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1 Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition

2 Legal Notices Published by Toon Boom Animation Inc. Corporate Headquarters 5530 St. Patrick, Suite 2210 Montreal, Quebec Canada H4E 1A8 Tel: (514) Fax: (514) toonboom.com Disclaimer The content of this manual is covered by a specific limited warranty and exclusions and limit of liability under the applicable License Agreement as supplemented by the special terms and conditions for Adobe Flash File Format (SWF). Please refer to the License Agreement and to those special terms and conditions for details. The content of this manual is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted. Any reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. For additional copies of this manual, please contact Toon Boom Animation Inc. at the Corporate Headquarters address. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro is a trademark owned by Toon Boom Animation Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Credits Documentation Development: Peter Cawthorne Content Development: Marie-Eve Chartrand. Anouk Whissell Publication Date June 2008

3 Contents General Introduction... 7 The Curriculum... 8 Teacher Edition Book... 8 Student Edition Book... 8 The Teaching Modules... 8 The Learning Modules... 8 Documentation... 9 Installation and Getting Started Guide... 9 Keyboard Shortcuts... 9 User Guide... 9 Online Help... 9 Information Icons... 9 How to Use the Curriculum Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Modules Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Outlines Basic Training Complete Training Prerequisites Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Requirements Lesson Structure Introduction Objectives Lesson Teacher s Notes Sample Scenes Exercises Learning Curriculum Material Pack - Content Module P1: Interface and Capture - Introduction... 1 Topics Covered... 1 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Objectives... 3 Managing the Interface... 3 Capturing Animation Sequences... 3 Importing Bitmap Images... 3 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson... 5 Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Demonstration... 6 Launching Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro... 6 Mac OS X... 6 Windows XP... 6 Windows Vista... 6 Creating and Opening a Scene... 7 Using the Welcome Screen... 7 Creating a Scene using the Welcome Screen... 7 Opening a Scene using the Welcome Screen... 8 Opening a Recent Scene using the Welcome Screen... 8 Accessing Tutorials using the Welcome Screen... 8 Using the File Menu... 8 Creating a Scene using the File Menu... 8 Opening a Scene using the File Menu... 8 Menus... 9 Top Menu... 9 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 1

4 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Quick Menu (PopUp Menu)... 9 Views Managing the Views Adding a View Closing a View Swapping Views Restore Default Workspace Toolbars Managing the Toolbars Showing and Hiding toolbars Moving toolbars to a new location Interface Navigation Preferences Customizing a Shortcut Setting the Scene Length Capturing Capturing From a Live Device Capturing From a Progressive Device Importing Backgrounds and Other Images Custom Vectorization Parameters Playing Back your Line Test Playback Toolbar Playback View Bottom Toolbar Module P1: Interface and Capture - Exercises Capturing an Animation Sequence... 2 Task Importing a Bitmap Image... 3 Task... 3 Module P2: Timing and Xsheet - Introduction... 1 Topics Covered... 1 Module P2: Timing and Xsheet - Objectives... 3 Columns... 3 Filling Exposure... 3 Annotation Columns... 3 Module P2: Timing and Xsheet - Lesson... 5 Adding Frames... 6 Adding Frames Before or After a Selection... 6 Adding Frames to the Beginning or End of a Scene... 6 Columns... 7 Column Types... 7 Creating Drawing Columns... 7 Columns and Drawing Concept... 8 Modifying Columns... 9 Ordering Xsheet Columns... 9 Show and Hide... 9 Column Properties Thumbnail Display Duplicate Columns Column Transparency and Colour Changing the Transparency of a Column Changing the Colour of a Drawing in a Column Filling Exposure Filling an Exposure Manually Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

5 Typing Mode...13 Holding Exposure Extending and Dragging Exposure Increasing and Decreasing Exposure Creating Cycles Automated Filling...18 Fill Cells Randomly Fill Selection Sequence Fill Navigating Between Frames and Columns Drawing Identification Identifying Drawings Annotation Columns Adding an Annotation Column Drawing and Typing in the Annotation Column Drawing in the Annotation Column Typing in the Annotation Column Erasing Annotation Column Content Changing the Drawing Settings Importing an Annotation File Module P2: Timing and Xsheet - Exercises Reproducing a Traditional Exposure Sheet... 2 Task Adding Annotations... 3 Task Setting the Timing on a Personal Animation... 4 Task... 4 Module P3: Camera, Sound and Render - Introduction... 1 Topics Covered... 1 Module P3: Camera, Sound and Render - Objectives... 3 Creating a Camera Move... 3 Adding Sound to a Line Test... 3 Rendering a Line Test... 3 Module P3: Camera, Sound and Render - Lesson... 5 Camera... 6 Creating a Camera Move... 6 Modifying a Camera Move... 7 Sound... 8 Importing a Sound File... 8 Playing Back the Sound... 8 Render... 9 Rendering Images... 9 Rendering a Movie QuickTime Movie with Alpha Channel Rendering an SWF Module P3: Camera, Sound and Render - Exercises Creating a Camera Move... 2 Task Adding Sound... 3 Task Rendering... 4 Task... 4 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 3

