Not getting loop cycle to work with switch layers?

[perihelion74]

Hey!

Heres what Im trying to do.

I import an image sequence of just 3 bitmap images. Then I convert this to a switch layer and add a cycle keyframe at the last frame. When I play the animation just the three first images are shown and then all I get a blank screen.
If I do the same thing with anything else like a vector object it works perfectly. Am I doing something wrong, or dont cycle work with switch layers?

/M

[SimplSam]

If you import the images as a Image Sequence you will get a single layer as a mini-movie, which does not need a Switch Layer. If you want it to play beyond the last frame, you need to change [Layer Settings] > [Image] to [Loop movie indefinitely].

[Greenlaw]

When you convert an image sequence into a Switch layer, it also adds a visibility channel that's keyframed to hide the last frame of the image sequence on the next frame. You need to remove that 'hide' keyframe so you can see the sequence repeat after the last frame.

But if you just want it to loop, do what SimplSam says.

Converting the footage into a Switch Layer is better when you want to retime the footage arbitrarily or when you want to animate the footage using a Smart Bone Dial (SBD).

To see an example of the latter, check the 'Big Guy' footage at the end of this demo reel (scrub to 2:42): https://vimeo.com/364548450

For Big Guy's hair I rendered a 360-degree turntable in a 3D animation program, imported the footage as an image sequence and converted that into a Switch Layer. This allowed me to smoothly rotate the hair with his head using a Head Turn SBD.

Hope this helps.

[perihelion74]

Thanks a lot! I actually solved it myself but thats right, I had to remove that visibility keyframe. Thanks for the swift replies!

/M