trouble getting character to pick up object

[willwillwill]

Hello,
I have drawn images and imported them into Moho. Each limb, head and torso is an independent bone layer. So I want someone to pick up a bottle I created. The Bottle has text on the label. I am putting the bottle into the arm bone layer because I want to give it bone dynamics that play off the rest of the arm. The bottle moves and behaves when not inside the bone layer, I can move it around and it won't morph and the label is in tact. When in the bone layer the text is separated from the object and the shape starts to bend.
Any ideas?
Thank you

[slowtiger]

So bottle and text are 2 separate layers? If the text layer contains 3D information (like z values), it may act crazy. It also can happen if the origin isn't set correctly.

Usually it's a good idea to "normalise" stuff before starting animation. If I construct some complex setup, maybe with 3D effect, I render it as image and import again, this not only reduces render times drastically but also prevents nasty surprises during animation.

[Greenlaw]

Try this:

Put all the bottle layers in a group, then layer bind the group to a 'bottle' bone. This will prevent other bones from affecting the bottle artwork.

Since the bottle is bound to a specific bone, you can animate the bottle in the bone layer with the rest of your character. To make the character pick up the bottle, create a Parent keyframe at the point of contact.

Alternatively, make two copies of the bottle art, one resting on a table and one already parented to the character's hand, and then keyframe the visibility between the two bottle groups. This method may work better in certain situations, so try both and see what works best for you.

Hope this helps.

[willwillwill]

Thanks, those are both great answers. I really appreciate it. I will try this out when I get home
Cheers