6 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P4: Colour and Animation - Introduction... 1 Topics Covered... 1 Module P4: Colour and Animation - Objectives... 3 Using the Drawing Tools... 3 Using the Painting Tools... 3 Use the Sound Scrubbing Feature... 3 Module P4: Colour and Animation - Lesson... 5 Drawing Tools... 6 Override Tool... 6 Apply Tool to All Visible Layers... 7 Auto Create Colour Art from Brush... 7 Brush... 7 Eraser... 7 Grabber... 8 Grid... 8 Light Table... 8 Onion Skin... 9 Reposition All Drawings... 9 Rotary Table... 9 Select... 9 Zoom Drawing Layers Drawing Animation Detecting Your Lip-sync Painting Tools Auto Gap Closing...16 Backlight Close Gap Close Gaps Create Colour Art from Line Art Dropper Paint Paint Unpainted Show Strokes Stroke Unpaint Dirt Clean Up Remove Art Inside Selection Remove Art Outside Selection Remove Dirt Colour Art Filling Zones Colours Adding and Modifying a Colour Swatch Painting Painting Process Verification Importing a Colour Model Loading a Colour Model Painting With a Colour Model Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

7 Module P4: Colour and Animation - Exercises Designing a Character... 2 Task Painting an Animation Sequence... 3 Task Animating a Walk Cycle... 4 Task Breaking down and Animating a Lip-Sync... 5 Task... 5 Reference: Animation Glossary... 1 The Terms... 1 Alpha Channel... 1 Animatic... 1 Aspect Ratio... 1 Background... 1 Bitmap... 1 Camera Shake... 1 Caption... 1 Clean Up... 1 Cut... 2 Cut-out Animation... 2 Cycle... 2 Dialogue... 2 Ease / Velocity... 2 Establishing Shot... 2 Exposure... 2 Fade In / Fade Out...2 Field... 2 Field chart... 2 Flipping... 3 Frame... 3 Frame Rate... 3 Ink and Paint... 3 Interpolation... 3 Jump Cut... 3 Key... 3 Keyframe... 3 Layer... 3 Layout... 3 Library... 4 Light Table... 4 Model / Colour Model... 4 Multiplane... 4 Nudge... 4 Onion Skin... 4 Overlay... 4 Palette / Master Palette... 4 Pan... 4 Panel... 4 Paperless Animation... 4 Pivot... 5 Rendering... 5 Resolution... 5 Rigging... 5 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 5

8 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Rotary Table... 5 Roughs... 5 Safety Area... 5 Scene... 5 Script... 5 Sequence... 5 Shot... 5 Slugging... 5 Template... 6 Thumbnails... 6 Time Code... 6 Timeline... 6 Traditional Animation... 6 Transition... 6 Underlay... 6 Vector... 6 Workspace Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

9 General Introduction Welcome to the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition. This comprehensive document and its supplied training material, provide you with the tools to teach the students in your class to successfully and confidently use Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro is an easy and complete solution for verifying traditional animation sequences. With Pencil Check Pro you can capture your drawings in many ways including: camera, scanner and bitmap image import. It is even possible to paint your drawings and correct them. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro also includes camera motion planning and annotation columns in your digital exposure sheet. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 7

10 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition General Introduction The Curriculum The Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro consists of: Teacher Edition Student Edition The layout of both books and the module structure contained within is the same. Teacher Edition Book This is the document which you will use as a primary resource to teach your students. It has all the teaching modules required to take your students from the basic introduction to final production of an animation using Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro. The Teacher Edition has notes and information specifically dedicated to you the educator, as well as guidelines and suggestions which will aid in the teaching of Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro. The Teacher Edition also contains Objectives Modules which are not contained in the Student Edition. Student Edition Book This is the students primary resource. It is a duplicate of the Teacher Edition, but only contains material specific to the student. The Student Edition cannot be used alone as the student requires the educator to provide information contained in the Teacher Edition. The Teaching Modules These teaching modules are included in the Teacher Edition book. Module P1: Interface and Capture Module P2: Timing and Xsheet Module P3: Camera, Sound and Render Module P4: Colour and Animation Each teaching module contains the following: Introduction Objectives (These are only provided in the Teacher Edition) Lesson Exercises The Learning Modules These learning modules are included in the Student Edition book. Module P1: Interface and Capture Module P2: Timing and Xsheet Module P3: Camera, Sound and Render Module P4: Colour and Animation Each learning module contains the following: Introduction Lesson Exercises 8 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

11 General Introduction Documentation The following documents are available for Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro and are provided either with the software or included on the product cd in PDF format. You can use these documents to further enhance your teaching experience and the students learning experience: Installation and Getting Started Guide This provides program installation and launching instructions and the basics of how to start your line-test. Keyboard Shortcuts Contains a description of the keyboard shortcuts, their purpose, how to customize them and also how restore default shortcuts. User Guide Find out about: launching Pencil Check Pro, managing the interface, capturing image sequences, importing bitmap images, setting timing, modifying the exposure sheet, adding annotation columns, drawing, animating, colouring, adding a camera motion, playing sound and rendering. Online Help This is available through the software from the Main menu. Information Icons These icons provide you with useful information to help you improve your work skills. You will find these information icons throughout the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum documentation and the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro User Guide: Icon Information Provided Watch this video tutorial Tips and tricks Work smarter Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 9

12 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition General Introduction 10 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

