Creating Switch Layer After Rigging does not affect graphics

[mak]

Hi there...

i created a character, with arms, legs, body, head, hands, etc... then i added a skeleton and bones, they work fine.

Then I realised i may need more hand shapes so i created 4 different hand shapes, then made a switch layer and dropped them in...then suddenly when i click the 'offset bone' tool, all of the characters body parts assemble together as i positioned them previously but now the hands inside the switch layer i created are positioned way away from the arm..where they were from originally.

How do i get the hands to be part of the body/bone rigg again, after making my different shapes in a switch layer?

is it something to do with the bone>release or flexi bind option? I havent used the bind tool before either, not sure how that works, would it help?

thanks again for your comments in advance, this learning curve is steep when the pressures on!

thanks guys!

[mak]

I fiddled around with the bind layer tool...something i did seemed to work...just gotta try it again now to be sure!

[mak]

oh no.......

now when i try to select different hand shapes in the switch layer to be displayed in the animation...its not showing any, just the original hand shape....its not showing any of the other new shapes ive made!!



more fiddleing me thinks....any thoughts?

[mak]

think i may have messed something up...

when i look at the mouths switch layer..when its selected, all options under the bones menu at the top are greyed out, but when i select my new hand shapes switch layer, the options for flexi bind and relase are available... which means its different to my mouth switches (which works correctly)

ohh **** , the boss aint gonna be happy...i need some kind of matrix implant off anime studio knowledge into my brain....if only!!

any help??

[Genete]

Let me give you some basic hints:

1) Bone layers have skeletons that only affect to the points of the first level vector layers that are inside. That means that if you have a group, bone or other container layer different than a vector layer inside a bone layer, then the child vector layer of that child "folder" layer aren't controlled by the grandfather skeleton:

Hierarchy example:
-Bone layer 1 (parent skeleton1)
--Vector layer (points affected by skeleton 1)
--Bone layer 2 (the entire layer can be attached to a bone of skeleton 1) (this layer have skeleton 2)
---Vector layer (points are affected only by skeleton 2)
--Vector layer (points are affected only by skeleton 1)

"-" means hierarchy level.

2) Switch layers are specialized bone layers: Only one sub layer is shown each time. Subs layers can be what ever you want (like in the bone layers) and follow also same bones visibility rules (first level vector layer's points are controlled by the switch layer skeleton directly). See point 1)

Now if you need more information ask please!.

Best
-G

[mak]

thank you for your reply Genete!

So I was under the impression that when you create a character you can make all the body parts ( as layers ) and then different mouth shapes (put inside a switch folder) and different hand/eyebrow/eye shapes (put inside a switch folder etc) AND THEN create a bone layer and put all of these layers inside it to make a fully working body...that has one bone skeleton that controls it all??

Is that correct? The way I did it was I made all of my character, put it all inside a bone layer and THEN I decided to add mouths (switch) and hands (switch) and I've had problems getting them to work since..

The mouth layer seems to be fine now ( no idea how I did it) but Im still having trouble with the hand shapes inside a switch layer like the mouths...they wont display any other shapes apart from the first vector child layer inside the switch..

I hope this makes sense, can you tell me if what I've done is correct?..or do you know why I have a problem displaying seperate h and shapes and making them move with the skeleton?

Most appreciated Genete, thanks for the help so far... hope you can reply soon!

Cheers

[slowtiger]

Any bone layer controls only the levels which are directly inside it. If you put some levels into a group or switch layer and put this group or switch layer into a bone layer, only one bone will control only the group or switch layer as a whole, but not anything inside it.

If you put layers into a switch layer, you can either create one set of bones in the switch layer which will affect every vector layer inside the switch layer, or you could create several separate bone layers inside the switch layer and put any vector layers into those bone layers. When you switch now, only one bone layer with its contents will be visible, and you move the bones in that layer on its separate timeline which is independent from a bone layer which holds the switch layer.

(hope this makes sense ...)

[mak]

thanks slow tiger!!

I finally understand!!...I bind my switch layer (hand shapes) to the hand bone (bind layer tool) and it moves with it...and i can display anyone of the child vectors inside too...........thanks for all your help guys!!!

eyes are done, eye brows too...now for the next character 1/15...ouch!

thanks again!