JWG PSP7 Tutorials:
Animated Dolls
Capturing your doll
Visit a dollmaker first to choose your doll. Try our doll links for some ready made dolls you can use, and useful links to dollmakers etc. When you have made your doll, you will then need to 'CAPTURE' it: You do that by opening PSP and clicking on the little camera icon that will minimize the PSP window, and take you back to your doll on the webpage; Right click in free space near to your doll, you will then get a + , left click once where you want to start the capture from, then left click and drag around the doll. This will select your doll. When you release the mouse button, it will automatically put your doll in PSP. (Instructions for PSP 7).
In PSP8 the little camera has been mysteriously removed :-( and you now need to go to File:Import:ScreenCapture:Setup. If you are sufficiently experienced with PSP8, you can find the little capture icon and add it to your toolbar. It now looks like this.
For more detailed info about screen capture, try Patti's excellent tutorial in Moon's Designs here
Making the background of your doll transparent
{Click here for detailed instructions if you need them} Using the magic wand tool; click on the background of your doll image. You should see that the background is selected, then go to SELECTIONS and click on INVERT- this will then select your doll. Open a new image, [FILE: NEW] [200x200 pixels is a good size and gives you plenty of room] and make sure that the background of your new image is set to TRANSPARENT. Click on the image with your doll in to make that the active image again, then go to Edit and select CUT. Make your new image the active one again, and go to Edit: Paste as new layer. Your doll will appear in your new image where you can move it about and place it where you like.
Saving your doll in PSP
If you want to save your doll in PSP without animating it, use the crop tool to crop your doll to the right size, then go to Layers: Merge: Merge Visible. You are then ready to save your doll, by using the Gif Optimizer. Do NOT just save it normally, or you will end up with a white background!! Click here for our tutorial on how to use the Gif Optimizer. Otherwise, proceed on to the next stage to add an animation to your doll:
Adding a name to your doll
Follow either the adding sparkles or glittername tutorials and make a name that you would like to add to your doll. I have made an example with a glittername here:
Keep your animation open in Ani Shop without saving or optimising it. Minimise Animation Shop and return to PSP to your doll image.
Moving your doll into Animation Shop
Click on your doll image, and go to Edit: Copy, then maximize Ani Shop and right click in main window ( it will say PASTE AS NEW ANIMATION), left click on that and your image will appear.
Making the animation
Open a new animation in Ani Shop: transparent background size 300x300 (or larger if you are using one of the bigger dolls or another graphic). Dont worry about this new image being too large, as you will be cropping it to size when you have finished. then go to EDIT: DUPLICATE SELECTED: [ you will see the number of frames multiplying in the bottom right hand corner of the window] or use the "Duplicate Frames" icon on the toolbar.
Click twice for 3 frames, which is generally enough for noise or sparkles: (If your glittername has more than 3 frames, make your new image the same number of frames as your name). Hold down CTRL and then press A to select all the frames: Do this with your doll and your name, so you then have 3 images [now called animations] all with the same number of frames.
Make sure that your doll image and your new image have the same time delay as your name. Click on your doll image with all frames selected, and go to Animation: Frame Properties:
Change the number in the box to match the number on your name, (in this case 11)
Do the same with your new image:
Placing your doll and name into your New Animation
Using Ctrl+A or Edit: Select All, Select your doll animation then go to Edit:Copy, (or use Ctrl+C). Click on your new animation to make it the active image, use Ctrl+A or Edit: Select All, then go to Edit: Paste into selected frame, (or use Ctrl+E) then position your doll in your new animation ; left/centre/right etc. **IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GONE TO EDIT: SELECT ALL (OR USED CRTL+A) FOR EACH IMAGE OTHERWISE YOUR DOLL WILL NOT GO INTO ALL THE FRAMES!!** Repeat this procedure for your name animation so you then have your doll and your name in the same animation window. When you paste your name in you can move that round too until you are happy with the positioning.
Now crop your image otherwise it will be too big. Do this by selecting the Crop tool. Position the tool just to the top and left of your doll and name, and holding down the left mouse button, draw a box around the doll and name just big enough to fit them both in, release the mouse button when you are sure you have got it to the right size, and then look just above the icon to the box that says CROP.
Here is an example with a sparkly name added. In this case the frame delay on the name was 20, so that was the number I used for the doll and new images.
You are now ready to right click your image and select VIEW ANIMATION (or use the icon on the tool bar)
and make sure it all animates as it should. Then go to File: Optimization Wizard to save to your hard-drive, before uploading to your web site to use in messages/emails/web pages etc. Click here for help in using the Optimization Wizard. This method can also be used to combine two animations, (they must have the same time delay) or any image or tube and an animated name, to create SigTags etc..
For more information on animations, check out my combining animations tutorial.
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