Mode confusion

[sb4]

Hi - I'm just restarting learning A:M (V11.1i) after years of fallow, so I have some really basic platform/environment questions.

 

I was just fooling around with Keekat in a choreography window.

 

I started in Chor mode. (Standard Mode was selected the whole time.)

 

In Chor mode, it seemed there is only one selection I can make, the entire Keekat object, so I found a handle and tilted Keekat so he fell like a tree in one second (using 3 key frames) and was horizontal. It played back fine using the "play range" button.

 

I tried clicking the "Modeling Mode" mode button and then "play range". It also played back the same animation, albeit with a different looking wireframe.

 

Now I continued in Chor mode to extend the animation. This time, I reversed the original action, tilting Keekat back to vertical in 3 key frames. But this time at each key frame I went into "Skeletal" mode and moved the tail some. I could not get to those "bone" controls in Chor mode.

 

Ok. Back in Chor mode, pressing "play range", the animation played as expected -- Keycat fell over like a statue, then tilted back up to vertical with his tail showing some life.

 

Now I simply switch the mode to "Modeling Mode" and "play range" again. This time, the animation played, but the tail movement was omitted. Same thing true for "Bones Mode". However, "Skeletal Mode" would play the animation the same as Chor mode.

 

So I'm just wondering what this means; what is the concept behind these modes during playback of an animation?

 

-SB

[markw]

Hi sb4 and it looks like welcome back to A:M

v11 is a bit before my time but the interface hasn't changed much so I'm told.

So in very broad terms for animating a scene...

Choreography Mode:

Use this for the initial positioning of models/assets in the Choreography window.

Skeletal Mode:

Change to this mode for 99% of your animating needs at this stage of the learning curve .

Muscle Mode:

There can be occasions where individual CP's need to be moved when animating a model, not often, but that's when you need this.

[robcat2075]

It is exceedingly rare that you would want to enter Modeling mode while animating in the chor, as this makes changes to the model and doesn't merely repose it as you do with skeletal mode.

 

I have some videos on "keyframing basics" in the tutorials link in my signature that may be helpful to you.

[sb4]

It is exceedingly rare that you would want to enter Modeling mode while animating in the chor, as this makes changes to the model and doesn't merely repose it as you do with skeletal mode.

 

I have some videos on "keyframing basics" in the tutorials link in my signature that may be helpful to you.

Thanks all - that helps get me oriented.

 

I've noticed that occasionally while fooling around my "play range" button grays out, though I can still single step and scroll through the animation. Not sure what I'm hitting that does that or how to get it back. Once I right-clicked and selected Edit a couple of times and it ungrayed, but maybe concidence.

 

-SB

 

(boy it would be nice if these forum messages defaulted to left-justified...)

[robcat2075]

(boy it would be nice if these forum messages defaulted to left-justified...)

 

They default to left for me. What browser are you using?

 

(Not the same browser you had when you got A:M, I hope)

[itsjustme]

(boy it would be nice if these forum messages defaulted to left-justified...)

 

Everything is left-justified for me in Firefox, IE and Comodo Dragon on Windows 7.

[sb4]

(boy it would be nice if these forum messages defaulted to left-justified...)

 

Everything is left-justified for me in Firefox, IE and Comodo Dragon on Windows 7.

 

Interesting. My browser Help says its IE 8, although a lot of websites warn me I'm using IE7 for some reason.

 

All your posts look centered to me. I have to use the left-justified tags to get it to look left justified.

 

I just tried Firefox and they look left-justified, as you say.

 

Good to know! Thanks.

 

-SB

[sb4]

I'm still not clear on the use of "Model Mode" in a window such as Action or Choreography.

 

What happens if I'm, say, half-way along a timeline in a Choreography window and I go into "Model Mode" and move some control points around to deform the mesh?

 

-SB

[robcat2075]

What happens if I'm, say, half-way along a timeline in a Choreography window and I go into "Model Mode" and move some control points around to deform the mesh?

 

It's pretty much the same as going back to the model window and changing the model. You aren't creating animation, you are changing the original shape of the model.

[Fuchur]

I'm still not clear on the use of "Model Mode" in a window such as Action or Choreography.

 

What happens if I'm, say, half-way along a timeline in a Choreography window and I go into "Model Mode" and move some control points around to deform the mesh?

 

-SB

 

A:M will change the base-model (without keyframes). If you changed something there that effects the model in your animation, the animation will be changed all the way trough too.

In some situations that is totally okay and what you are looking for (because you want for instance to move a hat with the head of the character too) in others this may result in problems.

If you delete a cp or add a new one this CP is new to A:M and it can not know what to do with it... (for muscle-mode-animations) if you do assign the new cp to a bone, the animation on the bone will be transfered to the new CP acordingly.

 

The best way to find out what will happen is to try it yourself.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[sb4]

Thanks all, that helps.

 

-SB