tvpaint tutorial 4

8/14/2019 TVPaint Tutorial 4

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Lesson 4

Temporal Management of Layers

In lesson 3, we handled the layers using the timeline. However, the notion of timedid not come up at all.

This lesson deals with the notion of time.

In this lesson you will:

Study the concept of the animation layer.

Work with rushes and animated rushes.

Handle the commands for pro!ect viewing.


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"nimation layers

Animation layers

Start y reproducing the image of lesson # in a pro!ect with s$uare pi%els &"spect 'atio e$ual to (),not using fields &see lesson ( for an e%planation concerning fields and ratio). The image elow haseen drawn thanks to the Oilbrushtool. *on+t forget to place the house, sun, sky and grass on fourdifferent layers.

ou should have the following timeline on your screen :

Creation and concept of anAnimation Layer

-veryody knows how a film is pro!ected in a movie theater:a film roll is placed in front of a powerful pro!ector, enaling display of the pictures on a screenlocated a few meters away.The images are pro!ected at such speed that they give the illusion of movement to the spectator.

T/aint "nimation works with the same principle: it is possile to create your own virtual film rollsand pro!ect them onto your television screen.

In T/aint "nimation we refer to this roll as: Animation Layers.

"s we will see hereafter: the advantage of T/aint "nimation resides in the fact that it is possile

to overlay several rolls &for e%ample: one with a ackground scenery, another with a character andanother with a foreground scenery.)

"s we saw in lesson 3, it is possile to create animation layers using the Newmenu in the timeline,the main menu Layers, or using the shortcut 01trl24.

56# Temporal management of layers

Some layers may e reducedfor future timelines &seelesson 3).

1reate an animation layer and name it7 1loud 8. /lace it in front of all theothers. ou then have the timelineshown opposite.


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"nimation layers

If you know T/aint "nimation for a long time, you proaly know the ImageLayers. Those layers are still availale in the software, in the menu Layer > NewImage layer. 9ut as they are very few used and less useful than the Animation

layers, they will not e e%plained in the user guide. We rememer you : if you want to turnan Image layer into anAnimation layer, please right click on the the Image layer and Makeanim.

Add images

We have !ust created a layer with a single image &empty). To make our first film, we have toincrease the numer of images in our roll. To do this, several ways are availale :

; ou can use that utton in theAnimator Panel &e%plained lesson se the 0 4and0?4 keys to change the current layer.When you are in an animation layer, you can move etween the images of this animation using the0 4 and 0 4 arrows on the keyoard.

ou may also use the mouse to move inside the timeline, y clicking on thespace6time location of your choice.

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"nimation layers

The white s$uare with two red ars enales you to identify the current image viewed in the windowof the current pro!ect.

The title ar contains several indications. @rom left to right :; The name of the pro!ect you are working on.; The time code of the first and last image of the pro!ect &ime!ode, or image numer).; The total pro!ect duration.; The name of the current layer.

; The time code of the first and last image of the current layer &ime!ode or image numer).; The total duration of the layer.

Create a brush

Ao to the first image of the animation layer named 7 cloud 8 and drawa gray cloud using the tools of your choice.

Then limit viewing to the current layer &shortcut 0B4).

Cet+s take an e%ample:*raw a "ectanglearound the previously drawn cloud. When this isdone, you will note that your current rush is not one of the standardtools: the cloud itself has ecome your rushD/ress the stylus on your talet if you dout it: the cloud has turnedinto a paintrush.*on+t forget to erase your tests efore continuingD

Several !ut#rushtools are at your disposal in the main panel to simplifyyour task when creating a rush : "ectangle !ut#rush, Polygonal,$ree%and andMagic &and.

See opposite:

565 Temporal management of layers

We will create an animation in which the cloud will move from leftto right. To do this, we have to make our cloud into a rush. Selectthe icon shown elow from the main panel. This option is used tocarry out "ectangle !ut#rush. 9ut, what does this meanE


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"nimation layers

The first animation

The first image in our animation layer 7 cloud 8 contains a cloud. The other nine images,however, are empty.; Ao into the second image of this animation layer using the 0 4 and 0 4 arrows on the keyoardand apply the rush in order to place the cloud slightly to the right of the cloud on the first image inthe animation layer.

; /roceed in the same way for the third image of the animation layer, again moving the cloudslightly to the right of the one in the second image.; /roceed in the same way to the last image of the animation layer.

