Scene animation

A fig in a scene moves two ways. Its own part animation, made in the fig editor, comes with the fig into every scene. Scene animations belong to this copy, in this scene. A placed fig is one rigid piece here: a scene animation moves the whole fig, and the fig’s own part animation plays on top.

Scene animations are on the Animate tab. One line is under the ANIMATE caption: Move figs and props through the scene. A fig’s own part animation plays on top. The list on the left has three rows. Under Make: Paths and Loops. Under Scene: Timing. The 3D view stays big and the map is in the corner. A scene with no figs reads Place a fig from the Figs drawer.

• Paths move a fig through the scene.
• Loops move a fig in place.
• Timing holds the tempo, the frame rate and the physics for the whole scene.

On Paths and Loops, the selection decides the page. With nothing selected, the page lists the animations in the scene and makes a new one. Select one fig, several figs or a whole group, and the page shows their settings. A choice applies as you make it. Each remove button says what it removes.

Select figs with the Select bar

The Select bar works on the Animate tab and selects figs only. Walls, land and scenery are not selected here. A tap on a fig on the stage selects it. The small corner map only pans. Tap ⇄ to make the map big, and a tap on the map selects too.

• How much has two steps. One fig selects the fig you tap. Its group selects every fig that shares that fig’s group animation.
• Tap replaces the selection. Add adds figs and removes them. Box drags a rectangle on the map.
• All selects every fig. None clears the selection, and the page returns to the scene’s list.

With Its group on, the hint line names what was selected: Picked Parade, the group Fox is in. A fig in no group is selected alone. A fig in several groups selects the group of its main animation, and the line names the others.

The moves

Paths has two families in its dropdowns.

• Along a route: Walk, Run, Fly, Drive, Tumbleweed. Each goes forward and back, or follows a route you draw. Fly glides along the route at the fig’s height, with no lean and no waddle. Use it for birds, planes and ghosts.
• On its own: Wander walks at random within a radius of the fig’s spot.

Loops has four families.

• Bounce & spin: Bounce hops in place with a small squash. Jiggle squashes and stretches in place. Spin turns in place without stopping.
• Scenery: Sway rocks side to side. Flutter ripples in place. Rustle shivers in place. Drift lifts, then swings down side to side. Glide slides across and comes back, with no lift. Use it for clouds and fish. Float rises and falls. Rise floats up and fades, then starts again at the bottom. Use it for bubbles and sparks.
• Water: Bob rises and rolls on a swell.
• On a tap: Topple shakes, falls over and holds. A fig on a table comes down off it; a fig on the ground lies on the ground. Tap the fallen fig to stand it up again.

The path moves follow the land, stairs and terraces included.

Nothing picked

The header reads Paths or Loops, then nothing picked.

Animations in this scene lists every group and every animation that is only on one fig. A group row reads its name, then a line like 4 figs · Route · Walk + Bounce. A fig row reads the fig’s name and its move. Tap a row, or tap a fig in the scene, to open it. An empty list reads None yet.

Make a new one works two ways.

• Select the figs first with the Select bar, then choose what they do on their page.
• Or choose here and tap figs. Use the Paths or Loops dropdown (Choose a move). The move is up, and the page says so: Walk is up. Tap a fig and it starts at once. Each tap on a fig, on the stage or on the big map, gives that fig the move at once. A loop chosen this way can also be applied to scattered trees and plants. This is the only way to animate scenery. A path is for figs only. A path tapped onto a fig that follows a group’s path is refused, with the reason. Tapped onto a fig whose path is its own, it replaces that path and a toast says so.

The first fig you tap gets the move as its own animation. The second fig makes the two a group, and the page reads Walk is up. 1 fig so far. The next fig makes them a group. Later taps join that group: Walk is up. Walk 1 has 3 figs so far. Tap a fig again to undo what that tap gave it. A first tap on a fig that already does the move uses the animation it has, and the next figs join it.

Choose the move again, or open another page, to put it down. What the taps gave stays.

One fig

The header reads the fig’s name, then 1 fig, with Play or Stop for the whole fig. The page opens with Affects this fig.

Its own

Its own · made in the fig editor holds the animation saved with the fig. Each row is chosen for this copy.

• Pose: Still, one of the fig’s saved poses, or In turn… when the fig has two or more. In turn… opens the In turn window. Tap poses to sequence them. Tap one again to remove it. Done needs two poses or more, and the row then reads In turn · 3 poses. No run clears it, and so does Still or a single pose.
• Move set: As saved, or one of the fig’s move sets. A move set is steps played in order. See Move sets .
• Animated skin: As saved, or one of the fig’s skins. Each skin is noted animated or still. The row shows when the fig has an animated skin.
• Its moves play: On their own clock or On the beat. The row shows when the fig has part moves. On the beat times them to the scene’s tempo.

