Toon Boom Studio V3.5 Guide

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V3.5 User Guide

Legal Notices Corporate Headquarters 7 Laurier Avenue East Montreal, Quebec Canada H2T 1E4 Tel: (514) 278-8666 Fax: (514) 278-2666 www.toonboom.com

Disclaimer Adobe®, Acrobat®, Flash®, Illustrator® and Photoshop® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. The content of this manual is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted. Any reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. For additional copies of this manual, please contact Toon Boom Animation Inc. at the Corporate Headquarters address. Copyright © 2006 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. All rights reserved.

Trademarks Toon Boom Studio is a trademark owned by Toon Boom Animation Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Credits Documentation Development: Peter Cawthorne, Tamu Townsend Content Development and Art: Tania Gray

Publication Date September 2006

Contents Preface

About Toon Boom Studio..................................................................... 9 Toon Boom Studio 10 User Interface: Drawing and Importing Media 10 User Interface: Sceneplanning and Animating 13 Animating Using Pegs 17 Step-by-Step: Creating in Toon Boom Studio 17 Creating and Gathering the Content 17 Adding the Sound Track 19 Inking and Painting Your Drawings 20 Changing the Sequence and Timing of Drawings and Images 20 Sceneplanning and Animating Elements 22 Exporting 23 Animating Cut-Out Style 24 Drawing Cut-out Characters 25 Grouping Cut-out Components 26 Sceneplanning Tools and Cut-out Characters 26 Reusing Cut-out Assets 27 New and Improved Features in V3.5 28 About the Documentation 31 Document Conventions 32

Chapter 1

Studio Basics .................................................................................... 33 Launching Toon Boom Studio 34 Starting Your Animation Project 36 Creating A New Project 36 Opening An Existing Project 37 Opening a recently used project 38 Opening Tutorials 38 Accessing Web Resources 39 Saving Animation Projects 40 Setting the Animation Frame Rate and Camera Size 42 Selecting Preset Animation Properties 43 Adding Scenes to a Movie 45 Changing the Background Color of a Scene 46 Reordering Scenes 47 Renaming Scenes 47 Showing/Hiding Scenes 48 Deleting Scenes 49

1

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide

Setting up Your Studio Session 50 Saving and Loading Window Layouts 50 Customizing Toolbars on MacOS 52 Displaying Toolbars on Windows 53 Changing the Background Color of the Drawing and Camera View Windows 53 Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts 55 Selecting Units of Measure 57 Configuring Video Card Display Options 58

Chapter 2

Drawing .............................................................................................61 Creating and Navigating Drawings and Drawing Layers 62 Drawing Line Art 63 Drawing in the Drawing or Camera View 65 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles 66 Drawing with the Polyline Tool 67 Drawing Brush Strokes 68 Drawing Pencil Lines 70 Converting Centerline Shapes to Brush Strokes 71 Working With Text 72 Creating Text 72 Formatting Text 73 Changing Text Color 75 Converting Text Into Separate Objects 76 Working with Selections 78 Grouping Drawing Objects 79 Ordering Drawing Objects 80 Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects 81 Changing the Center of Transformation 82 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects 84 Deforming a Drawing Object 85 Changing the Color of Brush Strokes, Fills and Centerline Objects 86 Changing the Thickness of Centerline Objects 87 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web 88 Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines 89 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command 91 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command 92 Removing Points with the Smooth Command 93 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer 95 Cutting and Erasing Drawing Objects 96 Using the Scissor to Cut Parts from Drawing Objects 97 Erasing Parts from Drawing Objects 98 Using the Cutter to Separate Regions in Drawing Objects 99

2

Contents

Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines 100 Reshaping Centerline Shapes 101 Reshaping Brush Strokes 102 Adding Points to Vector Shapes 104 Deleting Points from Vector Shapes 105 Setting Up Your Pens 107 Creating and Removing Pen Styles 108 Modifying a Pen Style 109 Setting Up Your Drawing Space 110 Displaying the Drawing Grid 111 Rotating the Drawing Space 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings 115 Setting Onion Skin Options 116 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings 118 Changing the Display of Objects in the Static Light Table 119 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame 121 Zooming and Panning the View Window 122

Chapter 3

Importing Artwork........................................................................... 125 Importing Static Images (Bitmaps) 126 Creating Transparent Bitmaps 127 Vectorizing Bitmaps 129 Importing Illustrator and PDF Files 131 Importing Flash Movies 133 Repositioning All Drawings 134 Scanning, Importing and Vectorizing Bitmaps 135

Chapter 4

Inking and Painting ......................................................................... 139 Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World 140 Swatches 141 Adding a Swatch 142 Changing the Color Values in a Swatch 143 Creating a Gradient Swatch 144 Changing the Transparency of a Swatch 146 Naming a Swatch 147 Creating a Bitmap Swatch 149 Setting a Bitmap Swatch to Tile or Stretch 149 Painting Zones in Your Drawings 151 Painting a Zone with a Solid Swatch 152 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures 153 Editing Gradient and Texture Fills 155

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Copying Gradient and Texture Fills 158 Power Painting Drawings in an Element 159 Picking a Swatch from a Line or Zone 160 Unpainting Zones/Line Art 161 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings 163 Manually Closing Gaps 163 Auto Gap Close Options 165 Inking Line Art 166 Managing Your Colors with Palettes 167 Creating a Palette 168 Copying a Palette 168 Renaming a Palette 170 Deleting a Palette 170 Creating Multiple Palette Styles 171 Renaming a Palette Style 172 Deleting a Palette Style 173 Offsetting Colors in a Palette Style 174 Blending a Color into a Palette Style 176 Importing and Exporting Palettes 178 Importing Palettes 178 Exporting Palettes 179

Chapter 5

Adding Sound ..................................................................................181 Importing Sounds 182 Event and Streamed Sounds 183 Playing the Sound in Your Animation 184 Editing Sounds 185 Changing the Start or End Frame of a Sound 186 Trimming the Start and End of a Sound File 187 Looping a Sound 188 Fading the Sound In and Out 189 Viewing the Waveform in the Exposure Sheet 190 Customizing the Playback Range 191 Lip Synching 192 Sound Scrubbing 193 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound 194 Automatically Mapping Lip Sync Drawings 196 Adding Lip Sync Notes 197 Recomputing the Lip Chart 198

4

Contents

Chapter 6

Laying Out Elements in 3D Space .................................................... 199 Basic Sceneplanning Concepts 200 Using the View Windows 200 Zooming and Panning View Windows 202 Switching Views 203 Resetting the Scene View 204 Selecting Elements 204 Repositioning Elements 207 Changing the NS/EW Position of an Element 208 Changing the FB Position of an Element 209 Defining an Element’s Layering Order 210 Scaling Elements 211 Changing the Scale Pivot Point Position 214 Rotating Elements 216 Changing the Rotation Pivot Point Position 218

Chapter 7

Animating ....................................................................................... 221 Animating Elements with Pegs 222 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements 223 Building Peg Hierarchies 225 Displaying Peg Hierarchies 226 Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties 228 Adding Keyframes for Motion, Rotation, Skewing and Scaling 229 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes 230 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values 233 Copying and Moving Frames in the Timeline 235 Pasting Selected Frame Properties in the Timeline 237 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element 239 Looping a Peg 240 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool 242 Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool 245 Animating Skewing with the Skew Tool 248 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool 250 Creating a NS or EW Motion Path 252 Creating a FB Motion Path 254 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path 256 Adding Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab 257 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab 259 Deleting Motion Points from a Motion Path 261 Locking/Unlocking Control Points 262 Adjusting the Curve Between Motion Points 263 Defining the Default Tension, Continuity and Bias Values 264 5


Animating with the Transform Tool 266 Repositioning the Pivot Point of the Transform Tool for an Operation 268 Animating Cut-out Characters 270 Building Peg Hierarchies to Animate Cut-Out Characters 270 Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters 272 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor 274 Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values 275 Reshaping the Plotline Using the Function Editor 277 Changing Your View of the Function Editor 279

Chapter 8

Using the Multiplane Camera ...........................................................281 Camera Effects with Toon Boom Studio 282 Adding Cameras to a Scene 284 Positioning a Camera 285 Zooming the Camera In or Out 289 Zooming the Camera Over Time 291 Changing the Start Frame and Duration of a Dynamic Camera 293 Editing the Dynamic Zooms with the Function Editor 295 Panning and Trucking the Camera 297

Chapter 9

Creating Effects...............................................................................299 Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes 300 Additive Color Changes 301 Multiplicative Color Changes 302 Changing Color Over Time 303 Adding/Removing Keyframes from a Color Transform 305 Flattening a Color Transform Effect Layer 306 Combining Multiple Color Transforms 307 Clipping Mask Effects 308 Creating Clipping Mask Effects 309 Modifying Masks 311 Drop Shadow Effects 313 Creating Drop Shadow Effects 314

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Contents

Chapter 10

Organizing Elements and Timing ..................................................... 317 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows 318 Showing/Hiding Elements 319 Displaying Selected Elements Only in Sceneplanning Views 321 Adding Element/Cell Notes 323 Viewing Cell and Element Notes 324 Changing the Cell Display in the Exposure Sheet 325 Resizing Columns in the Exposure Sheet 327 Changing the Color of an Element 328 Changing the Default Colors of Elements 329 Changing the Timeline Track Color 330 Changing the Timeline Zoom Level 331 Changing the Current Frame in the Timeline 332 Displaying Feet and Frames in the Timeline 333 Splitting the Timeline Window in Two 334 Layering Elements 335 Adding Many Elements to a Scene 336 Changing the Layering Order of Elements 338 Renaming Elements 341 Deleting Elements 342 Duplicating Elements 342 Cloning Elements 344 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images 346 Labelling Cells in the Exposure Sheet 347 Inserting a Range of Numbered Cells 348 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images 350 Swapping Drawings in an Element 352 Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline 354 Inserting Blank Cells in an Element 354 Inserting Blank Frames in a Scene 356 Naming and Renaming a Cell 357 Renaming a Drawing or Image 358 Cutting, Copying and Pasting Cells 358 Creating Cycles 359 Creating Advanced Cycles 361 Protecting Drawings 363 Clearing a Drawing from a Cell 363 Deleting Cells from Elements 364

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Chapter 11

Re-using Content .............................................................................365 The Library Window 366 Previewing Content in the Library 368 Re-using Drawings and Images from the Current Animation 369 Creating Templates 370 Editing Templates 372 Importing Multimedia Files into the Library 373 Renaming Templates 374 Deleting Templates 374 Viewing a Template’s Properties 375 Defining the Author and Copyright of a Template 376 Using Templates 377 Copying a Template into Your Animation 378 Copying Selected Template Contents into Your Animation 379 Linking Templates to Media Elements 380 Cutting, Copying and Pasting Linked Media Content 381 Using Paste Special to Update Content from a Template 382 Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs 384 Creating and Renaming Libraries 386 Loading and Closing Libraries 387 Configuring Global Library Storage 388

Chapter 12

Playback and Rendering ..................................................................389 Previewing a Scene Interactively 390 Setting the Playback Range in the Timeline 391 Real-Time Playback 392 Exporting Your Movie 394 Exporting Drawings to PDF 396

Index ...............................................................................397

8

Preface About Toon Boom Studio This chapter describes Toon Boom Studio and its features, including the new features you’ll enjoy in V3.5. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Toon Boom Studio on page 10

•

New and Improved Features in V3.5 on page 28

•

About the Documentation on page 31


Toon Boom Studio Toon Boom Studio, the leading animation software for individuals, features powerful drawing tools, time-saving lip sync tools, and innovative 3D layout and animating tools. Toon Boom Studio puts powerful creative tools in your hands and increases your productivity so that you can focus on what counts - your story, your characters and your vision. With optimized output to Adobe Flash and QuickTime, you can easily output your animations to the web, video, wireless and beyond. See Also User Interface: Drawing and Importing Media on page 10 User Interface: Sceneplanning and Animating on page 13 Animating Using Pegs on page 17 New and Improved Features in V3.5 on page 28 About the Documentation on page 31

User Interface: Drawing and Importing Media In Toon Boom Studio, you draw using the Drawing View, Color Palette tab and Pen tab. You can use either the Exposure Sheet or the Timeline to import, manage and work out the timing of your content.

10

Preface: About Toon Boom Studio

Drawing View Use the Drawing View to draw and ink & paint your animated content. You can use the Onion Skin to see all of the drawings in a layer and the Auto Light Table to see all of the drawings in a frame.

Color Palette tab Use the Color Palette tab to build color swatches for your scenes. With Toon Boom Studio you can build different palettes for each character and prop in your scene. You can even create palette styles, which allow you to tint all of the swatches in a palette. When you switch between palette styles, Toon Boom Studio automatically repaints zones filled with the new color value.

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Pen tab Use the Pen tab to organize different pen styles. Toon Boom Studio can create variable width strokes based on the amount of pressure you apply when drawing with a graphic tablet and pen.

Exposure Sheet Use the Exposure Sheet to organize the content of your scenes and set up their timing. You can use the Exposure Sheet to import image and sound files. From sound files, you can generate lip charts, which you can use to lip sync your animations.

See Also User Interface: Sceneplanning and Animating on page 13 12


User Interface: Sceneplanning and Animating After you build your content, you will use the Sceneplanning views to animate your content. You can always retouch drawings in the Camera View that require fixes as a result of sceneplanning transformations. With Sceneplanning views, you can:

• • •

Lay out your elements in 3D space. Drawings and images are automatically scaled based on their relative position to the camera. Build motion, rotation and scaling effects through the 3D space. Build effects like color transformations, drop shadows and clipping masks.

Sceneplanning views and their tools will assist you as you animate your content.

13


Camera View From the Camera View window, you can see how your scene looks from the view of the camera. You can position elements in this window and design motion, rotation and scaling changes using pegs.

Top View The Top View displays elements from the top looking down. From this view, you can judge the relative front-back and west-east position of elements.

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Side View From the Side View, you can see how the elements in your scene appear from the side looking across. From this view, you can judge the relative front-back and north-south position of elements.

Timeline Use the Timeline to set up and visualize the organization and timing of your scene. You can also import media in the Timeline. Unlike the Exposure Sheet, you can visualize and modify peg, camera and effects elements in the Timeline.

15


Library The Library stores all re-usable content. You can access individual objects from your scene or you can load templates, which can contain multiple elements.

See Also User Interface: Drawing and Importing Media on page 10 Animating Using Pegs on page 17 New and Improved Features in V3.5 on page 28

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Animating Using Pegs You create motion, scaling, skewing and rotation effects in Toon Boom Studio by attaching content layers to elements called Pegs. Toon Boom Studio can interpolate or motion tween all of the images in the attached elements to create animated effects that unfold gradually. Each element layer contains a set of drawings that you can repeat as often as necessary to complete your motion effect.

Plot the start and end frames of a motion path on a peg.

Add a control point to the motion path and drag it to change the motion path’s shape.

The element follows the motion path.

See Also Toon Boom Studio on page 10 User Interface: Sceneplanning and Animating on page 13

Step-by-Step: Creating in Toon Boom Studio Toon Boom Studio uses the power and logic of traditional animation production, yet has a workflow flexible enough to support the creative processes involved in all types of digital animation.

Creating and Gathering the Content The first step in the animation process is to create and gather your content. You can draw all of your character, props and backgrounds, or you can use templates, bitmaps and other multimedia files.

17


To create and gather content, you perform the following tasks:

• • • • •

Add element layers to your Exposure Sheet or Timeline. Draw the contents of your animation layers. Drawing tools help you create vector images that are key to producing high-quality, small size, animation. Import images, like photos or image sequences from videos, into your element layers. Import multimedia, such as complete Adobe Flash movies, Adobe Illustrator and audio files. Toon Boom Studio provides a unique system of content management that can help you re-use animation elements. Scan bitmap backgrounds or hand-drawn animations that you want to vectorize. Drawing tools help you create vector images.

Use the Drawing View window to create your vector drawings.

You can think of the Exposure Sheet as a storyboard that allows you to visualize the contents of your scenes.

Use the Timeline to visualize the organization and timing of your contents.

See Also Adding the Sound Track on page 19 Drawing Line Art on page 63

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Adding the Sound Track You can use the Toon Boom Studio voice track analyzer to identify the lip positions that you must draw to match the voice track in each frame. You can see the lip chart in the Exposure Sheet or the Sound Element Editor.

The lip positions of this character match the sound of the voice track. You can use these images as a reference while you draw your own character’s lips to match the voice track.

Combine this with the Sound Element Editor to fine tune the sound synchronization.

The sound editor gives you precise sound synchronization.

See Also Inking and Painting Your Drawings on page 20 Importing Sounds on page 182

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Inking and Painting Your Drawings Completed line art can be filled with color. Toon Boom Studio provides a color palette management system that simplifies the creation and organization of your project colors. With Toon Boom Studio you can:

• • • •

Create color palettes for each character. Create palettes for different versions of a character’s color palette (for example, a day and night palette). Change all of the color swatches in a palette style. After you mix your project colors, you can easily ink and paint the line art and zones with the painting tools. If you change the properties of a zone or a line after you paint them, Toon Boom Studio updates all of the painted zones and lines with the new properties of the color swatch. This saves you from having to repaint your drawings when your palette changes.

Fill your drawings with color using the color swatches.

See Also Changing the Sequence and Timing of Drawings and Images on page 20 Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World on page 140

Changing the Sequence and Timing of Drawings and Images You can use the Exposure Sheet or Timeline to work on the organization and timing of elements in your scene. 20


The Exposure Sheet and Timeline allow you to keep track of all the drawings and element layers in your scene (characters, objects, backgrounds).

• •

In the Exposure Sheet, each row represents one frame in your animation. If you look across a frame in your exposure sheet, you will see what drawings or images appear together in one frame of your animation. In the Timeline, each column represents one frame in your animation.

Both windows also identify how long a drawing or image appears in your scene; this is known as “exposure.” As you work out the motion of your characters, you may have to adjust the exposure of drawings, or their order. You may also need to add drawings to make a motion more fluid and convincing. The Exposure Sheet and Timeline display the layers in the scene and their timing.

See Also Sceneplanning and Animating Elements on page 22 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Layering Elements on page 335 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 21


Sceneplanning and Animating Elements Use the 3D Sceneplanning views to lay out your elements and make them change over time. With the Timeline window, you can see when elements start and end, and when drawings and images change. You can use the Timeline window to add and manage peg, camera and effects elements, as well as manage the timing of drawings and images in your scene.

When animating, you can view your element layers from three different perspectives. This allows you to see how elements work together through the scene.

Three different perspectives for viewing element layers.

When animating, you can:

• • •

22

Change the north/south and east/west position of element layers. You can also change the front/back position of elements to create a sense of depth in your scene. Change the rotation or size of element. Use pegs to move elements through a scene to create multiplane effects.


•

Create camera effects, such as pans, trucks and zooms. The element follows the motion path

Toon Boom Studio can automatically interpolate all of the drawings in an element! The quality of your images is preserved through all transformations thanks to vector technology. At any time during the process, you can perform quick tests to check your animation or see it in real-time. See Also Exporting on page 23 Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222

Exporting Now it’s time to export your scenes and produce a final movie. You can export the final movie clip in one of the following formats:

• • • • •

Adobe Flash format (SWF) QuickTime format (MOV) AVI DV stream Image sequence

23


In the Adobe Flash, QuickTime, AV formats and DV stream, you can launch the player and view your exported movie as soon as it is ready.

Toon Boom Studio follows the order of the scenes in your Scene Manager window and exports each scene in sequence to create one seamless movie complete with animation, movement effects, and sound.

Animating Cut-Out Style Cut-out is a style of animation that is like puppetry, only the workshop and stage is Toon Boom Studio. Like a puppet, a cut-out character is made from many independent parts, such as hands, arms, a head, legs and feet. In Toon Boom Studio, these parts are linked together at the joints and are then animated using pegs, which are like the strings that move puppets. Like a puppet, this character is made up of many parts. In this image, each part of the character is surrounded by a box. In Toon Boom Studio, the parts are assembled and animated with pegs, which are like the strings that animate a puppet.

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Cut-out animation allows you to reduce the amount of drawings you do. Instead of redrawing your entire character each time it moves, you can isolate changes to specific body parts - for example, the arm. Instead of redrawing the entire character when the position of the arm changes, you create the arm in a separate layer and change only the arm when it moves.

Instead of drawing a whole new drawing when the character’s arm moves, you can just modify the parts of the body that actually change.

Cut-out animation will reduce the amount of work you do. However, it does require some planning and work before you begin animating. Toon Boom Studio includes many features that make the cut-out animation process simpler and more intuitive.

Drawing Cut-out Characters • •

•

Build a model of your character as a reference. Ink and paint your character as you would normally. Using the Cutter or Scissor tool, “cut out” all of the pieces of your character, by creating a unique element for each component. Be sure to name your elements so that they identify the character as well as its part. The number of pieces you create from your character depends on its complexity and the complexity of the animation you want to create. For example, you may place all of these parts of your character in a different element: hair, eyes, head, eyebrows, mouth, body, upper arm, forearm, hand, hips, thigh, calf and foot. In each element, draw all the variations of your body part. For example, you may create a number of drawings for the hand, such as a fist or open palm, or the head from multiple angles.

25


Grouping Cut-out Components •

If you have many parts you still need to group them together. Certain parts can be grouped together so that they will move together. For example, the left hand, left forearm and left upper arm of a character are grouped together. You can select the hand so it will rotate at the wrist, but when you select the forearm, the hand will always move with it. In the same way, you can select the upper arm, and the entire arm will move together.

Sceneplanning Tools and Cut-out Characters •

The Rotate tool allows you to position pivot points for all the joints. Pivot points are the spot on which your joints, like the shoulder, elbow or wrist, rotate. Position the pivot point over the center of a joint so that body parts rotate naturally.

In this hand and forearm, the forearm has been rounded so that when the hand rotates on the joint, the line between the two parts will continue.

•

26

Animate your character using the Transform tool. Use the tool to animate the selected part or parts of your character at a specific frame. Use the Timeline window to select the frame where you begin and end transformations.

Preface: About Toon Boom Studio In the Timeline, select the frame where you want to add a keyframe then use the Transform tool to select and animate the parts of your character.

Reusing Cut-out Assets •

•

You may want to create templates of your character and its parts and store them in the Library for reuse in your current or future projects. The level of reuse you use depends on your need. You may create templates of entire characters, just their parts, animated sequences (like walk-cycles) or all three. Use the Cells tab in the Properties dialog box to select the drawing you want to appear at each frame and the length of time it will appear on your screen.

Drag the slider to swap the current drawing with another one in the element.

27


See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World on page 140 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Animating Cut-out Characters on page 270 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346 Using Templates on page 377

New and Improved Features in V3.5 Toon Boom Studio V3.5 empowers artists with improvements to animation keyframing, asset reuse, lip synchronization and the user interface, so that you can make better animations quicker. Version 3.5 significantly simplifies the creation of cutout animation. User Interface

• • •

•

• •

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 displays a Welcome Screen to get started more quickly. Use it to create a new project, open recent projects, open tutorials and quickly link to Toon Boom Studio resources on the Web. The new dialog box, New Project, lets you enter the name and animation properties when to create a new animation project. An improved Timeline interface allows you to view timeline track and layer information more easily. New drawings are represented in the timeline by a 3D box and keyframe markers are more visible in Peg elements and Drawing elements (see the new Animating features for an overview of the new peg system). The Onion Skin includes the Show Outline on Onion Skin option to represent next and previous drawings as outlines rather than filled shapes. Turn on the onion skin on and off easily with the Turn Onion Skin On/Off button in the Onion Skin toolbar. The Properties window includes an Edit Velocity button which opens the element’s velocity information in the Function Editor. Snap changes to 15 degree increments by holding down the [Shift] key while using the Select

•

28

drawing tool or scene operation tool, the Edit Texture

Transform , Rotate or Motion tool. Undo and Redo buttons have been added to the toolbar.

,


Effects

• •

The new Drop Shadow effect allows you to add a shadow to a drawing or a group of drawings and customize its look. The Color Transform effect includes the option to Flatten the content of a Color Transform effect layer with many elements with different front-back positions.

Sceneplanning Tools

•

The Select tool (activated from the Sceneplanning Tools menu and the Scene Operation toolbar), in addition to static NS, EW and FB position values of a Drawing or Image element, now sets static rotation, scale and skew values.

•

The Rotate , Scale , and Skew dynamic changes of elements.

tools are used exclusively to set

Drawing

•

Use the Convert Line to Brush feature to convert centerline shapes to contour shapes.

•

Contour Editor improvements allow more flexible and intuitive methods to add points, move handles, lines and points.

Inking and Painting

•

Pen properties for the Eraser drawing tools.

•

When using the Edit Texture tool, texture and gradient properties can be copied and pasted from one painted zone to another. Color palettes from other animation projects can be imported into an animation scene. Color palettes can be exported by selecting one, some or all palettes in an animation project.

• •

can be defined differently than the other

Animating

• •

Drawing and Image elements have a built-in peg, to animate changes in motion, rotation, scale and skew. Peg elements are empty by default, and keyframes can be added at any point. The first keyframe’s values are applied to the frames before it. The last keyframe’s values are applied to the frames after it.

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Rendering

• •

OpenGL anti-aliasing is now supported on both Windows and Mac OS X Toon Boom Studio can be minimized during rendering process.

Import

• •

Use the Import File command to create a new element and import an image, drawing, Flash or sound file into it. An animation project’s color palettes can be imported from a TBCP file.

Export

• • •

The Export Movie dialog box includes an Options button which opens a Settings dialog box specific to the export format you have selected. The new Export Drawing to PDF feature allows you to create a PDF file of the drawing at the current frame, allowing you another way to share your work or work with it in other applications, such as Adobe Illustrator. An animation project’s color palettes can be exported to a TBCP file.

See Also Animating Cut-Out Style on page 24 Launching Toon Boom Studio on page 34 Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Copying Gradient and Texture Fills on page 158 Importing and Exporting Palettes on page 178 Laying Out Elements in 3D Space on page 199 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Drop Shadow Effects on page 313 Exporting Your Movie on page 394 Exporting Drawings to PDF on page 396

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About the Documentation Toon Boom Studio V3.5 documentation applies to both the Windows and Mac OS X editions of the software. The application comes with the following types of documentation:

• •

•

•

•

Toon Boom Studio Installation and Getting Started Guide, which includes installation instructions, also provides a basic overview of Toon Boom Studio. Toon Boom Studio User Guide expands on the information in the Getting Started Guide, allowing the user to learn more about specific aspects of the application. Use this guide to understand how you can use Toon Boom Studio’s wide variety of drawing, ink and paint, import, sound, sceneplanning, animating, camera, effects, exposure sheet, template and export tools. Online Help, which you can open by pressing [F1] (Windows) or [Command] + [?] (MacOS) from within the application, or by selecting Help > Toon Boom Studio Help. The Online Help is a comprehensive document that includes the Toon Boom Studio User Guide and information on all the tasks you can perform with the application and definitions of various components of Toon Boom Studio. The online help also includes a tutorial to familiarize you with the application, a full-text search mechanism, which you can use to locate important information, as well as hyper-linked related topics and cross-references. Context-Sensitive Help. The context-sensitive help provides short definitions of various interface features. To get a description of a menu command or toolbar button, select Help > What’s This and click the item you want a description of. A pop-up window opens with a description of the item you clicked. You can click anywhere to close the pop-up window. On Windows, you can also right-click an item and select What’s This from the pop-up menu. Additional tutorials for Toon Boom Studio are available on the Web via the Toon Boom Studio website. If Toon Boom Studio is open, select Help > Toon Boom on the Web to open your default Web browser at the Toon Boom website.

See Also Toon Boom Studio on page 10 New and Improved Features in V3.5 on page 28 Document Conventions on page 32

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Document Conventions •

•

Term

Selecting Menu Commands When you need to select a command from a menu, the documentation lists what you need to select in the following order: Menu name > Command. For example, if you want to select the Open command from the File menu, the instruction would read as File > Open. If there is a series of sub-menus, they will appear in the order in which you would need to open them. For example, if you needed to select Hide Grid from the Grid sub-menu in the View menu, the instruction would read as View > Grid > Hide Grid. Throughout the Toon Boom Studio documentation, the following terms describe which mouse button to use to perform an action: Action

Press [A]

Press the A button displayed on your keyboard. Square brackets will always surround the name of a keyboard button.

Click

Click the left mouse button.

Right-click

Click the right mouse button.

Double-click

Click the specified mouse button twice rapidly without moving the mouse.

[Shift]-click

Hold down the [Shift] key and simultaneously click the specified mouse button.

[Ctrl]-click

Hold down the [Ctrl] key and simultaneously click the specified mouse button.

Drag

Click the object and hold down the mouse button while moving the mouse.

32

Chapter 1 Studio Basics This chapter describes how to start a new animation in Toon Boom Studio, how to work with scenes and how to set up your windows, toolbars and other preferences. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Launching Toon Boom Studio on page 34

•

Starting Your Animation Project on page 36

•

Saving Animation Projects on page 40

•

Setting the Animation Frame Rate and Camera Size on page 42

•

Adding Scenes to a Movie on page 45

•

Setting up Your Studio Session on page 50


Launching Toon Boom Studio To get started, you need to start the Toon Boom Studio application and open a project. You have three main types of tasks you can do after you launch Toon Boom Studio, each of these are explained in the following sections.

• • • •

Creating A New Project on page 36 Opening An Existing Project on page 37 Opening Tutorials on page 38 Accessing Web Resources on page 39

To launch Toon Boom Studio: 1.

Do one of the following:

• • •

Double-click the Toon Boom Studio

icon.

Windows users can select Start > Programs >Toon Boom Animation > Toon Boom Studio V3.5. Mac OS X users can select Applications > Toon Boom Studio > Toon Boom Studio V3.5. Toon Boom Studio opens. The menu bar and the main toolbar are displayed.

When you first launch Toon Boom Studio, the welcome screen appears. The welcome screen helps you to:

• • • • • • •

Enter a name for your new animation Select preset animation properties Set manual animation properties Open recent files Browse to open a project Open tutorials online or locally on a hard drive Access Web resources:

D D D D

34

TBS Technical Support Page TBS Product Page e-Learning Section TBS User forum

Chapter 1: Studio Basics Use this section to open recent projects. You can also click the Browse link to select an animation in your file system.

Create a new animation project in this section, which includes the features in the New Project dialog box.

Use this section to access tutorials. Quick links to Toon Boom Studio on the Web

You can choose whether or not you want this screen to appear the next time you launch Toon Boom Studio. If you do not want to display it when you launch the application, select Do Not Show This Window at Startup option at the bottom of the welcome screen. You can easily switch a disabled welcome screen back on so it will appear next time you start up the application. To reactivate the welcome screen: 1.

Open the Preferences dialog box. • Select Toon Boom Studio > Preferences on MacOS.

•

Select Edit > Preferences on Windows.

The Preferences window opens. 2.

Click the General Tab.

3.

Select Show Start Page from the At Startup drop-list.

4.

Click OK. The welcome screen will display the next time you launch Toon Boom Studio. 35


Starting Your Animation Project Once you have launched Toon Boom Studio you can create a new animation project or open an existing one.

• •

Creating A New Project on page 36 Opening An Existing Project on page 37

Before you begin a project or to refresh your knowledge of Toon Boom Studio, you can also launch the application to access additional resources.

• •

Opening Tutorials on page 38 Accessing Web Resources on page 39

Creating A New Project When you create a new project, you will specify the location where you want to store the animation components. You will also be able to specify animation properties, such as the aspect ratio and frames per second (these can be changed later). To create a new animation project: 1.

Do one of the following: Launch the program to display the welcome screen.

• •

In the menu bar, select File > New.

The New Project dialog box opens. If you are using the welcome screen, the same properties are in the upper left section.

Use this dialog box to name your animation project, and select its animation properties. 2.

36

Type in the Name of the project.

Chapter 1: Studio Basics

3.

You can select a frame rate and camera size from the Format drop-list. To use a new one, select Custom from the list and enter a new frame rate (in frames per second) and camera size (in pixels).

4.

Click on the Create button when you are done. The new project is created and placed in the directory you selected. The Toon Boom Studio window opens the default layout based on your chosen animation properties. You can now start your production.

Other ways to open the New Project dialog box:

•

In the File Toolbar, click the New

•

Mac OS X users can use the [Command] + [N] shortcut.

•

Windows users can use the [Ctrl] + [N] shortcut.

button.

To start a new project from the beginning, choose this option. When you begin a new project there are certain criteria which you must first set up, these criteria provide the basic setup for the new project. If you choose to start a new project follow these steps to begin: 1.

Click in the Name text box in the new project area of the Start Page.

2.

Enter an name for the new project.

3.

Select the Animation Properties that best suit your final production output.

4.

Click on Create. The start page closes and the application displays the default layout relative to your chosen Animation Properties. You can now start your production.

See Also Setting the Animation Frame Rate and Camera Size on page 42

Opening An Existing Project If you want, you can continue working on a previously created animation project by opening it. If you have another project open, you will be prompted to save it, and it will close after you confirm your choice. A saved project is added to the recent projects list so you can easily choose it again (See Opening a recently used project on page 38 ). To open an existing animation project: 1.

Do one of the following: 37


• •

Launch the program to display the welcome screen. Click the Browse link. In the menu bar, click on File > Open.

The Open dialog box appears. 2.

Browse to the folder where your project is located, select the file or bundle with the TBP or TBPD format and click the Open button to open it. The project opens in the Toon Boom Studio window.

Other ways to open the Open dialog box:

•

In the File Toolbar, click the Open

•

Mac OS X users can use the [Command] + [O] shortcut.

•

Windows users can use the [Ctrl] + [O] shortcut.

button.

Opening a recently used project A recently saved project is added to the recent projects list so you can easily choose it again. To open a recently used animation project: 1.

Do one of the following: • Launch the program to display the welcome screen.

•

In the menu bar, click on File > Open Recent.

A list of filenames of recent animation projects is listed in the Open Recent submenu. If you are using the welcome screen, the projects are listed in the Open Recent section located in the upper right part of the window. 2.

Select the filename of the animation project you want to open from the list of recent animation projects.

Opening Tutorials If you choose to open the tutorials and learn how to use the different and producers You can select one of the tutorials displayed in the tutorials list. If you want to open tutorials that you have downloaded onto your computer, you can browse using the More Tutorials folder to take you to their location.

38


Accessing Web Resources The welcome screen’s Web links feature allows you dynamic access to Toon Boom Studio related information on the Web. Using the Internet, these direct links rapidly connect you to information and resources that will enhance your Toon Boom Studio experience. Button

Link TBS Technical Support Web Page Technical support is now at your fingertips. Select your support package and link directly to the Toon Boom Studio support team. TBS Product Web Page Read the product overview, testimonials, user stories and learn about useful plug-ins. eLearning Web Page Access Toon Boom’s Animation Essentials Web page, where you can find the Workout Series, tutorials, templates, documentation, articles and other eLearning materials. TBS User Forum Connect with other registered members in the TBS user group, where you can find useful information posted by TBS users.

39


Saving Animation Projects When you are ready to build your animated production, you must create an animation project folder. It contains all of the drawings, bitmaps, sounds and effects in your animation, as well as all of the timing, layout and motion changes you build. When you create your project, the name you select becomes the name of your project folder and the Toon Boom Studio project file. Inside your project folder are subfolders for:

• • •

Sound files Local templates Scenes A scene folder contains folders for vector drawings and bitmap graphics.

On the Mac, the animation project folder appears as a single file. If you show extensions, the extension of this file is .tbdp. To see the contents of the Toon Boom Project Directory, [Control]-click the file and select Show Package Contents. To save your changes to the project:

•

Select File > Save. If the project has never been saved, the Save As dialog box appears, which you can use to select the name and location of your project.

To save the animation project with another name or in another location: 1.

Select File > Save As. The Save As dialog box opens. In Mac OS X, enter the new name in the Save As field and select the location using the Where drop-list.

40

Chapter 1: Studio Basics In Windows, enter the new name in the File Name field and select the location using the Save In drop-list and file browser.

2.

Type the new name of the animation project.

3.

Select a location to save the animation project.

4.

Click Save to save it with a new name or location.

See Also Adding Scenes to a Movie on page 45 Setting the Animation Frame Rate and Camera Size on page 42 Changing the Background Color of a Scene on page 46

41


Setting the Animation Frame Rate and Camera Size The frame rate and camera size you set for your project determines how your animation is rendered during export and playback.

•

•

The frame rate sets the speed at which the movie will play back. The higher you set the frame rate, the faster your animation will play. By default, the frame rate is set to 12 frames per second. The camera size defines the resolution of your final animation. Toon Boom Studio uses the camera you define to render the final movie. The larger the camera resolution, the larger the scene space you have.

Although you can change the size of your movie at any time, you must set the frame rate before you import any sound. If you change the frame rate after you add your sound elements, you run the risk of sound effects that are not synchronized with the animation. To define the frame rate and size of your movie: 1.

Select File > Animation Properties. The Animation Properties dialog box opens

2.

Type the frame rate at which you want to play the rendered movie in the Frame Rate field. The following frame rates are commonly used: • 1, 2, 12, 24, and 30 frames per second.

3.

Type the size of the final movie in the Camera Size fields. • Left field: the width of the movie.

• 4.

42

Right field: the height of the movie.

Click OK.


Selecting Preset Animation Properties Preset formats are listed by name when creating a new animation project. This table shows the animation properties which are available using Toon Boom Studio. You can also set the properties manually. Format

Camera Real Frame Frame Rate Preferred Output Size (pixels) Size (pixels) (fps)

Web Use Small Web Animation

160 x 120

160 x 120

12

QuickTime or Flash

Medium Web Animation

320 x 240

320 x 240

12

QuickTime or Flash

Large Web Animation

480 x 360

480 x 360

12

QuickTime or Flash

iPod and PodCasting

320 x 240

320 x 240

12

QuickTime or Flash

Windows Mobile Full Screen 240 x 320

240 x 320

12

Flash

Windows Mobile Browser

240 x 268

240 x 268

12

Flash

VGA

640 x 480

640 x 480

24

QuickTime or Flash

SGA

800 x 600

800 x 600

24

QuickTime or Flash

XVGA

1024 x 768

1024 x 768

24

QuickTime or Flash

SXGA

1280 x 1024

1280 x 1024

24

QuickTime or Flash

UXGA

1600 x 1200

1600 x 1200

24

QuickTime or Flash

PC Video

DVD and Broadcasting (note the difference between the camera size and the size of the frame shown on screen). DV NTSC

750 x 540

720 x 480

29.97

DV/DVCPRO NTSC

DV NTSC Anamorphic

853 x 480

720 x 480

29.97

DV/DVCPRO NTSC

DV PAL

768 x 576

720 x 576

25

DV/DVCPRO PAL

DV PAL Anamorphic

1024 x 576

720 x 576

25

DV/DVCPRO PAL

43


Format

Camera Real Frame Frame Rate Preferred Output Size (pixels) Size (pixels) (fps)

HDTV monitors: HDTV 720 24p

1280 x 720

1280 x 720

24

QuickTime h.264

HDTV 1080 24p

1920 x 1080

1280 x 720

24

QuickTime h.264

HDTV 1080 25p

1920 x 1080

1280 x 720

25

QuickTime h.264

Film 2K Film 4:3

2048 x 1536

24

Custom See Also Creating A New Project on page 36 Camera Effects with Toon Boom Studio on page 282 Real-Time Playback on page 392 Exporting Your Movie on page 394

44


Adding Scenes to a Movie You can add scenes to your animation project to organize and manage the contents of your movie scenes: The Scene Manager window provides access to all of the scenes in your animation project. You can use this window to show or hide the scenes that you want to render, as well as change the order of the scenes in your movie. When you add scenes to your movie, Toon Boom Studio adds a scene folder to your animation project. The arrows next to the scene’s name in the list indicates that this is the active scene.

All scenes in an animation project share the following:

• • • • • •

Palettes, palette styles, and swatches Pen styles Templates Sounds Exposure Sheet/Timeline window colors Default UI colors

If you make changes to any of these traits, Toon Boom Studio updates them in all the scenes in your animation project. This allows you to maintain a consistent look throughout your movie. To add scenes to your movie: 1.

Select Window > Show Scene Manager to display the Scene Manager window.

2.

Click Add Scene to create a new scene. By default, Toon Boom Studio assigns a name to each new scene that you can change later. A new scene appears in the Scene Manager window and an empty exposure sheet or timeline appears in the Toon Boom Studio window. 45


See Also Reordering Scenes on page 47 Renaming Scenes on page 47 Deleting Scenes on page 49 Changing the Background Color of a Scene on page 46 Showing/Hiding Scenes on page 48

Changing the Background Color of a Scene The background color of all scenes is white by default. You can change the background color of each scene in your movie to suit the context of the action. To change the background color of a scene: 1.

Select the scene in the Scene Manager window.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu

3.

Click the Background Color square. The Color dialog box opens.

4.

Select a color for the scene background or create your own by clicking Define Custom Colors.

5.

Click OK when you are done and Toon Boom Studio will update the scene with the new background color.

button and select Properties.

You can show/hide the scene background color in the Drawing View window or in the Camera View window. To show or hide the scene background color in the Drawing View or Camera View windows:

•

Select View > Show Scene Background Color.

D When this option is activated, the scene background color will appear in the Camera View and Drawing View windows.

D When this option is not activated, the background color of these windows is determined by the Drawing/Camera setting on the Interface tab of the Preferences dialog box. 46


See Also Changing the Background Color of the Drawing and Camera View Windows on page 53 Changing the Color of an Element on page 328 Changing the Timeline Track Color on page 330

Reordering Scenes When you play back or export an entire animation project with multiple scenes, Toon Boom Studio exports the scenes in the order in which they appear in the Scene Manager window. If you want to change the playback order of the scenes, you must resort them in the Scene Manager window. To change the order of scenes in the Scene Manager window: 1.

Select the scene you want to move in the Scene Manager window.

2.

Drag it to its new position in the Scene Manager window. A grey bar appears between the scenes to indicate where you can drop the selected scene.

The new order of the scene will also appear in the Scene Manager pop-up menu. See Also Renaming Scenes on page 47 Deleting Scenes on page 49

Renaming Scenes When you start a new project, you always begin with one scene. By default, this scene is called Scene-1, and every scene you create after that gets a sequentially numbered default name (Scene-2, Scene-3, and so on). At any time, you can rename scenes with more descriptive names that more fully reflect the content. To rename a scene: 1.

Select the scene in the Scene Manager window.

2.


button and select Properties.

The Scene Properties dialog box opens.

47


3.

Type the new name for the scene in the Scene Name field and click OK. You cannot give two scenes the same name.

The new scene’s name appears in the Scene Manager window. When you select a scene from the Scene button in the Exposure Sheet window, the customized names of your scenes also appear. See Also Reordering Scenes on page 47 Deleting Scenes on page 49 Changing the Background Color of a Scene on page 46 Showing/Hiding Scenes on page 48

Showing/Hiding Scenes When you are working on a production that has many scenes, you may not want to include them all in the rendered playback or in the export. Perhaps some of those scenes were just “working scenes” in which you were saving some rough animation. You can use the Show/Hide checkboxes next to scene names in the Scene Manager window to hide scenes during the rendering process. To show/hide scenes in your animation:

•

Click the Show/Hide checkbox next to the scene name in the Scene Manager window. When the Show/Hide checkbox next to a scene name is empty, the scene will not appear in rendered animation.

See Also Playback and Rendering on page 389 Deleting Scenes on page 49

48


Deleting Scenes As you work on your animation project, you may want to remove old scenes from your project before you produce your final output. For example, you could have a few test scenes where you wanted to try certain effects, but when you are ready to record your final movie, you’ll want to remove these scenes from the animation project. To delete a scene:

•

Click Delete in the Scene Manager window. Toon Boom Studio deletes the scene folder and all its related animation files from your system.

See Also Renaming Scenes on page 47 Adding Scenes to a Movie on page 45 Showing/Hiding Scenes on page 48

49


Setting up Your Studio Session Toon Boom Studio is designed to be flexible enough to adapt to your computer setup as well as your personal flair, allowing you to customize your workspace. See Also Saving and Loading Window Layouts on page 50 Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts on page 55 Selecting Units of Measure on page 57 Configuring Video Card Display Options on page 58 Defining the Default Tension, Continuity and Bias Values on page 264 Changing the Default Colors of Elements on page 329 Defining the Author and Copyright of a Template on page 376 Changing the Background Color of the Drawing and Camera View Windows on page 53

Saving and Loading Window Layouts With Toon Boom Studio, you can select windows you want to open based on the tasks you are performing, position them to suit your working style and save them so that you can reload them later. For example, you can create a layout for when you are drawing, that includes the Drawing View and Exposure Sheet, and another for when you are animating that includes the Camera View, Side View, Timeline and Function Editor. Then switch between the two layouts depending on the tasks you are preforming.

Here’s an example of a layout for drawing tasks.

50


Here’s a layout for animating tasks.

To create a window layout: 1.

