Toon Boom Harmony Library Jun 2026

Are you working as a or as part of a studio team ?

Use clear, predictable prefixes for assets. For example: CH_ for characters, PR_ for props, BG_ for backgrounds, and FX_ for special effects (e.g., CH_MainCharacter_Rig ).

When you drag a template into a scene, Harmony creates a unique, local copy of those assets.

📌 If a library folder appears locked, simply right-click on it and select Right to Modify to unlock it for editing. toon boom harmony library

Select the layers, pegs, or nodes you want to save in the Timeline or Node view.

Assets restricted to a specific show or commercial project.

The Toon Boom Harmony Library is a centralized storage system within the software that allows you to store, organize, and reuse animation assets. Think of it as a digital warehouse. Instead of redrawing assets, rebuilding complex character rigs, or recreating special effects from scratch, you can simply drag and drop them from the Library directly into your timeline or Node View. Key Benefits of Using the Library Are you working as a or as part of a studio team

Ensures all animators on a team use the exact same character models, color palettes, and props.

Harmony includes backup features like *.sbbkp files, which can be restored via the File > Restore and Open Backup menu if project data is lost.

| Feature | Toon Boom Harmony | Adobe Animate | Blender (Grease Pencil) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Native, robust library system with global, job, and scene-level folders. | Basic symbol library; relies heavily on OS file structure for complex asset management. | No native, centralized asset library; relies on Blender's Asset Browser (which is more general 3D-focused). | | Collaboration | Designed for teams with server-based libraries, version control, and dedicated production management tools (Harmony Producer). | Good for small teams but lacks native server-level asset management for large-scale production. | Primarily a single-user tool; team workflows often require third-party version control. | | Rigging Reuse | Master templates allow for entire rig hierarchies (bones, deformers, drawings) to be saved as a single, reusable asset. | Uses symbols for reuse but struggles with maintaining complex skeletal animation hierarchies across projects. | Asset system is less integrated with Grease Pencil's rigging capabilities. | | Industry Focus | Broadcast-quality TV and feature film animation; standard for major studios. | Web animation, interactive content, and simpler character animation. | 2D animation within a 3D environment; used for dynamic, stylized projects. | When you drag a template into a scene,

: Professionals typically organize their libraries into subfolders like Characters Backgrounds to keep large-scale productions manageable. Master Templates

By default, Toon Boom Harmony locks the Global Library folders to prevent you from accidentally deleting or overwriting important production assets. Before you can add, rename, or delete anything, you must manually unlock the folder. Right-click on the library folder you want to edit. Select from the context menu.

If you are working with other animators, the Library folder should always be stored on a shared server, even if it is not included in the root directory. A shared library allows everyone on the team to access and reuse the same assets, ensuring consistency across all scenes in the production.

One of the most common points of confusion for beginners is distinguishing between and Symbols . Both store reusable data, but they function very differently under the hood. Templates (.tpl)

To share assets with team members, simply create a library folder on a shared network drive.