Toon Boom
Harmony21 Advanced
Reference Guide

TOON BOOM ANIMATION INC.

+1 514 278 8666

4200 St.Laurent Blvd, Suite 1020
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2W 2R2

contact@toonboom.com
toonboom.com

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference 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 document is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted. Any
reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
The content of this document is covered by a specific limited warranty and exclusions and limit of liability
under the applicable 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 andconditions.

Trademarks
Toon Boom® is a registered trademark. Harmony™ and the Toon Boom logo are trademarks of Toon Boom
Animation Inc. All other trademarks of the property of their respective owners.

Publication Date
09-06-2021
Copyright © 2021 Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Corus Entertainment Inc. company. All rights reserved.

1

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Table of Contents

2

Introduction

10

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

12

Add Column Dialog Box

15

Add Drawing Layer Dialog Box

17

Add Frames Dialog Box

19

Add Prefix or Suffix Dialog Box

21

Add Synced Drawing Layer Dialog Box

22Advanced Save Dialog Box

24

Auto-Matte Dialog Box

29

Close Gaps Dialog Box

30

Column Properties Dialog Box

31

Column Types Dialog Box

33

Configure Line Art to Colour Art Dialog Box

34

Convert to Synced Drawing Layer Dialog Box

36

Create Cycle Dialog Box

37

Create Drawing from Drawing Selection Dialog Box

38

Create Function Step On Dialog Box

39

Create Palette Dialog Box

42

Create Palette from Selection Dialog Box

43

Database Selector Dialog Box

45

Edit Default Paste Preset Dialog Box

47

Edit Exposure Paste Preset Dialog Box

49

Element Manager Dialog Box

51

Export Images Dialog Box

53

Export OpenGL Frames Dialog Box

60

Export to Animated GIF Dialog Box

73

Export to Easel JS Dialog Box

76

Export to Flash Movie Dialog Box

79
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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Export to Video Dialog Box

81

Export to Sprite Sheet Dialog Box

86

Extend Exposure Dialog Box

90

Fill Cells Randomly Dialog Box

91

Fill Selection Dialog Box

92

Hold Timing

93

Import Images Dialog Box

96

Loop Node103

Manage Local Cache Dialog Box

106

Manage Tool Presets Dialog Box

108

Marker Dialog Box

110

Mini Playback Dialog Box

112

Movie Options Dialog Box (macOS)

113

QuickTime Movie Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

117

New Scene Dialog Box

121

New Tool Preset Dialog Box

123

Onion Skin and Light Table Transparency Dialog Box

125

Palette Browser Dialog Box

126

Palette Operations Dialog Box

129

Paste Preset Dialog Box

131

Paste Special Dialog Box

133

Pen Pressure Feel Dialog Box

138

Pose Copier Dialog Box

141

Preferences Dialog Box

143

Recolour Drawings Dialog Box

147

Remove Dirt Dialog Box

149

Remove Frames Dialog Box

150

Remove Hair Dialog Box

152

Rigid Point Deform Node

153

Save Dialog Box

155

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Table of Contents

Scene Settings Dialog Box

157

Scripts Manager Dialog Box

168

Select Colour Dialog Box

170

Selection Presets Dialog Box

172

Sequence Fill Dialog Box

175

Set Ease for Multiple Parameters Dialog Box

177

Set Ease on Keyframes Dialog Box

179

Show Hidden Columns Dialog Box

181

OpenQuickTime Sound Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux)

183

QuickTime Sound Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

187

QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

191

Tint Offset/Blend Dialog Box

197

Timing Node198

Toolbar Manager Dialog Box

200

Vectorization Parameters Dialog Box

201

Versions Dialog Box

210

OpenQuickTime Video Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux)

211

Windows Media Video Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

215

Xsheet Column Width Dialog Box

218

Chapter 2: Menus

220

Main Menus

221

Animation Menu

222

Drawing Menu

230

Edit Menu

238

File Menu

242

Help Menu

245

Insert Menu

247

Play Menu

249

Scene Menu

251

View Menu

253

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Windows Menu

259

View Menus

261

Camera View Menu

262

Colour View Menu

279

Drawing View Menu

282

Function View Menu

295

Library View Menu

297

Model View Menu

299

Onion Skin View Menu

301

Perspective View Menu

303

Script Editor View Menu

309

Side View Menu

314

Timeline View Menu

319

Top View Menu

324

Xsheet View Menu

329

Chapter 3: Layers

338

Deformation Layers

340

Bone Layers

341

Deformation Composite Layer

343

Game Bone Layer

344

Kinematic Output Layer

346

Effect Layers

347

Blending Layer

348

Blur Layer

354

Blur-Gaussian Layer

356

Colour-Override Layer

358

Colour-Scale Layer

362

Cutter Layer

364

Glow Layer

366

Highlight Layer

369

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Table of Contents

Shadow Layer

373

Tone Layer

376

Transparency Layer

380

Image Layers

382

Colour-Card Layer

383

Drawing Layer

385

Move Layers

399

Camera Layer

400

Peg Layer

401

Quadmap Layer

403

Sound Layer

406

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

408

Brush Tool Properties

410

Centerline Editor Tool Properties

433

Close Gap Tool Properties

435

Colour Eyedropper Tool Properties

436

Contour Editor Tool Properties

437

Cutter Tool Properties

442

Drawing Pivot Tool Properties

447

Edit Gradient/Texture Tool Properties

449

Ellipse Tool Properties

450

Envelope Tool Properties

460

Eraser Tool Properties

463

Ink Tool Properties

485

Line Tool Properties

487

Morphing Tool Properties

499

Paint Tool Properties

503

Pencil Tool Properties

510

Pencil Editor Tool Properties

521

Perspective Tool Properties526

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Polyline Tool Properties

529

Rectangle Tool Properties

537

Reposition All Drawings Tool Properties

547

Rigging Tool Properties

549

Select Tool Properties

550

Shift and Trace Tool Properties

563

Smooth Editor Tool Properties

566

Stamp Tool Properties

568

Stroke Tool Properties

576

Text Tool Properties

578

Transform Tool Properties

581

Zoom Tool Properties

585

Chapter 5: Toolbars

586

Workspace Toolbars

587

Advanced Animation Toolbar

588

Art Layer Toolbar

589

Deformation Toolbar

591

Display Toolbar

594

Easy Flipping Toolbar

595

Edit Toolbar

596

File Toolbar

597

Flip Toolbar

599

Game Toolbar

600Mark Drawing Toolbar

601

Mini Playback Toolbar

602

Onion Skin Toolbar

603

Pen Settings Toolbar

605

Playback Toolbar

608

Scripting Toolbar

611

Shift and Trace Toolbar

612

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Table of Contents

Tool Presets Toolbar

614

Tools Toolbar

615

Workspace Toolbar

621

View Toolbars

622

Script Editor Toolbar

623

Timeline View Toolbar

628

Xsheet View Toolbar

633

Chapter 6: Views

634

Camera View

635

Colour View

644

Drawing View

650

Drawing Substitutions View

653

Function View

655

Guides View

658

Integrated Help View

662

Layer Properties View

663

Library View

665

Master Controller View

668

Message Log View

670

Metadata Editor View

671

Model View

673

Onion Skin View

675

Perspective View

681

Script Editor View

684

Side View

689

Timeline View

691

Tool Properties View

701

Top View

702

Xsheet View

704

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

9

Introduction

Introduction
Harmony has several commands, dialog boxes, and buttons. The Reference section lists all of them along withthe matching definition. To understand how to use these functions in a production context, read the User
guide.
In the Reference guide, you will learn about the various parameters available in dialog boxes, menus, nodes,
toolbars, views, and windows.
The Preferences guide provides additional details about each individual preference.

10Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

11

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes contain controls such as options and lists through which you can carry out a particular commandor task. For example, in the Scene Settings dialog box, you must indicate the resolution and alignment. A
typical dialog box looks as follows:

Add Column Dialog Box

15

Add Drawing Layer Dialog Box

17

Add Frames Dialog Box

19

Add Prefix or Suffix Dialog Box

21

Add Synced Drawing Layer Dialog Box

22Advanced Save Dialog Box

24

Auto-Matte Dialog Box

29

Close Gaps Dialog Box

30

Column Properties Dialog Box

31

Column Types Dialog Box

33

Configure Line Art to Colour Art Dialog Box

34

Convert to Synced Drawing Layer Dialog Box

36

Create Cycle Dialog Box

37

Create Drawing from Drawing Selection Dialog Box

38

Create Function Step On Dialog Box

39

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Create Palette Dialog Box

42

Create Palette from Selection Dialog Box

43

Database Selector Dialog Box

45

Edit Default Paste Preset Dialog Box

47

Edit Exposure Paste Preset Dialog Box

49

Element Manager Dialog Box

51

Export Images Dialog Box

53

Export OpenGL Frames Dialog Box

60

Export to Animated GIF Dialog Box

73

Export to Easel JS Dialog Box

76

Export to Flash Movie Dialog Box

79

Export to Video Dialog Box

81

Export to Sprite Sheet Dialog Box

86

Extend Exposure Dialog Box

90

Fill Cells Randomly Dialog Box

91

Fill Selection Dialog Box

92

Hold Timing

93

Import Images Dialog Box

96

Loop Node103

Manage Local Cache Dialog Box

106

Manage Tool Presets Dialog Box

108

Marker Dialog Box

110

Mini Playback Dialog Box

112

Movie Options Dialog Box (macOS)

113

QuickTime Movie Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

117

New Scene Dialog Box

121

New Tool Preset Dialog Box

123

Onion Skin and Light Table Transparency Dialog Box

125

Palette Browser Dialog Box

126

Palette Operations Dialog Box

129

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Paste Preset Dialog Box

131

Paste Special Dialog Box

133

Pen Pressure Feel Dialog Box

138

Pose Copier Dialog Box

141

Preferences Dialog Box

143

Recolour Drawings Dialog Box

147

Remove Dirt Dialog Box

149

Remove Frames Dialog Box

150

Remove Hair Dialog Box

152

Rigid Point Deform Node

153

Save Dialog Box

155

Scene Settings Dialog Box

157

Scripts Manager Dialog Box

168

Select Colour Dialog Box

170

Selection Presets Dialog Box

172

Sequence Fill Dialog Box

175

Set Ease for Multiple Parameters Dialog Box

177

Set Ease on Keyframes Dialog Box

179

Show Hidden Columns Dialog Box

181

OpenQuickTime Sound Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux)

183

QuickTime Sound Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

187

QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

191

Tint Offset/Blend Dialog Box

197

Timing Node198

Toolbar Manager Dialog Box

200

Vectorization Parameters Dialog Box

201

Versions Dialog Box

210

OpenQuickTime Video Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux)

211

Windows Media Video Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

215

Xsheet Column Width Dialog Box

218

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Add Column Dialog Box
The Add Column dialog box lets you add a column in the Xsheet view.
By default, when you create a new scene, there is one drawing column in the Xsheet view and one
corresponding drawing layer in the Timeline view.
You can add an element for each drawing and it will appear as a column in the Xsheet view, a layer in theTimeline view, and a node in the Node view.

How to access the Add Column dialog box
1. Do one of the following:l

In the Xsheet menu, select Columns > Add Columns.

lClick the Add Columns

lPress Shift + C.

button.

Parameter

Description

Name

Lets you give the new column a meaningful name.

Type

Lets you select a type of column to create. Choices include: Drawing, Timing,
Sound, 3D Path, 3D Rotation, Bezier Curve, Ease Curve, Expression andAnnotation.

Drawing Layer Options

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Line Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing column in the Line Art layer.

Colour Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing column in the Colour Art layer.

Element
Create New Element

Creates an independent column with its own drawing folder.

Vector

Select this option if you want the layer to contain vector drawings. Deselect thisoption if you want the layer to contain bitmap images. Most of the time, theVector option will be enabled.

Bitmap Format

Lets you select the type of bitmap image to insert in the column. Select SCAN
from the list if you are planning to scan drawings using the Toon Boom Harmony
Advanced Scan module.

Scan TypeIf you chose SCAN from the Bitmap Format list, select the kind of scanning you
want to achieve.

Field Chart

When importing traditional animation, lets you indicate the size of paper onwhich the animation or background was drawn. If you are not using perforated
animation paper, leave the 12 field default value as is.

Use Existing Element

Uses drawings from an existing column in the new column. Both columns will
be attached to the same set of drawings, but their timing will remain independent
from one another. If you modify one of the drawings, it will be modified in bothcolumns. This is the same principle as the Clone column.

Name

Lets you select the column to which you want to link your new column.

Add and Close

Adds the selected type of layers to the Timeline view and corresponding column
in the Xsheet view and closes the dialog box. The names of the layers/columns
are automatically numbered incrementally.

Add

Adds the selected type of layers to the Timeline view and corresponding column
in the Xsheet view. The dialog box remains open for you to add as manylayers/columns as needed. The names of the layers/columns are automatically
numbered incrementally.

Close

Closes the dialog box.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Add Drawing Layer Dialog Box
The Add Drawing Layer dialog box lets you add a drawing layer to your project.
By default, when you create a new scene, there is one drawing column in the Xsheet view and one
corresponding drawing layer in the Timeline view.
You can add an element for each drawing and it will appear as a column in the Xsheet view, a layer in theTimeline view, and a node in the Node view.

How to access the Add Drawing Layer dialog box
1. Do one of the following:l

In the Timeline view, click the Add Drawing Layerl

From the top menu, select Insert > Drawing.

l

Press Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + R (macOS).

button.

Parameter

Description

Name

Lets you give the new layer a meaningful name.

Overlay Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Overlay Art layer.

Line Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Line Art layer.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Colour Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Colour Art layer.

Underlay Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Underlay Art layer.

Extend Exposure for Scene
Duration

Automatically create and empty drawing exposure on each layer and expose
them for the duration of the scene.

Add and Close

Adds the selected type of layers to the Timeline view and corresponding column
in the Xsheet view and closes the dialog box. The names of the layers/columns
are automatically numbered incrementally.

Add

Adds the selected type of layers to the Timeline view and corresponding column
in the Xsheet view. The dialog box remains open for you to add as manylayers/columns as needed. The names of the layers/columns are automatically
numbered incrementally.

Close

Closes the dialog box.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Add Frames Dialog Box
The Add Frames dialog box allows you to add a given amount of frames at a specific point in your scene. The
new frames are added to every layer in your scene and will offset all the keyframes and drawings after theinsertion point.

How to access the Add Frames dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a frame or a range of frames.

2. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Scene > Frame > Add Frames at Start, Add Frames at End, Add
Frames Before Selection or Add Frames After Selection.

l

In the Xsheet view, right-click and select Frame > Add Frames at Start, Add Frames at End,
Add Frames Before Selection or Add Frames After Selection.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the

Add Frames button to add frames after your selection.

lPress Ctrl + G (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + G (macOS) to add frames before the selection, or Ctrl
+ H to add frames after the selection.

The Add Frames dialog box appears.

Parameter

Description

Number of frames to add

The amount of frames to add.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

Ripple Scene Markers

If checked, scene markers after the insertion point will be offset forward to remain
synchronized with the keyframes and drawings in your scene. If unchecked,
scene markers will remain in place while everything else after the insertion point
is offset.
If checked, drawings that are exposed just before the insertion point will be
exposed throughout the added rames. If unchecked, no drawing will be exposedin the added frames.

Extend Drawing Exposure

NOTE
This option has no effect when adding frames at the start of the scene.

20Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Add Prefix or Suffix Dialog Box
The Add Prefix or Suffix dialog box lets you add or remove a prefix or suffix for a multi-layer selection.

How to access the Add Prefix or Suffix dialog box
1. In the Timeline view, select all the layers to rename or press Ctrl + A (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + A(macOS).

2. In the Scripting toolbar, click the Add Prefix or Suffix Script

button. If the Scripting toolbar is not

visible, you can display it by selecting Windows > Toolbars > Scripting from the top menu. If the
Add Prefix or Suffix Script

button is not visible in the Scripting toolbar.

The Add Prefix or Suffix dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

SuffixAllows you put a defined set of characters (letters, numbers, symbols) after the
pre-existing layer name.

PrefixAllows you put a defined set of characters (letters, numbers, symbols) before thepre-existing layer name.

Insert Text

Enter a set of characters to be added to the selected layers.

Remove Text

Enter a set of characters to be removed from the selected layers.

21

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Add Synced Drawing Layer Dialog Box
The Add Synced Drawing Layer dialog box lets you add a drawing layer to your project that will automaticallybe synced with the currently selected layer.
Depending on whether the Support Overlay and Underlay Arts option was selected in the Advanced tab of
the Preferences panel, the Add Synced Drawing Layer dialog box may look one of two ways.

How to access the Add Synced Drawing Layer dialog box
1. In the Timeline view, right-click on the drawing layer you would like to sync with another layer.
2. From the right-click menu, select Add Synced Drawing Layer.

Parameter

Description

Name

Lets you give the new layer a meaningful name.

Overlay Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Overlay Art layer.

Line Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Line Art layer.

Colour Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Colour Art layer.

Underlay Art

Creates a vector or bitmap drawing layer in the Underlay Art layer.

22Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Add and Close

Adds the selected type of layers to the Timeline view and corresponding column
in the Xsheet view and closes the dialog box. The names of the layers/columns
are automatically numbered incrementally.

Add

Adds the selected type of layers to the Timeline view and corresponding column
in the Xsheet view. The dialog box remains open for you to add as manylayers/columns as needed. The names of the layers/columns are automatically
numbered incrementally.

Close

Closes the dialog box.

23

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Advanced Save Dialog Box
In Harmony Server, the Advanced Save dialog box lets you save the scene as a new version, overwrite an
existing version, set a new current version, display a list of modified drawings, colour palettes, and modified
colour palette lists.

How to access the Advanced Save dialog Box
1. Make sure that you have the necessary rights to save the current scene version. If you do not, you
can acquire the rights by selecting File > Rights to Modify Scene Version or Rights to Modify
Scene from the top menu.
2. From the top menu, select File > Advanced Save.
The Advanced Save dialog appears.

24Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

File Tab

Parameter

Description‣

Enable this option if you want to save the modifications made to thecurrent scene.

Save

‣

Deselect the Save option if you only want to save specific components ofyour scene listed in the Drawings, Palettes or Palette Lists tabs. This will
disable all option in the File tab.

This Version (number)

Saves the current version of the scene. You can rename the current version by
typing a new name into the field.

New Version (number)

Saves the current scene as a new version. You can name this new version by
typing a name into the field.

Overwrite Existing Version

Lets you select an existing version of your scene from the list to overwrite it.

Description

Use this field to add or edit an existing description for the scene version you wantto save.

Mark as Current

Lets you set this scene version as the current one. This version will be
automatically selected as the default current version when the scene is selectedin the Database Selector dialog box

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Drawings (Harmony Server only)
The Drawings tab lists the modified drawings.

Parameter

Description

Drawing list

Lets you select the modified drawings to save, and deselect the ones you do notwant to save.

Select All

Selects all modified drawings in list.

Deselect All

Deselects all modified drawings in the list.

Palettes Tab
The Palette tab lists the modified colour palettes.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

Colour Palette list

Lets you select the colour palette to save, and deselect the ones you do not wantto save.

Show Recovered

Displays the recovered palettes in the list of modified palettes.

Select All

Selects all modified colour palettes in the palette list.

Deselect All

Deselects all modified colour palettes in the palette list.

Palette Lists Tab
The Palette Lists tab lists all the modified colour palette lists.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

Palette Lists

Lets you select the modified palette list to save, and deselect the ones you do notwant to save.

Show Recovered

Displays the recovered palettes in the list of modified palettes.

Select All

Selects all modified palette lists in the list.

Deselect All

Deselects all modified palette lists in the list.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Auto-Matte Dialog Box
The Auto-Matte dialog box lets you generate a matte for a drawing.

How to access the Auto Matte dialog box
1. In the Camera or Drawing view, select the drawing you want to create a matte for.
2. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Generate Auto-Matte.

l

In the Camera or Drawing menu, select Drawing > Generate Auto-Matte.

Parameter

Description

Settings
Apply to all Drawings

Creates a matte for all the drawings included in layer.

RadiusLets you increase or decrease the radius value depending on the precision orroughness of your line. Use a lower value, the closer to your lines’ contours thematte will be shaped. The higher the value, the looser the matte will be shaped.

Source Art

Lets you select the layer from which you want the matte created: Line ArtColour
Art.

Destination Art

Lets you select the layer on which you want the matte to be created: Line
ArtColour Art.

Clear Destination Art First

Deletes existing artwork on the destination layer before adding a matte to it.

Copy Strokes in Destination

Copies the contour of your lines as invisible lines in the matte drawing. This isuseful if you need to reuse the lines later.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Close Gaps Dialog Box
The Close Gaps dialog box lets you close up drawing areas that not are closed. This may sometimes happen
when painting. You can close small gaps in a drawing by creating small, invisible strokes between the two
closest points to close the colour zone. You do not need to trace directly over the gap. You can draw it a few
millimeters away. The two closest points automatically close the gap.

How to access the Close Gaps dialog box
1. Select View > Show > Show Strokes or press K to see a preview of the result.
2. To flatten the strokes you draw, click the Auto-Flatten

button in the Tool Properties view.

3. Select Drawing > Clean Up > Close Gaps or press Shift + F10 (Windows/Linux only).
The Close Gaps dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Size

Lets you set the size of the gap you want to be closed.

Apply to all drawings

Closes all gaps in the drawing of the selected layer.

30Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Column Properties Dialog Box
The Column Properties dialog box lets you add, delete or modify elements (drawing folders) in your scene.

How to access the Drawing dialog box
1. In the Xsheet view, double-click on a column name. Do not click on the drawing folder name thatthe column is linked to (this also appears in the column header just below the column name).

Parameter

Description

Name

Type in a new name in this field to create an element or to rename the selected
element.

Element

Name

Type in a new name in this field to create an element or to rename the selected
element.

Vector

Select this option if the new element is a vector drawing or if you want to enable
the parameters on the selected element in the Elements list.

Bitmap Format

Lets you select the file format of the bitmap layer.

Scan TypeIf you're planning to scan elements with the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced
Scan module, select the scan type from the list.

31

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Field Chart

If you're importing traditional animation, select the size of the paper on which theanimation was drawn.

32Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Column Types Dialog Box
The Columns Types dialog box lets you show or hide columns in the exposure sheet.

How to access the Columns Types dialog box
1. In the Xsheet view, select View > Column Types Manager.
The Column Types dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Column Types

Lets you select the types of columns to display in the Xsheet view.

Save as Default

Makes these new settings the default ones used each time you start Harmony.

Restore Default

Returns the settings to their defaults.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Configure Line Art to Colour Art Dialog Box
The Configure Line Art to Colour Art dialog box lets you modify settings for the Line Art and Colour Art layers.

How to access the Configure Line Art to Colour Art dialog box
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Tool Properties view, hold down the Shift key and click on the Creatre Colour Art from LineArt button.

Parameter

Description

Use rendered version of thedrawing

Renders the drawing and vectorize it to calculate the position of the centrelinethat will produce the colour art stroke.

Maximum Resolution for
rendered image

The size of the rendered image.

Threshold for renderedimage

The value of grey processed to create the rendered vectorized arts.

Fitting error for rendered
Beziers

This value represents how precise the fitting of the colour art zone in relation to
the line art will be.

Source layer

Lets you select the layer (Line Art, Colour Art, Underlay or Overlay) you want thecolour art to be created from.

Destination layer

Lets you select the layer (Line Art, Colour Art, Underlay or Overlay) you want thecolour art to be created on.

Clear Destination Art Layer

Deletes the content before the colour art is added. This is useful when you

34Harmony 21 Advanced Reference GuideFirst

already have artwork on the destination layer.

Perform Line Art to Colour
Art Operation Immediately

Performs the Create Colour Art from Line Art command when you click OK.

35

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Convert to Synced Drawing Layer Dialog Box
The Sync Layer feature allows for drawings to be separated on different layers, but to have the same timing.

How to access the Convert to Synced Drawing Layer dialog box
1. right-click on a drawing layer you would like to sync with another layer.
2. From the right-click menu, select Sync Layers With.
In the Choose the Parent Drawing Layer drop-down list, with the exception of the selected layer,
every layer in your scene is listed.
3. To sync a layer with your currently selected layer, from the drop-down list, select a parent drawing
layer and click OK. The child layer immediately updates to the parent layer's timing.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Create Cycle Dialog Box
The Create Cycle dialog box lets you create cycles from a series of drawings and exposures.
When you create a drawing cycle, all the repeated drawings are linked to the same original files. When
modify, repaint, or correct a drawing named “1” for example, all drawings named “1” are updated
simultaneously. In order to modify a drawing independently from its other exposures, you must duplicate thedrawing.

How to access the Create Cycle dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell range to loop.

2. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Create Cycle

button (you may have to customize the toolbar todisplay it).
The Create Cycle dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Number of Cycles

Lets you specify the number of cycles, including the current selection.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Create Drawing from Drawing Selection Dialog Box
The Create Drawing from Drawing Selection dialog box lets you cut a part of a drawing and send it to a new orexisting layer.

How to access the Create Drawing from Drawing Selection dialog box
1. From the top menu, select Edit > Create Drawing From Drawing Selection or press F9(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + F9 (macOS).
The Create Drawing From Drawing Selection dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Layer Name

Lets you enter a name for the layer using the naming convention you established.

Cut Artwork From Source

Lets you cut the selected artwork from the model.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Create Function Step On Dialog Box
The Create Function Step On dialog box lets you hold the same value over a selected number of frames for
multiple parameters (pos x, scale y, etc.). This works well when you are animating drawings on 2s or 3s, forexample, and you want to hold the same value for a function over those two or three frames.

How to access the Create Function Step On dialog box
1. Add the Scripting toolbar to your interface:l

Go to the top menu and select Windows > Toolbars > Scripting.

lright-click on the empty space near the top of the interface and from the quick-access menu
selecting Scripting.

lright-click on the empty space near the top of a view and from the quick-access menu
selecting Scripting.

2. In the Scripting toolbar, click on the Manage Scripts

button to open the Scripts Manager

window.
3. In the Scripts Manager, in the Files section, select the file TB_CreateStepsOn.js.
The functions associated with that file appear in the Functions section.
4. In the Functions section, select TB_CreateStepsOn.
The Add script to toolbar

button becomes active.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

5. Click on the Add script to toolbar
The TB_CreateStepsOn script

button.
button is added to the Scripting toolbar.

6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.
8. In the Timeline view, select the layer whose parameter values you would like to hold.
9. In the Scripting toolbar, click on the TB_CreateStepsOn script

button.

The Create Function Step On dialog box appears.

Parameter

Description

Settings
Every Number of Frames

Enter in the number of frames you would like to hold your functions.

40Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Selection

First Frame

Enter in the frame number of where you would like the stepped holds tostart. The playhead location determines the lowest value you can enterfor the first frame. You need to move the playhead to frame one if you
would like to set frame one as the lowest possible starting value.

Last Frame

Enter in the frame number of where you would like the stepped holds to
stop.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Create Palette Dialog Box
The Create Palette dialog box allows you to create a colour palette for your scene. Palettes created with this
dialog box are added to your scene's palette list, and stored in your scene's palette-library subdirectory.

NOTE
If you have the Advanced Palette Lists preference enabled, the dialog will also have a palettebrowser, which allows you to decide where the palette is stored and whether to add it to the sceneor the element's palette list—see Palette Browser Dialog Box on page 126.

How to access the Create Palette dialog box
1. Do one of the following:l

In the Colour View, click the New Palettebutton over the palette list.

lFrom the Colour view menu, select Palettes > New

Parameter

Description

New Palette Name

Allows you to type in the name of the palette to create.
Allows you choose the palette type to create:lPalette TypelColour: A colour palette can contain colours, gradients and bitmap textures.
Pencil Texture: A pencil texture palette can contain textures to apply astransparency filters to pencil lines, in combination to their line colour, to create
various styles of pencil lines.

42Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Create Palette from Selection Dialog Box
The Create Palette from Selection dialog box allows you to create a palette that contains all the colours usedby all the drawings in the selected drawing layers.

This can be useful, for example, if the colour design for a character model or rig, a background or another kindof asset was made using several different palettes, and you need to consolidate all of the colours used by theasset into its own dedicated palette.
NOTESl

The Create Palette from Selection dialog uses the colours in all the drawings in the selected
layers, even drawings that are not exposed.

l

For tasks related to this dialog box, see the User Guide.

How to access the Create Palette from Selection dialog box
1. In the Timeline, Xsheet, Camera or Node view, select one or more drawing layers.
2. In the top-left corner of the Colour view, open the

View Menu and select Palettes > New

Palette from Selected Drawings.

Parameter

Description

New Palette Name

Allows you to type in the name of the palette to create.
Allows you choose one of the type of palette to create:lPalette Typel

Generate New
Colour IDs andRecolour Selected
Drawings

Colour: Creates a palette containing all the colours, gradients and bitmap
textures used in the selected drawing layers.
Pencil Texture: Creates a palette containing all the pencil textures used in theselected drawing layers.

By default, the Create Palette from Selection dialog box generates the palette by copying
the colour swatches used in the selected drawings from their original palette into a newpalette, along with their colour ID. This means that the colour swatches in the generated
palette will use the same colour IDs as the ones in the original palettes.

43Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

If you select this option, Harmony will generate a palette with new colour IDs, and will
replace the old colour IDs in your artwork with the new ones. This will usually have no
visible effect, and will prevent the swatches in the new palette from having the same
colour IDs as the swatches you originally used to colour your artwor. When two palettes
have a swatch with the same colour ID, Harmony uses the swatch from the top-mostpalette in the palette list.

NOTE
If your artwork uses Colour-Override effects, the colour IDs used by these ColourOverride will not be replaced with the new colour IDs, making the Colour-Override
ineffective unless you reconfigure them manually. Hence, you should avoid using
this parameter if you are consolidating the palette of a character rig that uses a lotof Colour-Overrides.

44Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Database Selector Dialog Box
The Database Selector dialog box lets you connect to your studio's central database when working on
Harmony Server.
NOTE
When you connect to the database, you cannot create new scenes directly from Harmony. The
available scenes must have been already created using the Control Center module.

How to access the Database Selector dialog box
1. Start Harmony
2. In the log-in dialog, select Connect to Database.
3. In the User Name field, type in your Harmony Server username.
4. Click on OK.
The Database Selector dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Environments

Lets you select the scene's environment (project, movie).

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Jobs

Lets you select the scene's job (episode, sequence).

ScenesLets you select the scene.

Get rights to modify thescene

Allows you to modify the selected version of the scene as well as to manage andoverwrite other versions. Other users will not be able to open a different versionof the scene until you close the scene.
Allows you to modify the currently selected scene version only. Unless the Get

Get rights to modify thescene version

Get rights to modify all
scene assets

rights to modify the scene option is also checked, you will not be able tochange other versions of the scene. This allows other users to modify different
versions of the scene while you are working on the selected version.
Automatically gets the rights to modify all of the scene's assets, locking otherusers from making changes to them until you close the scene. This means thatyou will have the rights to modify all the scene's versions, drawings, palettes, its
palette list, but not its library folder. If this option is unchecked, drawings andpalettes will be locked unless you unlock them manually. This can allow anotheruser to work on the scene's drawings and palettes in Paint while you are working
on the scene's timing or staging in Harmony.
Downloads the scene's drawings to your computer before opening the scene.
Harmony will then load the drawings from your computer during the session,
instead of loading them from their original location over the network. This cansignificantly increase performance, especially with resource-heavy scenes.

Cache scene assets locally

When you save your scene, the updated drawings will be uploaded
automatically to the database, so you do not have to re-upload them manually.

NOTE
If this option is checked, it may take a while to download all of the scene's
assets when opening a particularly heavy scene.

VersionIf you saved different versions of a scene, this lets you select one to open.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Edit Default Paste Preset Dialog Box
The Edit Default Paste Preset dialog box lets you modify settings for the keyframe and exposure paste presets,
as well as setting the defaults.

How to access the Edit Default Paste Preset dialog box
1. From the Timeline menu, select Edit > Modify Paste Presets > All or Key Frame or Exposure.

Parameter

Description

Drawings
Never create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, drawing
files will not be created.

Add/Remove
Exposure

Only create drawing files when they do not exist: When adding exposures to a
drawing layer, new drawings will be created only when drawings with the same
name do not already exist in the destination.
Always create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, newdrawings will always be created. If drawing files with the same name alreadyexist, Harmony will create a new name for the drawing.

Enforce Key Exposure

If there are key exposures that exist on copied drawings, they are preserved when
pasting. No key exposures are added. This is the default behavior when pasting.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Fill Gap with
Previous Drawing

Fills selected area in the Xsheet or Timeline view with the previous drawing.

Fill to Next Key
Exposure

Fills selected area till the next key exposure.

Keyframes
Motion: Copies the properties of the selected motion keyframe to the new frame.
Velocity: Copies the properties of the selected velocity keyframe to the newframe.

Add/Remove
Keyframes

Rotation: Copies the properties of the selected rotation keyframe to the newframe.
Scale: Copies the properties of the selected scale keyframe to the new frame.
Skew: Copies the properties of the selected skew keyframe to the new frame.
Force Keyframes at Function's Beginning and End: Adds a keyframe to thebeginning and end of the pasted function, reproducing the source function.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Edit Exposure Paste Preset Dialog Box
The Edit Exposure Paste Preset dialog box lets you reuse key exposures as you animate.

How to access the Edit Exposure Paste Preset dialog box
1. From the Timeline view menu, select Edit > Modify Paste Presets > Exposure.
The Edit Exposure Paste Preset dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Drawings
Never create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, drawing
files will not be created.

Add/Remove
Exposure

Only create drawing files when do they do not exist: When adding exposures
to a drawing layer, new drawings will be created only when drawings with thesame name do not already exist in the destination.
Always create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, newdrawings will always be created. If drawing files with the same name alreadyexist, Harmony will create a new name for the drawing.

Enforce Key Exposure

Creates a key exposure on the same drawing.

Fill Gap with Previous
Drawing

Fills selected area in the Xsheet or Timeline view with the previous drawing.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Fill to Next Key Exposure

Fills selected area till the next key exposure.

Keyframes
Motion: Copies the properties of the selected motion keyframe to the new frame.
Velocity: Copies the properties of the selected velocity keyframe to the newframe.

Add/Remove Keyframes

Rotation: Copies the properties of the selected rotation keyframe to the newframe.
Scale: Copies the properties of the selected scale keyframe to the new frame.
Skew: Copies the properties of the selected skew keyframe to the new frame.
Force Keyframes at Function's Beginning and End: Adds a keyframe to thebeginning and end of the pasted function, reproducing the source function.

Reset to Default

Return all values to their defaults.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Element Manager Dialog Box
The Element Manager window lets you Opens the Element Manager window where you can add, delete or
modify elements (drawing folders) in your scene. If you have drawing folders that are not linked to a column inyour scene, use the Element Manager to delete them if needed. See xref Reference > Windows > Element
Manager.

How to access the Element Manager window
1. From the top menu, select Scene > Element Manager.
Parameter

Description

Elements
Delete Elements

Deletes the selected elements.

Delete Elements andDirectories

Deletes the selected layer and its directories (drawing folder).

Add/Modify Element

Name

Type in a new name in this field to create an element or to rename theselected element.

Vector

Select this option if the new element is a vector drawing or if you want toenable the parameters on the selected element in the Elements list.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Bitmap Format

Lets you select the file format of the bitmap layer.

Scan TypeIf you're planning to scan elements with the Toon Boom Harmony Advanced
Scan module, select the scan type from the list.

Field Chart

If you're importing traditional animation, select the size of the paper onwhich the animation was drawn.

Add

Creates a new element with the current parameters entered in the
Add/Modify Element section.

ModifyApplies the parameter changes made to the selected element.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Export Images Dialog Box
The Export Images dialog box allows you to export your scene as a sequence of image files, with one image foreach frame.

How to access the Export Images dialog box
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > Images.

Parameter

Description

OutputPrefixThe prefix for the file name of each exported image file. Each file name will start with the value
in this field, followed by the number of the frame.
The directory in which to export the rendered frames.

Path

You can click Browse... to open a dialog allowing you to navigate your file system and select a
directory, or Default to set this to the frames sub-directory of your scene’s directory.

FormatFile TypeThe image format in which the exported frames will be saved. The following formats aresupported:

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

FormatDescription

Truevision TGA/TARGA (*.tga)
TGA

A standard image format with lossless compression and support for transparency.
TGA files use more disk space than PNG files, but rendering in TGA is faster.

Silicon Graphics Image (*.sgi)
SGI

A highly capable format with lossless compression as well as support for double
precision and transparency.

Photoshop Document (*.psd)
An Adobe Photoshop proprietary format used for image editing.
PSD files exported by Harmony contain a single background layer with therasterized image.
PSD

NOTE
PSD files exported from Harmony are tagged with their colour space
information in their metadata, except for PSD files exported ingreyscale.

Y'UV frame (*.yuv)
A legacy format optimized for NTSC television. The image information is encodedin the Y'UV color space, which means Luma (Y') and Chrominance (UV).
YUV

NOTE
YUV images must be exported in NTSC resolution (720 x 540), or they
will not be legible.

PAL frame (*.pal)
A legacy format optimized for PAL television.
PAL

NOTE
PAL images must be exported in PAL resolution (768 x 576), or they
will not be legible.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

FormatDescription

Toon Boom Scan Files (*.scan)
SCAN

A Toon Boom proprietary format used by Scan to store scanned image information
along with its registration (peg), resolution and field chart metadata. SCAN files are
in gresycale.

Portable Network Graphics (*.png)
A highly portable image format with high lossless compression as well as support
for transparency and double-precision. PNG is typically used for Web applications,graphical user interfaces and image sharing.
PNG

Rendering in PNG takes more time than rendering in TGA or in uncompressed
image formats, but saves a lot of disk space.

NOTE
PNG files exported from Harmony are tagged with their colour space
information in their metadata.

Jpeg (*.jpg)
JPG

A very compact image format with lossy compression. It is typically used for Web
pages and photo sharing. Because it does not preserve image quality, it isrecommended to never render in Jpeg format unless you are exporting stills for a
Web page or are making quick render tests.

Bitmap (*.bmp)
BMP

A standard uncompressed image format commonly used on Microsoft operating
systems.

Toon Boom Optimized image (*.opt)
OPT

A legacy Toon Boom proprietary format that stores bitmap image data withlossless compression. It supports transparency.

Toon Boom Variable Header image (*.var)
VAR

TIF

A legacy Toon Boom proprietary format that stores greyscale bitmap image datawith lossless compression.

Tagged Image File Format (*.tiff)

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

FormatDescription

An image format with many compression and encoding settings. It is often used forimage exchange in visual arts and publishing.
TIFF images exported by Harmony are uncompressed, encoded on a per-pixel(interleaved) basis in PC byte order.

Digital Picture Exchange (*.dpx)
DPX

A professional photo format that supports various different approaches to storingcolour information, which can be used for storing, exchanging and editing raw
information recorded by cameras. It is commonly used in film production.

OpenEXR (*.exr)
A highly capable deep image format. Each pixel in an EXR file is exported with its
Z-depth information. Additionally, if a pixel is semi-transparent, the color and depth
information of pixels further back is stored along with it. If your scene has
multiplane or 3D elements, this format can be used for compositing your animation
with other graphical elements in 3D animation software.
EXR

NOTES
l

l

OpenEXR files exported from Harmony are tagged with thewhite point and primaries coordinates for their colour
space.
OpenEXR files are always exported by Harmony always
have 1 line Zip compression if they contain a 3D image.

Portable Document File (*.pdf)

PDF

Typically, PDF files are used to store, archive, share and print documents. However,Harmony uses the PDF format for its capability to store bitmap images and vector
graphics.
If the write node is connected to a vector drawing layer or to a vector composite,
the exported PDF files will contain the image as a vector graphic. It will ignore
bitmap layers, effects and deformations. Otherwise, the PDF files will contain therendered image as a bitmap.

Deep Texture (*.dtex)
DTEX

A commonly used deep image format. Each pixel in an DTEX file is exported with
its Z-depth information. Additionally, if a pixel is semi-transparent, the color and56

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

FormatDescription

depth information of pixels further back is stored along with it. If your scene has
multiplane or 3D elements, this format can be used for compositing your animation
with other graphical elements in 3D animation software.

NOTE
Exporting in Deep Texture requires RenderMan to be installed on themachine and the path to RenderMan properly configured in Harmony.
For more information, see the Setting 3D Renderer Paths topic of
the User Guide.

Depending on the selected file type, you can select one of the following colour modes:llColourModelColour: Exports images in three channels: red, green and blue.
Colour with Transparency: Exports images in four channels: red, green, blue andaalpha.
Greyscale: Exports images in a single channel, grey.

NOTE
Only some file types support Colour with Transparency and Greyscale.

Depending on the selected file type, you can select one of the following colour depth:lColourDepthl8-bits / channel: The standard colour depth. Each channel can have a value ranging
from 0 and 255. Displays typically only support this much precision.
16-bits /channel: Also known as double-precision. Each channel can have a value
ranging from 0 to 65,536. Although displays typically can’t display at this precision,
this allows compositing several images with effects and feathering without causing
any dithering.

he colour space in which to render your frames. The rendered frames will be converted fromyour scene’s working colour space to the selected colour space.
ColourSpace

The following colour spaces are supported in Harmony:llScene Working Colour Space: The same colour space as the one selected in the
Colour Space tab of the Scene Settings dialog.
Linear: The same primaries and white point as sRGB and Rec. 709, but with no gamma

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

transfer curve applied to the colour values. This colour space is useful for compositing
intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in sRGB or Rec. 709.
llDisplay P3: A colour space commonly used for digital projection. It has the same
primaries as DCI-P3, the same white point as sRGB and the same gamma transfer curve
as sRGB.
Display P3 Linear: The same as Display P3, except with no gamma transfer curve. This
colour space is useful for compositing intermediary images that are meant to berendered in Display P3.

l

l

l

l

Rec. 709: The colour space used for HDTV. It has the same primaries and white point
as sRGB, but has a different gamma transfer curve.
Rec. 709 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 709 or sRGB, except with a gammatransfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space exists because someediting systems use a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve
for Rec. 709.
Rec. 2020: A colour space used for Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV). It has acomplex gamma transfer curve and primaries that cover more of the human-perceivablecolour space than other colour spaces, especially in the area of human-perceivablegreens.
Rec. 2020 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with a simple gammatransfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space exists because someediting systems use a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve
for Rec. 2020.

llRec. 2020 Linear: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with no gamma transfer
curve. This colour space is useful for compositing intermediary images that are meant
to be rendered in Rec. 2020.
sRGB: A colour space typically used for standard computer monitors. It has the same
primaries and white point as Rec. 709, but has a different gamma transfer curve.

Range
All
FramesExports all the frames in your scene.

Selected
FramesAllows you to specify the frame range to export using the two input fields to the right. The
first input field is for specifying the first frame to export, and the second one is for specifying
the last frame to export. All the frames in-between, including the ones specified, will be
exported.

Preview

If checked, the rendered frames will be opened in the Play application.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

OK

Renders the frames with the selected settings and closes the dialog box.

CancelCloses the dialog box without rendering frames.

59Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Export OpenGL Frames Dialog Box
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box allows you to export your scene as a sequence of images as they appear
in the OpenGL View mode of the Camera view. This means they are exported without effects, antialiasing andproper compositing. This allows you to quickly preview the animation in your scene without having to wait
through the full rendering process.

How to access the Export to OpenGL Frames dialog box
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.

Parameter

Description

Output
The directory in which to export the frames or movie file.
Location

You can click Browse... to open a dialog allowing you to navigate your file system andselect a directory.
The name of the file to export.

Filename

If you are exporting frames, the file name of each frame will start with this value,
followed by the number of the frame.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Image Sequence

Description

Select this option to create an image sequence.

Movie

Exports the frames into a movie file.

FramesExports each frame as an individual image file.

SuffixAllows you to select the number of digits in the number used to identify each frame.

FormatSpecification

TGA

Full colour

TGA1

Greyscale

Truevision TGA/TARGA (*.tga)

Full colour

A standard image format with lossless compression
and support for transparency.

TGA3

TGA4

Full colour
withtransparency

SGI

Full colour /8 bits perchannel

SGI1

Greyscale / 8bits perchannel

SGI3

Full colour /8 bits perchannel

SGI4

Full colour
withtransparency/ 8 bits perchannel

SGIDP

Full colour /Drawing
Type

Description

TGA files use more disk space than PNG files, but
rendering in TGA is faster.

Silicon Graphics Image (*.sgi)
A highly capable format with lossless compression as
well as support for double precision and transparency.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

Description

16 bits perchannelSGIDP3Full colour /16 bits perchannelSGIDP4

Full colour
withtransparency/ 16 bits perchannel

PSD

Full colour /8 bits perchannel

PSD1

Greyscale / 8bits perchannel

PSD3

Full colour /8 bits perchannelPSD4Photoshop Document (*.psd)
An Adobe Photoshop proprietary format used forimage editing.

Full colour
withtransparency/ 8 bits perchannel

PSDDP

Full colour /16 bits perchannel

PSDDP1Greyscale /16 bits perchannel

PSDDP3Full colour /62

PSD files exported by Harmony contain a single
background layer with the rasterized image.

NOTE
PSD files exported from Harmony are
tagged with their colour space
information in their metadata, except
for PSD files exported in greyscale.

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

Description

16 bits perchannel

PSDDP4

Full colour
withtransparency/ 16 bits perchannelY'UV frame (*.yuv)
A legacy format optimized for NTSC television. The
image information is encoded in the Y'UV color space,which means Luma (Y') and Chrominance (UV).
YUV

NOTE
YUV images must be exported in NTSC
resolution (720 x 540), or they will not
be legible.

PAL frame (*.pal)
A legacy format optimized for PAL television.

NOTE

PAL

PAL images must be exported in PAL
resolution (768 x 576), or they will not
be legible.

Toon Boom Scan Files (*.scan)
A Toon Boom proprietary format used by Scan tostore scanned image information along with its
registration (peg), resolution and field chart metadata.
SCAN files are in gresycale.

SCAN

PNG

Full colour /8 bits perchannelPortable Network Graphics (*.png)
A highly portable image format with high lossless

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

PNG4

Full colour
withtransparency/ 8 bits perchannel

PNGDP

Full colour /16 bits perchannelPNGDP3Full colour /16 bits perchannelPNGDP4

Full colour
withtransparency/ 16 bits perchannelDescription

compression as well as support for transparency anddouble-precision. PNG is typically used for Web
applications, graphical user interfaces and image
sharing.
Rendering in PNG takes more time than rendering in
TGA or in uncompressed image formats, but saves a
lot of disk space.

NOTE
PNG files exported from Harmony are
tagged with their colour space
information in their metadata.

Jpeg (*.jpg)
A very compact image format with lossy compression.
It is typically used for Web pages and photo sharing.
Because it does not preserve image quality, it isrecommended to never render in Jpeg format unless
you are exporting stills for a Web page or are making
quick render tests.

JPG

BMP

Full colour

Bitmap (*.bmp)
BMP4

Full colour
withtransparency

64

A standard uncompressed image format commonlyused on Microsoft operating systems.

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

OPT

Full colour

OPT1

Greyscale

OPT3

Full colour

OPT4

Full colour
withtransparency

Description

Toon Boom Optimized image (*.opt)
A legacy Toon Boom proprietary format that stores
bitmap image data with lossless compression. It
supports transparency.

Toon Boom Variable Header image (*.var)
A legacy Toon Boom proprietary format that storesgreyscale bitmap image data with losslesscompression.

VAR

Tagged Image File Format (*.tiff)
An image format with many compression andencoding settings. It is often used for image exchange
in visual arts and publishing.

TIF

TIFF images exported by Harmony are uncompressed,
encoded on a per-pixel (interleaved) basis in PC byteorder.

DPX

8 bits perchannel /Full color /RGB channel
order

Digital Picture Exchange (*.dpx)

DPX3_88 bits perchannel /Full color /RGB channel
order

DPX3_1010 bits perchannel /Full color /65

A professional photo format that supports various
different approaches to storing colour information,
which can be used for storing, exchanging and editing
raw information recorded by cameras. It is commonlyused in film production.

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

Description

RGB channel
order

DPX3_12

12 bits perchannel /Full color /RGB channel
order

DPX3_16

16 bits perchannel /Full color /RGB channel
order

DPX3_10_
INVERTED_CHANNELS

10 bits perchannel /Full color /BGR channel
order

DPX3_12_
INVERTED_CHANNELS

12 bits perchannel /Full color /BGR channel
order

DPX3_16_
INVERTED_CHANNELS

16 bits perchannel /Full color /BGR channel
order

OpenEXR (*.exr)

EXR

16 lines Zip
compression

66

A highly capable deep image format. Each pixel in an
EXR file is exported with its Z-depth information.
Additionally, if a pixel is semi-transparent, the colorand depth information of pixels further back is stored
along with it. If your scene has multiplane or 3D
elements, this format can be used for compositing
your animation with other graphical elements in 3D

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

Description

animation software.

NOTES
l

OpenEXR files exported from
Harmony are tagged with thewhite point and primaries
coordinates for their colour
space.

EXR_ZIP_1LINE

1 line Zip
compressionl

OpenEXR files are always
exported by Harmony always
have 1 line Zip compression if
they contain a 3D image.

Portable Document File (*.pdf)
Typically, PDF files are used to store, archive, shareand print documents. However, Harmony uses the
PDF format for its capability to store bitmap images
and vector graphics.

PDF

If the write node is connected to a vector drawing
layer or to a vector composite, the exported PDF files
will contain the image as a vector graphic. It will
ignore bitmap layers, effects and deformations.
Otherwise, the PDF files will contain the rendered
image as a bitmap.

Deep Texture (*.dtex)
A commonly used deep image format. Each pixel in an
DTEX file is exported with its Z-depth information.
Additionally, if a pixel is semi-transparent, the colorand depth information of pixels further back is stored
along with it. If your scene has multiplane or 3D
elements, this format can be used for compositing
your animation with other graphical elements in 3D
animation software.

DTEX

67

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

FormatSpecification

Description

NOTE
Exporting in Deep Texture requires
RenderMan to be installed on themachine and the path to RenderMan
properly configured in Harmony. For
more information, see the Setting 3DRenderer Paths topic of the User
Guide.

Drop list with all formats listed alphabetically.
l

BMP

l

DPX

l

DTEX

l

EXR

l

JPG

l

OPT

l

PAL

l

PDF

l

PNG

l

PSD

l

SCAN

l

SGI

l

TGA

l

TIF

l

TVG

l

VAR

l

YUV

Image Format

Colours

Drop list with colour modes. Available modes depend on the selected file type.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

DescriptionlGreyscalelColourlColour + Alpha

Drop list with bit depth value and a label next to it "bits/channel". Available bit depth
depends on the selected file type.
Depth(bits/channel)

l

8

l

10

l

12

l

16

Drop list that appears for EXR and TIF formats only.
l

Zip (per scanline)l

Zip (16 scanlines)

Compression

Inverted Channels

A checkbox that appears for DPX only in 10, 12, 16 bit depths.
Opens the movie settings dialog box for your selected video format, in which you can set
the video and audio compression settings for your video file:
l

l

Movie
optionsl

QuickTime Movie (*.mov) on Windows: Movie Options Dialog Box (macOS),
QuickTime Movie (*.mov) on macOS: QuickTime Movie Settings Dialog Box(Windows)
Windows Media Video (*.wmv): Windows Media Video Settings Dialog Box(Windows)

NOTE
This button is available on Windows and macOS only.

Opens the video settings dialog box, which allows you to set the video compression
settings for your video file—see OpenQuickTime Video Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux).
Video
options

NOTE
This button is available on GNU/Linux only.

69

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

ParameterSound
options

Description

Opens the audio settings dialog box, which allows you to set the audio compression
settings for your video file—see OpenQuickTime Sound Options Dialog Box(GNU/Linux).

NOTE
This button is available on GNU/Linux only.

Allows you to choose one of the following movie formats:l

QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov): The Apple QuickTime format. This is thedefault export format and is recommended for its portability, and also because it
allows you to choose among several video codecs.

NOTES
l

l

On Windows, Apple QuickTime must be installed to allow
Harmony to export QuickTime movies. You can configure theexport of QuickTime movies to use any codec that is compatible
with QuickTime, including H.264, MPEG-4 and Animation.
On macOS, Harmony uses Apple AVFoundation to export
QuickTime movies, which allows you to export using codecs
such as H.264, Apple ProRes 422 and Apple ProRes 4444,
among others.

Movie Format

l

l

l

If you are looking to export a QuickTime movie withtransparency, be sure to choose a codec that supports encodingwith an alpha channel.
On GNU/Linux, Harmony uses the OpenQuickTime library toexport QuickTime movies. This only allows you to export videos
in non-proprietary formats such as Motion-JPEG, Photo JPEG,PNG or Uncompressed (RGB).

H.264/MPEG-4 (*.mov) : A simple movie format that uses the H.264 codec, which
is supported by most web browsers.

70Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

NOTES
l

l

l

l

l

Using this format does not require additional software. However,if this is the first time you export a movie in H.264/MPEG-4
format, you will be prompted to download the OpenH264 libraryfrom Cisco. Simply click Yes when prompted, and Harmony willautomatically download the library, then export the movie.
There are no encoding options for this format.
This format supports resolutions of up to 4096×2304. Eachdimension must be a multiple of 16 pixels.
Audio exported in this format is encoded in PCM 16-bit stereo,
22.05 kHz.

Windows Media Video (*.wmv): The native format for Windows Media Player.

NOTES
l

l

Windows Media Video (.wmv) files can only be exported on
Windows.
Video players and editors on non-Windows systems cangenerally not open Windows Media Video (.wmv) files.

Options
If checked, the exported images or movie will be opened after the export is finished:
Open inPlayerll

If you are exporting frames, they will be opened in the Play application.
If you are exporting a movie, it will be opened in your operating system’s movie
player.

Allows you to specify a resolution to export in, relative to your scene's actual resolution:llResolutionllSame as Scene Resolution: Exports a movie in the same resolution as yourscene's resolution.
3/4 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 75% of the scene's width andheight.
1/2 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 50% of the scene's width andheight.
1/4 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 25% of the scene's width andheight.

71

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

DescriptionlCustom: Allows you specify the preferred resolution of your exported video file,in pixels, in the Width and Height fields.

Allows you to specify the range of frames in your scene to export:l

All Frames: Exports all the frames in your scene.

l

From / to: Allows you to specify the frame range to export using the two input
fields to the right. The first input field is for specifying the first frame to export,
and the second one is for specifying the last frame to export. All the frames inbetween, including the ones specified, will be exported.

Range
l

l

Current Frame: Exports the current frame only.
Selected Frames: Allows you to select which frames to export. You can enable
or disable exporting a specific frame by clicking on it. You can also toggle
exporting a range of frames by clicking and dragging over that range in the list.

OK

Exports OpenGL frames with the selected settings and closes the dialog box.

CancelCloses the dialog box without exporting anything.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Export to Animated GIF Dialog Box
Using the Export to Animated GIF dialog box, you can export your scene, or an excerpt of it, as an animated GIF
image.

Animated GIFs are a portable format commonly used for exchanging short animations and clips on the web.
They can be played in any web browser and in many image viewers.
Animated GIFs are a convenient sharing format, but they are not a publishing format. They are not as
optimized for fast download and playback as movie files, cannot contain audio and, most importantly, can only
contain up to 256 different colours throughout the entire animation. Hence, if your animation contains texturesor gradients, it is likely to lose quality when exported as an animated GIF, as Harmony will have to limit theamount of different colours used in the exported image.
NOTE
For steps on how to use the Export to Animated GIF dialog box, see the User Guide.

How to access the Export to Animated GIF dialog box
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > Animated GIF.
The Export to Animated GIF dialog box appears.

Parameter

Description

Output73

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

Output

The full path and file name of the GIF file to export.

BrowseOpens a dialog allowing you to browse to the desired export directory and enter
the desired file name.

Export Range
All

Exports all the frames in your scene.

FramesAllows you to specify a range of frames to render.

Resolution
Lets you specify a resolution to export in relative to your scene's actual
resolution:llSame as Scene Resolution: Exports a movie in the same resolution as
your scene's resolution.
3/4 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 75% of the scene's widthand height.

Resolution listlll

1/2 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 50% of the scene's widthand height.
1/4 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 25% of the scene's widthand height.
Custom: Allows you specify the preferred resolution of your exported
video file, in pixels, in the Width and Height fields.

Width

If you selected the Custom resolution, use this field to specify the width, inpixels, of the exported movie.

Width

If you selected the Custom resolution, use this field to specify the height, inpixels, of the exported movie.

Options

Dithering

Options
Since GIF images can only have up to 256 colours, you have the option to add
dithering to the rendered image. Dithering blends pixels of different colours
where the image contains gradients to simulate colours that do not exist in the74Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

GIF image's colour palette.
l

l

l

Loop

None: No dithering will be applied. Each pixel rendered is rendered withthe colour in the palette that is the closest to its actual colour.

Diffusion: Blends pixels in irregular patterns to blend pixels and simulate
the colour as closely as possible.

Pattern: Blends pixels in regular checkered patterns to simulate thecolour without created clusters of pixels.

If this option is checked, the exported GIF animation will loop when previewed in
web browsers and other image viewers that support animated GIFs. Otherwise, itwill only play once and stop.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Export to Easel JS Dialog Box
The Export to Easel JS window lets you flatten an image sequence of your animation. Even if you have a fully
rigged puppet or a single drawing layer with your animation sequence, the outcome will still be a flattened
output of each frame, grouped together in your sprite sheet. This allows for more flexibility and freedom ofwork as you have access to any tools or effect modules you want to use. However, this can result in heavier files
depending on the length, complexity and export size of your animation.

How to access the Export to Easel JS window
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Game.

2. Click the Export to Easel JS

Parameter

button.

Description

Select Directory76Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Save Path

The folder path where you want to save your export.

Save Name

The folder name in which you will save your export. This will also be the name ofyour asset in Unity. Your scene file name will be used as the clip name.

Existing Clips in Folder

Displays the clips in the folder.

Scene Options

Display

Here, you must select the Display of your character. This is the one that will be
used to render out all of the information attached to that Display node. If the
Unconnected_Display option is selected, all of the visual information in yourscene will be rendered out.

Sprite Sheet Preferences
Max Width
Max HeightThis is a value, in pixels, for the maximum width and height the exported sprite
sheet should be. By default, both values are set to 2048 pixels.

Expand Sprite Sheet

Uses the minimum size necessary up until it reaches the maximum resolution.

Fixed Sprite Sheet

Creates a texture of the specified size (Max Width and Max Height) even if it does
not fill it up completely by all the drawings in your scene.

Resolution Type

POT: Exports to sprite sheets with sizes that are a power of 2. For example: 1024
x 1024. This is optimized for many graphics cards, but consumes more memory.
NPOT: Some game engines are optimized specifically to render to non powers of
two, so that it will avoid those numbers. Example: 1000 x 1000.

Reuse FramesThis option works in tandem with the Threshold option. The export will compare
the drawings in your project to reuse a maximum of similar drawings and reduce
the amount of information found in the sprite sheet, making it lighter. The export
will omit the creation of new drawings if the difference is less than the thresholdpercentage.

ThresholdCalculates the differences between multiple drawings. A 2% threshold will
prevent the creation of a new drawing if the drawing is too similar to an existingdrawing. For instance, with a 2% threshold, and my drawing is 100 pixels big,
only 2 of those pixels need to be different from my other drawing in order to77

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

create a new one. The higher the threshold, the fewer similar drawings you willhave.
Sprite Resolutions

Size of the render of the individual sprite, when it exports each drawing out.

78Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Export to Flash Movie Dialog Box
The Export to Flash Movie dialog box lets you export your animation as a Flash (.swf) movie.

How to access the Export to Flash Movie dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > SWF.
The Export to Flash Movie (.swf) dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

OutputLets you specify the location in which the file will be exported.

Export Range
All

Exports all the frames of your movie.

FramesExport a frame range which you specify

Options

Frame Rate

Lets you enter a Frame rate (fps). By default, it will be set to match the fps of yourHarmony project. If you choose a lower frame rate, your export playback will befaster than your actual project. The reverse is also true for a higher frame rate.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Lets you select a JPEG quality:

Jpeg Quality‣

100 = Full quality‣

50 = Average quality at about 1/5th of the size.

‣

25 = Medium quality where loss of high image resolution starts tooccur.

‣

10 = Low quality where “macro-blocking” or large pixelation become
obvious.

‣

1 = Lowest quality where there is extreme loss of colour and detailand the image becomes nearly unrecognizable.

Protect from Import

Prevents the movie from being imported into another application.

Convert Pencil Lines
to Brush Lines

Retains the thickness of pencil lines.

Compress Movie

Compresses the movie for a lighter format. The movie may lose some quality, but
the file will be lighter.
Lets you select the effects you do NOT want to be rendered in the SWF movie.

Do Not Export

NOTE
Certain Harmony effects are not listed in this section as they are notcompatible and therefore not available for SWF export. These effects will
not appear in the SWF render.

80Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Export to Video Dialog Box
The Export to Video dialog box lets you export your animation as a movie file.

How to access the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.

Parameter

Description

OutputAllows you to choose one of the following movie formats:Video FormatlQuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov): The Apple QuickTime format. Thisis the default export format and is recommended for its portability, andalso because it allows you to choose among several video codecs.

81Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

NOTES
l

l

On Windows, Apple QuickTime must be installed toallow Harmony to export QuickTime movies. You canconfigure the export of QuickTime movies to use any
codec that is compatible with QuickTime, including
H.264, MPEG-4 and Animation.
On macOS, Harmony uses Apple AVFoundation toexport QuickTime movies, which allows you to export
using codecs such as H.264, Apple ProRes 422 andApple ProRes 4444, among others.

l

l

l

If you are looking to export a QuickTime movie withtransparency, be sure to choose a codec that supports
encoding with an alpha channel.
On GNU/Linux, Harmony uses the OpenQuickTime
library to export QuickTime movies. This only allows
you to export videos in non-proprietary formats suchas Motion-JPEG, Photo JPEG, PNG or Uncompressed(RGB).

H.264/MPEG-4 (*.mov) : A simple movie format that uses the H.264
codec, which is supported by most web browsers.

NOTES
l

l

l

l

l

Using this format does not require additional
software. However, if this is the first time you export a
movie in H.264/MPEG-4 format, you will be prompted
to download the OpenH264 library from Cisco.
Simply click Yes when prompted, and Harmony willautomatically download the library, then export themovie.
There are no encoding options for this format.
This format supports resolutions of up to
4096×2304. Each dimension must be a multiple of 16
pixels.
Audio exported in this format is encoded in PCM 16bit stereo, 22.05 kHz.

Windows Media Video (*.wmv): The native format for Windows
Media Player.

82

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

NOTES
l

l

Windows Media Video (.wmv) files can only be
exported on Windows.
Video players and editors on non-Windows systems
can generally not open Windows Media Video (.wmv)
files.

Output file

The full path and file name of the movie file to export.

BrowseOpens a dialog allowing you to browse to the desired export directory andenter the desired filename.

Export Range
All

Exports all the frames in your scene.

FramesAllows you to specify the frame range to export using the two input fields to
the right. The first input field is for specifying the first frame to export, and thesecond one is for specifying the last frame to export. All the frames inbetween, including the ones specified, will be exported.

Resolution
Allows you to specify a resolution to export in, relative to your scene's actual
resolution:llResolution listlll

Width / Height

Same as Scene Resolution: Exports a movie in the same resolution as
your scene's resolution.
3/4 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 75% of the scene's widthand height.
1/2 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 50% of the scene's widthand height.
1/4 of Scene Resolution: Exports a movie at 25% of the scene's widthand height.
Custom: Allows you specify the preferred resolution of your exported
video file, in pixels, in the Width and Height fields.

Lets you specify the width and height of video file you wish to export, inpixels. To preserve your scene's aspect ratio, changing the value of the Width
or Height field will automatically update the other field with a proportional

83

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

value.
The colour space in which to render your movie. The rendered frames will be
converted from your scene’s working colour space to the selected colour
space.
The following colour spaces are supported in Harmony:
l

l

l

l

l

Colour SpacelScene Working Colour Space: The same colour space as the one
selected in the Colour Space tab of the Scene Settings dialog.
Linear: The same primaries and white point as sRGB and Rec. 709, butwith no gamma transfer curve applied to the colour values. This colour
space is useful for compositing intermediary images that are meant tobe rendered in sRGB or Rec. 709.
Display P3: A colour space commonly used for digital projection. It
has the same primaries as DCI-P3, the same white point as sRGB andthe same gamma transfer curve as sRGB.
Display P3 Linear: The same as Display P3, except with no gammatransfer curve. This colour space is useful for compositing
intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in Display P3.
Rec. 709: The colour space used for HDTV. It has the same primaries
and white point as sRGB, but has a different gamma transfer curve.
Rec. 709 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 709 or sRGB, except witha gamma transfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space
exists because some editing systems use a gamma transfer curve of
2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve for Rec. 709.

l

l

l

l

Rec. 2020: A colour space used for Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV).
It has a complex gamma transfer curve and primaries that cover moreof the human-perceivable colour space than other colour spaces,
especially in the area of human-perceivable greens.
Rec. 2020 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with asimple gamma transfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour
space exists because some editing systems use a gamma transfer
curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve for Rec. 2020.
Rec. 2020 Linear: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except withno gamma transfer curve. This colour space is useful for compositing
intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in Rec. 2020.
sRGB: A colour space typically used for standard computer monitors.
It has the same primaries and white point as Rec. 709, but has adifferent gamma transfer curve.

Options

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Opens the movie settings dialog box for your selected video format, in which
you can set the video and audio compression settings for your video file:llMovie OptionslQuickTime Movie (*.mov) on Windows: Movie Options Dialog Box(macOS),
QuickTime Movie (*.mov) on macOS: QuickTime Movie Settings Dialog
Box (Windows)
Windows Media Video (*.wmv): Windows Media Video Settings
Dialog Box (Windows)

NOTE
This button is available on Windows and macOS only.

Opens the video settings dialog box, which allows you to set the video
compression settings for your video file—see OpenQuickTime Video Options
Dialog Box (GNU/Linux).
Video Options

NOTE
This button is available on GNU/Linux only.

Opens the audio settings dialog box, which allows you to set the audio
compression settings for your video file—see OpenQuickTime Sound Options
Dialog Box (GNU/Linux).
Sound Options

NOTE
This button is available on GNU/Linux only.

85

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Export to Sprite Sheet Dialog Box
The Export to Sprite Sheets window export to multiple resolutions, generating multiple .xml files and one or
multiple sprites sheets depending how many sprite resolutions you defined.
This saves different animations of the same character into the same name. For example, if there's an idle, run,and jump animation, these should all share the same Save Name. You can think of it as the overall collection ofanimations. Inside are the different saved scene versions whose drawings you can reuse for all the animationsin that character set. Each scene version will be displayed as an item in the list.
When you export an animation, only the drawings used in that scene are exported. All the drawings areexported individually first and then atlased together into a sprite sheet.
If you saved multiple animations to the same Save Name (i.e. SpaceDuck: run, idle), then it will reatlas the
sprite sheet to include all the drawings from all the animations in that folder, creating a new animation file, but
reusing the same skeleton.

86Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

How to access the Export to Sprite Sheets window
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Game.

2. Click the Export to Sprite Sheets

Parameter

button.

Description

Select Directory
Asset Path

The folder path where you want to save your export.

Asset Name

The folder name in which you will save your export. This will also be the name ofyour asset in Unity. Your scene file name will be used as the clip name.

Existing Clips in Folder

Preview Window

Displays a list of pre-existing clips in the same export folder location, most likely
exported there from a previous time.

Use Scene Markers to
Export Clips

Uses scene markers to define the export range, instead of exporting the entire
scene.

Project Settings

Unit Scale

Lets you change the scale when exporting to Unity to accommodate the size ofthe export without it affecting the Harmony scene. This helps you resize assets
properly for Unity without having to resize them in Harmony. The basic scale is
one Animation Field for one Unity unit.

PresetLets you select the unit conversion from Harmony to Unity, by selecting one of 4
presets. Note: a field is a unit of measure in traditional animation grid.

Sprite Sheet Preferences

87Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Max Width

This is a value, in pixels, for the maximum width and height the exported sprite
sheet should be. By default, both values are set to 2048 pixels.

Max Height

Makes linear values for interpolation. This increases the amount of memory used
but frees up the calculation so it is not done on the fly.

Expand Sprite Sheet

Uses the minimum size necessary up until it reaches the maximum resolution.

Fixed Sprite Sheet

Resolution TypeCreates a texture of the specified size (Max Width and Max Height) even if it does
not fill it up completely by all the drawings in your scene.
POT: Exports to sprite sheets with sizes that are a power of 2. For example: 1024
x 1024. This is optimized for many graphics cards, but consumes more memory.
NPOT: Some game engines are optimized specifically to render to non powers of
two, so that it will avoid those numbers. Example: 1000 x 1000.

Reuse FramesThis option works in tandem with the Threshold option. The export will compare
the drawings in your project to reuse a maximum of similar drawings and reduce
the amount of information found in the sprite sheet, making it lighter. The export
will omit the creation of new drawings if the difference is less than the thresholdpercentage.

ThresholdCalculates the differences between multiple drawings. A 2% threshold will
prevent the creation of a new drawing if the drawing is too similar to an existingdrawing. For instance, with a 2% threshold, and my drawing is 100 pixels big,
only 2 of those pixels need to be different from my other drawing in order tocreate a new one. The higher the threshold, the fewer similar drawings you willhave.

Sprite Resolutions

Size of the render of the individual sprite, when it exports each drawing out.

Delete Existing Clips

Select this option to delete any pre-existing clips in the export location.

Bake Animation Curves

Makes linear values for interpolation. This increases the amount of memory used
but frees up the calculation so it is not done on the fly.

Clear Texture Folder

Removes any information from the texture folder within the Harmony file. This
has no incidence towards the Unity export but contributes to a lighter Harmony
file.

Export Sprites Individually

Exports each drawing separately instead of putting them inside a spritesheet.

88Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

This allows the game engine to deal with sprite sheets or sprite atlases at theimport.

89

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Extend Exposure Dialog Box
The Extend Exposure dialog box lets you extend the exposure of a selected cell in the Timeline or Xsheet.

How to access the Extend Exposure dialog box
1. Select a cell and do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Extend Exposure.

lPress F5.

The Extend Exposure dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description
Lets you enter the frame up to which you want to extend the exposure. You can

Extend to Frame

expose the drawing in the frames and replace the drawings that were originally
there or move the subsequent frames forward in time.

Overwrite

Lets you expose the drawing in the frames and replace the drawings that wereorginally there.

InsertLets you expose the drawing in the frames and move the subsequent frames
forward in the Timeline view.

90Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Fill Cells Randomly Dialog Box
The Fill Cells Randomly dialog box lets you Lets you fill in random values over a selection. You can give amaximum and a minimum value and create a range for Harmony to choose the random values from. The
selection can be over one cell or a cell range in one column or more or an entire column or many entire columns.

How to access the Fill Cells Randomly dialog box
1. Do one of the following:lSelect Animation > Cell > Fill Cells Randomly.

lIn the Xsheet view, click the Fill Cells Randomly

button (you may have tocustomize the toolbar to display it).
The Fill Cells Randomly dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Minimum Value

The lowest value to be used in the randomized exposure or keyframe value.

Maximum Value

The highest value to be used in the randomized exposure or keyframe value.

Hold

The exposure holding value.

Whole Numbers

If you are applying this to a drawing column, this option lets you avoid having
decimal points.

Add Key Exposure After

Inserts a key exposure on the frame following the last cell of the selection.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Fill Selection Dialog Box
The Fill Selection dialog box lets you Lets you fill the same value over an entire selection. The selection can beover one cell, a cell range in one column, a cell range over many columns, an entire column, or many columns.
You can use numbers, words, letters, or any alphanumeric value.

How to access the Fill Selection dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell range.

1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Fill Selection.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Fill Selection

button. Note that you may have to add thisbutton to your toolbar by right-clicking on it and selecting Customize.
lPress Ctrl + T (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + T (macOS)).

The Fill Selection dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Value

This is the value to be used in the filled selection.

Add Key Exposure After

Inserts a key exposure on the frame following the last cell of the selection.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Hold Timing

The Hold Timing node exists as Hold Timing (for Images) and Hold Transformation Timing (for Pegs andTransformations). This node is used to apply holds to the input transformation or images, in order to expose
certain frames for specific durations. These nodes can be used to change the exposure increments of input
images and transformations so that the output updates at the appropriate frames. This is particularly useful for
retiming the animated content.
The Hold Timing node takes an image input and output, and will provide the retimed transformation andrender of that image with sections held given the settings of the node.
The Hold Transformation Timing node takes a transformation input and output, and will provide the retimed
transformation with sections held given the settings of the node.

How to access the Hold Timing and Hold Transformation Timing dialog box
1. In the Node View press Enter.
2. Type in the name of the node you want to search.
3. Select the node.
4. Click the yellow box on the left to open the dialog box.

93

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxesl

Hold Mode: Defines the mode in which the held frame transformations and renders are applied.
You can select the value from the drop-down list.
lDynamic: Dynamic mode will scan all connected modules in the in-port and will also
calculate the most reasonable timing based on all connected nodes’ attribute keyframes andtiming. The dynamic mode aims for a maximum exposure as defined in the hold value
attribute, and will divide up timed-sections based on attached keyframes and theappropriate amount of subdivisions possible in that section, while considering the timing of
the animation.

lHold Value: Hold Value mode will use the value defined in the Hold Value attribute, and will
only update the transformation or render in increments of that value. Setting a keyframe on
this attribute will start a new section of exposures and all subsequent exposures will bebased on the last keyframe. This is useful for retiming sections on twos and adding sections
on ones by simply adding a keyframe.

lHold Between Stop-Motion Keyframes: Hold Between Stop-Motion Keyframes uses the
keyframes and tweens in the Hold Keyframes attribute to define regions that will update
and render new images and transformations. The node will only output the current framefrom the input when a key, or tween, is present on that frame, otherwise it will hold the lastvalue it has previously output.

lBake Dynamic Holds: Bake Dynamic Holds will convert the dynamic mode to another mode that is
static and no longer dependent on the input nodes. When clicking the Bake Dynamic Holds button,
a prompt will request the type of mode to convert the dynamic values into. This prompt allows theuser to select the mode into which the values are baked.

lHold Value: Defines the exposure increments in which the image or transformation is updated andoutput. This attribute is used when the node is in Dynamic and Hold Value mode.

lHold Keyframes: Defines the keys in which the image or transformation is updated and output. This
attribute is used when the node is in Hold Between Stop-Motion Keyframes mode.

lDisable Selection: This option is available in all timing nodes. It is recommended to disable the94Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

timing node when modifying content, and reapply it when the content is complete.
lHide from Timeline: This option will collapse all attached content above this node in the Timeline,
preventing it from being selected or modified directly in the Timeline.

95Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Import Images Dialog Box
T-HFND-007-011
The Import Images dialog box lets you import bitmap images and vectorize them, making the images editable.
Then you can use a variety of drawing tools to edit the image. Or you can always keep the original bitmap
image as is.
Also, you can choose to import bitmap images on bitmap or vector layers depending on your project..

How to open the Import Images dialog box
1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select File > Import > Images.

l

In the File toolbar, click the Import Imagesl

In the Xsheet view, right-click anywhere in the frame area and select Import >Images.

