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1 Animate Learning Curriculum Teacher Edition

2 Legal Notices Published by Toon Boom Animation Inc. Corporate Headquarters Montreal, Quebec Canada H 1 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. All rights reserved. Trademarks Toon Boom Animate 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, Shabana Ali Product Manager: Sébastien Miglio Publication Date May Version 1.0

3 Contents Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction The Curriculum The Curriculum Modules Teacher Edition Book Student Edition Book Lesson Structure Suggested Outlines Cut-out Outline Tradigital Outline Traditional Outline Quick Overview Outline Quick Cut-out Overview Outline Complete Outline Prerequisites About the Main Project Learning Material Package Content Setting Up the Classroom Setting Up the Student Personal Libraries Installing the Learning Material Pack Documentation and Other Help Tools Animate Getting Started Guide Animate User Guide Animate Kick-Start Videos Online Help Personal Learning Edition (PLE) A1: Presentation and Introduction Objectives Creating a New Scene Understanding the Menus Customizing the Toolbars Adding New Views Creating a New Workspace Toon Boom Animate Demonstration Bitmap and Vector Graphics Bitmap Graphics Vector Graphics Advantages and Disadvantages of Bitmap and Vector Launching Toon Boom Animate Toon Boom Animate Creating and Opening a Scene Using the Welcome Screen Using the File Menu Menus Top Menu View Menu Quick Access Menu Interface Highlights Camera View Tools Toolbar

4 Tool Properties View Timeline View Colour View Library View Playback Toolbar Managing the Views Adding a New View Closing a View Swapping Views Resizing a View Managing the Toolbars Showing or Hiding Toolbars Moving Toolbars Toolbar Manager Managing the Workspace Loading a Workspace Workspace Manager Creating a New Workspace Renaming a Workspace Saving a Workspace Deleting a Workspace Showing and Hiding a Workspace Reordering the Workspace List Restoring the Default Workspaces Interface Navigation Preferences Accessing the Preferences Panel Setting the Scene Length Scene Settings Adding a Drawing Layer How to Draw Navigating Between Frames and Layers Timing Increase Exposure Decrease Exposure Clear Exposure and Pull Creating an Empty Drawing Basic Onion Skin Playback Exporting Your Animation Exporting a QuickTime Movie Exporting an SWF Movie Exporting an FLV Movie Task Task A2: Drawing - Character Design Objectives Creating a Drawing Drawing Tools Sketching How to Draw Tool Properties View Manipulators

5 Options Operations Drawing in the Camera or Drawing View Drawing View Camera View Drawing with the Brush or the Pencil Viewing the Final Lines as you Draw Sketching Relative Size Sketching Your Character Tracing Drawing with the Brush Tool Brush Tool Options Drawing using the Pencil Tool Pencil Tool Options Drawing using Invisible Lines Erasing Parts of a Drawing Eraser Tool Options Shaping a Drawing using the Contour Editor Tool Contour Editor Tool Properties Selecting Drawing Objects Repositioning a Pivot Point Selection on Single or Multiple Layers Select Tool Properties Drawing With Shapes Shape Tool Options Drawing Using the Polyline Tool Polyline Tool Options Deforming a Drawing using the Perspective Tool Perspective Tool Properties Cutting Drawing Parts Cutter Tool Options Smoothing-out Lines Smooth Tool Options Override Tool More Drawing Tools Arrange Convert Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines Pencil to Brush Strokes to Pencil Lines Optimize Remove Extra Strokes Show Grid Group/Ungroup Rotate Hand Rotate View Zoom Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instruction Further Reading

6 Evaluation A3: Drawing - Colours Objectives Palette Concept Creating a Palette Adding Colours Palette Styles How to Paint Colours Adding a Colour Swatch Deleting a Colour Swatch Colour Display Modes Selecting the Current Colour of a Tool Painting using the Paint Tool Paint Tool Properties Selecting a Colour in a Drawing Editing Gradients and Textures Storing your Favourite Gradient or Texture Settings Closing Gaps Manually Palettes Colour View Creating a Colour Palette Renaming a Colour Palette Removing a Colour Palette Cloning a Colour Palette Mixing the Colours Importing a Colour Palette Ordering the Palette List Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A4: Cut-out Animation - Getting Started Objectives Creating a Guide Layer Animate Mode Transform Tool Drawing Substitution Basic Animation Getting the Character Importing a Character from the Library Selecting the Pose Extending the Exposure Understanding Drawings and Keyframes Keyframes and Drawing Blocks Creating a Guide Layer Creating a Simple Cut-out Animation Selecting Layers to Animate or Position Animate Mode Selecting Drawing Layers Using the Transform Tool Navigating the Hierarchy

7 Animating using the Transform Tool Animating in Stop-Motion Creating a Stop-Motion Keyframe Animating using Computer Generated Interpolation Creating a Motion Keyframe Adjusting the Velocity Adjusting the Velocity in the Function View Set Ease For Multiple Parameters Command Flipping Through Poses Using the Onion Skin in Cut-out Animation Flipping Parts Swapping Images Adding a New Drawing Duplicating a Drawing Adding a New Drawing Inside a Symbol Ordering Layers Over Time Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A5: Cut-out Animation - More Animation Objectives Creating a Guide Layer Animate Mode Transform Tool Drawing Substitution Basic Animation About Inverse Kinematics Where to Begin with Inverse Kinematics? Inverse Kinematics Tool Properties IK Modes IK Tool Options Selection When to use the Inverse Kinematics Tool The Transform Tool The Inverse Kinematics Tool Inverse Kinematics in Animate IK Tool and Rigging Animating with the Tools The Inverse Kinematics Philosophy Tips and Tricks for Inverse Kinematics Setting up the Character to use IK Connecting a Hierarchy Chain Excluding Extra Elements from IK Setting Up the Bones for the Extremities Nails Minimum and Maximum Angle IK Keyframes Instructions Further Reading Evaluation

8 Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A6: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part Objectives Breakdown Process Relative Size The students must learn how to: Studying the Model and Breaking Down Creating the Layers Working With Joints and Pivots Importing a Model Importing the Character Model Model Alignment Photo Puppets Relative Sizes Studying the Model Eyelids and Pupils Creating Mouth Shapes Directly on the Head Keeping Fingers Attached to the Hand Mixing Hand-Drawn Animation Flipping Logos Complete and Overlapping Pieces Setting the Default Separate Position Preference About Breaking Down Selecting and Creating a New Layer Breaking Down the Main Parts Breaking Down the Secondary Parts Selecting and Incorporating to an Existing Layer Breaking Down the Extra View Main Parts Breaking Down Secondary Parts in the Extra Views Completing the Parts and Articulations Cleaning the Drawings Fixing the Articulations Creating Ghost Drawings Adding Ghost Drawing Converting the Layers into Symbols Appendix Break Down: Tracing the Model Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A7: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part Objectives Layer Ordering Pivots Rigging Library and Templates About Rigging

