I've been animating with this for awhile now. I know some of my concerns may be in documentation here on this website. If so, could I simply be directed to the name I can search to find the information? I don't want to waste anyone's time if the material is already there.
If not, then I'd like to see how I can do that as a work around, or suggest a feature if my use case is not currently supported.
1. Transform & Morph While Animating:
For some reason, while editing the Morph, the Transform of the object and objects around it don't show their actual positions or morphs in the animation. This is making it difficult to animate Morphs and Transformations together when I am trying to make a perfect fine detailed pose. Currently, I am having to toggle on and off the Start Edit button and make guess-work adjustments. I've looked through settings and cannot find any way to enable the behavior I'd like to have. I'd love direction on how to resolve this, this so far is my major hindrance in animation and biggest concern thus far.
I was looking at onion skinning too. Is there a setting which would help me here with Onion skinning?
2. Isolating Objects on the Timeline:
Is there an option or feature which allows me to remove all the keyframes from everything other than a selected or group of selected objects? To remove the clutter from everything I am not concerned about without hiding the images/Bones/Meshes too, just timeline keyframes and only editing those ones.
3. Physic Simulation 'Settling/Preloading':
Is there a way to pre-settle or pre-run the physics on objects. When I first launch the scene or create/activate the gameobject, the physics will jitter massively before finally settling down after a few seconds.
4. Physics Jiggle Bone, Hair Bounce, Stimulation/Control in Animations:
Is there a method to tone down or entice objects which have physics attached through animations? Say I wanted to blow a gust of wind with X strength from Y direction from a specific Keyframe to the next Keyframe. Or drag and pull around physics vertices manually. Or turn off/on or scale a mesh's physics simulation through control parameters outside animations or within? Am I also able select only to affect a certain mesh or groups of mesh to be affected by the physics wind gust or gravity etc?
5. Animation Keyframe Scaling:
In other animation software including the one within Unity. You are capable of highlighting multiple keyframes and scale them higher or smaller. They change the frames they exist on, but maintain the a relative distance between each other. Different than selecting multiple frames and dragging the whole selection while maintaining unchanged distance between each other.
Usually this is done by holding a modifier key while dragging a selected group of keyframes. Or switching to the scale tool.
6. Gathering Vertex Position Data (Playmaker):
I have used Playmaker, which I don't think makes too much difference but thought I'd mention it. And have gathered a specific mesh's vertex position. My intention was to move a 2D collider game object to that Vertex position while it is running a physics simulation and animating. Thus I could not use a Helper Bone to track that position, I need the Vertex location.
When doing so, at the moment I run the code to gather said Vertex location, the Mesh will stop updating and break its physics. I'm sure this is unintentional, does gathering a mesh's vertex location break anyportrait somehow? Is this repeatable for you? I don't rightly recall how I did so with Playmaker, but I have it somewhere I can go describe exactly how I did so to replicate it if needed.
On that note, is there a method within Anyportrait to keep a bone's (helper bone) location to target a particular vertex? Or make a Bone IK position or Point to a certain vertex that moves with physics?
Or is there an intended way to gather said vertex position information?
7. Physics Simulation of Object and Object's Shadow
Is there a proper way to ensure two objects have the exact same physics simulation? For example, a character has a Bow tie mesh around their neck. I've also created a shadow of the bow tie directly under it. Does this shadow need to have the exact same dimensions and positions of vertex, the same exact physics weights/settings on every vertex as well, along with the same viscosity group?
Hi!
As stated in the notice, our team inevitably stopped work because the main developer was infected with COVID-19.
Although work has not been restored normally, the response to the inquiry in this post is a bit late, so our team will answer this issue first.
We are very sorry for the late reply.
1. Transform & Morph While Animating:
The most important thing in creating and editing multiple modifiers to work at the same time is, "What modifiers are applied to the object?" is.
If the conditions are not met, it is impossible to make Transform and Morph operate at the same time.
As a simple example, let's "run the Transform modifier while editing the mesh using the Morph modifier".
The condition is met in the following circumstances:
- Morph and Rigging modifiers are applied to Meshes.
- Transform modifier is applied to Bones
However, in the following situations, other modifiers do not work even when the D key is pressed.
- Morph and Transform modifiers are applied to Meshes
Note please.
There is currently a bug where the Color Only modifier is being applied with the same rules as the Transform modifier.
If the Color Only modifier is applied to Meshes, it will not work at the same time.
6. Gathering Vertex Position Data (Playmaker):
We purchased and installed PlayMaker, and reproduced your implementation similarly.
And we found that the problem you mentioned occurs when running PlayMaker.
It is not a problem with AnyPortrait's Physics, but a problem caused by PlayMaker's script not being compatible with AnyPortrait's system.
In fact, executing PlayMaker's "Get Vertex Position" action completely disables AnyPortrait's mesh functionality.
We would like to explain the process we tested and how to fix it.
(1) We have configured FSM with PlayMaker.
(2) The character created with AnyPortrait moves up and down by animation.
(3) When the key is pressed, the FSM is executed that the small Sphere will be moved to the position of the vertex.
(1) Run the game and press the key to activate the second state and perform an action such as “Get Vertex Position”.
