Lesson 25 - Cycling animation in Maya for efficiency (Part 1)




Select the main control, you can even apply to individual attributes and increase the frames in the timeline for cycling.


Pre Infinity: Which allows to cycle before and
Post Infinity: which allows to cycle after

go to curves > Post Infinity > Cycle



Hit 'play', Notice the animation its repeating the action throughout an unlimited amount of time

If we have to see visually what happens in the Graph editor then..



Go to View > Infinity

Notice we are able to see our interpolation throughout an unlimited amount of time.



Go to Curves > Pre Infinity > Cycle.



Notice we are getting the cycle before '0'(zero), Its on our Negative value.



Go to Curves > Post Infinity > Cycle with Offset.



Notice the curves, they moves continuously through out times, When you play, the animation moves continuously.

What it does here is, It takes the Start key and places it right were our End key. and then it attaches to our curves so we can get nice motion throughout.

Ex: Walk cycle



Go to Curves > Post Infinity > Oscillate.



Notice it oscillate our cylinder through time, so its just essentially going forward and backward

Ex: Fan (oscillating).



When you are working with cycles, make sure all your start and end frames are in the same line. if it does'nt i'll go in a offset value.

Lesson 24 - Ghosting Animation Sequences



The Animation.



Select the Object (Cylinder), Go to Animate > Ghost Selected (Option Box).



'Ghost Options' Box.



The Default value is set to 'Global Preferences' and hit 'APPLY'.



What we see here is a multiple cylinders in our view port, only our main cylinder is able to select. The others are the visual representation of our timing.



Custom Frames: It allows to set the custom amount of frames which we like to ghost.



We don't have any Cylinders following us but we do have some on frame 1, 10, and 20 what we specified from our option, it doesn't move along with the main cylinder if you 'play'.

The Result.



Custom Frame Steps: Its basically the same as the 'Global Preferences', Only with this we can customise and tell how many cylinders we like to see as well as its spacing per frame.



The Result.



Custom Key Steps: It does the same thing as 'Custom frame steps' except we are able to see per key.



Keyframes:
Frame Range: which allows us to adjust from our Timeslider and start and end time.



Notice we are able to see all of our keys from the frames on our timeslider.

and the same way start/end time works.

Lets go back to 'Custom Frame steps'..



Hierarchy: It ghost not only the selected object but the object within our hierarchy, so the children object, and underneath we can specify what 'Object type' we would like Geometry,Locator,Joint,All other types.



now lets say we want to unghost.
First select our Object, go to Animate > Unghost Selected (Option Box).



'Unghost Options' Box.



Notice by default the Hierarchy is set to 'OFF', now turn it 'ON' and click 'APPLY', Notice the ghost objects are gone.

Lesson 23 - Exploring the Graph Editor Toolbar



Go to Windows > Animation Editors > Graph Editor.



The Graph Editor Window.



The Graph Editor Descriptions.



1. Move Nearest Picked Key: It allows to position of our keys as well as our tangent handles very quickly.


select the keys which you want to move.



click the 'Move Nearest picked key tool' and move, by hold the tangent handle.



You can move the f-curves freely by using this 'Move Nearest Picked key tool'.
Notice your selection of the keys remain the same. Wherever you keep the mouse cursor
and move, only that particular key we are able to move freely.



2. Insert Key Tool: It helps to adding keys while still maintaining the continuity in the F-Curve.

Lets say we focus on Translate Z here.



Lets say we want to add a key on Frame 11, Click 'Insert Key tool' and..


use the 'Middle mouse' button click on the F-curve to get the key.



If we go back to all the F-Curve and see, Notice it does'nt add keyframe to all the curves. It just add the keys to what we specify in our selection.



You can Add as many keys you like to.

and you can even..



Select all of the curves and click where you want the keys, Notice it generate keys on all the selected curves.



3. Add Key tool: It similarly works like a insert key tool, only with the add key it will allows us to add a key while maintaining our default In and Out tangency.

If we goahead and click on the selected curve notice we get a flat tangency.



4. Lattice Deform Key: It helps to tweek the animation by giving you a 'scaling box' around the selection.

Select a bunch of keys.



click on the 'Lattice Deform' Key to bring the 'Scaling box' around the selected area.



You can scale out keys 'proportionally' based on how we move these circles in the corner of the box.

rather than going to the circles..



you can also going inside the boxes and move around.



5-6 stats: Time / Value.

lets concentrate translate Z here, and say we multiply its position by 'time'.



The position on the key is on frame 21 and we are going to multipy by 2 so that means on the stats bar '*=2'

(Multiply, Equal, 2), Notice the key is shifted to 42.



Lets do the same thing for out value, but here instead of adding we are going to subtract.



7. Frame All: It Frames the 'Whole F-curves' in the Graph editor.



8. Frame Playback Range: It will set the graph editor view into the playback range what we have selected.



9-10-11-12-13 Tangent Tools: Spline, Linear, Clamped, Stepped, Flat Tangents.



14. Buffer curves Snapshot: It allows to take a 'snapshot'.

Lets select translate Z here and..



Go to View > Show Buffer Curves, and Move the key below. Notice the snapshot appears (b).



and if you want to take the snapshot of 'A' position click on 'Buffer Curve Snapshot'

NOTE: you can make only one snapshot at a time.



15. Swap Buffer Curves: It allows to Swap curve.

Here we have 'A' and 'B', 'A' is the original curve and 'B' is the snapshot.



Click on the 'Swap Buffer Curve' to swap the 'curve' between our keys.



16. Break Tangent: Select the key to break the tangent handle, once you have selected click on the 'Break Tangents' you can see the color change in the handle.



17. Unify Tangents: If you want to move the handles evenly, then click on 'Unify Tangents'.



18. Free Tangent weight: Select the key and Go to Curves > Weighted Tangents.



You can see the Different in the handle, the handle 'size' will change according to the curve. Click on 'Free Tangent Weight', and then you can stretch or squash the handle.



19. Lock Tangent: Once you are done with the adjustments, click on 'Lock Tangent' to lock its position. Once the position is locked you can move the handle proportionally.



And you can go to Curve > Non-Weighted Tangents, to bring back the handle to its original position.



20. Auto Load Graphic Editor On/Off: click on the icon to Auto load.

21. Load Graph Editor from Selection: Click on the icon to Load.



22. Time Snap On/Off: you can click on the icon to snap it On or Off the time.



23. Value Snap On/Off: you can click on the icon to Snap it On or Off the value.