Nifflas' Support Forum

Being Creative => Creativity Support => Topic started by: Raicuparta on September 03, 2015, 03:19:20

Title: Easier way to make this kind of animation?
Post by: Raicuparta on September 03, 2015, 03:19:20
(http://i.imgur.com/AeArWJ5.gif)
This version looks very choppy, but in this example all I need have is a rotating textured sphere, with 2 other spheres for the eyes. This particular animation could probably be just faked in 2D, but I may want to do some more complicated textures on the sphere.
The only tool I know how to use for graphics is Photoshop, and making that kind of animation is not very efficient. Is there a tool that could make this more streamlined? I know this is probably really easy with software for 3D animation like Blender, but those are usually a bit complicated. Should I just keep using Photoshop or is there a tool that could help me?
Title: Re: Easier way to make this kind of animation?
Post by: LPChip on September 03, 2015, 12:45:30
Photoshop does have 3D and animation support. You could easily do it there.
Title: Re: Easier way to make this kind of animation?
Post by: SC on September 04, 2015, 08:07:38
Quote from: LPChip on September 03, 2015, 12:45:30
Photoshop does have 3D and animation support. You could easily do it there.

Full 3D support is only in Photoshop Extended, though.
Title: Re: Easier way to make this kind of animation?
Post by: SiamJai on September 04, 2015, 09:19:22
Quote from: Raicuparta on September 03, 2015, 03:19:20
I know this is probably really easy with software for 3D animation like Blender, but those are usually a bit complicated. Should I just keep using Photoshop or is there a tool that could help me?

From personal experience, Photoshop is really ill-suited for this kind of work. The alternative doesn't have to be real 3D software though. Ages ago I've dabbled into Anime Studio, a kind of cartoon animation software, and it was fairly easy to make fluid pseudo-3D motion with it. Now, I wouldn't recommend paying fifty bucks for just a single job, but freeware in this category could probably be worth looking into.

Title: Re: Easier way to make this kind of animation?
Post by: LPChip on September 04, 2015, 09:20:49
Quote from: SC on September 04, 2015, 08:07:38
Quote from: LPChip on September 03, 2015, 12:45:30
Photoshop does have 3D and animation support. You could easily do it there.

Full 3D support is only in Photoshop Extended, though.

Ah, my bad. I did bought PS5 extended indeed, so all the features it has is like standard to me. XD
Title: Re: Easier way to make this kind of animation?
Post by: AA on September 05, 2015, 08:23:54
Maybe you can do this with GIMP, using the Filters -> Animation -> Spinning Globe function: you pick a flat image and it'll create the frames for a sphere wrapped with it. You can only select the number of frames and the max number of colours for the GIF. For the speed, when exporting the resulting animation as a GIF, you have to check As Animation and specify the duration of a frame in milliseconds.