Manga Studio For Dummies phần 4 pps

The Properties palette With all of the layer types, you can view a layer’s properties in two ways: ߜ Pressing F7 on your keyboard. ߜ Clicking the Properties button on the main toolbar. When the Properties palette is open, you’ll notice that there are a few options to adjust, but most of them are grayed out. That’s because, for the most part, the options on a new layer are locked, and the palette reminds you about the settings you created with the new layer. You really only have the option to rename your layer from this level. If you’re working on an image layer (raster, vector, reverse, and/or tone) or selection layer, you may notice two additional check boxes for ruler settings: the Convert to Layer and the Hide check boxes. Use these check boxes for any layer-specific rulers and guides you may choose to work with. I explain this further in Chapter 8. In any case, these are the only options available to you to adjust on the Layer Properties palette . . . unless you click the Advanced View button. Normally, I would suggest checking out Part IV: Advanced Tips and Tricks, but in this instance, I think it’s useful right now to go over the advanced features that you can do with a layer. When you have the Advanced View open (shown in Figure 6-3), you have the following options available: 99 Chapter 6: Layers, Layers, Layers! Untitled is a dirty word It sounds like a trite thing to do, but you’d be amazed how a simple thing like naming your layers can help organize your work, as well as help you keep track of exactly what layer you’re working on. I figure at the very least, by writing this down, maybe it’ll help remind me to actually practice what I’m about to preach. If you aren’t worried about labeling layers for yourself, consider this: If you’re just penciling your work and planning to send the file to your inker (or if you’re inking and sending it to your screentoner), consider that the other person is going to have no clue what each layer is supposed to be and which layers she should actually focus on. You can lose a lot of time and energy when you find yourself drawing on the wrong layer. While I won’t say that naming your layers will absolve you of such headaches in the future, it may help to cut down on the amount of aspirin you’d be taking otherwise. 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 99 ߜ Opacity: As the name implies, this function allows you to adjust how opaque or transparent you’d like the layer to be. You may find it useful to adjust the opacity when creating effects for your page. If you’re like me and tend to have very heavy and sloppy pencil roughs, you may adjust the opacity of a layer to lighten up your roughs during the inking stage. Another way to use this function is to adjust the opacity on a ruler layer so that you can see the guides just enough to use them. The great thing about adjusting the opacity is that it doesn’t affect your work on the layer in the slightest. You can adjust the opacity as much or as little as you’d like. If you want to revert or adjust it further, feel free! (Incidentally, this function is available with all layer types.) To adjust the opacity, enter a value between 0% and 100% in the Opacity text box, or you can use the slider (activated by clicking the black arrow next to the text box) to adjust with your mouse or stylus until you’ve reached your desired level. Figure 6-4 shows the same image on two layers; the image that appears lighter is on a layer with a lower opacity. ߜ Display Color: I mention at the beginning of this book that Manga Studio is primarily used as a black-and-white program. It is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use color if you want to. The Display Color function allows you to change the black (and/or white) colors to whatever colors you’d like. This is especially helpful to pencilers who prefer to work with a blue (or any color) pencil. Just select your color, and you have your- self a colored layer to pencil on! To activate this function on an image layer, make sure you have the Layer Properties palette open for the layer, and then follow these steps: 1. Select the Color radio button. If you already have line art down, you’ll see that it changes to the default color. Figure 6-3: The Advanced View of a raster layer in the Layer Properties palette. 100 Part II: Roughing It 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 100 2. With your mouse or stylus, double-click the Alternative Color to Black color box. This brings up the Color Settings dialog box shown in Figure 6-5. 3. Select your new color from the Default Color Set list. If you don’t see a color you like, you can use the color picker area (to the right of the Default Color Set) and select the exact color you would like with your stylus or mouse. 