Toon Boom Producer V1.0

Transcription

1 Toon Boom Producer V1.0 User Guide TOON BOOM ANIMATION INC Saint-Laurent, Suite 1020 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2W 2R toonboom.com

2 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Legal Notices Toon Boom Animation Inc Saint-Laurent, Suite 1020 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2W 2R2 Tel: Fax: toonboom.com Disclaimer The content of this guide 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). For details, refer to the License Agreement and to those special terms and conditions. The content of this guide is the property of Toon Boom Animation Inc. and is copyrighted. Any reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Trademarks Producer is a trademark of Toon Boom Animation Inc. Publication Date Copyright 2017 Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Corus Entertainment Inc. company. All rights reserved. 2

3 Contents Contents Contents 3 Chapter 1: Introduction 7 About Producer 8 Chapter 2: Interface Overview 9 Managing Tabs 10 Customizing the Project Dashboard Layout 11 Chapter 3: Access 13 Projects 14 Users 15 Groups 16 Accessing Producer 17 Signing In to Producer 18 Signing Out of Producer 19 Creating Projects 20 Creating Users 22 Deleting Users 24 Creating Groups 25 Deleting Groups 28 Assigning Users to Groups 29 Changing Password 31 Updating User Profiles 32 Chapter 4: Structure 35 About Environments 36 Creating Environments 37 Deleting Environments 38 Retiring Environments 39 Reactivating Environments 40 About Jobs 41 3

4 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Jobs 42 Deleting Jobs 46 Retiring Jobs 47 Reactivating Jobs 48 About Scenes 49 Creating Scenes 50 Deleting Scenes 54 Retiring Scenes 55 Reactivating Scenes 56 Chapter 5: Assets 57 About File Formats 58 2D Pixmap Images 59 Video 60 Sound 61 3D Models 62 Uploading Assets 63 Downloading Assets 67 Creating Asset Items 68 Deleting Assets 71 Previewing Assets 73 Updating Assets 74 Assigning Assets to Scenes 76 Pushing Assets to Harmony 78 Searching Assets 79 About Tags 81 Tagging Assets 82 About Categories and Types 84 Adding Categories and Types 85 Deleting Categories and Types 87 4

5 Contents Renaming Categories and Types 88 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows 89 About Pipelines 90 About Workflows 91 About Task Status Workflows 92 About Processes 93 About Included Workflows 94 Episodes 95 2D Cut-out Scenes 96 2D Paperless Scenes 97 BG 98 Character Template 99 Basic Task Workflow 100 Creating Workflows 101 Creating Task Status Workflows 103 Duplicating Workflows 106 Adding Nodes to Workflows 108 Connecting Nodes 109 Adding Scripts to Workflows 111 Chapter 7: Tasks 113 My Tasks 114 Creating Tasks 115 Editing Scene Task Status and Assignments 117 Editing Assets Task Status and Assignments 119 Chapter 8: Review and Approval 121 Review 122 Approvals 123 Snapshots 124 Notes 125 5

6 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Uploading Snapshots 126 Submitting for Review 128 Creating Review Sessions 130 Opening Review Sessions 131 Chapter 9: Media Library 133 Scripts 134 Storyboards 135 Videos 136 Art References 137 Uploading New Items to the Media Library 138 Downloading Items from the Media Library 139 Deleting Items from the Media Library 140 Renaming Items from the Media Library 141 Updating Items in Media Library 142 Tagging Art References with Keywords 143 Searching the Media Library 144 Chapter 10: Reports 145 Accessing Reports 146 Searching Reports 147 Chapter 11: Toon Boom Harmony Integration 153 About the Harmony Database 154 About Web Control Center 155 Pushing a Job to Harmony 156 Pulling a Job from Harmony 157 Opening Harmony Scenes from Producer 158 Pushing Assets to Harmony Scenes 159 6

7 Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction Dear user, Our product is called Producer, as it is helping you with the production. However, you do not have to be a producer to use it. In fact, Producer works best when everyone involved in the production contributes to make it a powerful hub for all assets and information. This user guide should come in handy whether you are an artist, a supervisor, or a studio manager. Each chapter introduces a concept of the software and then presents concrete tasks related to this concept. It should be relatively easy to find out how to accomplish your goals. Note that while this guide will help you with the initial setup of a production, the actual configuration of the software itself in not part of its scope. Please contact Toon Boom Animation for assistance in these matters. We sincerely believe that Producer has what it takes to strengthen your pipeline and make your production smoother. May this guide help you along the way. J.R. Lemieux Product Manager 7

8 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About Producer T-PFND Simply put, Producer is a web-based tool, designed to assist with the production tracking and asset management of your animation project, such as a feature film or a TV episodic series. It features a very handy review tool that lets supervisors draw on top of video frames to visually communicate with the artists. At the heart of Producer is a powerful workflow engine that allows you to adapt it to any specific pipeline. While Producer can track any production created using any software, it has been optimized for interaction with Harmony, Toon Boom s acclaimed animation software. File structure can be synchronized between Producer and the Harmony Server database. Scenes can be opened directly in Harmony from the Producer interface. Producer can communicate with Harmony to render previews of scenes or templates. It can even automatically load assets into Harmony scenes. Properly configured, Producer can be accessed by users through a web browser on the same network (or outside, through a virtual private network). Producer runs on the Tactic engine, an open source software that manages the back end interaction with the database and the dynamic generation of web pages. Producer is installed on a Linux server on the customer s premises. It can also run on a Windows or Mac server, within a Linux virtual machine. 8

9 Chapter 2: Interface Overview Chapter 2: Interface Overview T-PFND Producer's interface is quite simple and flexible. You can save your own views, show and hide data, and organize columns as you please. The various components of the user interface are displayed as tabs which can be reordered, opened, and closed. Actions can be performed through menus, toolbar icons, and quick access menus. Also, many parameters such as status or descriptions can be edited in place. The project hierarchy is always accessed through the Project Dashboard. The other tabs and views are used to manage elements such as assets, reports, and review. 9

10 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Managing Tabs Every time you open a new item from the main menu or through an option selection, it appears as a new tab. These tabs can be reordered or closed. How to reorder tabs 1. Grab the tab to reorder. 2. Move the tab left or right to the desired position. How to close a tab Click the Close icon on the tab to close. 10

11 Chapter 2: Interface Overview Customizing the Project Dashboard Layout Producer can display lots of data and you can customize which columns to see, and in what order. How to display columns using the Column Manager 1. In the main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. Navigate to an environment list, job list, or scene list. 3. Click on the Column Manager icon. The Column Manager dialog box opens. 4. Enable and disable the columns you want to show or hide. You can also right-click on a column's header and select Remove Column. 5. Click the Close icon to close the dialog box. 6. You can click the Expand Table icon to compress or expand the table. How to reorder columns in the Project Dashboard 1. In the main menu, select Project Dashboard. 11

12 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 2. Navigate to an environment list, job list, or scene list. 3. Grab the head of the column to reorder and drag it to its new destination. How to customize the Project Dashboard layout 1. In the main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. Navigate to an environment list, job list, or scene list. 3. Click the Switch Layout icon to select a different layout to display the table data. 4. From the drop-down menu, select the desired layout. 12

13 Chapter 3: Access Chapter 3: Access Who can see the data, download, upload, edit, or delete? The answers to these questions are so critical that it makes it a good starting point for this guide, that and the fact that it will be the first thing you need to configure. 13

14 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Projects A project is always the first item in any Producer database. Any other item, such as environment, job, scene or asset, will be contained within a project. It is a fundamental component. A default project is already created as part of the standard installation. It is possible to only have one project and all data to be contained within it. When this is the case, the project name is usually that of the company. However, since user and group permissions are linked to the project, if you would like these permissions to be different for some users from one project to another, you must set-up additional projects. 14

15 Chapter 3: Access Users Anyone using Producer on a regular basis should have his own user login. This allows permissions control as well as task assignment and effective communication within Producer. Note that the permissions are handled through groups, for better efficiency. A user can be part of many groups and has all the rights permitted to these groups. 15

16 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Groups A group has two primary functions. First, it serves to assign permissions to its members, within the context of a project. Second, groups can be used to facilitate task assignments. For example, if you specify that the Animators group are the usual assignees for the task animation then the animation supervisor will only have to chose among users that are part of the Animators group when assigning an animation task. 16

