Assessment analysis/questions

1.  Describe what software you used and why you chose it.

The software that I used to create my frames was Inkscape. I chose this program as there are many advantages and uses for it. Inkscape is extremely useful for creating vector graphics/images. Vector images are made using geometrical shapes and a math formula, in order to represent computer graphics. I used Inkscape as a utility software to take advantage of the svg uses and ease of modifications and uses. In inkscape, it is extremely easy to modify and edit certain points of your images. The 'Nodes' tool is a tool that I used frequently in order to create my main character. I rotated body parts in tiny portions, order to create clear, crisp, and smooth movements. I chose Inkscape as it allowed me to create characters, move certain body parts, and ultimately create a smooth animation with ease.

2.  Describe the creation process you followed.

I had many twist, turns, and modifications in terms of my creation process. We were assigned by Mr Lennon to create an animation that related to our house colour which in my case is Clare. I have a strong liking for pokemon, especially Charmander, so I used him as my main character. Instead of getting an .svg file from wiki, I got a .gif file from google. I have now realised that to save myself some time, I should have searched for a Charmander svg file because of it's suitability for Inkscape.

I chose this .gif file off google to copy on Inkscape:

It wasn't as hard to trace this character as it may seem, because it's background was transparent. Some features I did not include into my actual character created on Inkscape, but they were very similar indeed. After choosing my selected character, I started creating it on my chosen program. I opened my charmander.gif on a blank A4 size Inkscape canvas, then began using the Bezier Tool. The bezier tool allowed me to create an outline over the charmander.gif's body so that I could copy it's shape. After using the bezier tool, I curved and shaped the various points/nodes with the Nodes tool. I was able to achieve rounder shaped legs, arms, and bodies with the use of the nodes tool. This is an image of my final character product:

After creating my character, I used the "Select and transform objects" tool in order to rotate/move my "Charmander" into different directions. There is not much to that step, however each movement had to be in very little proportions in order to create smooth movements. Whenever there was a gap between a rotated body part and the body, I would use the node tool to connect it back together again. This step was repeated all through out my animation. 

After I finished creating each frame, I would save it as an SVG file by clicking 'Save As'. I would number/name the frame so that it would stay in order, and I could animate it with ease. This process was repeated all throughout the process of my animation.

3.  What image format were you saving your work in during development of the frames?

The image format that I used when saving my work during the development of the frames were .PNG and INKSCAPE SVG file. The reason why I chose these image formats were so that I could.. a) Go back and edit a certain frame if needed b) As a back up for when Inkscape crashed (it happened all the time!). c) So I could add them into Windows Movie Maker with ease. The png files were used for the development of my animation in Windows Movie Maker. If I had not exported each frame as a bitmap image, I would not be able to put all my frames together. When I pressed "export as bitmap", each frame saved as a PNG file which I later on used. The svg files were a back up that I was able to use in case of emergency by clicking "Save As".

 4. What image format did you save your frames as?

It was extremely important for me to save my frames in a certain format. There are various image formats used all around the internet for their own reasons. I will not get into that topic, as it is unrelatable to the question but the image format that I used to save my exported frames as was PNG. Saving my frames as a png file was a good choice as it has many advantages. It has better compression and transparency options. Re-saving an image as a PNG will not reduce it's file quality, hence it's suitability. PNG files are extremely good in terms of animating.

5. What frame rate were you aiming for?

I didn't really have a "frame rate" that I aimed for, but I knew it was going to be between 0.04-0.09 frames per second because of the knowledge I received from lessons in class (when we made the bouncing ball). I wanted my animation to be clean, cut, and smooth; hence most of my frames were between 0.04-0.08 fps. Having a faster frame rate with over 200 frames allowed my animation to have smooth movements over a "jerky" sequence which would cause me to lose marks. My entire animation sequence of over 200 frames with a frame rate varying from 0.04-0.08 fps displays smooth movement, which was what I was ultimately aiming for. The frame rate that is provided by right clicking my animation and selecting "Properties", tells me that the overall frame rate of the video is 29 frames per second. 

6. What is the final size of your animation?            

The overall size of my animation in terms of megabytes is 3.47 mb. This is because I saved it as a 'wmv' file with good quality frames. Blogspot downgraded it's quality automatically, hence it is not very clear on my blog. In terms of frame width and height, my animation is 640 by 480.

7. What difficulties did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

The main difficulty that I encountered in this animation assessment/whole subject was gaining proper knowledge of the tools. Although I have been exposed to animation making in my previous school, I am not familiar with the program Inkscape. I usually work with GIMP, but being exposed to INKSCAPE in Catherine McAuley has deepened my understanding of the different tools that people work with in order to create animations. A difficulty that I encountered was having to rotate certain body parts without making it look out of proportion. When I rotated an arm for example, part of it would not be connected to the body anymore. I was confused and worried as to how I should resolve this, as moving the arms and legs were vital parts of my animation. In order to overcome this, I used the 'Node editor' tool to "stretch" the arm back into place and into conjunction with the body again. I kept repeating this step in order to make sure that my movements were smooth. 


Another difficulty I came across was saving my frames with a transparent background. I exported bitmaps with a transparent background which caused the background to be black in Windows Movie Maker. It was in the first few lessons that I realised this mistake and I was lucky that I saved all of my frames and svg files as a back up! I re-opened my frames on inkscape and changed the background transparency to a full colour by the help of Mr Lennon and "Document Properties". That was how I overcame that problem of the background transparency.