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Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:26 am
by chloejm
I've applied bone dynamics to my character's hair bones, and it's all working fine. However, I want to be able to transform the folder that my character is nestled in without affecting the hair dynamics.
Basically, I only want the bone dynamics to work for the bone layer, and to be able to move the folder that the character is inside without the hair moving with it (I only want the hair to move around when the bone layer is transformed). I usually group and move characters around using folders when changing perspective, but now when I do this the hair goes crazy because of the folder movement. Is there a way to stop this from happening, or maybe another way around this?

Re: Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:00 pm
by synthsin75
If you don't need bone dynamics while you translate its group layer, you could just turn off the dynamics for the move.

Re: Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:19 pm
by Víctor Paredes
chloejm wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:26 amBasically, I only want the bone dynamics to work for the bone layer, and to be able to move the folder that the character is inside without the hair moving with it (I only want the hair to move around when the bone layer is transformed). I usually group and move characters around using folders when changing perspective, but now when I do this the hair goes crazy because of the folder movement.
I see what you mean. I think officially there's no solution other than the one Wes wrote, but sadly that's not ideal for many cases in which you don't want to totally stop the dynamics.
I would try moving the layer using a workaround to force the software to ignore that movement. Maybe a couple overall smart bones moving the layer instead? Or smart bones moving a bone bound to the group layer? I don't have my computer right now to test, but perhaps having this extra 'overall smart bone' step can help.

Re: Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 1:55 am
by Víctor Paredes
Ok, my idea didn't work, but I know there must be a related trick to make dynamics ignore the movement. I have seen that happening some times!
I'll continue testing to see if I can find anything concrete.

Re: Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:10 am
by chloejm
synthsin75 wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:00 pm If you don't need bone dynamics while you translate its group layer, you could just turn off the dynamics for the move.
Ik... but I'd like to find a solution where I won't have to since I want to have the hair effects in cases where my characters are walking/running (and I use folders to move the bones across the screen), so the hair is bouncing. Unfortunately the folder movement ruins it and makes the hair bones move with the folder, so the hair looks like its blowing against wind -w-

Seems like either I have to turn off the dynamics when I do this and animate the hair manually myself, or export without folder translation and move it around afterwards... what a pain lol.
Víctor Paredes wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 1:55 am Ok, my idea didn't work, but I know there must be a related trick to make dynamics ignore the movement. I have seen that happening some times!
I'll continue testing to see if I can find anything concrete.
Ahh I appreciate it! If only Moho had a setting for folders to disable or ignore bone dynamics lol.

Re: Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:57 am
by Greenlaw
I avoid using bone dynamics for hair. To me, hair with bone dynamics never looks as good or as convincing as keyframed hair bones.

If you want to automate hair animation, I suggest using a Smart Bone Action with some added keyframed animation as needed. Usually I have the SBA animate the broad motions, and then I'll add the secondary motions using bones or the Magnet tool directly on points. The animation is more predictable and controllable this way, and it just looks better. Plus you don't have to deal with the potential drag on the processor caused by Bone Dynamics.

For long hair, I really like using the Sketch Bones tool. Sketch Bone is ideal for animating long flowing locks of hair, pony tails or long animal tails. On some rigs, I might use an SBA to animate the root bone so the hair has proper orientation when the character turns, and then I reshape the rest of the chain using the Sketch Bones tool.

To be clear, I have found Bone Dynamics to be a very useful solution in certain situations. I just don't think it's the best way to animate long hair in Moho.

Re: Stop layer translation affecting bone dynamics

Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:45 pm
by SimplSam
The simplest solution is to make all your characters bald! :D