13 How to Use the Curriculum This Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum embodies a large amount of material which can be used in several ways. This section explains how to use the curriculum and is divided into the following topics: Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Modules Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Outlines Prerequisites Lesson Structure Learning Curriculum Material Pack - Content Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Modules The Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum is divided in four lessons. Each lesson is equivalent to one class. The Lesson Structure topic below explains more how each lesson should be organized. There are four lessons in the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum: P1: Interface and Capture P2: Timing and Xsheet P3: Camera, Sound and Render P4: Colour and Animation Refer to the software s User Guide for more detailed information on the lesson content. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Outlines Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro is a complete line testing solution that can be used for several different workflows. Some courses or students may be required to cover only the basic or the entire software. That is why this Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum is divided in modular lessons. Here are the recommended outlines for Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro: Basic Training The Basic Training covers all the modules: 1. P1: Interface and Capture 2. P2: Timing and Xsheet 3. P3: Camera, Sound and Render Complete Training The Complete Training covers all the modules: 1. P1: Interface and Capture 2. P2: Timing and Xsheet 3. P3: Camera, Sound and Render 4. P4: Colour and Animation Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 11

14 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition How to Use the Curriculum Prerequisites Each module requires the completion of the previous one before the students can start the module. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Requirements Here are the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro requirements: Lesson Structure The Curriculum is straightforward and easy to use. Each Teaching module is self-explanatory and contains notes and information specifically for the teacher as well as guidelines and suggestions which will aid in the teaching of Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro. These teaching aids are only included in the Teacher Edition. Each teaching module is laid out as follows: Introduction Objectives Lesson Exercises The Student Edition has Learning modules, these are identical to the teaching modules but only contain material specific to the student. Each learning module is laid out as follows: Introduction Lesson Exercises Introduction The Introduction provides a brief summary of what is contained in the module, the topics covered, the proposed exercises Objectives Only available in the Teacher Edition. The Objectives lay out the purpose of the module and what is expected to be attained by the students on completion of this module. 12 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

15 How to Use the Curriculum Lesson The Lessons explain how and what you should prepare and the tasks the students must undertake to successfully complete the module. Teacher s Notes In the Lesson and Exercises chapters, the teacher will encounter notes related to the teaching of the particular module. These Teacher s Notes are identified by the following icon: Sample Scenes In the Lesson chapter, the teacher will encounter notes related to what sample scene or template to use of the particular topic. All the sample material is found in the Pencil_Check_Pro_Learning_Material_Pack provided with this Learning Curriculum. These Sample Scenes notes are identified by the following icon: Exercises The Exercises provide a hands-on practical learning experience for the students. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 13

16 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition How to Use the Curriculum Learning Curriculum Material Pack - Content The Learning Curriculum Material Pack is required by both the teacher and the students as it includes all of the necessary material required for the suggested exercises. A list of suggested practice exercises is provided with the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum. The package is called: Pencil_Check_Pro_Learning_Material_Pack it contains the following: PencilCheckPro_Demonstration.mov A Pencil Check Pro demonstration video. Bitmap Images A series of bitmap images with and without an alpha channel. globe-1.psd volcano-2.psd bitmap_image_001.png bitmap_image_002.png bitmap_image_003.png bitmap_image_004.png bg-1.tga Camera Camera_Move A complete sample scene ready for a camera move. Camera_Move_Completed A complete sample scene showing the completion state of a camera move. Capture A series of sample animations in different file formats ready for import. Bat_Black_White_240dpi_PNGs Bat_Greyscale_300dpi_PNGs Butterfly_300dpi_SCANs Felin_300dpi_SCANs Lippy_200dpi_TGAs Drawing Drawing A sample scene ready for a drawing demonstration. Line-art_Colour-art A sample scene ready for the line-art and colour-art layers demonstration. Extra_Documentation A PDF file containing extra information on how to use the annotation columns. Using_Annotation_Columns.pdf Ink_and_Paint Colour Model Two colour models ready for an import in the model view. Ink-and-Paint A sample scene ready for a ink and paint demonstration. Ink-and-Paint_Completed A sample scene showing the completed state of the ink and paint process. Movie An example of a rendered line-test project in QuickTime movie file format. Render_Completed.mov 14 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

17 How to Use the Curriculum Paperless_Animation Lip-Sync A sample scene ready for lip-sync animation demonstration. Lip-Sync_Completed A sample scene showing the completion state of a lip-sync animation. PaperlessAnimation_Horse A sample scene showing an example of a paperless animation. Sound Camera_Sound_Completed A sample scene showing the completion state of a scene containing a camera movement and sound. Welcome.wav A sample dialogue sound file ready for import. Wing_Flap.wav A sample sound file ready for import. Xsheet Xsheet.pdf Digital sample of an exposure sheet ready to be reproduced in Pencil Check Pro. Xsheet.xls Digital sample of an exposure sheet ready to be reproduced in Pencil Check Pro. xsheet_annotation_004.png A bitmap annotation sample ready to be imported in an annotation column. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 15

18 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition How to Use the Curriculum 16 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

19 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Introduction The Teacher Edition of the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum contains several modules. In this module you will find the following: Module P1: Interface and Capture - Objectives Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Module P1: Interface and Capture - Exercises Topics Covered The Interface and Capture module covers the following topics: Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Demonstration Launching Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Creating and Opening a Scene Menus Views Toolbars Interface Navigation Preferences Setting the Scene LengthSetting the Scene Length Capturing Importing Backgrounds and Other Images Custom Vectorization Parameters Playing Back your Line Test The proposed exercises are: 1.01 Capturing an Animation Sequence 1.02 Importing a Bitmap Image Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 1

20 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Introduction 2 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

