Can you add existing actions to a new smart bone control?

[Bossco]

I'm trying to figure out how to apply existing actions to a new smart bone.
I understand how you can create a smart bone and then move points around so that a new action is created which is controlled by the smart bone.
But I'm trying to convert an old file I'm playing with which is based on actions, so that those old actions can now be controlled by the new smart bone.
Is there a way to do this?

[ulrik]

Check Selgins tutorial here:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=24947
He deals with actions copied over to a smart bone.

[Bossco]

Thanks for the link. Funny thing is I just watched that a few minutes before I saw your reply.
However it did lead me on to where Selgin posted something in another thread which helped solve my issue. I had to select a nested layer and then from the main menu's bone menu select 'Bone > Release layer and points'.
This is the thread viewtopic.php?f=13&t=24661

But, I am left with another problem...
With smart bones you can create intermediate key frames in the smart bone layer timeline.
So with a smart bone controlled head turn you could have 'Head right' as the finishing action, where you can follow the procedure of attaching a pre-existing action to a smart bone.
But now my question is, say you wanted to insert an intermediate action into the smart bone action timeline called 'Head right 3/4 angle' to get a better head turn, how can you apply an existing action into the timeline of a smart bone action?
Can this be done?

[heyvern]

...how can you apply an existing action into the timeline of a smart bone action?
Can this be done?

Make your smart bone action active. Go to the key frame where you want to insert the other action. Right click the action you want to copy and select "insert copy". You may need to clean up any extraneous or extra keys that were added.

A problem I've encountered is that sometimes inserting another action this way "overwrites" or "erases" the previous keys already in place from the target smart bone action. You may need to test this and see what happens.

You may have to move keys around or make "space" to insert the copied keys and move them into place after copying so they don't erase keys you already have.

[Bossco]

Thanks. I was on the right lines but I was struggling because after I'd extended my smart bone timeline to accommodate space for the inserted intermediate action I wanted to put in, I'd get a sudden jump to the final keyframe when I tried out my smart bone.
I sorted it out though.
My problem was that I needed to go through all the vector layers moving their keyframes as well.

Thanks for your help. It's so useful being able to insert actions which have already been created onto a smart bone time line so that you don't have to model them from scratch.