Pegbar-less scanning

[Donomator]

Hello. I thought I would like to share a little tidbit on how to scan your animation drawings and keep them aligned without a pegbar, or without using the AutoScan feature on FlipBook Pro.

All you would need to do is simply place your paper so that the paper's edges are touching the edges of the scanner bed. Then, obviously, you would scan the drawings.

This always seems to work for me.

If you want, you can visit my YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/donomatorschannel. I've got some basic traditional animation exercises posted there, though generic at best. Thanks.

PS: Don, will there be a Cyber Garage Project next year? I wasn't able to participate the current one. If you look around in the forum, you'll find the reason why I had to pull out.

[lavallelee]

I am trying to figure out how to autoscan the pegs when importing images and/or scanning from file

it jitters for me.. anyone know how to do it this way?? flipbook wont let me scan directly into it, i get errors

ive been watching flipbook tutorials all day, and i must say this program is great! i just wish i could figure the scanning part out!

[WillW]

All you would need to do is simply place your paper so that the paper's edges are touching the edges of the scanner bed. Then, obviously, you would scan the drawings.


thats not really the best way of doing it because sometimes if the holes are not punched right in the dead center of the paper it wont share the same alignement if you draw on the back of the paper rather then the front.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/tyokio/paper.jpg

This shows what I mean, If you had a scenes with some really tight movements and you scanned them in that way then they will wiggle around a bit, its best to use a peg bar to scan them in or use a camera to caputure the frames into the computer.

[Regan]

Listen to Will. I bet places like Cartoon Colour just have some kid in the back room punching paper 10 sheets at a time. Don't count on the placement of the peg holes being totally the same.

[DNethery]

All you would need to do is simply place your paper so that the paper's edges are touching the edges of the scanner bed. Then, obviously, you would scan the drawings.


I would respectfully disagree.

That would only work consistently if all of your paper is cut consistently so that the the distance from the edge of the paper relative to the peg holes is precisely the same on each and every sheet of paper . My experience is that most animation paper available on the market today is not cut that precisely . Even within a single batch of paper you will get small variations at the edges so there will be some unwanted registration jitters when scanning in that way.

It takes almost the same amount of time to place each sheet of paper carefully on the scanner bed making sure the edges are straight against the edge of the scanner than to simply use a thin peg bar such as this one from Lightfoot: Lightfoot Thin Chrome Peg Bar (http://www.lightfootltd.com/product_info.php/cPath/27/products_id/412) . The little extra bit of time it takes to place the drawing on and off the peg bar is worth it for assuring that the drawings will maintain precise registration. The peg holes are punched with an Acme precision metal punch , so peg holes will always be accurate , though the edges of the paper will have small (sometimes large) variations because the paper is cut with a bulk cutting blade.

The peg holes are the control factor for precise registration, not the edge of the paper.

You might get away with the "edge of the paper" method of scanning for very fast , rough scenes (though even there you may have variations in the registration that are not immediately apparent, but you would see an improvement if you scanned on-pegs) . For a fast moving scene or a very rough scene where the rough sketchy pencil lines are "boiling" all over page anyway the slight shifts in registration caused by variations in the edges of the paper might not be noticeable. But for more precise , slow-moving animation I would advise scanning on pegs, and certainly final clean-up drawings should be scanned on-pegs.

[Donomator]

I would respectfully disagree.

That would only work consistently if all of your paper is cut consistently so that the the distance from the edge of the paper relative to the peg holes is precisely the same on each and every sheet of paper . My experience is that most animation paper available on the market today is not cut that precisely . Even within a single batch of paper you will get small variations at the edges so there will be some unwanted registration jitters when scanning in that way.

It takes almost the same amount of time to place each sheet of paper carefully on the scanner bed making sure the edges are straight against the edge of the scanner than to simply use a thin peg bar such as this one from Lightfoot: Lightfoot Thin Chrome Peg Bar (http://www.lightfootltd.com/product_info.php/cPath/27/products_id/412) . The little extra bit of time it takes to place the drawing on and off the peg bar is worth it for assuring that the drawings will maintain precise registration. The peg holes are punched with an Acme precision metal punch , so peg holes will always be accurate , though the edges of the paper will have small (sometimes large) variations because the paper is cut with a bulk cutting blade.