4. When you’ve picked your color, click OK. Figure 6-5: Adjust your layer colors with the Color Settings dialog box. Figure 6-4: You can set an image layer to any opacity. 101 Chapter 6: Layers, Layers, Layers! 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 101 5. If you want to change the White color, double-click the Alternative Color to White color box, and repeat Steps 3 and 4. 6. If you’d like to change your layer back to black and white, click the Grayscale radio button. While I’m explaining how to change the colors on an image layer, keep in mind that the same rules apply to all of the other layer types. Each layer type has a different name for its primary and secondary colors, but you can adjust them all in the same way. ߜ Palette Color: This function doesn’t affect the layer so much as it does the Layers palette. All changing the palette color does is change the dis- play color of the layer within the Layers palette. This is good if you have a large number of layers and wish to organize them via color-coding. ߜ Tone Area: Applicable to the tone layer only, this function assists you in the placement of your screentone on the page. There have been many times when I’ve zoomed in close to place a screen- tone on a part of a character, only to zoom out and discover more than a few glaring areas that I’ve missed. Setting the tone area color helps fix that problem by laying down a flat color in addition to your screentone. It’ll be pretty obvious from the get-go what areas are covered and which still need to be touched up. To activate the tone area color, click the Tone Area check box. Adjusting the area color and opacity works the same way as adjusting the layer colors and opacity, so you can follow the steps provided earlier in this list. ߜ Output Attribute: As I mention earlier, setting a sketch or finish layer helps keep you mentally aware of which layer is which. It’s also integral to determining which layers will be used when you decide to print or export your work. ߜ Ruler Settings: As I mention earlier, these settings allow you to create a layer-specific group of rulers and guides for an image layer. I explain how these work in Chapter 8. ߜ Subtractive Method: Used only with 8-bit layers, you can adjust how the line art is displayed (Does Not Subtract Colors, Threshold, Dither, and Convert to Tone). I explain each of these subtractive methods in Chapter 3. Changing the layer type For most of the layer types you create, you’re pretty much stuck with what you make. You can change the name, color, and opacity of the layer, but that’s pretty much it. 102 Part II: Roughing It 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 102 Image layers provide a little bit more flexibility than other layer types. If you use the Change Layer Type function, you can take your image layer and con- vert it to a completely different layer type! (Well, within reason. It would seem awfully silly to convert your image file to a print guide or grid layer.) To change your image layer type, either ߜ Press Ctrl+Alt+E (Ô+Option+E on the Mac) or ߜ Choose Layer➪Change Layer Type. The Change Layer Type dialog box opens. If you created a new layer, this should look very familiar to you; it’s exactly the same as the New Layer dialog box. I go over the options in more detail in “Creating a New Layer” earlier in this chapter, but to summarize: 1. Enter the name of your layer in the Layer Name text box. 2. Select the layer type you wish to convert to from the Layer Type drop-down list. Your selection of layer types is more limited here. You can convert to only a raster, vector (if you have Manga Studio EX), tone, or selection layer. 3. Select the layer’s resolution from the Resolution drop-down list. 4. Select Black (1bit), Black and White (2bit), or Gray (8bit) from the Expression Mode drop-down list. 5. Select either the Sketch or the Finish option button to determine the output attribute for the layer. 6. If you’ve chosen an 8-bit expression mode, select the subtractive method you wish to use (Does Not Subtract, Threshold, Dither, or Convert to Tone) from the Subtractive Method drop-down list. If you’ve chosen the Threshold subtractive method, enter the threshold level in the Threshold text box, or you can activate the slider bar by clicking the black triangle to the right of the text box and adjust until you’ve reached your desired level. 