9 Clearing the Main Timeline Rigging Basics Simple Rigging Rigging using Symbols Parenting Layers Rigging using Pegs Rigging the Head Nudging the Facial Features on the Z-Axis Parenting the Features using a Peg Rigging the Body Simple Body Rigging Creating Hierarchy Ordering the Layers Ordering the Timeline Layers Nudging Parts Backwards and Forwards Adding the Master Peg Creating the Keyframes Adding Extra Drawings Setting the Pivots Pivot Tool Setting the Symbol Pivot Setting Pivots on a Frame Range Setting the Master Peg s Pivot Storing the Character in the Library Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A8: Tradigital Animation - Animating Objectives More Drawing Tools Rough Animation Animation Clean Up Setting the Preferences Traditional Animation Tools Onion Skin Light Table Drawing Identification Create Empty Drawing Reposition All Drawings Animating Traditionally Rough Animation Secondary Animation Bringing on Model Cleaning Up Setting the Timing Extending a Single Exposure Extending an Exposure Sequence Dragging Cells Increase Exposure Decrease Exposure

10 Clear Exposure and Pull Deleting an Exposure Inserting Blank Cells Setting the Exposure Renaming Drawings By Frame Position Playing Back Your Animation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A9: Tradigital Animation - Ink and Paint Objectives Clean Up and Fixing Tools Painting Process Verifying the Zones are Painted Colour Model Loading a Colour Model Line Art and Colour Art Layers Advance Art Mode Toggling Between the Line Art and Colour Art Painting Drawings Simultaneously Inking the Lines Paint Tool - Repaint Mode Brush Tool - Repaint Brush Mode Protect Colour Verifying the Zones are Painted Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A10: Tradigital Animation - Morphing Objectives Source and Destination Drawing Morphing Rules Creating a Basic Morph Morphing Tool and Hints About Morphing Understanding Morphing Morphing Rules Closest Similar Shape Pencil Line to Pencil Line Fill Shape to Fill Shape Colour Swatch to Same Colour Swatch Vanishing and Appearing Colour Art to Colour Art and Line Art to Line Art Creating a Basic Morphing Sequence Deleting a Morphing Sequence Tool Properties View Hint Type

11 Hide Hints Suggest Hints Switch Between Drawings Flatten Quality Easing Convert Hints Time Adjusting the Velocity and Timing Adjusting a Morphing Sequence s Length Adjusting the Velocity Morphing Tool and Hints Using the Morphing Tool Contour Hint Zone Hint Pencil Hint Vanishing Point Hint Copying Hint Points from One Drawing to Another Morphing Two Sequences in a Row Converting Morphing In-betweens to Drawings Morphing Holes and Transparencies Adjusting the Morphing Quality Tips and Tricks Morphing Similar Shapes Avoiding Crossing Zones During Morphing Using the Brush Tool as a Beginner Using the Contour Hint on Pencil Lines Flattening Drawings Cleaning-up your Drawings Using the Same Colour Swatch Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A11: Compositing - Getting Started Objectives Display Order Element Positioning Importing Bitmap Images Importing a Bitmap Image without Vectorization Importing and Vectorizing Images Importing PSD Files as Separate Layers Setting the Camera Frame Adding a Camera Layer Setting the Camera Using the Translate and Rotate Tools Resetting the Camera Position Camera List Positioning the Scene Components Animate Mode Selecting a Layer Selecting a Layer from the Camera View using the Transform Tool Selecting an Element from the Timeline or Xsheet View

12 Positioning an Element using the Transform Tool Temporarily Repositioning the Pivot Point Transform Tool Properties Select and Transform tool Lasso and Marquee Peg Selection Mode Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical Rotate 90 CC and Rotate CCW Width and Height Angle Snap Option Locking Layers in the Timeline View Lock Using Advanced Animation Tools to Position a Layer Panning an Element using the Translate Tool Rotating an Element using the Rotate Tool Scaling an Element using the Scale Tool Skewing an Element using the Skew Tool Permanently Repositioning the Pivot Point Flipping an Element Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical Flip Scale X and Flip Scale Y Positioning an Element Using the Layer Properties Resetting a Transformation Cloning and Duplicating Layers Clone Layer Duplicate Layer Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A12: Compositing - Camera and Trajectories Objectives Animate Mode Trajectories and Pegs Keyframes and Interpolation Editing Trajectory Visually Camera Moves Animating a Layer Animate Mode Animating a Layer Enabling the Playback Animated Layers and Pegs Animated Layers Pegs Layer Parameters Adding and Deleting Keyframes Coordinate Keyframe Add Keyframe and Duplicate Drawing Delete Keyframe Motion and Stop-Motion Keyframes Stop-Motion Keyframes

13 Motion Keyframes Toggling Between Motion and Stop-Motion Keyframes Animating the Camera Modifying a Path in the Camera View Displaying a Path in the Camera View Shaping a Path Modifying a Path in the Timeline View Creating a Function Adding and Deleting Keyframes in the Timeline View Changing Keyframe Values Modifying a Path in the Function View Function View Editing a Function in the Function View Adding and Deleting Keyframes in the Function View Changing a Keyframe s Values Copying and Pasting a Motion Paste Cycle Paste Reverse Adjusting the Velocity Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A13: Compositing - Symbols and Libraries Objectives Creating and Structuring Libraries Creating and Importing Symbols About Symbols and Libraries Understanding the Library Concept Library View Preview and Drawing Substitution Library List Templates and Symbols List Structuring the Library Creating a Library Opening a Library Closing a Library Creating a Folder Deleting a Folder Renaming a Folder Refreshing the Library Symbols Creating a Symbol Editing a Symbol Symbol Hierarchy Duplicating a Symbol Sharing a Symbol Importing Symbols Using Paste Special Paste Special - Basic Tab Instructions Further Reading

14 Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A14: Compositing - Sound and Lip-Sync Objectives Importing a Sound File Automatic Lip-Sync Detection Manual Lip-Sync Animation Importing a Sound File Sound Layer Properties Sound Displays Sound Playback Sound Scrubbing Editing a Sound File Lip-sync Generating the Lip-Sync Detection Manual Lip-Sync Detection Mapping the Lip-sync Detection Modifying the Lip-Sync Detection Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation A15: Setting Up a 3D Space Objectives Multiplane Environment Display Order D Scene Setup Top View and Side View Perspective View Setting Up the Multiplane Distributing Elements on the Z-Axis Positioning Elements in the Top and Side Views

15 A16: Compositing - Effects Objectives Creating Effects Customizing Effects Adding Effects in Animate Animate Effects Animating an Effect Over Time How Does an Effect Layer Work? Previewing and Playing Back Effects Preview Resolution Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Instructions Further Reading Evaluation Animation Glossary The Terms Animation Bibliography

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17 Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction Welcome to the Toon Boom Animate 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 Animate. Toon Boom Animate is a complete animation solution that offers a variety of tools to suit the user s needs from steps in the pre-production to the end of production. Animate focuses on three animation workflows: Traditional Tradigital Cut-out Toon Boom Animate has the power to handle them all and even merge them together. 15

18 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Toon Boom Animate follows this workflow when used in a Production setting. 16

