Tag Archives: Computer Graphic Design

Computer Graphic Design

“YouToon” Animation Project – Final Animation – Spring 2025

Objective:

  • Produce a complete HTML5 animation that features the student’s original character.

Topics Discussed:

  • IK Armature
  • Bone Tool
  • Motion Tween
  • For a complete list of Topics Discussed, please see the previous weeks’ lessons.

Assignment:

  • First, Open a new Animate CC HTML5 canvas. Make the size HD, and set the framerate to 30fps.
  • Use File -> Import -> Import to Stage to import your character’s front and side views to separate layers. Your characters should be imported to a single layer, and should appear as a group of symbols (the symbols you created in Illustrator in the previous lesson).
  • Using the Adobe Animate CC techniques studied in class, design an HTML5 animation using bone tweens and embedded animation to have your character “walk” onto the stage, wave to the viewer, then leave the stage.
  • Your animation must be a minimum of 8 seconds long, without titles. (That’s at least 240 frames at 30fps!)
  • Your animation should have an original photograph as a background. You may not use any photographs downloaded from the internet. Alternately, you may draw your own background in Illustrator, Animate, or Photoshop.
  • Your animation should have an audio soundtrack. I will provide music clips to use, but you may import music that you have available as long as you use less than 8 seconds of music. You may create sounds using Garageband if you have experience with this software.
    • IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to a glitch in the way Adobe Animate exports audio, you must start your music at Frame 2 of your animation! This is a recently discovered glitch, and not part of Adobe Animate’s normal function, but an important step if you want your music to play in the final exported .mp4 movie!
  • You may only use audio, images and text that you have created yourself or that I have provided. This includes music, artwork, photographs and animations. Anything you did not create yourself may not be used (with the sole exception of the music clips I provide).
  • When your animation is complete, export it as a movie. Go to the File Menu –> Export –> Export Video/Media, leave all the Default settings and click the blue “Export” button to convert your animation to a finished .mp4 video. The exported video will have the same filename as your .fla file, with an .mp4 extension.
  • Turn the finished .fla Animation file and the exported .mp4 movie  to the Google Classroom “Final Animation” assignment post by end of day on Friday, May 16th.
  • All completed movies will be viewed at an in-class film presentation next week. Note: All seniors must take their final exam on the 16th.
  • You must have an 8-second movie to present on Friday, May 16th. Failure to do so will result in an “zero” on your final project grade.

Project Rubric:

The assignment will be graded based on the criteria listed on the rubric provided below. Use the rubric to achieve as many of the project requirements as possible to achieve the highest score!

Final Animation Project Rubric Spring 2025

Do your best, and good luck!

Assigned: May 12th, 2025
Due Date: May 16th, 2025

Computer Graphic Design

“YouToon” Animation Project, Part 5 – The Walk Cycle (Animation) – Spring 2025

Objective:

I can prepare my Illustrator artwork to make a Bone Tween animation of a basic walk cycle in Animate CC.

Topics Discussed:

  • IK Armature
  • Bone Tool
  • For a complete list of Topics Discussed, please see the previous weeks’ lessons.

Assignment:

  • By now, you should have your completed Illustrator Web document with a front view of your original character, composed of at least six parts: a Head, a Body, a Left Arm, a Right Arm, a Left Leg and a Right Leg named “Your Name – Your Character’s Name.ai”. We will continue working on this file to re-import into Animate CC.
  • Your task today is to import the side view of your character into Animate.
  • Use the black selection arrow to select the different parts of your character, and use the fn+F8 shortcut to convert each part to a Symbol. Every part of your character’s Side View that is going to move should be made a separate symbol! Name each of the symbols appropriately as you create them. When you are finished, at a minimum you should have new symbols for your character’s Side Head, Side Body, Side Right Arm, (maybe even Side Left Arm), Side Right Leg and Side Left Leg.
  • Open a new Animate CC HTML5 canvas. Make the size HD, and set the framerate to 30fps, and add 120 frames to the timeline. The stage color can be any color of your choice.
  • Use the “File -> Import -> Import to Stage” menu command to locate and import your “Your Name – Your Character’s Name.ai” file. Walk through the prompts to import your side body parts into Animate. Make sure to select all the parts, and select “Single Animate Layer” from the “Convert Layers to:” dropdown menu.
  • Note: If your character’s Symbols don’t import properly, you can still use fn+F8 to convert each part to Symbols in Animate! Just don’t forget to name them and make them Graphic symbols!
  • Once you have all your parts imported and made into Symbols, use what we learned about Bone Tweens to add Bones to your shapes. (Remember: “Start from the heart” and work your way out to the arms and legs.)
    • Use the Free Transform tool to move your parts around to make adding the Bones easier, and use the Arrange menu to Send to Back or Send to Front if your parts need to be rearranged!
  • Once you have your Bones in place, select all the side view body parts and make your whole character into a Symbol. Make it a Graphic with a center registration point and name it something like “SideView” or “SideWalk”.
  • Double-click the symbol to enter Isolation Mode, and follow today’s in-class demonstration to embed a “walk cycle” animation into your character’s symbol.
  • Use this Symbol to create a Motion Tween. Start your character off stage left and have them move across the stage and exit stage right by frame 120.
  • Save your animation as “Walk Cycle.ani” and turn it in to the Google Classroom by Monday, May 12th.

Assigned: May 8th, 2025
Due Date: May 12th, 2025