appears i n a marquee. Click inside the
marquee, move the image to the location shown in Figure 1 0 . 30,
then click again. The image is not pasted into the current frame,
but the location information stored inside the eel buffer is
updated.
345
Animation
Figure 10.29 Clip the brightly colored dots to the eel buffer.
Figure 10.30 Relocating the contents of the eel buffer.
6. Press the 0 key to display the Optics window.

7. Choose the Cel command from the Element menu, then specify
the collection of dots as the current element series.
346
1 U-/: utor1 Jove, , olfl .Coatures
8. C hoose the Whirl command from the Presets menu. The contents
of the eel buffer are rotated in three- dim ensional space about the
Y axis.
9. Choose the Out Slow command from the Movement menu .
1 0 . Click the Wireframe button. A whirling dotted representation of
the eel appears in the upper right corner of the screen, as shown in
Figure 1 0 . 3 1 .
Figure 10.31 The wireframe preview.
1 1 . Assuming this transformation is what you anticipated, click the

Use button to display the Time Select panel. Then click the Pre
view button. The movement of the eel is similar to that in the
wirefrarne preview, but now you can see the eel as it will actually
appear when rendered.
U, Click to return to the Time Select panel. Click the Render button
to apply the current 3-D transformation sequence to all frames in
the current i1ic.
1 3 . Press the down arrow key to play the sequence. When you've
viewed it enough times, right-click to cancel the playback.
14. Press the Spacebar to return home. Then press the 0 key to dis
play the Optics window again.
1 5 , Choose the Flic command from the Element menu.
347
Animation
16. Choose the Squash command from the Presets menu. Each frame
in the specified range is reduced 50% vertically and enlarged
200% horizontally.
17. Turn off the Out Slow command in the Movement menu, then
activate the Ping-Pong command.
18. Click the Wireframe button. A dotted rectangle is squished
toward the bottom of the screen, then bounces back.
19. Click the Use button to display the Time Select panel. Then click
the Preview button. Each frame in the sequence appears pasted
against a black background. Since the brown color in the stripes is
the key color, the stripes are treated as transparent. This allows
the black of the first color slot in the palette grid to show through.
Figure 10.32 A transformed frame pasted against

a black background.
20. Click to return to the Time Select panel. Then click the Clear Key
Color (K) button to turn it off, thereby making the key color
opaque. Click the Preview button again to view the effect.
2 1 . Click to return to the Time Select panel. Suppose you want the
screen to be uniformly brown rather than display patches of black
toward the top. Right-click the current color indicator to display
the Palette window. Right-click register 0 in the grid to change it
to a new color, then click in the key color indicator. The Time
348
Select panel displays, allowing you to apply this change to multi

ple frames. Click the Render button.
Just for the record, you are now five windows deep. You are
currently inside the Time Select panel, inside the Palette
window, inside the Time Select panel, inside the Optics win
dow, inside the Home window. You would have to press the
Spacebar four times to return home.
22. After the rendering completes, you are returned to the Palette
window. Press the Spacebar to return to the Time Select panel,
then click the Render button again, this time to begin the 3-D
transformation. The squash ping-pong sequence is created frame
by-frame.
24. Press the down arrow key. The sequence repeats as the back
ground remains brown.
2 5 . Cancel the playback, then save the file as GLASQISH.FLI using
the Files . . . command from the Flic menu.
Once you get the hang of them, the commands available in the
Optics window are easy to use, as well as effective. The options avail
able in the Optics panel, however, require more effort.
The Optics Panel
The commands from the Presets menu provided a glimpse of Anima

tor's 3-D transformation capabilities. But these are only the tip of the
iceberg. The Optics panel offers so many options it could make your
head spin. To make matters more confusing, it occasionally suffers from
strange and inconsistent organization. You may have the most success
by approaching the panel gradually, l earning a few options at a time .
Shown in Figure 1 0 . 3 3 , the Optics panel includes the following
items:
Click the Optics button to move the Optics panel to a different

position.
The mutually exclusive Frame (F), Segment (S) , and All (A) but
tons determine whether a transformation will affect the current
349
Animation
frame, the current segment, or all frames i n the current flic,

respectively.
The frame icons allow you to play animation and access frames.
The current ink indicator displays the current occupant of the
upper left ink slot in the Home panel. Right-click this box to dis
play the Ink Types panel and select a different ink.
The mode b uttons - Time (T), Filled (F), Mask (M), and Clear Key
Color (K)-operate identically to their counterparts in the Home
panel.
The brush shape indica tor also operates identically to its counter
part in the Home panel. Click to toggle a different thickness; right
click to determine the brush shape, which can be from 1 pixel t o
11 pixels thick.
The current color i n dic a tor displays th e currently selected color.

Right-click this box to dis play the Palette window.
Click the Wireframe button to preview the results of the current
transformation settings. A dotted rectangle displays the move
ment of frame and eel buffer contents. Tween sequences are dis
played in more detail. A dotted transform ation origin indicates
the inclination of the three axes.
Click the Use button to display the Time Select panel and specify
the range of frames to which the current settings will be applied.
Click the Continue Move button to create a new starting orienta
tion. Animator begins the current transformation sequence at the
point where it ended the previous sequ ence.
Click the Clear Track button to restore the default settings of the
currently displayed transformation determinants.
Unlike the Clear All command in the Presets menu, The

Clear Track button does not e ras e the current starting orien
tation. Therefore, use this button to clear information after
you have clicked the Continue Move button.
--------
The mutually exclusive Mouse Control buttons determine which

axes will act as the foundations for a dynamic transformation . You
perform a dynamic transformation by operating the mouse in the
drawing area when the Optics panel is displayed.
Click a transform ation button-Spin, Size, Move, or Path-to dis
play its corresponding transformation de term i n an ts in the right
350
half of the panel. Use these determinants to specify how the three
dimensional axes will be transformed.
F:RESET'S HOIJEMEtIT' E LEHENT
Transformation Mode Current

determ inants butto n s color
indicator
Transformation Frame C u rrent Brush

button s
1
icons ink
i n d icator
sh ape
i ndicator
r ' j( r "' -_)
CFjl[!E -t- +- - -1' >) ,._ 2-f>u CLl fFI @ _ccl o
I W I !i!EFR!:AME ) l USE . I [C:ONT INlilE MOVE] J CLEAR!:. TRACK 1
7
:f: -:);!
:.
. f10USE CONTl OL SP I N CENTER L;l ..1..
( :X:'v'J( xz) . RXXS

= ; '
( z l f y )([) PATH TUF.:N:S 1 ..... ::: e.01 Uaj V'e.l U4l u t
,2:.
Figure 10.33 Th e items in the Optics panel.
Because the transformation determinants are the most compli

cated items in this panel to operate, theill b e introduced and discussed
i n a separate section at the end of this chapter. The Continue Move,
Mouse Control, and transformation buttons are examined in the fol
lowing pages.
Transformation Types
To apply a spe cific type of transformation, you must first click one of
the transformation buttons. Highlight the Spin button to rotate the cur
rent element series about one or more axes; click the Size button to
enlarge or reduce images; click the Move button to move the current
element series i n a straight line along an axis; or highlight the Path
button to move an image along a free-form path. Although all four types
of transformations can be applied during a single application of the Op
tics panel, only one button can be selected at a time. Transformations
therefore accumulate until you choose a command from the Presets
menu to clear or override the current settings, or until you click the
U se button to apply the current settings.
351
Animation
Each transformation button displays a unique set of transforma

tion determinants . In addition, the highlighted button determines
which types of dynamic transformation are curre ntly allowed.
Dynamic Transformations
The easiest, and most intuitive, way to apply custom transformations

using the Optics panel is with the mouse. Choose the Clear All com
mand from the Presets menu. Then click the mouse in the drawing
area. The Optics window will disappear and a dotted version of the
current element series will appear in the drawing area, as shown in
Figure 10.34. This wireframe image represents the final outcome of the
current transformation settings. Since you j ust cleared the Optics
panel, the wireframe representation displays no movement.
Figure 10.34 Click in the drawing area to display the wireframe

representation of the final outcome of the current transformation.
A wireframe transformation origin also appears: a bit of the X axis

pointing to the right, a bit of the Y axis pointing up, and a bit of the Z
axis pointing directly away from you (which is why you can't see it).
The origin indicates the center of the transformation; that is, the point
about which the transformation will take place. Th e default location for
the origin is 1 6 0 , 1 00,0, which is the center of the drawing area.
352
To cancel a dynamic To implement a transformation using the mouse, you click to be

transformation, right gin the transformation; move the mouse to perform the current trans
click or press any key.
formation type; then click again to end the transformation. Click at the
location indicated by the cursor in Figure 1 0 . 34. Then move the cursor
back and forth, from left to right. Notice that the wireframe representa
tion rotates horizontally, about the Y axis. Return the wireframe to its
original position. Then move the cursor up and down. The wireframe
now rotates vertically, about the X axis. Move the cursor diagonally
and you rotate the wireframe about both the X and Y axes.
Try to rotate the wireframe to the position shown in Figure 1 0 . 3 5 .
T h e Optics panel will redisplay. Notice that the currently selected
mouse control button is XY. The mouse control buttons determine
which axes will act as the foundation for the current transformation.
When the XY button is sele cted, you can rotate an image about the X
and Y axes, but not about the Z axis.
Figure 10.35 A wireframe rotated about the X and Y axes .
Select the Z button, directly under the XY button. Click in the

drawing area again . C lick to the right of the transformation origin, then
slowly move the mouse to the left. The wireframe rotates clockwise
about the Z axis-not about the bit of Z axis indicated by the dotted
transformation origin, but about the real Z axis pointing directly at you
(discussed previously in the 3-D Transformation Theory section). Now
move the cursor to the right. The wireframe rotates counterclockwise.
Moving the cursor up and down has little effect.
353
Animation
Right-click to cancel the dynamic transformation, then return to

the Optics window. Now select the Size button, which allows you to
enlarge and reduce images. The mouse control buttons chang e to Pro
portional, XY, X, and Y. If the Proportional button is highlighte d, the
horizontal and vertical proportions of an image are maintained. The XY
button allows nonproportional scaling. The X and Y buttons permit
only horizontal and vertical changes, respectively.
Animator allows you to transform images in three dimensions,

but it has no capacity for handling three -dimensional images,
such as spheres and cubes. The program treats all images as flat.
Therefore, you can resize them in two dimensions only, X and Y.
Select the X button, then click in the drawing area. Click on the
far right side of the screen to begin the dynamic transformation. Then
slowly drag to the left. When the cursor is about halfway across the
screen, the wireframe will flip. Keep dragging all the way to the left side
of the screen, then click to display the Optics window.
Now click the Path button. The Mouse Control buttons will return
to XY, XZ, ZY, Z, Y, and X. However, the Mouse Control buttons have no
effect on Path transformations. Click in the drawing area to hide the
window. Now click at the center of the dotted transformation origin.
Move the cursor and you will see a line drawn between the cursor and
the first point. Click again, then move the cursor. The line continues to
follow the cursor, curving at the second point, as if you're drawing an
open line with the Spline tool. Continue clicking and moving to create
the free-form line shown in Figure 1 0.36.
To see the transformation you've specified so far, you'll need to
apply it to an ima ge:
1 . Press the Spacebar to go h o m e , th en choose the New command

The New command does not alter the current Optics window
settings.
2. Load the AMBER.GIF file using the Files . . . command from the Pie
menu.
3. Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Set the num
ber of frames in the current flic to 40 by way of the total frames
indicator.
4. Return home, then press the 0 key to display the Optics window.
Click the Use button to display the Time Select panel. Then click
the Render button.
354
Figure 10.36 Draw a free-form path for the wireframe to follow.
5. Play the finished animation sequence to see its effect. The image
flips around and rotates in three dimensions as it bobs up and
down, then comes to a rest near the top of the screen. A sample
frame of this sequence is shown in Figure 1 0 . 3 7 .
Changing the Starting Orientation

Click the Wireframe button. The wireframe rectangle begins by filling
the screen, then progresses through its motions. The first split second of
the 3-D transformation sequence is called the starting orientation. Nor
mall y , the starting orientation is not transformed in any way . But if y ou
click the Continue Move button, you change the starting orientation to
the final outcome of the previous sequence. This is useful when you are
applying transformations in segments. For example, you might apply
one transformation sequence to frames 1 through 1 0 0 , another se
quence to frames 1 0 1 through 200, and a third sequence to frames 201
through 300. If you click the Continue Move button between segments,
you ensure a conti nti ous flow from one sequence to the next.
The following example demonstrates how to apply this feature:
1. Click the down arrow frame icon to advance to frame 40 of the

current flic.
355
Animation
Figure 10.37 Frame 34 finds Amber flipped and rotated toward

the top of the screen.
2. Right-click a frame icon to display the Flic panel. Click the Insert
button to add another frame. Press the right arrow key to go to the
new frame.
3. Go home, then load the AMBER.GIF picture into frame 41 using
the Files . . . command from the Pie menu.
4. Right-click a frame icon to display the Frames panel. Click the
total frames indicator, then ch.ange the number of frames in the
current flic to 80.
5. Return home, press the 0 key to display the Optics panel.
6. Click the Continue Move button. Now click the Wireframe button
to display the current sequence. It starts where the previous trans
formation left off. Unfortunately, an error occurs and a message
box appears to inform you that the current element series exceeds
Animator's ability to represent it. The message box, shown in Fig
ure 10.38, reads Shape too b i g , S o r ry. In other words, some por
tion of the picture extends b eyond Animator's picture -size
limitations. Click the Continue button.
7. The most likely cause of this error is that the image moves too far.
Select the Path button. Then click the Clear Track button to elimi
nate the current path. Click the Wireframe button again. This
time, the preview completes successfully.
356
Figure 10.38 The picture extends b e y ond one

of the 500-pixel boundaries.
8. Click the Use button to display the Time Select panel. Change the
beginning and ending values in the current range slider bar to 41
and 80. Highlight the To Segment button, then click the Render
button.
9. After the time operation completes, play the animation to see how
it looks. The entire sequence flows without a hitch, due to the fact
that you linked the two different transformation sequences using
the Continue Move button. The final image from the sequence is
displayed in Figure 1 0. 3 9 .
If you want to keep this flic, save it now as AMBSTRCH.FLI.
The Transformation Determinants
Generally, you 'll want to use the mouse to create your custom transfor
mations and reserve the complicated transformation determinants for
fine-tuning purposes. However, if you are more comfortable with num
bers than with drawing, you are always free to use the determinants to
create your transformations. The determinants may not be easy to use,
but they do produce precise results.
357
Animation
Figure 10.39 Frame 80 demonstrates the extremes to which you

can transform an image.
The remainder of this chapter provides a detailed description of

each determinant option available in the Optics panel. Due to their
specialized usage, these options are not demonstrated in a sample
project.
The Axis Slider Bar
Though its name sounds like something out of World War II, th e axis
slider bar is actually the most commonly used option of the various
transformation determinants. The X axis slider bar is bounded by left
and right arrows, the Y axis slider bar by up and down arrows, and the
Z axis slider bar by diagonal arrows, as shown in Figure 1 0 .40.
Right-click any slider bar You use an axis slider bar much as you would any other slider bar.
in the transformation Click an arrow to increase or decrease the number in the slider box
determinants to reset
which, in the case of determinants, represents a coordinate location or
the value of the bar
to 0. a distance in pixels. You can also drag the slider box to change the
number.
Axis slider bars are found in all transformation determinants but
the Path determinants.
358
Axes slider bars
Figure 10.40 The axes slider bars.
Spin Determinants
Selecting the Spin button displays the Spin determinants. These options
fall into three categories:
Click the Center button to display the Center options, which allow
you to specify the coordinate location of the transformation origin.
Click the Axis button to display the Axis options, which allow you
to rotate the angle of the axes themselves: consequently , you are
able to rotate images around diagonal axes. This gives you more
freedom of expression.
C lick the Turns button to display the Turns options, wh ich allow
you to rotate the current element series about the three axes.
The Center options, shown in Figure 1 0.41 , operate as follows:
Use the axis slider bars to determine the coordinate location of the
transformation origin. The values in these bars can vary from
-340 to 660 for the X axis, from -400 to 600 for the Y axis, and
from -500 to 500 for the Z axis.
359
Animation
Click the Default button to restore the three axis slider boxes to
their default values 160,100,0. This coordinate represents the cen
ter of the drawing area.
Click the Same as Size button to copy the coordinates from the
Center options of the Size determinants.
SP I N
S I ZE
AX I S
n ove:
PATH Tl..IRN S
Figure 10.41 The Center options of the Spin determinants.
The Axis options, shown in Figure 10.4 1 , operate as follows:
Realigning the axes only Use the axis slider bars to determine the coordinate location of a
affects the performance vector point. The Z axis is realigned to a straight line drawn
of the Spin determi
between this point and the coordinate 0,0,0. The X and Y axes are
nants. All other determi
nants use the standard
realigned relative to the new Z axis. The values in all three slider
Animator axes orienta bars can vary from -500 to 500.
tions. Click the X button to change the coordinates of the vector point to
100,0,0. Under this condition, the Z axis represents width, the Y
axis represents height, and the X axis represents depth.
Click the Y button to change the coordinates of the vector point to
0, 100,0. Under this condition, the X axis represents width, the Z
axis represents height, and the Y axis represents depth.
Click the Z button to change the coordinates of the vector point to
the default coordinates of 0,0, 100. All axes represent their stan
dard dimensions.
360
,tliO'l,JSE CONTRO L SP I N
S I ZE
( X'f ){ XZ)( ZY J MOVE
, ffil v H x l PATH Ti.JR:NS X
Figure 10.42 The Axis options of the Spin determinants.
The Turns options, shown in Figure 1 0 .4 3 , operate as follows:
Use the axis slider bars to determine the number of rotations the
current element series will make around the X, Y, and Z axes. The
values in these bars represent the number of complete rotations
and can vary from -10 to 1 0 (equivalent to -3600 to 3600 degrees).
When the 1/360 button is highlighted, the values in the axis slider
b a r s represent degrees.
When the 1/8 button is highlighted, the values in the slider bars
represent units of 45 degrees, or eighths of a complete rotation.
represent units of 60 degrees, or sixths of a complete rotation.
represent units of 90 degrees, or quarter rotations.
When the 1 /2 button is highlighted, the values in the slider bars

represent units of 1 8 0 degrees, or half rotations.
When the 1 button is highlighted, the values in the slider bars rep
resent units of 360 degrees, or complete rotations.
36 1
Animation
MQJtt CONTRO L
SP I N C.ENTER f-
( xv)f.xz)(zv} S X Z.E

.
MOVE
f z )CYJ@

PATH
Figure 10.43 The Turns options of the Spin determinants.
Size Determinants
Selecting the Size button displays the Size determinants. These options
fall into two categories:
Click the Center button to display the Center options, which allow
you to specify the coordinate location of the transformation origin.
Click the X, Y, or Both button to display the scaling ratio slider
bars, which determine the percentage by which an image is
enlarged or reduced. The final percentage ratio is displayed in the
scaling ratio indi cator, located directly below the Both button.
The Center options, displayed in Figure 1 0 .44, operate as follows:
Use the axis slider bars to determine the coordinate location of the
transformation origin. The values in these bars can vary from
-340 to 660 for the X axis, from -400 to 600 for the Y axis, and
from -500 to 500 for the Z axis.
Click the Default button to restore the three axis slider boxes to
their default values 1 60, 1 00 , 0 . This coordinate represents the cen
ter of the drawing area.
Click the Sarne as Spin button to copy the coordinates from the
Center options of the Spin determinants.
362 .
:SF:.J: N
S I ZE
MOVE BOTH
PFITH OEFFIUL.'.'1'
Figure 10.44 The Center options of the Size determinants.
While t h e organizational strategy behind the X, Y and Both but

tons is flawed at best, scaling an image remains a simple matter. Click
the X button if you want to scale an image horizontally; click the Y
button if you want to scale an image vertically; and select the Both but
ton if you want to apply proportional scaling. You can indicate different
percentages for all three buttons, which will all be applied. For exam
ple, if you specify a 50% reduction for the X button, a 1 2 5 % enlarge
ment for the Y button, and a 20% reduction for the Both button, the
final image will be scaled 10% (50% x 20%) horizontally and 25% (125%
x 20%} vertically.
The scaling ratio slider bars, shown in Figure 1 0.45, operate as
follows:
Use the Reduce slider bar t o determine the numerator (top num
ber) of a fraction representing the scaling ratio.
Use the Enlarge slider bar to determine the denominator (bottom
number) of a fraction representing the scaling ratio.
In the Optics panel, scaling factors are defined as fractions. The

Reduce slider bar value is divided by the Enlarge slider bar value to
determine the scaling ratio, which is displayed in the scaling ratio indi
cator below the Both button. For ex am ple if the Reduce slider bar
,
363
Animation
!!!!!!!!.,IEfjJ]J. + llililll-t >> ... ' (OPA&JE';I rn 1) cm .

o
H : n:EFRAME I [ UiE I ICON:t:l: NUe: MOVE l I C LEf\R TCK 1
... J1PUSE .. .. !;QtfT'.R.Q. ..I,...... Fl' l: ...... . ,g..r;U.!E.
(PF;OPJRT I otlA L) S I ZE
HOVE EN LARGE
(xv) @ W PATH
Figure 10.45 The scaling ratio slider bars.
value is 80 and the Enlarge slider bar value is 25, the scaling ratio will
'
be 3.20, or 320%.
It's an understatement to say this is a pretty cockeyed way to ap
proach the issue of scaling; in fact, it is hard to imagine a worse organi
zation of these options. Hopefully, this panel will be reworked in future
versions of the program. For now, a confused reader may have better
luck applying the dynamic transformation technique.
Move Determinants
Selecting the Move button produces the Move determinants, which in
clude three easily operated axis slider bars, as shown in Figure 1 0.46.
Use these slider bars to determine the distance (in pixels) that the cur
rent element series will be moved along each of the three axes. The
values in all three bars can vary from -500 to 500. Positive and negative
values produce the following results:
In the X axis slider bar, negative values move an image to the left;
positive values move an image to the right.
In the Y axis slider bar, negative values move an image upward;
positive values move an image downward.
364
In the Z axis slider bar, negative values move an image toward the
viewer; positive values move an image away from the viewer.
MCl.JSE r.:oJT!i I..