19 Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction The Curriculum The Toon Boom Animate Learning Curriculum consists of: Teacher Edition Student Edition Sample Material Package The layout of both books and the module structure contained within is the same. In this curriculum, the student will learn the different features through different projects and exercises. There is one long project extended over several courses and a series of short projects focusing on the features and concepts learned during one class. These short projects can be done during the one class or as homework. The long project can be used as a summary project covering all the main steps in the animation process. Artwork and animation created in one class will be reused and continued in the next classes. The curriculum is divided in modules, each one focusing on one of the main features in the software. These modules can also be used to teach animation principles and several other steps involved in the production of an animated project. The Curriculum Modules The Toon Boom Animate Learning Curriculum is divided in 16 lessons. Each lesson is equivalent to one class. The length of each class varies depending on the number of topics taught. If all the topics in the lesson are covered, the class lasts around four to five hours. It is not necessary to teach all the modules to provide an efficient training. You can select modules based on the function and type of animation the student will do in the class. See the Suggested Outlines section for more information. You could also select topics with only deal with specific exercises. The modules are: A1: Presentation and Introduction A2: Drawing - Character Design A3: Drawing - Colours A4: Cut-out Animation - Getting Started A5: Cut-out Animation - More Animation A6: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part 1 A7: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part 2 A8: Tradigital Animation - Animating A9: Tradigital Animation - Ink and Paint A10: Tradigital Animation - Morphing A11: Compositing - Getting Started A12: Compositing - Camera and Trajectories A13: Compositing - Symbols and Libraries A14: Compositing - Sound and Lip-Sync A15: Setting Up a 3D Space A16: Compositing - Effects 17

20 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition 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 student from the basic introduction to final production of an animation using Toon Boom Animate. 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 Animate. The Teacher Edition also contains Objectives sections and Teacher Notes which are not contained in the Student Edition. Teacher s Notes Sample Material In the lesson chapters, the teacher will encounter notes related to the teaching of the particular module. These Teacher s Notes are identified by the apple icon. 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 Learning_ Curriculum_Material_Pack provided with this Learning Curriculum. These Sample Scenes notes are identified by the workman icon. 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. A copy of the Student s Lesson should be given to the students at the beginning of the class so he can follow as the lesson is explained. 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 Animate. These teaching aids are only included in the Teacher Edition. The lessons are built so that the class starts with theory and the rest is laboratory practice. The lesson content should be explained at the beginning of the class with the student following with a copy of the student s lesson. The teacher is free to decide to have the student try the elements covered in the lesson as it goes or to have him listen to the full explanation before having him playing with the software. The laboratory part of the class should correspond to the lesson. The teacher is free to use the suggested exercises or not. If the exercises started in class are not completed, they can be given as homework assignments. The Exercises provide a hands-on practical learning experience for the students. The exercises are included at the end of each modules. 18

21 Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction Suggested Outlines Toon Boom Animate is a complete solution that can be used for several different workflows. Some courses for students may require covering only one or two workflows or the entire software. The Toon Boom Animate Learning Curriculum is divided in modular lessons which can be arranged to cover only some topics or the entire software. Here are the recommended outlines for Toon Boom Animate: Cut-out Outline, on page 19 Tradigital Outline, on page 20 Traditional Outline, on page 20 Quick Overview Outline, on page 21 Quick Cut-out Overview Outline, on page 21 Complete Outline, on page 22 Cut-out Outline The Cut-out outline covers all the topics to required to efficiently use Animate in a cut-out production environment. It also touches the drawing features, a complete compositing training and an introduction to tradigital animation. The course is spread over 13 classes. The modules are: 1. A1: Presentation and Introduction 2. A4: Cut-out Animation - Getting Started 3. A11: Compositing - Getting Started 4. A3: Drawing - Colours 5. A13: Compositing - Symbols and Libraries 6. A5: Cut-out Animation - More Animation 7. A12: Compositing - Camera and Trajectories 8. A8: Tradigital Animation - Animating 9. A15: Compositing - Setting Up a 3D Space 10. A6: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part A7: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part A14: Compositing - Sound and Lip-Sync 13. A16: Compositing - Effects 19

22 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Tradigital Outline The Tradigital outline covers all the topics required for the student to efficiently use Animate in a tradigital production environment. It also covers a complete compositing training. The course is spread over 10 classes. The modules are: 1. A1: Presentation and Introduction 2. A8: Tradigital Animation - Animating 3. A3: Drawing - Colours 4. A11: Compositing - Getting Started 5. A9: Tradigital Animation - Ink and Paint 6. A10: Tradigital Animation - Morphing 7. A12: Compositing - Camera and Trajectories 8. A14: Compositing - Sound and Lip-Sync 9. A15: Compositing - Setting Up a 3D Space 10. A16: Compositing - Effects 20

23 Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction Quick Overview Outline The Quick Overview outline covers the main topics so the student will be able to use Animate in a production environment. Extra training will be required for the student to become proficient. The course is spread over 8 classes. The modules are: 1. A1: Presentation and Introduction 2. A4: Cut-out Animation - Getting Started 3. A11: Compositing - Getting Started 4. A2: Drawing - Character Design 5. A3: Drawing - Colours 6. A8: Tradigital Animation - Animating 7. A12: Compositing - Camera and Trajectories 8. A16: Compositing - Effects Quick Cut-out Overview Outline The Quick Cut-out Overview outline covers the main topics required by the student to gain a basic knowledge of cut-out animation. This level of competance will allow the student to work with Animate in a production environment. Extra training will be required for the student to become fully proficient. The course is spread over 7 classes. The modules are: 1. A1: Presentation and Introduction 2. A4: Cut-out Animation - Getting Started 3. A6: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part 1 4. A7: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part 2 5. A5: Cut-out Animation - More Animation 6. A11: Compositing - Getting Started 7. A14: Compositing - Sound and Lip-Sync 21

24 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Complete Outline The Complete outline covers the all the topics required for the student to become proficient with Animate in a production environment. It covers cut-out animation, tradigital animation,traditional animation and compositing. The course is spread over 16 classes. The modules are: 1. A1: Presentation and Introduction 2. A4: Cut-out Animation - Getting Started 3. A2: Drawing - Character Design 4. A11: Compositing - Getting Started 5. A3: Drawing - Colours 6. A12: Compositing - Camera and Trajectories 7. A13: Compositing - Symbols and Libraries 8. A5: Cut-out Animation - More Animation 9. A8: Tradigital Animation - Animating 10. A9: Tradigital Animation - Ink and Paint 11. A15: Compositing - Setting Up a 3D Space 12. A6: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part A7: Cut-out Animation - Building a Puppet Part A14: Compositing - Sound and Lip-Sync 15. A10: Tradigital Animation - Morphing 16. A16: Compositing - Effects 22

25 Prerequisites Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction The Learning Curriculum s modules can be organized as different outlines, but not all modules can be completed independently from the others. The student may be required to study, understand and complete specific modules before moving to a new module. Here are the Toon Boom Animate requirements: A1 A2 A3 A4 A8 A13 A14 A11 A9 A5 A6 A10 A12 A15 A16 A7 A11 23

26 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition About the Main Project In this curriculum, the student will be taken through all the steps of an animation project. The sample project used is called: Chasse-Galerie. The Chasse-Galerie is an old Quebec legend for 1700 about a group of lumberjacks working far away from home in the woods. During the Holiday season, they miss their family and friends. They seal a deal with an evil spirit to go back home as fast as possible. The wish is granted and they fly home in a magic canoe to go celebrate and dance for one night. You can find more information about the legend on: 24

