Brycetech: Bryce Animation Tutorial Part 1

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In this tutorial you will learn how to set up, make, and render a basic animation.  Compression settings and programs will also be introduced.   Use the steps below to make your computer animations come to life and be of high quality.

Animation


Setting up an Animation

Step 1: Go to the File menu at the top left of the screen.
Step 2: Select Document Setup from the drop down menu.
Step 3: Select the desired resolution for your document.  The default resolution for Bryce is 480 x 360.

Resolution is the size (in pixels) of a rendered image.  Larger resolutions will slow rendering as well as cause jerkiness during playback of an animation.

If you have a 3rd party avi editor such as  Adobe Premiere, you can render at higher resolutions, and later reduce the resolution in that program.

You will need an avi editing program if you want to edit your animation. This includes adding sound, splicing animations together into a movie, and detailed composite animations.

Step 4: Go to the File menu at the top left of the screen.
Step 5: Select Animation Setup
Step 6: From the popup menu, select the proper settings.
For type the length you would like your animation to be.  If you want to use the setup you set earlier skip this.
There is no need to type anything in the area. 
In type the desired frames per second that you would like your animation to be.  Bryce defaults to 15 fps here.  This will be a little jerky on your computer. I guess I should define "jerky" here.  In this case, jerky means your eyes will have time to focus on the individual frame..thus the next frame will appear to jerk into place, instead of a fluid motion. Full motion for a computer and movies is 24 fps.  Full motion for television is 30 fps. 

Note: Unless you have a super fast computer, it will skip frames at higher fps settings if the document resolution is 480 x 360 or higher.  If so, it will be necessary to reduce either the fps or resolution or increase the compression settings.

Step 8: Make an animation Be sure you have Autokey checked in the lower right hand corner of your animation control window.  If this isn't checked, you will need to add key frames manually.

Step 9:  Create or import an object and position it however you desire with either the mouse, the edit controls, or the attributes option.

NOTE: Be sure you are at the beginning of the animation!

Step 10:  Go to the next desired time in your timeline.  In this instance, I chose the last frame. Then move the object either with the edit controls or the mouse to the desired position, rotation, size, etc. 

Notice the blue line that extends from the object. This is the object's animation path.  The blue points in the path can be moved with the mouse if you desire replacement, or you can go to that key frame and move them numerically with the object's attributes.

Step 11: Click the preview animation control. This will cause a wireframe preview of the animation.

If the animation suits you, then proceed, otherwise make the necessary changes.

Step 12: After making the animation

 

Go to the File menu at the upper left of the screen.  Select Render Animation.

You can NOT use the Render button to render an animation

You can not use the middle button to render an animation!!.
Step 13: From the popup it will be necessary to
  • verify settings
  • set compression
  • set a name
  • set location of file

Verify settings

You can have the file rendered as sequential bmp images or avi.  (avi rendering ships with Bryce) Simply click the triangle and select your choice. 

If you render to sequential files and later want to make those images into an animation, you will need an animation editor.

Select if you want the entire animation to render.

Select if you want only a portion of the animation to render.

If has been checked

  • Fill in a value for the animation to start
  • Fill in a value for the animation to end

Continue to Part 2 of the Animation Tutorial


Site Note:

This is not meant to be an all inclusive instruction on every possible way to have made the final image or produce the desired results.  Bryce offers zillions of wonderful ways to replicate, multireplicate, reposition, etc.  in its powerful interface. Experiment!


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