A problem with animating bones

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INRI
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A problem with animating bones

Post by INRI »

I've created the entire body for my character, and my arms are in one layer each. An arm requires 3 bones (together with the hand).

But, when I rig the bones of my arms, one bone rotates it and the other two do the same thing.
I remember once when I could manipulate a bone it would not just rotate it, but also distort the image sometimes (back then I thought it is a bad thing, but now I need to know how to do it XD).
Any1 knows a solution? (except to re-draw the arms with 3 shapes each).

A big thanks in advance! :)
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Víctor Paredes
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

Seems to be only a bad rigging. Can you upload your anme file to check it before speculating any answer?
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slowtiger
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Post by slowtiger »

Is the arm a vector layer or an image layer? If image: check "warp with bones" in the layer tabs. If vector: check binding method, should be "flexible", and all bones should have reasonable influence (not zero).
INRI
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Post by INRI »

I've emailed the anme file to you, I'm afraid to post it here..

edit: @slowtiger - it's all in vector files.
I've tried both with flexible binding and region binding (altho the file I sent selgin was mistakenly region binding).
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Víctor Paredes
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

Ok, I checked your file and get a solution.
The arms layers were binded to no bone (maybe you binded them to a bone you then erased). That means points won't follow any other bone influence.
To solve it, go to one arm layer, select all the points and go to Bone>Flexi-Bind points.
Repeat the same process with the other arm layer.
Now go to the body group layer, Bone>Flexi-Bind layer.

Now all your layers will move with bone influences.
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Moho Product Manager

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Rigged animation supervisor in My father's dragon - Lead Moho artist in Wolfwalkers - Cartoon Saloon - My personal Youtube Channel
INRI
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:41 pm

Post by INRI »

I'm still having a problem, could it be some sort of bug?

I did what you said, yet the bones still only rotate (move around) the arms, there's no flexing.

I will soon upload here the anme file (with only one arm in it, just to show)

edit:
http://rapidshare.com/
Last edited by INRI on Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
INRI
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Post by INRI »

Hmm sorry for bumping, but any1 has an idea of what should I do?
Maybe there's an alternative script for bones or something?
or move the anme file to another version of anime studio?

a big thanks to any1 that can help..
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Víctor Paredes
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

It has nothing to do with a bug or version problem.
Seems to be you binded the entired layer to some erased bone. Just to be totally sure, select one arm layer and go to this menus

Bone>Release layer
Bone>Flexi-Bind layer
Now select all the points and go to
Bone>Release points
Bone>Flexi-Bind points

Now repeat the same process with the other arm.

Seems to be you are making your rigs wrong. I recommend you to check the tutorials, it's weird to found somebody with this kind of problems here in the forum.

PD: I fixed your file, you can check it here
http://www.mediafire.com/?adctu78q3gsmda0
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jonbo
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Post by jonbo »

There is a problem with those arm layers. They wont accept bones even for a new shape created on either layer. If you create a new vector layer, not a duplicate of one of those layers, and draw a new arm it works like normal. I advise you trash those layers and make new ones. It is odd that either arm shape has no name assigned to them not even the default numerical name you have when its created like other shapes. Must have been a glitch somewhere. Also, you have a bunch of styles loaded in that you probaly don't need, you can get rid of the ones you don't use.
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Post by sbtamu »

please upload that file to something other than rapidshare. I waited 5 min an it still was not available.
Sorry for bad animation

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INRI
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Post by INRI »

@selgin, that's what I've been doing, and it's still not flexible.
@jonbo when I start from scratch and rig a new body everything works fine, the problem is only with that specific file. Also, the layers are named left arm and right arm, I don't understand you..
@sbtamu http://www.mediafire.com/
Last edited by INRI on Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jonbo
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Post by jonbo »

when you create a shape, if you don't name it , it will be assigned a number. When you select a shape you should see this number on the right side pallet at the top under the shape and style buttons. I'm not talking about the layer names. The arm shapes you got have no number or name. That's whats odd.
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Post by sbtamu »

This is easy to fix. Just select all the points in the arm then go up to the bone tab and select 'release points' and then just redo the binding process. It seems that it got glitched some how.

Also release the layers.
Sorry for bad animation

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INRI
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Post by INRI »

Thanks for all of the comments!
After a lot of work I've (somehow..) fixed the character, well almost..
I'm having a weird problem with the legs (I'm sorry, hopefully this will be my last comment here..), the first leg I set up works fine, but when I rig the second leg everything gets messed up, here's a picture of what's happening: http://imageshack.us/
and here's the file: http://www.mediafire.com/ (with only 1 leg, I create the second leg by either duplicating the layer of copy-pasting the points). The two legs must touch a little (at the thighs & shoes).

Sorry again for this prolonged cry for help..
Last edited by INRI on Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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slowtiger
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Post by slowtiger »

Did you duplicate the leg after you've bound it to bones? Looks like it's still connected to them.

Use bone offset for something like this: place the second leg far away from the character, create the bones over it, do binding if necessary, then select the offset bone tool and drag the uppermost bone of that leg to its final position.
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