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Quick start

This walkthrough takes a folder of storyboard panels and a shot list to a laid-out master sequence and an animatic.

  1. Open the level you are laying out, then open Tools > ta Draughtsman.

  2. Create a storyboard. In the board menu at the top right, choose New storyboard… and pick a folder and a name, for example SB_Forest. You can also create one in the Content Browser with Add > Cinematics > Storyboard. The board is an asset: the panel header shows its name, its shots and panels, its total length and its frame rate.

  3. Import. Press Import > Import…. In the import window, choose your Panel folder, your Shot list or both (an XML edit works too) and press Read sources. The Summary shows how many shots are new, changed, unchanged or removed, and the Import plan lists every shot with its panels and timing. Press Import.

    With Build / sync the sequence after the import on (the default), the master sequence and a cine camera per shot are made right away. New cameras start where the viewport looks.

  4. Open a shot. Double-click a shot in the list, or press Open in Sequencer. The master sequence opens with the camera cuts locked to the viewport.

  5. Match the drawing. Scrub the playhead: the panel under it is drawn over the camera view. Under Panel over camera, switch to Lines to see only the drawn lines, then move the camera until the scene matches the panel. Key the camera as usual.

  6. When the board changes, press Import > Re-import (or import new sources), check the plan and import again. Then Build / Sync sequence. Your cameras, keys and the lengths you set in Sequencer stay.

  7. Export an animatic. Open the Animatic tab, choose Board, Camera, Side by side or Board over camera, pick the burn-ins and press Export animatic.

  8. Save with the Save button at the top right. It saves the board, its panel textures and its sequences together.

Where things are stored

Section titled “Where things are stored”
  • The storyboard is the asset you created.
  • Panels are imported as textures next to it, in <Board>_Panels.
  • Sequences go to <Board>_Sequences: the master sequence and one level sequence per shot.

Both folders can be changed on the board, see Settings.