Chapter 2 Computer

Animation Tool: Synfig Class 11

Authoring Tools
 To create a multimedia presentation using the basic building blocks of multimedia we
need application programs known as Multimedia authoring tools.
 These authoring tools provide the important framework to organize and edit the
multimedia elements like graphics, sound, video and animation

Types of Authoring Tools

1) Card/page based tools
2) Icon and event based tools
3) Time based tools

Card/Page based tools Icon and event based Time based tools
tools

The elements are organized The elements are organized The elements are
as pages of a book or piles of as objects in a structural organized along a
cards. framework or process. timeline.

The authoring tool links You need to build the The elements are
these pages into an flowchart of the events or displayed as per the time
organized sequence. task and then add the or location of the events.
elements as per the It is the most popular
structure. tools amongst all.

These types of tool are useful They are useful when you
when the different elements want to give a message
can be viewed individually that has a beginning and
like the pages of a book an end.

Examples: Hypercard and Examples: Authorware and Example: Synfig, Pencil,

Multimedia Toolbook IconAuthor Flash and Director

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Pencil
 Pencil is a 2D animation software that lets you create traditional hand-drawn
animation using both bitmap and vector graphics.
 In pencil animation software, you can create good animation if you are good at free hand
drawing instead of object drawing.
 It can be freely downloaded from http://www.pencil-animation.org
 It is available on various operating systems like Linux, Windows and MacOS.

Synfig Studio
 Synfig studio is a time based multimedia authoring tool that falls in the category of
open source.
 It can be freely downloaded from http://www.synfig.org
 It is 2D vector animation software released in 2005 under the GNU GPL (General Public
License).
 It is designed to produce film-quality animation with fewer people and resources.
 It is available on various operating systems like Linux, Windows and MacOS.
 First version of synfig was 0.61.05 and latest version is 0.63.05.
 Synfig stores animations in XML (extensible markup language) file format, often
compressed using compression software gzip (GNU Zip).
 File Extension
o Uncompressed  .sif Compressed.sifz

Starting Synfig
 ApplicationsGraphicsSynfig
 When you start synfig you must have observed that it does not start in one window, but
opens a number of individual windows on the desktop.
 To reset the synfig studio window arrangement:-
 Toolbox  File menu  Panels  Reset windows to original layout
 Component in the user interface are: toolbox, canvas and panels.

Toolbox
 Toolbox is the main window which contains system menu and tools.
 Closing the toolbox exits the application.
 Even if you have several projects open there will be one toolbox for all.
 Using the toolbox we can create a new file, open an existing file, save the file and
setup properties.
 The toolbox also contains the general tools like circle, rectangle, transform and other,
for creating and editing an object.
 Three area or palette of toolbox window

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 o The upper palette contains buttons for standard file operations like create a
new file, open a file, save, save all files, undo and redo as well as access to the
setting dialog and the help system.
o In the middle palette we have the tools like circle, rectangle, transform and
other for creating and manipulating an object.
o The lowest palette contains the default setting for new layers like:
 Foreground and background color- (create fill & outline colors for the
object)
 Brush size- size of the line for new outline layers
 Blend method-By layer default
 Opacity - It control layer visibility (0-invisible and 1 visible)
 Gradient-used by gradient layers as their fill. It sets to a default gradient
between the foreground color and background color.
 Interpolation- each waypoint has an interpolation setting which
determines the manner in which the parameter changes.
Canvas
 It can be seen at the center of the user interface.
 This is the place where you display your artwork and create animation.
 When you open a new file or create a new project you will see the canvas window.
 Whenever we start synfig studio, a new canvas window appears.
 The area with the grey checkboard pattern is the working area in which you can
create elements/layers and manipulate them.
 In the upper left corner of the canvas window one can see caret , a little black
triangle.
 Clicking on this button, the canvas window menu will pop up which allows access to
most of the synfig features.
o Most of the applications have set of menus at the top of the screen or at the
top of the drawing window.
 Timeline appears only when you have non-zero duration in the settings dialog of
your project.
 Left Side Number of the current frame
 Right SideTwo buttons to switch the animation status and to lock/unlock the
keyframes

Panels
 Panels contain tools and information about certain elements of your project.
 Synfig has different type of panels like layers, parameter, history etc.
 The two windows on the bottom and to the right are customizable dock dialogs.
 Each dock dialog contains a set o panels which are arranged horizontally or vertically.
 If accidentally we close a panel go to the Toolbox, select FilePanels

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  Different panels are:
o Layers Panel: Displays the layers of the working canvas and allows to manipulate
these layers.
o Param Panel: shows the currently selected layer parameters, when multiple layers
are selected, only the parameters that are common in the selected layers are
displayed.
o Tool Options Panel: shows options that are specific to the currently selected tool.
o Navigator: shows a thumbnail image of what the currently selected canvas looks
like. We can also zoom in and move the focus around.
o History: Keeps track of all the actions that are done while editing the file. The
check box column is used to disable specific actions without going through the
entire action list. So if we want to redo or undo an action or group of actions just
click on the checkbox.