21 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Objectives The objectives of the Interface and Capture module are to have the students become proficient in: Managing the Interface Capturing Animation Sequences Importing Bitmap Images These objectives are summarized in the sections below. Managing the Interface The students must know how to: Locate and use each menu in the software Locate and use each toolbar in the software Organize the workspace Navigate in the views Capturing Animation Sequences The capture process is a central point in the software. It is very important that the student understands how to import animation sequences in the software by the end of the class. The student should know how to import the images, but not to set their timing yet. This will be covered in a later module. Importing Bitmap Images The students must know how to: Select and import bitmap images and pictures created in external software. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 3

22 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Objectives 4 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

23 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson In this lesson you will learn about Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro s interface and capturing images. The goal of this lesson is to teach the students how to use Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro s interface, import an animation and become familiar with the software. This lesson covers the following: Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Demonstration Launching Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Creating and Opening a Scene Menus Views Toolbars Interface Navigation Preferences Setting the Scene Length Capturing Importing Backgrounds and Other Images Custom Vectorization Parameters Playing Back your Line Test The proposed exercises are: 1.01 Capturing an Animation Sequence 1.02 Importing a Bitmap Image This lesson shows how to import an animation into the software. Some image sequences are provided in the sample material package, but it is recommended that the students capture or import their own animation. Prior to the class, the students should create a traditional animation on paper to test in Pencil Check Pro during the class. Video tutorials are available to demonstrate most of the step-by-step lessons. It is recommended to watch them before the lesson. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 5

24 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro Demonstration To get familiar with Pencil Check Pro, the students should watch the demonstration video to get a good overview of the software s capabilities. The video should be watched prior to the lesson. Load the PencilCheckPro_demonstration.mov video. Launching Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro To demonstrate the whole lesson, use the blank scene you will create during this lesson. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro is an easy and complete solution for verifying traditional animation sequences. With Pencil Check Pro you can capture your drawings in many ways including: camera, scanner and bitmap image import. It is even possible to paint your drawings and correct them. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro also includes camera motion planning and annotation columns in your digital exposure sheet. Before you can check any of your animation you must open Pencil Check Pro. Mac OS X To open Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro: Double-click the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro icon or select Applications > Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro > Pencil Check Pro. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro opens, displaying the Welcome Screen. Windows XP To open Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro: Double-click the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro icon or select Start > Programs > Toon Boom Animation > Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro opens, displaying the Welcome Screen. Windows Vista To open Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro: Double-click the Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro icon or select Start > Programs > Toon Boom Animation > Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro opens, displaying the Welcome Screen. 6 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

25 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Creating and Opening a Scene Now that Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro is open, the first step is to create a new scene. All Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro scenes are independent and kept locally on your computer. There are two ways to create a new scene: Using the Welcome Screen Using the File Menu Using the Welcome Screen When you open Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro, the Welcome Screen appears. You can create a scene from the Welcome Screen. Creating a Scene using the Welcome Screen To create a scene from the Welcome Screen: 1. To select the Project Directory location, browse the files by clicking on the Choose button. 2. In the Project Name field, type the scene s name. 3. In the Field Size field, choose the scene s field size, which is the actual paper size and not the field in which the scene is animated. 4. In the Resolution window, select the scene s resolution or click on the Add button to add a new resolution to the list. In the Resolution Name field, name your new resolution. In the Width field, type the resolution width in pixels. In the Height field, type the resolution height in pixels. In the Frame Rate field, type the scene s frame rate in frames per second. 5. Click on the Create button. If a scene is already open, select Help > Show Welcome Screen. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 7

26 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Opening a Scene using the Welcome Screen To open a scene from the Welcome Screen: 1. In the Recent Scenes section, click on the Open Scene option. The Open Scene dialog box opens. 2. Browse and select the *.pencilcheck file. 3. Click on the Open button to open the scene. Opening a Recent Scene using the Welcome Screen To open a recent scene from the Welcome Screen: In the Recent Scenes section, select a scene from the list of recent scenes. Accessing Tutorials using the Welcome Screen To access the tutorials: In the Tutorial section, click on the tutorial that you want to view. Using the File Menu If a scene is already opened and you want to create a new one, use the File menu. Creating a Scene using the File Menu To create a scene from the File menu: 1. Select File > New or click on the New button. The default keyboard shortcut is [Ctrl]+[N] (Windows) or [ ]+[N] (Mac OS X). The New Scene dialog box opens. 2. In the Project Name field, type the name of the new project. 3. Select a scene directory by clicking on the Choose button. 4. In the Field Size field, choose the scene s field size. NOTE: This is the actual paper size and not the number of the field in which the scene is animated. 5. In the Resolution window, select the scene s resolution or click on the Add button to add a new resolution to the list. 6. Click on the Create button. The new scene is created. Opening a Scene using the File Menu To open a scene from the File menu: 1. Select File > Open or click on the Open button. The default keyboard shortcut is [Ctrl]+[O] (Windows) or [ ]+[O] (Mac OS X). The Open Scene dialog box opens. 2. Browse to the scene file. 3. Click on the Open button. The new scene opens. 8 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

