[Niels]

You enter the key in the only window that opens when you launch Animation Paper. It’s not on the website. It’s the same window that you must have had open the first time you ran Animation Paper, because you must have clicked the link that is in the same window to register for the activation key.

So in short: Just click your Animation Paper icon. A window opens. That’s it.

Yes, you can’t export or do anything else before you have entered the activation key. It is usually super simple. I have never heard of this problem before. Let me know if the window doesn’t open (for some weird reason).

Thanks,
Niels

[Niels]

Hi Serge,

I hope it’s OK I answer in English?

Here’s your question again in English (translated by Google): “I don’t know where to enter my activation key No window opens when opening the software. I can’t export my cartoon either. Can you help me ? Thanks”

I don’t understand. If you already have your activation key, that means that you must have run Animation Paper and had the small activation key window open (because you must have clicked the link in that small window to register for the activation key in the first place).

You say you can’t export your cartoon. That says to me that you already did do some drawing in Animation Paper? You can only do that if you entered your activation key in the small window. Which is great. The small activation key window does not show up again if you already entered your activation key once. Then you are all set.

So, I’m guessing you are fine regarding the activation key. So your problem really is to export your animation? Just do this:

Go to the menu File > Export > Movie Clip… Then choose mp4 for most general usage (or gif or mov) – and set other options if needed. That’s it really.

Let me know if this was of any help. Otherwise, I will love to help you, please get back to me with more info on what exactly happens when you try to do what you want to do.

Thanks,
Niels

[Niels]

Hi Clarisse! Thanks for asking! I hope it’s OK that I answer in English?

You asked: “Hello, I would like to know how to copy, paste a layer and then draw on the new layers without it drawing on all the layers. Thanks”

Maybe it’s the translation (Google) – but I don’t think you mean “layer” – you mean “drawing” or “frame”, right?

In Animation Paper, you can easily make a drawing “hold”, by just dragging down on it in the X-Sheet. Then you will see a number of “clones” after the original drawing. These will automatically update if you draw on them or the original.

You can brake the link by hitting O on a clone (Making the clone an original). Then you can continue drawing without the previous drawing being updated.

If you Clear a clone (hit * on it), you will break the link too, and make it an original blank drawing.

You can also do copy/paste, by using Ctrl C and Ctrl V on the thumbnails (drawings) in the X-Sheet.

But instead of copying and modifying your previous drawing, I would recommend adding a new blank and then use the light table (onion skin), to draw the new drawing, referencing the previous one. But it’s up to you of course and up to what is best according to the project and style.

Anyway, good luck with it! Let me know if you need me to go into more detail or if you have other great questions!

Thanks,
Niels

 

[Niels]

Hi Mike, thanks for sharing this good idea! These things must always be weighed up against the more clutter/complexity it produces – even though this might be a very simple and efficient way of planning lip-sync. I will definitely think deeper about it! Thank you!

Playing devils advocate: How would it work for you, if you just quickly drew simplified mouth shapes in the annotations column? It would be the same, if I’m not mistaken – even though your way might be slightly faster. But depending on the character design, the generic mouth shapes you are suggesting, could be fairly far from your actual characters mouth look, so you would run the risk of it being not precise enough and slightly confusing. I may we wrong of course. And you probably already tried this and came up with your idea.

Let me know what you think? I love to think about these things! It’s great. 🙂

Best,
Niels

 

 

[Niels]

Paint will come in the first free update after the official 5.0 release. So, all coloring and paint features will be in 5.1.

[Niels]

Hi Malcolm, thanks for your comments and question.

What I aim for with Animation Paper, when designing it, is to have it be very close to traditional analogue animation in the way you as an animator think and work. However, in the way you would do it cleverly today with modern digital features and conveniences.

Normal workflow in Animation Paper is to do rough animation, clean up and inking all digitally within Animation Paper. It is totally possible to import scanned or photographed backgrounds or animation, but doing the final clean up in Animation Paper is recommended before coloring.

In the current pre-release (Alpha 7), there are no coloring or paint features implemented just yet. These are of course planned and on our todo at a very high priority.

Let me know if you want me to go into more detail or if you have additional questions.

Best,
Niels

[Niels]

Thanks for your insight Qian!

[Niels]

I just tried following the link quickly, and must admit it is kind of confusing. I can’t find it either. I remember it was a little tricky to get to the right place, but it’s there somewhere. If all fails, I guess you can write the developer. I’m sorry I can’t help you any better right now.

[Niels]

Hi Ezekiel,

Sorry, in the next alpha we have actually removed the paint menu, because it has been confusing people. (Understandably – They thought it wasn’t working for them somehow). So it will be hidden until we finish the paint features.

Since Alpha 5 the plan has been to first publish Animation Paper 5.0. (Which is very close now). Then, following close to immediately after, a free update to 5.1 – will include all the coloring features. This is the good and faster way forward.

Are you in need of coloring now? Because, you can easily do your coloring in other software, like Photoshop, Krita or any other paint package. You can export your animation as a sequence of png’s, with file name numbering, so holds and copies (clones) are recognised and you don’t need to color the same drawing twice. Also check out the OCA format (Open Cell Animation format), which is a way of exporting your whole project and import it to other software with all timing etc intact. More about OCA here: https://animationpaper.com/animation-paper-oca-export-for-pc/ (It works for both Mac and PC)

Best,
Niels

[Niels]

You got it Sam. 😉

[Niels]

Older Man, Animation Paper is actually vector internally, even though it feels like raster. This gives us a lot of advantages now and in the future. So what you are drawing with is already vector brushes, though simple ones at the moment. We do plan to expand these to a much more advanced set of vector brushes, ideally compatible with brushes from other software.

[Niels]

It IS getting closer! It’s a tough one. Updating a lot of systems and ironing stuff out. 🙂 Now it’s mostly testing that’s needed on obscure computers 🙂 Getting there…

[Niels]

Hi Kaye,

Sorry about your troubles. Did you get any error messages – or did it say “Your Activation Key is on its way to your inbox”?

Are you sure you typed your email correctly?

Our systems are online and working. Just tested it here.

If you did everything correctly and you still didn’t receive your activation key, then I have no idea what is happening. I could try registering for you then. I will just need your email address.

Best,
Niels

[Niels]

Thanks for checking in with Animation Paper and for your patience, Kaye!

[Niels]

Hi Jacques, unfortunately there’s no coloring available yet in Animation Paper. There will be.

For now, I recommend you finish your animation and cleanup in Animation Paper, then export your frames, and then color them elsewhere (like in Photoshop or the free Krita or any paint package really).

Let me know if you want me to get into more detail – or if I can help you with other questions.

Thanks,
Niels