Toon Boom
Harmony22 Essentials

User Guide

TOON BOOM ANIMATION INC.

+1 514 278 8666

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

contact@toonboom.com
toonboom.com

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Legal Notices
Toon Boom Animation Inc.
4200 Saint-Laurent, Suite 1020
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H2W 2R2
Tel: +1 514 278 8666
Fax: +1 514 278 2666
toonboom.com

Disclaimer
The content of this document is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted. Any
reproduction in w hole or in part is strictly prohibited.
The content of this document is covered by a specific limited w arranty and exclusions and limit of liability
under the applicable License Agreement as supplemented by the special terms and conditions for
Adobe® Flash® File Format (SW F). For details, refer to the License Agreement and to those special terms andconditions.

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

Publication Date
09-23-2022
Copyright © 2022 Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Corus Entertainment Inc. company. All rights reserved.

2

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Table of Contents

3

Introduction

24

Chapter 1: Project Creation

25

Starting Harmony

26

About the W elcome Screen

27

About Scenes

28

Creating Scenes

29

Creating Custom Resolutions

31

Opening Scenes

33

Setting the Scene Length

34

About Scene Settings

35

Saving Scenes

36

Saving Scenes as Copies

37

Saving Scenes as New Versions

38

Enabling Auto-Save

39

About the File Structure

40

Chapter 2: User Interface

43

Changing the Theme Colours

44

Changing the User Interface Language

45

About Menus

47

About Toolbars

49

Adding and Removing Toolbars

51

Moving Toolbars

54

Customizing Toolbars

58

About View s

61Adding View s

62

Closing View s

65Show ing and Hiding View s

66

Moving View s

67

3

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Resizing View s

68

About Preferences

69

About Keyboard Shortcuts

70

About W orkspaces

71

Loading W orkspaces

72

Creating W orkspaces

73

Renaming W orkspaces

75

Saving W orkspaces

76

Deleting W orkspaces

77

Show ing and Hiding W orkspaces

78

Reordering W orkspaces

79

Restoring the Default W orkspace80

About Interface Navigation

81

About Documentation

85

Accessing the Documentation

86

Using the Integrated Help

87

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

91

Layer and Column Types

92

Adding Layers and Columns

95

Adding Layers in the Timeline View

96

Adding Columns from the Xsheet View

97

Using the Advanced Add Column Dialog Box

98

Deleting Layers and Columns

99

Renaming Layers and Columns

101

Reordering Layers and Columns

102

Enabling and Disabling Layers

103

Enabling or Disabling Solo Mode on a Layer

104

Locking and Unlocking Layers

106

Navigating Layers and Columns

110

About Clone and Duplicate Layers

112

4

Table of Contents

About Clone Layers

113

Cloning Layers

114

About Duplicate Layers

115

Duplicating Layers

116

About Groups

117

Grouping Layers

118

Ungrouping Layers

119

Displaying Layer and Column Properties

120

About Layer and Column Display

122

Expanding and Collapsing Layers and Columns

123Show ing and Hiding Layers and Columns

125Show ing and Hiding Columns

126Show ing Hidden Columns

127Show ing and Hiding Column Types

128

Displaying Xsheet Thumbnails

129

Changing Layer and Column Colours

130

Chapter 4: Timing

133

About Scene Length

134

Setting the Scene Length

135

Inserting Frames in a Scene

136

Removing Frames from a Scene

139

About Exposure

141

About Creating Exposure

142

Typing Exposures

143

Setting the Exposure Hold145

Toggling Betw een Inserting and Overw riting Exposure

146

Filling a Selection w ith a Specific Exposure

147

Creating an Exposure Sequence

149

Creating an Exposure Cycle

151

Inserting Blank Cells

152

5

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Filling Empty Cells

154

Toggling Extending Previous Draw ing Exposure

155

About Adjusting Exposure

157

Increasing Exposures

158

Decreasing Exposures

159

Extending Single Exposures

161

Setting the Exposure

163

Deleting Exposures

165

Moving Cells

166

About Rippling and Overw riting the Exposure in the Timeline View

169

Changing Exposure and Rippling Draw ings in the Timeline View

170

Changing Exposure and Overw riting Draw ings in the Timeline View

172

About Draw ings

174

Creating Empty Draw ings

175

Renaming Draw ings

176

Deleting Draw ings

177

Duplicating a Draw ing

178

Copying and Pasting Draw ings

179

About Frame Markers

182

Adding Frame Markers

183

Moving Frame Markers

184

Copying, Cutting and Pasting Frame Markers

185

Removing Frame Markers

187

About Scene Markers

188

Quickly Creating Scene Markers at the Current Frame

190

Creating a Scene Marker

191

Moving Scene Markers

193

Editing Scene Markers

195

Deleting Scene Markers

197

Scene Marker View & Marker List

198

6

Table of Contents

Chapter 5: Drawing

201

About Draw ing Tools

202

About the Brush Tool

204

Draw ing w ith the Brush Tool

205

Creating a Brush

207

About Brush Presets

211

Creating a Brush Preset

212

Creating a Stamp

213

Selecting a Brush Preset

215

Updating a Brush Preset

216

Renaming a Brush Preset

217

Deleting a Brush Preset

218

Exporting Brush Presets

219

Importing Brush Presets

220

Changing the Brush Preset Display

221

About the Pencil Tool

222

Draw ing w ith the Pencil Tool

223

Creating a Pencil

224

Picking a Pencil Texture from Artw ork

225

Disabling Pencil Line Textures

226

About Pencil Presets

228

Creating Pencil Presets

229

Selecting a Pencil Preset

230

Renaming Pencil Presets

231

Deleting Pencil Presets

232

Exporting Pencil Presets

233

Importing Pencil Presets

234

Changing the Pencil Preset Display

236

About Shape Tools

237

Creating Lines, Rectangles and Ellipses w ith the Shape Draw ing Tools

7238

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Draw ing Curved Lines w ith the Line Tool

240

Creating Vector Shapes w ith the Polyline Tool

243

About the Stamp Tool

244

Creating a Stamp

246

Creating a Multi-Draw ing Stamp

248

Configuring a Stamp

251

Updating a Stamp

257

Draw ing w ith the Stamp Tool

259

Renaming Stamps

261

Deleting Stamps

262

Exporting Stamps

263

Importing Stamps

264

Changing The W ay Stamps Are Displayed

265

Stamp Tool Modes

266

About the Stroke Tool

267

Creating Invisible Lines w ith the Stroke Tool

268

About the Eraser Tool

270

Erasing271

Creating an Eraser

272

About Eraser Presets

275

Creating an Eraser Preset

276

Selecting an Eraser Preset

277

Updating a Brush Preset

278

Renaming an Eraser Preset

279

Deleting a Brush Preset

280

Exporting Eraser Presets

281

Importing Eraser Presets

282

Changing the Brush Preset Display

283

About the Select Tool

284

Selecting, Repositioning and Transforming Artw ork

8285

Table of Contents

Selecting Artw ork in Several Draw ings

288

Selecting Artw ork in Several Layers

290

Inverting a Selection

292

Repositioning the Selection Pivot

293

Arranging and Reordering Draw ing Strokes

294Grouping Draw ing Strokes

295

Selecting Artw ork by Colour or Texture

296

About the Repositioning All Draw ings Tool

297

Repositioning All Draw ings in a Layer

298

About the Cutter Tool

300

Cutting Artw ork

301

Cutting Artw ork in Several Draw ings

305

Cutting Artw ork in Multiple Layers

307

About the Contour Editor Tool

309

Reshaping a Shape, Pencil Line or Stroke w ith the Contour Editor Tool
About the Centerline Editor

310
314

Reshaping Brush Strokes Using the Centerline Editor
About the Smooth Editor Tool

316
320

Smoothing Artw ork Using the Smooth Editor

321

About the Perspective Tool

322

Deforming a Draw ing w ith the Perspective Tool
About the Envelope Tool

323
324

W arping a Draw ing w ith the Envelope Tool

325

About the Text Tool

328

Adding Text to Draw ings

329

Breaking Text Into Letters or Vector Shapes

331

About Draw ing Space Management

332

About the Zoom Tool333

About the Hand Tool

334

About the Rotate View Tool

335

9Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Mirror View

337

Displaying the Current Draw ing on Top

340

About the Grid

341

Displaying the Grid

342

Modifying the Grid343

About OpenGL Antialiasing

344

Setting the Full Scene Antialiasing Preference
About Pen Stabilization

345
346

Using Draw ing Tool Stabilization

348

About Pen Pressure Curve Customization

350

Customizing the Pen Pressure Curve

351

About Draw ing Guides

354

Adding Draw ing Guides

361

Selecting the Active Draw ing Guide

363

Renaming Draw ing Guides

365

Editing Draw ing Guides

367

Adjusting a Ruler Draw ing Guide

368

Adjusting a Square Grid Draw ing Guide

370

Adjusting an Isometric Perspective Draw ing Guide

372

Adjusting a 1-Point Perspective Draw ing Guide

375

Adjusting a 2-Points Perspective Draw ing Guide

377

Adjusting a 3-Points Perspective (Bird's-Eye View ) Draw ing Guide

379

Adjusting a 3-Points Perspective (W orm's Eye View ) Draw ing Guide

381

Adjusting a 3-Points Perspective (Horizontal Pan) Draw ing Guide

383

Adjusting the 3-Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) Draw ing Guide

385

Adjusting a 4-Points Continuous Perspective Draw ing Guide

387

Adjusting a 4-Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) Draw ing Guide

389

Adjusting a 5-Points Perspective (Fisheye) Draw ing Guide

392

Locking Guides to Prevent Editing Them

394

Draw ing w ith Draw ing Guides

395

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Table of Contents

Locking Draw ing Strokes to a Specific Axis

398

Draw ing Freehand Perspective w ith Draw ing Guides

399

View ing Draw ing Guide Reference Lines

400

Minimizing Guide Cursor Axes Display

401

Erasing Using Draw ing Guides

402

Enabling and Disabling Draw ing Guides

403

Reordering Draw ing Guide Lists

404

Cutting and Pasting Draw ing Guides

405

Copying & Pasting Draw ing Guides

406

Exporting and Importing Draw ing Guides

407

Deleting Draw ing Guides

408

About Draw ing Optimization

409

Flattening Draw ings

410

Smoothing Draw ings

411

Optimizing Draw ings

412

Reducing the Draw ing Texture Resolution

413

About Strokes Conversion

414

Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines

415

Converting Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes

416

Converting Strokes to Pencil Lines

417

Chapter 6: Painting and Colours

419

About Colour Sw atches

421

Adding a Colour Sw atch

422

Adding a Gradient Colour Sw atch

424

Adding a Texture Colour Sw atch426

Copying and Pasting Colours

427

Deleting a Colour Sw atch

429

Modifying a Texture Colour Sw atch

430

Replacing Colours and Textures in Draw ings

431

Changing the Colour Display Mode

433

11

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Palettes

434

About Scene and Element Palette Lists

436

About the Palette List

437

Show ing and Hiding the Palette List

438

Creating a Palette

439

Importing a Colour Palette

440

Renaming a Palette

441

Removing a Palette

442

Duplicating a Palette

443

Cloning a Palette

444

Tinting a Palette's Colour Sw atches

446

Reordering Palettes in the Palette List

448

About Painting

449

Flipping Betw een Models

450

Copying Colour Models

451

Painting Draw ings

453

Painting Several Draw ings Simultaneously

456

Painting Several Layers Simultaneously

459

Repainting

460

Selecting Strokes w ith the Current Colour

461

Closing Gaps

462

Picking a Colour w ith the Colour Eyedropper Tool

463

About the Edit Gradient and Texture Tool

464

Using the Edit Gradient and Texture Tool

465

Chapter 7: Paperless Animation

467

Creating a Rough Animation

468

Creating the Tie Dow n Animation

473

Cleaning Animation

477

Paperless Animation Tools

480

Displaying Draw ing Thumbnails in the Timeline View

12

481

Table of Contents

About Onion Skin

484

Enabling the Onion Skin

485

Selecting Draw ings to Display in Onion Skin

487

Selecting Draw ings to Include in Onion Skin by Frames or by Draw ings

491

Displaying the Onion Skin in the Other Layers

492

Removing Cross Hairs w ith the Shift and Trace Tool
Generating a Matte

494
495

Preview ing Animation w ith Mini Playback

497

Chapter 8: Scene Staging

499

About Layer Position

500

Disabling Animation Keyframe Creation W hen Transforming Elements

501

Selecting Layers

502

Centering on Selections

504

About the Transform Tool

505

Repositioning Temporary Pivots w ith the Transform Tool

507

Panning w ith the Transform Tool

508

Rotating w ith the Transform Tool

510

Scaling w ith the Transform Tool

512

Skew ing w ith the Transform Tool

514

Flipping w ith the Transform Tool

516

Manipulation w ith the Transform Tool

517

About Advanced Animation Tools

518

Repositioning Permanent Pivots

519

Using the Translate Tool

521

Using the Rotate Tool

522

Using the Scale Tool

523

Using the Skew Tool

524

Using the Capture Motion Tool

525

About the Layer Properties View

527

Displaying the Layer Properties View

529

13

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Positioning Elements w ith the Layer Properties View

530

Setting the Auto-Apply Option

532

Resetting Transformations

533

About Multiplane

534

Setting Up Multiplanes

537

About Alignment Guides

539

Adding Alignment Guides

540

Moving Alignment Guides

541

Snapping to Alignment Guides

542

Locking and Unlocking Alignment Guides

543

Hiding and Displaying Alignment Guides

544

Clearing Alignment Guides

545

Chapter 9: Digital Animation

547

About Pegs

548

Adding Pegs

550

Enabling Peg Selection Mode

552

About Draw ing Layers

553

About Layer Parameters555

Displaying Layer Parameters

557

Setting Layer Parameters

558

Enabling Constant Z

559

About Keyframes

560

About Keyframe Creation

561

Creating Keyframes in the Timeline View

562

Creating Keyframes in the Function View

564

Creating Keyframes in the Xsheet View

566

Automatically Creating Animation Keyframes W hen Transforming Elements

568

Deleting Keyframes

569

Animating w ith Keyframes

570

Animating, Repositioning or Transforming an Element Over Several Frames

573

14

Table of Contents

Changing Keyframe Values

578

Sw itching Betw een Motion and Stop-Motion Keyframes

580

Jumping to Keyframes

583

About Controls

584

Displaying Controls

586

Adding Control Points

587

Toggling Point Types

588

Adjusting Tension, Bias, and Continuity

589

Offsetting Trajectories

590

About Functions

592

Creating Functions

594

About Copying Motions

596

Using Timeline Paste Modes

597

Using Paste Special

599

About Velocity

600

Displaying Velocity Curves

601

Adjusting Bezier Curve Velocity

603

Creating Stepped Velocity

604

Adjusting Velocity in the Timeline View

609

Setting Ease on Multiple Parameters

610

Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

613

About Importing Bitmap Images

614

Importing Bitmap Images As Original Bitmap

615

Adjusting the Bitmap Image Display Quality

617

Vectorizing Images on Import

618

About Importing a Multi-Layer PSD

620

Importing Multi-layer PSD Files

621

About Importing Vector Files

625

Importing Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files and Portable Document Files (.pdf)

626

Importing Flash Movies (.sw f)

628

15

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Distributing SW Fs to Layers

631

About FLA Import

632

Installing the Export to Harmony Option

634

Exporting FLA Files

643

Displaying the Import Flash Scene Icon

645

Importing FLA Files

648

Flash Export and Import Guidelines

650

Importing QuickTime Movies

653

About Scanning

654

Scanning Images

655

Vectorizing Scanned Draw ings

657

About Custom Vectorization Parameters

659

Creating Vectorization Styles

660

Configuring the VectOptions.conf File

662

Chapter 11: Camera Set- up and Animation

665

Adding a Camera

667

Selecting the Active Camera

668

Positioning the Camera Frame

669

Resetting the Camera Position

672

Animating the Camera

673

Chapter 12: Character Rigging

677

About Rig Types

678

About Simple Rigs

679

About Draw ing Hierarchy Rigs

680

About Peg Hierarchy Rigs

682

About Scene Setup for Rigging

683

About Models

684

About Size Relation

686

Setting Preferences for Rigging

688

About Naming Conventions

689

16

Table of Contents

Naming Draw ing Layers

690

About Character Breakdow n

691

Tracing the Model

694

Breaking Dow n the Main Parts

697

Breaking Dow n Secondary Parts

700

Breaking Dow n Other View s704

Completing Parts and Articulations

707

About Articulations

710

Creating Classical Articulations

711

About Ordering Layers

713

Ordering Layers in the Timeline View

714

About Z Nudging

715

Nudging Layers

716

About Pivots

717

About Permanent Pivots

718

Setting Permanent Pivots

719

Setting Multiple Permanent Pivots

720

Adding Pegs

721

Creating Hierarchies

723

Adding the Master Peg

725

Invert-Cutting

727

Grouping Rigs

730

Creating Keyframes

732

Chapter 13: Cut- out Animation

733

About Animating w ith the Transform Tool

734

Animating w ith the Transform Tool

736

Resetting Transformations

737

About Hierarchy Navigation

739

Navigating Layers

740

Selecting Parent and Children

741

17

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Centering on Selections

743

About Keyframes

744

Creating Motion Keyframes

745

Creating Stop-motion Keyframes

747

About Sw apping Draw ings

749

Sw apping Draw ings in the Draw ing Substitutions View

753

Sw apping Draw ings in the Library View

756

Sw apping Draw ings in the Timeline View

759

About Sw apping Multiple Draw ings

760

About Key Exposures

761

Adding Key Exposures

763

Removing Key Exposures

764

Removing Duplicate Key Exposures

765

About Eases

766

Setting the Ease for Animation Keyframes

767

Applying Ease Presets to Animations

772

About Using Onion Skin in Cut-out Animation

776

Using the Outline Mode

782

Flipping Through Poses

786

Flipping Parts

787

Animating Lip-Sync

788

Ordering in Z-Depth

793

Creating Cycles

795

Chapter 14: Deformations

799

About Deformation Types

800

About Bone Deformations

801

About Game Bone Deformations

802

About Creating Deformations

803

About Selecting Elements for Deformation

804

Creating a Split Deformation Chain

805

18

Table of Contents

About the Envelope Creator

1

Editing the Resting Positions for Bone and Game Bone Deformations

2

Selecting Region of Influence Types

6

Setting Up Elliptic Regions of Influence

7

Setting Up Shaped Regions of Influence

10

Converting Elliptic Regions of Influence into Shapes

12

About Rigging Draw ings to Deformations

13

Rigging a Draw ing to a Deformation Point w ith the Kinematic Output Node15

Displaying Selected Deformation Controls

17

Hiding Deformation Controls

18

About Deformation Animation

19

Animating Bone and Game Bone Deformers

20

Resetting a Deformer to its Resting Position

24

Disabling Deformations in the Camera View Preview

26

Transferring Curve Positions of Legacy Deformations

27

Converting Legacy Deformation Chains

29

Chapter 16: Effects

32

Adding Effects Layers

34

Connecting Effects

35

Adding a Matte Draw ing to an Effect36

Configuring an Effect39

Animating an Effect42

About Effects Preview

52

Preview ing Effects in Render Mode

53

Playing Back Effects

54

Changing the Preview Resolution

55

About Masking and Cutting Parts of Elements in your Scenes

56

Using the Matte Port of a Draw ing Layer

57

Using the Cutter Node60

About Opacity and Transparency

63

19

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Setting the Layer Opacity

64

Adjusting Colour Levels

66

Examples of Effect Usage

77

Creating a Drop Shadow

78

Chapter 17: Sound

82

About the Sound Editor

83

Sound Layer

84

Importing Sound

85

Playing Sound

87

Changing the Sound Display

88

Sound Scrubbing

90

Editing Sound

91

Cropping Sound93

Trimming Sound

96

Looping Sound

97

Mixing the Sound Volume98

Setting the Playback Range

100

Adding an Empty Sound Layer

101

About Lip-sync

103

Generating a Lip-sync Detection

105

Mapping the Lip-Sync Detection

108

Modifying the Lip-sync Detection

110

Manual Lip-syncing

112

Chapter 18: Rendering & Exporting

116

Exporting Image Sequences

117

Exporting a Movie File

119

Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime Movies on W indow s

123

Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime Movies on macOS

127

Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime ProRes Movies

129

Configuring Movie Settings for W indow s Media Video

132

20

Table of Contents

Exporting an Animated GIF

134

Exporting Flash (SW F) Movies

137

Batch Rendering

138

Chapter 19: Library & Templates

142

About Structure

143

Creating Libraries

144

Opening Libraries

145

Closing Libraries

146

Creating Folders

147

Deleting Folders

148

Renaming Folders

149

Refreshing Libraries

150

Generating Thumbnails

151

Deleting Thumbnails

152

Searching in Libraries

153

About Templates

154

Creating Templates

155

Deleting Templates

157

Editing Templates

158

Importing Templates

159

Opening Templates as Folders

162

About Symbols

163

Creating Symbols

164

Creating a Symbol from a Draw ing

166

Creating Empty Symbols

168

Deleting Symbols

169

Editing Symbols

170

Importing Symbols

172

Expanding Symbols

173

Converting Symbols to Templates

174

21

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Importing Files in the Library

176

Using Paste Special

177

Chapter 20: Gaming in Harmony

178

About Game Asset Creation

182

Game Rigging Guidelines

183

Game Deformation Guidelines

185

About Game Bone Deformations

186

Game Cutter Guidelines

187

Creating Metadata Notes

188

Game Animation Tips

190

Animating Multiple Sequences

191

W orkflow 1: Separate Scenes

192

W orkflow 2: Separating Using Scene Markers

193

Using the Harmony Game Preview er

194

About Exporting to Unity

196

Clearing Scripts

197

Setting Anchors and Props

198

Exporting Sprite Sheets

200

Exporting to Easel JS

202

About W orking in Unity

204

About the Sample Unity Project

205

About the Unity Interface

206

Importing Harmony Files into Unity

208

About Game Objects

209

Using Empty Game Objects

210

Using Plane Game Objects

213

Attaching Props to Anchors in Unity

215

Placing Locators in Unity

217

Setting Up Collisions in Unity

219

About W orking w ith Audio in Unity

220

22

Table of Contents

Harmony Unity SDK

221

Asset Manipulation

225

Harmony Preview er

229

Troubleshooting

232

Chapter 25: Scripting Guide

236

Creating Scripts

238

Editing a Script Packaged w ith Harmony

241

Checking Script Syntax

243

Testing a Script

244

Debugging Scripts

246

Using the Scripting Sandbox

248

Importing Scripts

249

Deleting Scripts

251

Restoring a Harmony Script

252

Using an External Script Editor

253

Storing Scripts in a Custom Directory

255

Adding Scripts as Toolbar Buttons

258

23

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Introduction
The Harmony core functionality are explained in this User guide. All the steps required to create and completea project are covered in the follow ing chapters w ith concept descriptions and detailed step-by-stepprocedures focused on the task at hand.
Detailed parameter descriptions for all buttons, commands, and functions are covered in the Reference guideand Preference guide. Some of them are explained here w here necessary to the understanding of a given
concept or procedure.

24

Chapter 1: Project Creation

Chapter 1: Project Creation
Once Harmony Essentials is installed, you are ready to start the application and animate! In this chapter, you
w ill learn about starting the application, as w ell as creating, opening and saving scenes

25Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Starting Harmony
T-HFND-001-002
You can run Harmony Essentials from your operating system's desktop.

W ARNING
On macOS, Harmony and its other applications w ill not run on the first time unless you right-clickon the application, then select Open. You w ill be prompted to confirm a security exception, w hichw ill require administrative privileges.

How to start Harmony
1. Depending on your operating system, do one of the follow ing:l

W indows: Do one of the follow ing:l

On the desktop, double-click

Harmony EssentialslOpen the Start menu and, in the list of programs, select Harmony 22 Essentials >Harmony Essentials.

lmacOS: In Finder, proceed to Applications >double-clickToon Boom Harmony 22 Essentials andHarmony Essentials.

The Harmony Essentials application launches and displays a splash screen. After the splash
screen, the W elcome Screen w ill appear —see About the W elcome Screen on page 27.

26

Chapter 1: Project Creation

About the W elcome Screen
T-HFND-001-003
As soon as you launch Harmony, you are greeted w ith the W elcome screen, from w hich you can:lCreate sceneslChoose your new scene's resolutionlManage your scene resolution presetslQuickly open recently opened sceneslBrow se for and open a scene you already created.

l

W atch Harmony video tutorials on the w eb.

lAccess the support w eb page.

27

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Scenes
W hen w orking in production, it is important to keep your w ork organized. It is important to create a naming
convention chart and establish a file storage structure before starting the project. It is not only extremely
important that everyone follow s the criteria laid out in the naming convention chart and the file storage
structure, but also that they understand the organization and w here to find the files.
A w ell thought-out and logical naming convention w ill help keep your production structured and allow it torun smoothly by preventing the loss of files due to chaotic organization.
In this section, you w ill learn how to create, open, organize, and name the different components in youranimation project.

28

Chapter 1: Project Creation

Creating Scenes
T-HFND-001-005
All scenes created via Harmony Stand Alone are independent and local to the computer. You can create oropen a scene using the W elcome screen or the File menu.

How to create a scene from the W elcome screen
1. In the Name field, type the scene’s name.

NOTE
The scene name should not exceed 23 characters and cannot contain special
characters, such as *&^ %!.

2. To decide in w hich directory the scene w ill be created, click the Browse button next to the Location
field.

3. From the Camera Size menu, select a scene resolution.

4. Click on Create Scene.
A new scene is created. The main application w indow w ill appear w ith your new scene opened init.

29Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

How to create a new scene from the File menu
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select File > New.

l

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

button.

The New Scene dialog box opens.

2. In the Project Name field, type the scene's name.

3. Select a scene directory by clicking the Brow se button.

NOTE
The scene name cannot exceed 23 characters and cannot contain special characters, such as*&^ %!.

4. In the Resolution w indow , select the scene’s resolution and click Create.
A new scene is created.

30

Chapter 1: Project Creation

Creating Custom Resolutions
T-HFND-001-006
You can create your ow n custom resolution presets for your projects.

How to create a custom resolution
1. Create a new scene from the W elcome screen or from the File menu in Harmony.
2. Set the scene resolution by doing one of the follow ing:lSelect a scene resolution from the Camera sizes drop-dow n menu.

l

Set a custom resolution by changing the values in the W idth and Height fields. This
preset w ill not be saved.

NOTE
The different editions of Harmony support the follow ing maximum render
resolutions:llHarmony Essentials: 2K (2048x1556)lHarmony Advanced: 4K (4096x3112)

lHarmony Premium: Unlimited

Add a new resolution to the list by clicking the Add

button. You can delete a

custom resolution from the Resolution list by selecting it, and clicking the Delete
button.
3. In the New Resolution dialog box, fill in the follow ing fields and click Create.

lResolution Name: Name your new resolution.

l

Resolution: Set the w idth and height of the scene, in pixels.

31

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Field of View: Select how the angle of the field of view should be determined.
lHorizontal Fit: The angle of the field of view is adjusted to the w idth of thescene.

lVertical Fit: The angle of the field of view is adjusted to the height of thescene.

ll

Custom Fov: Set the angle of the field of view to a custom value.

Frame Rate: The amount of frames to play each second. You can select one of thepreset frame rates in the Preset drop-dow n, or type in a custom frame rate in the
Frames per second field.

32

Chapter 1: Project Creation

Opening Scenes
T-HFND-001-007
You can open scenes from the W elcome Screen and the File menu. You can also open your recent scenes.

How to open a scene from the W elcome screen
1. In the Recent Scenes section, click Open.
The Open Scene brow ser opens.
2. Brow se and select an .xstage file.
3. Click Open.

How to open a scene from the File menu
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select File > Open.

l

In the File toolbar, click the Brow selPress Ctrl + O (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + O (macOS).

button.

The Open Scene brow ser opens.
2. Brow se and select the desired .xstagefile.
3. Click Open.

How to open a recent scene from the W elcome screen
1. In the Open a Scene section, select a scene from the list.

How to open a recent scene from the File menu
1. From the top menu, select File > Open Recent.
2. Select a scene from the displayed list.

33

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Setting the Scene Length
T-HFND-001-009
Once you have opened your scene, you can set its length.

How to set the scene length
1. Select Scene > Scene Length.
The Set Scene Length dialog box opens.

2. In the Number of Frames field, enter the number of frames needed.

34

Chapter 1: Project Creation

About Scene Settings
T-HFND-001-010
W hen you created your scene, you set up the resolution and the alignment. How ever, if you w ant to changethese settings later, you can do it using the Scene Settings dialog box. The different Scene Settings options
are separated into four tabs.

NOTE
Refer to the Scene Setting dialog box in the Reference guide to learn more about the individual
parameters of the Scene Settings dialog box.

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

35Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Saving Scenes
T-HFND-001-011
You can save your scene, save a new copy or save a new version. Don't forget that saving a new version uses
the same draw ings in all versions.

How to save a scene
1. Do one of the follow ingl

In the top menu, select File > Save.

l

Press Ctrl + S (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + S (macOS).

36

Chapter 1: Project Creation

Saving Scenes as Copies
Saving a copy of your scene allow s you to choose a new file name and location for your scene.

How to save a scene as a copy
1. Select File > Save As.
2. In the Save As dialog box, brow se to the location of the new archive and give the copy of the scenea new name. The name cannot exceed 23 characters.
3. Click Save.

37

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Saving Scenes as New Versions
Saving a new version of your scene allow s you to save your scene at it's current location, under a new filename.

How to save a new version of a scene
1. Select File > Save As New Version.
The Save Version dialog box opens.
2. In the Save Version dialog box, type the new version name.
3. Click OK.

38

Chapter 1: Project Creation

Enabling Auto- Save
T-ANIMPA-001-001
You can allow the softw are to automatically save your scene, as w ell as decide on the interval of time
betw een auto-saves.

How to auto- save a scene
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

W indow s: Select Edit > Preferences.

lmacOS: Select Harmony Essentials > Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + U (macOS).

2. Select the General tab.
3. In the Save section, set the Auto-Save parameters:lInterval (minutes): The frequency at w hich auto-save happens.

l

Inactivity Interval (seconds): W hen Auto-save is about to take place, it verifies if you
are draw ing or doing anything in the application. Auto-save w ill not happen until you
have stopped using the application for this amount of seconds.

l

Ask Before Saving: Before performing an auto-save, you are prompted w ith amessage to confirm if you w ant to save or not.

l

Enabled: This enables the Auto-save feature. If you do not w ant the system toautomatically save your w ork, uncheck this option. Auto-save is off by default.

39

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About the File Structure
T-HFND-001-008
A Harmony project is composed of several files. The draw ings and colour palettes are not embedded in the
project. They are separate linked files. Therefore, if you w ant to archive or share a project, you require all thefiles contained in the folder structure.
Here is an example of the file structure contained in a scene. As you w ork and use more features, different
folders may appear in your structure.

The Harmony scene folder contains the follow ing folders:
FolderContents

annotation

Contains the images and thumbnails created w hile draw ing in an Annotation
column in the Xsheet view .

audio

Contains all imported audio files.

elements

Contains all the draw ing files. The draw ings are organized by folders named likethe layers they are associated w ith.

environments

If the scene w as exported from a Harmony Server database, this directory w ill
contain the palettes and templates that w ere stored in the scene's environment.
Otherw ise, it is empty.

framesContains the final frames after a render if you are using the default settings of theW rite node in the Node view .

40

Chapter 1: Project Creation

jobs

If the scene w as exported from a Harmony Server database, this directory w ill
contain the palettes and templates that w ere stored in the scene's job. Otherw ise,
it is empty.

palette-library

Contains scene palettes and scene palette list files.

timings

This folder is used w hen a user links external images to a scene and w ants tostore a backup copy in case the link breaks.

41

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

42

Chapter 2: User Interface

Chapter 2: User Interface
T-HFND-003-001
Know ing how to manage the Toon Boom Harmony Essentials interface helps you to w ork efficiently andorganize your w orkspace conveniently. There are a series of view s and toolbars you can use as you performdifferent operations. Usually, each person has a specific w ay of w orking in the interface and prefer particular
view s and toolbars. In this chapter, you w ill learn about the main elements of the interface and how to manage
them.

NOTE
To learn more about each view 's properties, see the Reference guide.

43Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Changing the Theme Colours
The Harmony interface is set to a dark theme by default. You have the option of sw itching to a light theme.

How to change the interface theme
1. In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Preferences(macOS) .
The Preferences dialog box opens.
2. In the General tab, in the Options section, uncheck the Use Dark StyleSheet (Requires Relaunch)check box.
3. Click OK.
4. Close and relaunch Harmony.

44

Chapter 2: User Interface

Changing the User Interface Language
Harmony is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese.
By default, Harmony w ill automatically launch in your operating system language if it is one of the supported
languages. Otherw ise, it w ill launch in English.
There are tw o w ays of controlling the language in w hich Harmony launches:l

By changing the Language preference in the Preferences dialog.

l

By launching Harmony from a command line, w ith the -lang parameter follow ed by a tw o-letters
language code.

How to change the user interface language for Harmony
1. In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Preferences(macOS) .
The Preferences dialog box opens.
1. In the General tab, in the Language section, open the Language (Requires Relaunch) drop-dow n
and select the desired user interface language.
2. Click OK.
3. Close and relaunch Harmony.

45Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

How to start Harmony in a specific user interface language from the command line
1. Open a Command Prompt or Terminal w indow .
2. Type in the follow ing command, including the quotation marks, but don't press Enter/Return yet.
l

W indows: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom
Harmony 22 Essentials\win64\bin\HarmonyEssentials.exe"lmacOS: "/Applications/Toon Boom Harmony 22 Essentials/Harmony
Essentials.app/Contents/MacOS/Harmony Essentials"

3. Type a space, then type the follow ing parameter depending on w hich language you w ant to launch
Harmony in:lEnglish: -lang enlChinese: -lang zhlJapanese: -lang jalSpanish: -lang es

4. Press Enter/Return.
Harmony w ill launch in the specified language.

46

Chapter 2: User Interface

About Menus
T-HFND-003-002
Harmony contains three types of menus from w hich you can access many commands and options:

Top Menu
The top menu contains most of the commands. Depending on the view you're w orking in and the element,
some commands are available and others are not. The top menu is alw ays located at the very top of theinterface.

The top menu contains the follow ing categories:
l

File

l

Edit

l

View

l

Play

l

Insert

l

Scene

l

Draw inglAnimationl

W indow slHelp

On macOS, there is also a Harmony Essentials category that contains the follow ing commands:lPreferences

l

About

l

Quit

View Menu
A view menu contains commands specifically related to that view .
To access a view menu, click the Menu

button in the top-left corner of a view .

47

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

A view menu is available in the follow ing view s:lColourl

Functionl

Libraryl

Script Editor

Quick Access Menu
A quick access menu lets you open a list of the commands you w ill use most often.
To access this menu, right-click anyw here in a view .

48

Chapter 2: User Interface

About Toolbars
T-HFND-003-003
The Harmony user interface contains various toolbars, such as the Tools toolbar and the Edit toolbar, to give
you quick access to various menu commands.

NOTE
Throughout this section, there may be slight differences betw een your interface and theillustrations in this guide. This is because the images are taken from Harmony Premium.

Toolbars are separated in tw o main categories:l

W orkspace toolbars are toolbars that have a general purpose. For example, the File, Edit, W orkspaceand Deformation toolbars at the top, as w ell as the Tools toolbar on the left, are w orkspace toolbars.
Those toolbars can be placed at the top, bottom, left or right edge of the application w indow . They canalso be placed at the edge of specific view s if preferred.

lView toolbars are toolbars that are useful for a specific view . For example, the Camera view has a
Camera toolbar at its top. View toolbars can only be displayed inside their respective view . They can beplaced at the top, bottom, left or right edge of their view .

You can display or hide toolbars using the W indows > Toolbars menu. This menu contains all the w orkspace
toolbars, as w ell as the view toolbar for all the view s that are currently displayed in your w orkspace.
For example, in the default w orkspace, you have the Camera and the Draw ing view s in the same area, and you
can sw itch betw een either view by clicking on the Camera or Draw ing tab. If the Camera view is the one being
displayed, then the Camera toolbar w ill be in the list. If the Draw ing view is displayed, then the Draw ing
toolbar w ill be in the list instead.
W orkspace toolbars can be added to either the general w orkspace or the inside of a view . For example, you
can add the Edit toolbar to the top of the area occupied by the Camera view instead of the top of theapplication w indow , w here it is by default.
W hen a w orkspace toolbar is added to a view , and several view s are placed w here this view is, then all thoseview s w ill have this toolbar inside of them. For example, if you add the Edit toolbar to the Camera view , it w illalso be available in the Draw ing view , as both these view s share the same space. How ever, the Camera
toolbar w ill not be available in the Draw ing view as it is specific to the Camera view .
Some toolbars have buttons that are hidden by default to avoid cluttering. You can customize w hich buttons
are displayed in these toolbars, and in w hich order they’re displayed—see Customizing Toolbars.

49

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

TIP
Many toolbar buttons have a keyboard shortcut associated to them. You can check w hich keyboard
shortcut is associated to a button by leaving your mouse cursor over the button for a second. If the
button has a keyboard shortcut, it w ill be indicated in the tooltip that appears.

50

Chapter 2: User Interface

Adding and Removing Toolbars
T-HFND-003-004
You can add toolbars to certain areas of your w orkspace. The w ay it w orks is as follow s:lA w orkspace toolbar can be added to any edge of the application w indow , or to the edge of a view inyour w orkspace.

lA view -specific toolbar can be added to the edge of its respective view only.

NOTE
W hen a w orkspace toolbar is added inside a view , and this view shares its area w ith other view s—
like the Camera and Draw ing view s do by default—the toolbar w ill remain visible even if you
sw itch to a different view in this area. For example, if you added the Alignment Guides toolbar to
the Camera view , this toolbar w ould also be visible in the Draw ing view .

How to add or remove a workspace toolbar to the general workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars and in the sub-menu, select the toolbar you
w ant to add.

l

Right-click on any toolbar that is at the top or side of the w orkspace, or in the empty spacenext to these toolbars, and select the toolbar you w ant to add in the contextual menu.

51

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
In the list of toolbars in the top menu and in the contextual menu of the w orkspace, thetoolbars listed above the separator are w orkspace toolbars, and the ones below the
separator are view toolbars.

How to add a view toolbar to a view
1. Do one of the follow ing:lClick on the tab of the view for w hich you w ant to add a toolbar to set the focus on it. Then,in the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars and select the toolbar you w ant to add.

l

In the top area of the view to w hich you w ant to add a toolbar, to the left of its tab, right-click
and select the toolbar you w ant to add in the contextual menu.

52

Chapter 2: User Interface

How to add or remove a workspace toolbar to a view
1. In the top area of the view to w hich you w ant to add a toolbar, left of its tab, right-click and selectthe toolbar you w ant to add in the contextual menu. You can also-right-click on a toolbar inside thisview , if there is any.

NOTES
l

If the w orkspace toolbar w as present somew here else in your w orkspace, it w ill be
removed from its previous position and moved to the view w here you just added it.

l

In the list of toolbars in the contextual menu of a view , the toolbars listed above theseparator are w orkspace toolbars, and the ones below the separator are view
toolbars.

53

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Moving Toolbars
T-HFND-003-005, T-HFND-003-006
You can move toolbars around using drag & drop. This can be used to:lReorder toolbars w ithin the same toolbar area.

lMove a toolbar from one edge of the application w indow or view in w hich it is located to another edge.

lHide part of a toolbar w ith another toolbar.

The action you do depends on the gesture w ith w hich you drag the toolbar:l

If you drag the toolbar horizontally you are “sliding” the toolbar. This allow s you to move the toolbar
over another toolbar in the same row . W hen tw o toolbars share the same space, the toolbar on theright appears over the toolbar on the left, and the left toolbar’s rightmost buttons are hidden in a popup menu.

Likew ise, you can do this w ith a vertical toolbar by sliding it vertically, in w hich case the toolbar at thebottom appears over the toolbar at the top.
l

If you drag the toolbar vertically, you “pop” it out of its row . W hen a toolbar is popped out, you canreorder toolbars and move the toolbar to another row or to a different edge of the user interface.

Likew ise, you can do this w ith a vertical toolbar, such as the Tools toolbar at the left of the w orkspace,by moving it horizontally.

NOTE
You cannot move a toolbar from the edge of the application w indow to the inside of a view , or viceversa. If you w ant to do that, you must add the toolbar w here you w ant it to be located, and it w ill
automatically be removed from the area w here it is currently located. For example, if you w ant tomove the Edit toolbar from the top of the w orkspace to the Camera view , all you have to do is add
it to the Camera view —see Adding and Removing Toolbars.

54

Chapter 2: User Interface

How to move a toolbar around
1. Click and hold the handle at the left of the toolbar you w ant to move.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

If the toolbar is horizontal, move it up or dow n to make it pop out of its row .

l

If the toolbar is vertical, move it left or right to make it pop out of its column.

3. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reorder toolbars, drag the toolbar w here you w ant it to be located and drop it.

The toolbar w ill move to its new position. Toolbars to the right (or to the bottom, if thetoolbar is vertical) w ill be offset to make space for it.

l

To move the toolbar to a new row or to a new column, simply move the toolbar w here the
new row or column should be created. For example, to create a new row of toolbars at the
top of the user interface, move it just below the existing toolbars at the top of the userinterface. A new row or column w ill appear, highlighted in cyan.

W hen you drop the toolbar, the new row w ill be created and the toolbar w ill be placed at
the left end of the row .

55

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Likew ise, to create a new column at the left of the user interface, move the toolbar just rightof the existing toolbars at the left of the user interface.
l

To move the toolbar to another edge of the user interface, drag it all the w ay to that edge ofthe user interface.

How to move a toolbar over another toolbar
1. Make sure both toolbars are in the same row or column. If they are not, move both toolbars to thesame row or column using the method previously described.
l

If the toolbars are horizontal, click and hold the handle at the left of the rightmost toolbar.
Then, w ithout going outside of the toolbar’s row , slide the toolbar tow ards the left.

l

If the toolbars are vertical, click and hold the handle at the top of the bottom toolbar. Then,w ithout going outside of the toolbar’s column, slide the toolbar up.

As you slide the toolbar over the other toolbar, the other toolbar’s buttons become hidden and a
pop-up menu button appear.

2. To separate the toolbars again, simply slide the same toolbar in the opposite direction.

56

Chapter 2: User Interface

3. To expand a toolbar that is overlapped by another toolbar, click on the expand button at the rightof the overlapped toolbar.

57

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Customizing Toolbars
T-HFND-003-007
Some toolbars have buttons that are hidden by default to prevent clutter. You can customize w hich buttons
are displayed in these toolbars, as w ell as the order in w hich the buttons are displayed.

How to customize a toolbar
1. Right-click on the toolbar that you w ant to customize.
2. In the context menu, select Customize.
The Toolbar Manager dialog appears.

NOTES
l

If the Customize option is greyed out, this toolbar cannot be customized.

l

The Customize option is only available if the toolbar is in the space above theCamera View .

l

The Tools toolbar can only be customized in Flat Tools Toolbar mode—see
Enabling the Flat Toolbar.

3. To add a new toolbar button, select the button you w ant to add from the Available Tools list, thenclick on the

Add the selected tool into the toolbar button.

The button w ill be removed from the Available Tools list and added to the Toolbar list.

58

Chapter 2: User Interface

4. To remove a button from the toolbar, select it in the Toolbar list, then click on the Remove theselected tool from the toolbar button.
The button w ill be removed from the Toolbar list and added to the Available Tools list.

5. To reorder the buttons in the toolbar, select a button in the Toolbar list, then use the Move the toolup and Move the tool dow n buttons to change the button’s order. The order of the tools in the
toolbar from left to right is the same as the order of the buttons in the Toolbar list from top tobottom.

59

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

6. Click OK w hen you are done customizing the toolbar.

60

Chapter 2: User Interface

About Views
T-HFND-003-008
The Harmony interface is composed of different view s, each one designed for a specific purpose. You can
modify the location of the view s by adding a new view as a tab or as a w indow . You can also sw ap the locationof a view .
W hen a view is active, a red rectangle appears around the view . Keyboard shortcuts and top menu options areassociated w ith the active view . If a menu option is greyed out, it means it does not apply to the layer, draw ing
or other type of selection or the option does not apply to the active view .

W orkspace modifications are automatically saved w hen you exit the application, unless you disable theAutomatically Save W orkspace option in the Preferences dialog box.

61

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding Views
T-HFND-003-009
You can easily add view s through the top menu or each view .

How to add a view to your workspace as a tab
1. In the top-right corner of an existing view , click the

Add View button

2. Select the desired view from the list.
The view appears as a new tab, in the section of your w orkspace w here you added it.

62

Chapter 2: User Interface

NOTE
Some view s, such as the Camera view , can be opened in multiple instances. For example, thiscan be useful if you w ant to have tw o instances of the Camera view s open, each focused on
different areas of your scene, to quickly sw itch betw een w orking on these tw o areas.

How to add a view to your workspace as a window
1. Open the W indows menu.
2. In the W indow s menu, select the view you w ish to add.
The view w ill appear as a new w indow over Harmony's main application w indow .

How to dock a view window to your workspace
1. Click and drag the floating view by its tab and do one of the follow ing:lDrop the w indow over another tab to add it to that set of tabs.

lDrop the w indow above, below or beside an existing view . W hen you get close to theedge of a view , a cyan rectangle appears, indicating w here the view w ill be docked.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
The view in w hich you are currently w orking w ill have a red square surrounding it, marking is as
your active view .

64

Chapter 2: User Interface

Closing Views
T-HFND-003-010
You can close one or multiple view s by using their closing button.

How to close a view
1. Click the Close View

button.

If there are several tabs in the same view , press Shift and click the Close View
all tabs at the same time.

65

button to close

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Showing and Hiding Views
T-HFND-003-012
You can temporarily show and hide view s using the collapsing buttons.

How to temporarily hide a view
1. On the edge of the w indow you w ant to hide, click the Collapse/Expand button.
The view is compressed and only the Collapse/Expand button is visible.
2. Click the Collapse/Expand button again to redisplay the view .

66

Chapter 2: User Interface

Moving Views
T-HFND-003-011
You can move view s by dragging their name tab to a new location.

How to move views
1. Select the view 's tab and drag it onto one of the view ’s separators, top area or onto another view ’stab.
2. W hen a blue rectangle outline appears show ing an available location for the view , release the tab
to drop the view into position. One of three things w ill happen:l

The view becomes a tabbed view .

l

The view becomes a floating w indow .

l

The view becomes a new docked view .

67

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Resizing Views
T-HFND-003-013
You can resize a view by sliding its edges.

How to resize a view
1. Place the pointer on the edge of the view to resize.
2. W hen you see the Resizing

icon, drag the side of the view to the desired size.

68Chapter 2: User Interface

About Preferences
An important feature of Toon Boom Harmony Essentials is the Preferences dialog box. From here you cancustomize the behaviour of various user interface elements, as w ell as draw ing and animation tools, andenable or disable advanced features.

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

How to open the Preferences dialog box
1. Do one of the follow ing:ll

W indows:l

In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U.

macOS:l

In the top menu, select Harmony Essentials > Preferences.

l

Press ⌘ + U.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Keyboard Shortcuts
Harmony uses keyboard shortcuts to allow you to quickly use commands you are familiar w ith w ithout having
to brow se through menus and toolbars. Learning the keyboard shortcuts for the commands you use the mostoften can be a great w ay to increase your productivity w ith Harmony.
Using the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog, you can: check w hich keyboard shortcuts are assigned to w hichcommands, you can customize existing keyboard shortcuts, and you can assign keyboard shortcuts tocommands that don't have any.

NOTE
For more information on how to configure keyboard shortcuts as w ell as a list of commands andtheir default keyboard shortcuts, refer to the Keyboard Shortcuts guide.

How to open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

W indows: In the top menu, select Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

lmacOS: In the top menu, select Harmony Essentials > Keyboard Shortcuts.

70Chapter 2: User Interface

About W orkspaces
T-HFND-003-014
The Harmony interface is composed of several view s. You can customize your w orkspace to suit your w orking
style, save it as a new w orkspace, and load it from the W orkspace toolbar.
The first time you open Harmony, the default w orkspace is loaded. Other w orkspaces are available such as theHand-Draw n Animation and Compositing w orkspaces. These display different view s and toolbars. You canaccess these w orkspaces, and any others you create, from the W indow s menu and the W orkspace toolbar.
By default, w hen you modify the look of a w orkspace, it is automatically saved. If you prefer to keep yourw orkspaces as they are and only save the modifications w hen you really w ant to, you must disable theAutomatically Save W orkspace option.
The W orkspace Manager allow s you to modify, create, delete, rename and reorder you w orkspaces. You cansave your w orkspace as a new version to avoid over-w riting the current one. If you do not w ant to modify thecurrent w orkspace, use the W orkspace Manager to create another one and then modify that one.
Your customized preferences are stored in the follow ing location and you can save them to either share w ith
someone else, copy to a second computer or simply back them up.
Your w orkspaces are stored in the follow ing location:l

W indows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom
Harmony Essentials\2000-layouts-xmllmacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/Toon Boom Animation/Toon Boom
Harmony Essentials/2000-layouts-xml

71Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Loading W orkspaces
T-HFND-003-015
You can load an existing w orkspace from the drop-dow n menu.

How to load a workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace.

lSelect a w orkspace from the W orkspace toolbar.

72

Chapter 2: User Interface

Creating W orkspaces
T-HFND-003-016
You can create new w orkspaces through the W orkspace Manager dialog box.

How to create a new workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the

button.

l

From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace Manager.

2. In the Available W orkspaces list, select an existing w orkspace.

3. At the bottom of the Available W orkspaces list, click the Add

button to add a w orkspace.

4. Select the new w orkspace that w as created. Click Rename and give it a new name.

73Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

5. Select the new w orkspace and click the Right Arrow
toolbar.

6. Click OK.

74

button to move it to the W orkspaceChapter 2: User Interface

Renaming W orkspaces
You can rename a w orkspace through the W orkspace Manager dialog box.

How to rename a workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the

button.

l

From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace Manager.

2. Choose the w orkspace to be renamed from the list.
3. Double-click on the w orkspace to be renamed or click the Rename button. This allow s you to edit
the name.

4. Type in the new name of the w orkspace.
5. Press the Enter/Return key to validate the name.
6. Click OK.

75

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Saving W orkspaces
T-HFND-003-017
You can either save your w orkspaces automatically or manually.

How to save your workspace as a new version
1. From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > Save W orkspace As.
The Save W orkspace As dialog box opens.
2. Type in a w orkspace name and click OK.

How to disable the Automatically Save W orkspace preference
1. From the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Preferences(macOS) to open the Preferences dialog box.
2. Select the General tab.
3. In the Options section, deselect the Automatically Save W orkspace option.
4. Click OK.
The Save W orkspacebutton appears in the W orkspace toolbar.

How to save a workspace manually
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the Save W orkspacel

You can also select W indows > W orkspace > Save W orkspace.

76

button.

Chapter 2: User Interface

Deleting W orkspaces
You can delete a w orkspace through the W orkspace Manager dialog box.

How to delete a workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the

button.

l

From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace Manager.

2. In the W orkspace Manager, select the w orkspace to be deleted and click the Left Arrowbuttonto move it to the Available W orkspaces list.

3. Select the w orkspace from the Available W orkspaces list, then click the Delete
the w orkspace.
4. Click OK.

77

button to delete

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Showing and Hiding W orkspaces
You can show and hide w orkspaces from your drop-dow n list through the W orkspace Manager dialog box.

How to show a workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the

button.

l

From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace Manager.

2. In the Available W orkspaces list, select the w orkspace to be displayed and click the Right Arrowbutton to move it to the W orkspace toolbar.
3. Click OK.

How to hide a workspace
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the

button.

l

From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace Manager.

2. In the W orkspace Manager, select the w orkspace to be hidden and click the Left Arrowto move it to the Available W orkspaces list.
3. Click OK.

78

buttonChapter 2: User Interface

Reordering W orkspaces
You can reorder w orkspaces in your drop-dow n list through the W orkspace Manager dialog box.

How to reorder workspaces
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the W orkspace toolbar, click the

button.

l

From the top menu, select W indows > W orkspace > W orkspace Manager.

2. In the W orkspace toolbar, select the w orkspace to be reordered and on the Up
buttons to move it up or dow n.

3. Click OK.

79

or Dow n

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Restoring the Default W orkspace
T-HFND-003-018
You can restore modified w orkspaces to their original layout.

How to restore the default workspaceslSelect W indows > Restore Default W orkspace.

80

Chapter 2: User Interface

About Interface Navigation
W ith the help of menu commands and keyboard shortcuts, some view s let you navigate their content byzooming in, zooming out, panning and rotating them. You can also reset the zoom level, pan and rotation angleof these view s as needed.
The navigation commands in the table below can be used in the follow ing view s, w ith some exceptions:lCameralDraw inglTimelinel

XsheetlFunctionlSide and Top

TIP
Keyboard shortcuts can be customized. You can view , search for and change keyboard shortcutsfor Harmony in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog. To access the Keyboard shortcuts dialog:l

W indows: In the top menu, select Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.

lmacOS: In the top menu, select Harmony Essentials > Keyboard Shortcuts.

Command

ActionAccess Methods

View > Zoom In
Zoom In

Zooms in the view .

Press 2
Roll the mouse w heel up (except in the Timeline and Xsheet
view s)View > Zoom Out
Zoom Out

Zooms out the view .

Press 1
Roll the mouse w heel dow n (except in the Timeline and Xsheet
view s)Roll the middle mouse button up or dow n.
Zoom In or Out

Zooms in or out of theview .

Pan

Moves the view

Hold dow n the Spacebar and the middle mouse button w hile
dragging the mouse up or dow n.

Hold dow n the Spacebar and drag in the direction you w ant to81Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

CommandReset Pan

ActionAccess Methods

horizontally or
vertically.

pan the view .

Resets the view ’s pan
to its default position.

View > Reset Pan
Press Shift + N

View > Reset View
Reset View

Resets the view to its
default position.

Press Shift + M
TheReset Rotation

Reset Zoom

Resets the view ’s
rotation to its default
position.

Resets the view ’s zoom
to its default position.

Reset View button at the bottom of the Camera view .

View > Reset Rotation
Press Shift + X

View > Reset Zoom

W hile holding Ctrl + Alt (W indow s/Linux) or Ctrl + ⌘ (macOS),
Rotate View

Rotates the view .

click and drag the rotating disc to rotate it clockw ise orcounterclockw ise.

Rotate 30 CW

Rotates the Camera
view 30 degrees
clockw ise, like ananimation table.

View > Rotate View CW

Rotate 30 CCW

Rotates the Camera
view 30 degrees
counter-clockw ise, likean animation table.

View > Rotate View CCW

Mirror View

Temporarily flips the
Camera or Draw ing
view horizontally,
allow ing you to viewand edit your artw ork
as if it w as being
mirrored.

View > Mirror View
In the Camera or Draw ing toolbar, click on the
button.

82

Mirror View

Chapter 2: User Interface

Command

ActionAccess Methods

Toggle Quick
Close-up

Instantly multiplies theview 's Zoom Factor by
4. For example, if the
Camera View 's Zoom
Factor is at 100%, thisw ill make it toggle
betw een 400% and100%.

Shift + Z

Cycles through thefollow ing display
modes:l

Normal FullScreen: The
mainapplication
w indow
becomes fullscreen.

lView FullScreen: The

Toggle Full
Screenselected view
becomes fullscreen and allother view s arecollapsed.
lView > Toggle Full Screen
Press Ctrl + F (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + F (macOS)

Normal: The
mainapplication
w indow isrestored to its
original size andcollapsed view s
are expanded.

Using the Play Menu to Navigate
From the top menu, you can select any of the follow ing commands from the Play menu to navigate around theinterface.
Command

Description

83Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Start Frame

Lets you set the frame on w hich playback w ill start.

End FrameLets you set the frame on w hich playback w ill end.

First Frame

Jump to the first frame. You can also press <.

Previous Frame

Jumps to the frame before the frame currently selected in the Timeline view . You
can also press the comma (,) key.

Next Frame

Jumps to the frame after the currently selected frame in the Timeline view . You
can also press the period (.) key.

Last Frame

Jumps to the last frame. You can also press >.

Opens the Go to Frame w indow in w hich you can enter the number of the frame
you w ant to display.
Go to Frame

You can also use the Go button, w hich you can add to the Timeline toolbar
through the Toolbar Manager. Open the Go to Frame dialog box and enter theframe number to jump to.

Enable Playback

Plays back your animation from the Top or Side view s.

84

Chapter 2: User Interface

About Documentation
The documentation is a w ay to help you find answ ers to your questions about how things w ork in Harmony.
The documentation of features and procedures exists online, but you can access it through the softw are.
A simple, but fast w ay to find a description of certain menu items and preferences is through the Integrated
Help.

85

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Accessing the Documentation
T-HFND-001-004
The Harmony documentation can be accessed from the Help menu.

How to access the Harmony Essentials documentation
1. From the top menu, select Help > Online Help.

86

Chapter 2: User Interface

Using the Integrated Help
If you are unsure about w hat a certain menu item is in the Top menu or the function of a specific preference in
the Preferences panel, use the Integrated Help.
If you keep the Integrated Help w indow open for the entire duration of your w ork session, then you can use theforw ard and backw ard arrow s to scroll through a history of the help information that you called up during yoursession.

How to use the Integrated Help with Menu Items
1. In the top menu, go to Help > Show W hat's This or press F1 on W indow s or ⌘ + / on macOS.
The Integrated Help w indow appears.

2. In the top menu, click on a menu heading to display its contents.
3. Use your mouse to hover over a menu item.

4. Press F1 on W indow s or ⌘ + / on macOS.
In the Integrated Help w indow , a description of the menu item appears.

87Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

How to use the Integrated Help with Preferences
1. In the top menu, go to Help > Show W hat's This or press F1 on W indow s or ⌘ + / on macOS.
The Integrated Help w indow appears.

2. In the top menu, go to Edit > Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony > Preferences (macOS).
The Preferences w indow appears.
3. In the Preferences w indow , use your mouse to hover over a preference.

4. Press F1 on W indow s or ⌘ + / on macOS.
In the Integrated Help w indow , a description of the preference appears.

88Chapter 2: User Interface

How to scroll through the bank of searched itemsl

In the Integrated Help w indow , click on the forw ard or backw ard arrow buttons.

NOTE
The moment you close the Integrated Help w indow all searched items w ill be erased from thememory bank. In order to keep an on-going record of all the search requests made, you must keep
the w indow open.

89Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

90

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns
T-RIG-009-003
Before filling in any values or setting any timing or exposure, you need to create draw ing elements. Eachdraw ing element is represented as a vertical column in the Xsheet view and a horizontal layer in the Timelineview .
In Harmony, w hether you w ork in the Timeline or Xsheet view , any modification you do to one view w ill beapplied to both.
W hen you add a draw ing element to your scene, a folder is added to the scene directory. This folder is named
the same w ay as the draw ing element and is in fact, linked to the draw ing element. Its purpose is to contain all
the draw ings related to this element (layer, column). For example, in cut-out animation, a character can have
many heads available. All of the head draw ings w ill be contained in this folder, even if they are not exposed in
the Timeline or the Xsheet view .
Draw ings are exposed in cells/frames and linked to the draw ings saved in the layer's directory. W hen you
remove a draw ing from a cell/frame, it is not displayed, but still exists in the directory.
W hen you create a draw ing cycle, all of the repeated draw ings are linked to the original files. This means thatw hen you modify, repaint, or correct a draw ing named “1,” all exposures of draw ing “1” are updated
simultaneously. In order to modify a draw ing independently from its other exposures, you must duplicate thedraw ing.

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 draw ing elements from the Timeline view , Xsheet view , and the Scene menu.

91Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Layer and Column Types
A column is also know n as a layer. There are several types of layers you can add in the Timeline and Xsheet
view . Each layer is indicated by an icon to help you differentiate them. Some layers are represented differently
in the Xsheet view .

Drawing Layer
The most common layer type is the draw ing layer.

Any time you need to create a vector draw ing or import a symbol or image, you can use a draw ing layer. You
can also create bitmap artw ork on a draw ing layer.

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 w hen you import, the vectorized object w ill be placed on a Draw ing layer.

W hen importing a bitmap image, you have the option of encapsulating the image in a symbol. If you place abitmap into a symbol, you w ill be able to mix vector draw ings w ith 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 w hen
you create a scene. You need to add a Camera layer w hen you w ant to create a camera motion.

The Camera layer is not visible in the Xsheet view .

NOTE
If you w ant to have several cameras w ith different settings, you can keep adding Camera layers inyour Timeline view (how ever, only one w ill ever be visible at a time as you can only have one
camera at a time in your timeline). To sw itch to a different camera, select Scene > Camera andselect another camera layer.

Effect Layer
To enhance the look of your scene, you can add effect layers and attach your draw ings to them.

92

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

W hen you select the Effect layer in the Timeline view , the effect’s parameter columns are displayed in the
Functions section of the Xsheet view .

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 w ill have a black
background.

This layer is not visible in the Xsheet view .

Group Layer
A Group layer can be used to organize the Timeline view .

You can drag and drop other layers onto a Group layer and then collapse the Group layer to hide these otherlayers from view .

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

W hen you select the Peg layer in the Timeline view , the peg’s function columns are displayed in the Functions
section of the Xsheet view .

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

W hen you select the Quadmap layer in the Timeline view , the Quadmap’s function columns are displayed in
the Functions section of the Xsheet view .

Sound Layer
You can import sound files to add dialog and sound effects to your project. The sound layer w ill be added toyour Timeline and Xsheet view w hen you import a sound file in your scene.

93Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

In the Xsheet view , the Sound layer is a dark grey colour.

Advanced Column Types
In the Xsheet view , you can add several advanced column types to create particular animation paths. W hen
you create these columns, they are not linked automatically to any particular draw ing layer. You can create amotion path using these columns and then link or unlink several draw ing or peg layers to it.
Advanced column types include:•

Timing•

3D Path•

3D Rotation•

Bezier Curve•

Ease Curve•

Expression•

Annotation

94

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Adding Layers and Columns
T-HFND-005-002
There are different w ays to add a draw ing elements (layers and columns) to your project. By default, w hen
you create a new scene there is one Draw ing column in the Xsheet view and one corresponding Draw ing layer
in the Timeline view .
W hen you add an element, it w ill appear as a column in the Xsheet view , a layer in the Timeline view .

95

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding Layers in the Timeline View
T-LAY-001-007
Draw ing elements are more commonly know n as layers in the Timeline view . Create them using the follow ing
procedure:

How to add a drawing element from the Timeline view
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , click theAdd Draw ing Layer button.

l

In the top menu, select Insert > Drawing.

l

Press Ctrl + R (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + R (macOS).

The Add Draw ing Layer dialog appears.

2. In the Name field, type in the name for your new layer.
3.
4. Do one of the follow ing:lClick Add to create this layer, but leave the dialog open so you can create more layers.

lClick Add and Close to create this layer and close the dialog.

A new draw ing layer is added to the Timeline view .

96

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Adding Columns from the Xsheet View
Draw ing elements in the Xsheet view are more commonly know n as columns. You can add columns using thefollow ing procedure:

How to add a drawing element from the Xsheet view
Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Xsheet menu, right-click a column and select Add Columns.

lClick the Add Columns

lPress Shift + C.

button.

The Add Column dialog box opens.

1. In the Name field, type a relevant element name.

2. In the Type field, select Drawing.

3. To complete the operation:lClick Add and Close to add your new layers and close the dialog box.

lClick Add to add your new layers and keep the dialog box open to add column.

lClick Close to cancel the operation.

The new draw ing element appears in the Timeline, Xsheet and Node view s—see Layer andColumn Types on page 92.

97

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Using the Advanced Add Column Dialog Box

98

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Deleting Layers and Columns
T-HFND-005-004
You can delete an element in the Timeline view or Xsheet view .

How to delete layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the layers to delete.

NOTE
You can select several contiguous layers by holding dow n the Shift key, clicking on thefirst layer you w ant to select, then on the last layer you w ant to select. You can also
select several layers by holding the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key andclicking on each layer you w ant to select.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline’s Layer toolbar, click the

Delete Layers button.

l

Right-click on the selection and select Delete.

The selected layers are removed from the Timeline view .

How to delete columns in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , select the columns to be deleted by clicking on their header.

99

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

2. Do one of the follow inglRight-click on the selection and select Delete Columns.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Delete Columns

lPress Del.
The Confirm Delete dialog box opens.

3. To complete the operation:lClick OK to delete the selected layers.

lClick Cancel to cancel the operation.

100

button.

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Renaming Layers and Columns
T-LAY-001-008
Once you add layers and columns to your project, you can modify their names.

How to rename a layer in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , double-click on the name of the layer to rename.

A text-input field appears over the name.

2. Type in the new name for your layer and press Enter/Return.
The layer now has the new name.

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

3. Click Close.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Reordering Layers and Columns
You can change the order of your elements in the Timeline view and Xsheet view . W hen you change the orderof your elements in one view , the other one is updated.

How to reorder layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the layers to move.

2. Click and drag the selection, then do one of the follow ing:lDrop the selection betw een tw o layers to move it betw een those layers. A cyan line w ill
appear betw een the layers w here the selection w ill be moved.

lDrop the selection onto a layer to rig the selected layers as children over that layer.

How to reorder columns in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , click on the column’s header w ith the middle mouse button.
2. Drag the column to its new position.

102

Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Enabling and Disabling Layers
T-HFND-005-010
You can disable layers so that they do not appear in the rendered image or in the Camera view . This can have
many purposes:l

If you used a layer to sketch rough animation or draw ings, ideas or designs, you can disable the layer
permanently once you're done using it as a reference, w ithout deleting the layer.

l

If a specific layer, such as an overlay, character or prop, is in the w ay of the layer you're w orking on, you
can disable it temporarily to de-clutter the Camera view .

Disabling a layer also hides it from the rendered image. Hence, if you w ant to hide a layer temporarily, youmust re-enable it before rendering your scene.
Likew ise, it is also possible to disable peg layers, w hich makes the peg's child layers unaffected by the peg'stransformations. You can also disable effect layers to disable their effect.

How to show or hide all layers
1. In the layers toolbar, click on the

Enable/Disable All button to enable or disable all layers.

How to show or hide individual layers
1. Do one of the follow ing:lClick the layer's

Enable/Disable button to show or hide that layer.

lPress A to show selected layers or D to hide selected layers.

lRight-click on the selected layer and select Enable > Enable/Disable.

How to enable the selected layer and disable all others
1. Right click on the selected layer and select Enable > Disable All Others.

103Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Enabling or Disabling Solo Mode on a Layer
Solo Mode allow s you to instantly and temporarily hide all layers except for the layer or layers you're currently
w orking on. Solo Mode can be enabled on one or several layers, and w orks w ith the follow ing logic:l

If Solo Mode is not enabled on any layer, then all enabled layers are visible.

l

If Solo Mode is enabled on a single layer, then only this layer is visible and all others are hidden.

l

If Solo Mode is enabled on several layers, then only these layers are visible and all others are hidden.

W hile disabling a layer makes it invisible in the rendered image, enabling Solo Mode only affects the preview
image in the Camera view .

NOTES
l

If Solo Mode is enabled on a disabled layer, this layer w ill not be visible in the Camera view .

l

If a draw ing layer is connected to an inverted Cutter effect, you must enable Solo Mode on both
the draw ing layer and the Cutter effect for them to be visible.

How to enable or disable Solo Mode on a layer
1. In the Timeline view , click on the

Solo Mode button left of each layer that you w ant to makevisible in the Camera view .
2. To disable Solo Mode on a layer, click on its

Solo Mode button again.

If you have Solo Mode enabled on many layers and you w ant to quickly go back to only seeing one layer, you
can quickly disable Solo Mode on all but one layers, and enable Solo Mode on that layer.

How to enable Solo Mode on a layer and disable it on all other layers
1. W hile holding the Alt key, click on the

Solo Mode button of the only layer that you w ant tomake visible in the Camera view .
If you w ant to quickly turn off Solo Mode for all layers it has been enabled on, you can do so by clicking on the
Toggle solo mode on or off button in the Layers toolbar of the Timeline View .

How to toggle Solo Mode off for all layers
1. In the Layers toolbar of the Timeline view , click on the

Toggle solo mode on or off button todisable Solo Mode on all layers.
2. W hen you w ant to enable Solo Mode again, you can do one of the follow ing:

104

Chapter 3: Layers and ColumnslTo instantly enable Solo Mode again on all the layers on w hich it w as previously enabled,click on thelToggle solo mode on or off button again.

To only enable Solo Mode again on a single specific layer, click on thefor that layer.

105

Solo Mode button

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Locking and Unlocking Layers
You can prevent modifications to a layer by locking in it. W hile a layer is locked, you cannot select it,
manipulate it, draw in it, or change its timing in the Timeline view .
You can Lock/Unlock an audio layer by using the Lock/Unlock button lets you prevent the editing of a layer.
Locking a layer is especially useful if you w ant to avoid selecting it in the Camera view . Clicking on a locked
draw ing w ith the Transform tool in the Camera view w ill select w hichever draw ing is behind it, if there is any.
This can help ensure that backgrounds and, more importantly, foreground elements, remain in place once they
have been properly positioned.

NOTE
W hen a layer is locked, you can still make changes to its timing in the Xsheet view .

How to lock a layer or a selection of layers
1. In the Timeline view , select one or more layers.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lock > Lock.

l

Click one of the selected layer’s Lockl

Press Ctrl + Alt + L (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Alt + L (macOS).

icon.

All selected layers are locked.

106Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

How to unlock a locked layer or a selection of locked layers
1. In the Timeline view , select one or more locked layers.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lock > Unlock.

l

Click a selected layer’s Lockl

Press Ctrl + Shift + K (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + K (macOS).

icon.

All selected layers are unlocked.

How to lock all layers
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lock > Lock All.

l

In the Timeline view , select all layers and click Lockl

Press Ctrl + Shift + L (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + L (macOS).

All layers are locked.

107

icon of a selected layer.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

How to unlock all layers
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lock > Unlock All.

l

In the Timeline view , select all layers (locked) and click Lockicon of a selected

layer.
l

Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Alt + Shift + L (macOS).

All layers are unlocked.

How to lock all other layers
1. In the Timeline view , select the layers you do not w ant to lock.

2. Do one of the follow ing:

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Chapter 3: Layers and ColumnslFrom the top menu, select Animation > Lock > Lock All Others.

lPress Ctrl + Alt + Shift + O (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Alt + Shift + O (macOS).

All layers are locked except the selected ones.

How to lock/unlock an audio layer
1. In the Timeline view , select one or more layers.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lock > Lock.

l

Click one of the selected layer’s Lockl

Press Ctrl + Alt + L (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Alt + L (macOS)

icon.

All selected layers are locked.

W hen a layer is locked, its name is displayed in red. Click the Lockicon again to unlock the layer.

How to display locked drawings as outline
1. In the Camera View bottom toolbar, enabled the Outline Locked Draw ings

option.

2. You can also set this option as a permanent preference. From the top menu, select Edit >Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Preferences (macOS).
3. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Camera tab.
4. In the Tools section, select the Show Locked Drawings As Outlines option.

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Navigating Layers and Columns
Once a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view , you can navigate betw een the draw ings, frames, andlayers. Displays the previous draw ing, next draw ing, previous layer or next layer. using keyboard shortcutsthat w ork in the Camera, Draw ing, Xsheet and Timeline view s.
You can navigate through:•Draw ings•

Frames•Columns

How to navigate through drawings, frames and columns
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell.

2. Once the cell is selected, you can navigate betw een:lPrevious and next layers: From the top menu, select Drawing > Previous Layer and
Next Layer or press H and J.

110

Chapter 3: Layers and ColumnslPrevious and next drawings: From the top menu, select Drawing > Previous
Drawing and Next Drawing or press F and G..

lPrevious and next frames: From the top menu, select Play > Previous Frame andNext Frame or press comma (,) and period (.).

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About Clone and Duplicate Layers
At times, you w ill need to create a large group of characters such as a crow d, school of fish or flock of birds.
You can do this by cloning or duplicating a layer. The difference betw een cloning and duplicating is that aclone uses the same draw ings for all layers. A duplicated layer is simply an independent copy.
If you w ant to maintain the ability to modify draw ings and propagate the changes through all layers, you
should clone your layer. If you simply w ant to copy your layers and be able to modify your draw ings w ithout
affecting the original layer, use the duplicate option.

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Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

About Clone Layers
A cloned layer is linked to the original element directory. If a draw ing is modified in the original or cloned layer,
both w ill be updated. How ever, cloned layers can have different timings.

W hen cloning layers, you have the ability to clone the draw ings and the corresponding columns (timing) or
only the draw ings. If you choose to clone the draw ings and timing, your node w ill be linked to the sameelement folder, as w ell as the same draw ing and function columns. Therefore, if you change the draw ing
exposure or keyframe on one layer, all cloned layers w ill be updated.
You may w ant to create a large group of characters reusing the same animation, but w ant to slightly offset thetiming so they're not dancing or w alking quite on the same beat. For example, if you create a w alk-cycle for asoldier and w ant to use it for an entire army, you may w ant to have 50 layers w ith 50 different draw ing
exposures to produce a slight difference in the timing. If you copy your layers and draw ings 50 times over, it
w ill create a heavier scene. It is better to clone the 50 layers w ith only their draw ings w ithout linking to thesame timing (function and exposure columns).

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Cloning Layers
You can clone layers in several w ays. Cloned layers use the same draw ings.

How to clone a layer
1. In the Timeline view , select a layer to clone. You can select multiple layers.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Edit > Clone Drawings Only or Edit > Clone Drawings
and Timing.

l

In the Timeline view , right-click on the layers and select Clone Selected Layers:
Drawings Only or Clone Selected Layers: Drawings and Timing.

The cloned layer appears.

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Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

About Duplicate Layers
T-HFND-006-013
You can duplicate a layer to have a copy of the draw ings that are independent from the original ones, as w ell
as an independent timing (exposure). W hen you need the draw ings to be modified independently, you w ill
w ant to duplicate the layer instead of cloning it.

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Duplicating Layers
T-HFND-006-014
You can easily duplicate layers. Once duplicated, the layers are completely independent. Draw ings are also
duplicated.

How to duplicate a layer
1. In the Timeline view , select one or more layers.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , right-click on the layers and select Duplicate Selected Layers.

l

From the top menu, select Edit > Duplicate.

The duplicated layer appears.

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About Groups
W hen w orking w ith complex rigs, you may w ant to group layers together to avoid cluttering the Timeline viewand keep your layers organized.

Groups can also be useful if you need to apply the same effect to several layers at once. For example, if
transparency is applied to each individual layer making a character rig, the seams betw een its body parts w ill
become visible. Instead, if you group all of the rig's layers together, then add a Transparency effect to thegroup, Harmony w ill compose the layers inside the group into a single image before applying the effect.

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Grouping Layers
You can group layers to keep your Timeline view organized.

How to group layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the elements you w ant to group.

NOTE
Any layer betw een the selected layers w ill be grouped w ith the selected layers.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the highlighted layers and select Group Selection.

lPress Ctrl +Shift + G (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + G (macOS).

A new Group layer is added to the Timeline view .

If you click on the

Expand Group button, you w ill find the grouped layers rigged as children of

the group layer.

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Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Ungrouping Layers
If needed you can ungroup layers you have previously grouped together.

How to ungroup layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the group you w ant to ungroup.
2. Right-click on the group and select Ungroup.
All the group's layers w ill be placed outside of the group, and the group w ill be removed.

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Displaying Layer and Column Properties
Each element has its ow n set of properties that you can modify, including effect and peg layers.
If you w ant to modify an element’s properties, you can display the properties of a selected layer in theTimeline view . If you're w orking w ith the Xsheet, you can display its properties as w ell. You can display alayer's properties as a w indow or as a view of its ow n.
The Layer Properties editor allow s you to:lRename the layerlEnable or disable the layerlLock the layerlChange the track colour

The Column Properties editor allow s you to:lRename the layerlEnable or disable the layer

How to display a layer's properties
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Layer Properties view is not part of your w orkspace, from the top menu, selectW indows > Layer Properties. In the Timeline view , select a layerl

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

lPress Shift + E.

The properties display—see Element/Draw ing Node in the Reference guide .

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121Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Layer and Column Display
You can change the w ay a column in the Xsheet view displays. You can change the w ay a layer in the Timelineview or a column in the Xsheet view displays. You can stay organized w ithout changing the content ofelements or your animation output.

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Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Expanding and Collapsing Layers and Columns
To simplify the look of the Timeline or Xsheet view , you can expand and collapse some of the layers andcolumns. If layers are parented to other ones, you can collapse the parent layer to hide its children.

How to collapse or expand selected layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the layer(s) to collapse or expand.
2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Collapse/Expand > Collapse/Expand.

l

Click the Expand Children

button on the parent layer.

lClick the Collapse/Expand

button (you may have to customize the toolbar todisplay it).
lPress Ctrl + I (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + I (macOS).

How to collapse or expand all layers in the Timeline view
1. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the layers and select Collapse/Expand > Expand All or Collapse All.

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Collapse All

or Expand All

buttons (you may

have to customize the toolbar to display them).
lPress 0 and 9.

How to collapse and expand 3D path or rotation columns in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Show Column List

button to display the Functions list.

2. In the Xsheet view , select the column header of the 3D path or 3D rotation column to collapse or
expand.
3. Do one of the follow ing:

123Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Right-click on the column’s header and select Expand/Collapse > Collapse Selection
or Expand Selection.

How to collapse or expand all 3D path and 3D rotation columns in the Xsheet view
Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on any column’s header and select Expand/Collapse > Collapse All or Expand All.

l

Press 0 and 9.

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Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

Showing and Hiding Layers and Columns
As you w ork in the Draw ing, Camera or Xsheet view , some layers or columns may be in the w ay, such as thosethat w ere used as references. You can hide these layers to make your w ork area less cluttered and easier tonavigate.

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Showing and Hiding Columns
The Xsheet view has a Column List section that displays all the columns contained in the exposure sheet. It
can be used to hide individual columns.
If you need to see a column after it has been hidden, you can display it directly from the Xsheet view w ithout
using the Column List section.
You can also hide a column type, such as Draw ing or Sound. W hen you do this, its corresponding layer isdisabled in the Timeline view .

How to show and hide columns in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Show Column List

button.

2. On the right side of the Functions section, click the Expand

button to display the Column List

section.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Column List section, select the columns to display and deselect the columns to
hide.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Hide Selected Column
customize the toolbar to display it).

126

button (you may have toChapter 3: Layers and Columns

Showing Hidden Columns
In order to save visual space in the Xsheet view , columns can be hidden from view . The hidden layer's
presence is indicated by a thicker grey line betw een columns.

How to show hidden columns in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , do one of the follow ing:lClick the thick grey line that represents a hidden column.

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

lPress Alt + Shift + H.

The Show Hidden Columns dialog box opens.

2. In the Show column, select the hidden columns you w ant to display in the Xsheet view .
lClick Check to select all the selected columns.

lClick Uncheck to deselect all selected columns.

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Showing and Hiding Column Types
You can hide specific column types from view , in order to w ork more easily w ith one aspect of your project. For
example, you could hide all the Draw ing columns in the Xsheet, so that you could w ork more easily w ith your
3D Path Columns.

How to show and hide column types using the Column List
1. In the Column List section, click the button corresponding to the column type you w ant to show or
hide.

Column Type

ActionShow /Hide All Columns

Show /Hide Draw ing Columns

Show /Hide Function Columns

Show /Hide 3D Path Columns

Show /Hide 3D Rotation Columns

Show /Hide Sound Columns

Show /Hide Annotation Columns

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Displaying Xsheet Thumbnails
W hen there are a large number of columns in the exposure sheet, it's not easy to quickly identify a particularcolumn. Displaying the column thumbnails makes this easier. This option displays a small thumbnail picture of
the current frame below the column header.

NOTE
To display thumbnails in the Timeline view , see Displaying Draw ing Thumbnails in the Timeline
View .

How to display the thumbnails
1. In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Show Thumbnails

button.

The thumbnails row appear appear underneath the column names.

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Changing Layer and Column Colours
To easily identify elements in the Timeline or Xsheet view , you can change the colour of layers and columns.

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 w ant 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 Draw ing layer, exposed cells are the brighter,selected colour for easy identification. The corresponding column colour is also updated in the
Xsheet.

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

button (you may have to customize thetoolbar to display it).

How to change a column’s colour in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , select one or more columns to modify.

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Chapter 3: Layers and Columns

2. Right-click on the column’s header and select Colour > Change Columns Colour.
3. In the Select Colour dialog box, select a new colour for your columns.

4. Click OK.
The column’s colour is updated. The corresponding column colour is also updated.

How to reset the column’s colour in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , select the columns to reset.
2. Right-click on the column’s header and select Colour > Default Columns Colour.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Chapter 4: Timing
W hen you create hand-draw n animation traditionally or in a paperless environment, it's important to know
how to set and modify the timing of your draw ings.

In a traditional w orkflow , the person in charge of the digital exposure sheet reproduces the paper exposure
sheet created by the animator. In a paperless w orkflow , the animator creates and manages their ow n
exposure sheet directly in Harmony w ithout the need for reproduction.
If you're more of a traditional animator, you w ill probably w ork w ith an exposure sheet. If you're a digital
animator, you may prefer to w ork w ith a timeline to visualize your timing. Harmony offers both.
The Xsheet view displays the digital reproduction of a traditional paper exposure sheet used in hand-draw n
animation. You can set the animation sequence's exposure and name the draw ings.
The Timeline view is also used to visualize timing, and represents elements and groups of elements as layers.
You can adjust timing in both view s; your choice depends on w hich technique you're accustomed to using.
Depending on your w orking style, some actions may seem preferable to do in one view instead of another.
Many of the actions you perform in the Xsheet can also be accomplished in the Timeline. This chapter w ill
often show both techniques. You can choose w hich one you prefer.
In this chapter, you w ill learn how to w ork on your draw ing’s exposure and length. The exposure andanimation paths for symbols are covered in separate chapters.

NOTE
The exposure sheet is not mandatory for cut-out animation. It can be useful for creating charactersand parts, but is not really needed for animation and timing. If you plan to w ork w ith cut-out
animation, you can still learn useful tips by review ing the section on exposure sheets.

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About Scene Length
In Harmony, the length of each scene is determined by the amount of frames it contains. You can calculate theamount of frames your scene requires based on the amount of time it should span over w ith the formula, inw hich l is the scene's length, s is the amount of seconds your scene requires, and fps is the scene's framerate.
l = s × fps
Likew ise, a scene's length in seconds can be calculated w ith the reverse formula:s = l ÷ fps
By default, scenes created in Harmony are 60 frames in length. At 24 frames per second, this makes a scene of
2½ seconds in length. You should set your scene's length based on how much time you plan for it to require
after creating your scene so you can plan your animation based on the scene's length. How ever, it is possible
to adjust your scene's length at any time. You can also insert or remove frames at any point in your scene.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Setting the Scene Length
T-HFND-007-007
You can set the scene length by entering its exact amount of frames or by adjusting its length using the scene
length bracket in the Timeline view .

How to set the scene's length in frames
1. 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 modify the scene length in the Timeline view
1. In the ruler of the Timeline view , click and drag the red scene length bracket and move it to theleft to shorten the scene or to the right to extend the scene.

135Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Inserting Frames in a Scene
You can add frames to your scene before or after the currently selected frame(s). All of your scene's animation
before or after the selection w ill be offset by the amount of frames you added.

How to add frames at the start of a scene
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select Scene > Frames > Add Frames at Start.

l

Right-click in the Xsheet view and, in the context menu, select Frames > Add Frames at
Start.

The Add Frames dialog box appears.

2. In the Number of frames to add field, enter the number of frames you w ant to add at the beginningof the scene.
3. If your scene contains scene markers, check Ripple Scene Markers if you w ant them to be offset
along w ith the keyframes and draw ings. If you w ant them to remain in place, uncheck this option.
4. Click OK.

How to add frames to the middle of a scene
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the frame w here you w ant to insert frames.

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Chapter 4: Timing

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

l

In the Xsheet view toolbar, click the

Add Frames button to add frames after yourselection.
lPress Ctrl + G (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + G (macOS) to add frames before the selection, orCtrl + H to add frames after the selection.

The Add Frames dialog box appears.

3. In the Number of Frames to Add field, enter the amount of frames to add to the scene.
4. If your scene contains scene markers, check Ripple Scene Markers if you w ant the scene markers
after the insertion point to be offset along w ith the keyframes and draw ings. If you w ant them toremain in place, uncheck this option.
5. If you w ant the draw ings exposed just before the insertion point to be exposed throughout the newframes, check Extend Drawing Exposure. If you w ant the new frames to be empty, uncheck thisoption.
6. Click OK.
New frames are inserted before or after the selected frames, depending on w hich command you
selected.

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How to add frames at the end of a scene
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select Scene > Frames > Add Frames at End.

l

Right-click in the Xsheet view and, in the context menu, select Frames > Add Frames at
End.

The Add Frames dialog box appears.

2. In the Number of Frames to Add field, enter the number of frames to add at the end of the scene.
3. If you w ant the draw ings exposed at the end of the scene to be exposed throughout the newframes, check Extend Drawing Exposure. If you w ant the new frames to be empty, uncheck thisoption.
4. Click OK.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Removing Frames from a Scene
It is possible to remove frames from your scene. Your scene w ill be shortened by the amount of selected
frames, and all the animation after the removed frames w ill move back to close the gap.

How to remove a frame or a range of frames from your scene
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a frame or a range of frames to remove.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

lRight-click in the Xsheet view and, in the context menu, select Frame > Remove Selected
Frames.

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TIP
If you selected frames in the Xsheet view by clicking and dragging on the frame
numbers like in the screenshot above, or if you selected frames in all the columns in the
Xsheet view , you can also press the Del key. You w ill be prompted to confirm w hether
you w ant to delete the frames, or just clear the exposure in the selection. To delete theframes, click Yes.

The Remove Frames dialog box appears.

3. If your scene contains scene markers, check Ripple Scene Markers if you w ant the scene markers
after the selected frames to be offset backw ards along w ith the keyframes and draw ings. If you
w ant them to remain in place, uncheck this option.

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Chapter 4: Timing

About Exposure
T-HFND-006-006
In Harmony, exposure is the term used for the link betw een a cell, w hich is a single frame in a draw ing layer,
and a draw ing.
This concept comes from traditional animation. W hen draw ings w ere finished and ready to be added to theanimation, they w ould be placed under a camera, and taking one snapshot of the draw ing w ould equate to
one exposure. Hence, exposure is an important concept for planning out the draw ings required for your action,
as w ell as the timing in w hich they w ill be displayed as your scene plays out. It is especially important w hen
draw ings are used several times in a scene, w hich is a common practice to save on production time and costs,
as you can re-use a draw ing by exposing it over multiple frames.
In traditional animation, it is typical to plan a scene by filling the exposure sheet w ith the exposure before
creating the animation. An exposure sheet is made of cells, w hich represent frames, spread across columns,
representing draw ing layers, and the exposure is planned by filling each cell w ith the identification numbers
for the draw ings you plan your scene's action to require. This allow s animators to figure out the timing of theirscene's actions and to allocate the amount of draw ings each action w ill require before they start draw ing,
removing decision making from the animation process.
In Harmony, you can achieve this process by using the Xsheet view , w hich is very similar to a traditional
animation exposure sheet. You can fill each cell in your scene's draw ing layers w ith the number of thedraw ings you plan to create, at the frames at w hich you intend to expose them, and set the exposure of eachdraw ing to the amount of frames you intend them to take.

Filling a cell w ith a draw ing identifier allow s Harmony to keep track of w hich frames should display w hichdraw ings. For example, if you fill cell 1 and 2 of the draw ing layer A w ith the number 5, then start draw ing incell 1 or 2, Harmony w ill create the draw ing A-5, w hich w ill display in layer A w hen at frame 1 or 2 of yourscene. Otherw ise, if you start draw ing inside an empty cell, Harmony w ill automatically create a draw ing andassign it an available draw ing number.

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About Creating Exposure
In traditional and paperless animation, it is useful to plan your scene by creating its exposure before creating
the draw ings. The most basic method of creating a scene's exposure is by manually entering the name(typically a number) of each draw ing in each cell of each column in your scene using the Xsheet view .
How ever, Harmony has many tools allow ing you to streamline the exposure filling process. If you plan toanimate on tw os or threes, Harmony can automatically expose each draw ing added to your exposure sheetover the preferred amount of frames. You can also fill a range of cells w ith the same draw ing, a number
sequence, or a cycle.

142Chapter 4: Timing

Typing Exposures
T-HFND-006-007
To fill in your exposure, you can type the values directly in the Xsheet view .
If you w ant to type an exact draw ing name or value in the Timeline view , you must use the Parameters sectionof the Timeline.

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

How to type a value in the Timeline view
1. In the Draw ing Substitution field, double-click to edit the field and type the name of the draw ing
you w ant to create.

2. Press Enter/Return to validate the value.

How to type a value in the Xsheet view
1. In an Xsheet column, double-click on a cell.

2. Type a value or draw ing name in the cell.

143Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Press Enter/Return to move to the next cell.

4. Press Esc to exit the typing mode.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Setting the Exposure Hold
Draw ings in an animation project are often exposed for more than one frame to save on production costs. In
w estern animation, each draw ing is usually exposed on tw o frames, and in Japanese animation, each draw ing
is usually exposed on three frames. In both cases, exceptions can be made for quick or detailed actions that
require precise timing.
In the industry, this type of exposure is know n as animation in double or triple frames, or animation on tw os oron threes.
To save time w hen creating your scene's exposure, you can configure the Xsheet to hold the exposure. Thisw ill make every new exposure you type into the Xsheet exposed for the preferred amount of frames. After you
enter the exposure for a cell, the selected cell w ill be after this exposure's hold, allow ing you to quickly fill acolumn w ith exposure w hile respecting the selected hold.

How to hold an exposure
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Hold Exposure > Hold the desired amountof cells.

lRight-click on the Xsheet and select Exposure > Hold Exposure > Hold the desired amountof cells.

2. Type a value or draw ing name in the cell.
3. Type a value or draw ing name in the cell.
lPress Enter/Return to move on to the next cell.

lPress Esc to quit the typing mode.

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Toggling Between Inserting and Overwriting Exposure
T-HFND-006-007
In the Xsheet view , you can fill columns using tw o different filling modes: Overw rite or Insert. These modes
control the filling behaviour. The Timeline view only uses the Overw rite mode.
By default, the Xsheet view is set to Overw rite mode. Adding a new value or a new value sequence overw rites
existing ones. The existing timing sequence remains in the same place and is not pushed dow n the column.

The Insert mode is the opposite of the Overw rite mode. W hen you add a new value or a new value sequence
over existing ones, the new values are inserted betw een the old ones. The existing timing sequence is pushed
dow n the column.

How to switch between the Overwrite and Insert modes
1. Do one of the follow ing:‣

In the bottom-right corner of the Xsheet view , click Overwrite/Insert.

‣

Press I.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Filling a Selection with a Specific Exposure
You can fill a selection w ith the same draw ing using the Fill Selection dialog box. You can fill a selection of asingle draw ing, several draw ings or even several columns.

How to fill a selection with a specific exposure
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell range.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

lPress Ctrl + T (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + T (macOS)).

The Fill Selection dialog box opens.

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

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Chapter 4: Timing

Creating an Exposure Sequence
You can quickly create a sequence w ith a gesture by holding the Shift key w hile extending an exposure, or use
the Sequence Fill dialog box to create a custom sequence w ithin your selection. W hile the former is faster, thelatter allow s you to determine your sequence's hold and increment, to create a backw ard sequence or toconfigure it in multiple other w ays.

How to extend an exposure to create a sequence
1. In the Xsheet view , select a cell containing a number.
2. In the selected cell, click the red arrowon the cell’s right side. Make sure to see the drag dow ncursor.

3. Hold dow n the Shift key. Make sure a plus sign (+) appears.
4. Pull dow n the selection box to the desired frame.

NOTE
The red selection box must be visible w hen releasing the cursor. If not, the action isconsidered cancelled.

5. First release the Shift key, then release the mouse button.

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How to fill a selection with a sequence
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell range.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

l

Press Ctrl + M (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + M (macOS)).

The Sequence Fill dialog box opens.

3. In the Starting Value field, type the first number in the sequence.
4. In the Increment field, type the number by w hich the draw ing number w ill increase from frame toframe. 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.

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Creating an Exposure Cycle
T-HFND-006-008
Once you have entered a series of draw ings and exposures, you can create cycles out of them in several w ays.
This can be useful for example if you w ant to make or use a looping character's w alking animation, referred toas a w alk cycle.
W hen you create cycle, each instance of each cycled draw ing is linked to the same draw ing file. This meansthat if you change a draw ing for the first instance of the cycle, it w ill update for every other instance of thecycle.

How to create a cycle
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell range to loop.

2. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Create Cycle

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

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

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Inserting Blank Cells
You can place an empty cell betw een other cells.

NOTE
Inserting a blank cell never overw rites existing cells, even if the Xsheet view is set to Overw rite
mode. This is because overw riting existing cells w ith blank cells w ould replicate the behavior ofdeleting exposure.

How to insert a blank cell
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell in w hich you w ant to insert a blank cell.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

Right-click and select Exposure > Insert Blank Cell.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet toolbar, click the Insert Blank Cellbutton. Note that you may

have to add this button to your toolbar by right-clicking on it and selecting Customize.
lPress Shift + J.

A blank cell is inserted.

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Filling Empty Cells
T-LAY-002-005
You can automatically fill gaps betw een exposures using the Fill Empty Cells command. This w ill extend theexposure of cell exposed right before the gap until the end of the gap.

How to fill empty cells
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell range.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Exposure > Fill Empty Cells.

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

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Fill Empty Cells

button.

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

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Toggling Extending Previous Drawing Exposure
T-HFND-006-005
W ith the Extend Exposure of Previous Draw ing preference enabled, you can configure Harmony toautomatically extend a previous draw ing's exposure w hen creating a new draw ing, automatically filling thegaps as you create draw ings.

This preference is enabled by default. If you disable it, gaps betw een previous draw ings and new draw ing w ill
not be automatically filled:

How to enable or disable the Extend Exposure of Previous Drawing preference
1. Open the Preferences dialog box by doing one of the follow ing:lSelect Edit > Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + U (macOS).

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

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3. In the Timeline section, check or uncheck the Extend Exposure of Previous Drawing option.

4. Click OK.

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About Adjusting Exposure
The exposure of draw ings in a scene often needs to be adjusted as you flesh out your animation and yourscene's action starts taking form. Your scene's action may require more or less draw ings than initially planned,
or some draw ings may need to be exposed for longer or shorter times than expected. There are many w ays toadjust your scene's exposure, giving you the flexibility to quickly make changes and test them so you can finetune your animation.

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Increasing Exposures
T-ANIMPA-006-005
Increasing the exposure Adds one more exposure to a selected cell; repeating this action adds an extra celleach time. This is an efficient w ay to extend a draw ing's exposure and is alw ays set in Insert mode. Increasing
an exposure pushes the existing exposure forw ard.

How to increase exposure
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lPress +.

l

At the bottom-right corner of the Xsheet view , set the number of cells over w hich thedraw ing w ill be exposed.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Increase ExposurelRight-click and select Exposure > Increase Exposure.

l

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

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Chapter 4: Timing

Decreasing Exposures
T-ANIMPA-006-006
Decreasing the exposure removes one exposure from a selected cell and pulls any cells follow ing it to thebeginning of selection. You can do this for one cell or a range.

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

2. Do one of the follow ing:lPress -.

l

At the bottom-right corner of the Xsheet view , set the number of cells over w hich the draw ing w ill
be exposed.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Decrease ExposurelRight-click and select Exposure > Decrease Exposure.

l

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

How to decrease a range of exposures
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a range of cells.

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2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Clear Exposure and Pull

The exposure is reduced by the selected number of cells.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Extending Single Exposures
T-HFND-007-008
Extending the exposure lets you select a cell and extend it to the desired frame.

How to extend an exposure in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell you w ant to extend.
2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Extend Exposure.

l

In the Timeline View menu, select Exposure > Extend Exposure.

l

Select Animation > Cell > Extend Exposure.

lPress F5.

3. In the Extend Exposure dialog box, enter the frame number to extend your cell to.
4. Indicate if you w ant to insert the new frames before the follow ing exposure or overw rite it. If you
select insert, any follow ing exposure w ill be moved dow n. If you select Overw rite, the follow ing
exposure w ill be erased and replaced by the draw ing being extended.

NOTE
You can also select the last cell w here you w ant to extend your draw ing to (suchas the last cell of the layer), right-click and select Extend Exposure. You w ill not
be prompted the dialog box.

How to extend an exposure gesturally
1. In the Xsheet view , select the red arrowcursor.

in the cell’s right side. Make sure you see the drag dow n

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2. Pull dow n the selected cell to the desired frame.

NOTE
The red selection box must be visible w hen releasing the cursor. If not, the action
is considered cancelled.

How to extend an exposure from the top menu
1. Select a cell and do one of the follow ing:l

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

lPress F5.

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

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Setting the Exposure
T-HFND-006-009
You can easily increase or decrease the exposure for a selected cell range.

How to set the exposure
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell range on w hich you w ant to set the exposure.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect Animation > Cell > Set Exposure to > Set Exposure to 1, 2, 3, or Set
Exposure.

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click one of the Set Exposure

buttons. Note thatyou may have to add this button to your toolbar by right-clicking on it and selecting
Customize.
l

In the Xsheet view , right-click and select Exposure > Set Exposure to > Set
Exposure to 1, 2, or 3, or Set Exposure.

3. If you chose the Set Exposure option, the Set Exposure dialog box opens. Enter the number offrames you w ant the draw ings to display and click OK.

The new timing is displayed in the Xsheet view .

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Deleting Exposures
You can delete a draw ing’s exposure in several w ays. W hen you delete a draw ing’s exposure from theTimeline or Xsheet view , you are not deleting the actual draw ing file. You can alw ays 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 draw ing exposed over
several cells. Note that you can also delete the exposure for draw ings inside a collapsed group.

How to delete selected exposures
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the exposure you w ant to delete.
2. Do one of the follow ing:lPress Del.

l

Right-click and select Delete.

How to clear the entire exposure of a drawing
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell of a draw ing exposed over several cells.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

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Moving Cells
T-ANIMPA-006-007
To readjust your timing, you can drag one or more cells to a new location. You can drag a cell to any otherframe in the same column or into another column.
You can turn off the Gestural Drag mode for the Xsheet view to prevent draw ings 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 follow ing:lDrop by simply releasing the mouse or pen.

l

Hold Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) w hile dropping the selection to copy thecells. The original cells w ill not be moved.

lPress Shift w hile dropping the selection to insert them betw een existing frames.

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How to drag a cell to another location in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , select one or more cells.

2. In the Xsheet view , position the pointer over the small dotted areaon the left side of the selected

cells.

3. Drag the selection to any other cell in the same column or in another column.

4. Do one of the follow ing:‣

Drop the selection to overw rite the existing cells.

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Hold dow n Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) w hile dropping the selection to copy
the cells. The original selection w ill not be moved.

lPress Shift w hile dropping the selection to insert it betw een existing frames.

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About Rippling and Overwriting the Exposure in the Timeline View
T-ANIMPA-006-004
By default, you can only use your mouse to drag and drop frames in the Timeline view . How ever, if you zoom
in sufficiently, you are able to tw eak the exposure of each draw ing by clicking and dragging the junction
betw een tw o draw ings.
Just like in some video editing softw are, w hen tw eaking the duration of a draw ing by dragging its side, you candecide w hether to ripple or overw rite subsequent frames. This is determined by w hether you grab the edge ofthe draw ing by the left or the right side of said edge.

Although not required, this functionality is especially useful w hen displaying thumbnails in the Timeline view ,as you can preview the exposed draw ings as you modify their exposure. As a reference, tw eaking exposure in
the timeline is only possible w hen you zoom in on the timeline at least close enough to fully view the
thumbnails of draw ings exposed on tw o frames. For more information, see Displaying Draw ing Thumbnails in
the Timeline View on page 481.

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Changing Exposure and Rippling Drawings in the Timeline View
If you zoom in on the Timeline view , you can change the exposure of individual draw ings by grabbing theirright edge w ith the mouse cursor. If your mouse cursor is just left of the draw ing's right edge, a yellow
highlight w ill appear. This means dragging the draw ing's edge w ill adjust its exposure and ripple the ensuing
draw ings.

How to extend a drawing's exposure and ripple ensuing drawings in the Timelineview
1. In the Timeline view , enable thumbnails display for your draw ing layer by doing one of thefollow ing:lLeft of the layer's name in the Layers list, click on the Show ThumbnailslSelect the draw ing layer and press T.

lLeft of the Layers list header, click on the Show All Thumbnails

icon.

icon.

NOTE
Displaying thumbnails is not required for tw eaking exposure in the Timeline view , but it
is very useful.

2. Zoom in on the Timeline view at least enough to fully display the thumbnails of draw ings exposedon tw os, by doing one of the follow ing:lDrag the Timeline Zoom

slider to the right.

lClick on the Timeline view 's tab, then press 2 repeatedly.

lMove the mouse cursor in the Timeline view , then hold Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
and roll the mouse w heel up.

3. Move the mouse cursor just left of the right edge of the draw ing of w hich you w ant to change theexposure.

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4. Click and drag the right edge of the draw ing to change its exposure.
If you move the edge to the right, the draw ing's exposure is extended, and all the draw ings
exposed after this draw ing are moved forw ard.

If you move the edge to the left, the draw ing's exposure is reduced, and all the draw ings exposed
after this draw ing are moved backw ard.

NOTE
You can drag the edge further left and completely remove the draw ing, making subsequentdraw ings overw rite it.

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Changing Exposure and Overwriting Drawings in the Timeline View
If you zoom in on the Timeline view , you can change the exposure of individual draw ings by grabbing theirright edge w ith the mouse cursor. If your mouse cursor is just right of the draw ing's right edge, a red highlight
w ill appear. This means dragging the draw ing's edge w ill adjust its exposure and overw rite ensuing draw ings.

How to extend a drawing's exposure and ripple ensuing drawings in the Timelineview
1. In the Timeline view , enable thumbnails display for your draw ing layer by doing one of thefollow ing:lLeft of the layer's name in the Layers list, click on the Show ThumbnailslSelect the draw ing layer and press T.

lLeft of the Layers list header, click on the Show All Thumbnails

icon.

icon.

NOTE
Displaying thumbnails is not required for tw eaking exposure in the Timeline view , but it
is very useful.

2. Zoom in on the Timeline view at least enough to fully display the thumbnails of draw ings exposedon tw os, by doing one of the follow ing:lDrag the Timeline Zoom

slider to the right.

lClick on the Timeline view 's tab, then press 2 repeatedly.

lMove the mouse cursor in the Timeline view , then hold Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
and roll the mouse w heel up.

3. Move the mouse cursor just left of the right edge of the draw ing of w hich you w ant to change theexposure.

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4. Click and drag the right edge of the draw ing to change its exposure.
If you move the edge to the right, the draw ing's exposure is extended, and all the draw ing rightafter is overw ritten.

If you move the edge to the left, the draw ing's exposure is reduced, and all the draw ing right afteris exposed over it.

NOTE
You can drag the edge further left and completely remove the draw ing, making the draw ing
right after overw rite it.

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About Drawings
Draw ings that are created in Toon Boom Harmony Essentials are not stored in their cells. They are actual files
stored in the project’s folder. If you w ant to rename a draw ing or delete a draw ing from your project, you needto edit the file and not the cells.

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Creating Empty Drawings
T-LAY-003-003
The Create Empty Draw ing command automatically Creates a draw ing in the selected cell, replacing any
draw ing that may already be exposed in that cell and the follow ing ones until it meets another draw ing, key
exposure or a blank cell.

How to create an empty drawing
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell in w hich you w ant to create an empty draw ing.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select Drawing > Create Empty Drawing.

l

In the Timeline view toolbar, click the Create Empty Draw ing

lPress Alt + Shift + R.

The new draw ing is created in the Xsheet and Timeline view .

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Renaming Drawings
T-HFND-005-003
To rename a draw ing, you need to select the draw ing cell and use the Rename Draw ing command.
You can also rename a series of draw ings relative to their frame position, w hich is useful in hand-draw n
animation.

How to rename a drawing
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the draw ing to rename.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Drawings > Rename Drawing.

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Rename Draw ing
customize the toolbar to display it).

lPress Ctrl + D (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + D (macOS).

The Rename Draw ing dialog box opens.

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

176

button (you may have toChapter 4: Timing

Deleting Drawings
You can permanently delete a draw ing file from a project's folder.

NOTE
Deleting a draw ing file is an operation that cannot be undone.

How to delete a drawing
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the draw ings to delete.

2. Do one of the follow ing:‣

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

‣

Right-click and select Drawings > Delete Selected Drawings.

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Duplicating a Drawing
T-LAY-003-004
If you w ant to modify a draw ing that already exists, but keep the original draw ing intact, you can duplicate thedraw ing and w ork on the copy. W hen duplicating a draw ing, the exposure at the selected cell is replaced w ith
the new draw ing, up until the next key exposure.
W ith Toon Boom Harmony Essentials, you can create a keyframe at the same time as you duplicate yourdraw ing. This w ay, you can modify and reposition draw ings w ithout affecting the original draw ing.

How to duplicate a drawing
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the draw ing to duplicate.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Duplicate Drawings.

lRight-click and select Drawings > Duplicate Drawings.

l

In the Xsheet toolbar, click the Duplicate Draw ing

lPress Alt + Shift + D.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Copying and Pasting Drawings
W hen you copy and paste a selection in the Timeline or Xsheet view , you are not copying and pasting theactual draw ings, you are pasting the exposure. Exposure is a property; it is the length of time that a draw ing isvisible over a series of frames. In Harmony, exposure is independent of keyframes. That is, keyframes are notlinked to draw ings. Keyframes can be moved independently from the draw ing exposure.
If you w ant to copy and paste selected draw ings into a different layer or paste the selection in the same layer
to duplicate the draw ings, you must use the Paste Special feature.
There are four different w ays to paste your selected draw ings w ith the Paste Special dialog box:
W hen adding exposures to a draw ing layer, draw ing files w ill not be created.
Only create drawing files when they do not exist: W hen adding exposures to a draw ing layer,
new draw ings w ill be created only w hen draw ings w ith the same name do not already exist in
the destination.
Replace existing drawings. Create drawing files when they do not exist: Replace draw ings
w ith the same names to update a scene w ith new modified draw ings and preserve theanimation.
Tip: If you don't w ant to lose the existing animation w hen pasting a template, suchas w hen placing new draw ings after the animation, then delete the template's
animation. It w ill still have updated the draw ings but not override the existing
animation.
Always create drawing files: W hen adding exposures to a draw ing layer, new draw ings w ill
alw ays be created. If draw ing files w ith the same name already exist, Harmony w ill create a newname for the draw ing.
If you w ant 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 themost recent Paste Special operation, w ithout opening the Paste Special dialog box.

How to paste drawings with the Paste Special command
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the draw ings to copy and press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or⌘ + C (macOS).

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2. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell w here you w ant your pasted selection to start.

3. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Paste Special.

l

From the top menu, select Edit > Paste Special.

l

In the Xsheet or Timeline toolbar, click the Paste Special
customize the toolbar to display it).

lPress Ctrl + B (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + B (macOS).

The Paste Special dialog box opens.

180

button (you may need toChapter 4: Timing

4. In the Draw ings section, select the Always Create Drawings or Only Create Drawings W hen
They Do Not Exist option.

How to paste new drawings with the previous Paste Special settings
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

lRight-click and select Paste Special Againl

In the Timeline or Xsheet toolbar, click the Paste Special Again
have to customize the toolbar to display it).

lPress Ctrl + Shift + B (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + B (macOS).

181

button (you mayHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Frame Markers
Frame markers are simple colour markers that you can add in the Timeline view . They can be added to any
frame, regardless of w hether or not it contains a draw ing. They can help you organize your scene by marking
important frames in your scene.
Contrary to scene markers, frame markers are placed on a specific frame in a specific layer. They can only be
added to a single frame, and not to a span of frames.
Frame markers also distinguish themselves from draw ing markers in that they do not mark draw ings, butframes. They can even be added to frames that do not contain any draw ing. They are also only visible in theTimeline view .

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Adding Frame Markers
You can add frame markers to any frame in your scene by right-clicking on that frame.

How to add a frame marker
1. In the Timeline view , select the frame you w ant to mark.
2. Right-click on the frame you w ant to mark and, in the context menu, select Mark Frame, then thecolour you w ant to mark the frame w ith.
A little square w ill appear over the marked frame, in the colour your selected.

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Moving Frame Markers
You can move frame markers by dragging and dropping them, just like you w ould w ith draw ings andkeyframes.

NOTE
If you drag and drop frames containing frame markers, they w ill be moved along w ith the frames
regardless of w hich paste preset is currently selected.

How to move frame markers
1. In the Timeline view , select the frame containing the frame marker you w ant to move.

TIP
If you w ant to move several frame markers simultaneously, you can select all the frame
containing the frame markers you w ant to move.

2. Click and drag on the selection, and drop it w here you w ant the frame marker to be moved.

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Copying, Cutting and Pasting Frame Markers
You can copy and paste, or cut and paste frame markers just like you w ould w ith draw ings and keyframes.

NOTE
If you copy and paste or cut and paste frames containing frame markers, the frame markers w ill beaffected regardless of w hich paste preset is currently selected.

How to copy and paste frame markers
1. In the Timeline view , select the frame containing the frame marker you w ant to copy.

TIP
If you w ant to copy several frame markers simultaneously, you can select all the frame
containing the frame markers you w ant to copy.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Copy cells from Timeline.

l

In the top menu, select Edit > Copy cells from Timeline.

lPress Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C (macOS).

3. In the Timeline view , select the frame w here you w ant to paste the copied frame marker.
4. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Paste cells in Timeline.

l

In the top menu, select Edit > Paste cells in Timeline.

lPress Ctrl + V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).

How to cut and paste frame markers
1. In the Timeline view , select the frame containing the frame marker you w ant to cut and paste.

TIP
If you w ant to cut several frame markers simultaneously, you can select all the frame
containing the frame markers you w ant to cut.

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2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Cut cells from Timeline.

l

In the top menu, select Edit > Cut cells from Timeline.

lPress Ctrl + X (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + X (macOS).

3. In the Timeline view , select the frame w here you w ant to paste the copied frame marker.
4. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Paste cells in Timeline.

l

In the top menu, select Edit > Paste cells in Timeline.

lPress Ctrl + V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).

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Removing Frame Markers
You can remove frame markers from the same menu from w hich you can add frame markers.

How to add a frame marker
1. In the Timeline view , select the frame containing the frame marker you w ant to remove.

TIP
If you w ant to remove several frame markers, select all the frames containing the frame
markers you w ant to remove.

2. Right-click on the frame and, in the context menu, select Mark Frame > Remove Frame Marker.
The frame marker w ill be removed.

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About Scene Markers
T-ANIMPA-005-010
Scene markers are visual indicators displayed in the frame ruler at the top of the Timeline view .

You can use scene markers to highlight, sort and label parts of your scene. For example, you can indicate theframes you w ant to clean up, a change in action, an impact, or w here you intend to apply an effect.

Scene markers have a colour, a name, a start frame, a length and a description. Then can mark a single frameor span over any amount of frames. If you hold the mouse cursor over a scene marker, its name, starting frame,
duration and note w ill be displayed in the tool tip box.

Scene markers are also visible in Xsheet view .

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Quickly Creating Scene Markers at the Current Frame
You can quickly mark a single frame using the Mark Current Frame command. This creates a scene marker at
the current frame, w ith no name, description and w hich does not span over several frames.
W hen you mark the current frame, the scene marker is created in the same color as the last scene marker you
created or edited, or in black if you haven’t created any scene marker yet. Hence, to select in w hich colour you
mark the current frame, you can start by creating a scene marker w ith a specific colour or editing an existing
scene marker w ith a specific colour—see Creating a Scene Marker and Editing Scene Markers.

How to mark the current frame
1. In the Timeline view , make sure the playhead is set on the frame you w ant to mark.

NOTE
Even if you right-click on a different frame, the scene marker w ill be created at theframe on w hich the playhead is positioned.

2. Right-click in the timeline ruler and select Scene Markers > Mark Current Frame.
A scene marker is created at the current frame.

TIP
The colour of the new scene marker is the last colour you selected for a scene marker. If this is
the first scene marker you create, then it w ill be black. Hence, to quickly mark several frames
w ith a specific colour, simply edit your new scene marker to the colour you w ant, and all otherscene markers you create afterw ards w ill have that colour by default—see Editing Scene
Markers on page 195.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Creating a Scene Marker
T-ANIMPA-005-011
Using the Marker dialog, you can create a scene marker on a single frame or a range of frames, and give it aname, a description and a specific colour if you w ant.

How to create a scene marker on a frame range
1. In the timeline view , do one of the follow ing:l

To create a marker on a single frame, either move the timeline playhad to that frame, or
select that frame on any layer.

l

To create a marker on a range of frames, select that range of frames on any layer.

2. Right-click on the timeline ruler and select Scene Markers > Create Scene Marker.
The Marker dialog appears.

3. If you w ant the scene marker to have a name, type it in the Name field.
4. To create the scene marker at a different frame than the one you selected, edit the starting frame
number in the Time field.

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5. To change the length in frames for this scene marker, edit the length in the Duration field.
6. Open the Colour drop-dow n and select a colour for the new scene marker.
7. To add a description or note to the scene marker, type it in the Note field.
8. Click OK.
In the Timeline view , the scene marker is displayed over the selected frame counters.

TIP
Move the mouse cursor over the scene marker and w ait 1 second to display the scene
marker’s name, time, duration and note in a tool tip box.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Moving Scene Markers
You can quickly offset a scene marker by clicking and dragging it. You can also select several scene markers
and offset them together.

How to move scene markers
1. In the timeline ruler, click and drag on the scene marker you w ant to move.

There are tw o things to note w hen moving scene markers:l

Tw o markers cannot have the same start time. Dragging a marker to share the start time ofanother marker w ill be blocked.

l

You may drag scene markers to overlap w ith others. The selected scene marker w ill appear
on top.
In Xsheet, the scene marker behind the overlapping marker w ill not be visible.

How to move several scene markers
1. In the timeline ruler, click on the first scene marker you w ant to move.
2. W hile holding the Shift key, click on every other scene marker you w ant to move to add them to theselection.

NOTE
W hen a scene marker is selected, its outline w ill turn cyan, and other scene markers
w ill become slightly darker.

3. Click and drag on one of the selected scene markers.

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194

Chapter 4: Timing

Editing Scene Markers
You can modify the colour of a scene marker or edit the note attached to it.

How to edit a scene marker
1. In the timeline ruler, click on the scene marker to select it.

NOTE
W hen a scene marker is selected, its outline w ill turn cyan, and other scene markers
w ill become slightly darker.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lDouble-click on the scene marker.

lRight-click on the timeline ruler and, in the context menu, select Scene Markers > Edit
Scene Marker.

The Marker dialog box appears.

l

To edit the scene marker’s name, type it in the Name field.

l

To change the starting frame of the scene marker, edit the value in the Time field.

l

To change the length in frames for this scene marker, edit the value in the Duration field.

195

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

To change the colour of the scene marker, open the Colour drop-dow n and select a new colour.

l

To edit the note for the scene marker, type it in the Note field.

3. Click OK.

TIP
Move the mouse cursor over the scene marker and w ait 1 second to display the scene
marker’s name, time, duration and note in a tool tip box.

How to activate ripple marker when inserting or removing frames
1. Select a frame or range of frames.
2. In Xsheet view , click View Menu

in the upper-left corner of the view . A drop-dow n menu w ill

appear.
3. In the drop-dow n menu, select Frames. A drop-dow n menu appears displaying the follow ing
options:l

Add Frames at Start... - Adds frames at the start of the timelinel

Add Frames at End... -Adds frames at the end of the timelinel

Add Frames Before Selection...- Adds frames before the selected framel

Add Frames After Selection... -Adds frames before the selected framelRemove Selected Frames - Removes the selected frame

4. Check Ripple Scene Markers.
5. Click OK.

W hen frames shift after inserting or deleting a frame, the marker w ill extend w ith it.

196Chapter 4: Timing

Deleting Scene Markers
You can delete unused scene markers.

How to delete scene markers
1. In the timeline ruler, click on the scene marker you w ant to delete.

NOTE
W hen a scene marker is selected, its outline w ill turn cyan, and other scene markers
w ill become slightly darker.

2. If you w ant to delete several scene markers, hold the Shift key and click on every other scene
marker you w ant to delete to add them to the selection.

3. Right-click on the timeline ruler and, in the context menu, select Scene Markers > Delete Scene
Marker.

NOTE
Do not attempt to delete scene markers by pressing the Del key, as that w ill delete thecurrently selected element in your scene instead.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Scene Marker View & Marker List
The Scene Marker view allow s you to manage all your scene markers easily inside a View . It lets you select,modify, create and delete a marker.
You can also search for the markers from the list of markers you have created. You can move the specificmarkers from the Timeline to the desired marker location.
The exporter uses scene markers to separate each animation in gaming.

How to access scene marker in Timeline
1. In the Timeline, click

Parameterand select Scene Markers to enable.

Description

Allow s you to modify the scene marker colour on several markers at the sametime.
Change Colour

NOTE
This option is only available w hen a marker is selected.

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Chapter 4: Timing

Allow s to add or remove Prefix or Suffix to the name of the marker.

NOTE

Prefix & Suffix

This option is only available w hen a marker is selected.

Add Frame to Marker

Add frames to the selected marker in the Timeline.

Remove Frame to

Remove frames to the selected marker in the Timeline.

MarkerAdd Scene Marker

Create a new scene marker.

Delete selected scene markers.

Delete Scene Marker

NOTE
This option is only available w hen a marker is selected.

Search in Notes

Allow s you to search a marker inside Notes, w hen this option is selected.

How to select markers from the list
Inside the list you can select one or several markers
1. Select a marker from the list.
2. Once the marker is selected, Timeline w ill move on to that marker automatically.
3. It w ill mark the start and end frames to the playback.

NOTE
It w ill start w ith the low est frame in your selection and ends w ith the farthest frame selected.

How to modify markers
You can modify different columns of the markers as per your need such as Colour, Name, Note, Start, End,
Duration.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

1. Double click on any column and it w ill open the entire cell for you to modify.

NOTE
To modify Colour, click only once on the colour column, and a colour selector w ill appear.

How to search markers
You can search any marker by using the search bar at the bottom.
1. Type in the name of the marker you w ant to search inside Name section.
2. Select "Search in Notes" option at the bottom in order to search for the marker inside Notes section.

200

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Chapter 5: Drawing
Harmony has many pow erful tools, view s, and features for sketching, draw ing and animating w ith ease. This
chapter describes the main assets needed w hen draw ing , as w ell as tips on how to start and use these tools
efficiently.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Drawing Tools
Harmony has a w ide array of draw ing tools and draw ing features to allow flexible design, w ork methods andstyles.
Here are the draw ing tools available in Harmony.
Icon

Tool Name

SelectCutterReposition All Draw ings

Contour Editor

Centerline Editor

Smooth Editor

Perspective

Envelope

Edit Gradient/Texture

Brush

PencilEraser202

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Icon

Tool Name

Text

Line

Rectangle

EllipsePolyline

Paint

Paint Unpainted

Unpaint

StrokeClose Gap

Colour Eyedropper

Each draw ing tool has a series of options to customize its behaviour and draw ing style. W hen you select atool, the Tool Properties view displays the properties of the currently selected tool, w here you can configure
your draw ing tool's behavior and style, if applicable.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About the Brush Tool
T-HFND-004-003
The Brush tool is pressure sensitive and lets you create a contour shape w ith a thick and thin line effect, as if it
w as created w ith a paint brush.
W hen draw ing w ith the Brush tool, you can use the Select Tool, Contour Editor, Smooth Editor, Perspectiveand Envelope tool to scale your brush strokes or to tw eak their shape.

NOTE
To learn more about the options of the Brush tool, see the Reference Guide.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Drawing with the Brush Tool
T-HFND-004-003A
In the Camera or Draw ing view , you can draw on any draw ing layer type w ith the Brush tool.

How to draw with the Brush tool
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to draw .
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush

tool or press Alt + B.

3. In the Tool Properties view , set the Maximum Size to the desired brush size.

NOTE
If you are draw ing w ith a mouse, your strokes w ill alw ays be at their maximum size. If you areusing a pressure-sensitive tablet, your strokes w ill vary in size depending on the pressure ofyour pen, ranging betw een 25% to 100% of the maximum size.

4. In the Colour view , click a colour sw atch to select a colour.

5. In the Draw ing or Camera view , start draw ing.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

TIPSl

You can quickly adjust the size of the selected draw ing tool by pressing and holding the O
key, then clicking and dragging in the draw ing space. If you are using a tablet pen, doing
this w ith the eraser tip of your pen w ill adjust the size of the Eraser tool, regardless of
w hich draw ing tool is selected.

l

If you press and hold the Shift key before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw a straight line.

l

If you press and hold the Spacebar key w hile draw ing a straight line, the angle of your line
w ill lock. If you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, you can draw over your line to adjust
its thickness.

l

If you press and hold the Shift and Alt keys before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw astraight horizontal or vertical line.

l

If you press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key w hile draw ing, yourdraw ing stroke w ill turn into a closed shape.

l

If you press and hold Alt before draw ing a stroke, and start draw ing near existing artw ork,
the start of your draw ing stroke w ill connect to that artw ork.

l

If you press and hold Alt w hile draw ing a stroke, and end your draw ing stroke near
existing artw ork, the end of that draw ing stroke w ill connect to that artw ork.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Creating a Brush
T-ANIMPA-002-001
Draw ing a stroke w ith the Brush tool creates a vector shape and simply fills it w ith the selected colour.
A brush's tip can be shaped like a circle, a diamond or a square, and can be configured to have a specific size,
aspect ratio and angle. Also, your brush strokes can be automatically smoothed by Harmony as you draw .

You can now control the Size properties w ith input options such as Pressure, Tilt and Speed. You can use acombination of multiple inputs to control a single property. Also, you can control the Angle Function by
selecting any one option from the drop dow n list.

How to create a brush
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brushor Erasertool.

2. In the Tool Properties view , click the arrow button to open the Brush/Eraser Properties dialog.

The Brush Properties dialog opens.

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1. In the brush tip list, select either Circle, Diamond or Square.
2. Use the Maximum Size slider to set the maximum size of your brush tip.

3.

NOTE
W hen draw ing w ith a mouse, your brush is alw ays at its maximum size. W hen draw ing
w ith a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, your brush's size w ill range betw een its minimum
and maximum size, depending on the amount of pressure you put on the pen w hen
draw ing.

4. You can control the size properties by clicking on the arrow button on right and the Size Properties
dialog box w ill appear.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

5.

NOTE
Please see Brush Properties Dialog and to learn more about Brush Tool options, see
Brush Tool Properties.

6. If you are using a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, use the Minimum Size slider to set the size of yourbrush w hen using your pen w ith very little pressure. The minimum size is set to a percentage ofyour brush tip's maximum size, w hich is 25% by default. If you don't w ant the pressure on your pen
to affect the brush size, set this parameter to 100%.
7. If you w ant your brush to keep the same size relative to the camera frame w hen the camera zooms
in on or zooms out of the scene, check the Proportional to Camera option.

8.

NOTE
The "Size Proportional to Camera" option has been moved to the new Size Properties
w indow .

9. If you w ant your brush tip to have uneven dimensions, use the Roundness slider to shrink the brushtip vertically all the w hile preserving its horizontal size.
10. If you w ant your brush tip to be at an angle, use the Angle slider to rotate your brush tip.
11. If you w ant your brush tip to stretch w hen you tilt your pen, use the Pen Tilt Sensitivity slider to
set how much the tip should stretch. The tip w ill stretch by the percentage you set, in the direction
in w hich you tilt the pen.

NOTE
This option only w orks if your tablet and your pen support tilt sensitivity.

12. If you w ant your brush tip to rotate w ith the angle of your pen tip use the Angle Function. You canselect one of the follow ing options:209Harmony 22 Essentials User GuidelConstant: The static orientation of the brush tip expressed in degrees.

lHeading: The orientation of the brush tip is determined by the direction in w hich the strokeis draw n. It changes dynamically as the stroke is draw n.

lAzimuth: W hen the pen is tilted, it uses the direction in w hich the pen eraser is facing.

lTwist (if supported by pen): It uses the tw ist angle of the stylus and is only available w ith
W acom Art Pen.

13. Click on the Smoothing tab.

14. Use the Centerline Smoothing slider to set the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on
your stroke's direction, curves and corners. A higher setting w ill prevent your line from being shaky,but is liable to reduce your draw ing precision and to round sharp corners into curves.
15. Use the Contour Smoothing slider to set the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on
your stroke's contour. A higher setting w ill round sharp corners and reduce the amount of control
points for the resulting vector shape.
16. Either close or set aside the Brush Properties dialog.
17. In the Camera or Draw ing view , start draw ing to test your brush settings.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

About Brush Presets
Setting up your brush to perfectly reproduce the desired art style can require a lot of tw eaking as w ell as trial
and error. Once you have found the correct settings for your brush, you w ill w ant to reuse it throughout yourproject for consistency. You can do that by creating and using brush presets.

Harmony comes preloaded w ith many brush presets w hich you can select from the Tool Properties view . It isalso possible to create your ow n brush presets by configuring your brush, then saving it as a preset.
Brush presets are saved in your preferences. You can also export your brush presets into an .xml file, andimport them on a different w orkstation, allow ing you to share your brush presets betw een the different people
collaborating on your project.

211Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating a Brush Preset
You can create your ow n custom brush presets by configuring your brush, then adding it as a preset.

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

tool or press Alt + B.

2. Click on the Arrow button to open the Brush Properties dialog.

3. Configure your brush to be exactly how you w ish to use it in the future—see Creating a Brush.
4. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the Brush Properties dialog, click on the New Brush Preset

button in the top-right corner.
l

In the Tool Properties view , click the New Brush Presetl

In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Presets menu

button.
and select New Brush

Preset.
5. In the New Preset w indow , type a name for your new brush preset.
Your new brush preset is added to the end of the list of brush presets.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Creating a Stamp
You can create a stamp by draw ing the artw ork for your stamp, then selecting it and creating a stamp preset.

How to create a stamp
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select an empty cell in a draw ing layer.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the artw ork w ith w hich you w ant to create a stamp.

3. Do one of the follow ing:l

If you w ant to create a stamp w ith all the artw ork in the draw ing, select this draw ing in theTimeline or Xsheet view .

l

If you w ant to create a stamp w ith part of the artw ork in the draw ing, select the Selecttool in the Tools toolbar, then select the artw ork that you w ant to use to create a stamp—
see—Selecting, Repositioning and Transforming Artw ork on page 285.

4. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

5. In the Tool Properties view , click on the New Preset

213

button.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

6. In the New Preset dialog, type the desired name for your new stamp.
7. Click OK.
A stamp containing the selected artw ork is added to the Presets list for the Stamp tool. You can
now draw w ith the Stamp tool using this stamp.

NOTE
Once your stamp has been created, you can delete the artw ork you used to create it from yourproject. The artw ork in your stamps w ill be saved in your preferences.

214

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Selecting a Brush Preset
Harmony provides you w ith default brush presets available in the Tool Properties view .

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

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view , select a brush preset from the Presets list.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Updating a Brush Preset
If you w ant to modify the settings of an existing custom preset, you can do so by adjusting the parameters in
the Tool Properties view , then updating your preset w ith your brush current's parameters.

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

tool or press Alt + B.

1. In the Tool Properties view , select the Brush Preset you w ish to update.
2. Click on the Arrow button to open the Brush Properties view .

3. Configure your brush to be exactly how you w ish to use it in the future—see Creating a Brush.
4. Click on the Update Brush Preset

button in the upper-right corner of the Brush Properties

dialog.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Renaming a Brush Preset
To keep your list comprehensive and organized, you can name your custom brush presets.

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

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view , select a brush preset to rename.
3. Open the Brush Preset menu

and select Rename Brush.

4. Type in a new name for the brush and click OK.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Deleting a Brush Preset
You can keep your preset list clean by deleting unw anted custom presets.

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

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view , select the brush preset you w ant to delete.
3. Do one of the follow ing:lClick the Delete Brushbutton.

lOpen the Brush Preset menu

and select Delete Brush.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Exporting Brush Presets
You can export brush presets into an .xml file w hich w ill contain all of your brush's settings. This can be
useful if you w ish to back up or share your brush presets.

How to export pencils, brushes and erasers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Brush, Pencil

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

or Erasertool.

and select Export Brushes.

The Export Brushes dialog opens. This dialog allow s you to export brush presets for the Brush,
Pencil and Eraser tools.

3. By default, the presets for all your tools w ill be selected for export. If you only w ish to export
presets for specific tools, uncheck Select/Deselect All and select the tools for w hich you w ant toexport the presets.
4. Click Export.
5. In the Export Presets dialog that appears, brow se to the location w here you w ant to save the .xml
file and enter its file name.
6. Click Save.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Importing Brush Presets
You can import brush presets that you previously exported from Harmony.

How to import pencils, brushes and erasers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Brush, Pencil

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

or Erasertool.

and select Import Brushes.

3. In the brow ser w indow that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file in w hich you exported
your brush presets.
4. Click Open.
The Import Brushes dialog box opens.

5. By default, the presets for any tools included in the file w ill be selected for import. If you only w ish
to import presets for specific tools, uncheck Select/Deselect All and select the tools for w hich you
w ant to export the presets
6. Click Import.
The imported brush, eraser and pencil styles w ill appear in the Presets list.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Changing the Brush Preset Display
You can display your preset list as thumbnails or a list.

How to change the way presets are previewed in the Tool Properties view
1. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Presetsmenu.

2. Select one of the follow ing options:lSmall Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails w ith a preview of
their tip.

lLarge Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails, w ith their name and apreview of their tip.

lStroke View: Displays presets in a list, w ith their name and a preview of a stroke
done w ith each preset.

221Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About the Pencil Tool
T-HFND-004-004
The Pencil tool is for draw ing the final images, such as character nodes, cut-out puppet and clean animation.
The pencil creates a central vector shape.
The Brush tool takes account of pressure sensitivity, allow ing you to create lines w ith variable thicknesses
w hen using a pen tablet, creating a contour vector shape. You can set different parameters, such as the sizeand smoothness of the Brush tool in the Tool Properties view . If you draw w ith the Brush tool and w ant tomodify 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 w ith pencil lines. You can set different parameters, such as the size andsmoothness of the Pencil tool in the Tool Properties view .

NOTE
To learn more about the Pencil tool options, see the Reference Guide.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Drawing with the Pencil Tool
T-HFND-004-004A
Using the Pencil tool, you can draw vector pencil lines w hich can be easily tw eaked and reshaped as needed.

How to draw with the Pencil tool
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to draw .
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool or press Alt + /.

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

4. In the Draw ing or Camera view , start draw ing.

TIPSl

You can quickly adjust the size of the selected draw ing tool by pressing and holding the O
key, then clicking and dragging in the draw ing space. If you are using a tablet pen, doing
this w ith the eraser tip of your pen w ill adjust the size of the Eraser tool, regardless of
w hich draw ing tool is selected.

l

If you press and hold the Shift key before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw a straight line.

l

If you press and hold the Spacebar key w hile draw ing a straight line, the angle of your line
w ill lock. If you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, you can draw over your line to adjust
its thickness.

l

If you press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key w hile draw ing, yourdraw ing stroke w ill turn into a closed shape.

l

If you press and hold Alt before draw ing a stroke, and start draw ing near existing artw ork,
the start of your draw ing stroke w ill connect to that artw ork.

l

If you press and hold Alt w hile draw ing a stroke, and end your draw ing stroke near
existing artw ork, the end of that draw ing stroke w ill connect to that artw ork.

223

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating a Pencil
T-LAY-001-001
You can configure a pencil's size as w ell as how much Harmony should automatically smooth your pencil lines
w hen draw ing.

How to modify the pencil settings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool or press Alt + /.

The Pencil tool properties appear in the Tool Properties view .

2. Use the Size slider to set the size of your pencil line.
3. Use the Centerline Smoothing slider to set the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on
your pencil lines. A higher setting w ill prevent your line from being shaky, but is liable to reduce
your draw ing precision and to round sharp corners into curves.
4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , start draw ing to test your pencil settings.

224

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Picking a Pencil Texture from Artwork
Just like you can pick a colour from your artw ork using the

Colour Eyedropper tool, you can pick a pencil

texture from your artw ork and make it the current pencil texture using thePencil Texture Eyedropper tool.

How to pick a pencil texture from your artwork
1. In the Tools toolbar, double-click or long-click on the
pop-up menu, selectColour Eyedropper button. Then, in the

Pencil Texture Eyedropper.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click on a pencil line that uses the pencil texture you w ant to select.
The pencil texture used by that line w ill become the active pencil texture, and pencil lines you draw
from that point w ill use that texture.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Disabling Pencil Line Textures
After you selected a pencil line texture, if you w ish to resume draw ing solid pencil lines again, you can do sousing either the Colour view or the Pencil Properties dialog.

How to resume drawing with a solid pencil line using the Colour view
1. Click on the Show Pencil Texture Palettes

button to display your pencil texture palettes.

2. Over the sw atch list, click on the No Texture button.

From now on, the pencil lines you draw w ill not have a texture.

How to resume drawing with a solid pencil line Pencil Properties dialog
1. In the Colour view , select the colour w ith w hich you w ish to draw .
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil

tool or press Alt + /.

3. In the Tool Properties view , click on the arrow button next to the stroke preview area to open the
Pencil Properties dialog.

4. In the Pencil Properties dialog, click on the Texture tab.
5. In the pencil textures library, select None.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

From now on, the pencil lines you draw w ill not have a texture.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Pencil Presets
Setting up your pencil to perfectly reproduce the desired art style can require a lot of tw eaking as w ell as trial
and error. Once you have found the correct settings for your pencil, you w ill w ant to reuse it throughout yourproject for consistency. You can do that by creating and using pencil presets.

Harmony comes preloaded w ith a few pencil presets w hich you can select from the Tool Properties view . It isalso possible to create your ow n pencil presets by configuring your pencil, then saving it as a preset.
Pencil presets are saved in your preferences. You can also export your brush presets into an .xml file, andimport them on a different w orkstation, allow ing you to share your brush presets betw een the different people
collaborating on your project.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Creating Pencil Presets
T-LAY-002-002
You can create your ow n custom pencil presets.

NOTE
To learn more about the Pencil tool options, see the Reference guide .

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

tool.

2. Configure your brush to be exactly how you w ish to use it in the future—see Creating a Pencil on
page 224.
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 draw ing in the Draw ing or Camera view .

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Selecting a Pencil Preset
T-ANIMPA-010-001
A pencil preset is a pencil w ith 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 Draw ing or Camera view , draw your pencil line or shape.

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tool.

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Renaming Pencil Presets
You can rename your pencil presets to keep your list organized.

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

2. In the Presets menu, select the preset you w ant 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.

231, or Rectangle

tool.

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Deleting Pencil Presets
You can delete unnecessary presets from your list.

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.
3. Click the Delete Preset

button.

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Exporting Pencil Presets
T-ANIMPA-010-005
You can export your pencil presets to either backup, share or install on a different computer.

How to export pencils, brushes and erasers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Brush, Pencil

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

or Erasertool.

and select Export Brushes.

The Export Brushes dialog opens. This dialog allow s you to export brush presets for the Brush,
Pencil and Eraser tools.

3. By default, the presets for all your tools w ill be selected for export. If you only w ish to export
presets for specific tools, uncheck Select/Deselect All and select the tools for w hich you w ant toexport the presets.
4. Click Export.
5. In the Export Presets dialog that appears, brow se to the location w here you w ant to save the .xml
file and enter its file name.
6. Click Save.

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Importing Pencil Presets
T-ANIMPA-010-006
You can import Harmony pencil presets that you previously exported.

How to import pencils, brushes and erasers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Brush, Pencil

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

or Erasertool.

and select Import Brushes.

3. In the brow ser w indow that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file in w hich you exported
your brush presets.
4. Click Open.
The Import Brushes dialog box opens.

5. By default, the presets for any tools included in the file w ill be selected for import. If you only w ish
to import presets for specific tools, uncheck Select/Deselect All and select the tools for w hich you
w ant to export the presets
6. Click Import.

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The imported brush, eraser and pencil styles w ill appear in the Presets list.

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Changing the Pencil Preset Display
You can display your preset list as thumbnails or a list.

How to change the way presets are previewed in the Tool Properties view
1. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Presetsmenu.

2. Select one of the follow ing options:lSmall Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails w ith a preview of
their tip.

lLarge Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails, w ith their name and apreview of their tip.

lStroke View: Displays presets in a list, w ith their name and a preview of a stroke
done w ith each preset.

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About Shape Tools
T-HFND-004-006
In Harmony, you can use the shape tools to draw circles, lines and rectangles. You can also easily reshape asquare or circle into a much more complex draw ing—see About the Contour Editor Tool on page 309 .
The available shape tools are:lLine tooll

Rectangle toollEllipse tooll

Polyline tool

NOTES
l

The shape tools use the same pencil presets as the Pencil tool. To learn how to create, delete,rename, import and export presets, see About the Pencil Tool on page 222.

l

To learn more about the shape tool parameters, see the Reference guide .

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Creating Lines, Rectangles and Ellipses with the Shape Drawing Tools
T-HFND-004-006A
You can use the Line, Rectangle, or Ellipse tool to draw shape w ithout having to trace them. You can also use
these tools to draw perfect circles and squares.

How to draw with the Line tool
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to draw .
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Linetool.

3. In the Camera view , click and hold w here you w ant the line to start, then move the mouse cursor
w here you w ant the line to end.

l

If you w ant to snap the angle of your line to the nearest 15° angle, hold the Shift key.

l

If you w ant to snap the end of your line to the nearest shape, hold the Alt key.

l

If you w ant to draw a curved line, hold Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS). The line w ill
end w here your mouse cursor currently is, and moving the mouse cursor w ill pull the line's
curve tow ards it.

TIP
You can use the Contour Editor

tool to tw eak the shape of your line—see About theContour Editor Tool on page 309.

How to draw with the Rectangle or Ellipse tool
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to draw .
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Rectangle

or Ellipsetool.

3. To automatically fill the shape, in the Tool Properties view , enable the Auto Fill

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

4. In the Camera view , click and hold w here you w ant one of the corners of your shape to be, thenmove the mouse cursor w here you w ant the opposing corner of the shape to be.

TIPSl

To draw a perfect square or circle (w ith equal w idth and height), hold the Shift key.
You can also enable theDraw Square or

Draw Circle option in the Tool

Properties view .
lTo draw the rectangle or ellipse from its centre instead of its corner, hold the Alt
key.

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Drawing Curved Lines with the Line Tool
The Line tool allow s you to draw curved lines very quickly by draw ing a straight line, then defining its curveright after.
There are three w ays to do this:l

In Straight Line Mode, the default mode of the Line tool, you can press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s) or⌘ (macOS) key w hile draw ing a line to define a simple curve for it.

l

In Curved Line Mode, after draw ing a line, you are prompted to move the mouse cursor or tablet pen
and click once to define the line’s curve.

l

In S Curve Line Mode, after draw ing a line, you are prompted to click once to position the line’s first
Bezier handle, and then once more to position its second Bezier handle.

NOTE
You can also define the curve of an existing line using the Contour Editor tool—see About theContour Editor Tool on page 309.

How to draw a curved line in Straight Line Mode
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the
2. In the Tool Properties view , click

Line tool.
Straight Line Mode.

3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click and drag to draw a line, but don’t release the mouse button ortablet pen.

4. W hile holding the mouse button or tablet pen dow n, press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘(macOS) key.
5. Move the mouse or pen in the general direction of the desired curve.

6. W hen the curve looks as intended, release the mouse button or pen to preserve it.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

How to draw a curved line in Curve Line Mode
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the
2. In the Tool Properties view , click

Line tool.
Curve Line Mode.

3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click and drag to draw a line, then release the mouse button ortablet pen.

4. Move the mouse or pen in the general direction of the desired curve.

5. W hen the curve looks as intended, click to preserve it.

How to draw a curved line in S Curve Line Mode
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the
2. In the Tool Properties view , click

Line tool.
Curve Line Mode.

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3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click and drag to draw a line, then release the mouse button ortablet pen.

4. Move the mouse cursor or pen w here you w ant the curve’s first Bezier handle (from the start of theline) to be positioned, then click.

5. Move the mouse cursor or pen w here you w ant the curve’s second Bezier handle (from the end of
the line) to be positioned, then click.

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Creating Vector Shapes with the Polyline Tool
You can use the Polyline tool to draw complex segmented lines or curved lines by creating each point
constituting the line.

How to draw with the Polyline tool
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to draw .
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Polyline

tool or press Alt + _.

3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , do one of the follow ing:lClick to create a point w ith no Bezier handles.

lClick and drag to create a point and its Bezier handles in the same stroke.

TIP
W hile dragging to create a Bezier handle, you can:lHold the Alt key to only change the angle of the outer handle, and leave the innerhandle at its current angle.

lHold the Shift key to lock the angle of the handle at every 15 degrees.

4. Click or click and drag somew here else to create the second point in your line. A line w ill be draw n
betw een the first point and the second point.

5. Repeat the previous step until your line is complete.
6. W hile holding Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS), click anyw here in the draw ing space to release
the Polyline tool from the line you've been building. You can then start building a new line.
7. If you w ant to make adjustments to the line you created, you can use the Contour Editor
see Reshaping a Shape, Pencil Line or Stroke w ith the Contour Editor Tool on page 310.

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About the Stamp Tool
The Stamp tool allow s you to create stamps out of draw ings in your projects, then stamp those draw ings overyour artw ork. You can click on your artw ork to apply your stamp once, or draw a stroke w ith the Stamp tool, as
you w ould w ith the Brush or Pencil tool, to apply the stamp repeatedly along the stroke.

A stamp can contain one or several draw ings. W hen a stamp is made of multiple draw ings, it w ill cycle
through each one of its draw ings each time it is stamped onto your artw ork. Hence, w hen you draw a stroke
w ith a multi-draw ing stamp, you w ill see the stamp tool cycle through the sequence of draw ings as you draw
the stroke. The w ay the draw ings in a multi-draw ing stamp are cycled through can even be customized.
Among other settings, you can make it cycle backw ard, stamp random draw ings or even stamp only a specificdraw ing in the sequence.

Other than being able to easily re-use draw ings, The Stamp tool can be used to streamline draw ing if you
need to draw something that requires a lot of repetitive detail, such as starry skies, grass, w eather conditions
or particle-type effects. For example, a stamp made of a few different draw ings of a blade of grass can beused to draw a grass line by draw ing a few strokes of that stamp over the same horizontal line. The ability torandomize the size, angle and distance of the stamping can give the result of using this procedure a morenatural look.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

NOTES
l

To learn more about the Stamp tool properties, see the Reference Guidel

The Stamp tool replaces the Dynamic Brush option of the Brush tool in Harmony 15.0 andearlier.

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Creating a Stamp
You can create a stamp by draw ing the artw ork for your stamp, then selecting it and creating a stamp preset.

How to create a stamp
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select an empty cell in a draw ing layer.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the artw ork w ith w hich you w ant to create a stamp.

3. Do one of the follow ing:l

If you w ant to create a stamp w ith all the artw ork in the draw ing, select this draw ing in theTimeline or Xsheet view .

l

If you w ant to create a stamp w ith part of the artw ork in the draw ing, select the Selecttool in the Tools toolbar, then select the artw ork that you w ant to use to create a stamp—
see—Selecting, Repositioning and Transforming Artw ork on page 285.

4. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

5. In the Tool Properties view , click on the New Preset

246

button.

Chapter 5: Draw ing

6. In the New Preset dialog, type the desired name for your new stamp.
7. Click OK.
A stamp containing the selected artw ork is added to the Presets list for the Stamp tool. You can
now draw w ith the Stamp tool using this stamp.

NOTE
Once your stamp has been created, you can delete the artw ork you used to create it from yourproject. The artw ork in your stamps w ill be saved in your preferences.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating a Multi- Drawing Stamp
You can create a stamp containing a series of draw ings. All you need to do is create each draw ing you w ant to
add to your stamp in a separate draw ing cell, then create a stamp w ith those draw ings selected. The resulting
stamp w ill cycle through each one of those draw ings as you use it.
In order to create a stamp using multiple draw ings, your draw ings must either be in a single contiguous
horizontal or vertical sequence.

How to create a multi- drawing stamp
1. In the Timeline view , select an empty cell.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , create the first draw ing you w ant to have in the draw ing sequenceof your stamp.

3. In the Timeline view , select the cell right after the current cell.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , create the second draw ing you w ant to have in the draw ing
sequence of your stamp.

5. Repeat these previous steps until you have all the draw ings you w ant to have in your stamp, in one
continuous sequence of draw ings, in the same layer.

NOTE
You can also create a stamp using draw ings in a sequence of layers, provided thatthose draw ings are all in the same frame and that those layers are adjacent to eachother. The draw ings in the stamp w ill be ordered from top to bottom.

6. In the Timeline view , select all the cells containing the draw ings you w ant to add to your stamp.

TIPSl

You can click and drag over a sequence of draw ing cells to select them.

l

You can also select multiple cells by clicking on the first cell you w ant to select,
holding shift, then clicking on the last cell you w ant to select.

7. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Stamp tool.

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8. In the Tool Properties view , click on

New Preset.

The New Preset dialog appears.
9. In the New Preset dialog, type the desired name for your new stamp.
10. Click OK.
A multi-draw ing stamp containing the artw ork in all the selected layers is added to the Presets list.

NOTE
Once your stamp has been created, you can delete the artw ork you used to create it from yourproject. The artw ork in your stamps w ill be saved in your preferences.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Configuring a Stamp
W hen draw ing a stroke w ith the stamp tool, the w ay the stamp is applied in terms of size, angle, spacing canbe customized.

How to configure the size, pressure sensitivity, roundness, angle and spacing of astamp
1. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select the stamp that you w ant to configure.
2. In the Tool Properties view , just right of the stroke preview area, click on the Show Extended
Properties

button.

The Stamp Properties dialog opens.

3. If you w ant to adjust the size of the stamp, change the Maximum Scale setting until you obtain thedesired size.

251Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
The Scale of a stamp is relative to the original size of the draw ing used to create thestamp. At 100% scale, the stamp added to your artw ork w ill be the same size as its
original draw ing.

4. If you're using a pressure-sensitive pen tablet and w ant the size of the stamp to depend on theamount of pressure you put on your pen, reduce the Minimum Scale setting.
5. If you w ould like to flip the stamp horizontally, click on the tw o-ended horizontal arrow over thestamp thumbnail. If you w ould like to flip the stamp vertically, click on the tw o-ended verticalarrow left of the stamp thumbnails.

6. If your stamp is round or square, and you w ould like it to appear flat or squished, reduce theRoundness parameter. This w ill scale dow n the stamp vertically.

7. If you w ant your stamp to be added to your artw ork at an angle, change the Angle parameter. Thissetting rotates the stamp counterclockw ise, on a 360 degrees scale.

8. If you w ant to change the amount of space betw een each stamp w hen you draw a stroke w ith the
Stamp tool, adjust the Spacing parameter.

9. If you w ant the current settings to be saved to your stamp preset, click on the Update Brush Preset
button at the top-right corner of the Stamp Properties dialog.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

NOTE
You can use the Stamp tool w ith the currently selected settings w ithout updating yourpreset.

You can randomize the size, angle and spacing of the stamp. This w ill make the Stamp tool apply a randomly
picked value to these parameters every time it applies a stamp to your artw ork.

How to randomize the size, angle and spacing of a stamp
1. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select the stamp that you w ant to configure.
2. In the Tool Properties view , just right of the stroke preview area, click on the Show Extended
Properties

button.

The Stamp Properties dialog opens.

3. If you w ant the size of the stamp to be randomized every time the stamp is added to your artw ork,decrease the Minimum Scale setting, then increase the Random Size setting.

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NOTE
The Random Size setting makes the size of each stamp vary randomly betw een its
Minimum Scale and Maximum Scale. The higher the Random Size is, the closer to its
Minimum Scale the random size can be.

4. If you w ant the angle of your stamp to be randomized every time the stamp is added to yourartw ork, increase the Random Angle setting.

5. If you w ant the spacing of your stamp to be randomized every time the stamp is added to yourartw ork, increase the Random Spacing setting.

6. If you w ant the current settings to be saved to your stamp preset, click on the Update Brush Preset
button at the top-right corner of the Stamp Properties dialog.

NOTE
You can use the Stamp tool w ith the currently selected settings w ithout updating yourpreset.

You can make a multi-draw ing stamp cycle through its sequence of draw ings in several different w ays. You
can also randomize the cycle, or disable it so that it only stamps the draw ing of your choice.

How to change the way a multi- drawing stamp cycles through its drawings
1. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select the stamp that you w ant to configure.
2. In the Tool Properties view , just right of the stroke preview area, click on the Show Extended
Properties

button.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

The Stamp Properties dialog opens.

1. In the Cycle drop-dow n, select the desired cycling method:lForward: Starts by applying the first draw ing in the sequence, then the next one, and so on
until it reaches the last draw ing in the sequence, then cycles back to the first one.

l

Reverse: Starts by applying the last draw ing in the sequence, then the previous one, and soon until it reaches the first draw ing in the sequence, then cycles back to the last one.

l

Forward- >Reverse: Starts by cycling forw ard through the sequence until it reaches the lastdraw ing, then cycles backw ard to the first draw ing, and so on.

lReverse- >Forward: Starts by cycling backw ard through the sequence until it reaches thefirst draw ing, then cycles back to the last draw ing, and so on.

255Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Random: Applies a random draw ing in the sequence each time the stamp is applied.

lHold: Applies a single one of the draw ings in the sequence over and over again.

2. If you selected the Hold option, select w hich one of the stamps in the sequence you w ish to stamp
onto your artw ork by changing the Stamp setting in the Tool Properties view . For example, if you
only w ant to stamp the second draw ing in the sequence, set the Stamp setting to 2.
3. If you w ant the cycle to restart at the beginning of each one of your draw ing strokes, enable theReset Cycle for Each Stroke option.
4. If you w ant the current settings to be saved to your stamp preset, click on the Update Brush Preset
button at the top-right corner of the Stamp Properties dialog.

NOTE
You can use the Stamp tool w ith the currently selected settings w ithout updating yourpreset.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Updating a StampA stamp in your Presets list does not only contain its draw ings, but also its properties. If you have made anychanges to the properties of your stamp, and w ish for those properties to be set automatically w henever you
use that stamp, you can update the stamp. This w ill save the current properties of the stamp into its preset.
Once that is done, the current properties of the stamp w ill be loaded the next time you select it from the
Presets list, even after you close and reopen the project.

NOTE
You cannot update the draw ings in a stamp. You can only update its parameters. If you need to use
different draw ings for your stamp, you must create a new stamp—see Creating a Stamp on page
246 and Creating a Multi-Draw ing Stamp on page 248.

How to update a stamp
1. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select the stamp that you w ant to configure.
2. In the Tool Properties view , just right of the stroke preview area, click on the Show Extended
Properties

button.

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The Stamp Properties dialog opens.

3. In the Stamp Properties dialog, adjust the settings of your stamp as desired—see Configuring a
Stamp on page 251.
4. In the top-right corner of the Stamp Properties dialog, click on the Update Preset

button.

The selected stamp properties w ill be loaded w henever you select this stamp, even after you closeand reopen your project.

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Drawing with the Stamp Tool
Once you have created a stamp, you can start draw ing w ith it. You can either stamp it into your artw ork once ata time, or draw strokes w ith the tool, making it apply the stamp repeatedly onto your artw ork along yourstrokes.

How to draw with the Stamp tool
1. In the Layer panel of the Stage or Camera view or the Layers view , select the layer on w hich you
w ant to apply the stamp.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Stamp tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , select a stamp from the Presets list—see Creating a Stamp on page
246 and Creating a Multi-Draw ing Stamp on page 248.

4. Move the mouse cursor over the Stage or Camera view . You w ill see the stamp under your mouse
cursor as it w ill be applied into your artw ork. If you w ant to adjust the size in w hich it w ill beapplied, adjust the Maximum Scale setting in the Tool Properties view .
5. By default, your stamp w ill be applied at an even size, angle and distance. Also, if your stamp is amulti-draw ing stamp, it w ill cycle through its draw ings in their original order. If you w ant yourstamp to be applied w ith different parameters, see Configuring a Stamp.
6. In the Camera or Draw ing view , do one of the follow ing:l

To apply the stamp once, simply click w here you w ant to apply it.

l

To draw a stroke along w hich the stamp is applied multiple times, simply draw a stroke w ith
the tool as you w ould w ith the Brush or Pencil tool.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

TIPSl

If your stamp has multiple draw ings in it, you can select w hich draw ings to stamp by using
the Stamp slider in the Tool Properties view . You can also cycle through the stamp's
draw ings by pressing the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys.

l

You can quickly adjust the size of the selected draw ing tool by pressing and holding the O
key, then clicking and dragging in the draw ing space. If you are using a tablet pen, doing
this w ith the eraser tip of your pen w ill adjust the size of the Eraser tool, regardless of
w hich draw ing tool is selected.

l

If you press and hold the Shift key before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw a straight line.

l

If you press and hold the Spacebar key w hile draw ing a straight line, the angle of your line
w ill lock. If you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, you can draw over your line to adjust
its thickness.

l

If you press and hold the Shift and Alt keys before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw astraight horizontal or vertical line.

l

If you press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key w hile draw ing, yourdraw ing stroke w ill turn into a closed shape.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Renaming Stamps
You can rename stamps you have created to make them easier to identify in the Presets list.

How to rename a stamp.
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

2. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select the stamp you w ant to rename.
3. Open the Brush Presets

menu, then select Rename Brush.

4. In the Rename Brush dialog, enter the new name for your stamp.
5. Click OK.
The stamp's new name updates in the Presets list.

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Deleting Stamps
You can delete stamps you no longer need from the Presets list.

How to delete a stamp.
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

2. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select the stamp you w ant to delete.
3. Click on the Delete Brushbutton just above the Presets list.

The stamp is removed from the Presets list.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Exporting Stamps
You can export stamps you have created to keep a backup of them, or to import them for use in anotherproject.

How to export stamps
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset

menu and select Export Brushes.

The Export Brushes dialog opens. This dialog allow s you to export brush presets for the Brush,
Pencil, Eraser and Stamp tools.

3. By default, the presets for all your tools w ill be selected for export. If you only w ish to export yourstamps, uncheck Select/Deselect All, then check Stamp.
4. Click on Export.
A save dialog appears.
5. Brow se to the location w here you w ant to save the .xml file that w ill contain your presets.
6. Enter the desired file name for your presets file.
7. Click on Save.

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Importing Stamps
You can import stamps you have exported from another project into your current project, allow ing you to reuse
them betw een projects or to restore backups of your stamps.

How to import stamps
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Stamptool.

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

and select Import Brushes.

An Open File dialog appears.
3. In the brow ser w indow that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file in w hich you exported
your stamps
4. Click Open.
The Import Brushes dialog box opens.

5. By default, the presets for any tools included in the file w ill be selected for import. If you only w ish
to import the stamps from this file, uncheck Select/Deselect All and check Stamps.
6. Click on Import.
The imported stamps w ill be added to the Presets list in the Tool Properties view .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Changing The W ay Stamps Are Displayed
By default, your stamps are listed in the Tool Properties dialog as strokes. You can also preview them as big
thumbnails if you w ant to be able to pick them w ithout scrolling, or as small thumbnails if you have a lot.

How to change the way presets are previewed in the Tool Properties view
1. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Presetsmenu.

2. Select one of the follow ing options:lSmall Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails w ith a preview of
their tip.

lLarge Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails, w ith their name and apreview of their tip.

lStroke View: Displays presets in a list, w ith their name and a preview of a stroke
done w ith each preset.

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Stamp Tool Modes
W hen you select the Stamp tool, its properties are displayed in the Tool Properties view .

Draw Behind Mode
W hen enabled, your draw ing strokes w ill be added underneath the existing artw ork instead of over it.

NOTEYour stroke w ill appear over your artw ork as you draw it, until you release the mouse cursor ortablet pen.

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About the Stroke Tool
T-HFND-004-013
There are tw o different w ays to draw invisible lines, using the Pencil tool or Stroke tool.
Using the Pencil tool, you can draw as strokes only, meaning that the line w ill be invisible. This can be usefulfor draw ing tones and highlights directly on the character.

The Stroke tool draw s invisible lines only. You cannot add thickness to the line. Unlike the Close Gap tool thatcreates a short, straight line betw een tw o points, the stroke line w ill stay exactly w here you draw it. This tool
can be useful for closing a zone in a particular w ay or creating some hard shadow s or highlight areas.
Sometimes, it may be difficult to see strokes, especially if your colours are similar to the blue stroke colour. In
Harmony, you can display the strokes in w ashed-out colours so the invisible lines stand out.

NOTE
To learn more about the Stroke tool parameters, see the Reference guide .

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Creating Invisible Lines with the Stroke Tool
T-HFND-004-013A
You can draw invisible lines w ith the Stroke tool. These lines can be used to delimit or close off colour areas
w hen you colour draw ing w ith the Paint tool.

How to draw invisible lines with the Stroke tool
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to draw .
2. Make sure strokes are visible in your draw ing space by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select View > Show > Show StrokeslPress K.

3. Select the Stroke tool by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, double-click on Paint. In its drop-dow n menu, select thelPress Alt + V.

Stroke tool

4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , start draw ing.

TIPSl

If you press and hold the Shift key before or w hile you are draw ing, your stroke w ill
be a straight line until you stop draw ing or release the Shift key.

l

If you press and hold the Shift and the Alt keys before draw ing, your stroke w ill be astraight line in an angle that is a multiple of 15 degrees.

l

If you press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key w hile draw ing,
your stroke w ill be a closed shape.

l

If you press and hold Alt before draw ing a stroke, and you start your stroke nearanother stroke, the start of your stroke w ill connect to the other stroke. Likew ise, if
you press and hold the Alt key and end your stroke near another stroke, the end of
the stroke w ill connect to that stroke.

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NOTE
If the Show Strokes option is not enabled, the follow ing message w ill appear after you
draw a stroke. To remedy this, refer to step 2.

Authors
Marie-Eve Chartrand
Christopher Diazchrisdiazart.com

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About the Eraser Tool
T-HFND-004-010
Using the Eraser tool, you can erase portions of your draw ing by draw ing strokes over it.
Just like the Brush tool, the Eraser tool is pressure-sensitive, allow ing you to erase w ith more precision if you
are using a pen tablet.

It is a good idea to create and save erasers w ith precise sizes and parameters in order to save time w hen
draw ing and designing. Harmony provides you w ith a variety of default eraser styles and allow s you to createand save your ow n eraser presets.

NOTE
To learn more about each individual parameter of the Eraser tool, see the Reference Guide.

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Erasing
T-HFND-004-010A
Using the Eraser tool, you can erase portions of your draw ing by draw ing strokes over it.

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

tool or press Alt + E.

3. In the Presets list of the Tool Properties view , select a brush preset to use.

NOTE
To learn how to create an Eraser preset, see Creating an Eraser on page 272.

4. Set the Maximum Size to the desired Eraser size.

NOTE
If you are draw ing w ith a mouse, your strokes w ill alw ays be at their maximum size. If
you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, your strokes w ill vary in size depending on
the pressure of your pen, ranging betw een 25% to 100% of the maximum size.

5. In the Camera or Draw inga view , start erasing.

TIPSl

You can quickly adjust the size of the selected draw ing tool by pressing and holding the O
key, then clicking and dragging in the draw ing space. If you are using a tablet pen, doing
this w ith the eraser tip of your pen w ill adjust the size of the Eraser tool, regardless of
w hich draw ing tool is selected.

l

If you press and hold the Shift key before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw a straight line.

l

If you press and hold the Spacebar key w hile draw ing a straight line, the angle of your line
w ill lock. If you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, you can draw over your line to adjust
its thickness.

l

If you press and hold the Shift and Alt keys before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw astraight horizontal or vertical line.

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Creating an Eraser
Draw ing a stroke w ith the Eraser tool cuts out the stroke from your artw ork.
An eraser's tip can be shaped like a circle, a diamond or a square, and can be configured to have a specific size,
aspect ratio and angle. Also, your eraser strokes can be automatically smoothed by Harmony as you erase.

How to create an eraser
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool or press Alt + B.

2. In the Tool Properties view , click the arrow button to open the Eraser Properties view .

The Eraser Properties dialog opens.

3. In the brush tip list, select either Circle, Diamond or Square.

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4. Use the Maximum Size slider to set the maximum size of your eraser tip, in pixels.

NOTE
W hen draw ing w ith a mouse, your eraser is alw ays at its maximum size. W hen
draw ing w ith a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, your eraser's size w ill range betw een its
minimum and maximum size, depending on the amount of pressure you put on the pen
w hen draw ing.

5. If you are using a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, use the Minimum Size slider to set the percentageof your eraser tip's maximum size your eraser should be w hen you use your pen w ith very little
pressure. If you don't w ant the pressure on your pen to affect the eraser size, set this parameter to100%.
6. If you w ant your eraser tip to have uneven dimensions, use the Roundness slider to shrink theeraser tip vertically all the w hile preserving its horizontal size.
7. If you w ant your eraser tip to be at an angle, use the Angle slider to rotate your brush tip.
8. If you w ant your eraser tip to stretch w hen you tilt your pen, use the Pen Tilt Sensitivity slider to
set how much the tip should stretch. The tip w ill stretch by the percentage you set, in the direction
in w hich you tilt the pen.

NOTE
This option only w orks if your tablet and your pen support tilt sensitivity.

9. If you w ant your eraser ip to rotate w hen you rotate your pen, check the Use Pen Rotation check
box.

NOTE
This option only w orks if your tablet and your pen support pen rotation.

10. Click on the Smoothing tab.

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11. Use the Centerline Smoothing slider to set the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on
your stroke's direction, curves and corners. A higher setting w ill prevent your line from being shaky,but is liable to reduce your draw ing precision and to round sharp corners into curves.
12. Use the Contour Smoothing slider to set the amount of smoothing Harmony should perform on
your stroke's contour. A higher setting w ill round sharp corners and reduce the amount of control
points for the resulting vector shape.
13. Either close or set aside the Eraser Properties dialog.
14. In the Camera or Draw ing view , start erasing to test your eraser settings.

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About Eraser Presets
Once you have found the correct settings for your eraser, you might w ant to reuse it throughout your projectfor consistency. You can do that by creating and using eraser presets.
Harmony comes preloaded w ith a few eraser presets w hich you can select from the Tool Properties view . It isalso possible to create your ow n eraser presets by configuring your eraser then saving it as a preset.
Eraser presets are saved in your preferences. You can also export your eraser presets into an .xml file, andimport them on a different w orkstation, allow ing you to share your eraser presets betw een the different
people collaborating on your project.

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Creating an Eraser Preset
You can create your ow n custom eraser preset by configuring your eraser, then adding it as a preset.

How to create an eraser preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool or press Alt + E.

2. Click on the Arrow button to open the Eraser Properties dialog.

3. In the Eraser Properties dialog, configure your eraser—see Creating an Eraser.
4. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the Eraser Properties dialog, click on the New Brush Preset

button in the top-right corner.
l

In the Tool Properties view , click the New Brush Presetl

In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Presets menu

button.
and select New Brush

Preset.
5. In the New Preset w indow , type a name for your new eraser preset.
Your new eraser preset is added to the end of the list of eraser presets.

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Selecting an Eraser Preset
Harmony provides you w ith default eraser presets available in the Tool Properties view .

How to select a brush preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool or press Alt + E.

2. In the Tool Properties view , select an eraser preset from the Presets list.

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Updating a Brush Preset
If you w ant to modify the settings of an existing custom preset, you can do so by adjusting the parameters in
the Tool Properties view , then updating your preset w ith your brush current's parameters.

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

tool or press Alt + B.

1. In the Tool Properties view , select the Brush Preset you w ish to update.
2. Click on the Arrow button to open the Brush Properties view .

3. Configure your brush to be exactly how you w ish to use it in the future—see Creating a Brush.
4. Click on the Update Brush Preset

button in the upper-right corner of the Brush Properties

dialog.

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Renaming an Eraser Preset
To keep your list comprehensive and organized, you can name your custom brush presets.

How to rename a brush preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool or press Alt + E.

2. In the Tool Properties view , select an eraser preset to rename.
3. Open the Brush Preset menu

and select Rename Brush.

4. Type in a new name for the brush and click OK.

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Deleting a Brush Preset
You can keep your preset list clean by deleting unw anted custom presets.

How to delete a brush preset
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Eraser

tool or press Alt + E.

2. In the Tool Properties view , select the eraser preset you w ant to delete.
3. Do one of the follow ing:lClick the Delete Brushbutton.

lOpen the Brush Preset menu

and select Delete Brush.

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Exporting Eraser Presets
You can export eraser presets into an .xml file w hich w ill contain all of your eraser's settings. This can be
useful if you w ish to back up or share your eraser presets.

How to export pencils, brushes and erasers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Brush, Pencil

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

or Erasertool.

and select Export Brushes.

The Export Brushes dialog opens. This dialog allow s you to export brush presets for the Brush,
Pencil and Eraser tools.

3. By default, the presets for all your tools w ill be selected for export. If you only w ish to export
presets for specific tools, uncheck Select/Deselect All and select the tools for w hich you w ant toexport the presets.
4. Click Export.
5. In the Export Presets dialog that appears, brow se to the location w here you w ant to save the .xml
file and enter its file name.
6. Click Save.

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Importing Eraser Presets
You can import eraser presets that you previously exported from Harmony.

How to import pencils, brushes and erasers
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either the Brush, Pencil

2. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Preset menu

or Erasertool.

and select Import Brushes.

3. In the brow ser w indow that appears, navigate to and select the .xml file in w hich you exported
your brush presets.
4. Click Open.
The Import Brushes dialog box opens.

5. By default, the presets for any tools included in the file w ill be selected for import. If you only w ish
to import presets for specific tools, uncheck Select/Deselect All and select the tools for w hich you
w ant to export the presets
6. Click Import.
The imported brush, eraser and pencil styles w ill appear in the Presets list.

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Changing the Brush Preset Display
You can display your preset list as thumbnails or a list.