17 Chapter 3: Access Accessing Producer T-PFND In order to access Producer within your network, you need to know on which IP address it has been configured. Your system administrator should have this information. How to access Producer 1. Open a web browser. 2. In the URL address bar, type the Producer IP address provided by your system administrator. 3. Press Enter to navigate to the URL. 4. It may be a good idea to bookmark this page in order to facilitate future access to Producer. 17

18 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Signing In to Producer In order to work in Producer, you will need to sign in to Producer with your login username and password. This will let you access Producer with your specific permissions. If you do not have this information, contact your system administrator. NOTE If you are the administrator and you are logging into the system for the first time, use the username admin and the password admin. For security reasons, immediately proceed to change the password see Changing Password on page 31. How to sign in to Producer 1. On the Welcome page, in the Login field, type your username. 2. In the Password field, type your password. 3. Click Login. 18

19 Chapter 3: Access Signing Out of Producer Once you are done working in Producer, for security purposes, sign out of the application. How to sign out of Producer 1. Click on the Profile icon at the top right of the interface. 2. Select Sign Out. You can also simply click on the Sign Out icon in the top menu bar. 19

20 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Projects T-PFND Generally, a project has been created at the time of the installation. Only create a new one if you need permissions to differ for some users from one project to another. Otherwise, it is recommended to simply add environments as a way to separate different undertakings. NOTE To create a new project, you must be logged in as an admin use see Signing In to Producer on page 18Signing In to Producer on page 18. How to create projects 1. From the left main menu, select Project Settings. 2. In the Project Settings tab, click the New project button. The Create a New Project dialog box opens. 20

21 Chapter 3: Access 1. In the Title field, enter the name for the new project. 2. In the Project Code field, enter the project code (only alphanumeric characters and underscores (_), usually a lowercase version of the project title). 3. In the Description field, enter the project description. 4. Click Create. 5. Wait for the process to be completed. A progress bar will indicate the completion rate. 6. Click Go to new project to navigate to the new project or click Close to simply close the window. 21

22 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Users To create users, you must be logged in as admin or a user with similar rights. How to create users 1. From the left main menu, select Project Settings. 2. From the list of options, select Users. 3. In the Users tab, click Add. The Create New User dialog box opens. 4. In the Create New User dialog box, enter the appropriate information. 22

23 Chapter 3: Access Preview: This allows you to upload a profile image for the user. It is optional, but it can be helpful to visually identify users. Login: This is the login username. This field is mandatory. It is usually short and all lower case, as it needs to be entered quite often. User Principal name: Optional, this field needs only to be filled if you want your users to match those of a Microsoft network using UPN. Password: This is the user's password. This field is mandatory. First Name: This is the user's first name. Optional but recommended. Last Name: This is the user's last name. Optional but recommended. This is the user's address. Optional, however strongly recommended, for communication purposes. Department: This is the user's department. Optional, but could be useful for the eventual implementation of department related statistics. 5. Click Add. 23

24 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Deleting Users If you have users which are no longer using Producer, you can remove them from the user list. How to delete users 1. From the left main menu, select Project Settings. 2. From the list of options, select Users. 3. In the Users tab, right-click on the user to delete and select Delete. The Delete Item dialog box opens. 4. Click Delete to delete the user or Cancel to cancel the operation. 24

25 Chapter 3: Access Creating Groups T-PFND To create groups, you must be logged in as admin or a user with similar rights. How to create groups 1. From the left main menu, select Project Settings. 2. From the list of options, select Groups. 3. In the Groups tab, click the Add icon. 4. In the Specify number of new items to add field, type 1. 25

26 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 5. In the Group name field, enter the group name. 6. In the Description field, write a group description. 7. Enable the Add to Project option. 8. Click Add. 9. In the Groups tab, click the Global Rules icon corresponding to the new group. The Permission Manager dialog box opens. 10. Enable or disable the permissions according to the rights you wish this new group to have. 26

27 Chapter 3: Access 11. Click Save to save the changes. 12. In the Groups tab, click the Access Level icon appearing in the Access Level column when hovering over the new group. 13. Select High. At this moment, the access level must be set to High for all groups. 14. Click the Save icon to save the changes. 27

28 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Deleting Groups You can delete groups that are no longer useful. How to delete groups 1. From the left main menu, select Project Settings. 2. From the list of options, select Groups. 3. In the Group list, check all the groups to delete. 4. Click on the Delete icon to remove the selected groups. 28

29 Chapter 3: Access Assigning Users to Groups T-PFND Once your group is created, you can assign users to it see Creating Users on page 22. How to assign users to groups 1. From the left main menu, select Project Settings. 2. From the list of options, select Groups. 3. In the User Assign column, click the Add User icon of the group of your choice. The Assign Users to Group dialog box opens. 4. Add all the users you would like to be members of this group by checking their name. 29

30 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 5. Click Save to save the changes. NOTE New users assigned to the group will not show up in the list until that tab is refreshed. 30

31 Chapter 3: Access Changing Password You can change your default or current password to a new one for increased security. How to change password 1. After logging in with your current password, click on the Profile icon at the top right of the interface. 2. Select My account. The My Account dialog box opens. 3. In the Password field, type in your new password. 4. In the Password Re-Enter field, type your new password one more time to confirm it. 5. Click Save. 31

32 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Updating User Profiles T-PFND You can change your account information such as your name or . How to update user profiles 1. Click on the Profile icon at the top right of the interface. 2. Select My account. The My Account dialog box opens. 3. To update your profile picture, click on Browse and browse for the image. 4. To update your password, see Changing Password on page To update your name, in the First Name and Last Name fields, type in the new text. 32

33 Chapter 3: Access 6. To update your , in the field, type in the new address. 7. To update your department, in the Department field, type in the new text. 8. Click Save. 33

34 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 34

35 Chapter 4: Structure Chapter 4: Structure The Tactic engine (on which Producer is running) can support a wide variety of file structure. It is possible to configure it. However it is worth taking note that for this first release of Producer, the file structure of Harmony was closely replicated. Therefore, default structure is: Project > Environment > Job > Scene A project is always the first item in any Producer database. Any other item, such as environment, job, scene or asset, will be contained within a project. It is a fundamental component. A default project is already created as part of the standard installation. It is possible to only have one project and all data to be contained within it. When this is the case, the project name is usually that of the company. However, since user and group permissions are linked to the project, if you would like these permissions to be different for some users from one project to another, you must set-up additional projects. 35

36 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About Environments The environment is usually the top level container in a Harmony database structure. However under Producer, an environment is contained within a project. Many environments can co-exist within a single project. An environment is a context in which you will share assets (such as templates or backgrounds) because they all relate to a given universe. For example, an environment for a TV series could be named tom_thumb and could contain multiple episodes as jobs. 36

37 Chapter 4: Structure Creating Environments You can easily add environments to your projects. How to create environments 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. From the Project Dashboard, in the Environment / List page, click the Add icon. The Add Item to Environment dialog box opens. 3. In the Environment field, type the name of the environment you are creating. NOTE If your environment has a Harmony equivalent, make sure that the spelling exactly matches to allow synchronization. If you plan on creating that environment in Harmony later, you should respect the alphanumeric character restriction and use underscore ( _ ) instead of spaces. 4. Leave the Workflow drop-down menu to the -- Default -- setting. 5. In the Description field, type an environment description. 6. Click Add to create the environment. 37

38 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Deleting Environments You can delete environments that you don't need in your database, such as tests. To archive an environment without deleting it, you can retire it see Retiring Environments on page 39. NOTE Once you delete an environment, it is completely removed from your database. If you deleted the wrong environment, you can undo your last database transaction to recover it. How to delete environments 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. In the Environment / List page, select all the environments to delete. 3. Click the More Options icon. 4. Select Edit > Delete Selected Items. You can also right-click on the selected environment and select Delete. The Delete Item dialog box opens. 5. Select the associated jobs to delete along with the environment. 6. Click Delete to confirm the operation or Cancel to cancel it. 38

39 Chapter 4: Structure Retiring Environments You can archive environments that you no longer need to see in your project such as completed productions. To completely remove an environment and its data from the database, see Deleting Environments on page 38. How to retire environments 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. In the Environment / List page, select all the environments to retire. 3. Click the More Options icon. 4. Select Edit > Retire Selected Items. You can also right-click on the selected environment and select Retire. The retired environments are hidden from the list. 5. To see retired environments, right-click on the environment table header and select Show Retired. To hide retired environments, select Hide Retired. The retired environments are displayed as pink rows. 39

