OpenToonz Lesson 9 - Plastic Tool & Create Mesh

OpenToonz is a professional, 2D illustration and animation program for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
You can download OpenToonz here:
opentoonz.gith...
Find more great free software at tjfree.com/
The dog.png image used in this video can be found here:
pixabay.com/il...
Thank you to Pixabay user GraphicMama-team for creating and sharing this artwork!

[@natashanatasha7574]

its amazing how good you are teaching, u dont waste a second its keep me focus the whole video, thank you very much!!!

[@TJFREE]

Thanks Todd. I really appreciate the feedback!

[@Web-Himansu]

@@TJFREE hello sir my opentoonz software is not showing mesh tools below what to do

[@aariv6170]

@@Web-Himansu click on the two arrows below the ruler tool and then click on the plastic tool, the create mesh option should come if you are using 1.5 of open toonz

[@IambigB]

that`s ture!I feel same,very efficient

[@oddnmacabre1825]

This guy is the best at explaining. No issues

[@douglasvancier7683]

Where's the Basics tab? Mine doesn't have one.

[@Yjuq]

Oh well, here we go. Now I can do finally my own animated trump memes!

[@TJFREE]

Happy to help!

[@summerkukla382]

For Him? or Against him?

[@Andre-id9dl]

@@summerkukla382 It really doesn't matter that much

[@summerkukla382]

@@Andre-id9dl I can ask a question if I want too

[@MrTech-ch5in]

@@summerkukla382 No he/she meant it like a joke

[@christianpaga303]

That dog animation was hilarious 😂

[@azizutkuozdemir]

For me this is first time I see such cool stuff just started but the way you show your excitement , I really appreciate. It makes a beginner more and more interested

[@Tallbartender]

I'm loving these videos, I can't wait for the next one!

[@TJFREE]

Glad to hear it. I'm uploading the next one right now!

[@jorunningdawgproductions7266]

These OpenToonz tutorials tutorials are fantastic. (As are the Pencil2d ones, which are the ones I started off with.) I should really do a very big animated "thumbs up" in approval as the one above doesn't really do justice to how much I like these. I have learnt so much as the videos are easy to follow. And a spin off benefit for me is that watching these in my free time, then practising with Opentoonz, absorbs and occupies my thoughts so much there's no room for stress . :) Thanks.

[@takwa-yx1cx]

You're the best who make oppentoonz tutorials on KZbin

[@Faroukmallah]

I searched the whole internet for this.. many thanks!!! Subscribed and liked

[@jameswhitelawanimation]

What a great tutorial, so informative and you have such a warm, engaging style, keep up the awesome work!!!

[@cut_to_order6151]

Really enjoying your tutorials, looking forward to seeing the blender tutorials when I’m ready 😀

[@egonpauli1744]

For the past 3 weeks I've felt like I've been exploring a different planet - Openshot, Inkscape, Blender, Opentoonz... Where were they all my life?... not to mention what I just found on TJs website...

[@Smushroom]

brooo sameeee

[@fandymach]

amazing delivery, thank you so much

[@davebulsonn1252]

Your video is easy to understand, easy to follow and brief. I give you more than 5 stars.

[@tu_anna]

Great tutorials :-) I've just downloaded OpenToonz and your videos are very, very helpfull. Thanks! :-)

[@TJFREE]

You're welcome, glad to hear it!

[@Alexbuessing4368]

You are underrated you give great tips and tutorials. I would be nowhere with out you

[@IambigB]

Really like you tutorial,it is short and efficient ,even I am not a English native speaker and you speak a little fast,I still get all you say,so you have done a great tutorial,thanks and well done!

[@MrTiger-jt4xm]

I watched many tutorials in youtube but not a single tutorial worked at least I found this and it’s worked properly❤❤❤

[@OverSmart13]

that dog got hell of a flexibility

[@vishalramchandani5579]

Hi. I'm kinda stuck and I need some help. I had created a vector drawing and imported an image like you show, but it sticks the image dead at the center of the canvas. I move it to the side (in raster mode, obviously, cause its imported), it disappears. When I create mesh, the mesh is at the center and the image is at the side (where I moved it to, still invisible, though). How am I supposed to work with it like that?

