TOON BOOM HARMONY 12.1 Server- Essentials Edition -Gaming Animation GuideLegal Notices
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Publication Date
2015-08-07
Copyright © 2015 Toon Boom Animation Inc. All rights reserved.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Contents
Toon Boom Harmony 12.1 Server- Essentials Edition -Gaming Animation Guide

1

Contents

3

Chapter 1: Introduction

11

Chapter 2: About Gaming in Harmony

13

Creating Animation in Harmony

13

Raw Game Data Export

14

Frame-by-Frame Export

15

Chapter 3: Guidelines and Resources

17

Rigging Guidelines

18

Deformation Guidelines

19

Cutter Guidelines

19

Animation Tips

19

Animating Multiple Sequences

20

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

21

Preparation

21

Getting References

22

Using the Workspace

22

Sketching the Model

23

Drawing with the Brush or Pencil Tool

23

Override Tool

24

Relative Size

24

Palettes and Colours

27

Sketching the Character

34

Cleaning and Inking the Model

37

Drawing Tasks

38

Current Drawing on Top

39

Drawing with the Pencil Tool

40

Working with Pencil Presets

41

Drawing with the Brush Tool

45

Viewing the Final Lines as You Draw

49

Full Scene Antialiasing

49

Selecting Drawing Objects

51

Erasing Parts of a Drawing

55

Reshaping a Drawing Using the Contour Editor Tool

57

3

Contents

Drawing with Shapes

59

Drawing with the Polyline Tool

61

Drawing with Invisible Lines

62

Deforming a Drawing with the Perspective Tool64

Warping a Drawing with the Envelope Tool

65

Cutting Drawing Parts

67

Smoothing Lines

68

Working With Text

69

More Drawing Tools

70

Arrange70

Convert Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines

71

Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes

71

Strokes to Pencil Lines

71

Optimize

72

Grid

73

Group/Ungroup

73

Hand

73

Rotate View

74

Drawing Tool References

74

Pencil Tool Options

75

Vector Brush Tool Options

77

Select Tool Options

81

Eraser Tool Options

87

Contour Editor Options

91

Shape Tool Options

93

Polyline Tool Options

96

Stroke Tool Options

98

Perspective Tool Options

99

Envelope Tool Options

100

Cutter Tool Options

103

Smooth Editor Tool Options

105

Text Tool Options

107

Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models

113

Preparation

113

Colour Model Storage

114

4Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Scene Creation

114

Colour Model Scene Structure

115

Setting Up the Workspace

115

Working with Palettes

117

Palette Lists

118

Palette File Storage

122

Element Level

123

Scene Level

123

Where to Save the Palette File

123

What happens when you export a palette file?

123

Palette Backup

125

Creating a Colour Palette

125

Duplicating a Colour Palette

129

Cloning a Colour Palette

130

Importing and Linking Palettes

133

Colours138

Adding a Colour Swatch

139

Editing Gradients and Textures

145

Colour Display Modes

146

Copying and Pasting Colours

147

Mixing Colours

148

Painting the Model

150

Chapter 6: Timing

153

Preparation

153

Frames154

Creating Drawings

155

Layer Concepts

156

Layer Types

157

Adding New Drawing Elements

159

Deleting Columns

159

Layer Properties

160

Modifying Layers

161

Duplicating Layers

162

Cloning Layers

162

Filling Exposure

162

5

Contents

Typing Exposure

163

Extending a Single Exposure

163

Extending the Exposure of Previous Drawings

165

Dragging Cells

166

Increasing and Decreasing Exposure

167

Deleting Exposure

168

Inserting Blank Cells

168

Setting the Exposure

169

Filling a Selection with a Single Exposure

169

Filling a Selection with a Sequence

170

Filling Empty Cells

171

Creating Cycles

171

Managing Key Exposures

172

Adding Key Exposures

172

Removing Key Exposures

174

Removing Duplicate Key Exposures

174

Navigating between Frames

175

Managing Drawings

175

Renaming a Drawing

175

Deleting a Drawing

176

Duplicating a Drawing

176

Copying and Pasting Drawings

177

Merging Drawings

179

Modifying the Layer Display

179

Showing or Hiding Layers

179

Changing the Colour of a Layer

180

Chapter 7: Character Building

183

About the Model

184

Model Alignment

184

Photo Puppets

185

Relative Sizes

185

Line Up

186

Field Chart

187

Brush Size187

Studying the Model

188

6

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Eyelids and Pupils

189

Separating the Mouth Elements and Jaw

189

Keeping Fingers Attached to the Hand

189

Flipping Logos

190

Complete and Overlapping Pieces

190

Setting the Default Separate Position Preferences

191

Naming Conventions

191

Adding a Prefix or Suffix to a Layer

192

Breaking Down the Character

192

Tracing the Model

193

Articulations

195

Classical Articulation

196

Ordering the Layers

198

Ordering the Timeline Layers

198

Nudging Parts Backwards and Forwards

199

Rigging200

About Rigging

201

Simple Rigging

201

Parenting Layers

203

Rigging Using Pegs

204

Adding Pegs

205

Rigging the Head

206

Rigging the Body

207

Creating a Hierarchy

208

Adding the Master Peg

210

Creating the Keyframes

211

Masking212

Adding Extra Drawings

214

Setting the Pivots

216

Storing the Character in the Library

217

Appendix219

Converting the Layers into Symbols

220

Patch Articulation

223

Adding New Drawings to an Existing Template

226

Chapter 8: Gaming Deformation

229

7

Contents

About Game Bone Deformers

229

Creating a Basic Deformation Rig

230

Setting Up the Resting Position

233

Displaying the Deformation Controls

237

Assembling Pieces

238

Assembling Guidelines

238

Animating Deformers

240

Deformation Toolbar

244

Deformation Nodes

245

Adding Deformation Nodes

245

Deformation Nodes

245

Chapter 9: Library

249

Understanding the Library Concept249

What is a Library?

250

What is a Template?

250

What is a Symbol?

250

Libraries in Harmony Server

251

Library View

252

Structuring the Library254

Templates

258

Symbols

260

Importing Symbols and Templates

268

Importing Files Through the Library

272

Using Paste Special

272

Chapter 10: Cut-out Animation

275

Getting the Character

276

Extending the Exposure279

Keyframes and Drawing Blocks

279

Creating Keyframes and Drawings in the Timeline View

280

Creating a Simple Cut-out Animation

281

Selecting Layers to Animate or Position

284

Animate Mode

284

Selecting Drawing Layers Using the Transform Tool

285

Selecting an Element in the Camera View Using the Transform Tool

285

Selecting a Layer in the Timeline View

286

8

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Selecting in the Network View

286

Navigating the Hierarchy

286

Animating Using the Transform Tool

288

Animating in Stop-motion

290

Creating a Stop-motion Keyframe

290

Animating Using Computer-generated Interpolation

291

Creating a Motion Keyframe

292

Adjusting the Ease

293

Marking the Timeline

297

Flipping Through Poses

298

Using the Onion Skin in Cut-out Animation

299

Flipping Parts

301

Using Action Templates

302

Swapping Drawings

303

Adding Key Exposures

307

Removing Key Exposures308

Animating Lip-Sync

309

Adding a New Drawing

313

Duplicating a Drawing

313

Reposition Drawing Tool

313

Ordering Layers Over Time

317

Resetting a Transformation

318

Creating Cycles

319

Adding Pegs

321

Offsetting a Portion of an Animation

323

Chapter 11: Export Harmony Animations to Unity

325

Exporting the Animation

325

Additional Note

328

Harmony Game Previewer

329

Opening the Sample Unity Project330

Working in Unity

330

The Unity Interface

330

GameObjects

331

Placing a Target in an Imported Animation

335

Bounding Boxes and Collisions

336

9

Contents

Working with Audio

337

Chapter 12: Troubleshooting

339

Unity Questions

339

General Questions

340

Glossary

343

Index

353

10

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Chapter 1: Introduction

Harmony is a great tool for creating character rigs and animation for games. Artists and programmers can work
together to create content for many platforms, including Windows, Mac, Mobile, iOS, PS, XBOX, and so on.
The Toon Boom gaming pipeline is evolving constantly. For more information:•

Toon Boom Gaming: https://www.toonboom.com/games•

For information: sales@toonboom.com.

•

Technical inquiries: support@toonboom.com.

This guide is divided as follows:•

About Gaming in Harmony on page 13•

Guidelines and Resources on page 17•

Design and Drawing Tools on page 21•

Colour Styling and Colour Models on page 113•

Timing on page 153•

Character Building on page 183•

Gaming Deformation on page 229•

Library on page 249•

Cut-out Animation on page 275•

Export Harmony Animations to Unity on page 325•

Troubleshooting on page 339
11Chapter 1: Introduction

12Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Chapter 2: About Gaming in Harmony

As gaming pipelines are constantly evolving, Toon Boom is breaking the boundaries of how to create 2D
animation for games.
There are two main pipelines for exporting data from Harmony to your game engine:•

Raw Game Data Export on page 14•

Frame-by-Frame Export on page 15

Creating Animation in Harmony
When creating character rigs and animation for games, there are a few things to think about before starting.
Artists and programmers should work together to make sure their needs are met.
•

What platform will your game be going on? Windows, Mac, Mobile, iOS, PS, XBOX, etc.

•

What game engine will you be using?

•

What is the style of the game? Hand drawn, cut-out, with textures, etc.

These are just a few of the questions to consider before getting started. They all have an impact on how you
design, build, and animate characters.
For example, if you’re planning a mobile game for smart phones, then you will most likely want to keep yourgame under 50 MB, so it can be downloaded without having to be on Wi-Fi. In that case, your most importantconsideration is to create efficient characters with very tight sprite sheets and reuse a lot of the animation to keep
the file sizes small. During the process, you will need to:•

Rig and animate characters in Harmony.

•

Extract out the Harmony data.

•

Import the Harmony data into the game engine.

13

Chapter 2: About Gaming in Harmony

Keep in mind, if you’re working with a custom engine, you can also process the Harmony data that’s exported
and use it in a custom game engine. If you need assistance with adapting data for your engine, contact
support@toonboom.com.
If you’re making a game for consoles, like the PS or Xbox, then you have the freedom to create larger textures.
You may want to animate frame-by-frame, or you may want to animate with a cut-out character.
If you're simply going to export on a frame-by-frame sequence, then you can use all tool in Harmony without
limitations. You can then process an exported image sequence into a sprite sheet.

Raw Game Data Export

Raw game data export is appropriate when you want the file sizes to be as small as possible. Toon Boom lets
you extract all the data from Harmony to incorporate into a game engine. You can extract the skeleton
information, drawing information, and keyframe animation data, as well as deformations (bones andarticulations only), cutter, transparency nodes, and timing columns.
•

Advantage: This is the lightest export, and will keep file sizes small which is ideal for mobile
applications.

•

Disadvantage: You are somewhat limited in the tools you can use in Harmony. You can use tools like
Morphing as well as Curve and Envelope deformers, but you’ll need to bake it out to drawings sothey're interpreted properly in the game engine. You can use Cutter effects (masking), but you cannot
cascade them, meaning you cannot have more than one in a hierarchy chain. The Game Bone deformers
can be used on your rig with having to bake it to drawings.

However, even with these limitations, you can create really great cut-out character animation in Harmony andextract all the data. By moving, rotating, scaling, and skewing the different drawing layers, you can create
advanced looking animation.
When you extract the data, you'll have sprite sheets that contain only the drawings of the body parts used inyour Harmony scene file. You can also support multiple animations, such as idle, run, and jump, and reuse thesame skeleton and drawings when possible by simply exporting new animation data.

14

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Toon Boom has fully integrated this solution with the Unity game development rendering engine. If you arecreating your game in Unity, you have a seamless pipeline without the need to re-treat the data in your gameengine.

Frame-by-Frame Export

You can export from Harmony using an image sequence, which can be recompiled into a sprite sheet.
Advantage: You can use any of the tools in Harmony when you animate!
Disadvantage: These sprite sheets can become quite heavy and end up as large textures to process in the game.
This may be fine for many games, like console games, but when you’re doing game development for mobile
devices, such as iOS or Android, you need to be very light on your texture space. Also, file sizes should be kept
under 50 MB to facilitate downloading without needing to be connected to Wi-Fi.
There is a script available in Harmony that allows you to export your animation in frame-by-frame to the EaselJS
game engine EaselJS is a javascript web compatible game engine. It uses a json data structure to map each frameto an entry in the sprite sheet. The data structure is easy to understand and can be adapted or converted to adifferent game engine if you need to.
To export to EaselJS, you need to add the script in the Scripting toolbar (TB_ExportToEaselJS). This script isincluded in Harmony. See Export Harmony Animations to Unity on page 325 for more information on how to add
the script to your Scripting toolbar and the interface parameters.

15

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

16

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Chapter 3: Guidelines and Resources

In this chapter, you'll find guidelines for rigging, deformation, cutter and many useful animation tips.
This chapter contains the following topics:•

Rigging Guidelines on page 18•

Deformation Guidelines on page 19•

Cutter Guidelines on page 19•

Animation Tips on page 19

17

Chapter 3: Guidelines and Resources

Rigging Guidelines
The following is a list of general guidelines to keep in mind when rigging your character. As you're planning thecharacter rig for your game, keep in mind the style of the character, and create your custom colour palette.
However, there are some limitations to consider if you plan to extract the game data:•

Create rigs in the Timeline view only. The Node view can have complex connections that are not always
interpreted well by game engines.

•

Nudge layers in Z space if you need to reorder layers. However, significant Z offsets are not supported
within a character rig.

•

Make every layer in your game engine a separate scene in Harmony. If you have two characters at
different depths, put them in separate scene files.

•

Character rigs in groups at the root level of your Harmony scene will render to a single plane in Unity,
but use separate sprite sheet and animation data sets. Keep this in mind for scenes in which you may
have more than one character interacting with each other.

•

Don’t use any effects. Effects like masks and colour overrides are not interpreted by game engines. Use
only direct hierarchy, drawing swaps, and keyframe animation.

•

Don’t use 3D space. If you want to set things up in 3D space, you can do this when you get to your gameengine.

•Set your pivot points on Peg layers using the Rotate tool to set the pivot on the entire layer. Peg pivots
are recommended over drawing pivots. You should also set the pivot points on your drawing layers,
even if you don’t animate on them, as this will allow you to retrieve the information later on in the gameengine if you need to put a locator on a drawing layer.

•

Don’t use Morphing. This is not yet supported in game engines.

•

Both Morphing and Deform can be used and then baked out to individual drawings. These drawings willthen show up as new drawings in your sprite sheet. Be wary of doing this too often as it will increase
your texture space!

•

For your pegs, when you animate, use Bezier curves and set them to Separate. If you use 3D Path, it’sheavier than Separate.

Keeping these tips in mind will allow you to create a tight, efficient 2D game character in Harmony while taking
advantage of all the great tools.
Here are some things you should do:•Create a simple parent-child relationship hierarchy in the Timeline view.

•

Use peg layers to contain keyframe animation data, set to Separate Position.

•

Use drawing layers to draw on, creating new drawings when needed.

•

Use the Rotate tool to set the pivot points on the peg layers.

•

Name your layers properly so if you need to fetch a specific layer’s pivot point later on in the gameengine, you can easily recognize the layer you need. If you have a top-level Group A, which has a childgroup inside it (Group B), and the drawing layer is a child of Group B, then the drawing layer is exported
as A_B_DrawingLayer.

You can use any of the drawing tools you want: Pencil and Brush tools, textured lines, solid areas, andgradients. Each individual drawing will be rendered out and assembled into a sprite sheet later.

18

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Deformation Guidelines
Harmony can export deformations to the game engine XML format. Only hierarchies made of Game Bones can be
successfully exported. Although deformation comes equipped with a wide range of features, many wererestrained to ensure that performance is on par with gaming industry standards. The following features are notcompatible with the game engine SDK:•

Zones of influence•

Curve and Envelope deformations•

Only a single pose is allowed per deformation hierarchy

The deformation in the game engine SDK does not behave exactly as the deformation in Harmony.
To comply with most game engines and maintain fast calculations, the SDK implements a linear base skinningalgorithm to linearly blend the bones at articulations. You may notice some differences depending on thecurvature of the articulations used.

NOTE: * Not currently available in the Cocos2d-x implementation of the game engine SDK.

Cutter Guidelines
The cutter, or mask, operation in Harmony is used for cutting off drawings with custom shapes. The game engine
SDK implements both cutters and inverted cutters with the following limitations:•

For a sprite, only a single cutter drawing can be applied when it is rendered. This also applies to acomposite of multiple matte drawings. The game engine SDK will only use the first matte drawing during
rendering and discard the others.

•

A deformed drawing cannot be cut, but a cut drawing can be deformed.

NOTE: * Not currently available in the Cocos2d-x implementation of the game engine SDK.

Animation Tips
When animating for games, depending on the type of game you’re creating, you may need to limit youranimation. For example, if you’re creating mobile games and you want to keep the file sizes small and playback
fast on all devices, then limit yourself to simple keyframe animation with as few drawing swaps as possible. If
you’re creating console games, you have the freedom to create more drawings and have a higher complexity. You
can explore with your programmer the limitations of the platforms you’re exporting to, and what your gameengine supports.
Here are some tips for efficient, lightweight animation:•

Use mainly transformations, such as move, rotate, scale, and skew.

•

Create additional drawing swaps when needed.

19

Chapter 3: Guidelines and Resources•

If you use Curve and Envelope deformers or Morphing, you’ll need to bake out the drawings for export.
Be careful when doing this, as you may want to keep the number of drawings small. Don’t bake out anentire sequence, just selected drawings. You don't need to bake the Game Bone deformers.

•

The bigger the drawings are in the Drawing view, the more pixels they will occupy in the texture size on
the sprite sheet. When setting up your rig, make sure to not scale individual layers by using a keyframewith the Transform tool. If you want to scale things up or down, use the Select tool. This will keep things
the same relative size on the sprite sheet. When you export the sprite sheets, in the script you can also
set the resolution of the sprite sheet so the drawings can be downscaled for smaller devices.

•

Only drawings which are exposed in the scene will be exported to the sprite sheet. For example, if you
have 10 drawings in your Library view, but only two of them are showing in your scene, only those two
will export out. This keeps the sprite sheet as tight as possible.

Animating Multiple Sequences
You will always have multiple animations for your characters. For example, an idle sequence, a run sequence,an action sequence, and so on. You need to work in a specific structure so you can export all of theseanimations to a single sprite sheet.
First, create a scene file with the name of the character, such as Space Duck. This is the file where you cancreate or import your game rig. In the top menu, select File > Save As New Version, and give this new version
the name of the animation. For example, Idle.
Every time you need to do a new animation using the same character, perform a Save As New Version. In theend, you may have something like this:Scene: Space Duck
Versions:
•

Run

•

Idle

•

Jump

•

Shoot

When you run the export script, it will export the drawings from the current scene into the export folder. It will
also let you know if there are any other scene versions that were already exported to that folder. If so, then it
will recompile the sprite sheet to include all the drawings from all the animations. This allows the maximum
possible reuse of drawings.

20

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Another important step in the project creation is the character, prop and location design. This determines thestyle and models to follow for the entire project.
This is also the step where you will need to use most of Harmony's drawing tools.
The design can be created on paper and scanned in or it can be created digitally. You can draw and even create
the colours entirely on paper, while others like to design on paper and scan the drawings to create the colour
model in a software program. The most popular method is to design directly in Harmony.
To save paper and time and avoid having to recreate colour palettes, Harmony gives you the ability to design allelements directly in the application. This keeps all your work within the same software, avoids using a lot of paper
and losing time scanning in elements and importing them.
The character and prop design process is divided in three steps:•

Preparation on page 21•

Sketching the Model on page 23•

Cleaning and Inking the Model on page 37

Harmony has an extensive set of drawing tools that can be used to design your characters. You can learn more
about this in the following topic:•

Drawing Tasks on page 38

Each drawing tool has a series of options to customize its behaviour and drawing style. You can learn more about
them in the following section:•

Drawing Tool References on page 74

Preparation
To prepare for the design task, you will need to go through a few steps:•

Getting References on page 22•

Using the Workspace on page 22

21

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Getting References

Creating models requires two main reference sources, the script and the storyboard. Once you have the scriptin hand, you can learn about the characters and their personalities, the props, the ambiances, and so on. This
will be your main reference, so it is very important to read it carefully.
The storyboard is the second reference source and it can be quite useful as well. Although it will not yet be thefinal version of the storyboard, it will show you what the character is doing and what props need to be
designed.

Using the WorkspaceOnce your scene is created, you can open it and set your workspace.
To sketch the characters, props or locations directly in Harmony, you will mostly use the Camera or Drawing
views along with the Colour, Timeline and Tool Properties views.

22Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Sketching the Model

Now that your references and scene are created, you can start designing. To draw your characters, props and key
locations, you will need to learn the following:

Drawing with the Brush or Pencil Tool

The Brush
tool takes account of pressure sensitivity, allowing you to create lines with variable thicknesses
when using a pen tablet, creating a contour vector shape. You can set different parameters, such as the size andsmoothness of the Brush tool in the Tool Properties view. If you draw with the Brush tool and want to modify the
thickness variation, use the Contour Editor
tool.
The Pencil, Polyline and Shape tools let you create a central vector line of uniform thickness. Pressure
sensitivity is not supported with pencil lines. You can set different parameters, such as the size and smoothness of
the Pencil tool in the Tool Properties view.

23Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Override Tool
The Override tool lets you increase productivity by rapidly switching between tools used for short tasks andyour previous tool. Most drawing tool shortcuts are accessed using the Alt key followed by another key, suchas the Eraser tool which is accessed by pressing Alt + E.
If you are drawing with the Brush tool and need to briefly switch to the Eraser before continuing, hold down
the E key while you are erasing. Once you are done, release the E key to return to the previous tool; in thiscase, the Brush tool. You can do the same for most drawing tools that have a shortcut composed of Alt
followed by another key.

Relative Size

The size relation between the props, characters and backgrounds is very important in maintaining consistency
and structure throughout the project.
A production can contain many characters and props. It is not unusual for these to be created by different
people. If there is no size control implemented, the characters and elements created by different artists canvary greatly. When this occurs, the characters that are placed together in a scene will be out of proportion. The
animator or person doing the scene setup will then have to scale them to the correct size.

24Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

When a character or prop is scaled down, the outline will become increasingly thinner. By the time the element isscaled to its proper size, the outline may be so thin that a difference between one character's outline and the one
beside it will not look very good.
Here are a few tips you can use to create a suitable size relation.
Line UpA line up consists of copying and pasting all your character designs into the same drawing and then scaling themto the correct proportion in relation to the other characters. This line up is very important and should be handed
to any animator, layout and posing artist or scene setup person working on the project.
For the prop design, it is recommended that you paste one of the main character's hands or even the full bodybeside the prop. This enables the animator to know what size to draw the prop.
In your character design scene, it is a good idea to create a column for the character line up.The line up is usually
done during the character design step. When the character builder imports the model to the breakdown scene,
the size relation should be correct.
Field Chart

25

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Harmony includes a field chart in its Drawing and Camera views. This tool is very useful in setting thecharacters' and props' heights.
It is recommended that you keep the character design and breakdown inside the 12 field size. This ensures that
it fits the default camera size and the template thumbnails. If some parts were drawn too big or too far apart,you can use the Reposition All Drawings tool and reposition, scale or rotate multiple drawings from different
layers all at once.
Use the Show Grid option to display a grid in the Drawing or Camera views.
Name

ButtonDescription

Keyboard Shortcut
View > Grid > Show Grid

Show Grid
Displays the grid.

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

Grid Outline Only

Displays the outline of the grid only.

View > Grid > Grid Outline Only

SquareDisplays a standard square grid.

View > Grid > Square

12 Field Grid

Displays a 12-field size grid.

View > Grid > 12 Field Grid

16 Field Grid

Displays a 16-field size grid.

View > Grid > 16 Field Grid

Underlay

Displays the grid under the drawing
elements.

View > Grid > Underlay

Overlay

Displays the grid over the drawing
elements.

View > Grid > Overlay

How to reposition all drawings
1. In the Tools toolbar from the Select drop-down menu, select the Reposition All Drawings
also automatically selects every stroke in your drawing in the Drawing and Camera views.
2. To deform or reposition a selection:‣

To reposition, click and drag your selection to a new area.

26

tool. This

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide‣

To scale, pull or push on the top, side, bottom or corner control points. Hold down Shift to lock theselection’s ratio.

3. When you release your cursor, every drawing contained in the drawing layer you repositioned, scaled,rotated or skewed will follow the same transformation.
Brush Size
Harmony provides a variety of pens and brushes and also allows you to create and save your own throughcreating a tool preset.
It is a good idea to create and save pens with precise sizes and parameters to trace and design your models andbreakdowns.

Palettes and Colours
Harmony has an integrated palette system. Each character, prop or background can have its own set of colours
and each colour in the palette can be associated to colour fill zones on a drawing. You can create as many
palettes and colours as you need.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Each scene created in Harmony includes a default colour palette which contains a standard set of colours for
sketching and painting.

You can sketch and design using the default palette without any problem. However, it is not recommended
that you use the default palette for the colour models. A different colour palette should be created for eachcolour model.
To sketch and design with a different colour swatch or create a palette for each character, prop or key
location, you will need to learn how to manage the Harmony palettes.
How to create a new palette (Basic Palette Lists mode)
1. From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > New or click the New Palette‣button.

Make sure you have the necessary rights to modify the palette list. If not, select Edit > Edit Palette
List Mode.

The Create Palette window opens.
2. Enter the palette name according to the model.

28

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

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

How to create a palette from the Advanced Palette Lists mode
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the drawing that requires a palette.
2. Make sure that you have the necessary rights to modify the palette list. If you do not, select Edit > Edit
Palette List Mode.
3. In the Colour view, click the Show Palette List View button to display the palette list.

4. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour view menu, select Palettes > New.

‣

Click the Create Palettebutton.

The Palette Browser: Create Palette dialog box opens.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

5. Select the level to store the palette file.
‣

Environment: The palette-library folder is stored in the scene's parent environment folder.

‣

Job: The palette-library folder is stored in the scene's parent job folder.

‣

Scene: The palette-library folder is stored directly in the scene folder.

‣

Element: The palette-library folder is stored directly in the drawing element folder.

When you select a level that has a palette stored in it, the palette names are displayed in the Palettefield.

6. Name the palette. There is no need to add the suffix "palette" to the name as it is always recognized asa palette file.

30

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

7. Select a Palette List option.

‣

The Scene Palette List is mainly used with cut-out animation. A cut-out character will often be divided intwenty to thirty different drawing elements that use the character's master palette.
The palette list is stored at the scene level instead of the Element directory. This way, all palettes linked
to this list will appear in every drawing element created in the scene. There is no need to manually load
the palette in each element.

‣

The Element Palette List is mainly used with traditional and paperless animation. Unlike cut-out
animation, all columns (drawing elements) contain different characters, props, backgrounds andeffects. The Element Palette List is used because you do not necessarily want all of the palettes for allof your elements linked in every column.
The palette list is stored in the drawing element's directory instead of directly in the Scene level. This
ensures that the links to the palettes appear only in the appropriate element. If you prefer to access a
global palette list, link your palettes to the Scene Palette List.

8. Click OK.
The new palette appears in the palette list.
How to lock or unlock the palette list‣

In the Colour view, click the Edit Palette Modebutton.

A grey pencil icon appears in the top-right corner of the Palette list.

How to add or modify a solid colour swatch
1. In the Colour view, click the Add Colour

button.

2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Edit or double-click on the colour swatch.
The Colour Picker window opens.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

3. To set your colour, do one of the following:‣

In the colour wheel, select a colour.

‣

Enter the HSV or RGB values in the corresponding fields. Select the R,G,B,H,S or V options tochange the look of the colour picking area.

‣

Hold down the Dropper
button as you move along the desktop to preview colours, then release
to select the colour. It can be from the Toon Boom Harmony interface, your operating system or any
other open application.

NOTE: If the Sticky Eye Dropper option in the Preferences dialog box (Drawing tab > Options section) is selected,
the dropper will not have this behaviour.

32Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

You can also click Multi Wheel Mode to open the Multiwheel Colour dialog box. This displays all the
picking area styles together and also contains a picking undo list. To return to the regular Colour Picker
window, click Single Wheel Mode.

4. Click on the Shade Scale swatches to modify the shade of the selected colour.

5. Adjust the desired level of transparency with the Alpha slider, or type the value directly in the Alpha field.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

6. Click the Add button to add the current selected colour to the Colour Storage Library, so you canquickly access it later.

7. You can rename the colour swatch in the Colour Picker window or directly in the colour list by doubleclicking on its name.

Sketching the Character

You are now ready to sketch your models. There are two tasks to perform in order to draw your characters:l

Add a drawing layerlSketch the model

You have the choice to sketch your model as a bitmap or vector drawing. If you like the feel of drawing withbitmap lines, you can set your layer as bitmap. If you like drawing with vectors, you can set your layer as vector.
If you use vector, you will be able to enlarge your drawing and zoom into it without losing quality or resolution.
You can also use the Contour Editor and Select tools to resize and modify lines. If you draw with bitmap, youwill not be able to scale the drawing beyond 100% of its resolution without encountering pixelization issues.

34Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

How to add a drawing layer
1. In the Timeline view, click the Add Drawing Layer(Mac OS X).

button or press Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + R

The Add Drawing Layer window opens.

2. In the Name field, name your new layer.
3. Do one of the following:‣

Click Add to add a first layer and keep the window open to add more layers.

‣

Click Add and Close to add a new layer and close the window.

A new drawing layer is added to the Timeline view.
How to sketch a model
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view, select a brush preset and adjust its parameters.

3. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, click in the first cell of the drawing layer.
4. In the Drawing or Camera view, enable the Grid (Field Chart). You can press Ctrl + ' (Windows/Linux) or ⌘+ ' (Mac OS X).
‣

Make sure the Drawing or Camera view is the active view while using the keyboard shortcut.

5. In the Drawing or Camera view, start drawing.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

6. To select a different colour, in the Colour view, select a different colour swatch. Double-click on the colour swatch to open the Colour Picker window and modify the colour. Remember that anything alreadypainted with that colour swatch will update to the new colour.

7. In the Camera or Drawing view, use the Rotary Table
Ctrl+Alt (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+⌘ (Mac OS X).
‣

to rotate your workspace.You can press

The default keyboard shortcut to reset the workspace rotation is Shift + X.

8. If you decide to draw in the next cell and need to see your previous drawing, enable the Onion Skin bypressing Alt + O.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Cleaning and Inking the Model

When your rough models are ready, it is time to clean and ink them. You can still use the default palette andcolours to do so, especially if you are not the one doing the colour styling. If you have already created a palette
for your model, you can add new colours for tracing.
If you want to keep your roughs and sketches, add a new drawing layer and trace in it using the Light Table. Thisis the equivalent of adding a sheet of paper and tracing over the rough using the animation disk light table. You
only need to disable the rough layer to prevent it from appearing in the final scene render.
How to trace your character in a new layer
1. In the Timeline view, add a new drawing layer and name it: clean.
2. If you work in the Drawing view, enable the Light Tableor press Shift + L.

3. Do one of the following:‣

In the Tools toolbar, select a drawing tool.

‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Drawing Tools > desired tool.

4. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell in which you want to draw.
5. Trace the model.

6. To make perfect points and corners, you can intersect the two strokes to create a point. Using the Cutter
tool, you can automatically trim the excess portion. In the Tool Properties view, enable the Lasso

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

selection type. Make sure the Use Mouse Gesturebutton is enabled. In this mode, you can automatically delete any extra sections of line in your artwork by simply clicking, holding and dragging yourmouse over it. The intersection will not work well with the Pencil tool. It is recommended to use theBrush tool.

Drawing Tasks
Harmony has a wide variety of drawing tools for all kinds of drawing tasks. This section covers how to use
these tools. For the complete details on their options in the Tool Properties view, see Drawing Tool
References on page 74.
In this topic, you will learn about:•

Current Drawing on Top on page 39•

Drawing with the Pencil Tool on page 40•

Drawing with the Brush Tool on page 45•

Viewing the Final Lines as You Draw on page 49•

Selecting Drawing Objects on page 51•

Erasing Parts of a Drawing on page 55•

Reshaping a Drawing Using the Contour Editor Tool on page 57•

Drawing with Shapes on page 59•

Drawing with the Polyline Tool on page 61•

Drawing with Invisible Lines on page 62•

Deforming a Drawing with the Perspective Tool on page 64•

Warping a Drawing with the Envelope Tool on page 65

38

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide•

Cutting Drawing Parts on page 67•

Smoothing Lines on page 68•

Working With Text on page 69•

More Drawing Tools on page 70

Current Drawing on Top
In Harmony, when you draw on a layer, the artwork is displayed in the correct order. For example, if the layer onwhich you are drawing is located behind an object on another layer, the lines you are drawing will be hidden
behind that object.

This lets you display 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.
The Current Drawing on Top status (enabled or disabled) is remembered when you exit Harmony. When you
restart the application, the last status will be used.
You only need to enable this option once, it is not necessary to do it each time you select a drawing tool.
How to display the drawing on top
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select View > Show > Current Drawing on Top.

‣In the Camera bottom toolbar, click the Current Drawing on Top

2. In the Tools toolbar, select a drawing tool.
3. In the Camera view, start drawing.

39

button.

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Drawing with the Pencil Tool

The Pencil tool is for drawing the final images, such as character nodes, cut-out puppet and clean animation.
The pencil creates a central vector shape.
How to draw with the Pencil tool
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool or press Alt + /.

3. In the Colour view, click a colour swatch to select a colour.

4. In the Drawing or Camera view, start drawing.
‣

When you get close to an existing pencil line, hold Alt to draw and connect your stroke to theexisting one. Pencil lines are central vector lines and you might think your line is connected, but infact, only the contour is touching the other one. Also, make sure the central vector crosses the otherone.
To connect the start or end of your stroke, hold Alt when you start or finish drawing a line.

‣

To draw a straight line, press Shift + Alt as you draw.

40Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Working with Pencil Presets

A pencil preset is a pencil with specific properties.

Regular pencil presets allow you to set the size and smoothing of a pencil line, or the size of a shape.
How to select a pencil preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil, Line, Ellipse, or Rectangle

2. In the Tool Properties view, use the Presets menu to select a pencil preset.

3. In the Drawing or Camera view, draw your pencil line or shape.

41

tool.

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

How to create a pencil preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil, Line, Ellipse, or Rectangle

tool.

2. In the Tool Properties view, adjust your pencil settings.
3. In the Tool Properties view, click the New Brushbutton.

The New Preset dialog box opens.

4. Type in a name for your new pencil thickness stencil and click OK.
5. Start drawing in the Drawing or Camera view.
How to rename a pencil preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil, Line, Ellipse, or Rectangle

2. In the Presets menu, select the preset you want to rename.
3. From the Brush menu

, select Rename Brush.

The Rename Preset dialog box opens.

4. In the Name field, type in the new name.
5. Click OK.
How to delete a thickness stencil or pencil preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool.

2. In the Presets menu, select the thickness stencil or preset to delete.

42

tool.

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

3. Click the Delete Preset

button.

How to import pencils, brushes and erasers
1. From the Brush menu

, select Import Brushes.

2. In the browser window that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file.
3. Click Open.
4. In the Import Brushes dialog box, select the brushes brushes and erasers you want to import. You can also
import pencils at the same time.

5. Click Import.
The imported brush, eraser and pencil styles will appear in the presets library. You can reuse any of theimported tips to create other brush, eraser and pencil style presets.
How to export pencils, brushes and erasers
1. From the Brush menu, select Export.
2. In the Export Brushes dialog box, select the vector brushes and erasers to export, as well as any pencils.

43Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

3. Click Export.
4. In the Export Brushes window that appears, browse to the location where you want to save the .xml fileand give it a name.
5. Click Save.
How to change the Presets Library thumbnail display
1. From the Brush menu, select one of the following:
Parameter

Description

Small Thumbnail

Reduces the size of the thumbnails in order to view more at the same time.
Displays an image of the tool's tip and its maximum size.

Large Thumbnail

Increases the size of the thumbnails in order to see the images more clearly.
Displays an image of the tool's tip, its maximum size and its name.