40 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Reactivating Environments You can reactivate archived environments. How to reactivate environments 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. To see retired environments, right-click on the environment table header and select Show Retired. The retired environments are displayed as pink rows. 3. In the Environment / List page, right-click on the environment to reactivate. 4. Select Reactivate. 40

41 Chapter 4: Structure About Jobs Jobs are a sub-division of an environment. In the case of a TV series, jobs are usually episodes, typically named by season and episode number such as S02E001, S02E002, and so on. For movies, jobs can refer to sequences: SEQ001, SEQ002, etc. A job contains scenes. 41

42 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Jobs You can create a new job within a selected environment. You can also create multiple jobs at once. How to create jobs 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. From the Project Dashboard, in the Environment / List section, click on the environment in which you want to create jobs. 3. In the Jobs List section, click on the Add icon. The Add Item to Job dialog box opens. 4. In the Name field, type in the job name. 42

43 Chapter 4: Structure NOTE Remember to respect the alphanumeric and underscore restriction if you plan to integrate your production with a Harmony database. In the Environment field, the associated environment for that job has been pre-selected. 5. In the Workflow drop-down menu, select the workflow applicable to this job. Note that you are selecting a workflow for the job itself and not for the scenes it contains. Only workflows designed for jobs will be listed in this drop-down menu. NOTE An Episodes' workflow is available. You may choose to use it or simply to leave the -- Default-- setting to not apply any workflow to this job. Alternatively, you may design your own workflow to track the progress of jobs see Creating Workflows on page In the Scene Default Workflow drop-down menu, pre-select a workflow for the scenes that will be created contained within this new job. NOTE Two workflows are readily available: 2D Cut-out Workflow 2D Paperless Workflow. If none of those match your actual pipeline, you may duplicate and modify them or you could design your own workflow see Creating Workflows on page 101 and Duplicating Workflows on page In the Description field, type an environment description. 8. Enable the External Sync Preview option for Producer to request preview thumbnails and movies from Harmony for scenes within this job. Note that the Web Control Centre and the Harmony batch rendering must be properly configured for this to work. 9. Click Add to create the job. How to create multiple jobs 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 43

44 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 2. From the Project Dashboard, in the Environment / List section, click on the environment in which you want to create jobs. 3. From the Jobs List section, click on the More Options icon (the downward arrow beside the Add icon) and select Add Multiple Items. The Multi-Insert dialog box opens. 1. In the Specify the number of new items to add field, type the number of jobs to add. 2. In the Name field, type the name of the first job in the new series. The jobs will be numbered incrementally from the name of the first one. It is therefore recommended to name the first job following this pattern jobname_001, so that the following jobs are named jobname_002, jobname_003, and so on. If you only specify a name such as example without digits, you will end up with the following: example, example001, example002, and so on. NOTE Remember to respect the alphanumeric and underscore restriction if you plan to integrate your production with a Harmony database. In the Environment field, the associated environment for that job has been pre-selected. 3. In the Workflow drop-down menu, select the workflow applicable to this job. Note that you are selecting a workflow for the job itself and not for the scenes it contains. Only workflows designed for jobs will be listed in this drop-down menu. 44

45 Chapter 4: Structure NOTE An Episodes' workflow is available. You may choose to use it or simply to leave the -- Default-- setting to not apply any workflow to this job. Alternatively, you may design your own workflow to track the progress of jobs see Creating Workflows on page In the Scene Default Workflow drop-down menu, pre-select a workflow for the scenes that will be created contained within this new job. NOTE Two workflows are readily available: 2D Cut-out Workflow 2D Paperless Workflow. If none of those match your actual pipeline, you may duplicate and modify them or you could design your own workflow see Creating Workflows on page 101 and Duplicating Workflows on page In the Description field, type an environment description. 6. Enable the External Sync Preview option for Producer to request preview thumbnails and movies from Harmony for scenes within this job. Note that the Web Control Centre and the Harmony batch rendering must be properly configured for this to work. 7. Click Add to create the job. 45

46 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Deleting Jobs You can delete jobs that you don't need in your database, such as tests. To archive a job without deleting it, you can retire it see Retiring Jobs on page 47. NOTE Once you delete a job, it is completely removed from your database. If you deleted the wrong job, you can undo your last database transaction to recover it. How to delete jobs 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. Select the environment containing the jobs to delete. 3. In the Job List page, select all the jobs to delete. 4. Click the Settings icon. 5. Select Edit > Delete Selected Items. You can also right-click on the selected job and select Delete. The Delete Items dialog box opens. 6. Select the associated scenes and tasks to delete along with the job. 7. Click Delete to confirm the operation or Cancel to cancel it. 46

47 Chapter 4: Structure Retiring Jobs You can archive jobs that you no longer need to see in your environment, such as completed episodes. To completely remove a job and its data from the database, see Deleting Jobs on page 46. How to retire jobs 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. In the Environment / List page, select the environment containing the jobs to retire. 3. In the Job List page, select all the jobs to retire. 4. Click the More Options icon. 5. Select Edit > Retire Selected Items. You can also right-click on the selected job and select Retire. The retired jobs are hidden from the list. 6. To see retired items, right-click on the job table header and select Show Retired. To hide retired items, select Hide Retired. 47

48 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Reactivating Jobs You can reactivate archived jobs. How to reactivate jobs 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. In the Environment / List page, select the environment containing the retired jobs. 3. To see retired jobs, right-click on the job table header and select Show Retired. 4. In the Job List page, right-click on the job to reactivate. 5. Select Reactivate. 48

49 Chapter 4: Structure About Scenes A scene or shot usually refers to a camera take. Within the context of Producer and Harmony, scenes are part of a job. Scenes contain images and a camera which can be rendered to video or series of frames. Scenes are key units to track when managing a production. 49

50 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Scenes You can create scenes within a selected job. You can create multiple scenes at once. How to create scenes 1. From the Project Dashboard, navigate to the environment and job in which you would like to create a scene by clicking on the environment link and then on the job link. 2. From the Scenes List section, click on the Add icon. 3. In the Name field, type in the name of the scene you are creating. The Add Item to Scene dialog box opens. NOTE Remember to respect the alphanumeric and underscore restriction if you plan to integrate your production with a Harmony database. In the Job drop-down menu, the corresponding job for that scene has been pre-selected. 4. In the Workflow drop-down menu, the pre-selected workflow appears if you selected a Scene default workflow when creating the parent job. You can chose a different workflow if that scene requires it. 5. In the Number of Frames field, If known, type the scene duration in frames. 50

51 Chapter 4: Structure NOTE If the scenes are later synchronized with Harmony, this projected number of frames may be overwritten by the actual amount of frames in the scene. 6. In the Priority field, a priority of 4 (medium) is automatically selected. This stands for regular or standard priority. The priorities in Producer are there to help the users know which scenes should be worked on first. The priority can be adjusted as the project evolves. By default, there are five possibilities: 1 - Critical (Highest priority) 2 - Very Important (Urgent) 3 - Important (Higher than usual) 4 - Medium (Default) 5 - Low (When everything else is done) 7. In the Description field, type an environment description. 8. Click Add to create the scene. How to create multiple scenes 1. From the Project Dashboard, navigate to the environment and job in which you would like to create a scene by clicking on the environment link and then on the job link. 2. From the Scene List section, click on the More Options icon (the downward arrow beside the Add icon) and select Add Multiple Items. 51

52 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 3. In the Specify the number of new items to add field, type the number of scenes to create. 4. In the Name field, type the name of the first scene in the new series. The scenes will be numbered incrementally from the name of the first one. It is therefore recommended to name the first scene following this pattern scenename_001, so that the following jobs are named scenename_002, scenename_003, and so on. If you only specify a name such as example without digits, you will end up with the following: example, example001, example002, and so on. NOTE Remember to respect the alphanumeric and underscore restriction if you plan to integrate your production with a Harmony database. In the Job drop-down menu, the corresponding job for that scene has been pre-selected. 5. In the Workflow drop-down menu, the pre-selected workflow appears if you selected a Scene default workflow when creating the parent job. You can chose a different workflow if that scene requires it. 6. In the Number of Frames field, If known, type the scene duration in frames. 52

