Dynamic Timing

Due: Tuesday, September 16 @ 2:00 pm

Save each animation as a Gif Animation (instructions on the OpenToonz Cheat Sheet) and upload them to the Google Classroom Assignment.

We are going to create four animations. and the timing charts that go with them: constant motion, ease in, ease out, and ease in/ ease out. All animations will be 17 frames long, and we will animate on 2's.

Our goals here include:

Practice with and learn more about OpenToonz and frame animation
Understand dynamic timing and timing charts
Introduce shape tools
We're not making our masterpiece yet

We're going to make a 17-frame animation of a pendulum swing 4 times, using a different timing for each. Fo now, make a different scene for each one, and be sure to save! Don't export until you're finished.

Constant Movement:

The constant movement animation will move at the same rate throughout - this is the opposite of dynamic spacing. Start with your key frames - the A position (starting) and B position (ending). Label and circle them. On Frame 1, use the Circle tool to make your first key (A) (Switch to select tool to move it if necessary). Use OPT/ ALT + D to create a second drawing on frame 2, and draw the circle in the B position - note it should be exactly parallel to A. Turn on onion skinning (R+Click on the canvas > Activate Onion Skinning). Use the dots above the frames to set which previous and future frames show; red = previous, green = future. Remember, these are relative to the current selected frame.

Select the Shape Tool in the tool bar (left), and set the Shape to Circle in the top menu.

Note the shaded area, this is how you drag the frame in the timeline.

Making sure you're drawing on the correct frames, use the shape tool (line) to draw lines connecting your pendulum in the center.

Now, click in the shaded area at the top of frame 2, and drag it to frame 17. Here we're making space for our breakdown on frame 9.

On frame 1, use the Arc ShapeTool to draw an arc from Position A to B. This will help you find to position for the Breakdown, position C. Remember, the breakdown is the mid-point of the action, but it doesn't always fall on the middle frame numerically. The fact that our frames are evenly spaced is how we recognize this as constant motion. Use the teal ~button above the red onion skin area to pin this drawing as a reference.

Now that we have our core drawings, let's make our timing chart on frame 1. Again, start with your keys (A - B), then draw the C position at the exact center, and add halfway marks on either side.

I recommend doing the circles first, and doing the lines at the end.

Now add your in-betweens on frames 5 and 13. These should be exactly between the existing frames.

Then draw the remaining in-betweens on frames 3, 7, 11, and 15. Note that you'll likely have to shift around onion skinning for this.

The animation should look something like this:

pendulumPractice.mp4

Ease in:

An ease-in starts slow and gains speed.

Start with the key frames, which will be the same as A and B above; the breakdown (middle point - C) is also in the same place, directly between A and B. However, the breakdown is right before the B position, on frame 15.

Once you have the breakdown in the middle, place a mark between frames 1 and 15 - this is frame 13. Divide that to find frame 11, then 9, etc. See the timing chart on the right.

This is going to feel weird! Go with it. You can also use the select tool to move your circles around when you're finished, if necessary.

You should end up with this animation:

pendulumEaseIn.mp4

Ease out:

This is the opposite of the ease-in, because it starts fast and slows down. We're going to reach the breakdown on the second drawing, rather than the second-to-last drawing (frame 3).

pendulumEaseOut.mp4

Ease-In/ Ease Out:

Just like constant motion, our breakdown is once again on the middle frame, frame 9. We'll perform both ease-in and ease-out all on one chart. Divide the space between A and C to find frame 7; divide between A and 7 to find frame 5, and between A and 5 to find frame 3. Divide the space between C and B to find frame 11, again to find frame 13, and again for 15.

easeIn easeOut.mp4

Finished with this part? Let's work on adding shading! You can do this on either your bouncing ball or your pendulum.

NobleFrugal's beginner tutorial, 7:22-9:17

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