Although Toon Boom Studio is 2-D software, it provides a form of 3-D space for you to use when creating your animated videos. This 3D space is based on a standard XYZ coordinate system. In TBS the X dimensions are referred to as East -West, the Y dimensions are referred to as North-South and the Z dimensions are referred to as Front-Back. This is terminology that was directly adopted from classical photographic animation and camera movements. Each X-Y defined space is a picture plane and the stack of X-Y picture planes produces a multi-plane 3D picture. Camera View is used to visually see the composition of this picture. The Side View and Top View panels are used to see the individual picture elements and their relationships in terms of their location in the multi-plane composition.

Each picture element is positioned on a picture plane. The perception of depth is created by overlapping picture elements distributed among many different picture plane levels. Picture elements can be freely moved about in 3D space and that movement can be animated along 3D motion paths. TBS automatically adjusts the scaling of picture elements to produce a sense of spacing. As an element is moved farther away from the viewer it is automatically scaled smaller. As an element is moved closer to the viewer it is automatically scaled larger.

























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