problems with layers

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woody173
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:58 am

problems with layers

Post by woody173 »

Hi I have created a character in a switch layer. Each layer inside it has different positions for the character.
I have now created another layer as a group which depicts a stage area (curtains, floorboards, lighting etc) and want to put my characters switch layer inside the group layer so it appears in front of certain layers and behind others. But the problem is that the character becomes stretched all out of proportion instead of keeping its original size and position.

How can i just put it in the group layer without it distorting. The settings for position, size etc hasnt changed but the image has. Is it a bug or am i doing something wrong. I am using AS 10

Many thanks in advaance

Woody
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heyvern
Posts: 7035
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 4:49 am

Re: problems with layers

Post by heyvern »

When you place a layer inside a group layer, it will "pick up" the same layer scale and rotation of that group layer. If the group layer is scaled up then you put a layer inside, that layer will scale up the same amount. Also the position of layers inside a group will also "offset" based on the position of the group.

When you say "stretched" and distorted do you mean it's not proportional? Is the layer getting rotated or squashed or do you mean it's just "getting bigger"?

You have two options:
1. Reset the scale and position of the group layer, then scale up the "scene" layers to what you need.
2. Scaled down the character layer inside the group to make it match the scene.
woody173
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:58 am

Re: problems with layers

Post by woody173 »

Thank you so much for your help. It was really useful. As you seem to be the dogs B*!@@*ks with anime, you may be able to help me with another quandary. LOL
I have paid someone to help me create a character and was hoping by pulling it to pieces I would be able to work out how best to create other characters for myself.
I have hit a snag in many many ways in the way he created the character, one being that i find it difficult to control the characters movements. One such instance is that i would like to create a running cycle, and thanks to incredible tutorials I am ploughing through the tutorials to attempt this. The Question I have is, in the Incred tutorial, the character they have used as a bone coming out the back like a tail and they use this to move the character easily around the stage. My character doesnt have one of these bones and i would like to add one. Everytime i do it doesnt do anything, even though I have tried target bones etc. to create the movement I want.

The bone structure looks right accept the pelvis bone just rotates the whole character in a circle and doesnt move it around as i was hoping it would.
I hope this is self explanatory and was wondering if you could help.

Many thanks in advance
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heyvern
Posts: 7035
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 4:49 am

Re: problems with layers

Post by heyvern »

Usually that "tail" bone you described is a "root" bone that is the single top parent bone in the chain of all the bones. You need to translate this bone (not rotate). If your character was created with a root bone it would usually be the pelvis bone. You need to TRANSLATE that bone with the Transform Bone tool, not the Manipulate Bones tool.

You said
"the pelvis bone just rotates the whole character in a circle and doesnt move it around as i was hoping it would."
I get the feeling you are using the Manipulate Bones (Z) tool. This tool ONLY rotates... well... it kind of sort of translates but this is done mainly through rotating all bones in the chain of the selected bone. So if you used that tool on a bone that is at the end of a connected chain, it will "seem" to "move" because all the bones in the chain rotate freely allowing the bone you are manipulating to appear to move or change position. In reality it is being ROTATED by the other bones.

To TRANSLATE or move the bone at the top of a bone chain, like the root bone of a skeleton rig, as you describe, you would use the Transform Bone (T) tool. Then grab the bone at the base, the "dot" at the base (the fat end) of the bone will translate the bone allowing you to drag the whole body around if you are dragging the pelvis or "root" bone.

The Manipulate Bones (Z) tool only rotates all the bones in the chain as I described above. If you use it on a bone that is the parent of a chain it will only rotate.

I typed this fast, if you need more clarification just ask.

Another option if you don't have a top root or body parent bone, you can translate the layer instead. This will give the same result as a parent bone. However, I usually prefer having a top level bone for that kind of thing.
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