A row with nothing to choose is left out. One line names what is missing: No saved poses or move sets available. Create them in the fig editor.

Pose by hand › opens the scene’s pose editor for this copy. The whole fig lifts, turns, leans and resizes about its Feet, Middle or Head. It keeps up to 6 keyframes, with Speed, Strength, a start switch (Always, Once, Open) and On the beat. Open in the fig editor › shows on a fig you made.

A photo cutout has nothing of its own to play. It can still follow a path or a loop, and it keeps Pose by hand ›. A fig from a story set reads Model locked to story set. Poses cannot be modified.

From a group

From a group shows each group the fig is in: the group’s name, then a line like 4 figs · Route · Walk + Bounce. The group’s settings are read here and changed on the group’s page.

• Use Open the group to select the whole group.
• Use Take this fig out of Parade to remove the fig from it. The other figs keep moving. When the fig was the last one in it, the group is removed.

A fig in no group reads It is in no group. Pick it with other figs to make one.

Only on this fig

Only on this fig holds one block for each animation that belongs to this fig alone. The block’s head names the move, with ▶ to play it. Its rows:

• It does swaps the move. A path stays a path and a loop stays a loop.
• The route rows, on a route move. See Draw a route, below.
• Distance on a route move, Radius on Wander, Amount on a loop. It reads as a percent, from 25% to 175%. 100% is the starting amount. A drawn route sets the distance, so Distance is left out.
• Speed, from 40% to 220%.
• Clock: Its own clock or On the beat.
• Pause between laps: None, 1 s or 3 s.
• Starts. See Starts, below.
• Delete this animation from this fig.

Wander has no Clock and no Pause between laps. Neither does Topple. With no animation of its own, the fig reads Nothing yet.

Keyframes made with Pose by hand › show here as a block named Keyframes.

Add an animation

Use Add an animation (Paths, loops…) to give the fig one more. A fig holds several animations at once and they add together: It plays on top of what this fig already does. The hint confirms it: Sway added.

A fig follows one path at a time. When the fig’s path is its own, the page says so before you choose: Fox already follows a path. A fig follows one path at a time, so a new path takes the place of the one it has. A loop plays on top. After the choice, the hint says what the new path replaced: It took the place of the path Fox had.

When the fig’s path comes from a group, the paths in the dropdown are greyed and marked follows Parade. Selecting one changes nothing. The page says Fox follows Parade’s path. Change the path on the group’s page: Open the group. Or take Fox out of the group first. A group’s path is changed on the group’s page, with They all and the route rows. Loops are never greyed: they play on top.

A Walk or Run given to a fig with a move set of the same name selects that set for the copy, with a toast: Fox also plays its Walk set.

Several figs

Select several figs that are not one whole group. The header reads 3 figs, then their names. The page opens with Affects these 3 figs and one line on which groups they are in: Fox and Hen are in Parade. Dog is in no group. or None of them is in a group.

• Make a group from these 3: use They all (Paths, loops…) to choose a move. The figs become one named group at once: Bounce 1 made: 3 figs doing Bounce. The move plays on top of what each fig already does. A new path takes the place of a path a fig has on its own, and the page says so. When one of the figs follows a group’s path, the paths are greyed with the reason; change that path on the group’s page or take the fig out of the group first.
• For each group some of them are in, a caption like Parade · 4 figs · Route · Walk, then two buttons. Pick all of Parade (4 figs) selects the whole group. Remove Fox and Hen from Parade removes the selected figs from it. The other figs keep moving.
• The row Their own poses, move sets and skins is refused, with the reason: A fig’s own animation is edited one fig at a time, because each fig has different parts. Open one: Under it is one row for each fig, reading its name and in Parade or in no group. Tap a row to select that fig alone.

A whole group

A group is a named set of figs that share an animation. Open one from its row on the nothing-picked page, with Its group on the Select bar, with Open the group, or by selecting exactly its figs. The app names a new group after its move and a number, such as Walk 1.

The header reads the group’s name, then group · 4 figs. The page opens with Affects the group · 4 figs. A change here is for every fig in it.

