MonkeyJam Tutorial

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use MonkeyJam to make stop-motion animations. I will try to be as detailed and specific as possible. MonkeyJam is a free stop-motion capture software by David Perry. ou can get MonkeyJam at http!""www.giantscreamingrobotmonkeys.com"monkey#am MonkeyJam is popular for brickfilming but some have troubles nowing #ust how to make it work. $ecause I do know how to use it I decided to make a tutoral. Hopefully It will help you understand better.

Part One: Capturing

If you are importing photos you have already taken% skip this part.
&. 'pen up MonkeyJam and (reate a new e)posure sheet.

*. +ow you need to set the properties for the layer. ,he name doesn-t matter so .ayer & is fine.

/. Image 0older is where the individual images are stored. (lick 1(hange2 to browse for a folder of your choice. I create a new folder for each pro#ect. 'nce you have your folder hit '3 4. ,he color of the layer doesn-t matter at all. 5. (lick '3. 6 new layer should show up. ,his is #ust where the frames are listed. 7. If it it isn-t already% plug in your webcam or video camera. 8. 9elect the (apture button

:. 6 new window will pop up. 9elect 1one2 under image hold. ,his is very important; <. +ow you are ready to take your pictures. ,o take a picture% #ust click 1capture2. If you have never done stop-motion before% what you do is take a picture of whatever you want to animate% move it #ust a little% then take another picture. (ontinue this until you have what you want. &=. >hen you are done or want to preview what you have so far% #ust close the capture window.

Part Two: Importing

If you already did part one this part is not necessary.
&. *. /. 4. 5. 7. 9elect 10ile2 at the top. ?o down to 1Import2 9elect 1Images 6 window will pop up. In the top part% select the folder in which you have your images. 'nce you have selected a folder with images in it% the images will appear in the bottom part. 9elect the images you want @ an easy way to do this is clicking on the first picture% holding down shift% then clicking on the last picture.A 8. (hange image hold to & :. (lick 16dd files2

<. (lick 1Import2 &=. If all goes well% the images should show up in a new layer. If this doesn-t work then the images may not be compatable.

Part Three: Previewing

6fter capturing% or importing your pictures% you are ready to preview your film
&. (lick on settings @at the top% on the file barA and hover over 0P9. 9elect what 0P9 you filmed your movie at. If you don-t know% #ust try different ones until it looks good. *. (lick on preview.

/. It will render your preview. ,he more images% the longer it takes.

4. ,o watch your animation click the right arrow

5.

ou can also preview different movie siBes % different segments of the animation% and use the scroller to see individual frames. ou can go back and forth between the capture window and the preview window too.

Part Four: Settings

I-m not being too detailed here so #ust ask me if you need to know more.
&. ?o to settings @ at the top% on the file barA and click 1Preferences2 *. Here you can (hange the 0P9% folders% and layer color. /. ,here are more option tabs along the top though

4. Cnder capture% you can change the capture mode @I-m not entirely sure what that isA% (apture color% image hold @you always want &;;;A% numbering @I-m not entirely sure what this is either.A% and image format.@this is for what format the image is saved as if you are capturing your imagesA 5. Cnder preview% you can choose the render color and whether to auto render. ou don-t have to change anything here. 7. Cnder editors% you can choose a program to use with your pictures. Just choose your favorite photo editing software. @or #ust pick one or if you don-t edit your pictures% don-t bother.A 8. ,here are also settings in the capture window!

,hese are #ust another way to change the same settings. Cse the menus on the top and the icons below them. Hover your curser over them to see what they are.

Part Five: Editing

,his is for editing individual frames% moving frames% and changing frame lengths.
&. ou can click and drag individual frames and also select several to move at once.@an easy way to do this is by clicking on the first frame you want% holding down shift% then clicking on the last frame you want.A ou can only move frames to empty% white spaces. *. $y clicking on the little triangle in the corner of a frame and dragging% you can change the length of the frame. ,here% again% has to be empty spaces below the frame in order to do this. 6fter the frame is longer than &% you can change it using a rectangle at the bottom of the frame. /. Dight-click a frame and click 1edit image2 you now can use the program you selected earlier @in the settingsA to edit that frame.

Part Si : E porting
ou should now be ready to e)port your animation. It can only be e)ported to avi.
&. (lick on the 1E)port2 button.

*.

ou can now choose where you would like to save the animation. >hen naming the movie file% Make sure to leave the !avi there" 'therwise it won-t save correctly;

/. ou can also choose the movie siBe here and the video compressor. 4. Press 9ave movie. Hopefully it will work. ! D FuestionsG (ommentsG 9omething I left out that you would like to knowG PM me at $rickfilms.com or $ricksinmotion.com. My username for both of them is brenden&8. ou can also contact the creator of MonkeyJam. 6t his site. I-m sure he can answer your Huestions as well. ,hank you for reading this and I hope it helped; Have fun animating; I$renden