Can't seem to find this anywhere. I would like to save out a character with the animation applied and import that character into another scene with that same animation. Also, would like to save out the animation of a character and apply that animation to a different character.

Hi...

You can save a character with motions attached using the Action Menu. An Action Menu can also be saved separately for use with other compatible characters.

So for example, if you load one of the default characters like Martha and then right click the character you will see an option for Action Menu. If you then mouse over this you will see a list of the available motions which you can select by clicking the motion name.

Please see the manual page below which explains how you can add motions to the Action Menu for your own characters.

https://manual.reallusion.com/Cartoon_Animator_4/ENU/Pipeline/Content/Resources/ENU/08_Animation/Utilizing_Action_Menu_for_Body_Motion.htm

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the reply, but I probably did not explain my predicament clearly. This is something super easy in Maya. I have a character that I have applied dozens of Cartoon Animator motion files to as well as hand altered keyframes throughout. See screenshot. I now want to save that character with these animations and bring them into another scene that has a different character in it with their own animation so that then I will have both characters in the same scene file. In Maya all you do is export that first character and save as a Maya file, open the other Maya file with the different character and import the other Maya file. Now you have a scene file with both characters and their individual animations intact.
As you suggested I selected the character and opened the Action Menu but there is nothing there and the link is for importing animations to the character, so a bit confuse about something that should be very easy to do.

Hi...

Action Menu is the only way to save animations with a character file.

Please note you will only see Action Menu entries for the characters that have already had them created like the default character Martha. For your own custom characters you will need to create your own Action Menu. Defining your own Action Menu is explained HERE.

If you have already created animation for your character on the timeline and want to add this to the Action Menu then you can use the Collect Clip feature to save your animation as a motion clip. This can then be loaded into the Action Menu as described in the link above.

And if you need help using the Collect Clip feature please see HERE.


                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Hi Peter,
Thanks again for the quick response. I tried as you described, but do any of the choices to save my animation cover everything - body animation, head rotation, lip sync, sprite changes for the eyes, mouth, hands, etc? I tried just 'Export' but that does not include everything.