Stroke View

Displays the tool's name, maximum size and stroke preview.

44Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Drawing with the Brush Tool

The Brush tool is pressure sensitive and lets you create a contour shape with a thick and thin line effect, as if it was
created with a paint brush.
With the Brush tool, you can draw as vector or bitmap, depending on your preference. When you add a drawing
layer, you can simply select the vector or bitmap option. If you draw with vector, you can enlarge your drawing
and zoom into it without losing quality or resolution. You can also use the Contour Editor and Select tools toresize and modify lines. If you draw with bitmap, you will not be able to scale your drawing beyond 100% of its
resolution without encountering pixelization issues.
You can create your own brush styles. A variety of brush styles are provided allowing you to create and save yourown.This way you can create brushes with precise sizes and parameters and save them so you can draw anddesign with them. Renaming a brush can make it easier to identify and access the brushes you use mostfrequently.
A dynamic brush can be created for drawing using patterns created from your artwork. Create a new dynamic
brush to copy a pattern you have drawn to reproduce it quickly. You can create dynamic brushes using a single ormultiple patterns that automatically switch through the patterns as you draw.
How to draw with the Brush tool
1. In the Timeline view, click the Add Drawing Layer(Mac OS X).
The Add Drawing Layer window opens.

45

button or press Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + R

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

2. In the Name field, name your new layer.
3. Do one of the following:‣

Click Add to add a first layer and keep the window open to add more layers.

‣

Click Add and Close to add a new layer and close the window.

A new drawing layer is added to the Timeline view.
4. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
5. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush

tool or press Alt + B.

6. In the Colour view, click a colour swatch to select a colour.

7. In the Drawing or Camera view, start drawing.
‣

Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) to force a line to join the start and end of the shapewhile drawing.

How to select a brush style
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view, select a brush style from the Presets section.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

How to modify the brush settings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view, the preview area displays the stroke that will be produced after you customize
the different parameters. Click the arrow button.

The Brush Properties window opens.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

This is where you set the minimum and maximum sizes of your drawing tool which will produce the thick andthin effect on your stroke. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
Parameter

Description

Size and Smoothness
Maximum Size

Sets the maximum width of the line.

Minimum Size

Sets the minimum width of the line in relation to the maximum size.

Smoothness

Lets you modify the central line smoothness of the line. This parametersmooths the initial movement of your line. Increasing the value will result in asmoother line with fewer control points.

Contour Smoothness

Optimizes the contour line smoothness of the line. This parameter smooths
the contour of the line once it has been traced. The higher the value, thefewer control points will compose your line.
Lets you select a tip shape—from round and square ones to star shaped.
This option is disabled when using a textured brush.

Tip Shape

How to create a brush preset
1. Make sure your current brush has the settings you want in the preset you will create.
2. In the Tool Properties view, do one of the following:‣

Click the arrow button to display the Brush Properties window and click the New Brushin the upper-right corner.

‣

Click the New Brush‣

From the Brushbuttonbutton.
menu, select New Brush Preset.

3. In the New Preset window, type a name for your new brush preset.
The new brush is added to the end of the list of brush presets.
How to update a brush preset
1. Select the brush preset to update and click the arrow button to display the Brush Properties window.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

2. Change the brush settings and click the Update Brush Preset

button in the upper-right corner.

How to rename a brush
1. In the Tool Properties view, select a brush to rename.
2. From the Brushmenu, select Rename Brush.

3. Type in a new name for the brush and click OK.
How to delete a brush preset
1. In the Tool Properties view, select the brush preset you want to delete.
2. Do one of the following:‣

Click the Delete Brush‣

From the Brushbutton.

menu , select Delete Brush.

Viewing the Final Lines as You Draw

Everything you draw in Harmony is vector-based, unless you purposely elected to draw as bitmap. Although,when you draw in the Drawing or Camera view, notice that your lines may appear jagged. This is caused by thefast real-time display called OpenGL. If you prefer to see smooth lines as you draw, you can enable theantialiasing preference.

Full Scene Antialiasing
Full scene antialiasing is generated by your computer’s graphics card. This antialiasing will not only antialias yourdrawings, but all your different views in the interface. Full scene antialiasing is an option you can turn on and off;by default, it is disabled.
There is no need to modify your graphic card settings.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

NOTE: Full Scene Antialiasing parameters are only valid while you work in your scene. The scene will be rendered
to 100% of its resolution regardless of your preference settings or graphic card panel.

How to customize the full scene antialiasing parameters

NOTE: You must restart Harmony after you change the parameters.

1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

The Preferences dialog box opens.
2. In the OpenGL tab, go to the Full Scene Antialiasing section.

‣

Enable: Select this option to enable/disable the Full Scene Antialiasing.

3. Number or samples: Enter the number of samples you want to be used for the antialiasing process.
The number of samples is basically equivalent to the amount of times a pixel will be enlarged to calculate the antialiasing. This technique is called supersampling. The higher the number of samples, thebetter the antialiasing quality will be, but the longer it will take to calculate.
4. Restart Harmony.

50Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Selecting Drawing Objects

The Select tool is used to select strokes in both the Drawing and Camera views, and apply basic transformations,such as repositioning, rotating, scaling or skewing using the different handles of the bounding box.
Sometimes, when you want to select multiple objects while leaving one unselected, it can be handy to select only
the stroke or line that you do not want included in your selection. Then, you can invert the selection so thateverything else becomes selected. This can be quite a time saver.
By default, when you draw a selection box, the Select tool will select only the drawing strokes of the current
drawing. If you prefer the Select tool to select all the strokes on all layers, you can disable the Works on Single
Drawing option in the Tool Properties view or the Select Tool Works on Single Drawing option in the Preferences
dialog box.
Some of the transformations, such as rotation, scale, skew, and flip are done relative to the position of the pivot
point. You can temporarily reposition this pivot point for a transformation using the Select tool.
How to select with the Select tool
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to select drawing objects.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

3. In the Camera view, select the drawing objects.
‣

You can select all the drawing objects in a drawing by using Edit > Select All or by pressing Ctrl + A(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + A (Mac OS X).

4. To deform or reposition a selection:‣

To reposition, click the selected drawing object and drag the selection to a new area.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools‣

To rotate, grab the selection box handle and rotate it.

‣

To scale, pull or push on the top, side, bottom or corner control point. Hold down Shift to lock theselection’s ratio.

‣

To skew, drag sideways or up and down the sides or top and bottom segments, between thecontrol points.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

How to invert a selection
1. From the top menu, select Edit > Invert Selection or press Ctrl + Shift + I.
How to enable and disable the Select Tool Works on Single Drawing preference
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

2. Do one of the followings:‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (Windows/Linux) or Stage Essentials > Preferences(Mac OS X). In the Camera tab, go to the Tools section and select or deselect the Select Tool Workson Single Drawing option and click OK.

‣

In the Tool Properties view, disable the Works on Single Drawing

option.

3. In the Camera view, make your selection. It is possible that you will have to restart Harmony depending on
your system.

How to temporarily reposition the pivot point
1. In the Camera or Drawing view, select the drawing object you want to transform.
The pivot point appears in the middle of your selection.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

2. Click the pivot point and drag it to a new position.
This becomes the new position of the pivot point for the current transformation and will remain there
until you make a new selection.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Erasing Parts of a Drawing

The Eraser tool is pressure sensitive, like the Brush tool, giving you more precision when erasing parts of adrawing. You can also use the Select tool to select drawing objects and delete them instead of erasing.
It is a good idea to create and save erasers with precise sizes and parameters in order to save time when drawing
and designing. There are two icons located at the top, right corner of the Eraser Properties window. One is tocreate a new preset, while the other is to update the currently selected preset. Use them after you have set all theparameters for the new eraser preset.

‣

New Brush Preset: Click on this button to create a new eraser brush style. The new eraser style willappear at the bottom of the list in the Presets section of the Tool Properties window. All the values andselected options in the Eraser Properties window will be attributed to this new style.

‣

Update Preset: Click on this button to update the selected eraser preset with any changes made in the
Eraser Properties window. If you make changes and do not click on the Update Preset button, then all
the changes made will only be applied to the selected eraser preset temporarily. The moment you
switch to another eraser preset or to another drawing tool, these modifications to the eraser preset
will disappear.

How to erase with the Eraser tool
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell that contains objects you want to erase.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool or press Alt + E.

3. In the Camera or Drawing view, start erasing.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

How to modify the eraser settings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool .

2. In the Tool Properties view, the preview area displays the stroke that will be produced after you customize the different parameters in the Eraser Properties view. Click the arrow button.

The Eraser Properties window opens.

The Size and Smoothness tab is where you set the minimum and maximum sizes of your drawing tool which willproduce the thick and thin effect on your stroke.
The Soft Eraser tab needs to be enable for its parameters to become active. This feature only works on soft or
textured brush strokes. Both tabs works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
Parameter

Description

Size and Smoothness
Maximum Size

Sets the maximum width of the line.

Minimum Size

Sets the minimum width of the line in relation to the maximum size.

Smoothness

Lets you modify the central line smoothness of the line. This parametersmooths the initial movement of your line. Increasing the value will result in asmoother line with fewer control points.

Contour Smoothness

Optimizes the contour line smoothness of the line. This parameter smooths
the contour of the line once it has been traced. The higher the value, the56Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

fewer control points will compose your line.

Tip Shape

Lets you select a tip shape—from round and square ones to star shaped.
This option is disabled when using a textured brush.

Reshaping a Drawing Using the Contour Editor Tool

The Contour Editor tool is a powerful tool that allows you to add, remove or modify points on a vector line andcontrol them with Bezier handles. It is used to correct line shapes and modify a single part of a colour zone. If aline is too thin or has a gap in it, you can modify and correct it with the Contour Editor tool. You can also use thistool to create elaborate shapes.
The Contour Editor displays vector points around a shape and the central vector points in a pencil line. Pulling or
pushing on these points adjusts the brush’s line thickness. Points can be selected and deleted. Each point has two
Bezier handles for correcting the curves between two points. Shapes can be modified by pulling and pushingdirectly on the segment between the points. You can use it to perfect a central shape pencil line, a contour shapebrush line, or even create an elaborate shape from a basic ellipse or square.
How to reshape with the Contour Editor tool
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell in which you want to draw.
1. In the Tools toolbar, select a shape tool:
2. In the Tool Properties view, click the Ellipse
size to 0.

.
button, click the Auto Fill

3. In the Drawing or Camera view, draw a circle.

57

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

4. In the Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor

tool.

5. In the Drawing or Camera view, click the line to reshape it.

6. Select one or several points by clicking on them or circling around.

7. Press Delete to delete a selected point.
Press Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X)and click on the contour to add a new point to adjust thecontour.
8. To modify the shape, you can:‣Pull on the Bezier handle. Both point’s handles will move as one.

‣

Hold down Alt and pull on one of the Bezier handles. The point’s handle will move independently
from the other one.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide‣

Move the selected points to a new area.

‣

Pull directly on the line between two points. No selection is necessary. Holding down Shift will limit thecontour modification to the curve between the two first points.

‣

If an anchor point has no visible Bezier handles, hold down the Alt key to display them.

‣

To add control points, press Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) and click the line.

‣

To remove control points, select the control point and press Delete.

Drawing with Shapes

In Harmony, you can use the shape tools to draw circles, lines and squares. You can also easily reshape a squareor circle into a much more complex drawing such as these butterfly wings—see Reshaping a Drawing Using theContour Editor Tool on page 57 .

59Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

How to draw with a Shape tool
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select a shape tool:.

3. To automatically fill the shape, in the Tool Properties view, select the Auto Fill
4. In the Camera view, click and drag to draw the shape.

‣

Hold down Shift to lock the rectangle or the ellipse ratio to 1:1.

‣

Hold down Alt to draw the rectangle or ellipse from its centre.

‣

Hold down Shift to snap the line every 15 degrees.

‣

Hold down Alt to snap the start or end of the line to a nearby stroke.

5. Use the Contour Editor

tool to deform the shape and create your drawing.

60

option.

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Drawing with the Polyline Tool

The Polyline tool is used to draw shapes with a central vector type of line. To form a shape, you click to add apoint and then, without releasing the mouse, pull the handle in the desired direction before adding the next point
and repeat the operation. To edit the shape, you can use the Contour Editor tool.
How to draw with the Polyline tool
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Polyline

tool or press Alt + _.

3. In the Camera or Drawing view, click and drag to create a point and a Bezier handle to shape your line.
‣

Press Alt to pull only one handle, instead of two.

‣Press Shift to snap the handles to 45, 90, or 180 degrees.

4. Click a new area and drag to create a second point and Bezier handle.

5. Repeat the previous step until your shape is completed.
6. Press Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) and click to release the Polyline tool from the current path or
shape that it is creating. Continue to use the tool to make multiple, independent paths or shapes.
7. If necessary, reshape the lines using the Contour Editor
tour Editor Tool on page 57.

61

tool—see Reshaping a Drawing Using the Con-

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Drawing with Invisible Lines

There are two different ways to draw invisible lines.
Using the Pencil tool, you can draw as strokes only, meaning that the line will be invisible. This can be useful for
drawing tones and highlights directly on the character.
The Stroke tool draws invisible lines only. You cannot add thickness to the line. Unlike the Close Gap tool thatcreates a short, straight line between two points, the stroke line will stay exactly where you draw it. This tool
can be useful for closing a zone in a particular way or creating some hard shadows or highlight areas.

Sometimes, it may be difficult to see your strokes, especially if your colours are similar to the blue strokecolour. In Harmony, you can display the strokes in washed-out colours so that the invisible lines stand out.
How to draw invisible lines with the Pencil tool
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool or press Alt + /.

3. From the top menu, select View > Drawing > Show Strokes

or press K.

4. In the Tool Properties view, set the Pen Style size to 0. You can also adjust the smoothness.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

5. In the Camera or Drawing view, start drawing.
If you forgot to enable the Show Strokes option before drawing, as soon as you draw a first stroke, aMessage dialog box opens.

Select the Don’t Show This Message Again option if you do not want the dialog box to notify you about
the Show Strokes option.
6. Click OK.
7. You can modify the stroke shape with the Contour Editor

tool.

How to draw invisible lines with the Stroke tool
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to draw.
2. In the Tools toolbar from the Paint drop-down menu, select the Stroke
3. From the top menu, select View > Show Drawing > Show Strokes

tool or press Alt + V.
or press K.

4. In the Tool Properties view, you can adjust the smoothness.
5. In the Camera or Drawing view, start drawing.
If you forgot to enable the Show Strokes option before drawing, as soon as you draw a first stroke, aMessage dialog box opens.

Select the Don’t Show This Message Again option if you do not want the dialog box to notify you about
the Show Strokes option.
6. Click OK.
7. You can modify the stroke shape with the Contour Editor

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tool.

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Deforming a Drawing with the Perspective Tool

The Perspective tool lets you deform a drawing selection and alter its perspective.
How to deform a drawing with the Perspective tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Perspective
Alt + 0.

tool from the Contour Editor drop-down menu or press

2. In the Camera or Drawing view, select a drawing to deform.
3. Click and drag the different anchor points to deform the shape.

64Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Warping a Drawing with the Envelope Tool

The Envelope tool lets you deform and warp part of a drawing using a grid envelope and Bezier handles.
How to warp a drawing with the Envelope tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Envelope

tool from the Contour Editor drop-down menu.

2. In the Timeline view, select a drawing to deform.
3. In the Camera or Drawing view, select the region you want to deform

4. Click and drag the different anchor points and handles to deform the image.

65

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

5. To display more controls, in the Tool Properties view, click the Show Advanced Controls

6. Increase the height and width of the grid to get more control points to deform your image.

66

button.

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Cutting Drawing Parts

The Cutter tool lets you cut a drawing area to move, copy, cut or delete it.
How to cut with the Cutter tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool or press Alt + T.

2. In the Camera or Drawing view, make a selection around an area to cut away.

‣

To delete the selected zone, press Delete.

‣

To move the selection, click the selection and drag it to a new area.

67Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools‣

Use the bounding box controls to scale, skew, or rotate the cut piece.

Smoothing Lines

When drawing in a digital application, it is not like drawing on a sheet of paper. Sometimes the lines you draw
may look as if they were drawn with an unsteady hand. When this occurs, you may need to correct the look ofyour lines.
Harmony has a very powerful tool you can use to optimize contours and reduce the number of points on thelines, the Smooth Editor tool.
How to optimize lines with the Smooth Editor tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Smooth Editor

tool or select Drawing > Tools > Smooth Editor.

2. In the Camera or Drawing view, place your pointer over the lines to smooth. You may need to pass overthe same line several times to remove more points and make the line smoother. Note that by default,
the Smooth Editor tool colour is yellow, it was changed to orange for screen grab clarity—see Smooth
Editor Tool Options on page 105 to learn about the various settings available.

68Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Working With Text

With the Text tool, you can type text in your project using various fonts and texts attributes. Text objects arepart of a drawing, so you can manipulate them in the same way. OTF fonts are also supported.
How to add text to drawings
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Tools toolbar, select the Text‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Tools > Text.

‣

Press Alt + 9.

tool.

2. In the Timeline view, select the cell containing the drawing on which you want to add text.
3. In the Drawing or Camera view, click on the location you want the text to begin.

4. You can use the Tool Properties view to select the font, font size and format of the text you will type—see
Text Tool Options on page 107.
5. Type in the desired text.

6. Click outside the text box to exit the typing mode.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

If you want to create another text object, click outside the currently active text box. You can always
return to edit the text by selecting the Text
tool and clicking in the text.

More Drawing Tools
Harmony offers a wide variety of useful tools to optimize your drawings and work more efficiently; tools suchas Group, Arrange, and the animation disk to rotate your workspace.
•

Arrange on page 70•

Convert Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 71•

Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes on page 71•

Strokes to Pencil Lines on page 71•

Optimize on page 72•

Grid on page 73•

Group/Ungroup on page 73•

Hand on page 73•

Rotate View on page 74

Arrange
The different Arrange options let you reorder drawing objects inside a single layer in the Camera view.
Name

ButtonDescription

Access Method
From the top menu, select Drawing> Arrange > Bring to Front.

Bring to Front

Bring Forward

Moves the selected art to the front(on top).

Moves the selected art one level forward (closer to the front).

Press Ctrl + Shift + PgUp
(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift +PgUp (Mac OS X).
From the top menu, select Drawing> Arrange > Bring Forward.
Press Ctrl + PgUp (Windows/Linux)or ⌘ + PgUp (Mac OS X).
From the top menu, select Drawing> Arrange > Send Backward.

Send Backward

Moves the selected art one level
lower (behind).

Press Ctrl + PgDown(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + PgDown(Mac OS X).
From the top menu, select Drawing> Arrange > Send to Back.

Send to Back

Moves the selected art behind
everything (bottom / back).

70

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

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Convert Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines

The Brushes Strokes to Pencil Lines operation converts selected contour strokes into centreline pencil strokes.
The brush stroke thickness will be lost.
How to convert brush strokes to pencil lines‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines or press ^.

‣Right-click on the selection, select Convert > Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines or press ^Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes

The Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes operation converts the selected centreline pencil strokes into contour strokes
brush lines.
How to convert pencil lines to brush strokes‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes or press &.

‣Right-click on the selection, select Convert > Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes or press &Strokes to Pencil Lines

The Strokes to Pencil Lines operation converts the selected invisible line to a pencil line.

71Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

How to convert strokes to pencil lines‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Strokes to Pencil Lines or press Shift + F12(Windows/Linux only).

‣

Right-click on the selection, select Convert > Strokes to Pencil Lines or press Shift + F12(Windows/Linux only)

Optimize

The Optimize command reduces the number of layers, such as overlapping brush strokes, in the selecteddrawing objects. Drawing objects will only be flattened and optimized if the selected objects do not change
the appearance of the final image when they are merged.
For example, if you have selected a number of partially transparent objects, which you layered to create an
additive colour effect, the selected transparent drawing objects will not be merged. This is because merging
the transparent drawing objects will cause them to lose the effect of the layered transparent colours.
How to optimize‣

Use the Select tool to select the drawing objects you want to optimize.

‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Optimize.

‣

From the Camera or Drawing view menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Optimize.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Grid

Use the Show Grid option to display a grid in the Drawing or Camera views.
Name

ButtonDescription

Keyboard Shortcut
View > Grid > Show Grid

Show Grid
Displays the grid.

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

Grid Outline Only

Displays the outline of the grid only.

View > Grid > Grid Outline Only

SquareDisplays a standard square grid.

View > Grid > Square

12 Field Grid

Displays a 12-field size grid.

View > Grid > 12 Field Grid

16 Field Grid

Displays a 16-field size grid.

View > Grid > 16 Field Grid

Underlay

Displays the grid under the drawing
elements.

View > Grid > Underlay

Overlay

Displays the grid over the drawing
elements.

View > Grid > Overlay

Group/Ungroup
Use the Group option to group selected drawing objects. This can help in the selection, repositioning, re-scaling
and other transformations to be applied to multiple objects of a drawing.
•

From the top menu, select Edit > Group > Group or Edit > Group > Ungroup.

•

From the Camera or Drawing view menu, select Edit > Group > Group or Edit > Group > Ungroup.

•

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

Hand
Use the Hand tool to pan through the Drawing or Camera view.

73Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools•

In the Tools toolbar, select the Hand

tool, click in the Drawing or Camera view and drag.

•You can also Hold down the Spacebar, click in the Drawing or Camera view and move your mouse in the
direction you want to pan the view.

Rotate View
The Rotate View
tool lets you rotate the Drawing or Camera view, the same way as you would do with areal animation disc. This tool can also be used in the Perspective view.

How to use the Rotate View tool
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Tools > Rotate View.

‣

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

‣

In the Tools toolbar, select the Rotate View‣

In the Drawing or Camera view, right-click and select Drawing Tools > Rotate View.

tool.

2. In the Drawing or Camera view, click and drag to rotate the space.

Drawing Tool References
Harmony has a wide variety of drawing tools and each one of them has a series of options and modes
available. This section covers these options. For details on how to use these tools, see Drawing Tasks on page
38.
•

Pencil Tool Options on page 75•

Vector Brush Tool Options on page 77•

Select Tool Options on page 81•

Eraser Tool Options on page 87•

Contour Editor Options on page 91

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide•

Shape Tool Options on page 93•

Polyline Tool Options on page 96•

Stroke Tool Options on page 98•

Perspective Tool Options on page 99•

Envelope Tool Options on page 100•

Cutter Tool Options on page 103•

Smooth Editor Tool Options on page 105•

Text Tool Options on page 107

Pencil Tool Options
When you select the Pencil

tool, its properties and options appears in the Tool Properties view.

Maximum Size and Smoothing
This is where you set the maximum size of your drawing tool.
‣

MaximumSize: Defines the width of the stroke.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools‣

Smoothing: Defines the number of control points added to the centre line. The fewer the control
points the smoother (but less faithful) the line.

Pencil Presets
Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and also lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea tocreate and save pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw and design for efficiency andconsistency.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import those that others have created. This is agood way for you and project collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project—see Working with Pencil
Presets on page 41
Draw Behind

When drawing on vector layers, the Draw Behindmode lets you paint behind existing art. By default,
strokes appear over your work until you release the tool.
Auto-Flatten Mode
When drawing on vector layers, lines do not usually become one object. The Auto-Flatten
mode
automatically merges lines created with the existing ones into one single object as you draw.

NOTE:
Using the Select tool, you can use select and remove a segment of flattened pencil lines. Overlapping pencil lines
drawn with the Auto-Flatten mode enabled are essentially cut into segments by the overlap and can therefore betreated as individual lines.

76Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Auto-Close Gap

When using the pencil tool, you can automatically close strokes with an invisible stroke.
It is recommended to keep this option enabled when drawing with the Pencil tool.

Vector Brush Tool Options
When you're drawing on a vector layer and select the BrushTool Properties view.

tool, its properties and options appear in thePreviewing the Stroke
The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke that will be produced after you customize the different

77Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

parameters in the Tool Properties view.
1. Select a brush style from the Presets section. It's a good idea to choose a brush preset that is closest to
the style you want to create.
2. Click on the Show Extended Properties arrow to display advanced customization parameters.

Maximum Size and Smoothing
This is where you set the maximum size of your drawing tool.
‣

MaximumSize: Defines the width of the stroke.

‣

Smoothing: Defines the number of control points added to the centre line. The fewer the control
points the smoother (but less faithful) the line.

Brush Presets
Brush presets are created by saving the properties of the current brush to a new preset, which you can reuse
for repeated tasks. You can create as many brush presets as you need—see Drawing with the Brush Tool on
page 45.
How to import pencils, brushes and erasers
1. From the Brush menu

, select Import Brushes.

2. In the browser window that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file.
3. Click Open.
4. In the Import Brushes dialog box, select the brushes brushes and erasers you want to import. You canalso import pencils at the same time.

78Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

5. Click Import.
The imported brush, eraser and pencil styles will appear in the presets library. You can reuse any of theimported tips to create other brush, eraser and pencil style presets.
How to export pencils, brushes and erasers
1. From the Brush menu, select Export.
2. In the Export Brushes dialog box, select the vector brushes and erasers to export, as well as any pencils.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

3. Click Export.
4. In the Export Brushes window that appears, browse to the location where you want to save the .xml fileand give it a name.
5. Click Save.
How to change the Presets Library thumbnail display
1. From the Brush menu, select one of the following:
Parameter

Description

Small Thumbnail

Reduces the size of the thumbnails in order to view more at the same time.
Displays an image of the tool's tip and its maximum size.

Large Thumbnail

Increases the size of the thumbnails in order to see the images more clearly.
Displays an image of the tool's tip, its maximum size and its name.

Stroke View

Displays the tool's name, maximum size and stroke preview.

80Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Draw Behind

When the Draw Behindmode is enabled, the lines you draw will appear behind the art that already exists.

Repaint Brush Mode

The Repaint Brushis used to repaint zones that have already been painted, it will not affect empty zones or
pencil lines. It also automatically flattens each of its brush lines so it does not add new brush lines on top ofexisting ones. You can use this mode to paint tones or highlights onto your character.
Auto-Flatten Mode
When enabled, the Auto-Flatten
mode automatically flattens the new lines created with the existing artwork
as you draw in the Drawing or Camera view. Brush strokes will flatten with brush strokes and pencil lines will
flatten with pencil lines.

Select Tool Options
When you use the Selecttool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

81Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Lasso and Marquee
Choose between the Lasso•and Marquee

options to change the selection style of the tool.

Click and hold Alt to temporarily switch from the current mode to the other.

Snap Options
You can enable different snapping modes to help you when repositioning drawings using the Select tool.
•

Snap to Contour: Snaps your selection or point to any line you position it on. As soon as you moveit close enough to another line, your point or selection will snap to it.

•

Snap and Align: Snaps the selected anchor point to any existing line while displaying temporary
rulers as a guide that you can also snap your anchor point to.

•Snap to Grid: Snaps your selection following the currently enabled grid.

How to snap to the grid
1. Do one of the following:‣

Select View > Grid > Show Grid to display the grid in the Camera or Drawing view or press Ctrl + '(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + ' (Mac OS X).

‣

Select View > Grid > Square Grid, 12 Field Grid or 16 Field Grid for your current needs.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor
3. In the Tool Properties view, click the Snap to Grid

tool or press Alt + Q.
button.

4. In the Camera or Drawing view, click on the anchor point you want to snap to the grid, drag it to thedesired position and release.

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Selecting by Colour

The Select by Colour mode lets you select all the zones and lines in your drawing painted with the same colour
swatch.

NOTE: Only the zones painted with the SAME colour swatch will be selected. If another zone is coloured with theexact same RGB value (same colour), but not painted with the same colour swatch, it will not be selected.

How to select areas by colour
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

2. In the Tool Properties view, click the Select by Colour

button.

3. In the Camera or Drawing view, click on any zone or line in your drawing.
All zones and lines of the same colour are selected.
4. Click the Select tool again to return to the regular Select mode.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Single Mode

By default, when you draw a selection box in the Camera view, the Select tool will select only the drawing
strokes of the current drawing. If you prefer the Select tool to select all the strokes on all layers, you candisable the Works on Single Drawing
option in the Tool Properties view or disable the Select tool Workson Single Drawing preference. To do this, go to the top menu, select Edit > Preferences > Camera(Windows/Linux) or Stage Essentials > Preferences > Camera (Mac OS X) and uncheck the Select tool Workson Single Drawing option.
Flip Horizontal and Vertical

The Flip Horizontal‣

and Flip Verticaloperations flip the current selection horizontally or vertically.

From the top menu, select Drawing > Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical.

84Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Rotate 90 Degrees CW and CCW

The Rotate 90 Degrees CW
and Rotate 90 Degrees CCW
degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise.

operations rotate the current selection 90‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Transform > Rotate 90 Degrees CW and Rotate 90 Degrees
CCW.

‣

Press Ctrl + 7 and Ctrl + 9 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + 7 and ⌘ + 9 (Mac OS X).

SmoothThe Smooth

operation lets you smooth out selected drawing strokes and remove extra points.

‣ From the top menu, select Drawing> Optimize > Smooth or press Alt + Shift + S.
Flatten

The Flatten
operation is used to merge drawing objects and brush strokes into a single layer. If you draw newlines to fix a drawing or line with many brush strokes, it can be useful to flatten them all into a single shape. Bydefault, lines are drawn one on top of each other. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, it will beeasier if they are flattened.

‣ From the top menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Flatten or pres Alt + Shift + F.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Distribute to Layers
The Distribute to Layers
option is used to separate the selected art strokes and send them to new
drawing layers. In the Camera view, once you have drawn your artwork, you can select the strokes you want to
distribute using the Selecttool and click on the Distribute to Layers
button; you can also selectDrawing > Distribute to Layers. It will automatically take every stroke from the drawing selection made in the
Camera view and separate them into a different layer for each. If an artwork is composed of several strokes,
you must group them using Edit > Group > Group before using the Distribute to Layers option. This option
cannot be done from the Drawing view.
Pencil to BrushThe Pencil to Brushlines.

operation converts the selected centre line pencil strokes into contour strokes brushFrom the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Pencil Lines to Brush or press &.
Offset X and Y
Use the Offset X and Offset Y operation fields to enter specific values and precisely reposition the selectedshape.

1. X: Type a value in this field to reposition your selection along the X-axis.
2. Y: Type a value in this field to reposition your selection along the Y-axis.
3. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify the value in the X or Y value field.
Width and Height
Use the Width and Height operation fields to enter specific values to resize the selected shape with precision.

1. Width: Type a value in this field to resize the width of your selection.
2. Height: Type a value in this field to resize the height of your selection.
3. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify the value in the Width or Height fields.
4. Lock icon: Click the lock icon to lock or unlock the ratio between the Width and Height values.

86Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Angle
The Angle operation lets you to enter specific values and accurately rotate the selected shape.

1. Angle: Type a degree value in this field to rotate your selection.
2. Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to modify the value in the Angle value field.
When you select a pencil line with the Select tool, additional options appear in the Tool Properties view.
Adjusting the Pencil Line Thickness
Use the Adjusting the Pencil Line Thickness operation field to resize the selected centreline strokes. This
operation is not permitted on contour line shapes, such as brush strokes or shape fills.

Adjusting the Text Selection
When you select text with the Select tool, the tool properties will display the Text tool options on the bottom of
the view. You can also press Alt + 9 to display only the Text properties in the Tool Properties view—see Text
Tool Options on page 107.

Eraser Tool Options
When you're drawing on vector layer and you select the Eraser
Tool Properties view.

87

tool, its properties and options appear in theChapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Previewing the Stroke
The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke that will be produced after you customize the different
parameters in the Tool Properties view. Click on the Show Extended Properties arrow to display advanced
customization parameters,

Maximum Size and Smoothing
This is where you set the maximum size of your drawing tool.
‣

MaximumSize: Defines the width of the stroke.

‣

Smoothing: Defines the number of control points added to the centre line. The fewer the control
points the smoother (but less faithful) the line.

Eraser Presets
It is a good idea to create and save erasers with precise sizes and parameters in order to save time when88

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

drawing and designing. Toon Boom Harmony provides you with a variety of default eraser styles and allows you
to create and save your own.
Eraser presets are created by saving the properties of the current eraser as a preset, in order to reuse it again
and again. You can create a new preset from the Eraser Tool Properties view, but it is better to do it from theEraser Properties—see Erasing Parts of a Drawing on page 55.
The Eraser tool uses its own preset list, separated from the Brush tool.
How to import pencils, brushes and erasers
1. From the Brush menu

, select Import Brushes.

2. In the browser window that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file.
3. Click Open.
4. In the Import Brushes dialog box, select the brushes brushes and erasers you want to import. You can also
import pencils at the same time.

5. Click Import.
The imported brush, eraser and pencil styles will appear in the presets library. You can reuse any of theimported tips to create other brush, eraser and pencil style presets.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

How to export pencils, brushes and erasers
1. From the Brush menu, select Export.
2. In the Export Brushes dialog box, select the vector brushes and erasers to export, as well as any pencils.

3. Click Export.
4. In the Export Brushes window that appears, browse to the location where you want to save the .xml fileand give it a name.
5. Click Save.
How to change the Presets Library thumbnail display
1. From the Brush menu, select one of the following:
Parameter

Description

Small Thumbnail

Reduces the size of the thumbnails in order to view more at the same time.
Displays an image of the tool's tip and its maximum size.

Large Thumbnail

Increases the size of the thumbnails in order to see the images more clearly.
Displays an image of the tool's tip, its maximum size and its name.

Stroke View

Displays the tool's name, maximum size and stroke preview.

90Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Contour Editor Options
When you select the Contour Editor

tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

Lasso and Marquee
Choose between the Lasso•and Marquee

options to change the selection style of the tool.

Click and hold Alt to temporarily switch from the current mode to the other.

Snap to Contour

The Snap to Contour

option will snap the selected anchor point to any line you position it on.

How to snap two shapes together
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor

tool or press Alt + Q.

2. In the Tool Properties view, click the Snap to Contour

button.

3. In the Camera or Drawing view, click on an anchor point you want to snap to the other shape, drag it on
top of the contour line area and release it.

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Snap and Align

The Snap and Alignoption lets you snap the selected anchor point to any existing line while displaying
temporary rulers as a guide that you can also snap your anchor point to.
How to snap and align1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor

tool or press Alt + Q.

2. In the Tool Properties view, click the Snap and Alignbutton.

3. In the Camera view, click on an anchor point you want to snap, drag it until a ruler is displayed, position
it on the ruler or on the contour line and release.

Show Contour Editor Controls

Use the Show Contour Editor Controls
option to show the contour editor controls. You can use thesecontrols to scale, reposition and rotate the selected anchor points.
Smooth Selection

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The Smooth

operation lets you smooth out selected drawing strokes and remove extra points.

‣ From the top menu, select Drawing> Optimize > Smooth or press Alt + Shift + S.

Shape Tool Options
When you select a shape tool (Rectangle, Ellipse, Line), its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties
view.

Previewing the Stroke
The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke that will be produced after you customize the different
parameters in the Tool Properties view.
1. Select a brush style from the Presets section. It's a good idea to choose a brush preset that is closest to
the style you want to create.
2. Click on the Show Extended Properties arrow to display advanced customization parameters.

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Size
Move the Size slider left to reduce the line thickness and to the right to increase its width.
Adjusting the Pencil Line Style

You can adjust the start, end, and joint style of a selected pencil line.
•

Start: Lets you select the style of the start tip, which is the first tip you drew. You can choose between
Round or Flat style.

•

End: Lets you select the style of the end tip, which is the last tip you drew. You can choose between
Round or Flat style.

•

Join: Lets you select the joint style. The joints are where the line curves abruptly. You could also define
the Join style as the corner style. You can choose between Round, Mitre and Bevel style.

Pencil Presets
Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and also lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea tocreate and save pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw and design for efficiency andconsistency.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import those that others have created. This is agood way for you and project collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project—see Working with Pencil
Presets on page 41
Draw Behind

When the Draw Behindmode is enabled, the lines you draw will appear behind the art that already exists.

94Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Automatic Filling

Use the Automatic Filling
option to automatically fill your shape with the selected colour as you draw. By
default, the Shape tool creates the outline of an empty shape that you can later fill using the Paint tool. This
option is unavailable for the line tool.
Snap Options
When drawing a shape, you can enable different snap modes to help you create your shape.
•

The Snap to Contour

option snaps your shape to any line you position it on.