Open the windows you want to display and position them to support your workflow. You can select the windows from the Window menu. You can also open the Drawing, Camera, Top or Side Views in the same windows.

Use these buttons to display the Drawing, Camera, Top or Side Views in the window.

2.

Open toolbars you want to use.

3.

To save your layout, select Window > Save Layout and select one of the three user layouts.

51


4.

A dialog box opens that you can use to change the name of the layout you are creating. Choose a name that helps you identify this layout from the other layouts you can make and click OK.

5.

To open and reposition windows and toolbars based on a layout, select a layout from the Window > Load Layout menu.

See Also Customizing Toolbars on MacOS on page 52 Changing the Background Color of the Drawing and Camera View Windows on page 53

Customizing Toolbars on MacOS On the Mac, you can customize toolbars to display buttons that access commands that you use most frequently. To customize toolbars: 1.

Select View > Customize Toolbar. A window opens that displays all of the buttons available for the window you are currently working in.

2.

Drag the buttons you want to the toolbar in the current window and click Done when you are finished making your changes.

See Also Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts on page 55 Setting up Your Studio Session on page 50

52


Displaying Toolbars on Windows By default, Toon Boom Studio displays specific toolbars in the main window, but you can select the toolbars to display in your Toon Boom Studio session. You can then drag these toolbars to any position in your Toon Boom Studio window. To select the toolbars you want to display:

•

Select the menus you want to display from the View > Toolbars menu. A checkmark appears next to the toolbars that will display. You have the following choices: D Main: This toolbar allows you to start, open, or save animation projects, cut, copy, and paste content, and access the online help. D Interactive Playback: This toolbar allows you to control the playback of your scene. D Grid Control: This toolbar allows you to display grids in the Drawing View window. D Onion Skin: This toolbar allows you to view the previous or next drawings in a sequence. D Peg: This toolbar allows you to display/hide details about the peg path.

D Scene View: This toolbar allows you to change what you see in the View windows. See Also Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts on page 55 Setting up Your Studio Session on page 50

Changing the Background Color of the Drawing and Camera View Windows You can set the background color for the Drawing View and Camera View windows to improve your ability to work on the drawing objects and layout of your scene. The color you choose for the background is not exported as the background color of the scene. To change the background color of the Drawing View and Camera View windows: 1.


•


The Preferences dialog box opens. 53


2.

Click the Interface tab.

3.

In the Window Background Colors panel, click the Drawing/Camera color square. The Select color dialog box opens.

Which color selector you see depends on which operating system you use.

54

4.

Create a color using the options in the dialog box and close the dialog box when you are done.

5.

Click OK in the Interface tab and Toon Boom Studio will update the default background color of the windows.


6.

To see the color you select in those windows, you must select the View > Hide Scene Background Color option.

See Also Changing the Background Color of a Scene on page 46 Setting up Your Studio Session on page 50

Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts When you are working on your Toon Boom Studio animation, there are many commands that you can access using either toolbar buttons or menu commands. You can also access many of these commands using keyboard shortcuts. Many of these shortcuts appear next to the command in the menus. When you assign a keyboard shortcut to a command, its keyboard combination appears next to the command in the menu.

You can create customized keyboard shortcuts for commands that do not have default shortcuts, such as those that are only accessible from contextual menus. You can also edit the default keyboard shortcuts assigned to commands to suit your particular working style. To assign a command to a keyboard combination: 1.


•


The Preferences dialog box opens. 2.

Click the Shortcuts tab.

55


3.

Select the type of command you want to assign from the Category drop-list. The contents of the Commands list changes depending on what you select from the Category drop-list.

4.

Select the command you want to assign from the Commands list. A description of the selected command appears in the Description panel. If the command you select already has a keyboard shortcut, the keyboard combination appears in the Current Key field.

5.

Click the Click and press new key button.

6.

Press the keys you want to assign to the command. The buttons you press appear in the Current Key field. If the shortcut keys are already used for another command, that command appears in the Currently assigned to panel.

7.

To reset all the keyboard shortcuts to their original shipped settings, click Reset All.

See Also Setting up Your Studio Session on page 50

56


Selecting Units of Measure As you work on your scene objects, you can change their position or how they appear in your scene. To be able to measure the changes in size, rotation, or position, you need to use a system of measurement to make accurate modifications. To select the measurement unit you want to use in your Toon Boom Studio session: 1.


•



Select the Sceneplanning tab.

3.

Select the unit of measure from the Coordinate Units drop-list. You have the following choices: • centimeters

• •

inches fields: the traditional animation industry standard for the size of a film camera (0.5" x 0.375" at a ratio of 4:3).

By default, Toon Boom Studio uses the traditional field system (measured by North/ South/East/West) to measure the distance, position, and size of your elements. 4.

Choose from your other Sceneplanning options:

57


• • •

• • 5.

Select the Show Units option to turn on or off the display of unit values in Sceneplanning fields. Select the Use Box Highlighting option to display selections in a bounding box. When disabled, selected elements appear faded. Select the Create Linear Spline option to force all new peg functions (motion, rotation and scaling) you create to have no acceleration. New peg functions will have a linear velocity instead. When you de-select this option, motion paths are created with a default ease-in/ease-out velocity. Select the Create Constant Keyframes option to force all new keyframes with constant rather than tweened (interpolated) segments. Select the Single Cell Selection option to select a single cell when you click on a layer track in the Timeline View, instead of an entire track.

Click OK when done or select another tab.

See Also Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200 Setting up Your Studio Session on page 50

Configuring Video Card Display Options If you are having problems with the display of Toon Boom Studio windows or tools, you can use the options on the Display tab of the Preferences dialog box to set rendering options that will work with your video card. To configure your display settings: 1.

Open the Preferences dialog box. Select Toon Boom Studio > Preferences on MacOS.

• •



58

Click the Display tab, select your options, and click OK to close the dialog box.


•

•

Renderer: By default Toon Boom Studio is set to use Quartz 2D in MacOS, or Direct 3D in Windows, for rendering images in the View windows, but OpenGL can also be selected. D Disable Hardware Acceleration: select this option if you are having problems with your display that you suspect might be related to features of your video card. D Disable Overlay: select this option if the drawing tools are responding very slowly. Numerous Rendering Options are available including OpenGL Full Scene Anti-aliasing.

59


60

Chapter 2 Drawing This chapter explains how to use the tools in Toon Boom Studio to create your own animated drawings. This chapter includes the following topics: •

Creating and Navigating Drawings and Drawing Layers on page 62

•

Drawing Line Art on page 63

•

Working With Text on page 72

•

Working with Selections on page 78

•

Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88

•

Cutting and Erasing Drawing Objects on page 96

•

Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100

•

Setting Up Your Pens on page 107

•

Setting Up Your Drawing Space on page 110


Creating and Navigating Drawings and Drawing Layers To draw, you must select a frame in a drawing element layer. By default, there is a drawing element and frame selected as soon as you start Toon Boom Studio so that you can draw right away. As soon as you draw, Toon Boom Studio labels the selected frame with the new drawing name, which is a number by default. You can create new drawing elements to organize your character, their parts, and props into separate layers. There are a number of shortcuts you can use to go to previous and next elements, frames and drawings in the Exposure Sheet or Timeline windows. To create drawing layers, do one of the following:

•

Select Element > Add > Drawing.

• •

Click the Drawing

•

button at the top of the Exposure Sheet window.

Clicking the Add button in the Timeline window and use the New Elements dialog box to create a drawing element. Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) in an empty area in the left frame of the Timeline window and select New > Drawing.

As you add more element layers, you can use the keyboard shortcuts to go to previous and next elements in the exposure sheet column or timeline track. To navigate elements:

• • • •

Press [F] to go to the next element. Press [Shift]+[F] to go to the next element displayed in the Exposure Sheet. Press [D] to go to the previous element. Press [Shift]+[D] to go to the previous element displayed in the Exposure Sheet.

As soon as you add a drawing element, the first frame in the element is selected and you can draw right away. You can use keyboard shortcuts to go to the next or previous frame so that you can draw there. To navigate frames:

• • 62

Press [S] to go to the next frame. Press [A] to go to the previous frame.

Chapter 2: Drawing

As you add more drawings, you may want to go to the previous or next drawing, whether it is on the adjacent frame or 10 frames away. To navigate drawings:

• •

Press [Shift] + [S] to go to the next drawing. Press [Shift] + [A] to go to the previous frame.

For more information on working with element layers and frames, see “Organizing Elements and Timing” on page 317. See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Changing the Layering Order of Elements on page 338 Renaming Elements on page 341 Labelling Cells in the Exposure Sheet on page 347

Drawing Line Art Lines (also called line art) are the basis for all shapes that you draw with Toon Boom Studio vector drawing tools. As lines are the basis of all shapes, points are the basis of all lines. All lines are composed of points. It takes at least two points to define a line.

Points can run down the center of a line, creating what is called a centerline. Or, points can run around the outside of a shape, creating a line called a contour.

•

The Line , Polyline , Pencil centerline shapes of a set width.

, Rectangle

and Ellipse

tools create

63

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide A straight line drawn with the Line tool has a point at either end.

•

A line drawn with the Pencil tool is defined by a series of centerline points.

The Brush tool creates variable-width strokes that respond to the pressure you apply with a digital pen and graphic tablet. The points that compose a brush stroke surround a zone that is filled with color, creating a contour. A brush stroke or a painted shape is surrounded by a collection of points. The outline of the brush stroke or painted fill is called a Contour.

The tool you select depends on the type of effect you want to create as well as considerations for the file size of your final animation.

•

When you draw your characters, you may want to wait to draw the lip positions until after you import the sound track. Toon Boom Studio features a powerful lip-sync generator. With this tool, you can generate a lip chart that identifies the animation phoneme that matches each frame. You can use the lip chart as a reference while you draw the lip positions of your characters.

•

The features of Sceneplanning Tools may change how you approach drawing with Drawing Tools. With Sceneplanning Tools, you can create motion, scale and rotation changes over time. Therefore, you do not have to animate these changes in your drawing objects with Drawing Tools.

See Also Drawing in the Drawing or Camera View on page 65 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles on page 66 Lip Synching on page 192 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318

64

Chapter 2: Drawing

Drawing in the Drawing or Camera View When you first start drawing your characters and props, you should work in the Drawing View using the drawing tools.

After everything is drawn, you can move to the Sceneplanning view windows to lay out and animate your characters in 3D space. Sometimes drawings might require retouching or editing after you set up your animation in the Sceneplanning views. Then, you can use the drawing tools to retouch or create new drawings in the Camera View window. Because you can see all of the drawings in a frame in their relative positions in the 3D sceneplanning space, “drawing in sceneplanning” will help you retouch and create drawings more easily and accurately. You can use onion skin, display the drawing grid and rotate the Camera View just like you can the Drawing View.

65


See Also Creating and Navigating Drawings and Drawing Layers on page 62 Animating on page 221 Laying Out Elements in 3D Space on page 199 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles on page 66 Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115

Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles The drawing tools in Toon Boom Studio resemble standard drawing tools used in many graphic programs, including a few extras made especially for animators. You can use your mouse or graphic tablet to draw your shapes. In the Drawing Tools toolbar, you can select the drawing tool you want to use from the pop-up menu by clicking on the arrow next to the drawing tool button. The active drawing tool appears in the second button of the Drawing Tools toolbar. You can press [2] to cycle through the tools in the drawing pop-up menu.

To draw straight lines, ellipses and rectangles: 1.

66

Select the tool you want to use from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or the Drawing Tools toolbar. You have the following choices:

•

Line

•

Rectangle tool: draws rectangular or square shapes. To draw a square, press [Shift] as you drag the Rectangle tool.

•

Ellipse tool: draws round shapes. To draw a circle, press [Shift] as you drag the Ellipse tool.

tool: draws straight lines. To draw at 15 degree angles, press [Shift].

2.

Select Window > Properties to display the Properties window.

3.

Select a pen style from the Pen tab. The width of your line is based on the Maximum Size value of the pen you select.

4.

Select a solid color swatch from the Color Palette tab. You cannot use a gradient or texture color swatch.

Chapter 2: Drawing

5.

Drag the tool in the Drawing View window until you have the shape you want. With the Rectangle and Ellipse tool, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) to draw from the center. • With the Line tool, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) to draw from the previous point. • Press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) to select the object you just drew and move, resize, or rotate it.

•

See Also Drawing with the Polyline Tool on page 67 Working with Selections on page 78 Setting Up Your Pens on page 107

Drawing with the Polyline Tool The Polyline tool is great for drawing vector shapes that consist of many continuous points that form different angles. As you draw with the Polyline tool, you can be sure to close your line art so that you can fill it with color without having to worry about gap closing.

With the Polyline tool, you can draw shapes one point at a time, forming the shape as you go.

To draw a shape with the Polyline tool: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Polyline

tool.

2.

Select a pen style from the Pen tab in the Properties window. The width of your line is based on the Maximum Size value of the pen you select.

3.

Select a solid color swatch from the Color Palette tab. You cannot use a gradient or texture color swatch to draw with the Polyline tool.

4.

Click to add points to the line you draw.

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5.

After you add a point, keep the mouse button pressed, and shape the line using the handles. • Press [Shift] to move the handles at 15 degree increments.

• 6.

Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) to detach the motion of one handle from the other.

To close a shape so that there are no gaps: Place your pointer over a point and click. An “o” appears when you are adding a point that will close a shape. • Place your pointer over any location on the shape you are drawing and click. A plus [+] sign when your pointer is over a spot that Toon Boom Studio can use to create a closed shape.

•

7.

To remove a point on the line, press [Shift] and click the point. Toon Boom Studio recalculates the shape with the point removed. When over a point that you can delete a minus [-] sign appears.

See Also Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles on page 66 Working with Selections on page 78 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Drawing Brush Strokes When you draw with the Brush tool and a graphic tablet and pen, you can enjoy the effect of drawing as if you are working with pen and paper and the width of your stroke can change depending on the amount of pressure you apply. Although strokes created by the Brush tool are more natural looking, they require more memory to store than shapes drawn with the centerline tools Ellipse, Rectangle, Pencil and Polyline.

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Chapter 2: Drawing

See how the line in the drawing varies just slightly throughout this drawing? The variable-width brush stroke creates a neat look in your drawings.

To draw a brush stroke: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools > menu or Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Brush tool.

2.

Select a pen style from the Pen tab in the Properties window. If you are using a graphic tablet and pen, the width of the line you draw depends on the pressure you apply and the Minimum and Maximum Size settings on the Pen tab.

3.

Select a color for your line art from the swatches in Color Palette tab. You can select either a solid, gradient or texture swatch when you use the Brush tool.

4.

Draw your line using your mouse or pen and graphic tablet.

You can force Toon Boom Studio to connect all overlapping shapes that you draw.

•

Select Tools > Draw Top Layer. When this command is active, Toon Boom Studio creates one object out of overlapping lines.

As you draw with the Brush tool, the Draw Top Layer command will create one shape out of numerous lines you may create as you draw with a graphic tablet and pen.

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See Also Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles on page 66 Working with Selections on page 78 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318

Drawing Pencil Lines You can use the Pencil

tool to draw as you would with an ordinary pencil. The

Pencil tool creates a single-width centerline shape, unlike the Brush creates a contour shape.

tool, which

To draw pencil lines: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Pencil tool.

2.

Select a pen style from the Pen tab in the Properties window. The width of your line is based on the Maximum Size value of the pen you select.

3.

Select a solid color swatch from the Color Palette tab. You cannot use a gradient color swatch to draw a pencil line.

4.

Draw your line using your mouse or graphic tablet pen.

See Also Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles on page 66 Drawing Brush Strokes on page 68 Drawing Brush Strokes on page 68 Working with Selections on page 78 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Converting Centerline Shapes to Brush Strokes You can convert centerline shapes, such as those you create with the Pencil, Ellipse, Polyline and Line tools, to brush lines so that you can edit them like brush lines. For example, you might want to convert an ellipse to a brush line so that you can use the Eraser tool on the shape to create a more natural eraser effect.

The circle on the left is a centerline shape that was drawn with the Ellipse tool. The circle on the right has been converted to brush lines.

Brush lines respond differently to editing than centerlines do. You can remove pieces of them or erase sections creating a more natural eraser mark than in the centerline shape.

To convert centerline shapes to brush lines: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.

2.

Use the Select tool to select the centerline shapes you want to convert.

3.

Select Tools > Convert Lines to Brush.

See Also Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 89 Working with Selections on page 78

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Working With Text With the Text tool, you can create drawing objects based on the text you type, the font you select and text attributes you apply. Text objects are a part of a drawing, so you can manipulate them in the same way (for example, painting, scaling, skewing and transforming).

Creating Text To add text to your drawing: 1.

Activate the Text tool: • From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Text tool. • Press [T], the default keyboard shortcut.

2.

In the Drawing View or Camera View, click the location where you would like the text to begin. (You can move it later, if you change your mind.) In this example, we want to include a title that appears above the trees.

At this point, you can choose to open the Properties window and select a specific text font and format the text you will type. To learn more about text formatting, see “Formatting Text” on page 73. 3.

72

Type the text you want to appear in the drawing.

Chapter 2: Drawing

4.

If you want to add a new text object, click outside the current text box. You can always re-select a text object, by activating the Text tool and clicking the text.

See Also Creating Text on page 72 Formatting Text on page 73 Converting Text Into Separate Objects on page 76

Formatting Text Use the Properties window to select the font type and other attributes you want to apply to the text. To display the text object’s font properties: 1.

Select Window > Properties to open the Properties window.

2.

Click the Text tab.

73


3.

You can use this tab to select a new font and other text characteristics. You can select all or a part of the text that has already been typed or select properties that will apply to text you are about to type. • Use the first drop-list to select the font you want to apply to the text. The list will display all of the fonts on your system, however only vector fonts can be used to create a text object.

•

•

• • •

74

Use the Size drop-list to select the text point size, and the Bold

and Italics

buttons to change the thickness and angle of the characters. If italicized or boldface versions of this font are not installed on your system, these buttons will be disabled. Use the Kerning field to fine-tune the spacing between characters. You can select the Auto Kern option to set the kerning automatically, based on the font’s predefined standard. Negative numbers decrease spacing between each characters and positive numbers increase it. Use the buttons to select the paragraph Alignment. You can left, center, right and full justify text. Enter a value in the Indent field to decrease or increase the indentation on the first line of text. Enter a value in the Line Spacing field to decrease or increase the space between each line of text.

Chapter 2: Drawing

See Also Creating Text on page 72 Changing Text Color on page 75 Converting Text Into Separate Objects on page 76

Changing Text Color You can change the color of your text by applying a new color to text that is selected or about to be typed using the Properties dialog box Color Palette tab. To display the text object’s color properties: 1.

If the Properties dialog box is not already open, select Window > Properties.

2.

If it is not selected, click the Color Palette tab.

3.

Select the text you want to recolor.

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4.

In the palette list, select the swatch of the color you want to apply. In this example, two swatches in the palette list were selected to recolor the text object.

See Also Creating Text on page 72 Formatting Text on page 73 Converting Text Into Separate Objects on page 76 Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151

Converting Text Into Separate Objects Upon creation, text objects are treated as a single drawing object. You can easily separate each character into a unique drawing object. To separate each character into a discrete text object: 1.

76

Use the Select drawing tool to select the text object that you want to separate into smaller text objects.

Chapter 2: Drawing

2.

Select Tools > Break Text Apart.

3.

Deselect the text. Each character is surrounded by its own bounding box, but the objects in the original text object will remain in a grouped selection until you click outside the selection or use the Deselect All command (Use [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[A] in Windows or [Command]+[Shift]+[A] in MacOS).

4.

Select a character.

Each character can be selected as a separate object. Each character in the text below has been rotated and repositioned.

See Also Creating Text on page 72 Changing Text Color on page 75 Formatting Text on page 73

77


Working with Selections You can select and modify any drawing object. When you select a drawing object, a bounding box appears around it and you can then change its properties (color, shape, angle) or its location in the drawing space. If you press the [Shift] key, you can select more segments and add them to what you’ve already selected.

You can change an object’s properties interactively in the Drawing View or Camera View window or by changing its properties in the Properties window. There are several ways to select drawing objects:

•

To select all the objects, select Edit > Select All.

•

To select one or more objects, click the Select drawing tool and use one of these methods: D Click on the object. To select more than one object, press [Shift] and click the additional objects you want to select. D Drag the Select tool over each object (drawing a selection square across each object). D Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and drag the lasso around or through each object you want to select.

As long as a selected drawing object was not created with the Text tool, you can copy it by pressing [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and dragging the selection away from its original position.

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Chapter 2: Drawing

To deselect the objects, you have two choices:

•

To deselect an object without deselecting the others, press [Shift] and click on each object that you don’t want.

•

To deselect them all, you can select Edit > Deselect All, click the Select tool in an empty space in the Drawing View window, or press [Esc].

See Also Ordering Drawing Objects on page 80 Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects on page 84 Deforming a Drawing Object on page 85 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318

Grouping Drawing Objects Grouping drawing objects will help you position, transform and deform multiple objects as one. To group drawing objects: 1.

Select the drawing objects you want to group.

2.

Select Tools > Group.

To ungroup drawing objects: 1.

Select the grouped drawing object.

2.

Select Tools > Ungroup.

See Also Ordering Drawing Objects on page 80 Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects on page 84 Deforming a Drawing Object on page 85

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Ordering Drawing Objects The order that you draw objects determines their initial layering order. Drawing objects that are drawn last appear in the Camera View on top of drawing objects drawn earlier. Drawing 1 was drawn first and Drawing 3 was drawn last.

2

1

These drawing objects will always appear in this layering order unless you change them.

3

To change the layering order of drawing objects: 1. 2.

Select the drawing object that you want to reorder. From the Tools > Arrange menu, select one of the following commands: Bring to Front: moves the currently selected drawing objects on top of all other objects in the drawing. • Bring Forward: moves the currently selected drawing objects forward by one layer in the layering order. • Send to Back: moves the currently selected drawing objects behind all other objects in the drawing. • Send Backward: moves the currently selected drawing objects backward by one layer in the layering order of the drawing.

•

If you are drawing with the Brush tool with the Tools > Draw Top Layer option enabled, drawing objects are merged to one layer. See Also Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects on page 84 Deforming a Drawing Object on page 85 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer on page 95

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects When you select one or more drawing objects, a bounding box appears around the selected objects. If you take a close look at the bounding box, you’ll notice that there are small boxes in each corner, in the center of each side, and on the right side of the bounding box. These boxes are called handles. One drawing can be made up of many individual lines, but when you select more than one, one bounding box appears for all the selected lines.

Handles

Depending on the handle you select, you can make different types of changes to the selected object. When you pass your pointer over a handle or over the object, the pointer changes to indicate the type of change you can make.

• • •

Move : changes the current position of the selection. To nudge selected objects, you can also use the arrow keys. Press [Shift] if you want to move the object in larger increments. Resize Sides : changes the width of the selected lines/shapes. Resize Top/Bottom : changes the height of the selected lines/shapes.

•

Resize Height/Width : changes the height and width of the selected lines/ shapes. Press [Shift], and the shape will resize proportionally.

•

Rotate : changes the angle of the selected lines/shapes. Hold down the [Shift] key when dragging rotation handles to rotate the object in 15 degrees at a time.

If you drag a handle beyond its opposing handle on the bounding box, you will flip the drawing object either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

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You can also use the following commands in the Tools > Transform menu to flip and rotate your drawing objects:

• • • • •

Flip Horizontal: swaps the left and right side of the image. Flip Vertical: swaps the top and bottom of the image. Rotate 90° CW: turns the drawing 90 degrees to the right (clockwise). Rotate 90° CCW: turns the drawing 90 degrees to the left (counter-clockwise). Rotate 180°: rotates the image 180 degrees.

See Also Grouping Drawing Objects on page 79 Ordering Drawing Objects on page 80 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects on page 84 Deforming a Drawing Object on page 85 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Changing the Center of Transformation You can change the center of the rotation and scaling effects. This might come in handy if you want to rotate or scale a drawing from a corner, rather than from the center. We rotated this drawing on the original drawing pivot in the center of the bounding box.

We moved the drawing pivot to the corner and then rotated the drawing object to achieve different results.

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Chapter 2: Drawing

To change the location of the drawing pivot: 1.

With the Select

tool, select the drawing object you want to transform.

2.

In the bounding box, drag the drawing pivot (initially in the center of the selection) to its new position. The point starts off in the center of the drawing object.

You can move the drawing pivot to any location.

3.

Scale or rotate the drawing object. • To use the new position of the drawing pivot as you scale, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) as you drag. If you don’t press this key, Toon Boom Studio scales the drawing object from the opposite corner that you drag from. • To rotate from the center, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) as you rotate. If you don’t press this key, Toon Boom Studio rotates from the drawing pivot. • Hold down the [Shift] key at the same time for added control: you will be able to rotate drawings in 15 degree increments and maintain the relative proportions of scaled drawings.

See Also Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Deforming a Drawing Object on page 85 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects You can cut, copy, and paste drawing objects in different areas of the current drawing or place them in a completely different drawing. To cut, copy, and paste drawing objects: 1.

Click the Select

2.

Decide if you want to create a copy of the object or if you want to remove it. • Select Edit > Copy Drawing Object to copy the selected object.

•

tool and select the drawing objects you want to cut or copy.

Select Edit > Cut Drawing Object to cut the selected object. The original object disappears from the View window.

3.

Select Edit > Paste Drawing Object to place the copied object in the View window. The pasted object appears slightly offset from the original.

4.

If you want to create a new drawing from the selected object, select another cell in the Exposure Sheet window or frame in the Timeline window, and reselect the View window before you paste the object.

•

If you just want to make a copy of the selected objects, press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and drag the select objects.

•

Text and drawing objects can be selected simultaneously, however drawing tools will have no effect on the text. To convert text into a drawing object, use the Break Text Apart command (Tools > Break Text Apart).

See Also Grouping Drawing Objects on page 79 Ordering Drawing Objects on page 80 Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Deforming a Drawing Object on page 85 Creating Cycles on page 359 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Deforming a Drawing Object You can use the Perspective tool to skew and distort (also known as “deforming”) the selected drawing object in the Drawing View window. If you drag the center handles, you can add a slant to the selected drawing. If you drag the corner handles, you can stretch and distort the selected drawing.

For example, if you had an image you wanted to appear as viewed from an angle, you could draw the image as it looks from the front and then use the Perspective tool to distort it so that it would appear like you were looking at it from an angle. To deform a drawing object: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools > Select menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Perspective tool.

2.

Select the drawn objects you want to deform. Press [Shift] to select multiple objects.

3.

Drag the selection handles to deform the selected object. Toon Boom Studio redraws the shape with its new perspective.

See Also Grouping Drawing Objects on page 79 Ordering Drawing Objects on page 80 Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Drawing Objects on page 84

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Changing the Color of Brush Strokes, Fills and Centerline Objects After you draw brush strokes and centerline objects and fill them with color, you can modify their color properties using the Color Palette tab in the Properties window. In this example, we changed the color of the lower body segment to the same green that we used on the top.

To change the color of a brush stroke or color fill: 1.

Use the Select tool to select the brush stroke, centerline object or color fill whose color you want to change.

2.

In the Properties window Color Palette tab, click the new color swatch you want to assign to the brush stroke or color fill. Toon Boom Studio changes the color of the selection to match the properties of the new swatch.

See Also Changing the Thickness of Centerline Objects on page 87 Working with Selections on page 78 Protecting Drawings on page 363 Inking Line Art on page 166

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Changing the Thickness of Centerline Objects To change the properties of the line art, select the line art you want to affect and adjust the line size in the Pen tab or change the line color using the swatches in the Color Palette tab. We drew this simple circle with the Ellipse tool, which creates centerline objects. You can change the maximum size of centerline objects by dragging the Maximum size slider on the Pen tab.

You can use the Pen and Color Palette tabs to make the following types of changes:

• •

To change the color of a line or color region, click the Select tool, select the line or region, and select a swatch from the Properties window’s Color Palette tab. To change the width of lines, use the Select tool to select the object and adjust the sliders on the Pen tab.

See Also Changing the Color of Brush Strokes, Fills and Centerline Objects on page 86 Working with Selections on page 78 Drawing Line Art on page 63 Drawing Straight Lines, Ellipses and Rectangles on page 66 Drawing with the Polyline Tool on page 67 Drawing Pencil Lines on page 70 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web When you design your animation for the Web, you should consider taking steps to reduce the file size of your final animation. The smaller the file, the faster it downloads over the Internet, and the faster it will play on the machines of your audience. Key to the production of small-sized animation is reducing the amount of points in your drawings. The fewer points you have in a line or a shape, the smaller the file size will be because each point requires memory to store it. Shapes you draw with the Pencil

, Line

, Polyline

, Rectangle

and Ellipse

tools create a minimum amount of points that run down the center of the shape. Strokes you draw with the Brush tool require more memory to store because the points that compose it run along the outside of the shape to create the variable-width effect. There are only two points in this line, which we drew with the Line tool. There are only seven points in this line, which we drew with the Pencil tool.

This brush stroke is surrounded by a number of points. It requires more memory to store, but the extra points are necessary to achieve the variable-width of the line.

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Toon Boom Studio has a number of tools that you can use to reduce the number of points in your drawings, making them simpler and less heavy. You can use any of these commands to simplify your drawings and reduce the complexity and file size of your animation:

• • • • •

Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 89 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command on page 91 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command on page 92 Removing Points with the Smooth Command on page 93 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer on page 95

See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Cloning Elements on page 344 Creating Cycles on page 359

Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines After you draw variable-width strokes with the Brush tool, you can convert the brush stroke to a pencil line to reduce the number of points in the line with the Extract Center Line command. Toon Boom Studio calculates the average distance between opposing exterior points in a brush stroke to create a centerline of points. You should convert your brush strokes to pencil lines before you ink them (changing their color). If you have brush strokes with two different widths, Toon Boom Studio calculates the average of both widths to create a smooth pencil line with one width size.

Because each point in a stroke requires memory to store, converting your brush strokes to pencil lines reduces the file size of your final movie.

89


To convert selected brush strokes to pencil lines: 1.

Select View > Show Strokes to display the lines that compose your drawing objects.

2.

Click the Select tool and click the brush strokes you want to convert. To select multiple brush strokes, press [Shift] and click the brush strokes.

3.

Select Tools > Extract Center Line. As soon as you activate the command, Toon Boom Studio converts the selected brush strokes to pencil lines. If the Show Strokes command is active, you can see the exterior contour line of the brush stroke move to the center to become a pencil line.

Do not use Extract Center Line on painted zones. Painted zones are surrounded by points and then filled with color. When you apply Extract Center Line to a painted zone, you may get unexpected results. See Also Deleting Points from Vector Shapes on page 105 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command on page 91 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command on page 92 Removing Points with the Smooth Command on page 93 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer on page 95 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command When you have two overlapping shapes with the same color characteristics (color value and transparency), you can use the Optimize command to reduce the number of layers in the drawing, which reduces the number of redundant points and the file size. Toon Boom Studio automatically performs this function when you export a Adobe Flash movie. Optimize will change the drawing objects only if merging the selected objects will not change the appearance of the final image. For example, if you have selected a number of partially transparent objects, which you layered to create an additive color effect, the selected transparent drawing objects will not be merged. This is because merging the transparent drawing objects will cause them to lose the effect of the layered transparent colors. This face is made up of two round shapes painted with the same color swatch. When you optimize the shapes, they are merged to one layer, eliminating extra points and reducing the file size of the drawing.

To reduce drawing layers with the Optimize command: 1.


2.


3.

Select Tools > Optimize. As soon as you activate the command, Toon Boom Studio merges all of the selected objects that it can, while preserving the look of the drawing.

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See Also Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 89 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command on page 92 Removing Points with the Smooth Command on page 93 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer on page 95 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command The Flatten command merges drawing layers into one, reducing the number of points in your drawings and reducing the file size of your animation. These two circles will appear on top of each other as in the final image, so there is no reason to have them on two separate layers. When they are flattened, the parts of any bottom layers overlapped by a top layer are removed because they have different color properties.

The Flatten command is different from the Optimize command in that it does not verify first to make sure that the merge will not affect the final appearance of the image. If the layered objects have transparencies, the cumulative effect of the transparency is not preserved when you flatten the layers. Also, the Flatten command may not preserve the layer order of overlapping centerline shapes.

92

Chapter 2: Drawing These circles are transparent, but when they are layered the overlapping area is less transparent because of the additive effect of the layering. This overlapping effect is not preserved when you merge the circles into one layer. All overlapping areas will assume the color properties of the bottom shape in the selection. In this case, one shape is created out of the two because they have the same color properties.

To reduce drawing layers with the Flatten command: 1.


2.


3.

Select Tools > Flatten. As soon as you activate the command, Toon Boom Studio merges all of the selected objects.

See Also Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 89 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command on page 91 Removing Points with the Smooth Command on page 93 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer on page 95 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Removing Points with the Smooth Command Excessive numbers of points in your drawings can increase the size of your Web animation unnecessarily. Often you can reduce the number of points in a drawing, adjust the curve, and still maintain the same shape. This can be quite time consuming if you have a lot of brush strokes to adjust. Toon Boom Studio can automate this process for you with the Smooth command. The Smooth command removes unnecessary points from a brush stroke and adjusts the brush stroke so that the curves are maintained.

93


You can apply the Smooth command repeatedly; however the more times you apply the command the less definition your shape will have. This shape was drawn with the Brush tool and created a lot of points.

After applying the Smooth command a couple of times, Toon Boom Studio reduced the number of points and preserved the shape of the object.

To remove points with the Smooth command: 1.


2.

Click the Select tool and click the brush strokes you want to remove points from. To select multiple brush strokes, press [Shift] and click the brush strokes.

3.

Select Tools > Smooth. As soon as you activate the command, Toon Boom Studio removes points and recalculates the curves of the drawing objects you select.

See Also Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 89 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command on page 91 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command on page 92 Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer on page 95 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Chapter 2: Drawing

Merging Layers Using Draw Top Layer You can have Toon Boom Studio optimize layers automatically as you draw using the Draw Top Layer command. When you activate this command, Toon Boom Studio merges drawing layers as you draw.

With the Draw Top Layer command disabled, you can see in the second picture how the two clouds kept their original form as they are moved apart.

With the Draw Top Layer command enabled, you can see that when we drag these two objects apart, the top layer took a bite out of the bottom layer Toon Boom Studio merged the layers.

To enable or disable the Draw Top Layer command:

•

Select Tools > Draw Top Layer. A check appears next to the command when it is enabled.

See Also Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 89 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Optimize Command on page 91 Reducing Drawing Layers with the Flatten Command on page 92 Removing Points with the Smooth Command on page 93 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Cutting and Erasing Drawing Objects As you use the drawing tools to create the objects and characters in your scene, you may need to cut or erase sections of drawing objects to refine your artwork. For example, if you need only the top left quarter of an ellipse, you can draw a full ellipse and cut away the section that you need. Toon Boom Studio provides you with three tools that allow you to cut or erase parts of your artwork. You can select these tools from the floating Drawing Tools toolbar. The Scissor tool and Eraser tool both allow you to remove parts from drawing objects, but function differently. The Scissor tool allows you to create cut selections. The Eraser tool allows you to draw the shape of the section you want to erase. The Cutter tool is slightly different from the Scissor and Eraser. With the Cutter tool, you divide regions with a stroke. You can then move, delete or transform those selections with the Select tool.

Eraser tool: erases parts of your lines and shapes. Cutter tool: divides regions so that you can move, delete or modify them with the Select tool. We have displayed strokes in these two drawings to illustrate what is happening.

Scissor tool: makes rectangular or lasso selections that you can move or delete.

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The Scissor tool is the Cutter tool from Toon Boom Studio version 2.x.

See Also Using the Scissor to Cut Parts from Drawing Objects on page 97 Erasing Parts from Drawing Objects on page 98 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Using the Scissor to Cut Parts from Drawing Objects Toon Boom Studio has the Scissor tool that you can use to cut sections from shapes in your drawings. You can then move and modify these cut pieces in any way you please. The Scissor tool makes a rectangular selection that you can use to select the area you want to cut. By pressing [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS), you can use a lasso to cut the shape you want.

The rectangle and ellipse are centerline shapes. When you cut a centerline object, Toon Boom Studio rounds the ends of the cut lines. Notice how the painted area is cut straight. The cyclist was drawn with the Brush tool. The Scissor tool makes clean cuts of the brush strokes

To cut parts from drawing objects: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Scissor

2.

tool.

Drag the Scissor tool across the section of the drawing object you want to cut. The Scissor tool creates a rectangular selection over the area. You can press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) to create a lasso selection mark of the shape you want.

97


3.

Use the Scissor tool to move the cut selection away from the original drawing object. If you deselect the cut object or the Scissor tool, the cut will disappear and the object will remain uncut.

After you cut your shapes, you can use the Contour Editor whatever shape you like.

tool to reshape them into

See Also Working with Selections on page 78 Erasing Parts from Drawing Objects on page 98 Reshaping Brush Strokes on page 102 Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Erasing Parts from Drawing Objects The Eraser tool in Toon Boom Studio works as a traditional eraser works on ink and paper, it allows you to remove a section of a drawing object. With the Erase tool, you can create new shapes or erase sections completely from existing shapes. Toon Boom Studio creates new vectors lines to define the erased zones. If you create a closed zone with the Eraser tool, you can:

• •

Fill the zone with a different color. Reshape the zone to create a different form. In this example, we drew an eraser line through the circle, then recolored the new drawing object that was created.

To erase a section of a shape or brush stroke: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

98

tool.

2.

Select the Pen tab in the Properties window and select a pen style to set the size of the Eraser tool. The eraser icon in the Pen tab will display next to the selected pen style.

3.

Drag your pointer through the parts of the drawing you want to erase.

Chapter 2: Drawing

You can adjust the size of the erasure line using the controls in the Pen tab. The Eraser pen style allows you to create a different set of pen properties than those of all of other drawing tools. See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Using the Cutter to Separate Regions in Drawing Objects With the Cutter tool, you divide regions with a stroke. You can then move, delete or transform those selections with the Select tool. The Cutter tool divides regions into separate parts that you can modify.

To use the Cutter tool to separate regions in drawing objects: 1.

Select View > Show Strokes to display the lines that compose your drawing objects. Displaying the strokes helps you see the changes created by the Cutter tool.

2.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool.

3.

Drag the Cutter tool to create a dividing line between the regions you want to separate.

4.

Use the Select tool to select the regions created by the Cutter tool and move, delete or modify them.

See Also Working with Selections on page 78 Using the Scissor to Cut Parts from Drawing Objects on page 97 Erasing Parts from Drawing Objects on page 98

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Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines When you draw a line or a shape in Toon Boom Studio, you can use the Contour Editor tool to modify and reshape it. You can select the Contour Editor tool from the pop-up menu on the Drawing Tools toolbar.

The Contour Editor is an important tool in the optimization of drawings for the Web.

• •

With the Contour Editor, you can delete points from lines and shapes you draw. When you reduce the number of points in a drawing, you reduce the amount of memory required to store the file. After you delete unnecessary points, you can use the Contour Editor to reshape your drawing objects.

Using the Contour Editor tool, you can transform a simple square into more complex and sleek forms that would have taken longer to draw by hand.

The Contour Editor tool allows you to create smoother curves because you are changing the curve of an existing line instead of drawing it manually. See Also Reshaping Centerline Shapes on page 101 Reshaping Brush Strokes on page 102 Adding Points to Vector Shapes on page 104 Deleting Points from Vector Shapes on page 105

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Reshaping Centerline Shapes Toon Boom Studio adds points down the center of centerline shapes drawn with the following tools: Pencil, Line, Polyline, Ellipse, and Rectangle. You can use the Contour Editor to move these points and change the shape of centerline shapes. To reshape centerline shapes: 1.

From the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor

and click the shape you want to modify.

You can now see the centerline of the shape along with the points that make up the centerline.

If you want to create closed zones as you reshape your drawing objects, use the Snap to Contour option.

• 2.

Select Tools > Snap to Contour to enable this option.

To change the shape of the centerline shape, drag one of the centerpoints or the line to a new position. Click a centerpoint to display its handles. You can drag the centerpoint, line or handles in any direction to stretch or curve a centerline shape.

3.

Drag one of the curve handles to adjust the curve of the line. You cannot drag the segment to change the curve shape. 101

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide Dragging one handle automatically moves the handle pair. Dragging a pair of handles or a centerpoint directly affects the both of the line segments attached to it.

To move each curve handle independently, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and then drag the handle.

If you can’t see the curve handles, click any centerpoint. Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS), and click a point to reset the angle of the handles.

4.

To remove the angles on the handles, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and click the point.

To move the entire drawing while the Contour Editor is active, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and drag the drawing to its new position. See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Reshaping Brush Strokes on page 102 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88 Cutting and Erasing Drawing Objects on page 96 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Reshaping Brush Strokes When you use the Brush, Toon Boom Studio creates a shape that is surrounded by points, creating what we call a contour line. Toon Boom Studio also creates contour lines when you paint an enclosed shape. You can reshape either Brush lines or painted zones with the Contour Editor.

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To change the shape of a brush stroke: 1.


and click the shape you want to modify. You can use the control points around the shape to change the shape and thickness of the brush stroke.

2.

To change the shape of the brush stroke, drag the control point of the line to a new position.

There are two curve handles around the point you just selected. Every point on the line has two of these curve handles.

If you want to create closed zones as you reshape your drawing objects, use the Snap to Contour option.

• 3.

Select Tools > Snap to Contour to enable this option.

Drag one of the curve handles to adjust the curve of the line. You can use these curve handles to change the amount of curve in the line between the current point and the nearest points on either side.

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Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide If you simply drag one curve handle, the curve of the line that passes through that control point changes on both sides of the point.

To move each curve handle independently, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and drag the handle.

4.

To remove the angles on the handles, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and click the point.

To move the entire drawing while the Contour Editor is active, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and drag the drawing to its new position. See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Reshaping Centerline Shapes on page 101 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88 Cutting and Erasing Drawing Objects on page 96 Painting a Zone with a Solid Swatch on page 152 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Adding Points to Vector Shapes All vector shapes in Toon Boom Studio are composed of points. These points mark an edge or a position where the centerline or contour changes direction. You can add more points to a centerline or contour to add a more pronounced edge to a shape or a line. For example, if you wanted a straight line to flow upwards from the start point and then turn back down sharply to the end point, you could add a point to the center of the line and drag it upwards to the new position. You can add as many points as you like. However, the more points you add, the greater the file size will be in the final animation.

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The line’s shape changes to follow the new point.

To add points to vector artwork: 1.



2.

Press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and click on the centerline or contour of the shape you want to modify. A new control point now appears on the line.

3.

You can drag this new control point to a new position or use the curve handles to adjust the curve of the line as it passes through the new control point. In this example, we add two control points on the left and right sides of the square and dragged them both to the right. Notice how the curve handles appear on the top corners now that the sides of the square have changed.

See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Optimizing Drawing Objects for the Web on page 88 Cutting and Erasing Drawing Objects on page 96 Reshaping Centerline Shapes on page 101 Protecting Drawings on page 363

Deleting Points from Vector Shapes All vector shapes in Toon Boom Studio are composed of points. These points mark an edge or a position where the center line or contour line changes direction. You can delete points from a center/contour line to remove pronounced edges from a shape or a line. Deleting points from vector artwork also reduces the file size of your final Adobe Flash movie file. 105


To transform a square into a triangle, delete one of the four corner points. The lines in the square change direction to follow the remaining points.

To delete control points from vector artwork: 1.


2.


Click a point on the shape. The selected control point appears white. You can select multiple control points by pressing [Shift] and clicking the control points you want.

3.

Press [Delete] to delete the selected control point(s). The line that flowed through the selected deleted control point adjusts itself based on the remaining controls points. With the center point gone, the line straightens itself out, taking the shortest distance between two points, forming a triangle. Be careful not to delete too many control points! For example, if you delete three of the four control points on this square, the shape will disappear.

See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Adding Points to Vector Shapes on page 104 Reshaping Brush Strokes on page 102 Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Setting Up Your Pens As you design the elements of your scene, you can select different types of pens to draw and erase lines with different qualities. The lines can be thin or thick, and be smooth or rough. You can configure all this in the Pen tab of the Properties window. If you don’t see the Properties window, select Window > Properties. Each pen style displays:

• the name of the pen style • the amount of smoothing correction that Toon Boom Studio will apply when you draw with it

• the minimum/maximum size of its line • a preview of the pen style

A brush pen style applies to all drawing tools except the Eraser tool. An eraser pen style applies when the Eraser tool is activated. When you select a pen style, all lines you draw will have the properties of that pen style until you select another. You can create customized pen styles for each project you are working on. For example, if you are working on a project whose drawings use a thick outside line but use thinner lines for the detailed areas, you could create two pen styles for each type of line. See Also Drawing Line Art on page 63 Creating and Removing Pen Styles on page 108 Modifying a Pen Style on page 109

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Creating and Removing Pen Styles Toon Boom Studio provides you with five default pen styles, but you can add your own custom-built pen styles to the Pen tab. All pen styles you create are available in every scene in the current animation project.

