Make hair flow/move on complexly layered characters

[MacCraw]

Independent of the animation in my previous post, I'm currently working on a character and trying to make something a little more detailed than what I usually do in terms of both the actual vector artwork and effects. I've seen some videos on YouTube showing how to make hair flow and shake as the head moves; it looks really good and I want to try do to that in this animation (where it's a character taking off a full helmet). However though, my current setup of how I have this character set up is... uh, different (sugarcoating for "more complex"), and makes things more difficult to where I wonder if what I want to do is even in the realm of possibility.

Included is a screenshot of my current setup. I have the whole body in the Character master folder/bone; I know there are two "head" groups, but that's because A) I know which one is which; and B) the first one is the one including a mask (because the animation, as I mentioned, has the character removing a helmet that covers her head - the helmet and mask are hidden for the sake of presenting my problem) and the second one beneath it is the actual head containing the hair, mouth, eyes, etc.

Any (constructive) advice on how to accomplish what I'm describing (assuming it's possible) would be welcome and much appreciated.

[synthsin75]

Nest bone influence to reach the nested layers and dynamic bone to move the hair. The main thing to keep in mind is that you cannot layer bind any of the intervening groups layers for bone influence to reach the nested vector layers. Instead, you need to release those group layers and layer bind each vector layer individually.

[MacCraw]

I don't know how to do that. I've heard the terms "nest/ing" and "bone influence" a few times in the past, but I'm not really the sharpest tack in the package when it comes to knowing more advanced tricks with bones. A visual example would help me, whether it's a picture(s) or video(s) (since I'm a visual learner), but if you could and would be willing to walk me through it, it would be much appreciated.

[synthsin75]

Google is your friend: https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... ne+control

[MacCraw]

I hate it when people use that phrase since I actually do make Google searches, but seldom do they actually yield helpful results. I'm only asking because I wasn't able to find adequate info on what I was looking for based on the problem I'm having. What the guy showed in the one single video I saw on nested layers (when I did a YT AND Google search) was hardly applicable to what I'm trying to do, because what I have in mind is a bit more complex and what he did was very simple (and trying to adapt what he showed wasn't working for me because NLC is enabled and it still doesn't work). I also tried looking at the second and third results on animestudiotutor but re: the second link, it asks me to log in to download the script from the site (and the forum post's Google Drive link doesn't work, leaving me with the suspicion that the site's download wouldn't) and on the third link, the video had been deleted.

The problem I'm having as I try to screw around with layers and bones - at least with this many - is that if I make bones on one of these smaller sublayers, they don't show up on layers above it and I can't link them to any bones. Both videos I've seen on dynamic hair show the bones that make the hair sway around on attached to the same master layer as the rest of the bones in the rig. I can't do that with the way I've got it set up, which is why I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

[synthsin75]

The very first video offered in that Google search should be all you need. But like I said, if you've already bound any group layers to bones, you'll have to release them. By posting here, I assumed you either hadn't looked or hadn't found what you needed in your searches, so I offered you one I thought relevant. If you don't like it, that would be a you problem, and I'll know better than to help next time.

Cheers

[MacCraw]

What I don't like is people just going "Google is your friend", because that's a very half-assed, somewhat snide response to give someone who's asking for help. Chances are that if they're asking for help, they're asking because they did try searching for answers and what they found wasn't working for them (now there are people who ask before looking stuff up, but I'm not one of those people). There are some parts of Moho with ample documentation and a lot of it that has minimal (as in less than five results in my search came up with anything) documentation, which is why asking questions in the hopes of receiving answers OTHER than a cookie-cutter response that people hand out like they're running for office is a thing.

Either way, I figured it out, so thank you.

[synthsin75]

Well, I could have said "Google is your friend," and not even provide a search I had already checked was useful. I could have even just ignored you for wanting to be spoon fed. You know, if you're asking for help, maybe try not to be too ungrateful for what people provide you.

[chucky]

The one person who definitely id your friend is Synthsin75.
It is always a good idea when asking for help is to be polite.
That way others may want to help.

Also, demonstrate that you are trying is a good idea, because from experience experts here have learned that often, people asking questions haven't actually made much more than a ' half arsed' attempt.

Be patient, be nice, you will be rewarded.