a Christmas (sort of) cartoon

I haven’t quite mastered the deform tool - or lots of other things - but here it is, anyway:

http://youtu.be/rDK5kLPPQpg

Good Job scaryfairy! I like it!

Those snow particles are AE?

The best!

It was really enjoyable to watch.

Only comment I really have to improve it, is to make the snow appear in front of the dragon, not just behind.

Thank you, hectoplasma and TheRaider - for watching AND commenting. You’re great to do that! (I’m going to elaborate a little in case anyone’s ever looking for info on fx.)

The snow particles ARE AE. (I like the snow from Particle Illusion, too. Very stylized and, if you like stylized, sweet. :))

It’s because it’s AE snow that I had a tough time getting snow in front, Raider. I’m sure there’s a work around, but I couldn’t think of it. FX like snow have to be on a layer and all my layers on top were pngs that weren’t the size of the canvas. (Now I think I should have just MADE them the size of the canvas. Pft.)

Otherwise, sometimes the problems with FX in AE is that you have to choose a blending mode and not one of them worked for me.

Of course, I spent enough time learning how to make adjustments to the fire particles in Harmony - getting them concentrated, applying the transparency, blah blah blah - that I SHOULD have just used the rain module and turned IT to snow. I’m pretty sure it’d be super easy now.

PS. I can’t wait to hear if there’s a way to get your fireworks exploding.

i should do a snow particle tutorial, it would suit with xmas coming up.

On the fireworks I might email toonboom, I am pretty sure it is doable. That said I can create exploding fireworks without it. I am tryign to take it to the next level. I have all these photos from last years NYE and I am trying to make all the different fireworks. Some I have already done but some it would be better if I could get an answer to that question :slight_smile:

I will post this on better flash animation when I do my next tutorial(to hopefully get you some more views).



You should, TheRaider! The fx modules in Toon Boom have so many variables to adjust - a good thing - that it can get a little confusing (and I’ve got plenty of experience manipulating values in other particle engines).

I don’t even know if there are random depths/velocities to work with, but that would be fantastic. (And I ALSO - ha! - would like you to figure out how to settle snow particles so that build up. I guess one could mess with the death rate and the area. Hmmm. Doesn’t that sound fun?)

And yes, although you can create fireworks all by yourself, it’d be pretty nifty to get it to work inside the program. I really liked a LOT not having to find the right fire/not having to create it myself (which I can at least do a little now that I’m taking the special fx classes through Adam Phillips’ site).

This has turned into a pretty long reply, hasn’t it? Eeek. :slight_smile:

Are those Adam Phillips tutorials good?

I was thinking about doing them but I have been pretty busy of late.

Oh, they need time, THAT’s for sure, but - once you’re signed up, you have access to the tutorials you committed to for … forever. So, you could take your time and dabble away.

But here’s what I think of them: they’re great (in good part, because Adam will (currently, at least) check on your work/progress and give you the benefit of his eagle eye. He’s a brilliant tutorial-ist.

He designed them for those who want to do feature film work. Me? I work for people with smaller budgets that don’t provide for the sheer time it takes to do painstaking special effects.

Still, it’s been phenomenal to be introduced to physics and dynamics and how setting a higher standard for myself can make a piece … well, SO much better. My rain and water effects have improved dramatically. The lesson on ‘flags’ - or keeping volume while a piece of cloth (or tendrils of hair) dances in a wind - was inVALuable.

Also, I work in such a solo environment that I TRULY appreciate the fantastic, critical community.

So. That’s what I think. :slight_smile: I really hope it helps.

Cool stuff!

To get the snow particles to build up, you could just put a bounce plane that they can settle on top of. Though I suppose the bounce plain concept doesn’t have a “sticky” ness - meaning that they’ll probably slide off any surface. I’d have to give this a bit more of a try.

~Lilly