•

The Snap and Alignoption snaps the selected anchor point to any existing line, while displaying
temporary rulers as a guide that you can also snap your anchor point to.

•

The Snap to Gridsnaps your shape to the currently enabled grid.

Auto-Flatten Mode
When enabled, the Auto-Flatten
mode automatically flattens the new lines created with the existing artwork
as you draw in the Drawing or Camera view. Brush strokes will flatten with brush strokes and pencil lines will
flatten with pencil lines.
Using the Select tool, you can use the middle mouse button to select a segment of flattened pencil line. This
creates a nice finish on the lines and corners of your artwork.

95Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Auto-Close Gap

When enabled, the Auto-Close Gap
mode automatically connects, with an invisible stroke, the pencil lines
you draw close to each other in the Camera view.

NOTE: It is recommended to leave this option enabled when drawing with the Pencil tool.

Keep Proportion

When the Ellipse or Rectangle mode is enabled in the Tool Properties view, the Draw Circle or Draw Square
option appears. When selecting these options, the shape produced will be a perfect circle or square (asopposed to an oval or rectangle).
Enabling this option is a good idea if you plan to create many squares or circles. However, if you only need tocreate one, holding down the Shift key as you create your shape will maintain the proportion in the same way.

Polyline Tool Options
When you select the Polyline

tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

96Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Previewing the Stroke
The Preview area lets you see a preview of the stroke that will be produced after you customize the different
parameters in the Tool Properties view.
1. Select a brush style from the Presets section. It's a good idea to choose a brush preset that is closest to
the style you want to create.
2. Click on the Show Extended Properties arrow to display advanced customization parameters.

Size
The Size parameter lets you set the size of the polyline that you will draw.

97Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Pencil Presets
Harmony provides a variety of pencil presets and also lets you create and save your own. It is a good idea tocreate and save pencils with precise sizes and parameters when you draw and design for efficiency andconsistency.
You can export the pencil presets that you have created and import those that others have created. This is agood way for you and project collaborators to keep a consistent look for the project—see Working with Pencil
Presets on page 41
Snap to Contour
The Snap to Contour

option will snap your selection to any line you position it on.

Auto-Flatten Mode
When enabled, the Auto-Flatten
mode automatically flattens the new lines created with the existingartwork as you draw in the Drawing or Camera view. Brush strokes will flatten with brush strokes and pencil
lines will flatten with pencil lines.

Stroke Tool Options
When you select the Stroke tool, its properties and options appears in the Tool Properties view.

Draw Stroke as Straight Lines
Enable the Draw Stroke as Straight Lines
option if you want the new strokes you draw to be a perfectstraight line. Disable the option if you want the stroke to follow the mouse gesture.
Connect Line Ends
Enable the Connect Line Ends
option if you want the start or end point of your new stroke to connect toyour existing strokes to make sure no gaps are left in your drawing.
Auto-Flatten Mode
When enabled, the Auto-Flatten
mode automatically flattens the new lines created with the existingartwork as you draw in the Drawing or Camera view. Brush strokes will flatten with brush strokes and pencil
lines will flatten with pencil lines.
Smoothness
You can modify the central line smoothness of your line using this option. This parameter smooths the initial98Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

movement of your line. Increasing the value will result in a smoother line with fewer control points. Use the left
and right arrows to increment the value by one full unit. Use the Up - Down slider to quickly increment the value.

Perspective Tool Options
Selecting the Perspective tool displays its properties and options in the Tool Properties view.

Lasso and Marquee
Choose between the Lasso•and Marquee

options to change the selection style of the tool.

Click and hold Alt to temporarily switch from the current mode to the other.

Snap Options•

The Snap to Contour
option will snap the selected anchor point to any line you position it on—see
Contour Editor Options on page 91.

•

The Snap and Alignoption lets you snap the selected anchor point to any existing line while displaying
temporary rulers as a guide that you can also snap your anchor point to—see Contour Editor Options on
page 91.

•

The Snap to Grid

option snaps your selection according to the currently enabled grid.

Flip Horizontal and Vertical

The Flip Horizontal‣

and Flip Verticaloperations flip the current selection horizontally or vertically.

From the top menu, select Drawing > Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical.
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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Rotate 90 Degrees CW and CCW

The Rotate 90 Degrees CW
and Rotate 90 Degrees CCW
degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise.

operations rotate the current selection 90‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Transform > Rotate 90 Degrees CW and Rotate 90
Degrees CCW.

‣

Press Ctrl + 7 and Ctrl + 9 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + 7 and ⌘ + 9 (Mac OS X).

Envelope Tool Options
Selecting the Envelope tool displays its properties and options in the Tool Properties view.

Width and Height
Increase the width and height values to add more columns and rows to the deformation grids.

100Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Lasso and Marquee
Choose between the Lasso•and Marquee

options to change the selection style of the tool.

Click and hold Alt to temporarily switch from the current mode to the other.

Snap Options•

The Snap to Contour
option will snap the selected anchor point to any line you position it on—see
Contour Editor Options on page 91.

•

The Snap and Alignoption lets you snap the selected anchor point to any existing line while displaying
temporary rulers as a guide that you can also snap your anchor point to—see Contour Editor Options on
page 91.

•

The Snap to Grid

option snaps your selection according to the currently enabled grid.

Show Advanced Controls
To display more controls,you can click on the Show Advanced Controls

101button.

Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Flip Horizontal and Vertical

The Flip Horizontal‣

and Flip Verticaloperations flip the current selection horizontally or vertically.

From the top menu, select Drawing > Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical.

Rotate 90 Degrees CW and CCW

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The Rotate 90 Degrees CW
and Rotate 90 Degrees CCW
degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise.

operations rotate the current selection 90‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Transform > Rotate 90 Degrees CW and Rotate 90 Degrees
CCW.

‣

Press Ctrl + 7 and Ctrl + 9 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + 7 and ⌘ + 9 (Mac OS X).

Smoothness
You can modify the central line smoothness of your line using this option. This parameter smooths the deformedlines. Increasing the value will result in a smoother line with fewer control points. The more you increase the value,
the less details and curves you will get. Use the left and right arrows to increment the value by one full unit. Use
the Up - Down slider to quickly increment the value.

Cutter Tool Options
When you select the Cutter

tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

Lasso and Marquee
Choose between the Lasso•and Marquee

options to change the selection style of the tool.

Click and hold Alt to temporarily switch from the current mode to the other.

Use Mouse Gesture
When using the Lasso
selection type, the Use Mouse Gesture
option lets you automatically delete any
extra sections of line in your artwork by simply dragging your mouse over it.

NOTE: For this operation to work, you lines CANNOT be flattened.

Use Mouse Gesture Breaker Mode
When using the Lasso

selection type, the Use Mouse Gesture Breaker Mode103

option lets you draw anChapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

invisible stroke on a pencil line to cut it in two individual objects. Once a pencil line is cut with this option, youwill be able to select the two portions independently with either the Cutter tool, Pencil Editor tool or Selecttool.

NOTE: This option only works with pencil lines.

Tip StyleIf you erase the end of a pencil line or erase a pencil line through the centre, new line tips or line ends are
created. Use the Tip Style option to customize the shape of the new line tips that are created.
Antialiasing

When drawing on a bitmap layer, lines are no longer clean vector shapes. For the edges to be smooth, a slightamount of antialiasing is used. When using the Cutter tool, you can cut a portion of your drawing with orwithout antialiasing. By default, the option is enabled. If you want to cut your drawing using a hard edge, you
can select the Antialiasing Off option.

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Flip Horizontal and Vertical

The Flip Horizontal‣

and Flip Verticaloperations flip the current selection horizontally or vertically.

From the top menu, select Drawing > Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical.

Rotate 90 Degrees CW and CCW

The Rotate 90 Degrees CW
and Rotate 90 Degrees CCW
degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise.

operations rotate the current selection 90‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Transform > Rotate 90 Degrees CW and Rotate 90 Degrees
CCW.

‣

Press Ctrl + 7 and Ctrl + 9 (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + 7 and ⌘ + 9 (Mac OS X).

Smooth Editor Tool Options
When you select the Smooth Editor tool, its properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view.

105Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Brush, Marquee and Lasso Smoothing Style
The Smoothing Style options allow you to smooth a portion of your drawing by tracing a smoothing strokeover the zone to optimize or by selecting an area of the drawing with the Marquee or Lasso.
Note that by default, the Smooth Editor tool colour is yellow, it was changed to orange for screen grab clarity.

Show Control Points
The Show Control Points
option allows you to show or hide the Bezier points around lines. When the
Bezier points are displayed, you can see the result of your smoothing and the number of points left on the
curve. When it is turned off, only the original artwork is displayed.
Minimum Size and Maximum Size
This is where you set the minimum and maximum sizes of your drawing tool which will produce the thick andthin effect on your stroke. This works with the pressure sensitivity of a pen tablet.
This options is available while using the Brush Smoothingstyle.

‣

Maximum and Minimum Size: Defines the maximum and minimum width of the stroke.

•

Up/Down arrows: Use the up and down arrows to set the minimum and maximum size value.

Smoothness
The Smoothness
impacts the strength of the smoothing result. The higher the value, the more points are
removed and the smoother the curve. The Smoothness range is from 0 to 100; the default value is 20.

106Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

ColourYou can modify the colour of the control points displayed on the artwork while working with the Smooth Editor
tool by double-clicking on the colour swatch.

Text Tool Options
Use the Text tool's properties to select the font type and other formatting options you want to apply to the text.
If you already wrote your text, you must first use the Text tool and select the text portion you want to format.

Font TypeUse the Font drop-down menu to select a font. OTF fonts are supported.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Font Style
Use these buttons to select a style for your text:
•

Bold

•

ItalicAlignment
Use these buttons to align the paragraph.
Left

Centered

Right

Justified

Font SizeEnter a size for the text.

Kerning
Use the kerning field to modify the spacing between letters and characters. You can select the Auto Kern

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

option to set the kerning automatically based on the font’s predefined standard. A negative value decreases
spacing between each character, creating a letter overlap and a positive value increases it.

IndentEnter a value in the Indent field to increase or decrease the indentation on the first line of your text. A positive
value sets the first line of your paragraph farther to the right and a negative value sets it farther to the left.

Line Spacing
Enter a value in the Line Spacing field to decrease or increase the space between each line of text.

Resizing the Text Box
You can resize the text box by selecting your text box with the Text
tool and moving the anchor point rightor left. Using the Select tool will distort and scale your text itself rather than changing the width and height ofyour text box.

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Chapter 4: Design and Drawing Tools

Converting Text into Separate Objects
Text contained in a text field is treated as a single drawing object. You can easily separate the text so eachcharacter becomes an individual drawing object that you can select and modify independently.
How to break a text object
1. In the Tools toolbar, click the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

2. In the Drawing or Camera view, select the text object you want to break.

3. From the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Break ApartText Layers.
‣

From the Drawing or Camera view menu, select Drawing > Convert > Break ApartText Layers.

Each character is surrounded by a bounding box that you can modify; they remain text objects that you
can edit.
4. If you want to convert your independent letter to a complete vector object that you can deform, use theSelect tool to select the letters to convert.
5. From the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Break Apart Text Layers to break the selection into aregular drawing object, with no more text attributes.
‣

From the Drawing or Camera view menu, select Drawing > Convert > Break Apart Text Layers to
break the selection into a regular drawing object, with no more text attributes.

110Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models

Once the characters, props and locations are designed, it's time for the colour styling and colour models
creation. This is when the colours and moods are determined. The line models created during the design step are
painted and organized as colour models for the colourists.
Harmony has a great concept of colour palettes. Each character can have its own set of colours that is carriedthrough the entire project called the master palette. If the master is modified, the colours in the entire project are
updated simultaneously.
By doing the colour styling in Harmony, your master palette will be created at the same time, so you do not need
to use third party software. Also you will not have to recreate the colour palette again in Harmony. It is possible
to create this step in an external software, but it is a great time saver to do it directly in Harmony.

NOTE: Throughout this section, there may be slight differences between your interface and the illustrations in thisguide. This is because the images are taken from Harmony Premium.

To create the colour style and colour models, follow these steps:•

Preparation on page 113•

Working with Palettes on page 117•

Colours on page 138•

Painting the Model on page 150

Preparation
Before painting, you need to organize the colour model scenes and bring in your references. The colour stylingpreparation is done in five steps:•

Colour Model Storage on page 114

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Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models•

Scene Creation on page 114•

Setting Up the Workspace on page 115•

Preparation on page 113

Colour Model Storage
First, you will need to create a storage location for all your models and palettes. The best way to do this is tocreate a colour model scene. There are different possibilities available to structure your designs and colour
model scenes. We strongly recommend that you put all of your colour models in the same scenes. It is
important to maintain a structure for your models so they do not end up scattered throughout the project.
There are four main model categories:

If you have a small project, such as a short or an advertising contract, you can always place all the characters,
props, effects, and locations in the same scene. For large projects such as feature-length productions or series,
you should create four separate model scenes following these categories.

Scene Creation
In order to create colour models, you need to create your scenes.
When working on a paperless or cut-out animation project, if you have designed your characters, props,
effects and locations directly in Harmony, you can paint your models directly in your design scene. You can also
create a new colour model scene and import your designs in that one. Refer to the Fundamentals Guide tolearn more about creating a scene.
If you have not already done so, refer to the Fundamentals Guide to learn about production structure, fileorganization, and how to create a Project root directory. We recommend storing your colour model scenes in
the root directory or in a colour models subdirectory for even better organization.
A useful way to name your colour model scene is to include the project name, then the colour model type suchas characters, props, effects, or locations, and finally colourmodel. For example, a character colour model

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scene for the Adventure project would be named adventure_characters_colourmodel. This ensures thatyou always know what scene corresponds to what.

To learn how to create environment, job, and scene for your colour models, refer to the Control Center Guide.

Colour Model Scene Structure
To store your colour models in a scene, you should create one drawing layer for each character, prop, effect, or
location. You should name these according to the model.
You can also load other colour references in the scene to balance your overall colours. For example, if you work ina character colour model scene, it's a good idea to import some of the key locations to compare and adjust thecolours so they match well.

Setting Up the Workspace
Now that your scenes are created and structured, you can open the corresponding colour model scene. For the
optimal workspace for inking and painting, set up your workspace with these views:•

Xsheet115

Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models•

Camera•Drawing•

Colour

How to rename a drawing
1. In the Xsheet view, click on a drawing name.

2. Do one of the following:‣

From the Xsheet view menu, select Drawings > Rename Drawing.

‣

Right-click on the drawing name and select Drawings >Rename Drawing.

‣

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

The Rename Drawing dialog box opens.

116Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

3. Type in a new name and click OK.

Working with Palettes
In animation, specific colours are used to paint each particular character. In order to maintain absoluteconsistency, a colour palette is created for each character, prop and effect throughout the production. This isreferred to as a master palette1.
Master palettes contain a colour swatch for each zone to colour with a precise RGBA colour value.
Using a master colour palette has many benefits, including:•

Each character consistently retains their dedicated colours.

•

You cannot accidentally use a colour which is not in the master palette.

•

Standardization and colour consistency throughout the production•

Multiple artists can use the same colour palette and produce the same results.

Toon Boom Harmony uses palettes to hold all the colours needed to paint your elements, allowing complete
control and consistency in your painting process.
A palette2 is created by assigning a set of colours to each character, prop or effect. You will create a new paletteand add a new colour, known as a colour swatch, for each zone of the character, such as the skin, hair, tongue,
shirt, pants, and so on.
In Harmony, palettes are individual files that you can copy, transfer, and store. Palettes have a *.plt file nameextension—see Palette File Storage on page 122.
When a zone on the character is painted with the colour contained in a colour swatch, a link is automaticallycreated between that colour swatch and the zone. This means that if the tint of the colour in the colour swatch ischanged, any zone linked to it will update to the new tint. This is one way that colour palettes can save time andmoney in your production.
Another advantage of this system is that you can create complete palettes for different lighting situations. For
instance, in addition to the regular palette for a character, you could have one for that character in the rain using
colours that are duller and less vibrant than the dry daytime colours, or yet another for using in a night scene.
Using palettes linked to your character in this way allows you to instantly change its colouring to suit the moodand atmosphere of the scene without tediously repainting each element.

1A master palette is a group of colours attributed to a character or a prop. The palette is used throughout theentire production to maintain consistency in the look and to ensure that the same colours are used throughout
the production. Also known as palette.
2A palette or master palette is a group of colours attributed to a character or a prop. The palette is usedthroughout the entire Toon Boom Studio project to maintain a consistency in the look and avoid the colourchanging during the animation. Also referred to as a master palette.
117Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models

This section is divided as follows:•

Palette Lists on page 118•

Palette File Storage on page 122•

Creating a Colour Palette on page 125•

Duplicating a Colour Palette on page 129•

Cloning a Colour Palette on page 130•

Importing and Linking Palettes on page 133

Palette Lists
The Colour view has two modes: basic and advanced.

•

Basic Mode

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

The Colour view’s basic mode only shows the Colour list. When you open Toon Boom Harmony, you only
see the colours available in the Default palette which contains six basic colour swatches and is
automatically named the same as your scene. For simple projects, you can manage with the default
palette, but for movies, series, or shorts it is recommended that you create palettes for your characters.
To create a palette, you have to switch to the Advanced mode of the Colour view and show the Palette list.
•

Advanced Mode
The Advanced mode displays the list of all palettes that are linked to the scene. To create palettes for yourcharacters, you must display the Palette list.

A palette list is a file containing all of the links to the original palette files. Every drawing layer has a palette list.
The scene also has a palette list. For example, a drawing layer can use three different palettes stored in threedifferent locations, while another drawing layer can use two of these palettes plus another one coming fromanother scene. The palette list keep track of the locations of the palettes.
There are two types of palette lists:•

Scene Palette List
The Scene Palette list is mainly used with cut-out animation, but is also very useful for paperless andtraditional animations. A cut-out character will often be divided into 20 to 30 different drawing elementsthat use the character’s master palette.
The palette list is stored at the scene level instead of the Element directory. This way, all palettes linked tothis list will appear in every drawing element created in the scene. There is no need to manually load thepalette in each element.
The Scene Palette list is the simplest one to use. By default, Toon Boom Harmony is set to use only Scene
Palette lists.

•

Element Palette List

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Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models

In Toon Boom Harmony, you can switch to Advanced Palette List mode and choose to save your paletteat an element’s level. The Element Palette list is mainly used with traditional and paperless animation.
Unlike cut-out animation, all columns (drawing elements) contain different characters, props,
backgrounds, and effects. The Element Palette list is used when you do not necessarily want all of thepalettes for all of your elements linked in every column.
The palette list is stored in the drawing element’s directory instead of directly in the Scene level. This
ensures that the links to the palettes appear only in the appropriate element. If you prefer to access a
global palette list, link your palettes to the Scene Palette list.

To prevent users from accidentally removing a link to a palette, the palette lists are locked. To link or create a
new palette, the palette list must first be unlocked.
When you are using several cloned palettes that are related to the same original palette, Toon Boom Harmony
uses the palette located highest in the list to determine the colour of the painted zones—see Cloning a Colour
Palette on page 130.
How to show or hide the Palette list‣

In the Colour view, click the Show/Hide Palette List View
Palette List area.

The Palette List window opens and displays all your palettes.

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button to expand or collapse theHarmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

How to lock and unlock to the palette list‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Edit Palette List Mode.

A grey pencil appears on the top-right corner of the Palette list to indicate that it can be modified.

How to set the Advanced Palette Lists mode
1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

1. Select the Advanced tab.
2. In the section, select the Advanced Palette Lists option.
3. Click OK.
How to reorder palettes in the Palette list
Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Move Up or Move Down.

‣

In the Palette list, click the Up

and Down

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Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models

Palette File Storage

In Harmony, palettes are individual *.plt files that can be copied, transferred and stored. When a palette is
created from Harmony, it needs to be stored somewhere. By default, the palette file is stored in the scene
directory in a palette-library folder unless you specify a different location. There are four locations where you
can find palette-library folders:lElement: The Palette Library folder is stored directly in the drawing Element folder.

l

Scene: The Palette Library folder is stored directly in the Scene folder.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guidel

Job: The Palette Library folder is stored in a Job folder contained in the Scene folder.

lEnvironment: The Palette Library folder is stored in an Environment folder contained in the Scene folder.

By default, the palette is stored at the scene level. For simple projects and standalone projects, it isrecommended to keep it as is. If you work with a larger studio, it is recommended to verify with them on the filestructure.
This existing structure is compatible with Harmony Server. Harmony’s database has a leveled structure startingfrom the Environment down to the Element. Its client-server configuration allows all data, such as palettes andscenes, to be shared between a series of client machines.

Element Level
Working with Harmony Stand Alone, the Element level is very useful when there are a lot of different palettes.
When a colour model drawing is created, it is stored in its element folder. By storing the corresponding palettefile with the colour model, the colourist can load them both from the same location. This also creates a moreorganized structure.

Scene Level
Working with Harmony Stand Alone, a palette file can also be saved at the scene level, so that all of the palettes
from the scene are stored together. The palette naming must be structured so the colourist or character builders
can find the correct one. Saving the palettes at the scene level makes it very easy to back up the palettes andretrieve their location.
The scene level can also be useful for cut-out animation. Instead of creating a colour model scene that includes allof the characters, props, effects, and location, the colour palette or model will often be directly imported to, or
created in, the character building scene. Just as with a cut-out character building scene, each element uses thesame palette so it would not be efficient to save the palette inside one element. Instead, it is saved at the scenelevel. This prevents a palette overload because all of the models are in different scenes. It also allows each scene
to have its own set of palettes corresponding to its model.
When working on a cut-out animation production, it is highly recommended that you work with the Scene level.

Where to Save the Palette File
The palette storage location depends on the type of production and the backup plan being used. Some studios
like to store their palettes at the Element level and others at the Environment level as this will not create aproblem so long as the scene is in the Harmony structure. In fact, as long as the Harmony structure is maintained
it can be stored at any level. However, difficulties may occur when the scene is backed up or transferred toanother studio or database and removed from the structure.

What happens when you export a palette file?
It is important to understand what is happening to a palette file when the scene is exported.
Because of the Harmony client-server configuration, all of the data can be shared through all of the scenes in the
database. This also includes the palette files, even if they are stored at the Element, Scene, Job, Drawing orEnvironment level. The palette files can be accessed from any scene of any project.
When you export scenes from Harmony to either archive or send them to other users or studios, the palettes
stored in external scenes, jobs or environment will NOT be exported.
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An exported scene will carry palettes stored in its own Element’s Palette Library, scene’s palette library, theJob and the Environment where it is stored. Any other palette from other Environments, Jobs, Elements or
Scenes (even from the same job) will NOT follow. Instead a recovery palette will be created when the scene isreopened in another Harmony system. A recovery palette is a local palette created by the system when
palettes and colours are missing. This palette is no longer shared with the rest of the project.
For example, in the following chart, if you export Scene 2 from Job 1, the package will carry the palettes from
Scene 2, Job 1 and Environment. It WILL NOT carry the palettes from Element 3 in Scene 1, Scene 1 and Job 2.
If Scene 2 was linked to any of these, the system will create a recovery palette the next time Scene 2 is opened
in another Harmony system.

The best place to store your palette is:•Environment level for a movie or series•

Job level for a publicity or small project•

Scene level for a student exercise

To store your palette with their colour models, you can use the Element level, however, it will require morestructure when exporting the scenes. The scene will have to be exported along with its colour model scene.
The other studio you are working with must recreate an identical structure to yours, then import the received
scenes into the same location as you have them in order to maintain the links.

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Palette Backup
When sharing palettes between scenes, some users may accidentally modify the colours, even though thepalettes are locked by default. That is why it is a good idea to copy and back up your palette libraries and master
palette directories.
When a palette file is copied, it automatically becomes a clone palette, so there will not be any trouble replacing
an altered file. Harmony automatically updates all of the files and drawings linked to it.

Creating a Colour Palette
You can create a palette in either Basic or Advanced mode.
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 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.
If you are using Harmony Server, see Palette File Storage on page 122.
Before you can create a palette in the Advanced Palette Lists mode, you must first set your preferences to
Advanced Palette Lists mode in the Preferences dialog box. You also need to have the rights to modify the
palette list. If you do not, select Edit > Edit Palette List Mode from the top menu.
You can remove palettes from your Palette list if they're not needed in your scene. The actual palette file will not
be deleted and you can reimport it in your Palette list later on.
How to set the Advanced Palette Lists mode
1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

1. Select the Advanced tab.
2. In the section, select the Advanced Palette Lists option.
3. Click OK.
How to create a new palette (Basic Palette Lists mode)
1. From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > New or click the New Palette‣button.

Make sure you have the necessary rights to modify the palette list. If not, select Edit > Edit Palette List
Mode.

The Create Palette window opens.
2. Enter the palette name according to the model.

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

How to create a palette from the Advanced Palette Lists mode
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the drawing that requires a palette.
2. Make sure that you have the necessary rights to modify the palette list. If you do not, select Edit > Edit
Palette List Mode.
3. In the Colour view, click the Show Palette List View button to display the palette list.

4. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour view menu, select Palettes > New.

‣

Click the Create Palettebutton.

The Palette Browser: Create Palette dialog box opens.

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5. Select the level to store the palette file.
‣

Environment: The palette-library folder is stored in the scene's parent environment folder.

‣

Job: The palette-library folder is stored in the scene's parent job folder.

‣

Scene: The palette-library folder is stored directly in the scene folder.

‣

Element: The palette-library folder is stored directly in the drawing element folder.

When you select a level that has a palette stored in it, the palette names are displayed in the Palette field.

6. Name the palette. There is no need to add the suffix "palette" to the name as it is always recognized as apalette file.

7. Select a Palette List option.

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The Scene Palette List is mainly used with cut-out animation. A cut-out character will often be divided
in twenty to thirty different drawing elements that use the character's master palette.
The palette list is stored at the scene level instead of the Element directory. This way, all palettes
linked to this list will appear in every drawing element created in the scene. There is no need tomanually load the palette in each element.

‣

The Element Palette List is mainly used with traditional and paperless animation. Unlike cut-out
animation, all columns (drawing elements) contain different characters, props, backgrounds andeffects. The Element Palette List is used because you do not necessarily want all of the palettes forall of your elements linked in every column.
The palette list is stored in the drawing element's directory instead of directly in the Scene level. This
ensures that the links to the palettes appear only in the appropriate element. If you prefer to accessa global palette list, link your palettes to the Scene Palette List.

8. Click OK.
The new palette appears in the palette list.
How to rename a palette
1. In the Colour view, select the palette to rename.

2. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Rename.

‣

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Rename.

3. In the Rename dialog box, give the palette a new name and click OK.

How to remove a palette
1. In the Colour view, select the palette to remove.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Remove.

‣

Right-click on the selected palette and select Remove.

‣

Click the Remove Palettebutton located above the Palette list.

If the palette was used in your scene, the zones painted with its colours turn red.

Duplicating a Colour Palette
A duplicated palette is a simple copy of the original palette. It uses the same names, colour values, but has adifferent ID and is independent from the original palette. This ensures that both palettes are completely
independent.
This option is used when there are similar models and you want to avoid recreating and naming all the colours.
You can change the values and the names afterward without affecting the original palette. You can also keepsome RGBA values, such as the eyes, teeth, tongue, inside mouth, etc.
How to duplicate a palette
1. In the Colour view, select the palette to be duplicated.

2. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour menu, select Palettes > Duplicate.

‣

Right-click on the selected palette and select Duplicate.

The Palette Browser: Duplicate Palette window opens.
3. If you are in Advanced Palette List mode, select the palette storage level—see Palette File Storage on
page 122.

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4. In the New Palette Name field, name the palette.

5. In the New Palette Name field, name the palette.
6. Click OK.
The palette appears in the palette list.

Cloning a Colour Palette

A character usually has only one master palette, although there are times when the characters are placed indifferent lighting conditions and require a different colour shading. The night palette is a popular choice whena scene or sequence changes from day to night. It can be difficult and time-consuming to repaint everything
and creating two independent palettes can be quite complex. As an alternative, Toon Boom Harmony
provides clone palettes.
The clone palette is 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. Depending on the palette (night or day) you're currently using, the painted drawing
will update. So there's no need to repaint the animation. All you have to do is create or import a clone palette(palette style).

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How to clone a palette
1. In the Colour view, select a palette to clone.

2. From the Colour menu, select Palettes > Clone or right-click and select Clone.
The Palette Browser: Clone Palette dialog box opens.

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3. If you're in Advanced Palette List mode, select the palette storage level—see Palette File Storage on
page 122.

4. In the New Palette Name field, name the palette. We recommend keeping the "-clone" in the name.
5. Click OK.
The cloned palette appears in the palette list.

6. In the Palette list, select the clone palette you created to offset or blend colours—see Mixing Colours
on page 148.
7. From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Tint Panel or right-click and select Tint Panel.
The Blend/Offset Tint panel opens.

8. Select one or more colours to modify. You can select all your colours by pressing Ctrl + A (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + A (Mac OS X).

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9. Offset, blend, or mix the colours using the sliders and increasing the Amount value.

10. Select the Preview option to see a preview of the colours while you adjust them.

NOTE: You can also modify the colours individually with the Colour Picker window.

Importing and Linking Palettes
Before starting colouring work such as ink and paint or even creating new colour models, you may want to load
existing colour palettes to your scene. You can do so by linking colour palettes to your palette lists.
You may encounter a case where only a colour palette is visible when a layer is selected. If you need that palette ina second layer, you can link the palette to the second layer's palette list. A good example would be a scene where
there is a character on one layer and its arm is on another. In order for both layers to access the palette, you mustlink both Element Palette lists to that palette. If your palette is linked to the Scene Palette list, it will be accessibleby all layers.
If you created a palette in another project and you want to import it in your current project, you can browse forthe palette file on your computer and add it to your scene. When the palette is imported in your scene, the file iscopied in the project’s directory. It is not linked to the original file.
With Toon Boom Harmony as a stand-alone application, every scene is local to the machine. This means that all of
the scene’s data is only accessible from that particular scene. Palettes are also local to the scene; they can beshared between all drawing layers, but not between scenes.
However, you may want to share palettes across a whole project. Harmony offers that possibility. By default, a
palette is an independent file stored in your scene. This file can be copied, moved, or deleted.
To link a palette throughout an entire project, you need to create a central directory where you can copy all the
palettes you created. Every time you link a palette in an element, it is linked to this folder. If you modify the
palette, it will be updated throughout the whole project.
Harmony lets This method is not recommended. It is always safer to have the palettes contained within the
database to avoid data loss if the source palette were to be deleted or the project exported without including
the external palettes.

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You will notice that when you create or link a palette, a small icon appears on its left. These icons represent the
palette's link status.
Icon

Description
Indicates that the palette is safe.
There won’t be any problems once the scene is exported. For example, the palette file isstored in the scene folder and is linked to the Scene Palette List.
Indicates that the palette file is stored in a directory external to the scene’s structure.
The palette file is probably stored in a Master Palette directory on a hard drive external tothe palette-libraries planned for the palette storage. The warning in this case is that if you
move your Master Palette directory to another location, you may loose the palette in yourscene.
Indicates that a palette file stored in a level such as Element, Scene, Job or Environment islinked to a Palette list that is not on the same level.
For example, a palette file is stored into the Environment folder and is linked to the
Element Palette list. The palette is shared.
Indicates a potentially dangerous situation.
Problems may occur when trying to export or link to the palette file. For example, a palettefile is stored into the element folder and is linked to the Scene Palette list. The issue in thiscase is that if you decide to delete the layer containing the palette, it will be lost from yourscene.

How to link a colour palette
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Link.

‣

Right-click and select Link.

‣

Click the Importbutton.

The Palette Browser: Link Palette dialog box opens.

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2. Select the level where the palette file is stored—see Palette File Storage on page 122.
3. Select the palette list linking level by enabling either Scene Palette List or Element Palette List—see
Palette Lists on page 118.
The palette appears in the Colour view.
How to import a palette into your project
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour menu, select Palettes > Import.

‣

Right-click and select Import.

The Browser window opens.
2. Browse for a palette file located (*.plt) on your hard drive. You will generally find the palettes in your project's palette-library directory.
3. Click Open.
The Palette Browser opens.

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4. If you're in Advanced Palette mode, select the level where the palette file is stored—see Palette File Storage on page 122.
5. If you're in Advanced Palette mode, select the palette list linking level by enabling either Scene Palette
List or Element Palette List—see Palette Lists on page 118.
6. In the New Palette Name, name the imported palette.
The palette appears in the Colour view and the file is copied in your project.
How to link to an external palette
1. In the Colour view, click on the Create Palette136

button to create a palette to be used as external.

Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

2. Save your scene by selecting File > Save from the top menu or by clicking the Save
Ctrl + S (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + S (Mac OS X).

button or press

3. On your computer or server, create a master directory. Ideally, this should be created in your Root folder
to keep it within the project directory. You could also place it inside your Colour Model’s subdirectory—
see Chapter 6: Project Organization and File Structure in the Fundamentals Guide.

4. Name the folder appropriately, for example: Joe_master_palette.
5. From your operating system, browse to your Toon Boom Harmony scene and open the palette-libraryfolder.

6. Select and copy your palette *.plt file to copy it to the master palette directory.

7. Create a new Toon Boom Harmony scene or open the scene where you will link this palette.
8. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the element to link the palette to.

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9. From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Link to External.
The Link to External Palette dialog box opens.

10. Click Browse to search for your master palettes folder and select the palette *.plt file you want tolink.
11. In the Palette list section, select how you want to load the palette; at the scene or element level.
12. Click OK.
The linked palette appears in the Colour view.
If a palette is outside the scene, the External

icon appears beside the palette name.

NOTE: To link an element (such as a colour model) to the palette that is stored in the external palette directory,
you must remove the original palette from the element’s palette list. You will then load the duplicated palette into
the palette list using the Link to External command, like you did for the other elements.

Colours
Toon Boom Harmony has some very powerful colouring features when it comes to painting. To paint yourdrawings, you will use different colour swatches, unlike some other painting programs where you modify themain swatch each time you want to paint with a different colour.

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In the Colour view, you choose a different colour swatch for each colour you want to paint in your drawing. You
can add as many swatches as you want. You can also rename them and modify existing ones.

When you modify the colour of an existing swatch, it automatically updates all the zones painted with this swatch
throughout the entire project. The colour swatch has a unique ID number that associates it with the painted
zones. This way, you can change the look of your character at any time without having to repaint it!
This section is divided as follows:•

Adding a Colour Swatch on page 139•

Editing Gradients and Textures on page 145•

Colour Display Modes on page 146•

Copying and Pasting Colours on page 147•

Mixing Colours on page 148

Adding a Colour Swatch
You can use several different types of colour swatches, including solid colour, gradient colour and bitmap texture
swatches.

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A colour palette is an actual file on the hard drive. These palette files can be stored in a different location on
the server. They can be stored in the Environment, Job, Scene, or Element folder and linked to any palette list.
This means that if the original palette file is modified, it will update in every drawing element the palette islinked to.
To avoid accidentally modifying the palette, the palette files can be locked. If a palette must be modified, youmust get the rights to modify them before doing so.
How to lock and unlock the palette list‣

In the Colour view, click the Edit Palette Modebutton.

A grey pencil icon appears in the top-right corner of the Palette list.

How to add or modify a solid colour swatch
1. In the Colour view, click the Add Colour

button.

2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Edit or double-click on the colour swatch.
The Colour Picker window opens.

3. To set your colour, do one of the following:‣

In the colour wheel, select a colour.

‣

Enter the HSV or RGB values in the corresponding fields. Select the R,G,B,H,S or V options tochange the look of the colour picking area.

140Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide‣

Click the Dropper
button to select any colour on your screen. It can be from the Harmony interface,your operating system or any other open application.

How to add a new colour swatch using the default colour‣

From the Colour View menu, select Colours > New.

A new swatch is added to your palette using the default colour swatch colour. The new swatch createdwith the New command will be named New 0.
How to create a gradient colour swatch
1. In the Colour view, select a colour to modify .
2. Do one of the following:‣

Click the new colour and from the Colour View menu, select Colours > New.

