Back to Tutorials

Stickman & Elemento FAQ - Animate Scenes

1. How do I move the control points of a figure
2. What is the switch tool for?
3. What is the matrix tool?
4. How do I move the work area view?
5. I can't see my figure, how do I get it back?
6. How do I create a snapshot?
7. How do I move the background behind the figures?
8. How do I change the color of a figure?
9. What is a key frame?
10. How do I create a new key frame?
11. How do I delete a key frame?
12. How do I copy a key frame?
13. I want to make sure the feet are not moving, how do I do that?
14. How can I get help on how to use a tool?
15. How do I move a figure?
16. How do I rotate a figure?
17. How do I resize a figure?
18. How can I see which figure that is selected?
19. How do I assign a pose to the keyboard?
20. How do I add a picture?
21. How do I add control points to a picture?
22. How do I change the border width of a figure?
23. How do I change the text of a figure?
24. What is the path tool for?
25. How do I use the time line?
26. My figure goes outside the view on the time line, why?
27. How do I pick up an item with a figure?
28. I want to display a figure inside another figure, how do I do that?
29. How do I make a figure walk?
30. What is the 'Figure Mixer' utility?

Easy

1. How do I move the control points of a figure?

In Stickman, activate control points tool by pressing F4.
Click to select the figure to move.
Drag one of the red points with left mouse button.
You can also drag a rectangle around the points and then use the right mouse button.
For more information, click on the mouse figure in the lower right corner.
You can follow this tutorial to learn more about the matrix tool:
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial - Video Tutorial

Back to Top

2. What is the switch tool for?

The switch tool is used to turn things on or off.
A switch is an control element in the figure that displays only one sub node at a time.
For example, speech is normally animated with a switch named 'Mouth'.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial - Video Tutorial

Back to Top

3. What is the matrix tool?

The matrix tool (shortcut F6) has the symbol of a grid on the toolbar.
A matrix is a mathematical tool for describing a coordinate system.
In Stickman, it is used to animate the position, rotation and size of a figure.
You can also flip a matrix by dragging one of the edges from one side to another.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial - Video Tutorial

Back to Top

4. How do I move the work area view?

Activate design camera tool (press F1).
Then drag the view with left mouse button.
When you are done, activate the tool you had before by pressing one of the buttons at the toolbar.
For more information, click the mouse figure in the lower right corner.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial

Back to Top

5. I can't see my figure, how do I get it back?

Make sure the figure is selected.
Activate matrix tool (press F6).
Click 'Reset Matrix Tool' at the left side of work area.

Back to Top

6. How do I create a snapshot?

Click the photo camera icon in the lower right corner.
You can drag the slider to increase or decrease the resolution.
Select one file format to save the snapshot.

Back to Top

7. How do I move the background behind the figures?

Select the category 'Draw Order' from the drop down list in the upper left corner.
Under 'Start Draw Order', select the background and click the '--' button.

Back to Top

8. How do I change the color of a figure?

Activate color tool (press F3).
Use the color wheel to select a color group and click a pencil to select a color.
Click on a figure to change color.
For more information, click the mouse figure in the lower right corner.

Back to Top

9. What is a key frame?

A key frame is some kind of information that tells the state of an object at a specific time.
The key frames are used to compute the state of the object at the frames between them.
The process of calculating the state is called 'interpolation'.

Back to Top

10. How do I create a new key frame?

First, you need to activate a tool that supports key frames.
For example, the matrix tool.
Select a frame at the time line by press the left mouse button below the scroll bar.
Double-click or click the key button in the lower left corner to add a new key frame.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial

Back to Top

11. How do I delete a key frame?

Press the delete key button in the lower left corner.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial

Back to Top

12. How do I copy a key frame?

Move the cursor above the key frame in the time line with numbers.
Click once at the key frame.
Then press Ctrl down hand hold while dragging the key frame to a new frame.