27 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Menus For the Menus section, just give a general explanation of the different menus and how to access them. There are no hands-on step-by-step lessons. For this section, watch the Interface video. The user interface (UI) has two menu types: Top Menu Quick Menu (PopUp Menu) Top Menu Windows Mac OS X The top menu remains in the same location whichever workspace is used. The menu contains all of the commands and features available in Pencil Check Pro and provides access to them. Quick Menu (PopUp Menu) Each view has a quick menu containing recurring actions. The Quick Menu is accessed by right-clicking (Windows) or [Ctrl]+Click (Mac OS X) anywhere in the view. Refer to the User Guide to learn about the menus command functionality. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 9

28 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Views For this section, watch the Interface video. For more information about the different views, refer to the User Guide. Colour View The Colour view is used to create and modify colours. The Colour view is necessary when you draw and paint. You can create and delete colours using the Colour view buttons. Adds a new colour to the palette. Deletes a colour from the palette. Drawing View The Drawing view is used to see the images, and to draw and paint. At the bottom of the Drawing view there is a toolbar which you can use to switch between the various display modes. Resets the view rotation, zoom and panning to the default values. Resets the view rotation. Displays only the Line Art (layer) from a drawing. Displays only the Colour Art (layer) from a drawing. Displays both Line and Colour Art (layers) from a drawing. In Preview Line and Colour Art mode you can edit the selected Line or Colour Art. To apply both layers to the art, you need to enable the Apply Tool to All Visible Layers option. Model View The Model view is used to display colour models from which you can pick colours and refer to while painting. You can load any Pencil Check Pro vector drawing (*.tvg file) from a directory or directly from your scene. At the bottom of the Model view there is a toolbar which you can use to reset the view rotation, zoom and panning. Resets the view rotation, zoom and panning to the default values. Resets the view rotation. Pen View The Pen view is used to adjust the brush and eraser s maximum and minimum size by moving the sliders. 10 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

29 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Playback View The Playback view is used to playback your line test as a final image result with anti-aliasing. You can also use the Playback view to create your lip-sync mouth chart using the sound scrubbing feature. At the bottom of the Playback view there is a toolbar which you can use to add a preroll, display the final image or the matte, scrub through your scene and detect your sound. Displays the final image with anti-aliasing. Displays the drawings matte shape instead of the final image. Adds a series of black frames at the playback starts. Indicates if the playlist is ready or out-of-date. Xsheet View In the Xsheet view, you can create columns, add frames, create and expose drawings. The Xsheet displays the drawings exposure. You can also add sound, annotation columns and plan basic camera moves. By default, the Xsheet view, has two drawing columns, A and BG, as well as 24 frames. Managing the Views This section explains how you can modify the location and accessibility of the views by adding a new view as a tab or as a window, you can also swap the view locations around. Adding a View Closing a View Swapping Views Any workspace modifications you do are automatically saved when you exit the application. Adding a View To add a view: Select the view you want to add from Window > The desired view. The new view appears. To dock a floating window in your workspace, drag the window s tab onto one of the workspace s views. Closing a View To close a view: 1. In the view to close, click on the Close View button. If you have several tabs in the same window, hold [Shift] down and click on the Close View button to close all tabs at once. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 11

30 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Swapping Views To swap views around: 1. Select the view tab and drag it onto one of the view s separators, top area or onto another view s tab. 2. When a rectangle outline appears showing an available location for the view, release the mouse button and drop the view tab into position. Restore Default Workspace To restore the default workspace: Select Window > Restore Default Workspace. Toolbars Pencil Check Pro has different toolbars that let you quickly access the most common features. These toolbars are located above the views and menus. For more information about the different toolbars, refer to the User Guide. The toolbars are: Drawing Tools Toolbar The Drawing Tools toolbar contains all the drawing tools necessary for you to draw and paint with. Edit Toolbar The Edit toolbar contains the tools necessary to Undo and Redo actions. It also provides access to an action history list by clicking on the small downwards arrow to the side of the Undo or Redo buttons. File Toolbar The File toolbar contains the tools necessary to create, open and save scenes. You can also capture and import images. Playback Toolbar The Playback toolbar contains the tools necessary to playback your animation and navigate through your frames. You can also enable the sound scrubbing option. Xsheet Tools Toolbar The Xsheet Tools toolbar contains the tools necessary to add and remove columns, modify a drawing s exposure, identify drawings and create a camera move. By default, it is located in the Xsheet view. For this section, watch the Interface video. 12 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

31 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Managing the Toolbars You can reposition the toolbars to a location which suits your work style or you can hide the ones which you do not use. Showing and Hiding toolbars Moving toolbars to a new location Showing and Hiding toolbars To show or hide a toolbar: 1. Select View > Toolbars > the desired toolbar. 2. Select View > Toolbars > Line Up to align all of your toolbars. Moving toolbars to a new location To move a toolbar: 1. Select the toolbar you want to move and drag it into a view toolbar area or into another position in the top or side interface toolbar area. 2. When a rectangle outline appears showing an available location for the toolbar, release the mouse button and drop the toolbar into position. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 13

32 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Interface Navigation For this section, watch the Interface video. Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro supports zoom in, zoom out, rotate, pan and reset view position for easy navigation of the interface. Zoom In: Zooms into the view. Use the keyboard shortcut [2]. Zoom Out: Zooms out of the view. Use the keyboard shortcut [1]. To Zoom In and Zoom Out: Hold down [Spacebar] and your middle mouse button while moving the mouse up or down. To Pan the view: Hold down the keyboard shortcut [Spacebar] and drag your mouse in the direction you want to pan the view. To Recentre the view: Click on the keyboard shortcut [N] to recentre the view on your mouse cursor. Reset View: Resets the view to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[M]. Reset Rotation: resets the view s rotation to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[X]. Reset Pan: Resets the view s pan to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[N]. Reset Zoom: Resets the view s zoom to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[Z]. Toggle Full Screen: Enlarges the selected view to full screen. The full screen process is done in three stages. Use the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl] + [F] (Windows) or [ ] + [F] (Mac OS X). First, the selected view enlarges to the maximum width or height, but keeps the tool views such as Colour or Pen. Second, the view enlarges to full screen. Third, the view returns to its original size. 14 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

