Drag n' drop images in timeline

[Elodie]

Hi everybody,

As you probably know, TVPaint Animation 10 includes a function to drag and drop images through the timeline.

Here are the current behaviors :

Original situation :

Spoiler : Case 1 : move image :

I select 5 move it above 1 by holding LMB

Result :

5 is moved and overwrites 1.

Spoiler : Case 2 : insert image :

I select 5 and move it above 2 + hold [shift] on my keyboard

Result :

5 is duplicated and is inserted between 1 and 2

Spoiler : Case 3 : copy image :

I select 5 and move it above 2 + hold [ctrl] on my keyboard

Result :

5 will be duplicated and overwrites 2 (in my example, actually it's 3, but whatever...)

Recently, I've been told that these behaviors were not really handy. When you move an image, you basically think to move it and insert it between two images.
Is it your opinion too ?

Here is actually what I propose to improve the drag 'n drop system in the timeline.

Selection + simple move (without holding any key) : move the chosen image and insert it between two images from the current layer.
Selection + move + Shift : duplicate the chosen image and insert it between two images from the current layer.
Selection + move + Ctrl : move the chosen image and overwrite the image to replace from the current layer.
Selection + move + Ctrl + Shift (if possible) : duplicate the chosen image and overwrite the image to replace from the current layer.

About moving an image from a layer to another :
Selection + simple move (without holding any key) : duplicate the chosen image and insert it between two images from another layer.
Sélection + move + Ctrl OR Shift : duplicate the chosen image and overwrite the image to replace from another layer.

Please, give me your feedback

[Paul Fierlinger]

I've never had an issue with what we have today -- ever since this wonderful landmark evolution made its first appearance, I've felt only euphoria when the need comes over me to move something from here to anywhere and know it can be done.

[neonnoodle]

I agree that I am far more likely to want to insert the dragged images than to overwrite -- it makes sense to me to have the plain click-and-drag perform the insert function, and to have to hold down a modifier for overwrite instead.

[Sewie]

I really love this drag and drop functionality in TVP and I use it very very often, to me it is highly intuitive.
So intuitive, in fact, that I expect to have no problems with the improvements/changes that Elodie proposes. I'll have a short time re-adjusting but that will be a small offer for the extra functionality.

One thing though; I'm on a Windows7 system and for me "Case 3" in Elodie's post works when holding down CTRL instead of SHIFT.

[Elodie]

Thank you for your feedbacks. So it looks like improving the drag 'n drop system is not a bad idea

One thing though; I'm on a Windows7 system and for me "Case 3" in Elodie's post works when holding down CTRL instead of SHIFT.

Oops, fixed ^^

[slowtiger]

I wonder if it's possible to not only highlight a whole frame, but also the space between two frames? This way it would be perfectly clear where the moved image goes and whether it gets inserted or overwrites a frame. To make the moved frame(s) a duplicate I'd lke to use the alt-key, just as in any other program.

[Henk Beumers]

Hi all.
Changes are fine with me. I had no problem using the is was though.
Henk

[NathanOtano]

Selection + simple move (without holding any key) : move the chosen image and insert it between two images from the current layer.
Selection + move + Shift : duplicate the chosen image and insert it between two images from the current layer.
Selection + move + Ctrl : move the chosen image and overwrite the image to replace from the current layer.
Selection + move + Ctrl + Shift (if possible) : duplicate the chosen image and overwrite the image to replace from the current layer.

I'm ok with all of that would be really better than now for me, you have less manipulations to achieve the result you want (basically for me not more than move and insert)

About moving an image from a layer to another :
Selection + simple move (without holding any key) : duplicate the chosen image and insert it between two images from another layer.
Sélection + move + Ctrl OR Shift : duplicate the chosen image and overwrite the image to replace from another layer.

Why not the same shortcuts than moving on a layer? It's less confusing, and with that you can move a frame, with your proposition you can't. I think that sometimes i want to isolate a frame on another layer and play my animation without, for exemple.

[Elodie]

Why not the same shortcuts than moving on a layer? It's less confusing, and with that you can move a frame, with your proposition you can't. I think that sometimes i want to isolate a frame on another layer and play my animation without, for exemple.

We can't just move an image from a layer to another one. When 2 layers are involved in the manipulation, images are automatically duplicated.
So you can only choose between "duplicate and insert" or "duplicate and overwrite", that's why I proposed "selection + move" to duplicate and insert / "selection + Ctrl or Shift + move" to overwirte". For the last one, if we keep the same logic, it should be "Selection + Ctrl + move".

[NathanOtano]

Ok i understand.

Why not just cut/paste then, but reproduced by dragging the selection? Could do the same.

[Elodie]

Drag n drop does not behave like a copy or cut / paste. Looks similar in the end, but their code is written in a total different way.
That's why, as I explain above, we cannot move an image to another layer.

[NathanOtano]

I 'm "kind of" aware about it. It was more a suggestion about a copy/paste macro for doing what we want (seems useful to me) than creating a new impossible function.

That's not vers clean but wo will notice?