Question Is it Possible to do this with Timeline? (facial expressions)

[henshin]

I want to do this only with keys:

1- Change facial expression (morphs)
2- Press a key to apply all those expressions
3- Move time 1 second (extend duration if needed)
4 - repeat 1 2 3

Also could be useful to be able to remove/add frames with just one key (for example to remove frames between the keyframes every second, to change duration between expressions)

I was creating a plugin but then I realized maybe this is already possible with Timeline

 

[MacGruber]

Depends a bit what you actually want, but did you have a look at IdlePoser? Each expression would be a "State". You can change randomly between states, or do something more complex when combining with LogicBricks or Timeline to tell IdlePoser what to do.

IdlePoser - Plugins + Scripts -

IdlePoser is a state-based idle animation solution. States are essentially poses, but they can be anchored to body parts or even other characters. This makes it possible for different instances of IdlePoser to interact with each other, creating...

hub.virtamate.com

IdlePoser Mini Tutorial - Guides -

This is a Mini Tutorial for my IdlePoser plugin. I wrote this for a discussion thread. I decided I might as well make it a resource so it can be found. IdlePoser is an extremely powerful animation plugin that is using an alternative approach...

hub.virtamate.com

 

[hazmhox]

I want to do this only with keys:

1- Change facial expression (morphs)
2- Press a key to apply all those expressions
3- Move time 1 second (extend duration if needed)
4 - repeat 1 2 3

To answer the original question, no, none of this can be done with a keybinding. Except move 1 second forward.
The amount of actions you're asking for is more a macro than anything else, there is so much going on that no plugin would have that sort of very specific commands.

For instance, "Change facial expression" in the case of VAM is so "wide" as a concept that I can't even start to imagine how you would handle that. What expressions? What morphs? At what scale? One morph? Multiple morphs? You need a specific plugin just to handle that key bind.

Mac's alternative is a good suggestion.

 

[henshin]

To answer the original question, no, none of this can be done with a keybinding. Except move 1 second forward.
The amount of actions you're asking for is more a macro than anything else, there is so much going on that no plugin would have that sort of very specific commands.

For instance, "Change facial expression" in the case of VAM is so "wide" as a concept that I can't even start to imagine how you would handle that. What expressions? What morphs? At what scale? One morph? Multiple morphs? You need a specific plugin just to handle that key bind.

Mac's alternative is a good suggestion.

It does not need to be "facial expression" moprh, could be only "favorite" morphs changed, or could be "any" morph changed.
The action does not look so complex is just "add the targets" automatically if they does not exist and pply the current value

I will take a look to IdlePoser and if that's not enough I will build a plugin for facial expressions. Thanks !

 

[henshin]

Depends a bit what you actually want, but did you have a look at IdlePoser? Each expression would be a "State". You can change randomly between states, or do something more complex when combining with LogicBricks or Timeline to tell IdlePoser what to do.

IdlePoser - Plugins + Scripts -

IdlePoser is a state-based idle animation solution. States are essentially poses, but they can be anchored to body parts or even other characters. This makes it possible for different instances of IdlePoser to interact with each other, creating...

hub.virtamate.com

IdlePoser Mini Tutorial - Guides -

This is a Mini Tutorial for my IdlePoser plugin. I wrote this for a discussion thread. I decided I might as well make it a resource so it can be found. IdlePoser is an extremely powerful animation plugin that is using an alternative approach...

hub.virtamate.com

I was reading the tutorial, it seems I could do that with the plugin, the problem I see is the speed

Can we do the 3 steps I proposed?
Because reading the tutorial it seems I need first to select all the morphs I want to track (and I don't know them they are a lot, my idea is to copy real expressions from videos, I need to find the morphs for almost every frame)
Also is it possible to add the state with just one key and without asking anything else (do not ask for name, do not ask for transitions, and make transitions automatically between any adjacent state)

 

[MacGruber]

I need to find the morphs for almost every frame

No, with IdlePoser you add morphs once as being captured/monitored. When creating States it looks at all those. When you got two states and a captured morph is zero for both of them, the performance cost for doing the transition of that morphs is very low. Note that IdlePoser is compatible with Keybindings plugin, so some stuff (mostly switching the UI tabs) can be done with keys:

MacGruber's Keybindings Profile - Guides -

My profile setup for @Acid Bubbles Keybindings plugin. This is for creators who work mostly from Desktop mode. Obviously I use this in combination with my own PowerHandles plugin. I can't do productive work in VaM without these two plugins...

hub.virtamate.com

You still need to find the morphs in the VaM morph window to make the actual changes. However, that's why you can mark things as favorites. What you could also do is put UISliders in your scene and set them up to control your morphs.

