TOC
Toon Boom Harmony 12.1 Reference Guide
Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

377

Add Column Dialog Box

7

Add Drawing Layer Dialog Box

9

Add Frames Dialog Box

10Auto-Matte Dialog Box

11

Close Gaps Dialog Box

12Column Types Dialog Box

12

Configure Line Art to Colour Art Dialog Box

13

Create Cycle Dialog Box

14

Create Drawing from Drawing Selection Dialog Box

14

Create Palette Dialog Box

16

Drawing Dialog Box

17

Edit Default Paste Preset Dialog Box

18

Edit Exposure Paste Preset Dialog Box

19

Export to Flash Movie Dialog Box

21

Export to QuickTime Movie Dialog Box

22

Extend Exposure Dialog Box

23

Fill Cells Randomly Dialog Box

24

Fill Selection Dialog Box

25

Import Images Dialog Box

26

Marker Colour Dialog Box

31

Movie Settings Dialog Box

32

New Tool Preset Dialog Box

33

Paste Special Dialog Box

34

Preferences Dialog Box

38

Remove Dirt Dialog Box

63

Remove Hair Dialog Box

63

Scene Settings Dialog Box

64

Scripts Manager Dialog Box

69

Select Colour Dialog Box

70

Sequence Fill Dialog Box

71

Set Ease for Multiple Parameters Dialog Box

72

Show Hidden Columns Dialog Box

74

Sound Settings Dialog Box

74

Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box

75

Timeline Scene Marker Dialog Box

77

Toolbar Manager Dialog Box

77

Vectorization Parameters Dialog Box

78

Xsheet Column Width Dialog Box

86

Chapter 2: Layer Properties

89

89
Drawing Layer Properties

89

Chapter 3: Menus

101
101

Main Menus

101

Quick-access Menus

122

View Menus

122

Chapter 4: Toolbars

163

Chapter 5: Views

165
165

Layer Properties

165

Chapter 6: Windows

177
177

Element Manager Window

177

Manage Tool Presets Window

178

Export to Easel JS

179

Export to Sprite Sheets

181

Index

185

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

TOON BOOM HARMONY 12.1
Reference Guide3

4

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Legal Notices
Toon Boom Animation Inc.
4200 Saint-Laurent, Suite 1020
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2W 2R2
Tel: +1 514 278 8666
Fax: +1 514 278 2666
toonboom.com
Disclaimer
The content of this guide is covered by a specific limited warranty and exclusions and limit of liability under theapplicable License Agreement as supplemented by the special terms and conditions for Adobe®Flash® File Format(SWF). For details, refer to the License Agreement and to those special terms and conditions.
The content of this guide is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted.
Any reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Trademarks
Harmony is a trademark of Toon Boom Animation Inc.
Publication Date
7/6/2018
Copyright © 2016 Toon Boom Animation Inc. All rights reserved.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes contain controls such as options and lists through which you can carry out a particular command or
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
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.

7Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

You can add an element for each drawing and it will appear as a column in the Xsheet view, a layer in the Timelineview, and a node in the Node view.

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Adding New Drawing Elements on page 1.
How to access the Add Column dialog box
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Xsheet menu, select Columns > Add Columns.

‣

Click the Add Columns‣

Press Shift + C.

button.

NOTE: The Add Column dialog box contains additional parameters for working with elements which will only
display if you set advanced preferences. To do this, press Ctrl + U (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + U (Mac OS X) to open
the Preferences dialog box. Select the Advanced tab, then select the Advanced Element Mode option and click
OK.

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
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.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Deselect this option if you want the layer to contain bitmap images.
Most of the time, the Vector 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 Scan module.

Scan TypeIf you chose SCAN from the Bitmap Format list, select the kind of scanningyou 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 both columns. 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 thelayers/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
many layers/columns as needed. The names of the layers/columns areautomatically numbered incrementally.

Close

Closes the dialog box.

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 the Timelineview, and a node in the Node view.

9Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Adding New Drawing Elements on page 1.
How to access the Add Drawing Layer dialog box
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Timeline view, click the Add Drawing Layerbutton.

‣From the top menu, select Insert > Drawing.

‣

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

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.

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
many layers/columns as needed. The names of the layers/columns areautomatically numbered incrementally.

Close

Closes the dialog box.

Add Frames Dialog Box
The Add Frames dialog box lets you add frames anywhere in the middle of the scene—before or after a selection.
If you select a frame row in the Xsheet view, Harmony will add the new frames before or after the selection,
depending on your choice.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Frames on page 1.
How to access the Add Frames dialog box
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Timeline view, select the frame to which you want to add frames before or after.

‣

In the Xsheet view, select a frame row.

‣

In the Timeline view, select the frame to which you want to add frames before or after.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

‣

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Add Frames‣

Press Ctrl + G and Ctrl + H (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + G and Ctrl + H (Mac OS X).

button to add frame after your selection.

The Add Frames dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Number of frames to add

Lets you enter the number of frames needed in the scene.

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

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Art Layers on page 1.
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:‣

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

‣

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.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Source Art

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

Destination Art

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

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.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Closing Gaps on page 1.
How to access the Close Gaps dialog box
1. From the top menu, select View > Show > Show Strokes or press K to see a preview of the result.
2. If you want the strokes you draw to be flattened in your drawing instead of being on top, click the Auto-Flatten
button in the Tool Properties view.
3. From the top menu, select Drawing > Clean Up > Close Gaps or press Shift + F10 (Windows/Linuxonly).
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.

Column Types Dialog Box
The Columns Types dialog box lets you show or hide columns in the exposure sheet.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Showing and Hiding Columns on page 1.
How to access the Columns Types dialog box
1. In the Xsheet view, select View > Column Types Manager.
The Column Types dialog box opens.

12Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

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.

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. From the Timeline menu, select Edit > Modify Paste Presets > All or Key Frame or Exposure.
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 rendered image

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

Fitting error for rendered BeziersThis 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.

13Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Clear Destination Art Layer
First

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

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 orderto modify a drawing independently from its other exposures, you must duplicate the drawing.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Creating Cycles on page 1.
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
play it).

button (you may have to customize the toolbar to dis-

The Create Cycle dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Number of Cycles

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

Create Drawing from Drawing Selection Dialog Box
The Create Drawing from Drawing Selection dialog box lets you break down the main body parts of a character.
There is no need to create any layers prior to this process. Make sure your model is well centered and sized in the
Camera view.
You do not need to make clean cuts around your parts; a rough one is sufficient as long as it includes all the
artwork of the part you want to break down. You will clean the extra bits and pieces later.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Using the Cutter tool, you can roughly cut the main sections, and then use the Select tool to select precise lines andcolour zones.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Breaking Down the Main Parts on page 1.
How to access the Create Drawing from Drawing Selection dialog box
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell of the model that corresponds to the first view to break down.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool.

‣

If you prefer to use the Select tool, choose the Select‣In the Tool Properties view, you can switch to the Lasso

tool from the Tools toolbar or press Alt + S.
selection mode.

3. In the Camera view, create a selection around the first part to break down. If you click on a zone, the Cutter
tool will select the zone. It will end the selection at the first point of intersection that it meets.

‣

Hold down Shift to create a new lasso selection around another zone and add it to your previous selection.

15

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

4. From the top menu, select Edit > Create Drawing From Drawing Selection or press F9 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + F9 (Mac OS X).
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.

Create Palette Dialog Box
The Create Palette dialog box lets you create a palette in Basic mode. For simple productions, it is recommended
to use the Basic mode. This setting stores the palettes 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 to store your palettes:
Environment, Job, Scene, or Element.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Creating a Colour Palette on page 1.
How to access the Create Palette dialog box
1. From the Colour view menu, select Palettes > New or click the New Palette
The Create Palette dialog box opens.
2. Enter the palette name according to the model.

16

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

3. Click OK.
The palette appears in the drawing element’s palette list.

Parameter

Description

New Palette Name

Lets you enter a name for the new palette.

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

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Modifying Layers and Columns on page 1.
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 that the 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 Scan module,
17Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

select the scan type from the list.
Field Chart

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

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.
Only create drawing files when they do not exist: When adding exposures
Add/Remove Exposure 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

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.

Keyframes
Add/Remove

Motion: Copies the properties of the selected motion keyframe to the new18Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

frame.
Velocity: Copies the properties of the selected velocity keyframe to the newframe.

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.

Edit Exposure Paste Preset Dialog Box
The Edit Exposure Paste Preset dialog box lets you reuse key exposures as you animate. There are different
options to paste your selected drawings when they contain key exposures:
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.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Using Paste Special on page 1.
How to access the Edit Exposure Paste Preset dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the drawings you want to copy and press Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux) or⌘ + C (Mac OS X).
2. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell where you want your pasted selection to start.
3. From the Timeline view menu, select Edit > Modify Paste Presets > Exposure.
The Edit Exposure Paste Preset dialog box opens.

19

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Parameter

Description

Drawings
Never create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer,drawing files will not be created.
Only create drawing files when do they do not exist: When adding
Add/Remove Exposure exposures to a drawing layer, new drawings will be created only whendrawings 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

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.

Keyframes
Motion: Copies the properties of the selected motion keyframe to the newframe.
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 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Export to Flash Movie Dialog Box
The Export to Flash Movie dialog box lets you export your animation as a Flash (.swf) movie.
The SWF export supports some bitmap effects (which can be previewed in Render View mode) and SWF Blend
Modes (vector effects which can be previewed in OpenGL View mode).
The following are also supported:•

Pencil line thickness: They are converted to brush strokes in the .swf file.

•

Auto Patch node for creating joint patches.

If you have not already done so, you should preview the .swf by using the SWF preview
button to see what thetwo types of effects look like when blended together. Once you are satisfied with the results, go ahead and export
your movie.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Exporting an SWF Movie on page 1.
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

21

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

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.
Lets you select a JPEG quality:

Jpeg Quality

Protect from Import‣

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 detail andthe image becomes nearly unrecognizable.

Prevents the movie from being imported into another application.

Convert Pencil Lines to
Retains the thickness of pencil lines.
Brush 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 notappear in the SWF render.

Export to QuickTime Movie Dialog Box
The Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box lets you export your animation as a QuickTime movie. To render a
QuickTime movie with transparency, you need to set the Depth to Millions of Colours +. You can set this thiswhen exporting a QuickTime movie.

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Exporting a QuickTime Movie on page 1.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

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

Description

OutputLets you select a folder in which to save your movie and give it a file name for theexport.

BrowseExport Range
All

Exports the entire frame range.

FramesLets you enter the frame range to export.

Resolution
Resolution list

Lets you select a resolution ratio. If you select Custom, you can enter the widthand height.

Width and HeightLets you specify the width and height of the resolution.

Options
Movie Options

Opens the Movie Settings dialog box in which you can set the the compression
settings for the movie you will export—see Movie Settings Dialog Box.

Extend Exposure Dialog Box
The Extend Exposure dialog box lets you extend the exposure of a selected cell in the Timeline or Xsheet.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Filling Exposure on page 1.
How to access the Extend Exposure dialog box
1. Select a cell and do one of the following:‣

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

‣Press F5.

The Extend Exposure dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Extend to Frame

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

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.

23Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Fill Cells Randomly Dialog Box
The Fill Cells Randomly dialog box lets you fill in random values over a selection. You can give a maximum and aminimum 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.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Filling a Selection Randomly on page 1.
How to access the Fill Cells Randomly dialog box
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell range.

2. Do one of the following:‣

Select Animation > Cell > Fill Cells Randomly.

‣

In the Xsheet view, click the Fill Cells Randomly
display it).

button (you may have to customize the toolbar to

The Fill Cells Randomly dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Minimum Value

The lowest acceptable value.

Maximum Value

The highest acceptable 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.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Add Key Exposure After

Inserts a key exposure after the frame following the last cell.

Fill Selection Dialog Box
The Fill Selection dialog box lets you fill the same value over an entire selection. The selection can be over 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.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Filling a Selection with a Single Exposure on page 1.
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:‣

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

‣

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Fill Selection
it).

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

button (you may have to customize the toolbar to display

The Fill Selection dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Value
Add Key Exposure After

Inserts a key exposure after the frame following the last cell.

25

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Import Images Dialog Box
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..
For tasks related to this dialog box, see How to Import Bitmap Images on page 1 and Importing Bitmap Images
on page 1.
How to open the Import Images dialog box
1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

In the File toolbar, click the Import Images‣

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

button.

The Import Images dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Files
BrowseLets you find and select images on your computer.

Create Layers(s)Lets you create layers for imported images.

Create Single Layer
Named

Creates a layer you can name.

Create Layer(s) BasedCreates a layer based on each unique filename prefix. For example, the

Layer

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

on Filenames

filenames a-1.tga, a-2.tga and b-1.tga will create layers name "a" and "b",where "a" has two drawings and "b" has one. When creating a single layer fromthese three filenames, all three drawings will be inserted in the new layers.

Add to Existing Layer

Lets you select an existing layer to which imported images will be added.

Create Symbol for
Import Items

Encapsulates imported item in a symbol.

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
the size and placement of your image within the camera frame. Depending on
the Scene Settings (the height and width in pixels that you chose for yourproject), 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
Horizontal Fit:
Enlarges or shrinks (but not distorts) the image height to match the full heightof the scene grid.

Rules

Vertical Fit:
If the image orientation is landscape, this will enlarge or shrink (but not distort)
the image width to match that of the scene grid.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Note that the Fit alignment rule equals the Center Fit rule in the layer
properties.
Actual Size: Scales the image in proportion to the scene's resolution. The
system looks at the resolution of the bitmap image, for example 4000 x 2000,
then compares it to the scene's resolution, for example 1920 x 1080, andadjusts the scale factor in proportion. So, in this example, the bitmap would
appear at 208% (4000/1920). If you import a bitmap that is 960 x 540, it will be
displayed at 50% (960/1920) of the size of the project resolution.
Fit:
Enlarges or shrinks (but not distorts) the image height to match the full heightof the scene grid.

If the image orientation is landscape, this will enlarge or shrink (but not distort)
the image width to match that of the scene grid.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Note that the Fit alignment rule equals the Center Fit rule in the layer
properties.
Pan:
This is the opposite of the Fit parameter. If the image orientation is portrait, its
width will be made to match the width of the scene grid. As a result, part of theimage’s height will extend beyond the height of the frame. This can be useful if
you want to make your background move up and down, or from left to right tomake it appear as if the camera is panning or to actually perform a camera pan.

The opposite will apply to a landscape image. Its height will be fit to the scene
grid, therefore it is possible that the image will extend beyond the scene grid's
boundaries.

Note that the Pan alignment rule equals the Center First Page rule in the layer

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

properties.
This is the opposite of the Fit parameter. If the image orientation is portrait, its
width will be made to match the width of the scene grid. As a result, part of theimage’s height will extend beyond the height of the frame. This can be useful if
you want to make your background move up and down, or from left to right tomake it appear as if the camera is panning or to actually perform a camera pan.

The opposite will apply to a landscape image. Its height will be fit to the scene
grid, therefore it is possible that the image will extend beyond the scene grid's
boundaries.

Note that the Pan alignment rule equals the Center First Page rule in the layer
properties.
Project Resolution: Scales the image in proportion to the scene's resolution.
The system looks at the resolution of the bitmap image, for example 4000 x
2000, then compares it to the scene's resolution, for example 1920 x 1080, andadjusts the scale factor in proportion. So, in this example, the bitmap would
appear at 208% (4000/1920). If you import a bitmap that is 960 x 540, it will be
displayed at 50% (960/1920) of the size of the project resolution.
Transparency
Premultiplied with White: Individual pixels at the edge of an image are
blended with white.
Alpha

Premultiplied with Black:Pixels at the edge of an image are blended withblack.
Straight: Pixels at the edge of an image are blended with black, white and30

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

greys.
Clamp to Colour to Alpha:Premultiplies the colour value with the alpha value.
When the colour is clamped to the alpha, the colour value cannot be higher
than the alpha value. It calculates the real colour value faster. When the RGB
values are multiplied with the alpha value, that is to say, if you have a pixel ofvalue R=247, G=188, B=29 and the alpha is 50% or the image has a 50%
transparency, then the actual RGB values that are output would be half of theamounts listed above.
Vectorization
Black and White

Vectorizes drawings as a solid black line; creates a 100% vector-based
drawing.

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.

Marker Colour Dialog Box
The Marker Colour dialog box lets you set the colour of scene markers that are displayed at the top of the Timelineview (in the frame counter area). Using colours for scene markers helps to differentiate them visually, making themeasy to identify in the Timeline 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 that you
can reuse.

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Setting Scene Markers on page 1.
How to access the Marker Colour dialog box

1. In the frame counter area of the Timeline view, select a frame range to mark.

2. Right-click and select Create Scene Marker.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

The Timeline Scene Marker dialog box opens. The Colour box displays a black colour swatch, or thecolour of the last scene marker you created.

3. Click the colour swatch.
The Marker Colour dialog box opens.
Parameter

Description

Basic colours

The basic set of colours in the system?

Custom colours

Displays the custom colours you created.

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 andsee 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.

