Contents:
Pivot:
Getting to know pivot
Abbreviations
How to use pivot
Saving:
How to save
Animating:
Easing
Stiffness
Styles
Gravity/Physics
Realism
Misc:
Stick Making
Uploading
Extra Things
10 Tips
Credits
Special Thanks
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Getting to know pivot:
What is Pivot?
Pivot is a animating program used for fun and in some cases in competitions or used for competitiveness such as "Pivot Wars or PW". Pivot was created by Peter Bone a great juggler.
What Pivot version should I use?
You should use Pivot version 2.25 Download
If you want too use sprites Use Pivot Version 3 (Recommended for sprites) Download
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Abbreviations:
FFA
Meaning: Free For All
Info: The FFA is a competition where many people make animations and battle, much like the Fifa Word Cup. You have someone that you are against, and if you lose then you are eliminated, but if you win then you go onto the next round, and whoever is the last person still in the competition, wins.
PW
Meaning: Pivot War
Info: A PW is where two people make animations where they use their sig stick and fight their opponent’s signature stick. And then the two competitors then post their animations and people vote whose animation is better, and who ever gets more votes, wins.
MM
Meaning: Mini Mod
Info: A MM is like a moderator, only with more limited power. They have the ability to lock threads, and edit or delete posts, but only in certain sections. E.g. Like the Entrance hall, or the Beginner’s halls.
CC
Meaning: Constructive Criticism
Info: Well look it up in the dictionary if you don’t know what it means. :\
Ani
Meaning: Animation
AOTM
Meaning: Animation of the Month
AOTF
Meaning: Animation of the Fortnight
SOTW
Meaning: Stick/Signature of the Week
Info: These are all names of competitions. There used to be weekly/monthly/fortnightly competitions where people submitted animations and sticks to win a prize.
Thanks Sir Wojack!
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How to use Pivot:
To learn how too use Pivot read this tutorial
Getting to know how to use Pivot
Thanks Jon
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Saving:
How too save:
Once you have finished your animation Press File. Then Click Save animation. Save it in piv. first.
After you have saved it in piv. form save it in Gif
Then after you have pressed save, a window should open up saying Gif Options
Save It like this.
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Animating:
Easing:
Easing is easy to understand once you've read this.
Easing is when something starts off slow and gradually picks up speed. Take running for an example. You start of slow then start to speed up. Then after a while youl begin to slow down until you stop.
Here is an example of easing:
Here is another example just without movement:
If you’re ready too move onto the next stage then heres another example:
Link
Thanks Lf2master
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Stiffness:
What do people mean by stiffness?
Stiffness is an animation which is very stiff here is an example:
Bad Example
As you can tell the arm is very stiff and un-eased
Here is a better example:
better example
Now this is better it is less stiff and more eased.
To make stks or what ever your animating unstiff all you have to do is pick or make up your own style then make the animation flow using your style. For beginners I suggest picking a smooth style. After you've picked your style you add your style to your animation. For example adding heavy spacing to an animation will make it look different to an animation which is smooth and fluid.
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Styles:
There are many different animating styles here is a list of them:
Choppy
Realistic
Heavy
Heavy Realism
Exaggerated Realism
Super Smooth
Midgets
Lanky
Effects
Movements
Normal eased
Flash style
Jelly Style
Cartoon
Pick one of them or make up your own style and stick with it. Once you feel that you are comfortable and able to animate your style well can add another style to your animation to make it look more unique.
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Gravity/Physics:
What is Physics?
Physics is something you need to know to make realistic animations, I covered this in the top of this post, but I'll say it again. Physics = what makes animations realistic.
What is Gravity?
Gravity is a force or otherwise known as the Earths gravitational attract, it that keeps thing down. Without gravity we would all be floating around and I wouldn’t have been able to make this tutorial.
Here is an example of Physics:
link - Apologies, dead link.
Here is an example of Gravity:
link
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Realism/Stances:
What is Realism?
Realism is something that looks real (pretty obvious).
Here is a picture of un-realistic stance:
Here is a picture of a more realistic stance:
See the difference?
If you make your animations unrealistic you will most likely start your animation awkwardly.
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Misc:
Stick Making:
How do I make stks?
Well first of all you have to go to the edit option
Then click File. Then click new.
You can then go ahead and make what ever you want.
But before you do you need too have Edit mode on or else you won't be getting anywhere.
Edit mode allows you too change the length of the figure you are using.
If you are going too become a stk maker then all you have to do is start with making bases (a basic stk with 1 or more backbones) then start to develop your bases into stks with armor.
Making a base stk:
Making a base stk is actually very simple all you have too do is make the body first (I recommend 1 backbone much easier to animate with) then just make the head, add arms and finally add legs. Also you could add feet too make it more realistic.
Making a more complex stk:
I'm going to tell you something that happens to a lot of stk makers, they always put the armor attached to one red dot so when they move the arm or body or whatever the armor doesn't come with it. To stop this from happening you attach the armor of the stk to the red dot that is closest to the point you want it to stay.
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Uploading:
Here are the most commonly used uploaders:
http://www.imageshack.us
[img]http://static.imagehost.org/logo.gif[img]
http://www.imagehost.org
http://www.photobucket.com
After you have saved your animation in Gif go to one of these site and upload them it’s as simple as that. If you visit the site it's pretty much self explanatory.
