Disorientated animation

[Bwian]

It's happened a couple of times now... but not always!

I start an animation from scratch....set up the basic motion, and it runs fine in Max. I have used the skeleton starting in it's default pose, moving the thing into place for frame 1, and then animating it as required.

It runs fine in max, and is just how I want it. Then I export the CAS ...no problem.

Then...when I import it again, I find that instead of the figure moving forwards ( -y ) the item moves to the side ( x ) direction.

I don't see how it can do this......anyone know what I am doing wrong?

The orientation in MAx is identical to the stock anims when I start, and remains so in Max, right up until I read the thing back in. somehow it is turning the anims to a new orientation. The model is unaffected and the direction the anim faces isn't changed either. Only the horizontal translation is messed up. I am moving the 'scene root' bone. Correct? OR should I move the pelvis or abs bone instead?

[SigniferOne]

Make sure you have the Auto Keyframes button turned on (red border around the model window), because otherwise all your changes of position will not be viewed as animations, but changes in the original model itself.

[Sundjata Keita]

Hmmmm, I don't think autokey is the problem seen as you are still getting the model animated and it doesn't happen every time. The only thing that should cause this is the orientation at the start, the cas exporter may only look for the model to animate along one direction and it changes your x points to have y values if you know what I mean. This still shouldn't happen though, can we have a screenshot of the messed up horizontal translation.

[Bwian]

I am using Max 6 ( which I think differs slightly ) but I DEFINITELY have 'auto key' set up.

One thing I did notice .... when I look at the rest of the keys, they are 'green' indicated as I cerate them. The auto key is setting a key on every frame.

When it comes to the 'scene root' the keys are set in Red. Is this correct?

My process for animating in a bit more detail ....

1) Import my CAS mesh with skeleton in 'reference' pose.

2) Set frames to desired length. For some of the simpler anims, I have this at around 12 frames, for the standard walk and run, I am using 30.

3) For frame 0, on all bones I plan to move, I move the item from ref-pose into the 'base' posture for the unit. For 'walk to Run' type anims, I am copying the rotations for each bone from the end of the previous type anim for continuity.

4) I move each bone at a time, making sure a 'green' blob is marked at each frame.

5) Lastly, I move the whole object along, using the 'scene root' bone. These keys are not 'rotates' but 'translates' since I am moving the whole model along. They get 'red' keys.

6) I run the anim in Max, to check that the object moves about the right distance in walk / run anims, and check that the animations 'flow' smoothly without sudden jerks or movements. The skeleton has been left in the stock orientation, with the unit facing towards '-Y' according to Max co-ords.

Do I need to do anything special here with the co-ordinate system?

7) Export the anim.

This all seems to work fine. No error messages, and everything looking good. In a couple of cases, it has worked fine. But more often than not, I get a problem about now.

I noticed something else messing with it last night....

When you align an anim, I am setting the feet so they are positioned at '0' on the Z axis. This seems to be correct as far as the game anims go. I had an anim which 'moved itself' back to having it's centre at the origin, ignoring my translation up the Z axis. Anyway...

When I RELOAD the anim, instead of my model moving smoothly along the Y axis in a negative Y direction.... it moves along the X axis in a negative X kind of way. The mesh still faces the correct direction, and the animation seems to be moving in EXACTLY the same amounts...just not the direction I set

It MUST be recognising my keyframes etc. since teh object is moving in exactly the way I wanted it to...it's just the animation seems to have switched orientation during load. I thought I might have something messed up in the co-ordinate setup, but on reload, the model still faces -Y.

I must be missing something here...but I am stumped as to what. When I move the scene root, I am doing so by entering incremental values into the boxes at the bottom, so I KNOW I am moving it in increasing steps along -Y....and Max agrees. Until I export the anim and re-load it...then AArrrggh!

bizarre....

Will try and post a screenshot when I get in from work.

Whatever I am screwing up, though, it is ONLY in the movement of the root bone to translate the whole thing. ALL the rotational anims are perfect and correct.

In lieu of a screenshot......imagine someone walking along but moving to their right instead of forwards as their legs walk 'forward'

[Sundjata Keita]

Ah, I understand what you mean now, the scene root has changed its orientation and is "dragging" your model across the wrong axis. This could have something to do with the way you are animating, I suggest moving the scene root a bit forward each time when you do each keyframe. I know autokey can do this automatically but as you said when this happens you get red keys and I think this could be your problem. Failing that just move the root bone along the negative x axis and hopefully it will rotate it onto the y ;)

[Bwian]

I might give that a try!

What REALLY baffles me is that the scene root itself still shows as correct, and the model skeleton still shows correct orientation. If the root had rotated, then I would have through the whole skeleton would have followed...

Going to re-read the Bumper Book of Max ...Keyframe Animation chapter again, and see if there is ANYTHING in there about orientation. I don't know if that will help much though...it works fine in Max until I use the script to export it...which makes me think there is some specific condition the animation exporter needs that I am failing to do.

Trial and error time tonight