Say I have multiple frames of an animation and I want to do some tweaks to one frame. Usually my workflow is to minimize the number of layers I have, so I’ll create a new layer, do my edits, and merge it down to the “main” layer.
Is there some easy way to do this when dealing with animation? When merging a layer down, the contents seem to get applied to all frames, unless I go and add empty frames to every other frame than the one I want to edit. How can I simplify this?
If you want to use that method then you need to merge two animated layers.
So, make the upper layer animated by creating a Blank frame on frame-0.
Then select the frame-n where the edit is needed and add a blank frame and work on it. Then add a new blank frame on frame-(n+1).
The Held frames take care of the other frames of that layer.
Then merge them together.
Edfit:Add: I’ve just realised - this as about storybords?
Are they different?
I think there’s nothing special about storyboards in this regard, the storyboard docker just creates new key frames for the layers in the document AFAIK.
What you suggest is pretty much what I found myself having to do now, but it’s such a hassle! I’m not sure what a solution would be, I was hoping there was some method I was just not aware of.
For me, I think I would prefer it if merging non-animated layers onto animated layers only affected the current frame. Possibly someone else would disagree.
There is this tutorial by Kevin Farias. I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for…
Is there some indication it answers this question? I’d rather not watch 36 minutes of a tutorial only to find out it’s not relevant.
Sorry, it’s actually quite a long tutorial. This one is shorter and perhaps more enlightening
I watched it, it doesn’t seem to deal with merging layers at all.
Well you could write a script to create an animation layer and add a blank keyframe at the time you are at now and make small button or shortcut for it. Then do a clean merge down. Would that work?
@EyeOdin Yes, that seems like it should work. The only downside - apart from having to figure out how to make this small script 
- is that it becomes a different action to create a new layer now. OTOH I could just add a minimal docker under the layer docker with a button for this action.
I do wonder if the current behaviour is actually useful to anyone? The more I think about it, the more it seems like it would be more dangerous than desirable to have a layer merge down across all keyframes.
I can try and do it. you perfer a button than a shortcut then? because docker and shortcuts to exist together need extra work. ussually it is OR buttons OR shortcut/actions.
@EyeOdin
I’m used to using a button to add a new layer, so I think a docker would fit into my workflow best.
Thank you very much if you feel like making this script!
I think that if you are animating and have those “static” layers, you’ll use them as static elements that don’t change through the animation, like backgrounds. So when you merge them you want it to be applied to all the frames.
Maybe the solution is a new special merge action that does what you want.
Maybe, or perhaps a way to convert a non-animated layer to one that is held? Then it would be clear that you intend that layer to be in the animation throughout.
Right now, you can easily merge things down and unintentionally ruin frames you didn’t mean to edit at all.
Right-click frame-0 and select Create Duplicate Frame does that now.
@hulmanen
I was forced to add a extra frame on the right side in order to stop the hold frame to propagate when you do a merge down.
https://github.com/EyeOdin/keyframe_layer
Thank you @EyeOdin ! I tested it quickly and it seems to work perfectly.
I did need to install python3-pyqt5.qtsvg , in case someone else wanders in here and gets import errors with it.
I’ll mark your post as the solution, although I still tentatively think this should probably be fixed in Krita itself. Thanks again!
Sorry that was the lazy part of me. I did a better check and updated it. it does not really need that module to work.
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