Videomation
Typed out by tsr
NES-V8-USA
Videomation(tm) - Drawing & Animation Fun!
Instruction manual
T*HQ, Inc - Toy Headquarters
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What Is Videomation?
It's a fantastic way to draw!
The Videomation cartridge has drawing tools, colors, stamps and an animation
feature that allows you to make lots of sensational pictures with your
Nintendo Entertainment System.
It's easy to use!
Just press a few buttons on the controller to use all the features in
Videomgation. The drawing tools help you create lines, circles, squares and
other shapes. You can paint your drawings with lots of colors - even colors
that move! There are fun stamps to add to your pictures: suns, hearts, dogs
and more. The Animations bring action into your drawings!
Let your imagination go wild!!
You can make all kinds of pictures with Videomation. Crazy geometric designs
with intense patches of color... graceful birds flying over untamed jungles...
suped-up cars on a race track... dinosaurs in your backyard... and much more!
Your adventures in Videomation are just beginning! Remember, the only
limitation is your imagination!
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The Controller
This instrument lets you select and control all the features in Videomation.
Please be sure your controller is plugged into the #1 port.
Control Pad
Use the Control Pad to move the drawing tool in the direction you want it to
go. The Control Pad also lets you move through the menu to select a new tool.
Select Button
The Select Button gets you in and out of the menu.
Start Button
The Start Button controls how fast a drawing tool moves.
Button A
Button A makes things happen. It helps you use the features in Videomation -
hold it down to draw, add color to a picture, choose and insert a stamp, and
more.
Button B
Use Button B to move the arrow tool without drawing a line. It also selects
letters when using the letter stamp.
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Exploring the Menu
1. Push Select Button to get into menu section
2. To choose a drawing tool, use the Control Pad to move the flashing
highlight, from tool to tool until you find the one you want.
3. When the highlight is on the tool you want, press Button A. The colors of
the tool change so you can see which one you have selected. For example, if
you choose the circle tool, the menu will look like the one at the top of the
page.
4. Choose a diferent color the same way you choose a drawing tool.
5. After choosing all the features you want; press the Select Button to get
out of the menu and into your drawing.
Hint:
If only a change of one tool is desired then all that is needed is to hit
Select to get into menu, high light the desired tool and then push Select
again. The program will automatically choose the highlighted option without
pushing Button A. The line width, color palette, sound and speed selections
don't change when the Select Button is pushed.
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The Drawing Tools
Speed
You can make your drawing tools move slowly or quickly.
The four bars stand for five speeds. The small one on left is slower and the
big bar on the right is the fastest.
You can change speeds without getting into the menu. Push the Start Button,
and the speed will increase by one level. If you're on the fastest speed,
pressing the Start Button returns you to the lowest speed.
The slowest speed, (no bars showing), moves the drawing tools one small step
at a time, so you can draw fine details.
Line Width
You can change how thin or wide you want the lines to be when you draw.
There are two line widths to choose from. The line shown in the menu is the
width that the tool is currently using.
Use the Control Pad to move the highlight to Line Width, then press Button A
and the line width will change to the other one. Here are the line width
choices:
############# and -------------
Arrow Tool
You can draw free hand, make angled lines and curves with the Arrow Tool.
Select the Arorw Tool from the menu. The Control Pad helps you choose which
direction you want the Arrow Tool to go. If you want the Arrow Tool to point
in a certain direction, press the Control Pad in the direction you want the
Arrow Tool to go. A little way from the Arrow Tool is a dot - the Arrow Tool
draws toward the target, so you can watch the target to keep track of where
your line is going.
To start drawing a straight line, press Button A without pressing the Control
Pad. The Arrow Tool moves forward, making a line.
To move the Arrow Tool to a new place on the screen without drawing a line,
press Button B.
To draw a curve, press Button A while pressing the Control Pad to change the
direction of the Arrow Tool as you are drawing. The Arrow Tool turns toward
the direction pressed on the Control Pad, but continues turning until the
Control Pad is released.
Hints:
- When the Arrow Tool moves faster, it makes larger circles, so try changing
the speed and see what happens!
- Try different line widths to make different looks.
Pencil
You can draw straight lines, especially lines that go up and down, or side to
side, with the Pencil Tool.
