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General Category => Ongoing Anim8or Development => Topic started by: Steve on March 01, 2021, 07:17:50 pm

Title: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 01, 2021, 07:17:50 pm

The new build v1.01.1396 (http://www.anim8or.com/download/preview/files/animcl1396.zip) dated, Feb. 27, 2021 supports making a bone the parent of another element. A character can carry something in his hand, wear a hat, etc., which will follow wherever his hand or head move.

Here's an example of a character throwing a ball. I've attached the project file.

Note: The parent can't be changed, so I have two balls in this project. The first is attached to the character's hand and is hidden at the moment that it is thrown. The second is hidden at the start and becomes visible in the next frame to complete the throw.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 02, 2021, 04:34:46 am

 Hi there steve (https://i.postimg.cc/VstLb9dQ/Smilewhite.gif)

 This looks very interesting.

 Having trouble downloading 1396. Same prob as downloading 1395.

Nice throw, btw. (https://i.postimg.cc/NFQscSY6/Winkwhite.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: AlecJames on March 02, 2021, 08:00:07 am

(I can download both 1396 and run the sample OK.)

Thanks Steve :)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 02, 2021, 03:03:14 pm

johnar Try this link v1.01.1396 (https://www.anim8or.com/download/preview/files/animcl1396.zip)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 04, 2021, 06:42:06 am

How does one go about doing this? Any step by step instructions? 

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 04, 2021, 06:53:17 am

Thanks Steve
 That worked. (https://i.postimg.cc/mr96SrMD/Thumbs-Up-W1.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 04, 2021, 09:55:25 am

I guess I need to add the "s" to "http" in the URL from now on (https://i.postimg.cc/VstLb9dQ/Smilewhite.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 06, 2021, 03:38:25 am

Played around with the parent/object with two figures. So far so good. If this is what I think it is, this is what I've been asking for. Thank you so much!

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 07, 2021, 03:51:23 am

An attempt at attaching a figure to a parent bone in another figure

[/youtube]

Kind of works. It was a pain positioning the whip with a bone in the hand.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 07, 2021, 05:23:03 am

Another attempt

[/youtube]

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 07, 2021, 11:39:13 am

Ouch! :)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 07, 2021, 08:47:01 pm

(https://i.postimg.cc/x1ZCVzjr/throw2test.gif)

I've come across a couple of problems in creating the test above. Both problems are probably connected to problem 1)

 prob 1) Attaching the ball to bone.
  Frame 0. Add figure to scene. Add ball to scene. Move ball to right hand of figure. Double click ball and set parent to efigure01 and bone to right hand..
 When you click ok, the ball positions itself well away from the right hand bone, and dragging it into proper position again can be quite a challenge. (move/drag right and the ball goes opposite)
 Once the ball is replaced into the right position, it does stay there.

 prob 2) Copying scene keys.

Ball01 is attached to figure01. (first figure to throw. Left side of screen), ball free is the loose ball and Ball02 is attached to figure02. .
 Frame 0 is identical to frame 88, except for keys relating to Ball2.
If you copy ball02 keys from frame 0 to frame 88, you'll see that the ball becomes unattached from right hand bone in figure02

 I've attached file. Maybe i'm missing something, but not seeing it.

(https://i.postimg.cc/vHm3jyGQ/throwwall2.gif)

Edit:: Its possible i confused myself somewhere with having 2 figures. I did this one with one figure and am able to copy all of first keyframes to last frames, with no problem.
 (copying frames to 'loop' scene. ie: gif above is 74 frames. loops naturally because its an animated .gif image. To make a video 'repeat the sequence' means copying all keys and pasting at the end of the first 'identical' sequence)
 So maybe a mistake of mine, i'll play some more with more than 1 figure, and perhaps i can work out what went wrong.
 Problem number 1), however, still exists.

 

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 08, 2021, 10:51:17 am

I need to work on the position when you attach something. In the mean time, you can do things like setting the offset of the object to (0, length(bone), 0) when you first attach it and it will stay with the end of the bone.

Forgot to add: nice game of catch, johnar!

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 09, 2021, 03:37:32 am

 Good one. Thanks steve. (https://i.postimg.cc/VstLb9dQ/Smilewhite.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Michel Colaço on March 11, 2021, 11:21:15 am

I would like to thank you for this addition Steve! I had already thought about asking for it, but I ended up forgetting it. For me, this addition is very useful, especially to facilitate eye animation.

(http://blob:https://www.facebook.com/d74070bb-729f-49a1-ae30-a0f1dd4400b4)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: ianross on March 12, 2021, 06:29:59 am

Thank you Steve, this is great. I look forward to enjoying this.
Question. Is it possible to parent a light to bone, I am thinking of creating a character holding a torch or a revolving spotlight light on a car?

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 12, 2021, 07:03:17 am

I could see this working for fight scenes.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 12, 2021, 09:50:35 am

ianross you can't light a bone, but you can make a bone the light's parent which has the same effect.

Note: I found a problem where the light isn't being rotated properly when the bone rotates. Looking into it now...

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 14, 2021, 04:35:44 pm

johnar the latest build 1400 (https://www.anim8or.com/download/preview/files/animcl1400.zip) fixes this and a couple of related issues. (https://www.anim8or.com/em/johnar/biggrinnW.gif)

ianross It should also fix the issue with attaching a light to a bone.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 14, 2021, 05:49:08 pm

I love this. I can swap out props.

I attached the gatlin gun to a bone in the character's hand.

[/youtube]

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 15, 2021, 10:54:13 am

Scary gatling gun!

