TOON BOOM HARMONY 14.0
Paint Module
Preferences GuideLegal Notices
Toon Boom Animation Inc.
4200 Saint-Laurent, Suite 1020
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2W 2R2
Tel: +1 514 278 8666
Fax: +1 514 278 2666
toonboom.com
Disclaimer
The content of this guide is covered by a specific limited warranty and exclusions and limit of liability under theapplicable License Agreement as supplemented by the special terms and conditions for Adobe®Flash® File
Format (SWF). For details, refer to the License Agreement and to those special terms and conditions.
The content of this guide is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted.
Any reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Trademarks
Harmony is a trademark of Toon Boom Animation Inc.
Publication Date
9/12/2019
Copyright © 2017 Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Corus Entertainment Inc. company. All rights reserved.

2

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences Guide

Contents
Toon Boom Harmony 14.0 Paint ModulePreferences Guide

1

Contents

3

Chapter 1: Preferences

5

Preferences File Location

6

Shortcuts Preferences7

Switching Keyboard Shortcut Sets

8

Searching for Keyboard Shortcuts

9

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts11General Preferences

13Drawing Mode Preferences

15OpenGL Preferences

173Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences Guide

4

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences Guide

Chapter 1: Preferences
The Preferences dialog box lets you adjust preferences to suit your work style, allowing you to work more efficiently.

NOTE: Some preferences require you to exit and restart the application, or close a view and reopen it.

How to access the Preferences dialog box
Do one of the following:lSelect Edit > Preferences (Windows/Linux) or Harmony Paint > Preferences (Mac OS X).

lPress Ctrl + U (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + U (Mac OS X).

Preferences File Location

65Chapter 1: Preferences

Preferences File Location

Preferences File Location
T-HFND-002-002
When you change any of the options in the Preferences dialog box, they are stored in a folder called Toon BoomHarmony. You can copy this folder if you want to use the same preferences on a different computer.
When working with Harmony Stand Alone, your custom preferences are stored in:lWindows:llllToon Boom HarmonyPremium: C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon BoomAnimation\Toon Boom Harmony Premium \full-1400-prefToon Boom HarmonyAdvanced: C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon BoomAnimation\Toon Boom Harmony Advanced\full-1400-prefToon Boom HarmonyEssentials: C:\Users[\user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon BoomAnimation\Toon Boom Harmony Essentials\full-1400-pref

Mac OS X:lllToon Boom Harmony Premium: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon BoomAnimation/Toon Boom Harmony Premium/full-1400-prefToon Boom Harmony Advanced: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon BoomAnimation/Toon Boom Harmony Advanced/full-1400-prefToon Boom Harmony Essentials: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon BoomAnimation/Toon Boom Harmony Essentials/full-1400-pref

On Mac OS X, the Library folder is a hidden folder. To display the display the folder, told down the Alt key.
lLinux:l/home/[user_name]/Toon Boom Animation/Toon Boom Harmony Premium/full-1400-pref/l/home/[user_name]/Toon Boom Animation/Toon Boom Harmony Advanced/full-1400-pref/

When working with Harmony Server, your custom preferences are stored in:l

User: [Server_Name] > USA_DB > users > [user_name] > stage > full-1400-pref6

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences GuideShortcuts Preferences
To speed up your work, all of the keyboard shortcuts can be customized. You can even choose other software
keyboard shortcut sets.
In Toon Boom Harmony, you can choose a set of default keyboard shortcuts you are familiar with. You can choose
between the following:lAdobe FlashlToon Boom HarmonylToon Boom StudioSome tools or commands do not have default keyboard shortcuts assigned to them. You can add them if you find it
helpful. If you want to customize an existing keyboard shortcut, you can perform a search by name or its shortcut.

7

Shortcuts Preferences

Switching Keyboard Shortcut Sets
If you are accustomed to a certain set of keyboard shortcuts, you can change the shortcuts set to something
more familiar.
How to switch keyboard shortcut sets
1. Do one of the following:lWindows: Select Edit > Preferencesl

Mac OS X: Select Harmony Paint> Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + U (Mac OS X).

2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Shortcuts tab.
3. From the Shortcut Set list, select the desired set.

8

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences GuideSearching for Keyboard Shortcuts
If you are unsure of what the keyboard shortcut is for a certain tool or function, or even what category it would belocated under, you can use the search engine in the Shortcuts Preferences tab to find it. You can also use the searchengine to determine if a keyboard shortcut (character or combination of characters) is already assigned to a tool orcommand in the software.
How to search for a keyboard shortcut
1. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Shortcuts tab.
2. In the keyboard shortcut search section, select an option:‣Name to search for a keyboard shortcut by its name.

‣

Shortcut to search for a keyboard shortcut by its actual keys that activate the shortcut.

3. In the Search field, enter the name of a keyboard shortcut or its shortcut keys.

9

Shortcuts Preferences

The keyboard shortcut is highlighted in the left pane. Its shortcuts is displayed on the right pane.

4. If desired, set a different keyboard shortcut.
5. Click OK.

10Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences Guide

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
You can create your own keyboard shortcut for a tool or command, by assigning it to a certain key or combination ofkeys.
How to customize a keyboard shortcut
1. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Shortcuts tab.
2. In the left pane, select a category and then select a command to modify.
3. In the right pane, click the keyboard shortcut.

4. Use the keyboard to set a new shortcut.
‣

To remove a command's current keyboard shortcut, click Clear.

‣To return a command’s keyboard shortcut to its default, click Default.

5. Click OK.
If a keyboard shortcut is already in use, the Conflict Detected dialog box will appear notifying you of thecommand to which it is already associated. You can continue to associate the shortcut or cancel theoperation and choose another command.

