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APRIL 09, 2004 Revisiting Write-on Effects in Studio Artist 3
Recording the write-on effect There are two ways to record a write-on or paint-on effect. They're not mutually exclusive, but they are designed for use with different brush types. The first method is one that carries over from Studio Artist 2.0, which is designed for a limited number of brushes, primarily using the "Autodraw Interactive" brush mode. The second is to tell Studio Artist to record X number of frames per second as you draw. This second method works with any brush you might choose to use. I've already covered the first method here, so now we'll just cover the new method.[an error occurred while processing this directive] To begin, choose File > Preferences > Movie Stream. There you'll find a setting called "AutoWrite," which determines the number of frames per second at which Studio Artist records your actions. Remember, this doesn't literally translate to frames per second in your final animation. It refers to real-time frames per second.  After you set that, you'll want to set your canvas background. If you're recording this write-on effect for the purpose of bringing it into another application for further manipulation, you'll want to erase the canvas and set the background to "Canvas Alpha." The Erase button is the little dot (not the arrow) up above your canvas. The background is set in the little pull-down menu to the right of the Erase button. (Note: For alpha output, ALWAYS erase the canvas completely, or you will have problems.)  Alternately, if you plan to do a reveal effect or simply want to have a background for your effect, set the background to Source Image. If you don't already have the right background loaded up as your source image, select it by choosing File > Open Source Image. Then hit the arrow next to the Source Image background menu.  Finally, you need to start recording your sequence from your canvas. So, to start the process, choose File > New Movie Stream > From Main Canvas (or From Current Layer, if desired). Studio Artist will then start recording your actions on your canvas when you start drawing. It will also pause when you stop drawing. Therefore, if you want a pause in between strokes, you'll have to add frames manually one of two ways. 1. Draw outside your canvas, and Studio Artist will record your (unchanging) frames for as long as you keep your pen depressed. 2. Add individual frames by typing Command-F. This will write your current canvas as a frame, and you can do it as many times as you wish. Now you can draw away to your heart's content. When you're done, absolutely be sure to close the movie stream. If you don't close it, your movie will be corrupted, and you won't be able to use it at all. As for the effects you create, these depend entirely on the brushes you select. Most will be good for doing straight write-on effects. You could also use multiple brushes to combine effects, such as this example, which shows a fairly straightforward paint brush writing onto the canvas, followed by a second brush that blows the paint (kind of like a blow pen). That example uses a home-made brush, but one that you could design yourself with some effort. (I'll be making it available later on as a free weekly download. If you really want it now, drop me a line, and I'll send it off to you.) You also saw an example of a reveal effect that drips down the canvas. You could also do a splat reveal, as in the example below. Next time around we'll take a look at creating write-on effects as reveals using a motion background. It's a bit more tricky. so I thought I'd cover it in a separate installment. In the meantime, if you have any questions, be sure to visit me in the Synthetik Studio Artist user forum here.—Dave Nagel Prev 1 2 3 4 Related sites: Related forums: [an error occurred while processing this directive] 
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