‣

Double-click on the colour swatch.

The Colour Picker window opens.

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3. Select the Gradient option.
4. Select the Linear or Radial option.
5. Adjust the Gradient arrows to modify the colours.

‣

Add extra colours by clicking between the arrows below the gradient bar. Then click on the Colour
Preview to select a colour.

‣

Pull down the arrows to remove them.

‣Move the arrows left and right to modify the gradient distance.

NOTE: To learn how to reposition the gradient zones in your drawings, see Editing Gradients and Textures on
page 145.

How to create a texture colour
1. From the Colour menu, select Colours > New Texture or click the New Texture

button.

The Browser window opens.
2. Browse for a PSD or TGA bitmap file created with a third party software and click Open.

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The texture is added to the colour list.

NOTE:
To learn how to reposition the textured zones in your drawings, see Editing Gradients and Textures on page 145.

You can also replace a texture once it is painted. If you decide to make the character’s shirt wool instead of plaid,
just update the texture file in the swatch and the entire project updates. Any transformation previously applied tothe texture’s position in your drawings will be kept.

How to replace a texture swatch
1. In the Colour view, select the texture swatch that contains the bitmap texture you want to replace.

2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Edit Texture or double-click on the swatch.
The Browser window opens.
3. Browse for the new PSD or TGA bitmap file created in a third party software.

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4. Click Open to update the colour swatch.

How to delete a colour swatch
1. In the Colour view, select the colour swatches to delete.

2. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Delete.

‣

Click the Delete Colour‣

Right-click and select Delete.

‣Press Delete.

button.

If the colour swatch is used in a drawing, the Delete Colour dialog box opens.

3. Click OK to delete the colours or click Cancel to abort the operation.
‣

If you delete colour swatches already in use, the zones painted with them turn red so you can easily
identify them.

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Editing Gradients and Textures

If you paint a zone with a gradient or texture colour, you can use the Edit Gradient/Texture tool to modify its
position in the zone. You can move, scale, rotate and skew. If you want to match the colour to the animation, set
the first texture position and copy the Edit Gradient/Texture position. When moving to the next drawing, you canselect the next texture and paste the previous position to continue the modifications.
If you are painting a hand-drawn animation or if your want the Brush tool and Paint tool to use your gradient’s
position, angle and scale settings instead of the default ones, you can store your own settings and reuse themafterward.
This way of editing a texture using the Edit Gradient/Texture tool also works with pencil lines drawn with
textured “brushes”. If you then paint your textured pencil line with a gradient, you can do so and then edit bothelements independently at the same time.
How to use Edit Gradient/Texture tool
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Tools toolbar, click the Edit Texture‣

Press Shift + F3.

tool.

2. Click the gradient or texture colour to modify.

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A blue selection frame surrounds the selected gradient or texture.

3. Edit the gradient or texture by adjusting the control handles around the selection frame.

Colour Display Modes
The Colour view has two display modes:
•

List

•

SwatchYou can also display the RGB values and names of your solid colour swatches instead of only the name. This
option is not available when displaying the colours in Swatch mode.

How to switch between the display modes
1. From the Colour View menu, and do one of the following:‣

Select Colours > Swatch Mode to display the swatches.

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Deselect Colours > Swatch Mode to display the colour list.

How to display the swatch colour values‣ From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Display Colour Values.
The solid colour swatches’ RGB values are displayed between the colour swatch and its name. The
gradient colour swatches will be identified as (gradient).

Copying and Pasting Colours
When you're creating palettes, you may want to copy colour swatches or their values and paste them in otherpalettes to save time. You can also quickly copy a colour value from a palette in your scene to a selected colour
swatch in a different palette.
You can copy a selected colour swatch and paste it as a clone. Since it produces a clone colour swatch, it is
impossible to use the Paste as Clone command in the same palette as you copied the original colour swatch from.
If you would like to keep a reference file of some colour IDs or use them with custom plug-ins, you can copy thecolour swatch IDs. Here is an example of colour ID: 075cf5b552401130.

‣

In the Colour view, click the Edit Palette Modebutton to edit the colour list.

How to copy and paste colours
1. In the Colour view, select one or more colours to copy.
‣

In the Colour view, click the Edit Palette Mode147

button to edit the colour list.

Chapter 5: Colour Styling and Colour Models

2. In the Colour View menu, select Colours > Copy or press Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + C (Mac OS
X).
3. In the Palette list, select the palette in which you want to paste the colours.

4. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Paste as New Colours or press Ctrl + V (Windows/Linux)or ⌘ + V (Mac OS X).
‣

To paste the colour values of the copied swatch over an existing colour swatch, select Colours >Paste Colour Values.

How to clone a colour swatch
1. In the Colour view, select the colour swatch you want to clone.
‣In the Colour view, click the Edit Palette Modebutton to edit the colour list.

2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Copy or press Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + C (MacOS X).
3. In the Colour view, select the colour palette you want to paste the clone into or create a new palette.
4. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Paste as Clone.
The cloned colour swatch appears in the palette.
How to copy a colour ID
1. In the Colour view, select the colour swatch you want toget the ID from.
‣In the Colour view, click the Edit Palette Modebutton to edit the colour list.

2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Copy Colour ID or press Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux) or ⌘+ C (Mac OS X).
3. Paste the copied value as plain text in the desired document.

Mixing Colours
If you want to modify a series of colours to blend a tint in them or offset their RGBA values, you can use the Tint
panel. You can also create palette styles, such as night and day styles.
How to mix colours
1. In the Colour view, select the palette that contains the colours you want to offset or blend.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Tint Panel.

‣

Right-click and select Tint Panel.

The Tint Blend/Offset panel opens.

3. Select one or more colours to modify in the colour list. To select all the colours, press Ctrl + A (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + A (Mac OS X).

4. Select Preview option.
5. Select the Offset, Blend, or Mixer option.

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Parameter

Description

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

Blend

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

Mixer

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

6. Click Apply.

Painting the Model
Now that you've created the colours and the palette, you're ready to paint your model.
The colour model needs to be painted in order to adjust the colours with the other elements in the production.
You can paint your model regardless of the colour RGBA and adjust them later when all the elements are
together.

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For paperless and cut-out animation, it's a good idea to provide a line-up template with the colour model toshow the scale ratio between the characters, props and backgrounds.

Once your colour model is completed, create a line-up template by pasting one of the production's main
characters, or even just a hand, beside the colour model to show the relative size. This allows the animator, layout
artist, or scene setup artist to retain the correct scaling throughout the entire project when setting the elementsin the scene. You can store your template in the Library.
How to paint a colour model
1. Create your master colour palette—see Creating a Colour Palette on page 125
2. Add new colours to the palette—see Adding a Colour Swatch on page 139.
3. Select your Paint Bucket

tool. We recommend the Paint Unpainted

4. In the Colour view, select a colour to paint your drawing.

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5. Paint the model by selecting colour swatches in the palette and clicking on your drawing. Note that only
closed zones will be painted. If there's a gap in your artwork, you must close before you can paint it.

6. Adjust the colours—see Mixing Colours on page 148.

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Chapter 6: Timing

When you create hand-drawn animation traditionally or in a paperless environment, it's important to know how
to set and modify the timing of your drawings.
In a traditional workflow, the person in charge of the digital exposure sheet reproduces the paper exposure
sheet created by the animator. In a paperless workflow, the animator creates and manages their own exposure
sheet directly in Harmony without the need for reproduction.
If you're more of a traditional animator, you will probably work with an exposure sheet. If you're a digital
animator, you may prefer to work with a timeline to visualize your timing. Harmony offers both.
The Timeline view is also used to visualize timing, and represents elements and groups of elements as layers.
In this chapter, you will learn how to work on your drawing’s exposure and length. The exposure and animation
paths for symbols are covered in separate chapters.
The basic digital exposure sheet process is divided into the following steps:

Preparation
The digital exposure task is quite simple. There are very few things to prepare in order to get ready.
Opening the Scene
The scene is generally created during a previous step, such as scanning (in a traditional animation workflow),
scene set up, digital layout, or production organization.
Using the Workspace
If you're doing paperless animation, use the Camera or Drawing view if you want to sketch at the same time.
While drawing and animating paperless animation, you can use the Workspace Manager to save a frequently
used layout and name it Paperless Animation, for example.

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Preparing References

To start an exposure sheet, you need to prepare your references. For traditional animation, you will need toreproduce the animator's paper exposure sheet. If you're working remotely, the studio can scan the paper
exposure sheet using third-party software and send the digital files to be opened and viewed digitally.

FramesOnce the references are ready, you need to set the scene length by adding the right number of frames to yourscene. You can set the global scene length from the top menu.
In the Timeline view, you can add and remove frames from a scene to edit its length.
How to set the scene length
1. From the top menu, select Scene > Scene Length.
The Set Scene Length dialog box opens.

2. In the Number of Frames field, enter the number of frames needed.
How to extend or reduce the scene length in the Timeline view
When you remove frames at the end of a scene to reduce the scene length in the Timeline view, the exposeddrawings and symbols are not deleted. They're still available if you extend the scene afterward.
1. In the Timeline view, drag the scene length bracket:‣

Right: To add more frames to your scene.

‣

Left: To reduce the number of frames in your scene.

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How to add frames in the middle of a scene
You can add frames anywhere in the middle of the scene—before or after a selection.
1. In the Timeline view, select the frame to which you want to add frames before or after.

2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

The Add Frames dialog box opens.

3. In the Number of Frames to Add field, enter the number of frames needed in the scene.
4. Click OK.

How to add frames at the start or end of a scene
1. In the top menu, select Scene > Frames > Add Frames at Start or Add Frames at End.
The Add Frames dialog box opens.

2. In the Number of Frames to Add field, enter the number of frames needed in the scene.
3. Click OK.

Creating Drawings
Before filling any value or setting any timing or exposure, you need to add different drawing elements.
Each drawing element is represented as a horizontal element layer in the Timeline view.

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To start an exposure sheet, you will use drawing elements. Drawing elements are drawing containers. Any
image file, either bitmap or vector, will use a drawing element.
When you add a drawing element to your scene, a folder is added to the scene directory. This folder is named
the same way as the drawing element. Its purpose is to contain all the drawings related to this element. For
example, in cut-out animation, a character can have many heads available. All of the head drawings will becontained in this folder, even if they are not exposed in the Timeline view. There is always a drawing container
connected to a drawing element (column).

NOTE: There are different element types available, such as sound and expression. A sound element contains
sound files. Expressions, Beziers, 3D path, Quadmaps and Pegs are for motion purposes during the compositing
step. It's not necessary to create these types to create your exposure sheet.

You can add drawing elements from the Timeline view and the Scene menu.
This section is divided as follows:•

Layer Concepts on page 156•

Layer Types on page 157•

Adding New Drawing Elements on page 159•

Deleting Columns on page 159•

Layer Properties on page 160•

Modifying Layers on page 161•

Duplicating Layers on page 162•

Cloning Layers on page 162

Layer Concepts
A layer is linked to a directory, the location where all its drawings are saved. This directory has the same nameas the layer. When a name is typed in a cell ,Harmony searches the layer's directory for the corresponding
drawing to display. If there is no corresponding drawing, a new one is created.
Drawings are exposed in cells and linked to the drawings saved in the layer's directory. When you remove adrawing from a cell, it is not displayed and still exists in the directory.
A drawing that is exposed multiple times (for example, in a walk-cycle) would be linked to the same original
drawing in the layer's directory. If you modify, repaint, or correct the drawing, all exposed drawings with thesame name are updated simultaneously. You must duplicate or create a new drawing to modify a single
exposure and retain the others.
When you create a drawing cycle, all of the repeated drawings are linked to the original files. This means thatwhen you modify, repaint, or correct a drawing named “1,” all drawings named “1” are updated
simultaneously. In order to modify a drawing independently from its other exposures, you must duplicate thedrawing.

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Layer Types
There are several types of layers that you can add in the Timeline view. Each layer is indicated by an icon to help
you differentiate them.
Drawing Layer

The most common layer type is the drawing layer. Any time you need to create a vector drawing or import asymbol or image, you can use a drawing layer. You can also create bitmap artwork on a drawing layer.

NOTE: Bitmap images are contained in bitmap layers.

Bitmap Layer

If you import a bitmap images (as original bitmap) in your project, they are inserted in a Bitmap layer. If you
choose to vectorize your image when you import, the vectorized object will be placed on a Drawing layer.
When importing a bitmap image, you have the option of encapsulating the image in a symbol. If you place abitmap into a symbol, you will be able to mix vector drawings with it on the same layer.
Camera Layer

You can only have one Camera layer at a time in the Timeline view. By default, there is no Camera layer when you
create a scene. You need to add a Camera layer when you want to create a camera motion.

NOTE: If you want to have several cameras with different settings, you can keep adding Camera layers in yourTimeline view (however, only one will ever be visible at a time as you can only have one camera at a time in yourtimeline). To switch to a different camera, select Scene > Camera and select another camera layer.

Effect Layer

To enhance the look of your scene, you can add effect layers and attach your drawings to them.

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Colour-Card Layer

The Colour-Card layer is used to add a plain colour background to a scene. By default, your scene has nobackground colour and if you render it as a QuickTime movie or image sequence, it will have a black
background.
Group Layer

A Group layer can be used to organize the Timeline view. You can drag and drop other layers onto a Grouplayer and then collapse the Group layer to hide these other layers from view.
If you create the Group layer in the Timeline view.
Peg Layer

A Peg layer is a trajectory or motion path layer that does not contain drawings. It can be attached to any
drawing layer, cut-out puppet, or other peg layers; they will all follow the trajectory you set in the Peg layer.
Quadmap Layer

A Quadmap layer can be described as a deformation transformation layer that does not contain drawings. Thiscan be attached to any drawing layer, cut-out puppet, or even other Peg layers. They will all follow the
deformation you set in the Quadmap layer.
Sound Layer

You can import sound files to add dialog and sound effects to your project. The sound layer will be added toyour Timeline and Xsheet view when you import a sound file in your scene.
In the Xsheet view, the Sound layer is a dark grey colour.

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Adding New Drawing Elements
There are different ways to add a drawing layer to your project. By default, when you create a new scene there is
one corresponding Drawing layer in the Timeline view.
You can add an element for each drawing and it will appear as a layer in the Timeline view.
How to add a drawing element from the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, click the Add Drawing Layer(Mac OS X).

button or press Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + R

The Add Drawing Layer window opens.

2. In the Name field, name your new layer.
3. Do one of the following:‣

Click Add to add a first layer and keep the window open to add more layers.

‣

Click Add and Close to add a new layer and close the window.

A new drawing layer is added to the Timeline view.
How to add a drawing element from the top menu
1. From the top menu, select Insert > Drawing.
The Add Drawing Layer dialog box opens.

2. In the Name field, type a relevant element name and click OK.
The new drawing element appears in your scene.

Deleting Columns
You can delete an element in the Xsheet view.
How to delete layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select the layers to delete.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

In the Timeline’s Layer toolbar, click the Delete Layers‣

Right-click on the selection and select Delete.

button.

Layer Properties
Each element has its own set of properties that you can modify, including effect and peg layers.
If you want to modify an element’s properties, you can display the properties of a selected layer in the Timeline
view. You can display a layer's properties as a window or as a view of its own.
The Layer Properties editor allows you to:•Rename the layer•

Enable or disable the layer•

Lock the layer•

Change the track colour

The Column Properties editor allows you to:•Rename the layer•

Enable or disable the layer

How to display a layer's properties
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Layer Properties view is not part of your workspace, from the top menu, select Windows >Layer Properties. In the Timeline view, select a layer‣

In the Timeline view, double-click on a layer.

‣

Press Shift + E.

The properties display.

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Modifying Layers
Once you add layers to your project, you can modify their properties, names, or ordering.
You can change the order of your elements in the Timeline view.
How to rename a layer in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, double-click on the name of the layer to rename.
2. In the Name field, rename the layer and press Enter/Return.

How to rename a layer in the Layer Properties editor
1. In the Timeline view, double-click anywhere on the layer except the layer name to rename.
The Layer Properties editor opens.
2. In the Name field, rename the layer.

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3. Click Close.
How to reorder layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select the layers to move.
2. Drag the selection to the new location.
3. Do one of the following:‣

Drop the selection on an existing layer to make it a child of another element layer.

‣

Drop it between the existing layers. Timeline layers that are located above the selection aredisplayed in front it. Layers located under it in the Timeline View are displayed behind it.

Duplicating Layers
Duplicating an element provides you with a copy of the drawings and their exposure. You can modify anything
you want in the duplicated element without affecting the original one.
How to duplicate an element
1. In the Timeline view, click the layer you want to duplicate.

1. In the Timeline menu, select Drawings > Duplicate Drawings or press Alt + Shift + D.
The new duplicated layer appears.

Cloning Layers
Cloning a layerprovides you with a copy of the selected element that uses the same drawings as the original.
How to clone an element
1. In the Timeline view, select the layer you want to clone.

1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Clone: Drawings Only to clone only the layer drawings.

‣

From the Timeline menu, select Layers > Clone Selected Layers: Drawings Only.

The new cloned layer appears.

Filling Exposure
Harmony provides different tools to fill in exposures and values, create cycles, and set increments.
This section is divided as follows:162Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide•

Typing Exposure on page 163•

Extending a Single Exposure on page 163•

Extending the Exposure of Previous Drawings on page 165•

Dragging Cells on page 166•

Increasing and Decreasing Exposure on page 167•

Inserting Blank Cells on page 168•

Setting the Exposure on page 169•

Filling a Selection with a Single Exposure on page 169•

Filling a Selection with a Sequence on page 170•

Filling Empty Cells on page 171•

Deleting Exposure on page 168•

Creating Cycles on page 171•

Managing Key Exposures on page 172

Typing Exposure
If you want to type an exact drawing name or value in the Timeline view, you must use the Parameters section of
the Timeline.

NOTE: You can only use alphanumeric values. (0-9, a-z, underscore (_) and dash (-)).

How to type a value in the Timeline view
1. In the Drawing Substitution field, double-click to edit the field and type the name of the drawing you wantto create.

2. Press Enter/Return to validate the value.

Extending a Single Exposure
Extending the exposure lets you select a cell that contains a value and pull it down to the desired frame.

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How to extend a sequence from the top menu
1. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣Press F5.

The Extend Exposure dialog box opens.
2. Enter the frame number you want to extend the cell to.

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Extending the Exposure of Previous Drawings
When drawing on a blank frame you can automatically create a new drawing and extend the timing from theprevious exposed drawing.
In the following example, a cell is selected on the timeline for creating a new drawing in image A. In image B, theprevious exposure does not extend to the new drawing, while in image C, it does.

How to extend the exposure of previous drawings
1. Open the Preferences dialog box by doing one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Preferences.

‣

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

The Preferences dialog box opens.
2. Select the General tab.

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3. In the Timeline section, select the Extend Exposure of Previous Drawing option.

4. On the left side of the Timeline view, select a cell and create a new drawing.
The previous exposure automatically extends to the beginning of the new drawing.

Dragging Cells
To readjust your timing, you can drag one or more cells to a new location.
You can turn off the Gestural Drag mode for the Xsheet view to prevent drawings from being dragged fromone location to another. This feature does not apply to Annotation columns.
How to drag a cell to another location in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select one or more cells to move.

2. Drag the cells to the new location.

3. Drop the selection by doing one of the following:‣

Drop by simply releasing the mouse or pen.

‣

Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) while dropping the selection to copy the cells. The
original cells will not be moved.

‣

Press Shift while dropping the selection to insert them between existing frames.

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Increasing and Decreasing Exposure
Once a value is entered in the Timeline view, you can increase and decrease its exposure.
Increasing the exposure adds one more exposure to a selected cell; repeating this action adds an extra cell eachtime. 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.
Decreasing the exposure removes one exposure from a selected cell and pulls any cells following it to thebeginning of selection.
How to increase exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell.

2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Increase Exposure.

‣Press +.

How to decrease exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell.

2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Decrease Exposure.

‣Press -.

How to use the Clear Exposure and Pull feature
1. In the Timeline view, select a range of cells.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Clear Exposure and Pull.

‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Clear Exposure and Pull.

The exposure is reduced by the selected number of cells.

Deleting Exposure
You can delete a drawing’s exposure in several ways. When you delete a drawing’s exposure from the Timelineview, you are not deleting the actual drawing file. You can always retrieve it by typing its name again in a cell.
You can delete the exposure in a selected cell range or delete the entire exposure of a drawing exposed over
several cells. Note that you can also delete the exposure for drawings inside a collapsed group.
How to delete selected exposures
1. In the Timeline view, select the exposure you want to delete.
2. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Delete.

‣Press Delete.

How to clear the entire exposure of a drawing
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell of a drawing exposed over several cells.
2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣In the Timeline view, right-click and select Exposure > Clear Exposure.

Inserting Blank Cells
You can place an empty cell between other cells.
How to insert blank cells
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell in which you want to insert a blank cell.

2. Do one of the following:

168Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide‣

In the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Insert Blank Cell.

‣

Right-click on the selected cell and select Exposure > Insert Blank Cell.

‣In the Timeline toolbar, click the Insert Blank Cell
display it).

‣Press Shift + J.

button (you may have to customize the toolbar to

A blank cell is inserted.

Setting the Exposure
You can easily increase or decrease the exposure for a selected cell range.
How to set the exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell range on which you want to set the exposure.

2. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Set Exposure to > Set Exposure to 1, 2, 3, or Set
Exposure.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click one of the Set Exposure
customize the toolbar to display them).

buttons (you may have to

3. If you chose the Set Exposure option, the Set Exposure dialog box opens. Enter the number of frames you
want the drawings to display and click OK.

Filling a Selection with a Single Exposure
You can fill the same value over an entire selection. The selection can be over one cell, a cell range in one column, acell range over many columns, an entire column, or many columns. You can use numbers, words, letters, or any
alphanumeric value.
How to fill a selection with a single exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell range.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

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

The Fill Selection dialog box opens.

3. In the Value field, type the desired value.
4. To insert a key exposure in the frame following the last cell in the selection, select the Add Key Exposure After option. Otherwise, leave it deselected.
5. Click OK.

Filling a Selection with a Sequence
You can 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.
How to fill a selection with a sequence
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell range.

2. Do one of the following:‣

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)).

The Sequence Fill dialog box opens.

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3. In the Starting Value field, type the first number in the sequence.
4. In the Increment field, type the number by which the drawing number will increase from frame to frame. For
example, an increment of 1 gives you: 1-2-3-4; an increment of 2 gives you: 1-3-5-7; and -2 gives you
this: 8-6-4-2.

Filling Empty Cells
You can fill empty cells to extend the exposure of single frame drawings to fill the range of empty cells after each
one.When creating drawings on cells that are not side-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 thenext drawing and use the Fill Empty Cells command.
How to fill empty cells
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell range.

2. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Fill Empty Cells.

‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Fill Empty Cells.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Fill Empty Cells

button.

Each drawing in the selection is exposed in the range of empty cells that follow it.

Creating Cycles
Once you have entered a series of drawings and exposures, you can create cycles out of them in several ways.
You can loop your drawings using the following command:•

Create Cycle

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When you create a drawing cycle, all of the repeated drawings are linked to the same original files. Thismeans that when you modify, repaint, or correct a drawing named “1” for example, all drawings named“1” are updated simultaneously. In order to modify a drawing independently from its other exposures,
you must duplicate the drawing.
How to create a cycle
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell range to loop.

2. Right-click on the selection and select Create Cycle or in the Timeline toolbar, click the Create Cycle
button (you may have to customize the toolbar to display it).
The Create Cycle dialog box opens.

3. Enter the number of cycles you want, including the current selection.

Managing Key Exposures
Before working with key exposures, it's important to understand how keyframes, exposure and key exposure
work in Harmony:•

Keyframe: A keyframe is a point in time where a change to the properties of the object or characteroccurs. In Harmony, keyframes consist of the coordinates that determine how an entire layer and its
contents are moved. Keyframes include these parameters: XYZ position, skew, scale, angle and pivot.

•

Exposure: Exposure is a property; it is the length of time that a drawing is visible over a series offrames. In Harmony, exposure is independent of keyframes. That is, keyframes are not linked to
drawings. Keyframes can be moved independently from the drawing exposure.

•

Key Exposure: A key exposure in Harmony is a type of exposure that forces a drawing to remain
exposed on a specific frame. If a drawing is exposed before a key exposure and you swap out thatdrawing for another one, then the original drawing is retained. This preserves the key drawing. Notethat Harmony automatically sets a key exposure when you perform a drawing swap.

Adding Key Exposures
Key exposures are mainly used for swapping drawings in cut-out animation where you will have numerous
drawings for the various positions of the mouth or eyes of a character for example.
If there is a particular drawing you want to keep on a specific frame, you can set it as a key exposure. This
prevents it from be overwritten by a drawing swap on a preceding frame. A key exposure is simply a propertyof an exposure that forces it to be exposed on a certain frame regardless of whether the previous exposure is
the same drawing or not.

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NOTE: Keep in mind that if you modify the artwork in a drawing, all instances of that drawing will be automatically
updated even if set as a key exposure. This keeps your existing animation key poses intact. It is frequently used on amouth or eyes layer.

Example: Swapping a drawing with no key exposure
In the following example, drawing 3 (DR 3) is selected on the timeline and it contains no key exposure.

When it is swapped for drawing 4 (DR 4), the entire duration of drawing 3 substituted for drawing 4.

Example: Swapping a drawing with a key exposure
Here's what happens when swapping a drawing with a key exposure. In the following example, the playhead is
positioned in the middle of drawing 5 (DR 5) to set the position for the new key exposure. When the new key
exposure is added, drawing 5 is split in two; both halves contain drawing 5. Now if you swap the first drawing 5
for drawing 1, the second drawing 5 retains its exposure.

How to add a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select the drawing cell to set as the key exposure.
2. Do one of the following:In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Key Exposure

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Chapter 6: Timing Extending the Exposure of Previous Drawings‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Key Exposure‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Add Key Exposure.

button.

A new key exposure is added.
If you added a key exposure at the beginning of the drawing, the entire exposure is filled with that samedrawing. If you added a key exposure anywhere other than the beginning of the drawing, then thedrawing is split in two and both parts contain the same drawing.

Removing Key Exposures
When you no know longer need a key exposure, you can remove it. When you do this, the existing key
exposure is replaced by the preceding exposure. In the following example, a key exposure is set to drawing 1(DR 1). When the key exposure is removed, the exposure is replaced by the preceding exposure, drawing 4(DR 4).

How to remove a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select a key exposure to remove.
2. Do one of the following:‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Remove Key Exposure‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Remove Key Exposure.

button.

The key exposure is removed and replaced by the preceding exposure.

Removing Duplicate Key Exposures
When working with drawings to adjust the timing of a mouth in a lipsync, for example, and forcing the use of
specific key exposures, unnecessary key exposures will be created. You can delete these duplicates without
affecting the rest of the drawing. The first 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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How to remove duplicate key exposures
1. In the Timeline view, select the layer that contains duplicate key exposures.
2. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Remove Duplicate Key Exposure
the toolbar to display it).

button (you may have to customize

Navigating between Frames
Once a cell is selected in the Timeline view, you can navigate between the drawings, frames, and layers using
keyboard shortcuts that work in the Camera, Drawing, and Timeline views.
You can navigate through:•Drawings•

FramesHow to navigate through drawings and frames
1. In the Timeline view, select a cell.

2. Once the cell is selected, you can navigate between:‣

Previous and next layers: From the top menu, select Drawing > Previous Layer and Next Layer orpress H and J.

‣

Previous and next drawings: From the top menu, select Drawing > Previous Drawing and Next
Drawing or press F and G.

‣

Previous and next frames: From the top menu, select Play > Previous Frame and Next Frame orpress comma (,) and period (.).

Managing Drawings
Drawings that are created in Toon Boom Harmony are not stored in their cells. They are actual files stored in the
project’s folder. If you want to rename a drawing or delete a drawing from your project, you need to edit the fileand not the cells.
This section is divided as follows:•

Renaming a Drawing on page 175•

Deleting a Drawing on page 176•

Duplicating a Drawing on page 176•

Copying and Pasting Drawings on page 177•

Merging Drawings on page 179

Renaming a Drawing
To rename a drawing, you need to select the drawing cell and use the Rename Drawing command.

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How to rename a drawing
1. In the Timeline view, select the drawing to rename.

2. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Drawings > Rename Drawing.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Rename Drawing
toolbar to display it).

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

button (you may have to customize the

The Rename Drawing dialog box opens.

3. In the New Name field, type in the new drawing name.

Deleting a Drawing
You can permanently delete a drawing file from a project's folder.

NOTE: Deleting a drawing file is an operation that cannot be undone.

How to delete a drawing
1. In the Timeline view, select the drawings to delete.

2. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Delete Selected Drawings.

‣

Right-click and select Drawings > Delete Selected Drawings.

Duplicating a Drawing
If you want to modify a drawing that already exists, but keep the original drawing intact, you can duplicate thedrawing and work on the copy. 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.
With Toon Boom Harmony, you can create a keyframe at the same time as you duplicate your drawing. Thisway, you can modify and reposition drawings without affecting the original drawing.

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How to duplicate a drawing
1. In the Timeline view, select the drawing to duplicate.

2. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Duplicate Drawings.

‣

Right-click and select Drawings > Duplicate Drawings.

‣

Press Alt + Shift + D.

Copying and Pasting Drawings
When you copy and paste a selection in the Timeline view, you are not copying and pasting the actual drawings,
you are pasting the exposure. Exposure is a property; it is the length of time that a drawing is visible over a seriesof frames. In Harmony, exposure is independent of keyframes. That is, keyframes are not linked to drawings.
Keyframes can be moved independently from the drawing exposure.
If you want to copy and paste selected drawings into a different layer or paste the selection in the same layer toduplicate the drawings, you must use the Paste Special feature.
There are four different ways to paste your selected drawings with the Paste Special dialog box:
Never create drawing files: When adding exposures to a drawing layer, drawing files will not becreated.
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 thedestination.
Replace existing drawings. Create drawing files when they do not exist: Replace drawings withthe 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 pasting a template, such as
when placing new drawings after the animation, then delete the template's animation.
It will still have updated the drawings but not override the existing animation.
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 new name forthe drawing.
If you want to perform another Paste Special operation using the same settings you used previously, you can use
the Paste Special Again command instead. You can paste your selection using the same settings as in the mostrecent Paste Special operation, without opening the Paste Special dialog box.
How to paste drawings with the Paste Special command
1. In the Timeline view, select the drawings to copy and press Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + C (Mac OS
X).

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2. In the Timeline view, select the cell where you want your pasted selection to start.

3. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Paste Special.

‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Paste Special.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Paste Special
display it).

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

button (you may need to customize the toolbar to

The Paste Special dialog box opens.

4. In the Drawings section, select the Always Create Drawings or Only Create Drawings When They Do
Not Exist option.

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How to paste new drawings with the previous Paste Special settings
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Paste Special Again.

‣

Right-click and select Paste Special Again‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Paste Special Again
to display it).

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

button (you may have to customize the toolbar

Merging Drawings
You can merge elements. All drawings will be merged. Unused columns and layers will be deleted, but the original
drawing files are still accessible.
How to merge drawings in entire layers or columns
1. In the Timeline view, select the layers you want to merge.

2. In the top menu, select Edit > Merge.

Modifying the Layer Display
You can change the way a layer in the Timeline view display. You can stay organized without changing the content
of elements or your animation output.
This section is divided as follows:•

Showing or Hiding Layers on page 179•

Changing the Colour of a Layer on page 180

Showing or Hiding Layers
As you work in the Drawing or Camera view, some layers may be in the way or are used as references. You canhide these layers to make your work area less cluttered and easier to navigate. You can show and hide layers in
the Timeline view in several different ways.
When using the Solo mode to show or hide layers, here's how it works:•

If you have anything selected, it is not affected.

•

When multiple layers are selected and you enable/disable the Solo mode on any of those layers, it isapplied to all the selected layers.

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When multiple layers are selected and you enable/disable the Solo mode on layers that are not part ofthe selection, it is applied only to those particular layers.

When exporting or rendering a scene, the Solo mode setting of layers is ignored.

NOTE:
When a layer is affected by an inverted cutter, enabling the Solo mode for this layer will not show it unless themask is also enabled.

How to show or hide all layers
1. Click one of the following in the Layers toolbar:‣

Enable/Disable All

button to show or hide all layers.

Any hidden layers are unhidden, so you can view all layers.
‣

Solo Modebutton to view disable your current Solo mode selection. Any soloed drawing orsound layers are disabled, so you can view all layers. When you click again on the Solo Mode button,
you last Solo selection is displayed.

How to show or hide individual layers
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Layer toolbar, click the Solo Mode‣

Click the layer's Enable/Disable All‣

Press A to show a layer or D to hide selected layers.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Enable/Disable
to display it).

button.

button to show or hide that layer.

button (you may have to customize the toolbar

How to enable the selected layer and disable all others
1. Do one of the following:‣

Hold down Alt and click the Solo Modelayers.

‣In the Timeline toolbar, click the Disable All Others
toolbar to display it).

button of the layer you want to solo and hide all otherbutton (you may have to customize theChanging the Colour of a Layer
To easily identify elements in the Timeline view, you can change the colour of layers.

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How to change the layer’s colour in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, click the Change Track Colour

button of the layer you want to modify.

2. In the Select Colour dialog box, select a new colour for your layer.

3. Click OK.
The layer’s background colour is updated. In a Drawing layer, exposed cells are the brighter, selectedcolour for easy identification.

How to reset a layer’s colour in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select the layers to reset.
2. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Default Track Colour
to display it).

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Chapter 7: Character Building

Harmony is a great tool for building characters. You can use different techniques and features to break down
your puppets.
This chapter will guide you through all the steps to create a complete simple rig. Harmony allows you to create
very advanced puppets using deformations, hierarchies and z ordering. As you practice and get familiar withthose concepts, you will be able to develop more complex rigs and combine various advanced features.
This chapter contains the following topics:•

About the Model on page 184•

Relative Sizes on page 185•

Studying the Model on page 188•

Setting the Default Separate Position Preferences on page 191•

Naming Conventions on page 191•

Breaking Down the Character on page 192•

Ordering the Layers on page 198•

Rigging on page 200•

Adding Extra Drawings on page 214•

Setting the Pivots on page 216•

Storing the Character in the Library on page 217•

Appendix on page 219

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About the Model

To begin breaking down your puppet, you must first import your character into a new project. You can also
draw your character directly in the scene.
You can import your character in several different formats:•

Library template—see Library on page 249•

External vector format—see Compositing Guide > Import chapter > Import AI and PDF Files topic

Model Alignment

When setting the character model in your scene, we recommend that you to center it in the Camera view andscale it to fit inside the safe area frame—see Field Chart on page 187.

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If you have several views of your character, place each view in a separate cell and center them one on top of
another. This will facilitate the break down process and ensure that all of your puppets are aligned and the same
size.

Photo Puppets
If you are creating a cut-out puppet out of photos, break down the different parts in a bitmap editing software.
Then, import your parts and vectorize them as textured images.
A good way to set and import your bitmap parts is to organize them in a multilayered PSD file.
In Adobe Photoshop, organize your file so that all your layers are “grouped” into individual folders, or that all theelements you want to import as a single layer in Harmony are grouped together in their own folder. Any layer thatis not in a folder group, by itself or otherwise, will not be imported.

Relative Sizes
Understanding the relative size of every character and prop is important for maintaining consistency and structure
throughout your project.
A production may contain many characters and props. It is not unusual for these to have been created by different
people. If there is no size control implemented, the characters and elements created by different artists can vary
greatly in size. When this occurs, the characters that are put together in a scene will be out of proportion. The
animator or person doing the scene setup will then have to scale them to the correct size.