[@belkhirisub9115]

I didn't expect education to be this fun thank you very much I benefited so much

[@kangalumbo6578]

never mind i watched video again and i saw how you did it lol your so good at teaching us by the way

[@egonpauli1744]

I like how in your website you still use the word "program" and "list". (Somehow "application" and "store" jar on my ears...). btw looking forward to your Blender tutorial

[@messinyo1055]

Thanks im enjoying your course!

[@mimizz135]

Your course and your videos truly are amazing and useful. I really appreciate it!

[@JOK23RGAMER]

That looks awesome ❤❤❤

[@GTE_Channel]

Great tutorial. I had been playing with ToonBoom for a while, but this is free, and maybe even a lot easier in a lot of ways. Will definitely look at more of your video's

[@tanmaybrahmachari9254]

Thanks TJ now I am able to work with plastic tool and skeleton tool in Open Toonz :)

[@pixelwrinkly1528]

very nice tutorial i'm only just getting into opentoonz - seems like an extremely powerful piece of software many thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@8055sc]

You are amazing sir. You teach us very simply so that we can understand loved your work 🙏🏻✌🏻✌🏻 Waiting for blender video tutorial launching 🔥 🔥 🔥

[@InvestingPH]

thank you!!! your tutorials are the best!!!!

[@arjundeshmukh07]

I just Like your videos you make it so easy for us to learn ' hatsoff to ya

[@TJFREE]

Thank you so much!

[@arjundeshmukh07]

@@TJFREE Welcome bro I literally learned everything in animation just because of you

[@christophalexander4542]

I really think I should be angry at you - I watched one video to get some information. Now I'm stuck watching even more because you show so many interesting things, and I can't get back to actually doing the simple little sprite animation I was wanted to create, because I find there are far better ways to easily achieve what I want to do... So I'm going to watch them all. AND subscribe. Damn you for giving out good information? ;-)

[@TJFREE]

Nice! Thanks Christoph.

[@hirkdeknirk1]

I knew that guy wasn't real. Now I know what software it was made with.

[@GeneralPineapple]

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE INTRODUCED THE POWERS TO MAKE ANIMATED DISCORD AMOJIS TO ME

[@pete2168]

Help, I used the mesh unfortunately it covers the whole picture. How do I get it to go just on my character?

[@Car-toonz]

thank dear its really good

[@Car-toonz]

dear Please guide me my inbetwen option is not showing I click shift hold and click last but in between option is not showing why? please reply me.

[@KidsStoryIsland-eb1wz]

Great one. Thanks.

[@giyguyyy]

Your videos are awesome!

[@ulabruno5208]

Hi! Thanks for this tutorial :) It is helpful, but I have two questions - is it possible to make easy in and easy out, for a more natural movement? And is it possible to make the animation of mash on 2's? I would be very happy if you could answer this questions

[@philipsamuels5623]

Hi, can you help me? I can't get the mesh to line up with the photo image in OpenToonz. I bring in the photo, scale it to size, but the mesh remains at the original size. In 3D view, its way out in front, and I can't move it back. Do I have to scale the photo down before I import it? That will be hard to get right. Any suggestions? Cheers, Philip

[@_flavio_silva]

ahaha very amazing tool, I have a lot of fun playing with that haha

[@roboarjun]

Hey, in my pc i can't see "create mesh" tool

[@leornendeealdenglisc]

Wow. This is amazing. Thank you so much!

[@lottikun5926]

this was fun to watch and informative thank you !

[@robertcammack902]

Hi. I'm enjoying working with OpenToonz going step by step using your great tutorials. I am up-grading from the old CorelMove which has some good points (I like the way you can move the acrors aeound the stage) but nothing compared with OT. I'm 83years old so I often have to go back and see bits of your videos again to fully undcerstand them. (a bigger cursor would be nice too), My question is: How I get rid of the mesh before I save the scene? Thanks!!!

[@ganapathysubramaniam]

Super cool tut!

