
TVPaint Professional is a 2D animation software that offers a range of tools for creating animations, including panning shots. While the software offers a simple Camera Tool to achieve panning shots, users have also inquired about creating panning shots with the KeyFramer tool in the FX stack. Additionally, there have been discussions about the keyboard shortcuts for panning, with some users expressing a preference for using the space bar instead of the default ALT key for panning the canvas. The software also provides features such as storyboarding, advanced colorization, bitmap rigging, and camera movement configurations to enhance the animation process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Use of the Panning tool | To move an image or selection on the screen, pixel by pixel, with a left-click + slide of the mouse |
| Move Image | Current image is taken into consideration when shifting |
| Move Selection Shape | Move the selection shape without modifying the image |
| Move Selection Content | Move the selection and its content at the same time |
| Move Camera | Move the image and camera movement |
| Keyboard shortcut | ALT key for panning the canvas |
| Keyboard shortcut | Spacebar + left-click to pan and Space + right-click to zoom |
| Keyboard shortcut | Panning & Zoom (held) assigned to the Spacebar |
| Camera Tool | Tune the Camera's key positions from the Timeline |
| Camera movement | Configure motion blur with a percentage to increase the illusion of fast movement |
| Camera movement | Change the mode as Spline, Linear, or Smart Spline for smooth or hard movement |
| Camera movement | Modify the Time profile to slow down or accelerate movement |
| Camera movement | Lock your movement and avoid any modification |
| Camera movement | Invert, Load, Save, or Reset your camera movement |
| Camera movement | Change your camera's definition using the Parameters button |
| Safe area | Display the area where you can or cannot put text or subtitles |
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What You'll Learn

Using the Panning Tool
The Panning Tool in TVPaint Pro is used to move an image or a selection on the screen, pixel by pixel. To use the Panning Tool, left-click and slide your mouse across the screen. You can also use keyboard shortcuts to activate the Panning Tool. The default shortcut is the Alt key, but users have requested the ability to change this to a more convenient key, such as the Spacebar.
In the Keyboard Shortcut settings, you can now assign the Panning Tool to the Spacebar, allowing you to pan by holding down the Spacebar, similar to other software like Photoshop and Harmony. Alternatively, you can use the "ALT + clicks" shortcut, which allows you to zoom or pan depending on whether you use the left or right click. For example, you can use the "Space key + left click" to pan and "Space + right click" to zoom.
The Panning Tool can be used to move either the current image or the selection shape without modifying the image. If you check the "Move Image" option, the current image will be considered when shifting. On the other hand, if you select the "Move Selection Shape" option, you will move the selection shape without altering the image. Additionally, the "Move Selection Content" option allows you to move the selection and its content simultaneously.
TVPaint Pro also offers a simple Camera Tool that makes it convenient to add camera movements to your animations. You can select a camera position by clicking on its centre and then use handles to move, reduce, enlarge, or rotate the camera. The Camera tool gives you control over parameters such as zoom, place, and rotation. You can also configure motion blur, change the mode for smooth or hard movement, and modify the time profile to slow down or accelerate your movement.
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Keyboard shortcuts
The keyboard shortcut for panning in TVPaint is Alt, which is different from other applications, where the Spacebar is used. However, in the latest version of TVPaint, a new shortcut called "Panning & Zoom (held)" has been added, which can be assigned to the Spacebar, allowing users to pan by holding down the Spacebar, similar to other applications.
In addition to the panning shortcut, there are several other keyboard shortcuts in TVPaint that can help improve your workflow. Here are some of the basic shortcuts for TVPaint Animation:
- Ctrl + O — Hide other projects.
- Ctrl + P — Show other projects.
- Ctrl + 1 — Show the Timeline tab.
- Ctrl + 2 — Show the XSheet tab.
- Ctrl + 3 — Show the Project tab.
- Ctrl + C — Copy.
- Ctrl + V — Paste.
- Ctrl + X — Cut.
- Ctrl + Shift + ↑ / Ctrl + Shift + ↓ — Rotate workspace.
- A — Shake tool.
- B — Toggle CutBrush tool.
- C — Rotate.
- D — Freehand tool.
- E — Next.
- F — Flood Fill tool.
- G — Toggle tool.
- H — Reduce by half.
- I — Add images.
- J — Exchange tool.
- L — Line tool.
- M — New Zoom window.
- N — Invert A/B.
- O — Outline tool.
- P — Open Panel Toggle palette.
- Q — Spline tool.
- R — Add rectangle.
- S — Freehand Dot tool.
- T — Add text.
- U — Last action/undo.
- V — Full screen.