(xv) ( xz)( zy)
( z H v )(' x J
Figure 10.46 The Move determinants.
All values are measured in pixels relative to the current location

of an image. These values are not coordinates.
P ath Determin ants
Selecting the Path button produces the Path determinants, which are
used to move the current element series along a free-form path. The
Path options include the following:
Select one of the path type buttons-Spline, Polygon, Sampled, or

Clocked-to determine the way in which you create the path in
the drawing area.
Select one of the path command buttons to edit, view, load, or save
the current path.
Select either of the mutually exclusive Open and Closed buttons
to determine whether the first and last points in a path remain
open or are connected.
The unlabeled tension, continuity, and bias slider bars determine
the sh ape of a path created while the Spline button is selected.
365
Animation
These slider bars are inoperative if a path type button other than
the Spline button is highlighted.
Figure 10.47 The Path determinants.
To create a free-form path, you first select a path type button; then
click in the drawing area to hide the Optics window; and, finally, draw
the path in the drawing area using one of the following buttons:
Spline. When this button is highlighted, you can draw a path as if

you were drawing with the Spline tool. Click in the drawing area
to create points in the path. The points will be connected with
curved lines, whose curvature is determined by the settings of the
tension, continuity, and bias sliders.
Polygon. When this button is highlighted, you can draw a path as
if you were drawing with the Irregular Polygon tool. Click in the
drawing area to create points in the path. The points will be con
nected with straight lines.
Sampled. This button allows you to draw a path as if you were
using the Draw tool. Simply drag with the cursor in the drawing
area to create a free-form dotted line.
Clocked. This button allows you to draw a free-form path within a
specific time period. After you left-click to begin your drag, a
clock hand begins rotating at the top of the screen, as shown in
Figure 1 0.48. When the clock hand reaches twelve o'clock, the
366
path will end and the Optics panel will reappear. All movements,
including keeping the cursor stationary for a moment, are
recorded in real time.
Figure 10.48 When the Clocked button is highlighted, a clock

hand appears at the top of the screen and times your drawing.
The amount of time provided by the Clocked button depends on

the number of frames in the current range and on the play speed.
Increase the value of the Play Speed slider bar in the Frames panel
to give yourself more time. Also, make sure the To All button in
the Time Select panel is highlighted.
Once you have established a path using the path type buttons, you
can use the path command buttons to edit, load, and save paths for fu
ture use. The path command buttons operate as follows:
Edit. This button allows you to edit the current path. After you
click the Edit button, the Optics window disappears and the cur
rent path is indicated by circles representing points along the
path. Click a point to select it, then move it to a new location.
Right-click to cancel a move. This button will be dimmed if no
path currently exists.
367
Animation
Click the Edit button while the Spline button is highlighted

to display paths with curved lines. Click the Edit button
while the Polygon button is highlighted to display straight
line paths.
View. Click this button to display the current path. Click, or press
any button, to return to the Optics window. This button will be
dimmed if no path currently exists.
Load. Click this button to display the Files panel, from which you
can load paths with a .PLY file extension.
Save. Click this button to display the Files panel, from which you
can save paths with a .PLY extension. This button will be dimmed
if no path currently exists.
Highlight the Open or Closed button to determine whether the

first and last points in a path are connected. You can also alter the cur
rent path after drawing it by selecting one of these buttons. These but
tons produce the following effects:
Open. Click this button to leave the current path open , meaning
that the first and last points are not connected.
Closed. Click this button so that the current path becomes closed,
meaning that the first and last points are connected with either a
straight or a curved line, depending on the path type button
selected. Closed paths make it possible to repeat sequences
smoothly; they ensure that the current element series returns to
its starting point i n a sequence.
For examples of the When the Spline button is highlighted, the tension (top), continu
effects created by these ity (middle), and bias (bottom) slider bars affect the curvature of lines
slider bars, refer to
between points as follows:
Figures 3.33 and 3.34
in Chapter 3.
The tension slider bar alters the degree to which lines curve
between their points. A tension of 5 produces no curvature at all.
A tension of -3 produces circular curves. Tensions above 5 force
lines to curve backward on top of one another. Tensions less than
-3 force lines to curve way beyond the locations of their points.
The continuity slider bar controls the angle at whi ch all lines in a
spline curve exit and enter their points. A positive continuity
368
forces lines to bulge out from their points. A negative setting forces
lines to collapse inward.
So as to understand the bias slider bar, suppose there's an inde
pendent axis (neither X, Y, or Z) cutting through the center of each
point. Each line enters or exits the point at the same angle, with
respect to this axis. By moving the slider box inside the bias slider
bar, you rotate the axis clockwise or counterclockwise so that a
line enters a point at a slightly different angle than the next line
exits the point.
The mouse control buttons do not affect the creation of paths in

the drawing area.
What You've Learned
Animator's polymorphic tweening features allow you to alter the

form of tweenable shapes over the course of several frames.
Using the Tween button, you can define th e most recent shape
created with the Oval, Petal, Poly, RPoly, Shape, Spiral, Spline, or
Star tool as the starting or ending shape in a tweening sequence.
The Tween button is available in the modification options for the
Poly and Spline tool.
Using the Adjust Start or Adjust End option from the Twe ening
options list, you can edit any tweenable shape. Points appears as
small circles. Click a point to move it, then click again to set it in a
new location.
Animator cannot create points in a tweening sequence. Therefore,
the starting shape in a sequence should always have as many or
more points than the ending shape .
Selecting the Do Tween option displays the Time Select panel,
regardless of whether the Time button is active.
To avoid creating ugly tweening sequences, always preview your
sequences before you render them. Click the Preview button in
the Time Select panel; if you like the preview of the sequence,
click the Render button. If you don't like the preview, press the
Space bar to return to the Tweening options, then e dit the starting
or ending shape.
The Optics p an el allows you to transform images over the course
369
Animation
of several frames in three-dimensional space. This panel is dis

played by pressing the 0 key at the Home window.
By choosing commands from the Element menu, you can specify
the current element series-the collection of elements to be trans
formed. The element series can include the contents of all frames
in a specified range, the contents of the eel buffer, or the current
tweening sequence.
The commands from the Presets menu alter the settings in the
Optics panel and are used to produce simple transformation
effects.
The commands in the Movement menu duplicate the functions of
the movement buttons in the Time Select panel.
Click the Wireframe button in the Optics panel to preview the
current 3-D transformation sequence in dotted outline form.
Click the Continue Move button to begin the current transforma
tion sequence at the point where the previous transformation
sequence ended.
Click the Use button to apply the current settings. Selecting this
button displays the Time Select panel, whether or not the Time
button is active.
A dynamic transformation is a transformation that you perform
with the mouse in real time. Click in the drawing area to display a
wireframe version of the current element series. Then click and
move the cursor to transform the image.
The Mouse Control buttons determine the axis or axes about
which a dynamic transformation will be performed.
The transformation buttons-Spin, Size, Move, and Path-deter
mine the type of transformation you can perform.
Selecting the Spin, Size, Move, or Path button displays its set of
transformation determinants. If you don't understand how these
work, refer to the descriptions in the Transformation De termi
nants section of this chapter.
370
E L E v E N
Cel Animation
For those sure of their artistic abilities and able to spend the hours re
quired to create quality animation, this chapter devotes itself to a dis
cussion of eel anim ation-the oldest, and arguably the best, animation
technique around. In eel animation, each frame is drawn separately. A
character is introduced in one frame, drawn slightly differently in the
next, slightly differently in the one after that, and so on. The effect of
movement is created when the frames are played in sequ ence. The first
ten minutes of the movie Who Framed Roger R abbit, for example, con
sist entirely of eel animation, painstakingly and expensively produced
one frame at a time. The effort can b e enormous, but the results spec
tacular.
Cel Ani mation Theory
Cel animation is most co mmonly applied to the animation of charac

ters-persons, animals, or beings of one sort or another with whom a
viewer can identify. Characters add empathy to a presentation. For ex
ample, Figure 1 1 . 1 shows a standard presentational frame. The frame
includes some uninspiring text and a predictable, unappealing graphic.
Such a presentation is so common as to be ignored. There's nothing to
grab the viewer's attention.
371
Animation
Figure 11.1 A boring presentation with uninspiring text

and a lifeless graphic.
A human or animal character adds interest to an animated se

quence. The character doesn't have to be well drawn or compli
cated; in fact, simple characters are often the most empathetic.
The text in Figure 1 1 . 2 (also shown in Color Plate 14) isn't much
more convincing. However, a sympathetic character has been added,
introducing a human element to an otherwise uninviting commercial
message. You probably won't look at this advertisement and think,
"Gee wh iz I want to be just like Ned!" But his affable demeanor and
.
patently ridiculous hairstyle might spur you on to read the text. From
this slight bit of text and a lot of imagination, you might conclude that
Ned owes his nice suit and self-confident smile to Acme Financial Sys
tems. If only he'd do something about his hair, he'd be a completely
reformed man.
An animated character thus performs three functions when in
serted into a presentation:
An empathetic character invites viewers into your message,

whether the message is commercial, personal, or artistic.
When accompanied by understated text, a character provides
viewers with a springboard for their own conclusions. By con-
372
1 1-Cel Animation
S ince Ned
inve s ted his
extra incot11e
wit11
lte' s beconte
a new matt!
Figure 1 1 . 2 Ned adds human interest to an otherwise boring

commercial message.
structing an environment that encourages reactions and asso

ciations, you allow viewers to develop personal links to your
message.
A character can be used as the central element in a story line.
This last item is the most powerful application of the character. By

itself, the character is peculiar, or gregarious, or seductive, or likable,
but it is no more than a picture personality, a recognizable stereotype
which sets the mood for your message. In other words, the character
grabs th e viewer's attent ion but on its own, it is not powerful enough to
,
sustain that attention. Add a story line-a plot-and you compel the
viewer to stick around for a while and see the show.
The Story Line

The best presentations Most of us have sat through enough presentations and meetings to
entertain rather than know how dreadfully dull they can be. We know from experience that
inform. An entertained
the death knell of a presentation is to make viewers feel they've wasted
viewer will be more
receptive to your
their tim e. However, if you entertain viewers, not only will they enj oy
message than a viewer the time spent watching a presentation, but they are more likely to re
who has to work at member, and possibly even care about, the message being conveyed.
understanding it. Unfortunately, creating an effective story line can be a difficult
373
Animation
task, made more difficult by the fact that Animator has no capacity for
sound. If you record your animated sequence to videotape, as described
in Chapter 1 5 , you can add a musical soundtrack, but you will be hard
pressed to add dialogue with any accuracy. Therefore, your story line
has to be developed visually.
There is no way to teach you how to create a story line in a few
paragraphs, nor is that the intention of this section. However, the fol
lowing pointers may help you clarify your ideas and condense them
into an entertaining presentation:
Think visually. Much of what you see in movies and on television

is accompanied by banal and pointless verbiage. The best contem
porary examples of visual story lines are music videos and com
mercials-especially those for cars, shoes, and perfumes. Both are
forms of presentation that rely more on imagery than on the spo
ken word.
Keep it short. Unless you're an outstanding filmmaker, you'll
have difficulty harnessing a viewer's attention to a commercial
theme for more than a few minutes. Leaving them wanting more
is far better than making them beg you to stop.
Keep it simple. Believe it or not, a simple story is usually the most
effective. Too many characters, for example, can bog down a story
line. Use two or three characters at most. If you create a compli
cated story with subplots or other ingenious devices, you run the
risk of obscuring or even omitting your message.
Keep it general. Any person, no matter how naive, should be able
to understand your story line and its message. Inside j okes or spe
cialized information should be used sparingly, if at all. Also avoid
trendy humor which can date your message, confuse the guile
less, and appear foolish to the urbane.
Feel free to borrow. If you can't come up with your own story line,
there's nothing wrong with borrowing bits and pieces from other
sources, especially from fables or classics. This does not mean
you can plagiarize. Not only are direct or close copies of some
one else's work a violation of copyright laws, but most viewers
are sophisticated enough to recognize a forgery when they see
one.
A story line that's all Let your characters determine the action. Imagine what your
action with no character character would do in a specific situation. Your character should
development is like
demonstrate a personality throughout the story. If your character
animation without
movement: it simply acts without purpose or direction, then it ceases to be a character;
doesn 't work. it's j ust another image on the computer screen.
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1 1-Cel Animation
The Storyboard
After you work out your story idea, the next step is to create a story
board by sketching the key frames. A sample storyboard is shown in
Figure 1 1 . 3 and in Color Plate 1 5 . The key frames should represent
every four to ten frames in the final sequence. Storyboards are particu
larly useful when a group of people are involved in creating a presenta
tional sequence. Storyboards provide a more accurate basis for
discussion and make the portions of the story line that don't work more
apparent. Hopefully, they facilitate consensus, so that everyone is satis
fied with the final product.
.,....
........ I t t
. . ,. ,..--
. ;..---;=--
-==-
.
Figure 1 1 . 3 A storyboard mapping out a short sequence about

the sun falling asleep on the j ob.
After you complete the storyboard, transfer each key frame into a
new flic file in Animator. Don't fill the tween frames in between the key
frames until the images in all key frames have been outlined. Use the
commands from Animator's Trace menu (discussed shortly in this
chapter) to expedite the laborious j ob of creating the tween frames.
The Cel Animation Process
To recap , creating a eel animation sequence is a five-step process:
375
Animation
Develop one or more characters, paying special attention to their

personality characteristics. What are their likes and dislikes; what
motivates them; to whom will they appeal?
Write a story line around this character. Make sure that the story
line carries your commercial or artistic message along with it.
Sketch a storyboard. Discuss the key frames with associates and
friends to get their reactions. You need to find out how potential
viewers will react to your story line and characters.
The commands in the Create a new flic file in Animator containing the key frames only.
Trace menu are used Develop each key frame into final outlines. For best results, do not
most effectively if the
apply colors until you complete the tween frames.
images in key frames are
only outlined and not Fill in the tween frames. This is the slowest and most boring stage
filled with color of the animation process. However, Animator provides various
techniques to speed up this process; these techniques are avail
able as commands from the Trace menu in the Home window.
Color in the outlined images in all frames.
The Trace Menu
The commands in the Trace menu of the Home window are designed to
facilitate the process of creating eel animation sequences. They are es
pecially useful for creating tween frames, the transitional frames re
quired to fill out the action between two key frames. The Trace menu
name refers to the fact that you trace the images Animator provides in
order to complete the transitional frames; the program helps out but it
does not do all the work for you. These commands produce the best
results if key frames images are outlined rather than colored in.
Shown in Figure 1 1 . 4, the commands from the Trace menu in
clude the following:
Blue Frame. Choose this command, or press the T key followed by

the B key, to change all colors in the current frame, except the key
color, to the primary blue (the color in the first slot in the mini
palette, which may not actually be blue) .
Animator derives its use of the word "blue" from the non
repro blue pen of pasteup artists and designers. The pen pro
duces a light color that does show up when photographed.
316
1 1 -Ce/ Animation
CE L TRACE . SWAP
B LUE FRAME
UNBLUE FRAME
NEXT B Ll.JE
1 NSER:T TWEEN
ERASE G U l OES:
CLIP CHANGES
REPEAT CHANGES:
.LOOP SEGMENT
S E GM EN T F L I P
F L I P F I VE
Figure 11.4 The Trace menu in the Home window.
Un bl ue Frame. Choose this command, or press the T key followed

by the U key, to change all occurrences of the primary blue in the
current frame to the key color.
Next Blue. Choose this command, or press the T key followed by
the N key, to paste all changes made since entering the current
frame into the next frame in the primary blue.
Insert Tween . Choose this command, or press the T key followed
by the I key, to insert a tween frame between the current and next
frames. The tween frame will contain the contents of both frames.
The images from the frame preceding the tween frame will be ren
dered in the primary blue; the images from the succeeding frame
will be rendered in the secondary blue (the color in the second slot
of the mini-palette, which by default is green).
Erase Guides. Choose this command, or press the T key followed
by the E key, to change all occurrences of the primary and second
ary blues in the current frame to the key color.
Clip Changes. Choose this command, or press the T key followed
by the C key, to store all changes made since entering the current
frame to the eel buffer. Images are stored in their original colors.
Repeat Changes. Choose this command, or press the T key fol
lowed by the R key, to paste all changes made since entering the
current frame into the next frame in the original colors.
311
Animation
The Next Blue and Repeat Changes commands are identical,

except that the first command applies changes in the current
blue and the latter uses the original colors.
Loop Segment. Choose this command, or press the T key followed

by the L key, to play the current segment continuously. (You can
set the current segment using the current segment slider bar in
the Frames panel.)
Segment Flip. Choose this command or press Enter to play the
current segment once and then return to the Home window.
Flip Five. Choose this command or press 5 (in the top row of the
keyboard or on the keypad) to play the current frame and the four
frames preceding it one time through and then return to the Home
window.
A Sample Cel Animation Sequence

In general, the commands from the Trace menu are easy to use. The
only trick is knowing when to use them. The following exercise demon
strates situations in which you would apply these commands, and it
also provides additional information about how they work:

mand from the Flic menu in the Home window.
2. Choose the Files ... command from the Flic menu, then load the
MRNUMO.FLI file. The walking figure with the number in its
head appears in the drawing area.
Sequences played at 3. Return home, th en press t h e down arrow k ey to pl ay th e anima

speeds slower than 12 tion sequence. The sequence appears slightly j umpy and you can
frames per second
easily distinguish one frame of action from another. This is accept
about 6 on the Play
Speed slider bar-are
able, but the sequence would be smoother if it were played at a
generally too slow to faster speed.
fool the eye. 4. Press any key to stop the playback. Right-click a frame icon in the
Home panel to display the Frames panel. The Play Speed slider
bar is currently set to 10. Since this number indicates how long
each frame is displayed in 1 /70ths of a second, the sequence plays
at 7 frames per second, a little too slowly to fool the eye into inter
preting the series of frames as a moving image. Change the Play
Speed slider bar to 5, twice the current speed.
378
1 1-Cel Animation
5 . Return home, then press the down arrow key again. The sequence
looks less j umpy. However, the image moves too fast to appear
natural. To compensate for the faster play speed, you need to dou
ble the number of frames by inserting a tween frame between
each pair of frames in the current flic.
6. Cancel the playback, then press the up arrow key to back up to the
first frame in the sequence. Choose the Insert Tween command
from the Trace menu. This creates a new frame between frames 1
and 2 and displays this tween frame in the drawing area, as shown
in Figure 1 1 . 5 . The tween frame is now frame 2, and the original
frame 2 is now frame 3. The drawing area contains the image from
frame 1 , colored in the primary blue (which is, in fact, blue) ,
behind the image from the original frame 2, colored in the second
ary blue (green).
Figure 1 1 .5 The new tween frame.
7. The two images in the current frame are meant to serve as guides
for drawing a final transitional frame. Unfortunately, these two
blobs of color are not suited to this purpose. Neither image pro
vides any detail. For example, you can see that you should draw
the transitional head between the two circles near the top of the
drawing area. But where should you locate the transitional sleeve,
elbow, or waistline? These are all obscured by areas of color.
379
Animation
The tracing images will be more useful if they are outlines

instead of filled shapes. Since the tracing images are derived from
the images in frames 1 and 2, you must first back up and outline
the images in frames 1 and 2 . Right-click a frame icon in the Home
panel, then click the Delete button. Click the Yes button in the
alert box. Press the up arrow key to go back to frame 1, then press
the Spacebar to return home.
8. Click the key color indicator to select black as the current color.
Also select the Fill tool. Click inside all colored areas of the image
until you have erased all the colors, leaving only the outlines, as
shown in Figure 11 .6.
Figure 11.6 Erase a l l interior colors from the image in frame 1.
9. Your outlines are darker than those shown in Figure 1 1 . 6. In fact,

the brown color of the outlines is so dark you can barely distin
guish it from the black background. To remedy this, select orange
from the mini-palette. Highlight the Time button in the Home
panel, then choose the Separate command from the Pie menu.
Click on any part of the outline. Because the Time button is high
lighted, the Time Select panel then displays. Click the Render
button. All outlines in the current flic change to orange.
10. This is also a good method for changing the interiors of all frames
in the current flic to black. Press the right arrow key to advance to
frame 2. Select the key color indicator. Choose the Separate com-
380
1 1-Ce! Animation
mand from the Pie menu, then click inside the bright green area of
the pants. The Time Select panel appears. Change the current seg
ment slider bar so that the range of frames is from 2 through 8.
Then select the To Segment button and click Render. All bright
green areas in frames 2 through 8 change to black.
11. Repeat step 10 for the dark green of the shirt, the brown of the
shoes, the peach color of the hands and head, and the red of the
number.
12. Now that all images are outlined, the tween frames you create will
be useful. Press the left arrow key to return to the first frame.
Choose the Insert Tween command from the Trace menu. The
new tween frame contains two outlined images, as shown in Fig
ure 1 1 . 7 .
Figure 11.7 Outlined images i n the tween frame.
Don't worry about 1 3 . Select orange from the mini-palette. Using the outlined images,
erasing the blue and trace a transitional figure between the two. For example, since the
green outlines while you
head is a circle, right-click the Poly tool , then select the Circle tool
trace the orange transi
tional image. You will
from the scrolling list in the Drawing Tools panel. With the Draw
instruct Animator to ing Tools panel still displayed, deselect the Filled button. Return
erase these outlines home, then click with the Circle tool midway up the right side of
automatically. the outline of the number "2." Drag outward to create a circle
about the size of th e blue and green circles.
381
Animation
14. You have to create the rest of the transitional image with the Draw
tool. Draw a new body with the hands, arms, torso, legs, and so on,
in intermediate positions. (Don't worry about drawing a new
number inside the head.)
15. When you finish drawing, choose the Erase Guides command
from the Trace menu. The Time Panel appears. Select the To
Frame button, then click the Render button. Animator deletes all
blue and green images from the current frame, leaving an image
similar to the one shown in Figure 11 .8. If your transitional image
doesn't look perfect, let it go for now. You can always polish it
later. In the meantime, you'll want to sketch the rest of the transi
tional frames.
Figure 1 1 .8 The new frame 2 image.
16. Press the right arrow to advance to frame 3, which contains the
image with the number "2" in its head. Choose the Insert Tween
command from the Trace menu. The new frame 4, shown in Fig
ure 1 1 .9, will appear.
17. Using the Circle and Draw tools, trace a transitional image in the
drawing area of the current frame. When you finish, choose the
Erase Guides command from the Trace menu. The Time Select
panel displays with the To Frame button highlighted, so click the
Render button. The blue and green images disappear, leaving an
image similar to the one shown in Figure 1 1 . 1 0.
382
1 1-Cel Animation
Figure 1 1 . 9 The outlined tween images in frame 4.
Figure 1 1 .10 The new frame 4 image.
1 8 . Press the right arrow to advance to frame 5, which contains the

image with the number " 3 " in its head. To see the effect of the
frames you've created so far, choose the Flip Five command from
383
Animation
the Trace menu. Animator plays the 5 -frame sequence that ends
with the current frame-in other words, frames 1 through 5. To
get a better view of this sequence, press the Spacebar to hide the
Home window, then press 5 to select the Flip Five command.
Repeat this maneuver until you get a feeling for this small
sequence. If the sequence doesn't appear sufficiently smooth or
realistic, go back to frame 2 or 4 and make adjustments. You may
even want to alter one of the original frames. Just because this flic
was included with the program doesn't mean that it's perfect. For
example, you may have noticed that the feet shrink in the course
of this sequence. You may also want to erase the numbers inside
the heads of frames 1, 3 and 5 .
19. Repeat steps 1 6 and 1 7 six more times t o create transitional frames
between frames 5 and 6, frames 7 and 8, frames 9 and 10, frames 1 1
and 1 2 , frames 1 3 and 14, and frames 1 5 and 1 . Also erase the
numbers inside all of the heads. The final sequence will contain
16 frames.
20. At any point in the creation of these frames, you can play the
frames completed up to that point. First, right-click a frame icon
in the Home panel to display the Frames panel. Change the cur
rent segment slider bar so that the range of frames begins at frame
1 and ends at the current frame. Return home, then choose the
Loop Segment command to play the current segment multiple
times. You can also choose the Segment Flip command, or press
Enter, to play the current segment one time only.
The Loop Segment, Segment Flip, and Flip Five commands

play the specified sequence without actually leaving the
current frame and without affecting the current frame
buffer. Therefore, the Next Blue, Clip Changes, and Repeat
Changes commands will apply changes to the current frame,
a nd the Restore command from the Pie menu will erase
these changes.
21. When you finish creating the outlines of all transitional images,
play the sequence to see how it looks. The image walks at the
same speed it did before you began this project but, thanks to your
efforts, it now walks more smoothly.
22. Press the up arrow twice to cancel the playback, then go to frame
1. Now that the outlines are finished, you can restore the colors.
Unfortunately, there is no shortcut for this process. You will have
384
1 1-Cel Animation
to color each frame by hand. The original colors for the image are
as follows: the shirt-dark green from register 1 6 9 , the pants
light green from register 1 3 3, the head and hands-peach from
register 2 1 8 , the shoes-red brown from register 1 6 5 . Right-click
the current color indicator to display the Palette window, then
replace the four colors on the right side of the mini-palette with
the colors listed above. Or you can use your own color scheme.
Just be careful not to use the blue from register 1 3 8 or the green
from register 1 9 2 , since these are the primary and secondary blues
in the mini-palette used b y the Trace menu commands.
23. Press the Spacebar to return to the Home window. Fill the shapes
with the appropriate colors frame-by-frame. Be on the lookout for
broken outlines. If the color seeps out into the rest of the drawing
area when you fill a shape, as shown in Figure 1 1 . 1 1 , press Back
space to undo the fill, then repair the break with the Draw tool.
You may have an easier time finding the break if you magnify a
portion of the drawing area using the Zoom button, as shown in
Figure 1 1 . 1 2 .
24. After you fill all shapes i n the current flic, you are still left with
orange outlines. The original outline color was the dark brown
from register 1 76. Insert this color into the mini-palette by way of
AN I MATOR FLlC PIC CE L
Figure 1 1 . 1 1 The shape of the pants has a break in its outline,

which allows the light green color to seep out into other
portions of the drawing area.
385
Animation
Figure 11.12 The break in this outline is directly to the rig

of the cursor.
.
the Palette window. Choose the Separate command fro
menu, then click on any part of the outline in the curre
Providing the Time button is still selected, the Time Sel ct panel
then appears. Select the To All button, then click the Re der but
ton.
25. Play the sequence to see how it looks. The simple act o adding
color to the frames makes your transitional images appear authen
tic, as good as or better than the key images included ith the
original flic.
26. Press the up arrow key twice to cancel the playback and eturn to
frame 1 . The only problem with the current sequence is t at your
walking man still has no face. The quickest way, alth ugh not
necessarily the best way, is to draw a face for one frame nd then
apply it to the other frames using the Repeat Changes co mand.
For example, using the Draw tool and the dark brow
color, draw the face shown in Figure 1 1 . 1 3 .
2 7 . Now choose the Repeat Changes command from the Tra e menu .
The facial features are pasted into the next frame, fra
shown in Figure 1 1 . 14.
28. Unfortunately, the Repeat Changes command cannot b
to more than one frame at a time, even if the Time butto
light ed. To paste the facial fe atures over multiple fra
386
1 1-Cel Animation
Figure 1 1 . 1 3 Add a face to the head in frame 1 .
AN I MATOR FLIC PIC CEL TRACE SWAP EXTRA
Figure 1 1 .14 Choose the Repeat Changes command to add the

face in frame 1 to frame 2.
must use the eel buffer. Choose the Clip Changes command from
the Trace menu to copy the facial features to the eel buffer. Then
c hoose t he Paste command from the Cel menu. A marquee con-
387
Animation
taining the face appears. Throughout the walking sequence, the

head moves back and forth. The current position of the head is the
most forward position of any frame. Click inside the marquee,
then scoot it to the left 24 pixels, so that the second pair of num
bers in the status bar read -24 0. Click to fix the. image in place.
29. The Time Select panel then displays. Since frames 1 and 2 already
contain faces, you want to apply the face only to frames 3 through
1 6 . Change the numbers in the current segment slider bar to
reflect this range of frames. Also highlight the To Segment button.
30. If you simply move the face in small increments to the left
throughout the sequence, the face will appear to snap back when
ever the sequence cycles from frame 16 to frame 1. To avoid this
snapping effect, use the ping-pong feature so that the face moves
(or " floats") rightward from frames 1 to 8 then leftward from
frames 9 to 16. This creates an even back-and-forth effect. Also,
because the face already appears forward in frames 1 and 2, you
don't want to repeat this position more than necessary. Highlight
the P ing-Pong button, then deselect the Complete button. The
proper settings are shown in Figure 1 1 . 1 5 .
3 1 . Click the Render button. The face i s not applied to the heads in
these frames very accurately. In some frames, it extends outside
Figure 11.15 Paste the face into frames 3 through 16 using these
Time Select panel settings. Th e face will then float
back and forth.
388
1 1-Cel Animation
the head o n the right side; in other frames, it extends too far to the
left. You can remedy these problems easily in some frames. Figure
1 1 . 1 6 shows you how to improve the appearance of frame 3 by
filling i n the nose with peach and drawing over the outline. How
ever, in other frames, you will have to erase the face and draw it
by hand using the rough placement as a guide.
Figure 1 1 . 1 6 Improve the appearance of frame 3 by filling in the

nose and fixing the outline.
32. You must make a number of additional adj us tments before this
file is worthy to be called a final animation sequence. You have
yet to endow your man with hair or a neck . You might also want to
add a moving background, as demonstrated in the sample proj ect
at the end of the Frames and Flies section of Chapter 7. However,
for t h e purposes of this chapter, this flic is finished.
33. Using the Files . . . command from the Flic menu, save this file as
SMOOTHWK.FLI.
What You've Learned
Take a moment n ow to review the important points of this chapter:
389
Animation
Gel animation is the most time-consuming animation technique,

but it also yields the most naturalistic results. All feature length
animated movies, from Snow White to Fritz the Cat, are created
almost entirely using eel animation.
A character adds empathy to a presentation.
An interesting story line can convey your message as entertain
ment rather than information. Television commercials and music
videos contain the best examples of short, simple story lines that
don't require dialogue.
When borrowing from existing stories, be very careful not to bor
row too heavily or to plagiarize. You can usually trust your own
j udgement. However, if you sense that you're walking a fine line
between borrowing and plagiarism, you should consult the person
who holds the copyright to the borrowed story.
After thinking up some characters and writing a story line around
them, you should sketch your ideas in the form of a storyboard.
Each picture in the storyboard should translate directly into a key
frame of animation.
The commands from the Trace menu are used to create transi
tional frames between hand-drawn key frames. They can also b e
u s e d t o record a n d repeat t h e changes applied t o a frame.
The terms primary blue and secondary blue signify the colors in
the first and second slots of th e mini-palette, respectively. Neither
color has to be blue. In fact, the secondary blue is green by default.
The Insert Twe en command creates a tween frame between the
current frame and the next frame. The tween frame will represent
the image from the previous frame in the primary blue and the
image from the next frame in the secondary blue.
The commands from the Trace menu produce the best results if all
images are outlined but not filled. Since many of these commands
change all colors in an image to the primary or secondary color,
details in filled images become entirely obscured.
390
p A R T
Input and Output
391
T w E L v E
Converting
Artwork from
Other
Environinents
The remaining chapters in this book are devoted to the subj ect of input
and output; that is, getting images into and out of Animator. This chap
ter concentrates on one form of input: transferring images created in
other computer programs over to Animator.
Two separate utilities are included with Animator for this pur
pose. The first, the Animator File Format Converter (or the Converter,
for short), allows you to convert animation sequences and still images
created on the Amiga, Atari ST, and Macintosh computers, as well as
PCX and high-resolution GIF images created on the PC. The second
utility, FLlmaker, converts files created in other Autodesk applica
tions, including AutoCAD, AutoSketch, and AutoShade, to the FLI for-

mat. Each utility is explained separately in this chapter.
The Converter
The Converter utility i s capable of converting images saved in various

file formats to a format that can b e accessed and manipulated in Ani
mator. There are three distinct purposes for this utility:
To contin ue projects begun in another program besides Animator.