Or as an alternative you make a custom plugin that offers your morphs in the UI. But then you might as well do all the animation stuff as well?

Also is it possible to add the state with just one key and without asking anything else

You want to everything and all morphs by pressing a single magic key? I don't see how your plugin would know what you want?

 

[henshin]

No, with IdlePoser you add morphs once as being captured/monitored. When creating States it looks at all those. When you got two states and a captured morph is zero for both of them, the performance cost for doing the transition of that morphs is very low. Note that IdlePoser is compatible with Keybindings plugin, so some stuff (mostly switching the UI tabs) can be done with keys:

MacGruber's Keybindings Profile - Guides -

My profile setup for @Acid Bubbles Keybindings plugin. This is for creators who work mostly from Desktop mode. Obviously I use this in combination with my own PowerHandles plugin. I can't do productive work in VaM without these two plugins...

hub.virtamate.com

You still need to find the morphs in the VaM morph window to make the actual changes. However, that's why you can mark things as favorites. What you could also do is put UISliders in your scene and set them up to control your morphs.

Or as an alternative you make a custom plugin that offers your morphs in the UI. But then you might as well do all the animation stuff as well?


You want to everything and all morphs by pressing a single magic key? I don't see how your plugin would know what you want?

I have a plugin in an alpha state this is how it works so far:

1- I change the facial morphs
2- I press a key and the state of those morphs is saved in a List (I detect the morphs with category including "expr", I don't need to preselect any morphs, I can use anyone and the plugin will detect it has changed and save it, I'm always in the Female Morphs UI not my plugin UI)
3- Repeat 1 and 2
4- When done I save a .json file for Timeline plugin, every "facial expression" (usually multiple morphs) from the List is saved as a new keyframe, separated 1 second
5- I can import that json in timeline and edit the animation (that's why I was needing a key to remove frames between keyframes etc easily)

I think now I will add a UI to allow to set the "time duration" for every facial expression in the List before creating the json to import in timeline

 

[hazmhox]

It does not need to be "facial expression" moprh, could be only "favorite" morphs changed, or could be "any" morph changed.
The action does not look so complex is just "add the targets" automatically if they does not exist and pply the current value

I will take a look to IdlePoser and if that's not enough I will build a plugin for facial expressions. Thanks !

I have a plugin in an alpha state this is how it works so far:

I only used your example since you were refering to facial expressions. But yes, any morph could work.
And I'm answering to your question knowing what VAM can achieve easily, just like @MacGruber does. We are aware of the vanilla features, the existing plugins and what you could potentially do with them.

So all and all, as you realized, you're simply diving into coding a plugin.
Your initial question was "can I do this with that", we answered.
Now the only alternative (since it's not possible) is having a way to do it, hence creating your own plugin.

If you're a coder (apparently), you should have realized by yourself that even your initial requestion overall requires a lots of "inputs" from one or multiple plugins/vam features. And your inputs are abstract, it's not a specific action or morph, it's "whatever morph". So it's kind of impossible to have all you want without creating your own system.

Good luck on your endeavour ^^

 

[henshin]

I only used your example since you were refering to facial expressions. But yes, any morph could work.
And I'm answering to your question knowing what VAM can achieve easily, just like @MacGruber does. We are aware of the vanilla features, the existing plugins and what you could potentially do with them.

So all and all, as you realized, you're simply diving into coding a plugin.
Your initial question was "can I do this with that", we answered.
Now the only alternative (since it's not possible) is having a way to do it, hence creating your own plugin.

If you're a coder (apparently), you should have realized by yourself that even your initial requestion overall requires a lots of "inputs" from one or multiple plugins/vam features. And your inputs are abstract, it's not a specific action or morph, it's "whatever morph". So it's kind of impossible to have all you want without creating your own system.

Good luck on your endeavour ^^

Yes you are right, my question was answered, I forgot this section it's only for one question one answer sorry

 

[hazmhox]

Ho no, not at all, if it's an extension of your question go on. I was just reframing the original question