As you draw your objects, you can continue to make adjustments to your pen styles.

To create your own pen style: 1.

Click the Add Pen Style button. A copy of the currently selected pen style appears at the bottom of the pen styles list. This copy becomes the active brush pen style. If the Eraser tool is active, it is the active eraser pen style.

2.

Select the minimum and maximum size of the drawing line with the Minimum size/Maximum size sliders. The minimum value only applies when you use a pressure-sensitive pen and tablet. If you draw your lines with your mouse, the line thickness always uses the maximum value.

3.

Adjust the smoothness of the line with the Smoothness slider. • 0: makes a slight adjustment, allowing sharper edges

•

10: makes a greater adjustment, reducing the number of sharp edges and the number of points in the line (smaller file size in your exported animation)

When you draw a line with the Brush tool, the Pencil tool or the Eraser tool, Toon Boom Studio makes an adjustment to the line based on the value in this panel. It smooths out any sharp edges or jagged peaks in the line.

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4.

Double-click the new pen style. The name field for the pen style becomes editable.

5.

Type the pen style’s name in the field and press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS).

6.

To remove a pen style, simply select the pen style and click Remove Pen Style button.

See Also Modifying a Pen Style on page 109 Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Drawing Line Art on page 63

Modifying a Pen Style You can modify the size, smoothness, and name of any pen style in the animation project. When you make changes to a pen style, Toon Boom Studio updates the pen styles in every scene in the animation project. Only drawings you make after the pen changes are affected. To modify a pen style: 1. 2.

Select the pen style you want to modify. The selection becomes the active brush pen style. If the Eraser tool is active, it is the active eraser pen style. Modify the characteristics of that pen style by adjusting the following: Select the minimum and maximum size of the drawing line with the Minimum size/Maximum size sliders. • Adjust the smoothness of the line from the Smoothness slider.

•

•

Rename the pen style by double-clicking it and typing the new name in the field.

Any changes you make to pen styles only affect the lines you draw or erase afterward. If you remove a pen style, any lines you drew or erased with that pen style do not change; the line art remains unchanged even if you delete the pen style that created it. You can use the pen styles with the eraser and drawing tools to draw and erase lines with different qualities. The lines can be thin or thick, and be smooth or rough

109


See Also Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Resizing, Flipping, Rotating and Moving Drawing Objects on page 81 Modifying a Pen Style on page 109 Setting Up Your Pens on page 107 Drawing Line Art on page 63 Creating and Removing Pen Styles on page 108

Setting Up Your Drawing Space You can customize your drawing space to suit your needs. You can:

110

•

Display a grid that you can use as a reference while you draw.

•

Rotate the drawing space so that you can get a better angle on your drawings.

Chapter 2: Drawing

•

Use the onion skin to view previous and next drawings in an element layer.

See Also Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121 Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122

Displaying the Drawing Grid When you are drawing your objects, it may be difficult to draw them on a plain white surface that does not have any reference points. You can choose to display a grid that appears either behind or in front of your objects.

111


When you have the size of your animation set to 500 x 375, the 12 Field Grid is the same size as the camera frame in the Camera View.

You can use the grid to judge the distance and size of objects in your scene. In this example, the grid measures 12 fields in size and the drawing appears above it.

The drawing grid can appear in the Drawing View window or in the Camera View window. To see the grid in the Camera View window, you must have a Drawing element and a drawing tool selected. To display the grid: 1.

Select View > Grid > Show Grid or click the Grid button on the toolbar. A grid appears in the Drawing View or Camera View window.

2.

Select the type of grid you want to use from either the View > Grid menu or from the Grid View toolbar button. You can choose from the following types:

3.

•

Normal

•

12 Field : the grid measures 12 fields in each compass direction from the grid center.

•

16 Field : the grid measures 16 fields in each compass direction from the grid center.

Select where you want the drawings to appear in relation to the grid from the View menu. You have two choices: • Underlay: the grid appears below the drawing.

•

112

: the grid is divided into a standard set of squares of equal size.

Overlay: the grid appears on top of the drawing. You can also use the Overlay button to switch between the Overlay and Underlay options.

Chapter 2: Drawing

See Also Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121 Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122

Rotating the Drawing Space Short of flipping the monitor on its side, drawing on your computer presents new challenges that the traditional artists didn’t have to deal with. However, Toon Boom Studio solves that problem with the Rotate commands.

With the rotary light table, you can change your view of your drawing space so that you get the best angle.

It’s only natural to want to rotate your drawing space while you are working. Getting the best drawing angle, while seeing all of the relevant parts of your drawing, is important for you to be able to finely craft your drawings.

113

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide You can rotate your drawing space so that you get a better angle on a part of the drawing you are working on. In this example, the artist is using the Onion Skinning feature to see the previous position of the arm and is rotating the drawing space to draw the current drawing from a different angle.

To rotate the drawing space, do one of the following:

• • •

To turn your drawing space to the right, select View > Rotate Clockwise or press [V]. To turn your drawing space to the left, select View > Rotate Counter Clockwise or press [C]. To display the Rotary Light Table, press [Control]+[Command] (MacOS) or [Ctrl]+[Alt] (Windows) and use your mouse to freely rotate your drawing space.

To return your drawing space to the original angle, select View > Reset Rotation or press [Shift] + [C]. See Also Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121 Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122

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Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings As you develop your scene elements, it can be very helpful to see drawings that will appear before or after the current drawing. You can use these drawings as a reference to figure out the size, angle or position of the drawing you are working on. In Toon Boom Studio, the onion skin allows you to display the other drawings in the same element that appear either before or after the current cell. You can display up to three previous and three next drawings in the onion skin.

In this example, we can see two previous drawings and the two next drawings. The current drawing is on top of all the other drawings in the display.

Use the Onion Skin

button to turn the onion skin feature on and off.

In the Drawing View, Toon Boom Studio displays previous and next drawings in the onion skin in a different color so that you can distinguish them. You can also use the onion skin in the Camera View to display drawings in the previous and next frames. To set the Previous Onion Skin depth, select one of the following options from the Show Previous toolbar button:

•

No Previous Drawings selected cell.

•

Previous Drawing

•

Previous Two Drawings selection.

•

Previous Three Drawings selection

: displays only the drawing in the currently

: displays the drawing before the current selection. : displays the two drawings before the current : displays the three drawings before the current

115


To set the Next Onion Skin depth, select one of the following options from the Show Next toolbar button:

•

No Next Drawings cell.

•

Next Drawing

•

Next Two Drawings selection.

•

Next Three Drawings selection.

: displays only the drawing in the currently selected

: displays the drawing after the current selection. : displays the two drawings after the current : displays the three drawings after the current

You can also select the onion skin depth by selecting it from the View > Onion Skin sub-menu. See Also Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121 Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122 Setting Onion Skin Options on page 116

Setting Onion Skin Options By default, onion skin drawings:

• • •

are displayed as filled shapes display previous drawings in shades of red display next drawings in shades of green

You can also display these drawings as outlines and change how drawing objects are colored and shaded in the onion skin to suit your working style.

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To display onion skin drawings as outlines: 1.

Select View > Onion Skin > Show Outline on Onion Skin.

To set onion skin shading and color preferences: 1.

Open the Preferences dialog box. • Select Toon Boom Studio > Preferences in MacOS.

•

Select Edit > Preferences in Windows.


Click the Light Table tab.

3.

Select your color shading option. • If you want previous and next drawings to appear in their original color and faded, de-select the Enable Color Shading option. • If you want previous and next drawings to appear as different colors, select the Enable Color Shading option.

4.

If the Enable Color Shading option is selected, you can choose colors for previous and next drawings. • Click the Previous Drawing Color or Next Drawing Color square and select a new color from the color picker.

5.

Click OK when you are done.

See Also Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Setting Up Your Drawing Space on page 110

117


Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings As you create your drawings, you may need to see drawings from other elements in your scene so you can figure out how to draw the new drawing. While you can use the Onion Skin to see next and previous drawings in the same element, you can’t use them to see drawings in other element columns. To display specific drawings from other elements in the Drawing View, you can place them in the Static Light Table. The Static Light Table displays a paler version of the selected drawing in the Drawing View window while you work on other drawings. The Static Light Table appears just below the exposure sheet when you click the Toggle Static Light table button.

If you change the drawings that appear in the Static Light Table panel, the Static Light Table panel updates its contents immediately. To add a drawing to the Static Light Table: 1.

Click the Static Light Table

button in the Exposure Sheet window.

The Static Light Table panel appears at the bottom of the Exposure Sheet window. 2.

118

Drag the cell that contains the drawing or image you want to display into the Static Light Table panel.

Chapter 2: Drawing

A thumbnail of the selected drawing appears in the Static Light Table and the drawing appears slightly dimmed in the Drawing View window (unless you have it currently selected, in which case it appears in full color). 3.

To remove drawings in the Static Light Table, you have two options: • To remove selected drawings, [Control]-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) the selected drawing and select Delete from the pop-up menu. • To remove all the drawings, [Control]-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) anywhere in the Static Light Table and select Delete All from the pop-up menu.

See Also Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121 Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122 Changing the Display of Objects in the Static Light Table on page 119

Changing the Display of Objects in the Static Light Table When you load drawings into the Static Light Table, you can modify their display properties so that they appear differently in the Drawing View window. These properties only affect how the drawings appear while they are in the Static Light Table; they do not affect the original drawings. For example, if you had a drawing in the Static Light Table panel and it was hiding another drawing you wanted to work on, you have two choices:

• •

You can hide it from view (while keeping it in the Static Light Table). You can change the layering order so that it no longer hides the drawing you want to see. Click this button to change the front/back position of the drawing in the Static Light Table. Select this checkbox to show/hide the drawing in the Static Light Table.

To change the display properties of the objects in the Static Light Table, do any of the following:

•

To show/hide a drawing, select the Display checkbox above the thumbnail.

D When you select the Display checkbox, the drawing appears in the Drawing View window.

119


D When you deselect the Display checkbox, the drawing disappears from •

the Drawing View window, although it still appears in the Static Light Table. To show/hide all the drawings in the Static Light Table, [Control]-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) in the Static Light Table panel and select one of the following commands from the pop-up menu: D Show All: displays all the drawings in the Static Light Table.

D Hide All: hides all the drawings in the Static Light Table. •

To change the layering order of a drawing, click the layering icons above the drawing’s thumbnail.

D Overlay

: places the currently selected Static Light Table image above the currently selected drawing in the Exposure Sheet window.

D Underlay •

: places the currently selected Static Light Table image below the currently selected drawing in the Exposure Sheet window. To change the layering order for all the drawings in the Static Light Table panel, [Control]-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) the Static Light Table panel and select one of the following options from the pop-up menu: D Overlay All: places all the drawings in the Static Light Table above the currently selected drawing. D Underlay All: places all the drawings in the Static Light Table below the currently selected drawing.

To enable/disable the shading of objects that appear in the Static Light Table: 1.

Open the Preferences dialog box. • Select Toon Boom Studio > Preferences in MacOS.

•

Select Edit > Preferences in Windows.


Click the Light Table tab.

3.

In the Static Light Table panel, select Enable Shade. • When this option is selected, the color of objects in the Static Light Table is paler than the original. • When this option is de-selected, objects in the Static Light Table have the same color shading as the original.

See Also Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121

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Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame In the Drawing View, you can use the Auto Light Table when you want to see all of the images in a frame. Only the elements that are selected to show in the Element List will appear in the Auto Light Table. The Auto Light Table can help you draw objects in relation to each other. For example, if one character is grabbing something from another, you will need to see all of the drawings together to get a sense of how to position the characters’ hands. In the Auto Light Table, the selected element appears on top of all other elements, and the rest of the elements are displayed based on their layer order in the Exposure Sheet window. With the Auto Light Table activated, you can see all of the drawings at the selected frame.

To activate the Auto Light Table:

•

Click the Auto Light Table button or select View > Turn Auto Light Table On. All the drawings from the elements in the exposure in the current frame appear in the Drawing View window.

See Also Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122 121

Zooming and Panning the View Window As you work on your scene in the View windows, you can change the zoom factor so that you can zoom in closer to see some parts of your drawings in more detail or zoom out to see the entire frame. There are two ways to change the zoom factor on your drawing:

•

You can use the Zoom In and Zoom Out commands in the View menu.

•

You can use the Zoom selected zone.

tool to zoom in and out of a specific point or a

To zoom in on a specific part of your drawing: 1.

Click the Zoom tool in the Drawing Tools toolbar or select Tools > Zoom. The pointer becomes a magnifying glass.

2.

Decide which part of the drawing you want to see in greater detail. You have two choices: • If you want to see a general area, click once on that area. If you want to zoom in closer, click the area again. • If you want to see a specific region in greater detail, drag the Zoom tool to create a selection region.

3.

To zoom out, press [Option] (MacOS) or [Alt] (Windows) and click the Zoom tool on the window. The zoom factor decreases, displaying more of the drawing.

4.

To reset the zoom level, select View > Reset Zoom.

Chapter 2: Drawing

To zoom in/out using the commands in the View menu:

• • •

Select View > Zoom In to increase the zoom factor. You can also press the [X] key. Select View > Zoom Out to decrease the zoom factor. You can also press the [Z] key. Select View > Reset Zoom to reset the zoom level. You can also press [Shift]+[Z].

To pan a window:

• •

Use the Grabber button or press [Spacebar] and move the view of the Drawing View window. To return to the center of the Drawing View window, select View > Recenter or press [Shift]+[Spacebar].

See Also Displaying the Drawing Grid on page 111 Rotating the Drawing Space on page 113 Onion Skin: Displaying the Next and Previous Drawings on page 115 Static Light Table: Displaying Selected Drawings on page 118 Auto Light Table: Displaying All Images in a Frame on page 121

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Chapter 3 Importing Artwork This chapter explains how to import visual content, such as bitmaps and movies, that were created in another application. This chapter includes the following topics: •

Importing Static Images (Bitmaps) on page 126

•

Vectorizing Bitmaps on page 129

•

Importing Illustrator and PDF Files on page 131

•

Importing Flash Movies on page 133

•

Repositioning All Drawings on page 134

•

Scanning, Importing and Vectorizing Bitmaps on page 135


Importing Static Images (Bitmaps) Bitmaps might be larger in file size than vector drawings, but they do create a different visual effect that is often desirable in animated movies. As you are setting up your scene, you may want to use a background image for your characters to act against. You can import any bitmap supported by the version of QuickTime installed on your computer, including BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, PSD and PICT, as well as other file formats. In this shot, our vector character is positioned in front of a bitmap (TGA) file.

You must import bitmap images into Image elements. When you place a background image in your scene, make sure you place the element column at the extreme right (the bottom layer) of the Exposure Sheet. If you activate the Auto Light Table and you place a background element to the left of other elements, you may hide other elements or only see the background element in your Drawing View window. Graphic formats like PNG and TGA support an alpha channel, which allows you to make certain parts of an imported image transparent.

To import a bitmap image into an element in your scene: To add an Image element to your scene:

126

•

Select Element > Add > Image to add an image element to your animation.

•

You can also click the Add Image Element window.

button in the Exposure Sheet

Chapter 3: Importing Artwork

1.

Select the cell in the Image element in which you want to import the bitmap image.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the cell where you want to place the bitmap image and select Import Images > From File from the pop-up menu. The Open dialog box opens.

3.

Select the bitmap you want to import and confirm your selection.

The bitmap you selected appears in the selected cell. You’ll probably want to extend this image’s exposure time so that it appears for the necessary length of your scene. To add a new Image element and import a bitmap image: 1.

Select File > Import File. The Open dialog box opens.

2.

Select the bitmap you want to import and confirm your selection.

A new Image element is created and the bitmap you selected appears in the cell at the current frame. Importing Flash Movies on page 133 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Creating Transparent Bitmaps on page 127 Scanning, Importing and Vectorizing Bitmaps on page 135

Creating Transparent Bitmaps Bitmap graphics are shaped like rectangles, regardless of the shape of the image within them. For example, if you have an image of a dog that you want to place on top of some other elements, the area around the dog must be transparent so that the background image appears behind the dog, and the dog appears in the scene.

127

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide We made the area around the dog transparent so that the background shows through and the dog blends into the scene.

If you have a bitmap you want to use within the layering order of your elements, you must make the non-image portion of your graphic transparent so that you can see elements behind the bitmap and that other elements can appear to pass by the bitmap in the action of your scene. There are a couple of bitmap file formats that save transparency in an alpha (matte) channel, including the 32-bit TARGA format (TGA), TIFF, SGI and PSD.

To create an image that has transparent areas: 1.

Open the graphic in a third-party graphics application.

2.

Add an alpha channel to the image and create a transparent shape that will reveal the rest of the channels in the image.

3.

Save the graphic in a file format that preserves the alpha channel.

4.

Import the transparent graphic. Toon Boom Studio assumes that the alpha channel is “straight” (not pre-multiplied). If you can see “around” the object in the image, then you have successfully created a transparent graphic.

Refer to your graphic application’s documentation for instructions on how to define transparent areas. See Also Importing Flash Movies on page 133 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 128


Vectorizing Bitmaps As you develop your animation, you may want to integrate hand-drawn pictures. You can scan these pictures and import them as bitmaps into image elements. However, you cannot edit bitmap images in Toon Boom Studio. In addition, bitmap images are not as flexible as vector drawings when it comes to resolution and file size. Rather than importing your scanned drawings as bitmaps, you can transform the scanned images into vector drawings so that you can benefit from Toon Boom Studio vector technology. When you import and vectorize bitmap images, you must select an appropriate image filter and threshold. You may have to experiment with different settings to achieve the best results for your drawings. All color bitmaps are transformed into grayscale during the vectorization process. Any pure color (with an RGB value of 255) will be converted to white and ignored during the vectorization process. If you are vectorizing color bitmaps, you should recolor pure color regions that you want to be vectorized, with another color. To vectorize bitmap images: 1.

Select a cell in a Drawing element in the Exposure Sheet or Timeline.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the cell and select Import and Vectorize > From File from the pop-up window. The Open dialog box opens.

3.

Select the bitmap image you want to import and vectorize, and click Open. You can select multiple files. • Press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) to select image files in any order. • Press [Shift] to select image files in a series. The Import and Vectorize Settings dialog box opens.

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4.

Select a bitmap filter. You may have to experiment with these settings based on the qualities of the images you are vectorizing. • If the lines in your bitmap are thin, select Smoothing + Loss of Sharpness. This filter blurs the lines in the bitmap slightly so that thin lines are picked up in the vectorization process. • If the lines in your bitmap are very fine, select Smoothing + Greater Loss of Sharpness. This filter blurs the lines in your bitmap more so that more lines are transformed in the vectorization process. • If the lines in your bitmap are thick, select Edge Enhancement. This filter merges fine lines (noise) into larger lines to create cleaner objects. • If the lines in your bitmaps are thick and include a lot of fine detail, select Sharpening With Clearness. This filter sharpens edges to enhance details in your images.

5.

Select a Threshold percentage. The Threshold value filters out noise in your bitmaps. Noise can be dirt or faint smudges on your scanned images. For example, if your value is set to 70%, all color values below 70% are converted to white and ignored in the final image.

6.


A progress dialog box opens while Toon Boom Studio imports and vectorizes your images. You can modify these vector drawings like you would any other vector drawing. See Also Importing Flash Movies on page 133 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 Creating Transparent Bitmaps on page 127 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Drawing Line Art on page 63 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Repositioning All Drawings on page 134 Scanning, Importing and Vectorizing Bitmaps on page 135

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Importing Illustrator and PDF Files You can import Adobe Illustrator vector drawing files or PDF files into a Toon Boom Studio drawing element. Toon Boom Studio supports Adobe Illustrator files from version 5. You must create a PDF compatible file when you save Adobe Illustrator CS files to be able to import them into Toon Boom Studio. When you import Adobe Illustrator or PDF files, Toon Boom Studio:

•

• • • •

Converts CMYK colors to RGB. You can convert the color space of your Adobe Illustrator or PDF files when you save them. See Adobe Illustrator documentation for instructions. However, to ensure the color results you want, you should develop your Web colors in the Web-safe RGB palette. Displays objects that were hidden in the Adobe Illustrator file. Does not import text. You must convert text to outlines to import it. Does not import global color swatches from V8 and under. Does not convert transparent objects drawn with the brush tool.

If your Adobe Illustrator file contains bitmaps, be sure those bitmaps are copied into the file. If they are linked, Toon Boom Studio can not import them. To import Adobe Illustrator and PDF files into your scene: 1.


To add a Drawing element to your scene:

•

Select Element > Add > Drawing to add an image element to your animation.

•

You can also click the Add Drawing Element Sheet window.

button in the Exposure

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the selected cell and select Import Illustrator. The Open dialog box opens.

3.

Select the file you want to import and confirm your selection. You can modify this drawing just like you would modify vector drawings you created in Toon Boom Studio.

To add a new Drawing element and import Adobe Illustrator and PDF files: 1.


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2.

Select the Adobe Illustrator (AI) or PDF file that you want to import and confirm your selection.

A new Drawing element is created and the Illustrator or PDF file you selected appears in the cell at the current frame. See Also Importing Flash Movies on page 133 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Drawing Line Art on page 63 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Repositioning All Drawings on page 134

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Importing Flash Movies If you import an Adobe Flash file into your scene, Toon Boom Studio expands the contents and lays it out as a collection of elements. Toon Boom Studio creates pegs to manage any scaling, rotation or motion animated in the file. To import a Adobe Flash movie: 1.


2.

Browse to the path that contains the SWF file you want, select it and confirm your selection.

Toon Boom Studio expands the artwork within the SWF file and creates a series of elements, preserving the original animation layout. You can also import SWF files that are saved as templates into your Library window. You can also link SWF files into media elements. See Also Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Drawing Line Art on page 63 Modifying the Shape of Vector Lines on page 100 Using Templates on page 377

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Repositioning All Drawings When you hand-draw animation, you don’t always draw in the center of your paper. Sometimes you might draw more to the right so that you can see images better as you are flipping through them. Or, if you are preparing work for a traditional process, you may draw your images relative to their final placement in the composited film. When you import and vectorize bitmap images you may find that they are too far from the center for you to work on them with ease in Toon Boom Studio. Especially when you can work in a Sceneplanning view window to layout entire elements, it makes more sense to draw images in the center of the Drawing View window. You can reposition all drawings in a vector element in one move to correct drawings that might be too far from the center to work with easily. To reposition all drawings in an element: 1.

Select a drawing element.

2.

Select Tools > Drawing Tools > Reposition All Drawings. The vector drawings in the drawing element become selected in the Drawing View window.

3.

Use your mouse to reposition the drawing. Toon Boom Studio moves all drawings in the element in the same way you moved the drawing in the cell.

See Also Importing Flash Movies on page 133 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 Creating Transparent Bitmaps on page 127 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Repositioning All Drawings on page 134

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Scanning, Importing and Vectorizing Bitmaps Rather than importing images from files, you can use Toon Boom Studio to get images from any TWAIN device (such as scanners and cameras). You can either load them as bitmaps into your scene or convert them into vector images that you can edit in Toon Boom Studio. You must install a TWAIN driver for your device in order to access its contents. See the manufacturer of your device to get a TWAIN driver. To select the device you want to use: 1.

Do one of the following: • Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) a cell in an Image element in the Exposure Sheet or Timeline and select Import Images > Select TWAIN Source. • Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) a cell in a Drawing element and select Import and Vectorize > Select TWAIN Source.

2.

Use the Select Source dialog box to select the device you want to acquire content from and click OK.

To scan or get a bitmap from a TWAIN device: 1.

Select a cell in an Image element.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the cell and select Import Images > From TWAIN.

3.

A dialog box with your device’s options appears. Use the options in this dialog box to select your options and then scan or load the drawings into Toon Boom Studio.

To vectorize a bitmap retrieved from a TWAIN device: 1.


135


2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the cell and select Import and Vectorize > From TWAIN.

The Import and Vectorize Settings dialog box opens.

136

3.

Select a filter. You may have to experiment with these settings based on the qualities of the images you are vectorizing. • If the lines in your image are thin, select Smoothing + Loss of Sharpness. This filter blurs the lines in the image slightly so that thin lines are picked up in the vectorization process. • If the lines in your image are very fine, select Smoothing + Greater Loss of Sharpness. This filter blurs the lines in your image more so that more lines are transformed in the vectorization process. • If the lines in your image are thick, select Edge Enhancement. This filter merges fine lines (noise) into larger lines to create cleaner objects. • If the lines in your images are thick and include a lot of fine detail, select Sharpening With Clearness. This filter sharpens edges to enhance details in your images.

4.

Select a Threshold percentage.


The Threshold value filters out noise in your images. Noise can be dirt or faint smudges on your scanned images. For example, if your value is set to 70%, all color values below 70% are converted to white and ignored in the final image. 5.

Click OK to close the dialog box and continue the process. A dialog box with your device’s options appears. Use the options in this dialog box to select your options and then load and vectorize the drawings into Toon Boom Studio.

See Also Importing Static Images (Bitmaps) on page 126 Vectorizing Bitmaps on page 129 Importing Illustrator and PDF Files on page 131 Importing Flash Movies on page 133 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Repositioning All Drawings on page 134

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Chapter 4 Inking and Painting Learn how to produce a vibrant colorful animation using Toon Boom Studio powerful inking and painting tools. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World on page 140

•

Swatches on page 141

•

Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151

•

Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163

•

Inking Line Art on page 166

•

Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167


Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World After you create the line art for your drawing elements, you need to complete your artwork by adding color. Toon Boom Studio features a full inking and painting suite that allows you to add spectacular and vibrant colors to your drawings.

Toon Boom Studio makes the inking and painting process lightning fast by featuring simple, yet powerful painting tools designed specifically to create high-quality animation. Toon Boom Studio also provides a number of color palette management tools that can help you track, organize and update color swatches. See Also Swatches on page 141 Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151

140

Chapter 4: Inking and Painting

Swatches A swatch lets you define specific colors and textures that you can use to paint zones or line art in your drawings. You can use swatches to store solid and gradient colors, as well as textures, which allow you to paint with bitmap images. You can add your own set of swatches to a color palette to define the colors in your animation. If you use swatches to color zones consistently throughout your movie, you can easily update the colors of your drawings when the color model changes. The Toon Boom Studio color management system updates all zones and line art you paint when you make changes to the color properties of the swatch. For example, if you have a light green stripe on a pair of pants and you want to make the stripe appear darker on all of the pant drawings, all you have to do is change the properties of the swatch and Toon Boom Studio updates all zones that use that swatch with the new color properties. Shirtsleeve zone

Shirt zone

Skintone zone Pants zone Pantstripe zone

Frame zone Use the swatches in the Color Palette tab to paint the corresponding zones.

See Also Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World on page 140 Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163 Inking Line Art on page 166 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167

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Adding a Swatch When you add a swatch to your palette, the properties of the new color swatch are based on the values of the selected swatch. If you select an existing swatch with properties close to the new color, it will reduce the time you spend defining the new properties. A color swatch consists of the following:

• • •

RGB and HSB values: define the color of the swatch. Alpha (Opacity) value: defines the amount of transparency in the swatch. Name: labels the swatch and can indicate where to apply the swatch.

To add a swatch to your scene’s palette: 1.

Select the Window > Properties and click the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the New Color button. A copy of the selected swatch appears in the palette style called New 1. If there is already a swatch named New the latest swatch will appear as New 2 and so on.

See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Changing the Color Values in a Swatch on page 143 Creating a Gradient Swatch on page 144 Creating a Bitmap Swatch on page 149

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Changing the Color Values in a Swatch Use the color picker to change the color value of a swatch. To change the color values in a swatch: 1.

Double-click the color swatch you want to change. The color picker opens.

The look of your color picker is dependent on your operating system.

2.

Use the tools in the dialog box to change the color values of the swatch. You can leave the dialog box open and click another swatch to change its color values.

You can choose between RGB or HSV color models if you are using Windows. The RGB and HSV panels represent different color models from which you can select your colors.

• •

RGB panel: a color model based on a Red, Green, or Blue value. HSV panel: a color model based on Hue, Saturation, Value (brightness).

You can edit the RGB or HSV values of an existing swatch in one of two ways:

• •

By entering specific values Visually, using the color panel

To enter specific RGB or HSV values: 1.

Double-click the color swatch you want to change. The Colors dialog box opens displaying the values for the currently selected swatch.

143


2.

Type the exact RGB or HSV values in the appropriate fields.

To visually determine the RGB or HSV values: 1.

Double-click the color swatch you want to change. The Colors dialog box opens displaying the values for the currently selected swatch.

2.

Select the type of color model you want to use from the RGB and HSV panels.

3.

Use the Color Slider and the Color panel to select the color you want to use. As you drag the pointer around the Color panel, notice how all the other values in the RGB and HSV fields change. Color Slider

Color panel

Hue active

Saturation active

Value active

For example, to pick a color based on its hue, select the Hue radio button. The range of colors in the Color Slider would change to display all the hues available. You can then select the remaining S and V values from the area at the top of the Color panel. See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Creating a Gradient Swatch on page 144 Creating a Bitmap Swatch on page 149

Creating a Gradient Swatch You can add a color swatch to your palette that paints a zone with more than one color. The painted zone displays multiple colors that blend smoothly from one to another. This is called a gradient swatch. You can create some spectacular effects using a gradient. For example, you can use a gradient swatch to create a setting Sun.

144

Chapter 4: Inking and Painting In this example, the gradient swatch has four transition colors:

• yellow • red • purple • fuscia You can see the transition colors at these points.

You can define up to eight different transition points within one swatch. You can then adjust where the transitions take place by dragging transition markers to the appropriate place. In the setting sun example, we used a Linear gradient (the colors change in a straight line), but you can also use a Radial gradient (the colors change in a circular motion). To create a gradient: 1.

Double-click a color swatch on the color palette tab. The color picker opens.

The look of your color picker is dependent on your operating system. Transition markers (circled) are located below the gradient bar.

2.

Select the type of gradient you want from the Direction panel. You have two choices: • Radial: the colors blend in a circular pattern

•

Linear: the color blend along a straight line

145


3.

Define the transition color for each marker by clicking a marker and selecting a color from the Color panel. A small square appears on the selected marker. When you choose a color for a transition marker, Toon Boom Studio adjusts the colors on either side of it based on the colors of the nearest transition markers.

4.

Drag the transition markers to where you want the color to be completely changed.

5.

To add more color transitions, click directly below the gradient bar. A transition marker appears (you can add a maximum of eight markers).

Start color End color Transition color

To remove a transition marker, drag it up until it disappears. The gradient colors re-adjust to the remaining transition markers. You must always have at least two transition markers. See Also Adding a Swatch on page 142 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153

Changing the Transparency of a Swatch The Alpha or Opacity value of a color controls its transparency. You can use transparency to produce a foggy scene on a waterfront. For example, if you have two circles: a blue circle with a yellow circle on top. Changing the Opacity or Alpha value of the yellow circle lets you control how much of the blue circle you see or hide.

146


No transparency, the yellow circle blocks out the blue beneath it.

Partial transparency, the yellow circle lets some of the blue show through.

To change the transparency of a color swatch: 1.

Double-click the color swatch you want to alter, on the Color Palette tab. The color picker opens.

2.

Change the transparency by doing one of the following: • Drag the slider to the desired value.

•

Type a value of opacity or the alpha channel in the adjacent field. At 0, the swatch is completely transparent.

See Also Adding a Swatch on page 142 Offsetting Colors in a Palette Style on page 174

Naming a Swatch Although Toon Boom Studio gives the current swatch a default name you can change it to one that describes where you intend to use the color. The swatch name is more than just a label: it’s a way of defining a color zone in your drawing. For example, let’s say you use a swatch called Skintone and you use this swatch in all of your character’s skin zones. If you decide you want to darken a character’s skin color, you only need to adjust the Skintone swatch. If you applied the Skintone swatch on only the character’s skin zones, Toon Boom Studio updates all the drawings accurately.

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To change the Name of an existing color swatch in your palette: 1.

On the Color Palette tab, click the Show/Hide Color Names button to display the swatch names. Click the Show/Hide Color Names button to display swatch names.

2.

Double-click the swatch name and type the new swatch name in the field.

3.

Press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS) when you are done.

See Also Adding a Swatch on page 142 Changing the Color Values in a Swatch on page 143

148


Creating a Bitmap Swatch You can paint vector shapes with bitmap images. Toon Boom Studio fills the vector shape with the image, which allows you to achieve some sophisticated painting effects that are difficult with vector painting tools. For example, you can create a bitmap image of scales. Then you can paint your dinosaur with the scale image. Your bitmap textures can even have transparency. The smaller the file size of the bitmap texture, the faster your movie will render, and the smaller the file size of your Adobe Flash movie. To create a bitmap swatch: 1.

Click the Contextual Menu button on the Color Palette tab and select Color > Add Texture. The Open dialog box appears.

2.

Choose the texture file you want to add to the swatch.

3.

Click OK and the texture is added to the swatch.

See Also Setting a Bitmap Swatch to Tile or Stretch on page 149 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153

Setting a Bitmap Swatch to Tile or Stretch By default, all bitmap swatches are set to tile. If you click and drag in the vector shape you want to fill, the bitmaps will repeat and the length of one tile is based on the length of the drag area you create. You can change the properties of a bitmap swatch so that it stretches to fill an area. To change the properties of a bitmap swatch: 1.

In the Color Palette tab, double-click the swatch. The Texture Properties dialog box opens.

2.

Click the Tile option to select your option. 149


• •

When you select the Tile option, all vectors you fill with the bitmap will tile. When you de-select the Tile option, you turn on the Stretch option and all paint areas will stretch to fill the area of the vector zones.

3.

If you want to change the name of the swatch, type the new name in the Name field.

4.

If you want to change the image in the swatch, click the Browse button and use the Open dialog box to find the image you want to use.

5.


See Also Creating a Bitmap Swatch on page 149 Painting a Zone with a Solid Swatch on page 152 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153

150


Painting Zones in Your Drawings To paint or unpaint the zones in your drawings, you use the Toon Boom Studio painting tools. These tools let you fill closed zones with a solid or gradient color, or a bitmap texture. You can choose colors from the color palette, or an existing line or zone. When you paint a zone in your drawing, you add color to that zone, and assign a color swatch to it. This lets you make color changes to your drawings without repainting each time.

Change the properties of the swatch and you automatically change the color zones.

You have two choices when painting zones with color.

•

You can use the Paint tool to fill zones with color or to change the color of a zone that is already painted.

151


•

You can use the Paint Unpainted tool to paint only zones that have no color. This tool allows you to quickly paint many zones with the same color while not changing the color of zones that have already been painted.

See Also Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World on page 140 Swatches on page 141 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163 Inking Line Art on page 166 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153 Drawing Line Art on page 63

Painting a Zone with a Solid Swatch When you have enclosed zones in your drawings, you can start painting them with the color swatches in your palette style. If you change the properties of a swatch, the color properties of the associated zones change as well. You can move any painted shape independently of the line art.

When you unpaint a color zone, you are deleting the color shape.

To paint a zone with a solid color:

152

1.

From the Color Palette tab, select the swatch you want to use to paint the zone.

2.

Select the Paint or Paint Unpainted tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar.


3.

Click in the enclosed zone in your drawing. If you are using the Paint Unpainted tool, you can drag your pointer through many zones to paint the unpainted zones with the selected color.

See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Unpainting Zones/Line Art on page 161 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163 Auto Gap Close Options on page 165 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153 Power Painting Drawings in an Element on page 159

Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures You can fill closed vector shapes with gradients or bitmap texture. Toon Boom Studio fills the entire zone with the gradient or bitmap texture. To paint a zone with a gradient or bitmap, you can just click inside the vector shape, which fills the zone with the gradient or bitmap. Or you can drag your pointer to control the angle of the fill or the length of the transition.

•

When you paint with a gradient, the first click sets the position of the start color and where you drag the pointer sets the position of the end color; the zone between the start and end points is the gradient.

The point where you click the Paint tool determines the center of a radial gradient.

This radial gradient begins at the centre and ends near the edge of the circle.

The point where you end the drag will be the starting point for the last color in the gradient.

Drag a linear gradient to determine the gradient’s start and end points.

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•

When you paint with a texture, the direction you drag your pointer indicates the direction of the bitmap fill. If your bitmap swatch is set to tile, the distance between the first and last click indicates the length of one image in the tile.

The point where you click the Paint tool determines the center of the texture.

This texture has a small tile width so many tiles are required to fill the the zone.

This width of this texture tile is larger than the zone it fills.

To paint zones with gradients and bitmap textures: 1.


2.

Select the Paint or Paint Unpainted tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar.

3.

Click in the enclosed zone in your drawing or click and drag to control the properties of the fill. If you are using the Paint Unpainted tool, you can drag your pointer through many zones to fill the unpainted zones with the selected gradient or bitmap. However, you don’t get to control the properties of the fill when you paint multiple zones.

See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Unpainting Zones/Line Art on page 161 Auto Gap Close Options on page 165 Power Painting Drawings in an Element on page 159 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163

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Editing Gradient and Texture Fills After you fill a zone with a gradient or texture bitmap, you can change its orientation using the Edit Texture

tool.

The Edit Texture tool

The texture editor selection frame

To edit a texture: 1.

Select Edit Texture tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar.

2.

Click the texture you want to edit. The texture editor appears around the textured drawing.

Edit Selection handles

Rotate handle

Pivot point

155


3.

Rotate or change the direction of the bitmap fill by grabbing and moving the handles. Rotated bitmap texture. Notice the texture editor’s new position.

Drag the rotation handle. and the bitmap texture rotates within the line art. Hold down the [Shift] key to rotate it in 15 degree increments.

Use this handle to scale the bitmap texture.

Use this handle to compress or expand the bitmap texture horizontally.

To edit a gradient: 1.

156



2.

Click the gradient you want to edit. The gradient editor appears around the drawing. The look of the editor depends on the gradient type when it is enabled. The linear gradient editor includes two parallel bars that indicate the positions of the first and last color.

Scale handle

Rotate handle

The radial gradient editor is the same as the texture editor, but includes a guide that indicates the shape of the gradient’s ellipse.

Pivot point

3.

Rotate or change the direction of the gradient fill by grabbing and moving the handles. Rotated linear gradient. Notice the gradient editor’s new position. Drag the rotation handle and the gradient rotates within the line art. Hold down the [Shift] key to rotate it in 15 degree increments.

Drag the pivot to reposition the gradient and change the point around which the editor rotates.

Drag the scale handle to expand or compress the gradient. In this example, the radial gradient has been scaled down to a third of its original size.

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Copying Gradient and Texture Fills You can copy a gradient or texture fill’s rotation, scaling and position changes properties and copy it to another fill. The circle and the overlapping ring use the same texture but have different texture properties, specifically their tile size and rotation. Circle’s texture editor

The texture properties of the ring are set to use those of the circle.

Ring’s texture editor with copied mapping

To copy a texture mapping: 1.


2.

Click the gradient or texture you want to copy. The texture or gradient editor appears for the selected drawing.

3.

Copy the properties mapped to the gradient or texture: • Select Edit > Copy Texture Mapping.

• •

Select Copy Texture Mapping from the pop-up menu. Press [Ctrl]+[C] (Windows) or [Command]+[C] (MacOS), the default keyboard shortcut.

4.

Click the gradient or texture that you want to use the same properties to select it.

5.

Paste the properties: • Select Edit > Paste Texture Mapping.

• •

Select Paste Texture Mapping from the pop-up menu. Press [Ctrl]+[V] (Windows) or [Command]+[V] (MacOS), the default keyboard shortcut.

The properties of a gradient texture can be mapped to another object with a different texture or gradient swatch. Note, that you are not copying the swatch, you are copying it properties.

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Chapter 4: Inking and Painting The linear gradient’s properties have been copied to an object that is filled with a texture.

The texture editor of the object on the right copies the gradient editor’s mapping. The tile size is equivalent to the length of the gradient.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153 Creating a Bitmap Swatch on page 149 Setting a Bitmap Swatch to Tile or Stretch on page 149

Power Painting Drawings in an Element You can use Toon Boom Studio Paint All tool to automatically paint closed zones in the same location in an element. To use the Paint All tool, you click a zone in a drawing object. Toon Boom Studio then flips through all of the drawings in the element to see if there is a closed zone in the location you clicked. If there is, Toon Boom Studio fills the zone with the same color. This can save you a lot of time when you are painting an element with a lot of drawings that are very similar. You can use the onion skin to select a location to click.

The ant’s head stays in the same position throughout the cycle of drawings.

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To power paint drawings in an element: 1.

Turn on the onion skin so that you see as many drawings in your element as possible:

•

Press the Onion Skin button or select View > Onion Skin > Turn Onion Skin On, and use Onion Skin toolbar or select View > Onion Skin menu to turn on the onion skin and select Three Previous Drawings and Three Next Drawings.

2.


3.

Select the Paint tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar.

4.

Press [Shift]+[Alt] (Windows) or [Shift]+[Option] (MacOS) and click a zone that many drawings in the element share. Toon Boom Studio evaluates all of the drawings in the element to determine if there is a closed zone beneath where you clicked. You may have to review the drawings and make sure that the zones you wanted painted were.

See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Unpainting Zones/Line Art on page 161 Auto Gap Close Options on page 165 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163

Picking a Swatch from a Line or Zone To select the swatch you want to draw, ink or paint with, you can click a color swatch on the Color Palette tab. However, if you have a number of color palettes, palette styles and color swatches, it can be time-consuming to select the right color swatch. You can use the Dropper tool to select a swatch from a drawing. When you click a zone or line with the Dropper tool, Toon Boom Studio selects the color palette, palette style and color swatch that from the line or zone. You can then switch to the Paint tool and color a line or zone with the active color swatch. To pick a color from a line or zone: 1.

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Select the Dropper tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or the Drawing Tools toolbar. If either the Pencil, the Paint tool, or Brush tools are active, you can press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) to activate the Dropper tool.


2.

Click the line or zone that has the color you want to use. Toon Boom Studio selects the color palette, palette style and color swatch that was used in the line or zone. You can now switch to the Paint tool and fill a line or zone with the active swatch. Toon Boom Studio selects the color palette, palette style and color swatch of the color you click with the Dropper tool.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Unpainting Zones/Line Art on page 161 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171 Blending a Color into a Palette Style on page 176

Unpainting Zones/Line Art You can remove a color entirely from a selected zone using the Unpaint tool. This deletes the color shape you created when you filled the closed zone with a color. You can leave it empty or color it with another color swatch.

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When we unpainted this zone, we effectively deleted the color shape assigned to it.

This is not the same as just painting it white; when you delete the color shape from a painted zone, whatever is behind the zone shows through.

Unpainted zones allow the grid in the Drawing View window to show through.

To remove the color from a zone or the line art: 1.

Select the Unpaint tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or the Drawing Tools toolbar.

2.

Click the painted zone or the line art from where you want to remove the color.

If you unpaint a color zone that has line art around it, you’ll be able to repaint that zone. But if you unpaint a line, a brush stroke, or a color shape that doesn’t have line art, Toon Boom Studio erases that object. You will not be able to repaint that shape. See Also Swatches on page 141 Painting Zones with Gradients and Textures on page 153 Creating a Bitmap Swatch on page 149

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Closing Gaps in Your Drawings When you draw your line art, you may not always close the zones completely. Sometimes, intentionally or not, you might end a line too soon, creating a gap. To fill zones with color, they must be closed. You must use the gap closing features in Toon Boom Studio if you want to fill unclosed zones with color. You can use the following tools to close gaps manually:

•

The Close Gap tool closes zones so that you can fill them with a solid color or gradient swatch.

•

The Stroke

tool allows you to draw shapes that have no visible line art.

Use these Paint tools to close the gaps in your drawings

While you are painting, you can also use the Toon Boom Studio auto-gap close options to automatically close gaps as you paint. See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Manually Closing Gaps on page 163 Auto Gap Close Options on page 165

Manually Closing Gaps To manually close gaps in your artwork so that you can paint the zones, use one of these two tools:

•

You can use the Stroke tool to close zones manually, without adding line art. The Stroke tool adds contours, which you can use to close zones that you can fill with color.

•

You can use the Close Gap color.

tool to create closed zones you can fill with

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The Close Gap tool automates gap closing. It finds the end points closest to the line you draw with the Close Gap tool and draws straight lines to connect the points. You can use this tool to close small gaps that are difficult to see. To close a gap using the Stroke tool: 1.

Select View > Show Strokes so that you can see the contours that make up the zones you want to close. Every line and shape should display a thin blue line with occasional contour points.

2.

To activate the Stroke tool, select the Tools > Drawing Tools > Stroke or select the Stroke tool from the Drawing Tools toolbar.

3.

Drag the Stroke tool across the open gaps to close any open zones. After you close all of the gaps in a zone, you can fill the zone with color. Connect contours to create closed zones that you can fill with color.

Activating the Show Strokes command lets you see the contours.

To close a gap using the Close Gap tool: 1.

Select View > Show Strokes so that you can see the contours that make up the zones you want to close. Every line and shape should display a thin blue line with occasional contour points.

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2.

