Pivot Stickfigure Animator
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Pivot Stickfigure Animator is a simple easy-to-use frame-by-frame stickfigure animator created by Peter Bone in Borland DelphiStick figures are moved in the animations by clicking and dragging 'pivot' points connected to certain parts of the figure, then simply clicking a button to move to the next frame and repeat the process. This user-friendly way of animating does not involve drawing everything from scratch for every frame as is common in other animation programs such as EasyToon or Macromedia Flash.
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[edit] Features
Pivot version 2.25 (the latest stable release) allows users to create their own stick figures and save them as separate STK files for use in other animations. The stickfigures themselves can be made bigger or smaller, moved up and down layers (ie: moved from the front to the back of the screen) and their colour can be altered. Backgrounds created as BMP or JPEG image files can be imported in and used in animations. Animations made in Pivot can be saved in the PIV proprietary format or be exported as a GIF animated image. Generally, animations are saved as a GIF so they can be viewed on the Internet easily. However, the PIV format can be re-opened and the animation edited again - this is not the case with the GIF filetype.
The newer version, 3.1 BETA, is still unstable as it contains some bugs that will be removed in the final product. In this new version, not only can the animation be exported as a .PIV and a .GIF but will also be exportable as a AVI. This new version will also have the option to load sprites to the animation. This means you can upload any .BMP file and move it, rotate it and resize it in order to use it in an animation. Also the background options have been improved. You can now have multiple backgrounds instead of the single one that would be added to every frame to the animation. Now you can change the scene much easier by simply downloading the image and replacing it with the previous one. Also the default stickman has been replaced with a more realistic stick that has been added an extra joint and filled-in head which may result in better animations.
[edit] History
- Version 1 released 2003/2004 - allowed up to 10 stickmen figures to be used in a frame at once. No control over colour or layered position.
- Version 2 released 2004 - allowed creation of stick figures and colour changes. Backgrounds could be created (as BMP images) and imported into the animation.
- Version 2.24 released July 2004 - The program - once contained in a ZIP - is made into an executable installer file. It includes several premade figures including anwow]] 2004 - this changed the file from an MSI executable to an EXE executable and fixed minor bugs.
- Version 3 BETA released 2005 - the most drastic update since V1 to V2, the as-yet-incomplete V3 allowed multiple backgrounds to be used in a single animation and BMP image files to be used as sprite figures in the animations themselves.The standard stick figure is different in it.
[edit] Internet Community
Pivot has generated a large internet following, with fansites regularly appearing showcasing user's animations. As well as user-made sites showcasing their own. Several forums have cropped up including [[[Pivot Legion]]], darkdemon.org, the Pivot MSN Group and the Pivot Forum. These forums allow users to upload their animations for others to see and share techniques and stick figures. However some sites such as ElementEntertainment.org have stringent entry conditions and only a select few are able to post animations - yet all are free to view them. There are some links to community sites below.
[edit] Pivot Sites
[edit] Download Sites
[edit] Community
[edit] Tutorials
KeenyBeany.com and Dinkus.com with lettuce juice smack dab in the middle
