Automatic instance renaming

[Soom]

Is it possible to rename instances automatically according to timeline? Doing it manually is extremely ineffective.
I don't deal with this too often, but when I need to repeat some frames on the same timeline, it really comes in handy. Does this option exist in Pro version?

[Fabrice]

we added an option in the v11 to rename all the instances at once, in a layer.

[Soom]

Ok, but I am still on TVP 10.5 :/
Anyway, I've got this great Tracker panel made by Mads http://forum.tvpaint.com/viewtopic.php? ... nel#p73241" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[D.T. Nethery]

we added an option in the v11 to rename all the instances at once, in a layer.

Ok, but I am still on TVP 10.5
Anyway, I've got this great Tracker panel made by Mads http://forum.tvpaint.com/viewtopic.php? ... nel#p73241" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I much prefer the way Mads' "Instances Auto Name" button on his Tracker Panel works, because it respects whether the drawings are exposed ON 1's or ON 2's and matches the numbering of the re-named instances to the frame numbers (as it would be on a traditional X-sheet).

For example: imagine that you have a sequence of 16 drawings exposed ON 1's , so they are simply named 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9, 10, 11, 12 , 12, 14, 15, 16.
If you rename these with the TVPaint 11 renamer to add a prefix (say "RK-" for "running kid" ) ... if those drawings are exposed ON 1's they are renamed automatically as RK-1 , RK-2, RK-3, RK-4 , RK-5 , RK-6 , RK-7, RK-8, RK-9, RK-10, RK-11, RK-12, RK-13, RK-14, RK-15, RK-16 ... so far , so good ... if the drawings are intended to be exposed ON 1's.

BUT let's say you have those 16 drawings exposed ON 2's and you renamed them ? With the TVPaint 11 renamer it renames them as if they are single frame exposures:

RK-1, RK-2, RK-3, RK-4 , RK-5 , RK-6 , RK-7, RK-8, RK-9, RK-10, RK-11, RK-12, RK-13, RK-14, RK-15, RK-16

However, with the Mads' Tracker it renames them properly, respecting the exposure ON 2's , as :

RK-1, RK-3, RK-5 , RK-7 , RK-9 , RK-11, RK-13, RK-15 , RK-17, RK-19, RK-21, RK-23, RK-25 , RK-27 , RK-29 , RK-31 .

Similarly if you had the drawings exposed ON 4's, the Mads' Tracker "Instances Auto Name" button respects that exposure and would rename them as :

RK-1, RK-5 , RK-9, RK-13 , RK-17, RK-21, RK-25 , RK-29 , RK-33 , RK-37 , RK-41 , RK-45 , RK-49, RK-53, RK-57 , RK-61, RK-65

If the above is unclear to anyone reading , please see the following screen captures -

Spoiler : :

Here's how it should be to respect the exposure of the drawings ON 2's -

(but currently this is not what happens with the TVPaint 11 renamer)

But here is Mads' Tracker in action -







I think it would be better if TVPaint 11's default Rename Instances would behave like Mads' "Instances Auto Name" in his Tracker panel.

.

[Soom]

Oh, good to know - so I would have no use to the new TVP renamer. Any animator familiar with xSheets, needs numbers corresponding to Timeline numbers, and not to sequential order, so yes - Mad's tool is the right one in this case. It works great, just what I needed! Though sequential numbering also should be an option, I think TVP have to implement Mad's tracker into newer versions. Anyway, I am still far from moving to v11 :/

[D.T. Nethery]

Any animator familiar with X-Sheets, needs numbers corresponding to Timeline numbers, and not to sequential order, so yes - Mad's tool is the right one in this case. It works great, just what I needed!

To me Mad's TRACKER panel is very useful , for exactly that reason (adding a prefix and numbering the instances to match the FRAME number on the Timeline). Not to mention the ability to automatically color repeated images which is a wonderful function, too.

I think people who have been trained up in the traditional animation system with X-sheets, etc. immediately understand the usefulness of something like Mad's TRACKER "Instance Auto Namer" , but frankly I usually have a devil of a time explaining it to most students ... their eyes just glaze over. Sometimes I must explain the Tracker Panel's "Instance Auto Name" function over and over until they finally "get it".

I think a new feature that would be very useful is if the default Timeline behavior is to automatically re-number the instances to match the frame number (and to always respect the user's exposure of the drawings ON 2's or ON 3's , 4's , etc. and to respect a HOLD that lasts for 12 frames, 16 frames, 24 frames, 48 frames, whatever ... then resume the numbering ON 2's after the hold ... ) One click would re-name the layer's instances with a user-defined Prefix (such as A , B , C , D , E ,etc. or with a specific user-defined prefix that matches the character's name such as "RK" for "running kid" or "B" for a prop like a "box" . But the prefix is always followed by numbering that always matches the frame numbers , so a sequence of drawings exposed ON 2's would be labeled like this: RK-1 , RK-3 , RK-5 , RK-7 , RK-9 , RK-11, RK-13 , RK-15 , RK-17 , RK-19 , RK-21 ---- now let's say that RK-21 holds from frame 21 - through - frame 38 , so the next drawing following the held drawing RK-21 would resume on the frame number at RK-39 , and continuing ... RK-41, RK-43 , RK-45 , RK-47, RK-49 , RK-51 , etc. That would make it so much easier.

[Peter Wassink]

we added an option in the v11 to rename all the instances at once, in a layer.

you do it with empty-enter the rename box right? when you "empty-enter" the rename box it will rename "#." to "#"
can't this be expanded to work on a selection?
same with resetting, the possibility to just reset a selected range of frames

[Fabrice]

sure, please add it in the feature request forum.