Select the Close Gap tool from Drawing Tools toolbar. Your pointer becomes a crosspoint when the Close Gap tool is active.

3.

Drag the Close Gap tool near the areas on your drawing where there are gaps.


Toon Boom Studio finds the closest end-points and draws a straight contour line to connect them. After you close all of the gaps in a zone, you can fill the zone with color. Drag the Close Gap tool near the gap in the zone. Toon Boom Studio finds the closest end-points and draws straight contour lines to connect them.

Activating the Show Strokes command lets you see the contours.

See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163 Auto Gap Close Options on page 165 Drawing Line Art on page 63

Auto Gap Close Options By using the Auto Gap Close option you eliminate gaps in your line art as you paint. This lets you paint your zones without having to be concerned about having gaps in your artwork, which may prevent you from filling zones with color. You have three tolerance levels to choose from:

• • •

Close Small Gap Close Medium Gap Close Large Gap

You can also disable this feature. To use auto gap closing to close zones: 1.

Select Tools > Auto Gap.

2.

From the Auto Gap menu, select the tolerance level you want to use: • Disabled

• • •

Close Small Gap Close Medium Gap Close Large Gap

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The selected option is automatically applied when you paint your zones. See Also Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Manually Closing Gaps on page 163 Drawing Line Art on page 63

Inking Line Art When you draw line art, Toon Boom Studio uses the currently selected color swatch to color the line. If you change the properties of the swatch, the color properties of the associated line art change as well. This line art uses a linear swatch, starting at the top centre and ended it at the bottom centre This line art uses a solid swatch.

This line art uses a radial swatch, starting at the centre and ending at the bottom.

You can also change the color properties of a line by inking the line art with the Paint tool. When you ink line art, you assign a new swatch to the line and change its color properties. To change the line art color: 1.

From the Color Palette tab, select the swatch you want to use to paint the zone. • You can ink brush strokes with solid, gradient or texture swatches.

•

You can only ink centerline shapes with solid swatches.

2.

Select the Paint tool from the Tools > Drawing Tools menu or from the Drawing Tools toolbar.

3.

Click the line art you want to ink.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Changing the Color of Brush Strokes, Fills and Centerline Objects on page 86 Drawing Line Art on page 63 166


Managing Your Colors with Palettes You can organize color swatches into palettes and palette styles. You use these to create sets of color swatches, custom built to suit different character moods or light settings. You can create one palette for each character/object and customize the palette styles for each situation that character/object may be in.

One Palette Two Styles

Different settings

For example, let’s say you had a character that appeared in two different lighting settings. You could create a palette for that character with two palette styles (one for each lighting setting). See Also Coloring Your Toon Boom Studio World on page 140 Swatches on page 141 Painting Zones in Your Drawings on page 151 Closing Gaps in Your Drawings on page 163 Inking Line Art on page 166

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Creating a Palette For each character and object in your movie, you can have a different palette that contains the customized color swatches organized by palette style. Having individual palettes allows you to control the unique color properties of each part of your scene. For example, let’s say you have a movie with two characters and takes place in two different lighting sets. You would create two palettes (one for each character) that would each have two palette styles (one for each light change). To create a new palette:

•

In the Color Palette tab, click the Contextual Menu button and select Palette > New Palette from the pop-up menu. A new palette appears in the Palette Name drop-list with a default name.

When you create a new palette, Toon Boom Studio creates a new palette with one default color swatch.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Renaming a Palette on page 170 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171

Copying a Palette Because many characters have the same types of features that need painting (hair, face, eyes, mouth, and so on), creating copies of a palette can save you time and effort. You can create one palette and use it as a template for other palettes. When you have this template palette, you can then create a copy of it and change its name, the names of the palette styles, and customize all of it’s associated color swatches to suit each character and object in your scene.

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For example, in this scene we created a palette style that contains most of the necessary color swatches for the Bikerdude character. Then we made two copies of that palette, one for each character, because they all share similar color zones (Skintone, Frame, shirt, pants and so on).

In this example, colors common to each scene remain the same in each palette. The colors of the clothing elements are different in each scene so these colors are different in each palette

When you copy a palette, you are also copying all the palette styles contained in that palette. Each palette style contains the color swatches you can use to add color to a specific character. To create a copy of your palette: 1.

Select the palette you want to copy from the Name drop list in the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu the pop-up menu.

button and select Palette > Duplicate Palette from

A new palette appears in the Palette Name drop-list. This copied palette contains all of the palette styles (and their associated color swatches) that the original palette had. See Also Swatches on page 141 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Creating a Palette on page 168 Renaming a Palette on page 170 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171

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Renaming a Palette When you create a new palette or you copy an existing palette, Toon Boom Studio assigns a default name to it. You can rename the palette to give it a more descriptive name. For example, if you had four characters in a scene, you could create four palettes that each contain the customized color swatches for each character. To rename a palette: 1.

Select the palette you want to rename from the Name drop list in the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu button and select Palette > Rename Palette to give the new palette a customized name. The Rename dialog box opens.

3.

Type a new name for the palette in the Palette Name field and click OK. The new name for the selected palette appears in the Name drop-list.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Creating a Palette on page 168 Copying a Palette on page 168 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171

Deleting a Palette When you no longer need a palette, or any of its styles, you can delete it. When you delete a palette, any zones or lines you painted with the colors in the palette turn bright red. You can repaint the lines and zones using either a new palette or an existing palette. To delete a palette: 1.

Select the palette you want to delete from the Name drop list in the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu button and select Palette > Delete Palette from the pop-up menu. A confirmation dialog box opens.

3.

Decide if you really want to delete the selected palette. Click Yes to delete the selected palette and all of its palette styles.

• •

Click No to cancel the delete palette command.

Toon Boom Studio removes the selected palette from the current animation set. The other palettes in the animation set are not affected. 170


See Also Swatches on page 141 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Creating a Palette on page 168 Copying a Palette on page 168 Renaming a Palette on page 170 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171

Creating Multiple Palette Styles A palette includes one or more palette styles. After you create the swatches in a palette style, you can make multiple copies of this palette style and customize them to suit different light and color settings. Multiple palette styles allow you to adjust a character’s colors instantly instead of recoloring each swatch. When you switch palette styles Toon Boom Studio automatically repaints those zones with the same properties of the active palette style. When you export your animation, the active palette style is used. When you add a color swatch to one palette style, Toon Boom Studio automatically adds it to all the palette styles in the current palette. This allows you to create different color styles for a single drawing, while keeping the same swatches in each style.

Two styles - one brightly colored for a daytime scene, the other has dull colors for the same scene in the rain.

To create a new palette style in a set: 1.

In the Color Palette tab, select the palette and palette style you want to use to create the new style.

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2.

Click the Contextual Menu pop-up menu.

button and select Style > Duplicate Style from the

A new palette style appears in the Palette style drop-list with a default name (Style#). The copied style contains all swatches in the original palette style. 3.

Customize the color swatches as necessary.

Remember that you can change the color properties of a swatch in a palette style without changing the properties of the same swatch in the other palette styles. If you attempt to change the name of a swatch, or add a new swatch, all the styles in the palette reflect this change as well. The palette style can be different for each scene in your project. For example, you can use a palette style for a character for a sunny daytime scene, and another palette style for a scene in which it is raining. You can apply the default style to the daytime scene, but you may want to apply a darker palette style to the rainy scene within the same project. To change the palette style used in a specific scene: 1.

Select Window > Scene Manager.

2.

In the Scene Manager window, select the scene to which you want to apply the palette style.

3.

Click the Contextual Menu scene.

4.

In the Color Palette tab, select the palette style you want to apply to the scene from the Style drop list.

button and select Make Current to activate the

See Also Swatches on page 141 Managing Your Colors with Palettes on page 167 Creating a Palette on page 168 Renaming a Palette Style on page 172 Deleting a Palette Style on page 173

Renaming a Palette Style When you create a palette style, Toon Boom Studio assigns a default name to it. You can rename the palette style to give it a more descriptive name. For example, if you had a character that had scenes in three different light settings, you could create three palette styles that each contain the same number of color swatches

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with the same names, but with different color properties based on each type of light setting. To rename a palette style: 1.

Select the palette style you want to rename from the Style drop list in the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu button and select Style > Rename Style to give the palette style a new name. The Rename dialog box opens. You can also select this command by control-clicking the top section of the Color Palette tab and selecting Style > Rename from pop-up menu.

3.

Type a new name for the palette style in the Style Name field and click OK. The new name for the selected palette style appears in the Palette style drop-list.

See Also Swatches on page 141

Deleting a Palette Style When you no longer need a palette style, you can delete it. However, you cannot delete the last style in a palette. Your only option is to delete the entire palette, deleting all the styles in it. For example, let’s say you had a scene called Dusk that required the color swatches to have more red in them. You would have created a palette style for each of your characters called Dusk that had slightly redder colors. As your project evolves, you decide to drop the Dusk scene completely. Because you don’t really need the Dusk palette style anymore, you can delete it from the palette. Deleting a palette style from a palette does not affect any of the other styles in the set. However, the zones and line art in your drawing will now use the colors in the next available palette style. To delete a palette style: 1.

Select the palette style you want to delete from the Style drop list in the Color Palette tab.

2.


button and select Style > Delete Style.

Toon Boom Studio removes the selected style and its associated color swatches from the current palette and applies the swatch properties of the active style to the drawings that use them.

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See Also Swatches on page 141 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171 Renaming a Palette Style on page 172

Offsetting Colors in a Palette Style Toon Boom Studioprovides you with a powerful feature for tinting the color properties of all swatches in a palette style simultaneously. Using the Tint Offset dialog box you can add or subtract RGB/HSB and Alpha (transparency) values from all of the swatches in a selected palette style to suit a specific situation. This eliminates the need to make time consuming individual adjustments to each swatch, removes the possibility of inconsistent results, and provides uniform color adjustment. Normal settings before adjusting RGB/HSB and Alpha (transparency) values.

Changing the offset properties adjusts the color properties of the swatches in the current palette style. For example, you can increase the amount of red in a palette, which makes reds redder and blues more purple.

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Results of setting the Red values to minimum or maximum.

If you want to mix a new color into a palette style, you must use the Tint Blend dialog box. To tint all of the colors in a palette style: 1.

Select the palette and the palette style you want to modify from the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu Offset dialog box opens.

3.

Select the type of adjustment you want to make to the palette style. You have two choices: • RGB: adjusts the Red, Green, and Blue values in the current palette.

• 4.

button and select Style > Tint Offset. The Tint

HSB: adjusts the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness values in the current palette.

Using the sliders/fields, adjust the RGB or HSB values in the current palette. As you make adjustments in this dialog box, the swatches in the current palette style change as well as the drawings that use those swatches, but the changes only become permanent when you click OK.

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You can also use the Alpha slider/field to adjust the amount of transparency in the current palette style colors.

Reducing the Alpha value alters the transparency.

5.

Use the Blending slider to change the intensity of the current RGB/HSB and Alpha values by a selected percentage.

6.

Click OK when done.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171 Blending a Color into a Palette Style on page 176

Blending a Color into a Palette Style You can use the Tint Blend dialog box to blend a specific amount of a selected color into the swatches in a palette style. For example, if a character is standing close to a fire, blend orange into the character’s palette style to show the firelight reflecting off the character’s body and clothing. The difference between tint blend and tint offset is that when you use the Tint Offset command, you are increasing or decreasing the existing RGB/HSB/Alpha values of the swatches in a palette style. The Blend command add a new color into all the swatches in the palette style.

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To blend a selected color into the selected palette style: 1.

Select the palette and palette style you want to modify from the Color Palette tab.

2.

Click the Contextual Menu Blend dialog box opens.

3.

Select the type of adjustment you want to make to the palette style. You have two choices: • RGB: adjusts the Red, Green, and Blue values in the current palette.

• 4.

button and select Style > Tint Blend. The Tint

HSB: adjusts the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness values in the current palette.

Use the RGB/HSB sliders and the Alpha slider/field, select the type of color you want to mix with the current palette style. As you make adjustments in this dialog box, the swatches in the current palette style change as well as the drawings that use those swatches, but the changes only become permanent when you click OK.

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5.

Use the Blending slider/field to select the percentage of the blend color you want to add to the current palette style.

Zero blend used.

6.

Adds 50% of the selected color to the swatches.

Adds 100% of the selected color to the swatches.

Click OK to permanently blend the selected color into the swatches in the current palette style.

See Also Swatches on page 141 Creating Multiple Palette Styles on page 171 Offsetting Colors in a Palette Style on page 174

Importing and Exporting Palettes Building color palettes often involves a thoughtful selection of colors and ways to organize them. After creating these palettes, you may want to use them in other projects. Toon Boom Studio allows you to easily import palettes from other projects into your current one. You can also prepare a palette file for export from one or more palettes that you select from your current project. A palette file contains:

• • •

The name of each stored palette All palette styles in each palette All color swatches associated with each palette

Importing Palettes You can import palettes from other projects into your current project. You can use any TBCP file located in your file directory.

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To import color palettes into your scene: 1.

Click the Color Palette tab.

2.


button and select Palette > Import Palette.

The Open dialog box appears. 3.

Choose the color palette file (TBCP file format) that you want to import.

4.

Click Open. The dialog box closes and the palettes are imported. Select the Name drop-list in the Color Palette tab to see the updated list.

See Also Exporting Palettes on page 179

Exporting Palettes You can export one or more palettes in the current scene to a single palette file (TBCP file format), allowing you to re-use them in other projects. To export color palettes from your scene: 1.

Click the Color Palette tab.

2.


button and select Palette > Export Palette.

The Export Palette dialog box lists all palettes in the current scene. 3.

Select one or more palettes in the list. You can press the Select All button if you want to include all palettes in the export. 179


4.

In the File text field, enter the location and file name of the palette file you will export. You can use the Browse button to navigate to the directory you want to use.

5.

Click Export to create the color palette file.

See Also Importing Palettes on page 178

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Chapter 5 Adding Sound This chapter explains how to add sound tracks to your movie. It also explains how to automatically generate a lip chart. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Importing Sounds on page 182

•

Editing Sounds on page 185

•

Lip Synching on page 192


Importing Sounds When you decide that you want to add sound to your movie, you must first prepare this sound outside Toon Boom Studio. Then in Toon Boom Studio, you must add a Sound element, which organizes sound files in your animation. A sound will play in the movie until it reaches the end of the file or a stop frame you create in the Sound Element Editor. If the sound extends into multiple scenes it will keep playing. You can import as many sound files as you like, just be sure to consider the constraints of your audience if you will be delivering your movies over the Internet - the more sounds you add, the larger the file size of your final movie. Toon Boom Studio import, exports and plays sounds using QuickTime. Toon Boom Studio only supports the sound formats recognized by QuickTime, with one exception: Flash ADPCM format, which we support natively. To import sound to your scene: 1.

Select Element > Add > Sound. An empty sound element appears in the Exposure Sheet window and Timeline window.

2.

In the Exposure Sheet window, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the cell at the frame number where you want the sound to start playing and select Import Sound File from the pop-up menu. The Open dialog box opens.

3.

Select the sound file you want to use in your scene and click Open. If the sound file doesn’t already exist in your animation, Toon Boom Studio copies the file from its present location to the Sound folder in your animation set folder.

The sound file now appears in the cell you selected. The entire name of the file appears in the cell, so you should try to keep the file name short so you can see it easily in the cell. 182

Chapter 5: Adding Sound

You can also import sounds in the Sound Element Editor. 1. Select the sound element and select Element > Edit Sound. The Sound Element Editor opens. 2. Click Import. The file browser opens. 3. Select the sound you want to import and click Open. For more information on the Sound Element Editor, see Editing Sounds on page 185. To add a new Sound element and import a sound file into your scene: 1.


2.

Select the sound file you want to import and confirm your selection.

A new Sound element is created and the sound file begins in the cell at the current frame. See Also Editing Sounds on page 185 Renaming Elements on page 341 Lip Synching on page 192

Event and Streamed Sounds You can set up your sounds to be either streamed or event sounds when they are exported to the Adobe Flash format. There are two major distinctions between event and stream sounds in the Adobe Flash file:

•

Downloading

D Event sounds are downloaded by the Adobe Flash player before they play. D Event sounds are reusable. Once downloaded, the Adobe Flash player can play the sound repeatedly without downloading it again. This is not possible with streamed sound. D Streamed sound plays as it arrives.

D Streamed sound samples are broken into small bits and inserted between the video frame. This allows the Adobe Flash player to start to play before receiving the full sound track which is helpful for a long sound track (like background music).

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•

Synchronization

D Streamed sounds are kept synchronized with the video by the Adobe Flash player. The player drops frames if necessary, for example, if the video renderer is too slow and falls behind the sound track. D Event sounds are not synchronized with video. After a while, an event sound may fall out of sync with the video. Because streamed sounds are more likely to be synchronized with the images in your animation, lip sync sounds should be set to stream. If you set more than one sound to stream, they will be mixed together and exported as one, streamed sound. To stream the sounds in an element: 1.

Select the Sound element and select Element > Edit Sound. The Sound Element Editor opens.

2.

Select the Streamed checkbox. This toggles on and off the streaming sound option. If the option is not selected, the sound is set as an event sound.

Here’s the Streamed checkbox.

See Also Editing Sounds on page 185

Playing the Sound in Your Animation After you’ve added sounds to your scene, you can preview the scene with all the sounds in sync. This helps you make any adjustments necessary to keep your sound synchronized with the action in your scene. To play sound only:

184

1.

In the Exposure Sheet window, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) on the cell containing the sound.

2.

Select Play from the pop-up menu.


3.

To stop the sound playback, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the same cell and select Stop from the pop-up menu.

You can use the Interactive Playback to playback the sound in a scene. However, because the scene may not playback in real time, the sound may be out-of-sync with the action. See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Editing Sounds on page 185 Real-Time Playback on page 392 Exporting Your Movie on page 394

Editing Sounds The Sound Element Editor makes it possible for you to edit sounds created outside of Toon Boom Studio and imported into the movie. Sound Element panel

Lip sync preview images

Current Sound panel

The Sound Element Editor consists of three main elements.

• • •

The Sound Element panel displays the waveform of all sound files in the element. The Current Sound panel displays the waveform of the selected sound so that you can edit its properties. The Lip sync preview images appear when you lip sync a sound. 185


In the Sound Element Editor, you can:

• • • • •

Adjust the start frame/time of a sound. Cut sections from the start and end of the sound. Adjust the volume of a sound clip and create fade envelopes. Generate lip charts. Set the sound element to Streamed or Event sound.

See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194 Trimming the Start and End of a Sound File on page 187 Fading the Sound In and Out on page 189

Changing the Start or End Frame of a Sound To synchronize your sound with specific images in your animation, you must set a start frame. If you want to make sure the sound ends by a certain frame, you must set an end frame. To change start or end frame of a sound: 1.

Select Element > Edit Sound. The Sound Element Editor dialog box opens.

2.

Select the sound you want from the Sound Element panel. To distinguish one sound file from another, check the frame numbers that appear above the sound waves or select a sound wave and click the Play button in the Current Sound panel (only the selected sound plays).

3.

Using the Sound Element panel, drag the selected clip to the frame position where you want it to start playing. The start and end frames appear in the green and yellow tabs.

You can only move the clip to a section that does not already contain a clip; you cannot overlap two clips in the same element.

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4.

To change the end frame, drag the yellow marker at the end of the waveform to the frame position.

5.

To hear how all of the clips fit together in the element, click the Play the Sound Element panel. If you only want to hear the selected clip, click the Play Sound panel.

6.

button in

button in the Current

Click OK when done. The exposure sheet/timeline should now display the sound clip at the start frame you selected.

See Also Importing Sounds on page 182 Lip Synching on page 192 Fading the Sound In and Out on page 189 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194

Trimming the Start and End of a Sound File If you want to play only a section of a sound file, you can use the Sound Element Editor dialog box to select the exact part you want to use. For example, let’s say there is a bit of noise at the start of the sound. You can use the Sound Element Editor to cut the noise at the start of the sound file. The Sound Element Editor does not change the original sound file; it only plays a section of it, ignoring the rest. This allows you to reuse the full sound in other scenes in the movie. However, this means that the entire sound file is included on export. So if must be considerate of file size, it is better to edit sound files completely in a sound editor before you bring them into Toon Boom Studio. Toon Boom Studio does not change the sound to fit into the number of frames you select. If the number of frames you select is longer than the played sound, no sound is heard from that point on. To select the section of a sound file to play in your scene: 1.

Select the Sound element and select Element > Edit Sound. The Sound Element Editor dialog box opens.

2.

Select the sound you want to work on from the Sound Element panel. To distinguish one sound file from another, check the frame numbers that appear above the sound waves or select a sound wave and click the Play button in the Current Sound panel (only the select sound will play).

187


3.

Using the Current Sound panel, you can decide which part of the file you want to play by dragging the left and right boundaries of the selection area.

See Also Importing Sounds on page 182 Lip Synching on page 192 Fading the Sound In and Out on page 189 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194

Looping a Sound To repeat a sound, you specify the number of times you want it to loop in the Sound Element Editor. To loop a sound:

188

1.


2.

From the Sound Element panel, select the sound file you want to loop.

3.

In the Current Sound panel, type the number of time you want the sound to play in the Number of Loops field.

4.

Click OK to close the dialog box.


The looped sounds appear washed-out to distinguish them from the original.

Enter the number of loops here.

When you loop a sound, the looped sections fill the frames in the Sound element until they encounter the next sound in the column, at which point the sound cuts out. See Also Importing Sounds on page 182 Lip Synching on page 192 Fading the Sound In and Out on page 189 Trimming the Start and End of a Sound File on page 187

Fading the Sound In and Out You can modify the volume throughout a sound clip by adjusting the fade-in and fadeout times; these are also known as envelopes.When you play the sound clip the volume adjusts over time to fade the sound. The fades only affect the playback; the original sound file is not affected. To adjust the fade in/out effect on a sound clip: 1.

Select the Sound element and select Element > Edit Sound. The Sound Element Editor dialog box opens.

2.

In the Sound Element panel, select the sound you want to work on. A more detailed version of the selected sound appears in the Current Sound panel.

3.

In the Current Sound panel, click the waveform to add an envelope marker.

4.

Drag the envelope markers to adjust the volume at each frame and the time of the transition.The line from the edge of the clip to the envelope marker identifies how the volume either increases (fades-in) or decreases (fades-out) over time.

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Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide Envelope marker

You can also adjust the volume (mix) sound in the Sound Element Editor. 1. In the Sound Element panel, select the sound whose volume you want to adjust. 2. In the Current Sound panel, drag the volume slider to the new level. See Also Editing Sounds on page 185 Trimming the Start and End of a Sound File on page 187 Sound Scrubbing on page 193

Viewing the Waveform in the Exposure Sheet When you insert a sound file in your sound element and activate the Thumbnail view, the sound element displays a waveform to represent the sound file. The waveform represents the sound as it rises and falls in volume. If there is no sound in the file, the waveform appears as a straight line. You can use the waveform as a guide to determine when a certain sound effect occurs. For example, if you have a sound effect of a rooster crowing, you can analyze the sound’s waveform to determine the initial “cock-a-doodle-doo” sound and sync it to the drawings of the rooster crowing. If you look at the waveform of the sound effect, you’ll notice the volume increases as the size of the waveform increases. You can use the size of the waveform as a guide to sync the sound effect with the action in your scene. To view or hide the waveform of the sound element:

•

Click the Toggle Thumbnails

button in the Exposure Sheet window.

There are two viewing modes that apply to sound columns when you activate the element thumbnails, depending on if you apply a Lip Sync function.

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• •

Lip Sync active: the sound cells display the lip sync letter or a graphic. Lip Sync inactive: the sound cells display the file name or a waveform.

When a lip sync is applied to the cells in a sound element, you can no longer view the waveform or the file name. If you want to view its waveform again, control-click the sound cell and deselect the Show Lip Sync option in the pop-up menu. See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Editing Sounds on page 185

Customizing the Playback Range If you want to hear a specific section of the sound element, you can adjust the playback range in the Sound Element Editor to start or stop at specific frames. This customized playback range does not affect the actual sound in the Sound element.

The playback start/ end range markers

To change the playback range in the Sound Element Editor dialog box:

•

Drag the start or end range markers in the Sound Element panel to the boundary frames you want. When you press Play to playback your sound in the Sound Element Editor, it only plays the sound that exists between the two markers.

See Also Editing Sounds on page 185

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Lip Synching It can be a difficult task to shape a characters mouth so that it matches the sound at the right frame. To solve this problem Toon Boom Studio provides you with the lip sync feature which analyses the contents of a sound element and generates a lip chart based on the eight animation phonemes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and X, which represents silence). You can refer to the lip chart positions as you draw the shape of you character’s mouth.

All the possible lip position graphics appear below the lip sync preview image in the Sound Element Editor dialog box.

To generate a lip chart for a sound from the Exposure Sheet: 1.

In the Exposure Sheet, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the sound you want to affect and select Show Lip Sync from the pop-up menu. A checkmark appears next to the command to show that it is active. Toon Boom Studio analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip sync letter to each sound cell. All the cells that have a sound file in them display a cartoon face that mimic the sound at that specific frame.

2.

To show/hide the lip sync images that represent the lip position at each frame, click the Contextual Menu button and select View > Thumbnails.

To generate a lip chart for a sound using the Sound Element Editor: 1.


2.

In Sound Element panel, select the waveform you want to generate the lip chart for.

3.

Click Lip-sync. A progress bar appears as Toon Boom Studio analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip sync letter to each sound cell.

Each lip chart image displays a letter which corresponds to the sound cell shown in the exposure sheet.

192


See Also Viewing the Waveform in the Exposure Sheet on page 190 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194

Sound Scrubbing Toon Boom Studio uses a process known as Sound Scrubbing to let you hear sound in real-time while you move the playback pointer forward or backwards. This is very useful for fine tuning the lip sync process. You can scrub sounds from the Sound Element Editor or from the Timeline window. When you scrub the sound from the Timeline, all sounds present at a frame will play. To scrub a sound from the Sound Element Editor: 1.


2.

In the Sound Element panel, select the waveform you want to scrub.

3.

Below the Current Sound panel, select the Enable Scrubbing option. This option sets the red markers in scrub mode.

4.

Drag the red playback marker and hold the left mouse button down. You can play the sound forwards or backwards depending on the direction you drag the mouse.

5.

To stop the playback, release the mouse button.

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To scrub a sound from the Timeline window: 1.

To scrub a sound file from the Timeline, you must turn on sound playback and scrubbing. • Select Play > Turn Sound Playback On.

• 2.

Select Play > Turn Sound Scrubbing On.

Drag the red frame marker at the top of the Timeline window along to hear the sound at each frame. Drag the red frame slider to hear the sound at each frame.

Note that there will be no sound playback if you go beyond the last drawings and images in the scene. See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194 Trimming the Start and End of a Sound File on page 187 Fading the Sound In and Out on page 189 Swapping Drawings in an Element on page 352

Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound You can change the lip position assigned to a frame if you think another lip position would be more appropriate. For example, let’s say you have a character who says nothing for 10 frames inbetween two speeches. Toon Boom Studio would normally assign an X image for the silence period. If you want your character to let his mouth hang open in astonishment for these 10 frames, you could change the lip assignment for these 10 frames from an X to an F. To change the lip assignment of a sound in the Exposure Sheet: 1.

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Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the cell that contains the lip position you want to change.


2.

From the Lip Sync menu, select the letter that reflects the lip position you want to use for that sound.

Toon Boom Studio changes the lip chart to reflect the new lip assignment. You can also change the lip assignment of a sound in the Sound Element Editor. To change the lip assignment of a sound from the Sound Element Editor: 1.


2.

In the Sound Element panel, drag the frame slider to the frame you want to change the lip assignment on. In the Lip Sync image area, the image on top represents the lip position assigned to the current frame.

3.

To change the image assigned to the frame, click the image of the lip position you want from below the preview image. The preview image changes to the lip image you select. All the possible lip position graphics appear below the lip sync preview image in the Sound Element Editor dialog box.

See Also Adding Lip Sync Notes on page 197 Sound Scrubbing on page 193 Automatically Mapping Lip Sync Drawings on page 196 Swapping Drawings in an Element on page 352

195


Automatically Mapping Lip Sync Drawings Toon Boom Studio can automatically map drawings in an element to the lip chart you generated on a sound. This can save you lots of time when you are lip syncing a voice track. In Lip Sync Mapping dialog box, you identify each phoneme drawing for a character and then Toon Boom Studio automatically labels all of the cells in the character’s element with the appropriate label for each phoneme drawing. After you automatically map lip sync drawings to your element, you may scrub the sound and fine-tune the mappings. You can then use the Cells tab to swap a lip drawing with another one in the same element. See “Swapping Drawings in an Element” on page 352. To automatically map lip sync drawings to a lip chart: 1.

In a lip-synced sound element, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the Sound element header and select Modify Lip Sync Mapping.

The Lip sync mapping dialog box opens.

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2.

From the Destination element drop-list, select the element that contains the lip positions for the character’s voice track.

3.

In the Mapping panel, type the drawing name in the field to the right of the phoneme it represents. If your drawings are already named with the phoneme letters, you don’t have to do anything.


Type the drawing name in the field to the right of the mapping letter This feature will save you even more time if you name your drawings with letters of the eight phonemes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and X (represents silence).

4.

Click OK. The dialog box closes. If you scroll through the element with the lip positions, you’ll see that all of the lip drawings have been mapped to the phonemes in the voice track.

If you make any changes to the voice track, you must remap the drawings to the appropriate phonemes. The mapping is not updated automatically. See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194

Adding Lip Sync Notes To identify the different sections of your sound element, you can add lip sync notes to the lip chart. Lip sync notes are not the same as cell or element notes. Lip sync notes appear directly in the sound element cell in the Exposure Sheet window. Adding lip sync notes does not change the lip assignment at the frame. To add lip sync notes to your sound element: 1.

In the Sound element, double-click the sound cell you want to affect. The cell becomes editable.

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2.

Type the note text you want to appear with the lip sync image and press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS). The next cell becomes editable. If you don’t want to edit the next cell, click outside of the cell. If you want to cancel the note change, press [Esc].

The lip sync note appears in the sound element in the Exposure Sheet window and appears in the Sound Element Editor. See Also Editing Sounds on page 185 Adding Element/Cell Notes on page 323 Automatically Mapping Lip Sync Drawings on page 196 Changing the Lip Assignment of a Sound on page 194

Recomputing the Lip Chart When you generate the lip chart for a sound in a sound element, you can either accept the lip positions assigned by Toon Boom Studio or assign your own lip sync images. However, if you change the sound’s start frame or reassign its lip position, you can reanalyze the sound and regenerate the lip chart for it. This erases any manual modifications you may have made to the lip assignments in the lip chart. To recompute the lip chart for a selected sound from a Sound column: 1.

In a Sound element, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) a cell that contains the sound file you want to recompute the lip sync on.

2.

Select Recompute Lip-sync from the pop-up menu. The lip assignment for each frame is recomputed, erasing any modifications you may have made.

To recompute the lip chart for a selected sound from the Sound Element Editor: 1.

Click the sound in the Sound element panel in the Sound Element Editor.

2.

Click Lip-sync. The lip assignment for each frame is recomputed, erasing any modifications you may have made.

Regenerating the lip chart erases any customized assignments you make.

See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Adding Lip Sync Notes on page 197 Automatically Mapping Lip Sync Drawings on page 196

198

Chapter 6 Laying Out Elements in 3D Space This chapter explains some of the basic concepts of the 3D scene space and how you can use it to place and adjust your elements. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200

•

Repositioning Elements on page 207

•

Scaling Elements on page 211

•

Rotating Elements on page 216


Basic Sceneplanning Concepts With the Sceneplanning views, Toon Boom Studio has added a new dimension to the layout process by allowing you to plan your 2D scenes in a 3D space. The 3D space is described in terms of three planes:

• • •

EW: maps the horizontal plane in terms of East and West, this is the X coordinate. NS: maps the vertical plane in terms of North and South, this is the Y coordinate. FB maps the depth of the plane in terms of Front and Back, this is the Z coordinate.

When you move, rotate, or scale your 2D elements in the 3D space, Toon Boom Studio automatically applies the changes to all of the contents in the element. See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Selecting Elements on page 204

Using the View Windows As you choreograph the elements in your scene, you need to be able to see where your elements appear in each frame of the scene. Toon Boom Studio provides you with three windows that display your elements from three unique perspectives.

• 200

Camera View: (default) displays the scene from the camera’s perspective.

Chapter 6: Laying Out Elements in 3D Space

Use this view to change an element’s east, west, north, south, front, and back position, as well as its scale size, and rotation angle.

W

E N

S •

W

Top View: displays the scene from a top-down view. Elements appear as lines (imagine looking at an animation cel from the top) and the camera field of view appears as an angle. Use this view to change an element’s east, west, front, and back position.

E B

F •

Side View: displays the scene from the side. Elements appear as lines (imagine looking at an animation cel from the side) and the camera field of view appears as an angle.

201


Use this view to change an element’s north, south, front, and back position.

F

B

N S You can use these View windows to place your elements in the scene and to map their actions over time. You can also use these windows to determine the size and position of the camera that records the action in your scene. See Also Zooming and Panning the View Window on page 122 Selecting Elements on page 204

Zooming and Panning View Windows As you work with your elements in your View windows, you may need to see other parts of the scene space not in the camera’s field of view. Although all the action is taking place within the confines of the active camera’s field of view, you can place other elements outside the camera to bring them in later when needed. Camera’s current field of view frame

Changing the section of the viewable scene space doesn’t actually change anything in the scene itself; it only changes what you are currently seeing in the View window.

202


To pan to another section of the scene space, you have these options:

• • •

Select Tools > Grabber and use the Grabber tool to pan the window. You can also activate the Grabber tool from the Drawing Tools toolbar. Click the View window to activate it and press [Spacebar]. Click and drag the scene space around to make other parts of it visible. Use the scroll bars in the View window to scroll the scene space.

To zoom in, you have these options:

• • •

Click the View window to activate it and press the [X] key on your keyboard. Select View > Zoom In. Select Tools > Zoom and click the area you want to zoom in by clicking the Zoom tool.

To zoom out, you have these options:

• • •

Click the View window to activate it and press the [Z] key. Select View > Zoom Out. Press [Command] (Mac) or [Alt] (Windows) and then click the View window with the Zoom tool.

See Also Resetting the Scene View on page 204 Switching Views on page 203 Repositioning Elements on page 207

Switching Views If you zoom or pan across your View window, you can switch back and forth between the current view and a second view set up. To switch the active view, you have these options:

• •

Select View > Switch Active View. Or click the Switch Active View button on the bottom left corner of the window. Press the [B] key on your keyboard to toggle between the views.

See Also Using the View Windows on page 200 Zooming and Panning View Windows on page 202

203


Resetting the Scene View If you change the focus of the View window to view other parts of the scene space, you may want to return to the default view, which is based on the camera size and position. To reset the view focus, you have three choices:

•

Select View > Reset Zoom to return to the default zoom value.

•

Select View > Reset View or click the Reset View button. This option allows you to have a better idea of what the active camera is viewing in the scene.

•

Click the Recenter View button on the bottom left corner of the window to reset your view to the center of the active camera. The view in the current View window recenters itself based on the camera position, but it does not reset the zoom level

The Top and Side View windows use a fixed viewpoint in the center marked by a cross. When you click the Reset View button or the Recenter View button, Toon Boom Studio resets the windows to that fixed position, no matter where the camera is located in the scene space. See Also Using the View Windows on page 200 Zooming and Panning View Windows on page 202

Selecting Elements When you’re ready to start choreographing your scene, you need to be able to select the elements you want to change. You can select elements in the:

• •

Camera View, Top View and Side View windows Timeline window All the images at the current frame appear in full-color in the Camera View window. A selected element appears highlighted.

How you select your element depends on the type of change you want to make:

• •

Single element Multiple elements

To select a single element in the Camera View, Top View or Side View windows: 1.

204

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select to activate the Select

tool.


2.

Click the element. The selected element appears highlighted in all the View windows and the Timeline window.

Horizon Horizon Sea Wave

Wave Wave

Sea Horizon

Sea

Selected elements and their relative positions in the View windows

To select multiple elements in the Timeline window:

• •

• •

[Command]-click (Mac) or [Alt]-click (Windows) element names in the Timeline window to select element in any order. Click an element name in the Timeline window and [Shift]-click another element name to select both elements and all elements positioned between them.

To select all the elements, select the Timeline window and select Edit > Select All. To deselect all the elements, select Edit > Deselect All or simply click the Select tool in an empty space in the Camera View, Top View, Side View, or Timeline windows.

You can then change their scene timing, layer order, and attach/detach them from pegs.

205


You can also use the following commands in the Element > Arrange menu to select elements in the Timeline:

• • • • •

Select Parent: selects the element that the current element is attached to. For example, if you have a drawing element selected that happens to be attached to a peg, this command would select the peg. Select Children: selects all the elements attached to the current element. Select Child: selects the element attached to the current element. Select Previous Brother: selects the previous element at the same level as the current element. Select Next Brother: selects the next element at the same level as the current element.

See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223

206


Repositioning Elements When you first load a scene in a Sceneplanning view window, all of your elements appear as they were drawn in the Drawing View window with the initial position of zero fields NS, zero fields EW, and zero fields FB within the 3D scene space. Using the EW (X), NS (Y), and FB (Z) coordinates you can place your elements at different distances in depth from the camera and from each other, adding a three dimensional effect to your two-dimensional animation. This is what you see in the Camera field of view (FOV).

Camera View window displays the NS/EW/FB offset positions, but you can also use the Side View and Top View windows to reposition elements:

• •

Top View window: displays the EW and FB positions. Side View window: displays the NS and FB positions.

Changing an element’s position affects all the contents in that element. If you want to change an element’s properties over time, you need to attach it to a peg.

207


See Also Changing the NS/EW Position of an Element on page 208 Changing the FB Position of an Element on page 209 Defining an Element’s Layering Order on page 210 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222

Changing the NS/EW Position of an Element You can use the Camera View window or the Properties tab to change the NS/EW position of an element. As you change the position of an element, the values in the Offset fields change.

You can use the Select tool in the Sceneplanning toolset to move the drawing object horizontally and vertically in 3D space.

To change the NS/EW position of an element: 1.

Select the element you want to reposition using one of the following methods: • Select the element in the Timeline window.

•

208

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar and click the element in the Camera View window.


2.

To change the NS/EW position, you have the following choices: To use the mouse to change the NS/EW position, move the pointer over the element so that it changes to and drag the element to its new position. • To nudge selected elements, you can also use the arrow keys. Press [Shift] if you want to move the element in larger increments. • To use an exact NS/EW position, type the values in the first Offset fields in the Properties dialog box (select Window > Properties). D To change the NS position, type the offset value in the left field followed by its direction (N for north or S for south). D To change the EW position, type the offset value in the right field followed by its direction (E for east or W for west).

•

See Also Selecting Elements on page 204 Changing the FB Position of an Element on page 209 Defining an Element’s Layering Order on page 210 Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Zooming and Panning View Windows on page 202

Changing the FB Position of an Element You can change the FB position of an element visually in the Top View or Side View windows. You can also use a keyboard shortcut and change the FB position of elements in the Camera View window. All changes to the position of an element appear in the Properties window for the element.

The Top View and Side View windows show you the relative front/back position of all elements in your scene.

To offset the FB position of an element: 1.

Select the element you want to reposition using one of the following methods: Select the element in the Timeline window.

• •

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar and click the element in the View window.

209


2.

To offset the FB position, you have the following choices: In the Top View or Side View window, move the pointer over the element so that it changes to and drag the element to its new position. • In the Camera View window, you can use the mouse to change the FB position of the element. Move the pointer over the element and press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) so that it changes to an up/down arrow . Drag the element to its new position. D Dragging the mouse upwards moves the element backward in space.

•

D Dragging the mouse downwards moves the element forward in space.

•

If you open the Properties dialog box (select Window > Properties), you can see the FB position value in the last Offset field. To use an exact FB position, make sure the Properties dialog box is active (select Window > Properties) and type the values in the last Offset field. Type the Front/Back value in the last field followed by its direction (F for forward or B for backward).

See Also Zooming and Panning View Windows on page 202 Selecting Elements on page 204 Changing the NS/EW Position of an Element on page 208 Defining an Element’s Layering Order on page 210 Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319

Defining an Element’s Layering Order To make an element appear in front of or behind all the elements in your scene, you can tag that element as either a Foreground or Background element. For example, if you have a background image, you can tag the element as a Background element and Toon Boom Studio will always place it behind all the other elements, even if another element’s Front/Back position places it behind the background element. To select the element type: 1.

210

Select an element in either the View windows or the Timeline window.


2.

Select the element type from the Type drop-list in the Properties window (select Window > Properties to display this window). You have the following choices: • Normal (default): the layer order is determined by the order of the elements in the Timeline window and its Front/Back position. • Foreground: this type of element will always appear in front of other elements no matter what their Front/Back position is. • Background: this type of element will always appear behind other elements no matter what their Front/Back position is.

When you have two or more Foreground/Background elements, their order in the Timeline window determines their final layer order. See Also Selecting Elements on page 204 Changing the NS/EW Position of an Element on page 208 Changing the FB Position of an Element on page 209

Scaling Elements When you open the Camera View window for the first time, drawings appear at the size at which you drew them. You can change an element’s height and width using the Select

tool, which resizes all of the contents in the selected element.

You can scale an element by:

• •

dragging the scale handles entering specific values

To scale an element over time, you must use the Scale tool. Refer to Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245 for more information.

211

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide Drag a scale handle to rescale in any direction.

Check this box to force proportional scaling.

Drag a scale handle to rescale in any direction.

To scale without proportion, uncheck this box.

To scale an element using the scale handles: 1.

Select Window > Camera View if the Camera View is not yet open.

2.

Select the element you want to scale using one of the following methods: • Select the element in the Timeline window.

•

212

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar and click the element in the View window.


3.

Place the mouse pointer over one of the scale handles. Scale handles located in a corner are bidirectional; handles at a midpoint only scale horizontally or vertically.

4.

Drag one of the scale handles in the direction you want to rescale. Dragging away from the element scales it up and dragging toward the element scales it down. If you drag the handles beyond the scale borders, the element’s drawings flip over. D Top-right corner handle: changes the height and width values at the same time. If you press [Shift], you can rescale the element proportionally. D Top-center handle: changes the height value.

D Side-center handle: changes the width value. To change the size of an element over time, you must attach it to a peg. To scale an element with specific values: 1.

Select Window > Properties to open the Properties dialog box. You can see the size scale values change in the Scale fields.

2.

Type the size values in the Scale fields in the Properties dialog box.

Scale fields

Proportional Scale

D To change the height of the element, type the height value in the left Scale field.

D To change the width of the element, type the width value in the right Scale field. D To change the height and width of an element proportionally, select the Keep Proportions checkbox. When you type one value in the vertical Scale field, Toon Boom Studio adjusts the horizontal value automatically and the horizontal value field is greyed out.

213


See Also Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319

Changing the Scale Pivot Point Position The scale pivot point allows you to change the center of the scaling. The pivot point is located at the center of the scale grid by default. To change the position of the scale pivot point, activate the Scale tool, and change the pivot point, highlighted in green. The default position for the pivot point is the center position of the grid, not the drawing.

When you resize the element, all four sides can move in the direction you drag the resize handles. Only the centre of the drawing stays in place. When the pivot point is repositioned only the point at the location stays in place; all other points move in relation to it. For example, with the pivot point on the left middleside, only the three opposite sides will move if you resize the object. pivot point

The blue pivot that appears when using the Select tool is a temporary pivot point. You can use it as a reference.

Repositioning an element’s pivot point can be useful if you want to resize an element, but you don’t want to change its horizontal or vertical position in the scene.

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You can move the scale pivot point by:

• •

dragging the scale pivot point entering specific values

To change the scale pivot point: 1.

Select the element using one of the following methods: Select the element in the Timeline window.

• •

2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar, and click the element in a Sceneplanning view window.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Scale or click the Scale Scene Operation Tools toolbar.

tool on the

This is the selection box for the Scale tool. Activate it to reposition the pivot point.

3.

In the Camera View window, select the pivot point and drag it to the position where you want to focus the scaling. You can now use the Select tool to scale the element as you wish using the resize handles.

You can use the temporary pivot point that appears when the Select tool is active to make changes to the scale and rotation of an element. However, the original pivot point position will be preserved the next time the drawing is selected and these settings will not be saved. You can also change the scale position manually in the Drawing tab of the Properties window. To change the scale pivot point by entering specific values: 1.

Select the element using one of the following methods: • Select the element in the Timeline window.

•

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar and click the element in a Sceneplanning view window.

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2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Scale or click the Scale Scene Operation Tools toolbar.

tool on the

3.

Select Window > Properties. The Properties dialog box opens and the pivot point position values are displayed in the Scale Pivot fields of the element’s tab.

4.

Type the values in the Scale Pivot fields. D To change the NS pivot point position, type the value in the left field, followed by its direction (N for north or S for south). D To change the EW pivot point position, type the value in the right field, followed by its direction (E for east or W for west).

