motion path: One of the advantages of having
3D space as part of TBS’s multi-plane
camera is the fact that you can do more than just position
elements on multiple picture planes. With TBS
3D space you can create 3D motion guides. That can consist of motion paths which can go from east to west, north to south, or front to back. When your element moves front to back on a motion path, Toon Boom Studio automatically adjusts its size it as it moves closer to, or farther away from, the viewer. You create motion paths by using a
peg element. The motion path is displayed as a visible line of
motion points in all
Sceneplanning views. When you activate the motion tool you can add motion
keyframes to a
peg element. The first two motion
keyframes are used to define a straight motion path. The first keyframe has an arrow that points right and the last keyframe also has an arrow and it points left.
You can grab one of the ends of the motion path with the motion tool and drag it in any direction to stretch out a motion path that goes in a straight line. When you create a motion path with
non-constant segments, you’ll see a series of tick marks. Each tick mark represents the position of the element at each
frame along the
peg. These represent your computer rendered in between pictures. If you want to create a motion path that is not a straight line, you must add additional points to a
peg element’s path. You will add one additional motion point for each change in direction of the path.
Motion points can be either
keyframes or control points.
Keyframes are locked to a specific
frame while control points are not locked to frames but are instead tied to a
3D space location. You would add
keyframes when you want your element's motion to be related to specific instance in time. (Frames are a measurement of elapsed time.) You would add control points when you want your element's motion to relate to when it reaches a specific position in
3D space, and you don’t need it to do so at a specific
frame.
You can use the motion tool to reposition your
motion points and change the shape of your motion path. Motion paths are useful for constructing complex camera movements as well as animating elements or hierarchies of elements in 3D space.
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