27 Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction Learning Material Package Content The Learning Material Package is required by both the teacher and the students as it includes all of the necessary material required for the suggested exercises. The package is called: Learning_Material_Pack. A list of suggested practice exercises is provided with the Toon Boom Animate Learning Curriculum. The package is organized in folders matching the different modules. In these folders, you will find all the material, sample characters, drawings, sound files and scenes necessary to the exercises completion. You will also find completed examples to demonstrates the different topics and the exercises result. Here is the material package structure: Animate_Demo_Video_English A01-Presentation BouncingBall_Example A02-CharacterDesign ModelSheet Sample_ModelSheet Sample_TurnAround A03-AddingColour ColourCharacters ModelSheet Sample_ModelSheet Sample_TurnAround SampleCharacters Textures A04-Cut-outAnimation Background Puppet Sample_Animation A05-MoreCut-outAnimation Background Prop Puppet Sample_Animation A06-BuildingPuppet-01 ColourModel Sample_Breakdown A07-BuildingPuppet-02 Breakdown Sample_Puppet A08-TradigitalAnimation Animatic Background Models Sample_Animation A09-InkAndPaint Animation ColourModels Sample_InkAndPaint Textures A10-Morphing Cloud_Morphing_Example Flag_Morphing_Example A11-Compositing Sample_Compositing Scene A12-CameraTrajectory Sample_CameraTrajectory Scene A13-Symbols Sample_Symbols Scene A14-LipSync Character Sample_LipSync Voice A15-3DSetup Sample_3DSetup Scene A16-Effects Sample_Effects Scene A17-Scanning DrawingToVectorize Sample_Scan A18-Timing ExposureSheet Sample_Xsheet 25

28 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Setting Up the Classroom If you are unfamiliar with the running of the computer system you should contact your system administrator or computer technician to help with the installation process. In the Learning Curriculum Material Package, you will find several scenes, a Library and executable files. The Library and the executable files (.exe) need to be installed in Toon Boom Animate before starting the course. Also, the student will create several projects during this course, so it will be useful to setup a library where the student will be able to store his material to reuse in further class and for the teacher to access to evaluate the work. Setting Up the Student Personal Libraries Depending on how the classroom computers will be setup, you can either setup a central library on the network or create a personal library on each local machine. In the case that the computers are not setup in a network, it is highly recommended to assign the student to a specific machine for the whole course. If the computers are linked to a network, it is better to create one centralized library on the network and link that library to all the machines. To create a library: 1. Either on the machine local hard drive (not on the Desktop) or on the network, create a new folder ffif the folder is on the local drive, name it: studentname_library. ffif the folder is on the network, name it: classnumber_library. 2. If you created a folder on the network, create a subfolder inside the main library folder for each student and name it: studentname. 3. On each local machine, open any Animate project. 4. In the Library View menu, select Folders > Open Library. 5. Browse for the student library or main library and click on the Open button. During the first class, the student will be shown how to import and export templates from these libraries and material package. Installing the Learning Material Pack The Learning_Material_Pack is made up of three installation packages. When you launch the installation of each package, the material will be made available in the Animate Library view. To install the templates: 1. Double-click on the Learning_Material_Pack installation package. 2. Follow the instructions provided in the Install window. 3. After the installation is complete, you will find the material in the Library view in the Learning_Material folder. The material package is installed and copied in the following location: ffwindows: C:\Program Files\Toon Boom Animation\Animate\Templates\Learning_Material ffmac: Applications\ Toon Boom Animate\Templates\Learning_Material During the course, if you need material such as sound files or textures, you will find them in those locations. 26

29 Animate Learning Curriculum Introduction 27

30 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Documentation and Other Help Tools The following documents are available for Toon Boom Animate and are provided either with the software or included on the product DVD in PDF or video format. You can use these documents to further enhance your teaching experience and the students learning experience. Animate Getting Started Guide This document is an Animate kick-start program divided in 14 lessons. It covers all of the main features included in the software. For more details, refer to the Animate User Guide. Animate User Guide This guide covers all the features included in the software and explain them extensively. Animate Kick-Start Videos These videos is synchronized with the content of the Animate Started Guide. The user can follow the videos using the Getting Started Guide and the sample material provided in the installation package. Online Help This is available through the software from the Main menu and in the Welcome screen. Personal Learning Edition (PLE) The student can install the Animate Personal Learning Edition at home and practice in his free time. NOTE: It is important to remember that any artwork created in the PLE cannot be opened in the education or commercial versions. The PLE only used for the student`s own personal training. 28

31 A1: Presentation and Introduction In this lesson the students will learn how to use Animate s interface and to become familiar with the software. This lesson covers the following topics: Toon Boom Animate Demonstration, on page 32 Bitmap and Vector Graphics, on page 33 Launching Toon Boom Animate, on page 34 Creating and Opening a Scene, on page 35 Menus, on page 37 Interface Highlights, on page 39 Managing the Views, on page 41 Managing the Toolbars, on page 43 Managing the Workspace, on page 44 Interface Navigation, on page 47 Preferences, on page 48 Setting the Scene Length, on page 49 Adding a Drawing Layer, on page 50 How to Draw, on page 51 Navigating Between Frames and Layers, on page 52 Timing, on page 53 Creating an Empty Drawing, on page 54 Basic Onion Skin, on page 55 Playback, on page 56 Exporting Your Animation, on page 57 The proposed exercises are: Project 1.01: Creating a Workspace, on page 61 Project 1.02: Animating a Bouncing Ball, on page 63 29

32 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Objectives The objectives of the Presentation and Introduction module are to have the students become proficient in: Creating a New Scene, on page 30 Understanding the Menus, on page 30 Customizing the Toolbars, on page 30 Adding New Views, on page 30 Creating a New Workspace, on page 31 The module also covers the basics of a paperless animation. This is necessary so the students can become familiar with using Animate and interact with it comfortably. The example of animation chosen for this is a simple Bouncing Ball. At this stage, it is not necessary for the students to succeed in animating the ball. The goal is to be at ease with the software. Creating a New Scene The students must learn how to: Create a New Scene Set the Resolution Correctly Name the Scene It is imperative that the students name the scenes correctly. It is recommended that some standardised nomenclature structure be integrated into the course. For example, the scenes could be called: classgroup_studentname_exercisename. Understanding the Menus The students must know how to: Locate and use each menu in the software Locate and understand the purpose and use of the commands in the software Customizing the Toolbars The students must learn how to: Reposition the toolbars Customize the toolbar for a specific view As the students become familiar with Animate, a pattern will be established with the students favouring some tools and layouts over others. To speed up the production process, the students can, to some extent, customize the User Interface to suit the style of use. Adding New Views The students must learn how to: Add a new view to the workspace Move the view around the workspace The students will perform different tasks in Animate. Because of this, they will frequently move from one view to another and rearrange the position of the views to suit a more efficient layout and style of working. 30

33 Creating a New Workspace The students must learn how to: Create a new workspace Customize the workspace Provide a relevant name for the workspace Save the workspace so that it may be used at a later time A1: Presentation and Introduction One of the initial exercises is to create a new workspace containing the layout of views and toolbars best suited to the students working style. This exercise combines all of the information learned in the module and allows the students to practice with different layouts until one is found which suits the working style. 31

