Missing Fundamentals Here????

[Kurrykid]

Maybe this will help me with some of the other questions I have been posting...

 

I am trying to just take a character (i.e. KeeKat) and lifting the right arm at frame 5 and the left arm at frame 10. I do not want the left arm to lift until after the right arm is done (frame 5). However, the left arm begins lifting at frame 0. I have tried to nudge the left arm at frame 5 (by the way, you can only nudge with the mouse cursor...moving by arrow buttons on the keyboard doesn't make it recognized as being moved) to set it in the same position as frame 0 but that doesn't seem to work.

 

I have done several of the tutorials but it seems that I may be missing some basics here.

 

If someone could just guide me through these basic steps, it would be very helpful.

 

Thank you.

[NancyGormezano]

This may be a bit much - but:

 

after creating a key frame at frame 5 for your left arm (any value - doesn't matter) - go back to frame 0, copy the frame for the left arm (select left arm) and then go back to frame 5 and paste. Make sure you have the correct buttons at the very bottom of A:M big window pushed depending on what you want to copy (key bone, or branch or model, with translate, rotate, scale, etc)

 

You might also want to play with the curve editor (switch at bottom of timeline) for your channels for the left arm & set it to "hold" or linear or 0-spline, or for frames 0-5 (go to frame 0, select cps in channel editor, right click on channel select interpolation, select method)

 

not sure - but I suspect there is better explanation in TAOM (with pictures)

[Kurrykid]

This may be a bit much - but:

 

after creating a key frame at frame 5 for your left arm (any value - doesn't matter) - go back to frame 0, copy the frame for the left arm (select left arm) and then go back to frame 5 and paste. Make sure you have the correct buttons at the very bottom of A:M big window pushed depending on what you want to copy (key bone, or branch or model, with translate, rotate, scale, etc)

 

You might also want to play with the curve editor (switch at bottom of timeline) for your channels for the left arm & set it to "hold" or linear or 0-spline, or for frames 0-5 (go to frame 0, select cps in channel editor, right click on channel select interpolation, select method)

 

not sure - but I suspect there is better explanation in TAOM (with pictures)

Seems like a lot to do to make this simple thing happen From what I have seen in the tutorials, they say you may have to move the left arm just barely and then back to create a keyframe at frame 5 so the computer knows when to begin animating it. I have tried that and it doesn't work.

 

Also, is there a technique for nudging a bone when you are just trying to get a keyframe? I thought I saw where you could use your arrow buttons on the keyboard but they don't work. If you use your mouse to nudge, it is almost impossible to get the bone back to the exact position.

 

Thanks for the comments.

[martin]

Dave, have you done the TaoA:M exercises? Please, do the exercises first so that we all know what your knowledge base is. Many, many people have done TaoA:M, (you can follow their threads here - that's what this area of the forum is for.) Plus, you get a snazzy "Certificate of Completion" when you're done!

 

Thank you for supporting Animation:Master. As you can tell, the people here want to help.

 

Martin

[luckbat]

Also, is there a technique for nudging a bone when you are just trying to get a keyframe? I thought I saw where you could use your arrow buttons on the keyboard but they don't work.

It works for bones that accept translation, e.g. foot bones, but not for bones that can only rotate, like forearm bones.

 

My preferred method to set an arbitrary keyframe is to position the timeline indicator at the frame that I want, select the bone I want to keyframe, then hit Copy and Paste. This keyframes the position (rotation/translation) of the selected bone. Keep in mind that this method only works if

 

A) There are already other keyframes for that bone, and

 

The timeline buttons are set to "key bone," not "key skeletal." Otherwise you'll key the whole model doing this.

[NancyGormezano]

Also, is there a technique for nudging a bone when you are just trying to get a keyframe? I thought I saw where you could use your arrow buttons on the keyboard but they don't work. If you use your mouse to nudge, it is almost impossible to get the bone back to the exact position.

 

Another way is just nudge the bone - a keyframe is then created, (and channels are set up for this bone)- then delete the keyframe, and then hit force keyframe. This will create a keyframe exactly like the last keyframe for the bone. (and again you will probably want to play with the interpolation method between keyframes).

[Kurrykid]

Dave, have you done the TaoA:M exercises? Please, do the exercises first so that we all know what your knowledge base is. Many, many people have done TaoA:M, (you can follow their threads here - that's what this area of the forum is for.) Plus, you get a snazzy "Certificate of Completion" when you're done!

 

Thank you for supporting Animation:Master. As you can tell, the people here want to help.

 

Martin

Hi Martin,

 

I have been going through several of them. I got part way through exercise 6 and this is where I started having issues with copying keyframes (I have a post out there about it). I thought I would double back and try to do the basic functionality of just creating a few frames of animation and have been having a very hard time just getting the basics down. I have been around long enough to know that it just takes time to learn all the ins and out and even the quirks about a software package but I seem to be having a hard time just getting the basics. As you might guess, my frustration is very high at the moment and I am looking for someway to get some successes from the things I have tried to do.

 

Thanks for takiing the time to respond.

[Ilidrake]

Moving, or nudging a bone with the mouse is the easiest way to make a keyframe. By just nudging the bone a little it won't really be noticable. I find it easy to open the time sheet, this way when I move a bone I can actually see the software update the timeline with the keyframe. Then if the ovement is too noticeable (and it better be one hell of a diffrence) I can simply delete that keyframe and nudge it again. That's my method anyway. Good luck.

