Interpolating bones in switch layers?

Jason Brubaker · Post by **Jason Brubaker** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:48 am

I have been trying to create switch layers with bones inside them and then turn on the interpolate sub-layers button in hopes that the bones will interpolate smoothly as well as the points. My tests have all failed and I am wondering if this is even possible (bones interpolating)?

Thanks for any help anyone....

Squeakydave · Post by **Squeakydave** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:54 am

I get the same problem here. Bone animation doesn't seem to work at all inside switch layers for me. I've just tried V 4 and it seems to. Must be a brand new v5Bug

This may or may not help but here is a quote from Lostmarble regarding the fact that switch layers are now a subset of bone layers:

Switch layers basically are the same old switch layers you're used
to,
> but at the same time are also bone layers. You can use the bone
tools
> to add bones to switch layers. That way, you can use a switch layer
to
> switch between various mouth shapes, while using bones in the switch
> layer to control the mouth - make it smile, frown, etc.

Havn't had an opportunity to play with this yet but I have high hopes for it!

spasmodic_cheese · Post by **spasmodic_cheese** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:51 pm

im not sure exactly what you mean by bone interpolating, couldnt you use actions for this???

Squeakydave · Post by **Squeakydave** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:00 pm

Hmm. I've just tried it again with another scene and it works......

Jason Brubaker · Post by **Jason Brubaker** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:01 pm

Thanks for the response Dave!

Wow Is there a specific hierarchy that you used to make it work? Or a certain way it was built? It seems like when you build one complete switch layer first and then duplicate it and move points around to make the new shape it works the smoothest without problems.

As far as why use bone interpolating instead of actions....Lets say you want to generate lots of animation of the same character moving his head in the same ways for different scenes. If you did this all with actions it would be far more time consuming then rigging your characters to do it all automatically.

spasmodic_cheese · Post by **spasmodic_cheese** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:59 am

yah, i'm still not really sure what you guys are doing, but it sounds really interesting!

can i see a moho please??

Squeakydave · Post by **Squeakydave** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:38 pm

Sorry, I can't send you the actual file I'm talking about. I'll try to explain in a clearer manner what I am doing.
Example:
I have an arm which has a switch layer where the hand should be.
Inside the switch layer are two bone layers called 'hand side' and 'hand top'. These are pretty much what they sound like they do and are fully rigged hands and they can have their own bone animation.
What this set up allows me to do is have one character with multiple hands that I can switch to at any part of the animation. Very handy (groan) when you are re-using characters

spasmodic_cheese · Post by **spasmodic_cheese** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:28 am

oOooh cool

Ive actually been wondering how to setup my characters for reuse.

Ive been thinking have a bone layer for the overall character, then have a switch layer for each body peice which contains that body peice from different angles.and then attach that switch layer to a bone.
(since im outputting for flash i dont want the bones actually morphing the body peices)

Im just scared to go ahead and do it incase of any unforseeable problem i might have.

like perhaps for the arm if its turning and i have the forearm changing switch layer it might be shorter and i'll have to deform skeleton bones to align them up.

but that might not be so bad once i do them all as actions.

Squeakydave · Post by **Squeakydave** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:35 am

You are on the right track. That technique should work fine. I've used in to do head turns. I parented my head switch layer (with frame by frame animation of the head turn) to the head bone of my skeleton. Any time I need to turn the head it is there ready. If you can manage to keep the same number of points in each vector layer within the switch you can inturpolate them so that you can change the timing of the turn.