The peg holes are the control factor for precise registration, not the edge of the paper.

You might get away with the "edge of the paper" method of scanning for very fast , rough scenes (though even there you may have variations in the registration that are not immediately apparent, but you would see an improvement if you scanned on-pegs) . For a fast moving scene or a very rough scene where the rough sketchy pencil lines are "boiling" all over page anyway the slight shifts in registration caused by variations in the edges of the paper might not be noticeable. But for more precise , slow-moving animation I would advise scanning on pegs, and certainly final clean-up drawings should be scanned on-pegs.

Great point, DNethery; but would I just leave the scanner bed open with the pegbar on the scanner? What would be the best way to secure the pegbar onto the scanner bed without potentially obstructing the drawing being scanned?

[DNethery]

would I just leave the scanner bed open with the pegbar on the scanner?

What would be the best way to secure the pegbar onto the scanner bed without potentially obstructing the drawing being scanned?

It is best to close the lid of the scanner so that it presses the drawing flat against the scanner glass.

You could possibly leave the scanner lid open if you turn off the lights in the room so you don't get light "leaks" around the edges of the paper. (usually the very edges of the paper should be cropped out by the scanner marquee settings anyway, so you are only scanning the actual 12 Field size which is 12" wide x 8.75" high, but light can still leak past the edge of the paper on the scanner and cause shadows around the edges of the image , so better to turn off the lights. But if your paper is buckled or wrinkled at all then you risk having slightly less than crisp scanned images if the lid of the scanner is not closed . The lid presses the drawing flat against the scanner glass , assuring a sharp image scan.


What would be the best way to secure the pegbar onto the scanner bed without potentially obstructing the drawing being scanned?

The peg bar should be positioned so it is along the edge of the scanner, outside of the glass area of the scanner bed.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jL0PYTVd-Zs/Sh7KKY0c7JI/AAAAAAAABAQ/mcDoNl7Px9w/s800/12F_Animation.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jL0PYTVd-Zs/Sgx4n9E9nzI/AAAAAAAAA88/kYYKGlnDpoY/s800/scanner_pegs_02.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jL0PYTVd-Zs/SgOa7vIkuWI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/gd21Cg02gzA/s800/scanner_pegs_02.jpg

[Dave]

I am trying to figure out how to autoscan the pegs when importing images and/or scanning from file

it jitters for me.. anyone know how to do it this way?? flipbook wont let me scan directly into it, i get errors

ive been watching flipbook tutorials all day, and i must say this program is great! i just wish i could figure the scanning part out!

Here you go...
I took this off the users manual from our software. Hopefull, it's the same as yours.
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Scanning is the best way to get your drawings or color backgrounds into FlipBook for painting. And FlipBook makes it easier than ever. If you scanner is big enough to scan the peg holes as well as the drawing you can use AutoScan to save time, wear and tear on your drawings and make sure your images are properly registered. If your scanner isn’t that big then just tape a peg bar to the scanner along the side of the glass and you're ready to go.

You should scan your pencil drawings in black & white mode at 200 dpi or higher for most circumstances. Your drawings will automatically be cleaned up, rotated and positioned in the exposure sheet on 1's, 2's, 3’s or at any interval you select. Color drawings only need to be scanned at about 75 dpi but make sure the Scale to Fit option is turned on unless you want your BGs and overlays to be bigger than your cels.

DigiCel FlipBook works with all scanners that are 100% TWAIN compatible.
AutoScan

AutoScan finds the peg holes in the image and registers the drawing saving you the time and trouble of putting each drawing on the peg bar and removing it. But in order for FlipBook to be able to find the holes and register the images, the holes must appear black. This means you need to put black tape on the scanner’s lid or behind the holes in the paper path of an automatic scanner.

AutoScan is activated by setting Rotation to AutoScan. To tell FlipBook where to look for the peg holes, you need to set the Field Size and the Offset. Field Size is the width of the image in inches and Offset is the distance from the center of the center peg to the center of the drawing. FlipBook normally expects the peg holes to be at the bottom of the image but you can also set it to handle images with the holes at the top.