Movie Settings Dialog Box
The Movie Settings dialog box lets you set the compression settings for the movie you will export.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Exporting a QuickTime Movie on page 1.
How to access the Movie Settings dialog box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
2. In the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box that opens, click Movie Options.
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
Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box on page 75.

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. The size settings are overridden by
the Harmony's scene settings.

Settings

Opens the Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box. This is where you
can you set the sound compression settings for the movie you will export—see
Sound Settings Dialog Box on page 74.

Sound

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 handy and efficient for accessing the tools you use mostoften. 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. First, select a tool, adjust the properties, and then create a tool preset for it.
Once you have created a tool preset, you can always make adjustments to fine-tune it, as well as create a keyboard
shortcut for it.

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Working with Tool Presets on page 1.
How to access the New Tool Preset dialog box
1. Do one of the following:

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes‣

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

‣

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.

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.

Paste Special Dialog Box
The Paste Special dialog box lets you determine how templates and symbols are imported in the Timeline view.
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 not already inyour layers. You can adjust the behaviour using the Paste Special dialog box.When you import a symbol in yourscene, 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 toadjust the import behaviour to fit your requirements.Once you set the parameters, Harmony will reuse them eachtime you import a symbol in the Timeline view’s right side until you set new parameters.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Using Paste Special on page 1.
How to access the Paste Special dialog box
1. In the Library view, select the symbol or template to import.
2. Press Ctrl + B (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + B (Mac OS X) and drag the selection to the Timeline view.

NOTE: Drop the selection in the Timeline view before releasing the keyboard shortcut key.

The Paste Special dialog box opens.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Basic Tab

Parameter

Description

Drawings
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, new drawings will always be created.
If drawing files with the same name already exist, Harmony will create a newname for the drawing.

Paste all Frames of the
Symbols (full movie)

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

Enforce Key Drawings

Creates a key exposure on the same drawing.

Number of Cycles

Lets you set the number of cycles.

Cycle

Normal (forward): Pastes your selection as is, starting with the first cell andending with the last.

Cycle Type

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.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Advanced Tab

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
the first 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
Add/Remove Exposure 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 pasting36Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guidea 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ofa function instead of repeating the values.

Options
Do nothing: Does not create, overwrite, merge or link palettes.
Reuse palettes. Copy palettes if they do not exist: Palettes in thedestination drawings are left as they are.
Copy and overwrite existing palettes: Overwrites destination palettes withthe palettes from the source drawings.

Palettes

Copy and create new palette files: Creates new palette files, placing themat the same relative environment and scene level as the source. If the palettes
in the templates were stored at the environment level of the source scene, thepaste operation will place the palettes in the environment level of thedestination scene.
Copy and create new palette files in element folder: Creates new palettefiles 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

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

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
new colours to the destination scene palettes and ignores colours that are thesame 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.
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.
Symbols
Duplicate symbols: Creates a duplicate of the symbol instead of linking theSymbol instance to the original one. The new Symbol is created in the Library.
Normal (forward):Pastes your selection as is, starting with the first cell andending with the last.
Reverse: Pastes your selection in reverse, starting with the last cell and ending with the first.
CyclesForward > Reverse:Pastes your selection as a yo-yo, starting with the firstcell, going to the last one and ending with the first cell.
Reverse > Forward: Pastes your selection as a reverse yo-yo, starting withthe last 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, the function 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.

Preferences Dialog Box
The Preferences dialog box lets you adjust preferences to suit your work style, allowing you to work more
efficiently.

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

38Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

How to access the Preferences dialog box
Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (Windows/Linux) or Stage Advanced > Preferences(Mac OS X).

‣

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

Shortcuts Tab
To speed up your work, all of the keyboard shortcuts can be customized. You can even choose other software
keyboard shortcut sets.
In Toon Boom Harmony, you can choose a set of default keyboard shortcuts you are familiar with. You can choose
between the following:•

Adobe Flash•Toon Boom Harmony•

Toon Boom Studio

You can also customize most of the shortcuts and use the search feature to find particular shortcuts.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Shortcut Preferences on page 1.
Parameter

Description

Keyboard Shortcut List

Lets you choose a set of keyboard shortcuts to use, including Toon Boom
Harmony, Adobe Flash and Toon Boom Studio.

Keyboard Shortcut Categories

Each category lists all the keyboard shortcuts. Some commands may not havea keyboard shortcut assigned to it. Selecting a shortcut displays its description
on the right.

Restore All Defaults

Restores all the default keyboard shortcuts. This erases any custom shortcuts
you made.

Press Shortcut Key

Displays the keyboard shortcut assigned to a command.

Clear

Lets you remove the keyboard shortcut assigned to a command.

Default

Lets you return a keyboard shortcut to its default.

SearchLets you search for a command. The result is highlighted in the Keyboard
Shortcut Categories on the left.

Search by Name/Shortcut

Lets you search for a command by its name or keyboard shortcut keys.

40Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

General Tab

Parameter

Description
Open in Read Only mode if plugin syntax errors are detected: Opens
scenes that contain plugin node errors in read-only mode to prevent you fromlosing plugin information on subsequent saves.
Auto-Save:•

Interval (minutes): This is the frequency at which the auto-savetakes place.

•

Inactivity Interval (seconds): When Auto-save is about to takeplace, it verify if you are drawing or doing anything in the application.
If so, Auto-save waits this number of seconds before attempting
another save.

•

Ask Before Saving: Before performing an auto-save, the system willprompt you with a message to confirm if you want to save or not. You
can choose to turn off this option.

•

Enabled: This enables the Auto-save feature. If you do not want thesystem to automatically save your work, deselect this option. The
auto-save is off by default.

Save

Automatically Save Workspace: This option is enabled by default. Every

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time you add a view to your workspace, remove a toolbar or change a view’s
width, these modifications are saved when you quit the application. If you do
not want the system to save these modifications, disable the preference.
This preference does not require you to restart the application.
Default to Element Palette Lists: When this option is enabled the new,cloned, duplicated, imported and linked palettes will be stored in the Element
Palette list instead of the Scene Palette List.
Interactive Colour Recovery: If a colour palette for your scene is deleted
or cannot be found, you will be asked if you want to recover colours from theprogram’s memory. If this option is unchecked, the program recovers
missing colours without displaying a dialog box for your input.

Colour Management

Colour Recovery: If this option is unchecked, colour recovery will notoccur.
Replacement Colours: If certain colours are no longer available, they areautomatically replaced with the ones indicated by the Replacement Colour
swatch. The default colour is red, as it acts as a missing colour warning
device.
The Colours option allows you to modify the colours of the different userinterface views and elements. For example, you can change the Camera
view’s background colour from grey to white.
Altering these preferences requires you to restart the application or to closea view and reopen it for the modifications to be applied.

Colours

Current View Border: Sets the colour of the frame around the workspaceview you are currently using, also known as focus. By default, the colour isred. Click on the red colour swatch to select a new colour in the Colour
Picker window.
Current View Border in Template Edit: Sets the colour of the frame
around the workspace view you are currently using when editing a templatefrom your library view. By default, the colour is green. Click on the green
colour swatch to select a new colour in the Colour Picker window.
Edit Colours: Click on the Edit Colours button to open the Colours window.
Host name: Name of the Web Control Center server name.

Web Control Center

Host port: 8080 (the default port number) or custom port number set by the42Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guidesystem administrator.
Auto Apply: When enabled, values entered or options selected in node
editors are automatically applied to elements in your scene. The Apply andOK buttons are hidden in the Layer Properties when this feature is enabled.
Snap Keyframe: If two keyframes have the same value, they will both
update to the same new position when the first of the two keyframes is
modified. The previous keyframe has to be a Stop-Motion keyframe.
Focus on Mouse Enter:
Disabled by default. In Toon Boom Harmony, for the operations or keyboard
shortcuts to work in the view in which you are working, the focus must be inthat view. When the focus is on a particular view, a red rectangle appears
around its frame. You must click in the view or on the view’s header for thefocus to be done.
If you enable the Focus on Mouse Enter preference, you will not need toclick in the view to get the focus. It will be done as soon as your mouseenters the view.

NOTE: If you enable the Focus On Mouse Enter preference, certain
operations from the top menu may not be available since the view focus
may change as you make your way to the top menu. In this case use
keyboard shortcuts and quick access menus (right-click menus).

Options
Shortcut Zooms on Mouse: When enabled, shortcut zooming will centre
on the cursor location.
Auto Render: Automatically enables the Auto-Render option.
Cycle Exposure: Make navigation in the Xsheet View wrap-around from thelast frame or the last column to the first.
Display Cardinal Coordinates: Display coordinates through application
either scalar (ex:+1 -1) or cardinal (1N1S).
Flat Tool Toolbar (Requires Relaunch):
Lets you expand the toolbar so there are no nested toolsets in the toolbar.
You will need to close Harmony and relaunch it for the new interface to be
displayed. A default set of tools will appear in the toolbar. However, you cancustomize which tool icons appear in the toolbar to fit your own work pattern.
Once you have enabled the Flat Tool Toolbar preference, you can customize
the tools that appear in the toolbar. This means you can change the default
set of tools and replace the tools which you use less frequently with ones
which are used more often. This customizing is done through the Toolbar
Manager.
Use Dark StyleSheet (Requires Relaunch): Application loads a dark skinfor the User Interface.

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Stop-Motion Keyframes: New keyframes are created as stop-motion
keyframes.
Default Separate Position for Pegs: New pegs are created with separate
position functions.
Default Separate Scale for Pegs: New pegs are created with separate
scale functions.
Default Separate Position for Elements: New elements are created withseparate position functions.
Default Separate Scale for Elements: New elements are created withseparate scale functions.
Settings

Field Chart:•

X: Default value for the number of units in the X axis (east-west) of
the field chart used for new scenes. This value should be half thetotal number of units in the X axis of the field chart. This value willappear by default in the Alignment dialog box.

•

Y: Default value for the number of units in the Y axis (north-south) of
the field chart used for new scenes. This value should be half thetotal number of units in the Y axis of the field chart. This value willappear by default in the Alignment dialog box.

•

Z: Default value for the number of units in the Z axis (front-back) of
the field chart used for new scenes. This value will appear by default
in the Alignment dialog box.

Support Gestures: Enable the gestural touch interface for the OpenGL
views. On Mac OS X, this determines whether a two-finger drag gesture isinterpreted as a zoom or a pan.
Touch Interface

Invert Scroll Direction: Inverts the scroll direction.
Touch Sensitivity: Control touch sensitivity. On Windows, higher numbers
favour scale/rotates over pans. On Mac OS X, higher numbers give a slower
response to pans.

44Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Camera Tab

Parameter

Description
Initial Animation Mode: Determines which animation mode is enabled when thescene is opened.
Show Locked Drawings As Outlines: In the Camera view, locked elements are
displayed as outlines only.
Bounding Box Selection Style: In the Camera view, selected elements are nothighlighted in colour but displayed with the bounding box only.
Nudging Factor: The nudging increment value.

Tools

Set Keyframe on All Functions with the Transform Tool: When this option is
selected, the Transform tool will create a keyframe for all functions of theselected pegs, including the functions that normally would not be affected by thetransformation.
Set Keyframe At Frame One With First Application of the Transform Tool:
When this option is selected, wherever you set a keyframe on a layer, a keyframe
is added on your frame 1. If this options is deselected, a keyframe is only added
to the current frame. If later on, you add a keyframe on your frame 1, it may
modify the first keyframe you added.

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Paste/Drag&Drop Adds Keyframes at Beginning and End: Select this option
to copy and paste a set of frames that includes an interpolated sequence between
two keyframes, but only extracts a partial section. Under normal circumstances,
cutting and pasting a function without either the start or end keyframe would
render the function null. This option caps the partial function with a new keyframe
when you perform the paste.
Select Tool Works on Single Drawing: By default, when you draw a selection
box in the Camera view, the Select tool will select all the drawing strokes andsymbols in its path. If you prefer the Select tool to only select the current drawing
and not the other visible drawings, select the Select Tool Works on Single
Drawing option.
Use Rotation Lever with Transformation Tools: Lets you see the rotation leverwhen using the transformation tools. When this option is deselected, hovering
your cursor over the corner of an element’s bounding box is sufficient to rotate it.
Camera View Default Zoom: The default zoom value for the Camera view.
Zoom Settings
Top/Side View Default Zoom: The default zoom value for the Top/Side views.
Thumbnail Size: The thumbnail size, in pixels, that appears in the Top and Side
views.
Small Bitmap Resolution: The size, in pixels, of the smaller bitmap version ofyour image. When you import a bitmap image into a scene, a smaller version of itis created in order to accelerate the compositing and playback processes.
Settings

Override Small Bitmap Files: Enable this option if you want the system togenerate new versions of the existing smaller bitmap files, every time you modify
the Small Bitmap Resolution value. When the option is disabled, the existingsmaller bitmap versions will not be regenerated and will keep the same resolution
as when they were created.
TV Safety: The ratio value for the TV Safety frame in proportion to the regularcamera frame.
Enable in Camera: Dulls background bitmaps in the Camera view. This allows
you to see other elements clearly, such as the ones that have not yet been
painted.

Wash Background

Enable in Camera Drawing Mode: Dulls background bitmaps in Camera view
while using the drawing tools. This allows you to see other elements clearly, suchas the ones that have not yet been painted.
Wash Background Percentage: The Wash Percentage value.
Show Control Points On Selected Layers: By default, when you select anelement with the Transform tool, the motion path related to the object isdisplayed.

Control Points

Control Point Tension: The default Tension value for new keyframes and control
points.
Control Point Continuity: The default Continuity value for new keyframes andcontrol points.
Control Point Bias: The default Bias value for new keyframes and control points.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Preview Wash

Enable For Out of Date Previews: When you disable the automatic renderpreview, you need to click on the Update Preview button in the Rendering toolbar
or the Camera view bottom toolbar in order to recalculate and update the preview.
When this option is enabled, if the current render preview is out of date andrequires you to press the Update Preview button, the Camera view will display
the current preview as washed out colours.
Wash Background Percentage: This is the value, in percentage, by which theoutdated preview will be washed out.

Exposure Sheet Tab

Parameter

Description
These preferences are used to display or hide certain layer types in the Xsheet
view.
Show Drawing Columns: Displays the Drawing layers in the Xsheet view.
Show Sound Columns: Displays the Sound columns in the Xsheet view.

Filtering
Show 3D Path Columns: Displays the 3D Path columns in the Xsheet view.
Show Function Columns: Displays the Function columns layers in the Xsheet
view.
Show Selection: Sets the Show Selection option On or Off by default in the47

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Xsheet view.
Centre on Current Frame: Turns auto-centering on or off when playing back ascene. Auto-centering is used during sound breakdown with the ShuttleXpress
device.
Default Add Columns: The default position where the new column will be added.
Options

Default Column Width: The default width value for the new column being
created.
Use Current Frame as Drawing Name: Automatically names the drawing
corresponding to the frame position. This avoids numbering conflicts while
animating.

Drawing Creation

For example, using the default preferences, you start with the first drawing onframe 1, this drawing is called 1. You then draw the extreme position drawing onframe 10, this drawing is called 2. Next, the in-between pose is drawn on frame 5,
this drawing is called 3 and so on.
At the end, you have a sequence like this: 1-9-4-6-3-8-5-7-10-2.

Instead, using the Use Current Frame as Drawing Name option, each drawing is
automatically named by its frame number and the sequence looks like: 1-2-3-4-56-7-8-9-10.
Extend Exposure of Previous Drawing: When drawing on a blank frame, a new
drawing is created and the timing is extended from the previous exposed drawing.

Zoom Levels

You can set the minimum and maximum zoom levels to view the Xsheet,depending on the number of columns and rows in the project. Once you set alevel, close and reopen the Xsheet so the new values take effect.
Minimum Zoom Level: Lets you set the lowest level of zoom. Choose a value

48Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

between 1 and 6.
Maximum Zoom Level: Lets you set the highest level of zoom. Choose a value
between 14 and 20.

NOTE: You can set a keyboard shortcut to view the entire Xsheet.

Show Grid: When selected, the grid is displayed by default when opening the
Function Editor.
Use Constant Z By Default: When selected, the Constant Z option will beenabled by default in the Function Editor.
Function Editors

Constant Z means that even when creating Motion keyframes, the Z function will
use Stop-Motion keyframes and will not be interpolated, this can be very usefulfor cut-out animation. The Constant Z feature only works with 3Dpaths.
You can also enable the Constant Z option directly in the Function Editor or
Function view for specific functions.

Gestural Drag

Default Setting for Gestural Drag: This is the default value enabling gestural
dragging of cells in the Xsheet view.
From Left to Right: When clicking the Apply/Next button in the Xsheet view
Column Properties, the next column to be displayed in the Column Properties willbe the one on the right.

Apply/Next
From Right to Left: When clicking the Apply/Next button in the Xsheet view
Column Properties, the next column to be displayed in the Column Properties willbe the one on the left.
New Element

Bitmap Format: By default, when you create a new empty bitmap column, it will
use the file format indicated in the field as the new column format. The default
value is SCAN, which means that it is set for scanned-in drawings.

