Use Timeline's previous Zoom Ratio when reopening saved file

[D.T. Nethery]

Referencing this topic:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7037&p=63130#p63130" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The user seerara asks for help:

So I've been using the tiny white squares on the the thumnails to slide the instances across the timeline and manipulate timing. However, after saving, closing and reopening my document, the little white square 'handles' disappeared and I can't work with the timing anymore. Can anyone tell me how to change it back?

Slowtiger answered:

Zoom in on the timeline. Click and drag the Z on top of the left vertical slider, or choose "fit to frames".

To which I replied:

Slowtiger's answer above is correct: you need to use the "Z" (zoom) button at the top left of the Timeline to expand the Timeline .





However, I believe this brings up something that should perhaps be addressed by the TVPaint Development Team:

This default behavior of TVPaint is very confusing to new users who will in all likelihood overlook the "Z" (zoom) button and spend several frustrated minutes (or hours) trying to figure out why their Timeline frames are compacted and they can no longer move the frames because the "handles" on the frames have disappeared . I can attest that this happens numerous times to first time users of TVPaint in the animation classes I teach online. The small "Z" button really is easy to overlook and it's not at all clear what it's function is from looking at the "Z" . (perhaps it needs to be a graphic symbol that instantly communicates the idea of Zoom-In/Zoom-Out .

zoom-icon.jpg (23.66 KiB) Viewed 18390 times

TVPaint's current default behavior is to compact the timeline when a saved .TVPP file is re-opened. I think the default should be for TVPaint to "remember" the previous state of the timeline , so when a saved .TVPP file is re-opened the Timeline will be in the previous state that the user left it when they closed the project . So if the user has left the timeline expanded to full size then TVPaint should re-open that same way next time the file is opened . If the user has intentionally compacted the timeline then TVPaint should re-open with the timeline compacted.

So I am making this a formal Feature Request.

[Sewie]

Makes sense to me.
+1.

[ZigOtto]

also I suggest a new RMB setting in the timeline [Z] submenu :
"Fit to Frame" replaced by these two commands : "Fit to Frame Full" and "Fit to Frame Compacted",
the second one is the timeline zoomed out (compacted) as far as the little (tail) square-handles stay visible.

[Peter Wassink]

...the second one is the timeline zoomed out (compacted) as far as the little (tail) square-handles stay visible.

you mean Fit to Exposures?

[ZigOtto]

... you mean Fit to Exposures?

oh, did you mean "already done" ?
apparently, for some reasons, I was running an older version (9.5.21) when I posted my previous message.

[D.T. Nethery]

Bumping this up again.

TVPaint's current default behavior is to compact the Timeline when a saved .TVPP file is re-opened.

I think the default should be for TVPaint to "remember" the previous state of the timeline , so when a saved .TVPP file is re-opened the Timeline will be in the previous state that the user left it when they closed the project . So if the user has left the timeline expanded to full size then TVPaint should re-open that same way next time the file is opened . If the user has intentionally compacted the timeline then TVPaint should re-open with the timeline compacted.

Can this be implemented soon ? My experience is that most new users experience confusion over why the Timeline is compacted and the use of the "Z" (zoom" button) to expand the timeline is not immediately evident. The default should be to open the project with the Timeline expanded fully , allowing the user to decide if they want to compact the timeline using the Z button.

Thank you.

[Elodie]

Thank you for bumping this thread up !

We will talk about this with developers.

[Elodie]

Looks like it couldbe possible. I add it in our todo list

[D.T. Nethery]

Looks like it couldbe possible. I add it in our todo list

Thank you !