TVPaint Animation 11 : ask all your questions here !

[momo]

Simple question: when you upgrade do you get have to get a new dongle?

[Fabrice]

Simple question: when you upgrade do you get have to get a new dongle?

no, everything is done digitally once you already have a dongle.

[piano]

You must have both projects open at the same time and then you can batch copy and paste, very straight forwardly. To your flip question, you have to set the steps value to match the number of imagery.

ah yes of course, thanks paul ( though i still think a way to import and export a library would be nice).
As for the flip thing, i m not sure i get it, but i'll look into it, thanks.

[Sewie]

I just noticed another new feature: With 'alt' drag you can zoom in and out of the clip windows in the Project tab. Just like with the timeline in the Time Line tab
Pretty handy!

[dogsma]

( though i still think a way to import and export a library would be nice).

I totally Agree> I wish I could name the library and export into a collection folder... (detach it from the project > as PicturePalette was a Bin file). That way I can store color reference libraries. But now I will just export a brush into my files for safe keeping.

[neonnoodle]

I have to say how completely in love I am with the Library feature! It has revolutionized how I am able to work in TVP, particularly when it comes to using the Keyframer. It used to be quite slow for me to import large backgrounds as separate projects to do pans; now it's much easier to just capture a big layout and stow it in the library, even if it's much larger than the project.

I also use the Library similarly to how Flash animators use the Symbol palette -- a bin to store drawings and character body parts without having to keep them all as custom brushes.

[dogsma]

Just a big THANKS > Tracker works on CTG layer ... FABULOUS

[schwarzgrau]

Just a big THANKS > Tracker works on CTG layer ... FABULOUS

Uuuuh, that sounds promising. Could you tell me what it means?

[Paul Fierlinger]

Sandra asked me to reply. This is about one of TVP's long existing and still least appreciated great features; the Tracker. Handy Custom Panel>Managing Instances>4th icon: Apply Current Content On Instances With Same Name.

It's used primarily by colorists so that they don't have to recolor clones of instances previously colored. The animator has to start this process by renaming the instances s/he knows will be recycled within the timeline. To do this RMB on the layer and in the dropdown menu find Rename Images>Current instance/All instances/Reset layer. In the popup window type the new name or best, just one letter or character, such as the asterisk *. If you have selected All instances, every instance will place the * before that instance's unique frame number. When the colorist receives such a project s/he will know that she must use the special button in the Handy Custom Panel each time she wants to advance to the next instance after she finished coloring the first one. What this does is that wherever that particular instance has been repeated (copy and pasted by the animator) along the layer, the coloring will appear there automatically.

EDIT: A previously reported bug in this space was written in error -- the error was mine because I had not yet noticed my keyboard had stopped working. I apologize. PF

But Sandra and I prefer to use a plugin Mads wrote for us anyway, so here it is:

TRACKER SHORTCUTS.tvpx

(104 KiB) Downloaded 1177 times

Click on the word AUTO to change the name of one or more instances. I usually do this all at once and only after I have completed all my animation on a layer, including the copy/paste of repeat instances This will automatically rename all the instances (place the asterisk before every instance number). The number is cleverly selected from each instance's place within the timeline to ensure that the name remains unique. For the colorist to advance her cursor to the next frame she needs to press the green button NOT THE USUAL "Go to next instance" command. This button is the equivalent of the Handy Panel button. I recommend that you assign this to a dedicated keyboard key. The large black T we never use and I have already forgotten its purpose.

Now what Sandra was saying with such joy was that the CTG layer remembers to copy the unique names, which wasn't the case for a long time.

[schwarzgrau]

Oh this will become very handy. And thank you for the explanation Paul.

[Paul Fierlinger]

You are welcome. You know, this is at least the third time I have described this process in detail on these pages and can't understand why it's entering into the mainstream awareness so slowly. There have been several studios requesting a tracker system without which they could not see themselves buying TVP. This humble button opened the doors for all of them to enter. I recently discussed this phenomenon with one of the newcomers here who couldn't understand how such a program ever existed for so long without a tracking system. Sandra and I had something similar developed for us privately by youngmonkey many years ago; almost as soon as we bought TVP because we thought it to be an absolute requirement. So enjoy!!

[D.T. Nethery]

You know, this is at least the third time I have described this process in detail on these pages and can't understand why it's entering into the mainstream awareness so slowly.

I believe the answer is because not all TVPaint users read this forum often (if at all) or even if they do check the forum from time to time they don't read through every discussion thread exhaustively , so they miss your explanation of the process .

It is yet another great feature of TVPaint that is hidden. The Tracker function needs to be explained more clearly the User Manual and in a Video Tutorial showing how it is applied to a real world production work flow to save time in coloring repeated instances of character animation drawings .

Most users do not know this function exists to automatically color repeated drawings because even if they search in the User Manual here is the description they will find:

Apply Current Content On Instances With Same Name.jpg (23.49 KiB) Viewed 31312 times

TVPaint 10 user manual : "If you remember well, you have the possibility to name an instance.
Thanks to this button, you can apply the same contain than the current instance to all instances using the same name."

TVPaint 11 user manual : "Thanks to this button, you can apply the same contain than the current instance to all instances using the same name." .

If I put myself in the mindset of the new user trying to learn TVPaint, I ask myself: What does this mean ? At the very least it needs to be clarified to read:

"Thanks to this button, you can apply the same content to all instances using the same name."

(the phrase "apply the same contain than the current instance to all instances using the same name." does not make sense. )

The 'geometric shape' illustrations in the user manual do not clearly communicate how this function is applied to coloring repeated instances of character animation drawings therefore the new user tends to gloss over it , missing the significance of the function for animation production. The illustrations in the user manual and any video tutorial should show the function applied to coloring repeated instances of character animation drawings, not abstractions like a triangle shape, a square , a circle ...

geometric shapes on timeline instances.jpg (58.94 KiB) Viewed 31312 times

It should also be emphasized more clearly that for the function to work the repeated instances must first all be RENAMED with the same unique name.


.

[Paul Fierlinger]

In addition to that, I think Mad's plugin should be hardwired into the software.

[Thierry]

[quote"Paul"]In addition to that, I think Mad's plugin should be hardwired into the software.[/quote]
Paul, at the moment, the current option in the handy panel is just fine.

- - - -

@David : There will be a video tutorial about this don't worry.
By the way, please share your thoughts about video tutorials on this topic - http://forum.tvpaint.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8922" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; -, this will help us a lot when we will create them :p

I will correct the contain/content asap !

[Robobob]

Saw this online: http://eu.shop.wacom.eu/products/cintiq ... ybrid//858" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Does this mean the android version is out?
And will the resolution issue be resolved in the version 11? Thanks