Animation workflow

[gsuttor]

It's ok that you get frustrated. :)

I felt the same way about Maya a year ago until I gradually learnt how to do all those things.

Learning any new interface takes time, then you wonder how you worked any other way.

As for going through your list of how to's.... to much effort at 11pm but I'll take a look tommorrow if nobody else answers before that.

[Julez4001]

For example:
1) How to select all keys of an animation? And I mean ALL!


*** Use range (at the bottom of the screen) and then Go to edit - > distort keys

2) How to flatten them (all) out?

***Go to edit - > keyframing --scenekey Flat

3) How to change all to Bezier? (And what is the advantage of TCB's anyway?)

**** tension continuity and bias (ummm ease-in and ease-out)

4) How to quickly edit all keys of an animation without scrolling and clicking my finger off in the Item List?

****Little vague maybe restate your question - but use dopetrack (separate from dopesheet)


5) How to scroll in the Dope Sheet? When I select all things in the Item List, only about 20 channels get displayed in the Dope Sheet.


***Shift-F6 to get dopetrack
click on names
(this needs to be better--it could be easily looked over)



6) Does the Dope Sheet allow me to change/select individual channels. Right now, when I select an object or an objects channel just the object is selected in the Dope Sheet (it prints ObjectName:obj). I remember vaguely that I have seen ObjectName:xpos , etc. before.


Shift-F6 to get dopetrack
click on names
(this needs to be better--it could be easily looked over)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
The manual answers questions 1 - 4
just read the interface introduction and try a tutorial or two


5 and 6 are understandable.

[AlexK]

Hey Julez, thanks for your answers. But I see from them that I have to be a bit more specific myself. My bad. I'll rephrase my questions tomorrow morning, cause it's a little late over here and my bed is calling VERY loud. :D
But anyone reading this and thinking that he got my questions right is still invited to answer them. ;)

[chikega]

Julian would know - he's one of the longest running messiah users. How's long it been, Julian since '98? Six years, phew! How time flies when you're having fun. :)

[AlexK]

Now I'm a bit more awake. ;)

I posted those questions at the yahoo group, too, and they understood my brabbling a bit better, so I'll post my answer to the group here as well. This might clear up my questions a bit and maybe some of you have more to say to this. At least I hoped so. :D

P.S.: I hope I made clear which answers belong to each other with the * and > signs.


And here is my compiled answers to your replies. Thanks for your time and help, guys.


------------------------------

*Well it's not very straightforward in my opinion either.

>I'm animating for a few months now in Messiah... I don't agree it's "THE" animation system, but it does animate as well as any other package, and has some very promising features.

I understand that Messiah has its quirks, too, but hoped that it would be, well, better in the questioned parts. But maybe I don't get the right workflow yet.

------------------------------

>>> 1) How to select all keys of an animation? And I mean ALL!


*Expand the item you want to select and select all the channels. click on the
square on the left in the item list to 'turn them on' you will see a small
er..., thingy appear in the square. Now all the channels are visible andselectable in the graph.
This is rather cumbersom imho, because in order to animate a lot tof objects
at the same time, you're scrolling through the item list to no end,
selecting and deselecting...


Answered, but doesn't make me happy at all. :(

------------------------------


>>> 2) How to flatten them (all) out?


* When all the channels are selected, you can turn 'em all to linear, flat or bezier at will. Also, for blocking there's a nifty button on the edit tab, called 'Flat scene keys' it show the animation as if all the keys were stepped.

>2: I don't really understand this one: But in editmode there is a button
called "Scene Keys Flat" in the "key/frame editing" menu, hope this is what you're looking for


The first answer comes close, but doesn't hit the mark. I mean when I have all turned to Bezier and then want to flatten the tangents of one or more points. How do I do that? Is there no button or numeric value for the "angle" of the Bezier's tangent?

------------------------------

>>> 3) How to change all to Bezier? (And what is the advantage of TCB's anyway?)

* See 2. TCB's are quite nice if you're used to them but proper beziers are better. (Imho;)

>3: Select all keys and select curve=bezier.. seems to work for me... why TCB.. don't know, but bezier is a real pain in Messiah, I think, I would
like those curves that arre in Max and Maya, that lets the curve never go
over the keyframe, It's like a smart Bezier curve... We need better
curves... I almost never tweak settings on a TCB curve, I put in more keys
if I have to, cause I find it really laborious to edit keyframes the messiah
way...


