Welcome to our Ohio media's flash tutorials. In this tutorial, we learn how to dissect a four legged character. We already have a dog character designed. Open a new Flash file, and import the dog's image on the staging area. Next step is to scale up the image. Press Ctrl plus r plus s to open scale and rotate box.

Enter 120 in the scale percentage and click OK. This will scale up the image by 20%. Save the image as dog dissection side angle. Now, lock the layer by clicking on the lock icon next to layer one on top left corner. rename this layer to sketch add another layer and name it as vector. It is important to name every layer in In order to avoid confusion later on, in between various layers.

Now, we'll vector various parts of the dog's body. We'll start up with the dog's head, use Ctrl plus G and go to the group to start the line drawing. We'll have to draw each part of dog's body separately. Let's start with the dog's eyebrows, press n, and select line tool and start drawing the eyebrows. Adjust the line shape to the eyebrows shape using the line pointers and selection tools. All we have to do is use the mouse pointer and rotate the line to go in sync with the shape.

This still won't give the perfect match to the shape. So to achieve that, we'll have to use the sub selection tool, which is the second number option in the Tools menu. Clicking on the sub selection tool will provide us with the nodes on the eyebrows. Click on the nodes pointers to adjust the shape accordingly. Once you're done, get the image back to normal size to make sure the eyebrows are drawn properly. Now, let's draw the eye prints control G to get a new group.

We can use the oval tool to draw the outer shape of the eyes. Press o draw the oval over the eyes outline there is a possibility that the oval is filled up with some color. So if it is filled up with any color, then we should delete it in order to make it transparent. Next step is to match the oval with the eye shape. Rotate the oval by moving the pointers around it and match it with the shape as the I shown in the picture is not exactly an oval, we'll have to delete some part of oval. To do so we'll again use the line tool within the oval and using the line nodes will match it against the exact shape of AI as seen in the video.

By doing this, we have now grown the required part of the eye and also have separated the unwanted part by line. Click on the unwanted part of the oval and deleted by pressing the delete key on the keyboard. We now have the eye outer line ready. Use another group and oval shape to draw each inner line of the oval. Adjust the oval shapes exactly according to the inner shapes as seen in the video. on completing this we now have drawn the eye shape.

Next step is to draw the head part. Take a new group and use the line tool to draw the head part. Adjust the lines to the headship by using the selection tool and adjusting the line shape to the head shape. Once we are done with that we'll move on to the mouth part. Take another group. Use line tools and selection tools to draw the mouth shape.

Make sure to adjust each minute detail of the shape. While we use different groups, we need to make sure we overlap the groups together here will overlap the head parts to the mouth group. You'll notice some smaller part on the dog's mouth, those few circular shapes, use the oval shape and draw those parts just as we have drawn the eye earlier. To copy one oval shape, we can select the existing oval and click on it while holding down the Alt key. This will create a copy of the shape which we can use to draw another time. similar shape.

Once we are through with that, we'll move on to the nose part of the dog. Again, use a new group to draw the nose part. Use the line tool and selection tools to adjust the lines exactly to match the nose shape in the drawing. When we are done with this drawing, we need to make sure whether the drawing we have done is proper or not. To do so, we'll have to switch off the character drawing layer. Now we are left with the IRS.

Using the usual method will draw the IRS use a new group to draw the IRS part. Use line tool and selection tools to adjust the lines exactly to the ear shape in the sketch. Each group that we have created should be a closed shape, so that it will be Easy to fill them with color later on. In the image, we are not able to see the entire shape of one of the year. But even in that case, we'll have to draw both ears completely. Now we move on to draw the neck part.

Use the line tool and start drawing the dog's neck. Use Ctrl plus G and create a group using selection tool and just the neck lining exactly as per the image. Make sure you overlap the neck part to that of the head part which will be used later during the animation Use the zoom option wherever possible to make sure the drawing exactly matches with the image underneath. Sweet job the sketch layer to verify the image and make sure it looks proper Next, we draw the body part. Concentrate on the stomach part now, using the usual technique, create a new group. Use line tool and start drawing the dog's stomach using selection tool and just the neck lining exactly as per the image lining.

Make sure you overlap the stomach part to that of the neck part, which will be used later during animation. Use the zoom option wherever possible to make sure the drawing exactly matches the image You'll notice a few small details around the stomach part. Use another group to draw those minute parts and then remove the unwanted lines. Switch off the sketch layer to verify the image and make sure it looks proper Now we move on to draw the dog's legs. Use Ctrl Z and create a group use line tool and start drawing the dog's leg will have to draw the leg in three parts. Please see the video very carefully to find out how to break the dog's leg into three parts.