Select the Pencil Tool from the menu. Press the Control Pad to move the Pencil
Tool to the place on the screen where you want to draw. Press one direction on
the Control Pad while pressing Button A to draw with the Pencil Tool.
Hints:
- With a little practice, you can draw diagonal lines with the pencil by
pressing two directions on the Control Pad at the same time while you are
pressing Button A.
- Try different speeds. With the slowest speed, you can place the pencil
exactly where you want it.
- Try different line widths for different results.
- Use for adding small details to your drawing.
Line Tool
You can draw straight lines at any angle with the Line Tool.
Select the Line Tool from the menu. Use the Control Pad to move the Line Tool
to where you want to draw. Press Button A and hold it down to mark the place
where you want the line to begin.
While keeping Button A pressed, press the Control Pad to move the Line Tool
on the screen. When you stop, a line appears on the screen. This line will not
stay in the drawing - it only showsy ou where the line will be. Release Button
A when you're ready to draw. Watch your line replace the temporary line.
Hints:
- Change line widths to make different looks.
Square Tool
You can make squares and rectangles with the Square Tool.
Select the Square Tool from the menu. Use the Control Pad to move the Square
Tool to where you want to draw. Press Button A and hold down to mark the place
where you want one corner of your square anchored.
While keeping Button A pressed, press the Control Pad to move the Square Tool
on the screen. When you stop, a square will appear on the screen. This square
will not stay in the drawing as it only shows you what the square will look
like. Release Button A when you're ready to draw. Watch your square replace
the temporary square.
Hints:
- You can make low, flat rectangles or tall, skinny rectangles by changing
where you put the corners.
- If the tool seems too slow or hard to control then try changing the speed.
Circle Tool
You can make circles and ellipses with the Circle Tool.
Select the Circle Tool from the menu. Use the Control Pad to move the Circle
Tool to where you want to draw. Press Button A and hold down to mark the place
where you want the center of the circle.
While keeping Button A pressed, press the Control Pad to move the Circle Tool
on the screen. When you stop, a Circle will appear on the screen. This circle
will not stay in the drawing as it only shows you what the circle will look
like. Release Button A when you're ready to draw. Watch your circle replace
the temporary circle.
Hints:
- You can make low, flat ellipses or tall, skinny ellipses by changing how
you move around the circle's center.
- Change line widths to make different looks.
- If the tool seems too slow or hard to control then try changing the speed.
- If you continue to hold down the Control Pad while pushing and releasing
Button A, a series of circles will be drawn that have one edge in common.
Play with this feature for special effects.
Eraser
You can erase lines and colors with the Eraser Tool
Select the Eraser Tool from the menu. Press Button A, and the Eraser Tool will
erase everything under the tool. To erase a larger area, press the Control Pad
to move the Eraser Tool over whatever you want to erase.
Hint:
- When in the lowest speed, you can place the Eraser Tool exactly where you
want it to erase.
- The Eraser Tool erases everything inside the box, but not what is under the
box.
Paint Bucket
You can paint large areas with the Paint Bucket.
Select the Paint Bucket from the menu. Use the Control Pad to move the Paint
Bucket to the area you want to paint. Push and hold Button A to fill the area
with color. If you release Button A Videomation stops filling.
Hints:
- Push and release Button A to draw stripes.
- The Paint Bucket paints from the very bottom of the paint by pouring out of
the symbol of the screen.
- To change a color, repaint the area with a new color.
- If you have trouble repainting an area it may be filled with Special Colors
(see Color Palette Section). To change a Special Color area to a new color,
it is best to color it in with a pencil in a basic color. You can then use
the Paint Bucket to fill in any color you want.
- Use the fat pencil for the major coloring and then the fill in the edges
with the fine pencil at lowest speed.
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Color Selection
Videomation allows you to draw a picture in any palette, letters A through M.
Each picture you draw can use any one palette, so choose which palette before
you start drawing.
To select another palette, highlight the colors arrow and press Button A. Each
time you press Button A a new palette will appear cycling through all of the
palettes in order.
There are Basic colors and Special colors.
[basic colors = solid, special colors = interlaced colors -tsr]
Some palettes have colors that move, called Moving Colors, they will move just
like that in your drawing as well!