To make easier your cloud+s movement, you can use the Light table &more

informations lesson > > >

Cogically, we could not e ale to see the ackground layers after the first image &as they do note%ist). 9ut, you will notice, ne%t to the ackground layers, the te%t %old.

This te%t informs you that a Post'beha(ior is activated. %old holds the display of the last layer+simage. "s each layer composing the ackground contains only one image, the ackground is holdas long as the animation will e played.

Fther Post' and Pre'beha(ior are a(ailable, such as None &image is visile only if it does e%ist),Ping'Pong and "epeat&those oth modes will e e%plained lesson


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"nimation layers

Selected layers will otain a yellow aura &see ne%t page).

6 1lic on the white and at the end of one selected layers &any layer, as you prefer), and stretch itas long as the 1loud+s layer &(=th image, so).

6 *rop the click : that window &already seen aove) will appear again.

6 1hoose )tretch and disale Interpolate. Then pressApply.

Fther modes availale in that window will e e%plained lesson sing the keyoard arrows to play an animation is not very practical. ou have certainly noticedalready: the most suitale options are availale in the current pro!ect window.

Here are the functions of all uttons availale :

the traditional uttons Play and )top as you will find on video recorders andcamcorders, etc.

0Space4 makes a pause during the play. If you press that key again, theplay will continue where you had stopped it.

to advance or rewind one frame in the current layer.

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"nimation layers

to go to the first or last frame of the current layer.

to go to the pre(ious key or ne*t key &the notion of keys will e e%plained in thefollowing lessons).

to modify the $rame rate when playing the animation. ote that this value is notnecessarily used when e%porting your se$uences.

This function only changes the display+s frame rate when playing your animation. Itdoes not modify your pro!ect and will not e save or e%ported with the pro!ect. If youwant to definitively change the frame rate, please go to Pro+ect > Modiy Pro+ect.

/ress this utton to play the animation in a loop.

If you have chosen a sound track to accompany your pro!ect &see lesson J), press this utton toplay it with your pro!ect.

Keyoard shortcut 0W4 allows you to play your animation starting a few frames efore the currentimage and stopping a few frames after the current image. Then you come ack to the image youwere working on !ust efore pressing the utton. The framerate used is the one selected in the

pro!ect window popup menu.The numer of frames played on either side of the current image may also e set in the previewsettings &see the Pre(iew )ettingssection of this lesson).

ou can also use the shortcut 0H4 and 0L4 to Gflip your animation ack and fro, respectively. Holdone of these two keys to move the cursor, than drop it to let it going ack to its initial position.

; The yellow rectangle located in the graduated line underneath the uttons indicates the imageand the numer of the image currently displayed on the screen.

; The Mark in andMark out uttons :These are numeric or time values indicating the frame from which the animation will start playingas well as the frame at which it will e stopped.In order for this function to e taken into account when playing your animation, you must enalethe corresponding uttons.Two red and green markers enale identification of the mark in and mark out points.

Fn the top of the Cayers panel, four options are availale with the 'M9 to easily setand toggletheMark inand Mark outvalues.

TheRemote Control

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ou may use the arrow uttons to assign your mark in or mark outpoint to the current image.


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"nimation layers

If re$uired, it is possile to display some of these uttons in a separatewindow referred to as "emote control, which is accessile via the&indows > ools main menu. The uttons containing numers are usedto define the play frame rate &in frames per second).

Play an animation on fullscreen

It+s possile to play the animation in fullscreen,without any panels and menus. If the 0@((4 key is hit,

the animation will e displayed on the full siOe of thescreen.

The Time 1ode is displayed if the option is activated. &See the Pre(iew)ettingsection further to have more details)

Other movement methods

ou may use the timeline or pro!ect window to move within the pro!ect. To do this, !ust click andslide on one of the rectangles shown elow :

If you use the left mouse utton, you change the image.

If you use the left mouse utton, you change the image.If you use the right mouse utton you return automatically to the original image when releasing theutton.

ielded pro!ects

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"nimation layers

ow let+s move on to fielded pro!ects andPor pro!ects with a ratio other than ( :

; 9utton #enales display of oth fields simultaneously when playing an animation or video.; 9utton -will display the field which you have defined as the first field.; 9utton will display the second field of the current image.

ote that the ( and # uttons may only e used if your pro!ect is set to usefields. @urthermore, moving to the ne%t image in a pro!ect containing fieldswill have the effect that the cursor of the current image does not move to thene%t image ut to the ne%t field &as an image is composed of two fields).

