Nice to meet you! My name is "Kakumochi" 🐈

Did you know that CLIP STUDIO has a layer comp function that allows you to easily manage various differences?

The Layer Comp feature can be used in a variety of ways, such as making it easier to manage facial expressions and backgrounds separately, and drawing each variation at once.

 

You can also use its features to "instantly create animation variations that use the same animation but with different costumes, facial expressions, and other parts."

 

We'll introduce how to create and manage animation variations with Layer Comp, including tips to make the Layer Comp feature even easier to use. ♪

①Basic information about the layer comp function

What is the Layer Comp function?

 

Layer Comp is, simply put, a function that "saves and loads the current visibility state of layers."

 

If you can't find the Layer Comp window,

please make sure that Menu ⇒ Window ⇒ Layer Comp is checked.

 

 

Once you see the layer comp list, you can use them by following the steps below.

• Display only the layers you want to record from the layer list

• Press the Save button in the layer comp list and give the current display state a name

• After saving multiple layer comps, press the Show/Hide button for the saved layer comps to switch between displays

If there is a layer you want to display in addition to an already recorded layer comp, you can overwrite it by pressing the " Overwrite Layer Comp " button while the layer is displayed.

Also, even if you load the visibility state saved in a layer comp, you can return to the state before the layer comp was loaded by displaying "Last layer visibility state".

Since only the visible/hidden state is saved, there are a few points to note.

 

1. The image itself at the time of recording is not saved, so any changes to the image after saving will be reflected.

 

2. In addition to layers, you can also save the visibility of folders, file objects, and layer masks.

 

3. After saving a layer comp, newly created layers and folders will be hidden.

 

 

In particular, in the case of number 3, if you put a layer that is set to be displayed in the layer comp into a new folder, the folder will be hidden and the layer will not be visible even if it is switched to visible.

In such cases, you can solve the problem by creating a new layer or folder with the ``Make added layers visible in all layer comps'' function turned on, so try using it.

🌟 ② Two features that make layer comps easier to use

But managing layers is difficult, isn't it?

As you draw, the number of layers and folders increases, and if you're not in the habit of naming them one by one, it can be a pain to find which ones are for differences and keep track of which ones to show/hide.

In such cases, use the two functions "Layer Color" and "Layer Search" together.

"Layer Color" can be selected from the list of layers, and is a function that makes it easy to find layers by setting layer colors according to their purpose, making them easy to distinguish immediately by color.

"Layer Search" is a filter function that searches for layers that match the conditions by setting the layer type and layer name.

You can set various conditions, but this time we will use keyword search, which will find layers with names that contain a specific keyword.

You will be able to manage your files more efficiently, so try setting these two functions when creating folders and layers, assuming you will be using them.

🌟 ③ Introduction to how to create animation differences

🔹 3-1. Tips for creating and managing parts

Now, I will introduce the process of creating an animation difference using the layer comp function.

First, let's draw the parts that will have movement.

In this example, I'm creating an animation of a child wearing animal ears waving, and I want to add differences in the ears and clothing, so I'll draw a basic rough sketch.

After that, create folders according to the movements you want to make.

In my case, I created folders like this:

 

• 2 folders for animal ears (separate left and right)

 

• 1 folder for front hair

 

• 1 folder for face

 

• 1 folder for torso

 

• 4 folders for arms (separate left and right, and divide into upper and lower parts based on the elbow)

 

• 1 folder for back hair

 

• 2 folders for legs (separate left and right)

 

 

Also, because I want to include movements such as tilting the head, I put the ears, bangs, and face folders together in one folder.

When moving one part, if there are other parts that are affected at the same time, putting them all in one folder will make it easier to manage later.

Once you have created a folder for each part, create a folder for each type of difference within the part folder.

If you want to prepare three types of animal ear parts, create two folders, "AA" and "BB", inside the animal ear folder.

Alternatively, you can create a folder for the "AA" pattern first, draw the contents, then duplicate the "AA" folder and rename it to "BB". This will allow you to use the AA design as is while only changing the color.

Let's also give each pattern folder a layer color so that they are easy to distinguish from one another.

The combination of layer color and layer name can also be used as a double check that materials are managed properly.

For example, if the layer name for "AA" is "AA" and the layer color is set to red, then if the layer name is "AA" but the layer color is a different color, then you can detect that there is a problem with this part and that it needs to be checked.

Once the folders have been sorted, I start drawing each part.

After drawing the base design, I also draw different patterns to add variation.

 

🔹 3-2. How to create layer comps after animation

Once you've prepared your materials, it's time to add movement!

Go to Window ⇒ Display the list of timelines and add a new timeline.

Once the timeline is created, ``Enable Layer Keyframes'' on the folder so that you can add keyframe animation.

Please refer to this page for basic instructions on how to use keyframe animation.

https://tips.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/articles/1383?recommended=a

An important point here is that

 

keyframe animations should basically be added to the parts folder.

 

For example, you would add keyframe animations to an animal's ears folder or face folder, but not to the `AA'' or `BB'' folders contained within those folders.

 

The reasons for adding animations to groups are as follows:

 

• To give a common movement to multiple patterns of illustrations

 

• To prevent unexpected movement when making corrections to the motion, etc.

 

• To make it easier to design and add parts even after adding animations

Once you have added all the animations, this is where layer comps come in.

For now, let’s register the layer comp for the “AA” version of the animation.

Search for "BB" in Layer Search and hide any folders that are found.

Then search for "AA" to make sure you haven't missed any display checks.

Once you've confirmed that the display of each part is properly for "AA," save the layer comp with the name "AA."

Next, search for 'AA' in the layer search and hide all of them, then search for 'BB' and make it visible.

Once the 'BB' parts are displayed properly, save another layer comp named 'BB'.

Here's one more!

Mix the 'AA' parts with the 'BB' parts to create the 'MIX' pattern!

Similarly, use the layer search to search for each pattern folder all at once, and hide only the parts that you want to replace with a different pattern.

If you want to change only the ears and bangs in 'AA', hide only the ears and bangs folders and make the 'BB' ears and bangs folders visible.

Save the completed layer comp as 'MIX'.

 

 

This completes the difference creation!

Now, play the animation and check that there are no problems with the animation if you switch to another layer comp while it is playing.

If you don't draw enough of each part, there are two ways to add more.

① Temporarily disable keyframe animation

1. Temporarily disable keyframe activation and make your changes.

2. Re-enable keyframe animation.

*However, moving or deleting layers will affect registered keyframes, so do not make changes such as moving or merging layers.

② Edit using the function to edit layers with active keyframes

1. With the layer you want to edit selected, press the "Edit layers with active keyframes" button in the timeline header.

2. Add details to edit the illustration of the part.

3. When you're done editing, select another layer or press the "Edit layers with active keyframes" button again to cancel the state.

*Since you can't use clipping layers or layer masks, we recommend using the "Lock transparent pixels" function.

Here is the finished book after adding the drawings.

It is possible to export all layer comp states as 2D illustrations at once using the "Other Export" command, but since it is not possible to animate, you should use "Animation Export" while switching between layer comps.

This method is recommended when creating animations in which various SD characters perform the same dance or move around, but depending on how you use it, it can also be used to create differences in illustrations by animating background effects such as sunlight, snow, or rain.

🌟 Conclusion

What did you think?

With just a little tweaking with layer comps, you can now create endless combinations of cute animations.

I think you can use it in other ways too, so try it out in different ways ☺️

 

Thank you for watching until the end!

Let's continue to have fun drawing in the future 🐈