34 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Toon Boom Animate Demonstration To become familiar with Toon Boom Animate, the students should watch the demonstration video to get an overview of the software. The video should be watched prior to starting the lesson. The video lasts 12:20 minutes. In the Learning Material Pack, select Animate_Demo_Video_English > ClickMe.html. 32

35 A1: Presentation and Introduction Bitmap and Vector Graphics If the students are not familiar with the concept of vector and bitmap graphics, it is important to explain it to them as Animate is mainly a vector-based software and explain the different between bitmap and vector graphics. Bitmap Graphics A pixel (picture element) is a single point in a graphic image. A bitmap image consists of pixels and has a fixed size. A pixel is a small sample of an image, a dot, a square or a tiny section made out of smooth filtering. By zooming in close enough on a digital image, you will see the pixels. They look like small squares of different colours and intensity. A bitmap image is composed of pixels and has a single resolution (size); if it is enlarged too much, it will start losing definition and pixels will start to appear. This is known as pixelation. Vector Graphics A vector-based image is composed of points and Bezier curves. The computer reads the points and traces the segments linking them to reproduce the image shape. There is no fixed size or resolution in a vector image. The graphic can be enlarged and distorted as much as desired and the system will simply recalculate the segments and rebuild the shapes. The segment s shape can be controlled with bezier handles to curve and smooth it. Vector images are translated and displayed in pixels once the calculation is done. Advantages and Disadvantages of Bitmap and Vector Images Bitmap images allow a more structured style. Since everything has a fixed size and is already made out of pixels, more effects are possible, such as blur, painting look, texturing, shading, etc. The bitmap format is excellent for creating backgrounds and overlay elements. However, because of the precise resolution, in order to zoom in or to work in high resolution such as HDTV, the created file must be a large size. Vector-based graphics can be useful in creating large illustrations, as these graphics are resolution independent. The images can be significantly enlarged without losing definition. A vector-based image is generally a smaller file size than a bitmap, as it is a set of mathematical points. However, if there are many vectors composing the graphic, the result can be larger than a bitmap file. A vector shape can always be modified. It also creates very crisp images. 33

36 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Launching Toon Boom Animate To demonstrate the whole lesson, use the blank scene you will create during this lesson. Before using Animate, you have to start the program. You can run the software on Mac or Windows operating systems. Toon Boom Animate To open Toon Boom Animate, do one of the following: ff Mac OS X: Double-click on the Toon Boom Animate icon or select Applications > Toon Boom Animate > Animate. ffwindows: Double-click on the Toon Boom Animate icon or select Start > Programs > Toon Boom Animate > Toon Boom Animate. Toon Boom Animate opens, displaying the Welcome Screen. 34

37 Creating and Opening a Scene When you open Toon Boom Animate, the first step is to create a new scene. All Toon Boom Animate scenes are independent and local to the computer. There are two ways to create a new scene: Welcome Screen Using the File Menu A1: Presentation and Introduction It is recommended to integrate a scene nomenclature structure from the start. The students should name their scene similar to the following: groupname_studentname_exercisename Using the Welcome Screen A scene can be created or opened from the Welcome Screen. Creating a Scene from 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 Resolution window, select the scene s resolution. 4. You can click on the Add button to add a new resolution to the list. The New Resolution dialog box opens. ffin the Resolution Name field, name your new resolution. ff In the Width field, type the resolution width in pixels. ff In the Height field, type the resolution height in pixels. ff In the Frame Rate field, type the scene s frame rate per second. ff Click on the Create button. You can delete a custom resolution from the Resolution List by selecting it and clicking on the Delete button under the Resolution window. Opening a Scene from 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 browser opens. 2. Browse and select the *.digital file which you want to use. 3. Click on the Open button to open the scene. Opening a Recent Scene from the Welcome Screen To open a recent scene from the Welcome Screen: ff In the Recent Scenes section, select a scene from the list. 35

38 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Using the File Menu If a scene is already open and you want to create a new one, you can use the File menu. Creating a Scene from the File Menu To create a scene from the File menu: 1. Select File > New. You can also click on the New button in the File toolbar or use the default keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[N] (Windows) or [z]+[n] (Mac). The New Scene dialog box opens. 2. Select a scene directory by clicking on the Choose button. 3. In the Project Name field, name the new project. 4. In the Resolution window, select the scene s resolution or you can click on the Add button to add a new resolution to the list. The New Resolution dialog box opens. ffin the Resolution Name field, name your new resolution. ff In the Width field, type the resolution width in pixels. ff In the Height field, type the resolution height in pixels. ff In the Frame Rate field, type the scene s frame rate per second. 5. Click on the Create button. You can delete a custom resolution from the Resolution List by selecting it and clicking on the Delete button under the Resolution window. Opening a Scene from the File Menu To open a scene from the File menu: 1. Select File > Open. You can also click on the Open button in the File toolbar or use the default keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[O] (Windows) or [z]+[o] (Mac OS X). The Open Scene browser opens. 2. Browse and select the *.digital file which you want to use. 3. Click on the Open button to open the scene. 36

39 A1: Presentation and Introduction Menus Provide a general explanation of the different menus and how to access them. There are no handson step-by-step lessons. You can access the commands from the following three menus: Top Menu View Menu Quick Access Menu Top Menu The top menu contains most of the commands. Depending on the view you are working in and the element, some commands are available and others not. The top menu is always located at the very top of the user interface. The top menu contains the following categories: File Edit View Play Insert Scene Drawing Animation Windows Help In the Mac OS X version, there is an Animate category containing the following commands: Preferences About Quit 37

40 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition View Menu Some views have their own menu. These menus contain commands specifically related to that view. You can find a View Menu in the following views: Colour View Library View Model View To access the view menu, click on the Menu button in the view s top left corner. Quick Access Menu Each view has a quick menu containing recurring actions. The Quick Menu is accessed by right-clicking (Windows) or [Ctrl]+Click (Mac) anywhere in the view. 38

41 Interface Highlights A1: Presentation and Introduction It s important that you become familiar with the following elements of the user interface, this will help you to start using Animate. You can learn more about the highlights described here, and how to use them in a production context, throughout this guide. For this lesson, the students only need to learn about the main interface element. The explanation of these views and toolbars must be concise and simple. When you start Animate for the first time, the default workspace is displayed. It contains all of the main elements you need to use Camera View 2. Tools Toolbar 3. Tool Properties View 4. Timeline View 5. Colour View 6. Library View 7. Playback Toolbar Camera View The Camera view is the centre of operations in Animate. It is in this view that you will draw, paint, animate, create animation paths and see your results. You can also move through your Symbol s hierarchy. The Camera view has a top and bottom toolbar that you can use to either navigate in the view, change the display mode or go back up your Symbols hierarchy. Tools Toolbar The Tools toolbar contains all of the main tools you will use while working in Animate. In the default workspace, you will find this toolbar on the left most side of the interface

