Cursor Sync

Cursor Sync creates a bidirectional link between the 3D cursor and your Grease Pencil objects, enabling rapid pose blocking without touching the properties panel.

How it works

When Sync Cursor & Object is enabled, you can control your GP object in two ways:

• Cursor → Object: Place the 3D cursor with Shift + Right Click, and the GP object snaps to that position
• Object → Cursor: Move the GP object with G, and the 3D cursor snaps to the GP object’s position

Combined with Auto-Key, Waypoint auto-creates Object and GP keyframes as you reposition, keeping them in alignment without manual keying.

Tip

Both sync methods can be used interchangeably — you’re not locked into one or the other. Use Cursor → Object when you need to snap to surfaces and Object → Cursor when you need to move freely through space.

The panel

Setting	Description
Sync Cursor & Object	Master toggle. Enables bidirectional sync between the 3D cursor and the active GP object.
Auto-Key	Automatically insert Object and GP keyframes when syncing. Without this, you need to key manually after each reposition.
Copy	When a sync creates a new keyframe, copy the current drawing forward to that frame.
Blank	When a sync creates a new keyframe, insert a blank GP keyframe instead of copying the current drawing.
All Layers	Apply sync keying to all GP layers, not just the active layer.

Note

Copy and Blank control what happens to your GP drawing when Auto-Key fires. Copy carries the current strokes forward so you can modify an existing pose. Blank gives you a clean frame to draw on. They’re mutually exclusive, enabling one will disable the other.

Use cases

Rapid pose blocking

1. Enable Sync Cursor & Object and Auto-Key
2. Set Blank if you want a fresh frame at each position, or Copy to carry drawings forward
3. Scrub to a new frame
4. Shift + Right Click to place your character
5. Draw the pose
6. Repeat — keys are inserted automatically

Animating on surfaces

Use the Cursor → Object method to position your GP object on top of mesh geometry. Shift + Right Click places the 3D cursor on the mesh surface, and the GP object follows - this is the primary sync method used for moving the GP on surfaces (run cycle, fight sequences, etc.)

Airborne sequences

The 3D cursor can only be placed on mesh surfaces, so we need another solution for airborne sequences. Use the Object → Cursor method instead to grab the GP object with G and move it freely in space, and cursor will snap to the GP object’s position.

Interaction with other features

Onion Skinning — this is the core workflow, as you drive the GP object position using cursor sync, you leave behind world-space onion skins.

Motion Paths — the GP object trajectory is automatically calculated and displayed as a customisable and editable curve in the viewport. You can adjust the path directly to fine-tune the timing, spacing, and overall shape of your sequence, more on that here.

Frame Labels — tag key poses and shot boundaries while blocking, and navigate between them by clicking on the labels generated during the blocking process.