New post
0

some small annotation suggestions: line tool, persistent tool prefs, CTRL-Z

Avatar
Andrew Chapman
None
Follow

Hi guys,

I use annotation a *lot* now that it is so much easier with the Revol... Screening Room integration. I think there's a few really simple things that could make the annotation experience better though:

1) I'm always drawing lines (for motion, angles, parallax, vanishing lines, etc), and unless it aligns with the direction of a natural hand sweep on a wacom tablet they usually come out looking like children's crayon sketches because you can't orient the canvas as you can when sketching.

Seems there's room for one more button in the annotation toolbox, could we have a line drawing tool?

2) It would be great if the annotation settings were sticky, e.g. every time I need to select the color, set the saturation, and set the brush size. I generally always annotate in either bright pink or bright green with the same brush size, so having to adjust these little settings every time is a bit tedious.

3) RV doesn't currently use CTRL-Z for undo anywhere, right? I'm always hitting this in a muscle-memory induced effort to undo annotations. It would be great if CTRL-Z was a built-in shortcut for annotation undo

 

Thanks for your consideration!

 

--

Andrew Chapman

VFX Supervisor - Image Engine




announdo-1.0.rvpkg
Date Votes

14 comments

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jon Morley

    Hi Andrew,

    Those are some great ideas. We definitely have lines with arrows (and without) as well as a host of other ideas about things to do to improve the annotation tools so it is good to hear you second that.

    As far as number two goes; Are you familiar with the option under the Annotation -> Configure -> Save Current Settings As Defaults?

    I think that might be your ticket. However after reading your post here (and knowing of a few others that had trouble uncovering that feature) I think I will make an option to save on quit and enable it by default. I think the number of users who will say I always like resetting my brush every launch will safely be in the minority.

    Lastly I while I am in there making changes I will bind ctrl-z to undo and ctrl-shift-z to redo while the Annotation mode is active.

    Thank you very much for the feed back. I will let you know when to look for the updates.

    Thanks,
    Jon 

  • 0
    Avatar
    Andrew Chapman

    Aha! I had no idea there was an extra set of preferences under the annotation menu, thanks. I'd agree with making that the default.

    Great to hear you're open to the suggestions, to be honest RV 4.0 is looking like a necessary but fairly un-exciting release so far, so it would be nice to squeeze a few little workflow improvements like these in there.

    Thanks Jon

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jon Morley

    Hi Andrew,

    I have made the additions to make your requests for 2 and 3 be available in the next release of RV. We will continue to work on the tools in your number 1 request for future releases, but in the next release you should have your brush settings saved by default and undo/redo hotkeys.

    Thanks,
    Jon

  • 0
    Avatar
    Andrew Chapman

    Thanks so much!

    And I'll practice my line drawing in the mean time ;)

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jon Morley

    Hi Andrew,

    As we prepare for another series of releases I wanted to send out a copy of the optional package you will be able to use (in conjunction with as yet unreleased annotation capabilities) to enable undo and redo hotkeys. NOTE: This package will work with any version of RV 3.12.21 and later as well as RV 4.0.5 and later. It has been added to the original post at the top of this thread.

    Thanks,
    Jon 

  • 0
    Avatar
    Andrew Chapman

    Thanks Jon, that's great, I'll check it out

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jon Morley

    Hi Andrew,

    I am glad you are ready to check it out, but just to reiterrate it won't work until the next release of either RV 3.12 or RV 4 beta.

    Thanks,
    Jon 

  • 0
    Avatar
    Andrew Bunday

    Hi Jon, 

    Can you tell me if any further development has happened wit respect to the ability to draw straight lines in the annotation tool?

    A lot of the supervisors here are Cinesync junkies and keep asking if there is any possibility that RV might have lines and shapes and so forth some time in the future?

    Thanks,

    Andrew B. 

     

     

     

     

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jon Morley

    Hi Andrew,

    Sorry there is nothing new to report at this time. Right now we have collected a list of feature requests for annotations, but have not scheduled their development and inclusion in RV yet.

    Thanks,
    Jon

  • 0
    Avatar
    Tarmy

    Hey Jon,

    Not sure if you're still collecting ideas on this, I wonder if I'm alone in this but it drives me a bit batty that the colors are linked to each separate tool. If I want to mark up some annotations in maganta I have to switch the pen tool, then if I want to type an explanation of my markings I have select the text tool and set the color again. If I then want to use the soft brush, you got it... I have to switch the color yet again. Would be nice if those 3 tools shared a color setting. I can imagine that you may not want dodge/burn to share that color though.

     

    Cheers,

    -Tarmy

  • 0
    Avatar
    Frank Rueter

    Yes, please!!! That would be a huge improvement I think.

  • 0
    Avatar
    Jon Morley

    Hi Guys,

    I added that option under the Annotation -> Configure -> "Unique Color For Each Tool". That is on by default but you can turn it off and then the tool colors should stay linked. That was part of the 6.2.5 release:

    "Option on the Annotation menu to use the same color for all brushes (saved as a Preference)."

    Please let me know if that isn't working for you.

    Thanks,
    Jon

  • 0
    Avatar
    Tarmy

    Hey Jon,

    Well that's new and very cool. Thanks for that one. I still think dodge/burn colors should be linked separately from bushes and text... but this option does help.

     

    Cheers,

    Tarmy

  • 0
    Avatar
    Frank Rueter

    I just checked Shotgun's overlay player and that still behaves the old
    way though (not sure how closely you work with those guys by now).

Please sign in to leave a comment.