Smoothly transition from 1 action to the next

[jason1025]

Can someone point me in the right direction on this subject or create a quick video tutorial which explains how to do it?

[robcat2075]

First, is "transition to next action" not enough for what you are trying to do?

[jason1025]

Yes but can you give details or a tutorial on how to make that work?

[robcat2075]

here's a brief look

 

TransitionToNextActionH300.mov

[jason1025]

Robert you are the best.

 

I would like to purchase something small for you off your registry. Can you tell me what you would like or should I surprise you. Could you just add how the ease works in conjunction with what you have already explained?

[Shelton]

Thank you Robert!!!!

 

Steve

[robcat2075]

Could you just add how the ease works in conjunction with what you have already explained?

 

Ease isn't really a part of TransistionToNext Action. Ease is the property of the action that determines how far through the action you are at the current frame.

 

By default it always says 0% but automatically goes thru the action at that same speed as the keyframes in the action.

 

But when you set ease values you can change that. If you set 0% at 1:00 and 50% at 5:00 and 100% at 6:00, the action will slowly play from the beginning to the halfway point from 1:00 to 5:00 then quickly play the last half from 5:00 to 6:00.

 

You can set any % on any frame so you can make actions halt or reverse even.

 

You could use ease to control what part of the action is on when the TransisitonToNextAction begins or what part of the next action the transistion is moving towards.

 

I would like to purchase something small for you off your registry.

 

No need for that. You already got me the mic. Thanks!

[John Bigboote]

Was having trouble action-blending... found this tutorial very helpful... THANKS ROB!

[HomeSlice]

Would be nice if Rodney could move that video over to the Tutorials section

[Rodney]

Would be nice if Rodney could move that video over to the Tutorials section

 

'Tis done.

 

I think the reason it was buried in the Newbies Forum is because folks working through TaoA:M tend to ask the question.

[robcat2075]

New life for an old tut! I don't even remember what's in it. I hope it was good.

[John Bigboote]

Okay... I'm stuck again.

Using a character which was rigged with TSM2--- so I am using the IK arms and feet controllers...

My first action is a walk-cycle... looped 3 times... transition to next turned on.

2nd action is just a standing action, meaning I want my character to walk and then come to a stop. What keeps happening is when I turn ON the 'transition to' and offset my 2nd action to get that neat little 'ramp' to happen on the walk cycle the character seems to lose his rigging in the ramping from action to action... so he slowly returns to the 'T' pose he was modeled in, and then SNAPS to the 2nd action. The meld from action to action is not a pure meld.

 

All 3 actions (including the choreography action) are set to replace. I suspect it is the IK that is the culprit, I'll try a test in FK. Anyone know what I am doing wrong?

[robcat2075]

Hard to diagnose just from a verbal description.

 

My first wild guess...

 

Is IK turned on in the Actions? Try deleting that key from all the actions and turning it on in the chor action at the start of the chor.

 

Or, have only the actions turn it on and dont' have a key for that inthe chor action.

[John Bigboote]

It's probably got something to do with a little bad-habit I taught myself...

 

For each character I make and TSM2 rig- I make an ON/OFF master pose I call 'ANIMATE READY' and in this pose I do all the stuff I want done... turn ON TSM constraints, MY constraints, and set the nuances I have come to be familiar with... IK arms... knee pointers... eyes aim at null... the list goes on. Somehow it must be additively negating some constraint setup or other...

 

Good suggestions, I've tried them...no go.

[robcat2075]

If you're using IK arms, check if there are any keys on FK arm bones. Those can probably be deleted.

[John Bigboote]

Sure and begorra (is that how it goes?)

 

I made a new pose...left my special 'does-all' pose alone... turned ON TSM2 constraints and stayed in FK...made my 2 actions... blended perfectly. NOW I'll redo it all again and try IK without the pose.

[HomeSlice]

Okay... I'm stuck again.

Using a character which was rigged with TSM2--- so I am using the IK arms and feet controllers...

My first action is a walk-cycle... looped 3 times... transition to next turned on.

2nd action is just a standing action, meaning I want my character to walk and then come to a stop. What keeps happening is when I turn ON the 'transition to' and offset my 2nd action to get that neat little 'ramp' to happen on the walk cycle the character seems to lose his rigging in the ramping from action to action... so he slowly returns to the 'T' pose he was modeled in, and then SNAPS to the 2nd action. The meld from action to action is not a pure meld.

 

All 3 actions (including the choreography action) are set to replace. I suspect it is the IK that is the culprit, I'll try a test in FK. Anyone know what I am doing wrong?

Robcat's suggestions seem to be working, so go with those! However, if you still have problems, here are a couple of workarounds:

A:

Sometimes you just have to cut the camera away for a couple of seconds.

 

B:

Lets say you have three actions.

On the first two actions, turn OFF "Hold Last Frame"

On the bottom two actions, change the blend mode either to "Blend" or "Add". (Use Blend when the actions have keys on the same bones, use Add when they have keys on different bones)

Overlap the actions several frames.

On frame 0, key the *Second* action's Blend Ratio at 0%.

Where the *Second* action starts, key the *Second* action's Blend Ratio at 0%.

Where the first action stops, key the *Second* action's Blend Ratio at 100%.

Overlap the second and third actions by several frames.

Where the *Third* action starts, key the *Second* action's Blend Ratio at 100%. AND key the *Third* action's Blend Ratio at 0%.

Where the *Second* action ends, key the *Second* action's Blend Ratio at 0% AND key *Third* action's Blend Ratio at 100%.

 

In the example project and movie, I have a Standing action transitioning to a Run action transitioning to another Standing action. I overlapped the actions 24 frames to better illustrate the smoothness of the transitions. Please see the example project if any of this is unclear.

Action_Transitions.zip

action_transitions_sm.mov

[HomeSlice]

There is a slight difference in the behavior between using "Blend Mode" and "Transition to Next Action". Here is another movie of the same actions, but in this movie, I used Transition to Next Action. Play the two movies side by side to see the difference.

Transition_to_Next_Action.mov

[John Bigboote]

I see what you are saying, Holmes... that's like 'cross-dissolving' between the 2 actions using blend.

 

THRU MY TESTS... I discovered that MY problem is just that...MY problem. As Rob said...SOMEWHERE I am turning the same pose on multiple times, my challenge is to find out where- as i have spun quite a messy little web here... THE GOOD NEWS is that this A:M method of 'action-blending' works as advertised, and as Martin once proclaimed... it is a powerful and robust feature -which needs be further implemented, by me.

 

I've always approached my CGI animation in a bit of a straight-ahead manner... this tool can help me to compartmentalize actions... and IMPROVEMENT hopes to follow!