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Drawing Tab

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Parameter

Description
Light Table: Enable Shade: When enabled, the drawings appearing on the Light
Table are displayed in washed out colours in the Drawing view. When this option
is disabled, the drawings appearing in the Light Table are displayed using normal
colours. This option is for the Drawing view only.
Light Table: Shade in Camera View: When enabled, the drawings appearing onother layers are displayed in washed-out colours in the Camera view. When thisoption is disabled, the drawings appearing on other layers are displayed using
normal colours. This option is for the Camera view only.

Light Table

Enable Onion Skin for Other Elements: When both the Onion Skin and Light
Table options are enabled, the drawings appearing in the Light Table also display
their previous and next onion skinned drawings. This option is for the Drawing
view only.
Onion Skin Render Style:•

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

•

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

•

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

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Grid On By Default: When opening the Drawing view, the grid displays
automatically.
Select Tool is Lasso: When this option is enabled, the Select tool behaves as alasso selector. When this option is disabled, the Select tool behaves as arectangle selector.
Brush Size Cursor: When this option is enabled, the brush tool displays thebrush size as a circle around the cursor.
Auto Gap Closing in Pixel Units: Disabling this option will cause your gap to bezoom dependent. Zoom dependent means that the more you zoom in, the smaller
the gap you can close with the Close Gap tools. By enabling this option, youchoose to make the gap display available in pixel units, which is not zoom
dependent.

Options

Default Multiwheel Colour Picker: Displays the Multiwheel Colour Picker
window instead of the regular Colour Picker.
Auto Save Pencil Styles: When this option is enabled, new pens and pen styles
are automatically saved.
Sticky Eye Dropper: Keeps the Colour Picker’s Dropper tool active until it isreleased by clicking on the Dropper icon again.
Desk Location: Defines the location of the Desk panel in the Drawing view.
Default Pencil Line Tip: Sets the default pencil line tip to either Round, Flat, orBevel.
Morphing Quality: Sets the default quality value for the morphing sequences. If
you change this value, it will not affect the morphing sequence which was createdpreviously. After a morphing sequence has been created using this default quality
value, its quality can be changed manually by using the Morphing Tool Properties.
Auto Gap Closing on Startup: The values for automatic gap closing while
painting drawings are: 0 = Disabled, 1=Small, 2=Medium, 3=Big.

Settings

Create New Colour Pots Using Default Colour: Set the default colour for
creating a new colour swatch. Enable the option so that this default colour is usedeach time you add a new colour in your palettes. This option is useful for when
you create new colour pots so that a more recognizable colour is created and notjust a duplicate of the currently selected colour. Choosing a colour that is the
opposite of your intended colour palette is recommended, such as grey if yourpalette will be filled with bright, primary colours.
Save modified drawing as a new version: Saves modified drawings as a newversion if the drawing is also used in another scene version.
Enable Paper Zoom: Enabling this option allows you to set the 100% Zoom level
onscreen, in order to physically match the measurements of your paper drawing.

Zoom

Number of Pixels per Inch: Enter the PPI for your monitor. To obtain the PPI of
your screen, divide the height or width of your monitor's resolution setting by thecorresponding physical height or width of your monitor screen (resolution height
divided by physical height, or resolution width divided by physical width) in
inches.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Quick Close Up Zoom Factor: Sets the zoom level for the Quick Close up Zoom
keyboard shortcut.
Maximum Zoom Factor: Sets the maximum zoom level for the paper zoom.
Default Canvas for Bitmap
Layers

Sets the default values for the resolution, width and height of the canvas whenworking with bitmap layers in a new scene. This prevents you from creating
unusually large bitmap canvases.

Template Tab

Parameter

Description
Always Create New Drawings: By default, when you import timeline templates
in the right section of the Timeline view, to stack them, the system will analyze
and create only the non-existing drawings and only expose the existing ones.
When enabled, this option automatically creates new drawings for every one ofthem that is exposed.
Palettes:

Paste/Drag & Drop

Editing Template•

Ask User: When dropping a template into a scene, the system will ask if
you want to link the palette to the original or create a local copy in thescene.

•Use Original Palette: The system will automatically link drawing
elements to the original palette file. If the original palette is not encountereda local copy will be created.

•

Use Copy of Palettes: The system will automatically create a local copyof the palette in the scene.

Generate Thumbnails Automatically: Automatically create thumbnails for thetemplate when you want to see the thumbnails in the Library or when saving a template modification.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Timeline Tab

Parameter

Description
Show Groups: Displays the Group layers in the Timeline.
Show Effects: Displays the Effect layers in the Timeline.
Show Sound: Displays the Sound layers in the Timeline.
Show Sound Waveforms: Displays the imported sounds waveform in theTimeline.

NOTE: You can always toggle the visibility of the waveform in the Timelineview by adding the Show Sound Waveform button from the Toolbar Manager.
This button will work whether you have the Show Sound Waveform option
enabled or disabled in the Preferences panel.

Defaults

Show End of Scene Marker: Displays the red bracket that delineates the endof your scene in the Timeline view. If you know that many different hands will
be working on your scene, you may want to deselect this option so the scene
length is not increased or decreased by accident.

Reduce Indentation: When this option is enabled, the horizontal indentation
for parented nodes in the Timeline is reduced to optimize the amount of spacetaken in the Timeline. When you have a cut-out character and there is a long
cascade of parented nodes, you can enable this option so the Timeline (leftside) does not have expand too wide to see all your nodes.
Paste/Drag & Drop

Add Keyframes at Beginning and End: Copies and pastes a set of framesthat includes an interpolated sequence between two keyframes, but only
extracts a partial section. Under normal circumstances, cutting and pasting a54

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guidefunction without either the start or end keyframe would render the function null.
This option caps the partial function with a new keyframe when you performthe paste.
Overwrite exposures and keyframes during drag and drop: If the area on
which you are dropping a selection contains exposures and/or keyframes, they
are overwritten by the content you are selected by dragging.

Sound Tab

Parameter

Description
Analog Sound Scrubbing: Switches from digital to analog sound scrubbing.

Settings

Analog Jog Speed: Lets you control the sensitivity of the jog slider or dial.
Choose a value between 1 and 20. The higher the jog speed value, the slower you
can scrub to have the sound play at an average pace.
Analog Jog Dampening: Lets you choose a value between 1 and 100 for the
Analog Jog Dampening. The higher the value, the less precise Harmony is at
responding to the jog's changes in speed. However, the more smooth the playback is using the jog slider or dial.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

OpenGL Tab

Parameter

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

Settings

Alternate Gradient and Cutter: This is an alternative way to disable write in
the OpenGL Backbuffer, required for some video cards (i.e. GeForce FX5200).
Do not enable this option unless you are experiencing problems with gradientsand cutters in OpenGL.
Use PBuffer for Picking: This will use an off-screen buffer for picking,resulting in a quicker response. This option should not be enabled if using asmall capacity video card (32MB).
Support Triple Buffer: Enable this option for a better compatibility with
Windows Vista if your video card driver does not allow to disable the triple
buffering option. Not enabling this option may result in a dashing line whendrawing a brush stroke.

56Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Support Desktop Effects: Enable this option for better compatibility with
Windows 7, Windows Vista and Mac OS X desktop effects. This will prevent
graphic compositing problems from happening when the full-scene anti-aliasing
option is enabled.
Enable Mipmapping on Bitmap Layers: Generate anti-aliased mipmap
textures. Disable this option for increased performance when working on
Bitmap layers with non-standard graphic cards.
Maximum Texture Size: The size that the bitmap file will be reduced to whenusing the Conservative Texture Management.
Texture Memory: The amount of temporary memory used to store bitmap
texture files.
Vector Drawing Maximum Texture Size: This is the size that the .tvg file will
be reduced to for better performance when in OpenGL render mode.
The Full Scene Antialiasing is generated by your computer’s graphic card. It
provides a smooth line display in OpenGL. This antialiasing will not only
antialias your drawings but all the different views in the interface.
This option lets you see smooth lines as you draw as well as an antialiased
drawing area. You can change the value of the Full Scene Antialiasing using
the Preferences dialog box to fit the current level used in the Camera or
Drawing view.
Enable (Requires Relaunch): By default, this option is off. Select to turn on
the Full Scene Antialiasing option. You'll need to restart Toon Boom Harmony.

Full Scene Antialiasing

Number of samples (For Mac OS): Enter the number of samples you want to
be used for the antialiasing process. The number of samples is basicallyequivalent to the amount of time a pixel will be enlarged to calculate theantialiasing. This technique is called supersampling. The higher the number ofsamples, the better the antialiasing quality will be, but the longer it will take tocalculate. The recommended value is 4.

NOTE: If you are using Windows or Linux, you must enable your graphiccard’s antialiasing parameter. Refer to user guide of your graphics card. For
example, the parameters for an NVIDIA GeForce card may look like this:Enable Playback Caching: Enable image caching for OpenGL playback.
Playback Images
Playback Cache Size (in Mb): Cache size in for playback images in Mb.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Enable Textures in Pencil Lines: Disabling this will produce a drawing
performance improvement in OpenGL views.
Drawings
Enable Variable Line Thickness: Turns on and off the rendering of thevariable line thickness option of the Element Node.
Enable Tone and Highlight: Turns the Tone and Highlight effects on and off
in the Camera, Top and Side views.
Effects

Enable Cutter: Turns the rendering of Cutter effects on and off in the Camera,
Top and Side views.
Enable Colour Override: Turns the rendering of the Colour-Override effects
on and off in the Camera, Top and Side views.

Render Tab

Parameter

Description

Preview Options

Enable Blur: Renders blur effects derived from the Blur-Directional, BlurRadial, and Blur-Variable in the Render View window.

58Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Enable Line Texture: Renders line texture in the Render view.
Cache Size in RAM (in Mb): Cache size in RAM for intermediate preview
images (Mb).
Cache Path and Capacity on Disk (in MB): If this field is left empty,
Harmony's temporary directory will be used to offload intermediate images.
There is no disk usage limit for the temporary directory.
Preview Images

When you specify a folder, you must type in the capacity (in MB) inside
the path. Use the following method: path;capacity in MB;
example: C:\user\tmp_image_folder;2000;

NOTE: The specified folder must already exist. If there is an error in thepath, Harmony’s temporary directory will be used. You can also specify a
RAM drive in the path.

This lets you specify the level of parallel processing done during the final image
calculation (soft-rendering). Allowing parallel processing speeds up the softrender process.
Multi ThreadingGPU

Number of Rendering Threads: Lets you specify the number of parallel
processes during the soft-render process. A value of 1 disables the multithreading process because it specifies that only one rendering thread will be
used during the process. The maximum number of threads is 64. The
recommended starting value is 2 threads per CPU core, meaning that if you areusing a 2 Quad Core CPU, the preferences should initially be set to 16 threads.
Enable Graphic Card Acceleration: Optimizes the rendering blurs by using
the GPU's acceleration capabilities. This option is on by default. Not all cards
support this acceleration.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Advanced Tab

Parameter

Description
Support Overlay and Underlay Arts: When enabled, options to manipulate
overlay and underlay arts are available.

Advanced Options

Advanced Palette Lists: Lets you switch your palette list to Advanced Palette
Lists mode for creating and storing palettes in the Scene or Element Palette
List.
Restore Current Selected Drawing on Undo: If a drawing other than thecurrent one is being affected by an Undo command, the affected drawing is

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displayed.
Advanced Element Mode: Displays more options in the Add Column dialog
box and the Column Properties dialog box.
•

Auto-rename Elements: Controls whether to rename the element
whenever the corresponding node name in the Node view or layer namein the Timeline view is changed.

Support CMYK in PDF/Illustrator Import: Lets you import .pdf and .ai files
that were created or exported in CMYK mode. The colours of the resulting
imported image may still not look 100% faithful to its CMYK original due to the
RGB conversion. It is recommended that you convert these files to RGB
images before importing them into Toon Boom Harmony. Disabling this option
will cause all the colours of the imported image to be displayed as red toindicate that the file was not converted to RBG before import.
PDF/Illustrator Import as Separate Layers: Imports the different
groups/elements of the .pdf or .ai file as separate layers. For Illustrator files,
the import will use the top level group as separate layer names. Deselect thisoption to import pdf or .ai files as a single layer.
Element Node "Animate Using Animation Tools" Default Value: If you
know that you prefer to work in the style of version 7.3 or earlier, or if you intend
to substitute many drawings throughout your animation, you might wish todeselect this option. This way, you won't have to do it every time (through theLayer Properties) for each new drawing layer that you create.
Tablet Support

Use Qt Wintab Tablet Support (Requires Relaunch): If you are using atablet other than Wacom, deselect this option (and relaunch) if you are having
issues with offset or pressure sensitivity.

UnicodeAllow Unicode Names: Lets you use up to 120 ASCII characters for names ofenvironments, jobs and scenes. This means you can use characters forlanguages, such as Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, and others,
characters for names in your database setup—see Advanced Tips andGuidelines on page 1.

Layer Tab

Parameter

Description

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Antialiasing Quality: Smoothness setting applied to colour art. The higher thesetting, the greater the amount of antialiasing applied. Higher quality images
require more time to render and more system memory. Choose a lower quality if
you are rendering a pencil test.
•

Low: No antialiasing•

Medium Low: Some antialiasing•

Medium: Medium antialiasing•

High: Extensive antialiasing

Antialiasing Exponent: Controls the amount of area around the Line and Colour
Art edges used in the antialiasing process. A higher value uses less area,
resulting in sharper edges, while a lower value uses more area, resulting in softeredges. If the Antialiasing Quality value is set to Low (no antialiasing), this value isignored.
Read Colour: Reads colour information from bitmap images. If this node reads 3
or 4-channel bitmaps, this selection determines whether the colour should be reador ignored. If this node reads 1-channel bitmaps, this selection determines
whether the channel should be read as colour. When this option is selected with
1-channel images, the resulting image will be a greyscale image.

Layer Drawing Options

Read Transparency: Reads the alpha information from bitmap images. If thisnode reads a 1 or 3-channel image, this option will create a matte from the colour
values in the image. If the node reads a 4-channel image and this option is notselected, the alpha information in the image will be ignored.
Alignment Rule: The Alignment position for the element node. The new element
node will be created following this default rule of alignment.
Transparency Type:•

Premultiplied with Black: Pixels at the edge of an image are blended withblack.

•

Straight: Pixels at the edge of an image are blended with black, white andgreys.

•

Premultiplied with White: Pixels at the edge of an image are blended withwhite.

•

Clamp Colour to Alpha: Select this option when you want to premultiply
the colour value with the alpha value. When the colour is clamped to thealpha, the colour value cannot be higher than the alpha value. It calculates
the real colour value faster. When the RGB values are multiplied with thealpha value, that is, if you have a pixel of value R=247, G=188, B=29 andthe alpha is 50% or the image has a 50% transparency, then the actual
RGB values output would be half the amounts listed above.

Art Layer Options:•Overlay Art, Line Art, Colour Art, Underlay Art
Vector/Bitmap: Determines if a newly created element will have this layer
as vector or bitmap.

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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. Theselines and dots need to be cleaned. Harmony provides different tools to help get rid of them quickly.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Dirt Clean Up on page 1.
How to access the Remove Dirt dialog box
1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

‣

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 have chosen
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.

Remove Hair Dialog Box
The Remove Hair dialog box lets you remove any small strokes created in the Colour Art layer from very thick lines
or filled zones. Increasing the Remove Hair level value will select larger strokes for removal from the drawing.
When paper drawings are passed through a scanner, there can be some hair and dirt scattered across them. Theselines and dots need to be cleaned. Harmony provides different tools to help get rid of them quickly.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Dirt Clean Up on page 1.
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.

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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.

Scene Settings Dialog Box
The Scene Settings dialog box lets you parameters for your scene.
When you created your new scene, you set up the resolution and the alignment. However, if you want to changethese initial settings later, you can do it using the Scene Settings dialog box. The different Scene Settings options
are separated into four tabs.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

How to access the Scene Settings dialog box
1. From the top menu, select Scene > Scene Settings.
The Scene Settings dialog box opens.
Resolution Tab
Parameter

Description
You can select your project’s resolution (camera frame size) from this preset list.

‣ HDTV: High definition television delivers a higher quality image thanstandard television (4:3) does, because it has a greater number of lines ofresolution. To take advantage of the superior quality your output device
must be compatible with HDTV technology to make this resolution setting
useful.

‣ HDTV_Vertical: The "vertical resolution" of HDTV_Vertical refers to how

Resolution Presets

the images will be aligned in relation to the actual scene frame (default 4:3
grid). Note that the camera resolution and the scene frame are not thesame. When working with 12 or 16 field drawing grids, the grid is a different
aspect ratio from the camera frame. When you fit vertically, you fit theimages with the top and bottom of the scene grid.

‣ film-1.33: Use this resolution setting for the academy film format that
conforms to the standard 4:3 aspect ratio.

‣ film-1.66: Use this resolution setting for the widescreen film format that
conforms to the 16:9 aspect ratio.

‣ film-1.66_Vertical: This is essentially the same as film-1.66. Refers to
how the drawing is fit into the scene frame. When working with 12 or 16
field drawing grids, the grid is a different aspect ratio from the camera
frame. When you fit vertically, you fit the images with the top and bottom
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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxesof the scene frame.