OverScan
Zooming in actually takes a small part of the image and stretches it to fill the frame. This requires creating more information than is actually there. The scaling in FlipBook is actually very good at this and for short zooms in the 0-30 or 40% range it will still look great. But if you want to zoom in more than that then you need to create higher resolution images to begin with.

The OverScan feature lets you start off with more information (higher resolution images) and then scales them down when you don’t need the extra data.

If you want to zoom in to make half of the image fill the frame without losing any image quality then you should set the OverScan to 200% and you should double your scanning resolution. To zoom in even further, increase the OverScan value and the scanning resolution even more.

FlipBook will compensate as needed to make everything work the same but the image quality of your zooms will be perfect. Select the OverScan value that best suites the zoom requirements of the scene.

Note: Over scanning creates bigger images that will take more processing time, more memory and require a faster computer for smooth, accurate play back.

To scan your drawings directly into the xsheet...

1. Select the location in the xsheet into which you want to start scanning.

2. Click on the Scan icon.

3. Set the rotation value as needed. (Auto is for AutoScan, see below.)

4. Click on Acquire.

This will bring up your scanner’s control program. We recommend the following settings. (For more information please follow the Scanning Tips link below.)

1. Set the image type to Black and White Drawing or Line Art.

2. Set the DPI to 200 or higher, especially if you are using OverScan.

3. Set the image area to 8.5 X 11.33 to maintain the correct aspect ratio.

4. Scan each drawing.

Note: If you want to scan into random locations you can set the Frame # and Level # in FlipBook's Scan dialog before each scan. You may want to position the Scan dialog and the scanner's control window so that they can both be seen at the same time.
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[skellener]

You can get the low cut metal peg-bars that work great for scanners. The pegs do not stick out as much as traditional pegs that can get in the way of scanner covers.

Audio-Visual Pegbar
http://www.chromacolour.com/store/pegbars_usa.htm
• Accurate ACME standard registration
• 3-peg, single-field length (0.05" x 1.5" x 12.0")
• Low brass pegs (1/16" in height)
• Lightweight sprung stainless steel base
• Ideal for work requiring exposure on a process
camera, print down frame or scanning bed

It's not a great picture.
http://www.chromacolour.com/images/avpeg_L.jpeg

Don't ever rely on the edge of the paper for registration.

[OwenWelsh]

You can get the low cut metal peg-bars that work great for scanners. The pegs do not stick out as much as traditional pegs that can get in the way of scanner covers.

Audio-Visual Pegbar
http://www.chromacolour.com/store/pegbars_usa.htm
• Accurate ACME standard registration
• 3-peg, single-field length (0.05" x 1.5" x 12.0")
• Low brass pegs (1/16" in height)
• Lightweight sprung stainless steel base
• Ideal for work requiring exposure on a process
camera, print down frame or scanning bed

It's not a great picture.
http://www.chromacolour.com/images/avpeg_L.jpeg

Don't ever rely on the edge of the paper for registration.

Unless you are using AutoScan in flipbook and can scan your entire 12 field paper in your scanner bed, right?

[TimothyB]

Why is nothing happening with autoscan with Flipbook that's unlocked.

I'd place the 12-field on my smaller scanner so the entire peg bar would be scanned and the drawing, leaving the lid open so the holes come out pitch black.

I set autoscan on, but it scans it in and places it sideways with nothing done to it. Do I need the whole 12-field area of the paper scanned for it to see it as a paper, or would the peg holes be enough as long as they got scanned? I left the paper size in the scan window as 8, but even tried 12, still, I had more lock manually setting it to rotate and no autoscan.

I ended up having to scan into photoshop and align them up there and use it's animation tools to create a movie on 2s.

[lavallelee]

I tried everything too, your not alone here. The way i worked around it is that i put tape on my scanner, to where the edges are.

I did everything it says in the manual. 12field paper 5 inches from center to center peg hole. Still nothing. There must be a way to get it to work, but really need to see how its done visually.

[DNethery]

Unless you are using AutoScan in flipbook and can scan your entire 12 field paper in your scanner bed, right?

Why is nothing happening with autoscan with Flipbook that's unlocked.

I'd place the 12-field on my smaller scanner so the entire peg bar would be scanned and the drawing, leaving the lid open so the holes come out pitch black.

