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STYKZ
STYKZ
is a free software program that allows
the user to create and control stick
figures. It is the first multi-platform stick
figure animation program.

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Welcome Center
When you launch Stykz for the first time, you will be greeted by the Welcome
Center:

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 WELCOME CENTER
The Welcome Center is a launch pad for you to open a recent
document (1), create a new document (2), examine "Getting
Started" materials (3), and look at various tutorials (4).

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1. Open a Recent Document
The top-left corner of the
Welcome Center gives you
options for opening any of the
documents you opened
recently.

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2. Creating a New Document
The lower-left corner of the
Welcome Center gives you
options for creating new
documents of various types.

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3. Getting Started - The top-right corner of the
Welcome Center gives you options for looking at
references or resources that will help in getting you
started in working with Stykz.

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4. Tutorials - The bottom-right corner of the
Welcome Center gives you options for accessing
tutorials or tips related to Stykz or stick figure
animating in general.

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The Stykz Interface

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 Parts of Stykz Program

⊡ Tools Palette
⊡ The Stage
⊡ Properties Palette
⊡ Frames Palette
⊡ Controller Palette
⊡ Commands Palette
⊡ Library Palette

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Tools Palette
contains five tools that
let you create and
manipulate segments,
nodes, and figures in
Stykz.

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The Stage
Stykz operates in two separate viewing modes:

a. Edit Mode is the mode in which you spend 95% of

your time - in this mode you can add, edit, delete, and
manipulate your figures and other elements on the
Stage.
b. Preview is the mode where you can preview how the
current frame will look when it is going to play in your
animation.

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The Stage

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Properties Palette
allows you to set the properties of
everything in the Stykz application.

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Frames Palette
is used to view and navigate to different frames of the currently
active Stykz document.

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Controller Palette
is responsible for controlling the
playback of animations in Stykz.

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Commands Palette
is designed to allow you to create your
own custom button palette to make
development of animations faster and
easier.

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Library Palette
is used in Stykz to store a set of figures
(.styk files) that you would like to use in
your animations.

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What are NODES?
The figure on the Stage has red
and yellow circles and black lines.
The circles are called nodes, and
the lines are called segments.
When the red nodes become blue
it means the figure is not selected.

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YELLOW NODE RED NODES or BLUE NODES
used to move the are used to rotate the when the red nodes
figure around the attached segment/s become blue it means
Stage and is called and are called Pivot the figure is not
the Drag node. nodes. selected.

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 TERMS USED IN STYKZ

FIGURE
A figure is any stick figure, made up of one or more
segments and nodes. For example, here is the list of built-in
figures in Stykz (although the "Single Node" is not technically
a figure)

SEGMENTS
are the lines and circles that make up a figure. They are
more specifically referred to as line segments and circle
segments.

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Moving the whole stick figure

1.On the Frames window click on New frame.

2.Using the Select tool click on the Yellow node to move the
whole figure.
3.Click New Frame again to add another movement.

Remember: A new frame is needed for each movement.

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Note:
The shadow behind
the figure shows the
previous position of
the stick figure after
you moved it.

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Moving of a segment (line)

Moving of a segment (line)

1. On the Frames window click on New Frame.
2. Click the Select tool then click the specific node that you
want to move.
3. Click New Frame again to add another movement.

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Viewing your animation
The Controller window is responsible for controlling the
playback of animations in Stykz.

Rewind – allows you to go back to the first frame

Play – plays the animation

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Viewing your animation
Loop – allows you to continuously view your animation.
The loop icon will turn red when it is clicked.
Speed – allows you to set the speed of your animation
Scrubber – lets you move to any frame in your animation

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THANK YOU!
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