9uttonAof the current pro!ect window is used to enalePdisale pi%elAspect "atio display.

This does not modify the current pro!ect: only its aspect in the pro!ect windowwill e different.

The Navigator

The other uttons, specifically used for navigation on the pro!ect surface,are found in the Na(igator window which is accessile in the &indows >oolsmain menu.This panel also allows you to have a low $uality preview of your

se$uencePanimation which can e useful y pressing the utton.

; 9uttonNshown aove is used to open a new pro!ect window.; The red rectangle indicates the current display area in your window relative to the full image.; The /isplaypopup menu is the same as the one descried in lesson 3.

"elect and erase the contents of the images in anAnimation Layer

ow we will see how to erase the contents of the 1loud layer.

This may e done with the utton on the main panel for all images one after the other, ut thismay e too time6consuming when working on long animated se$uences.

The trick is to select all images of the layer using the option )elect all in the conte%tual menu&keyoard shortcut 01trl2"4). our timeline must e displayed as shown elow: a light yellowrectangle is present underneath the selected images.

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The uttons #, - and of the horiOontal ar are onlyavailale when you are working with a pro!ect containingfields.


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"nimation layers

/ressing the utton will erase the contents ofall selected images in the layer.

It is possile to only select a part of the layer y clicking on the first image toe selected and sliding from there to the last.

Fur se$uence has een replaced y empty images. ou may now make another cloud move withthe cloud rush, as you did previously. Then, use all the knowledge you ac$uired thanks to this

>ser guide to create a sun movement.

>

Reverse selected images of anAnimation layer

Some options may speed up your work consideraly.

The option named "e(erse selected images is used to reverse theimages of a layer in time. It is only availale in the image menu&accessile with a right click) after having selected the images to eflipped in an animation layer of your choice.

See elow an e%ample with our animated cloud whose the image haveeen reversed :

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"nimation layers

Move the layers in the timeline

"s with the image layers in lesson 3, it is possile to move the animation layers in space. @ore%ample, you may move the cloud ehind the house or the sun in front of the cloud &in case of avery high cloud, oviously), etc. 9ut this is not all: image layers and animation layers may also emoved in time. Increase the image layers to #= frames and the following timeline will appear :

ow click on any image of the 7clouds8 layer and slide the mouse to the right efore releasing theutton. ou have now moved your layer in time. *o the same with the 7sun8 layer. In thescreenshot elow, the 7clouds8 layer will only e shown starting from the tenth image of theanimation and the 7sun8 layer starting from the fourth image.

In the Layermain menu, the RLock PositionR option allows to lock the position of a layer, and then,

it can+t e moved anymore. The symol will e displayed immediately after the click on alocked layer.

The range in numer of frames &or in seconds, if you are in ime!ode display mode)located at the top of the timeline offers a gloal identification system, enalinglocation of each layer in relation to the others within the current pro!ect.

The ranges under the frames of a layer &in numer of frames or ime !ode)only refer tothese layers.

urther details

"how# hide the icons

It is possile to show or hide the icons of an animation layer in the timeline. ou will find this optionin the conte%tual menu of the animation layer &the first and last image are, however, alwaysdisplayed).

TheAuto Fit option in the timeline

When using a very long animation layer, it may e discouraging having to use the sliderscontinually to only view a section of the timeline.

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@urther details

@ortunately it is possile to modify the timeline scale :

1lick and hold the Z utton of the timeline tomodify its display &stretch or increase the iconsfrom the current image depending on the left or

right movement of the mouse or trackall).

TheAuto $it popup menu may e used to ad!ust the siOe of the icons in the timeline in order toview the entire pro!ect, current layer, current image, current selection or keys.

ou can also use 0"lt4 2 'M9 2 movement on the right or on the left, respectivelyto Ooom or unOoom in the timeline.

$sing the Bookmarks

It is possile to place #ookmarks on the images of your animationlayer &circled in lack aove) using the corresponding option in the0dit main menu.

Fnce the #ookmarks are placed, the keyoard shortcuts0Shift21trl2%4 and 0Shift21trl2&4 enale you to move to theclosest #ookmark to the left or right of the current image. @inally,

the keyoard shortcut 0Shift21trl24 creates a #ookmark for thecurrent image or deletes the #ookmarkif the current image alreadycontains one.

