Layer Panel Check Mark

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tosiyori
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Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by tosiyori »

In the layer panel at each layer there is a small square 2nd from the left, What Is This For ?
If I check it, a yellow check mark appears, check it again and the check mark disappears.
It doesn't appear to make any difference to the specific layer.
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synthsin75
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

That's timeline visibility. If you have keyframes on the layer and check that box, it will always show on the timeline, even if that layer isn't selected.

If you have no keyframes on the layer, you won't see any difference, because there's nothing to show on the timeline.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

To add to what Wes wrote, I find it useful as a layer group selector, like for Switch layers that may be hard to select through 'normal' methods. Just enable Timeline visibility for the Switch and it will appear in the Timeline all the time. Clicking the name of in the Timeline selects the layer. As Wes mentioned, you need at least one keyframe for this to work. (I wish I could do this without creating the keyframe.)
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synthsin75
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

Greenlaw wrote:(I wish I could do this without creating the keyframe.)
You could make the switch channel always shown, in View>Timeline Channels.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

That's an idea...will take a look at it later. Thanks for the suggestion.

But that would make all of the switches always show though won't it? What I really want is for specific layers to show, and not necessarily just a specific Switch Layer.

Really, I just want a better way to access layers. Looking into your shortcuts script later. I know that will help but I'm also hoping for a more robust native solution in a future release.

Just thinking out loud and rambling a bit now. :)
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

Oh, and what would be really cool is if Timeline Visibility could be made context sensitive. For example, select a character and the layers you wish to show in TV related ]to that character appear in the Timeline. Then they go away when you select a different character.

With the current Timeline Visibility, all the layers in a project with TV are always on until you turn them off. With many characters in the project, the Timeline gets cluttered quickly.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

Hey Wes,

Just checked out the Timeline Channels option you mentioned, and it could be useful to me even without my additional wishes.

Will try it out for a bit to be sure.
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synthsin75
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

Glad to help, if it does.

I'll have to mull over context-sensitive timeline visibility. It's definitely doable. Just a matter of how to implement it.
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

Greenlaw wrote:Oh, and what would be really cool is if Timeline Visibility could be made context sensitive. For example, select a character and the layers you wish to show in TV related ]to that character appear in the Timeline. Then they go away when you select a different character.

With the current Timeline Visibility, all the layers in a project with TV are always on until you turn them off. With many characters in the project, the Timeline gets cluttered quickly.
Would it work to just show all layers with TV enabled for the current layer and all nested child layers?
Or would you need it to show all TV enabled layers within the current group, regardless of what child layer is selected?

If the latter, it might be hard to determine where the top layer of that group is, as it could be within a group of characters or scene group. If it just needs to work for groups with no parent (top level), that would be easy enough.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

Wow! I wasn't expecting this but if you can make it work, that would be cool. I think the first one should work fine.

But before you go too far, let me explain how I might use this:

When I have a character with multiple switch layers and I'm using the Switch Selection window to animate them. Sometimes it's hard to select the Switch layer directly because the selectable area is obscured by another layer, in which case I can click on the TV enabled switch layer's label in the Timeline.

Really, I just want a easy, reliable way to directly select specific layers and using TV is a sometimes convenient workaround. That said, maybe this isn't necessarily the best way to do this?

Here's different approach: would it be possible to somehow link one layer to a difficult to reach layer (like a nested switch layer that's blocked by other layers,) so that when I click-select artwork in the first layer, it then selects the difficult to reach layer?

If that's possible, I could make a group containing 'button' layers at the top level of a rig that lets me select whichever layers I need them to select. This would allow me create a button panel to directly select any Switch layer, even occluded ones, for Switch Selection animation.

Just a thought.

(Actually, I'm going to put in a request for this feature for a future Moho. To me, this sounds too useful not to be a native feature.)
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synthsin75
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

Well, that sounds an awful lot like what my layer shortcuts script is meant to do: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=32641

Or is it that you are using a tablet and don't have ready access to keyboard shortcuts?
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

Yes, I think your script is essentially the same idea. (Sorry, just too much going on lately and I haven't had a chance to put it through its paces yet. Putting it on my to-do list for this weekend)

That said, I would prefer to have on-screen button layers, at least here at work. The button graphics make it obvious to other animators working with the rig that there are switch layers in the rig and they can be selected for the Switch Selection window by clicking on these buttons. (I posted more detailed info for this idea in the beta forum.)

Also, the number of hotkeys available to users in Moho seem to be running out (as I'm finding out with that button panel you saw me tinkering with last year.) I'm not sure it matters to your script since I haven't used it yet but I imagine there are a finite number of shortcuts available, which can run out if there are many characters in a project and each has many layers to select.

As for tablet use, yeah, there's that too. (Running Moho on a tablet computer was the original reason I made that button panel* for Moho.)

(*If anybody is curious about this tool, I'm going to make it available soon. It's been very handy to me even when using a mouse and keyboard.)
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synthsin75
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

Greenlaw wrote:That said, I would prefer to have on-screen button layers, at least here at work. The button graphics make it obvious to other animators working with the rig that there are switch layers in the rig and they can be selected for the Switch Selection window by clicking on these buttons. (I posted more detailed info for this idea in the beta forum.)
I'm seeing about adding that to my layer shortcuts script right now. So far, I've got it selecting layers within the current group (as defined by top level layer) by clicking shapes with the same names from anywhere, any level of nesting, in that group. It assumes that the group end where it has no parent layer though (top level), but I have a few ideas that might remedy that.
Also, the number of hotkeys available to users in Moho seem to be running out (as I'm finding out with that button panel you saw me tinkering with last year.) I'm not sure it matters to your script since I haven't used it yet but I imagine there are a finite number of shortcuts available, which can run out if there are many characters in a project and each has many layers to select.
Most of the capital letters (shift+letter) are available. And you can reuse them as many time as you like, and cycle through layers with that shortcut as you keep hitting it.
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Greenlaw
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by Greenlaw »

Wow, this sounds awesome. That's for all parts of your last post. :)

Thanks for sharing your work Wes. I'm definitely giving the current selector script a try today.
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synthsin75
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Re: Layer Panel Check Mark

Post by synthsin75 »

Greenlaw wrote:That said, I would prefer to have on-screen button layers, at least here at work. The button graphics make it obvious to other animators working with the rig that there are switch layers in the rig and they can be selected for the Switch Selection window by clicking on these buttons. (I posted more detailed info for this idea in the beta forum.)
Done deal, Dennis. viewtopic.php?p=186644#p186644
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