Editing Storyboard Pro Panel Editing Cookbook

== Navigation ==

=== Keyboard shortcuts ===

{|class="wikitable"
|-
| Previous frame || A 
|-
| Next frame || F
|}

== Drawing ==

=== Editing brushstrokes ===

'''Tools''' menu > '''Centerline editor'''  displays a center line for brushstrokes, which can then be moved around to change the path of the brushstroke. 

'''Tools''' > '''Contour Editor''' allows you to edit the edges of a brushstroke.

Pencil lines always have the center line visible. PM recommended always using brushes as opposed to pencils.

Brushstrokes can also be converted to pencil lines and vice versa. Pencil lines can be edited as bezier curves, but brush strokes cannot.

=== Filling line drawings ===

Select the layer containing the line drawing to fill.

'''Layer''' menu > '''Generate Auto-Matte''' ( <kbd>&#8984;M</kbd> )

Options for tolerance and color are available in the dialog.

By default it will fill with the current color, defined in the color picker window. '''Layer''' > '''Colour'''

To change the color of the matte, '''Matte colour''': "Custom", then click on the color chip to the right.

=== Drawing solid freeform shapes ===

* Select the '''Pencil''' tool.
* '''Tool Properties''' panel 
** '''Maximum Size''' slider > Set to '''0'''. This prevents an outline from being displayed around the shape. 
** '''Colour''' > Select the color to use to fill the shape. 
** '''Auto Fill''' button (the icon is a loose circle filled with red, located at the bottom of the panel.)
** Click the '''Fill Behind''' button in order to draw the shape behind existing lines to fill drawings.

=== Converting brush strokes into pencil lines ===

With the '''Select Tool''', select the brush strokes to be converted.

'''Tools''' menu > '''Convert''' > '''Convert brush strokes into pencil lines'''

=== Changing the thickness of a brushstroke ===

First, [[#Converting_brush_strokes_into_pencil_lines|convert the brush strokes into pencil lines]].

With the '''Pencil''' tool selected, change the thickness of the stroke in the '''Tool Properties''' panel.

Convert the pencil lines back to brush strokes: '''Tools''' menu > '''Convert''' > '''Pencil lines to brush strokes'''

=== Drawing thumbnails ===

'''Preferences''' > '''General''' > '''Forbid drawing on panel thumbnails'''

By default, this option is active. Deselecting this option the thumbnails in the Thumbnails pane to be drawn on directly, which can be a convenient way to do thumbnails as they are small and you can see the panels side by side. 

Important to toggle this off when you’re done otherwise when you go to select a thumbnail a mark will be left on the panel.

== Selecting by color ==

With the '''Select Tool''' (black arrow) active: '''Tool Properties''' panel > '''Select Tool Options''' group > '''Select by Color''' (red arrow icon). (Alternatively, '''Tools''' menu > '''Select by colour'''.)

Now when the '''Select Tool''' is used to click on a vector element in the panel, all other elements with the same color will be selected.

== Selections ==

=== Selecting layers across panels ===

<div class="alert alert-warning">Be sure to select the layers within the panels in the '''Thumbnails''' panel. They can't be selected across multiple panels in any other window.</div>

<div class="alert alert-warning">'''Prerequisite''': All the selected layers must have the exact same names in all selected panels.</div>

First, make sure that the Selection Tool (black arrow) is active.

In the '''Thumbnails''' pane, go to the thumbnail of the starting panel. Select the starting layer or layers.

Scroll to the ending panel and while holding down the <kbd>&#8984; Command</kbd>  and <kbd>&#8679; Shift</kbd> keys, click on the ending panel. In order to select layers across the panel range, '''all the layers must be named the same across the entire range'''. This is case-sensitive. 

The layers that were selected in the first panel will now be selected on the first panel and last panel and all panels in between. <ref>[https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/support-and-troubleshooting/scaling-resizing-character-thru-several-pane#comment-37273 Scaling / resizing a character thru several panels?] - Toon Boom Forums</ref>,<ref>https://blog.toonboom.com/how-to/tips-from-marc-andre-storyboard-pro-and-harmony-product-manager The fastest way to copy a change across multiple panels in a scene] - Toon Boom Blog</ref>

=== Copying layers across multiple panels ===

If the layers are to be copied, copy them via '''Layer''' menu item > '''Copy Layers''' ''only'', i.e. don't copy them by right clicking and selecting '''Copy Selected Layers''', or <kbd>&#8984;</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd>, or '''Edit''' > '''Copy'''.

=== Pasting layers across multiple panels ===

In the '''Thumbnail''' panel, select the panels to paste into. '''Layer''' menu item > '''Paste Layer Special''', and review options in the dialog. 

Note that '''Paste Layer Special''' is only avaiable with multiple panels selected.

== Transforming artwork ==

=== Transforming an entire layer ===

With the layer selected in the '''Stage''' window, use the '''Layer Transform''' tool. [[File:SBP Layer Transform Tool.png|22px]]

=== Transforming vector art across multiple panels ===

If the layers are to be transformed, with the range selected, use the Selection Tool to draw a lasso around all of the artwork in the layers. With the artwork selected, use the Selection tool the move, scale, or rotate the selected artwork in the current panel. The transformation will be applied to the artwork in all of the selected layers.