I set autoscan on, but it scans it in and places it sideways with nothing done to it. Do I need the whole 12-field area of the paper scanned for it to see it as a paper, or would the peg holes be enough as long as they got scanned? I left the paper size in the scan window as 8, but even tried 12, still, I had more lock manually setting it to rotate and no autoscan.


Hopefully Kent Braun from Digicel will chime in here to clarify on how to use your AutoScan (http://www.digicelinc.com/autoscan.htm)feature.

However, one thing I notice from the comments above is that it seems like you guys are using flatbed scannners rather than Auto Document Feed (ADF) scanners. I believe that the AutoScan feature is intended to be used with an ADF Scanner.

In a studio situation where "time is money" and the production would be bulk scanning hundreds or thousands of drawings every week it makes more sense to take advantage of the speed of an ADF scanner along with the extra AutoScan plug-in to auto align the scanned peg holes.

Although if you are scanning off-pegs on the flatbed scanner and the peg holes are CLEARLY scanned (opaque black with clearly defined peg hole shapes) then the AutoScan feature should be able to find those holes and reg. your drawings in Flipbook. Make sure that you place a wide strip of black tape along the part of the scanner lid that shows through the peg holes so the peg holes will be outlined clearlyl as dense black shapes. (same if you use an ADF scanner: a piece of black tape along the roller path where the drawings are fed through the scanner , so that the peg holes are backed by solid black.)

[TimothyB]

Hmm, I was doing it again, this time at 300 dpi and on a 1920*1080 scene for the heck of it. In this case, I used the raised edges of the scanning bed to align the paper on the left and back side ( where the peg holes are so they are on the scanner). The rest of the paper over hangs scanning area, so the scanning bed is pretty much covered except the peg hole openings. I left the scanning lid open to make sure the holes come out black, and not crunch the paper. I used an old mouse pad in the center, away from the holes, to push the paper down more. I left the scanner on color, even though the placed frame is BW.

Oh, I left field side 8, pretty much everything default except autoscan.

It seemed to auto rotate this time. I tried the same drawing twice, once at 300 dpi, again at 150dpi, both rotated, but were slightly offset. So I tried 300dpi again and it match up with the first 300dpi, so keep your dpi scanning res the same. Sp I tried drawing 2, 300dpi, and it seemed to match up with the first drawing, even the crosshairs I drew. It came in a little high in the scene, cutting off my frame numbers. Moving the camera with a pan only showed that information was gone for good.

EDIT: On the drawing scanning in big and cut off, this was due to the default 8 field, setting it for 12 field worked better. My drawing was slightly higher on the paper so 8 field was too small for this.

Not sure if I saw ADF mentioned. Don't know if I'd trust it with my drawings, especially this thinner paper, what if it grabbed two or chocked. From what I read, autoscan is mainly to help with pegbar-less scanning, but ADF would speed things up even more. There's a few features for continues scanning like "auto hold" to move to the next frame after acquiring, but not sure how it would respond to consecutive scans from the scanner interface after clicking acquire once. Also, not sure what you would do with an ADF to make the peg holes come out black, since you couldn't attach anything to the underside of the lid due to the mechanics.

[TimothyB]

Note, a fluke happened where a scan did not autoscan on my third drawing. I double checked the paper on the scanner, repositioning it, tried again and it worked.

Here's the result of scanning in a drawing in color, showing up on a 1920*1080 scene in BW. The blank white area is from the missing paper that didn't fit on the scanner after it centered the scan based off the peg holes. You see the scan preview from my scanner, pretty much the paper covers the entire surface of the scanner, and the holes came out black because I left the lid open. Again, I used a mouse pad to help push the drawing down where it was raised up on some edges of the scanner.

http://photos.toonguru.com/bluth/scanning.jpg

[OwenWelsh]

Not sure if I saw ADF mentioned. Don't know if I'd trust it with my drawings, especially this thinner paper, what if it grabbed two or chocked. From what I read, autoscan is mainly to help with pegbar-less scanning, but ADF would speed things up even more. There's a few features for continues scanning like "auto hold" to move to the next frame after acquiring, but not sure how it would respond to consecutive scans from the scanner interface after clicking acquire once.