[@olgakarczewska946]

Thank you, it's really working :D

[@joesobhy5258]

thanks a lot TJ FREE. it possible to create a loop and move it? for example create a loop for the the flapping wings of a bird then be able to move the bird everywhere you want much like in Adobe Flash symbols trick. Thanks

[@rajeevpreetham1540]

wow you are great teacher

[@thedaughteroftheking1813]

I am soo happy i found this!!!!

[@deeejaykidd]

That's really great. Thanks for this tutorial.

[@youssefsaad7919]

U are really great finally i can create my own animations tnx alot

[@TheMaverick_SR]

Dude this is so cool

[@mantasgusevas5926]

Any idea why after creating a mesh it appears different size (e.g. ~two times smaller) than the actual drawing ? I use png, only of that character (no background). I can change the scale of the character to match the mesh and it is all right but I wonder why this happens.

[@FraternalHouse]

@TJ FREE Figured it out. I resized the image using the animation tool prior to applying the mesh. When I applied the mesh it applied it to the original size and position of the image. I should have applied it to the image before resizing or used the selection tool to resize before applying the mesh.

[@antidisestablishmentariani2963]

Thank you a lot ; keep going Sir :)

[@Teresita023]

Thank you so much for the tutorial!!! I can't find the create mesh bottom... it doesn't appeared in the same place, do you know where can I find it?

[@easycryptoweb200]

thank you soo much for this....

[@DS-ze8gp]

I cant get a transparent background. I can make a transparent background in paint but when I import the image the mash covers the whole "square" not the image. Ive even downloaded a transparant image and that will not save in png. Help. very frustrating

[@BaronsHistoryTimes]

that means your image is not one with a transparent background. I suggest google researching the topic of png files and trimming backgrounds to create transparent background png images.

[@ramizshould]

You re totally awesome sir

[@krezyrockanimasi]

Cool.. Thankyou❤❤

[@MrBino45]

Hi - I've tried a dozen times here following a few different video tutorials, but my mesh and skeleton won't work together. I build the mesh, build the skeleton, change to animate, and... the skeleton moves, and the mesh stays put. I've tried geometric shapes, free-hand drawings, filling with colour, leaving outline, playing with every setting I could, uninstalling and reinstalling... any help would be greatly appreciated - thank you

[@TJFREE]

Hi Adam, sorry to hear that. Sounds frustrating. The only thing I can think of is if maybe you are creating the skeleton with the skeleton tool, instead of the mesh tool under build skeleton mode? Other than that, I'm not really sure. I linked to the exact image I used on the dog, have to tried using it and following along exactly click by click with this tutorial? Sorry I can't be more help...

[@MrBino45]

@@TJFREE Thank you for getting back to me. I literally; open the programme, draw a circle freehand (have tried with geometric rectangle, imported image,etc...), select plastic tool, create mesh (have played with different settings), select create skeleton - build 3 points to keep it simple (tried variations too), change to animate; and - skeleton frame moves, meshed image (with 'meshing') stays put... ultimate frustration. Feel like I've watch all the vids, tried different combinations - hoping it's something silly I'm missing as I'd love it to work and really be able to start using this. Any ideas? tried uninstall/reinstall/reset settings/everything I can think of... is there a help email/number? Really appreciate your help here - and class work with the tutorials.

[@TJFREE]

@@MrBino45 Hi Adam. It might be that mesh only works on SVG and not Raster or something like that. I would try downloading the same image I use in this tutorial and use it instead of drawing shapes. If it works, then the issue might be with your shapes, or document setup. If it doesn't work, then it could be a issue specific to your OS interacting the the software funny...

[@MrBino45]

@@TJFREE Thank you - will start going through a few more options - really keen to get it starting to work.

[@BaronsHistoryTimes]

did you use the proper animate tool; ie, not the animate on the left side bar, but the animate option in the skeleton / build skeleton menu.

[@RinoTirri]

man awesome tutorials! :D thank you

[@belastudio9790]

Amazing tutorial you got sub and like

[@urban.nomad23]

Great tutorial. Got me glued and watched the playlist all day. I got question: is there a way to copy and paste the 1st frame skeleton position to the last frame? I wish to make the video loop seamlessly and want to find a way to move the skeleton back to the first position.