33 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Preferences The students should not be required to know all of the preferences available in the panel. They only need to be aware that they can be modified to suit their way of working. The Preferences panel is where you can set a number of options for working with Pencil Check Pro. To open the Preferences panel: 1. Select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Pencil Check Pro > Preferences (Mac OS X). The Preferences panel opens. Preferences are organized by tabbed category: Shortcuts Use the Shortcuts tab to customize existing shortcuts and to add new ones. General Exposure Sheet Use the Exposure Sheet tab to change the Xsheet behaviour. Drawing Use the Drawing tab to affect the Drawing view behaviour. Export Use the Export tab to edit the time code settings. Customizing a Shortcut To set a shortcut: 1. In the left window, select the command to modify. Click on the shortcut rectangle (above the right window). 2. On your keyboard, click on the desired shortcut. 3. Click on the OK button. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 15

34 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Setting the Scene Length To capture your images, you need to first launch Pencil Check Pro and create a scene. Once your scene is opened, you will need to set your scene length by adding the proper amount of frames. For this section, watch the Capture video. To set the set scene length: 1. Select Scene > Set Scene Length. The Set Scene Length dialog box opens. 2. In the Number of Frames field, type the number of frames needed. 3. Click on the OK button. 16 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

35 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Capturing You do not need to cover the supported devices during the class. You can also choose to only teach one of the capture method; progressive device or live device. To demonstrate the capturing step, use either one of your own traditional animation sequence or use a print out of one of the following sample image sequences: Capture > Bat_Black_White_240dpi_PNGs Capture > Bat_Greyscale_300dpi_PNGs Capture > Butterfly_300dpi_SCANs Capture > Felin_300dpi_SCANs Capture > Lippy_200dpi_TGAs If ever you cannot print these sequences, import them via the Import Drawing feature. For this section, watch the Capture video. To create your line test, you can capture your animation sequences and drawings in several ways. You can capture using TWAIN scanners, production scanners, cameras, web cam, bitmap image import, etc. Once all of the animation layers are imported in Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro, you can proceed to set the timing in the digital exposure sheet. To capture drawings and images in Toon Boom Pencil Check Pro, you need a supported device such as a camera or a scanner. Your device needs to be installed before launching Pencil Check Pro. Follow the device manufacturers instructions on how to install the device. The supported devices are divided in two general categories: Live Devices Progressive Devices Live devices display the image in real-time, examples are: webcam or video camera. Here is a list of the main supported technologies: Direct Show (Windows) QuickTime (Mac OS X) With these technologies, you can capture images using: Web Cam DV Camera HDV Camera Analog to Digital Capture Card As well as any other device using the technologies above. Progressive devices display the image after a scan process such as TWAIN scanners or SCSI scanners. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 17

36 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Here is a list of the main supported technologies: WIA (Windows) Image Capture (Mac OS X) Production Scanner with Proprietary Drivers TWAIN With these technologies, you can capture images via: Production Scanner Flatbed Scanner USB Digital Still Camera USB Digital Still Scanner Digital Capture Card USB Video Converter As well as any other device using the technologies above. Capturing From a Live Device Pencil Check Pro allows you to capture your drawing sequences via several live devices. Live devices display the image in real-time, examples are: web cam or video camera. You can use the default Xsheet columns to capture your images. If ever you need to add extra columns, refer to the P2: Timeline and Xsheet module for more information. The Capture command will not be available unless you select a column in the Xsheet view. To capture your images with a camera: 1. In the Xsheet view, select the cell or column header in which you want to import your captured images. 2. Select File > Capture. You can also click on the Capture button. The default keyboard shortcut is [S]. 3. The Capture dialog box opens. 4. In the Device tab, select your camera or live device in the Device field. 5. In the Peg field, indicate the peg holes location. 6. In the Device tab, enable or disable the Flip Drawing option to mirror the drawings horizontally and capture them this way. 7. Click on the Configure button to access and adjust your device s parameters via its own configuration panel. 8. In the Adjustment tab, set the type of capture you want in the Type field. Black and White: The system will capture your drawings as black and white zones. Grey: The system will capture your drawings as greyscale images. Colour: The system will capture your drawings as colour images. 9. In the Adjustment tab, set the following capture parameters: If you selected a Colour capture, adjust the Gamma and Luma. If you selected a Grey capture, adjust the Luma, Black and White. If you selected a Black and White capture, adjust the Luma and Threshold. 18 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

