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How to reposition peg, how to add stroke to text, how to shrink overall canvas size?

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YiNa Wang

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Sep 5, 2024, 11:39:43 PM9/5/24
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Hi, have a series of questions here (been a toonboom user for over a year but switching to opentoonz cuz its too expensive)

I am doing a simple gif animation. I added a peg for each image layer and I can't seem to reposition the peg (don't like the peg location and its not centred properly with the character? How can I move it?
Screenshot 2024-09-05 202507.png
Here is what my schematic node view look like
Screenshot 2024-09-05 203401.png

Was also wondering is there a way to shrink the entire canvas? I adjust the camera to be 600x400 pixels which is the size of the gif, but I can't seem to change the size of the ginormous canvas. Screenshot 2024-09-05 202523.png
Also, is ther a way to add a stroke/outline to the text? Similar to this image? I used TextIwa for this since for some reason, when I use the regular text, it automatically rasterize it and I can't edit it anymore.
(I want a colored stroke on my text similar to the image below)
Screenshot 2024-09-05 202736.png

(Below is what I currently have on Opentoonz)
Screenshot 2024-09-05 203021.png

Thank you,
YiNa

Michael Chandy Thomson

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Sep 6, 2024, 4:20:42 AM9/6/24
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Hey, welcome to the OpenToonz community!

In the Animate tool, there's a couple of options:
anim-tool-centre.png

Choose the Center option to adjust the peg's centre. This will count as a keyframe. I like the All option since you can use it for everything.

DarrenT

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Sep 6, 2024, 12:49:30 PM9/6/24
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Firstly, welcome to our little world :-)

My first thought is, do you really need a peg. In OpenToonz, you can apply movements, resizing, etc directly on each column.
However, if you want to use a peg to separate different movements, you can. But these aren't shown on the timeline, so you have to select the page name from the dropdown shown at the top left when you use the animate tool.

Personally, because the pegs aren't shown on the timeline, I like to create a dummy column. All you do is to create a new drawing level in a column (no need to draw in it or make it last more than 1 frame). Then parent that dummy column to your drawing column. You can then select this new dummy column to apply animation keys to. But again, unless you want to separate your keys or are using the plastic tool, which adds its own keys to the timeline, I'd just animate the columns directly when you can.

Regarding shrinking the canvas. Yes, you can resize any levels you already have, by right clicking on a drawing in the timeline and choosing "Canvas Size", then choosing your new size. However, if you need a different size, you're better off choosing that size when you start a new level. So instead of just drawing, click one of the New Level buttons at the top left of the timeline, or from the Level menu. There you'll be able to set your new size.

But if you want a smaller camera and level size, then you're better to set the option in File > Preferences: Drawing: New Levels Default to the Current Camera Size.
Then when you start a new scene and set your camera size there, afterwards, all of your levels will start at that size.

I hope that helps,
Good luck!
Darren

YiNa Wang

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Sep 6, 2024, 9:47:23 PM9/6/24
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I am able to reposition the peg so that worked out. I still can't shrink the canvas as the option for that is greyed out. I also tried adjusting the preferences as you mentioned Darren, and tried reopening my scene but that didn't work.
Screenshot 2024-09-06 184308.png
Also, I am new to Opentoonz so I am not familiar with most of the terms. When you say level, does that mean a layer in the timeline? Also, I have no clue what a dummy column is? What would a dummy column be equivalent to what it is in ToonBoom Harmony?

Also, is there a way to add a stroke/outline to the text. I mentioned it in the original post but it didnt get addressed. 

Thanks

Michael Chandy Thomson

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Sep 7, 2024, 4:08:28 AM9/7/24
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Yes, the greying out is a known bug apparently. From what I found in the reddit forum (How do i change the canvas size : r/OpenToonz), you just click on a different frame on another level, then you click back on the level you want to change the size on. That should fix your problem.

I don't use OpenToonz for text, but I looked into your question... and while it is probably possible, the effort is not worth it. Just have some placeholder text in OpenToonz if required and render to GIF. Then open it with a compositor and insert the text there, it's much quicker. I use Natron and it works fine but NUKE and After Effects should work well too. DaVinci Resolve might be overkill. Natron is no longer developed as quickly and has a few bugs but it is fantastic for some very quick comp work and once you learn it you can become quite quick.

Just give me a little time and I'll address what the basic terms of OpenToonz are.

DarrenT

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Sep 7, 2024, 7:21:10 AM9/7/24
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Sorry, I forgot to mention that sometimes, the canvas resize option isn't showing. Just click to a frame in another column and back and it should work.
Adjusting the preferences only affects the next created level, not any that you've already created.

No, level isn't a layer. A level is a collection of drawings. You can show the same drawing in multiple layers, called Columns in OpenToonz. The levels all show their name on the timeline if you zoom out enough (slider at the bottom left of the timeline). In your screenshot, the highlight frame has level name "F", showing drawing number 1. It's probably worth watching a getting started video, to start to learn the technology. This is the one I always recommend: https://youtu.be/XdlqwRN9ecM

I don't know ToonBoom, so I don't know an equivalent. When I say dummy column, it's just a column with a blank drawing in it. It's just a way to put animation keys on a different column to the drawing, but like I said, you don't have to do this. You can just animate the column directly, which is a simpler way to do it. I only use a linked dummy column if I want different animation shown on the timeline in different columns (layers) so I can see their keys. So I might have a shake in one column, while having a slow zoom in on a different one. But usually, it's all on the single drawing column.

You get an outline to text anyway, when you add it. I like using vector levels for text. It makes them more editable without losing quality. But yes, you can add an additional outline to text using the effects. This might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfJHYkgJy1A

It's probably best in future to ask one question per post.
That way, it'll make looking for answers quicker and nothing can get missed.

Michael Chandy Thomson

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Sep 7, 2024, 8:59:16 AM9/7/24
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I recommend skimming through the OpenToonz docs as it is quite thorough (OpenToonz User Manual — OpenToonz 1.7.1 documentation).
But here are some basics  as it can be information overload.

Columns are basically OpenToonz's "layers". In the traditional X-Sheet view, the right columns stack on top of the left columns, the modern timeline has the usual top to bottom. As Darren says, Levels are collections of drawings. One reason to want multiple levels in a column is in cut-out animation where you can have a level for the front of a torso and another level for the side. Stuff like that. Columns also double as nodes in your Schematic Node view. There you can parent arms to the torso, etc. Simon explains OpenToonz cut-out rigging in depth: Opentoonz Tutorials - YouTube (from episode 11 till the end).

A dummy column is basically a column with without any content. Because the keyframes for peg-bars don't appear on the X-sheet, Darren decides to use an empty column with empty levels as a stand-in peg-bar. He explains it well here: Using pegs and columns to combine movements - OpenToonz Tutorial - YouTube.

The outline FX node can be used for vector and raster levels but it doesn't work for TextIwa.

YiNa Wang

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Sep 16, 2024, 6:47:58 PM9/16/24
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Thank you all for the detailed response. I think its a matter of just me trying to get used to the software. There's quite a huge learning curve with it, definitly functions a lot differently than ToonBoom. 
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