53 Chapter 4: Structure NOTE If the scenes are later synchronized with Harmony, this projected number of frames may be overwritten by the actual amount of frames in the scene. 7. In the Priority field, a priority of 4 (medium) is automatically selected. This stands for regular or standard priority. The priorities in Producer are there to help the users know which scenes should be worked on first. The priority can be adjusted as the project evolves. By default, there are five possibilities: 1 - Critical (Highest priority) 2 - Very Important (Urgent) 3 - Important (Higher than usual) 4 - Medium (Default) 5 - Low (When everything else is done) 8. In the Description field, type an environment description. 9. Click Add to create the scene. 53

54 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Deleting Scenes You can delete scenes that you don't need in your database, such as tests. To archive a scene without deleting it, you can retire it see Retiring Scenes on page 55. NOTE Once you delete a scene, it is completely removed from your database. If you deleted the wrong scene, you can undo your last database transaction to recover it. How to delete scenes 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. Select the environment and job containing the scenes to delete. 3. In the Scene List page, select all the scenes to delete. 4. Click the Settings icon. 5. Select Edit > Delete Selected Items. You can also right-click on the selected scene and select Delete. The Delete Items dialog box opens. 6. Select the associated tasks to delete along with the scenes. 7. Click Delete to confirm the operation or Cancel to cancel it. 54

55 Chapter 4: Structure Retiring Scenes You can archive scenes that you no longer need to see in your job, such as completed shots. To completely remove a scene and its data from the database, see Deleting Scenes on page 54. How to retire scenes 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. In the Project Dashboard tab, select the environment and job containing the scenes to retire. 3. In the Scene List page, select all the scenes to retire. 4. Click the More Options icon. 5. Select Edit > Retire Selected Items. You can also right-click on the selected job and select Retire. The retired scenes are hidden from the list. 6. To see retired items, right-click on the job table header and select Show Retired. To hide retired items, select Hide Retired. 55

56 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Reactivating Scenes You can reactivate archived scenes. How to reactivate scenes 1. From the left main menu, select Project Dashboard. 2. In the Project Dashboard tab, select the environment and job containing the retired scenes. 3. To see retired scenes, right-click on the scene table header and select Show Retired. 4. In the Scene List page, right-click on the scene to reactivate. 5. Select Reactivate. 56

57 Chapter 5: Assets Chapter 5: Assets T-PFND While one could argue that everything we manage here is an asset, including scenes and storyboards, we will restrict this definition somewhat for the sake of clarity in the context of Producer. Scenes have their own area in the Project Dashboard and are not considered assets. They can however be linked (and loaded) with assets. Scripts, storyboards, videos, and art references are not considered assets either. All these are considered references, not to be used directly within the scenes, and therefore have a special status. They are all gathered in the Media library see Media Library on page 133. Sounds, backgrounds, 2D or 3D models, textures, and props are considered assets. All of these can be tracked and/or stored within Producer. Two main menu sections are directly related to assets: Assets and Scene Planning. 57

58 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About File Formats Producer can store any file format whether it understands it or not. It also tries to display thumbnail previews. Note that it is always possible to upload a preview image manually for any file. 58

59 Chapter 5: Assets 2D Pixmap Images Here is a non-exclusive list of files for which Producer will be able to generate a thumbnail:.bmp,.gif,.jpg,.jpeg,.jp2,.pdf,.png,.psd,.sgi,.tga,.tif,.tiff. 59

60 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Video Producer can playback, and even preview at thumbnail size,.mp4 videos. Other formats, such as.swf files, will simply be stored. 60

61 Chapter 5: Assets Sound The sound file format is not an issue as Producer will not attempt to playback sound files. There is no problem storing any audio format:.wav,.aiff,.asf,.mp3, and so on. 61

62 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 3D Models For now, these files can only be stored. You can upload a preview image from them. 62

63 Chapter 5: Assets Uploading Assets T-PFND You can upload assets by either drag-and-dropping a file or through a file browser. How to upload assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. You can already upload an asset using the simplest method. Drag and drop an asset into the main area. Similarly, to update an asset, you can drag the new version right on top of the previous one. 3. To upload an asset, you can also click on the Ingest New Asset icon. The Ingest tab opens. 63

64 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 4. Do one of the following: Select Add Files and browse to select the assets you want to upload. Drag and drop the files in the designated area. 5. Before clicking on the Ingest Files at the bottom, make sure to adjust the Ingest Settings. This is especially useful when uploading multiple files of a similar nature. 64

65 Chapter 5: Assets NOTE If all your new assets do not share the same characteristics, you should upload them separately. Categories and types make it easier to sort and organize your assets see Adding Categories and Types on page In the Process drop-down menu, select a process at which these new assets should be starting. Note that only processes that are part of a pipeline which applies to assets will be listed here see About Processes on page If applicable, in the Preview section, click the Browse button to select a preview image. Selecting a Preview file is only useful when adding files of a format for which Producer cannot render a thumbnail, such as a.fbx file for example. Moreover, you would not chose a single preview image for multiple uploads, unless the preview applies to all. 8. It is recommended to leave the Code dialog empty and to let Producer automatically assign a code to the new assets. 9. In the Name field, type a new asset name if you want the name of the new asset to be different from the name of the file. Note that this field is not available if you are uploading multiple assets. 65

66 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 10. In the Description field, write an asset description. 11. In the Pipeline drop-down menu, select the pipeline to apply to the assets see Pipelines and Workflows on page In the Category drop-down menu, select the category to apply to the assets. 13. In the Type drop-down menu, select the type to apply to the assets. 14. In the Mapping Files to Items section, in the Determine how the file maps to a particular item dropdown menu, select a mapping option: Always insert a new item Update duplicate items Update as a sequence 15. In the Ignore File Extension drop-down menu, select if you want to remove the file extension from the asset name. For example, asset_003.png will be simply named asset_ In the Map file name to column drop-down menu, choose to which column to associate the file names. By default, the asset name is associated with the Name column. 17. In the Content Mode drop-down menu, choose if the file names will be treated as Case Insensitive or Case Sensitive. 18. Click Ingest Files. 66

67 Chapter 5: Assets Downloading Assets You can easily download assets uploaded to Producer. How to download assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Assets tab, you can restrict the display of assets using the Search Filters feature see Searching Assets on page Select the assets you would like to download. 4. Click on the Download icon. The Choose files to download dialog box opens. 5. Click the Download Selected Files button. 67

68 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Asset Items T-PFND If you want to create assets that do not yet exist, you can create such a placeholder in the Manage view of the Asset tab. This procedure is useful to quickly create a series of similar assets. How to create asset items 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Asset tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. In the drop-down menu, select Manage. 4. Click on the More Options icon (the downward arrow beside the Add icon) and select Add Multiple Items. The Multi-Insert dialog box opens. 68

69 Chapter 5: Assets 5. In the Specify the number of items to add field, type the number of asset placeholder to create. 6. If applicable, in the Preview section, click the Browse button to select a preview image. Selecting a Preview file is only useful when adding files of a format for which Producer cannot render a thumbnail, such as a.fbx file for example. Moreover, you would not chose a single preview image for multiple uploads, unless the preview applies to all. 7. It is recommended to leave the Code dialog empty and to let Producer automatically assign a code to the new assets. 8. In the Name field, type a new asset name if you want the name of the new asset to be different from the name of the file. Note that this field is not available if you are uploading multiple assets. 9. In the Description field, write an asset description. 10. In the Pipeline drop-down menu, select the pipeline to apply to the assets see Pipelines and Workflows on page In the Category drop-down menu, select the category to apply to the assets. 12. In the Type drop-down menu, select the type to apply to the assets. 13. Click Add to create the asset. NOTE You can edit asset names using in-page editing. In the Manage section of the 69

70 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Asset tab, simply edit the names in place. Once all your changes are done, click on the Save icon. 70

71 Chapter 5: Assets Deleting Assets T-PFND You can delete assets you no longer need in your database. How to delete assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Asset tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. In the drop-down menu, select Manage. 4. Click on the More Options icon and select Delete Selected Items. The Delete Items dialog box opens. 71

72 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 5. Select the associated tasks and snapshots to delete along with the asset. 6. Click Delete to confirm the operation or Cancel to cancel it. 72

