STB pro5 feature requests

Storyboard Pro Storyboard Pro - Support and Troubleshooting
1

This is my list of feature requests, for Storyboard 5.
I will update it now and then.
If I have made a request for something that already exists please let me know, I will greatly appreciate it.
Feel free to add your feature requests… someone out there might be listening.
Cue crickets and tumble-weeds.

List…

:sushi: Track per layer in timeline.
Then we can hold a background or static character layer across panels without duplication.
Just as we can in Animate or NLEs even audio gets more than one channel.
There are so many reasons for this, it ill reduce wasted production time and effort and also reduce the size of our storyboard files.

:sushi: Key frames per layer. Not just start and end frame but throughout the panel too.

:sushi: Ability to export and import PDF settings.

:sushi: More brush tip and texture options with more built in icons for identification.
Also allow to preset manager to remain open while editing brushes.

:sushi: Change light-box transparency without going to preferences.

:sushi: Option to keep 2d layers rotated to camera in 3d mode.

:sushi: Option to default to hsv in colour picker.

:sushi: Shortcut between marque and lasso.

:sushi: Rule of thirds overlay.

:sushi: More ways to import scripts,- final draft is not as common these days. As an example: if presented with a script from word or text, give us the ability to identify names to start a new panel and insert the following text as dialogue.

:sushi: Change frame rate should not affect the duration of the board ( just the frames per second)- as it is with any other editing system.

:sushi: Option for audio annotation to be audible.

:sushi: Ability to save whole panels -or a series of panels into library, not just layers.

:sushi: Option to overlay dialogue in action (per panel or globally) in video render plus burn ins on bitmap exports.

:sushi: Change ‘panel’ fonts globally and retrospectively.

:sushi: Find text already exists but replacing Text through all panels should be much easier.

:sushi: only show video export audio options that don’t generate an error.( plus more save preset options)

:sushi: Embed fonts in PDF export

:sushi: Reorder audio channels by dragging.

:sushi: Option to paste or spread layers to bottom layer not just the top.

:sushi:Brush tool/Shift makes a straight line. It would be nice if that wasn’t at maximum thickness, so as not to have to change brush size so often.

:sushi: Timeline mode, track size of video needs the same options as audio.

:sushi: I have heard this requested by others…Overlay dialogue on exported images.

:sushi: Improve the licence wizard ( so you can activate from tablet/laptop without deactivating on desktop) and make cheaper extra seats for existing customers.

:sushi: We nee the ability to change the selection colour from orange to something else ( with transparency) it is hard to see what is going on with the very loud selection colour. What would be really good is if the selection ‘orange’ disappears once the selected drawing objects are moved inside the drawing.

Probably more to come, I will just add to the above post… thanks for reading, especially if you’re a dev :slight_smile:

2

Transitions between Layers, in a panel (ofcourse)

For visualising slow motion shots.
Like you see here on 2:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIR9xt4o0sI

3

Also:

Sometimes the captions apply to the whole scene, rather than the panel. You should be able to convert a scene to have with one captions area (for all panels)… or you could create something like a mode you can choose in the preferences or on project based maybe… Captions per panel mode. or Captions per scene mode.

4

And why, oh why, toon boom, would we want this?
I can tell you.

Because we want to be able to create animatics like this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FLzW3v9toI

BTW could someone please inform me… how are this animatics done?

5

Also, when recording audio, it would be nice to SEE the audio being recorded in the timeline/ camera view… (or rather: so you could see the audio be breed while recording, just like when u record audio in aan DAW, like Logic or Garageband)

This way you can act on the timing of your storyboard and the sound that is already in the other tracks.

(About that second thing)
I understand that it’s not nice to have the existing audio being heard in the new recording… but you could make this an option like (x) “Mute existing audio” in the Recording option dialog box.

If people want to hear the existing audio, and not want it to be in the new recording, they can use headphone’s ofcourse…

So give people the option.

One love <3 :slight_smile:

6

I’m hoping that since the new version of harmony has come out, that this means Storyboard won’t be too far behind.
The new animation software will share many of the new features I have to assume(including the darker interface option)
Also the development would have had their hands full ith that for some time I imagine, now they can relax and to storyboard which should be much easier.

On the subject of how to do an animatic like that in the meantime.
You will need a 3d package and and animation package that can allow comping.
So you might just have to animate very roughly using Harmony or as in this case about 7 years ago below where I used (mirage/tvpaint sorry about the stiff, ugly drawings)

http://charleskenway.com/HUB/POOL/MORE/more.html

The trick will be to very roughly thumb what you plan and then start putting together the detailed and moving objects, comping as you go. You might have to make a bunch of assets in 3d ( all those in the clip where made from scratch as I was using hash animation master at the time to save cash).
Use a toon render so as not to clash with your drawings.

Bingo, it’s done.

