Moho Animation Forum

1. How do you use a switch layer if you were using it for the eyes or hands?
Like if you weren't putting a file in. So basically if i want my character to be angry but i want him to start off happy how do i use the switch layer so it changes? (let's say all the things i need are already made and are in side the switch layer)

Also if i have like 10 different mouths (some that shouldn't be used for talking) how do i get the ones that shouldn't be used to not be used. Example: Layers: Wide Open
Slightly Open
Open Smile (used sometimes)
Closed
Closed Smile (shouldn't be used)

When i do that sometimes while the audio is going the mouth will be a closed smile.

1. You simply put a switch key when you want things to change.

Example: on frame 1 you have closed eyes, and on frame 10 you want to switch to the open eyes image, with that frame selected just right-click on the switch layer and choose the one you want and a key will be placed in the timeline at that point.

2. You aren't using Papagayo, I take it, or any kind of dat file to generate your mouth movements? If using Papagayo it will ignore any of the 10 mouth images not labeled to match (so if it doesn't say "E" for example it won't be used). The other way of generating lip sync automatically is to just use an audio file to flip among the various layers, which it sounds like you are doing.

In this case the easiest is to create two switch layers -- one for lip sync, the other for expressions, and then switch among them with a master switch like this:

Master Mouth Switch
...Lip Sync
......Layer 1
......Layer 2
......Layer 3 etc.
...Expressions
......Mouth happy
......Mouth Sad, etc.

And then choose whether you want lip sync or mouth expressions.

Also, using the AS automatic lip-sync, you could nest switch layers like this:

Mouth switch layer
>normal mouth
>>wide
>>open
>>closed
>happy mouth
>>wide
>>open
>>closed
>sad mouth
>>wide
>>open
>>closed

You'd then add the audio to each sub-switch (normal, happy, and sad). Then you just have to switch between these by right-clicking the main 'mouth switch layer'.

thanks i was getting frustrated because i couldn't figure it out.
And i didn't know you could put a switch layer in another switch layer!
Thanks guys you really helped.