Animation Help?

[jhp]

I really would appreciate a few tips as I am just getting the hang of MOHO but I have got a bit stuck with a couple of things and could do with a little help.
Thanks - and what a cool program.

Paul


1.How can I make a hand disappear  behind the body when  making a character move forward.  

I have 3 elements in a layer representing the arm (layer is linked to a group and this group to a bone layer). Is there any way of reordering layers in a certain frame of the animation, so that this wouldn't affect previous frames or origin?

I have seen the example at http://www.yesalbum.com/v001/mylesg/walk_towards_2.swf but still can't figure out how can I get the hand layer to be in front of the body and then move behind it.
Or is it done in some other  way than using layers? Is there a masked area  that does this?


2. Is it possible to make the origin (pivot) of several layers coincide, after I modified their position.What I think would work is the snap to grid option but I'm not sure that if I did this, the contents of the layers would move relative to the pivot, which is what I want to achieve.

 
3. I am trying to make character move a couple of steps forward but how can I make one foot look like its fixed on the ground (all the body weight on it).

 

 

[myles]

I have seen the example at http://www.yesalbum.com/v001/mylesg/walk_towards_2.swf but still can't figure out how can I get the hand layer to be in front of the body and then move behind it.
Or is it done in some other way than using layers?

It's a simple cheat - each arm has two versions, one in a layer behind the body, one in a layer in front of the body, thusly:

Character group
--bones
----left arm in front
----right arm in front
----torso
----left arm behind
----right arm behind

Then, when the arms are to the side and away from the body, I switch them using layer visibility - it shows up briefly in the shoulders, but you can get away with it. However, I still think walking directly towards or away from the camera is something to be avoided in this sort of animation.

2. Is it possible to make the origin (pivot) of several layers coincide, after I modified their position.What I think would work is the snap to grid option but I'm not sure that if I did this, the contents of the layers would move relative to the pivot, which is what I want to achieve.

I'm not sure I understand what you want.
Rotating a layer should be relative to the layer origin. If you want layer origins to coincide, use the numerical entry boxes at the top of the screen while you're using the Translate Layer tool, and just manually enter the same X and Y coordinates for each layer.
Is that anywhere close to what you're looking for ?

3. I am trying to make character move a couple of steps forward but how can I make one foot look like its fixed on the ground (all the body weight on it).

I'm not sure if you're asking this from an animation technique perspective (it works okay but it doesn't look like he's got any weight - with an answer that concerns things like centre of balance, weighted balance, and timing) or a Moho technique perspective (the foot doesn't stay still when he steps on it - with an answer that concerns things like bone locking, keyframe mode - linear, step, etc.). More information please.

Regards, Myles.

[7feet]

The other cheat (?) I have used is to put all the layers for that character in a group, set the layer's "Depth Sort" property to "Sort layers by depth", and then translate the layer's (that I want to show or hide) depth from the camera (distance in Z) from a tiny bit in front of to a tiny bit in behind of the other layers. Like, the Z dimension goes from .001 more than the rest to .001 less than the rest. If you aren't doing a 3D camera movements, that should work. A lot depends on how you have initially set the camera, but if you are keeping everything else 2D that should allow you to do it. The other option, which is more complicated and "old Moho style" but still useful, is to have every shape that concerns this issue on one layer, and then use the Raise Shape or Lower Shape tool to animate the shapes rendering order. That was a particular thing that killed me when I was first learning Moho, so if I'm not clear, ask some questions.

--Brian

[jhp]

Just wanted to say thanks for the tips/cheats, as they have helped and we are starting to make progress.

I have got a real strange feeling that I will be knocking on your forums door again for some help.

Thanks

Paul