How to change the way presets are previewed in the Tool Properties view
1. In the Tool Properties view , open the Brush Presetsmenu.

2. Select one of the follow ing options:lSmall Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of small thumbnails w ith a preview of
their tip.

lLarge Thumbnail: Displays presets in a grid of big thumbnails, w ith their name and apreview of their tip.

lStroke View: Displays presets in a list, w ith their name and a preview of a stroke
done w ith each preset.

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About the Select Tool
T-HFND-004-005
The Select tool allow s you to select draw ing strokes and draw ing objects. W hen selected, you can use theSelect tool to scale, translate, rotate, resize, flip and delete them.

NOTES
l

The Select tool can only be used to select, reposition and transform w hole draw ing strokes. If
you need to cut out part of your artw ork to reposition or transform it, you must use the Cutter
tool—see About the Cutter Tool.

l

To learn more about the Select tool options, see the Reference Guide .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Selecting, Repositioning and Transforming Artwork
T-HFND-004-005A
Using the Select tool, you can select draw ing strokes and groups, then reposition, rotate, scale and skew them.

NOTE
The select tool can only select w hole draw ing strokes. If you need to cut out part of your artw ork,
use the Cutter tool instead—see About the Cutter Tool on page 300.

How to select artwork
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to select draw ing objects.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

3. In the Camera view , select the artw ork you w ant to edit by doing one of the follow ing:lClick on a draw ing stroke to select it.

lDraw a lasso around draw ing strokes to select them simultaneously.

TIPSl

To add more draw ing strokes to the selection, press and hold the Shift key andeither click or draw a lasso around the strokes you w ant to select.

lPress SHIFT+ALT to unselect all the strokes you have selected previously. You canalso unselect strokes on multiple layers in the Timeline by pressing SHIFT+ALT+CTRL.

l

By default, you can only select artw ork in the currently selected layer. You canselect artw ork from any visible layer by holding the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘(macOS) key.

l

If you prefer draw ing a rectangle rather than a lasso to select artw ork, click on the
Lasso button in the Tool Properties view and selectMarquee.

l

You can select all the draw ing strokes in the draw ing by select Edit > Select Allfrom the top menu or by press ing Ctrl + A (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + A (macOS).

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4. Do one of the follow ing to edit your selection:l

To reposition the selected artw ork, click on it and drag w here you w ant to position it.

NOTE
You can also nudge your selection using the arrow keys, and fast-nudge yourselection by holding Shift and pressing the arrow keys.

l

To rotate the selected artw ork, click and grab just outside one of the handles at the cornersof the control box and rotate it.

l

To scale the selected artw ork, click and drag on one of the control points at the corners or
the middle of the edges of the control box.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

TIP
W hile scaling artw ork, you can preserve its proportions by pressing and holding
the Shift key.

l

To skew , drag sidew ays or up and dow n the sides or top and bottom segments, betw een thecontrol points.

l

To delete, press Del (W indow s/Linux) or Backspace (macOS).

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Selecting Artwork in Several Drawings
You can use the Select tool to select and manipulate artw ork in several draw ings in the same layer at the sametime. There are tw o approaches to doing this, both of w hich are options available in the Tool Properties view :lApply to All Frames: W hen you draw a lasso or marquee in the Camera or Draw ing view s, it w ill
select strokes in that area in all of the exposed draw ings in the current layer.

lApply to Onion Skin Range: W hen you draw a lasso or marquee in the Camera or Draw ing view s, it
w ill select strokes in that area in all of the draw ings currently displayed in the Onion Skin. This method
allow s you to select and manipulate artw ork in a specific range of draw ings, and allow s you to see theartw ork you selected in the Camera or Draw ing view .

How to select artwork in a specific range of drawings
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a draw ing somew here in the middle of the range of draw ings
you w ant to edit.
2. In the Tools toolbar, click on theOnion Skin button to enable Onion Skin.

3. Adjust the range of the Onion Skin so that it covers every draw ing you w ant to edit:l

In the Timeline view , click and drag on the red onion skin marker to make it include theprevious draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin, then click and drag on the green
onion skin marker to make it include the next draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin.

l

Use the buttons in the toolbar above the draw ing space to adjust how many previous andnext draw ings are included in the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Add Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

RemovePrevious Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Add Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
The draw ings included in the Onion Skin range w ill appear in red and green in the Camera or
Draw ing view .
4. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Select tool.

5. In the Tool Properties view , click and hold on themenu, selectApply to Onion Skin Range.

288

Apply to All Frames button and, in the pop-up

Chapter 5: Draw ing

NOTE
If this button is already set to

Apply to Onion Skin Range, simply click on it to toggle

it on.

6. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw a lasso or marquee around the artw ork you w ant to select.
Strokes in the current draw ing and in the draw ings displayed in the Onion Skin that fit inside thelasso or marquee you drew w ill be selected.

How to select artwork in all exposed drawings in a layer
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select any of the draw ings in the layer that you w ant to edit.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Select tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , click on the

Apply to All Frames button to enable the Apply to All

Frames mode.

NOTE
If this button is currently set to

Apply to Onion Skin Range mode, click and hold on

the button to open its pop-up menu and selectApply to All Frames.

4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw a lasso or marquee around the artw ork you w ant to select.
Strokes in the current draw ing as w ell as in all other draw ings exposed in the current layer that fit
inside the lasso or marquee you drew w ill be selected.

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Selecting Artwork in Several Layers
You can use the Select tool to select artw ork in several layers simultaneously. There are tw o w ays to do this:l

By selection: If you select several layers in the Timeline or Xsheet view , you w ill be able to select andmanipulate artw ork in all of the selected layers.

l

Apply to All Visible Layers mode: By enabling this mode, you w ill be able to select artw ork in all of
the layers that are visible in the Camera view simultaneously.

NOTE
You can only select artw ork in several layers simultaneously in the Camera view .

How to select artwork in several specific layers simultaneously
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , move the red Timeline playhead to the frame w here all the draw ings
you w ant to edit are exposed.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select one of the draw ings you w ant to edit.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Select tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , make sure the

Apply to All Visible Layers button is toggled off.

4. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select all the layers you w ant to edit simultaneously.

TIPSl

To select multiple layers, press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
key, then click on each layer you w ant to select.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , you can select a contiguous series of layers byclicking on the first layer you w ant to select, then, w hile holding Shift, clicking on
the last layer you w ant to select. Every layer in-betw een w ill also be selected.

NOTE
If

Light Table is enabled, the selected layers w ill appear fully opaque. This indicatesthat the currently selected tool can w ork on all selected layers simultaneously.

At this point, you can select artw ork in all of the selected layers.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

5. In the Camera view , do one of the follow ing:lDraw a lasso or marquee around all the draw ing strokes that you w ant to select.

l

W hile holding Shift, click on each draw ing stroke that you w ant to select.

How to select artwork in all visible layers simultaneously
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , move the red Timeline playhead to the frame w here all the draw ings
you w ant to edit are exposed.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select one of the draw ings you w ant to edit.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Select tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , click on the

Apply to All Visible Layers button to toggle it on.

NOTE
If

Light Table is enabled, all the visible layers w ill appear fully opaque. This

indicates that the currently selected tool can w ork on all visible layers simultaneously.

TIP
You can also select artw ork from all visible layers by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘(macOS) key w hile using the Select tool.

4. In the Camera view , do one of the follow ing:lDraw a lasso or marquee around all the draw ing strokes that you w ant to select.

l

W hile holding Shift, click on each draw ing stroke that you w ant to select.

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Inverting a Selection
You can invert your selection to select everything else in your draw ing that w as not previously selected.

How to invert a selection
1. From the top menu, select Edit > Invert Selection or press Ctrl + Shift + I (W indow s/Linux) or Shift+ ⌘ + I (macOS).

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Repositioning the Selection Pivot
You can temporarily reposition the selection's pivot position to rotate, scale, or skew from a different point.

How to temporarily reposition the pivot point
1. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the draw ing object you w ant to transform.
The pivot point appears in the middle of your selection.

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 w ill remain
there until you make a new selection.

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Arranging and Reordering Drawing Strokes
The different Arrange options let you reorder draw ing objects and strokes inside a single layer in the Draw ing
or Camera view .

How to arrange drawing strokes
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the strokes to be reordered.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Arrange > Bring to Front—Moves the selected
art to the front (on top). Press Ctrl + Shift + PgUp (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift +PgUp (macOS).

l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Arrange > Bring Forward—Moves theselected art one level forw ard (closer to the front). Press Ctrl + PgUp
(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + PgUp (macOS).

l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Arrange > Send Backward—Moves theselected art one level low er (behind). Press Ctrl + PgDow n (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ +PgDow n (macOS).

l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Arrange > Send to Back—Moves the selectedart behind everything (bottom / back). Press Ctrl + Shift + PgDow n (W indow s/Linux)or ⌘ + Shift + PgDow n (macOS).

4. In the Draw ing View and Camera View toolbars, you can also add the follow ing buttons—see
Customizing Toolbars on page 58.
lBring to Frontbuttonl

Bring Forw ard

buttonl

Send Backw ard

buttonl

Send to Backbutton294

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Grouping Drawing Strokes
Use the grouping options to group and ungroup selected draw ing objects and strokes. This can help in theselection, repositioning, re-scaling and other transformations to be applied to multiple objects of a draw ing.
Grouping does not flatten your objects. You can ungroup your selection at any time. You can also group
groups.

How to group strokes
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the strokes to be grouped.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

From the Camera or Draw ing view menu, select Edit > Group > Group.

lPress Ctrl + G (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + G (macOS).

How to ungroup strokes
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the groups to be ungrouped.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

lPress Ctrl + Shift + G (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + G (macOS).

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Selecting Artwork by Colour or Texture
You can select all the shapes in your artw ork that are painted w ith a specific colour or texture.

How to select all the artwork painted with the same colour as your selection
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Select tool.

2. In the Tools toolbar or Tool Properties view , toggle on

Select by Colour.

3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click on a shape filled w ith the colour you w ant to select.
All the shapes in the draw ing that are painted w ith the same colour as the shape you clicked on
w ill be selected.

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About the Repositioning All Drawings Tool
T-ANIMPA-010-008
The Reposition All Draw ings tool is used to reposition, scale, rotate or skew all draw ing strokes on every
draw ing included in a layer.

If your hand-draw n animation requires to be repositioned in the grid, as soon as your select the Reposition All
Draw ings tool, all the strokes in all the draw ings exposed on the current layer are selected. You can use thecontrols the same w as as the Select tool—see About the Select Tool on page 284.

NOTE
To learn more about the Reposition All Draw ings tool options, see the Reference guide .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Repositioning All Drawings in a Layer
T-ANIMPA-010-009
Use the Reposition All Draw ings tool to reposition all the draw ing strokes on all draw ings exposed in thecurrent layer.

How to reposition all drawings
1. From the Tools toolbar, select the Reposition All Draw ings

tool. This also automatically selects

every stroke in your draw ing in the Draw ing and Camera view .
2. Do any of the follow ing:l

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

l

To rotate, rotate the selection box handle.

l

To scale, pull or push on the top, side, bottom or corner control points. Hold dow n
Shift to maintain the selection’s ratio.

298Chapter 5: Draw ingl

To skew , drag the sides or top and bottom segments, betw een the control points.

3. W hen you release your cursor, every draw ing in the draw ing layer you repositioned, scaled, rotatedor skew ed w ill follow the same transformation.
4. You can also adjust the position by modifying the settings and using the operation buttons in the
Tool Properties view .

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About the Cutter Tool
T-HFND-004-007
The Cutter tool lets you cut out part of a draw ing so that you can transform it, copy it or delete it. You can use it
to scale or reposition the portion of a flattened draw ing. You can also use it to trim strokes using a single
gesture.

NOTE
To learn more about the Cutter tool options, see the Reference guide .

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Cutting Artwork
T-HFND-004-007A
Use the Cutter tool to trim and cut your artw ork.
You can also use the Cutter tool to trim the ends of overshot lines. Line ends can be trimmed up to the point
w here they intersect w ith another line. This technique can be used to clean sketches much faster. Enable theSingle Line Cutting Gesture mode for precision or the Multiple Line Cutting Gesture mode for speed.

How to cut drawings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool or press Alt + T.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw a lasso around the artw ork you w ant to cut aw ay.

The artw ork inside the lasso you drew w ill be cut from the rest of the artw ork and w ill be selected.

TIPSl

You can add another part of your artw ork to the selection by holding Shift anddraw ing another lasso.

l

By default, the Cutter tool w ill only w ork on the current layer. You can cut artw ork
from all visible layers by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘ (macOS) key.

3. Once you've cut out artw ork, you can manipulate it like w ith the Select tool. For example:l

To move the selected artw ork, click and drag it.

l

To delete the selected area, press Del.

l

To scale, rotate or skew the selection, use the controls around the selection's bounding box.

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How to trim a single line
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool or press Alt + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , under the Cutter Tool Options, select the Lasso.

The Line Cutter Gesture modes are enabled.
3. Select the Single Line Cutting Gesture Mode.

4. In the Stage or Camera view , sw eep the Cutter tool across the end of a line you w ish to trim.
The line end disappears.
BeforeAfter

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NOTE
Even if your mouse gesture touches other lines, only the first line that the Cutter tool makes
contact w ith disappears.

How to trim multiple lines
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter

tool or press Alt + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , under the Cutter Tool Options, select the Lasso.

The Line Cutter Gesture modes are enabled.
3. In the Tool Properties view , select the Multiple Lines Cutting Gesture Mode.

4. In the Stage or Camera view , sw eep the Cutter tool across the end of a lines you w ish to trim.
The line ends disappear.
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After

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Cutting Artwork in Several Drawings
You can use the Cutter tool to cut out and manipulate artw ork in several draw ings in the same layer at thesame time. There are tw o approaches to doing this, both of w hich are options available in the Tool Properties
view :l

Apply to All Frames: W hen you draw a lasso or marquee in the Camera or Draw ing view s, it w ill
cut out artw ork in that area in all of the exposed draw ings in the current layer.

lApply to Onion Skin Range: W hen you draw a lasso or marquee in the Camera or Draw ing view s, it
w ill cut out artw ork in that area in all of the draw ings currently displayed in the Onion Skin. Thismethod allow s you to cut out and manipulate artw ork in a specific range of draw ings, and allow s you to
see the artw ork you cut out in the Camera or Draw ing view .

How to select artwork in a specific range of drawings
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a draw ing somew here in the middle of the range of draw ings
you w ant to edit.
2. In the Tools toolbar, click on theOnion Skin button to enable Onion Skin.

3. Adjust the range of the Onion Skin so that it covers every draw ing you w ant to edit:l

In the Timeline view , click and drag on the red onion skin marker to make it include theprevious draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin, then click and drag on the green
onion skin marker to make it include the next draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin.

l

Use the buttons in the toolbar above the draw ing space to adjust how many previous andnext draw ings are included in the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Add Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

RemovePrevious Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Add Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
The draw ings included in the Onion Skin range w ill appear in red and green in the Camera or
Draw ing view .
4. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Cutter tool.

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5. In the Tool Properties view , click and hold on themenu, selectApply to All Frames button and, in the pop-up

Apply to Onion Skin Range.

NOTE
If this button is already set to

Apply to Onion Skin Range, simply click on it to toggle

it on.

6. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw a lasso or marquee around the artw ork you w ant to select.
The artw ork in the current draw ing and in the draw ings displayed in the Onion Skin w ill be cut out
by the lasso or marquee you drew and w ill become selected.

How to select artwork in all exposed drawings in a layer
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select any of the draw ings in the layer that you w ant to edit.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Cutter tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , click on the

Apply to All Frames button to enable the Apply to All

Frames mode.

NOTE
If this button is currently set to

Apply to Onion Skin Range mode, click and hold on

the button to open its pop-up menu and selectApply to All Frames.

4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw a lasso or marquee around the artw ork you w ant to select.
The artw ork in all the draw ings in the current layer w ill be cut out by the lasso or marquee you
drew and w ill become selected.

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Cutting Artwork in Multiple Layers
You can use the Cutter tool to cut out artw ork in several layers simultaneously. There are tw o w ays to do this:l

By selection: If you select several layers in the Timeline or Xsheet view , you w ill be able to cut out andmanipulate artw ork in all of the selected layers.

l

Apply to All Visible Layers mode: By enabling this mode, you w ill be able to cut out artw ork in allof the layers that are visible in the Camera view simultaneously.

NOTE
You can only cut artw ork in several layers simultaneously in the Camera view .

How to cut out artwork in several specific layers simultaneously
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , move the red Timeline playhead to the frame w here all the draw ings
you w ant to edit are exposed.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select one of the draw ings you w ant to edit.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Cutter tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , make sure the

Apply to All Visible Layers button is toggled off.

4. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select all the layers you w ant to edit simultaneously.

TIPSl

To select multiple layers, press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
key, then click on each layer you w ant to select.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , you can select a contiguous series of layers byclicking on the first layer you w ant to select, then, w hile holding Shift, clicking on
the last layer you w ant to select. Every layer in-betw een w ill also be selected.

NOTE
If

Light Table is enabled, the selected layers w ill appear fully opaque. This indicatesthat the currently selected tool can w ork on all selected layers simultaneously.

At this point, you can cut artw ork in all of the selected layers.

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5. In the Camera view , draw a lasso or marquee around the artw ork that you w ant to cut out. Notethat only artw ork in the selected layers w ill be cut out and selected.

How to select artwork in all visible layers simultaneously
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , move the red Timeline playhead to the frame w here all the draw ings
you w ant to edit are exposed.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select one of the draw ings you w ant to edit.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Cutter tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , click on the

Apply to All Visible Layers button to toggle it on.

NOTE
If

Light Table is enabled, all the visible layers w ill appear fully opaque. This

indicates that the currently selected tool can w ork on all visible layers simultaneously.

TIP
You can also cut artw ork from all visible layers by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘(macOS) key w hile using the Cutter tool.

4. In the Camera view , draw a lasso or marquee around the artw ork that you w ant to cut out.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

About the Contour Editor Tool
T-HFND-004-008
The Contour Editor lets you reshape vector shapes, brush strokes and lines in your draw ings.
Artw ork in Harmony is made of vector shapes. Vector shapes are defined by points, the lines joining the points
together (contours) and the curve vectors, represented by Bezier handles, w hich make the curve of said lines.

The Contour Editor tool allow s you to select a contour or point, and change the position of points, add andremove points from the shape, rotate, lengthen and shorten curve handles to influence the curve of contours
betw een those points, or drag contours betw een points to change their curve directly.
Since pencil lines are defined by a single line w ith a line w idth, you can use the Contour Editor to easily modify
the shape of pencil lines. In contrast, brush strokes are full vector shapes, so the Contour Editor can be used tomodify their shape.

The Contour Editor can be used to tw eak vector artw ork in all sorts of w ays. It can be used to perfect a pencil
line, correct shapes, or create complex shapes out of a basic ellipse or rectangle.

NOTE
To learn more about the Contour Editor tool options, see the Reference Guide.

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Reshaping a Shape, Pencil Line or Stroke with the Contour Editor Tool
T-HFND-004-008A
You can use the Contour Editor tool to tw eak the contours of vector shapes and brush strokes in yourdraw ings, as w ell as reshape pencil lines and strokes.

How to reshape drawings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Contour Editor

tool or press Alt + Q.

2. In the Draw ing or Camera view , click the shape, contour or pencil line you w ant to edit near thearea you w ish to change.
The shape or line's control points appear.

3. Click on one of the points to select it.
The point's Bezier handles appears, as w ell as Bezier handles for the surrounding points.

TIP
You can select several points by draw ing a lasso around the points, or by holding Shiftw hile clicking on points to add them to your selection. You can use the Contour Editor
to scale and rotate a selection of multiple points by enabling the
Editor Control option in the Tool Properties view .

310

Show Contour

Chapter 5: Draw ing

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To move a point or a selection of multiple points, click and drag it.

l

To change the curve on both sides of a point, drag one of its Bezier handles.

l

To change the curve on only one side of a point, press and hold the Alt key, then drag one ofits Bezier handles.

l

To deform the contour, drag a part of the contour betw een tw o points.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

To deform the curve betw een tw o points, hold the Shift key and drag the contour betw een
tw o points.

l

To remove a point's Bezier handles and make the lines it is connected to straight, press andhold the Alt key and click on the point.

lStraight lines have no Bezier handles at their points by default. To create Bezier handles forthese points and make their lines curved, pres and hold the Alt key, then click and hold thepoint and drag the mouse cursor aw ay from it. A new Bezier handle w ill follow your mouse
cursor until you release the mouse button.

l

To add a control point, press Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on the contour
w here you w ant the new point to be created.

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To remove a control point, select the control point and press Del (W indow s/Linux) or
Backspace (macOS).

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About the Centerline Editor
T-HFND-004-009B
The Centerline Editor allow s you to tw eak and reshape a brush stroke by manipulating its centre line rather
than its contour (you can manipulate its contour using the Contour Editor tool). This gives a flexibility similar tomanipulating a pencil line w ith the Contour Editor tool.

Keep in mind that brush strokes are vector shapes w ith a fill. As such, the Centerline Editor must do guess
w ork to figure out the centreline of your brush strokes, and apply deformations on its shape as you tw eak its
control points. The Centerline Editor w ill not be able to make a accurate centreline out of brush strokes thatmerge together, that look scrambled or that otherw ise do not have a clear direction.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

NOTE
If you use the Centerline Editor to deform a closed brush stroke w ith a fill inside it, the fill w ill not
be reshaped to fit the new shape of the brush stroke.

NOTE
To learn more about the Centerline Editor tool options, see the Reference Guide.

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Reshaping Brush Strokes Using the Centerline Editor
T-HFND-004-009C
You can use the Centerline Editor tool to reshape brush strokes from their centreline rather than their contour,
like you w ould reshape pencil lines using the Contour Editor.

How to reshape brush strokes
1. In the Tools toolbar, double-click on the Contour Editor
tool, or press Alt + W .

button and select the Centerline Editor

2. In the Draw ing or Camera view , click the contour or pencil line you w ant to edit near the area you
w ish to change.
The Centerline Editor creates a centreline manipulator based on the outline's shape, w ith control
points.

3. In the Tool Properties view , use the Centerline Smoothness slider to adjust the amount of control
points on the centreline as needed:l

If you find that the generated centreline has too many control points to be easily
manipulated, reduce the Centerline Smoothness parameter.

l

If you need more control points to make precise manipulations, increase the Centerline
Smoothness parameter.

4. Click on one of the points to select it.
The point's Bezier handles appears, as w ell as Bezier handles for the surrounding points.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

TIP
You can select several points by draw ing a lasso around the points, or by holding Shiftw hile clicking on points to add them to your selection. You can use the Contour Editor
to scale and rotate a selection of multiple points by enabling the Show Centerline
Editor Control

option in the Tool Properties view .

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

To move a point or a selection of multiple points, click and drag it.

l

To change the curve on both sides of a point, drag one of its Bezier handles.

l

To change the curve on only one side of a point, press and hold the Alt key, then drag one ofits Bezier handles.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

To deform the contour, drag a part of the contour betw een tw o points.

l

To deform the curve betw een tw o points, hold the Shift key and drag the contour betw een
tw o points.

l

To remove a point's Bezier handles and make the lines it is connected to straight, press andhold the Alt key and click on the point.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

lStraight lines have no Bezier handles at their points by default. To create Bezier handles forthese points and make their lines curved, pres and hold the Alt key, then click and hold thepoint and drag the mouse cursor aw ay from it. A new Bezier handle w ill follow your mouse
cursor until you release the mouse button.

l

To add a control point, press Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on the contour
w here you w ant the new point to be created.

l

To delete the control point, select it and press Del.

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About the Smooth Editor Tool
T-ANIMPA-010-010
W hen draw ing in a digital application, it is not like draw ing on a sheet of paper. Sometimes the lines you draw
may look as if they w ere draw n w ith an unsteady hand. W hen this occurs, you may need to correct the look ofyour lines.

Harmony has a very pow erful tool you can use to optimize contours and reduce the number of points on thelines, the Smooth Editor tool.

NOTE
To learn more about the Smooth Editor tool options, see the Reference guide .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Smoothing Artwork Using the Smooth Editor
T-ANIMPA-010-011
You can use the Smooth Editor to smooth out specific areas of your draw ing strokes.

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 Draw ing view , place your pointer over the lines to smooth. You may need to passover the same line several times to remove more points and make the line smoother. Note that bydefault, the Smooth Editor tool colour is yellow , it w as changed to orange for screen grab clarity—
see the Reference guide to learn about the various settings available.

TIPSl

You can quickly adjust the size of the selected draw ing tool by pressing and holding the O
key, then clicking and dragging in the draw ing space. If you are using a tablet pen, doing
this w ith the eraser tip of your pen w ill adjust the size of the Eraser tool, regardless of
w hich draw ing tool is selected.

l

If you press and hold the Shift key before or w hile draw ing, you w ill draw a straight line.

l

If you press and hold the Spacebar key w hile draw ing a straight line, the angle of your line
w ill lock. If you are using a pressure-sensitive tablet, you can draw over your line to adjust
its thickness.

321Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About the Perspective Tool
The Perspective tool lets you deform a draw ing selection and alter its perspective. You can use the corner andedge anchor points to w arp the shape.

NOTES
To learn more about the Perspective tool options, see the Reference guide .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Deforming a Drawing with the Perspective Tool
Use the Perspective tool to distort a draw ing's bounding box and simulate a perspective effect.

How to deform a drawing with the Perspective tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Perspective

tool from the Contour Editor drop-dow n menu orpress Alt + 0.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the artw ork you w ant to deform by doing one of thefollow ing:lClick on a draw ing stroke to select it.

lDraw a lasso around draw ing strokes to select them simultaneously.

TIPSl

To add more draw ing strokes to the selection, press and hold the Shift key andeither click or draw a lasso around the strokes you w ant to select.

lPress SHIFT+ALT to unselect all the strokes you have selected previously. You canalso unselect strokes on multiple layers in the Timeline by pressing SHIFT+ALT+CTRL.

l

By default, you can only select artw ork in the currently selected layer. You canselect artw ork from any visible layer by holding the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘(macOS) key.

l

If you prefer draw ing a rectangle rather than a lasso to select artw ork, click on the
Lasso button in the Tool Properties view and selectMarquee.

l

You can select all the draw ing strokes in the draw ing by select Edit > Select Allfrom the top menu or by press ing Ctrl + A (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + A (macOS).

3. Click and drag the different anchor points to deform the shape.

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About the Envelope Tool
The Envelope tool lets you deform and w arp part of a draw ing using a grid envelope and Bezier handles. You
can w arp images to make them look like they are reflected in w ater or in a deformable mirror.

NOTE
To learn more about the Envelope tool options, see the Reference guide .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

W arping a Drawing with the Envelope Tool
You can w arp your draw ings using the Envelope tool.

How to warp a drawing with the Envelope tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Envelope

tool from the Contour Editor drop-dow n menu.

2. In the Timeline view , select a draw ing to deform.
3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the artw ork you w ant to deform by doing one of thefollow ing:lClick on a draw ing stroke to select it.

lDraw a lasso around draw ing strokes to select them simultaneously.

TIPSl

To add more draw ing strokes to the selection, press and hold the Shift key andeither click or draw a lasso around the strokes you w ant to select.

lPress SHIFT+ALT to unselect all the strokes you have selected previously. You canalso unselect strokes on multiple layers in the Timeline by pressing SHIFT+ALT+CTRL.

l

By default, you can only select artw ork in the currently selected layer. You canselect artw ork from any visible layer by holding the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘(macOS) key.

l

If you prefer draw ing a rectangle rather than a lasso to select artw ork, click on the
Lasso button in the Tool Properties view and selectMarquee.

l

You can select all the draw ing strokes in the draw ing by select Edit > Select Allfrom the top menu or by press ing Ctrl + A (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + A (macOS).

A rectangle appears around the selected artw ork. Bezier handles stem from each corner of therectangle, w hich can be manipulated to make the sides of the rectangle into curves.

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

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TIPSl

In the Tool Properties view , you can enable theShow Advanced Controls option tocontrol the w arp points inside the control box.
l

You can also divide the control box into several sections by increasing the value in the
W idth and Height fields of the Tool Properties view .

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About the Text Tool
W ith the Text tool, you can add text in your project using various fonts and texts attributes.

Text objects are draw ing objects in the same w as as brush strokes and draw ing groups are, so they can be
manipulated w ith the select tool. After you have w ritten and formatted your text, you can break the string
apart to convert the letters into draw ing objects that can than be individually modified w ith tools such as
Select, Perspective, Contour Editor, Smooth Editor.

NOTE
To learn more about the Text tool options, see the Reference guide .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adding Text to Drawings
You can use the Text tool to add text to your draw ings.

How to add text to drawings
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, select the Text

tool.

l

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

lPress Alt + 9.

2. In the Timeline view , select the cell containing the draw ing on w hich you w ant to add text.
3. In the Draw ing or Camera view , click on the location you w ant the text to begin.

4. You can use the Tool Properties view to select the font, font size and format of the text you w ill
type—see the Reference guide .
5. Type in the desired text.

6. Click outside the text box to exit the typing mode.
If you w ant to create another text object, click outside the currently active text box. You can alw ays
return to edit the text by selecting the Text

tool and clicking in the text.

7. You can resize the text box by selecting your text box w ith the Text

tool and moving the anchor

point right or left. Using the Select tool w ill distort and scale your text itself rather than changing
the w idth and height of your text box.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Breaking Text Into Letters or Vector Shapes
Text contained in a text field is treated as a single draw ing object. You can easily separate the text so eachcharacter becomes an individual draw ing 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 Draw ing or Camera view , select the text object you w ant to break.

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

From the Draw ing or Camera view menu, select Drawing > Convert > BreakApartText Layers.

Each character is surrounded by a bounding box that you can modify; they remain text objects thatyou can edit.
4. If you w ant to convert your independent letter to a complete vector object that you can deform, use
the Select tool to select the letters to convert.
5. From the top menu, select Drawing > Convert > Break Apart Text Layers to break the selection
into a regular draw ing object, w ith no more text attributes.
l

From the Draw ing or Camera view menu, select Drawing > Convert > Break Apart
Text Layers to break the selection into a regular draw ing object, w ith no more text
attributes.

331Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Drawing Space Management
W hen you are draw ing in the Camera or Draw ing view , you can zoom, pan and rotate the view to make iteasier to determine w here to place objects, determine the scale of objects, and w hen zooming out, get an
overall view of the panel and its contents. You can also use the grid to help you determine the size andplacement of objects as you draw .
If you like draw ing in the Camera view , but don't w ant overlays to cover the draw ing you're w orking on, you
can enable the Current Draw ing on Top option.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

About the Zoom Tool
The Zoom tool in the Tools toolbar lets you zoom in and zoom out of the Camera or Draw ing view .

NOTE
To learn more about the Zoom tool options, see the Reference guide .

How to use the Zoom tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Zoom

tool available in the Hand tool drop-dow n menu.

2. Click in the Camera or Draw ing view .
3. In the Tools Properties view , do the follow ing:lEnable the Zoom In

mode to zoom in mode w hen you click in the Camera or

Draw ing view . W hen you're in Zoom In mode, hold as you click to zoom out.
lEnable the Zoom Out

mode to zoom out w hen you click in the Camera or Draw ing

view .
l

Click on the Zoom InlClick on the Zoom Out

button to immediately zoom in. You can also press 2.
button to immediately zoom out. You can also press 1.

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About the Hand Tool
You can use the Hand tool to pan through the Draw ing or Camera view . W hen you are zoomed in yourw orkspace, you may need to pan to a different area of your image. You can do so w ith the Hand tool or theSpacebar keyboard shortcut.
The Hand tool has no options in the Tool Properties view .

How to use the Hand tool
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, select the Hand

tool, click in the Draw ing or Camera view and

drag.
l

You can also Hold dow n the Spacebar, click in the Draw ing or Camera view and moveyour mouse in the direction you w ant to pan the view .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

About the Rotate View Tool
T-LAY-001-005
The Rotate View tool lets you rotate the Draw ing or Camera view , the same w ay as you w ould do w ith a realanimation disc for increased flexibility. This tool can also be used in the Perspective view .

The Rotate View tool has no options in the Tool Properties view .

How to use the Rotate View tool
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

In the Tools toolbar, select the Rotate View tool in the Hand tool menu.

l

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

l

Hold dow n Ctrl + Alt (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Alt (macOS).

The rotation disc appears.

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

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3. Release the keyboard shortcut or sw itch to a new draw ing tool.
4. Reset the view rotation using View > Reset Rotation or press Shift + X to reset the rotation.

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About Mirror View
A recurring challenge for artists is to draw characters and objects w ith their elements properly aligned andw ith respect to their proportions and shapes. W hile draw ing, the eye tends to get used to the imperfections inthe shapes and proportions in your artw ork, making it hard to spot and correct them. A common trick to avoid
this pitfall is to flip your artw ork horizontally. This allow s you to look at your artw ork as if you w ere looking at
it for the first time, making all the mistakes in shapes, positioning and proportion obvious to your eye.
Using the Mirror View command, you can temporarily flip the draw ing space horizontally, w hether in the
Camera or Draw ing view . This w ill allow you to see your artw ork and your animation as if your w hole stage
w as flipped, and you can even use the draw ing and animation tools on the flipped artw ork. Once you are done,
you can disable Mirror View to instantly undo it and resume w orking w ith your artw ork in its originalorientation.

NOTE
Just like panning, rotating and zooming in or out of the Camera and Draw ing view s, Mirror view isstrictly a temporary visual effect. It does not affect the rendered image nor does it have any
permanent effect on your artw ork, your layers or your scene's layout.

How to temporarily flip the Cameraor Drawing view horizontally
1. Click anyw here on the Camera or Draw ing view to set the focus on the view you're draw ing in.

TIP
You can click on a view 's tab to set the focus on it w ithout clicking on anything inside it.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Draw ing toolbar, click on the

Mirror View button.

l

In the top menu, open the View menu and select Mirror View.

Everything in the Camera or Draw ing view w ill now appear flipped horizontally. A small overlay
w ith the text Mirror View appears in the top-left corner of the draw ing space to help you rememberthat you are w orking in Mirror View .

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TIP
You can add a button to enable and disable Mirror View to your Camera or Draw ing view
toolbar. To customize a toolbar's buttons, right-click on the toolbar and select Customize.

NOTE
The Customize option w ill only appear if you click the upper part of the toolbar.
For the upper part of the toolbar to appear, select one of the follow ing toolbars:l

Alignment GuideslClips and TrackslKeyframes and Control Pointsl

Pen SettingslScripting

The Customize option w ill only appear if you click the area above the toolbar

How to unflip the Camera or Drawing view
1. Click anyw here on the Camera or Draw ing view to set the focus on the view you're using to draw .

TIP
You can click on a view 's tab to set the focus on it w ithout clicking on anything inside it.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

2. In the top menu, open the View menu and select Mirror View .
Everything in the Camera or Draw ing view w ill be unflipped. The "Mirror View " overlay w ill
disappear.

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Displaying the Current Drawing on Top
T-ANIMPA-010-020
In the Camera view , w hen you draw on a layer, the artw ork is displayed in the correct order. For example, if thelayer on w hich you are draw ing is located behind an object on another layer, the lines you draw w ill be hidden
behind that object.

You can display a selected draw ing on top of everything w hile you draw . Then, each time you select a draw ing
tool, the draw ing is displayed in front of everything in the Camera view . The Timeline view ordering remainunchanged.

How to display the drawing on top
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

In the Camera bottom toolbar, click the Current Draw ing on Top

button.

NOTE
The Current Draw ing on Top status is retained w hen you exit Harmony. W hen
you restart the application, the last status w ill be used.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select a draw ing tool. You only need to enable this option once, it is notnecessary to do it each time you select a draw ing tool.
3. In the Camera view , start draw ing.

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About the Grid
Harmony is equipped w ith a traditional animation grid. You can use it as a reference w hile draw ing to fit agiven layout field chart, align elements, or simply see the center of your draw ing. You can draw beyond thegrid boundaries as it is only a visual reference.
In the Camera view , the Grid is visible w hen you select a draw ing tool.

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Displaying the Grid
You can display the grid and it w ill be visible in the Draw ing view . It w ill be visible in the Camera view w hen
you select a draw ing tool.
Use the Show Grid option to display a grid in the Draw ing or Camera view s.

How to display the grid
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Draw ing View toolbar, press the Show Gridbutton.

l

In the Camera View toolbar, press the Show Gridbutton.

l

Select View > Grid > Show Grid.

lPress Ctrl + ' (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + ' (macOS).

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Modifying the Grid
You can modify the look of the grid to be either square, 12-field, 16-field, outline, and so on.

How to modify the grid display
1. Select View > Grid > Show Grid to display the grid.
2. To modify the grid, select one of the follow ing:lView > Grid > Grid Outline Only—Displays the outline of the grid only.

lView > Grid > Square—Displays a standard square grid.

lView > Grid > 12 Field Grid—Displays a 12-field size grid.

lView > Grid > 16 Field Grid—Displays a 16-field size grid.

lView > Grid > Underlay—Displays the grid under the draw ing elements.

lView > Grid > Overlay—Displays the grid over the draw ing elements.

3. In the Draw ing View and Camera View toolbars, you can also add the follow ing buttons—see
Customizing Toolbars on page 58.
l

Grid Outline Only

buttonl

Squarel

12 Field Gridbuttonl

16 Field Gridbuttonl

UnderlaybuttonlOverlay

buttonbutton343

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About OpenGL Antialiasing
T-ANIMPA-010-016
Everything you draw in Harmony is vector-based, unless you purposely elected to draw as bitmap. W hen you
draw in the Draw ing or Camera view , notice that your lines may appear jagged. This is caused by the fast realtime display called OpenGL. If you prefer to see smooth lines as you draw , you can enable the antialiasing
preference.

Full scene antialiasing is generated by your computer’s graphics card. This antialiasing w ill not only antialias
your draw ings, but all your different view s in the interface. Full scene antialiasing is an option you can turn on
or off; by default, it is disabled.
There is no need to modify your graphic card settings.

NOTE
Full Scene Antialiasing parameters are only valid w hile you w ork in your scene. The scene w ill berendered to 100% of its resolution regardless of your preference settings or graphic card panel.

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Setting the Full Scene Antialiasing Preference
T-ANIMPA-010-017
You can enable the Full Scene Antialiasing preference to smooth out the OpenGL artw ork.

NOTE
You must restart Harmony after you change the parameters.

How to customize the full scene antialiasing parameters
1. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect Edit > Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Preferences(macOS).

l

Press Ctrl + U (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + U (macOS).

The Preferences dialog box opens.
2. In the OpenGL tab, select the Enable option in the Full Scene Antialiasing section.

3. Number or samples: Enter the number of samples you w ant to be used for the antialiasing process.
The number of samples is basically equivalent to the amount of times a pixel w ill be enlarged to
calculate the antialiasing. This technique is called supersampling. The higher the number ofsamples, the better the antialiasing quality w ill be, but the heavier it w ill be on performance.
4. Restart Harmony.

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About Pen Stabilization
By default, w hen draw ing w ith freehand draw ing tools such as the brush, pencil or eraser tools, Harmonysmoothens each draw ing stroke you create right after creating it. It does this by generating the vector shape ofyour draw ing stroke, then simplifying its structure of points and curves, to remove w hat appears to be jittering.
How ever, this can cause your precisely executed strokes to lose in precision and quality.
W hen draw ing w ith minutia and precision, you can use Harmony's pen stabilizer instead. The pen stabilizer
allow s you to easily draw curved lines w ith precision w ithout having to apply smoothing to them after you
have draw n them.
Harmony's pen stabilizer w orks by letting you draw a stroke of a certain length w ithout generating artw ork
right aw ay. Once your stroke reaches this length, Harmony starts generating an actual draw ing stroke that
trails behind your mouse cursor or tablet pen. It determines the direction the draw ing stroke takes using one of
the tw o follow ing methods, depending on w hich one you select:lAverage: Harmony calculates the average direction of all of your mouse or pen gestures betw een theend of the actual draw ing stroke and the current position of your mouse cursor or pen tip, and extends
the stroke in this average direction, effectively evening out jitter and rounding sharp turns.

lPulled String: W hen you start draw ing a stroke, Harmony positions the draw ing tool w here your stroke
starts. As you move the mouse or tablet pen, the draw ing tool remains in that position, but a "string"appears, linking your draw ing tool to your mouse cursor or pen tip.

This string has a certain maximum length. Once that length is reached, the string pulls the draw ing toolin the direction of your mouse cursor or tablet pen.

NOTE
The distance betw een your mouse cursor or tablet pen and the stroke can be adjusted. For
the purpose of demonstration, these images w ere done using the largest supported
distance.

Both methods allow you to cancel out the jittering and the small mistakes in your draw ing strokes as you
make them, rather than afterw ards. But the tw o methods feel different:346

Chapter 5: Draw ingl

The Average method takes into account all your draw ing gestures. Therefore, if you jitter a lot w hiledraw ing, your strokes may jitter a little. It is also tricky to create sharp corners w ith this method.
How ever, this method tends to create very consistently smooth draw ing curves. Also, since it actuallyfollow s the gesture of your mouse or tablet pen, you might find that this method feels more naturalthan the Pulled String method.

l

The Pulled String method gives you more precise control, and can be used to make sharp corners w ith
the right technique, but may be harder to learn and to master. Your draw ing tool does not follow yourdraw ing strokes, it just gets pulled in the direction of your mouse cursor or tablet pen, w hich means thew ay your draw ing gestures translate into draw ing strokes is different than w hat you're used to.

You may need to do some trial and error to determine w hich method fits your draw ing style the best. You canalso customize the distance by w hich your draw ing stroke trails behind your mouse cursor or tablet pen. A
shorter distance w ill feel more natural, but a longer distance w ill stabilize your draw ing strokes more.
The Pen Stabilizer w orks w ith thew ork w ith theBrush,

Pencil,Eraser tool.

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Stamp and

Stroke tools. Optionally, it can alsoHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Using Drawing Tool Stabilization
You can enable and configure pen stabilization using the Pen Settings toolbar. You may have to do some trial
and error to find the settings that w ork for you and to get used to draw ing w ith the stabilizer.

NOTE
For more information on the Pen Settings toolbar,refer to the Reference Guide.

How to configure drawing tool stabilization
1. Add the Pen Settings toolbar to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars > Pen Settings.

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

2. In the drop-dow n to the left of the toolbar, select one of the follow ing Pen Stabilizer modes:lAverage: Harmony calculates the average direction of all of your mouse or pen gestures
betw een the end of the actual draw ing stroke and the current position of your mouse cursor
or pen tip, and extends the stroke in this average direction, effectively evening out jitter androunding sharp turns.

lPulled String: W hen you start draw ing a stroke, Harmony positions the draw ing tool w here
your stroke starts. As you move the mouse or tablet pen, the draw ing tool remains in that
position, but a "string" appears, linking your draw ing tool to your mouse cursor or pen tip.

This string has a certain maximum length. Once that length is reached, the string pulls thedraw ing tool in the direction of your mouse cursor or tablet pen.

3. In the field just right of the drop-dow n, select the stabilizer distance you w ant to use. You can entera number betw een 0 and 100. You can also click and drag on the348

left-right button right of theChapter 5: Draw ing

text field to adjust its value.

NOTES
l

This sets the distance by w hich your draw ing tool trails behind your mouse cursor ortablet pen. The higher the distance, the more stabilized your draw ing motions w illbe, but the harder it w ill be to draw sharp corners and precise shapes.

l

For casual draw ing, it is recommended to try values ranging betw een 5 and 20 at
first. Higher values are more useful for draw ing w ith a lot of minutia.

4. Click on thelStabilizer Settings button and:If you selected the Average method and you w ant your draw ing strokes to catch up w ith
your tablet pen w hen you hold the pen tip against your tablet w ithout moving it, make sure
the Catch Up option is checked. Otherw ise, uncheck it.

NOTEStabilization makes your draw ing stroke trail behind as you move your mouse
cursor or tablet pen tip. This option makes your stroke catch up to your tablet
pen w hen you hold it against the tablet w ithout moving. This option only w orks
w hen draw ing w ith a tablet pen.

l

If you selected the Pulled String method and you w ant the virtual string betw een yourmouse cursor or pen tip and your draw ing tool to display, make sure the Show String option
is checked. Otherw ise, uncheck it.

l

If you w ant to use the pen stabilizer w ith the Eraser tool, make sure the Eraser option ischecked. Otherw ise, uncheck it.

5. Try to draw in the Camera or Draw ing view to test how your settings w ork out, and makeadjustments as needed until you have the configuration that w orks best for you.
6. W hen you w ant to disable pen stabilization, open the stabilization drop-dow n in the Pen Settings
toolbar and select Stabilizer Off.

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About Pen Pressure Curve Customization
W hen you use a pressure-sensitive tablet w ith the Brush, Eraser, Pencil and Stamp tools, Harmony takes theamount of pressure you put on your tablet pen in account as you draw . It uses this information to determine
the thickness of your draw ing stroke. For example, w hile using the Brush tool, the harder you press on you
tablet pen, the bigger your brush strokes w ill be, and vice versa.
To determine the thickness of your draw ing strokes, it uses your draw ing tool's Minimum Size and Maximum
Size parameters, w hich can be set in the Tool Properties view . The thickness of your draw ing stroke is alw ays
going to vary betw een those tw o parameters, based on how much pressure you put on your tablet pen.
By default, the size of your draw ing strokes is directly proportional to the amount of pressure you put on yourpen. It is calculated using this simple formula:This means that if you apply 25% of the pressure your tablet pen can detect, the thickness of your draw ing
strokes w ill be 25% of the w ay betw een your tool's minimum size and its maximum size. Likew ise, if you apply
75% of the pressure your tablet pen can detect, the thickness of your draw ing stroke w ill be 75% of the w ay
betw een your tool's minimum size and its maximum size.
Harmony allow s you to customize the w ay it processes the pressure you put on your tablet pen into thethickness of your draw ing strokes. You can do this by tw eaking the pressure curve in the Pen Pressure Feeldialog.

Depending on how you hold and use your tablet pen, this may allow you to have better control over the
thickness of your draw ing strokes. For example, if you tend to put a lot of pressure on your pen, you may w ant
Harmony to let you draw thinner lines unless you apply even more pressure than you usually do. Likew ise, if
you tend to put very little pressure on your pen, you may w ant Harmony to generate thicker lines unless you
apply even less pressure than you usually do.

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Customizing the Pen Pressure Curve
You can make adjustments to the curve used by Harmony to process the pressure from your tablet pen via thePen Pressure Feel dialog, w hich can be accessed from the Pen Settings toolbar.

NOTE
For more information on the Pen Pressure Feel dialog,refer to the Reference Guide.

How to customize the curve by which tablet pen pressure is applied to the size of yourdrawing tool
1. Add the Pen Settings toolbar to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars > Pen Settings.

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

2. In the Pen Settings toolbar, click on the

Pen Pressure Feel button.

The Pen Pressure Feel dialog appears.

3. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush tool.

NOTE
The pressure curve affects all tools that supports pressure-sensitivity, such as theBrush tool, theEraser tool and theStamp tool. How ever, you should use theBrush tool to test out your pressure settings.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. Make sure that the minimum size of your draw ing tool is low enough and that its maximum size ishigh enough that you can clearly see how the pen pressure affects the thickness of your lines.

TIP
To do this, in the Tool Properties view , click on theShow Extended Properties button

to open the Brush or Pencil Properties dialog. Then, adjust the value of the Minimum
Size and the Maximum Size sliders.

5. If you w ant to be able to lightly brush the tip of your tablet pen against your tablet w ithout actually
draw ing, increase the value in the Min Pressure field.
6. If you don't w ant to have to press your tablet pen all the w ay dow n to draw in your draw ing tool's
maximum size, decrease the value in the Max Pressure field.
7. To try a curve preset select one in the Curve Preset field. This w ill instantly change the shape ofyour pressure curve.
8. To adjust the shape of the curve manually:l

Click and drag on theleftmost Bezier handle to change the shape of the curve from theleftmost point.
lClick and drag on therightmost Bezier handle to change the shape of the curve from therightmost point.
The follow ing is a list of examples of how you can adjust the curve, depending on the w ay you use
your tablet pen:l

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

l

If you make an ease-out curve like the one below , the size of your draw ing strokes w ill tend
to be closer to the maximum size of your draw ing tool, unless you apply very little pressure352

Chapter 5: Draw ing

on your tablet pen.

l

If you make an ease-in-ease-out curve like the one below , the size of your draw ing strokes
w ill tend to be closer to the minimum size of your draw ing tool w hen applying lightpressure, and to be closer to the maximum size of your draw ing tool w hen applying morepressure, but it w ill rarely be the median betw een the minimum and the maximum size.

l

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

9. Test out how your new settings feel by draw ing strokes in the Camera or Draw ing view , and makeadjustments as needed until you have the configuration that w orks best for you.

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About Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-001
Draw ing guides are draw ing aids that you can add to your scene to help you draw backgrounds and objects
w ith straight lines, square angles and graphic projection effects such as isometric projection, straightperspective or curvilinear perspective. In traditional art, this is often done w ith tools such as rulers, T-squares,
set squares and vanishing points. Guides allow you to simulate the use of such tools in combination w ith thedraw ing tools in Harmony.
Harmony supports different types of draw ing guides, each designed for a different kind of draw ing task. Mostof Harmony's draw ing guides w ork by adding a horizon line and vanishing points to your draw ing space.
W hile using a draw ing guide, dotted guide lines appear through your mouse cursor. These guide lines areeither parallel or perpendicular to the horizon line, or are going from one of the guide's vanishing points toyour mouse cursor. W hen you start draw ing a stroke, your draw ing tool instantly becomes locked to one of theguide's axes, as if you w ere draw ing against a ruler. Optionally, you can use draw ing guides as mere visualreferences, w ithout locking your draw ing tool against their axes.
Harmony supports the follow ing types of draw ing guides:l

The Ruler allow s you to position and rotate a simple axis, then draw a line along that axis, like a regularruler.

l

The Square Grid helps you draw lines that are either parallel or perpendicular to a horizon line.

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Chapter 5: Draw ingl

The Isometric Perspective guide helps you draw lines that are parallel to one of three axes: The x-axis,
the y-axis and the z-axis. The angle of each axis can be customized as needed.
This type of pseudo-perspective, also referred to as parallel projection, is often used in 2D games,
computer graphics and schematics to depict 3D objects and environments w ithout using any actual
perspective, foreshortening or 3D rendering. In 2D animation, it is often used to draw long panningbackgrounds from a low or high angle.

l

The 1- Point Perspective guide helps you draw lines coming from a single vanishing point in the middleof the horizon. It also helps you draw lines that are either parallel or perpendicular to the horizon line.
This is useful for draw ing cuboid structures that are facing the camera.

l

The 2- Point Perspective guide helps you draw lines coming from one of tw o vanishing points, w hichare placed on the horizon line outside the camera field. It also helps you draw lines that areperpendicular to the horizon line.
This is useful for draw ing cuboid structures from a specific horizontal angle.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

The 3- Point Perspective (Bird's Eye View) guide helps you draw lines coming from one of threevanishing points. Like w ith the 2-Point Perspective guide, tw o vanishing points are placed on thehorizon line, w hich are used to draw horizontal lines on either the x-axis or the z-axis. The othervanishing point is placed below the horizon line to help draw lines on the y-axis.
This is useful for draw ing cuboid structures from an elevated point of view .

l

The 3- Point Perspective (W orm's Eye View) guide helps you draw lines coming from one of threevanishing points. Like w ith the 2-Point Perspective guide, tw o vanishing points are placed on thehorizon line, w hich are used to draw horizontal lines on either the x-axis or the z-axis. The othervanishing point is placed above the horizon line to help draw lines on the y-axis.
This is useful for draw ing cuboid structures from a low point of view .

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Chapter 5: Draw ingl

The 3- Point Perspective (Horizontal Pan) guide helps you draw horizontally panoramic backgrounds,
w ith curvilinear horizontal lines. A vanishing point is placed in the middle of the horizon line, to help
draw lines on the z-axis, and tw o vanishing points are placed on the horizon line outside of the camera
field, to define the curve of the horizontal lines. Vertical lines are made perpendicular to the horizon line.
This is useful for draw ing backgrounds meant to be panned over horizontally. Panning the camera
horizontally over a background draw n w ith a 3-Point Perspective (Horizontal Pan) guide w ill simulate arotation of the camera on the y-axis.

l

The 3- Point Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide helps you draw vertically panoramic backgrounds, w ith
curvilinear vertical lines. A vanishing point is placed in the middle of the horizon line, to help draw lines
on the z-axis, and tw o vanishing points are placed above and below the horizon line, outside of thecamera field, to define the curve of the vertical lines. Horizontal lines are made parallel to the horizon
line.
This is useful for draw ing background meant to be panned over vertically. Panning the camera verticallyover a background draw n w ith a 3-Point Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide w ill simulate a verticalrotation of the camera on the x-axis.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

The 4- Point Continuous Perspective guide is very similar to the 3 Point Perspective (Horizontal Pan)
guide, except that it is designed to help draw full 360° panoramic backgrounds.
This guide uses 5 vanishing points. W hen draw ing a horizontal line, it is curved by arching over one ofthe vanishing points and reaching dow n to the tw o surrounding vanishing points. This creates aperspective effect w here each vanishing point represents one of the cardinal points, except that theleftmost and the rightmost points represent the same cardinal point, effectively creating a looping
background. Backgrounds made w ith the 4-Point Continuous Perspective guide can be looped
horizontally to simulate a full rotation of the camera on the y-axis.

l

The 4- Point Perspective (Vertical Pan) is a lot like the 2-Point Perspective guide, except that its
vertical lines are curvilinear, so it can be used to make vertically panning backgrounds. Tw o vanishingpoints are on the horizon line, outside of the camera field, to help draw lines on the x-axis and the zaxis, and tw o vanishing points are placed above and below the camera field to define the curve of thevertical lines.

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This is useful for draw ing backgrounds meant to be panned over vertically, in w hich cuboid objects areseen from an angle.

l

The 5- Point Perspective (Fish Eye) guide helps you draw backgrounds that are curvilinear on both thex-axis and the y-axis. It has one central vanishing point on the horizon line, from w hich lines on the zaxis are draw n, tw o vanishing points at the extremities of its horizon line, to define the curve of thehorizontal lines, and tw o vanishing points above and below the horizon line, to define the curve of thevertical lines.
This guide can be used to draw backgrounds w ith a fisheye-style w ide angle lens effect. It can also be
used to draw backgrounds that are meant to be panned in various directions.

Guides are made to w ork w ith the follow ing tools. To avoid cluttering your draw ing space, they are only
visible w hen one of these tools is selected:

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l

Brush

l

Pencill

Strokel

Line

To use a guide, you must add the Guides view to your w orkspace. Then, you can add the guide you w ish to use
to your scene's guides list. A new ly added guide w ill have its horizon line and vanishing points in preset
positions. You can rotate and reposition the horizon line as w ell as reposition the vanishing points to fit yourscene's needs. W hen using curvilinear perspective guides, you can also adjust the Beziers of the curves tomake them narrow er or w ider.
The Guides view allow s you to have as many guides as you w ant, and each one w ill preserve the adjustments
you make to it. In the Guides view , you can also select w hich guide you w ish to use, rename, delete andreorder guides as needed, as w ell as cut, copy, paste, export and import guides betw een different scenes.

NOTES
l

The guide list, its guides and their individual parameters are saved w ith your scene. Hence, you
can create a configure a guide specifically for the backgrounds and objects in your scene in one
Harmony session, then reuse them exactly as you configured them in a later Harmony session.

lChanges made to a guide or to the guide list can be undone w ith the Undo command.

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Adding Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-002
The first step in using draw ing guides is to add a guide to the scene's guides list.

How to add a drawing guide to your scene
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. Add the Guide view to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top-right corner of any view in your w orkspace, click on the

Add View button andselect Guides.
l

In the top menu, select W indows > Guides.

3. In the Guides view , click on the

New Guide button and choose one of the follow ing types ofguides:
l

Ruler

l

Square Gridl

Isometric Perspectivel

1-Point Perspectivel2-Point Perspective361

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

3-Point Perspective (Bird’s-Eye View )l3-Point Perspective (W orm’s-Eye View )l3-Point Perspective (Horizontal Pan)l3-Point Perspective (Vertical Pan)l4-Point Continuous Perspectivel

4-Point Perspective (Vertical Pan)l5-Point Perspective (Fisheye)

NOTE
For information on each kind of guide in the list, see About Draw ing Guides on page354

The new guide appears in the guides list.

NOTES
l

Adding a guide automatically toggles thetoggles the

Enable Guides option on, and automatically

Lock Guides option off, so that you can immediately view and adjust yournew guide.
lYour new guide w ill come in a preset position w ith preset parameters. To makeadjustments to your guide, see Editing Draw ing Guides on page 367.

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Selecting the Active Drawing Guide
A Harmony scene can have several guides in its guides list, but you can only see, edit and use one guide at atime. You can decide w hich guide you're w orking w ith by selecting it from the guides list. The selected guidew ill display in your draw ing space.
W hen a guide is active, its horizon line, vanishing points and other visual elements w ill display in your draw ing
space. Also, dotted lines w ill follow your mouse cursor w hen you move it inside your draw ing space. Each ofthese lines represents one of the axes of your draw ing guide.

NOTE
Although you can select the active guide at any time, a guide w ill only be visible, editable andusable if either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool is selected.

How to select the active guide from the guides list
1. In the Guides view , click on the desired guide in the guides list

The selected guide w ill become active in the Camera and Draw ing view s.

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NOTE
If guides are disabled, clicking on a guide in the guides list w ill enable them.

How to quickly switch between guides using keyboard shortcuts
1. Click on the tab for the Camera or Draw ing view to set the focus on that view .
2. Press the Up Arrow or Dow n Arrow key to select the previous or next guide in the list.

NOTE
Using the Up Arrow or Dow n Arrow to select a guide w ill only w ork if guides are alreadyenabled.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Renaming Drawing Guides
W hen adding a guide, it is automatically named after its guide type. Since you can have several guides of thesame type in the same guides list, you might need to rename your guides to be able to easily differentiate
them.

NOTE
It is not required to give a unique name to each guide in the guides list.

How to rename a guide using the Guide Menu
1. In the Guides view , select a guide from the list.

2. Click on the

Menu button and select Rename Guide.

The Rename Guide dialog box appears.

3. In the Rename Guide: field, type in a new name for the selected guide.
4. Click on OK.

How to rename a guide using the Guide List
1. In the Guides view , double-click on a guide displayed in the list.
The guide's name turns into a text input field.

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2. In the text field, type in the new name for the guide.
3. Press Enter/Return.

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Editing Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-005
After a guide is added, it is configured w ith a preset position and angle for its horizon line, a preset position for
its vanishing points, a preset size and, if applicable, preset Bezier curves. In many cases, you have to makeadjustments to your guide so that you can use it to draw backgrounds and objects from the right point of view .
Different guides can be customized in different w ays. This sections provides steps on how to customize eachtype of guide.

NOTES
l

You can view a guide and make changes to it directly in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen the
Brush,
Pencil,Stroke orLine tool is selected.

l

W hen you make a change to a guide, you can undo that change w ith the Undo command.

l

Changes made to guides are saved to your scene.

367Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adjusting a Ruler Drawing Guide
The Ruler guide is simply a ruler. It has a single axis that you can position and rotate. You can draw along thisaxis as if you w ere draw ing against a ruler.

NOTE
To add a Ruler guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a Ruler guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

Ruler guide that you w ish to make adjustments to.

The guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide w ithout rotating it, click and drag on its offset handle.

TIP
You can press and hold the Shift key to only move the guide horizontally or
vertically relative to the camera angle.

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Chapter 5: Draw ingl

To rotate the guide, click and drag on one of its rotation handles . It w ill rotate around the
opposite rotation handle.

TIPSl

You can press and hold the Shift key to make the angle of the ruler snap to
the nearest multiple of 15°.

l

You can press and hold the Alt key to make the guide rotate around its
centre.

l

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

5. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

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Adjusting a Square Grid Drawing Guide
The Square Grid guide helps you draw lines that are either parallel or perpendicular to the horizon line. You
can customize it by repositioning and rotating its horizon line.

NOTE
To add a Square Grid guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a Square Grid guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

Square Grid guide that you w ish to make adjustments to.

The selected guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

TIP
To see the parallel and perpendicular reference lines, click on theShow ReferenceLines option button in the Guides view .

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide w ithout rotating it, click and drag on its offset handle .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

5. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

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Adjusting an Isometric Perspective Drawing Guide
The Isometric Perspective guide helps you draw lines that are parallel to one of three axes: the x-axis, the yaxis and the z-axis. By default, the z-axis is at 26.565° from the horizon, the x-axis is at 153.435° from thehorizon, and the y-axis is at 90° from the horizon.

These specific angles are commonly used in video games and computer generated graphics, as lines in theseangles do not require antialiasing to be properly rendered in pixels. The angle of all three of these axes can be
adjusted independently as needed. For example:l

You can achieve "true" isometric perspective, w here the angle betw een each axis is equal, by setting theangle of the x-axis to -150° and the angle of the z-axis to -30°.

l

You can achieve cabinet-type oblique projection by setting the angle of the x-axis to -180°.

372

Chapter 5: Draw ingl

You can achieve military-type oblique projection by setting the angle of the x-axis to -135° and theangle of the z-axis to -45°.

NOTE
To add a Isometric Perspective guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust an Isometric Perspective guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

Isometric Perspective guide that you w ish to make adjustments to.

The selected guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

TIP
To display the reference lines for the guide, click on theShow Reference Lines

option button on in the Guides view .

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide, click and drag on the offset handle.

l

To adjust the angle of one of the axes, click and drag on the rotation handle

for that axis.

TIPSl

The angle of the axis you are adjusting w ill appear in the top-left corner of
the Camera or Draw ing view as you adjust it.

l

You can hold the Shift key w hile rotating one of the axes to make it snap to
the nearest angle that is a multiple of 5°. The x-axis and z-axis w ill also snap
to 26.565° and 153.435°, w hich are their default angles.

l

To adjust the angle of both horizontal axes, press and hold the Alt key, then click and dragon the rotation handle of either the x-axis or the z-axis.

TIP
This w ill set the angle of both the x-axis and the z-axis to the same value,
making your guide symmetrical.

l

To rotate the entire guide, press and hold the Alt key, then click and drag on the rotation
handle of the y-axis.

374

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 1- Point Perspective Drawing Guide
The 1-Point Perspective guide can help you draw backgrounds and objects w ith front-facing perspective. It
provides a horizon line and a single vanishing point. The height and angle of the horizon line as w ell as the
position of the vanishing point on the horizon line can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 1-Point Perspective guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 1- Point Perspective guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

1- Point Perspective guide that you w ish to make adjustments to.

The selected guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide w ithout rotating it, click and drag on its vanishing point .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

5. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

376

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 2- Points Perspective Drawing Guide
The 2-Points Perspective guide can help you draw backgrounds and objects seen from the ground, but at anangle. It provides a horizon line and tw o vanishing points, w hich are located outside of the camera field bydefault. The height and angle of the horizon line as w ell as the position of both vanishing points can be
adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 2-Points Perspective guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 2- Points Perspective guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

2- Points Perspective guide that you w ish to make adjustments to.

The selected guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

NOTE
The vanishing points for this guide are far outside of the camera field by default. You
may need to zoom out in order to be able to see them.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To move the horizon line along w ith the tw o vanishing points that are on it, click and drag on
the horizon line.

l

To rotate the horizon line, click and drag on one of the tw o vanishing points

and move it up

or dow n. This w ill rotate the horizon line around the opposite vanishing point.

TIPSl

You can press and hold the Shift key to make the angle of the horizon line
snap to the nearest multiple of 15°.

l

You can press and hold the Alt key to make the guide rotate around thecentre of its horizon line.

l

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo reposition one of the vanishing points on the horizon line, click and drag on that vanishingpoint

and move it left or right.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to make both points move simultaneously, sothat they are both at the same distance from the centre of the horizon line.

378Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 3- Points Perspective (Bird's- Eye View) Drawing Guide
The 3-Points Perspective (Bird's-Eye View ) guide can help you draw backgrounds and objects w ith
perspective from an elevated point of view . It provides a horizon line, w hich is located just underneath thecamera field, and on w hich there are tw o vanishing points: one for draw ing lines on the x-axis and one fordraw ing lines on the z-axis. Another vanishing point, used to draw lines on the y-axis, is located far above thecamera field.
The height and angle of the horizon line, the position of its tw o vanishing points as w ell as the position of theupper vanishing point can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 3-Points Perspective (Bird's-Eye View ) guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 3- Points Perspective (Bird's- Eye View) guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

3- Points Perspective (Bird's- Eye View) guide that you w ish to

make adjustments to.
The selected guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
The horizon line and vanishing points for this guide are far outside of the camera fieldby default. You may need to zoom out in order to be able to see them.

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To move the horizon line along w ith the tw o vanishing points that are on it, click and drag on
the horizon line.

l

To rotate the horizon line, click and drag on one of the tw o vanishing points

on the horizon

line and move it up or dow n. This w ill rotate the horizon line around the opposite vanishingpoint.

TIPSl

You can press and hold the Shift key to make the angle of the horizon line
snap to the nearest multiple of 15°.

l

You can press and hold the Alt key to make the guide rotate around thecentre of its horizon line.

l

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo reposition one of the vanishing points on the horizon line, click and drag on that vanishingpoint

and move it left or right.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to make both points move simultaneously, sothat they are both at the same distance from the centre of the horizon line.

l

To reposition the bottom vanishing point, click and drag on that vanishing point .

TIPSl

You can press and hold the Alt key to position the point on the axis that isperpendicular to the horizon line and in the middle of its tw o vanishingpoints.

l

You can press and hold the Shift key to make the point only movehorizontally or vertically relative to the camera angle.

380

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 3- Points Perspective (W orm's Eye View) Drawing Guide
The 3-Points Perspective (W orm's-Eye View ) guide can help you draw backgrounds and objects w ith
perspective from an low point of view . It provides a horizon line, w hich is located just below the camera field,
and on w hich there are tw o vanishing points: one for draw ing lines on the x-axis and one for draw ing lines on
the z-axis. Another vanishing point, used to draw lines on the y-axis, is located far above the camera field.
The height and angle of the horizon line, the position of its tw o vanishing points as w ell as the position of thelow er vanishing point can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 3-Points Perspective (W orm's-Eye View ) guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing
Guides.

How to adjust a 3- Points Perspective (W orm's- Eye View) guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

3- Points Perspective (W orm's- Eye View) guide that you w ish to

make adjustments to.
The selected guide appears in the Camera or Draw ing view .

381

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
The horizon line and vanishing points for this guide are far outside of the camera fieldby default. You may need to zoom out in order to be able to see them.

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To move the horizon line along w ith the tw o vanishing points that are on it, click and drag on
the horizon line.

l

To rotate the horizon line, click and drag on one of the tw o vanishing points

on the horizon

line and move it up or dow n. This w ill rotate the horizon line around the opposite vanishingpoint.

TIPSl

You can press and hold the Shift key to make the angle of the horizon line
snap to the nearest multiple of 15°.

l

You can press and hold the Alt key to make the guide rotate around thecentre of its horizon line.

l

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo reposition one of the vanishing points on the horizon line, click and drag on that vanishingpoint

and move it left or right.

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key to make both points move simultaneously, sothat they are both at the same distance from the centre of the horizon line.

l

To reposition the top vanishing point, click and drag on that vanishing point .

TIPSl

You can press and hold the Alt key to position the point on the axis that isperpendicular to the horizon line and in the middle of its tw o vanishingpoints.

l

You can press and hold the Shift key to make the point only movehorizontally or vertically relative to the camera angle.

382

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 3- Points Perspective (Horizontal Pan) Drawing Guide
The 3-Points Perspective (Horizontal Guide) helps you draw backgrounds and objects w ith front-facing
perspective and curvilinear horizontal lines. It provides a horizon line, a central vanishing point, used to drawlines on the z-axis, and tw o vanishing points at the extremities of the horizon line, used to draw curvilinear
horizontal lines.
The position and size of the guide, the height and angle of the horizon line, the distance of the outer vanishingpoints from the central vanishing point as w ell as the shape of the curves can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 3-Points Perspective (Horizontal Pan) guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 3- Points Perspective (Horizontal Pan) guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

3- Point Perspective (Horizontal Pan) guide that you w ish to makeadjustments to.
4. In the Guides view , make sure theShow Reference Lines option button is toggled on. This w ill

allow you to see how the adjustments you make to your guide affect its curves.

383

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide, click and drag on its central vanishing point .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo adjust the distance betw een the left and right vanishing points, click and drag on either
one of these points .

NOTES
l

The vanishing point at the other end w ill also move so as to keep both points
at the same distance from the central vanishing point.

lThis w ill stretch or squash the guide horizontally and make its curves w ideror narrow er.

l

To scale up the guide, press and hold Shift, then click and drag on either the left or rightvanishing points .

NOTE
If you previously adjusted the position of outer vanishing points relative to thecentral vanishing point, doing this w ill reset their position.

l

To skew the curves of the guide, click and drag on one of the green dotsin the top-rightcorner of the guide.

NOTE
These dots act as the Bezier handles of the outermost top-right curve, and affect
all the curves of the guide.

6. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

384

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting the 3- Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) Drawing Guide
The 3-Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) Guide helps you draw backgrounds and objects w ith front facing
perspective and curvilinear vertical lines. It provides a horizon line, a central vanishing point, used to draw lines
on the z-axis, and tw o vanishing points above and below the horizon line, used to draw curvilinear verticallines.
The position and size of the guide, the height and angle of the horizon line, the distance of the outer vanishingpoints from the horizon line as w ell as the shape the curves can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 3-Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 3- Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

3- Point Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide that you w ish to makeadjustments to.
4. In the Guides view , make sure theShow Reference Lines option button is toggled on. This w ill

allow you to see how the adjustments you make to your guide affect its curves.

385

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide, click and drag on its central vanishing point .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo adjust the distance betw een the top and bottom vanishing points, click and drag on either
one of these points .

NOTES
l

The vanishing point at the other end w ill also move so as to keep both points
at the same distance from the central vanishing point.

lThis w ill stretch or squash the guide vertically and make its curves w ider or
narrow er.

l

To scale up the guide, press and hold Shift, then click and drag on either the top or bottom
vanishing points .

NOTE
If you previously adjusted the position of outer vanishing points relative to thecentral vanishing point, doing this w ill reset their position.

l

To skew the curves of the guide, click and drag on one of the red dotsin the bottom-rightcorner of the guide.

NOTE
These dots act as the Bezier handles of the outermost bottom-right curve, andaffect all the curves of the guide.

6. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

386

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 4- Points Continuous Perspective Drawing Guide
The 4-Points Continuous Perspective helps you draw backgrounds w ith perspective and curvilinear horizontal
lines that span over up to four cardinal points, so as to make backgrounds that can be panned in a loop to
simulate a 360° camera rotation. It provides a horizon line w ith five vanishing points spread evenly along it.
Each vanishing point represents one cardinal point, except for the tw o vanishing points at the extremities,
w hich represent the same cardinal point, adding up to four cardinal points.
The size and position of the guide, the height and angle of the horizon line, the distance betw een the vanishingpoints as w ell as the shape of the curves can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 4-Points Continuous Perspective guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 4- Points Continuous Perspective guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

4- Point Continuous Perspective guide that you w ish to makeadjustments to.
4. In the Guides view , make sure theShow Reference Lines option button is toggled on. This w ill

allow you to see how the adjustments you make to your guide affect its curves.

387

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide, click and drag on its central vanishing point .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo adjust the distance betw een the vanishing points, click and drag on one of the tw o points
located left and right of the central vanishing point.

NOTES
l

All of the vanishing points on the horizon line w ill move so that they are at
the same distance from each other.

lThis w ill stretch or squash the guide horizontally and make its curves w ideror narrow er.

l

To scale up the guide, press and hold Shift, then click and drag on one of the tw o points
located left and right of the central vanishing point.

NOTE
If you previously adjusted the position of outer vanishing points relative to thecentral vanishing point, doing this w ill reset their position.

l

To skew the curves of the guide, click and drag on one of the green dotsin the top-rightcorner of the central part of the guide.

NOTE
These dots act as the Bezier handles of the outermost top-right curve, and affect
all the curves of the guide.

6. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

388

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Adjusting a 4- Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) Drawing Guide
The 4-Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide helps you draw backgrounds and objects w ith perspective froman angle w ith curvilinear vertical lines. It provides a horizon line on w hich there are tw o vanishing points, one
for draw ing lines on the x-axis and the other for draw ing lines on the z-axis. There are tw o more vanishingpoints above and below the horizon line, used to draw curvilinear vertical lines.
The position and size of the guide, the height and angle of the horizon line, the position of the tw o vanishingpoints on the horizon line, the distance of the top and bottom vanishing points from the horizon line as w ell as
the shape of the curves can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 4-Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 4- Points Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

4- Point Perspective (Vertical Pan) guide that you w ish to makeadjustments to.
4. In the Guides view , make sure theShow Reference Lines option button is toggled on. This w ill

allow you to see how the adjustments you make to your guide affect its curves.

389

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
The vanishing points for this guide are far outside of the camera field by default. You
may need to zoom out in order to be able to see them.

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide, click and drag on its central vanishing point .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo adjust the distance betw een either one of the left and right vanishing points and thecentral vanishing point, click and drag on one of these points .

TIP
You can press and hold the Alt key w hile dragging one of the outer vanishingpointsto make both vanishing points move and keep both points at the same

distance from the central vanishing point.

lTo adjust the distance betw een the top and bottom vanishing points, click and drag on either
one of these points .

NOTES
l

The vanishing point at the other end w ill also move so as to keep both points
at the same distance from the central vanishing point.

llThis w ill stretch or squash the guide and make its curves w ider or narrow er.

To scale up the guide, press and hold Shift, then click and drag on one of the four outervanishing points .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

NOTE
If you previously adjusted the position of outer vanishing points relative to thecentral vanishing point, doing this w ill reset their position.

l

To skew the curves of the guide, click and drag on one of the red dotsin the bottom-rightcorner of the guide.

NOTE
These dots act as the Bezier handles of the outermost bottom-right curve, andaffect all the curves of the guide.

6. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

391

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adjusting a 5- Points Perspective (Fisheye) Drawing Guide
The 5-Points Perspective (Fisheye) guide helps you draw backgrounds and objects w ith both horizontal andvertical curvilinear perspective. It provides a horizon line, a central vanishing point, used to draw lines on the zaxis, tw o vanishing points at the horizontal extremities, used to draw curvilinear horizontal lines, and tw ovanishing points at the vertical extremities, used to draw vertical lines.
The position, angle and size of the guide can be adjusted as needed.

NOTE
To add a 5-Points Perspective (Fisheye) guide to your scene, see Adding Draw ing Guides.

How to adjust a 5- Points Perspective (Fisheye) guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

2. In the Guides view , make sure that the
3. In the guides list, select the

Enable Guides option button is toggled on.

5- Point Perspective (Fisheye) guide that you w ish to makeadjustments to.
4. In the Guides view , make sure theShow Reference Lines option button is toggled on. This w ill

allow you to see how the adjustments you make to your guide affect its curves.

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

To reposition the guide, click and drag on its central vanishing point .

l

To rotate the guide, click and drag on its horizon line.

392

Chapter 5: Draw ing

TIPSl

W hen the mouse is positioned over the horizon line, the mouse cursor w illchange tolto indicate that you are about to rotate the guide.

W hen rotating a guide, its angle displays in the top-left corner of the Camera
or Draw ing view .

lTo scale up the guide, click and drag on one of the four outer vanishing points .

6. Once you are done making adjustments to the guide, you can click on the

Lock Guides button in

the Guides view so as to avoid accidentally modifying your guide w hile draw ing.

393

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Locking Guides to Prevent Editing Them
T-LAY-001A-008
W hen using a draw ing tool w ith a guide, you are also able to edit the guide's horizon line, vanishing points andother parameters by manipulating them in the Camera or Draw ing view . Hence, it is possible to make changes
to your guide by accident w hen draw ing too close to one of its visual elements. Once you are done making
adjustments to a guide, it is recommended to lock guides to be able to draw freely w ithout having to w orry
about making accidental changes to your guides.

How to prevent editing of Drawing Guides while drawing
1. In the Guides view , click on the

Lock Guide button.

NOTES
l

The Lock Guide option prevents editing all guides, not just the selected one.

l

W hen adding a new guide, the Lock Guide option is automatically toggled off to allow the
new guide to be edited immediately.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Drawing with Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-006
W hen guides are enabled and a guide is selected, you can use this guide to assist you in draw ing w ith
precision or perspective. The guide w ill display dotted lines going through your mouse cursor as you move it
inside the draw ing space. Each of these lines represents one of the axes of the selected guide.

W hen you start draw ing a stroke, your draw ing tool w ill automatically lock against the axis that most closely
matches the angle of your stroke, forcing you to draw a straight line along that axis, as if you w ere using aruler or a set square.

NOTES
l

Guides can only be used w ith thelIf theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

Align w ith Guide option in the Guides view is toggled off, your mouse cursor w ill not

lock against the axes in your guide.

How to draw using guides
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a draw ing, or select an empty cell and create a new draw ing
by doing one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the cell and select Drawing > Create Empty Drawing.

l

Press Alt + Shift + R

2. In the Tools toolbar, select either theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke orLine tool.

NOTE
Draw ing guides are only visible in the Camera or Draw ing view w hen one of thesetools is selected.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. In the Guides view , select the guide you w ish to use.
4. To avoid editing your guide by accident w hile draw ing, make sure theLock Guides option is

toggled on—see Locking Guides to Prevent Editing Them on page 394.
5. If you w ant your draw ing strokes to be locked against the axes of your guide, make sure the
Align w ith Guide option of the Guides view if toggled on. Otherw ise, toggle it off to be able to draw
freely and only use the guides as references—see Draw ing Freehand Perspective w ith Draw ing
Guides on page 399.
6. Move the mouse cursor around the draw ing space. Observe that guide lines are going through yourmouse cursor, one for each of the axes of the draw ing guide.

7. Start draw ing a stroke roughly at the same angle as one of the axes.
If theAlign w ith Guide option is enabled, the draw ing stroke aligns to the axis that is the closest

to its angle, as if you w ere draw ing against a ruler.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

TIPSl

You can also manually select w hich axis to lock onto—see Locking Draw ing Strokes to aSpecific Axis.

l

W hether you're draw ing or not, you can lock the position and angle of the guide lines bypressing and holding the Alt key. The guide lines w ill stop follow ing the mouse cursor,
allow ing you to keep them at a specific angle and position. This can be used to draw overthe same line several times over so as to adjust its length and thickness.

397

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Locking Drawing Strokes to a Specific Axis
T-LAY-001A-010
W hen using a draw ing guide w ith the

Align w ith Guide option enabled, your draw ing tool w ill

automatically lock against one of the axes of your guide. W hich axis it locks onto is the one that is the closest
to the angle of your stroke as you start draw ing.
If you w ant, you can manually select w hich axis to lock your draw ing tool against, so as to avoid accidentally
locking against the w rong axis.

How to lock your drawing tool to a specific axis
1. Set the focus to the Camera or Draw ing view , for example, by clicking on the view 's tab.
2. Press the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key repeatedly to cycle through your guide's axes. The
selected axis w ill be displayed in bold across your mouse cursor.

All your draw ing strokes w ill lock onto the selected axis.

How to re- enable using all axes
1. Press the Left Arrow or Right Arrow key repeatedly to cycle through your guide's axes, until noneof them are displayed in bold across your mouse cursor.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Drawing Freehand Perspective with Drawing Guides
By default, w hen draw ing w ith a draw ing guide active, your mouse cursor w ill lock against one of your guide's
axes, forcing it to draw along the axis as if you w ere draw ing against a ruler.
If you w ant, you can disable this behaviour by turning off the

Align w ith Guide option, and only use yourdraw ing guide as a visual reference. This can be useful if you w ant to draw w ith less rigid draw ing style.
W hen the Align w ith Guide option is disabled:lYour draw ing tool w ill allow you to draw in any direction.

l

The guide w ill still be visible, but w ill only serve as a visual aid.

l

W hile draw ing, the dotted line representing the axis you are draw ing along w ill lock into place insteadof follow ing your mouse cursor, so that you can follow it as you draw .

How to draw freehand perspective
1. In the Guides view , click on the Align w ith Guide
2. Start draw ing.

399

button to toggle it off

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Viewing Drawing Guide Reference Lines
T-LAY-001A-007
By default, a guide w ill only display its horizon line and its vanishing points, as w ell as dotted lines going
through your mouse cursor to represent its axes.
To help you lay out objects in your draw ing, you can also enable reference lines. Reference lines are semitransparent lines displaying all over your draw ing space, representing your guide's axes at different angles or
distances.
W hen using reference lines, you can decide the amount of lines that display in your draw ing space. If you havetoo many reference lines, they w ill be very close to each other and your draw ing space might feel cluttered,but if you have too few , you might not alw ays have a reference line close enough to the stroke you w ish to
draw to help serve as a reference.

How to view Drawing Guide Reference lines
1. In the Guides view , click on theShow Reference Lines button to toggle it on.

The reference lines appear as a semi-transparent overlay all over your draw ing space.

2. In the Guides view , click and drag on the Number of Lines slider to adjust the amount of referencelines displayed in your draw ing space.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Minimizing Guide Cursor Axes Display
By default, the guide axes that are draw n across your mouse cursor extend throughout your entire draw ing
space. You may w ant those axes to only extend to a short distance around your cursor, so that they can stillserve as guides w ithout obstructing your draw ing space or draw ing your eye aw ay from your mouse cursor.
You can do this by disabling theFull Cursor Display option, w hich is enabled by default.

W hen the Full Cursor Display option is disabled:l

The axis lines displaying across your mouse cursor only span on a short distance from your mouse
cursor.

l

W hen draw ing a stroke, all axis lines disappear until you finish draw ing the stroke. By default, only theaxis you are draw ing on disappears.

l

The actual axes used to lock your draw ing tool still extend across the entire draw ing space. This isstrictly a visual option.

How to minimize the Drawing Guide's cursor axes display
1. In the Guides view , toggle the Full Cursor Display

button off.

The guide axes now only span over a short distance from your mouse cursor.

401Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Erasing Using Drawing Guides
By default, draw ing guides have no effect w hen using the Eraser tool. If you w ant, you can enable using theEraser tool w ith guides.

How to erase using a Drawing Guide
1. In the Guides view , click on the
The

Enable Guide w ith Eraser button to toggle it on.

Eraser tool w ill now w ork w ith the currently selected guide, just like thePencil,Stroke andBrush,

Line tools.

2. Start erasing.

NOTE
W hen this option is enabled, it is also possible to make adjustments to your guide w hile theEraser too is selected.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Enabling and Disabling Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-009
Once you are done w orking w ith guides, you can disable them. W hen draw ing guides are disabled, they are
not displayed in your draw ing space and do not affect the behaviour of your draw ing tools.

How to enable and disable drawing guides
1. To enable or disable Draw ing Guides, do one of the follow ing:l

In the Guides view , click on the Enable Guidel

Press Shift + G.

button.