I have an ADF scanner and I used it specifically for a 2D animated project. I can tell you that it did have a tendency to get jammed occasionally and some of the drawings got wrinkled and gnarly. Unless you are getting an industrial grade ADF ($900+, don't bother. BTW for reference I have the Xerox Documate 510. Also this only scans 8.5 by 11.

[TimothyB]

I have an ADF scanner and I used it specifically for a 2D animated project. I can tell you that it did have a tendency to get jammed occasionally and some of the drawings got wrinkled and gnarly. Unless you are getting an industrial grade ADF ($900+, don't bother. BTW for reference I have the Xerox Documate 510. Also this only scans 8.5 by 11.

When you were using your ADF for animation, were the papers you were scanning have peg holes? And if you did have an ADF that fit 12-field, would it be possible to make sure the holes came out black so Flipbook could find them?

I've been trying more situations with the scanner and autoscan. This time I cut a piece of black paper to put behind the peg holes so I can scan with the lid shut. I wanted to purposely scan with the paper titled to make sure the software was doing its job. I began to have trouble again. For no reason it was not working, at least compared to my other tests.

Eventually, I made some radical custom settings on my scanner to change it to black and white, use level controls so the paper was pure white, plus to keep the black paper behind the holes from showing through. I then used levels to darken lightly drawn character. Suddenly it was working again. Even with the paper at an angle and it would correctly rotate it and match to the previous scan. Yet, redo the exact same scan with default settings would fail, even though the peg holes were just as dark.

So anyone having trouble may need to play with their scanner settings until they find something that works, hopefully not ruining the drawing, and save it in the presets to reuse.

[DNethery]

Not sure if I saw ADF mentioned. Don't know if I'd trust it with my drawings, especially this thinner paper, what if it grabbed two or chocked.

Also, not sure what you would do with an ADF to make the peg holes come out black, since you couldn't attach anything to the underside of the lid due to the mechanics.

The Digicel Flipbook page on AutoScan (http://www.digicelinc.com/autoscan.htm) specifically mentions using it with ADF scanners. See :

http://www.digicelinc.com/autoscan.htm

"AutoScan is a software plug-in that lets you use scanners with automatic sheet feeders to scan your drawings.

It finds the peg holes in the scanned image and aligns the images so every page is perfectly registered. This feature is meant to be used with full-size, 12-field scanners that can scan 11 X 17 inch pages in 3 or 4 seconds each."

"Don't know if I'd trust it with my drawings"

It is always a possibility that the ADF scanner will jam or crinkle some paper. However, on a production I supervised we used a Fujitsu ADF scanner to scan approx. 30,000 drawings and maybe only crinkled a handful of drawings. None of these incidents resulted in any scenes being totally ruined. A more frequent problem with ADF scanners is that if the person scanning does not remember to CLEAN the rollers frequently the rollers will pick up graphite dust from the drawings and will start to make black lines and smears on subsequent drawings that are fed through the machine. This just requires preventive maintenance on the part of the person(s) doing the scanning.

"not sure what you would do with an ADF to make the peg holes come out black, since you couldn't attach anything to the underside of the lid due to the mechanics"

It depends on the configuration of the ADF scanner. The ones I have used (Fujitsu and Epson) have an area along the inside roller track that is accessible to put a piece of black electrical tape along the area where the peg holes pass through. The black tape shows through the open peg holes as the drawing is pulled through the scanner by the rollers and causes the peg hole shapes to scan as black shapes which are then "seen" by the AutoScan or ScanFix software plugin to use in registering all the drawings.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jL0PYTVd-Zs/SilqfE8iaCI/AAAAAAAABCc/FDh1Wp36bKk/s800/ADF_Scanner_blacktape.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jL0PYTVd-Zs/Sgx_rQvWCSI/AAAAAAAAA9U/VkYFmz-tvH8/s800/scanners.JPG

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I have an ADF scanner and I used it specifically for a 2D animated project. I can tell you that it did have a tendency to get jammed occasionally and some of the drawings got wrinkled and gnarly. Unless you are getting an industrial grade ADF ($900+, don't bother. BTW for reference I have the Xerox Documate 510. Also this only scans 8.5 by 11.

