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Animation is generally thought to be a difficult task for which extensive training is required and something that only 'professional animators' can do.
Not anymore! Stykz — an easy to learn and use program — has made animation much simpler than you ever thought. This is a stick-figure animation software that can be used for character animation, showing movements such as aerobics, exercises or any another activity designed by the user.
By default, the drawing screen displays a stick figure with a head, a torso, hands and legs. Note the small blue dots at joints such as at neck, waist, elbow, wrists, knees and feet. These are called nodes that can be used to introduce human like movements in the stick figure, such as running or jumping. In the middle, there's a yellow dot — use this to move the figure inside the drawing screen without introducing any limb movement. Before starting animation, turn on all the supporting windows by going to menu windows and ensuring every sub-menu is checked, such as 'Frames', 'Commands', etc. This will give easier control over the animation.
Now take a look at the default stick figure standing right in the middle of the drawing screen and decide what type of animation to create, for example a body stretch where the figure touches its right feet with right hand bending down sideways from the waist. The frame window shows only one frame at this time. Insert a new frame by either right clicking in the frame window and selecting 'Insert', or by using the 'Next Frame' button in the 'Commands' window.
This second frame by default shows the same figure as in first frame, standing at the same place. Here's where animation can start, as an animation is a sequence of frames, each slightly different from the previous one that creates a continuous movement when run quickly.
In second frame, click on the neck node and move it slightly to the right and notice that the figure's head and upper torso turns from the middle to the side. As the figure tilts, the previous erect figure is revealed from behind in grey shade showing how much movement is covered in the second frame — fewer movements in higher number of frames create smoother animation, and more movements in fewer number of frames create jerky ones.
Now insert a third frame and this time move the middle node — the one below the neck to the right, further stretching the figure to its right. The right hand of the figure can be straightened a bit to set its direction towards the right toe. Similarly, keep adding frames and in each one, continue bending the figure to complete the stretch. This can be done easily in five to six frames. Use the 'Play' button in 'Command' window to test the animation.
Apart from this simple node movement that pivots the joints against the previous joint, advanced movements can be achieved as well say extend a note using CTRL + drag (this elongates the limb segments — useful in non-human animation), or distort using CTRL + ALT + drag that results in moving the position of node (stretching the segments) between two existing nodes, and addition/ deletion of nodes is also possible.
With these advanced controls, completely new stick figure animations can be created, say a stick dog, two figures playing throw ball, gymnastics, jugglers, karate chops, etc. All that's required is imagination, understanding and practice of manipulating nodes and patience to create frames. Sketching a draft of animation over paper first can save time as time wasted in hit and trials would be low.
Another free tool for stick-man animation is Pivot. It doesn't have tools such as distort, add new stick figure, etc. — it's simpler and is all about inserting frames and performing basic movements of the figure in each. The strength of this tool is stick figure builder — available from 'File' menu. Here, in addition to the stick-man, other basic figures can be created and then animated in the main screen. And animations created in Pivot can be used in Stykz as well. Both the tools also allow exporting animation in animated GIF format.
Happy creativity!
Stykz
www.stykz.net
