All posts tagged file structure

The warmth of traditional Czech cutout films from the 70s has always fascinated us. They bring cosiness and sincerity, which are almost completely forgotten in the digital age of polished and intense visual stimulation.

Over the years, we have often wondered how closely we could emulate this look in Flash with SMR.

There are basically two approaches which can be taken. There are pros and cons with each one, but both are valid and can produce appealing results, bringing some of that lost warmth and sincerity back to cartoons. Read more
“Is there a way to rig a skirt and avoid Shape Tweens in a synced timeline?”

Smart Magnet Rigs are so flexible that they provide an effective alternative.
A simple setup of four elements allows dynamic and interactive posing, where the skirt is mostly animated at character level, and the body poses are automatically matched. Read more
The question how to rig characters with outlines has popped up multiple times.

In the world of digital cutouts outlines make life more difficult and complicate everything. This is why a large part of the character designs (and rigs) don't have any outlines at all, or only have partial in the facial area, hands, feet and some wrinkles here and there.

Ultimately, it is an artistic and stylistic choice. Read more
Smart Magnet Rigs have been around for almost a decade. While its core has remained unchanged since the inception, over this period the system has become very polished, commercially viable, extremely flexible and intuitive to use.

The goal of this article is to re-focus the attention on the interconnected tools, features and methods that will allow those who are already familiar with SMR and have experience with single-angle rigs to further their knowledge and explore a wider range of possibilities. Read more
For years we have refrained to give turnaround rigging prescriptions, because there are many IFs, and we thought that such advice has the potential to be misinterpreted.

When it comes to multi-angle rigging there are generally two possible approaches to organizing assets (or a combination of the two), and the choice is often dictated by personal preference or better suitability for a particular animation style.
The rig does not have some special intrinsic value. The meaning of its existence is to make animation faster and easier. Read more
This foundational article is an attempt to describe the process of organizing a production in its complexity, focusing on character-related specifics and trying to cast light over areas that are usually not even mentioned in books about Flash.

We will be focusing mostly on the technical aspects of Flash animation production. The creative and artistic side of the problems will rarely be addressed.

The text below assumes that readers are already animators or people with interest and knowledge of animation, its specific vocabulary, methods and practices. Read more