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 15, 2021, 11:48:21 am

I'm making full use of the parent bone. The Gatlin is a figure that I attached to a bone sticking out of one of the hands.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 17, 2021, 06:18:39 am

froyd has been practicing picking different things up and putting them down.
 The different coloured balls are attached to the bones with the corresponding colours as in the image below:
(https://i.postimg.cc/5NkwpdYH/hand.gif)

Not sure yet on multple different objects onto 1 bone.
 We did have a little trouble on our first attempt, when a ball connected to a bone diappeared, even when made visible.That may have been something i was doing wrong that time, but the next time i added 1 ball per bone and had no trouble.
 steve. Should we be able to add more than 1 object per bone?
 If so, i'll try again and let you know how it goes.
 As it is, if the hand is rigged as in the pic, then those 4 bones inside the hand are perfect for the hand to hold 4 different objects anyway. (https://i.postimg.cc/QN9f3CVd/biggrinn-W.gif)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yNRXkQND/b5gif7.gif)

In regards to object movement when setting object to bone, as i described in an earlier post, i've discovered that i was doing it in the wrong order.Now i see how easy it is to add an object to a bone.
 The correct steps are:
 1) add object to scene.
 2) double click object and set to parent
 and THEN 3) move object into position.
 Done. Simple.
 I was doing sep 1) then step 3) and then step 2), which would make me repeat step 3) again.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Dfx4BP7W/Rolleyeswhite.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 17, 2021, 10:51:39 am

johnar You should be able to do it in either order, or at least I thought so. Looks like another little bug. I'll fix it! (https://www.anim8or.com/em/johnar/NotHappyW.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: ianross on March 18, 2021, 09:24:40 am

 WOW Johnar! great work, thank you Steve just tested parenting a spot light to a basic moving model, YES!!, it works.
I wonder what you are planning on doing next?? ??? can't wait.
Also questions to Johnar.
1. What website did you upload your GIF animation to?
2. Please can you post the BB code for GIF animation to work on the anim8or website ?
3. Also what size would you suggest a GIF animation should be regarding width and height for the anim8or website?
 

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 18, 2021, 10:39:50 pm

1) postimage.org

 2) Upload gif onto postimage.org. When uploaded a page appears with different related links to your image. copy the 'Direct Link'
 Paste the link into your post here @ Anim8or, drag-select the link and click the little 'insert image' icon. (above emogis) (image wont display till post is saved on forum)
 (thats how i do it anyway)

3)sizes.
 The gif above, with the balls, is 340x191 pixels.
 I think max, for me, is around 640x360, after that i'm needing to scroll across to view all the picture. (640x360 may be a bit big for animated gifs.  Don't go too big. The smaller it is the quicker it plays. (generally)
 Back in the day, before i got turned on to 16.9 aspect ratio, (thanks to thecolclough), i was uploading gifs at 4.3 ratio. 400x300 was a 'normal' size.
 
 I find it handy to check the 'movie image properties' presets in anim80r.
 Scene mode -> scene -> Properties -> movie image.
 I stick to 320x240, 400x300, and /or 400x225  maybe 640x360, but might load and run too slowly.

 The only reason the above pic is 340x191 is that i was trying to keep size down to around 1mb, and ended up with an odd size.

EDIT: Theres an option at postimge.org to let them resize your pic. I choose that they don't resize, and just try to size it ok myself beforehand.
 Not sure what size they would 'resize' an animated gif to. Might be worth a try.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: ianross on March 19, 2021, 09:19:17 am

Thank you Johnar.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 19, 2021, 03:09:37 pm

ianross I found an issue with the direction of spotlights in the ART renderer when they are attached to a bone. I'm working to fix that. If you find any similar problems please let me know.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: ianross on March 21, 2021, 01:07:16 pm

(https://i.postimg.cc/ncMDqR4Q/Hnet-com-image.gif)
Steve, first very basic test seems to be ok. :o

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: Steve on March 21, 2021, 05:55:04 pm

Looks good!

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 22, 2021, 06:33:49 am

ianross
 I think that's a good size for a gif. (https://i.postimg.cc/NFQscSY6/Winkwhite.gif)

 and I like what you've got there.

 A good trick to get seamless looping of animation is to key everything in the first frame, and copy/paste all of it into the last frame.

 Good job (https://i.postimg.cc/6QhpTB37/Smile-Blnkwhite.gif)

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: ianross on March 22, 2021, 09:59:20 am

Steve here is another parent lighting test, it seems to be ok?

(https://i.postimg.cc/ZnGRBRt4/LAMP-TEST-2e.gif)

Thank you Johnar, the last time I really used GIF animation was 20 years ago, with windows95.
I am a bit rusty and I forgot about the end looping, that needs to be done.
Johnar or anybody else ??? is there a free GIF animation program, I can download? at the moment I am uploading my avi's to online GIF editors.

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: johnar on March 23, 2021, 05:18:00 am

Great job. The lighting looks pro to me. (https://i.postimg.cc/NFQscSY6/Winkwhite.gif)

 I'm lucky enough to have an old photoshop7 disc which has 'image ready' bundled with it. (probly over 20 years old now, but still awesome for gif creation. (image ready).
  Looking on ebay it'll still set you back around $300, (used) which is not much different than what i paid through newegg, probly 10+ years ago.
 It was a big expense, but will probly do me for life, so i'll never regret buying it.
 
 not sure about a good free software download, but a bit of a google found this,

https://free-video-to-gif-converter.en.uptodown.com/windows

only 9.2mb.

good luck

Title: Re: Bone as a Parent to another Element
Post by: bayinghound on March 23, 2021, 06:59:32 am

You can get Photoshop CS2 for free off of the Adobe site.