• Rename opens Name this group. A name you type stays. A name the app gave follows the move.
• Each animation of the group is one block. Its head names the move, such as Route · Walk, with ▶ to play it.
• They all swaps the move for every fig in the group.
• The route rows, on a route move. See Draw a route, below.
• Distance, Radius or Amount, and Speed, as on one fig.
• One after another sets how the figs line up in time. All together moves every fig at once. In a wave passes the motion along the group, each fig a little after the last. Spread out along the route shows on a route move. Each fig starts a different way along the route and keeps its own lane beside it, with the middle fig on the line. Random gives each fig its own timing. On the beat times each lap to the scene’s tempo.
• Pause between laps: None, 1 s or 3 s.
• Starts. See Starts, below.
• Delete this animation from all 4 figs removes this one animation from every fig in the group.

A Wander group has no One after another row. It reads Each fig wanders on its own clock.

Add another (Bounce, Sway, Spin…) gives every fig in the group one more loop: It plays on top of what the group already does. The page then shows one more block.

In it lists the figs. Use ✕ take out beside a name to remove that fig from the group. The other figs keep moving.

Draw a route

A route move shows its route rows in its block, on one fig or on a group.

Without a route, the fig goes forward and back. The line reads Without a route, it goes out the way it faces and back.

1. Tap Draw the route on the map.
2. Drag a line along the ground on the map. The hint reads Drag on the map to draw its route. A short drag reads Draw a longer route. and the route tool stays on.
3. Lift your finger. A toast reads The route is set.

In a group, each fig follows the route from its own spot.

With a route drawn, the block adds a Route dropdown with two options, Loop around and Forward and reverse. Draw a new route replaces the route. Remove the route returns the move to forward and back. With the map shut, a toast reads Open the map to draw the route.

On the map, the selected fig’s route shows as a line from its spot.

The nose arrow

On the Animate tab, every fig that follows a path shows a small arrow on the map. The arrow points out of its nose. That end goes first on a walk, a run and a route.

The nose is set on the fig, not in the scene. Open the fig in the fig editor and use Animate › Rig › Which way it faces. See Rig .

Starts

Starts sets when an animation begins. An animation that has not begun adds nothing to its fig.

• With the scene: it begins when the scene plays, with Play all and in Showtime.
• On a tap: it begins when its fig is tapped in Showtime.
• After… seconds: it begins that many seconds into the scene’s play. A Seconds row shows under it, with − and +, from 0.5 s to 120 s.
• When another fig is tapped: a Which fig row selects the fig.
• When another animation ends: a Which one row selects it. Only an animation that ends is listed. A Topple ends once it has fallen. With none in the scene, a toast reads No animation in this scene ends yet. A Topple does, once it has fallen.

Topple is added with Starts on On a tap. Its block reads It shakes, falls over and holds. The next start stands it up again.

Timing

Timing holds settings for the whole scene. The header reads Timing, then the whole scene.

• Play all and Stop all start or stop everything: the scene animations and each fig’s own part moves.
• Tempo is the scene’s one shared tempo: 60 beats a minute, 100 beats a minute or 140 beats a minute. Everything set to On the beat follows it, and so do poses In turn.
• Tap it sets the tempo by hand. Tap it four times or more and the button reads the tempo you tapped, such as 96 beats. Until then it counts down: Tap 3 more. A tapped tempo joins the Tempo dropdown.
• Frame rate is how many frames a second every move takes: Smooth · 24 a second, Choppy · 12 a second, Stop motion · 6 a second or Flip-book · 3 a second. A fig’s own Frame rate has the same four.
• Physics (Each fig’s own | Off) is one switch for the whole scene and saves with it. Its line reads Each fig uses its own Springy setting. or Off: no overshoot or settle on any fig. Every fig keeps the Springy setting from its editor. See Playback & physics .

The fig’s page in the Figs window

Tap a fig in the Figs window and its page holds two chips for scene animation. Move set selects As saved or one of the fig’s sets by name. Pose selects Still, a saved pose or In turn…, and the copy moves smoothly into it. When the fig has its own part moves, the Pose chip’s menu adds On the beat. The Animate › door opens the Animate tab with that fig selected. A moving fig’s page also has two toggles under PLAY: Play its moves plays the fig’s own moves, made in its editor, and Play in the scene plays this copy’s scene animations. Two copies of one fig can each hold their own pose and animations. See Everything in this scene .

The Picked page

On the World tab, a tapped fig’s Picked page opens in the World deck with its own rows: Wearing (an outfit, or As saved), Skin (a paint skin, or As saved; an animated skin says so), Pose (Still or a saved pose), Moves (As saved or a move set by name), and Doing, which reads everything animating on this copy in one line and holds a Play | Stop switch. A row shows only when the fig has something to select.