Add-on/script for frame insertion ??

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#1

Hi all,
I am using Blender for posing and animating characters and objects.
I have been very surprised that there is no simple ways to insert ‘blank/empty’ frames somewhere in the animation.
How complex would it be to build an ad-on to do so and what would be the cost (paid work)?

In my case my animations have:

  • many objects (some are in ‘restrict view’ so not always visible).
  • several armatures/characters in different layers
  • shapekeys for each characters
  • markers in timeline
  • on top of that, some objects are animated in the DopeSheet while others are in the NLA-Editor (unsnowflaked).

Can someone tell me how much work this would be to build such an add-on?
Thanks to all

#2

I don’t understand - what do you mean by “blank/empty” frames? Do you mean animating the visibility of an object? or holding a pose? deleting animation?

#3

Hi gregzaal,
yes sorry I may not have been clear enough.
It is more like “holding a pose”. (actually I use constant interpolation most of the time).
Let say I have 10 objects + 2 characters, all with shape keys and each of them being animated between frame 10 to frame 20. I just want to be able to add say 5 additional frames, say at frame 15, so that the initial frames #16 to #20 (which are now #21 to #25) are unchanged.
And these 5 additional frames would concern all objects/characters/shape keys/markers/dopesheet/NLAeditor.
Hope this is clear…

#4

I believe that is what the video editor is for.
I like rendering a sequence of pngs and then compiling the png into a video file after I’ve verified that all the images look good.
To insert frames just:

  • Load video editing mode
  • Add first image sequence, Add->Image->(Select all frames/pngs)->Add Image Strip
  • Add second image sequence
  • Cut the first video sequence so that you can insert the second image sequence Strip->Cut (hard) at frame
  • Move the sequences around so the final product is like you want.
  • Then just hit the animation button in the Default mode. Since there is stuff in the video editor it will override the normal rendering method.

You can even make a single image last several frames.

#5

I can do this, will finish in some time and reply back.

What is your offer?

#6

What if the camera or another object is moving? :wink:

#7

iPLOMAC, Offer… I was just trying to help. This should be easy to do yourself.

gregzaal, if some objects are moving.
Add keyframes at the beginning of the “pause period” to stop transformations. Then copy all keyframes you don’t want changing and move them (along with everything after it) down the timeline.
The first way saves render time if everything is not changing.

#8

Gilles38,

You may already know this, but as a newb searching for the same answer, I thought I’d post a possible solution.

Add five empty frames to the end of your animation. In the dopesheet view, hit the home key to get everything into view, then select all keyframes, grab and move them 5 frames to the right (thereby opening up 5 empty frames at the beginning of the animation. Then find the area where you’d like to add 5 frames between the keyframes, box select everything before that (B), and slide all those keyframes to the left 5 frames (to the beginning of the animation).

#9

Hi a.m.keene,

Thnaks for the tip but what is the advantage of doing that? why not selecting directly keyframes that are after the insertion point and move them forward ?
Maybe I am missing something

#10