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When a character or a prop is scaled down, the outline will get increasingly thinner. By the time the element isscaled to its proper size, the outline may be so thin that the difference between one character's outline andanother's will not look very good.
These tips will help you to create and determine the correct relative sizes for each puppet:•

Line Up on page 186•

Field Chart on page 187•

Brush Size on page 187

Line UpA line up consists of copying and pasting all of your character designs into the same drawing and then scaling
them so they are in proportion with each other. This line up is very important and should be handed to any
animator, layout and posing artist, or scene setup person working on the project.
For the prop design, it is recommended that you paste one of the main character's hands or even the full bodybeside the prop. This enables the animator to know what size to draw or set the prop.
In your character design scene, it is a good idea to create a layer for the character line up. The line up is usually
done during the character design step. When the character builder imports the model to the break down
scene, the size relation should be correct.

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Field Chart

The field chart in Harmony is a tool that is very useful when setting the height of characters and props. You candisplay the field chart using the Show Grid option in the Camera and Drawing views.
How to display the field chart
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select View > Grid > Show Grid.

‣

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

‣

Click the Show Gridbutton in the Camera View and Drawing View toolbars.

Brush Size
There are a variety of pens and brushes in Harmony and you can also create and save your own. It is a good idea
to create and save pens with precise sizes and parameters to trace and design your models and break downs—
see Drawing with the Brush Tool on page 45.

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Studying the Model

Now that you have imported or designed your model, the next step is to analyze it. This is to determine whatparts will be broken apart and how they will be divided. Will the hair be separated into one, two or three
sections? Will the hand be separated from the sleeve? To determine what is best for your character, observe
the model in the Camera or Drawing view.
•

Eyelids and Pupils on page 189•

Separating the Mouth Elements and Jaw on page 189•

Keeping Fingers Attached to the Hand on page 189•

Flipping Logos on page 190•

Complete and Overlapping Pieces on page 190

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Eyelids and Pupils

For increased flexibility when animating the eyes, you can split them into three layers: the eyeball, the pupil andthe eyelid. The eyelid layer is used for the blink and to cut the pupil when it gets too close to the side of theeyeball. For a more advanced break down, the two eyes are separated on their own individual three-layer sets.

Separating the Mouth Elements and Jaw

To get a greater level of flexibility, you can separate the jaw from the head. You can also separate the mouth
shape, teeth, tongue and interior one from another.

Keeping Fingers Attached to the Hand

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To avoid needlessly complicating the break down, the fingers are not usually separated from the hand. The fullhand is a single layer with a bank of different hands stored inside. This technique is easy to work with andproduces a less mechanical effect.

Flipping Logos

You can separate logos and letters that appear on a character or a prop. This allows you to flip and reuse acharacter's puppet.

Complete and Overlapping Pieces

For a better result with animated parts, it is important to understand that they must be properly overlappingand complete. A common mistake is to trace the part just as it appears on the model.

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Setting the Default Separate Position Preferences
Before you adding layers to your puppets, make sure the Default Separate Position is enabled.
With the Default Separate Position preference selected, when you create new peg layers, their X, Y and Z axes
are independent from each other.
For cut-out animation, you want to have three independent axes so you can control them individually.
When you lock the three positions together, each time you add a keyframe, it is added on all three positions at
the same time.

When you separate the three positions and add a keyframe on one axis, it is not added on the other two. This
gives you more freedom when animating with motion keyframes and nudging parts forward and backward overtime.

How to set the Default Separate Position option
1. Do one of the following:‣

Windows/Linux: Select Edit > Preferences.

‣

Mac OS X: Select Stage Essentials > Preferences.

‣

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

2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the General tab.
3. In the Settings section, select the Default Separate Position for Pegs option.
4. Click OK.

Naming Conventions
When working on a production, it is critical to keep work well organized with a naming convention chart before
starting the project. It is crucial that everyone follows the criteria laid out in the naming convention chart. Whendealing with thousands of characters, pieces and puppets, it is easy to get lost.

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Adding a Prefix or Suffix to a Layer
It is highly recommended that you incorporate a naming convention for the layers. This will be very convenientin later steps. We suggest that you add one or two letters for the character/prop name before the part nameand an "R" or "L" for right and left to identify the corresponding character/prop:•

Character Abby's right arm = ab_r_arm.

If you plan to work with different angles for your characters (front, side, three-quarter, back), you can add one
or two letters to identify the angle:•

Character Abby's right arm, front view = ab_r_arm_f.

Breaking Down the Character

There are many techniques you can use to break down a puppet. In this section, you will learn about one of themost common and simplest methods. For your first character breakdown1, follow these instructions to get an
idea of the way Harmony works. Once you understand Harmony's basic functions and commands, you will beable to create your own techniques to satisfy the needs of your production.
This section is divided as follows:•

Tracing the Model on page 193•

Articulations on page 195

1In cut-out animation, the breakdown is the action of breaking a character into pieces to create a puppet witharticulations. To breakdown a character, the artist will cut parts, such as hands and arms, from the character's
model and paste them in separate layers. Next, the joints will be fixed and the pivots set. In additional
animation, a breakdown is an animation pose generally found between two key poses. The key poses are themain poses in an animation and the breakdowns are secondary poses, ones that help to describe the motion
and the rotation curve.
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Tracing the Model
The main breakdown technique shown here is to trace your model.
How to break down a character
1. In the Timeline view, add a new drawing layer for each body part to separate. You can press Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + R (Mac OS X)—see Naming Conventions on page 191.

2. In the Timeline view, select the layer's first cell in which you want to draw the part.

3. In the Tools toolbar, select a drawing tool.
4. In the Colour view, select a colour swatch. If you haven't created a palette for your character yet, see Colour Styling and Colour Models on page 113.
5. In the Camera or Drawing view, draw the new part with as with as few points as possible so the pieces areeasy to manipulation, modify or redraw. Using the Polyline
tool would make it easy to do this.

If you are working in the Drawing view, click the Light Table
button in the Drawing View toolbar todisplay the other layers as washed out colours. You can also press Shift + L.
6. You can use the Stroke tool in the Tools toolbar to create an invisible hairline if you want to close a shapewithout drawing an actual stroke.
‣

Select View > Show > Show Strokes or press K to display the invisible lines.

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7. In the Tools toolbar, select the Paint

or Paint Unpainted

tool to colour your drawing.

8. In the Colour view, select the corresponding colour.
9. In the Camera or Drawing view, paint your drawing.

10. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool. Select your drawing and flatten the lines by clicking theFlattenbutton in the Tool Properties view.
11. Repeat the entire process until the break down is completed.

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Articulations

Once your pieces are traced, you can go ahead and complete the articulations.
Articulations are an important aspect of any cut-out break down because without them, a puppet cannot moveproperly and will not look good.

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If you are using deformations to animate the limbs, your articulations don't need to overlap. The deformer
effect will create the joint for you.

Classical Articulation
Classical articulation is the most popular technique for basic characters. It is quite simple and produces
excellent results, but it's not the most efficient method. In many instances, it causes limitations and extra
drawing corrections. For example, there may be a gap in the articulation if the part is bent too far. Joint design
is usually a circle; the overlapping part cannot be sent behind without showing the joint.

Classical articulation is done by erasing a part of the line from the overlay layer, leaving the colour overlapping
the bottom layer. You can use this technique for all the articulations on your puppet.
How to create a classical articulation
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell containing the part to modify (piece located behind), such as theupper arm.

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2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil
tool.

, Polyline, Ellipse, Cutter, or Contour Editor

3. In the Colour view, select an outline colour.
4. In the Drawing or Camera view, use your drawing tool to make sure the joint overlaps the other part in a
half-circle shape.

If you are working in the Drawing view, click the Light Table
Shift + L.

button in the Drawing toolbar or press

5. From the top menu, select View > Show > Show Strokes or press K to display the invisible lines that may
be present in your drawing.
6. In the Drawing or Camera view, select all the strokes in your drawing.
7. In the Tools Properties view, click the Flatten

button.

8. In the Drawing or Camera view, select all the strokes in your drawing.
9. Repeat the previous steps for the other articulations.
10. In the Timeline view, select the cell of the part that will be on top of the joint.

NOTE: When placing rotation pivots later on, make sure they are positioned at the centre of thearticulation.

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Ordering the Layers

At this point, it is possible that your character's pieces may show up in the wrong order.
There are several ways to fix this. First, you can reorder your layers by dragging them to a higher or lower levelin the Timeline view. The top layer is displayed in front of the others and the bottom one is displayed behind.
Second, you can use the Z-axis nudging (forward and backward) if you have extra views included in the samelayers (front, three-quarter, back, etc.).
This topic is divided as follows:•

Ordering the Timeline Layers on page 198•

Nudging Parts Backwards and Forwards on page 199

Ordering the Timeline Layers
In the Timeline view, the layer positioned at the top will be displayed in front and the ones below will be
displayed behind. If you have multiple views, you should order your layers based on the most common view,which is generally the three-quarter front.

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How to order the layers‣

In the Timeline view, drag a layer to reorder it and drop it between other layers.

If you drop it on a layer, it will create a parent hierarchy, so make sure to drop it between layers.

Nudging Parts Backwards and Forwards
If you created a hierarchy on your arms, legs or other body parts, it is possible that you will want a part, such as
the hand, to appear in front of its parent. Yet, if you move the hand layer above the arm layer, you will break thehierarchy. To reorder a layer rigged in a hierarchy, nudge it backwards or forwards on the z-axis.

NOTE: You will do the same for the layers that are not in the right order on the extra views. Do not place the drawing
on another layer. You want to keep all your drawings of the body parts in the same layers like a box containing all of
the hands or all of the shoes.

Harmony allows you to move your elements in three dimensions:•

Up and down (Y-axis)•

Left and right (X-axis)•

Backwards and forwards (Z-axis)

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In the same way you create multiplane backgrounds (depth), you can perform a micro nudge of the part to bereordered and see it in front of the other elements, even if its layer is actually behind the other ones in theTimeline view. The forward-backward position can also be animated over time.
Repeat the following instructions for all the views.
How to nudge your parts backward and forward
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transformtool. Make sure to enable the Animate

mode.

2. In the Camera view, select the element you want to reorder. Make sure the focus (red outline) is aroundthe Camera view before selecting the element.
3. To move the element forward, press Alt + Down Arrow and to move the element backward, press Alt +Up Arrow.

Riggings
The rigging process is where building a puppet can take several different directions.

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In this section, you will learn how to create a simple rig. Afterwards, you will learn how to add pegs and create ahierarchy. You can also see more advanced tricks in the Appendix on page 219.
•

About Rigging on page 201•

Adding Pegs on page 205•

Rigging the Head on page 206•

Rigging the Body on page 207•

Creating a Hierarchy on page 208•

Ordering the Layers on page 198•

Adding the Master Peg on page 210•

Creating the Keyframes on page 211•

Masking on page 212

About Rigging
There are some basic concepts to know when rigging and layer parenting:•

Simple Rigging on page 201•

Parenting Layers on page 203•

Rigging Using Pegs on page 204

Simple Rigging
Simple rigging is very fast and easy to do. It is built as follows:•

All the body parts are independent•

All the timeline layers are attached to a master peg layer (trajectory layer)

The advantage of using this technique is that you are free to move any part around without being influenced by aparent layer.

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However, since the parts are not parented to each other, the parts will move from point A to point B along a
straight trajectory. The hand will not follow the arm's rotation. You will have to set more keyframes for thehand to move along a curved path.

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Parenting Layers

When you want one part to follow another part, such as the forearm following the arm, you can attach the layers
one to the other. For example, you can attach the forearm layer to the arm layer without having to encapsulate
the forearm into the arm layer. They will still be parented, but you can access the forearm directly without having
to enter the arm layer.

The advantage of parenting layers is that the child layers will follow the parent smoothly without having to selectthem or create a series of keyframes.

The disadvantage of parenting layers is that you are not able to move the parent independently of its children,
since the child layers receive all the transformation information from their parent.

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Parenting layers, such as the arms and legs, and allowing the torso and hips to be independent from them isoften a good solution.

NOTE:
To attach one layer to another, you must drag the desired layer onto the other one in the Timeline view.
Harmony offers powerful techniques to create hierarchies between your layers without having to encapsulate
layers into each other. These techniques are a great improvement over the less efficient and time consuming
method of creating parenting between your layers by inserting symbols into other symbols. Therefore, rigging withsymbols inside symbols is NOT recommended.

Rigging Using Pegs
Peg layer are useful when you are doing more advanced puppet rigging. Peg layers are trajectory layers that
do not contain drawings. They are motion paths that you can use to control your entire puppet or advanced
hierarchies.
Parenting a drawing layer to a peg layer allows you to divide your motions on two separate levels. You canscale a body part up the chain of pegs directly on the drawing layer. This way, you do not affect any child layersthat could be attached to that part.
Then, you can perform your translation and rotation on the peg layer so all the parts attached to that peg layer
follow the same trajectory.

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Adding Pegs
It is recommended to add parent pegs to your drawing layers which are path layers that let you add keyframes tomodify the positions of pieces over time. It is not mandatory, but it is helpful to have your drawings andkeyframes separated.
How to parent drawing layers to pegs
1. In the Timeline view, select all the layers.

2. In the Timeline Layer toolbar, click the Add Parent Peg
ers.

s

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Chapter 7: Character Building

Rigging the HeadYou will start by attaching the facial features to the head.
The advantage of parenting the head and the facial features to the same peg is that you can easily animate
each facial feature, and they will all follow the head motion.
You can also use additional pegs to control smaller groups of pieces such as the facial features or all the left
eye pieces. You can parent as many pegs as you want to obtain a maximum of control on your rig.

How to parent the facial features to the head
1. In the Timeline view, deselect any selected layers.
2. Select the head peg layer.
3. In the Timeline View Layer toolbar, click the Add Parent Peg
button to add a new peg layer to yourtimeline. You can rename the peg to keep your work organized.

A new peg is added and parented to the head peg layer.

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1. Select all the remaining head and facial feature layers and drag them ONTO the peg layer or BETWEEN
the head peg layer and the new head peg to parent them.

Rigging the Body
When the character's head is ready, you can move on to rigging the body. You can do a simple rigging where all
the body parts are independent of each other, or create parenting between some of the layers. Refer to Creating
a Hierarchy on page 208 to learn how to parent your layers.
Simple rigging consists of leaving the layers in the Timeline view without doing any kind of parenting. Later on,
you will attach those layers to a master peg and organize them in the correct order—see Adding the Master Peg
on page 210 and Ordering the Layers on page 198.

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Creating a Hierarchy
Harmony lets you extend your rigging techniques beyond normal boundaries and sets new standards. You cancreate hierarchies without encapsulating pieces inside each other by creating a linked structure between layers.
You should create a hierarchy on the arms and legs, and keep them separated from the body. This gives you
more animation freedom, and when you need to scale or skew the torso, it will not affect the entire body.

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How to create a hierarchy in the Timeline view
1. Drag the child piece (hand) and drop it ON the parent piece (forearm). Then, you can drag the parent (forearm) piece onto another parent piece (upper arm).

‣

You can unparent layers by holding down Shift and dragging the selected parents away from the childlayer. Drop your selected between other layers.

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Adding the Master Peg

When you animate your character, you will probably need to resize and reposition it to fit your scene. When
you need to scale down or move your character, it is a good idea to hook (attach) the whole puppet to a
trajectory.
Attaching your puppet to a peg1 will allow you to scale it and reposition it without having to do this to thedifferent parts and pieces. Only one layer will contain the position information, which makes your animationeasier to modify and control.
How to add a master peg
1. In the Timeline view, select the top layer to parent a peg to it. You need to select a layer to be able to
add a peg to your scene.
2. In the Timeline view, click on the Add Peg

button.

A new peg is added to the timeline as a parent of the selected layer.
1. Name the new peg Master plus the character's name.
3. In the Timeline view, select all the layers you want to attach to your new peg. Remember that one item isalready parented to that peg.

1In traditional animation, a tool used to ensure accurate registration of action as cel layers move. In digital

animation, in which you are doing a more advanced puppet rigging, you can use peg layers. Peg layers aretrajectory layers that do not contain drawings. They are motion paths that you can use to add patharticulations. For the latter, you can also use the Inverse Kinematics tool.
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2. Drag your selection ON to the peg layer to parent all your character's pieces to the peg. If your layers areadded above the already parented layers, move that parented layer back on top of the layer stack.

Creating the Keyframes
Once all your drawings are ordered and your master peg is added, you need to insert keyframes on each cell tocreate all of the function curves and block your pose in place.
How to create the keyframes
1. In the Timeline view, collapse the master peg by clicking the Expand

2. In the Timeline view, select the first cell.

3. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Insert > Keyframe.

‣

In the Timeline View toolbar, click the Add Keyframe‣

Press F6.

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NOTE: If you use the F6 shortcut when working Flash keyboard shortcuts flavour, this not only creates a keyframe
but also duplicates a drawing.

Masking

When rigging a character, there may be instances when you want to have the ability to move a particular piece
to give the illusion of a rotation or move the pupil within the white of an eye without having the extra bit of thedrawing sticking out of the character or eyeball. To do so, you can use masks to cut anything you don't want tobe visible.
How to mask an object in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, make sure the keyframe is added on the object that will be masking the piece to
cut.

2. Select the layer that will act as the mask.
3. In the Timeline view, right-click on the layer and select Clone Selected Layers: Drawings and Timing.

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4. Select the layer to be masked.
5. In the Layer toolbar, click the Add Layer button and select Effects > Cutter.

6. Click the Expand Parameters

button to display the Cutter properties.

7. Drag the cloned layer ONTO the Matte parameter connection area.
The masking layer name appears in the Matte parameter area and the masking layer is repositionned
above the effect.

The masking layer is no longer visible in the Camera view. You can see that the masking layer is connectedto the Cutter effect by clicking the Show/Hide Additional Links
button to display the Additional Links
section.

8. Your masking effect is most likely inverted and what you want to cut is probably showing. Double-click on
the Mask layer to open the Layer Properties window. In the Layer Properties window, enable the Inverted
option.

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9. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool and move the cut object within the masking zone.

Adding Extra Drawings

Your break down is now complete. You can move on to adding the extra drawings your character needs, suchas principal hand positions and mouth shapes. If you ever forget to add extra drawings in your main
character's template, you can easily add them later.

NOTE: Add your extra drawings in the layer corresponding to the part you are drawing. You should see the layers
as containers for the different pieces. Each body part has its own container in which you can add more drawings ofthe same part.

If you want to use the auto lip-sync detection feature to animate your dialog, you should create the following
mouths for your puppet.
The mouth shapes used by Harmony are based on the conventional mouth chart used in the animationindustry.

NOTE: The letters used to represent the shapes do NOT correspond to an actual sound.

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NOTE: If you are doing cut-out animation, refer to the Cut-out Animation Guide, Character Building chapter, "Adding
Extra Drawings" topic to learn how to add extra drawings to your character.

Here is an approximation of the sound each mouth shape can produce:•

A: m, b, p, h•

B: s, d, j, i, k, t•

C: e, a•

D: A, E

•

E: o

•

F: u, oo•

G: f, ph•X: Silence, undetermined soundYou can lip-sync the traditional way or let the system automatically create the basic detection.
You can refer to the mouth chart positions as you draw the shape of the character's mouth.
How to add extra drawings
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell where you want to add a new drawing. If you want to duplicate the current drawing and work from it, you can select Drawing > Duplicate Drawings or press Alt + Shift + D.

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A new drawing is created in the selected cell and automatically extended to the next one. The new
drawing is a duplicate of the one that was selected so it contains a duplicate of the art. You can modify
it to create your new drawing or delete its contents in the Camera or Drawing view and start fromscratch.

1. In the Tools toolbar, select a drawing tool for drawing your extra part.
2. In the Camera or Drawing view, draw your new drawing.

2. Using the Selecttool, select your drawing and flatten the lines by clicking the Flatten
the Tool Properties view.

button in

Setting the Pivots

One of the last steps before storing the character in the library is to set the pivots for the different parts.
If you want the puppet's pieces to rotate correctly, you must set the pivot points right in the middle of anarticulation, such as an elbow or a knee.
By default, your master peg pivot is placed at the centre of the Camera view, which generally equates to yourcharacter's hips. A good way to set your peg's pivot is to move it between the character's feet.

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How to set the pivots with the Rotate tool
1. In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the Rotate

tool.

2. In the Camera or Timeline view, select the layer whose pivot you want to set. In the Camera view, you canalso hold down Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) and click on the piece whose pivot you want to set.
3. In the Camera view, drag the blue pivot to reposition it.

4. Repeat the previous steps for all the pieces, including the eyes, nose and mouth. If you are unsure as whereto place the pivot, put it in the center of the selected piece or group of pieces.

NOTE: If you added other pegs to your rig, you must set their pivot using the same method.

Storing the Character in the Library
For maximum efficiency and reuse of your character in different scenes, you must store a template in the Libraryview. You can create different kinds of templates, such as templates that include all the layers, a template for abody, key pose or even some containing only the head.
When you create a template from the Timeline view's right side, you must first import your master template inorder for everything to work properly when you reimport it into a scene. Once the master template is imported,
you can import the key pose (action) template's content into the right side of the Timeline view.
How to create a template from the Timeline view
1. In the Library view, right-click on the desired library folder and select Right To Modify.
2. In the Timeline view, collapse the master peg layer.

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3. If your scene has a series of blank cells, they will also be included in the template if you drag the layer tothe Library view. Reduce the scene length to have no empty cells before creating your template.
4. In the Timeline view, select your master peg and drag it to the Library view.

The Rename dialog box opens.

5. In the Name field, name the new template.
6. Click OK.
How to create a key pose (action template)
1. In the Library view, right-click on the desired library folder and select Right To Modify.
2. In the Timeline view, collapse the master peg layer.

3. Select the cell containing the desired view and drag it into the desired library folder.

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The Rename dialog box opens.

4. In the Name field, type in a name for the template.
5. Click OK.

Appendix

The many options and animation techniques available for building a puppet make it impossible to determine only
one method to break down a character. Here are some advanced tips on breaking down puppets. As you
become more familiar with the software, you will find more ways to improve the construction of your puppet.
This section is divided as follows:•

Converting the Layers into Symbols on page 220•

Patch Articulation on page 223•

Adding New Drawings to an Existing Template

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Converting the Layers into Symbols

NOTE: Converting your layers into symbols is optional. When animating, you will need to enter the symbol tocreate a new drawing. If you want to use morphing when animating, keep your layers as drawings. Do NOT use
symbols.

Once the breakdown is completed, you can create symbols out of each drawing. The symbol will encapsulate
each drawing of the layer. Later on, even if you only expose the first frame, such as the front head, you will still
have access to all of the head drawings you placed in the symbol. This will also allow you to add more
drawings, as your characters' master templates will evolve throughout the production of your movie or series.
All your layers should be stored in the library as symbols. Before building your puppet, remove all the current
layers in your scene. All of your work is saved in the library.
If you are not sure that you put everything in your library, you can always perform a Save As on your scene andwork on a new version.
How to create a symbol
1. Create a symbol by doing one of the following:‣

From the Timeline view, drag the layer to the Symbols library folder.

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In the Timeline view, select the layer to convert to a symbol. From the top menu, select Edit > Create
Symbol or press F8. You can also click on the Create Symbol
button available in the Edit toolbar.

The Create Symbol dialog box opens.

2. In the Enter Symbol's Name field, type the new symbol's name. It is recommended that you keep your original layer's name.
3. Click OK.
4. Repeat this process for each layer in the Timeline view.

NOTE: Make sure all your layers are stored in the symbol library.

How to save your scene as a new version‣ From the top menu, select File > Save As. You can also click the Save As
toolbar.

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How to clean the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select all of your layers.

2. In the Timeline's Layer toolbar, click the Delete Layers

button.

3. In the Confirm Delete dialog box, click OK.
Your timeline is now ready to receive the body part symbols for the rigging process.

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Patch Articulation

The Harmony advanced rigging can use an articulation fixing technique called Patch Articulation. This technique isa colour fill patch that is drawn on a third layer and is used to cover the joint lines. It is a simple, yet powerful
method.

With this technique, you avoid having to create a correction layer at the end of the animation to fill the gaps in the
joints. You do not need to worry about the articulations at all. Once a patch is set, the articulation is fixed for theentire length of the animation.
To make this technique even more efficient, Harmony lets you draw the patch inside the same drawing, but on a
separate contained layer. The Line Art and Colour Art layers are not only useful in traditional ink and paint, butalso in advanced cut-out breakdown. You can draw the patch in the Colour Art layer and extract it in the Nodeview. The advantage of doing it this way is that when animating and using the drawing substitution, the patch
drawing will change at the same time as the main drawing.
How to create a patch articulation
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. If you plan to create your patch on an independent layer, do the following. If not, go the next step.
‣In the Timeline view, add a new drawing layer by clicking the Add Drawing Layer
Ctrl + R (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + R (Mac OS X).

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3. In the Camera view, select the part for which you want to create a patch. For example, if you are fixing
the elbow articulation, select the arm or forearm drawing to edit it.

4. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

5. If you drew your lines with pencil lines, it is recommended to convert them to brush lines (fill shapes):‣

In the Camera view, select the pencil lines.

‣

In the Tools Properties view, click the Convert Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide‣

In the Camera view, select the piece's outline and fill.

‣

In the Tool Properties view, click the Flatten
the contour stroke.

button to remove the excess colour fill located under

6. In the Camera view, select the fill zone of the part's drawing.

7. In the Camera view, right-click and select Copy.
8. Select the cell in which you want to create the patch.

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9. In the Camera view, right-click and select Paste.
10. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool.

11. In the Camera view, make a selection around the pasted zone to cut everything out but a small overlapping zone to cover the articulation.

1. Repeat the process for each articulation which requires fixing.

Adding New Drawings to an Existing Template
How to add new drawings to an existing drawing template
1. In the Library view, right-click on the library folder containing the template to modify and select Right To
Modify.
2. In the Library view's right side, right-click on the extra drawings template to modify and select Edit Template.
A new instance of Harmony opens.
3. In the Tools toolbar, select a drawing tool.
4. In the Colour view, select a colour.

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5. In the template's timeline, select the blank cell where you want to draw your new piece.
6. In the Camera or Drawing view, draw the new pieces.

7. From the top menu, select File > Save or press Ctrl + S (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + S (Mac OS X).
8. From the top menu, select File > Quit (Windows/Linux) or Stage Essentials > Quit Toon Boom Stage(Mac OS X).

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Chapter 8: Gaming Deformation

Harmony provides you with the deformation technology for producing light, high-quality animations for your 2D
games. You can use Harmony's Game Bone deformer to rig your characters and export your animations in
spreadsheets to game engines like Unity.
Harmony provides even more advanced deformation features, but they are not supported by game engines. This
chapters will only cover the features supported by the gaming export. For additional information on the Harmony
deformation features, refer to the Cut-out Animation Guide.
This chapter is divided as follows:•

About Game Bone Deformers on page 229•

Creating a Basic Deformation Rig on page 230•

Setting Up the Resting Position on page 233•

Displaying the Deformation Controls on page 237•

Assembling Pieces on page 238•

Animating Deformers on page 240•

Deformation Toolbar on page 244•

Deformation Nodes on page 245

About Game Bone Deformers
Deformations let you animate bitmap or vector-based graphics, including gradients and textures. Deformations
act as a skeleton with limbs and articulations you can bend, reshape, and curve. You can deform a character madeout of one, or many, drawing or image layers and make it move as if it were a cut-out puppet. A deformation
skeleton is composed of deformation nodes, which are the various pieces (here represented as layers or nodes)
required to articulate or deform your drawings, such as a series of bones or game bones.
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The Game Bone deformation is very similar to the Bone deformation and allows you to create a skeleton
structure in which the parent bone moves the child bone. The difference is that the Game Bone deformation is
optimized to export to game engines, mainly Unity.
The Game Bone deformation is mostly used when animating the extremities of a character, such as the arms orlegs, adding fluidity and a natural feel to the animation. The Game Bone deformation can be manipulated torotate a limb at an articulation joint and to shorten or elongate the extremities of a limb. It's also quite usefulfor bending the torso.
The main difference between the Bone and Game Bone deformations is that the Game Bone deformation
doesn't have the Bias parameter. The rendered result is also different for the articulation folds. They areslightly rounded.

Creating a Basic Deformation Rig
Using the Rigging tool, you can quickly create a basic deformation rig.
As you create your chains, the controls will be showing. However, whenever you close your project, thedeformation controls display is turned off. When you reopen the project, you can display all controls or only
some of them—see Displaying the Deformation Controls on page 237.
How to select an element to add deformation to
1. From the Deformation toolbar, click the Rigging

tool.

2. In the Camera or Timeline view, select the element on which you want to add a deformation. Whenselecting a drawing node, the deformation components will be automatically added on top of the drawing node. When selecting a peg node, the deformation components will be added below the peg.

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NOTE: Never place a deformation node above a peg node. Having a peg below a deformation node (Bone, Game
Bone, etc.) will cause unexpected result. The animation on the peg will move the image out of the defined
deformation zone. The same applies to animations created on the drawing layer itself. A drawing layer has anembedded peg.

3. In the Camera view, create your rig. See the following procedures to learn how to add a specific deformation type.
How to add a Bone or Game Bone deformation chain
1. Once your element and the Rigging tool selected, in the Tool Properties view, enable the Boneor the Game Bone mode depending on your purpose—see Main Types of Deformations.

mode

2. Place the cursor at the root of your drawing or group of drawings, click once and release. For example, on
the shoulder.

3. Click again at the location where you want your first bone to finish and your second bone to start. An articulation control point will automatically be inserted between each bone you create. Note that the articulation parameters are part of the Bone and Game Bone nodes since Harmony 12.

4. Repeat this until you are finished creating the Bone chain.

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5. If you need to insert a bone between existing ones, hold down the Alt key. When the Insert Bone cursor
is displayed, click on the existing bone segment at the location where you want to add an additional
bone.

l

l

Note that you can click on any Bone articulation point to start a new bone chain from thatpoint. Once the articulation point is selected (white), click on the location where you wantto add a bone and a new bone chain will be created, parented to the previous one.

When you have several chains controlling the same drawing or group of drawings, a
Deformation Composite node is automatically be created and appears in the Timeline
view. In the Additional Links section of the Timeline view, you can see which nodes are connected to the Deformation Composite.

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6. With the deformation nodes still selected, in the Deformation toolbar, click the Reset Current Keyframe
button. This will set the current resting position as the current frame one.

Setting Up the Resting Position
Once you have a deformation chain created, you can optimize its positioning to fit the element it will deform.
A deformation rig has a resting position and an animated position. The resting position is the original pose thecharacter is in when not animated with keyframes. You can always revert your animated character to its resting
position to recover the initial scale, angle, and shape. You can revert the entire character or only certain
deformation chains, such as the arm or leg. Just make sure your resting position is fully set before deploying thecharacter in production.
How to set up Bone and Game Bone deformation chains
1. In the Timeline view, select the deformation nodes you want to set.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others
button to display
the deformer controls in the Camera view. This also hides all the deformer controls that were displayed.
3. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Rigging

tool.

The chain turns from green to red. A green chain indicates the puppet is in animation mode. A red chain
indicates the puppet is in a resting position. Make sure your chain is red.

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4. In the Camera view, set up the deformation chain.
‣

Rotate the first bone to change the angle of the chain.

‣

Use the root control to reposition (offset) the entire chain.

‣

Use the control points to reposition the articulations. This will elongate, shorten or change thedirection of the bone and offset the subsequent children.

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Use the articulation's control (square) to change the size of the articulation. For quality purposes, it isrecommended to have an articulation which fits the diameter of the part it controls.

5. Repeat until all the articulations and bones of the chain are correctly aligned to the element to which it islinked. You can also set additional parameters in the Layer Properties window.
6. With the deformation nodes still selected, in the Deformation toolbar, click the Reset Current Keyframe
button. This will set the current resting position as the current frame one.
7. Use the Transformtool. For optimal results, make sure the size of the articulation is approximately thesame size as the drawing.
8. If you need to insert a bone between existing ones, hold down the Alt key. When the Insert Bone cursor isdisplayed, click on the existing bone segment at the location where you want to add an additional bone.

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Displaying the Deformation Controls
Before you can manipulate the deformer outside of the Rigging mode, you must display the deformation controls.
If you just created the deformation rig, the controls will still be showing. However, when you close your project,
the deformers are turned off. When reopening a project, you must display the controls so you can you see theones you need while animating.
How to display the selected deformation controls
1. In the Camera, Timeline view, select the drawing layer or deformation nodes you want to display.
2. Do one of the following:‣

In the Camera toolbar, click the Show Control‣

From the top menu, select View > Show > Control.

‣

Press Shift + F11.

button.

How to display the selected deformation controls and hide all the others
1. In the Camera, Timeline view, select the drawing layer or deformation nodes you want to display.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others

button.

The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view and all the others are hidden.
How to display all the deformer controls at the same time
1. In the Timeline view, select Edit > Select All from the top menu to select all the nodes or press Ctrl + A(Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + A (Mac OS X).
2. In the Camera toolbar, click the Show Control

button or press Shift + F11.

All deformation controls in scene are displayed.
How to hide the deformer controls
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Camera toolbar, click the Hide All Controls‣

From the top menu, select View > Hide All Controls.

‣

Press Shift + C.

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Assembling Pieces

Assembling Pieces
After you have created all the deformation chains for your character, you will need to assemble these separate
body parts into a puppet. Your pieces should be properly overlapping and not set apart.

To avoid problems such as having the head stretched by the neck deformers or a hand modified by the bodydeformers, you can use the Kinematic Output node to assemble your pieces without propagating thedeformations down the hierarchy chains.
The Kinematic Output node lets you hook a separate element that you want to be linked to the deformation
chain but not be part of the deformation, such as a hand to an arm or an arm to the body. These elements will
follow the movement of the chain just like a regular cut-out character hierarchy piece without being influenced
by the deformation of the arm. If you don't use the Kinematic Output, the piece's pivot will not follow the
deformation.
When building a cut-out puppet with deformations, each part controlled by a deformation chain willautomatically rotate from the chain root point, which acts like a pivot. Because it is unlikely that every piece ofyour character will be rigged with a deformation chain, you must set pivot points for the pieces that are notusing deformations—see Setting the Pivots on page 216.

Assembling Guidelines
When assembling a puppet with deformers, there are some guidelines to keep in mind:l

You cannot parent deformers directly because deformers are not designed to be used on otherdeformers. To assemble deformers, you must insert a Kinematic Output node.

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation GuidelYour peg must be placed above the deformer.

How to assemble a puppet using the Kinematic Output node in the Timeline view
1. Select the element to attach to the Kinematic Output node, such as the hand or head peg.

2. From the top menu, select Insert > Kinematic Output.
The node appears in the Timeline view as a parent of your selection.

3. In the Timeline view, drag and drop the Kinematic Output layer ONTO the deformation layer you wantyour limb or piece to follow. For example, onto the neck deformer if you want your head to follow it
without being deformed or onto the arm deformer if you want your hand to follow.

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Assembling Pieces

If your pieces are no longer ordered properly, use the Z-nudging feature to reorderthem—see Nudging Parts Backwards and Forwards on page 199.
It's good practice to rename the Kinematic Output layer to reflect which deformer it isassigned to as the Timeline view can become very large and layers can be positioned far
apart. Select the Kinematic Output node and in the Layer Properties window, rename thenode. You can also double-click on the layer's name.

Animating Deformers
The controls to animate deformations work the same as those for setting up the chains. You simply need tocreate keyframes and position the control points.
How to animate Bone and Game Bone deformations
1. In the Timeline view, go the frame on which you want to create the first animation pose.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transformtool.

3. If you want to create animation keyframes, enable the Animate

mode in the Tools toolbar.

4. Do one of the following:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add KeyframelRight-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

button.

A keyframe is added on the current frame.
5. In the Timeline view, select the deformation nodes you want to animate—see Displaying the Deformation Controls on page 237.

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6. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others
the deformer of the selected piece.

button to display

7. In the Camera view, do the following:l

Rotate the first bone to rotate the limb.

lRotate the subsequent bones to bend the limb.

l

Use the root control to reposition (offset) the entire chain.

l

Use the control points to reposition the articulations. This will elongate, shorten, or change
the direction of the bone and offset the subsequent children.

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Use the articulation's control (square) to change the size of the articulation. For quality
purposes, it is recommended to have an articulation which fits the diameter of the part it
controls.

8. In the Timeline view, go the frame on which you want to set the next key pose. You will need to expend
the exposure to see your drawings further down the Timeline view.
9. Add a keyframe on the current frame by doing one of the following:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add KeyframelRight-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

button.