‣ NTSC: This is the standard analogue television broadcasting system usedin North America and conforms to the North American standards on how
rectangular pixels are displayed for computer and television screens.

‣ PAL: This resolution works best with the European format for televisionand computer screens, as the rectangular pixels are displayed at adifferent orientation.

‣ Low: This format is ideal for videos destined for the web, where size andfast download of a video file might take precedence over quality.

‣ Cloud Preview: This is the resolution used by Web Control Center tocreate its preview.
Selected Resolution Preset

Displays the selected resolution preset.

Save Resolution Setting

Click the Save Resolution button after you define your new resolution to save it
as a preset.
Displays the pixel dimensions for your project resolution.

Pixel Dimensions

If you decide to type in the pixel dimensions, or use the up and down arrows tochange the pixel increments, you will have to save your custom selection in orderto save it as a new preset. It will then appear in the resolution selection list. It
doesn't modify the current resolution preset.

Aspect Ratio

Displays the ratio between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the camera
framing. Each resolution setting has a preset aspect ratio that cannot be changed.

Frame per second

Sets the frame rate for your project. The higher the frame rate, for example 30 fps,
the faster the animation will pla. The lower the frame rate, for example 12 fps, theslower your animation will play. Avoid going under 12 frames per second as youranimation will have a choppy playback. The human eye requires a minimum of 12
frames per second to perceive a fluid animation.

Field of View

Use these options to define the FOV (field of view) of the camera (angle of thecamera cone) and how the drawing elements (and drawing grid) align to the scene
grid. The drawing grid is always scaled proportionally to a 4:3 ratio (unless youchange the scene alignment), therefore changing the Field of View setting may
not show a visible difference if your project resolution is also 4:3, such as NTSC.

‣ Horizontal Fit: The camera resolution is set to fit the left and right edges ofthe scene grid.

66Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide‣ Vertical Fit: The camera resolution is set to fit the top and bottom edges ofthe scene grid.

Alignment Tab
Parameter

Description
The Alignment presets give you two preset options:‣ 4:3 12 Fields: Defines the units of your project to have a 4:3 ratio and sets
Alignment

up 12 of these units to run both vertically and horizontally in four cardinalquarters (NW, NE, SW, SE). This Alignment preset is visible in the FOV
and drawing grids.

‣ 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). This Alignment preset is NOT
visible in the FOV and drawing grids.

Units Aspect Ratio

In the Units Aspect Ratio fields, enter the aspect ratio of the grid you will use. The
aspect ratio describes the shape of the grid unit. A square grid unit would have theratio 1:1, whereas a grid unit of aspect ratio 4:3 is a unit with one side 1.33 times
as big as the other side.

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If the aspect ratio you want to use is 1:1, enter 1 in the Left/Right field (X-axis)
and 1 in the Up/Down field (Y-axis). The default Aspect Ratio is set to 4:3 as it is
the one used by traditional animators, who are accustomed to working with thegrid system described above.
In the Number of Units fields, enter the number of horizontal, vertical and depth
units for your scene’s grid.

Number of Units

Animators who prefer to work traditionally will understand the default setting of 24
units horizontal by 24 units vertical as it, once again, corresponds to the grid
above. Twelve is a common setting for the field depth.
Those who prefer to work in pixels should enter the pixel dimensions (3) of theirproject. This way if you want to move something over 600 pixels you just need totype in 600 units.
In the Coordinates at Centre, you can enter a new coordinate for the centre ofyour scene.

Coordinates at Centre

Save

By default, the (0,0) centre is set in the middle of the grid as shown in the grid
above. If you want to change the centre of your grid, for example to the upper left
corner, you would enter (-12, 12), -12 units across and 12 units up. That is ofcourse unless you changed the number of units to match the pixel dimensions ofyour scene. Then you would enter negative half the width and positive half theheight.
Saves your current Alignment settings and be able to select them later from thelist.

NOTE: If you change your scene‘s alignment from 4:3 12 Fields to Square 12 Fields part way though your project,
you may find that the animation grid becomes offset. To correct this, choose the following setting from the Layer
Properties panel‘s Advanced tab: Alignment > Alignment Rule > Centre First Page.

68Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Bitmap Resolution Tab
Parameter

Description

Scene Resolution

This is the scene resolution preset name and size in pixels.

Width

This is the width of the resolution for the bitmap that will be created. This is not
the actual size of the bitmap. TVG drawings (Toon Boom drawing native format)
have an infinite size. Bitmap TVGs are composed of small tiles. Therefore it does
not mean that because you have artwork at the four corners of your camera frameor even quite far outside of your drawing that your bitmap image will be very large
and heavy. By default, it is set to the same width as the scene resolution.

HeightThis is the height of the resolution for the bitmap that will be created. By default, it
is set to the same height as the scene resolution.

Resolution Factor

This is the size of the bitmap resolution in relation to the scene resolution. If you
increase the percentage, the width and height fields will increase accordingly. If
you plan to animate the camera and zoom into your background, you will need to
set a higher resolution so that the smaller area in which you will zoom will be
100% of the scene resolution.

Scripts Manager Dialog Box
The Scripts Manager dialog box lets you link a script to a toolbar button for quick and easy access. Once you selecta script, you can add it to the toolbar, load a custom icon and add a tooltip.

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Linking a Script to a Toolbar Button on page 1.
How to access the Scripts Manager Dialog Box
1. In the Scripting toolbar, click the Manage Scripts

button.

The Scripts Manager dialog box opens.
Parameter

Description

69Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Files

A list of the available JavaScript files.

Functions

A list of the available functions for the selected script.

In Toolbar

Adds the selected script to the toolbar.

ExecuteRuns the script you selected. Press Esc to interrupt the execution of the script.

Customize Icon

Lets you load a custom icon for the function. You can browse for a *.png, *.jpg
or *.xpm file.

Customize Tooltip

Lets you type in a tooltip for the function. When you hover over the button in the
toolbar, your tooltip will appear.

Select Colour Dialog Box
The Select Colour dialog box lets you set the colour of layers and columns. Using colours for layers and columns
helps to differentiate them visually, making them easy to identify. The colours you choose will be reflected 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.

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Changing the Colour of a Layer or Column on page 1.
How to access the Select Colour dialog box in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, click the Change Track Colour

The Select Colour dialog box opens.

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button of the layer you want to modify.

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

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

The basic set of colours in the system?

Custom colours

Displays the custom colours you created.

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.

Sequence Fill Dialog Box
The Sequence Fill dialog box lets you create a numbered sequence over a selection. The sequence can be forward,
backward, single, double or higher increment, as a cycle, and so on. The selection can be over one cell or a cellrange in one column or more or an entire column or many entire columns.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Filling a Selection with a Sequence.
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:71

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes‣

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

‣

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

‣

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Sequence Fill
display it).

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

button (you may have to customize the toolbar to

The Sequence Fill dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Starting Value

The first number in the sequence.

Increment

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

Hold

The exposure holding value.

Cycle
End Frame
Padding
Add Key Exposure After

Inserts a key exposure after the frame following the last cell.

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—see Adjusting the Velocity on page 1.
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:‣

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

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide‣

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

button.

The Set Ease For Multiple Parameters dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Filters
Motion: 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.
Scale: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Scale functions.
MotionSkew: 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 the Layer
Properties window, not the basic morphing ease in the Tool Properties view.
Other: Applies the easing parameters to all the other the selected functions, suchas 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 will overshoot.

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 be cancelled.

73Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

Show Hidden Columns Dialog Box
The Show Hidden Columns dialog box lets you display all the columns contained in the exposure sheet. It can beused to hide individual columns.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Showing and Hiding Columns on page 1.
How to access the Show Hidden Columns dialog box
1. In the Xsheet view, do one of the following:‣

Click the thick grey line that represents a hidden column.

‣

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

‣

Press Alt + Shift + H.

The Show Hidden Columns dialog box opens.

Parameter

Description

Show

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

Name

Name of the drawing.

Type
Check

Selects all columns.

Uncheck

Deselects all selected columns.

Sound Settings Dialog Box
The Sound Settings dialog box lets you set the compression settings for the movie you will export.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Exporting a QuickTime Movie on page 1.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

How to access the Sound Settings Dialog Box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
2. In the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box that opens, click Movie Options.
3. In the Movie Setting dialog box that opens, click Settings in the Sound section.

Parameter

Description

Compressor

Lets you select a compression type. The default setting is None. This will
preserve your original sound file without the loss of information. However, an
uncompressed sound file will inevitably add “weight” to the overall size of yourvideo export.

Rate

Lets you select a rate.
It is best to check and match the original properties of your sound file. For
example, if your file has an audio sample rate of 48 kHz and you choose a conversion rate of 22.05 kHz, the sound will play at the same speed, but with higher
frequencies missing. For a standard film sound quality, choose 44.1 kHz, or 48
kHz for DVD quality. Anything less will make the sound “dull” or less bright. For
things like recorded voice, this doesn't matter so much, but for music it can makean audible difference. If file size is a consideration, such as with videos for theInternet, then a lower rate might be more practical.

Size and Use

Size and Use are related. It is advisable to check your original sound fileproperties. If the file was recorded in one channel (mono), there is no point inchoosing the two channel (stereo) option. Although Mono can support a 16-bit
channel, the extra information is unnecessary. Mono is generally paired with 8-bit
and Stereo with 16-bit.

Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box
The Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box lets you set the compression settings for the movie you will
export.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Exporting a QuickTime Movie on page 1.
How to access the Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
2. In the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box that opens, click Movie Options.
3. In the Movie Setting dialog box that opens, click Settings in the Video section.
Parameter

Description

Compression Type

Lets you select a codec. The availability of certain compression settings
depends on the Compression Type selected. For example, Animation is thedefault compression type and as a result the Data Rate option is greyed out.

MotionFrame Rate

Lets you select a frame rate. By default, it is set to match the frames-persecond (fps) of your Harmony project. If you choose a lower frame rate, yourexport playback will be faster than your actual project. The reverse is also true
for a higher frame rate.
Automatic:
Every: Inserts keyframes. This is the option is recommended by QuickTime.
For further details, refer to the QuickTime documentation.

Key Frames

All:
Frame Rendering:
Frames: Lets you set the number of keyframes to insert.

Compressor

76Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Depth

Lets you select a depth based on your movie’s needs. For example, Millions ofColours+ houses an alpha channel.

Quality

Lets you choose a quality setting. The higher the quality of the export, thelarger the resulting file.

Data Rate
Automatic: Lets the system automatically select the most optimal bit rate.
Date Rate

Restrict To: Lets you enter a rate to save space and allow for faster
downloading at a cost to the quality of the export.
Optimized For: Lets you select the intended viewing method.

Preview

Displays a preview of the movie to be exported.

Timeline Scene 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 can use it todenote anything relevant to your work. You can indicate the frames you want to clean up, a change in action, an
impact, or where you intend to apply an effect. You can also add a note to a scene marker, which is displayed when
you hover over the scene marker.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Setting Scene Markers on page 1.
How to access the Timeline Scene Marker dialog box
1. In the frame counter area of the Timeline view, do one of the following:‣

Drag to select the frame range to mark.

‣

Right-click and select Scene Markers > Mark Current Frame.

Parameter

Description

Colour swatch

Opens the Mark Colour dialog box where you can select a colour for the scene
marker.

Note (Tooltip)

Lets you type in a name for your scene marker. Making the name meaningful will
help you to quickly identify scene markers especially when there are many ofthem in the frame counter area of the Timeline view.

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.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Managing the Toolbars on page 1.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

How to access the Toolbar Manager dialog box
1. Right-click on a toolbar in any view and select Customize.

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.

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 yourtones and highlights, change your pure RGB colours to transparent (0 Alpha) in the Colour Picker window and
watch the indicator colour zone lines disappear.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Custom Vectorization Parameters on page 1.
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:‣

In the Layer section, decide on the layer options.

‣

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

Click Preview.

3. In the Vectorization section, click the Vectorization Parameters

button.

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

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

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
threshold values to the Line and Colour Art layers.

Threshold

Determines which values in the scanned image are considered part of the Lineor 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 (%)
Colour Art Threshold(%)
OutputThe output filters are applied during the vectorization process.
No Colour Art

Does not generate filling zones in the Colour Art layer.

No Texture

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 throughthe layers.

Colour as Texture

Converts colour values into a texture layer.

Optical Registration

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.

DPI

Lets you enter the dots-per-inch value of your image. You must enter the same

80

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guidevalue as the DPI used to scan the image.
Peg Side

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
the recommended 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.

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 for Line The number of times the smoothing operation runs before creating the triangles
Art Before Breaking
that break lines in the drawing. If unnecessary triangles are appearing in the
Triangles
drawing, increase this value.
Smooth Passes for Line The number of times the smoothing operation is performed after the triangles
Art
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 thebottom of the Vectorization Parameters dialog box.

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Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes

File IO Options-file <filename (including extension)> [ options ]-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

82

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide-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-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)

83

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes-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-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

84Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide-copystrokes; copy original strokes when building matte.

Options for bitmap that has no registration information-pixel_margins <inch (default 0)>; remove margin around bitmap-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 on saturation andvalue 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 (0.0-1.0)><edge pressure effect (0.0-1.0)><texture bitmap downscaling (0.2-20)> <texture bitmap file (valid filename or "" if nofile)>; 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 (0.01.0)>; 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

85

Chapter 1: Dialog Boxes-color_fill_holesl <world units (default 0.000000)>; fill holes of this size for colour line art

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

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.
For tasks related to this dialog box, see Modifying the Look of the Column on page 1.
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.

86Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

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.

87Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

88Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Chapter 2: Layer Properties
Intro...

Drawing Layer Properties
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 the antialiasing
quality.
How to access the Layer Properties editor‣

Double-click on a layer in the Timeline view‣

Right-click on a layer in the Timeline view and select Layer Properties.

‣

Select a layer in the Timeline view and press Shift + E.

How to access the Layer Properties view
1. Do one of the following:‣

Select the view you want to add from Windows > Layer Properties.

‣

In the top-right corner of a view, click the Add View

By default, the Layer Properties view appears as a tab.

89

button and select Layer Properties from the list.

Chapter 2: Layer Properties

Transformation Tab
The Transformation tab contains parameters for adjusting the position, scale, rotation, skew and pivots of anelement.

Parameter

Description
3D Path: Lets you use a 3D path function to animate an element.
Separate: Lets you independently edit the different coordinate fields.

Position

Path (x) Axis: Lets you type in a new East/West coordinate corresponding to
the desired position.
Path (y) Axis: Lets you type in a new North/South coordinate corresponding to90Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

the desired position.
Path (z) Axis: Lets you ype in a new Forward/Backward coordinate
corresponding to the desired position.
Velocity: When the 3D Path option is selected, lets you set the speed at which
Locked: Resizes the element while keeping its ratio. The X and Y axes scale
proportionally
Separate: Resizes the element allowing to modify the ratio (squash andstretch).
(x) Axis: Lets you type in the horizontal scale value.
Scale(y) Axis: Lets you type in the vertical scale value.
Scale in Fields: Instead of using the standard scaling units, when this option
is enabled, images are scaled using field units, based on the traditional
animation field chart.
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.

RotationAngle z: Lets you type in a degree value for the rotation angle. Note that you
can enter 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.
(x) Axis: Lets you type in a new East/West coordinate corresponding to thedesired position.

Pivot(y) Axis: Lets you ype in a new North/South coordinate corresponding to thedesired position.
Use Embedded Pivots:
Harmony has three types of pivots:•

Drawing Pivot

Permanent Pivot
This is a permanent pivot, sometime referred to as peg pivot, that is
applied to the entire drawing or peg layer. If you modify its position, it
will be changed for the entire layer, modifying the animation, scale androtation interpolation. The permanent pivot is set using the
Rotate, Translate or Scale tool. The Transform tool will only move thatpivot temporarily for positioning purposes, but the animationinterpolation will be done from the original permanent pivot's position.
The Transform tool is designed to move the pivot temporarily during theanimation process. It also permits you to select multiple pegs and apply
a common temporary pivot.
To permanently move a peg pivot, use the Rotate or Scale tool. You canalso directly type the values in the Layer Properties window in the Pivot
section's (x) Axis and (y) Axis fields.
In the Layer Properties window, in the Drawing Pivot section, select the
Don't Use Embedded Pivot option to use the permanent pivot.

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Drawing Pivot
The Drawing pivot is contained within each drawing. In one layer, eachdrawing can have its own pivot. If you have many different views of acharacter within one layer, the pivot can be different and the animation
will adjust to the pivot. The Drawing pivot can also be referred to asembedded pivot. If you are not mixing different views within the samelayers or are using pegs to animate your layers, it is recommended touse the permanent pivot.

