Questions Thread - Technical Help for Art & Music

[Ace of Dark-Hearts]

I'm using a Sibelius 7 Demo, and I'm having a problem I can't seem to figure out.

I put a basic string of 8th notes down, then I played it and it didn't play right. It played with odd pauses between notes in random spots so It sounds choppy when I play it. I tried everything, slurs, a petal, trying a different instrument, and clicking every item in the menu (basically).

So... Help?

[Stop Him]

I'm using a Sibelius 7 Demo, and I'm having a problem I can't seem to figure out.

I put a basic string of 8th notes down, then I played it and it didn't play right. It played with odd pauses between notes in random spots so It sounds choppy when I play it. I tried everything, slurs, a petal, trying a different instrument, and clicking every item in the menu (basically).

So... Help?

It's hard to tell what the problem may be, because there are a number of different things in music programs that can cause dropouts in playback. I don't know how you entered the notes, but there's possibly some MIDI or sequencer signal that's causing problems. There may also be a problem with how your program relates to the soundcard in your computer - you may not have the proper driver selected, or the buffer may need to be adjusted.

Since you say you've changed instruments and fiddled with the notation, my guess is that the problem is indeed somewhere after that in the chain of things that leads to sound coming out of your speakers. Go into the preferences and find wherever the sound card (or I/O) controls are. Make sure you have an ASIO driver selected. If you see buffer settings, make them a bit longer. That's my advice, based just on what you've mentioned here.

[Ace of Dark-Hearts]

I entered the notes just by placing them with my computer mouse. Unfortunately I am a complete noob and have to idea about anything when it comes to music software.

So I checked the preferences menu and I thoroughly searched, however I didn't find anything even remotely relating to the sound card, buffer settings, or I/O (I don't even know what that means).

Thanks for the helping, by the way.

[Stop Him]

So I checked the preferences menu and I thoroughly searched, however I didn't find anything even remotely relating to the sound card, buffer settings, or I/O (I don't even know what that means).

I/O = Input/Output.

Since I'm not familiar at all with Sibelius, I'm just kind of guessing at what the problem may be, so take my advice with a grain of salt. There may be other spots on the menu where they hide something like that ("tools" is another good one). Plus, you could always try to look it up on the HELP files.

If it's what I think it is, the basic problem is that the software is trying to run too much stuff through your sound system, causing the sound to stutter or break up. A larger buffer would give it more of a "head start" when playing music, and a more appropriate driver would be more efficient and use less system resources.

Sometimes programs have limits set on the normal (non-sound-card) system resources, too - I've had some graphics programs that don't access all the RAM I have available in my computer unless I actually tell them to somewhere in the Preferences menu.

It could also possibly be something completely different, such as a global control on how much decay a note is given when played. Like I said before, there's so many possible things that it's hard to tell exactly what your problem is...

[PaladinFoster]

*realizes this is a much better place for the question I already asked in another thread*

What is the best way to draw in an image editor software like Photoshop? I don't have a tablet, just a mouse. I find it nigh impossible to even draw a straight line without using the line tool.

[glub]

I have a trackpad. Lots and lots of practice. It seems like everything you do takes about double the time that it takes people with tablets and oddly-helpful things like pressure sensitivity. But if there are artists who can do this with GIMP and a mouse, then so can you! (note: artist is not me)

I usually sketch and ink things onto paper before scanning and colouring in GIMP (set line layer as bottom, create new colour layer and set to "multiply"). If I want something without dark ink lines, then some of the guidelines in this tutorial have been surprisingly easy to manage with trackpad. You retain pencil up until the nearly-end, which helps define lines in your picture (I only use pencil tool for lineless and paint/airbrush everything else) (also welp work in progress from sort-of following the tutorial) (note: artist is me).

BASICALLY, PATIENCE. It's difficult, but I'm whittling my way there.

[PaladinFoster]

Ugh. I hate having to relearn how to do everything after spending years learning to draw with paper an pencil. I've tried that "scan an ink version and then trace it" thing before, but it always feels too sloppy to me.

Is a drawing tablet worth the cost? It is a lot closer to what I'm used to working with.

[Ed]

Yes, it is worth your money. They're relatively cheap and you don't have to go through the hassle of buying supplies. If you need a recommendation:

If you aren't a super serious professional, then a Wacom Bamboo is probably your best bet. More specifically, the Wacom Bamboo Fun. If you are a super serious professional, then you probably already own a tablet and know the ropes! But if for some reason you don't, then the Intuos tends to be recommended.

Besides, digital is way more versatile and less time consuming.

[PaladinFoster]

Those are the relatively cheap ones? Wow, I need to get a job...

[Ed]

Hmm $199, weird. Mine was like $99, it's a little smaller though.

EDIT:Found it!

[MiniBurton]

I have a trackpad. Lots and lots of practice. It seems like everything you do takes about double the time that it takes people with tablets and oddly-helpful things like pressure sensitivity. But if there are artists who can do this with GIMP and a mouse, then so can you! (note: artist is not me)

I usually sketch and ink things onto paper before scanning and colouring in GIMP (set line layer as bottom, create new colour layer and set to "multiply"). If I want something without dark ink lines, then some of the guidelines in this tutorial have been surprisingly easy to manage with trackpad. You retain pencil up until the nearly-end, which helps define lines in your picture (I only use pencil tool for lineless and paint/airbrush everything else) (also welp work in progress from sort-of following the tutorial) (note: artist is me).

BASICALLY, PATIENCE. It's difficult, but I'm whittling my way there.

