Animating Layer Order

[11thIndian]

I'm building a head with pigtails that disappear on each side when I'm making an action for a head turn.

I've already seen tutorials where you can animate the order of shapes on a single Vector layer. But because of the complexity of my model, the elements of the head are spread across multiple vector layers. Question is can I animate the order LAYERS the same way that you can shapes in a single layer?

Thanks.

[funksmaname]

they have to be in a group or bone layer - the order is kayframes on the parent group - in the parents preferences, under 'Depth Sort' you have to tick the 'enable animated layer order' button. Then, when you reorder layers on the main timeline (not frame 0) the order changes will be stored as keyframes on the parent layer.

[11thIndian]

Thanks. I thought that's how it worked but I'll have to try again. All the elements are living in a bone layer. Would Anime be getting confused if I clicked that checkbox on all the elements WITHIN the Bone Layer?

I did manage to fudge it for now by key framing a minor z-Depth shift, but if the layer order can work that would be preferable.

Thanks.

[11thIndian]

Got it- it was having the Group or Bone layer selected and physically changing the order of the layers that I needed to do. I was trying to do it like the Shape order of a single Vector Layer.

Yay!

[funksmaname]

the bone layer doesn't need to be selected - but you must be on a frame other than 0.
Also, the setting on individual children makes no difference - only the parent layer has to have the tick box checked.