Hi.
I'm having a problem with cycling points. When I set up a cycle of points in a set of shapes, lets say legs for a walk cycle, everything works fine as long as I don't go back and fiddle with each individual point in the legs. If I go back to tweak individual points those individually tweaked points will sit outside of the point group cycle and the shape goes haywire. To fix this I have to go back and set each individuallly tweaked point up in its own cycle.
EDIT: I thought it may be possible to put the tweaked points back into the main group by highlighting all points and pressing the Translate tool. This doesn't work though.
Aside from adding all points into a bone group, does anyone know how to add all the points back into one main point group so there is only one cycling keyframe for all?
Cheers
D.K
Point Cycling
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
I can sort of see the problem in my head. It's like when you think you see someone you know but they are too far away to be sure. 
Could you explain in more detail what you mean when you fiddle with the points and the shape goes haywire?
I tried to reproduce this behavior and I just can't figure it out. I set up some points to cycle and some not to. I then went back and fiddled with the points in the cycle and it worked fine... no "haywire".
I must be missing something.
Okay let me try again. You want to be able to move a point so it moves the same amount on ALL the keys? Is that the problem? When you move a point on frame "1" of a cycle you have to then move it the same amount on all the other keys? Just guessing.
If that IS the case then the translate tool is the key. I do this a lot. I need to move points a "consistent" amount either on many key frames or on many layers. I use the numerical translation "box" to do this. I first determine the amount I want to move then apply that same number to the other points. It's harder than just moving a point but it works.
p.s. This doesn't work with Fazek's translate point tool. I use the original AS translate point tool for this.
-vern
Could you explain in more detail what you mean when you fiddle with the points and the shape goes haywire?
I tried to reproduce this behavior and I just can't figure it out. I set up some points to cycle and some not to. I then went back and fiddled with the points in the cycle and it worked fine... no "haywire".
I must be missing something.
Okay let me try again. You want to be able to move a point so it moves the same amount on ALL the keys? Is that the problem? When you move a point on frame "1" of a cycle you have to then move it the same amount on all the other keys? Just guessing.
If that IS the case then the translate tool is the key. I do this a lot. I need to move points a "consistent" amount either on many key frames or on many layers. I use the numerical translation "box" to do this. I first determine the amount I want to move then apply that same number to the other points. It's harder than just moving a point but it works.
p.s. This doesn't work with Fazek's translate point tool. I use the original AS translate point tool for this.
-vern
I think I understand the question like this:
There's a bunch of points, of which just a few need to be animated (in a cycle). Unfortunately the rest of them move as well.
Here's what I do: at the first frame of the intended cycle, I select all points and click just once with the translate tool (T) somewhere in the screen. This creates a key for every point. Then I select that key and copy it to the end of the cycle. Whatever I do now inside the cycle to any point is kind of "isolated" from outside. Points I don't touch just stay where they are.
There's a bunch of points, of which just a few need to be animated (in a cycle). Unfortunately the rest of them move as well.
Here's what I do: at the first frame of the intended cycle, I select all points and click just once with the translate tool (T) somewhere in the screen. This creates a key for every point. Then I select that key and copy it to the end of the cycle. Whatever I do now inside the cycle to any point is kind of "isolated" from outside. Points I don't touch just stay where they are.
Ok....I managed to recreate the effect but only after I added extra points to the leg once I did the initial movement cycle. It looks to me that what may be happening is that some of my points are falling out of the point group after I have set the initial keframes as per how Slowtiger has pointed out which is normally how I go about setting up a cycle?
http://www.wienertoonz.com/leg.anme
EDIT: Or maybe I'm just not setting the keyframes properly.
D.K
http://www.wienertoonz.com/leg.anme
EDIT: Or maybe I'm just not setting the keyframes properly.
D.K
AHA!! Eureka! That person way off in the distance WAS someone I know!
Adding points AFTER the others are animated will always produce hay wire*.
Remember that a new point is not going to be keyed. Where ever you put it is where it is. If you are on frame 6 and you add a new point, it will not be in the same "spot" in relation to the other points it will be at a "zero" point from frame 0. If you add a point on frame 0 it will be in the same spot on all the frames.
* Do android cows eat "hay wire"?
-vern
Adding points AFTER the others are animated will always produce hay wire*.
Remember that a new point is not going to be keyed. Where ever you put it is where it is. If you are on frame 6 and you add a new point, it will not be in the same "spot" in relation to the other points it will be at a "zero" point from frame 0. If you add a point on frame 0 it will be in the same spot on all the frames.
* Do android cows eat "hay wire"?
-vern
Thanks for looking at the problem for me Vern and Slowtiger. I'm obviously not setting the keyframes properly....darn soooo tired doing so much point manipulation all these keyframes and scenes are just blending into each other and melting my brain 
Think I might take a break and go eat some haywire myself.
D.K
Think I might take a break and go eat some haywire myself.
D.K