First, the leg will be till the knee using selection tool. Adjust the legs lining exactly as per the image lining Make sure you overlap the legs part as seen in the video to that of the stomach part. We will need these overlapping parts when we animate the character. Use the zoom option wherever possible to make sure the drawing exactly matches the image. move on and draw the second part of leg which is from the knee till the food use the regular curl says use Ctrl Z and create a group. Use line tool and start drawing.

Using selection tool, adjust the legs lining to match it exactly with the image. Make sure you overlap this part with the first part of leg as seen in the video. Use the zoom option wherever possible to make sure the drawing is exactly matching the image. As we have reached till the last part will now draw the dogs feed us Ctrl Z and create a group usually Line tool and start drawing. Using selecting tool, adjust the food lining exactly as per the image lining. Make sure you overlap this part with the second part of the leg as seen in the video.

Use the zoom option wherever possible to make sure the drawing exactly matches the image. Here we are done with the drawing of the front leg. Using the same process, we now will draw one of the hind legs. Draw that leg in three parts as we have mentioned earlier, use exactly the same process and complete the drawing Once we are done with these two legs, we now will draw the tails part. Take another group using Ctrl Z, use line tool and start drawing the tail. As the tail has a bit of a curve using just the normal line won't match the shape.

So to achieve that we have to use the sub selection tool, which is the second number option in the Tools menu. Clicking on sub selection tool will provide us with the nodes on the tail. Click on the nodes pointers to adjust the shape accordingly as seen in the video There are a few minor details on the tails. So draw them using the line tools and then delete the unwanted parts. We have dissected the dog's character completely. We have traced the parts, edited them for proportion and cemetery and converted them into groups.

Now we'll fill color in the various parts for this will be using the actual colors from the original sketch. Here too you will observe that we will be taking groups with identical colors in one go and then proceed to other parts with different colors. Let's begin. Let's color the head part First, go to the color fill scratch and drag the picker on the stomach part now Make sure the colorful has the same color as that of the actual sketch. Now, enter the different groups with the sketch and color one by one. Just click inside the group with the paint bucket tool.

Now, as we go on filling color inside the groups will delete anything that wasn't part of the original design. Double click outside to exit the group. Now to the next group. Double click outside to exit the group. Let's move on to color the stomach part now. Make sure the colorful has the same color as that of the actual sketch.

Double click outside to exit the group. Using the same process color the legs and the tail part of the dog's body The inner legs are not clearly visible as of now. So we'll have to color them in a way so that you will notice the inner leg. Go to fill color and pick up the darker shade of this sketch color and then fill it up for Bodie in our legs. follow the same process and fill up the depth of the ears. move on and fill the nose and the inner part of the eyes Go to fill color and pick up the black shade of the color and then fill it up for nose and the eyes do the same for eyebrows.

Now we are done with the coloring. It is a good practice to check the entire drawing again for errors converted into a symbol name the symbol as dog, we have converted the entire dog into a symbol. Double click on it to see all the groups that make the whole dog symbol. Here. The important part to understand is when you animate a dog you animated in parts like the head rotates, the legs go to and fro for this unit to convert these parts into symbols. Let's start with the I select the circle filled with blue dogs I and convert it into a symbol and name it as dog underscore pupil.

Now select the wide circle of The dog I named the symbol as dog underscore I base we can see that some symbols sequences changed to send it back or bring it to front. Click control plus arrow will be repeating the same process for all the other symbols now. Convert the eyebrow to symbol and name it as dog underscore eyebrow. Press f8 to bring up the Convert to Symbol dialog box. Select the dogs heads frontside now and convert it to symbol and name it as dog underscore lips. Use control plus arrow up or down to change the sequence to move up or down the symbols repeat the same procedure for the ear groups named the left ear as dog underscore left ear and the right ear as dog underscore right ear.

This system is called naming convention. Sometimes, many companies develop their own naming conventions. To send the right ear back to its original level. Press Control press down arrow till they assume their position. Drag the selection tool over the head portion of the dog to select all the parts about the neck. Remember that the NEC is not part of the head group.

