How do I add a substitution drawing while animating a rig?

Creating a new drawing while animating a rig is quite simple. There are two different types of drawings that can be created for this - a blank drawing and a duplicated one.

Rig artwork considerations

Before using one of the options to create a new drawing, take note of the following artwork considerations:

• It’s important to match the style of the rig’s line art. Select the pencil line with the Selecttool to find the correct line weight and preset in the Tool Properties view before creating new artwork.
• Take note of the separation of artwork on the art layers. If there are any cutting or overlay systems in place, the new drawing will have to have the artwork separated in the same way as the others on the layer so that the rigging system will work on the new drawing. E.g: An invert cutter on an eye, or a patched joint.
• Take note of the layer’s pivot. Most rigs will use peg (permanent) pivots, which means the pivot of the part should not be adjusted. Make sure you draw the new artwork to match the pivot point so that it rotates properly. You can always use the Selecttool to move the final artwork into the correct position. DO NOT use the Transform tool to do this as it will move the pivot as well.

Step 1: Select the layer and the frame

Start by selecting the layer and timing for the new drawing.

1. In the Camera view, select the layer using the Transform tool. Make sure to select the drawing layer, not the peg.
2. In the Timeline view, press O on the keyboard to automatically open the hierarchy and jump to the selected drawing layer.
3. Use the playhead to find the frame where you want the drawing to swap and select the frame on the drawing layer.
4. If you’d like to create artwork from scratch, go to Option 1. If you’d like to reuse artwork, go to Option 2.

Option 1: Create a new empty drawing

If you want to create a drawing substitution from scratch, an empty drawing can be created with the following steps:

1. With the drawing frame selected, create a new empty drawing cell using one of the following:
   • Use the hotkey Alt + Shift + R (Windows/Linux) or Option + Shift + R (macOS).
   • In the top menu, select Drawing > Create Empty Drawing.
   • In the Timeline or Xsheet view toolbars, click the Create Empty Drawing button.
   • Right-click the frame and select Drawings > Create Empty Drawing.
2. The new drawing will be created, and a new empty thumbnail and drawing ID can be seen in the Drawing Substitutions view:

3. You can now create the new substitution drawing artwork.

TIP: Rig artwork is easier to create and position using the Drawing view and the Onion Skin tool.

Option 2: Duplicate a drawing

If the new drawing is similar to another existing drawing on the same layer, you can duplicate the similar drawing and simply edit it. Creating a duplicate drawing can be done with the following steps:

1. If the selected frame does not contain the drawing you want to duplicate, recall the drawing by keeping the frame selected and doing one of the following:
   • In the Drawing Substitutions view, locate the drawing you want to duplicate and click on it.
   • Use the [ and ] keys to cycle through the available substitutions until the one you need appears in the Camera view.
2. Select the cell that will become the new drawing.
3. With the frame still selected, create a duplicate drawing in one of the following ways:
   • Use the hotkey Alt + Shift + D (Windows/Linux) or Option + Shift + D (macOS).
   • In the top menu, select Drawing > Duplicate Drawings.
   • In the Timeline or Xsheet view toolbars, click the Duplicate Drawing button.
   • Right-click the frame and select Drawings > Duplicate Drawings.
4. The duplicate drawing will be created, and a new thumbnail and drawing ID can be seen in the Drawing Substitutions view:

5. You can now create the new substitution drawing artwork.