Is flash the appropriate program...

[C1oak]

for making videos like Egoraptor?

To be clear: I want to animate, as well as pull video clips and manipulate them, then add my own music and voice acting into it.

I animate with TVPaint 9.5 at the moment, and never really got into flash, but I'm trying to take the dive and get into it. I just want to make sure Flash is indeed the appropriate program that Egoraptor uses.

If the answer is yes, I'll scour the tutorials. I just want to make sure I'm heading in the right direction.

Many thanks.

[cmkinusn]

Yes of course. Unless its Brackenwood or anything chlauid, then its flash. (he started animating in toonboom, which is far more advanced and robust...but more complex and less user-friendly in my eyes...as well as really expensive)

[C1oak]

Thank you for the reply man, I'm glad I'm with the right software. Now to get started.

I didn't want to start a whole other thread, but I need a basic interface question answered:

In tutorials I see the user hover his mouse over the various tools on the left, and different options/versions of that tool pop up to select (all by mouse-click) when he points to a tool. For instance, he will mouse over the Oval tool, and it will let him click to the side to select Rectangle as well.

My flash CS3 trial doesn't do this.

It's making me use the keyboard to select various options, and I find it clunky and cumbersome. When i hover my mouse-point over a tool (even a tool that has a mini 'arrow' in the corner to designate different options), the other selectable options never pop up.

What am I doing wrong?

[cmkinusn]

try clicking and holding then dragging your mouse to the option you desire once it pops up man :)

[C1oak]

You're a genius. Thank you!

[cmkinusn]

yup ask away if you need more help

[CyanSandwich]

At 1 day ago, cmkinusn wrote: Yes of course. Unless its Brackenwood or anything chlauid, then its flash. (he started animating in toonboom, which is far more advanced and robust...but more complex and less user-friendly in my eyes...as well as really expensive)

A side-note: all of the brackenwood shorts were made in Flash, but Adam Phillips is extremely good at it. I don't think he's using flash anymore though.

[cmkinusn]

@sandwicheater:
He used flash, but he has since moved onto toonboom.

[DillonBrannick]

At 58 minutes ago, cmkinusn wrote: @sandwicheater:
He used flash, but he has since moved onto toonboom.

Yes but the brakenwood series to date is done in flash. The Last of The Dashkin was his last flash animation.

[aap]

At 2 days ago, cmkinusn wrote:

he started animating in toonboom, which is far more advanced and robust...but more complex and less user-friendly in my eyes...as well as really expensive

ToonBoom Animate is actually cheaper than Flash CS5 and there's a free learning version. Chluaid also did some really helpful tutorials on ToonBoom.

I also think ToonBoom can also export .SWF files.

[C1oak]

At 7 hours ago, aap wrote:

At 2 days ago, cmkinusn wrote:

he started animating in toonboom, which is far more advanced and robust...but more complex and less user-friendly in my eyes...as well as really expensive

ToonBoom Animate is actually cheaper than Flash CS5 and there's a free learning version. Chluaid also did some really helpful tutorials on ToonBoom.

I also think ToonBoom can also export .SWF files.

I'm not familiar with Chluadi. I just want to use whatever program that Egoraptor used to make Megaman vs Megaman X. The same things like pulling video and manipulating it, adding in affects, sound, etc. What program did he use to make that?

Thanks.

[aap]

Well it says "I use Adobe Flash CS4 to make my Flash cartoons." right here on Egoraptors user page.

[C1oak]

At 27 minutes ago, aap wrote: Well it says "I use Adobe Flash CS4 to make my Flash cartoons." right here on Egoraptors user page.

Many thanks. Is the difference between CS4 and CS3 negligible?

[aap]

At 16 minutes ago, C1oak wrote: Many thanks. Is the difference between CS4 and CS3 negligible?

I've personally noticed little difference between CS4 and CS3.

[C1oak]

At 13 minutes ago, aap wrote:

At 16 minutes ago, C1oak wrote: Many thanks. Is the difference between CS4 and CS3 negligible?

I've personally noticed little difference between CS4 and CS3.

I appreciate the community responses here. Can't wait to spend time here.

[Sacros]

At 13 hours ago, aap wrote:

At 2 days ago, cmkinusn wrote:

he started animating in toonboom, which is far more advanced and robust...but more complex and less user-friendly in my eyes...as well as really expensive

ToonBoom Animate is actually cheaper than Flash CS5 and there's a free learning version. Chluaid also did some really helpful tutorials on ToonBoom.

