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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
Toon Boom® is a registered trademark and Storyboard Pro™ and the Toon Boom logo are trademarks of Toon
Boom Animation Inc. All other trademarks of the property of their respective owners.
Publication Date
1/6/2020
Copyright © 2017 Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Corus Entertainment Inc. company. All rights reserved.

2

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

Chapter 1: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1.1
Here are the new features, changes and improvements in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1.1:
lChanges in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.12144) on page 3lChanges in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.12026) on page 3lChanges in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.11710) on page 4lChanges in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.11648) on page 4lChanges in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.11592) on page 5

Changes in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.12144)
FeatureDescription

Project Management

It is now possible to extract or split a project in SBPZ format.

Packed File (.sbpz)

Removed the dialog box that allows the closing of a project without saving, when
the saving to a SBPZ file is cancelled or fails. If saving to the SBPZ fails, use the“Save As” command to save to a different location or a different format.
Added a hidden preference called “PROJECT_CACHE_FOLDER_ROOT” that isused to specify the location of the project cache used when opening a SBPZ file:
PROJECT_CACHE_FOLDER_ROOT: If this preference is empty,
StoryboardPro will use the default location to unpack SBPZ files when they are
opened. Environment variables are supported, $VARNAME or ${VARNAME} on
MacOS and %VARNAME% on Windows. For example:<if condition="windows"><string id="PROJECT_CACHE_FOLDER_ROOT"
value="%TEMP%/StoryboardPro Project Cache"shortDesc="Root folder used for unpacking projects. "longDesc=""facilityOverride="true"/>
</if>

Fixes
l

Fixed: Saving to SBPZ files that are larger than 4GB on Windows platform.

lFixed: A possible crash on undo after dropping a template containing 3D models in a scene.

Changes in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.12026)
Fixes

3

Chapter 1: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1.1

l

l

l

Fixed: A crash with the select by colour, when multiple layers were selected and one of them was empty.
Fixed: Language detection on Mac OS Sierra. It was not detecting Japanese and Chinese locale and wasstarting in English.
Added support for 23.876 NDF timecode in XML exports.

Changes in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.11710)
FeatureDescription

Packed File (.sbpz)

New icons for Packed Project (.sbpz) files.
Prompt for recovery when opening a project by double-clicking it in a filebrowser, and there is a project in the cache left after a crash.
Improve project recovery dialog box to have the option to recover, skip or
delete the recovered project.
Packed projects (.sbpz) can now be used with merge and insert project management commands.
Prompt to save when closing a recovered project, and no changes have been
done in the current session.

Storyboard Backup Files(.sboard)

Display a list of available .sboard files when opening a .sbbkp, and none of the.sboard files match the name of the archive.

Fixes
l

l

Fixed: The colour of the lock/unlock scale ratio buttons in the Tool properties when using the light coloured
interface.
Fixed: Duplicating a panel will not use the right shared drawing when multiple shared drawings have thesame name.

lFixed: Crash when project merge dialog is opened and double-clicking a project in a file browser.

lFixed: Changes to .sboard are saved in .sbpz when closing project and clicking "Don't Save".

l

l

l

Fixed: Changes made prior to the Save As command and saved in the cache, are not saved in packed filewhen using the Save As command to save to a regular .sboard.
Fixed: Packed project (.sbpz) can be corrupted or deleted if Storyboard Pro is closed during the save operation, after using the File > Save and Pack command.
Fixed: No validation for project with the same name when creating a new project in .sbpz format.

Changes in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.11648)
Fixes
l

l

Fixed: A copy of the current .sboard is created when using Save As.
Fixed: Wrong project is open from a .sbbkp file when multiple .sboard are in the backup. Storyboard Pro
will open the .sboard that has the same name as .sbbkp file.

4

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

Changes in Storyboard Pro 5.1.1 (12.6.2.11592)
FeatureDescription

3D Schematic

Added shortcut commands to select parent and child sub-objects, as well as siblings. These shortcut commands are in the 3D Schematic category and are
named as follows: Select Child Subnode, Select Next Sibling Subnode, SelectParent Subnode, Select Previous Sibling Subnode.

