Templates
When you want to reuse artwork and animation from your project in other scenes, you must create a template from it. A template can be seen as a portable scene or package that you can drag inside your project. You can open a template and edit it just like any other project. If you want modify your templates, you can edit them using the Edit Template command.
You can create a template from both the Timeline and Node views:
• | Master Template |
• | Creating a Template from the Node View |
• | Action Templates |
• | Creating a Template from the Timeline View |
To delete templates from your library, use the Library view. Harmony lets you undo the action if necessary.
Master Template
You can create a master template out of a cut-out puppet you created so you can reuse it throughout a single project or a full production. A cut-out character's master template stores the entire rig, structure, drawings, and keyframes of the different poses of your puppet into a single asset.
Master templates are created from the Node view.
Creating a Template from the Node View
The Timeline and Node views display different information about a scene.
A main character's template, also known as a master template, is created from the Node view. This template contains all the connections, effects, composites, nodes, pegs, advanced groupings, function columns, scene lengths, drawings, timings, and so on. The template is saved in the Library view and must be imported back into the scene for use, either into the Node view or the left side of the Timeline view.
- In the Library view, select the folder in which you want to store the template.
- If the library folder is locked, right-click and select Right to Modify.
- In the Node view, select the nodes for creating the template and group them. It is very important to group your cut-out character rig before storing it in the Library, so your files are organized.
- From the top menu, select Edit > Group > Group Selected Layers or press Ctrl + G (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + G (Mac OS X). Make sure you have a composite under the connections before grouping, otherwise there will be numerous connections going outside the group.
- In the Node view, click on the group node's yellow button to open the Layer Properties window.
- In the Node view, select the group node and copy and paste it inside the template folder in the Library view or press Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + C and ⌘ + V (Mac OS X).
- In the Rename dialog box, give the new template a name and click OK.
Action Templates
An action template, also known as animation template, is created from the Timeline view. This template allow you to reuse animations, key poses and part of an animation and contains mainly keyframes and drawing exposures. For example, you can reuse head positions or a leg animation from a walk-cycle and place them inside other animations. When it is extracted from the Timeline view, it loses the extra connections, effects, and groupings from the Node view.
An action template is used with a master template. It cannot be used on its own since it does not contain all the information required to rebuild the puppet skeleton and advanced connections. The standard process is to first import the master template to the Node view or Timeline’s left side, and then slide the action template into the Timeline’s right side. This allows you to first build the skeleton and then give it the right pose.
The combination of master and action templates will function as long as the layer order and connections are the same.
When you create an action template, be sure to name it so you can easily identify it as an animation.
Creating a Template from the Timeline View
- In the Timeline view, select some cells or layers.
- In the Library view, select a folder to store the template.
- If a library folder is locked, right-click and select Right to Modify.
- Drag the selection to the Stage Library folder or any other library folder.
- In the Rename dialog box, give the new template a name.
To rename a template once it is created, right-click on the symbol and select Rename.
- Click OK.
- In the Library view, select the folder containing the template to delete.
- Right-click on the selection and select Delete or press Delete.
- In the Library view, select the folder containing the template to edit.
- Right-click on the selection and select Edit Template.
A new Harmony application opens.
- Edit the template.
- From the top menu, select File > Save.
- In the top menu, select File > Quit (Windows/Linux) or Stage > Quit (Mac OS X).