NOTESlGuides are automatically enabled w hen you add a new guide or w hen you select a guide in
the guides list.

l

The guide that w as selected w hen you disabled guides w ill be selected again w hen you
re-enable guides.

lDraw ing guides only w ork w ith theBrush,

Pencil,Stroke andLine tools

tools. If any other tool is selected, draw ing guides w ill behave as if they are disabled.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Reordering Drawing Guide Lists
The draw ing guides in your guides list can be reordered.

How to reorder a Drawing Guide list
1. In the Guides view , select one or multiple guides from the list.

TIPSl

You can select multiple guides by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘ (macOS) key
and clicking on each guide you w ant to select.

l

You can select a series of guide by holding the Shift key, clicking on the first guide
you w ant to select, then clicking on the last guide you w ant to select. Every guidein-betw een w ill also be selected.

2. Drag and drop the selected guides to their desired position in the list.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Cutting and Pasting Drawing Guides
You can cut a draw ing guide from your guides list and paste it into the guides list of another scene.

How to cut and paste drawing guides
1. In the Guides view , select one or multiple guides from the list.

TIPSl

You can select multiple guides by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘ (macOS) key
and clicking on each guide you w ant to select.

l

You can select a series of guide by holding the Shift key, clicking on the first guide
you w ant to select, then clicking on the last guide you w ant to select. Every guidein-betw een w ill also be selected.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Guides view , click on the

Menu button and select Cut.

l

Press Ctrl + X (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + X (macOS).

The selected guides are deleted from the list and stored in the clipboard.
3. In the top menu, select File > Open and open a different Harmony scene.
4. In the Guides view , click on the guides list to set the focus on it. If the guides list already contains
guides, select the guide that w ill act as an insertion point.
5. Do one of the folliow ing:l

In the Guides view , click on the

Menu button and select Paste.

lPress Ctrl + V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).

Draw ing Guides that w ere cut from the previous guides list are pasted in the current guides list.

NOTE
If you w ant to use the Cut, Copy and Paste keyboard shortcuts on guides, make sure the focus
is on the Guides view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Copying & Pasting Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-004
You can copy draw ing guides from your guides list and paste them into the guides list of another scene.

How to copy and paste drawing guides
1. In the Guides view , select one or multiple guides from the list.

TIPSl

You can select multiple guides by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘ (macOS) key
and clicking on each guide you w ant to select.

l

You can select a series of guide by holding the Shift key, clicking on the first guide
you w ant to select, then clicking on the last guide you w ant to select. Every guidein-betw een w ill also be selected.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Guides view , click on the

Menu button and select Copy.

l

Press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C (macOS).

3. In the top menu, select File > Open and open a different Harmony scene.
4. In the Guides view , click on the guides list to set the focus on it. If the guides list already contains
guide, select a guide that w ill act as an insertion point.
5. Do one of the folliow ing:l

In the Guides view , click on the

Menu button and select Paste.

lPress Ctrl + V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).

Draw ing Guides that w ere copied from the previous guides list are pasted in the current guides list.

NOTE
If you w ant to use the Cut, Copy and Paste keyboard shortcuts on guides, make sure the focus
is on the Guides view .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Exporting and Importing Drawing Guides
You can export draw ing guides from the current scene into a file, then and import them into another scene.

How to export drawing guides to a file
1. In the Guides view , select one or multiple guides from the list.

TIPSl

You can select multiple guides by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘ (macOS) key
and clicking on each guide you w ant to select.

l

You can select a series of guide by holding the Shift key, clicking on the first guide
you w ant to select, then clicking on the last guide you w ant to select. Every guidein-betw een w ill also be selected.

2. In the Guides view , click on the

Menu button and select Export Selected Guides.

3. In the Export Guides dialog box that appears, choose a destination folder, type in the name of thefile you w ant to export, then click on Save.
The selected guides are exported to the destination file. A confirmation dialog box displays theamount of guides that w ere exported.

How to import drawing guides
1. In the Timeline or Thumbnail view , select the destination panel.
2. In the Guides view , click on the

Menu button and select Import Guides.

3. In the Import Guides dialog box that appears, brow se to the folder in w hich you exported yourguides, select the file in w hich you exported your guides and click on Open.
The guides that w ere stored in the file are inserted at the bottom of the guides list. A confirmation
dialog box displays the amount of guides that w ere imported.

NOTE
W hen importing a list of guides, duplicate guides are filtered out to avoid cluttering the list.
The confirmation dialog box w ill specify if duplicates w ere detected and filtered out.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Deleting Drawing Guides
T-LAY-001A-003
You can delete draw ing guides from the guides list.

How to delete a Drawing Guide
1. In the Guides view , select one or multiple guides from the list.

TIPSl

You can select multiple guides by holding the Ctrl (W indow s) or ⌘ (macOS) key
and clicking on each guide you w ant to select.

l

You can select a series of guide by holding the Shift key, clicking on the first guide
you w ant to select, then clicking on the last guide you w ant to select. Every guidein-betw een w ill also be selected.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Guides view , click on the

Delete Guide buttonlPress Del (W indow s/Linux) or Backspace (macOS).

The selected guided are deleted from the list.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

About Drawing Optimization
As you w ork, you draw ing can get complex and contain multiple strokes. You may w ant to optimize thosedraw ings to reduce the number of brush strokes, pencil lines, and invisible strokes. You may also w ant toflatten your artw ork or optimize your brush stroke textures.
The Optimize command reduces the number of layers, such as overlapping brush strokes, in the selecteddraw ing objects. Draw ing objects w ill only be flattened and optimized if the selected objects do not change
the appearance of the final image w hen they are merged.
For example, if you have selected a number of partially transparent objects, w hich you layered to create an
additive colour effect, the selected transparent draw ing objects w ill not be merged. This is because merging
the transparent draw ing objects w ill cause them to lose the effect of the layered transparent colours.

You could also w ant to add invisible contour strokes so that if you unpaint lines, the vector container remains
to be repainted later.

409

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Flattening Drawings
T-ANIMPA-002-006
The Flatten operation is used to merge draw ing objects and brush strokes into a single layer. If you draw newlines to fix a draw ing or line w ith many brush strokes, it can be useful to flatten them all into a single shape. Bydefault, lines are draw n one on top of each other. If you intend to repaint the lines or modify their shape, it w ill
be easier if they are flattened.

How to flatten drawings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the draw ing strokes you w ant to flatten.
3. Select Drawing > Optimize > Flatten or press Alt + Shift + F. You can also press the Flatten
button in the Tool Properties view .

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Smoothing Drawings
The Smooth operation is used to reduce the number of contour points on a brush stroke and center points on a
pencil line. It also smooths out the shape.

How to smooth drawings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the draw ing strokes you w ant to smooth out.
3. Select Drawing > Optimize > Smooth or press Alt + Shift + S. You can also press the Smoothbutton in the Tool Properties view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Optimizing Drawings
You can use the Optimize feature to flatten your draw ing strokes w ithout changing the aspect of yourdraw ings. This mainly means that transparencies w ill not be flattened.

How to optimize a drawing
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the draw ing strokes you w ant to optimize.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

lFrom the Camera or Draw ing view menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Optimize.

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Chapter 5: Draw ing

Reducing the Drawing Texture Resolution
How to reduce the drawing texture resolution
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , use the Select tool to select the draw ing objects w hose texture
resolution you w an to reduce.
3. From the top menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Reduce Drawing Texture Resolution.
l

From the Camera or Draw ing view menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Reduce
Drawing Texture Resolution.

4. In the dialog box, drag the slider tow ard the left to reduce the texture resolution.
5. Enable the Apply to All Drawings option if you w ant the modification to be applied to all thedraw ings in your layer.
6. Click OK.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Strokes Conversion
You may have draw ing stroke using the Pencil tool w hen you w anted to use the Brush tool. You may also havedraw ing your image using the Polyline tool and now you w ant to convert your strokes to brush strokes. For
many reasons, you may w ant to sw itch your stroke types to another type to use the various advantage set they
offer.
There are three types of strokes:lBrush strokes (contour vector)l

Pencil strokes (central vector)lInvisible strokes (central vector w ith a thickness value of 0)

Harmony lets you convert pencil lines to brush strokes, brush strokes to pencil lines, and invisible strokes(strokes) to pencil lines.
You can also break text objects apart—see Breaking Text Into Letters or Vector Shapes on page 331.

414

Chapter 5: Draw ing

Converting Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines
The Brushes Strokes to Pencil Lines operation converts selected contour strokes into centreline pencil strokes.
The brush stroke thickness w ill be lost.

How to convert brush strokes to pencil lines
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the strokes you w ant to convert.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

Right-click on the selection, select Convert >Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines or press ^415

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Converting Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes
The Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes operation converts the selected centreline pencil strokes into contour
strokes brush lines. This feature w orks for both solid and textured pencil lines.

How to convert pencil lines to brush strokes
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Selecttool.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the strokes you w ant to convert.
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

lRight-click on the selection, select Convert > Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes.

l

In the Tool Properties view , press the Pencil Lines to Brush Strokes

416

button.

Chapter 5: Draw ing

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

How to convert strokes to pencil lines
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Select tool.
2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the strokes you w ant to convert.
3. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect Drawing > Convert > Strokes to Pencil Lines or press Shift + F12(W indow s/Linux only).

lRight-click on the selection, select Convert > Strokes to Pencil Lines or press Shift +F12 (W indow s/Linux only)

417

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

418

Chapter 6: Painting and Colours

Chapter 6: Painting and Colours
T-ANIMFX-003-001
Toon Boom Harmony Essentials has some very pow erful painting features to add colour to your draw ings.
W hereas some other softw are only allow users to w ork w ith one colour sw atch at a time, painting in Harmony
is done by using palettes containing multiple colour sw atches that can be saved and reused as needed.

In the Colour view , you choose a different colour sw atch for each colour you w ant to paint in your draw ing. You
can add as many sw atches as you w ant. You can also rename them and modify existing ones.

W hen you modify the colour of an existing sw atch, it automatically updates all the zones painted w ith thissw atch throughout the entire scene. The colour sw atch has a unique ID number that associates it w ith thepainted zones. This w ay, you can change the look of your character at any time w ithout having to repaint it!
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

419

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guideusing 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 w ay allow s you to instantly change its colouring to suitthe mood and atmosphere of the scene w ithout having to repaint each element.

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Chapter 6: Painting and Colours

About Colour Swatches
T-HFND-006-017
You can use several different types of colour sw atches, including solid colour, gradient colour and bitmap
texture sw atches.

A colour palette is an actual file on the hard drive.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding a Colour Swatch
T-HFND-006-017A
You can add as many colour sw atches as you w ant in your palette.

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

button.

2. Do one of the follow ing to edit the colour sw atch:l

From the Colour view menu, select Colours > Edit.

l

Double-click on the colour sw atch.

The Colour Picker w indow opens.

3. To set your colour, do one of the follow ing:lSelect either Red, Green, Blue, Hue, Saturarion of Value to change the colour w heel's
spectrum, then click on the desired colour in the colour w heel.

lEnter the hue, saturation, value, red, green and blue values manually into theircorresponding fields. All values range from 0 to 255.

l

Click the Dropper

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

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Chapter 6: Painting and Colours

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

5. Adjust the transparency w ith the Alpha slider or type the value directly in the Alpha field.

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

7. Rename the colour sw atch in the Colour Picker w indow or directly in the colour list by doubleclicking on its name.

By default, w hen you create a new colour sw atch, its colour w ill be the same as the currently selected colour
sw atch, or black if no colour sw atch is selected. You can make Harmony create new colour sw atches w ith a
specific default colour instead.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding a Gradient Colour Swatch
T-HFND-006-017B
You can transform any colour sw atch into a linear or radial gradient.

How to create a gradient colour swatch
1. In the Colour view , select a colour to modify .
2. Do one of the follow ing:lClick the new colour and from the Colour View menu, select Colours > New.

l

Double-click on the colour sw atch.

The Colour Picker w indow opens.

3. Select the Gradient option.
4. Select the Linear or Radial option.
5. In the Gradient slider, create your gradient:l

To change one of the colours of your gradient, select a key colour from the gradient slider,then pick its colour in the colour picker.

424Chapter 6: Painting and ColourslTo add a key colours to your gradient, click anyw here on the colour slider, betw een theexisting key colour.

l

To delete a key colour, use the mouse to pull dow n on it.

l

To move a key colour's position in the gradient, use the mouse to drag it left or right.

NOTE
To learn how to reposition the gradient zones in your draw ings, see About the Edit Gradientand Texture Tool on page 464.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding a Texture Colour Swatch
T-HFND-006-017C
You can add bitmap texture colour sw atches to your palette. This allow s you to fill zones in your artw ork w ith
custom patterns and textures.

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

button.

The Brow ser w indow opens.
2. Brow se for a PSD or TGA bitmap file created w ith a third party softw are and click Open.
The texture is added to the colour list.

You can also replace a texture once it is painted. If you decide to make the character’s shirt w ool
instead of plaid, just update the texture file in the sw atch and the entire project updates. Anytransformation previously applied to the texture’s position in your draw ings w ill be kept.

NOTE
To learn how to reposition the textured zones in your draw ings, see About the Edit Gradientand Texture Tool on page 464.

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Chapter 6: Painting and Colours

Copying and Pasting Colours
There are three w ays to copy and paste colour sw atches:lPaste as New Colours: This create a new colour sw atch w ith the same colour value, but w ith a different
colour ID as the original sw atch.

lPaste as Clones: This creates a new colour sw atch w ith the same colour value and the same colour ID
as the original sw atch.

lPaste Colour Values: This replaces the colour values in the selected colour sw atch w ith the colour
values from the copied sw atch.

Pasting a colour as a clone is useful if you’ve created a clone of a palette, then added a new sw atch in theoriginal palette, and need to add a sw atch w ith the same colour ID in the clone palette.

NOTE
A palette cannot have tw o sw atches w ith the same colour ID. Hence, you can only paste colours
as clones in a different palette than the ones the colours w ere copied from.

If, for any reason, you need to obtain the colour ID of your colour sw atches, w hether to make a reference tableof them, or to compare the colour IDs of tw o sw atches, you can copy the colour ID of a colour sw atch to the
clipboard. You cannot paste a colour ID anyw here on a colour sw atch, but you can paste it in a text editor or a
spreadsheet application for your ow n purposes.
A colour ID is a string of 16 hexadecimal digits, i.e.: 075cf5b552401130.

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

2. In the Colour View menu, select Colours > Copy or press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C(macOS).
3. In the Palette list, select the palette in w hich you w ant to paste the colours.

427Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Paste as New Colours or press Ctrl + V(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).
l

To paste the colour values of the copied sw atch over an existing colour sw atch, selectColours > Paste Colour Values.

How to clone a colour swatch
1. In the Colour view , select the colour sw atch you w ant to clone.
2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Copy or press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C(macOS).
3. In the Colour view , select the colour palette you w ant to paste the clone into or create a newpalette.
4. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Paste as Clone.
The cloned colour sw atch appears in the palette.

How to copy a colour ID
1. In the Colour view , select the colour sw atch from w hich you w ant to copy the ID.
2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Copy Colour ID or press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux)or ⌘ + C (macOS).
3. Paste the copied colour ID in a document.

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Deleting a Colour Swatch
T-ANIMPA-003-007
You can delete unnecessary colour sw atches from your palette. If painted zones are using this colour, they w ill
be displayed in red and the system w ill try to recover them the next time you load the scene.

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

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Delete.

lClick the Delete ColourlRight-click and select Delete.

lPress Del.

button.

If the colour sw atch is used in a draw ing, the Delete Colour dialog box opens.

3. Click OK to delete the colours or click Cancel to abort the operation.
If you delete colour sw atches already in use, the zones painted w ith them turn red so you can easily
identify them.

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Modifying a Texture Colour Swatch
You can replace a texture colour sw atch and all zones already painted w ith it w ill update.

How to replace a texture swatch
1. In the Colour view , select the texture sw atch that contains the bitmap texture you w ant to replace.

2. From the Colour View menu, select Colours > Edit Texture or double-click on the sw atch.
The Brow ser w indow opens.
3. Brow se for the new PSD or TGA bitmap file created in a third party softw are.

4. Click Open to update the colour sw atch.

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Replacing Colours and Textures in Drawings
T-H15NEW -004-001
Although it is alw ays possible to change colours and textures in existing draw ings by updating the sw atch inthe palette, there may be situations w here you w ant to replace a colour or texture in your draw ings w ith adifferent colour or texture sw atch, w ithout updating the existing sw atch. For example, you may w ant to only
replace a colour w ith a different colour in specific draw ings, but not in all the draw ings that use the original
colour, or you may w ant to replace a colour w ith a colour from a different palette w ithout changing yourpalettes.
Using the Recolour Draw ing dialog, you can replace all instances of a colour or texture used in your draw ings
w ith a different colour or texture sw atch. This w ill actually change the colours or textures from w ithin thedraw ings, w ithout making any changes to your palette. You can perform this operation on the currently
selected draw ing, on all draw ings in the current layer or in all draw ings in your scene.

How to recolour drawings
1. First, make sure one of the palettes in your scene already has a sw atch containing the colour or
texture you w ant to replace the original colour w ith—see About Colour Sw atches on page 421,
About the Edit Gradient and Texture Tool and Adding a Texture Colour Sw atch on page 426.
2. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the draw ing or draw ing layers you w ish to recolour.

NOTE
You can select multiple layers if needed.

NOTE
You can skip this step if you intend to recolour all the draw ings in your scene.

3. In the Colour view , click on Show Colour Palettes
texture, or on Show Pencil Texture Palettes
click on Show All Palettes

if you w ant to replace a colour, gradient or

if you w ant to replace a pencil texture. You can also.

4. In the Colour view , select the colour or texture sw atch you w ant to replace by doing one of thefollow ing:lSelect the palette in w hich the colour or texture sw atch is located, then select the sw atch
you w ish to replace.

l

If the draw ing in the Camera or Draw ing view contains the colour or texture you w ant toreplace, select the Colour Eyedropper

tool in the Tools toolbar, then click on that colour

or texture in the draw ing. The Colour view w ill automatically select that colour or texture's
palette as w ell as that colour or texture's sw atch.

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5. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the sw atches list, then select Recolour Drawings.

lOpen the Colour view menu

, then select Colours > Recolour Drawings.

The Recolour Draw ings dialog appears.

6. In the Replace Colour In panel, select w hether you w ant to replace the selected colour in the
Current Drawing, in All drawings in the selected layers or in All drawings in the scene.
7. In the palette list in the Replacement Colour panel, select the palette that contains the colour or
texture sw atch you w ant to replace the original colour or texture w ith.
8. In the sw atches list, select the colour or texture sw atch you w ant to replace the original colour or
texture w ith.
9. Click OK.
A dialog displays show ing the progress of the recolour operation. W hen finished, the original
colour or texture is replaced w ith the replacement colour or texture in your draw ing.

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Changing the Colour Display Mode
The Colour view has tw o display modes:
l

List

l

Sw atchYou can also display the RGB values and names of your solid colour sw atches instead of only the name. This
option is not available w hen displaying the colours in Sw atch mode.

How to switch between the display modes
1. From the Colour View menu, and do one of the follow ing:lSelect Colours > Swatch Mode to display the sw atches.

lDeselect Colours > Swatch Mode to display the colour list.

How to display the swatch colour valueslFrom the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Display Colour Values.
The solid colour sw atches’ RGB values are displayed betw een the colour sw atch and its name. The
gradient colour sw atches w ill be identified as (gradient).

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About Palettes
T-ANIMPA-003-001
In animation, specific colours are used to paint each part of each character. In order to maintain absoluteconsistency, a base colour palette should be created for each character, prop and effect in the production. Thisis referred to as a master palette.
Master palettes contain a colour sw atch for each area to colour. Each sw atch stores a colour in precise levelsof red, green, blue and opacity (the latter w hich is referred to as alpha).
Using a master colour palette has many benefits, including:lEach character consistently retains their dedicated colours.

l

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

lStandardization and colour consistency throughout the production.

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

Harmony uses palettes to hold all the colours needed to paint your elements, allow ing complete control andconsistency in the painting process.
A palette is created by assigning a set of colours to each character, prop or effect. You w ill create a newpalette and add a new colour, know n as a colour sw atch, for each zone of the character, such as the skin, hair,
tongue, shirt, pants, and so on.
W hen you modify the colour of an existing sw atch, it automatically updates all the zones painted w ith thissw atch throughout the entire scene. The colour sw atch has a unique ID number that associates it w ith thepainted zones. This w ay, you can change the look of your character at any time w ithout having to repaint it!
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 rainusing 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 w ay allow s you to instantly change its colouring to suitthe mood and atmosphere of the scene w ithout having to repaint each element.

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In Harmony, colour palettes are individual *.plt files that are stored in each scene's palette-libraryfolder and w hich can be copied, transferred and imported as needed.

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About Scene and Element Palette Lists
By default, you can only add palettes to a scene's palette list. W ith the Advanced Palette Lists preference
enabled, you can choose to store add palettes to the palette list of individual elements if you choose. Here isan explanation of the tw o different levels of palette lists:l

Scene palette list: This palette list and its palettes are available for and can be used in all of the scene's
elements. Hence, it is the most simple and least restrictive approach, and is the type of palette used by
Harmony w hen Advanced Palette Lists mode is disabled. It is most recommended to add your palettes
to your scene's palette list if you are doing digital animation, w here character models can be made ofmany different elements that must use the same palette.

lElement palette list: A palette list associated w ith a single element in your scene. An element is thecontainer for the draw ings used by a draw ing layer. Hence, w hen an element has a palette list w ith its
ow n palettes, only the draw ings in that element can use the colours in these palettes, and the palettes
in this element's palette list w ill only be show n in the Colour view w hen a draw ing from this element isselected.

Using element palette lists as certain advantages, depending on your type of production:l

In paperless and traditional animation projects, characters are usually draw n on single elements.
Hence, you can use this to associate characters in a scene to their colour palette.

l

If a scene requires a lot of palettes, linking those palettes only to elements that need them rather than
to the w hole scene can help declutter your palette list.

l

W hen a palette and its clone are in the scene's palette list, Harmony w ill only use w hichever palette ishighest in the list. If you w ant one element to use the original palette and another element to use thecloned palette, you can do so by adding the right palette to each element's palette list.

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About the Palette List
T-ANIMPA-003-006
A palette list is a file containing all of the links to the palette files. Each scene created has its ow n palette list,and every element in your scene can use colours from any palette in your scene's palette list.

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Showing and Hiding the Palette List
By default, the palette list is enabled. If you w ant to only use one palette for all of your scenes, you can disable
the palette list simply by collapsing it, w hich w ill give more vertical space to your colour sw atch list:

How to show or hide the palette list
1. In the Colour view , right over the palettes list, click on the expand/collapse arrow to expand or
collapse the palettes list.

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Creating a Palette
T-ANIMPA-003-002
You can create a palette in either Basic or Advanced mode.

How to create a new palette
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

lFrom the Colour view menu, select Palettes > New

The Create Palette dialog box opens.
2. In the Create Palette dialog, enter the new palette's name. Make sure your palette name contains
information to be easy to identify, such as the name of the character and information about the typeof setting for this palette, if any.

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

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Importing a Colour Palette
T-ANIMPA-003-005
You can import an existing palette from your file system or netw ork into your scene. This w ill create a copy ofthe palette file and add it to your palette list.

How to import a palette into your project
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Colour view , click on the Importbutton.

l

From the Colour menulRight-click on the palette list and select Import.

, select Palettes > Import.

The Brow ser w indow opens.
2. Brow se for a palette file located (*.plt) on your hard drive. You can usually find a scene's palettesby brow sing to the palette-library sub-folder of the scene's folder.
3. Click Open.
The palette is copied to your project and added to your scene's palette list.

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Renaming a Palette
T-ANIMPA-003-003
You can rename a colour palette to keep your list organized.

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

2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Rename.

l

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Rename.

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

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Removing a Palette
You can remove palettes from your Palette list if they're not needed in your scene. The actual palette file w ill
not be deleted, so you can add it back to your palette list later if you need it.

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

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Remove.

l

Right-click on the selected palette and select Remove.

l

Click the Remove Palettebutton located above the Palette list.

If the palette w as used in your scene, the zones painted w ith its colours turn red.

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Duplicating a Palette
A duplicated palette is a simple copy of the original palette. W hen you duplicate a palette, the duplicatedpalette w ill have the same colour names and values, but w ill have different colour IDs so that Harmony does
not mix it up w ith its original palette. This is useful w hen you w ant to create different palettes for similar
models, but w ant to avoid having to create the palette and its colours all over again. You can just start w ith
your duplicate palette, tw eak the colours and add and remove colours as needed.

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

2. Do one of the follow ing: From the Colour menu, select Palettes > Duplicateor right-click and selectDuplicate.
l

Right-click on the palette and select Duplicate.

lOpen the Colour menu

, then select select Palettes > Duplicate.

The Duplicate palette dialog box opens

3. In the New Palette Name field, enter the name for the new palette. By default, the palette's nameis based on the original palette name follow ed by "-copy". The palette list above this field lists thepalettes that already exist in the selected location. Make sure you enter a name that is not alreadyused by another palette.
4. Click OK.
The duplicated palette appears in the palette list.

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Cloning a Palette
Cloning a palette creates an exact copy of the palette, w here each colour sw atch has the same colour ID as in
the original palette, but w hich you can modify independently afterw ard. Since painted zones in draw ings areassociated to their colour by their colour ID, this means that any draw ing colored w ith the original palette canhave its colours replaced w ith the cloned palette's colours just by sw itching the palette in the scene w ith thecloned palette.
A good example of how this can be useful is w hen you w ant to make variants of a character's palette. A
character usually has only one master palette, although there are times w hen the characters are placed indifferent lighting conditions and require a different colour shading. The night palette is a popular choice w hen
a scene or sequence changes from day to night. Instead of creating a different palette for the character andrepainting all of its zones w ith the night palette, you can just clone the character's master palette, tw eak its
colours, and the character w ill have its original colours or its night colours depending on w hich one of thepalettes is in the palette list, w ithout having to repaint your draw ings.

W hen a palette and its clone are present in the same scene, Harmony uses the palette that is highest in thelist. If one palette clone is present in the scene's palette list and another clone is present in the element's
palette list, the element w ill use the palette in its ow n palette list.

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

2. Do one of the follow ing: From the Colour menu, select Palettes > Clone or right-click and selectClone.
l

Right-click on the palette and select Clone.

lOpen the Colour menu

, then select select Palettes > Clone.

The Clone palette dialog box opens

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3. In the New Palette Name field, enter the name for the new palette. By default, the palette's nameis based on the original palette name follow ed by "-clone". The palette list above this field lists thepalettes that already exist in the selected location. Make sure you enter a name that is not alreadyused by another palette.
4. Click OK.
The cloned palette appears in the palette list.

NOTE
You can modify your cloned palette by changing its colour sw atches individually, or you can use
the Tint Panel to change all of the palette's colour sw atches simultaneously—see Tinting a
Palette's Colour Sw atches on page 446.

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Tinting a Palette's Colour Swatches
You can use the Tint Panel dialog to offset, blend or mix all the different colour sw atches in a palettesimultaneously. This can be useful if you w ant to give a cloned palette a different tint, for example to make anight-themed version of a character's master palette.

How to tint a palette
1. In the Palette list, select the palette you w ant to tint.
2. From the Colour View menu, select Palettes > Tint Panel or right-click and select Tint Panel.
The Blend/Offset Tint panel opens.

3. Select one or more colours to modify. You can select all your colours by pressing Ctrl + A(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + A (macOS).
4. Offset, blend, or mix the colours using the sliders and increasing the Amount value.

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5. Select the Preview option to see a preview of the colours w hile you adjust them.

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Reordering Palettes in the Palette List
You may w ant your palettes to be listed in a specific order. In a lot of cases, this is strictly a matter ofconvenience. How ever, if your palette list contains palettes that have been cloned off each other, Harmony
w ill use the palette that is located the highest in the list to determine the colours to use in the draw ings.
Hence, if you are using cloned palettes, you must mind the order of your palettes in the palette list. For more
information, see Cloning a Palette on page 444.

How to reorder palettes in the palette list
1. Select the palette you w ish to reorder.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Palette list toolbar, click the Up

or Dow nl

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

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About Painting
Harmony is optimized to ink and paint draw ings efficiently. Since most of the draw ings are vector-based, thecolour zones are completely filled and there are no scattered spots left blank. Also, there are some actions
that can be applied on an entire animation sequence at once, like dirt removal, some colour filling, line
repainting, and so on.
W hen traditional animation is traced, cleaned up, scanned in and properly exposed, it's time for the ink andpaint process. This consists of cleaning all dirt and hair (for example, dust that w as in the scanner, dots that do
not belong in the draw ing, extra floating artw ork around the draw ing that must be removed), painting thelines and filling the colours in the empty zones on an entire animation sequence.

For paperless animation, the draw ings are cleaned up directly in Harmony, so there is generally no dirt toclean, only painting and inking.
Harmony uses palettes to hold all the colours you need to paint your elements. A palette is created byassigning a set of colours to each character, prop or effect. The colour styling artist w ill create a new paletteand add a new colour for each zone of the character, such as the skin, hair, tongue, shirt, pants, and so on. Eachcolour is know n as a colour sw atch—see About Palettes on page 434.

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Flipping Between Models
T-LAY-002-001
Once your models are loaded in the Reference view , you can flip through them using a keyboard shortcut or
toolbar buttons.

How to flip between models
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Reference View toolbar, click the Next

or Previousl

From the Reference View menu, select Next or Previous.

lPress F and G.

The previous or next model appears in the Reference view .

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Copying Colour Models
You can copy pieces or the entire colour model to paste in your scene,

How to copy the entire model from the Model view
1. In the Reference View toolbar, select the Selecttool.

2. In the Reference view , select your model.

3. From the top menu, select Edit > Copy Drawing Object or pressCtrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C(macOS).
4. In the Timeline view , make sure you have the correct layer and frame selected.
5. Select the Draw ing or Camera view , then go to the top menu and select Edit > Paste Drawing
Object, or select the Timeline view and from the top menu, select Edit > Paste cells in theTimeline or press Ctrl + V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).
The model appears in the selected view .

How to copy part of the model from the Reference view
1. In the Reference View toolbar, select the Cutter

tool or press Alt + T.

2. In the Reference view , use the Cutter tool to create a selection around the part of your model thatyou w ant to copy.

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3. From the top menu, select Edit > Copy Drawing Object or pressCtrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C(macOS).
4. In the Timeline view , make sure you have the correct layer and frame selected.
5. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect the Draw ing or Camera view and select Edit > Paste Drawing Object.

l

Select the Timeline view and select Edit > Paste cells in the Timeline or press Ctrl +V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).

The model appears in the selected view .

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Painting Drawings
T-HFND-004-011
The main tool you w ill use to paint your draw ings w ith is the Paint tool. The Paint tool can be used in several
different modes, w hich can be customized in the Tool Properties view .
The Paint tool paints closed zones, including brush strokes and pencil lines. If there are gaps in the lines
defining a zone, you must close them using the Brush, Pencil, or Close Gap tools or the Automatic Close Gap
option.

NOTE
To learn more about the Paint tool options, see the Reference guide .

How to paint drawings
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to paint.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, click the Paintl

Press Alt + I.

tool.

In the Tool Properties view or Tools toolbar, you can select additional painting modes.
l

The Paintmode paints everything it touches, including empty and filled zones.

l

The Paint Unpainted

mode paints only empty zones. Any line or filled zone w ill

remain unchanged.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

The Unpaintmode unpaints everything it touches, including empty and filledzones.

3. In the Colour view , select a colour.

4. In the Draw ing or Camera view , start painting. Click on a zone or pencil line to paint it, or trace alasso or marquee selection to paint several zones or pencil lines at the same time.

NOTE
The last colour you select w hile using the Paint tool w ill be used the next time
you select the Paint tool if you're using the unlocked painting tools in the Colour
view .

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Authors
Marie-Eve Chartrand
Christopher Diazchrisdiazart.com

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Painting Several Drawings Simultaneously
You can use the Paint tool on several draw ings in the same layer at the same time. W hen you set up the Paint
tool to w ork on several draw ings, if you click on a colour zone in the current draw ing to fill it, it w ill fill any
colour zone located w here you clicked in other draw ings as w ell. This can be useful if you have several
draw ings w ith colour zones that mostly overlap each other, such as in a typical w alk cycle, or in any animation
w here the character mostly stays in place:

There are tw o approaches to painting several draw ings at the same time. Both are options available in the
Tool Properties view :lApply to All Frames: W hen you click on a colour zone in the Camera or Draw ing view , it w ill fill thearea you clicked on in every exposed draw ing in the current layer.

lApply to Onion Skin Range: W hen you click on a colour zone in the Camera or Draw ing view , it w ill
fill the area you clicked on in every draw ing that is displayed in the Onion Skin. This method allow s you
to only fill a specific range of draw ings, and allow s you to see those draw ings in the Camera or Draw ing
view as you fill them.

How to paint a specific range of drawings simultaneously
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a draw ing somew here in the middle of the range of draw ings
you w ant to paint.
2. In the Tools toolbar, click on theOnion Skin button to enable Onion Skin.

3. Adjust the range of the Onion Skin so that it covers every draw ing you w ant to paint:l

In the Timeline view , click and drag on the red onion skin marker to make it include theprevious draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin, then click and drag on the green
onion skin marker to make it include the next draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin.

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Use the buttons in the toolbar above the draw ing space to adjust how many previous andnext draw ings are included in the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Add Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

RemovePrevious Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Add Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
The draw ings included in the Onion Skin range w ill appear in red and green in the Camera or
Draw ing view .
4. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Paint tool.

5. In the Tool Properties view , click and hold on themenu, selectApply to All Frames button and, in the pop-up

Apply to Onion Skin Range.

NOTE
If this button is already set to

Apply to Onion Skin Range, simply click on it to toggle

it on.

6. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click in an area w here the colour zones for all the draw ings in theOnion Skin overlap each other to fill them all simultaneously.

How to paint all exposed drawings in a layer simultaneously
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select any of the draw ings in the layer that you w ant to paint.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Paint tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , click on the

Apply to All Frames button to enable the Apply to All

Frames mode.

NOTE
If this button is currently set to

Apply to Onion Skin Range mode, click and hold on

the button to open its pop-up menu and select457

Apply to All Frames.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click in an area w here the colour zones for most or all of yourdraw ings overlap each other to fill them all simultaneously.

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Painting Several Layers Simultaneously
You can use the Paint tool to fill draw ings in several layers simultaneously. W hen you set up the Paint tool tow ork on several layers, if you click on a colour zone in the current draw ing to fill it, it w ill fill any colour zone
located w here you clicked in the draw ings in the other layers as w ell.

NOTE
You can only paint several layers simultaneously in the Camera view .

How to paint a drawing in several specific layers simultaneously
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , move the red Timeline playhead to the frame w here all the draw ings
you w ant to paint are exposed.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select one of the draw ings you w ant to paint.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Paint tool.

3. In the Tool Properties view , make sure the

Apply to All Visible Layers button is toggled off.

4. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select all the layers you w ant to paint simultaneously.

TIPSl

To select multiple layers, press and hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
key, then click on each layer you w ant to select.

l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , you can select a contiguous series of layers byclicking on the first layer you w ant to select, then, w hile holding Shift, clicking on
the last layer you w ant to select. Every layer in-betw een w ill also be selected.

NOTE
If

Light Table is enabled, the selected layers w ill appear fully opaque. This indicatesthat the currently selected tool can w ork on all selected layers simultaneously.

At this point, you can paint artw ork in all of the selected layers.
5. In the Camera view , click in an area w here the colour zones for the draw ings in the selected layers
overlap each other to fill them simultaneously.

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Repainting
T-ANIMPA-011-004
You can use the Paint tool to click on the zones to repaint. If you click in an empty zone, it w ill fill the area.
The Brush tool can be used to repaint specific segments. The Brush tool's Repaint Brush mode is used to painta section by manually painting over the lines. This is useful w hen the vectorization triangles are not placed as
you w ould like or you simply need to repaint a section of a segment. It is also useful for paperless animation,
w here there are no triangles. So, the Repaint Brush is used to paint a certain area. It acts like the Brush tool,
but w ill only show on painted areas that are already painted.
Unlike the Brush tool's regular mode, the Repaint Brush mode flattens automatically. The brush strokes are
not added one on top of each other.

How to enable the Repaint Brush mode
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brushtool.

2. In the Tool Properties view , click the Repaint Brushbutton.

3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw on the zones to repaint.

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Selecting Strokes with the Current Colour
You can select zones painted w ith a specific colour sw atch.

How to select the zones painted with the current colour
1. In the Colour view , select the colour from w hich you w ant to select the corresponding zones.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect Drawing > Select Strokes W ith Current Colour.

lPress Ctrl + Shift + A (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + A (macOS).

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Closing Gaps
T-HFND-004-014
W hen painting, you may notice that some draw ing areas are not closed. To close the zone, you can draw themissing line w ith the Brush or Pencil tool, or close the gap w ith an invisible line using the Close Gap tool.
The Close Gap tool allow s you to close small gaps in a draw ing by creating small, invisible strokes betw een
the tw o closest points to close the colour zone. You do not need to trace directly over the gap. You can draw it
a few millimeters aw ay. The tw o closest points automatically close the gap.

How to close gaps
1. Select View > Show > Show Strokes or press K to see a preview of the result.
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Close Gaps

tool.

3. In the Camera or Draw ing view , trace a line near the gap to be closed. Your strokes w ill be invisible.

4. Enable the Auto-Flatten

option in the Tool Properties view if you w ant your strokes to be

flattened w ith your artw ork. They w ill cut overlapping draw ing strokes in tw o pieces.
The gap automatically closes.

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Picking a Colour with the Colour Eyedropper Tool
T-ANIMPA-011-002
W hile w orking in the Camera or Draw ing view , you can use the Colour Eyedropper tool to pick a colour fromyour draw ing w ithout going to the Colour view .

How to use the Colour Eyedropper tool
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, select the

Colour Eyedropper tool.

l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Drawing Tools > Colour Eyedropper.

lPress Alt + D.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , click on the desired colour.

TIP
If you're using another draw ing tool such as the Paint tool, you can temporarily hold dow n the
D key and click in your draw ing before releasing the key to pick a colour. W hen you release
the key, you w ill return to your previous tool.

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About the Edit Gradient and Texture Tool
T-HFND-006-019
If you paint a zone w ith 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 w ant to match the colour to the animation,
set the first texture position and copy the Edit Gradient/Texture position. W hen moving to the next draw ing,
you can select the next texture and paste the previous position to continue the modifications.
If you are painting a hand-draw n animation or if you w ant the Brush and Paint tool to use your gradient’s
position, angle and scale settings instead of the default ones, you can store your ow n settings and reuse themafterw ard.
This w ay of editing a texture using the Edit Gradient/Texture tool also w orks w ith pencil lines draw n w ith
textured “brushes”. If you then paint your textured pencil line w ith a gradient, you can do so and then edit bothelements independently at the same time.

NOTE
For information on the Edit Gradient/Texture tool properties, see the Reference Guide

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Using the Edit Gradient and Texture Tool
T-HFND-006-019A
You can use the Edit Gradient/Texture tool to reposition a texture or gradient w ithin a painted zone.

How to use Edit Gradient/Texture tool
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, click the Edit TexturelPress Shift + F3.

tool.

2. Click the gradient or texture colour to modify.

A blue selection frame surrounds the selected gradient or texture.

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

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Chapter 7: Paperless Animation
T-HFND-006-001
Toon Boom Harmony Essentials is a pow erful paperless animation softw are that incorporates animation anddraw ing tools to make your w ork easier and more efficient.
Although it is a digital process, paperless animation is still hand-draw n and the fundamental principles ofanimation still apply.

One of the advantages of w orking w ith paperless animation is that you do not lose time scanning elements inand testing them because everything is already digital. You can simply draw your animation and play backyour line test right aw ay. This also saves the substantial amount of paper required by traditional animation.
Another practical advantage is the ability to undo and redo some actions that are often difficult on paper, suchas erasing brush strokes.

NOTE
W hen you draw on an empty cell, Harmony automatically creates a draw ing that spans over a
single frame in that cell. You can adjust that draw ing's timing as needed afterw ard. How ever, it ispossible to create, name and set the timing of each draw ing before creating your animation, w hichcan help organize your w orkflow . For more information, see Timing on page 133.

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Creating a Rough Animation
T-LAY-003-005
The first step to create paperless animation is the rough construction, w hich is the skeleton of your animation.
You w ould usually start by animating the most important part of a character's action. For example, to animatea w alk cycle, you w ill start w ith the torso motion and the legs. Secondary animation such as the head, arms
and clothes can be added afterw ard.

For a satisfactory animation, start by animating the main action w ith quick, rough sketches, then add thedetails w hen you're satisfied w ith the movement. If you start animating all the details right aw ay, you w ill losea lot of time if you have to make corrections, and your animation is likely to look rigid.

How to create a rough animation
1. In the top row of the Timeline view , click on

2. In the Tools toolbar, select theShow All Thumbnails to enable Thumbnail mode.

Brush tool or press Alt + B.

3. In the Colour view , select a colour for the brush. It is a good idea to choose a light colour for yourrough animation. This w ill make the clean up process easier as your clean dark lines w ill contrast
w ith your light sketch lines.

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4. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell w here you w ant your first draw ing to appear.
5. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the first key draw ing.

As soon as you draw your first draw ing stroke, a draw ing is automatically created in the cell you
selected.

6. Increase the Timeline view 's zoom level until you see the thumbnails inside the cells by doing oneof the follow ing:lDrag the Timeline Zoom

slider to the right.

lClick on the Timeline view 's tab, then press 2 repeatedly.

lMove the mouse cursor in the Timeline view , then hold Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
and roll the mouse w heel up.

7. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the cell w here your next key draw ing w ill appear.

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8. In the Tools toolbar, click theOnion Skin button. This w ill display the previous and next

draw ings in a light colour in the Camera or Draw ing view , behind your current draw ing, so that you
can use them as references to draw new draw ings w ith accuracy. This can be useful to draw
breakdow n poses betw een tw o key poses, or to add an in-betw een draw ing betw een tw o otherdraw ings.

9. Ensure the onion skin displays your first key draw ing, so that you can base your second key
draw ing on it. To do this, do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , click and drag on the red onion skin marker to make it include
the previous draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin, then click and drag on
the green onion skin marker to make it include the next draw ings you w ant to display
in the onion skin.

l

Use the buttons in the toolbar above the draw ing space to adjust how many previous
and next draw ings are included in the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on theAddPrevious Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the
Remove Previous Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.

l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the
Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.

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To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

RemoveNext Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.

10. Create a new empty draw ing by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline or Xsheet toolbar, click on thelPress Alt + Shift + R.

Create Empty Draw ing button.

11. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw your second key draw ing.

12. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a cell betw een the tw o key draw ings.

13. Using the onion skin markers, ensure the onion skin covers both your first and last draw ings.

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14. Create a new empty draw ing by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline or Xsheet toolbar, click on thelPress Alt + Shift + R.

Create Empty Draw ing button.

15. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw your new pose.

16. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a new cell and repeat the previous steps for each new
draw ing.

NOTE
W hen w orking w ith overlay layers in the Camera view , you can enable theCurrent

Draw ing on Top option in the status bar below the Camera view to make the layer you're
w orking on appear over other layers.

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Creating the Tie Down Animation
Once your rough animation is correct, you can start adding extra details, such as arms, clothes or hair. You can
add the extra details on the same layer w ith the same colour or you can also create a new colour so that you
can alw ays see your original sketch.

If your primary and secondary animation w ere done as a rough draw ing, it is now time to put your draw ing on
model, also know n as tie dow n. This means that you have to review your animation and ensure that every
single detail is on model and there is no volume distortion. You can do this directly on the original sketch layeror on a new layer.

If you w ant to keep your rough animation as it is to avoid any mistakes, you can add an extra draw ing element
and use the Light Table feature to draw over the first draw ing element. This technique can also be used if you
w ant to reuse your rough animation for other characters. For example, if you have a rough w alk-cycle, you canreuse it for another character and add its personal features in a new layer. This w ay, you only need to animate
the secondary animation instead of the w hole body again.

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How to create secondary animation on the same layer
1. In the Xsheet or Timeline view , select the cell in w hich you w ant to add new details.
2. In the Colour view , create a new colour (give it the same name and add the prefix _2 or _sec, forexample) or select the same rough colour as before.
3. In the Draw ing Tools toolbar, select your draw ing tool.
4. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the secondary animation.

5. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Xsheet or Timeline view , select the next cell in w hich you w ant to draw .

lPress F and G to navigate betw een your draw ings.

6. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect View > Onion Skin > Show Onion Skin.

l

In the Timeline view menu, select Onion Skin > Show Onion Skin.

l

Press Alt + O.

7. Extend the onion skin.
8. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the secondary animation.

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9. You can also use the Playback toolbar to play the animation in real time.

How to create your secondary animation on an extra layer
1. Add a new draw ing layer and name it secondary_animation.
2. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the rough layer's timing.
3. Copy the timing and in the top menu, select Edit > Paste Special or Ctrl + B (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘+ B (macOS).
4. Choose Never create drawing files from the options to paste the timing but not the draw ing files.

5. If you are w orking in the Draw ing view , in the Draw ing View toolbar, enable the Light Table.
6. In the Xsheet or Timeline view , select the cell w here you w ant to add the new details.

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7. In the Colour view , create a new colour (give it the same name and add the prefix _2 or _sec, forexample) or select the same rough colour as before.
8. In the Tools toolbar, select your draw ing tool.
9. In the Draw ing or Camera view , draw the secondary animation on top of your rough draw ing.

10. Do one of the follow ing:‣

In the Xsheet View , select the next cell in w hich you w ant to draw .

‣In the Camera, Draw ing or Xsheet view , press F and G to navigate betw een your draw ings.

11. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top, Draw ing View or Camera View menu, select View > Onion Skin > Show
Onion Skin.

l

In the Timeline view menu, select Onion Skin > Show Onion Skin.

l

Press Alt + O.

12. Extend the onion skin.
13. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the next secondary animation.
14. You can also use the Playback toolbar to play the animation in real time.

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Cleaning Animation
T-HFND-006-010
W hen your rough animation is ready, it is time to clean it up and ink it. The clean-up is also called tracing. It
consists of tracing solid and clean lines over the rough animation to get closed zones. This is the final
paperless animation step before the ink and paint step.

You w ill need to add a new draw ing layer to create your clean draw ing. This is the equivalent of adding asheet of paper and tracing the rough using the animation disk. This allow s you to keep the roughs and thecleans intact. You only need to lock the rough layer to prevent it from appearing in the scene.
If you plan on tracing your animation in the Draw ing view , use the light table to display all the layers in yourproject.

How to trace animation in a new layer
1. In the Layer toolbar, click the Add Draw ing Layer
2. In the Timeline view , click the Lockbutton and add a new layer.

button of the layer containing your rough animation to avoid

selecting the layer in the Camera view .

3. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , in the new layer, select the cell corresponding to the first key
draw ing of your rough animation.
4. In the Tools toolbar, select the draw ing tool of your choice. The Pencil

tool is recommended.

5. In the Colour view , select a colour for tracing your animation. A dark bold colour, such as black,w ould ensure that it contrasts w ell w ith the light colour of your rough animation.
6. In the Camera or Draw ing view , start tracing the first key draw ing.

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7. If you have some other layers in the w ay, you can disable them temporarily from the Timeline viewso that only the rough animation and clean-up layer are displayed in the Camera view .
8. In the Tools toolbar, click the Onion Skinbutton and pull on the blue onion skin handles in theTimeline view to extend the number of frames you can see.
9. Use the buttons in the toolbar above the draw ing space to adjust how many previous and next
draw ings are included in the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Add Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Add Next Draw ing

button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Next Draw ing

button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
10. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the next cell corresponding to a rough draw ing.
11. In the Draw ing or Camera view , trace your next draw ing.

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12. Repeat the previous steps for each draw ing.

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Paperless Animation Tools
To understand paperless animation, you must first discover the tools available. There are, of course, draw ing
tools, but also practical features such as setting a draw ing as a key, breakdow n or in-betw een.
W hen you create hand-draw n animation digitally, there are certain tools you require in order to w ork
efficiently, as you w ould w ith an animation table, paper and pencils.
The onion skin and light table are used to preview previous and next draw ings, cells, elements and frames.
W hen designing or animating, it is very useful to see your previous draw ings. Just as if you w ere building a
cut-out puppet, you w ant to view other draw ing elements to know w here to draw the new element.
Harmony has many useful advanced features such as the Flipping toolbar, enhanced onion skin, extra draw ing
layers, and automated matte generation.

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Displaying Drawing Thumbnails in the Timeline View
T-ANIMPA-006-003
In the Timeline view , it is possible to preview the draw ings in your scene by enabling the display of thumbnails
for your draw ing layers. You can display the thumbnail for all draw ing layers or for individual draw ing layers.
This allow s you to preview the draw ing in the current frame as w ell as draw ings exposed in every frame ofyour scene, w hich can be useful for managing your draw ings and for adjusting their timing.

You can enable Thumbnails for all draw ing layers simultaneously or for individual draw ing layers. W hen
thumbnails are displayed for a layer, the Timeline view also displays the name of each draw ing as w ell as theamount of frames on w hich each draw ing is exposed for that layer. Enabling thumbnails on a layer also gives
access to that layer's Opacity parameter in the left panel of the Timeline view .

How to display or hide thumbnails for all drawing layers
1. In the Layers toolbar of the Timeline view , click on the Show /Hide All Thumbnails

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How to display or hide thumbnails for a specific drawing layer
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , left of the layer's name, click on the Show /Hide Thumbnailsl

In the Timeline view , select the layer and press T.

button.

Even w hen thumbnails are displayed for a layer, it is likely that you w on't be able to see the full thumbnails forindividual draw ings that are exposed over 1 or 2 frames because, by default, frames are not large enough todisplay their thumbnails. To make the frames larger so that thumbnails have enough horizontal space to be
displayed, you must zoom in on the Timeline view .

How to zoom in on the Timeline view.
1. Set the focus on the Timeline view , for example by clicking on the Timeline view tab.
2. Do one of the follow ing:lDrag the Timeline Zoom

slider to the right.

lClick on the Timeline view 's tab, then press 2 repeatedly.

lMove the mouse cursor in the Timeline view , then hold Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS)
and roll the mouse w heel up.

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TIP
If you animate mostly on tw os or threes, you can adjust the Timeline zoom to fully display the
thumbnails of draw ings exposed over tw o or three frames, or you can zoom in enough todisplay the thumbnails of draw ings exposed over a single frame, depending on yourpreference.

TIP
To reset the Timeline Zoom to its default zoom level, click on the Reset Zoom

icon left of

the Timeline Zoom slider.

NOTE
W hen zoomed in on the Timeline view , you can tw eak the exposure of your draw ing by dragging
the edges of the draw ings w ith your mouse cursor. This is especially useful w hen displaying
thumbnails as you can visually adjust the timing of your animation. For more information, see
About Rippling and Overw riting the Exposure in the Timeline View .

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About Onion Skin
One of the most basic techniques of traditional animation is to place tw o draw ings on a light table, put an
animation sheet over them and draw betw een the outlines of the tw o draw ings to make an in-betw een. In
Harmony, this technique is streamlined w ith Onion Skin.
Onion Skin is a pow erful feature in Harmony that allow s you to display the draw ings surrounding your current
draw ing in w ashed, semi-transparent outlines so as to help you use them as reference to make your poses,
your breakdow ns and your in-betw eens.

Onion Skin w orks in both the Camera and Draw ing view . W hen using Onion Skin, you can choose to include
one or several draw ings before, after or both before and after the current draw ing. By default, draw ings before
the current draw ing appear in red, and draw ings after the current draw ing appear in green.

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Enabling the Onion Skin
You can enable the onion skin to see your previous and next draw ings as reference.

NOTE
You can modify the onion skin display in the Preferences panel.

How to enable the onion skin
1. In the Timeline view , select the layer you w ant to draw on and the frame in w hich you w ant todraw .

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, click on theOnion Skin button.

l

In the Timeline view , click on theOnion Skin button left of the layer name.

l

In the top menu, select View > Onion Skin > Show Onion Skin.

l

Press Alt + O.

Onion Skin w ill be enabled. By default, it w ill display tw o frames before and tw o draw ings after
the current draw ing.

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Selecting Drawings to Display in Onion Skin
W hen you enable Onion Skin, by default, it w ill display tw o draw ings before the current draw ing and tw o
draw ings after the current draw ing. You can adjust how many draw ings before and after the current draw ing
to display. There are tw o methods to doing this:l

Adjusting the Onion Skin handles in the Timeline view . W hen Onion Skin is enabled, a red handle and agreen handle appear before and after the red playhead in the Timeline view . Those handles indicate
and allow you to adjust the range of draw ings displayed in the Onion Skin.

l

Using thetoolbar buttons or menu commands to add or remove draw ings from the Onion

Skin one at a time.

NOTE
If you choose to include draw ings to display in the Onion Skin by draw ing instead of by frame, you
cannot use the Onion Skin handles in the Timeline view —see Selecting Draw ings to Include inOnion Skin by Frames or by Draw ings.

How to select drawings to display in the Onion Skin using the Onion Skin handles in
the Timeline view
1. Select the layer you w ant to draw on, the frame in w hich you w ant to draw , and enable Onion
Skin—see Enabling the Onion Skin.
Blue handles appear on each side of the Timeline play head.

All the draw ings in the current layer over w hich these handles span are included in the Onion Skin.

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2. Click on the handle left of the play head and drag it so that it includes only and all the previous
draw ings you w ant to display in the Onion Skin.

3. Click on the handle right of the play head and drag it so that it includes only and all the next
draw ings you w ant to display in the Onion Skin.

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The Onion Skin w ill display only, and all the draw ings that are w ithin the span of the blue handles.

How to increase or decrease drawings to display in the Onion Skin one at a time
1. Select the layer you w ant to draw on, the frame in w hich you w ant to draw , and enable Onion
Skin—see Enabling the Onion Skin.
The Onion Skin displays in the Camera or Draw ing view , w ith the default amount of previous andnext draw ings included.

2. Do one of the follow ing as many times as necessary to include only the draw ings you w ant to seein the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the
Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Add Next Draw ing

button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Remove Next Draw ing

button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
The Onion Skin w ill update w ith as many or as few previous and next draw ings as you add or
remove.

TIPSl

You can also select those commands in the top menu, in View > Onion Skin.

lThis menu also has commands to instantly set the amount of previous and next draw ings
to include in the Onion Skin to zero, one, tw o or three.

l

You can also add the commands to instantly set the amount of draw ings to include to zero,one, tw o or three to the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar by right-clicking on the toolbar andselecting Customize.

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Selecting Drawings to Include in Onion Skin by Frames or by Drawings
W hen you select w hich draw ings to include in the Onion Skin, you are actually just setting the amount ofdraw ings to include before and after the current draw ings.
Because draw ings can be exposed over multiple frames, this gives Harmony tw o possible approaches todetermine w hich draw ings to include in the Onion Skin:

Selecting Drawings by Frames
W ith this method, if you set the Onion Skin to include one draw ing before and after the current frame, it w ill
include the draw ings in the frame right before and right after the current frame. This means that even if thesame draw ing is exposed throughout this span of three frames, only that draw ing w ill be displayed in theOnion Skin.
This method is the default one used w hen using Onion Skin in the Camera view . The reason for this is that the
Camera view is often used for cut-out animation. W hen doing cut-out animation, layers often have the samedraw ing exposed for long spans w hile the layer itself is animated w ith translations, rotations and scaling. By
using Onion Skin by frames, you can display the position of the layer before and after the current frame in theOnion Skin, even if it's the same draw ing, just in different positions.

Selecting Drawings by Drawings
W ith this method, if you set the Onion Skin to include one draw ing before and after the current frame, it w ill
include the nearest draw ing that is different from the current draw ing before the current frame, and thenearest draw ing that is different from the current draw ing after the current frame.
This method is more useful for frame-by-frame animation. Since frame-by-frame animation typically does notuse layer animations, it is usually only relevant to have different draw ings in the Onion Skin.

Changing Between Methods
In the Timeline view , you can decide w hether to include draw ings by frames or by draw ings. In the Draw ing
view , how ever, draw ings included in the Onion Skin are alw ays selected by draw ing, since the Draw ing view
can only be used for frame-by-frame animation, w hereas the Camera view can be used for both frame-byframe and cut-out animation.

How to switch between selecting drawings for Onion Skin by drawing or by frame
1. In the top menu, select View > Onion Skin and select either Onion Skin by Frames or Onion Skin
by Drawings.

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Displaying the Onion Skin in the Other Layers
T-LAY-003-006
W hen doing paperless animation, you typically only need the Onion Skin to display for the current layer. It is
how ever possible to display the Onion Skin for multiple layers simultaneously. To do this, you must draw in
the Timeline view , w here all your layers are visible by default.
In the Camera view , w hen Onion Skin is enabled, the Onion Skin of the currently selected layer is alw ays
displayed. How ever, it is also possible to enable persistent Onion Skin on other layers in your scene. You cando this by clicking the Onion Skin button just left of individual layers in the Timeline view . W hen Onion Skin isenabled on specific layers, the Onion Skin for these layers display along w ith the Onion Skin of the current
layer, allow ing you use both as reference.
W hen you enable Onion Skin using the Onion Skin button in the Tools toolbar, persistent Onion Skin is
automatically enabled on the currently selected layer. Hence, if you w ant to sw itch to a different layer andhide the Onion Skin for the layer you are no longer w orking on, you can also use the Onion Skin button next tothat other layer to disable Onion Skin on it.

NOTE
If you are using Onion Skin w ith a complex scene w ith a lot of draw ing layers, such as in Cut-Out
animation, there are more advanced techniques for displaying and hiding Onion Skin on multiple
layers. For more information, see About Using Onion Skin in Cut-out Animation

How to display Onion Skin on multiple layers in the Camera view
1. Select the layer and frame on w hich you w ant to draw .

2. In the Timeline view , click on theOnion Skin icon just left of the selected layer to enable Onion

Skin on it.
The icon w ill light up, indicating that Onion Skin is now enabled for this layer.

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3. Click on the Onion Skin icon for each layer that you w ant to include in the Onion Skin.

The Onion Skin for all layers on w hich it is enabled w ill display in the Camera view .

NOTE
If you w ant to remove a layer from the Onion Skin, you can click on its

Onion Skin icon

again to disable Onion Skin for that layer How ever, keep in mind that, w hen Onion Skin isenabled on any layer, it alw ays includes the currently selected layer as w ell. Therefore, if you
disable Onion Skin on the current layer, the Onion Skin for that layer w ill keep displaying.

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Removing Cross Hairs with the Shift and Trace Tool
Once you are done w ith the cross hairs you have added w ith the Shift and Trace tool, you can instantly remove
all of them from your draw ings.

How to remove all cross hairs
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tool Properties view , click on the Remove All Cross Hairl

In the Shift and Trace toolbar, click on the Remove All Cross Hair

494

button.
button.

Chapter 7: Paperless Animation

Generating a Matte
T-ANIMPA-006-013
You can quickly generate a matte to be displayed behind your rough animation so you don't see thebackground through the draw ings. It can be generated in any art layer.

How to generate a matte
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, select the SelectlPress Alt + S.

tool.

2. In the Camera or Draw ing view , select the draw ing you w ant to create a matte for.

NOTE
You can also apply the operation to all the draw ings in the layer at the same time.

3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

The Auto-Matte dialog box opens.

4. If you w ant to create a matte for all the draw ings included in your layer, select the Apply to All
Drawings option.
5. Depending on how precise or rough your line is, increase or decrease the radius value. Use a low ervalue, the closer to your lines’ contours the matte w ill be shaped. The higher the value, the looser
the matte w ill be shaped.

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6. In the Source Art menu, select the layer from w hich you w ant the matte created: Line ArtColour
Art.
7. In the Destination Art menu, select the layer on w hich you w ant the matte to be created: Line
ArtColour Art.
8. If you already have artw ork on the destination layer and you w ant the content to be deleted before
the matte is added into it, select the Clear Destination Art First option.
9. If you w ant the contour of your lines to be copied as invisible lines in your matte draw ing (in case
you ever need to keep them for later), select the Copy Stroke in Destination option.
10. Click OK.

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Previewing Animation with Mini Playback
You can quickly preview parts of your animation using Mini Playback. Mini Playback allow s you to quickly
preview a short span of animation starting a few frames before the current frame and ending a few frames
after the current frame, at a customizable frame rate.

How to use Mini Playback
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select a frame betw een the animation frames that you w ant topreview .
2. Do one of the follow ing to add the Mini Playback toolbar to your w orkspace:l

In the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars > Mini Playback.

l

Right-click on any existing toolbar and select Mini Playback.

3. In the Mini Playback toolbar, click on the

Mini Playback Dialog button.

The Mini Playback dialog appears.

NOTE
You can also open the Mini Playback dialog by selecting Play > Mini Playback from the
top menu.

4. In the Frame Rate drop-dow n, select the frame rate at w hich you w ant to preview your animation,in frames per second, or leave it to Same as Scene if you w ant to preview your animation at theframe rate set for your scene.
5. In the Before field, enter the amount of frames before the current frame to play.
6. In the After field, enter the amount of frames after the current frame to play.
7. Click on thePlay button.

Your scene starts playing at the chosen amount of frames before the current frame, and stops
playing at the chosen amount of frames after the current frame.
8. If you are satisfied w ith the Mini Playback configuration, you can close the Mini Playback dialog,
and you can do one of the follow ing to start Mini Playback again:

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In the Mini Playback toolbar, click on thel

In the top menu, select Play > Start Mini Playback.

498

Mini Playback button.

Chapter 8: Scene Staging

Chapter 8: Scene Staging

Setting up your scene can be compared to building a set for a television show . This is the point w hen you
position each scene element such as the camera frame, the background elements and the characters.
To learn how to position and animate your camera, see Camera Set-up and Animation on page 665.

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About Layer Position

Setting up the scene also involves positioning the different scene elements w ithin the camera frame.
At this time, the elements are set to a static position. See Digital Animation on page 547 to learn how toanimate the elements and the camera.

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Disabling Animation Keyframe Creation W hen Transforming Elements
T-HFND-008-001
By default, w hen you move, rotate, scale or skew elements in your scene using theof theTransform tool or any

Advanced Animation tools, Harmony records the position of that element at the current

frame into a keyframe. This means that, if you transform the same element on several frames, it w ill become
animated. This is because the Animate mode of Harmony is set to

Animate Current Frame by default, tofacilitate animation.
W hen staging a scene, you usually w ant to position, rotate, scale and skew elements throughout the length of
the scene, not just at the current frame. It is possible to do this by setting the Animate mode to

Animate Off.

W hen Animate Off mode is selected, any transformations you make to layers, pegs deformations or otherelements to your scene using theTransform tool or the

Advanced Animation tool is applied

across your entire scene, w ithout creating a keyframe at the current frame.
If you set the Animate mode to Animate Off and reposition an element that is already animated, the element
w ill be offset on every existing keyframe for this element, offsetting its entire animation. This can be very
useful if you need to reposition, rotate or scale an element after having animated it.

How to set the Animate mode to Animate Off
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, click on the Animate mode button w hich, depending on the currently
selected mode, w ill either have theRange orlAnimate Current Frame,

Animate Off icon, and selectAnimate Off in the pop-up menu.

In the top menu, select Animation > Animate > Animate Off.

501

Animate Onion Skin

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Selecting Layers
T-HFND-008-002
There are different w ays to select the layers you w ant to reposition.
You can select your elements directly in the Camera view using the Transform tool. W hen using this tool, its
properties and options appear in the Tool Properties view . Alw ays make sure that the Peg Selection Mode
option in the Tool Properties view is disabled or it w ill limit the selection to pegs only.

How to select a layer in the Camera view
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure that the Peg Selection Modeis deselected.

3. In the Camera view , click on the element to be repositioned. You can select more than one element
at a time. Hold dow n Shift w hile clicking on the elements to be selected.
The corresponding layers and columns are highlighted in the Timeline and Xsheet view s.

How to select from the Timeline or Xsheet viewlIn the Timeline view , click the layer corresponding to the element you w ant to reposition.

l

In the Xsheet view , click the column header corresponding to the element you w ant to reposition.
The selected element is highlighted in the Camera view .

How to select non- adjacent elements in the Timeline or Xsheet viewlIn the Timeline view , hold dow n Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on any layers thatyou w ould like to add to the selection.

l

In the Xsheet view , hold dow n Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on any columns thatyou w ould like to add to the selection.
The non-adjacent, selected layers and columns are highlighted in the Timeline and Xsheet view s.

How to select all elements within a group in the Timeline view
1. W ith a group collapsed or expanded, hold dow n Alt and click on the group in the Timeline view .

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All elements contained w ithin the group are selected.

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Centering on Selections
W hen you have many layers in the Timeline view , you may find it hard to locate w hich one is selected. You can
use the Centre on Selection feature to display the selected object's layer in the Timeline view .

How to center on the selected layer in the Timeline view
1. In the Camera view , select a layer.
2. In the Timeline view toolbar, click the Centre on Selection

504

button or press O.

Chapter 8: Scene Staging

About the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-003
Using the Transform tool, you can easily reposition, scale, rotate and even skew layers directly in the Camera
view .
W hen positioning a draw ing layer using the Transform tool, alw ays make sure the Peg Selection Modeisdeselected in the Tool Properties view . Otherw ise, it w ill limit the selection to pegs in the Camera view .

There are tw o different options you can use w hen you w ant to flip your element.
The Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical options let you flip a draw ing layer along the Camera view ’s horizontal
and vertical axis.
Once your draw ing layer is rotated, the original horizontal and vertical axes change. The Flip Scale X and Flip
Scale Y w ill perform a flip on your draw ing layer follow ing its original axis.
l

The Flip Horizontal command flips the layer follow ing the Camera view X-axis.

l

The Flip Scale X command uses the original X-axis of the layer and flips the element follow ing it.

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Repositioning Temporary Pivots with the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-004
Transformations, such as rotation, scale, skew and flip are made relative to the pivot point position. You cantemporarily reposition the pivot point for each transformation using the Transform tool. Note that the pivot isonly moved temporarily. W hen animating the position, the interpolation is calculated from the permanentpivot position—see About Advanced Animation Tools on page 518.

How to temporarily reposition the pivot point
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure the Peg Selection Modeis disabled.

3. In the Camera view , select your element.
The pivot point appears at the center of the scene space (coordinates 0, 0, 0), unless previously
repositioned.

4. Click on the pivot point and drag it to a new position.
This w ill be the new position of the pivot point for the current transformation. It w ill remain in thisposition as long as you do not deselect the draw ing. Using the Transform tool to reposition yourpivot w ill temporarily override the existing pivot point position until you complete the current
transformation. Then it returns automatically to its original position.
W hen you translate the pivot point using the Transform tool, the permanent pivot w ill appear as aghost so you know w here it is and also from w here the animation w ill be interpolated w hen you
create motion paths. The animation is alw ays interpolated from the original pivot and not thetemporary pivot.

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Panning with the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-005
You can pan (translate) a layer using the Transform tool.

How to pan a layer using the Transform tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure

Peg Selection Mode is disabled.

3. In the Camera or Timeline view , click on the layer you w ant to manipulate to select it.

TIPSl

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Camera view , hold dow n Shift and clickon each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n Ctrl
(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select a contiguous series of layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n
Shift, click on the first layer you w ant to select, then on the last layer you w ant toselect.

A manipulator control box appears around the selected layer.

4. Move the cursor over the artw ork. W hen the cursor changes into
to move it.

508, click and drag on the artw ork

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Rotating with the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-006
You can rotate a layer from its pivot using the Transform tool. You can temporarily reposition the pivot torotate from a different point.

How to rotate a layer using the Transform tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure

Peg Selection Mode is disabled.

3. In the Camera or Timeline view , click on the layer you w ant to manipulate to select it.

TIPSl

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Camera view , hold dow n Shift and clickon each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n Ctrl
(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select a contiguous series of layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n
Shift, click on the first layer you w ant to select, then on the last layer you w ant toselect.

A manipulator control box appears around the selected layer.

4. Place the pointer outside of a corner of the bounding box. W hen the cursor changes into,
click and drag to rotate.

510, thenChapter 8: Scene Staging

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Scaling with the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-007
You can scale a layer from its pivot using the Transform tool. You can temporarily reposition the pivot to scalefrom a different point.

How to scale a layer using the Transform tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure

Peg Selection Mode is disabled.

1. In the Camera or Timeline view , click on the layer you w ant to manipulate to select it.

TIPSl

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Camera view , hold dow n Shift and clickon each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n Ctrl
(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select a contiguous series of layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n
Shift, click on the first layer you w ant to select, then on the last layer you w ant toselect.

A manipulator control box appears around the selected layer.

2. Move the cursor over any of the yellow control points on the manipulator box, then click and dragto scale the layer.

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NOTE
W hen scaling your selection, you can hold dow n Shift to preserve the proportions
betw een its w idth and height.

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Skewing with the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-008
You can skew a layer from its pivot using the Transform tool. You can temporarily reposition the pivot to skew
from a different point.

How to skew a layer using the Transform tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure

Peg Selection Mode is disabled.

3. In the Camera or Timeline view , click on the layer you w ant to manipulate to select it.

TIPSl

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Camera view , hold dow n Shift and clickon each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select multiple layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n Ctrl
(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on each layer you w ish to select.

l

If you w ant to select a contiguous series of layers in the Timeline view , hold dow n
Shift, click on the first layer you w ant to select, then on the last layer you w ant toselect.

A manipulator control box appears around the selected layer.

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Chapter 8: Scene Staging

4. Do one of the follow ing:lMove the cursor over one of the vertical edges of the manipulator box, then click and drag up
or dow n to skew the layer vertically.

lMove the cursor over one of the horizontal edges of the manipulator box, then click and dragleft or right to skew the layer horizontally.

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Flipping with the Transform Tool
T-HFND-008-009
You can flip a layer using the Transform tool. There are tw o w ays to flip.
l

The Flip Horizontal command flips the layer follow ing the Camera view X-axis.

l

The Flip Scale X command uses the original X-axis of the layer and flips the element follow ing it.

How to flip a layer

1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , make sure the Peg Selection Mode
3. In the Camera view , use the Transformis deselected.

tool to select a draw ing layer to flip.

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Flip > Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical.

l

In the Tool Properties view , click the Flip Horizontal

and the Flip Verticalbuttons.
l

Press 4 or 5.

How to flip an element following its original axis

1. In the Tool Properties view , make sure the Peg Selection Mode
2. In the Camera view , use the Transformis deselected.

tool to select an element that has already beentransformed.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Flip > Flip Scale X or Flip Scale Y.

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Manipulation with the Transform Tool
W hen enabled, this mode allow s the transform tool to select these controls, add them to the existingbounding box, and modify them in the same w ay as a peg. This is particularly useful for modifying both pegs
and deformation controls at the same time w ith the same bounding box. It also allow s for controls on different
nodes and in different deformations to be modified w ith the same transformation.
Certain deformations and controls can be selected and transformed w ith other Draw ings and Pegs byenabling the Mixed Manipulation Mode.

How to enable the Mixed Manipulation Mode using the Transform tool
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or press Shift + T

2. In the Tool Properties view , enable theMixed Manipulation Mode.

3. In the Camera view , click on the Curve manipulator, Offset Manipulator, or Free Form Deformation
you w ant to transform.

TIP
Enabling the Control Selection Mode w ill allow lasso selections of deformation
controls. This is helpful w hen multiple controls need to be selected in an area.

The selected controls w ill now have a bounding box around them. This bounding box can be manipulated
in the same w ay as selected pegs and draw ings.

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About Advanced Animation Tools
T-HFND-008-010
You can also use the advanced animation tools to position your layers. The difference betw een these tools andthe Transform tool is that they modify only one parameter of the position such as the rotation or the scale as
the Transform tool adjusts all parameters together.
You can find the advanced animation tools in the Advanced Animation Tools toolbar.

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Repositioning Permanent Pivots
Transformations made on a draw ing layer, such as rotation, scale, skew and flip, are made relative to theposition of the draw ing's pivot point. For example, rotating a layer w ill make it rotate around its pivot point,and scaling the layer w ill make it scale as if its centre w as actually its pivot point.
W hile making transformations using the Transform tool, you can drag and drop your selection's pivot.
How ever, this has no permanent effect. It w ill only temporarily change the pivot's position to help you maketransformations at the selected frame, but the actual pivot point of your draw ing layer w ill remain the same.
You can reposition a layer's pivot point permanently by using one of the tools in the Advanced Animation
toolbar.

NOTE
W hen you permanently move the pivot point of a layer that is already animated, all thetransformations done on the layer on other keyframes w ill be recalculated according to the new
pivot point's position. Therefore, your existing animation w ill look completely different, except at
the current frame. It is recommended to alw ays make sure your pivot point is at its ideal position
before you start animating.

How to permanently reposition the pivot point of a layer
1. In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select theTranslate ,Rotate ,Scale , or

Skew

tool.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , select the layer for w hich you w ant to move the pivot.

l

In the Camera view , Ctrl + click (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + click (macOS) on the layer forw hich you w ant to move the pivot.

Thepivot point appears in the Camera view .

3. Move the cursor over the pivot point. W hen the mouse cursor becomes
pivot point to reposition it.

519, click and drag on theHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

The layer's pivot point is now repositioned. If the layer has been animated, its position w ill be offset
across the scenes relative to how much you just offset the pivot point.

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Using the Translate Tool
T-LAY-004-002
You can use the Translate tool to pan your elements on the X, Y and Z axes.

How to use the Translate tool

1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click theTranslate tool.

l

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Translate.

lPress Alt + 2.

2. In the Camera view , Ctrl + click (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + click (macOS) to select your element.
3. Drag the selection to a new area.

l

You can select multiple layers at the same time. Press Ctrl + Shift + click(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + click (macOS) on each element to select them.

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Using the Rotate Tool
You can use the Rotate tool to rotate your objects on the x,y and z axis.

How to use the Rotate tool

1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Rotate.

l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click the RotatelPress the Alt + 3.

tool.

2. In the Camera view , Ctrl + click (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + click (macOS) to select your element.
3. Rotate the layer.

l

You can select multiple layers at the same time. Press Ctrl + Shift + click(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + click (macOS) on each element to select them.

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Using the Scale Tool
You scan use the Scale tool to squash, stretch, and resize your elements.

How to use the Scale tool

1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Scale.

l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click the Scalel

Press Alt + 4.

tool.

2. In the Camera view , Ctrl + click (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + click (macOS) to select your element.
3. Pull or push either on the side, top or corner control point. Hold dow n Shift to lock the selection’s
ratio w hen using the corner control points.

l

You can select multiple layers at the same time. Press Ctrl + Shift + click(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + click (macOS) on each element to select them.

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Using the Skew Tool
You can use the Skew tool to distort your elements on the x and y axis.

How to use the Skew tool

1. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect Animation > Tools > Skew.

l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click the Skewl

Press Alt + 5.

tool.

2. In the Camera view , Ctrl + click (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + click (macOS) on the element to select it
and drag a side of the bounding box up, dow n or sidew ays.

l

You can select multiple layers at the same time. Press Ctrl + Shift + click(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + click (macOS) on each element to select them.

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Using the Capture Motion Tool
The Capture Motion tool allow s you to create an animation on a draw ing or a peg by tracing it in real timeusing the mouse or the pen.

How to use the Capture Motion tool
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Capture Motion.

l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click the Capture MotionlPress Capture Motion Tool: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M.

tool.

2. Select the draw ing or Peg that you w ant to animate either in the Node or Timeline view .
3. Set the desired capture speed, keyframe interval and smoothing.
4. Place the play head on the start frame of your animation.
5. Click the Capture button in the Capture Motion Tool Properties.
In the Camera view a record progress indicator w ill appear.
6. Left click anyw here to start registering the motion path.
The path is recorded in real time, and the capture time w ill start updating in the recording indicator
7. Release the mouse at the end of your animation.

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TIP
You can press dow n anyw here in the Camera view or in your draw ing to register the motion
path. It w ill help you orient the path.

NOTE
Make sure the Capture Motion tool is enabled w hile performing these steps.

NOTE
If you record an animation for a node that is already a child of a peg, the final animation w ill beaffected by the animation in the parent peg and the recorded motion w ill be local to the nodethat you have selected.

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About the Layer Properties View
T-HFND-008-011
Each layer has a series of parameters that you can modify to adjust an element's position. You can accessthese parameters in the Layer Properties view . In this view , you can type in a value instead of moving theobject in the Camera view . These values can also be animated over time.
You can also access a layer's parameters in the Timeline view . Click on the Expand Parameters

button.

It is important to understand the coordinate values in Harmony, w hich is based on the origins of animation. In
traditional animation, a scene's size and camera motion are calculated in fields. A field has a 4:3 ratio andmeasures 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) in w idth. A specific grid has been created for this purpose know n as a field
chart. Harmony uses this unit of measurement as its coordinate system.

A field chart uses the cardinal directions. The X axis is the east-w est (left-right) direction, the Y axis is thenorth-south (up-dow n) direction and the Z axis is the forw ard-backw ard direction.
In Harmony, a draw ing's pivot is located at the centre of the field chart, regardless w here your draw ing has
been draw n on the page. Your draw ing is the entire sheet of paper, not only the draw ing strokes you havedraw n on the page. This allow s scanned draw ings, imported images and paperless draw ings to be properly
registered together.
If you w ant to move your draw ing in the upper-left region of the camera frame, you w ould type in something
like the follow ing:

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

X Axis: -4 or 4W (4 W est)l

Y Axis: 5 or 5N (5 North)If you w ant to move your draw ing in the low er-right region of the camera frame, you w ould type in something
like the follow ing:l

X Axis: 3 or 3E (3 East)l

Y Axis: -2 or 2S (2 South)

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Displaying the Layer Properties View
You can display the Layer Properties view in several w ays.

How to display layer parameters
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Layer Properties view is not part of your w orkspace, from the top menu, selectW indows > Layer Properties. In the Timeline view , select a layerl

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

lPress Shift + E.

The properties display—see Element/Draw ing Node in the Reference guide .

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Positioning Elements with the Layer Properties View
T-HFND-008-012
You can type values to position your elements using exact coordinates.

How to position an element with coordinates
1. In the Timeline view , select a layer.
2. In the Position section, select one of the follow ing options:lSeparate to independently edit the different coordinate fields. Continue to step 3.

l

3D Path to use a 3D path function w hen animating your element. Continue to step 4.

3. In the (x), (y) and (z) Axis fields, type in a new coordinates corresponding to the desired position—
see About Multiplane on page 534.
As you type in values, the element’s position is updated in the Camera view .
4. Use the Function

buttons to create function curves and add keyframes to animate theparameter.
5. In the Scale section, select one of the follow ing options:lLocked to resizes the element uniformly in three directions.

lSeparate to resize the element in any direction w ithout affecting the others.

6. In the (x) and (y) Axis fields, type in a new coordinates corresponding to the desired position

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7. Use the Function

buttons to create function curves and add keyframes to animate theparameter.
8. In the Rotation section, Angle z field, type in a degree value for the rotation angle. Note that you
can enter values greater than 360 and -360 degrees. If you enter 720, the object w ill rotate tw ice.

9. In the Skew field, type in a degree value betw een -90 to 90 for the skew angle.

10. In the Pivot section, type in the desired coordinate value to reposition the transformation pivot. Thisw ill change the permanent position of the pivot.

For detailed information on the Layer Properties parameters, see the Reference guide .

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Setting the Auto- Apply Option
If you w ant to alw ays w ork in Auto-Apply mode, you can deselect the Auto-Apply option in the Preferences
dialog box (General tab). Then, each time you start Harmony, the Auto-Apply mode w ill be off. You must click
the Apply button to see any modifications.

How to enable or disable the Auto Apply optionlFrom the top menu, select Edit > Auto- Apply.

How to enable or disable the Auto- Apply preference
1. In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (W indow s) orHarmony Essentials > Preferences (macOS).
The Preferences dialog box opens.
2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the General tab.
3. In the Options section, select or deselect the Auto Apply option.

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Resetting Transformations
You can easily reset layers to their original position. W ith the Reset command, you can return the value of a
selected element to the initial value of the active tool. For example, if the Rotatetransformation angle w ill be reset to 0 and if the Transform

tool is active, thetool is active, the all transformation

parameters values w ill be reset.
W hen selecting elements in the Camera view using the Transform tool, alw ays make sure that the Peg
Selection Modeis deselected in the Tool Properties view . Otherw ise, it w ill limit the selection to pegs 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 draw ing layer(s) to reset.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Reset or press R. This w ill reset the current frame if
keyframes w ere created.
The selected layer(s) return to their original position.

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 draw ing 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 completely reset the layers' parameters
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Timeline or Camera view , select one or more draw ing layers to reset.
3. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click the selected layers and select Clear All Values. This w ill remove all
keyframes and reset all values for the entire layer.

l

In the Timeline View menu, select Layers > Clear All Values. This w ill remove all
keyframes and reset all values for the entire layer.

The selected layers return to their original position.

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About Multiplane
T-HFND-008-013
One of the most exciting features in Harmony is the multiplane or Z-depth. In the multiplane, you can create
backgrounds in several layers, spread them on the Z-axis to add depth, and then move the camera throughthis environment to create an impressive perspective illusion.

In live action, w hen the camera moves around in a scene, objects near the camera w ill appear to move by agreater distance than objects far from the camera. In 2D animation, multiplanes can be used to achieve asimilar effect w ithout having to use 3D.
In Harmony, a multiplane can be easily achieved by creating a scene's background over several layers, andpositioning them at different depths relative to the camera.
Before creating a multiplane, make sure you have a proper understanding of the environment in w hich yourscene happens. Picture w hat your scene's background w ould be like in 3D, then image the camera moving
through the space, and how the objects in the picture move at different speeds depending on w here they are
in relation to the camera lens.
In the follow ing example, the background is made of 6 different layers, each picturing an object that is at adifferent distance from the camera. On the left, you can see how each object is positioned relative to thecamera, as if you w ere looking at them from the side. On the right, you can see how layers are positioned
relative to each other as if you w ere looking at the scene from a corner. Below , you can see the scene from thecamera's point of view .

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Chapter 8: Scene Staging

NOTE
W hen creating a multiplane background, it is important to draw each layer fully. Even if someparts of a background layer is hidden behind a foreground layer in the camera's initial position,
panning or zooming the camera may expose parts of background layers that are not initiallyvisible.

In order to move a layer further from or closer to the Camera, you must change its position on the Z-axis. You
can do this by moving a layer using the Transform Toolin the Side or Top view s. You can also move a layer

on Z-axis directly from the Camera View by holding Alt and dragging the layer up or dow n. Positioning yourelement closer to the camera makes them appear bigger, and moving them further makes them appear
smaller. It is also possible to move elements on the Z-axis w ithout affecting their apparent size by using theMaintain Size

tool in the Advanced Animation toolbar.

It is a good idea to keep a Camera view open to see w hat your scene looks like w hile positioning elements in
the Top and Side view s.

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NOTE
Just like w ith other transformations, transformations on the Z-axis on a parent layer w ill also affectthe apparent position on the Z-axis of its child layers. Therefore, a child layer's apparent positionon the Z-axis can be affected by any of its parents.

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Chapter 8: Scene Staging

Setting Up Multiplanes
T-HFND-008-017
You can setup your elements as a multiplane to create a parallax effect w hen moving your camera. You simply
need to spread and scale the objects on the Z-axis.

How to rotate a scene in the Perspective view
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Rotate View

tool.