10. Repeat the previous steps to animate your character.
You can also manipulate the deformer by typing values directly in the Layer Properties of thedeformation effect nodes.

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Deformation Toolbar

Deformation Toolbar
The Deformation toolbar contains the various tools and options used to create a deformation rig. This toolbar
is displayed in the default interface.
By default, the Deformation toolbar only contains the essential options. If you right-click on the toolbar andselect Customize, you can add additional buttons.

Icon

Tool Name

Description
The Rigging tool is used to create a Bone deformation
chain. You also use it to set up the resting position.

Rigging Tool
To learn more about the Rigging tool's properties, see
Rigging Tool Properties on page 1.
The Show Selected Manipulators and Hide All Others
button hides all manipulators displayed in the Camera
Show Selected Manipview. Only the manipulators of the selected deformation
ulators and Hide All Othnode are displayed—see Displaying the Deformationers
Controls on page 237 to learn how to make themanipulators visible in the Camera view.
The Reset Current Keyframe copies the resting position,
the original setup of your skeleton before undergoing any
deformation, to your current frame. Once you havecreated a deformation chain, you can use the Rigging tool
Reset Current Keyframe
to adjust the position and appearance of the rig to fit theelement. When the skeleton is in place, you can use theReset Current Keyframe button to reset the current frame
position to the resting position.

Enable Deformations

The Enable Deformations button allows you to display
your drawings in their original state or with deformations
while creating additional drawings. Depending on the
artwork you need to create, you might need to refer to theother images either deformed or in their original position.
Note that this will not affect the exported images. It's only
a display mode. You can see the result in OpenGL and
Render modes in the Camera view, but the exported
images will always be deformed.

Remove All Keyframes

The Remove All Keyframes option removes all keyframeson the selected deformation chain.

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The Show All Controls button lets you visualize the resting
position in red (Setup mode) and the active position(Animation) in green at the same time—see Displaying theDeformation Controls on page 237 to learn how to makethe manipulators visible in the Camera view.
Show All Controls

Deformation Nodes
The deformation rigs are composed of several different types of nodes. Additional ones such as the Kinematic
Output can be used to enhanced the results. Not all deformation nodes are compatible with the Game export.
Only the compatible nodes are listed here.
This section is divided as follows:•

Adding Deformation Nodes on page 245•

Deformation Nodes on page 245

Adding Deformation Nodes
How to add a deformation node
1. In the top menu, select Insert > desired deformation node.

Deformation Nodes
From the Insert menu, you can insert the following nodes.
Game BoneThe Bone node is one of the main node used to build a deformation rig. Each Bone node consists of a bone andan articulation. Chaining Bone nodes will create a skeleton chain for your character. The Rigging tool can be used
to create and connect those nodes automatically.

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Parameter

Deformation Toolbar

Descriptions

Resting Parameters Rest Offset(x) AxisThis is the bone X-axis (horizontal) coordinates for the resting position.

(y) AxisThis is the bone Y-axis (vertical) coordinates for the resting position.

Rest RadiusThis is the articulation's radius value (articulation size) for the resting position.

Rest Orientation

This is the bone's orientation angle for the resting position.

Rest Length

This is the bone's length for the resting position.

Deform Parameters Offset
2D PathWhen this option is enabled, the X and Y axis parameters are controlled by
the same 2D path function.

Separate

When this option is enabled, the X and Y axis parameters are individual fromeach other.

Path

When using a 2D Path, this field displays the name of the function curve.

(x) AxisThis is the bone X-axis (horizontal) coordinates for the animation position.
This parameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

(y) AxisThis is the bone Y-axis (vertical) coordinates for the animation position. Thisparameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

RadiusThis is the articulation's radius value (articulation size) for the animation position. This parameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated overtime.

Orientation

This is the bone's orientation angle for the animation position. This parameter can be linked to a function curve to be animated over time.

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LengthThis is the bone's length for the animation position. This parameter can belinked to a function curve to be animated over time.

Kinematic Output
The Kinematic Output node lets you hook a separate element that you want to be linked to the deformation chain
but not be part of the deformation, such as a hand to an arm or an arm to the body. These elements will follow
the movement of the chain just like a regular cut-out character hierarchy piece without being influenced by the
deformation of the arm. If you don't use the Kinematic Output, the piece's pivot will not follow the deformation.
Connect a Kinematic Output node below the deformation node you want your drawing to follow.

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Chapter 9: Library

Using templates and symbols , you can share and reuse any elements you create in Harmony. The Harmony librarylets you store several different elements such as puppets, backgrounds, animations and key poses. In fact,
anything you create in Harmony can be stored in the library.
This chapter contains the following topics:•

Understanding the Library Concept on page 249•

Library View on page 252•

Structuring the Library on page 254•

Templates on page 258•

Symbols on page 260•

Importing Symbols and Templates on page 268•

Importing Files Through the Library on page 272•

Using Paste Special on page 272

Understanding the Library Concept
The Library view is where you can store and reuse your artwork and animation in other scenes or build props andpuppets.
•

What is a Library? on page 250•

Understanding the Library Concept on page 249•

What is a Symbol? on page 250•

Libraries in Harmony Server on page 251249

Chapter 9: Library

What is a Library?
The library is a storage centre for all production assets; the elements stored in the library are called templates.
Although it is mainly used for cut-out animation, the library is also useful for paperless and traditional
animation processes. The library can contain any asset used in a Toon Boom Harmony production.
Using the library is as simple as dragging the content into the library to store your artwork and then dragging
it to the Timeline or Camera view when you want to reuse it.
You can organize your library using several different subfolders and store them on your hard drive or network.

What is a Template?

A template is an individual copy of the artwork stored in the library which you can reuse in different scenes.
Once a template is stored in the library, you can access it from any project.
Dragging a template into your scene copies the content in your Timeline and does not link it to the original.
You can modify this individual copy at any time.

What is a Symbol?

A symbol is a container used to build your props, puppets and looping clips. You can use symbols to containartwork and animation and manipulate them as a single object. You can also use symbols as a placeholder inwhich you place a series of different drawings for each body part of your puppets or when you have a repeating
cycle. However, symbols are not necessary for creating characters.
To create a symbol, drag your artwork to the Symbol library. When you drag a symbol from the Symbol library
into your scene, it will be linked to the original symbol. If you drag a symbol into your scene several times in theTimeline view, they will all be linked to the original symbol. If you modify one, they will all be modified.

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A symbol is local to the project and cannot be accessed directly from other scenes. To reuse a symbol's content inanother scene, you must create a template out of it.
When a symbol is exposed in the Timeline view, the symbol's cells are represented as a movie strip.

Libraries in Harmony Server
When working on the database, the structure of the library differs from when working on Harmony Server.

Harmony provides three default library folders:•

Symbols: The only library folder containing symbols for your project. You can organize the symbols libraryfolder using subfolders, but you cannot create a second library for your symbols. This library is local toyour project.

•

Environment: A folder located inside the Environment folder. Every asset stored in this folder is accessible
from any job and scene contained within this environment.

•

Job: A folder located inside the Job folder. Every asset stored in this folder is accessible from any scene
contained within this job.

NOTE: You can create a folder called "library" in the usa_db folder on the server to create a global library. Once theHarmonyapplication is restarted, a "Global" library folder will automatically appear in every user's library. Every asset
stored in this folder is accessible from any scene, job and environment.

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Library View

You use the Library view to create and manage your symbols and templates, display the folders and manage
and all of the content.
Library View Menu
The Library menu lets you access commands specific to the Library view, such as opening a Library or getting
the rights to modify a library folder.
Preview Window

The Preview window lets you preview the content of a symbol or template, and swap between drawings andsymbol cells in the Timeline view. This window is also used as the Drawing Substitution window.
How to preview a template or symbol's content
1. In the Library view's right side, click or double-click on the symbol or template to preview.
2. In the Preview window, click the Playbutton or drag the slider to scrub through the frames.

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Library Search Tool
When working on a movie or series, you will probably end up with many templates and symbols in your library.
Using the Search tool, you can quickly find the templates and symbols in your folders.
How to use the Library Search tool
1. From the left side of the Library view, select the library in which you want to search.

2. In the Search field, type the name or partial name of the symbol or template you are looking for.

3. Click the left

and right

arrows to see the previous and next results. The Search engine will look forresults within the library master folder and its subfolders. It will not look in other libraries.

Library List

The Library list lets you navigate through the different libraries and subfolders. You can also open, close andcreate new libraries from here.
The Library folders have these default libraries:•

Symbols: The only library folder containing symbols for your project. You can organize the symbols libraryfolder using subfolders, but you cannot create a second library for your symbols. This library is local toyour project.

•

Harmony Library: This folder contains templates and is stored on your hard drive. You can organize theHarmony library folder using subfolders. This folder does not contain symbols.

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Templates and Symbols Lists
The symbols and templates contained in the selected Library list can be displayed on the right side of the
Library view as thumbnails, in a list or as details.
How to access the templates and symbols list display options‣ In the Library view's right side, right-click and select View > List, Thumbnails or Details.
‣ In the Library View toolbar, you can click the following buttons:
Thumbnails
List
Details

Structuring the Library
As you will probably create a large number of symbols and templates, you will soon realize they need to beorganized. You can create different libraries and subfolders to easily access your assets. For example, you cancreate a different library for each project and divide it into several categories, such as:•Characters

•

Props

•

Backgrounds

Although you can only have one symbol library folder, you can organize it by creating subfolders.
There are two ways to create library folders.
•

Directly through your operating system•

Using Harmony's interface

Folders can be opened in Harmony when you require it. You can open any folder on your hard drive or network
as a library. Opening a library means linking the folder to your Library view. You only need to open the library
once. The library folder is available every time you open the application until you decide to close the library andunlink it.

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You may not always require all the library folders in the Library List. If so, you can close the ones you do not need.
Closing a folder does not delete it; it only unlinks it from the Library view. If you want to reopen it, locate it on
your hard drive or network and open it in the Library view.
Symbol and template libraries need to be organized. You can create different subfolders on your hard drive or in
the Harmony Library view, so you can easily access assets. By default, any new library you link to your Library viewis locked to prevent accidental deletion or modification of symbols and templates. You must obtain the right tomodify it before being able to add a new folder to it.
You can delete a folder from the library if its contents are no longer needed.

NOTE: Warning: All templates and symbols in the folder will be deleted from your hard drive. Once deleted, the datacannot be retrieved.

Once you add a folder, you can rename it. This also renames the folder on your hard drive.
If you update the content of your libraries through your operating system, you will need to refresh your libraryfolders in the Library view.
When you display thumbnails in the Library view, the system generates a series of small images (thumbnails) foryou. You can generate template thumbnails yourself, if they do not display or if the process has been stopped.
You can also delete thumbnails if you want to send a template to another user or studio and keep your packages
small.
How to create a library folder through your operating system
1. On your computer, create a new folder with a relevant name in the location where you want the library to
be stored.
How to create a library folder in Harmony
1. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Open Library.
The Browser window opens.
2. Browse for the location where you want to store your new library folder.
3. Click the New Folder button.
A new folder appears.
4. Name the new library folder with a relevant name and click OK.
The new library appears in the Library List section.

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How to open a library
1. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Open Library.
The Browser window opens.
2. Browse to the location of the library folder.
3. Select the folder and click OK.
The new library appears in the Library Folders section.

How to close a library
1. On the right side of the Library view, select the library folder to close.
2. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Close Library.
The library closes.
How to create a folder
1. On the left side of the Library view, select the library folder to which you want to add a subfolder.
2. In the Library View menu, select Edit > Right to Modify.
3. In the Library View menu, select Folders > New Folder.
The new folder appears in the Library. Click on the library containing the new folder and click the plus [+]sign to expand it.

How to delete a folder
1. In the Library view's left side, select the folder to delete.
2. In the Library View menu, select Edit > Right to Modify or right-click on the selected library and selectRight to Modify.
3. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Delete Folder or press Delete.

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How to rename a folder
1. In the Library view's left side, select the folder to rename.
2. In the Library View menu, select Edit > Right to Modify or right-click on the selected library and selectRight to Modify.
3. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Rename Folder.
4. Rename the selected folder.

5. Press Enter/Return to validate the operation.
How to refresh a library
1. In the Library view's left side, select the folder to refresh.
2. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Refresh or press F5.
The library displays the new content.
How to generate thumbnails
1. In the Library view's right side, select the template in which you want to generate thumbnails.

2. In the Library View menu, select View > Generate Thumbnails.
The progress bar appears.
How to delete thumbnails
1. In the Library View menu, select Edit > Delete Thumbnails.
All the thumbnails contained in the library are removed.

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Templates

When you want to reuse artwork and animation from your project in other scenes, you must create a templatefrom it. A template can be seen as a portable scene or package that you can drag inside your project. You can
open a template and edit it just like any other project. If you want modify your templates, you can edit themusing the Edit Template command.
You can create a template using the Timeline view.
To delete templates from your library, use the Library view. Harmony lets you undo the action if necessary.
How to create a template from the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select some cells or layers.
2. In the Library view, select a folder to store the template.
3. If a library folder is locked, right-click and select Right to Modify.
4. Drag the selection to the Stage Library folder or any other library folder.

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5. In the Rename dialog box, give the new template a name.
To rename a template once it is created, right-click on the symbol and select Rename.
6. Click OK.
How to delete a template
1. In the Library view, select the folder containing the template to delete.

NOTE: If the library folder is locked, right-click on the folder and select Right to Modify.

2. Right-click on the selection and select Delete or press Delete.
How to edit a template
1. In the Library view, select the folder containing the template to edit.

NOTE: If the library folder is locked, right-click on the folder and select Right to Modify.

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2. Right-click on the selection and select Edit Template.
A new Harmony application opens.
3. Edit the template.
4. From the top menu, select File > Save.
5. In the top menu, select File > Quit (Windows/Linux) or Stage Essentials > Quit (Mac OS X).

Symbols

A symbol combines animation, artwork or layers into a single object that you can control in one layer. You canalso create symbols out of each body part in your cut-out puppets.
You do not need to create symbols in order to create drawings or characters in Toon Boom Harmony.
When you delete a symbol, it will be deleted from your hard drive. You can use the Undo function to retrieve
the data. The symbol cannot be retrieved once you close the application.
When you import a symbol from the library to the Timeline view it is linked to the original symbol in the library.
If you import a symbol into your scene several times in the Timeline view, they will all be linked to the original
symbol. If you modify one, they will all be modified.
If you want to edit a symbol without modifying the other instances, you must duplicate the symbol first. If othersymbols are nested inside the new symbol, they are not duplicated. If you modify them, the original and otherinstances will also be modified.
You can either edit a symbol from the Timeline view or from the Library view.
When you edit a symbol, the drawings contained in it are not placed at the centre of the stage, but are locatedin the position where they were created. The pivot is translated at the centre of the symbol.

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When you enter a symbol to edit it, you are entering another scene with an independent timeline. You can nest
many symbols one inside the other. To help you follow the hierarchy of your nested symbol, take note of theEditing stack at the top of the Camera view which displays the path to your symbol's location. You can click on
the symbol's name to move up the chain.
You can share a symbol and use its contents (the drawings) in another scene. To do this, you must first convert
your symbol into a template. This conversion breaks the drawing's link with both the original scene and symbol. It
then becomes a separate entity that you can import into other projects.
How to create a symbol from a drawing selection
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selector Cuttertool.

2. In the Camera view, select the drawing elements to create a symbol.

3. From the top menu, select Edit > Create Symbol or press F8.
‣

Clicking the Create Symbol

button in the Edit toolbar will create a symbol from the entire layer.

The Create Symbol from Drawing Selection dialog box opens.

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4. In the Symbol Name field, type the name of the symbol.
‣

You can also select an existing layer from the Symbol Name drop-down menu. It will add yoursymbol on the layer's current cell. If there is already an exposure on that cell, the symbol will be
added to a new layer.

5. You can choose to place the current selected artwork in the drawing or remove it:‣

To remove currently selected artwork from the drawing and place it in the new symbol, select the
Cut Artwork From Source Drawing option.

‣

To keep currently selected artwork in both the drawing and in the new symbol, deselect the Cut
Artwork From Source Drawing option.

6. Click OK.
The new symbol appears in the Library view's symbol folder and in the Timeline view as a new layer.

How to create a symbol from the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view, select the layer or cells from which your want to create a symbol.
2. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Edit > Create Symbol.

‣

In the Edit toolbar, click the Create Symbol‣

Press F8.

‣

Drag your selection to the Symbol folder in the Library view.

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The Create Symbol dialog box opens

3. In the Enter Symbol's Name field, type the new symbol's name.
To rename a symbol once it is created, right-click on the symbol and select Rename.
4. Click OK.
The new symbol appears in the Library view's 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.
How to create an empty symbol
1. In the Library view, select the Symbol folder.
2. Do one of the following:‣

In the Library view's right side, right-click and select New Symbol.

‣

From the top menu, select Insert > Create Empty Symbol in Library.

The new empty symbol appears in the Library view.

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The symbol is ready for you to edit (add content to). To go back to the root timeline, click the Top
button in the Camera view.
To rename a symbol once it is created, right-click on the symbol and select Rename.
How to delete a symbol
1. In the Library view, select the symbol to delete.
2. Right-click and select Delete or press Delete.
‣

If the symbol is currently in use in the scene, a warning message displays. Click OK to delete thesymbol from the library and scene.

How to edit a symbol from the Timeline view
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Timeline view, double-click on the symbol's cell to edit the symbol.

‣

In the Camera view, double-click on the symbol or press Ctrl + E (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + E (Mac OS
X)).

‣

Click the Edit Selected Symbol

button in the Camera View toolbar's extra buttons.

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You are now inside the symbol and you are able to edit it.

2. Do one of the following:
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).
‣

In the Timeline view's right side, right-click and select Symbols > Leave Current Symbol.

How to edit a symbol from the Library view
1. In the Library view, select the symbol to edit.
2. Right-click and select Edit > Edit Symbol or double-click on the symbol.
You are now inside the symbol and you are able to edit it.

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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).
How to duplicate a symbol
1. In the Timeline view, go to the frame where you want to duplicate the symbol.
2. Select the symbol's cell.

3. From the top menu, select Edit > Duplicate Selected Symbol.
In the Library view, the symbol is duplicated and in the Timeline view, the current cell and its held
exposure is replaced with the new symbol. You can now modify the symbol's content.

How to convert a symbol into a template
1. From the Library view, select the symbol to convert into a template and drag it to the Camera orTimeline view. If you drop your symbol into the Camera view instead of the Timeline view, it will not be
placed in the centre of your camera frame, but rather wherever your cursor drops it within the camera
frame.

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2. In the Timeline view, select the symbol's cells or layer and drag it to the Stage Library folder or to any otherlibrary folder. Make sure you have the right to modify the library folder.

3. In the Rename dialog box, rename the new template.

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4. Click OK.

Importing Symbols and Templates
There are several ways you can import symbols and templates in your scene.
Sometimes a character rig is not a straightforward matter. Rigs, which are usually saved as templates, cancontain symbols such as a leg that was made with a patch. However, a symbol does not work in the same way
as an action template. In the Timeline view, you can add an action template into another template of the samestructure. When working on a layer on the right side of the Timeline view and you place a symbol into a symbolof the same structure, instead of being added to the previous symbol, the new symbol becomes a copy.
For greater control over how the action template behaves when brought into the Timeline view, you can use
the Paste Special feature—see Using Paste Special on page 272.
Since a template is like a scene, you can open the template's folder and select elements inside it such as
drawings.
Instead of importing the entire contents of a template, you may only want to import a few drawings or apalette. In this case, use the Open As Folder command to import the items you want.
If you want to import a palette, simply drag the palette file into the Palette list section of the Colour view.
You can use the Expand Symbol command to extract a symbol's contents and place it on the root timeline. The
symbol will not be removed from the Timeline view. Its contents will be copied and inserted into the root
timeline. The symbol's layers will be parented to it in case you created motions and transformations on thedrawing layer that contains the symbol. Breaking the hierarchy could result in the loss of any scaling andanimation you may have created.
You can also expand a symbol within a group to avoid crowding the timeline with a series of layers. When you
expand the symbols, the layers will be contained in a group node that you can expand to see the content.
How to import a template into the Timeline or Camera view
1. In the Library view, select the template you want to import.
2. Drag the selected template to the Camera view or to the left side of the Timeline view.

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3. You can also drag a template to the right side of the Timeline view and into existing layers if the layer structure is the same as the existing one.

How to import a symbol in the Timeline view
1. In the Library view, select the symbol you want to import.
2. Drag the selected symbol to one of the following:‣

The Timeline view's left side to import it into the centre of the camera frame.

‣

The Camera view to place it at the location where you release your cursor.

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NOTE: This may be useful if you saved a character's body parts as separate symbols. If you dropped them into theTimeline view, then they would all appear in the centre, haphazardly one on top of the other. It would be more
efficient to arrange them into their correct places as you bring them into the scene.

How to import a template with symbols
1. From the right side of the Library view, select the action template that contains symbols.
2. Hold down Alt (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) as you drag it from the Library view to the right sideof the Timeline view and drop it next to a template with the exact same rig.
The Paste Special window opens.

3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Select one of the following options from the Symbols menu:‣

Copy symbols if they do not exist: This is the default setting for this operation and will prevent
symbols in an action template from being copied.

‣

Duplicate symbols: Makes copies of the symbols in your template.

How to open a template as a folder
1. In the Library view, select the folder that contains the template to open. If the library folder is locked,
right-click on the folder and select Right to Modify.
2. Right-click on the selection and select Open As Folder.
3. In the library list section, click on the template's folder to display its content.

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4. Drag the content to the Timeline or Colour view.
How to expand a symbol
1. In the Timeline view, select the symbol to expand.

2. From the top menu, select Edit > Expand Symbol or press Shift + F8.

How to expand a symbol in a group
1. In the Timeline or Node view, select the symbol cell or symbol node you want to expand.

2. From the top menu, select Edit > Expand Selected Symbol in a Group.
3. In the Timeline view, click the plus sign (+) to see the group content. In the Node view, click the Expand
Arrow to enter the group.

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Importing Files Through the Library
Harmony lets you import sound files and images directly through the library. Simply open the folder containing
your files in the Library view and drag them directly from there.
How to open a file through the Library
1. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Open Library.
2. Browse for the folder containing the files you want to import.
3. Click Open.
4. From the Library's template list, drag the file you want to import in the Timeline or Camera view.

Using Paste Special
When you import a template in the Timeline view, all layers are created as well as drawings and keyframes. You
can choose to import only the keyframes without the drawings or import only the drawings that are notalready in your layers. You can adjust the behaviour using the Paste Special dialog box.
When you import a symbol in your scene, its full length is exposed by default. If you import a symbol in theTimeline view’s left side, all the frames will be exposed. However, if you import it into an existing layer, you can
use the Paste Special dialog box to adjust the import behaviour to fit your requirements.
Once you set the parameters, Harmony will reuse them each time you import a symbol in the Timeline view’sright side until you set new parameters.
How to open the Paste Special dialog box
1. In the Library view, select the symbol or template to import.
2. Hold down Alt (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ (Mac OS X) and drag the selection to the Timeline view.

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

The Paste Special dialog box opens.
3. Set the parameters and click OK.

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Chapter 10: Cut-out Animation

Harmony provides some great tools for animating puppets. You can create simple animation using the Transform
tool, as well as create advanced animation using both forward and inverse kinematics. Harmony has advanced
onion skinning and image swapping features to help you animate efficiently and quickly. For animation freedom,
you have the ability to mix several different techniques of animation, such as simple rigging, hierarchy and symbol
animation.
•

Getting the Character on page 276•

Keyframes and Drawing Blocks on page 279•

Creating a Simple Cut-out Animation on page 281•

Selecting Layers to Animate or Position on page 284•

Navigating the Hierarchy on page 286•

Animating Using the Transform Tool on page 288•

Animating in Stop-motion on page 290•

Animating Using Computer-generated Interpolation on page 291•

Marking the Timeline on page 297•

Flipping Through Poses on page 298•

Using the Onion Skin in Cut-out Animation on page 299•

Flipping Parts on page 301•

Using Action Templates on page 302•

Swapping Drawings on page 303•

Animating Lip-Sync on page 309•

Adding a New Drawing on page 313•

Ordering Layers Over Time on page 317•

Resetting a Transformation on page 318•

Creating Cycles on page 319•

Adding Pegs on page 321275

Chapter 10: Cut-out Animation•

Offsetting a Portion of an Animation on page 323

Getting the Character
The first step in animating your character is to import a master template from the library.
In Harmony, you can create your character template from the Node view.

NOTE: If the template you are importing was created in the Node view, make sure to import it first and drop it into
the Node view or the left side of the Timeline view. Otherwise, some network connections may be broken.

How to import a character from the library
1. Create a new Harmony project.
2. In the Library view, select a character master template to animate.

3. Drag the selected template to the Camera or Timeline view’s left side. You can also import a template
directly in the Node view.

4. In the Timeline view, drag the red scene length bracket to extend or shorten the scene length.

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How to import a network template
1. In the Library view, select the template or symbol you want to import.
2. Drag the selected template to the Network or Camera view or the left side of the Timeline view.

3. If necessary, in the Node view, connect your template to the Composite node. To do this, click its out-port
and drag the connection to the Composite node until an in-port appears.

NOTE: If the template you are importing was created in the Node view, make sure to drop it in the Node view or on
the left side of the Timeline view. Otherwise, some network connections may be broken. If you are importing a277

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template containing the exact same connections as a template you imported previously, you can drop it on theTimeline view's right side over the existing layer. This will combine both templates and keep the existing layers.

How to import a network template (master template)
1. Create a new Harmony project.
2. In the Library view, select the character's master template you want to animate.

3. Drag the selected template in the Node view.

4. In the Node view, connect the template's group node to the Composite node by clicking its out-port
and dragging the connection to the Composite node until an in-port appears.

5. In the Timeline view, extend or shorten the scene length by dragging the scene length bracket.

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Extending the Exposure
Once you have chosen a pose, all that's left to do is extend the exposure of the character to the end of the scene.
How to extend the exposure of the character
1. In the Timeline view, collapse the character.

2. In the Timeline view’s right side, select the last cell of the character.

3. Right-click and select Extend Exposure or press F5. You can also copy the first pose and paste it in the lastcell.
The drawing exposure is extended to the end. You will not see any changes in the Timeline view when themaster peg is collapsed.

Keyframes and Drawing Blocks
When you extend the exposure of a drawing, it is represented by a grey block in the Timeline view. When you
expose a second drawing, a second grey block is displayed.
You can consider these blocks as drawing blocks.

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To animate the position of a block over time, you don't need to create a second block, just add a position
keyframe. The position keyframes are coordinates indicating the position of your drawing on a particular
frame. These appear as black squares in the Timeline view.
In the example below, notice that the keyframes are positioned on frames independently from the beginningand end of each drawing block.

You can keyframe three different positions for a drawing in the same drawing block and create a motion path
between them.

Creating Keyframes and Drawings in the Timeline View
You can see how the Timeline view behaves differently depending on whether you create a new drawing, a new
keyframe, or both at the same time.
How to create a drawing in the Timeline view
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Drawing > Create Empty Drawing.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Create Empty Drawing‣

Press Alt + Shift + R.

A new drawing block is inserted.

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How to create a keyframe in the Timeline view
1. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Insert > Keyframe‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Keyframe‣

Press F6.

button.

A keyframe is created in the layer.

How to create a drawing and a keyframe simultaneously in the Timeline view
1. From the top menu, select Insert > Keyframe and Duplicate Drawing.
A drawing block is created which contains copies of the selected drawing and a keyframe.

Creating a Simple Cut-out Animation

Here is how you can create a simple cut-out animation. Follow these steps so you can try the animation tools
you'll be learning in the next topics.

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How to create a simple cut-out animation
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tools toolbar, enable the Animate
matically.

mode so everything you move will be keyframed auto-

3. From the top menu, select Animation > Stop-Motion Keyframe so the interpolation is not createdautomatically between keyframes.
4. In the Timeline view, collapse your character.

5. In the Timeline view, go to the frame where you want to set the first pose.

6. To ensure that nothing moves on the new pose, in the Timeline view, select the frame corresponding to
the pose, right-click and select Add Keyframe or press F6.
7. In the Camera view, select the parts to animate.

8. Use the Transform
tool to rotate, skew, scale or translate the selection to its new position. To
rotate the piece, place your cursor slightly outside of a corner until you see the rotation cursor.

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A new keyframe appears in the Timeline view if you did not create one previously. Always create yourkeyframe first.
9. In the Tools toolbar, enable the Onion Skinfeature.

10. In the Timeline view, go to the frame where you want to set the second keyframe. You will need to expend
the exposure to see your drawings further down the Timeline view.

11. To ensure that nothing moves on the new pose, in the Timeline view, select the frame corresponding to thepose, right-click and select Add Keyframe or press F6.
12. In the Camera view, animate your character.

13. Repeat this process for all the poses.

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Selecting Layers to Animate or Position

When you're animating characters, it's important to understand how the Animate mode allows you to create
keyframes on the current frame or reposition the entire layer.

Animate Mode
The Animate
button, in the Tools toolbar, turns keyframing on or off. With this mode enabled, as soon as
you move an element in the Camera view, a keyframe is positioned on the current frame in the Timeline view toindicate the new position.

When you turn off the Animate mode, and you select and move an element, the entire animation in the layer will
be offset.

This means that when you are animating a character, you must enable the Animate mode. If you are scaling
down your puppet to fit the scene composition and want to resize the entire animation, you must disable theAnimate mode.

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How to turn the Animate mode on or off
1. In the Tools toolbar, click the Animate

button or select Animation > Animate.

Selecting Drawing Layers Using the Transform Tool
To manipulate the drawing layers in order to animate them, you must use the Transform
is used to modify the drawing strokes and not the actual drawing layer.

tool. The Select tool

When selecting the drawing layers with the Transform tool, make sure the Peg Selection Mode option is turned
off in the Transform Tool Properties view. Otherwise, if it's left on, it will limit the selection in the Camera view topegs only.
How to select using the Transform tool
1. Do one of the following:‣

In the Tools toolbar, click the Transform‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Transform.

‣

Press Shift + T.

tool.

2. In the Transform Tool Properties view, make sure the Peg Selection

mode is deselected.

3. In the Camera view, select the element to animate.

Selecting an Element in the Camera View Using the Transform Tool
When you select an element in the Camera view using the Transform tool, make sure the Peg Selectionmode
is disabled in the Transform Tool Properties view. The element selected is the actual drawing layer corresponding
to the selected element. If you have a layer parented to a peg, you must use the keyboard shortcuts to go up thehierarchy chain, select it in the Timeline view, or enable the Peg Selection
mode option in the Transform Tool
Properties view. This will limit the selection in the Camera view to pegs only.

If the layer has child layers, they will also be highlighted. Depending on whether you're using pegs or only drawing
layers in your rig, the selection can be magenta, yellow or both.

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Selecting a Layer in the Timeline View
When you select a layer in the Timeline view, the corresponding element is highlighted in the Camera view. If
the selected layer has child layers, they are also highlighted.

Selecting in the Network View
As with the Timeline view, when you select a node in the Node view, the corresponding element will behighlighted in the Camera view. If the selected node has child layers, they will also be highlighted.

Navigating the Hierarchy
If there is a layer hierarchy in the puppet you built, use the keyboard shortcuts to travel up and down theparent-child chain. You can also navigate between the children of the same parent.
How to select the parent or child layer
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool.

2. In the Transform Tool Properties view, make sure the Peg Selection
3. In the Camera or Timeline view, select a layer attached to a hierarchy.

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4. From the top menu, select Animation > Select Parent or press B to select the parent layer. Select Animation > Select Child or press Shift + B to select the child layer.

How to select the children layers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool.

2. In the Camera or Timeline view, select a layer attached to a parent layer with several children or not parented at all.

3. From the top menu, select:‣Animation > Select Previous Sibling or press / to select the previous child layer.

‣

Animation Select Next Sibling or press ? to select the next child layer.

‣

Animation > Select Children to select all child layers at the same time.

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Animating Using the Transform Tool
The Transform tool is the main tool to use when working with a cut-out character. The Transform tool has
many useful functions:

Using the individual Rotate, Translate, Scale and Skew tools is not recommended, as they move each piecefrom their own pivot point. They are compositing tools. The Transform tool creates a global selection, so
when many parts are selected, you can move them as one unit. The Transform tool is highly recommended forcut-out animation.
When animating with the Transform tool, make sure to select the right selection mode. In this example, makesure that the Peg Selection
Mode is disabled in the Tool Properties view or it will limit the selection in the
Camera view to pegs only.

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If there are hierarchy connections in the cut-out character, the Transform tool will also be used as the Forward
Kinematics equivalent.
The Transform tool can be used on any kind of rigging.
When many parts are selected with the Transform tool, the first selected part's pivot will be used as the global
selection's pivot. This pivot can be moved temporarily for the animation. When you offset the pivot, thepermanent pivot is displayed as a ghost.

NOTE: The interpolation of the animation poses is always calculated from each individual part's permanent pivot. If
there's a parent peg on a limb, make sure to select it instead of making a selection of each part to avoid setting
individual keyframes.

How to use the Transform tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, click the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Transform Tool Properties view, make sure the Peg Selection

mode is deselected.

3. In the Timeline view, go to the frame on which you want to set the first position.
4. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Keyframe
button or press F6. It is recommended to add a keyframe before moving the character. Moving a character's part without setting a keyframe will create keyframes only on certain parameters of the animation. You could run into issues later on when setting poses
between existing ones. Creating a keyframe on all layers and parameters will ensure your pose is set andwill not be modified by other poses later on.
5. In the Camera view, select the element to animate and move it.

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6. In the Timeline view, go to the frame where you want to set the next position.

7. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Keyframe

button or press F6.

8. In the Camera view, animate the character.

Animating in Stop-motion
To start animating your character, start by doing your key poses. In fact, most of your time will be spent doing
key poses. It is better to work with stop-motion keyframes so Harmony does not automatically create theinterpolation between your keyframes.
When using stop-motion keyframes, also known as step keyframes, the segment between two keyframes isconstant. There is no animation generated by the computer between the poses. The drawing remains inposition until the next keyframe, then moves to its new position.

Creating a Stop-motion Keyframe
You can create a stop-motion keyframe in several different ways. You can have Harmony create it
automatically, transform a motion keyframe into a stop-motion keyframe, or even switch your preferences toget Harmony to always create stop-motion keyframes by default.

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How to automatically create stop-motion keyframes
1. In the top menu, make sure the Animation > Stop-motion Keyframe option is selected.
2. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to add a keyframe.

3. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Insert Keyframe.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Keyframe‣

Press F6.

button.

In the Camera view, if the Animate mode is enabled, as soon as you move the selected element, a keyframe
is automatically created on the current frame.

How to convert a motion keyframe into a stop-motion keyframe
1. In the Timeline view, select the motion keyframes to convert into stop-motion keyframes or press S.

2. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click and select Set Stop-Motion Keyframes.

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Stop-Motion Keyframe‣

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

button.

Animating Using Computer-generated Interpolation
After you have created the key poses, you can animate the in-between poses yourself or let Harmony do it using
motion keyframes. When you use motion keyframes, the drawings gradually move to the next position instead ofstaying on the spot until the next keyframe.

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Creating a Motion Keyframe
You can create a motion keyframe in several different ways. You can have Harmony create it automatically,transform a stop-motion keyframe into a motion keyframe and even switch your preferences to have Harmony
always create motion keyframes by default.
How to automatically create motion keyframes
1. In the top menu, make sure the Animation > Stop-Motion Keyframe option is disabled.
2. In the Timeline view, select the cell on which you want to add a keyframe.

3. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click on the selection and select Insert Keyframe.

‣

Click the Add Keyframe‣

Press F6.

button in the Timeline toolbar.

In the Camera view, if the Animate mode is enabled, as soon as you move the selected element, a
keyframe will be automatically created on the current frame.

How to convert a stop-motion keyframe into a motion keyframe
1. In the Timeline view, select the stop-motion keyframes to convert into motion keyframes.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

Right-click on the selection and select Set Motion Keyframe.

‣

Click the Motion Keyframe‣

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

button in the Timeline View toolbar.

