Topic: Character animation

[Aliki_N]

Hi ALL,

Here is a test of lumion 2.0 build2 feature of animating a character along a curved path. I find the whole process very confusing.
1. The character slide walks.
2. The character loops several times.
3. The character suddenly appears in the scene.

I do not understand how the time off-set slider operates.
Is there a way to control the walking speed so as to avoid the sliding effect?

Regards,

Alickn.

[Morten]

The character loops several times.

I don't decide how these features are designed, but personally (ie, not speaking as a representative of Act-3D) I think it would make it easier and more flexible to use if there were a few playback options for each animated model, eg, Once, Loop, Path Loop, Ping Pong etc (as suggested by others).

I do not understand how the time off-set slider operates.

It allows you to offset the start time of the animation. A Time offset slider value of -1 means that the animation will start 1 second after the clip begins.

Is there a way to control the walking speed so as to avoid the sliding effect?

Not at the moment. Cars also need some sort of velocity control in my opinion.

I'm guessing they'll overhaul this effect at some point.

[Aliki_N]

Thanks Morten for the quick feedback, I really appreciate.

Regards,

Alickn

[blendman]

Hi Morten,

I think you guys need to work on some tutorials to help us along.  I tried to help here with making some of my own, but recently decided I won't be continuing, as I can't see any benefit gained.

Having no manual, but also no tutorials, will frustrate your customer base in the l/t.  I recommend you guys think this one through.

Respectfully,

blendman

[RAD]

[Aliki_N]

I totally agree with you Blendman. The controls on materials manipulation have equally changed and need tutorials to explain what those controls do.

[Aliki_N]

Thanks, but without an instructor or an instructors manual = many fruitless hours.

[Morten]

I think you guys need to work on some tutorials to help us along.

Here's what Remko had to say about tutorials:
http://lumion3d.com/forum/index.php?topic=2673.msg16735#msg16735

[blendman]

Hi Morten,

Yes I am aware of this, but I think you are better to spit out 2-3 tutorials aweek, than to blast us with 50 in one go, perhaps an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

The NO MANUAL STRATEGY...well I can agree with Remko on this, but as a customer...only if you can continully provide the updates/tutorials to learn how to use it.  Lumion is getting very complex.  You guys probably don't notice this because you use it day by day, but we are are being challenged by it's features day by day...Question: Please advise when you issued the last tutorial to the forum??  

Don't get me wrong, I know you guys work hard on the software, but let me makle clear my frustration with it at present...

Although I have only purchased the Basic version, I use the software for about 4-6 hours aday!  I thought I was pretty damn good at it - almost expert, until I saw reference to those weird dots in the Effects, and discovered they were to enable keyframes!!!  Well was it a dscovery for me!!!  If I had a manual they probably would have been obvious, and I would get to use another feature I paid for, but my dicovery was by accident only!  So it begs the question about what else is there in Lumion 2.0 I could be using, but not aware of?

So please don't get a consultant to do fancy voiced tutorials, and waste time and dosh.  

Make them simple, clear and easy to comprehend, and start churning them out - weekly?  Most us know how to do the simple stuff, so challenge us by showing us the engine under bonite and make them Advanced for Forum discussion, and ASAP too - aim, say, 2-3 a week!  

Ohhh!  and please put keyframes up there too.

Respectfully,

blendman

[BMcIsaac]

Pushing the idea a bit I know...so forgive me but,  I agree with Blendman. I tend to churn away at this one day at a time...just feed us with bite sized pieces please. I get around the forum to find all the hidden gems that I can but it is a treasure hunt and at times I'm not sure where to go next. If there was someway to detect the gems each day to get them into the same thread. I guess I can use bookmarks and create my own library....I'd like to know how others get there head around this stuff without missing things.