37 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson The Luma parameter transforms bright zones in an image into transparent areas. Decreasing the luma value causes darker zones to become transparent The Threshold parameter increases or decreases the amount of information kept from the original drawing by keeping only the darker zones. The Black and White parameters increases or decreases the amount of information kept and the contrast of your lines by turning to white the lighter zones and to black the darker ones. The Gamma parameter controls the luminosity and contrast of your drawing colours in a nonlinear way. The black zones and white zones will mainly remain as they are as the in-between colour values will be increased or decreased. 10. In the Vectorization section, choose the desired vectorization style: Black and White: This style vectorizes your drawings as a solid black line. Grey: This style vectorizes your drawings as a mix of vector contour and greyscale bitmap filling. Colour: This style vectorizes your image as a bitmap texture within a vector frame. Custom: This allows you to create your own custom vectorization parameters via the Vectorization Parameters interface. The Vectorization Parameters dialog box opens automatically once you select this option. For more information about the custom vectorization parameters, refer to the User Guide. 11. If desired, in the Drawing Name field, type the drawing to capture s name. 12. If desired, in the Hold Value field, type the number of frames that the drawing will be exposed. 13. Enable the Capture and Advance option if, every time you press the Capture button you want to move to the next cell, instead of overwriting the current one. 14. Click on the Capture button to record the image. 15. If you have more than one drawing, set the next drawing in place and press the Capture button again. 16. Repeat the previous steps until the capture is completed. 17. Once the entire capture is completed, click on the Close button. Your drawings are now available in the exposure sheet. Capturing From a Progressive Device Pencil Check Pro allows you to capture your drawing sequences via several scanners and progressive devices. Progressive devices are the devices that will display the image after a scan process such as TWAIN scanners or SCSI scanners. You can use the default Xsheet columns to capture your images. If ever you need to add extra columns, refer to the Exposure Sheet chapter for more information. The Capture command will not be available unless you select a column in the Xsheet view. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 19

38 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson To capture your images with a Scanner: 1. In the Xsheet view, select the cell or column header in which you want to import your captured images. 2. Select File > Capture. You can also click on the Capture button. The default keyboard shortcut is [S]. The Capture dialog box opens. 3. In the Device tab, select your scanner or progressive device in the Device field. 4. In the Source tab, select if you want to scan from the scanner s flatbed or auto-feeder. 5. In the Resolutions tab, select the scan resolution that you want to capture your drawings at. 6. In the Fields field, choose if the animation is done on 12-field or 16-field paper size. 7. In the Peg field, indicate the location of the peg holes. 8. In the Device tab, enable or disable the following options: Flip Drawing: Enable this option to mirror the drawings horizontally and capture them this way. Optical Registration: Enable this option to get the system to automatically encounter the peg holes and align them properly as the drawings are captured. 9. Click on the Configure button to access and adjust your device s parameters via its own configuration panel. 10. In the Adjustment tab, set the type of capture you want in the Type field. Black and White: The system will capture your drawings as black and white zones. Grey: The system will capture your drawings as greyscale images. Colour: The system will capture your drawings as colour images. 11. Always in the Adjustment tab, set the following capture parameters: If you selected a Colour capture, adjust the Gamma and Luma. If you selected a Grey capture, adjust the Luma, Black and White. If you selected a Black and White capture, adjust the Luma and Threshold. The Luma parameter transforms bright zones in an image into transparent areas. Decreasing the luma value causes darker zones to become transparent The Threshold parameter increases or decreases the amount of information kept from the original drawing by keeping only the darker zones. The Black and White parameters increases or decreases the amount of information kept and the contrast of your lines by turning to white the lighter zones and to black the darker ones. The Gamma parameter controls the luminosity and contrast of your drawing colours in a nonlinear way. The black zones and white zones will mainly remain as they are as the in-between colour values will be increased or decreased. 12. Click on the Preview button, to make a test-scan and visualize the parameters adjusted in the previous step. 13. In the Vectorization section, choose the desired vectorization style: Black and White: This style vectorizes your drawings as a solid black line. Grey: This style vectorizes your drawings as a mix of vector contour and greyscale bitmap filling. Colour: This style vectorizes your image as a bitmap texture within a vector frame. Custom : This allows you to create your own custom vectorization parameters via the Vectorization Parameters interface. The Vectorization Parameters dialog box opens automatically once you select this option. For more information about the custom vectorization parameters, refer to the User Guide. 14. If desired, in the Drawing Name field, type the drawing to capture s name. 15. If desired, in the Hold Value field, type the number of frames that the drawing will be exposed. 16. Enable the Capture and Advance option if every time you press the Capture button you want to move to the next cell instead of overwriting the current one. 17. Click on the Capture button to record the image. 20 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

39 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson 18. If you have more than one drawing, set the next drawing in place and press the Capture button again. If you are scanning panoramic drawings, in the Page Panning section, move the slider to the next letter to capture your next frame. 19. Repeat the previous steps until the capture is completed. 20. Once done, click on the Close button. Your drawings are now available in the exposure sheet. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 21

40 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Importing Backgrounds and Other Images You can also import backgrounds and other images into Pencil Check Pro. For example, if your backgrounds were painted in a third-party software, you can import them using the Import Drawings command and retain the colours. On the other hand, if you have drawings that were drawn or scanned in a third party software, you can import them and vectorize them as black and white, greyscale, colour, background or custom settings. For this section, watch the Capture video. To demonstrate the image import process, use one of the bitmap images included in the following folder: Bitmap_Images You can also import bitmap animation sequences this way. You can use the default Xsheet columns to import your images. To add extra columns, refer to the Exposure Sheet chapter for more information. To import images via the Import Drawings command: 1. In the Xsheet view, select the cell where you want to import your drawing. 2. Select File > Import > Drawings. You can also click on the Import Drawings button in the File toolbar. The Browser opens. 3. Select the image or image sequences you want to import. 4. Click on the Open button. The Import Drawings dialog box opens. 5. In the Vectorization section, choose the desired vectorization style: Black and White: This style vectorizes your drawings as a solid black line. Grey: This style vectorizes your drawings as a mix of vector contour and greyscale bitmap filling. Colour: This style vectorizes your image as a bitmap texture within a vector frame. Custom :This allows you to create your own custom vectorization parameters via the Vectorization Parameters interface. The Vectorization Parameters dialog box will opens automatically once you select this option. For more information about the custom vectorization parameters, refer to the User Guide. 6. Click on the OK button. The imported drawings are now available in the Xsheet view. 22 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

