Is there a Face Maker Beginner Book I can buy

[selia67]

There is a couple other things Id like to add to my Faces. Such as a Floating item at the tip of the second hand that rotates around the face but does not show the second hand.

Ive semi read through some of the tutorials…but they are still way advanced for me.

Is there a beginner book (for dummies LOL ) i can buy. One that has a walk through from beginning to end for other things thats not in the standard Facer creator…

Id like to understand the basics…and then simple animation and adding heart rate and such.

I still want to keep them basic …but would like to understand HOW if i do want to add something

[andrew.dowden]

What you are really asking is about rotational math …

Discussed here: Can I get some advice on a Second Hand

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And my demo … (the red dot, rotating around the edge like a second hand)

… which uses:

X: (160+sin(-rad(#DWFSS#-180))*150)
y: (160+cos(-rad(#DWFSS#-180))*150)

Which I try to explain simply, here: Can I get some advice on a Second Hand

[Tomas]

Hi @selia67 I tried to post some basic tutorials for beginners.

Could this one be useful for you?

[TOMAJA Tutorial] Super Simple Basic 3D Effects & Shadows - ONE EFFECT

Hi there, today I will show you a really super simple effect how you could create a 3D effect and shadow (incl. dynamic hand shadows). All of this without any graphic software - using only the basic FACER CREATOR objects (and text as well): [image] As you see I was using only the standard set colors, everybody gets for the first time creating a new own watch face. Just to show the pure 3D & shadow effect. Here is the (simplified) starting position you have at the beginning (one 2D object…

And another one according to battery level?

[TOMAJA Tutorial] Animated Battery Power Level Icon Indicator - Simple Basic Linear and Rotating Effects with Objects and Hand Dials

Here are the three basic possibilities we speak about in this tutorial. [image] This tutorial should show you in a simple way, at one place, how to elevate your watch faces with some basic expressions*. Super Simple Percentage Number [image] This is maybe something you are already using at your watch faces. Tag #BLP# shows your watch battery level as a text. Color Changing Changing of the colors according to the power percentage could be done with a duplication of element. I use usu…

It’s too complicated?

[selia67]

Thank all of you . When I get home today I will look at them all. Thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction.

[selia67]

Tomas, I took a brief look at your tutorial : Super Simple Basic 3D Effects & Shadows - ONE EFFECT

started to follow Very nice Easy instructions. Im a bit hung up on the 4th duplication proceedure that makes it the 3d effect. I duplicated it and now there is 4, i used the top min hand (leaving the second one in the list as the main color unedited. (you did not specify) But from looks of things I figured I was to use the first one to turn lighter shade and smaller. For some weird reason I cant get this 3d effect to look as such. do you have the Tag numbers on Height and width so i know exactly how small to shrink it and what transparency do you suggest . Also why the white dot?

[selia67]

THis is exactly one of the things I wanted. I will take a look after i get a little more familiar with the basics. Thank you so much

[Tomas]

Hi @selia67, thansk for your feedback. I think you could get the 3D effect also without changed object dimensions (only with slightly changed X and Y position). However the more easier and stronger effect is the super simple shadow effect The white dot should just simulate a light spot.

[cth4242]

What helped me in the beginning is creating my own collection of tutorials/guides in a document that I can go back to and reference.

Stuff that comes up a lot, some examples:

• Orbits (objects circling the edge of the watch / second hand)
• Elliptical orbits (as above in andrew’s example)
• Counting down to a specific date/time
• Sunset/sunrise fading
• Animation generator
• Image swaying
• 2 frame background animation
• Rotating images at specified intervals
• Growing/Shrinking
• Moving objects (specific angles, speeds, timing, etc)
• Squarewave (another animation style)
• Blinking/pulsing objects
  etc

If I’m playing around with someone’s formula and notice that I’ve stumbled into a cool effect I’ll make note of it…

Once you get familar with things, looking at other watches with inspection mode, you can see how they achieve an effect. The biggest thing is not being afraid to playing around with something and see how it works. For a formula, I’ll make a copy and alter the 2nd one and see how things change.

Anyways feel free to ask anything, people will always be willing to help.

[selia67]

Thank you all so much…these instructions and tips are awesome and really do help me make sense of how things work. I’ll play around with things when I get home tonight

[selia67]

hmmm I put the dot on the end of minute hand …but when the hand moves the circle stays on the background…How do i actually attatch it to the hand?

[Tomas]

Hi @selia67, could you give me a link to your (testing) watch face with open inspection mode?

[selia67]

please note I am a total newbie to this …and thank you for your help

[selia67]

Hope this is what you needed

[andrew.dowden]

X: (160+sin(-rad(#DWFSS#-180))*150)
y: (160+cos(-rad(#DWFSS#-180))*150)

Try just changing the ‘dot’ image location, by editing the ‘X Position’ and ‘Y Position’ fields:

X Position

(160+sin(-rad(#DWFSS#-180))*150)

Y Position

(160+cos(-rad(#DWFSS#-180))*150)

[Tomas]

Hi @selia67 and thank you for the link. I checked it and saw, that it’s actually good way with some a bit longer steps than necessary.

1 - for the moment we could leave the white dot for near future - this effect is only a small one anyway

2 - let’s start with only one hand - to make it easier (as you did)

3 - here would be my way how to manage the basic 3D and shadow

Simple 4 layers. The X and Y Position changed only ± 1 point from the middle (160) at white & black part of the hand. The Shadow (Black 50% Transparency) is set at 164 x 164.

In your case I would just work with the shadow at the beginning - big effect and super simple

[selia67]

thank you for this Tomas. I re-did it , take a look now please and see if im on the right track. For someone thats not used to anything but basic lol…sometimes remember that for a newbie face maker…we have no clue whats going on , such as :

we have 4 layers here and I was’nt sure if i needed shadow on each layer or just the black

Now I was having trouble shrinking the 4th layer because the color is so close I couldnt tell how small I was shrinking it to. SO i changed the pink on that 4th layer to blue so i could see it and then switched it back to lighter pink.
Now to a seasoned face maker…they are used to how much to decrease to and such . See if I managed to get it partially right …haha its at the same link

[Tomas]

Hi @selia67, it looks great now (somehow is appears to me that the object have two shadows).

I am using the trick with changing color on some object to easy identify them too

Now, you do have a realistic hands - what is the next job?

[selia67]

I want to learn animation …nothing complex…just cute stuff…

I also want to learn to have that object move around the outer edge of the face without showing the second hand. Andrew.dowden posted a link i want to take a look at tomorrow .

But Im willing to learn anything that is fun and geared for a newbie to understand. You guys are soo sweet to help me.

I do want to start making my own designs without using Cell phone wallpaper for backgrounds. I noticed on the tutorial you just taught me, it also had the background appearing to be 3d as well…I might play with that a few hours just to make sure the 3d effect concept has sunk in lol

[Tomas]

…well animated cute stuff Here you are:

Tomaja Micro Tutoria for Moving Objects

Simplified here is a expression to copy into your X and/ or Y position:

(160+( * 20 * (sin(((#DNOW#/1000) * 2 * pi))))))

You will see the effect immediately

…you got also great expressions from @andrew.dowden to making a circular motion

Enjoy the creative part of making a watch face

[selia67]

Thank you so much…I will play with this when i get home tonight. Can you point me in the right direction to finish your 3d tutorial. Id like to finish that first before i move on.

Im speaking of the background 3d part. I played with it a bit last night and wasnt getting it…maybe i was starting in the wrong place. Instructions on just a few rows would help me to understand how you got it to look so awesome…thx