2. Click in the view , and drag the cursor around to rotate the view or press and hold Ctrl + Alt(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Alt (macOS) and click and drag to rotate the view one axis at a time.

How to set up a multiplane
1. To maintain the visual scale in the Camera view as you move your element, do one of the follow ing:l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the Maintain SizelFrom the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Maintain Size.

l

Press Alt + 6.

tool.

2. In the Side or Top view , select one of the layers in the thumbnails section. You can also select alayer from the Timeline view .
The selected layer is highlighted in the Top, Side and Camera view s.

3. Drag the layer to the correct depth position in the camera cone. Your element aspect w ill remain
the same in the Camera view .

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4. For your element to scale up or dow n in relation to their distance to the camera, do one of thefollow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, select the Transformtool. Make sure the Peg Selection Mode
option is disabled in the Tool Properties view .

lIn the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the Translate

tool and select a layerfrom the thumbnails section of the Top or Side view .
lSelect a layer from the Timeline view .

The selected layer is highlighted in the camera cone.

5. In the Top view , drag the element sidew ays to position it horizontally. Hold Shift w hile dragging
the element to make sure it only moves along the X-axis.
6. In the Side view , drag the selected element up or dow n to position it vertically. Hold Shift w hile
dragging the element to make sure it only moves along the Y-axis.

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About Alignment Guides
Alignment guides are horizontal and vertical rulers that you can add to a panel. You can position them
anyw here in your stage, and use them to help you align layers and artw ork as w ell as to draw along their axis.
Alignment guides can be used as visual aids, but you can also make your animation and draw ing tools snap tothem.
The follow ing tools can snap to alignment guides:lTransformlSelectlContour EditorlPerspective

l

Brush

l

Pencil

l

Stamp

l

Eraserl

RectanglelEllipse

l

Line

l

Draw ing Pivot

W hen you manipulate elements w ith theLayer Transform tool and thenearby alignment guides. As for draw ing tools such as theBrush or the

Select tool, they w ill snap toPencil tool, they w ill snap toalignment guides if you draw close enough to them, allow ing you to draw straight lines along the guides.

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Adding Alignment Guides
You can add horizontal or vertical alignment guides to your scene.

NOTE
W hen you add a guide, it is instantly positioned in the centre of your scene. You can move it w ith
theTransform tool or the

Select tool.

How to access the Alignment Guides toolbar
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars > Alignment Guides.

lRight-click on any toolbar in your w orkspace and select Alignment Guides.

How to add an alignment guide
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Alignment Guides toolbar, click

New Horizontal Alignment Guide or

New

Vertical Alignment Guide.
l

In the top menu, select View > Alignment Guides > New Horizontal Alignment Guide or
New Vertical Alignment Guide.

The guide is added to the centre of the stage.

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Chapter 8: Scene Staging

Moving Alignment Guides
You can move alignment guides w ith theTransform tool or the

Select tool.

NOTE
Guides cannot be moved if they are locked—see Locking and Unlocking Alignment Guides.

How to move an alignment guide
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or the

Select tool.

2. Position your mouse cursor over the guide. The cursor w ill change to
3. Click and drag on the guide.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Snapping to Alignment Guides
Alignment guides are not just visual aides. You can make theTransform tool as w ell as various draw ing

tools snap against them.
The follow ing are tools that can snap against alignment guides:lTransformlSelectlContour EditorlPerspective

l

Brush

l

Pencil

l

Stamp

l

Eraserl

RectanglelEllipse

l

Line

l

Draw ing Pivot

W hen you're using a tool that supports snapping, you can enable snapping by clicking on the

Snapping

button in the Tool Properties view . Some tools support several types of snapping other than snapping toalignment guides.

NOTE
W hen you enable or disable snapping to alignment guides, it is enabled or disabled for all toolsthat support it.

How to enable snapping to alignment guides
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the animation or the draw ing tool you w ant to use.
2. In the Tool Properties view , double-click

Snapping and, in the drop-dow n menu, select Snap to

Alignment Guides.
Snapping to alignment guides is now enabled for all tools that support it.

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Chapter 8: Scene Staging

Locking and Unlocking Alignment Guides
By default, it is possible to move alignment guides w ith theTransform tool and the

Select tool. Once

your guides are properly positioned, you can lock them in position so as to avoid moving them by accident
w hen manipulating elements in your scene.

How to lock or unlock alignment guides
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Alignment Guides toolbar, click on the

Lock Alignment Guides button to toggle iton or off.
l

In the top menu, select View > Alignment Guides > Lock Alignment Guides to toggle theoption on or off.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Hiding and Displaying Alignment Guides
It is possible to temporarily hide alignment guides if you don’t need them.

NOTES
l

W hen alignment guides are hidden, animation and draw ing tools do not snap to them.

lAdding an alignment guide automatically makes alignment guides visible.

How to hide or display alignment guides
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Alignment Guides toolbar, click on theShow Alignment Guide button to toggle iton or off.
l

In the top menu, select View > Alignment Guides > Show Alignment Guides to toggle theoption on or off.

l

In the toolbar below the Camera View , click on theShow Alignment Guide button totoggle it on or off.

NOTE
This button is available in the toolbar below the Camera View , but not in the
toolbar below the Draw ing View .

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Chapter 8: Scene Staging

Clearing Alignment Guides
It is possible to instantly remove all alignment guides from your scene.

NOTE
It is not possible to delete a single alignment guide and keep all others.

How to clear all alignment guides
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Alignment Guides toolbar, click

Clear Alignment Guides.

l

In the top menu, select View > Alignment Guides > Clear Alignment Guides.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

Chapter 9: Digital Animation

W ith Harmony, you can animate layers using computer-generated trajectories, create multiplane camera
moves and camera shakes, adjust the easing, shape your paths w ith control points and much more.
Before animating the position of your layers, you need to create motion paths w hich are trajectories on w hich
you can attach draw ing objects. Using keyframes, you can then record key positions along the trajectory.
Harmony’s w ide range of features let you produce simple and advanced motions and trajectories. By creating
a simple motion, you w ill learn the basics of animating a layer.
There are tw o w ays to create motion paths: animated draw ing layers and pegs. They each have different
purposes.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Pegs
T-HFND-009-004
A Peg layer is a trajectory that contains no draw ings on w hich you can hook your draw ings.

Pegs have been used for a long time in the traditional animation process, mainly for registration purposes. Peg
holes at the bottom or top of the animation paper are used to keep all the sheets even and at the sameregistration.
There are three peg holes in regular animation paper. The centre peg hole is round w hile the left and rightones are oval shaped. The oval peg holes are located on each side of the page, four inches aw ay from thecentre peg hole.
To keep the draw ings together, the animator uses a peg bar. This peg bar has three pins that correspond to theshape and location of the peg holes. Peg bars are normally found at the bottom and top of animation discs.
Before digital compositing, the peg bars w ere also used to move layers on the camera stand to create pansand camera moves. They w ere the equivalent of digital trajectories. Harmony makes use of these concepts tocreate animation and camera motion.
A peg is composed of many customizable parameters. These parameters are:l

X, Y and Z positions (3D Path or Separate Positions)lAngle (rotation)

l

Skew

l

X and Y Scales

You can control a peg’s trajectory the same w ay as the animated draw ing layer.
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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

A peg layer is mainly used to control a series of draw ing layers, such as clouds, a school of fish or a flock ofbirds. You can attach them to a peg layer and make them follow a trajectory as a single unit. This makes
trajectory modifications much easier and faster. W hen building a puppet, most of the time you w ill add amaster peg to control your puppet as one object.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding Pegs
T-ANIMCO-001-001
You can add peg to your Timeline view and parent the layers to animate to it.

How to add a peg in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the layer on w hich you w ant to attach a peg.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the Timeline view layers toolbar, click the Add PeglFrom the top menu, select Insert > Peg.

lRight-click on the selected layer, then select Insert > Peg.

lPress Ctrl + P (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + P (macOS).

button.

The layer that w as originally selected becomes a child of the new parent Peg layer. The new Peg
layer automatically takes the name of its child layer, w ith the addition of the suffix -P.
The indentation of the layer, along w ith the "L" indicates hierarchy and that the layer is attached to
the Peg layer. This relationship is called a parent-child relationship.

3. If you intend to add multiple pegs or if the layer name that w as added to the peg does notaccurately represent the content of the Peg layer, you can rename it. Click the layer name and typein a new name. Or double-click the layer and type a new name into the dialog box.

4. If you did not create your peg layer directly above the layer you intended on parenting it to, thendrag the layer you w ant to attach to the peg and drop it directly below the Peg layer. The
indentation of the layer below the Peg layer indicates w hether it w as correctly attached or not.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animationl

You can unparent layers by holding dow n Shift and dragging the selected parents
aw ay from the child layer. Drop your selected betw een other layers.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Enabling Peg Selection ModeIn the Tool Properties view , the Peg Selection Modelets you automatically select the peg layers in the

Camera view instead of the draw ing layers. If you animate w ith pegs instead of animating the draw ing layers
directly, enable the Peg Selection Mode to avoid having to select in the Timeline view or use the Select Parent
Skipping Effects command.

How to enable the Peg Selection Mode
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool or press Shift + T.

2. In the Tool Properties view , click the Peg Selection Mode
3. In the Camera view , select an element parented to a peg.

552

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

About Drawing Layers
T-ANIMCO-001-002
You can create a motion path directly on layers (animated layers).

You can control and define a trajectory using several different parameters, including:l

X, Y and Z positions (3D Path or Separate Positions)lAngle (rotation)

l

Skew

l

X and Y Scales

Harmony keeps track of the animation by storing each parameter of each layer in their ow n function curve.
W hen you add a keyframe to a layer, a keyframe is created on each of these functions, and transformations
done on a layer via the Camera view are translated into coordinates w hich are then stored in those functions. It
is possible to edit these functions individually using the Function view , but that is rarely necessary, asHarmony provides easy-to-use tools for visually controlling trajectories and timing in the Camera andTimeline view s.

If you do not w ant to animate a draw ing layer, you can turn off its animation parameter. To do so, simply selectthe layer and in the Layer Properties view , deselect the Animate Using Animation Tools option on the Controlstab. If your layer w as already animated, then your keyframes w ill appear dimmed so you can easily identify
them as ones that cannot be modified. To modify keyframes, select the Animate Using Animation Tools
options.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

About Layer Parameters
T-HFND-009-008
A layer is composed of many customizable parameters, such as the X, Y and Z positions, angle (rotation), skew
and scales. Each parameter has its ow n function w hich is a mathematical formula expressing the relationshipbetw een position values. You can view each function on a graph as a simple curve, such as the one below .

There are several options available for setting up function parameters:lLocked Positions (3D Path)l

Separate PositionslLocked ScaleslSeparate Scales

You must select 3D Path, Separate Positions, Separate Scale, or Locked Scale before starting the animation.
W hen you lock or unlock parameters, this does not convert the functions from one to the other, but creates
new ones.
In a 3D Path, the X, Y and Z curves are locked together and controlled by a single velocity function. W hen you
add a keyframe, it is added on all three trajectories at once, as is the velocity. This is very useful for long,smooth trajectories.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

W hen using a 3D path, the X, Y and Z functions w ork together using the same keyframes. This allow s for thevelocity to control the curve and create a smooth trajectory. Even if a function does not have any variation on
its curve (for example, all keyframes are at zero), the velocity might add a slight motion to ensure a smooth
trajectory. This can cause elements that are very close to each other on the Z-axis to pop in front of one
another. This is w hy in cut-out animation it is recommended to use separate position settings. But if you w ork
w ith 3D path, you can use the Constant Z feature to avoid this from happening.
The Constant Z feature is used w hen creating motion keyframes. The Z function w ill use stop-motion
keyframes and w ill not be interpolated, w hich can be very useful for cut-out animation. The Constant Z feature
only w orks w ith 3D paths.
W hen the Separate Positions option is used, the X, Y and Z curves are independent and have velocity controls
directly on their function curve. This is useful w hen you w ant to set keyframes on one of the curves w ithout
affecting the others.

W hen using the Scale parameter, you can use a single function curve to control both the vertical andhorizontal scale, or tw o separate scales. W hen using a single function curve, the values are the same for the X(horizontal) and Y (vertical) axes for uniform size changes w ithout distortion. How ever, if you separate thescale functions, you can squash, stretch and skew your elements.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

Displaying Layer Parameters
T-ANIMCO-001-004
You can easily display the parameters for each layer in the Timeline view .

How to display the layer parameters in the Timeline view
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline’s left side, click a layer's ExpandlIn the Timeline view menu, select View > Show Functions.

lPress Alt + F.

557

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Setting Layer Parameters
T-ANIMCO-001-003
You can modify the layer parameters to different types of function and linking some of them together.

How to set the layer parameters
1. In the Timeline view , double-click on the layer on w hich you w ant to set the parameter. You canalso see the parameters in the Layer Properties w indow w hen you select the layer in the Timelineview .
The Layer Properties w indow opens.

2. Select the Transformation tab.
3. In the Position section, select the 3D Path or Separate option.
4. In the Scale section, select the Locked or Separate option.
5. Click Close.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

Enabling Constant Z
T-HFND-009-008A
You can also enable the Constant Z option directly in the Function view for specific functions.

How to enable the Constant Z option
1. In the Timeline view , expand the layer on w hich you w ant to set the Constant Z feature. Note thatyou must select the 3D Path option for the layer.
2. Double-click on one of the position functions to open the Function editor.
3. In the Function editor, select the Constant Z

button.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Keyframes
T-HFND-009-005
Interpolation is the computer-generated motion betw een tw o keyframes. Some animators and compositors
like to create their ow n in-betw eens, w hile others like to have the computer do it. Harmony has stop-motion(no interpolation) and motion keyframes (computer-generated interpolation).
W ith stop-motion keyframes, there is no computer-generated motion betw een the stop-motion keyframe andthe next keyframe. The segment of the function betw een those keyframes is flat, and the draw ing remains still
until the playback reaches the next keyframe, then the draw ing pops to its new location.

W ith motion keyframes, Harmony generates the interpolation betw een the motion keyframe and the next
keyframe. This means that a value for each frame betw een the keyframes is calculated by Harmony toprogress from the value of the previous keyframe to the value of the next keyframe.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

About Keyframe Creation
There are several different w ays you can create keyframes. You can add a coordinate keyframe, position
keyframe or a keyframe along w ith your draw ing duplication.
You can create a keyframe w ithout a draw ing. This adds new coordinate points but the draw ing in the layer
stays the same. At the same time, you may also w ant to duplicate your draw ing if you need to modify it and do
not w ant to modify the original.
You can also add a position keyframe instead of a regular keyframe. W hen you do this, keyframes w ill only be
added on the X, Y and Z parameters of the selected layer. Keyframes are not added on the Angle, Scale andSkew parameters.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating Keyframes in the Timeline View
T-HFND-009-006
You can add keyframes in the Timeline view to multiple layers, a single layer or a specific parameter.

How to create keyframes in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell on w hich you w ant to add a keyframe.

2. Add a keyframe by doing one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Insert > Keyframe.

lRight-click on the selection and select Insert Keyframe.

lPress F6.

l

In the Timeline View toolbar, click the Add Keyframe

button.

If the Animate mode is enabled in the Camera view , a keyframe is automatically created on thecurrent frame.

How to add a keyframe for a specific parameter
1. On the right side of the Draw ing layer, press the + to expose the different functions of that draw ing.
2. On the right side of the Timeline view , select a cell on the layer’s function that you w ant to animate.

3. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click the selected cell and select Insert Keyframe.

lPress F6.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animationl

In the Timeline View toolbar, click the Add Keyframe

button.

How to create a keyframe and duplicate the drawing at the same time
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell containing the draw ing you w ant to duplicate and add a
keyframe.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Insert > Keyframe and Duplicate Drawing.

l

Right-click on the selection and select Insert Keyframe and Duplicate Drawing.

l

Press F6.

A keyframe and a duplicate of the draw ing is created. The duplicated draw ing sits on top of theoriginal draw ing.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating Keyframes in the Function View
You can add keyframe directly on the graph using the Function view .

How to add or delete keyframes in the Function editor
1. In the Timeline view , open the draw ing or layer’s parameters by clicking the Expand

button orpress Alt + F.

2. Double-click on the parameter layer name to open the Function editor w indow or click once on theparameter layer to display it in the Function view 's left sidebar. If you are using the Function view ,you must click on the function name from the sidebar list to view it in the graph display region.
3. In the Function editor, do one of the follow ing:l

In the graph section, click on the frame w here you w ant to make changes.

l

In the Frame field, enter the frame number.

In the graph display area, the red playhead moves to that frame number.
4. In the Function editor, click the Add Keyframe

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

5. Click on the new ly created keyframe and drag it up to increase the value of the function or dow n to
decrease the value. Depending on the selected function, this could increase or decrease the w idthof the object (scale_x) or change the object's vertical position (position_y). Pull on the handles tocreate non-linear transition speeds betw een keyframes.
6. If you do not like the changes you just made, select and delete the new keyframe by pressing Del orclicking the and Delete keyframe

button.

You can delete an existing keyframe by using the same process.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating Keyframes in the Xsheet View
If you prefer w orking w ith the Xsheet view , you can also create keyframes and type values in the Xsheet view .
To edit a function column in the Xsheet view , you must first display the Functions section of the Xsheet viewand then select the layer you w ant to modify. If you double-click on a function column's header, you w ill
display the corresponding function curve in the Function editor.

How to add a keyframe in the Xsheet view
1. In the Xsheet view , click the Expand button located on the right side of the main section to show
the Functions section.

2. In the Timeline view , select the layer that contains the parameters to modify.
The columns appear in the Xsheet view if function curves w ere previously created by adding
keyframes in the Xsheet view or Layer Properties w indow . Otherw ise, the columns do not appear.

3. In the Xsheet view , go to the function column on w hich you w ant to add a keyframe.
4. Double-click on the cell on w hich you w ant to add a keyframe and type a numeric value.

5. Press Enter/Return to continue to the next cell.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

6. Press Esc to exit the typing mode.

How to convert a cell into a keyframe
1. In the Xsheet view , go to the function column on w hich you w ant to add a keyframe.
2. Select the cell to convert.

3. Right-click on the cell and select Set Selection As Keyframe or press F6.

4. To remove a keyframe, select the keyframe, right-click on the cell and select Clear Keyframe in
Selection or press F7.

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Automatically Creating Animation Keyframes W hen Transforming
Elements
T-ANIMCO-001-007
Before you start animating, you should set the Animate mode of Harmony tomode ensures that, w henver you use theAnimate Current Frame. This

Transform tool or any of theAdvanced Animation

tools to move, rotate, scale or skew an element in your scene, a keyframe is created at the current frame in
w hich the new coordinates of the element are stored.
W hen this mode is enabled, all you need to do to animate elements in your scene is to select the frame w here
you w ant to create an animation keyframe, then position the element you w ant to animate in the position,
angle, scale and skew you w ant it to be at this frame, and repeat for every animation keyframe you w ant tocreate. Since a keyframe is automatically created at the current frame each time you transform an element,
making transformations on your elements on different frames in your scene w ill automatically create an
animation.

How to set the Animate mode to Animate Current Frame
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Tools toolbar, click on the Animate mode button w hich, depending on the currently
selected mode, w ill either have theRange orlAnimate Current Frame,

Animate Off icon, and selectAnimate Onion Skin

Animate Current Frame in the pop-up menu.

In the top menu, select Animation > Animate > Animate Current Frame.

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Deleting Keyframes
T-HFND-009-007
You can delete keyframes independently from draw ing exposure.

NOTE
If you select a keyframe in the Timeline view and press the Del key, you w ill also delete thedraw ing exposure. To only delete the keyframe, you must use the Delete Keyframe command.

How to delete a keyframe
1. In the Timeline view , select a keyframe and do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Delete Keyframes.

l

From the top menu, select Animation > Delete Keyframe.

lPress F7.

l

In the Timeline View toolbar, click on the Delete Keyframesl

Use the Transformbutton.

tool to select a keyframe to delete from the trajectory in the

Camera view and press Del.

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Animating with Keyframes
T-ANIMCO-001-005
You can animate a layer or a peg by creating keyframes and moving your draw ings in the Camera view .

How to animate a layer or a peg
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the
2. In the Tools toolbar, if

Transform tool or press Shift + T.

Animate Off orAnimate Onion Skin Range mode is selected, click on it

to open the Animate pop-up menu and selectAnimate Current Frame.

3. If your layer has a parent peg:l

If you w ant to animate on the peg instead of the layer, make sure thatPeg Selection

Mode is enabled in the Tool Properties view .
l

If you w ant to animate directly on the layer, make sure thatPeg Selection Mode isdisabled in the Tool Properties view .
4. In the Timeline view , go to the first frame.

5. From the top menu, select Animation and make sure the Stop- Motion Keyframe option isunchecked. This w ill make it so Harmony automatically creates the animation betw een the
animation keyframes you create.
6. Select the cell w here you w ant to create your first keyframe
7. To create your first keyframe, do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the

Add Keyframe button.

l

Right-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

A keyframe is created on the first frame of the Timeline view .

8. In the Camera view , select the element to animate and move, rotate, scale or skew it so that it is in
its proper starting position.

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9. In the Timeline view , go to the frame on w hich you w ant to set the second position.

10. Select the cell w here you w ant to create your second keyframe. right-click on the selection andselect Insert Keyframe.
The second keyframe appears in the Timeline view , along w ith a line going from your first keyframe
to your second keyframe. This indicates that every frame in-betw een w ill be animated by Harmony.

11. In the Camera view , move, rotate, scale or skew the element to that it is in its proper second
position.

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NOTES
l

For information on how to use the Transform tool to move, rotate, scale or skew anelement, see About the Transform Tool .

l

You can also use the Advanced Animation tools to move, rotate, scale and skew
elements—see About Advanced Animation Tools.

12. In the Timeline view , select the first frame to rew ind to the beginning of your animation.
13. In the Playback toolbar, click on thePlay button to preview your animation.

NOTE
If you animate layers on the Z axis, you may w ant to preview your animations from the Top orSide view s during playback. How ever, playback is disabled by default in those view . To
enable them, from the top menu, select Play > Enable Playback > Top View or Side View.

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Animating, Repositioning or Transforming an Element Over Several
FramesBy default, w hen you use theTransform tool or the

Advanced Animation tool to reposition

an element, its coordinates are changed in the current frame only. How ever, it is possible to move, rotate, scaleand skew an element on several keyframes simultaneously. This is done by changing the Animate mode.
There are three different Animate modes:lAnimate Current Frame: W hen you transform an element, its position, angle, scale and skew arestored in a keyframe at the current frame. This means that a keyframe is created at the current frame, if
there is not one already.

lAnimate Onion Skin Range: W hen you transform an element, the transformation is applied toevery frame in the Onion Skin. This means that it is applied to every keyframe inside the Onion Skin
range, and, if needed, keyframes are created at the beginning and the end of the Onion Skin to preserve
the transformations you make.

l

Animate Off: W hen you transform an element, the transformation is applied throughout the entire
scene. If the element has keyframes, the transformation is applied to all of these keyframes. No
keyframe is automatically created w hen using this mode.

How to move, rotate, scale or skew an element over a specific span of frames
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool.

TIP
You can also make transformations over several keyframes using the
Rotate,Scale,

Skew orTranslate,

Maintain Size tools, w hich can be selected in the

Advanced Animation toolbar.

2. In the Timeline or Camera view , select the element you w ant to transform.

3. In the Tools toolbar, click on the Animate mode button w hich, depending on the currently selected
mode, w ill either have theAnimate Off icon, and selectAnimate Current Frame,

Animate Onion Skin Range orAnimate Onion Skin Range in the pop-up menu.

Animate Onion Skin Range is now enabled. At the same time, Onion Skin becomes enabled, and573

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

the Onion Skin handles appear left and right of the red playhead in the Timeline view .

4. In the Timeline view , move the timeline playhead to a frame somew here in the middle of the spanof frames you w ant to transform.

5. Adjust the range of the Onion Skin so that it covers every frame you w ant to apply thetransformation to by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , click and drag on the red onion skin marker to make it include theprevious draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin, then click and drag on the green
onion skin marker to make it include the next draw ings you w ant to display in the onion skin.

l

Use the buttons in the toolbar above the draw ing space to adjust how many previous andnext draw ings are included in the Onion Skin:l

To increase the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

Add Previous

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of previous draw ings to display, click on the

RemovePrevious Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To increase the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the

Add Next

Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.
l

To decrease the amount of next draw ings to display, click on the
Draw ing button in the Camera/Draw ing view toolbar.

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Remove Next

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NOTE
If there are no keyframes at the beginning and at the end of the Onion Skin range,
keyframes w ill be automatically created at those frames to store the transformation
you w ill make. If you w ant to avoid this, make sure the Onion Skin range begins andends on a keyframe.

The position of the layer in every frame in the Onion Skin range w ill appear in the Camera view , asOnion Skin.

6. In the Camera view , use the Transform tool to move, scale, rotate or skew the selected element.

NOTES
l

For information on how to use the Transform tool to move, rotate, scale or skew anelement, see About the Transform Tool .

l

You can also use the Advanced Animation tools to move, rotate, scale and skew
elements—see About Advanced Animation Tools.

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The transformation is applied on every keyframe w ithin the Onion Skin range on the selected layer.

NOTE
Make sure to set the Animate mode back to Animate Current Frame w hen you w ant yourtransformations to only affect the current frame again.

How to move, scale, rotate or skew an element throughout the entire scene
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool.

TIP
You can also make transformations throughout the entire scene using theTranslate,
Rotate,Scale,
Skew orMaintain Size tools, w hich can be selected in the
Advanced Animation toolbar.

2. In the Timeline or Camera view , select the element you w ant to transform.

3. In the Tools toolbar, click on the Animate mode button w hich, depending on the currently selected
mode, w ill either have theAnimate Off icon, and selectAnimate Current Frame,

Animate Onion Skin Range orAnimate Off in the pop-up menu.

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4. In the Camera view , use the Transform tool to move, scale, rotate or skew the selected element.

NOTES
l

For information on how to use the Transform tool to move, rotate, scale or skew anelement, see About the Transform Tool .

l

You can also use the Advanced Animation tools to move, rotate, scale and skew
elements—see About Advanced Animation Tools.

The transformation is applied to the element throughout the entire scene. If the element has
animation keyframes, the transformation is applied to every keyframe as w ell.

NOTE
Make sure to set the Animate mode back to Animate Current Frame w hen you w ant yourtransformations to only affect the current frame again.

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Changing Keyframe Values
Once a keyframe is added, beside moving the image in the Camera view , you can change its value by typing itin the Timeline and Function view s.

How to change the keyframe values in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , open the draw ing or layer’s parameters by clicking the Expand

button orpress Alt + F.

2. Select the parameter for w hich you w ant to create a function curve.
3. Place the cursor over the blue number value of the parameter and do one of the follow ing:l

W ait until the cursor changes to a w hite hand w ith a tw o-w ay arrow and then dragthe hand left to decrease the value or right to increase the value.

lDouble-click on the blue number and enter a value in the field.

How to change a keyframe value in the Function editor
1. In the Timeline view , open the peg element's parameters by clicking the Plus
layer's name.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

2. Double-click on the parameter layer name to open the Editor w indow or click once on theparameter layer to display it in the Function view .
3. In the graph of the Function editor, select a w hite keyframe.
The keyframe turns red and displays a pointed yellow handle.
4. In the Value field, enter a value. You can also drag the keyframe up or dow n in the graph.

5. Press Enter/Return or click the Playbutton to view the changes made in the Camera view .

6. Keep adjusting the values until you are satisfied w ith the results.
7. Click Close.

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Switching Between Motion and Stop- Motion Keyframes
T-ANIMCO-001-006
You can sw itch a keyframe from stop-motion to motion at any time in the Timeline view and Function Editor.

How to switch between motion and stop- motion in the Timeline view
1. On the right side of the Timeline view , select one or more keyframes to modify.

2. Sw itch betw een motion and stop-motion by doing one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selected keyframes and select Set Motion Keyframes or Set StopMotion Keyframes.

lPress Ctrl + K (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + K (macOS) for motion keyframes and Ctrl + L(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + L (macOS) for stop-motion keyframes.

l

In the Timeline View toolbar, click the Motion Keyframe
button.

or Stop-Motion Keyframe

How to switch between motion and stop- motion keyframes in the Function view
1. Open the Function view .
2. In the Timeline view , double-click on the layer that contains the keyframes you w ant to convert.
The Layer Properties w indow opens.

3. Do one of the follow ing:

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In the Transformation tab, click the Function Editorl

In the Timeline view , click the Expand Function

button.
button or press Alt + F anddouble-click on the function to edit.

4. On the function curve, select one or more keyframes to modify.

5. Select or deselect the Stop-motion Keyframe

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

Jumping to Keyframes
You can jump betw een the selected layer's keyframes in the Timeline view .

How to jump to keyframes
1. In the Camera or Timeline view , select the layer that contains the keyframes you w ant to flip
through.

2. From the top menu, select Animation > Go to Previous Keyframe or Go to Next Keyframe orpress semicolon (;) and single quote (').

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About Controls
T-HFND-009-010
Camera moves and motion paths can become quite advanced, especially w ith moves through 3D space.
Harmony provides tools to view your camera’s path and make adjustments to it from both a 2D and 3D
perspective.
You can display the trajectory of a motion path w hen you select an object from any view it can be selected in.
A motion path is easy to manipulate. One important concept to understand is that a trajectory contains both
keyframes and control points. Both can be used to shape a path; each have their ow n behaviour, how ever only
keyframes appear in the Timeline view .
lKeyframes have a transformation value and a position in space at a given frame. Keyframes are lockedin time.

lControl points have a position but no fixed frame or timing. It is mainly used to deform a trajectory.
There are no velocity handles available on a control point. The velocity segments are set betw een
keyframes only, making curves and trajectories much smoother. Control points can only be added on a
3D path.

You can set the default Continuity, Bias and Tension parameters in the Preferences panel.
Continuity: Controls the smoothness of a transition betw een the segments joined by a point.

Tension: Controls how sharply the path bends as it passes through a control point or keyframe.

Bias: Controls the slope of the path so it flow s tow ards one side of the motion point or the other.

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Displaying Controls
T-HFND-009-011
You can display a layer's controls to adjust a trajectory or other parameters such as a gradient's position ordeformation settings.

How to display the layer’s controls
1. Verify that the Camera view (click its tab) is selected and that the layer w hose trajectory you w ant
to display is selected in the Timeline view .

2. From the top menu, select View > Show > Control or press Shift + F11 or in the Camera view
toolbar, click on the Show Control

button.

NOTE
If nothing appears in the Camera view , you may not have animated or selected
the layer.

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Adding Control Points
T-HFND-009-012
You can add control points on 3D Path trajectories. You need to display the layer's controls in the Camera
view .

How to add a control point on a trajectory
1. In the Timeline or Camera view , select the peg or layer on w hich you w ant to add a control point.
2. If the selected element’s trajectory is not displayed, select View > Show > Control from the top
menu or press Shift + F11.
The trajectory appears in the Camera, Top, Side and Perspective view s.

3. Add control points on a 3D path trajectory by placing the cursor w here you w ant to add the point
and press P once. If you hold the key dow n, control points w ill be added continuously until you
release the key.
A control point is added to the trajectory.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Toggling Point Types
You can convert a control point into a keyframe and a keyframe into a control point. The position and othervalues w ill remain in both cases, only the frame w ill change. A control point is not locked in time.

How to switch between keyframe and control point
1. In the Camera view , use the Transform

tool select a point to convert.

2. To convert the point:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lock in Time.

l

In the Function view or Function Editor, select the keyframe to convert and click the
Lock in Timebutton.

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Chapter 9: Digital Animation

Adjusting Tension, Bias, and Continuity
You can adjust the shape of the curve passing through a point by modifying the bias, tension, and continuity
settings. You can also set preferred settings as default.

How to adjust the control point preferences
1. From the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Preferences(macOS).
The Preferences dialog box opens.
2. Select the Camera tab and adjust the parameters in the Control Points section.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Offsetting Trajectories
By offsetting a trajectory, you Lets you reposition the visual trajectory w ithout offsetting or modifying youranimation. By default, the trajectory is located at 0,0,0 fields. If your elements w ere draw n in a different
location than the centre of the draw ing area, it w ill look like the trajectory is not aligned w ith your draw ing.
Also, if you have several elements attached to one trajectory, you might w ant your trajectory to be at adifferent location to represent the group's motion better.

How to offset a trajectory
1. In the Animation Tools toolbar, select the Spline Offset

tool or press Alt + 8.

2. In the Camera, Top, Side or Timeline view , select the layer w hose trajectory you w ant to offset.
3. From the top menu, select View > Show > Control to display the trajectory. If you do not display
the trajectory, any transformation done using the Spline Offset tool w ill be ignored.

4. In the Camera view , drag the trajectory to the proper position. You can move it on the X and Y axes,
but also on the Z-axis using the Top and Side view s.

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About Functions
By default, w hen a draw ing layer or peg is added to a scene, no function curves are created. You w ill generally
create the ones you need to avoid being overloaded w ith too many functions you might not use.
W hen you select an element in the Camera view and move it around, it w ill automatically create thecorresponding function curves. If you need to create certain functions manually, you can alw ays do it throughthe Layer Properties view or editor. You can then share it w ith other layer parameters or set keyframes directlyon the function curve instead of doing it in the Timeline or Camera view .
You can also link a layer's parameter to an existing function curve or attach several parameters to the samefunction curve. For example, if you have an aircraft performing loops betw een clouds, you may w ant thecamera to follow the aircraft's motion path. If you attach the camera to the aircraft's layer, the camera w ill also
loop, but this may produce undesirable results and even induce a feeling of motion sickness as you w atch thefinal animation. Instead, you can share the X, Y and Z positions of the aircraft w ith the camera's peg layer, but
ignore the angle, scale and skew .
By default, all function curves can only be used and modified using their original parameter. If you w ant
another layer or parameter to use the same function curve, you must share it.
There are tw o w ays to share a function:lShare Functions commandl

Layer Properties editor

W hen you create a function curve in the Layer Properties view or editor, there are several choices available:
Parameter

Description

Create 3D Path

Creates a new 3D Path Column set

Create Bezier

Creates a new Bezier curve

Local

Disconnects the parameter from any function and changes it to shared.

3D PathDisplays the list of every shared 3D Path function available

Bezier

Displays the list of every shared Bezier curve available

Velobased

Displays the list of every shared velocity based curve available

3D Rotation

Displays the list of every shared 3D Rotation function available

Connected

Displays the list of every shared connected function curve592

Chapter 9: Digital Animation

Unconnected

Displays the list of every shared unconnected function curveAll

Displays the list of every shared function curve

You have the choice of creating a new function curve or linking it to a shared function. This w ay, you can have
tw o or more parameters follow ing the same function.
Depending on your favourite w orking method, you can create different types of function curves to suit yourneeds, including:lBezier functionl

Velobased function

W hen you create a function to control a parameter over time (Scale, X, Y, Z, Rotate), you can use a Bezierfunction.

These function editors present different w ays of editing the values over time. The shape of the created graphindicates the velocity of the function, regardless of the chosen editor. The type of function that you choose islargely based on your w orking preference.
You can also create Velobased functions for certain effects, like changes in rotation or size over time. W hen
you do this, the Velobased functions are linked to the velocity of a 3D path. You cannot change the shape of a
Velobased function to control its velocity.
W ith Velobased functions, you can link changes in rotation or scaling to the velocity of a 3D path. This makes
it possible for changes in rotation or scaling to progress at the same speed as changes to the position of anelement.

You can convert a Bezier functions so you can edit it using the controls offered by that type of function.

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Creating Functions
You can create function curves in several different w ays. You cannot create function curves directly in the
Xsheet view . You must do this in the Layer Properties w indow or the Timeline view .

How to create the function curve in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , expand the layer's parameters.
2. Click the Function button and, in the drop-dow n menu, select Create Bezier.

How to create function curves using the Layer Properties view
1. In the Timeline view , double-click on the layer you w ant to create function curves for.
The Layer Properties Editor opens.

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2. In the Transformation tab, click the Function Arrow button beside the local function information.
3. Create a 3D Path, Bezier, or Velobased curve.

You can click the Function

button to open the Function editor.

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About Copying Motions
In the Timeline view , you can easily drag keyframes to change the animation timing, delete them, cycle themand even copy them.
W hen you have position keyframes set in your draw ing layer and you w ant to move them around w hen
moving your draw ing's timing, you can use the Paste Special feature to only move selected keyframes.
You can also use the Paste Cycle and Paste Reverse feature to cycle your selection including keyframes anddraw ings.
If you w ant to cycle a portion of your animation, you can use the Paste Cycle command. You can also use the
Paste Reverse command to completely reverse the flow of your animation.

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Using Timeline Paste Modes
Use can copy and paste or drag and drop keyframes and draw ings in the Timeline view using various modes.

How to paste a selection using different modes
1. In the Timeline view , select the cells you w ant to copy and paste.

2. In the Timeline toolbar, click the desired Paste

mode button.

3. From the top menu, select Edit > Copy Cells from the Timeline or press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux)or ⌘ + C (macOS).
4. In the Timeline view 's right side, select the cell on w hich you w ant to paste your selection.

5. Select Edit > Paste Cells in the Timeline or press Ctrl + V (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + V (macOS).
Paste Mode: All Draw ing Attributes

Paste Mode: Keyframes Only

Paste Mode: Exposures Only

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Using Paste Special
You can copy draw ing exposures and keyframes and paste only a portion of your selection using Paste
Special.

How to copy and paste a motion using Paste Special
1. In the Timeline view , select the keyframes to copy and paste. If you w ant to move the keyframes, go
to step 3.

2. From the top menu, select Edit > Copy Cells from the Timeline or press Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux)or ⌘ + C (macOS).
3. Edit your selection by doing the follow ing:l

To paste the selection, in the Timeline view , select the first cell on w hich you w ant topaste your keyframes and from the top menu, select Edit > Paste Special or press
Ctrl + B (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + B (macOS).

l

To move the selection, in the Timeline view , drag the selection and hold dow n Alt.
Drop the selection w here you need it and release the hot key.

The Paste Special w indow opens.
4. Set the Draw ing, Pegs and Functions, and Cycles parameters.
5. Click OK.

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About Velocity
T-ANIMCO-001-009
To add ease in and ease out on motion paths, you can display the function curve and modify the Bezier or Ease
curve. To apply ease to multiple functions and keyframes, you can use the Set Ease For Multiple Parametersscript and set the amount.
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. W hen a keyframe is selected, easing values appear in the righthandle and left handle fields, as w ell as Bezier handle or Ease w heel controls on each selected keyframe. Pullon them to adjust the ease in and ease out, or type values in the fields.
You can reshape the velocity function using Bezier controls.

If you have several functions w hose velocity you w ant to adjust at the same time, you can use the Set Ease forMultiple Parameters dialog box. It allow s you to apply the same velocity parameters to all the selected
keyframes in the same frame.

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Displaying Velocity Curves
You can display a parameter's function curve and adjust the easing w ith the relevant controls.

How to display the velocity curve
1. In the Timeline view , click the Expand

button on a layer or press Alt + F.

The layer’s functions are displayed.

2. Double-click the desired function. Note that 3D Paths have a specific velocity curve controlling theX, Y, and Z axis together. You need to click on the Position:Velocity layer.

The Function Editor opens as the Bezier Editor.

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The editor w ill not be displayed if the function does not already exist.

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Adjusting Bezier Curve Velocity
You can reshape a Bezier curve velocity using the Function view controls.

How to adjust a Bezier curve velocity
1. In the Function view , select a keyframe.
2. Drag the controls to modify the shape of the curve.
You can reshape the function using the Bézier controls.

3. The Continuity options influence how you can move the handles:lStraight: Lets you move the handles together, maintaining the same angle to thepoint.

lCorner: Lets you move the handles independently.

lSmooth: Lets you move the handles together, maintaining the same distance andangle to the point.

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Creating Stepped Velocity
You can create a stepped curve to hold the same value over a selected number of frames. This w orks w ell
w hen you are animating draw ings on 2s, for example, and you w ant to hold the same value for a function overthose tw o frames.

How to create a step velocity
1. Click the Hold Value Editor

button.

The Hold Value editor opens.

2. In the Hold Value Editor, enter the follow ing values:lStart: The starting frame for the effect.

l

Stop: The last frame for the effect.

l

Step: The number of frames to hold the value.

The function curve is updated based on the values you entered.

You can reshape the curve to create a linear velocity, so the values are interpolated (tw eened)
consistently betw een keyframes. That is, there is no acceleration in the effect.

How to create a step velocity for multiple parameters
1. Add the Scripting toolbar to your interface:l

Go to the top menu and select W indows > Toolbars > Scripting.

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

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Chapter 9: Digital Animationlright-click on the empty space near the top of a view and from the quick-access menu
selecting Scripting.

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

button to open the Scripts Manager

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

button becomes active.

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

button.
button is added to the Scripting toolbar.

6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.
8. In the Timeline view , select the layer w hose parameter values you w ould like to hold.
9. In the Scripting toolbar, click on the TB_CreateStepsOn script
The Create Function Step On dialog box appears.

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10. In the Settings section, enter the hold value by changing the number in the Every Number ofFrames field.
11. In the Selection section, enter the first and last frame numbers to define the selection range.

NOTE
The playhead location determines the low est value you can enter for the first frame,
w hen defining the selection range. You need to move the playhead to frame one if you
w ould like to set frame one as the low est possible starting value.

12. Click OK.
13. In the Timeline view , expand the layer properties of the selected layer by clicking on its plus
button.

14. Double-click on a parameter layer to open its Bezier Editor. If that parameter w as animated, the 3frame hold from frame 20 to 60 w as applied.

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15. In the Bezier Editor, click on any of the keyframes to bring up the bezier point handles and use themto reshape the velocity curve for that parameter.

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This means that multiple parameters can have the same stepped velocity, but have different easein ease-out curves defining that velocity.

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Adjusting Velocity in the Timeline View
If you w ould rather avoid playing w ith graphs and function curves, you can adjust the velocity in the Timelineview .

How to set the ease in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select a keyframe on one or more layers.

NOTE
Only the first selected keyframe w ill be considered w hen using the Set Ease For Multiple
Parameter function. If many keyframes are selected on the same layer, the ease values w ill beapplied only on the first keyframe and the rest w ill be ignored.

2. In the Timeline toolbar, select an option from the Set Ease Type menu.

NOTE
TIP: Optimize your w orkflow by adding the Apply Ease to Selection

button to the Timeline

toolbar. This lets you quickly reapply the ease type w ithout going through the Set Ease Typemenu each time. To add the button to the toolbar, right-click on the toolbar area of theTimeline view and select Customize.

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Setting Ease on Multiple Parameters
T-HFND-009-013
You can adjust the velocity on multiple parameters at a same frame for consistency.

How to set the ease on multiple parameters
1. In the Timeline view , select a keyframe on one or more layers.

NOTE
Only the first selected keyframe w ill be considered w hen using the Set Ease For
Multiple Parameter function. If many keyframes are selected on the same layer,
the ease values w ill be applied only on the first keyframe and the rest w ill beignored.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

button.

The Set Ease For Multiple Parameters dialog box opens.

3. In the graph, adjust the Bezier handles to change the velocity for all the selected functions.

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4. In the Filters section, you can apply the easing parameters to a specific type of function only, suchas Rotation or Scale. Deselect the function types you do not w ant to affect.
l

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

lRotation: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Angle functions.

l

Scale: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Scale functions.

l

Skew: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Skew functions.

lMorphing: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Morphing Velocity
functions. Note that it applies to the Morphing velocity function found in the Layer
Properties w indow , not the basic morphing ease in the Tool Properties view .

lOther: Applies the easing parameters to all the other the selected functions, such as
all functions created to animate effect parameters.

5. You can also adjust the easing by typing values in the Time and Value Ratio fields. The values arecalculated in percentage.
l

In the Left Time Ratio and Right Time Ratio fields, type the percentage value
corresponding to the length of time you w ant the easing to last. Stay betw een 0%
and 100%. If you go beyond 100%, your motion w ill overshoot.

l

In the Left Value Ratio and Right Value Ratio fields, type the percentage value of how
strong you w ant the easing out to be. Stay betw een 0% and 100%. If you go beyond
100%, your motion w ill overshoot.

l

If your Time Ratio and Value Ratio values are equal, you w ill have a linear motion.

6. Once done, click one of the follow ing:lApply/Previous: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes and thenselects the previous keyframe in the timeline.

lApply: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Apply/Next: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframes and thenselects the next keyframe in the timeline.

lClose: Close the dialog box. If you did not apply the modifications, they w ill becancelled.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning
Toon Boom Harmony Essentials allow s you to import external content as w ell as being able to draw directlyin the softw are. This means that characters, backgrounds and videos created in other draw ing, painting andmultimedia programs can be brought in and animated. You can import QuickTime videos, pictures,
multilayered .psd files, as w ell as .ai, .sw f, .pdf, and .fla files. You can also scan images and import them asbitmap or vectorize them.

NOTE
For sound import, refer to Importing Sound on page 85.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Importing Bitmap Images
T-HFND-007-001
Images can come in many different file formats and are usually saved in a format that retains the original
specifications set by the image creator. Some formats can preserve the transparency or transparent layers,
w hile others are not resolution dependent due to their vector nature. Toon Boom Harmony Essentials
supports the follow ing bitmap image formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG (16 bits per channel RGB and RGBA), TGA,
PSD (16 bits per channel), TIFF, SGI, TVG, OMF, PAL, SCAN.

W hen importing a bitmap image, you must decide how Harmony must process it. You can choose betw een thefollow ing options:l: This imports the image exactly as is and ensures that it cannot be modified w hen w orking on thescene. This is useful for using backgrounds that w ere created in different softw are in your project.

l: Converts a bitmap into Toon Boom vector art, w hich can easily be painted and edited using Harmony's
vector draw ing tools. This can be useful for importing line art scanned or created using a different
softw are.

W hen importing images, the settings used to import are saved in your user settings.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Importing Bitmap Images As Original Bitmap
T-HFND-007-002
Importing a bitmap image in its original format ensures it is preserved exactly as is in Harmony. W hen
importing a bitmap image, you have several options available such as w here you w ant to import the file andhow to name it.

How to import a bitmap image in its original format
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

In the File toolbar, click the Import Imagesl

In the Xsheet view , right-click anyw here in the frame area and select Import >button.

Images.
The Import Images dialog box opens.

2. In the Files section of the Import Images dialog box, click Browse to find and select one or more
images on your computer.
3. Add the bitmap image to a new layer by selecting the Create Layer(s) option and one of thefollow ing options:lCreate Single Layer Named: Creates a new layer w ith the specified name andimports the images into it.

615

Harmony 22 Essentials User GuidelCreate Layer(s) Based on Filenames: Creates a layer based on each uniquefilename prefix. For example, if you import three files named a-1.tga, a-2.tga
and b-1.tga, this w ill create tw o layers, one named "a" and one named "b".
Layer "a" w ill contain the tw o first images and "b" w ill contain the third one.

l

Add to Existing Layer: Imports the images into the specified layer. Note thatyou can only import into layers that are compatible w ith your import options.
For example, if you're importing images as vector draw ings, you can only
import them into vector draw ing layers.

4. If Vectorize Import is unchecked, the image w ill import as the original bitmap image. If Vectorize
Import is checked, the image w ill import as a vector image.
5. Click OK.

NOTE
By default, bitmap images w ill display in low resolution in the Camera view so as to avoid
affecting playback performance. You can also adjust the display quality of a bitmap image by
selecting it w ith the Transform tool, then opening the Bitmap Image Quality dialog via View >Bitmap File Quality. You can also preview your bitmap image in your scene's resolution by
activating the Render Preview

mode in the Camera view .

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Adjusting the Bitmap Image Display Quality
T-HFND-007-004
Your original bitmaps are imported as is in your project. In the Camera view , they may appear low quality as aproxy image is displayed in its place to insure fast playback.
If the bitmap images that you imported look blurry or slightly pixelated, you can increase the image proxy
display by changing the quality of the preview in the Camera view . It w ill not affect the final render.

How to change the bitmap image quality
1. In the Camera view , double-click on the bitmap image to enter its symbol if the image is
encapsulated or simply select the bitmap image layer in the Timeline view if it's not.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select View > Bitmap File Quality.

lPress Ctrl + Q (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Q (macOS).

The Bitmap Image Quality dialog box opens.

3. Drag the slider to the right to improve the quality.
4. Click OK.
5. If you are inside a symbol, go to the top of the Camera view and click Top to exit the symbol andreturn to your scene.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Vectorizing Images on Import
You can import bitmap images as vector draw ings, w hich allow s you to edit them using Harmony's vectordraw ing tools. This is especially useful to convert bitmap line art scanned or created in a different softw areinto vector line art so it can be painted in Harmony.

How to import and vectorize a bitmap image
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

In the File toolbar, click the Import Imagesl

In the Xsheet view , right-click anyw here in the frame area and select Import >button.

Images.
The Import Images dialog box opens.

1. In the Files section of the Import Images dialog box, click Browse to select one or more images
from your computer.
2. Select the destination for your images:

618

Chapter 10: Importing & ScanninglCreate Single Layer Named: Creates a new layer w ith the specified name andimports the images into it.

lCreate Layer(s) Based on Filenames: Creates a layer based on each unique filename
prefix. For example, if you import three files named a-1.tga, a-2.tga and b-1.tga, thisw ill create tw o layers, one named "a" and one named "b". Layer "a" w ill contain thetw o first images and "b" w ill contain the third one.

l

Add to Existing Layer: Imports the images into the specified layer. Note that you can
only import into layers that are compatible w ith your import options. For example, if
you're importing images as vector draw ings, you can only import them into vectordraw ing layers.

3. In the Vectorization section, select the Vectorize Image option.
4. Select one of the follow ing options:lColour: Imports bitmaps as vector objects w ith their image as a bitmap texture. The
resulting draw ing can be draw n or erased over, but not repainted or tw eaked.

lBlack and W hite: Vectorizes draw ings w ith a solid black line. This creates a 100% vectorbased draw ing and paints it w ith the Vectorized Line colour sw atch from your scene's
palette.

5. If you selected the Black and W hite option, set the follow ing parameters:
Parameter

Description

Threshold

Determines w hat values in the scanned image w ill beconsidered as part of the draw ing, and w hat w ill be ignoredand eliminated in the vectorized draw ing. The low er thevalue, the darker the image and vice versa.

SmoothDetermines how smooth the lines w ill be. The low er thevalue, the more detail w ill be retained. The higher the value,
the more polished and easy to edit the lines w ill be.

6. Click OK.
Your vectorized images w ill appear in their selected destination.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Importing a Multi- Layer PSD
It is possible to import Photoshop Document (.psd) images into Harmony. This allow s you to create
backgrounds, characters and other assets in Adobe Photoshop w ith multiple layers and effects, then importthem in Harmony once you're finished editing them.

W hen importing a Photoshop Document (.psd) file, you have a choice of how to import the multiple layers
into your Harmony scene:lSingle Layer: Imports the rasterized, flattened version of the PSD into a single layer in your scene.

lGroups as Layers: This imports every group in the PSD file as a single layer in your Harmony scene.
Then, every layer inside a given group is imported as a single draw ing inside the layer in the Harmony
scene.

This can be useful if you w ant to create characters or props in Photoshop and import them in Harmony.
You can create all the draw ings for each layer in Photoshop and import them into Harmony in a single
step.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Importing Multi- layer PSD Files
T-HFND-007-003
You can import a multi-layer PSD file into Harmony using the Import Images dialog. W hen you attempt toimport a PSD into a Harmony scene, you w ill be prompted to choose w hether to import your PSD as a single
layer or as multiple layers.

NOTEYour .psd image file must be set to RGB mode w ithin Adobe Photoshop prior to being imported
into Harmony.

How to import a multi- layer PSD file
1. In Adobe Photoshop, organize your layers and groups so that they are imported as expected inHarmony—see About Importing a Multi-Layer PSD.
2. In Harmony, do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select File > Import > Imagesl

In the Files toolbar, click on the

Import Images button.

The Import Images dialog box opens.
3. In the Files section, click Browse to find and select the .psd image on your computer.
4. In the Layer section, select the Create Layer(s) option, then select one of the follow ing options:lCreate Single Layer Named: Creates a new layer w ith the specified name andimports the images into it.

lCreate Layer(s) Based on Filenames: Creates a layer based on each unique filename
prefix. For example, if you import three files named a-1.tga, a-2.tga and b-1.tga, thisw ill create tw o layers, one named "a" and one named "b". Layer "a" w ill contain thetw o first images and "b" w ill contain the third one.

l

Add to Existing Layer: Imports the images into the specified layer. Note that you can
only import into layers that are compatible w ith your import options. For example, if
you're importing images as vector draw ings, you can only import them into vectordraw ing layers.

5. In the Import Options section, select the follow ing option to import your image as its originalformat.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Keep As Original Bitmap: Retains an imported image as a bitmap. In the Alignment
section, decide on the size and placement of your image w ithin the camera frame.
Depending on the Scene Settings (the height and w idth in pixels that you chose foryour project), an image that you import may get scaled to the point w here all its
individual pixels become visible.

6. Decide w hether to select Vectorize Imported Items option.
7. Click OK.
The Multilayer Image Import Settings dialog box opens.

8. In the Create drop-dow n, select one of the follow ing:lSingle Layer: Imports the rasterized, flattened version of the PSD into a single layer in yourscene.

lGroups as Layers: This imports every group in the PSD file as a single layer in your Harmony
scene. Then, every layer inside a given group is imported as a single draw ing inside the layer
in the Harmony scene.

9. If your image has transparency, in the Transparency section, select how the colour values in thesemi-transparent pixels in the image w ere premultiplied w ith their alpha values. This allow s
Harmony to demultiply the values so that it can properly blend the image w ith the other elements
in your scene.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

You can choose betw een the follow ing options:lPremultiplied with Black: The colour values of semi-transparent pixels in the image havebeen encoded so that the more transparent they are, the closer to black they are. W hen an
image that is premultiplied w ith black is loaded in a softw are that does not support
transparency, it appears blended w ith a black background. Select this to make Harmony
reverse this premultiplication so that the image blends properly w ith other visual elements
in your scene.

lPremultiplied with W hite: The colour values of semi-transparent pixels in the image havebeen encoded so that the more transparent they are, the closer to w hite they are. W hen an
image that is premultiplied w ith w hite is loaded in a softw are that does not support
transparency, it appears blended w ith a w hite background. Select this to make Harmony
reverse this premultiplication so that the image blends properly w ith other visual elements
in your scene.

lStraight: The colour of semi-transparent pixels in the image is encoded independently fromtheir transparency. W hen an image that is not premultiplied is loaded in a softw are that
does not support transparency, semi-transparent pixels simply appear fully opaque, making
its edges appear pixelated.

lClamp Colour to Alpha: This is the same as Premultiplied with Black, except that it also
prevents the colour values for a given pixel from being higher than that pixel's alpha value.
This option is only useful if you are w orking w ith images that are supposed to be
premultiplied w ith black, but w here the colour values of pixels have been increased w ithout
their alpha values being adjusted accordingly.

TIP
Typically, the composite image of a PSD file, w hich is imported w hen importing a PSD
as a single layer, is Premultiplied with W hite, w hereas the individual layers of a PSD
file use Straight transparency.

10. Click OK.
The imported PSD file is imported into your scene. In the Timeline view , one or several layers areadded to your scene, depending on the import options your selected.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
If you import the PSD file w ith the Groups as Layers or the Individual Layers
option, all of the layers and draw ings imported into your scene w ill be linked tothe same PSD file in your scene folder. Hence, deleting any of the draw ings orlayers imported from the PSD file is liable to delete all of the draw ings imported
from the PSD file.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

About Importing Vector Files
T-HFND-007-005
You can import AI (Adobe Illustrator) and PDF files into Toon Boom Harmony Essentials to convert your files
to the Toon Boom format (TVG) and create a colour palette based on the colour settings of the original file.
W hen importing AI and PDF files:l

RGB is supported, CMYK is not.

l

Gradients and textures are not supported.

l

Only legacy versions of Adobe Illustrator are supported. Exported SW Fs, including Actionscript 2 andActionscript 3, cannot be imported.

l

W hen importing an Illustrator or PDF file in Toon Boom Harmony Essentials, by default the file w ill be
imported as separate layers. The import w ill use the Illustrator file's top level groups as separate layer
names. How ever, you can change this behaviour by deselecting the PDF/Illustrator Import as Separate
Layers option, to import your file as a single layer .

If a project w as started in Adobe Flash and needs a more professional boost, such as camera movements or
multiplaning, it can easily be imported into Harmony.
The actual *.fla file is not supported in Harmony, so you must export your project from Adobe Flash.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Importing Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files and Portable Document Files(.pdf)
T-HFND-007-006
You can import vector Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files as w ell as Portable Document Files (.pdf) through the
Library view and File menu. Make sure to have the rights to modify your Library folder and that the colours inyour file are encoded in RGB.

How to import an .ai or .pdf file
1. In the Library view , right-click on the Stage Library folder and select Right to Modify to unlock thelibrary folder. Make sure the Lock icon disappears from the folder. If not, your library w ill remain
locked and you w ill not be able to import files.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select File > Import > SW F, Illustrator Files to Library.

l

Right-click on any unlocked folder and select Import Files.

The brow ser w indow opens.
3. Find and select your AI or PDF file in the Import Files dialog box and click Open.
The Rename dialog box opens.

4. Type in a name for the new template or keep the name of the original AI or PDF file.
5. Click OK.
A new template folder is created in the Library view .
6. Drag the new template folder from the Library view to the left side of the Timeline view . W ait until
the copy cursor

appears before releasing the folder.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

The message w indow opens.
7. The colour recovery dialog box appears, requesting that a colour recovery should occur. Before
clicking the Yes button, you have the option of selecting the Do Not Ask Again For This Session
option if you plan to import multiple .ai or .pdf files.

The colour palette used to create the .ai or .pdf file is imported and a new palette is created under
the imported file’s name.

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Importing Flash Movies (.swf)
You can import Flash (.swf) files in Harmony exported for any version of Flash Player up to version 14.

IMPORTANT
Some effects are not supported w hen imported from Flash movies into Harmony.

How to import a SW F file
1. In the Library view , right-click on the Stage Library folder and select Right to Modify to unlock thelibrary folder. Make sure the Lock icon disappears from the folder. If not, your library w ill remain
locked and you w ill not be able to import files.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select File > Import > SW F, Illustrator Files to Library.

l

Right-click on any unlocked folder and select Import Files.

The brow ser w indow opens.
3. Find and select your.swf file from the Import Files dialog box and click Open.
The Rename dialog box opens.

4. Type a name for the new template or keep the name of the original *.swf file.
5. Click OK.
A new template folder is created in the Library view .
6. Drag the new template folder from the Library view to the left side of the Timeline view . W ait until
the copy cursor

appears before releasing the folder.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

7. The colour recovery dialog box appears, requesting that a colour recovery should occur. Before
clicking the Yes button, you have the option of selecting the Do Not Ask Again For This Session
option. This might be useful if you plan to import multiple *.swf files.

The colour palette used to create the .ai or .pdf file is imported and a new palette is createdunder the imported file’s name.

NOTE
All the Flash layers are automatically attached to a parent peg called GlobalFlashPeg. DO
NOT DELETE THIS PEG. To maintain the look of your movie, it's important not to delete thispeg or detach its child layers.

The Adobe Flash file layers appear in the Timeline view . Symbols that w ere created in Flash
become regular draw ing layers, but can be reconverted into symbols in Harmony. Symbols w ithinsymbols or draw ings w ithin symbols collapse into their corresponding parent symbol.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
Some layers in your .sw f movie may be combined in a single layer as a result of optimization
enhancements in your movie file. You can easily move these elements back onto separate
layers.

In addition, all draw ing elements that are dynamically linked to the Toon Boom Harmony
Essentials file are grouped together in one folder. In our example, this means that w hen you scroll
through the Draw ing Substitution preview in the Library view , the different hand, leg, tentacles,
antennae, torso and facial positions are all organized together.

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Distributing SW Fs to Layers
In some instances, due to an optimization enhancement in the exported SW F file (CS4), some of the layers
might be combined as a single layer. If so, you can quickly redistribute these elements onto individual layers
again.

How to distribute to layers
1. In the Tools toolbar, click the Selecttool.

2. In the Camera view , select the draw ing that contains elements you w ant to redistribute onto
individual layers. To select the all the elements of the selected draw ing layer, press Ctrl + A(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + A (macOS).
3. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Drawing > Distribute to Layers.

l

In the Tool Properties view of the Select tool, click the Distribute to Layers

button.

The number of draw ing layers corresponding to the different grouped elements are created in theTimeline view . The selected elements in the original draw ing layer are removed. Each element is
distributed onto a new draw ing layer.
4. Repeat the process for each draw ing that contains elements to redistribute.

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About FLA Import
You can export files from Flash and import them in Harmony to transfer character rigs, props and backgrounds.

Flash import is available on all three editions of Harmony on W indow s and macOS. It is not possible to do soon GNU/Linux versions.
On the Flash side, users can w ork w ith these versions:lAdobe Flash CS5lAdobe Flash CS5.5l

Adobe Flash CS6lAdobe Flash CClAdobe Flash CC 2014l

Adobe Flash CC 2015

NOTE
Exports from older versions of Flash are not possible.

At the scene level (top timeline), you must have a symbol, such as a movie clip or graphic. Colour shapes,
shape lines, draw ing objects, groups and bitmaps at the scene level w on’t be exported. If these elements arepresent, you w ill be prompted to perform a clean up of the scene level. For details on importing Flash files, seeFlash Export and Import Guidelines on page 650.
As part of preparing to import Flash files in Harmony, you must add an extension to Flash using Adobe
Extension Manager—see Installing the Export to Harmony Option on page 634.
It is important to use the correct version of Adobe Extension Manager:l

If more than one version of Flash is installed on your computer, be careful w here you install theextension. If it's added to Adobe Extension Manager of Flash CS6, the extension w ill only be added inthis version and not the other.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanningl

If you have a previous version of the extension, you must remove it first and install the latest
extension—see About FLA Import on page 632.

Harmony includes a script specially created to import FLA Export packages. You must add this script to yourinterface in order to use it—see Displaying the Import Flash Scene Icon on page 645.
W hen you export your FLA files, a folder w ill be created that contains the stage.tpl and export.json
files, as w ell as all the .swf and.txt files in your scene. The export.json file is used by a Harmony script
to organize and construct the hierarchy from your exported files.
Once the Flash project is successfully imported into Harmony, here's how the hierarchy w as constructed:lEach symbol has its ow n peg in w hich all the transformation information is stored.

l

The pivot information is stored in the peg's Layer Properties (Pivot fields). The pivot information camefrom the rotation point of the symbol in Flash.

lRegistration point of the symbol in Flash represents the centre of the draw ing space in Harmony.
Therefore, the position of the draw ing inside a symbol w ill be exactly the same in Stage.

l

One colour palette is created for each Flash import. One colour sw atch is created per RGB value. If you
have more than one zone using the same colour, they w ill be linked to the same colour sw atch.

l

If there are masks in your Flash project, they w ill reconstructed in Harmony using Cutter effects.
Harmony is now able to understand w hen more than one symbol share the same mask in Flash. Eachsymbol sharing the same mask w ill be grouped by a composite and connected to the cutter.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Installing the Export to Harmony Option
The extension is required in order for Flash to export files to Harmony. The extension is called Export toHarmony.zxp and is located here:OS

W indow smacOS

EditionLocation

Premium

C:\Program Files (x86)\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom
Harmony Essentials [version] Premium\resources\flash

Advanced

C:\Program Files (x86)\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom
Harmony Essentials [version] Advanced\resources\flash

Essentials

C:\Program Files (x86)\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom
Harmony Essentials [version] Essentials\resources\flash

Premium

Applications > Toon Boom Harmony Essentials [version]
Premium > tba > resources > flash

Advanced

Applications > Toon Boom Harmony Essentials [version]
Advanced > tba > resources > flash

Essentials

Applications > Toon Boom Harmony Essentials [version]
Essentials > tba > resources > flash

NOTE
Before installing the extension, you must remove all Harmony offline and database preferences.

How to install the Export to Harmony extension
1. Launch Adobe Extension Manager.
2. In the top-right corner of the Adobe Extension Manager, click on Install.
An Open dialog appears.
3. In the Open dialog, brow se to and select the Export to Harmony.zxp file, then click on Open.
A message opens informing you that you're about to install the Export to Harmony extension.
4. Click on Accept.
You may see the follow ing message confirming that you w ant to install the extension. Click Install.

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5. In order for the changes to take effect, you must close and restart Adobe Flash.
6. Click OK.

How to remove a previously installed Export to Harmony.zxp extension (if applicable)
1. If open, close Adobe Flash.
2. Start Adobe Extension Manager.
3. From the Products list, select Adobe Flash.
If you have a previous version of the Export to Harmony.zxp extension installed, it w ill belisted in the right pane.
4. Select the extension and click Remove.

A message opens asking you to confirm the removal of the extension.
5. Click Yes.
Adobe has stopped maintaining and updating their Extension Manager CC, therefore, it has become difficult to
install extensions. In order to link an extension from Animate CC, follow the steps below .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

How to install an extension on W indows with Adobe Animate CC version 2015 andhigher
1. Ensure the follow ing softw are is installed:l

Adobe Creative Cloudl

Animate CC and Mobile Device Packaging

2. Dow nload the ExManCmd from Adobe’s w ebsite.
https://docs.toonboom.com/go/dow nload/ExManCmdW in
3. Unzip the ExManCmd_w in.zip package.
4. Put the ExManCmd_w in folder in a safe place.

NOTE
The ExManCmd_w in folder must not be deleted; this folder is necessary for
installing or updating .zxp files.

5. Copy the package containing the plug-in from the Harmony installation folder to your Dow nloads
folder:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom Harmony 22
Essentials\resources\flash\flashexport.zip
6. Unzip the flashexport.zip package.
7. Open the folder containing the unzipped files.
8. Move or copy the Export to Harmony.zxp file directly into the ExManCmd_w in folder.
9. In the ExManCmd_w in folder, hold Shift and right-click to select Open command window here.
10. Enter the follow ing command:
ExManCmd.exe /install <filename.zxp>.
11. Press Enter.
If no error message displays, the extension has been installed on your computer and recognized by
the Extension Manager CC.

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12. Open Animate CC.
13. Access Top Menu > Commands.
If the Export to Harmony option appears in the Top Menu > Commands list, your installation w as
successful.

NOTE
If you have a region language other than English (US) installed on yourcomputer, or if you have more than one language installed on your computer,
Animate CC may not be able detect in w hich language folder the extension has
been installed. If this occurs, you w ill not be able to see the Export to Harmony
menu option in Top Menu > Commands list. To correct this, proceed to How toensure Adobe detects extension files installed on your computer on page 637.

How to ensure Adobe detects extension files installed on your computer
1. Brow se to:
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Animate <VersionNumber>
If Adobe detects more than one language on your computer, you w ill see multiple language folders
in the path. For example:

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2. Look inside each folder to detect the main language used by Adobe on your computer. To do so,compare the contents of both folders.
For example, inside the en_Ca\Configuration:

For example, inside the en_US\Configuration:

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

The main folder is the one w ith more files. In this case, Adobe is using English (US) as the main
language. The folder en_CA only contains w hat w as installed w ith the extension installation:commands, Javascript and W indow SW F.
3. Copy and paste the contents of the commands folder w ithin the sub-language folder, to thecommands folder w ithin the main language folder .

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4. Copy and paste the contents of the Javascript folder w ithin the sub-language folder, to theJavascript folder w ithin the main language folder.

5. Copy and paste the contents of the W indow SW F folder w ithin the sub-language folder, to the
W indow SW F folder w ithin the main language folder.

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How to install an extension on macOS with Adobe Animate CC version 2015 andhigher
1. Ensure the follow ing softw are is installed:l

Adobe Creative Cloudl

Animate CC and Mobile Device Packaging

2. Dow nload the ExManCmd from Adobe’s w ebsite.
https://docs.toonboom.com/go/dow nload/ExManCmdMac
3. Unzip the ExManCmd_mac file.
4. Put the ExManCmd_mac folder in a safe place.

NOTE
The ExManCmd_mac folder must not be deleted; this folder is necessary for
installing or updating .zxp files.

5. Copy the package containing the plug-in from the Harmony installation folder to your Dow nloads
folder:/Applications/Toon Boom Harmony 22 Essentials/Harmony
Essentials.app/Contents/tba/resources/flash/flashexport.zip
6. Unzip the flashexport.zip package.
7. Open the folder containing the unzipped files.
8. Move or copy the Export to Harmony.zxp file directly into the ExManCmd_w in folder.
9. Drag and drop the .zxp file directly into the ExManCmd_mac folder.
10. In Terminal, go to the folder w here the ExManCmd_mac package w as extracted.
For example, if you have put the ExManCmd_mac folder into the Dow nloads folder:
cd Dowonloads/ExManCmd_mac/
11. Enter the follow ing command:Contents/MacOS/ExManCmd --install <filename.zxp>
12. Press Enter.
If no error message displays, the extension has been installed on your computer and recognized by
the Extension Manager CC.

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13. Open Animate CC.
14. Access Top Menu > Commands.
If the Export to Harmony option appears in the Top Menu > Commands list, your installation w as
successful.

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Exporting FLA Files
How to export FLA files for Harmony from Adobe Flash
1. Open your.fla file in Adobe Flash.

NOTE
In case of a new file, it needs to be saved before continuing the exportation process. If not, theexport w on't be completed.

2. Return to the scene level.
Before exporting to Harmony, it is assumed that you are at the scene level even if you're not.
3. Do one of the follow ing:lOlder versions of Adobe Flash: Select W indow > Other Panels > Export toHarmony.

lAdobe Flash CC: W indow > Extensions > Export to Harmony.

NOTE
This w indow must be opened once after installing the extension in the extension manager
because it creates a drect link to Harmony (even if the w indow is not used). Afterw ards, you
do not have to reopen it if there is no need to change the option.

The Export to Harmony w indow opens from w hich you can set the resolution of the files as it w ill
appear in Harmony. The default resolution is set to 1920 x 1080, like the HD default resolution
value of Harmony. If needed, you can change the compression: Photo (JPG) or Lossless (PNG).

4. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Export to Harmony w indow , click Export button.

l

Select Commands > Export to Harmony.

The Output tab displays information about the conversions necessary for the export including:643

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Distributing to layers, breaking apart, the presence of shapes at the scene level, ungrouping allgroups to verify if any symbols are hidden inside, breaking draw ing objects to transfer them as
shapes, draw ing substitutions, and so on. Problematic situations w ill also be mentioned. If nothingappears in the Output tab, then your.fla file is clean and does not need any conversions.
The .txt files contain the draw ing substitution information and at w hich frame they are exposed.
A .swf file is created for each symbol in Flash and a .tpl file is created of them. The corresponding
export.json file is also created, w hich you w ill need w hen importing your Flash scene in Harmony.
These files are in a folder located at the same location as the.fla file. The folder name is the sameas the .fla file.

NOTE
If a folder w ith the same name as the .fla file already exists, you w ill be prompted to replace
the folder. Be aw are that saving Flash projects as .xfl files w ill automatically create a folder
w ith the same name as the .fla file. In this case, the folder of the export w ill be createdinside the folder of the xfl. If this not w hat you w ant, place a copy of the.fla in another pathon your computer before the export.

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Displaying the Import Flash Scene Icon
W hen importing Flash files, the Scripting toolbar must be displayed, w hich should contain the Import Flash
Scene icon. If the icon does not appear in the Scripting toolbar, add it to the toolbar. Note that you w ill only
have to do this once. After that, you can import Flash files w henever needed.

How to display the Flash Import script icon
1. From the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars > Scripting.
The Scripting toolbar bars appears below the File toolbar in the upper-left of the Harmony
interface.

2. Click the Manage Scripts

button.

The Scripts Manager opens.

3. From the Files section, select TB_Import_Flash_Scene.js.
On your computer, here is the location of the script file:l

W indows:

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Toon Boom Harmony Premium: C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon
Boom Animation\Toon Boom Harmony Essentials\1400-scriptslToon Boom Harmony Advanced: C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon
Boom Animation\Toon Boom Advanced\1400-scriptslToon Boom Harmony Essentials: C:\Users[\user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon
Boom Animation\Toon Boom Essentials\1400-scriptslmacOS:
lToon Boom Harmony Premium: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon Boom
Animation/Toon Boom Harmony/1400-scriptslToon Boom Harmony Advanced: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon
Boom Animation/Toon Boom Advanced/1400-scriptslToon Boom Harmony Essentials: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon
Boom Animation/Toon Boom Essentials/1400-scripts

On macOS, the Library folder is a hidden folder. To display the display the folder, told dow n the Alt
key.
l

Global: [Server_Name] > USA_DB > scriptslEnvironment: [Server_Name] > USA_DB > environments > [environment_name]lJob: [Server_Name] > USA_DB > jobs > [job name]lUser: [Server_Name] > USA_DB > users > [user_name] > stage > 1400-scripts

4. From the Functions section, select TB_Import_Flash_Scene and click the arrow button to move itto the In Toolbar section.

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5. Click OK.
The Import Flash icon appears in the Scripting toolbar. Everything is now ready to import Flashscenes.

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Importing FLA Files
Once your extension is installed, your FLA file has been exported and your displayed the FLA import script inyour toolbar, you are ready to import your FLA file in Harmony.

How to import FLA files
1. In the Scripting toolbar, click the Import Flashbutton.

2. In the Import Files dialog box, locate the export.json file contained in the folder that w as created
w hen you exported your files from Flash.
3. Click Open.
In a few moments, the colour recovery dialog box appears, requesting a colour recovery.

4. Before clicking Yes, you have the option of selecting the Do Not Ask Again For This Session
option.
In a few moments, the .fla files are imported in Harmony.

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5. In the Node view , press 1 to zoom out of the Node view and see the entire node system.

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Flash Export and Import Guidelines
The follow ing points are guidelines for you to create optimal Flash files to export to or import in Harmony.
The follow ing are limitations that apply w hen importing .swf files, w hether they w ere exported specificallyfor Harmony or just regular Flash Movie files.

Drawing Featuresl

The line w idth w ill be preserved, w hether it's constant or varied w ith the W idth tool.

l

Any line caps and line joins other than round w ill be converted to round line caps and line joinsl

The flow of gradients must be set to Extend Color, w hich is the default flow for gradients. Gradientsw ith a Reflect or Repeat flow w ill cause the entire symbol in w hich they're located to be ignored.

Effects
The follow ing effects w ill not be imported by Harmony:lFilters (ie: Adjust Colour, Drop Shadow , Bevel, etc.)lColour Effects (ie: Alpha, Advanced, Brightness and Tint)lBlending (ie: Layer, Darken, Multiply, etc.)lRender: Cache as Bitmap (Export as Bitmap is supported)l

3D RotationslComponent properties

Bitmap Images
Bitmap images must be either .jpg or .png format. Symbols that have their Render mode set to Cache as
Bitmap w ill also be imported.

Flash Export Guidelines
The follow ing are rules to follow w hen exporting assets from Flash for import in Harmony.

Scene Root
W hat can be at the scene root:l

Only symbols. A minimum of one symbol is necessary. It could be a MovieClip or a graphic.

W hat cannot be used at the scene root:lShapes: Colour shapes and line shapeslBitmapsl

Draw ing objects

650Chapter 10: Importing & ScanninglGroups: The group w orks differently at the scene level. They are understood as shapes at the scenelevel—see Flash Export and Import Guidelines on page 650.

Timeline
These features can be used in the Flash file, but w ill not appear w hen imported in Harmony.
lGuide layers for referenceslLocked layerslDisabled layerslFolders in the Timeline viewlOther: Several symbols on the same layer/keyframe. Harmony w ill spread them over several draw ing
layers, implicitly performing a Distribute to Layers operation in the process.

Not recommended:lMixed layers—see Flash Export and Import Guidelines on page 650lSymbols, shapes, bitmaps and groups in the same layer/keyframelSymbols w ith draw ing objects

Library View
In the Library view , the follow ing w ill not be exported:lActionScript LinkagelEmbedded fonts

Mixed Layers
Mixed layers are something you must seriously consider before trying to export a Flash project to Harmony.
Otherw ise, there can be unexpected results or no export at all. In fact, it's best to avoid having mixed layers
altogether.
A mixed layer is defined as a layer that has more than one instance of objects at the same keyframe. It could
be a mix of symbols and groups; groups and draw ing objects; symbols and shapes, and so on. Since Harmony
understands symbols better than groups or draw ing elements, some information can be lost along the w ay.
Parameter

Description

Drawing Objects

No matter w hat is inside a draw ing object, it w ill alw ays be understood as ashape. So if a draw ing object shares the same layer w ith a shape, it w on’t be areal mixed layer, since they are all understood as shapes.

Symbols and Draw ing

If there are symbols and draw ing objects/shapes sharing the same layer, the651Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Objects/Shapes on the Same
Layersymbols w ill be separated from them and all the draw ing objects/shapes w ill be
kept together. Draw ing objects and shapes cannot be separated. In Harmony, thesymbols w ill have their ow n Draw ing node and the draw ing objects/shapes w ill
share the same Draw ing node. Since only symbols can have a name, its name ispropagated to the Draw ing node and peg.
Draw ing objects and shapes, how ever, can't do this. Draw ing objects and shapes
w ill receive the name of the MovieClip follow ed by an underscore and an
appropriate number. For example, if you have a group inside a symbol called
HEAD, the group w ill be named HEAD_1 if there is already a Draw ing node thatw as created w ith the same name.

Mixed instances at the same level as a symbol can occur w hen, at the same level
inside a symbol, there is more than one type of element sharing the same timeline
at a specific frame. Those elements may be mixed layers.
Mixed Instances at theSame Level as a Symbol

Type of problems that can occur if mixed instances are kept:lOrder of appearance can be lostlSome layers can merge togetherlTransparency of shapes can cut other shapes

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Importing QuickTime Movies
T-ANIMPA-004-002
W hen creating an animation, it is not unusual to embed moving elements saved as videos w ithin the
animation. Toon Boom Harmony Essentials allow s you to import QuickTime movies into your project.

How to import a QuickTime movie
1. From the top menu, select File > Import > Movie.
2. Brow se for the QuickTime movie to import and click Open.
The Import Images dialog box opens.

NOTE
Do not brow se for the movie file again. Leave the automatically generated field text as “manyfiles selected”.

3. Make your decisions for the Layer, Alignment and Transparency sections of this dialog box—see
the Reference guide .
4. Click OK.
The QuickTime video appears in the Timeline view as an image sequence. You can scroll throughthe film frame-by-frame just as you w ould scroll through your animation draw ing-by-draw ing.

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About Scanning
Harmony can receive images from any TW AIN device, such as scanners or digital cameras. You can load theseimages as bitmaps into your scene or convert them into vector-based images that can be edited using
Harmony.

You must install a TW AIN driver for your device in order to access its contents. Refer to the manufacturer ofyour device to get a TW AIN driver. Once all the animation layers are scanned in, you can set the timing in thedigital exposure sheet.
Once your traditional animation sequences are completed and cleaned up, you're ready to scan and importthem in Harmony. The scanning process is the point w here the traditional production becomes digital. It's themoment w here you use Harmony to control the project.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Scanning Images
Toon Boom Harmony Essentials can receive images from any TW AIN device such as scanners and digital
cameras. These images can either be loaded into your scene as bitmaps or converted into vector- based
images that can be edited using Toon Boom Harmony Essentials.
If your operating system does not automatically recognize your device after it has been connected, you must
install the correct TW AIN drivers in order to access its contents. You can usually dow nload the drivers fromthe device manufacturer’s w ebsite.

How to scan images
1. From the top menu, select File > Acquire > From TW AIN.
The Acquire from scanner w indow opens.

2. In the Scan Draw ings w indow , select your scanner or other supported TW AIN device from the
Scanner menu. If none are available, check your device to ensure that it's properly connected toyour computer. If your device still does not appear in the menu, you may have to shut dow n andrestart the softw are.

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3. In the Layer section, decide if the scanned or imported image w ill be placed on a new layer orexisting layer—see the Reference guide .
4. In the Draw ing Options section, set the follow ing options if desired:lDrawing Name: Name of the draw ing to import.

lHold Value: Type the number of frames that the draw ing w ill be exposed.

lScan and Advance: Lets you scan one draw ing after another every time you click
Scan.

l

Flip Drawing: Mirrors the draw ings horizontally and scans it this w ay.

5. Adjust the Scale control and sliders in the Preview Image w indow until you are satisfied w ith theview .

6. Click Scan to scan your draw ing.
7. If you are scanning panoramic draw ings, in the Page Panning section, move the slider to the next
letter to capture your next frame.

8. If you have more than one draw ing, set the next draw ing in place and click Scan again. Repeat until
you have finished scanning all your draw ings.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Vectorizing Scanned Drawings
You can turn scanned images into vector draw ings, w hile maintaining the sketchiness of a pencil line or into
vector images w ith a bitmap fill. Both options can add life to an animation, w hich straight vectorization w ithsmoothing does not usually afford.

How to scan and vectorize drawings
1. From the top menu, select File > Acquire from TW AIN or press Ctrl + Shift + S (W indow s/Linux) or⌘ + Shift + S (macOS).
The Acquire from scanner w indow opens.

2. Select your scanner from the Scanner list.

3. Click Preview to get a test scan of your draw ing.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. In the Layer section, select one of the follow ing:lCreate Layer: Imports an image into a new layer. Type a name for the layer in theName field.

l

Add to Existing Layer: Imports the image into an existing layer. Select a layer fromthe Layer list.

5. In the Vectorization section, select the Vectorize Image option and then set the follow ing:lColour: Creates a vector rectange w ith the bitmap as a texture inside.

lBlack and W hite: Vectorizes draw ings as a solid black line; creates a 100% vectorbased draw ing. Set the Threshold and Smooth parameters.

Threshold: Determines w hich black, w hite or grey pixels become a black line. 0% means all thelight pixels w ill be kept as black vector line. A value of 100% means only the very dark pixels
become a black line.
Smooth: Determines the smoothness of lines. The higher the value, the less angular and bumpt
the resulting lines w ill be.
Auto Apply: Automatically applies the colour or black and w hite settings to the scanned
images.
6. Adjust the Scale control and the sliders in the Preview Image w indow until you're satisfied w ith theview .

7. Click Scan to import your draw ing.
8. If you have more than one draw ing, set the next draw ing in place and click Scan again. Repeat until
you have finished scanning all your draw ings.

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

About Custom Vectorization Parameters
You can create your ow n vectorization settings w ith Harmony. The vectorization parameters you create can besaved, shared and also inserted into the VectOptions.conf file used by the Scan and Control Center
modules w hen scanning or vectorizing a series of draw ings.
You can use an interface to select and test the different options, as w ell as type in some advanced settings.
The Vectorization Parameters dialog box lets you vectorize pencil draw ings, along w ith any red, blue or green
pencil marks you may have used to indicate highlights and shadow s. The draw ing w ill be vectorized into pure
red, blue, green and black (RGB values), w hile creating colour art zones w herever lines connect. After painting
in your tones and highlights, change your pure RGB colours to transparent (0 Alpha) in the Colour Picker
w indow and w atch the indicator colour zone lines disappear.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating Vectorization Styles
W ith Harmony, you can create custom vectorization parameters that can be saved, reused, shared, or used to
set the Scan module vectorization style list.
You can vectorize draw ings using one of the follow ing methods:lBlack and W hite: All the lines become vector based and 100% black. The w hite areas becomecompletely transparent.

lGreyscale: All the lines preserve their initial textured look in grey shades as a bitmap image contained
inside a vector frame. The w hite areas become completely transparent.

lFour Colours: W ith the advanced parameters, you can isolate the red, green, blue, and black lines andturn them into 100% vector lines, preserving their original colours—see the Reference guide .

