help with 2-Dimensional tradtional and CG Animation

[gwastudios]

I have 2 questions to post on the discussion boards for today. One, I’m trying to figure out how to combine traditional animation with toon boom animation; an example would be if I’m trying to make the character pick up a pencil on the floor. I would use a peg system (or bone system in flash) to have the character bend over and then have the traditional frame-by-frame animation stretch his fingers and grab the pencil. Now it may sound like I already know what I am doing here; but, I don’t, I’m a little stuck here. Any advice or links that the cool people on animation nation could use to help me out?

•And my second question would have to be this. What happened to my old profile on here once the site was recreated? I actually never got onto my profile for a couple of months due to programming and design work (I was gwa games and posted the huge topic on the avatar the movie) and my profile was gone. Umm, did I miss anything important while I was away?

[Charles]

Don't know enough about Toonboom to offer advice, but when it comes to your account profile gwa, if you're referring to the old forums, it's still there. Shows up fine on my computer. Other than that, I don't know what you're experiencing. All account profiles here on the new forums are open and should be accessible to all members to edit. If you're having technical difficulties with the new forums, get in touch with us and we'll look into it.

[coffeecat]

Toon Boom is quite a bit different than flash in workflow. I actually found in uncomfortable at first - but grew to like it very much. I certainly exposes Flash's shortcomings.

Toon Boom also varies depending on the version. I haven't used Studio, or Animate. I'm on Animate Pro v2. Also - there are various different "workflows" depending on the type of animation you're doing. Most people never use the exposure sheet - just sticking with the more flash-like timeline. I however do use the X sheet as well as the timeline quite a lot.

I also not 100% sure what issue you're having getting started.

I know one early mistake is which tools along the left side you choose. If you scale or move something using the top arrows and scale tools, it kind of does it overall (not animated over time). You have to use the lower set of tools. The bottom four or whatever it is. Down there, you'll also notice another scale tool. This one, will move things around with animation. You'll also notice everything you are selecting turns pink at this point to illustrate that you are animating.

Pegs, and Animate's bones gets into a deeper discussion.... but I'd need to know more about where you're at.

Early on I found Toon Boom's video tutorials helpful. Also Cartoon Smart. They have some free ones that run through Animate, and perhaps Animate Pro - along with some inexpensive pay ones. If I'm not mistaken there is even one dedicated to character rigging with bones and animating a walk cycle.

Hope this helps!