Well I hope Toon Boom gets the next version of Storyboard right with a few of these requests, actually all of them and a few we haven’t thought of ( or written down, like allowing comping of video renders)

7

We also need a “Maintain Size” button in Storyboard Pro!

http://docs.toonboom.com/help/animate-pro/Content/HAR/Stage/012_Scene_Setup/113_H2_Distributing_Elements_on_the_Z_Axis.html?Highlight=maintain%20size

8

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/animating-along-curve

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/layer-keys-across-panels

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/extending-amount-time-background-holds-over-multiple-

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/support-and-troubleshooting/keyframe-3d-models

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/multiple-video-layers-please

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/keyframingpathing-layers-animation

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/changing-timing-panels-after-layer-motion-has-been-sp

9

Nice feature requests.

I think there’s an more efficient way to achieve what you want with “Track per Layer” that keeps the “simple” philosophy of SBP a bit more.

The following is a quote from me of this thread: https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/support-and-troubleshooting/how-change-xyz-controls-world-instead-local

“”"""""
I also i would like the possibility to keyframe the camera’s rotation above 180 degrees… in some cases it’s not handy that it snaps to the nearest angle… I love to do advanced camera moves haha. Smile Also the Camera Function editor (which you need to enable with the preferences) should be more easy to use and merged in the software. (not so hidden)

but this is not so highly needed as the possibily to change a layers exposure… for example: the background for a shot…

This would have a 1.

Just a idea of how you COULD do this:
You could, for example, in the Layers property panel, put an feature where you can set the layers duration to xxx panels or you could just select ‘‘entire scene’’.

This would be a much more flexible and better alternative for this clumpsy ‘‘spread layer motion’’ feature that we have right now,

This layers then could also have some different symbol/colour/whatever in the small layer thumbnail view, so you know that it’s a ‘‘multi panel-layer’’
where you could maybe also indicate if it’s the beginning/start layer by a symbol that represents that…
‘’<’’ as a quick keyboard sketch.

if it’s a layer in the middle/ between the start and end, then it could also have a symbol that represents that.
‘’=’’ as a quick keyboard sketch.

same for the end…
‘’>’’ as a quick keyboard sketch.

just an idea of how it could be done…

Look how many people want something like this in SBP:

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussi…

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussi…

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussi…

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/support-and-trou…

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussi…

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussi…

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussi…

Also some small feature requests:

i want the:

Ability to group layers… To create a more organized view… and have the ability to animate the roughs, and then just draw the cleans/shading ect. over it, in the same group… (it’s the GROUP that is animated as a whole: you shouldn’t be able to animate the layers inside the group)

Ability to select the layers by selecting strokes in the canvas… Sometimes you just have a lot of layers and you spend a lot of time clicking on the eyes in the layer to determine which layer you want to edit. You could add a shortcut that you can use when in the select tool that temporarily ‘‘breaks’’ the idea of layers/ the borders BETWEEN the layers… In this temporarily mode SBP recognizes the whole panel as one ‘‘layer’’… and when you select strokes in this mode, then release the key, you have the layers selected (highlighted in blue) in the layers thumbnail view… Photoshop has something similar: when you have the Move tool selected, you can just ‘‘cmd’’ click anywhere in the canvas to select a layer… i believe TVPaint also has something like this but i can’t remember it that well…

The ability to turn backface culling on and off for the NODES in a 3D layer instead of the whole 3D layer itself… You know. For example: when i have a 3D environment, like a room, i only want the walls to ‘‘see through’’ from the back… and not through the objects/nodes in the room… Right now you only have the option to enable this for the whole 3D layer.

Pitch mode should recognize 3D scenes and turn the ‘‘comments layer’’ automatically in a ‘‘Pin to camera- layer’’… Just try adding a comment in pitch mode in a 3D scene and you will get what i mean.
“”"""""

Back again.
One thing to mention.
Sometimes a want to have more keyframe’s than just an start and end frame. And they need to have motion path’s and bezier handles to make curves ect. And maybe an “Orient to path” feature… as explained on this page:(scroll down below) http://docs.toonboom.com/help/toon-boom-studio-81/#TBS/User_Guide/011_Motion_Paths/004_H1_Motion_Path.html%3FTocPath%3DUser%20Guide|Chapter%2011%3A%20Creating%20Motion%20Paths|_____4

Look how many people want this.

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/animating-along-curve

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/layer-keys-across-panels

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/extending-amount-time-background-holds-over-multiple-

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/support-and-troubleshooting/keyframe-3d-models

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/multiple-video-layers-please

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/keyframingpathing-layers-animation

https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-storyboard-family/general-discussion/changing-timing-panels-after-layer-motion-has-been-sp

And with the ability to make a layer last for more panels, this could be one hell of a program.

10

Wonderful, thanks Marie-Eve!