You can set a different pivot for each one of your drawings. For
example, if you have a series of drawings from different views, they are
not likely to rotate from the same location. In that case, you can set a
different pivot for these drawings by using the Drawing Pivot
tool.
In the Layer Properties window, in the Drawing Pivot section, select the
Apply Embedded Pivot on Drawing Layer option to use the drawing
pivot directly on the drawing layer. If you want to apply the drawing pivot
to a parent peg to force the peg to follow the drawing pivot variations,enable the Apply Embedded Pivot on Parent Peg option.
•

Symbol Pivot
The Symbol pivot is similar to the Drawing pivot. Each symbol cell canhave its own pivot and act the same as the Drawing pivot. The Symbol
pivot can also be referred to as embedded pivot. Inside a symbol, eachdrawing can have its own pivot. If you are not mixing different views
within the same layers or are using pegs to animate your layers, it isrecommended to use the Peg pivot.

For a simple character rig, it is recommended to set the Peg pivot (even on
drawing layers) using the Rotate
tool.

Drawing Tab
The Drawing tab contains parameters for the element columns, designating art layers, and setting bitmap options.

92Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Parameter

Description
Overlay Art Enabled: Enables the Overlay Art display.
Line Art Enabled: Enables the Line Art display.
Colour Art Enabled: Enables the Colour Art display.
Underlay Art Enabled: Enables the Underlay Art display.

Art Layers
Overlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Overlay Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Line Art Type: Allows you to set the Line Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Colour Art Type: Allows you to set the Colour Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Underlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Underlay Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
When an image is created with an external software and that image has sometransparency, there are several formats the software can use when writing the
RBG channels. The purpose of the four import options for the transparency is forthe user to tell Harmony how to interpret the RGB channels of the imported
image. The correct option has to match the ouput format of the software that wasused to create the image in the first place. For instance, if the you used Adobe
Photoshop and exported an image as Straight, then it should be imported inHarmony as Straight in order to get the correct result.

Bitmap File Options

Note that if the image has no alpha channel or if it does have an alpha channel andall the pixels are 100% opaque, it does not make any difference which option is
selected.
Colour: Controls the production of colour information from bitmap images. If thismodule reads 3 or 4-channel bitmaps, this selection determines whether thecolour should be read or ignored. If this module reads 1-channel bitmaps, thisselection determines whether the channel should be read as colour. When thisoption is selected with 1-channel images, the resulting image will be a greyscale
image.
Transparency: Controls the production of alpha information from bitmap images.
If this module reads a 1 or 3-channel image, this option will create a matte from93

Chapter 2: Layer Properties

the colour values in the image. If the module reads a 4-channel image and thisoption is not selected, the alpha information in the image will be ignored.
Transparency Type
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 so that acolor 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 the image has a 50% transparency,
then the actual RGB values output would be half of the amounts listed above.

Drawing Tab
The Drawing tab contains parameters for the element columns, designating art layers, and setting bitmap options.

Parameter

Description
Overlay Art Enabled: Enables the Overlay Art display.
Line Art Enabled: Enables the Line Art display.
Colour Art Enabled: Enables the Colour Art display.

Art Layers

Underlay Art Enabled: Enables the Underlay Art display.
Overlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Overlay Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Line Art Type: Allows you to set the Line Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Colour Art Type: Allows you to set the Colour Art as Vector or Bitmap type.

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Underlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Underlay Art as Vector or Bitmap
type.
When an image is created with an external software and that image has sometransparency, there are several formats the software can use when writing the
RBG channels. The purpose of the four import options for the transparency isfor the user to tell Harmony how to interpret the RGB channels of the imported
image. The correct option has to match the ouput format of the software thatwas used to create the image in the first place. For instance, if the you used
Adobe Photoshop and exported an image as Straight, then it should be
imported in Harmony as Straight in order to get the correct result.
Note that if the image has no alpha channel or if it does have an alpha channel
and all the pixels are 100% opaque, it does not make any difference which
option is selected.
Colour: Controls the production of colour information from bitmap images. If
this module reads 3 or 4-channel bitmaps, this selection determines whether
the colour should be read or ignored. If this module reads 1-channel bitmaps,
this selection determines whether the channel should be read as colour. When
this option is selected with 1-channel images, the resulting image will be agreyscale image.
Bitmap File Options

Transparency: Controls the production of alpha information from bitmap
images. If this module reads a 1 or 3-channel image, this option will create amatte from the colour values in the image. If the module reads a 4-channel
image and this option is not selected, the alpha information in the image will beignored.
Transparency Type
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 so that acolor 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 ofvalue R=247, G=188, B=29 and the alpha is 50% or the image has a 50%
transparency, then the actual RGB values output would be half of the amounts
listed above.

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Controls Tab

The Controls tab contains animation control options.
Parameter

Description

Animation

Animate Using Animation Tools: By default, a drawing layer can be animatedusing the same parameters as a peg, but you can disable this feature. Being
able to switch your drawing layers so they can no longer be animated without apeg has certain advantages. In cut-out animation, it is easier to separate yourdrawing exposure and keyframes to change timing easier and rearrange
keyframe position in the Timeline view. This feature is also available forbackward compatibility when bringing in templates created in older versions of
the software, so as not to lose their offset keyframes or drawing substitution
keyframes.

Spline Offset

In the X, Y and Z axis fields, type the coordinates of where you want to offset
the visual trajectory. By default, the trajectory is displayed at the centre
drawing, using the layer's pivot position. If you want to move it so itcorresponds better with your drawing, either type new coordinates or use theSpline Offset tool available in the Advanced Animation toolbar.
To display the trajectory in the Camera view, select your drawing and selectView > Show > Control. You can also press Shift + F11 (Windows/Linux) or⌘ + F11 (Mac OS X).

Advanced Tab
The Advanced tab contains options for setting the alignment of drawings, line thickness, vector render options,and more.

96

Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Parameter

Description
Alignment Rule: The alignment rule selections are intended to deal with drawings
that were created on paper of a different size or orientation from the defaultalignment rule (set up in the Scene Settings dialog box) or imported 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.

Alignment•

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.

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Chapter 2: Layer Properties•

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 the heightof the alignment rectangle of the scene.

•

Centre TB: Aligns the drawings in the top-bottom centre of the alignment
rectangle. Harmony scales the drawings to match their widths to the widthof 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 the quadmap. In
this case, you would set the drawing layer of the quadmap images toStretch to make the handles appear on the corner of the image. This canhave 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.
This and the Alignment Rule are intended for drawings that were created on paperof a different size or orientation than the other paper in the scene, and requiresalignment so they are treated accurately.
Flip Horizontal: Flips the drawing on the X-axis.
Flip Vertical: Flips the drawing on the Y-axis.

As you move the camera in your scene along the Z-axis, notice that, logically, thelines of the elements become thicker the closer the camera gets to the drawing. If
you prefer the lines to remain the same size or become thicker at a different
speed, you can use the thickness feature to adjust your brush stroke and pencil
line thickness. You can modify the size of the lines even if the camera is notanimated.
To learn how to use this feature, see Camera Truck-ins and Line Thickness.
Line Thickness

Adjust Pencil Lines Thickness: Lets you work with pencil lines and adjust their
thickness. You will not see any changes to lines in the Camera view OpenGL
mode. You must switch to the Render mode.
Normal Thickness: Disables all overrides on the brush stroke line thickness.
This option must be enabled in order for the pencil line thickness parameter andpencil lines to appear. If you want to modify the brush stroke thickness, deselectthis option. To enable brush strokes to work with the line thickness feature, you98Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

must first create central strokes in the Colour Art layer. The central strokes
control the line variation of your brush strokes in the Line Art layer. SelectDrawing > Create Colour Art from Line Art.
Zoom Independent Thickness: Select this if you want your line thickness toremain constant independently from the camera move. Everything else will
increase in size, but the line thickness will stay the same.
Proportional: Enter a multiple by which you want to increase the line thickness
base on its original thickness. A value of 1 will result in no change; a value of 0
(zero) will hide the lines.
Constant: Enter a value in pixels (based on a 720x540 screen resolution) to
indicate the amount of pixels you want to add around the existing line.
Minimum: Enter a value in pixels (based on a 720x540 screen resolution) for theminimum line thickness allowed.
Maximum: Enter a value in pixels (based on a 720x540 screen resolution) for the
maximum line thickness allowed.
•

Antialiasing Quality: A smoothness (antialiasing) setting applied to thefinal rendered image.
•

Low: No antialiasing•

Medium Low: Basic antialiasing•

Medium: Improved antialiasing (blurs the textures)•

High: High quality antialiasing (does not blur the textures)

Higher quality images require more time to render and more systemmemory. Choose a lower quality if you are rendering a pencil test.
•

Antialiasing Exponent: Controls the size of the area around the final
image edges used in the antialiasing process. A higher value uses lessarea, resulting in sharper edges, while a lower value uses more area,
resulting in softer edges. If the Antialiasing Quality value is set to Low (noantialiasing) or Medium Low, this value is ignored. Values: Between 0 and
1.

•

Texture Filter: This option changes the way coloured pixels of TVG
textures are calculated when rendered for different degrees of accuracy.

Vector Render Options•
Miscellaneous•

Bilinear: This option takes the four pixels around each point andmakes a bilinear interpolation between them. (Medium Quality)•

Nearest: This option chooses the colour of the closest pixel to a point.
(Lower Quality)•

Nearest (Filtered): This option is an improved version of Bilinear andimproves the quality when zooming on a texture. (Best Quality)

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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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Chapter 3: Menus
There are several types of menus in Harmony: main menus, quick-access menus and view menus.
•

Main Menus on page 101•

Quick-access Menus on page 122•

View Menus on page 122

Main Menus
The main menus contain most of the commands. Depending on the view you're working in and the element, somecommands are available and others not. The main menu is always located at the very top of the interface.

On Mac OS X, there is also a Stage Advanced category that contains the following commands:•

Preferences

•

About

•

Quit

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 menu‣

At the top of the interface, select Animation.

Command

Description

AnimateEnables the Animate mode which lets you keyframe drawing layers tocreate computer-generated animation. When working in the Animate
mode, you can animate a layer's position and then turn off the mode toreposition a layer for the entire scene. When the Animate mode isdisabled, keyframes are created on selected layers at the current
frame. Depending on what transformations were performed (rotation,translation, skew), the new keyframes are added on the corresponding
parameters (function curves).

Stop-Motion Keyframe

Sets a stop-motion keyframe which there is no computer-generated
motion between two keyframes. The segment is constant or flat. The
drawing remains still until the playback reaches the next keyframe,then the drawing pops to its new location.

Delete Keyframe

Deletes the selected keyframe.

Tools
Transform

Lets you create a global selection so you can reposition, scale, rotateand skew as one unit, which is useful for cut-out characters.

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Chapter 3: Menus

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.

Spline Offset

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 yourdrawing. 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.

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.
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 only the key exposure (key frames) not all the exposures.
The existing key exposure is replaced by the preceding exposure.

Cell

Remove Duplicate Key Exposure

When working with drawings to adjust the timing of a mouth in alipsync, 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 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 fill empty cells to extend the exposure of single frame
drawings to fill the range of empty cells after each one.When creatingdrawings on cells that are not side-by-side, the exposure of the firstdrawing no longer fills automatically. You must select the frame range

102Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

where you want your drawings to hold their exposure up to the next
drawing and use the Fill Empty Cells command.
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.

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 or acell 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 MorphingLets you control a morphing sequence by placing different types ofhints to help Harmony morph the animation the way you want it.

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

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) instead of
single frame (on ones).

Contour Hint

The Contour Hint
point is used on the colour fill zone and brushlines; in other words, on Contour vectors. It allows you to control theline 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 theproximity 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 automatically morphs thedroplet to the nearest one. This is not always the one you may havepredicted. A Zone Hint will force a colour zone to morph with another103

Chapter 3: Menus

one.
Zone Hint points are cyan in colour.

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 move it.
Pencil Hint points are magenta 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 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 avanishing shape. A shape will vanish from the source drawing when
there is no corresponding shape in 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.

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 thisoption 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.

104Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Flip
Flip Horizontal
Flips the selection horizontally or vertically.
Flip Vertical

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 Xaxis 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.

Linear Motion

Switches between a linear and curved corner.

Lock in Time

Indicates if 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 when you drag a character using the Transform orTranslate tool.

Substitute Drawing Previous
Substitute Drawing Next
Go to Previous Keyframe
Go to Next Keyframe
Select Previous Keyframe /Point
Select Next Keyframe /Point

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the previous or next drawing.
Go to the previous or next keyframe.

Select the previous or 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 Timeline view.

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 theactive tool. For example, if the Rotate
tool is active, thetransformation angle will be reset to 0 and if the Transform
tool isactive, all the transformation values will be reset.

105Chapter 3: Menus

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 default
position. 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.

Drawing Menu
The Drawing menu lets you access many tools related to drawing, painting, dirt removal, optimizing strokes, andmore.
How to access the Drawing menu‣

At the top of the interface, select Drawing.

Command

Description
Activates a drawing tool including:Drawing Tools

Select, Contour Editor, Pencil Editor, Cutter, Smooth Editor,
Perspective, Envelope, Reposition All Drawings, Drawing Pivot,
Brush, Pencil, Text, Eraser, Dropper, Morphing, Line, Rectangle,
Ellipse, Polyline, Paint, Ink, Repaint Brush, Close Gap, Stroke, Edit
Gradient/Texture, Hand, Zoom and Rotate View.
These drawing tools are available on the Tools toolbar.

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 of hairs 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 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 notneed 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 recommended106Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

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.
NOTE: The Paint commands require you to use the Permanent
Selection
option in the Select tool so you can maintain aselection over multiple drawings.

Paint

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 havebeen 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 thesame 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 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.

ConvertPencil 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.

Strokes to Pencil Lines

Converts the selected invisible line to a pencil line.

Break Apart Text Layers

Text is treated as a single drawing object. This separates the text soeach character becomes an individual drawing object you can selectand 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 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 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
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later.

Remove Contour Strokes

Remove any permanently invisible lines that were created while
scanning and vectorizing drawings or manually adding contour
strokes. This is useful for removing the intersection triangles createdduring 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 selected drawing objects. Drawing objects will only beflattened and optimized if the selected objects do not change theappearance 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 source 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, this will greatly
reduce the file size.

Reduce Drawing Texture
Resolution

When you import and vectorize as texture (colour) a high resolution
image, the size of your drawing can be heavy. You can reduce thesize and resolution of the textures in a drawing.
When you import and vectorize drawings using the grey or colour
preset styles, you don't have control on the size of the bitmap
texture. You can reduce that bitmap texture.

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 itmeets another drawing, key exposure or a blank cell.

Duplicate Drawings

Lets you duplicate the drawing and work on a copy of it. This lets
you modify an existing drawing but retain the original.

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When duplicating a drawing, the selected cell is replaced with the
new drawing. The exposure of the original drawing that was on thecurrent cell is removed. The original drawing is not deleted from the
project folder or other cells in which it is exposed.
Delete Selected Drawings

Permanently removes selected drawings. Once you save yourproject, these drawings cannot be recovered.

Rename Drawing

Lets you give a selected drawing a new name.

Rename Drawing with Prefix

Lets you rename a drawing sequence with a prefix, which can bequite useful for cut-out puppet breakdown and deformation animation. This applies to any deformation work done in pre-Harmony 12versions.

Rename by Frame

Lets you rename a series of drawings relative to their frame position.
This is useful in hand-drawn animation.

Select Strokes with Current Colour

Lets you select drawing elements and painted areas with the same
colour as the currently selected colour in your colour palette.

Distribute to Layers

Every selected stroke in the Camera view is placed on separate
layers; one layer per 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 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 the four embedded layers.

Create Breaking Triangles

Useful for brush strokes, creates triangular breaks at natural line
intersections. These intersections are the probable locations wherecolour line breaks may occur, such as where 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.

Generate Auto-Matte

Fills colour based on currently selected colour swatch on different
drawing layers (overlay, underlay) so overlapping lines are more
visible during a line test.

Adjust Line Texture Opacity

Lets you adjust the contrast and opacity of textured lines in a drawing.

Change Bitmap Drawing Resolution

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 existingdrawing will result in a loss of quality.Harmony will perform a pixel
smoothing pass (resampling) and create 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 ofa bitmap image (such as imported bitmaps as .psd or .tga for the
background) for tracing to create a matte directly in Harmony.

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By default, Harmony creates small thumbnail images when imported
as bitmap in order to increase performance by using 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 to the low resolution (blurry). This option temporary
increases the resolution of bitmaps up to their original bitmap
resolution to make tracing easier.

NOTE: Regardless of using small thumbnails in Harmony, the final
render will use the real image resolution so there is no loss ofquality in the final render.

NOTE: The small thumbnail size can be changed in Preferences(Camera tab).

Previous Drawing
Next Drawing
Previous Layer
Next Layer

Once a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, you cannavigate between the drawings, frames, and layers.
Displays the previous drawing, next drawing, previous layer or nextlayer.

Colour Protection
Toggle Current Colour Protection

Temporarily enables/disables the Colour Protection feature so you
can quickly correct wrongly inked or painted areas under protectedcolour 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 is deselected, you will repaint or unpaintthe protected colours on your drawings until you enable the option
again.

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 menu‣

From 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.

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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.
Opens the Paste Special dialog box which lets you determine howtemplates and symbols are imported in the Timeline view.

Paste Special
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.