Adjusting the EaseTo add ease in and ease out on motion paths, you can display the function curve and modify the Bezier or Ease
curve. To apply an ease to multiple functions and keyframes, use the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters feature andset the amount desired.
The velocity, or ease, is used on motion keyframes. The velocity must be adjusted directly on the function curve in
the Function view or Function editor. When a keyframe is selected, easing values appear in the right handle andleft handle fields, as well as the Bezier handle or Ease wheel controls on each selected keyframe. You can pull onthem to adjust the ease in and ease out, or type values in the fields.
If there are several functions whose velocity you want to adjust at the same time, such as the hand, forearm andarm of a cut-out character, you can apply the same velocity parameters to all the selected keyframes in one frame.
How to adjust the velocity in the Function view
1. In the Timeline view, click the Expand Function

button to display all the layer’s functions.

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2. Double-click on a function.

The Function Editor opens.

NOTE: The Function editor will not display if the function does not already exist. Add a keyframe to create thefunction.

3. Select a keyframe and pull on its Bezier handles or Ease wheel to adjust the velocity. Refer to the Compositing and Effects Guide to learn how to create Ease curves instead of Bezier curves.

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How to set ease on multiple parameters
1. In the Timeline view, select a keyframe from one or more layers.

NOTE: Only the first keyframe selected on each layer is considered when using the Set Ease for Multiple Parameter
function. If many keyframes are selected on the same layer, the ease values will be applied only to the first one andthe rest will be ignored.

2. Do one of the following:‣

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

‣

In the Timeline toolbar, you can click the Set Ease For Multiple Parameters
button. If the button is
not in the toolbar, you can add it through the Toolbar Manager. Right-click on the toolbar and selectCustomize.

The Set Ease For Multiple Parameters dialog box opens.

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3. In the graph, pull on the Bezier handle to adjust the velocity for all the selected functions.

4. To apply these easing parameters to a certain type of function only, such as Rotation or Scale, in the Filters section, deselect the function types you do not want to affect.
‣

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.

‣

Skew: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Skew functions.

‣

Morphing: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Morphing Velocity functions. Note that it
is applied to the Morphing Velocity function in the Layer Properties window, not to the basic
Morphing ease in the Tool Properties view.

‣

Other: Applies the easing parameters to all the other selected functions, such as all functions
created to animate effect parameters.

5. You can also adjust the easing by typing values in the Time Ratio and Value Ratio fields. The values arecalculated in percentage.
‣

In the Left Time Ratio and Right Time Ratio fields, type the percentage value corresponding to thelength of time you want the easing to last. The value must be between 0% and 100%.

‣In the Left Value Ratio and Right Value Ratio fields, type the percentage value of how strong you
want the easing out. The value must be between 0% and 100%.

‣

If your Time Ratio and Value Ratio values are equal, you will have a linear motion.

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6. Click one of the following buttons:‣

Apply: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes.

‣

Apply/Previous: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes and then selects theprevious keyframe in the timeline.

‣

Apply/Next: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes and then selects the next
keyframe in the timeline.

‣

Close: Closes the dialog box. If you did not apply the modifications, they will be cancelled.

Marking the Timeline
As you animate, the Timeline view will contain many layers and keyframes. You might want to identify them using
coloured layers and scene markers.
Scene markers are visual indicators displayed at the top of the Timeline view in the frame counter area. You canuse it to denote anything relevant to your work. You can indicate the frames you want to clean up, a change inaction, an impact, or where you intend to apply an effect. You can also add a note to a scene marker, which isdisplayed when you hover over the scene marker.
There are two ways to add a scene marker. You can mark the current frame or make a frame range selection andmark the whole section.
How to modify a layer's colour
1. Click the Change Track Colour

button of a layer.

The Select Colour dialog box opens.

2. Select a colour for the layer. You can modify the colour for any type of layer, such as group, peg, drawing
and effects.

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Flipping Through Poses

When animating, it is useful to flip through poses to see the flow of your animation without going through eachframe in the Timeline view. Harmony lets you flip between the selected element’s keyframes.
How to flip through poses
1. In the Camera or Timeline view, select a layer that contains the poses you want to view.

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2. Do one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Go to Previous Keyframe or Go to Next Keyframe‣

Press semicolon (;) and single quote (').

Using the Onion Skin in Cut-out Animation

When animating cut-out characters, it is useful to see the previous and next frames on the animation. However, it
can sometimes be confusing to see the onion skin for every part of the character. You will often only want to see
the onion skin on a single part or a few parts, such as the arm that is currently being animated. Harmony offersthat possibility.
While animating in the Camera view, there is a series of different onion skin options. You can enable these optionsin the menu or manually in the Timeline view using the layer's Show Onion Skinbutton. Unless you change theonion skin options when you display the onion skin, only the selected layers will be displayed in the onion skinpreview.
How to use the onion skin
1. In the Tools toolbar, click the Onion Skinbutton or press Alt + O.

2. In the Tools toolbar, click the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

3. In the Camera view, select one or more elements.
4. From the top menu, select View > Onion Skin > Add to Onion Skin, Remove From Onion Skin, Remove
Unselected from Onion Skin, Add All to Onion Skin or Remove All from Onion Skin.

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Add to Onion Skin

The Add to Onion Skin command is used to add a series of selected elements to the onion skin preview. The
keyboard shortcut is Shift + S.
Remove from Onion Skin

The Remove From Onion Skin command is used to remove a series of selected elements from the onion skinpreview.
Remove Unselected from Onion Skin

The Remove Unselected from Onion Skin command is used to remove all elements except the ones selectedfrom the onion skin preview.

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Add All to Onion Skin

The Add All to Onion Skin command is used to add all of the scene's elements to the onion skin preview. The
keyboard shortcut is Alt + Shift + O.
Remove All from Onion Skin

The Remove All Onion Skin command is used to remove all of the scene's elements from the onion skin preview.
The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + O (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + O (Mac OS X).

Flipping Parts

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If you want to flip a part, a limb or a whole puppet, use the Transform tool and the Flip Horizontal and Flip
Vertical options. If the Scaling parameter is not set to Separate Scale, the flip is not applied to the selection.
How to flip a selection
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view, make sure the Peg Selection Modeis disabled.

3. In the Camera view, select the parts to be flipped.

4. In the Tool Properties view, click the Flip Horizontal
respectively.

or Flip Vertical

option or press 4 or 5

Using Action Templates

Reusing animation and assets is an important aspect of cut-out animation. This is why Harmony includes alibrary for storing all the reusable information.
When you created the character rig, you most likely created a master template along with some action
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To save time, you can take an action that you've already animated, such as a walk-cycle or jump, and reuse it. You
can store the initial animation's keyframes in the Library view, then drag it into a master template of a new scene.
You can import a master template into the Timeline view and start animating with it. You can import an action
template into the right side of the Timeline view. An action template is composed of drawings (like a blink) or
keyframes (like a walk cycle) that you can reuse in an animation sequence.
To insert an action template into a master template, the layer ordering has to be exactly the same. If it's
inconsistent, the templates cannot be combined.

You can create a single keyframe action template of the different views (front, three-quarter or side view). Then
import and insert them into the animation to turn the character. The same pattern can be created for a head,arm, full upper body, etc.
If you created templates for different body parts, you can reuse them in your scene by dragging them to yourlayers. You can also open a template as a folder and select a particular drawing from it and drag it onto a drawing
layer.

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Cut-out animation is not only about moving parts around. It's also about swapping drawings to give theanimation a more traditional animation look. You can add as many new drawings as you want in your scene anduse them in your current animation. You can also add new drawings to the library and use them in other scenes.
But before starting to swap drawings, it's important to understand how keyframes, exposure and key
exposure work in Harmony:•

Keyframe: A keyframe is a point in time where a change to the properties of the object or characteroccurs. In Harmony, keyframes consist of the coordinates that determine how an entire layer and its
contents are moved. Keyframes include these parameters: XYZ position, skew, scale, angle and pivot.

•

Exposure: Exposure is a property; it is the length of time that a drawing is visible over a series offrames. In Harmony, exposure is independent of keyframes. That is, keyframes are not linked to
drawings. Keyframes can be moved independently from the drawing exposure.

•

Key Exposure: A key exposure in Harmony is a type of exposure that forces a drawing to remain
exposed on a specific frame. If a drawing is exposed before a key exposure and you swap out thatdrawing for another one, then the original drawing is retained. This preserves the key drawing. Notethat Harmony automatically sets a key exposure when you perform a drawing swap.

When you want to swap drawings, you can do so in the Timeline or Library view. In the Timeline view, theParameters area is where you can select a drawing to swap. In the Library view, the Drawing Substitution
window lets you see the drawings before selecting one for swapping. In this view, you are actually selecting
drawings in your scene layers, not drawings in the Library.

NOTE: Keep in mind that when you swap a drawing, its entire exposure is replaced up to the next drawing
exposure.

When selecting a certain frame range to be swapped, the behaviour of the Timeline and Library views isdifferent. If you are using the Parameters area of the Timeline view to select a drawing to replace a selected
frame range, the new drawing will replace the frame range and continue until the next key exposure. In thefollowing example, drawing 2 (DR2) is replaced by a new drawing, starting at the beginning of the selected
frame range and ending at the next key exposure.

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If you use the Drawing Substitution window in the Library view to select a drawing, the drawing is split in two andthe exposure before and after the frame range remain the same. In the following example, drawing 2 (DR 2) is
split in two and the selected frame range is filled with a new drawing.

How to swap a drawing in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view’s right side, select the cell containing the drawing or symbol cell to swap.

2. In the Drawing Substitution field, position the pointer over the value and drag left or right to change thecell or drawing exposed for another one. You can also type in the drawing name or symbol’s cell number if
you know it.

How to swap images in the Library view
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool.

2. In the Transform Tool Properties view, make sure the Peg Selection
3. In the Camera view, use the Transformbutton is deselected.

tool to select a part of the drawing to swap.

NOTE: You can swap the frames in symbols or the drawings in a layer. However, you cannot swap one symbol for
another.

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4. In the Timeline view, select the cell range in which you want to swap the drawing.

5. In the Library view, go to the Drawing Substitution window.

6. Scroll through the symbol's frames or drawings by doing one of the following:‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Substitute Drawing Previous or Substitute Drawing
Next.

‣

Drag the slider left or right.

‣

Press +.

The drawing or symbol’s cell on the current frame is replaced.

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Adding Key Exposures
If there is a particular drawing you want to keep on a specific frame, you can set it as a key exposure. This
prevents it from be overwritten by a drawing swap on a preceding frame. A key exposure is simply a property ofan exposure that forces it to be exposed on a certain frame regardless of whether the previous exposure is thesame drawing or not.

NOTE: Keep in mind that if you modify the artwork in a drawing, all instances of that drawing will be automatically
updated even if set as a key exposure. This keeps your existing animation key poses intact. It is frequently used on amouth or eyes layer.

Example: Swapping a drawing with no key exposure
In the following example, drawing 3 (DR 3) is selected on the timeline and it contains no key exposure.

When it is swapped for drawing 4 (DR 4), the entire duration of drawing 3 substituted for drawing 4.

Example: Swapping a drawing with a key exposure
Here's what happens when swapping a drawing with a key exposure. In the following example, the playhead is
positioned in the middle of drawing 5 (DR 5) to set the position for the new key exposure. When the new key
exposure is added, drawing 5 is split in two; both halves contain drawing 5. Now if you swap the first drawing 5
for drawing 1, the second drawing 5 retains its exposure.

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How to add a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select the drawing cell to set as the key exposure.
2. Do one of the following:In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Key Exposure‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Key Exposure‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Add Key Exposure.

button.

button.

A new key exposure is added.
If you added a key exposure at the beginning of the drawing, the entire exposure is filled with that samedrawing. If you added a key exposure anywhere other than the beginning of the drawing, then thedrawing is split in two and both parts contain the same drawing.

Removing Key Exposures
When you no know longer need a key exposure, you can remove it. When you do this, the existing key
exposure is replaced by the preceding exposure. In the following example, a key exposure is set to drawing 1(DR 1). When the key exposure is removed, the exposure is replaced by the preceding exposure, drawing 4(DR 4).

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How to remove a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select a key exposure to remove.
2. Do one of the following:‣

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Remove Key Exposure‣

Right-click and select Exposure > Remove Key Exposure.

button.

The key exposure is removed and replaced by the preceding exposure.
How to remove a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view, select a key exposure to remove.
2. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Remove Key Exposure

button.

The key exposure is removed and replaced by the preceding exposure.

Animating Lip-Sync

Adding a lip-sync to a project can really enhance its quality and storytelling. However, it can be difficult to shape acharacter's mouth to match the sound at a precise frame.

To solve this problem, Harmony provides a lip-sync feature which analyzes the contents of a sound element andgenerates a mouth chart (see below) based on the eight animation phonemes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and X forsilence).
The mouth shapes used by Harmony are based on the conventional mouth chart used in the animation industry.

NOTE: The letters used to represent the shapes do NOT correspond to an actual sound.

NOTE: If you are doing cut-out animation, refer to the Cut-out Animation Guide, Character Building chapter, "Adding
Extra Drawings" topic to learn how to add extra drawings to your character.

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Here is an approximation of the sound each mouth shape can produce:•

A: m, b, p, h•

B: s, d, j, i, k, t•

C: e, a•

D: A, E

•

E: o

•

F: u, oo•

G: f, ph•X: Silence, undetermined soundYou can lip-sync the traditional way or let the system automatically create the basic detection.
You can refer to the mouth chart positions as you draw the shape of the character's mouth.
How to generate a sound detection for lip-sync using the Layer Properties view
1. In the Timeline view, select the sound layer.
The options for that layer will appear in the Layer Properties view.
2. In the Layer Properties, click Detect.

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A progress bar appears while Harmony analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip-sync letter toeach sound cell.
3. Click the Map button to open the Lip-Sync Mapping dialog box.

4. From the Destination Layer menu, select the layer that contains the mouth positions for the character's
voice track.

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5. If the selected layer contains symbols, you can map the lip-sync using drawings located directly on thelayer or use the symbol's frames. In the Symbol Layer field select Don't Use Any Symbol if you want to
use the drawings or select the desired symbol from the drop-down menu.
6. In the Mapping section, type the drawing name or Symbol frames in the field to the right of the phoneme it represents. If your drawings are already named with the phoneme letters, you do not have to do
anything.
7. Click OK.
8. Press the Playbutton in the Playback toolbar to see and hear the results in the Camera view. To
play back your scene with sound, enable the Soundbutton in the Playback toolbar.
Harmony allows for the manual swapping of mouth position drawings to match a voice track. For this process,both sound scrubbing (listening to a sound wave broken up frame-by-frame) and drawing substitutions areused.
How to animate lip-sync using the Timeline view
1. In the Playback toolbar, enable the Sound Scrubbing

button.

2. In the Timeline view, drag the red playhead along the sound layer waveform.
3. When you reach a frame where a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth with rounded
lips for an "oh" sound, click on that frame on your mouth shapes layer.
4. In the Parameters section, staying on your mouth shapes layer, place your cursor on top of the drawing
name (often a letter) until it changes to the swapping
pointer.
5. Pull the cursor to see the list of mouth shape names and choose the one you want. The current drawing
automatically changes to the new selection.

How to animate lip-sync using the Library view
1. In the Playback toolbar, click the Sound Scrubbing

button.

2. In the Timeline view, drag the red playhead along the waveform of your sound layer.
3. When you reach a frame where a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth with rounded
lips for an "oh" sound, click on that frame on your mouth shapes layer.
4. In the Drawing Substitution window of the Library view, drag the slider to choose a mouth shape. The
current drawing is swapped for the one in the preview window.

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Adding a New Drawing
If you need to add a new drawing to a scene, you can do so by duplicating the existing drawing on the current
frame. If you're using symbols, you can also add a new drawing inside the body part’s symbol.

Duplicating a Drawing
If your character doesn't use symbols, you must duplicate the drawing on the cell on which you need to a new
drawing. You could also create a new blank drawing, but duplicating the existing drawing allows you to keep thepivot you previously set (if you're using drawing pivots) and you can also reuse a portion of the existing artwork.
When you create a new drawing, you get a blank cell with a pivot set at the centre of the Camera view.
How to duplicate a drawing
1. In the Timeline or Camera view, select the drawing to duplicate.

2. From the top menu, select Drawing > Duplicate Drawing or press Alt + Shift + D.
The new drawing appears in the currently selected cell.

3. In the Camera view, draw the new piece.

Reposition Drawing Tool
When creating additional drawings for a cut-out puppet, you should generally try to create them in the same
location as the original drawings (resting position) so you can scale and rotate the same pivot.

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Although, when adding drawings that are specific to an animation, it may be easier to draw it in relation to thecharacter's position and scene's composition. If you draw a series of drawings that are not in the same
location, you can use the Reposition Drawing
tool to reposition the drawing strokes while simultaneously
creating keyframes in the Timeline view to compensate for the repositioning. In the Camera view, the drawings
will retain the location and position in which you drew them while in the Drawing view, all your drawings will bealigned.

How to reposition and align drawings
1. In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the Reposition Drawingtool.

2. In the Camera view, Ctrl + click (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + click (Mac OS X) to select the drawing to reposition. You can also select the drawing layer or the parented peg in the Timeline view.
The Reposition Drawing controls appear in the Camera view. They are positioned on top of each other.
The source controls are represented by black lines. The destination controls are represented by dottedblue lines.
3. On your first drawing (reference drawing), position the black source controls to indicate the position atwhich all other drawings will be aligned.

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4. In the Timeline view, move to the next drawing.
5. In the Camera view, move the blue destination controls to match the reference position you set on the original drawing. You can use the long handle to rotate the position. If you rotate the control multiple times,
the drawing will rotate multiple times.

6. Select the blue checkbox once the position is correct.
7. Repeat the previous two steps for all drawings in your animation.

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8. Once all the drawings are completed, in the Drawing view, verify that the drawing strokes are correctlyaligned.

9. If necessary, delete the last keyframe if the last drawing moves back to the reference drawing's position.

10. If the animation does not require interpolation, in the Timeline view, select the newly created keyframes.
In the Timeline toolbar, click the Set Stop-Motion Keyframe
button to remove any computer-generated interpolation.

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Ordering Layers Over TimeThe layer ordering system in Harmony saves time and simplifies your work. There is no need to create a new layer
or copy and paste artwork into other layers to change the order. The Z-axis (forward/backward) allows you tocreate a multiplane and move elements closer or farther from the camera. This allows you to move the puppet’s
pieces in front of or behind other ones without physically changing the layer position.

Harmony provides you with a shortcut to move the piece with a micro nudge on the Z-axis. A keyframe is created
where different Z values can be entered. This allows the piece to move forward and backwards in space without
requiring you to change the drawing’s original position or break the layer hierarchy. This also means that the layerordering is maintained throughout the scene. You can combine animation assets so Harmony can interpolatethem.
How to nudge elements on the Z-axis
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform
2. In the Tools toolbar, click the Animate

tool or press Shift + T.
button.

3. In the Camera view, select the part to be repositioned and hold down the Alt key.
4. Using the Up or Down arrow keys, nudge the part until it moves to the desired position.

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Resetting a Transformation
If you made too many transformations and it's not going where you want it to go, or simply because you want
to reset a pose you're reusing from another animation, you can reset your character's position. Once the layers
are positioned in the Camera view, you can easily return them to their original position. There are threedifferent ways to reset a transformation.
Using the Reset command, you can reset 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.
The Reset All option resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer. Your keyframe willremain, but all the values will return to the default position. All transformations are reset regardless of the tool
you're using.
The Reset All Except Z option 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 Z ordering for the different viewsof a character. You might want to reset the transformation, but not necessarily the Z position.
In the Timeline view, you can also use the Clear All Values command to reset all transformation values on theselected layers. Right-click on the selected layers and select Layers > Clear All Values.

NOTE: When using the Transform tool to select elements in the Camera view, always make sure the Peg Selection
Mode option in the Tool Properties view is disabled or it will limit the selection to peg only.

How to reset the transformation on the current frame
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or any Advanced Animation

tool.

2. In the Timeline view or directly in the Camera view, select the drawing layer(s) to reset.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Reset or press Shift + R.
The selected layer(s) return to their original position.

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How to reset all transformations on the current frame
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or any Advanced Animation

tool.

2. In the Timeline view or directly in the Camera view, select the drawing layer(s) to reset.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Reset All or press Shift + R.
The selected layer(s) return to their original position.
How to reset all transformations except the Z position on the current frame
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or any Advanced Animation

tool.

2. In the Timeline view or directly in the Camera view, select the drawing layer(s) to reset.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Reset All Except Z.
The selected layer(s) return to their original position, except for the Z values.

Creating Cycles
You can create cycles from a portion of your animation or completely reverse the flow of your animation.
How to create an animation cycle
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell range and keyframes to loop.

2. From the top menu, select Edit > Copy Cells From the Timeline.
3. In the Timeline view, select the cell where you want your cycles to start.

4. From the top menu, select one of the following:‣

Edit > Paste Cycle or press Ctrl + / (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + / (Mac OS X).

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The Paste Special dialog box opens.

‣

Edit > Paste Special or press Ctrl + B (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + B (Mac OS X).
The Paste Special dialog box opens.

5. In the Number of Cycles field, enter the number of cycles to paste.
6. In the Cycle Type menu, select a type of cycle to paste.

‣

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

‣

Reverse: Pastes the selection reversed, beginning with the last cell and ending with the first.

‣

Forward -> Reverse: Pastes the selection as a yo-yo, starting with the first cell, going to the last celland ending with the first cell.

‣

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

7. Click OK.

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How to create a reverse animation cycle
1. In the Timeline view, select the cell range and keyframes to paste inverted.

2. From the top menu, select Edit > Copy.
3. In the Timeline view, select the cell where you want the cycles to start.

4. From the top menu, select Edit > Paste Reverse or press Ctrl + . (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + . (Mac OS X).

Adding Pegs
Now that you have your puppet on stage, you probably need to resize and reposition it to fit the scene. When you
need to scale down or move a character, it's a good idea to hook (attach) the whole puppet to a trajectory.
In Harmony, there is a type of layer you can add to your timeline, allowing you to create a motion path or
reposition drawings. This trajectory layer is called a peg. Any drawing or layer you hook to a peg will follow thedefined motion path, rotation, scaling and skewing information.
Attaching your puppet to a peg allows you to scale and reposition it without having to do the same on all thedifferent parts and pieces. Only one layer will contain the position information, making your animation easier tomodify and control.
Next, position your character on the stage by moving it and scaling it to the correct size. You will not scale eachlayer individually. You can do it on the top symbol or top peg layer.

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How to add a repositioning peg
1. In the Timeline view, select the top layer on which you want to parent a peg.

NOTE: You must select a layer to be able to add a peg to your scene. Unless you use the Display All mode from the
Display toolbar, an error message will display if you try to add a peg without any selection.

2. In the Timeline view, click the Add Peg

button.

A new peg is added to the timeline as a parent of the selected layer.

3. Double-click on the name of new peg layer and rename it: Master_Peg.

4. In the Timeline view, select all the layers you want to attach to the new peg. Remember that one item isalready parented to that peg.

5. Drag the selection and drop it on the peg layer to parent all the character's pieces to the peg. If your layers are added above the already-parented layers, move that parented layer back on top of the layer
stack.

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How to reposition a character
1. In the Timeline view, select the top peg layer (master peg).
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool and disable the Animate

mode.

3. In the Camera view, position the character.

Offsetting a Portion of an Animation
If there is a section of the animation that you want to reposition, such as the head's height or the puppet's
position, you can do so using the function curve.
How to reposition a portion of an animation
1. In the Timeline view, click the Expand Function
button of the body part layer to reposition. If you want
to reposition the entire body, expand the master peg's parameters.

2. Double-click on the layer's parameter controlling the keyframes you want to reposition.

The Function Editor opens.

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3. In the Function editor, select the keyframes you want to reposition by tracing a selection box.

4. Click the Show Current Frame
do them.

button to view the transformation results in the Camera view as you

5. Drag the keyframe selection up or down to reposition the sequence.

6. Close the Function editor.

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Chapter 11: Export Harmony Animations to Unity

At this point, if you have a custom game engine, you can take the exported data and proceed with your usual
process. Or you can modify the export script to fit your convention.
If you’re going into Unity, here are some things you need to do:•

Exporting the Animation on page 325•

Opening the Sample Unity Project on page 330•

Working in Unity on page 330

Exporting the Animation
First, you must put the script in your Scripting toolbar (TB_ExportToSpriteSheets). This script is included in thelatest build of Harmony. Make sure to verify that you have the latest version of Harmony.
If you were already using a previous build of the Gaming Pipeline, you will need to remove the old scripts fromyour preferences, so you can use the new scripts.
How to clear your scripts
1. Close Harmony if it is open.
2. Browse to the script folder location:•

Windows:••

Toon Boom Harmony Advanced: C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom StageEssentials\1200scripts

Mac OS X:
On Mac OS X, the Library folder is a hidden folder. To display the display the folder, told
down the Alt key.
•

Toon Boom Harmony Advanced: /Users/[user_name]325

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Essentials/1200-scripts
3. Delete the 1200-scripts folder.
4. Restart Harmony and test the export.
How place the script in the Scripting toolbar
1. From the top menu, select Windows > Toolbars > Scripting.
2. In the Scripting toolbar, click the Manage Scripts

button to display the Scripts Manager.

3. In the Scripts Manager, select TB_ExportToSpriteSheets from the Files column.
4. In the Functions column, select TB_ExportToSpriteSheets and then click the right arrow button to add
it to the toolbar.
5. Click OK.
6. Run the script by clicking the New icon on the right side of the Scripting toolbar.
The Export to Sprite Sheets dialog box opens.

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7. Set the Save Path to the correct folder in your Unity project if you want it to update automatically. If not,you can save anywhere, then transfer the animation into your Unity project, or any other game engine youwant to use.
8. Set your sprite sheet preferences:
Parameter

Description

Max Width, Max HeightThis is a value, in pixels, fpr 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 Resolution

Creates a texture of the specified size (Max Width and Max Height) even if it
does not fill it up completely.

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 Frames

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Threshold
Size of the render of the individual sprite, when it exports each drawing out.
The exporter will export to multiple resolutions based on the settings.

Sprite Resolutions

Saves different animations of the same character into the same Save Name. For
example, if there's an idle, run, and jump animation, these should all share thesame Save Name. You can think of it as the overall collection of animations.
Inside are the different saved scene versions whose drawings you can reuse forall the animations in that character set. Each scene version will be displayed as
an item in the list.
When you export an animation, only the drawings used in that scene areexported. All the drawings are exported individually first and then atlased
together into a sprite sheet.
If you save multiple animations to the same Save Name (i.e. SpaceDuck: run,idle), then it will re-atlas the sprite sheet to include all the drawings from all theanimations in that folder, creating a new animation file, but reusing the same
skeleton.

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.

NOTE:
Programmers may be interested to note that the XML data exported by Harmony can be converted afterwards to amore optimized binary data structure. The binary converter is not yet available for Harmony, but it can be compiled
manually in the game engine package. The C++ code that handles the data structure can be reused and parsed inyour own code if you want to integrate with other game engines.

Additional Note•

The Transparency parameter attached to the element node is exported along with the animation. You
can set the transparency through the Layer Properties window (Advanced tab).

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Harmony Game Previewer

If you are not a developer and would like to see if your animations and rigs will work once imported in Unity, you
can use the Harmony Previewer application. You can visualize your characters in the Unity game engine with noprogramming required.
To get the latest version of the Harmony Game Previewer, visit our Gaming landing page:•

toonboom.com/games

How to use the previewer on Windows
1. Download the Harmony Game Previewer for Windows:‣

download.toonboom.com/games/GamePreviewer-11.1.0.0047-windows.zip

2. Extract the following to your hard drive:‣

GamePreviewer-[version].exe‣

GamePreviewer-[version]_Data folder

3. Copy your export from Harmony to this folder:‣

GamePreviewer-[version]_Data\StreamingAssets\HarmonyResources\

4. Start the Game Previewer application.
5. Select the export you want to preview.
How to use the previewer on Mac OS X
1. Download the Harmony Game Previewer for Mac OS X:‣

download.toonboom.com/games/GamePreviewer-11.1.0.0047-macosx.zip

2. Extract the GamePreviewer-[version].app.

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3. Right-click on the GamePreviewer-[version].app and select Show Package Contents.
4. Copy your export from Harmony to this folder: Contents/Data/StreamingAssets/HarmonyResources/
5. Start the Game Previewer application.
6. Choose the export you want to preview

Opening the Sample Unity ProjectToon Boom includes a sample Unity project that contains all the scripts necessary to import the data exported
from Harmony. Inside this project is an Assets folder which contains the following folders:•

Plugins•

Scenes (demo scenes and a previewer)•

Scripts (all Harmony scripts)•

StreamingAssets (this is where all the Harmony scene files should be exported to)

By configuring the Harmony script, you can automatically export animations into the StreamingAssets folder.
This way, Unity will dynamically load the most up-to-date assets as soon as they appear in the folder. You canalso manually place exported Harmony data into this location.

Working in Unity
The Harmony Gaming Animation Guide is a basic guide on how to import Harmony projects and configure
them, design and animate characters, and includes some tips. It is not meant as a guide on how to program
games.

The Unity Interface
Here are the main components of the Unity interface and their equivalents in Harmony:
Unity

Harmony

Description

Scene view

Perspective view

This is where you set the scene–selecting and positioning environments, the player, the camera, enemies,
and all other GameObjects.

Game view

Camera view

The rendered view from the camera(s) in your game. It isrepresentative of your final, published game.

Inspector

Layer Properties

Displays detailed information about the selected
GameObject, including all attached Components andtheir properties.

Hierarchy

Layers in Timeline view

Displays the hierarchy of elements in the scene, and lets
you set up parent-child relationships for different gameobjects.

Project Browser---

Lets you access and manage a project's assets.

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The Main camera displays the scene and is located in the Hierarchy. To show a Harmony object, you must add a
special component. With the main camera selected, in the Inspector, select Add Component > Scripts >Harmony Camera.

GameObjects
GameObjects are the fundamental objects in Unity that represent characters, props and scenery. Basicallyeverything you create in Unity will be a GameObject. There are two main types of GameObject you can use toimport Harmony data:•

Create Empty: This creates a regular GameObject in which you can load the exported Harmony data. All
the individual body parts on the sprite sheet come in as separate elements, but are treated as one whole
object with a dynamically created bounding box. If you put a transparency on this object, you would see
the overlapping transparencies of all the individual objects. This creates a higher-quality render and shouldbe the default if you’re not animating the transparency of an object. With this option, direct rendering will
read the depth information in the scene but not write it. Note that with this option, the rendering cannot
be customized.

•

Create Other > Plane: Renders the entire character to a plane. This renders your character to texture
data. If you animate the transparency of the plane, then the transparency of the rendered output isanimated; you won't see the transparencies of the overlapping elements. However, you will have one static
bounding box the size of the plane that you render to.
Use this option when you want to animate the transparency of a character in a scene. Also, you can write
your own custom shaders. Simply set the Render Target to eRenderTarget. You can see an example of thisin the sample project DemoRenderTarget.

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Harmony > Harmony Object: Lets you browse for the exported Harmony project folder. If you’ve
already saved this to your StreamingAssets folder, you can browse to it through there. Then it adds the
Harmony scene to your Unity file, and sets up the rendering, audio, and animation scripts you need toget going.

•

Harmony > Harmony Texture Object: Lets you browse for the exported Harmony project folder
similarly to Harmony Object, but creates a Unity plane to render your animation on it.

To understand fully the process, here's are two examples using an empty GameObject and a plane
GameObject with the SpaceCat demo file. Everything you do will be based on the GameObject you create toload your Harmony data.
How to use an empty GameObject
1. Select GameObject > Create Empty.
1. Rename the empty GameObject so it's clear in the Hierarchy. Since we're using the SpaceCat demo file,rename the GameObject to SpaceCat by doing one of the following:‣

Double-click on the name and rename it in the Hierarchy.

‣

Select the GameObject and rename it in the Inspector.

2. At this point, it’s an empty object. Accessing Harmony data is done through scripts.
‣

Select the SpaceCat GameObject.

‣

In the Inspector, go to Add Component > Scripts > Harmony Renderer.

A new section appears in the Inspector called Harmony Renderer (Script).

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This will let you load an animation file. You must put the path of the asset relative to theHarmonyResources folder. Before this, you must export from Harmony directly to this folder, or manually
copy and paste the data here.
3. You exported a scene called SpaceCat. In the Project Folder, place HarmonyResources/SpaceCat under
the Transform information at the top, under Scale. Set the values to 0.01 for X, Y, and Z because thedefault Harmony project is for an HD screen.
4. You won’t see anything until you define a few parameters:‣

Set the Clip Name Size to 1. A second field will appear, Element 0.

‣

Enter the clip name for the animation you want to load.

5. Double-check on the right Clip Name to put in Element 0; you can check the output you exported from Harmony.
6. Double-check the stage.xml file, which was exported to the folder you specified when exporting from
Harmony. Our default export path is to StreamingAssets, so it will automatically load in the game engine.
7. Look in the Project tab, under Assets > StreamingAssets > HarmonyResources > [ExportName].
You’ll find the data that was exported. In this case, we’re looking for SpaceCat. Select the file marked
stage to load the data you want to double-check.

The text data appears in the Inspector.

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The name to use for loading the object is the stage name. In this case, SpaceDuck_SpaceCatIdle.
8. If your GameObject has animation in it, and you want it to load the animation data from the Harmony
export, add one more component by doing the following:‣

Select the GameObject.

‣

In the Inspector, select Add Component and select Scripts > Harmony Animation.

2. To loop the animation, you must set a GameObject to define it:‣

Select GameObject > Create Empty and rename it: LoopAll.

‣

Click the LoopAll GameObject to display its properties in the Inspector.

‣

Click Add Component > Scripts > Loop All.

When you play the animation, it will loop as it plays back. The Loop All command simply iterates on all
GameObjects on runtime and asks them to loop, which is useful when testing the animation. When
programming the actual game, you should write additional scripts to control the different elements
separately.
How to use a plane GameObject
1. Select GameObject > Create Other > Plane.
2. Select Add Component > Scripts > Harmony Renderer.
3. Set Size to 1 and Element to 0 on the clip name as per previous instructions.
4. Set Render Target to eRender Texture.
5. Render Texture Viewport:‣

X: To reposition the animation correctly; it should be -½ the width of your Harmony project.

‣

Y: To reposition the animation correctly; it should be -½ the height of your Harmony project.

‣

W: Width of your Harmony project‣

H: Height of your Harmony project.

6. Use the custom Shader created by Toon Boom to have a transparent background with premultipliedalpha channel. This is what produces nice, antialiased drawings in your output.
1. With the Plane selected in the Inspector, go to Mesh Renderer > Materials. Under Element 0, selectUnlitTransparentPremultiplied.
7. If you're starting with the Toon Boom demo project, this renderer should already be loaded in your list.

You can also write your own custom shaders and use them here.

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2. You must also add the animation component. Select the Plane. In the inspector, click Add Component >Scripts > Harmony Animation.

Placing a Target in an Imported Animation
It’s possible that after importing the Harmony animation into the Unity scene, you may want to assign a target tosome piece of the animation. For example, in the Space Duck scene, the character has a gun. Perhaps you want to
attach some other action, such as shooting spheres and cubes out of the end of the gun.
You can see some examples of this in the provided Unity project. The first example in the demo scene is called
DemoLocator which shows a simple cylinder attaching to the end of the gun.
The second example called DemoCallback shows the gun shooting spheres and cubes.
When you set up your character in Harmony, you can access any drawing layer in Unity later and use its pivot point
to attach things. For this reason, you should set the pivot points on your drawing layers with the Rotate tool.
You can also create an empty drawing layer. Use Create Empty Drawing to create a blank drawing, ensuring that
this drawing layer will be exported. Then you can use the Rotate tool to set the pivot point on this drawing layer.
In the Space Duck example, an empty drawing layer called hook_gun was created on which you can attach thelocator.
When you access the imported Harmony character in Unity, you can access the data with a script.
How to set a target to a part of a character
1. Select Game Object > Create Empty to add a new GameObject to extract the target's position, rotation,and scale.
2. Drag and drop the new object so that it's a child of the character.
It becomes indented.
1. Rename the GameObject to: Hook Gun.