42 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Tool Properties View The contextual Properties View contains the most common options and operations related to the currently selected tool. As soon as you select a tool from the Tools toolbar, the Tool Properties view will be updated. For example, if you choose the Select tool in the Tools toolbar, the Tool Properties view will display the options and operations related to the Select tool such as Snap to Contour, Apply to All Drawings, Flip Horizontal and Flatten. Timeline View The Timeline view is the main view used when adjusting the timing of your drawings, connect effects and order your layers. The Timeline view displays the following: Layers Effects Sounds Keyframe Values Scene Length Layer Names Drawings Keyframes Timing Frames Colour View The Colour View is where you create colours and palettes and import existing palettes into your project. The Colour View is also necessary for drawing, painting and creating colour styling. The Colour view has two display modes: List Mode Swatch Mode The Colour View has its own toolbar to add and remove colours. Library View The Library view is used to store elements such as animation, drawings, backgrounds and puppets to reuse them in your different projects. You also use the Library view to create and store your Symbols. To reuse an element in another project, you must create a template out of your drawings. A template is a mini scene that you import in your other project. A template has no link to the original scene. When you create a template, the full content of your selection is copied in the template. When you are creating a series of layers all using the same drawings or building puppets, you will create Symbols. Symbols can be used as drawing containers when you are creating puppets so that you can store different mouth shapes or hands to use while animating. You can also use Symbols when you are building props, such as a skateboard and you want to use the same wheel drawing for the four skateboard wheels. Playback Toolbar Use it to playback your animation and sound. Use it to scrub your sound to create your lip-sync, looping your playback, navigating through your frames, change the playback range and speed. 40

43 A1: Presentation and Introduction Managing the Views The Animate user interface is composed of different views, each one designed for a specific purpose. 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. Workspace modifications are automatically saved when you exit the application unless your disabled the Automatically Save Workspace preference in the Preferences panel. Adding a New View To add a view: 1. Select the view you want to add from Window > The desired view. By default, the new view appears tabbed. You can also use the Window drop-down menu button included in each view already available in the workspace. Click on the button and select a view from the list. 2. 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. ff If you have several tabs in the same window, hold [Shift] down and click on the Close View to close all tabs together. Swapping Views button 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. One of three things will happen: ff The view becomes a tabbed window. ff The view becomes a floating window. ff The view becomes a new docked window. 41

44 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Resizing a View To change the width and height of the views in the workspace, drag the side of the view. To resize a view: 1. In the interface, position your cursor on the edge of the view you want to resize. 2. When you see the Resizing cursor, click and drag the side of the window to the desired width or height. You can also temporarily hide a view to get more working space. To hide temporarily hide a view: 1. On the edge of the window you want to hide click on the Collapse/Expand button. The view is compressed and only the Collapse/Expand button is visible. 2. Click on the same Collapse/Expand button to display the view again. 42

45 A1: Presentation and Introduction Managing the Toolbars The Animate user interface contains toolbars located at the top of the interface. Some of the workspace s views also have their own toolbars. These toolbars can be moved around. You can reposition the toolbars to suit your work style or hide unused ones. Showing or Hiding Toolbars To show or hide a toolbar: 1. Select Windows > Toolbars > the desired toolbar. 2. Select Windows > Toolbars > Line Up to align all of your toolbars. NOTE: The Toolbar menu only contains the View toolbars of the views contained in the workspace. As you show or hide views in your workspace, the Toolbar menu will update. Moving Toolbars To move a toolbar: 1. Select the toolbar you want to move by clicking on its anchor point and dragging it into a view toolbar area or 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. Toolbar Manager The View toolbars can be customized to contain your favourite tools and options. Use the Toolbar Manager window to organize your different toolbars to suit your working preferences. To customize your toolbars: 1. In the chosen view, click on the Toolbar Manager button. The Toolbar Manager window opens 2. To add a new icon to your toolbar, select the tool or command from the Available Tools list and click on the Right Arrow button to switch it to the Toolbar list. 3. To remove an icon from your toolbar, select the tool or command in the Toolbar list and click on the Left Arrow button to switch to the Available Tools list. 4. To reorder your icons in your Toolbar, select the command to be moved in the Toolbar list and click on the Up or Down Arrow buttons to move it to the correct location. 5. Click on the OK button when you are finished. 43

46 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Managing the Workspace The students should know how to create, modify and save a workspace. Animate s user interface is composed of several views. You can customize your workspace to suit your working preferences, save it as a new workspace, and load it from the Workspace toolbar. Loading a Workspace The first time you open Animate, the default workspace is loaded. Others are available such as the Hand- Drawn Animation and the Compositing workspaces, these display different views and toolbars. You can access these, and any others you create, from the Windows menu and the Workspace toolbar. To load a workspace: 1. In the top menu, select Windows > Workspace > Workspace or click on the drop-down arrow in the Workspace toolbar and select a workspace from the list. Workspace Manager The Workspace Manager allows you to modify, create, delete, rename and reorder you workspaces. To open the Workspace Manager: ffin the Workspace Tools toolbar, click on the Workspace Manager button. ff In the top menu select Windows > Workspace > Workspace Manager. Creating a New Workspace To create a new workspace: 1. Open the Workspace Manager. 2. In the Available Workspaces list, select an existing workspace. 3. At the bottom of the Available Workspaces list, click on the Add button to add a workspace. 4. Double-click on the new workspace or click on the Rename button and give it a new name. 5. Select the new workspace and click on the Right Arrow button to send it to the Workspace Toolbar. 6. Click on the OK button. Renaming a Workspace To rename a workspace: 1. Open the Workspace Manager. 2. Choose the workspace to be renamed from the list. 3. Double-click on the workspace to be renamed or click on the Rename button. This allows you to edit the name. 44

47 A1: Presentation and Introduction 4. Type in the new name of the workspace. 5. Press the [Return] key to validate the name. 6. Click on the OK button. Saving a Workspace By default, when you modify the look of a workspace, it is automatically saved. If you prefer to keep your workspaces as they are and only save the modifications when you really want to, you have to disable the Automatically Save Workspace preference. To disable the Automatically Save Workspace preference: 1. In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Animate > Preferences (Mac) to open the Preferences panel. 2. Go to the General tab. 3. In the Save section, disable the Automatically Save Workspace preference. 4. Press the OK button. The Save Workspace button appears in the Workspace toolbar. To save a workspace manually: 1. In the Workspace toolbar, click on the Save Workspace button. Deleting a Workspace To delete a workspace: 1. Open the Workspace Manager. 2. In the Workspace Manager, select the workspace to be deleted and click on the Left Arrow button to send it to the Available Workspaces list. 3. Select the workspace in the Available Workspaces list then click on the Delete button to delete the workspace. 4. Click on the OK button. Showing and Hiding a Workspace To show a workspace: 1. Open the Workspace Manager. 2. In the Available Workspaces list, select the workspace to be displayed and click on the Right Arrow button to send it to the Workspace Toolbar. 3. Click on the OK button. To hide a workspace: 1. Open the Workspace Manager. 2. In the Workspace Manager, select the workspace to be hidden and click on the Left Arrow button to 45