So only Select the face, the eyes, eyebrows, the ears, the nose and the mouth groups. Press f8 and name this symbol as dog underscore head. Now let's turn the neck into a symbol select the net group, press f8 in the Name box type dog underscore neck to send the neck behind all the other symbols selected and press Control press down arrow till it takes its original place. Select the dog's stomach or body now. Press f8 name it as dog underscore body. Press Ctrl plus Down Arrow till it takes its original place.

Select the hair part below the neck, press f8 and name it as dog underscore hair. Use Ctrl plus arrow to place it back to its position turning to the bottom parts of the dog select the upper left parts of the dog's leg now named the left eye as dog underscore thigh front left. Select the lower part of the same leg now and name this symbol as dog underscore, calf front left and the lowest leg as dog underscore feet front left. Repeat the same process for the next leg and named the symbols as dog underscore five front right dog underscore calf front right and dog underscore feed friend right respectively. Use Ctrl plus arrow to place them on their original positions. Be careful While naming the symbols, all names should be different from each other.

We have converted each and every group into a symbol and named them differently. Now let's convert the groups into symbols for back legs of the dog. Let's look at the back left leg of the dog. named the upper part of the leg as dog underscore thigh back left. middle part of the leg as dog underscore, calf back left and lower part as dog underscore, feet back left. Repeat the process for the right back leg and name it as dog underscore tie back right dog underscore calf back right and dog underscore feed back right.

Place the symbols on their original position using Ctrl plus arrow. Select all the symbols and view properties to make sure that all the groups are converted to symbol. If you see the word mixed in properties, that means all groups are not converted into symbols. There are some groups which still need to be converted into symbol. Please see the video on how to check properties. Now, to identify the group which needs to be converted into symbol, select all the symbols on stage by pressing Ctrl plus eight.

You can see that tail bar doesn't have the registration or pivot point That means it is not converted into a symbol. Select tale and press f8 to call the Convert to symbol window and name it as dog underscore tail. Make sure that all the symbols are at the correct position. We are going to make all these symbols animatable. For this, we'll distribute all the symbols on a separate layer. Press Ctrl plus A to select all these symbols.

Right click on them and select distribute to layers and press Ctrl plus shift plus V is the shortcut for distribute to layer. Remember what you learned about blank layers? Yes, they must be deleted. Let's see how the timeline looks now. Extended vertically. Observe that each layer has taken the name of a part of the dog.

Repeat the process for dog heads in ball We'll return to the main stage. The dog is ready for animation. But there is one more important process it must go through before it can be animated. The pivot points are yet to be set. Let's see how this is done. First, let's understand why we need to change pivot points at all.

Observe the head symbol closely. We'll see how it rotates. while turning the head into a symbol, we kept the pivot point in the center. Hence, it is rotating around the center. But think, does a head rotate like this? The answer is no.

Then how does it rotate? The head rotates around the neck. This means that the neck is the pivot point of the head. Now we'll see how to set the pivot point. The empty circle You see at the center is the pivot point of the head symbol. What we'll do is we'll simply drag the point and place it in the middle of the neck.

Now, let's check if the head rotates in the right fashion. Take the free transform tool and rotate the head symbol. Observe that now the head is rotating Well, the same way we are going to fix the pivot points for the various other symbols. Let's do change the pivot point for the neck now we'll shift it close to the center of the dog's chest. Now to the legs. We will choose the calf front left leg first and move its pivot point to the knee joint.

The Thai baht will have its pivot point well below the dog's chest. The front left feet will have it in the ankle backside. There is a simple way to know where the pivot point of any body part will be observed the movements of animals and you will easily understand the underlying principle and the logic behind this. Repeat this process for all the other symbols of the dog No, let's set the pivot point for I symbol, you will see that each group in the eye, outer eye and the eyeball are different. Now let's understand another concept. If you have watched a lot of animation films, you will find that eyeball moves independently of the outer eye circle.

So, let's first enter the eyeball symbol by double clicking on it. let's distribute all the symbols on different layers by doing this tribute to layers process. Delete the unwanted layers. Add new layer by clicking on the rectangle icon on layer stack Now copy paste the dog's eye base circle on the new layer. Right click on the layer and select the mask option from the pop up list. It will help us in animating the eye blink.

Now let's come out of all the symbols by simply clicking on scene one. Here's an important part to remember. We have just set the registration points of all the symbols separately. Now our dog is ready for animation. We hope you have enjoyed this tutorial on dog detection and rigging from Aroha media. All the best and thank you for your time.