TIM'S NOTES FOR HARMONY
This is a special section for look development and advanced animation users.
I have been researching methods to make new animation styles with 3D and 2D mixed together for premium looks. Using different software and technical methods. Currently putting notes here in this section, I think come back to it as I keep updating it from time to time.
Plugins and Scripts I will post on my GUMROAD
https://timothygiovanni.gumroad.com/
EXPORTING 3D MODELS FROM TOON BOOM HARMONY (BAKING RIB)
DOWNLOAD 3DELIGHT
Harmony will use a script from it's system to access 3Delight render package. It is a very good render system and lightweight so I recommend downloading it. (It's free!) Go here to download the install file : 3delight.com, install normally and it will write environment paths for it to work with Harmony
DOWNLOAD AYAM
Ayam is a 3D software that allows to import your baked RIB files and use them.
When you export RIB files from Harmony you will need this to import and convert them to OBJ , DXF or other formats. Download the software here : http://ayam.sourceforge.net/
COPY YOUR SCRIPTS FROM SCRIPTMODULE FOLDER
Go to your scripts from your Toon Boom Harmony / resource folder and copy them into your scripts folder in the "\AppData\Roaming\Toon Boom Animation\Toon Boom Harmony Premium\2110-scripts" probably do the same for Mac users
SETUP YOUR SCENE AND ADD THE SCRIPT MODULE NODE
Setup your scene, any items you wish to export add the script module node between the 3D object and the composite node. Keep in mind your 3D object (or drawing) needs to have the 3D option on and the script node needs to have in "Softrender" attributes "render3Delight()" then it will export the 3D object to the temp directory
GO TO YOUR TEMP DIRECTORY
Harmony will make a temporary directory for rendering 3D objects, to get the location just go to your "Message log" window and see the output, it will show the location of the RIB file. Note the render will be black but the output will work. Go to that folder and get the RIB file to import to Ayam.
IMPORT THE RIB FILE - EXPORT OBJ
When you have your RIB file from the temp directory, it will probably show 0000.RIB that I copy and paste on desktop, rename it and import to Ayam software, when you start Ayam you need to load in the plug ins rrib.dll and objio.dll to read RIB and export OBJ.
I export to Blender then I notice the mesh is flipped, so I fix that by doing a -1 scale flip back, and it's back to normal and got the mesh to work.
Same thing with other 3D software, check if it is flipped and just flip it back (do not know if it is the scripted export but will find out later)
Later I will share how to export an animated camera to match the camera Harmony perfectly.
3D MAXTRIX & TOON BOOM HARMONY
This section is how to get point positions accurately exported to other software using scripts provided by Toon Boom. I am currently working on this section so if you see it not completed, just come back later and will update it with my notes.
FIRST MAKE YOUR SCENE IN 3D, BLENDER OR MAX, HOUDINI ETC
This part takes planning but you should first setup your 3D file to accurately place where your 3D points that will be taking animated data from Harmony to it. For example I am going to make a car with wheels. Make sure to label everything to keep organized and set all pivot points, it will pass to FBX file. Note: This will not work for vertex deform, skin or fluid simulation since I did not experiment with that yet.
EXPORT THE FBX TO HARMONY
This is the hard part of 2D 3D animation are the different unit sizes and axis between the software Blender, Maya and Toon Boom Harmony. So I am goign to expain a bit of the new script before you download it.
HELPER PEGS TO BE EXPORTED WITHIN HARMONY
In Harmony, setup camera and points to export. Make sure they are positioned pegs with keyframes as markers you setup in your 3D file. These pegs will be exported with my script to export translate the position and rotation data to the other software.
EXPORT EACH CAMERA NULL TO JSON FILES
For now, select each camera and set it to top scene level. Keep track of the names so that way you can import them and put them into the scene with out confusion.
IMPORT JSON FILES TO BLENDER
Currenly I have a script on GUMROAD that can import the JSON file into BLENDER.