See Also Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Repositioning Elements on page 207 Selecting Elements on page 204 Repositioning Elements on page 207

Rotating Elements When you open your elements for the first time in the Camera View, the images appear at the angle at which you initially drew them. You can rotate all of the contents in an element using the Select tool. The rotation can be as simple as changing the element’s angle so it appears to move up or downhill, or as complex as a skateboarder performing acrobatics as he rotates through the air. When you rotate an element, it rotates around the rotation pivot point.

rotation pivot point

To rotate an element over time, you must use the Rotate tool. Refer to Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 for more information.

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To rotate an element using the Rotate tool: 1.

Select the element you want to rotate using one of the following methods: • Select the element in the Timeline window.

•

2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar and click the element in the Camera View window.

In the Camera View window, drag the rotation handle (the white circle) until the element is at the new angle.

You can use the temporary pivot point that appears when the Select tool is active to make changes to the scale and rotation of an element. However, the original pivot point position will be preserved the next time the drawing is selected and these settings will not be saved. As you change the element’s angle of rotation, the value appears in the Rotation field of the Properties dialog box. Rotate the element using the rotation handle.

The element’s angle of rotation appears here.

Hold down the [Shift] key to rotate the element in 15 degree increments.

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To rotate an element by entering specific values: 1.

Select the element you want to rotate using one of the following methods: • Select the element in the Timeline window.

•


2.

Select Window > Properties. The Properties dialog box opens.

3.

Type the angle value in the Rotation field in the Properties dialog box. You can enter a negative value (to rotate to the left) or a positive value (to rotate to the right).

See Also Selecting Elements on page 204 Repositioning Elements on page 207 Changing the Rotation Pivot Point Position on page 218 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242

Changing the Rotation Pivot Point Position You can use the rotation pivot point to change the center of rotation.

To change the position of the rotation pivot point, activate the Rotate tool, and change the pivot point, highlighted in green. The default position of the pivot point is the center position of the grid, not the drawing. In these examples, you can see how the placement of the pivot point produces different rotation effects.

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After you change the pivot point of an element, you can move the element to another position and Toon Boom Studio maintains the relative position of the pivot point. The blue pivot that appears when using the Select tool is a temporary pivot point.

You can change an element’s pivot point by:

• •

dragging the rotation pivot point entering specific values

To change the rotation pivot point using the Rotate tool: 1.


• •

2.


Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Rotate or click the Rotate tool in the Scene Operation Tools toolbar. The rotation range appears on the element. This is the rotation range for the Rotate tool. Activate it to reposition the element pivot point.

3.

In the Camera View window, drag the rotation pivot point in the center of the rotate range circle to its new position. 219


You can now use the Select tool to rotate the element as you wish using the rotation handle. You can use the temporary pivot point that appears when the Select tool is active to make changes to the scale and rotation of an element. However, the original pivot point position will be preserved the next time the drawing is selected and these settings will not be saved. You can also change the center of rotation manually in the Drawing tab of the Properties window. To change rotation pivot point by entering specific values: 1.


• •

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select or click the Select tool on the Scene Operation Tools toolbar and click the element in any Sceneplanning view window.

2.

Select Window > Properties. The Properties window opens. The pivot point position values are displayed in the Rotation Pivot fields of the element’s tab.

3.

Type the values in the Rotation Pivot fields in the Properties dialog box. • To change the NS pivot point position, type the value in the left field, followed by its direction (N for north or S for south). • To change the EW pivot point position, type the value in the right field, followed by its direction (E for east or W for west).

See Also Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Selecting Elements on page 204 Repositioning Elements on page 207

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Chapter 7 Animating This chapter explains how to use pegs to animate motion, rotation, skewing and scaling. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222

•

Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties on page 228

•

Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242

•

Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245

•

Animating Skewing with the Skew Tool on page 248

•

Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250

•

Animating with the Transform Tool on page 266

•

Animating Cut-out Characters on page 270

•

Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274


Animating Elements with Pegs The Sceneplanning View windows - the Camera View, the Top View and the Side View - put many 3D computer animation features at your disposal so that you can select elements and reposition your 2D elements over time on a 3D stage. You can animate changes by moving elements manually in each frame, or you can speed up the animation process and create better results - faster - by setting rotation, scaling, skewing and motion path information for elements at specific frames and letting Toon Boom Studio animate the transformations between these frames. These transformations over time are applied using a sceneplanning component called a peg. Toon Boom Studio can interpolate all changes to gradually transform your elements from one frame to the next (this process is also called inbetweening or tweening). There are two main types of pegs: Peg elements: You can add a Peg element layer to the Timeline window and attach other elements to it. Change the peg element’s position, size, skew or rotation over time and the elements attached to them will be transformed according to the its parent peg’s properties. Some of the ways you can animate with Peg elements:

• • •

Attach one or more Drawing or Image elements to a Peg element to transform them. Attach a Camera element to a Peg element with a motion path to pan, truck in, truck out and create inventive shots by moving within the 3D stage. Attach a Peg element to another peg to build a hierarchy and combine motion effects.

Built-in pegs: Drawing elements have a built-in peg component that you can use to apply motion, scaling, rotation or skewing directly to your drawing. It makes pegs “transparent” in the Timeline, reducing the need to add a Peg element each time a

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Chapter 7: Animating

transformation is required for a Drawing element. In addition to drawing pegs, there are built-in pegs in Image and Media elements. In this shot, a peg is used to create a motion path that the camera follows through the multiple planes in the scene. The tick marks indicate the position of the camera at each frame.

When transforming a peg, keyframes are used to identify the transformation values at a specific frame and lock them in place. A keyframe can be set for rotation, scaling, skewing, motion or a combination of one more transformations. See Also Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Displaying Peg Hierarchies on page 226 Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties on page 228 Camera Effects with Toon Boom Studio on page 282

Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements To animate an element, or change it over time, you must change its peg properties. You can add a Peg element or use a Drawing element’s built-in peg. If you are working with a Peg element, you will have to add it to your Timeline and attach other elements to it. There are two ways to do this. To add a peg and attach an element to it: 1.

Click the Add Peg button in the Timeline window. A peg appears above the currently selected element in the Timeline.

223


2.

In the left-side of the Timeline window, select the element you want attach to the peg and drag it on top of the peg element. In this example, we want to attach the Camera element to a peg.

3.

Release the mouse button. The selected element is now attached to the peg. The element is now a child of the parent peg. Notice that any elements are indented below the peg they are attached to.

4.

To rename the peg, select the peg and select Element > Rename Element. You must give the peg a unique name. You can include the name of the element it affects. For example, you could call the peg hair-Peg.

To add a peg and attach an element to it: 1.

Select the elements you want to attach to the peg.

2.

Click the Parent Peg

button in the Timeline.

Toon Boom Studio adds a peg for each element you selected and attaches them to the new pegs in the Timeline.

See Also Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Repositioning Elements on page 207 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element on page 239 Looping a Peg on page 240 Configuring Video Card Display Options on page 58

224


Building Peg Hierarchies You can attach one peg to another to combine effects on the child drawing and image elements. In the following example, we created a scene of a boy walking across a lawn with a bird flying in circles over his head. The primary action is the motion of the two characters across the scene. The bird has another secondary action, that of circling the boy’s head. To make sure the bird keeps pace with the boy, you would link the bird’s circular motion peg to the boy’s motion path. Boy’s and Bird’s peg

Bird’s peg

To achieve this effect, you must attach the bird and its peg to the boy’s peg, building what we call a peg hierarchy. In this example, the bird’s motion path is a child of the motion path of the boy. To build the peg hierarchy in this example: 1.

Attach the Boy element to a peg that defines a horizontal motion path.

2.

Attach the Bird element to a peg that makes the bird fly in circles around the boy.

3.

Attach the Bird’s peg to the Boy’s peg so that the bird moves across the scene as it flies in circles around the boy.

225

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide The following elements make up the peg hierarchy from this scene:

• The Boy Walking element is attached to the Boy Walking-P peg.

• The Bird Flying element is attached to the Bird Flying-P peg. Notice how the attached elements are indented below Boy Walking, the primary peg.

• The Bird Flying-P peg element is attached to the Boy Walking-P peg.

You can also take advantage of the drawing pegs built-in to each Drawing element. The following elements make up the peg hierarchy from this scene:

• The Bird Flying element is attached to the built-in peg inside the Boy Walking element.

• The peg built in to the Bird Flying-P element is attached to the Boy Walking drawing peg. Notice how the attached element is indented below Boy Walking, the Drawing element with the primary peg.

See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Building Peg Hierarchies to Animate Cut-Out Characters on page 270

Displaying Peg Hierarchies After you attach an element to a peg in a Peg element or Drawing element, you will notice that there is a blue Arrow next to the element containing the peg. This button helps you simplify the display of elements in your Timeline and makes it easier for you to work on the timing of your pegs and their child elements. Use the blue Arrow next to the Peg element or Drawing element to change the how child elements are displayed.

226


To use the Arrow button to show/hide child elements and change their timing:

•

Click the Arrow button to collapse elements nested beneath the Peg or Drawing element. This simplifies the display of elements in your Timeline.

When you collapse the parent peg in a hierarchy of elements, all changes you make to the timing of the parent peg are applied to the elements beneath it, including Peg, Drawing and Image elements. If you are animating a cut-out character, you can collapse the top-most peg in the hierarchy to simplify your Timeline. Then you can use the Transform tool to select and animate the parts of the character visually in the Camera View window, rather than trying to locate the peg you want to animate in the Timeline and then transform it in the Camera View. The parts on this cut-out character are organized on numerous pegs. There is one parent peg that organizes all of the parts of the character.

You can collapse all of the child elements in the hierarchy to simplify your Timeline. Then you can use the Transform tool to select and animate the parts of the character.

See Also Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element on page 239 Animating with the Transform Tool on page 266 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline on page 354

227


Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties Keyframes lock a change in position, rotation and scale to a specific frame and store the value for that transformation. When you add a keyframe to define the values for one or more transformations—motion, scale, skew or rotation— at a specific frame, you can use the features in Toon Boom Studio to animate the changes between them. Just as creating a drawing element and selecting a new position over 20 frames is faster than creating 20 drawings for 20 frames, adding keyframes for a peg’s transformations and letting Toon Boom Studio animate rest saves even more time. A keyframe was added to record the initial position of this drawing.

A second keyframe was added when the image was scaled and the eastwest position was changed

A third keyframe was added with additional changes.

You can set Toon Boom Studio to animate the transformation in the frames between one keyframe and the next. This is known as tweening.

Keyframe information is visible in the Timeline window. It allows you to see:

• • • •

228

Which elements have transformations applied to them Which parent pegs are affected by child element transformations You can see the type of transformations that have been applied at a frame (motion, scale, skew, rotation) by looking at the type of marker associated with the keyframe If the change in between keyframes is constant (the position of the last keyframe is maintained in the next frames until a new keyframe is defined) or non-constant (gradually changes in the frames between two keyframes).


See Also Adding Keyframes for Motion, Rotation, Skewing and Scaling on page 229 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233 Copying and Moving Frames in the Timeline on page 235 Pasting Selected Frame Properties in the Timeline on page 237 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element on page 239 Looping a Peg on page 240

Adding Keyframes for Motion, Rotation, Skewing and Scaling The tool you have selected determines what kind of keyframe you create.

• • • • •

Transform: creates a keyframe for motion, scale, rotation and skew values. Motion: creates a keyframe for the position values. Rotate: creates a keyframe for the angle values. Skew: creates a keyframe for the skew values. Scale: creates a keyframe for the horizontal and vertical scale values.

Marks in the Timeline identify keyframes for motion, rotation, skewing or scaling. You can add keyframes to pegs in Peg Elements and Drawing Elements. It it easy to pick out the type of keyframe in the Timeline. upper triangle: scale/skew

square: motion

lower triangle: scale/skew A red square in a Peg element indicates that a keyframe exists on a child element at that frame.

A line indicates an change over time between keyframe values.

To add keyframes: 1.

In the Timeline window, select a Peg element or a Drawing element.

2.

Then, use the red frame slider to select the frame where you want to add the keyframe.

229


3.

From the Tools > Sceneplanning Tools menu or the Scene Operation toolbar, select the tool you want use to add the keyframe (Transform, Motion, Rotation, Skew or Scale).

4.

Select Element > Peg > Add Keyframe. Toon Boom Studio adds a keyframe to the element at the current frame in the Timeline.

See Also Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values on page 275 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233

Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes The Toon Boom Studio can automatically generate inbetween drawings when you move, scale, rotate or skew elements with pegs. This process of generating inbetween transition drawings is known as interpolation or motion tweening. By default, when you add keyframes to pegs, Toon Boom Studio tweens the drawings animated by the peg. If you are animating a cut-out character, you may want to use keyframes to control the animation rather than allow Toon Boom Studio to automate inbetween drawings. To do this, you must change a segment between two keyframes from a tweened segment to a constant segment. When you create constant segments, images switch from one to the other, without any interpolation. To tween the images animated by the peg you must change each segment from a constant segment to a non-constant (tweened) segment. When you tween images on a motion path, tick marks appear on the motion path to indicate each position of the image as it is interpolated.

230


You can switch segments between constant and non-constant using menu commands or the Function Editor. You can use a preference to change the default keyframe/tweening behavior of pegs. This motion path has been interpolated, so the Goth Girl will change position frame-by-frame as she moves from frame 1 to frame 20. In the Timeline, a horizontal line appears between keyframes that are interpolated, or non-constant.

This motion path has not been interpolated. The Goth Girl will jump from her position at the first keyframe to her position at the last keyframe. In the Timeline, no horizontal line appears between constant keyframes.

To change a tweened segment to a constant segment: 1.

In the Timeline window, select the Peg element or Drawing element with a tweened segment.

2.

Position the Current Frame slider so that it is at the first keyframe in the segment you want to change.

3.

Select Element > Peg > Set Constant Segment. The default keyboard shortcut is [Ctrl]+[L] (Windows) or [Command]+[L] (MacOS).

To change a constant segment to a tweened segment: 1.

In the Timeline window, select the Peg element or Drawing element with a constant segment.

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2.

Position the Current Frame slider in the Timeline so that it is at the first keyframe in the segment you want to change. You can also position it between two keyframes.

3.

Select Element > Peg > Set Non Constant Segment. The default keyboard shortcut is [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[L] (Windows) or [Command]+[Shift]+[L] (MacOS).

To change the default from a constant segment to tweened segment: 1.


•



Click the Sceneplanning tab.

3.

De-select the Create Constant Keyframes option.

4.

Click OK. All new keyframes that you create after you disable this option will create tweened animated effects. Changing this preference does not affect keyframes that were created before you changed this setting.

See Also Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274 Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties on page 228

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Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values You can copy and paste the values of a keyframe to another keyframe. The values you copy and paste depend on the tool you have selected.

• • • • •

Transform: copies/pastes the motion, scale, rotation and skew values. Motion: copies/pastes only the position values. Scale: copies/pastes only the horizontal and vertical scale values. Rotation: copies/pastes only the angle values. Skew: copies/pastes only the skew values.

To copy and paste keyframe values: 1.

In the Timeline window, select a Peg element or Drawing element.

2.

Use the red frame slider to select the frame whose values you want to copy.

3.

From the Tools > Sceneplanning Tools menu or the Scene Operation toolbar, select the tool whose values you want to copy.

4.

Select Edit > Copy Cell to copy the values of the frame.

If you copy a keyframe of a Drawing peg, you also copy the drawing at the selected frame. The drawing in the frame where you paste the keyframe values will be overwritten by the drawing of the copied selection unless you use paste special and uncheck the option to paste the exposure of the drawing. 5.

In the Timeline window, use the red frame slider to select the frame where you want to paste the copied values.

6.

Select Edit > Paste to paste the values to the frame. Toon Boom Studio creates a keyframe if one does not already exist.

You can also use the Paste Special command to copy selected values from the original keyframe (including tension, continuity, bias, rotation, scale and pivot) to another keyframe. You can even copy values from a control point, which is a motion point that is not locked to a specific frame, to another control point or keyframe. Because certain values can only be applied to a motion point, the options in the Paste Special dialog box change based on the characteristics of the motion point that you select to receive the pasted values. 233


To copy and paste selected values of a motion point: 1.

Select a Peg element in the Timeline window and select the motion point whose position values you want to copy. You can use one of the following methods: • Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Motion and click the motion point with the Motion

• • •

tool.

In the Scene Operation toolbar, click the Motion tool and click the motion point with it. Select Element > Motion Points > Previous Motion Point or Next Motion Point. Click the < and > buttons at the bottom of the Motion Point tab.

2.

Select the motion point you want to copy the values to and select Edit > Paste Special. The Paste Special dialog box opens.

3.

Select the values you want to paste into the selected motion point and click OK.

See Also Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250

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Copying and Moving Frames in the Timeline You can drag and drop selections of frames, and their values, in the Timeline window to move or copy the entire contents of the frame or copy only selected contents. To move frames in the Timeline window: 1.

Select the frames you want to move.

The Single Cell Selection preference is a default setting, if it is not selected, hold down [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) when selecting the frames. 2.

Drag the selection to the new location and release the mouse button.

The selected frames are moved to their new location. Toon Boom Studio extends the exposure of what was previously the last frame.

235


To copy frames in the Timeline window: 1.

Select the frames you want to copy. If the Single Cell Selection preference is not selected, hold down [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) as you select the frames.

2.

Drag the selection to the new location.

3.

Press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and then release the mouse button.

The selected frames are copied to their new location. Toon Boom Studio extends the exposure of what was previously the last frame.

To copy or move selected frame contents in the Timeline window: 1.

236

Select the frames you want to copy or move. If the Single Cell Selection preference is not selected, hold down [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) as you select the frames.


2.

Start dragging the selection.

3.

Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and release the mouse button. The Timeline Drag & Drop Preferences dialog box opens.

4.

Select the properties you want to move or copy to the new frames and click OK.

See Also Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values on page 275 Pasting Selected Frame Properties in the Timeline on page 237 Copying Selected Template Contents into Your Animation on page 379

Pasting Selected Frame Properties in the Timeline From the Timeline window, you can paste selected frame properties across elements and pegs. This can help speed the production of effects that repeat values. To paste selected frame properties in the Timeline window: 1.

Select the frames you want to copy. If the Single Cell Selection preference is not selected, press the [Alt](Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) button as you select the frames.

2.

Select Edit > Copy to copy the frames. 237


3.

Advance the red frame slider to the frame where you want to paste the frames. Do not release the selected elements. If you accidentally de-select the elements, reselect them.

4.

Select Edit > Paste Special. The Timeline Paste Special Preferences dialog box opens.

5.

Select the properties you want to paste and click OK.

See Also Copying and Moving Frames in the Timeline on page 235 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245 Animating Skewing with the Skew Tool on page 248 Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values on page 275 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233 Using Paste Special to Update Content from a Template on page 382

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Changing the Duration of a Peg Element If you add content or change the exposure of content that you have already attached to a Peg element and designed effects for, you may need to extend the duration of the peg. Let’s say that you have a 24 frame walk-cycle. You drew the character walking in place, so you must create a motion path with a peg for your drawings to follow. The duration of the Peg element your cycle is attached to is 20 frames only. If you did not change this, your character would appear to walk in place from frame 20 to 24. For your character to continue moving as he walks from frame 20 to 24, you must extend the duration of the peg by four frames, from frame 20 to 24. There are a number of ways you can change the duration of a Peg element. This is the peg’s trackbar, which you can use to change the duration of the peg.

The blue Arrow next to the peg determine if changes in the start time or duration of the parent peg will affect child elements. See “Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties” on page 228. To change the duration of a Peg element by dragging the trackbar:

•

Move the pointer to the edge of the Peg element in the right panel of the Timeline window and drag the trackbar to the left or right to increase or decrease the length of the peg. A peg must always be at least two frames in length. Toon Boom Studio inserts a keyframe at the original last keyframe and gives both the original and the new last keyframe the same values. D You can stretch the peg and move all of the keyframes proportionally by pressing [Shift] as you drag. D You can loop a Peg element by pressing [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) as you drag.

To change the duration of a Peg element using the Change Duration command:

•

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the peg, select Change Duration from the pop-up menu, type the new length of the peg, and click OK.

239


To change the duration of a peg using the Extend Exposure command: 1.

In the Timeline window, use the red frame slider to select the frame you want to extend the peg to.

2.

Select the Peg element in the Timeline window, and then select Element > Peg > Extend Exposure. The Extend Exposure dialog box appears.

3.

Type the new duration of your peg elements exposure in the Extend to Frame field.

4.

Click OK. Toon Boom Studio changes the duration of the peg and adjust all effects so that you maintain the effect that you created before you extended the peg. Toon Boom Studio inserts a keyframe at the original last keyframe and gives both the original and new last keyframe the same values.

See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Looping a Peg on page 240

Looping a Peg If you want a Peg element to repeat an effect, you can loop the peg. For example, if you had a scene with a boy walking across the stage with a bird circling his head, you would create a peg with a motion path of a single orbit for the bird. You would then loop the orbit motion path so that the bird would continue to circle the boys head for the duration of his motion path. If you want the bird to circle the boy’s head following the same path, you would loop its peg so that it lasts as long as the boy’s motion path.

Each time the loop restarts, it skips the first frame of the peg. Similar to a walk-cycle where the last step leads naturally to the first step in the cycle, this ensures the logical continuation of the looped action. Therefore, if you loop a 10-frame peg three times, the entire length of the peg will be 28 frames.

240


To loop a peg: 1.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the Peg Element’s peg bar in the right panel of the Timeline window and select Change Loops. The Change Loops dialog box opens.

2.

Type the number of times you want to repeat the selected peg and click OK. The peg now repeats itself for the number of loops you selected. After the first segment, the peg bar of the looped segments is grey.

You can also loop a peg by pressing [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) as you drag the end of the trackbar. See Also Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245 Animating Skewing with the Skew Tool on page 248

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Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool Use the Rotate tool to animate changes to the angle of pegs and their child elements. When the Rotate tool is active, the peg displays a rotation handle that you can use to rotate the peg and all attached elements.

Frame 30: 90 degrees

Frame 1: 0 degrees

Frame 20: 270 degrees

To change the angle of a pegged element, you can work in the Camera View window to rotate the element visually (you cannot change an element’s rotation in either the Top or Side View windows). When you rotate a peg at a frame that has no keyframe, a rotation keyframe marker appears in the Timeline window. The rotation keyframe appears as a small triangle near the top of the frame. This is a change of rotation on a Drawing element’s peg.

When you rotate a peg, all elements attached to the Peg element or Drawing element are also rotated. A peg’s rotation value appears in the Peg or Drawing tab, depending on the type of element you have selected. Any rotation you add to keyframes are based on the static rotation value of the peg plus the changes you make to the dynamic rotation value.

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To rotate a pegged element in the Camera View window: 1.

In the Timeline window, select the peg: • Select a Peg element. The peg appears in all Sceneplanning View windows.

•

Select a Drawing element to use its built-in peg. The drawing selection becomes active.

2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Rotate. This activates the Rotate tool. The rotation handle appears on the selected peg at the current frame in the Camera View window.

3.

In the Timeline window, drag the red frame slider to the frame where you want to create the rotation keyframe. This is the frame slider.

4.

In the Camera View window, use the rotation handle to change the angle of the element. Press [Shift] to rotate the peg at 15 degree increments. Once you set the angle of rotation, a keyframe is added to the current frame to record the position. When you change the peg’s angle of the rotation in the Camera View, a rotation keyframe is added at the current frame in the Timeline window.

Use the rotation handle to change the angle of the peg.

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5.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for every rotation keyframe you want to create. The change in rotation will be animated between these two keyframe positions.

You can show element arms when you are rotating a peg that you have attached multiple elements to. When you show element arms, a rotation handle appears on each element attached to the peg. To display element arms:

•

Select View > Pegs > Show Element Arms.

You can edit rotation keyframes with the Rotation function in the Function Editor. You can also edit the rotation value of motion points on the Motion Point tab.

See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233 Rotating Elements on page 216 244


Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool Use the Scale tool to animate changes to the size of pegs and their child elements. When the Scale tool is active, the peg displays square scaling handle that allows you to stretch or shrink the size of the peg and all attached elements. Frame 10: scale factor 0.5

Frame 20: scale factor 2

Frame 1: scale factor 1

To change the size of a peg and its child elements, you must work in the Camera View window (you cannot scale an element in either the Top or Side View windows). When you scale a peg at a frame that has no keyframe, a scale keyframe marker appears in the Timeline window. The scale keyframe appears as a small triangle near the bottom of the frame. This is a change of scale on a Drawing element’s peg.

When you scale a peg, all elements attached to the Peg element or Drawing element are also resized. The scale value of the peg appears on the Peg or Drawing tab, depending on the type of element you selected. Any scale change you add to keyframes are based on the static scale value of the peg plus the changes you make. To scale a peg in the Camera View window: 1.

In the Timeline window, select the peg: Select a Peg element. The peg appears in all Sceneplanning View windows.

• •

Select a Drawing element to use its built-in peg. The drawing selection becomes active. 245


2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Scale. This activates the Scale tool. The square scaling handle appears on the selected peg at the current frame.

3.

In the Timeline window, drag the red frame slider to the frame where you want to create the scale keyframe. This is the frame slider.

4.

In the Camera View window, use the scale handles to resize the peg’s height, width or both. Press [Shift] to maintain the proportions of the element as you scale it. Once you set the scale, a keyframe is added to the current frame to record the position. When you change the peg’s scale values in the Camera View, a scale keyframe is added at the current frame in the Timeline window.

5.

Use the scale handles to resize the peg.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for every scale keyframe you want to create. The change in rotation will be animated between these two keyframe positions.

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You can edit vertical and horizontal scale keyframes with the V-Scale and H-Scale functions using the Function Editor.

See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233

247


Animating Skewing with the Skew Tool Use the Skew tool to control the animation of a skewing effect only. When the Skew tool is active, the peg displays square handles that you can use to skew the attached elements. To skew a peg and its child elements, you must work in the Camera View window (you cannot skew an element in either the Top or Side View windows). When you skew a peg at a frame that has no keyframe, a skew keyframe marker appears in the Timeline window. The skew keyframe is the same as the rotation keyframe. It appears as a small triangle near the top of the frame. This is a change in skew on a Drawing element’s peg.

When you skew pegs, all elements attached to the Peg element or Drawing element are also skewed. The peg’s skew angle appears on the Peg or Drawing tab. Any skew change you add to keyframes are based on the static skew value of the peg plus the changes you make. To skew a peg in the Camera View window: 1.


• 2.

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Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Skew. This activates the Skew tool. Square handles appear on the selected peg at the current frame in the Camera View window.


3.

Drag the frame slider to the frame where you want to create the skew keyframe. This is the frame slider.

4.

In the Camera View window, use the skew handles to skew the peg’s angle. When you change the peg’s skew values in the Camera View, a skew keyframe is added at the current frame in the Timeline window.

5.

Use the skew handles to resize the peg.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for every skew keyframe you want to create. The skewing change will be animated between these two keyframe positions.

You can edit the skew values using the Function Editor. See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233 249


Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool With the Motion tool, you can modify motion paths by adding and moving keyframes on the peg. The 3D Sceneplanning views allow you to create motion paths that go from east to west, north to south, or front to back. When your character moves front to back on a motion path, Toon Boom Studio automatically resizes it as it moves closer to, or farther away from, the camera. The 3D stage windows are useful when designing the motion path of our character. In the Camera View window, you can map out the east/west and north/south direction of the motion path. In the Top View window, you can map out the front/ back and east west direction of the motion path.

In the Side View window, you can map out the north/south and front/back position of the motion path.

You can create motion paths for pegs in a Peg element these provide visual information, including a visible line of motion in all Sceneplanning views. When you activate the Motion tool and you have selected a Peg element that has not been modified, two keyframes appear stacked on top of each other at the center point of the Sceneplanning view window. The first keyframe has an arrow that points right and the last keyframe also has an arrow and it points left.

250


You can grab a keyframe with the Motion tool and drag it in any direction to create a motion path that goes in a straight line. When you create a motion path with nonconstant segments, you’ll see a series of tick marks. Each tick mark represents the position of the element at each frame in the peg as it is tweened (interpolated). The first and last keyframe are identified with arrows that point in opposite directions. This is a tweened motion path for a Peg element.

To shape a motion path and change the direction in which elements attached to the peg will move, you add control points and keyframes and change their position. You can add control points and keyframes to a peg at specific frames to change the direction of the motion path.

You can improve the display quality of pegs in the View windows by changing the Smoothness setting on the Peg tab. You must enable Smooth Pegs on the Sceneplanning tab of the Preferences dialog boxes to see changes to a peg’s smoothness. You can reposition pegs like you can change the position of most elements in the 3D space. When you reposition a peg, all elements attached to the peg also move. In addition, the values of points you add to your motion paths are based on the static position of the peg, plus the change in position to the motion point. See Also Creating a NS or EW Motion Path on page 252 Creating a FB Motion Path on page 254 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Repositioning Elements on page 207 Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230

251


Creating a NS or EW Motion Path Motion is essential to transform your drawings and images from still life pictures to animated movies. In the Camera View window, you can stretch the peg to create a motion path that goes from north to south (NS) and east to west (EW). All elements that are attached to the peg will follow the motion path of the peg. This motion path goes from south to north.

N

This motion path goes from west to east. Drag the motion points at the start or end of the motion path to change the direction of the motion path.

S

W

E

Tick marks appear on non-constant (tweened) segments of motion paths. The tick marks represent the position of the element at each frame as it is interpolated between keyframes. If your motion path is constant, no tick marks will appear on your motion path because the motion is not tweened. To create NS and EW motion for a peg: 1.


•


You can hide other elements to make it easier to identify and modify the peg. 2.

252

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Motion. This activates the Motion

tool.


3.

If you are working with a Peg element: drag the motion points at the beginning or end of the motion path to give the motion path a direction. Your mouse pointer becomes a four-headed arrow when you position it over a motion point that you can move. • Drag the motion points from left to right to create a path that goes from west to east. • Drag the motion points from top to bottom to create a path that goes from north to south.

4.

If you are working with a Drawing peg: drag the Drawing element to the position at which you want to add a keyframe for the current frame.

When you are creating motion paths, elements linked to a Peg element may be offset from the motion path. This can make it difficult to visualize how an element will change position as it follows the peg. You can display peg ghosts in the Camera View window to see the path that an element linked to a peg will follow. To display peg ghosts:

•

Select View > Pegs > Show Peg Ghosts.

See Also Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Creating a FB Motion Path on page 254 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element on page 239 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222

253


Creating a FB Motion Path With the Toon Boom Studio 3D scene space, you can create multiplane effects for elements by creating motion paths that go from the front to the back of the scene. The Top View and Side View windows can help you visualize front/back (FB) motion. All elements appear as lines in the Top View and Side View. Here’s a front to back motion path that goes from bottom to top in the Top View window.

B

Here’s a front to back motion path that goes from left to right in the Side View window.

F F

B

To create FB motion: 1.


•


You can hide other elements to make it easier to identify and modify the peg. 2.


tool.

3.

If you are working with a Peg element: drag the motion points at the beginning or end of the motion path to give the motion path a direction. The mouse pointer becomes a four-headed arrow when you position it over a motion point that you can move. The direction you drag the spline points depends on the window you are using. • In Top View, you drag a motion point from top to bottom to change its FB position. • In Side View, you drag a motion point from left to right to change its FB position.

4.

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If you are working with a Drawing peg: drag the Drawing element to the position at which you want to add a keyframe for the current frame.


You can also change the FB motion of motion points in the Camera View window by pressing [Alt] as you move the motion points.

•

Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and drag up to move the motion point backward.

•

Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and drag down to move the motion point forward.

See Also Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Creating a NS or EW Motion Path on page 252 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element on page 239 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200

255


Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path If you want to create a motion path that is not straight, you must add motion points to a Peg element’s motion path. Motion points can be either keyframes or control points. Keyframes are locked to a specific frame number and control points are not locked.

• •

Add keyframes when you want to lock the position of the motion path to a specific drawing or image in an element to a position. Add control points when you want your element to reach a specific position, but you don’t need it to do so at a specific frame.

Then you can use the Motion of the motion path.

tool to move the motion points and change the shape The start/end control points don’t appear until you activate the Motion

tool.

You can then drag the start/end motion points to change the shape of the motion path.

You cannot add control points to constant segments on motion paths. This is because constant segments do not interpolate (tween) changes in position, rotation or scaling between frames. To add a motion point to a motion path:

256

1.

Select a Peg element in the Timeline window. The peg appears in all View windows. You can hide other elements to make it easier to identify and modify pegs.

2.


3.

Place the pointer over the motion path of the peg and decide which type of motion point you want to add.

tool.


•

•

4.

Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and click the motion path to add a keyframe. The mouse pointer becomes a square when it is over a spot where you can add a keyframe. A red point appears on the motion path after you click. Press [Shift] and click the motion path to add a control point. The mouse pointer becomes a diamond when it is over a spot where you can add a control point. A green point appears on the motion path after you click.

Drag the new point to a position where you want the motion path to be at that point. To nudge a motion point, you can also use the arrow keys. Press [Shift] if you want to move the motion point in larger increments. When you place the pointer over a motion point, the pointer changes to a move icon. The rest of the motion path changes to follow the motion point.

• •

If you added a control point, notice how it changes position on the motion path. This is because the control point is not locked to a specific time frame. If you added a keyframe, notice how it remains at the frame you added it to. This is because the keyframe is locked at a specific time frame.

See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Adding Keyframes for Motion, Rotation, Skewing and Scaling on page 229 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Adding Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 257 Deleting Motion Points from a Motion Path on page 261 Locking/Unlocking Control Points on page 262 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223

Adding Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab You can use the Motion Point tab to add motion points and modify their values. To add motion points with the Motion Point tab: 1.

Select the Peg element you want to affect from the Timeline window. The peg appears in all View windows.

2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Motion. This activates the Motion tool. The control points and keyframes appears on the motion path. If there is no motion path in the peg, you will only see the first and last keyframes stacked on top of each other in the View windows. 257


3.

Click a motion point on the motion path. The Motion Point tab opens in the Properties window.

The Motion Point tab lists the properties of the motion point you have selected on the motion path.

4.

Click the New button at the bottom of the Motion Point tab. The Add Motion Point dialog box opens. Use the Add Motion Point dialog box to add keyframes or control points to your motion path.

5.

Select the type of motion point you want to add from the Point type drop-list. You have the following choices: • Keyframe: places a red keyframe at the selected frame.

• 6.

258

Control Point: places a green control point at the selected keyframe, but you can drag it to any other frame.

In the Frame field, type the frame number where you want to place the motion point and click OK. If you are adding a control point, you can enter a value with a decimal point.


See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Adding Keyframes for Motion, Rotation, Skewing and Scaling on page 229 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Locking/Unlocking Control Points on page 262 Deleting Motion Points from a Motion Path on page 261 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256

Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab The Motion Point tab allows you to select individual motion points and change the size, angle, and offset position at that motion point. The Motion Point tab only appears when you select a keyframe or control point with the Motion

tool.

You may want to use the Motion Point tab if you have a peg with many motion points and they are too close together to select one accurately. Or, you might not be able to see the individual points because the motion path is not extended. To change the properties of a motion point: 1.

Select a Peg element in the Timeline window. The peg appears in all View windows.

2.


3.

With the Motion tool, select a motion point on the motion path. The Motion Point tab opens in the Properties window.

tool.

259


4.

Type the number of the frame that contains the control point or keyframe you want to affect in the Frame field or select one using the < and > buttons (at the bottom of the Motion Point tab).

With the Motion Point tab, you can change the position of motion points to a precise value.

5.

Type the position values in the Offset fields. • To change the North/South position, type the position coordinates in the first Offset field followed by N for North or S for South. You can also use positive or negative numbers: D Positive values: places the element northward

D Negative values: places the element southward •

To change the East/West position, type the position coordinates in the second Offset field followed by W for West or E for East. You can also use positive or negative numbers: D Positive values: places the element eastward

D Negative values: places the element westward •

To change the Front/Back position, type the position coordinates in the third Offset field followed by F for Front or B for Back. You can also use positive or negative numbers: D Positive values: places the element to the front

D Negative values: places the element to the back

260


See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223

Deleting Motion Points from a Motion Path You can remove unnecessary motion points from your motion path. When you remove a control point or keyframe, the path reshapes itself to follow the remaining points.

You cannot remove the start and end keyframes in any motion path. To delete a point with the pointer:

•

Select the control point/keyframe and press [Del].

To delete a point with the Motion Point tab: 1.

Select any motion point. You can use the < and > buttons to select any point in order along the motion path. If you know the exact frame number where the point is, you can type it in the Frame field and press [Enter]. When you select a point, it appears highlighted in the View windows.

2.

Click Delete

to remove the point.

261


See Also Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Locking/Unlocking Control Points on page 262 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250

Locking/Unlocking Control Points When you add a control point to a Peg element’s motion path, you can change its position to anywhere between the closest keyframes. This not only changes the shape of the motion path, but can also slightly affect the velocity of the pegged element’s movement. However, if you need the element’s movement to change at a specific frame, you can lock the motion point at a specific frame number to create a keyframe. Let’s say you had a character whose drawings changed drastically on specific keyframes (for example, the character is pacing and he turns around at specific frames). If you wanted to plot a complex motion path for that character, you could lock the control points on the important frames and then change the shape of the motion path. In this example, the clown drawings change at specific frames of 5, 24, and 30 and he suddenly turns around to walk in another direction. Since these drawings occur at specific frames, we locked the control points to create keyframes.

To lock/unlock your points:

262

1.

Select a Peg element in the Timeline window. The peg appears in all Sceneplanning View windows.

2.


3.

With the Motion tool, select a motion point on the motion path. The Motion Point tab opens in the Properties window.

4.

Use the Lock in time checkbox in the Motion Point tab to lock or unlock the point.

tool.


•

•

If you select the Lock in time checkbox, the control point locks itself to the current frame and turns red on the motion path. The control point now becomes a keyframe. If your control point is between frames, the Toon Boom Studio selects the closest frame as the locked frame. If you deselect the Lock in time checkbox, the keyframe becomes unlocked and turns green, indicating you can change its position. The keyframe now becomes a control point. The frame number may change as well since the spline adjusts its velocity on either side of the control point.

See Also Deleting Motion Points from a Motion Path on page 261 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250

Adjusting the Curve Between Motion Points When you add a motion point and change its position on a tweened motion path, the motion path curves towards that point, reshaping the entire motion path. By default, the line has a gentle curve on either side of the control point. You can use the Tension, Bias, and Continuity sliders in the Motion Point tab to adjust the amount of curve on either side of a motion point, further customizing the segments of the motion path. You can adjust each point individually in your motion path, but if you press [Shift] while dragging the slider, the selected value applies to all the peg points. By default, each value starts at 0.0, but you can change the default value. Tension: controls how sharply the path bends as it pass through a motion point. A Tension of -1 increases the curve on either side of the control point.

A Tension of +1 sharpens the curve on either side of the control point.

263


Continuity: controls the smoothness of a transition between the segments joined by a point. A Continuity of -1 sharpens the transition on either side of the control point.

A Continuity of +1 rounds out the transition, creating two gentle curves on either side of the control point.

A zero value creates a smooth transition.

Bias: controls the slope of the path so that it flows towards one side of the motion point or the other. A Bias of -1 favours the left side of the control point.

A Bias of +1 favours the right side of the control point. At zero, neither side of the point is favored.

The Tension, Continuity and Bias values have no effect on constant (non-tweened) segments. See Also Adding Keyframes for Motion, Rotation, Skewing and Scaling on page 229 Tweening Motion or Maintaining Constant Values Between Keyframes on page 230 Defining the Default Tension, Continuity and Bias Values on page 264 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Creating a FB Motion Path on page 254 Creating a NS or EW Motion Path on page 252

Defining the Default Tension, Continuity and Bias Values As you work on the shape of your motion path, you can change the default tension, bias, or continuity values using the Sceneplanning tab in the Preferences dialog box. Toon Boom Studio uses the values you select for all future motion points you add; existing motion points are not changed.

264


To define the default Tension, Continuity, and Bias values: 1.


•



Click the Sceneplanning tab.

3.

Type the default values in any of the following fields. You can type any value between -1.0 and 1.0: • Default Tension: controls how sharply the path bends as it pass through a motion point. • Default Continuity: controls the smoothness of a transition between the segments joined by a point. • Default Bias: controls the slope of the path so that it flows towards one side of the motion point or the other.

4.


See Also Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Moving Motion Points with the Motion Point Tab on page 259 Creating a FB Motion Path on page 254 Creating a NS or EW Motion Path on page 252 Adjusting the Curve Between Motion Points on page 263

265


Animating with the Transform Tool With the Transform tool, you can animate changes in position, rotation, scaling and skewing all from one tool. Unlike the Motion, Rotation, Scale and Skew tools, you work visually to select and modify Drawing and Image elements, rather than Pegs, in the Camera View. When you apply transformations visually to elements, Toon Boom Studio applies the information to their parent pegs. You can use the Transform tool in the Camera View, Top View and Side View. You can use the Function Editor to edit the functions created when you animate with pegs, including the velocity. You can use the Motion, Rotation, Skew or Scale tools to animate each function separately. The Transform tool is ideal for working with cut-outs when you are creating keyframes at every frame or when you are creating constant segments. However, if you want to animate only one function, such as a rotation on an arm, or if you want Toon Boom Studio to interpolate changes between keyframes, it is best to use the tool specific to the function you want to create: Motion, Rotation, Scale or Skew. To animate with the Transform tool: 1.

In the Timeline, drag the red frame slider to the frame where you want to add a keyframe.

2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Transform. This activates the Transform tool.

266


With the Transform tool, select the elements you want to animate. You can drag the cursor to create a selection box around the elements. Child elements attached to a selected element will be included. The transform tool selects all the elements attached to the selected element.

3.

Do any of the following to change the selected elements at that frame: Drag the selection to a new position to create a motion keyframe on the motion path. • Use the rotate handles to create a rotation keyframe and change the angle of the element. Hold down [Shift] to rotate the selection in 15 degree increments.

•

Here the arm and all of its child elements have been rotated to a new position.

•

Use the scale handles to create a scale keyframe and change the horizontal or vertical size of the element.

267


•

Hold down [Alt] as you select the handles to create a skew keyframe and skew the angle of the element.

A keyframe is added automatically at the frame at which you make a transformation. See Also Repositioning the Pivot Point of the Transform Tool for an Operation on page 268 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 Animating Skewing with the Skew Tool on page 248 Creating a FB Motion Path on page 254 Creating a NS or EW Motion Path on page 252 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Adjusting the Curve Between Motion Points on page 263 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274

Repositioning the Pivot Point of the Transform Tool for an Operation You can use the Transform tool to reposition the pivot point of a scale, rotation or skew transformation. When you reposition the pivot point with the Transform tool, changes you make to the rotation or scaling of the elements at the selected frame are based on that pivot point as long as you have the Transform tool and the elements selected. When you deselect the elements or switch to another tool and then return to the element, the pivot point appears again at its default position at the center of the peg’s path while the transformation you created continues to remember that temporary pivot. There are two ways to remove that temporary pivot: use the undo command or delete the peg and recreate the effect. Repositioning the pivot point with the Transform tool does not create a pivot point function that you can edit. To reposition the pivot point using the Transform tool: 1.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Transform. This activates the Transform tool.

2.

268

Click or drag to select the elements you want to modify.


3.

Use the Transform tool to move the pivot point from the center of the peg’s motion path.

4.

Rotate, scale or skew the element based on the new pivot point. If you want to edit the pivot point of the Transform tool, you must do so before deselecting the elements or changing tools.

See Also Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Changing the Scale Pivot Point Position on page 214 Changing the Rotation Pivot Point Position on page 218

269


Animating Cut-out Characters Building Peg Hierarchies to Animate CutOut Characters If you are animating a cut-out character, you can use pegs to organize and control all of the different body parts of a character. This technique is known as rigging. In Toon Boom Studio, the term rigging describes a method of setting up elements for cut-out animation. During the rigging part of the cut-out process, an animator attaches all of the cartoon character’s components to pegs, which will then be used to animate the character. Rigging is the process of linking together cut-out parts of a character in such a way that they can, when animated, move or pivot. For example, a sailboat is rigged so that the sails and jibs and booms are tied together allowing them all to move independently, yet function as a single unit. Similarly, a cut-out character is rigged to allow each of its parts to move and pivot independently and yet form a single unit. When you are animating a cut-out character, the organization of your body parts on pegs is extremely important.

•

•

Use separate pegs for each function you want to animate. You should use a peg for every joint on your character. For example, if your character will walk while his arm rotates on his shoulder, use one peg to move the whole character and another peg on the shoulder to animate the rotation. Use the built-in pegs in Drawing elements to attach child Drawing elements, such as a wrist drawing attached to a forearm drawing, all attached to an upper arm drawing.

This character is comprised of many parts. Each part of this character is a different element: hair, head, eyes, mouth, left and right arm, forearm and wrist, legs, etc.

