VaM 1.x Timeline Layers - Control Nodes being discarded/turned off.

[Metix]

Maybe a somewhat obscure Timeline question.

Lets say I have a segment with several idle animations that play randomly. These animations are on one layer. Now, I have a second layer that is always playing only a single looping animation on targets that are not touched (well, layers prevent this anyhow) by any of the animations in the first layer. Note again, this second layer is playing a looped animation.

In the "Pose" tab, Some of the random animations in the first layer need to have the "Pose: Include Bones and Controls" option checked for them to transition properly. I also have this checked for the looping animation in the second layer. From what I understand, having this option enabled sets those control nodes to On when the animation is called, as they are defined in that animation's Targets.

Here's the problem, whenever one of the random animations ends and starts a new one, it discards (turns off) the control nodes from the second layer's looping animation entirely. So that animation understandably stops.

Is there any sort of built in workaround inside Timeline to prevent this from happening? I would have thought that by the nature of how layers are supposed to be used that inter-layer controls wouldn't be discarded like this. This is much more apparent since my second layer is looping, but I imagine that whenever any layer has a new animation called that it will discard the active bones for the other layers as well. This seems really strange to me, and maybe not intended? Or am I missing something?

One workaround I can imagine is to set triggers in each of the random idles to call the second layer's looping animation, but what if in some circumstances I don't want that looping anim to play? Or, maybe the looping animation calling itself in a trigger?

Any help appreciated, hopefully someone who understands Timeline well can clarify.

- Metix

 

[hazmhox]

I think you might be misunderstanding the pose tab here.
The pose only applies if you let "Apply pose on transition" or start an animation. They do not trigger at all if it's transitioning normally, and I never saw control being disabled between animation without the pose getting triggered. Also, when you see "Pose in -xxx-" at the top, it means that the pose is handle by another layer, checking/unchecking boxes here will not do anything until you save a pose.

 

[hazmhox]

Can you eventually show a video of your case?

 

[Metix]

I think you might be misunderstanding the pose tab here.
The pose only applies if you let "Apply pose on transition" or start an animation. They do not trigger at all if it's transitioning normally

With your help I found the culprit, a couple of the idles I was using in my main layer had 'Apply pose on transition' enabled. In a list of a dozen of them I have no idea how, maybe import? So they were clearing my second layer's control nodes from the active targets.

Anyhow, what I guess I discovered is that if you do have that option enabled, it will make only the control nodes for that animation active.

Thanks Hazmhox.