Hints:
- If you choose a different palette after you've started drawing, all of the
colors in the drawing will change to the new colors selected. Try this on a
completed drawing to see the funny results! Don't worry, you can always
select your original colors back.
- You can add more colors to the pictures by adding Animations when you have
finished the drawing. See the Animations section in this booklet.
- Special Colors do everything just like basic colors except when using the
Paint Bucket. See the Paint Bucket section forh ints on how to use these.
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Stamps and Animations
Stamps
Add fun designs to your pictures with stamps!
These are just some of the stamps you can use. You can place stamps anywhere
in your drawings!
Select stamps from the menu. When you press Button A, the stamp menu replaces
the first.
Move the highlight to the stamp you want to use and press Button A to select
the stamp. If you want to see more stamps, highlight More and press Button A.
You can change the color of the stamp. Use the Control Pad to highlight the
More Colors arrow and press Button A.
Use the Control Pad to move the highlight to the stamp you want and press
Select to return to drawing.
Use the Control Pad to place the stamp where you want to put it, and press
Button A to stamp it down. Repeat with the same stamp or get another.
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Letters and Numbers
You can even add words and numbers to your drawing.
To stamp letters, choose color and select letter as with any other stamp or
use this short-cut:
Select color and the first stamp as with any other stamp. Then position the
first letter on the screen where you want it and press Button A to stamp down.
Use the Control Pad to move the letter - one push to the right will move the
letter one space to the right.
Before you push Button A to stamp the stamp, push Button B to advance the
letter through the alphabet. The stamp advances one letter per push. Push
Button A to stamp that letter and repeat to continue.
Another way to select a new letter is to push and hold Button B while pushing
the Control Pad up or down to advance or go backwards through the alphabet.
Stop and release Button B when you have the letter you want and push Button A
to stamp it. Repeat to continue spelling a word.
Hints:
- You can add as many stamps as you want to your drawings.
- Because you can't remove stamps, add them when you're almost finished with
your drawings.
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Animations
Action! Put some exciting movement into your drawings with Animations.
These are just some of the Animations you can use. The rest of them are shown
at the end of this booklet.
Select Animations from the menu. When you press Button A, the Animation menu
repeaces the first menu.
Move the highlight to the Animation you want to use and press Button A to
select the animation. If you want to see more Animations, highlight More and
press A.
You can change the color of the Animations. Move the highlight to the More
Color arrow and press Button A. All the colors will change, keep pressing
until the Animation is the color you want.
When the Animation you want is in the colors you want, move the highlight to
the Animation you desire and press Select to choose it. The Motion Menu will
now replace the Animation Menu.
Use the Control Pad to highlight the motion you want:
[last 3]
These select preset paths for the animations to travel; an oval, straight line
back and forth or a hilly back and forth.
[second from left]
The animation will travel randomly around the entire screen.
Follow
The Control Pad controls the motion on the screen.
When you have highlighted the motion you want with the Control Pad, press
Button A or Select to start the animation in your drawing.
Hints:
- Learn the preset paths so you can make the animations follow on your
drawings. For example, draw a race track for the car. Then put the baby on
it for a real funny drawing!
- To draw more on your drawing, push Button A or Select. The Animation will go
away and the Pencil Tool will appear. Make any changes you want and then
select an Animation using the same steps.
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No Menu
Use this when you don't want the menu to show at the top of the drawing, (when
you are showing off your drawing or video taping it with your VCR).
Press Select to get into the menu. Highlight No Menu and press Button A. The
menu will disappear.
Press Button A or Select to bring the menu back.
Sounds
Videomation makes fun sounds as you draw with it! You can turn the sounds on
and off with the Sounds feature. Each Animation has it's own special sound!
The menu sounds always stay on whether the drawing and animation sounds are
on or not.
Clear
Clear erases your drawing from the screen so that you can start a new picture.
When you select Clear, this will replace the menu:
Clear your drawing? Yes No
No is already selected for you, so if you want to keep the drawing, press
Button A.
If you want to get rid of the drawing, move the Control Pad to select Yes,
then push Button A to clear the screen.
Remember, once your drawing is cleared there is no way to get it back. To save
pictures that you have made with Videomation, set up your Nintendo
Entertainment System in conjunction with your VCR and videotape it. Use this
to make wonderful additions to your family videos or build your very own
library of Video Art!