Move it tutorial

[Roger]

Hello

 

Working on the "move it" tutorial, using the Rabbit. I've noticed that sometimes when I select bones, only the rotate and scale manipulators are available. Why is that? Shouldn't the translate manipulator be available as well? Am I clicking on the wrong part of the bone? I am in skeletal mode, so that's not the problem. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

[HomeSlice]

Open the Model in a |Model| window, select the bone in question, and look in the Properties panel under Manipulator Options. If "Limit Manipulators" is ON, that would cause the behavior you are describing. If you want to translate the bones, you could turn it OFF.

[robcat2075]

Some bones will be intentionally limited. Bones on an FK arm would not normally ever be translated, for example.

[Roger]

That makes sense. There are probably very few instances where you would want to translate a bone that is already rigged to a model.

[robcat2075]

An FK arm ( or any FK structure) should only be manipulated with the Rotate manipulators. Basically you crane it into place one bone at a time.

 

It's possible to drag it around by the hand like an IK arm, but don't do that.

[Roger]

An FK arm ( or any FK structure) should only be manipulated with the Rotate manipulators. Basically you crane it into place one bone at a time.

 

It's possible to drag it around by the hand like an IK arm, but don't do that.

 

Are the default models that ship with AM set up with IK or FK? (keekat, rabbit, etc) I've been trying to do the IK drag, it just seems easier to me to individually manipulate the bones with the rotate manipulator. I get less unexpected behavior that way. When I try to drag something around, I end up with wierd stuff happening like suddenly the arm flings itself backward like the character dislocated his shoulder, or other wierd stuff.

 

I just set Rabbit into a "duck and cover" type pose, if I want to set this as a resuable pose or use with a pose slider, how would I go about doing that?

[robcat2075]

First before you use any AM2001 rig character, turn all the auto balance stuff to 0% and never use it.

 

In the User props there are sliders to go from IK to FK. I believe AM2001 characters have FK arms and IK legs be default.

 

 

If you posed the character in a Pose Window you can later put the character in a chor and either move the slider to 100 (not recommended for whole body things for most animation purposes) OR... drag the pose from the User props onto the character (better because this creates real keys in the chor on the actual bones you used)

 

See my screencam tut on Poses for info on draggable poses.

[Roger]

First before you use any AM2001 rig character, turn all the auto balance stuff to 0% and never use it.

 

In the User props there are sliders to go from IK to FK. I believe AM2001 characters have FK arms and IK legs be default.

 

 

If you posed the character in a Pose Window you can later put the character in a chor and either move the slider to 100 (not recommended for whole body things for most animation purposes) OR... drag the pose from the User props onto the character (better because this creates real keys in the chor on the actual bones you used)

 

See my screencam tut on Poses for info on draggable poses.

 

I'll take a look at that, thanks. I think I screwed up somewhere along the line, because I posed my character in a Chor window. When I clicked the Action button, then picked New > Pose and set to On, my carefully posed crouching Rabbit disappeared and was replaced by Rabbit in his default pose. I think I probably should have been in the Action mode to begin with.

 

When setting poses, does AM "remember" or set keys for the movements you make to set the pose up, or does it just interpolate pose to pose based on the initial position and then figure the best way to move the limbs to go from the default pose (whatever that may be ) the the next pose? It took some futzing to get my pose the way I want, I'm not sure I want all those movements to be visisble when going to the crouch.

[robcat2075]

Generally, Poses are for small details that will need to be frequently used and are a hassle to key each time you need them.

 

Generally, Poses are not useful for

 

When you use a pose slider on a character in a chor only a pose slider setting is keyed, no other keys are created in the chor. Hard to modify in the chor.

 

A pose dragged onto a character in a chor transfers the keys that were in the pose onto the character's channels in the chor. Easy to modify in the chor.

[Roger]

Is there a way to temporarily hide the camera? I am finding that when I am trying to position a model, it can get confusing with the lines from the camera obscuring things.

[robcat2075]

In the PWS, in the chor, set its render mode button to not visible.

 

(Rodney... we need more icons!)

[Rodney]

Huh? Wha? Who?

 

Yes, PWS, in the Chor... select the icon to hide the , or whatever .