Animated layer issue after actions used

[synthsin75]

You did it wrong.

Maybe try again?

[Greenlaw]

Animated Layer Order really should work...I use this feature all the time.

That said, because there are many variables that could make it not work correctly, you're going to need to post an example project. Otherwise, it's just a big guessing game.

Here are some general notes about Animated Layer Order you might find helpful....

1. If you keyframe Animated Layer Order on the Mainline, it will override any Animated Layer Order keyframes you have assigned in a Smart Bone Action. This is why, when I intend to animate stacking order from within a Smart Bone Action (like when moving upper and lower arms in front of or behind the torso,) I use duplicate layers with visibility instead. This allows me to also use Animated Layer Order on the Mainline for other layers without disrupting the Smart Bone used for the visual layer 'sorting' effect.

2. If you're not using Animated Layer Order on the Mainline but still have issues with Animated Layer Order inside the Smart Bone Actions, check that the layers are correctly sorted in Z-space. Best practice is to make sure they are all aligned with Z...this insures the stacking order in the Layers window is visually correct.

3. Speaking of Z-space, you can actually animate the layer in Z-space in a Smart Bone Action and avoid some of the problems described above (or maybe trade them for a different set of problems.) There are few good reasons to use this method but most of the time, it's best to follow what's described in number 1.

Hope this helps.

[haleycollins]

I am having an issue with this as well. In my case, I am trying to create a smart action where the torso rotates and the arms rearrange based on which way the torso is facing. When I try to rearrange the layer order, it creates a layer order keyframe, but the layer won't actually move in the preview box or in the layers panel. I don't have layer order animated anywhere else so I'm not sure why this could be happening.

[Greenlaw]

As described above, it's not a good idea to use animated layer order inside a Smart Bone Action. Doing this makes it troublesome to add layers later or when you want to manually override the layer sorting.

It's better to create duplicate or reference layers and use the Smart Bone to switch the visibility of the layer. This will give you more flexibility to modify the rig later or manually override the actual layer sorting during animation.

Hope this helps.