 Hey Girl$I'M Feeling Blue.Premium
join:2001-08-30
Emerald Hill
| Animated Avatars- PSP and Anim. Shop Tutorial Okey-Dokey! Here is a tutorial for making a cool animation you found avatar sized using Paint Shop Pro and Animation Shop. I'm using Paint Shop Pro 6 (I prefer version 6 over 5 and 7) and it works for both versions, but there are some differences which I will point out. Lets start out with a cute little fire-breathing dragon-
Save it- and open it up in Animation Shop. You'll see it in frames (This animation has more than two frames, but all of them won't fit in one screen)
First of all, you want to crop it. Select the Crop Tool (I highlighted it red so you know what it is). You can click 'Options' and then 'crop opaque area' or 'crop animated area' but I prefer cropping by my own (in this case because I want to exclude the fireball). Just crop on one frame and it will crop all the frames, so before you double click inside a rectangle check all the frames and make sure you aren't cropping over a tail or a foot you want in the animation.
After double-clicking it should be cropped. This is not the actual size of the frames- I zoomed out to show them all. They haven't been resized yet.
 What I've boxed in red is what I don't want in the animation. Because there is no fire ball, why should the dragon rear-back? What I boxed in blue is what is also what I don't want in the animation because it is a repeating pattern of what I am keeping. To delete excess frames, just click the arrow (among the tools with the Crop Tool) and click a frame to select it, then just hit on the keyboard DELETE. After deleting, I'll just have three frames of the dragon flapping.
Now it looks like we're ready to resize!
Select 'Animation' > 'Resize Animation'
You should see a popup window like this except some different numbers (and not highlighted in red or blue  )
Make sure what I've boxed in blue is checked- This will prevent the animation from being stretched and distorted when resized. Next, go to Pixel Size at the top (I've boxed it in red). Type in 40 for the width. The height should have automatically changed. It should be within 30 to 50. If not, start over and re-crop so it will be. When the popup is filled out, hit 'OK'. It should be resized.
Now press on your keyboard CTRL+A to select all the frames. For the next few steps, you'll need the version of Paint Shop Pro that came with this version of Animation Shop. It would be preferable if you open it up right now. If you don't have the PSP program, skip all the steps that requires it, but having it helps. Once all the frames are selected, click this- 'Export Frames to Paint Shop Pro' (I boxed it in blue and red). It is above the tool bar.
Be patient- the frames are now being put into Paint Shop Pro. Don't do anything in Animation Shop when the frames are in PSP, they are connected. If you have PSP 6 and Animation Shop, the frames are separate images. If you have PSP 7 and Animation Shop, the frames are all in one image but are in separate Raster Layers. Same steps follow, except instead of skipping to different windows you have to skip to different frames.
Now you will sharpen the frames (In PSP) so they aren't blurry. Select 'Images' > 'Sharpen' > 'Sharpen'.
After sharpening a frame, go to the next. Sharpen all the frames. When done, just hit the 'X' (close) and the upper right corner of the image(s) window. For version 6, you'll have to do this for all frames. For version 7, you just have to do it for one image. When you hit 'X', a popup window will appear with the yellow caution symbol. Just hit 'Yes'. The frame(s) will close in PSP but will be updated in Animation Shop. Go back to the frames in Animation Shop. Now its time to view your animation by hitting the button I've highlighted in blue.
Reclick it to close that little viewer and to go back to the frames. If the animation became too fast because the animation was resized, select the frames you want to change the speed of and then select 'Animation' > 'Frame Properties'
You should see this popup window:
*It may not have the same number.
The time is in hundredths of seconds, not seconds. IF you want to increase the speed, up the number; decrease, lower the number. Hit OK when done. You can view the animation again and change frame speed again until the frames are at a speed you like. Now it is time to save it! After typing in the name you want like; hit the 'Save' button. You should see a popup window after click 'Save'.
 Click the 'Customize' button and you should see this-
Note the number of colors- you can change this to what you wish. Hit okay. You'll go back to the first popup you saw. Hit 'Next >' until you see this-
Look at what has 'Optimized File' (boxed in red). For an avatar, it must be under 5k. If it isn't less then 5k, hit 'Back >' until you came back to this-
Hit 'Customize' again and lower the number of colors. Hit OK and go back to the last screen that has the file size. Repeat if it is still lower than 5k. If it is under 5k, hit 'Finish'. Now take a look at your animation-
Like it? Now upload it! (if you have bought five tool points). There are several more alterations you can do to make it look better, but this is the jist of it. Explore Animation Shop so you can get better. Practice makes perfect. La-dee-da. Go and make animated avatars!
If you have anymore questions about the tutorial or you came upon a problem- just post. I may come and answer or one of the other helpful members who know.
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I edit Avatars! Just ask!
--Mod note 12/19/2001:images moved to on-site
[text was edited by moderator] |
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 NazcarPosting tagPremium
join:2001-01-24
Topeka, KS | Thank You for that great explanation! |
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Hey Girl$I'M Feeling Blue.Premium
join:2001-08-30
Emerald Hill | It took me over half an hour to type! |
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 LanikLab-nikPremium,ExMod 2002-03
join:2001-06-25
Bay Area | reply to Hey Girl$
That is an excellent tutorial thank you. |
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 FlaggerPremium
join:2001-08-10
Weimville | reply to Hey Girl$
said by Hey Girl:
It took me over half an hour to type!
You did a great job. You might have typed just a bit faster if you had stopped flying while trying to type. 
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Did you hear that? She called me a "noble steed." She thinks I'm a steed. |
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| reply to Hey Girl$
Now, you can put in the FAQ when you have the time  . Good work, maybe I'll try my hand at it sometime.
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If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, befuddle them with bulls**t. |
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 jeffsulPremium
join:2001-05-15
Mobile, AL | reply to Hey Girl$
said by Hey Girl:
It took me over half an hour to type!
Took me about a half an hour to read.
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Lord give me patience, but please hurry! |
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| reply to Hey Girl$
This is brilliant Hey Girl, a big thumbs up from me. |
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 MospawWhat, too soon?Hawaiian Jellyfish
join:2001-01-08
Mile High
kudos:1 | reply to Hey Girl$
Great work, as always, Hey Girl! TO the front page you go! |
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 Parky1Forever The Optimist
join:2001-07-06
UK | reply to Hey Girl$
Great work Hey Girl (As usual) |
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Parky1Forever The Optimist
join:2001-07-06
UK | reply to Hey Girl$
Is there any way that I can "Bookmark" this thread, so I can find it easily. I am sure that I will have to return to it many times before I can be proficient enough to edit without refering to it. Thanks in advance.
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The more you learn, the less you know. |
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| Mospaw is way ahead of you, Parky. Check out the links at the top of the forum. |
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Parky1Forever The Optimist
join:2001-07-06
UK | I should open my eyes, and take more notice in future, would'nt post dumb questions then. Lol
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The more you learn, the less you know. |
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 YBoris
join:2001-06-01
Old Bridge, NJ | reply to Hey Girl$
said by Hey Girl:
It took me over half an hour to type!
well worth it ... this is very helpful
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Be optimistic |
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 Lud
join:2000-08-04
Brooklyn, NY | reply to Hey Girl$
Whoa, Nice Hey Girl! |
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Hey Girl$I'M Feeling Blue.Premium
join:2001-08-30
Emerald Hill | reply to Hey Girl$
EXTRA NOTE- I forgot this!
IF YOU USE PAINT SHOP PRO 7 AND USE THIS TUTORIAL, SHARPEN IS NOT IN 'IMAGE', but 'EFFECTs'
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I edit Avatars! Just ask! |
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