Adding Animation

The Animation tool in VSDC is essential for crafting animations from a series of images or videos. Follow these steps to effectively utilize this feature in your projects:

1. Initiate Your Project: Begin by setting up your project. To incorporate an animated element, look for the Add Animation option. This can be found on the left-side panel within the scene. If it's not immediately visible, you can also find it by going to the Editor tab located at the top of the scene and selecting the Add Objects menu. There, choose Animation.
2. Access Animation Settings: Upon selecting the animation option, a new window appears, presenting various settings to position your animation object on the timeline. Adjust these settings according to your needs. If you're content with the default settings, simply click OK to proceed. Remember, adjustments to these settings can be made later, either directly on the timeline or within the object properties window, allowing for fine-tuning as your project evolves.
3. Add and Configure the Animation Object: After adding the animation object to your project, it will appear in both the scene view and on the timeline. Initially, the animation object will be blank. To begin creating your animation, you'll need to proceed to its configuration settings.

Creating Animation

To create an animation, you need to add objects that will make up your animation. Here's how to do it:

1. Select the animation object on the timeline by clicking it with the left mouse button.
2. Navigate to the Properties window on the right. If it doesn't appear, right-click on the Animation object and choose Properties... from the dropdown menu.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the Properties window and select the option Edit animation object. This will open a separate window where you can create your animation. If you want to learn about other options for the animation object in the Properties window, we recommend referring to the sections Standard Objects and A guide to adding and editing videos with ease.

In the Animation Resource window that appears, you will find four main panels each serving a particular function in the animation creation process:

1. Horizontal Toolbar: This toolbar is equipped with several tools designed to manage the elements of your animation:
   • Add images: Allows you to select files from your PC to include in the animation.
   • Insert images: Enables adding a new file immediately after the one selected in the Objects Explorer window.
   • Delete images: Provides the option to remove the selected object in the Objects Explorer window.
   • Delete all images: Offers the capability to remove all selected objects in the Objects Explorer window.
   • Select all: Lets you highlight all objects within the Objects Explorer window.
   • Up: Moves the selected object in the Objects Explorer window up one position.
   • Down: Moves the selected object in the Objects Explorer window down one position.
   • Top: Moves the selected object in the Objects Explorer window to the very top.
   • Bottom: Moves the selected object in the Objects Explorer window to the very bottom.
2. Objects Explorer Window: Displays all files added to the animation, providing a clear overview of the elements you're working with.
3. Preview Area: Shows the files selected from the Objects Explorer window. This area is crucial for visualizing your animation's composition and includes tools for adjusting the position, size, and alignment of the selected elements on the scene.
4. Properties Window: Displays the settings for the element selected in the Objects Explorer window.

Adjusting Animation Settings

Once you've added all the necessary animation elements to the Animation Resource window, it's time to adjust their options to achieve the desired animation look.

1. Selecting the Animation Object: Start by clicking on the animation object itself in the Objects Explorer window, identified by Animation Resource: ID. Then, move to the Properties window to set the animation's height, width, and frame rate to match your project's settings or customize these parameters to suit your needs.
2. Configuring Individual Files: Click on the first media file in your composition within the Objects Explorer window. In the Properties window, you'll see various settings for this file. One important setting is Duration (frames), which determines how many frames this particular image will last in your animation. Repeat this process for each file in the Objects Explorer, as this step is crucial in making an animation.
3. Adjusting Common Properties: Here are the other parameters listed in the Properties window, which will be the same for all objects:
   • File name: Displays the path where the selected object is stored on your PC.
   • Coordinates: Allows you to adjust the object's position on the scene or set these parameters to match those of the parent, namely the main scene of the project.
   • Image size: Displays the original size of the image and allows you to adjust it on the scene if necessary using the Set the original size option.
   • Frame type: Enables you to designate the selected object as a Keyframe, an IP frame (necessary if you want to create a composition from two frames in the animation simultaneously), or a PP frame (for creating a composition from three frames). Remember, if one frame overlaps another, you will not achieve a composition without adjusting their sizes in the preview window.
   • Stretch image: This option allows you to stretch the image to fit the scene dimensions, eliminating any black edges.
   • Resize mode: Refers to how an image is scaled or resized within the scene. The default method is Linear interpolation. For higher quality, you can choose from advanced resizing methods such as Nearest neighbor interpolation, Cubic Interpolation, Supersampling interpolation, and Lanczos interpolation.
   • Background color: Changes the background of the selected object. This is useful if the object is smaller than the scene and black bars are visible. You can make it transparent or fill it with color.
   • Scene background color: Allows you to change the background of the entire animation, enabling you to make it transparent or fill it with a specific color.

Once you've finished adjusting the animation, you can click OK and preview the result in the project preview window.