Perhaps you started a project in another program, but have
since discovered that Animator offers more fe atures, greater
potential, or simply a preferable w o r k in g environment. You can
convert your files and continue the project using Animator.
393
Input and Output
To acquire clip-art images created for other programs and for com
puters that are not PC-compatible.
Thousands of clip-art packages exist, created in many differ
ent formats and designed to be used on different brands of com
puters. If you find a clip-art package that you particularly like, but
which is only available for, say, the Macintosh, you can convert
the images for use in Animator.
To capture screen shots for software demos.
Suppose you want to create a presentational sequence to
demonstrate a software product that runs on the PC. You will
need to capture a handful of screen images from that product
before creating the sequence in Animator. Although Animator
provides no screen capture program of its own, such p rograms are
available from other sources, and almost all of them can save
images in the standard PCX format, which can be read by the Con
verter utility.
Transferring Images to the PC

Before you can convert an image created on a different computer, you
must first transfer the file containing that image to a PC-compatible
disk or hard drive. There are three possible transfer methods:
Networking. Using the proper cables and a compatible piece of

communications software, you can establish a network over
which files from one computer can be shared with another. For
example, you can physically link a Macintosh and a PC using a
s erial connector or AppleTalk. A communications program such
as Tops or MacLink then permits files to be swapped back and
forth between the machines.
For more information Using a modem. If your PC and the other computer are not located
about setting up a in the same building, you can copy files from the remote machine
network or purchasing a
over phone lines using a modem. Both machines must be
modem, contact your
local computer dealer.
equipped with modems and compatible communications soft
ware. A common way to acquire clip-art images with your modem
is to subscribe to a professional bulletin board service, such as
CompuServe or Genie. Both services provide vast libraries of art
work which you can copy for an hourly fee.
Reading foreign disks. Some utilities allow you to read disks for
matted fo r other computers. For example, the Apple File
Exchange software on the Macintosh computer allows you to read
and write to 3. 5-inch disks formatted for the PC. The Atari ST wi ll
394
12-Convertlng Artwork from Other Environments
also read 3 . 5 -inch disks. To format a 720K disk which can be read
by the Atari ST, type f o rmat a : / t : 80 / n : 9 at the DOS prompt, then
insert the disk to b e formatted in drive A.
Convertible File Types

The Converter utility recognizes the file types it can convert by their
extensions. An incorrect extension won't prevent the Converter from
loading the file, but i t will make the conversion process less conven
ient. The file types recognized by the Converter and their extensions
are listed in Table 1 2 . 1 .
Table 1 2 . 1 T h e File Types Recognized by t h e Converter Utility
Computer Software or File Type Extension
Amiga Amiga Live! animations .RIF

Amiga Deluxe Paint ill animations .ANI
Amiga Standard IFF pictures .LBM
Amiga Zoetrope animations . RIF
Atari S T Cyber animations .SEQ
Atari ST Degas pictures . Pl l , .Pl2, .Pl3
Atari ST Degas Elite pictures .PCl ,. .PC2, .PC3
Atari ST Neochrome pictures .NEO
Macintosh MacPaint pictures . MA C
PC Animator animations .FLI
PC CompuServe GIF pictures .GIF
PC Deluxe Paint II pictures .LBM
PC Standard PCX pictures .PCX
PC Targa TGA or PIX pictures .TGA
After you have copied the file to be converted to a PC disk and

renamed it using the proper three-character extension, you are ready
to use the Converter utility.
Using the Converter

To launch the Converter, type c o n v e r t at the DOS prompt inside the
Animator directory and press Enter. The empty Converter window and
a menu bar, shown in Figure 1 2 . 1 , will appear.
395
Input and Output
Figure 12.1 The empty Converter window.
Using the Converter utility is basically a three-step process:
Load the picture or animation file using commands from the Flic
and Pie menus.
Step 2 is applicable only Use the Scale, Move, and Slide commands in the Converter menu
to single-image picture to change the size and position of the image with respect to the
files. The commands
dimensions of the Animator drawing area (320 by 200 pixels).
from the Converter menu
cannot be applied to Choose the Save Flic or Save Gif command to save the artwork in
animation files. a format which can be read by Animator.
The commands used to convert artwork to the Animator environ

ment are described in the following pages.
Loading Files
The Flic and Pie menus provide several commands for loading artwork
into the Converter window. Commands from the Flic menu are used to
load animation files; commands from the Pie menu are used to load still
pictures.
Shown in Figure 12.2, the Load commands from the Flic menu
include the following:
396
12-Converting Artwork from Other Envronments
i
Load Amiga. Choose this command, or press the F key followed by

the A key, to display a list of options labeled Load an Am i g a mov i ng
pi cture?.
Press 1 t o load an RIF animation file created in Zoetrope or Amiga

Live! on the Amiga.
Press 2 to load an animation file created in Electronic Art's Deluxe
Paint III software on the Amiga.
Press 0 to cancel the Load Amiga command.
For Amiga animation files to convert successfully, they must

have been saved with a resolution of 320 by 2 00 pixels and
no more than 32 colors.
Load ST. Choose this command to load a Cyber animation file

from the Atari ST.
Load Flic. Choose this command to load an Animator flic file .
Since y o u can load such files directly into Animator without con
verting them, this command is used primarily for viewing pur
poses.
Shown in Figure 1 2 . 3 , the Load commands from the Pie menu in

clude the following:
CONVEIO:TER: PIC
AM I GA
ST
FLIC
Figure 12.2 The Load commands from the Flic menu.
397
Input and Output
Load Targa. Choose this command, or press the P key followed b y

the L key, t o load pictures created i n combination with Truevi
sion's Targa 16 video display boards. See Chapter 13 for more
information.
Load Amiga. Choose this command to load an IFF file created
with various painting programs on the Amiga.
Load ST. Choose this command to display a list of options labeled
Load a n A t a r i ST s t i l l p i c t u r e?, shown in Figure 12 .4.
Press 1 to load a Neochrome picture from the Atari ST.

Press 2 to load a low-resolution Degas picture from the Atari ST.
Press 3 to load a medium-resolution Degas picture from the Atari
ST.
Press 4 to load a high-resolution Degas picture from the Atari ST.
Press 5 to load a low-resolution Degas Elite picture from the Atari
ST.
Press 6 to. load a medium-resolution Degas Elite picture from the
Atari ST.
Press 7 to load a high-resolution Degas Elite picture from the Atari
ST.
Press 0 to cancel the Load ST command.
TAAGA
AM I GA
ST
MAC I NTOSH
PCX
GIF
Figure 12.3 The Load commands from the Pie menu.
398
12-Converting Artwork from Other Environments
LOAD NEOCHROME C . NEO >

LOAD DEGAS LO RES C .PI 1 )
DEGAS MEO RES C .PI2)
DEGAS H I GH RES C . PI)
DEGAS E L I TE LO RES C . PC 1 )
E L I TE MED RES C . PC2 )
E L I TE H I GH RES C . PC3 >
Figure 12.4 The list of options displayed by choosing

the Load ST command.
Load Macintosh. Choose this command to load a monochrome

picture saved in the MacPaint format on the Macintosh.
Load PCX. Choose this command to load a 1 6-color picture cre
ated using PC Paintbrush or a compatible program on the PC.
Load GIF. Choose this command to load GIF pictures available
from the CompuServe commercial bulletin board service. These
pictures typically have higher resolutions than Animator GIF
files.
Adjusting a Converted Picture

After you load a picture into the Converter window, you have the op
tion to adj ust its size and position using the Scale, Move, and Slide com
mands from the Converter menu. If you have loaded an animation file,
however, these commands will be dimmed. You do not have the option
to adj ust pictures i n an animation file. At this j uncture, your only
choice is to continue on to Step 3 of the conversion process and save the
animation as a flic file, following the instructions in the Viewing and
Saving Files section.
Most painting programs offer higher resolutions than Animator.
Paintings created on the Macintosh, for example, contain more than
399
Input and Output
twice as many pixels per inch as Animator pictures. As a result, the

MacPaint picture shown in Figure . 1 2 . 5 loads into the Converter win
dow at the greatly enlarged size shown in Figure 1 2 .6.
Figure 12.5 A MacPaint picture.
CONVERTER: F LIC
ABOUT
MEMORY
SCA LE
MOVE
S L I DE
QU I T
Figure 1 2 . 6 T h e picture in Figure 1 2 . 5 loaded

into the Converter window.
400
12-Converting Artwork from Oth er Environments
The missing portion o f the MacPaint picture still exists, but it

can't be displayed since it's outside the boundaries of the Converter
window. You must be careful not to save the picture as a GIF file in its
current state since the unseen portion of the picture will be deleted.
The commands in the Converter menu, shown in Figure 1 2 . 6, allow
you to alter the converted picture before saving it, so as to retain as
much graphic information as possible.
The commands in the Converter menu include the following:
About. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the A

key, to display information about the Converter utility.
Memory. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by
the M key, to display the message box shown in Figure 1 2 . 7 . The
amount of free memory in the computer's RAM (random access
memory), as well as the largest unused chunk of memory, are
listed.
Scale. Choose this command, or press the C key followed by the S
key, to display a list of options for reducing or enlarging the con
verted image so that it fills the Converter window more accu
rately.
You cannot access the Move. After you choose this command, click, and then move your
Move and Slide cursor to move the image inside the window. Click again to fix the
commands from the
image in its new position. Right-click to end the Move command
keyboard, but you can
choose the Quit and redisplay the menu bar.
command by pressing Slide. Choose this command to display a list of options for moving
the a key. the image over the course of multiple frames so as to create a
scrolling flic.
Quit. Choose this command or press the Q key to quit the Con
verter utility and return to DOS. An alert box will appear, asking
you to confirm your choice.
The important commands from this menu are the Scale, Move,
and Slide commands. These commands are discussed in more detail in
the following pages.
The Scale Command

Choose the Scale command to display a list of options labeled S c a l e . ,
as shown in Figure 1 2 .8. These options operate as follows:
Set Width. Click this option or press 1 to specify a width in pixels

for the converted picture. A message box containing a slider bar
will appear; you then adj ust the slider bar to the correct width.
40 1
Input and Output
CONVERTER - MEMORY
3609ae eVTES FREE

3609aS LARGEST
Figure 1 2 . 7 The Memory command displays information on the

amount of free RAM.
1 SET H I DTH 3a0

2 SET HE I GHT 200
3 DEFAU LT . 3a0x200
4 CORRECT ASPECT RAT I O
s REVERT S7SX720
e D I THER
7 RENDER
0 EX I T MENU
Figure 1 2.8 The Scale options.
402
12-Converfing Artwork from Other Environments
The current width setting will be displayed to the right of the

option name.
Selecting the Render Set Height. Click this option or press 2 to specify a height in pixels
option resizes the for the converted picture. A message box containing a slider bar
converted picture to the
will appear; you then adjust the slider bar to the correct height.
width and height
The current height setting will be displayed to the right of the
specified by the Set
Width and Set Height option name.
options. Defaul t. Click this option or press3 to restore the current width
and height settings to 3 2 0 by 200 pixels, the dimensions of the
Animator drawing area.
Correct Aspect Ratio. Click this option or press 4 to decrease the
current width or height setting so that the ratio between the two is
8 : 5 ; this ratio duplicates the proportions of the Animator drawing
area. Generally, the picture will still be too la rge to fit in the Con
verter window.
Revert. Click this option or press 5 to restore the width and height
settings to their values prior to choosing the Scale command.
Dither. Click this option or press 6 to toggle the dithering control
on and off. When the Dither option is on, the pixels are treated in
relation to other pixels; this slows down the scaling process and
decreases the apparent resolution, but produces more accurate
results.
Render. Click this option or press
7 to apply the Scale command
according to the current width and height settings.
Exit Menu. Click this option or press 0 to hide the Scale options
and return home.
For the best results, try to retain the original proportions of your
converted picture. This means you should not rely on the Default or
Correct Aspect Ratio options, both of which may alter the appearance
of the picture. Figures 1 2 . 9 and 1 2 . 1 0 are good examples of this. The
original dimensions of the baseball player picture were 5 7 6 by 720
pixels, an 8:10 ratio. To retain these proportions, the current width set
ting was left at 320 and the current height setting was changed to 400.
Selecting the Render option produced the picture shown in Figure 1 2 .9.
Selecting the Default option, however, changes the current width
and height settings to 3 2 0 by 2 00, the same 8 : 5 ratio as the Animator
drawing area. The result of applying these settings is shown in Figure
1 2 . 1 0 . The entire image fits in the Converter window, but the picture is
squashed and unsightly.
403
Input and Output
CONVERTER FLIC PI
Figure 1 2.9 Scaling the picture while retaining the

proper proportions.
CONVERTER FLIC PIC
Figure 1 2.10 Scaling the picture to the default dimensions.
404
12-Converting Artwork from Other En vironments
The Scale command may produce out-of-memory errors i f there i s

n o t enough free RAM. Try scaling the picture t o a smaller size or
quit the Converter utility, relaunch it, and try again. The amount
of free RAM needed for any given image can be calculated by mul
tiplying the total X resolution by the total Y resolution.
In the process of scaling an image, the Converter averages adj a

cent pixels to produce a smoothing effect. This is especially noticeable
i n Figures 1 2 . 9 and 1 2 . 1 0, in which the formerly monochrome image
now contains many gray pixels of varying luminosity. T h e scaled
images appear less j agged and more true to their original appearance as
a result.
The Move Command

If an image still doesn't fit into the Converter window after you apply
the Scale command, you can try to move it into a better position with
the Move command. After you choose the Move command, the menu
bar will disappear. Click anywhere in the window to pick up the image,
then move the cursor to move the image. A status bar will track the
move, as shown in Figure 1 2 . 1 1 . The first pair of numbers indicate the
distance between the upper left corner of the image and the upper left
corner of the window. In the example shown in Figure 1 2 . 1 1 , the upper
left corner of the image is 2 pixels to the right of the upper left corner of
the window and 45 pixels above it. The second pair (in parentheses)
represents the relative distance from the point where you clicked to the
current cursor location; in other words, the second pair records the dis
tance of the move.
When you've finished the move, click to fix the image in place, or
right-click to cancel the move. After you end this move, you can move
the image again or right-click to complete the Move command and
redisplay the menu bar.
The Slide Command

The Slide command is really an enhanced Move command. It differs in
effect from the Move command only in that it moves an image over the
course of several frames, thereby creating a scrolling animation. This
command is especially useful when you want to retain an image at a
fairly large size but don't want to lose the portions of the image that
extend beyond the screen. The resulting sequence of frames must be
saved as a flic file.
405
Input and Output
2 -4S C0 - 15)
Figure 12.11 Moving an image in the Converter window.
Choose the Slide command to display a list of options labeled

SL i de , as shown in Figure 12.12. These options operate as follows:
. . .
Slide with Mouse. Click this option or press 1 to move the image,
following the directions given for the Move command. The dis
tance of the move will be recorded by the current x and y settings
in the status bar.
Set X. Click this option or press 2 to specify a horizontal move dis
tance in pixels. A message box containing a slider bar will appear;
you th e n set the slider bar to the correct distance. Negative values
slide the p i ctur e to the left; positive values slide the picture to the
right. The current x setting will be displayed to the right of the
option name.
Set Y. Click this option or press 3 to specify a vertical move dis
tance in pixels. A message box containing a slider bar will appear;
you then set the slider bar to the current distance. Negative values
slide the picture upward; positive values slide the picture down
ward. The current y setting will be displayed to the right of the
option name.
Set Frames . Click this option or press 4 to specify the number of
frames over which the current movement settings will be applied.
A message box containing a slider bar will appear; you then set
the slider bar to the correct number of frames.
406
The Render and Save options produce a sequence as follows:

the converted picture moves the distance specified by the
Set X and Set Y options, over the course of the number of
frames specified by the Set Frames option.
Complete. Click this option or press 5 to toggle this option on and

off. An asterisk appears in front of the option when it is on, indi
cating that the movement will b e applied from beginning to end of
the sequence. When the Complete option is turned off, the final
outcome of the movement is not applied. Instead, the sequence
will only approach the final outcome, as if the last frame has been
deleted.
Preview. Click this option or press 6 to see how the current move
ment settings will appear when saved as a flic file. If you don't like
the preview, you can cancel the Slide command o r adjust the Set
X , Set Y, Set Frames, and Complete options; then preview the
sequence again.
Render and Save. Click this option or press 7 to apply the Slide
command according to the current movement and frame settings.
A file selector panel will appear; you then determine the name
and location of the flic file you are saving to disk. The flic will
display frame-by-frame as it saves. The saved file will have an FLI
extension.
Exit Men u . Click this option or press O to hide the Slide options
and return home.
In general, the Slide command is most useful when the current

picture is either too tall or too wide to fit in the Converter window, but
not both. For example, the picture shown in Figure 1 2 . 1 1 is too tall.
Since its total height is 400 pixels (which you may recall from scaling
the image earlier), you would change the Set Y option to 400 prior to
applying the Slide command. Also, leave the Complete option turned
off so that the final frame is not a repeat of the first frame; the result is a
smooth and continuous scrolling effect.
Even after you select the Render and Save option and save the
scrolling flic to disk, the image remaining in the Converter window is
still treated as a still picture rather than an animation sequence. There
fore, you can apply more manipulations to the picture and even save it
as a GIF (picture) file.
407
Input and Output
1 S L. I DE I TH MOUSE
2 SET X 0
3 SET V 0
4 SET FR:FIHES S0
s COMP L.ETE
6 PR:EV I E
7 R:ENOER: A N O SAVE
0 EX I T MENU
Figure 12.12 The Slide options.
Viewing and Saving Files

The last step in using the Converter utility is to save the animation or
picture file to disk. If the file is an animation file, you can play the se
quence before you save it by choosing the View command from the Flic
menu. You can also display picture files without the menu bar using
this command. Right-click or press any key to redisplay the menu bar.
The View command can be quirky, sometimes hiding the picture

in the window along with the menu bar. If this happens, choose
the Move command, then click anywhere. Right-click when the
picture reappears.
Choose the Save Flic command from the Flic menu to save an ani
mation sequence that was loaded using a command from the Flic
menu. The saved animation file will have an FU extension. It is not
necessary to apply the Save Flic command to a scrolling flic created
with the Slide command; selecting the Render and Save option has al
ready saved the flic to disk.
Choose the Save GIF command from the Pie menu to save a pic
ture file to disk. Keep in mind that you will lose any portion of the
408
image which extends beyond the Converter window. The Save GIF
command is usually applied to images which fit completely into the
window, such as the picture shown in Figure 1 2 . 1 3 . The saved picture
file will have a GIF extension.
Figure 1 2 . 1 3 This PCX image was scaled and moved so that it fits
in its entirety in the Converter window; now it is ready to be
saved as a GIF file.
Once your artwork is saved i n either the FLI or GIF format, i t is

ready to be loaded into Animator.
The FLimaker
The Animator package also includes the FLimaker program, which al

lows you to convert AutoCAD, AutoSketch, and AutoShade slides, as
well as AutoShade rendering files, to frames in an animation sequence.
Using FLimaker is a three-step process:
Save the files that you want to convert with SLD or RND exten
sions.
Create a list of the files to be converted in a word processor; then
save the list as an ASCII file (text only, no formatting).
409
Input and Output
Apply th e FLimaker program t o the file list. Each slide o r render

ing in the file list becomes a frame in the resulting flic file.
The method for saving a file in the SLD or RND format depends on the
Autodesk program that you're using. The method appropriate to each
program is outlined separately in the following pages.
Saving an AutoCAD Slide
If you want to convert a file created in AutoCAD, follow these steps to

save the file with an SLD extension:
Launch AutoC AD.

Load the file to be converted.
Type f i l l off at the DOS prompt and press Enter. This is neces
sary because FLimaker cannot correctly process areas with solid
fills.
Type ms l i de followed by a file name and press Enter.
Quit AutoCAD.
Saving an AutoSketch Slide
If you want to convert a file created in AutoSketch, follow these steps to

Launch AutoSketch.
Delete any filled shapes created with the Fill Region tool from the
Draw menu. FLim ak e r cannot correctly process areas with solid
fills.
Choose the Make Slide command from the File menu. Type a file
name in the message box and press Enter.
Quit AutoSketch.
Saving an AutoShade Slide or Rendering
If you want to convert a file created in AutoShade, follow these steps to

Launch AutoShade.
410
Load the file to b e converted.

Choose the Make Slide command from the Display menu. Type a
file name in the mess age box and press Enter.
Quit AutoShade.
FLimaker will also convert files created with an RND extension

using AutoShade version 1. lx. To create a n RND file, follow these steps:
Set the SHADERDFILE parameter to create a VGA-resolution file.

To accomplish this on the PC, type s e t s h ade r d f i L e=320 , 2 00 ,
1 0000, 1 3 1 00 , 2 5 6 , 63,64 a t the D OS prompt in t h e AutoShade
directory and press Enter.
Type s hade - r at the DOS prompt and press Enter to reconfigure
the AutoShade application.
Answer the Po i n t i n g d ev i c e , D i s p l a y de v i c e , and R e n d e r i n g
d i s p l a y de v i c e messages as you normally would.
When the Rende r i ng h a rd c op y d e v i c e message appears, select the
Rende r i n g f i l e (256 c o l o u r map) option.
Launch AutoShade.
If a check mark does not appear before the Hard Copy command
in the Display menu, choose this command to turn it on.
Choose the Full Shade or Fast Shade command from the Display
menu.
Quit AutoShade.
Creating a File List
After you save the slides and renderings you want to convert, you must
create a list of these files in a word processor, such as WordPerfect,
Microsoft Word, or XyWrite. Simply type the name of each file sepa
rated by a carriage return into the word processor. Then save the file as
a text-only file without formatting.
Save all SLD and RND files, as well as the text-only file list, to the
directory containing the Animator program. If you prefer to keep
your files in other directories, you will need to include path infor
mation in the file list o r to specify the path when using the
FLimaker program.
411
Input and Output
Converting the File

To view usage information (also called parameters) for the FLimaker
program, type fl i maker at the DOS prompt while inside the Animator
directory. The following text will appear on the screen:
F LIMA KER v1 .0 ( C ) 1 989 Autodesk, Inc.