[@urban.nomad23]

Oh I did some digging and found the answer. I'll post it here in case anyone wants to know: to make a looping animation, the end frame needs to go back to the beginning frame. On the Opentoonz window, upper right menu, go to "Xsheet". Under Xsheet, on the lower right window, there are a bunch of folders, go to Col2 (Col1_mesh). If the name is different, go to the folder that corresponds to the mesh column. A spreadsheet full of numbers should show up, displaying the positions of the mesh. Now copy the numbers of the first frame to the last and see it interpolates the frames to return the animation to the beginning position and thus close the loop. Thanks again for the tutorial. I am able to learn all the basics within a day. After searching for instructions for days, I am very happy to find your videos. Thanks!! If there is a smarter way to do this, please let me know :D

[@matoesjkastienstra4439]

@@urban.nomad23 thanks for your solution. I just asked myself this question and started searching for the answer. Matoesjka Stienstra

[@silkeschumann7261]

Thank you for this great tutorial. In this tutorial you use imported images and it works just fine, but you missed something. I tried to animate a banner flying by with cute little ripples and waves in the fabric and because it's screen I decided on 72 DPI and 3840x1080 so that the string can wiggle for a while on the screen before the banner follows. I didn't pay attention to the camera DPI of 120 so my image needed to be scaled. No problem, eye. It got a scale function. But the mesh doesn't scale with the image column and applying it paralell on the mash didn't work either. Is their a trick besides saving the image at 120 or setting the camera to 72? After all if you want animate in a 3D space scaling is part of it and the mesh should start small with the figure in the distance and grow with the figure close up.

[@GCSEPhysicsExplained]

This caught me out too - Resize your object using the SELECTION TOOL, not the ANIMATE TOOL, before using the PLASTIC TOOL to create your mesh. (in SELECTION TOOL you can select your object by dragging a box around it, then pull in a corner vertex to adjust object size). You can check you've done this correctly by then selecting the ANIMATE TOOL and checking that the GLOBAL is 100% (Global is at the top on the left). Hope this advice helps someone.

[@josephsardone8971]

FANTASTIC VIDEO! ... Question : I've created a nice sequence of frames of a subject moving smoothly forward. I did this with the use of the mesh and skeleton as you've so eloquently illustrated, ... then at the end of the sequence, my creation snaps back to the starting point. ... That's not what I want to happen .... So my question is .... : Is there an easy way to "copy and past" the frames I've created and continue with the fames now running in reverse so that the subject's movement, smoothly reverses back into his starting position. ie. A man slowly sits up in bed, and then slowly lies back down. ... I should add that in my example, frames 1 through 25 the man was halfway sitting up, .. I added a new key ... then, frames 26 through frame 50 , gets the man fully sitting up in bed by frame 50. (which ends of what I have so far) ... .... Best case scenario (if possible) would be for me to copy all 50 frames, past them at the end of the same two columns, starting at frame 51 reverse them, and at frame 100 my project would be back to the same frame as frame 1, with the man is lying back down exactly where he was at the start of the animation. So in "mesh/skeleton" mode, is there an easy way to do this? I've tried right clicking and cutting and pasting, and I've tried adding keys as well, but I must be doing something wrong because it's simply not working for me. Thanks for any help you can offer. :)

[@ShadiOShadi]

OMG, super ... Love it

[@kal_cite]

is there a way to layer certain parts of the mesh, like if you want to do a walking animation?

[@alanlacey9437]

more PLEASE!

[@onkarchoudhary2269]

Thanks a lot

[@ravibhoj9587]

Amazing❤

[@Prajwal____]

Thank you master

[@tommyc1493]

great tutorials.

[@lonzoarg]

AMAZINGGGGGG THANK UUUUUUUUUUUUU

[@englishwinglish9348]

Thank you

[@douglasvancier7683]

I need to be able to do this on the CURRENT OpenToonz application (June 2021), as there is no Basics tab now and mine keeps saying "Current tool cannot be used in Level Strip mode" which I have no idea what that means. I want to be able to animate imported images like you are showing but now the example you are showing is outdated and not current. Tabs are different and such. Can you please update using current OpenToonz? Thank you.

