Skeleton Optimization

In the Network view, you can add extra modules, such as a Display, and group all the modules to keep your work organized.

There are four steps to make sure your puppet can be reused efficiently:

Deleting the Write Module
Renaming the Display Module
Changing the Composite Type
Grouping Modules

Deleting the Write Module

The first step in optimizing your network is to delete the Write module, which used for rendering certain portions of the Network view.

When you render a scene that contains three or four characters and they each have a Write module in their skeleton, a render is created for each one and they overwrite each other.

Renaming the Display Module

The Display module lets you see a section of the network in the Camera view. By renaming the Display module with your character's name, you can quickly identify it in the Global Display toolbar and isolate your character to see it better while working on it.

If you do not have a Display module in your network, you can add one by selecting one from the Module Library view and dragging it into the Network view.

Changing the Composite Type

When you create a character with Harmony, you have to connect all your modules in the Composite module. The Composite module takes all the different images coming out of your drawing modules and flattens them into one single image.

This is useful when it is time to apply an effect to your entire character or group your layers for a more organized network.

The regular Composite module will flatten all the pieces into one image preventing interaction with props or characters connected to a different Composite module. That is why you have to change the Composite module's type to a special one that will still output one single image but will not flatten the drawings together. This will allow you to nudge your drawings on the Z-axis so that parts of you characters can pass in front and behind other characters and objects. This Composite type is called Pass Through.

Grouping Modules

Once your rigging is completed, you must group the puppet's skeleton to help organize the often large and complex networks. This way, once you have imported two or three characters into the scene, three Group modules will be displayed instead of all the rigging connections of three puppets.