Storyboarding For Animation Class Notes

Overview

Class notes from Storyboarding for Animation at LA Figurative Art Academy with Pete Michels, Spring 2018.

What's new in Storyboard Pro 6

• Import video or image sequence as video.
• Import FinalDraft script, FDX format only.
• Auto-matte layer fills in line work with solid color so layers underneath don't show through. Layer > Generate Auto-Matte
• Tool Presets -- A toolbar containing brushes of certain colors that will create new layers when used, e.g. a "Revisions" brush that is a red brush that creates a new layer named "Revisions" when used.

Components

Library

Library tab is found next to the Tool Properties tab.

Allows you to drag layers into the Library panel to save them as templates (including any transformations).

Tool Presets toolbar

Window > Toolbars > Tool Presets

Brushes with preset colors that create new layers when used, e.g. a blue brush that creates a new layer named "ROUGH" when used.

Cookbook

Preferences

Default layer layout

To create a default layer layout for new panels: Layer > Set Layer Layout As Default. E.g. if you wanted a specific set up in terms of a set number of layers with specific names.

Importing

Importing audio

First make sure that an audio track is selected in the Timeline.

File > Import > select the audio file

Importing sequences

SBP 6 supports importing video or image sequences (which are then treated as video.)

Importing scripts

SBP 6 supports importing Final Draft scripts (.fdx format only).

Selections

Selecting a layer or layers across panels

⌘+⇧ + click on layer, then click on same layer in a different panel, or click on another layer in a different panel to select multiple layers.

All the layers must have the same names (case-sensitive) in the range of panels for this to work.

To copy and paste a cycle:

1. ⌘+⇧ SELECT original cycle
2. Go to next panel.
3. Layer > Paste Special
4. Fill in options, e.g. loop vs ping pong, number of cycles, etc.

Editing thumbnails

Editing brushstrokes

Contour Editor > Centerline editor displays a center line for brush strokes. Pencil lines always have the center line visible. PM recommended always using brushes as opposed to pencils.

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

Special lighting

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

Filling line drawings

Select the layer containing the line drawing to fill.

Layer menu > Generate Auto-Matte ( ⌘M )

Options for tolerance and color are available in the dialog.

Tool presets

These are brushes that create new layers when they are used, e.g. a blue brush that creates a "ROUGH" layer when it's used.

Windows > 'Toolbars > Tool Presets

It's located in the horizontal toolbar strip along the top of the window by default.

Timeline

Animating a transformation on a layer

• Click figure icon to the right of layer thumbnail in Stage View
• Change the icon to "running man" icon
• With the layer selected, now a channel is displayed in the Timeline for its keyframes.
• Insert a keyframe on the layer to maintain the current size & location at that frame.
• Select the Transform tool (a square with 9 control points).
• Move to a new frame and transform the layer to create a new keyframe. The values will transition smoothly between the two keyframes by default.

As of SBP 6 there is no support for animating transparency.

Ease in, ease out

• Select the Transform tool selected and a layer with keyframes selected in Stage View.
• 'Tool Properties tab > Keyframes group > Function Editor button (S-shaped bezier curve with two dots at its ends)

Creating a stop-motion keyframe

A "stop-motion," or "hold," keyframe is one where there is no transition in values between two keyframes. The translation, rotation, or scale value stays remains at what it was at the first keyframe until the 2nd keyframe is reached, then the value shifts abruptly to the new value.

• Apply two keyframes in the Timeline.
• With the Transform tool selected (square with 9 control points), Tool Properties tab > Keyframes panel > Open Function Editor button (an S-shaped bezier)
• Make sure the desired transform is selected under Functions, e.g. Angle_z if working on a rotation.
• Select the first keyframe in the transform.
• Click the Stop-motion keyframe button (red flat horizontal line with two dots at its ends)

Looping keyframes

For looping keyframes within one panel, the quickest thing is probably to copy and paste two keyframes in the Timeline.

To loop keyframes across multiple panels, use Spread Layer Motion

Spread layer motion

Spread layer motion is the mechanism for animating a transformation on a layer over multiple panels.

• In the Camera View select a layer in the first panel of the sequence.
• In the Timeline select the first frame in the sequence.
• Add a keyframe to the panel in the timeline.
• Go to the last frame of the panel.
• Transform the layer, and another keyframe will be added in the Timeline.
• Layer > Spread Layer Motion...
  • Choose the number of panels to spread the transformation over.
  • The keyframe will remain where it was, but the transform will take plane over multiple panels.
  • The layer being transformed shouldn't be visible in any panels beyond the first panel.

Transitions

• Storyboard > Add Transition (or hourglass icon in toolbar)
• Go to scene where the transition will start.
• Click transition to change the transition type.

Hiding content outside the frame

To hide visual elements that fall outside the frame while playing back in the timeline, click the Camera Mask button at the bottom left of the Stage/Camera View pane.

Camera

Pin to Camera

Pin to Camera (not sure where the function is located/controlled) can be used to emulate a heads-up display that tracks camera movement.

Exporting

Controlling which frames to include in PDFs

With a transformation applied to a layer, Storyboard > Add Snapshot. This instructs SBP to export that frame when exporting to PDF. (By default, the first frame in each panel in the timeline is exported.)

Libraries

Library tab (next to Tool Properties)

Drag layers from the Stage View into the Library panel to save as a template (including any transformations.) The templates in the library are then available to other storyboard projects.

This is a good way to reuse walk cycles, for example.

Notes

See also

• Storyboarding For Animation Introduction