The Import Images dialog box opens.

96

button.

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

Files
BrowseLets you find and select images on your computer.

Create Layers(s)Create layers for imported images.

Create Single Layer
Named

Creates a new layer with the specified name and imports the images into it.

Create Layer(s) Basedon Filenames

Creates a layer based on each unique filename prefix. For example, if you import
three files named a-1.tga, a-2.tga and b-1.tga, this will create two layers, one
named "a" and one named "b". Layer "a" will contain the two first images and "b"will contain the third one.

Layer

Add to Existing Layer

Imports the images into the specified layer. Note that you can only import intolayers that are compatible with your import options. For example, if you're
importing images as vector drawings, you can only import them into vector
drawing layers.

Import Options

Depending on how you choose to import images, the Alignment section offers
different options.

Keep as Original
BitmapRetains an imported image as a bitmap. In the Alignment section, decide on thesize and placement of your image within the camera frame. Depending on the
Scene Settings (the height and width in pixels that you chose for your project), an
image that you import may get scaled to the point where all its individual pixels
become visible.

Import as Toon Boom
Bitmap Drawing

Imports a drawing into a vector layer where you can edit the image using thedrawing tools.

Convert to Toon
Boom Vector
Drawing

Imports a drawing and converts it to a Toon Boom vector drawing.

Alignment (Keep As Original Bitmap)

97Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Fit:
Adjusts the image's size to fit completely within the scene's field, both verticallyand horizontally, making sure the entire image is visible.
If the image's orientation is portrait, then it will adjust the image's height to fit thefield's height, without affecting the image's aspect ratio:

If the image orientation is landscape, then it will adjust the image's width to fit
the field's width, without affecting the image's aspect ratio:
Rules

Pan:
This has the opposite effect to the fit parameter. The image's smallest dimension
will be made to fit the scene frame's matching dimension, and the image's largest
dimension will be adjusted proportionally, making the image fill the entire scene
field, and bleed past its boundaries it if its aspect ratio does not match the field's
aspect ratio. This option can be used to import a panning background image, also
referred to as a pan.
If the image's orientation is portrait, it will adjust the image's width to fit thefield's width, without affecting its aspect ratio:98Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

If the image's orientation is landscape, it will adjust the image's height to fit thefield's height, without affecting its aspect ratio:

This has the opposite effect to the fit parameter. The image's smallest dimension
will be made to fit the scene frame's matching dimension, and the image's largest
dimension will be adjusted proportionally, making the image fill the entire scene
field, and bleed past its boundaries it if its aspect ratio does not match the field's
aspect ratio. This option can be used to import a panning background image, also
referred to as a pan.
If the image's orientation is portrait, it will adjust the image's width to fit thefield's width, without affecting its aspect ratio:

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Project
This
hasResolution:
the oppositeScales
effectto thetheimage
fit parameter.
to fit the scene's
The
image's smallest
resolution,
makingdimension
each pixel
will
in
the
beimagemadetaketo fitone
thepixel
scene
inframe'sthescene's
matchingfield. For
dimension,and the image's
example,if the image's
largestdimension will
dimensions
in pixels
be adjusted
are half
proportionally,of
the scene's resolution
making theinimage fillpixels,thenthetheentireimage'sscene
field, and bleed
dimensions
will past
appearits to beboundaries
halfof the scene
it if itsfield's
aspectdimensions.
ratio
does not match thefield's aspect ratio. This
option can be used to import
Alignment (Import as Toon Boom Bitmap Drawing)a panning background image,also referred to as a pan.
If the image's orientation is
portrait, it will adjust theimage's width to fit thefield's width, without
affecting its aspect ratio:

Horizontal Fit:
Adjusts the image's size so that its width matches the scene's width, without
affecting its aspect ratio.

Rules

If the image's orientation islandscape, it will adjust theimage's height to fit thefield's height, without
affecting its aspect ratio:

Vertical Fit:
Adjusts the image's size so that its height matches the scene's height, without
affecting its aspect ratio.

This has the opposite effectto the fit parameter. The
image's smallest dimension
will be made to fit the scene
frame's matching dimension,and the image's largest
dimension will be adjusted
proportionally, making theimage fill the entire scene
field, and bleed past its
boundaries it if its aspectratio does not match thefield's aspect ratio. This100

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Actual Size: Imports the image in its actual size, without adjusting its size
relative to the scene's resolution. For example, if the image's dimensions in pixels
are half of the scene's resolution in pixels, then the image's dimensions willappear to be half of the scene field's dimensions.
Transparency
Premultiplied with White: The colour values of semi-transparent pixels in theimage have been encoded so that the more transparent they are, the closer towhite they are. When an image that is premultiplied with white is loaded in asoftware that does not support transparency, it appears blended with a whitebackground. Select this to make Harmony reverse this premultiplication so thatthe image blends properly with other visual elements in your scene.

Alpha

Premultiplied with Black:The colour values of semi-transparent pixels in theimage have been encoded so that the more transparent they are, the closer toblack they are. When an image that is premultiplied with black is loaded in asoftware that does not support transparency, it appears blended with a black
background. Select this to make Harmony reverse this premultiplication so thatthe image blends properly with other visual elements in your scene.
Straight: The colour of semi-transparent pixels in the image is encoded
independently from their transparency. When an image that is not premultiplied
is loaded in a software that does not support transparency, semi-transparent
pixels simply appear fully opaque, making its edges appear pixelated.
Clamp Colour to Alpha:This is the same as Premultiplied with Black, exceptthat it also prevents the colour values for a given pixel from being higher thanthat pixel's alpha value. This option is only useful if you are working with images
that are supposed to be premultiplied with black, but where the colour values of101

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

pixels have been increased without their alpha values being adjusted
accordingly.
Vectorization

Black and White

Vectorizes drawings with a solid black line. This creates a 100% vector-based
drawing and paints it with the Vectorized Line colour swatch from your scene's
palette.

Grey

Vectorizes the image as a mix of vector contour and greyscale bitmap filling.
Lines keep the texture from the scan, and the white of the paper becomestransparent.

New Preset

Lets you create a new preset.

Delete Preset

Lets you delete any preset in the list.

Edit Preset

Lets you edit the vectorization parameters for the selected preset.

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Loop Node

The Loop node exists as both Loop (for Images) and Loop Transformation (for Pegs and Transformations). This
node is used to create looping sections in the Timeline by referencing the input content at different frames. The
Loop node is able to start a loop at a given frame, loop a section of frames a number of times, and continue after
looping is required.
The Loop node takes an image input and output, and will provide the retimed transformation and render ofthat image, looping over a number of frames.
The Loop Transformation node takes a transformation input and output, and will provide the retimed
transformation looping over a number of frames.

How to access the Loop and Loop Transformation Timing dialog box
1. In the Node View press Enter.
2. Type in the name of the node you want to search.
3. Select the node.
4. Click the yellow box on the left to open the dialog box.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxesl

Cycle Mode: Defines the way in which the output frames are calculated when cycling.
lRepeat: It will simply cycle the looping frames, and will repeat the cycle from the first frame
when finished. 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4lPing Pong: It will cycle the looping frames, and will repeat the cycle backwards whenfinished. 1,2,3,4,3,2,1,2,3 . . .

lFrames to Cycle: This area defines the input range to be used in the looped content.
lFirst: The first frame to be used in the looping content.

lLast: The last inclusive frame to be used in the looping content.

lOffset: Offsets the internal frame of the loop by this amount. This is useful for reusing loops,
but simply offsetting their starting frame.

l

Use Output Range: Defines whether the loop is considered infinite (when disabled) or, if the loop is
mapped to a specific output range and will have a start and ending range in the Timeline.
lDisabled: The loop will begin at frame one, and will persist for the total length of the scene.

lEnabled: The loop will begin at the start frame and plays to the end frame.

lStart: The output frame number that defines where the loop begins in the output frames. The
input images or transformation will play normally up until this point.

lEnd: The inclusive output frame number that defines where the loop ends in the output
frames. The loop will continue until one frame after this value is reached, and will resume its
output based on the resume behaviour of the node.

104Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guidel

Resume Behaviour: Defines the node’s behaviour after the end frame has been reachedwhen the output range is enabled.
l

Hold: Holds the final output frame’s value after the end frame has been reached.

lContinue from Looped Frame: Continues from the input frame that was last played in
the Timeline when the end frame of the loop has been reached.

lContinue from Timeline Frame: Continues from the actual Timeline frame, regardlessof the looping frame or output range, once the end frame of the loop has beenreached.

lDisable Selection: This option is available in all timing nodes. It is recommended to disable thetiming node when modifying content, and reapply it when the content is complete.

lHide from Timeline: This option will collapse all attached content above this node in the Timeline,
preventing it from being selected or modified directly in the Timeline.

105Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Manage Local Cache Dialog Box
The Manage Local Cache dialog box displays a list of all the Harmony Server scenes for which you have cacheddrawings. In this dialog, you can check if the drawings you have in a scene's cache match the drawings in the
database server, you can delete unused caches and you can change the directory in which scene data iscached.

NOTE
A scene's data is cached on your computer when you check the Cache scene assets locally option
in the Database Selector before opening the scene—see Database Selector Dialog Box on page45.

How to access the Manage Local Cache dialog box
1. In the top menu, select File > Manage Local Caches.
The Manage Local Caches dialog appears.

Parameter

List ofscene
cachesDescription

The list of caches stored on your computer. There is one item for each scene for which there iscached data. Each item is identified by the scene's environment, followed by its job, then its name,in this format:
Environment/Job/Scene
If you select a scene cache in the list, the Manage Local Caches dialog will compare the drawings
that are cached on your computer to the drawings in the actual scene in the database, and report if
they are identical or not in the Local Cache Status field.

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Parameter

Description

If you select a cache, the Manage Local Cache dialog will analyze whether the data in the selectedcache matches the data in the actual scene in the Harmony Server database.
If it displays Scene's Local Cache is identical to the database, then the drawings in the selectedcache on your computer are identical to the drawings in the corresponding scene in the database,meaning that your cache and that the database are up to date.

Local
Cache
StatusIf it displays Scene's Local Cache is different than database, then some drawings in the selectedcache on your computer are different from the drawings in the corresponding scene in the
database. This usually means one of the following:
l

l

Local
Cache Root
Folder

If the selected cache is the cache of the currently opened scene and you just saved yourscene, Harmony may still be uploading the updated drawings to the database. In this case,
you can close the dialog, wait a few seconds, and reopen it to see if Harmony is done
uploading the drawings. If it is, it will report that the cache is identical to the database.
If this is not the cache of the currently opened scene, it is likely that the database scene has
been changed by someone else since the last time you opened it. That would mean that the
database version is more up to date than your cache. This is not a problem, as next time you
open the scene, your cache will be updated.

Indicates where scene caches are stored on your computer. By default, scene caches are stored in afolder named Toon Boom Harmony Local Cache, inside your Documents folder.

Allows you to change the folder where caches are downloaded when you open a scene.

BrowseNOTE
The caches that are currently stored on your machine will not be moved to their new location.
Hence, when you change the local cache root folder, the list of scene caches will become
empty until you open a scene.

Deletes the selected scene cache from your computer.

RemoveNOTEThis button is greyed out if the selected scene cache is for the currently opened scene, as thiscache is currently in use by Harmony.

Close

Closes the dialog.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Manage Tool Presets Dialog Box
The Tool Presets window lets you create new tool presets and manage them.

How to access the Manage Tool Presets window
1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Tool Presets.

l

Right-click an empty area below the top menu and select Tool Presets.

2. In the Tool Presets toolbar, click the Manage Presets button.
Parameter

Description

Icon

Lets you select a preset to manage.

ImportLets you import an existing preset.

ExportLets you export a preset for use in other projects.

108Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

DeleteRemoves the preset from the list of tool presets.

Name

Lets you change the name of the preset.

Icon list

Lets you select an icon for the preset.

Folder icon

Lets you select an image for the preset.

ShortcutLets you assign a keyboard shortcut to the new preset.

ColourSaves the current colour into the tool preset.

Tool

If you disable this option, only the colour will be associated. You could, forexample, set three different colours with shortcuts not associated with any
tool. The colour preset would then work on any selected tool. Selecting thebrush tool was only a vehicle to get into the New Tool Preset dialog box.

UpdateAfter adjusting the settings for a preset, the current properties are applied tothe presets, as well as any other changes you made in the Manage Tool
Presets window.

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Marker Dialog Box
The Timeline Scene Marker dialog box lets you create and manage scene markers in the Timeline view.

Scene markers are visual indicators displayed at the top of the Timeline view in the frame counter area. You canuse it to denote anything relevant to your work. You can indicate the frames you want to clean up, a change inaction, an impact, or where you intend to apply an effect. You can also add a note to a scene marker. If you holdthe mouse cursor over a scene marker, its name, starting frame, duration and note will be displayed in the tool
tip box.

How to access the Timeline Scene Marker dialog box
1. In the Timeline view, do one of the following:l

If you want to create a scene marker at a single frame, select that frame on any layer.

l

If you want to create a scene marker that spans over several frames, select this range offrame on any layer.

2. Right-click on the ruler at the top of the Timeline view and, in the context menu, select Scene
Markers > Create Scene Marker.

110Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

NOTE
If your scene already contains scene markers, you can also open this dialog box by clicking on ascene marker to select it, then right-clicking anywhere on the timeline ruler and selecting
Scene Markers > Edit in the contextual menu.

Parameter

Description

Name

The name of the marker.

Time

The frame number at which the marker starts.
The amount of frames during which the marker spans.

Duration

TIP
You can set the duration to zero to make a marker that just points at thestarting frame.

ColourAllows you to select a colour for the scene marker.

Note

Allows you to type a description for the scene marker.

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Mini Playback Dialog Box
The Mini Playback dialog box alllows you to configure and start Mini Playback. Mini Playback allows you toquickly preview a short span of animation starting a few frames before the current frame and ending a few
frames after the current frame, at a customizable frame rate.

How to access the Mini Playback dialog
1. Do one of the following:

Icon

l

In the top menu, select Play > Mini Playback.

l

In the Mini Playback toolbar, click on the

Mini Playback Dialog button.

Parameter

Description

Frame Rate

The speed at which Mini Playback should play your animation. By default, it is set toSame as Scene to play at the same pace as your scene's frame rate. Otherwise, you
can choose among a set of commonly used frame rates.

Before

The amount of frames before the current frame at which to start Mini Playback.

Play

Starts Mini Playback. Playback will start at the amount of frames in the Before field
before the current frame, and end at the amount of frames in the After field after thecurrent frame, at the frame rate in the Frame Rate drop-down.

After

The amount of frames after the current frame at which to end Mini Playback.

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Movie Options Dialog Box (macOS)
The Movie Options dialog box allows you to configure the video and audio settings when exporting a movie in
QuickTime Movie (.mov) format on macOS.

NOTES
l

For tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on macOS.

How to access the Movie Settings dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

113Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).
3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the Movie Settings dialog box from the Export OpenGL Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

114Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).
4. Click on the Movie Options button.

Parameter

Description

Video
Allows you to select which algorithm to use to compress the video data. The following video
codecs are supported:
l

l

Codec

l

l

l

H.264 Legacy: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly supported
by web browsers and media players.
H.265 Legacy: Same compression quality as H.264, but with a smaller compression size.
This is useful for videos intended for the web and mobile devices. Not supported on all
major browsers or operating systems.
Apple ProRes 422 Legacy: A nearly lossless compression algorithm commonly used forvideo editing on Apple systems. This codec is optimized for preserving video quality, but
not for publishing or streaming.
Apple ProRes 422 HQ Legacy: Preserves visual quality at the same high level as Apple
ProRes 4444 but for 4:2:2 image sources (cleaner footage for things like green
screening). Heavier than Apple ProRes 422 for real-time editing performance.
Apple ProRes 422 LT Legacy: A more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes
422, with roughly 70 percent of the data rate and 30 percent smaller file sizes. This
codec is perfect for environments with limited storage capacity and data rates.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

DescriptionllApple ProRes 422 Proxy Legacy: An even more highly compressed codec than Apple
ProRes 422 LT, intended for use in offline workflows that require low data rates but fullresolution video.
Apple ProRes 4444 Legacy: A nearly lossless compression algorithm commonly usedfor video editing on Apple systems. Compared to Apple ProRes 422, this codec
preserves more colour detail and supports transparency. However, it results in heavier
file sizes.

Check this option if you want to export a video with transparency.

Alpha

NOTE
This option is only available when exporting with the Apple ProRes 4444 codec. Other
codecs do not support transparency.

Sound

Uncheck this checkbox if you want to export a movie without an audio track.
Allows you to select the sample rate, or frequency, in which to export the audio track for themovie.

Rate

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050 kHz. If you select ahigher sample rate, your project's audio will be upsampled, which means it will take more
disc space without increasing in quality.

Allows you to select whether to export the movie's audio track using the Mono or Stereo
channel mode.
Use

NOTE
Stereo sound has a separate track for the left and right speakers, whereas mono soundonly has a single audio track for all speakers.

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QuickTime Movie Settings Dialog Box (Windows)
The Movie Settings dialog box allows you to configure the video and audio compression settings whenexporting a QuickTime Movie (.mov) file.

NOTES
l

For tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on Windows and requires Apple QuickTime to be installed.

How to access the QuickTime Movie Settings dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

117Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).
3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the QuickTime Movie Settings dialog box from the Export OpenGL
Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

118Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).
4. Click on the Movie Options button.

Parameter

Description

Video

Settings

Opens the Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box. This is where you
can set the video compression settings for the movie you will export—see
QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box (Windows) on page
191.

FilterOpens the Choose Video Filter dialog box, where you can select from a range offilters to apply to your video export.

Size

Opens the Export Size Settings dialog box. This dialog is available because of theway the Apple QuickTime interface is designed, but its settings are not taken inaccount by Harmony. The size of the exported video is determined by Harmony.

Settings

Opens the Sound Settings dialog box. This is where you can you set the soundcompression settings for the movie you will export—see QuickTime Sound

Sound

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Settings Dialog Box (Windows) on page 187.
If this option is enabled, the video will be optimized to start playing while it isdownloading, as videos do in web browsers and web-based streaming
applications.
lPrepare for Internet
Streamingll

Fast Start: The video plays as soon as enough data required to start
playback has been downloaded.
Fast Start - Compressed Header: Same as Fast Start, except the header
is compressed for an even faster start. Requires QuickTime 3.0 or later.
Hinted Streaming: Allows you to optimize the movie file for streaming
through QuickTime Server Software. Click on the Settings button toconfigure how hints are created in your movie file.

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New Scene Dialog Box
The New Scene window lets you create a new scene.

How to access the New Scene window
1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select File > New.

l

In the File toolbar, click the NewlPress Ctrl + N (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + N (macOS).

button.

The New Scene dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Name

Lets you type in a name for the new scene.

Location

Lists the locations you used most frequently for storing scenes.

BrowseOpens a browser in which you can specify a location for the new scene thatis not listed in the Location list.

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Camera Size

Opens a list of resolutions.

+ (Create Custom
Resolution)

Opens the New Resolution window in which you can create a custom
resolution that is added to the Camera Size list.

- (Delete Custom
Resolution)

Lets you remove a custom resolution from the Camera Size list.

Width

Indicates the width of the resolution you chose from the Camera Size list.

Frame Rate

Indicates the frame rate of the resolution you chose from the Camera Size
list.

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New Tool Preset Dialog Box
The New Tool Preset dialog box lets you create new tool presets and manage them.
Tool presets let you save a variety of settings and are very efficient for accessing the tools you use most often.
That way, the tool is already set with the desired properties, such as colour, line thickness, whether to enable
Draw Behind or Auto Flatten mode, and so on. You can create presets for these tools and many more: Brush,
Pencil, Eraser, Rectangle, Ellipse, and Line.
The difference between a tool preset and a brush preset is that when you save a tool preset, you have theoption of saving the colour and assigning a shortcut, which you cannot do with brush presets.

How to access the New Tool Preset dialog box
1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Tool Presets.

l

Right-click an empty area below the top menu and select Tool Presets.

2. In the Tool Presets toolbar, click the New Tool Preset button.
Parameter

Description

Name

Lets you give the preset a meaningful name.

Icon list

Lets you select an icon for the preset.

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Folder icon

Lets you select an image for the preset.

ShortcutLets you assign a keyboard shortcut to the preset.

ColourSaves the current colour into the tool preset.

Tool

If you disable this option, only the colour will be associated. You could, forexample, set three different colours with shortcuts not associated with any
tool. The colour preset would then work on any selected tool. Selecting thebrush tool was only a vehicle to get into the New Tool Preset dialog box.

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Onion Skin and Light Table Transparency Dialog Box
T-ANIMPA-006-009
This dialog box lets you adjust the Onion Skin and Light table transparency parameters.

How to access the Onion Skin and Light Table Transparency dialog boxl

In the Drawing view toolbar, click on the Top Lightbutton to open the Onion Skin and Light

Table Transparency dialog box.

Command

Description

Onion Skin Opacity

Sets the maximum opacity value for the onion skin opacity display. Moving theslider all the way to the left = 0% opacity. Moving the slider all the way to theright = 100% opacity.

Lighttable Opacity

Sets the maximum opacity value for the light table display. Moving the slider
all the way to the left = 0% opacity. Moving the slider all the way to the right =100% opacity.

LightTable Wash

Sets the washed-out value for the light table display. Moving the slider all theway to the left = 0% opacity. Moving the slider all the way to the right = 100%
opacity.

Bitmap Background
Wash

Sets the maximum opacity value for the background wash. Moving the slider
all the way to the left = 0% opacity. Moving the slider all the way to the right =100% opacity. Only works for bitmap layers.

Pencil Lines Opacity

Sets the maximum opacity value for central vector lines (lines made by the
Pencil or Shape tools). Moving the slider all the way to the left = 0% opacity.
Moving the slider all the way to the right = 100% opacity.

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Palette Browser Dialog Box
The Palette Browser dialog allows you to decide the level of palette list and palette storage to use when you
want to create, clone, link to or import a palette.
This dialog only appears if you have the Advanced Palette Lists preference enabled, which is disabled bydefault. When Advanced Palette Lists mode is disabled, Harmony automatically stores palettes in a scene's
palette list, inside the scene's palette-library subdirectory.

How to access the Palette Browser dialog box
1. Start and log in.
2. Close the Database Selector dialog box.
3. From the top menu, select Tools > Palette Operations.
4. In the Palette Operations dialog box that opens, select the palette you want to clone at the locationand level in which it was stored.
5. Click Clone.

Parameter

Palette Location

Description
This allows you to browse for the physical location of the palette file in yourdatabase.
If you are using Harmony Stand Alone, you can still select the scene's own job or126Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

environment as a location. Stand alone scenes have a provisional job andenvironment storage space inside the scene's directory. The files in these storage
spaces can be imported into a database scene's actual job and environment whenimporting the scene to a Harmony database. If you never intend to use Harmony
Server, you should keep your palettes inside your scene or element's palette
libraries.
Stores the palette file in the selected environment's palette library. Environments
are typically used to contain a whole production, series or feature film.
Environmentll

In Harmony Server, this stores the palette in /USA_DB/environments/[environment name]/palette-library.
In Harmony Stand Alone, this stores the palette inside the scene's
directory, under environments/Digital/palette-library.

Stores the palette file in the selected job's palette library. Jobs are typically used
to contain episodes in a series, or any set of scenes that is intended to be put inthe same sequence.
Job
l

l

In Harmony Server /USA_DB/jobs/[job name]/palette-library.
In Harmony Stand Alone, this stores the palette inside the scene's
directory, under jobs/Digital/palette-library.

Scene

Stores the palette file in the selected scene's palette library, which is thepalette-library subdirectory of the scene's directory.

Element

Stores the palette file inside the selected element's palette library. This library is
located inside the scene's directory, under elements/[elementname]/palette-library.

PaletteThis lists the existing palettes in the selected location.

New Palette Name

If you are creating or cloning a palette, use this field to enter the palette file's
name. The palette will be listed under this name in your palette list. On your filesystem, it will be named after its palette name, followed by the extension .plt.
When creating a palette, you can choose between the following palette types:lPalette TypelColour: A colour palette can contain colours, gradients and bitmap
textures.
Pencil Texture: A pencil texture palette can contain textures to apply astransparency filters to pencil lines, in combination to their line colour, tocreate various styles of pencil lines.

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Palette List

Scene Palette List

This allows you to decide if you want the palette to be added to your scene's
palette list, or to the currently selected element's palette list.
Adds the palette to the scene's palette list. Palettes in the scene's palette list areavailable to all the elements in your scene. This is especially useful if you aredoing digital animation, where character models can be made of many layers thatneed to use the same palette.
Adds the palette to the currently selected element's palette list. Palettes in an

Element Palette List

element's palette list can only be used by the drawings in this element, and will
only be listed in the Colour view when this element is selected. This can be
useful if you are doing traditional animation, where each character is usuallydrawn on a single layer, and you want each layer to have its own palette.

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Palette Operations Dialog Box
When you start Toon Boom Harmony Advanced connected to the database, you can access the PaletteOperations dialog box which lets you clone, rename, or delete palettes in your database, without having toopen a scene or browse the database's file system in your operating system's shell.
In Harmony, palettes are individual *.plt files that can be copied, transferred and stored. When a palette is
created from Harmony, it needs to be stored somewhere. By default, the palette file is stored in the scene
directory in a palette-library folder unless you specify a different location.
There are four locations where you can find palette-library folders: Element, Scene, Job and Environment.

How to access the Palette Operations dialog box
1. Start and log in.
2. Close the Database Selector dialog box.
3. From the top menu, select Tools > Palette Operations.

Parameter

Description

Environment

The production, project, feature film or series.

Job

The episode and sequence from each environment.

Scene

The scenes from each job.

Element

The layers and columns in each scene.

PaletteThe scene palettes.

Description

Notes, if any, of the project.

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Clone

Opens the Palette Browser dialog box from which you can select the level inwhich to store the palette file.

RenameLets you rename a palette.
Lets you delete a palette.

DeleteNOTE
It is not recommended to disable the warning message that appears when
you are attempting to delete a palette as this operation cannot be undone.

Close

Closes the Palette Operations dialog box.

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Paste Preset Dialog Box
When pasting key frames and exposures, you can modify the existing presets to your liking. There are threepresets you can modify: the default presets for both key frames and exposures, key frames only and exposures
only.

Parameter

Description

Drawings
Never create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, drawing
files will not be created.

Add/Remove
Exposure

Only create drawing files when they do not exist: When adding exposures to a
drawing layer, new drawings will be created only when drawings with the same
name do not already exist in the destination.
Always create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, newdrawings will always be created. If drawing files with the same name alreadyexist, Harmony will create a new name for the drawing.

Enforce Key Exposure

If there are key exposures that exist on copied drawings, they are preserved when
pasting. No key exposures are added. This is the default behavior when pasting.

Fill Gap with
Previous Drawing

Fills selected area in the Xsheet or Timeline view with the previous drawing.

Fill to Next Key
Exposure

Fills selected area till the next key exposure.

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Keyframes
Motion: Copies the properties of the selected motion keyframe to the new frame.
Velocity: Copies the properties of the selected velocity keyframe to the newframe.

Add/Remove

Rotation: Copies the properties of the selected rotation keyframe to the newframe.

Keyframes
Scale: Copies the properties of the selected scale keyframe to the new frame.
Skew: Copies the properties of the selected skew keyframe to the new frame.
Force Keyframes at Function's Beginning and End: Adds a keyframe to thebeginning and end of the pasted function, reproducing the source function.

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Paste Special Dialog Box
The Paste Special dialog box lets you determine how templates and symbols are imported in the Timelineview.
When you import a template in the Timeline view, all layers are created as well as drawings and keyframes.
You can choose to import only the keyframes without the drawings or import only the drawings that are notalready in your layers. You can adjust the behaviour using the Paste Special dialog box.When you import asymbol in your scene, its full length is exposed by default. If you import a symbol in the Timeline view’s left
side, all the frames will be exposed. However, if you import it into an existing layer, you can use the Paste
Special dialog box to adjust the import behaviour to fit your requirements.Once you set the parameters,
Harmony will reuse them each time you import a symbol in the Timeline view’s right side until you set newparameters.

How to access the Paste Special dialog box
1. In the Library view, select the symbol or template to import.
2. Do one of the following:lWhile holding down the Alt key, click and drag on the template, then drop it on theTimeline view, over the layer and at the frame where you want to paste it.

lPress Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + C (macOS). Then, in the Timeline view, click on theframe where you want to paste the template and press Ctrl + B (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + B(macOS)

The Paste Special dialog box opens.

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Parameter

Description

Drawings
Do Nothing

Does not create or overwrite drawings.

Update Drawing
Pivot

Revises the drawing pivot in the destination to use the same drawing pivot as thefirst drawing in the template. If you have a range of drawings selected in thedestination, the pivot points of all selected drawings will be updated.
Never create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, drawing
files will not be created.
Only create drawing files when they do not exist: When adding exposures to a
drawing layer, new drawings will be created only when drawings with the same
name do not already exist in the destination.
Replace existing drawings. Create drawing files when they do not exist:
Replace drawings with the same names to update a scene with new modified
drawings and preserve the animation.
Tip: If you don't want to lose the existing animation when pastinga template, such as when placing new drawings after the
animation, then delete the template's animation. It will still haveupdated the drawings but not override the existing animation.

Add/Remove
Exposure

Always create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, newdrawings will always be created. If drawing files with the same name alreadyexist, Harmony will create a new name for the drawing.
Enforce Key Exposure: If there are key exposures that exist on copied drawings,
they are preserved when pasting. No key exposures are added. This is the default
behavior when pasting.
Fill Gap with Previous Drawing: Fills selected area in the Xsheet or Timelineview with the previous drawing.
Fill to Next Key Exposure: Fills selected area till the next key exposure.
Paste all frames of the symbol (full movie): When enabled, the Paste Special
command exposes all the symbol's frames instead of only the first one.

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Symbols
Copy symbols if they
do not exist

This is the default setting for this operation and will prevent Symbols in an
Action template from being copied.

Duplicate symbols

Creates a duplicate of the symbol instead of linking the Symbol instance to theoriginal one. The new Symbol is created in the Library.

Paste all Frames ofthe symbol (fullmovie)

When enabled, the Paste Special command exposes all the symbol's frames
instead of only the first one.

Add Remove/Keyframes
MotionCopies the properties of the selected motion keyframe to the new frame.

Velocity

Copies the properties of the selected velocity keyframe to the new frame.

Rotation

Copies the properties of the selected rotation keyframe to the new frame.

Scale

Copies the properties of the selected scale keyframe to the new frame.

Skew

Copies the properties of the selected skew keyframe to the new frame.

Force Keyframes at
Function's Beginningand EndAdds a keyframe to the beginning and end of the pasted function, reproducing
the source function.

Offset Keyframes

When pasting functions, offsets keyframes from the function's last frame value
by the values in the pasted function. This will continue the progression of afunction instead of repeating the values.

Options
Do nothing: Does not create, overwrite, merge or link palettes.
Palettes

Reuse palettes. Copy palettes if they do not exist: Palettes in the destination
drawings are left as they are.
Copy and overwrite existing palettes: Overwrites destination palettes with thepalettes from the source drawings.

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Copy and create new palette files: Creates new palette files, placing them atthe same relative environment and scene level as the source. If the palettes in thetemplates were stored at the environment level of the source scene, the paste
operation will place the palettes in the environment level of the destination
scene.
Copy and create new palette files in element folder: Creates new palette files
in the element folders of the destination scene, rather than in the same relative
job or environment.
Copy palette and merge colours. Add new colours only: Adds new colours to
the destination palettes and ignores colours that are the same in the two palettes.
Copy palettes and update existing colours: Adds new colours to thedestination palette and updates duplicate colours in the destination with colour
values from the source.
Link to original palettes (colour model): Links the colour palettes in thedestination scene to the palettes in the source. Use this to link drawings to thepalettes in a colour model.
Copy scene palettes and merge colours. Add new colours only: Adds newcolours to the destination scene palettes and ignores colours that are the same in
the two palettes.
Copy scene palettes and update existing colours: Adds new colours to thedestination scene palette and updates duplicate colours in the destination withthe colour values from the source.
Normal (forward):Pastes your selection as is, starting with the first cell and ending with the last.

Cycles

Reverse: Pastes your selection in reverse, starting with the last cell and ending
with the first.
Forward > Reverse:Pastes your selection as a yo-yo, starting with the first cell,going to the last one and ending with the first cell.
Reverse > Forward: Pastes your selection as a reverse yo-yo, starting with thelast cell, going to the first one and ending with the last cell.

Nodes

Create New Columns: A new column is created when you copy and paste nodes
from the layer in the Timeline view. If the layers are linked to function curves, thefunction curves, drawings and timing will be duplicated.

Elements

Reuse existing elements: Lets you paste existing elements without creating
new ones. This should be used only when pasting within versions of the same
scene.

Validation

Match by Node/Layer Name: When pasting a template with a hierarchy onto

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another hierarchy, this option looks to match the pasting elements with the samelayer or node name, rather than the same hierarchical structure. This means thateven if the two hierarchies are different, a new pose of a character's body part will
still be pasted on the correct body part layer, as long as both layers are named
the same.

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Pen Pressure Feel Dialog Box
The Pen Pressure Feel dialog box allows you to configure how Harmony processes the pressure you put on yourtablet pen to apply it to the size of your drawing tool.

By default, Harmony applies the pressure you put on your pen to your tool in a linear fashion. That is, if you put
25% of the maximum pressure on your pen, your tool's size will be 25% of the way between its minimum andmaximum size. If you put 75% of the maximum pressure on your pen, your tool's size will be 75% of the way
between its minimum and maximum size.
However, you may find that it would feel more natural, or that it would make it easier to control the size of yourdrawing strokes, if Harmony interpreted the pressure you put on your pen differently. For example, you may
want Harmony to make your brush strokes small unless you put a lot of pressure on your pen, or you may want
Harmony to make your brush strokes big unless you put very little pressure on your pen. This is where the Pen
Pressure Feel dialog box comes in handy.
NOTE
For information on how to use the Pen Pressure Feel dialog, refer to the User Guide.

How to access the Pen Pressure Feel dialog
1. Add the Pen Settings toolbar to your workspace by doing one of the following:l

In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Pen Settings.

lRight-click on any existing toolbar and, in the context menu, select Pen Settings.

2. In the Pen Settings toolbar, click on the

Pen Pressure Feel button.

The Pen Pressure Feel dialog appears.

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Parameter

Description

The percentage of your pen's maximum pressure you must apply before Harmony registers that you
are drawing. If you increase this setting, you can lightly brush your tablet with your pen without
drawing, and you must apply a certain amount of pressure on it to draw.
Min
Pressure

For example, if you set this to 15%, you can apply up to 15% of your pen's maximum pressure
without actually drawing. If you apply exactly 15% of your pen's maximum pressure, Harmony willdraw a stroke in your tool's minimum size.
By default, this is set to 0%, which means that just brushing the tablet with your pen will draw inyour tool's minimum size. You can increase this setting up to 25%.

Curve
PresetAllows you to instantly apply a curve preset to the pressure curve below.

The percentage of your pen's maximum pressure at which point your drawing tool should draw in
its maximum size.
Max
Pressure

For example, if you set this to 80%, your drawing tool will draw in its maximum size if you apply
80% of your tablet pen's maximum pressure.
By default, this is set to 100%, which means you have to press your tablet pen all the way to draw
in your drawing tool's maximum size. You can decrease this setting down to 75%.
This curve determines how to process the amount of pressure you apply to your tablet pen into
your drawing tool's size.
By default, it is linear, meaning that the amount of pressure you put on your tablet pen is directly
applied to the size of your drawing tool. By moving the two Bezier handles between the extremitiesof the curve, you can change the curve's shape.
l

If you make an ease-in curve like the one below, the size of your drawing strokes will tend
to be closer to the minimum size of your drawing tool, unless you apply a lot of pressure
on your tablet pen.

PressureCurvel

If you make an ease-out curve like the one below, the size of your drawing strokes will tend
to be closer to the maximum size of your drawing tool, unless you apply very little pressure
on your tablet pen.

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Parameter

Descriptionll

If you make an ease-in-ease-out curve like the one below, the size of your drawing strokes
will tend to be closer to the minimum size of your drawing tool when applying lightpressure, and to be closer to the maximum size of your drawing tool when applying morepressure, but it will rarely be the median between the minimum and the maximum size.

If you make an ease-out-ease-in curve like the one below, the size of your drawing strokes
will tend to be closer to median between the minimum and maximum size of your drawing
tool, unless you apply very little or a lot of pressure on your tablet pen.

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Pose Copier Dialog Box
T-RIG3-007-007
The pose copier contains many buttons and other information to facilitate the insertion of poses in the
animation.

Parameter

Description

Preview Window

Based on master template's generated thumbnails, previews currently selected
frames.

Load Selected Template

Updates the template with the newly selected template.

Template Name

Name of the currently selected template.

Vertical Slider (SLV)

Linked to the slv- node of the node system.

Horizontal Slider 1 (SLH)

Linked to the slh- node of the node system. Default slider for the pose copier if
no guide layers are created.

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Horizontal Slider 2 (SLX)

Linked to the slx- node of the node system.

Fill to Next Key Exposure

Having this option checked will automatically extend the exposure of thepasted frame up to the next key.

Use Default Destination
ModuleWhen enabled, the pasted keys will automatically refer to the destination
defined in the option Set Default Destination Module.

Paste by Layer Name

When this option is checked the pasted layers will look for the individual layer
name instead of matching the hierarchy of the template.

Set Default Destination Module

Instead of selecting the destination every time, the layer set as default
destination will automatically paste the keys onto those layers.

Find

This will center on the default destination in the timeline.

Paste

Paste the current position of the pose copier onto the destination.

VerticalCurrently selected frame on the vertical slider. (based on frame name in slvnode)

Horizontal 1

Currently selected frame on the horizontal slider 1. (based on frame name inslh-node)

Horizontal 2

Currently selected frame on the horizontal slider 2. (based on frame name inslx-node)

Frame

Frame number of the selected frame within the master template.

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Preferences Dialog Box
The Preferences dialog box allows you to adjust preferences to suit your workflow and your production's needs.

NOTE
For a list of all the preferences as well as their functionality, refer to the Preferences guide.

How to open the Preferences dialog box
1. Do one of the following:llWindows or GNU/Linux:l

In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U.

macOS:l

In the top menu, select Harmony Advanced > Preferences.

l

Press ⌘ + U.

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Parameter

Description

This drop-down allows you to select among one of the available preference presets.
The different preference presets have a lot of settings in common. The following table lists howeach preset differs for specific preferences:
Preference Set

Tab /Location

GeneralPreference
Set

Timeline

AdvancedPreferenc
e

Basi
c

Compositing

CutoutAnimationPaperless
Animation

Rigging

Focus on
Mouse
Enter

Off

On

On

On

On

Default
Separate
Position for
Pegs

Off

Off

On

Off

On

StopMotion
Keyframes

Off

Off

On

Off

On

ReduceIndentation

Off

On

On

Off

On

Drawing
Substitutio
n: Create
Key
Exposure

On

Off

Off

Off

On

SupportOverlay andUnderlay
Arts

Off

On

On

Off

On

Advanced
Palette List

Off

On

On

On

On

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Parameter

Description

Preference Set

Tab /Location

PencilTool
Properties

Preferenc
e

Basi
c

Compositing

CutoutAnimationPaperless
Animation

Rigging

Advanced
Element
Mode

Off

On

Off

Off

Off

Element
Node
AnimateUsing
Animation
Tools

On

On

Off

On

Off

Auto Close
Gap

On

On

On

On

Off

Save...

Allows you to export your current preference settings as an XML file, which you can import later.

Load...

Allows you to browse for and import a preference file that was exported with the Save... button.
Where you can browse for and change preferences.

Preference
Tabs

NOTE
For a list of all the preferences as well as their functionality, refer to the Preferences guide.

RestoreAll
Defaults

Restores all your preferences to their default setting for the selected preference set.

OK

Commits your changes to the preferences and closes the dialog.

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Parameter

Description

CancelUndoes your changes to the preferences and closes the dialog.

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Recolour Drawings Dialog Box
The Recolour Drawing dialog box allows you to replace all instances of a colour or texture in drawings with adifferent colour or texture swatch in one of the scene's palettes. This replaces the colours or textures in thedrawings without requiring you to modify the palettes. You can use this dialog to perform colour replacementin the current drawing, in all the drawings in one or several layers or in all drawings in your scene.
This dialog will replace the colour or texture that is currently selected in the Colour view with the colour or
texture that you select inside the dialog.

How to access the Recolour Drawings dialog
1. In the Colour view, select the colour or texture swatch you want to replace by doing one of thefollowing:lSelect the palette in which the colour or texture swatch is located, then select the swatch
you wish to replace.

l

If the drawing in the Camera or Drawing view contains the colour or texture you want toreplace, select the Colour Eyedropper

tool in the Tools toolbar, then click on that colour

or texture in the drawing. The Colour view will automatically select that colour or texture's
palette as well as that colour or texture's swatch.

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2. Do one of the following:l

Right-click on the swatches list, then select Recolour Drawings.

lOpen the Colour view menu

Parameter, then select Colours > Recolour Drawings.

Description
Allows you to select which drawings will be affected by the colour replacement:ll

Replace Colour In

Current drawing: Replaces the selected colour in the currently selecteddrawing only.
All drawings in the currently selected layers: Replaces the selectedcolour in all the drawings in the layer that is currently selected in theTimelime or Xsheet view.

NOTE
This option can work with several drawing layers selected.

lReplacement Colour

All drawings in the scene: Replaces the selected colour in every drawing
in the current scene.

Allows you to select the palette and colour or texture swatch to replace theselected colour or texture with.

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Remove Dirt Dialog Box
The Remove Dirt dialog box lets you select small dots and hairs on a drawing for removal.

When paper drawings are passed through a scanner, there can be some hair and dirt scattered across them.
These lines and dots need to be cleaned. Harmony provides different tools to help get rid of them quickly.

How to access the Remove Dirt dialog box
1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Clean Up > Remove Dirt.

l

From the Camera or Drawing View menu, select Drawing > Clean Up > Remove Dirt.

l

Press Shift + D.

Parameter

Description
Lets you adjust the amount of detail removed from the layer.

SliderRaising the Remove Dirt level will select bigger dots. When selecting larger dots,
be careful not to lose small details like pupils and nostrils. Once you havechosen the level, you can apply it to the current drawing or the entire animation
sequence. This is a quick way to get rid of most dirt and dust.
During this process, the dirt that will be removed is highlighted in red.

Apply to all drawings

Applies the operation to all drawings in the layer.

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Remove Frames Dialog Box
The Add Frames dialog box allows you to remove a range of frames from your scene. All the keyframes and theexposed drawings in the removed range will be deleted, and the keyframes and exposed drawings after theremoved range will be offset backwards, so as to close the gap.

How to access the Remove Frames dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a frame or a range of frames.

2. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Scene > Frame > Remove Selected Frames.

l

In the Xsheet view, right-click and select Frame > Remove Selected Frames.

The Add Frames dialog box appears.

Parameter

Description

Number of frames to remove

The amount of frames to remove. The range of frame that will be removed starts
from the selected frame—or the first selected frame, if a range of frames isselected—and ends after the selected number of frames.

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Parameter

Description

By default, this is set to the amount of selected frames.

Ripple Scene Markers

If checked, scene markers after the removed frames will be offset backward toremain synchronized with the keyframes and drawings in your scene. If
unchecked, scene markers will remain in place while everything else after theremoved frames is offset.

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Remove Hair Dialog Box
The Remove Hair dialog box lets you remove any small strokes created in the Colour Art layer from very thicklines or filled zones. Increasing the Remove Hair level value will select larger strokes for removal from thedrawing.

When paper drawings are passed through a scanner, there can be some hair and dirt scattered across them.
These lines and dots need to be cleaned. Harmony provides different tools to help get rid of them quickly.

How to access the Remove Hair dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the drawing containing the drawing to clean.
2. From the top menu, select View > Show > Show Strokes to display the invisible lines or press K.
3. In the top menu, select Drawing > Clean Up > Remove Hair.

Parameter

Description

SliderLets you adjust the number of length of hairs selected.

Apply to all drawings

Applies the operation to all drawings in the layer.

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Rigid Point Deform Node

The Rigid Point Deformer is a type of weighted-deformation that prioritizes rigid transformations over
deformations and is applied by tracking the position of attached pegs. It is particularly useful for tracking anddeforming textures on characters and animated surfaces and is used with the Weighted Deformer node.

How to access the Rigid Point Deform Node dialog box
1. In the Node View press Enter.
2. Type in the name of the node you want to search.
3. Select the node.
4. Click the yellow box on the left to open the dialog box.

l

Weight: A percentage value that defines the weight of all points connected to the Rigid Point
Deform. This weight is considered when calculating the influence of all points, curves and Rigid
Point Deforms connected to the Weighted Deform. These weights are relative to one another in the
Weighted Deform system. A weight of 50% would have half the influence in the Weighted
Deformation system than a weight of 100% when connected to that same system.

l

Minimum Distance: The Rigid Deform considers the proximity of the elements in the drawing andthe points influence is based on that distance. When a minimum distance is defined, any points
within that minimum distance are completely influenced by that point and this influence falls off as
it approaches the maximum distance.

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Chapter 1: Dialog BoxeslMaximum Distance: Similar to the Minimum Distance, the Maximum Distance defines the distancein which the point has little to no control over the surrounding elements in the drawing.

The Minimum and Maximum distance are useful in defining particular regions of control within a Weighted
Deformation system.

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Save Dialog Box
The Save dialog box appears when you save a scene for the first time in Harmony Server.

How to access the Save dialog Box
1. Make sure you have the necessary rights to save the current scene version. If you do not, you canacquire the rights by selecting File > Rights to Modify Scene Version or Rights to Modify Scene in
the top menu.
2. Do one of the following:l

In the top menu, select File > Save.

l

In the File toolbar, click on thelPress Ctrl + S (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + S (macOS).

Save button.

When saving the scene for the first time, the Save dialog box opens, prompting you to name theversion.

Parameter

Description

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This Version

Allows you to enter the name of the current version.

Description

Enter a short description of the current version.

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Scene Settings Dialog Box
The Scene Settings dialog box lets you select settings for the resolution of your scene, its alignment and theresolution of bitmap drawings and textured brush strokes.
You are already required to select resolution and alignment settings when creating a scene, but those settings
can also be modified later using the Scene Settings dialog box.

How to access the Scene Settings dialog box
1. In the top menu, select Scene > Scene Settings.
The Scene Settings dialog box opens.

Resolution Tab

The resolution tab allows you to set the width and height of your scene in pixels as well as whether the angleof the field of view.
Icon

Parameter

Description

You can select your project’s resolution (camera frame size) from thispreset list.
Resolution Presetsl

HDTV_1080p24: The standard definition for high definition
television at 24 frames per second, mostly used in the Americas
and some Asian countries that used the NTSC standard foranalogue television.

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Icon

Parameter

Descriptionll

HDTV_1080p25: The standard definition for high definition
television at 25 frames per second, usually for broadcasting inEuropean, African, Asian and Australian countries that used the
PAL or SECAM standard for analogue television.
HDTV_1080p23.976: The standard definition for highdefinition television at 23.976 frames per second. This is useful
if the remainder of your pipeline uses the 23.976 framerate forlegacy reasons.

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

HDTV_720p24: The former standard high definition resolution
at 24 frames per second.
4K_UHD: A standard ultra HD (4K) format for television
productons. 4K implies that the width of the image is of, give or
take, 4000 pixels.
film-2K: A standard HD format for film projectors with a low
aspect ratio.
film-4K: A standard ultra HD (4K) format for film projectors
with a low aspect ratio.
film-1.33_H: The standard resolution for the academy film
format that conforms to the standard 4:3 aspect ratio.
film-1.66_H: The standard resolution for widescreen film
format that conforms to the 16:9 aspect ratio.
film-1.66_V: The standard resolution for widescreen film
format, but with a vertical field of view.
Cineon: The standard format for 35 mm Kodak/Cineon film.
NTSC: The standard resolution and framerate for analogue
standard definition televisions in most of the Americas (except
Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina), Japan, Taiwan, South
Korea, the Philippines and Myanmar.
PAL: The standard resolution and framerate for analogue
standard definition televisions in Europe, Africa, Australia,
most of Asia, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
2160p-240p: A series of standard widescreen presets named
after their resolution heights.
low: A resolution based on NTSC with half of its standard
dimensions.
Web_Video: A legacy format for web streaming.
Game_512: A preset for the gaming pipeline, with a squarecanvas.

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Icon

Parameter

Description

l

l

l

Selected Resolution Preset

WebCC_Preview: The preset used by WebCC to renderpreviews of scenes in a Harmony Server database.
HDTV: The standard definition for high definition television at
24 frames per second, with a horizontal fit field of view.
HDTV_Vertical: The standard definition for high definition
television at 24 frames per second, with a vertical fit field ofview.

Displays the name of the selected resolution preset just below thepresets list. If you have made any changes to the resolution sinceselecting a preset, this will display "(custom)".
Allows you to save the current resolution settings as a new preset. If
you have a resolution preset selected, this button is only available if
you have made changes to the resolution since selecting the preset.
You will be prompted to type in the name of the new resolution preset.
If using Harmony Server, you will also be asked to select in which partof the database you want the preset to be saved.

Save Resolution Setting

Resolution

The resolution of the scene defines the width and height of the canvasin pixels. By default, the scene will be rendered in this resolution. If
using bitmap layers or textured brush strokes, the definition of the
pixels in your artwork will also be based on the scene's resolution.

Scene Width

The width of the resolution for the scene, in pixels.

Scene Height

The width of the resolution for the scene, in pixels.

Aspect Ratio

Displays the ratio between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of
the scene. For example, if the scene width and height are the same

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Icon

Parameter

Description

value, this ratio equals 1. The standard aspect ratio for widescreen
televisions is 1.777. For legacy displays, it is 1.333.
The angle of the field of view, which determines the size of the camera
cone as well as the way the field grid used to position elements isadjusted to fit the scene.
lField of View

Horizontal Fit: The field of view is automatically adjusted sothat the field grid and camera cone fit the horizontal length of
the scene.

lVertical Fit: The field of view is automatically adjusted so thatthe field grid and camera cone fits the vertical length of thescene.

The amount of animation frames to play each second. Increasing the
FPS will make your animation play faster, and decreasing it will make itplay slower.
llPreset: Allows you to select a frame rate for your scene among
one of many commonly used preset frame rates.
FPS:Allows you to type in the frame rate for your scene.

Frame RateNOTE
The standard framerate for film production is 24 frames per
second. However, televisions in some countries play at 25
frames per second. Some productions may use 23.976 frames
per second to preserve compatibility with legacy standard
displays.

Alignment Tab
The alignment tab is used to determine the aspect ratio, the position and the size of the field grid used toposition elements in the scene.
In Harmony are positioned in fields, a unit used in traditional animation which traditionally ranges from 0 to 12
followed by a cardinal direction, and in which 0,0 is the center of the scene.
The default Alignment setting in Harmony is based on such a traditional 4:3 drawing grid. In a scene with an
aspect ratio of 4:3, this means that positioning an element 12 fields in any direction will make it reach one of
the edges of the camera field. For example, 12 North is the vertical position of the upper edge of the camera
field, and 12 East is the horizontal position of the right edge of the camera field.

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However, since the most commonly used scene resolutions have an aspect ratio of 16:9, and the default grid isin a 4:3 proportion, the grid used to position element will not be in the same proportions as the camera field.
The way this is handled is determined by the Field of View setting in the Resolution tab. If your field of view is
set to Horizontal fit, the field grid will be made to fit the scene horizontally, and stretch beyond the verticaledges of the scene. This means that 12 East will still be the right edge of the screen, but the position of theupper edge of the scene will be about 9.36 North. Likewise, if the field of view is set to Vertical Fit, the upperedge of the field will be at 12 North, but the right edge will be at about 16 East.
Some artists or studios may prefer to use a square fields grid, where fields have the same size horizontally andvertically.

Parameter

Description

The list of alignment presets. By default, Harmony has these two alignment
presets:l

Alignmentl

4:3 12 Fields: Defines the units of your project to have a 4:3 ratio and sets
up 12 of these units to run both vertically and horizontally in four
cardinal quarters (NW, NE, SW, SE). This is the default setting, and it
corresponds to an animation grid used in traditional animation. Hence,
coordinates based on a traditional animation grid can be entered inHarmony as is to position elements where they are expected to be.
Square 12 Fields: Defines the units of your project to have a 1:1 orsquare ratio and sets up 12 units to run both vertically and horizontally infour cardinal quarters (NW, NE, SW, SE).

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Parameter

Description

NOTE
When the Grid is displayed in the Camera and Drawing view, it is always
based on the 4:3 12 Fields alignment preset, regardless of your scene'salignment setting. To display the grid, from the top menu, select View >Grid > Show Grid.

The aspect ratio of each field. This describes the proportional difference between
the width and the height of the field. By default, it is set to 4:3, which means thewidth of each field will take 4 unites of length for each 3 units the height of the
field takes. In other words, the width of a field is 1.333 times its height. If set to,for example, 1:1, the fields will be perfectly square.

Units Aspect Ratio

The number of fields the grid should have in each direction. In the Number ofUnits fields, enter the number of horizontal, vertical and depth units for yourscene’s grid.

Number of Units

The grid is a specific size based on the scene's resolution and field of view angle.
Changing the amount of units for each direction will not change the size of thegrid, but rather, the size of the units. Hence, if an element is offset at 3 North, 4
East, and you change the number of horizontal and vertical units from 24 to 12,
the element will become offset twice as far from the centre as it originally was.
The third setting in this field determines the amount of units across the Z axis.
This determines how far each unit will take an element further or closer to thecamera when moved on the Z-axis. By default, the grid has 12 fields across the Zaxis, which is half the amount of fields on the X and Y axes by default. Hence,162Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Parameter

Description

each field on the Z-axis is worth exactly twice the length of a field on thehorizontal axis.
Animators who are familiar with traditional animation method will understandthe default setting of 24 units horizontal by 24 units vertical as it corresponds toa traditional animation grid.
The offset for the centre of the fields grid. The centre of the fields grid is where
Coordinates at Centre

elements are positioned by default, when they themselves are at coordinates 0,0.
To change the centre, you must enter its offset from the actual centre of the gridin fields. For example, if your fields grid is 24 x 24, and you want the centre to beat the top-left corner, you should enter -12,-12.
Saves your current Alignment settings and be able to select them later from the
list.

Save

TIP
If you prefer working in pixel-based positions, you must set the aspect ratio of your units to be thesame as the aspect ratio of your scene resolution, set the horizontal number of units to the width ofyour scene in pixels, the vertical number of units to the height of your scene in pixels, and thedepth number of units to the width of your scene in pixels. This way, each unit will translate toexactly 1 pixel, in all directions.

NOTE
Each layer also has an alignment rule, which determines how it is positioned relative to the fields
grid. By default, it is set to "Centre First Page". However, this alignment rule is made to becompatible to 4:3 fields grids. Hence, if you change your scene's alignment rules, your layers will be
offset. To avoid this issue, change the alignment rules of your layers to "Centre" via the Advanced
tab of the Layer Properties view.

Drawing Resolution Tab
The drawing resolution tab is used to set the pixel density of bitmap drawings as well as of bitmap textures intextured brush strokes in vector drawings. Also, it is used to set the size of the canvas for bitmap drawings
relative to the size of the scene.

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NOTE
These settings are applied to newly created drawings in the scene, but not to existing drawings inyour scene. To change the pixel density of existing vector drawings, you must select Drawing >Change Vector Drawing Brush Resolution from the top menu. To change the pixel density andcanvas size of existing bitmap drawings, you must select Drawing > Change Bitmap Drawing
Resolution from the top menu.

NOTE
You can change the default drawing resolution settings for new scenes in the Drawing tab of thePreferences dialog.

Parameter

Description

Scene Resolution

This indicates the currently selected scene resolution preset and its dimensions
in pixels.

Default Texture Density for
Vector Drawings

Pixel Density:Determines the amount of pixels to store in textured brush strokes
for each pixel that displays when the drawing is not zoomed in or scaled up. For
example, at 100%, zooming in or scaling up textured brush strokes will makethem lose texture quality. If set to 200%, textured brush strokes can be zoomed
in or scaled up until they're twice their original size without losing picture
quality.

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Parameter

Description

Width: The default width of the canvas when creating drawings in a bitmap
drawing layer. The percentage is relative to the width of the scene. Its default
value, 200%, makes the width of the canvas twice the width of the stage.
Height: The default height of the canvas when creating drawings in a bitmap
drawing layer. The percentage is relative to the height of the scene. Its default
value, 200%, makes the height of the canvas twice the height of the stage.

Default Canvas Size andPixel Density for Bitmap
Drawings

Pixel Density: Determines the amount of pixels to store for each pixel that
displays on the screen when the drawing is not zoomed in or scaled up. For
example, at 100%, zooming in or scaling up a bitmap drawing will make it lose
picture quality. If set to 200%, bitmap drawings can be zoomed in or scaled up
until they're twice their original size without losing picture quality.

Colour SpaceParameter

Working
ColourSpace

Description

The working colour space of a project is the one used internally by Harmony. It is also the default
colour space used for decoding the colours in drawing layers as well as for exporting images andmovies. However, those can be configured to be different from the project colour space if needed.
The following colour spaces are available in Harmony:l

No Colour Space Management: No colour space conversion will be done in the entire
project, even if you set the colour space for your drawing layers or for rendering your scene.

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Parameter

Description

l

l

l

Linear: The same primaries and white point as sRGB and Rec. 709, but with no gammatransfer curve applied to the colour values. This colour space is useful for compositing
intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in sRGB or Rec. 709.
Display P3: A colour space commonly used for digital projection. It has the same primaries
as DCI-P3, the same white point as sRGB and the same gamma transfer curve as sRGB.
Display P3 Linear: The same as Display P3, except with no gamma transfer curve. This
colour space is useful for compositing intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in
Display P3.

l

l

l

l

l

l

Rec. 709: The colour space used for HDTV. It has the same primaries and white point as
sRGB, but has a different gamma transfer curve.
Rec. 709 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 709 or sRGB, except with a gamma transfer
curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space exists because some editing systems
use a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve for Rec. 709.
Rec. 2020: A colour space used for Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV). It has a complex
gamma transfer curve and primaries that cover more of the human-perceivable colour spacethan other colour spaces, especially in the area of human-perceivable greens.
Rec. 2020 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with a simple gamma transfer
curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space exists because some editing systems
use a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve for Rec. 2020.
Rec. 2020 Linear: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with no gamma transfer
curve. This colour space is useful for compositing intermediary images that are meant to berendered in Rec. 2020.
sRGB: A colour space typically used for standard computer monitors. It has the same
primaries and white point as Rec. 709, but has a different gamma transfer curve.

By default, your drawing layers are read in the same colour space as your project, and yourrendered frames are created in the same colour space as your project as well. However, if thecolour space for the project is different from the colour space used for drawing layers and from thecolour space used for rendering your scene, the project colour space serves as the “intermediary”
colour space.
This means that, in the process of rendering your scene, your drawing layers are converted fromtheir colour space to the project’s colour space, after which they are composited together alongwith your scene’s visual effects, and finally the rendered image is converted to the colour space
selected for rendering your scene.
Hence, from a compositing perspective, it is recommended to set your project’s workspace to thelinear variant of the colour space used for your drawing layers and for rendering your scene.
Working this way ensures that calculations made on the colour values for compositing visualelements effects are not affected by the colour space’s gamma curve. The following is a table ofrecommended colour space configurations:166

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Parameter

Description

Drawing Layer Colour Space

Project Colour Space

Rendering Colour SpacesRGB

LinearsRGB

Rec. 709

LinearRec. 709

Rec. 709 2.4

LinearRec. 709 2.4

Rec. 2020

Rec. 2020 Linear

Rec. 2020

Rec. 2020 2.4

Rec. 2020 Linear

Rec. 2020 2.4

Display P3

Display P3 Linear

Display P3

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Scripts Manager Dialog Box
The Scripts Manager dialog allows you to create buttons in the Scripting toolbar. Each button you create canrun a specific function in one of your scripts. You can also choose an icon and a tool tip for the button, if you
want.

NOTE
For tasks related to this dialog box, see the User Guide.

How to access the Scripts Manager Dialog Box
1. Add the Scripting toolbar to your workspace by doing one of the following:l

In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Scripting.

l

Right-click on any existing toolbar and select Scripting.

2. In the Scripting toolbar, click on theManage Scripts button.

The Scripts Manager dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Files

A list of the available JavaScript files.

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Functions

A list of the available functions for the selected script.

In Toolbar

The list of script functions already added to the Scripting toolbar.
Runs the selected function.

ExecuteTIP
Press Esc to interrupt the execution of the script.

Customize Icon

Allows you to select an icon for the toolbar button. Clicking on this button will
open an Open dialog prompting you to browse for and select a .png, .jpg, .xpm
or .svg file.

Customize Tooltip

Allows you to type in a custom tooltip for the toolbar button.

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Select Colour Dialog Box
The Select Colour dialog box lets you set the colour of layers and columns. Using colours for layers andcolumns helps to differentiate them visually, making them easy to identify. The colours you choose will bereflected in the Node view.
You can select a colour by choosing from a basic set of colours, using the colour wheel or by specifying the HSV
or RGB values. Once you have selected a colour, you can adjust its intensity and save it as a custom colour thatyou can reuse.

How to access the Select Colour dialog box in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, click the Change Track Colour

button of the layer you want to modify.

The Select Colour dialog box opens.

How to access the Select Colour dialog box in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view, select one or more columns to modify.
2. Right-click on the column’s header and select Colour > Change Columns Colour.
The Select Colour dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Basic colours

A basic set of colours to choose from.

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Custom colours

Displays the custom colours you previously stored using the Add to Custom
Colours button.

Add to custom colours

Lets you add the selected colour to the Custom colours list above.

Colour wheel

Lets you select a colour by dragging the T-shaped pointer.

Value slider

Once you select a colour, you can drag the slider to change the intensity and see
it previewed in the Colour Preview window below..

Colour Preview

Displays the colour you are currently selecting. To apply the colour, click OK.

Hue, Saturation, Value

Lets you set the hue (colour), saturation (amount of colour) and brightness(value) of the colour.

Red, Green, Blue

Lets you set the red, green and blue values.

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Selection Presets Dialog Box
As you're animating, you might find that you are constantly selecting the same pegs, drawing layers, bezier
points on a deformation envelope, part of a character rig, etc. You can create a preset that automatically selects
any defined element or group of elements.

How to access the Selection Presets dialog box
1. Add the Scripting toolbar to your interface:l

Go to the top menu and select Windows > Toolbars > Scripting.

lright-click on the empty space near the top of the interface and from the quick-access menu
selecting Scripting.

lright-click on the empty space near the top of a view and from the quick-access menu
selecting Scripting.

2. In the Scripting toolbar, click on the Manage Scripts

button to open the Scripts Manager

window.
3. In the Scripts Manager, in the Files section, select the file TB_SelectionPreset.js.
The functions associated with that file appear in the Functions section.
4. In the Functions section, select TB_SelectionPreset.
The Add script to toolbar

button becomes active.

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5. Click on the Add script to toolbar
The TB_SelectionPreset script

button.
button is added to the Scripting toolbar.

6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.
8. In the Scripting toolbar, click on the TB_SelectionPreset

button.

The Selection Presets window opens.

Parameter

Description

RefreshRemoves any highlighted zones from the Group column.

Add Selection Preset

Opens the Save Selection As Preset dialog box. After entering a name for the newpreset and clicking OK, a new Selection Preset is added to the Selection Presets
list. Note: before clicking on the Add button, make a selection in your scene of
the elements for which you wish to create a Selection Preset.

Delete Selection Preset

Deletes the selected Selection Preset from the list.

Group

Double-click in this area, next to the Selection Preset you wish to use, to selectthe elements defined by the preset.

Name

Displays the name of the preset.

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Apply to Selection

Selects the elements defined by the selected preset from the Name list.

Close

Closes the Selection Presets window.

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Sequence Fill Dialog Box
The Sequence Fill dialog box lets you Lets you create a numbered sequence over a selection. The sequence canbe forward, backward, single, double or higher increment, as a cycle, and so on. The selection can be over one
cell or a cell range in one column or more or an entire column or many entire columns.

How to access the Sequence Fill dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell range.

2. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Sequence Fill.

l

In the Timeline view, right-click and select Exposure > Sequence Fill.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Sequence Fillbutton (you may have to customize

the toolbar to display it).
lPress Ctrl + M (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + M (macOS)).

The Sequence Fill dialog box opens.

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Parameter

Description

Starting Value

The first number in the sequence.

Increment

Lets you type the number by which the drawing number will increase from frame
to frame. For example, an increment of 1 gives you: 1-2-3-4; an increment of 2
gives you: 1-3-5-7; and -2 gives you this: 8-6-4-2.

Hold

The exposure holding value.

Cycle

Enable this option to cycle the values and enter the number of cycles in the Cycle
field.

End Frame

Enable this option to stop the fill at a specific frame within the selection. Indicate
the frame number in the End Frame field.

Padding

Enable this option to add a 0 padding before the drawing name. In the Padding
field, enter as many hash symbols (#) as digit you want in your drawing name,including the value itself.

Add Key Exposure After

Inserts a key exposure on the frame following the last cell of the new fillselection.

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Set Ease for Multiple Parameters Dialog Box
The Edit Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog box lets you apply ease to multiple functions and keyframes.
You can display the function curve and modify the Bezier or Ease curve.

How to access the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog box
1. In the Timeline view, select a keyframe on one or more layers.

2. Do one of the following:l

In the Timeline view, right-click and select Set Ease For Multiple Parameters.

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Set Ease For Multiple Parameters

button.

The Set Ease For Multiple Parameters dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Filters

MotionMotion: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Position X, Position Y,
Position Z and 3D Path functions.
Rotation: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Angle functions.

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Parameter

Description

Scale: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Scale functions.
Skew: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Skew functions.
Morphing: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Morphing Velocity
functions. Note that it applies to the Morphing velocity function found in theLayer Properties window, not the basic morphing ease in the Tool Properties
view.
Other: Applies the easing parameters to all the other the selected functions,such as all functions created to animate effect parameters.

Left and Right Time Ratio

Lets you type the percentage value corresponding to the length of time you want
the easing to last. Stay between 0% and 100%. If you go beyond 100%, yourmotion will overshoot.

Left and Right Value Ratio

Lets you type the percentage value of how strong you want the easing out to be.
Stay between 0% and 100%. If you go beyond 100%, your motion willovershoot.

Apply/Previous

Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes and then selects theprevious keyframe in the timeline.

Apply

Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes.

Apply/Next

Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes and then selects thenext keyframe in the timeline.

Close

Close the dialog box. If you did not apply the modifications, they will becancelled.

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Set Ease on Keyframes Dialog Box
The Set Ease on Keyframes dialog box allows you to quickly change the percentage of ease before and after aselection of keyframes.

This dialog box is designed to quickly adjust the “time ratio” of the ease on your animations. To give you abetter idea of its effect, select a keyframe and open the Set Ease for Multiple Paramters dialog box. This dialog
box allows you to adjust the ease of your animations using Bezier handles. Moving the Bezier handle laterally
changes the time ratio of the ease, and moving it vertically changes its value ratio—see Set Ease for Multiple
Parameters Dialog Box on page 177.

How to access the Set Ease on Keyframes dialog box
1. In the Timeline view, select one or several animation keyframes.
2. In the Timeline toolbar, click on the

Set Ease on Selected Keyframes button.

The Set Ease on Keyframes dialog box appears.

Parameter

Description

Ease In(left)

Allows you to adjust the ease left of the selected keyframes.
l

If the checkbox is unchecked, the ease left of the selected keyframes will be unchanged.

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Parameter

Descriptionl

If the checkbox is checked, the ease left of the selected keyframes will be set to thepercentage in the input-field right of the checkbox.

Allows you to adjust the ease right of the selected keyframes.
Ease Out(right)l

If the checkbox is unchecked, the ease right of the selected keyframes will be unchanged.

l

If the checkbox is checked, the ease right of the selected keyframes will be set to thepercentage in the input-field right of the checkbox.

OK

Applies the selected changes and closes the dialog box.

CancelCloses the dialog box without making any changes.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference GuideShow Hidden Columns Dialog Box
The Show Hidden Columns dialog box lets you display all the columns contained in the exposure sheet. It canbe used to hide individual columns.

How to access the Show Hidden Columns dialog box
1. In the Xsheet view, do one of the following:lClick the thick grey line that represents a hidden column.

lRight-click on the column header and select Show Hidden Columns.

lPress Alt + Shift + H.

The Show Hidden Columns dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

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Show

Lets you select the hiddens columns to display in the Xsheet view.

Name

Name of the drawing.

Type

Indicates the column type such as column, timing, and expression.

Check

Selects all columns.

Uncheck

Deselects all selected columns.

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OpenQuickTime Sound Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux)
The OpenQuickTime Sound Options dialog box (titled MediaSettings) allows you to configure the audio
compression settings when exporting a QuickTime movie on Linux.

On GNU/Linux, Harmony uses the OpenQuickTime framework to export QuickTime movies. This frameworkuses its own user interfaces to allow you to configure the video and audio compression settings for a movie.
Because OpenQuickTime only comes bundled with non-prorprietary codecs, its compression options arelimited.
NOTESlFor tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on GNU/Linux.

How to access the OpenQuickTime Sound Options dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

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2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).
3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the OpenQuickTime Sound Options dialog box from the Export
OpenGL Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

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2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).
4. Click on the Sound Options button.

Parameter

Description
Lets you select a codec. By default, the following codecs will be available:
l

l

codec
l

l

l

A-Law 2:1: This codec uses logarithms to compress audio data. The
resulting audio stream requires half the disk space of uncompressedaudio data, but is of noticeably lower quality.
IMA 4:1: This codec compresses audio data to require a quarter of the disk
space required for uncompressed audio data. It is not supported by a lotof software.
Twos Complement - Little Endian PCM: A standard uncompressedaudio codec.
Twos Complement - Big Endian PCM: A legacy standard uncompressedaudio codec. This codec may be compatible with older editing interfaces.
(mu)-Law 2:1: Similarly to A-Law, this codec uses logarithms tocompress audio data. The resulting audio stream requires half the disk
space of uncompressed audio data, but is of noticeably lower quality.

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NOTE
It is recommended to leave this option to its default value, Twos

Complement - Little Endian PCM, as it is commonly used for storing
uncompressed audio. Other encoding formats are likely to sacrifice audio
quality for negligible savings in disk space.

Sample rate

The sample rate at which to export your scene's audio. The only available option
is 22050 Hz, as it is the sample rate used internally by Harmony.

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QuickTime Sound Settings Dialog Box (Windows)
The Sound Settings dialog box allows you to set the audio compression settings when you want to export a
QuickTime Movie (.mov) file.

NOTES
l

For tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on Windows and requires Apple QuickTime to be installed.

How to access the QuickTime Sound Settings dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).

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3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the QuickTime Sound Settings dialog box from the Export OpenGL
Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).
4. Click on the Movie Options button.

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The QuickTime Movie Settings dialog box appears.

5. In the Sound section, click Settings.

Parameter

Description

Allows you to select the compression algorithm to use the compress the movie'saudio track.
Compressor

NOTE
It is recommended to leave this setting to None , as other formats arelikely to sacrifice audio quality for negligible savings in disk space.

Allows you to select the sample rate, or frequency, in which to export the audio
track for the movie.

Rate

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050 kHz. If
you select a higher sample rate, your project's audio will be upsampled,which means it will take more disc space without increasing in quality.

Size

Allows you to select the bit depth in which to encode the audio track. This
determines the amount of precision to record each wavelength in the audio track.

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Parameter

Description

NOTE
The standard bit depth is 16-bit . If you choose 8-bit , the amount of disk
space the audio track of your movie file requires will be halved, but theaudio quality will be significantly lower.

Allows you to select whether to export the movie's audio track using the Monoor Stereo channel mode.
Use

NOTE
Stereo sound has a separate track for the left and right speakers, whereas
mono sound only has a single audio track for all speakers.

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QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box(Windows)
The Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box allows you to configure the video compression settings
when exporting a QuickTime Movie (.mov) file.

NOTES
l

For tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on Windows and requires Apple QuickTime to be installed.

How to access the QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

191Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).
3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box fromthe Export OpenGL Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

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2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).
4. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Settings dialog box appears.

5. In the Video section, click Settings.

Parameter

Description

Compression Type

Allows you to select the codec to use to compress the video stream of yourmovie. It is recommended to use one of the following codecs, depending on your193

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

usage scenario:lll

H.264: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly
supported by web browsers and most media players.
MPEG-4 Video: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that iscommonly supported by media players, but less so by web browsers.
Animation: A high quality compression algorithm that is commonly used
for media interchange and video editing.

TIPS
l

l

You can export a video with transparency by selecting theAnimation codec and setting the Depth setting to Millions ofColors+.
You can export a video with virtually lossless compression by
selecting the Animation codec and setting Quality setting toBest.

MotionFrame Rate

Key Frames

The amount of frames per second for the video stream. Leave this setting toCurrent to use your project's frame rate.
Some codecs compress the video by recording a limited amount of keyframes,
which are frames in which the entire picture is encoded, pixel by pixel and, inbetween, recording deltas, which are frames that are only defined by theirdifference with the previous frame. This significantly reduces the size of themovie file. However, the less keyframes a movie has, the more it is likely to
encounter decoding errors, and the harder it is for players to scrub or jump to a
specific time in the video. This option allows you to decide when keyframes areinserted in the video stream.
Automatic: Lets the encoder decide when keyframes should be inserted.
Every ... frames: Allows you to set the exact interval, in frames, at which
keyframes should be inserted.
All: Encodes every frame as a keyframe. This option will significantly impact filesize, but will make it easier to scrub through the video without causing any
rendering error.

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Parameter

Description

NOTE
If you are using the H.264 codec, you must set the Key Frames option toAll, or you will get an error message when you confirm the compression
settings.

Encodes frames in a different order than the one at which they are meant to be
Frame Reordering

displayed. This allows for more efficient compression, but may not be compatible
with some players.

Compressor
Allows you to set the colour depth for your video. A lower colour depth will
reduce the size of the video stream but will have significant impacts on picture
quality.
Depth

TIP
Set this to Millions of Colors+ if you want to export a video withtransparency.

Quality

Lets you choose a quality setting for the video compression. A higher quality
setting will increase the size of the movie file, but will look better. A lower
quality setting will reduce the size of the movie file, but will cause blurriness andcompression artifacts to appear in the picture.
Allows you to choose between the following scan modes:llScan Mode /Interlaced

Interlaced: Frames are encoded starting with their odd-numberedscanlines, then their even-numbered scanlines.
Progressive: Frames are encoded whole, from the highest scanline to thelowest scanline.

NOTE
Some codecs will display a drop-down allowing you to select Interlaced or
Progressive, while others will simply have an Interlaced checkbox.

Aspect Ratio

Allows you to select one of the following aspect ratios:l

4:3: For output on standard definition displays.

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Parameter

DescriptionlFilter

16:9: For output to widescreen displays.

When exporting with the PNG compression type, this determines the algorithmwith which each pixel is encoded relative to other pixels. Leaving this option to
Best will export in the most space-efficient filter, without compromising picture
quality. Picking a filter may increase rendering speed a bit, at the expense of somedisk space.