73 Chapter 5: Assets Previewing Assets T-PFND You can preview an asset at a larger scale to see its content. How to preview assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 1. In the Asset list, select the asset to preview. 2. Click the Preview icon. You can also click on the asset thumbnail to preview it. The asset preview opens in a new web browser tab. 73

74 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Updating Assets T-PFND You can update an existing asset's parameters such as its name, description, or pipeline. How to update assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Asset tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. In the drop-down menu, select List. 4. Click on the name of the asset to edit. The asset's tabs open. 5. In the info tab, click the Edit button. The Edit dialog box opens. 74

75 Chapter 5: Assets 6. If applicable, in the Preview section, click the Browse button to select a preview image. Selecting a Preview file is only useful when adding files of a format for which Producer cannot render a thumbnail, such as a.fbx file for example. Moreover, you would not chose a single preview image for multiple uploads, unless the preview applies to all. 7. It is recommended to leave the Code dialog empty and to let Producer automatically assign a code to the new assets. 8. In the Name field, type a new asset name if you want the name of the new asset to be different from the name of the file. Note that this field is not available if you are uploading multiple assets. 9. In the Description field, write an asset description. 10. In the Pipeline drop-down menu, select the pipeline to apply to the assets see Pipelines and Workflows on page In the Category drop-down menu, select the category to apply to the assets. 12. In the Type drop-down menu, select the type to apply to the assets. 13. Click Save to confirm the changes or Cancel to cancel the operation. 75

76 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Assigning Assets to Scenes T-PFND Once your assets are imported or created in Producer, you assign them to scenes. How to assign assets to scenes 1. In the main menu, select Scene Planning. 2. On the left side, in the Search Criteria section, select an environment and a job. 3. Click Search. The list of scenes for this job appears on the left. 4. To gain some space, close the search box by clicking on the Search Filter icon of the scene list. 5. In the assets list, select the asset(s) to assign see Searching Assets on page Do one of the following: To assign a single asset to a single scene, drag the asset (grabbing the preview thumbnail, and not the title bar) and drop it into the Asset Drop area of the target scene. 76

77 Chapter 5: Assets To assign multiple assets to multiple scenes at once, check the target scenes and click the green arrow. 7. After completing the assignments, you need to confirm the changes. All changes are highlighted in green. In the Asset Drop area, you can revert the assignment of an asset to a scene by clicking on the Cancel (X) icon next to that asset. To confirm and save everything, click the Save icon. 77

78 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Pushing Assets to Harmony T-PFND After assigning assets to scenes, you can push assets to Harmony scenes as long as your setup is properly configured see Assigning Assets to Scenes on page 76Assigning Assets to Scenes on page 76 How to push assets to Harmony 1. In the main menu, select Scene Planning. 2. In the Search Criteria box from the Scene List, select an environment and a job. 3. Click Search. 4. Check all the scenes which have assets you want Producer to push to Harmony. 5. Click the Push to Harmony icon to build Harmony scenes pre-loaded with the corresponding assets. NOTE Note that this process creates a new Harmony scene. 78

79 Chapter 5: Assets Searching Assets T-PFND From a page with access to assets, such as Assets or Scene Planning, you may restrict the assets which will be displayed to match certain characteristics. IMPORTANT The result of your search is persistent for your user. That is, even if you logout, the result of your search will still be displayed the next time you login as the same user. If the Search Filter area is hidden, this may not be obvious and it may seem like some assets are missing. You must open the Search Filter area by clicking on the Search Filters icon and make sure to clear previous entries. Click on the X icon next to tags, clear the keywords box, set drop-down menus to -- Select -- and click Search again. How to search assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. Open the Asset Search section, by clicking on the Search Filters icon. 3. In the Keywords field, if you know the name of the asset you are looking for,you can search specifically for it by typing its name. 79

80 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 4. If applicable, in the Asset Category drop-down menus, select a condition and a category see Adding Categories and Types on page If applicable, in the Asset Type drop-down menus, select a condition and a category see Adding Categories and Types on page If applicable, in the Tags field, type tag names see Tagging Assets on page Click Search. 8. Click on the Search Filters icon to hide the search box and have more space available to browse through your results. 80

81 Chapter 5: Assets About Tags T-PFND Tags are great way to label assets quickly and to find and retrieve them efficiently later. For example, a background image of a schoolyard could be tagged with the following: exterior, school, yard, playground Tags can be added at any time. They can be up to three words long, separated by spaces. To avoid confusion, they are not case sensitive. An asset can have as many tags as you want. To help reduce typing errors, when you enter three letters in a tag dialog box, Producer will offer suggestions of existing tags. 81

82 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Tagging Assets T-PFND You can tag assets to make searching for assets easier. How to tag assets 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. The Assets tab opens. 2. In the Asset tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. In the drop-down menu, select Tiles. 4. Click on the Magnifying Glass icon to open the Detail view of an asset. 5. Click on the Tags tab. 82

83 Chapter 5: Assets 6. In the Add Tag field, write new tag names or click on existing tags to add them to the asset see About Tags on page 81. Tags are added as soon as you press Enter. There is no need to save. 83

84 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About Categories and Types T-PFND Categories and Types are characteristics of Assets. They are exclusive, i.e. there can only be one category per asset and one type per asset. You may think of categories as an arbitrary division related to the function of the asset whereas the type is based on its structural nature. You can add your own custom categories and types. The default asset categories are: BG BG Overlay BG Underlay BG Zip Pan Incidental Character Main Character Prop Vehicle The default asset types are: 3D Model Camera Character Build Image Preset Script Sound Template Video 84

85 Chapter 5: Assets Adding Categories and Types T-PFND To render asset organization and searching easier, you can create your own categories and types see About Categories and Types on page 84. How to add categories and types 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Assets tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select either Asset Categories or Asset Types. 4. Click on the Add icon to add a new category or type. 5. In the Specify Number of New Items to Add field, type in the number of categories or types to add. 85

86 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 6. It is recommended to leave the Code dialog box empty and to allow Producer to automatically assign a code to the new assets. 7. In the Name field, type a new category or type name. 8. In the Description field, write a category or type description. 9. Click Add to add the new type or category or click Cancel to cancel the operation. 86

87 Chapter 5: Assets Deleting Categories and Types T-PFND You can delete categories and types which are no longer needed see About Categories and Types on page 84. How to delete categories and types 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Assets tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select either Asset Categories or Asset Types. 4. Click on the Delete icon to remove a type or category. 87

88 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Renaming Categories and Types T-PFND You can rename categories and types for better organization or correct errors see About Categories and Types on page 84. How to rename categories and types 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. Double-click on the item to rename it,and type the new name. 3. Press Enter to validate the new name. 4. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. 88

89 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows In Producer, the production tracking is based on pipelines and workflows. 89

90 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About Pipelines In the digital animation world, a pipeline means a system for developing and producing something. It is a multistage process usually involving several different software. While there are commonalities, most animation studios will develop their own pipelines. Producer s ability to reproduce or create complex non-linear pipelines with its node based editor makes it most adaptable to an already established studio environment. 90

91 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows About Workflows The term workflow can often be used almost interchangeably with pipeline, however, in the context of Producer, pipeline refers to the abstract concept while the term workflow is reserved for the actual node structures. A workflow applies to one type of item. For example, you may have a workflow to produce jobs, a different workflow to produce scenes, and another to produce a specific kind of asset such as pixmap backgrounds. These different workflows are made up of nodes which each represent a process. There can be as many workflows as needed. Producer comes with some ready made workflows, however it is recommended that you use these as templates to create your own. Workflows are specific to projects however they can be exported and imported from one project to another. Keep in mind that the workflows are blueprints to eventually create actual tasks that can then be assigned and tracked. 91

92 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About Task Status Workflows A task status workflow is special. Rather than applying to a scene or an asset, it applies to the task of another workflow. In fact, it provides statuses for that task, letting the user know the precise progress of said task. Take for example the Basic Task Workflow below, which is provided with Producer. All six nodes are a possible status for tasks where the Basic Task Workflow has been selected as Task Status Workflow. When the user click on a task status, a drop-down menu let them choose one of status. 92

