Flip bones

[Manu]

I suddenly realised how useful it would be to be able to flip a bone and all its children during an animation. You can do it with layers, but not with individual bones.

[Rasheed]

I guess, you would need bone translation for that, so it could be done with a special bone tool, at least, if you mean an effect like this (3 bones: 1 <- 2 <- 3).

[synthsin75]

Probably not relevant, but I'd even like to see a bone scaling that would scale through inversion, 'flipping' any bound points.

All of this is probably already doable with Vern's scripts, but until he can either do away with the naming conventions (which I've seen confuse someone else recently), or maybe put together a comprehensive guide to those scripts, it's just a little overly complicated, IMO.

[Genete]

Yes, scaling a bone can flip things. Just insert -1 in its scale during animation. But you cannot flip by two axis at the same time as well as points cannot be bound to more than one bone in a rigged bind mode.

[synthsin75]

Thanks Genete, I never knew that the textual input could do things that manual manipulation couldn't.

[Genete]

Thanks Genete, I never knew that the textual input could do things that manual manipulation couldn't.

Try to use the mouse wheel over the text input of any of the parameters. Also right click and drag. It is fun!

Beware that a bone with a length of zero only can be scaled using the numerical input, the mouse wheel or right click & drag. Left click and drag over the bone wouldn't work as well as anything multiplied by zero is zero

[Manu]

Actually, I was thinking of this sort of scenario. In this case, you couldn't simply flip the vector layers inside the bone layer because the foot would dislodge itself from the bones. Setting the top bone to -1 equally doesn't work.

When you want a character to flip direction, it often works best if you turn a leg first and then the rest follows.

[Rasheed]

Do you want a binary flip bone animation channel, a bit like the lock bone channel (either lock, or don't lock)?

Or do you want an interpolation type of flip bones, which would make easy head turns a possibility?

Perhaps even both (so, interpolation as an optional feature, with a checkbox)?

[Manu]

Just binary. Like the flip animation channels for layers.

[synthsin75]

I was thinking of doing this kinda stuff by just flipping it by the bone layers, that way it maintains your vector binding. I've seen some people separate their bone layers enough that each body part could be individually flipped by bone layers.

If you put these in actions they'd be just about as fast as an animation channel.

This probably doesn't cover all the uses you have in mind though.

[Manu]

I was thinking of doing this kinda stuff by just flipping it by the bone layers, that way it maintains your vector binding. I've seen some people separate their bone layers enough that each body part could be individually flipped by bone layers.

No, but does help a lot. Hadn't thought of that one. Thanks.

[Víctor Paredes]

Try to use the mouse wheel over the text input of any of the parameters. Also right click and drag. It is fun!

i didn't know the second one, good tip!, now i can modify the values just using the pen. thanks!

[Genete]

Try to use the mouse wheel over the text input of any of the parameters. Also right click and drag. It is fun!

i didn't know the second one, good tip!, now i can modify the values just using the pen. thanks!

Even more! Look at the end:

http://www.lostmarble.com/moho/manual/shortcuts.html