(C) 2024 MARZA ANIMATION PLANET INC.

Compatible with CLIP STUDIO PAINT Ver.2.3.2

*This article is in Japanese. On sites other than Japanese, it has been machine translated.

Let's create a storyboard using CLIP STUDIO PAINT's animation features! This is a training course for storyboard production.

[1] Environment Settings

Let's set up the recommended environment for storyboard work.

 

1. Click [File] → [Preferences].

*For the iPad version of CLIP STUDIO PAINT, select [Preferences] from the [Menu Bar] → [CLIP STUDIO PAINT] icon.

2. Select [Animation] from the items on the left.

Set [Cell paste method] to [Paste to selected layer], and check [Add cell designation when adding layer] and [Delete cell designation when deleting/moving layer]. Once settings are complete, click [OK].

[2] Create New Folder

Let's create a new folder and prepare to draw.

 

1. Select [New] from [File].

2. Set the following items in the [New Window]. This time, we will set them as follows:

 

File name: Any name (This time, we'll name it "Seq01" as Sequence 1)

Base size: Width/1920 Height/1080 Resolution/144

Frame rate: 24fps

Playback time: 1+0 [seconds+frames]

After entering the settings for each item, click "OK".

 

3. Select [Window] → [Timeline] to display the [Timeline palette].

The [Timeline palette] is now displayed at the bottom of the screen.

4. Let's [Save] here once. Specify the save destination to any location.

[3] Drawing

Let's actually start drawing.

 

1. Use the pen tool to freely draw one picture.

2. Click [New Animation Cell] on the [Timeline palette] to create a second sheet.

3. You can make the first drawing transparent by using [Onion Skin].

4. Let's create the second drawing.

5. Moving the red bar left and right allows you to quickly check the preceding and following drawings.

If you want to check the previous and next drawings from the keyboard, set up [Shortcut Settings].

Click [File] → [Shortcut Settings].

Set [Select Previous Cell] and [Select Next Cell] within [Track Edit] in [Animation] to any desired shortcuts. (Here, we set them to "," and ".")

After setting, click "OK" at the top right of the window to be able to check the previous and next movements using the keyboard.

 

6. Continue to draw consecutive pictures.

Even for different cuts, draw them within the same [Animation Folder].

Insert Cell Between Cells

To insert a drawing between existing drawings, you need to secure frames for insertion on the [Timeline].

 

Click and drag a cell name on the [Timeline] to adjust the frame interval. By moving cell "3" one frame to the right, cell "2" now has a length of two frames.

You can insert cells between existing ones by adding drawings with [New Animation Cell].

Rename Cells

If you insert a drawing between "2" and "3", the cell name will be a combination of alphanumeric characters such as "2a" or "2b". To arrange them in numerical order, go to [Animation] → [Track Edit] → [Normalize by Timeline order].

You can automatically rename cell names in numerical order.

[Advanced] Folderize and Add Layers

If you want to add more layers for drawing, folderize each cell.

 

1. Select the cell you want to folderize from the [Layer palette].

2. Right-click to open the menu and click [Create folder and insert layer].

3. The selected cell (layer) has been folderized. Click [New Raster Layer] at the top of the [Layer palette] to add layers inside the folder. Add layers as needed for your work.

If you want to merge the contents of a created folder into a single layer, select the folder, right-click to open the menu, and click [Merge selected layers].

The layers within the folder have been merged. Organize the added layers appropriately as you work.

POINT!

If you folderize with your desired layer structure during the initial work, the layer structure will be inherited when you add cells with [New Animation Cell]. Those who have a fixed layer structure they always use should make good use of this feature.

Copy & Paste

You can copy and paste your drawings to another layer using "Ctrl+C" and "Ctrl+V".

However, be aware that if [Paste to selected layer] is selected in [Preferences], a new layer will be created upon pasting.

Delete Cells

If there is a cell you want to delete, select the layer you want to delete in the [Layer palette] and click [Delete Layer].

POINT!

If [Delete cell designation when deleting/moving layer] is checked in [Preferences], the cell designation on the timeline will be deleted simultaneously when the cell is deleted.

If it is not checked, the [Cell designation] will remain even if you [Delete Layer]. If you want to delete the cell designation, select the cell on the [Timeline] and click [Delete Cell Designation].

[Advanced] Cell Designation

Basically, in [CLIP STUDIO PAINT], drawings and displays cannot be made unless cells are placed on the [Timeline].

If a layer displayed in the [Layer palette] is not designated on the [Timeline], click [Designate Cell] on the [Timeline] and select the cell you want to place from the [Select Layer] window.

Cell "2" has been [designated] on the [Timeline].

[Cell designation] is also useful when you want to place the same cell repeatedly.

[4] Adjusting Timing

Once the drawings are ready, let's set the timing.

 

1. Select a cell and adjust the overall frame interval.

 

 

Multiple Cell Selection

By selecting multiple frames (dragging to select), you can move multiple cells on the timeline at once.

POINT!

When moving cells, be careful not to overwrite existing cell designations if you drag them to a location where cells are already designated.

2. When checking the number of frames, play back as appropriate to check the overall balance of movement.

Hide Timeline

If the data becomes heavy, click the button at the bottom of the screen during playback to hide the [Timeline]. Hiding the [Timeline] also makes the operation lighter when drawing.

3. Repeat this process to draw short, consecutive pictures.

Playback Settings

It is recommended to check [Render before playback starts] from [Animation] → [Playback Settings] to avoid playback delay.

[5] Exporting

Create [Movie Export] and [Sequence Image Export].

 

 

Movie Export

1. Click [File] → [Export Animation] → [Movie Export].

A folder save destination will appear, so set the save destination to any location. The file type (mp4/mov, AVI) is also specified at this time.

2. Check the items in [Movie Export Settings].

[Width] and [Height] will apply the [Base size] when creating a [New Folder]. Enter any number for [Frame rate]. Clicking [OK] will export the movie.

Sequence Image Export

Perform sequence image export.

 

1. Select [File] → [Export Animation] → [Export Animation Cells].

2. Configure the [Export Animation Cells] settings. The following are recommended settings. If you select [Drawing frame] for the output range, the area within the blue frame will be exported.

3. Clicking [OK] will export the images as a sequence.

Summary

By combining and using the functions above, it becomes possible to create long-form storyboards. Work can be made even more efficient by setting up shortcuts and customizing the workspace. Find your own way and enjoy using the software.

 

 

Produced by: MARZA ANIMATION PLANET INC.