Fixes
l

Fixed: A special case where the Create Project button was grayed out after typing the project name and project title.

lFixed: Canvas size of new bitmap layer that did not use default values after creating a template.

lFixed: Unselecting vector strokes using SHIFT with the perspective tool, unselects the whole selection.

lFixed: Templates created in Harmony have static transformation on sub-object; these cannot be imported in
Storyboard Pro.

5

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

6

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

Chapter 2: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1(12.6.1.11319)
Here are the new features, changes and improvements in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1:

FeaturesFeatureDescription

Animating Layers

The new layer track in the Timeline view lets you set layer keyframes andnavigate between them—see Animating Layers on page 1.

Moving Bounding Box
Contents Without Selecting
Objects

To make it easier to move selected objects without having to position the cursor
over a stroke, you can set the Select Tool Bounding Box is Movable option in
the Preferences dialog box (Tools tab). This lets you place the cursor anywhere
inside the bounding box and move its contents. This option applies to these tools:
Select , Select by Colour, and Cutter.

Export to Toon Boom

When exporting to Toon Boom, you can now set the sample rate, bit depth,
channels, and file name pattern of audio files—see Export to Toon Boom Window
on page 1.

Saving Projects as a Single
File

You can reduce the number of files and protect the integrity of projects by saving(packing) the project in a single file. A packed project file is appended with the.sbpz extension—see Saving Projects as a Single File on page 1.

Storyboard Pro in Chinese and Storyboard Pro is now available in Chinese and Japanese. The Getting Started
Japanese
Guide is also available in these languages.
PDF Export

Japanese-specific PDF export profiles were renamed and modified.

Fixes
•

Fixed a crash which sometimes occurred when moving newly-added camera keyframes in the Timeline view.

•

Fixed an issue where the split menu entry was not disabled when the playhead was not over a valid panel.
Using the command could cause a crash.

•

Fixed an issue where, in some specific cases, playing a project may crash the rendering thread.

•

Fixed an issue where dragging a 3D model from a library folder, other than the 3D Models folder, to the project
created new models instead of reusing them properly.

•

Fixed an issue where bitmap layer templates created in Storyboard Pro 4.2 would sometimes not convert
properly when used in the latest version of Storyboard Pro.

•

Fixed an issue where importing an image as a bitmap layer twice would result in a clone of the first image, not
an import.

•

Fixed the Convert to Vector Layer and Convert to Bitmap Layer buttons as they were not working properly.

•

Fixed an issue where file names and expected file names were different when exporting a scene to Toon
Boom with exactly 100 frames.

•

Fixed the exportToFCPXML script function so it can be called from the command line.

7

Chapter 2: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 (12.6.1.11319)•

Fixed an issue where the compression type value was not retained in the video settings dialog box.

•

Fixed an issue where overwriting multiple sounds in the Timeline would resize and delete the wrong sound.

•

Fixed the colour of the timecode overlay that appears when moving a sound in the Timeline view.

•

Using the Split Panel at Current Frame option no longer enables animation on all the layers.

•

The Layers list no longer scrolls when there is a large number of layers in the list and the state of a layer ischanged.

•The Track Changes dialog box now displays line returns properly.

•

The loading and saving of pen styles is now more robust.

•

The list of Eraser presets has been modified.

•

The Export PDF and Export to Toon Boom windows were modified to fit a wider range of resolutions.

•Fixed translation issues in the PDF export.

•

Fixed an issue where there were double drop-down menus when right-clicking on certain thumbnails.

•

Fixed an issue where .osb files could not be imported in the Chinese version of Storyboard Pro.

•

The help printed command line was updated to run with the -help option.

8

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

Chapter 3: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5(12.5.1.11135)
Here is what was fixed in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5:

Changes in Storyboard Pro (12.5.1.11135)•

Fixed issue with Auto-save timer.

Changes in Storyboard Pro (12.5.1.11100)•

Fixed issue where audio content may be lost through specific manipulations in the Timeline view.

9Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes10Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

Chapter 4: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5
Here are the new features, changes, and improvements in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5:

Features
Storyboard Pro 5 is backward compatible with previous versions. This means projects created in previous versions
can be opened in Storyboard Pro 5. However, the project file format has changed in Storyboard Pro 5; projects savedin this new version cannot be opened in previous versions.

3D
FeatureDescription

Snap to 3D Surface

A new option in the Layer Transform tool allows your model to maintaincontact with the surface no matter what changes you make. This makes itmuch faster to block out shots, and also works with 2D artwork—see
Snapping to Surface on page 1.

Snap to GroundA new option in the Layer Transform tool lets you snap a layer to the surface
directly below it. The angle of the layer is retained and the lowest point of thelayer will connect to the surface—see Snapping to Surface on page 1.

Create Layer on Surface

Working in the Camera view, the new Create Layer on Surface tool lets you
create a new vector or bitmap layer on the surface of the 3D object overwhich you are hovering. The new layer will be positioned at the point in Z
depth on which you clicked—see Creating 2D Layers on Surface of 3D
Objects on page 1.
Three-button mouse navigation lets you quickly navigate the Stage view byholding down the Shift+Ctrl keys and using the left, centre, and right mousebuttons—see Navigating 3D Space on page 1.

Navigation

3D Navigation and
3D Flying Navigation are new tools for navigating
through a 3D scene in the Stage view using your mouse buttons, mousewheel, and arrow keys. These tools are available from the Tools toolbar—see
Navigating 3D Space on page 1.

3D Import Formats

Storyboard Pro can now import 3D formats as 3D elements in your project.
The new formats are two popular data exchange formats: Collada (.dae) and
Alembic (.abc).

Maintain Size Tool

The new Maintain Size tool lets you retain the size of the visual scale ofelements as you move them in the Z-axis in the Side or Top views. As you
move drawing layers on the Z-axis, they are scaled to preserve their size inthe camera. This tool is available from the Tools toolbar—see Maintaining theSize on page 1.

3D Object Scaling

Setting the scale factor of 3D objects before import makes your workflow
more efficient. You can set the Scale Factor in two places depending on how
many 3D objects you plan to import and the 3D application used to create
them—see Determining the Scale Factor on page 1.

Animate Sub-objects

After adding 3D objects to a scene, you may want to animate a part of theobject, called a sub-object—see Animating 3D Objects on page 1.
11

Chapter 4: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5

FBX Conversion Option

When importing 3D objects, there is a new option to convert 3D files directly
to the file format and save them so the next time you reload the scene, it isquicker as Storyboard Pro does not have to reconvert them. This improves
workflow in situations where multiple 3D files (with their own relative paths)
were loaded by storing them in a single file.

Washed Display for 3D Objects

When working with 3D objects, you can display the layers with washed out
colours. This helps you work with multiple 3D objects more easily—see
Displaying 3D Objects on page 1.

LayersFeatureDescription

Layers List in Stage View/Layers
View

The list of layers in the Stage view and the Layers view has beenredesigned—see Layers View on page 1.

Grouping Layers

You can now group layers to organize your work and keep your list oflayers uncluttered. You can group selected layers or create an empty
group layer and add layers to it—see Grouping Layers on page 1.

Animating Layers

You can now animate a 2D layer using multiple keyframes, not just the
beginning and ending frames. After selecting a layer, activate the new
Animate button and use the Layer Transform tool to move elements, andthen set keyframes—see Motion on page 1 and Animating Layers on page1.

DrawingFeatureDescription

Sharing Drawings

When there is a drawing that occurs across multiple panels, you can share(link) the drawing. This way, any changes you make to one of the drawing
affects all other instances, making it faster and more efficient whenmanaging and producing your storyboard—see Sharing Drawings on page1.

Customizable Tips

New customizable bitmap drawing tool tips allow you to change theroundness, hardness, and angle of the tips, as well as add randomness.

Paint Tool

The Paint tool can now be used with raster (bitmap) layers.

