loosing windows

Please understand I have no idea what I am doing and this is very new to me but most likely is a simple fix

I have lost my time line, my tool properties and just about everything else off the screen
doing some googling and youtubeing and searching here the common theme is to go thru windows up the top, then to work space and the to default, this does nothing at all
I have tried removing it from the lap top and reloading it, it just reloads the same, does anyone have any suggestions ?

laptop is using windows 10

I can work out how to bring the time line and tool properties up, I cant work out how to fix them to the screen as the are just a layer over the top of the picture Im trying to draw

You say this does nothing at all, there are several options to choose.

I will check back to see whether any worked. Please come back and say whether any worked.

Try each one and see if any change the layout.

If any change the layout to something you do not like try both paths to Default again (as this time it will be going from a change to the Default instead of from the current mess.)

  1. Main Menu bar across the top of the screen => Windows => Workspace => Restore Default Workspace

  2. Main Menu bar across the top of the screen => Windows => Workspace => Workspace => Default

  3. Main Menu bar across the top of the screen => Windows => Workspace => Workspace => Animating

  4. Main Menu bar across the top of the screen => Windows => Workspace => Workspace => Compositing

5 Main Menu bar across the top of the screen => Windows => Workspace => Workspace => Hand-Drawn

1 Like

I have tried those and they do change, somehow I also lost the time line on the hand drawn page as well

the

please understand I have no idea what I am doing here and am from a generation that had no computers, that been said Im not a total fool either but I am not up on the computer language so please bare with me as Im not passing any judgement at all but I might come back with what seems like a stupid question or two

This is not going to explain what is happening with your view windows but it may help you see some if they are hiding behind other view windows.

Top Menu Bar => Harmony (whichever level are you using, Premium, Advanced or Essentials => Preferences => General

In the General tab look to the upper right area for an option “Editors Always On Top” and see whether it is checked. Make sure it is checked if it isn’t. Let me know if it was or was not. OK?

Do not worry about any questions you ask. But I apologize in advance if I forget that you are not as familiar with using computers or Harmony. This forum gets a lot of spammers and people who do spend enough time with the documentation and want to declare everything as a “bug” I do not expect you to do anything like that but one day you may appear to be someone like that and I may get annoyed. Please remind me of your situation. If you and I cross paths enough here I will recognize you.

I am just a hobbyist who has never taken any courses or training programs. I just watch as many videos as I can find and I look things up in the documentation. I like to try to find answers and solutions brought up here because it is a chance for me to learn or reinforce what I know. I don’t know that much. Harmony was a lot simpler when I started using Toon Boom software. I am pretty good at finding answers in the documentation but a lot of the things people ask about are things I have never done before. Sometimes I am still able to find the solution in the documentation or in a video though.

Well I cant even find the general tab so I have taken a screen shot of the computer and uploaded it to a link so you can see what Im trying to explain

https://postimg.cc/2LFQYLyn

I cant see how to up load a image here so Im hoping this works ok

regards

Paul

You not being able to find the General Tab is my fault. I forgot you are on Windows. It has been a long long time since I used Windows for anything outside accessing my company’s employee interface software.

If it is how it was when I had a Windows system you need to go to the Main Menu bar across the top of the screen => Edit => Preferences => a window opens up and you will see the General tab

As for uploading images only the original poster (you in the case) can attach images and I believe you can only do that in the original post. I could be wrong but I have no way to test this without creating a test thread. I have never started a thread here in my memory I just looked and got as far as I could without actually creating a new thread. So if you do not see “attach files” at the bottom of all of your posts when opened you have to edit the first then reference any changes in a later post.

But what you did here in this recent post works as well. I could see the image and that helped me consider how Windows is different than MacOS.

Well I found the general tab but couldnt find the “editors on top”

https://postimg.cc/9wYcBCgW

OK I finally see that you are using Harmony Essentials. It does not offer everything. The Editors on Top was just something that might have helped. It was not a solution. It would prevent windows from hiding behind the main interface. We are not sure where your missing windows are but in case they were behind the main interface they would be pushed forward to the front with this check box.

Before they added that feature (it is in Premium not sure about Advanced) you would end up opening duplicates of the same window or you had to grab and move windows aside to see those behind them.

Earlier you said the Timeline window was absent. When you look at the Main Menu bar across the top of the interface then go to Windows the drop down menu says Timeline. What happens when you click on Timeline?

Main Menu Bar across top => Windows => Timeline

It is like the time line has its own screen as does everything else

It is like each screen is on top of each other if that makes any sense

https://postimg.cc/kDhz59Wr

If I open Camera the whole screen changes

https://postimg.cc/dhGxnypv

I do wonder if this is because Im still using it as a trial and the work I havent yet done is apparently stored off my computer as it has to hooked to the internet to operate on trial, pretty sure I read that some were ??

I really have no idea

The trial is identical to the paid version. The only difference is that a trial stops working after limited time. But you can even create projects and save them and then open them in a paid version and continue to build upon them.

You have attached two screen images. The 2nd one, is that not what you want? It is a layout with all of the most useful windows open.

How did you get to the 1st screen with only the Timeline? Where did you start? What did you select? How do you get from one to the other of these two variations?

I also do not understand why your layout does not restore everything to a full workspace layout by selecting the default workspace.

Please try this: I know you have gone through something like this before but this time make sure you have the layout with all of the windows open and displayed like in the 2nd screen image first when you go to the Workspace options.

We have to try to clearly see what exactly is being done. The exact sequence or path can make a significant difference.