Usage: FLIMAKER [-vJ <f i lel i st> <fl i name> [speed]
Use the -v opt i on to use the VGA screen while convert i ng.
If [speed] s om i tted, the default i s 4 .
This information is followed by th e DOS prompt. The text in capi

tal letters following the word Usage: indicates the literal text you must
enter whenever you apply th e FLimaker program. The words in brack
ets, such as [-vJ , indicate optional entries. However, you must supply
text for variables inside angle brackets, such as <f ileli st>. The op
tions and variables for the FLimaker program include the following:
-v. Enter this option to instruct FLimaker to display each con

verted file on your VGA screen at a resolution of 320 by 200 pixels,
the same resolution at which they will appear when played in
Animator.
f i lel i st. Enter the name of the text-only file list created in the
word processor, including the path name if necessary. For exam
ple, if the file list is called AUTOFILE. TXT and is located on drive
D, enter d : \autof ile. txt for this variable.
fliname. Enter a file name for the flic file created by the FLimaker
program. Do not include the FLI extension.
speed. For this option, enter any number between 1 and 70 to set
the default play speed for the animation sequence. The speed can,
of course, be changed inside Animator's Frames panel.
Suppose all slide and rendering files, as well as the ASCII file list,
are located in the Animator directory. If the fil e list name is
AUTOFILE.TXT, you might type the following text at the DOS prompt:
f l i maker -v autof i le. txt autofl i c 1 0
This script instructs FLimaker t o create a new flic file called

AUTOFLIC.FLI. This file will contain all of the images stored in the
4 12
files listed in AUTOFILE.TXT, the ASCII file list. The play speed saved
with this flic will be 10 j iffies, or 7 frames per second. After you press
Enter, each slide and rendering will be displayed on the screen as it is
recorded to a frame in the flic file .
An error will occur under any of the following conditions:
A slide or rendering listed in the ASCII file is not saved properly.

One of the slide file names or rendering file names is spe1led
wrong in the ASCII list or is not located in the directory listed.
The ASCII file itself is not saved as a text-only file, is not spelled
correctly, or is not located in the correct directory.
There is not enough disk space to save the converted flic file.
If an error occurs, correct your mistake and reapply the FLimaker

program. After you have converted the slides and renderings success
fully, you can delete the slide and rendering files as well as the ASCII
file list. The only file required by Animator is the converted flic file.
What You've Learned
The Converter utility, included with Animator, will convert ani

mation and picture files created on the Amiga, Atari ST, and Mac
intosh computers to a format which can be read by Animator.
Files in the PC X and GIF formats can also be co nv erted.
To use the Converter utility; you must first copy the file from the
foreign computer to a PC disk or hard drive. This can be accom
plished t hrough networking, by using a modem, or b y using a util
ity that can read disks formatted on other computers.
Pictures created in other painting applications generally have
higher resolutions than the Animator window. To compensate for
this, th e Converter menu provides three commands-Scale,
Move, and Slide-for adj usting the size and positioning of con
verted pictures.
The Scale, Move, and Slide commands cannot be applied to ani
mation files. Animation files must be converted as is.
The FLimaker program, included with Animator, converts slides
and renderings created in AutoCAD, AutoSk etch, and Auto
Shade.
4 13
Input and Output
AutoCAD and AutoSketch files must be saved as slides before

they can be converted with FLimaker. AutoShade pictures can be
saved as slides or renderings.
To convert multiple slides and renderings to frames in a flic file
using FLimaker, you must first type a list of these pictures in a
word processor and save the list in a text-only format. Each slide
or rendering in the list must be separated with carriage returns so
that each file appears on a different line.
Type f l i ma k e r at the DOS prompt inside the Animator directory
to display the parameters for the program.
4 14
T H I R T E E N
Capturing
Photographic
IIDages and
Artwork
The previous chapter explained how to convert images and animation
sequences from different programs into Animator's GIF or FLI format.
This chapter expands the concept of input beyond the environment of
the computer into the real world. With the aid of third-party peripher
als and image-processing software, you can capture photographic
images and artwork as electronic images for use in Animator (and in
similar PC painting programs).
Using Digitized Images
Starting from scratch i s hardly the most efficient way to create comput
erized artwork or animation. If you are willing to spend money to save
time, you may want to purchase additional hardware and software for
the purpose of transferring "re al-life" images to disk. With the correct
combination of hardware and software, you can, for example, capture
live images with a video camera. Similarly, you can capture printed
images, such as photographs or artwork, using a (more expensive)
scanner.
Digitization (also called scanning) is the process of converting

real-life images into a format which can be read by a painting pro
gram such as Animator.
4 15
Input and Output
Whether captured from live or printed sources, digitize d images

can be used in any number of different drawing situations. The follow
ing represent only a handful of the myriad possibilities:
Employee photos. Staff mug shots are useful for in-house presenta
tions or even for electronic monthly newsletters. It takes several
hours to draw a decent picture of a workmate; it takes five seconds
to shoot their picture. The latter is also more accurate, as demon
strated by Figure 1 3 . 1 .
Product renderings. Scanned product photographs and renderings
can be used in product demonstrations, one of the most common
applications of presentation software. As shown in Figure 1 3 . 2 , a
product rendering helps users to understand where parts are
located and how these parts are used.
Backgrounds. A scanned landscape or building scene can serve as
a realistic background for almost any kind of animation, as shown
in Figure 1 3 . 3 . Digitized images are especially common in archi
tectural presentations, in which a prospective b uilding is dis
played in front of a highly accurate digitized site.
Classic artwork. Scanning published images is often precluded by
copyright laws. However, some of the best artwork ever created
has been in the public domain for years. While defacing images of
great art is rarely in good taste, artwork such as that shown in
Figure 13.1 The author, accurately captured by a video camera.
416
1 3-Capturing Photographic Images and Artwork
Figure 1 3 . 4 can be used to create a certain mood or to add an air of

elegance.
P rimsry handle
Electrottlc viewfinder /
..
'..
C ssseHe holder
Figure 13.2 An enhanced digitized product rendering.
Figure 1 3 . 3 A digitized background heightens the appearance of

realism in almost any animation sequence.
417
Input and Output
From ancient fresco to electronic pixel: a detail from

Figure 1 3 .4
Michelangelo's The Creation on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Enhancing Scanned Images

Regardless of how successful a scan is, you will almost always want to
enhance digitized images so that they satisfy your specific require
ments. Consider, for example, the image shown in Figure 13.5. You
have digitized your product sitting on a book shelf. But the more you
look at the image , the worse it looks-it seems drab, barely adequate.
To impress viewers, it needs to look better than life.
Don't rely on your With less than half an hour of effort, you can transform your drab
scanned images as final digitized product into the polished final piece shown in Fig u r e 1 3 .6.
products. Be prepared to
The background has been made more consistent and given a slight hint
enhance them to satisfy
your specific require
of gradation. Text has also been added to tie in the picture with an es
ments. tablished marketing theme.
Combining Scans
There's no law that says you can't use more than one scanned image in
a single picture. In fact, one of the beauties of the computer as an artis
tic tool is that it can be used to bend and shape reality to your specifica
tions. One photo graphi c image can be coupled seamlessly with another
to produce unusual, even surrealistic collages.
4 18
13-Capturing Photographic Images and Artwork
Figure 13.5 A drab product image.
Figure 1 3 . 6 The enhanced picture has professional appeal.
For example, the picture shown in Figure 13.7 was captured with
a specific purpose in mind. On its own, the picture seems uninteresting,
perhaps odd at best. But when combined with the lunar landscape from
419
Input and Output
the MOON.GIF painting included with the Animator program, the pic
ture demonstrates an entirely different quality. As shown in Figure
1 3 . 8 and in Color Plate 16, the two digitized images combine to produce
a unique effect.
Figure 13.7 This odd self-portrait. ..
Figure 13.8 . was shot specifically with this result in mind.

..
420
Special Effects
The Effects. . . command Animator's ability to manipulate real-life images is remarkable. The
in the Flic menu is options provided by choosing the Effects . . . command from the Flic
especially suited to
menu yield some especially fine results. For example, the dramatic
manipulating scanned
split screen effect shown in Figure 1 3 . 1 0 has been created using these
images.
options. The close-up image shown in Figure 1 3 .9 serves as the starting
point of this effect. First, the Shrink x2 option is applied; then the image
is copied and repeated to fill the drawing area .
Figure 13.9 A close-up image.
If a s canne d image doesn't fill a space adequately, you can achieve

extraordinary success using the Expand x 2 option. In Figure 1 3 . 1 1 , the
Expand x2 option has been applied to the area around the author's right
eye. The expand x2 option is then applied a second time to produce the
image shown in Figure 1 3 . 1 2 . Due to Animator's use of color averaging,
the accuracy of this enlargement is uncanny, as if the image had been
scanned in at this size. You can almost begin to believe that Animator's
expansion feature is capable of displaying new detail in a picture.
Animator allows you to make excellent use of digitized photo
graphs and artwork. However, the price of this additional performance
is high. Since Animator itself provides no means for capturing real-life
images, you must explore the largely uncharted and frequently expen
sive territories of third-party hardware and utilities.
421
Input and Output
Figure 13.10 The same image shrunken and repeated.
... . .. .
.. '
:; .
Figure 13.11 Doubling the size of the image once.
422
Figure 13.12 Expanding the image a second time seems to

produce new details.
Input Devices
Various combinations of hardware and software allow you to convert

photographs and artwork into Animator-compatible images. Although
these combinations differ to one degree or another, they all require four
basic components:
Cam er a A VCR, video camera/recorder (camcorder) , or elec

.
tronic scanner is required to record analog video information or to

digitize photographs and artwork.
Video board. The video board processes the analog or digitized
data and converts it to a binary format which can be read by the
computer.
Connector cables. Cables are required to connect your camcorder
or scanner to the video board and to connect the video board to
your monitor.
Image-processing utility. Images cannot be scanned directly into
Animator. A special utility program, generally included with the
423
Input and Output
video board, is required to process the digitized image and save it

to disk.
In theory, inputting full-color images from the real world is a sim

ple enough proposition. You begin with a real-life subject, such as a
person or a product, or a printed image, such as a photograph or a piece
of artwork. You then record this image with a camera or scanner. The
camera transmits data to the video board in your computer over a ca
ble. The software reads the image from the video board and stores it in a
special buffer in your computer's memory. After you edit the image
within the limitations of the image-processing utility, you can transfer
the image from the buffer to disk. If the utility does not store images in
the GIF format (320 by 200 pixels), you must convert the image to the
correct format, as described in Chapter 1 2 , before loading it into Ani
mator.
Simplified further, the image-capturing process consists of three
basic steps:
Record your real-life subject with a camcorder or scanner. The

image is automatically communicated to your computer over a
cable connected to a video board.
Edit the image using a compatible utility and save it to disk.
Convert the image using the Animator File Format Converter, fol
lowing the instructions in the previous chapter.
Once you get the hardware and software set up properly, digitiz
ing images is no more difficult than importing text or printing docu
ments, practices common to other types of computer programs.
Unfortunately, the initial setup can be time-consuming and frustrating.
Because each video board is installed and operated differently, we can
not provide a set of general instructions. Instead, we provide brief de
scriptions of the hardware and software that are available, so that you
can choose the combination best suited to your situation.
The Jovian VIA
The Jovian VIA board is The least expensive image-capturing system for use with Animator is a
the best and least standard video camcorder connected to a Jovian VIA (Video Input
expensive scanning
Adapter) capture board. On the positive side, the Jovian VIA board
solution if you intend to
use your scans exclu sports a standard RCA video input j ack (the type used by most stereo
sively in Animator. equipment), making it easy and inexpensive to locate cables. In fact,
many camcorders, provide output cables ending in RCA plugs as stan
dard equipment.
424
Also on the positive side is the VU.EXE i mage-processing utility

included in the package. It can store 8-bit images (256 colors) to four
common formats: CUT, supported by the popular Dr. Halo line of PC
painting programs; PCX, supported by the PC Paintbrush series and the
Animator Converter utility; 64 gray-level TIFF, used by desktop pub
lishing programs such as Aldus PageMaker; and GIF, the format sup
ported directly by Animator.
The utility saves at two resolutions only, 320 by 200 pixels and
320 by 240 pixels. The latter tends to produce more accurate results,
but these must b e cropped using the Converter utility before they can
be loaded into Animator. Both of these resolutions are i deal for Anima
tor users. However, if you intend to use your scanned images with
other programs, you may want to consider another alternative. PC
Paintbrush, for example, permits you to create paintings with 640 by
480 pixel resolutions, twice the resolution of the VIA scans!
The Targa 1 6
If you have more money t o spend, as well a s more patience during the
setup period, you may want to consider the Targa 1 6 or the Everex Vi
sion 1 6 videographics adapter. Both boards can produce 5 1 2 -by-480-
pixel images containing as many as 3 2 , 768 colors, making them the
most professional-quality boards on the market. They also double as
video output boards, a subject covered in Chapter 1 5 . While both the
Targa 1 6 and the Everex Vision 16 far exceed Animator's image-pro
cessing capabilities, they are almost universally compatible with more
sophisticated still-image programs.
If you want to use your scanned images in higher-resolution pro

grams, use the Targa 16 board in combination with the TIPS imag
ing software.
Like the Jovian VIA, these boards are used with a camcorder or
VCR. However, neither board offers an RCA j ack, which makes the
hook-up procedure more difficult. Depending on your camcorder, cus
tom cables may b e required. Also, both boards require an additional
monitor for viewing the inputting procedure (all software options dis
play on the Targa monitor only).
Truevision, makers of the Targa 16, provide a stand-alone image
processing program called TIPS (Truevision Image Processing Software).
This program provides a multitude of useful painting capabilities, some
425
Input and Output
of which rival or surpass Animator's. However, you must own the Targa
16 board to so much as launch TIPS.
Targa 16 (TGA) files can be converted to the Animator format us
ing the Converter utility.
Scanning Devices
If you're more interested in capturing printed photographs and artwork

than live images, you should shop around for a flatbed scanner, a device
similar to a photocopier. You operate a flatbed scanner by laying the
printed image face down on the scanner window. The page remains
stationary while an optic sensor moves sweep-by-sweep to record the
image.
Refer to the Input A 3 5 mm slide scanner allows you to capture images stored on
Devices and Cables 3 5 mm slides . Slide processing adaptors are also available for some
section in Appendix C
brands of camcorders. While the camcorder alternative is generally
for recommended
models of flatbed and
cheaper, the input quality tends to be less dependable as well. Conven
35mm slide scanners. tional wisdom has it that true 35 mm slide scanners produce the truest
colors of any input device. This is especially noticeable when images
scanned with a true 3 5 m m slide scanner are compared to images
scanned with the Jovian VIA board. Despite its economic merits, the
Jovian VIA brand displays washed-out and often inaccurate hues and
values.
It is difficult to be as specific on the subject of scanners as on video
input boards, since there are almost as many varieties of flatbed and
slide scanners as there are camcorders and VCRs. Suffice it to say that
most can be used with or without a Targa 1 6 board to produce TGA
files, which can then be converted to the 320-by-200-pixel GIF format
using the Converter utility.
For complete company and address information on products men
tioned in this chapter, refer to Appendix C.
What You've Learned
Photos, artwork, and live images can be digitized into electronic

pictures on your computer screen using input peripherals such as
video boards and scanners.
Digitized i m a ge s provide a starting poi nt for the process of c re at -
426
ing graphics. They spare you the time-consuming task of creating

illustrations from scratch.
Don't rely on scanned images as final products. Scans can be
enhanced, transformed, or combi ned with other scanned images
to meet your specific needs.
Common subjects for digitizing are personnel mug shots, product
renderings, scenic or on-site backgrounds, and classical (non
copyrighted) artwork.
The Jovian VIA board in combination with a standard camcorder
is the b est value if you intend to scan live images solely for use in
Animator.
The Targa 16 board in combination with a standard camcorder
and the TIPS image-processing utility is more expensive than the
Jovian VIA b oard, but provides greater color control and higher
resolution scans for use with other applications.
If you are a professional digitizer, combine a Targa 1 6 board with a
flatbed or 35mm slide scanner. Add a high-end VHS camcorder,
and there isn't a thing in the world you won't be able to scan.
By itself, Animator is not capable of capturing scanned images. If
you wish to digitize photographs and artwork, you must purchase
the makings of a scanning system, including a camera, a video
board, the necessary connector cables, and an image-processing
utility.
427
F 0 U R T E E N
Playing
AniIDations
On-Screen
Now that you've finished your animation, how do you get your tour de
force before the viewers?
Videotape is probably the best medium for distributing a finished
animation. However, as the next chapter points out, transferring ani
mation sequences from Animator to videotape can be an expensive and
time-consuming task. Unless you intend to create a large supply of ani
mation sequences, it's hardly worth the money or e ffort to transfer
them to videotape.
I f your resources and goals are more limited, there is an easier
way. If you distribute your flies to people who own IBM-compatible
personal computers, you can simply copy the animation files to disk
along with a public domain Player utility (AAPLAY. EXE) packaged
with Animator. By placing this utility in the public domain, Autodesk
authorizes users to distribute the Player without paying licensing fees
or providing any other form of compensation. Autodesk also provides
an instruction file (AAPLAY.DOC) for distribution with your flic files.
These instructions are a word-for-word duplication of the text in Ap
pendix E of the Animator Reference Manual, also included with the
Animator program.
The people to whom you've distributed your animation disk
can read the AAPLAY. DOC file by inserting your distribution disk in
drive A of their computer and entering the following text at the DOS
prompt:
t y p e a : \ a a p l a y . doc l m o r e
A page of text from Appendix E will appear on the screen, and the
429
Input and Output
word Mo r e will appear at the bottom of the screen. Pressing Enter will
scroll the text upward and display the next page of text.
Using the Player Utility
To launch the Player utility, type aap l a y at the DOS prompt inside the
Animator directory, then press Enter. The Player window shown in
Figure 14.1 will appear.
Figure 14.1 The Player window.
Every command and Like Animator, the Player utility is designed to be operated with a
option provided by the Microsoft-compatible mouse. However, since many people viewing
Player utility can be
your animation will not own mice, the Player utility also allows every
accessed from the
keyboard. command and option to be accessed from the keyboard. Both mouse
and keyboard operations are documented throughout this chapter.
The Player Menu

Essentially, the Player program is a load-and-play utility. It offers two
menus-the Player menu and the File menu-and a sparse frame con
trol panel at the bottom of the window. The Player menu, shown in
Figure 14.2, includes the following two commands:
430
14-Playing Animations On-Screen
About. Choose this command, or press the P key followed by the A

key, to display information about the Player program. Click the
Continue button or press Enter to return to the Player window.
Quit. Choose this command or press the Q key to quit the program
and return to DOS. An alert box will appear, asking you to confirm
your choice. Press the Y key to complete the Quit command; press
the N key to return to the Player window.
Figure 14.2 The Player menu.
The File Menu
The commands from the File menu, shown in Figure 1 4 . 3 , allow you to
load pictures and animation sequences created in Animator into the
Player window. These commands include the following:
FLI Load . . . Choose this command or press the F key twice in a row
.
to display the file selector panel, from which you can load an ani
mation sequence from disk.
GIF Load . . Choose this command, or press the F key followed by
. .
the G key, to display the file selector panel, from which you can
load a picture file from disk.
431
Input and Output
The Player will not load GIF files with resolutions higher
than 320 by 200 pixels. Such files must first be converted
with the Converter utility, described in Chapter 1 2 .
Script Load . . . . Choose this command, o r press the F key followed

by the S key, to display the file selector panel, from which you can
load a script file created in a word processor and saved in a text
only format. Script files are described later in this chapter.
Figure 14.3 The File menu.
The File Selector Panel

Choosing any command from the File menu displays the file selector
panel . This panel differs slightly from the file selector panel described
in Chapter 2 in that it offers no + button, and it can be operated entirely
from the keyboard. To facilitate keyboard usage, the file selector panel
accepts instructions in one of two modes-entry mode and alternate
mode. In entry mode, all typed letters appear in the current option box.
In alternate mode, typed letters operate commands: you can press keys
to change drives, search directories, and view different portions of the
scrolling file list.
432
When the file selector panel first displays, as shown in Figure

14.4, a rectangular text entry marker appears in the File option box,
indicating that you are in entry mode. Type several letters and you will
see that those same letters appear in the option box. You can edit the
contents of the option box by pressing the keys listed in Table 1 4 . 1 .
F I LE
I BBA LL . F L I
BOSST A L K . F L I
= '==
I '-=-:_I !J @il F I LE '
I
G LASS . F L I
G LASS0 1 . F L I ==========:
GO LFER . F L I le : I @71 IE : I D I R : le : 'AN I MATOR!
GO LFE R0 1 . F L I
HANOS . F L I W I LOCARO : l* F L I I
.JABBER . F L I _____
- LOGO .. F L I ( O K J f CANCE L 1.
l.:!J LOG00 1 F L I

Figure 14.4 The file selector panel in entry mode.
Table 14.1 Key Functions when the File Selector Panel

is in Entry Mode
Key Function
Backspace Delete the character to the left of the text entry marker.
Escape Delete all characters in the current option box.
Left Arrow Move text entry marker left one character.
Right Arrow Move text entry marker right one character.
Up Arrow Move text entry marker to first character in option box.
Down Arrow Move text entry marker to end of text in option box.
Now press the Tab key. The text entry marker disappears, leaving
a thin line in its place, as shown in Figure 1 4 . 5 . You are now in alternate
mode. You can select the options in the file selector panel by pressing
the keys listed in Table 1 4 . 2 .
433
Input and Output
BBA L L . F L I
BOSSTA L K . F L I
: 11 ==========:
F I L E ..1
G LASS . F L ! O IA : l ls : I
I
G LASS0 1 . F L I :::
GO LFER: . F L I le : I lo : I IE : I le
D I R: : : "-AN I MFITOR:f
GO LFER:0 1 . F L I
HANDS . F L I l __
H I LDCA R:D : . F_L_II--'
.JABBER: . F L I

LOGO . F L I
LOG00 1 . F L I El (cANCE L}
Figure 14.5 The file selector panel in alternate mode.
Table 14.2 Key Functions when the File Selector Panel

is in Alternate Mode
Key Function
Up Arrow Scroll up one file name in the scrolling file list.

Down Arrow Scroll down one file name in the scrolling file list.
A, B, C, D, E, etc. Select a different drive button.
\ (Backslash) . Move to root directory of current drive.
. (Period) Back up to the directory containing the current
directory.
Enter Select the OK button.
Spacebar Select the Cancel button.
You can only select files and directories from the scrolling list if
you have a mouse. If you are working exclusively from the keyboard,
you must type the literal file name into the File option box and the
literal directory name into the Dir option box.
Press the Tab key again to toggle back to entry mode. This time,
the text entry marker will appear in the Dir option box. Press the Tab
key again to return to alternate mode, then press the Tab key once more
to display the text entry marker in the Wildcard option.
434
Therefore, to load a flic file into the Player window when you are
working exclusively from the keyboard, proceed as follows:
At the Player window, press the F key twice to display the file
selector panel.
Press the Tab key to change to alternate mode . Use the letter keys
along with the B ackslash and Period keys to change drives and
search other directories.
Directory names in the Use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to search for file and
scrolling list are directory names in the list. Press and hold one of these keys to
preceded by backslash
scroll many files at a time.
characters, clearly
distinguishing them from If you have to change directories, press the Tab key to display the
file names. text entry marker i n the Dir option box, then type the name of the
directory. Press Enter to change to that directory, then return to
alternate mode.
After you locate the file you want to load, press the Tab key five
times in a row to display the text entry marker in the File option
box. Type the name of the file, then press Enter. The file selector
panel will disappear and the first frame of the flic file will appear
in the Player window.
For example, if you load the TIDES.FU file, the image shown in
Figure 14.6 will appear on the screen.
Figure 14.6 The TIDES.FU file has been loaded

into the Player window.
435
Input and Output
The Frame Control Panel

After you load a picture or animation file into the Player window, you
can view it by applying options in the frame control panel at the bottom
of the window. This panel contains the following five items:
Click the up arrow frame icon to back up to the first frame in the
current flic.
Drag the box inside the current frame slider bar to display a differ
ent frame. Click the arrows to back up or advance by a single
frame.
Click the double arrow frame icon to play the current flic or to
display the current picture file.
C lick t he down arrow frame icon to advance to th e last frame in
the current flic.
Keep in mind that Drag the box inside the Play Speed slider bar to change the num
smaller play speed b e r of jiffi es each frame is displayed when played. Click the
values produce faster
arrows to decrease or increase the display time by a single j iffy.
animation, and larger
values produce slower
animation. If the current file is a picture file, the only useful option in the
frame control panel is the double arrow. By clicking the double arrow
icon, you hide the menu bar, the panel, and the cursor; you then have
an unobstructed view of the picture.
If you do not have a mouse, you can use the keys listed in Table
14.3 to operate the options in the frame control panel. Even if you do
have a mouse, many of these keyboard-driven functions are useful.
Table 14.3 Key Functions in the Frame Control Panel
Key Function
Left Arrow Back up to the previous frame in the sequence.

Right Arrow Advance to the next frame in the sequence.
Up Arrow Back up to the first frame in the current flic.
Down Arrow Advance to the last frame in the current flic.
Enter Play the current flic or display the current picture file.
Backspace Freeze a playback at the current frame.
Escape Breaks loop in script playback, as explained later in this
chapter.
- (Minus) Decrease the Play Speed value by 1 j iffy, thereby speeding
up the sequence.
436
1 4-Playing Animations On-Screen
Table 14.3 (cont.)
Key Function
+ (Shift-Equal) Increase the Play Speed value by 1 jiffy, thereby slowing

down the sequence.
Fl Change the Play Speed value to 0, the fastest speed
available.
F2 Change the Play Speed value to 3.
F5 Change the Play Speed value to 1 2 .
F6 Change the Play Speed value t o 1 8 .
FB Change the Play Speed value to 36.
FlO Restore the original Play Speed value saved with flic.
Play speeds of 18 or higher are generally too slow for animation

purposes. They should be reserved for displaying scripts of picture
files (explained in Chapter 1 5 ) .
Press any key except - o r + t o stop a playback, o r to continue a

playback that has been frozen by pressing Backspace. Press the - or +
key to speed up or slow down a playback.
Keyboard Lock
If you are using the Pl a y er u til it y to pl ay a s el f- runni n g demonstration,

you don't want viewers to be able to stop a playback from the keyboard,
load a new file, or otherwise disturb your presentation. The Player al
lows you to enforce a keyboard l ock, which turns off all keyboard func
tions, by pressing the Control key in combination with any letter key.
You can press Control-A, Control-B, and so on; j ust remember which
letter key you pressed. The combination you press to lock the keyboard
is the only combination that will unlock the keyboard. This prevents
even people who know how to operate the Player from easily dis
ru p ti n g your prese nta tio n .
431
Input and Output
If you forget the letter key you used to lock the keyboard or you
need to cancel someone else's presentation, all is not lost. Though tirne
consuming, the following steps will unlock the keyboard:
To lock or unlock the Press Control-A.

keyboard of an 80286
Press the Spacebar to cancel the playback.
machine, you must
press Control-M. If the playback does not cease, press Control-B.
Press the Spacebar to cancel the playback.
If the playback does not cease, press Control-C.
Repeat these steps thro ugh each le tter of the alphabet to
Control-Z.
Unlocking the keyboard does not produce a visible change.