MotionFeatureDescription

Function Editor View

This new view lets you edit function curves and parameters. It contains avisual graph for adding, removing, and editing keyframes, as well as
adjusting the velocity. The Function Editor view allows you to display
multiple functions in the background as a reference—see Modifying a Pathon page 1 and Function Editor View on page 1.

12

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5.1 Release Notes

ExportFeatureDescription

Export to QuickTime

The default codec when exporting to QuickTime is H.264 which is natively
supported by Mac OS X.

Export to Flix

New options and functionalities have been added to streamline the export
from Storyboard Pro to Flix:

Conformation

Japanese PDF Profile•

Notify Flix through the Export Project dialog box so its asset databaseis updated. Note that Flix must be installed on your computer.

•

Ability to open a project directly from Flix and select the panel in the
project.

•

Scripts to export to Flix with the touch of a button—see Exporting for
Conformation on page 1 and Exporting to Flix on page 1.

Improved XML conformation including:•

New options to export captions as metadata in the XML with theoption to export with rich text formatting.

•

New option when conforming back an XML to conform captions called
Process Captions. This option is available in the Import Project
window.

•

You can now specify the name of the exported XML when exporting to
XML using Conformation > Export Project.

A new profile for exporting to PDF, called Alternate Japanese Format, isavailable.

Miscellaneous
FeatureDescription

Qt Application ScriptingWith Qt Application scripting, you can manage assets more efficiently. You
can create scripts to automate manual tasks or create new tools for quick
access—see About Scripting on page 1.

23.976 NDF TimecodeSupport for 23.976 NDF timecode in the timeline enables the seamless
transfer of animatics from Storyboard Pro to the editing suite. You can now
work using this frame rate and directly export animatics and timelines withpanels, sound, transitions, and timing to editing suites via EDL, AAF, andXML.
This frame rate is available here:

Zoom Timeline•

Project Properties dialgo box (Project Resolution tab)•

Welcome screen (Camera Size, HDTV_1080p23.976)

The new Zoom tool lets you increase or reduce the width of the frames in theTimeline view. The Zoom tool is located at the bottom-left of the Timeline
view.

13

Chapter 4: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro 5

Changes and Improvements
FeatureDescription

Dark Style Interface

Storyboard Pro is now set to a dark theme by default. You have the optionof switching to a light theme through the Preferences dialog box (Global UItab).
The 3D Nodes view has been renamed 3D Schematic.

Terminology
The term nodes has been changed to sub-objects.
New Tab: A new tab is available called Colour. It contains the colour
preferences that were transferred from the Global UI tab.
General Tab:
Preferences Dialog Box•(new) Default Layer Alignment: Sets the default alignment used
when creating a layer.

•

The 3D Experimental Feature option has been removed.

Advanced Tab: The default Number of Samples is now set to 4 for Full
Scene Antialiasing. This option is enabled by default.
The First and Last Frame Transform tools have been replaced by the Layer
Transform tool.
LayersWhen aligning layers with the camera, the behaviour has changed whensetting the layer to no alignment, face the camera or pin to the camera—see
Aligning Layers with the Camera on page 1.

Bitmap Drawing Tools

Improved raster (bitmap) drawing tools—see Brush Tool Properties on page
1 and Drawing with Bitmap Brushes on page 1.

Navigation Toolbar

To make it easier to go to the first and last frame of a panel, the Navigation
toolbar is now displayed by default in the Storyboard Pro workspace andcontains two tools: First Frame and Last Frame—see Navigation Toolbar
on page 1.

Camera Movement

When using the Camera tool, you can rotate the camera on the X and Y
axes, and move the camera centre by dragging it on the X, Y or Z axis—see
Positioning the Camera on page 1.
•

The conformation process was improved when a nest is created in
FCP or Premiere Pro.

•

Some issues were fixed when importing images that were added in
FCP/Premiere Pro when conforming back the XML (they were notframing properly).

•

Improved export to PSD with layers when exporting to XML with
PSD image format. The number of layers is now maintained insteadof being flattened.

Conformation

14