7. If you wish to keep a copy of the original layer in addition to the converted layer, select the Leave Original Layer check box. 8. When you’re satisfied with the settings, click OK. Keep in mind that while you can convert an image layer to a selection layer, you can’t do the reverse. If you’re looking to convert a selection layer to an image layer, the best solution I can come up with is to select your selection layer and use the Fill tool to fill the selection on a new image layer. 103 Chapter 6: Layers, Layers, Layers! 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 103 Using Simple Layer Functions Knowing how to create and adjust layers is only the beginning of what you can do with them. As always, you need to crawl before you can walk, so the follow- ing sections show some of the basic functions you can do with your layers. Copying layers I really like to use the Undo button when I’m working on a drawing. The only problem is that Manga Studio allows a limited number of undos. So every now and then, I make a copy of the layer I’m working on as my safety net. Then, if I don’t like where the drawing is going, I can scrap that layer and work from the backup layer. Another reason to create a copy (or multiple copies) of a layer is to make duplicates of a character or object that doesn’t change much from panel to panel. Or you can use a copy of a layer to thicken up your ink work. As you work with Manga Studio, you might even come up with ways of using copies of layers that no one else has thought of. Follow these steps to copy a layer: 1. With your stylus or mouse, highlight the layer you wish to copy. 2. Create a copy of the layer by using one of the following methods: • Drag the layer to the New Layer button located at the top of the Layers palette. • Press Ctrl+Shift+C ( Ô+Option+C on the Mac). • Choose Layer ➪Duplicate Layer. The layer copy appears above the original in the Layers palette, with “Copy” affixed to the end of the original layer’s name, as shown in Figure 6-6. Figure 6-6: Your new layer copy appears above the old one on the Layers palette. 104 Part II: Roughing It 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 104 Locking layers Here’s something that has happened to me on many occasions, especially if I don’t change the color or opacity of my roughs: I get a good amount of ink work done on a drawing, only to discover that the layer I thought was my ink layer is in fact my roughs layer! The Undo button can only undo so much, so I’m stuck either erasing all the pencil lines from the layer or starting the inking process all over. If this has never happened to you, I’ll be in touch because I need to find out your secrets. Otherwise, I suggest taking advantage of the Lock Layer function to save yourself a lot of time and frustration. Locking the layer allows you to view the layer, but you can’t write, erase, or do anything to it. It’s a very simple yet extremely important step to prevent what can be costly mistakes. To lock and unlock a layer, follow these steps: 1. Using your mouse or stylus, select the layer on the Layers palette. (Press F4 if the Layers palette isn’t currently visible.) 2. Lock the layer by using one of the following methods: • Click the Lock icon. • Press Ctrl+L ( Ô+L on the Mac). • Choose Layer ➪Lock Layer. You now see a small lock icon next to the name of your layer. (Or it dis- appears if you’re unlocking the layer.) Locking a layer doesn’t have to apply to just an image layer — you can lock each layer type. You’ll find this helpful when you want to make sure that a ruler or a selection layer isn’t accidentally altered, for example. Deleting and hiding layers There comes a time when you decide that a drawing just isn’t working for you, and you decide to part ways with it. I know it’s happened to me; I’ve scrapped entire pages because it was easier to start from scratch than to fight tooth and nail with the abomination that was staring at me. So, you could use the eraser tool and take your time erasing all the lines from the layer . . . or you could just get rid of the layer altogether. I happen to like the latter; there’s something cathartic about doing a virtual “crumpling up the paper and throwing it in the trash.” Follow these steps to delete a layer: 105 Chapter 6: Layers, Layers, Layers! 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 105 1. Using your mouse or stylus select the layer from the Layers palette. (Press F4 if it isn’t currently visible.) 