  1. Start from the layout shown in the 2nd image
  2. Go to the Main Menu Bar across the top of the screen
  3. Go to Windows
  4. Go to Workspace
  5. Choose the sub-menu also called Workspace
  6. then one by one select the Animating, Compositing, Default, Hand-Drawn Workspaces

Do you get 4 different full workspace layouts with multiple windows visible? …this will be defined by the workspace theme so the workspace name will indicate the context and determine to most useful windows and layout for that theme.

Hand drawn screen https://postimg.cc/v1wNwWDq

Default screen https://postimg.cc/Ny8Ps5Hg

Compositing screen https://postimg.cc/629bytrC

Animating screen https://postimg.cc/WFXWZC8C

Thank you that was a good way to show the results.

Now

  1. Select the Hand-Drawn Workspace
  2. In the upper right hand corner of the Drawing window click on the + and select Timeline and you will have added Timeline to the same window as Drawing and Camera
  3. Move the cursor to the Timeline Tab then drag the Timeline Tag down to the seam at the very bottom border of the interface where the Camera / Drawing window meets the Colour / Library window. Once the cursor is at that spot let go. The Timeline should end up expanded taking up the entire width of the interface with the Camera / Drawing window and the Colour / Library windows directly above it. As you approach this area you should see a sort of ghost / transparent shadow previewing how the Timeline window is going for resize.
  4. Once these windows are in place you then can adjust their sizes by hovering over the borders and dragging them.
  5. You want the Camera / Drawing window enlarged which will squish the Timeline down and narrow the Tool Properties and Colour / Library windows.
  6. When you have it all nice and laid out you will save the workspace as a custom workspace. I would call it “My Default”

Main Menu bar across top => Windows => Workspace => Workspace Manager => select “Default” click on the + under the left column which will create “Default 2” => while “Default 2” is highlighted click Rename => rename it “My Default” then select the arrow > to move the “My Default” workspace into the right column => click Apply => then OK.

The Workspace Manager window will close. Now when you go to the Main Menu bar across the top and navigate to Workspace you should see your “My Default” as an option. Select any of the options to rearrange the layout. Then try the “My Default” This should restore the workspace to the layout you adjusted. If it worked then just use that one instead of the Default as your default workspace.

Well it took me a few goes and some mucking about but finally I made it
I have noticed it is still two seperate screens that come up

https://postimg.cc/cgKN0Cjk

You can see I had a couple of goes to get this far on the link above
once I click on Default 1 it opens up like this bellow

https://postimg.cc/NyjcCpxc

once I click on the top half it appears as one screen at first glance but it still is two screens as I can see it is along the sides

Im not sure if its meant to be this way or not still ?

https://postimg.cc/1g7ZkwWN

So do you think I accidently opened the time line in sepperet screen ?
and if so how do I prevent this from happening in the future ?

Paul

What happened is you did not drag the Timeline tab to the exact spot it needed to be to be part of the main layout.

You want the whole thing to be on one layout rather than separate. All you need to do is keep grabbing the Timeline tab and dragging it to the right spot to correct this then save the workspace once you have succeeded.

I tried it several times. I noticed that if you drag the tab and have the cursor over the horizontal border frame at the very bottom of the interface it varies between two options, 1. if at the top edge of this bottom border frame it will spread out only as wide as the Camera window or 2. as wide as the complete interface if you move the cursor lower but still within the border frame. The border frame is about 3/16" so there is room to move it vertically and still be within the border.

There should be a greenish transparent box reshaping depending on where you have the cursor. This is a preview of how the window you are dragging will fill the space once you release the tab.

I have been trying this but I cant seem to get anything to happen like you describe, I can slowly slid the lower half up and down past the top half, all that happens is the top half slowly vanishes

I slide the top half up and down past the bottom half, the bottom half just slow slips behind the top half

no change of colour, Ill keep trying and report back if I can figure something out

Thanks for all your help, I think it is just going to have to be something I maybe miss on sadly

regards

Paul

I have noticed that when I go Windows=>Workspace=>WorkspaceManger=> and the drop down boxes appear there is no item listed as Timeline in there, there is however everything else
I wonder if I have deleted the Timeline part of the program some how

https://postimg.cc/VSqTTyVJ

Wondering what your thoughts are on this

regards

Paul

Timeline is not a Workspace in the same way that Colour, Tool Properties, Camera, Layer Properties, Library, etc. are not Workspaces. Timeline is a “View” window / box that is part of Workspaces. Workspaces are layouts arranged for common tasks. Although you may spend most of your time using the Timeline at a certain stage of your project you are probably working on the animation stage or the drawing stage of a project.

If you think of the interface as a shop or art studio you have the area for Animating and all of its commonly used tools, another for Compositing with all of its commonly used tools, another for Hand-Drawing with all of its commonly used tools and another for general purpose (Default).

You would not do “Timelining” People don’t say that or think of it like that. What they would be doing is Animating or Drawing as they access the Timeline. I am a little surprised that there is not a workspace called “Rigging” but that can be done in existing Workspaces. I suspect someone somewhere has customized a workspace ideal for rigging, especially if rigging is their primary job responsibility.

About Workspaces
https://docs.toonboom.com/help/harmony-20/essentials/user-interface/about-workspace.html?Highlight=workspace

About TImeline
https://docs.toonboom.com/help/harmony-20/essentials/reference/view/timeline-view.html?Highlight=timeline

i am also facing same problem,

same problem..