CD Review 63/cdreview-63-1996-12.iso/simpson.txt

Text File | 1996-11-06 | 13KB | 274 lines

SIMPSONS CARTOON STUDIO LIMITED DEMONSTRATION VERSION USER'S GUIDE


THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT MEANT FOR PUBLICATION VERBATIM.

PLEASE MODIFY IT AS NECESSARY FOR EACH PLATFORM (MAC OR PC) AND WHETHER IT
IS COMPRESSED (I.E. ON THE WEB) OR UNCOMPRESSED (E.G. COVER-MOUNTED CD).
THE SECTIONS WHICH THIS APPLIES TO ARE "SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS", "INSTALLATION"
, "RAM INDICATOR" AND "HINTS".


Welcome to the demo version of the Simpsons Cartoon Studio, a powerful
animation tool kit that includes many cartoon building blocks you can use to
create your own original Simpsons cartoons.  Pick a background. Choose
your favorite characters. Then, add props, special effects and sounds. The
Simpsons Cartoon Studio makes it easy to put everything together and bring
your cartoon creations to life.

Please remember that this demo is just that - a demo which provides a sample
of what is available on the actual Simpsons Cartoon Studio product.  The
Simpsons Cartoon Studio, available in stores now, contains hundreds more
animations, sounds, props and special effects for virtually limitless cartoon
fun.  So what are you waiting for, man?  Let's get started!

System Requirements

Macintosh
68030 33 MHz processor or higher
System 7 or higher
8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended)
13 MB of hard disk space
640 x 480 display or higher, with 256 colors
2X or faster CD-ROM

PC
486SX 33 MHz processor or higher
Windows 3.1 or Windows(r) 95
8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended)
13 MB of hard disk space
SVGA 640 x 480 display or higher, with 256 colors
2X or faster CD-ROM
Sound board, plus speakers or headphones to hear audio

INSTALLATION

Macintosh

1) If you are copying the demo from a CD-ROM, simply drag the "Simpsons
Cartoon Studio Demo" folder onto your local hard drive.
2)Open the folder named, "Simpsons Cartoon Studio Demo" on your hard drive
and then open the "Simpsons" folder.  Double-click on the Simpsons icon.
You're ready to start!

Windows

1)If you are copying the demo from a CD-ROM, simply copy the entire "Simpsons"
directory and also the SIMPDATA directory into a directory on your local hard
drive (e.g. C:SIMPDEMO)To create a new directory type MD SIMPDEMO from the C:>
PROMPT.
2)For Windows 95:  You can add the application to a Program Group in the
Taskbar from Start Menu in the usual way.  Alternatively, you can open the
SIMPDEMO directory, and then double-click on the SIMPDEMO.EXE icon in the
SIMPSONS directory and you're ready to start!
3) For Windows 3.1 or 3.11: You can add the application to a Program Group in the usual way from the File/New menu in the Program Manager.  Alternatively you can open the File Manager (usually located in the Main program group).  Click on the drive letter that represents your local hard drive (USUALLY C:).  Double-click to open the SIMPSONS directory and then double-click on the SIMPDEMO.EXE file in the SIMPSONS and you're ready to start!

CONTROLS AND BUTTONS

NEW - Clear screen to start a new cartoon

OPEN - Open existing cartoons/import cartoons saved on disks (Sixteen example
cartoons have been included).

SAVE - Save new cartoon or save changes to cartoon currently open (Not available
for demo)

SAVE AS - Title and save new cartoon (Not available for demo)

QUIT - Exit the Simpsons Cartoon Studio

Cartoon Title - Shows name of cartoon currently open

Play Button (Large pointing finger icon) - Play cartoons (Changes to PAUSE
when cartoons are playing)

Frame Shuttle (Krusty the Clown on Unicycle Icon) - Displays current frame -
drag to move from one frame to another

First/Last Frame Buttons (<< and >> Icons below Frame Shuttle) - Goes
directly to first or last frame of cartoon

Layer Manager - (column of 12 slots on left of the stage) - Displays and
shuffles props and characters to the front or back of the stage

RAM Indicator (Brain icon) -Warns you when running low on RAM (To clean up
the RAM used by Cartoon Studio, click on the Brain icon while holding down
ALT on the PC, or Option on the Macintosh).

