Movement Assistance

[Steven547]

Ok.. I'm still confused on the "keyframe". I'm looking through my manual and not finding what or how to do what I want. I'm creating an action with a Penguin. He lifts his right foot, moves it to his right, THEN he is supposed to move his LEFT foot and move it to his right. However, his LEFT foot is moving at the same time his right foot is. Where do I find how or on screen, where is it, on how to lock this left foot until I want it to move?

 

Thanks

 

Steven

[Dhar]

OK, this is an easy fix.

 

Let's say from 00:00:00 to 00:00:10 the right foot moves to the right. But since you want the left foot to stay still at that time, you need to tell the program that by creating a keyframe (click Keyframe button). That will create a keyframe for the left foot that tells it to stay at that position. Then from frame 00:00:10 to 00:00:20 you move the left foot.

 

I hope that gets you on the right track

[Steven547]

OK, this is an easy fix.

 

Let's say from 00:00:00 to 00:00:10 the right foot moves to the right. But since you want the left foot to stay still at that time, you need to tell the program that by creating a keyframe (click Keyframe button). That will create a keyframe for the left foot that tells it to stay at that position. Then from frame 00:00:10 to 00:00:20 you move the left foot.

 

I hope that gets you on the right track

 

So I create a keyframe on the frame that the LEFT foot begins to move? I also found that on the timeline, I can move the "movements" around as well, but when I add a movement again, I get the "issue" I had earlier. So now it goes, left foot, right foot, (then I go to move the lft foot again, but it moves with the right). I know i'm starting to get this and I do apologize for my "lack of understanding".

[Steven547]

OK, this is an easy fix.

 

Let's say from 00:00:00 to 00:00:10 the right foot moves to the right. But since you want the left foot to stay still at that time, you need to tell the program that by creating a keyframe (click Keyframe button). That will create a keyframe for the left foot that tells it to stay at that position. Then from frame 00:00:10 to 00:00:20 you move the left foot.

 

I hope that gets you on the right track

 

So I create a keyframe on the frame that the LEFT foot begins to move? I also found that on the timeline, I can move the "movements" around as well, but when I add a movement again, I get the "issue" I had earlier. So now it goes, left foot, right foot, (then I go to move the lft foot again, but it moves with the right). I know i'm starting to get this and I do apologize for my "lack of understanding".

 

Ok....thought I had it. Here are my steps in basic: 1: move the rt arm and mark it at frame 15. 2: This is where I get confused, do I CLICK on the left arm, then click the KEYFRAME, then move the left arm? Or do I click on the left arm while on the frame 15 (or do i move to another frame)??? Think I'm confusing myself.

[Dhar]

The Keyframe button will create a keyframe for every bone in the model.

[robcat2075]

Bascially if you want a bone to stay still from 00:00 to 00:10 you need to have it keyed in the same place at both those times.

 

If your bone is moving from 00:00 to 00:20 then you can copy the keyframe from 00:00 to 00:10 to get the above effect.

 

note: What bones the keyframe button (and copy/paste ) operates depends on what filter (single bone, branch, whole model) is selected.

[Steven547]

Ok...I think some part of my brain just stopped working. Here's what I'm doing: start at frame 0, move part A until frame 10. Now I want part B to begin moving. So, it has NOT moved since frame 0. I select part B and I click the "force key frame" button. Then I adjust my frame to be 20, and move part B to where I want. When I run this, it still moves at the same time. What the heck am I not understanding here??

[thetanman]

Steven547, do not feel bad because I am in the same boat that you are in. I am completely stumped also.

[robcat2075]

I select part B and I click the "force key frame" button. Then I adjust my frame to be 20, and move part B to where I want. When I run this, it still moves at the same time. What the heck am I not understanding here??

 

Normally, The force keyframe button will only force keyframes on bones that already have keyframes. Watch this to make it force keyframes on bones that do not already have keys.

 

http://www.hash.com/two/RCHolme...ngbasicsMP4.mov

[johnl3d]

if I am reading your question and procedure right ...touch the bone you want to stay and move it back an forth with the arrow keys one click to tell the program you want that bone to stay there. then move the other bone to wheree you want it move.... change frame marker move first bone etc etc

 

hope that helps...

[Raffi]

I'll try it graphically ....

 

.......--t1--------------------------------t2---------------------t3-------------------------> time

A ......K1-------------------------------K2

B ......K3------------------------------------------------------K4

 

You have two bones, A and B.

At time t1 you have a key for both of them (let's say this is frame 0)

At time t2 you move bone A and therfore produce keyframe K2

At time t3 you move bone B and therefore produce keyframe K4

 

Result:

- From t1 to t2, bone A moves from position K1 to K2 .

