Action channels

Support Animation and Rigging
1

Here is what is probably a naive question that should be easy for seasoned blenderers to answer!
I have created a number of action channels for a rigged character,and given them descriptive names such as: head-nod; Head-to-fro… etc. I also created some channels based on shape keys for the mouth.
Suddenly, and for some reason I do not really understand, certain channels have gone haywire. The Head-to-fro channel for instance does not behave as it is meant to. Also, superimposed is the shape key animation, which I cannot find in either the NLA or the Action editor, so I cannot delete it.
Any ideas, cos I am really stcuck here! Have a nice week end :slight_smile:

2

“Suddenly, and for some reason” doesn’t give anyone enough information to work with … Post a blend with the problems you are having …

3

probably the action is assigned to the mesh, and not the bone, or there is an NLA configuration that is being over ruled or interferring with the Action. The shape key is linked there somehow to something, of that you can be sure. Rember that if you are using NLA, you need to de-link actions before playing.

4

Thanks… the blend file is here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?2hr1ismii1g

:slight_smile:

5

Well I looked at your file and I can’t see what the problem you are having is … Other then the fact that you are trying to drive absolute shapekeys with bones (they should be relative) and that you don’t have the said driver bones (since they don’t work) included any action … And no problem NLA strip is included … :spin::spin::spin:

6

Thanks PapaSmurf/Vertexpusher. I am sorry if the question I am asking may be naive, but I still have problems (sorry!!). In order to illustrate the nature of the problem, I have deleted all the keys I could find in the Action editor; the NLA editor also seems to be empty. So, if both NLA and Action editors are empty, the should be no animation. right? However, if you hit Alt-A, you will still see the mouse blinking, and moving his mouth.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?aaaaeaqfadk

(1) How is this possible?
(2) How can I delete this unwanted animation?

Many thanks!!

Mark

7

  1. it’s possessed.

  2. it lives outside the matrix.

  3. you’re having a flashback or your imagination has created an imaginary friend.

  4. You’ve run the animation so many times, it’s doing it out of habit.

  5. You’re so engrossed in the project, you have actually given it LIFE.

  6. There’s an action associated with a copy of the armature that is on a hidden level.

OR, ok, the real reason:
7. There’s a shape key (in this case A) that is active

8

Thanks, Papa smurf; I’ll give it a try. Humor much appreciated!

:slight_smile:

9

np. it can be frustrating, but once you know where to look, you can find stuff. any mesh moving is either driven by an armature or a lattice or softbody/cloth modifier or shape key. btw, to “delete” the action, make sure the basis shape key is active. When I am looking for causes like this,

tilde ~ is your friend to see everything in the scene
check mesh modifiers and constraints panels to see what is affecting the base mesh.
tab into edit mode and understand why the shape is different from object mode
check physics and simulation panels