2. Delete the layer by using one of the following methods: • Drag the layer to the Trash icon at the top of the Layers palette. • Click the Trash icon. When the dialog box asks if you’re sure you want to delete the layer, click OK. • Choose Layer ➪Delete Layer. When the dialog box appears and asks if you’re sure you want to delete the layer, click OK. If you want to temporarily remove a layer from sight, you can simply hide it. To do this, just click the eyeball icon in the Layers palette to make the layer disappear and reappear. It’s a great way to see how your inks are coming along by hiding your pencil roughs. Organizing Related Layers At the beginning of this chapter, I talk about how layers are a great way to organize your work within Manga Studio. But, what happens if you’re working with so many layers that things become . . . well, cluttered? If you happen to be using multiple layers for your roughs, inks, tones, rulers, and so on, it can get very confusing to remember which layers are for what (naming your layers can only go so far) — or frustrating having to move each related layer around individually (or hide them one at a time just to see how other layers look). Manga Studio provides three ways to help reduce layer clutter and confusion. You can organize layers by placing them in layer folders, by grouping layers, and by merging multiple layers into a single layer. These methods help you to not only keep the layers in their respective places, but also to move them around (or hide/show them) as a group. Small things like this can help save you lots of time in the long term. Layer folders Layer folders are the simplest means of organizing related layers into one place. All you have to do is move the layers into the folder, and that’s it. You can dig into the folder and work on each layer individually, or you can use the folder to move the layers around, hide or show them, or adjust opacity all at once. To create a Layer folder and add layers to it, follow these steps: 106 Part II: Roughing It 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 106 1. On the Layers palette, click the New Folder button. A new folder appears in the Layers palette. You can rename it by enter- ing the new name in the Layer Name text box on the Layer Properties palette. (Double-click the folder if the Properties palette isn’t visible.) 2. Using your mouse or stylus, highlight the layer you wish to add to the folder and drag the layer into the folder. You’ll know the layer is in the folder because the layer icon located is slightly indented in relation to the folder icon. (Check out Figure 6-7 to see what I mean.) To select multiple layers to move to a folder, hold down the Ctrl key ( Ô on the Mac), and click on each layer you want to move with your mouse or stylus. If you want to highlight many layers at once, click the top layer you want to move, hold the Shift key down, and click the final layer in the list that you want. Grouping layers Depending on how you do it, grouping your layers is a great way to temporarily merge layers together — or add them to a Panel Layer, where you can work on them in an independent space. (I explain how Panel Layers work in Chapter 7.) A benefit of grouping layers, especially if you’re working on an older machine, is that it can save on your system resources. When you’re working on a file with lots of layers, it can increase in file size and use more RAM on your system. Grouping the layers is a good way to alleviate pressure on your machine, so to speak. Figure 6-7: Placing layers in a folder is a simple way to group layers together. 107 Chapter 6: Layers, Layers, Layers! 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 107 Follow these steps to group your layers together: 1. Ctrl+click (Ô+click on the Mac) the layers you wish to group. 2. Group the selected layers by using one of the following methods: • Press Ctrl+G (Ô+G on the Mac). • Choose Layer ➪Group Layers. The Group Layers dialog box appears. Here, you can set the group prop- erties, as shown in Figure 6-8. 3. Enter the name of the layer group in the Layer Name text box. 4. Select the group’s resolution from the Preview Resolution drop- down list. 5. Select whether you want Black and White (2bit), Grayscale (16bit), or Color (32bit) preview expression from the Expression Mode drop- down list. This setting affects how the group will look, resolution and expression- wise, on the page. All of the individual layers that have been grouped retain all of their original information, including their respective resolu- tions and expression modes. 6. Select whether you want to merge into a Group Layer or a Panel Layer. Group layers are good if you plan to have this group as just a read-only reference — or if this is a temporary repository for your layers and you intend to ungroup them later. 7. If you’re merging into a Panel Layer, either select the Add option button and type the size into the Margin as Panel Area text box or select the Set Entire Page as Panel Area option button. 8. Click OK. When you’re done, the selected layers appear as one group or panel with the name you entered. Figure 6-8: The Group Layers dialog box. 108 Part II: Roughing It 11_129869 ch06.qxp 11/29/07 11:37 AM Page 108 [...]