41 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Custom Vectorization Parameters It is not necessary to show this section unless the students want to customize their import. They can use the default settings. If the class is moving rapidly, you can spend time showing them how to use the vectorization interface. Pencil Check Pro offers a wide variety of vectorization parameters, using these parameters you can import your drawings the way you want to. The most common parameters are accessible through the user interface, while the most advanced ones are accessed by typing the values into an advanced field. For more information about the custom vectorization parameters, refer to the User Guide. Use the Vectorization Parameters dialog box to control the final vector output of the drawings you are scanning or importing. To open the Vectorization Parameters dialog box: 1. Select File > Import > Drawings. 2. Select the drawings to import and set the Vectorization field to Custom. 3. Click on the Custom button. The Vectorization Parameters dialog box opens. Vectorize arrow button: Click on this button to manually update the Vectorized Image preview. The vectorized image is just a preview. The actual vectorization occurs when you click on the OK button in the Import Drawings dialog box. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 23

42 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Playing Back your Line Test Once you have captured your images and established your timing, you can verify your animation by performing a quick render in the Playback view, this will let you see your scene playing in real time. The Playback view is used to playback your line test as a final image result with anti-aliasing. You can also use the Playback view to create your lip-sync chart using the sound scrubbing feature. For this section, watch the Playback video. Refer to the Chapter 9 Camera and Sound chapter to learn more about Sound Scrubbing and Lip-Sync. To playback your line test in Playback view: 1. Open your Playback view. 2. Click on the Play button in the Playback toolbar a first time to play your scene. The Load dialog box opens. In the Playback bottom toolbar, the Playlist Status icon notifies you whether the playlist is Ready or Out-dated. Ready: When the playlist is ready, the system will not refresh the frames the next time you press the Play button. Out-dated: If changes occur in the scene, the playlist will become out-dated and the system will refresh the frames when the Play button is pressed. Playback Toolbar Press the Play button to play the animation forward. Press the Play Backward button to play the animation backward. Press the Stop button to stop the playback. Press the Loop button to repeat your playback indefinitely. Press the First Frame button to jump to the first frame. Press the Last Frame button to jump to the last frame. Press the Sound button to enable sound in the playback. Press the Sound Scrubbing button to enable sound scrubbing in the playback. Scroll through the playback s frames using the Jog Frames right and left arrows. Enter new values in the Start and Stop fields to change the range of frames to be played back. Enter a new value in the fps field to change the speed of the playback. 24 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

43 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson Playback View Bottom Toolbar Scroll through the playback s frames using the Frame Slider. Check the Preroll check box to enable the Preroll option and enter the quantity of blank frames to be added at the start of the playback in the Preroll field. Press the Matte/Image buttons to view the playback as a matte or as the final image. The Playlist Status Icon notifies you whether the playlist is Ready or Out-dated. The Scale indication in the Playback bottom toolbar, indicates the ratio of the playback size you are currently viewing in relation with the scene s real size. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 25

44 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Lesson 26 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

45 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Exercises The recommended exercises for the Interface and Capture module are: 1.01 Capturing an Animation Sequence 1.02 Importing a Bitmap Image The example material required is: Capture > Bat_Black_White_240dpi_PNGs Capture > Bat_Greyscale_300dpi_PNGs Capture > Butterfly_300dpi_SCANs Capture > Felin_300dpi_SCANs Capture > Lippy_200dpi_TGAs After the first class, the students should watch the following videos to review what they have just learned: Interface Capture Playback Distribute the following material to the students: Capture > Bat_Black_White_240dpi_PNGs Capture > Bat_Greyscale_300dpi_PNGs Capture > Butterfly_300dpi_SCANs Capture > Felin_300dpi_SCANs Capture > Lippy_200dpi_TGAs Bitmap_Images Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 1

46 Pencil Check Pro Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Module P1: Interface and Capture - Exercises 1.01 Capturing an Animation Sequence This exercise refers to the following section in the Module P1 Lesson: Task Setting the Scene Length Capturing Capture a traditional animation sequence you created prior to the class or use one provided by the teacher. To capture your animation sequence: 1. Prepare the animation sheets. 2. Make sure the capturing device is connected. 3. Create a new Pencil Check Pro scene. 4. Capture and import your animation sequence. 5. Save the scene. 2 Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc.

47 Module P1: Interface and Capture - Exercises 1.02 Importing a Bitmap Image This exercise refers to the following sections in the Module P1 Lesson: Importing Backgrounds and Other Images Task Import a bitmap image as a background, use one of the images provided by the teacher or use one of your own. To import your image: 1. Create a new scene. 2. Set the scene length. 3. Import your background image. Copyright 2008 by Toon Boom Animation Inc. 3