2. In the Inspector of the target object, select Add Component > Scripts > Harmony Locator.
3. Enter the name of the drawing layer to which you want to attach.

4. To find the exact name for the Locator Name, look at the skeleton.xml file in the Streaming Assets
folder. You can find it in Streaming Assets > Harmony Resources > Name of Harmony File > skeleton.

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All the drawing and peg layers are listed. In this example, look for space_duck_hook_gun. Havingdrawing layers with distinctive names makes them easy to recognize when you need to retrieve them.
You can copy the name of the layer into the Locator Name to see the Transform information updating
dynamically as you run the simulation.
5. Now you can attach anything as a child of this Locator Object. For testing purposes, you could attach acylinder for example. In a real example, you’d want something to shoot out of the end of the gun, so
you can see the Callback example to verify how that works.

Bounding Boxes and Collisions
Extracting the bounding box information is useful when you want to make something collide with yourcharacter. When you put a 2D character into a 3D scene, you may want to use Physics to make the 2D
character collide with the 3D plane. To use the following scripts, you will need Unity 4.3 or higher.
In the Demo scene, open the DemoPhysics example to see collisions and bounding boxes. In this example,
there’s a 3D plane and some 2D characters. The 2D characters have a collision defined with their boundingbox, and they're also reacting to the physics of the scene to fall with gravity.
Colliders were improved to provide several different types of colliders for use in Unity. You can select polygon
colliders and box colliders for a more accurate bounding box.
How to enable a collision based on the bounding box of the character
1. Select your imported character.
3. In the inspector, select Add Component > Physics 2D > Box Collider 2D.
4. To enable the Physics on the character, go to Add Component > Physics 2D > Rigid Body 2D.

NOTE: You can also use 3D physics on the imported files.

You can now adjust the variables and see the results.

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Working with Audio
When you create scene files in Harmony with audio, the audio is exported into the project folder. However it’s
important to understand how the game is built to determine the best way to handle audio.
When a game is built from Unity, it creates its own database for holding the assets. Within the export, theStreaming Assets folder is preserved intact. This is what enables the Toon Boom plugin to access those assets on
the fly, and render them in the camera to create the final animation you see on the screen.
However when it comes to audio, the game first looks for the audio in the Unity database. So this is the mostefficient place to store the audio for the real game.

If audio can't be found in the Unity database, then the game looks in the Streaming Assets folder to find theaudio. When it does, it copies the audio on-the-fly back into the Unity database. Since this action is quite costly,
don’t leave the audio in the Streaming Assets folder for the final game. It’s fine to leave it there while you’re
testing, but not for the final game.
The audio should be copied back into the Unity database, either manually or by automating this process with ascript.

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Chapter 12: Troubleshooting
Unity Questions
Q. My Harmony asset does not appear in the Unity Editor.
A. There are several possible reasons for this. Check the following:‣

Has the HarmonyRenderer plugin been copied to the Assets/Plugins directory? The plugin is named
HarmonyRenderer.bundle on Mac OS X and HarmonyRenderer.dll on Windows.

‣

Is the clip name valid ? Make sure the clip name exists in the stage.xml file.

‣

Are the binary files up to date? If you updated the Toon Boom Game Engine SDK to a newer version,
make sure to regenerate the binary files if you use them so they’re compatible with the SDK.

Q. My Harmony asset does not appear in iOS or Android when exported from Unity.
A. There are several possible reasons for this. Check the following:‣

Make sure the Harmony assets are copied in the StreamingAssets directory. Since theHarmonyRenderer plugin cannot use Unity’s asset database, the Harmony assets were packaged asplain files so they are accessible to the plugin.

‣

Is the plugin for iOS the same version as the one used for the editor? The plugin for iOS is in the
Assets/Plugins/iOS directory.

‣

Is the clip name spelled correctly? Windows and Mac OS X aren’t usually case sensitive file systems, but
iOS and Android are. This implies that an asset that is visible on the editor will not appear on themobile platform because it cannot be found.

‣

Make sure the size of your sprite sheets does not exceed the hardware limit of the device you're
working on. Otherwise, the texture might not appear at all.

‣Is the path to the project folder an absolute path? If it is, it might not work on the mobile device as thatpath will not exist on the platform. Make sure to use relative paths to the StreamingAssets
directory.

Q. My Harmony asset does not composite properly with other 2D sprites in Unity. The 2D sprites always appear
behind the Harmony assets even if I change the order index in the GameObjects.
A. The 2D sprites from Unity and the Harmony assets cannot currently composite together. There are, however,
several solutions for working around this problem:
Use 2D textures instead of 2D sprites. The 2D textures, when attached to a geometry in Unity, will composite likethe other 3D elements in the scene and you can change the compositing order by incrementing or decrementing
the Z value of the transform.
Use multiple cameras to render your scene in parts. Here’s how:Harmony Camera
1. Create a new camera.
2. Make sure you set the Harmony GameObjects to a specific layer (top-right of the game object inspector).
3. In the camera, set the culling mask to this layer (and the other layers you want rendered in the background).
4. Add the HarmonyCamera component to this camera so the Harmony GameObjects render properly.

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Sprite Camera
1. Create a new camera.
2. Make sure to set the 2D sprite objects to a specific layer.
3. In the camera, set the culling mask to this layer (and the other layers you want rendered in front of the
2D sprites).
4. Make sure to set the clear flags to Depth Only or Don't Clear.
5. Set the depth to be higher than the Harmony camera.
6. Afterwards, if you move the camera, make sure to move both cameras simultaneously if you want tokeep Game Ojects in sync.
Q. How can you specify the frame rate of the animation? My animation does not play at the same frame rate inHarmony and in the Game Previewer in the Unity Editor.
A. The Game Previewer previews the animation at a default of 24 frames per second. In your game, using theHarmonyAnimation component, you can schedule animations at the speed you want.
ExampleHarmonyAnimation animation = GetComponent<HarmonyAnimation>();if (animation != null){animation.PlayAnimation( frameRate, clipName );}Q. I cannot see my character in the Scene view in Unity. Is there any way to preview the Harmony asset?
A. Since the rendering of Harmony assets is implemented in a plugin, it does not update any Renderer
component in the GameObject, and so cannot be shown directly in the Scene view.
However, you should still be able to preview your assets in the Game view (even when not playing). To help findand position assets, we also added bounding box shapes rendered in the editor and the Game view.
Q. How is memory management handled in Unity for Harmony assets?
A. Most of the memory extensive algorithms are executed in the C++ plugin. The data structure is maintained
alive as long as a GameObject refers to it. This means you can instantiate as many clones of a character without
reloading the data. Upon destruction, the GameObject will issue a clean-up call to the plugin and delete its
associated rendering object. The sprite sheet and animation data are kept alive as long as a single
GameObject uses them and a cleanup call is issued once they are destroyed.
Q. The Harmony assets memory does not appear in the Unity profiler. Can we profile the assets memory?
A. The Unity profiler does not pick up Harmony assets in its traces. Since the Harmony GameObject refers to a
C++ plugin for its asset management and rendering, its memory cannot be recorded in the profiler. Profilers
such as the one provided with XCode or Visual Studio should allow you to track your application’s memory
including the Harmony assets and should also provide a more accurate result.

General Questions
Q. How can you specify the resolution used for the drawings in the sprite sheet?

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A. The drawing resolution is not fixed in Harmony. Since you're exporting the scene to multiple sprite sheets in
multiple resolutions, every drawing will have a different resolution in the end. You can use the Drawing view to see
the resolution of a drawing compared to the rest of the scene. By enabling the light table in the Drawing view, youwill see all of the scene’s drawings untransformed in the same proportion as they will appear in the sprite sheet.
More specifically, the resolution used in the sprite sheet for a drawing is the size it appears untransformed in the
Camera view, scaled to the sprite sheet resolution ("Sprite Resolutions" in the Export Sprite Sheet dialog box).
Once you know that, you can easily adjust the size of a single drawing. Use the Select tool to scale down adrawing and use the Transform tool to scale it back up so it does not change visually in the Camera view. Thisshould allow you to alter the size of drawings in the sprite sheet.
Q. The assets take time to load on mobile devices. Is there any way to speed up the process?
A. Harmony exports an interchange XML format that is intended to be compatible with multiple game engines.
However, reading data from the XML files is slow and this is mostly intended to test the assets in your project. At
some point, they should be converted to a binary compact data structure that can be read into memory a lot
faster than the XML.
You can use the Xml2Bin tool provided with the game engine SDK to convert your XML files to binary. This tool isin the Utils/Xml2Bin folder and a precompiled version for Mac OS X is available in the Utils/macosx folder.
Q. There are problems with the character I exported in the game engine. Pieces are not exported or are notshowing in the proper order. What can I do ?
A. To integrate with the game engine SDK, all animations in Harmony must follow certain guidelines. Here aresome of the key points for building a character that is compatible with the rendering in the game engine SDK:‣

Build your rig in the Timeline view. The game engine SDK data structure is similar to what is displayed in
the Timeline view and an advanced node system might not always export properly.

‣

Because every top level node in your scene will render separately in the game engine SDK, they may notintersect. A top level node is also isolated in its separate sprite sheet to allow the artist better memory
segmentation of the character. If you created a character with top level nodes and this was not theintended result, create a top level group or peg to group them all together.

‣Use micro-Z ordering if necessary. With no Z ordering, a child layer will appear behind its parent (as it
does in Harmony). To change the ordering, add some Z offset to the child layer.

‣

The export script does not handle plain bitmap images. Toon Boom vector drawings and Toon Boom
bitmap drawings are supported though.

‣The export script does not handle symbols.

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Glossaryalpha channel

An image channel that carries transparency information. An image already has
three channels: red, green and blue (RGB). The alpha channel is the fourthchannel (RGBA). The matte, or the transparency information, is stored in thisfourth channel. An image without an alpha channel is always opaque.

animatic

A movie with sound that is developed from the storyboard. The storyboard
panel is exposed for the duration of the scene and at times, the characters areplaced on a trajectory to indicate motion. The camera moves are also
animated. The animatic is used to determine the rhythm of a project andprovides a good overview of the project before beginning production.

animation

A simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures or frames.

anime

An animation style known for its sinister and dark feel; popular in Japan.

arc

Action rarely occurs in a straight-forward manner; rather it typically unfolds inwhat storytellers refer to as an arc. The purpose of a story arc is to move acharacter or situation from one state or scenario to the next.

aspect ratio

The relationship between the width and height dimensions for any scene,
frame or film format. Television ratio is 4:3 and widescreen ratio is 16:9.

auto-feed

An automated method of feeding drawings into a scanner in which multiple
drawings are stacked into a sheet feeder. When the scanner is activated, thedrawings are scanned consecutively, without further user intervention.

automatic lip-sync detection

Automatically mapping drawings in an element to the mouth chart generated
for a sound. This can save time when lip-syncing a voice track.
An imaginary line around which an object rotates.

axis

For 2D graphics, there are two axes: X (horizontal and Y (vertical).
For 3D graphics, there are three axes: X (horizontal, Y (vertical) and Z (depth).

background

The part of a scene that is farthest to the rear. The background is the artwork,or decor, against which the animation takes place.

Bézier

A method of defining curved lines invented by French mathematician Pierre
Bézier. A Bézier curve is a mathematical or parametric curve. Bézier curves use
at least three points to define a curve.

bitmapAn image composed of pixels with a single resolution (size). If it is enlarged
too much, it will lose definition and pixels will begin to appear. This is known
as pixelation.
In cut-out animation, breakdown is the action of breaking a character into
pieces to create a puppet with articulations. To break down a character, theartist cuts parts, such as the hands and arms, from the character's model andpastes them in separate layers. Next, the joints are fixed and the pivots set.

breakdown
In traditional animation, a breakdown is an animation pose generally foundbetween two key poses. The key poses are the main poses in an animationand the breakdowns are secondary poses, ones that help describe the motion
and the rotation curve (usually referred to as an arc).

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Camera shake occurs in a scene when the camera moves slightly and quickly inseveral directions. This gives the impression of an impact, vibration or, forexample, bumps on the road.

captionA text field containing dialogue, effects, sound, or slugging information in astoryboard.

cel

In traditional animation, a cel (also known as celluloid) is a transparent sheeton which the animation is inked and painted before being sent to the camera.
The picture's outline is drawn on the front of the cel and then coloured along
the back.
In Harmony, a cel is an individual space in an Xsheet column from which you can
expose a drawing or a function's coordinate.

character design

Each character in an animated film is drawn from multiple angles in posterstyle format, called a model sheet, which serves as a reference for the
animators.

clean up

After rough drawings have been tested and approved, all the noise in theimage (excess lines, notes, etc) is removed to create final drawings which canbe inked, painted and shot. The cleanup process refers to either tracing aclean line over a rough drawing to achieve the final version, or removing dirt
and extra lines left by the scanning process.

CMYK

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. Refers to the process used by printers to definecolour on the printed page.

colour card

A colour card is a solid colour card that is the same size as the camera. The
colour card can be used to fill the background with a solid colour when there isno background image included.

colour model

The official colour design that must be used to paint the animation. A model isthe definitive character, prop, or location design that each artist must follow
for the production.

colour wheel

A display of the colour spectrum in the form of a circle.

compositing

Compositing is the action of incorporating all of a scene's elements to create
the final result prior to rendering. For example, the compositing artist will
import all the animation sequences, background, overlays and underlays in thescene and position them correctly. The artist will then set the camera frame
and animate it, if needed. Finally, the animator will create all the computergenerated effects for the project.

cross dissolve

An effect used to fade two scenes, one into the other.

cut

A direct transition between two scenes. When a cut is used, there are notransition effects inserted to pass from one scene to the next. The first sceneends and the second one starts immediately.

cut-out animation

The action of animating characters made of several pieces by moving themaround frame by frame. Cut-out animation can either be computer generated
or done traditionally using paper.

cycle

A group of images that together make up an action, such as walking. A cycle isan action repeated as a loop over a period of time. It can be a series ofanimated drawings or keyframes.

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dialogue

The text spoken by a character in a movie or animation.

dope sheet

Used by animators, directors and other members of a crew to track thesequence and timing of images, dialogue, sound effects, sound tracks andcamera moves. Also known as an exposure sheet or Xsheet.

dopingTo assign a particular drawing to a range of frames.

DPI

Dots per inch is the standard measure of resolution for computerized printers.
It is sometimes applied to screens, in which case it should more accurately bereferred to as pixels per inch. Either way, the dot is the smallest discreteelement making up the image.

ease/velocity

In animation, the ease, also known as velocity, is the acceleration anddeceleration of a motion. It can be a motion created by a function curve, or aseries of animated drawings. Other common terms for ease-in and ease-out
are slow-in and slow-out.

ease-in

Gradual acceleration in the action. Also known as slow-in.

ease-out

Gradual deceleration in the action. Also known as slow-out.

establishing shot

A scene in which the viewer can see the whole area in which a sequence ishappening. For example, if a child is playing on the ground in front of his
house, the establishing shot would be a scene where the viewer can see thehouse, the ground, a part of the street and the buildings around the central
point of action. This helps the viewer understand the story location and sceneorientation.

exposure

In animation, an exposure is the number of cels on which a drawing appears inthe scene. For a drawing to appear longer, the exposure must be extended
over a greater number of cels.

exposure sheet

A sheet with several vertical columns and horizontal frames used to indicate ascene's timing. Each column represents a scene layer. The drawing numbers ineach column are indicated and repeated over the particular amount of frames
they need to appear.
The exposure sheet is used by animators, directors and other members of acrew to track the sequence and timing of images, dialogue, sound effects,
sound tracks and camera moves. Also known as a dope sheet.

fade in/fade out

Fade in or fade out is a transition effect used to open or close a sequence. A
fade in occurs when the first scene appears progressively, from complete
transparency to its complete opacity. A fade out occurs when the last scene
progressively disappears, going from complete opacity to complete
transparency.

fast-inDramatic acceleration at the start of the action.

fast-out

Dramatic acceleration at the end of the action.

field

In animation, a field is a measurement unit used to calculate motion,
registration and camera positioning. A standard animation scene will vary
between 6 to 12 fields.

field chart

A guide containing all the field units that animation and layout artists use todetermine a scene size or camera motion.

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A resolution that is ideal for the widescreen film format that conforms to thestandard 4:3 pixel aspect ratio.

film-1.66

A resolution that is ideal for the widescreen film format that conforms to the
16:9 pixel aspect ratio. (The pixels are wider than they are high).

flipping

In traditional animation, flipping is the action of going through the drawings ofan animation sequence very quickly in order to see the animation in motion.
Flipping can also be the action of creating a mirror transformation of an
object.

follow-throughThe secondary motion caused by the main action. For example, a character
wearing a cloak is running. The main action is the body running. This will cause
the cloak to follow the motion, although it will not move at the same time, but
react a few frames later and follow the main motion curve.

forward kinematics

Forward kinematics is a feature used to animate principally 3D characters andcut-out puppets with hierarchy. It is used to animate a puppet from one ofparent parts, such as a shoulder, and make the rest of the arm move with it asa single piece.

frame

A single photographic image in a movie. In traditional animation, the North
American standard generally contains 24 frames per second, while in Europe
the standard is 25 frames per second.
The frame rate is the speed at which the frames are played. They are generally
calculated by frame per second. For example, a scene could be played back at
12, 24, 25, 30 or 60 frames per second or any other number.

frame rate

This is the measurement of the frequency (rate) at which an imaging device
produces unique consecutive images, called frames. The term applies equallyto computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capturesystems.
Frame rate is most often expressed in frames per second (fps) and in
progressive-scan monitors as hertz (Hz).

functions

A computer-generated motion, trajectory or path on which elements, othertrajectories and effects parameters can be attached. The function can becontrolled by adding keyframes and control points on the function curve.

gamut

The range of colours that a particular device can represent.

HDTV

High Definition Television delivers a higher quality image than standard
television does because it has a greater number of lines of resolution. To takeadvantage of the superior quality and make full use of your resolution setting,the output device must be compatible with HDTV technology.

hold

A frame in the animation in which the character maintains its position without
moving. A hold can be created between any two keyframes.

HSV

Hue, Saturation, Value. A method of defining colours in terms of hue (tint),
saturation (shade) and value (tone or luminance).

in-between

The drawings that exist between the key poses. These are drawn to create
fluid transitions between poses.

ink and paint

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colouring the lines on the final animation drawings, while following a colour
model.
interpolation

The computer-generated motion created between two keyframes. You havethe choice to create interpolation, or not, between your keyframes.

jump cut

A jerky cut between two scenes. Typically, a jump cut is not visually pleasing. It
is generally caused by one scene ending, and a second one starting, with asimilar image. The lack of difference causes the eye to see a little jump
between the two scenes.

key pose

Important positions in the action defining the starting and ending points ofany smooth transition. Keys, or key poses, are the main drawings in an
animation sequence describing the motion. For example, if an arm is waving,
the keys will be of the arm at one extremity of the wave motion and the otherextremity. By flipping those drawings, the animator can see the skeleton of
the motion without having all the drawings.

keyboard shortcuts

One or more keyboard keys which, when used, cause an operation to be
performed.

keyframe

Important positions in the action defining the starting and ending points ofany action. A keyframe is a computer-generated position at a specific moment(frame) on a given trajectory.

layersIn animation, a layer is an individual column, level or character. A scene's layers
are superimposed to form the final image.
The communication step between the storyboard and the animation. It is theaction of putting the storyboard on model. That is, drawing the character byfollowing the design in the model pack, so the animator can start working.

layout
The layout artist draws the background, creates the camera and field guidematching the scene and camera motion. Lastly, the animator draws on model
the main action poses.
layout and posing

The action of putting on model. That is, at the right scale, the storyboard forthe animator to start working.

library

A storage area containing templates and assets that can be reused in any
project or scene.

light table

A device that allows you to see other layers in transparency while you areworking on a particular layer.

line of action

The direction that the action will follow. Also known as path of action.

lip-sync

The character's mouth synchronization with the dialogue sound track. Frameby frame, the mouth will be adjusted to fit the sound to give the illusion of thecharacter is speaking.

low resolution

A format that is ideal for videos destined for the web, where size and fast
download of a video file take precedence over quality. A low-resolution image
is one that lacks fine detail.

manual lip-sync detection

The manual swapping of mouth position drawings to match a voice track. For
this process, both sound scrubbing (listening to a sound wave broken up
frame-by-frame) and drawing substitutions are used.

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master palette

A group of colours attributed to a character or prop. The palette is usedthroughout the entire production to maintain consistency in the look and toensure that the same colours are used throughout the production. Also known
as palette.

model/colour model

The definitive character, prop or location design each artist must follow for a
production. A colour model is the official colour design that must be used topaint the animation.

motion keyframe

A keyframe with computer-generated interpolation.

mouth chart

A chart based on the eight animation phonemes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and X,
which is used to represent silence) used for lip-sync.

multiplane

The effect of passing through multiple levels of drawings to create a sense of
depth in a shot. A multiplane is a scene in which the layers are placed at
different distances from the camera so that when the camera moves, a depth
illusion occurs. With a multiplane, all the perspective and scale is calculated
automatically.

NTSC

The standard analogue television broadcasting system used in North America.
NTSC conforms to North American standards on how rectangular pixels are
displayed for computer and television screens.

nudge

A small push (left, right, up, down, forward or backward) done with the
keyboard arrow keys on a selected element. Nudging is used to move aselection very slightly and precisely.

onion skin

A feature that lets you see the previous and next drawings of a sequence.

overlay

A part of the scene environment, such as a chair or a bush, that is placed in
front of the main animation.

PAL

A resolution that works best with the European format for television andcomputer screens, as the rectangular pixels are displayed at a different
orientation.

palette/master palette

A palette or master palette is a group of colours attributed to a character or aprop. The palette is used throughout the entire project to maintain aconsistency in the look and avoid the colour changing during the animation.
Also referred to as a master palette.

palette style

A palette style is a second version of an existing palette with a slight change inthe tint and value. A palette style can be used to create the night version of apalette. It may also be called a clone palette.

pan

To move the camera across the scene in any direction.

panel

In a storyboard, a panel is a frame in a shot. A shot can be composed of one orseveral panels.

The paperless animation process is the action of animating digitally. The main
paperless animation/tradigital paperless animation process is to draw, frame by frame, the animation directlyin the software.
passing position

When drawing a walk sequence for a character, the passing position is thepoint at which one leg passes the other.

path of action

Direction that the action will follow. Also known as line of action.

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In traditional animation, a tool used to ensure accurate registration of action
as cel layers move. In digital animation, in which you are doing a moreadvanced puppet rigging, you can use peg layers. Peg layers are trajectory
layers that do not contain drawings. They are motion paths that you can use
to add path articulations. For the latter, you can also use the Inverse
Kinematics tool.

phonemeA unit of sound in a language.

pivot

The point around which a peg or drawing rotates.
The smallest element of an image displayed on a monitor or TV screen.

pixel

Pixel, short for picture element, is a single point in a graphic image. It is a small
sample of an image, a dot, a square, or a very small section made out ofsmooth filtering. If you zoom in close enough on a digital image, you will see
the pixels, which look like small squares of different colours and intensity.

pose-to-pose animation

The pose-to-pose animation process is the action of creating all the main
action poses, called key poses, and then placing the secondary poses between
the keys. The secondary poses are called breakdown. Finally, the animator fills
the gaps with the in-between drawings to achieve a smooth animation.

rendering

The final step when animating by computer. During rendering, the computer
takes each pixel that appears on screen and processes all of the components,
as well as adding motion blur before it produces a final image. The process of
calculating the final images after the compositing process.

resolution

The size of a scene, generally calculated in pixels. For example, the NTSC
resolution is 720 x 480. The resolution should match the final output: HDTV,
film-1.33, film-1.66, NTSC, PAL, low.

RGB

Red, Green, Blue. A method of defining colour by specifying amounts of thesethree colour components.

rigging

The process of attaching the various parts of a cut-out puppet.

rotary table

Equivalent to the animation disk/table, a device that allows you to rotate theworkspace for greater comfort while drawing.

rotoscoping

An animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film
movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. The act of sketchingover live-action footage to create an animated sequence.

roughs

The skeleton sketch of an animation or design. Roughs mainly consist of
sketch lines and shapes, though they can also contain design details.

safe area

The zone at the center of a scene's frame that is safe from being cropped by
the TV frame. As a TV frame cuts a margin off the original frame size,
maintaining a safe area ensures that the scene's main action will remain clearlyvisible once the film is screened on television.

scene

A shot in a movie or show. A sequence is composed of several scenes. A scenechanges to another scene by a simple cut or transition.

scriptThe original text containing all the movie or show information. In animation,
the script contains all of the location descriptions, dialogue, time and more. A
project starts with a script.

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A series of scenes or shots forming a distinct part of the story or movie,
usually connected by unity of location or time.

shot

A scene in a movie or show. A sequence is composed of several shots. A shotchanges to another shot by a simple cut or transition.

slow-in

The gradual acceleration in the action. Also known as ease-in.

slow-out

The gradual deceleration in the action. Also known as ease-out.

slugging

To indicate the start and stop times of dialogue and relevant actions.

sound scrubbing

A process that lets you hear sound in real time while you move the playhead
forward or backward. This is very useful for finely-tuning a lip-sync.

stop-motion keyframe

A keyframe with no computer-generated interpolation.

storyboard

A visual plan of all the scenes and shots in an animation. The storyboard
indicates what will happen, when it will happen and how the objects in a scene
are laid out.

straight-ahead

A technique in which an entire sequence is drawn from the first position to thelast, in order. There is very little planning in this methodology. Where thecharacter ends up and how it gets there can be a surprise for both theaudience and the animator. While this approach is spontaneous and creative,
it can create inaccurate results.

strokes

Invisible vector lines forming the drawing zones. They can be adjusted with
Bézier handles.

tablet/pen

A device used in conjunction with, or instead of, a mouse to move a mousepointer (sometimes referred to as the cursor) around the computer screen.

template

An asset stored in the library that can be reused in any project. A template canbe a drawing, a series of keyframes, a sound file, a panel, a cut-out character,an effect, a trajectory, an animation, or anything else used in the animation.

thumbnails

A very small image used as a reference or indicator.

timecode

The timing information printed on a movie clip to indicate the scene, hour,
minute and second that is currently displayed on the screen.

timeline

A horizontal representation of a scene's elements, timing and keyframes.

trace and paint

After the rough animations have gone through cleanup and a final line or pencil
test, each drawing is traced and painted for the final animation. In today's
digital world, this may be done in a variety ways other than the traditional
celluloid or acetate methods.

track breakdown

The break down of an animated film's soundtrack into individual sounds to
produce the precise frame-by-frame position of each sound.

traditional animation

A type of animation process whereby all the animation sequences are drawn
by hand on paper before scanning or inking them on cels.

trajectory

A computer-generated path or trajectory that elements can follow. The
trajectory can be controlled by control points, keyframes and velocity.

transition

An effect placed between two scenes as they pass from one to the other.
Common transition effects are cross-dissolve and wipe.

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underlay

In animation, an underlay is a specific part of the decor placed behind the main
animation.

aspect ratio

The aspect ratio describes the shape of the grid unit. A square grid unit would
have a 1:1 ratio , whereas a grid unit of aspect ratio 4:3 is a unit with one side
1.33 times as big as the other side.

vector

A vector-based image is composed of points and Bézier curves. The computer
reads the points and traces the segments, linking them to reproduce theimage shape. There is no fixed size or resolution in a vector image. The
graphic can be enlarged and distorted as much as desired and the system will
simply recalculate the segments and rebuild the shapes. Vector images aretranslated and displayed in pixels once the calculation is done.

velocity

In animation, the velocity, also known as ease, is the acceleration or
deceleration of a motion. This can be achieved by a function curve, or via aseries of animated drawings. Other common terms for ease-in and ease-out
are slow-in and slow-out.

walk cycle

A series of drawings "on the spot" that describe the walk for a character. The
illusion of movement is created by the use of background pans. To avoid
making innumerable drawings, animators routinely make a walk cycle for acharacter.
The Xsheet or exposure sheet, is a sheet with several vertical columns andhorizontal frames used to indicate a scene's timing.

Xsheet (exposure sheet)

Each column represents a scene's layer. In each column, the drawing numbers
are indicated and spread over the specific number of frames in which they
appear.
The exposure sheet is used by animators, directors and other members of thecrew to track the sequence and timing of images, dialogue, sound effects,
sound tracks and camera moves. Also known as dope sheet.

zone

An area which can be painted with colour.

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352

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Index
alpha channel 343
animatic 343
animatingmultiple sequences, gaming 20
animation 343
tips, gaming 19
anime 343
arc 343
aspect ratio 343, 351
auto-feed 343
axis 343
background 343
backing up
palettes 125
Bezier 343
bitmap images 343
Bitmap layer 157
Bone deformer
basic rig 230
Bone rig 231
Bone rigcreating 231
breakdown 343
character 193
brush size 27
Brush tooldrawing 23
size 27
brushes
exporting 43, 79, 90
importing 43, 78, 89
Camera layer 157
camera shake 344
caption 344

cel 344deleting 159

celluloid

duplicating 162

See cel. 344

modifying 161

character building

navigating 175

breaking down 193
character design 344

properties 160
types 157

drawing with brush 23

Xsheet 156

drawing with pencil 23

compositing 344

getting references 22

copying

preparation 21
sketching model 23
chart

drawings 177
cross dissolve 344
cut 344

field 25

cut-out animation 344

clean up 344

creating 282

cleaning

selecting layers 286

model 37

Cuttercloning

gaming guidelines 19

layers and columns 162
CMYK 344

cycle 344
cyclesColour-Card

exposure, creating 171

layer 158

deformation

colour card 344

basic rig 230

colour model 344, 348

Bone rig 231

colour palettes

chain, setting up bone andarticulation 233

back up 125
location 122
storage location 123

gaming guidelines 19
deleting
drawings 176

colour swatch
adding 31
colour wheel 344

design tools 21
Override 24
designing

colours 27
adding colour swatch 31

brush size 27
characters 34

columnschanging colour 180
cloning 162

drawing with brush 23
drawing with pencil 23
field chart 25

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getting references 22line up 25

thickness stencil, renaming 42

filling 162

drawing elements

filling empty cells 171

preparation 21

adding 159

filling selection 170

relative size 24

creating 155

sketching model 23

duplicating 162

filling sequence with single
exposure 169

dialogue 345

Drawing layer 157

dope sheet 345

drawing tools 21

doping 345

drawings
copying/pasting 177

drawingdeleting 176

brush size 27

duplicating 176

Brush tool 23

managing 175

brushes, exporting 43, 79, 90

merging 179

brushes, importing 43, 78, 89

navigating 175

characters 34

renaming 175

cleaning model 37

repositioning 26

colours 27
current drawing on top 39
deletiing thickness stencil 42

setting 169
typing in values 163
exposure sheet 345, 351
extendingexposure 163
fade-in 345
fade-out 345
field 345
field chart 25, 345

duplicatingdrawings 176

film-1.33 346
film-1.66 346

ease 345
setting on multiple parameters 295

flipping 346
follow-through 346

exporting brushes 43, 79, 90

ease-in 345

field chart 25

ease-out 345

importing brushes 43, 78, 89

Effect layer 157

inking model 37

establishing shot 345

line up 25

exportingforward kinematics 346
frame 346
frame rate 346
frames 154

model 35

brushes 43, 79, 90

Override tool 24

erasers 43, 79, 90

palettes 27

frame-by-frame, gaming 15

pencil presets, creating 42

palettes 123

pencil presets, selecting 41

pencils 43, 79, 90

Pencil tool 23, 40

inserting blank cells 168
moving cells 166

DPI 345

colour swatch, adding 31

increasing 167

exposure 345

presets, pencil 42

creating cycles 171

relative size 24

decreasing 167

tasks 38

deleting 168

thickness stencil, deleting 42

extending 163

adding before/after selection 155
navigating 175
functions 346
gaming 13
animating multiple sequences 20
animation tips 19
Cutter guidelines 19
deformation guidelines 19
frame-by-frame export 15
guidelines 17
Harmony 13

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raw game data export 14

duplicating 162

resources 17

effect 157

rigging guidelines 18

Group 158

merging
drawings 179
model 348

gamut 346

hiding 179

cleaning 37

Group layer 158

modifying 161

inking 37

HDTV 346

Peg 158

rough 37hidingproperties 160

sketching 23, 35

layers 179

Quadmap 158

model sheet See character design

Hold 346

renaming 161

motion keyframe 348

HSV 346

reordering 162

mouth

importingselecting parent or child layer 286

chart 348

brushes 43, 78, 89

showing 179

multiplane 348

erasers 43, 78, 89

Sound 158

navigating

pencils 43, 78, 89

types 157

templates 268

columns 175

layout 347

drawings 175

in-between 346

layout and posing 347

frames 175

ink and paint 346

library 347

NTSC 348

inkingLibrary viewnudge 348

model 37

importing templates 268

onion skinning 348

interpolation 347

light table 347

overlay 348

jump cut 347

line of action 347

Overrride tool 24

key pose 347

line up 25

PAL 348

keyboard shortcuts 347

lip-sync 347

palettes 27, 348

keyframes 347

auto detection 343

Layer Properties editor

lip-sync detection

displaying 160

manual 347

renaming layers 161
layers 156, 347

palettes 31
low resolution 347

camera 157

manual lip-sync detection 347

changing colour 180

master palette 348

Colour-Card 158
deleting 159

creating, Advanced Palette Listmode) 29, 126
creating, Basic Palette List mode) 28,
125

locking

bitmap 157

cloning 162

backup 125

exporting 123
master peg

exporting 123
location 122
locking 31
storage location 123
style 348
unlocking 31

adding 210

drawing 157

panel 348
panning 348

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Harmony 12.1 Essentials - Gaming Animation Guide

paperless animation 348

rigging 349

stencils, thickness

passing position 348

adding master peg 210

deleting 42

Paste Special

basic deformation rig 230

renaming 42

pasting with 177
pasting
drawings 177
path of action 348
Peg layer 158
pegs 349
adding master 210
pen 350
pencil presets 41
creating 42
renaming 42
selecting 41
Pencil tooldrawing 23, 40
phoneme 349
pivot 349
pixel 349
pixelation See bitmap image
pose-to-pose 349
presets
pencil 41
pencil, creating 42
pencil, selecting 41
Quadmap layer 158
relative size 24
renaming
drawings 175
rendering 349
repositioning
drawings 26
resolution 349
RGB 349

Bone rig 231

stop-motion keyframe 350

chain, setting up bone andarticulation 233

storyboard 350

gaming guidelines 18
rotary table 349
rotoscoping 349
roughstraight-ahead 350
strokes 350
tablet 350
templates 350
creating 258

models 37
roughs 349

importing 268
thickness stencil

safe area 349

deleting 42

scenes 349

renaming 42

adding frames before/after
selection 155
extending 154
setting length 154

thumbnails 350
timecode 350
timeline 350
Timeline view

script 349
scrubbing 350
sequences 350

cloning layers and columns 162
modifying layers and columns 161
renaming layers 161

shot 350

reordering layers 162

showinglayers 179

timingadding frames before/after
selection 155

size
brush 27

creating cycles 171

relative 24
sketchingdecreasing exposure 167
deleting exposure 168

characters 34
model 23, 35
slow-in 350

extending exposure 163
extending scenes 154
filling empty cells 171

slow-out 350

filling exposure 162

slugging 350

filling selection with sequence 170

soundscrubbing 350
Sound layer 158

356

filling sequence with single
exposure 169
frames 154

•increasing exposure 167
inserting blank cells 168
moving cells 166
preparing 153
references 154
scene length 154
setting exposure 169
typing in exposure values 163
tips
gaming animation 19
tools
Override 24
trace and paint 350
track breakdown 350
tradigital 348
traditional animation 350
trajectory 350
transition 350
underlay 351
unlockingpalettes 31
vector 351
velocity 345, 351
walk cycle 351
Xsheet view 161, 351
adding frames before/after
selection 155
cloning layers and columns 162
columns 156
layers 156
modifying layers and columns 161
zone 351

357

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