Note that the Selection Tool cannot be used to select artwork if a layer group is selected. If all the layers in a group are to be transformed it's necessary to select the layers directly by first expanding the layer group, then selecting all the layers within the group directly.

=== Transforming layers across multiple panels ===

* Select a layer. Use the '''Layer Transform''' tool to move it. 
* '''Layer''' > '''Spread Layer Motion...'''

To apply the transform to any other layers, select the other layers, then apply '''Spread Motion Layer...'''

== Copying artwork to other panels ==

=== Duplicating panels ===

Sometimes the simplest way to repeat loops in a cycle is to duplicate the entire panels. 

* In either the '''Thumbnails''' or '''Timeline''' window, select the source panel or panels.
* ''right click'' > '''Duplicate Panels'''
* This will make copies of the selected panels and place them in the timeline immediately after the last panel in the selection.

=== Drag and drop ===

* Make the '''Thumbnails''' Window active. 
* Select the Layers to copy from the tabs on the right side of a Panel.
* Drag those tabs and drop them in the stack of tabs on the right side of the destination Panel. 

=== Paste Layer Special ===

* Select the layer(s) within a single Panel.
* Copy the layers with '''Layer''' menu item > '''Copy Layers''', or ''right click'' > '''Copy Layer'''.
* In the '''Thumbnail''' or '''Timeline''' panels, select the range of panels to copy the cycle(s) into.
* '''Main App Menu''' > '''Layer''' > '''Paste Layers Special''' <ref>[https://blog.toonboom.com/how-to/tips-from-marc-andre-storyboard-pro-and-harmony-product-manager The fastest way to copy a change to multiple panels in a scene] - Toon Boom Blog</ref> <ref>[https://docs.toonboom.com/help/storyboard-pro-20/storyboard/drawing/copy-artwork-muliple-panels.html Copying Artwork On Mutiple Panels] - SBP 20 Docs </ref>
** Fill in options, e.g. loop vs ping pong, overwrite existing layers, etc.
** Use the '''Overwrite existing layers with same name''' option to update existing artwork to match the updates made in the source Layer.
** Use the '''Place layers at bottom''' option to update layers containing BG artwork.

=== Stamp tool ===

The '''Stamp Tool''' is useful for (a) quickly creating collections of similar objects, e.g. crowds, forests, rain, and (b) reusing cycles.

==== Crowds and chaotic patterns ====

* Create the source artwork in either a single layer or multiple layers. Multiple layers will add more variation to the backdrop.
* Select the '''Clone Tool'''.
* '''Tool Properties''' panel > '''Presets''' > '''New Brush''' button (icon of a pencil with a plus sign next to it.)
* A new stamp is added to the '''Presets'''.
* Now with the '''Stamp Tool''' over the '''Stage/Camera View''', every click will add a drawing from the stamp cycle. Each layer from the source artwork is the next image in the stamp cycle. 
** Note that the size of the stamps can be changed in the '''Tool Properties''' panel by changing the size of the brush. So, for example, you can make a forest containing trees of varying sizes.

==== Cycles ====

* Within a single '''Panel''' create a Layer for each drawing representing a step in the cycle. 
* Select all the Layers in the cycle, and create a new '''Stamp Preset''' as described above.
* Create a new Panel for each step in the cycle using the <kbd>P</kbd> keyboard shortcut.
* Click in the '''Stage/Camera View''' window with the '''Stamp Tool''' to place each drawing in the cycle. 
** Turn on '''Onion Skin''' to register the drawings relative to each other in the Panels.

== Templates ==

See [[Storyboard Pro Templates]]

== Special lighting ==

# Create a new layer in a panel as an overlay (OL).
# Use the '''Rectangle''' tool to create a rectangle bigger than the frame.
# Fill the rectangle with a semi-transparent color (save the color including the transparency in the color palette for consistency).
# Cut out any necessary elements out of the rectangle, e.g. lit windows.

== Perspective tool ==

This tool can be used to skew selections, unlike how Photoshop works where you transform a selection and use modifier keys to skew the selection.

* Make a selection of the artwork to transform.
* Choose the '''Perspective Tool''' ''(located under '''Contour Editor''' in the '''Tools''' toolbar.)''
* Manipulate the selection handles to skew the drawing, e.g. take a drawing of a painting and skew it to look like it's placed on a wall perpendicular to the camera plane.

== Notes ==

=== See also ===

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MHQRybwDbXQJAfyss9AnYYz9Iwp9jw4NzHEqmmrAhvM/edit?usp=sharing Storyboard Pro Advanced 1 class notes, March 2025] - Google Docs
* [[Storyboarding For Animation Class Notes]]
* [[Storyboard Pro Timeline Cookbook]]
* [[Storyboard Pro Workspace Cookbook]]

=== References ===
<references />

[[Category:Storyboard Pro]][[Category:Storyboarding]][[Category:Animation]]