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I don't know what I've done here. Basically, I've recorded one animation and want to record a second, but even though there's no keyframes showing the robot animates.

Also, the armature leaps to the side if you switch between armature/pose mode.

Short video showing the issues

I would really appreciate understanding what is going on here because if I don't know how to correct this it's going to be an issue with every animation.

Many thanks in advance.

A

Blender file:

Altissimus
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    At 0'41 your timeline shows a bunch of keyframes. Wouldn't they be the reason why everyhing moves? – Kiskit Jul 02 '19 at 07:07
  • you must have pushed the first animation into the NLA with the Push Down button (Dopesheet when it's in Action Editor mode). If you don't want it to play you can mute it or delete it in the NLA? – moonboots Jul 02 '19 at 08:32
  • @moonboots That was my initial thought, but I don't think it's even that complex. In pose mode the root bone has no keyframes but once he/she selects the armature, keyframes pop up on the timeline – Kiskit Jul 02 '19 at 13:40
  • maybe he should share his file so that we can take a look – moonboots Jul 02 '19 at 13:52
  • Kitkat @moonboots I appreciate your feedback. As I said in my op, there is a pre-existing animation associated with the main armature. However, when I move the other armature ("Track Controller"), the first animation plays. But (afaik) it shouldn't - they're not connected, and the other animation is under the main armature. I have the separate problem that I was trying to highlight that when I select the first armature or the pose, the rig jumps out of position. Why is this? I'm new to this stuff so I'm sure I've made a basic mistake somewhere, but no idea where. How do I separate them? – Altissimus Jul 02 '19 at 17:30
  • please share your file: https://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/ – moonboots Jul 02 '19 at 18:05
  • File shared @moonboots – Altissimus Jul 02 '19 at 19:53

2 Answers2

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You have 2 armatures, Track Controller (with only one bone, on the left of the machine), and Armature, which is all the machine bones.

Your Dopesheet is in Action Editor mode, it will only display the keyframes relative to the selected armature.

When we open the file, Track Controller is selected, and as it has no action, no keyframes are displayed.

On the contrary, we can see that Armature is animated. It's normal because an action has been assigned to it, and if we select this armature, all the keyframes of this action will be displayed on the Dopesheet.

If you want to close the action playing for a selected object, press the X button on the right of the action name. It won't be played anymore by the armature but it will still be selectable in the dropdown menu if you want it back.

enter image description here

When you close your file, every action will be saved as long as it has at least one user (one object or armature using it) or if you've assigned it a fake user (press the F button on the right of the action name if you want to give an action a fake user). Fake user is a way to make sure that the action you've created will be saved even if it doesn't have any user yet.

About le leap to the side: your bones come back to their rest pose as soon as you come back to Edit mode. If you select all these bones in Pose mode and press altG they will combe back to the same pose.