[robcat2075]

Simple rule: if you want a bone to be in a place for a certain length of time, you need a key at the start of that time and at the end of that time.

 

 

want to force a key(s) without nudging?

 

 

[attachmentid=18215]

1- CTRL-select any bones you want to key

2- they will show up inthe PWS timeline

3- select the filters for the kind of keys you want. (probably just translate and rotate for now)

4-select the key bone filter (even though this was meant for single bones , it works for simultaneous selctions too)

5- SHIFT-press the Force Keyfram button (the shift part is important)

 

you get this dialog box

[attachmentid=18216]

6) select "In all filtered channels" (this is powerful, this is why you did the filter selection in step 3)

7- Hit OK

 

 

[attachmentid=18217]

 

8 keys are created in the PWS timeline for all the channel you wanted and no others.

 

Mission accomplished!

 

Nudging will create keys too, but only one parameter at a time. And there's no way to "nudge" for some of the other parameters that the other filters cover.

[Kurrykid]

Simple rule: if you want a bone to be in a place for a certain length of time, you need a key at the start of that time and at the end of that time.

 

 

want to force a key(s) without nudging?

 

 

[attachmentid=18215]

1- CTRL-select any bones you want to key

2- they will show up inthe PWS timeline

3- select the filters for the kind of keys you want. (probably just translate and rotate for now)

4-select the key bone filter (even though this was meant for single bones , it works for simultaneous selctions too)

5- SHIFT-press the Force Keyfram button (the shift part is important)

 

you get this dialog box

[attachmentid=18216]

6) select "In all filtered channels" (this is powerful, this is why you did the filter selection in step 3)

7- Hit OK

 

 

[attachmentid=18217]

 

8 keys are created in the PWS timeline for all the channel you wanted and no others.

 

Mission accomplished!

 

Nudging will create keys too, but only one parameter at a time. And there's no way to "nudge" for some of the other parameters that the other filters cover.

Robert,

 

I very much apprecite the very thorough explanation but it just doesn't work for me. I have followed your directions to the tee (and repeated it several times) and the bone still moves from frames 0-5 even though I have keyframed them.

 

Thanks for the help though.

[Kurrykid]

I was able to get some help on the community and the friendly user was very patient and helped tremendously. I will continue on with the tutorials and see what happens.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[robcat2075]

here's how I would do it:

 

-I key my bone at 0:00

 

-then i advance the time to 0:05 and key the bone again (dont' move it yet!)

 

-then I advance the time to 0:10 , move the bone to where I want it, then key it again.

 

if you do it... that will do it... unless... you didn't do the curve editing Nancy mentioned at the top.

 

Curve editing is huge in computer animation, that's where the power is.

 

you need to use the channel editor:

 

[attachmentid=18225]

 

[attachmentid=18226]

 

[attachmentid=18227]

 

 

here's the project showing a bone that stays in place then move. Don't look at it without looking at the curves.

[attachmentid=18228]

channeledittest.zip

[Fuchur]

Just a thought, if you didnt use the force-key-frame-in-all-channels-technique...

 

First: Move all the bones you want to animate at frame 0.

After that, go to frame 5 and animate the first arm like you want to.

Than, force a keyframe or just move the second arm very slightly.

After that, go to keyframe 10 and animate the second arm...

 

A:M will only save the keyframes, if there is a channel where it can save them... by moving the bone, you will automatically create such a channel for the bone... (there are several for the different motion-possibilities...)

 

So, if you just move your arms, legs etc. at keyframe 0 slightly (you can even after you moved the bone bring it exactly to the same position... the channel will be there...)

 

*Fuchur*

[Kurrykid]

here's how I would do it:

 

-I key my bone at 0:00

 

-then i advance the time to 0:05 and key the bone again (dont' move it yet!)

 

-then I advance the time to 0:10 , move the bone to where I want it, then key it again.

 

if you do it... that will do it... unless... you didn't do the curve editing Nancy mentioned at the top.

 

Curve editing is huge in computer animation, that's where the power is.

 

you need to use the channel editor:

 

[attachmentid=18225]

 

[attachmentid=18226]

 

[attachmentid=18227]

 

 

here's the project showing a bone that stays in place then move. Don't look at it without looking at the curves.

[attachmentid=18228]

Thank you so much for another excellent explanation...it is very helpful to "see" what you are talking about. I will have to wait until I get hopme to look at your zip file as I don't have my CD with me

 

Just a thought, if you didnt use the force-key-frame-in-all-channels-technique...

 

First: Move all the bones you want to animate at frame 0.

After that, go to frame 5 and animate the first arm like you want to.

Than, force a keyframe or just move the second arm very slightly.

After that, go to keyframe 10 and animate the second arm...

 

A:M will only save the keyframes, if there is a channel where it can save them... by moving the bone, you will automatically create such a channel for the bone... (there are several for the different motion-possibilities...)

 

So, if you just move your arms, legs etc. at keyframe 0 slightly (you can even after you moved the bone bring it exactly to the same position... the channel will be there...)

 

*Fuchur*

Thanks...I will try this as well.