Locked or unlocked, the animation sequence continues to play unless
otherwise interrupted. The only way to know whether or not the key
board remains locked is to try to cancel the playback between each
unlocking attempt; otherwise, you may well unlock the keyboard with
one Control key combination only to relock it with the next.
If you aren't patient enough to run through every letter combina
tion, simply press Control-Alt-Delete to reboot the computer.
Using Scripts
In addition to playing flic and GIF pictures, the Player utility can load a
script file containing specific instructions created in a word processor.
By creating a script file, you can tell the Player how many times to play
various sequences, what order to play them in, and when to stop the
playback. Script files are crucial to producing self-running demonstra
tions and to recording sequ ences to videotape, which are both dis
cussed in the next chapter.
Flic Scripts
A script file is simply a roster of FLI and GIF files, listed in the order
they will be played. For example, suppose you wanted to play the
MRNUMO.FLI file followed by the GLASS.FU and TIDES.FL! files. As
suming all files are located in the Animator directory on the C drive,
you would type the following list into a word processor:
438
1 4-Playing Animations On-Screen
c : \ a n i m a t o r \ m rnumo . f l i
c : \ a n i ma t o r \ g l a s s . f l i
c : \ a n i m at o r \ t i des . f l i
You would then save this list as a text-only file without format
ting. After quitting the word processor, you have two ways to load the
script file into the Player utility. You can launch the Player, choose the
Script Load . . . command from the Files menu, and then select the text
file in the file selector panel. Alternatively, you can type the name of
the file after the AAPLAY command when you launch the Player util
ity initially. For example, if the script file is named SCRIPT l . TXT, you
would type the following text at the DOS prompt inside the Animator
directory:
aap l ay s c r i pt 1 . t x t
Then press Enter t o launch the Player and begin playback of your
script.
After playing each flic listed i n SCRIPT 1 .TXT through one time,
the Player will return you to the point at which you loaded the script. If
you launched the Player and loaded the script file separately, you will
be returned to a blank Player window. If you loaded the script file
when you launched the Player, as in the example j ust given, you will
be returned to DOS.
Adding Pictures
What happens if you insert picture files between the flic files i n your
script? Since a picture file consists of only one frame and contains no
play-speed information, does it merely flash by o n the screen in be
tween flies or will it display indefinitely? The Player treats scripted
picture files slightly differently than scripted flic files. The default
length of time that a GIF (picture) file displays is five seconds. For ex
ample, suppose you change your SCRIPTl . TXT file to the following:
c : \ an i mato r \ m rn umo . f l i
c : \ an i m at o r \ g l a s s . f l i
c : \ a n i m a t o r \ wa l k . g i f
c : \ an i ma t o r \ t i des . f l i
When you play the script i n the Player, the MRNUMO flic will
play once, followed by the GLASS flic. Then the astronaut picture will
display for five seconds, followed by the TIDES animation.
439
Input and Output
The transition between scripted flic files and picture files differs
as well. After one flic finishes playing, another begins immediately, as
if the two were spliced together. However, because the Player has to
decompress a GIF file before displaying it, a picture is wiped onto the
screen. This transition is inconsistent with the standard clean splice
between flies. For this reason, you may want to limit the number of
picture files in your scripts, or simply exclude them.
If you want a consistent playback, don't include GIF files in your

scripts. Instead, change them to flic files inside Animator, using
color animation and 3-D transformation techniques.
Additional Scripting Code

The Player allows you to specify four parameters with each file name in
your scripted list. The parameters on each line determine how the
Player will play the file listed on that same line. The file parameters
and their functions are listed in Table 14.4.
Table 14.4 File Parameters for a Scripted List
Parameter <Possible Values> Function
-L <O to 9B9> Loop. Determines how many times a flic file

is played.
-S <O to 120> Sp eed . Determines the display time for each
frame, in j iffies.
-P <O to 14400> Pause. Determines the number of seconds the
last frame in a flic is displayed before the
next file in the script is displayed.
-T <fadein, fadeout, cut> Transition. Determines the manner in which
a flic enters and exits the screen.
When you enter the Loop, Speed, and Pause parameters, type the
value of the parameter immediately after the parameter letter; for
example, LS - S 1 5 , and -P1360. When you enter the Transition param
-
,
eter, leave a space between the parameter letter and the value, as in -T
f a d e i n. If only one value appears after the transition parameter, this
value determines how the sequence enters the screen. If two values
follow the parameter, as in -T f ade i n f adeout, the first value controls
the entrance and the second value controls the exit.
440
All parameters must be entered after the file name and on the
same line as the file they are intended to control. For example, suppose
you play a script file containing the following text:
c : \ani mator\m rnumo . f l i -L3

c : \ an i mator\g l a s s . f l i S14 P3600
- -
c : \anima to r \ t i des . f l i -LS -T fade i n f adeout
Because the Player's The MRNUMO flic will play three times in a row, then cut to the
transition effects are GLASS flic. Each frame in th e GLASS flic displays for 14 jiffies; in other
crude, you may want to
words, 5 frames are displayed every second. Because of the Pause pa
create all transition
effects in Animator prior
rameter, the last frame in this sequence displays for 3 600 seconds, or a
to the scripting process. full hour. Afterwords, the first frame in the TIDES flic fades in from a
white screen, plays five times i n a row, then fades out to a white screen.
When a parameter is not included after a file name, the Player
assumes the default value for that parameter. The default values are as
follows: a single loop (-L 1), the play speed value saved with the flic file,
no pause (-PO) for flies and a 5 -second pause for pictures (-PS), and a
spliced transition (-T cut).
Scripting Options
The Player also accepts four options that are entered on different lines
from the file parameters, generally at the end of the text file. These
options are listed in Table 1 4 . 5 .
Table 14.5 Options for a Scripted List
Options <Values> Function
Link <filename> Loads and plays another script file after finishing the
current script.
Loop <O to 999> Loops all flies listed above the Loop option a specified
number of times.
ExitToPlayer Returns to an empty Player window after finishing the
current script.
ExitToDOS Returns to the DOS prompt after finishing the current
sc ript .
When you enter the first two options, leave a space between the
option and its value; for example, l i n k s c r i p t2 . t x t and loop 50. How-
441
Input and Output
ever, do not leave spaces between any letters in the options

e x i t t op l a ye r and e x i t t odo s .
The following example demonstrates how you might use the Link
and Loop options in a script file:
c : \ a n i m a to r \ m rnumo . f l i
c : \ an i m a to r \ g l a s s . f l i
Loo p 5
c : \ a n i m at o r \ t i d e s . f l i
L i n k s c r i p t 2 . tx t
When you play this script, the MRNUMO flic plays once followed
by the GLASS flic. These two flies then repeat four more times. After
the GLASS flic plays a fifth time, the TIDES flic plays. Following this, a
script file called SCRIPT2.TXT is loaded and played.
If the Player utility cannot understand a line in your script, an
error will occur. An error will occur under any of the following condi
tions:
One of the flic or picture names is spelled wrong in the list, or is

not located in the directory listed.
The script file itself is not saved as a text-only file, is not spelled
correctly, or is not located in the correct directory.
A parameter has been typed incorrectly. A space exists where
none should, a space is missing, a parameter or option value
exceeds the allowed range, or the dash (-) is missing from in front
of the parameter letter.
An option is spelled wrong or used incorrectly.
If an error occurs, correct your mistake in the word processor and

play the script again.
What You've Learned
You can include the public domain Player utility (AAPLAY. EXE)
with your flic file on the disk you distribute to PC users. The util
ity is so simple to operate that most PC users will understand how
to use it immediately and won't need the instruction file also
included.
442
All commands and options in the Player utility can be accessed

from the keyboard.
In the file selector panel, you enter text into options boxes in entry
mode and select options in alternate mode. You toggle between
the two modes by pressing the Tab key.
If you are using a mouse, you can select a fil e by clicking on the
file names in the scrolling list. If you are working from the key
board, you must enter the literal file name into the appropriate
option box.
Use the frame control panel at the bottom of the Player window to
view different frames, to change the play speed, and to play an
animation sequence. All frame control panel options can be oper
ated from the keyboard.
You can lock the keyboard to prevent the interruption of a self
running presentation; press the Control key in combination with
any letter key. It is important to remember which letter you
pressed, since you will have to press the same combination again
to unlock the keyboard.
To play multiple flic an d picture files in a specific order, create a
script file. Four parameters and four options that affect how and
when each file is playe d can also be included in the script file.
443
F I F T E E N
Recording Flies to
Film or Videotape
The previous chapter described how to create animated sequences that
can be viewed on PCs equipped with VGA or MCGA graphics cards.
Unfortunately, while PCs are fairly common office machinery, most of
them serve non-graphic purposes, such as word processing or number
crunching, operations which do not require graphics cards. If your ani
mation can only be played on PCs with a graphics card, you will miss
out on a large audience. To make your flies accessible to more people,
you will need to record them to film or videotape.
Film Recording
Transferring Animator Film is not the best medium for displaying Animator flies. Most people
flies to film is an don't own movie projectors; in fact, movie proj ectors are less common
inexpensive but primitive
these days than personal computers. Furthermore, transferring com
process, generally
acceptable only to puter art to film is a time-consuming process since each frame has to be
students and other non shot individually. You also sacrifice quality in the process. Frames
professionals. must b e printed before they are shot, and no printing program does j us
tice to an image, even o n the highest quality printer.
However, the film option is cheap. It requires no special hardware
except a printer, which you probably already own. The only costs are
the camera itself, the paper for the printer, the film, and the developing
fees. All these costs can be managed on a fairly limited budget.
Because of the poor quality and cheap cost of film recording, you
may want to think of it as the student's option-a method to be reserved
for use in a non-professional market.
445
Input and Output
Print and Shoot
Animator provides no built-in printing capabilities. Therefore, a sepa

rate utility is required to produce printed output of GIF files. Many
such utilities exist, and most are available in the public domain or as
shareware, software which can be accessed for free and used with the
author's consent for a nominal purchase price. These utilities print to
just about any device, from low-end dot-matrix printers to laser print
ers to full-color plotters. Refer to Appendix C for information on acq uir
ing GIF print utilities.
Note that these utilities print the single-image GIF files, as op
posed to the multi-frame FLI files. Therefore, you must save each frame
of an animated sequence as a separate picture file prior to printing, a
predictably slow process. You then shoot each printed GIF file with a
stop-action Super 8 or 1 6mm film camera.
The entire print-and-shoot procedure consists of the following
steps:
Create your flic file and play it several times to make sure you're
satisfied with the entire sequence.
Save each frame to disk individually as a GIF file. If two or more
frames are identical, do not save duplicates. Simply note their
locations and shoot the same printed frame at each location dur
ing the filming process.
Load and print each GIF file with your printing utility.
Shoot each page on a flat surface. A tripod is best for anchoring the
camera in a steady position. Many stop-action cameras also
include remote controls, which allow you to operate the camera
without touching, jarring, or moving it.
Filming Considerations
Film plays at 24 frames per second-the equivalent of an Animator

Play Speed setting of 3 j iffies. If you want a sequence to play at a slower
speed, you must shoot each GIF picture more than once. For example,
to film a sequence created at 1 2 frames per second (6 jiffies), you must
shoot each picture twice in a row.
To ensure that each frame lines up correctly with the previous
and succeeding frames, you can add alignment marks to your pictures.
Or better yet, punch two holes in consistent locations at the top of each
page. Secure two pegs to your flat surface, then align each page by posi
tioning the holes on these pegs.
446
15-Recording Flies to Film or Videotape
Felt-tip marker colors Many printers print in black and white only. If your printer is
and watercolors monochrome, or your printing utility doesn't handle colors to your sat
reproduce to film better
isfaction, you will probably want to create your drawings in black and
than any other hand
coloring medium.
white, or experiment to see how on-screen colors reproduce on paper.
You may have to apply colors to each printout by hand. Colored mark
ers and watercolors generally produce the best results.
As you can see, recording animation to film robs the overall pro
cess of the efficiency afforded to it by the p ersonal computer. Each ad
ditional step you take-printing, hand-coloring, stop-action filming
also diminishes the high-tech appearance of the animation. This can be
a bonus, in that many audiences find computer animation to be cold
and severe, whereas they frequently consider hand-drawn animation
to be whimsical and entertaining.
Many people use personal computers for creating animation spe
cifically for the efficiency they provide or for the high-tech appearance
of the animation, or for both reasons. If you are one of these people, you
will not find fil m to be an adequate medium. You should use videotape
instead.
Recording to Videotape
Videotape is fast becoming one of the most common methods for re

cording presentation s equences. This is especially true in the computer
market. Software packages often include videotaped introductions or
tutorials. Your Animator package, for example, includes an entertain
ing videotaped demonstration, which was created in its entirety in Ani
mator and then transferred to videotape, using hardware described in
the Video Output Devices section.
VGA to NTSC
Even i f you are able to locate cables to hook up a video recorder (VCR)
directly to your computer's VGA card, you will need additional hard
ware so that the two devices can understand one another. When you
play a flic file in Animator, your computer transmits this visual infor
mation to your monitor as a VGA signal. The VCR will not be able to
interpret this digital information. A special piece of hardware, called a
converter box, is required to convert the VGA signal to a composite
video signal, also known as an NTSC signal .
A VGA signal describes colors using 64 levels o f red, green, and
blue primary light intensities, which were discussed in Chapter 5. The
441
Input and Output
NTSC signal describes colors in terms of hue and luminance, similar to

the HLS option, also discussed in Chapter 5 . However, the NTSC signal
emphasizes luminance more than hue, which limits the range of colors
that can be successfully recorded. Colors near either end of the color
spectrum, such as red or blue, become unstable when recorded to vid
eotape; they bleed into surrounding colors as if they are somehow too
bright to be recorded accurately. Colors containing green are the most
stable, and therefore the least likely to bleed.
Reds and blues do not To avoid color-bleeding, you should adjust your palette colors be
reproduce well to fore recording an animated sequence. Color intensity is the key. Avoid
videotape. Before
using colors that are composed entirely of one of the RGB primaries. For
recording a flic file to
videotape, add a little example, if the RGB slider bars for a color slot in your palette grid are
green to your high set to 63 ,0,0, the color is 1 00% red without any green or blue. An RGB
intensity colors. setting of 32,0,0 uses less red, but remains exclusively red. Both colors
will reproduce badly to videotape. To take the edge off a pure primary,
add equal amounts of the other two primaries. A red with an RGB set
ting of 63,8,8 does not look much different than pure red, but it will
reproduce better.
A special palette included with Animator, named NTSC.COL, is
optimized specifically for recording to videotape. You should load this
palette before creating your animated sequence. To change the palettes
of an existing flic file, however, load the NTSC.COL file while the Time
button is highlighted and apply the palette change to all frames.
Recording Your Flic

While there are some high-end camcorders that allow you to record to
videotape frame-by-frame, it is easier to record an animation sequence
simply by playing it. For example, you can play the flic file in Animator
and record the animated sequence over and over again as the sequence
loops. However, the most successful video presentations have a definite
beginning and a definite end. You can plan and execute your recording
more carefully by creating a script file, as described in the previous
chapter, and playing the script in the Player utility. This way, you can
specify the number of times a sequence is played, the speed at which
each sequence is played, and the order of the sequences.
Sound becomes an option when you are recording to videotape.
Many VCRs and other video-recording devices provide two or three
RCA input jacks. One jack is for the video signal; the remaining jacks
are for sound-one j ack for mono VCRs, two for stereo VCRs. Since
Animator itself provides no means to generate sound, only the video
jack is linked to your computer. The sound jacks remain open, allowing
you to si m ul tan eously record sound to tape from a separate source,
448
such as a cassette tape deck, a compact disc player, or an electronic

instrument like a guitar or keyboard.
If your presentation Dubbing sound to video can be a time-consuming project. Dub
requires dialogue, bing is most effective when your sound and action have no specific cor
arrange for your
relation. Background music, for example, can b e added to your
characters to speak off
screen whenever animated sequences with very little planning. Sound effects are more
possible, or use an difficult since timing is critical. Adding dialogue is next to impossibl e.
unseen narrator. If a character's words don't match the movement of their mouth, your
video may appear unprofessional, like a seedy foreign film. If you want
to add dialogue, but don't want to go through the tedious process of lip
synching, arrange for your characters to speak offcscreen. Use the tactic
of an unseen narrator, for example, to add words to a video without
risking bad dubbing.
Video Output Devices
The following hardware is required to record flic files onto videotape:
Video converter. The video converter changes the VGA signal gen
erated by Animator to a composite video (NTSC) signal. Some con
verters are available in the form of an internal video board; others,
as external converter boxes.
Vi deo recorder. A VCR or camcorder records the composite video
signal.
Connector cables. A cable must connect your video output board
to the video recorder. If you purchase a converter box, two cables
are required, one to connect the box to the VGA board and
another to connect the box to the video recorder.
Because each video converter is installed and operated differ

ently, we cannot provide a set of general instructions. Instead, we pro
vide brief descriptions of the converters available, so that you can
choose the one best s uited to your situation.
The Targa 16
First discussed i n Chapter 1 3 , the Targa 1 6 videographics adapter oper

ates as both an input and output device. On the input side, it can cap
ture live images and convert them to TGA files, which can then be read
by Animator's Converter program. On the output side, the Targa 16 also
449
Input and Output
provides a composite video (NTSC) output signal, which can be fed to a

multisync monitor for viewing purposes or to a video recorder for re
cording purposes. Because the NTSC output is separate from the output
of the standard VGA board, you can view a sequence on-screen at the
same time you are recording it to tape.
Unfortunately, the Targa 16 cannot translate Animator's VGA
output to composite video. It is only capable of displaying Targa-com
patible images. T herefore, to record Animator flies, you must first save
each frame separately as a GIF file, then use a third-party utility to con
vert the GIF files to TGA files. Next, you open each TGA file individu
ally using Targa's TIPS utility (introduced in Chapter 13), and shoot the
images one frame at a time, just as you do when transferring animation
to film. This certainly isn't the best method for recording animation
sequences to videotape, but if you own a Targa board and can't afford
additional hardware, this method is better than nothing.
VGA/NTSC Board Combos
The best, and more expensive, video output boards provide both a VGA
signal to drive your monitor and a composite video signal suitable for
an external recording device. Two such boards are the Willow VGA-TV
and VGA/NTSC Recordable. Both are top-of-the-line VGA boards in
their own rights, capable of displaying pictures at resolutions of 640 by
480 pixels with 256 colors. In addition, they provide NTSC output
jacks, with full documentation on how to use them.
If you don't own a VGA board or intend to purchase a new one,

you should consider the Willow VGA-TV or VGA/NTSC R ecord
able, which also output NTSC signals.
If you have not yet purchased a VGA board, you should strongly
consider either of these boards. T hey are perfectly suited to manipulat
ing and outputting presentational sequences created in Animator.
The VIN Controller
If you already own a VGA board, it doesn't make sense to buy another
one just because it can output an NTSC signal. A less expensive alter
native is the VIN (VGA/RGB Into NTSC) controller box. T his device is
external to the computer and connects between the VGA board and the
450
monitor. The VIN outputs a standard NTSC single as well as a special

separated NTSC Y /C signal, designed especially for Super VHS record-
ers.
The VIN controller's color-handling abilities are perhaps the best
of any device listed in this chapter. If you own a Super VHS video re
corder or camcorder, you will find that the NTSC Y /C signal provides
better handling of full-intensity colors, such as bright reds and blues.
The VIN box also provides a color burst switch, which allows you to
adjust the NTSC color output while you're recording. Finally, the box
automatically resizes your 3 2 0-by-200-pixel flic frames to fill the video
tape frame size.
For complete company and address information on the products
mentioned in this chapter, refer to Appendix C.
What You've Learned
If you cannot distribute your animation sequences to fe llow PC

users on disk, as described in Chapter 1 4 , you can record your flies
to film or to videotape, avenues of distribution open to more peo
ple.
Film is not the most suitable medium for recording computer ani
mation, but it can be the cheapest. Rather than filming directly
from the screen (which doesn't provide enough light), you must
save each frame as a separate GIF file and print each GIF image
using a special printing utility. Then shoot each page individually
using a stop-action camera.
If your printer cannot print colored GIF files, you can hand color
each printed frame using fe lt-tip markers or watercolors.
Presentations generally appear more professional when recorded
to videotape. A special output device is required to convert the
VGA signal provided by Animator to the composite video, or
NTSC, signal used by a camcorder VCR.
Images colored with intense reds and blues tend to bleed into
neighboring images when recorded to videotape. To avoid bleed
ing, add a little green to your high-intensity colors.
Included with Animator is a special color palette , named
NTSC. COL, designed for outputting to composite video. For more
information about loading palettes, refer to Chapter 5 .
45 1
Input and Output
If you plug in a casette tape deck or a CD player to the audio input

jack of your VCR, you can record a soundtrack for your animation
sequence while you are recording the NTSC signal from your
computer.
By itself, Animator provides no me ans for recording to videotape.
You must purchase the makings of a composite video-recording
system, including an NTSC output device, a video recorder, and
the necessary connector cables.
452
A
Installing and
Configuring
Autodesk Animator
The first half of this appendix contains complete instru ctions for in
stalling Animator on your computer. The second half explains how to
configure the program to your specific operating requirements. Both
steps are prerequisites to using Animator and to learning the informa
tion contained in this book.
Installing Autodesk Animator
Before you can use Animator, you must install the program onto your
computer. Luckily, you install Animator only once, not every time you
operate the program. If Animator has already been installed, you may
want to skip to the Configuring Autodesk Animator section of this
appendix. To begin using the program, refer to the Starting Autodesk
Anim ator section of Chapter 1 .
Required Equipment
Before installing Animator, make sure that your IBM- compatible

AT-model PC (or better) is equipped with the following:
DOS version 2.0 or higher-numbered versions.

640K of internal memory (RAM).
VGA or MCGA di splay board and compatible monitor.
453
Microsoft-compatible mouse or SummaSketch II tablet.

