MR Curve Tool 4.1

[KuzKuz]

It seems I have fixed the following issues:
2) [Enter] to weld & close path, does not close path (i.e. Weld ignored).

Hi Eugene, with "auto-weld" disabled, I'm not getting any "weld" function when using the Enter key, either on it's own or with any other key combinations.

Hello, unfortunately, I cannot reproduce the problem. Please try to re-download the script using the latest link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jafrrl ... sp=sharing I made some changes there, and you might not have the most up-to-date version.
Let me know if the problem persists. And if possible, please record a video so I can see exactly what you are doing.

[KuzKuz]

With the '???' option selected - clicking a point will select it, and non-point will start a draw. To continue points - you would need to be in the 'normal' draw mode which behaves as now. Also behaviourally - when I am transforming selected points it is great, but when I lose selection it then feels awkward to get something else selected (point, selection or shape). You mentioned Draw vs Transform mode before, and maybe this new option could enforce Transform/Select Priority - with the following:
- Points: Click to select / Click & Drag to select & move
- Paths: Click to select for Transform
- Shape: Click to select for Transform
- Click & Drag (non-point) for bounding box selection
- Click none-of-the-above to start a new Curve draw
* all the above assumes there is no current transform box & curve draw or you are clicking outside of a current transform box region

I can try to make a single click for point selection and a double-click to continue points. Let me know what everyone thinks about this.

[EricTheFish]

Hi Eugene, apologies for the late reply, I was looking for a screen recorder that worked properly with my multi screen, multi resolution setup.

I am still having the issue with the ENTER key not welding the path end points.

Please Note: I removed ALL other scripts from my Tool, Script Resources and Utility folders apart from those necessary for MR_Curve_Tool to try to eliminate any conflicts.

This video shows path creation with/without "auto-weld".



EDIT:
DUH!, I just discovered that when creating a new path, dragging the end point over the start point and hitting ENTER terminates the path and also welds the points!
I was expecting it to work like the regular Add_Point tool where you can drag the end points of and existing path together then hit ENTER to weld.

[KuzKuz]

Hi Eugene, apologies for the late reply, I was looking for a screen recorder that worked properly with my multi screen, multi resolution setup.

I am still having the issue with the ENTER key not welding the path end points.

Please Note: I removed ALL other scripts from my Tool, Script Resources and Utility folders apart from those necessary for MR_Curve_Tool to try to eliminate any conflicts.

This video shows path creation with/without "auto-weld".



EDIT:
DUH!, I just discovered that when creating a new path, dragging the end point over the start point and hitting ENTER terminates the path and also welds the points!
I was expecting it to work like the regular Add_Point tool where you can drag the end points of and existing path together then hit ENTER to weld.

Unfortunately, with the current logic of the script, it is not possible to make the Enter key perform the Weld operation when you are not in the drawing or transformation mode.
This is because it requires the presence of a selected point, and when you draw with this tool, no points remain selected upon the completion of the curve.

[KuzKuz]

I added the "Click to select" option. When this option is enabled, you can continue a curve by using a double-click.
Additionally, the feature to deselect by double-clicking anywhere but the pivot point while the transform box is active has been implemented.
This allows you to perform most tasks using only the mouse, without needing the keyboard. The keyboard becomes necessary when selecting multiple points.

Please provide feedback on whether this alternative will be useful for you.

Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jafrrl ... sp=sharing

[Greenlaw]

Hi Eugene,

You've gone so far beyond what I expected for this tool! This week I found myself using MR Curve for nearly all my normal Moho drawing.

The one project where I couldn't use MR Curve was when I needed to draw a long FBF sequence that required me to use variable frame intervals with some morphing during the intervals. In this situation, I was able to use MR Curve to edit shapes on non-zero frames but I couldn't use it to draw anything new in those frames, and I had to switch to Add Points for that. This wasn't a surprise because you stated that was a limitation, but I still had to try.

That said, MR Tool was very useful for editing the shapes I pasted from other frames or drew using the native Add Points tool because I didn't need to switch between the other point editing tools so much.

TBH, it's rare that I animate FBF this way but I needed to do this a lot this past week and I may need to do something similar again soon. So if I could make one final request for MR Curve, it's the ability to draw on non-zero frames.

But even with this limitation, MR Curve has become my favorite way to draw in Moho. Once I'm finished with my current task at work, I'm likely to use MR Curve for 95 percent of my everyday Moho drawing. I love this tool!

