animating shape stock order?

[jurjen]

Hello,
Did anyone already wrote a script for animating shape stock order?
I searched the forum but could not find anything sofar.

It would we be so ver usefull.

[Genete]

I have done a shape sort but based on bones positions. Click on my second link form my signature and look into ANIMATED SORT SHAPES BASED ON BONES POSITION. If have problems please post them here or at the original thread.
Cheers!
-G

[jurjen]

Thank you for your reply. I prefer one that has nothing to do with bones. I hardly ever use bones.

[heyvern]

The problem with shape order is that you need SOMETHING as a "key". Bones are the best bet even if the bones aren't "used" for point manipulation. There is nothing else to use to store the shape order changes. That is how I use bones with a lot of my scripts... even though I do use bones the "traditional" way I also use them to do things that have nothing to do with actual "vector warping".

You don't have to "use bones" for character animation, you could just think of them as "switches" for changing shape order.

-vern

[DarthFurby]

The other option is manual layer depth sorting, but you have to draw your shapes on separate layers.

[jurjen]

thanks for the replys. the one from Genete looks a bit complicated to me. as far as I understand it, I should name all the shapes and link a bone to it(?).
for me the best way now is, after animation is finished, duplicate the layers and adjust them.
anyway I really hope someone will write a script for it or maybe it will be in a new version.
anyway happy new year
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=RQZ8qgcAfJQ

jurjen

[Genete]

...the one from Genete looks a bit complicated to me. as far as I understand it, I should name all the shapes and link a bone to it(?)....
jurjen

If you read the whole instructions and the "HELPING TOOLS" you don't need to manual name anything. There is a script that would create a set of bones automatically for you based on current shapes of the layer. You don't need to name the shapes.

Just:
a) Draw the shapes in the vector layer
b) Run the ge_bones_for_shapesv2.lua script. It will automatically create a specially named set of bones.
c) Embed the sort_shapes_by_bonesv2.lua script in the vector layer.
c) To find what bone correspond to what shape just use the ge_bone_of_shape.lua script button tool.
d) To change the relative shape order just move the bone horizontally and set it at different relative position from other bones.

Remember that the shapes sort is only produced when a keyframe is found in the timeline. It allows you to decide when to sort.

If delete any or add more shapes just re-run the ge_bones_for_chapesv2.lua script. it would redo the bones position and names based on current shapes stack order.

Believe me, it is worth.

-G

[jurjen]

wow! I got it working. that create bone script is very handy.
I wil now check that ge_bone_of_shape.lua script button tool and animate something to get used to it.
but so far it looks very promising. I was a bit to sceptic.
anyway thank you and later I will post that animationtest here.