Data Rate
Automatic

Lets the encoder use the optimal bit rate for your compression settings.
Allows you to specify the encoding bit rate.

NOTE

Restrict To

This setting will override other compression settings, so that the specified
bit rate is respected.

Optimize the encoding to be responsive depending on the intended viewing
method:l

Optimized Forll

CD/DVD-ROM: Optimizes the bit rate for a video that will be played using
an optical disc player.
Download: Optimizes the bit rate for a file that is going to be
downloaded, then viewed from the user's hard drive.
Streaming: Optimized the bit rate for a video that will be streamed fromthe web and played as the video is being downloaded.

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Tint Offset/Blend Dialog Box
You can offset, blend, or mix the colours in a colour palette using the sliders and increasing the Amount value.

How to access the Tint Offset/Blend dialog box
1. From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Tint Panel or right-click and select Tint Panel.
The Blend/Offset Tint panel opens.

Parameter

Description

OffsetOffsets the selected colours by the adjustments made using the HSB and RGB
sliders. Use the Amount slider to adjust the degree of offset. Use the Alpha slider
to adjust the opacity of the selected colour.

Blend

Blends the selected colours with the colour swatch in the top-right corner. Use
the Amount slider to adjust the degree of blend. A blend of 100% turns theselected colours into the same colour as the swatch. Adjusting the HSB and RGB
sliders affect the swatch colour, which in turn affects the selected colours on theleft. Use the Alpha slider to adjust the opacity of the swatch.

Mixer

Select a Base and Tint colour to form a third colour swatch. Use the slider justbeneath to mix the Base and Tint colours by different amounts. This will affectthe mixed swatch whether it is selected or not. Select either the Tint or Baseswatch and use the HSB and RGB sliders to adjust its colour. This will affect themixed swatch colour, which in turn affects the selected colours on the left.

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Timing Node

The Timing-nodes exist in a new category of nodes called “Timing” in the node-library. These nodes are used
to either show a different render at the given frame, or to transform the content with a transformation from adifferent frame. The Timing-nodes exists as both Retime (for Images) and Retime Transformation (fortransformations).
The Retime node takes an image input and output, and will provide the retimed transformation and render ofthat image.
The Retime Transformation node takes a transformation input and output, and will provide the retimed
transformation.

How to access the Retime and Retime Transformation Timing dialog box
1. In the Node View press Enter.
2. Type in the name of the node you want to search.
3. Select the node.
4. Click the yellow box on the left to open the dialog box.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference GuidelRetime Mode: Defines the way in which this node calculates the target frame to output.
lTarget Frame: It will use the Value attribute as an exact frame and outputs the content fromthat frame.

lFrame Offset: It will use the Value attribute as an offset to the current frame and outputs thecontent from that offset frame.

lValue: It provides the target frame or offset frame, depending on the retime mode.

lHold First Frame: This defines the node’s render behaviour. In the event that the retimed frame isless than 1 When enabled, the hold first frame option will cause the node to display the first frame
until the Retime node hits a valid frame above 1. When disabled, the node will remain blank until avalid retimed frame is reached.

lDisable Selection: This option is available in all timing nodes. It is recommended to disable thetiming node when modifying content, and reapply it when the content is complete.

lHide from Timeline: This option will collapse all attached content above this node in the Timeline,
preventing it from being selected or modified directly in the Timeline.

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Toolbar Manager Dialog Box
The Toolbar Manager dialog box lets you customize the toolbar in any of the views. You can add your favourite
tools to a toolbar for an efficient workflow.

How to access the Toolbar Manager dialog box
1. Right-click on a toolbar in any view and select Customize. Note that the menu will not appear if
you right-click on a disabled icon.

Parameter

Description

Available Tools

Displays the complete list of tools available for customizing a toolbar.

Toolbar

Displays a list of the tools currently available on the toolbar.

Default

Restores the toolbar with its default items.

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Vectorization Parameters Dialog Box
The Vectorization Parameters dialog box lets you vectorize pencil drawings, along with any red, blue or green
pencil marks you may have used to indicate highlights and shadows. The drawing will be vectorized into pure
red, blue, green and black (RGB values), while creating colour art zones wherever lines connect. After painting
in your tones and highlights, change your pure RGB colours to transparent (0 Alpha) in the Colour Picker
window and watch the indicator colour zone lines disappear.

How to open the Vectorization Parameters dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Import > From Scanner.
You can also open it from any other import option that allows you to customize the vectorization
parameters (i.e. from the scanner).
2. In the Scan Drawings window, do the following:l

In the Layer section, decide on the layer options.

l

In the Import Options section, select the Convert to Toon Boom Vector Drawing
optionl

Click Preview.

3. In the Vectorization section, click the Vectorization Parameters

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Options Tab
The Options tab contains the main vectorization settings. More settings are available in the Help tab.

Parameter

Description

Input

The input filters are applied to the bitmap image before it is vectorized.

One Pass

One threshold value is applied to both the Line and Colour Art. For drawings
with distinct vector-style lines of mattes, you only need one pass.

Two Passes

Applies a different threshold value to each layer. For greyscale drawings, you
may want to perform the vectorization process twice to apply different thresholdvalues to the Line and Colour Art layers.

Threshold

Determines which values in the scanned image are considered part of the Lineand Colour Art layer and what will be eliminated from the vectorized drawing;
0% is white and 100% is black. The threshold is between these two values.

Expand Bitmap

Lets you enter a value to scale the bitmap to detect small variations in the line.
Use this option if you scanned a greyscale image and want to preserve small
variations in the texture to apply to the line art.

Jag Filter

Lets you enter a value to scale back the bitmap to remove some of the line’sroughness. This is useless when you have a drawing that appears quite rough;the Jag filter will eliminate excess strokes in the final drawing.

Line Art Threshold(%)

Determines which values in the scanned image are considered part of the Line Art
layer and what will be eliminated from the vectorized drawing; 0% is white and100% is black. The threshold is between these two values.

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Colour Art Threshold(%)

OutputDetermines which values in the scanned image are considered part of the Colour
Art layer and what will be eliminated from the vectorized drawing; 0% is whiteand 100% is black. The threshold is between these two values.
The output filters are applied during the vectorization process.

No Colour Art

No Texture

Does not generate filling zones in the Colour Art layer.
Does not generate texture in the Line Art layer in the final images. Select thisoption to create solid lines in the final line art.

Generate Matte in
Underlay Layer

Creates an opaque zone behind your drawing’s lines to avoid seeing through thelayers.

Colour as Texture

Converts colour values into a texture layer.

Optical Registration

DPI

Peg Side

The optical registration options are used to automatically align drawings basedon the position of the peg holes on the animation paper. The peg holes must
appear in the scanned drawings for the optical registration to work.
Lets you enter the dots-per-inch value of your image. You must enter the samevalue as the DPI used to scan the image.
Lets you select the position of the peg holes on your drawings. Identify whether
they are on the top, bottom, left or right.
Determines how exact the location of the peg holes must be for the software torecognize them. There are two values to choose from:

Strictness

Strict: The peg holes must be in a tightly defined area to be recognized.
Loose: The peg holes can be recognized somewhere in a larger area. This is therecommended setting.

Field Chart
Post Processing

Lets you indicate the size of the animation paper, 12 or 16.
The Post Processing filters are applied to the final vector images.

Remove Holes

Removes holes of a specified value that might make painting difficult.

Remove Dirt

Removes stray marks and dirt of a specified value. Try a value around 500.

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Remove Hair Size

Removes small strokes that have no line art.

Remove Hair: Number
of Passes

The number of times the drawing will be analyzed to identify hair marks.

Miscellaneous
Close Gaps

Closes gaps in the Colour Art so you can paint it.

Smooth Passes forLine Art Before
Breaking Triangles

The number of times the smoothing operation runs before creating the triangles
that break lines in the drawing. If unnecessary triangles are appearing in thedrawing, increase this value.

Smooth Passes forLine Art

The number of times the smoothing operation is performed after the triangles
have been created. This further smooths the line art.

Preview
Show Strokes

Shows the strokes in the Vectorized Image panel.

Stroke Thickness

Shows the size of the strokes.

Help Tab
The Help tab contains the most advanced vectorization settings which you type in the Advanced Option fields
at the bottom of the Vectorization Parameters dialog box.

File IO Options-file <filename (including extension)> [ options ]204Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide-infile <filename (including extension)>; same as -file-outfile <filename>; alternate output file-informat <format>; the input format. Used if reading from stdin-debug; turn on debug mode
-noforce; don't force output if image is inconsistent-version; print version information and quit
-output_version <version>; output files of this version. Valid versions can be: 0 or 604-force_unamed_palette_for_texture; will generate a texture in TVG's internal palette

Registration Options-register <dpi side strictness>; perform optical registration.
• Side can be one of left, right, top, bottom or l, r, t, b.
• Strictness can be either loose, strict or l, s.
-register_center_peg_holes; will use only round holes in 16 fields page-rcph; short form of register_center_peg_holes-registration_looseness_factor <factor>; registration looseness factor (default 2.000000)-rlf; short form of registration_looseness_factor-rdebug; output registration debug messages-pegpitch <inch (default 8.000000)>; distance between peg bars
-threshr < (default 0.500000)>; threshold for optical registration; range 0.0 to 1.0-rmargin <inch (default 1)>; region size where to look for peg bars
-peg_distance_from_center <inch (default 5.25)>; peg distance from centre of the image-pdfc; short form of -peg_distance_from_center-out_peg_position <side (default same)>; wanted position of the peg on the drawing.
• Can be one of right, left, top, bottom (or r, l, t, b) or same.
• A rotation will be performed if it is different from the side passed to -register.
-output_peg_matrix; output the peg transformation matrix on standard output.
-scanner_calibrate; < (default 1.0000 1.0000) > x and y scale factors to be applied to scanner image.

Filtering Options-pixel <pixel_shape (default '4x3')>; Valid values: 4x3

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes-gap <worldUnits (default 10)>; close gaps up to this big-pencil; generate line art only
-keep_dirt; don't filter out dirt
-thresh <threshold (default 0.2)>; range 0.0 to 1.0-rmv_hairs <worldUnits (default 1)> <passes (default 1)>• remove hairs of size smaller than "size" in "passes" passes-rmv_holes <area (default 7)>; remove holes smaller than "area"-rmv_dirt <area (default 1)>; remove dirt smaller than "area"• try values between 100 and 500 for rmv_holes and rmv_dirt. The area is in world units squared-rmv_triangles <worldUnits (default 30.000000)>; remove triangles at "pixels"• distance from each other. Use -no_break to remove all triangles-no_texture; don't generate textured strokes-color_as_texture; will vectorize the alpha channel and put the RGB colour in a textured colour-noclosegap; disable all gap closing algorithms-no_break; disable the breaking of line art-jag_filter <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap-expand_bitmap <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap-fit_errorc <error (default 1.000000>; fitting error for the colour art-fit_errorl <error (default 1.000000>; fitting error for the line art-smoothl <passes (default 1>; number of smooth passes for line art-smoothc <passes (default 1>; number of smooth passes for colour art-first_smooth <passes (default 0>; number of smooth passes for line art before breaking triangles-first_smoothl <passes (default 0>; number of smooth passes for line art before breaking triangles-first_smoothc <passes (default 0>; number of smooth passes for line art in colour art pass (needs -2pass)-2pass; specify two sets of parameters; one for line art "l", one for colour art "c"(-thresh, -rmv_holes and -rmv_dirt will be overridden by -threshl, threshc, -rmv_holesl,-rmv_holesc, -rmv_dirtl and -rmv_dirtc)-threshl <threshold for line art (default 0.5)>; range 0.0 to 1.0-threshc <threshold for color art (default 0.5)>; range 0.0 to 1.0-jag_filterl <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap for line art

206Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide-jag_filterc <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap for colour art-expand_bitmapl <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap for line art-expand_bitmapc <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap for colour art-rmv_holesl <area (default 7)>; remove line art holes smaller than "area"-rmv_holesc <area (default 7)>; remove colour art holes smaller than "area"-rmv_dirtl <area (default 1)>; remove line art dirt smaller than "area"-rmv_dirtc <area (default 1)>; remove colour art dirt smaller than "area"
try values between 100 and 500 for rmv_holesl, rmv_holesc, rmv_dirtl and rmv_dirtc. The values are inworld units squared-margins <inch (default 0.25)>; remove margin around bitmap-top_margin <inch (default 0.25)>; remove margin at top of bitmap-bottom_margin <inch (default 0.25)>; remove margin at bottom of bitmap-left_margin <inch (default 0.25)>; remove margin at left of bitmap-right_margin <inch (default 0.25)>; remove margin at right of bitmap-remove_peg_bars; remove the peg bar holes-field_size <fields (default 12 or use value in scan file)>; set the drawing to this field size
-fs; short hand for -field_size-peg_bar_size <inch (default 1)>; the size of the peg bar region-noframe; do not put a frame around the colour art-frame_fields <default -1.000000>; put a frame of the specified dimension around the colour art-downscale_input <default 1>; downscale the raw input by this integer factor-downscale_texture <default 1>; downscale the output texture by this integer factor-buildmatte; generate a matte on underlay for line test
-buildmatte_colourart; generate a matte on colour art for line test
NOTE
-buildmatte and -buildmatte_colourart are mutually exclusive-copystrokes; copy original strokes when building matte.

Options for bitmap that has no registration information-pixel_margins <inch (default 0)>; remove margin around bitmap

207Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes-top_pixel_margin <inch (default 0)>; remove margin at top of bitmap-bottom_pixel_margin <inch (default 0)>; remove margin at bottom of bitmap-left_pixel_margin <inch (default 0)>; remove margin at left of bitmap-right_pixel_margin <inch (default 0)>; remove margin at right of bitmap-dpi <(default -1)>; dpi information of input bitmap

RGB Keying Options-rgb; generate separate zones for red, green and blue lines-rgb_alpha <value (default 255)>; generate red, green and blue colour with alpha of this value-no_red; ignore red colour in vectorization-no_green; ignore green colour in vectorization-no_blue; ignore blue colour in vectorization-flatten; flatten the drawing after generating colours-rmv_rgb_dirt <threshold area default 0.0>; remove red, green and blue regions smaller than area
-expand_bitmap_rgb <pixels (default 0>; expand the pixels in the vectorization bitmap for rgb-threshrgb <value> <threshold for rgb vectorization default 0.200000>;-threshsv <saturation threshold default 0.500000> <value threshold default 0.500000>; thresholds onsaturation and value to consider a pixel to be grey

Colour Vectorization Options-color_vectorize; perform a colour vectorization-file2 <colour art filename>; specify the colour art bitmap-penstyle <center alpha (0.0-20.0)> <edge alpha (0.0-20.0)> <gamma (0-10)><centre pressure effect (0.01.0)> <edge pressure effect (0.0-1.0)><texture bitmap downscaling (0.2-20)> <texture bitmap file (valid
filename or "" if no file)>; generate brush texture for the line art-pressure_variation <strategy (0, 1 or 2)> <min pressure (0.0-1.0)> <max pressure (0.0-1.0)> <max variation(0.0-1.0)>; specify a pressure strategy for the centre line.
-blur_radius <pixels (default 0)>; blur the penstyle texture generated-color_contour_smooth_passes <times (default 3)>; perform number of smooth passes on contour before
computing texture-ccsp <times (default 3)>; short for -color_contour_smooth_passes-color_rmv_holesl <world units (default 0.000000)>; remove holes of this size when computing texture-color_fill_holesl <world units (default 0.000000)>; fill holes of this size for colour line art

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Bubble Usage (implemented only for colour vectorization's line art)-create_bubbles; add bubbles into the LineArt. Implemented for colour vectorization only
-bubble_gap <value (default 3)>; max number of colour art points between 2 bubbles-bubble_length <value (default 10)>; max number of circles in a bubble-min_radius <value (default 1.5000)>; min radius of a circle in a bubble relative to the line thickness (must be>= 1.0)-max_radius <value (default 3.5000)>; max radius of a circle in a bubble relative to the line thickness (must be>= 1.0)-uniform_gap; the space between bubbles is constant

4 Colour Vectorization-4colours [key:value] ... [key:value] ; The key value list can be empty. The list of keys is:
rgbdiff:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
dark:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
grey:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
white:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
dirt:value ; dirt area. 200 is a good value
rt:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
gt:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
bt:value ; between [0.0-1.0] or [0-255]
NOTE
There must be no space between the colon and the key/value. For example: -4colours rgbdiff:20
dark:20 grey:120 white:250 dirt:200 rt:240 gt:240 bt:240

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Versions Dialog Box
The Versions window lets you delete any unnecessary versions of scenes when working with Harmony Server.
When working with multiple versions of a scene, you may to clean up the database by deleting the ones you
no longer need.

How to access the Versions window
1. Make sure you have the necessary rights. If you do not, select File > Rights to Modify Scene.
2. Select File > Manage Versions.

Parameter

Description

Existing Versions

Displays the different versions of a scene that you can delete.

Description

Displays information about the selected version.
Removes the selected version of a scene.

DeleteIMPORTANTThis operation cannot be undone.

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OpenQuickTime Video Options Dialog Box (GNU/Linux)
The OpenQuickTime Video Options dialog box (titled MediaSettings) allows you to configure the video
compression settings when exporting a QuickTime movie on Linux.

On GNU/Linux, Harmony uses the OpenQuickTime framework to export QuickTime movies. This frameworkuses its own user interfaces to allow you to configure the video and audio compression settings for a movie.
Because OpenQuickTime only comes bundled with non-prorprietary codecs, its compression options arelimited.
NOTESlFor tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on macOS.

How to access the OpenQuickTime Video Options dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

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2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).
3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the OpenQuickTime Video Options dialog box from the Export
OpenGL Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

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2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).
4. Click on the Video Options button.

Parameter

Description
Allows you to select a video compression algorithm. By default, the following
codecs are available:
l

l

codec

l

l

l

Motion-JPEG A: A very portable codec that performs lossy JPEG
compression and interlaces the frames. Motion-JPEG A compression isless efficient than Photo JPEG in terms of quality and file size, but may be
a more portable alternative for software that does not support Photo
JPEG.
Photo JPEG: Encodes the movie as a sequence of JPEG images. JPEG
images have lossy compression. This is the most efficient codec for filesize.
Portable Network Graphics (PNG): Encodes the movie as a sequence of
PNG images. PNG images have lossless compression.
Tag Image File Format (TIFF): Encodes the movie as a sequence of
uncompressed TIFF images. This codec is lossless.
Uncompressed (RGB): Encodes the movie as uncompressed bitmap data.
This codec is lossless.

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NOTE
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) and Photo JPEG are the only
codecs in this list that are natively supported by both Harmonyand
GNOME's Totem Video Player. Other codecs may require additional
software to play on GNU/Linux workstations.

quality

When using a JPEG-based codec, this allows you to set the JPEG compression
quality. By default, this will be set to 85. Possible values range from 0 to 100.
The higher the quality, the more disk space the resulting video file will take.

fieldDominanceFor codecs with interlacing. This is set to 1 by default. If set to 1, the first field
will be encoded on odd frames, and the second field will be encoded on evenframes. If set to 2, the first field will be encoded on even frames, and the second
field will be encoded on odd frames.

compression

The amount of lossless compression to perform when exporting in PNG format.
PNG compression is lossless, but higher compression settings will take longer
to encode and decode.

packbits

For movies encoded in TIFF. When enabled, this option adds extra losslesscompression to the encoding.

lendian

For movies encoded in TIFF. When enabled, the video data is encoded in little
endian byte order, instead of big endian.

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Windows Media Video Settings Dialog Box (Windows)
The WMV Settings dialog box allows you to configure the video and audio settings when exporting a movie in
Windows Media Video (.wmv) format.

NOTES
l

For tasks related to this dialog box, refer to the User Guide.

lThis dialog can only be accessed on Windows.

How to access the WMV Options dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export Movie dialog box appears.

2. In the Movie Format drop-down, select QuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov).

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3. Click on the Movie Options button.
The QuickTime Movie Options dialog box appears.

4. In the Codec drop-down, select any of the movie options.

How to access the WMV Options dialog box from the Export OpenGL Frames dialog
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > OpenGL Frames.
The Export OpenGL Frames dialog box appears.

2. In the Format section, select Movie.
3. In the Movie Format drop-down, select Windows Media Video (*.wmv).
4. Click on the Movie Options button.

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Parameter

Description

Video
Variable Bit Rate
Quality

Allows you choose a quality setting ranging from 5 to 100 for the video stream.
The higher the quality of the export, the larger the resulting file.
Uncheck this checkbox if you want to export a movie without an audio track.

NOTE

Sound

The Sound section of this dialog is not available if you are exporting an
EDL/AAF/XML sequence, as this type of export creates video files with noaudio track and export sound clips in separate sound files.

Allows you to select one of the preset combinations of audio sample rates,
sample sizes and channel modes for the audio stream:l

Sample rate: Available sample rates are 8000 Hz, 16000 Hz, 22050 Hz
and 44100 Hz. The higher the sample rate, the better the audio quality.

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050
kHz. If you select a higher sample rate, your project's audio will be
upsampled, which means it will take more disc space without
increasing in quality.

ProfilelSample size: Also known as bit depth, this determines the amount ofprecision used to record each wavelength in the audio track. The standard
size is 16-bit. If you choose 8-bit, the amount of disk space the audio
track of your movie file requires is halved, but the audio quality will besignificantly lower.

NOTE
Exporting in 8-bit audio requires Apple QuickTime to beinstalled.

l

Channel mode: Available channel modes are Stereo and Mono. Stereo
sound has a separate audio track for the left and the right speakers,
whereas mono sound uses a single track for all speakers.

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Xsheet Column Width Dialog Box
The Xsheet Column Width dialog box lets modify the width of a column in the Xsheet view and use it as thedefault column width.

How to access the Xsheet Column Width Dialog Box
1. In the Xsheet view, select a column.
2. From the Xsheet menu, select View > Set Columns Width.
The Xsheet Column Width dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Columns Width (pixels)

Lets you set the width of the selected columns (in pixels).

Apply

Applies the value you entered to the selected column without closing the dialog
box.

Set As Default

Uses the value you entered as the default for all columns in the Xsheet.

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Chapter 2: Menus
The Menus section covers all the menu entries available in Harmony. There are several types of menus in
Harmony: main menus, quick-access menus and view menus. Menus contains most of the functions available.
They may also have a toolbar button or keyboard shortcut equivalent.
Main Menus

221

Animation Menu

222

Drawing Menu

230

Edit Menu

238

File Menu

242

Help Menu

245

Insert Menu

247

Play Menu

249

Scene Menu

251

View Menu

253

Windows Menu

259

View Menus

261

Camera View Menu

262

Colour View Menu

279

Drawing View Menu

282

Function View Menu

295

Library View Menu

297

Model View Menu

299

Onion Skin View Menu

301

Perspective View Menu

303

Script Editor View Menu

309

Side View Menu

314

Timeline View Menu

319

Top View Menu

324

Xsheet View Menu

329

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Main Menus
The top menu contains most of the commands available in Harmony. Depending on the view you're working inand the selected element, some commands are available and others not. The top menu is always located at thevery top of the interface.

On macOS, there is also a Harmony Advanced category that contains the following commands: Preferences,
About, and Quit.
Animation Menu

222

Drawing Menu

230

Edit Menu

238

File Menu

242

Help Menu

245

Insert Menu

247

Play Menu

249

Scene Menu

251

View Menu

253

Windows Menu

259

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Animation Menu
The Animation menu lets you access tools, adjust animation timing, set morphing and parameters, lock or
unlock layers, and select elements in the Xsheet and Timeline views.

How to access the Animation menulAt the top of the interface, select Animation.

Command

Description

AnimateWhen this option is selected, every time you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to manipulate an element
Animate Current Framein your scene, the position of the element will be stored in a keyframe
at the current frame. This allows you to animate elements in yourscene without creating keyframes manually.

When this option is selected, if you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to make transformations to an

Animate Onion Skin Range

element in your scene, the transformations will be stored as keyframes
at the beginning and at the end of the current Onion Skin range, as
well as on every existing keyframe in-between. This can be useful if
you want to reposition an element that you have already animated, but
only during a specific range of frames, which you can define byenabling Onion Skin and setting the Onion Skin range to cover that
range of frames.

When this option is selected, if you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to make transformation to an
Animate Off

element in your scene, the transformations will affect the element
throughout the whole scene. This can be useful if you want toreposition an element after you have already animated it.

Stop-Motion Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between astop-motion keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not
generate any animation and the element remains static until the next
keyframe.

Delete Keyframe

Deletes the selected keyframes.

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Tools

Transform

Allows you to select drawing layers and position, rotate, scale andskew them.

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y axes.

RotateTurns a selected element around its pivot point.

Scale

Increases or decreases the size of a selected element. You can scale an
object up to make it larger or down to make it smaller. Press Shift toscale the element while maintaining its proportions.

Skew

Slants the selected element.

Maintain Size

Keeps elements the same size aspect ratio in the Camera view as you
move them towards or away from the camera.
Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or
modifying your animation. By default, the trajectory is located at 0,0,0
fields. If your elements were drawn in a different location than the

Spline Offset

centre of the drawing area, it will look like the trajectory is not alignedwith your drawing. Also, if you have several elements attached to one
trajectory, you might want your trajectory to be at a different location
to represent the group's motion better.

Cell

Increase Exposure

Adds one more exposure to a selected cell; repeating this action adds
an extra cell each time. This is an efficient way to extend a drawing's
exposure and is always set in Insert mode. Increasing an exposure
pushes the existing exposure forward.

Decrease Exposure

Decreases exposure of a selected cell by one; repeating this action
decreases one exposure adds an extra cell each time. This is anefficient way to shorten a drawing's exposure. Decreasing an exposure
pulls in the existing exposure.

Set Exposure toLets you set the exposure to 1, 2, 3 or a custom exposure.

Extend Exposure

Lets you enter the frame up to which you want to extend the exposure.

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You can expose the drawing in the frames and replace the drawings
that were originally there or move the subsequent frames forward intime.
Add Key Exposure

Adds a key exposure to the selected cell.

Remove Key Exposure

Removes key exposures from the selected cells.
When working with drawings to adjust the timing of a mouth in a

Remove Duplicate Key Exposure

lipsync, for example, and forcing the use of specific key exposures,
unnecessary key exposures will be created. You can delete these
duplicates without affecting the rest of the drawing. The first drawingof the selection will be used for the range.

NOTE
Duplicate key exposures may occur when pasting with the
Enforce Key Exposure option selected.

Fill Empty Cells

Fills the empty frames in the selection with the exposure just before.
For example, if you select a range of frame that starts with an exposeddrawing and then ends with empty cells, all of the empty cells in theselection will be filled with the exposed drawing just before theempty cells.

Insert Blank Cell

Adds an empty cell between other cells.

Clear Exposure

Removes the exposure from the selected cell.

Clear Exposure and Pull

Replaces the exposure from the selected cell with exposures that
follow it.

Fill Selection

Lets you fill the same value over an entire selection. The selection canbe over one cell, a cell range in one column, a cell range over manycolumns, an entire column, or many columns. You can use numbers,
words, letters, or any alphanumeric value.

Sequence Fill

Lets you create a numbered sequence over a selection. The sequencecan be forward, backward, single, double or higher increment, as acycle, and so on. The selection can be over one cell or a cell range in
one column or more or an entire column or many entire columns.

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Fill Cells Randomly

Lets you fill in random values over a selection. You can give amaximum and a minimum value and create a range for Harmony tochoose the random values from. The selection can be over one cell ora cell range in one column or more or an entire column or many entire
columns.

Hold Exposure

Lets you expose a drawing for three, four, or five cells and so on.

Morphing

Create Morphing

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which willautomatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in thecurrent layer.

Insert Morphing Key Drawing

Creates a morphing keyframe from a selected morphing frame.

Delete Morphing

Once a cell is selected in a morphing sequence, deletes the entire
sequence between the two keyframes.

Convert Morphing to Drawing

Contour Hint

Lets you convert your morphing inbetweens to real drawings you can
edit. This is useful when manually editing a morphing sequence or if
you prefer to have animation timing in double frame (on twos) insteadof single frame (on ones).
The Contour Hint point is used on the colour fill zone and brush lines;
in other words, on Contour vectors. It allows you to control the line
thickness and contour position. Also, if a contour is not animatedcorrectly, you can use hints to correct the animation. For example, if aflag is not waving properly.
When adding a Contour Hint point, make sure to place it far enoughaway from the contour so you can see it snap to the contour.
Contour Hint points are yellow.

Zone Hint

The Zone Hint point is used on a colour zone to control the proximity
rule. The Zone Hint is placed in the centre of the colour zone.
Sometimes a colour zone is not associated with the corresponding
one by default. For example, in a splash animation there are many
water droplets that are the same colour. Harmony automaticallymorphs the droplet to the nearest one. This is not always the one you
may have predicted. A Zone Hint will force a colour zone to morph
with another one.
Zone Hint points are cyan in colour.

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Pencil Hint

A Pencil Hint point is used to control a pencil line, also known ascentral vector. It can be used on drawings that were done using thePencil, Polyline, Ellipse, Line and Rectangle tools. Like the Contour
Hint, the Pencil Hint snaps to the central vector. Make sure to place it
far enough away from the line so you will see it snap when you moveit.
Pencil Hint points are magenta in colour.
An Appearing Point Hint is used to control the trajectory of an

Appearing Point Hint

appearing shape. A shape will appear in the destination drawing when
there is no corresponding shape in the source drawing. If you do notplace an Appearing Point Hint to control the point of appearance, theshape will appear from its centre and expand outwards.
Appearing Point Hint points are violet in colour.

Vanishing Point Hint

A Vanishing Point Hint is used to control the trajectory of a vanishing
shape. A shape will vanish from the source drawing when there is nocorresponding shape in the destination drawing. If you do not place a
Vanishing Point Hint to control the point of disappearance, the shapewill vanish into its centre.
Vanishing Point Hint points are green in colour.

Switch Between Morphing Key
Drawings

Toggles between the two key drawings in your morphing sequence.
This option is useful while setting hints. You can use the default
keyboard shortcut F4 to toggle between your drawings.

Go to First Frame

Goes to the first frame of your morphing sequence.

Go to Previous Frame

Goes to the previous frame of the selected frame in the morphing
sequence.

Go to Next Frame

Goes to the next frame of the selected frame in the morphing
sequence.

Go to Last Frame

Goes to the last frame of your morphing sequence.

Suggest Hints

Automatically sets hint points on key drawings as a help tool. If
you're not sure where to set hints, you can use this option. It will set
the main hints which you can then fine tune.

Hide Hints

Temporarily hides the hint points from the key drawings. Use this226

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option when you have a series of hint points hiding some lines you
would like to see.
Lip-Sync

Change Mouth Shape toLets you change the mouth shape to one of the following: A, B, C, D,
E, F, G, X.

Auto Lip-Sync Detection

Generates a sound detection for lip-sync.

Map Lip-Sync

Automatically maps drawings in an element to the mouth chart you
have generated for a sound. This can save time when you are lipsynching a voice track.

Flip Horizontal

Flips the selection horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Flips the selection vertically.

Flip Scale X

Once your drawing layer is rotated, the original horizontal and verticalaxes change. The Flip Scale X and Flip Scale Y will perform a flip on
your drawing layer following its original axis.Remembers the original
X-axis of the layer and flips the element following it.

Flip Scale Y

Remembers the original Y-axis of the layer and flips the element
following it.

Flip

Linear Motion

Switches between a linear and curved corner.

Lock in Time

Indicates whether the point is locked to a specific frame (keyframe) or
only locked to a specific position and the curve can flow through it
freely as other points are being added, moved, or adjusted (control
point).

No Z Dragging

Keeps the Z value constant when you drag a character using theTransform or Translate tool.

Substitute Drawing Previous

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by theprevious drawing.

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Substitute Drawing Next

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by thenext drawing.

Go to Previous Keyframe

Goes to the previous keyframe.

Go to Next Keyframe

Goes to the next keyframe.

Select Previous Keyframe /Point

Select the previous keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe /Point

Select the next keyframe/point.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg elementin the Timeline view.

Select Children

Lets you select all elements parented to the selected peg element in
the Timeline view.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timelineview.

Select Previous Sibling

Lets you select the previous element (above current element) in theTimeline view.

Select Next Sibling

Lets you select the next element (below current element) in theTimeline view.

Lock

Reset

Lock

Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.

UnlockUnlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.

Lock All

Locks all the layers in the Timeline view.

Unlock All

Unlocks all the layers in the Timeline view.

Lock All Others

Locks every layer except the selected ones.
Returns the value of the selected element to the initial value of the228Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

active tool. For example, if the Rotate tool is active, the transformation
angle will be reset to 0 and if the Transform tool is active, all thetransformation values will be reset.

Reset All

Resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer.
Your keyframe will remain, but all the values will return to the starting
value. All transformations are reset regardless of the tool you'reusing.

Reset All Except Z

Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position.
This is useful when doing cut-out animation. Cut-out puppets often
have a particular Z ordering for the different views of a character. Youmight want to reset the transformation, but not necessarily the Z
position.

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Drawing Menu
The Drawing menu lets you access many tools related to drawing, painting, dirt removal, optimizing strokes,
and more.

How to access the Drawing menulAt the top of the interface, select Drawing.

Command

Description

Drawing Tools

Allows you to select one of the drawing tools available in Harmony.

SelectAllows you to select and reposition, scale, rotate and skew brush strokes, pencil lines,
shapes and other parts of your artwork.

Contour Editor

Allows you to edit the vector contours of brush strokes, pencil lines and shapes inyour artwork. You can add, remove, tweak and move vector points, move the Bezier
handles of the vector points as well as deform vector outlines.

Centerline

Allows you to tweak and deform a brush stroke by manipulating the points at the

Editorcentre of its line rather than its contour.

Pencil Editor

Allows you to adjust the thickness of a pencil line at its different points and corners,
tweak the shape of its extremities and scale its texture.

CutterAllows you to cut a part of your artwork, then reposition, scale, rotate and skew it.

Smooth Editor

Allows you to optimize contours and lines by removing its extra points, making themeasier to edit.

Perspective

Allows you to deform artwork by applying a perspective effect on it.

Envelope

Allows you to deform and warp artwork by moving points and tweaking lines in a grid.

Reposition All
Drawings

Allows you to reposition, scale, rotate and skew all drawings in the current layer.

Drawing Pivot

Allows you to position the pivot on a drawing layer by clicking where you want its
location to be.

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Brush

A pressure-sensitive tool for creating a contour shape with a thick and thin line effect,
as if created with a paint brush.

PencilA pressure-sensitive tool for drawing outlines. Pencil lines are made of central vectorlines, making them easier to tweak and edit than brush strokes.

Text

Allows you to add text and to format it.

EraserA pressure-sensitive tool for erasing parts of a drawing.

ColourEyedropper

Allows you to select a colour by clicking on a colour in your artwork.

Pencil Texture
Eyedropper

Allows you to select a pencil texture by clicking on a textured pencil line.

Morphing

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which will automaticallygenerate the in-betweens between two drawings in the current layer.

Line

Draws a straight line segment going from one point to the other.

Rectangle

Draws a rectangle.

EllipseDraws an ellipse.

Polyline

Allows you to draw shapes, segmented lines or complex curved lines by clicking tocreate each point in the sequence of line segments.

Paint

Allows you to fill colour zones with a colour or texture.

Ink

Allows you to recolour pencil lines with precision by changing the colour of one
segment at a time.

Repaint Brush

Like the Brush tool, but only paints over existing brush strokes.

Close Gap

Allows you to close open shapes so that they can be filled with the Paint tool. By
drawing a stroke near a small gap in a shape, this tool will create a small invisible
stroke connecting the two closest points around the gap.

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StrokeAllows you to create invisible lines that can serve as colour zones that can be filled, orclose the gaps in existing colour zones.

Edit
Gradient/Texture

Allows you to adjust the position, angle and size of gradients and textures in a colour
zone.

Hand

Allows you to pan the Camera and Drawing views.

Zoom

Allows you zoom in and out of the Camera and Drawing views.

Rotate View

Lets you rotate the Camera and Drawing views just like with a real animation disc.

Shift and Trace

Allows you to temporarily move drawings so you can trace over them in otherdrawings using Onion Skin.

Clean Up

Remove Dirt

Opens the Remove Dirt dialog box where you can specify the number and size of dots
removal from a selected drawing.

Remove Hair

Opens the Remove Hair dialog box where you can specify the number and length ofhairs for removal from a selected drawing. This removes any small strokes created in
the Colour Art layer from very thick lines or filled zones. Increase the value to selectlarger strokes for removal from the drawing.

Close Gaps

Closes small gaps in a drawing by creating small, invisible strokes between the two
closest points to close the colour zone. You do not need to trace directly over the gap.
You can draw it a few millimeters away. The two closest points automatically close
the gap.

Remove Art
Inside Selection

Removes any art inside a selection. It is recommended that you clean your Colour Art
level as well. If you have a stroke accumulation in the Colour Art, it can result in large
output files, especially if you work in high definition resolutions.

Remove Art
Inside Selection
on All Drawings

Removes any art inside all drawings selected with the Permanent Selection option in
the Select tool.

Remove Art
OutsideSelection

Removes any art existing outside a selection. It is recommended that you clean the
Colour Art level as well. If you have a stroke accumulation in the Colour Art, it can
result in large output files, especially if you work in high-definition resolutions.

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Remove Art
OutsideSelection on All
Drawings

Removes any art outside all drawings selected with the Permanent Selection option in
the Select tool.

Paint

NOTE
The Paint commands require you to use the Permanent Selection option in the Select tool so you can maintain aselection over multiple drawings.

Unpaint
Selection

Unpaints any art existing inside a selection.

Unpaint
Selection on All
Drawings

Unpaints all art contained inside a selection on all the drawings within the same layer.

Unpaint Outside
Selection

Unpaints any art existing outside a selection. If no selection have been drawn using
the Select tool, the entire drawing will be unpainted.

Unpaint Outside
Selection on All
Drawings

Unpaints all art outside a selection on all the drawings within the same layer.

Repaint
Selection

Repaints any art inside a selection.

Repaint
Selection on All
Drawings

Repaints any art inside a selection on all the drawings contained within the samelayer.

Repaint Outside
Selection

Repaints any art outside a selection. If no selection has been drawn using the Selecttool, the entire drawing will be repainted.

Repaint Outside
Selection on All
Drawings

Repaints any art outside a selection on all the drawings contained within the samelayer.

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Pencil Lines toBrush Strokes

Converts the selected centreline pencil strokes into contour strokes brush lines.

Brush Strokes toPencil Lines

Converts selected contour strokes into centreline pencil strokes. The brush stroke
thickness will be lost.

Strokes toPencil Lines

Converts the selected invisible line to a pencil line.

Break Apart Text
LayersText is treated as a single drawing object. This separates the text so each character
becomes an individual drawing object you can select and modify independently.

Optimize

FlattenMerges drawing objects and brush strokes into a single layer. If you draw new lines to
fix a drawing or line with many brush strokes, it can be useful to flatten them all into asingle shape. By default, lines are drawn one on top of each other. If you intend to
repaint the lines or modify their shape, it will be easier if they are flattened.

SmoothSmooths selected drawing strokes and removes extra points.

Create Contour
Strokes

Adds a permanent invisible line around a shape that was drawn directly in Harmony.
This allows you to unpaint lines with the Paint tool but maintain the shape of thelines, should you need to repaint later.

RemoveContour Strokes

Remove any permanently invisible lines that were created while scanning andvectorizing drawings or manually adding contour strokes. This is useful for removing
the intersection triangles created during vectorization.

Remove Extra
Strokes

Removes strokes inside painted area. This option only works after the painted drawing
is flattened.

Optimize

Reduces the number of layers, such as overlapping brush strokes, in the selecteddrawing objects. Drawing objects will only be flattened and optimized if the selected
objects do not change the appearance of the final image when they are merged.

Crop Brush
Textures

Crops an unnecessarily large texture bitmap that lies unseen beneath the vector
contour of a textured line. This often occurs when you cut and paste textured lines
from one drawing into another. If you cut a portion from a textured line and paste it
into a different drawing, Harmony pastes the entire unseen texture bitmap from thesource drawing into the new one, even if you only took a small portion of the source234Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

drawing. Using the Crop Brush Texture command will crop away extraneous texture
that does not touch the vector area. If there are many textured lines in your scene, thiswill greatly reduce the file size.
Reduce Drawing
TextureResolution

When you import and vectorize as texture (colour) a high resolution image, the size ofyour drawing can be heavy. You can reduce the size and resolution of the textures in a
drawing.

Transform
Flip Horizontal

Flips the current selection horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Flips the current selection vertically.

Rotate 90 CW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate 90 CCW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

Rotate 180

Rotates the current selection 180 degrees.

Arrange
Bring to Front

Moves the selected art to the front (on top).

Bring Forward

Moves the selected art one level forward (closer to the front).

Send Backward

Moves the selected art one level lower (behind).

Send to Back

Moves the selected art behind everything (bottom / back).

Create Empty Drawing

Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may already be
exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets another drawing, key
exposure or a blank cell.

Duplicate Drawings

Creates a duplicate of the selected drawing in the layer. The duplicate drawing will be
exposed at the selected frame instead of the original drawing. Hence, this command
allows you to instantly start working on a duplicate of the current drawing and retain
the original.

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NOTE
When duplicating a drawing, the exposure at the selected cell is replaced with
the new drawing, up until the next key exposure.

Delete Selected
Drawings

Permanently removes selected drawings. Once you save your project, these drawings
cannot be recovered.

Rename Drawing

Lets you give a selected drawing a new name.

Rename Drawing with
PrefixLets you rename a drawing sequence with a prefix, which can be quite useful for cutout puppet breakdown and deformation animation. This applies to any deformation
work done in pre-Harmony 12 versions.

Rename by Frame

Lets you rename a series of drawings relative to their frame position. This is useful inhand-drawn animation.

Select Strokes withCurrent Colour

Lets you select drawing elements and painted areas with the same colour as thecurrently selected colour in your colour palette.
Every selected stroke in the Camera view is placed on separate layers; one layer per

Distribute to Layers

stroke. If artwork is composed of several strokes, you must group them to put them on
the same layer.
This operation cannot be done in the Drawing view.

Create Colour Art fromLine Art

Create Breaking
Triangles

Generate Auto-Matte

Lets you use the outline you traced on one of the four embedded layers (line art,
colour art, overlay, underlay) and create invisible strokes to paint your drawings on
separate layers. This provides more inking and painting flexibility.
You can also configure this option to create the invisible strokes on any of the four
embedded layers.
Useful for brush strokes, creates triangular breaks at natural line intersections. These
intersections are the probable locations where colour line breaks may occur, such aswhere a sleeve meets a hand.
This makes it easier to soft trace lines in different colours when there are flattened or
unflattened clean brush strokes.
Fills colour based on currently selected colour swatch on different drawing layers(overlay, underlay) so overlapping lines are more visible during a line test.

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Adjust Line Texture
Opacity

Lets you adjust the contrast and opacity of textured lines in a drawing.

Allows you to change the pixel density of textured brush strokes in vector drawings inyour scene.
Change Vector Drawing
Brush Resolution

NOTE
When you create a new vector drawing, its pixel density for textured brushstrokes is based on the settings in the Drawing Resolution tab of the Scene
Settings dialog.

Allows you to change the pixel density and canvas size of existing bitmap drawings inyour scene.
Change Bitmap
Drawing Resolution

NOTE
When you create a new bitmap drawing, its canvas size and pixel density arebased on the settings in the Drawing Resolution tab of the Scene Settings
dialog.

Previous Drawing

When a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, displays the previous drawing.

Next Drawing

When a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, displays the next drawing.

Previous Layer

When a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, displays the previous layer.

Next Layer

Once a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, you can navigate between thedrawings, frames, and layers. Displays the previous drawing, next drawing, previous
layer or next layer.
When a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, displays the next layer.

Colour Protection
Toggle Current
ColourProtection

Temporarily enables/disables the Colour Protection feature so you can quickly correct
wrongly inked or painted areas under protected colour without readjusting the Current
Colour Protection option.

Respect Colour
Protection

In the Colour view, you can protect a colour swatch to avoid repainting or unpainting
the zones linked to that swatch. If you using the Paint tool and this option isdeselected, you will repaint or unpaint the protected colours on your drawings until
you enable the option again.

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Edit Menu
The Edit menu lets you repeat and undo actions, cut/copy/paste selected objects, select and manipulate
objects, work with symbols, and access the Preferences dialog box.

How to access the Edit menulFrom the top menu, select Edit.

Command

Description

Undo

Removes the last change made to your project. Harmony supports
multiple undo, so you can undo changes you made in the order you
made them.

Redo

Redoes an operation you have undone. This command is active only
after you use the Undo command.

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its
properties to another object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a
view.

Paste Special

Opens the Paste Special dialog box which lets you determine howtemplates and symbols are imported in the Timeline view.
There are advanced paste options for drawings, timings, keyframes,
layers, as well as palettes and symbols.

Paste Special Again

Pastes new drawings with the previous Paste Special settings.

Paste Cycle

Cycles a portion of an animation. You can increase or decrease thenumber of cycles to paste and select a type of cycle: Normal, Reverse,
Forward-Reverse and Reverse-Forward.

Paste Reverse

Reverses the timing of drawings or keyframes in range of selection
after copying.

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DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the
Drawing, Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple
objects as one when moving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.
Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that

Invert Selection

were not selected. For example, if some lines are selected in a
drawing, this command will deselect them and select any other lines
in the drawing that were not selected.

Auto-Apply

Automatically applies changes you make to a property window or
dialog box. Harmony applies the modification automatically anddisplays the result in the Camera view. When working on a heavy
scene, it is useful to turn off this option.If you want to always work in
Auto-Apply mode, you can deselect the Auto-Apply option in the
Preferences dialog box (General tab). Then, each time you start
Harmony, the Auto-Apply mode will be off. You must click the Apply
button to see any modifications.

Create Symbol

Creates a symbol from selected drawing elements in the Drawing or
Camera view or a layer or cells in the Timeline view.

Expand Symbol

Extracts a symbol's contents and places it on the root timeline. Its
contents will be copied and inserted into the root timeline. The
symbol will not be removed from the Timeline view once it isexpanded.
The symbol's layers will be parented to it in case you created motions
and transformations on the drawing layer that contain the symbol.
Breaking the hierarchy could result in the loss of any scaling andanimation you may have created.

Duplicate Selected Symbol

Creates a duplicate of a selected symbol. If other symbols are nested
inside the new symbol, they are not duplicated. If you modify them,the original and other instances will also be modified.

Create Drawing from Drawing Selection

Breaks a character into its main body parts. There is no need to create
any layers prior to this process. Make sure your model is well centeredand sized in the Camera view.

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Clone: Drawings Only

Creates a copy of the drawings in the selected layer in the Timelineview or column in the Xsheet view. The timing it not copied.

Clone: Drawings and Timing

Creates a copy of the drawings and their timings in the selected layer
in the Timeline view or column in the Xsheet view.

Duplicate

Duplicates a layer to have a copy of the drawings that are independent
from the original ones, as well as an independent timing (exposure).
When you need the drawings to be modified independently, you will
want to duplicate the layer instead of cloning it.
There are two methods of merging drawings.
l

Merge
l

You can merge selected drawings in adjacent elements. The
columns and layers will be left intact, and each new merged
drawing will reside in the frames of the left-most column or
lower layer.
You can merge elements. All drawings will be merged.
Unused columns and layers will be deleted, but the original
drawing files are still accessible.

Group
Group

Groups selected drawing objects in the Camera or Drawing view.

Ungroup

Ungroups a selected group of drawing objects in the Camera or
Drawing view.

Edit Drawing Mode

When the Auto-Get Rights to Modify Drawings option is selected in
the Preferences dialog box (General tab), the system automaticallygets the rights to modify drawings when you select a drawing.
Otherwise, you must manually get the rights to modify drawings.

Edit Palette List Mode

When the Auto-Get Rights to Modify Palette option is selected in the
Preferences dialog box (General tab), the system automatically getsthe rights to modify palettes and palette lists when you select acolour from a palette. Otherwise, you must manually get the rights tomodify a palette or palette list.

Get Rights to Modify Drawing

Manually releases the rights to modify a selected drawing.

Release Rights to Modify Drawing

Manually releases rights to modify a selected drawing.

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Force Release Rights to Modify Drawing

This option is always available even if the Get Rights to Modify All
Scene Assets option is not selected in the Database Selector dialog
box.

Preferences

Opens the Preferences dialog box where you can set your preferencesfor Harmony.

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File Menu
The File menu lets you open, close, save, scan, print, and import and export files.

How to access the File menulFrom the top menu, select File.

Command

Description

New

Creates a new scene while closing any scene already open. The New Scene dialog box
opens, asking for directory, name, and resolution information.

Open

Displays the Open Scene dialog box where you can browse for a scene file. You can open a
new scene from the current one and the previous scene will close.

Open Recent

Displays a list of the most recently opened scenes.

Clear

Clears the list of recently opened scenes.

Close

Closes the currently opened scene, but does not close the Harmony application.

Save

Saves all changes made to the opened scene, drawings, palettes, and palette lists.
Lets you do the following:

Advanced Savel

Save the scene as the current version.

lSave different versions representing different stages of the production of your scene.

lSave different versions representing different scene setups.

lChoose specific assets that you want to save, such as drawings or palettes.

Rights to Modify
Scene Version

Allows you to modify the selected version of the scene as well as to manage and overwrite
other versions. Other users will not be able to open a different version of the scene until you
close the scene.

Rights to Modify
Scene

Allows you to modify the currently selected scene version only. Unless the Get rights tomodify the scene option is also checked, you will not be able to change other versions of
the scene. This allows other users to modify different versions of the scene while you areworking on the selected version.

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Determines which drawing files have been modified on disk since you loaded them. All
updated drawings will be reloaded.
Read Changed
Drawings

NOTE
Reloading a locked drawing will discard unsaved changes.

Manage Versions

Allows you to manage all the versions of the current scene.

Manage Local
Cache

Opens the Manage Local Cache dialog, in which you can see all the Harmony Server databasescenes that were cached locally, delete unused caches and check if the data in a scene's
cache matches the data on the database server.
Saves the current file with a different name and at a different location.

Save As

Saves the current state of a scene as another scene. The Save As window prompts you for a
new name and a different location for this scene before saving it. This will create a complete
scene directory for the new scene.

NOTE
The scene name cannot exceed 23 characters.

Save as New
VersionSaves the current scene as another version. The Save Version dialog box prompts you to givea name for this new version. This will create a new .xstage file in your current project
directory.

Back Up Scene

Backs up the current scene to a location you choose.

Update Database
Scene

Updates your database with only the changes you made to the scene. To do this, you mustenter your host name and host port in the Preferences dialog box, General tab.

Download
Database
Changes

If any changes were made to the scene you downloaded, you can perform an update by
downloading these changes, which will be integrated into your scene.

Remove Unused
Files

Removes the unused palettes from the scene list.

ImportFrom

Imports drawings from a TWAIN scanner.

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Scanner
ImagesImports bitmap images which you can choose to vectorize.

Movie

Lets you convert a QuickTime movie to an image sequence and audio file.

Sound

Lets you import sound files into your project.

ColourModel

Lets you import TVG drawing file into your project. Once imported, it is display in the Modelview for use as a colour model which you can load into any Harmony scene.

SWF,
Illustrator
Files toLibrary

Lets you import SWF files into your project.

ImagesExports a scene as a bitmap image sequence. If there is sound in your scene, it will not beexported with the images.

Movie

Exports animation as a QuickTime movie.

ExportExports a Flash movie file.
SWF

Harmony supports exporting Flash movie files with a limited subset of vector and bitmap
effects, the latter which can be previewed in Render View

mode.

OpenGL
FramesExports OpenGL frames (fast display mode) for a quick screen renders of a scene that containno transparency channel. Heavier scenes containing 3D, multiple effects and camera moves
can be fairly long to export.

XsheetPrints the exposure sheet so you can take it to your animation table, provide a copy to theanimator, or create your Xsheet skeleton directly in Harmony.

Print

Quit

Closes the application.

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Help Menu
The Help menu lets you display the Harmony documentation, Welcome screen and end user license
agreement, as well as access the Toon Boom website, and identify the product name and version number.

How to access the Help menulAt the top of the interface, select Help.

Command

Description

Online Help

Opens the Harmony Help system, complete with instructions on how
to use the system. This requires an internet connection.

Getting Started

Opens the Harmony Getting Started Guide (in PDF format) in abrowser window. Requires Acrobat Reader.

Toon Boom on the Web

Opens the Toon Boom website, which features a Support andCommunity > Forum section.
The Customer Experience Improvement Program allows Toon Boom

Customer Experience Improvement
Programto collect usage information. The data does not contain any
personally identifiable information and cannot be used to identify you.
The data will consist of a basic hardware description, a projectsummary and usage information. The information is used only forsoftware improvement purposes, as well as for sharing with third
parties for the same reason.
This program is enabled by default but is voluntary. If you prefer not
to participate, you can opt out when you first launch the software, byusing a global preference, or by a command line argument.

About

Identifies the product name and version number.

Show Welcome Screen

Displays the Harmony Welcome screen.

Show End User License Agreement

Displays the End User License Agreement.

Debug Mode

When enabled, information is logged in the Message Log view about
the preview generated in the Camera view, each time the preview isrefreshed. In OpenGL preview mode, summary information is logged
about the amount of layers to process and the time it takes to generate

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the preview. In Render Preview mode, detailed information about eachcomposite and effect that is processed is logged.

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Insert Menu
The Insert menu lets you create empty symbols in the Library view, different types of layers in the Timelineview, keyframes and control points.

How to access the Insert menulAt the top of the interface, select Insert.

Command

Description

Create Empty Symbol in Library

Creates an empty symbol in the Library view to which you can edit
(add content).

Bone

Adds a new Bone layer to the Timeline view.

CameraAdds a new Camera layer to the Timeline view.

Colour-Card

Adds a new Colour-Card layer to the Timeline view.

Drawing

Adds a new Drawing layer to the Timeline view and a column in the
Xsheet view.

Game Bone

Adds a new Game Bone layer to the Timeline view.

Kinematic Output

Adds dd a new Kinematic Output layer to the Timeline view.

Peg

Adds a new Peg layer to the Timeline view.

Quadmap

Adds a new Quadmap layer to the Timeline view.

Effects

Adds a new layer in the Timeline view with the effect you select:
Blending, Blur, Blur-Gaussian, Brightness-Contrast, Colour-Override,
Colour-Scale, Cutter, Glow, Highlight, Shadow, Tone, orTransparency.

Keyframe

Adds a keyframe to the selected cell in the Timeline view.

Keyframe and Duplicate Drawing

Adds a keyframe to the selected drawing layer cell in the Timelineview and creates a duplicate of the drawing, which sits on top of the247Chapter 2: Menus

original drawing.

Position Keyframe

Control Point

Adds a position keyframe whereby keyframes will only be added on
the X, Y and Z parameters of the selected layer. Keyframes are notadded on the Angle, Scale and Skew parameters.
Adds a control point to the trajectory of the selected element or peg in
the Camera view when the element or peg is in a 3D path. Note thatyou must have a 3D path in the peg portion in order to add a control
point.

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Play Menu
The Play menu lets you play back animation and sound. Use it to scrub the sound to create your lip-sync, loop
the playback, navigate through frames, and change the playback range and speed.

How to access the Play menulAt the top of the interface, select Play.

Command

Description

Play

Plays the scene in the Camera or Drawing view.

Render and Play

Renders your scene's frames, then opens the rendered frames in Playfor playback.
This allows you to preview your scene's animation in real time, withthe effects rendered and with no risk of slowdown.
Exports your scene as it appears in the Camera view into a movie file,then opens it in your workstation's default video player.

Record and PlayThis allows you to preview your animation without any risk of
slowdown, but it does not preview the effects in your scene. However,
it is much faster than Render and Play.
This button automates the usage of the Export OpenGL Frames dialog
see

Test SWF Movie

Quickly exports your scene as a Flash Movie (.swf), then opens it inyour workstation's default web browser.

Stop

Stops playback.

Mini Playback

Open the Mini Playback dialog. This dialog allows you to set theamount of frames before and after the current frame to playback whenusing Mini Playback, to set the speed of Mini Playback and to startMini Playback.

Start Mini Playback

Begins Mini Playback using the last settings entered in the Mini
Playback dialog. By default, Mini Playback will play 5 frames before
and after the current frame, at the scene's frame rate.

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Playback Speed

Opens the Set New Frame Rate dialog box where you can set theframe rate at which the playback plays.

Loop

If pressed, your scene will repeat indefinitely when playing.
Otherwise, it will stop when the end is reached.

Enable Sound

Turns on sound during playback.

Enable Sound Scrubbing

Turns on sound scrubbing during playback.

Start Frame

Opens the Set Playback Start Frame dialog box , in which you canenter the frame number from which to start playback.

Stop Frame

Opens the Set Playback Stop Frame dialog box, in which you can set
the frame number at which to stop playback.

First Frame

Moves the red playhead to the first frame.

Previous Frame

Moves the red playhead to the previous frame.

Next Frame

Moves the red playhead to the next frame.

Last Frame

Moves the red playhead to the last frame.

Go to Frame

Opens the Go to Frame dialog box where you can enter the frame
number on which the red playhead to be positioned in the Timeline
view.

Enable Playback
Top View

Plays back your animation in the Top view.

Side View

Plays back your animation in the Side view.

Perspective View

Plays back your animation in the Perspective view.

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Scene Menu
The Scene menu lets you set the scene length, add frames to the scene, view different displays of the scene,
set render options, access the Scene Settings dialog box and Elements Manager window, and verify thedrawing and palette files in your project.

How to access the Scene menulAt the top of the interface, select Scene.

Command

Description

Scene Length

Lets you set the length of the scene in frames.

Frame
Add Frames at Start

Adds the number of frames you specify to the beginning of the scene.

Add Frames at End

Adds the number of frames you specify to the end of the scene.

Add Frames Before Selection
Adds the number of frames you specify before or after your selection.
Add Frames After Selection
Remove Selected Frames

Deletes the selected frames from your scene.

CameraDefault Camera

Lets you select a camera. If you only add one camera to your scene,
you will only see Default Camera in your list.

Default Display
Display All
Display

Scene Settings

Shows the contents of a specific Display node, updating the contentsof the Camera, Top, Side, Perspective, and Timeline views.

Opens the Scene Settings dialog box where you can set theresolution, alignment, bitmap resolution and many other parameters.

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RenderAuto Render

Automatically recalculates the preview image whenever you modify aparameter. If your scene is heavy and you do not want the preview
rendered automatically, deselect the Auto-Render option and do thepreview update manually.Note that this will slow down Harmony as it
takes resources to update every frame.
Renders a frame each time the current frame is changed.

Auto Render Write

You must have a Write node in your node structure to use thiscommand.

Cancel Preview Render

Cancels a render that was started.

Element Manager

Opens the Element Manager window where you can add, delete or
modify elements (drawing folders) in your scene. If you have drawing
folders that are not linked to a column in your scene, use the Element
Manager to delete them if needed. See xref Reference > Windows >Element Manager.

Check Files

Verifies the integrity of the drawing and palette files in your project.

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View Menu
The View menu lets you manipulate the view by zooming, panning, or rotating. You can also display the gridand change its size, use the onion skin feature to help with drawing, and set the preview resolution.

How to access the View menulAt the top of the interface, select View.

Command

Description
Cycles through the following display modes:lToggle Full ScreenllNormal Full-Screen: The main application window becomesfull screen.
View Full-Screen: The selected view becomes full screen andall other views are collapsed.
Normal: The main application window is restored to its
original size and collapsed views are expanded.

Zoom In

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out

Zooms out the view.

Rotate View CW

Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees clockwise, like an animationtable.

Rotate View CCW

Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees counter-clockwise, like ananimation table.

Mirror View

Temporarily flips the Camera or Drawing view horizontally, allowing
you to view and edit your artwork as if it was being mirrored.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Rotation

Resets the view’s rotation to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

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Next Colour

Goes to the next colour in the Colour view.

Previous Colour

Goes to the previous colour in the Colour view.

Grid
Show Grid

Displays the grid.

Grid Outline Only

Displays the outline of the grid only.

Underlay

Displays the grid under the drawing elements.

Overlay

Displays the grid over the drawing elements.

Square Grid

Displays a standard square grid.

12 Field Grid

Displays a 12-field size grid.

16 Field Grid

Displays a 16-field size grid.

Onion Skin

Show Onion Skin

Lets you preview the previous and next drawings. By default, theprevious drawings appear in a shade of red and the next drawings are
displayed with a shade of green. You can change these colours in the
Preferences dialog box.

Add to Onion Skin

Adds a series of selected elements to the onion skin preview.

Remove from Onion Skin

Removes a series of selected elements from the onion skin preview.

Remove Unselected from Onion
Skin

Removes all elements except the ones selected from the onion skinpreview.

Add All to Onion Skin

Adds all of the scene's elements to the onion skin preview.

Remove All from Onion Skin

Removes all of the scene's elements from the onion skin preview.

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Onion Skinning by Frames

Selects the drawings to display in the Onion Skin by their frame
number relative to the current frame. For example, if the Onion Skin is
set to include 2 drawings before and after the current frame, it will
include the drawings up to two frames before and up to two frames
after the current frame, even if those drawings are the same as the one
in the current frame. This is more useful for cut-out animation as itallows you to position a drawing relative to its position in adjacentframes.

NOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

Onion Skinning by Drawings

Selects the drawings to display in the Onion Skin by the amount ofdifferent drawings before and after the current frame. For example, if
the Onion Skin is set to include 2 drawings before and after thecurrent frame, this will display the nearest two different drawings
before and after the drawing in the current frame in the Onion Skin,even if those drawings are further than 2 frames away from the current
frame. This is more useful for frame-by-frame animation.

NOTE
When this option is enabled, the handles allowing you toadjust the extent of the Onion Skin in the Timeline view are
not available.

No Previous Drawing

Removes the previous drawing's onion skin and displays only the next
drawing.

Previous Drawing

Displays the previous drawing.

Previous Two Drawings

Displays the previous two drawings.

Previous Three Drawings

Displays the previous three drawings.

No Next Drawing

Do not show the onion skin for all of the next drawings.

Next Drawing

Show the onion skin for the next drawing.

Next Two Drawings

Show the onion skin for the next two drawings.

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Next Three Drawings

Show the onion skin for the next three drawings.

Reduce One Previous Drawing

Reduces the number of previous visible drawings by one.

Add One Previous Drawing

Adds one drawing to the number of previous visible drawings.

Reduce One Next Drawing

Reduces the number of next visible drawings by one.

Add One Next Drawing

Adds one drawing to the number of next visible drawings.

Light Table

Turns on the light table so you can see the previous and subsequent
active layers in washed-out colours. It is useful for seeing the otherlayers when designing, animating or cleaning up your animation.

Backlight

Produces a silhouette effect by changing the drawing’s coloured areas
into a single dark, solid colour. Use this to verify the completeness of
the ink and paint process. Any unpainted zones can be seen as thelight shows through the unpainted areas of the silhouetted drawing.

Show

Symbol Pivot

Displays a symbol's pivot. The Symbol pivot is similar to the Drawing
pivot. Each symbol cell can have its own pivot and act the same as theDrawing pivot. The Symbol pivot can also be referred to as embedded
pivot. Inside a symbol, each drawing can have its own pivot.

Safe Area

Displays the TV safety zone and the centre of the camera frame. The
safe area adapts to the scene resolution, as well as the safety zone
and frame’s centre.

Camera Mask

Displays a black mask around the scene’s frame to avoid seeing theunnecessary artwork. This option is handy when you're animating andsetting up the scene. It allows you to see your scene’s composition
better.

Control

Displays the controls of the selected element.

Current Drawing on Top

Displays the selected drawing on top of everything while you draw.
By enabling this option, each time you select a drawing tool, theselected drawing is displayed in front of everything in the Camera
view. The Timeline view ordering remain unchanged.You only need to256Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

enable this option once, it is not necessary to do it each time you
select a drawing tool.

Outline Locked Drawings

Displays drawing that are locked in the Timeline view (cannot be
selected in the Camera view) as wireframes.

Show Strokes

Displays the strokes in your drawings so that the invisible lines standout.

Show Strokes with Colour Wash

Displays strokes with washed-out colours.

Hide All Controls

Hides the controls of the selected element.

Alignment Guides

Alignment Guides
When enabled, alignment guides will be visible in the Camera andDrawing views.

Show Alignment Guides

This is enabled by default. Disabling this option will hide and disablealignment guides, meaning that animation and drawing tools will not
snap to them, even if theSnap to Alignment Guides option isenabled in the Tool Properties view.
It is possible to reposition alignment guides in the current panel bydragging them using theTransform tool. Enabling this option will

Lock Alignment Guides

lock the alignment guides in their current position, allowing you tomanipulate layers and artwork in your scene without accidentally
moving alignment guides.

Clear Alignment Guides

Removes all the alignment guides from your scene.
Adds a horizontal alignment guide to the middle of the stage.

New Horizontal Alignment
Guide

TIP
You can move the alignment guide from its default position
using theNew Vertical Alignment Guide

Transforml tool or the

Select tool.

Adds a vertical alignment guide to the middle of the stage.

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TIP
You can move the alignment guide from its default position
using thePreview Manager

Transforml tool or the

Select tool.

Opens the Preview Manager where you can set options for the qualityof previews, and clearing and updating the cache.

Preview Resolution
Same as Scene Resolution
3/4 of Scene Resolution
1/2 of Scene Resolution

Lets you choose a resolution for previewing a scene.

1/3 of Scene Resolution
1/4 of Scene Resolution

CustomLets you select a resolution from a list of presets or enter X and Y
values for a custom preview resolution.
Let's you increase or decrease the preview quality of raw bitmap
images. By default, bitmap files imported in Harmony will display in a
low resolution in the Camera view to avoid hindering performance.

TIP

Bitmap File Quality

You can change the default resolution in which bitmap files
are displayed in the Camera view by changing the Small
Bitmap Resolution preference located in the Camera tab of
the Preferences dialog.

NOTE
This only affects the way bitmap images display in the
OpenGL preview of the scene in the Camera view. The
preview quality of bitmap images does not affect the final
render.

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Windows Menu
The Windows menu lets you customize your workspace to suit your working style, save it as a new workspace,and load it from the Workspace toolbar. You can also show or hide the different toolbars and views in
Harmony.

How to access the Windows menulFrom the top menu, select Windows.

Command

Description

Restore Default Workspace

Returns modified workspaces to their original default layout if you do
not like the current modifications or inadvertently closed some
windows.

Workspace

Workspace Manager

Opens the Workspace Manager where you can modify, create, delete,rename and reorder your workspaces.

Save Workspace

Saves the current workspace along with any modifications you made.

Save Workspace As...

Saves the workspace as a new version to avoid overwriting the current
one.

Workspace

Lets you open workspaces designed specifically for animating,compositing, hand drawing, scripting and the default workspace.
Allows you to add or remove toolbars from your workspace.

Toolbars

NOTE
For information on the different toolbars in Harmony, see

Toolbars.

CameraShows or hides the Camera view.

ColourShows or hides the Colour view.

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Drawing

Shows or hides the Drawing view.

FunctionShows or hides the Function view.

Layer Properties

Shows or hides the Layer Properties view.

Library

Shows or hides the Library view.

Message Log

Shows or hides the Message Log view.

Model

Shows or hides the Model view.

Perspective

Shows or hides the Perspective view.

Side

Shows or hides the Side view.

Timeline

Shows or hides the Timeline view.

Tool Properties

Shows or hides the Tool Properties view.

Top

Shows or hides the Top view.

XsheetShows or hides the Xsheet view.

Integrated Help

Shows or hides the Integrated Help view.

Metadata Editor

Shows or Hides the Metadata Editor view.

Script Editor

Shows or hides the Script Editor view.

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View Menus
A view menu contains commands specifically related to that view.

How to access a view menu
1. In the top-left corner of a view, click the Menu

button.

Camera View Menu

262

Colour View Menu

279

Drawing View Menu

282

Function View Menu

295

Library View Menu

297

Model View Menu

299

Onion Skin View Menu

301

Perspective View Menu

303

Script Editor View Menu

309

Side View Menu

314

Timeline View Menu

319

Top View Menu

324

Xsheet View Menu

329

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Camera View Menu
The Camera View menu lets you do many things in the Camera view, including selecting and editing objects indifferent views, changing the display, setting morphing parameters, accessing tools and many more.

How to access the Camera menul

In the upper-left corner of the Camera view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Edit

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one whenmoving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Select Strokes With
Current Colour

Selects all the strokes that are filled with the colour or texture that’s currently
selected in the Colour view.

Select Strokes With
Current Pencil
TextureSelects all the pencil lines that use the pencil line texture that’s currently selectedin the Colour view.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that were notselected. For example, if some lines are selected in a drawing, this command will
deselect them and select any other lines in the drawing that were not selected.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in the262Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Skipping Effects

Timeline view skipping effects in the hierarchy.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view.

Select Children

Lets you select all elements parented to the selected peg element in the Timelineview.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view skipping

Skipping Effects

effects in the hierarchy.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view.

Select Previous
Sibling

Lets you select the previous element (above current element) in the Timeline view.

Select Next Sibling

Lets you select the next element (below current element) in the Timeline view.
Group: Groups selected drawing objects in the Camera or Drawing view.

Group

Ungroup: Ungroups a selected group of drawing objects in the Camera or
Drawing view.

View
Zoom In: Zooms in the view.
Zoom Out: Zooms out the view.
Rotate View CW: Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees clockwise, like ananimation table.
Navigation
Rotate View CCW: Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees counter-clockwise, likean animation table.
Reset Zoom: Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.
Reset Rotation: Resets the view’s rotation to its default position.

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Reset Pan: Resets the view’s pan to its default position.
Reset View: Resets the view to its default position.

Switch to Colour Art

Preview Line
Art and

Displays the Colour Art layer. When switching art layers, you can edit the
selected layer without affecting the other one.

Displays all Art layers.

Colour Art

Open GL View

Render View

Switches the Camera view to fast display, letting you see your animation play inreal time. The OpenGL display requires less memory. The final look of your effects
is not shown in the OpenGL View Mode. You must switch to the Render View
Mode to see your effects.
Switches the Camera view to a fully rendered display showing the final image ofthe current frame. If a modification is done to your current frame or if you move toa different frame, click the Update Preview button to update the display if yourpreview does not update automatically.The Render View Mode display lets you
see the final look of your frames including effects and antialiasing. You cannot
play back your scene in Render View Mode. To see your scene fully rendered andto play it back, you must press the Render and Play button in the Playback
toolbar.

Matte View

Switches the Camera view to a matte display showing the alpha channel of theelements in your scene. The transparency level ranges from 0 to 100 percent. Zeropercent is completely transparent and represented by black and 100 percent iscompletely opaque and represented by white. Everything in between these
extremes has a transparency level somewhere between 1 and 99 percent and isrepresented in various shades of grey.
Show Grid: Displays the grid.
Grid Outline Only: Displays the outline of the grid only.

Grid

Underlay: Displays the grid under the drawing elements.
Overlay: Displays the grid over the drawing elements.
Square Grid: Displays a standard square grid.

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12 Field Grid: Displays a 12-field size grid.
16 Field Grid: Displays a 16-field size grid.
Show Onion Skin: Lets Lets you preview the previous and next drawings. By
default, the previous drawings appear in a shade of red and the next drawings are
displayed with a shade of green. You can change these colours in the Preferences
dialog box.
Add to Onion Skin: Adds Adds a series of selected elements to the onion skinpreview.
Remove from Onion Skin: Removes Removes a series of selected elements fromthe onion skin preview.
Remove Unselected from Onion Skin: Removes Removes all elements except
the ones selected from the onion skin preview.
Add All to Onion Skin: Adds Adds all of the scene's elements to the onion skinpreview.

Onion Skin

Remove All from Onion Skin: Removes Removes all of the scene's elementsfrom the onion skin preview.
Onion Skinning by Drawing:
No Previous Drawing:
Previous Drawing: Displays the previous drawing.
Previous Two Drawings: Displays the previous two drawings.
Previous Three Drawings: Displays the previous three drawings.
No Next Drawing: Displays no next drawing.
Next Drawing: Displays the next drawing.
Next Two Drawings: Displays the next two drawings.

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Next Three Drawings: Displays the next three drawings.
Reduce One Previous Drawing: Reduces the number of previous visible
drawings by one.
Add One Previous Drawing: Adds one drawing to the number of previous visible
drawings.
Reduce One Next Drawing: Reduces the number of next visible drawings by one.
Add One Next Drawing: Adds one drawing to the number of next visible
drawings.

Light Table

Turns on the light table so you can see Turns on the light table so you can see theprevious and subsequent active layers in washed-out colours. It is useful forseeing the other layers when designing, animating or cleaning up your animation.

Backlight

Produces Produces a silhouette effect by changing the drawing’s coloured areas
into a single dark, solid colour. Use this to verify the completeness of the ink andpaint process. Any unpainted zones can be seen as the light shows through theunpainted areas of the silhouetted drawing.
Symbol Pivot: Displays a symbol's pivot. The Symbol pivot is similar to the
Drawing pivot. Each symbol cell can have its own pivot and act the same as theDrawing pivot. The Symbol pivot can also be referred to as embedded pivot.
Inside a symbol, each drawing can have its own pivot.
Safe Area: Displays Displays the TV safety zone and the centre of the camera
frame. The safe area adapts to the scene resolution, as well as the safety zone andframe’s centre.

Show

Camera Mask: Displays Displays a black mask around the scene’s frame to avoid
seeing the unnecessary artwork. This option is handy when you're animating andsetting up the scene. It allows you to see your scene’s composition better.
Control: Displays the controls of the selected element.
BBox Selection Style: Lets you change the display style of selected elements toa bounding box style. This removes the default overlay highlight and leaves only
the bounding box around the selected element.

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Outline Locked Drawings: Drawings that are locked in the Timeline view (cannot
be selected in the Camera view) are displayed as wireframes.
Show Current Drawing on Top: Displays Displays the selected drawing on topof everything while you draw. By enabling this option, each time you select adrawing tool, the selected drawing is displayed in front of everything in the
Camera view. The Timeline view ordering remain unchanged.You only need toenable this option once, it is not necessary to do it each time you select a drawing
tool.
Show Strokes: Displays the strokes in your drawings so that the invisible lines
stand out.
Show Strokes with Colour Wash: Displays strokes with washed-out colours.
Highlight Selected Colour:
Show Scan Information: Displays a status bar showing the scanning information
at the bottom of the Drawing and Camera view.
Hide All Controls

Hides the controls of the selected element.

Render Current
Frame

Renders only the current frame.

Auto Render

Automatically recalculates the preview image whenever you modify a parameter.
If your scene is heavy and you do not want the preview rendered automatically,
deselect the Auto-Render option and do the preview update manually.Note that
this will slow down Harmony as it takes resources to update every frame.

Layer Properties

Displays the Layer Properties window of the selected layer in the Timeline view.

Preview Manager

Opens the Preview Manager where you can set options for the quality ofpreviews, and clearing and updating the cache.

Bitmap File Quality

Let's you increase or decrease the preview quality of raw bitmap images. By
default, bitmap files imported in Harmony will display in a low resolution in the
Camera view to avoid hindering performance.

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TIP
You can change the default resolution in which bitmap files are displayedin the Camera view by changing the Small Bitmap Resolution preference
located in the Camera tab of the Preferences dialog.