- From t1!!!! to t3 bone B moves from position K3 to K4 ==> B starts at t1, too!

 

Solution:

You need a keyframe (let's say K5) for bone B at time t2 wich is equal to K3 (e.g. by explicitly moving bone B to where it shall be at t2)

==> bone B does not move between t1 and t2, because K3=K5

 

.......--t1--------------------------------t2---------------------t3-------------------------> time

A ......K1-------------------------------K2

B ......K3-------------------------------K5---------------------K4

 

(Attention: Because of the so called "overshoot" bone B still could move a little bit, but the explanation for that is an issue for another lesson :-) )

[Steven547]

I think i'm understanding this a little better now. I'm getting the "concept" down more. I've been practicing it. I also ordered those 3 DVD's from barry which I heard are really good. Wish I had those for my trip, but i'll take a look at those when I get back. That video above is a really good one to explain it. I was just having issues with my CTRL+C. Maybe I was selecting the wrong bone? Practice, practice, practice! I appreciate all the help!

[thetanman]

The video up above that describes how to animate using the force keyframes, is there anyways to make the video smaller to show the whole thing? When I open it to watch it, it doesn't show all the buttons. Some of the buttons that are important in animating, I can't see and, of course, I don't even know what the buttons are!! All it shows is the choreography window with Thom!!

[Steven547]

The video up above that describes how to animate using the force keyframes, is there anyways to make the video smaller to show the whole thing? When I open it to watch it, it doesn't show all the buttons. Some of the buttons that are important in animating, I can't see and, of course, I don't even know what the buttons are!! All it shows is the choreography window with Thom!!

 

 

I think there is a setting in your internet explorer to show the full page. Either that, or right click the link and SAVE AS to your computer.

[phatso]

I wonder if the whole problem here is that you're not establishing a keyframe at 00:00:00? You would think this would happen automatically, but when I first started animating, I was careless about choosing where the frame counter was. I would go to some frame down the line a bit and do some posing, then discover that I hadn't established a starting pose - very difficult to correct after the fact.

 

One more thing, since you're doing an action that is going to repeat (cyclical) - once you've established the first pose at frame 00:00:00, before you do anything else, copy the keyframe to the last frame. This will insure that, as the cycle loops, the start pose and the end pose match up. Then you can make all the changes in between.

[thetanman]

i still don't understand!!! could somebody please go through the steps of just a leg lifting and then the other??? it will help tremendously!!!!!!!!

[thetanman]

i did exactly what the video showed and it is still not working for me???? is there some sort of setting that might be turned off?

[phatso]

If you haven't done this already, try animating the motion you want using one of the models supplied in the A:M library. If it works with that model, but not with yours, then you have rigging problems.

[Dhar]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Render what you have and post it here.

[Steven547]

Ok...let me see if I can help (coming from the guy who got extremely frustrated at this part). If you have already moved your parts without "forcing" the keyframe, basically what you want to do is copy the frame where the part(bone) you want to move 2nd, is at a complete standstill. (Usually found before movement of the 1st bone). Before you copy that frame, make sure that you have selected (click) the part you want to copy from your model, THEN copy that frame. Move the timeline to where you want to begin your 2nd part movement, and PASTE that frame there. Usually right after the 1st bone movement.

 

The more you watch that video, the more you'll begin to understand it. Trust me, I still get confused by it, but getting the hang of it now. There is also a good description in the post where someone describes it as "part A, B" etc...layed out like a timeline.

 

 

ok..this is from "RAFFI"

 

I'll try it graphically ....

 

.......--t1--------------------------------t2---------------------t3-------------------------> time

A ......K1-------------------------------K2

B ......K3------------------------------------------------------K4

 

You have two bones, A and B.

At time t1 you have a key for both of them (let's say this is frame 0)

At time t2 you move bone A and therfore produce keyframe K2

At time t3 you move bone B and therefore produce keyframe K4

 

Result:

- From t1 to t2, bone A moves from position K1 to K2 .

- From t1!!!! to t3 bone B moves from position K3 to K4 ==> B starts at t1, too!

 

Solution:

You need a keyframe (let's say K5) for bone B at time t2 wich is equal to K3 (e.g. by explicitly moving bone B to where it shall be at t2)

==> bone B does not move between t1 and t2, because K3=K5

 

.......--t1--------------------------------t2---------------------t3-------------------------> time

A ......K1-------------------------------K2

B ......K3-------------------------------K5---------------------K4

 

(Attention: Because of the so called "overshoot" bone B still could move a little bit, but the explanation for that is an issue for another lesson :-) )

 

 

--------------------

 

Regards,

Ralf