TAPPTOONS SOFTWARE FOR TRADITIONAL DRAWN CARTOON & STOP MOTION MODEL ANIMATION

For anyone trying their hand at drawn animation for the first time, and with limited money to spend, the prospect of having to pay out at least £100 for PC software to scan their drawings & edit their animation to the dope sheet must be very daunting.

After months of slaving over a hot keyboard I`ve at last come up with a software `solution` (as the industry would have it) in the shape of the TAPPTOONS LINE TESTER programme!

The linetester can use either scanned images, a video capture card or imported bitmaps to create an animation sequence.

You`ll need a flatbed scanner with TWAIN software (it usually comes with the machine) to scan your drawings into the computer or you can use a video camera hooked up to a suitable Firewire, USB or Analogue Video Capture card installed on your computer.

 

Cameras and capture cards known to work with the Tapptoons Linetester and other Tapptoons software include:

Pinnacle PCTV Rave PCI capture card (use Firewire/USB/WDM or TWAIN image source options)

Creative Webcam Pro USB (use with Video For Windows, Firewire/USB/WDM or TWAIN image source options)

Miro DC10plus (tested with original version (1999), use with Video For Windows option only)

Videologic Captivator PCI (and possibly other Brooktree BT848 decoder-based capture cards)

If you have an old Brooktree Bt848 card that doesn`t work with your present system due to driver problems, have a look at this website with updated WDM drivers...CLICK HERE

 

Using the scanner option, the programme will scan in a preset number of images (either drawn or cut-out figures manipulated on the scanner surface), save them to the hard-drive and record them in the on-screen dopesheet which can then be edited and re-arranged as much as the operator wishes. Using the camera option you don`t need to pre-set a number, just click as required.

There are 7 levels of animation which can be viewed in motion seperately by selecting an individual level or the levels can be merged and viewed as a composite at the click of a button (or two).

Scanned images can be rotated automatically, if required, either clockwise or anticlockwise. Playback speed is adjustable with frame rates of 8, 12, 15, 24, 25 and 30 frames per second.

Individual cels can be duplicated, deleted, replaced with blanks or other cels, renamed and coloured to make a final, finished animation project which can be converted into an AVI complete with soundtrack. The Dope Sheet and Project settings can be saved for future reference.

A wav. soundfile can be added to a project to test lip-synch sequences.

Minimum system requirements:

A Windows 98/98SE/Me/XP PC

350Mhz Processor (may be okay on a slower machine); at least 64 MB RAM (the more the merrier) and lots of hard-drive space (animation files take up a lot of room) and, of course, a TWAIN compliant flatbed scanner.

And, if all that isn`t enough, the Tapptoons Linetester 2007 is completely FREE!

(Download last updated 17th January 2007)

When installing the software make sure that no other programmes are running. If the setup programme freezes on the first window press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and cancel the setup programme and also take note of what other programmes are running by reading the window that shows after pressing the keys.

On my own machine programmes like EasyCD Creator, DirectCD, and RealPlayer are all running in the background from Start Up and such programmes may disrupt the installation process so it`s a good idea to unload these programmes in the same way. They will return next time you reboot your computer.

Download the TAPPTOONS LINETESTER 2007 version 3.9.0.1 for Windows 95/98/Me/XP now: CLICK HERE

Detailed HTML help files are included with the programme.