NOTE
This only affects the way bitmap images display in the OpenGL preview ofthe scene in the Camera view. The preview quality of bitmap images does
not affect the final render.

Drawing
Remove Dirt: Opens the Remove Dirt dialog box where you can specify the
number and size of dots removal from a selected drawing.
Remove Hair: Opens the Remove Hair dialog box where you can specify the
number and length of hairs for removal from a selected drawing. This removes
any small strokes created in the Colour Art layer from very thick lines or filledzones. Increase the value to select larger strokes for removal from the drawing.
Close Gaps: Closes small gaps in a drawing by creating small, invisible strokes
between the two closest points to close the colour zone. You do not need to trace
directly over the gap. You can draw it a few millimeters away. The two closest
points automatically close the gap.

Clean Up

Remove Art Inside Selection: Removes any art inside a selection. It is
recommended that you clean your Colour Art level as well. If you have a stroke
accumulation in the Colour Art, it can result in large output files, especially if you
work in high definition resolutions.
Remove Art Inside Selection On All Drawings: Removes any art inside all
drawings selected with the Permanent Selection option in the Select tool.
Remove Art Outside Selection: Removes any art existing outside a selection. It
is recommended that you clean the Colour Art level as well. If you have a stroke
accumulation in the Colour Art, it can result in large output files, especially if you
work in high-definition resolutions.
Remove Art Outside Selection On All Drawings: Removes any art outside all
drawings selected with the Permanent Selection option in the Select tool.

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Unpaint Selection: Unpaints any art existing inside a selection.
Unpaint Selection on All Drawings: Unpaints all art contained inside a selection
on all the drawings within the same layer.
Unpaint Outside Selection: Unpaints any art existing outside a selection. If noselection have been drawn using the Select tool, the entire drawing will be
unpainted.

Paint

Unpaint Outside Selection on All Drawings: Unpaints all art outside a selection
on all the drawings within the same layer.
Repaint Selection: Repaints any art inside a selection.
Repaint Selection on All Drawings: Repaints any art inside a selection on all thedrawings contained within the same layer.
Repaint Outside Selection: Repaints any art outside a selection. If no selection
has been drawn using the Select tool, the entire drawing will be repainted.
Repaint Outside Selection on All Drawings: Repaints any art outside a selection
on all the drawings contained within the same layer.
Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes: Converts the selected centreline pencil strokes
into contour strokes brush lines.
Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines: Converts selected contour strokes into centreline
pencil strokes. The brush stroke thickness will be lost.

ConvertStrokes to Pencil Lines: Converts the selected invisible line to a pencil line.
Brush Apart Text Layers: Text is treated as a single drawing object. This
separates the text so each character becomes an individual drawing object you
can select and modify independently.

Optimize

Flatten: Merges Merges drawing objects and brush strokes into a single layer. If
you draw new lines to fix a drawing or line with many brush strokes, it can be
useful to flatten them all into a single shape. By default, lines are drawn one on
top of each other. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, it will beeasier if they are flattened.

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Smooth: Smooths selected drawing strokes and removes extra points.
Create Contour Strokes: Adds a permanent invisible line around a shape thatwas drawn directly in Harmony. This allows you to unpaint lines with the Paint
tool but maintain the shape of the lines, should you need to repaint later.
Remove Contour Strokes: Remove any permanently invisible lines that werecreated while scanning and vectorizing drawings or manually adding contour
strokes. This is useful for removing the intersection triangles created duringvectorization.
Remove Extra Strokes: Removes strokes inside painted area. This option only
works after the painted drawing is flattened.
Optimize: Reduces Reduces the number of layers, such as overlapping brushstrokes, in the selected drawing objects. Drawing objects will only be flattened
and optimized if the selected objects do not change the appearance of the final
image when they are merged.
Crop Brush Textures: Crops Crops an unnecessarily large texture bitmap that lies
unseen beneath the vector contour of a textured line. This often occurs when you
cut and paste textured lines from one drawing into another. If you cut a portion
from a textured line and paste it into a different drawing, Harmony pastes theentire unseen texture bitmap from the source drawing into the new one, even if
you only took a small portion of the source drawing. Using the Crop Brush
Texture command will crop away extraneous texture that does not touch thevector area. If there are many textured lines in your scene, this will greatly reduce
the file size.
Reduce Drawing Texture Resolution:
When you import and vectorize as texture (colour) a high resolution image, thesize of your drawing can be heavy. You can reduce the size and resolution of the
textures in a drawing.
Bring to Front: Moves the selected art to the front (on top).
Bring Forward: Moves the selected art one level forward (closer to the front).
Arrange
Send Backward: Moves the selected art one level lower (behind).
Send to Back: Moves the selected art behind everything (bottom / back).

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Flip Horizontal: Flips the current selection horizontally.
Flip Vertical: Flips the current selection vertically.
Transform

Rotate 90 CW: Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.
Rotate 90 CCW: Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Rotate 180: Rotates the current selection 180 degrees.

Create Empty
Drawing

Creates Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may
already be exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets anotherdrawing, key exposure or a blank cell.
Creates a duplicate of the selected drawing in the layer. The duplicate drawing
will be exposed at the selected frame instead of the original drawing. Hence, thiscommand allows you to instantly start working on a duplicate of the current
drawing and retain the original.

Duplicate Drawings

NOTE
When duplicating a drawing, the exposure at the selected cell is replacedwith the new drawing, up until the next key exposure.

Delete Selected
Drawings

Permanently removes selected drawings. Once you save your project, thesedrawings cannot be recovered.

Rename Drawing

Lets you give a selected drawing a new name.

Create Colour Art
From Line Art

Lets you use the outline you traced on one of the four embedded layers (line art,
colour art, overlay, underlay) and create invisible strokes to paint your drawings
on separate layers. This provides more inking and painting flexibility.
You can also configure this option to create the invisible strokes on any of thefour embedded layers.
Automatically creates a matte from a selected drawing or all drawings on a layer.

Generate Auto-Matte

Opens the auto-Matte dialog box where you can set the radius of the lines
depending on how precise or rough your line is.
You can also select the source and destinatin layers from which the matte will becreated.

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Adjust Line Texture
Opacity

Change Bitmap
Drawing Resolution

Lets you adjust the contrast and opacity of textured lines in a drawing.

Lets you Lets you change the resolution of bitmap art for individual drawings.
You can reduce the resolution of your bitmap file as well as increase it. Be careful
because enlarging the bitmap resolution on an existing drawing will result in aloss of quality.Harmony will perform a pixel smoothing pass (resampling) andcreate additional pixels to avoid losing too much quality, but only to a certain
extent. This feature is very useful when you need to have a full resolution of abitmap image (such as imported bitmaps as .psd or .tga for the background) for
tracing to create a matte directly in Harmony.By default, Harmony creates small
thumbnail images when imported as bitmap in order to increase performance byusing a small thumbnail image instead of using the original large size bitmap foranimation work in Harmony. This will make difficult to view details or trace due tothe low resolution (blurry). This option temporary increases the resolution ofbitmaps up to their original bitmap resolution to make tracing easier.

Previous Drawing
Next Drawing
Previous Layer

Once a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, you can navigate between
the drawings, frames, and layers. Displays the previous drawing, next drawing,
previous layer or next layer.
Displays the previous drawing, next drawing, previous layer or next layer.

Next Layer
Toggle Current Colour Protection: Temporarily enables/disables the Colour
Protection feature so you can quickly correct wrongly inked or painted areas
under protected colour without readjusting the Current Colour Protection option.
Colour Protection

Respect Colour Protection: In the Colour view, you can protect a colour swatch
to avoid repainting or unpainting the zones linked to that swatch. If you using the
Paint tool and this option is deselected, you will repaint or unpaint the protectedcolours on your drawings until you enable the option again.

Drawing Tools

SelectAllows you to select and reposition, scale, rotate and skew brush strokes, pencil
lines, shapes and other parts of your artwork.

Contour Editor

Allows you to edit the vector contours of brush strokes, pencil lines and shapes
in your artwork. You can add, remove, tweak and move vector points, move theBezier handles of the vector points as well as deform vector outlines.

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Centerline Editor

Allows you to tweak and deform a brush stroke by manipulating the points at thecentre of its line rather than its contour.

Pencil Editor

Lets you modify the thick and thin contour of a pencil line (basically a central
vector shape). Shape control points along the central spine allow you to adjust
the stroke curve and position.

CutterAllows you to cut a part of your artwork, then reposition, scale, rotate and skew
it.

Smooth Editor

Allows you to optimize contours and lines by removing its extra points, making
them easier to edit.

Perspective

Allows you to deform artwork by applying a perspective effect on it.

Envelope

Allows you to deform and warp artwork by moving points and tweaking lines in a
grid.

Reposition All
Drawings

Allows you to reposition, scale, rotate and skew all drawings in the current layer.

Drawing Pivot

Allows you to position the pivot on a drawing layer by clicking where you want
its location to be.

Brush

A pressure-sensitive tool for creating a contour shape with a thick and thin line
effect, as if created with a paint brush.

PencilA pressure-sensitive tool for drawing outlines. Pencil lines are made of central
vector lines, making them easier to tweak and edit than brush strokes.

Text

Allows you to add text and to format it.

EraserA pressure-sensitive tool for erasing parts of a drawing.

Colour Eyedropper

Allows you to select a colour by clicking on a colour in your artwork.

Pencil Texture
Eyedropper

Allows you to select a pencil texture by clicking on a textured pencil line.

Morphing

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which will273

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automatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in the current
layer.
Line

Draws a straight line segment going from one point to the other.

Rectangle

Draws a rectangle.

EllipseDraws an ellipse.

Polyline

Allows you to draw shapes, segmented lines or complex curved lines by clicking
to create each point in the sequence of line segments.

Paint

Allows you to fill colour zones with a colour or texture.

Ink

Allows you to recolour pencil lines with precision by changing the colour of one
segment at a time.

Repaint Brush

Lets you repaint existing brush strokes. The new brush strokes will be cropped to
fit in existing artwork.

Close Gap

Allows you to close open shapes so that they can be filled with the Paint tool. By
drawing a stroke near a small gap in a shape, this tool will create a small invisible
stroke connecting the two closest points around the gap.

StrokeAllows you to create invisible lines that can serve as colour zones that can be
filled, or close the gaps in existing colour zones.

Edit Gradient/Texture

Allows you to adjust the position, angle and size of gradients and textures in acolour zone.

Hand

Allows you to pan the Camera and Drawing views.

Zoom

Allows you zoom in and out of the Camera and Drawing views.

Rotate View

Lets you rotate the Camera and Drawing views just like with a real animation disc.

Animation
Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe on the selected cell in the Timeline view.

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Insert Control Point

Adds a control point to a 3D path function.

Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between a stopmotion keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not generate any
animation and the element remains static until the next keyframe.

Set Motion Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to motion keyframes. With motion keyframes,
Harmony generates the interpolation between the motion keyframe and the next
keyframe. This means that a value for each frame between the keyframes iscalculated by Harmony to progress from the value of the previous keyframe to thevalue of the next keyframe.

Flip

Flips the position of an element on its axis.

Set Ease for Multiple
Parameters

Lets you set the ease in and ease out on multiple functions and keyframes. This
opens the Set Ease For Multiple Parameters where you can modify the Bezier orEase curve. You can apply easing parameters to a certain type of function only,
such as rotation or scale.

Linear Motion

Transforms a curved path to a linear path removing tension, bias, and continuity.

Lock in Time

Indicates Indicates whether the point is locked to a specific frame (keyframe) or
only locked to a specific position and the curve can flow through it freely as otherpoints are being added, moved, or adjusted (control point).

No Z Dragging

Keeps the Z value constant when you drag a character using the Transform orTranslate tool.

Substitute Drawing
Previous
Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the next drawing.
Substitute Drawing
Next
Select Previous
Keyframe/Point
Select the previous keyframe/point.
Select Next
Keyframe/Point

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Lock

Locks a layer so it cannot be selected in the Camera view.

Reset

Returns Returns the value of the selected element to the initial value of the active
tool. For example, if the Rotate tool is active, the transformation angle will bereset to 0 and if the Transform tool is active, all the transformation values will bereset.

Reset All

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer. Your
keyframe will remain, but all the values will return to the starting value. Alltransformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. Thisis useful when doing cut-out animation. Cut-out puppets often have a particular Zordering for the different views of a character. You might want to reset thetransformation, but not necessarily the Z position.

Animation Tools
Transform

Allows you to select drawing layers and position, rotate, scale and skew them.

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y axes.

RotateTurns a selected element around its pivot point.

Scale

Increases or decreases the size of a selected element. You can scale an object up
to make it larger or down to make it smaller. Press Shift to scale the element
while maintaining its proportions.

Maintain Size

Keeps elements the same size aspect ratio in the Camera view as you move them
towards or away from the camera.

Skew

Slants the selected element.

Reposition Drawing

Lets you reposition, scale, rotate or skew all drawing strokes on every drawing
included in a layer.

Spline Offset

Lets you Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or modifying
your animation. By default, the trajectory is located at 0,0,0 fields. If yourelements were drawn in a different location than the centre of the drawing area, itwill look like the trajectory is not aligned with your drawing. Also, if you haveseveral elements attached to one trajectory, you might want your trajectory to be276Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

at a different location to represent the group's motion better.

Inverse Kinematic
Tool

Allows you to pose a character model by pulling on its extremities, such as hands
and feet, and have the other connected limbs follow. Can be used on any piece
connected in a hierarchy.

IK Constraints
Set IK Nail

Blocks the X, Y and Z positions.

Set IK Hold
Orientation

Blocks the angle.

Set IK Hold X

Blocks only the X position.

Set IK Hold Y

Blocks only the Y position.

Set IK Min Angle
Set IK Max Angle
Remove All
Constraints

Sets limitations on the angle parameter to prevent the puppet from bending too
far.

Removes all nails except the minimum and maximum angles.

Morphing

Morphing

Contour Hint

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which willautomatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in the current
layer.
The Contour Hint point is used on the colour fill zone and brush lines; in otherwords, on Contour vectors. It allows you to control the line thickness andcontour position. Also, if a contour is not animated correctly, you can use hints tocorrect the animation. For example, if a flag is not waving properly.
When adding a Contour Hint point, make sure to place it far enough away fromthe contour so you can see it snap to the contour.
Contour Hint points are yellow.

Zone Hint

The Zone Hint point is used on a colour zone to control the proximity rule. The

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Zone Hint is placed in the centre of the colour zone. Sometimes a colour zone is
not associated with the corresponding one by default. For example, in a splash
animation there are many water droplets that are the same colour. Harmony
automatically morphs the droplet to the nearest one. This is not always the one
you may have predicted. A Zone Hint will force a colour zone to morph withanother one.
Zone Hint points are cyan in colour.
A Pencil Hint point is used to control a pencil line, also known as central vector.

Pencil Hint

It can be used on drawings that were done using the Pencil, Polyline, Ellipse,
Line and Rectangle tools. Like the Contour Hint, the Pencil Hint snaps to thecentral vector. Make sure to place it far enough away from the line so you will see
it snap when you move it.
Pencil Hint points are magenta in colour.

Vanishing Point Hint

A Vanishing Point Hint is used to control the trajectory of a vanishing shape. A
shape will vanish from the source drawing when there is no corresponding shapein the destination drawing. If you do not place a Vanishing Point Hint to control
the point of disappearance, the shape will vanish into its centre.
Vanishing Point Hint points are green in colour.
An Appearing Point Hint is used to control the trajectory of an appearing shape. A

Appearing Point Hint

shape will appear in the destination drawing when there is no corresponding
shape in the source drawing. If you do not place an Appearing Point Hint tocontrol the point of appearance, the shape will appear from its centre and expand
outwards.
Appearing Point Hint points are violet in colour.

Switch Between
Morphing Key
Drawings

Toggles Toggles between the two key drawings in your morphing sequence. This
option is useful while setting hints. You can use the default keyboard shortcut F4
to toggle between your drawings.

Suggest HInts

Automatically sets Automatically sets hint points on key drawings as a help tool.
If you're not sure where to set hints, you can use this option. It will set the main
hints which you can then fine tune.

Hide Hints

Temporarily Temporarily hides the hint points from the key drawings. Use thisoption when you have a series of hint points hiding some lines you would like to
see.

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Colour View Menu
The Colour View menu lets you access commands related to the Colour view such as creating new palettes,
adding new colour swatches, and displaying the Tint panel.

How to access the Colour menul

In the upper-left corner of the Colour view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Palettes
Creates a new colour palette.

New

By default, Toon Boom Harmony Advanced is set to the Basic mode. For simple
productions, it is recommended to use the Basic mode. This setting stores thepalettes automatically for you and saves them at the Scene level. When you use
the Advanced Palette Lists mode, you can decide at which level you want tostore your palettes: Environment, Job, Scene, or Element.

Link

Lets you access other palettes created in the project and link them to your scene.

ImportImports a colour palette located on your hard drive.

RemoveRemoves the selected palette from the palette list.

Remove and Delete
on Disk

Removes the selected palette from the palette list and deletes the palette filefrom the disk.

RenameLets you five the selected colour palette a new name.

Duplicate

Creates a copy of the original palette, using the same names and colour values,
but has a different ID and is independent from the original palette. This ensuresthat both the duplicate and original palettes are completely independent.

Clone

Creates a copy of the master palette. The colours in each palette have the same
properties. The colours have the same identification number pointing to the same
colour zones, but they can have different names and RGBA values.

Pencil Texture

Displays the colour palette containing the pencil line textures.

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PaletteMove Up

Moves the selected colour palette up one level.

Move Down

Moves the selected colour palette down one level.

Colour Editor

Opens the Colour Editor where you can pick and edit colour swatches.

Tint Panel

Opens the Tint panel where you can modify a series of colours to blend a tint inthem or offset their RGBA values.

Current PaletteOverrides

When clone palettes are present in the palette list, by default, priority is given to
the palette that is the highest in the palette list to decide which colours to apply
to drawings. With this option enabled, priority is given to the currently selected
palette. Selecting any of the clone palettes will make drawings use colours fromthe selected palette instead.

Display Colour
Values

Display the colour values beside their colour swatches in the palette list.

Colours
Cut

Cuts the selected colour swatch from the palette.

Copy

Copies the selected colour swatch which you can paste in a different palette.

Copy Colour ID

Copies a colour swatch's colour ID so you can keep a reference file of colour IDs
or use them with custom plug-ins. Example of a colour ID: 075cf5b552401130.

Paste Colour Values

Pastes the colour value of the copied swatch over an existing colour swatch.

Paste As New
Colours

Creates a new colour swatch from the colour value of the copied swatch.

Paste As Clones

Pastes a copied colour to a new palette as a clone of the original one. Bothcolour use the same colour ID. They have to be in different palettes.

New

Creates a new colour swatch from the colour swatch that was last selected.

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Edit

Opens the Colour Picker window in which you can edit the selected colour
swatch.

DeleteDeletes the selected colour swatch from the palette.

New Texture

Lets you add a bitmap colour swatch to your palette. You can load photos andtextures and paint your drawings with it. The bitmap image must be a .tga or .psd
file format.

Edit Texture

Opens the browser to replace the texture used in a textured colour swatch. Allzones using the swatch will be updated with the new texture.

Scale Down Texture

Lets you set a new maximum texture size or scaling factor.

New Default Colour

Creates a new colour using the default colour set in the preferences.

Protect Colour

Locks a selected colour, so if you ever paint over it accidentally, the work alreadydone will not be affected. You can also block the filling colours if you painted allof the animation in Line Art and plan to repaint the lines.
Displays the colour swatches with its corresponding name inside the swatch.

Swatch Mode

Independent Bitmap
ColourWhen this option is not selected, the names of the colour swatches are displayed
beside the swatch.

Bitmap colour selection is independent from the vector colour selection.

Bitmap Colour Sliders
RGB

Displays the colour picking sliders as RGB (red, green, blue).

HSV

Displays the colour picking sliders as HSV (hue, saturation, value).

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Drawing View Menu
The Drawing View menu lets you access tools, set morphing parameters, lock or unlock layers, and selectelements in the Drawing view.

How to access the Drawing menul

In the upper-left corner of the Drawing view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Edit

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one whenmoving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Select Stroke With
Current Colour

Selects all the strokes that are filled with the colour or texture that’s currently
selected in the Colour view.

Select Strokes With
Current Pencil
TextureSelects all the pencil lines that use the pencil line texture that’s currently selectedin the Colour view.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that were notselected. For example, if some lines are selected in a drawing, this command will
deselect them and select any other lines in the drawing that were not selected.

View

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Zoom In

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out

Zooms out the view.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Rotate View CW

Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees clockwise, like an animation table.

Rotate View CCW

Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees counter-clockwise, like an animation table.

Reset Rotation

Resets the view’s rotation to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Switch to Colour Art

Displays the Colour Art layer. When switching art layers, you can edit the
selected layer without affecting the other one.

Preview Line
Art andColour Art

Displays all Art layers.

Show Grid: Displays the grid.
Grid Outline Only: Displays the outline of the grid only.
Underlay: Displays the grid under the drawing elements.
Grid

Overlay: Displays the grid over the drawing elements.
Square Grid: Displays a standard square grid.
12 Field Grid: Displays a 12-field size grid.
16 Field Grid: Displays a 16-field size grid.

Onion Skin

Show Onion Skin: Lets Lets you preview the previous and next drawings. By

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default, the previous drawings appear in a shade of red and the next drawings are
displayed with a shade of green. You can change these colours in the Preferences
dialog box.
Show Centre Line:No Previous Drawing: Displays no previous drawing.
Previous Drawing: Displays the previous drawing.
Previous Two Drawings: Displays the previous two drawings.
Previous Three Drawings: Displays the previous three drawings.
No Next Drawing: Displays no next drawing.
Next Drawing: Displays the next drawing.
Next Two Drawings: Displays the next two drawings.
Next Three Drawings: Displays the next three drawings.
Reduce One Previous Drawing: Reduces the number of previous visible
drawings by one.
Add One Previous Drawing: Adds one drawing to the number of previous visible
drawings.
Reduce One Next Drawing: Reduces the number of next visible drawings by one.
Add One Next Drawing: Adds one drawing to the number of next visible
drawings.

Light Table

Turns on the light table so you can see Turns on the light table so you can see theprevious and subsequent active layers in washed-out colours. It is useful forseeing the other layers when designing, animating or cleaning up your animation.

Backlight

Produces Produces a silhouette effect by changing the drawing’s coloured areas
into a single dark, solid colour. Use this to verify the completeness of the ink andpaint process. Any unpainted zones can be seen as the light shows through the284Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

unpainted areas of the silhouetted drawing.
Show
Show Strokes

Displays the strokes in your drawings so that the invisible lines stand out.

Show Strokes with
Colour Wash

Displays strokes with washed-out colours.

Highlight Selected
ColourIdentify a selected colour swatch used in a drawing.

Show Morphing Key
Drawing Thumbnail

When using the Morphing tools, this displays the source or destination drawing
as a reference in the bottom corner of the Drawing view.

Show Scan
Information

Displays a status bar showing the scanning information at the bottom of the
Drawing and Camera view.

Desk
No Thumbnail
Small Thumbnail
Changes the size of the drawing desk thumbnails.
Medium Thumbnail
Large Thumbnail
Remove Selected
Drawing

Clears selected drawing from drawing desk.

Remove All
Drawings

Clears all drawing from drawing desk.

Drawing

Clean Up

Remove Dirt: Opens the Remove Dirt dialog box where you can specify the
number and size of dots removal from a selected drawing.

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Remove Hair: Opens the Remove Hair dialog box where you can specify the
number and length of hairs for removal from a selected drawing. This removes
any small strokes created in the Colour Art layer from very thick lines or filledzones. Increase the value to select larger strokes for removal from the drawing.
Close Gaps: Closes small gaps in a drawing by creating small, invisible strokes
between the two closest points to close the colour zone. You do not need to trace
directly over the gap. You can draw it a few millimeters away. The two closest
points automatically close the gap.
Remove Art Inside Selection: Removes any art inside a selection. It is
recommended that you clean your Colour Art level as well. If you have a stroke
accumulation in the Colour Art, it can result in large output files, especially if you
work in high definition resolutions.
Remove Art Inside Selection On All Drawings: Removes any art inside all
drawings selected with the Permanent Selection option in the Select tool.
Remove Art Outside Selection: Removes any art existing outside a selection. It
is recommended that you clean the Colour Art level as well. If you have a stroke
accumulation in the Colour Art, it can result in large output files, especially if you
work in high-definition resolutions.
Remove Art Outside Selection On All Drawings: Removes any art outside all
drawings selected with the Permanent Selection option in the Select tool.
Unpaint Selection: Unpaints any art existing inside a selection.
Unpaint Selection on All Drawings: Unpaints all art contained inside a selection
on all the drawings within the same layer.

Paint

Unpaint Outside Selection: Unpaints any art existing outside a selection. If noselection have been drawn using the Select tool, the entire drawing will be
unpainted.
Unpaint Outside Selection on All Drawings: Unpaints all art outside a selection
on all the drawings within the same layer.
Repaint Selection: Repaints any art inside a selection.
Repaint Selection on All Drawings: Repaints any art inside a selection on all thedrawings contained within the same layer.

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Repaint Outside Selection: Repaints any art outside a selection. If no selection
has been drawn using the Select tool, the entire drawing will be repainted.
Repaint Outside Selection on All Drawings: Repaints any art outside a selection
on all the drawings contained within the same layer.
Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes: Converts the selected centreline pencil strokes
into contour strokes brush lines.
Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines: Converts selected contour strokes into centreline
pencil strokes. The brush stroke thickness will be lost.
ConvertStrokes to Pencil Lines: Converts the selected invisible line to a pencil line.
Brush Apart Text Layers: Text is treated as a single drawing object. This
separates the text so each character becomes an individual drawing object you
can select and modify independently.
Flatten: Merges Merges drawing objects and brush strokes into a single layer. If
you draw new lines to fix a drawing or line with many brush strokes, it can be
useful to flatten them all into a single shape. By default, lines are drawn one on
top of each other. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, it will beeasier if they are flattened.
Smooth: Smooths selected drawing strokes and removes extra points.
Create Contour Strokes: Adds a permanent invisible line around a shape thatwas drawn directly in Harmony. This allows you to unpaint lines with the Paint
tool but maintain the shape of the lines, should you need to repaint later.
Optimize

Remove Contour Strokes: Remove any permanently invisible lines that werecreated while scanning and vectorizing drawings or manually adding contour
strokes. This is useful for removing the intersection triangles created duringvectorization.
Remove Extra Strokes: Removes strokes inside painted area. This option only
works after the painted drawing is flattened.
Optimize: Reduces Reduces the number of layers, such as overlapping brushstrokes, in the selected drawing objects. Drawing objects will only be flattened
and optimized if the selected objects do not change the appearance of the final
image when they are merged.

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Crop Brush Textures: Crops Crops an unnecessarily large texture bitmap that lies
unseen beneath the vector contour of a textured line. This often occurs when you
cut and paste textured lines from one drawing into another. If you cut a portion
from a textured line and paste it into a different drawing, Harmony pastes theentire unseen texture bitmap from the source drawing into the new one, even if
you only took a small portion of the source drawing. Using the Crop Brush
Texture command will crop away extraneous texture that does not touch thevector area. If there are many textured lines in your scene, this will greatly reduce
the file size.
Reduce Drawing Texture Resolution:
When you import and vectorize as texture (colour) a high resolution image, thesize of your drawing can be heavy. You can reduce the size and resolution of the
textures in a drawing.
Bring to Front: Moves the selected art to the front (on top).
Bring Forward: Moves the selected art one level forward (closer to the front).
Arrange
Send Backward: Moves the selected art one level lower (behind).
Send to Back: Moves the selected art behind everything (bottom / back).
Flip Horizontal: Flips the current selection horizontally.
Flip Vertical: Flips the current selection vertically.
Transform

Rotate 90 CW: Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.
Rotate 90 CCW: Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.
Rotate 180: Rotates the current selection 180 degrees.

Create Empty
Drawing

Creates Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may
already be exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets anotherdrawing, key exposure or a blank cell.

Duplicate Drawings

Creates a duplicate of the selected drawing in the layer. The duplicate drawing
will be exposed at the selected frame instead of the original drawing. Hence, thiscommand allows you to instantly start working on a duplicate of the current
drawing and retain the original.

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NOTE
When duplicating a drawing, the exposure at the selected cell is replacedwith the new drawing, up until the next key exposure.

Delete Selected
Drawings

Permanently removes selected drawings. Once you save your project, thesedrawings cannot be recovered.

Rename Drawing

Lets you give a selected drawing a new name.

Create Colour Art
From Line Art

Lets you use the outline you traced on one of the four embedded layers (line art,
colour art, overlay, underlay) and create invisible strokes to paint your drawings
on separate layers. This provides more inking and painting flexibility.
You can also configure this option to create the invisible strokes on any of thefour embedded layers.
Automatically creates a matte from a selected drawing or all drawings on a layer.

Generate Auto-Matte

Opens the auto-Matte dialog box where you can set the radius of the lines
depending on how precise or rough your line is.
You can also select the source and destinatin layers from which the matte will becreated.

Adjust Line Texture
Opacity

Lets you adjust the contrast and opacity of textured lines in a drawing.

Change Bitmap
Drawing Resolution

Lets you Lets you change the resolution of bitmap art for individual drawings.
You can reduce the resolution of your bitmap file as well as increase it. Be careful
because enlarging the bitmap resolution on an existing drawing will result in aloss of quality.Harmony will perform a pixel smoothing pass (resampling) andcreate additional pixels to avoid losing too much quality, but only to a certain
extent. This feature is very useful when you need to have a full resolution of abitmap image (such as imported bitmaps as .psd or .tga for the background) for
tracing to create a matte directly in Harmony.By default, Harmony creates small
thumbnail images when imported as bitmap in order to increase performance byusing a small thumbnail image instead of using the original large size bitmap foranimation work in Harmony. This will make difficult to view details or trace due tothe low resolution (blurry). This option temporary increases the resolution ofbitmaps up to their original bitmap resolution to make tracing easier.

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Previous Drawing
Next Drawing
Previous Layer

Once a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, you can navigate between
the drawings, frames, and layers. Displays the previous drawing, next drawing,
previous layer or next layer.
Displays the previous drawing, next drawing, previous layer or next layer.

Next Layer
Toggle Current Colour Protection: Temporarily enables/disables the Colour
Protection feature so you can quickly correct wrongly inked or painted areas
under protected colour without readjusting the Current Colour Protection option.
Colour Protection

Respect Colour Protection: In the Colour view, you can protect a colour swatch
to avoid repainting or unpainting the zones linked to that swatch. If you using the
Paint tool and this option is deselected, you will repaint or unpaint the protectedcolours on your drawings until you enable the option again.

Drawing Tools

SelectAllows you to select and reposition, scale, rotate and skew brush strokes, pencil
lines, shapes and other parts of your artwork.

Contour Editor

Allows you to edit the vector contours of brush strokes, pencil lines and shapes
in your artwork. You can add, remove, tweak and move vector points, move theBezier handles of the vector points as well as deform vector outlines.

Centerline Editor

Allows you to tweak and deform a brush stroke by manipulating the points at thecentre of its line rather than its contour.

Pencil Editor

Lets you modify the thick and thin contour of a pencil line (basically a central
vector shape). Shape control points along the central spine allow you to adjust
the stroke curve and position.

CutterAllows you to cut a part of your artwork, then reposition, scale, rotate and skew
it.

Smooth Editor

Allows you to optimize contours and lines by removing its extra points, making
them easier to edit.

Perspective

Allows you to deform artwork by applying a perspective effect on it.

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Envelope

Allows you to deform and warp artwork by moving points and tweaking lines in a
grid.

Reposition All
Drawings

Allows you to reposition, scale, rotate and skew all drawings in the current layer.

Drawing Pivot

Allows you to position the pivot on a drawing layer by clicking where you want
its location to be.

Brush

A pressure-sensitive tool for creating a contour shape with a thick and thin line
effect, as if created with a paint brush.

PencilA pressure-sensitive tool for drawing outlines. Pencil lines are made of central
vector lines, making them easier to tweak and edit than brush strokes.

Text

Allows you to add text and to format it.

EraserA pressure-sensitive tool for erasing parts of a drawing.

Colour Eyedropper

Allows you to select a colour by clicking on a colour in your artwork.

Pencil Texture
Eyedropper

Allows you to select a pencil texture by clicking on a textured pencil line.

Morphing

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which willautomatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in the current
layer.

Line

Draws a straight line segment going from one point to the other.

Rectangle

Draws a rectangle.

EllipseDraws an ellipse.

Polyline

Allows you to draw shapes, segmented lines or complex curved lines by clicking
to create each point in the sequence of line segments.

Paint

Allows you to fill colour zones with a colour or texture.

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Ink

Allows you to recolour pencil lines with precision by changing the colour of one
segment at a time.

Repaint Brush

Lets you repaint existing brush strokes. The new brush strokes will be cropped to
fit in existing artwork.

Close Gap

Allows you to close open shapes so that they can be filled with the Paint tool. By
drawing a stroke near a small gap in a shape, this tool will create a small invisible
stroke connecting the two closest points around the gap.

StrokeAllows you to create invisible lines that can serve as colour zones that can be
filled, or close the gaps in existing colour zones.

Edit Gradient/Texture

Allows you to adjust the position, angle and size of gradients and textures in acolour zone.

Hand

Allows you to pan the Camera and Drawing views.

Zoom

Allows you zoom in and out of the Camera and Drawing views.

Rotate View

Lets you rotate the Camera and Drawing views just like with a real animation disc.

Morphing

Morphing

Contour Hint

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which willautomatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in the current
layer.
The Contour Hint point is used on the colour fill zone and brush lines; in otherwords, on Contour vectors. It allows you to control the line thickness andcontour position. Also, if a contour is not animated correctly, you can use hints tocorrect the animation. For example, if a flag is not waving properly.
When adding a Contour Hint point, make sure to place it far enough away fromthe contour so you can see it snap to the contour.
Contour Hint points are yellow.

Zone Hint

The Zone Hint point is used on a colour zone to control the proximity rule. The
Zone Hint is placed in the centre of the colour zone. Sometimes a colour zone is
not associated with the corresponding one by default. For example, in a splash
animation there are many water droplets that are the same colour. Harmony

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automatically morphs the droplet to the nearest one. This is not always the one
you may have predicted. A Zone Hint will force a colour zone to morph withanother one.
Zone Hint points are cyan in colour.

Pencil Hint

A Pencil Hint point is used to control a pencil line, also known as central vector.
It can be used on drawings that were done using the Pencil, Polyline, Ellipse,
Line and Rectangle tools. Like the Contour Hint, the Pencil Hint snaps to thecentral vector. Make sure to place it far enough away from the line so you will see
it snap when you move it.
Pencil Hint points are magenta in colour.

Vanishing Point Hint

A Vanishing Point Hint is used to control the trajectory of a vanishing shape. A
shape will vanish from the source drawing when there is no corresponding shapein the destination drawing. If you do not place a Vanishing Point Hint to control
the point of disappearance, the shape will vanish into its centre.
Vanishing Point Hint points are green in colour.

Appearing Point Hint

An Appearing Point Hint is used to control the trajectory of an appearing shape. A
shape will appear in the destination drawing when there is no corresponding
shape in the source drawing. If you do not place an Appearing Point Hint tocontrol the point of appearance, the shape will appear from its centre and expand
outwards.
Appearing Point Hint points are violet in colour.

Switch Between
Morphing Key
Drawings

Toggles Toggles between the two key drawings in your morphing sequence. This
option is useful while setting hints. You can use the default keyboard shortcut F4
to toggle between your drawings.

Go to First Frame

Goes to the first frame of your morphing sequence.

Go to Previous
Frame

Goes to the previous frame of the selected frame in the morphing sequence.

Go to Next Frame

Goes to the next frame of the selected frame in the morphing sequence.

Go to Last Frame

Goes to the last frame of your morphing sequence.

Suggest HInts

Automatically sets Automatically sets hint points on key drawings as a help tool.
If you're not sure where to set hints, you can use this option. It will set the main
hints which you can then fine tune.

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Hide Hints

Temporarily Temporarily hides the hint points from the key drawings. Use thisoption when you have a series of hint points hiding some lines you would like to
see.

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Function View Menu
The Functions View menu lets you do many things in the Camera view, including selecting and editing objects
in different views, changing the display, setting morphing parameters, accessing tools and many more.

How to access the Function menul

In the upper-left corner of the Function view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Edit

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select Next Keyframe

Selects the next keyframe.

Select Previous
Keyframe

Selects the previous keyframe.

Select Left Handle

Selects the left handle of the selected keyframe.

Select Right Handle

Selects the right handle of the selected keyframe.

Select All

Selects all objects in the Function view. This helps you manage multiple objects
as one.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Function view.

View

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Show Current Frame

Displays the current frame

Toggle Grid

Enables the display of the grid.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Function List
Auto Load Selection
Clear
Load Selection
Add Selection
Remove Selection
Show Motion:Show Rotation:
Show

Show Scale:Show Skew:
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Library View Menu
The Library View menu lets you access commands specific to the Library view, such as opening a Library or
getting the rights to modify a library folder.

How to access the Library menul

In the upper-left corner of the Library view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

View
List

Displays the contents of the selected folder as a list.

Thumbnails

Displays the contents of the selected folder as a thumbnails.

Details

Displays the details of the selected file.

Generate Thumbnails

Creates a thumbnail to display in the preview window.

Edit
Creates a new symbol from a drawing or part of a drawing in the Drawing or
Camera view, or a layer in the Timeline view.
New Symbol

If your selection is in the Timeline , the new symbol appears in the Symbol folder.
The current selection is not replaced by the new symbol. The new symbol only
appears in the library. You must drag it into your scene to use it.
If your selection is in the Drawing or Camera view, the new symbol appears in the
Symbol folder and in the Timeline view as a new layer.

Cut

Cuts the selected file in the Library view.

Copy

Copies the selected file in the Library view.

Paste

Pastes the selected file in the Library view.

DeleteDeletes the selected file in the Library view.

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Delete Thumbnails

Deletes any thumbnails that were generated for display in the preview window.
Places you inside the symbol where you can edit it.

Edit Symbol

To return to the project's timeline, click the Top

button in the Camera view's

top-left corner, press Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + E (macOS).
Remove Unused Files

Removes any files not in use in the selected template.

Rename Template

Lets you rename a selected template.

Import Files

Imports vector files such as AI, PDF, and SWF. You requires the right to modify
the library in which you want to import the files.

Folders

New Folder

Creates a new folder in the Library view. Before you can create a new folder, youmust have the right to modify the folder in which you are creating the new folder.

RefreshUpdates the view and its contents.

Open LibraryLets you open a library on your computer.

Close Library

Unlinks a library folder from your library list.

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Model View Menu
The Model View menu lets you load models and view them in different ways, as well as access some drawing
tools.

How to access the Model menul

In the upper-left corner of the Model view, click the menu

button.

Command

Description

Previous Model

Shows the previous model loaded in the Model view.

Next Model

Shows the next model loaded in the Model view.

Import Model

Imports a TVG drawing as a model in the Model view.

Use Current Drawing as
Model

Loads the currently selected drawing in the scene as a model in the Model view.

Load Default Models

Loads TVG drawings placed in a custom models folder located in the scenefolder.

Clear Model

Removes the model from the Model view.

Zoom In

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out

Zooms out the view.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Rotate View CW

Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees clockwise, like an animation table.

Rotate View CCW

Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees counter-clockwise, like an animation table.

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Reset Rotation

Resets the view’s rotation to its default position.

SelectActivates the Select tool. This tools is also available on the Tools toolbar.

Cutter Selection

Allows to cut a section of the model to paste it in your scene.

Dropper

Activates the Colour Eyedropper tool. This tools is also available on the Tools
toolbar.

Zoom

Activates the Zoom tool. This tools is also available on the Tools toolbar.

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Onion Skin View Menu
The Onion Skin view menu contains extra options for controlling the Advanced Onion Skin. It is accessible via
the Onion Skin view—see Onion Skin View on page 675.

How to access the Onion Skin view menu
1. In the top-left corner of the Onion Skin view, click on theCommandView Menu button.

Description

Enables Advanced Onion Skin. Advanced Onion Skin allows you to select, on the fly, which
drawings to include in your Onion Skin, even if those drawings are not consecutive drawings, aswell as the opacity scales for the drawings before and after the current frame.
Advanced
Onion
Skin

The controls for selecting which drawings to display in the Onion Skin as well as their opacity
sliders are only accessible when Advanced Onion Skin is enabled. Otherwise, when using regularOnion Skin, the opacity of drawings in the Onion Skin is determined by the Onion Skin settings in
the Preferences dialog. The amount of drawings to include in the Onion Skin is set using the Onion
Skin Add / Reduce One Previous Drawng and Onion Skin Add / Reduce One Next Drawing
commands, available in the Camera and Drawing toolbars as well as in View > Onion Skin in the top
menu.

Original
Colors

Displays the onion skin using the actual colours of the drawings.

Coloured

Displays the onion skin using the colours selected for the previous and next drawings in the Onion
Skin view.

ColouredOutlines

Displays the onion skin using the colours selected for the previous and next drawings, but only as
outlines instead of filled shapes.

Onion
Skin by
FramesSelects the drawings to display in the Onion Skin by the amount of different drawings before andafter the current frame. For example, if the Onion Skin is set to include 2 drawings before and after
the current frame, this will display the nearest two different drawings before and after the drawing
in the current frame in the Onion Skin, even if those drawings are further than 2 frames away fromthe current frame. This is more useful for frame-by-frame animation.

NOTE
When this option is enabled, the handles allowing you to adjust the extent of the Onion Skinin the Timeline view are not available.

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CommandOnion
Skin byDrawings

Description

Selects the drawings to display in the Onion Skin by the amount of different drawings before andafter the current frame. For example, if the Onion Skin is set to include 2 drawings before and after
the current frame, this will display the nearest two different drawings before and after the drawing
in the current frame in the Onion Skin, even if those drawings are further than 2 frames away fromthe current frame. This is more useful for frame-by-frame animation.

NOTE
When this option is enabled, the handles allowing you to adjust the extent of the Onion Skinin the Timeline view are not available.

Displays onion skins with a lighter, less saturated colour. The further away the drawing is from thecurrent frame, the more washed its colour appears.
Apply
ColourWash

NOTE
The minimum and maximum colour wash values for Onion Skin can be customized in the
Drawing tab of the Preferences dialog.

In the Drawing View, when the Light Table is enabled, making other layers visible alongside theEnableOnion
Skin for
Other
Elements

current layer, this will make the Onion Skin for other visible layers appear alongside the Onion Skin
for the current layer. Drawings for elements above the current layer will appear in blue, anddrawings for elements below will appear in yellow.

NOTE
The drawings from other elements that get displayed in the Onion Skin are the drawings thatare exposed at the same time as the drawings displayed in the current layer's Onion Skin.

When enabled, the opacity sliders in the Onion Skin view will move simultaneously as you adjust
one of them, so that the opacity levels for previous and next drawings progresses from the opacity
level of the first drawing to the opacity level of the last drawing.
Link
Sliders

When this mode is enabled, you can adjust the first and last sliders for previous or next drawings,
then, optionally, adjust a single one of the sliders in-between to create a segmented progression.
However, if you want to make the opacity of Onion Skin drawings to vary in any way that is more
complex, you must disable this option.

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Perspective View Menu
The Perspective View menu lets you select and edit elements, manipulate the view during scene setup, setparameters for animation and access animation tools.

How to access the Perspective menul

In the upper-left corner of the Perspective view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Edit

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one
when moving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that were
not selected. For example, if some lines are selected in a drawing, thiscommand will deselect them and select any other lines in the drawing thatwere not selected.

Select Child Skipping
Effects

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view skipping effects in the hierarchy.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view.

Select Children

Lets you select all elements parented to the selected peg element in the303

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Timeline view.
Select Parent Skipping
Effects

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view
skipping effects in the hierarchy.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view.

Select Previous Sibling

Lets you select the previous element (above current element) in the Timelineview.

Select Next Sibling

Lets you select the next element (below current element) in the Timeline view.

Zoom In

Zooms into the view, towards the view's pivot point, up to 80,000%.

Zoom Out

Zooms out of the view, away from the view's pivot point, up to 1%.

Move Forward

Moves infinitely forward into the view, using the direction set by the current
position and angle of rotation.

Move Backward

Moves infinitely backwards out of the view, using the direction set by thecurrent position and angle of rotation.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Layer Properties

Shows or hides the Layer Properties view.

Light Table

Turns on the light table so you can see Turns on the light table so you can
see the previous and subsequent active layers in washed-out colours. It isuseful for seeing the other layers when designing, animating or cleaning up
your animation.

Camera Cone

Displays the camera cone.

View

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Control

Displays the controls of the selected element.

Hide All Controls

Hides the controls of the selected element.

Enable Playback

Plays back your animation in the Perspective view.

Animation
Animate Animate

AnimateCurrent
Frame

When this option is selected, every time you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to manipulate an element in your scene,
the position of the element will be stored in a keyframe at the current frame.
This allows you to animate elements in your scene without creating
keyframes manually.

When this option is selected, if you use theAnimate Onion
Skin Range

Transform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformations to an element in yourscene, the transformations will be stored as keyframes at the beginning and at
the end of the current Onion Skin range, as well as on every existing keyframe
in-between. This can be useful if you want to reposition an element that you
have already animated, but only during a specific range of frames, which you
can define by enabling Onion Skin and setting the Onion Skin range to coverthat range of frames.

When this option is selected, if you use theAnimate Off

Transform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformation to an element in yourscene, the transformations will affect the element throughout the whole
scene. This can be useful if you want to reposition an element after you havealready animated it.

Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe to the currently selected frame in the Timeline view.

Insert Control Point

Adds a control point to the motion path at the currently selected frame. This
control point does not appear in the Timeline, but can be used to reshape themotion path. In order for this command to work, layers must be set to 3D
Path.

Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between a stopmotion keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not generate any
animation and the element remains static until the next keyframe.

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Set Motion Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to motion keyframes. With motion
keyframes, Harmony generates the interpolation between the motion keyframe
and the next keyframe. This means that a value for each frame between the
keyframes is calculated by Harmony to progress from the value of theprevious keyframe to the value of the next keyframe.
Flip Horizontal: Flips the current selection horizontally.
Flip Vertical: Flips the current selection vertically.

Flip

Flip Scale X: Once your drawing layer is rotated, the original horizontal andvertical axes change. The Flip Scale X and Flip Scale Y will perform a flip on
your drawing layer following its original axis.Remembers the original X-axisof the layer and flips the element following it.
Flip Scale Y: Remembers the original Y-axis of the layer and flips the element
following it.

Set Ease for Multiple
Parameters

Opens the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog box where you can change
the velocity of selection functions.

Linear Motion

Straightens out the motion path on either sides of the selected control point.

Lock in Time

Indicates whether the point is locked to a specific frame (keyframe) or only
locked to a specific position and the curve can flow through it freely as otherpoints are being added, moved, or adjusted (control point).

No Z Dragging

Locks the Z value when you're animating in 3D space. This means you can
only reposition your object along the x and y axes.

Substitute Drawing
Previous

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the next
drawing.

Substitute Drawing Next
Select Previous Keyframe/PointSelect the previous keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe/PointSelect Next Keyframe /Point

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Lock: Locks Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.
Lock

Lock All: Locks Locks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Unlock All: Unlocks Unlocks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Lock All Others: Locks Locks every layer except the selected ones.

Reset

Returns Returns the value of the selected element to the initial value of theactive tool. For example, if the Rotate tool is active, the transformation angle
will be reset to 0 and if the Transform tool is active, all the transformation
values will be reset.

Reset All

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer.
Your keyframe will remain, but all the values will return to the starting value.
All transformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position.
This is useful when doing cut-out animation. Cut-out puppets often have aparticular Z ordering for the different views of a character. You might want toreset the transformation, but not necessarily the Z position.

Animation Tools

Transform

Allows you to select drawing layers and position, rotate, scale and skew
them.

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y axes.

RotateTurns a selected element around its pivot point.

Scale

Increases or decreases the size of a selected element. You can scale an object
up to make it larger or down to make it smaller. Press Shift to scale theelement while maintaining its proportions.

Maintain Size

Keeps elements the same size aspect ratio in the Camera view as you movethem towards or away from the camera.

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Skew

Slants the selected element.

Spline Offset

Lets you Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or
modifying your animation. By default, the trajectory is located at 0,0,0 fields. If
your elements were drawn in a different location than the centre of thedrawing area, it will look like the trajectory is not aligned with your drawing.
Also, if you have several elements attached to one trajectory, you might wantyour trajectory to be at a different location to represent the group's motion
better.

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Script Editor View Menu
The Script Editor view menu gives you access to all of the commands needed for editing and testing scripts in
the Script Editor view—see Script Editor View on page 684.

How to access the Script Editor view menu
1. Add the Script Editor view to your workspace by doing one of the following:l

In the top-right corner of an existing view, click on the

Add View button and select Script

Editor.
l

In the top menu, select Windows > Script Editor.

2. In the top-left corner of the Script Editor view, click on the

ButtonMenu button.

Description

File
Creates a new script. When you click on this button, you are first prompted to type in a
name for the script. Then, you will be prompted to select which location to save thescript in:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You will
be able to run and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as
the same user.

NOTE
If you are using Harmony Stand Alone, the script will be saved to thepreferences for your account on your computer. if you are using Harmony
Server, the script will be saved to the preferences for your Harmony
database user.

New Script
l

l

l

l

Global: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to
the Harmony database's global script directory. Anyone who is logged in to the
database will be able to edit and run this script.
Environment: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save thescript to the current scene's environment. Anyone will be able to edit and run
the script as long as they are working on a scene inside this environment.
Job: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to thecurrent scene's job. Anyone will be able to edit and run the script as long as
they are working on a scene inside this job.
Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone will be able

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ButtonDescription

to edit and run the script when working on this specific scene.
lSystem Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if thisenvironment variable is set.

NOTE
For more information on script locations, see Script list on page 684.

Allows you to import a script from your machine into Harmony. When you click on thisbutton, you are prompted to browse for and select a script on your file system. Then,
you are prompted to select which location to import the script in:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You will
be able to run and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as
the same user.

NOTE
If you are using Harmony Stand Alone, the script will be saved to thepreferences for your account on your computer. if you are using Harmony
Server, the script will be saved to the preferences for your Harmony
database user.

Import Script

l

l

l

l

l

Global: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to
the Harmony database's global script directory. Anyone who is logged in to the
database will be able to edit and run this script.
Environment: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save thescript to the current scene's environment. Anyone will be able to edit and run
the script as long as they are working on a scene inside this environment.
Job: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to thecurrent scene's job. Anyone will be able to edit and run the script as long as
they are working on a scene inside this job.
Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone will be able
to edit and run the script when working on this specific scene.
System Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if thisenvironment variable is set.

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ButtonDescription

NOTES
l

l

When you import a script, any user interface (.ui) or icon (.png) filethat is in the same directory and has the same filename as the script
will also be imported.
For more information on script locations, see Script Editor View on
page 684.

Deletes the selected script.

NOTES
l

Delete ScriptlRefresh Script
File List

You cannot delete a script if it is in the Application Resources location,
as those are scripts that are installed with Harmony.
If you delete a script that was originally in Application Resources but
which you copied to another location so you could make changes to it,
the original version of the script in the Application Resources folder
will be restored to the list.

Refresh the list of scripts in the Script Editor. If there are new scripts in your user
preferences or your scene's scripts sub-folder, click on this button to be able to open
them in the Script Editor.

EditorAllows you to type in the path and name for your preferred text editing software.

NOTES
Set External
Editorll

External Editor

On macOS, only typing the name of your preferred text editing
software is enough if that application supports the AppleScript OpenDocument protocol.
On Windows and GNU/Linux, unless your text editor is in yoursystem's PATH environment variable, you will have to type in the fullpath to the editor.

Opens the selected script in the chosen external text editing software.

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ButtonDescription

Play/Debug
Prompts you to select which script and which function to use with the Run and Debugcommands.

NOTES
Set Targetll

You can set the entire script as the target by selecting the <Nothing>
function from the functions list.
You cannot link an entire script to a toolbar button. Only functions
within scripts can be added as toolbar buttons. Therefore, running or
debugging an entire script rather than one of its functions should bedone for testing purposes only.

Runs the target script and function.

NOTES
l

Run
l

l

If you have not set a target script and function, you will be prompted to
set one when you select this command.
You can set or change the target script and function by selecting Set
Target from this menu.
If you are editing <<<Sandbox>>>, this button will simply run what
you typed into the sandbox, regardless of whether another target is
set.

Open the target script and function in the Qt Script Debugger, in which you can test anddebug the function.

NOTES
l

Debug
l

l

If you have not set a target script and function, you will be prompted to
set one when you select this command.
You can set or change the target script and function by selecting Set
Target from this menu.
If you are editing <<<Sandbox>>>, this button will simply debug what
you typed into the sandbox, regardless of whether another target is
set.

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ButtonDescription

Stop

If a script is currently running, this interrupts its execution.

Help
Opens the reference documentation for the Harmony scripting interface in a web
browser.
ScriptingInterfaceDocumentation

NOTE
This documentation is installed with Harmony and does not require Internet
access.

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Side View Menu
The Side View menu lets you position elements in 3D space, set parameters for animation and accessanimation tools—see Side View on page 689.

How to access the Side menul

In the upper-left corner of the Side view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Edit

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one
when moving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that were notselected. For example, if some lines are selected in a drawing, this command will
deselect them and select any other lines in the drawing that were not selected.

Select Child Skipping
Effects

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view skipping effects in the hierarchy.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view.

Select Children

Lets you select all elements parented to the selected peg element in the Timeline
view.

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Select Parent
Skipping Effects

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view skipping
effects in the hierarchy.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view.

Select Previous
Sibling

Lets you select the previous element (above current element) in the Timelineview.

Select Next Sibling

Lets you select the next element (below current element) in the Timeline view.

Zoom In

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out

Zooms out the view.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Layer Properties

Shows or hides the Layer Properties view.

Camera Cone

Displays the camera cone.

Control

Displays the controls of the selected element.

Hide All Controls

Hides the controls of the selected element.

Enable Playback

Plays back your animation in the Perspective view.

View

Animation
AnimateAnimateCurrent
Frame

When this option is selected, every time you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to manipulate an element in your scene, the315

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position of the element will be stored in a keyframe at the current frame. This
allows you to animate elements in your scene without creating keyframes
manually.

When this option is selected, if you use theAnimateOnion Skin
Range

Transform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformations to an element in your scene,
the transformations will be stored as keyframes at the beginning and at the endof the current Onion Skin range, as well as on every existing keyframe inbetween. This can be useful if you want to reposition an element that you havealready animated, but only during a specific range of frames, which you candefine by enabling Onion Skin and setting the Onion Skin range to cover that
range of frames.

When this option is selected, if you use theAnimate Off

Insert Keyframe

Transform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformation to an element in your scene,
the transformations will affect the element throughout the whole scene. This canbe useful if you want to reposition an element after you have already animated it.
Adds a keyframe to the selected cell in the Timeline view.

Insert Control Point

Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between a stopmotion keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not generate any
animation and the element remains static until the next keyframe.

Set Motion Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to motion keyframes. With motion keyframes,
Harmony generates the interpolation between the motion keyframe and the next
keyframe. This means that a value for each frame between the keyframes iscalculated by Harmony to progress from the value of the previous keyframe to thevalue of the next keyframe.
Flip Horizontal: Flips the current selection horizontally.
Flip Vertical: Flips the current selection vertically.

Flip

Flip Scale X: Once your drawing layer is rotated, the original horizontal andvertical axes change. The Flip Scale X and Flip Scale Y will perform a flip on yourdrawing layer following its original axis.Remembers the original X-axis of thelayer and flips the element following it.
Flip Scale Y: Remembers the original Y-axis of the layer and flips the element

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following it.
Set Ease for Multiple
Parameters

Opens the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog box where you can change thevelocity of selection functions.

Linear Motion

Transforms a curved path to a linear path removing tension, bias, and continuity.

Lock in Time

Indicates Indicates whether the point is locked to a specific frame (keyframe) or
only locked to a specific position and the curve can flow through it freely asother points are being added, moved, or adjusted (control point).

No Z Dragging

Keeps the Z value constant when you drag a character using the Transform orTranslate tool.

Substitute Drawing
Previous
Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the next drawing.
Substitute Drawing
Next
Select Previous
Keyframe /Point
Select Next Keyframe/PointSelect the previous keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe /Point

Lock: Locks Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.
Lock

Lock All: Locks Locks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Unlock All: Unlocks Unlocks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Lock All Others: Locks Locks every layer except the selected ones.

Reset

Returns Returns the value of the selected element to the initial value of the active
tool. For example, if the Rotate tool is active, the transformation angle will bereset to 0 and if the Transform tool is active, all the transformation values will bereset.

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Reset All

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer. Your
keyframe will remain, but all the values will return to the starting value. Alltransformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. Thisis useful when doing cut-out animation. Cut-out puppets often have a particular
Z ordering for the different views of a character. You might want to reset thetransformation, but not necessarily the Z position.

Animation Tools
Transform

Allows you to select drawing layers and position, rotate, scale and skew them.

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y axes.

RotateTurns a selected element around its pivot point.

Scale

Increases or decreases the size of a selected element. You can scale an object up
to make it larger or down to make it smaller. Press Shift to scale the element
while maintaining its proportions.

Maintain Size

Keeps elements the same size aspect ratio in the Camera view as you move them
towards or away from the camera.

Spline Offset

Lets you Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or modifying
your animation. By default, the trajectory is located at 0,0,0 fields. If yourelements were drawn in a different location than the centre of the drawing area, itwill look like the trajectory is not aligned with your drawing. Also, if you haveseveral elements attached to one trajectory, you might want your trajectory to be
at a different location to represent the group's motion better.

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Timeline View Menu
The Timeline View menu lets you modify layers, keyframe and timing.

How to access the Timeline menul

In the upper-left corner of the Timeline view, click the menu

Parameter

button.

Description

ImportFrom Scanner

Imports drawings from a TWAIN scanner.

ImagesImports bitmap images which you can choose to vectorize.

SoundsLets you import sound files into your project.

Cut cells from Xsheet

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy cells fromXsheetCopies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

Paste Special

Lets you copy and paste selected drawings into a different layer or paste theselection in the same layer to duplicate the drawings.

Paste Special Again

Pastes new drawings with the previous Paste Special settings.

Paste Cycle

Cycles a portion of an animation. You can increase or decrease the number ofcycles to paste and select a type of cycle: Normal, Reverse, Forward-Reverse andReverse-Forward.

Paste Reverse

Reverses the timing of drawings or keyframes in range of selection after copying.

Edit

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DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Modify Paste Presets

Lets you modify existing presets when pasting keyframes and exposures. There
are three presets you can modify: the default presets for both key frames andexposures, key frames only and exposures only.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one
when moving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that were notselected. For example, if some lines are selected in a drawing, this command will
deselect them and select any other lines in the drawing that were not selected.

Select Synced Layers

Selects all the layers synced to the selected layer. The selected layer must be a
synced in order for this option to be enabled.

Select Child Skipping
Effects

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view skipping effects in the hierarchy.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view.

Select Children

Lets you select all elements parented to the selected peg element in the Timelineview.

Select Parent
Skipping Effects

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view skipping
effects in the hierarchy.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view.

Select Previous
Sibling

Lets you select the previous element (above current element) in the Timelineview.

Select Next Sibling

Lets you select the next element (below current element) in the Timeline view.

Lock

Lock: Locks Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.

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Unlock: Unlocks Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.
Lock All: Locks Locks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Unlock All: Unlocks Unlocks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Lock All Others: Locks Locks every layer except the selected ones.
Timeline Tag: You can tag elements in the Timeline or Node views to view only
those elements. When you tag elements, an asterisk appears beside the item in
the Timeline view. Once your elements are tagged and you have switched over toView Tagged Layers mode, the Timeline view will display only tagged elements.
The red bar on the left of the layers indicates you are in this view mode.
Tag

Timeline Untag: Untags selected layer in the Timeline view.
Timeline Untag All: Untags all tagged elements.
Timeline Untag All Others: Untags all elements except the selected one.
Mark Current Frame: Places a scene marker on the current frame on which theplayhead is parked. The marker appears in the frame counter area of the Timeline
view. You can customize the colour of the scene marker and add text to display
as a tooltip when you hover over the marker—see .

Scene Markers

Create Scene Marker: Creates a scene marker from a selected frame range in theframe counter area of the Timeline view.
Edit Scene Marker: Lets you edit an existing scene marker.
NOTE: It's important to select the entire length of the scene marker, otherwise theTimeline Scene Marker dialog box will not open for editing.
Delete Scene Marker: Removes an existing scene marker.

Share Functions

Lets you share an existing function curve. By default, all function curves can only
be used and modified using their original parameter. If you want another layer orparameter to use the same function curve, you must share it.

View

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Cycle to Next View
Mode

Displays the new view mode.

Normal View Mode

Displays the Normal view mode, the default in the Timeline view. It shows
everything connected to the chosen display. In this mode, anything notconnected to the currently set default display will not be shown in the Timeline
view. This also means that you cannot add certain elements to the Timeline view,as by default, when added they are not connected to any display or composite
node. An example of such an element is a peg.

Selection Only Mode

Displays only elements currently selected in the Camera or Node view. This
makes it easier to concentrate on one or a few elements at a time.
Lets you see only elements which have been assigned a Tagged status. An itemthat has been tagged will appear in the Timeline view with a small asterisk besideits name.

View Tagged Layers

Once your elements are tagged and you have switched over to View Tagged
Layers mode, the Timeline view will display only tagged elements. The red bar on
the left of the layers indicates you are in this view mode. While in this mode, theasterisks are not displayed beside the tagged elements.

Show Functions

Centre on Selection

Scrolls the layers list to the currently selected layer. This is useful if you want toselect a layer in the Camera view, then manipulate its timing Timeline view.

Change Track Colour

Opens the colour picker window to modify the colour of the selected layer.

Default Track Colour

Resets the layer colour.

Collapse/Expand

Toggles between expanding and collapsing all parent layers in the Timelineview.

Collapse All

Collapses all parented layers in the Timeline view.

Expand All

Expands all parented layers in the Timeline view.

Set Tempo Marker

Lets you set a marker that synchronizes your animation with a musical score. This
lets you reproduce the FPB (Frames Per Beat) and use the tempo signature as
tempo markers. The Xsheet view lets you pace your animation according to thetempo or beat of the soundtrack music or to any rhythmic sound, such as the322Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

ticking of a clock or water leaking from a spout. See .
LayersAdd Synced Drawing Layer

Sync Layer With

Creates a new drawing layer whose timing is synced immediately with thecurrently selected drawing layer.
Opens the Convert to Synced Drawing Layer dialog box. In this dialog box, every
other drawing layer in the project can be selected, parented and have its timing
synced to the currently selected layer.

Unsync Layer

Unsyncs the parent layer of a synced pairing, when the child layer is selected.

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Top View Menu
The Top View menu lets you position elements in 3D space, set parameters for animation and access animation
tools—see Top View on page 702.

How to access the Top menul

In the upper-left corner of the Top view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Edit

Cut Drawing Object

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy Drawing Object

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

Delete Drawing
ObjectRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one
when moving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selects all other items that were notselected. For example, if some lines are selected in a drawing, this command will
deselect them and select any other lines in the drawing that were not selected.

Select Child

Lets you select the first element parented to the selected peg element in theTimeline view.

Select Children

Lets you select all elements parented to the selected peg element in the Timelineview.

Select Parent

Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view.

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Select Previous
Sibling

Lets you select the previous element (above current element) in the Timelineview.

Select Next Sibling

Lets you select the next element (below current element) in the Timeline view.

Zoom In

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out

Zooms out the view.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Layer Properties

Shows or hides the Layer Properties view.

Camera Cone

Displays the camera cone.

Control

Displays the controls of the selected element.

Hide All Controls

Hides the controls of the selected element.

Enable Playback

Plays back your animation in the Perspective view.

View

Animation
AnimateAnimateCurrent
Frame

AnimateOnion Skin

When this option is selected, every time you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to manipulate an element in your scene, theposition of the element will be stored in a keyframe at the current frame. This
allows you to animate elements in your scene without creating keyframes
manually.

When this option is selected, if you use theTransform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformations to an element in your scene,

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Range

the transformations will be stored as keyframes at the beginning and at the endof the current Onion Skin range, as well as on every existing keyframe inbetween. This can be useful if you want to reposition an element that you havealready animated, but only during a specific range of frames, which you candefine by enabling Onion Skin and setting the Onion Skin range to cover that
range of frames.

When this option is selected, if you use theAnimate Off

Transform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformation to an element in your scene,
the transformations will affect the element throughout the whole scene. This canbe useful if you want to reposition an element after you have already animated it.

Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe to the selected cell in the Timeline view.

Insert Control Point

Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between a stopmotion keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not generate any
animation and the element remains static until the next keyframe.
Converts the selected keyframes to motion keyframes. With motion keyframes,
Harmony generates the interpolation between the motion keyframe and the nextSet Motion Keyframe

keyframe. This means that a value for each frame between the keyframes iscalculated by Harmony to progress from the value of the previous keyframe to thevalue of the next keyframe.
Flip Horizontal: Flips the current selection horizontally.
Flip Vertical: Flips the current selection vertically.

Flip

Flip Scale X: Once your drawing layer is rotated, the original horizontal andvertical axes change. The Flip Scale X and Flip Scale Y will perform a flip on yourdrawing layer following its original axis.Remembers the original X-axis of thelayer and flips the element following it.
Flip Scale Y: Remembers the original Y-axis of the layer and flips the element
following it.

Set Ease for Multiple
Parameters

Opens the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog box where you can change thevelocity of selection functions.

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Linear Motion

Lock in Time

Indicates Indicates whether the point is locked to a specific frame (keyframe) or
only locked to a specific position and the curve can flow through it freely asother points are being added, moved, or adjusted (control point).

No Z Dragging
Substitute Drawing
Previous
Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the next drawing.
Substitute Drawing
Next
Select Previous
Keyframe /Point

Select the previous keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe/PointSelect Next Keyframe /Point

Lock: Locks Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.
Lock

Lock All: Locks Locks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Unlock All: Unlocks Unlocks all the layers in the Timeline view.
Lock All Others: Locks Locks every layer except the selected ones.

Reset

Returns Returns the value of the selected element to the initial value of the active
tool. For example, if the Rotate tool is active, the transformation angle will bereset to 0 and if the Transform tool is active, all the transformation values will bereset.

Reset All

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer. Your
keyframe will remain, but all the values will return to the starting value. Alltransformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. This

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is useful when doing cut-out animation. Cut-out puppets often have a particular
Z ordering for the different views of a character. You might want to reset thetransformation, but not necessarily the Z position.
Animation Tools
Transform

Allows you to select drawing layers and position, rotate, scale and skew them.

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y axes.

RotateTurns a selected element around its pivot point.

Scale

Increases or decreases the size of a selected element. You can scale an object up
to make it larger or down to make it smaller. Press Shift to scale the element
while maintaining its proportions.

Maintain Size

Keeps elements the same size aspect ratio in the Camera view as you move them
towards or away from the camera.
Lets you Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or modifying
your animation. By default, the trajectory is located at 0,0,0 fields. If your

Spline Offset

elements were drawn in a different location than the centre of the drawing area, itwill look like the trajectory is not aligned with your drawing. Also, if you haveseveral elements attached to one trajectory, you might want your trajectory to be
at a different location to represent the group's motion better.

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Xsheet View Menu
The Xsheet View menu lets you modify columns, keyframe and timing.

How to access the Xsheet menul

In the upper-left corner of the Xsheet view, click the menu

Parameter

button.

Description

File
Images: Imports bitmap images which you can choose to vectorize.
ImportFrom Scanner: Imports drawings from a TWAIN scanner.
Sounds: Lets you import sound files into your project.

Print

Prints the exposure sheet so you can take it to your animation table, provide a
copy to the animator, or create your Xsheet skeleton directly in Harmony.

Cut cells from Xsheet

Removes selected objects. You can then paste the object or its properties toanother object.

Copy cells fromXsheetCopies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location you select in a view.

Paste Special

Lets you copy and paste selected drawings into a different layer or paste theselection in the same layer to duplicate the drawings.

Paste Special Again

Pastes new drawings with the previous Paste Special settings.

Paste Cycle

Cycles a portion of an animation. You can increase or decrease the number ofcycles to paste and select a type of cycle: Normal, Reverse, Forward-Reverse andReverse-Forward.

Edit

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Paste Reverse

Reverses the timing of drawings or keyframes in range of selection after copying.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Select All

Selects all drawing objects in the current drawing window in the Drawing,
Timeline and Camera views. This helps you manage multiple objects as one
when moving them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Insert Mode

Adds a new value or a new value sequence over existing ones, the new values
are inserted between the old ones. The existing timing sequence is pushed down
the column. The Insert mode opposite of the Overwrite mode, which is the Xsheet
default mode.

Gestural Drag Mode

Lets you drag a cell to any other frame in the same column or into anothercolumn.
This feature does not apply to Annotation columns.

Send to Function
View

Sends selected objects to the Function view where you can edit and adjust its
function curve and parameters.

Zoom In Xsheet

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out Xsheet

Zooms out the view.

Reset Zoom

Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

View

Set Tempo Marker
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Expand/Collapse
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Collapse All:
Expand All:

Column Properties

Lets you rename a column, and enable or disable a column. To view additional
properties, select Edit > Preferences from the top menu. In the Preferences
dialog box, select the Advanced tab, then select the Advanced Element Mode
option.

Show Column List

Column Types
Manager

Lets you add advanced column types to create particular animation paths. When
you create these columns, they are not linked automatically to any particulardrawing layer. You can create a motion path using these columns and then link or
unlink several drawing or peg layers to it.

Show Thumbnails

Displays column thumbnails making it easier to identify a particular column. This
option displays a small thumbnail picture of the current frame below the column
header.

Show Selection
Set Columns Width

Lets you change the column width (in pixels) and set it as the default.

All Columns to
Default Width

Returns all columns to their default width of 100 pixels.

Change Columns
ColourLets you customize the colour of the column by selecting one from the SelectColour dialog box. The colour you select is also reflected in the correspondng
layer in the Timeline view.

Default Column
ColourRemoves the colour you assigned to a column (if any).

Hide Selected
Columns

Hides selected columns.

Unhide All Columns

Displays all columns.

Show Hidden
Columns

Displays columns that were previously hidden.

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Enable Playback

Plays back your animation in the Perspective view.

Columns

Add Columns

Lets you add a column. You can specify the column name, type, and set drawing
layer options in the Add Column dialog box that opens.

Delete Columns

Removes the selected column. You have the option to delete the associateddrawing files and element folders.

Clone Selected
Columns: Drawings
Only
Clone Selected
Columns: Drawings
and Timing

Duplicate Selected
Columns

Creates a copy of the selected column that is linked to the original. If a drawing is
modified in the original or cloned column, both will be updated. However,cloned columns can have different timings.
You can clone the drawings only or both the drawings and timing.

Creates an independent copy of the selected column. This useful when you needto modify the element independently, including the timing (exposure). Changes
to the original element do not propagate to the duplicate.
There are two methods of merging drawings.
lMerge Selected
Columnsl

You can merge selected drawings in adjacent elements. The columns andlayers will be left intact, and each new merged drawing will reside in theframes of the left-most column or lower layer.
You can merge elements. All drawings will be merged. Unused columns
and layers will be deleted, but the original drawing files are still
accessible.

FramesAdd Frames At Start
Adds the number of frames you specify to the end of the scene.
Add Frames At End
Add Frames Before
Selection

Adds the number of frames you specify before or after your selection.

Add Frames After

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Selection
Remove Selected
FramesDeletes the selected frames from your scene.

Drawings

Create Empty
Drawing

Creates Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may
already be exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets anotherdrawing, key exposure or a blank cell.
Creates a duplicate of the selected drawing in the layer. The duplicate drawing
will be exposed at the selected frame instead of the original drawing. Hence, thiscommand allows you to instantly start working on a duplicate of the current
drawing and retain the original.

Duplicate Drawings

NOTE
When duplicating a drawing, the exposure at the selected cell is replacedwith the new drawing, up until the next key exposure.

Rename Drawing

Lets you give a selected drawing a new name.
Marks selected drawings as one of the following: Key, Breakdown, In-between,
RetakeKey, RetakeBD or RetakeIB.

Mark Drawing As

This helps to keep the Xsheet well organized while animating.
When working with several animators, directors or even other studios, thenecessity for retakes will often arise. Harmony gives you the possibility to marknew drawings as either Retake Key, Retake Breakdown, or Retake In-betweens.

Substitute Drawing
Previous
Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the next drawing.
Substitute Drawing
Next
Exposure

Increase

Adds Adds one more exposure to a selected cell; repeating this action adds anextra cell each time. This is an efficient way to extend a drawing's exposure and isalways set in Insert mode. Increasing an exposure pushes the existing exposure333Chapter 2: Menus

forward.

Decrease

Decreases exposure of a selected cell by one; repeating this action decreases one
exposure adds an extra cell each time. This is an efficient way to shorten adrawing's exposure. Decreasing an exposure pulls in the existing exposure.

Set Exposure toLets you set the exposure to 1, 2, 3 or a custom exposure.

Extend Exposure

Lets you extend the length of a selected cell.

Add Key Exposure

Adds a key exposure to the selected cell.

Remove Key
Exposure

Removes key exposures from the selected cells.

Remove Duplicate
Key Exposure

When working with drawings to adjust the timing of a mouth in a lipsync, forexample, and forcing the use of specific key exposures, unnecessary key
exposures will be created. You can delete these duplicates without affecting therest of the drawing. The first drawing of the selection will be used for the range.

NOTE
Duplicate key exposures may occur when pasting with the Enforce Key
Exposure option selected.

Fill Empty Cells

Lets you Fills the empty frames in the selection with the exposure just before. For
example, if you select a range of frame that starts with an exposed drawing andthen ends with empty cells, all of the empty cells in the selection will be filledwith the exposed drawing just before the empty cells.

Insert Blank Cell

Adds Adds an empty cell between other cells.

Clear Exposure

Removes the exposure from the selected cell.

Clear Exposure andPull

Replaces the exposure from the selected cell with exposures that follow it.

Fill Selection

Lets you Lets you fill the same value over an entire selection. The selection canbe over one cell, a cell range in one column, a cell range over many columns, anentire column, or many columns. You can use numbers, words, letters, or any
alphanumeric value.

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Sequence Fill

Lets you Lets you create a numbered sequence over a selection. The sequencecan be forward, backward, single, double or higher increment, as a cycle, and soon. The selection can be over one cell or a cell range in one column or more or an
entire column or many entire columns.

Fill Cells Randomly

Lets you Lets you fill in random values over a selection. You can give a maximum
and a minimum value and create a range for Harmony to choose the random
values from. The selection can be over one cell or a cell range in one column or
more or an entire column or many entire columns.

Hold Exposure

Lets you expose a drawing for three, four, or five cells and so on.

MotionInsert Keyframe
Insert Keyframe andDuplicate Drawing
Delete Keyframes

Deletes the selected keyframes.

Go to Previous
Keyframe
Go to Next Keyframe

Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between a stopmotion keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not generate any
animation and the element remains static until the next keyframe.

Set Motion Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to motion keyframes. With motion keyframes,
Harmony generates the interpolation between the motion keyframe and the next
keyframe. This means that a value for each frame between the keyframes iscalculated by Harmony to progress from the value of the previous keyframe to thevalue of the next keyframe.

