Re: [Tuxpaint-devel] Animation

[Bill K. <nb...@so...>]

On Thu, Sep 07, 2006 at 01:54:01PM +0200, "Tore B. J=F8rgensen" wrote:
> Hi!
> I see that the next version will include a slide show function that can=
=20
> be used for simple animation.

Correct! :)


> I'm curious to what degree you wish to expand the animation capabilitie=
s
> of Tux Paint in the future.

I wasn't planning on adding much.  If I had my way, I would develop
a separate animation tool (which would integrate with Tux Paint, to pull
'sprites' and backgrounds).


> I'm thinking along the lines of inserting sound along with the picture=20
> (change to next picture when the audio is done),

This is certainly a great idea.  Unfortunately, there are two problems
with this:

(1) SDL doesn't currently have a sound input API, only output.
    Work has been done by numerous people to add this, but I think it's
    only just being included (SDL 1.3?)  I remember someone from Jim Hens=
on's
    Creature Shop posted one back in 2002, for example.

(2) There'll need to be a user interface for attaching sounds to pictures.
    Would it be when you save pictures?  If so, would you need to play th=
at
    sound every time the user loads the picture?  Can they change it afte=
r
    loading, and before saving?  Will it prompt for overwriting an old so=
und?
    Should it have Play and Record buttons for sounds?

#1 is a showstopper.
#2 simply needs to be talked about and designed, before I go to implement=
 it.

For, though: baby steps.  Let me get the basic slideshow option out the
door and see what teachers think about it.  I don't want to paint myself
into a corner (no pun intended ;^) ).


> maybe layers so that background, people and foreground can be independe=
nt
> and the people moved around more easily between each time you save
> (layers should probably be possible to disable in the config program),

Layers is WAY beyond the scope of Tux Paint, unfortunately.  I certainly =
have
wished for it in the past, since it would simplify things like editing/mo=
ving
stamps and text once they've been placed, but even with more professional
apps like The GIMP, once you _do_ something to a text layer, you can no l=
onger
edit the text!


> and maybe other stuff? Animation is fun! :-)

Yeah, it is.  I don't want to bloat Tux Paint much more than it
already has bloated. ;^) (I'd love to be 'finished' with it some day,
but that's obviously never going to happen :^) )

Also keep in mind that Tux Paint is meant for kids a young as 3 years old.
It's already complicated enough.  And while I agree that more options can
be thrown into Tux Paint Config, not everyone looks there.  If Tux Paint,
out of the box, is too hard for a little kid to understand, then parents
and teachers won't like it... even though there are options they can set.

I have a feeling most people don't look at Tux Paint Config, or the
documentation...  That's how software is.  People are busy, they want
it NOW, and they just want it to Work Right(tm).  :)

--=20
-bill!
bi...@ne...
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/