How to create or modify the vectorization parameters
1. From the top menu, select File > Import > From Scanner.
You can also open it from any other import option that allow s you to customize the vectorization
parameters (i.e. from the scanner).
2. In the Scan Draw ings w indow , do the follow ing:l

In the Layer section, decide on the layer options.

l

In the Import Options section, select the Convert to Toon Boom Vector Drawing optionlClick Preview.

3. In the Vectorization section, click the Vectorization Parameters

button.

4. The Vectorization Parameters dialog box opens.
5. Set the different options available in the Vectorization Parameters dialog box—see the Reference
guide .

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Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

6. Click the Vectorize button to update the Vectorized Image preview .
The vectorized image is just a preview . The actual vectorization happens w hen you click OK in the
Import Images dialog box. There are many options to try in the Vectorization Parameters dialog
box. These are applied during the vectorization process.
7. To set advanced parameters, read the information on the Help tab, then type in the Advanced
Options field at the bottom of the dialog box.
8. To save your vectorization parameters to reuse them later, share them, or use them to set the Scan
module vectorization style list, click Save.
9. In the Brow ser w indow , name and save the file.

10. To save the current settings as your default settings, click Save As Default. To restore the default
settings, click Restore Defaults.
11. To load a vectorization style, click Load and locate the existing *.vof file.
12. Click OK.

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Configuring the VectOptions.conf FileToon Boom Harmony Essentials Server uses a file called VectOptions.conf to get the vectorization stylew hen batch vectorizing a series of draw ings. A series of default styles is available in this file, but you w ill
certainly w ant to create your ow n to fit your production style.

How to set the VectOptions.conf file
1. Launch Configuration Editor:l

W indows: Open the Start menu and, in the Programs list, select Toon BoomHarmony 22
Essentials > Tools >lConfiguration Editor.

macOS: In Finder, go to Applications > Toon Boom Harmony 22 Essentials > Tools >Configuration Editor.

l

GNU/Linux: In a terminal, type the follow ing command:$ sudo /usr/local/ToonBoomAnimation/harmonyEssentials_22/lnx86_
64/bin/ConfigEditor

The Configuration Editor w indow opens.
2. In the bottom section of the w indow , select the VectOptions.conf tab.

3. Scroll dow n the VectOptions.conf file to see all the different options available for creating yourcustom vectorization style. These options are the same as in the Vectorization Parameters dialog
box. It is recommended that you create your vectorization style using Harmony and the662

Chapter 10: Importing & Scanning

Vectorization Parameters w indow and copy the result parameters in this file—see About Custom
Vectorization Parameters on page 659
4. Scroll dow n tow ard the bottom of the file to see the default styles. You can modify them or add
new ones to the list using the parameters you got using the Vectorization Parameters w indow .
Notice that some of the lines have a “#” sign at the beginning to indicate that the line is a commentand w ill not appear in the style list. The lines that have no sign at the beginning appear in the stylelist.

5. To create a new style, type the follow ing below the existing styles:
style_name:
This should be follow ed by the name of your new style. For example: style_name: BlackLines.
6. Under the style name line, type the follow ing:
options:
7. Copy and paste the information in your *.vof style w hen saving your settings in the Vectorization
Parameters w indow .
‣To open the *.vof file, use any plain text editor application.

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8. In the Configuration Editor’s top menu, select File > Save.
9. If you have Toon Boom Harmony Essentials Scan on your computer, you can start the applicationand verify that the new style appears in the Vectorization Style list under Edit > Vectorization
Style.

NOTE
If you are using the batch processing method available w ith Toon Boom Harmony Essentials
Server to scan and vectorize draw ings, the selected style must be available on all themachines included in the batch processing list.
Refer to the Harmony Server Guide Guide to learn more about setting up and using batchprocessing.

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Chapter 11: Camera Set-up and Animation

Chapter 11: Camera Set- up and Animation
T-HFND-009-001
Harmony contains a camera that can move along the X, Y, and Z axes. Having the camera move on the Z-axis
offers the possibility to create truck in and truck outs, as w ell as multiplane camera moves. The default camera
position is centred and backed up to 12 fields.
It is important to understand the coordinate values in Harmony, w hich is based on the origins of animation. In
traditional animation, a scene's size and camera motion are calculated in fields. A field has a 4:3 ratio andmeasures 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) in w idth. A specific grid has been created for this purpose know n as a field
chart. Harmony uses this unit of measurement as its coordinate system.

A field chart uses the cardinal directions. The X axis is the east-w est (left-right) direction, the Y axis is thenorth-south (up-dow n) direction and the Z axis is the forw ard-backw ard direction.
The scene action occurs inside the camera frame, so it’s really important to set it up correctly. You can adjust
the camera resolution and other parameters in the Scene Settings w indow .
By default, a scene does not have a camera layer. In order to be able to tw eak the camera's angle and position,
you must add one to your scene. Although it is possible to have several cameras in the same scene, you can
only view your scene using one camera at a time. This can be useful if you are still w orking on your scene
composition and have different camera framing to try out.
The Camera layer is static w hich means that if you need to animate it, you must put it under a parent peg.
You can reposition your camera frame directly in the Camera view , using the advanced animation tools.
Another w ay to set up your camera frame is to type the coordinates directly in the camera's properties. Doing
this positions the camera precisely w here you w ant it to be rather than gauging it visually.

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Chapter 11: Camera Set-up and Animation

Adding a Camera
T-HFND-009-002
By default, there is no camera in the scene. The frame visible in the Camera view is only a reference based onyour project's resolution. In order to position your camera, you must add one to your scene.

How to add a camera
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline view , click the

Add Layer button and, in the pop-up menu, selectCamera.
l

From the top menu, select Insert > Camera.

A new camera layer is added to the scene and appears in the Timeline view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Selecting the Active Camera
T-HFND-009-003
You can add multiple cameras to your scene, but only one can be active at a time. You can select your active
camera from the Camera list.

How to select the active camera from the Camera list
1. From the top menu, select Scene > Camera > camera.

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Chapter 11: Camera Set-up and Animation

Positioning the Camera Frame
You can grab the camera frame and move it around in the Camera view . You can also setup the camera
position by entering coordinates and values in the Layer Properties view .

How to reposition the camera frame in the Camera view

1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, click theTranslate tool.

l

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Translate.

lPress Alt + 2.

2. In the Camera view , click on the camera frame (thin rectangle) to select it. You can also select thecamera layer from the Timeline view .
The selected camera frame is highlighted.

3. Drag the camera frame to a new position.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. To tilt the camera frame, do one of the follow ing to select the Rotate tool:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Rotate.

l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the RotatelPress Alt + 3.

tool.

5. In the Camera view , drag to rotate the camera frame until it reaches the desired rotation angle.

6. To move the camera frame closer to or further aw ay from the scene, do one of the follow ing toselect the Scale tool:670

Chapter 11: Camera Set-up and Animationl

From the top menu, select Animation > Tools > Scale.

l

In the Advanced Animation toolbar, select the RotatelPress Alt + 4.

tool.

NOTE
The Transform tool can also be used to move the camera, but not to rotate or scale it.

How to set up the camera frame using the Layer Properties view
1. In the Timeline view , select the camera layer.
2. In the Layer Properties view , adjust the camera's properties.

3. Type or use the numeric stepper to adjust the coordinate and angle values—see the Reference
guide .

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Resetting the Camera Position
You can easily reset the camera to its original position. Using the Reset command, you can reset the value ofthe selected element to the initial value of the active tool. For example, if the Rotate tool is active, thetransformation angle w ill be reset to 0 and if the Transform tool is active, then all parameters values w ill bereset.

How to reset the camera position
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T. If you w ant to reset a single

parameter, select the corresponding Advanced Animation tool, such as the Rotate
2. In the Timeline or Camera view , select the camera layer.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Reset or press Shift + R.
The camera automatically returns to its original position.

672

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Chapter 11: Camera Set-up and Animation

Animating the Camera
T-HFND-009-009
A scene's camera can be manipulated and animated just like any other layer. It is listed in the Timeline viewand you can use the same tools and selection modes to offset or animate it. How ever, the camera layer itself isstatic, w hich means it keeps the same position and angle throughout the w hole scene. In order to be able toanimate the camera, you need to connect it to a peg layer, w hich can be animated, and w hich w ill directly
affect the position and angle of the camera.

You can animate your camera movements directly in the Camera view . Alternatively, you can use the Side or
Top view s, w hich can be especially useful w hen animating a camera in a multiplane scene, w here each layer ispositioned at a different distance from the camera.

How to add a parent peg to a camera
1. In the Timeline view , select the Camera layer.
2. In the Layers toolbar, click the

Add Peg button.

A Peg layer appears directly above the Camera layer and is automatically attached to it.

How to animate the camera
1. In the Tools toolbar, if

Animate Off orAnimate Onion Skin Range mode is selected, click on it

to open the Animate pop-up menu and select
2. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Animate Current Frame.

Transform tool or press Shift + T.

3. On the right side of the Timeline view , on the Camera peg layer, select the frame at w hich you w ant
the camera movement to start.

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4. Do one of the follow ing to add a keyframe:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the

Add Keyframe button.

l

Right-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

A keyframe appears in that cell. Any frames preceding this keyframe cell w ill hold the same camera
position as this keyframe.

5. In the Camera, Top or Side view , manipulate the camera so that it is in the right position at the
beginning of your camera movement.

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TIP
To make a 3D camera movement, you can manipulate the Camera in the Top or Side
view , in w hich it appears as a cone.

6. On the Timeline view , click on the cell w here the camera movement w ill end.
7. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the

Add Keyframe button.

l

Right-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

A keyframe appears in that cell.

8. In the Camera, Top or Side view , manipulate the camera so that it is in the right position for the endof your camera movement.

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9. In the Timeline view , select the first frame to rew ind to the beginning of your animation.
10. In the Playback toolbar, click on thePlay button to preview your animation.

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging
Harmony is a great tool for building characters. You can use different techniques and features to break dow n
your puppets.
This chapter w ill guide you through all the steps to create a complete simple rig. Harmony allow s you tocreate very advanced puppets using deformations, hierarchies and z ordering. As you practice and get familiar
w ith those concepts, you w ill be able to develop more complex rigs and combine various advanced features.

For more great options and features to create pow erful rigs, refer to Deformations on page 799.

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About Rig Types
T-RIG-001-001
A rig is the process in w hich you w ill take apart the multiple pieces of your character and then reattach them
together to get them to move individually. Harmony provides you w ith a multitude of tools to help you build
characters. From the simplest of rigs, to a fully rotating character. There are about as many w ays to rig acharacter as there are individuals w ho make them. The complexity of the rig is often determined by the level ofanimation to be achieved.

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About Simple Rigs
T-RIG-001-002
Simple rigging is very fast and easy to do. It is built as follow s:lAll the body parts are independentl

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 w ithout being influenced
by a parent layer.

How ever, since the parts are not parented to each other, the parts w ill move from point A to point B along a
straight trajectory. The hand w ill not follow the arm's rotation. You w ill have to set more keyframes for thehand to move along a curved path.

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About Drawing Hierarchy Rigs
T-RIG-001-003
W hen you w ant one part to follow another part, such as the forearm follow ing the arm, you can attach thelayers one to the other. For example, you can attach the forearm layer to the arm layer w ithout having toencapsulate the forearm into the arm layer. They w ill still be parented, but you can access the forearm directly
w ithout having to enter the arm layer.

The advantage of parenting layers is that the child layers w ill follow the parent smoothly w ithout having toselect them 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 allow ing 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 Timelineview .
Harmony offers pow erful techniques to create hierarchies betw een your layers w ithout having toencapsulate layers into each other. These techniques are a great improvement over the lessefficient and time consuming method of creating parenting betw een your layers by inserting
symbols into other symbols. Therefore, rigging w ith symbols inside symbols is NOT
recommended.

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About Peg Hierarchy Rigs
T-RIG-001-004
Peg layer are useful w hen you are doing more advanced puppet rigging. Peg layers are trajectory layers that
do not contain draw ings. They are motion paths that you can use to control your entire puppet or advanced
hierarchies.
Parenting a draw ing layer to a peg layer allow s you to divide your motions on tw o separate levels. You canscale a body part up the chain of pegs directly on the draw ing layer. This w ay, you do not affect any childlayers that 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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About Scene Setup for Rigging
Planning your rig is an essential step in avoiding missteps at later stages. Once a rig has moved on to theanimation level, it becomes more difficult to fix potential blunders, since updating the rig scene doesn't haverepercussions on rigs outside of that scene. These different topics w ill help you avoid such mistakes.

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About Models
To begin breaking dow n 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:l

Library template—see Library & TemplateslExternal vector format

Model Alignment
W hen setting the character model in your scene, w e recommend that you to center it in the Camera view andscale it to fit inside the safe area frame.

If you have several view s of your character, place each view in a separate cell and center them one on top of
another. This w ill facilitate the break dow n process and ensure that all of your puppets are aligned and thesame size.

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Photo Puppets
If you are creating a cut-out puppet out of photos, break dow n the different parts in a bitmap editing softw are.
Then, import your parts and vectorize them as textured images.
A good w ay 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
the elements you w ant to import as a single layer in Harmony are grouped together in their ow n folder. Anylayer that is not in a folder group, by itself or otherw ise, w ill not be imported.

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About Size Relation
Understanding the relative size of every character and prop is important for maintaining consistency andstructure throughout your project.
A production may contain many characters and props. It is not unusual for these to have been created bydifferent people. If there is no size control implemented, the characters and elements created by different
artists can vary greatly in size. W hen this occurs, the characters that are put together in a scene w ill be out of
proportion. The animator or person doing the scene setup w ill then have to scale them to the correct size.
W hen a character or a prop is scaled dow n, the outline w ill get increasingly thinner. By the time the element isscaled to its proper size, the outline may be so thin that the difference betw een one character's outline andanother's w ill not look very good.

Line UpA line up consists of copying and pasting all of your character designs into the same draw ing and then scaling
them so they are in proportion w ith each other. This line up is very important and should be handed to any
animator, layout and posing artist, or scene setup person w orking 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 w hat 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. W hen the character builder imports the model to the break dow n
scene, the size relation should be correct.

Field Chart
The field chart in Harmony is a tool that is very useful w hen setting the height of characters and props. You
can display the field chart using the Show Grid option in the Camera and Draw ing view s.

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How to display the field chart
1. Do one of the follow ing:‣

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

‣

Press Ctrl + ' (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + ' (macOS).

‣

Click the Show Gridbutton in the Camera View and Draw ing View toolbars.

Brush Size
There are a variety of pens and brushes in Harmony and you can also create and save your ow n. It is a goodidea to create and save pens w ith precise sizes and parameters to trace and design your models and break
dow ns—see About the Brush Tool on page 204.

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

W hen you separate the three positions and add a keyframe on one axis, it is not added on the other tw o. This
gives you more freedom w hen animating w ith motion keyframes and nudging parts forw ard and backw ard
over time.

How to set the Default Separate Position option
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

W indow s: Select Edit > Preferences.

lmacOS: Select Harmony Essentials > Preferences.

l

Press Ctrl + U (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + U (macOS).

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.

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About Naming Conventions
W hen w orking on a production, it is critical to keep w ork w ell organized w ith a naming convention chart
before starting the project. W hen dealing w ith thousands of characters, pieces and puppets, it is easy to getlost. Proper naming of both draw ing layers and draw ing substitutions is essential to keeping your w orkflow
consistent throughout your project.

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Naming Drawing Layers
It is highly recommended that you incorporate a naming convention for the layers. This w ill be very convenientin later steps.
One common practice is to add one or tw o letters for the character/prop name, so that w e don't make it too
long. You can then add the name of the part that you've separated. It is recommended to add an indicator of
the position of your character's symetrical pieces to keep track of w hich part you are selecting. Common
practice is to add either "F" or "B" (for front and back view ) or "R" or "L" (for right or left). Avoid using spaces inbetw een the w ords and opt for an underscore instead.
l

Character Orcus's right arm =OR_arm_F
or
OR_arm_R.

Pink: Front or Right
Blue: Back or Left

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

About Character Breakdown
T-RIG-001-006
Now that you have imported or designed your model, the next step is to analyze it. This is to determine w hat
parts w ill be broken apart and how they w ill be divided. W ill the hair be separated into one, tw o or three
sections? W ill the hand be separated from the sleeve? To determine w hat is best for your character, observe
the model in the Camera or Draw ing view .

Eyelids and Pupils
For increased flexibility w hen animating the eyes, you can split them into three layers: the eyeball, the pupil
and the eyelid. The eyelid layer is used for the blink and to cut the pupil w hen it gets too close to the side ofthe eyeball. For a more advanced break dow n, the tw o eyes are separated on their ow n 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.

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Keeping Fingers Attached to the Hand
To avoid needlessly complicating the break dow n, the fingers are not usually separated from the hand. The
full hand is a single layer w ith a bank of different hands stored inside. This technique is easy to w ork w ith andproduces a less mechanical effect.

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

Complete and Overlapping Pieces
For a better result w ith 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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Tracing the Model
The main breakdow n technique show n here is to trace your model.

How to break down a character by tracing
1. In the Timeline view , add a new draw ing layer for each body part to separate. You can press Ctrl +R (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + R (macOS) to add new draw ing layers.

2. In the Timeline view , select the layer's first cell in w hich you w ant to draw the part.

3. In the Tools toolbar, select the draw ing tool of your choice. There are tw o commonly used methods
to draw ing the parts of a cut-out character model:lUsing thePencil tool, then smoothing your lines w ith the

Smooth Editor toollUsing thePolylinetool. This method allow s you to draw w ith great precision, but

may take more time.
These methods ensure each part is made w ith as few points as possible, so that they are easy tomanipulate, modify or redraw .
4. In the Colour view , select a colour sw atch. If you haven't created a palette for your character yet,see About Palettes on page 434.
5. If you prefer w orking in the Draw ing view , do one of the follow ing to display the other layers inw ashed out colours:l

In the Draw ing view toolbar, lick thelPress Shift + L.

Light Table button.

6. In the Camera or Draw ing view , draw the new part.

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7. If you w ant to close an open shape w ithout draw ing a visible outline, you can draw an invisible line
using theStroke tool.

NOTE
By default, strokes created w ith the Stroke tool are not visible. To see strokes in yourdraw ing, select View > Show > Show Strokes from the top menu or press K.

8. In the Tools toolbar, select the

Paint or Paint

Unpainted tool to colour your draw ing.

9. In the Colour view , create the desired fill colour if it's not already in your palette, then select it.
10. In the Camera or Draw ing view , paint your draw ing.

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11. In the Tools toolbar, select thethe

Select tool. Select your draw ing and flatten the lines by clicking

Flatten button in the Tool Properties view .

12. Repeat the entire process for every body part that you w ish to make animatable.

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Breaking Down the Main Parts
To break dow n the main body parts, you w ill use the Create Draw ing From Draw ing Selection feature.
Breaks a character into its main body parts. There is no need to create any layers prior to this process. Make
sure your model is w ell centered and sized in the Camera view .
You do not need to make clean cuts around your parts; a rough one is sufficient as long as it includes all theartw ork of the part you w ant to break dow n. You w ill clean the extra bits and pieces later.
Using the Cutter tool, you can roughly cut the main sections, and then use the Select tool to select preciselines and colour zones.

How to break down the main parts
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell of the model that corresponds to the first view to break dow n.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter
l

tool.

If you prefer to use the Select tool, choose the Selecttool from the Tools toolbar

or press Alt + S.
l

In the Tool Properties view , you can sw itch to the Lasso

selection mode.

3. In the Camera view , create a selection around the first part to break dow n. If you click on a zone, theCutter tool w ill select the zone. It w ill end the selection at the first point of intersection that itmeets.

‣

Hold dow n Shift to create a new lasso selection around another zone and add it to yourprevious selection.

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4. From the top menu, select Edit > Create Drawing From Drawing Selection or press F9(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + F9 (macOS).
The Create Draw ing From Draw ing Selection dialog box opens.

5. In the Layer Name field, type the name of the layer you w ant to create follow ing the naming
convention you established previously.
6. Deselect the Cut Artwork From Source option to keep the selected artw ork on your original
draw ing. You do not w ant to cut the artw ork from the colour model.
7. Click OK.
The new layer is created and your selection is copied in it. The draw ing is created in the same frame
number as the cell it w as taken from.

8. Repeat the previous steps for each main body part.

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Breaking Down Secondary Parts
You should now have a layer for each main part of the character for the first view to break dow n. You are now
ready to break dow n those main pieces into smaller ones.
Breaking dow n the secondary parts is similar to the main part break dow n process except that this time you
w ill cut aw ay the artw ork from the layer it has been selected from.

How to break down the secondary parts
1. In the Timeline view , lock your model layer by clicking its Lockbutton.

2. In the Timeline view , select the cell that corresponds to the main part you w ant to break dow n.

3. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter
‣

tool.

If you prefer to use the Select tool, choose the Selecttool from the Tools toolbar or press Alt+ S.
4. In the Camera view , create a selection around the part to break dow n.

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If you click on a zone, the Cutter

tool w ill select the zone and end the selection at the firstpoint of intersection that it meets. Click on the line w ith the Cutter tool to select it up to the next
intersection.

5. From the top menu, select Edit > Create Drawing From Drawing Selection or press F9(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + F9 (macOS).
The Create Draw ing From Draw ing Selection dialog box opens.

6. In the Layer Name field, type the name of the layer you w ant to create follow ing the naming
convention you established previously.
7. Select the Cut Artwork From Source option to remove the selected artw ork from your original
draw ing. In this case, you w ant to cut the artw ork from the colour model.
8. Click OK.

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The new layer is created and your selection is copied in it. The draw ing is created in the same frame
number as the cell it w as taken from.

9. Repeat the previous steps for each body part.

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NOTE
If you forgot to add some artw ork to a layer you previously created, you can alw ays add it later.
In the Camera view , select the artw ork to send to the existing layer. Open the Create Draw ing
from Draw ing Selection dialog box by pressing F9 (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + F9 (macOS). In the
dialog box, select an existing layer from the list instead of typing a new name. Click OK to add theartw ork to the existing draw ing in the layer you selected.

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Breaking Down Other Views
If your character model has more than one view , now is the time to break them dow n.
The process is very similar to breaking dow n the first view . You have tw o choices:l

Breaking dow n the new view in a new set of layerslBreaking dow n the new view s in the same existing layers
If your layers are not in the correct order, you can reorder them later. Simply add the part that you arebreaking dow n to the layer you previously created for the same body part.

Start by breaking dow n the main pieces, as you did before. The secondary parts w ill be broken dow n later on.
Repeat the follow ing steps for each extra view you need to break dow n.

How to break down the other views
1. In the Timeline view , selected the model's cell corresponding to the view to break dow n. Don't
forget to unlock the layer.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Cutter
l

tool.

If you prefer to use the Select tool, in the Tools toolbar select the Selecttool or press Alt + S.

3. In the Camera view , create a selection around the first part to break dow n.

4. From the top menu, select Edit > Create Drawing From Drawing Selection or press F9(W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + F9 (macOS).
The Create Draw ing From Draw ing Selection dialog box opens.

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5. In the Layer Name field, select the corresponding layer from the list if you w ant to use the samelayers or type a new name if you w ant to create a new layer.
6. Deselect the Cut Artwork From Source option to keep the selected artw ork on your original
draw ing. You do not w ant to cut the artw ork from the colour model.
7. Click OK.
The artw ork is inserted into the existing layer. The draw ing is created in the same frame number as
the cell it w as taken from. It is not incorporated in the other view 's draw ings.

8. Repeat step 1 to 7 for each main body part.

Breaking Down Secondary Parts in the Extra Views
To break dow n the secondary parts for your extra view s, follow the exact same process as you did for the firstview you broke dow n, but you w ill incorporate the new parts in the existing layers—see Breaking Dow n Other
View s on page 704.
Each view can have its ow n set of layers in the Timeline view , therefore each view does not necessarily needto have the same layer structure.
Here is an example of how your timeline should look at this stage:705

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Completing Parts and Articulations
Now that all the layers are created and the parts are basically broken dow n, it is time to clean up the parts andcomplete the articulation.

Cleaning the Parts
You w ill need to use a series of draw ing tools to clean the parts:l

Brush toollEraser toollSelect toollCutter toollContour Editor toollPaint tooll

Close Gap tool

How to clean your drawings
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the draw ing tool you need to fix your draw ings.

2. In the Timeline view , select the cell containing the draw ing to fix.
3. In the Camera view , delete the extra bits using the SelectErasertool.

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or Cuttertool. You can also use theHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. Draw the missing lines using the Brush
you enable the Auto-Flatten

5. Using the Paint
Close Gap

tool. If you use the Brush tool, it is recommended that

option in the Tool Properties view .

tool, paint the gaps. You can close some gaps w ith invisible lines using thetool or press Alt + C.

6. Reshape your lines using the Contour Editor

7. Using the Selecttool or press Alt + Q.

tool, select the entire draw ing and click the Flatten

Properties view to flatten your draw ings.

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button in the Tool

Chapter 12: Character Rigging

8. From the top menu, select View > Show > Show Strokes to display the invisible lines that could bepresent in your draw ing or press K.

9. From the top menu, select Drawing > Optimize > Remove Extra Strokes to remove any
unnecessary invisible lines in the draw ing.
10. Repeat this entire process for each draw ing to fix.

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About Articulations
Once your pieces are traced, you can go ahead and complete the articulations.
Articulations are an important aspect of any cut-out break dow n because w ithout them, a puppet cannot moveproperly and w ill not look good.
If you are using deformations to animate the limbs, your articulations don't need to overlap. The deformer
effect w ill create the joint for you.

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Creating Classical Articulations
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
draw ing 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 w ithout show ing 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.

2. In the Tools toolbar, select the Pencil, Polyline, Ellipse, Cutter, or Contour Editor

tool.
3. In the Colour view , select an outline colour.
4. In the Draw ing or Camera view , use your draw ing tool to make sure the joint overlaps the otherpart in a half-circle shape.

If you are w orking in the Draw ing view , click the Light Table

button in the Draw ing toolbar orpress Shift + L.
5. From the top menu, select View > Show > Show Strokes or press K to display the invisible linesthat may be present in your draw ing.
6. In the Draw ing or Camera view , select all the strokes in your draw ing.
7. In the Tools Properties view , click the Flatten

button.

8. In the Draw ing or Camera view , select all the strokes in your draw ing.
9. Repeat the previous steps for the other articulations.

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10. In the Timeline view , select the cell of the part that w ill be on top of the joint.

NOTE
W hen placing rotation pivots later on, make sure they are positioned at thecentre of the articulation.

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About Ordering Layers
T-HFND-005-005
At this point, it is possible that your character's pieces may show up in the w rong order.

There are several w ays to fix this. First, you can reorder your layers by dragging them to a higher or low erlevel in 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 (forw ard and backw ard) if you have extra view s included in
the same layers (front, three-quarter, back, etc.).

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Ordering Layers in the Timeline View
T-HFND-005-006
In the Timeline view , the layer positioned at the top w ill be displayed in front and the ones below w ill be
displayed behind. If you have multiple view s, you should order your layers based on the most common view ,w hich is generally the three-quarter front.

How to order layers
1. In the Timeline view , drag a layer to reorder it and drop it betw een other layers.

If you drop it on a layer, it w ill create a parent hierarchy, so make sure to drop it betw een layers.

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About Z Nudging
T-HFND-005-008
If you created a hierarchy on your arms, legs or other body parts, it is possible that you w ill w ant a part, suchas the hand, to appear in front of its parent. Yet, if you move the hand layer above the arm layer, you w ill break
the hierarchy. To reorder a layer rigged in a hierarchy, nudge it backw ards or forw ards on the z-axis.

NOTE
You w ill do the same for the layers that are not in the right order on the extra view s. Do not place
the draw ing on another layer. You w ant to keep all your draw ings of the body parts in the samelayers like a box containing all of the hands or all of the shoes.

Harmony allow s you to move your elements in three dimensions:l

Up and dow n (Y-axis)lLeft and right (X-axis)l

Backw ards and forw ards (Z-axis)

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Nudging Layers
T-HFND-005-009
In the same w ay 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 forw ard-backw ard position can also be animated over time.

How to nudge layers backwards and forwards
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform
2. In the Tools toolbar, if

Animate Off ortool.
Animate Onion Skin Range mode is selected, click on it

to open the Animate pop-up menu and selectAnimate Current Frame.

3. In the Camera view , select the element you w ant to reorder. Make sure the focus (red outline) isaround the Camera view before selecting the element.
4. To move the element forw ard, press Alt + Up Arrow and to move the element backw ard, press Alt+ Dow n Arrow .

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About Pivots
T-RIG-006-001
Even w ith a complex hierarchy, a rig is useless w ithout positioning the proper pivot points. This w ill allow the
puppet's pieces to rotate correctly. The arm needs to rotate from the shoulder and stay attached to the torso,
so its pivot point needs to be positioned accordingly. A good w ay to achieve this is to position the pivot point
exactly in the center of the articulation.
The initial position of the pivot point is alw ays at the center of the scene. Sometimes there w ill not be an
obvious place of rotation to place the pivot point, but it's a good idea to reposition the pivot to the besttransformation point. For instance, the master peg, w hich generally controls the entire rig, is often best
positioned betw een the character's feet.

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About Permanent Pivots
T-RIG-006-002
For a simple character rig, it is recommended to set the Peg pivot (even on draw ing layers) using the Rotate
tool.

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Setting Permanent Pivots
T-RIG-006-004
In this section, w e'll take a look at one of the options w e have for setting pivots. The permanent pivot allow s
you to push your rigs to great lengths w ithout having to w orry about repositioning your pivot once it is set.

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 w hose pivot you w ant to set. In the Camera view ,you can also hold dow n Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) and click on the piece w hose pivot
you w ant 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 w here to 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.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Setting Multiple Permanent Pivots
You can simultaneously set the position of pivots for several draw ing layers or pegs that you w ould like torotate and scale from the same point of origin,

How to set pivots on multiple pegs
1. Select the multiple pegs or draw ing layers from either the node view or timeline view .
2. Select any Advanced Animation tool, such as the

Rotate tool.

3. Reposition your pivot using the Advanced Animation tool

NOTE
Never use the Transform tool to permanently position pivots. The Transform tool only
temporarily repositions it to accommodate your transformation, usually during the animation
process.

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

Adding Pegs
Pegs are a special type of layer that do not contain any draw ing. They are used strictly to offset and transformdraw ings that are under their hierarchy, w ithout transforming the draw ings directly.
W hen rigging or setting up a scene, it is recommended to add parent pegs for each of your draw ing layers.
This allow s you to keep animation keyframes and draw ings on separate layers, making it easier to w ork on theposition and exposure of your draw ing layers independently in the Timeline view . It also makes it easier tocreate a hierarchy of w hich body parts can be animated together and independently.

If you w ant to animate only on pegs, you can activate the Peg selection mode of the Transform tool in the Tool
Properties view . You can also disable animating draw ing layers, so that only pegs can be animated.

NOTE
It is also possible to make a draw ing layer the parent of another draw ing layer. Just like the w ay
animating a peg animates its children layers, animating a draw ing layer w ith children w ill also
animate its children layers. Both layers w ill still appear in the animation.

How to create parent pegs for your layers in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select all the layers.

2. In the Timeline Layer toolbar, click the Add Peg

721

button to add a parent peg to all selected layers.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

Creating Hierarchies
Harmony lets you build your rig in an elaborate hierarchy, allow ing you to set w hich parts of your rig should
influence other limbs, and how they can move independently. For example, w hen rigging a simple character'sarm, you can make the forearm layer a child of the arm layer, and the hand layer a child of the forearm layer.
This w ay, if the character moves their forearm, the hand w ill follow , and if they move their arm, the forearmand hand w ill follow .

W hen building a basic character rig, you should at least have a hierarchy for each arm and each leg. You canmake a hierarchy going from the torso, the neck and the head, and rig the arms to the torso, and you can rig thelegs to the hips. This w ould make a hierarchy like this:How to create a hierarchy in the Timeline view
1. In the left area of the Timeline view , select the layer w hich you w ant to make a child layer.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

2. Drag the child and drop it over the layer w hich you w ant to make the parent layer. Make sure you
are not dropping the child layer betw een tw o layers.
3. Repeat until you've created a hierarchy that rigs all of your character's parts, w ith a master peg at
the root. W hile rigging, if you w ant several layers to have a common parent, but no existing part ofyour rig can serve as that parent, create a new peg and nest those layers under that peg.

NOTE
In the Timeline view , you can unparent layers by holding dow n Shift, dragging the selectedparent aw ay from the child layer and dropping it somew here else in the list.

W hen rigging, keep in mind that the order of the layers in the Timeline view affects the order in w hich they are
rendered. Layers on top of the list w ill be rendered over layers at the bottom of the list. Should you need tochange a layer's order w hile animating, you can nudge this layer's position on the Z-axis to override the layerorder and force it to appear beneath or over other layers.

How to nudge a layer on the Z- axis
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool.

2. In the Timeline, Node or Camera view , select the layer you w ant to nudge.
3. If you selected the layer from the Timeline or Node view , click on the Camera view tab to set thefocus on the Camera view .
4. Do one of the follow ing:l

To nudge the layer forw ard, press Alt + Dow n Arrow .

l

To nudge the layer backw ard, press Alt + Up Arrow .

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

Adding the Master Peg
Your character rig should alw ays have a master peg w hich connects to all of its parts. The master peg allow s
you to manipulate the entire rig from a single layer, w ithout having to manipulate each individual part. This isuseful for positioning and scaling your character relative to the scene, as w ell as to animate your character's
trajectory w hen it has to move betw een areas of the scene.

How to add a master peg in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the top layer.
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.
3. Name the new peg Master plus the character's name.
4. In the Timeline view , select all the layers you w ant to attach to your new peg. Remember that your
top layer is already a child of the peg, so don't include it in your selection.
5. Drag your selection ON to the peg layer to parent all your character's pieces to the peg. If yourlayers are added above the already parented layers, move that parented layer back on top of thelayer stack.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

Invert- Cutting
W hen rigging a character, there may be instances w hen you w ant to have the ability to move a particular piece
to give the illusion of a rotation or move the pupil w ithin the w hite of an eye w ithout having the extra bit of thedraw ing sticking out of the character or eyeball. To do so, you can use masks to cut anything you don't w ant 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 w ill be masking the pieceto cut.

2. Select the layer that w ill act as the mask.
3. In the Timeline view , right-click on the layer and select Clone Selected Layers: Drawings andTiming.

4. Select the layer to be masked.
5. In the Layer toolbar, click the Add Layer button and select Effects > Cutter.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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 isrepositionned above the effect.

The masking layer is no longer visible in the Camera view . You can see that the masking layer isconnected to 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 w hat you w ant to cut is probably show ing. Doubleclick on the Mask layer to open the Layer Properties w indow . In the Layer Properties w indow ,enable the Inverted option.

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

9. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool and move the cut object w ithin the masking zone.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Grouping Rigs
Once your rigging is completed, you must group the puppet's skeleton to help organize the often large andcomplex netw orks. This w ay, once you have imported tw o or three characters into the scene, three Groupnodes w ill be displayed instead of all the rigging connections of three puppets.

How to group nodes
1. In the Node view , select all your nodes.
2. In the top menu, select Edit > Group > Group Selected Layers or press Ctrl + G (W indow s/Linux)or ⌘ + G (macOS).
Your nodes are grouped.
3. Click on the Group node's right arrow to enter the group.

4. If you do not have a Multi-Port Out node inside your group, in the Node Library view , select theGroup category and select a Multi- Port Out node.

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Chapter 12: Character Rigging

5. Drag the Multi-Port-Out node to the Node view .
6. Connect the Composite node's output port into the Multi-Port Out node.
An output port is created on your Group node.
7. In the bottom-left corner of the Node view , click Top to return to the netw ork's root. You should
now see an output port on your Group node.

8. Click on the Group's Properties button to open the Layer Properties w indow .

9. In the Layer Properties w indow , rename the Group node w ith your character's name.
10. Click Close.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating Keyframes
Once all your draw ings 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

arrow .

2. In the Timeline view , select the first cell.

3. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Insert > Keyframe.

l

In the Timeline View toolbar, click the Add KeyframelPress F6.

button.

NOTE
If you use the F6 shortcut w hen w orking Flash keyboard shortcuts flavour, this not only
creates a keyframe but also duplicates a draw ing.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Chapter 13: Cut- out Animation
Harmony provides some great tools for rigging and animating cut-out character models. You can make simple
rigs or give your characters flexible capabilities using peg hierarchies, groups, cutters, and deformers, among
other things. You can create basic animations w ith the Transform tool, or more advanced animation w ith
Deformers. Harmony also supports onion skin and image sw apping features to help you animate efficiently
and quickly.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Animating with the Transform Tool
The Transform tool is the main tool to use w hen w orking w ith 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 ow n pivot point. They are compositing tools. The Transform tool creates a global selection, so w hen
many parts are selected, you can move them as one unit. The Transform tool is highly recommended for cutout animation.
W hen animating w ith 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 w ill limit the selection in the

Camera view to pegs only.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

If there are hierarchy connections in the cut-out character, the Transform tool w ill also be used as the Forw ard
Kinematics equivalent.
The Transform tool can be used on any kind of rigging.
W hen many parts are selected w ith the Transform tool, the first selected part's pivot w ill be used as theglobal selection's pivot. This pivot can be moved temporarily for the animation. W hen you offset the pivot, thepermanent pivot is displayed as a ghost.

NOTE
The interpolation of the animation poses is alw ays 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.

735Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Animating with the Transform Tool
The Transform tool allow s you to move, rotate, scale and skew a selection or multi-selection.

How to animate using 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 w hich you w ant 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 w ithout setting a keyframe w illcreate keyframes only on certain parameters of the animation. You could run into issues later onw hen setting poses betw een existing ones. Creating a keyframe on all layers and parameters w illensure your pose is set and w ill not be modified by other poses later on.
5. In the Camera view , select the element to animate and move it.

6. In the Timeline view , go to the frame w here you w ant to set the next position.

7. In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Keyframe
8. In the Camera view , animate the character.

736

button or press F6.

Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Resetting Transformations
W ith the Reset command, you can return a selected element to its initial position and scale values, depending
on w hich tool is active. For example, if the Rotate
and if the Transform

tool is active, the transformation angle w ill be reset to 0

tool is active, then all transformation values w ill be reset.

The Reset All option Resets all transformations on the current frame in a selected layer. Your keyframe w ill
remain, but all the values w ill return to the starting value. All transformations are reset regardless of the tool
you're using.
The Reset All Except Z option resets Resets all transformations on the current frame except the Z position.
This is useful w hen doing cut-out animation. Cut-out puppets often have a particular Z ordering for thedifferent view s of a character. You might w ant to reset the transformation, but not necessarily the Z position.

NOTE
W hen using the Transform tool to select elements in the Camera view , alw ays make sure the Peg
Selection Mode option in the Tool Properties view is disabled or it w ill 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 draw ing layer(s) to reset.
3. From the top menu, select Animation > Reset or press R. This w ill reset the current frame if
keyframes w ere created.
The selected layer(s) return to their original position.

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 draw ing 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 completely reset the layers' parameters
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool or press Shift + T.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

2. In the Timeline or Camera view , select one or more draw ing layers to reset.
3. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click the selected layers and select Clear All Values. This w ill remove all
keyframes and reset all values for the entire layer.

l

In the Timeline View menu, select Layers > Clear All Values. This w ill remove all
keyframes and reset all values for the entire layer.

The selected layers return to their original position.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

About Hierarchy Navigation
If there is a layer hierarchy in the puppet you built, use the keyboard shortcuts to travel up and dow n theparent-child chain. You can navigate betw een the children of the same parent. You can also easily center on
your selection in the Timeline view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Navigating Layers
Navigate betw een the layers in the Timeline view , using keyboard shortcuts or the Animation menu. This w ayof navigating only w orks for unparented layers or the children of a parent layer. If you are navigating betw een
unparented layers, parent layers can be selected, but their children w ill be skipped. If you start on a parented
layer (child), only the other children of the same parent w ill be available for selection.

How move up and down the layer stack
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform

tool.

2. In the Camera or Timeline view , select an unparented layer or child layer of a parent w ith several
children.

3. From the top menu, select:lAnimation > Select Previous Sibling or press / to select the previous child layer.

lAnimation Select Next Sibling or press ? to select the next child layer.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Selecting Parent and Children
W hen animating, large movements that are made at the root (parent) of a chain cause secondary movements
throughout the rest (children) of the chain. For example, w hen you rotate the arm of a character from theshoulder, the forearm and hand w ill follow . How ever, in order to make the movement appear natural andgraceful, the forearm and hand should not move at the same speed or angle. As a result, animators often needto move up and dow n a chain, intermittently selecting parent and children, in order to make both large and finemovements.

How to select the parent or child of the selected layer
1. In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool.

2. In the Transform Tool Properties view , make sure the Peg Selection

mode is deselected.

3. In the Camera or Timeline view , select a layer or object attached to a hierarchy.

4. Do one of the follow ing:lSelect Animation > Select Parent or press B to select the parent layer.

lSelect Animation > Select Child or press Shift + B to select the child layer.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
W hen going up or dow n your node hierarchy, these keyboard shortcuts skip any effect node in
the hierarchy and only select either peg or draw ing nodes. This is because these shortcuts are
optimized for cut-out animation. In the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog, under the General section,these shortcuts are named Select Parent Skipping Effects and Select Child Skipping Effects.
If you w ant to use keyboard shortcuts to navigate the hierarchy w ithout skipping effect nodes,
you can assign custom keyboard shortcuts for the Select Parent and Select Child commands
instead.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Centering on Selections
W hen you have many layers in the Timeline view , you may find it hard to locate w hich one is selected. You can
use the Centre on Selection feature to display the selected object's layer in the Timeline view .

How to center on the selected layer in the Timeline view
1. In the Camera view , select a layer.
2. In the Timeline view toolbar, click the Centre on Selection

743

button or press O.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Keyframes
Keyframes are the building blocks of Cut-out animation. Unlike Traditional animation, w here every pose isdraw n, Cut-out animation uses keyframes to mark major poses (key poses) and lets the softw are create all theposes in betw een.
In Harmony, you can create tw o kinds of keyframes: Motion and Stop-Motion. Motion keyframes behave likethe description above; they allow for the automatic creation of draw ings betw een tw o keyframed poses. StopMotion keyframes do not allow for interpolation betw een keyframes. They are often used to block poses,
somew hat similar to w hat you w ould see in Traditional Animation.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Creating Motion Keyframes
T-LAY-004-001
After you have created the key poses, you can animate the in-betw een poses yourself or let Harmony do it
using motion keyframes. W hen you use motion keyframes, the draw ings gradually move to the next position
instead of staying on the spot until the next keyframe.

How to 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 w hich you w ant to add a keyframe.

3. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Insert Keyframe.

lClick the Add KeyframelPress F6.

l

In the Camera view , if the Animate mode is enabled, as soon as you move thebutton in the Timeline toolbar.

selected element, a keyframe w ill be automatically created on the current frame.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the selection and select Set Motion Keyframe.

lClick the Motion KeyframelPress Ctrl + K (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + K (macOS).

button in the Timeline View toolbar.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Creating Stop- motion Keyframes
To start animating your character, start by doing your key poses. In fact, most of your time w ill be spent doing
key poses. It is better to w ork w ith stop-motion keyframes so Harmony does not automatically create theinterpolation betw een your keyframes.
W hen using stop-motion keyframes, also know n as step keyframes, the segment betw een tw o keyframes isconstant. There is no animation generated by the computer betw een the poses. The draw ing remains inposition until the next keyframe, then moves to its new position.

How to 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 w hich you w ant to add a keyframe.

3. Do one of the follow ing:lRight-click and select Insert Keyframe.

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add KeyframelPress F6.

l

In the Camera view , if the Animate mode is enabled, as soon as you move thebutton.

selected element, a keyframe is automatically created on the current frame.

747Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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 follow ing:lRight-click and select Set Stop- Motion Keyframes.

l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Stop-Motion KeyframelPress Ctrl + L (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + L (macOS).

748

button.

Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

About Swapping Drawings
T-RIG-004-001
Cut-out animation often requires using several different draw ings on the same layers. For example, it is typicalto have several draw ings in the mouth layer so that you can animate the character's mouth by sw apping its
draw ings, since it is complicated to animate a mouth w ith deformations and transformations alone. It is also
typical to have several hand draw ings in the hand layers, to avoid having to animate the hand's fingers
individually and to allow for quick hand rotations.

Hence, a cut-out animator is often required to sw ap draw ings on some layers throughout the scene tocomplete their cut-out animation. To allow for a flexible, adaptable and optimal w orkflow , there are several
w ays to sw ap draw ings. But before learning how to sw ap draw ings, it is important to understand thedifference betw een a layer's draw ings and its exposure. In Harmony, each layer has its ow n pool of draw ings,
referred to as an element, W hich draw ing is displayed for a layer at any frame in the scene is called exposure.
For example, a hand layer may contain dozens of different hand poses, but only display one or tw o of themthroughout the scene, w ith the first one displayed for the first half of the scene and the second one displaying
during the second half.
The exposure for a scene's layers is represented visually in the Xsheet view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

You can also see how the exposure is separated throughout the scene in the Timeline view . Each exposure isrepresented by a gray rectangle.

NOTE
You can see w hich draw ings are exposed in each rectangle by enabling Thumbnails—see
Displaying Draw ing Thumbnails in the Timeline View .

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

W hen you sw ap a draw ing, you change w hich one of the layer's draw ing is exposed at the current frame up
until the end of its exposure. For example, if you select the frame at the beginning of a draw ing's exposure,and sw ap its draw ing, the draw ing w ill be sw apped for the entire span of that exposure.

Otherw ise, if you select the frame in the middle of an exposure and sw ap its draw ing, the draw ing w ill be
sw apped from the current frame up until the end of that exposure.

This breaks the exposure into tw o exposures, w hich is visible in the Timeline view

There are three w ays to sw ap draw ings:

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

The Drawing Picker view displays all the draw ing in the selected layer's elements as thumbnails. You
can see every draw ing you can choose from and pick the draw ing you w ant by clicking on it.

l

The Library view has a Draw ing Substitution panel in its top-right corner. It allow s you to sw ap
draw ings by selecting the draw ing you w ant using a slider, or by typing the number or name of thatdraw ing in a text field.

l

The Timeline view 's Parameters column displays w hich draw ing is exposed on draw ing layers at thecurrent frame. You can sw ap draw ings by clicking and dragging on the draw ing name, or by typing its
number or name manually.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Swapping Drawings in the Drawing Substitutions View
The Draw ing Substitutions view is the easiest w ay to sw ap draw ings. W hen you select a layer, the Draw ing
Substitutions view w ill display every draw ing in that layer's element as thumbnails. All you have to do isselect the frame w here you w ant to sw ap draw ings, then click on the thumbnail of the draw ing you w ant toexpose.

How to swap drawings using the Drawing Substitutions view
1. Add the Draw ing Substitutions view to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top-right corner of any existing view , click on the

Add View button and selectDrawing Substitutions.
l

In the top menu, select W indows > Drawing Substitutions.

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the layer on w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

l

In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool. Then, in the Camera view , select the layer

on w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

NOTE
Make sure thePeg Selection mode is turned off in the Tool Properties view .

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the frame at w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

NOTE
You can select a range of frames to substitute draw ings in several frames at the sametime—see About Sw apping Multiple Draw ings

4. In the Draw ing Substitutions view , click on the draw ing w ith w hich you w ant to expose at thecurrent frame.

The draw ing exposed in the current frame is sw apped w ith the draw ing you just selected.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

TIP
You can also press [ to substitute the current draw ing w ith the previous draw ing and ] tosubstitute it w ith the next draw ing.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Swapping Drawings in the Library View
T-LAY-003-002
The Library view has a convenient Draw ing Substitution panel in w hich you can quickly sw ap the draw ing inthe selected frame for another draw ing. Under the draw ing thumbnail, you can use the slider to cycle throughthe draw ings in the selected layer's element, or use the text field to type in the name of the draw ing you w ant
to expose.

How to swap images in the Library view
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the layer on w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

l

In the Tools toolbar, select theTransform tool. Then, in the Camera view , select the layer

on w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

NOTE
Make sure thePeg Selection mode is turned off in the Tool Properties view .

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

2. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the frame at w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

NOTE
You can select a range of frames to substitute draw ings in several frames at the sametime—see About Sw apping Multiple Draw ings

3. Open the Library view . The Draw ing Substitution panel, in the top-left corner, w ill display theselected draw ing, the name of the layer and the name of the draw ing at the current frame.

4. Do one of the follow ing:lClick and drag on the slider to cycle through the draw ings in the layer's element. Leave theslider once you see the draw ing you w ant to expose in the thumbnail.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

In the text field, type in the number or name of the draw ing you w ant to expose.

lPress [ to substitute the current draw ing w ith the previous draw ing and ] to substitute it
w ith the next draw ing.

The draw ing exposed in the current frame is sw apped w ith the draw ing you just selected.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Swapping Drawings in the Timeline View
T-LAY-003-001
In the Timeline view , there is a Parameters column right of the Layers column. For draw ing layers, theParameters column displays the name or number of the draw ing exposed at the current frame. You can quickly
sw ap w hich draw ing is exposed at the current frame by clicking and dragging on the value in the Parameterscolumn. This is a more technical approach, as you do not have a preview of the draw ing you are selecting.
Hence, you have to know the name or number of the draw ing you have to select. If you do know it, thistechnique can save you time as it can be done on the fly w hile w orking in the Timeline view .

How to swap a drawing in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the cell in w hich you w ant to sw ap draw ings.

2. In the fields under the Parameters column, right of the layer's name, do one of the follow ing:lClick and hold on the draw ing number or name, then drag left to cycle back through thedraw ings in the element, or right to cycle forw ard through the draw ings in the element.
W hen the number or name of the draw ing you w ant to expose appears, release the mousebutton.

l

Double-click on the draw ing number or name and, in the text field that appears, type in thename of the draw ing you w ant to expose and press ENTER.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Swapping Multiple Drawings
If you select a range of frames in the Timeline view , you can sw ap draw ings over the entire selected range offrames at the same time. How ever, there are tw o approaches to doing this, w ith tw o different results.

Drawing Picker, Library View or Keyboard Shortcuts
If you select a range of frames in the Timeline view , then use the Draw ing Picker view , the Library view or the [and ] keyboard shortcuts to sw ap draw ings, the draw ing in every frame in the selected range w ill be replaced
w ith the new draw ing. How ever, subsequent draw ings w ill not be substituted, even if they are part of thesame exposure. This w ill make the selected range of frames into its ow n exposure, breaking it from theexposure before and after the selection.

Timeline View
If you select a range of frames in the Timeline view , then use the Parameters column to sw ap draw ings, theevery frame in the selected range w ill be replaced w ith the new draw ing up and until the end of the last
exposure in the selection.

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About Key Exposures
Key exposures are a feature that can help preserve the exposure of specific draw ings at specific frames of yourscene w hen you perform draw ing substitution.
Before w orking w ith key exposures, it is important to understand how exposure w orks w ith Harmony. An
exposure basically represents the span of time (or frames) during w hich a specific draw ing is displayed in yourscene. You can see the exposure of each draw ing for a given layer in the Xsheet view . For example, here w ehave a layer in w hich draw ing 1 is exposed from frames 1 to 6, then draw ing 2 is exposed from frames 7 to 10,
and draw ing 3 is exposed from frames 11 to 12:

As you can see, in the Xsheet view , an exposure is represented in its first frame by the name of the draw ing,
then in every subsequent frame by a vertical line. The number represents the moment w here the exposure of adraw ing starts, w hich is called a key exposure, the line represents the span during w hich this draw ing's
exposure is repeated, w hich is just called exposure.
Typically, key exposures are automatically created w hen the exposed draw ing changes. How ever, it ispossible to add key exposure in the middle of a draw ing's exposure w ithout changing the exposed draw ing,
simply to break its exposure into tw o separate blocks of exposure. For example, here, you have draw ing 1
exposed from frames 1 to 8, but it is split into tw o blocks of exposure by a Key Exposure at frame 5.

This is useful for managing w hat happens w hen you perform draw ing substitution. In Harmony, w hen you
sw ap a draw ing for another draw ing at a specific frame, it replaces w hich draw ing is exposed on all the frames
starting from the current frame up until the next key exposure. For example, here, if w e sw itch the draw ing at
frame 3 w ith draw ing 6, draw ing 6 w ill be exposed from frame 3 all the w ay to frame 8, because there is a key
exposure at frame 9.

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In this other example, because there is a key exposure at frame 5, if the draw ing at frame 3 is sw itched fromdraw ing 1 to draw ing 6, the substitution w ill only happen on frames 3 and 4. The key exposure at frame 5 w ill
prevent the substitution from spanning any further:Hence, by using Key Exposures, you can make sure the draw ing exposed at a specific frame does not get
sw apped just because you sw apped the draw ing in earlier frames. The draw ing exposed w ith a Key Exposure
only gets sw apped if you select the frame w here that Key Exposure is and sw ap the draw ing in it.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Adding Key Exposures
If there is a particular draw ing you w ant to keep on a specific frame, you can set it as a key exposure. This
prevents it from be overw ritten by a draw ing sw ap 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 w hether the previous exposure is
the same draw ing or not.

How to add a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view , select the draw ing cell to set as the key exposure.
2. Do one of the follow ing:In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Key Exposurel

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add Key ExposurelRight-click and select Exposure > Add Key Exposure.

A new key exposure is added at the current frame.

763

button.

button.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Removing Key Exposures
W hen you no know longer need a key exposure, you can remove it.

You can also remove key exposures of w here the draw ing is different than in the previous frame. W hen you
remove a key exposure, the exposure of the draw ing before it is extended over the exposure of the deleted key
exposure.

How to remove a key exposure
1. In the Timeline view , select a key exposure to remove.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Remove Key ExposurelRight-click and select Exposure > Remove Key Exposure.

button.

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

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Removing Duplicate Key Exposures
A duplicate key exposure is w hen a key exposure exposes the same draw ing as the frame before it. You canquickly remove all duplicate key exposures in a span of frames and only preserve the key exposure that isnecessary for your animation.

How to remove duplicate key exposures
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the span of frames in w hich you w ant to remove duplicate
exposure.
2. Right-click on the selection and select Exposure > Remove Duplicate Key Exposure.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Eases
To 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 featureand set 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. W hen a keyframe is selected, easing values appear in the righthandle and left handle fields, as w ell as the Bezier handle or Ease w heel controls on each selected keyframe.
You can pull on them to adjust the ease in and ease out, or type values in the fields.
If there are several functions w hose velocity you w ant to adjust at the same time, such as the hand, forearmand arm of a cut-out character, you can apply the same velocity parameters to all the selected keyframes in
one frame.

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Setting the Ease for Animation Keyframes
You can set and fine-tune the ease for your animations using the Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog. In
this dialog, you can edit the ease for your animation using Bezier handles, allow ing you to adjust both thelength and the angle of the Bezier curve that makes the timing of the animation. You can also select w hichtypes of parameters, such as position, rotation angle and scale, to w hich the ease should be applied.
You can also quickly set the ease for a range of keyframes using the Set Ease on Keyframes dialog, w hich only
allow s you to set the length of the ease, but not the angle.

How to set ease on animations keyframe by keyframe
1. In the Timeline view , collapse the hierarchy of the rig (or of the part of the rig) to w hich you w ant toapply an ease.

NOTE
W hen you apply an ease to a layer w ith children, and this layer’s hierarchy is collapsed,the ease is applied to that layer and all of its children.

2. Select one of your animation keyframes.

NOTE
You should only select one keyframe. The Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog canonly edit the ease on one keyframe at a time, but it also allow s you to quickly jump
betw een keyframes in your timeline.

767Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

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

button.

The Set Ease For Multiple Parameters dialog box opens.

4. In the Bezier editor, click and drag on the Bezier handle to adjust the ease for the selected
keyframes.

5. You can also adjust the easing by typing values in the Time Ratio and Value Ratio fields below theBezier editor. The values are calculated in percentage.
l

In the Left Time Ratio and Right Time Ratio fields, type the percentage value
corresponding to the length of time you w ant the easing to last. This w ill move the Beziers
horizontally, aw ay from their keyframe. The value must be betw een 0% and 100%.

l

In the Left Value Ratio and Right Value Ratio fields, type the percentage value of how
skew ed you w ant the ease to be. This w ill move the Bezier vertically, tow ards their nearest

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

keyframe if the value is positive, or aw ay the nearest keyframe if their value is negative. The
value must be betw een 0% and 100%.
6. 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 w ant to affect.
l

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

l

Scale: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Scale functions.

l

Skew: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Skew functions.

lMorphing: Applies the easing parameters to the selected Morphing Velocity
functions. Note that Morphing is only available in Harmony Advanced and Harmony
Premium.

lOther: Applies the easing parameters to all the other selected functions, such as allfunctions created to animate effect parameters.

7. Click one of the follow ing buttons:lApply/Previous: Applies the ease parameters to the selected keyframe and thenjumps to the previous keyframe in the timeline so that you can adjust its ease next.

lApply: Applies the easing parameters to the selected keyframe.

lApply/Next: Applies the ease parameters to the selected keyframe, then jumps thenext keyframe in the timeline so that you can adjust its ease next.

lClose: Closes the dialog box. If you did not apply the modifications, they w ill becancelled

How to apply a quickly set the ease on one or several keyframes
1. In the Timeline view , collapse the hierarchy of the rig (or of the part of the rig) to w hich you w ant toapply an ease.

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NOTE
W hen you apply an ease to a layer w ith children, and this layer’s hierarchy is collapsed,the ease is applied to that layer and all of its children.

2. Select all the keyframes for w hich you w ant to adjust the ease.

3. In the Timeline toolbar, click on the

Set Ease on Selected Keyframes button.

The Set Ease on Keyframes dialog appears.

4. For the ease before the selected keyframes, do one of the follow ing:l

If you w ant to set the ease before the selected keyframes, check the Ease- In (left) checkbox.
Then, in input field next to the checkbox, type in the percentage of ease you w ant to apply
before the selected keyframes.

l

If you don’t w ant to make changes to the ease before the selected keyframes, uncheck theEase- In (left) checkbox.

5. For the ease after the selected keyframes, do one of the follow ing:

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animationl

If you w ant to set the ease after the selected keyframes, check the Ease- Out (right)
checkbox. Then, in input field next to the checkbox, type in the percentage of ease you w ant
to apply after the selected keyframes.

l

If you don’t w ant to make changes to the ease after the selected keyframes, uncheck theEase- In (left) checkbox.

6. Click OK.
The eases on all the selected keyframe is now updated.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Applying Ease Presets to Animations
You can quickly set the ease on an animation using the Timeline view toolbar. There are tw o approaches to
this:l

The Set Ease Type drop-dow n allow s you to quickly select an ease preset for the animation ranging
from the selected keyframe to the next keyframe.

l

The Quick Ease buttons allow you to apply an ease preset to the current keyframe, w hether before orafter the current keyframe.

How to select apply an ease preset to a motion
1. In the Timeline view , collapse the hierarchy of the rig (or of the part of the rig) to w hich you w ant toapply an ease.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

NOTE
W hen you apply an ease to a layer w ith children, and this layer’s hierarchy is collapsed,the ease is applied to that layer and all of its children.

2. Select the first keyframe of the animation to w hich you w ant to apply an ease preset.

TIP
You can select several keyframes. The ease preset w ill be applied to the animations
starting from each selected keyframe up to the follow ing keyframe.

3. In the Timeline toolbar, open the

Set Ease Type drop-dow n and select the preferred easepreset:lLinear: Removes ease-in on the selected keyframe and the ease-out on the next
keyframe.

lSlow ease-in: Applies an ease- in of 25% to the selected keyframe and an ease- out of
0% to the next keyframe.

lMedium ease-in: Applies an ease- in of 50% to the selected keyframe and an ease- out of
0% to the next keyframe.

lFast ease-in: Applies an ease- in of 75% to the selected keyframe and an ease- out of 0%
to the next keyframe.

lFast ease-in / ease-out: Applies an ease- in of 75% to the selected keyframe and anease- out of 75% to the next keyframe.

773

Harmony 22 Essentials User GuidelMedium ease-in / ease-out: Applies an ease- in of 50% to the selected keyframe and anease- out of 50% to the next keyframe.

lSlow ease-in / ease-out: Applies an ease- in of 25% to the selected keyframe and anease- out of 25% to the next keyframe.

lSlow ease-out: Applies an ease- in of 0% to the selected keyframe and an ease- out of
25% to the next keyframe.

lMedium ease-out: Applies an ease- in of 0% to the selected keyframe and an ease- out of
50% to the next keyframe.

lFast ease-out: Applies an ease- in of 0% to the selected keyframe and an ease- out of
75% to the next keyframe.:

The selected ease-type is applied to the animation spanning from the selected keyframe to thenext keyframe.

How to apply a quick ease preset before or after a keyframe
1. In the Timeline view , collapse the hierarchy of the rig (or of the part of the rig) to w hich you w ant toapply an ease.

NOTE
W hen you apply an ease to a layer w ith children, and this layer’s hierarchy is collapsed,the ease is applied to that layer and all of its children.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

2. Select all the keyframes to w hich you w ant to apply an ease preset.

3. In the Timeline toolbar, do one of the follow ing:l

To apply an ease of 33% before and after the keyframe, click on thelTo apply an ease of 33% after the keyframe, click on the

Quick Ease Out button.

l

To apply an ease of 33% before the keyframe, click on the

Quick Ease In button.

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Quick Ease button.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Using Onion Skin in Cut- out Animation
T-HFND-006-006
Although Onion Skin is primarily designed for frame-by-frame animation, you may find Onion Skin to be usefulw hen doing cut-out animation. Just like w ith paperless animation, you can use Onion Skin to help you use
existing poses in your scene as references to create new key poses, breakdow ns or in-betw eens. Also,
displaying the Onion Skin for the different frames of a movement can help you visualize the timing of youranimation.

NOTE
The follow ing topic explains how to control w hich layers in a cut-out rig are displayed in the Onion
Skin. For more information on how to use Onion Skin in general, see About Onion Skin.

W hen the Onion Skin is displayed, it is displayed for:l

The currently selected layer and its children.

l

All layers for w hich the Onion Skin is enabled.

W hen you enable Onion Skin, it is automatically enabled on the selected layer and its children, and disabled
for other layers. This w ay, if you select your character rig's master peg, enable Onion Skin, it w ill be enabled
for all its layers. If you select one of its layers to animate it, the Onion Skin for the w hole rig w ill persist.
This makes managing Onion Skin w hile doing cut-out animation relatively seamless. How ever, you may still
w ant to manage w hich layers are visible in the Onion Skin. For example, you may w ant to add more layers to
the Onion Skin as their position is needed to help you pose specific layers, or you may w ant to remove layers
from the Onion Skin to de-clutter it, or prevent it from hindering softw are performance. There are several
techniques for managing w hich layers are displayed in the Onion Skin.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

NOTE
Keep in mind that the selected layer and its children are alw ays displayed in the Onion Skin.
Hence, w hen you select a layer and try to remove it from the Onion Skin, it w ill remain displayed in
the Onion Skin until you select a different layer.

The Onion Skin

Button in the Tools Toolbar

W hen you click on the Onion Skin button in the Tools toolbar to enable Onion Skin, it is enabled on all theselected layers and their children. This is persistent even if you select different layers. Hence, it is a good idea
to select your character model, or the part of it that you w ant to animate, before enabling Onion Skin.

W hen Onion Skin is enabled, if you click on the Onion Skin button, it w ill disable Onion Skin for all layers.

The Onion Skin

Button in the Timeline View

In the Timeline view , there is an Onion Skin button left of each draw ing layer. If you click on it, it w ill toggle
w hether Onion Skin is enabled on that individual layer.

777Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Also, and perhaps more importantly, w hen a peg that is the parent of one or several draw ing layers iscollapsed, it also has an Onion Skin button. Clicking on this button w ill toggle Onion Skin on every draw ing
layer rigged under that peg. This allow s you to quickly enable Onion Skin on your w hole rig or on a large partof your rig.

Likew ise, you can quickly disable Onion Skin on part of your rig this w ay.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

The Onion Skin Menu
In the top menu, under View, there is an Onion Skin sub-menu. This menu contains several commands
allow ing you to add or remove layers to and from the Onion Skin:l

Add to Onion Skin: Adds the selected layer and all of its children to the Onion Skin.

NOTE
You can run this command instantly by pressing Shift + S.

lRemove from Onion Skin: Removes the selected layer and all of its children from the Onion Skin.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Remove Unselected from Onion Skin: Removes every layer but the selected layer and its children fromthe Onion Skin. This can be useful if you have Onion Skin enabled on your w hole rig or on a big part ofyour rig, but you selected a smaller part of the rig and you only w ant Onion Skin to be enabled on it.

l

Add All to Onion Skin: Adds all of the layers in your scene to the Onion Skin:

NOTE
You can run this command instantly by pressing Alt + Shift + OlRemove All from Onion Skin: Disables Onion Skin on all of the layers in your scene.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

NOTE
You can run this command instantly by pressing Ctrl + Shift + O (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ +Shift + O (macOS).

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Using the Outline ModeUse the Outline mode to temporarily convert all the draw ings on a layer to outlines. You can still select andmanipulate the draw ings in this mode. Select a draw ing by selecting its outline. The fill is not taken into
account w hen making selections in this mode.

Toggling drawings to outlines
1. In the Timeline view , click once on the Change Track Colour button of a layer to toggle all draw ingsof that layer to outlines, in the Camera view .

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Changing the outline colour
1. In the Timeline view , double-click on the Change Track Colour button of a layer to open the SelectColour dialog box.

2. In the Select Colour w indow , select a new colour for your outlines.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Click Ok.

The colour sw atch and frames of the selected layer take on the new colour.
4. In the Timeline view , click once on the change track colour of a layer to toggle all draw ings of thatlayer to outlines, in the Camera view .

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

The outlines of the layer's draw ings appear in the selected colour.

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Flipping Through Poses
W hen animating, it is useful to flip through poses to see the flow of your animation w ithout going througheach frame in the Timeline view . Harmony lets you flip betw een 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 w ant to view .

2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select Animation > Go to Previous Keyframe or Go to Next
Keyframe.

lPress semicolon (;) and single quote (').

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Flipping Parts
If you w ant to flip a part, a limb or a w hole 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.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Animating Lip- Sync
Adding a lip-sync to your animation is essential to making your characters seem alive. How ever, it is also aparticularly tedious part of the animation process.

To solve this problem, Harmony provides an automatic lip-sync detection feature. This feature analyzes thecontent of a sound track in your scene and associates each phoneme it detects w ith one of the mouth shapes
in the follow ing mouth chart, w hich is a standard mouth chart in the animation industry.

NOTE
The letters assigned to these mouth shapes are standard identifiers, they do NOT correspond to
the sound they are meant to produce.

This is an approximation of the English phonemes each mouth shape can be used to represent:l

A: m, b, p, hl

B: s, d, j, i, k, tl

C: e, al

D: A, E

l

E: o

l

F: u, ool

G: f, phl

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

W hen performing automatic lip-sync detection, Harmony does not create mouth draw ings. It simply fills thedraw ing column of your character's mouth layer w ith the generated lip-sync, by inserting the letter associatedw ith the right mouth shape into each cell of the column. Therefore, for the automatic lip-sync detection to
w ork, your character's mouth layer should already contain a mouth draw ing for each draw ing in the mouth
chart, and these draw ings should be named by their corresponding letter.

How to generate a sound detection for lip- sync using the Layer Properties view
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the sound layer.
The options for that layer w ill appear in the Layer Properties view .
2. In the Layer Properties, click Detect.

Harmony analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip-sync letter to each 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 thecharacter's voice track.

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NOTE
If the selected layer contains symbols, you can map the lip-sync using draw ings locateddirectly on the layer or use the symbol's frames. In the Symbol Layer field select Don't
Use Any Symbol if you w ant to use the draw ings or select the desired symbol from thedrop-dow n menu.

5. In the Mapping section, type the draw ing name or Symbol frames in the field to the right of thephoneme it represents. If your draw ings are already named w ith the phoneme letters, you can skip
this step.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Playback toolbar, enable the8. Press the

Enable Sound option.

Play button in the Playback toolbar to see and hear the results in the Camera view

You can manually create the lip-syncing for your scene by selecting w hich mouth draw ing should be exposedat each frame of your character's d ialogue. For this process, you w ill be using the Sound Scrubbing
functionality, w hich plays the part of your sound track at the current frame w henever you move your Timeline
cursor, allow ing you to identify w hich phonemes you should match your character's mouth to. You w ill also beusing draw ing substitution to change w hich mouth draw ing is exposed at every frame.

How to animate lip- sync using the Timeline view
1. In the Playback toolbar, toggle theSound Scrubbing button on.

2. In the Timeline view , drag the red playhead along the sound layer w aveform.
3. W hen you reach a frame w here a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth w ith
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 thedraw ing name (often a letter) until it changes to the sw apping

pointer.

5. Pull the cursor to see the list of mouth shape names and choose the one you w ant. The current
draw ing automatically changes to the new selection.

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How to animate lip- sync using the Library view
1. In the Playback toolbar, toggle theSound Scrubbing button on.

2. In the Timeline view , drag the red playhead along the w aveform of your sound layer.
3. W hen you reach a frame w here a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth w ith
rounded lips for an "oh" sound, click on that frame on your mouth shapes layer.
4. In the Draw ing Substitution w indow of the Library view , drag the slider to choose a mouth shape.
The current draw ing is sw apped for the one in the preview w indow .

How to swap drawings using the Drawing Substitutions view
1. Add the Draw ing Substitutions view to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top-right corner of any existing view , click on the

Add View button and selectDrawing Substitutions.
l

In the top menu, select W indows > Drawing Substitutions.

2. In the Playback toolbar, toggle theSound Scrubbing button on.

3. In the Timeline view , drag the red playhead along the w aveform of your sound layer.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. W hen you reach a frame w here a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth w ith
rounded lips for an "oh" sound, click on that frame on your mouth shapes layer.
5. In the Draw ing Substitutions view , click on the mouth pose you w ant to expose at the current
frame.

TIP
You can also press [ to substitute the selected draw ing w ith the previous draw ing and ] tosubstitute it w ith the next draw ing.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

Ordering in Z- Depth
The layer ordering system in Harmony saves time and simplifies your w ork. There is no need to create a newlayer or copy and paste artw ork into other layers to change the order. The Z-axis (forw ard/backw ard) allow s
you to create a multiplane and move elements closer or farther from the camera. This allow s you to move thepuppet’s pieces in front of or behind other ones w ithout physically changing the layer position.

Harmony provides you w ith a shortcut to move the piece w ith a micro nudge on the Z-axis. A keyframe iscreated w here different Z values can be entered. This allow s the piece to move forw ard and backw ards inspace w ithout requiring you to change the draw ing’s original position or break the layer hierarchy. This alsomeans that the layer ordering is maintained throughout the scene. You can combine animation assets so
Harmony can interpolate them.

How to nudge elements on the Z- axis
1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform
2. In the Tools toolbar, if

Animate Off ortool or press Shift + T.
Animate Onion Skin Range mode is selected, click on it

to open the Animate pop-up menu and select793

Animate Current Frame.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. In the Camera view , select the part to be repositioned and hold dow n the Alt key.
4. Using the Up Arrow or Dow n Arrow arrow keys, nudge the part until it moves to the desired
position.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

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 Xsheet or 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 Xsheet or Timeline view , select the cell w here you w ant your cycles to start.

4. From the top menu, select one of the follow ing:lEdit > Paste Cyclel

Press Ctrl + / (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + / (macOS).

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

The Paste Special dialog box opens.

5. In the Cycles drop-dow n, select the type of cycle to paste:l

Normal (forward): Pastes the selection as is, starting w ith the first cell and ending w ith the
last.

l

Reverse: Pastes the selection reversed, beginning w ith the last cell and ending w ith the first.

lForward - > Reverse: Pastes the selection as a yo-yo, starting w ith the first cell, going to thelast cell and ending w ith the first cell.

l

Reverse - > Forward: Pastes the selection as a reversed yo-yo, starting w ith the last cell,going to the first one and ending w ith the last cell.

1. In the Number of Cycles field, enter the number of cycles to paste.

2. Click OK.

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Chapter 13: Cut-out Animation

How to create a reverse animation cycle
1. In the Xsheet or 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 w here you w ant the cycles to start.

4. From the top menu, select Edit > Paste Reverse or press Ctrl + . (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + .
(macOS).

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Chapter 14: Deformations

Chapter 14: Deformations
T-RIG-007-001
Deformations let you animate bitmap or vector-based graphics, including gradients and textures.
Deformations act as a skeleton w ith limbs and articulations you can bend, reshape, and curve. You can deforma character made out of one, or many, draw ing or image layers and make it move as if it w ere a cut-out puppet.
A deformation skeleton is composed of deformation nodes, w hich are the various pieces (here represented aslayers or nodes) required to articulate or deform your draw ings, such as a series of bones or game bones.

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About Deformation Types
The 4 types of deformers are: Bone, Game Bone, Curve and Envelope. Each type has its ow n advantages andlimitations and need to be rigged and handled in different w ays.

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Chapter 14: Deformations

About Bone Deformations
T-RIG-007-002
The Bone deformation allow s you to create a bone-like structure in w hich each part is solid, but w ith
articulations that are flexible. This is mostly useful for animating a character's limbs, such as the arms or legs,
or other parts that can be articulated such as torsos or fingers.
For example, a Bone deformation can be used to articulate an arm that is made of a single draw ing, so that theupper arm and forearm can be moved independently, w ithout having to draw the upper arm and the forearmon different layers. Harmony w ill deform the draw ing to make it look articulated. The different parts of a Bonedeformation can be rotated around their joint, extended and shortened, giving you the same capabilities asanimating articulations on different layers, w ithout having to w orry about parts detaching, pivot points, orclipping outlines.

801Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Game Bone Deformations
T-RIG-007-003
The Game Bone deformation is very similar to the Bone deformation. It allow s you to create a bone-likestructure in w hich each part is solid, but w ith articulations that are flexible. This is mostly useful for animatinga character's limbs, such as the arms or legs, or other parts that can be articulated such as torsos or fingers.
For example, a Game Bone deformation can be used to articulate an arm that is made of a single draw ing, sothat the upper arm and forearm can be moved independently, w ithout having to draw the upper arm and theforearm on different layers. Harmony w ill deform the draw ing to make it look articulated. The different parts ofa Game Bone deformation can be rotated around their joint, extended and shortened, giving you the same
capabilities as animating articulations on different layers, w ithout having to w orry about parts detaching, pivot
points, or clipping outlines.
The Game Bone deformation is different from the Bone deformation in w hich it is optimized for game engines
such as Unity. Hence, it is usually only used for game development and not in animated productions. The
difference betw een the Bone and Game Bone deformations is that Game Bone deformations do not have aBias property. The articulation folds also look slightly more rounded.

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Chapter 14: Deformations

About Creating Deformations
Using the Rigging tool, you can quickly create a basic deformation rig.
As you create your chains, the controls w ill be show ing. How ever, w henever you close your project, thedeformation controls display is turned off. W hen you reopen the project, you can display all controls or only
some of them—see Displaying Selected Deformation Controls on page 17.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Selecting Elements for Deformation
Deformation groups are added to your scene's hierarchy in different places, depending on w hether a draw ing
or peg element is selected.
A deformer affects all the layers under its hierarchy. W hen you create a new deformer using the rigging tool, it
is automatically created as a parent of the selected layer, and w ill affect the selected layer and all its children.
Hence, it's important to select the right layer before attempting to create a deformer.
For example, if you w ish to create a deformer for an arm, and the arm is broken into several layers, you could
rig the arm in a hierarchy w here the upper arm is the root, the forearm is the upper arm's child and the hand is
the forearm's child. Then, if you create your deformer on the upper arm, it w ill be created as a parent of theupper arm, and w ill hence affect the w hole arm.

You can also group several layers under a peg, and create your deformer w ith this peg selected. W hen you
create a deformer on a peg, the deformer is created as a child of the peg, but as a parent of all of this peg's
children. This is because a peg is likely to be more useful over a deformer than under. If you move layers thatare under a deformer, they w ill exit the intended deformation zone, and may appear severely w arped anddistorted. Hence, it's better to create deformations under pegs as much as possible, and pegs under deformers
should only be animated if the deformer is left untouched. Since the deformer w ill be created as a parent of all
the peg's children, it w ill affect all the layers under the peg.

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Chapter 14: Deformations

Creating a Split Deformation Chain
It is possible to create a deformation chain that splits into multiple branches, allow ing to rig complex draw ings
w ith multiple extremities using a single deformation chain.
W hen creating a split deformation chain, a Deformation Composite layer is automatically added to your rig.
This deformation composite connects all the branches of the split deformation chain to the draw ing it deforms.
You can see w hich deformation layers are connected to the Deformation Composite in the Additional Links
column of the Timeline view ,.

How to create a split deformation chain
1. Select the draw ing layer or the deformation chain to w hich you w ant to add a branch.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others

button todisplay the deformer controls in the Camera view . This also hides all the deformer controls thatw ere displayed.
3. Select the Rigging

tool.

The deformation chain turns from green to red. A green chain indicates that you're animating thedeformation. A red chain indicates that you're modifying the rig.
4. In the deformation chain, select the point from w hich you w ant the new deformation branch tostart.
5. Place the cursor w here you w ant your new branch's first point to be and click. A new chain iscreated.
6. Create the remainder of your chain's points as you w ould create a regular deformation.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
W hen using the Rigging tool, you can select w hich existing deformation point you w ant the next
deformation point you create to branch from at any time by selecting a point in the Camera view .
W hen you create a deformation point, it is alw ays linked to the currently selected point, if any.
Creating a point automatically selects it, w hich is w hy deformations are built in a single chain bydefault.

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About the Envelope Creator
The traditional method of creating envelope deformations is to create it point by point. How ever, since
envelopes are often used to deform draw ings and shapes around their outlines, having to create envelope
deformation chains by tracing their outline w ith the Rigging tool may be redundant.
Using the Envelope Creator, you can automatically generate a deformation chain that either w raps around theoutlines of your artw ork, or goes right through its shape. This can help you quickly generate envelope or curve
deformation chains based on your artw ork.
Before making the Envelope Creator generate an envelope, you can configure the amount of points it should
create on the deformation chain as w ell as how those points w ill be distributed along the shape. If the resultsof the Envelope Creator are not satisfactory, you can try tw eaking the parameters and make it generate a newenvelope, and repeat the procedure until you get the best deformation chain possible.

1Editing the Resting Positions for Bone and Game Bone Deformations
Every deformation point has a resting position. The resting position is important as it acts as the starting point
for all the transformations that w ill be made to the draw ing w hen animating. Using the Rigging tool, you canmake adjustments to the resting positions of the point in a deformation chain.

How to make adjustments to a Bone or Game Bone deformation chain
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Timeline view , select one of the draw ing layers linked to the deformation
chain you w ant to edit.

l

In the Timeline view , select any part of the deformation chain you w ant to edit.

2. In the Deformation toolbar, either:lClick theShow the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button to show theselected element's deformation chain and hide any other deformation chain that is currently
displayed.
lClick theShow Selected Deformers button to show the selected element's deformation

chain along w ith any other deformation chain that is currently displayed.
The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view .
1. In the Deformation toolbar, click the

Rigging tool.

The deformation chain turns from green to red. A green chain indicates that you're animating thedeformation. A red chain indicates that you're modifying the rig.

2. In the Camera view , set up the deformation chain.

2Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

To rotate the a bone, click and drag on it. This w ill rotate the selected bone and all
subsequent bones in the chain.

l

To offset the w hole chain, click and drag on its root control point.

l

To reposition an articulation, click and drag on its control point.

3l

To adjust an articulation's radius, click and drag on its radius control point. Make sure
the radius of the articulation covers the articulation itself.

3. Repeat until all the articulations and bones of the chain are correctly aligned to the element tow hich it is linked.
4. Test your modifications using theTransform tool.

TIP
W hen manipulating the articulation of a Bone or Game Bone deformer, you can press andhold the Alt key to lock the bone's angle and only shorten or elongate the bone. You can also
hold the Ctrl (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ (macOS) key to break the articulation off its chain andmake it into a new , separate deformation chain.

How to add an articulation to a Bone or Game Bone deformation chain
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Timeline view , select one of the draw ing layers linked to the deformation
chain you w ant to edit.

l

In the Timeline view , select any part of the deformation chain you w ant to edit.

2. In the Deformation toolbar, either:lClick theShow the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button to show theselected element's deformation chain and hide any other deformation chain that is currently
displayed.
lClick theShow Selected Deformers button to show the selected element's deformation

chain along w ith any other deformation chain that is currently displayed.
The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view .

4

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. In the Deformation toolbar, select the

Rigging tool.

The deformation chain turns from green to red, meaning that you are editing the deformation chain
rather than animating it.
4. Press and hold the Alt key.
5. W hile holding the Alt key, click on the bone w here you w ant to add an articulation.

5

Selecting Region of Influence Types
There are four types of region of influence:l

Zero: This creates no influence around the deformer.

lInfinite: This is the default option. The influence goes all the w ay to the image boundaries or until itintersects w ith another zone of influence. W hen w orking on a cut-out puppet built on several element
layers, the best choice is to keep the default Infinite option as the zone of influence type. In thefollow ing examples, the zones of influence are explained through deformation chains on a single
bitmap image. It's also recommended to keep the regions of influence to Infinite w hen using Envelope
deformers.

lElliptic: This creates a region of influence follow ing the deformer. Its size is based on a radius value.
W hen you set up the shape of your Elliptic zone of influence, you should be as accurate as possible andmake sure that only the element you w ant to follow the deformation is included inside the zone.

lShaped: This creates a custom region of influence around the deformer that can be adjusted using
control points and Bezier handles. W hen you set up the boundaries of your Shaped zone of influence,
you should be as accurate as possible and make sure that only the elements that you w ant to follow the
deformation are included inside the zone.
W hen you have an Elliptic zone of influence selected in the Node view , you can convert it to a Shaped
zone using the Convert Elliptic Zone of Influence to Shape option.

How to select a region of influence type
1. In the Timeline view , select the deformation nodes you w ant to set the region of influence for—see
Displaying Selected Deformation Controls on page 17.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others
display the deformer of the selected piece.
3. In the Layer Properties w indow , in the Region of Influence tab, set the Influence Type:
l

Zero

l

InfinitelEllipticl

Shaped6

button toHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Setting Up Elliptic Regions of Influence
An elliptical region of influence is suited for regular shapes. Modify its parameters to refine the region
boundaries.

How to set up the Elliptic region of influence
1. In the Timeline view , select the deformation nodes you w ant to set the region of influence for—see
Displaying Selected Deformation Controls on page 17.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others

button todisplay the deformer of the selected piece.
3. In the Layer Properties w indow , in the Region of Influence tab, set the Influence type to Elliptic.

