A way to change animation layer to image layer

melloyaki · Post by **melloyaki** » 01 Jan 2012, 13:01

Hi everyone! I'm a complete beginner over TVPaint - but I really want to use it to make animations! I'm using version 8.5.4, and am following the tutorials over here and the ones written at the manual. However, I was wondering, is there a way to change an animation layer to an image layer? I can only find the option to change an image layer into an animation layer, but not vice-versa. What can I do if I accidentally drew a background (or something which I don't intend to animate) on an animation layer?

Thanks!

-Christine

melloyaki · Post by **melloyaki** » 01 Jan 2012, 13:06

Okay I tinkered around and actually "changed" an animation layer to an image layer by hiding all the other layers save for the layer I want to change, then I went to Layer > New Layer from Current Image and voila, there it was, an image layer copy of the animation layer. Is this the only way?

Dieter · Post by **Dieter** » 01 Jan 2012, 17:08

If your anim layer has only one instance without extension, you only have to create a new image layer. Then put this layer below the anim layer. By merging them you get an image layer with the contents of your anim layer.

Dieter

ZigOtto · Post by **ZigOtto** » 01 Jan 2012, 20:59

hello and welcome !

melloyaki wrote:... What can I do if I accidentally drew a background (or something which I don't intend to animate) on an animation layer?

it doesn't really care, you can go on and animate on another anim-layer, your BG being an image-layer or an anim-layer won't change anything in the result, turn its end's behavior to "Hold" and lock it.

ZigOtto · Post by **ZigOtto** » 01 Jan 2012, 20:59

melloyaki wrote:... I'm using version 8.5.4 ...

btw, if you need some further support from this wonderful forum, don't forget to update your tvpa,
you should be on a 8.6.4 version (or maybe up), v8.5.4 was buggy, and is way out-of-date now .

papparaffie · Post by **papparaffie** » 14 Jan 2012, 18:39

I made a keyboard shortcut for this since I very often want just one frame out of an animation.

I assigned the top left key on my keyboard (i.e. `) with the command:

layer: new layer from selected image

(hit CTRL k to bring up the keyboard editor)

I'm not sure if this option was already available in v8.5
As far as I remember I had some combination of actions in older versions assigned to this key:
- copy to spare
- make new layer
- swap spare
Multiple actions can be applied to a key by clicking ASSIGN while holding the CTRL key.
Mind you, You will lose your original spare page in this manner. You might want to ad some extra action to avoid this.

I think i'ts usefull because you can more easily stretch an image layer. An anim layer can be streched but brings up a pop-up which can thus be avoided. And if I draw on an anim layer a new image starts from there on.

ZigOtto · Post by **ZigOtto** » 14 Jan 2012, 22:00

papparaffie wrote:... An anim layer can be streched but brings up a pop-up which can thus be avoided ...

no pop-up if you stretch the Instance by its tail (the bottom-right little square at the end of the instance)

papparaffie wrote:... And if I draw on an anim layer a new image starts from there on.

no new image if you have your "Exposures/Auto-Break" option disable (switched-off).

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