270


This character’s Exposure Sheet displays thumbnails showing you that she is composed of many parts.

Following is the structure of this character in the Timeline. Notice that there are three main parts, the head, torso and lower body. Then notice that the girl is organized into three main sections: Neck, Top_Body and Hips. All of the Goth Girl’s body parts are in separate elements. Each element is attached to a drawing peg or the GothGirl Peg element. The Goth Girl’s body parts are grouped into three main sections.

• top_body • neck • hips

To build a peg hierarchy for a cut-out character: 1.

In the Timeline window, add all of the drawing elements in the character. You should consider creating a Drawing element for each body part on your character.

2.

Think about how you want to organize the parts of your body and then use Peg elements and drawing pegs to group and organize them.

3.

You will probably have to animate some of the body parts to test and fine tune the structure.

4.

After you have got your peg hierarchy established, you should position the pivot points on all the joints of your character. 271


See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters on page 272 Animating Cut-Out Style on page 24

Positioning Pivot Points on Cut-Out Characters Before you begin animating your cut-out characters, you should position the pivot points on their pegs. These pivot points represent the joint on which the parts rotate. For example, you need a pivot point on the shoulder of a character in order to rotate the whole arm in a natural-looking manner. Take a look at the pictures of this character. To animate the Goth Girl’s arm so that it rotates properly on her shoulder, we had to position the pivot point of her peg on her shoulder.

When you change the position of the pivot point, Toon Boom Studio gives the same value to the pivot point at all the frames in your peg. If you want to change the position of the pivot point over time, you must use the Function Editor to add keyframes to the pivot path and change their value. To position the pivot points on cut-out characters:

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1.

Select the Drawing element or Peg element that the body part you want to rotate is connected to.

2.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Rotate

3.

Use the Rotate tool to position the pivot point over the joint.

.


Always use the Rotate tool to make permanent changes to pivot point properties. These properties will also apply to rotations created by the Transform Tool. Even if you will be using the Transform tool to animate your cut-out character, this tool’s pivot point is used as a temporary reference and will not effect any permanent changes. Position the pivot point over the center of a joint so that body parts rotate naturally.

See Also Repositioning the Pivot Point of the Transform Tool for an Operation on page 268 Changing the Scale Pivot Point Position on page 214 Changing the Rotation Pivot Point Position on page 218 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274 Animating Cut-Out Style on page 24

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Editing Functions Using the Function Editor When you animate changes to the properties of an element over time, you create a function. A function maps the values of an effect over time. The Function Editor uses plotlines (graphs) to represent changes to properties over time. With the Function Editor, you can edit the values of each function (rotation, horizontal and vertical scale, skew, velocity, field-of-view, motion path and pivot path).

• •

Along the x-axis (horizontal axis) are the frame numbers. Along the y-axis (vertical axis) are the values for the effect you are editing.

When you edit the function for rotation, skew, scale and field-of-view, the shape of the Function Editor represents the velocity of the effect. The slope of this plotline represents the velocity of the rotation effect.

• A steep slope indicates that the value will change quickly.

• A gradual slope indicates that the value will change gradually.

When you edit the function of a motion or pivot point path, you map the motion of a peg in a 3-dimensional space or a pivot point in 2-dimensional space, one dimension at a time. When you are working with these two functions, you must select the dimension you want to work on. For example, let's say that you want your character to jump up and down in place. It would be difficult to create a jumping motion path in the Camera View window

274


because the path would repeat on top of itself. To create a jumping motion, it would be easier to edit the motion path of the peg using the Function Editor. Use the Projection panel to choose the dimension you want to edit.

Along the x-axis (horizontal axis) are the frame numbers. Along the y-axis (vertical axis) are the values for the effect you are editing (motion path and pivot path).

See Also Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values on page 275 Reshaping the Plotline Using the Function Editor on page 277 Changing Your View of the Function Editor on page 279

Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values Add keyframes to a plotline in the Function Editor when you want to create an effect that changes over time. Here are two examples of when you would add a keyframe to a plotline. Example 1: Rotation Let's say that you have an object that you want to rotate to 450 degrees to the right between frames 1 and 5. Then, rotate 200 degrees to the left and finally back to zero rotation. After you attach the element to a peg, you would access the Rotation function in the Function Editor, add keyframes at each frame, and then change the rotation value of the keyframes to the desired rotation angle.

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This plotline represents the rotation of the element over 20 frames

Example 2: Motion For this example, let's say that you want your character to jump up and down in place. Open the Motion Path function in the Function Editor. In the north/south projection of the plotline, add keyframes at each frame where you want the character's motion to be up or down. Then, move the keyframes on the plotline to create the jumping effect. In this plotline, you can see how the peg changes north/south position. This path would be difficult to edit in the Camera View window because it repeats on itself. The Function Editor is the perfect tool for editing this type of motion path because it isolates motion in a particular dimension.

To add keyframes to a plotline and change their value: 1.

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Select the frame on the plotline where you want to add a keyframe. You can use one of the following methods.


• • 2.

Activate the Select tool from the Function Editor Tools panel and click the frame in the plotline. Type the value in the x-axis field of the Function Values panel and press [Enter].

Click the Add Point button in the Tools panel of the Function Editor. Pressing [Ctrl] in Windows adds a keyframe. The keyframe appears at the frame number you selected. Now you can change the value of the keyframe you added.

3.

Click and drag the point to the new y-axis value. Notice that the y-axis value changes in the Function Values panel. To get a more precise value, you can type the value in this field. The shape of the curve you create reflects the speed of the effect you are creating. • For the rotation, scale, velocity, and field-of-view functions, you can change the shape of the plotline to create different velocity effects (like ease-in and ease-out). • When you are working on the motion path and pivot path functions, you can modify the speed of a change by accessing the velocity functions.

See Also Reshaping the Plotline Using the Function Editor on page 277 Changing Your View of the Function Editor on page 279

Reshaping the Plotline Using the Function Editor You can change the shape of the plotline in the Function Editor when you want to change how quickly an effect (such as rotation, scale or velocity) is applied to the peg and other elements attached to it. The Function Editor provides pre-set reshape functions that you can apply to your plotline to change its shape. For example, if you wanted an effect to ease-in and easeout, you could use one of the ease functions to change the plotline.

•

Constant: applies the value you have selected on the horizontal axis (yaxis) to the segment or plotline.

•

Ease in/out : applies a gradual acceleration to the beginning, and a gradual deceleration to the end, of the segment or plotline.

•

Extreme ease in/out :applies a more gradual acceleration to the beginning, and a more gradual deceleration to the end, of the segment or plotline. 277


•

Linear:

•

Fast in/out : applies a fast acceleration to the beginning and end of the segment or plotline.

•

Extreme fast in/out : applies an even faster acceleration to the beginning and end of the segment or plotline.

• •

Slow acceleration

: applies a slow acceleration to the segment or plotline.

Slow deceleration

: applies a fast acceleration to the segment or plotline.

applies a constant change to the segment or plotline.

You can also make changes to the shape of your plotline manually. However, when you use the pre-set functions in the Function Editor, Toon Boom Studio does the work for you! To reshape the plotline in the Function Editor using the Reshape Functions: 1. 2.

Click the Select

button in the Tools panel.

Select the segment of the plotline you want to reshape. To reshape only one segment, click anywhere along the segment.

• •

To reshape all segments on the plotline, click anywhere on the plotline.

3.

To create segments on the plotline, you must add keyframes.

4.

Decide if you want to apply a change to a segment or the whole plotline. • To reshape only the segment you selected, select any of the options in the Reshape menu. • To reshape all segments in the plotline with the same function, press [Shift] and select one of the options in the Reshape menu.

To manually reshape the plotline in the Function Editor: 1. 2.

Click a keyframe on the plotline. Handles appear on either side of the point you select. Decide if you want to move both handles independently of each other or together. To move a handle independently of the other handle, drag the point at the end of the handle to its new position. • To move both handles together, press [Alt] (in Windows) or [Command] (in MacOS) and drag the points to their new position.

•

The Left and Right Handle and Angle fields also display the position and the angle of the keyframes. You can also use these fields to set precise position/angles. See Also Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values on page 275 Changing Your View of the Function Editor on page 279 278


Changing Your View of the Function Editor As you plot values for the selected peg, you can change how the Editor window displays the plotline and what it represents. You can change the scale of the vertical and horizontal axes, change the zoom detail on the plotline, or view a different section of the plotline itself. To change your view of the Editor window, use any of the following tools:

•

Zoom tool: you can increase the detail on the plotline by either clicking on a general area or drag-selecting an area to view. To zoom out, press [Alt] (in Windows) or [Option] (in MacOS) and click the plotline.

•

Fit button: resizes the view in the Editor window so that the plotline fills the viewable space.

•

Grabber tool: you can view another part of the window by grabbing a part of the plot area and dragging to another place.

•

Grid button: you can toggle a grid that appears behind the plotline to mark each notch on the horizontal and vertical axes. Horizontal/Vertical zoom sliders: you can change the detail level in the horizontal and vertical axes and see more or fewer values.

•

Dragging the zoom sliders changes the horizontal or vertical zoom factor.

See Also Reshaping the Plotline Using the Function Editor on page 277 Changing Your View of the Function Editor on page 279

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Chapter 8 Using the Multiplane Camera This chapter explains how to use the multiplane camera. You’ll learn how to change the static properties of a camera as well as how to change its properties over time. In this chapter, you will learn how to: •

Camera Effects with Toon Boom Studio on page 282

•

Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284

•

Zooming the Camera In or Out on page 289

•

Zooming the Camera Over Time on page 291

•

Panning and Trucking the Camera on page 297


Camera Effects with Toon Boom Studio Like traditional animation, Toon Boom Studio cameras capture a view of your scene that will play back for your audience. You can use cameras to frame your scenes just as you do when you take a picture or film a movie. The Camera View window shows you how the scene looks to your camera. The red tint and frame identify the camera when you select it.

In this scene, the camera pans across the scene to follow the snowboarder.

With Toon Boom Studio, you can:

•

•

•

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Reposition cameras You can reposition a camera to get a specific view of a scene. For example, if you want your audience to view the action in the center of a large forest scene, you would reposition your camera to view only that area of the scene. Zoom cameras in or out You can change the field-of-view (FOV) of the camera for the entire duration of the scene. If you wanted your whole scene to focus on the face of one character as she speaks, you could set the zoom level of the camera to exclude all other characters and action in your scene. Zoom cameras dynamically throughout your scene You can also change the zoom level dynamically throughout your scene to create complex zooming effects. For example, you can start a scene with a

Chapter 8: Using the Multiplane Camera

•

close-up of a character and then zoom out to see all of the action in your scene. Pan cameras across or up and down your scene, or truck cameras in and out Creating pans and trucks with the camera is a breeze when you attach cameras to pegs and then create motion effects on the pegs. You can create the effect of moving through your scene by attaching a camera to a peg and then giving the peg front-to-back motion through your scene.

See Also Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Zooming the Camera In or Out on page 289 Zooming the Camera Over Time on page 291 Panning and Trucking the Camera on page 297 Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222

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Adding Cameras to a Scene Toon Boom Studio adds a camera element, which you can zoom, pan and truck, to all of your scenes. You can add additional cameras to your scene to try different framing. After you add a camera, you use the Camera List toolbar button to select the camera you want to use to see your scene and to change the framing of that camera. On Windows, the Camera List drop-list is on the Scene View toolbar. When you export your scene, Toon Boom Studio films the scene from the perspective of the selected camera only. There is also a default scene camera, which does not appear in the Timeline window. You cannot change the properties of the default camera. If you want to create any camera effects, you must add camera elements. When a secondary camera is offset from the main camera and you select it in the Timeline window, Toon Boom Studio displays a cone, which represents the angle that the secondary camera has on the scene. To see exactly what secondary cameras see of your scene, you must select the camera from the Camera List toolbar button.

In these windows, the active camera is represented by the square surrounding the snowboarder. In the window on the left, the secondary camera is represented by the black dot in the corner of the window.

To add a camera to the scene: 1.

Select Element > Add > Camera. A new camera element appears in the Timeline window and in the Camera List toolbar button. On Windows, this drop-list appears in the Scene View toolbar. Toon Boom Studio gives the camera a default name.

284

Chapter 8: Using the Multiplane Camera You can place the camera at any layer in the Timeline window.

The composition order of the camera in the Timeline window does not affect the output of your final movie. 2.

Select the new camera from the Camera List toolbar button. On Windows, this drop-list appears in the Scene View toolbar. The contents of the Camera View window changes to show the view this camera has. This is the view that the secondary camera has of the same scene.

See Also Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Renaming Elements on page 341 Deleting Elements on page 342

Positioning a Camera You can change the north/south, east/west and front/back position of cameras you add to a scene just like you can change the position of any other element. If you wanted to see only the action that was taking place on the west side of your screen, you would add a new camera and move it so that it sees only that part of the scene.

285

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide In the Camera View window you can change the north/south position of a camera by dragging up and down. You can also change the east/west position of a camera by dragging from the left to the right.

You can change the position of a camera in any of the Sceneplanning view windows (Camera View window, Side View window and Top View window). The camera’s field of view appears as a cone in the Top and Side View windows.

• •

In the Side View window, you change the front/back position of the camera by dragging from left to right. You change the north/south position of the camera by dragging from the top to the bottom. In the Top View window, you change the front/back position of the camera by dragging from the top to the bottom. You change the east/west position by dragging from left to right. You can view the same scene from two different perspectives.

286


To change the position of a camera: 1. 2.

Add a new camera element to your scene. From the Window menu, select a Sceneplanning view. Select Camera View to change the north/south and east/west position of the camera. You can also change the front/back position in this window by holding down [Option] while you drag up (back) or down (front). • Select Side View to change the north/south and front/back position of the camera. • Select Top View to change the east/west and front/back position of the camera. The camera in both the Side View and Top View windows is represented by a cone, which reflects the field-of-view that the camera has on the scene. The camera “films” all elements that are within the field-of-view.

•

3.

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select to activate the Select

4.

Select the camera. Use one of the following methods: • Use the Select tool to click the camera frame in any of the View windows.

• •

tool.

Click the camera's name in the Timeline window. If the camera is an inactive secondary camera, you can click the dot that represents the camera to select and move it.

The camera’s frame and field of view tints red when you select it. 5.

Drag the camera frame to the position you want.

Notice that the Offset values in the Camera tab change as you move the camera. You can also manually type values into these fields to change the position of the camera.

287


The Offset fields record the north/south, east/west and front/back position of the camera. You can type values in these fields to change the position of the camera.

See Also Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline on page 354 Repositioning Elements on page 207

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Zooming the Camera In or Out You change the field-of-view (FOV) of a camera when you want to zoom the camera in or out on a character or object in your scene. Use the Camera View window to make changes to the FOV of a camera and see how the change affects the framing of your scene. In this scene, we’ve changed the zoom level of the camera to focus on the surfer and the shark.

When you want to give the camera one zoom level for the entire scene, your zoom level will be static. You can also create dynamic camera zooms throughout your scene. To zoom a camera in or out: 1.

Add a new camera element to your scene.

2.

Activate the new camera by selecting the camera from the Camera List toolbar button.

3.

Select the camera. Use one of the following methods:

• •

Select Tools > Sceneplanning Tools > Select, and use the Select click the camera frame. Click the camera's name in the Timeline window.

tool to

In the Camera View window, the camera frame and background is highlighted in red. A handle appears on the bottom of the camera frame. 4.

In the Camera tab, select the Static option for the FOV Type. When you select this option, the FOV of the camera stays constant throughout the scene.

289


5.

With the Select tool, use the handle on the bottom of the camera frame to change the zoom level of the camera. • Drag the handle to the left to zoom in on the scene.

•

Drag the handle to the right to zoom out on the scene. Drag the handle below the camera frame to change the zoom level of the camera.

As you change the zoom level, the value in the Static field on the FOV tab (in the Properties window) changes. Type a value in this field for a more precise FOV value. When you change the FOV, you are actually changing the angle of view on your scene.

• •

If you make the field of view smaller, the camera represents a smaller amount of the full scene in the same size camera, which creates the zoom effect. If you look in the Top View window or in the Side View window as you change the field of view, you can see how the angle of your camera changes.

See Also Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Positioning a Camera on page 285 Changing the Start Frame and Duration of a Dynamic Camera on page 293 Editing the Dynamic Zooms with the Function Editor on page 295 290


Zooming the Camera Over Time You can change the FOV of a camera at different frames throughout your scene to create dynamic camera zooms. You can use the Camera View window to make changes to the FOV of a camera and see how the changes affect the zoom level of your scene.

The camera zoom level in this animation changes from a close-up to a long shot.

Toon Boom Studio smooths the transition between camera zoom levels to create high-quality camera effects.

To zoom a camera in and out during a scene: 1.


2.


3.

In the Timeline window, select the camera you want to modify. The camera frame should appear in red in the Camera View window.

291


You can drag the handle below the camera frame to change the zoom level at specific frames.

4.

On the Camera tab, select the Dynamic option. When you select this option, you can change the zoom level of the camera at different frames throughout your scene.

5.

Select the start and end frame, and the duration, of the zoom change. When you activate the Dynamic option, a thick bar appears in the camera element in the Timeline window. This bar (set to 10 frames by default) represents the period (start and end frame, and duration) of the FOV change. This bar reflects the start and end frame, as well as the duration, of the camera zoom changes.

• •

If you want your zoom changes to last longer than 10 frames, you must extend this bar. If you want your zoom changes to have a different start and end frame, drag the bar to the position you want it to occupy.

The camera uses the zoom level at the start and end of the zoom period for the camera zoom level before and after the zoom period. 6.

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Drag the red frame slider on top of the Timeline to select the frame at which you want the zoom to stop.

Chapter 8: Using the Multiplane Camera If you want a zoom to reach a certain level by frame 8, then you would move the red frame slider to 8.

With the Select tool, use the handle beneath the camera frame to change the zoom level of the camera. • Drag the handle to the left to zoom in on the scene.

•

Drag the handle to the right to zoom out on the scene.

You can also use the Function Editor to make more precise changes to the FOV. See Also Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Editing the Dynamic Zooms with the Function Editor on page 295 Zooming the Camera In or Out on page 289 Changing the Start Frame and Duration of a Dynamic Camera on page 293 Camera Effects with Toon Boom Studio on page 282 Basic Sceneplanning Concepts on page 200 Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274

Changing the Start Frame and Duration of a Dynamic Camera When you use a dynamic camera, it always appears at the first frame of the scene and covers a default length of 20 frames. If you need to make a dynamic camera effect last longer, you must modify the duration of the camera element in the Timeline window. For example, if you want to link a zoom effect to a pan that is controlled by a peg, you should make the zoom effect last as long as the peg. To modify the start/end frame and duration of a dynamic camera zoom, follow one of these steps. To change the start/end frame of the camera: 1.

Click the camera’s bar in the right panel of the Timeline window.

2.

Drag the camera bar to the correct position in the Timeline window. You may want to use the zoom slider at the bottom of the Timeline window to see more or less of the Timeline.

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Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide Drag the camera’s bar to its new position.

Use the zoom slider to change the amount of detail you see in the Timeline window.

The thin red bar that appears in the Timeline window for all cameras indicates the duration of the camera’s recording time in the scene. The red bar for the active scene camera increases or decreases based on the duration of all visible elements in the scene. Even if the camera is dynamic for only a few frames (the length of the trackbar), it continues to record until the last frame where there is a visual element. To change the duration of a camera effect: 1.

Move the pointer to the end or the beginning of the camera bar in the right panel of the Timeline window.

2.

Drag the boundary to the left or right to increase or decrease the length of the camera. A camera must always be at least two frames in length. You can drag the ends of the camera bar to change the duration of the camera effect.

See Also Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Changing the Timeline Zoom Level on page 331 Splitting the Timeline Window in Two on page 334 Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline on page 354 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346

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Editing the Dynamic Zooms with the Function Editor You can use the Function Editor to edit camera zooms that change over time. To edit dynamic zooming, you change the field of view (FOV) of the camera. Let's say that you want your camera to repeat the same zoom changes over 60 frames. In the Camera View window, you can use the camera handle to change the zoom level, but you can not select exact FOV values with the handle. To do this, you must use the Function Editor. To create precise camera zooms with the Function Editor: 1.


2.

Activate the camera by selecting the camera from the Camera List toolbar button.

3.

Select the camera element in the Timeline window.

4.

In the Camera tab, select the Dynamic option for the FOV Type. When you select the Dynamic option, you will be able to make the zoom level of the camera change throughout your scene.

5.

Change the start frame and duration of the camera.

6.

Select Window > Function Editor to display the Function Editor window.

7.

Select FOV from the Function drop-list. The graph on the FOV tab represents the change in the zoom level of the camera over time.

295


The Function Editor appears. • The Y-axis (vertical axis) marks the angle of view that the camera has of the scene. • The X-axis (horizontal axis) marks the frame number. Change the speed of the zoom effect by changing the shape of the plotline. You can select different plotline shapes from the Reshape panel. Each point represents the angle the camera reaches at a specific frame number.

You can use the handles on each point to change the shape of the curve.

8.

To change the angle of view of the camera, select the frame on the plotline where you want the zoom effect to change and add a keyframe. You can then move this key point to the angle of view you want. The shape of the plotline identifies the speed of the change in zoom.

9.

To change the speed of the zoom, you can manipulate the shape of the plotline using options in the Reshape menu.

See Also Editing Functions Using the Function Editor on page 274 Reshaping the Plotline Using the Function Editor on page 277 Adding Motion Points to a Motion Path on page 256 Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Changing the Start Frame and Duration of a Dynamic Camera on page 293

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Panning and Trucking the Camera You can create camera moves common in animation, like pans and trucks, using cameras and pegs. For example, you can change the area of the scene you are looking at by panning the camera. Or, you can move the camera into the scene (trucking) to create a sense of motion through the scene. To create camera pans and trucks, you must attach the camera to a peg. Then, you must create east/west or north/south motion paths with the peg to create pans, or front/ back motion paths to create trucks.

From the first frame to the last the camera follows the snowboarder all the way down the mountain.

To pan and truck a camera: 1.


2.


3.

Add a peg to your scene.

297

Toon Boom Studio V3.5 User Guide You can click the peg button just above the left column in the Timeline window to add a peg to your scene.

4.

Change the start/end frame and duration of the peg to the values you want.

5.

To attach the camera to the peg, drag the camera element on top of the peg element in the Timeline window. Drag the camera on top of the peg to attach it to a peg.

6.

Modify the peg to create north/south, east/west and front/back motion. The camera follows the path of the peg through your scene. Cameras are affected by a peg's motion and rotation, but not scale.

See Also Adding Cameras to a Scene on page 284 Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline on page 354 Adding Peg Elements and Attaching Child Elements on page 223 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Changing the Duration of a Peg Element on page 239 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250 Creating Motion Paths with the Motion Tool on page 250

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Chapter 9 Creating Effects This chapter describes how you can add effects to your scenes, creating interesting visuals, which your audience will enjoy, with ease and speed. This chapter contains these topics: •

Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300

•

Clipping Mask Effects on page 308

•

Drop Shadow Effects on page 313


Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes Various scenes you create may require the gradual change in color of characters or scenery because of changes to the lighting of the scene. If the sun is setting on a beach, the colors of all of the scenery on the beach are going to darken or even redden before they absorb a dark purple or blue tint. In this scene, the sun starts to set on the surfer, darkening all of the objects in the scene.

It would be quite time-consuming to figure out the colors of each object in your scene at each frame, and then recolor each drawing at each frame (which traditional painters did have to do). With Toon Boom Studio, you can automate colors changing over time by creating color changes in Color Transform elements and attaching all of the elements you want to transform to these effects elements. Here’s the Color Transform element in the Timeline window.

There are two types of color transformations you can create: additive and multiplicative.

300

Chapter 9: Creating Effects

Additive Color Changes With additive color transformations, you can add or subtract color values from selected color channels (red, green, blue and alpha). You would select an additive color transformation if you wanted to add or remove a color from your drawings over time. For example, if a fire suddenly starts in front of a character, the character would reflect more and more red or orange as the fire starts and grows larger. This ant is made up of the following RGB colors:

• Skin: 190, 140, 101 • Eye: 40, 97, 196 • White of the eye: 250 250, 229 • Belt: 245, 152, 31 If you create a Color Transform that adds 80 red to all of the colors, the red value in each color would increase by 80. When you add 80 to the red channel in the colors of the ant, each red value increases while the values of the other channels remain the same.

• Skin: 190 + 80 = 270 Red (the other colors remain the same) • Eye: 40 + 80 = 120 Red • “White” around the eye: 250 + 80 = 330 • Belt: 245 + 80 = 325

301


Multiplicative Color Changes With multiplicative color transformations, you multiply the current values in the color channels (red, blue, green and alpha) by selected values to create new color values. You would select a multiplicative color transformation if you wanted to create an effect that changes all color channels evenly. For example, if you wanted to increase the redness of an image by 20%, you would multiply the red value by 1.2.

The red values in this image are now:

• Skin: 190 * 1.2 = 228

• Eye: 40 * 1.2 = 48 • White of the eye: 250 * 1.2 = 300

• Belt: 245 * 1.2 = 294

You can combine additive and multiplicative color transformations. Toon Boom Studio calculates the final value by first applying the multiplicative value and then the additive value. The formula looks like this: (Color * Multiplicative Values) + Additive Values = Final Color

You may notice that the values of your color go beyond the 256 colors that are actually displayed. Although you only see colors with values between 0 and 255, Toon Boom Studio saves the final value and uses it when you combine multiple Color Transforms. See Also Changing Color Over Time on page 303 Flattening a Color Transform Effect Layer on page 306 Combining Multiple Color Transforms on page 307

302


Changing Color Over Time You attach elements whose colors you want to change over time to Color Transform elements. Then, you change the properties of the Color Transform elements at selected keyframes. Toon Boom Studio calculates the color values of each image in an element at each frame for you. You can transform any visual element - drawing, image, or media. You can add/subtract values from the color channels or you can multiply the current color values by a value. To change colors in elements over time: 1.

Select Element > Add > Color Transform Effect. A new element layer appears in the Timeline window.

2.

Drag the elements you want to change on top of the Color Transform Effect element. The elements appear indented below the Color Transform element.

Notice how the Drawing element is indented below the Color Transform element. It is attached to the Color Transform element and will be effected by the color changes you program in it. See the large squares on the Color Transform trackbar? They are the keyframes for the color change.

3.

If needed, change the start time and duration of the Color Transform element. • Drag the entire trackbar of the element to a new start frame.

• 4.

Drag the end of the trackbar to a new end frame.

Select the Color Transform element and use the red frame slider at the top of the Timeline window to select the keyframe at which you want the color change to end. Notice that the Color Transform tab opens in the Properties window.

303


5.

In the Properties tab, make your selections for the color transformation. Drag the slider or enter a value in a field. You can see the results of your changes immediately in the Camera View window.

• In the multiplicative fields, you would usually enter a value between 0 and 2. In fact the slider only allows you to go from 0 to 2. You can enter a value less than 0 and greater than 2 in the fields.

• In the additive fields, you can enter a value between -255 to + 255.

• You will only see resulting color values that range from 0 to 255. If the final value is outside this range, Toon Boom Studiosaves the value and uses it for other calculations.

If you nest color transformations in multiple Color Transform elements, the real value is used to calculate the combined effect. When a color transform is applied on an image element or a vector element with a bitmap fill, what you see in the Camera View window will not be the same as the final rendered movie. To evaluate color transforms applied to bitmaps, you must playback the rendered animation. See Also Adding/Removing Keyframes from a Color Transform on page 305 Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300 Flattening a Color Transform Effect Layer on page 306 Combining Multiple Color Transforms on page 307 Real-Time Playback on page 392

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Adding/Removing Keyframes from a Color Transform Let’s say that your character is holding her breath. Her skin color might go from pink to blue. Then if she got mad, her skin might go from blue to red! You can add keyframes to Color Transform elements to change the color values of attached elements at different frames throughout your scene. To add or remove keyframes from a Color Transform element: 1.

In the Timeline window, select the Color Transform element.

2.

Select the frame at which you want to add a keyframe using the red frame slider at the top of the Timeline window to change the frame number.

3.

In the Color Transform tab, Properties window, click the Add Keyframe button. A white square appears in the Color Transform element at the selected frame. You can now change the value of the color transformation.

Move the red frame slider to the frame number where you want to add a keyframe. Squares appear in the trackbar for each keyframe.

4.

To remove a keyframe, select the Color Transform element, use the frame slider to select the keyframe you want to delete, and click the Remove Keyframe button on the Color Properties tab.

You can disable the display of color transform effects in the Camera View windows.

•

Select View > Disable All Effects.

Effects will export regardless if you have this option selected. See Also Adding/Removing Keyframes from a Color Transform on page 305 Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300 Previewing a Scene Interactively on page 390 Changing Color Over Time on page 303

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Flattening a Color Transform Effect Layer Multiple Drawing elements attached to the Color Transform Effect may not occupy the same front-back position. This can affect the position of the Color Transform Effect layer.

The Flatten option at the bottom of the Color Transform tab flattens the color transform layer. The new depth (Z) value will be the same as the first element attached to the effect.

By default, a Color Transform effect applied to multiple drawings will apply the effect at the current position of each drawing. You can activate the Flatten option the flatten the Color Transform effect layer so that it appears at a single position. This option is available in the Color Transform tab of the Properties window.

The position of the flattened Color Transform layer will be at the same position as the first element attached to it, in this case, the top wave element. You can determine the position of the elements in the Side or Top views.

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See Also Adding/Removing Keyframes from a Color Transform on page 305 Changing Color Over Time on page 303 Combining Multiple Color Transforms on page 307 Clipping Mask Effects on page 308

Combining Multiple Color Transforms You can combine multiple Color Transform effects to control different color changes in your scene. For example, if your character was blushing as the sun was setting, you would create one Color Transform effect for the blushing, and another for the effect of the setting sun on the whole scene. Multiple color transformations are combined starting with the top Color Transform elements, working down. In the Timeline, you can see how there are two Color Transforms that are secondary to a master Color Transform element.

To combine multiple color transforms: 1.

Create the secondary Color Transform effect. The secondary effect is the one that will be influenced by the primary effect.

2.

Create the primary Color Transform effect. This is the effect that will have influence over elements as well as other Color Transform effects.

3.

Attach the secondary Color Transform effect to the primary Color Transform effect.

See Also Adding/Removing Keyframes from a Color Transform on page 305 Previewing a Scene Interactively on page 390 Clipping Mask Effects on page 308 Changing Color Over Time on page 303

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Clipping Mask Effects Ever been to a costume party where the only thing you see beneath the masks of the other guests is their eyes and mouth? The costume mask hides all of the face, except those parts revealed by the holes for the eyes and the mouth. You can create a very similar effect with moving images in Toon Boom Studio by hiding parts of images (the clip) below a mask. The mask in the image to the left is shaped like a wave to reveal a clip of a wave washing over a beach.

Combining the clipping mask effect with other elements can create interesting transitions between material.

See Also Creating Clipping Mask Effects on page 309 Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300 Modifying Masks on page 311

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Creating Clipping Mask Effects With Toon Boom Studio, you can create masks that allow part of an image to appear through a shape. To create this clipping mask effect, you must create a vector shape and attach it to the effect’s mask parameter. Then, you attach the images you want to see through the mask to the clipping element. Centerline strokes cannot be masks; only Brush strokes and painted areas can be masks. In this clipping mask effect, the wave_mask element is attached to the mask layer. The images that will show through (wave.swf) are attached to the Clipping element.

When displaying the clipping mask, the composite elements are rendered into one layer. The top element inside the clip establishes the layering order with other elements in the scene and the mask layer establishes the foreground/background property of the entire rendered effect. To change the depth of the clipping effect, you must move the top element in the clip. You can mask drawing or image element types. You can also resize, rotate or move your masks dynamically with pegs, like you do other element types. To create a clipping mask effect: 1.

Create a drawing element and draw the shape you want to use for the mask, and fill the regions you want to use to show the layers below the mask. This is the opposite of the concept of the party mask because it is actually the areas that are filled with paint that will show through the bottom layers.

2.

Select Element > Add > Clipping Effect. Two element layers appear in the Timeline, the Clipping Effect layer and the Mask layer. The Mask layer is a parameter of the Clipping Effect layer and as a result you cannot move, rename or delete it.

3.

Drag the drawing element you created to be the mask on top of the Mask layer. When it is attached, the drawing element is indented below the Mask layer.

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You can add multiple elements to the Mask layer. However, only the top visible drawing element will be used as the mask. Other drawing elements will be ignored in the calculation of the mask. If you only want the mask to hide a part of the clip for a segment of the clip’s duration, you must create a large drawing that will reveal the full clip for the duration of its exposure. If there is no drawing in the mask layer, then Toon Boom Studio assumes that all of the holes in the mask are filled, and that there is nothing that you want to see beneath it. 4.

Drag the elements you want to mask on top of the Clipping Effect layer. The masked elements are indented below the Clipping Effect layer. You must drag the mask you want to use (the vector drawing with painted zones identifying the areas you want to show through) on top of the Mask element. Then you drag all elements you want to be affected by the mask on top of the Clipping Effect element.

You can disable the display of mask effects in the Camera View windows.

•

Select View > Disable All Effects. Effects will export regardless if you have this option selected.

In the Timeline window, you can also hide the mask layers beneath a Clipping Effect element to make it easier to work with elements.

•

To hide the mask layers in all Clipping Effect elements, select View > Effects > Hide All Effects Parameters.

•

To show the mask layers in the selected Clipping Effect element, View > Effects > Effect Parameters.

•

To show the mask layers in all Clipping Effect elements, select View > Effects > Show All Effects Parameters.

See Also Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Previewing a Scene Interactively on page 390 Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300 Modifying Masks on page 311

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Modifying Masks You can change the rotation and size of masks just like you would any other element. You can even use pegs to change masks dynamically throughout the scene. However, if you just want to reposition a mask, it can be a little bit tricky. In the following example, the clip image fills the mask. If you try to move the mask as it is set up now, Toon Boom Studio will move the clip. To move the mask, you must hide the clip. This is a mask created from a drawing of a wave, which is revealing an image of a wave beneath it.

If you try to move the mask, you will end up moving the clip beneath it.

To move a mask: 1.

Use the Show/Hide buttons in the element list to hide the clip layer.

We hid the wave.swf media element, which is the clip in this effect.

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2.

Use the Select

tool to move the mask.

3.

Show the clip layer so that you can see the layers beneath the mask.

Here’s a tip that also helps with the selection and modification of masks. 1. Add a peg and move it just outside of the mask’s area. 2. Attach the mask to the peg. 3. Use the circle that represents the peg as a handle for moving the mask. See Also Repositioning Elements on page 207 Scaling Elements on page 211 Rotating Elements on page 216 Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222

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Drop Shadow Effects You can easily add a shadow to a drawing or a group of drawings in your scene. Shadows can add the feeling of depth to drawings and can also influence the mood of your scene. You can apply this effect to a single drawing (left) or to multiple drawings, such as the drawings that form this cut-out character (right). The opacity of the cut-out character’s shadow has been decreased in the Drop Shadow properties to give it a softer look.

With Toon Boom Studio, you can automatically add a shadow to any drawing or selection of drawings and give it a look that suits your scene. Instead of adding to each current drawing or creating a new set of drawings, you can simply apply the drop shadow effect to the drawings you select.

Once you add a drop shadow, you can skew it, reposition it and change its color and transparency levels. See Also Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300 Clipping Mask Effects on page 308

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Creating Drop Shadow Effects You can add a Drop Shadow Effect element to your timeline. The element layers that you attach to it comprise the drop shadow object. To create a drop shadow effect: 1.

Select Element > Add > Drop Shadow Effect. A new Drop Shadow Effect layer is added in the Timeline.

2.

Drag the drawing element that you want to add the drop shadow to on top of the Drop Shadow Effect layer. When it is attached, the drawing element is indented below the effect layer.

The Drop Shadow Effect element is also displays in the Camera View.

You can use the Show/Hide buttons in the Timeline to turn off the display of all elements except the Drawing element and the Drop Shadow Effect layers, while you are working on the positioning of your shadow.

3.

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Use the skew handles of the Drop Shadow Effect to determine the skew angle of the drop shadow. Use the round handle to move the shadow.


4.

You can also change the color of the shadow and other properties. Select the Drop Shadow Effect element in the Timeline to display the Drop Shadow tab in the Properties window.

• •

•

Click the color swatch to select a new drop shadow color. Use the slider or enter an alpha value to select the level of Opacity of the shadow. If you have multiple elements attached to the Drop Shadow Effect element, the alpha value is for the entire shadow effect, and will not create an undesired additive transparency effect for overlapping elements. Activate the Hide Elements option to display the shadow only, but not the original Drawing element(s).

See Also Additive and Multiplicative Color Changes on page 300 Clipping Mask Effects on page 308

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Chapter 10 Organizing Elements and Timing This chapter explains how to organize the element layers in your scene, as well as work out the timing of their contents. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318

•

Layering Elements on page 335

•

Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346


Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows The Exposure Sheet and Timeline windows are your worksheets for organizing, sequencing and timing the contents of your animation. Although both serve similar purposes, they display layering, sequence and timing information differently. The Exposure Sheet displays drawing, image, sound and media layers in columns. The Timeline window displays all element layers in rows.

Exposure Sheet

Timeline

Description

Based on the traditional animators paper exposure sheet used to determine the elements and timing of their animation.

Shows each element in your animation as a layer with a track displaying what appears at each frame.

Frames

Each row represents a frame.

Each column represents a frame.

Compositing Order of Layers

Far left column is the top layer.

Top row is the top layer.

Cell Display

Displays the full name of drawing and image files appearing at each frame of your animation. Displays thumbnails and lip synch information.

Indicates each new drawing or image in an element, but not the full name.

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Chapter 10: Organizing Elements and Timing

See Also Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Adding Element/Cell Notes on page 323 Changing the Cell Display in the Exposure Sheet on page 325 Changing the Timeline Zoom Level on page 331

Showing/Hiding Elements Sometimes it helps to hide elements so that you can focus on other ones.

• •

You may want to hide elements in the Drawing View so that you see only specific layers in the Auto Light Table. You may want to hide elements in Sceneplanning views so that it is easier for you to lay out others in the 3D scene space.

The show/hide status of elements determines whether they are rendered for playback or export.

• •

The show/hide status of elements in the Exposure Sheet controls the rendering and playback of elements from the Exposure Sheet and Drawing View. The show/hide status of elements in the Timeline controls the rendering and playback of elements from the Timeline or the Sceneplanning Views.

You can show/hide elements using the commands in the Element > Display menu. You can also use the Show/Hide buttons in the Exposure Sheet and Timeline windows. To show/hide elements in the Drawing View: 1.

In the Exposure Sheet, click the Toggle Element List Element List panel.

button to open the

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2.

Click the check box next to the element name in the Element List panel. When the check box is selected, the element appears in the Drawing View and Exposure Sheet windows, and when you render or playback from the Exposure Sheet. • When the check box is deselected, the element does not appear in the Drawing View and Exposure Sheet windows, and when you render or play back from the Exposure Sheet.

•

Use the Show/Hide buttons in the Element List panel to select the elements you want to appear in the Drawing View.

To show/hide elements in the Sceneplanning views:

•

Click the check box next to the element name in the Element List panel.

D When the check box is selected, the element appears in all of the View and when you render or playback from the Timeline. D When the check box is deselected, the element does not appear in the View windows or when you render or playback from the Timeline. Use the Show/Hide buttons to select the elements you want to appear in Sceneplanning view windows.

When you have hidden pegs, you can show them without changing their show/hide status in the element list in the Timeline window.

•

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Select View > Pegs > Show All Pegs. All pegs become visible in the View windows.


See Also Changing the Layering Order of Elements on page 338 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties on page 228

Displaying Selected Elements Only in Sceneplanning Views When you are working in the Drawing View, only a single element drawing can be displayed at the current frame. In the Sceneplanning view windows, all elements that are visible at the selected frame appear. If you want to work on a single element or set of elements, you can hide unrelated elements and then redisplay them later. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but if you have many elements, it can be time consuming to work around them. When you just want to work on the motion path of a particular character, you don’t need to see all of the other elements in a scene.

Now that some of the elements are hidden, you can see the motion path of the character clearly.

Toon Boom Studio allows you to hide all other elements except the ones you select using Solo mode. When this mode is active, it temporarily hides all unselected elements from the View windows, allowing you to work on only the elements you want. 321


To hide elements in your View windows with Solo mode: 1.

Select the element(s) you want to show. You can either select a single element or a range of elements (using [Shift]+ click).

2.

Click the Solo mode

button located at the top-left of the Timeline window.

When Solo mode is active, the Solo mode button appears inverted and the hidden element layers appear white in the Timeline window.

Only these highlighted elements will appear in the Sceneplanning View windows.

When you are in Solo mode, you can still display or hide elements from the View windows:

•

If you want to temporarily display an element that is not one of the selected elements, select it in the Timeline window.

•

You can use the Show/Hide buttons to hide or display elements currently in the Solo mode.

See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Deleting Elements on page 342 Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties on page 228

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Adding Element/Cell Notes With a paper exposure sheet, animators can scribble notes on the paper about the elements in the scene and the action. Toon Boom Studio makes it possible to add electronic notes to your elements and cells so that you can record and save ideas about your animation. In the Timeline, only element notes are identified.

Cell and element note icons appear next to the names.

If you clone an element, Toon Boom Studio also clones all of the element and cell notes. However, if you copy and paste an annotated cell, the note does not appear on the pasted cell. To add a note to an element or a cell: 1.

Select the element or cell you want to add a note to. You can select an element in either the Exposure Sheet window or in the Timeline window. However, you must use the Exposure Sheet to add cell notes.

2.

Select one of the following commands. To add an element note, select Element > Add Element Note.

• •

To add a cell note, select Element > Cell > Add Cell Note.

The Note dialog box opens. 3.

Type the note you want to add to the element/cell and click OK when you are done. The element or cell displays a small note icon to identify the note.

To update an element or cell note: 1.

Select one of the following commands. • To update an element note, select Element > Update Element Note.

•

To update a cell note, select Element > Cell > Update Cell Note.

The Note dialog box opens. 323


2.

Update the note and click OK. If you remove all of the text from the note, Toon Boom Studio will delete it.

See Also Viewing Cell and Element Notes on page 324

Viewing Cell and Element Notes You can view element and cell notes in the Exposure Sheet, but you can only view element notes in the Timeline because you cannot see individual cells in this window. To view a cell or element note:

•

Pass your pointer over the note. The contents of the note will appear in a popup. Click a note to display it. You can turn on and off note display by clicking the Contextual Menu button and selecting View > Notes.

See Also Adding Element/Cell Notes on page 323 Cloning Elements on page 344

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Changing the Cell Display in the Exposure Sheet You can customize how the Exposure Sheet window displays the contents of elements by clicking the Contextual Menu button and selecting the option you want from the View menu. If the option is active, a checkmark appears next to it:

•

Thumbnails: when active, a graphic representation of the contents appears. When deactivated, the cell displays only the cell name.

Thumbnails active

Thumbnails in-active

If the cell contains an image, drawing or media link, a thumbnail appears. If the cell contains a sound, the sound’s wave form or an example of the lip position that would make the sound at that frame is displayed.

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•

Exposure: when active, a vertical line appears in the cells to indicate that the previous cell label applies to the current cell. When deactivated, the cell repeats the cell name for the length of the exposure.

Exposure active

•

Name: when active, the cell displays the name of the element before the cell name, which is often a number. When deactivated, only the cell name appears in the cell.

Name active

•

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Exposure in-active

Name inactive

Notes: when active, an element or cell annotation appears in a pop-up window when you place your pointer over the annotated cell. When deactivated, the pop-up window does not appear. However, you can Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) on the element or cell and select Update Cell Note to view (or update) the note.


See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Resizing Columns in the Exposure Sheet on page 327 Adding Element/Cell Notes on page 323

Resizing Columns in the Exposure Sheet You can adjust the width of columns in the Exposure Sheet window to make it easier to see more element columns or more of the names of elements and cells. To resize columns in the Exposure Sheet window: 1.

Drag the sides of the columns to their new size. You must drag the element title. As you resize columns their titles, or the labels of their cells, might become hidden. But, you can see more columns if the columns are narrow.

2.

To reset the column width, click the Contextual Menu View > Reset Column Width.

button and select

See Also Changing the Color of an Element on page 328 Changing the Default Colors of Elements on page 329

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Changing the Color of an Element As you add elements to the Exposure Sheet window and Timeline window, Toon Boom Studio assigns a default color to each element layer or column based on its type. You can change the color of specific elements to help you group and identify elements. For example, if you drew a character on several layers, say the body in one layer, the head in another and the legs in another, you could give all of these layers a color different from the defaults to help you identify them easily in the Exposure Sheet window and Timeline. The element color appears next to the element name in the Exposure Sheet window and for the trackbar color in the Timeline window. For example, drawings are labeled in dark green by default.

To customize the color of an element: 1.

Select the element.

2.

Select Element > Display > Change Color. The color picker opens.

3.