Morphing

Create Morphing

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which willautomatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in the current
layer.

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Delete Morphing

Once a cell is selected in a morphing sequence, deletes the entire sequence
between the two keyframes.

Insert Morphing Key
Drawing

Creates a morphing keyframe from a selected morphing frame.

Convert Morphing toDrawing

Lets Lets you convert your morphing inbetweens to real drawings you can edit.
This is useful when manually editing a morphing sequence or if you prefer tohave animation timing in double frame (on twos) instead of single frame (onones).

Lip-Sync
Change Mouth Shapeto

Lets you change the mouth shape to one of the following: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, X.

Auto Lip-Sync
Detection

Generates a sound detection for lip-sync.

Map Lip-Sync

Automatically maps Automatically maps drawings in an element to the mouth
chart you have generated for a sound. This can save time when you are lipsynching a voice track.

Sound Display

Sound Name

Shows the name of the sound file, as well as the file format. The line running
vertically through the column frames between the same file name indicates acontinuity of the same sound file in these frames.

Mouth Shapes

Shows the letter (or name depending on the way you named your character's
different mouth positions) in the column's frames. There is only one mouth
position allotted per frame and this position should correspond to the sound fileafter performing a lip-sync.

Waveform

Shows a vertical display of the sound file's actual waveform. In the column
header, in the field under the column name, you can type in a percentage to zoom
in or zoom out on the waveform, or pass the scroll cursor
Waveformicon.

Sound Edit

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Insert Blank Cell

Places an empty cell between other cells.

Clear Exposure andPull

Replaces the exposure from the selected cell with exposures that follow it.

Annotation
Import FileLets you import an image file in an Annotation column.

Change Pen Colour

Lets you change the pen colour by selecting one from the Select Colour dialog
box.

Pen Width

Lets you select a pen preset or change the pen width (in pixels).

Eraser Width

Lets you modify the width of the Eraser tool.

Erase All

Removes all text and drawn annotations. Annotations that you type in cannot be
erased using this method.

Erase Selected
ImagesRemoves images you select in the Annotation column.

Erase Selected Texts

Removes text you select in the Annotation column.

Enable Drawing

Lets you draw in the Annotation column using your mouse or pen tablet.

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Chapter 3: Layers
In Harmony, everything that constitutes the different elements of a scene, including drawing layers, soundeffects, visual effects and pegs is represented by a layer in the Timeline view.
At the core of the rendered picture is the drawing layer, which is used to display drawings. Those layers are
rendered from bottom to top, with the bottommost layer appearing in the background, and the topmost layer
appearing in the foreground.
Some layers, such as Peg, Bone or Quadmap layers, are made to offset drawing layers. They must be created as
the parent of a drawing layer, or of a hierarchy of drawing layers, in order to transform the layers in therendered image.
Other layers, such as Blur and Transparency layers, are made to transform the picture output by drawing
layers. They must be created as children of drawing layers, or groups of drawing layers, in order to transformthe drawings.
Deformation Layers

340

Bone Layers

341

Deformation Composite Layer

343

Game Bone Layer

344

Kinematic Output Layer

346

Effect Layers

347

Blending Layer

348

Blur Layer

354

Blur-Gaussian Layer

356

Colour-Override Layer

358

Colour-Scale Layer

362

Cutter Layer

364

Glow Layer

366

Highlight Layer

369

Shadow Layer

373

Tone Layer

376

Transparency Layer

380

Image Layers

382

Colour-Card Layer

383

Drawing Layer

385

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Move Layers

399

Camera Layer

400

Peg Layer

401

Quadmap Layer

403

Sound Layer

406

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Deformation Layers
Deformation layers are layers that make deformers. In Harmony, deformers are made of chains of deformation
layers laid out in a hierachy. Each deformation layer represents a point in the deformation chain.
Bone Layers

341

Deformation Composite Layer

343

Game Bone Layer

344

Kinematic Output Layer

346

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Bone Layers
The Bone node is one of the main nodes used to build a deformation rig. Each Bone node consists of a bone andan articulation. You can chain Bone nodes to create a skeleton chain for your character. The Rigging tool can beused to create and connect those nodes automatically.

Properties

Parameter

Descriptions

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible
effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Sideand Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.

Resting Parameters Rest Offset(x) AxisThis is the bone x-axis (horizontal) coordinates for the resting position.

(y) AxisThis is the bone y-axis (vertical) coordinates for the resting position.

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Rest RadiusThis is the articulation's radius value (articulation size) for the resting position.

Rest Orientation

This is the bone's orientation angle for the resting position.

Rest Bias

This is the articulation's bias (roundness and smoothness) for the resting
position.

Rest Length

This is the bone's length for the resting position.

Deform Parameters Offset

2D PathWhen this option is enabled, the X and Y-axis parameters are controlled by thesame 2D path function.

Separate

When this option is enabled, the X and Y-axis parameters are individual one fromanother.

Path

When using a 2D Path, this field displays the name of the function.

(x) AxisThis is the bone X-axis (horizontal) coordinates for the animation position. Thisparameter can be linked to a function to be animated over time.

(y) AxisThis is the bone y-axis (vertical) coordinates for the animation position. Thisparameter can be linked to a function to be animated over time.

RadiusThis is the articulation's radius value (articulation size) for the animation position.
This parameter can be linked to a function to be animated over time.

Orientation

This is the bone's orientation angle for the animation position. This parameter canbe linked to a function to be animated over time.

Bias

This is the articulation's bias (roundness and smoothness) for the animation
position. This parameter can be linked to a function to be animated over time.

LengthThis is the bone's length for the animation position. This parameter can be linked
to a function to be animated over time.

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Deformation Composite Layer
The Deformation-Composite node is automatically added to a rig when creating a split deformation chain. It is
used to link the different nodes of a split deformation chain together before deforming the drawing it is linked
to.

Properties
Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has
no visible effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the
Camera, Perspective, Side and Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

Use this field to rename the node.

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Game Bone Layer
The Bone node is one of the main node used to build a deformation rig. Each Bone node consists of a bone andan articulation. Chaining Bone nodes will create a skeleton chain for your character. The Rigging tool can beused to create and connect those nodes automatically.

Parameter

Descriptions

Resting Parameters Rest Offset(x) AxisThis is the bone X-axis (horizontal) coordinates for the resting position.

(y) AxisThis is the bone Y-axis (vertical) coordinates for the resting position.

Rest RadiusThis is the articulation's radius value (articulation size) for the resting position.

Rest Orientation

This is the bone's orientation angle for the resting position.

Rest Length

This is the bone's length for the resting position.

Deform Parameters Offset

2D PathWhen this option is enabled, the X and Y axis parameters are controlled by thesame 2D path function.

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Separate

When this option is enabled, the X and Y axis parameters are individual from eachother.

Path

When using a 2D Path, this field displays the name of the function curve.

(x) AxisThis is the bone X-axis (horizontal) coordinates for the animation position. Thisparameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

(y) AxisThis is the bone Y-axis (vertical) coordinates for the animation position. Thisparameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

RadiusThis is the articulation's radius value (articulation size) for the animation position.
This parameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

Orientation

This is the bone's orientation angle for the animation position. This parameter canbe linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

LengthThis is the bone's length for the animation position. This parameter can be linked
to a function curve to be animated over time.

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Kinematic Output Layer
The Kinematic Output node lets you hook a separate element that you want to be linked to the deformation
chain but not be part of the deformation, such as a hand to an arm or an arm to the body. These elements will
follow the movement of the chain just like a regular cut-out character hierarchy piece without being influenced
by the deformation of the arm. If you don't use the Kinematic Output, the piece's pivot will not follow the
deformation.
Connect a Kinematic Output node below the deformation node you want your drawing to follow.

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Effect Layers
Effect layers can be connected under a layer or under a group to transform the image.
Should you need to apply the same effect to several layers combined, you must group them together so that
Harmony composes those layers into a single image before applying the effect.
Blending Layer

348

Blur Layer

354

Blur-Gaussian Layer

356

Colour-Override Layer

358

Colour-Scale Layer

362

Cutter Layer

364

Glow Layer

366

Highlight Layer

369

Shadow Layer

373

Tone Layer

376

Transparency Layer

380

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Blending Layer
T-COMP2-005-001
By default, layers are composited onto each other directly. This means that opaque pixels in front-most layers
hide pixels in layers further back, and semi-transparent pixels on front-most layers are blended with pixels
further back proportionally to their alpha ratio. This does the job for solid objects. However, some types oflayers and effects may look better when composited into the scene using more advanced approaches. The
Blending node can be used to composite an element, effect or group using one of many different algorithms
that may make it look much better in the final render.

NOTE
The effect of the Blending node is only visible when the Camera view is in Render Preview
mode.

Connection
A Blending layer can be connected under a layer, an effect or a group to affect the way it will be composited
into the scene.

Properties

Parameter

Description

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Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible
effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Side andTop views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

Allows you to change the name given to the node.
Choose the blending effect mode you wish to apply to your layer.

NOTE
Some of the available blending modes have a BETA or Legacy variant to them.

ll

A BETA blending mode is one that has been recently added inHarmony and which was made to more closely resemble results
obtained in professional photo editing software such as Adobe
Photoshop.
A Legacy blending mode is a blending mode that was present inolder versions of Harmony. Starting from Harmony 10, theseblending modes were enhanced by de-multiplying colours before
compositing the image then re-multiplying them. Their legacy
version remain available to ensure scenes created in older versionsof Harmony do not render differently.

lBlend Mode
l

l

l

l

l

Normal: Composites the image without any specific blending effect.
Add / Add Legacy: Adds the colour values of each channel in the overlay
pixel and the underlay pixel. For example, adding two dark grey pixels with avalue of 100 in each channel will result in a light grey pixel with a value of
200 in each channel. Likewise, if one of the pixels is red and the other isgreen, the resulting pixel will be yellow.
Burn / BETA Colour Burn: Darkens each channel in the underlay pixel withthe darkness value of the corresponding channel in the overlay pixel, byincreasing the contrast of the underlay pixel.
Darken / BETA Darken: For each channel, uses the value that is the darkest
between the underlay pixel and the overlay pixel.
BETA Linear Burn: Darkens each channel in the underlay pixel with the
darkness value of the corresponding channel in the overlay pixel, by reducing
the brightness of the underlay pixel.
Multiply / BETA Multiply: Multiplies the value of each channel in theunderlay pixel with the value of each channel in the overlay pixel, treating
those values as ratios. Multiplying anything with black will result in black,and multiplying anything with white will leave the colour unchanged.

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l

l

l

l

Dodge / BETA Colour Dodge: Lightens each channel in the underlay pixel
with the brightness value of the corresponding channel in the overlay pixel,by decreasing the contrast of the underlay pixel.
Erase: Subtracts the overlay pixel's alpha from the underlay pixel, "cuttingout" the overlay from the underlay. The overlay pixel's colour information is
ignored.
Lighten / Lighten Legacy / BETA Lighten: For each channel, uses the valuethat is the brightest between the underlay pixel and the overlay pixel.
BETA Linear Dodge: Lightens each channel in the underlay pixel with thebrightness value of the corresponding channel in the overlay pixel, byincreasing the brightness of the underlay pixel.

l

l

l

Screen / BETA Screen: The reverse of multiply. Multiplies the reverse valueof each channel in the underlay and overlay pixel, treating those values as
ratios. Multiplying anything with white will result in white, and multiplying
anything with black will leave the colour unchanged.
Vividlight: This colour dodges overlay pixels with a value above 50% onto
underlay pixels, and colour burns overlay pixels with a value below 50%
onto underlay pixels. The brighter the overlay pixel is, the more intense thecolour dodging effect will be. The darker the overlay pixel is, the more intense
the colour burning effect will be.
Hardlight / Hardlight Legacy / BETA Hardlight: This screens overlay pixels
with a value above 50% onto underlay pixels, and multiplies overlay pixels
with a value below 50% onto underlay pixels. The brighter the overlay pixelis, the more intense the screen effect will be. The darker the overlay pixel is,
the more intense the multiplying effect will be. Blending any colour withwhite or black will result in white or black, and blending a colour with plain
grey will leave the colour unchanged.

l

l

l

l

Linearlight: This linear dodges overlay pixels with a value above 50% onto
underlay pixels, and linear burns overlay pixels with a value below 50% onto
underlay pixels. The brighter the overlay pixel is, the more intense the linear
dodging effect will be. The darker the overlay pixel is, the more intense thelinear burning effect will be.
Overlay / Overlay Legacy / BETA Overlay: Like hardlight, exept it screens or
multiplies the underlay pixel over the overlay pixel, based on the value of theunderlay pixel.
Pin Light: For each channel, if the overlay pixel's value is above 50%, use thelightest pixel between the underlay and overlay pixels. If the overlay pixel's
value is below 50%, use the darkest pixel between the underlay and overlay
pixels.
Softlight / BETA Softlight: Each channel of the overlay pixel lightens or
darkens the corresponding channel of the underlay pixel on a softer scale.
The effect is proportional to how dark or bright the overlay pixel is, butinversely proportional to how dark or bright the underlay pixel is.

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l

l

l

Difference / Difference Legacy: For each channel, this takes the darkest pixel
among the overlay and underlay pixels, subtract it from the lightest pixel, andoutputs the result.
Divide / Divide Legacy / BETA Divide: For each channel, this divides thevalue of the underlay pixel by the value overlay pixel. Both values are treatedas ratios, so the resulting colour is brighter. A white overlay pixel will leave
the underlay colour unaffected, and a black overlay pixel will always result inwhite.
Exclusion / BETA Exclusion: Adds the overlay and underlay pixel, thensubtracts the multiplied value of both pixels twice. This results in an effectsimilar to Difference, except that while the Difference mode producesconsistently high contrast pixels, the contrast of the resulting pixels with the
Exclusion mode is proportional to how dark or bright the overlay pixels are.

ll

Subtract / Subtract Legacy / BETA Subtract: For each channel, subtracts
the value of the overlay pxiel from the value of the underlay pxiel. For
example, if the underlay pixel is white, and the overlay pixel is dark gray, theresulting pixel will be light gray. Likewise, if the underlay pixel is yellow, andthe overlay pixel is red, the resulting pixel will be green, as yellow is a mix ofgreen and red.
Alpha: Adds the opacity of the overlay pixel to the opacity of the underlay
pixel, ignoring the colour of the overlay pixel.

NOTE
The effect of this blending mode can only be observed if you render
images with an alpha channel or if you set the Camera view to Matte
View

mode. To do this, click on the Render View

while it is selected to open its menu, then select

l

l

l

l

l

mode button

Matte View.

Colour: Outputs a colour with the hue and saturation of the overlay pixel, andthe luminosity of the underlay pixel. The overlay layer can hence be used to"colourize" the underlay layer.
Hue: Outputs a colour with the luminosity and saturation of the underlay
pixel and the hue of the overlay pixel.
Invert: Inverts the underlay pixel proportionally to the alpha value of theoverlay pixel. The overlay image hence acts as a "matte" for an invert effect.
Luminosity / BETA Luminosity: Outputs a colour with the hue and saturationof the underlay pixel and the luminosity of the overlay pixel. This is thereverse of the Colour blending mode.
Replace: Ignores the underlay pixel completely, outputting the overlay pixel
as if nothing existed behind it. This applies to all overlay pixels that have analpha value of at least 1, so the negative space of the overlay image will nothide the underlay image. If the overlay pixel is not fully opaque, it will bemixed with black.

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Chapter 3: LayerslSaturation: Outputs a colour with the luminosity and hue of the underlying
colour, and the saturation of the source colour.

If you intend to export your scene in SWF format, you can use this option to choose
which blend mode to use for this effect in the exported Flash movie. Since Flashdoes not support all the blending modes supported by Harmony, this is left as aseparate option. You can ignore this option if you don't intend to export your scene in
SWF format.
l

l

l

l

l

l

SWF Blend Mode
l

l

l

l

l

Normal: Composites the image without any specific blending effect.
Multiply: Multiplies the value of each channel in the underlay pixel with thevalue of each channel in the overlay pixel, treating those values as ratios.
Multiplying anything with black will result in black, and multiplying anythingwith white will leave the colour unchanged.
Screen: The reverse of multiply. Multiplies the reverse value of each channel
in the underlay and overlay pixel, treating those values as ratios. Multiplying
anything with white will result in white, and multiplying anything with black
will leave the colour unchanged.
Lighten: For each channel, uses the value that is the brightest between theunderlay pixel and the overlay pixel.
Darken: For each channel, uses the value that is the darkest between theunderlay pixel and the overlay pixel.
Difference: For each channel, this takes the darkest pixel among the overlay
and underlay pixels, subtract it from the lightest pixel, and outputs the result.
Add: Adds the colour values of each channel in the overlay pixel and theunderlay pixel. For example, adding two dark grey pixels with a value of 100
in each channel will result in a light grey pixel with a value of 200 in eachchannel. Likewise, if one of the pixels is red and the other is green, theresulting pixel will be yellow.
Subtract: For each channel, subtracts the value of the overlay pxiel from thevalue of the underlay pxiel. For example, if the underlay pixel is white, and theoverlay pixel is dark gray, the resulting pixel will be light gray. Likewise, if theunderlay pixel is yellow, and the overlay pixel is red, the resulting pixel will
be green, as yellow is a mix of green and red.
Invert: Inverts the underlay pixel proportionally to the alpha value of theoverlay pixel. The overlay image hence acts as a "matte" for an invert effect.
Overlay:Like hardlight, exept it screens or multiplies the underlay pixel over
the overlay pixel, based on the value of the underlay pixel.
Hardlight: This screens overlay pixels with a value above 50% onto underlay
pixels, and multiplies overlay pixels with a value below 50% onto underlay
pixels. The brighter the overlay pixel is, the more intense the screen effect will
be. The darker the overlay pixel is, the more intense the multiplying effect willbe. Blending any colour with white or black will result in white or black, and352

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blending a colour with plain grey will leave the colour unchanged.

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Blur Layer
T-HFND-010-007
The Blur effect creates an effect that softens, fogs or obscures the image evenly in all directions. This effect isuseful when you want to make cloudy images not realistically seen in detail, such as a drawing object that is
farther back or in the background of your scene, usually blurry due to the laws of atmospheric perspective.
Other uses include the general softening of objects such as snow, stars and shadows that do not naturally
have a hard outline.

Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

Properties

Parameter

Description

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.

Truck Factor

Activated by default, this option readjusts the blur when the elements undergo achange of depth or scale. When this option is deselected, the effect's values
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Parameter

Description

be deselected when multiple drawings are composited and attached to thiseffect.

RadiusSize of the blur. The larger the value, the greater the strength or reach of the blur.
The blur radius is affected by the drawing scale and camera position. Click the
Edit Curve button to change these values over time by adjusting the function
curve.

Quality

Select High for a slow and accurate operation or Low for a faster operation with amore raw look.

Matte

Invert Matte

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the effect is applied tothe opaque areas of the matte drawing. When this option is enabled, the effect isapplied to the transparent areas of the matte instead.

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Blur-Gaussian Layer
T-COMP2-003-002
The Blur-Gaussian effect softens the image, reducing the amount of noise and detail. The look of the Gaussian
blur is smooth, but does take some rendering time. This effect is useful when rendering time is less important,and quality is more important. Also, you can use a matte with this effect to isolate areas of the image.

For detailed video tutorials and sample scenes by Adam Phillips, see:https://www.toonboom.com/resources/video-tutorials/chapter/adam-phillips-harmony-effects
Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

Properties

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Parameter

Description

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.

Truck Factor

Activated by default, this option readjusts the blur when the elements undergo achange of depth or scale. When this option is deselected, the effect's values
remain unchanged regardless of any depth or scale changes. This option should
be deselected when multiple drawings are composited and attached to thiseffect.

Repeat Edge Pixels

Makes the blur algorithm operate as if the pixel values beyond the edge of thelayer are the same as the values of the edge pixels. This keeps edges sharp,
preventing them from darkening and becoming more transparent.

BlurrinessDirectional

Blurs according to the length, width, and angle you specify. For example, if acharacter is walking east, the blur may fall to the west.

BlurrinessAmount of blur applied to the layer.

Horizontal BlurrinessLength of the blur.

Vertical Blurriness

Thickness of the blur.

Angle

The direction in which the blur is applied: sideways, up, down, 90 degrees, 45
degrees, and so on.

Bidirectional

Blurs in both horizontal and vertical directions.

Matte

Invert Matte

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the effect is applied tothe opaque areas of the matte drawing. When this option is enabled, the effect isapplied to the transparent areas of the matte instead.

Precision

Blurs the image the number of times the precision indicates at different radius(between 0 and the specified radius).

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Colour-Override Layer
The Colour-Override effects processes the colours in a drawing layer. Using this effect, you can change colours
from the palette without affecting the actual palette, swap clone palettes, or even replace a specific colourzone. The drawings in this layer must be .tvg files as the Colour-Override uses the colour palettes linked tothem.

The Colour-Override effect lets you:l

Change colour values in drawings during the compositing process.

l

Use colour values from a specific colour palette in the palette list.

lEstablish the priority of override palettes in the palette list. For example, you may have different clonesof the same palette, such as a daytime and nighttime version.

lIsolate specific areas of a drawing by selecting certain colours. For example, using specific colours togenerate a matte for a glow effect.

lHide certain colours.

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Interface

Palettes
The Palettes section displays the palettes in the palette list of the selected layer. You can move these palettes
into the Whole Palette Overrides section to reorder them. If you have cloned palettes, the higher one in the list
will override the others. This is useful for overriding the clone palette ordering set in the scene through theColour view.
You can load additional palettes in the palette list from either your project, by clicking on The Palettebutton, or your computer by clicking on the Browsel

The Palettebutton.

button allows you to load a palette contained within the project hierarchy(Environment, Job, Scene and Elements).
l

The Browse

button allows you to load a palette located outside the project hierarchy, anywhere on

your system or server. If you link to a palette outside of your project, you will be prompted with thefollowing warning message:

You can hover your mouse over the palette name in any of the override sections to display the path to thepalette.

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Colours
The Colours section displays the colour swatches of the selected palette. Move a swatch into the ColourOverrides section to change its value.

Whole Palette Overrides
The Whole Palette Overrides section forces the use of a particular palette (clone palette) or palette list
ordering during the compositing process. You must drag palettes from the Palettes section to change theirorder. Harmony uses the palettes in the order they appear in the palette list to find the colour values
associated with the colour IDs of each colour zone. To apply a different version of a colour palette to, forexample, switch from a day to a night palette, use the Override section to change the order of the colour
palettes (you must be working with cloned palettes).

Individual Colour Overrides
When you drag a swatch from the Colours section to this section, you can override its value. The default
override mode is set to New RGBA so you can override the RGB value as well as the transparency value.

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The Current column always displays the colours from the currently active palette. Selecting a clone palette in
the Palettes area will not change the colours if you haven't changed the active palette in the Whole PaletteOverrides section. The update will be done once you close and reopen the Colour Override Layer Properties
window.

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Colour-Scale Layer
The Colour-Scale effect offsets an image's colours. This effect is useful in creating ambient transitions, such as
from daytime to nighttime.

Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

Properties

Parameter

Description

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.

Red

The factor by which to multiply red values in the image.

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Parameter

Description

Green

The factor by which to multiply green values in the image.

Blue

The factor by which to multiply blue values in the image.

Alpha

The factor by which to multiply alpha values in the image.

Hue

The colour or hue to offset the image.

Saturation

The amount of colour to offset the image.
Enter the value for the colour to offset the image. The actual colour values of theimage are not changed; instead, the channels are multiplied by a selectedamount. For example:
l

Value
l

l

Invert Matte

A value of 1 does not change the colour values.
A value greater than 1 brings the colour channel value closer to 255 (orwhite).
A value less than 1 brings the colour channel value closer to zero (0 orblack).

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the effect is applied tothe opaque areas of the matte drawing. When this option is enabled, the effect isapplied to the transparent areas of the matte instead.

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Cutter Layer
T-HFND-010-009
The Cutter effect cuts out a portion of an image. To do this, it needs to be connected to the drawing it isintended to cut as well as to a matte layer. The cutter will take the shape of the drawing in the matte layer andcut this shape out of the drawing layer. This is especially useful if you want to make a character disappear
between a background element, or if you want to cut out a hole in the middle of a character.
Like all effects that use a matte, the Cutter's effect has an Inverted parameter, which is disabled by default.
When enabled, the Cutter will have the reverse effect: Instead of cutting the matte's shape out of the drawing,
it will cut everything outside of the matte's shape out of the drawing, leaving only the parts of the drawingthat are covered by the matte.
The Cutter effect can be used with 2D-3D integration. Rendered 2D drawings, integrated with 3D models,display soft, anti-aliased edges, even where the Cutter effect is applied.

Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

Properties

Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible
effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Side

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Parameter

Description

and Top views.
Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

Allows you to enter a name for the node.

Inverted

When this option is enabled, the Cutter node will invert the matte shape to cut
the drawing. Instead of cutting the image intersecting with the matte, it will cut
any artwork outside of the matte shape.

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Glow Layer
T-HFND-010-009B
The Glow effect turns your image into a glow area with a bright soft-edged light or diffuse light region aroundan image. The Glow effect is useful for creating a shining rim around objects, such as the sun or stars. Clone
your layer to display the original image on top of the glow.

Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

Properties

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Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible
effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Sideand Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

Truck Factor

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.
Activated by default, this option readjusts the blur when the elements undergo achange of depth or scale. When disabled, the effect's values will remainunchanged regardless of depth or scale changes. It is recommended that thisoption be disabled when multiple drawings are composited and attached thiseffect.
Allows you to choose between the following blur types for the effect:l

Blur Typel

Radial: The edges of the matte are blurred evenly around points that makeup the edge of the matte.
Directional: The matte is blurred in the direction configured with the
Directional Angle and Directional Falloff Rate parameters.

RadiusEnter a value for the size of the blur. The larger the value, the greater the blureffect. The blur radius is affected by the drawing scale and camera position.
If you set the Blur Type to Directional, this sets the angle of the blur. The value
goes from 0 to 360, with 0 meaning west, and angles going counterclockwise.
For example:

Directional Anglel0: Blurs the image to the west.

l

90: Blurs the image to the south.

l180: Blurs the image to the east.

l

270: Blurs the image to the north.

The distance where the blur fades from the edge of the image. Select a decimalvalue between 0 and 1. For example:
Directional Falloff Ratell

0: Makes the blur fade out slowly, distributing the blur evenly from theedge of the character to the farthest edge of the blur.
1: Makes the blur fade out quickly. The blur is heaviest closer to the edge

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Parameter

Descriptionof the image.

Invert Matte

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the effect is applied toopaque areas of the drawing. When this option is enabled, the effect is applied totransparent or empty areas of the drawing.
Instead of using the colour in the Colour parameters, this uses the colours in thesource drawing to generate the effect.

Use Source Colour

NOTE
The effect of this parameter is only visible in Render View

Multiplicativemode.

Multiplies the colours of the effect with the colours of the background. Thisintensifies the effect.

ColourRed

The amount of red to add to the colour in the background image.

Green

The amount of green to add to the colour in the background image.

Blue

The amount of blue to add to the colour in the background image.

Alpha

The alpha value of the effect.

Colour Swatch

Opens the Colour Picker dialog, in which you can visually select a colour for theeffect.

Intensity

Allows you to set the factor by which to multiply the intensity of the effect. Thisparameter can take a decimal value between 0 and 1. At 1, the effect is fully
applied. At 0, the effect is not visible.

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Highlight Layer
T-HFND-010-009C
The Highlight node allows you to brighten an image's area to simulate a light source. For this effect, you willneed to create a matte to determine the shape and position of the highlight on a separate element, so that you
can blur the edges to create a softer effect. By adjusting the Highlight properties, you can control the type andamount of blur, as well as the colour of the Highlight effect.

Connection
The Highlight effect layer must be connected as a child of the drawing layer or group which you want it toaffect, and must have a matte drawing layer or group added to its Matte attribute. The part of its parent image
that are covered by the matte drawing will have a highlight applied to it.

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Layer Properties

Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible effect on therendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Side and Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Each node musthave a name that is unique to its containing group.

Truck Factor

Activated by default, this option readjusts the blur when the elements undergo a change of
depth or scale. When disabled, the effect's values will remain unchanged regardless of depth
or scale changes. It is recommended that this option be disabled when multiple drawings arecomposited and attached this effect.
Allows you to choose between the following blur types for the effect:l

Blur Typel

Radial: The edges of the matte are blurred evenly around points that make up the edgeof the matte.
Directional: The matte is blurred in the direction configured with the Directional Angle
and Directional Falloff Rate parameters.

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Parameter

Description

RadiusEnter a value for the size of the blur. The larger the value, the greater the blur effect. The blurradius is affected by the drawing scale and camera position.
If you set the Blur Type to Directional, this sets the angle of the blur. The value goes from 0 to360, with 0 meaning west, and angles going counterclockwise. For example:

Directional
Angle

l

0: Blurs the image to the west.

l

90: Blurs the image to the south.

l180: Blurs the image to the east.

l

270: Blurs the image to the north.

The distance where the blur fades from the edge of the image. Select a decimal value between 0
and 1. For example:
Directional
Falloff RatellMultiplicative

0: Makes the blur fade out slowly, distributing the blur evenly from the edge of thecharacter to the farthest edge of the blur.
1: Makes the blur fade out quickly. The blur is heaviest closer to the edge of the image.

Multiplies the colours of the effect with the colours of the source image. This intensifies theeffect.

ColourRed

The amount of red to add to the colour of the source image.

Green

The amount of green to add to the colour of the source image.

Blue

The amount of blue to add to the colour of the source image.

Alpha

The alpha value of the effect.

Colour Swatch

Opens the Colour Picker dialog, in which you can visually select a colour for the effect.

Intensity

Allows you to set the factor by which to multiply the intensity of the effect. This parameter cantake a decimal value between 0 and 1. At 1, the effect is fully applied. At 0, the effect is not
visible.

Matte

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Parameter

Description

Invert Matte

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the affect is applied to opaque areas ofthe matte and transparent areas of the matte are ignored. When this option is enabled, the effectis applied to transparent areas of the matte and opaque areas of the matte are ignored.
Instead of using the colour in the Colour parameters, this uses the colours in the matte drawing
to generate the effect.

Use Matte
ColourNOTE
The effect of this parameter is only visible in Render View

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Shadow Layer
With the Shadow effect, you can turn a drawing into a shadow. It doesn't matter if the drawing layer is a fully
coloured character. The Shadow effect will render it into a grey, semitransparent, slightly blurry silhouette.
You must clone your layer to see the original image displayed on top of the shadow.

Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

Properties
Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible
effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Sideand Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.

Truck Factor

Activated by default, this option readjusts the blur when the elements undergo achange of depth or scale. When disabled, the effect's values will remainunchanged regardless of depth or scale changes. It is recommended that thisoption be disabled when multiple drawings are composited and attached thiseffect.

Blur Type

Allows you to choose between the following blur types for the effect:373

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Parameter

DescriptionllRadiusRadial: The edges of the matte are blurred evenly around points that makeup the edge of the matte.
Directional: The matte is blurred in the direction configured with the
Directional Angle and Directional Falloff Rate parameters.

Enter a value for the size of the blur. The larger the value, the greater the blureffect. The blur radius is affected by the drawing scale and camera position.
If you set the Blur Type to Directional, this sets the angle of the blur. The value
goes from 0 to 360, with 0 meaning west, and angles going counterclockwise.
For example:

Directional Anglel0: Blurs the image to the west.

l

90: Blurs the image to the south.

l180: Blurs the image to the east.

l

270: Blurs the image to the north.

The distance where the blur fades from the edge of the image. Select a decimalvalue between 0 and 1. For example:
Directional Falloff Ratell

Invert Matte

0: Makes the blur fade out slowly, distributing the blur evenly from theedge of the character to the farthest edge of the blur.
1: Makes the blur fade out quickly. The blur is heaviest closer to the edgeof the image.

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the effect is applied toopaque areas of the drawing. When this option is enabled, the effect is applied totransparent or empty areas of the drawing.
Instead of using the colour in the Colour parameters, this uses the colours in thesource drawing to generate the effect.

Use Source Colour

NOTE
The effect of this parameter is only visible in Render View

Multiplicativemode.

Multiplies the colours of the effect with the colours of the background. Thisintensifies the effect.

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Parameter

Description

ColourRed

The amount of red to subtract from the colour in the background image. To
obtain a shadow effect, this value must be negative.

GreenThe amount of green to subtract from the colour in the background image. To
obtain a shadow effect, this value must be negative.

Blue

The amount of blue to subtract from the colour in the background image. To
obtain a shadow effect, this value must be negative.

Alpha

The alpha value of the effect.

Colour Swatch

Opens the Colour Picker dialog, in which you can visually select a colour for theeffect.

Intensity

Allows you to set the factor by which to multiply the intensity of the effect. Thisparameter can take a decimal value between 0 and 1. At 1, the effect is fully
applied. At 0, the effect is not visible.

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Tone Layer
T-COMP2-004-004
The Tone effect allows you to add a dark-coloured region to your drawing and simulate the shaded area awayfrom a light source. To produce the tone effect, create a drawing to control where the tone will appear. The
Tone effect uses a matte to determine the shape and position of the tone on your drawing and can be blurredat the edges to create a softer effect.

Connection
The Tone effect layer must be connected as a child of the drawing layer or group which you want it to affect,
and must have a matte drawing layer or group added to its Matte attribute. The part of its parent image thatare covered by the matte drawing will have a tone applied to it.

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Layer Properties

Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible effect on therendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Side and Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Each node musthave a name that is unique to its containing group.

Truck Factor

Activated by default, this option readjusts the blur when the elements undergo a change of
depth or scale. When disabled, the effect's values will remain unchanged regardless of depth
or scale changes. It is recommended that this option be disabled when multiple drawings arecomposited and attached this effect.
Allows you to choose between the following blur types for the effect:l

Blur Typel

Radial: The edges of the matte are blurred evenly around points that make up the edgeof the matte.
Directional: The matte is blurred in the direction configured with the Directional Angle
and Directional Falloff Rate parameters.

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Parameter

Description

RadiusEnter a value for the size of the blur. The larger the value, the greater the blur effect. The blurradius is affected by the drawing scale and camera position.
If you set the Blur Type to Directional, this sets the angle of the blur. The value goes from 0 to360, with 0 meaning west, and angles going counterclockwise. For example:

Directional
Angle

l

0: Blurs the image to the west.

l

90: Blurs the image to the south.

l180: Blurs the image to the east.

l

270: Blurs the image to the north.

The distance where the blur fades from the edge of the image. Select a decimal value between 0
and 1. For example:
Directional
Falloff RatellMultiplicative

0: Makes the blur fade out slowly, distributing the blur evenly from the edge of thecharacter to the farthest edge of the blur.
1: Makes the blur fade out quickly. The blur is heaviest closer to the edge of the image.

Multiplies the colours of the effect with the colours of the source image. This intensifies theeffect.

ColourRed

The amount of red to subtract from the colour of the source image. To obtain a shadow effect,
the value must be negative.

GreenThe amount of green to subtract from the colour of the source image. To obtain a shadow
effect, the value must be negative.

Blue

The amount of blue to subtract from the colour of the source image. To obtain a shadow effect,
the value must be negative.

Alpha

The alpha value of the effect.

Colour Swatch

Opens the Colour Picker dialog, in which you can visually select a colour for the effect.

Intensity

Allows you to set the factor by which to multiply the intensity of the effect. This parameter cantake a decimal value between 0 and 1. At 1, the effect is fully applied. At 0, the effect is not
visible.

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Parameter

Description

Matte

Invert Matte

Inverts the matte used to generate the effect. By default, the affect is applied to opaque areas ofthe matte and transparent areas of the matte are ignored. When this option is enabled, the effectis applied to transparent areas of the matte and opaque areas of the matte are ignored.
Instead of using the colour in the Colour parameters, this uses the colours in the matte drawing
to generate the effect.

Use Matte
ColourNOTE
The effect of this parameter is only visible in Render View

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mode.

Chapter 3: Layers

Transparency Layer
T-HFND-010-008
The Transparency effect is used to make an image partially transparent. The Transparency effect is usefulwhen fading images in and out, such as a phantom or to make something partially see-through, such as awindow.

Refer to the following example to connect this effect:

You can enter a value in the Transparency field or change the transparency value over time by linking it to afunction curve. Entering a value of 100 in the Transparency field will make the element 100% transparent, inother words, invisible. Entering a value of 0 will render the element completely opaque.
It is also possible to adjust a drawing layer's transparency directly in the Layer Properties window without
using the Transparency layer. In the layer's properties, go to the Drawing tab and adjust the Opacity
parameter. This parameter is visible in OpenGL mode.

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Properties

Parameter

Description

Name

Allows you to enter a name for the node.

Transparency

Lets you set the opacity of an element. Values range from 0 to 100. A value of
100 will make the element 100% transparent and a value of 0 will render theelement completely opaque.

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Image Layers
Image layers generate an image that display in your scene's render. The drawing layer, which is the main typeof layer used in Harmony, generates an image based on the drawings in its element which are exposed at thecurrent frame. The Colour-Card simply fills the render area with a solid colour.
Colour-Card Layer

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Drawing Layer

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Colour-Card Layer
T-ANIMPA-012-001
The Colour Card allows you to fill the scene's background with a solid colour when there is no backgroundimage. If no drawing or colour-card is present to cover the scene's background, the scene will be rendered on apitch black canvas.

NOTE
By default, the Colour Card has a Z ordering value of 12 Backward. This puts the Colour cardbehind all elements that have a value lower than 12 Backward. Most of the time, the Colour card
will appear automatically behind all the scene elements as they are all set to 0 Backward, unless
you have changed the Z ordering of the scene components. If so, the Colour Card will be in front of
the elements that are pushed back to more than 12 fields backward.

Connection
The Colour Card does not need to be connected to anything in your scene. It simply needs to be added to it
alongside your drawing layers and groups.

Because a Colour Card has a default position on the z-axis of 12 Backward, it will appear behind all the layers
in your scene regardless of whether or not it has layers underneath it.

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Layer Properties

Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Allows you to enable or disable the layer. When disabled, a layer has no visible
effect on the rendered image, nor on the preview in the Camera, Perspective, Sideand Top views.

Colour Swatch

Sets the colour of the layer in the Timeline view.

Name

The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Eachnode must have a name that is unique to its containing group.

Depth

This parameter can be used to determine whether the colour card displays behindor in front of elements with the same position on the z-axis.

Offset Z

The position of the Colour Card on the Z-axis. By default, this is set to 12 B toensure the Colour Card appears behind other elements in the scene. You can set
this to 0 F to make the Colour Card respect the order of the layers in the Timelineview.

ColourThe colour and transparency of the Colour Card. You can also attach theseparameters to function columns to change their values over time.
Click the colour swatch to open the Colour Picker window and select a colour.

Colour Swatch

Opens the Colour Picker window in which you can specify the colour.

Invert Matte

If an image is connected to the Colour Card's matte port, by default, the colour isonly applied on the opaque areas of the matte. If this parameter is enabled, thecolour is applied to the transparent areas of the matte instead.

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Drawing Layer
The Drawing layer is at the core of a scene's structure. A drawing layer is linked to an element, which contains
a series of drawing, and its Xsheet column, which indicates when and for how long each drawing is exposed.
The layer is what connects the element and its exposure to the rendered image. It indicates the position of thedrawings relative to other elements and to the stage, as well as the drawing's connections with pegs, groups
and effects, if any.
Although drawing layers can be transformed and animated on their own, it is typical to connect them under aparent peg. This allows you to keep the position and animation information of the element in the peg, making
it easier to manipulate the exposure and the transformations separately. This is especially useful in digital cutout animation where manipulating and transforming layers is often the main method of simulating movement,
and changing drawings is the secondary method.

You can also connect a drawing layer as a child of another drawing layer. Just like with pegs, anytransformation done to the parent layer, whether on itself or through one of its parents, will also be applied tothe child layer.

Optionally, you can connect a matte drawing to a drawing layer. When a drawing layer has a matte drawing,
only the parts of the drawings that intersect with the opaque areas of the matte drawing will be rendered.
This allows you to accomplish the same effect as connecting the drawing layer to a cutter effect.

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Layer Properties
The drawing layer's properties are organized in the following tabs:lTransformation TablDrawing TablControls TablLine ThicknesslAdvanced Tab

Transformation Tab
The Transformation tab contains parameters for adjusting the position, scale, rotation, skew and pivots of anelement.

Parameter

Description

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3D Path: Use a 3D path to position the element. A 3D path uses a single
function to define the position on the X, Y and Z axes. This function is made ofcontrol points linked by a curvilinear path, making the movement follow a natural
curve. The pace and ease of the movement is determined by a single velocity
function.
Separate: Positions the element using separate functions for the X, Y and Z axes.
This allows to control the direction and pace of the movement across all threeaxes separately. Unless ease is applied to the axes, the trajectory of the element
will follow straight lines going between each keyframe.
Position
Path: If the 3D Path option is selected, this field allows you to create or selectthe 3D Path function used to position the element.
Path (x) Axis: The position of the element on the East-West axis, in fields.
Path (y) Axis: The position of the element on the South-North axis, in fields.
Path (z) Axis: The position of the element in the Back-Front axis, in fields.
Velocity: If the 3D Path option is selected, this function is used to control thepace at which the element moves towards each control point in the 3D Pathfunction, on all three axes simultaneously.

Scale

Locked: Uses a single scale parameter to scale the element, preserving its
proportions.
Separate: Uses a separate parameter to scale the element on the X and Y axis,
allowing to stretch or squash the element.
(x) Axis: The horizontal scale factor. The default value is 1.
(y) Axis: The vertical scale factor. The default value is 1.
Scale in Fields: With this option enabled, the scale factor is based on theamount of fields in the scene. For example, to shrink one of the dimensions of anelement to half its original size, the scale factor would normally bet set to 0.5. If
this option is enabled and the amount of fields in the scene is 12, then the scale
factor to shrink the element by half would be 6.
Ignore Parent Scaling: When this option is enabled, scaling factors applied to aparent layer will not be applied to the current layer. This can be handy in cut-out
rigs when you need to scale an arm without affecting the forearm.

RotationAngle z: The angle at which the element is rotated, based on the 360 degrees
scale. Values below 0 or above 360 degrees will cause the rotation to cycle.

Skew

Skew: The angle at which the element is skewed. This value can range from -90
to 90 degrees.

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Chapter 3: Layers(x) Axis: The horizontal position of the pivot point of the element relative to thepivot point of the drawing, in fields.
(y) Axis: The vertical position of the pivot point of the element relative to thepivot point of the drawing, in fields.
Pivot

NOTE
These parameters can be changed visually by clicking and dragging thepivot point when using on of the tools in the Advanced Animation toolbar.

An element layer has two pivots:l

The pivot of the element, which is set by the Pivot parameters above.

l

The pivot of the currently exposed drawing, which is set using the
Drawing Pivot

tool.

This preference is used to determine what to do with the pivot point of thecurrently exposed drawing:lDrawing Pivot
lDon't Use Embedded Pivot: Ignores the pivot point of the exposeddrawing. The pivot point of the element is positioned using the Pivot
parameters above, relative to the centre of the drawing.
Apply Embedded Pivot on Parent Peg: Use the pivot point of the
exposed drawing to determine the position of the pivot point of the parent
peg of the drawing layer. This is useful when making a character rig
where each element has a parent peg, and those parent pegs are intended
to be used for animation. The pivot point of these parent pegs will bebased on the pivot point set for the exposed drawing.

l

Apply Embedded Pivot on Drawing Layer: Use the pivot point of thedrawing to determine the pivot point of the element. This means the pivot
point is positioned using the Pivot parameters above, but relative to thepivot point of the drawing.

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TIP
The two latter options are useful when making a character rig where alayer can represent a body part from different angles. Since each angle isrepresented by a drawing, and each angle is liable to have a different
pivot point, you can set the pivot point of each angle by using the Drawing
Pivot

tool on each drawing. Then, if you want to animate the drawing

layers directly, you can set this parameter to the Apply Embedded

Pivot on Drawing Layer option, and if you want to animate using theparent pegs of the drawing layers, you can set this parameter to the

Apply Embedded Pivot on Parent Peg option, so that these pivots
are used when animating the different parts of the rigs.

Drawing Tab
The Drawing tab contains parameters for the art layers, bitmap images and the element's matte drawing.

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Parameter

Description

Element Columns

Drawing Path: Displays the full path to the current drawing.
These parameters allow you to set whether each art layer in the drawing layer isenabled, and whether they should contain vector or bitmap artwork. By default,
options for the Line Art and Colour Art layers will be available. If the Enable
Overlay and Underlay Arts preference is enabled, options for the Overlay Art andUnderlay Art layers will also be available.

Art Layers

Enabled: Determines whether the art layer is displayed.
Vector: Makes the art layer enabled for vector artwork, Vector drawing tools will
be used to draw in this art layer, and vector artwork information will bepreserved.
Bitmap: Makes the art layer enabled for bitmap artwork. Only bitmap-compatible
drawing tools will be enabled when drawing on this layer, and all artwork will
be rasterized into a bitmap image.
Colour: Determines whether or not the colours in the image is processed. If
unchecked, the image will be solid black.
Transparency: Determines whether or not the transparency in the image isprocessed. If unchecked, the image will be fully opaque.
Transparency Type: If the layer contains bitmap images with a transparency
channel, there are several approaches to rendering the image's transparency. You
may need to select the proper transparency type to make sure Harmony renders
the image as intended.
l

Bitmap File Options

l

l

l

Premultiplied with Black: Semi-transparent pixels in the original image
are blended with black.
Premultiplied with White: Semi-transparent pixels in the original image
are blended with white.
Straight: Semi-transparent pixels in the original image are left as is(unmatted).
Clamp Colour to Alpha: Semi-transparent pixels in the original image are
blended with black. On import, each of the RGB channels is clamped sothat a color value never exceed the alpha value for a given pixel. When
the RGB values are multiplied with the alpha value, that is to say, if you
have a pixel of value R=247, G=188, B=29 and the alpha is 50% or theimage has a 50% transparency, then the actual RGB values output would
be half of the amounts listed above.

Tile Horizontally: Repeats the bitmap image infinitely to the left and to the right390

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guideof the layer. This can be useful for making looping backgrounds.
Tile Vertically: Repeats the bitmap image infinitely to over and underneath thelayer. This can be useful for making looping backgrounds.

NOTE
When both the Tile Horizontally and Tile Vertically options are used
together, the bitmap image is tiled all over the scene.

Matte

Invert Matte:If a drawing, group or effect is added to the drawing's Matteattribute, the part of the drawing that intersect with the matte's opaque areas will
be cut out by default. If this parameter is enabled, the part of the drawing thatintersect with the matte's transparent areas will be cut out instead.
Colour Space: The colour space in which the element’s colours should beinterpreted. If the element’s colour space is different from the project colour
space, then the element’s colours will be converted from the element’s colour
space to the project’s colour space as they are processed, before being
composited together with the scene’s special effects.
lUndefined Colour Space: No colour space is defined for the drawing.
The drawing’s colours will be interpreted as if they were the same colour
space the one selected in the Colour Space tab of the Scene Settings
dialog.

llColour Space

l

l

l

l

Linear: The same primaries and white point as sRGB and Rec. 709, butwith no gamma transfer curve applied to the colour values. This colour
space is useful for compositing intermediary images that are meant to berendered in sRGB or Rec. 709.
Display P3: A colour space commonly used for digital projection. It has
the same primaries as DCI-P3, the same white point as sRGB and thesame gamma transfer curve as sRGB.
Display P3 Linear: The same as Display P3, except with no gammatransfer curve. This colour space is useful for compositing intermediary
images that are meant to be rendered in Display P3.
Rec. 709: The colour space used for HDTV. It has the same primaries andwhite point as sRGB, but has a different gamma transfer curve.
Rec. 709 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 709 or sRGB, except with agamma transfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space exists
because some editing systems use a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 insteadof the standard gamma curve for Rec. 709.
Rec. 2020: A colour space used for Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV). It
has a complex gamma transfer curve and primaries that cover more of thehuman-perceivable colour space than other colour spaces, especially in391

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the area of human-perceivable greens.
lllRec. 2020 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with a simple
gamma transfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This colour space exists
because some editing systems use a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 insteadof the standard gamma curve for Rec. 2020.
Rec. 2020 Linear: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except with no
gamma transfer curve. This colour space is useful for compositing
intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in Rec. 2020.
sRGB: A colour space typically used for standard computer monitors. It
has the same primaries and white point as Rec. 709, but has a different
gamma transfer curve.

NOTE
In theOpenGL View mode of the Camera view, the colour space ofdrawing layers is ignored and only the colour space of original bitmap files
is taken in account. To test the colours of your drawing in their selectedcolour space, you must activate

Render View mode.

Controls Tab
The Controls tab contains animation control options.

Parameter

Animation

Description
Animate Using Animation Tools: By default, a drawing layer can be animateddirectly, as if it was its own peg. If you disable this option, it will only bepossible to animate the layer using its parent peg. If the layer has no parent peg,
it will be immutable.
This can be useful if you want to create cut-out character rigs that should only be
animated using pegs, which can help separate the drawing exposure from thetransformations on the drawings. If every drawing layer in a character rig has thisoption disabled, only layers that have a parent peg will be animatable, and the392Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

animator will only be able to animate on the pegs. This also rules out thepossibility of accidentally animating an element directly and using its parent peg
concurrently.
When this option is disabled, clicking on the drawing layer in the Camera view
with the Transform tool will automatically select the layer's parent peg.
If the layer's controls are displayed, you can see its animation trajectory in the
Camera view. This is referred to as the spline. By default, the position of eachpoint in the spline is based on the element's pivot point. However, you can use
the spline offset to give it a more fitting position if desired. You can do this byusing the Spline Offset tool of the Advanced Animation toolbar, or by manuallyentering the offset values in the Spline Offset fields.
(x) Axis: The horizontal offset of the spline, in fields.
(y) Axis: The vertical offset of the spline, in fields.
Spline Offset(z) Axis: The depth offset of the spline, in fields.

TIP
To display the animation trajectory of the layer in the Camera view, selectthe layer, then do one of the following:l

In the Camera toolbar, click on Show Control.

l

From the top menu, select View > Show > Control.

lPress Shift + F11 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + F11 (macOS).

Line Thickness
The Line Thickness tab contains options regarding the way pencil lines in the element are rendered. These
options can be very useful to enhance the quality of line art without having to work on it.

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Parameter

Description
Adjust Pencil Lines Thickness: Enables the options below to adjust the line
thickness in the rendered image.
Normal Thickness: This setting makes the line thickness adjustments take oneof two very different behaviors:llEnabled: The line thickness settings are applied to pencil lines in all art
layers in the element. This setting should be used if you want to adjust
the line thickness of pencil lines.
Disabled: The line thickness settings are applied to all art, whether brushstrokes or pencil lines, in the line art layer, so that it fits the desired
thickness pattern around art in the colour art layer. This setting should be
used for drawings that have their line art on the line art layer and theircolour art on the colour art layer, which is typical of traditional andpaperless animation productions.

NOTELine Thickness

When this option is disabled, all artwork in the line art layer that
does not surround artwork in the colour art layer will be cropped
out.

Zoom Independent Thickness: Makes the thickness of pencil lines remainunchanged when the camera zooms in or zooms out.
Proportional: The factor by which to adjust line thickness. The original line
thickness in the drawing will be multiplied by this value. A value between 0 and
1 can be used to make pencil lines thinner.
Constant: The offset by which to adjust line thickness. This value will be added
to the original line thickness in the drawing. A negative number can be entered tomake pencil lines thinner.
Minimum: The minimum pencil line thickness allowed. Line thickness will not go
below this value.
Maximum: The maximum pencil line thickness allowed. Line thickness will not
go above this value. Set it to 0 to disable maximum line thickness.

Deformation

Pencil Lines Quality: The quality of the rendered pencil lines when deformed bydeformation chains. Increasing this parameter is unlikely to wield noticeable
result unless rendering in very high resolutions.
Preserve Line Thickness: If this option is checked, the thickness of pencil lines
will not be affected by deformations. Only their directions will be affected. Also,if a pencil line is textured, it will not be stretched or squashed by deformations.

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NOTE
This setting must be enabled for the Pencil Lines Smoothing and Fit Error
parameters to be available.

Pencil Lines Smoothing: The smoothing factor applied to pencil lines whenrendering. This value can range from 0 to 10. The higher it is, the more corners
and points will appear smoothed out.
Fit Error: When this parameter is increased, pencil lines in the rendered image
will have less vector points and the curves between the remaining vector points
will be adjusted to fit the original shape. This setting can be increased if theamount of details and points in the pencil lines creates problems arounddeformation articulations and corners. Its value can range from 1 to 100.

NOTEThe Fit Error parameter will have no effect if the Pencil Lines Smoothing
parameter is set to 0.

Advanced Tab
The Advanced tab contains options for setting the alignment of drawings, line thickness, vector render
options, and more.

Parameter

Description

Alignment

Alignment Rule: The alignment rule selections are intended to deal withdrawings that were created on paper of a different size or orientation from thedefault alignment rule (set up in the Scene Settings dialog box) or imported

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bitmap images. The drawings are then scaled to match the Harmony alignment
rectangle. Note that alignment rules are not based on the camera frame, but on
the scene frame. Refer to the Fundamentals Guide to learn more about scenealignment and scene settings.
l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Left: The default alignment for drawings; aligns the drawings to the left
side of the scene’s alignment rectangle. Harmony scales the drawings tomatch their height to the alignment rectangle of the scene.
Right: Aligns the drawings to the right side of the alignment rectangle.
Harmony scales the drawings to match their height to the height of thealignment rectangle of the scene.
Top: Aligns the drawings to the top of the alignment rectangle. Harmony
scales the drawings to match their widths to the width of the alignment
rectangle of the scene.
Bottom: Aligns the drawings to the bottom of the alignment rectangle.
Harmony scales the drawings to match their widths to the width of thealignment rectangle of the scene.
Centre Fit: Centers the drawings.
Centre Fill: Centers the drawings and then scales them so the width orheight fills the available space.
Centre LR: Aligns the drawings in the left-right centre of the alignment
rectangle. Harmony scales the drawings to match their height to theheight of the alignment rectangle of the scene.

l

l

l

l

Centre TB: Aligns the drawings in the top-bottom centre of thealignment rectangle. Harmony scales the drawings to match their widths
to the width of the alignment rectangle of the scene.
Stretch: Scales the drawings so they fit within the alignment rectangle ofthe scene. This is particularly useful for images that you will manipulate
with a Quadmap node. If the drawings in the Quadmap node do not havethe same aspect ratio as the alignment rectangle of the scene (from the
Scene Settings dialog box), the handles on the quadmap will not appear
on the corners of the image, making it difficult to manipulate thequadmap. In this case, you would set the drawing layer of the quadmap
images to Stretch to make the handles appear on the corner of the image.
This can have the effect of distorting the images, but it is not an issue
with images that will be distorted through the Quadmap node anyways.
As Is: Leaves the drawings aligned as they are.
Centre First Page: Aligns the centre of the first part of a standard pan celwith the centre of the field chart.

Turn Before Alignment: Rotates the drawings in the selected element 90
degrees to the left before scaling and aligning them according to the alignment
rule, and before performing any offset, rotation or scaling for the element or peg.

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This and the Alignment Rule are intended for drawings that were created on
paper of a different size or orientation than the other paper in the scene, andrequires alignment so they are treated accurately.
Flip Horizontal: Flips the drawing on the horizontal axis.
Flip Vertical: Flips the drawing on the vertical axis.
Antialiasing Quality: The smoothness (antialiasing) setting used to make thecrisp vector contours appear smooth.
lNone - No Transparency: Dsables antialiasing, renders semi-transparent
pixels either fully opaque or fully transparent, and fills single-pixel gaps
with an opaque pixel to avoid generating out-of-place gaps when lines
intersect each other.

lLow: Disables antialiasing, but renders transparency.

lMedium Low: Renders vector artwork with basic antialiasing.

llMedium: Renders vector shapes with improved antialiasing. Bitmap
texture fills will appear blurred.
High: Renders vector shapes with improved antialiasing, without blurring
bitmap texture fills.

TIP
Vector Render Options

It is recommended to leave this setting to High unless you are working ona pencil test, or another type of scene where rendering speed is more
important than rendering quality.

TIP
If the production requires exporting line art without antialiasing to colour
them in a third-party software, it is recommended to use the None - No

Transparency setting. This setting automatically fills one-pixel gaps
created by crisp lines intersecting each other, which would otherwise need
to be filled manually in the third-party software.

Antialiasing Exponent: Determines how much the artwork is scaled up to apply
antialiasing onto it. A higher value will results in sharper edges, and a lower
value will result in softer edges. Typical values range between 0 and 3. Higher
values may be attempted but may result in overly crisp outlines. Negative values
will cause the outlines to appear blurry.
Texture Filter: This setting determines how textures in the element areresampled when rendering:397

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l

l

l

Miscellaneous

Bilinear: This option takes the four pixels around each point and makes abilinear interpolation between them, which may make them look blurry.
Nearest: When sampling the texture up, this option generates extra
pixels by using the colour of the nearest defined pixel. When sampling
the texture down, this option simply removes pixels from the texture.
Nearest (Filtered): This option is similar to Nearest, but it adds an extra
layer of resampling to make all pixels look like they are the same size.

Opacity: Lets you quickly change the transparency of the selected element.
Opacity settings here will be reflected in both OpenGL preview, and full render.

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Move Layers
Move layers are used to animate layers as well as camera motions.
Camera Layer

400

Peg Layer

401

Quadmap Layer

403

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Camera Layer
You can setup the camera position by entering coordinates and values in the Layer Properties view.

Parameter

Description

Enable/Disable

Turns the camera layer on or off.

Change Track Colour

The Change Track Colour button lets you change the colour of the exposed
frames; this helps you to quickly locate a layer in the Timeline view. Click the
Change Track Colour button to open the Select Colour window and choose a
new colour. You can modify the colour for any type of layer, such as group, peg,
drawing, and effects.

Name

Displays the current layer name. You can rename the layer by typing in a newlayer name.

Position

Displays the current position of the camera layer using X-axis (East/West), Y-axis(North/South) and Z-axis (Forward/Backward) coordinates. To reposition yourcamera frame, type in the new values corresponding to the desired position
coordinates. You can also use the up and down arrows to set the value of eachfield.

Angle

Displays the current rotation value. To set a new rotation position, type in a new
angle value. You can also use the up and down arrows to set the new angle
value.

Pivot

Displays the current position of the rotation pivot of the camera layer. The camera
will perform a rotation taking the position of the pivot as its angle centre. Bydefault, the pivot is set at the centre of the camera frame. To reposition the pivot
point, enter new X and Y coordinates values in the appropriate field. To see thepivot's position, the Rotate tool must be selected.

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Peg Layer
Find below a description of all the Peg node parameters.

Transformation Tab
Parameter

Description
3D Path: Use a 3D path to position the element. A 3D path uses a single
function to define the position on the X, Y and Z axes. This function is made ofcontrol points linked by a curvilinear path, making the movement follow a natural
curve. The pace and ease of the movement is determined by a single velocity
function.
Separate: Positions the element using separate functions for the X, Y and Z axes.
This allows to control the direction and pace of the movement across all threeaxes separately. Unless ease is applied to the axes, the trajectory of the element
will follow straight lines going between each keyframe.

Position

Path: If the 3D Path option is selected, this field allows you to create or selectthe 3D Path function used to position the element.
Path (x) Axis: The position of the element on the East-West axis, in fields.
Path (y) Axis: The position of the element on the South-North axis, in fields.
Path (z) Axis: The position of the element in the Back-Front axis, in fields.
Velocity: If the 3D Path option is selected, this function is used to control thepace at which the element moves towards each control point in the 3D Pathfunction, on all three axes simultaneously.
Locked: Uses a single scale parameter to scale the element, preserving its
proportions.
Separate: Uses a separate parameter to scale the element on the X and Y axis,
allowing to stretch or squash the element.
(x) Axis: The horizontal scale factor. The default value is 1.
(y) Axis: The vertical scale factor. The default value is 1.

Scale

Scale in Fields: With this option enabled, the scale factor is based on theamount of fields in the scene. For example, to shrink one of the dimensions of anelement to half its original size, the scale factor would normally bet set to 0.5. If
this option is enabled and the amount of fields in the scene is 12, then the scale
factor to shrink the element by half would be 6.
Ignore Parent Scaling: When this option is enabled, any scaling value applied
to a parent layer is ignored in the current layer. This can be handy in cut-out rigs
when you need to scale an arm without affecting the forearm.

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RotationAngle z: Lets you type in a degree value for the rotation angle. Note that you canenter values greater than 360 and -360 degrees. If you enter 720, the object will
rotate twice.

Skew

Skew: Lets you type in a degree value between -90 to 90 for the skew angle.

Pivot(x) Axis: The horizontal position of the pivot point of the element relative to thepivot point of the drawing, in fields.
(y) Axis: The vertical position of the pivot point of the element relative to thepivot point of the drawing, in fields.

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Quadmap Layer
T-COMP2-010-001
The Quadmap transformation layer lets you deform the shape of an element. For example, you can use it tocreate a drop-shadow effect on an element.

You can edit the Quadmap visually in the Camera view.

How to edit the Quadmap in the Camera view
1. In the Timeline view, click the Add Layerbutton and select Quadmap.

2. Connect the drawing you want to deformto the Quadmap.

3. In the Tools toolbar, disable the Animate mode to change the value for the Quadmap over theentire duration of the element.
4. In the Timeline view, click on the Quadmap layer to select it.
5. From the top menu, select View > Show > Control or pressShift + F11.
The quadmap handles appear around the element in the window. There is also a pivot point at thecentre of the quadmap frame that you can reposition.
6. In the Camera view window, use the Transform tool to move the points on the quadmap. Shift +click to select multiple points.

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Chapter 3: Layers

TIP
The position of the points can be animated. To do this, open the Quadmap layer layer properties
and create functions for each of the coordinates.

Properties

Parameter

Description

Name

Allows you to change the name given to the node.

2D PathChanges the X and Y values simultaneously and control the velocity of thechange.

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Separate

Changes the X and Y values separately. Each one can be attached to separate
function curves.

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Chapter 3: Layers

Sound Layer
When you select a sound layer in the Timeline view, the options related to that layer appear in the Layer
Properties view.

If you double-click on a sound layer in the Timeline view, or in a sound column in the Xsheet view, the Sound
Element Editor dialog will open. This dialog allows you to fine-tune the sound track's lip sync, start time, stoptime and volume.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Chapter 4: Tools Properties
Harmony has a wide variety of drawing and manipulation tools and each one of them has a series of options
and modes available in the Tool Properties view. This section covers these options.

Brush Tool Properties

410

Centerline Editor Tool Properties

433

Close Gap Tool Properties

435

Colour Eyedropper Tool Properties

436

Contour Editor Tool Properties

437

Cutter Tool Properties

442

Drawing Pivot Tool Properties

447

Edit Gradient/Texture Tool Properties

449

Ellipse Tool Properties

450

Envelope Tool Properties

460

Eraser Tool Properties

463

Ink Tool Properties

485

Line Tool Properties

487

Morphing Tool Properties

499

Paint Tool Properties

503

Pencil Tool Properties

510

Pencil Editor Tool Properties

521

Perspective Tool Properties

526

Polyline Tool Properties

529

Rectangle Tool Properties

537

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Reposition All Drawings Tool Properties

547

Rigging Tool Properties

549

Select Tool Properties

550

Shift and Trace Tool Properties

563

Smooth Editor Tool Properties

566

Stamp Tool Properties

568

Stroke Tool Properties

576

Text Tool Properties

578

Transform Tool Properties

581

Zoom Tool Properties

585

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Brush Tool Properties
The Brush tool allows you to draw by creating shapes based on your drawing strokes and filling them withcolour or textures. When used with a tablet, it is pressure sensitive, just like a real life brush.

How to access the Brush tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brushtool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Brush Properties
The following properties affect the brush's size, smoothing and other properties for the drawing style of yourbrush. Those properties can be saved into brush presets for later use.
Property

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool will make.
Preview Area

Brush Properties Dialog

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Brush Properties dialog.

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Property

Description

While the Tool Properties view only gives you access to a few of the brushproperties, a list of brush presets and other drawing options, the Brush Properties
dialog gives you access to all the available options for your brush's tip and texture.
For more information on the Brush Properties dialog, see the Brush Properties
Dialog section below.
Defines the maximum width of brush strokes.
Maximum Size

If the tool is used with a pressure sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke willvary between its maximum size and minimum size depending on the amount ofpressure used. If used with a mouse, the width of the stroke will always be its
maximum size.
Allows you to set the opacity for each instance of the brush tip that gets printed into
your canvas. Contrary to the Opacity parameter, the flow parameter has a cumulative
effect. This means that a lower flow will make your brush strokes more transparent
towards its extremities and more opaque in its center. Your stroke's flow will also
accumulate if you draw over it. By default, your brush's flow varies with the amountFlowof pressure you put on your tablet pen.

NOTE
This option is only displayed in the Tool Properties view when drawing on abitmap layer.

Opacity

The Opacity parameter are where Lets you set the opacity of your brush strokes.
Contrary to the Flow parameter, the Opacity parameter is non-cumulative. Your
whole brush stroke's opacity will not exceed the Opacity parameter. By default, theOpacity parameter varies depending on the amount of pressure you put on yourtablet pen.

NOTE
This option is only displayed in the Tool Properties view when drawing on abitmap layer.

Brush Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage brush presets.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description
By default, Harmony has preloaded brush presets. You can also create
your own brush presets by configuring your brush, then saving its
properties into a new preset. It is also possible to export and importbrush presets.

Presets list

New Brush Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Brush

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Open a menu that contains the following options:
l

l

l

l

Brush Presets Menu
l

l

l

l

New Brush Preset: Creates a new preset based on the current
tool properties.
Delete Brush: Deletes the currently selected preset.
Rename Brush: Allows you to rename the currently selected
preset.
Import Brushes: Allows you to import brush presets exported
from Harmony.
Export Brushes: Allows you to export your brush presets into an.xml file.
Small Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails
with a preview of their tip.
Large Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails,
with their name and a preview of their tip.
Stroke View: Displays presets in a list, with their name and apreview of a stroke done with each preset.

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Drawing Options
These options affect the way your drawing strokes are added to your artwork.
Icon

Property

Description
When enabled, your brush strokes will appear behind the existingartwork.

Draw Behind

NOTEYour brush stroke will temporarily appear over your artwork as
you draw it, until you release the mouse cursor or tablet pen.

When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically fill it with thecurrently selected Paint colour.

TIP
Auto Fill

By default the pencil line and its fill will be the same colour. To
select different colours for the line and its fill, do the following:

1. In the Colour view, click the

Unlock Three Colours

button.
2. Click on the

Set Current Brush Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch foryour outline.
3. Click on the

Set Current Paint Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch forthe fill.

Repaint Brush

When enabled, your brush strokes will only repaint existing artwork andwill not add colour to empty areas. If you repaint semi-transparent

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artwork, your artwork will not become more opaque than it already is.

As you draw in the Line Art layer, the Automatically Create Colour Art
option instantly creates the corresponding strokes in the Colour Art layer.

Automatically Create
Colour Art

NOTEThis option is only available when drawing on a vector layer.

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created asa separate drawing object, which can be edited independently from otherparts of the artwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option
automatically merges strokes into existing artwork.
Auto-Flatten Mode

NOTE
This option is only available when drawing on a vector layer.
When drawing on a bitmap layer, artwork is always flattened.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.

Snapping

If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also
click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping mode:lSnap to Alignment Guides: While drawing, the drawing tool will
snap against nearby alignment guides.

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In the Colour view, it is possible to make some of the colours in yourpalettes protected from change. When enabled, the Respect Protected
Colour option will prevent the brush tool from drawing over areas filledwith a protected colour.
Respect Protected
ColourNOTE
This option is only available when drawing on a vector layer.
When drawing on a bitmap layer, colour is not linked to yourpalettes and cannot be protected.

Use Stored Colour
Gradient

The Use Stored Colour Gradient option can be used when painting with agradient colour to always position the gradient in the same way it wasstored, making it consistent across brush strokes. You can store a
gradient by selecting a zone painted with a gradient with the Select tool,
then clicking on Store Colour Gradientin the Tool Properties view.

NOTE
This option is only available when drawing on a vector layer.

Brush Properties Dialog
Brushes have an extensive set of options and properties that are not displayed in the Tool Properties view, butrather, in a dialog you can access from it. To open the Brush Properties dialog, click on the arrow button right ofthe stroke display area.

The Brush Properties dialog has five different tabs, minus the Smoothing tab if you are working on a bitmap
layers. Below is detailed information about the options available in each tab:l

Tip Tab on page 415lSmoothing Tab on page 422lTransparency Tab on page 423l

Dual Tip Tab on page 427lPaper Texture Tab on page 430

Tip TabThe Tip tab allows you to configure the shape, size, hardness and spacing of your brush tip.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

NOTE
The "Size Proportional to Camera" option has been moved to the new Size Properties window.

Property

Description
Allows you to select between one of the following brush types:lBrush Typel

Solid Vector Brush: Creates vector shapes filled with a solid colour.
Makes artwork lightweight, scalable and easy to tweak. Since this kind ofbrush can only create solid colour shapes, solid vector brushes have alimited set of options including size, roundness, angle, centerline
smoothing and contour smoothing.
Textured Vector Brush: Creates vector shapes filled with a texture. This
gives you access to bitmap brush tips, paper textures, transparency andseveral other options.

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NOTE
This option is not available when working on a bitmap layer. With bitmap
layers, brushes are always textured, and textured brush options arealways available.

Brush Tip LibraryThis is where you select the shape of the brush tip. By default it is round. Notethat some tips are designed to have semitransparent areas, even when the
maximum brush opacity is set to 100%.
To create a custom brush tip, you must prepare the file ahead of time, either inHarmony or in a third-party software, such as Adobe Photoshop. Colour is notsupported and transparency is not supported in the traditional sense. Black
appears as 100% opaque, white appears as 100% transparent and all the shadesof grey in between appear as varying degrees of semitransparency. A range offile formats are supported—.jpeg, .png, .tif, .psd, .tga to name a few. Alphachannels are disregarded on import. It is recommended that your file be between
100 x 100 pixels and 400 x 400 pixels.
You can also import brush tips that you exported from Harmony, so you canshare them with colleagues.
The minimum and maximum sizes of your drawing tool produce the thick andthin effect on your stroke. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen
tablet.
ll

Minimum and Maximum Size

Maximum Size: Defines the maximum width of the stroke.
Minimum Size: Defines the minimum width of the stroke in relation toand as a percentage of the maximum size.

You can control the size properties by clicking on the arrow button on right andthe dialog box will appear as shown below.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

l

l

l

l

l

Pressure: Allows you to apply more pressure and increases the size ofthe brush. You can check the box to invert this behaviour.
Tilt: Allows you to tilt the pen closer to tablet for a bigger stroke. You
can check the box to invert this behaviour.
Speed: Allows you to reduce the size of the stroke by drawing at a fast
speed. You can check the box to invert this behaviour.
Speed Sensitivity: A slider is used to control how fast must the stroke
be drawn to reach the minimum value.
Taper: Allows you to reduce the value of a property at the start or theend of each stroke. The value can be expressed using two options:Distance and Percentage. Distance is selected by default. For example:
A taper of 200 will be the same length as the width (diameter) of a strokethat has its size set at 200.

You can enable Start and End Tapering option individually.
l

l

l

l

Start Taper: When distance is selected as a Taper value, the effect ofstart taper can be visualized as the stroke is drawn.
End Taper: When distance or percentage is selected as a Taper value, theeffect of end taper can be visualized once the stroke is complete andvectorized as the length is unknown until the stroke is complete.
Fade Distance: Allows you to fade the value of property over a given
distance. It uses the same units as the size and is applied as the stroke isdrawn.
Size Proportional to Camera: If you check this option, the size of thewill be adjusted to the position of the camera on the z-axis. This means

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that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, the will be proportionallysmaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered image. Likewise,
if the camera is zoomed out, the will be proportionally bigger.

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Size value to 100% eliminates the possibility ofcreating width variation on your stroke. In other words, you would be
forcing a uniform line width using the Maximum Size value.

The Roundness and Angle parameters allow you to change the shape andorientation of the tip.
llRoundness and Angle

Roundness: The vertical scaling to apply to the tip. Reducing this setting
squashes the tip vertically, allowing you to turn round or square tips into
flat tips.
Angle: The angle at which to rotate the brush tip, counterclockwise.

NOTE
The squashing is not relative to the angle—if the tip is rotated, thesquashing will still be done relative to the tip's original orientation.

If your pen and tablet support tilt sensitivity, this option allows you to set
whether your brush takes your pen's tilt angle into account, and how much.

Pen Tilt Sensitivity

When your pen is fully tilted, your brush tip will be stretched by the percentage
you set in this parameter, in the angle in which you tilt it. For example, if you set
the Pen Tilt Sensitivity to 50%, and you tilt your pen all the way up or down,
your brush tip will be stretched vertically by 50%. With the same setting, if you
tilt your pen all the way left or right, your brush tip will be stretched horizontallyby 50%.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

If enabled, your brush tip will rotate with the angle of your pen tip. You canselect one of the following options:lllAngle FunctionlConstant: The static orientation of the brush tip expressed in degrees.
Heading: The orientation of the brush tip is determined by the directionin which the stroke is drawn. It changes dynamically as the stroke isdrawn.
Azimuth: When the pen is tilted, it uses the direction in which the pen
eraser is facing.
Twist (if supported by pen): It uses the twist angle of the stylus and is
only available with Wacom Art Pen.

The hardness value corresponds to the softness of the brush tip's edges. The
lower the value, the softer the tip edge. The higher the value, the sharper the tipedge. Be aware that some brush tips are not 100% opaque, so they will always
appear somewhat soft, even at 100% hardness.
Hardness

Spacing

Defines the amount of space between each stamp of the brush. A value of 100%
sets the stamp marks edge to edge, if there is no white space around the shape.
The larger the value, the greater the space between marks. A really large value
can make the brush stroke appear as a string of individual marks. Conversely, asmall spacing value will give the appearance of a fluid brush stroke.

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Spacing is only evident when making a continuous stroke.

You can create variation between the thick and thin of your brush stroke just by
setting the Maximum and Minimum Size values. If you add randomness to themix, pressure sensitivity from your drawing tablet will still be applied. Lightpressure will create random values around the minimum, while heavy pressure
will create random values closer to the maximum. The larger the percentage, thelarger the range of random variation.

Random Size

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Size to 100% eliminates the possibility of creating
width variation on your stroke, whether you are applying randomness ornot. Therefore, you would be forcing a uniform line width using theMaximum Size value.

Random Angle

Sets the range for random rotation around the set Angle value. For example, if
the Angle is set to 45° and the Random Angle set to 10°, the software will
choose values between 40°–50° (plus or minus 5 degrees, equaling a total of 10
degrees).

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Sets the range for random spacing around the set Spacing value. For example, if
the Spacing is set to 50% and the Random Spacing is set to 10%, then Harmony
will choose values between 45%–55% (plus or minus 5 percent, equaling a
total of 10 percent).

Random Spacing

Smoothing Tab
The Smoothing tab contains options to configure how Harmony should automatically smooth your brushstrokes as you paint.

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NOTE
The Smoothing tab is only available when working on a vector layer, as bitmap layers do notsupport smoothing.

Property

Description

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the central line of thebrush stroke. A higher setting will prevent your line from being shaky, but is liable toreduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.