4. Set up the ellipse shape by adding values to the various fields:

Influence Fade RadiusTransversal Influence Radius
Left

Transversal Influence Radius
Right

This defines the size of the fade area around the actual regionof influence's boundaries.

W hen the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence option is enabled,
this field controls the Left and Right transversal radius values.
W hen disabled, it controls the size of the left transversal
radius. By default, this value is set to 2.

W hen the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence option is enabled,
this field becomes inactive. The Left Transversal radius value
is automatically applied to the Right Transversal. W hen theSymmetric Ellipse of Influence option is disabled, it controls
the size of the Right Transversal radius. By default, this value
is set to 2.

7

W hen the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence option is enabled,
this field becomes inactive. The End Longitudinal value is
automatically applied to the Begin Longitudinal value. W hen
the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence option is disabled, itLongitudinal Influence
Radius Begin

Longitudinal Influencecontrols the size of the Begin Longitudinal radius. By default,
this value is set to 0.25.

W hen the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence option is enabled,
this field controls both the Begin and End Longitudinal radiusvalues. W hen this option is disabled, it controls the size of the
End Longitudinal radius. By default, this value is set to 0.25.

Radius End

Symmetric Ellipse Influence

Enabled by default. The shape of the ellipse w ill besymmetrical on both the transversal and longitudinal radii. In
this case, use the Transversal Influence Radius Left field to
set the transversal radius value and use the Longitudinal
Influence Radius End field to set the longitudinal radius value.
The tw o other fields w ill remain unused unless you disable
the Symmetric Ellipse Influence option. In that case, you canset up different radius sizes for the four radii directions.

5. You can also modify the elliptic shape in the Camera view using the Rigging
l

tool.

If the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence option is enabled, one control point w ill be available in the
Camera view . Drag this point in any direction to increase or decrease the size of the Zone. Dragging
it left/right w ill modify both longitudinal radius sizes. Dragging it up/dow n w ill modify bothtransversal radius sizes.

8Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

If the Symmetric Ellipse of Influence is disabled, tw o control points w ill be available in the Camera
view . Drag the top-corner point left/right to modify the end longitudinal radius size and up/dow n tomodify the left transversal radius size. Drag the bottom-corner control point left/right to modify the
beginning longitudinal radius size and up/dow n to modify the right transversal radius size.

9Setting Up Shaped Regions of Influence
A Shaped region of influence is suited for irregular forms. Modify the region parameters to refine the shape's
boundaries.

How to set up the Shaped zone of influence
1. In the Timeline view , select the deformation nodes you w ant to set the region of influence for—see
Displaying Selected Deformation Controls on page 17.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others

button todisplay the deformer of the selected piece.
If you selected the Shaped option in the Layer Properties w indow or in the Rigging tool properties,
the zone of influence w ill be square. This square has control points on all four corners and eachcontrol point as tw o control levers. If you converted an Elliptic zone to a shape, the zone w ill havemore control points and handles.

3. In the Layer Properties w indow , in the Region of Influence tab, set the Influence type to Shaped.

All radius options are disabled except the Influence Fade Radius option—see Setting Up Shaped
Regions of Influence on page 10.
l

In the Camera view , use the Rigging tool and drag a control point to redefine its
position and shape.

10Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Click and drag the control lever handle to modify the corners and redefine the shape.

lHold Alt dow n w hile dragging the control lever handle to move one handle at a time.

11

Converting Elliptic Regions of Influence into Shapes
After you have tried tw eaking an elliptical region of influence, you may find that you need to convert theellipse into a shape, in order to create a more precise region. Instead of losing all the tw eaks you have made,you can use the elliptical region you have created as a base for a Shaped region of influence.

How to convert an Elliptic zone of influence to a shape
1. In the Timeline view , select the deformation nodes you w ant to set the region of influence for—see
Displaying Selected Deformation Controls on page 17.
2. In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others

button todisplay the deformer of the selected piece.

3. In the Tools toolbar, click the Rigging

button.

4. In the Tool Properties view , in the Operations section, click the Convert Elliptic Zone of Influence toShapebutton.

The zone of influence is automatically converted to a shape. The shape is retained and control
points appear around the zone, so you can customize the shape.

12Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Rigging Drawings to Deformations
After you have created all the deformation chains for your character, you w ill need to assemble these separate
body parts into a puppet.
Often, you need a body part to be offset by a deformer w ithout that body part being deformed itself. For
example, you may rig an arm to a deformation chain, and then w ant the hand to follow the end of that
deformation chain. If you rig the hand directly under the deformation chain, it w ill get deformed in undesirable
w ays.
In order to w ork around this, you can use the Kinematic Output node. This node is designed to take the position
and angle of a deformation point and apply it to a draw ing w ithout deforming that draw ing, as if it w as a peg.

Guidelines for Rigging with Deformers
W hen assembling a character rig w ith deformers, the follow ing guidelines should be kept in mind:l

Before rigging draw ings to deformers, make sure all the parts of your rigs are in their proper position.

l

It is important to avoid rigging pegs directly under deformers. The offset of the peg w ill be affected by
the deformation w hich may cause undesirable results. If you need to offset a part of draw ing that isrigged to a deformer, rig the peg above the deformation chain instead.

l

You w ill probably w ant to be able to manipulate and offset the parts of a rig that are connected to a
Kinematic Output node. In this case, you can connect a peg betw een the Kinematic Output node and thedraw ing. It is especially important to set the pivot point of these draw ings so that the animator can

13rotate and scale them w ithout issue. For more information, see Setting Permanent Pivots on page 719.

14

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Rigging a Drawing to a Deformation Point with the Kinematic Output
Node
In order to assemble the rigged parts of your character to a specific deformation point, you need to add aKinematic Output layer below the deformation layer and above the draw ing layer.

How to rig a drawing to a deformation point
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
w ant your limb or piece to follow . For example, onto the neck deformer if you w ant your head tofollow it w ithout being deformed or onto the arm deformer if you w ant your hand to follow .

15

l

If your pieces are no longer ordered properly, use the Z-nudging feature to reorderthem—see About Ordering Layers on page 713.

lIt's good practice to rename the Kinematic Output layer to reflect w hich 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 w indow ,rename the node. You can also double-click on the layer's name.

16Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Displaying Selected Deformation Controls
Harmony lets you control w hich deformers are displayed in the Camera view independently from the current
selection. W hen you create a deformation chain, its deformation controls are displayed in the Camera view .
How ever, if you select an existing deformer or a layer that's connected to existing deformers, its deformation
controls w on't display automatically. Likew ise, deselecting a deformation chain w ill not hide its deformation
controls.
Before you can animate or modify an existing deformation chain, you must manually display it.

How to display deformation controls
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Timeline view , select one of the draw ing layers linked to the deformation
chain you w ant to display.

l

In the Timeline view , select any part of the deformation chain you w ant to display.

2. In the Deformation toolbar, either:lClick theShow the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button to show theselected element's deformation chain and hide any other deformation chain that is currently
displayed.
lClick theShow Selected Deformers button to show the selected element's deformation

chain along w ith any other deformation chain that is currently displayed.
The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view .

NOTE
The Show the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button w ill display all
deformation chains that are in the hierarchy of the selection. For example, if the master peg ofa character model is selected, all of its deformation chains w ill be displayed. Likew ise, if
multiple layers linked w ith different deformation chains are selected, all of their deformation
chains w ill be displayed.

17

Hiding Deformation Controls
If you no longer w ant to animate or modify deformers, you can hide the deformation controls so that they nolonger clutter the Camera view .

How to hide deformation controls
1. Do one of the follow ing:lClick in the negative space of the Camera view , Timeline view or Node view to discard
the current selection, then click on theShow Selected Deformation Chain and

Hide All Others button in the Deformation toolbar.
lSelect a layer that is not linked to any deformer, then click theShow the Selected

Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button in the deformation toolbar.
l

In the Camera toolbar, click the

Hide All Controls button.

l

From the top menu, select View > Hide All Controls.

lPress Shift + C.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Deformation Animation
Just like w ith animating pegs and draw ing layers, you can animate your deformers by creating keyframes on
their corresponding layers in the Timeline. Animating deformers w orks exactly like making modifications to a
deformer, except it requires using theTransform tool instead of the Rigging tool. W hen the Transform tool

is selected, deformation controls in the Camera view display in green, w hich means they are in animationmode, w hereas w hen the Rigging tool is selected, they display in red, meaning they are in rigging mode.

19

Animating Bone and Game Bone Deformers
You can add keyframes to deformers reposition their deformation controls to create animated sequences.

How to animate Bone and Game Bone deformations
1. In the Timeline view , collapse your character using the Expand/Collapse arrow .

2. Select the first frame of the scene.

3. To ensure your model doesn't disappear after 1 frame, open the Extend Exposure dialog by doing
one of the follow ing:lRight-click on the first frame in the Timeline and select Extend Exposure.

lPress F5.

4. In the Extend Exposure dialog, type in the amount of frames in your scene and confirm. This w ill
make your model exposed (visible) throughout your w hole scene.
5. Now , w e w ill make your character's first pose. First, make sure there is a keyframe on the first
frame of every layer of the model. This ensures that w hen you make the second pose later, yourfirst pose w ill not be affected. To do this do one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the

Add Keyframe button.

l

Right-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

A keyframe is added on the current frame.

6. In the Tools toolbar, select the
7. In the Tools toolbar, if

Transform tool or press Shift + T.

Animate Off orAnimate Onion Skin Range mode is selected, click on it

to open the Animate pop-up menu and select20

Animate Current Frame.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

8. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Timeline view , select one of the draw ing layers linked to the deformation
chain you w ant to animate.

l

In the Timeline view , select any part of the deformation chain you w ant to animate.

9. In the Deformation toolbar, either:lClick theShow the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button to show theselected element's deformation chain and hide any other deformation chain that is currently
displayed.
lClick theShow Selected Deformers button to show the selected element's deformation

chain along w ith any other deformation chain that is currently displayed.
The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view .
10. In the Camera view , do the follow ing:l

To rotate the w hole limb, click and drag on the first bone. This w ill rotate the firstbone and all subsequent bones.

l

To bend the limb, click and drag on another bone. This w ill rotate the bone and all
subsequent bones, but w ill leave the bones before it in their current position.

21

l

To reposition an articulation, click and drag on its control point. This can be used torotate, shorten or extend the bone, and w ill offset all subsequent bones.

l

To shorten or extend a bone w ithout rotating it, press and hold the Alt key, then click
and drag on its control point.

l

To offset the w hole limb, click and drag on its root point.

TIP
You can also nudge an articulation in any direction by selecting it, thenpressing on the arrow keys.

11. In the Timeline view , go to the frame on w hich you w ant to set the next key pose.
12. Add a keyframe on the current frame by doing one of the follow ing:

22

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

In the Timeline toolbar, click the Add KeyframelRight-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

button.

13. Transform your deformer's points to make your new key pose.
14. Repeat the previous steps until your animation is complete.

TIP
You can also manipulate the deformers by selecting them, then typing their coordinates
manually in the Layer Properties view .

23

Resetting a Deformer to its Resting Position
You can reset the positions deformation points to their original resting positions, w hether for the current frameor for the entire scene.

How to reset the position of one or several deformation points at the current frame
1. In the Timeline view , move the playhead to the frame w here you w ant to reset the puppet to theresting position.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Timeline view , select one of the draw ing layers linked to the deformation
chain you w ant to reset.

l

In the Timeline view , select any part of the deformation chain you w ant to reset.

3. In the Deformation toolbar, either:lClick theShow the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button to show theselected element's deformation chain and hide any other deformation chain that is currently
displayed.
lClick theShow Selected Deformers button to show the selected element's deformation

chain along w ith any other deformation chain that is currently displayed.
The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view .
4. In the Camera view , select the deformation point you w ant to reset.

TIP
You can select several deformation points by pressing and holding Ctrl, then clicking oneach point you w ant to reset to add them to the selection.

5. In the Deformation toolbar, click on the Reset Current Keyframe

button to reset the position of

the selected chain on the current frame.

How to set the position of all the points of a deformation chain throughout the scene
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Camera or Timeline view , select one of the draw ing layers linked to the deformation
chain you w ant to reset.

l

In the Timeline view , select any part of the deformation chain you w ant to reset.

24Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

2. In the Deformation toolbar, either:lClick theShow the Selected Deformation Chain and Hide All Others button to show theselected element's deformation chain and hide any other deformation chain that is currently
displayed.
lClick theShow Selected Deformers button to show the selected element's deformation

chain along w ith any other deformation chain that is currently displayed.
The selected deformation controls appear in the Camera view .
3. In the Deformation toolbar, click the

Reset All Keyframes button.

25

Disabling Deformations in the Camera View Preview
W hen adding new draw ings w hile animating, you may need to see the reference draw ings as their original
resting position as it may be quite difficult to draw on a deformed canvas. You have the possibility to disable
deformations in Harmony so that all draw ings appear in their resting position.

NOTE
Disabling deformations is only a display mode. Although draw ings w ill not appear deformed in the
Camera view , even in Render View mode, they w ill still be deformed in the rendered images.

How to enable or disable deformation preview
1. In the Deformation toolbar, click on the Enable Deformations
preview .

26

button to toggle deformation

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Transferring Curve Positions of Legacy Deformations
You can Lets you transfer all of the information from first curve deformer to its parent Offset node. This isuseful for a legacy scene created using Curve deformations w here the Offset's position has been placed far
aw ay from the draw ing to make sure it doesn't affect the draw ing's deformation. You can bring back the offset
and give it the first curve's position. The Envelope deformation lets you animate the offset of each curve
separately. The offset no longer needs to be placed far aw ay.

How to transfer a curve's position to its parent offset
1. In the Node view , select the root Offset and the first curve.

2. From the top menu, select Animation > Deformation > Set Curves and Offsets Independent from
Parent.
3. In the Node view , select only the first curve node.

27

4. From the top menu, select Animation > Deformation > Transfer Curve Values to Offset.
In the Node view , the first Curve node is disabled and the values are transferred to the parent
Offset node.

28

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Converting Legacy Deformation Chains
You can also convert a legacy deformation rig to the new format using a script. You can select w hich chain you
w ant to transform. Certain legacy nodes w ill remain in the structure to make sure the integrity of your original
puppet is maintained.

How to convert legacy deformation chains to the new structure
1. In the Node or Timeline view , select the deformation group containing the chain you w ant toconvert to the new structure.
2. In the Scripting toolbar, click on TB_ConvertLegacyDeformation. If the script is not available in the
toolbar, you can load it.
l

In the Scripting toolbar, click on Manage Scriptsl

In the Script Manager dialog, in the File column, select the TB_
CovertLegacyDeformation.js script. If you cannot find the script in the list (most likely
due to a softw are upgrade installation), you can load the script through the Script
Editor view from the default resources folder—see Importing Scripts in the Scripting
guide.

l

In the Functions column, select TB_ConvertLegacyDeformation.

lClick the Right Arrow button to move the function to the Scripting toolbar.

29

lClick OK.

The legacy chain is converted.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

31

Chapter 16: Effects

Chapter 16: Effects
T-HFND-010-001
W hen creating a scene, rigging a character or once your animation is finished, you can add effects such as
blurs, glow s, shadow s, colour filters and transparency filters and to enhance your project's quality. Effects
change the w ay layers or groups of layers are rendered in your scene.

Effects are special types of layers that you can add to your scene's structure. For an effect layer to w ork, it
must be connected as the child of a draw ing, a group, or another effect. Effects only alter the element that they
are connected to. This gives you flexibility in deciding w hich elements of your scene are affected by an effect.
Some effects need to be linked to another layer, referred to as a matte layer, w hich is used to define the area
they should affect. The most basic example of this is the Cutter effect. Alone, a cutter effect has no impact on
the draw ing it is connected to. Once combined w ith a matte layer, the Cutter effect cuts the shape of the matteout of the draw ing.

A matte layer is simply a regular draw ing layer that is connected to an effect as its matte. The effect takes theshape of the draw ing in the matte layer to determine the area of the draw ing it affects. The colours and details
in the matte layer are ignored by the effect, only its shape is taken in account.
In the Timeline view , an effect must be rigged as the child of the draw ing layer or group it is meant to affect.

32

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

If the effect can use a matte layer, it w ill have a Matte parameter w hen you expand its parameters list. You candrag and drop the layer you w ant to use a matte for your effect onto the Matte parameter of your effect to linkthem.

If the effect can use a matte layer, it w ill have a matte port on its left to w hich the matte layer can beconnected.
Once your effect is connected, you can adjust its parameters by selecting it, then adjusting its parameters
using the Layer Properties view . You can also double-click on the layer to open its Layer Properties dialog. If
desired, you can even animate the parameters of your effect by converting their values to functions.

33

Chapter 16: Effects

Adding Effects Layers
T-HFND-010-004
In Harmony, you can add effects through the Timeline view , connecting them to your draw ing layers and thenadjusting the parameters until you achieve the look you w ant.

How to add an effect
1. In the Timeline view , select the layer on w hich you w ant to add an effect.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the top menu, select Insert > Effects and select the effect you w ant to add.

l

In the Layers toolbar above the layer list, click the Add Layers

button, selectEffects then select the effect you w ant to add.
l

Right-click on the layer, then select Insert > Effects and select the effect you w ant toadd.

The effect appears in the Timeline view , underneath the selected layer.

34

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Connecting Effects
T-HFND-010-006
For an effect to w ork, it must be connected to a layer or group. The effect w ill be applied to the image output
by the layer or group, and the transformed image w ill be composited w ith other elements in the scene.

How to connect an effect
1. In the Timeline view , select the effect you w ant to connect.
2. Drag and drop the effect over the layer or group w hich you w ant it to affect.

The effect w ill become a child of the layer or group on w hich you dropped it. It w ill appear rightbeneath that layer or group, w ith its icon and name indented tow ards the right.

35

Chapter 16: Effects

Adding a Matte Drawing to an EffectSome effects can use, or even require the use of a matte layer. The matte layer is a draw ing that determines
the area that the effect affects.
For example, a Cutter effect needs to be connected to a matte layer, because it uses the draw ing in the mattelayer to determine w hich part of the draw ing to cut out. How ever, a Colour-Scale effect can be used w ithout amatte layer, in w hich case it w ill affect the colour of all of the draw ing it is connected to, but if it is connected
to a matte layer, it w ill only affect the colours of the part of the draw ing that is covered by the matte draw ing.

TIP
Draw ing layers can also be connected to a matte layer. W hen a draw ing layer has a matte layer,
the part of the draw ing covered by the matte layer is cut out from that draw ing, w hich is the sameas if the draw ing w as connected to a Cutter effect—see About Masking and Cutting Parts ofElements in your Scenes on page 56.

How to connect a drawing to an effect's matte connection
1. In the toolbar above the layer list in Timeline view , click on

Add Draw ing Layer .

2. In the Add Draw ing Layer dialog, give your new draw ing layer a relevant name for a matte layer,such as "Matte-Draw ing", then click on Add and Close.

3. In the new matte draw ing layer, draw a matte for your effect. Your matte can be a simple shape,
but should be filled w ith a colour, as only parts of the matte that are opaque w ill be taken inaccount.

36

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
Mattes can also have semi-transparent areas. Areas of the draw ing that are covered bysemi-transparent areas of the matte are partially affected by the effect.

4. In the Timeline view , locate the effect layer for w hich you created a matte and click on the Expand
button right of its name.

Just below the effect, a list of parameters for the effect appears. If the effect has a matteconnection, the first parameter in the list w ill be Matte, and its value w ill be <Drop layer here>.

5. Click and hold on the matte layer, then drag and drop it over <Drop layer here>.

The matte layer w ill be set as the effect's matte property.

<

37

Chapter 16: Effects

NOTES
l

W hen a draw ing layer is used as an effect's matte, the artw ork in that layer is not
visible in the scene, since it is only used as the effect's matte.

l

If you w ant to disconnect the effect from the matte, you can click on the Unlink
button at the right of the Matte parameter to unlink the matte layer from the effect.
This w ill make the matte draw ing visible in the scene again.

6. By default, the effect is applied to the matte's opaque areas and the matte's transparent areas are
ignored. If you w ant to invert this effect, w hich means apply the effect on the matte's transparent
areas and ignore the matte's opaque areas, double-click on the layer (but not on its name) to open
its Layer Properties dialog.
7. In the Layer Properties dialog of the effect, there should be an Invert Matte parameter. If the effecthas several tabs in its layer properties, you might have to look through each tab to find thisparameter. Check the check box for this parameter to invert the effect of the matte.

NOTE
For Cutter nodes, this parameter is just named Inverted.

38

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Configuring an EffectOnce your effect is connected, you can configure it by changing its layer properties. There are tw o w ays toaccess a layer's properties:l

By selecting it. Its layer properties w ill display in the Layer Properties view , w hich can be added to yourw orkspace.

l

By opening its Layer Properties dialog.

NOTE
Most effects do not have a visible effect in the Camera view 's default preview mode (OpenGL
View). This preview mode is very fast and is optimized for animation, but not for effects. To

preview an effect as you change its parameters, you must set the Camera view 's preview mode toRender View

, w hich w ill update slow ly, but w ill render the effects as they w ould appear in the

final rendered image.

How to view a layer's properties in the Layer Properties view
1. Do one of the follow ing to display the Layer Properties view :lIn the top right corner of any existing view , click on the Add View button and select Layer
Properties.

l

In the top menu, select W indows > Layer Properties.

2. In the Timeline view , select the effect layer you w ant to configure.
The selected layer's layer properties are now displaying in the Layer Properties view .

39

Chapter 16: Effects

How to open a layer's Layer Properties dialog
1. In the Timeline view , double-click on the effect layer you w ant to configure, but not on its name.

The layer's Layer Properties dialog appears.

How to configure an effect
1. In the toolbar under the Camera view , click on the Render View

button to make Harmony render

the effects in the Camera view .

TIP
If your scene currently does not have a background, the negative space in your scene
w ill render in black. To circumvent this, you can add a Colour-Card layer underneath all
the other layers in your scene by clicking on the Add Layerbutton in the toolbar

over the layer list and selecting Colour- Card.

2. In the Layer Properties view or the Layer Properties dialog, adjust the parameters of the effect until
you have the expected results.
The preview in the Camera view w ill update every time you make changes, but each change may
take a short w hile before appearing in the Camera view , as the Render Preview mode requires
more computing pow er to update.

40

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
For more information on how to configure certain effects, refer to Examples of Effect
Usage on page 77. For detailed information on the properties of each available effect,
see refer to the Layers section of the Reference guide.

3. Once you are done, you can dismiss the Layer Properties dialog if it w as open, and you can set thepreview mode of the Camera view back to OpenGL by clicking on the OpenGL View
the toolbar at the bottom of the Camera view .

41button inChapter 16: Effects

Animating an Effect
You may need to animate some effects to obtain the expected results. For example, you may w ant the radiusof a Glow effect to slow ly increase and decrease to make it pulsate throughout a scene, or you may w ant thetransparency of a Transparency effect to increase from 0% to 100% to make a draw ing vanish.
Almost all numerical parameters in an effect can be attached to a function. A function allow s you to set a
parameter to different values at different points in the scene by adding keyframes to it, and setting each
keyframes to a specific value. Betw een keyframes, the value of the parameter w ill progress from the value ofthe previous keyframe to the value of the next keyframe. Draw ing layers are animated by having theircoordinates associated to functions. Likew ise, effects can be animated by associating their parameters tofunctions.
Some effect parameters can be animated directly in the Timeline view , but not all. W hen you expand an
effect's parameters in the Timeline view , some of its parameters may be hidden to avoid cluttering theTimeline view . You can animate those parameters from the Layer Properties view or the Layer Properties
dialog, w hich display all of a layer's parameters.

NOTE
To learn how to preview animated effects, refer to About Effects Preview on page 52.

How to animate an effect parameter in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , locate the effect you w ant to animate, and click on the

Expand button rightof its name.

The list of parameters that effect's paramaters that are available in the Timeline view appears.

2. In the right area of the Timeline view , in the same row as the parameter you w ant to animate, selectthe frame w here you w ant to create the first animation keyframe for the effect.

42

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Create a keyframe by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the

Add Keyframe button.

l

Right-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

4. In the left area of the Timeline view , under the Parameters column, adjust the value of theparameter for this keyframe by doing one of the follow ing:lClick and hold on the value of the parameter, then drag it tow ards the left to reduce its
value, or tow ards the right to increase its value.

lClick on the value of the parameter. A text field w ill appear. Type in the new value of theparameter, then press Enter.

5. In the right area of the Timeline view , click on the frame w here you w ant to create the second
animation keyframe for the effect.

43

Chapter 16: Effects

6. Create the second keyframe for your effect's animation by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Timeline toolbar, click the

Add Keyframe button.

l

Right-click and select Add Keyframe.

lPress F6.

7. In the Parameters column, adjust the value of the parameter at the current keyframe.
8. Repeat the steps to create as many animation keyframe for your effect as needed.
9. To adjust the timing betw een the keyframes of your animation, select the first keyframe.
10. In the Timeline toolbar, click on the

Set Ease for Multiple Parameters button.

The Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog appear. The function graph in this dialog w ill befocused on the first

keyframe in your animation, w hich should have ato it, pointing to the right.

44

Bezier handle right next

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

11. Click on the

Bezier handle and drag it tow ards the right, at any angle, to adjust the ease-in of theanimation.

12. Click on Apply/Next.
The Set Ease for Multiple Parameters dialog w ill focus on the second keyframe. If this is the last
keyframe in the animation, it w ill only have one Bezier handle, pointing tow ards the left. If there are
more animation keyframes after this one, it w ill have tw o Bezier handles, one pointing in eachdirection.

13. Click on the left

Bezier handle and drag it tow ards the left, at any angle, to adjust the ease-out of

the animation betw een the previous keyframe and the current keyframe.

45

Chapter 16: Effects

14. If there is a

Bezier handle pointing tow ards the right, click on it and drag it tow ards the right, at

any angle, to adjust the ease-in of the animation betw een the current keyframe and the next
keyframe.

15. Repeat the previous steps until the timing for your animation is adjusted throughout the entire
scene.

How to animate an effect in the Layer Properties dialog
1. Open the effect's Layer Properties by doing one of the follow ing:l

Add the Layer Properties view to your w orkspace, then select the effect in the Timeline view .

lIn the Timeline view , double-click on the effect layer, but not on its name.

2. In the effect's layer properties, locate the parameter that you w ant to animate and click on the
Function button to its right.

46

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

The parameter's input field w ill be greyed out. This is because you cannot directly edit a parameter
once it is attached to a function. The field w ill indicate the name of the function that w as created forit, in this format:
Name of layer: Name of function: Value at current frame
3. Click on the parameter's Function button again.
The Bezier Editor dialog opens.

This dialog w ill allow you to animate the function. The function graph at the bottom is made torepresent the values of the function throughout each frame in the scene.
4. In the function graph, click and drag on the red cursor
create your first animation keyframe.

47

to move it to the frame w here you w ant toChapter 16: Effects

5. Click on the
A keyframe

Add Keyframe button to create the first animation keyframe for the effect.
is created and should be visible in the function graph. If you do not see it, that is

because the function graph is not positioned to include the keyframe w ithin its frame. To move thefunction graph to view the function's keyframe, click on the

Reset View or

Reset View

Vertically button.

6. Adjust the value of the parameter at the current frame by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Value field over the function graph, type in the desired value for the parameter.

l

In the function graph, click and drag on theor dow n to decrease it.

48

keyframe , and move it up to increase its value,Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

TIP
If you w ant to set the keyframe to a value that is outside of the function graph's
frame, you can press the 1 key to zoom out. You can also press the 2 key to zoom
back in.

7. Click and drag on the red cursor to move it to the frame w here you w ant to create your second
animation keyframe.

8. Click on the Add Keyframe

button to create the second animation keyframe for the effect.

49

Chapter 16: Effects

9. Adjust the value of the parameter at the current frame by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the Value field over the function graph, type in the desired value for the parameter.

l

In the function graph, click and drag on the

keyframe , and move it up to increase its value,or dow n to decrease it.

10. If you w ant to adjust the timing of the animation betw een the first and second keyframes, do thefollow ing:lClick and drag theBezier handle of the first keyframe tow ards the right, in any direction,

to affect the ease-in of the animation.

50Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Click and drag theBezier handle of the second keyframe tow ards the left, in any direction,

to affect the ease-out of the animation.

11. Repeat these steps until you created and timed every animation keyframe required to animate youreffect.

51

Chapter 16: Effects

About Effects Preview
T-HFND-010-010
Most effects must be rendered so you can preview them properly. Some effects can be displayed in the
OpenGL view , but most of them must be rendered and preview ed in the Render Mode of the Camera view .
Once you preview your effect, you may w ant to adjust it. By default, as soon as you modify a parameter,
Harmony w ill recalculate the preview image. If your scene is heavy and you do not w ant the preview rendered
automatically, deselect the Auto-Render option and do the preview update manually.
You cannot play back your animation in Render mode. You must perform a render or a preview render to see
your animation w ith the final effects. Effects must be calculated before they can be view ed in real time.
To make your preview s calculate faster, you may w ant to render them at a smaller resolution. You can use thePreview Resolution command so you w ill not have to modify the resolution of your scene every time you makea check preview .

52

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Previewing Effects in Render Mode
T-HFND-010-011
You can preview a single final frames w ith all effects calculated in the Camera view w hen you enable theRender mode. You cannot playback your animation in Render mode. You can also disable the auto-render
option w hen adjusting several effect parameters to avoid slow ing dow n your computer.

How to preview effects in Render mode
1. In the Camera view status bar, click the Render View

button.

In the bottom-right corner of the Camera view , the progress bar indicates the status of the render.
Depending on the size of the frame to render, it may take several seconds.

How to disable the Auto- Render option
1. In the Camera view status bar, click the Auto-Render

button. In the top menu, you can enable

and disable Scene > Render > Auto- Render.
Once the Auto-Render option is disabled, you must request the preview update by clicking the
Auto-Render

button.

How to manually update the rendering preview
1. In the Camera view status bar, click the Render

53

button.

Chapter 16: Effects

Playing Back Effects
T-HFND-010-012
To playback your effects, you need to do a temporary render.

How to play back effects
1. In the Playback toolbar, click the Render and Playbutton.

The Play node opens and loads the frames.

2. Once the frames are loaded, click the Playbutton in the Play w indow .

3. Select Scene > Render > Cancel Preview Render to cancel the rendering.

NOTE
W hile preview ing effects, you can press the Spacebar to stop and start playback.

54

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Changing the Preview Resolution
The Preview Resolution button allow s you to quickly get a preview at half, one-third, or one-quarter of thescene resolution.

How to change Preview Resolution
1. In the Camera view status bar, click the Preview Resolution button.

2. Select any of the follow ing resolution:‣

1:1 of Scene Resolution‣

1:2 of Scene Resolution‣

1:3 of Scene Resolution‣

1:4 of Scene Resolution‣

1:8 of Scene Resolution‣

1:16 of Scene Resolution‣

1:32 of Scene Resolution‣

Progressive Render

You can also enable/disable Progressive Render Preview option:l

From the Top menu, select View > Progressive Render Preview .

3. Preview your effects animation.

55

Chapter 16: Effects

About Masking and Cutting Parts of Elements in your Scenes
An important part of staging and rigging is cutting. Cutting is the process of making parts of a draw ing thatintersect w ith another draw ing invisible. It allow s you, for example, to mask parts of a character that should
appear behind a background element that is draw n on the same layer as other background elements, to mask
tw o parts of a rig that should not overlap, or to confine an effect w ithin the outlines of an element in yourscene.
There are tw o methods to cutting in Harmony:lUsing the matte port of a draw ing layer. W ith this port, you can connect any draw ing layer to anotherdraw ing layer or group, and use the latter as the draw ing layer's matte. Any part of the draw ing thatintersects w ith the artw ork in its matte w ill be hidden.

lUsing a Cutter effect. A cutter effect can be connected to a draw ing, effect or group, and then can use
any other draw ing layer or group as its matte. Any part of w hat is connected to the Cutter effect w hichintersects w ith the artw ork in its matte w ill be hidden.

Hence, if you only w ant to hide parts of a single draw ing layer, you can use the draw ing's matte port. If you
w ant to hide parts of a group or an effect, you w ill have to use a cutter effect

NOTE
In either case, the effects of cutting can be inverted. W hen inverted, only the parts of the artw ork
that intersect w ith the matte are visible, and everything else is hidden.

56Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Using the Matte Port of a Drawing Layer
Each draw ing in a Harmony scene has their ow n Matte port. Connecting a draw ing or group to a draw ing's
matte port w ill make the parts of the draw ing that intersect w ith the matte image invisible.
Optionally, you can invert a draw ing layer's matte. This w ill make parts of the draw ing that intersect w ith thematte image visible, and everything else hidden.

How to connect a matte drawing layer to a drawing layer
1. In the toolbar above the layer list in Timeline view , click on the Add Layerbutton and selectDrawing.
2. Give your new draw ing layer a relevant name for a matte layer, such as "Matte-Draw ing", then click
on Add and Close.

3. In the new matte draw ing layer, draw a matte for your effect. Your matte can be a simple shape,
but should be filled w ith a colour, as only parts of the matte that are opaque w ill be taken inaccount.

NOTE
Mattes can also have semi-transparent areas. Areas of the draw ing that are covered bya semi-transparent area of the matte w ill appear semi-transparent. For example, if amatte is filled w ith a colour that has an alpha value of 64 (25% opaque), instead ofmaking the parts of the draw ing it covers completely invisible, it w ill subtract thematte's opacity from the opacity of those parts of the draw ing, making them 75%
opaque.

57

Chapter 16: Effects

4. In the Timeline view , click on the Expand

button right of the draw ing layer.

The draw ing layer's parameters appear below it. The first parameter is the Matte parameter, w hichallow s you to use another layer in your scene as the draw ing layer's matte.

5. Drag and drop your matte layer next to your draw ing layer's Matte field, under the Parameterscolumn.

The matte draw ing layer becomes the draw ing layer's matte. At this point, areas of the draw ing
that intersect w ith the artw ork in the matte draw ing layer are hidden.

6. If you w ant to invert the matte effect for the draw ing layer, so that the artw ork that intersects w ith
the artw ork in the matte layer is visible and that everything else is hidden, do the follow ing:
a. Double-click on the draw ing layer (but not on its name) to open its Layer Properties dialog
b. In the Layer Properties dialog, select the Drawing tab.
c. Check the Invert Matte check box.

58

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

59

Chapter 16: Effects

Using the Cutter Node
T-HFND-010-009A
You can use the Cutter node to hide parts of a draw ing, a group or an effect. The Cutter node must beconnected to a draw ing that w ill serve as a matte. Parts of the draw ing, group or effect that intersect w ith thematte draw ing w ill be hidden.
Optionally, you can also invert the Cutter node's matte, w hich w ill make parts of the draw ing, group or effectthat intersect w ith the matte draw ing visible, and everything else w ill be hidden.

How to use the Cutter effect
1. Select a draw ing layer.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the toolbar above the layer list in the Timeline view , click on the

Add Layer button andselect Effects > Cutter.
lRight-click on the layer and select Insert > Effects > Cutter.

The Cutter effect is created as a child of the selected layer.

1. In the toolbar above the layer list in Timeline view , click on

Add Draw ing Layer .

2. In the Add Draw ing Layer dialog, give your new draw ing layer a relevant name for a matte layer,such as "Matte-Draw ing", then click on Add and Close.

3. In the new matte draw ing layer, draw a matte for your effect. Your matte can be a simple shape,
but should be filled w ith a colour, as only parts of the matte that are opaque w ill be taken inaccount.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
Mattes can also have semi-transparent areas. Areas of the draw ing that are covered bysemi-transparent areas of the matte are partially affected by the effect.

4. In the Timeline view , click on the Expand

button right of the Cutter layer.

The Cutter's Matte parameter appears below it.

5. Drag and drop your matte layer next to your Cutter layer's Matte field, under the Parameterscolumn.

The matte draw ing layer becomes the Cutter layer's matte. At this point, areas of the artw ork that61

Chapter 16: Effects

intersect w ith the artw ork in the matte draw ing layer are hidden.

6. If you w ant to invert the Cutter's effect, so that the artw ork that intersects w ith the artw ork in thematte layer is visible and that everything else is hidden, double-click on the Cutter layer (but not on
its name) to open its Layer Properties dialog, then check the Inverted parameter.

62

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Opacity and Transparency
Harmony has tw o w ays of adding transparency to your scene:l

The Opacity parameter is a parameter each draw ing layer. It is set to 100% by default. By low ering it,
you can make an individual layer appear more transparent.

l

The Transparency effect is an effect layer that can be attached to individual layers or to a group. It has aTransparency parameter that is set to 50 by default. The higher it is, the more transparent the layer orgroup it is attached to w ill appear.

It is important to know w hen to use either approach. For example, to make a character composed of several
layers transparent, it is preferable to put the character's layers in a group and add a Transparency effect to thegroup, as reducing the opacity of individual layers w ill make their overlapping parts visible—see About Groups
on page 117.

If you need to animate the transparency of elements in your scene, it is possible to animate the opacity of
individual layers by creating a function for the layer's opacity parameter, w hich you can do from the Advanced
tab of the Layer Properties view . How ever, this may be impractical as a layer's opacity parameter cannot be
animated in the Timeline view . You can only animate it by opening the Function Editor from the Layer
Properties—see Creating Functions on page 594.
A layer's opacity parameter is static. If you need to animate the transparency of elements in your scene, youmust use a Transparency effect, as the value of its transparency parameter can be animated. To learn how to
add and animate an effect, see Adding Effects Layers on page 34 and Animating an Effect on page 42.

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Chapter 16: Effects

Setting the Layer Opacity
If you need specific layers to appear semi-transparent, you can quickly set a draw ing layer's opacity parameter
directly in the Timeline view .
A draw ing layer's opacity parameter w ill appear in the Timeline view w hen this draw ing layer has thumbnails
display enabled:

How to set a drawing layer's opacity
1. In the Timeline view , do one of the follow ing:lLeft of the layer's name in the Layers list, click on the Show ThumbnailslSelect the draw ing layer and press T.

lLeft of the Layers list header, click on the Show All Thumbnails

icon.

icon.

The Opacity parameter is displayed left of the draw ing layer's thumbnail.

2. Do one of the follow ing:lDouble-click on the value of the Opacity parameter and type in its new value.

lClick and drag the value of the Opacity parameter to the left to reduce it, or to the right toincrease it.

64Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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Chapter 16: Effects

Adjusting Colour Levels
You can adjust the colour levels on an imported bitmap image or scanned image using the Colour Levels node.

How to change the contrast of an image
1. In the Top menu, select File > Import > Images.
2. Select the Create Single Layer Named option under the Create layer(s) section.
3. Define the name for that Draw ing layer.
4. Select the Keep As Original Bitmap option under the Import Options section.
5. Click on the OK button to validate.

6. Drag from the Node Library view to the node view a Colour Levels node.

66Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

7. Select the Colour Levels node and, w hile holding ALT (or Cmd on Mac), move it near the cable link
linking the sketch draw ing node to the Composite node.

This w ill connect it directly to the cable under the sketch draw ing node.

8. From now on, enable the Render View mode as the follow ing effects and parameters are notvisible in OpenGL mode.
9. Open the Colour Levels node’s Layer Properties to modify the parameters.

67

Chapter 16: Effects

10. In the RGB tab:l

Increasing the value of the Input Black parameter w ill make the darkest parts of the draw ing
closer to blackl

Decreasing the values of the Input W hite parameter w ill make the lightest parts of thedraw ing closer to w hitelModifying the values of the Gamma parameter to a higher value than one w ill increase thevalue of dark colours proportionally to their actual values, increasing the contrast betw een
them and making them lighter.

l

Increasing the Output Black level w ill make the black pixels in the draw ing appear lighter.
All other pixels in the draw ing w ill also appear lighter, but the closer to w hite they are, theless lightness is added to them.

lDecreasing the Output W hite level w ill make the w hite pixels in the draw ing appear darker.
All other pixels in the draw ing w ill appear darker, but the closer to black they are, the lessdarkness is added to them.

NOTE
The same logic is kept for all parameters w ithin each channel tab, but instead ofmodifying all the channels at the same time like in the RGB tab, the other one
w ill modify only one channel at a time.

Example w ith random values for some channels:

68Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Original

Red

Green

Blue

How to clear a sketch drawing to keep only the lines

BeforeAfter@ 2018 hedgehog by Clemence Dufresne

1. In the Top menu, select File > Import > Images.
2. Select the Create Single Layer Named option under the Create layer(s) section.
3. Define the name for that Draw ing layer.

69

Chapter 16: Effects

4. Select the Keep As Original Bitmap option under the Import Options section.
5. Click on the OK button to validate.

6. Drag from the Node Library view to the node view a Colour Card node

7. Connect the Colour Card on the right side of the sketch draw ing port on the Composite node.

70Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

The Colour Card w ill make it easier to clean up the draw ing and see the remaining grey spots w hen
playing w ith the Colour Levels.

8. Drag from the Node Library view to the node view a Colour Levels node.

9. Select the Colour Levels node and, w hile holding ALT (or Cmd on Mac), move it near the cable link
linking the sketch draw ing node to the Composite node.

This w ill connect it directly to the cable under the sketch draw ing node.

71

Chapter 16: Effects

10. From now on, enable the Soft Render and keep w orking w ith it since the next effects don’t appear
in OpenGL.
11. Open the Colour Levels node’s Layer Properties to modify the parameters.

The Colour Levels node w ill be useful to reduce the amount of greys and to clean up the image.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

12. In the RGB tab:l

Increasing the value of the Input Black parameter w ill make the darkest parts of the draw ing
closer to blackl

Decreasing the values of the Input W hite parameter w ill make the lightest parts of thedraw ing closer to w hitelModifying the values of the Gamma parameter to a higher value than one w ill increase thevalue of dark colours proportionally to their actual values, increasing the contrast betw een
them and making them lighter.

13. Drag from the Node Library view to the Node view a Negate node.
14. Connect the Negate node under the Colour Levels node.

No need to modify its Layer Properties. Values can be kept as is.

73Chapter 16: Effects

The Negate node w ill make the line brighter w here it exists, and darker w here it doesn't. So theluminance w ill be able to pick it up for alpha.
15. Drag from the Node Library view to the Node view a Channel Sw ap node.
16. Connect the Channel Sw ap node under the Negate node.

17. Open the Channel Sw ap node’s Layer Properties to modify its parameters.
By Turning all RGB channels except the Alpha to black and using the luminance option to be thealpha. It is now possible to have a black draw ing w ith an invisible background.

74Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Modify the Red Channel to: Full Off

lModify the Green Channel to: Full Off

lModify the Blue Channel to: Full Off

lModify the Alpha Channel to: Luminance75

Chapter 16: Effects

NOTEl

By modifying a channel to “Full Off”, it changes the channel to Black.

l

By modifying a channel to “Lumiance”, it changes the channel to W hite.

76

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Examples of Effect Usage
The follow ing section gives examples of how to use a few commonly used effects in Harmony.

77

Chapter 16: Effects

Creating a Drop Shadow
The Shadow effect converts the draw ing layer it is connected to into a dark, blurry matte. You can control thetype and amount of blur, as w ell as the colour of the shadow .
On its ow n, simply connecting a draw ing or group to this effect w ill only convert your draw ing to a shadow ,w hich might not be useful. How ever, it is possible to make both the original character and its shadow version
appear in your scene, and have the shadow version transformed and distorted to appear as a drop shadow .
You can accomplish this by doing one of the follow ing:lCloning the layers or group. You can then add the effect to the clone, and add a peg on top of the clone
to transform it.

lAdding the layers or group to a symbol, then putting tw o instances of that symbol in your scene. You
can then add the effect to one of the instances, and add a peg on top to transform it.

TIP
W hen creating a drop shadow against a floor, you can obtain a more realistic effect by using a
Quadmap to transform the shadow instead of a Peg. A Quadmap is similar to a peg, except that itallow s you to apply perspective effect to the draw ings underneath it.

How to create a drop shadow for an animated character
1. In the Timeline view , select all the layers making your character's rig. If your character is under amaster peg, selecting the master peg w ill also w ork.

2. Make sure your character's rig is in a group. If it is not, right-click on your selection, then selectGroup Selection.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. W ith your character selected in the Timeline view , create a Clone of your character by doing one of
the follow ing:lRight click on your selection, then select Clone Selected Layers: Drawings andTiming.

l

From the Top menu, select Edit > Clone: Drawings and Timing.

NOTE
Contrary to a duplicate, a cloned layer alw ays has the same timing and exposure as its
origin layer, even if its origin layer is changed later. Hence, you can make changes toyour character's animation, and your cloned character's animation w ill automatically
update w ith these changes.

4. Add a Shadow effect to your group by doing one of the follow ing.
l

In the Timeline view 's layers toolbar, click on Add Layers

and select Effects >Shadow.
l

Right-click on your selection, then select Insert > Effects > Shadow.

5. In the Timeline view , select the root layer of your character's clone.
6. Create a parent peg for your clone by doing one of the follow ing:l

From the Timeline View layers toolbar, click the Add PeglPress Ctrl + P (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + P (macOS).

7. In the Timeline view , select your clone's parent peg.

79

button.

Chapter 16: Effects

8. In the Tools toolbar, select the Transformtool.

9. In the Camera view , scale and skew your clone so that it looks like a drop-shadow .

80Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

81

Chapter 17: Sound

Chapter 17: Sound
W ith Harmony, you can import soundtracks and dialogue into your animation. There are several sound editing
features you can use to synchronize sounds to individual frames or moments in time. You can also edit them totrim unw anted seconds from the beginning and end of your sound files, as w ell as loop sounds that you w ant
to continue throughout your animation.

Your ability to add dialogue to animation is greatly enhanced w ith the Harmony automatic lip-sync detection.
Harmony can analyze voice tracks to determine w hich of the eight animation phonemes (lip positions) w ould
best apply to each frame of sound. W ith the mouth chart that is generated, you can easily draw lip positions
for your character. Furthermore, Harmony can automatically apply draw ings of lip positions to each frame ofyour animation based on the mouth chart.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About the Sound Editor
W hen you double-click on a sound layer in the Timeline view , the Sound Element Editor appears.

lMute/Unmute: This button mutes and unmutes the sound layer during the scene play back.

l

Layer Name: This field displays the layer's name.

lSound Editor: This button opens the Sound editor.

lStart Frame/End Frame: These fields determine the start and end frame of the sound file.

lDetect: This button launches the automated lip-sync detection.

l

Map: This button opens the Map Lip-sync dialog box.

l

Mouth Shapes: This section shows the automated lip-sync detection during the scene play back. Click on the
thumbnail image of each mouth to change the phoneme assigned to the current frame.

83Chapter 17: Sound

Sound Layer
W hen you select a sound layer in the Timeline view , the options related to that layer appear in the Layer
Properties view .

If you double-click on a sound layer in the Timeline view , or in a sound column in the Xsheet view , the Sound
Element Editor dialog w ill open. This dialog allow s you to fine-tune the sound track's lip sync, start time, stoptime and volume.

84

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Importing Sound
T-HFND-007-009
If you w ish to add sound to your animation, it is recommended to edit and mix your sound files in a soundediting softw are. Having full-length pre-mixed soundtracks ensures the audio preserves its timing, mixing andquality should you use third party softw are for post-production. Another good practice is to keep yoursoundtrack separated in tracks for music, sound effects and characters to make it easier to sync your animation
w ith voices and sounds. Otherw ise, it is possible to clip sound effects and adjust their volume directly inHarmony w hen needed.
If you create your project in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, you can export all of your project's scenes as separate
Harmony scenes. The storyboard's sound track w ill be cut up by scene and each piece w ill be inserted into theexported scenes, allow ing you to save time on splitting and importing your sound track.
Harmony can import .w av, .aiff and .mp3 audio files.

NOTE
Importing a soundtrack longer than your scene w ill not extend your scene's length. Sound
playback w ill stop at the end of your scene's length.

How to import a sound file
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

In the Xsheet view , right-click anyw here in the frame area and select Import >Sounds.

The Select Sound File dialog box opens.
2. From the Select Sound File dialog box, find and select a sound file.
The sound file appears as a layer in the Timeline view . Its w aveform is displayed in the track to help
you visualize at w hich frames the sound effects in your soundtrack occur.

Your soundtrack also appears as a column in the Xsheet view , but w ill not display a w aveform by
default. If you w ish, you can display a sound column's w aveform by right-clicking on it, thenselecting Sound Display > W aveform.

85

Chapter 17: Sound

86

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Playing Sound
T-HFND-007-010
Before playing back any sound, click the Enable Soundbutton in the Playback toolbar or enable it throughthe Play menu (in the top menu). This w ill ensure that you can hear the sound layers in your scene, even theones included w ithin symbols.
If there are tw o or more sound layers and you w ant to listen to them independently, you can disable theunw anted sound by clicking the Disable Layerbutton on the sound name layer in the Timeline view .

If you are trying to do a playback w ith sound and the frame rate doesn't reach 24 fps (frame per second), you
can do one of the follow ing to troubleshoot the issue:lShrink dow n the Camera view size to reduce the cached image size.

lPlayback your scene w ithout sound first, then add the sound. If you do not cache the images firstw ithout sound, the playback w ill try to follow the sound by skipping images that w ill never get cached.

How to play back sound1. To select a starting point:l

In the Timeline view , click on a cell in the sound layer. You can also slide the red
playhead to the correct cell.

2. In the Playback toolbar, activate the Enable Soundbutton.

3. Do one of the follow ing:lClick the Playbutton in the Playback toolbar.

lFrom the top menu, select Play > Play or click on the Enter/Return key.

4. To hear the sound played back again and again, do one of the follow ing:lClick the Loopbutton in the Playback toolbarlFrom the top menu, select Play > Loop.

5. To mute soundtrack, on the left side of the sound layer, click the Disable Layer

87button.

Chapter 17: Sound

Changing the Sound Display
W ithin the Xsheet view , you can display the sound file in different w ays, depending on your sound editingneeds.
You can show or hide the w aveform in the Timeline view by selecting the W aveform

button in the Timeline

View toolbar. You must customize the toolbar to display this button because it is not included in this toolbar bydefault.

How to change the sound display in the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view 's right area, right-click in the frame section and select Show Sound
W aveforms.

l

You can change the w aveform scale using the Zoom W aveform

icon on individual sound layers

in the Timeline view 's left side.

How to change the sound display in the Xsheet view
1. Right-click in the sound column or on the sound column header, and select Sound Display and oneof the follow ing:lSound Name: Show s the name of the sound file, as w ell as the file format. The line
running vertically through the column frames betw een the same file name indicates acontinuity of the same sound file in these frames.

lMouth Shapes: Show s the letter (or name depending on the w ay you named yourcharacter's different mouth positions) in the column's frames. There is only one mouth
position allotted per frame and this position should correspond to the sound file after
performing a lip-sync.

l

W aveform: Show s a vertical display of the sound file's actual w aveform. In thecolumn header, in the field under the column name, you can type in a percentage tozoom in or zoom out on the w aveform, or pass the scroll cursor
W aveform

icon.

88

over the Zoom

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

89

Chapter 17: Sound

Sound Scrubbing
Harmony uses a process know n as Sound Scrubbing to let you hear sound in real-time w hile you move theplayback pointer forw ard or backw ard. This is very useful for finely-tuned lip-synching. You can scrub sounds
from the Timeline view .

How to scrub a sound from the Timeline view
1. Do one of the follow ing:‣

From the top menu, select Play > Enable Sound Scrubbing.

‣Right-click in the frame bar of the Timeline view and select Play > Enable Sound Scrubbing.

‣In the Playback toolbar, enable the Sound Scrubbing

button.

2. At the top of the Timeline view , drag the red playhead to hear the sound at each frame.

3. In the Playback toolbar, you can use the jog slidder to playback forw ard and backw ard subsequentsound frames. This allow s you to do a more fluid scrubbing.

90Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Editing Sound
Now that you have successfully imported a sound file into Harmony, it is time to familiarize yourself w ith thesound editing interface. The Sound Element editor makes it possible to edit sounds that w ere created outsideof Harmony and imported into your scene.

How to open the Sound Element editor
1. Double-click on the sound layer name in the Timeline view or the sound column header in the
Xsheet view .
The Sound Element Editor dialog box opens.

The Sound Element editor consists of three main parts.

91Chapter 17: SoundlSound Element: The w aveform in the Sound Element Editor is the actual sample that w ill be heard
w hen the final movie is rendered. It may be shorter than the original sound sample due to thelength of the scene. If any edits are made to the sound sample, they can be heard here. In theSound Element panel, notice the coloured tabs that indicate the start and end frames of a soundsegment. The frame number is displayed in the tab.

lCurrent Sound: Displays the original sound file in its entirety and is w here you can edit its
properties. This w indow remains empty until you click inside the Sound Element Editor.

lLip- sync Preview: Lets you preview the automated detection and to manually insert different
mouth positions to correspond w ith the sound sample.

92Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Cropping Sound
To synchronize the sound w ith specific images in your scene, you must set a start frame for your sound. To
make sure the sound ends by a certain frame, you must set an end frame.
In the Sound Element panel you w ill see some coloured tabs, these tabs represent the frames. The frame
number is show n inside the tab flag marker. These tabs indicate the start and end frames of a sound segment.

How to change start or end frame of a sound
1. Double-click on the sound layer name in the Timeline view or the sound column header in the
Xsheet view .
2. In the Sound Element editor, select a sound sample from the Sound Element section. To distinguish
one sound section from another on the same sound layer, check the frame numbers that appear ontabs flanking the start and stop lines of each w aveform section.

Click the Playbutton in the Current Sound section (only the selected sound plays).

3. W ithin the Sound Element panel, drag the selected clip to the frame number w here you w ant it tostart playing.

93

Chapter 17: SoundYou can only move the clip to a section that does not already contain a clip; you cannot overlap tw oclips in the same element.
4. To change the end frame, drag the yellow marker at the end of the w aveform to the frame position.

5. To hear how all the clips fit together in the element, click the Playbutton in the Sound Element

section.

If you only w ant to hear the selected clip, click the Play

6. Click Apply/Next.

94

button in the Current Sound section.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

The Xsheet and Timeline view s display the sound clip at the start frame you selected.

95

Chapter 17: Sound

Trimming Sound
To play only a section of a sound file, use the Sound Element editor to select the exact part you w ant to use.
For example, if there is a bit of noise at the start of the sound, use the Sound Element editor to cut the noise.
The Sound Element Editor does not change the original sound file; it only plays a section of it, ignoring the rest.
This means that the entire sound file is included on export. If you need to be mindful of file size, it is better toedit sound files completely in a sound editor before bringing them into Harmony.

How to trim the start and end of a sound file
1. Double-click on the sound layer name in the Timeline view or the sound column header in the
Xsheet view .
2. In the Sound Element editor, select a sound sample from the Sound Element section. To distinguish
one sound section from another on the same sound layer, check the frame numbers that appear ontabs flanking the start and stop lines of each w aveform section. Or select a soundw ave and click
the Playbutton in the Current Sound panel (only the selected sound plays).

3. Using the Current Sound section, decide on the part of the file you w ant to play by dragging the left
and right boundaries of the selection area.

4. Click the Playbutton in the Current Sound section to check that you have trimmed the desired

sections. Use the Zoom slider at the bottom of the panel to zoom in on the w aveform so you cantrim it more accurately.

5. Click Apply/Next.
The trimmed sound sample appears in both the Timeline and Xsheet view s at the start and end
positions you selected.

96Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Looping Sound
To repeat a sound, specify the number of times that you w ant it to loop in the Sound Element editor.

How to loop a sound sample
1. Double-click on the sound layer name in the Timeline view or the sound column header in the
Xsheet view .
2. From the Sound Element section, select the sound section you w ant to loop.
3. In the Current Sound section, type the number of times you w ant the sound to play in the Numberof Loops field.

4. Press the Enter/Return key.
The looped sound appears after the current sound. They are indicated by their grey w aveforms, as
opposed to black.
W hen you loop a sound, the looped sections fill the cells in the sound element (column or layer)
until the next sound sample starts or until the scene ends. This means that the looping could be cut
if the next sound sample starts too soon or if the scene ends too quickly.

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Chapter 17: Sound

Mixing the Sound Volume
You can adjust the volume of an entire sound clip or modify the volume in increments by adjusting the fade-in
and fade-out times, otherw ise know n as sound envelopes. The fade edit only affects the playback; the original
sound file is not affected.

How to adjust the overall volume of the entire sound clip
1. Double-click on the sound layer name in the Timeline view or the sound column header in the
Xsheet view .
2. In the Sound Element section, select the sound you w ant to w ork on.
A more detailed version of the selected sound appears in the Current Sound section.
3. In the Current Sound section, use the Volume slider to adjust the volume.

4. Click the Playbutton in the Current Sound panel to verify the volume.

How to create the fade in/out effect on a sound clip
1. Double-click on the sound layer name in the Timeline view or the sound column header in the
Xsheet view .
2. In the Sound Element section, select the sound you w ant to w ork on.
3. In the Current Sound section, click on the thin blue line above the w aveform to add an envelope
marker.

4. Drag the envelope markers to adjust the volume at that frame and to create the time of thetransition. The line from the edge of the clip to the envelope marker identifies how the volume

98Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

increases (fades-in) or decreases (fades-out) over time.
Dragging the marker to the bottom of the channel mutes the volume, w hile dragging it upw ards
increases the volume.

NOTE
To create an even effect, be sure to adjust the envelope markers uniformly in both the left andright (bottom and top) channels.

5. Click the Playbutton in the Current Sound panel to check the fade envelopes.

99Chapter 17: Sound

Setting the Playback Range
To hear a specific section of the sound element, adjust the playback range in the Sound Element editor to startor stop at specific frames. This customized playback range does not affect the actual sound in the Soundelement.

How to change the playback range in the Sound Element editor
1. Drag the start or end range markers in the Sound Element section to the boundary frames you
w ant.

2. W hen you click the Playbutton to play back your sound in the Sound Element editor, it only

plays the sound w hich exists betw een the tw o markers.

100Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Adding an Empty Sound Layer
W hen performing sound editing tasks, it can be useful to chop up a sound sample into different layers. For
example, w hen performing a lip-sync, only a single view of the various mouth positions for a character canexist on one layer. Therefore, if you w ant to have a character turn its head from a profile view to a threequarter view and have mouth position changes to fit w ith the sound sample from these tw o different view s,
you w ould need to cut up the sound samples needed for the profile view mouth positions on one layer and thesound samples needed for the three-quarter view on another.
For this task, you w ill need an empty sound layer.

How to add an empty sound layer
1. In the Timeline Layer toolbar, click the Add Layer button.
2. From the drop-dow n menu, select Sound.
An empty (silent) sound layer appears in both the Timeline and Xsheet view s.

3. Rename the layers accordingly by double-clicking on the layer name and renaming it in the Sound
Element editor. Click Apply/Next to accept the change.

1. In the sound file you w ant to grab sounf frames from, click the cell w here you w ant to start the cut
and Shift + click on the final cell of the cut. The sample to be cut becomes highlighted.

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Chapter 17: Sound

2. Drag the selection into the empty sound layer below .

4. You can now continue to cut-up and distribute the sound sample betw een the tw o layers or carryon to the lip-synching process for each layer and its corresponding facial view .

NOTE
If you need to duplicate your sound layer to keep an unedited copy for safety, select the
Duplicate Selected Layers button in the Timeline View toolbar. You must customize thetoolbar to display this button because it is not included in this toolbar by default.

102Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

About Lip- sync
Adding a lip-sync to your animation is essential to making your characters seem alive. How ever, it is also aparticularly tedious part of the animation process.

To solve this problem, Harmony provides an automatic lip-sync detection feature. This feature analyzes thecontent of a sound track in your scene and associates each phoneme it detects w ith one of the mouth shapes
in the follow ing mouth chart, w hich is a standard mouth chart in the animation industry.

NOTE
The letters assigned to these mouth shapes are standard identifiers, they do NOT correspond to
the sound they are meant to produce.

This is an approximation of the English phonemes each mouth shape can be used to represent:l

A: m, b, p, hl

B: s, d, j, i, k, tl

C: e, al

D: A, E

l

E: o

l

F: u, ool

G: f, phl

X: Silence, undetermined sound103

Chapter 17: SoundW hen performing automatic lip-sync detection, Harmony does not create mouth draw ings. It simply fills thedraw ing column of your character's mouth layer w ith the generated lip-sync, by inserting the letter associatedw ith the right mouth shape into each cell of the column. Therefore, for the automatic lip-sync detection to
w ork, your character's mouth layer should already contain a mouth draw ing for each draw ing in the mouth
chart, and these draw ings should be named by their corresponding letter.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Generating a Lip- sync Detection
There are several places w here you can perform a lip-sync detection: Layer Properties view , Timeline view ,Xsheet view and Sound Element editor.

How to generate a sound detection for lip- sync using the Layer Properties view
1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view , select the sound layer.
The options for that layer w ill appear in the Layer Properties view .
2. In the Layer Properties, click Detect.

Harmony analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip-sync letter to each 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 thecharacter's voice track.

105

Chapter 17: SoundNOTE
If the selected layer contains symbols, you can map the lip-sync using draw ings locateddirectly on the layer or use the symbol's frames. In the Symbol Layer field select Don't
Use Any Symbol if you w ant to use the draw ings or select the desired symbol from thedrop-dow n menu.

5. In the Mapping section, type the draw ing name or Symbol frames in the field to the right of thephoneme it represents. If your draw ings are already named w ith the phoneme letters, you can skip
this step.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Playback toolbar, enable the8. Press the

Enable Sound option.

Play button in the Playback toolbar to see and hear the results in the Camera view

How to generate a sound detection for lip- sync in the Xsheet or Timeline view
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Xsheet or Timeline view , right-click on the sound layer's cells and select LipSync > Auto Lip- Sync Detection.

l

From the top menu, select Animation > Lip- Sync > Auto Lip- Sync Detection.

Harmony analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip-sync letter to each frame.

How to generate a sound detection for lip- sync using the Sound Element editor
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

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

l

In the Xsheet view , double-click on the sound column header.

The Sound Element editor opens.

106Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

2. In Sound Element section, select the w aveform for w hich you w ant to generate a mouth chart.
3. Right-click on the sound file and select Auto Lip- Sync Detection.

A progress bar appears w hile Harmony analyzes the selected sound clips and assigns a lip-sync
letter to each sound cell.

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Chapter 17: Sound

Mapping the Lip- Sync Detection
Harmony can automatically map Automatically maps draw ings in an element to the mouth chart you havegenerated for a sound. This can save time w hen you are lip-synching a voice track.
In the Layer Properties view , you can identify each lip draw ing of a character. Harmony then automaticallylabels all of the cells in the character's element w ith the appropriate name.

How to automatically map lip- sync drawings to a mouth layer
1. To open the Lip-Sync Mapping dialog box, do one of the follow ing:‣

In the Layer Properties view , click on the Map button.

‣

In the Timeline view , right-click on any cell in the sound sample layer and select Lip- Sync >Map Lip- Sync.

‣

From the top menu, select Animation > Lip- Sync > Map Lip- Sync.

The Lip-Sync Mapping dialog box opens.

2. From the Destination Layer menu, select the layer that contains the mouth positions for thecharacter's voice track.

3. If the selected layer contains symbols, you can map the lip-sync using draw ings located directly on
the layer or use the symbol's frames. In the Symbol Layer field select Don't Use Any Symbol if you
w ant to use the draw ings or select the desired symbol from the drop-dow n menu.

108Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. In the Mapping section, type the draw ing name or Symbol frames in the field to the right of thephoneme it represents. If your draw ings are already named w ith the phoneme letters, you do nothave to do anything.

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Chapter 17: Sound

Modifying the Lip- sync Detection
You can change the mouth position assigned to a frame if you think another position is more appropriate.
For example, you may have a character w ho says nothing for 10 frames betw een tw o speeches. Harmony
w ould normally assign an X image for the silent period. How ever, if you w ant your character's mouth to hangopen in astonishment for these 10 frames, you can change the lip assignment for these frames from an X to an
F.
If you modify the sound detection, you w ill need to remap the lip-sync to your animation—see Mapping the
Lip-Sync Detection on page 108.

How to change the mouth position assignment of a sound from the Sound Element
editor and Layer Properties view
1. Double-click the sound layer name in the Timeline view to open the Sound Element editor.
2. In the Sound Element section, drag the frame slider to the frame you w ant to change the mouth
position assignment on.
In the Lip-sync image area, the image on top represents the lip position assigned to the current
frame.

3. To change the image assigned to the frame, click on the image of the mouth position you w ant frombelow the preview image. The preview image changes to the mouth position image you select. You
can perform the same operation in the Layer Properties view .

The position is updated in the Timeline view .

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NOTE
Note that if you modify the lip-sync detection you must remap the detection to your mouth layer.

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Chapter 17: Sound

Manual Lip- syncing
You can manually create the lip-syncing for your scene by selecting w hich mouth draw ing should be exposedat each frame of your character's d ialogue. For this process, you w ill be using the Sound Scrubbing
functionality, w hich plays the part of your sound track at the current frame w henever you move your Timeline
cursor, allow ing you to identify w hich phonemes you should match your character's mouth to. You w ill also beusing draw ing substitution to change w hich mouth draw ing is exposed at every frame.

How to animate lip- sync using the Timeline view
1. In the Playback toolbar, toggle theSound Scrubbing button on.

2. In the Timeline view , drag the red playhead along the sound layer w aveform.
3. W hen you reach a frame w here a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth w ith
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 thedraw ing name (often a letter) until it changes to the sw apping

pointer.

5. Pull the cursor to see the list of mouth shape names and choose the one you w ant. The current
draw ing automatically changes to the new selection.

How to animate lip- sync using the Library view
1. In the Playback toolbar, toggle theSound Scrubbing button on.

2. In the Timeline view , drag the red playhead along the w aveform of your sound layer.
3. W hen you reach a frame w here a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth w ith
rounded lips for an "oh" sound, click on that frame on your mouth shapes layer.

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4. In the Draw ing Substitution w indow of the Library view , drag the slider to choose a mouth shape.
The current draw ing is sw apped for the one in the preview w indow .

How to swap drawings using the Drawing Substitutions view
1. Add the Draw ing Substitutions view to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

In the top-right corner of any existing view , click on the

Add View button and selectDrawing Substitutions.
l

In the top menu, select W indows > Drawing Substitutions.

2. In the Playback toolbar, toggle theSound Scrubbing button on.

3. In the Timeline view , drag the red playhead along the w aveform of your sound layer.
4. W hen you reach a frame w here a mouth position should go, for example, an open mouth w ith
rounded lips for an "oh" sound, click on that frame on your mouth shapes layer.
5. In the Draw ing Substitutions view , click on the mouth pose you w ant to expose at the current
frame.

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Chapter 17: SoundTIP
You can also press [ to substitute the selected draw ing w ith the previous draw ing and ] tosubstitute it w ith the next draw ing.

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Chapter 18: Rendering & Exporting

Chapter 18: Rendering & Exporting
Now that you've finished your animation, it's time to render your movie. Depending on w hether you plan tofurther edit your movie using a third party softw are, composite the movie in a larger body of w ork or put it up
directly on the w eb, Harmony supports several formats for all your rendering needs.

NOTE
The different editions of Harmony support the follow ing maximum render resolutions:lHarmony Essentials: 2K (2048x1556)lHarmony Advanced: 4K (4096x3112)

lHarmony Premium: Unlimited

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Exporting Image Sequences
In Harmony, you can export you scene as a sequence of image files, w hich can be played in Play or imported ina video editing softw are for post-production.
You can export an image sequence in a handful of different image types. If you w ant to export images w ith
transparency, you can do so by selecting an image type that supports it, such as TGA, PNG or PSD, thensetting the Colour Mode to Colour w ith Transparency. You can also export images w ith deep colour (16bits/channel) by selecting a file type that supports it, such as PNG or PSD, and setting the Colour Depth to 16
bits/channel.

How to render an image sequence
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Images or press Ctrl + Shift + Y (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ +Shift + Y (macOS).
The Export Images dialog box opens.

2. In the Prefix field, enter a prefix for the file names of the exported images. The images w ill be
named w ith the prefix, follow ed by their frame number. T
3. Click Browse and select the directory in w hich to export your images, or click on Default to set theexport destination to your scene's frames subfolder.
4. In the File Type drop-dow n, select the desired file type for the exported images.

NOTE
For more information on supported export formats, refer to the Reference Guide.

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5. In the Colour Mode drop-dow n, select w hether you w ant the exported images to be in Greyscale,Colour or Colour with Transparency.
6. In the Colour Depth drop dow n list, select w hether you w ant the exported images to be in 8
bits/channel or 16 bits/channel. 8 bits per channel is the most standard colour depth, but 16 bits
per channel allow s for more colour precision.

NOTE
Most image formats w ill export in Colour at 8 bits/channel. Only a few image formats,such as PNG , TGA and PSD, can be exported in different colour modes and colour
depths.

1. In the Range section, select the frame range to render by doing one of the follow ing:l

If you w ant to render all the frames in your scene, select All Frames.

l

If you w ant to render a specific sequence of frames, select Selected Frames then, in
the fields to the right, enter the number of the first and last frame of the frame
sequence you w ish to render.

7. Enable the Preview option to automatically preview the exported image sequence in Play once therender is done.
8. Click OK.
Harmony begins rendering the scene's frames.

If you enabled the Preview option, the exported images w ill load in Play once the render is done.
You can user Play to play the image sequence w ith the scene's soundtrack.

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Exporting a Movie File
T-HFND-010-013
Using the Export Movie dialog, you can export your animation as a video file. By default, Harmony w ill export
your entire scene in its full resolution. If you prefer, you can choose to export only a specific frame range inyour scene, or to export in a smaller resolution, w hich can be useful if you need to save on time or disk space.
Depending on the format in w hich you export your movie, you can also customize the video and audio
compression settings for quality or for disk space.

How to export a movie file
1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie.
The Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box opens.

2. In the Output section, open the Video Format drop-dow n and select the desired format for yourmovie file:lQuickTime ProRes Movie (*.mov): The Apple QuickTime format. This is the default
export format and is recommended for its portability, and also because it allow s you
to choose among several video codecs.

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NOTES
l

On W indow s, Apple QuickTime must be installed to allow Harmony
to export QuickTime movies. You can configure the export of
QuickTime movies to use any codec that is compatible w ith QuickTime,
including H.264, MPEG-4 and Animation.

l

On macOS, Harmony uses Apple AVFoundation to export QuickTime
movies, w hich allow s you to export using codecs such as H.264,
Apple ProRes 422 and Apple ProRes 4444, among others.

l

If you are looking to export a QuickTime movie w ith transparency, besure to choose a codec that supports encoding w ith an alpha channel.

l

H.264/MPEG- 4 (*.mov) : A simple movie format that uses the H.264 codec, w hich is
supported by most w eb brow sers.

NOTES
l

Using this format does not require additional softw are. How ever, if
this is the first time you export a movie in H.264/MPEG-4 format, you
w ill be prompted to dow nload the OpenH264 library from Cisco.
Simply click Yes w hen prompted, and Harmony w ill automaticallydow nload the library, then export the movie.

lThere are no encoding options for this format.

lThis format supports resolutions of up to 4096×2304. Each dimension
must be a multiple of 16 pixels.

l

Audio exported in this format is encoded in PCM 16-bit stereo, 22.05
kHz.

l

W indows Media Video (*.wmv): The native format for W indow s Media Player.

NOTES
l

W indow s Media Video (.wmv) files can only be exported on W indow s.

lVideo players and editors on non-W indow s systems can generally notopen W indow s Media Video (.wmv) files.

3. Click on the Browse button.
4. In the Save dialog that appears, brow se to the location w here you w ant to export the movie file.

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5. In the File name field, type in the file name you w ant the movie file to have.
6. Click on Save.
7. From the Export Range section, do one of the follow ing:lSelect All if you w ant to render the entire scene.

l

Select Frames if you w ant to render a part of your scene. Then, in the field to the right, typein the first frame of the sequence you w ant to export, and in the other field, the last frame ofthe sequence you w ant to render.

8. Open the Resolution drop-dow n and do one of the follow ing:lSelect Same as Scene Resolution if you w ant to export a movie w ith the same resolution as
your scene.

l

Select 3/4 of Scene Resolution, 1/2 of Scene Resolution, 1/3 of Scene Resolution or 1/4 of
Scene Resolution if you w ant to export a movie that is smaller than the resolution of yourscene.

lSelect Custom if you w ant to manually set the export resolution. Then, in the W idth andHeight fields, type in the desired resolution for your movie, in pixels.

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9. In the Options section, click on Movie Options if you w ant to configure the video and audio
compression settings for the movie to export.

NOTES
l

For information on how to configure movie settings for a QuickTime Movie(.mov), see:l

W indows: Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime Movies on
W indow s on page 123lmacOS: Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime Movies on macOS on
page 127l

For information on how to configure the movie settings w hen exporting in
W indow s Media Video (.wmv) format, see Configuring Movie Settings for
W indow s Media Video.

l

W hen exporting in H.264/MPEG-4 (.mp4) format, there are no video andaudio compression settings.

l

If you are using GNU/Linux and are exporting in QuickTime Movie (.mov)format, there w ill be a button for the Video Options and one for the Sound
Options.

10. Click OK.
11. In the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box, click OK.
A progress bar appears.

12. Brow se to the location on your computer w here you exported your movie file, and double-click on it
to view it in your video player.

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Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime Movies on W indows
On W indow s, it is possible to export QuickTime Movie (.mov) files using the libraries provided w ith Apple
QuickTime.
Harmony allow s you to customize the video and audio compression settings for your QuickTime movies via
QuickTime's ow n configuration interface. This makes it possible to export movies using any codec that iscompatible w ith the QuickTime framew ork.

NOTE
To export QuickTime Movies on W indow s, Apple QuickTime must be installed on your machine.

How to configure video and sound settings for QuickTime movies on W indows
1. Proceed to the Movie Settings dialog—see Exporting a Movie File.

2. In the Movie Settings dialog:l

Make sure the Video checkbox is checked.

l

If you w ant your movie file to have an audio stream, make sure Sound is checked.

3. In the Video section, click Settings.
The Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box opens.

123Chapter 18: Rendering & Exporting

4. In the Compression Type drop-dow n, select a video compression codec. It is recommended to use
one of the follow ing codecs, depending on your usage scenario:l

H.264: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly supported by w eb
brow sers and most media players.

l

MPEG- 4 Video: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly supported
by media players, but less so by w eb brow sers.

lAnimation: A high quality compression algorithm that is commonly used for media
interchange and video editing.

TIPSl

You can export a video w ith transparency by selecting the Animation codec andsetting the Depth setting to Millions of Colors+.

l

You can export a video w ith virtually lossless compression by selecting theAnimation codec and setting Quality setting to Best.

NOTE
The availability of certain of the compression settings described below w ill depend on
the selected compression type.

5. In the Motion section, make sure the Frame Rate drop-dow n is set to Current. This w ill ensure thatthe video's frame rate matches the frame rate of your Harmony project.

124Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

6. If you set the Compression Type to H.264, make sure the Key Frames option is set to All.
7. In the Quality section, if you set the Compression Type to Animation, select the desired colour
depth for your video in the Depth drop-dow n.
8. In the Quality section, use the slider to choose a quality setting.

NOTE
The selected quality setting w ill impact the movie's file size.

9. If you set the Compression Type to H.264, in the Quality section, select the encoding method:lBest quality (Multi- pass): This w ill extend the time required for the export, but optimize thequality of the video.

lFaster encoding (Single- pass): This w ill shorten the time required for the export, but may
sacrifice some video quality.

10. In the Data Rate section, select Automatic to let QuickTime determine the best bit rate for yourmovie, or Restrict to to set a maximum bit rate for your movie and limit its file size.
11. If you set the Data Rate to Restrict to, enter the maximum bit rate, in kilobits per second, in the text
field to the right.
12. If you set the Data Rate to Restrict to, in the Optimized For drop-dow n, select the intended
distribution method for your movie.
13. Click OK.
14. From the Movie Settings dialog box, click Sound Settings.
The Sound Settings dialog box opens.

125Chapter 18: Rendering & Exporting

15. From the Compressor menu, select the algorithm to use to compress the movie's audio track.

NOTE
It is recommended to leave this setting to None, as other formats are likely to sacrificeaudio quality for negligible savings in disk space.

16. In the Rate field, select the desired sample rate for the movie's audio track

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050 kHz. If you select ahigher sample rate, your project's audio w ill be upsampled, w hich means it w ill takemore disc space w ithout increasing in quality.

17. Right of Size, select the desired bit depth for the audio track. This determines the amount ofprecision used to record each w avelength in the audio track.

NOTE
The standard bit depth is 16- bit. If you choose 8- bit, the amount of disk space theaudio track of your movie file requires w ill be halved, but the audio quality w ill besignificantly low er.

18. Right of Use, select w hether you w ant to export audio in the Mono or Stereo channel mode.

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

19. Click OK.
20. In the Movie Settings dialog, click OK.

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Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime Movies on macOSOn macOS, Harmony allow s you to export QuickTime Movie files (.mov) using the Apple AVFoundation
framew ork, w hich is pre-installed w ith macOS.
Contrary to W indow s, Harmony uses its ow n user interface to let you configure the compression settings for
QuickTime Movies on macOS. Using this interface, you can choose to export your movie using either the
H.264, the Apple ProRes 422 or the Apple ProRes 4444 video codec. You can also configure the quality of theaudio track, but the audio w ill alw ays be exported in uncompressed PCM format.

How to configure the video and sound settings for QuickTime movies on macOS
1. Proceed to the Movie Options dialog—see Exporting a Movie File.

2. In the Movie Options dialog box, click on the Codec drop-dow n and select one of the follow ing
video compression codecs:

NOTE
The list of codecs available depends on the version of macOS being used.

l

H.264 Legacy: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly supported by w eb
brow sers and media players.

lH.265 Legacy: Same compression quality as H.264, but w ith a smaller compression size. This isuseful for videos intended for the w eb and mobile devices. Not supported on all major brow sers or
operating systems.

lApple ProRes 422 Legacy: A nearly lossless compression algorithm commonly used for video
editing on Apple systems. This codec is optimized for preserving video quality, but not for
publishing or streaming.

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Chapter 18: Rendering & ExportinglApple ProRes 422 HQ Legacy: Preserves visual quality at the same high level as Apple ProRes
4444 but for 4:2:2 image sources (cleaner footage for things like green screening). Heavier thanApple ProRes 422 for real-time editing performance.

lApple ProRes 422 LT Legacy: A more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes 422, w ith
roughly 70 percent of the data rate and 30 percent smaller file sizes. This codec is perfect forenvironments w ith limited storage capacity and data rates.

lApple ProRes 422 Proxy Legacy: An even more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes 422
LT, intended for use in offline w orkflow s that require low data rates but full-resolution video.

lApple ProRes 4444 Legacy: A nearly lossless compression algorithm commonly used for video
editing on Apple systems. Compared to Apple ProRes 422, this codec preserves more colour detailand supports transparency. How ever, it results in heavier file sizes.

3. If you w ant to export a video w ith transparency, check the Alpha option.

NOTE
This option is only available w hen exporting w ith the Apple ProRes 4444 codec. Other
codecs do not support transparency.

4. If you w ant your movie file to have an audio track, make sure the Sound checkbox is checked.
5. In the Rate drop-dow n, select the desired sample rate for the movie's audio track. The higher the
sample rate, the better the quality.

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050 kHz. If you
select a higher sample rate, your project's audio w ill be upsampled, w hichmeans it w ill take more disc space w ithout increasing in quality.

6. Right of Use, select w hether you w ant to export audio using the Mono or Stereo channel mode.

NOTE
Stereo sound has a separate track for the left and right speakers, w hereas monosound only has a single audio track for all speakers.

7. Click OK.

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Configuring Movie Settings for QuickTime ProRes Movies
Harmony allow s you to export QuickTime ProRes Movie files (.mov).
In Harmony, you can configure the compression settings for QuickTime ProRes Movies in the Movie Options
dialog, w here you may export your movie using either the Apple ProRes 422 or the Apple ProRes 4444 video
codec. You can also configure the quality of the audio track, but the audio w ill alw ays be exported inuncompressed PCM format.

NOTE
Apple ProRes codecs are supported on both MacOS and W indow s.

How to configure the video and sound settings for QuickTime movies on macOS
1. Proceed to the Movie Options dialog—see Exporting a Movie File.

2. In the Movie Options dialog box, click on the Codec drop-dow n and select one of the follow ing
video compression codecs:

NOTE
The list of codecs available depends on the version of macOS being used.

lApple ProRes 422: A nearly lossless compression algorithm commonly used for video
editing on Apple systems. This codec is optimized for preserving video quality, but not for
publishing or streaming.

129

Chapter 18: Rendering & ExportinglApple ProRes 422 HQ: Preserves visual quality at the same high level as Apple ProRes
4444 but for 4:2:2 image sources (cleaner footage for things like green screening). Heavier
than Apple ProRes 422 for real-time editing performance.

lApple ProRes 422 LT: A more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes 422, w ith
roughly 70 percent of the data rate and 30 percent smaller file sizes. This codec is perfect forenvironments w ith limited storage capacity and data rates.

lApple ProRes 422 Proxy: An even more highly compressed codec than Apple ProRes 422
LT, intended for use in offline w orkflow s that require low data rates but full-resolution
video.

lApple ProRes 4444: A nearly lossless compression algorithm commonly used for video
editing on Apple systems. Compared to Apple ProRes 422, this codec preserves more colour
detail and supports transparency. How ever, it results in heavier file sizes.

lApple ProRes 4444 XQ: It is the highest quality version of Apple ProRes. It preserves thedetail in high-dynamic-range imagery for 4:4:4:4 image source and preserves greater
dynamic ranges. It features a target data rate of approximately 500 Mbps.

3. If you w ant to export a video w ith transparency, check the Alpha option.

NOTE
This option is only available w hen exporting w ith the Apple ProRes 4444 andApple ProRes 4444 XQ codec. Other codecs do not support transparency.

4. If you w ant your movie file to have an audio track, make sure the Audio checkbox is checked.
5. In the Rate drop-dow n, select the desired sample rate for the movie's audio track. The higher the
sample rate, the better the quality.

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050 kHz. If
you select a higher sample rate, your project's audio w ill be upsampled,w hich means it w ill take more disc space w ithout increasing in quality.

6. Select w hether you w ant to export audio using the Mono or Stereo channel mode.

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

7. Click OK.

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Configuring Movie Settings for W indows Media VideoOn W indow s, it is possible to export in W indow s Media Video format. This format is natively supported by
W indow s, and is offered in Harmony as an alternative for exporting in QuickTime Movie format, as the latter
requires installing QuickTime on W indow s.
W hen exporting in W indow s Media Video format, Harmony allow s you to select the video compression
quality as w ell as one of the preset sound compression profiles.

How to configure video and sound settings for W indows Media Video
1. Proceed to the W MV Options dialog—see Exporting a Movie File.

1. In the Video section, select the desired Variable Bit Rate Quality for your video. A higher setting
w ill ensure a better image quality, w hereas a low er setting w ill reduce the size of your movie file.
2. If you w ant your movie file to have an audio track, make sure the Sound checkbox is checked.
3. Using the Profile drop-dow n menu, select the preferred compression settings for your movie's
soundtrack. Each profile has a combination of audio sample rate, sample size and channel mode,
w hich cover the follow ing options:lSample rate: Available sample rates are 8000 Hz, 16000 Hz, 22050 Hz and 44100 Hz. The
higher the sample rate, the better the audio quality.

