A really basic animation question...

Discussions about animating in SOFTIMAGE©
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ActionArt
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A really basic animation question...

Post by ActionArt » 28 Dec 2013, 16:37

Sorry for what seems like such a ridiculously simple question, I usually work on still shots so animation is not my strength as you can see.

I have several animated parts. I want to move them as a group to another location. I've tried making a transform group, model, regular group etc. but they just scatter everywhere. I tried turning on ChildComp (which I thought should work) but it didn't. They still don't maintain their position.

I know this must be absurdly easy, can anyone please point me to the solution :)

Thanks!

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csaez
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by csaez » 28 Dec 2013, 17:48

Hi there,
It is simple when the hierarchy is prepared before animation :)
If the parts are already animated you could create a transform group for each piece (in order to preserve the animation) and parent them to a master controller (or select the parts and run this python snippet).

Code: Select all

master = Application.ActiveSceneRoot.AddNull("master")
master.Parameters("Size").Value = 5
for x in list(Application.Selection):
    master.AddChild(Application.CreateTransformGroup(x.Name + "_grp", x))
Application.SelectObj(master)
Cheers!

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ActionArt
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by ActionArt » 28 Dec 2013, 17:49

Thanks, ya, it was not prepared before, it's an old project I have to re-visit. Thanks for the tip.

missingkey
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by missingkey » 28 Dec 2013, 20:03

can u post a simple scene that replicates your issue? If I animate some objects, transform group them, or add them to a model. I have no problem moving the animation anywhere else in the scene. So I must not be understanding correctly.

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mattmos
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by mattmos » 29 Dec 2013, 01:17

Animation is relative to its parent - do your current animated objects all have the same parent? Are they directly beneath the scene root? If so, just create a null, leaving it at 0,0,0 and parent them to that, then move the null.

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ActionArt
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by ActionArt » 29 Dec 2013, 03:34

The scene is large so I'll have to try to re-create it in a simpler one.

csaez - I still get the same problem with the script. All the objects move from their current location scattering them everywhere. They're still animated but all wrong positions and orientations.

missingkey - when I add them to a model, the same thing happens.

mattmos - I tried exactly that, but same result. I just won't leave them in the current location.

OzAdi
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by OzAdi » 29 Dec 2013, 12:20

create a new animation layer, select all objects, move to new position, key SRT. doesnt this work?

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ActionArt
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by ActionArt » 31 Dec 2013, 17:03

Thanks, I'll try that. I had to get it done so I ended up moving everything else in the scene and leaving the animated objects where they were. Not ideal and so frustrating...but anyway, I'm sure it's user error and it was not set up right from the start.

OzAdi
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Re: A really basic animation question...

Post by OzAdi » 01 Jan 2014, 13:16

it's a good thing to have a non animated null as a parent in such cases were you have many hand animated objects..
I always keep another null on top .. just in case:)

a few years ago I wrote a script that offsets SRT animation on objects (like moving them in MAX with Animate button off)
but I didn't find it.. I have it installed as part of a larger plugin I wrote, that I cant send. I'll post it if I found the code, although
today with animation layers, if could be done with no scripts.

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