Extra things:
The letter used for italic letters, is I.
alt+i is also a quick shortcut.
The closer for italic letters, is [/ i] without the space.
If you follow that, you should end up with text like this!
Here is a code example:
- Code: Select all
[i]Read this Tut![/i]
Final product:
Read this Tut!
How to Underline your Text!
The letter used to underline your text is U.
alt+u is a shortcut to get the same effect
The closer is [/ u] but without the space.
Here is an example:
- Code: Select all
[u]I hope you like my tutorial[/u]
Final product:
I hope you like my tutorial
How to Quote someone’s reply!
A lot of people ask a common question:
How do you properly quote someone?
Well, they dont ask exactly that, but this is the solution to that question!
To start off a quote, you start with [quote(square bracket).
But, if you want to properly quote someone, you would type this:
- Code: Select all
[quote="name"]
The closer for a quote is [/ quote] but without the space.
Here is an example:
- Code: Select all
[quote="IceCream"]Hey guys![/quote]
final result:
Skype wrote:Hey guys!
How to make Codes!
To start a code, you use [code(square bracket).
Then, you type a code...or just type something.
You close it with [/ code] but without the space.
Example:
[c ode] This is an example[/code]
type that and u get this:
- Code: Select all
This is an example
How to add an Image to your signature, threads, replies, etc.
Images are probably the most commonly confused of the codes...especially with the new folk.
Now, to start, you need to type [img(square bracket).
Next, you need to type a URL address, preferably from imageshack, photobucket, etc.
Then close it using [/ img] without the space.
Here is an example:
- Code: Select all
[img]http://www.avatarstock.com/img/Cardiac-Heart_5058.gif[/img]
end result:
Url codes
Url code are mostly used to tidy up thing. Like the layout for example.
- Code: Select all
[url=your URL address here]your title here![/url]
If you are successful, you get something like this:
your title here!
Here are 10 Tips that you must read.
Tip 1: No pic, No click.
Before putting downloads to things put a picture/image. No one is going to click something that they don't even know what it is. So put a picture or some information before putting download links.
This applys for everything.
Tip 2: Spam, Hey isn't that, that meat?
If you spam you will be warned and possibly banned for life. So keep all spam low. If you do spam try not to spam too much. Maximum once every 4 days is enough. If you are going to spam don't just type some thing like this "ajasdjasd". That is just complete nonsense and doesn't mean anything at all.
This applys for everything.
Tip 3: Flamming Thread. Holy crap!
Please don't flame if you are going to flame do it over msn. If you do flame on the forum, members, admins and the moderator team will lose respect for you and you will probably be hated and will be banned if you flame again. Flaming is rude and immature and don’t reply back this will only encourage them to carry on flaming.
This applys for everything.
Tip 4: Yo, Yo, Yo Dawg.
Please talk in normal English or at least Basic English I think even 11 year olds could do that so if they can you can. If you do speak like "LoLolOLOL WuTTS Up DOOD" You will lose respect from other members. No one will understand you and think you’re an utter idiot.
This applys for everything.
Tip 5: I like bumps they remind me of arseholes.
Don't ever bump anything that is over a week old (7 days old) if you do you will probably be complained at and the topic will be locked. You will be private messaged by a mod or admin and be warned. You can bump anything else that is under 7 days old. Meaning you can bump any topic/thread that is 0 - 6 days old.
This applys for eveything.
Tip 6: Constructive Criticism or Constructive Idiot?
When commenting on animations please add a bit of criticism such as "Very nice animations. I like the use of the double framing. But work on the physics etc". Tell the user/member what they need to improve on. How can they improve it? What good things have they done. Saying "Nice animations" won't do much good. You've got to tell them everything. Even if there are no bad things just say how good it was.
This applys for all animation and art.
Tip 7: Tutorials, Tutorials, Tutorials.
When making tutorials you must explain fully and clearly or else people won't understand. Tell them what to do with full detail at the same time make it simple and easy and fast to do.
This applys for all animation and art.
Tip 8: Ahh, Good Old "Img" tags.
Everyone likes image tags. But there are some who just make every animation of they make in images format. This makes people lag and especially dial up people. They will barely be able too load up 4 images without their computer or internet crashing. So keep all things down to 3 images and then make the rest into links/urls.
This applys for everything.
Tip 9: Layout or Get out.
Well if you read the tips above you might want to start on the layout. Layout is extremely helpful. It organizes things and makes things easier. For example, you don't want your latest animation to be with your old animations. You would want it to be with you latest and newest animations. Also don't let your animations pile up a bit. Delete some of the really old animations. And maybe keep one or two animations to show how much progress you made.
This applys for all animation and art.
Tip 10: Read the tips above. Just kidding.
Well the final tip I've got has to be staying active to see all the latest updates and all that other sort of stuff. Learn from the new things such as new animations with a creative side. Also you wouldn't want to miss the latest things such as fads and stuff. So stay active.
-Random Santa
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Credits:
IceCream
Sir Wojack
Lf2master
Imageshack.us
photobucket.com
imagehost.org
Orange
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>_>