NOTE
Harmony cannot export audio at a higher sample rate than 22.050 kHz. If you
select a higher sample rate, your project's audio w ill be upsampled, w hichmeans it w ill take more disc space w ithout increasing in quality.

lSample size: Also know n as bit depth, this determines the amount of precision used torecord each w avelength in the audio track. The standard size is 16- bit. If you choose 8- bit,the amount of disk space the audio track of your movie file requires is halved, but the audio
quality w ill be significantly low er.

NOTE
Exporting in 8-bit audio requires Apple QuickTime to be installed.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Channel mode: Available channel modes are Stereo and Mono. Stereo sound has aseparate audio track for the left and the right speakers, w hereas mono sound uses a single
track for all speakers.

4. Click OK.

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Exporting an Animated GIF
You can export your scene, or part of your scene, as an animated GIF image.
Animated GIFs are a portable format commonly used for exchanging short animations and clips on the w eb.
They can be played in any w eb brow ser and in many image view ers.
Animated GIFs are a convenient sharing format, but they are not a publishing format. They are not as
optimized for fast dow nload and playback as movie files, cannot contain audio and, most importantly, can only
contain up to 256 different colours throughout the entire animation. Hence, if your animation contains texturesor gradients, it is likely to lose quality w hen exported as an animated GIF, as Harmony w ill have to limit theamount of different colours used in the exported image.

NOTE
For more information on the Export to Animated GIF dialog, see the Reference Guide.

How to export an animated GIF image
1. In the top menu, select File > Export > Animated GIF.
The Export to Animated GIF dialog box appears.

2. In the Output section, click on the Browse button.
3. In the Save dialog that appears, brow se to the location w here you w ant to export the animated GIF.
4. In the File name field, type in the file name you w ant the animated GIF to have.
5. Click on Save.

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6. From the Export Range section, do one of the follow ing:lSelect All if you w ant to render the entire scene.

l

Select Frames if you w ant to render a part of your scene. Then, in the field to the right, typein the first frame of the sequence you w ant to export, and in the other field, the last frame ofthe sequence you w ant to render.

7. Open the Resolution drop-dow n and do one of the follow ing:lSelect Same as Scene Resolution if you w ant to export an animated GIF w ith the same
resolution as your scene.

l

Select 3/4 of Scene Resolution, 1/2 of Scene Resolution, 1/3 of Scene Resolution or 1/4 of
Scene Resolution if you w ant to export an animated GIF that is smaller than the resolutionof your scene.

l

Select Custom if you w ant to manually set the export resolution. Then, in the W idth andHeight fields, type in the desired resolution for your movie, in pixels.

8. In the Dithering drop-dow n, select w hether you w ould like to use dithering to blend pixels ofdifferent colours in gradients and, if so, w hich type to use:

135

Chapter 18: Rendering & ExportinglNone: No dithering w ill be applied. Each pixel rendered is rendered w ith the colour in thepalette that is the closest to its actual colour.

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

lPattern: Blends pixels in regular checkered patterns to simulate the colour w ithout createdclusters of pixels.

9. If you w ant the animated GIF to loop, check the Loop option. If you only w ant it to play once,
uncheck it.
10. Click on OK.
A progress bar appears.

11. Brow se to the location on your computer w here you exported your animated GIF, and double-clickon it to view it in your image preview er.

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Exporting Flash (SW F) Movies

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Batch Rendering
In Harmony Server, you can choose to render your scene locally or to send it to the render farm on yournetw ork so that other computers can render your scenes w hile you continue w orking on your station. This
option is not available in Harmony Stand Alone, as render jobs are sent to a Harmony Server database, andmachines that perform the render must be connected to this database.
There are tw o approaches to rendering a scene in Harmony Server:lLocal Rendering is done directly by your machine in your Harmony session. Hence, it uses yourmachine's resources and w ill prevent you from w orking on the scene until the render is done. You w ill
see the render progress in real time and w ill be able to preview the results right after it's finished.

lBatch Rendering is done by sending a scene to the server's render queue so it can be processed by therender farm. This allow s you to keep w orking on your scene w hile the render is being done. The
rendering progress can be monitored in Control Center and, w hen finished, the results can bepreview ed in Play. Batch Rendering gives you access to additional rendering options.

W hen sending a scene to batch rendering, it is not rendered immediately. Computers connected to theHarmony database that are configured to render scenes for the database check for new render jobs
periodically, and start performing the render job w hen they find one that isn't already being rendered byanother machine.

NOTE
To configure a Harmony Server database and to set up clients to perform batch rendering jobs,
refer to the Harmony Installation Guide.

How to send a scene to the batch rendering queue
1. Save your scene.
2. In the top menu, select File > Export > Export Images or press Ctrl + Shift + Y (W indow s/Linux) or⌘ + Shift + Y (macOS).

1. In the Range section, select the frame range to render by doing one of the follow ing:l

If you w ant to render all the frames in your scene, select All Frames.

l

If you w ant to render a specific sequence of frames, select Selected Frames then, in
the fields to the right, enter the number of the first and last frame of the frame
sequence you w ish to render.

3. Enable Batch Composite Options. This w ill send your scene to your Harmony database's batchrendering farm, w hereas disabling this option w ill make Harmony render your scene locally.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

NOTE
W hen Batch Composite Options is enabled, the Preview option is not available. This isbecause Harmony does not track the progress of a render w hen it is performed by the
Harmony database's render farm. You can only enable the Preview option w hen
rendering locally.

4. If you w ant the machine that w ill render your scene to output detailed information about theprocess in its log, enable the Debug option.
5. If you w ant to split the render job for your scene into several smaller render jobs, so that the load
can be shared by different machines in the render farm, enable the Chunk option. Then, enter theamount of frames each chunk should render in the Size (Frames) field.
6. If you w ant to render the scene from a specific camera, select the desired camera from the Camera
drop dow n list. A scene can have several cameras added in the Timeline view , and each of themcan be animated independently.
7. In the Resolution section, do one of the follow ing to select the resolution in w hich to render thescene:l

If you w ant to render the scene in its actual resolution, select By Name and, in the
resolution preset drop dow n list, select Default.

l

If you w ant to render the scene in one of the available preset resolutions, select ByName and, in the resolution preset drop dow n list, select the desired resolution
preset.

l

If you w ant to render the scene in a specific resolution, select By Value, then enter theW idth and Height of the desired resolution, in pixels.

8. Click OK to start the rendering process.
A confirmation dialog box opens to inform you that the frames have been sent to the Render queue.

If the selected frames w ere already sent to the Render queue, but w ere not yet rendered, dialog
box opens to inform you that these frames w ere already in the queue, but that they have been
updated w ith the selected options.

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TIP
You can also send scenes to batch rendering and check the status of the rendering queue
using the Control Center application.

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Chapter 19: Library & Templates

Chapter 19: Library & Templates
T-RIG-009-001
Using templates and symbols, you can share and reuse any elements you create in Harmony. The Harmony
library lets 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.

The Library view is w here you can store and reuse your artw ork and animation in other scenes or build props
and puppets.
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 Essentials production.
Using the library is as simple as dragging the content into the library to store your artw ork and then dragging
it to the Timeline or Camera view w hen you w ant to reuse it.
Additionally, the Library view 's Draw ing Substitution panel allow s you to quickly change the current frame's
exposure to one of the existing draw ings in a layer. This is especially useful for animating a cut-out character's
mouths, hands, eyelids and other such body parts w hich typically contain several draw ings to choose from.

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About Structure
As you w ill probably create a large number of symbols and templates, you w ill 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:lCharacters

l

Props

l

Backgrounds

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Creating Libraries
T-LAY-005-001
There are tw o w ays to create libraries.
l

Directly through your operating systeml

Using Harmony's interface

Although you can only have one symbol library folder, you can organize it by creating subfolders.

How to create a library folder through your operating system
1. On your computer, create a new folder w ith a relevant name in the location w here you w ant thelibrary to be stored.

How to create a library folder in Harmony
1. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Open Library.
The Brow ser w indow opens.
2. Brow se for the location w here you w ant to store your new library folder.
3. Click the New Folder button.
A new folder appears.
4. Name the new library folder w ith a relevant name and click OK.
The new library appears in the Library List section.

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Opening Libraries
T-LAY-005-002
Folders can be opened in Harmony w hen you require it. You can open any folder on your hard drive or netw ork
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 libraryand unlink it.

How to open a library
1. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Open Library.
The Brow ser w indow opens.
2. Brow se to the location of the library folder.
3. Select the folder and click OK.
The new library appears in the Library Folders section.

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Chapter 19: Library & Templates

Closing Libraries
You may not alw ays require all the library folders in the Library List. If so, you can close the ones you do notneed. Closing a folder does not delete it; it only unlinks it from the Library view . If you w ant to reopen it, locate
it on your hard drive or netw ork and open it in the Library view .

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.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Creating Folders
T-ANIMPA-003-009
Symbol and template libraries need to be organized. You can create different subfolders on your hard drive orin the Harmony Library view , so you can easily access assets. By default, any new library you link to yourLibrary view is locked to prevent accidental deletion or modification of symbols and templates. You mustobtain the right to modify it before being able to add a new folder to it.

How to create a folder
1. On the left side of the Library view , select the library folder to w hich you w ant 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 theplus [+] sign to expand it.

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Deleting Folders
You can delete a folder from the library if its contents are no longer needed.

NOTE
All templates and symbols in the folder w ill be deleted from your hard drive. Once deleted, thedata cannot be retrieved.

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 andselect Right to Modify.
3. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Delete Folder or press Del.

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Renaming Folders
Once you add a folder, you can rename it. This also renames the folder on your hard drive.

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 andselect Right 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.

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Refreshing Libraries
If you update the content of your libraries through your operating system, you w ill need to refresh your libraryfolders in the Library view .

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.

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Generating Thumbnails
W hen you display thumbnails in the Library view , the system generates a series of small images (thumbnails)
for you. You can generate template thumbnails yourself, if they do not display or if the process has been
stopped.

How to generate thumbnails
1. In the Library view 's right side, select the template in w hich you w ant to generate thumbnails.

2. In the Library View menu, select View > Generate Thumbnails.
The progress bar appears.

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Deleting Thumbnails
You can also delete thumbnails if you w ant to send a template to another user or studio and keep yourpackages small.

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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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Searching in Libraries
W hen w orking on a movie or series, you w ill probably end up w ith many templates and symbols in yourlibrary. 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 w hich you w ant to search.

2. In the Search field, type the name or partial name of the symbol or template you are looking for.

3. The arrow s have been replaced by X that appears on the right side in search bar to clear the field.
The Search engine w ill look for results w ithin the library master folder and its subfolders. It w ill not
look in other libraries.

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Chapter 19: Library & Templates

About Templates
T-LAY-005-003
W hen you w ant to reuse artw ork and animation from your project in other scenes, you must create a template.
A template can be seen as a portable scene or package that you can drag inside your project. A template is anindividual copy of the artw ork stored in the library w hich you can reuse in different scenes. Once a template isstored in the library, you can access it from any project.

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Creating Templates
T-ANIMPA-003-010
You can create a template using the Timeline view .

NOTE
If you are creating a template from a character rig master template, you should collapse everythinginside a master peg and put a keyframe on the first frame before creating the template.

How to create a template from the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select some cells or layers.
You can create a template from a w hole hierarchy of layers by collapsing the hierarchy andselecting its root layer. This can be useful for creating templates based on character rigs or scene
backgrounds.
2. In the Library view , select a folder to store the template. By default, you w ill have a library named
Harmony Essentials Library , w hich is stored on your computer, in the Toon Boom Harmony
Essentials Library subfolder of your Documents folder.
3. If the library folder islocked , right-click and select Right to Modify.

4. Drag the selection to the chosen library folder.

5. In the Rename dialog box, give the new template a name.

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6. Click OK.

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Deleting Templates
To delete templates from your library, use the Library view . Harmony lets you undo the action if necessary.

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 Del.

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Editing Templates
You can open a template and edit it just like any other project. If you w ant modify your templates, you can edit
them using the Edit Template command.

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.

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 (W indow s) or Harmony Essentials > Quit (macOS).

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Importing Templates
There are several w ays you can import templates in your scene.
For greater control over how the action template behaves w hen brought into the Timeline view , you can use
the Paste Special feature—see Using Paste Special on page 177.

NOTE
Dragging a template into your scene copies the content in your Timeline and does not link it to theoriginal. You can modify this individual copy at any time.

How to import a template into the Timeline or Camera view
1. In the Library view , select the template you w ant to import.
2. Drag the selected template to the Camera view or to the left side of the Timeline view .

If you drop the template in the Camera view , its layers w ill be added at the top of your layers list. If
you drop a template in the layers list in the Timeline view , it w ill be inserted betw een the layers
w here you dropped it.
If your template has the same layer structure as a part of your scene, you can drop the template
directly onto the frames on the right side of the Timeline view . Instead of inserting new layers into
your scene, this w ill replace the draw ings and keyframes in your scene w ith the ones from thetemplate. This is useful for importing pose or animation templates for characters that are already inyour scene.

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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 dow n Alt as you drag it from the Library view to the right side of the Timeline view and drop it
next to a template w ith the exact same rig.
The Paste Special w indow opens.

3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Select one of the follow ing options from the Symbols menu:

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Copy symbols if they do not exist: This is the default setting for this operation and w ill
prevent symbols in an action template from being copied.

l

Duplicate symbols: Makes copies of the symbols in your template.

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Chapter 19: Library & Templates

Opening Templates as Folders
Since a template is like a scene, you can open the template's folder and select elements inside it such as
draw ings.
Instead of importing the entire contents of a template, you may only w ant to import a few draw ings or apalette. In this case, use the Open As Folder command to import the items you w ant.
If you w ant to import a palette, simply drag the palette file into the Palette list section of the Colour view .

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 islocked, 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.

4. Drag the content to the Timeline or Colour view .

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About Symbols
A symbol is a container used to build your props, puppets and looping clips. You can use symbols to containartw ork and animation and manipulate them as a single object. You can also use symbols as a placeholder inw hich you place a series of different draw ings for each body part of your puppets or w hen you have a
repeating cycle. How ever, symbols are not necessary for creating characters.

W hen a symbol is exposed in the Timeline view , the symbol's cells are represented as a movie strip.

W hen you enter a symbol to edit it, you are entering another scene w ith 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 w hich displays the path to your symbol's location. You can click on
the symbol's name to move up the chain.

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Creating Symbols
A symbol combines animation, artw ork 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.
To create a symbol, drag your artw ork to the Symbol library. W hen you drag a symbol from the Symbol library
into your scene, it w ill be linked to the original symbol. If you drag a symbol into your scene several times in
the Timeline view , they w ill all be linked to the original symbol. If you modify one, they w ill all be modified.

How to create a symbol from the Timeline view
1. In the Timeline view , select the layer or cells from w hich your w ant to create a symbol.
2. Do one of the follow ing:‣

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 .

button.

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.

164Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

4. Click OK.
The new symbol appears in the Library view 's Symbol folder. The current selection is not replacedby the new symbol. The new symbol only appears in the library. You must drag it into your scene touse it.

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Chapter 19: Library & Templates

Creating a Symbol from a Drawing
You can create a symbol from a draw ing selection.

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 draw ing 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 w ill create a symbol from the entire

layer.
The Create Symbol from Draw ing Selection dialog box opens.

4. In the Symbol Name field, type the name of the symbol.
‣

You can also select an existing layer from the Symbol Name drop-dow n menu. It w ill add yoursymbol on the layer's current cell. If there is already an exposure on that cell, the symbol w ill be
added to a new layer.

5. You can choose to place the current selected artw ork in the draw ing or remove it:‣

To remove currently selected artw ork from the draw ing and place it in the new symbol, selectthe Cut Artwork From Source Drawing option.

‣

To keep currently selected artw ork in both the draw ing and in the new symbol, deselect the Cut
Artwork From Source Drawing option.

6. Click OK.

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The new symbol appears in the Library view 's symbol folder and in the Timeline view as a newlayer.

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Creating Empty Symbols
You can create a symbol w ithout any artw ork in it.

How to create an empty symbol
1. In the Library view , select the Symbol folder.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Library view 's right side, right-click and select New Symbol.

l

From the top menu, select Insert > Create Empty Symbol in Library.

The new empty symbol appears in the Library view .

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.

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Deleting Symbols
W hen you delete a symbol, it w ill 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.

How to delete a symbol
1. In the Library view , select the symbol to delete.
2. Right-click and select Delete or press Del.
‣

If the symbol is currently in use in the scene, a w arning message displays. Click OK to delete thesymbol from the library and scene.

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Editing Symbols
You can either edit a symbol from the Timeline view or from the Library view .
W hen you edit a symbol, the draw ings contained in it are not placed at the centre of the stage, but are locatedin the position w here they w ere created. The pivot is translated at the centre of the symbol.

How to edit a symbol from the Timeline view
1. Do one of the follow ing:‣

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 (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + E(macOS)).

‣

Click the Edit Selected Symbol

button in the Camera View toolbar's extra buttons.

You are now inside the symbol and you are able to edit it.

2. Do one of the follow ing:
To return to the project's timeline, click the Top

button in the Camera view 's top-left corner, press Ctrl

+ Shift + E (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + E (macOS).
‣

In the Timeline view 's right side, right-click and select Symbols > Leave Current Symbol.

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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.

To return to the project's timeline, click the Top

button in the Camera view 's top-left corner, press Ctrl

+ Shift + E (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + Shift + E (macOS).

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Importing Symbols
There are several w ays you can import symbols in your scene.
W hen you import a symbol from the library to the Timeline view it is linked to the original symbol in thelibrary. If you import a symbol into your scene several times in the Timeline view , they w ill all be linked to theoriginal symbol. If you modify one, they w ill all be modified.

How to import a symbol in the Timeline view
1. In the Library view , select the symbol you w ant to import.
2. Drag the selected symbol to one of the follow ing:‣

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 w here you release your cursor.

NOTE
This may be useful if you saved a character's body parts as separate symbols. If you dropped
them into the Timeline view , then they w ould all appear in the centre, haphazardly one on topof the other. It w ould be more efficient to arrange them into their correct places as you bringthem into the scene.

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Expanding Symbols
You can use the Expand Symbol command to extract a symbol's contents and place it on the root timeline. The
symbol w ill not be removed from the Timeline view . Its contents w ill be copied and inserted into the root
timeline. The symbol's layers w ill be parented to it in case you created motions and transformations on thedraw ing 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 w ithin a group to avoid crow ding the timeline w ith a series of layers. W hen you
expand the symbols, the layers w ill be contained in a group node that you can expand to see the content.

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 w ant 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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Converting Symbols to Templates
A symbol is local to the project and cannot be accessed directly from other scenes. To reuse a symbol's
content in another scene, you must create a template. This conversion breaks the draw ing's link w ith both theoriginal scene and symbol. It then becomes a separate entity that you can import into other projects.

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 w ill
not be placed in the centre of your camera frame, but rather w herever your cursor drops it w ithin
the camera frame.

2. In the Timeline view , select the symbol's cells or layer and drag it to the Stage Library folder or toany other library folder. Make sure you have the right to modify the library folder.

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3. In the Rename dialog box, rename the new template.

4. Click OK.

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Importing Files in the Library
Harmony lets you import sound files and images directly through the Library view . 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. Brow se for the folder containing the files you w ant to import.
3. Click Open.
4. From the Library's template list, drag the file you w ant to import in the Timeline or Camera view .

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Using Paste Special
W hen you import a template in the Timeline view , all layers are created as w ell as draw ings and keyframes.
You can choose to import only the keyframes w ithout the draw ings or import only the draw ings that are notalready in your layers. You can adjust the behaviour using the Paste Special dialog box.W hen you import asymbol in your scene, its full length is exposed by default. If you import a symbol in the Timeline view ’s left
side, all the frames w ill be exposed. How ever, 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 w ill reuse them each time you import a symbol in the Timeline view ’s right side until you set newparameters.

How to open the Paste Special dialog box
1. In the Library view , select the symbol or template to import.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

W hile holding dow n the Alt key, click and drag on the template, then drop it on the Timelineview , over the layer and at the frame w here you w ant to paste it.

lPress Ctrl + C (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + C (macOS). Then, in the Timeline view , click on theframe w here you w ant to paste the template and press Ctrl + B (W indow s/Linux) or ⌘ + B(macOS)

The Paste Special dialog box opens.
3. In the Paste Special dialog box, select the desired parameters—see the Paste Special Dialog Box
topic of the Reference guide .
4. Click OK.

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Chapter 20: Gaming in Harmony

Chapter 20: Gaming in Harmony
There are tw o main pipelines for exporting data from Harmony to your game engine:l

Raw Game Data Export on page 179l

Frame-by-Frame Export on page 180

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

W hat platforms w ill your game be create for? W indow s, Mac, Mobile, iOS, PS, XBOX, etc.

l

W hat game engine w ill you be using?

lW hat w ill be animation style used to create the look of the game? Hand draw n, cut-out, w ith 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 w ill most likely w ant to keep yourgame under 50 MB, so it can be dow nloaded w ithout having to be on W i-Fi. In that case, your most importantconsideration is to create efficient characters w ith very tight sprite sheets and reuse a lot of the animation tokeep the file sizes small. During the process, you w ill need to:l

Rig and animate characters in Harmony.

lExtract the Harmony data.

l

Import the Harmony data into the game engine.

Keep in mind, if you’re w orking w ith 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 w ith adapting data for your engine, contact
store.toonboom.com/contact/support.
If you’re making a game for consoles, like the PS or Xbox, then you have the freedom to create larger textures.
You may w ant to animate frame-by-frame, or you may w ant to animate w ith a cut-out character.

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If you're simply going to export on a frame-by-frame sequence, then you can use all the tools in Harmony
w ithout limitations. You can then process an exported image sequence into a sprite sheet.

Raw Game Data Export

Raw game data export is appropriate w hen you w ant 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, draw ing information, and keyframe animation data, as w ell as deformations (bones andarticulations only), cutter, transparency nodes, and timing columns.
lAdvantage: This is the lightest export, and w ill keep file sizes small w hich is ideal for mobile
applications.

lDisadvantage: You are somew hat limited in the tools you can use in Harmony. You can use tools like
Morphing as w ell as Curve and Envelope deformers, but you’ll need to bake it out to draw ings 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 w ith having to bake it to draw ings.

How ever, even w ith these limitations, you can create really great cut-out character animation in Harmony andextract all the data. By moving, rotating, scaling, and skew ing the different draw ing layers, you can create
advanced looking animation.
W hen you extract the data, you'll have sprite sheets that contain only the draw ings 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 draw ings w hen possible by simply exporting new animation data.
Toon Boom has fully integrated this solution w ith the Unity game development rendering engine. If you arecreating your game in Unity, you have a seamless pipeline w ithout the need to re-treat the data in your gameengine.

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Frame- by- Frame Export

You can export from Harmony using an image sequence, w hich can be recompiled into a sprite sheet.
Advantage: You can use any of the tools in Harmony w hen you animate!
Disadvantage: These sprite sheets can become quite heavy and end up as large textures to process in thegame. This may be fine for many games, like console games, but w hen you’re doing game development formobile 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 dow nloading w ithout needing to be connected to W i-Fi.
There is a script available in Harmony that allow s you to export your animation in frame-by-frame to the
EaselJS game engine EaselJS is a javascript w eb compatible game engine. It uses a json data structure to map
each frame to an entry in the sprite sheet. The data structure is easy to understand and can be adapted orconverted to a different 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 the Scripting guide for more information on how to add the script to your Scripting
toolbar and the interface parameters.

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181

About Game Asset Creation
In this section, you'll find guidelines for rigging, deformation, cutter and many useful animation tips.

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Game Rigging Guidelines
For complete procedures on how to rig a character, see Character Rigging.
The follow ing is a list of general guidelines to keep in mind w hen rigging your character. As you're planningthe character rig for your game, keep in mind the style of the character, and create your custom colour palette.
How ever, there are some limitations to consider if you plan to extract the game data:l

Set your Harmony scene to be a square resolution (e.g. 1024 x 1024). You can do this in the Scene
Setting dialog box—see the Reference guide .

lNudge layers in Z space if you need to reorder layers. How ever, significant Z offsets are not supported
w ithin a character rig.

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

l

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

lDon’t use any effects. Effects are not interpreted by game engines. Use only direct hierarchy, draw ing
sw aps, and keyframe animation.

l

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

lDeformations can be used and then baked out to individual draw ings. These draw ings w ill then show
up as new draw ings in your sprite sheet. Be w ary of doing this too often as it w ill increase your texture
space!

l

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

l

Be mindful of w here you put your character before exporting. The master pivot of your exported gameobject w ill be the center of your Harmony scene (0,0).

l

Be sure to have a Display at the end of your hierarchy.

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

l

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

l

Use draw ing layers to draw on, creating new draw ings w hen needed.

l

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

183

l

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, w hich has a childgroup inside it (Group B), and the draw ing layer is a child of Group B, then the draw ing layer is exported
as A_B_Draw ingLayer.

l

Set your anchors and props, see—Setting Anchors and Props.

You can use any of the draw ing tools you w ant: Pencil and Brush tools, textured lines, solid areas, andgradients. Each individual draw ing w ill be rendered out and assembled into a sprite sheet later.

NOTE
Because the Unity game engine does not support Unicode characters, it is recommended to avoid
using it in scenes intended for games.

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Game Deformation Guidelines
Harmony can export deformations to the game engine XML format. Only hierarchies made of Game Bones canbe successfully exported. In addition, Kinematic Outputs w ere implemented to complement your gamebones—see About Game Bone Deformations on page 186.
The deformation in the game engine SDK does not behave exactly as the deformation in Harmony.
To comply w ith 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.

185

About Game Bone Deformations
T-RIG-007-003
The Game Bone deformation is very similar to the Bone deformation. It allow s you to create a bone-likestructure in w hich each part is solid, but w ith articulations that are flexible. This is mostly useful for animatinga character's limbs, such as the arms or legs, or other parts that can be articulated such as torsos or fingers.
For example, a Game Bone deformation can be used to articulate an arm that is made of a single draw ing, sothat the upper arm and forearm can be moved independently, w ithout having to draw the upper arm and theforearm on different layers. Harmony w ill deform the draw ing to make it look articulated. The different parts ofa Game Bone deformation can be rotated around their joint, extended and shortened, giving you the same
capabilities as animating articulations on different layers, w ithout having to w orry about parts detaching, pivot
points, or clipping outlines.
The Game Bone deformation is different from the Bone deformation in w hich it is optimized for game engines
such as Unity. Hence, it is usually only used for game development and not in animated productions. The
difference betw een the Bone and Game Bone deformations is that Game Bone deformations do not have aBias property. The articulation folds also look slightly more rounded.

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Game Cutter Guidelines
The cutter, or mask, operation in Harmony is used for cutting off draw ings w ith custom shapes. The gameengine SDK implements both cutters and inverted cutters w ith the follow ing limitations:l

For a sprite, only a single cutter draw ing can be applied w hen it is rendered. This also applies to acomposite of multiple matte draw ings. The game engine SDK w ill only use the first matte draw ing
during rendering and discard the others.

l

A deformed draw ing cannot be cut, but a cut draw ing can be deformed.

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

187

Creating Metadata Notes
As you create assets for your game in Harmony, you may w ant to make notes about the scene or specific partsof the character or props for the programmer. These embedded notes that w ill be exported w ith your assets toUnity are know n as metadata.

How to access the Metadata Editor viewlIn the top-right corner of a view , click the Add Viewl

In the top menu, select W indows > Metadata Editor.

button and select Metadata Editor.

How to create scene metadata
1. In the Metadata Editor view , in the Scene Metadata section, click on the plus

button to create a

new metadata entry.
The Add Metadata dialog box appears.
2. In the Add Metadata dialog box, enter the name of your new scene entry.

NOTE
For any anchor or prop information created w ithin the Metadata Editor, the naming
convention must alw ays use the prefix "game.". The term "game." is recognizedautomatically by Unity as a metadata information. For example: game.Armor001.

3. Click Add and Close if you only intend to add a single entry. Click Add if you intend to add multiple
entries. Continue adding multiple entries, clicking Add after each one. Click Close w hen you arethrough.
4. In the Metadata Editor view , double-click on the value field for the first entry to make it editable.
5. Enter the value information for this entry.
6. Continue adding value information for all your entries.
This information w ill be exported w ith your Harmony assets. Once in Unity, scene Metadata w ill
appear in Inspector view > Metadata w hen the asset is selected in the Hierarchy view .

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How to create node metadata
1. In the Timeline view , click on the layer to w hich you w ould like to attach metadata.
The name of the layer appears near the top of the Node Metadata section.

2. In the Node Metadata section, click on the plus

button to create a new metadata entry.

The Add Metadata dialog box appears.
3. In the Add Metadata dialog box, enter the name of your new node entry.

NOTE
For any anchor or prop information created w ithin the Metadata Editor, the naming
convention must alw ays use the prefix "game.". The term "game." is recognizedautomatically by Unity as a metadata information. For example: game.Armor001.

4. Click Add and Close if you only intend to add a single entry. Click Add if you intend to add multiple
entries. Continue adding multiple entries, clicking Add after each one. Click Close w hen you arethrough.
5. In the Metadata Editor view , double-click on the value field for the first entry to make it editable.
6. Enter the value information for this entry.
7. Continue adding value information for all your entries.
This information w ill be exported w ith your Harmony assets, more specifically, this information w ill
be linked to the selected layer. Once in Unity, scene Metadata w ill appear in Inspector view >Metadata w hen the asset is selected in the Hierarchy view .

189

Game Animation Tips
W hen 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 w ant to keep the file sizes small andplayback fast on all devices, then limit yourself to simple keyframe animation w ith as few draw ing sw aps as
possible. If you’re creating console games, you have the freedom to create more draw ings and have a higher
complexity. You can explore w ith your programmer the limitations of the platforms you’re exporting to, andw hat your game engine supports.
Here are some tips for efficient, lightw eight animation:l

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

lCreate additional draw ing sw aps w hen needed.

l

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

l

The bigger the draw ings are in the Draw ing view , the more pixels they w ill occupy in the texture size on
the sprite sheet. W hen setting up your rig, make sure to not scale individual layers by using a keyframe
w ith the Transform tool. If you w ant to scale things up or dow n, use the Select tool. This w ill keep
things the same relative size on the sprite sheet. W hen you export the sprite sheets, in the script you
can also set the resolution of the sprite sheet so the draw ings can be scaled dow n for smaller devices.

l

Only draw ings w hich are exposed in the scene w ill be exported to the sprite sheet. For example, if you
have 10 draw ings in your Library view , but only tw o of them are show ing in your scene, only those tw ow ill be exported. This keeps the sprite sheet as tight as possible.

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Animating Multiple Sequences
You w ill alw ays have multiple animations for your characters. For example, an idle sequence, a run sequence,an action sequence, and so on. You need to w ork in a specific structure so you can export all of theseanimations to a single sprite sheet.
There are tw o different w ork flow s that you can use:l

W orkflow 1: Separate Scenesl

W orkflow 2: Separating Using Scene Markers

191

W orkflow 1: Separate Scenes
First, create a scene file w ith the name of the character, such as Space Duck. This is the file w here 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:
l

Idle

l

Run

l

Jump

l

Shoot

W hen you run the export script, it w ill export the draw ings from the current scene into the export folder. It w illalso let you know if there are any other scene versions that w ere already exported to that folder. If so, then it
w ill recompile the sprite sheet to include all the draw ings from all the animations. This allow s the maximum
possible reuse of draw ings.

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W orkflow 2: Separating Using Scene Markers
You can also create all of your character animations in a single scene, one after the other, such as idle, run,jump and shoot. Then use scene markers to mark and separate the individual animations, see—Creating a
Scene Marker on page 191.
W hen you are marking individual animation frame ranges, be sure that they start and end w ith a keyframe. Do
not create scene markers for a range of frames that starts or ends in the middle of an interpolated movement.

W hen exporting your sprite sheet, in the Export To Sprite Sheet dialog box, be sure to check the Use Scene
Markers to Export Clips option.

The animated clips are divided and listed in the stage.xml in the same w ay that they w ould appear if you had
exported each animated sequence from separate scenes to the same file location.

193

Using the Harmony Game Previewer
If you are not a developer and w ould like to see if your animations and rigs w ill w ork once imported in Unity,
you can use the Harmony Preview er application. You can visualize your characters in the Unity game engine
w ith no programming required.

To get the latest version of the Harmony Game Preview er, visit our Gaming landing page:https://w w w .toonboom.com/games

How to use the previewer on W indows
1. Dow nload the Harmony Game Preview er for W indow s:lhttps://dow nload.toonboom.com/games/GamePreview er-11.1.0.0047-w indow s.zip

2. Extract the follow ing to your hard drive:l

GamePreview er-[version].exel

GamePreview er-[version]_Data folder

3. Copy your export from Harmony to this folder:l

GamePreview er-[version]_Data\StreamingAssets\HarmonyResources\

4. Start the Game Preview er application.
5. Select the export you w ant to preview .

How to use the previewer on macOS
1. Dow nload the Harmony Game Preview er for macOS:lhttps://dow nload.toonboom.com/games/GamePreview er-11.1.0.0047-macosx.zip

2. Extract the GamePreview er-[version].app.

194Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Right-click on the GamePreview er-[version].app and select Show Package Contents.
4. Copy your export from Harmony to this folder:Contents/Data/StreamingAssets/HarmonyResources/
5. Start the Game Preview er application.
6. Choose the export you w ant to preview

195

About Exporting to Unity
If you have a custom game engine, you can take the exported Harmony data and proceed w ith your usual
process. Or you can modify the export script to fit your convention.

Before exporting a scene:l

Be sure to set your Display as Display and not Display All.

l

Be certain to save your scene. Harmony makes the export based on the tvg files, any unsaved updates
you have added w ill not be exported.

l

Set your Harmony scene to be a square resolution (ex. 1024 x 1024). Select Scene > Scene Settings.

The Transparency parameter attached to the element node is exported along w ith the animation. You can set
the transparency through the Layer Properties w indow (Advanced tab).

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Clearing Scripts
If you w ere using Harmony 12.1 or earlier, it is strongly suggested that you clear your scripts before exporting
animation for the first time. This w ill ensure there's no conflict w ith previous versions of the scripts and you
have the most up-to-date script.

How to clear your scripts
1. Close Harmony if it is open.
2. Brow se to the script folder location:l

W indows:lToon Boom Harmony Advanced: C:\Users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom Animation\Toon BoomHarmony
EssentialsEssentials\1200-scriptslmacOS:
On macOS, the Library folder is a hidden folder. To display the display the folder, told
dow n the Alt key.
lToon Boom Harmony Advanced: /Users/[user_name]/Library/Preferences/Toon Boom Animation/Toon Boom Stage
Essentials/1200-scripts

3. Delete the 1200- scripts folder.
4. Restart Harmony and test the export.

197

Setting Anchors and Props
Before exporting to Unity, you need to set your anchors and props.
An anchor is an attachment point you can use to bind one or several props to a specific location that ispredefined by the anchor.
A prop is a game item that w ill be attached to an anchor. It could be a stick held w ithin the character’s hand, ahelmet attached to the character’s head...the possibilities are endless. Props are easy to turn on or off, andeasily sw appable from w ithin Harmony or Unity.

How to set an anchor
1. Create a new Draw ing layer and rename it according to the anchor you are creating.
2. Inside the Layer Properties of your draw ing layer, make sure that pivot option is set to Don’t Use
Embedded Pivot or Apply Embedded Pivot on Drawing Layer. The Apply Embedded Pivot on
Parent Peg does not transition w ell to Unity and you w ill lose your pivot information.

3. Once this is done, you can use any of the animation tools to reposition the pivot point of your layer,such as the Rotate tool in the Advanced Animation toolbar. You should be able to see the pivot
coordinates from the Layer Properties of your Draw ing layer. If the pivot is not repositioned, its
default place w ill be at the centre of your Harmony scene (0,0).
4. Once this is set up, select the Draw ing layer and click the Toggle Anchor

button in the Game

toolbar. You can also make a multi-selection to set an anchor on multiple Draw ing layers
simultaneously.
The Draw ing layer is highlighted in red in the Timeline. Your anchor can now be used to attach a
prop.

How to set a prop
1. Create a new Draw ing layer or take an existing prop on w hich you w ant to attach an anchor.
2. Position the Draw ing Pivot of the prop layer using a tool on the Advanced Animation toolbar, suchas the Rotate tool. The position of the prop’s pivot w ill align w ith that of the anchor. Make sure it ispositioned accordingly.
3. W ith the prop Draw ing layer selected, click the Toggle Prop

button in the Game toolbar. You

can also make a multi-selection to set a prop on multiple Draw ing layers simultaneously.
The prop Draw ing layer is highlighted in green in the Timeline.

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4. Do one of the follow ing:lConnect the anchor and prop to the parent peg.

lConnect the prop under the anchor to create a parent/child hierarchy.

199

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

NOTE
Programmers may be interested to note that the XML data exported by Harmony can be converted
afterw ards to a more optimized binary data structure. To convert XML to Binary format, use the
Xml2Bin utility. This utility converts the XML data structure generated through the Toon Boom
Harmony softw are to a compressed binary data structure. This utility is available in the gaming
SDK under /HarmonySDK/Source/Utils/.
lUtills/macosx:-Precompiled binary for Mac OSX.

l

Utils/w in32: Precompiled binary for W indow s.

lUtils/Xml2Bin: Xml2Bin sources.

l

Utils/Xml2Bin/proj.mac/Xml2Bin.xcodeproj: XCode project for Mac OSX.

l

Utils/Xml2Bin/proj.w in32/Xml2Bin.sln: Visual Studio 2010 solution for W indow s.

The C++ code that handles the data structure can be reused and parsed in your ow n code if you
w ant to integrate w ith other game engines.

How to export sprite sheets
1. Add the Game toolbar, by selectings W indows > Toolbars > Game.

2. Run the script by clicking the Export to Sprite Sheets
The Export to Sprite Sheets w indow opens.

200

button in the Game toolbar.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Set the Save Path to the correct folder in your Unity project if you w ant it to update automatically. If
not, you can save anyw here, then transfer the animation into your Unity project, or any other gameengine you w ant to use.
4. Set your sprite sheet preferences, see—the Reference guide .
5. Click Export.

201

Exporting to Easel JS
The Export to Easel JS w indow lets you flatten an image sequence of your animation. Even if you have a fully
rigged puppet or a single draw ing layer w ith your animation sequence, the outcome w ill still be a flattened
output of each frame, grouped together in your sprite sheet. This allow s for more flexibility and freedom ofw ork as you have access to any tools or effect modules you w ant to use. How ever, this can result in heavier
files depending on the length, complexity and export size of your animation.

NOTE
Programmers may be interested to note that the XML data exported by Harmony can be converted
afterw ards to a more optimized binary data structure. To convert XML to Binary format, use the
Xml2Bin utility. This utility converts the XML data structure generated through the Toon Boom
Harmony softw are to a compressed binary data structure. This utility is available in the gaming
SDK under /HarmonySDK/Source/Utils/.
lUtills/macosx:-Precompiled binary for Mac OSX.

l

Utils/w in32: Precompiled binary for W indow s.

lUtils/Xml2Bin: Xml2Bin sources.

l

Utils/Xml2Bin/proj.mac/Xml2Bin.xcodeproj: XCode project for Mac OSX.

l

Utils/Xml2Bin/proj.w in32/Xml2Bin.sln: Visual Studio 2010 solution for W indow s.

The C++ code that handles the data structure can be reused and parsed in your ow n code if you
w ant to integrate w ith other game engines.

How to export to Easel JS
1. Add the Game toolbar, by selectings W indows > Toolbars > Game.

2. Run the script by clicking the Export to Easel JS
The Export to Easel JS w indow opens.

202

button in the Game toolbar.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

3. Set the Save Path to the correct folder in your Unity project if you w ant it to update automatically. If
not, you can save anyw here, then transfer the animation into your Unity project, or any other gameengine you w ant to use.
4. Set your sprite sheet preferences, see the Reference guide .
5. Click Export.

203

About W orking 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.

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About 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 w hich contains the follow ing folders:lPluginsl

Scenes (demo scenes and a preview er)lScripts (all Harmony scripts)lStreamingAssets (this is w here all the Harmony scene files should be exported to)

By configuring the Harmony script, you can automatically export animations into the StreamingAssets folder.
This w ay, Unity w ill 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.

205

About 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 w here you set the scene, selecting and positioning
environments, the player, the camera, enemies, and allother GameObjects.

Game view

Camera view

The rendered view from the camera(s) in your game. It isrepresentative of the final, published game.

Inspector

Layer Properties

Displays detailed information about the selected
GameObject, including all attached Components and theirproperties.

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 Brow ser---

Lets you access and manage a project's assets.

The main camera displays the scene and is located in the Hierarchy. To show a Harmony object, you must add
a special component. W ith the main camera selected, in the Inspector, select Add Component > Scripts >Harmony Camera.

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207

Importing Harmony Files into Unity
Once you've finished creating your artw ork and cyclable animated character movements in Harmony, it's time
to import them into Unity for game integration.

How to import Harmony files directly into Unity
1. Create a Unity 2D project.
2. The SDK Harmony project needs to be imported to your project in order for the assets to bebrought in. Do one of the follow ing:l

Go to the Unity Asset Store (assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/31211) and save theHarmony Game SDK file on your computer. Then import it in your project from the follow ing:
Top Menu > Asset > Import Package > Custom Package.

l

Search for the Harmony Game SDK in the Unity Asset Store, then dow nload and import the
package. You can access the Asset Store from the follow ing: Top Menu > W indow > AssetStore.

NOTE
For each new Unity project, you must repeat step 2 as it contains the necessary files
and folders to make the Harmony import process w ork.

3. Add the exported game object to the scene by going to Top Menu > GameObject > Harmony >lHarmony Object: Lets you brow se for the exported Harmony project folder. If
you’ve already saved this to your StreamingAssets folder, you can brow se 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 to get going.

lHarmony Texture Object: Lets you brow se for the exported Harmony project
folder similarly to Harmony Object, but creates a Unity plane to render youranimation on it.

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About Game Objects
GameObjects are the fundamental objects in Unity that represent characters, props and scenery. Basicallyeverything you create in Unity w ill be a GameObject. There are tw o main types of GameObject you can use toimport Harmony data:lCreate EmptylCreate Other > Plane

To understand the process fully, there are tw o examples using an empty GameObject and a plane
GameObject w ith the SpaceCat demo file. Everything you do w ill be based on the GameObject you create toload your Harmony data.

209

Using Empty Game Objects
An Empty Game object is a regular GameObject in w hich you can load the exported Harmony data. All theindividual body parts on the sprite sheet come in as separate elements, but are treated as one w hole object
w ith a dynamically created bounding box. If you put a transparency on this object, you w ould see theoverlapping transparencies of all the individual objects. This creates a higher-quality render and should be thedefault if you’re not animating the transparency of an object. W ith this option, direct rendering w ill read thedepth information in the scene but not w rite it. Note that w ith this option, the rendering cannot be customized.

How to use an empty GameObject
1. Select GameObject > Create Empty.
2. Rename the empty GameObject so it's clear in the Hierarchy. Since w e're using the SpaceCat demo
file, rename the GameObject to SpaceCat by doing one of the follow ing:lDouble-click on the name and rename it in the Hierarchy.

lSelect the GameObject and rename it in the Inspector.

3. At this point, it’s an empty object. Accessing Harmony data is done through scripts.
lSelect the SpaceCat GameObject.

l

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 w ill 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.
4. 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 the default Harmony project is for an HD screen.
5. You w on’t see anything until you define a few parameters:l

Set the Clip Name Size to 1. A second field w ill appear, Element 0.

lEnter the clip name for the animation you w ant to load.

6. Double-check on the right Clip Name to put in Element 0; you can check the output you exported
from Harmony.
7. Double-check the stage.xml file, w hich w as exported to the folder you specified w hen exportingfrom Harmony. Our default export path is to StreamingAssets, so it w ill automatically load in thegame engine.
8. Look in the Project tab, under Assets > StreamingAssets > HarmonyResources > [ExportName].
You’ll find the data that w as exported. In this case, w e’re looking for SpaceCat. Select the filemarked stage to load the data you w ant to double-check.

211

The text data appears in the Inspector.

The name to use for loading the object is the stage name. In this case, SpaceDuck_
SpaceCatIdle.
9. If your GameObject has animation in it, and you w ant it to load the animation data from theHarmony export, add one more component by doing the follow ing:lSelect the GameObject.

l

In the Inspector, select Add Component and select Scripts > Harmony Animation.

10. To loop the animation, you must set a GameObject to define it:lSelect GameObject > Create Empty and rename it: LoopAll.

l

Click the LoopAll GameObject to display its properties in the Inspector.

lClick Add Component > Scripts > Loop All.

W hen you play the animation, it w ill loop as it plays back. The Loop All command simply iterates
on all GameObjects on runtime and asks them to loop, w hich is useful w hen testing the animation.
W hen programming the actual game, you should w rite additional scripts to control the different
elements separately.

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Using Plane Game Objects
Renders the entire character to a plane. This renders your character to texture data. If you animate thetransparency of the plane, then the transparency of the rendered output is animated; you w on't see thetransparencies of the overlapping elements. How ever, you w ill have one static bounding box the size of theplane that you render to.
Use this option w hen you w ant to animate the transparency of a character in a scene. Also, you can w rite yourow n custom shaders. Simply set the Render Target to eRenderTarget. You can see an example of this in thesample project DemoRenderTarget.

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 View port:l

X: To reposition the animation correctly; it should be -½ the w idth of your Harmony
project.

l

Y: To reposition the animation correctly; it should be -½ the height of your Harmony
project.

l

W : W idth of your Harmony projectl

H: Height of your Harmony project.

6. Use the custom Shader created by Toon Boom to have a transparent background w ith
premultiplied alpha channel. This is w hat produces nice, antialiased draw ings in your output.
7. W ith the Plane selected in the Inspector, go to Mesh Renderer > Materials. Under Element 0,
select UnlitTransparentPremultiplied.
8. If you're starting w ith the Toon Boom demo project, this renderer should already be loaded in yourlist.

You can also w rite your ow n custom shaders and use them here.

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9. You must also add the animation component. Select the Plane. In the inspector, click Add
Component > Scripts > Harmony Animation.
Once your Harmony GameObject is imported, you should be able to see your character both in the Scene
and the Hierarchy view s. From here you can attach one or several props to an anchor.

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Attaching Props to Anchors in Unity
An anchor is an attachment point you can use to bind one or several props to a specific location that ispredefined by the anchor.
A prop is a game item that w ill be attached to an anchor. It could be a stick held w ithin the character’s hand, ahelmet attached to the character’s head...the possibilities are endless. Props are easy to turn on or off, andeasily sw appable from w ithin Harmony or Unity.

How to attach the prop to an anchor
1. Open up your character in the Hierarchy view to have access to both the props and the anchors.
2. Click on the prop you w ish to attach, and drag it onto the appropriate anchor.

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3. Repeat these steps for each prop and anchor in your project.
4. In the Inspector view , under Frame, you can select w hich frame you w ish to show . If you only had
one draw ing in your prop, then you w ill not have multiple options.
5. If part of your character is cut off by the plane of the character, now that the props are show ing, you
w ill need to regenerate the mesh. To do so, select your GameObject. After this is done, go toInspector View > Render > Generate Mesh.

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Placing Locators in Unity
In Unity, it's possible to assign a target to some part an imported Harmony animation. For example, in theSpace Duck scene, the character has a gun. You may w ant to attach some other action to this animated gun,such as shooting spheres and cubes out of its end. For this, you need to place a locator at the end of the gun.
You can see some examples of this in the provided Unity project. The first example is in the demo scene
DemoLocator, w hich show s a simple cylinder attached to the end of the gun.
The second example DemoCallback show s the gun shooting spheres and cubes.
You can access any draw ing layer created in Harmony later in Unity and use its pivot point to attach objects
and animated sequences. In Harmony, you should set the pivot points on your draw ing layers w ith the Rotate
tool.
You can also create an empty draw ing layer in Harmony, w hen setting up your character, to be used later inUnity. Use Create Empty Draw ing to create a blank draw ing, then use the Rotate tool to set the pivot point on
this draw ing layer. In the Space Duck example, an empty draw ing layer called hook_gun w as created on
w hich you can attach the locator in Unity.
W hen you access the imported Harmony character in Unity, you can access the data w ith a script.

How to set a locator 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.
3. Rename the GameObject to: Hook Gun.

4. In the Inspector of the target object, select Add Component > Scripts > Harmony Locator.
5. Enter the name of the draw ing layer to w hich you w ant to attach.

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6. 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.

All the draw ing and peg layers are listed. In this example, look for space_duck_hook_gun.
Having draw ing layers w ith distinctive names makes them easy to recognize w hen you need toretrieve 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.
7. Now you can attach anything as a child of this Locator Object. For testing purposes, you could
attach a cylinder for example. In a real example, you’d w ant something to shoot out of the end of
the gun, so you can see the Callback example to verify how that w orks.

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Setting Up Collisions in Unity
Extracting the bounding box information is useful w hen you w ant to make something collide w ith yourcharacter. W hen you put a 2D character into a 3D scene, you may w ant to use Physics to make the 2D
character collide w ith the 3D plane. To use the follow ing scripts, you w ill 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 w ith their boundingbox, and they're also reacting to the physics of the scene to fall w ith gravity.
Colliders w ere 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 set up collisions
1. Select your imported character.
2. In the inspector, select Add Component > Physics 2D > Box Collider 2D.
3. 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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About W orking with Audio in Unity
W hen you create scene files in Harmony w ith audio, the audio is exported into the project folder. How ever it’s
important to understand how the game is built to determine the best w ay to handle audio.
W hen a game is built from Unity, it creates its ow n database for holding the assets. W ithin the export, theStreaming Assets folder is preserved intact. This is w hat 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.
How ever w hen 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. W hen 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 w hile
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 w ith ascript.

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Harmony Unity SDKThis section w ill guide you how to import Harmony animations into Unity through the use of Harmony SDK.

PrerequisiteslInstall the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-dow nloads

l

NOTE
The SDK requires the latest version of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual
Studio. W ithout the above prerequisite, the native HarmonyRenderer.dll w ill fail to load andanimations w ill not appear in the editor or the player.

SDK Contents
Once the .unityasset package file have been imported, find a Toon Boom Harmony Game SDK folder thatconsists of:lHarmony Game Previewer: Assets for the preview er application.

lHarmony SDK: Assets for the SDK. This can be imported into another project.

l

Source: It contains source code for the native C++ library that processes Harmony animations.

How to import animations
1. Export Harmony animations w ithin Unity into an XML format from the Harmony game tools. Pleasesee <Inset link to game export docs page>.
Once exported, you w ill see a folder w ith the files as show n below . These files can be placed to thedesired location on your computer.

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l

audio folder: This is optional and unusedlspriteSheets folder: If exported as a sprite sheet.

lsprites folder: If exported as separate sprites.

lanimation.xml

ldraw ingAnimation.xml

lskeleton.xml

lspriteSheets.xml If exported as a sprite sheet.

lStage.xml

1. Import plugin inside Unity.
2. Create a new Harmony Project Import.

How to create Harmony Project Import
This is an asset containing the custom import settings for your Harmony project.
1. Right click in the project view or use the Assets menu and select Create Harmony Project Import.

222

Harmony 22 Essentials User GuidelHarmony Project XML Path: This is the path to the Harmony Project folder. Click Brow se tonavigate to the folder containing your Harmony project to import.

lOutput Path: This is the path to the Harmony Project asset that w ill be created and updated w hen
importing the asset. Choose an appropriate save location w ithin your Unity project.

l

Generate Prefab: If checked, the importer should automatically generate a prefab for this Harmony
project.

lExisting Prefab: This show s a reference to the prefab to update, if one exists already.

l

Frame Rate: The animation frame rate used by Unity's animation system to playback the Harmony
frames. This should match your frame rate in Harmony.

l

Stepped: If checked, the animations w ill pass betw een integer frames and thus not interpolatesmoothly. If unchecked, the animation w ill be played back betw een integer frames, for a smoothanimation.

lStrip Prefix: This is used to remove a prefix on the animation name. For instance, if w e w ant"W ishling_Idle" to become "Idle", w e set the prefix to "W ishling_". This is useful w here theanimation name for games is same for all the characters.

lAnimation Folder Name: The name of the sub-folder that contains the generated Unity animation
files.

l

Import: The button to trigger the importing process.

2. Click the Import button to start the import process and the prefab generation.

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The importer w ill automatically generate a prefab that can easily be dragged into the scene to use as a Game
Object.

NOTEl

For large characters this can be a lengthy process.

l

If the sprite w ere exported separately, it w ill also generate sprite atlases for the asset.

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Asset Manipulation
This section consists of tw o new components Harmony Mesh and Harmony Renderer once the prefab iscreated..

Harmony Mesh
The Harmony Mesh component is used by the Harmony Renderer to create asset meshes based on the
exposed draw ings in your animation.

Harmony Renderer
Harmony Renderer is used to control the animation and rendering of Harmony assets as w ell as exposing
important variables you may w ant to change during runtime.

lProject: A reference to the Harmony Project Binary asset. This asset is generated by the importer andcontains the Harmony project data in an efficient binary format.

lRender Settings: The render settings are used to modify your asset, either by changing the resolution225or the Shader used to render or the quality of the deformation.

l

Resolution: The resolution used to display this character. This matches associated sprite sheets names.

lMaterial: The material used to shade this character. Hardw are Skinning is the default unlit material
provided w ith the SDK.

l

Color: Option that multiply the selected color onto the asset.

lDiscretization Steps: Slider that defines the arrangement of all the deformed draw ings.

lClip Settings: The clips settings are used to see the animations w ithout opening the Animation
w indow . This only affects the project w hen in Editor mode, w hen you play the game, the Animator
overrules the settings inside the Clip Settings.

lCurrent Clip Index: A numerical clip index to display. It can be animated in the Animation
w indow .

lCurrent Clip: A drop dow n for selecting w hich animation to display. It matches the Current Clip
Index.

ll

Current Frame: The frame number currently being displayed.

Animation Settings: These settings are same as importing Asset settings. It is useful w hile importing or
re-importing asset modifications inside Harmony. Once modifications are done click Update Animator or
Update Current Clip in order to save your modifications.

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guidel

Frame Rate: The animation frame rate used by Unity's animation system to playback the
Harmony frames. This should match your frame rate in Harmony.

l

Stepped: If checked, the animations w ill pass betw een integer frames and thus not interpolatesmoothly. If unchecked, the animation w ill be played back betw een integer frames, for a smoothanimation.

lStrip Prefix: This is used to remove a prefix on the animation name. For instance, if w e w ant"W ishling_Idle" to become "Idle", w e set the prefix to "W ishling_". This is useful w here theanimation name for games is same for all the characters.

lUpdate Animator: Click this button to update the entire set of animations on this character tomatch w hat is in the Harmony project. This w ill update existing animations w ith the new settings
you entered and add any missing ones.

llUpdate Current Clip: This w ill update only the currently selected clip.

Skin Settings: The Skin Settings allow you to change in real-time the skin you’ve exported from
Harmony. To change a skin you first need to press the + button to add a group, you need to add as manygroups as you had in your Harmony export. If you had no groups, just add one and leave it on all. You
can define w hich group you w ant to modify, and then w hich skin to assign to w hich group. You can thenremove a group by selecting any group and pressing the - button.

227

How to change a skin
1. Clickbutton to add a group/groups.

2. Modify the group, and assign the skin to group.
3. Remove a group by selecting any group and clicking

228

button.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Harmony Previewer
This section explains how to use the Harmony Preview er to view animations w ithout installing Unity.
You can find a build for W indow s or macOS inside the Harmony Game Preview er folder that you can justunzip.

NOTE
Do not unzip the build inside your Unity project, it is advised to unzip it in its ow n folder.

How to use the Previewer229

1. Run the Harmony Game Preview er.exe or Harmony Game Preview er.app
2. Select w hich project to load from the loader menu. These projects are loaded from the Harmony
Resources folder in the same directory as the Harmony Game Preview er.exe or Harmony Game
Preview er.app
3. Navigate through the animations using Prev / Next button.
4. Adjust the Frame Rate, Tint, Discretization Step and Skin settings w ith the controls at the top left.
5. Click Go back button to return to the previous menu and load a different animation.

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231

Troubleshooting
Unity Questions
Q. My Harmony asset does not appear in the Unity Editor.
A. There are several possible reasons for this. Check the follow ing:l

Has the HarmonyRenderer plugin been copied to the Assets/Plugins directory? The plugin
is named HarmonyRenderer.bundle on macOS and HarmonyRenderer.dll on
W indow s.

lIs the clip name valid ? Make sure the clip name exists in the stage.xml file.

l

Are the binary files up to date? If you updated the Toon Boom Game Engine SDK to a
new er version, make sure to regenerate the binary files if you use them so they’recompatible w ith the SDK.

Q. My Harmony asset does not appear in iOS or Android w hen exported from Unity.
A. There are several possible reasons for this. Check the follow ing:l

Make sure the Harmony assets are copied in the StreamingAssets directory. Since theHarmonyRenderer plugin cannot use Unity’s asset database, the Harmony assets w ere
packaged as plain files so they are accessible to the plugin.

l

Is the plugin for iOS the same version as the one used for the editor? The plugin for iOS isin the Assets/Plugins/iOS directory.

l

Is the clip name spelled correctly? W indow s and macOS aren’t usually case sensitive filesystems, but iOS and Android are. This implies that an asset that is visible on the editor
w ill not appear on the mobile platform because it cannot be found.

lMake sure the size of your sprite sheets does not exceed the hardw are limit of the device
you're w orking on. Otherw ise, the texture might not appear at all.

l

Is the path to the project folder an absolute path? If it is, it might not w ork on the mobile
device as that path w ill not exist on the platform. Make sure to use relative paths to the
StreamingAssets directory.

Q. My Harmony asset does not composite properly w ith other 2D sprites in Unity. The 2D sprites alw ays
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,how ever, several solutions for w orking around this problem:
Use 2D textures instead of 2D sprites. The 2D textures, w hen attached to a geometry in Unity, w ill composite
like the 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 :232

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

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 w ant rendered in the
background).
4. Add the HarmonyCamera component to this camera so the Harmony GameObjects render properly.
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 w ant 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. Afterw ards, if you move the camera, make sure to move both cameras simultaneously if you w ant 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 Preview er in the Unity Editor.
A. The Game Preview er preview s the animation at a default of 24 frames per second. In your game, using theHarmonyAnimation component, you can schedule animations at the speed you w ant.
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 w ay 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 show n directly in the Scene view .
How ever, you should still be able to preview your assets in the Game view (even w hen not playing). To help
find and position assets, w e also added bounding box shapes rendered in the editor and the Game view .
Q. How is memory management handled in Unity for Harmony assets?

233

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 characterw ithout reloading the data. Upon destruction, the GameObject w ill issue a clean-up call to the plugin anddelete 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 w e 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 w ith 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 draw ings in the sprite sheet?
A. The draw ing resolution is not fixed in Harmony. Since you're exporting the scene to multiple sprite sheets in
multiple resolutions, every draw ing w ill have a different resolution in the end. You can use the Draw ing viewto see the resolution of a draw ing compared to the rest of the scene. By enabling the light table in the Draw ing
view , you w ill see all of the scene’s draw ings untransformed in the same proportion as they w ill appear in the
sprite sheet. More specifically, the resolution used in the sprite sheet for a draw ing 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 draw ing. Use the Select tool to scale dow n adraw ing 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 draw ings in the sprite sheet.
Q. The assets take time to load on mobile devices. Is there any w ay to speed up the process?
A. Harmony exports an interchange XML format that is intended to be compatible w ith multiple game engines.
How ever, 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 w ith the game engine SDK to convert your XML files to binary. This
tool is in the Utils/Xml2Bin folder and a precompiled version for macOS is available in the Utils/macosx
folder.
Q. There are problems w ith the character I exported in the game engine. Pieces are not exported or are notshow ing in the proper order. W hat can I do ?
A. To integrate w ith 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 w ith the rendering in the game engine SDK:l

Build your rig in the Timeline view . The game engine SDK data structure is similar to w hat
is displayed in the Timeline view and an advanced node system might not alw ays export

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Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

properly.
lBecause every top level node in your scene w ill render separately in the game engine
SDK, they may not intersect. A top level node is also isolated in its separate sprite sheet toallow the artist better memory segmentation of the character. If you created a characterw ith top level nodes and this w as not the intended result, create a top level group or peg
to group them all together.

l

Use micro-Z ordering if necessary. W ith no Z ordering, a child layer w ill appear behind its
parent (as it does in Harmony). To change the ordering, add some Z offset to the childlayer.

l

The export script does not handle plain bitmap images. Toon Boom vector draw ings andToon Boom bitmap draw ings are supported though.

l

The export script does not handle symbols.

Q. There are some animation issues w hen playing the game, the animation w ill alw ays default tothe first animation in the drop-dow n list (usually Idle).
A. This is because Idle is set as the default state in the animation controller. Do the follow ing:l

You can edit the animation controller using W indow Animator.

l

You w ill see the animation state machine. Notice the arrow connecting Entry
to the Idle state.

lChanging the default state of the state machine to a different state, w illchange w hich animation plays w hile in play mode and move this arrow .

l

By right-clicking and choosing "Make Transition" you can link animations
together for playback.

l

The game developer is responsible for changing the animation statemachine to match the needs of the game.

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Chapter 25: Scripting Guide

Chapter 25: Scripting Guide
T-ANIMPA-007-001 & T-HSCP-001-001
Harmony provides you w ith several scripting interfaces to allow you to automate and streamline certain tasks
as w ell as to add custom functionalities to the application. Those scripting interfaces use Qt Script, a scripting
language based on the ECMAScript standard w hich is very similar to JavaScript.
Harmony has tw o different scripting interfaces:lHarmony Scripting is the main scripting interface. Among many possible uses, Harmony scripts can
automate w orkflow s and functionalities in Harmony, create dialogs and perform batch operations on ascene.

l

The Extended Scripting Interface is a suite of modules for pow er users. It includes modules for editing
draw ings, for creating tools and toolbars and for executing Python scripts.

lPython Interface is an interface displaying a Python representation of Harmony GUI and its current
project. This interface can be used to create custom tools and automation tasks using Python.

Harmony Scripting ReferenceThis section of the documentation explains how to use the Harmony Script Editor, but does not teaches how to
w rite scripts nor does it contain in-depth information about the classes and modules that are available in the
Harmony scripting interface. The reference guides for each of the Harmony scripting interfaces are located on
different documentation w ebsites. These reference guides document all the modules and classes that areavailable in the Harmony scripting interfaces, as w ell as all of their methods and properties.
To access one of the the Harmony scripting reference guides, open the Help menu at the top of the Harmony
user interface and select either Scripting Interface Documentation or Extended Scripting Interface
Documentation.

About Qt Script
Qt Script is an object-oriented scripting language based on the ECMAScript standard, like JavaScript andJScript. How ever, there are some differences that distinguish Qt Script from these other scripting languages,
w hich are familiar to w eb programmers.
The Qt Script environment provides several standard classes and modules that are not documented in the
Harmony scripting documentation. For a reference of the QT development environment, refer to the Qt
Documentation w ebsite, w hich can be accessed at the follow ing address:
http://doc.qt.io/qt-4.8/index.html
For a tutorial on w riting JavaScript, refer to to the JavaScript Tutorial section of W 3Schools, w hich can beaccessed at the follow ing address:
https://w w w .w 3schools.com/js

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NOTES
As of Toon Boom Harmony 10.3, Toon Boom Animation has changed its scripting language fromQSA script to Qt Script. Scripts are stored in plain text in files w ith the .js extension, instead of.qsa. This change to the API improves the softw are and gives access to 64-bit capabilities of thescripting interface.
Eery effort w as made to ensure backw ard compatibility w ith QSA scripts. Hence, simple functions
can be ported w ithout making any changes, but class definitions must conform to the Qt Script
syntax. Therefore, scripts that define classes must be updated. For detailed instructions on how to
update from QSA to Qt scripts, see the Moving from QSA to Qt Script documentation of the Qt
w ebsite, w hich can be accessed at the follow ing address:
http://doc.qt.io/qt-4.8/porting-qsa.html

Creating Scripts

238

Editing a Script Packaged w ith Harmony

241

Checking Script Syntax

243

Testing a Script

244

Debugging Scripts

246

Using the Scripting Sandbox

248

Importing Scripts

249

Deleting Scripts

251

Restoring a Harmony Script

252

Using an External Script Editor

253

Storing Scripts in a Custom Directory

255

Adding Scripts as Toolbar Buttons

258

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Chapter 25: Scripting Guide

Creating Scripts
T-HSCP-001-002
You can create scripts for Harmony by using the Script Editor view .

TIP
To help familiarize yourself w ith Harmony scripts, you can open the Script Editor view and look
into the TB_sceneCreated script. This script is automatically executed w hen you create a scene.
By default, it sets the scene's length to 60 frames and creates a basic layout containing a single
draw ing layer. You can customize this script to automatically set up scenes you create to fit yourproject's needs.

NOTE
User scripts are stored in the follow ing location:l

W indows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom Animation\Toon
Boom Harmony Essentials\2000-scriptslmacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/Toon Boom Animation/Toon
Boom Harmony Essentials/2000-scripts

How to create a script
1. In the top-right corner of the Camera or Draw ing view , click on the

Add View button and selectScript Editor.
The Script Editor view is added to your w orkspace. It lists all the scripts packaged w ith Harmony as
w ell as any script you previously created.

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2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click the

New Script button.

l

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor view , click on the

Menu button and select selectFile > New Script.
The New Script dialog box appears.

3. Type in a name for your script and click on OK.
A dialog prompts you to select the location in w hich to create the script.

4. In the drop-dow n menu, select the location in w hich you w ant to create the script:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You w ill be able torun and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as the same user.

l

Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone w ill be able to edit andrun the script w hen w orking on this specific scene.

lSystem Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_
LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if this environment variable isset.

Your script is added to the list of scripts in the Script Editor.
5. Select the script your just created in the list.

You can now start editing your script in the Script Editor.

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6. Click on the text field in the right area of the Script Editor and start w riting your script.
The follow ing is an example of a script that w ill display a message box saying "Hello W orld!"
function HelloWorld(){
MessageBox.information("Hello World!");}NOTE
For information on how to use the Qt scripting language in Harmony, see Scripting Guide on
page 236. You can also open the scripting reference guide directly from the Script Editor byclicking on the

Menu button in the top-left corner and selecting Help > Scripting Interface

Documentation.

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Editing a Script Packaged with Harmony
Harmony comes pre-installed w ith several scripts. These scripts are stored in a read-only location among
other files that are packaged by Harmony. Hence, by default, they cannot be edited.
To edit a script that w as installed w ith Harmony, you must copy it to a location w here it can be edited. This caneasily be done by using the Make Editable button of the Script Editor view . This button creates a copy of thescript and stores it in a location w here you can make changes to it. Meanw hile, the original copy of the script
remains untouched, and it is possible to revert to it later if you w ant.

IMPORTANT
Some buttons and menu items in the Harmony user interface run scripts that are packaged w ith
Harmony. Hence, making changes to scripts packaged w ith Harmony may impact its functionality.

NOTE
If you make unw anted changes to a script that w as packaged w ith Harmony, you can restore its
original version—see Restoring a Harmony Script on page 252.

How to edit a script that is packaged with Harmony
1. In the file list of the Script Editor, select any of the scripts that are packaged w ith Harmony.

TIP
Scripts that are packaged w ith Harmony have Application Resources as their location.

2. Under the script editor, click on the Make Editable button.
A dialog prompts you to select the location in w hich to copy the script.

3. In the drop-dow n menu, select the location in w hich you w ant to copy the script:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You w ill be able torun and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as the same user.

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Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone w ill be able to edit andrun the script w hen w orking on this specific scene.

lSystem Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_
LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if this environment variable isset.

4. Click on OK.
In the file list, the location of the selected script is updated to the one you selected.
Under the script editor, the Make Editable button is replaced w ith the Save button. This means thatyou can make changes to the script and save those changes.

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Checking Script Syntax
You can verify the syntax of your script before you attempt to run it.

How to verify the syntax of a script
1. In the File list of the Script Editor, select the script you w ant to check.
2. Under the editor, click on the Verify button.
A dialog appears and displays w hether or not it found a syntax error in the script, and if it did, thelocation and type of error.

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Testing a Script
You can test a script using the

Run command, w hich is available in the Script Editor toolbar and menu. The

run command can execute a specific function in one of your scripts, or an entire script. W hat the Run commandis set to run is called the target.
To select w hich function in w hich script the Run command should execute, you must use theSet Target

command, w hich w ill prompt you to select a script and a function. Once you've done this, every time you use
the

Run command, it w ill execute the function you set as your target. If you need to test a different function

or script later, you w ill have to use theSet Target command again to change the target script and function.

This allow s you to w ork on and repeatedly test one script or one function at a time w hen w orking on a script.

NOTES
l

If you use theRun command w ithout setting a target first, you w ill be prompted to set atarget. The selected target w ill persist until you use theSet Target command to change it.

l

The target script and function is also used by the

Debug command.

l

To run a script from the global scope rather than running a specific function, you can select<Nothing> as the target function.

l

Although you can run a script at the global scope, you cannot create a toolbar button that runs
a script at the global scope. Toolbar buttons can only run specific functions w ithin a script.
Hence, running a script at the global scope should be done for testing purposes only.

How to test a script
1. If you are currently editing the script you w ant to test, save it by clicking on the Save button
underneath the editor.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click on thel

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor, click on thePlay/Debug > SetTarget.

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Set Target button.
Menu button and selectHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

A dialog appears listing all the scripts as w ell as all the functions in the current script.

3. In the Files list of the dialog, select the script you w ant to test.
4. In the Functions list of the dialog, select the function you w ant to test.

NOTE
If you w ant to test the w hole script from the global scope, select the <Nothing>
function.

5. Click on OK.
6. Do one of the follow ing to execute the target function:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click on thel

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor, click on thePlay/Debug > Run.

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Run button.
Menu button and selectChapter 25: Scripting Guide

Debugging Scripts
T-HSCP-001-003
If you are having issues w ith a script you're w orking on, you can debug your script using theDebugcommand. W ith the Debug command, you can run a specific function in your script, or an entire script, througha debugging interface.
To select w hich function in w hich script the Debug command should debug, you must use theSet Target

command, w hich w ill prompt you to select a script and a function. Once you've done this, every time you use
theDebug command, it w ill debug the function you set as your target. If you need to debug a different

function or script later, you w ill have to use theSet Target command again to change the target script andfunction. This allow s you to w ork on and repeatedly debug one function at a time w hen w orking on a script.

NOTES
l

If you use the

Debug command w ithout setting a target first, you w ill be prompted to set atarget. The selected target w ill persist until you use theSet Target command to change it.

l

The target script and function is also used by the

Run command.

l

To debug a script from the global scope rather than debugging a specific function, you canselect <Nothing> as the target function.

l

Although you can run a script at the global scope, you cannot create a toolbar button that runs
a script at the global scope. Toolbar buttons can only run specific functions w ithin a script.
Hence, debugging a script at the global scope should be done for testing purposes only.

How to debug a script
1. If you are currently editing the script you w ant to debug, save it by clicking on the Save button
underneath the editor.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click on thel

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor, click on thePlay/Debug > SetTarget.

246

Set Target button.
Menu button and selectHarmony 22 Essentials User Guide

A dialog appears listing all the scripts as w ell as all the functions in the current script.

3. In the Files list of the dialog, select the script you w ant to debug.
4. In the Functions list of the dialog, select the function you w ant to debug.

NOTE

5.

If you w ant to debug the w hole script from the global scope, select the <Nothing>
function.

6. Do one of the follow ing to execute the target function:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click on the

Run button.

l

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor, click on the

Menu button and selectPlay/Debug > Debug.
The Qt Script Debugger opens. In it, you w ill find standard debugging controls.

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Using the Scripting Sandbox
The sandbox is a space in the Script Editor in w hich you can type or paste code snippets and test or debug
them on the fly, w ithout having to put them in the context of a function, and w ithout having to create a scriptor to modify an existing script. It's also a useful tool to get yourself familiarized w ith the Harmony scriptinginterface.

How to use the Script Editor sandbox
1. In the File list, select << Sandbox >>.
2. In the text field of the script editor, type in your code.
The follow ing sample code w ill display a message box saying "Hello W orld!"
MessageBox.information("Hello World!");3. Do one of the follow ing:l

To verify the syntax of your script, click on the Verify button under the text field.

l

To test your script, click on the

Run button in the Scripting toolbar or, in the top-leftcorner of the Script Editor, click on thel

To debug your script, click on the

Menu button and select Play/Debug > Run.

Debug button in the Scripting toolbar or, in the top-leftcorner of the Script Editor, click on the

248

Menu button and select Play/Debug > Debug.

Harmony 22 Essentials User Guide

Importing Scripts
T-ANIMPA-007-002
If you w ant to use scripts w ritten by other users, you can transfer the .js files from their computer to yours,
then use the Script Editor to import the .js files from w here they are stored on your computer.

NOTES
l

W hen you import a script, any user interface (.ui) or icon (.png) file that is in the same
directory and has the same filename as the script w ill also be imported.

lUser scripts are stored in the follow ing location:l

W indows: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom
Animation\Toon Boom Harmony Essentials\2000-scriptslmacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/Toon Boom
Animation/Toon Boom Harmony Essentials/2000-scripts

How to import scripts
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click on

Import Script.

l

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor view , click on the

Menu button and select File >Import Script.
An Open dialog appears.
2. In the Open dialog, brow se to the location of the script you w ant to import. Select it, then click on
Open.
A dialog prompts you to select the location in w hich to import the script.

3. In the drop-dow n menu, select the location in w hich you w ant to import the script:l

User: Saves the script to a directory in your user preferences directory. You w ill be able torun and edit the script from any scene as long as you are logged in as the same user.

l

Scene: Save the script to the scene's scripts sub-folder. Anyone w ill be able to edit andrun the script w hen w orking on this specific scene.

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System Variable: Save the script to the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_
LOCATION environment variable. This option is only available if this environment variable isset.

4. Click on OK.
The script is copied to the chosen location and can now be edited and executed in the Script Editor
view . It can also be added as a button to the Scripting toolbar—see Adding Scripts as Toolbar
Buttons on page 258.

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Deleting Scripts
You can delete custom scripts from the Script Editor.

IMPORTANTW hen you delete a script in the Script Editor, the file containing this script is permanently deleted
from your file system.

NOTES
l

You cannot delete a script that is in the Application Resources folder. Those scripts w ere
installed w ith Harmony and are read only.

l

If you made a script that w as packaged w ith Harmony editable by copying it to anotherlocation, you can delete your version of the script. This w ill restore the original version of thescript to the File list.

How to delete a script
1. In the Script Editor, in the File list, select the script you w ant to delete.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

From the Script Editor toolbar, click the

Delete Script button.

l

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor view , click on the

Menu button and select File >Delete Script.

TIP
If you have deleted one of the scripts that are packaged w ith Harmony and w ish to restore it,
see Restoring a Harmony Script on page 252

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Restoring a Harmony Script
If you made a script that w as packaged w ith Harmony editable so you could make changes to it, you can easily
revert to the original version of the script at any time by using the Restore to Default button of the Script
Editor view . This button deletes your copy of the script and restores the version of the script that w as installed
w ith Harmony to the File list.

IMPORTANT
Restoring a Harmony script to its original version w ill permanently discard any changes you madeto it.

How to restore a script packaged with Harmony to its original version
1. In the File list of the Script Editor view , select a script that w as installed w ith Harmony and tow hich you made changes that you w ant to revert.
2. At the bottom of the Script Editor view , click on the Restore to Default button.

A prompt w ill ask you to confirm discarding the changes you made to the script.

3. If you are sure you w ant to permanently revert the script to its original version, click on Yes.
The script is restored to the original version that w as installed w ith Harmony.

NOTE
W hen restoring a script to its original version, its location is set to Application
Resources and it becomes read-only, as it w as before you made changes to it. If you
w ant to make changes to the script again, you must make it editable again—see Editinga Script Packaged w ith Harmony.

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Using an External Script Editor
T-HSCP-001-004
If you are more comfortable editing your scripts using another text editor or syntax highlighter, Harmony
allow s you to set an external script editor and use that one instead.

NOTE
If you try to open a script in the external editor w ithout setting it first, Harmony w ill open the scriptin the default editor for JavaScrtipt (.js) files on your machine.

How to set an external editor
1. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click the

Set External Editor button.

l

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor view , click on the

Menu button and select Editor> Set External Editor.
The Set External Editor w indow opens.

2. Select Browse... and use the file explorer to locate the text editing application you w ant to use.
3. In the external editor, type the complete and absolute path to the text editing application you w ant
to use, including its name and extension. For example, if you w ant to use notepad++ on W indow s,
you could type:
C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
On macOS, if you w ant to use an application that supports the AppleScript Open Document
protocol, simply typing the name of the application might w ork, for example:
TextWrangler
Typing the name of the application you w ant to use w ill also w ork if that application has its path in
the PATH environment variable, such as notepad on W indow s.
4. Click on OK.

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How to edit a script in an external editor
1. In the File list, select the script you w ant to edit.
2. Do one of the follow ing:l

In the Script Editor toolbar, click theOpen w ith External Editor button.

l

In the top-left corner of the Script Editor view , click on the

Menu button and select Editor> External Editor.
3. In the external editor that opens, make the desired changes to your script, save the script and closethe external editor.
4. In Harmony, the changes you made to your script in the external editor w ill not appear immediately.
You can load those changes by selecting another script in the File list, then selecting the script you
changed again.

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Storing Scripts in a Custom Directory
By default, you can store custom scripts either in your user preferences or in a scene's scripts sub-folder.
If you prefer, it is possible to store your scripts in a specific custom location on your file system. This is done byadding the path to the custom location in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable.
W hen this environment variable is set, Harmony w ill look for JavaScript (.js) files in that directory and addthem to the list of scripts in the Script Editor, w ith System Variable as their location.
Additionally, w hen you create a script, import a script or make an original Harmony script editable, you w ill get
to store the script in the directory in the TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION environment variable byselecting System Variable in the prompt asking you w here to store the script.
If you are w orking in a collaborative environment, you can make this directory read-only so that only people
w ith special privileges can add or edit scripts in this directory. Harmony w ill check w hether it has privileges toedit scripts in this location before allow ing users to make changes to them. Otherw ise, Harmony w ill only
allow the user to run them.
The method for setting an environment variable varies depending on the operating system you're using, as
w ell as w hether you w ant the environment variable to be set for everyone w ho uses the computer, or only thecurrent user.

How to set the path to the custom scripts directory for the current user on W indows
1. Open the W indow s Control Panel:l

On W indows 7: Open the Start menu and select All Programs > Accessories > System
Tools > Control Panel.

l

On W indows 8.1 or W indows 10: Open the Start menu and, in the programs list, selectW indows System > Control Panel.

2. Select User Accounts, then User Accounts again.
3. In the left pane, select Change my environment variables.
4. Under the User variables list, click on New.
The New User Variable dialog appears.
5. In the Variable Name field, type TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION.
6. Click on Browse Directory.
A Brow se for Folder dialog appears.
7. Brow se to and select the directory in w hich you w ant to store scripts, then click on OK.
8. In the New User Variable dialog, click on OK.
9. In the Environment Variables dialog, click on OK.

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The next time you launch Harmony, you w ill be able to create, load and edit scripts in the directory
you set as a custom script location.

How to set the path to the custom scripts directory for all users on W indows
1. Open the W indow s Control Panel:l

On W indows 7: Open the Start menu and select All Programs > Accessories > System
Tools > Control Panel.

l

On W indows 8.1 or W indows 10: Open the Start menu and, in the programs list, selectW indows System > Control Panel.

2. Select System and Security > System.
3. In the left pane, select Advanced system settings.
4. Open the Advanced tab.
5. Click on Environment Variables.
6. Under the System variables list, click on New.
The New System Variable dialog appears.
7. In the Variable Name field, type TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION.
8. Click on Browse Directory.
A Brow se for Folder dialog appears.
9. Brow se to and select the directory in w hich you w ant to store scripts, then click on OK.
10. In the New System Variable dialog, click on OK.
11. In the Environment Variables dialog, click on OK.
The next time you launch Harmony, you w ill be able to create, load and edit scripts in the directory
you set as a custom script location.

How to set the path to the custom scripts directory for the current user on macOS
1. In a Terminal, type in the follow ing command to create a launch agent for your user:$ vi ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.toonboom.global.script.location.plist
2. Press the i key to enter insert mode and start editing the file.

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3. Add the follow ing text to the launch agent, replacing <path to scripts directory> w ith theabsolute (full) path to the directory w here you w ant to store scripts:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0/EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertList-1.0<plist version="1.0"><dict><key>Label</key><string>com.toonboom.global.script.location</string><key>ProgramArguments</key><array><string>sh</string><string>-c</string><string>launchctl setenv TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION "<path to scripts directory>"</st</array><key>RunAtLoad</key><true /></dict></plist>4. Press Esc to exit insert mode.
5. Type in :wq and press Enter to save and quit.
1. In the terminal, type the follow ing command to enable the launch agent:$ launchctl load -w~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.toonboom.global.script.location.plist

How to set the path to the custom scripts directory for all users on macOS
1. In a Terminal, type in the follow ing command to edit the login script for all users:$ sudo vi /etc/profile
2. Press the i key to enter insert mode and start editing the file.
3. Add the follow ing lines at the end of the script, replacing <path to scripts directory> w ith
the absolute (full) path to the directory w here you w ant to store scripts:
export TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION="<path to scripts directory>"launchctl setenv TOONBOOM_GLOBAL_SCRIPT_LOCATION "<path to scripts directory>"

4. Press Esc to exit insert mode.
5. Type in :wq and press Enter to save and quit.

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Adding Scripts as Toolbar Buttons
To use scripts in your regular w orkflow , you can add them as buttons to the Scripting toolbar. You can add
buttons to the Scripting toolbar that are configured to run ax specific function in a script and, if you w ant, givethese button a specific icon and tool tip.

NOTE
For more information on the Scripting toolbar and the Scripts Manager dialog, see the Reference
Guide.

How to link a script to a toolbar button
1. Add the Scripting toolbar to your w orkspace by doing one of the follow ing:l

From the top menu, select W indows > Toolbars > Scripting.

l

Right-click on any toolbar and select Scripting.

The Scripting toolbar is added to your w orkspace.

1. In the Scripting toolbar, click theManage Scripts button.

The Scripts Manager dialog box opens and displays the available scripts.

2. In the Files list, select the script file containing the function you w ant to add to the toolbar.
The functions in the selected script appear in the Functions list.
3. In the Functions list, select the function that you w ant to add to the toolbar.

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4. Betw een the Functions and In Toolbar list, click on the

Right Arrow button.

The selected function is added to the In Toolbar list.
5. If you w ant to add a custom icon to the toolbar button for your script, click on the Customize Icon
button and, in the Open dialog that appears, brow se to and select the icon file that you w ant the
button to have.
You can use .png, .jpg, .xpm or .tvg files as toolbar icons.
6. If you w ant to add a custom tooltip to the toolbar button for your script, click on the Customize
Tooltip button and, in the dialog that appears, type in the tooltip for your toolbar button.

7. Click on OK.
A button for the selected function is added to the Scripting toolbar. If you click on this button, thefunction your selected w ill be executed.

TIP
You can stop a script w hile it is running by pressing the Esc key or clicking on the
button on the Scripting toolbar.

259

Stop