11

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences Guide

12

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences GuideGeneral Preferences

To customize your interface, you will use some of the preferences located in the General tab as well as the Cameratab.
Parameter

Description
Save Palette Lists: Saves all palette lists you have modified when theSave command is activated. When this option is deselected, the Savecommand will not save the palette lists and you must use the Savecommand to save them.

Save

Save Palettes: Saves palettes you modified when the Save command isactivated. When this option is deselected, the Save command will not savethe modified palettes and you must use the Save command to save them.
Save Drawings: Saves all drawings you have modified when the Savecommand is activated. When this option is deselected, the Save command
will not save the modified drawings and you must use the Save command tosave them.

Colours

Current View Border: Sets the colour of the frame around the workspaceview you are currently using, also known as focus. By default, the colour isred. Click on the red colour swatch to select a new colour in the Colour
Picker window.
Edit Colours: Click the Edit Colours button to open the Colours window.
Edit Palette Mode: Default value for Edit Palette Mode.
Edit Palette List Mode: Default value for Edit Palette List Mode.
Make navigation in the Xsheet View wrap-around from the last frame or thelast column to the first.

Options/Settings

HTML Browser for Unix: This option is used to view the online help onLinux machines. Enter the command to launch the browser, including thepath if necessary.
Levels of Undo: Determines the number of actions retained by the Undo
list. By default, 50 actions are stored in the list. You can alter the number if

13General Preferences

you want to.
Interactive Colour Recovery: If a colour palette for your scene is deleted
or cannot be found, you will be asked if you want to recover colours from theprogram’s memory. If this option is unchecked, the program recovers
missing colours without displaying a dialog box for your input.

Colour Management

Colour Recovery: If this option is deselected, colour recovery will notoccur.
Advanced Palette Lists: The Advanced Palette Lists mode is used tocreate and store palettes in the Scene or Element Palette List.
Replacement Colours: If certain colours are no longer available, they areautomatically replaced with the ones indicated by the Replacement Colour
swatch. The default colour is red, as it acts as a missing colour warningdevice.

14

Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences GuideDrawing Mode Preferences

Parameter

Description
Render Style:Onion Skin•

Normal: The onion skinned drawings is displayed in washed out colours.

•Enable Shade: The previous onion skinned drawings are displayed inwashed out red shades and the next onion skinned drawings are displayedin washed out green shades.

•Outlines Only: The onion skinned drawings are displayed as outlines
only.

Maximum Wash Value (0,0-1,0): The maximum washed-out value for onion
skinned drawings.
Minimum Wash Value (0,0-1,0): The minimum washed-out value for onion
skinned drawings.
Grid On By Default: When opening the Drawing view, the grid displays
automatically.
Default Multiwheel Colour Picker: Displays the Multiwheel Colour Picker
window instead of the regular Colour Picker.
Options

Brush Size Cursor: When this option is enabled, the brush tool displays thebrush size as a circle around the cursor.
Select Tool is Lasso: When this option is enabled, the Select tool behaves as alasso selector. When this option is disabled, the Select tool behaves as arectangle selector.
Sticky Eye Dropper: Keeps the Colour Picker’s Dropper tool active until it isreleased by clicking the Dropper icon again.
Auto Gap Closing: The values for automatic gap closing while painting drawings
are: 0 = Disabled, 1=Small, 2=Medium, 3=BigSettings

Light Table: Enable Shade: When enabled, the drawings appearing in the Light
Table are displayed in washed out colours in the Drawing view. When this option

15

Drawing Mode Preferences

is disabled, the drawings appearing in the Light Table are displayed using normalcolours. This option is for the Drawing view only.

16Harmony 14 Paint - Preferences Guide

OpenGL Preferences

Parameter

Description
Conservative Texture Management: Turns on and off conservative memory
management for bitmap texture files. Performance will improve when this isenabled. If disabled, you will have a better on-screen rendering of bitmap files atthe expense of slower performance.
Smooth Textures: Smooths out the pixels of bitmap images when zooming in;this improves bitmap image quality.

Settings

Alternate Gradient and Cutter: This is an alternative way to disable write in theOpenGL Backbuffer, required for some video cards (i.e. GeForce FX5200). Do notenable this option unless you are experiencing problems with gradients andcutters in OpenGL.
Maximum Texture Size: The size that the bitmap file will be reduced to whenusing the Conservative Texture Management.
Texture Memory: The amount of temporary memory used to store bitmap texturefiles.
The Full Scene Antialiasing is generated by your computer’s graphic card. It
provides a smooth line display in OpenGL. This antialiasing will not only antialias
your drawings but all the different views in the interface.
This option lets you see smooth lines as you draw as well as an antialiased
drawing area. You can change the value of the Full Scene Antialiasing using thePreferences dialog box to fit the current level used in the Camera or Drawing
view.

Full Scene Antialiasing

Enable: By default, this option is off. Select to turn on the Full Scene Antialiasing
option. You'll need to restart Toon Boom Harmony.
Number of samples (For Mac OS): Enter the number of samples you want to be
used for the antialiasing process. The number of samples is basically equivalent
to the amount of time a pixel will be enlarged to calculate the antialiasing. This
technique is called supersampling. The higher the number of samples, the betterthe antialiasing quality will be, but the longer it will take to calculate. The
recommended value is 4.
17

OpenGL Preferences

NOTE: If you are using Windows or Linux, you must enable your graphiccard’s antialiasing parameter. Refer to user guide of your graphics card. For
example, the parameters for an NVIDIA GeForce card may look like this:18