(2) Snapping the Sphere to the target AnyPortrait's mesh works successfully.
But, at the same time, the mesh is completely frozen.
(3) You can see the non-target meshes still moving normally.
To solve this problem, you need to modify the action in PlayMaker.
(1) Select the state in which the problem occurred.
(2) Right-click on the "Get Vertex Position" action.
(3) Select "Edit Script..".
Modify the following code within the "void DoGetVertexPosition()" function.
From : var position = meshFilter.mesh.vertices[vertexIndex.Value];
To : var position = meshFilter.sharedMesh.vertices[vertexIndex.Value];
Notice that meshFilter.mesh has been replaced with meshFilter.sharedMesh.
At first glance, these two codes look the same, but they behave completely differently.
The "meshFilter.mesh" member variable creates a cloned instance as soon as the code is called and assigns it to the meshFilter.
Because PlayMaker replaced this mesh data controlled by AnyPortrait due to this script, the object is no longer controlled by AnyPortrait.
Even if you don't have PlayMaker, you should pay attention to this point when controlling AnyPortrait's characters using scripts.
For the same reason, besides AnyPortrait, pay attention to this property when using other assets that directly control the mesh.
If you modify the script and run the game, you can see that the action works normally without stopping the animation as shown above.
Other unanswered issues will be reviewed by us, and we will try to apply them in the next update.
Thanks for the nice comments.
Hi!
Thank you so much for posting your various questions and concerns.
Before answering, we would like to say that although our team is an indie developer, we are doing our best to write a manual.
We also created a search page for the manual so that users can find the features they need.
https://rainyrizzle.github.io/en/Search.html
Even so, we understand that documentation can be so plentiful that it can be difficult for users to find information.
If necessary, please feel free to leave a message as it is now, thank you.
1. Transform & Morph While Animating:
This seems to have something to do with "editing with two or more modifiers on at the same time".
According to AnyPortrait's processing rules, it is possible to edit with other modifiers turned on if the conditions are met.
A simple way is to press the shortcut "D key".
You can see the related manual on the page below.
https://rainyrizzle.github.io/en/AdvancedManual/AD_ModifierEditOption.html
(Perhaps "Onion Skin" will not help in this situation.)
2. Isolating Objects on the Timeline:
We understand your post "remove keyframes" as "exclude from modifier processing" (not "actually remove keyframes"). Is that right?
It seems that you are referring to the function of the same name that is mainly found in 3D programs.
AnyPortrait's exclusive editing mode applies the concept of Isolating to "per modifier".
However, we didn't implement the ability to apply isolating on an "object-by-object basis" because we didn't think it was necessary.
This is usually because 2D animations are less complex than 3D ones.
If users need this feature, we should implement it as an update, but we have doubts about the need for implementation.
If you give us more comments, we will review them.
3. Physic Simulation 'Settling/Preloading':
We are thinking of this as a symptom of the same problem that occurs when a character's position suddenly changes.
We are aware of this issue and are working to fix it in the next update.
Currently, the only way to do this is to preload the character, hide it for a while, and then show it.
4. Physics Jiggle Bone, Hair Bounce, Stimulation/Control in Animations:
Physics applied to the mesh can be controlled by scripts.
Also, the Physics Modifier can be set to be affected by the Control Parameter.
We think the information on the page below might be helpful.
(However, it is not possible to specify only a specific mesh.)
https://rainyrizzle.github.io/en/AdvancedManual/AD_WindEffect.html
If you want to run a script at a specific frame of an animation, we recommend that you use an animation event.
https://rainyrizzle.github.io/en/AdvancedManual/AD_AnimationEvents.html
5. Animation Keyframe Scaling:
Unfortunately, the requested feature is unsupported.
We've been receiving a lot of feedback to improve the usability of the animation timeline UI, and we'll take this into account as well.
6. Gathering Vertex Position Data (Playmaker):
We would like to say several things about this opinion.
First of all, there is no function that provides a vertice list in AnyPortrait.
Also, the ability to attach bones to the specific vertex has not been developed.
However, it is not impossible to provide a vertice list after the animation is processed.
Even though, we have a negative opinion about referencing all vertice in every frame.
Vertex data is too much, and it will seriously slow down your project.
The movement of vertices by the Physics Modifier will not be large, and updating the Collider every time for minute movements of the vertices will not be necessary in the normal case.
Instead, we recommend using Bone to refresh the Collider whenever possible.
By using Bone Socket and Jiggle Bone, you will be able to implement the functions you want.
https://rainyrizzle.github.io/en/AdvancedManual/AD_Socket.html
https://rainyrizzle.github.io/en/AdvancedManual/AD_JiggleBone.html
7. Physics Simulation of Object and Object's Shadow:
When using the Physics Modifier, different physical forces will be applied if the mesh structure and the default position of the vertices are different, even if the same settings are applied.
This is not a functional limitation of AnyPortrait, but an inevitable nature of the physics effect.
If you apply Jiggle Bone instead, the real object and the shadow object will move almost similarly by rigging.
If any of the answers above were not helpful or if you have something you would like to supplement, please leave a comment!
Your comments help us improve our tool.
Thank you!