How to actually animate?!

[WizardInBlack]

All these tutorials are zero ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ help, I just want to know how to make a small thing, I know that its like stop motion-ish animating, I just need to know how to make new frames and scenes and all that ♥♥♥♥

[Slump Buster of Staten Island]

Eh, more like pose to pose animation. I don't think stop motion would fit with SFM. More with Gmod.

Also there is no need to rush into animating something.

[Capt Fuzzy]

Ya gotta learn to crawl before you can walk, don't rush this or all you will end up doing is getting frustrated with the program and quitting...
I've seen it happen alot, people get SFM thinking that they will be making top-notch animations in like a couple of hours, then when they find out that this actually takes some work, time and dedication to learning how to do it right, they get all bummed and quit.

[Krinkov]

To make it incredibly simplified, make a stop motion animation with the motion editor and drag a region of time over each individual keyframe with shift + mouse 1. While having the region of time selected, move your mouse wheel up while holding shift and create a fall off region. Then look at the column on the left and go to procedural and look for the round preset and drag it to the right. Once you're well versed with the motion editor, I'd suggest trying to learn the graph editor.

[EmperorFaiz.wav]

SFM is maybe easier to learn to animate that other professional software but that doesn't change the fact that animation in general is hard. Start slowly.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1840/discussions/0/2741975115066297037/

[WizardInBlack]

My god
I know animation is a long and annoying process, Im just looking to learn to use sfm to animate

[Macciavelo]

The valve tutorials might be a good start: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2B46DEB4157E67C4

Don't skip tutorials. Learn about the interface and about the camera before you try to animate. Start from the introductory video.

[WizardInBlack]

Not saying im a pro, but I know basic posing and lighting, i just need the button on how to make the next frame

[EmperorFaiz.wav]

Look up Thomas Larson youtube channel.

[TruBlu0014]

Originally posted by ShakenCola:

My god
I know animation is a long and annoying process, Im just looking to learn to use sfm to animate

Originally posted by ShakenCola:

Not saying im a pro, but I know basic posing and lighting, i just need the button on how to make the next frame

You sound like the impatient type TBH, and this is somethign that takes time, effort and deciation. I was once like you, thinking I could pick up SFM in no time and make top notch stuff. Well, that was a mistake of which I quickly learned from. I've just been honing my skills and learning the program inside and out from that point to now. I advise you do the same.

Good job; you know the basics of posing a model (with possibly a rig) and lighting a scene with spotlights. Do you know why you have to light a scene in a certain way? To protray a certain emotion? Do you know why light dims as it grows farther away from its origin? Do you know how your characters should be posing naturally? Why they curve the way they do or make the poses they make? What about your camera? Do you have the correct framing? Lens? Angle? Is your animation fluid or robotic?

You sir have a lot to learn still I would assume and you don't sound like you will be putting in the time and patience to achieve that. I can easily tell you how to animate but in order TO ANIMATE, you need to be patient.

I suggest before you try to animate in SFM, you pick up a book about animation and take a good, long read through it. Then, once you understand the concepts, by all means, put them to practice. I recently talked to a professional SFMer lately and this is what they told me when I said:

"I'd like to learn Blender. Where do I start?"

He said:

"You start at the beginning. Before you even touch the program, learn the basics and the terminology. From there, learn the foundations and only THEN touch the program and put what you learned into practice".

[WizardInBlack]

Originally posted by TruBlu0014:

Originally posted by ShakenCola:

My god
I know animation is a long and annoying process, Im just looking to learn to use sfm to animate

Originally posted by ShakenCola:

Not saying im a pro, but I know basic posing and lighting, i just need the button on how to make the next frame

You sound like the impatient type TBH, and this is somethign that takes time, effort and deciation. I was once like you, thinking I could pick up SFM in no time and make top notch stuff. Well, that was a mistake of which I quickly learned from. I've just been honing my skills and learning the program inside and out from that point to now. I advise you do the same.

Good job; you know the basics of posing a model (with possibly a rig) and lighting a scene with spotlights. Do you know why you have to light a scene in a certain way? To protray a certain emotion? Do you know why light dims as it grows farther away from its origin? Do you know how your characters should be posing naturally? Why they curve the way they do or make the poses they make? What about your camera? Do you have the correct framing? Lens? Angle? Is your animation fluid or robotic?

You sir have a lot to learn still I would assume and you don't sound like you will be putting in the time and patience to achieve that. I can easily tell you how to animate but in order TO ANIMATE, you need to be patient.

I suggest before you try to animate in SFM, you pick up a book about animation and take a good, long read through it. Then, once you understand the concepts, by all means, put them to practice. I recently talked to a professional SFMer lately and this is what they told me when I said:

"I'd like to learn Blender. Where do I start?"

He said:

"You start at the beginning. Before you even touch the program, learn the basics and the terminology. From there, learn the foundations and only THEN touch the program and put what you learned into practice".

I just wanted to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ know how to switch scences so I can start an animation, jesus christ
What ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ key, or button or whatever

[surfer171]

This is why you should be specific with your problem, people will keep telling you to do this and that but look where your request points to in the end.

All this is covered in the official valve source filmmaker tutorial. You just need to do your part to watch them all so you don't feel like you've skipped something important.

[Squalo]

If you watched the official Valve SFM tutorials(without skipping through them), you wouldn't be asking the questions you're asking right now.

Patience is most definitely the most important part to using any animation software.

[surfer171]

Originally posted by Squalo:

If you watched the official Valve SFM tutorials(without skipping through them), you wouldn't be asking the questions you're asking right now.

Patience is most definitely the most important part to using any animation software.

OP is a bit frustrated right now, you might wanna call later.

Refer comment #10

[Macciavelo]

Alright, let's answer your question. You want to know what key is used for keyframing?

Go to the graph editor and move the Playhead to the part where you want the object's keyframe to appear. Now, you can press M and a keyframe will appear. Or, you can simply pose your object around and a keyframe wil automatically appear.

But before you do that, you need a starting keyframe for there to be movement. Move the playhead to the beginning of your scene and pose your character. Once you are done, press M.

It would be much simpler for you to check out one of valve's tutorials or another tutorial on youtube on how to animate with SFM.

[EmperorFaiz.wav]

For f*ck sake,

Originally posted by EmperorFaiz.pdf:

Look up Thomas Larson youtube channel.

He made graph editor tutorials.

Also, at the official tutorials, there are tutorial videos thay focuses on animation especially part 13 and above. You should have know that instead of skipping them and making this thread.