Should I use a digital still or video camera

There are two ways to use SMP - one with a video camera or webcam and the other way with a digital still camera. If you are new to animation we recommend a webcam or video camera option because you have a live video feedback that allows you to preview the animation with a live video feed (so you can use onionskinning).

However, you can use your still camera. There are two ways you can use it.  You can import files using Stop Motion Pros "File Import" function from the file menu.  Or, you can use the software that came with the camera that lets you capture and save a photo to a specific folder on your hard drive (not all cameras do this - check the documentation that came with your camera). Make a note of this folder because you need to tell Stop Motion Pro where to look for it.

Now start up Stop Motion Pro, select digital still camera as the "source" (not live video).

Enter the dimensions of the shots your camera is taking (eg 800w x 600h pixels, or whatever your camera is set to) in the two text fields. You also need to locate the folder that your still camera is saving the images to. Now when you trigger a frame on the camera Stop motion Pro will monitor the directory that you have specified and add the frame to the end of the animation as you go. You will need to experiment with this set up, as it is an advanced way of working with the software.