Another request: in Avid Pro Tools is a function called Strip Silence which I would like to see implemented in TBSBP. This is why:

When I receive tracks from external sound studios, they tend to be continuous with muted passages in between. I then have to spend literally hours cutting the separate dialog bits apart before i can use them properly in editing the board. A single click on a function that can remove all the muted sound, splitting the track in the separate sentences would be very practical and time saving.

11

Hi Hans,

That a great idea. :smiley:

Thanks for the feedback,

Marie-Eve

12

Having used TBSBP for many years and on many theatrical feature films and tv series, there are a few things I would like to see in the next version:

Ability to EXPORT edited 24 bit WAV/AIFF sound. Currently 24 bit sound is converted to 16 bit and thus no longer usable in production, creating a lot of expensive double work recreating the soundtracks in 24 bit. This is a constant problem. Even if it creates a 16 bit proxy and uses this for actual working with the program, it still needs to be able to finally export the 24 bit sound, thereby earning the addition “Pro.”

Ability to add transparency to already imported drawings, changing lines to vector lines with white areas 100% transparent, with antialiased areas transparency graded in some controlled way. Too often do we receive projects from our freelance boarders where they scanned in drawings or made them in Photoshop (though we keep asking them not to), then imported them as bitmap, so that the drawings as such cannot be changed. Thus, if I want to change a character’s color, I’m stuck painting on top of it, instead of painting below, and I cannot just grab “selection by color” as it selects the entire drawing…

Fingers crossed… Thanks!

13

Good evening!

Thank you for the very detailed feature requests! :smiley:
It’s great to read through all this content.
We are always pleased to receive your feedback and we do our best to listen to your needs and implement them. :slight_smile:

This thread will be sent to our Product Manager for review.

Thank you!

Marie-Eve

14

Wow, great list! I was looking for a way to burn-in dialogue on my exports and I guess it doesn’t exist yet.

15

I love Storyboard Pro 4, and don’t have too many requests but here’s what I do have:

  • Please, can we have some better PDF export options? I feel the selection of templates available is very limiting, and modding them is not very user-friendly. I’d like to see something that fits 3-4 panels per page, maximizing image space while leaving room for scene/panel # and dialogue.

  • I’d like to see more Harmony-like tools for animating the camera. SBP transfers so nicely over to Toon Boom files, it’d be great if we had the control to easily perfect camera moves already at the animatic stage. I mean… you CAN currently, but it’s a PITA.

16

I’m going to add the following to the Feature Requests, since I know the new SBP 5 will be out soon:

  • Option to Paste in Place
  • Option to control which and how many layers are seen in Onion Skin
  • Option to change the Smoothing of a vector drawing after the fact (like in Harmony: choose the drawing with the Select tool and smooth with a slider, not just a button)
  • Ability to change the name of layers across multiple panels
  • Have separate brush/pencil/fill boxes (linked/unlinked colors) like in Harmony

I also second having the option of putting layers on their own editable layers in the timeline, with keyframes like in AE. This will also help make camera transitions (like X-dissolves) easier to manipulate. I suggest having the default be that each panel start as one layer in the Timeline, like it is now, with the option of separating a given layer as an offshoot in the Timeline.

Thank you for your consideration!

17

Hi Devin,

The Maintain Size tool is now in Storyboard Pro 5!

Marc-André

18

I would love to be able to manage license activation remotely. Sometimes I may forget to deactivate my laptop license at home, and when in my studio I can not use my desktop license. There have been times when I get last minute work calls and I have to remember which computer I have activated license on, etc. This should be something I can do remotely by logging into my account.

I also would like to be able to export whole layout in other formats than PDF: JPG, TIFF, etc.

Also, it would be great to be able to turn on or off layers with specific name: say I have “shadow” layer on each frame, and I want to turn all “shadow” layers off…I am not sure if there is a way to do that right now (if there is I appreciate someone letting me know).

More brush options is always great. To be able to build your own brush from scratch using alphas (as in Photoshop) would be great.

When making a selection to transform, sometimes it is difficult to have to place the cursor exactly on a pixelated area to drag the selection around (instead of just clicking and dragging anywhere in the box). If I want to move a selected line with a selection box around it, it seems I have to click exactly somewhere on the line to move it around. Believe it or not this can slow things down a bit if you are transforming and moving things around all the time.

19

Another request: Ability to jump back and forth between last two frames you have been working on. For example I would like to use a simple one button shortcut to jump between say frames 5 and 33…kind of like changing channels on TV by clicking on Previous button to go back and forth between current and previously viewed channel. Or to be able to frames by jumping to first frame of a Scene or Shot or Sequence.

20

Right now I am in a situation where I wish this had been implemented: notification.

Some renders (Export movie…) take several hours. It would be great if the program could send a message, e.g. an email, when a render is finished. I could then render the movie on one machine and work on another - and return to the machine that finished its render after receiving that message. Would just need a few basic SMTP implementations (and a place in Preferences to add mail server, username, password, email address).