93 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows About Processes Each node from a workflow represents a process. When creating an asset using a specific workflow and pipeline, the processes of this workflow will be materialized into actual tasks. Processes can be connected from one to another in a nonlinear fashion. There are 5 types of processes: Manual: The Manual type is used for a process where the work is done by a person. This process can have different statuses. These statuses are linked by creating and assigning a Task Status workflow and assigning it to the process. The process status is manually changed by the user executing the work. You can use the Details field to annotate this process with additional information on the purpose of this step or any other requirements. You can attach triggers and notifications to a manual process so that when a specific action is performed such as assigning a task or status change another action can be performed such as sending a notification to a user. Progress: The Progress type is used to follow the progress of various items like assets, scenes, jobs, or environments. It can be used in a Scene workflow to track the completion of an asset creation such as a background. You can set the Progress node to track, also known as listen, to a type of workflow (asset, scene, job, etc.), followed by a given workflow of that type, and finally a specific step in that workflow. Action: The Action type is used to execute a script, either Python or Server Javascript. Once the previous process is completed, status either set to Complete or Approved, the script attached to the Action node will execute. You can either create the script directly in the process properties or place your scripts in a common location on your server and add the path to the process. Condition: The Condition type is similar to the Action process. It will execute a script, Python or Server Javascript, that will return either True or False. This value can then be used by an Action process to run another script. You can either create the script directly in the process properties or place your scripts in a common location on your server and add the path to the process. Approval: The Approval type is used when work created during a manual process needs to be reviewed by a supervisor. The supervisor will then update the status to Approved or Retake. NOTE If you want to attach a trigger to the Approval process, first set the process to Manual, create the trigger, and then set the type to Approval. The node will preserve the triggers. 93

94 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About Included Workflows Here is the list of workflows that are included with Producer, along with a brief description for each. 94

95 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Episodes Workflow to track jobs as episodes of a TV series. 95

96 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 2D Cut-out Scenes Workflow to track 2D cut-out scenes, where the animation is made of digital puppets. 96

97 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows 2D Paperless Scenes Workflow to track 2D paperless scenes, where the animation is hand-drawn digitally. 97

98 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide BG Workflow to track the creation of bitmap backgrounds. 98

99 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Character Template Workflow to track the building of digital puppets (also known as character rigs). 99

100 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Basic Task Workflow Basic Workflow providing statuses for the tasks of the other workflows. 100

101 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Creating Workflows Creating a new workflow includes a series of subtasks. To simplify the process, it may be a good idea to start from an existing workflow see Duplicating Workflows on page 106. Should you want to create a completely new workflow, follow this procedure. NOTE To add nodes to your workflow and connect them, see Adding Nodes to Workflows on page 108 and Connecting Nodes on page 109. How to create a workflow 1. In the main menu, select Project Settings. The Project Settings tab opens. 2. Select the Workflows option. The Workflows tab opens. 3. Click Add. The Add New Workflow dialog box opens. 101

102 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 4. In the Name field, enter the name of the new workflow. 5. In the Description field, type the workflow description. 6. In the Search Type drop-down menu, select the type of item to which this workflow applies. For a scene, select Scene (tba/scene). For an asset, select Asset (vfx/asset). 7. In the Colour field, use the colour picker widget to select an identification colour. 8. Click Select to confirm the colour selection. 9. We recommend that you leave the Autocreate Tasks option enabled. This means that when items are created using this workflow, the tasks will be created automatically. 10. Click Add to create the workflow. 11. In the Workflows list, select the new workflow. The workflow appears in the editor. 12. Click on the Create First Node icon to create the first node. 13. Right-click on the node and select Rename Node. 14. Type the new name. 15. Press Enter to validate the name. 16. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Note that the Save icon has an orange glow whenever a change has been made to a workflow. 102

103 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Creating Task Status Workflows A Task Status workflow is special. Rather than apply to an item, such as a scene or an asset, it applies to the task of another workflow. In fact, it provides statuses for that task. Let's use the simple asset workflow Background as an example. Background has two process: Layout and Colouring. If we want to have five possible statuses for the process; Layout, Pending, In Progress, Completed, Rejected and Approved, we need to create a task status workflow. NOTE To add nodes to your workflow and connect them, see Adding Nodes to Workflows on page 108 and Connecting Nodes on page 109. How to create Task Status workflows 1. In the main menu, select Project Settings. The Project Settings tab opens. 2. Select the Workflows option. The Workflows tab opens. 3. Click Add. The Add New Workflow dialog box opens. 103

104 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 4. In the Name field, enter the name of the new workflow. 5. In the Description field, type the workflow description. 6. In the Search Type drop-down menu, select Task (sthpw/task). 7. In the Colour field, use the colour picker widget to select an identification colour. 8. Click Select to confirm the colour selection. 9. We recommend that you leave the Autocreate Tasks option enabled. This means that when items are created using this workflow, the tasks will be created automatically. 10. Click Add to create the workflow. 11. In the Workflows list, select the new Task Status workflow. The workflow appears in the editor. 12. Click on the Create First Node icon to create the first node 104

105 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows 13. Right-click on the node and select Rename Node. 14. Type the new name. 15. Press Enter to valide the name. 16. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Note that the Save icon has an orange glow whenever a change has been made to a workflow. 105

106 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Duplicating Workflows The workflows that are provided with Producer are useful templates to create your own. It is recommended to not use them directly as they may be updated and modified in future versions. Instead, duplicate and modify them to match your own pipeline. IMPORTANT As of now, the code of the pipeline (also known as the workflow) cannot be changed. In some circumstances, that pipeline will be referred to by code and not by name. We therefore recommend to include the number of the workflow code in the workflow name so as to make things easier. How to duplicate workflows 1. In the main menu, select Project Settings. The Project Settings tab opens. 2. Select the Workflows option. The Workflows tab opens. 3. In the Workflows list, right-click on the workflow to duplicate and select Duplicate. The new workflow appears in the list. 4. Right-click on the new workflow and select Edit. The Edit Workflow Details dialog box opens. 106

107 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows 5. In the Name field, enter the name of the new workflow. 6. In the Description field, type the workflow description. 7. In the Search Type drop-down menu, select the type of item to which this workflow applies. For a scene, select Scene (tba/scene). For an asset, select Asset (vfx/asset). 8. In the Colour field, use the colour picker widget to select an identification colour. 9. Click Select to confirm the colour selection. 10. We recommend that you leave the Autocreate Tasks option enabled. This means that when items are created using this workflow, the tasks will be created automatically. 11. Click Save. 107

108 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Adding Nodes to Workflows Workflows are made up of nodes, representing processes, which will eventually turn into tasks. How to add nodes to workflows 1. In the main menu, select Project Settings. The Project Settings tab opens. 2. Select the Workflows option. The Workflows tab opens. 3. In the Workflows list, select the desired workflow. The workflow appears in the editor. 4. Click the Add icon to add a new node to the workflow. 5. Right-click on the node and select Rename Node. 6. Type the new name. 7. Press Enter to valide the name. 8. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Note that the Save icon has an orange glow whenever a change has been made to a workflow. 108

109 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Connecting Nodes Once you added nodes to your workflow, you need to connect them in the right order. How to connect nodes 1. In the main menu, select Project Settings. The Project Settings tab opens. 2. Select the Workflows option. The Workflows tab opens. 3. In the Workflows list, select the desired workflow. The workflow appears in the editor. 4. Workflows travel from left to right. Before connecting two processes together, make sure to drag the first of these nodes to the left of the other. 5. To connect the nodes, click and drag from the output of the first node to the input of the second node. 109

110 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 6. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Note that the Save icon has an orange glow whenever a change has been made to a workflow. How to disconnect nodes 1. To delete a connection, click on the link. When selected, it will change colour. 1. Click the Delete icon. 2. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Note that the Save icon has an orange glow whenever a change has been made to a workflow. 110

111 Chapter 6: Pipelines and Workflows Adding Scripts to Workflows 111

112 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 112

113 Chapter 7: Tasks Chapter 7: Tasks Tasks are at the heart of tracking your production with Producer. They can can be automatically created when new scenes are added or they can be created manually. Tasks are the practical form of the processes that make up workflows see About Workflows on page 91. Tasks have different possible statuses and can be assigned to different users see About Task Status Workflows on page 92. Tasks are usually created automatically because workflows have a default setting to automatically create tasks. When you create an item, such as a scene or an asset, and you select a workflow using the auto-create setting, all the processes of this workflow will be converted into actual tasks for this item. However, if you selected a workflow where the auto-create tasks has been disabled, the item may appear like the example below and you will have manually create a task. 113

