Only one .dat file per character per animation?

[GranDan]

I can't seem to figure out how to insert different .dat files at different times for characters. Every time I insert the .dat file, it starts at the beginning frame of the animation, not where I also insert the companion audio file. And, if later in the animation the character speaks again and I insert another .dat file, it erases the first file and also inserts itself at the beginning of the animation.

So, please educate me on how to insert multiple .dat files in a single animation for the same character mouth and get them to stick on the frame that I want so they match with the audio file.

What I am doing is this: At the point where I want the character to speak, I double click the mouth layer, choose the switch tab, and then select the appropriate data file, click OK to close. I also import the .wav file at the appropriate spot. I get the result indicated earlier. ??

Thanks,

Dan

[slowtiger]

A dat file reads a single sound file from the very beginning, not knowing any offset frames you're going to use later. So each and every dat file starts counting frames at #1 again. That's also the reason why choosing a different dat file in the same timeline eraes the previous data. (I don't know what happens if the second dat file starts with a frame after the last one from the first dat file.)

You may:
- put all sound of one character in the same scene into the same audio file
- alternatively edit and concatenate dat files manually in a text editor.
- just select keyframes and shift them in the timeline to get them into sync with the sound again.

[GranDan]

Thanks Slowtiger.

I have been doing the last two of your three suggestions to get things to match. If it is a long dat file, it is a real pain to have to select each keyframe (using shift key) and drag or copy/paste/delete. I have also used the Sequencer and dragged the dat file to the correct spot.

Thanks for confirming what I had concluded empirically.

Dan