I just got a tablet yesterday...it's going to take getting used too. Also I hate photoshop...it keeps crashing. Those of you who have a tablet, how long did it take you to get used to it?

[Nightcastle]

I would love it if someone could help me out here, I've tried editing canon Alterniabound sprites and making my own, but I suck terribly. If someone could give me pointers or provide a half-way (or full, out of generosity) done sprite, I'd appreciate it. I see all of these other people posting really nice looking, professional AB Sprites, but all I can do is a periwinkle nepeta. Thanks again, and if you WOULD make one, make it out of this guy, preferrably with his arms crossed like Vriska.:

[Ed]

Like a couple of hours. It's pretty simple.

What you really need to get used to is the software you're using. That took me a couple of months i guess, it didn't helped that i tried many different programs in a really short time.
Also there's alternatives for Photoshop, like GIMP (which is free) or Paint tool SAI (which is not free, but it's cooler).

[MiniBurton]

Like a couple of hours. It's pretty simple.

What you really need to get used to is the software you're using. That took me a couple of months i guess, it didn't helped that i tried many different programs in a really short time.
Also there's alternatives for Photoshop, like GIMP (which is free) or Paint tool SAI (which is not free, but it's cooler).

wow it only took you a couple of hours?! Well to practice I'm just messing around in MSpaint. I think I have SAI but I'm not sure how to use it lol

[Drillgorg]

I would love it if someone could help me out here, I've tried editing canon Alterniabound sprites and making my own, but I suck terribly. If someone could give me pointers or provide a half-way (or full, out of generosity) done sprite, I'd appreciate it. I see all of these other people posting really nice looking, professional AB Sprites, but all I can do is a periwinkle nepeta. Thanks again, and if you WOULD make one, make it out of this guy, preferrably with his arms crossed like Vriska.:

Merged to the appropriate thread!

[ARandomKid]

Stupid Bamboo pen and its stupid little clicky buttons.

They're useful, but I keep accidentally clicking the buttons and causing it to right click even when the button is theoretically disabled according to the settings. The lower button in particular is right where I normally hold pencils, so I set that to disabled but apparently GIMP thinks "Disabled" means "Open the right-click menu lolz". It doesn't do the right click thing anywhere else, so I think it's something in GIMP that's causing it. Can't figure out what, though.

(Hell, just for shits and giggles I set it to be where I click that button and it is like hitting the 'x' key on my keyboard. Still does the right click thing, but now if I click it when not on the drawing page it switches the fore/background colors (as it should))


I guess my question is "Help, this is annoying?"

[Ed]

The downsides of using freeware i guess. I have a bamboo too and i never experienced any similar issue.

Sometimes i'm lazy and just rotate the pen in my fingers so they can't reach the buttons. It helps out.

[Ed]

Any of you guys know anything about .pcx pictures? I downloaded some sprite rips that came in that format. If you know how i can turn them into .pngs, that would be great.

I downloaded an image converter but it's a piece of shit and only converts to low quality .jpegs

[Stop Him]

Any of you guys know anything about .pcx pictures? I downloaded some sprite rips that came in that format. If you know how i can turn them into .pngs, that would be great.

I downloaded an image converter but it's a piece of shit and only converts to low quality .jpegs

You've kind of answered your own question: get a program that isn't junk.

From what I know, .PCX files are old-school, back when a lot of computers couldn't handle full-color images. Anything that reads them does so as a kind of legacy feature. There's a program called PaintBrush they used to be associated with. I just checked one of my own graphics programs (Corel PhotoPaint), and it opens PCX files. You just need to find a program that can read them and then export them to PNG.

[Soadreqm]

I checked the Gimp's list of allowed formats, and it can apparently save .pcx files. Presumably open them too. If you don't already have Gimp, and don't feel like downloading it for the sole purpose of converting some obscure image files, GrafX2 also supports them. It's this retro program inspired by Deluxe Paint, an art program from the eighties, and definitely more lightweight than Gimp.

[ashdenej]

Hi, there. I have no idea how to use flash and would like to create a flash video. Can anyone help me?

I don't even have anything that would be used to create it - what program would be ideal? Are there any available for free?

Finally, the flash I'm trying to make emulates the talking sections of the Alterniabound flashes. Specifically, it shows a .gif of somebody talking, and then when you click, it goes to the next .gif of someone else talking.

Even MORE specifically, is there a way to make this image progress to this image with a click? Thank you.

[PaladinFoster]

Ugh, hands and feet. My mortal enemies have arisen yet again to ruin another perfectly good sketch. Solutions?

[glub]

Ugh, hands and feet. My mortal enemies have arisen yet again to ruin another perfectly good sketch. Solutions?

Draw your own! This is the best practice and easier than looking up reference pictures because you can pose yourself. If you want a full shot, set a camera to self-timer and take a picture.

If you want a tutorial, this one's helpful. It concisely breaks hands down into six blocks, which has proven pretty valuable for me.

[Prawns]

So my band has an album coming out in the next few weeks.

We can't agree on an album title at all, so if anybody has any idea's I'd greatly appreciate it! You can PM if you don't want to clutter up the thread too, that'd be A++ with me.

We play indie rock/electronica, if that matters. It doesn't have to be meaningful, heavy, catchy or even witty, it just has to strike the right chord with our rather choosy lead singer and drummer.

As an example of one that ALMOST passed muster - "Waterfall, Salmon, Bear".

Yeah, we suck at this.

[Avi]

Why not pick one of the songs to be the title track?