114 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide My Tasks Accessible from the main menu, My Tasks is a very useful place listing all the tasks that are currently assigned to you. 114

115 Chapter 7: Tasks Creating Tasks You can manually create tasks for items created using a workflow where the task automatic creation setting has been disabled. How to create tasks 1. Do one of the following: From the Project Dashboard tab, navigate to the environment and job containing the scene to create a task for. For the Assets tab, navigate to the asset to create a task for. 2. Click on the Add button to access the Add Task to Selected dialog box. The Add Tasks to Selected dialog box opens. 115

116 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide 3. In the Create Tasks By drop-down menu, select how you want the tasks to be created. We recommend you select process. process context all contexts in process 4. In the Assigned Pipelines area, enable and disable the processes you want the task to follow or skip. Any checked process will be converted into a task. 5. Enable the Skip Duplicated option for Producer to skip any duplicated tasks. 6. Click Add Tasks. 116

117 Chapter 7: Tasks Editing Scene Task Status and Assignments Each scene task has its own status and owner. You can edit them in the Scene List. You can also change your own task status in the My Tasks tab. How to edit scene task status and assignments 1. From the Project Dashboard tab, navigate to the environment and job containing the scenes to set the task status and assignment for. 2. In the Tasks column, below the corresponding task, in the Status drop-down menu (top) set the task status. 3. In the Tasks column, below the corresponding task, in the Assigned drop-down menu (bottom) set the task owner. 4. To save, do one of the following: Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Right-click and select Save all changes. How to change tasks status in the My Tasks tab. 1. In the main menu, select My Tasks. 2. In the Tasks list, in the Status column, click on the Edit Status icon. 3. From the Status drop-down menu, select the new status. 4. To save, do one of the following: 117

118 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Right-click and select Save all changes. 118

119 Chapter 7: Tasks Editing Assets Task Status and Assignments Each asset task has its own status and owner. You can edit them in the Assets List. You can also change your own asset status in the My Tasks tab. How to edit asset task status and assignments 1. From the left main menu, select Assets. 2. In the Assets tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. In the drop-down menu, select Tasks. 4. In the column corresponding to the task, in the Status drop-down menu (top), set the asset status. 5. In the column corresponding to the task, in the Assigned drop-down menu (bottom), set the asset owner. 6. To save, do one of the following: Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Right-click and select Save all changes. 119

120 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide How to change asset status in the My Tasks tab. 1. In the main menu, select My Tasks. 2. In the Tasks list, in the Status column, click on the Edit Status icon. 3. From the Status drop-down menu, select the new status. 4. To save, do one of the following: Click on the Save icon to save the changes. Right-click and select Save all changes. 120

121 Chapter 8: Review and Approval Chapter 8: Review and Approval T-PFND Another useful aspect of Producer is the ability to review and approve processes and assets. 121

122 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Review Reviewing work can often be accomplished in Producer. You may indeed use a Review session to view or playback an image or a video. You can write comments that will stick with the asset or scene. You may even draw on video frames to provide graphical feedback to the artists. 122

123 Chapter 8: Review and Approval Approvals The workflow will determine how many levels of approvals there are. Approvals may be sequential or parallel. 123

124 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Snapshots Whenever a version of an item (asset or scene) is uploaded, a snapshot is created. A snapshot is an iteration of an evolving item, a specific version of it. To be able to submit an item for review, there must be a snapshot created for the current process. 124

125 Chapter 8: Review and Approval Notes Part of the review process is to leave notes about the work you are reviewing. You can also leave notes on any item at any time. Notes are typically addressed to the current assignee of a process, however other users can also be copied on them. Notes remain with the asset or scene for which it is written, making it easy for anyone to go through the history of this item. You may search for notes through the Notes Reports section of the Reports page see Searching Reports on page

126 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Uploading Snapshots To be able to submit an item for review, there must be a snapshot created for the current process. How to upload snapshots 1. In the main menu, select My Tasks. The My Tasks tab opens. 2. In the task list, check the item you would like to update. 3. Click on the Check-in icon. The Ingest dialog box opens. 126

127 Chapter 8: Review and Approval 4. Drag your snapshot files onto the Drag File Here area or click Add Files button to browse and select the files to upload. 5. Click Ingest Files. 127

128 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Submitting for Review Once your items are ready, you can submit them for review. NOTE There are two conditions to be able to submit an item for review: The snapshot must exist for the current process see Uploading Snapshots on page 126. A review session must exist see Creating Review Sessions on page 130. How to submit for review 1. In the main menu, select My Tasks. The My Tasks tab opens. 2. In the task list, check the items you would like to submit for review. 3. Click the Submit icon. The Submit Tasks dialog box opens. 128

129 Chapter 8: Review and Approval 4. For each item, in the Files section, select the version to submit. 5. In the Review Session drop-down menu, select a review session. 6. Click Submit. 129

130 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Creating Review Sessions T-PFND To be able to review and approve items, you need to first create a review session. How to create review sessions. 1. In the main menu, select Review and Approval. 2. The Review and Approval tab opens. 3. Click the Add icon. The Add new Item to Review dialog box opens. 4. In the Code field, enter a review session code or leave it blank for Producer to create a code. 5. In the type drop-down menu, select the type of review session. You can choose between client and daily. This will inform users of whom will be the recipient of their submission. 6. In the Date field, select the date for the session. Click in the field next to the calendar icon. 7. Click Add. 130

131 Chapter 8: Review and Approval Opening Review Sessions Once you are ready to approve items submitted for review, you can open an existing review session. T-PFND How to open a review session 1. In the main menu, select Review and Approval. The Review and Approval tab opens. 2. In the session list, check the session you would like to start, on the left. 3. Click on the Open Session icon. The Review tab opens. 131

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133 Chapter 9: Media Library Chapter 9: Media Library T-PFND The Media library is a repository for special reference assets; anything that will not be used directly on screen but that people will need to refer to can be stored here. There are four reference areas. 133

134 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Scripts Scripts are the screenplays, the stories in written form. They are usually generated before the storyboard and can be a great source of information for anyone involved in the production. 134

135 Chapter 9: Media Library Storyboards Storyboards are graphic organizers that are the backbone of any animation production. They contain invaluable information about the story and everyone working on a project should read it at least once. The Producer s Media library has a section to keep them accessible at all time. 135

136 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Videos After the script and the storyboard usually comes the animatic (also known as pre-viz or leica reel). The animatic is essentially a video version of the storyboard allowing the director to get a precise sense of timing. Producer lets you upload the videos making up the animatic in the Video section of the Media library. 136

137 Chapter 9: Media Library Art References Design references and pose sheets are critical to insure a consistent look throughout a production. It is a good idea to store these close at hand in the Media library. 137

138 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Uploading New Items to the Media Library T-PFND You can add scripts, storyboards, videos, and art references to the Media library. The uploading method is similar for all four types. How to upload new items to the Media library 1. From the left main menu, select Media Library. 2. In the Media Library tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select either Scripts, Storyboards, Videos, or Art References. 4. Click on the Add icon to add a new item to the Media library. 5. Fill in information about the new items. Information will differ depending on the media to upload. You can enter information such as the title, author, description, short code, sequence code, or category. 6. Click Add. 7. Once the Media library item is created, drag and drop files onto the chosen item. 138

139 Chapter 9: Media Library Downloading Items from the Media Library T-PFND You can easily download references from Producer. How to download items from the Media library 1. From the left main menu, select Media Library. 2. In the Media Library tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select either Scripts, Storyboards, Videos, or Art References. 4. Select the reference you would like to download. 5. Click on the Download icon. The Choose Files to Download dialog box opens. 6. Click the Download Selected Files button. 139

140 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Deleting Items from the Media Library T-PFND You can remove unnecessary references from the Media library. How to delete items from the Media library 1. From the left main menu, select Media Library. 2. In the Media Library tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select either Scripts, Storyboards, Videos, or Art References. 4. Select the reference to delete. 5. Click on the Delete icon to remove the reference. 140

141 Chapter 9: Media Library Renaming Items from the Media Library T-PFND You can modify information linked to references such as the description or author. How to rename items from the Media library 1. From the left main menu, select Media Library. 2. In the Media Library tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select either Scripts, Storyboards, Videos, or Art References. 4. Double-click on the text to modify and type the new text. 5. Press Enter to validate the new information. 6. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. 141

