Question How to edit a scene?

[Jocks3D]

I did a Google search for "How to edit a Virt-a-Mate scene" and all the top results were about changing a Look which I already knew how to do. What I'd like to do is take an existing scene and change some of the movements/animations of the Look(s) and maybe delete some parts, add on new things, maybe change the music or sound effects (I have the Creator version of VaM).

I guess I'm not so much asking how to do all this (but will welcome that kind of help) as I am asking what is the correct search terms or phrase I should be using on Google or in this forum to find this info or a tutorial?

I also have VaMX and I assume I can do most of what I want there but I was just wondering the method for doing all this within VaM.

 

[SPQR]

I'd go for youtube "vam tutorial". you'll find stuff like https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsf1TU3s9ts0u3dpKC-BsJHlBRHQLFOs6

 

[atani]

While the question is very simple the answer can be very complicated because it's too broad and there's many ways a scene can be created and changed to.
You'd be better off breaking it down by parts, such as in a scene animated using timeline,search for and read how Timeline works, or how to add sounds in a scene, etc. Set small challenges and build from there.

 

[Jocks3D]

I thought I was being pretty specific by asking how to edit an existing scene. Do I need to be even more specific and ask how to edit a scene by _______ (insert artist name)?

But seriously I'll go through that playlist and see if my answer is there.

 

[atani]

The creator is irrelevant for a question like "how to edit a scene", what matters is how that scene is made as and your intentions on editing.
Say you want to change the background music, that's different from wanting to change a person animation that uses the Timeline plugin. Or you want to change the environment to use a CUA, also something very different than the others mentioned. "Edit a scene" is super vague, unless you're asking how to begin that process, which is by pressing the "edit" button on the UI.

 

[SPQR]

I thought I was being pretty specific by asking how to edit an existing scene.

however specific you'll be it will still be too vague vam has quite the learning curve and lots of ways to do things, it's a bit of sandbox.


but if it helps here are some very quick tips:
- atoms = objects (e.g. Person), controllers = points that you can move inside an atom (e.g. left hand)
- you go in edit mode, not play mode (the big buttons in the main UI)
- you click/select the atom (object) you want to edit
- there's also a select object list in the menu, you can select objects from there too and also add new ones
- when you select an object you'll get its menu open, from there you can customize more stuff
- the Control tab is the most important tab from that menu, you can delete the item from there
- from the Move tab you can alter the position & rotation, you can also drag objects around in the scene
- sound is trickier and you'll have to check a tutorial for that but the idea is to add an Audio Source atom, that will be the place where the sound will come from in the 3d space. then you'll have to add the sound files from the main menu to the scene, something like Scene Sounds maybe, you'll notice it in the menu surely. You'll just select the files there and it will load them, it will allow you to play them in the scene. Next you'll have to get the files to play on the Audio Source. A quick and popular way to do actions in vam is with buttons. You can add a new button, from the menu you'll see a trigger tab. There you set what happens when the button gets clicked: you can add an action there, you'll select the atom you want to modify (the Audio Source atom you just added) and search for the other options, something like Sound/Audio > PlayNextClearQueue and select your mp3 from the list. Then whenever you'll click that button it will clear the audio queue of whatever is playing on the Audio Source atom and start playing your mp3.
- the simplest way to add some movement is by using plugins on the models. a good one is CycleForce included with vam, you can make specific parts of the body move in a specific repetitive way
- for more complex animations you can use AnimationPattern Atoms to sort of create animation steps that you can customize in more detail. There are also animation plugins that make it easier I think like Timeline and AnimationPoser
- you can add environments and stuff from the assets section of the hub with the CustomUnityAsset Atom. You add one of those to your scene, and from its menu you then select a file (an asset bundle) to load and then change the slider to pick an item from it. Some files contain multiple objects in them.
- from the main menu > scene lighting you can enable show skybox and pick a different one to get a quick background/skybox like clouds instead of the black background

 

[Joe6Pack]

In this same vein. Let's say there's a scene from the hub that was one of the many offered free. If I wanted to move a character up or down, it lets me, then SNAPS the charcter I moved upward back to the original position when the animation plays.

I can understand not wanting to easily break scenes, but if all I want to do is move someone vertically a bit and not alter anything else, is there anyway to do it in a scene I'm using made by others? I'm not trying to resell it, just use it myself, to be clear.

Thanks

 

[atani]

That makes sense, especially if Timeline is used. The animation follows coordinates and moving the person will push it back to the set coordinates.
You can offset these in bulk, but that's quite a advanced feature. Or easier might be to instead move the environment and not the animated person. I don't know, depends on what you're trying to do and the goal.

Other forms of animation are not coordinate set, like cycleforces for example. You can move a atom animated by a cycleforce and it won't snap back if the control points are in "on".

 

[Joe6Pack]

That makes sense, especially if Timeline is used. The animation follows coordinates and moving the person will push it back to the set coordinates.
You can offset these in bulk, but that's quite a advanced feature. Or easier might be to instead move the environment and not the animated person. I don't know, depends on what you're trying to do and the goal.