48 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition send it to the Available Workspaces List. 3. Click on the OK button. If you do not want to modify the current workspace, use the Workspace Manager to create another one and then modify that one. Reordering the Workspace List To reorder workspaces: 1. Open the Workspace Manager. 2. In the Workspace Toolbar, select the workspace to be reordered and click on the Up or Down Arrow buttons to move it up or down. 3. Click on the OK button. Restoring the Default Workspaces You can restore modified workspaces to their original default layout. To restore the default workspaces: ffin the top menu select Windows > Workspace > Restore Default Workspace. 46

49 A1: Presentation and Introduction Interface Navigation Animate supports Zoom In, Zoom Out, Rotate, Pan and Reset View Position for easy interface navigation. Zoom In: Zooms into the view. Use the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[=] (Windows) or [z]+[=] (Mac) or from the top menu, select View > Zoom In. Zoom Out: Zooms out of the view. Use the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[-] (Windows) or [z]+[-] (Mac) or from the top menu, select View > Zoom Out. 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 [F12] to recentre the view on your mouse cursor. Reset View: Resets the view to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[M] or from the top menu, select View > Reset View. Reset Rotation: Resets the view s rotation to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[X] or from the top menu, select View > Reset Rotation. Reset Pan: Resets the view s pan to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[N] or from the top menu, select View > Reset Pan. Reset Zoom: Resets the view s zoom to its default position. Use the keyboard shortcut [Shift]+[Z] or from the top menu, select View > Reset Zoom. 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 [z]+[f] (Mac OS X) or from the top menu, select View > Toggle. ÎÎ ÎÎ ÎÎ 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. Rotate 90 CW: Rotates the Camera View, like an animation table, 90 degrees clockwise. From the top menu, select View > Rotate 90 CW. Rotate 90 CCW: Rotates the Camera View, like an animation table, 90 degrees counter-clockwise. From the top menu, select View > Rotate 90 CCW. 47

50 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Preferences An important feature of Toon Boom Animate is the Preferences panel. From here you can customize your interface, tool behaviour and shortcuts. Throughout this guide, you are often required to go to the Preferences panel to set parameters and options. You can set over 80 preferences in the Preferences panel. Some preferences require you to exit and restart the application or to close a view and reopen it. There is no need to explain all the preferences here. The goal is to let the students know about customizing some functions. The students need to know how to access and open the Preferences panel. The students can explore them independently and refer to the Toon Boom Animate User Guide. Some of the most commonly used preferences will be covered later on. Accessing the Preferences Panel To access the Preferences panel: ff In the top menu, select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Animate > Preferences (Mac). You can also use the default keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[U] (Windows) or [z]+[u] (Mac). 48

51 A1: Presentation and Introduction Setting the Scene Length In this second portion of the lesson, the student will learn about all the basic tools necessary to do a simple hand-drawn animation using Animate. At the end of the class, he should be able to do the Bouncing Ball exercise. Once you are ready to start working in your scene, you can set its length. To set the scene length from the top menu: 1. Select Scene > Scene Length. The Set Scene Length dialog box opens. 2. In the Number of Frames field, type the number of frames needed, you can also use the up and down arrows to set the number of frames. 3. Click on the OK button. Scene Settings The Scene Settings dialog box is an advanced part of Animate. It is optional to show it to the students. To get details about the Scene Settings dialog box, refer to the Toon Boom Animate User Guide. When you created your new scene, you set up the resolution and the alignment, however, if you want to change these initial settings later you can do. You can do this by going to the top menu and selecting Scene > Scene Settings. 49

52 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Adding a Drawing Layer Now that your scene is set up, you can add drawing layers. To add a drawing layer from the Timeline view: ffin the Timeline view, click on the Add Drawing Layer A new drawing layer is added to the Timeline view. button. 50

53 How to Draw A1: Presentation and Introduction As soon as Animate is launched, you can start drawing straight away using the default Drawing layer. How to draw: 1. In the Tools toolbar, select the Brush tool, you can also use the default keyboard shortcut [Alt]+[B]. 2. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, click in the first cell of the drawing layer. 3. In the Drawing or Camera view, start drawing. 4. You can change the colour of the Brush in the Colour view, using the default colour palette swatches. Simply click on the colour you want to use. 51

54 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Navigating Between Frames and Layers Once a cell is selected in the Timeline or Xsheet view, you can navigate between the layers, frames and drawings using keyboard shortcuts that are effective in the Camera, Drawing, Timeline and Xsheet view. To navigate through the drawings, frames and columns: 1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell. 2. Once the cell is selected, you can navigate between: ff Previous and next layers using the keyboard shortcut [H] and [J] or from the top menu, you can select Edit > Previous Layer and Next Layer. [H] [J] ff Previous and next drawings using the keyboard shortcut [F] and [G] or from the top menu, select Edit > Previous Drawing and Next Drawing or Drawing > Previous Drawing and Next Drawing. [F] [G] ff Previous and next frames using the keyboard shortcut [,] and [.] or from the top menu, select Play > Previous Frame and Next Frame. [,] [.] 52

55 A1: Presentation and Introduction Timing In Animate, you can quickly modify the exposure of your drawings. Once a value is entered in the Timeline or Xsheet view, you can increase and decrease its exposure. Increase Exposure Increasing the exposure adds one more exposure to a selected cell, repeating this action adds an extra cell every time. This is a quick way of extending a drawing exposure and is always set in the Insert mode. Increasing an exposure always pushes the existing exposure down. To use Increase Exposure: 1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell. 2. In the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Increase Exposure. You can also right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl]+Click (Mac) on the selected cell and select Exposure > Increase Exposure. The default keyboard shortcut is [+]. ff You can click on the Increase Exposure toolbars extra buttons. ff Repeat this action to add more cell to your drawing s exposure. Decrease Exposure button available in the Xsheet View and Timeline View Decreasing the exposure removes one exposure from a selected cell, repeating this action removes an extra cell every time. This is a rapid way to reduce a drawing exposure and remove the exposed drawing. To use Decrease Exposure: 1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell. 2. In the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Decrease Exposure. You can also right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl] + Click (Mac) on the selected cell and select Exposure > Decrease Exposure. The default keyboard shortcut is [-]. ff You can click on the Increase Exposure button available in the Timeline View toolbar s extra buttons. ff Repeat this action to add more cell to your drawing s exposure. Clear Exposure and Pull You can reduce a drawing s exposure using the Clear Exposure and Pull option. To use the Clear Exposure and Pull feature: 1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select a cell. 2. In the top menu, select Animation > Cell > Clear Exposure and Pull. You can also right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl]+Click (Mac) on the selected cell and select Exposure > Clear Exposure and Pull. ff You can click on the Clear Exposure and Pull View toolbars extra buttons. f f The default keyboard shortcut is [Z]. button available in the Xsheet View and Timeline 53

56 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Creating an Empty Drawing The Create Empty Drawing command automatically creates a drawing in the selected cell of the Timeline and Xsheet view, replacing any drawing that may already be exposed in that cell and the following ones until it meets another drawing. To create an Empty Drawing: 1. In the Timeline or Xsheet view, select the cell you want to create an empty drawing in. 2. In the Xsheet View toolbar, click on the Create Empty Drawing button or select Animation > Create Empty Drawing. You can also use the default keyboard shortcut [Alt]+[Shift]+[R]. The new drawing is created in the Xsheet and Timeline views. 54

