Using Onion Skinning - MACROMEDIA DIRECTOR MX 2004-USING DIRECTOR Use Manual

Enter the number of new cast members you want to create. The text box is not available if you
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selected a range of cast members.
Click Filter to begin the filtering.
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A message appears to show the progress. Some filters are complex and require extra time
for computing.
Auto Filter generates new cast members and places them in empty cast positions following the
selected cast member. If you selected a range of cast members, no new cast members appear,
but the cast members in the range you selected are changed incrementally.

Using onion skinning

Onion skinning derives its name from a technique used by conventional animators, who would
draw on thin "onion skin" paper so that they could see through it to one or more of the previous
images in the animation.
With onion skinning in Director, you can create or edit animated sequences of cast members in
the Paint window using other cast members as a reference. Reference images appear dimmed in
the background. When you work in the Paint window, you can view not only the current cast
member that you're painting but also one or more cast members that are blended into the image.
You can use onion skinning to do the following:
•
To trace over an image or create a series of images all in register (aligned) with a
particular image.
•
To see previous images in the sequence, and use those images as a reference while you are
drawing new ones.
•
To create a series of images based on another parallel animation. The series of images serves as
the background while you paint a series of foreground images.
Onion skinning uses registration points to align the current cast member with the previous ones
you selected. Be careful not to move registration points for cast members after onion skinning. If
you do, the cast members might not line up the way you want. For more information, see
"Changing registration points" on page
You must have created some cast members to use onion skinning.
To activate onion skinning:
Open the Paint window, and select View > Onion Skin. The Onion Skin toolbar appears.
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Toggle Onion Skinning Following Cast Member
Preceding Cast Member
Click the Toggle Onion Skinning button at the far left of the toolbar to enable onion skinning.
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