142 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Updating Items in Media Library T-PFND You can easily update or replace items in the Media library. How to update items in the Media Library To update an item, drag and drop the new version on top of the old one. 142

143 Chapter 9: Media Library Tagging Art References with Keywords T-PFND Art references can be tagged with keywords to easily retrieve them later. How to tag art references with keywords 1. From the left main menu, select Media Library. 2. In the Media Library tab, click on the Menu icon. 3. Select Art References. 4. In the Keywords column, type in keywords that will help you find this item later on. 5. Press Enter to validate the information. 6. Click on the Save icon to save the changes. 143

144 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Searching the Media Library T-PFND For all sections of the media library, you can search through the items. In the case of art reference, the search will occur through the keywords. For all other media (scripts, storyboards, and videos), the description will be searched. NOTE If some files appear to be missing in one of the media library sections, it is possible that a previous search is still in effect, restricting what references are being displayed. To clear a previous search, follow these steps. If the Search Filter area is hidden, this may not be obvious and it may seem like some references are missing. You must open the Search Filter area by clicking on the Search Filters icon and make sure to clear previous entries. Remove any entry from the keywords dialog box and click Search again. How to search the Media library 1. From the left main menu, select Media Library. 2. Open the Media Library Search section, by clicking on the Search Filters icon. 3. In the Search Criteria dialog box, type in the keywords you are looking for. 4. Click Search. 144

145 Chapter 10: Reports Chapter 10: Reports T-PFND One of the advantages of digitizing the entire pipeline is that you have access to all sorts of information in real time. Moreover, Producer s digital reports allow you to dig deeper as any results can be expanded for further information. The following reports are available: Scene Task Summary: Compares scene tasks by process and time status. Asset Task Summary: Compares asset tasks by progress and time status. Task Report: Browses all project tasks. User Report: Browses user activity within this project. Note Report: Browses all project notes. Check-in Report: Browses all project check-ins. 145

146 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Accessing Reports T-PFND To track the production's progress, you can access the reports included in Producer. How to access reports 1. In the left main menu, select Reports. 2. In the Reports tab, select the desired report. The selected report's tab opens. 146

147 Chapter 10: Reports Searching Reports T-PFND To filter the report results, you can adjust the report search criteria. Depending on the report, the criteria selection differs. NOTE To see everything, remove all search criteria by clearing the fields. How to search reports 1. In the left main menu, select Reports. 2. In the Reports tab, select the desired report. The selected report's tab opens. 3. In the selected report tab, adjust the search criteria. You can combine various settings for a more specific report. Summary Reports Search Criteria Criteria Definition Assigned Select a condition such as is or is not and from the drop-down menu, select a user from the provided list. This will filter the scenes or tasks assigned to a specific user. Note that you can select only one user at a time. Status Select a condition such as is or is not and from the drop-down menu, select a production status from the provided list. This will filter the scenes or tasks set to a specific status. Note that you can select only one status at a time. Priority Select a condition such as is or is not and from the drop-down menu, select a priority level from the provided list. This will filter the scenes or tasks set to a specific priority. Note that you can select only one priority level at a time. 147

148 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Note Report Search Criteria Criteria Definition Created By Select a condition such as is or is not and from the dropdown menu, select a note author from the provided list. This will filter the notes created by a specific user. Note that you can select only one user at a time. Process Select a condition such as is or is not and from the dropdown menu, select a process from the provided list. This will filter the notes related to a specific process. Note that you can select only one process at a time. Timestamp Select a start date and an end date to restrict the reports to display notes created during this time range. Created For Select a project level or item such as environment or job, then select a condition. such as with or not in. From the context sensitive list, select an item or field to filter. Type in the keywords to filter notes based on the items and conditions given. Task Report Search Criteria Criteria Definition Process Select a condition such as is or is not and from the drop-down menu, select a process from the provided list. This will filter the 148

149 Chapter 10: Reports tasks related to a specific process. Note that you can select only one process at a time. Status Select a condition such as is or is not and from the drop-down menu, select a production status from the provided list. This will filter the tasks set to a specific status. Note that you can select only one status at a time. Priority Select a condition such as is or is not and from the drop-down menu, select a priority level from the provided list. This will filter the tasks set to a specific priority. Note that you can select only one priority level at a time. Created For Select a project level or item such as environment or job, then select a condition such as with or not in. From the context sensitive list, select an item or field to filter. Type in the keywords to filter tasks based on the items and conditions given. User Report Search Criteria Criteria Definition Department Select a production department from the list to see users within that department. Note that you can select only one department at a time. You can click the drop-down arrow to enable or disable the Use partial word match option. Name Type in a name to find a specific user. You can click the dropdown arrow to enable or disable the Use partial word match option. Check-in Report Search Criteria 149

150 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide NOTE Click the drop-down arrow to access the Search Criteria dialog box. Criteria Definition Description Type in keywords to filter check-in items containing these keywords in their description field. Process Select a condition such as is or is not and from the dropdown menu, select a process from the provided list. This will filter the notes related to a specific process. Note that you can select only one process at a time. Version Type in a keyword to find a check-in related to a version. You can click the drop-down arrow to enable or disable the Use partial word match option. Timestamp Select a start date and an end date to restrict the reports to display check-in created during this time range. Created For Select a project level or item such as environment or job, then select a condition such as with or not in. From the context sensitive list, select an item or field to filter. Type-in the keywords to filter check-in based on the items and conditions given. 4. Click Search. The report results appear. 150

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153 Chapter 11: Toon Boom Harmony Integration Chapter 11: Toon Boom Harmony Integration Harmony is the most advanced 2D animation software available today. From animators to compositors, it is widely used throughout the animation industry. Harmony s focus remains, however, on the production itself rather than on the tracking of it. Producer is therefore a welcome addition to its pipeline. 153

154 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide About the Harmony Database At the heart of Harmony (in its Premium and Advanced editions), lies a centralized database that is critical to its industrial efficiency. As we started working on Producer, it was clear that while we wanted it to work with any animation pipeline, it would be very useful to Harmony users and even more so if we allowed the two databases to communicate. It was also important that the databases remain distinct to preserve their independence. 154

155 Chapter 11: Toon Boom Harmony Integration About Web Control Center The communication between Harmony and Producer is accomplished through an application called Web Control Center (aka WebCC) which is included with the Harmony Server. Web Control Center is easy to setup and is capable of complex interaction with Harmony. In its essence, it acts as an interpreter for Producer to be able to accomplish tasks such as synchronizing file structures, opening specific scenes, rendering previews, or pre-loading assets into scenes. 155

156 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Pushing a Job to Harmony This operation is usually done when all the scenes of a job have been created in Producer and you want to replicate that structure in your Harmony database. You can access this function from an environment page in the dashboard. Note that the environment must exist in both Producer and Harmony with the same exact spelling. How to push a job to Harmony 1. From the Project Dashboard, in the Environment / List section, click on the environment containing the job to push. 2. On the row of the job you want to push, in the Synchronize column, click on the Push to Harmony icon. A confirmation window opens allowing you to review the changes that were done to the Harmony database. If the job does not already exist in Harmony, it will be created. Scenes that already exist in the Harmony database will be left as is. New scenes will be created. 156

157 Chapter 11: Toon Boom Harmony Integration Pulling a Job from Harmony If scenes were already created in Harmony, and you would like to import that file structure in Producer to track it, you can pull the job from Harmony to Producer. How to pull a job from Harmony 1. From the Project Dashboard, in the Environment / List section, click on the environment containing the job to update. 2. On the row of the job you want to pull, in the Synchronize column, click on the Pull from Harmony icon. 157

158 Toon Boom Producer 1.0 User Guide Opening Harmony Scenes from Producer You can open Harmony scenes directly in Producer. How to open a Harmony scene from Producer 1. From the Project Dashboard, navigate to the environment and job containing the scene to open. 2. Do one of the following: In the Scene list, click on the Harmony icon to pen the scene. From the My Tasks page, click on the Harmony icon. 158

159 Chapter 11: Toon Boom Harmony Integration Pushing Assets to Harmony Scenes When assets are assigned to scenes, you can push them to Harmony to populate the scenes see Assigning Assets to Scenes on page 76. How to push assets to Harmony scenes 1. In the main menu, select Scene Planning. 2. In the Scene List section, select the scenes for which you would like the assets to be pushed to Harmony. 3. Click the Push to Harmony icon. 159