Mistakes in the user guide

[D.T. Nethery]

Thanks for the notice David!

I only noticed it because I was trying (via text messages) to help a friend who is new to using TVPaint and was asking about "using something similar to a Mask in Photoshop". I said: "It is not exactly the same as in Photoshop, but search the User Manual for stencil". He told me: "search results in the User Manual for 'stencil' does not make it clear how to do this" . So I did a search myself and discovered that the information he was seeking is categorized under "The Masks". (this was easy , because I remembered that "stencils" were at one time called "masks". But I thought that the terminology had been changed to "stencils" in the user manual , however it is not changed yet , so it becomes confusing for the new user to locate the relevant pages in the user manual).

I know that all of you at TVPaint have too many tasks to manage each day , but I am afraid the only solution I can think of is the tedious solution to assign someone to go through the User Manual slowly , page-by-page , to check for inconsistencies in terminology and update screenshots that do not match the current interface. (also to add certain new functions that have been added since the TVPaint 11 user manual was originally published). As it is , I usually discover these areas of the User Manual that need to be updated because I am helping someone who is a new user and when I search for the topic in the user manual I discover places where the manual is not updated.

[Thierry]

Yeah, that section in particular is clearly a remnant of an old version of the feature indeed, but it was probably changed late during v11 Beta so we didn't had the chance to update it.
We're slowly updating parts of the documentation as we go

[D.T. Nethery]

This confusing terminology about "Masks" persists in the User Guide. In the TVPaint interface the terminology used is Stencil . In the TVPaint User Guide the section refers to "The Masks" and uses the term "Mask" rather than "Stencil". The user searching in the User Guide for how to enable and use Stencils will not find anything relevant by searching for Stencils because the information they seek is listed under "Masks".

Other sections of the User Guide refer to the term "Mask" , but should read "Stencil" to be consistent with the interface. For example the section on Preserve Alpha Channel
https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... erve-alpha

We read here about Preserve Alpha Channel: "Its use is similar to the masks use, as it locks the existing pixels in the current layer, in order to modify it."
Also the warning: "Be careful : do not preserve the alpha of an empty layer or turn it into a mask ! You could not be able to draw anything, without knowing why."


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In the user manual the function of the Stencil is described as "Mask". If a user seeks for "Stencil" in the User Manual they won't find this function because it is categorized under "Masks" in the User Manual. This is confusing.

https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... ions-masks


In the user manual this is what you will find, describing the function of "The Masks" , "Mask ON" and "Mask OFF" (but also referring to the function as "stencils")

Screen Shot 2021-09-26 at 1.18.58 PM.jpg (31.28 KiB) Viewed 47914 times

Screen Shot 2021-09-26 at 12.49.07 PM.jpg (81.22 KiB) Viewed 47914 times

But in the current TVPaint interface the term used is "Stencil" , not "Mask" --

Screen Shot 2021-09-26 at 12.54.45 PM.jpg (22.59 KiB) Viewed 47914 times

Screen Shot 2021-09-26 at 12.50.55 PM.jpg (84.78 KiB) Viewed 47914 times

Thanks for the notice David!
I've just checked on a TVPaint 10, and it was written "Mask On/Off" as well.

The documentation screenshots were taken before we renamed the feature to "Stencil" (and that part of the documentation was also written before that change).

We'll change that as soon as we can

[Matthieu]

Hello David!

Thank you: those changes have been made and will be effective following the User Guide's coming update

[D.T. Nethery]

Here is something to add to the User Guide in the section on the Transform tools , specifically the Perspective Tool:
https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... erspective

When using the Perspective tool, hold down the CTRL key ,then click and drag anywhere except on one of the tool's control points to re-size/scale the Perspective frame and its object.

Also, when using the Perspective tool, click and drag anywhere except a control point to move the perspective frame and its object side to side or up and down.

(I've used TVPaint for years and only recently learned this tip about holding down the CTRL key to scale an object using the Perspective tool, so you don't have to switch back to the Transform tool to scale an object that has been distorted using the Perspective tool. That information about using the CTRL key for resizing is not currently in the User Guide.)

CTRL key to resize object Perspective Tool.jpg (96.44 KiB) Viewed 47459 times

[Svengali]

David,

One more thing on the Perspective Tool:
IF you hold down Control AND RightClick in the frame, a popup menu offers five options:

reset positions
flip horizontally
flip vertically
rotate 90 degrees
rotate -90 degrees

sven

addendum: I also find this popup menu (Control AND RightClick) offers the same options in the Transform Tool... WRONG!
All you need is a right click when in the Transform Tool and you get a popup menu which offers five DIFFERENT options:

Reset Panning
Reset Scale
Reset Angle
Reset Pivot Center
Reset Pivot Angle

<phew!)

[Paul Fierlinger]

Here is something to add to the User Guide in the section on the Transform tools , specifically the Perspective Tool:
https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... erspective

When using the Perspective tool, hold down the CTRL key ,then click and drag anywhere except on one of the tool's control points to re-size/scale the Perspective frame and its object.

Also, when using the Perspective tool, click and drag anywhere except a control point to move the perspective frame and its object side to side or up and down.