Volume Control (Speaker Icon) - Increase or decrease sound level

Export (Floppy Disk icon) - Save cartoon in format suitable for playing
without needing a copy of the Cartoon Studio (Not available for demo)

Loop (-> Icon under lower left stage corner) - Repeats cartoon continuously

Cut (Scissors Icon) - Delete all frames after current frame

Editing Control Panel (appears when an item on the stage is clicked on) -
Adds, deletes, or manipulates elements in cartoon

Soundtrack Selection - Displays soundtrack

Sound Effect Selection - Displays sound effect

BACKGROUNDS
Adding a background
Click on the BACKGROUND button (Sunset Icon at lower right of screen).
Click on the background you want to have it appear on the stage.
Move your mouse up or down to adjust the position of the background on the
stage.
Click the mouse to anchor the background on the stage.

PROPS
Adding a Prop
Click on the PROP button located to the right of the stage (Sofa Icon at
lower right of screen).
To place a prop throughout the entire cartoon, or just part of it, use the
Editing Control Panel described later in this manual.
Click on your desired PROP to have it appear on the stage.
Move your mouse to position the prop anywhere on the stage.
Click the mouse once to anchor the prop in that frame.

CHARACTERS
To Add a Character
Click on one of the CHARACTER buttons located to the right of the stage.
Click on the ARROWS  (Pointing Finger icons) above the character palette to
view all of the animated poses.
Click on the CHARACTER POSE you want to have it appear on the stage.
Move the mouse to position the character anywhere on the stage.
Click the mouse to anchor the character on the stage. Remember, characters
will animate, advancing your cartoon a few frames.

ANIMATING
Animating a Prop or Character
Click on the Simpsons CHARACTER button or PROP button.
Click on the desired CHARACTER pose or PROP from the palette and position it
on the stage where you want to begin animating.
Click on the mouse and continue to hold the mouse button down as you move the
CHARACTER or PROP around the stage. Holding the mouse button down records
the movement and animates the character or prop.
Release the mouse button to stop animating. Character and animated props will
continue animating after you release the mouse button, advancing the cartoon
a few frames.

THE FRAME SHUTTLE (KRUSTY THE CLOWN)
The Frame Shuttle allows you to access all the frames in your cartoon by
sliding it forward or backward. The number displayed in the Frame Shuttle
represents the cartoon frame that is currently displayed. If you have enough
memory, a cartoon may contain as many as 1,200 frames.  For purposes of this
demo, however, the largest cartoon can only be a maximum of 400 frames.

To advance the cartoon, click and drag the FRAME SHUTTLE TO THE RIGHT.
To rewind the cartoon, click and drag the FRAME SHUTTLE TO THE LEFT.

THE LAYER MANAGER
The Layer Manager is the column of twelve slots located on the left side of
the stage. All characters or props in a cartoon will appear as icons in the
Layer Manager palette in the order in which they are added to the cartoon.
By clicking on and dragging a Layer Manager entry, you can shuffle items in
front of or behind each other.

EDITING
The Editing Control Panel lets you add or delete elements in a cartoon, such
as animations and props.  It also allows you to control the point in time and
the length of time an object will appear in the cartoon.  To begin editing,
select a character or prop on the stage by clicking on it.  A cartoon
element is selected when a box surrounds it.  The Editing Control Panel will
appear.

The left column of buttons will HOLD (stretching film icon) or CUT (scissors
cutting film icon) a selected element to or from all previous frames (frame 1
to the current frame).
The center column of buttons HOLD or CUT (film in trash can icon) a selected
element to or from ALL frames.
The right column of buttons will HOLD or CUT a selected element to or from
all future fram