moonboots
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  • Ok...thank you...but that doesn't actually address my question. I am trying to use one animation on Armature, and one on Armature 001. I want them separate. Currently, when I click on Armature 001, I don't understand why Armature animation is involved at all. How do I get a second, separate animation? As soon as I move the timer, the animation that I have starts playing. But I've set up a new animation! So why is it even connected??!? – Altissimus Jul 02 '19 at 21:17
  • About the leap to the side - I want the "rest" position of the armature (which, for someone odd reason is out to the side) to become the current "pose" position - I understand that Alt G makes pose become rest - is there a way to make rest become pose? – Altissimus Jul 02 '19 at 21:20
  • The 2 animations are separate, it's just that whatever object you select, Armature will play its animation, because for the moment an animation is affected to this armature, if you don't want it to play, close it with the X button (in the Dopesheet / Action Editor mode, on the right of the animation name), you'll be able to reload it with the dropdown menu, or make it play later: click on the Push Down button and move the strip in the NLA. Please tell me if you understand. – moonboots Jul 03 '19 at 07:27
  • Sorry, I'm still doing something wrong. So I select the Armature and the "shorter idle" animation. I hit the X to close it on the Action Editor against the "browse action to be linked" name. Then I select the Armature.001 which has the "walking" animation. When I play that, or move the timer, the "shorter idle" animation still plays. If I click to add a new animation, then move the timer on to change the animation in pose mode, the "shorter idle" animation still plays. This means I can't add a new separate animation. – Altissimus Jul 03 '19 at 08:28
  • In the version you shared, Armature 001 didn't play any animation because you didn't select any in the dropdown menu, if you select Armature 001 and, in the dropdown menu, select the action called Walking, Armature 001 will play Walking. If you select Armature and close Shorter Idle with the X button, it won't play Shorter Idle, unless you've clicked on the Push Down button, which means you've created a NLA strip, so maybe you created this strip by accident, open the NLA and check this out... – moonboots Jul 03 '19 at 08:36
  • About ready to give up and scrap this. I don't know what an "NLA strip" is. I looked at the NLA and can't figure out how to turn off the "shorter idle" animation. Some screenshots would help. Some step by step instructions would be amazing. I imported the model into unity and the animations play together, not separately. Also, the track animation doesn't rotate the track, it transforms it - so it rips off the machine and heads off by itself without rotation. Totally disheartened. – Altissimus Jul 03 '19 at 18:35
  • maybe you're going to fast, try to follow some basic tutorials about animation, dopesheet, nla... – moonboots Jul 03 '19 at 18:46
  • I've gone through loads. The problem is, none of them show you how to redeem errors. I've literally spent hours on tutorials. Hours. That's why I've come here - looking for someone with experience to take a look at a video and a file and say "oh, you've done this...you undo it like that...screenshot, screenshot, job done". – Altissimus Jul 03 '19 at 20:22
  • well, I answered your first question and gave you the reasons why the robot seemed to animate with no keyframe, it was because you didn't select it, and why it leaped, it was because it was not in rest pose, now you say that your armature is still playing even though there is no keyframes in the Dopesheet, if this happen when you select the armature, as I said, the reason should be that you've pushed a strip in the NLA, but I don't see that in the file you shared, maybe share the latest... – moonboots Jul 03 '19 at 20:56
  • I'm using the same file. I'm even reloading it each time, to make sure I haven't done anything. If you've managed to make changes that actually address this, perhaps you could kindly re-share the file? But the biggest question, the only question really, is why the armature is playing even when there's no keyframes showing in the action editor. It was, in fact, the first line of my op. – Altissimus Jul 03 '19 at 21:51
  • Again, there are keyframes playing in the action editor: select the armature called Armature, you'll see the keyframes of the selected action for this object. If you don't want any action to be played for this armature, select it, go in the Dopesheet in Action Editor mode, and on the right of the action name (Shorter Idle) click on the X button (Unlink this action). – moonboots Jul 04 '19 at 05:44
  • I've edited my answer, maybe it's clearer? – moonboots Jul 04 '19 at 05:55
  • It's clearer, thank you. However, I explained I did all you said about 4 comments back - hitting the X and all that stuff. It's still not working for me. Anything I do is still resulting in that animation playing. So, nevermind. I've given up and scrapped the model. Going to re-work the whole thing from scratch. Just a shame that someone can't clearly explain the interrelation between armature/animation/nla/whatever when things go wrong. – Altissimus Jul 04 '19 at 09:08
  • if you hit X all the keyframes should disappear, is it not what's happening for you? About the interrlation between armature/animation/nla/whatever, it would be too long to do in this forum, all I can say is that the animation you'll see in the 3D scene will be the one selected in the Dopesheet, or, if there is not, the one in the NLA. – moonboots Jul 04 '19 at 09:10
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If anyone else reads this looking for answers to similar problems:

A solution for the "leaping rig" is here: My Rig Changes Position in Edit/Object Mode?

Altissimus
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