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When we import a source image into TVPaint if we uncheck the Preload box we get a message telling us:

"If you do this the data will only reference the external file: it won't be embedded into the project."


In some other applications that make use of referenced images, such as Adobe After Effects, Adobe Animate, Storyboarder (to name a few) , if I edit and save an external referenced image
it will be updated in the project where it is being referenced. (for example if the original referenced image is a red ball, but I edit the original referenced image to adjust the hue & saturation to make it a yellow ball and save it , then inside the app where the image of the red ball is being used it will update to be a yellow ball.)

However, in TVPaint a referenced external file is not updated if the original referenced file is updated. It makes me wonder: in what sense is the external file a "referenced" image ?
It seems to behave the same as a non-referenced image that was imported into TVPaint. To update the image it must be re-imported to a new layer and the previous layer deleted.


My feature request:

Would it be possible to have external referenced image files be updated in TVPaint if the original referenced image is edited ?

Under the Project menu > Dependencies we have the option to "Reload All Soundtracks". If I have a soundtrack loaded in TVPaint , but I edit the original soundtrack file , then when I click "Reload All Soundtracks" it automatically updates the soundtrack in TVPaint. So could we also have "Reload All External Image/Video Dependencies" under the Project menu > Dependencies ?


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Bump .

Is this request even possible under the current engine ?

If what is being called a " referenced external file" is not really a referenced file , I think the description when you uncheck PreLoad should simply say:

"If you do this the image will not be embedded in the Project" .

I think it's confusing to refer to it as a referenced file if it's not really a referenced file that can be edited and updated outside of TVPaint and then the referenced image is updated in TVPaint to reflect the changes. (like an edited soundtrack file that is reloaded will have the changes.)

Well from my testings it doesn't work on the first image of the timeline which is baked automatically and always, but works well on the rest of the layer

NathanOtano wrote: ↑19 May 2023, 08:20 Well from my testings it doesn't work on the first image of the timeline which is baked automatically and always, but works well on the rest of the layer

Interesting ! With this information in mind, I tried it with an image sequence. I imported the image sequence with the Preload box unchecked. Then I made slight changes to two of the source images (opening them in Photoshop to make the changes , then saved them to the original folder). When I return to TVPaint the changes I made are now visible on those frames ! So that works.

What I don't understand is why the first image would be baked-in and can't be changed , because it is also part of the same image sequence.

Previously I had been trying it with single images (painted layers from Photoshop to be used for a multiplane camera set up.) So when I imported those single images one layer at a time into TVPaint with Preload unchecked I expected those images to behave as referenced source images , therefore I expected that if I make any changes to those referenced source images then the changes will be seen in TVPaint. But that did not work.


Just now I have tried another test with one of my painted layers ,Tree_Branch_OL.png.

I imported it to TVPaint with Preload unchecked. Then I made a change to the original source file Tree_Branch_OL.png . But the change does not show in TVPaint. Same results as before ...

Next, I made a copy of the image and named the two images Tree_Branch__OL_0001.png and Tree Branch_0002_OL.png. Then I imported those into TVPaint (with Preload unchecked). I edited the original source image Tree Branch_0002_OL.png in Photoshop and saved it. When I went back to TVPaint the image had updated to show the changes I made on the original source image, Tree Branch_0002_OL.png.

BUT, then I tried editing the first image on the timeline ,Tree_Branch__OL_0001.png, and it also updated in TVPaint!


So it seems as if TVPaint will treat an imported image sequence as referenced source images , but will not treat a single imported image as a referenced source image.

The feature request is that TVPaint would treat a single image (imported with Preload unchecked ) as a referenced image which may be edited and updated (the same as an imported image sequence).

Yep! From what i remember, the team told me it's because of the old timeline engine and they can't change anything. I guess also it's useful to get kind of a thumbnail on clip view?

But a simple workaround is just to make your clip mark in start one farme later and you're fine. I made scripts for that a looooong time ago back when i was interning at tvpaint in... 2014 haha. I attached it here : - It imports the sequence in a new layer but on frame 2 and sets the mark in
- It's based on shortcut macros, I didn't know how to script at the time
- I have two versions and I really don't know what is the difference
- To refresh the layer, I create a button to toggle visibility... Which is quiet unuseful I think

Well or just import your image on image two by hand :'D if it doesn't work, you need to create a sequence with two images for your single image
Still, I feel it's not too much of a big deal to effectively be able to reference outside sources for tvpaint

Since then I didn't really used that reference function but I could see it be useful to get background updates for exemple
If anybody has time, scripting it properly with george shoudn't be a big deal

NathanOtano wrote: ↑05 Jun 2023, 08:26 Yep! From what i remember, the team told me it's because of the old timeline engine and they can't change anything. I guess also it's useful to get kind of a thumbnail on clip view?

But a simple workaround is just to make your clip mark in start one farme later and you're fine. I made scripts for that a looooong time ago back when i was interning at tvpaint in... 2014 haha. I attached it here :
Import_NoPreload.tvpx
- It imports the sequence in a new layer but on frame 2 and sets the mark in
- It's based on shortcut macros, I didn't know how to script at the time
- I have two versions and I really don't know what is the difference
- To refresh the layer, I create a button to toggle visibility... Which is quiet unuseful I think

Well or just import your image on image two by hand :'D if it doesn't work, you need to create a sequence with two images for your single image
Still, I feel it's not too much of a big deal to effectively be able to reference outside sources for tvpaint

Since then I didn't really used that reference function but I could see it be useful to get background updates for example
If anybody has time, scripting it properly with george shoudn't be a big deal

Thank you for the script !