The camera system work seamlessly in the true 3d space having all of the features we are used to seeing in cameras in 3d packages. This opens a whole new world as we can now take these layers within a psd and shift them through time and space (depth!) and even use a camera with perspective to give us true parallax. However the fact that we can bring in and preserve the layer system of a psd is very unique. Yes we are well aware that most any software can allows us to import multiple formats as well as use a layer system and a timeline, not much new there. ToonBoom’s scene setup and camera system really are what in my opinion push it above and beyond anything else on the market. The morph feature can then help blend the different mouth shapes together to creature a smooth/more seamless animation. After that you are free to come in and add, remove, or change as many mouth shapes as necessary. While it is no surprise that you can import your own audio clip and do traditional scrub style lip syncing, the true treat comes in when using the auto-detect lip-sync features that can use 8 present mouth shapes to automatically create a first pass on your sync. To further aid in animation the lip-sync and morphing features are robust in their own right. The sheer numbers of ways to build and animate characters is staggering. This cut out puppet style work flow can allow you to break your character into multiple overlapping layers, set pivot points, create hierarchies, use patch techniques and deformations, add IK (inverse kinematics), push elements into the depth in addition to vertical and horizontal motions, add bones that can deform limbs, use curves for mouths, tails and hair, as well as use tools to bend, squash and stretch. If you are really ready to leave the past behind you can migrate into the state of the art character rigging tools. However we can see modern technology help us in ways it could never before by allowing us to use the intuitive shift option so what drawings can be temporarily overlapped to help keep them on model. This mentality also is visible in the onion skin option as well as the flip features. The fact that an exposure sheet option is included really speaks volumes as to ToonBoom’s mission to preserve the traditional animation experience. To further give you more control you can choose to work with both an exposure sheet and a modern timeline. To ease the process of animating you can easily use the integrations between StoryBoard Pro and Harmony to have your animatics visible as reference as you animate. Much as with any painting package you can easily customize brushes and build your own toolset over time for quick and easy access. The ability to rotate a piece of paper on your desk to get specific angles and lines is also available in ToonBoom Harmony, enhanced if you are using a pressure sensitive device. If you are fully ready to move into the modern century you can go the entirely paperless route using the entire suite of pressure sensitive tools that can mimic traditional media (such as pencil) using the built in texture support or you can go for nice clean ink/vector style lines that can even be readjusted or reshaped after being drawn. You can then ink and paint your drawings directly within the software using layer systems to preserve your original artwork. If changes need to be made they can be done right within the software or of course you can adjust a drawing, rescan, and plug right in. Features such as peg alignment and registration as well as batch scanning make this task relatively painless. If you wish to stay old school, ToonBoom will allow you to scan in (or use a down shooter) art work and allow you to do an animation test right from the get go. No other 2d package even comes close to matching the shear volume of features. You can work traditionally, you can work entirely digitally, you can draw frame by frame, or you can even go 3d with a full effects suite. It’s variety of tools and work flows really to me are what set it apart from its digital 2d animation competitors. Regardless of who you are, or what your background in animation is, there will most definitely be something for you in the ToonBoom Harmony package. However based on the simple fact that I am writing a review on a piece of software whose primary focus is 2d animation, things have obviously begun to change. digital skill sets my traditional skills never have quite been as strong as my digital and therefore things such as quality 2d animation always felt a bit out of reach. Because of this reversal in traditional vs. Coming from a primarily CGI background my drawing skill sets developed after my skills in modeling, lighting, texturing and rigging.
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