Creating new file

 Select Toolbox  New file
• Alternatively, when you start Synfig, a new file is automatically created.
 Click on the CaretEditProperties
• Set the name of the file and give a description to your animation
 3 tabs in the properties windows, namely Image, Time and other.
• The Image tab is used to set the image size and image area.
• The Time tab is used for setting the start time, end time and frames per
second.
Tools
 Tools help you to create the artwork for your multimedia project.
 Synfig provides various tools to create and manipulate an object.
 Each tool has its own set of options and parameters.
 Tools are visible in the tool option panel.
 And the parameters are visible in the parameter panel.
 When you select a particular tool, the tool options panel displays the options that
available for that tool.

Circle Tool
 The Circle tool is used to create a new circle layer.
 A circle has two important parameters: centre and radius.
 One can see the parameters in the parameter panel. We can change any of the
parameter after drawing the object.
 Using the tool options panel you can also change the name of the circle layer, create
additional layers using the checkboxes like create outline layer which is used to create
an outline around the circle.

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Ducks
 To increase the radius of circle or to move the circle then click on the duck.
 In case the ducks are not visible then click on the transform tool to see the ducks.
 A duck is a handle that is used to control some parameter of a layer.
 For example, a circle will have two ducks: one to control the position of its
centre and second to control its radius.
 Ducks come in different color and they have specific meaning.
 The color of the duck signifies a change in the following aspects of the objects:
 Green – Position of the object
 Blue – Radius of the circle
 Orange - Vertices
 Yellow – Curves
 Dark blue – to change the angle in star

Rectangle Tool
 The Rectangle tool is used to create a rectangle layer.
 To draw a rectangle, select the rectangle tool, click where you want any corner of the
rectangle, and then drag to the opposite corner.

Star and Polygon Tool

 We can use the star and polygon tool to create the star layer and polygon layer.
 The ducks for each shape is different and change accordingly.
 A polygon can be created using any number of points and then click on the first
point to close it.

BLine Tool
 Bline Tool is used to make objects with any number of points and curves.
 To stop drawing the object, right click on the last point.
 After drawing, the object can be edited using the ducks.

Draw Tool
 It is the most common tool used for drawing.
 You can draw with the help of mouse.

Fill Tool
 The Fill tool changes the color of objects.
 To fill a color in the object, select the color from the color palette.
 This tool has an effect on circle layer, rectangle layer, polygon layer, star layer,
region layer, outline layer and checkboard layer.

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Eyedrop Tool
 The Eyedrop tool allows you to select colour.
 Select the Eyedrop tool, and then click in the working area to set the default
foreground color in the Eyedrop tool to be the color you are currently pointing to.

Gradient Tool
 It is used to create smooth transitions between two or more colors in an object.
 There are four types of gradients namely linear, radial, conical and spiral
Linear Gradient Tool
 This produces a simple transition in a straight line.
 Set the foreground and background colors. Click where you want the gradient to
begin, and drag to where you want the transition to end.
 The gradient will be created perpendicular to the line you drag out. You can edit
the gradient by moving the endpoint in any direction using the normal tool.
Radial Gradient Tool
 This produces circular colors with the transition being at the center of those
circles.
 Click where you want the center of the circles to be, and drag to set the radius of
the transitions.
Conical Gradient Tool
 This has the appearance of looking down on a tip of a cone.
 The gradient is along the circular arc of the center and goes in all directions.
 Click to set the centre, and drag to indicate the direction in which the foreground
and background colors should go.
Spiral Gradient Tool
 This produces a spiral gradient.
 Click to set the centre of the spiral and drag to set the ‘tightness’.

Text Tool
 Text tool allow you to enter text by creating a text layer.
 The tool options panel will allow us to:
 Select the name for the new layer.
 Select single or multi line editor for entering the text.
 If single line is selected then click the enter key to submit the value
 While in multi-line editor, click the OK button to submit the value.
 Select the horizontal and vertical size of the text.
 Select the ‘orientation’ of the text. By default (0.5, 0.5) is selected.
 Select the font family.

Zoom Tool

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  The Zoom tool is used to get a closer or far away view of the objects in the working
area.
 The zooming does not affect the output results. It is used to just view the objects
from close or far range.

Width Tool
 The Width tool helps to increase or decrease the width of a line.
 The width of outline will be increased at the places where you moved the cursor.
 To decrease the width hold “CTRL” key while moving the cursor.

Transform Tool
 Transform tool allows you to select objects and to move, rotate or scale the ducks.

Smooth Move Tool

 Smooth move tool works just like transform tool, except when multiple ducks are
selected.
 Select multiple ducks by pressing CTRL + A or dragging a rectangle around the
ducks.
 When you drag one of the selected duck, the other selected ducks will also move
along with it.

Scale Tool
 When we select multiple ducks, and drag one of the selected ducks the other
selected ducks will scale relative to the centre of the selected group.

Rotate Tool
 When we select multiple ducks, and drag one of the ducks the other selected ducks
will move rotating about the centre of the selected group.

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