Back to Top

13. I want to make sure the feet are not moving, how do I do that?

Select the control points by dragging a rectangle around them with left mouse button.
Click 'Lock Selected Points' to the left of the work area.
The control points are now locked to their position.

Back to Top

14. How can I get help on how to use a tool?

Activate the tool by select a button on the toolbar.
Click on the mouse figure in the right lower corner.

Back to Top

15. How do I move a figure?

Select the figure and activate matrix tool by pressing F6.
Drag with left mouse button in the work area to move the figure.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial - Video Tutorial

Back to Top

16. How do I rotate a figure?

Select the figure and activate matrix tool by pressing F6.
Drag with right mouse button to rotate the figure.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial - Video Tutorial

Back to Top

17. How do I resize a figure?

Select the figure and activate matrix tool by pressing F6.
Select one of the corners of the grid and drag with left mouse button.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial - Video Tutorial

Back to Top

18. How can I see which figure that is selected?

There is a preview of the selected figure in the upper left corner.
To the right of the select tool button in the toolbar, there is a small arrow.
Click the arrow to get a list of figures.
The selected figure is checked.
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial

Back to Top

19. How do I assign a pose to the keyboard?

Goto Figure->Keyboard Control.
Back to Top

Medium

20. How do I add a picture?

Goto File->Import->Add Picture and select a file.
In the new dialog, click OK.
If you use MS Paint to draw an item, you can use 'Remove Backcolor' to add transparent background.

Back to Top

21. How do I add control points to a picture?

Normally, a picture is rotate and moved using two control points.
To use more than two control points, a technique called 'deforming' is used.
Deforming requires more CPU capasity and can result in slow interface response for large pictures.
To add a deformed picture, goto File->Import->Add Deformed Picture and choose an image file.
A new dialog will appear.
At the left side, select 'Bones'.
With the tool mode 'Add Control Point' activated, click and drag to place control points.
You can switch to 'Add Bone' mode to add bones.
Click OK when you are done.

Back to Top

22. How do I change the border width of a figure?

Goto Figure->Edit Fonts and Colors.
Select 'Pens' and choose a pen to change the width.
You can check 'Absolute' to make the width constant independing of camera zoom.
If you can't find the pen you are looking for, it's because a reference is missing in the figure.

Back to Top

23. How do I change the text of a figure?

Goto Figure->Edit Fonts and Colors.
Select 'Text' and choose from the list to edit.

Back to Top

24. What is the path tool for?

The path tool shows the center movement through time of the selected figure.
Each key frame is displayed as a white control points along the path.
You can drag the control points to adjust the path.
It is recommended to use matrix tool first to animate and then the path tool to fine adjust the path.

Back to Top

25. How do I use the time line?

This tutorial will show you how to use the time line:
Online Tutorial - Offline Tutorial

Back to Top

26. My figure goes outside the view on the time line, why?

The center of key frame view is the same as the center of the figure.
Instead of drag the control points to move the whole figure, use the matrix tool.

Back to Top

27. How do I pick up an item with a figure?

Select the item to pick up and choose the category 'Containers' from the drop down list in the upper left corner.
Under 'Start Relation', click the '/' and select a container to put the item into.

28. I want to display a figure inside another figure, how do I do that?

Select the category 'Draw Order' from the drop down list in the upper left corner.
Make sure frame 0 is selected at the time line.
Under 'Current Draw Order', select the figure and use the '-' or '+' buttons to move
the figure forward or backward.

Back to Top

29. How do I make a figure walk?

There are two easy ways to create walk cycles.
The first one is to select the figure and use the walk tool (Animation->Walk).
The second is to assign 4 different walk poses to the keyboard (Usually Z, X, C and V).

Back to Top

30. What is the 'Figure Mixer' utility?

The 'Figure Mixer' allows you to create new figures by combining the figure that are added to the scene.
It analyzes the head and skin color of each figure and use that data to transform the head to another figure.

Back to Top
Back to Tutorials