Moho Forum

hi.
noob her.
how can i select multiple character elements "on table" with mouse cursor, to move (in top motion style) only body, head and arms, without touching legs etc.
or only way is only ctrl select in layers window every element layer?
this would be annoying.

Read the user manual.

Now feeling smart? Thank you.

I'm not sure if I understand the question, but maybe hide or shy bones could help you.

I'm not sure I understand the question either. Could you post a screen cap with notes?

I'm going to guess you're trying to move a selection of multiple artwork layers at once? If so: shift-click the first layer and then the last. This will select all the layers in between. Then, if you wish to deselect some layers in between, use Ctrl click to unselect them. Now use the Transform Layer tool to move all the layers at once. If this is something you need to do often, consider adding tags to the layers to make the selection easier.

Alternatively, if all the layers are contiguous, you can put them in a group and just move the group.

Another approach is to bind all the layers you want to move together to a bone and move the bone. This is probably the best option if you need to do this a lot during animation.

Or maybe this is an IK question? That is, you're using the Manipulate Bones tool and you want to animate some bones in a chain but avoid affecting other bones? If so, when you hold down Alt while using Manipulate bones, you can rotate specific bones in a chain without affecting others. It's a handy way to get exactly the pose you want very quickly.

For example, if you want to pose an arm, don't grab the hand bone with the Manipulate Bone tool. Instead, use the tool on the forearm to pose the arm, and then pose only the hand with the same tool by holding down Alt.

Hope this helps.

thank you.
i worked with flash for 15 years, and found in videos some great features witch would compliment flash - like smart layers very handy. so
i try to approatch in "flash way"
basicly i dont need bones, just solid objects on one layer (i can overcome with problem, that all elements here is in separate layers, by hyding them in one folder) but yes, seems you answered my question.
its very pity if there is no simple Aftereffects or Flash style selection awailable - when you on work area select with mouse needed area, and it automaticly selects all included layers. Cos for me is very frustrating work with layers concept. Usualy i do stop motion "by hand" or as i should say "stop motion by mouse".

anyway i have month to dig moho to decide.

Just a few thoughts re: Workflow and UI.

I think it's a matter of learning the intended workflow of a program and taking advantage of its strengths. This would be more effective than trying to use the program as if it was a different program. My background is design, animation and visual fx for live action features and commercials and, more recently, television animation, and I've had to learn many dozens of programs over the last two decades+. I sometimes find it easier to learn new programs by pretending I don't know other programs because otherwise I might get hung up on some familiar workflow detail, only to learn much later there is actually an easier and maybe better way to do what I want in that program.

I don't use Flash, but at my workplace, we typically use Moho, Harmony and After Effects for 2D character animation, usually in combination. This is because each program has its own strengths and weaknesses, but together they compliment each other. For example, After Effects excels at compositing and fx work but is weak for character animation (even with DuIK, which we also use), Harmony excels at frame by frame animation but it's a bit clunky for rigged animation and fx work, and Moho's greatest strength is its excellent bones, IK, and Actions animation systems, but it can be a little weak for visual fx. But by leveraging the strengths of each program, we can animate almost anything very quickly, while maintaining high quality standards. The price, however, can be a steep learning curve since all three programs work very differently from each other.

Fortunately, Moho does work enough like After Effects to make it easier to learn. Just don't expect it to behave exactly like AE or you'll find yourself getting frustrated. It sounds like you don't like Moho's layer panel but there are actually many advantages in Moho's layer system over AE's. For example, Moho's Groups and AE's Precomps may seem analogous but in Moho you can animate elements for all groups in the same window, but in AE you're forced to animate elements for each precomp in individual windows. This disconnect with AE can make it awkward to animate multiple characters with. In Moho there are also many ways to access and filter layers that's not possible with AE, using various shortcuts, modifiers, SmartBones, Tags, and the new Switch Selection window. In my experience, animating characters with hundreds of layers can be so much easier in Moho than it is in AE--you just have to know the tools and know when to use them.

I'm just advising that, even though aspects of Moho will seem familiar coming from a Flash/AE background, the best approach is to keep an open mind about the program when learning it. After you learn the basics, and you still have questions, these forums can be an excellent resource for answers you can't find in the manuals.

Also, to say you have no need for the bones/IK system in Moho does sound a bit odd since many animators feel it's the main reason to use this program. You should definitely give it a chance.

I hope you'll stick around. Good luck and have fun!