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 selected all other items
that 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.
Not clear for me. Missing information: This however unselects thecurrently selected drawing (e.g. unselect current selected lines andselect everything else that is unselected).
Automatically applies changes you make to a property dialog box.
Harmony applies the modification automatically and displays the result immediately in the Camera view. If you do not want to immediately display every change made to your scene, turn off thisdefault setting by deselecting the Auto Apply option. This is usefulwhen you are working on a very heavy scene.

Auto-Apply
NOTE: If you want to always work in Auto-Apply mode, you candeselect the Auto-Apply option in the Preferences dialog box(General tab). Then, each time you start Harmony, the Auto-Applymode 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

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symbol will not be removed from the Timeline view once it isexpanded.
The symbol's layers will be parented to it in case you createdmotions and transformations on the drawing layer that contain thesymbol. Breaking the hierarchy could result in the loss of any scaling
and animation 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 wellcentered and sized in the Camera view—see Breaking Down theMain Parts on page 1.

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.
•

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.

Merge

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.

Preferences

Opens the Preferences dialog box where you can set yourpreferences for Harmony.

File Menu
The File menu lets you open, close, save, scan, print, and import and export files.
How to access the File menu‣

From the top menu, select File.

Command

Description

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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 ascene file. You can open a new scene from the current one and theprevious 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.
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.

NOTE: The scene name cannot exceed 23 characters.

Save as New Version

Saves the current scene as another version. The Save Version
dialog box prompts you to give a 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.

Remove Unused Files

Removes the unused palettes from the scene list.

ImportFrom Scanner

Imports drawings from a TWAIN scanner.

ImagesImports bitmap images which you can choose to vectorize—see
Importing Bitmap Images on page 1.

Movie

Lets you convert a QuickTime movie to an image sequence andaudio file.

Sound

Lets you import sound files into your project.

Colour Model

Lets you import TVG drawing file into your project. Once imported, it
is display in the Model view for use as a colour model which you canload into any Harmony scene.

SWF, Illustrator Files to LibraryLets you import SWF files into your project.

ImagesExports a scene as a bitmap image sequence. If there is sound inyour scene, it will not be exported with the images.

Movie

Exports animation as a QuickTime movie—see Exporting a

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QuickTime Movie on page 1.
Exports a Flash movie file.
SWF

The SWF export supports some bitmap effects (which can bepreviewed in Render View mode) and SWF Blend Modes (vector
effects which can be previewed in OpenGL View mode).
See Exporting an SWF Movie on page 1.

OpenGL Frames

Exports OpenGL frames (fast display mode) for a quick screen
renders of a scene that contain no transparency channel. Heavier
scenes containing 3D, multiple effects and camera moves can be
fairly long to export—see Exporting OpenGL Frames on page 1.

XsheetPrints 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.

Print

Quit

Closes the application.

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 menu‣

At 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 Harmony website, which features a Support andCommunity > Forum section.

Customer Experience Improvement
Program

The Customer Experience Improvement Program allows Toon
Boom to 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.

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Debug Mode

Enables the Debug mode for gathering and displaying precise
information about each rendering frame, such as the nodes
encountered and action taken. You can view this information in the
Message Log view.

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 a browser
window. Requires Acrobat Reader.

Toon Boom on the Web

Opens the Harmony website, which features a Support andCommunity > Forum section.

Customer Experience Improvement
Program

The Customer Experience Improvement Program allows Toon Boom tocollect usage information. The data does not contain any personallyidentifiable information and cannot be used to identify you. The data willconsist of a basic hardware description, a project summary and usage
information. The information is used only for software 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 toparticipate, 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

Enables the Debug mode for gathering and displaying precise
information about each rendering frame, such as the nodes
encountered and action taken. You can view this information in the
Message Log view.

Insert Menu
The Insert menu lets you create empty symbols in the Library view, different types of layers in the Timeline view,
keyframes and control points.
How to access the Insert menu‣

At 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 (addcontent).

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.
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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 Timeline viewand creates a duplicate of the drawing, which sits on top of the original
drawing.

Position Keyframe

Adds a position keyframe whereby keyframes will only be added on the
X, Y and Z parameters of the selected layer. Keyframes are not addedon the Angle, Scale and Skew parameters.

Control Point

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.

Play Menu
The Play menu lets you play back animation and sound. Use it to scrub the sound to create your lip-sync, loop theplayback, navigate through frames, and change the playback range and speed.
How to access the Play menu‣

At the top of the interface, select Play.

Command

Description

Play

Plays and stops the animation.

Render and Play

Creates a render of your scene to play back the final result including
the effects.

Test SWF Movie

Creates a SWF format movie and a report to test your result before
proceeding to the final movie.

Stop

Stops playback.

Playback Speed

Opens the Set New Frame Rate dialog box where you can set theframe rate at which the playback plays.

Loop

Repeatedly plays back your animation indefinitely.

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 where you can set
the frame number on which to start playback.

Stop Frame

Opens the Set Playback Stop Frame dialog box where you can set

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the frame number on 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
Side View

Plays back your animation in the Top, Side or Perspective views.

Perspective View

Scene Menu
The Scene menu lets you set the scene length, add frames to the scene, view different displays of the scene, setrender options, access the Scene Settings dialog box and Elements Manager window, and verify the drawing andpalette files in your project.
How to access the Scene menu‣

At 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
Add Frames at End
Add Frames Before Selection
Add Frames After Selection
Remove Selected Frames

Adds the number of frames you specify to be added at the beginning or
end of the scene.
Adds the number of frames you specify before or after your selection.
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—see
Display Concepts on page 1.
Opens the Scene Settings dialog box where you can set the resolution,alignment, bitmap resolution and many other parameters.

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Auto 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 the preview 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.

Check Files

Verifies the integrity of the drawing and palette files in your project.

View Menu
The View menu lets you manipulate the view by zooming, panning, or rotating. You can also display the grid andchange its size, use the onion skin feature to help with drawing, and set the preview resolution.
How to access the View menu‣

At the top of the interface, select View.

Command

Description
Enlarges the selected view to full screen which is done in threestages.

Toggle Full ScreenFirst, the selected view enlarges to the maximum width or height,
but keeps the tool views such as Colour or Tool Properties view.
Second, the view enlarges to full screen.
Third, the view returns to its original size.

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.

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.

Next Colour

Goes to the next colour in the Colour view.

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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, 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 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.

Onion Skinning by Drawing

In Camera view, the onion skin by default is per frame, this option
lets you set it by drawing so you don't see any exposure's onion skinfrom the same drawing.

No Previous Drawing

Removes the previous drawing's onion skin and displays only thenext 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.

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.

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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 beseen as the light 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 sameas the Drawing pivot. The Symbol pivot can also be referred to asembedded 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 safetyzone 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
and setting 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 to enable this option once, it is not necessary to do iteach 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
stand out.

Show Strokes with Colour Wash

Displays strokes with washed-out colours.

Hide All Controls

Hides the controls of the selected element.

Preview Manager

Opens the Preview Manager where you can set options for the quality of 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.

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Bitmap File Quality

Lets you change the quality of the preview of the bitmap file in the
Camera view. It will not affect the final render.

Windows Menu
The Windows menu lets you customize your workspace to suit your working style, save it as a new workspace, andload it from the Workspace toolbar. You can also show or hide the different toolbars and views in Harmony.
How to access the Windows menu‣

From 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.

Toolbars

Lets you show or hide these toolbars: Tool Presets, Art Layer, Playback, File, Edit, Advanced Animation, Scripting, Tools, Flip, Onion
Skin, Mark Drawing, Easy Flipping, Workspace, Deformation, Xsheet
View and Timeline View—see Toolbars on page 1.

CameraShows or hides the Camera view.

ColourShows or hides the Colour view.

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.

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Script Editor

Shows or hides the Script Editor view.

Quick-access Menus
A quick-access menu lets you open a list of the commands you will use most often.
How to access a quick-access menu
1. Right-click anywhere in a view.

View Menus
A view menu contains commands specifically related to that view.
How to access a view menu
In the top-left corner of a view, click the Menu

button.

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Camera Menu
The Camera 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 Camera menu‣

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 when moving
them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Select Stroke With
Current Colour

Select the strokes that contain the currently selected colour.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selected 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 Timelineview.

Select Parent Skipping Lets you select the parent of the selected element in the Timeline view skipping
Effects
effects in the hierarchy.

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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.
Reset Zoom: Resets the view’s zoom to its default position.

Navigation

Rotate View CW: Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees clockwise, like ananimation table.
Rotate View CCW: Rotates the Camera view 30 degrees counter-clockwise, likean 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@@

Open GL 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.

Render View

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 to adifferent 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 Playbutton in the Playback
toolbar.

Matte View

Switches the Camera view to a matte display showing the alpha channel of the elements 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

Grid Outline Only: Displays the outline of the grid only.
Underlay: Displays the grid under the drawing elements.

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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.
Show Onion Skin: 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 a series of selected elements to the onion skin preview.
Remove from Onion Skin: Removes a series of selected elements from theonion skin preview.
Remove Unselected from Onion Skin: Removes all elements except the ones
selected from the onion skin preview.
Add All to Onion Skin: Adds all of the scene's elements to the onion skinpreview.
Remove All from Onion Skin: Removes all of the scene's elements from theonion skin preview.
Onion Skinning by Drawing:
No Previous Drawing:Onion Skin

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 byone.
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 other layers when designing,
animating or cleaning up your animation.

Backlight

Produces a silhouette effect by changing the drawing’s coloured areas into asingle dark, solid colour. Use this to verify the completeness of the ink and paintprocess. Any unpainted zones can be seen as the light shows through theunpainted areas of the silhouetted drawing.

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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 the Drawing pivot. The Symbol pivot can also be referred to as embedded pivot. Inside asymbol, 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
the unnecessary artwork. This option is handy when you're animating and setting
up the scene. It allows you to see your scene’s composition better.
Control: Displays the controls of the selected element.

Show

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.
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 the selected drawing on top of
everything while you draw. By enabling this option, each time you select a drawing
tool, the selected drawing is displayed in front of everything in the Camera view.
The Timeline view ordering remain unchanged.
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 of previews,
and clearing and updating the cache.

Bitmap File Quality

Lets you change the quality of the preview of the bitmap file in the Camera view. It
will 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.
Clean Up

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 filled zones.

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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.
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 aselection 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.

ConvertBrush Strokes to Pencil Lines: Converts selected contour strokes into
centreline pencil strokes. The brush stroke thickness will be lost.
Strokes 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 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 toflatten them all into a single shape. By default, lines are drawn one on top of eachother. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, it will be easier if they127

Chapter 3: Menus

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.
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 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, inthe 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 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 the vector 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.
When you import and vectorize drawings using the grey or colour preset styles,
you don't have control on the size of the bitmap texture. You can reduce thatbitmap texture.
Bring to Front: Moves the selected art to the front (on top).
Arrange

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).
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.

Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may already beCreate Empty Drawing exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets another drawing, key
exposure or a blank cell.
Duplicate Drawings

Lets you duplicate the drawing and work on a copy of it. This lets you modify an

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existing drawing but retain the original.
When duplicating a drawing, the selected cell is replaced with the new drawing.
The exposure of the original drawing that was on the current cell is removed. The
original drawing is not deleted from the project folder or other cells in which it is
exposed.
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.

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
Create Colour Art From separate layers. This provides more inking and painting flexibility.
Line Art
You can also configure this option to create the invisible strokes on any of the four
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 change the resolution of bitmap art for individual drawings. You canreduce 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 a loss ofquality.Harmony will perform a pixel smoothing pass (resampling) and create
additional pixels to avoid losing too much quality, but only to a certain extent.

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.

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
SelectLets you select elements from the Camera and Drawing views.

Contour Editor

Lets you add, remove or modify points on a vector line and control them.

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 thestroke curve and position.

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CutterLets you cut a drawing area to move, copy, cut or delete it.

Smooth Editor

Lets you optimize contours and reduce the number of points on a line.

Perspective

Lets you deform a drawing selection and alter its perspective.

Envelope

Lets you deform and warp part of a drawing using a grid envelope and Bezier
handles.

Reposition All
Drawings

Lets you reposition, scale, rotate or skew all drawing strokes on every drawing
included in a layer.

Drawing Pivot

Lets you set pivots on a characters, drawings and symbols.

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 the final images, such as character nodes,
cut-out puppet and clean animation. Creates a central vector shape.

Text

Lets you type text in your project using various fonts and text attributes.

EraserA pressure-sensitive tool for precisely erasing parts of a drawing.

Dropper

Lets you pick a colour directly from a drawing.

Morphing

Lets you control a morphing sequence by placing different types of hints to help
Harmony morph the animation the way you want it.

Line
Rectangle
EllipseLets you draw straight lines, rectangles, polylines and ellipses which you can thenedit.

Polyline
Paint

Lets you paint both empty and filled zones.

Ink

Lets you paint only the segment you clicked on between two intersections to be
painted.

Repaint Brush
Close Gap

Lets you close small gaps in a drawing by creating small, invisible strokes
between the two closest points.

StrokeLets you draw stokes, connect line ends and flatten lines.

Edit Gradient/Texture

Lets you modify the position of a gradient or texture colour within a specific zone.

Hand

Lets you pan the Drawing or Camera view.

Zoom

Lets you zoom in and out of the Drawing or Camera view.

Rotate View

Lets you rotate the Drawing or Camera view just like with a real animation disc.
Can also be used in Perspective view.

Animation
Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe on the selected cell in the Timeline view. If the Animate mode isenabled in the Camera view, a keyframe is automatically created on the current
frame.

Insert Control Point
Set Stop-Motion

Sets a stop-motion keyframe which there is no computer-generated motion

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Keyframe

between two keyframes. The segment is constant or flat. The drawing remains
still until the playback reaches the next keyframe, then the drawing pops to its
new location.

Set Motion Keyframe

Sets a motion keyframe. In motion keyframes, there is no automatic interpolation
created between the selected point and the next one. The layer will maintain its
position until the animation reaches the frame of the next point and will then jump
to the new position. Deselect this option to generate interpolation and get the layer
to progressively move to the next position.

Flip
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
Lock in Time

Indicates if 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
Substitute Drawing
Previous
Substitute Drawing
Next

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the previous or next
drawing.

Select Previous
Keyframe/Point
Select the previous or next keyframe/point.
Select Next
Keyframe/Point
Lock
Reset

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 be reset to 0
and if the Transform
tool is active, all the transformation 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 default position. All transformations
are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. This isuseful 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

Lets you create a global selection so you can reposition, scale, rotate and skew as
one unit, which is useful for cut-out characters.

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

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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 reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or modifying youranimation. By default, the trajectory 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 not aligned with your drawing. Also, if you have several
elements attached to one trajectory, you might want your trajectory to be at adifferent location to represent the group's motion better.

Inverse Kinematic Tool

Lets you pull on a character's extremities, such as the hands and feet, and havethe rest of the body 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

Lets you control a morphing sequence by placing different types of hints to help
Harmony morph the animation the way you want it.
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 and contour
position. Also, if a contour is not animated correctly, you can use hints to correct
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 from thecontour 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
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.

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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 tothe central 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
shape in the destination drawing. If you do not place a Vanishing Point Hint tocontrol 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 nocorresponding shape in the source drawing. If you do not place an Appearing Point
Hint to control the point of appearance, the shape will appear from its centre andexpand outwards.
Appearing Point Hint points are violet in colour.

Switch Between
Morphing Key
Drawings

Toggles between the two key drawings in your morphing sequence. This option isuseful while setting hints. You can use the default keyboard shortcut F4 to toggle
between your drawings.

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 canthen fine tune.

Hide Hints

Temporarily hides the hint points from the key drawings. Use this option when you
have a series of hint points hiding some lines you would like to see.

Colour Menu
The Colour menu lets you access commands related to the Colour view such as creating new palettes, adding newcolour swatches, and displaying the Tint panel.
How to access the Colour menu‣

In the upper-left corner of the Colour view, click the menu

Commandbutton.

Description

Palettes
Creates a new colour palette.

New

Link

By default, Toon Boom Harmony 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 to store
your palettes: Environment, Job, Scene, or Element.
Lets you access other palettes created in the project and link them to your scene—see Importing and Linking Palettes on page 1.

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ImportImports a colour palette located on your hard drive.

RemoveDeletes the selected colour palette.

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 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

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
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
New

Creates a new colour swatch from the colour swatch that was last selected.

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
Scale Down Texture

Lets you set a new maximum texture size or scaling factor.

New Default Colour
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 all of
the animation in Line Art and plan to repaint the lines.

Swatch Mode

Displays the colour swatches with its corresponding name inside the swatch.

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When this option is not selected, the names of the colour swatches are displayed
beside the swatch.
Independent Bitmap
ColourBitmap Colour Sliders
RGB
HSV

Drawing Menu
The Drawing menu lets you access tools, set morphing parameters, lock or unlock layers, and select elements inthe Drawing view.
How to access the Drawing menu‣

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 when moving
them.

Deselect All

Deselects all selected objects in the Drawing and Camera views.

Select Stroke With
Current Colour

Select the strokes that contain the currently selected colour.