If the pro!ect contains a huge numer of #ookmarks, they can easily e removed y using theoption 0dit > "emo(e All #ookmarkin the main menu.

$se the Image mark Panel

In the menu &indows > oolsyou will find the Image markerpanel. This panel allows you to markimages, in order to differentiate key images and reakdowns, for e%ample.

Allmenu : in this menu, you can 0dit mark, "emo(e all mark in thecurrent layer and "emo(e all marks in the clip.

9asically, marks are in dark lue. Fther options, similar to the Allmenuare also availale. The menu Add 1 "emo(eallows you to add new

color codes.

2 : allows you to add a mark in the wished color

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@urther details

6 : remove the current mark of the current clip

: allows to navigate to the previous or ne%t mark &all colors or only the wished color).

allows to navigate from marks to marks, from the current layer to the ne%t elow.

allows to activate the loop mode.

'ame an instance

The image6mark is not sufficient enough E *oule click on an image &instance+s head or e%posurecell) and a windows will appear : enter the instance+s name in order to identify it more easily.

(ouble clic) on the instance of your choice

This windows appears * enter the instance+s name

The new name appears below the instance

More e%planations aout instances will e given in lesson Preerence...panel directly under the 2eneralta. Cike itwas said in Cesson (, this option allow you to draw over several frames. With the 01trl4 key pressedduring the drawing, the current frame will change automatically.

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@urther details

Here is an e%ample, choose the $ree %and /otoption with the Pen #rushtool. 1reate a layerwhich has around 3= frames and place the current frame to the first one.

ow, press the 01trl4 key and start to draw. The current frame changes during the drawing. "ndwhen the last frame ecomes the current one, the drawing starts again on the first frame. "ndwhen you stop drawing, you will see one &or more if the animation has looped during the drawing)dot on each frame.

This feature is really useful to animate decorative elements, fireflies flying in the night, annoyinginsects, water !et...

The Preview settings panel

Thepre(iew settings are used to configure the way your computer and program interact to playyour animations.

ou may open thepre(iew settings panel shown opposite via the&indows > Parametersmain menu. The preview panel settings arealso present in the info ar, at the ottom.

#ackground pro*y render: enale this option if you want the pro%y calculates your animation whenyou+re doing nothing. If you disale this option, the pro%y won+t calculate anything.

>>$orce pro*y render: enale this option if you want read your animation after the pro%y has totallycalculate you animation. If you disale this option, the pro%y will calculate your animation whenplaying it.

In T/aint "nimation, when you play an animation, ratio+s $uality directly depends on the temp file,located in your hard drive.The est $uality will e calculated following the transfer+s speed of your hard drive.

Pro*y 3uality: indicate, with a numerical value, the images+ $uality when playing your animation.The more the percent is high, the more the $uality is good. 1heck $ull 3uality pre(iewif you wantto play your animation with the real image $uality.

)how !: enale this option if you want to see the Time code &if your timeline uses the time codemode) or the @/S code &if your timeline uses the frame mode).

ime &arning : this option allows you to display the pro%y in red if youranimation gets some lag when playing it.

Play all : enale this option if you want the pro%y calculate all images. If you disale this option,some images can e unread when playing the animation.

$lip book: choose how many seconds the @lip ook &shortcut 0W4) will run.

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@urther details

The Stopwatc

The Stopwatch is an innovative function, allowing you to mark the eat of an animation or asoundtrack.

allows you to start the stopwatch. /ress again to pause it.

marks the eat measured y the stopwatch.

"esetresets the stopwatch.

-nale Metronome to eat with a little sound. ou can choose thetempo y entering a numerical value &in frames per second).

Link to playbackallows you to read your animation and the stopwatchat the same time.

"fter marking one or several eats, feel free to convert these marks yclicking on theActionsmenu.; New scene 4 put the rhythm into clips, in order to create an animatic; New layer 4 put the rhythm into instances; New bookmarks 4put the rhythm into ookmarks; New image marks 4put the rhythm into image marks

*o not forget an instance has to e created efore marking it.

; !reate sound rom tempo: turn the created rhythm into a sound visile in the space for soundtracks &e%plained lesson J); !reate sound rom marks: turn the mark &made via the image mark); !alculate tempochange the metronome+s tempo, following the eat you marked.; !lear listdelete the eat list.

Temporal management of layers 5 (

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