Layer Menu

Command

Description

New

Group Layer

Adds a group layer to the current panel. Groups can contain one or several layers, and even other groups. If you manipulate or animate a group, all of its elements will be subjected to the same transformations as the group itself.

Copy Layers

Copies the currently selected layers to the clipboard, so that you can paste the copies in the same panel or into a different panels.

Paste Layers

Pastes the layers copied with the Copy Layers command into the current panel.

Duplicate Layers

Instantly creates a copy of the selected layer and puts it in the current panel.

Rename Layers

Allows you to rename the selected layer.

Delete Layers

Deletes the selected layer.

Change Layer Opacity

Allows you to set the opacity level of the selected layer.

Change Layer Brush Resolution

Allows you to set the pixel density of textured brush strokes on the selected vector layer. Since textured brush strokes have bitmap textures inside them, it may be necessary to increase their pixel density before you start drawing, if you intend to scale up to layer or to zoom in on it. Otherwise, the textures in the brush strokes is liable to appear pixelated.

Merge Down

Instantly merge the selected layer with the layer just below it.

Merge Selected Layers

Merges the selected layers into a single layer.

Merge Layers

Opens the Merge Layers dialog box, which allows you to merge the selected layers into a single layer and gives you more options than the Merge Selected Layers command.

Group Selected Layers

Puts the selected layers inside a new group layer.

Ungroup Selected Group

Breaks the selected group layer. All its layers will be outside the group, and the group will be deleted.

Convert to Drawing

If you have imported a template containing multiple elements such as a template created in Harmony, or a template made from importing a Flash Movie (.swf) file, you might not be able to edit it with the drawing tools. This is because the template is not a simple drawing layer. This option will convert the layer containing a template to a flat drawing layer that can be edited freely. It can also be used to convert a group of layers into a single drawing.

NOTES

In Game Storyboard, a drawing layer can only contain one drawing for the whole panel, whereas a template may be animated and contain several frames with different drawings in each frame. If you convert an animated template to a drawing, the appearance of the template at current frame will be used to generate a static drawing layer.
Converting a template or a group to a drawing will discard any 3D object they contain.

Share Drawing

Adds the selected drawing to the library of shared drawings, which can be opened, navigated and edited in the Library view. You can then import the drawing into other panels. Since the drawing is shared, making changes to that drawing in one panel will apply the same changes to that drawing in all the other panels it was added to.

Unlink from Shared Drawing

If you have a shared drawing in a panel, and you want to make changes to that drawing without affecting it in other panels where it is shared, this option will convert the shared drawing into its own independent drawing in the current panel only. The drawing will remain shared in other panels where it was added.

Generate Auto-Matte

Opens the Auto-Matte dialog box, enabling you to fill in sketch objects, hiding anything that is behind the object. You can create new layers by generating auto-matte of selected vector layers. This menu option is grayed-out if no layers are selected, or if none of the selected layers are non-empty vector layers.

Arrange

Bring Layer to Front

Moves the selected layer in front of all other layers in the current panel.

Bring Layer Forward

Moves the selected layer up one level in the current panel.

Send Layer Backward

Move the selected layer down one level in the current panel.

Send Layer Back

Moves the selected behind all other layers in the current panel.

Select Next Layer

Selects the next layer in the layer list.

Select Previous Layer

Selects the previous layer in the layer list.

Lock/Unlock Layers

Locks or unlocks the selected layer. When a layer is locked, it is protected from changes to its artwork and from transformations.

Show/Hide Layers

Shows or hides the selected layer. A hidden layer does not appear in the storyboard and cannot be changed or transformed.

Toggle Background Layers

Sets the selected layer as a background layer. Background layers are not taken in account when Onion Skin is enabled.

Align Layer to Camera

When working in 3D, if the camera has been rotated on the x-axis or y-axis, drawing layers will no longer be facing the camera. This instantly rotates the layer so that it faces the camera.

Copy End Layer Position to Start

Uses the position of the last frame from the current layer and pastes it over the position of the first frame.

Copy Start Layer Position to Start

Uses the position of the first frame from the current layer and paste it over the last frame.

Spread Layer Motion

You can spread the current layer motion across all panels in the same shot or a specified number of adjacent panels after the current panel in the same shot.

A new layer will be added and the drawing will be duplicated for those panels that do not have the same name in the defined range.

Reset Transform

Resets the selected layer to its default position, size and angle.

Reset Selected 3D Sub-Objects

Resets the selected sub-objects of a 3D model to their default position, size and angle.

Pivot

Reset Pivot

Places the pivot back at its default position at the centre of the camera frame.

Center Pivot on Selection

Places the pivot at the centre of a selection.

Set Layer Layout as Default

Once you set up a layer layout in a panel, you can select that panel and save this layout as the default layout to use whenever a new panel is added.