Invert Selection

Deselects the currently selected items and selected 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.

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.

View

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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
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.
Show Onion Skin: 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.
Show Centre Line: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.

Onion Skin

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 byone.
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 other layers when designing,
animating or cleaning up your animation.

Backlight

Produces a silhouette effect by changing the drawing’s coloured areas into asingle dark, solid colour. Use this to verify the completeness of the ink and paintprocess. Any unpainted zones can be seen as the light shows through theunpainted areas of the silhouetted drawing.

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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
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
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 filled zones.
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.

Paint

Unpaint Selection: Unpaints any art existing inside a selection.

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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.
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 aselection 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 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 toflatten them all into a single shape. By default, lines are drawn one on top of eachother. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, it will be easier 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 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, inthe 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 an unnecessarily large texture bitmap that lies
unseen beneath the vector contour of a textured line. This often occurs when you
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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 the vector 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.
When you import and vectorize drawings using the grey or colour preset styles,
you don't have control on the size of the bitmap texture. You can reduce thatbitmap texture.
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.

Creates a drawing in the selected cell, replacing any drawing that may already beCreate Empty Drawing exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets another drawing, key
exposure or a blank cell.
Lets you duplicate the drawing and work on a copy of it. This lets you modify anexisting drawing but retain the original.
Duplicate Drawings

When duplicating a drawing, the selected cell is replaced with the new drawing.
The exposure of the original drawing that was on the current cell is removed. The
original drawing is not deleted from the project folder or other cells in which it is
exposed.

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.

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
Create Colour Art From separate layers. This provides more inking and painting flexibility.
Line Art
You can also configure this option to create the invisible strokes on any of the four
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.

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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 change the resolution of bitmap art for individual drawings. You canreduce 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 a loss ofquality.Harmony will perform a pixel smoothing pass (resampling) and create
additional pixels to avoid losing too much quality, but only to a certain extent.

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.

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
SelectLets you select elements from the Camera and Drawing views.

Contour Editor

Lets you add, remove or modify points on a vector line and control them.

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 thestroke curve and position.

CutterLets you cut a drawing area to move, copy, cut or delete it.

Smooth Editor

Lets you optimize contours and reduce the number of points on a line.

Perspective

Lets you deform a drawing selection and alter its perspective.

Envelope

Lets you deform and warp part of a drawing using a grid envelope and Bezier
handles.

Reposition All
Drawings

Lets you reposition, scale, rotate or skew all drawing strokes on every drawing
included in a layer.

Drawing Pivot

Lets you set pivots on a characters, drawings and symbols.

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 the final images, such as character nodes,
cut-out puppet and clean animation. Creates a central vector shape.

Text

Lets you type text in your project using various fonts and text attributes.

EraserA pressure-sensitive tool for precisely erasing parts of a drawing.

Dropper

Lets you pick a colour directly from a drawing.

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Morphing

Lets you control a morphing sequence by placing different types of hints to help
Harmony morph the animation the way you want it.

Line
Rectangle
EllipseLets you draw straight lines, rectangles, polylines and ellipses which you can thenedit.

Polyline
Paint

Lets you paint both empty and filled zones.

Ink

Lets you paint only the segment you clicked on between two intersections to be
painted.

Repaint Brush
Close Gap

Lets you close small gaps in a drawing by creating small, invisible strokes
between the two closest points.

StrokeLets you draw stokes, connect line ends and flatten lines.

Edit Gradient/Texture

Lets you modify the position of a gradient or texture colour within a specific zone.

Hand

Lets you pan the Drawing or Camera view.

Zoom

Lets you zoom in and out of the Drawing or Camera view.

Rotate View

Lets you rotate the Drawing or Camera view just like with a real animation disc.
Can also be used in Perspective view.

Morphing
Morphing

Contour Hint

Lets you control a morphing sequence by placing different types of hints to help
Harmony morph the animation the way you want it.
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 and contour
position. Also, if a contour is not animated correctly, you can use hints to correct
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 from thecontour 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
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 tothe central vector. Make sure to place it far enough away from the line so you will
see it snap when you move it.

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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
shape in the destination drawing. If you do not place a Vanishing Point Hint tocontrol 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 nocorresponding shape in the source drawing. If you do not place an Appearing Point
Hint to control the point of appearance, the shape will appear from its centre andexpand outwards.
Appearing Point Hint points are violet in colour.

Switch Between
Morphing Key
Drawings

Toggles between the two key drawings in your morphing sequence. This option isuseful 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
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 canthen fine tune.

Hide Hints

Temporarily hides the hint points from the key drawings. Use this option when you
have a series of hint points hiding some lines you would like to see.

Function Menu
The Functions 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 Function menu‣

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

Selects the previous keyframe.

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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.

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.

View

Function List
Auto Load Selection
Clear
Load Selection
Add Selection
Remove Selection
Show Motion:Show Rotation:
Show

Show Scale:Show Skew:
Show Other:

Library Menu
The Library menu lets you access commands specific to the Library view, such as opening a Library or getting therights to modify a library folder.
How to access the Library menu‣

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.

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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.

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 (Mac OS
X).

Remove Unused Files

Removes any files not in use in the

Rename Template

Lets you rename a selected template.

Import Files

Opens theFolders
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

Model Menu
The Model menu lets you load models and view them in different ways, as well as access some drawing tools.
How to access the Model menu‣

In the upper-left corner of the Model view, click the menu

Command

Description

Previous Model
Next Model
Import Model
Use Current Drawing as Model144

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Load Default Models
Clear Model
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 animationtable.

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@@need help

Dropper

Activates the Dropper tool. This tools is also available on the Tools toolbar.

Zoom

Activates the Zoom tool. This tools is also available on the Tools toolbar.

Perspective Menu
The Perspective menu lets you select and edit elements, manipulate the view during scene setup, set parameters
for animation and access animation tools.
How to access the Perspective menu‣

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 selected 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 the145

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Timeline 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.

Zoom In

Zooms in the view.

Zoom Out

Zooms out the view.

View

Move Forward
Move Backward
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.

Look At Selected
Layer Properties

Shows or hides the Layer Properties view.

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 other layers when designing,
animating or cleaning up your animation.

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 Top, Side or Perspective views.

Animation

AnimateEnables the Animate mode which lets you keyframe drawing layers to createcomputer-generated animation. When working in the Animate mode, you cananimate a layer's position and then turn off the mode to reposition a layer for theentire scene. When the Animate mode is disabled, keyframes are created on
selected layers at the current frame. Depending on what transformations were
performed (rotation, translation, skew), the new keyframes are added on thecorresponding parameters (function curves).

Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe to the selected cell in the Timeline view.

Insert Control Point
Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Sets a stop-motion keyframe which there is no computer-generated motion
between two keyframes. The segment is constant or flat. The drawing remains
still until the playback reaches the next keyframe, then the drawing pops to its
new location.

Set Motion Keyframe

Sets a motion keyframe. In motion keyframes, there is no automatic interpolation

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created between the selected point and the next one. The layer will maintain its
position until the animation reaches the frame of the next point and will then jump
to the new position. Deselect this option to generate interpolation and get thelayer to progressively move to the next position.
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 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 thevelocity of selection functions.

Linear Motion
Lock in Time

Indicates if 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
Substitute Drawing
Previous
Substitute Drawing
Next

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the previous or
next drawing.

Select Previous
Keyframe /Point

Select the previous or next keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe/PointSelect Next Keyframe /Point
Lock: Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.

Lock

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.

Reset

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 be reset to
0 and if the Transform
tool is active, all the transformation values will bereset.

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 default position. Alltransformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. This isuseful 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.

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Animation Tools
Transform

Lets you create a global selection so you can reposition, scale, rotate and skew
as one unit, which is useful for cut-out characters.

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 movethem towards or away from the camera.

Skew

Slants the selected element.

Spline Offset

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 weredrawn in a different location than the centre of the drawing area, it will look like thetrajectory is not aligned with 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.

Side Menu
The Side menu lets you position elements in 3D space, set parameters for animation and access animation
tools—see Side View on page 1.
How to access the Side menu‣

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 selected 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.

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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 theTimeline 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 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 Top, Side or Perspective views.

View

Animation

AnimateEnables the Animate mode which lets you keyframe drawing layers to createcomputer-generated animation. When working in the Animate mode, you cananimate a layer's position and then turn off the mode to reposition a layer forthe entire scene. When the Animate mode is disabled, keyframes are createdon selected layers at the current frame. Depending on what transformations
were performed (rotation, translation, skew), the new keyframes are added on
the corresponding parameters (function curves).

Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe to the selected cell in the Timeline view.

Insert Control Point
Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Sets a stop-motion keyframe which there is no computer-generated motion
between two keyframes. The segment is constant or flat. The drawing remains
still until the playback reaches the next keyframe, then the drawing pops to its
new location.

Set Motion Keyframe

Sets a motion keyframe. In motion keyframes, there is no automaticinterpolation created between the selected point and the next one. The layer
will maintain its position until the animation reaches the frame of the next point
and will then jump to the new position. Deselect this option to generateinterpolation and get the layer to progressively move to the next position.

Flip

Flip Horizontal: Flips the current selection horizontally.

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Flip Vertical: Flips the current selection vertically.
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-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.
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
Lock in Time

Indicates if 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 arebeing added, moved, or adjusted (control point).

No Z Dragging
Substitute Drawing
Previous
Substitute Drawing
Next

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the previous or
next drawing.

Select Previous
Keyframe /Point

Select the previous or next keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe/PointSelect Next Keyframe /Point
Lock: Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.

Lock

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.

Reset

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 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 default position. Alltransformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. This isuseful 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

Lets you create a global selection so you can reposition, scale, rotate andskew as one unit, which is useful for cut-out characters.

TranslateLets you move the selected element along the X and Y axes.

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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.

Spline Offset

Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or modifying youranimation. By default, the trajectory 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 not aligned with 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.

Timeline Menu
The Timeline menu lets you...
select and edit elements, manipulate the view during scene setup, set parameters for animation and accessanimation tools.
How to access the Timeline menu‣

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—see Importing Bitmap
Images on page 1.

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.

Edit

Copy cells from Xsheet Copies 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
and Reverse-Forward.

Paste Reverse

Reverses the timing of drawings or keyframes in range of selection after copying.

DeleteRemoves selected objects.

Modify Paste Presets

Lets you modify existing presets when pasting keyframes and exposures. There
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exposures, key frames only and exposures only. See Modifying Paste Presets on
page 1.
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 selected 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 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: Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.

Lock

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.

Tag

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. See
Timeline View Modes on page 1.
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.

Scene Markers

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 Setting Scene Markers on page1.
Create Scene Marker: Creates a scene marker from a selected frame range inthe frame counter area of the Timeline view.
Edit Scene Marker: Lets you edit an existing scene marker.

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NOTE: It's important to select the entire length of the scene marker, otherwise
the Timeline 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. See Function
Curves on page 1.

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 not connectedto 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 bydefault, 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.

View

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

Centers the Timeline view on the selected layer. This useful when you haveseveral layers in the Timeline view, you may find it hard to locate which one isselected.
Show Manager:
Show Sounds:
Show Effects:

Show
Show Groups:
Show Composites:
Show Sound Waveform:
Change Track Colour
Default Track Colour
Collapse/Expand
Collapse All
Expand All
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

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as tempo markers. The Xsheet view lets you pace your animation according to
the tempo or beat of the soundtrack music or to any rhythmic sound, such as theticking of a clock or water leaking from a spout. See Setting Tempo Markers on
page 1.

Top Menu
The Top menu lets you position elements in 3D space, set parameters for animation and access animation tools—
see Top View on page 1.
How to access the Top menu‣

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 Object

Removes 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 selected 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

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 theTimeline view.

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.

View

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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 Top, Side or Perspective views.

Animation

AnimateEnables the Animate mode which lets you keyframe drawing layers to createcomputer-generated animation. When working in the Animate mode, you cananimate a layer's position and then turn off the mode to reposition a layer forthe entire scene. When the Animate mode is disabled, keyframes are createdon selected layers at the current frame. Depending on what transformations
were performed (rotation, translation, skew), the new keyframes are added on
the corresponding parameters (function curves).

Insert Keyframe

Adds a keyframe to the selected cell in the Timeline view.

Insert Control Point
Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Sets a stop-motion keyframe which there is no computer-generated motion
between two keyframes. The segment is constant or flat. The drawing remains
still until the playback reaches the next keyframe, then the drawing pops to its
new location.

Set Motion Keyframe

Sets a motion keyframe. In motion keyframes, there is no automaticinterpolation created between the selected point and the next one. The layer
will maintain its position until the animation reaches the frame of the next point
and will then jump to the new position. Deselect this option to generateinterpolation and get the layer to progressively move to the next position.
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-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.

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
Lock in Time

Indicates if 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 arebeing added, moved, or adjusted (control point).

No Z Dragging
Substitute Drawing
Previous
Substitute Drawing
Next

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the previous or
next drawing.

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Select Previous
Keyframe /Point

Select the previous or next keyframe/point.

Select Next Keyframe/PointSelect Next Keyframe /Point
Lock: Locks one or a multiple selection of layers.
Unlock: Unlocks one or a multiple selection of locked layers.

Lock

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.

Reset

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 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 default position. Alltransformations are reset regardless of the tool you're using.

Reset All Except Z

Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position. This isuseful 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

Lets you create a global selection so you can reposition, scale, rotate andskew as one unit, which is useful for cut-out characters.

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.

Spline Offset

Lets you reposition the visual trajectory without offsetting or modifying youranimation. By default, the trajectory 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 not aligned with 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.

Xsheet Menu
The Xsheet menu lets you—see Timing on page 1 on page 1.

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How to access the Xsheet menu‣

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—see
Importing Bitmap Images on page 1.
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.

Edit

Copy cells from Xsheet Copies 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
and Reverse-Forward.

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.
Lets you drag a cell to any other frame in the same column or into another column.

Gestural Drag Mode
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.

View

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Reset Pan

Resets the view’s pan to its default position.

Reset View

Resets the view to its default position.

Set Tempo Marker
Collapse Selection:
Expand Selection:
Expand/Collapse
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
Lets you add advanced column types to create particular animation paths. When
you create these columns, they are not linked automatically to any particular
Column Types Manager
drawing 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 Colour

Removes 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.

Empty Cells
Row Units
Held Exposures
Preview Selected
Drawings
Enable Playback

Plays back your animation in the Top, Side or Perspective views.

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 associated158Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

drawing files and element folders.
Clone Selected
Columns: Drawings
Only

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.

Clone Selected
Columns: Drawings
and Timing

You can clone the drawings only or both the drawings and timing—see Cloning
Layers and Columns on page 1.

Duplicate Selected
Columns

Creates an independent copy of the selected column. This useful when you needto modify the element independently, including the timing (exposure). Changes tothe original element do not propagate to the duplicate.
There are two methods of merging drawings.
•

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.

Merge Selected
Columns

See Merging Drawings on page 1.
RenameConvertFramesAdd Frames At Start
Add Frames At End

Adds the number of frames you specify to be added at the beginning or end of thescene.

Add Frames Before
Selection
Adds the number of frames you specify before or after your selection.
Add Frames After
Selection
Remove Selected
FramesDeletes the selected frames from your scene.

Drawings
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.
Lets you duplicate the drawing and work on a copy of it. This lets you modify anexisting drawing but retain the original.

Duplicate Drawings

When duplicating a drawing, the selected cell is replaced with the new drawing.
The exposure of the original drawing that was on the current cell is removed. The
original drawing is not deleted from the project folder or other cells in which it is
exposed.

Rename Drawing

Lets you give a selected drawing a new name.

Rename Drawing with
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Rename by Frame
Delected Selected
Drawings
Merge Selected
Drawings
Vectorize Line Art in
Selected Drawings
Marks selected drawings as one of the following: Key, Breakdown, In-between,
RetakeKey, RetakeBD or RetakeIB.
This helps to keep the Xsheet well organized while animating.
Mark Drawing As

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.
See Drawing Identification on page 1.

Substitute Drawing
Previous
Substitute Drawing
Next

Replaces the drawing or cell's symbol on the current frame by the previous or
next drawing.

Send Drawings to Desk
Add Drawings to Desk
Exposure

Increase

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 isalways set in Insert mode. Increasing an exposure pushes the existing exposure
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 only the key exposure (key frames) not all the exposures. The existing
key exposure is replaced by the preceding exposure.

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.

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Fill Empty Cells

Lets you fill empty cells to extend the exposure of single frame drawings to fill therange of empty cells after each one.When creating drawings on cells that are notside-by-side, the exposure of the first drawing no longer fills automatically. You
must select the frame range where you want your drawings to hold their exposure
up to the next drawing and use the Fill Empty Cells command.

Insert Blank Cell

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.

Create Cycle

Fill Selection

Lets you fill the same value over an entire selection. The selection can be over
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.

Sequence Fill

Lets you create a numbered sequence over a selection. The sequence can be
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.

Fill Cells Randomly

Lets you fill in random values over a selection. You can give a maximum and aminimum 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 oran 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 keyframe.