Thanks again for all your hard work and for sharing it with the Moho community!

[Hoptoad]

I'm getting some weirdness when trying to use the tool. Firstly it seems that it always adds the first point in the middle of the canvas and secondly, when creating beziers, there's mainly glitching happening:



I'm on a M1 Pro Macbook with the latest macOS installed. I tried different viewport settings (GPU on/off, etc.) but all had the same effect.

I'm on a Mac like this guy, and I'm experiencing the same 2 problems.

[KuzKuz]

Thank you for the feedback!

So if I could make one final request for MR Curve, it's the ability to draw on non-zero frames.

Now, drawing on non-zero frames should work; please let me know if there are any issues with this.
Unfortunately, working properly with FBF layers is still not possible, as they have issues within the core of Moho.
This is something that would require Mike and Victor to fix.
However, if you enter the nested vector layer within the FBF, you can draw on it.
The FBF itself can be used only for creating and switching nested layers.

I'm on a Mac like this guy, and I'm experiencing the same 2 problems.

Yes, I've already received several confirmations that this is an issue with Mac.
Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to test or work on this OS to try to fix the problem.

Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jafrrl ... sp=sharing

[Greenlaw]

...Now, drawing on non-zero frames should work; please let me know if there are any issues with this.
Unfortunately, working properly with FBF layers is still not possible...

Yeah, in working on my task this week (I was asked to create smoke and water animations in the style of Michel Gagne,) I found that I needed to select the vector layer inside the FBF group to perform direct shape and animation edits, regardless of which point editing tool I used (i.e, bezier handles would lock up, magnet wouldn't work, etc.,...) This was especially true when I needed to extend some FBF frames across multiple frames to insert point animations within the FBF sequence. I assumed this was a bug in Moho's FBF system, but once I figured out what was going on, I managed to work through the animation without too much difficulty. The main issue for me was that I couldn't draw directly into those frames using MR Curve.

I'm downloading the latest version right now and will let you know how it goes.

[Greenlaw]

Yes, I've already received several confirmations that this is an issue with Mac.
Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to test or work on this OS to try to fix the problem.

If you haven't already done so, you should contact Mike about this. It's sad if half the Moho community won't be able to enjoy using your tool.

[Greenlaw]

Ok, here's what I'm finding...MR CURVE IS NOW PERFECTLY FINE FOR FBF!

At least in the way I was using FBF to create my animations at work this week. With the latest MR Curve update, I can finally draw and edit with it directly on any frame in the FBF stack.

For anyone struggling with editing with MR Curve inside an FBF layer, the trick is to open the FBF group and click on the active vector layer. Now you will be able to draw and edit in the layer as normal on any frame. It's a little annoying that I need to switch between selecting the FBF layer and selecting one of the child layers, but it's really not so bad once I get into the flow of things. (To be clear, this is a Moho FBF issue, not an MR Curve issue.)

Thank you so much for adding this feature Eugene. I'm almost hoping I'll get asked to create more of these 'Michel Gange' style animations.

Now MR Curve is truly my favorite drawing tool in Moho!

[KuzKuz]

Now MR Curve is truly my favorite drawing tool in Moho!

Thank you, I'm glad to hear that.

[KuzKuz]

I have a question. I'm considering fixing the transformation process when working with points controlled by Smart Bones.
However, this won't be an easy task.
Do you use this tool solely for creating and editing new vector elements, or do you also transform existing parts of the rig for animation?
Should I start working on this improvement, or is what we currently have sufficient for your needs?

[Greenlaw]

That's an interesting idea, but to be honest, I haven't had a chance to use MR Curve to create artwork for an advanced character rig using a lot of Smart Bones yet, so I don't have an informed opinion about that topic yet.

But I've begun designing a new animated short for myself using Moho, and I'll be creating at least three advanced character rigs for it, and I will certainly be stress testing MR Curve during this project.

For the time being though, the current MR Curve is most certainly sufficient for my needs. Thanks for asking though.

[Greenlaw]

Specifically, I'd be using MR Curve tool to create and edit new artwork in Moho pretty much the way I previously used Add Points tool along with Transform Points and Curvature. For me, MR Curve simplifies the process by streamlining point-by-point drawing and effectively reducing three tools to one. (I'll still be using Magnet with MR Curve.)

I do use a lot of Smart Bone Actions when rigging a character, but unless I'm missing something, I think the current version of MR Curve should be fine for the way I use Moho.