Flash Inking Tips?

[Megaman]

First of all, I just wanted to say "Hello!" to everyone. I've been obssessed with Apple Geeks for the past two weeks and I think that the art and story are awesome. (Hawk and Ananth, you rock!)

Recently, I've tried to ink with flash. I like the idea but I ran into a couple of problems.

What size brush do you usually use? I used the smallest and second to smallest brush, but it comes out either too thick or too fine. This usually causes me to make lineart that looks like it was done in flash. That's not a bad thing, but I want it to look like traditional line art. 

How do I import it into Photoshop without losing quality and that crisp, vectory goodness? It doesn't have to be vector, but I just want it to stay as crisp. I tried to copy and paste, save as a JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and even an AI file.

Thanks for your help!

[DougofTheAbaci]

I think the trick is having a tablet. You can set it to be preassure-sensitive so it will thicken and thin the line as needed.

[Megaman]

Well, I'm already using a tablet. I guess it's not sensative enough for me.. I'll see if I can change that.

[DougofTheAbaci]

Well, I'm already using a tablet. I guess it's not sensative enough for me.. I'll see if I can change that.

I don't think it's in Flash for that, you should check out the settings in System Preferences, you installed the drivers right? I know it works without them but you get added compatibility if you toss those in as well.

[andyface]

yo, not sure if this'll actually help, seeing i've never used done any inking or anything like that, but i've used flash quite a bit and have found that fireworks (also by macromedia) is a pretty good, yet simple like flash, graphic program. it uses all the vector stuff of flash but has more features. try and get hold of it and see how it goes! if you haven't already.
also flash will let you import fireworks .png files and you can animate stuff etc.

[DougofTheAbaci]

Flash can import any .PNG file.

[APE]

Do some test brush, with a quick stroke and ctrl-z (apple-z), strokes because in flash the stroke size stays constant regarless of how much you are zoomed in or out.  So if you test whatever brush size you have it on to make sure it's still the right size it helps. 

Can then select the drawn lines and optimize (modify>shape>optimize) them to get rid of some points.  And then fix up the smoothness and thicknesses of the lines by draging the sides of them in and out with the black move arrow tool.  And remove inconsitant points with sharp edges with the white arrow (just select the point and hit delete). 

[alke]

isnt there any "constant" sized brushes which adjusts according to how much you zoom
its a problem always experimenting with the sizes when u zoom in and out

[DougofTheAbaci]

Adjusts like how? When you set the width you're doing so in pixels so no matter how much you zoom it is constant. Or, do you mean when you zoom in it will scale down with your zooming? That I've never heard of.

[nikita]

Adjusts like how? When you set the width you're doing so in pixels so no matter how much you zoom it is constant. Or, do you mean when you zoom in it will scale down with your zooming? That I've never heard of.

I think what he's asking is whether or not the brushes are like photoshop's brushes.

They're not. They run by relation to how much you're zoomed in...at least the way I use 'em they are.

[charart]

I just started to try using flash for inking and it seems very sensitive but I will keep working at it. it nice that it ends up super smooth ^_^

[nucleon9]

Screw inking in Flash I say! You can't finger-dance, "toggle" between tools and brush sizwes the way you can in Illustrator and Photoshop! You have more control in those programs, and then export your files to the Library and then tween to your heart's content! This is one reason I hate Macromedia, and was glad they sold themselves to Adobe! They basically rejected the standard mac tool box to diffrentiate themselves, and crippled their products on the mac in the meantime, and threw this on the window's side to boot! You can basically do all your keyframes in Illustrator, and tweak them later as movie clips! but then I always found tweaking better in Illustrator, and also, I guess you can use Gif-Animator to test it your roughs, because Flash is such a resource hog, even if you just want to do a simple walk-through!

[Tanshin]

Boy, THAT wasn't a flame... at all....

I don't use flash very often, I've become too attached to photoshop... I went back for a while and was all confused because the shortcuts are different.

[zizdodrian]

Screw inking in Flash I say! You can't finger-dance, "toggle" between tools and brush sizwes the way you can in Illustrator and Photoshop! You have more control in those programs, and then export your files to the Library and then tween to your heart's content! This is one reason I hate Macromedia, and was glad they sold themselves to Adobe! They basically rejected the standard mac tool box to diffrentiate themselves, and crippled their products on the mac in the meantime, and threw this on the window's side to boot! You can basically do all your keyframes in Illustrator, and tweak them later as movie clips! but then I always found tweaking better in Illustrator, and also, I guess you can use Gif-Animator to test it your roughs, because Flash is such a resource hog, even if you just want to do a simple walk-through!

The goals of illustrator and flash are completely different. Flash is a vector graphics and animation program specifically designed for the internet, with a heavily integrated IDE.

Illustrator is an illustration tool. Its a completely different kettle of fish. You've misinterpreted the purpose behind flash, and why photoshop and illustrator compliment it, rather then replace it.

[Voodoo]

flash inking tips ? india ink, number 0 brush, 120+g paper. I've been inking in flash for about a year, and it is probably me , my not so developed drawing, or it could be the badly written program. I refuse to believe that the oh so expensive (to me at least) intuos 3 is too sensitive to be worked on in flash, but as my friend pointed out, things, when I draw them in flash, turn out smooth and significantly rounded ,and seeing the sketches I draw on paper, they weren't supposed to be.

So recently, while acquiring materials for a portfolio for the university of design, which I won't get in because it's corrupted and you have to legally bribe the professor sitting on the board which chooses what portfolios make it to the next round by taking drawing lessons from him, (quick rant, I'm sorry, just frustrated) I bought ink and brushes and the results were far more impressive than the ones in flash....<.< the drawback was scanning and the lines weren't as crisp because of how the paper suck it in, bu the paper was cheap shit. win some lose some =)