[@JeaDC6000]

it doesnt seem to work for me, whenever i put in an image or a png it just doesnt show up on the screen, am i doing something wrong?

[@Wolf-uw3zt]

2 comments, no views?!!! Yotube, stop.. First liker, and second commenter :)

[@TJFREE]

ha! No joke. The KZbin comment system is insane. Comments show up in my notifications, but not on the video. Then sometimes they only show up on the video, and I get no notification about it!

[@Wolf-uw3zt]

@@TJFREE same.. DX (How the heck did i got noticed)

[@Gopimenon123]

Tho its 4 years old. I want to know if we need to do a loop animation without a jerk between end and start point how to go about it.

[@raffymalait8045]

Hello sir. Thank you for this tutorial. It is really helpful. However, I do not know how to save it. I would want to make a animated story out of this. Can you teach me how to do that?

[@magicalempire]

nice i know it as image distortion, Opentoonz is certainly more powerful

[@flasbek605]

Hi, I almost watched ur all tutoriali they are really helpfull but I need a help about creating a mesh. I can't create a mesh linked wirh the png and it looks seperated from each other, I can't get them together it looks like bug. Can you help me with this?

[@michaelhallett2842]

not working for me

[@flipletape9706]

Hi TJ! I was wondering if there's a way to manipulate the attribute curves between keys, like a graph editor or something like that? I'm a 3D animator and use those all the time on my rigs. Thanks!

[@flipletape9706]

Oh, I see! You'd use interpolation for that, no?

[@andrewreeds1524]

So, I can build an object in Inkscape or Krita, export it and bring it into OpenToonz to animate it?

[@LuMe_P23]

that good, in this software can use picture to make moving animation.

[@ahmedzean]

greate tutorial ... but when i clicked create mesh no vertex appears only the same image and if i hit apply the mesh level will be empty ... i don't know what the problem is, i'm using ubntu 16.04 .. please help me if you know how i could fix this

[@cuddlybear4524]

When I apply the mesh it comes out larger and offset from the actual image. is there a way to fix this?

[@TJFREE]

I'm not exactly sure. I would play around with the mesh settings if you haven't already, maybe that has an effect? I haven't noticed this issue...

[@cuddlybear4524]

@@TJFREE Figured it out. I resized the image using the animation tool prior to applying the mesh. When I applied the mesh it applied it to the original size and position of the image. I should have applied it to the image before resizing or used the selection tool to resize before applying the mesh.

[@TJFREE]

@@cuddlybear4524 Awesome. Thanks for sharing. I didn't realize it behaved like that either.

[@natashanatasha7574]

same happen to me, the mash its bigger than the drawing =( and I dont find the way to make them match

[@natashanatasha7574]

@@cuddlybear4524 ah! really! but thats not normal!

[@ashishgupta8394]

amazing

[@NoahToonz]

Will this work on vector layers?

[@mohit2754]

How can I move the image as well which you showed in the last video? While moving the image as well?

[@ravisgaming]

can you use two different images to seitch between them in the skeleton tool?

[@fakirinvestor8814]

when I try to render it while using plastic tool it crashes. Anybody else facing the issue ?

[@laboratory-scientist]

I like your animation in plastic hahahha

[@TJFREE]

Thanks Bernard!

[@alexpataco2626]

BRO U OUTCOMPETE CHAT GPT A MILLION TO 1

[@levlev4048]

i can't do mesh because its on raster level and i don't know how to set it to vector

[@lincolnsalles-]

perfect

[@goldensolntse]

Question: whenever I try to import an image or even load it, once it’s inside it says -no icon single frame (in red) idk how to fix it. I’ve changed it to a simple name and it’s png but it isn’t working what should I do?

[@AmateurishAstronaut]

Hey, I don't even have the plastic tool on my interface... How can I find it?

[@bigmancozmo]

there is a button in the bottom left click that and you will have more options

[@olenka_namaliuy]

@@bigmancozmo thank you!

[@barbarabeatrizaguilarmora7054]

I have a small problem with opentoonz, I want to add a png image but when I do it, it appears in black and white and some lines. Could someone help me with this? Please. I'm freaking out, I have use 6 different png images and it's always the same