Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Dry Erase

This tool will help you out A LOT. When you want to check your spacing, or track your arcs, or explain something to someone else by illustrating it on top of your animation, then drawing on your monitor is the solution, but be carefull, no permanent marker, no Sharpie, use a DRY ERASE marker, like the ones from Expo.

So if you need to track the spacing of a bouncing ball, then choose a point of reference, either the middle of the ball, the top or the bottom, then start drawing a mark on your computer (every frame, every 2nd frame, where ever you need it to be).

If you do a walk cycle and you want to check your figure eight arcs on your arms, then choose the wrist, something "stable". I wouldn't choose a hand or a finger, because that part of the hand is going to move differently than the arm.

7 comments:

Gerardo Castellanos said...

I hate use those kind of pen on my monitor... I use this tool: http://www.annotatepro.com/

Jean-Denis Haas said...

Sure, whatever works for you.

Just remember that not everybody has that installed on their computer, especially at companies, and when you look at someone else's monitor for feedback it's much easier to draw on the monitor than to sit down and use the other person's set up.

Sumedh said...

Annotae pro is liscensed version and just gives 30 days trail...instead found new software SKETCH IT on download.com...just check it out its free of cost!!!!

Jean-Denis Haas said...

Yeah, I use that in my workshops as well.

Sumedh said...

Ur website is just awesome...kind of resources and knowledge im getting is just mind blowing..thanks a ton for sharing..

JonDoe257 said...

I'm just preparing myself to learn animation and have been following your work all around JD. Loving it, and looking forward for more.

Thank You for organizing everything under Spungella. It's amazing.

As for your dry erase method. I think this would be a viable equivalent. It's free too.

No installs, no hassle. Can be run from your desktop or anyone's.

http://www.screenmarker.com/

I'm sure you guys already know about it. Just thought I'd share.

Would be cool, if you'd have it on your download link @ AnimationBuffet. (Thanks for that too)

Can't wait to get started! Loads to learn in here alone.

Thanks JD.

A wonderful day to you and the family. :)

- Jon.

Jean-Denis Haas said...

Hey, Jon, thanks for the tip! I think I've used that one before, but I'll check it out!