Go to Previous
Keyframe
Go to Next Keyframe
Set Stop-Motion
Keyframe

Sets a stop-motion keyframe which there is no computer-generated motion
between two keyframes. The segment is constant or flat. The drawing remains
still until the playback reaches the next keyframe, then the drawing pops to its
new location.

Set Motion Keyframe

Sets a motion keyframe. In motion keyframes, there is no automatic interpolation
created between the selected point and the next one. The layer will maintain its
position until the animation reaches the frame of the next point and will then jump
to the new position. Deselect this option to generate interpolation and get thelayer to progressively move to the next position.

Morphing
Create MorphingLets you control a morphing sequence by placing different types of hints to help
Harmony morph the animation the way you want it.

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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 you convert your morphing inbetweens to real drawings you can edit. This isuseful when manually editing a morphing sequence or if you prefer to haveanimation timing in double frame (on twos) instead of single frame (on ones).

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 drawings in an element to the mouth chart you havegenerated for a sound. This can save time when you are lip-synching 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
over the Zoom
Waveformicon.

Sound Edit
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 Images Removes 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 4: 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 it with thetools you use most often and hide the ones you don't.
Main Toolbars
View Toolbars

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Chapter 5: Views
Intro...

Layer Properties
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 the antialiasing
quality.
How to access the Layer Properties editor‣

Double-click on a layer in the Timeline view‣

Right-click on a layer in the Timeline view and select Layer Properties.

‣

Select a layer in the Timeline view and press Shift + E.

How to access the Layer Properties view
1. Do one of the following:‣

Select the view you want to add from Windows > Layer Properties.

‣

In the top-right corner of a view, click the Add View

By default, the Layer Properties view appears as a tab.

165

button and select Layer Properties from the list.

Chapter 5: Views

Transformation Tab
The Transformation tab contains parameters for adjusting the position, scale, rotation, skew and pivots of anelement.

Parameter

Description
3D Path: Lets you use a 3D path function to animate an element.
Separate: Lets you independently edit the different coordinate fields.

Position

Path (x) Axis: Lets you type in a new East/West coordinate corresponding to
the desired position.
Path (y) Axis: Lets you type in a new North/South coordinate corresponding to166Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

the desired position.
Path (z) Axis: Lets you ype in a new Forward/Backward coordinate
corresponding to the desired position.
Velocity: When the 3D Path option is selected, lets you set the speed at which
Locked: Resizes the element while keeping its ratio. The X and Y axes scale
proportionally
Separate: Resizes the element allowing to modify the ratio (squash andstretch).
(x) Axis: Lets you type in the horizontal scale value.
Scale(y) Axis: Lets you type in the vertical scale value.
Scale in Fields: Instead of using the standard scaling units, when this option
is enabled, images are scaled using field units, based on the traditional
animation field chart.
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.

RotationAngle z: Lets you type in a degree value for the rotation angle. Note that you
can enter 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.
(x) Axis: Lets you type in a new East/West coordinate corresponding to thedesired position.

Pivot(y) Axis: Lets you ype in a new North/South coordinate corresponding to thedesired position.
Use Embedded Pivots:
Harmony has three types of pivots:•

Drawing Pivot

Permanent Pivot
This is a permanent pivot, sometime referred to as peg pivot, that is
applied to the entire drawing or peg layer. If you modify its position, it
will be changed for the entire layer, modifying the animation, scale androtation interpolation. The permanent pivot is set using the
Rotate, Translate or Scale tool. The Transform tool will only move thatpivot temporarily for positioning purposes, but the animationinterpolation will be done from the original permanent pivot's position.
The Transform tool is designed to move the pivot temporarily during theanimation process. It also permits you to select multiple pegs and apply
a common temporary pivot.
To permanently move a peg pivot, use the Rotate or Scale tool. You canalso directly type the values in the Layer Properties window in the Pivot
section's (x) Axis and (y) Axis fields.
In the Layer Properties window, in the Drawing Pivot section, select the
Don't Use Embedded Pivot option to use the permanent pivot.

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Drawing Pivot
The Drawing pivot is contained within each drawing. In one layer, eachdrawing can have its own pivot. If you have many different views of acharacter within one layer, the pivot can be different and the animation
will adjust to the pivot. The Drawing pivot can also be referred to asembedded pivot. If you are not mixing different views within the samelayers or are using pegs to animate your layers, it is recommended touse the permanent pivot.

You can set a different pivot for each one of your drawings. For
example, if you have a series of drawings from different views, they are
not likely to rotate from the same location. In that case, you can set a
different pivot for these drawings by using the Drawing Pivot
tool.
In the Layer Properties window, in the Drawing Pivot section, select the
Apply Embedded Pivot on Drawing Layer option to use the drawing
pivot directly on the drawing layer. If you want to apply the drawing pivot
to a parent peg to force the peg to follow the drawing pivot variations,enable the Apply Embedded Pivot on Parent Peg option.
•

Symbol Pivot
The Symbol pivot is similar to the Drawing pivot. Each symbol cell canhave its own pivot and act the same as the Drawing pivot. The Symbol
pivot can also be referred to as embedded pivot. Inside a symbol, eachdrawing can have its own pivot. If you are not mixing different views
within the same layers or are using pegs to animate your layers, it isrecommended to use the Peg pivot.

For a simple character rig, it is recommended to set the Peg pivot (even on
drawing layers) using the Rotate
tool.

Drawing Tab
The Drawing tab contains parameters for the element columns, designating art layers, and setting bitmap options.

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Parameter

Description
Overlay Art Enabled: Enables the Overlay Art display.
Line Art Enabled: Enables the Line Art display.
Colour Art Enabled: Enables the Colour Art display.
Underlay Art Enabled: Enables the Underlay Art display.

Art Layers
Overlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Overlay Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Line Art Type: Allows you to set the Line Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Colour Art Type: Allows you to set the Colour Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Underlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Underlay Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
When an image is created with an external software and that image has sometransparency, there are several formats the software can use when writing the
RBG channels. The purpose of the four import options for the transparency is forthe user to tell Harmony how to interpret the RGB channels of the imported
image. The correct option has to match the ouput format of the software that wasused to create the image in the first place. For instance, if the you used Adobe
Photoshop and exported an image as Straight, then it should be imported inHarmony as Straight in order to get the correct result.

Bitmap File Options

Note that if the image has no alpha channel or if it does have an alpha channel andall the pixels are 100% opaque, it does not make any difference which option is
selected.
Colour: Controls the production of colour information from bitmap images. If thismodule reads 3 or 4-channel bitmaps, this selection determines whether thecolour should be read or ignored. If this module reads 1-channel bitmaps, thisselection determines whether the channel should be read as colour. When thisoption is selected with 1-channel images, the resulting image will be a greyscale
image.
Transparency: Controls the production of alpha information from bitmap images.
If this module reads a 1 or 3-channel image, this option will create a matte from169

Chapter 5: Views

the colour values in the image. If the module reads a 4-channel image and thisoption is not selected, the alpha information in the image will be ignored.
Transparency Type
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 so that acolor 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 the image has a 50% transparency,
then the actual RGB values output would be half of the amounts listed above.

Drawing Tab
The Drawing tab contains parameters for the element columns, designating art layers, and setting bitmap options.

Parameter

Description
Overlay Art Enabled: Enables the Overlay Art display.
Line Art Enabled: Enables the Line Art display.
Colour Art Enabled: Enables the Colour Art display.

Art Layers

Underlay Art Enabled: Enables the Underlay Art display.
Overlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Overlay Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Line Art Type: Allows you to set the Line Art as Vector or Bitmap type.
Colour Art Type: Allows you to set the Colour Art as Vector or Bitmap type.

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Underlay Art Type: Allows you to set the Underlay Art as Vector or Bitmap
type.
When an image is created with an external software and that image has sometransparency, there are several formats the software can use when writing the
RBG channels. The purpose of the four import options for the transparency isfor the user to tell Harmony how to interpret the RGB channels of the imported
image. The correct option has to match the ouput format of the software thatwas used to create the image in the first place. For instance, if the you used
Adobe Photoshop and exported an image as Straight, then it should be
imported in Harmony as Straight in order to get the correct result.
Note that if the image has no alpha channel or if it does have an alpha channel
and all the pixels are 100% opaque, it does not make any difference which
option is selected.
Colour: Controls the production of colour information from bitmap images. If
this module reads 3 or 4-channel bitmaps, this selection determines whether
the colour should be read or ignored. If this module reads 1-channel bitmaps,
this selection determines whether the channel should be read as colour. When
this option is selected with 1-channel images, the resulting image will be agreyscale image.
Bitmap File Options

Transparency: Controls the production of alpha information from bitmap
images. If this module reads a 1 or 3-channel image, this option will create amatte from the colour values in the image. If the module reads a 4-channel
image and this option is not selected, the alpha information in the image will beignored.
Transparency Type
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 so that acolor 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 ofvalue R=247, G=188, B=29 and the alpha is 50% or the image has a 50%
transparency, then the actual RGB values output would be half of the amounts
listed above.

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Controls Tab

The Controls tab contains animation control options.
Parameter

Description

Animation

Animate Using Animation Tools: By default, a drawing layer can be animatedusing the same parameters as a peg, but you can disable this feature. Being
able to switch your drawing layers so they can no longer be animated without apeg has certain advantages. In cut-out animation, it is easier to separate yourdrawing exposure and keyframes to change timing easier and rearrange
keyframe position in the Timeline view. This feature is also available forbackward compatibility when bringing in templates created in older versions of
the software, so as not to lose their offset keyframes or drawing substitution
keyframes.

Spline Offset

In the X, Y and Z axis fields, type the coordinates of where you want to offset
the visual trajectory. By default, the trajectory is displayed at the centre
drawing, using the layer's pivot position. If you want to move it so itcorresponds better with your drawing, either type new coordinates or use theSpline Offset tool available in the Advanced Animation toolbar.
To display the trajectory in the Camera view, select your drawing and selectView > Show > Control. You can also press Shift + F11 (Windows/Linux) or⌘ + F11 (Mac OS X).

Advanced Tab
The Advanced tab contains options for setting the alignment of drawings, line thickness, vector render options,and more.

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Parameter

Description
Alignment Rule: The alignment rule selections are intended to deal with drawings
that were created on paper of a different size or orientation from the defaultalignment rule (set up in the Scene Settings dialog box) or imported 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.

Alignment•

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.

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Chapter 5: Views•

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 the heightof the alignment rectangle of the scene.

•

Centre TB: Aligns the drawings in the top-bottom centre of the alignment
rectangle. Harmony scales the drawings to match their widths to the widthof 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 the quadmap. In
this case, you would set the drawing layer of the quadmap images toStretch to make the handles appear on the corner of the image. This canhave 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.
This and the Alignment Rule are intended for drawings that were created on paperof a different size or orientation than the other paper in the scene, and requiresalignment so they are treated accurately.
Flip Horizontal: Flips the drawing on the X-axis.
Flip Vertical: Flips the drawing on the Y-axis.

As you move the camera in your scene along the Z-axis, notice that, logically, thelines of the elements become thicker the closer the camera gets to the drawing. If
you prefer the lines to remain the same size or become thicker at a different
speed, you can use the thickness feature to adjust your brush stroke and pencil
line thickness. You can modify the size of the lines even if the camera is notanimated.
To learn how to use this feature, see Camera Truck-ins and Line Thickness.
Line Thickness

Adjust Pencil Lines Thickness: Lets you work with pencil lines and adjust their
thickness. You will not see any changes to lines in the Camera view OpenGL
mode. You must switch to the Render mode.
Normal Thickness: Disables all overrides on the brush stroke line thickness.
This option must be enabled in order for the pencil line thickness parameter andpencil lines to appear. If you want to modify the brush stroke thickness, deselectthis option. To enable brush strokes to work with the line thickness feature, you

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must first create central strokes in the Colour Art layer. The central strokes
control the line variation of your brush strokes in the Line Art layer. SelectDrawing > Create Colour Art from Line Art.
Zoom Independent Thickness: Select this if you want your line thickness toremain constant independently from the camera move. Everything else will
increase in size, but the line thickness will stay the same.
Proportional: Enter a multiple by which you want to increase the line thickness
base on its original thickness. A value of 1 will result in no change; a value of 0
(zero) will hide the lines.
Constant: Enter a value in pixels (based on a 720x540 screen resolution) to
indicate the amount of pixels you want to add around the existing line.
Minimum: Enter a value in pixels (based on a 720x540 screen resolution) for theminimum line thickness allowed.
Maximum: Enter a value in pixels (based on a 720x540 screen resolution) for the
maximum line thickness allowed.
•

Antialiasing Quality: A smoothness (antialiasing) setting applied to thefinal rendered image.
•

Low: No antialiasing•

Medium Low: Basic antialiasing•

Medium: Improved antialiasing (blurs the textures)•

High: High quality antialiasing (does not blur the textures)

Higher quality images require more time to render and more systemmemory. Choose a lower quality if you are rendering a pencil test.
•

Antialiasing Exponent: Controls the size of the area around the final
image edges used in the antialiasing process. A higher value uses lessarea, resulting in sharper edges, while a lower value uses more area,
resulting in softer edges. If the Antialiasing Quality value is set to Low (noantialiasing) or Medium Low, this value is ignored. Values: Between 0 and
1.

•

Texture Filter: This option changes the way coloured pixels of TVG
textures are calculated when rendered for different degrees of accuracy.

Vector Render Options•
Miscellaneous•

Bilinear: This option takes the four pixels around each point andmakes a bilinear interpolation between them. (Medium Quality)•

Nearest: This option chooses the colour of the closest pixel to a point.
(Lower Quality)•

Nearest (Filtered): This option is an improved version of Bilinear andimproves the quality when zooming on a texture. (Best Quality)

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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Chapter 6: Windows
Intro...

Element Manager Window
The Element Manager window lets you add, delete or modify elements (drawing folders) in your scene. If you havedrawing folders that are not linked to a column in your scene, use the Element Manager to delete them if needed.

For more information on working with this window, see Modifying Layers and Columns on page 1.
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 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 Scan module,
select the scan type from the list.

Field Chart

If you're importing traditional animation, select the size of the paper on which theanimation 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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Manage Tool Presets Window
The Tool Presets window lets you create new tool presets and manage them.

For more information on working with this window, see Working with Tool Presets on page 1.
How to access the Manage Tool Presets window
1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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.

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.

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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 to thepresets, as well as any other changes you made in the Manage Tool Presets
window.

Export to Easel JS
The Export to Easel JS window lets you a flattened 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 ofeach frame, grouped together in your sprite sheet. This allows for more flexibility and freedom of work as you haveaccess to any tools or effect modules you want to use. However, this can result in heavier files depending on thelength, complexity and export size of your animation.

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How to access the Export to Easel JS window
1. From the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Game.
The Game toolbar appears above the Camera view, to the left.

2. Click the Export to Easel JS
Parameter

button.

Description

Select Directory
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 nameof your 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 morememory.
NPOT: Some game engines are optimized specifically to render to non powersof two, so that it will avoid those numbers. Example: 1000 x 1000.

Reuse FramesThis option works in tandem with the Threshold option. The export willcompare 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 isless than the threshold percentage.

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,180

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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.

Export to Sprite Sheets
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, andjump 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 animations inthat 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 are exported
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 thesame skeleton.

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How to access the Export to Sprite Sheets window
1. From the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Game.
The Game toolbar appears above the Camera view, to the left.

2. Click the Export to Sprite Sheets
Parameter

button.

Description

Select Directory
Save Path

The folder path where you want to save your export.

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Save Name

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

Existing Clips in Folder
Overwrite Project

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

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.

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.

Sprite Sheet Preferences
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

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 morememory.
NPOT: Some game engines are optimized specifically to render to non powersof two, so that it will avoid those numbers. Example: 1000 x 1000.

Reuse FramesThis option works in tandem with the Threshold option. The export willcompare 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 isless than the threshold percentage.

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.

Precalculate 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.

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Index
4
4:3
12 fields 67
Aalignment 67
4:3 12 Fields 67
Square 12 Fields 67
aspect ratio 66
grid 67
B
bitmap resolution
height 69
resolution factor 69
width 69C
center coordinates, setting 68
Ffield of view 66
custom 66
horizontal fit 66
vertical fit 66
film-1.33 65
film-1.66 65
film-1.66_Vertical 65
FOV (field of view) 66
custom 66
horizontal fit 66
vertical fit 66
fps 66frames per second 66
G
grid
aspect ratio, setting 67
centre coordinates, setting 68
number of units, setting 68

185

IndexH
HDTV 65
HDTV_Vertical 65
L
low resolution 66
N
NTSC 66
P
PAL 66pixel
dimensions 66
projects
resolution 65
Rresolution
factor, bitmap 69
film-1.33 65
film-1.66 65
film-1.66_Vertical 65
HDTV 65
HDTV_Vertical 65
height, bitmap 69
Low 66NTSC 66
PAL 66presets 65
scene 69
width, bitmap 69
Sscene resolution 69
Scene Settings dialog box 65
Vvectorization
parameters, custom 78
Vectorization Parameters dialog box
Help tab 81
opening 79

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

Options tab 79

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Harmony 12.1 Advanced - Cut-out Animation Guide

188