hierarchy ability

[momo]

This is one feature I have been thinking about for a while: the ability to do some kind of cut out animation (which is already almost possible with clips). This is complicated to explain so bear with me.

The ability to create a hierarchy between clips/animated brushes/layers. This would give use the ability to create a puppet by using the motion keyframer to move each part and/or use the new tvp11 super new warp tool (which could be part of the hierarchy to limit its effect to a single area) to move a single part at the time. Another exemple would be to imput point of a spline into the hierarchy so that once a shape is create with a spline it is very quick adjustable to create next pose (yes it is possible to select multiple points at once, but that has its limit and is not very practical).

The main reason for this is simply production speed. TVpaint is great if you are working alone but once you need to output great ammount of animation in little time it isn't really suitable.

What does the world think?

[Paul Fierlinger]

I am the world ( ) and this is what I think: It should be easier to just animate at 12FPS in the classical style and even if I consider the time spent on inbetweening it will take me less time to finish my work this way than creating puppet parts and assembling them into motion in the KeyFramer. My films will look better too (a lot better!) Coloring in TVP11's CTG layer is a snap and actually a lot of fun because it goes so fast.

I draw alone, my wife paints what I draw also alone, and we are fast because there is no one else but us. At one point, many years ago, I employed 8 people and after a year I had to let them all go because the work wasn't getting done in time. Once you have to manage a team and distribute work among them and they have to spend time synchronizing their tasks, work grinds down to a crawl.

What is a great amount of work in little time? We output about a minute of full animation a week, at times 2 weeks at the most. 2D animation is manual labor intensive to do it right so the best way to get your work done fast is to learn how to draw with ease. It takes about 10 years if you draw 5 to 8 hours every day. I understand that what I say here is going to sound condescending but I don't know how else to put it. Drawing a lot of frames is the nature of the 2D beast.

[momo]

I dont think this is condescending at all but the reality is that every single studio (except in Japan but even there a lot of studios are looking into flash or toonboom) does cut out animation for TV production. Here in Korea it is the same thing. The 2D studio system is just not up to the same speed simply because of coloring. Quality has little to do with technic I think it is more a question of skill and time.

I cannot help but to wonder how is one suppose to feeds himself if for 10 years I am outputing less then 1 minute a week. Meanwhile the competition is doing twice as much work. This is very sad fact but there is no way to animate for 8-10 hours a day for 10 years and feed myself. Simple example: starting out in a 2D studio in Seoul you are not making enough to pay for rent if you have a flat. A director in the same studio makes just enough to make ends meet. That is the cold reality that hits hard those who want to draw...

I knew this would be controversiale topic...I guess we should move it because it seems like it isn't of the realm of "feature and improvement" but rather "How to live an animated life" or maybe "Drawn from memory"

[Sewie]

I would love to have the extra possibilities that Momo describes in TVP. I think it would raise a lot of new avenues to increase speed and experiment with new styles and new combinations of styles. After Effects has a rudimentary hierarchy/bone system and I have seen many very interesting examples of animation done with that system.

Just imagine the range of possibilities it would give us to experiment with different styles and new ways of expressing ourselves with a tool like that within TVP. Especially if it would allow us to easily go back and forth between hand drawn and hierarchy/bone animation.

[Paul Fierlinger]

I agree that this thread should be moved to another place. I want to give my response both to Sewie's reply and momo's but know that it will lead to topic drift so will remain silent for the moment.

[momo]

I agree that this thread should be moved to another place. I want to give my response both to Sewie's reply and momo's but know that it will lead to topic drift so will remain silent for the moment.

here the new thread that Paul created : "How to make a living in 2D" viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8956

I would love to have the extra possibilities that Momo describes in TVP. I think it would raise a lot of new avenues to increase speed and experiment with new styles and new combinations of styles. After Effects has a rudimentary hierarchy/bone system and I have seen many very interesting examples of animation done with that system.

Just imagine the range of possibilities it would give us to experiment with different styles and new ways of expressing ourselves with a tool like that within TVP. Especially if it would allow us to easily go back and forth between hand drawn and hierarchy/bone animation.

Yes I was thinking exactly about after effects and it is very rudimentary indeed. Motion graphics is also another example where it could be very useful. In fact that of the main reason for the resquest. I often do motion graphics but in After Effects. In TVpaint it is possible but extremely clunky.