PhotoAnim - Documentation

Tutorials
F.A.Q.
Reference
- Animate Mode
  - Menu
  - Add/Move/Remove Dot
  - Bones/Joints
  - Time Curves
  - Using Libraries
  - Selection
  - Binding
  - Conductor Box
  - 3D Preview
  - Special functions
Glossary
Table of Contents


Bones and joints are the key for skeletal animation. A bone connects two user dots and is oriented. It cannot cross the region contour. When Auto is checked, PhotoAnim attempts to place automatically a bone each time a new user dot is added. Bones can be placed manually on the start or end image. When moving the mouse over the image, possible bone candidates are displayed in white. Click to add the bone (yellow display). When moving the mouse over an existing bone, the bone color changes to red. You may then double click to remove the bone or right click to open the associated context menu. Bones can be solid or elastic. An elastic bone is shown as a dotted line. Main bone rules: A master dot is a user dot with no solid bone arrow connected to it. Two bone arrows cannot share the same dot (a->b<-c forbidden). Bones cannot loop (a->b->c->a forbidden)
Single bone case In this case, only two user dots connected by a bone are defined for one region.
Moving the dot on the arrow side of the bone rotates the region	Moving the arrow side
Moving the master dot translates the region. You may define a custom trajectory for the master dot by dragging the small red square on the current frame.	Moving the master dot
Bone context menu
When a bone is set to "Elastic", moving either dot scales, rotates and translates the region.
Multiple bones - bone tree and joints In this case, bones are connected together to form a tree (or skeleton...).
User dots connected to more than one bone become a joint and are identified by a yellow circle	Partial view of a bone tree
Joint Properties When a joint is selected the context menu Joint Properties... is available Default joint properties can be set for a region on Animation Properties	Joint Properties dialog
Interaction and Skin Fill define how the mesh will follow the bone moves. Skin Fill is not available for 3D images	Interaction = Robot, Skin Fill = Empty Interaction = Teddy, Skin Fill = Full