10 megabyte hard disk (optional, but highly recommended).
If any of these items is missing from your current computer sys

tem, you will not be able to run Animator. Contact your local computer
dealer to purchase or seek information concerning any additional
equipment.
Assuming you have the proper equipment, you can proceed with
the installation process.
Power On
If you have not done so already, turn on your computer and load the
operating system. If your computer has a hard disk, the operating sys
tem will probably load au t omatically The following DOS (Disk Operat
.
ing System) prompt will appear on your computer screen:
c>
Alternatively, your computer could be set up so that it boots up

inside a directory other than the root directory or on a different hard
drive, or partition. In such a case, the prompt might look like this:
c:\dirname>
or like this:
d>
If either of the last two prompts appears on your screen, your hard
disk could be organized unconventionally, and installing new software
could disrupt this organization. If someone else set up your computer's
hard disk, you may want to consult with this person before installing
Animator.
If your computer has no hard disk, you will have to load DOS from
a floppy disk. The resulting prompt will look something like this:
a>
Animator works most efficiently if your computer is equipped

with a hard disk. You can still use the program if you don't have a hard
disk, but accessing sample documents, saving files, and using conver
sion utilities will take longer.
454
A-Installing and Configuring Autodesk Animator
Installing Autodesk Animator on a Hard Drive

Complete the following procedure to install Animator on your com
puter's hard drive:
1. Change to the root directory of the current drive by typing c d \ and

pressing Enter.
2. Including its utilities and sample files, Animator requires about
2 . 5 megabytes of space on your computer's hard drive. To make
sure 2.5 megabytes of space are available, type di r at the prompt,
then press Enter. A list of files will scroll by. At the end. of the file
list, a message appears, stating the number of files contained in
the current directory and the amount of space available on the
drive. If the amount of free space is less than 2 ,5 00,000 bytes, you
will have to delete some files to make room for Animator. If your
hard disk is organized into several partitions, you can try to find
more space by moving to a different drive partition; type the drive
letter followed by a colon (such as d : ) , then press Enter.
3. Make a new directory for the Animator program b y typing
md \ an i ma t o r and press Enter.
4. Change this directory to the current directory b y typing
c d \ a n i ma t o r and pressing Enter.
5 . Your Animator package includes either four 360K disks or two
720K disks. Insert the disk labeled "Disk 1 " into your computer's
A drive. Type c opy a : * . * , then press Enter to copy all files from
Disk 1 to the current directory.
6. Repeat step 5 for the remaining disks.
7. After copying all disks, type unpack 1, then press Enter. This runs a
utility program which converts the sample picture and animation
sequence files in Animator to a useable form.
8. If your version of Animator included two 7ZOK disks, you have
now completed the installation. If your version of Animator
included four 360K disks, type unpac k 2 and press Enter after the
first unpacking utility is finished.
9. Eject all original floppy disks and put them in a safe place.
1 0. Delete the UNPACK l . EXE and U NPACKZ .EXE files from you r
current directory. From your current directory, type de L
u n p a c k 1 . e x e and press Enter. Then type d e l unpac k2 . e x e and
press Enter.
Animator i s now installed in the Animator directory on the cur

rent hard drive.
455
Checking Your Work

Your files will not neces To make sure you have completed the installation procedure success
sarily appear on-screen fully, type di r/w, then press Enter. Check your on-screen list of files
in the order they are
against the files listed in Table A. 1 . The instructions and sample pro
listed in the table.
jects discussed throughout this book assume you have access to virtu
ally every one of these files.
Table A.1 Files Appearing on Your Disk after Animator

Is Installed
File Name Description
AA.EXE Animator program

CONVERT.EXE T he File Format Converter utility
FUMAKER.EXE The FLimaker program
AAPLAY.EXE The Animator Player utility
UNPACK1.EXE Compressed animation and picture files
UNPACKZ.EXE More compressed animation and picture files
README.DOC Documentation update
AAP LAY.DOC Animator Player utility documentation
MOVIES Script file for the Animator P layer utility
NTSC.COL Special palette file for video transfer
AMBER.GIF Sample picture file
BACKGRND.GIF Sample picture file
CIT Y.GIF Sample picture file
HUMBIRD.GIF Sample picture file
MOON.GIF Sample picture file
P LAZA.GIF Sample picture file
PORTRAIT. GIF Sample picture file
REDLlNE.GIF Sample picture file
SAMBURU.GIF Sample picture file
SKYUNE.GIF Sample picture file
TORP ZOB.GIF Sample picture file
WALK.GIF Sample picture file
BBALL.FLI Sample flic file
BOSSTALK.FU Sample flic file
GLASS.FU Sample flic file
HANDS.FU Sample flic file
JABBER.FU Sample flic file
MRNUMO.FU Sample flic file
456
Table A.1 (cont.)
TIDES.FU Sample flic file

TIGERCAT.FLI Sample flic file
FISH.CEL Sample eel file
ARCHP14.FNT Sample font file
ARCHP36 .FNT Sample font file
ARMY24.FNT Sample font file
BLOCK20.FNT Sample font file
DEC024.FNT Sample font file
DEC048.FNT Sample font file
EARLY14. FNT Sample font file
POST54.FNT Sample font file
SCIFIOB,FNT Sample font file
SUPBOL22 .FNT Sample font file
SUPBOL3 2 . FNT Sample font file
SYSTEM.FNT Sample font file
VELVET14.FNT Sample font file
VELVET24.FNT Sample font file
WEST10.FNT Sample font file
WEST36.FNT Sample font file
WINDY1 1 .FNT Sample font file
WINDY18. FNT Sample font file
If any of these files is missing from your hard drive, check your
original disks for the missing file(s). Also, make sure you have run the
UNPACKl .EXE and UNPACK2.EXE programs according to steps 7 and 8.
Installing Animator on Floppy Disks
If your computer does not have a hard drive, you should go out and
purchase one. As a last resort, you can install Animator to floppy disks,
although you will find the experience of running Animator from a
floppy disk to be arduous, and sometimes exasperating.
The following steps describe how to install Animator to one 720K
floppy disk or to two 360K floppy disks:
1. Format one 720K floppy disk or two 360K floppy disks by typing
fo rmat a : and pressing Enter. A message will appear requesting
457
that you insert a disk. Make sure that you insert a blank floppy
disk or a disk whose data is no longer needed, then press Enter.
Be very careful not to format your system disk, an original

Animator disk, or another floppy containing important infor
mation! You should check the directory of a disk before for
matting it.
2. After you format the first disk, a message will appear asking if you
want to format another. If you are formatting two 360K disks, type
Y and insert the second disk. If you are using a 720K disk, type N.
3. Your Animator package includes either four 360K disks or two

720K disks. Only Disks 1 and 2 of the four-disk set are required.
Only Disk 1 of the two-disk set is required.
4. Insert Disk 1 into your computer's B drive. Type copy b: *. * and
press Enter to copy all files from the original Disk 1 to the current
floppy.
5. If you are using 360K disks, repeat step 4 for the second pair of
disks.
6. Eject the original floppy disks and put them in a safe place. Label
the new Animator disks so that you don't confuse them with other
software or system disks.
Animator is now installed to floppy disks. However, the sample

files required to complete many of the sample projects in this book will
be inaccessible. To use these files, you must have a hard drive.
Configuring Autodesk Animator
If you are unfamiliar with After installing Animator, you may want to configure the program to
mouse operations like your specific requirements before actually using it. However, if you are
clicking, rgi ht-clicking, impatient to start using Animator, that's okay too. Sometimes you ac
choosing commands, or
selecting options, read
quire a better understanding of your configuration requirements after
Chapter 1 before you have had some experience with the program.
continuing. Launch the Animator program following the instructions in the
Starting Autodesk Anim ator section of Chapter 1. The Home window
will display. All of Animator's configuration features are accessed by
choosing the Configure ... command from the Extra menu, shown in
Figure A.1. If your mouse is not operating correctly, you can also
458
choose the Configure . . . command by pressing the E key followed by the

C key.
EXTRA
'MAS K ,
GP. I D
,R:ECOR:O
S.ETT I NG.S ,
CONF I GURE ,. '. '

NFO '?
Figure A.1 The Configure . . . command from the Extra menu.
After you choose the Configure . . . command, a list of configuration

options labeled Adj u s t An i m a t o r c onf i gu r at i on appears, shown in Fig
ure A.2. These options operate as follows:
Drive for Temporary Files. Click this option or press 1 to change

the floppy disk or hard drive partition to which Animator saves all
te mporary buffer files.
Save Default.fix. Click this option or press 2 to save the current
flic, color palettes, and command and option settings to a new
DEFAULT. FLX file.
Clock Driver. Click this option or press 3 to change the mouse
driver used by Animator.
Input Device (Mouse/Tablet). Click this option or press 4 to use
Animator with a Summagraphics-compatible tablet instead of a
mouse.
Display Coordin ates. Click this option or press 5 to determine
whether a status bar displays when you are using the Box tool,
Move tool, or a number of other commands and options. Clicking
t oggle s this option on or off.
459
Cancel. Click this option or press 0 to hide the configuration

Each configuration option is discussed separately in the following

pages.
Figure A.2 The configuration options.
Temporary Files
Animator is a powerful graphics program, especially when you con

sider that it runs on a personal computer with only 640K of memory. To
operate within this limited amount of RAM, Animator creates more
"memory" for itself by using disk space. The program creates a series of
temporary files on disk that it saves to and loads from automatically as
you access various buffers. Table A.2 lists these temporary files. From
the screen, Animator looks the same, whether it is accessing files in
memory or on disk.
These files serve two purposes: they allow Animator to operate
with a small amount of memory, and they also save the current artwork
and window settings ' e ven after you quit the program. For example, if
you create a flic then quit Animator without saving the file, the flic and
settings will be just as you left them the next time you launch the pro
gram. Animator is one of the few applications that provides this out
standing feature.
460
Table A.2 Temporary Files Created by Animator
AATEMP. CEL The eel buffer, used by commands from the Ce! menu of
the Home window and by the Tile tool.
AATEMP. PIC The swap buffer, used by commands from the Swap
menu of the Home window and by the Scrape tool.
AATEMP.TXT The text buffer, used by the Te xt tool and by the Titling
panel.
AATEMP.MSK The mask buffer, used by the Mask ... command from the
Extra menu of the Home window.
AATEMP.REC The macro buffer, used by the Record . . . command from
the Extra menu of the Home window.
AATEMP.CCL The color buffer, used by the Cut, Paste, and Blend com
mands from the Value menu of the Palette window.
AATEMP2.PIC The frame buffer, used by the Restore command from
the Pie menu of the Home window.
AATEMP3.PIC The previous frame buffer, which stores the frame before
the current frame for use by the left arrow frame icon.
AATEMP.FLX The flic buffer, which retains the current animation
sequence even after you quit Animator.
AATEMP. OPT The settings of options and commands in the Optics
window.
AATEMP.PLY The last shape created with a tweenable shape tool.
AATEMPl.PLY The current start shape i n a tweening sequence.
AATEMPZ . PLY The current end shape in a tweening sequence.
AATEMPP.PLY The current transformation path created using the Path
button in the Optics panel.
The temporary files are in a constant state of flux. Various com

mands and options alter the contents of a single file . The most influen
tial command is the Reset command from the Pie menu. When you
choose this command, you delete or alter the following temporary files:
AATEMP2.PC
AATEMP3.PIC
AATEMP.FLX
AATEMP. OPT
AATEMP1.PLY
AATEMP 2 .PLY
AATEMPP.PLY
Choosing the Reset command does not affect the contents of the
following files:
461
AATEM P. CEL
AATEM P. PIC
AATEMP. TXT
AATEMP.MSK
AATEMP. REC
AATEMP.CCL
AATEMP. P LY
R eset is the only command that can destroy so much information

at once, making it the most dangerous command in Animator. Be very
sure that you don't want any of the information stored in the buffers it
affects before you choose this command.
'
Alternatively, you can All temporary files are stored in a special directory, named AAT, on
create a virtual disk in the drive of your choice. You can change the drive location of this direc
your computer's memory
tory by choosing the Configure . . . command from the Extra menu and
and allocate that space
for temporary files. selecting the Drive for Temporary Files option. A list of options labeled
Choose drive for temp. fi Les will appear, as shown in Figure A.3. Your
list will contain more options or fewer options, depending on the number
of drives available on your computer. The current drive will be identi
fied by an asterisk. Select a different option or press a number key to
change drives. Animator will automatically create an AAT directory on
that drive and save the necessary temporary files to it.
Figure A.3 The temporary drive options.
462
Animator does not delete the old AAT directory when you change
drives. You will have to do that manually at the DOS prompt using the
DOS delete (del) and remove directory (rdir) commands.
Incidentally, swapping buffers to and from the hard drive is a
slower process than accessing buffers in RAM. If you want to speed up
Animator, you can create a virtual disk (Vdisk or RAM disk) in your
computer's memory and allocate that space for temporary files. Refer to
your DOS documentation for more information.
C h anging t h e Default Settings
By choosing the Configure . . . command and then selecting the Save De

fault.fix option, you can save the current settings to the DEFAULT. FLX
file. This file is used by the Reset command from the Pie menu. The
DEFAULT. FLX file records the following information:
The current contents of the drawing area.

Every frame in the current animation sequence.
All palettes and Palette window settings.
All Home panel settings.
Settings of all tool and ink options.
The size and location of the text box.
All Frame and Time Select panel settings.
All Optics window settings.
The states (on or off) of the mask and grid, as well as the current
grid increment.
The DEFAULT. FLX file does not record or affect the contents of
the eel, swap, text, mask , macro, color, and polygon buffers.
To return to Animator's When you select the S av e Default . Flx option, a new DE
original default settings, FAULT. FLX fil e c ont a i n ing the current settings replaces the old file
delete the DEFAUL T. FLX
containing Animator's origin al default settings. You can no longer ac
fife from the Animator
directory and relaunch cess the original settings unless you delete the current DEFAULT. FLX
the program. file and relaunch Animator. You can get around this problem by saving
the original DEFAULT.FLX file as a settings file b efore you replace it.
Before replacing the You can create multiple settings files by choosing the Settings
existing DEFAUL T. FLX command from the Extra menu, shown in Figure A.4. The Files panel
file, you may want to
will display; you can then load, save, or delete settings files, which are
save it as a settings file
so that it is not lost
recognizable by their SET extensions. All settings files record the same
permanently. information contained in the DEFAULT. FLX file, e x cept for frame
images, number of frames, and palette colors. I n other words, settings
files record settings only.
463
Figure A.4 The Settings command from the Extra menu.
The Clock Driver
If your mouse is working Animator works best when used in combination with a Microsoft-com
properly, don't change patible mouse. However, if you own a mouse that is not compatible
the clock driver.
with the Microsoft standard, you may still be able to use it by changing
Animator's clock driver, a special program attribute that determines
the speed at which Animator tracks the current pointing device. Select
the Clock Driver configuration option to display the list of options
shown in Figure A.5. These options operate as follows:
Autodesk Animator Normal Clock. Click th i s option or press 1 if

you are using a standard Microsoft or compatibl e mouse.
Slower Clock That Works with More Mice. Click this option or press
2 to change the clock driver to work better with a non-Microsoft
mouse.
Leave Thin gs as They Are. Click this option or press 0 to hide the
list of options and return home.
If the mouse isn't working properly or if Animator has displayed a

error, you may want to try the second clock driver
Mou s e not i n s t a L Led
option. To access this option from the keyboard, type EC32 from the
Home window.
If selecting the slower clock speed doesn't fix your problem, then
464
Figure A.5 The clock driver options.
the mouse may not be connected to the computer properly. If all con
nections are okay, and the mouse works properly in other applications,
then it simply isn' t compatible with Animator. You'll have to purchase
a new Microsoft-compatible mouse.
Using a Tablet
The mouse isn't the only input device that can be used with Animator.
The program also works with digitizing tablets compatible with the
Summagraphics SummaSketch II tablet. To configure Animator for use
with such a tablet, select the Input Device (Mouse/Tablet) configura
tion option, which will display the list of options shown in Figure A.6.
These options operate as follows:
Microsoft-Comp atible Mouse. Click this option or press 1 if you are

using a standard Microsoft or compatible mous e.
Summagraphics MM 1201 1 2 x 1 2 Ta blet. Click this option or press
2 if you are using a Summagraphics-compatible tablet.
Set Serial Port for Tablet. Click this option or press
3 to select the
serial port into which the tablet is currently plugged.
Cancel . Click this option or press O to hide the list of options and
return home.
465
Select the Summagraphics MM 1201 12x12 Tablet option to use a

Summagraphics-compatible tablet. T h e list of options shown in Figure
A.7 will then appear. If you intend to use a pen-like stylus as the
Figure A.6 The input device options.
Figure A.7 The Summagraphics tablet options.
466
Figure A.8 The serial port options.
primary pointing device, select the first option. If you prefer to use the
larger puck, select the second option.
If the tablet is plugged into the computer's first serial port, it is
ready fo r use. If the tablet is plugged into a different port, select Set
Serial Port for Tablet from the input device options to display another
list of options, shown in Figure A.8. Then select the correct serial port
so that Animator can track the movement of the stylus or puck.
Display Coordinates
The Display Coordinates configuration option is turned on and off by

clicking on it or by pressing 5. When this option is on, a status bar dis
plays at the top of the screen when you are using the Box, Move, and
Text tools, and commands like Get from the Cel menu. If you turn the
Display Coordinates option off, no status bar will display. You will prob
ably only want to hide the status bar when you need to see how a tool or
command affects an image at the very top of the drawing area.
461
B
Error Messages
This appendix is devoted to a list of error messages you might encoun
ter when using Animator. Errors are listed in alphabetical order along
with an explanation of the error and a solution to the problem.
An i ma t o r i s n ' t c on f i gu r ed .
Assum i ng Defau l t s .
During launching, Animator cannot locate the drive path infor

mation, clock driver speed, and input device information contained in
the file AA.CFC. This file is created using the Drive for Temporary
Files, Clock Driver:, and Input Device (Mouse/Tablet) options for the
Configure . . . command from the Extra menu.
Select the Continue button to create a new AA.CFC file using de
fault settings. If you want to change these settings, apply the Config
ure . . . command from the Extra menu following the instructions in
App e ndix A .
Bad [f i l e t ype] f i l e f o rmat .
The file you're trying to load does not match the current format
expected by Animator.
Return to the Files panel and make sure that the selected file type
button-Flic, Picture, Cel, and so on-matches the type of file that
you 're trying to load. If the file type button and the file do not match,
select the correct file button and try to load the file again. If the button
and file are compatible, the file may be corrupted; that is, part of the file
cannot be read because of a bad disk sector. In this case, you should
469
locate a backup copy of the file. If no backup copy exists, you're out of
luck. Let this be a lesson to always keep a backup copy of every file you
create on a separate floppy disk.
If the file was not created in Animator, the problem may be that it
is not compatible with Animator. You may be able to convert the file to
Animator's GIF format using the Animator File Format Converter util
ity, which is described in Chapter 12.
Disk write-protected.
The floppy disk to which you are attempting to save a file is write
protected, or locked, such that its contents cannot be altered.
After the disk drive light goes out, eject the floppy disk and unlock
it. If it's a 5.25-inch disk, expose the indented tab to unlock the disk. If
it's a 3.5-inch disk, position the tab so that it covers the small hole.
Then insert the disk into the drive and try to save your file again.
Fi le corrupted: Cdrive:path\fi le name]
The structure of the file you're trying to load is somehow disar

ranged.
This problem is generally caused by a bad disk sector. If you have
a backup copy of the file, load it instead. Otherwise, you're out of luck.
Let this be a lesson to always keep a backup copy of every file you create
on a separate floppy disk.
Fi le isn't 320x200.
Use Autodesk Animator Converter
The file you're trying to open is a valid GIF file, but it was saved at
a resolution higher than 320 by 200 pixels. The most common examples
of this are GIF files acquired by modem from CompuServe, or a similar
bulletin board system.
Convert the file to Animator's GIF format using the Animator File
Format Converter utility, which is described in Chapter 12. Then try to
load the file again in Animator.
Fi le Truncated!
If this error occurs during a save operation, it means that the cur
rent disk drive is too full to accept the file being saved. On rare occa
sions, this message may appear when you're trying to load a truncated
file.
Save the file to a different disk or hard drive partition by selecting
a different drive button in the file selector panel. Alternatively, you can
410
8-Error Messages
return to the Files panel, click the Delete button, then delete enough
files from the current directory to free up adequate disk space.
The average picture file requires about 30K of disk space. An ani
mation file requires as much as 30K per frame. A typical 100-
frame flic requires over 1 megabyte of disk space.
If this error occurs while you are loading a file, the file will be
loaded up to the point where it was truncated. Locate a backup copy of
the file and load it instead. If no backup copy exists, you 're out of luck.
I s n ' t a [f i le type] f i Le, s o r r y .
button-Flic, Picture, C el , and so on-matches the type of file that
you 're trying to load. If the file type button and the file do not match,
select the correct file button and try to load the file again. If the button
create on a separate floppy disk.
Animator's GIF format using the Animator File Format Converter util
ity, which is described in Chapter 1 2.
Ma c ro f i Le tru n c ated
The macro file being loaded isn't as long as Animator expects it

to be.
This problem is generally caused by a bad disk sector. If you have
a backup copy of the file , load it instead. Otherwise, you 're out of luck.
Mouse not i n s t a l Led .

Use a r row keys to move c u r s o r .
471
Left shift for left button.
Right shift for right button.
This message will undoubtedly appear if you are trying to operate

Animator without a mouse. But it may also appear if the mouse driver
is not installed properly or if the mouse you are using is not Microsoft
compatible.
Check that the mouse is connected properly to your computer. If
it is, press the E key, then press the C key to display the list of options
labeled Adjust Animator Configuration. Press 4 to select the Input De
vice (Mouse/Tablet) option, then select the proper input device from
the list displayed.
If you don't own a Microsoft-compatible mouse, go out and buy
one to use jn Animator; it will be the best investment you'll ever make.
No macro recording defined.
You have selected the Use Macro or Repeat Macro options, or are
trying to save a macro, when the macro buffer is empty.
Define a macro using the Start Record or Realtime Record option
followed by the End Record option. These options are described in the
Making Macros section of Chapter 6. You can also load a macro from
disk by selecting the Files ... option and clicking the Load button.
Not a [file type] file.

Not a good [file type] file.
button-Flic, Picture, Cel, and so on-matches the type of file that
you're tryfog to load. If the file type button and the file do not match,
select the correct file button and try to load the fil e again. If the button
create on a separate fl.oppy disk.
Animator's GIP format using the Animator File Format Converter util
ity, which is described in Chapter 12.
Not a VGA/MCGA display, sorry.
412
8-Error Messages
Your graphics board and monitor are not capable of displaying

graphics in the VGA or MCGA mode.
You simply cannot run Animator unless your PC is equipped with
a VGA display board. If you're sufficiently interested in using this pro
gram, purchase a VGA board at your local computer dealer.
Not enough memory, s o r r y .
There i s n o t enough memory available t o launch Animator.

Either your computer is not equipped with the 640K of RAM necessary
to launch the program, or you are running a memory-resident utility
program.
If you don't have enough memory, purchase more at your local
computer dealer. If you are running a memory-resident utility, turn it
off and reboot your computer b y simultaneously pressing the Control.
Alt, and Delete keys.
Not enough room o n tempo r a r y d r i ve .
You have run out o f space o n the temporary drive while operating
the program.
This error generally resu lts from ignoring a previous error,

"Scratch drive only has [quantity] bytes free . ' ' I n the future, you
are best off taking care of this disk space problem before it goes
this far.
Change the temporary drive using the Drive for Temporary Files
option available by choosing the C onfigure . . . command from the Extra
menu, as described in Appendix A. Alternatively, you can display the
Files panel, click the Delete button, and delete several files from the
current temporary directory.
Out of memo r y .
You have run out o f RAM space while operating t h e program.

Choosing the Quit command and then relaunching Animator may
reallocate enough memory to allow you to continue working. If you are
running a memory-resident utility, you may want to turn it off and
reboot your computer (simultaneously press the Control, Alt, and De
lete keys) before relaunching Animator. As a last alternative, void the
buffers. Choose the Release command from the C el menu, choose the
473
Release command from the Swap menu, and/or select the Release
Mask option after choosing the Mask . . . command from the Extra menu.
Scratch drive [drive:] only has [quantity] bytes free.
You have almost run out of space on your temporary drive. You
can continue to operate the program, but you probably don't have
much time left until the "Not enough room on temporary drive" error
appears and prevents you from applying any more commands.
Change the temporary drive using the Drive for Temporary Files
option of the Configure. . . command from the Extra menu, which is de
scribed in Appendix A. Alternatively, you can display the Files panel,
click the Delete button, and delete several files from the current tempo
rary directory.
Shape too big, sorry.
During a transformation from the Optics window, an affected

image has become too large to fit inside Animator's three-dimensional
coordinate system. The image is extending b eyond the 5 00-pixel
boundary of the X, Y, or Z axis.
An example of this error, Change the Size, Move, or Path settings in the Optics panel and try
as well as a possible again. Preview the transformation before proceeding to the Time Select
solution tor it, is
panel by clicking the Wireframe button.
included in the sample
project at the end of The
Optics Panel section of Sorry, Autodesk Animator can't create: [drive:path\file
Chapter 10. name]
This error can mean one of two things: Either the current floppy
disk is write-protected, or the drive is too full to accept the current file.
If the disk is locked, wait until the drive light goes out and eject
the floppy disk. Unlock a 5 . 2 5 -inch disk by exposing the indented tab.
Unlock a 3.5-inch disk by positioning the tab so that it covers the small
hole. Then insert the disk into the drive and try to save your file again.
If the drive is full, save the file to a different disk or hard drive
partition by selecting a different drive button in the file selector panel.
Alternatively, you can return to the Files panel, click the Delete but
ton, and delete several files from the current directory to free up disk
space.
Sorry, Autodesk Animator can't find: [drive:path\file name]
The file name entered into the file selector panel during a load
operation does not exist in the current directory.
414
8-Error Messages
Use the drive and directory buttons to see if the file is located else
where. Also check the spelling of the file name. If you enter * . * into the
Wildcard option box, you can view all file names in the current direc
tory, regardless of their extension.
Sor r y , menus wou l d n ' t be v i s i b l e .
The Menu Colors command from the Palette menu cannot be

completed because applying the colors in the last five registers of the
palette grid will make the menus and panel options unreadable.
Change one or more colors in registers 251 through 255 of the pal
ette grid and try the command again. Refer to Chapter 5 for more infor
mation.
Too man y c o lo r s , t r y f e we r f r ame s .
The One Palette command from the Palette menu cannot be com
pleted because the number of colors in all frames of the current flic is
greater than 2 1 , 000, the command's limit.
Save the flic in its current state. Then right-click the Delete but
ton in the Frames panel to delete the first half of the frames in the cur
rent flic .. Save this new flic under a new name. Load the original flic
file, delete the second half of the frames, and save this flic under a new
name. Apply the One Palette command to each h alf-flic separatel y.
Then use the Join . . . command from the Flic menu to splice the two half
flics together again.
U n k n own G I F r e v i s i on , s o r r y .
The file you're trying t o open i s a valid GIF file, b u t i t employs a

new format not recognized by Animator, or the GIF file has been cor
rupted. The most common examples of this are GIF files acquired by
modem from CompuServe or a similar bulletin board system. You can
neither load nor convert GIF files employing such a format.
W r i t e e r r o r on ma c ro f i l e !
If this error occurs when you are saving a macro, it means that the
specified drive is too full to accept the macro.
Save the macro to a different disk or hard drive partition by select
ing a different drive button i n the file selector panel. Alternatively, you
can return to the Files panel, click the Delete button, and delete several
macros from the current directory to free up disk space.
415
c
Guide to
Peripherals and
Utilities
This appendix contains the names of products which can be used in
conjunction with Animator. Vendor names, addresses, and telephone
numbers are also provided so that you can obtain more information on
these products.
Screen Capture Utilities
The following PC painting programs include screen capture utilities

that save files to a format which can be converted to the Animator GIF
file format. The Animator Converter utility described in Chapter 1 2 is
used to convert the files. Animator screens can likewise be captured for
use by other programs or for use in documentation; fo r example, the
figures used in this book are screen captures.
ColoRIX VGA Paint

Includes PRINTRIX.EXE
Saves to PCX format
Rix Softworks, Inc.
18552 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 3 7 5
Irvine, CA 92 7 1 5
(800) 345-9059
(800) 2 3 3 - 5983
DeluxePaint II
Includes CAMERA.EXE
417
Saves to LBM format

