Horizontal Motion Copyright 2003 - JMA - All Rights Reserved |
In this tutorial we will discuss how to create an animation of an object moving across the screen. To see how Animation Shop and Paint Shop Pro work together, we will create the animation layers in PSP 8 and then use Animation Shop to load and play the animation. |
Start by opening an image that you want to animate. For this tutorial I will use the image of this Mustang as the subject. The first thing we want to do is prepare the work area. The subject image has dimension of 150 pixels wide by 46 pixels high. SInce we want to make the image move across the screen, we need to create a new file that is 800 pixels x 50 pixels with a Transparent background. |
Next, let's open the image file containing our subject. |
Make the window with the subject the active window and then use the Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste > Paste As New Layer commands to paste the image into the new window. Repeat the process another 12 or 13 times staggering the subject to the left each time the new layer is created. It is important to point out here, that the animation will occur beginning with layer 1 and ending with the last layer created. SInce the car is pointing to the left, we want the first layer to be placed on the right side of the window, otherwise, the car will move backwards. |
As you paste each new layer into the window, the Layers Palette will display it's location relative to the other layers. For this animation image a total of 14 layers were created. At this point, you can also apply effects to each of the layers. These are not animation effects but image effects. You can redue the Opacity, change the Blend mode, apply filters etc.... |
Continue to add layers until the window is filled |
When you are satisfied with the image, save it as a .PSP file. Go to the PSP 8 Main Menu bar and select File > Save As and give it a name. Then from the Main Menu bar select File > Jasc Software Products > Launch Animation Shop. When Animation SHop opens, click the Animation Wizard icon. |
The Animation Wizard will guide you with step by step instructions for making the animation. Actually, there aren't that many steps but it's easy to go through the wizard. When the wizard completes setting all the animation properties, you can view the animation by going to the Main Menu and selecting View > Animation. Save the file as a Compuserve *.gif if you plan to use it on a web page. Our Mustang animation is shown below. A smoother effect can be achieved with more Layers. |