Contour Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the outer contour ofthe brush stroke. A higher setting will round sharp corners and reduce the amount ofcontrol points for the resulting vector shape.

Transparency Tab
The Transparency tab allows you to decide if your brush has antialiasing as well as to set its flow and opacity
settings.

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Chapter 4: Tools PropertiesNOTE
The Transparency tab's options are only available on vector layers if the Brush Type option of the
Tip tab is set to Textured Vector Brush. On bitmap layers, those options are always available.

Property

Description
Enabled by default. This option causes the contours of the brush strokes toblend with the surrounding colours, to create an illusion of smoothness
otherwise not possible due to the picture resolution.

Antialiasing

If antialiasing is disabled, the brush's texture will only render fully transparent
or fully opaque pixels. Disabling this option can be useful if you need youroutlines to be very crisp, if you want to make pixel art or if you need your brushstrokes to render in solid colors with no variation, which makes them easier torepaint or process in third party software.

NOTE
When disabled, all other options in the Transparency tab are disabled.

The Maximum and Minimum Flow parameters let you set the range for the rate at
which paint flows from your brush. The analogy works better with a pen. The
greater the flow, the more ink comes out, hence the more consistent the colour
and texture of the line. If the flow is light, then the colour and texture of the line
may look spotty. This feature works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
llMaximum and Minimum Flow

Maximum Flow: Sets the maximum rate at which colour and texture areapplied as you create a fluid stroke.
Minimum Flow: Sets the minimum rate at which colour and texture areapplied as you create a fluid stroke. It is defined as a percentage of theMaximum Flow value. If the Minimum Flow value is set to 100%, thentablet pressure sensitivity will no longer be applicable. The flow will be
set to the constant rate of the Maximum Flow value.

You can control the flow properties by clicking on the arrow button on right andthe dialog box will appear same as shown for size properties above. Minimum

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and Maximum Size on page 417.

The Maximum and Minimum Opacity parameters are where you set the opacity
range for a brush mark. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
llMaximum Opacity: Sets the transparency limit of the brush mark when
the pressure is heavy.
Minimum Opacity: Sets the transparency limit of the brush mark when
the pressure is very light. It is defined as a percentage of the Maximum
Opacity value. If the Minimum Opacity value is set to 100%, then tablet
pressure sensitivity will no longer be applicable. The opacity will be set
to the constant rate of the Maximum Opacity value.

Maximum Opacity and
Minimum Opacity

You can control the opacity properties by clicking on the arrow button on rightand the dialog box will appear same as shown for size properties above. Pleaserefer Minimum and Maximum Size on page 417

RandomnessTh Randomness parameter lets you set the range for the randomness of the flow
and opacity. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.

Randomness Flow

You can create variation in the flow of your brush stroke just by setting theMaximum and Minimum Flow values. If you add randomness to the mix,pressure sensitivity from your drawing tablet will still be applied. Light pressure
will create random values around the minimum, while heavy pressure will create
random values closer to the maximum. The larger the percentage, the larger therange of random variation.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Flow value to 100% eliminates the possibility ofcreating flow variation on your stroke, whether you are applying
randomness or not. That is, you would be forcing a uniform flow using theMaximum Flow value.

You can create variation in the opacity of your brush stroke just by setting theMaximum and Minimum Opacity values. If you add randomness to the mix,pressure sensitivity from your drawing tablet will still be applied. Light pressure
will create random values around the minimum, while heavy pressure will create
random values closer to the maximum. The larger the percentage, the larger therange of random variation.

Random Opacity426Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Opacity value to 100% eliminates the possibility ofcreating opacity variation on your stroke, whether you are applying
randomness or not. That is, you would be forcing a uniform opacity using
the Maximum Opacity value.

Dual Tip Tab
The Dual Tip tab lets you set the parameters for creating a dual tip brush. The primary bitmap brush tip andthe dual tip always work together. You can set the parameters for the primary tip in the Tip tab and those forthe dual tip in the Dual Tip tab. The Blend mode you select determines how the tips are combined.
By default, the Blend Mode is set to Multiply and the Random Angle to 360°.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

NOTE
To use a Dual Tip, you must enable option by checking the checkbox inside the Dual Tip tab.
Additionally, if you are working on a vector layer, the Brush Type option of the Tip tab must be set
to Textured Vector Brush.

Property

Description

The checkbox inside the tab allows you to decide whether or not your brush uses a
Enable/Disable

dual tip. If this checkbox is unchecked, the options in the Dual Tip tab will bedisabled.

Blend Mode

The Blend modes let you decide how the primary tip and the dual tip are combined.
This is the default blend mode. When the two brush tips are combined in this mode,
they essentially cut each other out in overlapping areas, where one or both tips havean area of 100% transparency. The less opaque the brush tips are, the lighter their
combination.

Multiply

Colour Dodge

In this mode, the primary tip cuts out the shape of the dual tip. Where the tip shapes
overlap, within the boundaries of the primary shape, the colour and opacity appear
darker.

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Property

CombineDescription

This mode treats the two tips as two different and separate brushes that have thesame colour and follow the same path.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

Paper Texture Tab
The Paper Texture tab lets you configure a paper-like texture for your brush. You can also add textures byimporting image files, or import paper textures that were previously exported from Harmony.

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NOTE
To use a Paper Texture, you must enable option by checking the checkbox inside the Paper
Texture tab. Additionally, if you are working on a vector layer, the Brush Type option of the Tip tab
must be set to Textured Vector Brush.

Property

Description

Enable/Disable

The checkbox inside the tab allows you to decide whether or not your brush uses apaper texture. If this checkbox is unchecked, the options in the Paper Texture tab will
be disabled.

Texture Scale

Increase or decreases the size of the paper texture.

Additive

This option layers the texture on top of itself as you scribble overlapping lines in one
continuous stroke. If this option is turned off, areas of overlapping lines from asingle, continuous stroke will appear the same, in terms of darkness and texture, as

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

non-overlapping areas.

This option defines the way separate, overlapping strokes behave. If this option isenabled, the paper texture's position does not change with each sweep of the brush.
If this option is disabled, each sweep of the brush produces a different texture
position. The texture orientation always stays the same.

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Centerline Editor Tool Properties
The Centerline Editor tool allows you to edit brush strokes by their centreline rather than by their contour.
This makes it easier to tweak the tips, curves and corners of brush strokes. The purpose of this tool is to make it
as easy to edit brush strokes as it is to edit pencil lines with the Contour Editor tool.

How to access the Centerline Editor tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Centerline Editor

tool.

2. The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple
elements:
Lasso: Allows you to select multiple elements byldrawing an irregular closed shape around them with yourmouse.
Marquee: Allows you to select multiple elements bylSelection Modedrawing a rectangle around them. This is faster, as you
only need to drag your mouse from one corner of therectangle to its opposite corner, but it may not be as
precise as you want.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use
the other selection mode.

Show Centerline Editor Controls

When enabled, selecting several control points will make amanipulator bounding box appear. You can use this manipulator
to scale and rotate the selection of points.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art
and Colour Art layers of your drawing simultaneously.
Apply to Line and Colour Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled,
they will also be affected when this option is enabled.

Centerline Smoothness

Allows you to adjust the amount of control points on thecentreline that is generated from the selected stroke. A lower
value will create a centreline with less points, which makes it
easier to manipulate large lengths of the stroke, and a higher
value will generate a centreline with more points, allowing you
to tweak details.

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Close Gap Tool Properties
The paint tool requires the area you attempt to fill to be closed in order to know exactly what area of yourartwork must be filled. However, it is common for artists to accidentally leave small gaps in their artwork.
The Close Gap tool allows you to quickly close small gaps in a shape by creating an invisible stroke connecting
two extremities of the gap. You can then fill the area using the Paint tool, as this invisible stroke will be takenin account to determine the outline of the shape to fill.
TIP
You do not need to use the Close Gap tool with precision. If you draw a crude stroke near the gap
you want to close, the tool will automatically detect the two closest line extremities and will draw
an invisible straight line connecting them. closing the gap between them.

How to access the Close Gap tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Close Gap

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

The Close Gap tool creates an invisible drawing stroke to close the shape. Enabling thisoption will merge the stroke into the artwork instead of adding the stroke on top of it.
Auto
FlattenNOTE
The area you close with the Close Gap tool will be fillable regardless of whether
or not this option is enabled.

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Colour Eyedropper Tool Properties
The Colour Eyedropper tool allows you to pick a colour from your drawing without going to the Colour view.
NOTE
The following options will only have an effect when picking colours from a bitmap layer, as theyaffect the colour that gets picked. When working on a vector layer, you can only pick colours thatare available in one of the palettes in your scene. Therefore, the colour you pick will always be
exactly the colour that was used to fill the shape or stroke you clicked on.

How to access the Colour Eyedropper tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Colour Eyedroppertool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Property

Sample All
LayersDo Not Pick
Transparency

Description

By default, the Colour Eyedropper tool picks the colour from the active drawing
layer only. This means that if the colour is semi-transparent, it will still only takethe colour from the active layer, along with its transparency, and ignore the colours
from layers behind it.
With this option enabled, the Colour Eyedropper tool will pick the colour as it
appears on the screen instead, allowing you to pick colours that are the result of
several layers composited together.
By default, the Colour Eyedroppertool picks the colour's alpha value as well as its
colour values. When enabled, the colour picked will always have an alpha value of
255.

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Contour Editor Tool Properties
The Contour Editor lets you reshape vector shapes, brush strokes and lines in your drawings.
Artwork in Harmony is made of vector shapes. Vector shapes are defined by points, the lines joining the points
together (contours) and the curve vectors, represented by Bezier handles, which make the curve of said lines.

The Contour Editor tool allows you to select a contour or point, and change the position of points, add andremove points from the shape, rotate, lengthen and shorten curve handles to influence the curve of contours
between those points, or drag contours between points to change their curve directly.

How to access the Contour Editor tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Modes
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple
elements:
Selection ModelLasso: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing
an irregular closed shape around them with your mouse.

lMarquee: Allows you to select multiple elements bydrawing a rectangle around them. This is faster, as you only437

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

need to drag your mouse from one corner of the rectangle toits opposite corner, but it may not be as precise as you want.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use theother selection mode.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as toselect which types of snapping are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You canalso click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable allsnapping modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable
the snapping modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:lSnap to Contour: When enabled, moving the control point in
a contour near another contour will snap that control point
against that contour. This will lock the point and the contour
together, and moving the control point will deform thecontour.

Snapping

This option can be especially useful if you need to makes theedges of two shapes snap together, like so:

You can also use this option to make a control point snap
against another control point, allowing you to join lines
together.

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Icon

Property

Description

NOTE
When a control point is snapped against a contour oranother control point in your drawing, the Contour
Editor will manipulate them together. However, even
if you make a point in one drawing stroke snap
against another drawing stroke, they will remain
separate drawing strokes unless they are flattened
together, and you will still be able to manipulate them
individually with the Select

l

l

l

tool.

Snap to Alignment Guides: While moving the selection or
one of its control points, it will snap against nearby alignment
guides.
Snap and Align: Snaps the selected anchor point to any
existing line while displaying temporary rulers as a guide thatyou can also snap your anchor point to.

Snap to Grid: While moving the selection, the mouse cursor
will snap against the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show

Grid from the top menu or press Ctrl + '.

When enabled, selecting several control points will make amanipulator bounding box appear. You can use this manipulator toscale and rotate the selection of points.

Show Contour Editor
Controls

Tip StyleIf you select and remove part of a pencil line, this option allows you
to choose which kind of line tip the removed segment should leave

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Icon

Property

Description

behind:l

Tip Style: Round: Leaves rounded tips at the extremities ofthe deleted line segment.

l

Tip Style: Flat: Leaves flat tips at the extremities of thedeleted line segment.

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art andColour Art layers of your drawing simultaneously.
Apply to Line and Colour
Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they
will also be affected when this option is enabled.

Operations
Icon

Property

Description

The Smooth operation lets you smooth out selected drawing strokes
and remove extra points.

Smooth Selection

TIP
You can also smooth the selection by selecting Drawing>

Optimize > Smooth from the top menu or by pressing Alt +Shift + S.

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Icon

Property

Description

When drawing with the Polyline tool, your drawing has an even line
thickness. You can use the Pencil Editor to adjust the thickness point
by point, but if you want to adjust it quicker, you can use the Split
Pencil Line and Point Pencil Lines options to create segments andapply a pencil stencil to your drawing. Note that if you did not join the
pencil lines on your polyline stroke, the segments between the points
will act as separated segments.

Split Pencil Line
Join Pencil Lines

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Cutter Tool Properties
The Cutter tool lets you cut out part of a drawing so that you can transform it, copy it or delete it. It also allows
you to trim overshot lines.

How to access the Cutter tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool. In the Tools toolbar, click and hold on the Selecttool to display the menu beneath and select the Cutter

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple elements:lLasso: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing anirregular closed shape around them with your mouse.

lSelection Mode

Marquee: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing a
rectangle around them. This is faster, as you only need to drag yourmouse from one corner of the rectangle to its opposite corner, but it
may not be as precise as you want.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use the otherselection mode.

Easy Drag

When enabled, you can drag the selection by clicking anywhere inside its
bounding box. By default, you must click on the artwork in the selection to beable to drag it.

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Icon

Property

Description

When this option is enabled along with the Lasso

selection type, quickly

drawing a line with the Cutter tool over a line segment in your artwork will
instantly delete it. This can be useful if you want to use the Cutter tool toquickly clean up your artwork.

Use Mouse
GestureIt allows you to cut in two modes as follows:llSingle Line Cutting Gesture: It deletes first line segment over which astraight gesture is drawn with the cutter.
Multiple Lines Cutting Gesture: It deletes all line segments overwhich a straight gesture is drawn with the cutter.

NOTE
This option will only work when using the Cutter tool on separate brushor pencil strokes. Hence, it is important not to flatten your artwork if you
intend to use this option to clean up your drawings. This option has noeffect on bitmap layers as the artwork in bitmap layers is always
flattened.

Use Mouse
Gesture Breaker
Mode

When using the Lasso selection type, the Use Mouse Gesture Breaker Mode
option lets you draw an invisible stroke on a pencil line to cut it in two
individual objects. Once a pencil line is cut with this option, you will be able toselect the two portions independently with either the Cutter tool, Pencil Editor
tool or Select tool.

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Icon

Property

Description

NOTE
This option only works with pencil lines.

When cutting through pencil lines, this option decides what kind of pencil line
tips to put at the extremities of the remaining pencil line segments, where they
were cut.

By default, this is set to Bevel, which will leave the tip of the pencil line cutat the same angle as your cutter stroke. If you prefer, you can make pencil linesthat you split with the Cutter tool have Flat

or Roundtips instead.

Tip Style

When working on bitmap artwork, enabling this will smooth the edges of theartwork you cut out, so that they do not appear pixelated.
Antialiasing

NOTE
This option is only available with bitmap layers.

Apply to Visible
Drawing Layers

This option allows you to select which layers the tool should affect. It can be
toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two different modes. You can selecta mode by clicking and holding on the button.

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Icon

Property

Descriptionll

Off: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on thecurrently selected layers. If several layers are selected, the tool will
work on all these layers simultaneously.
Apply to Visible Drawing Layers: The tool will work on all thevisible layers in the Camera view.

l

Apply to Synced Drawing Layers: If the currently selected layer is
synced with another layer, the tool will work on both the current layer
and its synced layer.

NOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

This option allows you to determine which drawings in the current layer the
tool should affect. It can be toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two
different modes. You can select a mode by clicking and holding on the button.
l

Apply to All
Framesl

Off: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on thedrawing in the current frame.
Apply to All Frames: The tool will work on every exposed drawing
in the selected layer simultaneously.

lApply to Onion Skin Range: The tool will work on every drawing
displayed in the Onion Skin. Onion Skin must be enabled for this option
to work.

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art and Colour Art
layers of your drawing simultaneously.
Apply to Line andColour Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they will also beaffected when this option is enabled.

Operations
Icon

Property

Description

Flip Horizontal

Flips the current selection horizontally.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Flip Vertical

Flips the current selection vertically.

Rotate 90 Degrees
CW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate 90 Degrees
CCW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

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Drawing Pivot Tool Properties
The Drawing Pivot tool lets you set the pivots on your character. You can set the drawing pivots on drawings
and symbols.

Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

The Set the Pivot for Symbol on All Frames option isenabled by default. When you set a drawing pivot on
a symbol, all of its cells use the same drawing pivot.
This means you do not have to set a drawing pivot on
all frames. Once you set it, it is done.
If you prefer to set a different drawing pivot for aseries of cells, you can deselect the option and set
your pivots on each cell or cell range.

Setting the Drawing Pivot for Symbols on
All Frames

NOTE
If you have already set several different
pivots on your symbol's cells and selected
the Set the Pivot for Symbol on All Frames
option, once you set a new pivot on thesame symbol, all of its pivots will be reset
and will use your new pivot.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for thistool and all other animation and drawing tools that
support snapping, as well as to select which types ofsnapping are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will
open a pop-up menu in which you can toggle
different snapping modes. You can also click on thisbutton to toggle it off, which will disable allsnapping modes, and click on it again and toggle it on
to re-enable the snapping modes which were

Snapping

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Icon

Property

Description

previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes :llSnap to Contour: When moving the pivot, it
will snap against the nearby points andcontours of your artwork.
Snap to Alignment Guides: When moving
the pivot, it will snap against nearbyalignment guides.

llSnap and Align: When moving the pivot, it
will align with the edges of elements in thedrawing.
Snap to Grid: When moving the pivot, it will
snap against the intersecting points of the
grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View >Grid > Show Grid from the top
menu or press Ctrl + '.

When you click the Reset Pivot option, the drawing
pivot of the selected drawing or symbol is reset to thecentre of the Camera view.

Reset Pivot

When you import new extra drawings, such as hands
and mouths, you can use the drawing pivot that wasset on your drawings and report them to the symbol's
cells. Use the Copy Pivot to Parent Symbol commandfor this.

NOTE

Copying Pivot on Parent Symbol

When you copy drawing pivots to the parent
symbol, there is no link between thedrawings' pivots and the symbol's pivots. If
you modify the drawing pivot later, it will
not link to the symbol. You would need toperform the operation again. If you need tomodify the symbol's pivots, you can do it
directly on the symbol's cells.

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Edit Gradient/Texture Tool Properties
The Edit/Gradient Texture tool allows you to move, rotate and scale a gradient or texture fill within the shapeit fills, without modifying the shape itself.

How to access the Edit Gradient/Texture tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Edit Gradient/Texture

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

This option allows you to select which layers the tool should affect. It can be
toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two different modes. You can selecta mode by clicking and holding on the button.
l

Apply to Visible
Drawing LayerslOff: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on thecurrently selected layers. If several layers are selected, the tool will
work on all these layers simultaneously.
Apply to Visible Drawing Layers: The tool will work on all thevisible layers in the Camera view.

l

Apply to Synced Drawing Layers: If the currently selected layer is
synced with another layer, the tool will work on both the current layer
and its synced layer.

NOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Ellipse Tool Properties
The Ellipse tool allows you to quickly draw an ellipse or a circle.

How to access the Ellipse tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Ellipse

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Pencil Properties
Just like other shape tools, this tool creates pencil lines. Hence, its tool properties are similar to the ones of thePencil tool and it can be used with pencil presets.

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Property

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool will make.
Preview Area

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Pencil Properties dialog.

Pencil Properties
DialogSize

While the Tool Properties view only gives you access to a few of the pencil properties,
a list of pencil presets and other drawing options, the Pencil Properties dialog gives
you access to all the available options for your pencil's shape and texture. For more
information on the Pencil Properties dialog, see the Pencil Properties Dialog on page455 section below.
Defines the width of the pencil line used to draw the shape.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew. You
can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Pencil Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage pencil presets.

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Icon

Property

Description

Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and thickness stencils andalso lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea to create andsave pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw for
efficiency and consistency.

Presets list

A thickness stencil saves the thickness information across the length ofthe line. When drawing with a thickness stencil, the pressure sensitivityof the tablet is discarded. A thickness stencil can be used while drawing,or applied afterwards.
You also have the possibility to apply different textures to your lines byeither using the default presets or to import your own.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import thosethat others have created. This is a good way for you and project
collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project.

New Brush Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Brush Preset

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Open a menu that contains the following options:
l

l

l

l

Brush Presets Menu
l

l

l

l

New Brush Preset: Creates a new preset based on the current
tool properties.
Delete Brush: Deletes the currently selected preset.
Rename Brush: Allows you to rename the currently selected
preset.
Import Brushes: Allows you to import brush presets exported
from Harmony.
Export Brushes: Allows you to export your brush presets into an.xml file.
Small Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails
with a preview of their tip.
Large Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails,
with their name and a preview of their tip.
Stroke View: Displays presets in a list, with their name and apreview of a stroke done with each preset.

Drawing Options
These options affect the way your shape is added to your artwork.
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Icon

Property

Description

When enabled, your brush strokes will appear behind the existing artwork.

Draw Behind

NOTEYour brush stroke will temporarily appear over your artwork as you
draw it, until you release the mouse cursor or tablet pen.

When enabled, the shape you draw is automatically filled with theselected colour. By default, drawing a shape only creates its outlines.

Auto Fill

TIP
By default the pencil line and its fill will be the same colour. To
select different colours for the line and its fill, do the following:

1. In the Colour view, click the

Unlock Three Colours

button.
2. Click on the

Set Current Pencil Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch foryour outline.
3. Click on the

Set Current Paint Colour swatch. Then, inthe colour list, select the desired colour swatch for thefill.

Snapping

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also453

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:
l

l

l

l

Snap to Contour: When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse
cursor will snap to the nearby contours of the artwork in yourdrawing.
Snap to Alignment Guides: While drawing, the drawing tool will
snap against nearby alignment guides.
Snap and Align: When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse
cursor will automatically align to the rectangular bounding boxesof other strokes and shapes in your drawing.
Snap to Grid: While moving the selection, the mouse cursor will
snap against the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show Gridfrom the top menu or press Ctrl + '.

As you draw in the Line Art layer, the Automatically Create Colour Art
option instantly creates the corresponding strokes in the Colour Art layer.
Automatically Create
Colour Art

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created as aseparate drawing object, which can be edited independently from otherparts of the artwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option automaticallymerges strokes into existing artwork.
Auto Flatten Mode

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Icon

Property

Description

NOTE
Using the Select tool, you can use select and remove a segment offlattened pencil lines. Overlapping pencil lines drawn with theAuto-Flatten mode are essentially cut into segments by theoverlap and can be treated as individual lines.

Use Stored Colour
Gradient

The Use Stored Colour Gradient option can be used when painting with agradient colour to always position the gradient in the same way it wasstored, making it consistent across brush strokes. You can store a gradientby selecting a zone painted with a gradient with the Select tool, thenclicking on Store Colour Gradientin the Tool Properties view.

When enabled, the ellipsis tool will always draw an ellipsis of equal
width and height, making it a perfect circle.
Draw Circle

TIP
You can also draw a perfect circle by holding the Shift key while
drawing.

Pencil Properties Dialog
The Ellipse tool draws the same type of line as the Pencil tool. Hence, you can configure the Ellipse tool's lines
using the Pencil Properties dialog, which you can open by clicking on the arrow button right of the stroke
display area in the Tool Properties view.

Size and Smoothness Tab
The Size and Smoothness tab allows you to select your pencil's size, its smoothing parameters as well as theshape of its tips and corners.

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Property

Description

Maximum Size

Defines the maximum size of the pencil line. If the tool is used with a pressure
sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary between its maximum size andminimum size depending on the amount of pressure used. If used with a mouse, thewidth of the stroke will always be its maximum size.

Minimum Size

Defines the minimum size of your stroke as a percentage of the maximum size. If you
do not have pressure sensitivity from a pen table, the minimum size value will beignored.

Proportional to Camera

If you check this option, the size of the pencil will be adjusted to the position of thecamera on the z-axis. This means that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, thepencil will be proportionally smaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered
image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed out, the pencil will be proportionallybigger.

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the central line of thepencil stroke. A higher setting will prevent your line from being shaky and will
reduce the amount of control points it has, making it easier to tweak, but is liable toreduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.
Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the outer contour ofthe pencil stroke.

Contour Smoothing

A pencil line is defined by its centreline and its variations in thickness, rather than its
apparent shape. When drawing a pencil line with a mouse, its thickness is uniform.
Therefore, its outer contour does not have any control point, except at its extremities,
and no smoothing is required for its contour.
However, when drawing a pencil line with a pressure sensitive tablet, its contour will

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Property

Description

have control points and Bezier curves to define the line's variations in thickness, andthus smoothing must be performed on its contour. An increased contour smoothing
will reduce the amount of control points on the line's thickness and smoothen its
curves, but may affect the precision of the variations in line thickness.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Texture Tab
In the Pencil Properties view, the Texture tab allows you to select a pencil texture from the currently selected
pencil texture palette to use with the Pencil tool. You can also add, remove or rename textures, save thecurrent pencil texture palette as the default one, or import the pencil texture palette into your scene.
The pencil texture palette used in the Texture tab of the Pencil Properties dialog is the one selected in the
Colour view. You can select a pencil texture palette by selecting it from the pencil texture palette list in the
Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

This option is available from the menu
Use as Default Pencil
Texture Palettebutton. Sets the currently

selected pencil texture palette as the default pencil texture palette in youruser preferences. The default pencil texture palette is added to every
scene you create in Harmony. The palette is copied in your preferences, so
it will be added to your new scenes in the exact state it is when you makeit the default pencil texture palette.

Reload Default Texture
PaletteNew Texture

Imports the default pencil texture palette as a new pencil texture palette
into your scene's palette list, and selects it as the current pencil texture
palette.
Allows you to import an image file into a new pencil texture swatch in thecurrent pencil texture palette. The pencil texture's effect on your pencil
line will be based on the image's transparency channel, and will follow
your pencil lines on its horizontal axis. This option is also available fromthe menu

Delete Texture

Rename Texture

Pencil Texture Display

button.

Deletes a pencil texture swatch from the current pencil texture palette.
This option is also available from the menu

button.

Renames the selected pencil texture swatch in the current pencil texture
palette. This option is also available from the menu

button.

Displays the pencil textures in the current pencil texture palette and458

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Icon

Property

Description

allows you to select one to use with the Pencil tool.

Pencil Texture Palette

Displays the name of the currently selected pencil texture palette, forreference. To select a different pencil texture palette, you must select it in
the Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Envelope Tool Properties
Selecting the Envelope tool displays its properties and options in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Increase the width and height values to add more columns and rows to thedeformation grids.

Width andHeight

Sets the selection mode to Lasso, which allows you to select multiple items bydrawing a lasso around them.
Lasso

TIP
When this option is enabled, you can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily
use Marquee mode.

Marquee

Sets the selection mode to Marquee, which allows you to select multiple items bydrawing a rectangle around them.

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

TIP
When this option is enabled, you can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily
use Lasso mode.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all other animation anddrawing tools that support snapping, as well as to select which types of snapping are
enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up menu in which
you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also click on this button to toggle itoff, which will disable all snapping modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to reenable the snapping modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:lSnappinglllSnap to Contour: While moving the selection or one of its control points, itwill snap against the nearby points and contours of your artwork, allowing you
to snap parts of your artwork together.
Snap to Alignment Guides: While moving the selection or one of its control
points, it will snap against nearby alignment guides.
Snap and Align: When enabled, while moving a selection, the rectangularbounding box of the selection will snap to the rectangular bounding box of
any other drawing stroke in the drawing, allowing you to align drawing strokes
laterally.
Snap to Grid: While moving the selection, the mouse cursor will snap against
the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show Grid from the top
menu or press Ctrl + '.

Show
Advanced
Controls

To display more controls,you can click on the Show Advanced Controls button.

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art and Colour Art layersof your drawing simultaneously.
Apply toLine andColour Art

Flip
Horizontal

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they will also be affected
when this option is enabled.

Flips the current selection horizontally.

Flip
VerticalFlips the current selection vertically.

Rotate 90
Degrees
CW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate 90
Degrees
CCW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

SmoothYou can modify the central line smoothness of your line using this option. Thisparameter smooths the deformed lines. Increasing the value will result in a smootherline with fewer control points. The more you increase the value, the less details andcurves you will get. Use the left and right arrows to increment the value by one fullunit. Use the Up - Down slider to quickly increment the value.

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Eraser Tool Properties
The Eraser tool allows you to erase artwork by drawing eraser strokes over it. When using the Eraser tool witha tablet, it is pressure sensitive, like with the Brush and Pencil tool.

How to access the Eraser tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Eraser Properties
The way the Eraser tool is configured is almost identical to the way the Brush tool is configured.
Property

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool will make.
Stroke Preview Area

Eraser Properties
Dialog

The arrow button right of the display area opens the Eraser Properties dialog, which
gives you access to all the parameters and options for your eraser. The Tool Properties

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Property

Description

view only gives you access to a few of the eraser properties, a list of eraser presets andoptions for the Eraser tool that are not related to the eraser properties. For more
information on the Eraser Properties dialog, see the Eraser Properties Dialog section
below.

Defines the maximum size of the eraser.
Maximum Size

Flow

If the tool is used with a pressure sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary
between its maximum size and minimum size depending on the amount of pressureused. If used with a mouse, the width of the stroke will always be its maximum size.
Lets you set the opacity for each instance of the eraser tip that gets erased from yourartwork. Contrary to the Opacity parameter, the flow parameter has a cumulative effect.
This means that a lower flow will make your eraser strokes less effective towards its
extremities and more effective in its center. Your stroke's flow will also accumulate if
you draw over it. By default, your eraser's flow varies with the amount of pressure you
put on your tablet pen.

NOTE
This option is only displayed in the Tool Properties view when drawing on abitmap layer.

The Opacity parameter are where Lets you set the opacity of your brush strokes.
Contrary to the Flow parameter, the Opacity parameter is non-cumulative. Your wholebrush stroke's opacity will not exceed the Opacity parameter. By default, the Opacity
parameter varies depending on the amount of pressure you put on your tablet pen.
Opacity

NOTEThis option is only displayed in the Tool Properties view when drawing on abitmap layer.

Eraser Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage eraser presets.

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Icon

Property

Description

Presets list

By default, Harmony has preloaded eraser presets. You can also create
your own eraser presets by configuring your eraser, then saving its
properties into a new preset. It is also possible to export and importeraser presets.

New Brush Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Brush

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Rename Brush

Allows you to rename the currently selected preset.

Import Brushes

Allows you to import brush presets exported from Harmony.

Export Brushes

Allows you to export your brush presets into an .xml file.

Small Thumbnail

Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails with a preview of their tip.

Large Thumbnail

Stroke View

Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails, with their name and apreview of their tip.
Displays presets in a list, with their name and a preview of a stroke donewith each preset.

Erasing Options
These options affect the way your eraser strokes are applied to your artwork.
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art andColour Art layers of your drawing simultaneously.
Apply to Line andColour Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they will
also be affected when this option is enabled.

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Icon

Property

Description

When you erase part of a pencil line, this option determines the shape ofthe extremity of the pencil line where you erased:lRound: Leaves a round tip at the extremities of the pencil line
you erased.

l

Flat: Leaves a flat tip at the extremities of the pencil line you
erased. A flat tip is always perpendicular to the angle of thecentreline of the pencil line, so it may not match the angle of youreraser stroke.

Tip Stylel

Bevel: Leaves a bevel tip at the extremities of the pencil line
you erased. A bevel tip is flat, but its angle matches the angle ofyour eraser stroke.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.

Snapping

If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also
click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping mode:lSnap to Alignment Guides: While erasing, the eraser will snap466

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Icon

Property

Description

against nearby alignment guides.
Apply to Synced
Drawing Layers

If the currently selected layer is synced with another layer, the tool will
work on both the current layer and its synced layer.

Eraser Properties Dialog
Erasers have an extensive set of options and properties that are not displayed in the Tool Properties view, butrather, in a dialog you can access from it. To open the Eraser Properties dialog, click on the arrow button rightof the stroke display area.

The Eraser Properties dialog has five different tabs, minus the Smoothing tab if you are working on a bitmap
layers. Below is detailed information about the options available in each tab:l

Tip Tab on page 467lSmoothing Tab on page 474

lTransparency Tab on page 475l

Dual Tip Tab on page 478lPaper Texture Tab on page 482

Tip TabThe Tip tab allows you to configure the shape, size, hardness and spacing of your eraser tip.

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Property

Description

Allows you to select between one of the following eraser types:llEraser Typel

Solid Vector: Simply cuts out the eraser stroke's shape from the vector
artwork. A solid vector eraser always completely erase the artworks leaving
hard seams.
Textured Eraser: Allows to configure the eraser with the same options as witha textured brush. A textured eraser will decrease the opacity of bitmap texturesin textured brush strokes if it doesn't completely erase it. If it completely erases
a brush stroke, it will cut out the erased part from the vector artwork.
Textured, Preserve Vector: Like a Textured Eraser, except that it will not cut
out from the vector shapes, even if it fully erases pixels in a textured brushstroke's texture.

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Property

Description

NOTE
Textured erasers only work as expected on textured brush strokes. Using a
Textured eraser on a solid vector brush stroke or on a pencil line will only cut
the eraser stroke's shape out of it. If you use a Textured, Preserve Vector typeeraser on a solid vector shape or on a pencil line, the eraser will not erase
anything.

NOTE
This option is not available when working on a bitmap layer. With bitmap
layers, erasers are always textured, and textured eraser options are always
available.

Eraser Tip LibraryThis is where you select the shape of the eraser tip. By default, it is round. Note thatsome tips are designed to have semitransparent areas, even when the maximum eraser
opacity is set to 100%.
To create a custom eraser tip, you must prepare the file ahead of time, either inHarmony or in a third-party software, such as Adobe Photoshop. Colour is notsupported and transparency is not supported in the traditional sense. Black appears as
100% opaque, white appears as 100% transparent and all the shades of grey inbetween appear as varying degrees of semitransparency. A range of file formats aresupported—.jpeg, .png, .tif, .psd, .tga to name a few. Alpha channels are disregardedon import. It is recommended that your file be between 100 x 100 pixels and 400 x 400
pixels.
You can also import eraser tips that you exported from Harmony, so you can sharethem with colleagues.
The minimum and maximum sizes of your drawing tool produce the thick and thineffect on your stroke. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.

Minimum and Maximum
Size

l

l

Maximum Size: Defines the maximum width of the stroke.
Minimum Size: Defines the minimum width of the stroke in relation to and as apercentage of the maximum size.

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Property

Description

You can control the size properties by clicking on the arrow button on right and the
dialog box will appear as shown below.

l

l

l

l

l

Pressure: Allows you to apply more pressure and increases the size of thebrush. You can check the box to invert this behaviour.
Tilt: Allows you to tilt the pen closer to tablet for a bigger stroke. You cancheck the box to invert this behaviour.
Speed: Allows you to reduce the size of the stroke by drawing at a fast speed.
You can check the box to invert this behaviour.
Speed Sensitivity: A slider is used to control how fast must the stroke bedrawn to reach the minimum value.
Taper: Allows you to reduce the value of a property at the start or the end ofeach stroke. The value can be expressed using two options: Distance andPercentage. Distance is selected by default. For example: A taper of 200 willbe the same length as the width (diameter) of a stroke that has its size set at200.

You can enable Start and End Tapering option individually.
lStart Taper: When distance is selected as a Taper value, the effect of starttaper can be visualized as the stroke is drawn.

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Property

Description

l

l

l

End Taper: When distance or percentage is selected as a Taper value, the effectof end taper can be visualized once the stroke is complete and vectorized as thelength is unknown until the stroke is complete.
Fade Distance: Allows you to fade the value of property over a given distance.
It uses the same units as the size and is applied as the stroke is drawn.
Size Proportional to Camera: If you check this option, the size of the will be
adjusted to the position of the camera on the z-axis. This means that if thecamera is zoomed in on the scene, the will be proportionally smaller so that it
appears the same size in the rendered image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed
out, the will be proportionally bigger.

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Size value to 100% eliminates the possibility of creating
width variation on your stroke. In other words, you would be forcing a uniform
line width using the Maximum Size value.

Proportional to Camera

If you check this option, the size of the eraser will be adjusted to the position of thecamera on the z-axis. This means that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, theeraser will be proportionally smaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered
image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed out, the eraser will be proportionally bigger.
The Roundness and Angle parameters allow you to change the shape and orientationof the tip.
llRoundness and Angle

Roundness: The vertical scaling to apply to the tip. Reducing this setting
squashes the tip vertically, allowing you to turn round or square tips into flat
tips.
Angle: The angle at which to rotate the brush tip, counterclockwise.

NOTE
The squashing is not relative to the angle—if the tip is rotated, the squashingwill still be done relative to the tip's original orientation.

Pen Tilt Sensitivity

If your pen and tablet support tilt sensitivity, this option allows you to set whether

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Property

Description

your eraser takes your pen's tilt angle in account, and how much.
When your pen is fully tilted, your eraser tip will be stretched by the percentage you
set in this parameter, in the angle in which you tilt it. For example, if you set the Pen
Tilt Sensitivity to 50%, and you tilt your pen all the way up or down, your eraser tip
will be stretched vertically by 50%. With the same setting, if you tilt your pen all theway left or right, your eraser tip will be stretched horizontally by 50%.

If enabled, and if your pen and tablet support tip rotation, your eraser tip will rotatewith the angle of your pen tip.

Use Pen Rotation

The Hardness and Spacing parameters allow you to change the softness and spacingof the marks made by the eraser tip. You can preview the hardness and spacing at the
top of the Eraser Properties window, stroke preview area.

Hardness

Spacing

The hardness value corresponds to the softness of the eraser tip's edges. The lower
the value, the softer the tip edge. The higher the value, the sharper the tip edge. Be
aware that some eraser tips are not 100% opaque, so they will always appear
somewhat soft, even at 100% hardness.

Defines the amount of space between each stamp of the eraser. A value of 100% sets
the stamp marks edge to edge, if there is no white space around the shape. The larger

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Property

Description

the value, the greater the space between marks. A really large value can make theeraser stroke appear as a string of individual marks. Conversely, a small spacing value
will give the appearance of a fluid brush stroke.
Spacing is only evident when making a continuous stroke.

Randomness

The Randomness parameters let you create a varied bitmap eraser stroke. Refining
these options can give your stroke a lovely, non-mechanical look.
You can create variation between the thick and thin of your eraser stroke just by setting
the Maximum and Minimum Size values. If you add randomness to the mix, pressure
sensitivity from your drawing tablet will still be applied. Light pressure will create
random values around the minimum, while heavy pressure will create random values
closer to the maximum. The larger the percentage, the larger the range of randomvariation.

Random Size

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Size to 100% eliminates the possibility of creating widthvariation on your stroke, whether you are applying randomness or not.
Therefore, you would be forcing a uniform line width using the Maximum Sizevalue.

Random Angle

Sets the range for random rotation around the set Angle value. For example, if theAngle is set to 45° and the Random Angle set to 10°, the software will choose values
between 40°–50° (plus or minus 5 degrees, equaling a total of 10 degrees).

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Property

Description

Sets the range for random spacing around the set Spacing value. For example, if theSpacing is set to 50% and the Random Spacing is set to 10%, then Harmony will
choose values between 45%–55% (plus or minus 5 percent, equaling a total of 10
percent).

Random Spacing

Smoothing Tab
The Smoothing tab contains options to configure how Harmony should automatically smooth your eraser
strokes as you paint.

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NOTE
The Smoothing tab is only available when working on a vector layer, as bitmap layers do notsupport smoothing.

Property

Description

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on your eraser stroke's
direction, curves and corners. A higher setting will prevent your line from being
shaky, but is liable to reduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.

Contour Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on outer contour of theeraser stroke. A higher setting will round sharp corners and reduce the amount ofcontrol points for the resulting vector shape.

Transparency Tab
The Transparency tab allows you to decide if your eraser has antialiasing as well as to set its flow and opacity
settings.

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Chapter 4: Tools PropertiesNOTE
The Transparency tab's options are only available on vector layers if the Eraser Type option of the
Tip tab is set to Textured Vector or Textured, Preserve Vector.. On bitmap layers, those options
are always available.

Property

Description

Enabled by default. This option causes the contours of the eraser strokes toblend with the surrounding colours, to create an illusion of smoothness
otherwise not possible due to the picture resolution.
Antialiasing

If antialiasing is disabled, the eraser will either fully erase pixels or leave themintact.

NOTE
When disabled, all other options in the Transparency tab are disabled.

The Maximum and Minimum Flow parameters let you set the range for the rate at
which your eraser's effect flows. The greater the flow, the more consistent theeffect is. If the flow is light, then the effect may look spotty. This feature works
with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
llMaximum and Minimum Flow

Maximum Opacity and
Minimum Opacity

Maximum Flow: Sets the maximum rate at which colour and texture areapplied as you create a fluid stroke.
Minimum Flow: Sets the minimum rate at which colour and texture areapplied as you create a fluid stroke. It is defined as a percentage of theMaximum Flow value. If the Minimum Flow value is set to 100%, thentablet pressure sensitivity will no longer be applicable. The flow will be
set to the constant rate of the Maximum Flow value.

The Maximum and Minimum Opacity parameters are where you set the opacity
range for a eraser mark. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
l

Maximum Opacity: Sets the transparency limit of the eraser mark when
the pressure is heavy.

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Property

DescriptionlRandomness

Minimum Opacity: Sets the transparency limit of the eraser mark when
the pressure is very light. It is defined as a percentage of the Maximum
Opacity value. If the Minimum Opacity value is set to 100%, then tablet
pressure sensitivity will no longer be applicable. The opacity will be set
to the constant rate of the Maximum Opacity value.

Th Randomness parameter lets you set the range for the randomness of the flow
and opacity. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
You can create variation in the flow of your eraser stroke just by setting theMaximum and Minimum Flow values. If you add randomness to the mix,pressure sensitivity from your drawing tablet will still be applied. Light pressure
will create random values around the minimum, while heavy pressure will create
random values closer to the maximum. The larger the percentage, the larger therange of random variation.

Randomness Flow

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Flow value to 100% eliminates the possibility ofcreating flow variation on your stroke, whether you are applying
randomness or not. That is, you would be forcing a uniform flow using theMaximum Flow value.

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Property

Description

You can create variation in the opacity of your eraser stroke just by setting theMaximum and Minimum Opacity values. If you add randomness to the mix,pressure sensitivity from your drawing tablet will still be applied. Light pressure
will create random values around the minimum, while heavy pressure will create
random values closer to the maximum. The larger the percentage, the larger therange of random variation.

Random Opacity

NOTE
Setting the Minimum Opacity value to 100% eliminates the possibility ofcreating opacity variation on your stroke, whether you are applying
randomness or not. That is, you would be forcing a uniform opacity using
the Maximum Opacity value.

Dual Tip Tab
The Dual Tip tab lets you set the parameters for creating a dual tip eraser. The primary bitmap eraser tip andthe dual tip always work together. You can set the parameters for the primary tip in the Tip tab and those forthe dual tip in the Dual Tip tab. The Blend mode you select determines how the tips are combined.
By default, the Blend Mode is set to Multiply and the Random Angle to 360°.

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NOTE
To use a Dual Tip, you must enable option by checking the checkbox inside the Dual Tip tab.
Additionally, if you are working on a vector layer, the Eraser Type option of the Tip tab must be set
to Textured Vector or Textured, Preserve Vector.

Tool Name

Description

Enable/Disable

The checkbox inside the tab allows you to decide whether or not your eraser uses adual tip. If this checkbox is unchecked, the options in the Dual Tip tab will bedisabled.

Blend Mode

The Blend modes let you decide how the primary tip and the dual tip are combined.

Multiply

This is the default blend mode. When the two eraser tips are combined in this mode,
they essentially cut each other out in overlapping areas, where one or both tips havean area of 100% transparency. The less opaque the eraser tips are, the lighter their479

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Tool Name

Description

combination.

Colour Dodge

In this mode, the primary tip cuts out the shape of the dual tip. Where the tip shapes
overlap, within the boundaries of the primary shape, the colour and opacity appear
darker.

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Tool Name

CombineDescription

This mode treats the two tips as two different and separate erasers that have thesame colour and follow the same path.

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Tool Name

Description

Paper Texture Tab
The Paper Texture tab lets you configure a paper-like texture for your eraser. You can also add textures byimporting image files, or import paper textures that were previously exported from Harmony.

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NOTE
To use a Paper Texture, you must enable option by checking the checkbox inside the Paper
Texture tab. Additionally, if you are working on a vector layer, the Eraser Type option of the Tip
tab must be set to Textured Vector or Textured, Preserve Vector.

Property

Description

Enable/Disable

The checkbox inside the tab allows you to decide whether or not your eraser uses apaper texture. If this checkbox is unchecked, the options in the Paper Texture tab will
be disabled.

Texture Scale

Increase or decreases the size of the paper texture.

Additive

This option layers the texture on top of itself as you scribble overlapping lines in one
continuous stroke. If this option is turned off, areas of overlapping lines from asingle, continuous stroke will appear the same, in terms of darkness and texture, as483

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

non-overlapping areas.

This option defines the way separate, overlapping strokes behave. If this option isenabled, the paper texture's position does not change with each sweep of the eraser.
If this option is disabled, each sweep of the eraser produces a different texture
position. The texture orientation always stays the same.

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Ink Tool Properties
When you select the Ink tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Tool
Sets the selection mode to Lasso, which allows
you to select multiple items by drawing a lasso
around them.

Lasso

TIP
When this option is enabled, you canpress and hold the Alt key to temporarily
use Marquee mode.

Sets the selection mode to Marquee, which allows
you to select multiple items by drawing a
rectangle around them.
Marquee

TIP
When this option is enabled, you canpress and hold the Alt key to temporarily
use Lasso mode.

Show Inkable Lines

Highlights all pencil lines (no brush strokes) on
the selected layer. Pencil line segments that are
already inked with the selected swatch colour
from the colour palette are also not highlighted.

Be Smart on Connecting Lines

As you hover and move the cursor acrossintersecting pencil lines, the path that you create
will be highlighted. When you click on yourmouse or stylus the highlighted segments are
inked. With this option disabled, all theintersecting segments that your cursor comes near
will be highlighted and become part of theselection, even if they were not situated in the
direction of the chosen path.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

NOTE
This option only works if the Ink tool is in
Hover mode.

Use this mode instead of the Hover Mode. In the
Hover Mode, any potentially inkable pencil line
will have its central vector line highlighted as the
Ink tool’s cursor hovers over it. Use Ctrl

Select Mode(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) to toggle
between the two modes.
In the Paint tool properties, this option keeps aselection highlighted around the latest paintedzone after using the Paint, Repaint, Unpaint, orPaint Unpainted tool.

Select Newly Painted, Repainted,
and Unpainted Contours/LinesRaise

As you ink the pencil line, the segment will be
moved on top of the other intersecting strokes.
Disable this option for the line to be sent behind.
Hold down the Alt key to perform the opposite
operation as you ink.

Mitre

As you hover over two perpendicular or nearly
perpendicular segments, a highlighted path with acorner is created. Clicking on these highlighted
segments inks both segments and makes themappear as a single stroke with a corner or bend.
Options include: As Is, Round, Miter, and Bevel.

Tip StyleLets you customize the edge of the Ink tool.
Options include: Round, Flat, and Bevel.

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Line Tool Properties
The Line tool allows you to quickly draw a line segment by dragging the mouse from its starting point to its
end point.

How to access the Line tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Linetool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Pencil Properties
Just like other shape tools, this tool creates pencil lines. Hence, its tool properties are similar to the ones of thePencil tool and it can be used with pencil presets.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Tool Name

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool will make.
Preview Area

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Pencil Properties dialog.

Pencil Properties
DialogSize

While the Tool Properties view only gives you access to a few of the pencil properties,
a list of pencil presets and other drawing options, the Pencil Properties dialog gives
you access to all the available options for your pencil's shape and texture. For more
information on the Pencil Properties dialog, see the Pencil Properties Dialog section
below.
Defines the width of the pencil line used to draw the line.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew. You
can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Pencil Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage pencil presets.

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Icon

Property

Description

Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and thickness stencils andalso lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea to create andsave pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw for
efficiency and consistency.

Presets list

A thickness stencil saves the thickness information across the length ofthe line. When drawing with a thickness stencil, the pressure sensitivityof the tablet is discarded. A thickness stencil can be used while drawing,or applied afterwards.
You also have the possibility to apply different textures to your lines byeither using the default presets or to import your own.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import thosethat others have created. This is a good way for you and project
collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project.

New Brush Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Brush Preset

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Open a menu that contains the following options:
l

l

l

l

Brush Presets Menu
l

l

l

l

New Brush Preset: Creates a new preset based on the current
tool properties.
Delete Brush: Deletes the currently selected preset.
Rename Brush: Allows you to rename the currently selected
preset.
Import Brushes: Allows you to import brush presets exported
from Harmony.
Export Brushes: Allows you to export your brush presets into an.xml file.
Small Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails
with a preview of their tip.
Large Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails,
with their name and a preview of their tip.
Stroke View: Displays presets in a list, with their name and apreview of a stroke done with each preset.

Drawing Options
These options affect the way your drawing strokes are added to your artwork.
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Icon

Tool Name

Description

When enabled, your brush strokes will appear behind the existing artwork.

Draw Behind

NOTEYour brush stroke will temporarily appear over your artwork as you draw it,
until you release the mouse cursor or tablet pen.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all other animation anddrawing tools that support snapping, as well as to select which types of snapping
are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up menu in
which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also click on this button
to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping modes, and click on it again andtoggle it on to re-enable the snapping modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:lSnap to Contour: When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse cursor
will automatically snap to the nearby contours of existing artwork,
allowing you to draw shapes that connect with other parts of your drawing.

Snapping

NOTE
If you draw a line with the Line tool and make its tip snap to acontour or another control point in your artwork, they will be locked
together. You can then manipulate both simultaneously using theContour Editor tool. You can also separate two drawing strokes
that have been snapped together by selecting one of them with theSelect tool and moving it away.

l

Snap to Alignment Guides: While drawing, the drawing tool will snap
against nearby alignment guides.

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Icon

Tool Name

DescriptionllSnap and Align: When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse cursor
will automatically align with the edges of strokes and shapes in yourartwork, allowing you to draw shapes that align with parts of your drawing.

When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse cursor will snap against
the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show Grid from the top
menu or press Ctrl + '.

As you draw in the Line Art layer, the Automatically Create Colour Art option
instantly creates the corresponding strokes in the Colour Art layer.
AutomaticallyCreate ColourArt

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created as aseparate drawing object, which can be edited independently from other parts of theartwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option automatically merges strokes into
existing artwork.
Auto-Flatten
Mode

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

NOTE
Using the Select tool, you can use select and remove a segment of flattened
pencil lines. Overlapping pencil lines drawn with the Auto-Flatten mode are
essentially cut into segments by the overlap and can be treated as
individual lines.

When enabled, small gaps between the pencil lines you draw will be closed by aninvisible stroke to make sure your shapes are closed and that they can be filledwith the Paint tool.

Auto-Close
Gap

When drawing contours with pencil lines, the centreline is used to determine
whether or not the contour is closed, but the visible tips of the pencil line will
extend a bit beyond the tips of its centreline, making it possible to have shapes thatappear closed, but are not really. This can prevent the shape from being filled with
the Paint tool. Enabling this option when drawing with the Pencil or Line tool will
prevent you from leaving invisible gaps in your contours.

The Line Building mode is very useful when drawing long lines and curves insmall increments with pencil lines or the Line tool. As the pencil lines are central
vector lines, it may be difficult to align the line tips perfectly to create a uniform
stroke and close all gaps.

Line BuildingMode

In this mode, you can draw lines in small increments and the tips are merge into
one single stroke.

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

NOTE
This mode only works with pencil lines or the line tool.

Use Stored
ColourGradient

The Use Stored Colour Gradient option can be used when painting with a gradientcolour to always position the gradient in the same way it was stored, making it
consistent across brush strokes. You can store a gradient by selecting a zone
painted with a gradient with the Select tool, then clicking on Store Colour Gradientin the Tool Properties view.
Draws a straight line.
In this mode, you can draw curved lines with the following method:
1. Draw the line by clicking and dragging from the start point to the end pointof the line, but don’t release the mouse button or pen yet.

Straight LineMode

2. While holding the mouse button or pen down, press and hold the Ctrl
(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and move the mouse or pen to define theline’s curve.

3. Once the line’s curve looks right, release the mouse button or pen.
This mode allows you to draws a simple curved (quadratic Bezier) line in two
clicks:Curve LineMode

1. Draw the line by clicking and dragging from the start point to the end pointof the line.

2. Move the mouse or pen to define the curve of the line and click.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Draws an S-shaped (cubic Bezier) line. This mode allows you to draw lines withfinely tuned or even S-shaped curves with three clicks:
1. Draw the line by clicking and dragging from the start point to the end pointof the line.

S Curve Line
Mode

2. Move the mouse or pen to define the Bezier position of the beginning of theline and click.

3. Move the mouse or pen to define the Bezier position of the end of the line
and click.

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Pencil Properties Dialog
Since the Line tool draws pencil lines, you can use the Pencil Properties dialog to customize the type of lines it
draws. To open the Pencil Properties dialog, click on the arrow button right of the stroke display area.

Size and Smoothness Tab
The Size and Smoothness tab allows you to select your pencil's size, its smoothing parameters as well as theshape of its tips and corners.

Property

Description

Maximum Size

Defines the maximum size of the pencil line. If the tool is used with a pressure
sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary between its maximum size andminimum size depending on the amount of pressure used. If used with a mouse, thewidth of the stroke will always be its maximum size.

Minimum Size

Defines the minimum size of your stroke as a percentage of the maximum size. If you
do not have pressure sensitivity from a pen table, the minimum size value will beignored.

Proportional to Camera

If you check this option, the size of the pencil will be adjusted to the position of thecamera on the z-axis. This means that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, thepencil will be proportionally smaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered
image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed out, the pencil will be proportionallybigger.

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the central line of the495Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

pencil stroke. A higher setting will prevent your line from being shaky and will
reduce the amount of control points it has, making it easier to tweak, but is liable toreduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.
Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the outer contour ofthe pencil stroke.
A pencil line is defined by its centreline and its variations in thickness, rather than its

Contour Smoothingapparent shape. When drawing a pencil line with a mouse, its thickness is uniform.
Therefore, its outer contour does not have any control point, except at its extremities,
and no smoothing is required for its contour.
However, when drawing a pencil line with a pressure sensitive tablet, its contour will
have control points and Bezier curves to define the line's variations in thickness, andthus smoothing must be performed on its contour. An increased contour smoothing
will reduce the amount of control points on the line's thickness and smoothen its
curves, but may affect the precision of the variations in line thickness.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Texture Tab
In the Pencil Properties view, the Texture tab allows you to select a pencil texture from the currently selected
pencil texture palette to use with the Pencil tool. You can also add, remove or rename textures, save thecurrent pencil texture palette as the default one, or import the pencil texture palette into your scene.
The pencil texture palette used in the Texture tab of the Pencil Properties dialog is the one selected in the
Colour view. You can select a pencil texture palette by selecting it from the pencil texture palette list in the
Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Icon

Property

Description

This option is available from the menu
Use as Default Pencil
Texture Palettebutton. Sets the currently

selected pencil texture palette as the default pencil texture palette in youruser preferences. The default pencil texture palette is added to every
scene you create in Harmony. The palette is copied in your preferences, so
it will be added to your new scenes in the exact state it is when you makeit the default pencil texture palette.

Reload Default Texture
PaletteNew Texture

Imports the default pencil texture palette as a new pencil texture palette
into your scene's palette list, and selects it as the current pencil texture
palette.
Allows you to import an image file into a new pencil texture swatch in thecurrent pencil texture palette. The pencil texture's effect on your pencil
line will be based on the image's transparency channel, and will follow
your pencil lines on its horizontal axis. This option is also available fromthe menu

Delete Texture

Rename Texture

Pencil Texture Display

button.

Deletes a pencil texture swatch from the current pencil texture palette.
This option is also available from the menu

button.

Renames the selected pencil texture swatch in the current pencil texture
palette. This option is also available from the menu

button.

Displays the pencil textures in the current pencil texture palette and497

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Icon

Property

Description

allows you to select one to use with the Pencil tool.

Pencil Texture Palette

Displays the name of the currently selected pencil texture palette, forreference. To select a different pencil texture palette, you must select it in
the Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Morphing Tool Properties
As you create and adjust your morphing sequences, you will often use the Tool Properties view. Using this view
allows you to do things such as toggle between your key drawings, adjust the easing or select a hint type.

Icon

Tool Name

Description
The Hint Type drop-down menu allows you to selectthe correct hint to remedy any problem areas in yourdrawing.

Hint TypeYou can have more than one hint type in yourdrawings. You can mix all of the hint types in yourmorphing sequence.
The Hide Hints button temporarily Temporarily hides
the hint points from the key drawings. Use this option
when you have a series of hint points hiding somelines you would like to see.

Do not Pick
Transparency

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Show Morphing in PlaceThe Show Morphing In Place option is used withmorphing layers. Enabling this option prevents thecurrently selected morphing layer from being shownon top of the others and maintains the correct layerordering.

Suggest Hints

The Suggest Hints option is used to automatically set
Automatically sets hint points on key drawings as ahelp tool. If you're not sure where to set hints, you
can use this option. It will set the main hints which
you can then fine tune.
The Switch Between Drawings button is used totoggle Toggles between the two key drawings in yourmorphing sequence. This option is useful whilesetting hints. You can use the default keyboard
shortcut F4 to toggle between your drawings.

Switch Between
Drawings

The Flatten option is used when you have to morph asequence with a semi-transparent or transparent
colour in it.

Flatten

The Quality setting is used to make the lines of themorphed drawings smoother. Adjust this parameter
when you are doing an extreme close up of youranimation.

Quality

The Morphing Layers option is used when working
with morphing layers. You can add, remove andmanage your different morphing layers in this space.

Morphing Layers

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To create new drawings, double-click on the blankarea under the From section to create the source
drawing and the To section for the destination
drawing and type a different value than the ones used
for the main layer.

Add Layer

Adds a new Morphing layer.

Delete Layer

Deletes the selected Morphing layer.

Move Up

Moves the new layer up in the stack.

Move Down

Moves the new lower up in the stack.

Indicates the start frame of the selected Morphing
layer.

Start

Indicates the end frame of the selected Morphing
layer.

Stop

The Easing option is used to adjust the starting andending velocity of your morphing sequence so thatthe motion is smooth and not mechanical.
You can adjust the Ease In and Ease Out value by
dragging your cursor up and down or typing a newvalue. The values go from -1.0 to 1.0.

Ease in and Ease out

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The Convert Hints option is used to switch the type ofthe selected hint points. This option is useful when
you position hints and then realize they are not theright type. You can select them and convert them tothe correct type instead of deleting them and setting
new ones.

Convert Hints

Use the Morphing tool to select the hints and thenconvert them by going to the Tool Properties viewand selecting the new hint type from the Convert
Hints drop-down menu.
The Time field is used to set the timing on Appearing
Point and Vanishing Point hints. These hints are used
to set the trajectory of appearing and vanishingobjects, With the Time field, select your Appearing
Point or Vanishing Point hint and type the frame
number on which the object will start its appearing orTimevanishing animation.

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Paint Tool Properties
The Paint tool allows you to fill closed areas of your drawing with the selected colour.

How to access the Paint tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Paint, Paint Unpainted, Repaint

or Unpainttool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Paint Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple elements:lLasso: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing an irregularclosed shape around them with your mouse.

lSelection Mode

Marquee: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing a
rectangle around them. This is faster, as you only need to drag yourmouse from one corner of the rectangle to its opposite corner, but it may
not be as precise as you want.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use the other selection
mode.

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Icon

Property

Description

The Paint tool has four different modes:lPaint: Paints or repaints selected zones, whether or not they are
already filled.

lPaint Mode

Paint Unpainted: Only paints empty zones, and does not repaintzones that are already filled with colour.

lRepaint: Only paints zones that are already filled with colour, anddoes not fill empty zones.

l

Unpaint: Removes colour from the selected zone, replacing it withtransparency.

Paint andRemoveTextures

The Paint and Remove Texture option is used when you vectorized images asgreyscale texture style. An image vectorized as texture is a mix of bitmap filling
encapsulated in a vector-based frame. Painting a textured zones with the Paint
tool will change the tint of the textured lines. Painting the textured zones using
the Paint and Remove Texture option transforms the bitmap filling into a 100%
vector based zone and fills it with a solid colour.

This option allows you to select which layers the tool should affect. It can be
toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two different modes. You can select amode by clicking and holding on the button.
l

Apply to Visible
Drawing LayerslOff: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on the currently
selected layers. If several layers are selected, the tool will work on allthese layers simultaneously.
Apply to Visible Drawing Layers: The tool will work on all thevisible layers in the Camera view.

l

Apply to Synced Drawing Layers: If the currently selected layer is
synced with another layer, the tool will work on both the current layer
and its synced layer.

NOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

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Icon

Property

Description

This option allows you to determine which drawings in the current layer the tool
should affect. It can be toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two different
modes. You can select a mode by clicking and holding on the button.
ll

Off: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on the drawing
in the current frame.
Apply to All Frames: The tool will work on every exposed drawing inthe selected layer simultaneously.

lApply to All
FramesRespect
Protected
ColourUse Stored
Colour Gradient

Apply to Onion Skin Range: The tool will work on every drawing
displayed in the Onion Skin. Onion Skin must be enabled for this option
to work.

The Respect Protected Colour option is enabled by default. In your Colour view,
you can protect some colour swatches to avoid repainting or unpainting thezones linked to that swatch.
If you disable this option the Paint tool will not follow the protect colour ruleand will repaint or unpaint the protected colours on your drawings until you
enable the option again.
When you paint a zone with a gradient or textured colour swatch, the gradient or
texture’s position is set relative to the size of the zone you are painting. If you
want the Paint tool to use a particular size and position, you must first store yourdesired position and size using the Select tool and then enable the Use Stored
Colour Gradient option in the Paint tool properties.

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Icon

Property

Description

In the Paint tool properties, this option keeps a selection highlighted around thelatest painted zone after using the Paint, Repaint, Unpaint, or Paint Unpainted
tool.
Select Newly
Painted,Repainted, andUnpainted
Contours/Lines

By default, if you attempt to fill a shape that has a small gap in its contour, thePaint tool will not be able to fill the shape. This option allows you to make the
Paint tool automatically add a stroke to close the shape when it detects a small
gap between two strokes in the shape.
The Close Gap setting can be set to a value between 0 and 10. This determines
the maximum size of a gap to close, in pixels. You can also use one of thefollowing presets:
Close Gapl

No Close Gap: Sets the Close Gap setting to 0, disabling the feature.

l

Close Small Gap: Sets the Close Gap setting to 2, making the Paint
tool close gaps that are barely visible.

l

Close Medium Gap: Sets the Close Gap setting to 4, making the Paint
tool close gaps that are somewhat visible.

l

Close Large Gap: Sets the Close Gap setting to 8, making the Paint
tool close gaps that are easy to notice.

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Bitmap Options
Since bitmap drawings are made of pixels instead of shapes, and that the outlines of shapes in bitmap
drawings are often feathered, it can be complicated to figure out exactly the area the Paint tool must fill whentrying to fill a zone in a bitmap drawing. For example, if the Paint tool only replaces pixels with the exact same
colour as the one you click on with the selected colour, it will leave a small gap near the outlines of the shape.

The following settings determine how the Paint tool figures out the area it must fill. When any of thesesettings are increased, the Paint tool's tolerance for colour or alpha differences increases and it will a bigger
area that it otherwise would.
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to select which art layer to use in order to determine thefillable zone. By default, this is set to Current Art, which means thelayer you are filling will be used to determine the fillable zone. However,
if you want to keep your colour art on the Colour Art layer and the line
art on the Line Art layer, you can set the Source to Line Art

Source, and thenuse the Paint tool on the Colour Art layer. The Paint tool will use theartwork in the Line Art layer to determine the area to fill with colour, butwill still add this colour to the Colour Art layer.
This property has the following options:llCurrent Art: Bases the zone to fill on the current art layer.
Line Art: Bases the zone to fill on the Line Art layer,
regardless of which layer you are painting on.

lColour Art: Bases the zone to fill on the Colour Art layer,
regardless of which layer you are painting on.

--

Alpha

The alpha threshold that separates opaque and transparent zones.
When filling a "transparent" zone, the paint tool will apply the colour
under semi-transparent pixels, making them opaque. Then filling an"opaque" zone, the paint tool will replace the colour of semi-transparent
pixels without affecting their transparency.
If you want to repaint lineart or shapes that have no outlines, you can doso by decreasing this setting completely. This will make it fill any pixel

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Icon

Property

Descriptionthat isn't 100% transparent, so it will paint your outlines completely.
However, if you're using this method to repaint outlines, they must not
be filled yet for this method to work.
If you want to paint transparent zones that have dirt or semi-transparent
spots, you can increase this setting to make the Paint tool paint behindthem instead of around them.

NOTE
Raising this setting too high may cause the paint tool to ignore
outlines that are not 100% opaque, which can cause it to think
the shape is not closed. Hence, it might fail to find a zone to fill
and not do anything.

--

Colour Tolerance

The amount of tolerance the paint tool has for changes in colour whenfilling an area. Raising this setting will allow the paint tool to fill overareas that have some variations in colour, but may cause it to fill beyond
the areas you meant to paint.
The maximum amount of pixels beyond the fillable zone that the Paint
tool can fill.
When this setting is set to any value above zero, the paint tool will fill
the zone until it finds a pixel that is a different colour, value ortransparency as the one you clicked on. Then, it will start filling pixels
beyond that point, up until it filled the amount of pixels in the Maximum
Overlap setting.

--

Maximum Overlap

If it lands outside of a fillable zone before it reached the maximum
overlap, it will stop filling at that point. However, if it lands into anotherfillable zone before reaching its maximum overlap, it will fill that zone
as well. Therefore, if you're filling shapes inside other shapes, you haveto set this setting to the approximate width of your outlines. Setting it
higher will make the colour spill beyond the zone you clicked on and fill
the zone outside of it, and setting it lower is liable to leave a small gap
between the fill and the outlines.

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Icon

Property

Description

NOTE
When you fill a zone with overlap, Harmony tries to detect andpreserve the outlines of your shape. This is easy to do whenfilling a transparent shape, or when repainting a shape made ofsolid outlines and a solid fill. However, if you are trying torepaint an already painted zone, it may fail to detect youroutlines and may repaint over them if the colour of your outlines
or inside the shape isn't consistent. Therefore, it is highly
recommended to avoid repainting painted zones as much as
possible when working with bitmap layers.

When enabled, the outlines of the fill will be smoothed so that they do
not look pixelated.

Antialiasing

NOTE
The effect of this setting will not be visible if you fill all the way
to the outlines, as the Paint tool will preserve the antialiasing ofexisting outlines when filling up to them.

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Pencil Tool Properties
The Pencil tool allows you to draw simple contour lines that are defined by their centerline and their thickness.
When you select the Pencil tool, the Tool Properties view displays the different Pencil modes that control how
the pencil line is drawn.

How to access the Pencil tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Pencil Properties
The following properties affect the pencil's size, smoothing, shape and other properties for the drawing styleof your pencil. Those properties can be saved into pencil presets for later use.
Property

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool will make.
Preview Area

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Property

Description

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Pencil Properties dialog.

Pencil Properties
DialogWhile the Tool Properties view only gives you access to a few of the pencil properties,
a list of pencil presets and other drawing options, the Pencil Properties dialog gives
you access to all the available options for your pencil's shape and texture. For more
information on the Pencil Properties dialog, see the Pencil Properties Dialog section
below.
Defines the maximum width of the pencil line.

Maximum Size

Centerline Smoothing

If the tool is used with a pressure sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary
between its maximum size and minimum size depending on the amount of pressureused. If used with a mouse, the width of the stroke will always be its maximum size.
Defines the number of control points added to the centre line. The fewer the control
points the smoother (but less faithful) the line.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew. You
can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Pencil Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage pencil presets.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and thickness stencils andalso lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea to create andsave pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw for
efficiency and consistency.

Presets list

A thickness stencil saves the thickness information across the length ofthe line. When drawing with a thickness stencil, the pressure sensitivityof the tablet is discarded. A thickness stencil can be used while drawing,or applied afterwards.
You also have the possibility to apply different textures to your lines byeither using the default presets or to import your own.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import thosethat others have created. This is a good way for you and project
collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project.

New Brush Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Brush Preset

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Open a menu that contains the following options:
l

l

l

l

Brush Presets Menu
l

l

l

l

New Brush Preset: Creates a new preset based on the current
tool properties.
Delete Brush: Deletes the currently selected preset.
Rename Brush: Allows you to rename the currently selected
preset.
Import Brushes: Allows you to import brush presets exported
from Harmony.
Export Brushes: Allows you to export your brush presets into an.xml file.
Small Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails
with a preview of their tip.
Large Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails,
with their name and a preview of their tip.
Stroke View: Displays presets in a list, with their name and apreview of a stroke done with each preset.

Drawing Options
These options affect the way your drawing strokes are added to your artwork.
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Icon

Property

Description

When enabled, your brush strokes will appear behind the existing artwork.

Draw Behind

NOTEYour brush stroke will temporarily appear over your artwork as you
draw it, until you release the mouse cursor or tablet pen.

When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically fill it with thecurrently selected Paint colour.

TIP
Auto Fill

By default the pencil line and its fill will be the same colour. To
select different colours for the line and its fill, do the following:

1. In the Colour view, click the

Unlock Three Colours

button.
2. Click on the

Set Current Pencil Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch foryour outline.
3. Click on the

Set Current Paint Colour swatch. Then, inthe colour list, select the desired colour swatch for thefill.

Trim Extra Lines

When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically remove theoutstanding lines.

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Icon

Property

Description

When the Trim Extra Lines option is enabled, enable this option to makethe point where the beginning and end of the stroke meet into a smooth
curve rather than a hard corner.

Align Handles AfterTrim

As you draw in the Line Art layer, the Automatically Create Colour Art
option instantly creates the corresponding strokes in the Colour Art layer.
Automatically Create
Colour Art

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created as aseparate drawing object, which can be edited independently from otherparts of the artwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option automaticallymerges strokes into existing artwork.
Auto Flatten

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Icon

Property

Description

NOTE
Using the Select tool, you can select and remove a segment offlattened pencil lines. Overlapping pencil lines drawn with theAuto-Flatten mode are essentially cut into segments by theoverlap and can be treated as individual lines.

When enabled, small gaps between the pencil lines you draw will beclosed by an invisible stroke to make sure your shapes are closed and thatthey can be filled with the Paint tool.

Auto-Close Gap

When drawing contours with pencil lines, the centreline is used todetermine whether or not the contour is closed, but the visible tips of thepencil line will extend a bit beyond the tips of its centreline, making it
possible to have shapes that appear closed, but are not really. This canprevent the shape from being filled with the Paint tool. Enabling thisoption when drawing with the Pencil or Line tool will prevent you fromleaving invisible gaps in your contours.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.

Snapping

If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also
click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping mode:lSnap to Alignment Guides: While drawing, the drawing tool will
snap against nearby alignment guides.

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Icon

Property

Description

The Line Building mode is very useful when drawing long lines and curves
in small increments with pencil lines or the Line tool. As the pencil lines
are central vector lines, it may be difficult to align the line tips perfectly tocreate a uniform stroke and close all gaps.
In this mode, you can draw lines in small increments and the tips are
merge into one single stroke.

Line Building Mode

NOTE
This mode only works with pencil lines or the line tool.

The Auto Adjust Thickness tool is useful when you want to render aportion of a line thicker. When tracing a drawing on paper, you will often
go back to a section of a curve to make it thicker to add dynamism to theline. Using the Auto Adjust Thickness tool, you can draw highlightstrokes over the section to make thicker. Once you release the pen or
mouse, the line becomes thicker following the shape and curve of theoriginal stroke. This way is much faster and smoother than using thePencil Editor tool. You do not have to add extra points and adjust theposition and Bezier handles.
Auto Adjust Thickness

The default overlay colour is light yellow. If this colour is difficult to see
because of the background or drawing colour, you can adjust the colour.

Line Pushing Mode

The Line Pushing Mode option lets you draw highlight strokes overexisting pencil lines. You can reshape the curves. Depending how you
draw the pushing stroke over your line, the highlighted section will be

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Icon

Property

Description

reshaped in one direction or the other.
The default overlay colour is light yellow. If this colour is difficult to see
because of the background or drawing colour, you can adjust the colour.
You can change the colour of the temporary strokes that appear in thedrawing space when using the Line Pushing Mode or the Auto Adjust
Thickness option by clicking on the Colour swatch and selecting a new
Colourcolour in the Colour Picker dialog.

Pencil Properties Dialog
Pencils have extra parameters which are not accessible from the Tool Properties view. To open the Pencil
Properties dialog, click on the arrow button right of the stroke display area.

Size and Smoothness Tab
The Size and Smoothness tab allows you to select your pencil's size, its smoothing parameters as well as theshape of its tips and corners.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

Maximum Size

Defines the maximum size of the pencil line. If the tool is used with a pressure
sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary between its maximum size andminimum size depending on the amount of pressure used. If used with a mouse, thewidth of the stroke will always be its maximum size.

Minimum Size

Defines the minimum size of your stroke as a percentage of the maximum size. If you
do not have pressure sensitivity from a pen table, the minimum size value will beignored.

Proportional to Camera

If you check this option, the size of the pencil will be adjusted to the position of thecamera on the z-axis. This means that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, thepencil will be proportionally smaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered
image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed out, the pencil will be proportionallybigger.

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the central line of thepencil stroke. A higher setting will prevent your line from being shaky and will
reduce the amount of control points it has, making it easier to tweak, but is liable toreduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.
Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the outer contour ofthe pencil stroke.

Contour Smoothing

A pencil line is defined by its centreline and its variations in thickness, rather than its
apparent shape. When drawing a pencil line with a mouse, its thickness is uniform.
Therefore, its outer contour does not have any control point, except at its extremities,
and no smoothing is required for its contour.
However, when drawing a pencil line with a pressure sensitive tablet, its contour will
have control points and Bezier curves to define the line's variations in thickness, andthus smoothing must be performed on its contour. An increased contour smoothing
will reduce the amount of control points on the line's thickness and smoothen its
curves, but may affect the precision of the variations in line thickness.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.

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Property

DescriptionllEnd: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Texture Tab
In the Pencil Properties view, the Texture tab allows you to select a pencil texture from the currently selected
pencil texture palette to use with the Pencil tool. You can also add, remove or rename textures, save thecurrent pencil texture palette as the default one, or import the pencil texture palette into your scene.
The pencil texture palette used in the Texture tab of the Pencil Properties dialog is the one selected in the
Colour view. You can select a pencil texture palette by selecting it from the pencil texture palette list in the
Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

Icon

Property

Description

This option is available from the menu
Use as Default Pencil
Texture Palettebutton. Sets the currently

selected pencil texture palette as the default pencil texture palette in youruser preferences. The default pencil texture palette is added to every
scene you create in Harmony. The palette is copied in your preferences, so
it will be added to your new scenes in the exact state it is when you makeit the default pencil texture palette.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

Reload Default Texture
PaletteImports the default pencil texture palette as a new pencil texture palette
into your scene's palette list, and selects it as the current pencil texture
palette.