I also think ToonBoom can also export .SWF files.

wait...toonBoom is more advanced than flash? i always thought ToonBoom was flash retarded brother

[kmau]

The real question is "Why not?".

[4urentertainment]

At 6 hours ago, C1oak wrote:

At 27 minutes ago, aap wrote: Well it says "I use Adobe Flash CS4 to make my Flash cartoons." right here on Egoraptors user page.

Many thanks. Is the difference between CS4 and CS3 negligible?

You know you don't have to use "the program egoraptor uses" when there are possibly better alternatives out there right? Also, Chluaid, also known as Adam Philips, is a much better animator than Egoraptor, so you'd be better off taking him as a role model.

[aap]

At 1 hour ago, Sacros wrote: wait...toonBoom is more advanced than flash? i always thought ToonBoom was flash retarded brother

I'm just getting into ToonBoom myself, but yes, it's much more advanced. I believe most television cartoon series are made using Toon Boom. Except for My Little Pony.

[Sacros]

At 1 hour ago, 4urentertainment wrote:

At 6 hours ago, C1oak wrote:

At 27 minutes ago, aap wrote: Well it says "I use Adobe Flash CS4 to make my Flash cartoons." right here on Egoraptors user page.

Many thanks. Is the difference between CS4 and CS3 negligible?

You know you don't have to use "the program egoraptor uses" when there are possibly better alternatives out there right? Also, Chluaid, also known as Adam Philips, is a much better animator than Egoraptor, so you'd be better off taking him as a role model.

actually i dont think egoraptor is an awesome animator, his material is awesome for many other reasons, say art and funnies, in fact, i think he himself denies being a good animator (he is better than all of us though, meaning his lvl is quite high)

[UltimateIronfox]

I'm not familiar with Chluadi. I just want to use whatever program that Egoraptor used to make Megaman vs Megaman X. The same things like pulling video and manipulating it, adding in affects, sound, etc. What program did he use to make that?

Thanks.

Egoraptor animates in flash but I'm willing to bet he is using a video editor too like premiere.

[kmau]

At 5 hours ago, aap wrote:

At 1 hour ago, Sacros wrote: wait...toonBoom is more advanced than flash? i always thought ToonBoom was flash retarded brother

I'm just getting into ToonBoom myself, but yes, it's much more advanced. I believe most television cartoon series are made using Toon Boom. Except for My Little Pony.

You would be surprised how (relatively) many cartoons are done in flash nowadays.

[C1oak]

What's the community's opinion on TVPaint? I'm using TVPaint 9.5, actually I used it for my first animation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vodyDOKNI&context=C3f8cef8A DOEgsToPDskI4ZIMB_kkdWDpWoeq4gjVQ

Now, I don't have any sort of basis for comparison because I've never used another animating program, but Newgrounds has me very excited about the Flash community, and I want to be able to make animations (comparatively) quickly. The community for TVPaint is...lacking to say the least. I've learned mostly by trial and error, however I'd like to know what people here think about non-flash programs and TVPaint in particular if anyone has any experience with it. If I had to describe it, I would say it feels like the photoshop of animation. Anything you can think of feels like it can be done, but it's very robust and complex, like Photoshop.

[aap]

At 20 minutes ago, C1oak wrote: What's the community's opinion on TVPaint?

I remember I had to use it in school. But I dropped out so I don't have too much experience with TVPaint.
I guess I also wasn't really interested in learning TVPaint because it wasn't vector based.

At 20 minutes ago, C1oak wrote:

:I'm using TVPaint 9.5, actually I used it for my first animation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vodyDOKNI&context=C3f8cef8A DOEgsToPDskI4ZIMB_kkdWDpWoeq4gjVQ

That actually looks really good. I'd like to see what you can come up with in Flash.

[DillonBrannick]

At 1 hour ago, C1oak wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vodyDOKNI&context=C3f8cef8A DOEgsToPDskI4ZIMB_kkdWDpWoeq4gjVQ

Never used it, but that's pretty cool, you earned yourself a sub.

