cycles

[oakchas]

Okay,

 

I can make the piston cycle nicely once, and if the animation is looped, it does not hesitate at the top as I did not chor the last frame of the action.

 

However, the engine needs to turn more that once. I have tried futzing with all the numbers. Cycle length, chor and crop... nothing seems to make the action cycle over a longer chor... right now, i'd settle for 3 seconds. with the action repeating about 2.5 times. then I would know I can go on.

 

Here's a screen shot... what am I missing?

[Fishman]

I thought that the number of repeats only appeared if stride length was off. You said you've tried all kinds of combinations, but you never mention if you had stride length turned onor off for them. Your screen capture showed it being on.

 

Scott

[oakchas]

yes, stride length is on... and that's as I'd prefer it for now. but the cycle won't repeat throughout the chor. If i set repeats to a certain number they would speed up the action over the length of the chor... not what I'm looking for.

[goodguy20k]

Here's a interesting thought. If you have stride length on, and your action properly cropped, try this: Go into a choreography, create a new path with just two CPs. Move one CP to a specific position (0,0,0 for example). Then move the other CP to the exact same position. Constrain your model to the path. It shouldn't move, but the action should cycle. Adjust the Choreography time to whatever you need it to run. You can move the path over the time of animation, and/or even constrain it to a model, or something.

 

It's a workaround, and not pretty, but I bet it'll work!

[oakchas]

thinking about it, since it doesn't move along a path... that's why stride length won't work... ??? you're probably right goodguy... If I don't have a path, I have to use repeats... I'll try that. And your Idea too.

 

Thanks

[robcat2075]

Here's a simple cycling action with repeat ON and set to 5. It doesn't speed up the action, it plays it 5 times at normal speed. No path needed. Stride length is OFF too.

 

RepeatingAction.zip

[Paul Forwood]

Yes, you need to turn stride length OFF. Then set the number of times that the action will repeat in the choreography.

If it doesn't show up when you set it save your project and then open it again.

 

That should work. (Unless I am misunderstanding the problem).

[oakchas]

Here's a simple cycling action with repeat ON and set to 5. It doesn't speed up the action, it plays it 5 times at normal speed. No path needed. Stride length is OFF too.

 

RepeatingAction.zip

 

Thanks robcat, I see what you have done... now I need to apply it to mine... I've tried this before (exactly as you have it) What happens is that the action still ceases after one cycle?? I don't understand it... but It seems as though A:M keeps going back to the default 1 sec animation... as it now doesn't seem to make a full cycle.

 

It may have something to do with my action taking 01:06 to complete one revolution. My animation may have to expand out to multiple of the length of the action? Actually I need to refine the action anyway. I was "armstronging" the revolution 10° per frame hence 36 frames to make one cycle.... I probably could have fixed that with euler as opposed to quat setting.

 

I'll get it, certainly appreciate the help, though!

 

Thanks everybody.

[Paul Forwood]

Check also that you haven't got two actions running on the same bones at the same time. In other words, does your piston have another action, (perhaps a choreography action), which is below the cycle action in the PWS hierarchy?

[oakchas]

Check also that you haven't got two actions running on the same bones at the same time. In other words, does your piston have another action, (perhaps a choreography action), which is below the cycle action in the PWS hierarchy?

 

Yes it does have a chor action. Just delete it? why is it there? I'm going to try deleting it.

 

Thanks again,

[goodguy20k]

Chor actions generally are model placement/rotation/scale settings. When you dropped the model in the Chor, if you move it away from 0,0,0, it creates that action.

[oakchas]

Finally! I'm getting it... thanks for all your help, everybody... seems I'm having to relearn everything.

 

Lot's of tweaking and finishing left to do but it's a great start.. and I owe you guys for the help.

 

Proof:

 

Thanks again,

my_piston.mov