Animation working methods

[JQuinn]

Does anyone know of any videos which show an animator at work on TVP? I'm specifically interested to see how an experienced TVP animator uses the flip control and the lightbox as they are animating. I'm struggling with translating my animation method from paper to TVP. When I animate on paper I very rarely use the lightbox and instead I flip back to reference/trace other drawings I've done - usually at random. I may go to the previous drawing, five drawings back or 10 as I tend to have quite a pile on the peg bar. What I'm finding hard is that I can't check back randomly in TVP without going back to the menu and changing a setting, so my animation is taking longer to do in TVP than when I work traditionally. I know with experience I will get faster and have a better system but it would be really useful to see an experienced character animator at work and the systems and TVP tools they use to speed things up.

Thx - Joanna

[Elodie]

With version 11.0.3, we improved a little the Flip panel, so now, you can use several colours when you flip (for instance, if you use red, yellow and green, you can flip red and green but ignore yellow).
I remember it was an issue for you a few month ago, so now it's possible to use colour marks.

To answer your question, Aaron Blaise is making new animation tutorials with TVPaint, but I don't think we will give any advice about the Flip panel.

I think the struggle here is to understand how you are used to work on paper and how TVPaint can follow your habits. =)

[Sewie]

Hmm, I don't know of any video's, but I often use the bookmark function for what you describe. So I flip between regular drawings with the arrow keys, and between reference drawings, which I have bookmarked, with (for example) 'ctr+shift+arrow' keys. It's a shortcut that I have entered in the keyboard shortcuts panel.

With the Image Marks + Flips Panel you can differentiate much more between what sort of drawings you want to flip. But I only use the bookmarked-frames flip and normal flip. After a while, when you get used to the shortcuts, it goes really quick.

[Sewie]

Say, Elodie, didn't you just make a bunch of tutorial video's? Is there one between them that illustrates these functions?

[Elodie]

Yes there is a tutorial that teaches how to use Flip panel (tutorial 02 - 04). Joanna has it, but she would like something more detailed (I am not an animator myself, so even if I know TVPaint like the back of my hand, my knowledge is limited by the fact I actually don't "use" TVPaint as an animator ).

[NathanOtano]

I don't know if it helps, i'm not even talking in it, but you can maybe find some informations in my post/video here : http://forum.tvpaint.com/viewtopic.php? ... =60#p89355" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[neonnoodle]

I depend on the Freehand Flip function! It's the closest thing to traditional animation because you can roll the drawings and have them come back to the one you were working on.

Here's a screen capture I took a while ago. When the drawings move, it's because I'm holding down the Freehand Flip button and moving the stylus:


Hope it helps!

[JQuinn]

Thanks for the advice and screen records everyone. It's quite hypnotic watching a screen recording of neonnoodle animating! Neonnoodle is Freehand Flip the same as Manual flip as I can't find one called Freehand? I find manual flip to be the best one for me.
I suppose what I'm looking for to see is an overhead video of an animator at work, just to see how and when they use the flip/lightbox and bookmarks options. Not just for the in-betweens but also for the key poses and getting the overall acting - the stretch and squash and extremes.
Elodie is it possible to have more than one flip panel up at one time? In this way I could have a simple flip between the drawing before and after for in-betweening (like in Neonnoodle's video) and then a flip panel for bookmarked drawings to check volume and model details, then anther flip panel to flip a greater number of drawings to check the movement - as these are the 3 things I tend to do over and over again when I animate on paper.
I maybe making this more of a problem that it need be which is why it would be good to see how other people manage to do it!! Perhaps I need to just sit with a TVP aficionado and watch them work.

Thx

[Elodie]

Freehand flip was Manual flip's name in TVPaint 10 (before we created the Flip panel).

Elodie is it possible to have more than one flip panel up at one time?

Yes you can ! And you can assign different shortcut. For instance, you could assign "K" to flip keyframes only and "A" for all images.
That's the point of the Flip panel : create as many flips as you need

[schwarzgrau]

I guess compared to a analog workflow the digital differs a lot from animator to animator. I never animated on paper and so I'm pretty sure I have a completely different way of doing things, than someone who previously did. Of course I read books about animating (like The Animators Survival Kit, The illusion of life etc.), but I only picked from it what suits my workflow. So I guess there isn't such a standardized workflow in a digital environment. I would offer to record how I work, but I guess it's too far away from an analog workflow to be useful. Maybe someone who previously worked analog could record how he animates in TVPaint (which would be quite interesting for me too).

[JQuinn]

Thanks for all your answers. Elodie I have now got a few flips with shortcuts on my Cintiq, so that really helps. Yes Schwarzgrau it would be great if somebody fancied filming themselves at work. I'm surprised no one has done it before. Perhaps I will do a basic 'how to' movie myself when I'm super proficient! Hem hem.. if that ever happens! - Joanna

[NathanOtano]

You also have the videos of Aaron Blaise

[Elodie]

And news ones will come soon (still with Aaron Blaise)

Perhaps I will do a basic 'how to' movie myself when I'm super proficient! Hem hem.. if that ever happens! - Joanna

I'm not a religious girl, but I would pray for this to happen

[JQuinn]

Hahaha I am praying for that moment too Elodie!! Yes I love the Aaron Blaise videos they are so helpful. He makes it look so easy! In the videos I've seen he seems to mainly use the lightbox and the forward and back keys but I bet he works differently now with all the new tools available. Looking forward to seeing the new videos Elodie, any idea when they might become available?

[Elodie]

Sadly, I don't. But it shouldn't be too long (maybe in a month or two ?)