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View Full Version : How to animate the "Bloat" effect?

debfrey
03-04-2005, 08:47 AM
So I've been fumbling my way through M:A for a while (an embarrasingly long time, actually) and finally decided to give the included tutorials a go to see if I couldn't learn to harness the true power of the COOLEST SOFTWARE EVER...

...and managed to make it all the way to #3 -- "Effect & Tool Types: Bloat" -- before getting stuck. The fact that it's described as "beginner" doesn't help my self-esteem much! But the problem I can't seem to overcome is how to actually animate the effect. I worked through the provided steps easily enough -- the happy little slider makes the T-Rex grow -- but Fred's last line is, "As you've guessed already (I hadn't, hmm) this can be used for breathing effects." Well, cool! Except that he doesn't explain how to do that exactly (too simplistic?) and as far as I can tell the bloat's own slider bar doesn't seem to accept keyframes! Or does it?

I also tried to tie the bloat slider to another slider template, but the brain's not that sharp anymore. Especially at 3:45 a.m.

Anybody have an idea as to how to stop the pain? If I'm a moron, don't be shy. But be gentle. Remember, for all practical purposes, I'm a Noob's noob.

Thanks!
Julez4001
03-04-2005, 04:18 PM
Just tried o do it... did it before!
I thinks it broken.
You just set the effect from static to dynamic and should be animatiable.
debfrey
03-04-2005, 05:02 PM
Julez!

Doh! I tried it in both 4.0 and 5.0, couldn't get it to work in either one. Kind of bummed about that -- it's kind of a cool feature -- but I guess I feel a little better knowing that it wasn't just me.

Thanks for trying it out for me! You're a constant benefit to this forum. Great posts (and LW to M:A tutorials, btw.)

Cool? Cool.

-J
lmilton
03-04-2005, 06:28 PM
Julez!

Doh! I tried it in both 4.0 and 5.0, couldn't get it to work in either one. Kind of bummed about that -- it's kind of a cool feature -- but I guess I feel a little better knowing that it wasn't just me.

Thanks for trying it out for me! You're a constant benefit to this forum. Great posts (and LW to M:A tutorials, btw.)

Cool? Cool.

-J

Actually, it is working. Are you sure you're middle clicking on the channel modifier (check docs) and not the Weight Type?

Also, are you still in Setup? You won't see any animation or create keys if you're still in Setup.

-lyle
debfrey
03-04-2005, 07:08 PM
Lyle!

Very sorry. You're right, of course.

Like, how inexperienced am I? I didn't recognize the "static" channel modifier graphic. I was actually wearing out that button by left & right clicking it... but I don't think I ever did used the middle mouse button.

But yeah, it works. And yeah, it's cool!

Thanks for the help. I knew it had to be easy -- a quick lesson. I'm trying to work through the docs so that I can stop posting such silly questions.

Super-cool.

-J
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03-04-2005, 07:08 PM
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