... 6-9: The Merge Layers dialog box 3 Enter the name of the new layer in the Layer Name text box 4 (Manga Studio EX only) Select the type of layer you’d like from the Layer Type drop-down list This applies only if you have Manga Studio EX, where you can choose either a raster layer or a vector layer In Manga Studio Debut, raster layer is the only option available 5 Select the resolution from the Resolution... Chapter 7: Panel Layers and Rulers 2 Create your selection on the page (see Figure 7-1 for an example) with the selection tool of your choice 3 From the main menu, choose Selection➪Convert Selection to Panel Layer Manga Studio converts the selection into a panel layer If the selection is a nonrectangular shape, Manga Studio boxes the selection into a rectangle and creates the panel layer from that rectangular... ch07.qxp 1 14 11/29/07 11:56 AM Page 1 14 Part II: Roughing It That’s all! It’s an effectively simple way to create your panel layers wherever you’d like The only drawback is that you don’t get control over either the panel layer resolution or expression mode for preview (See the sidebar “Previewing your panel layer” for more about the preview mode.) The Panel Maker tool If you’re looking for a bit more... After Size is Decided: Useful for any last-second tweaks, this option allows you to adjust the angle of the created panel layer You also have the additional option of locking the rotation to intervals of 45 degrees by selecting the Rotate at 45 Degree Intervals check box) • Lock at 45 Degree Angles: Used by the polyline shape, this locks the lines created to intervals of 45 degrees • Convert to Curve:... Settings Mode 4 The Tool Options palette expands, as shown in Figure 7-3 Here’s how the Tool Options break down for the Panel Maker: • Shapes: The panel layer you create can be any shape you’d like So, you’re given the option to create a rectangular, circular, polygonal, polyline, or freeform panel Each of the nonrectangular panel layer types are automatically masked off to maintain the final form of the... Expression Mode drop-down list for the simplest type of preview This mode is great for showing off your finished ink work However, the preview will look fairly poor at low resolutions, and things may look jumbled if you forgot to hide your pencil work and it gets mixed up with your ink work ߜ Select Gray (16bit) or Color (32bit) from the Expression Mode drop-down list for a richer preview These options... out all but the part you want for the panel Now imagine keeping all those sheets of paper in one convenient place That’s how panel layers work 12_129869 ch07.qxp 112 11/29/07 11:56 AM Page 112 Part II: Roughing It The Idea Behind Panel Layers You can think of a panel layer in Manga Studio as a page within a page Each panel layer acts as its own page file, with the ability for multiple image layers, just... not going to work for you, you can simply delete it Delete a panel layer by following these steps: 1 On the Layers palette, highlight the panel layer you wish to delete 2 At the top of the Layers palette, click the Trash icon 3 When prompted, click Yes to confirm The Panel Ruler Layer If you’re looking for a quick-and-easy means to create panel borders (or even panel layers) in Manga Studio, the panel... the panels you intended to create Now what? You actually have several options for what to do with your panel rulers, and all of them involve the Rasterize function Rasterizing your panel rulers allows you to create a series of panel layers, a set of rulers to draw your own borders, or let Manga Studio create the borders for you What’s even better is that you aren’t limited to only one choice; you can... while not damaging the artwork itself 133 12_129869 ch07.qxp 1 34 11/29/07 11:56 AM Page 1 34 Part II: Roughing It • If you’re using Manga Studio EX, you can choose whether you want to create a raster or vector image layer by choosing from the Drawing Target drop-down list Manga Studio Debut users can create only raster layers, so there isn’t a Drawing Target drop-down list • To change the name of the image . in the Layer Name text box. 4. (Manga Studio EX only) Select the type of layer you’d like from the Layer Type drop-down list. This applies only if you have Manga Studio EX, where you can choose either. Selection ➪Convert Selection to Panel Layer. Manga Studio converts the selection into a panel layer. If the selection is a nonrectangular shape, Manga Studio boxes the selection into a rectan- gle. expression mode for preview. (See the sidebar “Previewing your panel layer” for more about the preview mode.) The Panel Maker tool If you’re looking for a bit more control in the settings for your panel