I tried again to select all keys and convert them to Bezier and this time it worked. Before only the first key got converted, don't know why. So this question is obsolete, but thanks for your efforts.

------------------------------

>>> 4) How to quickly edit all keys of an animation without scrolling and clicking my finger off in the Item List?

* See 1. You can also make groups, in order to make your animated objects easier to select. This is still a bit of a hassle imho, and a separate menu, just to place your grouped animation objects in would be great!

>4: dopesheet (but it surely has it's quirks)


As for 1) answered, but doesn't leave me quite happy.

------------------------------

>>> 5) How to scroll in the Dope Sheet? When I select all things in the Item List only about 20 channels get displayed in the Dope Sheet.

* Frankly, I'd like to know that as well... ;)

>5: You don't scroll in the dopesheet (hopefully they'll fix this really soon!


I see. :D

------------------------------

>>> 6) Does the Dope Sheet allow me to change/select individual channels. Right now when I select an object or an objects channel just the object is selected in the Dope Sheet (it prints ObjectName:obj). I remember vaguely that I have seen ObjectName:xpos and so on before.

* Make sure you're in 'individual channel mode' (small button on the lower rght of the screen next to 'coord sys and the 'e button.

>6: Yes, look at your keyedit setting, if it's on Independent/group/motion/all, this makes the dopsheet change the channels displayed.


Thanks, that's what I wanted.

------------------------------

*Hope this helps a bit....

Sure thanks.

> Once you're through the somewhat bumpy learning curve, it really is GREAT for animation!!


Well, I hope so.

[Julez4001]

The Dope Master

The DM allows you to move keyframes for all curves or cells that are displayed in either the Motion Graph or the Dope Sheet, whichever is visible. You may alter multiple channels per object and multiple objects. When you drag a cell in the DM from frame 20 to frame 30 all keys currently displayed that were on frame 20 will be moved to frame 30.

You may Shift-Select Cells in the DM and move them all together. If you move a cell or group of cells and hold the Alt button you will duplicate the keys (NOTE: press Alt after you have begun to drag the cells). You can create new keyframes by MMB clicking on an empty cell, all displayed channels/objects will have a key created at that time. To delete all keys at a given frame Ctl-MMB click on the cell in the DM and all displayed keys at that frame will be deleted.

Known Issues with the Dope Master

The 'current' cell marker (a yellow cell) does not behave correctly, it will remain visible after a cell has been deleted etc. For now just ignore this cell, it will be fixed in future revs.

The Dope Sheet

The Dope Sheet behaves similarly to the Dope Master in that moving cells moves keyframes. The MMB and Ctl-MMB behavior is also the same as that of the Dope Master. Where the two differ is in what keys they update. The DS allows you to select individual or groups of cells and move them, whereas the DM will move ALL cells at a specific frame. You can Shift-Select and Marquee Select cells in the DS.

Known Issues with the Dope Sheet

Neither the DM or DS currently recognize the current channel group settings (i.e. Independent, Group, Motion etc.), future revs will allow you to create/edit cells base on these settings. You cannot currently edit multiple objects in the DS, however you can in the DM, this functionality will be added.

If you move a cell from frame 0, then back to 0 you will crash when you click anywhere in the DS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Undee the EDIT tab
Drop down to Key/Frame editing
Click on Scene Keys Flat

*** this is exactly what you want.

Be kool if they can set this thing to a key.
Check the manual.

[Sil3]

Originally posted by Julez4001
Undee the EDIT tab
Drop down to Key/Frame editing
Click on Scene Keys Flat

*** this is exactly what you want.

Be kool if they can set this thing to a key.
Check the manual.

Actually this feature ( a feature that all other animation software users would kill to have in their native programs) should be present right next to the keys in Animate Tab, instead of being somewhat hidden in Edit/Keyframe Editing Tab IMO.

[tuna]

Originally posted by Sil3
Actually this feature ( a feature that all other animation software users would kill to have in their native programs) should be present right next to the keys in Animate Tab, instead of being somewhat hidden in Edit/Keyframe Editing Tab IMO.

I agree. I was also somewhat boggled by the "strategic" placement of such a feature :surprised

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