- W — Flip Book tool.
- X — Horizontal flip.
- Y — Vertical flip.
- Z — Scale.
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Camera Tool
The Camera Tool in TVPaint Pro allows you to add camera movements to your animations. It offers a simple and convenient way to create panning shots and includes various features to enhance your animations.
To use the Camera Tool effectively, start by selecting a camera position by clicking on its centre. You can then use the handles to adjust the camera's movement, including options to move, reduce, enlarge or rotate the camera. The Camera Tool also provides additional parameters to refine your animations. For instance, you can configure a motion blur effect, with the option to increase its visibility by adjusting the percentage. This creates the illusion of fast movement in your animations.
The Camera Tool also lets you change the mode to Spline, Linear, or Smart Spline, allowing you to control the smoothness of the camera motion. You can further modify the Time profile to manipulate the speed of your camera movement, making it start quickly and end slowly or vice versa. This feature gives you precise control over the pacing of your animations.
Additionally, the Camera Tool offers a Safe area function, enabling you to identify the area where you can place text or subtitles without interfering with other elements. This ensures that your animations and textual content coexist harmoniously within the frame.
The Camera Tool in TVPaint Pro provides a user-friendly interface for creating dynamic animations with camera movements. Its range of features empowers animators to craft engaging visual narratives, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
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Creating a background plate
To create a background plate, you can use the Rectangle, Line, and Flood Fill tools in TVPaint. You can also use the Airbrush or 2-pts circle with a gradient for more advanced effects. When creating a background plate, you need to consider the size of your artwork. If you want to create a panning effect, your background plate should be larger than the frame in your drawing window. This can be achieved by preparing your scene with different elements drawn on separate layers, each with its own size and position.
Another approach to creating a background plate is to use Photoshop. You can draw your backgrounds in Photoshop first and then import them into TVPaint. If you want to preserve transparency, save your Photoshop files in PNG or TIFF format. When importing into TVPaint, you can use the SCAN CLEANER FX to turn the background transparent if needed. Alternatively, you can add a background fill colour (commonly white) in Photoshop and preserve it when importing into TVPaint.
Additionally, TVPaint offers advanced colourisation and animation tools, including the ability to add camera movements and manage your projects using shots and scenes. You can also add multiple audio tracks to your animations and easily export them. The software provides a Trial version that allows users to test all the features for free, although projects cannot be saved or exported.
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Adding camera movements
Selecting a Camera Position:
Begin by selecting a camera position by clicking on its centre. This will be the starting point for your camera movement.
Moving and Adjusting the Camera:
- Once you have selected the camera position, you can use the handles to move the camera around, reduce or enlarge the frame, or rotate the camera to achieve the desired angle.
- You can also modify the camera's zoom, place, and rotation using the camera's panel tool. This allows for precise adjustments to your camera movement.
Advanced Camera Movement Options:
- To enhance your camera movements, you can configure a motion blur by adjusting its percentage. A higher percentage will create a more visible blur, giving the illusion of faster movement.
- You can also change the mode to Spline, Linear, or Smart Spline to control the smoothness of the movement.
- Additionally, you can modify the Time profile to slow down or accelerate your camera movement, allowing for more dynamic shots.
Locking and Saving Camera Movements:
- Once you are happy with your camera movement, you can lock it to avoid any accidental modifications.
- You also have the option to save your camera movement, allowing you to reuse specific setups or return to a previous configuration.
Camera Definition and Safe Area:
- Before moving your camera, ensure that you have chosen the appropriate camera format, as changing the camera's definition later can alter the perception of your camera movement.
- Utilise the Safe Area function to determine the area where text or subtitles can be safely placed without interfering with other elements.
By following these steps, you can effectively add camera movements, including panning shots, to your animations in TVPaint. Experiment with the various tools and options to create dynamic and visually appealing scenes.
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Frequently asked questions
Use the ALT key or the spacebar to pan the canvas.
Yes, you can use the Panning tool to move an image or selection on the screen, pixel by pixel, with a left-click + slide of the mouse.
The keyboard shortcut for panning is "ALT + clicks" or "Space + left-click". The shortcut for zooming is "Space + right-click".
Yes, you can use the KeyFramer tool in the FX stack to create panning shots in the Standard Edition. The Camera Tool in TVPaint Pro is more convenient, but the KeyFramer tool offers similar functionality.
You can add camera movement to your animations by selecting a camera position and then using the handles to move, reduce, enlarge, or rotate the camera. You can also adjust the zoom, place, rotation, and other parameters in the camera's panel tool.

