New Texture

Allows you to import an image file into a new pencil texture swatch in thecurrent pencil texture palette. The pencil texture's effect on your pencil
line will be based on the image's transparency channel, and will follow
your pencil lines on its horizontal axis. This option is also available fromthe menu

Delete Texture

Rename Texture

button.

Deletes a pencil texture swatch from the current pencil texture palette.
This option is also available from the menu

button.

Renames the selected pencil texture swatch in the current pencil texture
palette. This option is also available from the menu

button.

Pencil Texture Display

Displays the pencil textures in the current pencil texture palette andallows you to select one to use with the Pencil tool.

Pencil Texture Palette

Displays the name of the currently selected pencil texture palette, forreference. To select a different pencil texture palette, you must select it in
the Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Pencil Editor Tool Properties
When you select the Pencil Editor tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description
Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple elements:lLasso: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing anirregular closed shape around them with your mouse.

Selection ModelMarquee: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing
a rectangle around them. This is faster, as you only need to dragyour mouse from one corner of the rectangle to its opposite
corner, but it may not be as precise as you want.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use the otherselection mode.

This option allows you to select which layers the tool should affect. It
can be toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two different modes.
You can select a mode by clicking and holding on the button.
l

Off: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on thecurrently selected layers. If several layers are selected, the tool
will work on all these layers simultaneously.

Apply to Visible
Drawing LayerslApply to Visible Drawing Layers: The tool will work on all
the visible layers in the Camera view.

l

Apply to Synced Drawing Layers: If the currently selected
layer is synced with another layer, the tool will work on both thecurrent layer and its synced layer.

NOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

Defines the maximum width of the pencil line.
Maximum Size

Minimum Size

If the pencil line has a constant size, this will define the width of thepencil line all over. If the pencil line has a varying size, this will define thewidth of its larger areas. Areas that are in-between the maximum andminimum size will be resized proportionally.
Defines the minimum width of the pencil line. If the pencil line has avarying size, this will define the width of its smaller areas. Areas that are
in-betwen the maximum and minimum size will be resized proportionally.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape
l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first
tip you drew. You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip
you drew. You can choose between Round or Flat style.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guidel

Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line
curves abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the cornerstyle. You can choose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and thickness stencils andalso lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea to create andsave pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw for
efficiency and consistency.
A thickness stencil saves the thickness information across the length ofPresets

the line. When drawing with a thickness stencil, the pressure sensitivityof the tablet is discarded. A thickness stencil can be used while drawing,or applied afterwards.
You also have the possibility to apply different textures to your lines byeither using the default presets or to import your own.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import thosethat others have created. This is a good way for you and project
collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project.

New Brush

Allows to create a new preset from the selected pencil line.

Delete Brush

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Rename Brush

Allows you to rename the currently selected preset.

Small Thumbnail, Large
Thumbnail, and Stroke
View

Allows you to display the presets as small square thumbnails, large
square thumbnails or a list of stroke preview.

This option is available from the menu
Use as Default Pencil
Texture Palettebutton. Sets the currently

selected pencil texture palette as the default pencil texture palette in youruser preferences. The default pencil texture palette is added to every
scene you create in Harmony. The palette is copied in your preferences,
so it will be added to your new scenes in the exact state it is when you
make it the default pencil texture palette.

Reload Default Texture
PaletteImports the default pencil texture palette as a new pencil texture palette
into your scene's palette list, and selects it as the current pencil texture
palette.

New Texture

Adds a new custom pencil texture to the list.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Delete Texture

Deletes a texture preset from the list.

Rename Texture

Renames the selected texture to keep the list organized.

Presets

Harmony provides a variety of pencil texture presets and also lets you
create and save your own.

Pencil Texture Palette

Displays the colour palette assigned to hold the pencil textures. Use theColour View menu to assign a new palette.
The Smooth operation lets you smooth out selected drawing strokes andremove extra points.

Smooth Selection

TIP
You can also smooth the selection by selecting Drawing>

Optimize > Smooth from the top menu or by pressing Alt +Shift + S.

The Pump Pencil Pressure option is used to increase the line thickness ofa selected area on a pencil line.

Pump Pencil Pressure

Deflate Pencil Pressure

The Deflate Pencil Pressure option is used to decrease the line thicknessof a selected area on a pencil line.

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Because pencil lines are defined by their centre lines, two pencil linesthat brush against each other may not actually make a closed shape, even
if they appear closed. If you select several pencil lines that are close
together, you can use this button to close the small gaps between thesepencil lines and make them into a single pencil line.
Merge Pencil Lines

The Reverse Pencil Thickness option inverts the thick and thin section ona selected pencil line. This option will take the thickest size on the line
and apply it to the thinnest, and it will apply the thinnest to the thickest.

Reverse Pencil
Thickness

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Perspective Tool Properties
The perspective tool allows you to deform artwork by creating a rectangular bounding box around it andallowing you to manipulate any of the four corners. The selected artwork will be deformed to fit the shape you
make by simulating a perspective effect.

How to access the Perspective tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Perspectivetool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Perspective Tool Options
Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple elements:lLasso: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing anirregular closed shape around them with your mouse.

lSelection Mode

Marquee: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing
a rectangle around them. This is faster, as you only need to dragyour mouse from one corner of the rectangle to its opposite
corner, but it may not be as precise as you want.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use the otherselection mode.

Snapping

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also526Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

Tool Name

Description

click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:lSnap to Contour: While moving the selection or one of its
control points, it will snap against the nearby points andcontours of your artwork, allowing you to snap parts of yourartwork together.

l

l

l

Snap to Alignment Guides: While moving the selection or oneof its control points, it will snap against nearby alignment
guides.
Snap and Align: When enabled, while moving a selection, therectangular bounding box of the selection will snap to therectangular bounding box of any other drawing stroke in thedrawing, allowing you to align drawing strokes laterally.
Snap to Grid: While moving the selection, the mouse cursor will
snap against the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show Gridfrom the top menu or press Ctrl + '.

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art andColour Art layers of your drawing simultaneously.
Apply to Line and Colour
Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they will
also be affected when this option is enabled.

Allows you to select between one of the two following deformation
modes:l

Perspective: Deforms the selection by simulating aperspective effect.

Deformation ModelLattice: Deforms the selection by simply making the artwork
fit the bounding box, without applying a perspective effect.

The difference between both modes becomes easier to understand if you
apply a transformation to a drawing of a grid to make it look like it's laid527

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Tool Name

Description

down on a surface:

Operations

Flip Horizontal

Flips the selection horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Flips the selection vertically.

Rotate 90 CW

Rotates the selection 90° clockwise.

Rotate 90 CCW

Rotates the selection 90° counterclockwise.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Polyline Tool Properties
The Polyline tool allows you to draw complex lines or shapes by defining each point and their Bezier handles
one by one.

How to access the Polyline tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Polyline

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Pencil Properties
Just like other shape tools, this tool creates pencil lines. Hence, its tool properties are similar to the ones of thePencil tool and it can be used with pencil presets.
Icon

Property

Description
The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool
will make.

Preview Area

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Pencil Properties
dialog.

Pencil Properties
DialogWhile the Tool Properties view only gives you access to the pencil size, alist of pencil presets and other drawing options, the Pencil Properties
dialog gives you access to all the available options for your pencil's
shape and texture. For more information on the Pencil Properties dialog,
see the Polyline Tool Properties section below.

Size

Defines the width of the pencil line used to draw the shape.

Pencil Presets
Icon

Property

Description

Presets list

Harmony provides a variety of presets and also lets you create and saveyour own. It is a good idea to create and save pencils with precise sizes
and parameters when you draw and design for efficiency andconsistency.
All tools using pencil lines share the same preset list. Therefore, thePolyline, Line, Rectangle, Ellipse, and Pencil tools share the same preset
list.

New Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Preset

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Presets Menu

Gives access to more options for managing presets.

Rename Brush

Allows you to rename the currently selected preset.

Import Brushes

Allows you to import brush presets exported from Harmony.

Export Brushes

Allows you to export your brush presets into an .xml file.

Small Thumbnail

Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails with a preview of their tip.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Large Thumbnail

Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails, with their name and apreview of their tip.

Stroke View

Displays presets in a list, with their name and a preview of a stroke donewith each preset.

Drawing Options
Icon

Property

Description
When this option is enabled, clicking close to a contour in your drawing
will add the point to that contour. The line you are building will be linked
to that contour.

Snap to Contour

If this option is disabled, attempting to click on existing contours will
always create a point very close to that contour, but not exactly on it.
Therefore, it is necessary to enable this mode if you want to create linesthat branch from into existing contours in your drawing.

NOTE
If you draw a line with the Line tool and make its tip snap to acontour or another control point in your artwork, they will belocked together. You can then manipulate both simultaneously
using theContour Editor tool. You can also separate two

drawing strokes that have been snapped together by selecting
one of them with theSelect tool and moving it away.

When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically fill it with thecurrently selected Paint colour.
Auto Fill531

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

TIP
By default the pencil line and its fill will be the same colour. To
select different colours for the line and its fill, do the following:

1. In the Colour view, click the

Unlock Three Colours

button.
2. Click on the

Set Current Pencil Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch foryour outline.
3. Click on the

Set Current Paint Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch forthe fill.

When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically remove theoutstanding lines.
Trim Extra Lines

When the Trim Extra Lines option is enabled, enable this option to makethe point where the beginning and end of the stroke meet into a smooth
curve rather than a hard corner.
Align Handles AfterTrim

As you draw in the Line Art layer, the Automatically Create Colour Art
option instantly creates the corresponding strokes in the Colour Art layer.
Automatically Create
Colour Art

Auto-Flatten Mode

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created asa separate drawing object, which can be edited independently from other532

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

parts of the artwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option
automatically merges strokes into existing artwork.

NOTE
Using the Select tool, you can use select and remove a segmentof flattened pencil lines. Overlapping pencil lines drawn with theAuto-Flatten mode are essentially cut into segments by theoverlap and can be treated as individual lines.

Pencil Properties Dialog
The Polyline tool draws the same type of line as the Pencil tool. Hence, you can configure the Polyline tool'slines using the Pencil Properties dialog, which you can open by clicking on the arrow button right of the stroke
display area in the Tool Properties view.

Size and Smoothness Tab
The Size and Smoothness tab allows you to select your pencil's size, its smoothing parameters as well as theshape of its tips and corners.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

Maximum Size

Defines the maximum size of the pencil line. If the tool is used with a pressure
sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary between its maximum size andminimum size depending on the amount of pressure used. If used with a mouse, thewidth of the stroke will always be its maximum size.

Minimum Size

Defines the minimum size of your stroke as a percentage of the maximum size. If you
do not have pressure sensitivity from a pen table, the minimum size value will beignored.

Proportional to Camera

If you check this option, the size of the pencil will be adjusted to the position of thecamera on the z-axis. This means that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, thepencil will be proportionally smaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered
image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed out, the pencil will be proportionallybigger.

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the central line of thepencil stroke. A higher setting will prevent your line from being shaky and will
reduce the amount of control points it has, making it easier to tweak, but is liable toreduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.
Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the outer contour ofthe pencil stroke.

Contour Smoothing

A pencil line is defined by its centreline and its variations in thickness, rather than its
apparent shape. When drawing a pencil line with a mouse, its thickness is uniform.
Therefore, its outer contour does not have any control point, except at its extremities,
and no smoothing is required for its contour.
However, when drawing a pencil line with a pressure sensitive tablet, its contour will
have control points and Bezier curves to define the line's variations in thickness, andthus smoothing must be performed on its contour. An increased contour smoothing
will reduce the amount of control points on the line's thickness and smoothen its
curves, but may affect the precision of the variations in line thickness.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Property

DescriptionllEnd: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Texture Tab
In the Pencil Properties view, the Texture tab allows you to select a pencil texture from the currently selected
pencil texture palette to use with the Pencil tool. You can also add, remove or rename textures, save thecurrent pencil texture palette as the default one, or import the pencil texture palette into your scene.
The pencil texture palette used in the Texture tab of the Pencil Properties dialog is the one selected in the
Colour view. You can select a pencil texture palette by selecting it from the pencil texture palette list in the
Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

Icon

Property

Description

This option is available from the menu
Use as Default Pencil
Texture Palettebutton. Sets the currently

selected pencil texture palette as the default pencil texture palette in youruser preferences. The default pencil texture palette is added to every
scene you create in Harmony. The palette is copied in your preferences, so
it will be added to your new scenes in the exact state it is when you makeit the default pencil texture palette.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

Reload Default Texture
PaletteImports the default pencil texture palette as a new pencil texture palette
into your scene's palette list, and selects it as the current pencil texture
palette.

New Texture

Allows you to import an image file into a new pencil texture swatch in thecurrent pencil texture palette. The pencil texture's effect on your pencil
line will be based on the image's transparency channel, and will follow
your pencil lines on its horizontal axis. This option is also available fromthe menu

Delete Texture

Rename Texture

button.

Deletes a pencil texture swatch from the current pencil texture palette.
This option is also available from the menu

button.

Renames the selected pencil texture swatch in the current pencil texture
palette. This option is also available from the menu

button.

Pencil Texture Display

Displays the pencil textures in the current pencil texture palette andallows you to select one to use with the Pencil tool.

Pencil Texture Palette

Displays the name of the currently selected pencil texture palette, forreference. To select a different pencil texture palette, you must select it in
the Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

NOTE
L

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Rectangle Tool Properties
The Rectangle tool allows you to quickly draw a rectangle or a square.

How to access the Rectangle tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Rectangle

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Pencil Properties
Just like other shape tools, this tool creates pencil lines. Hence, its tool properties are similar to the ones of thePencil tool and it can be used with pencil presets.
Property

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke your drawing tool will make.
Preview Area

Pencil Properties
Dialog

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Pencil Properties dialog.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

While the Tool Properties view only gives you access to a few of the pencil properties,
a list of pencil presets and other drawing options, the Pencil Properties dialog gives
you access to all the available options for your pencil's shape and texture. For more
information on the Pencil Properties dialog, see the Pencil Properties Dialog on page542 section below.
Size

Defines the width of the pencil line used to draw the shape.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew. You
can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Drawing Options
These options affect the way your shape is added to your artwork.
Icon

Property

Description

When enabled, your brush strokes will appear behind the existing artwork.

Draw Behind538

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

Property

Description

NOTEYour brush stroke will temporarily appear over your artwork as you
draw it, until you release the mouse cursor or tablet pen.

When enabled, the shape you draw is automatically filled with theselected colour. By default, drawing a shape only creates its outlines.

TIP

Auto Fill

By default the pencil line and its fill will be the same colour. To
select different colours for the line and its fill, do the following:

1. In the Colour view, click the

Unlock Three Colours

button.
2. Click on the

Set Current Pencil Colour swatch. Then,in the colour list, select the desired colour swatch foryour outline.
3. Click on the

Set Current Paint Colour swatch. Then, inthe colour list, select the desired colour swatch for thefill.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.

Snapping

If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also
click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:lSnap to Contour: When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse
cursor will snap to the nearby contours of the artwork in yourdrawing.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

l

l

l

Snap to Alignment Guides: While drawing, the drawing tool will
snap against nearby alignment guides.
Snap and Align: When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse
cursor will automatically align to the rectangular bounding boxesof other strokes and shapes in your drawing.
When enabled, while you're drawing, the mouse cursor will snap
against the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show Gridfrom the top menu or press Ctrl + '.

As you draw in the Line Art layer, the Automatically Create Colour Art
option instantly creates the corresponding strokes in the Colour Art layer.
Automatically Create
Colour Art

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created as aseparate drawing object, which can be edited independently from otherparts of the artwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option automaticallymerges strokes into existing artwork.

Auto Flatten Mode

NOTE
Using the Select tool, you can use select and remove a segment offlattened pencil lines. Overlapping pencil lines drawn with theAuto-Flatten mode are essentially cut into segments by theoverlap and can be treated as individual lines.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

PropertyUse Stored Colour
Gradient

Description

The Use Stored Colour Gradient option can be used when painting with agradient colour to always position the gradient in the same way it wasstored, making it consistent across brush strokes. You can store a gradientby selecting a zone painted with a gradient with the Select tool, thenclicking on Store Colour Gradientin the Tool Properties view.

When enabled, the rectangle tool will always draw a rectangle of equal
width and height, making it a perfect square.
Draw Square

TIP
You can also draw a perfect square by holding the Shift key while
drawing.

Pencil Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage pencil presets.
Icon

Property

Description

Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and thickness stencils andalso lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea to create andsave pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw for
efficiency and consistency.

Presets list

A thickness stencil saves the thickness information across the length ofthe line. When drawing with a thickness stencil, the pressure sensitivityof the tablet is discarded. A thickness stencil can be used while drawing,or applied afterwards.
You also have the possibility to apply different textures to your lines byeither using the default presets or to import your own.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import thosethat others have created. This is a good way for you and project
collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project.

New Brush Preset

Creates a new preset based on the current tool properties.

Delete Brush Preset

Deletes the currently selected preset.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

Open a menu that contains the following options:
l

l

l

l

Brush Presets Menu
l

l

l

l

New Brush Preset: Creates a new preset based on the current
tool properties.
Delete Brush: Deletes the currently selected preset.
Rename Brush: Allows you to rename the currently selected
preset.
Import Brushes: Allows you to import brush presets exported
from Harmony.
Export Brushes: Allows you to export your brush presets into an.xml file.
Small Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails
with a preview of their tip.
Large Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails,
with their name and a preview of their tip.
Stroke View: Displays presets in a list, with their name and apreview of a stroke done with each preset.

Pencil Properties Dialog
The Rectangle tool draws the same type of line as the Pencil tool. Hence, you can configure the Rectangle
tool's lines using the Pencil Properties dialog, which you can open by clicking on the arrow button right of thestroke display area in the Tool Properties view.

Size and Smoothness Tab
The Size and Smoothness tab allows you to select your pencil's size, its smoothing parameters as well as theshape of its tips and corners.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Property

Description

Maximum Size

Defines the maximum size of the pencil line. If the tool is used with a pressure
sensitive pen tablet, the width of the stroke will vary between its maximum size andminimum size depending on the amount of pressure used. If used with a mouse, thewidth of the stroke will always be its maximum size.

Minimum Size

Defines the minimum size of your stroke as a percentage of the maximum size. If you
do not have pressure sensitivity from a pen table, the minimum size value will beignored.

Proportional to Camera

If you check this option, the size of the pencil will be adjusted to the position of thecamera on the z-axis. This means that if the camera is zoomed in on the scene, thepencil will be proportionally smaller so that it appears the same size in the rendered
image. Likewise, if the camera is zoomed out, the pencil will be proportionallybigger.

Centerline Smoothing

Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the central line of thepencil stroke. A higher setting will prevent your line from being shaky and will
reduce the amount of control points it has, making it easier to tweak, but is liable toreduce drawing precision and turn sharp angles into curves.
Defines the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on the outer contour ofthe pencil stroke.

Contour Smoothing

A pencil line is defined by its centreline and its variations in thickness, rather than its
apparent shape. When drawing a pencil line with a mouse, its thickness is uniform.
Therefore, its outer contour does not have any control point, except at its extremities,
and no smoothing is required for its contour.
However, when drawing a pencil line with a pressure sensitive tablet, its contour will543

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Property

Description

have control points and Bezier curves to define the line's variations in thickness, andthus smoothing must be performed on its contour. An increased contour smoothing
will reduce the amount of control points on the line's thickness and smoothen its
curves, but may affect the precision of the variations in line thickness.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Shape

l

l

l

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew.
You can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves
abruptly. You could also define the Join style as the corner style. You canchoose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Texture Tab
In the Pencil Properties view, the Texture tab allows you to select a pencil texture from the currently selected
pencil texture palette to use with the Pencil tool. You can also add, remove or rename textures, save thecurrent pencil texture palette as the default one, or import the pencil texture palette into your scene.
The pencil texture palette used in the Texture tab of the Pencil Properties dialog is the one selected in the
Colour view. You can select a pencil texture palette by selecting it from the pencil texture palette list in the
Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

Property

Description

This option is available from the menu
Use as Default Pencil
Texture Palettebutton. Sets the currently

selected pencil texture palette as the default pencil texture palette in youruser preferences. The default pencil texture palette is added to every
scene you create in Harmony. The palette is copied in your preferences, so
it will be added to your new scenes in the exact state it is when you makeit the default pencil texture palette.

Reload Default Texture
PaletteNew Texture

Imports the default pencil texture palette as a new pencil texture palette
into your scene's palette list, and selects it as the current pencil texture
palette.
Allows you to import an image file into a new pencil texture swatch in thecurrent pencil texture palette. The pencil texture's effect on your pencil
line will be based on the image's transparency channel, and will follow
your pencil lines on its horizontal axis. This option is also available fromthe menu

Delete Texture

Rename Texture

Pencil Texture Display

button.

Deletes a pencil texture swatch from the current pencil texture palette.
This option is also available from the menu

button.

Renames the selected pencil texture swatch in the current pencil texture
palette. This option is also available from the menu

button.

Displays the pencil textures in the current pencil texture palette and545

Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

allows you to select one to use with the Pencil tool.

Pencil Texture Palette

Displays the name of the currently selected pencil texture palette, forreference. To select a different pencil texture palette, you must select it in
the Colour view—see Colour View on page 644.

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Reposition All Drawings Tool Properties
When you use the Reposition All Drawings tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Options
Icon

OptionDescription

Easy Drag

When enabled, you can drag the selection by clicking anywhere inside its boundingbox. By default, you must click on the artwork in the selection to be able to drag it.

Apply toSyncedDrawing

If the currently selected layer is synced with another layer, the tool will work on
both the current layer and its synced layer.

LayersOperations
Icon

OptionDescription

Flip Horizontal

Flips the current selection horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Flips the current selection vertically.

Rotate 90
Degrees CW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate 90
Degrees CCW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

Offset X and Y

Use the Offset X and Offset Y operation fields to enter specific values andprecisely reposition the selected shape.

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Icon

OptionDescription

1. X: Type a value in this field to reposition your selection along the X-axis.
2. Y: Type a value in this field to reposition your selection along the Y-axis.
3. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify the value in the
X or Y value field.
Use the Width and Height operation fields to enter specific values to resize theselected shape with precision.

Width andHeight

1. Width: Type a value in this field to resize the width of your selection.
2. Height: Type a value in this field to resize the height of your selection.
3. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify the value in the
Width or Height fields.
4. Lock icon: Click the lock icon to lock or unlock the ratio between the
Width and Height values.
The Angle operation lets you to enter specific values and accurately rotate theselected shape.

Angle
1. Angle: Type a degree value in this field to rotate your selection.
2. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify the value in theAngle value field.

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Rigging Tool Properties
In the Tool Properties view, you can customize not only the behaviour of the tool but also the settings of thedeformers that you will create.

Mode
ButtonName

Description

Bone Mode

Sets the Rigging tool to create Bone deformations.

Game Bone Mode

Sets the Rigging tool to create Game Bone deformations.

Options
ButtonParameter

Description

Show All Manipulators

Lets you immediately see the resting position in red (Setup) and theanimated position in green.

Operations
ButtonName

Description

Reset Deform (Reset Current
Keyframe)

Copies the resting position of the deformation skeleton to thecurrent frame.

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Select Tool Properties
The Select tool lets you select strokes and apply basic transformations such as repositioning, rotating, scalingor skewing, using the different handles of the bounding box.
If you have text or pencil lines selected with the Select tool, their properties will display in the Tool Properties
view, allowing you to make changes to your selection.

How to access the Select tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Selecttool or the Select by Colour

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

NOTE
Selecting the Select by Colour

tool from the Tools toolbar activates the Select tool, with theSelect by Colour option enabled. Hence, this topic covers the tool properties for both the Selectand Select by Colour tools.

Tool Options
Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to choose the method to visually select multiple elements:lLasso: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing anirregular closed shape around them with your mouse.

Selection ModelMarquee: Allows you to select multiple elements by drawing
a rectangle around them. This is faster, as you only need to dragyour mouse from one corner of the rectangle to its opposite

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Icon

Property

Description

corner, but it may not be as precise as you want.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to temporarily use the otherselection mode.

Easy Drag

When enabled, you can drag the selection by clicking anywhere inside its
bounding box. By default, you must click on the artwork in the selection
to be able to drag it.
Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also
click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:llSnappinglSnap to Contour: While moving the selection or one of its control
points, it will snap against the nearby points and contours of yourartwork, allowing you to snap parts of your artwork together.
Snap to Alignment Guides: While moving the selection or one ofits control points, it will snap against nearby alignment guides.
Snap and Align: While moving the selection, the rectangularbounding box of the selection will align with the rectangularbounding boxes of other strokes and shapes in your artwork. If
you move one of your selection's control points, it will also alignwith the bounding boxes of other strokes and shapes in yourartwork.

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Icon

Property

DescriptionlSnap to Grid: While moving the selection, the mouse cursor will
snap against the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show Gridfrom the top menu or press Ctrl + '.

When enabled, the width of pencil lines will be adjusted when scaling
them with the Select tool.
Scale Pencil Line
Thickness

TIP
You can quickly enable this mode by selecting the Scale Pencil
Line Thickness

tool, in the Selecttool's properties dialog.

When enabled, clicking on a coloured zone in your artwork will instantly
select all the zones that are filled with the same colour.
Select by Colour

can also be accessed from the Tools toolbar.

Select by Colour

NOTE
Only the zones painted with the same colour swatch in yourpalette will be selected. If another zone is coloured with the exact
same colour, but not the same colour swatch, it will not be
selected.

Permanent Selection

Allows you maintain a selection while editing multiple drawings. Once
this option is enabled, the selection zone made using the Select tool willremain as you navigate through drawings of the same layer and drawings

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Icon

Property

Description

from other drawing layers.

This option allows you to select which layers the tool should affect. It
can be toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has two different modes.
You can select a mode by clicking and holding on the button.
ll

Off: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on thecurrently selected layers. If several layers are selected, the tool
will work on all these layers simultaneously.
Apply to Visible Drawing Layers: The tool will work on all
the visible layers in the Camera view.

l

Apply to Synced Drawing Layers: If the currently selected
layer is synced with another layer, the tool will work on both thecurrent layer and its synced layer.

Apply to Visible Drawing
LayersNOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

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Icon

Property

Description

This option allows you to determine which drawings in the current layer
the tool should affect. It can be toggled on or off. When toggled on, it has
two different modes. You can select a mode by clicking and holding on
the button.
ll

Off: When this button is toggled off, the tool only works on thedrawing in the current frame.
Apply to All Frames: The tool will work on every exposeddrawing in the selected layer simultaneously.

lApply to All Frames

Apply to Onion Skin Range: The tool will work on every
drawing displayed in the Onion Skin. Onion Skin must be enabled
for this option to work.

Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art andColour Art layers of your drawing simultaneously.
Apply to Line and Colour
Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they will
also be affected when this option is enabled.

Operations
Icon

Property

Description

Flip Horizontal

Flips the current selection horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Flips the current selection vertically.

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Icon

Property

Description

Rotate 90 Degrees CW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate 90 Degrees CCW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

Smooth out selected drawing strokes and remove extra points.
SmoothMerges drawing objects and brush strokes into a single layer. If you draw
new lines to fix a drawing or line with many brush strokes, it can be useful
to flatten them all into a single shape. By default, lines are drawn one on
top of each other. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, itwill be easier if they are flattened.

FlattenCreate Colour Art fromLine Art

Lets you use the outline you traced on one of the four embedded layers(line art, colour art, overlay, underlay) and create invisible strokes to paintyour drawings on separate layers. This provides more inking and painting
flexibility.
You can also configure this option to create the invisible strokes on any of
the four embedded layers.

Distribute to Layers

The Distribute to Layers option is used to separate the selected art strokes
and send them to new drawing layers. In the Camera view, once you havedrawn your artwork, you can select the strokes you want to distributeusing the Select tool and click on the Distribute to Layers button; you canalso select Drawing > Distribute to Layers. It will automatically takeevery stroke from the drawing selection made in the Camera view and555

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Icon

Property

Description

separate them into a different layer for each. If an artwork is composed ofseveral strokes, you must group them using Edit > Group > Group before
using the Distribute to Layers option. This option cannot be done from theDrawing view.

Store Colour Gradient

Use the Store Colour Gradient operation to record the selected gradient’s
position. This reuses the stored position of the gradient when drawing
new brush lines or painting colour zones. Enable the Use Stored Colour
Gradient

option in the Paint or Brush Tool Properties view to do this.

Converts the selected centre line pencil strokes into contour strokes brushlines.

Pencil to Brush

Because pencil lines are defined by their centre lines, two pencil lines thatbrush against each other may not actually make a closed shape, even if
they appear closed. If you select several pencil lines that are close
together, you can use this button to close the small gaps between thesepencil lines and make them into a single pencil line.

Merge Pencil Lines

NOTE
Points must be close enough to be merged. If there is a large gap
between the lines, they will not be merged.

Reverse Pencil Thickness

The Reverse Pencil Thickness option inverts the thick and thin section ona selected pencil line. This option will take the thickest size on the line
and apply it to the thinnest, and it will apply the thinnest to the thickest.

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Icon

Property

Description

Offset X

Lets you enter a value to reposition the selection along the X-axis.

Offset Y

Lets you enter a value to reposition the selection along the Y-axis.

Width

Lets you enter a value to resize the width of the selection.

HeightLets you enter a value to resize the height of the selection.

Lock

Locks or unlocks the ratio between the Width and Height values.

Angle

Lets you enter specific values to rotate the selection. A positive value
rotates the selection counter clockwise and a negative value rotates theselection clockwise.

Pencil Selection
If the selection contains pencil lines, the Pencil Selection section appears at the bottom of the Tool Properties
view, allowing you to adjust the properties of those pencil lines.

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Icon

Property

Description

Maximum Size

Adjusts the size of the parts of the pencil lines that are the thickest. Partsof the pencil lines that are between the minimum and maximum sizes will
be adjusted proportionally.

Minimum Size

Adjusts the size of the parts of the pencil lines that are the thinnest. Partsof the pencil lines that are between the minimum and maximum sizes will
be adjusted proportionally.
You can adjust the start, end, and join style of a pencil line.

Pencil Line ShapelllStart: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first
tip you drew. You can choose between Round or Flat style.
End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip
you drew. You can choose between Round or Flat style.
Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line
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Icon

Property

Descriptionstyle. You can choose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.
Allows you to apply one of the available line thickness stencils to theselected pencil lines. Stencils set the width of a pencil lines all along its
length. You can use one of the preloaded presets, or create your own
pencil stencils.

Pencil Stencils

Adding Texture to a
Pencil Line

Pencil lines support texture. Once a pencil line is drawn, you can apply apreset texture or load your own. Textures are independent from pencil
stencils.

Text Selection
If your selection include text boxes created with the Text tool, a Text Selection section will appear at thebottom of the Tool Properties view, allowing you to adjust the formatting of the whole text box.
TIP
You can also adjust the formatting of parts of the text in the text box using the Text tool—see Text
Tool Properties on page 578.

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Icon

Property

Description

Lets you select the font in which to display the text.
Font

Makes the selected text bold.
Bold

Makes the selected text italic.
ItalicAligns the text in the selected text box to the left.

Align Left

Aligns the text in the selected text box to the centre.

Align Center

Align Right

Aligns the text in the selected text box to the right.

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Icon

Property

Description

Makes the text in the selected text box take all the horizontal space byadjusting the spacing between each word. Text that use a single line andtext in the last line of a paragraph is aligned to the left.
Justify

Allows you to set the size of the selected text.
Size

Allows you to increase or decrease the spacing between each character.

Kerning

Auto Kern

Sets the kerning automatically based on the font’s predefined standard.

IndentAllows you to increase or decrease the indentation of the first line oftext in each paragraph.

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Icon

Property

Description

Increases or decreases the space between each line of text.

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Shift and Trace Tool Properties
The Shift and Trace tool allows you to temporarily move, rotate and scale drawings, then trace over them inother drawings, using Onion Skin to keep the outlines of the shifted drawings in your drawing space. Contrary
to Shift and Trace with the Drawing Desk, you can use the Shift and Trace tool in the Camera view.

How to access the Shift and Trace Tool Properties
1. Do one of the following:l

In the Tools toolbar, double-click on the Hand

tool and select Shift and Tracein thepop-up menu.
l

In the top menu, select Drawing > Drawing Tools > Shift and Trace.

The Shift and Trace tool properties appear in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Shift and Trace Tool Options
Enable/Disable
Shift and Trace

Enabled by default. When disabled, drawings that were repositioned, rotated orscaled with the Shift and Trace tool appear in their original position.

Display Cross
Hair

Enabled by default. When disabled, cross hairs added with the Shift and Trace
tool are invisible.

Show
manipulators for

Enabled by default. This displays the manipulator allowing you to rotate andscale drawings for Shift and Trace, as well as to re-position their pivot point.

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

shift and trace

When hidden, you can only shift drawings laterally.

Show theoutline of theselected shift
and trace
drawing

When enabled, the contours of each brush stroke for the current drawing willappear highlighted in cyan.

Show/Hide Pegs

Enabled by default. When using the Shift and Trace tool, peg holes are displayed
at the bottom of every drawing to help keep track of how offset drawings are fromtheir original position and from each other. You can also click and drag on the leftor right peg hole of a drawing to rotate it around the centre peg hole. Whendisabled, those peg holes are hidden.

Peg Position

Allows you to select on which edge of the drawings to display peg holes. By
default, they are displayed at the bottom of the drawings.

Modes and Operations

Set Add Cross
Hair Mode

When selected, clicking on the drawing will add a cross hair where you click.
Cross hairs are marks that appear on the same location on every drawing in thecurrent layer and which move when you offset a drawing with the Shift and Trace
tool, and they appear in the Onion Skin rendition of neighbouring drawings aswell. This allows you to keep track of how offset each drawing is.

Remove All
Cross Hair

Removes all the cross hairs created for shift and trace.

Reset Selected
Drawings Shift
Position

Undoes all transformations done with the Shift and Trace tool on the selecteddrawings, resetting them to their original position, angle and scale.

Reset All
Drawings Shift
Position

Undoes all transformations done with the Shift and Trace tool on all drawings,
resetting them to their original position, angle and scale.

Info
Selected Drawings

The element name and drawing name of the currently selected drawing.

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

Position

The offset of the current drawing from its original position on the x and y axes, infields, when moved with the Shift and Trace tool.

Scale

The Shift and Trace scale factor of the currently selected drawing, when scaledwith the Shift and Trace tool.

Rotation

Pivot

The Shift and Trace rotation angle of the currently selected drawing, in degrees,counterclockwise, when rotated with the Shift and Trace tool.
The offset, in fields, of the current drawing's pivot point from its centre, on the x
and y axes. The pivot point is the point from which drawings are rotated andscaled.

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Smooth Editor Tool Properties
When you select the Smooth Editor tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description
The Smoothing Style options allow you to smooth aportion of your drawing by tracing a smoothing strokeover the zone to optimize or by selecting an area ofthe drawing with the Marquee or Lasso.
Note that by default, the Smooth Editor tool colour isyellow, it was changed to orange for screen grab
clarity.

Smoothing Style

The Show Control Points option allows you to showor hide the Bezier points around lines. When the
Bezier points are displayed, you can see the result ofyour smoothing and the number of points left on the
curve. When it is turned off, only the original artwork
is displayed.

Show Control Points

This is where you set the minimum and maximum
sizes of your drawing tool which will produce thethick and thin effect on your stroke. This works withthe pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.

Minimum Size andMaximum Size

This options is available while using the Brush
Smoothingl566

style.

Maximum and Minimum Size: Defines the
maximum and minimum width of the stroke.

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guidel

Up/Down arrows: Use the up and downarrows to set the minimum and maximum sizevalue.

The Smoothness impacts the strength of thesmoothing result. The higher the value, the morepoints are removed and the smoother the curve. The
Smoothness range is from 0 to 100; the default value
is 20.

Smoothness

You can modify the colour of the control points
displayed on the artwork while working with the
Smooth Editor tool by double-clicking on the colour
swatch.

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Stamp Tool Properties
The Stamp tool allows you to create and use stamps, which can contain one or several drawings that can be
stamped individually or in sequence onto your artwork.

How to access the Stamp tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Stamp Properties
The following options allow you, among other things, to preview your stamp, to change the size of your stamp
as well as to flip it horizontally and vertically.
Property

Description

The Preview area lets you see a preview of what will appear if you draw a stroke with the Stamp
tool.
Preview
Area

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Property

Description

The arrow button right of the preview area opens the Stamp Properties dialog.

Stamp
Properties
DialogWhile the Tool Properties view only gives you access to a few of the stamp properties and a list of
stamp presets, the Stamp Properties dialog gives you access to all the available options for theway your stamp will be applied. For more information on the Stamp Properties dialog, see theStamp Properties Dialog on page 572 section below.

Flip
Horizontally/ FlipVertically

The two-ended arrows to the left and over the Stamp thumbnail allow you to flip the stamp
horizontally or vertically.

The maximum scaling factor to apply to the stamp before stamping it onto the drawing.
This setting is a percentage, which is relative to the size of the original drawing that was used tocreate the stamp. This means that, at 100%, the drawing will be stamped into your artwork in its
original size.
Maximum
Scale

NOTE
If the tool is used with a pressure sensitive tablet, the scale of the stamp can be made to berelative to the amount of pressure you put on your pen. To do this, you must reducing the
Minimum Scale property of your stamp in the Stamp Properties dialog. If the Minimum Scalesetting is left at its default value, which is 100%, the size of the stamp will not vary.

When using a multi-drawing stamp, this is the number of the drawing in the series that will bestamped on the next time you use the Stamp tool. For example, if your stamp has 3 drawings andthis is set to 2, the next drawing that will be stamped on is the second drawing in the series.

Stamp

If your stamp's Cycle setting is set to Hold, then you have to use this slider to select which
drawing to stamp with the Stamp tool.
If your stamp's Reset Cycle for Each Stroke option is enabled, then you can use this slider toselect which drawing to start each stroke with.
Otherwise, when you draw a stroke with the Stamp tool, the Stamp slider will automatically
update to the next drawing in the sequence.

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Property

Description

TIP
You can also cycle through the drawings in your stamp by using the Left Arrow and Right
Arrow keys.

NOTE
The Cycle and Reset Cycle for Each Stroke e options are available in the Stamp
Properties dialog.

Stamp Presets
These options allow you to select, create and manage stamp presets.
Contrary to the Brush and Pencil tools, creating a Stamp preset is required to use the Stamp tool, as this preset
will contain the drawings to stamp onto your artwork. A Stamp preset is created by selecting one or several
layers, then adding a preset to the Stamp Presets list. If several layers are selected, the Stamp will contain aseries of drawings, which it will stamp onto your artwork in a sequence as you draw strokes with the Stamp
tool.
Icon

Property

Description

Presets list

The list of Stamp presets. Click on one of the presets to select it and use
it in your drawing.
Creates a new Stamp preset based on the selected artwork. The artwork
can either be a selection made with the Selecttool, or by selecting alayer.
New Brush Preset

If several layers are selected, this will create a multi-drawing Stamp. As
you draw a stroke with the Stamp tool using a multi-drawing stamp, eachdrawing in the stamp will be applied onto your artwork, one after theother.

Delete Brush

Deletes the currently selected preset.

Brush Presets Menu

Open a menu that contains all of the previous options, along with all of
the following options:l

New Brush Preset: Creates a new stamp based on the selectedartwork.

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l

l

l

l

l

Rename Preset:Allows you to rename the currently selected
preset.
Import Brushes:Allows you to import brush presets exported
from Harmony.
Export Brushes:Allows you to export your brush presets into an.xml file.
Small Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails
with a preview of their tip.
Large Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails,
with their name and a preview of their tip.

lStroke View: Displays presets in a list, with their name and apreview of a stroke done with each preset.

Drawing Options
These options affect the way your drawing strokes are added to your artwork
Icon

Property

Description
When enabled, your brush strokes will appear behind the existingartwork.

Draw Behind

NOTEYour brush stroke will temporarily appear over your artwork as
you draw it, until you release the mouse cursor or tablet pen.

Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as to selectwhich types of snapping are enabled.
Snapping

If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a pop-up
menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You can also
click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable all snapping
modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable the snapping
modes which were previously enabled.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

This tool supports the following snapping mode:lSnap to Alignment Guides: While drawing, the drawing tool will
snap against nearby alignment guides.

Stamp Properties Dialog
The Stamp Properties dialog allows you to set more specific settings for your stamp, such as pressure
sensitivity, spacing, angle, randomness and, for multi-drawing stamps, how to cycle through each drawing inthe stamp. To open the Stamp Properties dialog, click on the arrow button right of the stroke display area.

Property

Description

The maximum scaling factor to apply to the stamp before stamping it onto the drawing.
Maximum Scale

Minimum Scale

This setting is a percentage, which is relative to the size of the original drawing that wasused to create the stamp. This means that, at 100%, the drawing will be stamped into yourartwork in its original size.
The minimum scaling factor to apply to the stamp before stamping it onto your drawing.
When using the Stamp tool with a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, the size of the stamps
applied onto your artwork will vary between its Minimum Scale and Maximum Scale

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Property

Description

properties, relative to the amount of pressure you apply to the pen.
This setting is relative to the Maximum Scale property. This means that if the Maximum
Scale is set to 50% and the Minimum Scale is set to 50%, the actual scaling factor applied
to the stamp will vary between 25% and 50%.
This setting is also used with the Random Size setting.
The two-ended arrows to the left and over the Stamp thumbnail allow you to flip the stamp
horizontally or vertically.
Flip Horizontally /Flip Vertically

The Roundness and Angle parameters allow you to change the shape and orientation of thestamp.
ll

Roundness &Angle

Roundness: The vertical scaling to apply to the stamp. Reducing this setting
squashes the stamp vertically, allowing you to turn round or square stamps into flatstamps.
Angle: The angle at which to rotate the brush tip, counterclockwise.

NOTE
The squashing is not relative to the angle—if the stamp is rotated, the squashing will
still be done relative to the stamp's original orientation.

Spacing

Defines the amount of space between each stamp that is applied onto the artwork. The
larger the value, the greater the space between each stamp.

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Property

Description

The percentage of randomness to apply to the size of the stamp. This makes the size of thestamp randomly vary between its Maximum Scale and Minimum Scale settings each time itis applied to your artwork.

Random Size
The greater the value of the Random Size property, the closer to its Minimum Scale the sizeof each stamp can get. For example, if the Random Size setting is set to 50% and the
Minimum Scale is set to 50%, the size of the stamp will randomly vary between 75% and100% of its Maximum Scale.
The maximum value of randomness to apply to the angle of the stamp. This makes theRandom Angle

Random Spacing

angle of the stamp randomly vary within the range of degrees in this setting, in either
direction, each time it is applied to your artwork. For example, if the stamp's Angle is set to0°, and the Random Angle is set to 180°, each instance of the stamp will be at a random
angle varying between -90° and 90°.

The maximum amount of randomness to apply to the spacing of the stamp. Increasing thissetting makes the distance between each instance of the stamp vary randomly as you draw
a stroke. At 100%, this makes the distance between each stroke vary between 0% and200% of its Spacing property.

For multi-drawing stamps, this decides the logic with which to cycle through the sequenceof drawings in the stamp as you draw a stroke.
Cycle

l

Forward: Starts by applying the first drawing in the sequence, then the next one,and so on until it reaches the last drawing in the sequence, then cycles back to thefirst one.

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Property

Description

l

l

l

Reverse: Starts by applying the last drawing in the sequence, then the previous one,and so on until it reaches the first drawing in the sequence, then cycles back to thelast one.

Forward->Reverse: Starts by cycling forward through the sequence until it reaches
the last drawing, then cycles backward to the first drawing, and so on.

Reverse->Forward: Starts by cycling backward through the sequence until itreaches the first drawing, then cycles back to the last drawing, and so on.

lRandom: Applies a random drawing in the sequence each time the stamp is applied.

lHold: Applies a single one of the drawings in the sequence over and over again.

TIP
When this option is set to Hold, you can select which one of the drawings is stamped
on by changing the Stamp setting in the Tool Properties view.

For multi-drawing stamps. This makes it so each stroke you draw with the stamp too
always starts with the first drawing in the cycle, which is decided by the Stamp option in
the Tool Properties view.
Reset Cycle for
Each Stroke

When disabled, the Stamp tool keeps track of which drawing it was going to stamp next
when you finish drawing a stroke by storing the number of that drawing in the Stampsetting. When this option is enabled, it simply stops updating the Stamp setting. Hence,
your strokes always start at the drawing selected with that setting. Likewise, you canmanually decide which drawing to start your strokes with by adjusting the Stamp setting.

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Stroke Tool Properties
When you select the Stroke tool, its properties and options appears in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Draw Stroke as
Straight Lines

Enable the Draw Stroke as Straight Lines option if you want the new strokes
you draw to be a perfect straight line. Disable the option if you want thestroke to follow the mouse gesture.

Connect Line Ends

Enable the Connect Line Ends option if you want the start or end point of
your new stroke to connect to your existing strokes to make sure no gaps areleft in your drawing.
When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically fill it with thecurrently selected Paint colour.

Auto Fill

When enabled, drawing a closed shape will automatically remove theoutstanding lines.

Trim Extra Lines

Align Handles After
Trim

When the Trim Extra Lines option is enabled, enable this option to make thepoint where the beginning and end of the stroke meet into a smooth curve
rather than a hard corner.

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Auto-Flatten Mode

By default, when drawing on a vector layer, each new stroke is created as aseparate drawing object, which can be edited independently from other partsof the artwork. When enabled, the Auto-Flatten option automatically merges
strokes into existing artwork.
Allows you to perform drawing operations on both the Line Art and Colour
Art layers of your drawing simultaneously.

Apply to Line andColour Art

NOTE
If you have Overlay and Underlay Art layers enabled, they will also
be affected when this option is enabled.

Apply to Synced
Drawing Layers

If the currently selected layer is synced with another layer, the tool will workon both the current layer and its synced layer.

Smoothness

You can modify the central line smoothness of your line using this option.
This parameter smooths the initial movement of your line. Increasing thevalue will result in a smoother line with fewer control points. Use the left
and right arrows to increment the value by one full unit. Use the Up - Down
slider to quickly increment the value.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Text Tool Properties
The Text tool lets you add text fields to your project, in which you can type text, then adjust its formatting
using various fonts and text attributes.
With the Text tool selected, you can select text within text boxes you created and change the formatting of
the selection. You can also select and manipulate text boxes using the Select tool, and change the formattingof the entire text box in the Select tool properties.

How to access the Text tool propertiesl

In the Tools toolbar, select the Text

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Property

Description

Lets you select the font in which to display the text.
Font

Makes the selected text bold.
Bold

ItalicMakes the selected text italic.

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Icon

Property

Description

Aligns the text in the selected text box to the left.

Align Left

Aligns the text in the selected text box to the centre.

Align Center

Aligns the text in the selected text box to the right.

Align Right

Makes the text in the selected text box take all the horizontal space byadjusting the spacing between each word. Text that use a single line andtext in the last line of a paragraph is aligned to the left.
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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

Icon

Property

Description

Allows you to set the size of the selected text.
Size

Allows you to increase or decrease the spacing between each character.

Kerning

Auto Kern

Sets the kerning automatically based on the font’s predefined standard.
Allows you to increase or decrease the indentation of the first line oftext in each paragraph.

IndentIncreases or decreases the space between each line of text.

Line Spacing

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Transform Tool Properties
When selecting the Transform tool, several options are available in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description
Sets the selection mode to Lasso, which allows you to selectmultiple items by drawing a lasso around them.

Lasso

TIP
When this option is enabled, you can press and hold the Alt
key to temporarily use Marquee mode.

Sets the selection mode to Marquee, which allows you to selectmultiple items by drawing a rectangle around them.
Marquee

TIP
When this option is enabled, you can press and hold the Alt
key to temporarily use Lasso mode.

Easy Drag

Snapping

When enabled, you can drag the selection by clicking anywhere
inside its bounding box. By default, you must click on the artworkin the selection to be able to drag it.
Allows you to enable or disable snapping for this tool and all otheranimation and drawing tools that support snapping, as well as toselect which types of snapping are enabled.
If you double-click or long-click on this button, it will open a popup menu in which you can toggle different snapping modes. You

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

can also click on this button to toggle it off, which will disable allsnapping modes, and click on it again and toggle it on to re-enable
the snapping modes which were previously enabled.
This tool supports the following snapping modes:llSnap to Alignment Guides: While moving the selection or
one of its control points, it will snap against nearbyalignment guides.
Snap and Align: While moving the selection, therectangular bounding box of the selection will align withthe rectangular bounding boxes of other elements in yourscene. If you move one of your selection's control points, itwill also align with the bounding boxes of other elements.

lSnap to Grid: While moving the selection, the mouse
cursor will snap against the intersecting points of the grid.

TIP
To display the grid, select View > Grid > Show

Grid from the top menu or press Ctrl + '.

Peg Selection ModeIn the Camera view, the Peg Selection Mode limits the selection topeg layers instead of drawing layers. This mode is useful when you
have created a character rig using peg layers for each drawing. Thatway, you do not accidentally select the drawing layer when you
want to animate on the peg.
When disabled, the Transform tool selects the drawing layers.
Allows the selection and manipulation of different types ofinterfaces, such as pegs and curves, together in the same operation.

Mixed Manipulation Mode

When enabled, certain deformation controls and extra controls will
be able to be selected and manipulated with the Transform Tool.
This will extend the bounding box used by the tool to encompass

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the selected controls. These controls can then be transformed at
the same time with other selected pegs, drawings and compatible
controls.

Hide Manipulator Controls

The Hide Manipulator Controls button lets you hide the boundingbox and manipulator controls from the Camera view when anelement is selected.
Flips the current selection horizontally.

Flip Horizontal

You can also select Animation > Flip > Flip Horizontal from the
top menu or press 4 or 5.
Flips the current selection vertically.

Flip Vertical

You can also select Animation > Flip > Flip Vertical from the top
menu or press 4 or 5.

Rotate 90 Degrees CW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees clockwise.

Rotate 90 Degrees CCW

Rotates the current selection 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

Use the Offset X and Offset Y operation fields to enter specificvalues and precisely reposition the selected shape.

Offset X ad Y

1. X: Type a value in this field to reposition your selection
along the X-axis.
2. Y: Type a value in this field to reposition your selection
along the Y-axis.
3. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify
the value in the X or Y value field.
Use the Width and Height operation fields to enter specific values
to resize the selected shape with precision.

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Chapter 4: Tools Properties

1. Width: Type a value in this field to resize the width of yourselection.
2. Height: Type a value in this field to resize the height of yourselection.
3. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify
the value in the Width or Height fields.
4. Lock icon: Click the lock icon to lock or unlock the ratio
between the Width and Height values.
The Angle operation lets you to enter specific values and accurately
rotate the selected shape.

Angle

1. Angle: Type a degree value in this field to rotate yourselection.
2. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify
the value in the Angle value field.

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Zoom Tool Properties
The Zoom tool lets you zoom in and out of the Camera, Drawing, Side and Top views. You can also use it toreset the zoom level.

How to access the Zoom tool properties
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Zoom

tool.

The tool's properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view.

Tool Options
Icon

Parameter

Description

Zoom In ModeUse the mouse cursor to zoom in to the Camera or Drawing view.

Zoom Out ModeUse the mouse cursor to zoom out of the Camera or Drawing view.

Operations
Icon

Parameter

Description

Perform Zoom
In

Zoom in the Camera or Drawing view.

Perform Zoom
Out

Zoom out the Camera or Drawing view.

Reset Zoom

Restores the current zoom level to 100%.

Reset View

Restores the original display by resetting any pan, rotation or zoom actions.

The keyboard shortcut is 2.

The keyboard shortcut is 1.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Chapter 5: Toolbars
Harmony contains toolbars which, by default, are located at the top of the interface. Some views also have a
toolbar which you can reposition to suit your work style. You can show or hide toolbars, as well as customize itwith the tools you use most often and hide the ones you don't.
Workspace Toolbars

587

Advanced Animation Toolbar

588

Art Layer Toolbar

589

Deformation Toolbar

591

Display Toolbar

594

Easy Flipping Toolbar

595

Edit Toolbar

596

File Toolbar

597

Flip Toolbar

599

Game Toolbar

600Mark Drawing Toolbar

601

Mini Playback Toolbar

602

Onion Skin Toolbar

603

Pen Settings Toolbar

605

Playback Toolbar

608

Scripting Toolbar

611

Shift and Trace Toolbar

612

Tool Presets Toolbar

614

Tools Toolbar

615

Workspace Toolbar

621

View Toolbars

622

Script Editor Toolbar

623

Timeline View Toolbar

628

Xsheet View Toolbar

633

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Workspace Toolbars
Harmony has a series of toolbars that are added by default at the top of the interface. These toolbars can be
moved on the sides of the interface as well as within specific views.
All top toolbars can be added by selecting Windows > Toolbars in the top menu.
Advanced Animation Toolbar

588

Art Layer Toolbar

589

Deformation Toolbar

591

Display Toolbar

594

Easy Flipping Toolbar

595

Edit Toolbar

596

File Toolbar

597

Flip Toolbar

599

Game Toolbar

600Mark Drawing Toolbar

601

Mini Playback Toolbar

602

Onion Skin Toolbar

603

Pen Settings Toolbar

605

Playback Toolbar

608

Scripting Toolbar

611

Shift and Trace Toolbar

612

Tool Presets Toolbar

614

Tools Toolbar

615

Workspace Toolbar

621

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Advanced Animation Toolbar
The Advanced Animation toolbar contains tools to position and animate layers. The Scale, Translate andRotate tools can be used to reposition the permanent pivot position of a layer. Unlike the Transform tool, eachtool in the Advanced Animation toolbar performs a single operation, either rotate, scale, translate or scale inrelation to the camera distance.

How to access the Advance Animation toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Advanced Animation.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y
axes.

RotateTurns a selected element around its pivot point.

Increases or decreases the size of a selected element.
You can scale an object up to make it larger or down
to make it smaller. Press Shift to scale the element
while maintaining its proportions.

Scale

Skew

Slants the selected element.

Maintain Size

Keeps elements the same size aspect ratio in the
Camera view as you move them towards or away fromthe camera.

Spline Offset

Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without
offsetting or modifying your animation. By default, thetrajectory is located at 0,0,0 fields. If your elements
were drawn in a different location than the centre of
the drawing area, it will look like the trajectory is notaligned with your drawing. Also, if you have several
elements attached to one trajectory, you might wantyour trajectory to be at a different location torepresent the group's motion better.

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Art Layer Toolbar
The Art Layer toolbar lets you access the art layers. By default, only the Line Art and Colour Art are displayed.
A drawing is composed of two layers, a line layer and a colour layer. The colour layer is always placed under
the line layer. These layers are accessible in the Drawing or Camera view (using drawing tools). When you
view the final drawing, you will see the final composition of the lines and colours, not two separate layers.

You can draw and paint in all layers. If you prefer to work in a single layer, everything can be done in the LineArt layer.
You can change your preferences to enable the advanced use of layers and have access to four layers instead oftwo:lOverlaylLine ArtlColour Artl

Underlay

How to access the Art Layer toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Art Layer.

How to enable the Support Overlay and Underlay Arts option
1. Select Edit > Preferences ( Windows/Linux ) or Harmony Advanced > Preferences ( macOS ).
2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Advanced tab.
3. In the Advanced Options section, select the Support Overlay and Underlay Arts option.
4. Click OK.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Preview Line Art andColour Art

Displays all Art layers.

Overlay Art

Makes the Overlay Art layer current.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Line Art

Makes the Line Art layer current.

Colour Art

Makes the Colour Art layer current.

Underlay Art

Makes the Underlay Art layer current.

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Deformation Toolbar
T-RIG-007-009
The Deformation toolbar contains the various tools and options used to create a deformation rig. This toolbar isdisplayed in the default interface.
By default, the Deformation toolbar only contains the essential options. If you right-click on the toolbar andselect Customize, you can add additional buttons.

Default Buttons
Icon

Tool Name

Description
The Rigging tool is used to create a Bone deformation
chain. You also use it to set up the resting position.

Rigging Tool

To learn more about the Rigging tool's properties, see
Rigging Tool Properties on page 549.

Show Selected
Deformation Chain and
Hide All Others

Displays the deformation controls for the selected
element and all of its children in the Camera view, andhides the deformation controls for any other element
in your scene.

Show Selected
Deformers

Displays the deformation controls for the selected
element and all of its children in the Camera view. If
deformation controls for other elements are currently
visible, they will remain visible as well.

Show Deformation Mesh

Overlay the deformation mesh as a wireframe over thedrawings.

Show Manipulator

When several points from a curve or envelope
deformation chain are selected, this displays amanipulator bounding box around them. Using thismanipulator, you can move, rotate and scale theselected points together.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

The Reset Current Keyframe copies the resting
position, the original setup of your skeleton before
undergoing any deformation, to your current frame.
Once you have created a deformation chain, you can
use the Rigging tool to adjust the position andappearance of the rig to fit the element. When theskeleton is in place, you can use the Reset Current
Keyframe button to reset the current frame position to
the resting position.

Reset Current Keyframe

The Enable Deformations button allows you todisplay your drawings in their original state or with
deformations while creating additional drawings.
Depending on the artwork you need to create, you
might need to refer to the other images either
deformed or in their original position.
Enable Deformations

NOTE
Disabling deformations is only a display
mode. Although drawings will not appear
deformed in the Camera view, even in
Render View mode, they will still be
deformed in the rendered images.

Optional Buttons
Icon

Tool Name

Description

Remove All Keyframes

The Remove All Keyframes option removes all
keyframes on the selected deformation chain.

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The Show All Controls button lets you visualize theresting position in red (Setup mode) and the active
position (Animation) in green at the same time
Show All Controls593

Chapter 5: Toolbars

Display Toolbar
The Display toolbar lets you select the different Display nodes available in the node system.

Harmony Advanced doesn't allow you to add Display nodes. The display selection feature is only available forthe possible scenario that you need to use a specific Display node created by a Harmony Premium user.
When your scene does not have a Display node, it is automatically set to Display All which uses the Timelineview ordering and shows floating nodes from the Node view. You can also set your scene to use Display All
using the Display toolbar.
NOTE
If you try to add a peg or other transformation layer in the Timeline view without having a layer
selected, an error message will display. Make sure to change to Display All. The peg layer will befloating in the Node view and will not be visible in the Timeline view. The Timeline view shows
only layers that are connected to the Composite node.
If you switch to Display All, you run the risk of not realizing when you have floating nodes that are
not connected to your composite. For this reason, it is not recommended to work in Display All
mode.

How to access the Display toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Display.

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Easy Flipping Toolbar
T-LAY-003-007
The Easy Flipping toolbar lets you rapidly flip through drawings in the Drawing view as is done with paper
drawings. In order for the features in this toolbar to work, you must be in the Drawing view.

How to access the Easy Flipping toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Easy Flipping.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Previous Drawing

Displays the previous drawing of your animation.

Next Drawing

Displays the next drawing of your animation.

SliderLets you flip forwards or backwards through yourdrawings by moving the slider.

Loop

Displays drawings in the first frame after you reachthe last frame of your animation.

Easy Flip

Automatically flips through the drawings based on
the FPS.

Preroll

Sets the number of drawings to be flipped throughbefore the starting drawing. The starting drawing isdetermined by the position of the red playhead in theTimeline view.

FPS

Sets the speed of playback in the units of frames per
second.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Edit Toolbar
The Edit toolbar contains common operations such as Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy and Paste. These commands canalso be found in the Edit top menu.

How to access the Edit toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Edit.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Undo

Removes the last change made to your project.
Harmony supports multiple undo, so you can undochanges you made in the order you made them.

Redo

Redoes an operation you have undone. This commandis active only after you use the Undo command.

Cut

Removes selected objects. You can then paste theobject or its properties to another object.

Copy

Copies selected objects and properties.

Paste

Places an object you cut or copied into the location
you select in a view.

Create Symbol

Creates a symbol from selected drawing elements inthe Drawing or Camera view or a layer or cells in theTimeline view.

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File Toolbar
The File toolbar contains buttons for common file operations such as New, Save and Open. These commands
can also be found in the File top menu.

NOTE
The

New, andServer,Save As buttons are only available in Harmony Stand Alone. With Harmony

Control Center must be used to create scenes.

How to access the File toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > File.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

New (Harmony Stand
Alone)Creates a new scene while closing any scene already open. The New
Scene dialog box opens, asking for directory, name, and resolution
information.

Open

Displays the Open Scene dialog box where you can browse for a scene
file. You can open a new scene from the current one and the previous
scene will close.

Save

Saves all changes made to the opened scene, drawings, palettes, andpalette lists.
Saves the current file with a different name and at a different location.

Save As

Saves the current state of a scene as another scene. The Save As
window prompts you for a new name and a different location for thisscene before saving it. This will create a complete scene directory for the
new scene.

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

NOTE
The scene name cannot exceed 23 characters.

Import Images

Imports bitmap images which you can choose to vectorize.

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Flip Toolbar
The Flip toolbar lets you determine the type of drawing to include in your flipping selection. You can flip
through the key, breakdown or in-between drawings individually, or view a combination.

How to access the Easy Flipping toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Easy Flipping.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Show Key Drawings

Displays key drawings when flipping throughdrawings.

Show Breakdown
Drawings

Displays breakdown drawings when flipping throughdrawings.

Show In-between
Drawings

Displays in-between drawings when flipping throughdrawings.

Show Retake Key
Drawings

Displays retake key drawings when flipping throughdrawings.

Show Retake Breakdown
Drawings

Displays breakdown retake drawings when flipping
through drawings.

Show Retake In-between
Drawings

Displays retake in-between drawings when flipping
through drawings.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Game Toolbar
The Game toolbar contains tools for setting anchors and props, as well as exporting to sprite sheets and Easel
JS.

How to access the Game toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Game.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Toggle Anchor

Adds the Anchor parameter to the selected layer.

Toggle Prop

Adds the Prop parameter to the selected layer.

Export to Sprite Sheets

Opens the Export to Sprite Sheets window where youcan export your animation as sprite sheets .

Export to Easel JS

Opens the Export to Easel JS window where you canexport your animation as Easel JS.

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Mark Drawing Toolbar
The Mark Drawing toolbar lets you identify drawings such as key, breakdown and in-between. The drawing
Identification feature can help the animator stay well organized and save time when identifying key,breakdown or in-between drawings in the Xsheet and Timeline views.

How to access the Mark Drawing toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Mark Drawings.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Mark as Key Drawing

Identifies the selected drawing as a key drawing.

Mark as Breakdown
Drawing

Identifies the selected drawing as a breakdown
drawing.

Mark as In-between

Identifies the selected drawing as an in-between

Drawing

drawing.

Mark as Retake Key
Drawing

Identifies the selected drawing as a key retakedrawing.

Mark as Retake
Breakdown Drawing

Identifies the selected drawing as a breakdown retakedrawing.

Mark as Retake Inbetween Drawing

Identifies the selected drawing as a in-between retakedrawing.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Mini Playback Toolbar
The Mini Playback toolbar allows you to quickly preview a short span of animation starting a few frames before
the current frame and ending a few frames after the current frame, at a customizable frame rate.

How to add the Mini Playback toolbar to your workspace
1. Do one of the following:

Icon

l

In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Mini Playback.

l

Right-click on any existing toolbar and select Mini Playback.

Tool
Name

Description

Mini
Playback

Open the Mini Playback dialog. This dialog allows you to set the amount of frames
before and after the current frame to playback when using Mini Playback, to set the

Dialogspeed of Mini Playback and to start Mini Playback.

Mini
Playback

Begins Mini Playback using the last settings entered in the Mini Playback dialog. By
default, Mini Playback will play 5 frames before and after the current frame, at thescene's frame rate.

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Onion Skin Toolbar
The Onion Skin toolbar contains a few options that can be used with Onion Skin. Specifically, you can use it toquickly toggle the Enable Onion Skin for other elements option, as well as to only display drawings withspecific markers in the Onion Skin.

How to access the Onion Skin toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Onion Skin.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

In the Drawing View, when the Light Table is enabled, making otherlayers visible alongside the current layer, this will make the Onion Skin

Enable Onion Skin in
Other Elementsfor other visible layers appear alongside the Onion Skin for the current
layer. Drawings for elements above the current layer will appear in blue,and drawings for elements below will appear in yellow.

NOTE
The drawings from other elements that get displayed in theOnion Skin are the drawings that are exposed at the same timeas the drawings displayed in the current layer's Onion Skin.

Show Key Drawings

Only displays drawings marked as key drawings in the Onion Skin.

Show Breakdown
Drawings

Only displays drawings marked as breakdowns in the Onion Skin.

Show In-between
Drawings

Only displays drawings with no marker in the Onion Skin. Drawings
with no marker are considered in-betweens.

Show Retake Key
Drawings

Only displays drawings marked as retake key drawings in the Onion
Skin.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Show Retake Breakdown
Drawings

Only displays drawings marked as retake breakdowns in the Onion Skin.

Show Retake In-between
Drawings

Only displays drawings marked as retake in-betweens in the Onion Skin.

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Pen Settings Toolbar
The Pen Settings toolbar provides options for enabling and configuring the Pen Stabilizer, which can help you
draw smooth lines with precision and minutia. It also allows you to access the Pen Pressure Feel dialog, whichallows you to configure how the pressure you apply to your tablet pen is processed by Harmony to affect thesize of your drawing strokes.

NOTE
For information on how to use the Pen Settings toolbar, refer to the User Guide.

Icon

Parameter

Description

Allows you to select a method for Harmony to stabilize your drawing strokes.
Stabilization is a process by which Harmony uses the general direction of yourdrawing strokes to create smooth, stable curves and avoid jittering and sharp corners.
Harmony accomplishes this by his by letting you draw a stroke of a certain length
without generating artwork right away. After your stroke has reached that length,
Harmony starts generating an drawing stroke that keeps trailing behind your mouse
cursor or tablet pen as you draw. Harmony uses the buffer between your mouse
cursor or pen tablet and the actual drawing stroke to generate smooth curves andignore jittering and small mistakes.
The way Harmony does this depends on the stabilization method you choose:Pen
Stabilizer
Mode

l

l

l

Stabilizer Off: No stabilization is performed. When you draw a stroke, artwork
for it is generated immediately.
Average: Harmony calculates the average direction of all of your mouse or
pen gestures between the end of the actual drawing stroke and the current
position of your mouse cursor or pen tip, and extends the stroke in thisaverage direction, effectively evening out jitter and rounding sharp turns.

Pulled String: When you start drawing a stroke, Harmony positions thedrawing tool where your stroke starts. As you move the mouse or tablet pen,
the drawing tool remains in that position, but a "string" appears, linking yourdrawing tool to your mouse cursor or pen tip.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Icon

Parameter

Description

This string has a certain maximum length. Once that length is reached, thestring pulls the drawing tool in the direction of your mouse cursor or tablet
pen.

NOTE
The distance between your mouse cursor or tablet pen and the stroke
can be adjusted. For the purpose of demonstration, these images weredone using the largest supported distance.

This parameter determines how far your drawing strokes trail behind your mouse
cursor or tablet pen as you draw.
Pen
Stabilizer
Distance

In the case of the Average technique Harmony lets you draw an invisible stroke of acertain length before it starts generating the artwork based on the average direction ofthat invisible stroke. This parameter determines the invisible stroke's length.
In the case of the Pulling String, Harmony binds your drawing tool to your mouse
cursor or tablet pen with a virtual string of a given length. This parameter sets thelength of that string.
Allows you to enable or disable the following options:lCatch Up: When using stabilization, your drawing strokes trail behind yourmouse cursor or tablet pen. With this option enabled, when you stop moving
your pen and just leave it pressed against your tablet, the brush stroke will
progressively catch up to the position of your pen.

NOTES

Pen
Stabilizer
SettingslllThis option only works if you are drawing with a pen tablet.
This option only works with the Average stabilization
method.

Show String: When using the Pulled String method, the virtual string
binding your drawing tool to your mouse cursor or tablet pen will be
displayed as you draw, allowing you to visualize how the brush stroke trails
behind your mouse cursor or tablet pen.

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Icon

Parameter

DescriptionlEraser: If enabled, strokes with theEraser tool will also be stabilized. By

default, the stabilizer works with theBrush,

Pencil andStroketools.
Pen
Pressure
Feel

Opens the Pen Pressure Feel dialog, which allows you to configure how Harmony
processes the pressure you put on your tablet pen before applying it to the thicknessof your drawing strokes—see Pen Pressure Feel Dialog Box.

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Playback Toolbar
The Playback toolbar allows you to play your animation as well as to set some playback options such as
looping, audio playback, playback range and playback speed.

Name

ButtonDescription
Plays the scene in the Camera or Drawing
view.

Play

You can also select Play > Play or Stop fromthe top menu.
Renders your scene's frames, then opens therendered frames in Play for playback.
This allows you to preview your scene's
animation in real time, with the effects
rendered and with no risk of slowdown.

Render and PlayYou can click and hold this button to switch
its mode to Record and Play or Test SWF
Movie.
Exports your scene as it appears in the Camera
view into a movie file, then opens it in yourworkstation's default video player.
Record and PlayThis allows you to preview your animation
without any risk of slowdown, but it does notpreview the effects in your scene. However, it
is much faster than Render and Play.
Quickly exports your scene as a Flash Movie(.swf), then opens it in your workstation's
default web browser.

Test SWF Movie

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If pressed, your scene will repeat indefinitely
when playing. Otherwise, it will stop whenthe end is reached.

Enable Loop

You can also select Play > Loop from the top
menu.
When pressed, your scene's soundtrack willplay during playback.

Enable SoundYou can also select Play > Enable Sound
from the top menu.
When pressed, you will hear a sample of yourscene's soundtrack at the current frame whenmoving your scene's playhead in the Timeline
view.

Enable Sound Scrubbing

This allows you to easily situate where theaction is relative to the sound track.
You can also select Play > Enable Sound
Scrubbing.
Allows you to quickly play your scene
forward or backward to preview youranimation.
Moving the handle towards the right will playyour scene forward, while moving it towards
the left will play your scene backward.

Jog Frames

The closer to the edge you move the handle,
the faster the playback will be, allowing you
to dose the speed at which your scene isplayed. When the handle is at the edge, yourscene will play at its actual framerate.
Once the head is released, it returns to the
middle and playback stops.

Frame

Lets you manually enter the current frame
number, setting the playhead's position.

Start

Let's you manually enter the number of thefirst frame to play during playback.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

TIP
You can also click on Start (just leftof the input field) to quickly set theStart frame to the current frame.

Let's you manually enter the number of thefirst frame to play during playback.

TIP

Stop

You can also click on Stop (just leftof the input field) to quickly set the
Stop frame to the current frame.

Lets you set the amount of frames that shouldbe played during every second of playback,which is how the playback speed isdetermined.
FPS (Frames per second)

NOTE
This does not change the frames per
second setting in your scene's
resolution settings.

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Scripting Toolbar
The scripting toolbar allows you to create buttons that run functions in your scripts. You can add one button foreach function you want to be able to run, and clicking on the button will instantly run the script function yourlinked it to.

How to add the Scripting toolbar to your workspace
1. Do one of the following:

Icon

l

In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Scripting.

l

Right-click on any existing toolbar and select Scripting.

Tool Name

Description

ManageScripts

Opens the Scripts Manager dialog box where you can add scripts and functions toyour Scripting toolbar.

Stop Script

Stops the execution of a script launched from the Scripting toolbar.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Shift and Trace Toolbar
The Shift and Trace toolbar allows you to temporarily move, rotate and scale drawings, then trace over them inother drawings using Onion Skin. Contrary to Shift and Trace with the Drawing Desk, you can use the Shiftand Trace toolbar in the Camera view.

How to access the Shift and Trace toolbar
1. Do one of the following:l

In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbar > Shift and Trace.

l

Right-click on any existing toolbar and select Shift and Trace.

NOTE
You can also select the Shift and Trace
the Handtool from the Tools toolbar, under the pop-up menu oftool. When the Shift and Trace tool is active, all the commands in the Shift and Trace

toolbar are available in the Tool Properties view.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Enables the Shift and Trace tool, with which you can temporarily offset, rotateand scale drawings.
Shift and TraceTool

The transformations done on drawings with the Shift and Trace tool are only
meant to allow you to trace these drawings, and can be undone at any time toreset the drawings back to their intended position.
Selecting the Shift and Trace tool also enables Shift and Trace and Onion Skin.

Enable/Disable
Shift and Trace

Enabled by default. When disabled, drawings that were repositioned, rotated orscaled with the Shift and Trace tool appear in their original position.

Set Add Cross
Hair Mode

When selected, clicking on the drawing will add a cross hair where you click.
Cross hairs are marks that appear on the same location on every drawing in thecurrent layer and which move when you offset a drawing with the Shift and Trace
tool, and they appear in the Onion Skin rendition of neighbouring drawings as612

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Icon

Tool Name

Description

well. This allows you to keep track of how offset each drawing is.
Remove All
Cross Hair

Removes all the cross hairs created for shift and trace.

Reset Selected
Drawings Shift

Undoes all transformations done with the Shift and Trace tool on the selected

Position
Reset All
Drawings Shift
Positiondrawings, resetting them to their original position, angle and scale.

Undoes all transformations done with the Shift and Trace tool on all drawings,
resetting them to their original position, angle and scale.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Tool Presets Toolbar
The Tool Presets toolbar lets you create new tool presets and manage them.

How to access the Tool Presets toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Tool Presets.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

New Tool Preset

Creates a new tool preset from the current tool
settings.

Manage Presets

Opens the Manage Tool Preset dialog box where you
can update, organize, and delete existing presets.

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Tools Toolbar
The Tools toolbar contains the main tools you need to work in Harmony. In the default workspace, this toolbar
located on the left edge of the application window.

TIP
Many toolbar buttons have a keyboard shortcut associated to them. You can check which keyboard
shortcut is associated to a button by leaving your mouse cursor over the button for a second. If the
button has a keyboard shortcut, it will be indicated in the tooltip that appears.

By default, the Tools toolbar hides some of its tools inside pop-up menus. For example, to select thetool, you must double-click or long-click the

Select tool button, and selectCutterCutter in the pop-up menu.

However, it is possible to make the Tools toolbar display each tool as a separate button by enabling the Flat
Tools Toolbar preference. This makes the selection of tools quicker.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

How to make every tool in the Tools toolbar display in buttons rather than pop-up
menus
1. Do one of the following to open the Preferences dialog:llWindows or GNU/Linux:l

In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U.

macOS:l

In the top menu, select Harmony Advanced > Preferences.

l

Press ⌘ + U.

2. Select the General tab.
3. In the Options section, check the Flat Tool Toolbar option.
4. Click OK.
5. Close and relaunch Harmony.
NOTE
In Flat Tools Toolbar mode, some tools are hidden from the Tools toolbar by default. To
customize which tools are displayed in the Tools toolbar, and the order in which they aredisplayed, right-click on the Tools toolbar and select Customize.

How to customize which tools are displayed in the Tools toolbar when it is in Flat
mode
1. Right-click on the Tools toolbar and select Customize.
The Toolbar Manager dialog appears.

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2. In the Available Tools list, select each tool that you want to add to the Tools toolbar, then click on
the Add the selected tool to the toolbar

button.

3. In the Toolbar list, select each tool that you want to remove from the Tools toolbar, then click on the
Remove the selected tool from the toolbar

Tool Name

Iconbutton.

Description
Allows you to select and reposition, scale, rotate and skew brushstrokes, pencil lines, shapes and other parts of your artwork.

