Layer moving, precise positioning?

[scholar]

Hiya, this is driving me crazy. Been looking for it now for an hour and its 2 AM in the morning so I gave up!

I cant find an option to move layer contents precisely. IE, typing in X =50 Y = 100, and it would move the stuff there.

The only thing I could find was the transform tool, but that was like moving around freely and eyeballing it, it didn't even react to me holding Shift, that it would move it at least in a straight line???

There must be a way to do this, it would be pretty lame if there wasnt...

[chatbraque]

Hi !
did you watch this "tutorial" ? :

http://www.tvpaint.com/v2/content/artic ... s=advanced

the keyframer might fix it …

[Animark]

I would say, it is not possible to move something to an absolute project coordinate in one step. The values for x and y in the keyframer are relativ to the pivot point of an object.

I never used that feature you're asking for but I know it from flash and photoshop and it is very sinful for screendesigns and webpages. In TVPaint you could reach your goal in doing different steps:
- use the grid
- or the guides in combination with the ccordinates panel
to find and mark your coordinate with a guideline

Than use the keyframer and move your objects to the desired position.

When I want that an object moves straight on one axis I don't move it "by hand". I just move it while changing the x/y values in the keyframer with the mouse. There is also a possibility to lock one of the axis - just klick on the lock there and your object is only movable in the unlocked direction.

This way works also with the transform tool with the limitation that the axis cannot be locked. Use the mouse to change only one value in the tools options.

[Peter Wassink]

The only thing I could find was the transform tool, but that was like moving around freely and eyeballing it, it didn't even react to me holding Shift, that it would move it at least in a straight line???

There must be a way to do this, it would be pretty lame if there wasnt...

and indeed there is... the Transform tool does have numerical control in its Tool panel and the x and y do have a seperate slider( the small black double triangles, behind the numerical input box)
so there is no need for the shift button.

note , make sure to select the whole layer (by double clicking under it) before applying the Transform ( or else only the selected frame will be moved)

I would say, it is not possible to move something to an absolute project coordinate in one step. The values for x and y in the keyframer are relativ to the pivot point of an object.

I'd say using the Transform tool you could do it in one step.

... and it is very sinful for screendesigns and webpages.

sinful (=sündhaft) ..., you mean usefull (=nützlich, =zinvol auf niederlandisch)

[Animark]

Oh, yes -- USEFUL -- is what I liked to say. I think I made this mistake not the first time ... Sorry.

But, Peter, how would you move your object to, let's say absolute position x = 125, y = 240 on your 1920 x 1080 HD project only by using the move/transform tool?

[Peter Wassink]

Oh, yes -- USEFUL -- is what I liked to say. I think I made this mistake not the first time ... Sorry.

But, Peter, how would you move your object to, let's say absolute position x = 125, y = 240 on your 1920 x 1080 HD project only by using the move/transform tool?

coordinate panel

[malcooning]

coordinate panel

+ Zig's Nudg' Bar

[scholar]

Thanks Malcooning!!! thats pretty close, i dont believe something like this wasn't built into this app!

Still it would be nice if I could move/align things by their top left corner...

What I was after is creating a walkcycle, by first having the character taking 2 steps(as that is much easier than animating in place), and then moving back each drawing and align them, so it is 'walking in place' so it can be seamlessly cycled.

Maybe there is an easier way?

[Animark]

coordinate panel

I never used coordinate panel for placing parts with the mouse, but it works fine. Thanks!

[malcooning]

Thanks Malcooning!!! thats pretty close, i dont believe something like this wasn't built into this app!

Still it would be nice if I could move/align things by their top left corner...

What I was after is creating a walkcycle, by first having the character taking 2 steps(as that is much easier than animating in place), and then moving back each drawing and align them, so it is 'walking in place' so it can be seamlessly cycled.

Maybe there is an easier way?

animate your character as you intended, then use the keyframer (FX stack) shift each frame backwards: stand over the 2nd frame, using the keyframer move it to the overlap the 1st one, and apply. Then go to the 3rd frame, and press apply twice. Go to the the 4th frame and place apply 3 times. and so on.