Other forms of animation are not coordinate set, like cycleforces for example. You can move a atom animated by a cycleforce and it won't snap back if the control points are in "on".

By "in bulk" not sure what you mean. In bulk means all at once and that sounds ideal. Is this "in bulk" an advanced feature built into VAM? If yes, how do I access it, if not, can I edit the timeline manually to move her starting position?

Thanks

 

[atani]

If the animation is made with Timeline then the keyframes can be changed in bulk. Again, this is a advanced feature of Timeline; if you don't know how to use that plugin already then I wouldn't even consider this option.
If you're willing to edit and make scenes, in the long run it's worthwhile to learn how to use the plugin, but it's a big time and effort investment.

Without knowing the scene in question I cannot advise on other options, the animation can be done in many ways.

 

[Joe6Pack]

If the animation is made with Timeline then the keyframes can be changed in bulk. Again, this is a advanced feature of Timeline; if you don't know how to use that plugin already then I wouldn't even consider this option.
If you're willing to edit and make scenes, in the long run it's worthwhile to learn how to use the plugin, but it's a big time and effort investment.

Without knowing the scene in question I cannot advise on other options, the animation can be done in many ways.

It's from the included free scenes tab on VaM launch called "Deep Inside" and has a girl sitting on the ground and a guy tapping her forehead with his wang.

 

[atani]

Is that a old scene that comes with VaM or something from the Hub? I didn't find any called "deep inside".

 

[Joe6Pack]

Is that a old scene that comes with VaM or something from the Hub? I didn't find any called "deep inside".

Yes, comes with VaM. Here are two pics to further clarify.

 

[atani]

I remeber seeing that one, might be able to find it. It's not a inbuilt in VaM scene, it's a VAR you downloaded.

 

[Joe6Pack]

I remeber seeing that one, might be able to find it. It's not a inbuilt in VaM scene, it's a VAR you downloaded.

*cough* forgive me I'm old. I probably did download it from the vam hosting site and it just goes there. Found it.

Scenes - DeepInside

I've read the rules, but if I follow the rules, I can't make anything. Male : ICannotDie.Riley_Robyn.1 (Robyn Edited) *My Settings Be sure to turn on "High Quality Physics"

hub.virtamate.com

Thanks for eyeyballing this for me.

 

[atani]

Thanks.
I can confirm the animation is made with Timeline. What do you need to be moved vertically, is it a person, just a part of a person, something else?

 

[Joe6Pack]

Thanks.
I can confirm the animation is made with Timeline. What do you need to be moved vertically, is it a person, just a part of a person, something else?

I'd like to raise the girl up from the ground, my guy is taller and I don't care if she's floating in order to raise her high enough. And thanks for your ongoing assistance

 

[atani]

You can try changing the scale on each person, either smaller male or larger female, or change a morph for height. This would not affect the animation keyframes for raising her up.

 

[Joe6Pack]

You can try changing the scale on each person, either smaller male or larger female, or change a morph for height. This would not affect the animation keyframes for raising her up.

I actually tried the scale and it's not enough, how do I get into the timeline to adjust the nodes?

 

[atani]

Timeline is a plugin. If you don't know how to access a plugin you need to see the tutorials on VaM and the UI, and of course for Timeline itself.
VaM has a very steep learning curve. it will take some time to go about editing stuff.

 

[Joe6Pack]

Timeline is a plugin. If you don't know how to access a plugin you need to see the tutorials on VaM and the UI, and of course for Timeline itself.
VaM has a very steep learning curve. it will take some time to go about editing stuff.

I have the timeline plugin loaded, I just don't know how to load the animation that sets her position. If could explain how to load it in the scene I've indicated I'm trying to adjust, I can probably figure out how to adjust the nodes. Thanks again for the assistance.

 

[Jocks3D]

A belated thank you to SPQR. That summary is very helpful and a good start.

 

[atani]

I have the timeline plugin loaded, I just don't know how to load the animation that sets her position. If could explain how to load it in the scene I've indicated I'm trying to adjust, I can probably figure out how to adjust the nodes. Thanks again for the assistance.

There's about 10 animations for each person atom, I don't know which one of the 20 you want to change. Even if I knew which one it was, and probably is several animations, to change something in Timeline you'd need to spend time with it and likely read the documentation. This is not a 5 second click here and it's done job.

 

[Joe6Pack]

There's about 10 animations for each person atom, I don't know which one of the 20 you want to change. Even if I knew which one it was, and probably is several animations, to change something in Timeline you'd need to spend time with it and likely read the documentation. This is not a 5 second click here and it's done job.

Thanks after your suggestion, I've reached out to the author for clarification of which animations need to be edited.

 

[Joe6Pack]

Ok, here's an update for those that care. It *IS* possible to adjust a scene done by someone else using the timeline plugin and I was able to do it but it's not as straightforward as editing a position of a model as it is in DAZ3d.

So if you've put on a preset/look that breaks a scene. Open the scene, look at the timeline plugin and see which part of which person you need to move around. It took me about 4 hours-ish to muddle my way through, but there are videos and wikis that might speed you up. May the pron be with you.