When I started doing animations I stayed so frustrated until I realized that AS was like PSP. There are always more than one way to do the step. Each tutorial is written the way the writer is used to doing it. Therefore the instructions always seems to be changing and there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the way it was done.

I have learned while working with the programs that it helped if I looked at the frames as layers.

If you have an animation as part of the background then the tube, frame, corners etc. would go on top. I do the animation part first.

If your animation is added to the top layer then do the complete tutorial first then add the animation.

When your animation is a layer between the background and the top layer or frame, it requires more work. You have to work back and forth between AS and PSP. Background then animation then frame.

Depending on where the animation is, will let you know if you need to merge visible the layers.

I always try to copy >>merge my layers so I can keep the layers useable.
If the tutorial calls for the layers to be merged I dupicate the image and work on that. Save your PSP image too.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I'm not saying my way is correct and it may not always work but it has helped me and I hope it helps someone else.

I have done tutorials that have lots of frames and when you start to add another part to the animation the tut said you have to copy >> paste the new image until you have the same amount of frames.
Many times this is true, but when and why is it necessary?
Something I have noticed is if you have an animation that needs to be added to the background, you must have the same amount of frames, one for each of the animation frames.

On the same animation if you need to add a frame or your name to finish it, you only need to have one frame.
Just copy the frame then activate the working image and edit >>select all, edit >> propagate paste, edit >>paste into selected frame.
The propagate paste will place the frame onto each layer for you.

So when do you use only one frame?
Well what I have started doing is to try the propagate paste, if it only shows up on one frame then I hit the undo button and copy >> paste my frames. I'm trying new ways and learning in the process.

I'm not saying my way is correct and it may not always work but it has helped me and I hope it helps someone else.

Adding an animation as a top layer.

Many times we do a great tutorial but we would like to add an animation to it. This will tell you how to have an image that uses the rotation tool in Animation Shop and when apply to a tutorial.

Do the tag completely, but don't add the frame because you need the layers.

Close the layer that is to be rotated then highlight one of the other layers, copy >>merge.
Open Animation Shop and paste as a new image. Minimize it. Go back to PSP, close all layers except the layer to be rotated, highlight it,
copy >> merge then in animation shop paste as a new image.
Go to effects >> insert image effects, click rotate, Effect length and frames set to 4,click OK.

In AS edit >> select all, click animation, cull animation when the box opens click ok. Your animation is ready to be put onto the tag. The tag is now being used as a background for you animation. You have 9 frames of animation and you need 9 background frames one for each of the animated frames. Activate the tag and copy paste the frames until you have the same number frames.

Activate the animation, click edit >>select all, edit >>copy. Activate the tag frames, click edit >>select all, then edit >>propagate paste,
then edit >> paste into selected frame. Your animation will be attached to the arrow place it where needed and click the mouse to set it down, release mouse. View your animation.

Now you need the frame around it. In PSP open a new image the size of your tag.
Image >> add borders and create your frame as per tutorial.
With magic wand click inside the frame and delete the inside.

Copy the frame in AS, paste as a new image. Edit >> copy the frame then on working image edit >>select all, edit >> propagate paste,
edit >> paste into selected frame. The frame will be attached to the arrow, line it up and click the mouse to place it.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I'm not saying my way is correct and it may not always work but it has helped me and I hope it helps someone else.

Copy Merge

I'm going to give you 2 examples of doing a animation.

The long way:
We have a background layer, a tube layer, a frame selection that we want to add a noise animation to.
For a noise animation I use 3 layers.
We need 3 background and 3 tube to make our animation.
We duplicate each layer twice and end up with 9 layers.
We then merge visible one of each layer and end up with 3 animation layers.
Difficult to keep up with.

The fast way:

When using the copy merge we only need 3 layers for the noise animation and one of each of the other components.
When you are ready to copy into animation shop, close 2 of the noise layers and leave each of the other layer open.
EDIT >> copy merged or EDIT >> copy special >> copy merged
Then copy merge and paste into animation shop.
Every layer that is open will be merged together the same as merge visible.
Do this for the next 2 noise layers and you are through.
You have 5 layers in the layer palette to work with and it is much faster.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I'm not saying my way is correct and it may not always work but it has helped me and I hope it helps someone else.

Merge Visible

I have done tutorials that have 20 layers in the layer palette and it was very difficult for me to keep up with.

Now I read the tutorial through and see if I can merge visible at any point.
Most of the background layers can be merged if there is no animation on them.
Frame, corners, your name and text can sometimes be merged together.

Study the tutorial and look at the placement of your animation.
Is it applied between the background and the frame then try to merge anything other then the animation layers.

I also work up to a certain point in the tutorial and I want to merge but I'm not sure, then I dupicate my work and minimize it. If I need the layers I don't have to start over.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I'm not saying my way is correct and it may not always work but it has helped me and I hope it helps someone else.

REMOVE PARTS

In advanced tutorials you will learn how to take an image apart and make part of it animated. This will give you extra information about it.
I'm using the Golden Fairy tutorial as a example.

