Re: "Out in the World" vs. "In a Clip"

[Raffaele Fragapane <jaco(at)thejaco.com>]

in my opinion, human interface wise you can easily get the best of both 
worlds without compromising retrocompatibility or the current workflow

the mixer should have one permanent background track (that adapts to the 
selection/keying set and not to the whole scenespace/modelspace) and 
this track should be, by default, weighted at 0 (to not change the 
behaviour of old scenes).

this background track could then be dealt with like any other clip in 
the mixer, shifting or scaling it back and forth should modify the 
keyframes (makes for an easier life then having to switch to the 
dopesheet for just that), and bringing its weight up should mix it with 
the actual clips in the way a normal clip would.

this doesn't get anywhere near to the dream of having channel based 
clips and a basic nodal interface common to the whole app to manage 
them; but it would make the mixer (and clipFX) a LOT more useful

It could then be expanded on further by being able to create more of 
such background animation tracks and being able to toggle the 
display/activity of each in the fcurve editor, this would also allow for 
interesting things like easily accessible multiple and blendable sets of 
expressions and constraints (which can already be effectively stored in 
clips and managed up to a certain point).

while the actual backend and coding work behind this isn't probably 
anywhere as easy as it seems, and there would be some circularity to 
resolve, I believe it would be a sensible step forward that doesn't take 
away what's good already in the NLA system, and it shouldn't alienate 
those who want no changes to the current workflow

oh well, just thinking aloud here.

******************************
|     Raffaele Fragapane       |
|     Rising Sun Pictures      |
| "Remember, TD is for TopDog" |
******************************



olivier jeannel wrote:

> I agree in some way.
> Although I think it's nice to have the Mixer overiding the Timeline, 
> perhaps the solution could be to have a special "Timeline-Transition" 
> to smoothly blend between both "world".
>
>
> Rafe Sacks a écrit :
>
> > Hi,
> >
> >
> > There is one behavior I think needs to be altered. When there is 
> > ActionSource data and key frame data on the same object, the key 
> > frames don't kick in until the clip is at 0% influence. It really 
> > should blend properly. It would cut out several steps and make 
> > animating so much easier.
> >
> > I always loved the idea of a track in the mixer which would allow an 
> > Animator to automatically key there instead of directly on the 
> > object. I found a way to do it, but I figured it would take a couple 
> > months to develop the idea and I just don't have the time. It should 
> > be possible though.
> >
> > ________________________________
> > R A F E   S A C K S
> > Lead Character TD - Technical
> > Animal Logic Film
> > +612  9383 - 4800
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > olivier jeannel wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Mike,
> > > Maybe I don't get your point clearly but I almost disagree with you :
> > > -"You have to animate, then save a clip and remove the animation 
> > > from the character, then re-apply the animation, so on and so forth. "
> > > -No, both exist, personaly I like not to "remove original animation" 
> > > from the time + "copy cut key" line and just let the Mixer Clip 
> > > override it or not.
> > > -"When setting a keyframe on an object, XSI would automatically 
> > > start creating a clip on a track in the timeline"
> > > - Yes but starting creating a clip automaticaly, that would make 
> > > tons of clips to scroll in. I prefer make the original move, and 
> > > then if necessary Store it into parts (upper body, arms, etc. ) as I 
> > > wish, instead of an automatic thing...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike Werckle a écrit :
> > >
> > > > There was a thread recently about using the mixer for animation, 
> > > > and it got me thinking of a question I've had about XSI for some time.
> > > >
> > > > Why is there a distinction between animation existing "out in the 
> > > > world" (or on the timeline I guess), and animation existing "in a 
> > > > clip?"  For that matter, why does "out in the world" even exist, 
> > > > other than it's just the way that people are used to working?
> > > >
> > > > Why can't animation exist both on the timeline and in a clip?
> > > >
> > > > In my work as a character animator, I have fallen in love with some 
> > > > of the functionality of the mixer, but the work flow seems a little 
> > > > stodgy.  You have to animate, then save a clip and remove the 
> > > > animation from the character, then re-apply the animation, so on 
> > > > and so forth. 
> > > >
> > > > It seems to me it would solve some workflow problems if there was 
> > > > no such thing as "out in the world," only clips on tracks.  When 
> > > > setting a keyframe on an object, XSI would automatically start 
> > > > creating a clip on a track in the timeline.   You could then 
> > > > duplicate and trim and mix the clip, isolate loops, whatever, then 
> > > > open the clip and edit the keyframes with the same ease you have as 
> > > > when they are in the world.  (You can open the clip and edit 
> > > > individual keyframes in the current setup, but the curves are all 
> > > > lumped together and not neatly arranged on nodes anymore.)
> > > >
> > > > I realize that "in the world" probably isn't going to go away, but 
> > > > what do people think about the idea of being able to animate 
> > > > directly into a clip, and see immidiatley how it's going to "mix" 
> > > > in?  What would some of the issues/problems be with that way of 
> > > > doing things?
> > > >  
> > > > Mike
> > >
> > > --
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> > > Olivier Jeannel
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