[Sacros]

nice work man

tvpaint? seems mediocre and shitty, dunno though, never used it

seriously go for GIMP, nobody will think you are a communist for using an open source software, its free and it support vectors and raster and it has an animation pack which lets you animate confortably

or just stop wandering and get flash, this is a flash based community...despite the fact flash is a daying technology...but adobe are some smart fucks who will do everything to predate your cash so they will probably fix that shit

[leocartoon1]

At 4 hours ago, Sacros wrote: nice work man

tvpaint? seems mediocre and shitty, dunno though, never used it

seriously go for GIMP, nobody will think you are a communist for using an open source software, its free and it support vectors and raster and it has an animation pack which lets you animate confortably

or just stop wandering and get flash, this is a flash based community...despite the fact flash is a daying technology...but adobe are some smart fucks who will do everything to predate your cash so they will probably fix that shit

TVPaint is not as shitty and mediocre as it seems. I have actually used it and it's kinda good. It has all these effects and brushes which make it seem like a toned down Photoshop specially made for animation.

It's harder to learn how to use it than GIMP's animation packages (two animation packages available, one being more focused on real animations, and the other being an all around thing for making gifs and so on), but it's worth it.
I actually didn't have a hard time with it, I just needed to read the manual and I was set, kinda like with Toon Boom, I thought it was very hard but really wasn't that much.

But hey, GIMP is free and is in active development. TVPaint is active too, but it's a commercial software.
If anyone actually remembers (I really doubt), TVPaint is the old Mirage.

[C1oak]

What's vector-based versus non-vector based mean? I think I understand, but I'm not sure. If I had to guess, non vector-based means simply hand-drawn images, and vector based deals with shapes that you move and animate with shortcuts and formulas...I think.

[leocartoon1]

At 34 minutes ago, C1oak wrote: What's vector-based versus non-vector based mean? I think I understand, but I'm not sure. If I had to guess, non vector-based means simply hand-drawn images, and vector based deals with shapes that you move and animate with shortcuts and formulas...I think.

It's not that.

Vectors still can be hand drawn in Flash's case.

Vectors are drawings made based on mathematical expressions. They are resolution independent, so that means infinite scaling without any kind of drop in quality.
They however have to be simple, if something is too complex it might be very slow to render since it's all math and thus the computer has to render these in real time. Try tracing a photo in Flash for example (not real tracing, I'm talking about the command called "Trace bitmap". don't do this though, it's just an example). It will be slow as hell depending on your settings, usually it lags a lot when you make it seem close to the original image. Most times it stops working and will crash.
So because of this, vectors are good for simple drawings that don't need any complex effects or shading applied to them.

Raster graphics are based on pixels, so they are resolution dependent. That means you can't scale them too much, or else the image will get too pixelly (is this even a word?), if you know what I mean.
Raster is good for complex things which need a lot of complex effects/shading such as realistic digital paintings for example.

I'm not so sure if all I said is right, this is all I know from experience so someone out there that can find any error with this, feel free to say I'm wrong and correct me.

[Sacros]

At 2 hours ago, leocartoon1 wrote:

At 34 minutes ago, C1oak wrote: What's vector-based versus non-vector based mean? I think I understand, but I'm not sure. If I had to guess, non vector-based means simply hand-drawn images, and vector based deals with shapes that you move and animate with shortcuts and formulas...I think.

It's not that.

Vectors still can be hand drawn in Flash's case.

Vectors are drawings made based on mathematical expressions. They are resolution independent, so that means infinite scaling without any kind of drop in quality.
They however have to be simple, if something is too complex it might be very slow to render since it's all math and thus the computer has to render these in real time. Try tracing a photo in Flash for example (not real tracing, I'm talking about the command called "Trace bitmap". don't do this though, it's just an example). It will be slow as hell depending on your settings, usually it lags a lot when you make it seem close to the original image. Most times it stops working and will crash.
So because of this, vectors are good for simple drawings that don't need any complex effects or shading applied to them.

Raster graphics are based on pixels, so they are resolution dependent. That means you can't scale them too much, or else the image will get too pixelly (is this even a word?), if you know what I mean.
Raster is good for complex things which need a lot of complex effects/shading such as realistic digital paintings for example.

I'm not so sure if all I said is right, this is all I know from experience so someone out there that can find any error with this, feel free to say I'm wrong and correct me.

thanks for the insight on vectors and TVpaint (my bet was it was some shit tier abandoned software charging 1 dolrar )

also didnt know vectors were actually held in mathematicall form during runtime, interesting stuff

but i think your explanation might be too hardcore, im sorry for being a douche and try to give a more simple depiction:

raster: think MS paint or photoshop (i know PS is capable of vectors too but you get it), that style

vector: think flash drawings, smooth lines, awkwardly vivid colors