Post by superhamdav on May 27, 2016 3:15:17 GMT
STK MAKING TUTORIAL (a.k.a. how to make a great stk)
One of the most important, if not the most important, tool for pivot animating are stickfigures, or stks. Stk making is extremely important because it actually controls the animation in certain ways. That's why a functional, detailed stk is so important. While many animators including me and some others already have mastered the art of stk making, the rest are not skilled in it, some do not even know how to make good stks. That's why people take stks that has been shared to public. But sometimes, there are things that others have not shared, which means that you have to make it yourself. This tutorial will teach you how to make an stk that will be both functional and have good appearance.
The first thing you must do in order to make good stks is to download a transparency tool.
Yes, in order to make good stks, you need transparency. The current version of Pivot, Version 4.2.5 beta, includes a transparency setting, but preceding versions do not posses this. For earlier versions, you can install a program known as "Glass2k" that creates a transparency setting. I do not recommend this, because even if it does not come with a virus, the extension can mess up the computer function pretty badly unless you know exactly what to do.
Then, you find a good template
The reason why you need transparency is because you'll need a template to trace over. Templates are simply pictures that can be found anywhere which can be used to trace over to make an stk. It is very important to have a template where the subject is not 3d, or else the stk will not be functional! Here's a template I found on the internet:
Now that you've found your template, transfer it to Pivot, if you are using the beta version. This can be done by saving the image as a PNG (which is the only high quality file Pivot accepts) and uploading it as a sprite onto pivot. If you use a transparency extension, simply move the stk maker window over the template and turn on transparency. Also, in the beta version, transparency can be tuned on/changed by pressing the < and > buttons.
Now, you just trace over the template!
But the thing that is important is that you don't just fill in the holes, you trace it so that it still can move properly. The next parts are tips on tracing over the template.
Making the Skeleton
To make the stk functional in the first place, you must form a skeleton. this means that you lay down all the basic segments that will be used to move the stk.
Tip: It's always a great idea to fill as many space as possible on one segment. That way, there is less fill-up needed, which can leave "slits" that can be viewed if the part is turned enough.
The face
Tracing over the face is extremely easy, as long as if you had made the skeleton properly. When making the skeleton, you should have already made two (or one) segments that will control the mouth. Begin tracing from that segment.
The red circle shows the segment that controls the mouth. Always begin there, as beginning the part somewhere else will have the mouth controlled by the segment you started on. Also, every segment that forms the face must connect to any segment that connects directly to the segment that controls the face.
As you fill in the gaps, the face should show up.
Like so. Once you've finished that, trace over the lower jaw as well.
The body
Forming the body is fairly difficult, as messing up on filling in any of the gaps can lead to a lower functionality. Do not simply trace over however you want like the face, that will create excessive segments that can appear during movement, or create the slits I mentioned earlier.
One of the most important, if not the most important, tool for pivot animating are stickfigures, or stks. Stk making is extremely important because it actually controls the animation in certain ways. That's why a functional, detailed stk is so important. While many animators including me and some others already have mastered the art of stk making, the rest are not skilled in it, some do not even know how to make good stks. That's why people take stks that has been shared to public. But sometimes, there are things that others have not shared, which means that you have to make it yourself. This tutorial will teach you how to make an stk that will be both functional and have good appearance.
The first thing you must do in order to make good stks is to download a transparency tool.
Yes, in order to make good stks, you need transparency. The current version of Pivot, Version 4.2.5 beta, includes a transparency setting, but preceding versions do not posses this. For earlier versions, you can install a program known as "Glass2k" that creates a transparency setting. I do not recommend this, because even if it does not come with a virus, the extension can mess up the computer function pretty badly unless you know exactly what to do.
Then, you find a good template
The reason why you need transparency is because you'll need a template to trace over. Templates are simply pictures that can be found anywhere which can be used to trace over to make an stk. It is very important to have a template where the subject is not 3d, or else the stk will not be functional! Here's a template I found on the internet:
Now that you've found your template, transfer it to Pivot, if you are using the beta version. This can be done by saving the image as a PNG (which is the only high quality file Pivot accepts) and uploading it as a sprite onto pivot. If you use a transparency extension, simply move the stk maker window over the template and turn on transparency. Also, in the beta version, transparency can be tuned on/changed by pressing the < and > buttons.
Now, you just trace over the template!
But the thing that is important is that you don't just fill in the holes, you trace it so that it still can move properly. The next parts are tips on tracing over the template.
Making the Skeleton
To make the stk functional in the first place, you must form a skeleton. this means that you lay down all the basic segments that will be used to move the stk.
Tip: It's always a great idea to fill as many space as possible on one segment. That way, there is less fill-up needed, which can leave "slits" that can be viewed if the part is turned enough.
The face
Tracing over the face is extremely easy, as long as if you had made the skeleton properly. When making the skeleton, you should have already made two (or one) segments that will control the mouth. Begin tracing from that segment.
The red circle shows the segment that controls the mouth. Always begin there, as beginning the part somewhere else will have the mouth controlled by the segment you started on. Also, every segment that forms the face must connect to any segment that connects directly to the segment that controls the face.
As you fill in the gaps, the face should show up.
Like so. Once you've finished that, trace over the lower jaw as well.
The body
Forming the body is fairly difficult, as messing up on filling in any of the gaps can lead to a lower functionality. Do not simply trace over however you want like the face, that will create excessive segments that can appear during movement, or create the slits I mentioned earlier.