Hi.
I’m planning on doing a project that has a character walking in place
with the background scrolling behind him to simulate movement. The way I was planning on doing it is explained below, but thought I should check here if there is a better/standard way of doing this. A lot of the functionality of TB Studio is still a mystery to me.
My plan:
1) Create the cut-out character and walk-cycle (done).
2) Create the background (haven’t started yet).
To create the background I planned to do a single drawing comprising a bunch of buildings in a row. Let’s say that the string-of-buildings drawing is about five times the length of the drawing grid/camera frame, with four buildings drawn in the first “length” (i.e. visible within the camera frame - the other four “lengths” would be off-camera to the right).
In the final “length” of the drawing, I would clone the same four buildings from the first length. So the identical first and fifth “lengths” would surround three other lengths that would each have totally different buildings.
Attaching peg to this drawing, I would use the motion tool to move it from right to left, until the “fifth” and final length filled the camera view. This would be my final keyframe. Then I would set this as a cycle, repeating it over and over.
The problem I am anticipating, is that there would be a slight pause in the scrolling, because the first four buildings would appear on-screen for an extra exposure. I wondered if I could avoid this by dragging the repeated section of the cycle one frame forward (so that the last keyframe of the previous cycle is overlapped by the first keyframe of the next cycle), and doing this each time I repeat it.
Am I overcomplicating this? I’m sure there is a much easier and quicker way to scroll backrounds but I can’t seem to find a thread on here that explains exactly what I’m thinking of. There is one question that asks the same thing, but I find the answers a bit confusing and even the poster admits to it being kind of an ad-hoc solution. Is there a tried and tested method? You know, to get those “Flintstones”-type repeating backgrounds?
Any advice would be appreciated.
DanB.
Just wanted to report back and say that I tried this out and it works. It wasn’t a case of creating a cycle per-se (still learning all the lingo), but rather highlighted the frames from the first keyframe to the last and copying them, then using the “special paste” command a few times to create the scrolling background. However, I was right about the problem I anticipated, and am not sure how to fix this. The way I had hoped does not work.
Any better (and easily understood) methods for creating a scrolling background would be most appreciated.
Thanks!!
DanB.
Please have a look at this Toon Boom Tutorial:
http://www.toonboom.com/products/toonBoomStudio/eLearning/tipsTricks/bgLooping/index.php
Regards
Nolan
Excellent. Thank you! I actually wasn’t that far off, so I’m extremely impressed with myself right now. First time for everything I guess.
Appreciate your guidance.
DanB.