We will use the freehand tool, point to point to go around the wings of the fairy, this is the part we want to animate.
Next promote the wings to a selection, activate the fairy and hit delete.
This will remove the wings.
With the selection closed you will see there are areas on the fairy that needs to be erased. Around the finger, shoulder and wing.


Erase these areas, open the selection and you will see this.


Well this will not work so we need to move the wings back where they were.
Line up the wings and make sure the wing layer is behind the fairy.
If not you will have this.



Once you fairy looks like the image you started with you can continue with the tutorial.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I hope it will help someone else.

Warp Brush Tool

This tool is a powerful tool that can make a peaceful stream or a dam burst.

Remember it takes very little movement to make an animation so less is more in this case.
Something between 5 and 10 pixels will give you a storm.

On moving body parts a 1-2 pixel is all you need.

There is no correct size that works all the time you need to find what work with each animation.
When applying the warp you get the strongest movement in the center of the brush.
The further away the weaker the movement.

All the tools, expand, contract and twirl makes the movement by just holding down the mouse button.
The move tool you hold down the mouse button but you also have to move the mouse in order for the effect to work.

When you have made a few movements sometimes it seems just seems to stop moving.
For this reason you need to click the apply icon after each 2 or 3 movements.

As you get used to this tool you will use it on many animations.

Copy Merge

I'm going to give you 2 examples of doing a animation.

The long way:
We have a background layer, a tube layer, a frame selection that we want to add a noise animation to.
For a noise animation I use 3 layers.
We need 3 background and 3 tube to make our animation.
We dupicate each layer twice and end up with 9 layers.
We then merge visible one of each layer and end up with 3 animation layers.
This can get confusing.

The fast way:
When using the copy merge we only need 3 layers for the noise animation and one of each of the other components.
When you are ready to copy into animation shop, close 2 of the noise layers and leave each of the other layer open.
Then copy merge and paste into animation shop.
Every layer that is open will be merge together the same as merge visible.
Do this for the next 2 noise layers and you are through.
You have 5 layers in the layer palette to work with and it is much faster.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I hope this helps someone else.

Merge Visible

I have done tutorials that has 20 layers in the layer palette and it was very difficult for me to keep up with.

Now I read the tutorial through and see if I can merge visible at any point.

Most of the background layers can be merged if there is no animation on them.
Frame, corners, your name and text can sometimes be merged together.

Study the tutorial and look at the placement of your animation. Is it applied between the background and the frame then try to merge anything other then the animation layers.

I also work up to a certain point in the tutorial and I want to merge but I'm not sure, then I dupicate my work and minimize it. If I need the layers I don't have to start over.

This is just a tip of something I have found works for me.
I'm not saying my way is correct and it may not always work but it has helped me and I hope it helps someone else.

Copy Merge

I'm going to give you 2 examples of doing a animation.

The long way:
We have a background layer, a tube layer, a frame selection that we want to add a noise animation to.
For a noise animation I use 3 layers.
We need 3 background and 3 tube to make our animation.
We dupicate each layer twice and end up with 9 layers.
We then merge visible one of each layer and end up with 3 animation layers.
This can get confusing.

The fast way:
When using the copy merge we only need 3 layers for the noise animation and one of each of the other components.
When you are ready to copy into animation shop, close 2 of the noise layers and leave each of the other layer open.
Then copy merge and paste into animation shop.
Every layer that is open will be merge together the same as merge visible.
Do this for the next 2 noise layers and you are through.
You have 5 layers in the layer palette to work with and it is much faster.

Adding an animation as a top layer.

Many times we do a great tutorial but we would like to add an animation to it.
This will tell you how to have an image that uses the rotation tool in Animation Shop and when apply to a tutorial.

Do the tag completely, but don't add the frame because you need the layers.
Close the layer that is to be rotated then highlight one of the other layers, copy merge.
Open Animation Shop and paste as a new image.
Minimize it.
Go back to PSP
Close all layers except the layer to be rotated highlight it, copy merge then in animation shop paste as a new image.
Go to effects, insert image effects, click rotate,
Effect length and frames set to 4,click OK.

In AS edit select all, click animation, cull animation when the box opens click ok.
Your animation is ready to be put onto the tag.
The tag is now being used as a background for you animation.
You have 9 frames of animation and you need 9 background frames one for each of the animated frames.
Activate the tag and copy paste the frames until you have the same number frames.

Activate the animation, click edit, select all, edit copy.
Activate the tag frames, click edit, select all, then edit propagate paste, then edit paste into selected frame.
Your animation will be attached to the arrow place it where needed and click the mouse to set it down, release mouse.
View your animation.

Now you need the frame around it. In PSP open a new image the size of your tag.
Image >> add borders and create your frame as per tutorial.
With magic wand click inside the frame and delete the inside.

Copy the frame in AS pastes as a new image.
Edit copy the frame then on working image edit select all, edit propagate paste, edit paste into selected frame.
The frame will be attached to the arrow, line it up and click the mouse to place it.