I've never had much luck in mixing pre-set animation/motions with keyframe motions I have created myself. Usually I will start my own keyframe animation and then attempt to add a 'turn around', 'move to' or a walk animation somewhere along the animation. Problem seems to be whenever I have moved the character from the original x,y,z coordinates using transform, and then apply a pre-set animation, the character shoots back to the original x,y,z coordinates. Now this doesn't always happen in every situation, but I can't for the life of me figure out why it does it, when it does - which is more often than not.

Now I have read the 'align motion' chapter in the user manual several times. I have ticked the 'align motion' box (which supposed to stop this from happening!!) when applying the pre-set animation and the character still jumps back to the original coordinates. I have scanned the transform line and made sure there are no hidden, unwanted keyframes that could cause it. I have even removed the auto idle setting in an effort to overcome it, but no success. Usually I end up tediously keyframing the character back to the original position with several keyframes inserted into the transform track on the timeline in an effort to keep the character in the same position. Not only is it tedious, but it's not always a complete success either.

This seems to be an ongoing problem, and one of the reasons I'm hesitant to use the animation templates. Seems very clumsy and unpredicatable, maybe something RL needs to address in iC5

Has anyone else come across this same problem ?

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Yes, Im in the same boat. Mixing two premade animations often involves good juju and plenty of black magic incantations. Align motion rarely seems to do the trick.

I've had the same issue. The frustrating part is that it's unpredictable. Sometimes the animation works just fine, other times it does not. Between this and the whole program crashing about 15 percent of the time I click on a color option in the modify panel I get very irritated. More than anything, I am hoping iClone 5 is more stable.







Doug

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well I'm glad it's not just me! Usually it's me doing something wrong
maybe I should add this to the iC5 wish list

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If you want your motions to always line up, the motion build should always be at Ground zero...this means if you have to edit, collect and save it as a new motion, then that is what you have to do...make sure it starts where it ends....in other words it loops.

Those that start or end off center never line up when appended to existing motions or when motions are appended to them because they have an off-axis starting and ending point...therefore no loop.

A prime example is the Terms of endearment motion provided as a freebie in a past newsletter. I trimmed it and looped it so it starts at x=0, y=0 and z=0...when appended or used as a starting pose, the alignment will always work if the appended motion is also starting at Ground ZERO and ending at Ground Zero.

Free Sample Here - Download Link expires Sep 2011 Coddling Loop

There are loads of motions that don't line up just because of this obviously little known fact from those that create the motions in the 1st place...they should always end where they begin..even if that means adding the motion a second time and then using the reverse option.

If you place a character in the scene..not dragging them in, they always start at ground zero...if all the motions you plan to use are assembled there, they will always work...even if you have to collect them all in sequence and then break it down afterward...transforms to characters should never be made until ALL THE MOTIONS line up...this you can do in an empty project. The character can then been placed in any project use the collected motions and then be transformed/moved in place...break up and split then motions then.

Never fails !!!

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Cricky, wouldn't the pre-set animation sequences/templates provided by iClone eg turnaround, move forward etc all be created with a zero x,y,z ?

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Hi Darren01,
while the info cricky gave you will help with some motion libraries, i think your problem is different, can you give me an example of what two motions you are using that are are snapping back to origin? Are they from a persona pulldown menus? if so, the problem is coming from an AML motion State parameter. The persona needs to be open, changed and resaved, for your problem to be fixed. I cant recall from the top of my head which one was the parameter, but if you give me the name of the two motions that are having problems, I can do a search on a text editor and then post the result of what to change here.

Cheers,

Stuckon3d



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There are a few reasons why such behaviors, I believe cricky has provided the most likely explanation for your problem and I think I know where Stuckon3D is heading but I would like to share with you a few other points...

1) First off, for a character to continue where he left at when applying a motion segment, you need to have the ''SNAP'' feature working. The SNAP feature is automatically activated when you drag&drop motions on a given character but IT IS NOT NECESSARILY activated in the AML file generated for the persona thus right clicking on the character to invoke the motion may generate the wrong behavior. 

2) I have seen many Motion segments generated by third party with the root bone left at the origin. When this happens, your character actually continues where he left of when applying a new motion segments but his root bone being left at the origin by an erroneous motion causes him to simply continue from the origin, i.e. return to the origin.

3) If you used 3DXchange to import/create a nonhuman character, then you will never be able to resume your nonhuman character from where you left him because 3DXchange adds a residual root bone to non-human character which always remains at the origin. I have reported this BUG to Reallusion.

I would not be surprised that one of the above is the cause your problem, mostly 2) above if you have previously added motion that was converted to iClone from unknown sources.

NOTE: The parameter in the AML file is called ''Sample Transform'' and it needs to be set to ''SNAP''

Hope this helps! 

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