There are other ways too.

[ZigOtto]

[b]... What I was after is creating a walkcycle, by first having the character taking 2 steps(as that is much easier than animating in place), and then moving back each drawing and align them, so it is 'walking in place' so it can be seamlessly cycled.

Maybe there is an easier way?

Keyframer: 2 keys on X axis and Apply, that's all.
here's the way in few steps :

- make your walking-cycle (2 steps) so the last drawing = a repeat of the first one,
- make a new "template" imagelayer (as long as your cycle animlayer), with the first drawing of the cycle at the right place
(in the middle of the screen f.i., it will be your reference position),
- back to the animlayer, in the KeyFramer_FX, create a first key to the first frame and adjust the X value
so the first cycle-drawing superimpose your "template" layer,
- go to the last frame, and create a new key so the last cycle-drawing superimpose your "template" layer as well,
- then select All Frames and Apply.
- finally, you just have now to delete the last (extra) drawing (which would make a repeat of first one),
and you should have now a perfect standing loop (loop in place).

[Henk Beumers]

I think peter Wassink gave you the right answer. In the main panel you choose positioning. In the transform tool you can adjust the x and the y by exact numbers.
Yoy cann try and move with the key framer but that is completely different.

Regards Henk Beumers.

[ZigOtto]

I think peter Wassink gave you the right answer. In the main panel you choose positioning. In the transform tool you can adjust the x and the y by exact numbers.
Yoy can try and move with the key framer but that is completely different.

for a single image, yes, but not for an animation ,
regarding his exemple (walking cycle with evolutive offset), the keyframer is the way to go.

[scholar]

I suppose I am doing something incorrectly!

I've been following the Keyframer FX way of making the character walk in place. When the cycle loops back from last frame to the first one, it 'jumps back' more then it should! IE the Character still seems to be 'moving forward'?? Even though I have applied the same amount of X offset to all of them that made the 2nd drawing line up with the first??

Not sure, maybe I am not offsetting correctly the Drawings, what part of the character should I use to 'align' the first drawing, should it be the head or hips or what??


Also what if my drawings arent 'equally' spaced, IE the Character doesnt move lets say '100 pixels' on each frame, but it may move 50 on one, and 200 on another, (as in a normal walk you move faster during the 'Passing' phase then when you are Down??) Should I still be using the same Offset for each drawing that I got from offsetting my second drawing to match the first? Or that shouldn't matter? Sorry its just hard to wrap my head around this 'walking in place' thing!

Are there any prequisites in terms of drawing the walk cycle itself, or this method can apply to ANY walkcycle where the first drawing is the same as the last?

[Paul Fierlinger]

I agree that it is easier (and makes more sense) to draw the character moving forward two steps. But instead of realigning all the frames to then make it walk on a treadmill, I copy the the forward motion layer and using the KeyFramer, advance the copied sequence so that the first frame of the sequence fits right into the last frame of the original layer below.

Once I get this done I can make any number of copies of the previous layer and use my KeyFramer's existing setting to advance each repeat of the previous layer until the character walks out of the picture. Sure, I end up with a bunch of layers climbing up and looking like steps on top of each other, but the process is fast and accurate. And BTW, the feet is what have to match.

Then I save the keyframer's *.bin so that I can use it the same way when the coloring of the original sequence gets done, after which I flatten all the layers into one -- and it's done. Another advantage of this system is that after the cycle is completed, you can rework a few frames to make the character turn its head or clap its hands, to disrupt the cycle and make it appear less mechanical.

And just to complete why and how I do this, I must add that I prefer to avoid cycles as much as possible. Walk cycles are difficult to perfect so there won't be a limp or any such imperfection to show due to mechanical repeats. It always seems to turn out that just animating all the steps as originals is not only best looking but believe it or not, also turns out to go faster. Just look at how much time you have spent on this cycle already.