Electronic Arts
1820 Gateway Drive
San Mateo, CA 94404
(415) 571-7171
HotShot Graphics
Includes GRAB.EXE
and WINGRAB.EXE for Windows
S9ves to PCX and TIFF formats
Rix Softworks, Inc.
18552 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 375
Irvine, CA 92715
(800) 345-9059
PC Paint
Includes CAP.COM
Saves to PCX and GIF formats
Mouse Systems Corporation
47505 Seabridge Drive
Fremont, CA 94538
(415) 656-1117
Publisher's Paintbrush
Includes FRIEZE.COM
Saves to PCX format
ZSoft Corporation
450 Franklin Road, Suite 100
Marietta, GA 30067
(404) 428-0008
Splash!
Includes WHITECAP.EXE
Saves to PCX and TIFF formats
Spinnaker Software Corporation
1 Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 494-1200
A large supply of public domain and shareware utilities is also

available; many of these utili ti es can be found through the Compu
Serve bulletin board system. If you subscribe to CompuServe, log on
and type go pi cs to enter the Graphics Support Forum. Then typedL3 or
dl4 to enter one of the data libraries containing PC screen capture utili
ties.
You can also locate GIF format clip-art pictures over CompuServe.
418
C-Guide to Peripherals and Utilities
Type go ga l l e r y to enter the Graphics Galley Forum, which contains

clip-art images in many different formats. Type f i nd g i f to locate all the
GIF pic t ur es in the system .
Input Devices and Cables
The following is a list of video capture boards and scanning devices,

which are designed to digitize images from video cameras, VCRs, and
slides, as well as from printed photographs and artwork. These devices
are discussed in Chapter 1 3 .
Barneyscan 3 5 m m Slide Scanner

Barneyscan
1 1 98 1 Oth Str ee t
B erkeley, CA 94 710
(41 5) 524-6648
Everex Vision 16 Videographics Adapter
Vision Technologies, Inc.
48350 Milmont Dr.
Fremont, CA 94538
(41 5) 683-2900
Jovian VIA (Video Input Adapter)
Jovian Logic Corporation
42808 Christy Street, Suite 230
Fremont, CA 94538
(415) 65 1 -4823
Scanmaster 35mm Slide Scanner
Scanmaster II Flatbed Scanner
Howtec, Inc.
21 Park Avenue
Hudson, NH 03055
(603) 882-5200
Targa 8/1 6/24/32 Videographics Adapter
TIPS Imaging Software
Truevision Inc.
7 3 5 1 Shadeland Station
Indianapolis, IN 46256
(800) 858-8783
(3 1 7) 841 -0332
479
Incidentally, if you're having cable problems, the Cables to Go

people seem to be the best in the business. T hey are unusually compe
tent and not at all deterred by the prospect of creating custom cables,
no matter how bizarre, provided the price is right:
Cables To Go
1-800-826-7904
Output Devices and Printing Utilities
T he following is a list of video output boards and boxes, designed to

record animated sequences from Animator to videotape. These devices
are discussed in Chapter 15.
Everex Vision 16 Videographics Adapter

Vision Technologies, Inc.
48350 Milmont Dr.
Fremont, CA 94538
(415) 683-2900
VGA/NTSC Recordable VGA Board
US Video
62 Southfield Road
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 964-9000
Targa 8/16/24/32 Videographics Adapter
TIPS Imaging Software
Truevision Inc.
7351 Shadeland Station
Indianapolis, IN 46256
(800) 858-8783
(317) 841-0332
VIN (VGA/RGB Into NTSC) Controller Box

Jovian Logic Corporation
42808 Christy Street, Suite 230
Fremont, CA 94538
(415) 651-4823
Willow VGA-T V Board
Willow Peripherals
190 Willow Avenue
Bronx, NY 10454
(212) 402-0010
480
C-Guide to Peripherals and Utilities
A large supply of p ub l i c domain and shareware printing utilities is

also available; many of these utilities can b e found through the Compu
Serve bulletin board system. If you subscribe to CompuServe, log on
and type go p i c s to enter th e Gra p h i c s Support Forum. Then t yp e d L8 t o
enter the data library containing GIF format p ri n ti ng u ti li ti e s .
Selected Bibliography
If you are interested in learning more about the art of animation, you
may want to read the following highly recommended books:
Animation
(Also called Advanced Animation
or Animation: Learn How To Draw Animated Cartoons)
by Pre ston Blair
Walter Foster How-To-Draw Books
1 949
Although long out of print, this 40-page tabloid-sized book is one

of the best animation tutorials of its kind. The author, Preston Blair,
was one of the Disney Studios "Nine Old Men , " the head animators
responsible for such films as Pinocchio, Bambi, and Fantasia. He also
worked under Tex Avery to create Swing Shift Cinderella and similarly
memorable (though almost never televised) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
classics. If you can find it, this book is a gold mine of visual information.
And to think, I got mine at a Woolco for $ 1 . 00.
The Animation Book: a Complete Guide to Animated

Filmmaking-from Flipbooks to Sound Cartoons
by Kit Laybourne
Crown Pub lisher s
1979
I f i t has t o d o with animation, it's i n this book. Although only five

pages are devote d to computer animation (including tweening tech
niques), the book provides an unequalled insight into the history of ani
mation and the animation process as a whole. You'll find that many of
t he traditio n al tech ni que s translate effortlessly to the computer envi
ronment. The book also includes a complete list of animation distribu
tors, screening centers, and film festivals, with the serious animation
student in mind.
481
Other noteworthy books include the following:
The Animated Film

by Ralph Stephenson
A. S. Barnes
1981
The Animator's Workbook

by Tony White
Phaidon and Watson-Guptill Publications
1986
The Complete Kodak Animation Book

Solomon and Stark
1983
Computer Animation: Theory and Practice

by Magnenat-Thalmann
Springer-Verlag Press
1985
Computers for Animation

by S. Hayward
Focal Press
1 984
The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons

by J. Lenburg
Da Capo
1983
Masters of Animation
by J. Halas
Salem House
1987
If you simply can't wait for late-breaking animation news, you can
subscribe to Animation Magazine, a periodical devoted to animation
and published by Expanded Entertainment in Los Angeles.
482
Index
+ button, 28 animating titles, 269-270
-v (FLirnaker parame te r) , 4 1 2 animation, 2 2 7 - 2 2 9
\ (root directory) button, 2 8 eel, 3 7 1 - 389
000 tota l colors used, pa cki ng . color, 2 9 5 - 3 1 4
message, 164 process, 230
1 Color command, 1 9 1 , 201- 203 selected bibliography, 4 8 1 -482
1/2 button, 361 theory, 227-230
1/4 button, 361 Animator
116 button, 3 6 1 confi guri ng, 4 5 8-46 7
1/8 button, 361 files list, 456-457
1/360 button, 361 hardware requirements, 3, 4 5 3-454
2-color button, 59-60, 70 - 7 1 , 73, 7 5 , 79 installing, 3 - 4 , 4 5 3 - 458
quitting, 19
A st art i ng , 4-6
A (all) buttons, 2 3 3 , 2 3 8 , 349-350 temporary files list, 4 6 1 -462
AA.EXE file, 5-6 Animator File Format Converter see
AAPLAY .DOC fil e, 429 Converter
AAPLAY.EXE file, 429-442 Ani ma tor i sn . t conf i gu red . Assumi ng
About command, 4 0 1 , 4 3 1 Def a u lts . message, 469
accessing anti-aliasing, 13 7
colors, 145-148 Apply Ink command, 24, 1 0 5 - 1 06
other inks, 108- 1 1 2 Arrange menu, 1 74-1 7 7
tools, 54 ASCII text fil e , 409, 4 1 3
Add ink, 1 1 2 - 1 1 3 Atari ST files, importing, 3 9 7-398
additive primary model, 1 5 7 - 1 5 8 Auto fit colors, 205-207
Adjust End option, 3 1 9 AutoCAD slides, saving, 4 1 0
Adjust Start option, 3 1 9 AUTOFILE .TXT file, 412-413
Air Sp ee d slider bar, 84 AutoShade slides, s av i ng , 4 1 0 -411
alternate mode, 4 3 4 AutoSketch slides, saving, 410
AMBER.GIP fi l e , 1 9 1-193 , 254 - 2 56 axes, 3 34-335
Amiga files, importing, 397 -398 axis slider bars, 358 -362
ANI fi l e extension, 395 Axis button, 3 5 9-360
483
B Chop at End option, 249-250

Backwards.... command, 245 Circle tool, 60
Bad command or file name message, 5-6 Circle Wipe option, 252
Bad Cfi le typeJ file format. message, Clear
469-470 command, 23, 36
Below command, 190, 194-195 key color, 204-207
bias slider bar, 83, 365, 369 option,341
bibliography, animation, 481-482 Clear Track button, 350
BIRD.GIP file, 54 clearing
Blend command, 179, 185-186 drawing area, 45-47
blending colors, 305 screen, 36
exercise, 306-311 clicking, 6
blue left/right, 6, 8
primary, 376 puck, 8
secondary, 376 stylus, 8
Blue Frame command, 376 Clip Changes command, 377
Blue Numbers options, 258 Clip command, 95, 190-193
Both button, 362 Clock Driver option, 459, 464-465
Box tool, 47-51, 58-59 Clocked button, 365-367
Boxed button, 78 Close ink, 115
Bright ink, 114-115 Closed button, 73, 365, 368
brush shape, 51 clustering
exercise 52-54 box colors, 17-18
indicator, 52-54, 238, 350 limited ranges of colors, 172-173
buffers Cluster
eel, 97-100, 107, 190-195, 207 button, 77, 151
color, 185-186 menu, 167-174
frame, 231 clusters
swap, 94-97, 196-201 changing, 152-156
text, 88-89, 271-275 manipulating, 177
selecting, 152-156
CMYK color scheme, 157
c color
cables vendor list, 479-481 animation, 295-314
Cancel, 247-248, 250-252, 258 buffer
Cancel button, 28, 238 importing colors, 185
Cel command, 339 mixing colors, 185-186
eel animation, 371-374 storing colors, 185
exercise, 378-389 cycling, 120-121
process, 375-378 exercise, 312-313
eel buffer, 97-100, 107, 190, 207 mo del, 156-160
adjusting images, 201-203 buttons, 151
exercise, 202-203 slider bars, 151
emptying, 207 theory, 156-160
exercise, 196-200 wheel, 158-160
importing images, 194-195 colors
storing images, 191-193 accessing, 145-148
Cel menu, 97, 189-207 blending, 305-311
eels exercise, 97-100 clustering a limited range, 172-173
Center cluster
button, 359-360, 362 cycle, 177
options, 359-360, 362 repeating, 174
character animation, 371-374 replacing, 173-174
Choose drive from temp. files message, reversing, 174
462 swap, 177
484
Index
create new color gradation, 1 7 9-1 81 converting

creating, 1 5 9-160 images from other systems, 393-40 1 ,
cycling, 162-164 , 31 1 - 3 1 3 403-408
false, 303-304 real-life images to Animator files,
gradation selection, 1 7 2-173 4 1 5-41 6
importing, 183-185 input devices, 423-426
menu and panel, changing, 1 65-166 slides from other systems, 409-413
merging into one palette, 1 64 coordinates (x/y/z) , 334-3 3 5
palette grid, changing 1 7 7-186 Correct Aspect Ratio, 403
producing contrasting versions, counting frames, 2 78-279
182-183 Create option, 2 1 4
unus ed, 1 69-170 Crop options, 2 5 7
removing, 1 79 Cross-fade option, 246-247
Combine Color Maps option, 247 current
combining scanned images, 4 1 8-420 cluster, 1 5 2 - 1 5 6
command buttons, 1 3- 1 6 color indicator, 2 3 8 , 3 5 0
commands, 9 color, changing, 1 4 9
Complete element seri es, 340
option, 407 frame indicator, 232
command, 343 ink indicator, 2 3 7-350
button, 306 range indicator, 2 3 3 , 2 3 8
Compos i te f l i c s ta rt i ng t h i s f r ame? Current Frame slider bar, 2 3 2
message, 249 current segment slider bar, 2 3 3 , 2 3 8
Composite . . . . command, 244-250 cursor, 9-10
CONFIG.SYS file, 6 movement, 1 1
Configure . . . . command, 458-46 7 curve, spline, 8 1 -84
Clock Driver option, 459, 464-465 Cut
Display Coordinates option, 4 5 9 , 467 option, 250
Drive for Temporary Files option, command, 1 78, 1 8 5
459-463 cycle cluster colors, 1 7 7
Input Device (Mouse/Tablet) option, Cycle Clusters command, 1 7 7
459, 465-467 Cycle command, 1 7 5
Save Default.fix option, 459-463 Cycle Draw command, 1 6 1 -164
configuring Animator, 458-46 7 cycling colors, 3 1 1 - 3 1 3
connector cables, 449, 4 5 1 exercise, 1 6 2 - 1 64
Continue Move button, 3 5 0
continuity slider bar, 8 1 , 3 6 5 , 368-369
contoured , 1 2 5 D
contrasting colors, 18 2183 D (delete] button, 26
exercise, 1 8 2-183 Dark ink, 1 1 6
converter box, 447-448 Default, 403
Converter menu button, 360, 362
About command, 401 command, 1 78, 1 83-1 84
Memory command, 401 default settings. changing, 463
Move command, 401, 405 DEFAULT.FLX file, 46-4 7 , 177, 1 8 3-184,
Quit command , 401 463
Scale command, 401 , 403-405 Delete button, 2 3 3
Slide command, 4 0 1 , 405-407 deleting files, 2 5
Converter utility, 393-394, 397-398 description box, 5 5-56
adjusting pictures, 399-40 1 , 403-407 determinants
compatible file types, 395 move, 364-365
saving files, 408-409 path, 365-369
using, 395-396 size, 3 62 -364
viewing fi les, 408-409 spin, 3 5 9-361
convertible file types, 395 transformation, 357-369
485
digitization, 415-416, 423-426 drive button, 2 7

digitizing tablet, 7-8 Drive for Temporary files option, 459-463
directory button, 27 Driz tool, 60-62
Disk write-protected. message, 470 Drizzle see Driz, 60-62
disks dynamic transformation, 350, 352
floppy. 457-458 creating, 353-355
hard, 455-457 exercise, 353-355
Display Coordinates option, 459, 467
displaying the Palette window, 150-151
Dissolve option, 252 E
Dither, 403 E (exit) button, 26
button, 114 Edge tool, 61-6 3
Do Titling button, 271, 279 Edit button, 88-89, 365, 367
Do Tween option, 319 Edit Text button, 272
dragging editing flies, 234-237
mouse, 7 Effects .... command, 244, 257-258, 421
puck, 8 Element menu, 339-340
stylus, 8 Cel command, 339
Draw tool, 47-51, 60 Flic command, 339
drawing a rectangle exercise, 31-32 Outline command, 339
drawing area, 9-11 Polygon command, 339
importing from eel buffer, 194-195 Spline command, 339
resetting, 45-47 ellipses (.. ) following commands, 12
storing in eel buffer, 191-193 Emboss ink, 116-118
drawing on-screen, 10-11, 31-32 emptying the eel buffer, 207
drawing tablet, 6-8 emulating a color series exercise, 171-172
Drawing tools panel, 317-319 End Record option, 218
Box tool, 58-59 End to Start option, 319
Circle tool, 60 Engrave option. 258
description box, 55-56 enhancing scanned images, 418-420
Draw tool, 60 enlarging screen images, 36-39
Driz tool, 60-62 entry mode, file selector panel, 433
Edge tool, 61-63 Erase Guides command, 377
Fill tool, 63-64 error messages, 469-475
Fillto tool, 63-65 see also messages, 469
Get tool, 65-66 Everex Vision 16, 425-426
Line tool, 66-6 7 exclusive or see XOR. 140-141
modification options, 56-57 exercises
Move tool, 67-69 animation, 18-19
Oval tool, 69-70 blending, 306-311
Petal tool, 70-73 br us h shape, 52-54
Poly tool, 73-75 eel animation, 378-389
RPoly tool, 75-77 eel buffer, changing images within
scrolling tool list, 54 202-203
Sep tool, 77-78 eel buffer, changing and pasting
Shape tool, 79 images, 196-200
Spiral tool, 79-80 eel buffer, storing images, 191-193
Spline tool, 81-84 eels, working with, 97-100
Spray tool, 84-85 color cycling, 162-164, 312-313
Star tool, 85 colors, changing panel and menu,
Streak tool, 86-87 165-166
Text tool, 87-89 colors, creating gradations, 180-181
tool slots, 54 colors, importing, 183-184
drawings see pictures, 2 3 drawing a rect angle , 31-32
486
Index
dynamic transformation, 353-355 file extensions, 28, 342, 3 9 5 , 409-4 1 1

emulating a color series, 1 7 1 - 1 7 2 F i L e i s n . t 320x200 . Use Autodesk
fading, 297-303 Ani mator Conver t e r message, 47 0
file selector panel, 28-30 File menu, 432-434
flic file, editing, 234-23 7 FLI Lo a d . . . c om m an d 4 3 1
. ,
grids, using, 2 1 5 - 2 1 7 GIF Loa d. . . . command, 4 3 1

images, importing from eel buffer, Script Load . . . . command, 4 3 2
1 94-195 file selector panel, 2 6 , 432
importing colors, 1 8 3-184 + button, 2 8
inking the drawing area, 1 05-106 . . (directory) button, 2 8
inks, original, 1 00-104 \ (root directory) button, 28
j oining flies/special effects, 262-266 Cancel button, 2 8
macr o s recording and playing ,
, directory button, 2 7
2 19-220 drive button, 2 7
masking images, 2 1 0 - 2 1 3 key functions, 433-434
mini-palette, 147-148 OK button, 2 8
modification options, 56-57, 109-1 1 2 sc ro lling file l is t 2 7
,
Options . . . . , 205-207 title bar, 2 7

painting with images, 93-95 tutorial, 28-30
producing contrasting colors, 1 8 2 - 1 8 3 Fi le Trunca ted . me s sage 47 0-4 7 1
,
Restore command, 34-35 file type buttons, 2 6

selecting and changing clusters, file types, convertible, 395
152-156 filelist (FLimaker parameter), 4 1 2
starting orientation, 3 5 5 - 3 5 7 files
swap menu, 96-97 AA.EXE, 5-6
text animation, 2 79-290 AAPLAY .DOC, 429
three-dimensional transformatior >, AAPLAY.EXE, 429-442
344-349 AMBER.GIF, 1 91 - 193, 254-256
time operation, 2 3 9-242 Animator list, 456-45 7 , 461-462
tools, experimenting, 4 7 - 5 1 ASCII, 409, 4 1 3
transition types, 253-257 AUTOFILE.TXT, 4 1 2-41 3
tweening, creating a sequence, 323-333 BIRD.GIP, 54
Undo button experiment, 3 3 CONFIG.SYS, 6
unused colors, 169-1 70 DEFAULT.FLX, 46-47, 1 7 7 , 1 8 3-1 84,
using the color slider bars, 159-160 463
viewing a painting, 32 de l eting , 25
Zoom button in action, 36-39 listing, 4 1 1
Exit menu, 3 1 9 , 403, 407 loading, 2 5 , 396-399
exit ing, Animator, 19 MOON.GIF, 96
Expand x2 options, 2 5 7 MOONWALK.FL!, 2 4 2 , 264
Extra menu, 208-220 MRNUMO.FLI, 2 39-242
Configure . . . . command, 45, 458-467 NTSC.COL, 1 6 7 , 448
overwriting, 4 0
Palette, 1 6 7
F REDLINE.GIF, 97, 1 83 - 1 84
F (filled) button, 2 3 7 , 350 saving, 2 5 , 408-409
F (frame) button, 233, 2 3 8 , 349-350 script, 4.38-442
Fade Out option, 2 5 2 temporary, 460-463
fading exercise, 297-303 TIGERCAT.FLI, 262
fading in/out, 296 UNPACKl.EXE, 4
fading off/on, 296 UNPACK2 . EXE, 4
false colors, 303-304 viewing, 408-409
Fi le corrupted : [d r i ve : path\fi le name] WALK.FL!, 254-256
message, 470 WALK.GIF, 36-39, 93, 167, 2 5 3
487
Files button, 25, 73-75 counting, 278-279

Files panel key, 375
D (delete) button, 26 tween, 375-376
E (exit) button, 26 Frames panel, 232-233
file type buttons, 26 fully justified, 275
Files button, 25-26
frame icons, 26 G
L (load) button, 26
Gel tool, 65-66
S (save) button, 26, 39-41
Get Cluster command, 167
Files....
Get command, 190-193
option, 218, 341-342
getting back to the Home window, 9-10
command, 24-25, 161, 167, 191, 245
GIF file extension, 28, 395, 409
Fill tool, 47-51, 63-64
GIF files, importing, 399
Filled button, 59-60, 70-71, 73, 75, 79
GIF Load .... command, 431
Fillto tool, 63-65
Glass ink, 100, 118-119
film recording, 445-447
Glaze ink, 119-120
Find Ramp command, 168, 172
Glow ink, 120-121
Fit button, 150, 175, 178, 295-296
gradation of colors
flatbed scanner, 426
create new colors, 179-181
FLI extension, 395
exercise, 180-18 i
FLI Load.... command, 431
selecting, 172-173
Flic command, 339
gradient inks, 121-122, 125-126, 128-130,
flic file, editing exercise, 234-23 7
140
Flic menu, 244-258
gradients, sorting, 176
Effects.... command, 421
Gradients command, 175-176
Load command, 396-397
Gray ink, 121
Reset command, 46-47
Grays Only options, 258
Save command, 408-409
Grid Snap Control
View command, 408
Create option, 214
flies, 231
Paste option, 214
editing, 234-237
Use option, 214
joining, 250-257
View option, 214
linking, 244
Grid.... command, 213-217
merging, 245-250
grids, 213-217
recording
exercise, 215-217
film, 445-447
videotape, 447-451
FLimaker utility, 393, 409-411 H
-v, 4 12 H Grad ink, 121-122
filelist, 412 hard disk, installing Animator, 455-458
fliname, 412 hardware requirements, Animator,
. 3,
parameter viewing, 412-413 453-454
speed, 412 hiding menus, 12
fliname, 412 HLS
Flip Five command, 378 button, 160
flipping images, 196-201 color models, 151, 156-160
floppy disk, installing Animator, 457-458 Hollow ink, 122-124
Font button, 89 home, 9-10
frame buffer, 231 Home button, 13-16
Frame Control panel, key functions, Home panel, 9, 13-18, 100, 231
436-437 Box tool, 47-51
Frame Count button, 271, 278-279 brush shape indicator, 52-54
frame icons, 26, 151, 231-232, 237, 350 colors, 145
frames, 231 Draw tool, 47-51
488
Index
Fill tool, 4 7 - 5 1 Emboss, 1 16 - 1 1 8

Poly tool, 4 7- 5 1 Glass, 1 0 0 , 1 1 8-1 1 9
Spray tool, 4 7 - 5 1 Glaze, 1 1 9- 1 2 0
Text tool, 47-5 1 Glow, 1 2 0 - 1 2 1
tool slots, 54 gradient, 1 2 1 - 1 2 2 , 1 2 5 - 1 2 6 , 1 2 8-1 30,
Home window, 8 140
getting back, 9 - 1 0 Gray, 121
horizontal gradient ink see H Grad ink H Grad, 1 2 1 - 1 2 2
How to join the ends? Hollow, 1 2 2 - 1 2 4
Cancel option, 2 5 1 Jumble, 1 2 3 - 1 2 5
Cut option, 2 5 0 L Grad, 1 2 5 - 1 2 7
Transition option, 250 modification options, 109- 1 1 2
hue, 1 56-160 Opaque, 1 00 , 1 2 7
Pull, 1 2 7
R Grad, 1 2 8-130
I Scrape, 1 00 - 1 3 0
icons, frame, 2 6 , 1 5 1 , 2 3 1 - 2 3 2 , 2 3 7 , 3 5 0 Smear, 1 3 1
images Soften, 1 00 , 1 3 2
adjusting in eel buffer, 2 0 1 - 2 0 3 Spark, 1 3 3
drawing on-screen, 3 1 - 3 2 Split, 1 3 4
flipping, 1 9 6-201 Sweep, 1 3 5- 1 3 6
importing from eel buffer, 1 94 - 1 9 5 Tile, 1 0 0 , 1 3 7
importing from other systems, 393-408 Unzag, 1 3 7
masking, 209-2 1 3 _ V Grad, 1 0 0 , 1 4 0
painting with, 93-95 XOR, 1 4 0 - 1 4 1
protecting parts, 208- 2 1 3 inks, original exercise, 100-104
resizing, 1 9 6 - 2 0 1 Inner Radius Ratio slider bar, 7 1
rotating, 1 96-201 Input Device (Mouse/Tablet) option, 459,
scanned, 4 1 8-420 465-4 6 7
storing in eel buffer, 1 9 1 - 1 93 input devices
importing converting real-life images, 423-426
colors, 1 8 3-185 mouse, 465
exercise, 1 83 - 1 84 tablet, 465-467
images from eel buffer, 1 94 - 1 9 5 vendor list, 4 79-4 8 1
exercise, 1 94 - 1 95 Insert button, 2 3 3
images from other systems, 393-408 Insert Tween command, 3 7 7
slides from other systems, 409-4 1 3 installing Animator, 3-4, 4 5 3-454
I n Slow floppy disk, 45 7-458
button, 306 hard disk, 455-457
command, 343 Invert command, 168, 1 7 3 - 1 74
incoming flic, 245-250 irregular polygon, 7 3 - 7 5
ink Isn . t a [ f i Le type] fi L e , sorry.
buttons, 1 3- 1 6 message, 4 7 1
description box, 1 0 9 , 1 1 1 - 1 1 2 jiffy, 2 3 3
slots, 1 0 8 - 1 0 9 , 1 1 1- 1 1 2
Ink Strength slider bar, 1 1 4 - 1 1 5
inking the drawing area exercise, 1 05-106 J
inks, 100-104, 107 Join Flic?
accessing, 1 0 8 - 1 1 2 Cancel option, 2 5 0
Add, 1 12-113 To End option, 2 5 0
applying, 1 0 5 - 1 06 To Start option, 2 50
Bright, 1 14-1 1 5 Join . . . . command, 244, 2 5 0 -2 5 7
Close, 1 1 5 joining flies, 250-257
Dark, 1 1 6 special effects exercise, 262-266
489
Jovian VIA, 424-425 M