(I've used TVPaint for years and only recently learned this tip about holding down the CTRL key to scale an object using the Perspective tool, so you don't have to switch back to the Transform tool to scale an object that has been distorted using the Perspective tool. That information about using the CTRL key for resizing is not currently in the User Guide.)

CTRL key to resize object Perspective Tool.jpg

This is indeed cool information, I've never known this either and have always switched between the two seperate tools. While on the subject of not knowing such stuff after years of use, this is one of my bugaboos of TVP releases; seldom, if ever do new features get explained in detail. I am constantly comparing to my other software, Vegas NLE which makes a whole sperate page when releasing new updates in which they explain to the most minute detail how something new works. People get in the habit of saving these pages in a folder and can always use that folder as a quick refresher, This would be useful for us too and should be kept in mind with the release of the new and soon to be (HA!) released other software.

[D.T. Nethery]

David,

One more thing on the Perspective Tool:
IF you hold down Control AND RightClick in the frame, a popup menu offers five options:

reset positions
flip horizontally
flip vertically
rotate 90 degrees
rotate -90 degrees

sven

addendum: I also find this popup menu (Control AND RightClick) offers the same options in the Transform Tool... WRONG!
All you need is a right click when in the Transform Tool and you get a popup menu which offers five DIFFERENT options:

Reset Panning
Reset Scale
Reset Angle
Reset Pivot Center
Reset Pivot Angle

<phew!)

Great information. Thanks , Svengali !

(this info is also not in the User Guide, but it should be ! https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... erspective )

[Svengali]

soon I'll get it all right. NOTE: in Perspective tool, you get the popup menu just by right mouse button click (not Control plus RMB as stated above). You have to be careful with the Control key because the Stroke Animator mode might be checked... which will start advancing frames if the Control key is pressed while the stylus is pressed to the tablet surface, and you suddenly start drawing or stamping across the entire layer (which is a pita to undo...).

sven again

[Matthieu]

Thanks for pointing this out: this information will also be included in the next documentation update!

Regarding the explanation of new features: we have been trying to keep the documentation up to date with the most recent releases. Also, each release comes with a changelog which lists all changes / improvements that have been made. We were thinking about adding short GIFs to it to make those changes more clear.

[D.T. Nethery]

In the new User Guide under 'The different effects categories' - Stylize , the list of stylization FX does not include Anti-Aliasing FX.

Also, I would suggest that the FX listed in the User Guide should be in the same order of FX as listed in the FX Stack menu. (or else order of FX listed in the FX Stack menu should reflect the same order as listed in the User Guide , although I think it will be more trouble to change them in the FX Stack menu than to rearrange the order in the User Guide)

Screen Shot 2022-10-13 at 10.12.58 AM.png (68.12 KiB) Viewed 44339 times

If the FX in TVPaint's FX Stack menu is named Convolution , then the User Guide should have Convolution instead of Convolve.

[D.T. Nethery]

In the new User Guide the inconsistent dual-terminology of "Stencils" and "Masks" has been resolved , so the function now seems to be referred to consistently as "Stencils" , except in the section covering Stencils (see: https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... ions-masks) it still has a screenshot which shows "Mask On" and "Mask Off".

Screen Shot 2022-10-13 at 10.29.35 AM.png (38.19 KiB) Viewed 44337 times

It is corrected in the TVPaint interface, where the menu shows "Stencil On" and "Stencil Off". So the screenshot in the User Guide should show the same.

Screen Shot 2022-10-13 at 10.29.21 AM.png (20.13 KiB) Viewed 44337 times

.

[Matthieu]

Hi David,

Thank you for noticing this!

I will add a lesson on the Anti-Aliasing FX.

Also, I would suggest that the FX listed in the User Guide should be in the same order of FX as listed in the FX Stack menu. (or else order of FX listed in the FX Stack menu should reflect the same order as listed in the User Guide , although I think it will be more trouble to change them in the FX Stack menu than to rearrange the order in the User Guide)

Of course, you are right: I will modify the order in the documentation as it is easier indeed.

It is corrected in the TVPaint interface, where the menu shows "Stencil On" and "Stencil Off". So the screenshot in the User Guide should show the same.

Nice catch, I will update those screenshots, thanks

[D.T. Nethery]

In the User Guide the Video Output panel is referenced: https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... deo-output

Located in the Windows > Animation main menu, the Video Output panel lets you to manage the visualization of the project window through an external hardware such as television, overhead projector, ...

But there is no Video Output panel (this was removed several versions ago, at least on the Mac version. Does it still exist on Windows version ?)

Screen Shot 2022-12-31 at 8.43.35 AM.png (75.05 KiB) Viewed 43262 times

[D.T. Nethery]

For the Panning Tool please add this note regarding keyboard shortcuts:

When the Panning Tool is selected you can use keyboard shortcuts Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) along with the number pad to move your image 1 pixel at a time.
Use Ctrl+8 , Ctrl+2, Ctrl+4, Ctrl+6 to move the image Up , Down, Left , Right 1 pixel at a time. On Mac use Cmd+8 ,Cmd+2 , Cmd+4, Cmd+6 to move the image Up , Down, Left , Right 1 pixel at a time

https://www.tvpaint.com/doc/tvp11/index ... rm-panning