You make a good point Owen, re: getting an "industrial grade ADF scanner" .
I would tend to think that consumer grade ADF scanners meant for light duty scanning of print documents in the average small office or home office may not be as suitable for animation production work as a professional/industrial grade scanner like the Fujitsu, Richoh, or Epson professional ADF models. They are VERY EXPENSIVE . Again, I'd say the use of ADF is better suited to a commercial animation studio where there is a large volume of scanning being done each week and the time savings add up to real money. Otherwise for an individual animator an industrial-grade scanner is probably too much money and the results will be just as good (or better) using a flatbed scanner which is slower , but very reliable. The only reason I brought up ADF scanners at all is that the Digicel Flipbook page on AutoScan (http://www.digicelinc.com/autoscan.htm)mentioned that the AutoScan plug-in was intended for use with Auto document feeders.

Also, unless I'm mistaken the free temp version of Flipbook that has been provided for the Cyber Garage project is Digicel Flipbook Studio which does NOT have AutoScan enabled (I think AutoScan only comes with Digicel Flipbook PRO or as an add-on for Flipbook Studio ... or am I wrong about that ?)

[TimothyB]

Thanks for the correction, I knew I should have gone back and read the guide before opening my mouth :)

Another nice thing about a quality scanner is they are extremely faster, while the cheap models can create nice images on a budget, they take a lot longer to finish a high-res scan and move the bar back for the next scan.

On the Pro or Studio FlipBook. I opened it and check the About FlipBook window, next to the Flipbook ID is shows Professional, and all the options below it checked and grayed, like autoscan.

[DNethery]

On the Pro or Studio FlipBook. I opened it and check the About FlipBook window, next to the Flipbook ID is shows Professional, and all the options below it checked and grayed, like autoscan.


Cool. It sounds like you got the Pro edition with AutoScan enabled. That's great.

(now if you can just get it to work consistently !! Again, I think the ultimate answer will come from Kent Braun at Digicel. He can probably tell you how to tweak your scanner settings to make it work consistently. Maybe you should shoot him an email or call him. He's really helpful in my experience . )

[skellener]

Unless you are using AutoScan in flipbook and can scan your entire 12 field paper in your scanner bed, right?If you have software that will auto reg your paper from scanning the peg holes, then sure. It won't matter how it's scanned. As long as the peg holes are in the scan the software should be able to do the offset. Not all software offers this feature. As in the previous posts, a black piece of tape in the area of the pegs will help them show up properly.

I was a big user of the Animo software that would auto reg the scans from the peg holes. It also had a calibration tool if you wanted to scan on pegs as well. I never had any reg problems myself.

[dartzy]

I cant get Flipbook to look for my scanner. When I hit scan and the option window comes up..aquire--> the next window in empty...any suggestions? I've emailed the tech at digicel but no replies yet.

[johncbeggs]

I cant get Flipbook to look for my scanner. When I hit scan and the option window comes up..aquire--> the next window in empty...any suggestions? I've emailed the tech at digicel but no replies yet.

I had the same issue, try plugging in the scanner and turning it on while flipbook is running- it worked for me:D

[dartzy]

Thanks for the suggestion..I'm afraid it didn't work. Curiosity...you on Mac or PC? Im running Mac...

[TimothyB]

I cant get Flipbook to look for my scanner. When I hit scan and the option window comes up..aquire--> the next window in empty...any suggestions? I've emailed the tech at digicel but no replies yet.

Before hitting acquire, I think there is a "select" button that lets you choose the scanner or other sources. It was automatic with my scanner, an MP600 all in one scanner/printer on a Vista 64bit system. Maybe find the model and name of your scanner and go online to the support section of the company to get the latest drivers. They might have special software, but I think the overall system support would be called WIA drivers.

[Dave]

Hi guys,
I've set up a thread in the members section of Don's Club for members that are having issues with Digicel Flipbook.

Here's a link to that thread.. (http://www.donbluthanimation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=304)

Thanks

Dave

[DNethery]

Here’s something I'd like to share with anyone looking for a reasonably priced scanner to use for scanning traditional animation drawings.

Recently, a former student of mine named Dan Caylor (http://onanimation.com/) alerted me to the availability of a new 11" x 17" size scanner for about $300.00 USD ! --- the Brother MFC-6490 CW scanner (http://www.brother-usa.com/mfc/ModelDetail.aspx?ProductID=MFC6490CW). (Dan got his for $250.00 with a mail-in rebate coupon. The list price is between $275 - to - $375 USD depending on who is selling it. Most sellers in the U.S. seem to be selling it for around $299.00 USD.)