SelectCutterAllows you to cut a part of your artwork, then reposition, scale, rotateand skew it.

Reposition All
Drawings

Allows you to reposition, scale, rotate and skew all drawings in thecurrent layer.

Contour Editor

Allows you to edit the vector contours of brush strokes, pencil lines andshapes in your artwork. You can add, remove, tweak and move vector
points, move the Bezier handles of the vector points as well as deform
vector outlines.

Centerline Editor

Allows you to tweak and deform a brush stroke by manipulating thepoints at the centre of its line rather than its contour.

Pencil Editor

Allows you to adjust the thickness of a pencil line at its different points
and corners, tweak the shape of its extremities and scale its texture.

Smooth Editor

Allows you to optimize contours and lines by removing its extra points,
making them easier to edit.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Perspective

Allows you to deform artwork by applying a perspective effect on it.

Envelope

Allows you to deform and warp artwork by moving points and tweaking
lines in a grid.

Edit
Gradient/Texture

Allows you to adjust the position, angle and size of gradients andtextures in a colour zone.

Brush

A pressure-sensitive tool for creating a contour shape with a thick andthin line effect, as if created with a paint brush.

PencilA pressure-sensitive tool for drawing outlines. Pencil lines are made ofcentral vector lines, making them easier to tweak and edit than brushstrokes.

Text

Allows you to add text and to format it.

EraserA pressure-sensitive tool for erasing parts of a drawing.

Paint

Allows you to fill colour zones with a colour or texture.

Ink

Allows you to recolour pencil lines with precision by changing thecolour of one segment at a time.

Paint Unpainted

Allows you to quickly fill empty zones in your artwork with a colour or
texture, leaving filled zones unchanged.

Repaint

Allows you to quickly repaint painted zones in your artwork. Empty
zones will remain empty.

Unpaint

Allows you to empty filled colour zones of their colour and texture.

StrokeAllows you to create invisible lines that can serve as colour zones thatcan be filled, or close the gaps in existing colour zones.

Close Gap

Allows you to close open shapes so that they can be filled with the
Paint tool. By drawing a stroke near a small gap in a shape, this tool will

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

create a small invisible stroke connecting the two closest points aroundthe gap.

Line

Draws a straight line segment going from one point to the other.

Rectangle

Draws a rectangle.

EllipseDraws an ellipse.

Polyline

Allows you to draw shapes, segmented lines or complex curved lines byclicking to create each point in the sequence of line segments.

Colour Eyedropper

Pencil Texture
Eyedropper

Drawing Pivot

Allows you to select a colour by clicking on a colour in your artwork.

Allows you to select a pencil texture by clicking on a textured pencil
line.
Allows you to position the pivot on a drawing layer by clicking where
you want its location to be.

Morphing

Allows you to create and configure a morphing sequence, which willautomatically generate the in-betweens between two drawings in thecurrent layer.

Hand

Allows you to pan the Camera and Drawing views.

Zoom

Allows you zoom in and out of the Camera and Drawing views.

Rotate View

Lets you rotate the Camera and Drawing views just like with a realanimation disc.

Shift and Trace

Allows you to temporarily move drawings so you can trace over them inother drawings using Onion Skin.

Animate Current Frame

When this option is selected, every time you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to manipulate an element in

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

your scene, the position of the element will be stored in a keyframe at
the current frame. This allows you to animate elements in your scene
without creating keyframes manually.

When this option is selected, if you use theTransform or
Advanced Animation tools to make transformations to an
Animate Onion
Skin Range

element in your scene, the transformations will be stored as keyframes
at the beginning and at the end of the current Onion Skin range, as wellas on every existing keyframe in-between. This can be useful if you want
to reposition an element that you have already animated, but only during
a specific range of frames, which you can define by enabling Onion Skinand setting the Onion Skin range to cover that range of frames.

When this option is selected, if you use theTransform or

Advanced Animation tools to make transformation to an element
Animate Offin your scene, the transformations will affect the element throughout thewhole scene. This can be useful if you want to reposition an element
after you have already animated it.

Transform

Allows you to select drawing layers and position, rotate, scale and skew
them.

Onion Skin

Displays the previous and next frames of an animation. Useful when
animating cut-out characters.

Advanced Onion
Skin

Enables Advanced Onion Skin, a more flexible kind of Onion Skin thatcan be easily configured using the Onion Skin view.

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Workspace Toolbar
The Workspace toolbar lets you load other workspaces. The first time you start Harmony, the default
workspace is loaded. Other workspaces are available such as the Hand-Drawn Animation and Compositing
workspaces; these display different views and toolbars. You can access these workspaces and any you create,from the Windows menu and the Workspace toolbar.

How to access the Workspace toolbar
1. Select Windows > Toolbars > Workspace.

Icon

Tool Name

Description

Workspace List

Allows you to select an existing workspace.
Opens the Workspace Manager where you canWorkspace Manager

organize, display, and remove workspace from yourlist.
When the Automatically Save Workspace preferenceis disabled, the Save Workspace button becomes
available. This allows you to manually save your newworkspace configuration.

Save Workspace

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

View Toolbars
Harmony has a series of view specific toolbars that are only available in a given view. These toolbars can be
moved only within their view.
All view toolbars can be added, as long as the view is visible, through the top menu Windows > Toolbars >desired toolbar.
Script Editor Toolbar

623

Timeline View Toolbar

628

Xsheet View Toolbar

633

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Script Editor Toolbar
The Script Editor toolbar gives you quick access to some commonly used commands for editing and testing
scripts in the Script Editor view—see Script Editor View on page 684.

How to access the Script Editor toolbar
1. Add the Script Editor view to your workspace by doing one of the following:l

In the top-right corner of an existing view, click on the

Add View button and select Script

Editor.
l

In the top menu, select Windows > Script Editor.

2. Click on the Script Editor view to set the focus on it.
3. In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Script Editor.

Icon

ButtonDescription

Creates a new script. When you click on this button, you are first prompted to type in a
name for the script. Then, you will be prompted to select which location to save thescript in:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You will
be able to run and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as
the same user.

NOTE

New Script

If you are using Harmony Stand Alone, the script will be saved to thepreferences for your account on your computer. if you are using
Harmony Server, the script will be saved to the preferences for yourHarmony database user.

lGlobal: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to
the Harmony database's global script directory. Anyone who is logged in to the
database will be able to edit and run this script.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Icon

ButtonDescription

l

l

l

Environment: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save thescript to the current scene's environment. Anyone will be able to edit and run
the script as long as they are working on a scene inside this environment.
Job: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to thecurrent scene's job. Anyone will be able to edit and run the script as long as
they are working on a scene inside this job.
Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone will be able
to edit and run the script when working on this specific scene.

lSystem Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if thisenvironment variable is set.

NOTE
For more information on script locations, see Script list on page 684.

Allows you to import a script from your machine into Harmony. When you click on thisbutton, you are prompted to browse for and select a script on your file system. Then,
you are prompted to select which location to import the script in:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You will
be able to run and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as
the same user.

NOTE
If you are using Harmony Stand Alone, the script will be saved to thepreferences for your account on your computer. if you are using
Harmony Server, the script will be saved to the preferences for yourHarmony database user.

ImportScriptllll

Global: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to
the Harmony database's global script directory. Anyone who is logged in to the
database will be able to edit and run this script.
Environment: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save thescript to the current scene's environment. Anyone will be able to edit and run
the script as long as they are working on a scene inside this environment.
Job: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to thecurrent scene's job. Anyone will be able to edit and run the script as long as
they are working on a scene inside this job.
Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone will be able
to edit and run the script when working on this specific scene.

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Icon

ButtonDescriptionlSystem Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if thisenvironment variable is set.

NOTES
l

When you import a script, any user interface (.ui) or icon (.png) filethat is in the same directory and has the same filename as the script
will also be imported.

l

For more information on script locations, see Script Editor View on
page 684.

Deletes the selected script.

NOTES
DeleteScriptll

You cannot delete a script if it is in the Application Resources
location, as those are scripts that are installed with Harmony.
If you delete a script that was originally in Application Resources but
which you copied to another location so you could make changes toit, the original version of the script in the Application Resources folder
will be restored to the list.

RefreshScript File
List

Refresh the list of scripts in the Script Editor. If there are new scripts in your user
preferences or your scene's scripts sub-folder, click on this button to be able to open
them in the Script Editor.
Allows you to type in the path and name for your preferred text editing software.

NOTES
Set
External
EditorllOpen with
External

On macOS, only typing the name of your preferred text editing
software is enough if that application supports the AppleScript OpenDocument protocol.
On Windows and GNU/Linux, unless your text editor is in yoursystem's PATH environment variable, you will have to type in the fullpath to the editor.

Opens the selected script in the chosen external text editing software.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Icon

ButtonDescription

Editor

Prompts you to select which script and which function to use with the
Debug buttons.

Run and

NOTES
Set Targetll

You can set the entire script as the target by selecting the <Nothing>
function from the functions list.
You cannot link an entire script to a toolbar button. Only functions
within scripts can be added as toolbar buttons. Therefore, running or
debugging an entire script rather than one of its functions should bedone for testing purposes only.

Runs the target script and function.

NOTES
l

Run
l

l

If you have not set a target script and function, you will be prompted
to set one when you click on this button.
You can set or change the target script and function by clicking on the
Set Target button.
If you are editing <<<Sandbox>>>, this button will simply run what
you typed into the sandbox, regardless of whether another target is
set.

Open the target script and function in the Qt Script Debugger, in which you can test
and debug the function.

NOTES
l

Debug
l

l

If you have not set a target script and function, you will be prompted
to set one when click on this button.
You can set or change the target script and function by clicking on the
Set Target button.
If you are editing <<<Sandbox>>>, this button will simply debug
what you typed into the sandbox, regardless of whether anothertarget is set.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

ButtonDescription

Stop
Execution

If a script is currently running, this interrupts its execution.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Timeline View Toolbar
The 3D Graph toolbar works in conjunction with the elements in the 3D Graph view.

How to access the Timeline view toolbar
1. Do one of the following:l

In the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Timeline View.

lRight-click on the space at the top of the Timeline view and, in the context menu, selectTimeline View.

Icon

Name

Description

Allows you to quickly apply an ease to the selected animation keyframes in thecamera view.
Set EaseType

To set the ease of an animation, simply select the first keyframe in the animation, thenselect the ease type in this drop-down. The ease-in will be applied to the selected
keyframe, and the ease-out will be applied to the next keyframe in the timeline.
The following presets are available:

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

Name

Description

Icon

PresetEase-In (Selected
Keyframe)

Ease-Out (Nextkeyframe)Linear0%0%Slow ease-in

25%

0%

Medium ease-in

50%

0%

Fast ease-in

75%

0Fast ease-in / easeout

75%

75%

Medium ease-in /ease-out

50%

50%

Slow ease-in /ease-out

25%

25%

Slow ease-out

0%

25%

Medium ease-out

0%

50%

Fast ease-out

0%

75%

Quick Ease

Sets the ease before and after the selected keyframe to 33%.

Quick Ease
In

Sets the ease before the selected keyframe to 33%.

Quick Ease
Out

Sets the ease after the selected keyframe to 33%.

Set Ease on

Opens the Set Ease on Keyframes dialog. In this dialog, you can set the ease-in629

Chapter 5: Toolbars

Icon

Name

Description

Selected
Keyframes(before) and the ease-out (after) on the selected keyframes to a custom percentage.

Set Ease forMultiple
Parameters

Opens the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog. This dialog allows you to adjust
the Bezier handles on all the selected animation keyframes in the Timeline.

CreateEmpty
Drawing

Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may already be
exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets another drawing, key
exposure or a blank cell.

Duplicate
Drawing

Creates a duplicate of the selected drawing in the layer. The duplicate drawing will be
exposed at the selected frame instead of the original drawing. Hence, this command
allows you to instantly start working on a duplicate of the current drawing and retain
the original.

NOTE
When duplicating a drawing, the exposure at the selected cell is replaced with
the new drawing, up until the next key exposure.

Insert
Keyframe

Adds a keyframe on the selected cell in the Timeline view.

DeleteKeyframes

Deletes the selected keyframes.

Set Motion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to motion keyframes. With motion keyframes,
Harmony generates the interpolation between the motion keyframe and the next
keyframe. This means that a value for each frame between the keyframes is calculated
by Harmony to progress from the value of the previous keyframe to the value of thenext keyframe.

Set StopMotion
Keyframe

Converts the selected keyframes to stop-motion keyframes. Between a stop-motion
keyframe and the next keyframe, Harmony does not generate any animation and theelement remains static until the next keyframe.

Go toPrevious
Keyframe

Goes to the previous keyframe.

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Icon

Name

Description

Go to Next
Keyframe

Goes to the next keyframe.

Add Key
Exposure

Adds a key exposure to the selected cell.

Delete Key
Exposure

Removes key exposures from the selected cells.

Centre On
Selection

Scrolls the layers list to the currently selected layer. This is useful if you want toselect a layer in the Camera view, then manipulate its timing Timeline view.

CreateKeyframes
On

Opens the Create Keyframes On dialog box, in which you can create keyframes at
every set number of frames within a given range of frames.

Fill Empty
Cells

Fills the empty frames in the selection with the exposure just before. For example, if
you select a range of frame that starts with an exposed drawing and then ends withempty cells, all of the empty cells in the selection will be filled with the exposeddrawing just before the empty cells.

Paste Mode:All Drawing
Attributes

Paste Mode:
Keyframes
Only

Paste Mode:
Exposures
Only

Sets the Paste Mode to All Drawing Attributes. In this mode, when you cut or copy
and paste frames in the Timeline view, both the animation keyframes and the exposeddrawings will be pasted.
Likewise, if you drag and drop frames in the Timeline view, both the animation
keyframes and the exposed drawings will be moved.
Sets the Paste Mode to Keyframes Only. In this mode, when you cut or copy and paste
frames in the Timeline view, only the animation keyframes will be pasted. The
exposed drawings will not be pasted.
Likewise, if you drag and drop frames in the Timeline view, only the animation
keyframes will be moved. The exposed drawings will not be affected.
Sets the Paste Mode to Exposures Only. In this mode, when you cut or copy and paste
frames in the Timeline view, only the exposed drawings will be pasted. The animation
keyframes will not be pasted.
Likewise, if you drag and drop frames in the Timeline view, only the exposeddrawings will be moved. The animation keyframes will not be affected.

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Chapter 5: Toolbars

Icon

Name

Description

Add Prefix
or Suffix

Opens the Add Prefix or Suffix dialog. This dialog allows you to instantly rename all
the selected layers by adding a prefix or a suffix to their name.

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Xsheet View Toolbar
The Xsheet toolbar contains the common timing operations such as Add Column, Delete Column, Clone
Column, and so on. These options can also be found in the top menu.

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Chapter 6: Views

Chapter 6: Views
The Harmony interface is composed of different views, each one designed for a specific purpose. You can modify
the location of the views by adding a new view as a tab or as a window. You can also swap the location of aview.
When a view is active, a red rectangle appears around the view. Keyboard shortcuts and top menu options areassociated with the active view. If a menu option is greyed out, it means it does not apply to the layer, drawing
or other type of selection or the option does not apply to the active view.
Camera View

635

Colour View

644

Drawing View

650

Drawing Substitutions View

653

Function View

655

Guides View

658

Integrated Help View

662

Layer Properties View

663

Library View

665

Master Controller View

668

Message Log View

670

Metadata Editor View

671

Model View

673

Onion Skin View

675

Perspective View

681

Script Editor View

684

Side View

689

Timeline View

691

Tool Properties View

701

Top View

702

Xsheet View

704

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Camera View
The Camera view is the centre of operations in Harmony. In this view, you can draw, paint, animate, set up yourscene, manipulate objects, open symbols and preview your animation.
The Camera view also has a top and bottom toolbar that you can use to navigate in the view, change thedisplay mode or go up your symbol hierarchy.

How to access the Camera view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Camera.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Camera.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options that you can use in
the Camera view to draw, animate or set up the scene.

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Chapter 6: Views

Icon

SectionDescription

Editing Stack

The Editing Stack menu displays the names of the symbols and theirhierarchy when you are editing a symbol. You can click on the different
names to go back up to the different parent symbols or the top/current
project.

Camera View Toolbar

The Camera View toolbar contains all the tools and options you can use
in the Camera view to draw, animate or set up the scene. The toolbar canbe displayed or hidden by right-clicking on it and selecting ordeselecting the Camera View toolbar.
When you have a drawing layer or drawing selected, the Light Table
button button allows you to fade the colours of the other layers so you
can see the current artwork better as you edit with a drawing tool. Notethat the light table does not work when using a layer editing tool, suchas the Transform tool.

Light Table

When this button is enabled, the drawing that you are currently editing
with a drawing tool is temporarily displayed in front of all the otherelements. The actual scene is not modified.

Current Drawing on Top

Camera Mask

The Camera Mask button shows or hides Displays a black mask aroundthe scene’s frame to avoid seeing the unnecessary artwork. This optionis handy when you're animating and setting up the scene. It allows you
to see your scene’s composition better.

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Icon

SectionDescription

You can also access this from the top menu by selecting View > Show >Camera Mask.

The proportion grid is displayed in the camera view to help withproportions and balancing the composition of an image. The gridfollows the camera frame, similar to camera mask and safe area.

Proportion Grid

The number of divisions in the proportion grid can be defined by the user
in the Preferences > Camera > Proportion Grid > Horizontal Divisions> Vertical Divisions.
The default is 3 division on each axis to create a rule of third grid.

TIP
You can access the Proportion Gridbutton in the Camera

View toolbar.

The Safe Area button shows or hides Displays the TV safety zone andthe centre of the camera frame. The safe area adapts to the scene
resolution, as well as the safety zone and frame’s centre.
You can also access this feature from the top menu by selecting View >Show > Safe Area.

Safe Area

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Chapter 6: Views

Icon

SectionDescription

When enabled, alignment guides will be visible in the Camera andDrawing views.
Show Alignment Guides

This is enabled by default. Disabling this option will hide and disablealignment guides, meaning that animation and drawing tools will not
snap to them, even if theSnap to Alignment Guides option isenabled in the Tool Properties view.
When you select an object in the Camera view with the Transform tool, abounding box always appears around the object and the artwork istinted in fuchsia, red or yellow. Enabling this option will only keep thebounding box and remove the colour tint.

BBox Selection Style

Drawings that are locked in the Timeline view (cannot be selected in the
Camera view) are displayed as wireframes.

Outline Locked Drawings

Reset View

The Reset View button resets any panning, zooming or rotation done in
the Camera view and returns the display to the initial settings. You canalso press Shift + M.
Saves the preview image of the Camera view in memory as a snapshot.

Take Snapshot

Harmony stores five snapshots and have a drop down list with fiveavailable slots. So if any snapshot was in memory when taking asnapshot, it will be overwritten by the new snapshot.

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Icon

SectionDescription

NOTES
l

Snapshots are not saved to the scene and are discarded
when the scene is closed.

Displays the snapshot currently in memory. To display the snapshot,
you must click and hold the button. Releasing it will restore the Camera
view preview.

Show Snapshot

NOTE
The snapshot is displayed as it was taken, regardless of thepreview mode of the Camera view. For example, if you took ascreenshot in Render View mode, and display it while in OpenGL
View mode, the snapshot will display as it was taken in RenderView mode.

The Zoom menu lets you enlarge or reduce the Camera or Drawing view
display.
To make the camera frame size always match the size of your view,
select the Fit to View option. Click the drop-down arrow and select azoom level or press 1 and 2.

Zoom Menu

OpenGL View Mode

The OpenGL View Mode button switches the Camera view to fast
display, letting you see your animation play in real time. The OpenGL
display requires less memory. The final look of your effects is not shownin the OpenGL View Mode. You must switch to the Render View Mode to
see your effects.

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Icon

SectionDescription

The Render View Mode button switches the Camera view to a fully
rendered display showing the final image of the current frame. If a
modification is done to your current frame or if you move to a different
frame, click the Update Preview button to update the display if yourpreview does not update automatically.The Render View Mode display
lets you see the final look of your frames including effects andantialiasing. You cannot play back your scene in Render View Mode. To
see your scene fully rendered and to play it back, you must press theRender and Play button in the Playback toolbar.
Render View Mode

Matte View Mode

The Matte View Mode button switches the Camera view to a mattedisplay showing the alpha channel of the elements in your scene. The
transparency level ranges from 0 to 100 percent. Zero percent iscompletely transparent and represented by black and 100 percent iscompletely opaque and represented by white. Everything in between
these extremes has a transparency level somewhere between 1 and 99
percent and is represented in various shades of grey.
l

To access the Matte View mode, click on the Render View buttonand select Matte View from the drop-down menu.

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Icon

SectionDescription

The Depth View mode displays images in a relative white to black
gradient scale. The object(s) closest to the camera are displayed in white
and the object(s) furthest from the camera are displayed in black. If theposition of the last object changes along the z-axis, that object will still
remain black, so long as it retains its position as the object the farthestback. It does not matter where that object is in 3D space, it just matterswhat its position is relative to the other object in the same space. The
objects closest and farthest from the camera set the range of the white
to black scale. All the other objects fall somewhere in between.

Depth View Model

To access the Depth View mode, click on the Render View
button and select Depth View from the drop-down menu.

The colour space in which to display the preview image when in
Render Preview mode.
Preview Colour SpaceYou can set this to any colour space supported by Harmony. It is
recommended to set this to the colour space intended for rendering yourframes, unless that colour space is not supported by your monitor. In thelatter case, it’s recommended to set this to the closest colour space
available that your monitor can display.

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Icon

SectionDescription

The following colour spaces are available:llLinear: The same primaries and white point as sRGB and Rec.
709, but with no gamma transfer curve applied to the colour
values. This colour space is useful for compositing intermediary
images that are meant to be rendered in sRGB or Rec. 709.
Display P3: A colour space commonly used for digitalprojection. It has the same primaries as DCI-P3, the same white
point as sRGB and the same gamma transfer curve as sRGB.

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Display P3 Linear: The same as Display P3, except with no
gamma transfer curve. This colour space is useful forcompositing intermediary images that are meant to be rendered in
Display P3.
Rec. 709: The colour space used for HDTV. It has the same
primaries and white point as sRGB, but has a different gammatransfer curve.
Rec. 709 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 709 or sRGB,
except with a gamma transfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886).
This colour space exists because some editing systems use agamma transfer curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve
for Rec. 709.
Rec. 2020: A colour space used for Ultra High Definition TV(UHDTV). It has a complex gamma transfer curve and primaries
that cover more of the human-perceivable colour space thanother colour spaces, especially in the area of human-perceivablegreens.
Rec. 2020 2.4: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except witha simple gamma transfer curve of 2.4 (per ITU-R BT.1886). This
colour space exists because some editing systems use a gammatransfer curve of 2.4 instead of the standard gamma curve forRec. 2020.
Rec. 2020 Linear: The same colour space as Rec. 2020, except
with no gamma transfer curve. This colour space is useful forcompositing intermediary images that are meant to be rendered inRec. 2020.
sRGB: A colour space typically used for standard computer
monitors. It has the same primaries and white point as Rec. 709,
but has a different gamma transfer curve.

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Icon

SectionDescription

NOTE
You can only select the display colour space inmode. In

Render View

OpenGL View mode, the preview image is

generated in the colour space selected in the Display Colour

Space drop-down in the Camera tab of the Preferences dialog.

TIP
You can have multiple Camera views in your workspace, each set
to their own colour space. Hence, you can preview your scene on
multiple monitors with different colour spaces by having a
Camera view on each monitor.

Drawing NameThe Drawing Name field displays the name of the selected drawing, as
well as the layer containing it. If the cell does not contain any drawing,
an Empty Cell text is shown in the field.
The Tool Name field displays the name of the selected tool. If you
temporarily override a drawing tool using a keyboard shortcut, the tool’s

Tool Namename will be highlighted in red. You can temporarily override a tool byholding its keyboard shortcut without the Alt key. For example, theSelect tool shortcut is Alt + S. If you hold down the S key, you willswitch to the Select tool. When you release the key, you will return to
the tool you were using.

Frame Number

The Frame Number field displays the number of the current frame.

Selected Colour

The colour swatch displays the currently selected colour in the Colour
view.

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Colour View
The Colour view is where you create colours and palettes and import existing palettes into your project. The
Colour view is also necessary for drawing, painting and creating colour styling.

How to access the Colour view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Colour.

lFrom any of the other views, click the Add View

button and select Colour.

Palette List Panel
Icon

OptionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the commands and options that you can use
in the Colour view to manage colours and palettes.

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Collapse/Expand Palette
List

Allows you to show or hide your palette list and its options. By default,
the palette list is displayed, but you may want to hide it if you are working
with a single palette and want to allow more vertical space for the colour
swatch list.

Add Palette

Allows you to create a new palette.

Deletes the currently selected palette. If the colour swatch is used in yourproject, zones painted with colour swatches which have been deleted willturn red, easily identifying them so you can repaint them with anothercolour swatch.

Remove Palette

Link Palette

Allows you to add a palette from a different location, be it in a scene, job,environment or even an element to your palette list. The palette will belinked to its original location rather than copied to your scene's folder.
Hence, if you make changes to the original palette, it will affect the colourof elements in your scene.
If you want to import a palette as a copy into your scene's palette library,right-click on your palette list and select Import. You can also link to apalette in any location on your machine or network by selecting Link toExternal.
Moves palettes further up or down the palette list.

Order Palette List

Edit Palette List Mode
Indicator

If a palette has been cloned, the highest palette among the original paletteand its clone(s) will be used by Harmony. This can be overridden by usinga Colour-Override effect—see Colour-Override Layer on page 358.
In Harmony Server, this icon appears when you have the modifying rights
on your scene's palette list. While several users can work on a scene at
the same time, only one user may have the right to modify a palette list at
any given time.

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NOTE
In Harmony Stand Alone, you can always modify your scene's
palette list. On Harmony Server, you must unlock your palette list
before making modifications to it.

Show Colour Palettes

Shows only colour palettes in the palette list. This is the default option.

Show Pencil Texture
Palettes

Shows only pencil texture palettes in the palette list.

Show All Palettes

Shows both colour and pencil texture palettes in the palette list.

Palette List
Icon

Description

In Harmony Server, this indicates that you have the rights to modify the palette.

Indicates that the palette is stored at the same level as its palette list. For example, a palette that isstored in the scene's palette library and which is listed in the scene's palette list, or a palette that isstored in an element's palette library and which is listed in that same element's palette list.
Indicates that the palette file is stored in an external location, such as a different scene, an element in adifferent scene, a job other than the scene's job, or an environment other than the scene's environment.
This means the palette is liable to be missing if it is moved from its original location, or if the scene isexported from the database into an offline scene or to a different database.
This indicates that the palette is stored at a higher level than its palette list, making it a shared palette.
For example, a palette in your scene's palette list that is stored in the palette library of the scene's job or
environment, or a palette in an element's palette list that is stored in the palette library of the scene.
Indicates a potentially dangerous situation. For example, a palette file that is stored in one of the scene's
element folders, but which is added to your scene's palette list. The whole scene can use the palette,
but since it's stored inside an element, deleting that element will make your whole scene lose access tothat palette.

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Colour Swatch List Panel
Icon

OptionDescription

Add Colour

Adds a new colour swatch to the bottom of your colour list.

The Remove Colour button lets you delete the currently selectedcolour swatches. If the colour swatch is used in your project, andconfirmation dialog will appear prompting you to confirm that you
want to delete the colour. Zones painted with colour swatches whichhave been deleted will turn red, easily identifying them so you can
repaint them with another colour swatch.

Remove Colour

Allows you to import a bitmap image as a texture, which can be
painted with just like a colour. When used with the Brush or Paint
tools, bitmap textures are tiled inside the shape they fill. The scaling
and position of the texture inside their shape can be tweaked with theEdit Gradient/Texture tool. When used with the Pencil tool or one of
the Shape tools, a bitmap texture will follow the pencil line's
direction.

Add Texture

647Chapter 6: Views

Set Current Brush Colour

When enabled, the colour you select in the colour view will beselected for the Brush tool.

Set Current Pencil Colour

When enabled, the colour you select in the colour view will beselected for the Pencil tool, as well as other tools that create pencil
lines, such as the Line, Rectangle, Ellipse and Polyline tools.

Set Current Paint Colour

When enabled, the colour you select in the colour view will beselected for the Paint tool.
When enabled, the colour you select will be selected for all drawing
tools. When disabled, you can select individual colours for theBrush, Pencil and Paint tools.

Link/Unlink Three Colours

In Harmony Server, this allows you to get the modifying rights to theselected palettes.

Edit Palette Mode

Since several people can work on any given scene at the same time,and a palette can be shared between scenes, palettes may be loadedin read-only mode when opening a scene on a Harmony database.
Then, an user would only be able to edit a palette by first activating
Edit Palette Mode. This prevents several users from making changes
on the palette at the same time, since a user cannot activate Edit
Palette Mode on a palette that is already being edited by someone
else. This also prevents users from accidentally making modifications
on important palettes.
In Harmony Server, this icon appears when you have the modifying
rights on the currently selected palette.

Edit Palette Mode Indicator

NOTE
In Harmony Stand Alone, you can always modify yourpalettes.

Colour Swatch Name

Each colour swatch available in the Colour view can have its own
name, making it easy to identify which colour is used to paint what648

Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

part of your character or background.

NOTE
Two colours can have the same name. Harmony identifies
colours by an identification number.

Also referred to as colour pots, the colour swatch is the actual
colour information for a colour in your palette. It is represented by arectangle displaying the colour in the list.
Colour Swatch

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Chapter 6: Views

Drawing View
In Harmony, you can draw in both the Drawing or Camera views. Although the two views are similar, there aresome differences when it comes to drawing.
Only the selected drawing is displayed by default in the Drawing view. You can use features, such as the lighttable to display the current drawing of all the enabled layers of your scene in washed-out colours, or the Onion
Skin to display the previous and next drawings of the currently selected drawing layer.

How to access the Drawing view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Drawing .

lFrom any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Drawing.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options
that you can use in the Drawing view to draw, animate
and paint.

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This is the main space in the Drawing view. It is where
you draw and where the drawings are displayed.

Drawing Area

The Zoom menu lets you enlarge or reduce theCamera or Drawing view display.
To make the camera frame size always match the sizeof your view, select the Fit to View option. Click thedrop-down arrow and select a zoom level or press 1
and 2.

Zoom Menu

Drawing NameThe Drawing Name field displays the name of theselected drawing, as well as the layer containing it. If
the cell does not contain any drawing, an Empty
Cell text is shown in the field.

Tool Name

The Tool Name field displays the name of theselected tool. If you temporarily override a drawing
tool using a keyboard shortcut, the tool’s name will
be highlighted in red. You can temporarily override atool by holding its keyboard shortcut without the Alt
key. For example, the Select tool shortcut is Alt + S. If
you hold down the S key, you will switch to theSelect tool. When you release the key, you will returnto the tool you were using.

Frame NumberThis field displays the current frame of the animation
you are working on.

Cursor Coordinates

This indicates the position of the your pointer in thedrawing area.

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The Colour Picker allows you to select a colour for
drawing.

Colour Picker

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Drawing Substitutions View
T-H16NEW-002-001
The Drawing Substitutions view allows you to view all the drawings in the selected layer in a list of
thumbnails, as well as to quickly select which drawing should be exposed at the current frame.

How to access the Drawing Substitutions view
1. Do one of the followinglFrom the top menu, select Windows > Drawing Substitutions.

l

In the top-right corner of any view, click on the

Add View button and select Drawing

Substitutions.

SectionDescription

Opens a menu with the Create Key Exposure option. This option can be enabled or disabled. It
determines what happens when you set the drawing in the current frame to the same drawing as
the drawing in the previous frame.
View MenullWhen enabled, the exposure of the drawing at the current frame will be separated from thedrawing in the previous frame with a key exposure.
When disabled, the exposure of the current frame will be merged with the exposure of theprevious frame.

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SectionDescription

Allows you to select the drawing to be exposed at the current frame. This will also replace thedrawing for all subsequent frames during which the current drawing is exposed.

Thumbnails

Current
layer name

The name of the currently selected layer. The drawings in the thumbnails list are the drawings
currently stored in this layer.

Zoom slider

Allows you to change the size of the thumbnails.

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Function View
The Function view lets you edit function curves and parameters. It contains a visual graph for adding, removing,and editing keyframes, as well as adjusting the velocity. The Function view allows you to display multiple
functions in the background as a reference.

How to access the Function view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Function.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

button and select Function.

How to display functions in the Function view
1. Open the Function view.
The Function view is blank until you select the layer containing the functions you want to display.

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2. To display a function in the Function view, click on the layer containing the functions to adjust in theTimeline view.
3. To select the functions you want to edit, select them in the Function list.

Parameter

Description

Function List
When selecting a layer in the Timeline view, all the corresponding functions are
displayed (if any). Select the functions you want to see and edit, and hide theones you don't.

Display Toolbar

Allows you to modify how the editing area is displayed. You can hide the grid,disable the synchronization with the current frame, reset the zoom level andnormalize the function display by stacking them one over the other to comparethem regardless of their value range.

Current Frame

Displays the current scene frame.

Selected Keyframe Value

Displays the value of the selected keyframe.

Display Advanced Parameter
Values

Displays the Projection, Bias, Tension and Continuity parameters to adjust the
curve around the selected keyframe.

Keyframe, Velocity andInterpolation Options

This toolbar lets you add and delete keyframes, adjust the velocity curve, adjust
the segments to motion or stop-motion keyframes and set the velocity to create
steps instead of a constant progression.

Function Types

This toolbar lets you click on the different function types to enable or disable all
the listed functions of that type.

Value Scale

Displays the value range for the displayed editing area. It can be referenced toknow the value of a keyframe.

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Selected Keyframe

The selected keyframe is displayed in red. When selected, the keyframe values
are displayed in the corresponding fields.

Bezier Handles

The Bezier handles let you adjust the ease in and ease out of each keyframe. The
more the handle is pulled out horizontally, the slower the animation will be. The
more the handle is pulled out vertically, the faster the animation will be.

Function Curve

The thin line going from keyframe to keyframe is the actual curve. The section of acurve located between two keyframes is called a segment.

Frame Scale

The Frame Scale displays the frame range for the displayed editing area. It can bereferenced to know the current frame of a keyframe.

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Chapter 6: Views

Guides View
The Guides view allows you to add drawing guides to the current scene, to select which guide to use, tomanage existing guides, to export and import guides and to enable or disable drawing guides as well as theirvarious options.

NOTE
For more information on each type of guide and how to use them, refer to the User Guide.

Icon

Name

Description

Enable Guide

Enables or disables drawing guides. When guides are disabled, they are not visible
and you cannot edit them or use them with drawing tools.

Options

When enabled, when drawing with the
Align with
Guide

Brush,

Pencil,Stroke andLine tools tool, the cursor is automatically locked against the axis of the currently
selected guide that most closely matches the angle of your stroke, as if you weredrawing against a rule.
When disabled, the drawing tools are not constrained by the axes of the guide,
allowing you to draw freely. The guide's axes act as a visual aids only.

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Icon

Name

Description

Lock Guide

When enabled, you cannot do modifications on the currently selected guide. This
prevents making unwanted modifications to the guide when drawing.

Enable Guide
with Eraser

Allows you to use the Eraser tool with drawing guides.

When enabled, the guide's axes that go through the mouse cursor in the drawing
Full Cursor
DisplayShow
Reference Lines

Number ofLinesspace go throughout the entire drawing space and display even when you're
drawing.
When disabled, the guide's axes that go through the mouse cursor only display
over a short distance from the mouse cursor. Also, the guide's axes disappear whendrawing a stroke.
When enabled, semi-transparent reference lines for each of the currently selected
guide's axes appear all over your drawing space.
Adjusts the amount of reference lines to display in your drawing space.

Guides List
Allows you to add a guide to the scene's guides list. You can add a guide of one of
the following types:

New Guide

l

Ruler

l

Square Gridl

Isometric Perspectivel

1-Point Perspectivel2-Point Perspectivel3-Point Perspective (Bird’s-Eye View)l3-Point Perspective (Worm’s-Eye View)l3-Point Perspective (Horizontal Pan)l3-Point Perspective (Vertical Pan)l4-Point Continuous Perspectivel

4-Point Perspective (Vertical Pan)

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Icon

Name

Descriptionl5-Point Perspective (Fisheye)

NOTE
For more information on each type of guide and how to use them, refer tothe User Guide.

Delete Guide

Deletes the selected drawing guides from the scene's guides list.

Guides View
Menu

Opens a menu with the following commands:

RenameGuide

Renames the selected drawing guide.

Cut

Cuts the selected drawing guides from the list and adds them to the clipboard.

Copy

Copies the selected drawing guides to the clipboard.

Paste

Pastes drawing guides from the clipboard to the current scene's guides list. Pasted
guides are inserted under the selected guide.

ImportGuidesImports drawing guides that were previously exported to a file and inserts them atthe bottom of the scene's guides list. Duplicate guides are filtered out to avoid
cluttering the list.

ExportSelected
GuidesExports the selected drawing guides into a file.

Drawing
Guides List

Displays the scene's list of guides and allows you to select which guide to display,
edit and use.

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Icon

Name

Description

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Chapter 6: Views

Integrated Help View
Use the Integrated Help when you are unsure about what a certain menu item is or the function of a specificpreference in the Preferences panel.
If you keep the Integrated Help window open for the entire duration of your work session, then you can use theforward and backward arrows to scroll through a history of the help information that you called up during yoursession.

How to access the Integrated Help view
1. Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Integrated Help.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Layer Properties View
The Layer Properties editor or view lets you adjust the properties of a layer in the Timeline view The Layer
Properties can be viewed as a floating window or as a view (docked).
Each layer has its own set of properties that can be modified, including effect and peg layers. Display the Layer
Properties editor or view if you want to modify some of the layer’s properties, such as the name or theantialiasing quality.
NOTE
To know more about the parameters displayed in the Layer Properties view, see Layers on page338.

How to access the Layer Properties view
Do one of the following:663

Chapter 6: Views

lFrom the top menu, select Windows > Layer Properties.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

button and select Layer Properties.

How to access the Layer Properties editorlDouble-click on a layer in the Timeline viewlRight-click on a layer in the Timeline view and select Layer Properties.

l

Select a layer in the Timeline view and press Shift + E.

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Library View
The Library view is used to store elements such as animation, drawings, backgrounds and character models so
as to reuse in different scenes and projects. You can also use the Library view to create and store symbols, aswell as to store and import images and sound files.
To reuse elements from a scene in other scenes, you must create a template so that you can import it into
different scenes. Templates can contain anything from a single drawing to a whole scene structure. You cancreate a template by creating it in a scene, then copying the elements you want in your template into a library.
The resulting template is structured like a mini-scene that contains only the elements you copied into it. A
template does not have any dependencies on the scene it was originally created in. Hence, it can safely be
imported in any other scene.
Additionally, the Library view's Drawing Substitutions panel allows you to quickly change the current frame's
exposure to one of the existing drawings in a layer. This is especially useful for animating a cut-out character's
mouths, hands, eyelids and other such body parts which typically contain several drawings to choose from.

How to access the Library view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Library.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Library.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The Library menu lets you access commands related to the Library view,
importing .swf movies and Illustrator files, add a new folder, and refresh

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Chapter 6: Views

Icon

SectionDescription

the library’s content.
The Preview window lets you see the content of the currently selected
template or symbol in the Template/Symbol list.

Preview Window

Preview Playback

The Preview Playback button lets you play back the content of theselected template or symbol if it contains more than one frame. Pressthe Play button to play back the preview.
The Library Folder List displays all the folders linked to the Library view.

There are two default folders:
Library Folder Listll

Symbols: This folder is the only folder containing symbols. You
can organize it by adding subfolders inside.
Harmony Advanced Library: This is a default folder found on
the hard drive in your user documents. This folder can containtemplates, but no symbols.

You can link new library folders to the Library view and organize themwith subfolders.
When working on a movie or series, you will probably end up with many
templates and symbols in your library. Using the Search tool, you canquickly find the templates and symbols in your folders.
Library Search tool

Template/Symbol List

The Template/Symbol list displays the templates or symbols contained666

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Icon

SectionDescription

in the selected library folder. You can display the templates by rightclicking the symbols’ thumbnails and selecting View > Thumbnails.
A slider could be used to adjust the display size of thumbnails in the
Library view.

Slider667

Chapter 6: Views

Master Controller View
T-RIG3-008-008
The Master Controller view allows you to quickly find, select and display Master Controllers in the current
scene.

How to add the Master Controller view to your workspace
1. Do one of the following:l

In the top-right corner of an existing view, click on

Add View and select Master

Controller.
l

Icon

In the top menu, select Windows > Master Controller.

SectionDescription

Path

Allows you to select a group in the current scene. When a group is selected, only the
Master Controllers within that group will be listed in the Master Controllers list. Thiscan be useful if you have several characters and only want the list of Master
Controllers for a specific character.

Filter668

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Icon

SectionDescription

Name

Allows you to filter the Master Controllers in the Master Controllers list by their pathor name. When you type something in this field, only the Master Controllers that
contain the text you typed in their full path including their name will be listed in the
Master Controllers list.

Master Controllers

MasterControllers

Allows you to select one of the Master Controllers in your scene. This list displays
the Master Controllers in your scene with their full path in the group hierarchy.
Groups in the hierarchy are separated by forward slashes (/).
If a group is selected in the Path list, only the Master Controllers within this groupwill appear in the list. If anything is typed in the Name field, only Master Controllers
with this text in their full path including their name will appear in the list. Otherwise,
all the Master Controllers in your scene are listed.

Refresh List

Refreshes the Path list if there are any changes in the name or hierarchy of groups inyour scene, as well as the Master Controllers list if there are any changes in the
Master Controllers in your scene.

Locate andSelectMasterController

If a Master Controller is selected in the Master Controllers list, clicking on this button
will select the actual Master Controller node. It will also make the Node View
navigate instantly to and focus on that Master Controller node.

Show
MasterController

If a Master Controller is selected in the Master Controllers list, clicking on this button
will display its widget in the Camera view.

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Chapter 6: Views

Message Log View
The Message log view displays information gathered during a render task, such as which frames and at whattime they were each rendered. The view also contains a list of the colour recovery operations.

How to access the Message Log view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Message Log.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

670

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Harmony 21 Advanced Reference Guide

Metadata Editor View

The Metadata Editor view lets you access the information of the props and anchors to be exported to Unity.
NOTE
Because the Unity game engine does not support Unicode characters, it is recommended to avoid
using it in scenes intended for games.

How to access the Metadata Editor viewlIn the top-right corner of a view, click the Add Viewl

In the top menu, select Windows > Metadata Editor.

Parameter

button and select Metadata Editor.

Description
This is a list of optional parameters you can create in a scene project to beexported to Unity. It will not have any incentive towards your scene assets, but
can help developers know what to do with the assets contained in your Harmony
scene.

Scene Metadata

Once in Unity, scene Metadata will appear in Inspector view > Metadata when the
Asset is selected in the Hierarchy view.
Name: Name of the Scene entry. (e.g. game.Armor001)

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Chapter 6: Views

Value: This can be anything that describes the state of an object. You could, forexample, have three different stages of armour: new, damaged and destroyed.
Displays only the props and anchors held inside your selection. If nothing isselected, no information will display. Name and value appear in this box as well.
Name will show you the associated .tvg name and value will be set as either On
or Off, depending on whether you want the connection to be set as active or not.
Once in Unity, scene Metadata will appear in the Hierarchy view.
Node Metadata
Name: Name of the selected anchor or prop. (e.g. game.isAnchor). Notice that it
differs from the drawing layer name on the top-left corner of the Node Metadata
section.
Value: Can be set to be active (On) or inactive (Off).

NOTE
For any anchor or prop information created within the Metadata Editor, the naming convention
must always use the prefix "game.". The term "game." is recognized automatically by Unity as a
metadata information. For example: game.Armor001.

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Model View
T-ANIMPA-004-004
Once you have a fully painted drawing, you can use it as a colour model and load it in the Model view. Thisdrawing can be used and loaded in any of your Harmony scenes.
Once a drawing is loaded in the Model view, you can use the Colour Eydropper

tool to select a colour fromthe model and use it to paint in the Camera or Drawing view without having to pick the colour from the colour
palette.

How to access the Model view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Model.

lFrom any of the other views, click the Add View

Tool/Menu Itembutton and select Model.

Icon

Description

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options
that you can use to manage models.

Model View Toolbar

The Model View toolbar contains all the tools and673

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options you can use in the Model view to navigate
through and manage models.
Allows you to select a colour by clicking on a colour
in your artwork.

Colour Eyedropper

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Onion Skin View
The Onion Skin view allows you to quickly configure onion skin. Using this view, you can choose the colour ofprevious and next drawings, which kind of marked drawings to display and whether to measure the span ofonion skin per frame or per drawing. When using Advanced Onion Skin, you can also use this view to pickwhich drawings are included in the Onion Skin, as well as the opacity of the drawings relative to how far they
are from the current frame.

How to access the Onion Skin view
1. Do one of the following:l

In the top-right corner of a view, click on thel

In the top menu, select Windows > Onion Skin.

Add View button and select Onion Skin.

The Onion Skin view is added to your workspace.

A lot of the controls in the Onion Skin view are only accessible when using Advanced Onion Skin.

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How to enable Advanced Onion Skin
1. Do one of the following:l

In the Tools toolbar, double-click on

Onion Skin and selectAdvanced Onion Skin.

l

In the Onion Skin view, click on the

Advanced Onion Skin button.

l

In the top-left corner of the Onion Skin view, open the

View Menu and select Advanced

Onion Skin.
The controls for the Advanced Onion Skin are now accessible in the Onion Skin view.

User
Interface

SectionDescription

View Menu

Open the Onion Skin view menu, which contains extra options for Advanced Onion
Skin—see Onion Skin View Menu on page 301.

Previous Drawings Settings
Allows you to select which drawings before the current frame to include in theOnion Skin. A drawing that is toggled on will be visible in the Onion Skin, and adrawing that is toggled up will be excluded from it. You can select a range ofdrawings, or include and exclude specific drawings individually.
Previous
drawings
visibility
switches

TIP
You can quickly select or deselect a range of drawings by clicking and holding
on one drawing, then dragging the mouse cursor over the other drawings you
want to toggle.

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User
Interface

SectionDescription

Allows you to adjust the opacity scale of drawings before the current frame. Eachslider represents the opacity of one drawing.
By default, moving one of these sliders will move the other sliders so that theopacity remain on a gradated scale. In this case, you can start by adjusting the
opacity on one end, the opacity on another end and then, if you want, adjust one of
the sliders in-between to make a segmented progression.

Previous
drawings
opacitysliders

You can disable this behaviour by unchecking the Link Sliders option in the
View Menu in the top-left corner of the Onion Skin view. This option is enabled bydefault. When disabled, you can adjust the opacity of each drawing independently.

Previous
drawings
colourAllows you to select the colour in which to display the drawings before the current
frame.

Onion Skin Settings

Advanced
Onion Skin

Enables Advanced Onion Skin. Advanced Onion Skin allows you to select, on thefly, which drawings to include in your Onion Skin, even if those drawings are notconsecutive drawings, as well as the opacity scales for the drawings before andafter the current frame.
The controls for selecting which drawings to display in the Onion Skin as well as
their opacity sliders are only accessible when Advanced Onion Skin is enabled.
Otherwise, when using regular Onion Skin, the opacity of drawings in the Onion
Skin is determined by the Onion Skin settings in the Preferences dialog. The amount677

Chapter 6: Views

User
Interface

SectionDescriptionof drawings to include in the Onion Skin is set using the Onion Skin Add / Reduce
One Previous Drawng and Onion Skin Add / Reduce One Next Drawing commands,
available in the Camera and Drawing toolbars as well as in View > Onion Skin in the
top menu.

Onion skinopacitysliderAllows you to set the overall opacity of all the drawings in the Onion Skin.

Allows you to select whether the drawings to include in the Onion Skin are selectedby frame or by drawing.
l

By Frames: Selects the drawings to display in the Onion Skin by their frame
number relative to the current frame. For example, if the Onion Skin is set toinclude 2 drawings before and after the current frame, it will include thedrawings up to two frames before and up to two frames after the current
frame, even if those drawings are the same as the one in the current frame.
This is more useful for cut-out animation as it allows you to position adrawing relative to its position in adjacent frames.

Include byframes orbydrawings

NOTE
This option only works in the Camera view.

l

By Drawings: Selects the drawings to display in the Onion Skin by theamount of different drawings before and after the current frame. For example,
if the Onion Skin is set to include 2 drawings before and after the current
frame, this will display the nearest two different drawings before and after
the drawing in the current frame in the Onion Skin, even if those drawings arefurther than 2 frames away from the current frame. This is more useful forframe-by-frame animation.

NOTE
When this option is enabled, the handles allowing you to adjust theextent of the Onion Skin in the Timeline view are not available.

Next Drawings Settings

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User
Interface

SectionDescription

Allows you to select which drawings after the current frame to include in the Onion
Skin. A drawing that is toggled on will be visible in the Onion Skin, and a drawingthat is toggled up will be excluded from it. You can select a range of drawings, or
include and exclude specific drawings individually.
Nextdrawings
visibility
switches

TIP
You can quickly select or deselect a range of drawings by clicking and holding
on one drawing, then dragging the mouse cursor over the other drawings you
want to toggle.

Allows you to adjust the opacity scale of drawings after the current frame. Eachslider represents the opacity of one drawing.
By default, moving one of these sliders will move the other sliders so that theopacity remain on a gradated scale. In this case, you can start by adjusting the
opacity on one end, the opacity on another end and then, if you want, adjust one of
the sliders in-between to make a segmented progression.

Nextdrawings
opacitysliders

You can disable this behaviour by unchecking the Link Sliders option in the
View Menu in the top-left corner of the Onion Skin view. This option is enabled bydefault. When disabled, you can adjust the opacity of each drawing independently.

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User
Interface

SectionDescription

Nextdrawings
colourAllows you to select the colour in which to display the drawings after the current
frame.

Marked Drawings Settings
Show Keydrawings
in Onion
Skin

Only displays drawings marked as key drawings in the Onion Skin.

Show
Breakdown
drawings
in Onion
Skin

Only displays drawings marked as breakdowns in the Onion Skin.

Show Inbetween
drawings
in Onion
Skin

Only displays drawings with no marker in the Onion Skin. Drawings with no marker
are considered in-betweens.

Show
RetakeKey
drawings
in Onion
Skin

Only displays drawings marked as retake key drawings in the Onion Skin.

Show
RetakeBD
drawings
in Onion
Skin

Only displays drawings marked as retake breakdowns in the Onion Skin.

Show
RetakeIBdrawings
in Onion
Skin

Only displays drawings marked as retake in-betweens in the Onion Skin.

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Perspective View
T-HFND-008-016
The Perspective view is used during scene setup. It allows you to see a multiplane scene’s orientation. The
Perspective view is similar to a 3D display, as it lets you rotate the scene through all possible angles tounderstand the spacing between the elements. You can also position and rotate your layers and the camera
inside the 3D display to achieve some 3D setup and camera moves.

How to access the Perspective view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Perspective.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Perspective.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options
that you can use to work in the Perspective view.

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Editing Stack

The Editing Stack menu displays the names of thesymbols and their hierarchy when you are editing asymbol. You can click on the different names to go
back up to the different parent symbols or the
top/current project.

X Control

The red circle rotates the view on its X axis.

Y Control

The green circle rotates the view on its Y axis.

Z Control

The blue circle rotates the view on its Z axis.

GridThis is a perspective (3D) grid reference.

Axis Reference Arrows

The axis reference arrows let you maintain yourorientation when navigating in the Perspective view.

Show/Hide Camera

Shows or hides camera frame in the Perspective view.

Reset View

Resets the pan, rotation, and zoom of the Perspective
view.

Reset Rotation

Resets the rotation of the Perspective view.

This field displays the current zoom level in the
Perspective view. You can use the Zoom level dropdown menu to select a specific zoom level from thelist. Zoom levels from 2.5% to 6400% are available;
you can also select Fit To View to automatically use azoom level that lets you see all your scene layers andinformation in the Perspective view at once.

Zoom Menu

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Layer Name

This field displays the currently selected layer anddrawing name.

Tool Name

This field displays the currently selected tool.

Frame NumberThis field displays the currently selected frame ofyour animation.
This field displays the currently selected colour in the

Colour Swatch

palette.

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Script Editor View
The Scripting view allows you to edit scripts to run in Harmony directly from the application. It displays a list ofavailable scripts, from which you can select an existing script, edit it, test it and save it. The Script Editor will
highlight the syntax of your script for easy reading.

How to access the Script Editor view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Script Editor.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

button and select Script Editor.

Parameter

Description

ScriptEditormenu

The menu for this view—see Script Editor View Menu on page 309.

ScriptEditortoolbar

The toolbar for this view—see Script Editor Toolbar on page 623.

Script list

The list of script files available as well as their location and their read and write permissions.
Selecting a script in this list will open it in the editor.

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NOTE
The << Sandbox >> item at the top of the list does not correspond to an actual script file. It
is a temporary container to type and test code, and its content cannot be saved.

The file list has three columns: File, Location and Permissions.
l

The File column indicates the filename of each script.

NOTE
The << Sandbox >> item at the top of the list does not correspond to an actual
script file. It is a temporary container to type and test code, and its content cannot besaved.

l

The Location of the script can be one of the following:lApplication Folder: Scripts that are packaged and installed with Harmony. Bydefault, you cannot edit these scripts until you select them and click on Make
Editable, at which point you are prompted to copy the script to a location fromwhich you can edit them.
Scripts in the Application Resources folder are in the following location:
l

l

l

l

Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Toon Boom Animation\Toon
Boom Harmony 21 Advanced\resources\scripts
macOS: /Applications/Toon Boom Harmony 21 Advanced/Harmony
Advanced.app/Contents/tba/resources/scripts
GNU/Linux:/usr/local/ToonBoomAnimation/harmonyAdvanced_
21/resources/scripts

User: Scripts that are saved in your user preferences. Those scripts can be edited
and executed from any scene, provided that you are logged in as the same user.
In Harmony Stand Alone, scripts in the User folder are in the following location:lllWindows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom
Animation\Toon Boom Harmony Advanced\2000-scripts
macOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/Toon Boom
Animation/Toon Boom Harmony Advanced/2000-scripts
GNU/Linux:/home/[username]/Toon Boom Animation/Toon Boom
Harmony Advanced/2000-scripts

In Harmony Server, scripts in the User folder are in the following location:/USA_DB/users/[username]/HarmonyAdvanced/2000-scriptsll

Scene: Scripts in the scripts sub-folder of the currently open scene. These scripts
can only be edited and executed when the current scene is open.
Job (Harmony Server only): When using Harmony Server, these are the scripts
saved in the directory of the current scene's jon. These scripts can be edited and685

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executed by any user when any scene that is part of this job is open.
Scripts in the Job folder can be found in the following location:/USA_DB/jobs/[job name]lEnvironment (Harmony Server only): When using Harmony Server, these arescripts saved in the directory of the current scene's environment. These scripts canbe edited and executed by any user when any scene that is part of this environmentis open.
Scripts in the Environment folder can be found in the following location:/USA_DB/environments/[environment name]lGlobal (Harmony Server only): Scripts in the Harmony database's scripts directory.
These scripts can be edited by any user when any scene in the database is open.
Scripts in the Global folder can be found in the following location:/USA_DB/scriptslSystem Variable: Scripts inside the directory set in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable, if this variable is set. These scripts can beedited and executed by anyone on your workstation.

NOTE
When two or more scripts with the same file name exist in different locations,Harmony will give priority to a single one of these scripts. The script given priority
will be the one listed in the Script Editor and the one executed if it is associated to a
toolbar button.
Which script is prioritized is determined by the order of priority of script locations.
From highest priority to lowest priority, the order goes as follows:

User > Scene > System Variable > Job > Environment > Global >Application Resources
An exception to this rule is if you have a script with the same name in both the scenefolder and your user preferences. In this case, both versions of the script will be listed
and you will be able to edit both.

l

The Permissions of the script can be one of the following:lRead Only: You cannot edit the script in the Script Editor and save your changes.

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NOTES
l

l

If the script's location is the Application Resources folder, it will
always be Read Only to prevent you from making changes toscripts packaged with Harmony. However, you can click on theMake Editable button below the script editor to make a copy of thescript in your user preferences folder, after which you can makechanges to this copy.
If the script is in any other location and is Read Only, then it islikely that a network administrator made the script or the folder
containing the script read-only to prevent other users from making
unwanted changes to it.

lRead/Write: You can edit the script in the Script Editor and save your changes.

A text field in which you can edit the selected script.

EditorNOTE
If the selected script is in the Application Resources folder, you will not be able to edit it until
you click on the Make Editable button.

SearchtoolbarCancelRestore to
Default

Allows you to type in a keyword and search for this keyword within the script. You can use the
Next button to go to the next instance of the keyword and thePrevious button to go to theprevious instance.
If you have made any changes to your script that you have not yet saved, this discards thosechanges and reloads the saved version.
If the selected script is a script that was packaged with Harmony, and which you copied to yourUser folder, to the Scene folder or to the Job, Environment or Global folder to make changes to it,
you can click on this button to delete this copy of this script and resume using the original versionof the script that is packaged with Harmony instead.

IMPORTANTThis will permanently delete your version of the script and any changes you have made to it.

VerifyVerifies that the script has no syntax error.

Make
Editable

If the currently selected script is in the Application Resources folder, you cannot edit it. By clicking
on this button, the script can be copied to a location where you can edit it.

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When you click on this button, you are prompted to choose whether to copy in either of theselocations:lUser: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You will be able torun and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as the same user.

NOTE
If you are using Harmony Stand Alone, the script will be saved to the preferences foryour account on your computer. if you are using Harmony Server, the script will besaved to the preferences for your Harmony database user.

l

l

l

l

l

Global: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to theHarmony database's global script directory. Anyone who is logged in to the database will
be able to edit and run this script.
Environment: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to thecurrent scene's environment. Anyone will be able to edit and run the script as long as they
are working on a scene inside this environment.
Job: If you are using Harmony Server, select this option to save the script to the current
scene's job. Anyone will be able to edit and run the script as long as they are working on ascene inside this job.
Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone will be able to edit andrun the script when working on this specific scene.
System Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_
LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if this environment variable is
set.

NOTE
This button will be greyed out if the script is in any location other than Application Resources
and is read only.

Saves the modifications you made to the script.
Save

This button replaces the Make Editable button after you have used the Make Editable button tocopy the script to a location from which you can edit it.

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Side View
T-HFND-008-015
The Side view is used mainly for multiplane scenes and to position elements in 3D space. It allows you to see ascene’s stage from the side. This lets the camera cone and spacing between the elements to be seen.

How to access the Side view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Side.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Side.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options
that you can use to work in the Side view.

Thumbnails

A thumbnail of each drawing layer in the scene. The
order of the thumbnail images is based on eachelement’s FB position in the scene space. You can see
a representation of the FB position of each layer in the689

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camera cone.

Camera Cone

The camera cone represents the camera’s position andfield-of-view (FOV).

Axis Reference Arrows

The axis reference arrows let you maintain yourorientation when navigating in the view.

Show/Hide Camera

Shows or hides camera frame in the Perspective view.

Reset View

Resets the pan, rotation, and zoom of the Perspective
view.
This field displays the current zoom level in the
Perspective view. You can use the Zoom level dropdown menu to select a specific zoom level from thelist. Zoom levels from 2.5% to 6400% are available;
you can also select Fit To View to automatically use azoom level that lets you see all your scene layers andinformation in the Perspective view at once.

Zoom Menu

Layer Name

This field displays the currently selected layer anddrawing name.

Tool Name

This field displays the currently selected tool.

Frame NumberThis field displays the currently selected frame ofyour animation.

Colour Swatch

This field displays the currently selected colour in thepalette.

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Timeline View
T-HFND-006-002
To set your animation timing, you will mostly work with the Timeline and Xsheet views. It's extremely useful to
become familiar with the Timeline view, how it works, and its interface.
The Timeline view is the main view used when adjusting the timing of drawings, adding keyframes andordering layers. The Timeline view displays layers, effects, sounds, keyframe values, scene length, layer names,
drawings, keyframes, timing, and frames.

The Timeline view allows you to read your timing from left to right. It represents the scene’s elements in theirsimplest form. You can also see the layers and their names, as well as the drawing’s exposure. The drawing
name is displayed when you place your pointer over the drawing’s exposure.

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How to access the Timeline view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Timeline.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Timeline.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options that you can use to
manage models.
The Enable/Disable All button lets you enable or disable layers. Disabling alayer makes the scene behave as if it didn't exist, including when rendering
the scene. For example:l

A disabled drawing layer will be invisible.

l

A disabled sound layer will be mute.

l

A disabled peg layer will not affect the position of its child layers.

To disable a layer, click the layer's Enable/Disable button or press D.

Enable/Disable Layer

To enable a layer, click the layer's Enable/Disable button or press A.

NOTE
Next to sound layers, the Enable/Disable layer button will look like
this:

.

TIP
You can enable or disable all layers by clicking on the Enable ordisable all layers
button in the top row.

Enable/Disable Solo
Mode

Solo mode allows you to only view specific layers in the Camera view andhide all others. When solo mode is enabled on one layer, only this layer will

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be visible. If solo mode is enabled on several layers, and only these layers
will be visible. If solo mode is not enabled on any layer, all enabled layers
will be visible.
You can also use solo mode on sound tracks. If solo mode is enabled on any
sound tracks, only those sound tracks will play during playback.

TIP
When some layers are in solo mode, you can disable or re-enablesolo mode on all layers that have it enabled by clicking on the Toggle
solo mode on or off
button in the top row.

For when the Onion Skin option is enabled, this allows you to enable ordisable Onion Skin on specific layers.

Add to/Remove fromOnion Skin

TIP
To activate the general Onion Skin preview, in the Tools toolbar, click
the Onion Skin button

Lock/Unlock Layer

The Lock/Unlock Layer button lets you prevent the selection or editing of alayer in the Camera view. To select some of the layers without selecting
others, in the Timeline view, lock the layers you do not want to select. Whena layer is locked, its name is displayed in red.

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In the top menu, there is a series of locking options. Select Animation >Lock > select one of the following:l

Lock: Locks the currently selected element.

l

Unlock: Unlocks the currently selected element.

lLock All: Locks all the elements in the Camera view.

l

Unlock All: Unlocks all the elements in the Camera view.

lLock All Others: Locks all the elements in the Camera view except
the currently selected one.

Each drawing layer has a little colour swatch that has two functionalities:lSingle-clicking a layer's colour swatch toggles Outline mode on oroff. Outline mode makes the layer display as nothing but the outlines
of its vector shapes in the Camera view, allowing you to see thedrawing's shape without it blocking the view of layers behind it.

Toggle Outline Mode
/ Change Track
Colourl

Show/HideThumbnails

Double-clicking the layer's colour swatch opens a colour picker
dialog that allows you to change the layer's track colour. The trackcolour displays in the layer's track in the Timeline view, allowing you
to give special visibility to specific layers. It also determines thecolour of the layer's outlines if it's in outline mode.

Expands the layer to display a thumbnail of the drawing in the current frame,
as well as for each drawing in the timeline.

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NOTE
By default, the timeline's zoom level does not allow enoughhorizontal space to fully display the thumbnails of drawings exposedfor one or two frames only. To see the thumbnails for drawings withshort exposure, you must increase the timeline's zoom level—see

Timeline Zoom on page 700.

When a drawing layer is in Show Thumbnails mode:ll

An exposure indicator appears at the right of each exposed drawing
in the timeline, indicating the amount of frames the drawing spansover.
An Opacity parameter appears to the left of the layer, allowing you to
set the layer's opacity level.

TIP
You can show or hide thumbnails for all drawing layers by clicking on
the Show/Hide All Thumbnails

button in the top row.

Allows you to set the opacity level of the layer. Click and drag the value leftor right to decrease or increase the layer's opacity.
Opacity

NOTEThis parameter only displays for drawing layers that are in Show
Thumbnails mode.

Active Drawing Layer
Indicator

This icon appears next to the active drawing layer, which is the layer you
draw on when using drawing tools.

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NOTE
The active drawing layer is not always the selected layer. For
example, if you select a drawing layer, then a peg layer, the peg
layer will be the selected layer, but the active drawing layer willremain the last drawing layer you selected, until you select anotherdrawing layer.

The Add Layers button lets you add new layers to the Timeline view. When
Add Layer

you click the Add Layers button, a menu appears displaying the available
layer types.

DeleteThe Delete Layers button lets you delete the currently selected layers in theTimeline view.

Add Drawing Layer

The Add Drawing Layer button lets you automatically add a new drawing
layer to the Timeline view. By default, the layer is named Drawing.
The Add Peg button lets you add a peg layer to the timeline. If several layers
are selected, a peg is added and parented to each layer.

Add Peg

The Expand/Collapse button is used to display the children layers of aparent layer. Once a layer is parented to another layer, it is indented to theright and the Collapse/Expand Children button appears on the parent layer
allowing you to show or hide the child layer.
Expand/Collapse

Show/Hide Functions

The Show/Hide Functions button lets you display the functions embeddedin each layer. The functions are the different coordinates and values used torecord a layer’s parameters at each frame. This information is stored on thefunction curves using keyframes.
If the layer can be connected to another layer, for example to use a drawing
layer as a matte, expanding a layer's functions will also list its possible
connections. You can connect layers by dragging and dropping a layer onto
another layer's connection.

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Adds a keyframe at the current frame of the selected function or removes the
keyframe at the current frame of the selected function, if there is one already.
Add/Remove
Keyframe

NOTE
This button only displays for function layers.

Moves the timeline cursor to the previous keyframe on the selected function.
Previous Keyframe

NOTE
This button only displays for function layers.

Moves the timeline cursor to the next keyframe on the selected function.
Next Keyframe

NOTE
This button only displays for function layers.

Displays the Function menu, which allows you to create a new function for
the function layer, or to link it to an existing shared function.
Function Menu

NOTE
This button only displays for functions layers, in the Parameterscolumn—see Show/Hide Parameters on page 699.

Function Keyframe

A frame where the value for one or more of the layer's functions is preset.
The position of each layers in key poses for digital animation is recorded infunction keyframes. You can grab and move function keyframes as well as
copy, cut, paste and delete them.

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TIP
If you have a keyframe and a drawing selected simultaneously, andyou wish to delete the keyframe without deleting the drawing's
exposure by doing one of the following:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click on the Delete Keyframe
button.

l

Press F7.

l

From the top menu, select Animation > Delete Keyframe

NOTE
If a collapsed layer has children that have function keyframes, youwill see a white squareinstead.

The Split button lets you split the Timeline view in two sections, allowing
you to see two different portions of the Timeline view. This can be useful if
you need to often switch between two specific points of a lengthy scene.

Split

Drawing Exposure

View Modes

In the Timeline view, when a drawing is exposed, it is represented by a grey
block that extends from the first frame it is exposed to the last frame it is
exposed.

Lets you choose between different view modes allowing you to decide
which layers are listed in the Timeline view. This can be useful if you're
working on a scene with a lot of layers, and you only want layers you will beworking on to appear in the Timeline view so as to declutter it. The
following view modes are available:llNormal View Mode

will show all the layers in your scene.

Selection Only Mode
will hide all the layers that are not currently
selected, leaving only the currently selected layers in the Timeline
view.

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View Tagged Layers

will only show layers which you havetagged.

TIP
You can tag a layer by doing one of the following:l

Right click on the layer and select Tag > Timeline Tag.

lOpen the Timeline view menu

and select Edit > Tag >Timeline Tag.

Shows or hides the Parameters column, right of the Layers column. The
Parameters column displays information on the layer at the current frame,depending on the type of layer it is:ll

If the layer is a drawing, it displays the name of the drawing at thecurrent frame.
If the layer is a function, it displays the value of the function at thecurrent frame.

l

If the layer is a sound track, it displays the sound track's volume.

Show/HideParameters

Using the mouse, you can drag the parameter left and right to change its
value. This is especially useful for quickly changing a drawing's exposure at
the current frame.

Show/Hide
Additional Links

Shows or hides the Additional Links column. The Additional Links column
displays layers that are connected under the layer, but for other purposes
than being the parent of those layers. For example, if a layer is used as thematte of an effect, the effect will be displayed in that layer's Additional
Links.

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If more than one layers are in a layer's Additional Links, only the first ofthese layers will be displayed, followed by the amount of extra linked layers
there are.
By clicking on the Additional Links, you can open a menu listing the linked
layers, and click on one of these layers to navigate to it.
In the following example, the BOOM_Animation layer is used as the matte of
Cutter_1 and Cutter_2:

Timeline Zoom

Reduces or increases the width of frames in the Timeline view. Move theslider right to increase the width or left to reduce it. You can also press 2 tozoom in and 1 to zoom out when the Timeline view is focused on.
If you want to reset the Timeline view's zoom, click on the Timeline Zoon
icon left of the slider.

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Tool Properties View
T-HFND-004-002
The Tool Properties view contains the most common options and operations related to the currently selected
tool. When you select a tool from the Tools toolbar, the Tool Properties view updates.
For example, if you choose the Select tool, the Tool Properties view will display the options and operations
related to it, such as Snap to Contour, Apply to All Drawings, Flip Horizontal, and Flatten.

NOTE
To learn more about the options appearing in the Tool Properties view, see Tools Properties on
page 408.

How to access the Tool Properties view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Tool Properties.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

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button and select Tool Properties.

Chapter 6: Views

Top View
T-HFND-008-014
The Top view is used mainly for multiplane scenes and to position elements in 3D space. It allows you to see
the scene’s stage from above. This lets the camera cone and the spacing between the elements be seen.

How to access the Top view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Top.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

Icon

button and select Top.

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options
that you can use to work in the Side view.

Thumbnails

A thumbnail of each drawing layer in the scene. The
order of the thumbnail images is based on eachelement’s FB position in the scene space. You can see
a representation of the FB position of each layer in thecamera cone.

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Camera Cone

The camera cone represents the camera’s position andfield-of-view (FOV).

Axis Reference Arrows

The axis reference arrows let you maintain yourorientation when navigating in the view.

Show/Hide Camera

Shows or hides camera frame in the Perspective view.

Resets the pan, rotation, and zoom of the Perspective

Reset View

view.
This field displays the current zoom level in the
Perspective view. You can use the Zoom level dropdown menu to select a specific zoom level from thelist. Zoom levels from 2.5% to 6400% are available;
you can also select Fit To View to automatically use azoom level that lets you see all your scene layers andinformation in the Perspective view at once.

Zoom Menu

Layer Name

This field displays the currently selected layer anddrawing name.

Tool Name

This field displays the currently selected tool.

Frame NumberThis field displays the currently selected frame ofyour animation.

Colour Swatch

This field displays the currently selected colour in thepalette.

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Xsheet View
T-HFND-006-003
The Xsheet view lets you read the timing vertically by displaying it in a grid, with each drawing layer
represented by a column, each frame of your scene represented by a row, and each exposed drawing
displayed by its name in the cells. It is meant to work like a traditional animation exposure sheet.
Using the functions panel, you can also view the functions and keyframes of the motion paths for the selectedcolumn, with the value of those functions for each frame listed in the cells.
Contrary to the Timeline view, the Xsheet view does not display pegs, effects or layer hierarchy. Hence, it is
optimized for traditional and paperless animation, whereas the Timeline view is optimized for digital or cut-out
animation.

How to access the Xsheet view
Do one of the following:l

From the top menu, select Windows > Xsheet.

l

From any of the other views, click the Add View

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Icon

SectionDescription

View Menu

The View menu contains all the tools and options
that you can use to manage columns and timing.

View Toolbar

The view toolbar contains all the tools and options
you can use in the Xsheet view to manage columns
and timing.
The Xsheet view has three sections. By default, only
the main section is visible. It displays the drawing
layers, also known as drawing columns.

Xsheet Main Section

When using advanced compositing and animation
techniques, unconnected functions (motion paths)
also appear in the main section. Unconnectedfunctions mean that some motion paths are notattached to any particular layer.
When you reconnect functions to a layer, they are stillvisible in the main section.

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The Functions section is used for more advanced
techniques. This section displays the functions(paths) related to the selected layer in the Timeline
view. By default, the Functions section is hidden.
In the Xsheet view, click the Expand button locatedon the right side of the main section. Click on thesame button to collapse it. You can also use theShow Column List button in the Xsheet View toolbar.
If you select a drawing column in the main section of
the Xsheet view, the function columns will not be
displayed. You must select the layer from the Timeline
view.

Functions Section

The Column List section allows you to show and hidecolumns in the Xsheet view. When you hide a layer inthe Xsheet view, it is also disabled in the Timelineview.

Column List Section

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You can use the Column List to hide individualcolumns or hide an entire column type (drawing orfunction) from the Xsheet view. By default, theFunctions section is hidden.
In the Xsheet view, click the Expand button on theright side of the main section to show the Functions
section. Click on the same button to collapse it. You
can also use the Show Column List

button in the

Xsheet toolbar.
Go to the Xsheet view menu and select View > Show
Column List. Click the Expand button on the rightside of the Functions section to display the Column
List section.

Each column available in the Xsheet view has aheader displaying the column’s name. The column’sname is the same as the corresponding timeline layer.
If you rename one or the other, they will both berenamed.
A quick access menu is available when you rightclick. This menu contains the command affecting anentire column such as renaming, changing the default
colour, or deleting a column.

Column Header

The tooltip that appears when you hover at the top ofeach Xsheet column shows the folder path to the707

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source drawings for that column.

In Harmony, the column header shows the layer’s
name and the name of the drawing folder to which it
is linked. If the name of the layer is the same as thedrawing folder, the drawing folder’s name will not be
displayed. To modify the name of the element folder
independently from the column and layer name, youmust select the Advanced Element Mode option
preference in the Advanced tab of the Preferences
dialog box.

A drawing selected in dark red indicates that thedrawing is currently displayed in the Drawing and
Camera views. The current drawing selection is not
linked to the drawing displayed in the Camera view
since drawings from each visible layer are displayed
at once.

Current Drawing

The darker frame appearing in the Xsheet view
represents the current frame.
Current FrameIn the drawing columns, you can see the drawing
names and their exposure. You can use anyalphanumeric symbol to name your drawing. When adrawing is exposed over more than one cell, a vertical
black line is displayed to indicate the continuity of the

Drawing Exposure

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exposure. When there is no drawing in a cell, the cell
will be blank.

On the left side of the Xsheet view, the frame numbers
are shown indicating where you are. These readvertically instead of being displayed horizontally as
they are in the Timeline view.
l

To go to a particular frame, click the frame
number.

Frame NumberslTo select an entire range of frames, click anddrag a selection downwards.

At the bottom-right of the Xsheet view, you can see
the current frame number, as well as the column
containing the drawing currently displayed in the
Drawing view.
Current Frame Display

The functions columns are displayed in the Functions
section of the Xsheet view. They represent the motion

Functions Column

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and rotation you applied to a drawing layer.
A function column can also be related to an effect.
Selecting the effect layer shows you thecorresponding function column in the Xsheet view.
The function columns display the position value or
effect value on each cell. If there is a keyframe on acell, a black square is displayed. Holding the samevalue for several frames displays a vertical black line.

You can quickly increase or decrease the exposure of
the selected cell by clicking on the up and downarrows in the Increase/Decrease Exposure field.

Increase/Decrease
Exposure

The Overwrite/Insert button allows you to decide theway the values are inserted into the Xsheet.

Overwrite/Insert Modes

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