57 A1: Presentation and Introduction Basic Onion Skin The Onion Skin is used to preview the previous and subsequent drawings. When designing or animating, it is useful to be able to see your previous drawings. By default, the previous drawings will appear with a shade or red and the next drawings will be displayed with a shade of green but you can change the display options in the Preferences panel. To use the Onion Skin feature: 1. Enable the Onion Skin feature: ff In the Tools toolbar, click on the Show Onion Skin button. ff In the Timeline view, click on the Onion Skin icon. When enabled, the icon will turn red. ff You can also use the default keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[0] (Windows) or [z]+[alt]+[0] (Mac) or from the top menu, select View > Onion Skin > Show Onion Skin. 2. You can select the number of previous and next drawings you want to show: ff In the Timeline view, click and drag the Onion Skin blue markers to choose how many previous and next drawings will be displayed. 3. The previous and next drawings will appear in both the Camera and Drawing view. 55

58 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition Playback To playback your animation, use the Playback toolbar. In the Playback Toolbar click on the Play button to start or stop the animation. You can also do this from the top menu by selecting Play > Play Scene Forward or Stop. Click on the Loop button to repeat your playback indefinitely. Or do this from the top menu by selecting Play > Loop. Scroll through the playback s frames using the right and left Jog Frames arrows. To change the playback frame range enter new values in the Start and Stop fields. Enter a new value in the fps field to change the speed of the playback. 56

59 Exporting Your Animation A1: Presentation and Introduction When your animation is completed, it is time to render your movie. Depending on whether you plan to further edit your movie in a third party software, composite the movie in a larger body of work or put it up directly on the web, Toon Boom Animate supports several formats for all your rendering needs. Exporting a QuickTime Movie To export a QuickTime Movie: 1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Movie. The Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box opens. 2. From the dialog box, click on the Browse button to choose a destination path to where your movie will be saved and an appropriate filename for the export. 3. Click on the Save button when you are finished. 4. From the Export Range section, decide whether you would like to export the entire scene (All) or just a selected frame range. If you decide on the latter, be sure to enter in the frame range in the fields provided. 5. In the Options section, click on the Video Options button. The Compression Settings dialog box opens. 6. From the Compression type drop-down menu, select a codec. 7. In the Motion section, choose your Frames per second from the drop-down menu. ff By default, it will be set to match the frames-per-second (fps) of your Animate project. If you choose a lower frame rate, your export will appear faster than your project and vice versa is true for a higher frame rate. 8. From the same section decide whether you would like key frames inserted by checking the Key frame every box, and if so, the number per frame. 9. From the Compressor section, choose a Depth based on your movie s needs, for example, Millions of Colours+ houses an alpha channel. 10. In the Quality section, use the slider to choose a quality setting. Remember that the better the quality of the export, the larger the file. 11. Click the OK button when you are finished. 12. From the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box, click-on the Sound Settings button. The Sound Settings dialog box opens. 13. From the Compressor drop-down menu, choose a compression type. 14. Select a Rate by pressing the down arrow button next to khz. 15. Next, choose the Size and the Use, which are related. Once again, it is advisable to check your original 57

60 Animate Learning Curriculum - Teacher Edition sound file properties. If the file was recorded in one channel (mono), there is little point in choosing the two channel (stereo) option. 16. Click on the OK button when you are done. 17. In the Export to QuickTime Movie dialog box, click the OK button. A progress bar appears. 18. Browse to the location on your computer where you saved your QuickTime video and double-click on it to view your export. If you feel that your exported video is either to small or too large, change the your project size from the top menu under Scene > Scene Settings. This will change the size of the video output. Exporting a QuickTime Movie with Transparency To render out a QuickTime movie with transparency, you need to set your Video Options > Compression Settings > Depth to Millions Colours +. Exporting an SWF Movie To export a SWF Movie: 1. From the top menu, select File > Export > SWF. The Export to Flash Movie (SWF) dialog box opens. 2. From the dialog box, click on the Browse button to choose a destination path to where your movie will be saved and an appropriate filename for the export. 3. Click on the Save button when you are finished. 4. From the Export Range section, decide whether you would like to export all the frames of your movie or just a selected frame range. If you decide on the latter, be sure to enter in the frame range in the fields provided. 5. In the Options section, enter your Frame rate (fps) into the field provided. By default, it will be set to match the fps of your Animate project. If you choose a lower frame rate, your export will appear faster than your project and vice versa is true for a higher frame rate. 6. In the same section, select the JPEG quality. 7. In the same section, check either Protect from import box or Compress Movie box. 8. Press the OK button when you are finished. 9. Browse to the location on your computer where you saved your Flash Movie and double-click on it to view your export. Exporting an FLV Movie Toon Boom Animate can also export FLV movie files which is an Adobe Flash format. 58

61 A1: Presentation and Introduction To export a Flash Video: 1. From the top menu, select File > Export > Flash Video. The Export to Flash Video dialog box opens. 2. From the dialog box, click on the Browse button to choose a destination path where your movie will be saved and an appropriate filename for the export. 3. Click on the Save button when you are finished. 4. From the Export Range section, decide whether you would like to export the entire scene (All) or just a selected frame range. If you decide on the latter, be sure to enter the frame range in the fields provided. 5. In the Options section, click on the Video Options button. The Video Options dialog box opens. 6. Select the Bit Rate (compression) in Kbits/sec. 7. Enter the Frames per Second in the field provided. It is advised that you check the frame rate of your Animate project and try to match it. 8. Click on the OK button. 9. In the Options section, click on the Sound Options button. The Audio Options dialog box opens. 10. Select the Sample Rate in khz from the drop-down menu. 11. Select the Channel size, either 8 or 16-bit. 12. Select a Channel Count, either mono or stereo. 13. Click the OK button. 14. In the Export to Flash Video dialog box, click on OK. A progress bar will appear. 15. Browse to the location on your computer where you saved your Flash Video and double-click on it to view your export. 59

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63 Project 1.01: Creating a Workspace A1: Presentation and Introduction This project refers to the following sections in the A1 - Introduction and Presentation module: Interface Highlights, on page 39 Managing the Views, on page 41 Managing the Toolbars, on page 43 Managing the Workspace, on page 44 Task Create a new workspace and store it in the Available Workspaces list. To create your workspace: 1. Create a new workspace. 2. Rename the workspace properly. 3. Make the workspace available. 4. Modify the workspace configuration. 5. Save the workspace. 61

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65 Project 1.02: Animating a Bouncing Ball A1: Presentation and Introduction The example sample material required is: A01-Presentation > BouncingBall_Example This project refers to the following sections in the A1 - Introduction and Presentation module: Creating and Opening a Scene, on page 35 Setting the Scene Length, on page 49 Adding a Drawing Layer, on page 50 How to Draw, on page 51 Navigating Between Frames and Layers, on page 52 Timing, on page 53 Creating an Empty Drawing, on page 54 Basic Onion Skin, on page 55 Playback, on page 56 Exporting Your Animation, on page 57 Task Animate a ball bouncing from left to right. To create your bouncing ball animation: 1. Create a new scene. 2. Create a new drawing element and name it properly. 3. Set the scene length. 4. Animate the ball on 10 frames using the Onion Skin and the Brush tool. 63