Select the color you want to use for the selected element and click OK. The selected column now appears in the new color.

4.

To reset the element colors to their default settings, select Element > Display > Default Color.

See Also Changing the Default Colors of Elements on page 329 Changing the Timeline Track Color on page 330

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Changing the Default Colors of Elements Toon Boom Studio uses color to help you distinguish each element type in the Exposure Sheet window and Timeline window.

The element colors appear in the Exposure Sheet and Timeline window.

You can change these default colors using the Preferences dialog box, which applies the changes in your current Toon Boom Studio session and any other animation set you create from then onwards. To change the default color assigned to elements: 1.


•



Click the Interface tab.

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3.

Click the swatch next to the feature you want to change. The color picker opens.

4.

Select the color you wish to use and click OK.

5.

When you define all of the default colors, click OK in the Preferences dialog box.

See Also Changing the Color of an Element on page 328 Assigning Keyboard Shortcuts on page 55 Real-Time Playback on page 392 Selecting Units of Measure on page 57

Changing the Timeline Track Color By default, the background color of tracks in the Timeline window provide a high contrast with the elements that appear on top of it.

Track color Element color

You can change the background color of selected tracks in the Timeline window so that you can easily distinguish a specific element or a group of elements from others. To customize the color of a track in the Timeline window: 1.

Select the element whose track color you want to change.

2.

Select Element > Display > Background Color. The color picker opens.

3.

Select the color you want to use for the selected track and click OK.

4.

To revert the track’s color, select Element > Display > Default Color.

See Also Changing the Color of an Element on page 328 Changing the Default Colors of Elements on page 329

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Changing the Timeline Zoom Level You can change the zoom level of the Timeline window so that you can see more of the timing of elements in the Timeline window or get a more global view of the scene. For example, if you wanted to see when drawings in an element change, you can increase the zoom level until you can clearly see the vertical lines that represent new cells in the Timeline window.

Changing the zoom level of the Timeline reveals more about the timing of your scene, exposing details or giving you the “big picture”.

To change the detail level in the Timeline window:

•

Drag the Zoom slider either to the left (zoom out) or to the right (zoom in). You’ll notice that as you change the zoom level, the amount of detail changes in stages.

See Also Changing the Current Frame in the Timeline on page 332 Displaying Feet and Frames in the Timeline on page 333 Splitting the Timeline Window in Two on page 334 Changing the Timeline Track Color on page 330

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Changing the Current Frame in the Timeline The frame marker in the Timeline window identifies the frame you are viewing. When you play your scene, the frame marker moves across the Timeline window. The currently selected frame is indicated by the red frame marker and is in the title bar of the window.

To view the images at a specific frame, you can change the frame marker’s position in the Timeline window. To change the current frame, do one of the following:

• • • •

Drag the frame marker to the frame you want to view. Click the frame marker at the top of the Timeline window. The red frame marker appears at the point you click and the elements at that frame appear in the View window. To advance one frame, press [S]. To rewind one frame, press [A]. Right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl]-click (MacOS) the frame bar and select Change Current Frame. In the Change Current Frame dialog box, type the frame number you want to see and click OK. The red frame marker now appears on the frame you selected and the elements at that frame appear in the View window.

See Also Changing the Timeline Zoom Level on page 331 Displaying Feet and Frames in the Timeline on page 333 Splitting the Timeline Window in Two on page 334 Changing the Timeline Track Color on page 330

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Displaying Feet and Frames in the Timeline Traditional animation for TV and film is often measured in feet. The number of feet of film measurement is a handy way for animators to judge their output based. There are 16 frames per foot of film. If you are accustomed to working in a traditional environment, animating for film and TV, the “feet and frames” measurement on the Timeline window might be a more familiar reference point for you to use. To display “feet and frames” in the Timeline window: 1.


•



Click the Interface tab. Select how you want the Timeline to mark time from the Time Measurement drop-list.

3.

From the Time Measurement drop-list, select Feet and Frames and click OK. When displaying “feet and frames” in the Timeline window, the first number indicates the number of feet and the second number indicates the number of frames in the current foot.

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See Also Changing the Timeline Zoom Level on page 331 Changing the Current Frame in the Timeline on page 332

Splitting the Timeline Window in Two You can use the Zoom slider to view more or less of the Timeline window, but if your scene is very long, you would still have to use the slider to display the beginning and end of the scene. That’s why the Timeline window features the Split Window button. This button allows you to split the Timeline window into two sections, allowing you to view two sections of the scene independently. Split Window button Change the size of each section by dragging the border bar inside the Timeline window.

To split the Timeline window into two sections: 1.

Click the Split Window button in the top-right of the Timeline window. A border bar appears on the extreme right of the Timeline window.

2.

Place your pointer over the bar that separates the two sections so that your pointer changes to a resize pointer.

3.

Drag the bar to its new position.

The new section of the Timeline window has its own scroll bars and Zoom See Also Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Changing the Current Frame in the Timeline on page 332 Changing the Timeline Zoom Level on page 331

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slider.


Layering Elements The layering order of elements determines how they are stacked (the composition order) when you play back or export your animation from each mode.

• •

In the Exposure Sheet, columns on the left are rendered on top of columns on the right when you export an Exposure Sheet scene. When you export a full movie or scene, elements in rows on top of the Timeline list appear layered on top of the elements below. Of course, when your elements change relative front/back position based on layout and pegged motion effects, that ultimately determines the composition order of the elements.

Any changes you make to your scene’s contents in the Exposure Sheet appears in the Timeline window, except for the show/hide status of the element. There are eight element types you can add to your animation:

•

Drawing : vector drawing files you create or import. Drawing elements appear in both the Exposure Sheet and the Timeline.

•

Image : bitmap graphics that you import into your animation. Image elements appear in both the Exposure Sheet and the Timeline.

•

Sound : sound files you import into your animation. Sound elements appear in both the Exposure Sheet and the Timeline.

•

Media : multimedia files that you link into your animation. You use the media element type to make a link from your animation to a multimedia file. Media elements appear in both the Exposure Sheet and the Timeline.

•

Peg : create motion, scaling, and rotation changes over time. Peg elements appear only in the Timeline. You can modify peg elements in this view window.

•

Camera : As in traditional animation and film production, you use cameras to “film” the action in a scene. You can use camera elements to zoom in and zoom out on your scene by changing the field of view (FOV), create pans, move closer or farther (truck in and out) from the action in your scene. Toon Boom Studio can film a scene with only one camera. You can add additional cameras as a reference, but Toon Boom Studio can only use the camera you select from the Camera List toolbar button to film your scene. On Windows, this drop-list appears on the Scene View toolbar. You must create all of the camera effects you want to use for the final movie in one camera.

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The default “scene camera” does not appear in the Timeline window, but any cameras you add will appear in the element list. You can modify camera elements in Sceneplanning view windows.

•

Color Transform Effects : change the color of element gradually from keyframe to keyframe. Color Transform Effects elements appear only in the Timeline.

•

Clipping Effects : display only part of an image, using a mask to identify the areas on the image you want to “show through”. When you add this element, Toon Boom Studio adds a Mask parameter element to control the masking image. Clipping Effects elements appear only in the Timeline.

•

Drop Shadow Effects : displays shadows for attached Drawing elements. Drop Shadow Effects elements appear only in the Timeline.

See Also Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Changing the Layering Order of Elements on page 338 Renaming Elements on page 341 Deleting Elements on page 342 Cloning Elements on page 344 Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319 Changing the Default Colors of Elements on page 329

Adding Many Elements to a Scene By default, there is one drawing, one peg and one camera element in new animation sets. When you want to add new content to your animation or add different types of content (such as bitmaps or sounds), you must add new elements to your scene.

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To add elements to your scene: 1.

Select Element > Add > Elements. The New Elements dialog box opens.

•

You can also open this dialog box by clicking the Contextual Menu button in the Exposure Sheet window and selecting Add > Elements, or by clicking the Add button in the Timeline window. Use the New Elements dialog box to enter information about the elements you are adding.

2.

Select the type of element from the Type drop-menu. You have the following choices. • Drawing: stores vector drawings you create in Toon Boom Studio, import from Adobe Illustrator, or create by vectorizing bitmaps. • Image: contains static bitmap images you import in the element (usually a background image). • Sound: contains audio files you import to the scene.

• • • • • • 3.

Peg: allows you to change an element’s position, size, or angle over time. Camera: adds another perspective to a scene. Media: contains multimedia files you link to the scene. Color Transform Effect: allows you to change the colors in an element at keyframes. Clipping Effect: allows you to hide certain parts of a clip with a mask. When you select this option, Toon Boom Studio adds a Mask parameter layer, which you use to control the mask parameter. Drop Shadow Effect: allows you to add a shadow to an element or group of elements.

Type the name of the new element(s) in the Name field. If you are adding one element, Toon Boom Studio labels the column with the selected element name. • If you add more than one element, Toon Boom Studio labels each with the selected element name followed by a sequential number (starting at one).

•

4.

Type the number of elements you want to add in the Number field. You can also use the arrow buttons to increase or decrease the number.

5.

Click OK when done.

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Toon Boom Studio adds the selected number of elements to the Exposure Sheet window and the Timeline window with their default names, but you can rename them at any time. See Also Renaming Elements on page 341 Duplicating Elements on page 342 Cloning Elements on page 344 Deleting Elements on page 342 Changing the Color of an Element on page 328 Changing the Layering Order of Elements on page 338

Changing the Layering Order of Elements You can change the order of elements to determine how they are layered for playback and rendering.

• •

In the Exposure Sheet, elements to the left are layered on top of elements to the right. In the Timeline, top layers are layered on top of the lower layers.

To change the layering order of elements in the Exposure Sheet window, do one of the following:

• •

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Press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Command] (MacOS) and drag the element to its new layering position in the columns of the Exposure Sheet. In the Exposure Sheet, element columns to the left are on top of element columns to the right. Drag the element to its new layering position in the Element List panel. In the Element List panel, elements at the top of the list are on top of elements at the bottom of the list.

Chapter 10: Organizing Elements and Timing A line appears between the existing elements to indicate where the element will appear.

You can also use the following commands in the Element > Arrange menu:

• • • •

Bring to Front: move the element on top of all elements. Bring Forward: move the element in front of the element currently on top of it. Send to Back: move the element behind all elements. Send Backward: move the element behind the element currently below it.

When you are changing the layering order from the Exposure Sheet or using the Arrange commands, if the element you are trying to change is the child of an dynamic element, such as a peg or an effect, you will only be able to reorder layers within the parent element. You will not be able to reorder layers if doing so requires Toon Boom Studio to detach the element from its parent to change its layering order.

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To change the composition order of elements in the Timeline window, use one of the following methods:

•

Drag the element to its new layering position in the Timeline window.

D In the Timeline list, click the name of the element you want to move. D Drag the element to its new position in the layering order. Your pointer changes to indicate if the element can be placed in the position you have selected.

You can also force elements to appear behind or in-front of other elements in your animation using the options of the Type list in the Drawing tab, Image tab, and Media tab. When an element is in a peg hierarchy, the Type setting applies to its position within the peg hierarchy.

• •

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Foreground: Forces the element to appear in-front of other elements. When you have more than one element set to Foreground, the layering order in the Timeline determines the order of the Foreground elements. Normal: Allows the elements to follow the layering order of the Timeline order or the front/back position in the Offset field in the Properties window.


•

If you select this option, then you must make sure that your foreground and background images are in the right layering order in the Timeline list. Background: Forces the element to appear behind other elements. When you have more than one element set to Background, then the layering order in the Timeline determines the order of the Background elements.

We made the clouds a background element so that no matter how characters or camera move in the scene, the clouds will always appear in the back.

See Also Renaming Elements on page 341 Deleting Elements on page 342 Exporting Your Movie on page 394

Renaming Elements At any time, you can rename elements to more accurately reflect the contents they hold. If you change the name of a drawing or image element, Toon Boom Studio changes the names of all drawings and images in the element and in your animation set folder. To rename an element: 1.

Select the element you want to rename.

2.

Select Element > Rename Element. The Rename Element dialog box opens. The name of the dialog box actually changes depending on the type of element you are modifying. For example, if you select an Image element, the dialog box opens as Rename Image Element.

3.

Type the name for the element in the Element Name field and click OK.

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Toon Boom Studio renames the selected element and if the element contains drawings or images, their names change to reflect the new element name. See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Layering Elements on page 335 Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346 Naming and Renaming a Cell on page 357 Renaming a Drawing or Image on page 358

Deleting Elements As you develop your animation, you may need to delete unnecessary elements. For example, when you complete your final drawings of a character, you can delete the elements that contained the roughs. To delete an element from your animation: 1.

Select the element you want to remove.

2.

Select Element > Delete Element. Toon Boom Studio removes the element and its contents from your animation and from your animation set folder.

If you want to only hide an element in a scene, you can temporarily toggle it on and off. This not only hides it from the Drawing View/Camera View window, but also from the rendering process too! See Also Showing/Hiding Elements on page 319

Duplicating Elements By duplicating elements, you can quickly build up your scene by reusing existing content. You can duplicate all element types. Unlike cloned elements, duplicated elements are not linked to the original. You can modify one without modifying the other. Also unlike cloned elements, when you duplicate elements, you increase the file size of your animation.

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To duplicate elements: 1.

In the Timeline window, select the element you want to duplicate.

2.

Select Element > Duplicate Element.

A copy of the element appears in the Timeline window. You can modify either the original or duplicate without modifying the other. See Also Cloning Elements on page 344 Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336

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Cloning Elements You can clone elements when you want to reuse the contents of an element, but create a different effect, like with the timing of the same drawings or with an element’s placement in the 3D space. Unlike duplicated elements, cloned elements and their original are linked. They both refer to the same content files in the animation set folder. When you modify one, the other is also modified. Let’s say you want to create the skyline of a city. Rather than drawing hundreds of buildings, you could draw a few, clone them and then reposition the clones in space and flip them, to create a dense scene from few drawings. In this example, we cloned some buildings three times, then positioned them throughout the 3D space to create a deep city scene with a minimal amount of drawings.

You can clone the following element types:

• • • • • • •

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Drawings Images Media Sounds Pegs Color Transform Effects Drop Shadow Effects


The contents of the cloned elements are shared, but you can change some of the properties of the clones without affecting the other clones.

•

• •

• •

•

Drawing and Image Elements: the original and the cloned element both reference the same directory of files. Cloning drawing and image elements does not increase the file size of your final animation. D If you change a drawing or image, all clones are updated with the new drawing or image. D If you add new drawings or images to the clones, they do not appear in the other clones. However, they are available to the other clones by renaming a cell with the name of the drawing or image. D You can change the exposure of drawings and images without affecting the clones. Media: cloned media share the same content. You can reposition and change the start frame of media elements without modifying other clones. Pegs: the cloned pegs share control points and keyframes, and you can change the position of the peg in the 3D Sceneplanning space without affecting the clones. Cloning peg elements does not increase the file size of your final animation. Sounds: cloned sounds are exact copies. You can change any property in the sound clones without affecting other clones. Cloning sound elements does not increase the file size of your final animation. Color Transform Effects: clones are exact copies of the original, with the same keyframe and values. Changes to the keyframe values in any clone changes all other clones. You can change the start time of any clone without changing the others. Drop Shadow Effects: clones share the same the same color, position properties and element display setting. You can change the properties of any clone and change it in all other cloned Drop Shadow Effect elements.

To clone an element: 1.

Select the element you want to clone. You can only select one element at a time.

2.

Select Element > Clone Element. A clone of the selected element appears in the Exposure Sheet window and in the Timeline window.

See Also Adding Many Elements to a Scene on page 336 Renaming Elements on page 341 Deleting Elements on page 342 Duplicating Elements on page 342 345


Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images Your animation project folder contains the contents of your animation. If you open your animation project folder (Windows) or display the contents of the Toon Boom Studio project directory (MacOS), you will see the contents of your animation.

• • •

Each scene has its own folder in the root of the animation project folder. Also at the root of the animation set folder are the sound and template folders, which provide storage for the entire animation project. In each scene folder are bitmap and drawing folders, which store every static and vector image in the scene. The names of drawing and image files are based on the name of the element and their order of creation. These are all of the drawings in Scene-001 of this animation.

Cell labels in the Exposure Sheet let you know what will appear at each frame. The cell label displays the element name plus the cell name, which tells Toon Boom Studio what drawing to display from the animation project folder.

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The Timeline window and the Cells tab of the Properties window let you know what image or drawing is displayed at each frame. The Timeline does not display which drawing or image is in use, but you can use the Cells tab to figure out the exact name of the drawing or image at a selected frame. You can use the red slider to see all of the drawings and images in an element, and change the one that is displayed at the current frame.

The vertical bar indicates every frame where there is a new drawing or image.

See Also Inserting a Range of Numbered Cells on page 348 Inserting Blank Cells in an Element on page 354 Naming and Renaming a Cell on page 357 Cutting, Copying and Pasting Cells on page 358 Clearing a Drawing from a Cell on page 363 Protecting Drawings on page 363 Inserting Blank Frames in a Scene on page 356 Deleting Cells from Elements on page 364

Labelling Cells in the Exposure Sheet You can select a cell and start drawing right away, and Toon Boom Studio will automatically number the selected cell incrementally. You can label cells manually in the Exposure Sheet if you want to label your cells before you start drawing or if you don’t want to use incremental numbers to label your cells (and name your drawings and images). To label cells in the Exposure Sheet: 1.

Double-click a cell so that the label becomes editable.

2.

Type a value for the cell’s name in the field.

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3.

Press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS). Toon Boom Studio advances to the next cell so that you can edit its label.

See Also Inserting a Range of Numbered Cells on page 348 Changing the Cell Display in the Exposure Sheet on page 325 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350

Inserting a Range of Numbered Cells If you want to preplan the number of frames an animation sequence should take, you can label a range of cells before you start drawing. For example, if you want to create a walk cycle in 10 frames, you can label those 10 frames first and then add the drawings to them later. Inserting named cells labels the cells in the selected element with numbers that increase from the last cell.

You can add numbered cells to the selected element in the Exposure Sheet window or Timeline window. However, you can only insert numbered cells in the Exposure Sheet window. You can only add a range of named cells to drawing elements, because you’ll be using Toon Boom Studio to create the drawings for that element. Because the other elements like Sound and Media rely on files you create outside of Toon Boom Studio, the system automatically assigns the cell name when you import them. To insert a range of numbered cells: 1. 348

Select the cell where you want to start the range of numbered cells


2.

Select Element > Cell > Insert Cell. The Insert Cells dialog box opens.

3.

Type the number of cells you want to insert in the Number field. You can also use the arrow buttons or the arrow keys to increase or decrease this value.

4.

Select Named Cells checkbox to automatically number the cells in this element. Toon Boom Studio reads the last numbered cell for this element and starts the new range with the next number.

5.

Select where you insert these new cells by selecting one of the following radio buttons: • Before: inserts the cells before the row you selected.

• 6.

After: inserts the cells after the row you selected.

Click OK to add the cell(s) to your Exposure Sheet window.

There is an even quicker way to add numbered cells to your Exposure Sheet window. 1. Select a range of cells by pressing [Shift] and clicking another cell. 2. Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) on the selected cells and select Insert Cell from the pop-up menu. Toon Boom Studio automatically adds numbered cells in the range you select. See Also Labelling Cells in the Exposure Sheet on page 347 Naming and Renaming a Cell on page 357 Creating Cycles on page 359 Inserting Blank Frames in a Scene on page 356

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Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images The amount of time a single frame appears on screen depends on the animation’s frame rate. If the frame rate is 12 frames-per-second (fps), then each frame appears for 1/12th of a second. You can change the exposure of a drawing, image or media to increase or decrease the amount of time it spends on screen. For example, you can extend the exposure of a drawing from 1 to 3, the drawing will appear on screen for 3 times as long. To extend the exposure of a drawing or image in the Exposure Sheet:

350

1.

Click a labelled cell in the Exposure Sheet.

2.

Hold the mouse and drag the bottom of the cell to the last frame you want the drawing or image to appear in.


3.

Release the mouse button.

To change the exposure of a drawing or image: 1.

Select the cell of the drawing, image or media element. • In the Exposure Sheet window, click the cell.

•

2.

In the Timeline window, click the cell. If the Single Cell Selection preference is not selected, press the [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) button as you select a cell.

Select one of the following commands from the Element > Cell menu. • Set Exposure to 1: appears in one frame (the default setting)

• • • • • •

Set Exposure to 2: appears in two frames. Set Exposure to 3: appears in three frames. Set Exposure: to set another exposure time. This command opens the Set Exposure dialog box. Add Exposure: adds one to the drawing, image or media’s current exposure time. Remove Exposure: removes one exposure from the drawing or images current exposure time. Extend Exposure: adds a selected number of frames to the current exposure time. This command opens the Extend Exposure dialog box.

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Here’s a shortcut for extending the exposure in the Exposure Sheet window. 1. Selecting the cell that you want to extend the previous drawing’s exposure time to. 2. Select Element > Cell > Extend Exposure. See Also Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline on page 354

Swapping Drawings in an Element Using the Cells tab on the Properties dialog box, you can change which drawing appears at the selected frame with another one from the element’s directory. For example, let’s say that you have scrubbed a voice track in the Timeline and you want to change a drawing assigned at the frame with another mouth drawing. Just use the Cells tab to flip through the drawings in the element and pick the one you want to appear at the selected frame. To change which drawing appears at the selected frame: 1.

In the Timeline or Exposure Sheet, select the frame that contains the drawing you want to change.

This is the drawing that appears at frame 7.

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2.

In the Cells tab, use the slider to flip through the drawings in the element.

Use the slider to flip through the drawings in an element and select the drawing you want to display at the frame.

Toon Boom Studio changes the cell label at the selected frame and all consecutive frames that the original drawing appeared in so that the drawing.

See Also Lip Synching on page 192 Animating Cut-Out Style on page 24 Labelling Cells in the Exposure Sheet on page 347 Inserting a Range of Numbered Cells on page 348

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Changing an Element’s Start Time in the Timeline The Timeline window makes it easy to change an element’s timing in a scene. You can change when an element starts or stops in the Timeline window simply by dragging it from one position to another. Drag the element’s trackbar to a new position to change its start/end time. You can select and drag multiple elements at the same time.

The blue Arrow button next to the peg determines if changes to the start time of the parent peg will affect child elements. See “Using Keyframes and Timeline Properties” on page 228. See Also Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Changing the Start Frame and Duration of a Dynamic Camera on page 293

Inserting Blank Cells in an Element You can insert blank cells between cells with content. For these blank cells, nothing from the element will appear in the frame.

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To insert a range of blank cells in an element: 1.

Select the cell where you want to start the range of numbered cells

2.

Select Element > Cell > Insert Cell. The Insert Cells dialog box opens.

3.

Type the number of cells you want to insert in the Number field. You can also use the arrow buttons or the arrow keys to increase or decrease this value.

4.

Make sure you deselect the Named Cells checkbox so that the cells appear blank.

5.

Select where you insert these new cells by selecting one of the following radio buttons: • Before: inserts the cells before the row you selected.

• 6.

After: inserts the cells after the row you selected.

Click OK to add the cell(s) to your Exposure Sheet window.

See Also Naming and Renaming a Cell on page 357 Creating Cycles on page 359 Inserting Blank Frames in a Scene on page 356

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Inserting Blank Frames in a Scene When you need to add time to an entire scene (across all of the elements), you can add frames to the Exposure Sheet window or Timeline window. This is useful if you need to add time to the middle of a scene. For example, if you want to have a complete stop to all visual and audio content for 5 frames. scenes: We added five frames to all elements. You can see what happened by comparing the before/after shots of the Exposure Sheet and Timeline.

To insert blank frames in a scene: 1.

Select the frame where you want to insert the new frames. • In the Exposure Sheet window, click a cell or a frame.

•

356

In the Timeline window, use the red frame slider to advance to the frame number.


2.

Select Element > Cell > Insert Cell from the pop-up menu. The Insert Cells dialog box opens.

3.

Type the number of frames you want to insert in the Number field. You can also use the arrow buttons or the arrow keys to increase or decrease this value.

4.

Select In all Elements checkbox to add frames to the entire scene at the frame number.

5.

Select where you insert these new frames by selecting one of the following radio buttons: • Before: inserts the frames before the row you selected.

• 6.

After: inserts the frames after the row you selected.

Click OK to add the frame(s).

See Also Inserting Blank Cells in an Element on page 354 Naming and Renaming a Cell on page 357 Creating Cycles on page 359

Naming and Renaming a Cell You can change the name of a cell to either:

• •

Create a new drawing file in the animation set folder Load a different drawing from the animation set folder. For example, if there is already a drawing called dude-02 and you type 02 in the dude element, the dude-02 drawing appears in the frame you selected.

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To name or rename a cell: 1.

In the Exposure Sheet, double-click the cell that you want to modify. The cell becomes editable.

2.

Type the name you want to assign to that cell and press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS). The next cell in the element becomes editable.

3.

Press [Esc] to quit the edit mode.

See Also Layering Elements on page 335 Clearing a Drawing from a Cell on page 363

Renaming a Drawing or Image If you want to give an existing drawing or image file a new name, you need to use the Rename command. To rename a drawing or image: 1.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the drawing or image you want to rename and select Rename Drawing/Image from the pop-up menu. The Rename Drawing/Image dialog box opens.

2.

Type the new name in the Drawing/Image Name field and click OK. If the name you type already exists, you must select a new name.

See Also Renaming Elements on page 341 Naming and Renaming a Cell on page 357

Cutting, Copying and Pasting Cells As you build content, you will want to reuse as much as possible to reduce your work, and hopefully reduce the file size of your animation.

•

•

358

If you cut or copy and paste a cell in the same element, Toon Boom Studio will paste the original cell label, accessing the original drawing or image in the animation set folder. To reduce your work and keep the file size of your final Adobe Flash movie small, you can to reuse the same drawing at different frames. If you paste a new object, Toon Boom Studio copies the contents of the original cell to the new cell and creates a new file in your animation set folder. You can use the paste new object feature to use the contents of one cell for the basis of another drawing.


To cut, copy and paste cells: 1. 2.

Select the cell(s) you want to copy from the element column in the Exposure Sheet window. Select Edit > Cut or Edit > Copy. Select Copy to leave a copy of the cell at its original frame.

• • 3.

Select Cut to delete the cell.

Select where you want to paste the cells. If you want to reuse the same drawing and keep the file size small, you must select a cell in the same element. • If you want to create a new drawing, you can select a cell in the same or a different element. • In the Timeline window, you must change the current frame (with the red frame slider) to select the cell in the element where you want to insert the pasted object.

•

4.

Select Edit > Paste or Edit > Paste New Object. • Select Paste.

D If you selected a cell in the same element, Toon Boom Studio accesses the

•

original file. When you modify a file, all cells that access the file are updated. D If you selected a cell in a different element, Toon Boom Studio creates a new file in your animation set folder. You can modify either file without affecting the other. Select Paste New Object if you want to create a new cell in the same element with the contents of the original cell.

See Also Sequencing and Timing Drawings and Images on page 346 Creating Cycles on page 359 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233

Creating Cycles Animation cycles are a key technique in the reuse of work and file size management. The Create Cycles command simplifies the process of labelling cells in the exposure sheet to create cycles. You can create animation cycles in the Exposure Sheet window or in the Timeline window.

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To create cycles from a section of cells: 1.

Select the cells that contain the drawings in the cycle. • In the Exposure Sheet window, press [Shift] and select the range of cells.

•

In the Timeline window, press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and select the range of cells. Select the cells that you want to use in the cycle.

2.

Select Element > Cell > Create Cycle. The Create Cycle dialog box opens.

3.

In Number of Cycles field, type the number of cycles you want to create, including the cycle you have selected. The cycle is added after the selected cells.

See Also Cutting, Copying and Pasting Cells on page 358 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Creating Advanced Cycles on page 361

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Creating Advanced Cycles During animation development, you design more complicated cycles. For example, a bouncing ball cycle where the sequence of drawings goes backwards and forwards during the cycle (1-2-3-4-3-2-1). You can use the Advanced Cycle dialog box to automate the process of creating cycles and labelling cells. To create advanced cycles: 1.

Select the element where you want to create the cycle.

2.

Select Element > Cell > Create Advanced Cycle. The Advanced Cycle dialog box opens.

3.

In the First Drawing and Last Drawing panels, select the drawings that you want in the first and last position of the cycle. You can type values in the Name fields or use the slider to select the drawings.

4.

In the Exposure panel, set the exposure time for the drawings in the cycle. You can set a different exposure for the last drawing in the cycle to stay on-screen. 361


5.

In the Loops panel, select the number of times you want the cycle to repeat. Select None if you don’t want the cycle to repeat.

• •

•

•

6.

Select how you want to insert the cycle. • Select Insert Frames to add the cycle in the current location.

• 7.

Select Continuous if you want the cycle to restart with the first drawing on each loop. For example, if you created 2 continuous loop of drawings 1-2-3, the resulting loop would be: 1-2-3-1-2-3. Select Forward-Backward, if you want to restart the loop with the previous drawing. For example, if you created 2 forward-backward loops with drawings 1-2-3, the resulting loop would be: 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2. Type the number of times you want the cycle repeat in the Loops field. If you want to repeat the cycle for a specific number of frames, type a value in the Frames field.

Select Overwrite Frames to delete frames that overlap the cycle.

Click OK when you are done. Toon Boom Studio updates the Exposure Sheet window with the new cell labels.

See Also Cutting, Copying and Pasting Cells on page 358 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Creating Cycles on page 359

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Protecting Drawings You can lock drawings so that they can’t be modified accidentally. If you lock selected drawings in an element, you can auto paint all the other drawings without modifying the locked ones. You can only lock drawings from the Exposure Sheet window. To protect drawings: 1.

Select the drawing(s) you want to lock.

2.

Control-click the selected drawing(s) and select Lock Drawing from the pop-up menu. A lock

3.

appears on the selected drawings wherever in use.

To unlock the drawing, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) it and select Unlock Drawing from the pop-up menu.

See Also Exposure Sheet and Timeline Windows on page 318 Drawing Line Art on page 63

Clearing a Drawing from a Cell You can clear drawings that you don’t want to use anymore from a cell. This action keeps the drawing file, but deletes all of the contents of the drawing. You must use the Exposure Sheet window to clear drawings from a cell. To clear drawings from selected cells: 1.

Select the cell(s) that contain drawings you want to erase. If you are selecting more than one cell, you should check each cell to make sure it contains a drawing you don’t want anymore. If you select a range of cells, only the first cell appears in the Drawing View window.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the selected cell(s) and select Clear Drawing from the pop-up menu. Toon Boom Studio deletes the contents of the drawing and leaves the cell with the same name.

See Also Deleting Cells from Elements on page 364 Protecting Drawings on page 363

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Deleting Cells from Elements You can delete cells when you want to remove it from the playback.

• •

When you delete cells from drawing and image elements, the original files remain in your animation set folder. When you delete cells from sound or media elements, the deleted frames are not played in the rendered animation, though the original file is unchanged. For complete control over your sounds, you should edit them with the Sound Element Editor.

To delete cells from selected element(s): 1.

Select the cells from the element(s) you want to affect.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) your selection and select Delete Cell from the pop-up menu.

See Also Editing Sounds on page 185 Editing Templates on page 372 The Library Window on page 366

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Chapter 11 Re-using Content This chapter explains how to re-use content and make the most of your work. This chapter contains the following topics: •

The Library Window on page 366

•

Re-using Drawings and Images from the Current Animation on page 369

•

Creating Templates on page 370

•

Using Templates on page 377

•

Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs on page 384

•

Creating and Renaming Libraries on page 386


The Library Window The Library window is your center for managing re-usable content in Toon Boom Studio. From the Library window, you can access:

•

•

All vector elements and drawings, and image elements and bitmaps in your animation. From the list of vector elements, you can copy any drawing from one place in your animation set to another. Templates stored in the Global or Local libraries, or in another library on your file system. Templates are files that you can use to store individual pieces of animation content, such as drawings, images, or sounds, or collections of animation content (many drawings, images or sounds) or elements.

The Animation folder lists all of the vector elements in your animation, organized by scene. Templates are libraries, like the Local and Global folders. You can create or load libraries of templates stored on your computer or on any computer on your network.

When you need to re-use any piece of animation content in your current animation, or in any project you are working on, you can use templates. You can even use templates to share work with other artists on a project. Create templates from completed work and then send the template files to the rest of the people on your team. Those responsible for compositing can import the templates into the Library and then build the finished work. Templates can reduce the amount of work you need to do, as well as keep the file size of your animation small. When you are animating cut-out characters, you may decide to create libraries of templates of your character. You may decide to create templates of individual body parts, the entire character in various poses, or animated sequences like walk-cycles. 366

Chapter 11: Re-using Content

You can create templates from:

• •

Drawings, images and sound Entire elements: Templates you create from the Timeline store the layout order and peg effects you design.

You can also import media files (sound files and SWF movies) into the Library so that you can manage them as re-usable templates. You can create templates from single or multiple elements by dragging them from the Exposure Sheet.

You can create templates from single or multiple elements by dragging them from the Timeline. You can create a template from the entire scene if you want.

You cannot create templates from Media elements or their contents. See Also Creating and Renaming Libraries on page 386 Previewing Content in the Library on page 368 Editing Templates on page 372 Importing Multimedia Files into the Library on page 373 Copying a Template into Your Animation on page 378 Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 Re-using Drawings and Images from the Current Animation on page 369

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Previewing Content in the Library You can check the contents in the Library using the preview area in the window.

Select the checkbox to enable preview in the Library window.

To preview content in the library: 1.

Select Window > Library to display the Library window.

2.

Make sure the preview checkbox is enabled.

3.

Double-click the object you want to preview. In the Animation folder, you can preview entire scenes or elements, or individual drawings. • In the library folders, like the Local and Global folders, you can preview any type of template. However, if your template consists of a peg or a camera element only, you may not see anything in the preview window.

•

4.

Click the Play button in the preview panel. If there are multiple frames in the object you want to play back, you can use the slider to select the frame you want to see.

See Also The Library Window on page 366 Re-using Drawings and Images from the Current Animation on page 369 Creating Templates on page 370 Using Templates on page 377

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Re-using Drawings and Images from the Current Animation You can re-use vector drawings and bitmap images in the current animation by copying them to new elements, in the same or different scenes.

The Animation folder lists all of the vector elements and drawings in your animation, organized by scene.

When you select an element, the contents appear in the right side of the Library window.

To re-use drawings and images from the current animation: 1.


2.

In the Animation folder, select the scene and element that contains the drawings you want to copy.

3.

Decide what you want to copy. To copy all of the drawings in the element to the new location, drag the element from the Library window to the Exposure Sheet or Timeline. • To copy only those drawings you need, drag selected drawings from the right column of the Library window to a new or existing element. You can also select the frame where you want to copy the selected content, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the drawing or image, and select Copy to Current Frame from the pop-up menu.

•

Toon Boom Studio copies the drawings you select to the new location. The drawing you copy will have a new name. You can edit the vector drawings you copy in their new location. You can also use the Cells tab to swap drawings assigned to appear at a frame with another one in the element folder. See Also Swapping Drawings in an Element on page 352 Creating Templates on page 370 Using Templates on page 377

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Creating Templates Creating a template is as easy as selecting what you want from the Exposure Sheet or Timeline window and dragging your selection into the Library window. You can create templates from any piece of animation content:

• •

Create templates from single or multiple images and drawings, or sounds, in the Exposure Sheet window. Create templates from single or multiple elements, or from a selection of frames across multiple elements, from the Timeline window. Select sequences of drawings and images from the Exposure Sheet.

Select sequences of elements from the Timeline window.

When you drag your selection in the Library window, Toon Boom Studio analyzes the content and assigns an icon to the template based on what it contains. To create templates:

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1.


2.

In the Library window, select the library where you want to create your template.

3.

Select the item(s) you want to use to create a template from either the Exposure Sheet or the Timeline window.


Depending on the view window you are in, you can select the same items one of the following ways: • You can select a range of cells from any part of the Exposure Sheet (you cannot select one or more columns). To select a range of cells, click the first cell and drag to select the adjoining cells (either from the same column or the adjacent columns). You can also press [Shift]-click to select a range of cells. • You can select a range of adjacent items (cells or elements, pegs, cameras) from the Timeline window, as well. D To select a single element, click the element title in the Timeline window.

D To select a range of elements, click the first element title and [Shift]-click a range of elements in the Timeline window. D To select a range of cells, click and drag through the cells you want to select. If you have de-selected the Single Cell Selection option in the Sceneplanning tab of the Preferences dialog box, you must press [Alt] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) and drag the pointer through the cells you want to select. 4.

Drag the selected items to a library in the Library window. Toon Boom Studio assigns an icon to represent the contents of the template and assigns a temporary name.

5.

Type the name of the new template, replacing the default name, and press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS). To better organize your project or global templates, you can create Catalogs (which are similar to folders).

See Also Editing Templates on page 372 Importing Multimedia Files into the Library on page 373 Renaming Templates on page 374 Deleting Templates on page 374 Viewing a Template’s Properties on page 375 Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs on page 384. Using Templates on page 377 Renaming Templates on page 374 Using Templates on page 377

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Editing Templates You can modify the content of global or local templates. Toon Boom Studio updates all animation sets that link to templates you edit. To edit templates: 1.

In the Library window, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template you want to edit and select Edit Template from the pop-up menu. The identification of the active scene changes in the Scene Manager and the contents of the template you are editing appear in the View windows and the title bar on the Exposure Sheet and Timeline windows changes to indicate that you are editing a template.

When you edit a template, the arrows next to the scene in the Scene Manager disappear to indicate that you are editing a template.

2. 3.

Now that you are in template editing mode, you can change the contents of the template in the View windows, Exposure Sheet window or Timeline window. Save your template. Select File > Save to save the changes to the local and global template, as well as the animation set. • Select File > Save Global Library to save the contents of the global library only and not the animation set.

•

4.

To exit the edit template mode, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template and select Return to Scene. You can also double-click the scene name in the Scene Manager.

See Also Using Templates on page 377 Creating Templates on page 370 The Library Window on page 366 Renaming Templates on page 374 Deleting Templates on page 374 372


Importing Multimedia Files into the Library If you have a SWF file, a sound file, an image, or even another template that is not currently in your animation set, you can import it into the Library window so that you can manage and re-use it. To create templates from multimedia files: 1.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) in the right panel of the Library window and open the Import menu.

2.

Select what you want to import from the following choices: • Image File: import any bitmap image supported by your version of QuickTime. • Movie File: import an SWF file.

• • 3.

Sound File: import any sound file supported by your version of QuickTime. Template File: import a template created by Toon Boom Studio.

Browse to the folder that contains the file you want to import, select the file, and click OK. We imported an SWF, a sound, and template file into the Library.

See Also Using Templates on page 377 Creating Templates on page 370 The Library Window on page 366 Renaming Templates on page 374 Deleting Templates on page 374

373


Renaming Templates When you create a template, Toon Boom Studio assigns a default name to it. You can rename the template at any time. Renaming a template does not affect the items it contains. To rename a template: 1.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template you want to rename and select Rename Template from the pop-up menu.

2.

Type the new template name and press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (MacOS) or click outside the template icon.

See Also Using Templates on page 377 Creating Templates on page 370 Importing Multimedia Files into the Library on page 373 The Library Window on page 366 Deleting Templates on page 374

Deleting Templates When you don’t need a template anymore, you can simply delete it from your library. Deleting a template does not affect the contents of the Timeline or Exposure Sheet window, unless you linked the template to a scene. To delete a template:

•

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template you want to delete and select Delete Template from the pop-up menu.

See Also Using Templates on page 377 Creating Templates on page 370 Importing Multimedia Files into the Library on page 373 The Library Window on page 366 Renaming Templates on page 374

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Viewing a Template’s Properties When you create a template, Toon Boom Studio uses an icon to help you remember what it contains. If you need more information about the template, you can view the template’s properties. You can see the following information:

• • • •

the type and version of the template who created the template, when it was created, and any copyright information. You can configure the artist’s name and copyright information using the General tab in the Preferences dialog box. the size of the template the contents of the template

To view a template’s properties:

•

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template and select Template Properties from the pop-up menu. The Properties dialog box opens.

In addition to the properties of the template, you can see the type of elements that are in the template as well as their duration.

See Also Defining the Author and Copyright of a Template on page 376 Creating Templates on page 370 Renaming Templates on page 374

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Defining the Author and Copyright of a Template When you create a template, Toon Boom Studio automatically assigns a default name and copyright owner. You can view a template’s author name and copyright notice in the template’s Properties dialog box. To define the template author and copyright owner: 1.

Open the Preferences dialog box. The Preferences dialog box opens. • Select Toon Boom Studio > Preferences on MacOS.

• 2.


Select the General tab.

You can change information about templates you create in the General tab.

3.

Type the name of the person who will be creating the templates from now on in the User Name field.

4.

Type any copyright information in the Copyright field.

5.

Click OK when done. Any template you create from now on will use the author and copyright information you just entered in the General tab.

See Also Viewing a Template’s Properties on page 375 Creating Templates on page 370 The Library Window on page 366 376


Using Templates After you create templates, you can build the content of your animation with work you have already done. For example, you can use a walk-cycle template to speed up the process of animating a sequence for a cut-out character. You can either copy or link templates into your animation.

•

When you copy templates into your animation, Toon Boom Studio adds the contents of the template into your animation set folders, increasing the file size of your animation, and expands the template contents so that you can edit them. Copying templates is a great way of building your content from basic material that you can modify.

We copied this walk cycle into multiple scenes so that we could change essential qualities of the template material. In this case, we changed the color of the character’s clothes for the different scenes.

•

When you link templates, Toon Boom Studio makes a Media element, which references the template file. You cannot edit the contents of a media element. However, if you edit the template, all sources that link to that template are updated too. Linking templates is particularly useful for frequently used content, like credits or logos, which must remain the same for all productions. It also keeps the file size of your animation small by referring to re-usable items rather than duplicating them.

377


Each of these animations is going to use the same final credits, so we linked the final credits (stored in an SWF file) to each of these animation projects.

See Also Copying a Template into Your Animation on page 378 Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 The Library Window on page 366 Creating Templates on page 370

Copying a Template into Your Animation You can drag a template from the Library to the Exposure Sheet or Timeline window to add its contents to your animation. Toon Boom Studio displays the contents in the View windows, where you can edit them, and adds the contents to your animation folder.

378


Copying templates into your animation will increase the file size of your movies. You can link templates to your animation to keep the file size of your animation small. To copy a template into your animation: 1.

Select the template you want to use from the Library window.

2.

Drag the template to the Timeline or Exposure Sheet window. The mouse pointer displays a plus (+) sign when it is in a position where you can add it. • If your template contains only one type of content (say bitmaps), you can add it to an existing bitmap element. • If your template contains multiple elements, you will not be able to add it to an existing element if that element is not compatible with the template. You must drag templates that contain multiple elements just outside an element column or row to add it to the animation. When you copy templates that have multiple elements to the Exposure Sheet, you will not see those elements that can’t be displayed in the Drawing View, like pegs and cameras. However, you will be able to see them when you switch to the Sceneplanning view windows.

See Also Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 The Library Window on page 366 Creating Templates on page 370

Copying Selected Template Contents into Your Animation When you drag templates from the Library window, you can open the Timeline Drag & Drop Preferences to select the template contents that you want to copy into your animation. To copy selected template contents into your animation: 1.

In the Library, select the template you want to copy.

2.

Drag the template to the Timeline window and place the template on top of the elements where you want to place it. You must select the same number and hierarchy of elements as are in the template. Otherwise you won’t be able to complete the drag operation. You can check the contents of a template. Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template and select Properties.

379


3.

Press [Alt] (Windows) or [Control]+[Alt] (MacOS) and then release the mouse button. The Timeline Drag & Drop Preferences dialog box opens.

4.

Select the properties you want to copy to the animation and click OK.

See Also Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233

Linking Templates to Media Elements You must use media elements to link templates to your animations. Media elements identify the contents they contain as references to a centrally stored file. If the template you link contains multiple elements, all of those elements are composited into one element, the media element. Linking templates has two advantages:

• •

380

It helps you keep the file size of your Adobe Flash animations small. For more information on reducing the file size of your final animation, see Optimizing your Animation for the Web. It helps you update and manage frequently used material in a central location. If the contents of the template are updated, Toon Boom Studio will update all animations that use the template.


To link a template to a media element: 1.

Select Element > Add > Media. A new element appears in the Exposure Sheet and Timeline window.

2.

In the Library window, select the template you want to link and drag it to the media element you created. You can also create a media element as you link a template, by pressing [Alt] (Windows) or [Option]+[Command] (MacOS) as you drag the template to the Exposure Sheet or Timeline window. Toon Boom Studio links to the original file and displays the contents of the file in the View windows.

See Also Cutting, Copying and Pasting Linked Media Content on page 381 Creating Templates on page 370

Cutting, Copying and Pasting Linked Media Content When you have a media element that contains some linked content, it occupies a range of cells in the element. You can modify this content by cutting, copying, and pasting the occupied cells. This does not affect the original content, but does allow you to change the timing of the animation in the media element. You can also change the timing of the contents of a media element by changing its exposure or creating cycles. 381


To move the contents of the cells in the media element: 1.