As you know if you've priced out an 11 x 17 scanner, until now this was really unheard of to find such an inexpensive 11 x 17 size scanner which can handle 12 Field animation paper fed through an auto-document feeder for very fast scanning . Most 11" x 17" ADF scanners cost $3,000 - $4,000 or more. Combined with an Auto Peg Hole Recognition system in software such as TVP Animation, Digicel Flipbook, or ToonBoom Animate , this new Brother MFC-6490 CW scanner is a great tool for independent animators or students. The Brother MFC-6490 CW scanner is aimed at the small business and home-office user, so I doubt that it is necessarily built to hold up for a long time under heavy feature film or tv production use, but for the student or the independent animator on a tight budget this product at least puts an 11" x 17" scanner within an affordable price range. At this price you could actually replace it several times over if it broke down before it would cost you as much as the usual 11 x 17 ADF scanners from Epson, Fujitsu, Ricoh, Canon, etc.

Here is Dan's recommendation from his blog (http://onanimation.com/):

"I recently bought a scanner to do pencil tests on, and it’s working out nicely. So I thought I’d recommend it to anyone looking at animating on paper. You’ll likely be in the market for something similar someday.

I set out looking for an Auto Document Feed scanner that could handle 12 Field paper (10.5” x 12.5”). This meant I had three criteria in my search:

1.) It had to be cheap because I’m a student,

2.) it had to have ADF so I could spend more time animating (learning), and

3.) it had to be Wide Format so I could fit the animation paper in it.

To make a long story short, after searching the internet, and checking out every store in town, I settled on this: the Brother MFC-6490 CW . It matched all my criteria, most important of which was cost, only setting me back $250. That’s a steal considering the prices for these kinds of scanners used to be in the thousands of dollars range.

When I need to test my work, I just stack everything in the tray on top, and my pencil test is ready in a few minutes. I remember doing a tests with a camera back in film school, and how long that took. So much time was wasted that could have been used animating or learning something new. I hate wasting time, so I’m super happy with this purchase. I couldn’t find anything like this from HP, Epson, or Canon, so I think this is the only one on the market in that price range."


I haven't personally tested the Brother MFC-6490 CW 11 x 17 scanner yet , but it sounds like from what Dan Caylor is reporting on his blog that it's working out well . (I think Dan's using it with Digicel Flipbook AutoScan, but should work fine with any software that has Auto Peg Hole alignment such as TVP Animation, or ToonBoom Animate. )

If you know of anyone looking for a reasonably-priced scanner (finally!) that will handle traditional 12 Field size animation paper you might want to check out the Brother MFC-6490 CW scanner.

-DN

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By the way, most of the people here on this forum will be interested in this pencil test :

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As a test of the Peg Hole Tracking and Registration in my fave animation app , TVP Animation (http://paperless-animation.blogspot.com), I used some photocopies of a scene from The Fox and the Hound which I have had for years. The photocopies are pretty good, but the peg holes were shifting all over the place on the photocopies (it was copied off-pegs) , so it was a good test case for the automatic Peg Hole Tracking and Registration feature in TVP.

You may notice just the tiniest bit of residual jittering around the edges of the peg holes, but this is because of the poor quality of the original photocopies where the peg holes copied very light (I had to darken them by adjusting the contrast when I scanned them) There's a bit of residual dirt jittering around the peg holes , but other than that you can see that the peg hole alignment is rock steady. When scanning original drawings with undamaged peg holes it is even steadier.

I wonder if Don Bluth could tell us who animated this scene from The Fox and The Hound ? The xeroxes I have had "Glen Keane" written on them , but to my eyes the drawings don't look like Glen Keane's typical drawing style. I am still trying to find out for sure who animated this scene.

[OwenWelsh]

I've gone ahead and purchased the Brother MFC-6940 after Digicel crashed during a 2 hour manual scan. I'm not going through that again. I just hope I can figure out how to avoid paper jams.

FYI NewEgg has a sale on this baby. $50 bucks off and FREE shipping! Sale ends soon so if you want an ADF scanner for 11x17 grab one quick!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113316