Help! : most common technique

[DivoFST]

So i wanted to start doing animations and iv been for over a week watching tutorials.
My question is simple how to you guys usually animate?
Using frame by frame with multiple layers?
Using Symbols on most of the characters and then changing small things?
Using the bone tool?
I just want some lights because i feel really overwelmed by all the tutorials....thanks!

[nathanielmilburn]

Just open Flash and start messing around with the tools. There's not one technique that is the most common or works best among everyone.

Keep things simple and move from there. Start with one layer and and one frame and add as you go.

[DivoFST]

But for example..i made my character with around 20 layers, do you guys gather some of them into a symbol so it gets easier or just move them all one by one in each frame?
I quited the bone tool for animating characters...does not look that great on my skill level

[nathanielmilburn]

At 5/15/12 11:54 AM, DivoFST wrote: But for example..i made my character with around 20 layers, do you guys gather some of them into a symbol so it gets easier or just move them all one by one in each frame?
I quited the bone tool for animating characters...does not look that great on my skill level

Yeh symbols work well if the body is broken up into layers so that way it'd be easy to switch drawings out or make changes. You still got to move the images frame by frame too.

To keep it organized you might want to make a Head symbol and keep all the head layers within that. The master symbol would have the body, arms, legs, head, etc.

[DivoFST]

At 5/15/12 12:47 PM, nathanielmilburn wrote:
To keep it organized you might want to make a Head symbol and keep all the head layers within that. The master symbol would have the body, arms, legs, head, etc.

Dude thanks a lot, at first i didnt knew what you meant by that but now its helping me a lot putting layers into symbols (didnt even knew that was possible)

[MistyEntertainment]

I'd personally advise against the layer-a-body-part style of animating, but whatever works for you. I personally find that technique overwhelming if I'm going to animate frame-by-frame, so I usually just devote one layer to one character.

[DillonBrannick]

At 5/20/12 01:58 AM, MistyEntertainment wrote: I'd personally advise against the layer-a-body-part style of animating, but whatever works for you. I personally find that technique overwhelming if I'm going to animate frame-by-frame, so I usually just devote one layer to one character.

I think you should try this as well so you can see what you prefer, it you do frame by frame this time where you draw the character each time you'll only need one layer for it. Also re drawing each frame generally gets a smoother movement, maybe not when you first start off, but eventually. Try both ways and see which is better.