Select the cell or range of cells you want to move or copy.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the selection and select either Cut or Copy. • Cut: the system removes the contents of the selected cells, moving the following cells to fill their place. • Copy: the system makes a copy of the selected cell(s), leaving the original cell(s) unchanged.

3.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) a cell in a media element and select Paste. The cut/copied cells appear in their new cells.

See Also Linking Templates to Media Elements on page 380 Changing the Timing (Exposure) of Drawings and Images on page 350 Creating Cycles on page 359

Using Paste Special to Update Content from a Template You can use the Paste Special command to update selected content with material stored in a template file. You can use this command to update drawings, timing, layout, as well as palettes. To use paste special to update content: 1.

Select the template in the Library and select Edit > Copy Template.

2.

In the Timeline, select the elements you want to paste the template onto. You must select the same number and hierarchy of elements as are in the template. Otherwise you won’t be able to complete the paste operation. You can check the contents of a template. Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the template and select Properties.

382

3.

Select Edit > Paste Special. The Paste Special dialog box opens.

4.

Select the options from the Paste Special dialog box.


5.

Click OK.

See Also Animating Elements with Pegs on page 222 Animating Rotation with the Rotate Tool on page 242 Animating Size Changes with the Scale Tool on page 245 Adding Keyframes and Changing their Values on page 275 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233 Copying and Pasting Keyframe Values on page 233

383


Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs As your projects evolve and grow, you may need to sort and group related templates. You can create template Catalogs within any library folder. This catalog acts like a file folder and allows you to group related templates. For example, if you had a collection of templates for the different characters in your project, you could create a catalog for each character, with sub catalogs for specific aspects of the character’s design.

In this example, Goth Girl’s catalog contains other catalogs, one for dude’s lip sync images and the other for his walk cycle.

To organize your templates in catalogs:

384

1.

Select a library folder in the left pane of the Library window.

2.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) in the template section of the Library window and select New Catalog from the pop-up menu. An empty catalog appears in the window with a default name.

3.

Type a new name for the catalog or accept the default name. You can change the catalog name at any time.

4.

To move or copy an existing template to a catalog, select the template and drag it to the catalog you want. • If you simply drag the template file, Toon Boom Studio moves the selected template. • If you press [Ctrl] (Windows) or [Option] (MacOS) while you drag the template file, Toon Boom Studio places a copy of the template in the selected catalog.


5.

To create a template in a catalog, select the catalog from the left pane of the Library window and then drag the contents from the Exposure Sheet or Timeline window to the catalog.

6.

To rename a catalog, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the catalog you want to rename and select Rename Catalog from the pop-up menu.

7.

To delete a catalog, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the catalog you want to delete and select Delete from the pop-up menu.

See Also Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs on page 384 The Library Window on page 366 Creating Templates on page 370

385


Creating and Renaming Libraries By default, there is a Global and Local library for you store your templates in.

• •

Local: templates are available to all scenes in the current animation. You can find these template files in the Template folder of your animation set. Global: these templates are available to all animation sets you create on your computer.

The templates you have in your current animation set appear in the Local folder.

The templates that you can use in any animation set appear in the Global folder.

New libraries can be stored anywhere on your computer, or on any computer in your network. Libraries can help you share templates with other users. For example, if you have a library containing all of the templates in a character, all users can load the library in Toon Boom Studio to have access to those templates. In this example, we have a Library for our Goth Girl character. In the Library, we have catalogs to organize all of the templates we have created for the Goth Girl.

Toon Boom Studio identifies libraries with the extension TBC. To create and rename libraries: 1.

386

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) in the left pane of the Library window and select Create Library from the pop-up menu. A dialog box opens


that you can use to select an existing folder to use as a library or to create a new folder to use as a library. 2.

Click Close (Windows) or Choose (MacOS) when you have selected a folder to use as a library. The new library appears in the left pane of the Library window.

3.

To rename the library, click its name so that it becomes editable and change the name in the field. This will not change the name of the folder on your file system.

4.

Select File > Save Global Library to save the new library.

See Also Configuring Global Library Storage on page 388 Loading and Closing Libraries on page 387 Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs on page 384 The Library Window on page 366

Loading and Closing Libraries You can load libraries of templates that are stored on your computer or on another computer available through your network. Libraries make it easier for you to work on productions with other users that will share the same templates. Toon Boom Studio identifies libraries with the extension TBC. To load a library, the folder must have a file with the TBC extension inside of it. To load and close libraries: 1.

Right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) in the left pane of the Library window and select Open Library from the pop-up menu. A dialog box opens that you can use to locate a library.

2.

Click Open when you have located the library you want to open. The library appears in the left pane of the Library window.

3.

To close a library, right-click (Windows) or [Control]-click (MacOS) the library and select Close Library.

4.

If you have made changes to the library since you last saved the global library, a message appears asking you to confirm your desire to close the library. • Click Yes to close the library without saving changes.

• 5.

Click No to keep the library open so that you can save changes.

Select File > Save Global Library to save changes to the library.

387


See Also Configuring Global Library Storage on page 388 Creating and Renaming Libraries on page 386 Creating, Renaming and Deleting Catalogs on page 384 The Library Window on page 366

Configuring Global Library Storage Toon Boom Studio stores the global templates in a directory that all animation sets can access. By default, Toon Boom Studio stores the global templates in your Documents folder, but you can select another folder for these global templates. To change the default path for global templates: 1.


•



Select the General tab.

The Global Library field identifies the location of your Global template folder.

3.

Click the browse button next to the Global Library field and select the path where you want to store your template files.

4.

Click OK when done.

See Also Defining the Author and Copyright of a Template on page 376 Creating Templates on page 370 Using Templates on page 377 388

Chapter 12 Playback and Rendering This chapter explains how to generate a preview of your scene or of all the scenes in your animation set. It also explains how to export your movies to formats like SWF and QuickTime. This chapter contains the following topics: •

Previewing a Scene Interactively on page 390

•

Real-Time Playback on page 392

•

Exporting Your Movie on page 394

•

Exporting Drawings to PDF on page 396


Previewing a Scene Interactively At any point in the development of your animation, you can see a preview of the current scene using Interactive Playback. During Interactive Playback, you can change the content that is playing back. For example, you can add drawings and elements to the playback selection. In Interactive Playback, the animation appears in the View windows. Interactive Playback will not play your animation in real-time. As a result, if you enable sound playback, the sound may not play in sync with your animation. Loop playback

Rewind to first frame Play or Stop

Fast-forward to last frame

To play back your animation using Interactive Playback: 1.

Select the drawings/elements you want to play back. • Use the Show/Hide buttons in the Exposure Sheet window and Timeline window to display the elements you want to preview. • In the Exposure Sheet window, drag your mouse pointer through the cells you want to preview. • In the Timeline window, change the playback range to select the frames you want to preview. If you select nothing, the entire contents of the scene plays back.

2.

If you want to play sound, select Play > Turn Sound Playback On. Because the scene may not play back in real-time, the sound may not be synced to your animation.

3.

Press the Play

toolbar button.

All of the selected content plays in sequential order in the View windows until the frame marker reaches the last frame of the scene or until you click the Stop button.

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Chapter 12: Playback and Rendering

4.

If you want the playback to repeat, click the Loop click the Play button.

toolbar button before you

See Also Setting the Playback Range in the Timeline on page 391 Real-Time Playback on page 392 Exporting Your Movie on page 394

Setting the Playback Range in the Timeline By default, when you want to preview the animation in your scene from Sceneplanning view windows, Toon Boom Studio starts at the current frame in the scene and plays until the last frame, unless you stop the playback manually: If you want to preview only a specific segment of your scene, you can customize the playback range by setting a start and end frame of the playback. When you play back the scene, Toon Boom Studio plays only the frames that fall between these two markers.

To set the playback range in the Timeline: 1.

Select Play > Playback Range > Free. When you select this option, two markers appear in the frame counter to mark the start and end frames. The Automatic Fit option (selected by default) sets the playback range to the entire length of the scene. It adjusts the playback range automatically as your scene expands or shrinks.

2.

Drag the start frame marker (on the left) to where you want to start the playback range.

3.

Drag the end frame marker (on the right) to where you want to end the playback range. You can select Play > Playback Range > Change Playback Range Start Frame or Change Playback Range End Frame, type the a frame number, and click OK to adjust the markers.

4.

Click the Play range.

toolbar button to preview the animation in the current playback

391


See Also Previewing a Scene Interactively on page 390 Real-Time Playback on page 392

Real-Time Playback You can render your movie or scene to play it back in real-time and see how your animation will look in its final state. With real-time playback, you can evaluate how the sound is synced to your animation.scenes: To play back content: 1.

Select one of the following commands from the Play menu. • Preview Movie: plays all of the scenes in the movie, including the sceneplanning effects. • Preview Scene: plays only the current scene including sceneplanning effects.

• • •

Preview Exposure Sheet: plays the scene in the Drawing View. None of the sceneplanning effects will play back. Preview Exposure Sheet Selection: plays the Exposure Sheet selection. Quick Preview: plays the scene with the timing and effects from the view you are in.

The Rendering progress dialog box opens as Toon Boom Studio renders your animation. You can press the Minimize button on this dialog box to hide the Toon Boom Studio application while you render. When the render is complete, the Playback window opens with your animation and begins to play back your movie from the first frame. The display settings of the Drawing View window (zoom and pan) determine what part of your scene is rendered when you play back content from the Exposure Sheet.

392


2.

Use the controls in the Playback window to adjust the playback of your movie.

See Also Previewing a Scene Interactively on page 390 Exporting Your Movie on page 394

393


Exporting Your Movie When your animation is done and ready to share with your audience, you are ready to export. You have the following export choices:

• • • • •

Adobe Flash movie QuickTime movie AVI DV Stream Image Sequence

To export to your movie: 1.

Select File > Export Movie. The Export dialog box opens.

2.

From the Export Format menu, select the type of file you want to export. You have the following choices: • Flash Movie: Toon Boom Studio exports version 6 SWF movies. You can choose to export a compressed or uncompressed file. • QuickTime Movie

• • • 3.

DV Stream Image Sequence

To control the export settings, you have three options in the Settings menu: Select Default to use standard settings for the selected export file format.

• • 394

AVI

Select Most Recent to use the last used settings.


•

Click the Options button to display a dialog box with the export options for the Export Format you selected.

4.

Select the part of the movie that you want to export from the Export Type panel. You have the following choices: • Full Movie: exports all the scenes in the current animation set. The order the scenes appear in is displayed in the Scene Manager window. • Timeline Current Scene: exports the contents of the scene or template currently open in Toon Boom Studio. • Exposure Sheet Scene: exports the contents of the scene or template from the Exposure Sheet. This option does not include any of the effects you created in the Sceneplanning view windows.

5.

In the Export Range panel, select the content you want to export. • All: exports the entire scene or movie. If you selected Full Movie in the Export Type panel, All is selected by default and you cannot change it. • Frames from: enter the selection of frames you want to export.

• •

6.

Free Playback Range: It exports the playback range you set up in the Timeline window. If there is no playback range, the option is not available. Selection: This option is available when you select to export the Exposure Sheet scene. It exports the frames you have selected in the Exposure Sheet window.

To view the final files after the compilation is complete, select the Launch Player After Export checkbox. Your movie appears automatically in the Playback window when the export has finished.

7.

Click OK to move on to the next step of the export process. If you have not selected to modify your export options, a progress bar appears to show you the progress of the export. • If you selected to modify your export options, an export settings dialog box appears.

•

See Also Setting the Animation Frame Rate and Camera Size on page 42 Setting the Playback Range in the Timeline on page 391 Importing Flash Movies on page 133

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Exporting Drawings to PDF You can export a drawing to the PDF file format. The exported file can then be opened in a program that supports PDF files, such as Acrobat Reader, or Adobe Illustrator. To export a drawing: 1.

Select the drawing you want to export. • In the Exposure Sheet, select a cell with the drawing you want to export.

•

Select an element layer in the Timeline. With the Cell tab displayed in the Properties window, use the slider to display the drawing in the selected frame.

2.

Select File > Export Drawing to PDF. The Save As dialog box opens.

3.

Select where you want to store the PDF file and enter its filename.

4.

Press Save. A confirmation dialog box displays the location and name of the file you exported.

See Also Importing Illustrator and PDF Files on page 131

396

Index Numbers 12 field grid, 112 16 field grid, 112 3D space active view, 203 add motion points to motion path, 256 changing rotation pivot point, 219 create FB motion path, 254 create motion path with pegs, 250 create NS or EW motion path, 252 element layering order, 210 FB position, 209 mapping NS/EW/FB, 200 NS/EW position, 208 panning in View windows, 202 recenter view, 204 repositioning elements, 207 rotating elements, 216 rotating elements over time, 242 scale pivot point, 214 scaling elements, 211 Sceneplanning concepts, 200 selecting elements, 204 skewing elements over time, 248 using pegs, 222 using View windows, 200 workflow, 22 zooming in View windows, 202

A activate/deactivate cell display in Exposure Sheet, 325 active view switching, 203 adding cameras, 284 control points, 104

curve grips, 104 drop shadows, 314 frames, 356 gradient color swatches, 144 keyframes, 305 notes, 323 numbered cells, 348 palettes, 168 pen styles, 108 scenes, 45 sound, 182 sound note, 197 templates, 370 adding lip sync notes, 197 additive color transformations, 300 add motion points to motion path, 256 alpha blend, 176 mix colors, 147 tint, 174 alpha value color swatch, 146 animation exporting, 394 frame rate, 42 playback, 390 resolution, 42 show/hide scenes, 48 tweening, 17 workflow, 17 animation cycles advanced, 361 creating, 359 animation project copying a template into, 378 creating, 40 deleting scenes, 49 folder, 346 saving, 40 structure, 346 .tbdp, 40 using templates, 377 397


animationproject renaming scenes, 47 animation project folder scene folder, 346 sound folder, 346 template folder, 346 using templates, 377 animation properties camera size, 42 frame rate, 42 preset formats, 43 resolution, 42 arrow pegs in Timeline, 226 author template, 376 Auto Light Table, 115 display, 121 element, 121 hide, 121 overview, 121 automatic lip sync mapping, 196 AVI exporting, 394

B background color changing in Camera View window, 53 changing in Drawing View, 53 changing in scene, 46 backgrounds importing, 126 scanning, 135 Bias definition, 263 set default, 264 bitmap folder animation project, 346 bitmaps swatches, 149 vectorizing, 129 398

bitmap textures editing, 155 painting zones with, 153 swatches, 141 blank cells, 354 blank frames, 354 inserting, 356 blend alpha, 176 HSB, 176 palette styles, 176 RGB, 176 BMP converting to vector drawings, 129 brush lines creating from pencil lines, 71 Brush tool, 66 control points, 88 conversion, 89 curve grips, 102 extraction, 89 file size, 88 pen styles, 107

C camera adding to scene, 284 changing field of view, 282 changing over time, 291, 295 default, 284 duration, 293 dynamic zoom, 291, 295 effects, 282 end frame, 293 field of view, 289 field of view (dynamic), 291 field size, 42 FOV (dynamic), 291 length, 293 overview, 282 panning, 282, 297 position, 285

Index

properties, 42 reposition, 282 secondary, 284 size, 42 start/end frame, 293 trucking, 282, 297 type (element), 337 zoom, 282, 289 zoom over time, 291, 295 cameras importing images, 135 camera size resolution, 42 Camera View window, 200 camera zooms, 289 changing background color, 53 changing rotation pivot point position, 219 changing the view, 202 disable all effects, 305 dynamic zoom, 291 positioning the camera, 285 recentering the view, 204 resetting the view, 204 rotating pegs, 242 rotation motion path, 242 scaling pegs, 245, 248 selecting elements, 204 zoom, 289 cartoon workflow, 17 catalog templates, 384 cell adding notes, 323 blank, 354 clearing, 363 copying, 358 creating animation cycles, 359 creating cycles, 361 cutting, 358 display options, 325 exposure, 350

image display, 325 lip sync display, 325 name display, 325 naming, 357 numbered, 348 pasting, 358 play sound, 184 renaming, 357 show notes, 325 sound preview, 184 thumbnail display, 325 timing display, 325 updating notes, 323 viewing notes, 324 waveform, 190 cell display active, 325 changing in Exposure Sheet, 325 inactive, 325 cells cut/copy/paste media, 381 cell swapping, 352 centerline extract from stroke, 89 file size, 88 child parent peg, 224 child pegs timing, 226 clear cells, 363 drawings, 363 frames, 363 clip mask, 309 clone changing properties, 345 elements, 344, 345 Close Gap tool Tools palette, 163 color adding palettes, 168 adding swatches, 142 399


additive and multiplicative values, 302 additive changes, 300 alpha value, 146 background, 46 Camera View window background, 53 changing over time, 300 channel, 301, 302 Close Gap tool, 163 Colors window, 144 copy palettes, 168 default element color, 329 deleting palettes, 170 deleting palette styles, 173 Drawing View background, 53 Dropper tool, 160 element color, 328 element default color, 329 exporting palettes, 179 gradients, 144 importing palettes, 178 inking lines, 166 ink overview, 140 linear gradient, 145 multiplicative changes, 300 offsetting, 174 opacity, 146 paint overview, 140 paint shape, 152 Paint tool, 151 paint zone, 152 palettes, 167, 168 palette styles, 171 radial gradient, 145 rename palette styles, 172 swatches, 141 tint palette styles, 174 track color, 330 transparency, 146 tweening, 303 unpaint, 161 unpaint zones, 151 using swatches, 141 using templates, 377 workflow, 20 400

zone, 151 color channels adding color values, 301 multiply color values, 302 subtract color values, 301 color palettes, 167 adding swatches, 142 copying, 168 creating, 168 inking lines, 166 naming swatches, 147 painting zones, 151 swatches, 141 color swatches creating palettes, 168 palette styles, 167 color transform, 300, 302 adding key frames, 305 additive, 300 applying to vector elements, 304 change properties, 303 cloning elements, 345 flattening layers, 306 multiplicative, 300 nesting in multiple elements, 304 removing key frames, 305 column width adjusting, 327 composition layers, 210 configure Bias, 264 Continuity, 264 Tension, 264 constant function, 277 constant segments cut-out animation, 230 keyframes, 230 tweening, 230 Continuity definition, 263 set default, 264

Index

Contour Editor tool curve grips, 101, 102 modifying vector shapes, 100 overview, 100 Tools palette, 101, 102 contours file size, 88 Stroke tool, 163 control point add motion points to motion path, 256 adjust curve, 263 Bias, 263 Continuity, 263 create FB motion path, 254 create motion path with pegs, 250 create NS or EW motion path, 252 deleting, 261 lock, 262 motion path, 259 remove, 261 Tension, 263 unlock, 262 control points, 88, 89, 101 conversion from stroke, 89 to center line, 89 converting bitmap images to vector drawings, 129 coordinates FB position, 209 NS/EW position, 208 repositioning elements, 207 X-axis, 200 Y-axis, 200 Z-axis, 200 copying cells, 358 drawing objects, 84 gradients, 158 palettes, 168 templates, 377 textures, 158 creating

animation project, 40 animation projects, 36 drop shadows, 314 gradient color swatches, 144 lip sync images, 192 palettes, 168 pen styles, 108 templates, 370 creating lip charts automatically, 192 credits templates, 377 cropping sound, 187 curve adjust between motion points, 263 changing shape of, 100 curve grips, 101 adding control points, 104 Brush tool, 102 Contour Editor, 101, 102 deleting control points, 105 Ellipse tool, 101 Paint tool, 102 Pencil tool, 101 Rectangle tool, 101 reshaping, 101 custom color swatches, 168 element colors, 328 track colors, 330 cut-out about, 24 animating, 226 peg hierarchies, 270 pivot points, 272 rigging, 270 templates, 366 cut-out animation, 272 basics, 25 constant segments, 230 timing parent and child elements, 226 Cutter tool, 96, 99

401


cutting cells, 358 Cutter tool, 96 drawing objects, 84, 99 Eraser tool, 96 Scissor tool, 97

D default Bias, 264 camera, 284 Continuity, 264 element colors, 329 Tension, 264 default swatch name changing, 147 defining copyright in template, 376 definition Bias, 263 Continuity, 263 Tension, 263 delete control point from peg, 261 key frame, 261 deleting control points in shapes, 105 drawing from Static Light Table, 119 elements, 342 palettes, 170 palette styles, 173 pen styles, 108 scenes, 49 templates, 374 digital cameras importing images, 135 display Auto Light Table, 121 disable all effects, 305 elements, 321 Static Light Table, 118 toolbars, 53 402

track color, 330 waveform, 190 welcome screen, 35 distorting objects, 85 documentation conventions, 32 drag & drop in Timeline, 235 templates, 379 drawing adding color over time, 301 Auto Light Table, 115, 121 cell image display, 325 cell lip sync display, 325 cell name display, 325 cell thumbnail display, 325 cell timing display, 325 clearing cells, 363 clearing frames, 363 Cutter tool, 96 deselect, 79 display options, 325 distort, 85 elements, 337 Eraser tool, 96 exposure time, 350 grid display, 111 handles, 81 importing static images, 126 lip sync images, 192 locking, 363 mask layer, 310 moving objects, 81 multiply color over time, 302 next drawing, 115 nudge, 81 onion skin, 115 optimizing for the web, 88 Paint All, 159 painting, 151 Perspective tool, 85 previous drawing, 115 remove color over time, 301, 302 remove from Static Light Table, 119

Index

reposition all, 134 resizing objects, 81 retouching, 65 rotating drawing space, 113 rotating objects, 81 sceneplanning, 65 Scissor tool, 97 select, 78 skew, 85 Static Light Table, 115 Stroke tool, 163 type (element), 337 unlocking, 363 workflow, 17, 21 drawing elements, 337 cloning, 345 drawing folder animation project, 346 drawing in Sceneplanning, 65 drawing layers flattening, 91, 92 drawing objects cutting parts from, 97 erasing sections from, 98 drawings renaming, 358 reusing, 369 drawing space grid, 111 onion skin, 115 rotating, 113 setup, 110 zooming, 122 drawing tools Brush tool, 66 Cutter tool, 99 deselect, 79 Ellipse tool, 66 Eraser tool, 98 grid display, 111 Line tool, 66 Pencil tool, 66 Polyline tool, 66

Rectangle tool, 66 Scissor tool, 96 Select tool, 78 Drawing View Auto Light Table, 121 Brush tool, 66 content sequence, 346 Contour Editor tool, 100 creating clip mask, 309 creating pen style, 108 creating templates, 367, 370 deleting control points, 104, 105 deleting elements, 342 deselecting objects, 78 drawing tools, 64, 80 Ellipse tool, 66 extract center line, 89 file size, 88 grid display, 111 importing Illustrator, 131 importing SWF files, 133 importing transparent images, 128 layered elements, 115 layering elements, 335 Line tool, 66 masking effects, 308 modifying pen styles, 109 moving objects, 81 onion skin, 115 panning, 123 PDF import, 131 Pencil tool, 66 pen style properties, 86 pen styles, 107 Perspective tool, 85 Polyline tool, 66 protecting drawings, 363 real-time playback, 392 Rectangle tool, 66 removing elements, 342 removing points, 94 renaming elements, 341 reshaping line art, 101 resizing objects, 81 403


rotating drawing space, 113 rotating objects, 81 selecting objects, 78 show/hide elements, 319 Static Light Table, 118 zooming, 122 Drawing View window Auto Light Table, 115 background color, 53 deselect objects, 79 grid, 111 onion skin, 115 panning, 123 recenter, 123 reposition all drawings, 134 rotate drawing space, 113 selecting objects, 78 Static Light Table, 115, 119 Dropper tool, 160 drop shadow, 313 duplicating elements, 342 duration camera, 293 changing peg, 239 exposure, 350 looping pegs, 240 DV Stream exporting, 394 dynamic camera timeline properties, 293 dynamic zoom, 291

E ease in/out function, 277 editing, 185, 372 bitmap fills, 155 preferences, 50 templates, 372 effects additive color transform, 301 404

cameras, 282 changing color over time, 301 color transform elements, 300 combining multiple color transforms, 307 creating masks, 309 disabling masks, 310 drop shadow, 313 hide mask layers, 310 looping pegs, 240 masks, 308, 311 multiplicative color transforms, 300, 302 peg hierarchies, 225 show mask layers, 310 elements add motion points to motion path, 256 animation project folder, 346 attaching to pegs, 223 changing color, 303 changing over time with pegs, 222 changing peg start time, 239 changing with pegs, 223 cloning, 344 composition, 210 create FB motion path, 254 create NS or EW motion path, 252 creating motion path with pegs, 250 default colors, 329 deleting, 342 display colors (custom), 328 display colors (default), 329 duplicating, 342 end time, 354 FB position, 209 hiding selected, 321 layering order, 210, 335 linking templates, 380 masks, 310 naming, 337 notes, 323 nudge, 209 peg duration, 239 peg ghosts, 253 position, 208

Index

positioning in 3D space, 207 proportional scaling, 213 removing, 342 renaming, 341 reposition in motion path, 251 rotating, 216, 242 rotation pivot point, 219 scaling, 211, 212, 245, 248 scaling in motion paths, 250 selecting in Timeline window, 205 selecting in View windows, 204 show/hide, 319, 320 Solo mode, 321 sound, 182 start time, 354 Static Light Table, 115 templates, 366 track color, 330 tweening, 17 view notes, 324 View windows, 200 workflow, 21 element types, 335 Ellipse tool, 66 adding control points, 104 curve grips, 101 Eraser tool, 96, 98 erasing Cutter tool, 96, 97 drawing objects, 98 Eraser tool, 96, 98 Scissor tool, 96 EW Motion Point tab, 259 exporting AVI, 394 camera size, 42 DV Stream, 394 Flash movie, 394 frame rate, 42 hide elements, 319 image sequence, 394 palettes, 179

PDF, 396 QuickTime, 394 workflow, 24 exposures, 350 copy/paste, 237 Exposure Sheet window, 318 adding elements, 336 adding frames, 356 adding images, 126 adjusting column width, 327 changing cell display, 325 clearing cells, 363 creating animation cycles, 359, 361 creating templates, 370 deleting elements, 342 exposure time, 350 generating a lip chart, 192 importing sounds, 182 inserting blank cells, 354 inserting numbered cells, 348 Interactive Playback, 390 layering elements, 335 layer order, 338 linking templates, 380 playback, 392 playback sound, 184 removing elements, 342 renaming elements, 341 Static Light Table, 118 waveform, 190 workflow, 21 extreme ease in/out function, 277

F fade in/out sound, 189 fading sound editing, 189 fast in/out velocity function, 277 FB Motion Point tab, 259 feet and frames, 333

405


field of view camera, 289 change over time, 291, 295 dynamic camera, 291, 295 file size affect of motion path with pegs, 250, 252, 254 animation cycles, 359 Brush tool, 88 centerline, 88 linking templates, 380 templates, 378 fills editing bitmaps and gradients, 155 Flash event sounds, 183 exporting, 394 file size cloning elements, 344 linking templates, 380 streaming sounds, 183 workflow, 24 flattening Color Transform layers, 306 drawing layers, 91, 92, 95 FOV, 291, 295 frame delete control point, 261 delete key frame, 261 remove control point, 261 remove key frame, 261 frame marker Timeline window, 332 frame rate, 42 exposure time, 350 setting, 42 frames adding, 356 adding notes, 323 blank, 354 changing peg duration, 239 clearing, 363

406

copying and moving, 235 exposure, 350 numbered, 348 selecting in Timeline, 237 framing camera elements, 284 Function Editor, 274 adding keyframes, 275 camera zoom, 295 field of view zoom, 295 mapping peg movement, 274 plotline, 296 reshaping plotline, 277 view options, 279 zoom over time, 295

G gaps auto close, 165 closing, 163, 165 generating lip chart editing, 192 ghosts peg, 253 global library storage path, 388 template catalogs, 384 global templates, 366, 386 catalogs, 384 storage path, 388 Grabber tool, 202 Function Editor, 279 gradient fills editing, 155 gradients adding, 144 Dropper tool, 160 linear, 145 painting zones with, 153 radial, 145 transition, 146 graph

Index

Function Editor, 274 grid, 112 drawings, 111 Function Editor, 279 overlay, 112 underlay, 112 grips modifying drawings, 81

H handles modifying drawings, 81 hide Auto Light Table, 121 elements, 321, 322 Static Light Table, 118 hierarchy pegs, 225 pegs for cut-out, 270 highlighting preferences, 58 HSB blend Palette Style, 176 tint Palette Style, 174

I Illustrator CS, 131 importing, 131 image elements cloning, 345 type, 337 images renaming, 358 reusing, 369 image sequence exporting, 394 importing backgrounds, 126 bitmaps, 126

files to templates, 373 Illustrator, 131 images, 126 images (transparent), 128 palettes, 178 PDF files, 131 scanning, 135 sounds, 182 SWF files, 133 vectorizing bitmaps, 129 ink mix colors, 143 inking, 140 alpha, 147 Colors window, 145 Dropper tool, 160 gradient swatch, 144 lines, 166 opacity, 147 Paint tool, 151 swatches, 141 swatch name, 147 transparency, 147 workflow, 20 inserting blank cells, 354 cell notes, 323 numbered cells, 348 numbered frames, 348 range of cells, 348 Interactive Playback, 390 range, 391 interpolation overview, 222 tweening, 17

K keyboard shortcuts, 55 resetting, 56 keyframes adding to a plotline, 275 adding to color transform, 305 407


add motion points to motion path, 256 add to motion path, 256 adjust curve, 263 Bias, 263 constant segments, 230 Continuity, 263 copying and moving, 235 copy/paste, 237 create FB motion path, 254 create motion path with pegs, 250 create NS or EW motion path, 252 delete, 261 Function Editor, 275 lock, 262 motion path, 259 remove, 261 removing from color transform, 305 rotation, 242 scaling, 245, 248 Tension, 263 tweening, 230 unlock, 262 keyframespline delete key frame, 261

L lasso cutting, 97 layer order Timeline, 340 layers adding, 336 Auto Light Table, 115 cameras, 335 clipping effects, 336 cloning, 344 color transform effects, 336 deleting, 342 drawing, 335 drop shadow effects, 336 duplicating, 342 element, 335 408

elements, 336 flatten automatically, 95 images, 335 media, 335 onion skin, 115 order, 340 pegs, 335 reducing for web use, 91, 92 renaming, 341 shadow efffects, 336 sound, 335 Static Light Table, 115 tweening, 17 library, 366 adding elements, 370 catalogs, 384 copying templates, 378 copyright, 376 creating templates, 370 defining template author, 376 deleting templates, 374 editing templates, 372 importing files, 373 importing media files, 367 linking templates, 377, 380 media elements, 377 previewing content, 368 renaming templates, 374 reusing drawings, 369 reusing images, 369 reusing templates, 367 storage path, 388 template properties, 375 templates, 386 using templates, 377 linear gradient, 145 linear velocity function, 277 lines, 88 adding control points, 104 curve grips, 101 deleting control points, 105 deselecting, 79 erasing, 98

Index

inking, 166 optimizing, 89 pen properties, 86 pen styles, 107 reshaping, 101 selecting, 78 unpainting, 161 workflow, 17 Line tool, 66 centerline points, 88 linking cut/copy/paste media, 381 templates, 377 linking templates advantages, 380 lip chart editing, 194 generating, 192 lip sync notes, 197 lip sync mapping lip chart, 196 recomputing lip chart recomputing, 198 sound scrubbing, 193 thumbnails, 192 view sound, 192 waveform, 190 lip sync notes adding and editing, 197 local library template catalogs, 384 local templates, 366, 386 catalogs, 384 lock control point, 262 key frame, 262 locking drawings, 363 looping pegs, 240 sound, 188

M Mac package file, 40 mapping lip sync drawings, 196 markers customizing playback range, 191 masks, 308 creating, 309 modifying, 311 measurements configure, 57 media elements, 337 cloning, 345 cut/copy/paste cells, 381 linking templates, 377, 380 media files importing to library, 367 mix colors Colors dialog box, 143 motion delete control points, 261 delete key frame, 261 Motion Point tab, 259 offset from path, 259 remove control points, 261 remove key frame, 261 tweening, 17, 230 workflow, 22 motion guide overview, 222 motion path add motion points, 256 affect on file size, 250, 252, 254 bias, 263 continuity, 263 create FB, 254 create NS or EW, 252 creating with pegs, 250 defining default bias values, 264 409


default continuity values, 264 default tension values, 264 delete motion points, 261 direction of, 250 locking/unlocking control points, 262 lock position, 256 motion point curve, 263 moving motion points, 259 peg ghosts, 253 pegs, 222 reposition pegs in, 251 tension, 263 walk cycle, 239 motion paths adding pegs, 223 attaching elements to pegs, 223 looping a peg, 240 peg hierarchies, 225 motion point existing values, 264 nudge, 257 tab, 257 Motion Point tab motion path, 259 spline path, 259 motion tool create FB motion path, 254 createNS or EW motion path, 252 creating motion paths with pegs, 250 MOV exporting, 394 workflow, 24 movie adding scenes, 45 changing scene background color, 46 multiplane camera, 282 adding camera elements, 284 dynamic zooms, 291 panning, 297 trucking, 297 multiplicative color transform, 302

410

N naming elements, 337 pens, 109 scenes, 47 swatches, 147 notes adding to cells, 323 adding to elements, 323 sound element, 197 Sound Element Editor, 197 view in cell, 324 view in element, 324 NS Motion Point tab, 259 nudge drawings, 81 elements, 209 motion point, 257 numbered cells, 348 numbered frames, 348

O offset camera position, 285 colors, 174 motion path, 259 onion skin, 115 Rotary Light Table, 114 setting display options, 116 online help, 32 opacity color swatch, 146 mix colors, 147 optimizing drawing layers, 91, 95 optimizing drawing objects, 88 overlay, 112 Drawing View, 112 grid, 112 Static Light Table, 120

Index

overview interpolation, 222 motion guide, 222 tweening, 222

P paint mix colors, 143 Paint All, 159 painting, 140, 151 alpha, 147 closing gaps, 165 Colors window, 145 Dropper tool, 160 gradient swatch, 144 opacity, 147 Paint All, 159 Paint tool, 151 swatch name, 147 transparency, 147 unpaint, 161 workflow, 20 zones, 151 painting zones, 151 with bitmap textures, 153 with gradients, 153 Paint tool, 151 palettes, 167 adding, 168 copying, 168 creating, 168 deleting, 170 duplicating, 168 exporting, 179 importing, 178 renaming, 170 swatches, 167 updating from templates, 382 workflow, 20 palette styles, 167, 171 blending a color into, 176 creating, 171

deleting, 173 offseting colors in, 174 rename, 172 renaming, 172 swatches, 171 tinting, 174 workflow, 20 panning, 297 camera, 282 Drawing View, 123 in view windows, 202 parent peg about, 224 parent pegs timing, 226 paste cells, 358 drawing objects, 84 paste special, 237, 382 path adjust curve, 263 Bias, 263 Continuity, 263 motion path, 259 Tension, 263 PDF exporting, 396 importing, 131 peg add motion points to motion path, 256 adjust curve, 263 Bias, 263 change duration, 239 change start time, 239 changing element over time, 222 Continuity, 263 create FB motion path, 254 create motion path, 250 create NS or EW motion path, 252 delete, 261 delete control point, 261 delete key frame, 261 ghosts 411


create motion paths, 253 lock control point, 262 lock key frame, 262 motion path, 259 peg ghosts, 253 remove, 261 remove control point, 261 remove key frame, 261 reposition in motion path, 251 Tension, 263 tween (overview), 222 unlock control point, 262 unlock key frame, 262 walk cycle, 239 pegs adding, 223 attaching elements to, 223 building hierarchies, 225 camera zoom, 291 cloning, 345 display quality, 58 extending, 239 Function Editor, 274 looping, 240 modifying masks, 311 panning camera, 297 parent, 224 Parent Peg button, 224 resizing elements, 245, 248 rotating elements, 242 scaling, 245, 248 scaling elements, 245, 248 show/hide, 320 smooth, 224 trucking cameras, 297 tweening, 17 type (element), 337 workflow, 22 zooming, 291 Pencil tool, 66 pen styles, 107 pen styles creating, 108

412

deleting, 109 modifying, 109 Pen tab, 107 properties, 86 smoothness, 108 pivot point drawing, 81 rotation, 219 scale, 214 Transform tool, 268 pivot points, 272 playback, 392 camera size, 42 frame rate, 42 interactive preview, 390 range, 391 real-time, 392 show/hide elements, 319 sound, 184 sound scrubbing, 193 playback range, 191 plot Function Editor, 274 plotline adding keyframes, 275 reshaping functions, 277 preferences copyright, 376 global library storage path, 388 global template storage path, 388 library, 388 onion skin options, 116 selections, 58 templates, 388 units of measure, 57 user name, 376 velocity, 58 projects creating, 36 saving, 40 workflow, 17 protecting drawings, 363

Index

Q QuickTime exporting, 24, 394

R radial gradient, 145 recomputing lip sync, 198 Rectangle tool, 66 pen styles, 107 recycling animation, 366 reducing drawing layers, 91, 92 remove control point, 261 key frame, 261 renaming elements, 341 palettes, 170 palette styles, 172 pens, 109 scenes, 47 swatches, 147 templates, 374 render AVI, 394 DV Stream, 394 Flash, 394 hiding elements, 319 image sequence, 394 playback, 392 QuickTime, 394 rendering options, 58 reposition elements in motion path, 251 pegs in motion path, 251 Reset View tool, 204 reshaping drawing objects, 100 reshaping functions, 277 resizing columns in Exposure Sheet, 327 drawing objects, 81

elements, 211 resolution setting, 42 retouching drawings, 65 reusing animation drawings, 369 images, 369 library, 366 previewing content, 368 templates, 366, 377 RGB blend color in palette style, 176 color transform effect, 300 creating swatches, 143 tint palette style, 174 rigging cut-out characters, 270 Rotary Light Table, 113 Rotate tool, 243 rotating bitmap texture fills, 155 drawings, 81 drawing space, 113 elements, 216, 242 gradient fills, 155 pivot point, 219, 220 View windows, 242 rotation keyframes, 242 pivot point, 219 resetting, 114

S saving animation sets, 40 scale pivot point, 214 Scale tool, 245, 248 scaling elements, 211, 212, 213, 245, 248 in motion paths, 250 keyframes, 245, 248 413


pegs, 245, 248 scanning, 135 scanning and vectorizing, 135 scene camera, 282 Scene Manager adding scenes, 45 changing background color, 46 deleting scenes, 49 ordering scenes, 47 renaming scenes, 47 show/hide scenes, 48 Sceneplanning views, 200 color transform effects, 303 deleting elements, 342 layering elements, 335 masking effects, 308 peg hierarchies, 225 playback, 392 show/hide elements, 320, 321 Timeline window, 318 tweening, 17 workflow, 22 scenes changing background color, 46 importing sounds, 182 playback, 390 renaming, 47 Scissor tool, 96, 97 selecting colors, 160 deselecting drawing objects, 79 drawings, 78 elements, 204 sounds, 187 selections highlighting preferences, 58 Select tool, 78 shadow effect, 313 shapes adding control points, 104 color zone, 152 Contour Editor tool, 100 414

curve grips, 102 cutting parts from, 97 deleting control points, 105 deselecting, 79 Eraser tool, 98 erasing sections from, 98 Optimize command, 91 painting, 152 pen properties, 86 reshaping contours, 101 select, 78 shortcuts, 55 Side View window, 200 panning and zooming, 202 resetting the view, 204 selecting elements, 204 skewing objects, 85 Skew tool, 248 slow acceleration velocity function, 277 slow deceleration velocity function, 277 smooth pen styles, 108 Solo mode, 321 sound changing lip assignment, 194 cropping, 187 customizing playback range, 191 editing, 185, 186 event sounds, 183 fading, 189 importing, 182 mapping lip sync drawings, 196 playback, 184 recomputing lip sync, 198 repeating editing, 188 scrubbing, 193 Sound Element Editor, 185 streaming, 184 streaming event sounds, 183 synchronization, 183 type (element), 337 view lip sync, 192

Index

waveform, 190 workflow, 19 Sound Element Editor, 185 changing lip assignment, 194 customize playback range, 191 fade in/outelements, 189 generating a lip chart sound, 192 looping sounds, 188 mapping lip sync drawings, 196 select section, 187 sound scrubbing, 193 start position, 186 sound elements cloning, 345 sound folder animation project, 346 sound loops, 188 spline adjust curve, 263 Bias, 263 Continuity, 263 delete control point, 261 motion path, 259 remove control point, 261 Tension, 263 spline path Motion Point, 259 start time changing peg, 239 Static Light Table, 118 adding drawings, 118 display preferences, 119 overlay, 120 properties, 119 removing drawings, 119 show/hide drawings, 119 underlay, 120 streaming sounds, 183 stretching bitmap swatches, 149 strokes adding control points, 104

deleting control points, 105 deselecting, 79 pen styles, 107 selecting, 78 Stroke tool, 163 swatch changing color values, 143 swatches, 141 adding, 142 adding gradients, 144 bitmap swatches, 149 blending palette styles, 176 blend palette styles, 176 copying palettes, 168 creating palettes, 168 deleting palette styles, 173 Dropper tool, 160 duplicating palettes, 168 editing bitmap textures, 155 editing gradients, 155 inking lines, 166 naming, 147 Paint tool, 151 selecting from a drawing, 160 textures, 149 tiling bitmap swatches, 149 tint palette styles, 174 transparency, 146 workflow, 20 SWF exporting, 394 importing, 133 workflow, 24

T .tbdp package file, 40 templates, 366 author, 376 catalogs, 384 copying selected contents, 379 copying to a scene, 378 415


copyright, 376 creating, 370 creating in Exposure Sheet, 367 creating in Timeline, 367 deleting, 374 global, 386 global library storage path, 388 importing files, 373 linking, 380 local, 386 organizing, 384 properties, 375 renaming, 374 updating, 380 updating palettes, 382 user name, 376 using, 377, 378 Templates folder animation project, 346 configure, 376 Tension definition, 263 set default, 264 textures editing, 155 painting zones with, 153 properties, 149 swatches, 149 threshold filter vectorizing bitmaps, 130, 137 thumbnails Exposure Sheet window, 325 lip sync images, 192 Static Light Table, 119 waveform, 190 tiling bitmap swatches, 149 Timeline window, 318 adding pegs, 223 changing camera duration, 294 changing camera start/end frame, 293 changing element end frame, 354 changing element layer order, 340 416

changing element start frame, 354 changing peg duration, 239 copying/moving frames, 235 creating advanced animation cycles, 361 creating cycles, 359 creating templates, 370 dynamic camera, 292 extending pegs, 240 feet and frames, 333 frame markers, 332 inserting blank frames, 356 Interactive Playback, 390 layering elements, 335 linking templates, 380 Parent Peg button, 224 playback, 392 playback range, 391 rotation keyframe, 242 scaling keyframes, 245, 248 selecting elements, 205 selecting frames, 237 show/hide elements, 321 Solo mode, 321 spliting, 334 track color, 330 zooming, 331 timing adding blank frames in a scene, 356 cut-out animation, 226 exposure, 350 feet and frames, 333 workflow, 21 tinting palette styles, 174 tolerance levels auto gap closing, 165 toolbars customizing, 52 displaying, 53 Main, 53 Top View window, 200 camera zooms, 289 panning and zooming, 202

Index

recentering the view, 204 resetting the view, 204 selecting elements, 204 track color, 330 Transform tool pivot point, 268 transition markers, 146 transparency importing bitmaps, 128 mixing colors, 147 swatches, 146 trimming sounds, 187 trucking, 297 cameras, 282 tutorials opening from welcome screen, 38 TWAIN scanning, 135 tweening, 17 animation, 17 color, 303 interpolation, 17 keyframes, 230 limitations, 17 overview, 222 pegs, 17 Sceneplanning, 17

U underlay, 112 Drawing View, 112 grid, 112 Static Light Table, 120 units preferences, 58 units of measure, 57 unlock control point, 262 key frame, 262 unlocking

drawings, 363 unpainting, 161 updating notes, 323 templates, 380

V vector drawings converting bitmaps, 129 drawing, 63 vector elements, 335 vectorizing bitmaps, 129 scanned drawings, 135 velocity functions, 277 linear velocity preference, 58 video card configuring, 58

W walk cycle looping pegs, 240 pegs, 239 waveform sound display, 190 web file size, 88, 89 flattening drawing layers, 91, 92 optimizing drawing objects, 88 reducing points in a line, 89 removing points in a drawing, 94 welcome screen, 34 reactivating, 35 workflow, 17

Z zone closing gaps automatically, 165 417


closing gaps manually, 163 painting, 151 zooming camera, 282, 289 dynamic camera, 291, 295 Function Editor, 279 Timeline window, 331 velocity, 296 View windows, 202 Zoom tool, 122 View windows, 200 zoom in/out, 122

418

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