Jumble ink, 123-125
M (mask) button, 237, 350
justification, 275-278
Macintosh files, importing, 399
Justify options, 271, 277-278
Macro fi Le truncated message, 471
Center, 275
Macro Recording
Fill Line, 275
End Record option, 218
Left, 275-276
Files .... option, 218
Right, 275
Realtime Record option, 218
Repeat Macro option, 218
K Start Record option, 218
K (clear key color) button, 237, 245-247, Use Macro option, 218
350 macros, 217-221
Keep Current Colors option, 247 macros, recording and playing exercise,
key color indicator, 151 219-220
key frames, 375 manipulating clusters, 177
key functions Marks button, 233
File Selector panel, 433-434 Mask menu, 208-213
Frame Control panel, 435-437 Clip option, 208
keyboard lock, 437-438 Create option, 208
Files.... option, 209
Invert option, 208
L Paste option, 209
L (load) button, 26 Release option, 209
L Grad ink, 125-127 Use option, 208
Lace options, 258 View option, 209
LBM extension, 395 Mask. ... command, 208-213
left button, mouse, 6 masking, 208-213
left-clicking, 6 images, 209
left-justified, 275 exercise, 210, 211, 212, 213
Line Cluster command, 168, 171-172 Max blend percent? message, 185-186
Line tool, 66-67 Max tint percentage? message, 181
Line-Contour Gradient ink see L Grad Memory command, 401
ink, 125-127 menu bar, 9, 11-13
linking flies, 244 Menu Colors command, 161
listing files, 411 menus
Load command, 397-399 Arrange, 174-177
load button, 365-368 Cel. 97, 189-207
Load Amiga command, 397-398 changing colors, 165-166
Load button, 89 Cluster, 167-174
Load Flic command, 397 Converter, 401, 403-407
Load Font button, 273 Element, 339-340
Load GIF command, 399 Extra, 45, 208-220, 458-459, 463-467
Load Macintosh command, 399 File, 431-434
Load PCX command, 399 Flic, 46-47, 244-258, 396-397, 408-409,
Load ST command, 397-398 421
Load Targa command, 398 hiding, 12
Load Text button, 273 Mask, 208-213
loading files, 25, 396-399 Movement, 342-343
Palette, 167 Palette, 160-174
Loop Segment command, 378 Pie, 23, 39-41, 105-106, 397-399
Luma Sort command, 175-176 Player, 431
luminance, 158-160 Presets, 340-341
sorting, 176 selecting, 12-13
490
Index
Swap, 95-97 Unknown G I F revi s i on, sorry . , 4 7 5

Trace, 3 76-378 U s e t h i s co lor set for menus'? , 1 6 6
Value, 1 7 7-186 Wri te e r ror on ma c ro f i L e ! , 4 7 5
merging mini-palette, 1 7- 1 8
colors into one palette, 164 changing, 1 4 7 - 1 4 8 , 1 5 1
flic files, 245-250 exercise, 147-148
messages mixing colors, 1 56-160
000 tota l co Lo rs used, packi ng . , color buffer, 1 8 5-186
164 mode buttons, 13-16, 237
Ani mator i sn . t conf i gured . Assumi ng F (filled) button, 350
Defau l t s . , 469 K (clear key color) button, 3 5 0
Bad command or f i Le name , 5-6 M (mask) button, 3 5 0
Bad [fi Le type] fi L e f o rmat . , 469-470 T (time) button, 3 5 0
Choose d r i ve f rom temp. fi Les , 462 modes (file selector)
Composi te f l i c s ta rt i ng t h i s f rame'? , alternate, 434
249 entry, 4 3 3
Di s k w r i te-protected . , 470 modification options, 5 6 - 5 7
F i L e cor rupted : [d r i ve : pa t h \ f i Le ink, 109-1 1 2
nameJ , 470 exercise, 5 6 - 5 7 , 109-112
F i Le i sn . t 320x200 . Use Autodesk MOON.GIF file, 96
Ani mator Conve rt e r , 4 7 0 MOONWALK.FLI file, 242, 264
F i Le Truncated . , 470-4 7 1 mouse
Isn . t a [ f i Le type] f i L e , s o r ry . , 4 7 1 clicking, 6
Ma c ro f i Le t runcated , 4 7 1 dragging, 7
Max b lend percent? , 1 8 5 - 1 86 input device, 465
Max t i nt percentage? , 1 8 1 left/right button, 6
Mouse n o t i n s t a L Led , 464 moving, 7
Mouse not i ns t a l led . Use a r row keys Mouse Control buttons, 3 5 0
to move cursor . , 471-472 Mouse not i ns t a l led . U s e a r row keys t o
No ma c ro record i ng def i ned . , 472 move curso r . message,464, 4 7 1-472
Not a VGA/MCGA d i sp lay, sorry . , Move
4 72-473 button, 3 5 0-3 5 1 , 364-365
Not a [fi Le type] fi Le. Not a good [ f i Le command, 1 90 , 2 0 1 - 2 0 3 , 401, 405
type] f i L e . , 472 tool, 67-69
Not enough memory, sorry, 473 move determinants, 364-365
Not enough room on tempo r a ry d r i ve . , X axis slider bar, 364
473 Y axis slider bar, 364
Out of memory, 4 73-474 Z axis slider bar, 365
Reset to def au L t . f lx , 46 Movement buttons, 239, 305-306
S c r a t c h d r i ve [dri ve : ] on ly has Complete, 306
[quant i ty] bytes f ree . , 474 In Slow, 306
Set zoom Leve L , 38 Out Slow, 306
Shape too big, sorry . , 474 Ping-Pong, 306
Sorry, Autodesk Ani mator c a n . t Reverse, 306
c re a t e : Cd ri ve : pa t h \ f i Le name] , 474 Still, 305-306
Sorry, Autodesk Ani mator c a n . t Movement options, 2 7 1
f i nd : [d r i ve : pa t h \ f i Le name] , Scroll Across, 2 74
474-4 7 5 Scroll Up, 2 7 3-274
Sor ry, menus wou ldn . t b e v i s i b le . , Still, 2 74
166 Type On, 2 74
S o r ry menus wouldn . t be v i s i b le , 475 Movement menu, 342-343
Ti n ti ng sou r c e , 1 8 1 Complete command, 343
Too many colors, t ry fewer f rames . , In Slow command, 3 4 3
475 Out Slow command, 3 4 3
491
Ping-Pong command, 343 Use button, 350

Reverse command, 343 Wireframe button, 350
Still command, 343 Optics window, 335-336
moving the mouse, 7 Options ... , command, 191, 203-207
MRNUMO.FLI file, 239-242 exercise, 205-207
multiply frames button, 233 orientation, starting, 350, 355-357
origin,transformation, 352
N Out of memory. message, 473-474
Out Slow
Near button, 77-78
button, 306
Near Color command, 168, 172-173
command, 343
near threshold, 173
Outline command, 339
Near Threshold slider bar, 78
output devices
Negative command, 178, 182-183
vendor list, 480-481
NEO file extension, 395
video, 449-451
New command, 244
Oval tool, 69-70
New Text button, 271-272
2-color button, 70
Next Blue Frame command, 377
Filled button, 70
No Fitting option, 248
Overlay option, 246
No macro recording defined. message,
overwriting files, 40
472
Not a VGA/MCGA display, sorry. message,
472-473
Not a [file type] fi Le. Not a good Cfi Le p
type] fi Le. message, 472
painting with images exercise, 93-95
Not enough memory, sorry. message, 473
paintings see pictures
Not enough room on temporary drive.
palette, replacing, 183-184
message, 473
Palette
NTSC signal, 447-448, 450-451
button, 150
NTSC.COL file, 167, 448
menu, 160-174
panel, 149, 295-296
0 window, 149, 167-186
OK button (file selector panel), 28 displaying, 150-151
One Palette command, 161, 164 Palette files
Opaque ink, 100, 127 loading, 167
Open button, 365, 368 saving, 167
OPT file extension, 342 palette grid, 151
Optics colors, changing, 177-186
button, 349 panel and menu colors exercise, 165-166
command, 333-334 panels
Optics panel, 339-343 changing colors, 165-166
brush shape indicator, 350 Drawing tools, 54-89, 317-319
Clear Track button, 350 file selector, 26-30, 432-434
Continue Move button, 350 Files, 25-26
current color indicator, 350 Frame Control, 435-43 7
current ink indicator, 350 Frames, 232-233
F (frame)/S (segment)/A (all) buttons, Home, 9, 13-18, 47-54, 100, 145, 231
349-350 Optics, 339-343, 349-351, 362-369
frame icons, 350 Palette, 149, 295-296
mode buttons, 350 Time Select, 237-239, 305-306
Mouse Control buttons, 350 Titling, 269-279
Optics button, 349 Paste option, 214
transformation buttons, 350-351, Paste command, 96, 179, 185, 190
362-369 Pasting command, 194-195
492
Index
Path Player window, 4 3 1 -442

button, 3 50- 3 5 1 , 365-369 Points slider bar, 7 1 , 7 5
determinants, 365-369 Poly tool. 47-51, 7 3 - 7 5
bias slider bar, 365, 369 2-color button, 73
Closed button, 365, 368 Closed button, 73
continuity sli der bar, 365, 368-369 Files button, 7 3 - 7 5
Open button, 365, 368 Filled button, 7 3
p ath command buttons, 36 5-368 Reuse button, 7 3 - 7 5
path type buttons, 365-367 Tween button, 7 3- 7 5
tension slider bar, 3 6 5 , 368 polygon
path command buttons, 3 6 5-368 irregular, 7 3 - 7 5
path type buttons regular, 7 5 - 7 7
Clocked, 365-367 Polygon
Polygon, 36 5-366 button, 365-366
Sampled, 365-366 command, 339
Spline, 365-366 polymorphic tweening, 74, 3 1 7- 3 3 3
PC Paintbrush files.importing, 399 p ower o n , 4 5 4
PC1 file extension, 395 Presets menu, 340-341
PC2 file extension, 395 Clear option, 341
PC3 file extension, 395 Files .... option, 341-342
PCX file extension, 395 Pull Back option, 341
Petal tool, 70-73 Spin option, 341
2-color button, 71 Spin Small option, 341
Filled button, 7 1 Squash option, 341
Inner Radius Ratio slider bar, 7 1 Twirl option, 3 4 1
Points slider bar, 71 Whirl option, 3 4 1
PI1 extension, 3 95 Preview
PI2 extension, 3 9 5 button, 2 3 8
PI3 extension, 3 9 5 option, 4 0 7
P i e menu, 2 3 - 2 5 , 105-106 primary
Apply Ink command, 24 blue, 3 7 6
Clear command, 2 3 , 36 colors, 1 56 - 1 5 8
Files .... command, 24-2 5 , 39-41 puck, 8
Load command, 3 9 7-399 Pull Back option, 341
Restore command, 24 Pull ink, 1 2 7
Separate command, 24
View command, 24 Q-R
pictures
quick animation exercise, 18-19
ca nceli ng 33 Quit command, 401 , 431
,
creating, 2 3-35
quitting, Animator, 19
drawing on-screen, 3 1-32
restoring, 34-35 R Grad ink, 1 2 8 - 1 3 0
saving, 39-41 Radial Gradient i n k s & e R Grad ink
Ping-Pong RAM (random access memory), 2 0 7
button, 3 0 6 RA M disk, 4 6 3
command, 168-169, 1 7 4 , 343 Ramp command, 1 78 - 1 8 1
Pixelate options, 2 5 7-258 range buttons, 1 5 1
pixels, 36 Realtime Record option, 2 1 8
Place Window button, 2 7 3 Record . . . . command, 2 1 8-220
Play Speed slider bar, 2 3 3 recording flies
Player (AAPLA Y.EXE) utility, 429-442 film, 445-447
Player menu videotape, 447-4 5 1
About command, 4 3 1 REDLINE.GIF fil e , 9 7 , 1 83-184
Quit command, 4 3 1 regular polygon, 7 5 - 7 7
493
Book of Animator
Release command, 96, 191, 207 Revert, 403

removing unused colors, 179 Set Height, 403
render, 271, 403 Set Width, 401
Render and Save option, 407 scanned images
Render button, 238 combining, 418-420
Repeat Changes command, 377 enhancing, 418-420
Repeat Macro option, 218 scanners, flatbed, 426
Reset command, 46-47, 244 scanning, 415-416, 423-426
Reset to default.flx message, 46 devices, 426
resetting the drawing area, 45-47 Scrape ink, 100, 130
resizing images, 196-201 Scratch drive (drive:] onl y has
Restore command, 24, 161 (quantit y ] bytes free. message, 474
restoring pictures, 34-35 screens
exercise, 34-35 clearing, 36
returning to the Home window, 9-10 zoom feature, 36-39
Reuse button, 73-75, 88, 317-318 script file, 438-439
Reverse codes, 440
button, 306 options, 441442
command, 169, 174, 343 parameters, 440
reversing cluster colors, 174 Script Load.... command, 432
Revert, 403 Scrolling options, 271, 274-275
RGB button, 160 By Character, 275
RGB color models, 147-148, 151, 156-160 By Pixel, 275
RIF file extension, 395 scrolling
right button, mouse, 6 file list (file selector panel), 27
right-clicking, 6, 8 ink list, 109, 111-112
right-justified, 275 tool list, 54
RND file extension, 409-411 secondary blue, 376
rotating images, 196-201 Segment button, 233, 238
rotation, three dimensional, 336 Segment Flip command, 378
RPoly tool, 75-77 selecting and changing clusters exercise,
2-color button, 75 152-156
Filled button, 75 Sep tool, 77-78
Points slider bar, 75 Boxed button, 78
Cluster Button, 77
s Near Button, 77-78
S (save) button, 26, 39-41 Near Threshold slider bar, 78
S (segment) button, 233, 349-350 Single Button, 77
Same as Size button, 360 Separate command, 24
Same as Spin button, 362 Separate see Sep
Sampled button, 365-366 SEQ file extension, 395
saturation, 121, 158-160 Set End Position option, 319
save button, 89, 365, 368 Set Frames option, 406
Save command, 408-409 Set Height, 403
Save Default.fix option, 459, 463 Set Start Position option, 319
saving Set Width, 401
files, 25, 167, 408-409 Set X option, 406
pictures, 39-41 Set Y option, 406
Scale command, 401, 403-405 Set zoom level message, 38
Correct Aspect Ratio, 403 $hape too big, sorry . message, 474
Default, 403 Shape tool, 79
Dither, 403 2-color button, 79
Exit menu, 403 Filled button, 79
Render, 403 Shrink x2 options, 257
494
Index
Single button, 7 7 Sp acebar function, 1 0

Size button , 3 5 0- 3 5 1 , 362-364 Spark ink, 1 3 3
size determinants, 362-364 special effects, 4 2 1 -422
Both button, 362 Blue Numbers options, 258
Center button, 362 Cancel options, 258
X button, 362 Crop options, 257
Y button, 362 Engrave options, 258
SLD file extension, 409-4 1 1 Expand x2 options, 257
Slide command, 40 1 , 405-407 Grays Only options, 2 5 8
Complete option, 407 Lace options, 2 5 8
Exit Menu option, 407 Pixelate options, 2 5 7-258
Preview option, 407 Shrink x2 options, 2 5 7
Render and Save option, 407 Trails options, 2 5 7
Set Frames option, 406
spectral groups , 1 7 6
Set X option, 406
spectrums, sorting, 1 76
Set Y option, 406
Spectrums command, 1 75 - 1 76
Slide with Mouse option, 406
speed (FLimaker parameter] , 4 1 2
Slide with Mouse option, 406
Spin option, 3 4 1 , 3 5 0-3 5 1 , 359-361
slider bars
spin determinants, 3 5 9- 3 6 1
Air Speed, 84
Axis button, 3 5 9-360
axis, 35 8-362
Center button, 3 5 9-360
Bias, 83
Turns button, 359, 3 6 1
bias, 365, 369
Spin Small option, 3 4 1
color, 1 5 1
Spiral tool, 79-80
Continuity, 8 1 , 3 6 5 , 368-369
Spline
current segment, 2 3 3 , 2 3 8
Ink Strength, 1 14- 1 1 5
button, 365-366
command, 3 3 9
Inner Radius Ratio, 7 1
curve, 8 1-84
Near Threshold, 78
Play Speed, 2 3 3 Spline tool, 8 1 -84
Points, 7 1 , 7 5 Bias slider bar, 8 3
Spray Width, 8 4 Continutity Slider bar, 81
Tension, 8 1 , 3 6 5 , 3 6 8 Tension Slider bar, 8 1
X axis, 364 Split ink, 1 3 4
Y axis, 364 Spray tool, 47-5 1 , 84-85
Air Speed slider bar, 84
Z axis, 365
slides Spray Width slider bar, 84
importing from other systems, 409-4 1 3 Spray Width slider bar, 84
saving, 410-41 1 Squash option, 341
slots Squeeze command, 1 7 7 - 1 7 8
ink, 108-109, 1 1 1- 1 1 2 Star tool, 8 5
tool, 54 Start Record option, 2 1 8
Smear ink, 1 3 1 starting
Soften ink, 1 0 0 , 1 3 2 Animator, 4-6
Sorry, Autodesk Ani mator can . t orientati on, 350
c rea t e : [d r i ve : pa t h \ f i Le name] changing, 3 5 5 - 3 5 7
message, 4 74 exercise, 3 5 5 - 3 5 7
Sorry, Autodesk Ani mator c a n . t Still
f i nd : [d r i ve : pa t h \ f i Le name] message, button, 305-306
474-475 command, 343
Sorry, menus wou ldn . t be v i s i b l e storing
messa g e, 1 6 6 , 4 7 5 colors in color buffer, 185
sorting by gradients/luminance/spectrums, images in eel buffer, 191-193
1 76 exercise, 1 9 1 - 1 93
495
rhei &est Bok of Anjmatr
story line time operations, 237

developing, 374 exercise, 239-242
importance of, 373 Time Select
storyboard, 375-378 button, 237
Streak tool, 86-87 panel, 237-239, 305-306
Stretch command, 190, 196 -201 Tint command, 178, 181
stylus tint source, 181
clicking, 8 Tinting source message, 181
dragging, 8 TIPS (Truevision Image Processing
subtractive primary model, 157 Software) program, 425-426
SummaSketch MM1201, 8 title bar (file selector panel), 27
swap titles, animating, 269-270
buffer, 94-97, 196-201 Titlirig
cluster colors, 177 button, 270
Swap menu, 95-97 command, 269
function exercise, 96-97 panel, 269-279
Sweep ink, 135136 To End option, 250
To Start option, Z50
T Too many colors, try fewer frames.
message, 475
T (time) button, 151, 237, 350
tool buttons, 13-16
tablet
tool slots, 54
drawing/digitizing, 7-8
tools
input device, 465-467
accessing, 54
Targa 16, 449, 451
Text, 277-278
videographics adapter, 425-426
exercise, 47,51
Targa files, importing, 398
total frames indicator, 232
target color, 305
Trace menu
temporary files, 460-463
Blue Frame command, 376
Tension slider bar, 81, 365, 368
Clip Changes command, 377
text '
Erase Guides command, 377
animation exercise, 279-290
Flip Five command, 378
buffer, 88-89, 271-275
Insert Tween command, 377
entry marker, 433
Loop Segment command, 378
text editing buttons, 271
Next Blue Frame command, 377
Edit Text, 272
Repeat Changes command, 377
Load Font, 273
Load Text, 273 Segment Flip command, 378
Unblue Frame command, 377
New Text, 271Z72
Trade Clusters command, 176-177
Place Window, 273
Trade command, 96
Text tool, 47-51, 87-89, 277-278
Trails (effects) options, 257
Edit button, 88-89
transformation, 189-207
Font button, 89
determinants, 358-369, 350, 357
Load button, 89
dynamic, 350, 352-355
Reuse button, 88
origin, 350, 352
Save button, 89
three-dimensional, 333-369
TGA extension, 395
transformation buttons
three-dimensional
Move, 350-351, 364-365
rotation, 336
Path, 350-351, 365-369
transformation, 333-344, 350-369
Size, 350-351, 362-364
exercise, 344-349
Spin, 350-351, 359-361
TIGERCAT.FLI file, 262
Transition option, 250
Tile ink, 100, 137
transition effects, 250
Time button, 177, 233
496
Index
Transition Type Use Cel command, 1 78, 1 8 3-184

Cancel option, 2 5 2 Use Incoming Colors option, 24 7-248
Circle Wipe option, 2 5 2 Use Macro option, 2 1 8
Dissolve option, 2 5 2 Use thi s co lor set f o r menus? message,
Fade Out option, 2 5 2 166
Venetian option, 2 5 2 utilities
Wipe option, 2 5 2 Converter, 3 9 3 -409
transition types exercise, 2 5 3 - 2 5 7 FLimaker, 393, 409-4 1 3
Truevision Image Processing Software see Player (AAPLAY.EXE), 429-442
TIPS printing vendor list, 480-481
Turn screen capture vendor list, 47 7-479
button, 359, 3 6 1
command, 190, 1 96-201 v
Turns option
V Grad ink, 100, 140
axis slider bars, 361
Value menu, 1 7 7-186
1 button, 361
vector point, 360
1/2 button, 3 6 1
vendor list
1/4 button, 3 6 1
input devices and cables, 479 -48 1
1/6 button, 361
output devices and printing utilities,
1/8 button, 361
480-481
1/360 button, 3 6 1
screen capture utilities, 4.7 7-479
Tween button, 7 3 - 7 5 , 3 1 7- 3 1 8
Venetian option, 2 5 2
Adjust End option, 3 1 9
Vertical Gradient ink see V Grad ink
Adjust Start option, 3 1 9
VGA card, 425-426, 447-448, 450-4 5 1
D o Tween option, 3 1 9
VGA/NTSC combination boards, 450-451
End t o Start option, 3 1 9
VIA, Jovian, 424-425
Exit Menu option, 319
video converter, 449, 4 5 1
Set End Position option, 3 1 9
Set Start Position option, 3 1 9
Video Graphics Adapter see VGA
video input adapter see VIA
tween frames, 3 75-376
video output devices, 449-45 1
tweening, 3 1 7-333
Targa 1 6 , 449-450
creating a sequence exercise, 3 2 3 - 3 3 3
VGA/NTSC combination boards, 4 5 1
polymorphic, 74 , 3 1 7 - 3 3 3
VIN controller, 451-452
Twirl (presets) option, 3 4 1
video recorder, 449, 4 5 1
video recording, fl i e s , 44 7-4 5 1
u View
Unblue Frame command, 3 7 7 button, 365, 368
Underlay option, Z46 command, 24, 96, 408
Undo button, 3 2 -33, 150, 160 option, 2 1 4
exercise, 3 3 viewing
undrawing, 3 1 - 3 2 painting, exercise, 3 2
Unknown G I F rev i s i on , sorry. message, files, 408-409
475 parameters, FLimaker utility, 4 1 2 -4 1 3
UNPACK1 .EXE fil e, 4 VIN controller, 450-451
UNPACK2.EXE file, 4 virtual disk, 463
unused colors
exercise, 1 6 9 - 1 70 w
removing, 1 7 9
WALK.FLT file, 2 54-2 5 6
Unused Colors command, 1 68-1 70, 1 79
WALK.GIF file, 36-39, 9 3 , 1 6 7 , 2 5 3
Unzag ink, 13 7
What about the color maps?
Use
Cancel, 248
button, 350
option, 214
Combine Color Maps option, 247
491
. ,_I
The<i'&est 'So,ok of Animf}tor

.
'
Keep Current Colors option, 247 X-Y-Z

No Fitting option, 248
X button, 360, 362
Use Incoming Colors option, 247-248
X-axis slider bar, 364
Whirl option, 341
x-axis, 334-336
wildcards, 28
XOR ink, 140-141
windows

Home, 8-10 Y button, 360, 362

Optics, 335-336 Y-axis slider bar, 364
Palette, 149-151, 167-186 y-axis, 334-336
Player, 431-442
Wipe option, 252 Z button, 360
Wireframe button, 344, 350 Z-axis slider bar, 365
Wrap at End option, 249-250 z-axis, 334-336
Write error on macro fi Le! message, 475 Zoom button in action exercise, 36-39
498

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The Best Book

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HOWARD W. SAMS &. COMPANY

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced,

International Standard Book Number: 0-672-22735-5

Product Director: Richard Swadley

Printed in the United States of America

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be

Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple

2 The Basics of Creating a Painting, 23

3 Operating and Modifying Tools, 4 5

4 Using and Modifying Inks, 93

5 The Color Palette, 1 4 5

6 Automated Painting Features, 189

9 Changing Colors Over Time, 295

10 Automated Movement Features, 317

11 Cel Animation, 371

3 Input and Output, 391

1 3 Capturing Photographic Images and Artwork, 4 1 5

1 4 Playing Animations On-Screen, 429

15 Recording Flies to Film or Videotape, 445

Using Autodesk Animator xxi

Learning Autodesk Animator xx vii

What You've Learned xxviii

Installing Autodesk Animator 3

Starting Autodesk Animator 4

Using a Mouse or Tablet 6

The Home Window 8

Quitting Autodesk Animator 19

2 The Basics of Creating a Painting 23

3 Operating and Modifying Tools 45

Resetting the Window 45

The Draw Tool 60

4 Using and Modifying Inks 93

Drawing with an Image 93

The Hollow Ink 122

What You've Learned 142

5 The Color Palette 145

Home Panel Colors 145

The Palette Window 150

Color Theory 156

Creating New Colors 159

The Palette Menu 1 60

The Cluster Menu 167

Emulating an On-Screen Color Series 171

The Arrange Menu 174

The Value Menu 177

What You've Learned 186

6 Automated Painting Features 189

Cel Transformations 189

Masking Images 208

Establishing a Grid 213