FAQ

1. Do I need a Wacom® tablet to run the program? What is a Wacom tablet?

A Wacom tablet is the common name for a digital input device you can use instead of a mouse, in which you draw with a special pen (stylus) onto a small tablet, and the lines appear on the computer. It allows for a much freer drawing experience, however you don’t need one to use the program – you can just draw with your computer mouse. While Wacom is the leading manufacturer of digital tablets, there are other comparable products to choose from on the market.

2. How do I add another picture to my animation?

In Wiggledoodle-ish, click the right arrow button to add a frame (you are limited to 3 frames in that level.) In FlipBook-ish, the small squares at the bottom of the screen show you a small version of your drawings. The one with the large green Plus sign is the next blank frame, ready to draw on — just click on that frame, or click on the black arrow at the far right, to start a new frame. In Advanced-ish, simply click on any blank white square in the timeline to start a new frame. This level also has options to extend your current frame or duplicate your current frame.

3. Can I change the colors in my palette?

If you double-click on any color in your palette, you will get a color picker, which allows you to choose a new color for that spot.

4. How do I change the color of a line?

You can change the color of a line by using the Paint tool. You can also select several lines with the Select tool, and click a new color in the palette, and all the lines will change to that color.

5. Can I add sound or music to my animation?

You can add sound or music to your Animation-ish project by exporting your animation as a Quicktime® file, and add your audio in a third party program. On an Apple computer we highly recommend the iLife® software suite.

6. . What is "Inspire Me"?

The Inspire Me button shows you short video clips of author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, co-creator of Animation-ish, who will give you some "ishful" advice on animation and creativity.

7. Can I add a new drawing between two other drawings?

Yes, you can do this in the second and third levels of the program.

In FlipBook-ish, select any frame and then click the Insert Frame button on the left with a tiny plus sign inside a circle (the button with the minus sign will delete a frame.)

In Advanced-ish, you do not need to insert a new frame to add in a new drawing, simply move the existing frames further down the timeline by highlighting and dragging them with your mouse.

8. The Pressure button does not seem to affect my line - why?

The Pressure button only works if you have a digital tablet, which attaches to your computer and is sold separately. With a tablet, you can draw lines that become thicker as you apply more pressure.

9. Can I zoom in to my drawing for a closer look?

You can zoom in to your drawing in Advanced-ish only using the Zoom tools.

10. Advanced-ish: What is that gray box on the screen?

The gray box is the Stage — it shows you the actual boundary of your animation. When you export your movie to Share, it will only show the part within the gray border.

11. Advanced-ish: what’s the difference between Duplicate Frame and Extend Exposure?

Duplicating a frame makes an exact copy of an existing frame, so that it can be changed slightly in the next frame. The Exposure button "freezes" a frame so that it remains unchanged while time passes. Everytime the Exposure button is pressed, your drawing remains "frozen" for one more frame.

12. Advanced-ish: I tried to "cut" one drawing, and it deleted ALL my drawings - why?

The Cut/Copy/Paste commands work with lines you have drawn and also with entire frames. If you select part of your drawing, that is what gets copied or cut. If you happen to select one or more frames in your timeline, all those frames will be copied or cut. So make sure you have the right item selected.

13. Advanced-ish: What is a "keyframe" used for? Can't I just choose an empty frame and draw in it?

A Keyframe is a way of "boxing up" your drawing so that it can be moved from one area of the stage to another over a series of frames. This is how movement is created along a path. The Transform tool is like your "moving van," it helps you move the Keyframes from one "home" to another. See page 18 for more details.

14. Advanced-ish: Can I group my lines together to move them around?

Sorry, you cannot "group" lines in Animation-ish. However, you can shift+click to select multiple marks and move them together this way.

15. Advanced-ish: Can I add my own drawings to the library?

The drawings you create in Animation-ish are, by default, placed into the My Projects folder when you save your project. Once you have Saved, you can then use the two green arrows in the Art Library Organizer to decide which Projects will be included in My Library, for use with level 3: Advanced-ish.

If you want to include your own scanned artwork or a digital art file, you can do this in Wiggledoodle-ish by using the Import tool, however you can only Trace your artwork in this level.

You can also do this in Advanced-ish by using the same Import tool. However in this level, you can actually make your image part of your animation! You can then Save your project, and load it's art into the Library using the Organizer.

16. Advanced-ish: I cannot select my drawing with the arrow tool - why?

In Advanced-ish, there are 2 layers to draw in. You can only select or draw in a frame if you have that layer selected. This makes it easier to work on one layer without disturbing the other.

17. My background is covering up my foreground - why?

When you select the "background" layer, that layer is brought to the foreground temporarily while you work on it. In order to put it back, simply select the foreground layer.

18. I tried using the Transform tool to move an object across the screen but it didn’t work.

When using the Transform tool, your Timeline must be several frames long to create a moving sequence. In the first frame of the sequence, click on your drawing with the Transform tool and position it where you would like your object to start. That should place a keyframe box in the active frame. Now move your Marker to the last frame of the sequence, and use your Transform tool to position your object where you would like it to end moving. There should be another Keyframe box in the last frame, and a line connecting the two positions.

Still not working? Try visiting the Lessons portion of the program to get more tips!