Having trouble using the oaint bucket tool on it's own layer.

[Mythical25549877rpfw]

So Ive been trying to use a certain shade of blue to go over my characters body and to do that I've been trying to use a new layer specifically for the blue shading. For some reason whenever I try to use the bucket tool to cover all of the area. The bucket instead goes back to the first layers and adds the color there. Not only does it go on a different layer but it replaces one of the other colors completely which doesnt help since I want to blue sahding to have a 50% oppacity. So whenever I try to turn the oppacity down for that layer the whole drawing starts to fade when it should just be the blue shading. I can technically just use the brush on the new layer instead of the bucket, but if I do that I have to try and avoid going over the line art which is extrememly time consufing and stressful. Is there anyway to use the bucket tool on a seperate layer?

[n. tilcheff]

It will be best if you can do a screen capture video of what you are doing, showing your whole screen, layers in the timeline, etc., and explaining there what you are attempting to achieve.

Then someone might be able to help you.

[Mythical25549877rpfw]

So if you see the first image. What you see now is the blue shading with 50% opacity. All of this was done manually and its a bit of a pain do without having to go over the black lines. All of the blue shading is on Layer 7.

The second image is what happens if I try to use the paint bucket tool on Layer 7 but it always forces the paint bucket to go on Layer 1. The blue shading replaces the tan color so when I try to turn down the opacity. It doesn't look right.

The third image is what happens when I turn Layer 1's opacity down to 50%. Everything except two other shadings are effected. The other shading parts don't change since they're on different layers, specfically 4 and 3. I hope this helps.

[n. tilcheff]

Layer opacity the way you have set it to 50% is for preview purposes only. It will not affect the renders.

Instead, change the alpha value of the fill color. This will make your color semi-transparent.

The bucket tool needs a closed shape to work with. 

To prevent the bucket from interacting with other layers lock them by clicking on the little padlock icons.

It is still unclear to me whether you expect the bucket to work on a layer that has nothing on it or not.

From your posts I get the impression that you lack fundamental understanding how tools, color and layers are used in Animate. It may be worth looking for some introductory tutorials. TiPTut on YT has many great videos.

Hope this helps.

[Mythical25549877rpfw]

I think the reason I have a bit of trouble with the tools in Animate is probably to do with the fac that I'm much for use to using another program. I don't know if you've heard of it but its called FireAlpaca. In that program you don't need to closed shape to use the bucket tool on a specific layer. And from the looks of it I have to get use to using the bucket tool with closed shapes from now on whenever I'm using animate. 

[n. tilcheff]

I see.

I have heard of FireAlpaca, but have never tried it.

[Mythical25549877rpfw]

No worries that's understandable. Let just take a sec to sum everything up. So from the looks of it, you can't seem to use paint bucket tool to fill in a certain area unless it's on the layer with a closed shape since the layer with nothing on there will just act as if the closed shape in the other layer isn't there. Sorry if how I'm wording this sounds a little confusing.

[n. tilcheff]

Yeah. There should be something to fill on the current layer - either a blank region surrounded by strokes/fills which defines a closed shape, or an existing fill.

Animate cannot read the contour on one layer and create a fill based on that on another layer.

[Mythical25549877rpfw]

Ahh, I see then. Alright then, if that's the case I might as well keep doing what I was doing before. Thanks for letting me know this.