Bones no longer able to record rotation keys

Support Animation and Rigging
1

I’m no longer able to record new keys in the actions for my elephant.
Any help would be appreciated.
Here’s the file. Let me know if you’re unable to download it.

http://www.box.net/public/x9fiihj9eo

2

The Armature is an instance from a Linked Library (turquoise object center) so only the Library object can be edited or posed. Unlink it with U and whatever you choose from the popup.

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3

Fligh,
Thanks for the reply. I unlinked the armature, but that didn’t make a difference. I then undid the unlink and deleted the other scene, which was a holdover from an earlier animation. I could still not add any new rotation keys. I did the unlink again, even though there should have been nothing to unlink, but still no joy. I guess I have a more twisted problem. I’ve uploaded the latest redo here.

http://www.box.net/public/tbc4ssdq5r

Thanks again, others feel free to dive in too.

4

In the Action Editor you have Open.001 selected. In the NLA Editor select the Trunk and Head Action (might work if you select one of the Strips also, but they’re all based on the Action anyway) and click the NLA Strip icon to change to Action icon. Now you can keyframe.

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5

Curiouser and curiouser. I deleted the open.001 action. Then changed the icon after deselecting all strips. I could then insert a rotation key once more in the ‘open’ action, but only the one. I couldn’t add any others. I then deleted all channels but the one for the face bone from the ‘open’ action. I was then able to add one more rotation key, but again no more. If you have the patience, could you test the newest file and try adding more than one key, along with going to other objects between additions.

http://www.box.net/public/e56m9cjyqp

Thanks yet again,

6

If you have the patience

For a you, Senorita, I kill it da bull… yes, I made the mistake of only trying one keyframe. So now I see it’s one funky file!

I found if you delete the Lattice, The ArmatureLattice and the SmokeExhaust everything works fine. So I moved them to another layer, which didn’t solve anything. Then I Vertex Parented an Empty (NewCnstrntsTrgt) to the trunk and made that the target of all the constraints on ArmatureLattice (are you a Botanist or a Zoologist?) thinking that using a Bone might have caused the problem (though I don’t see why it should). Did the same for the SmokeExhaust but Parented it to the Armature Object instead of using another constraint. It was also incorrectly using AC:Open so I deleted the link to it.

http://uploader.polorix.net//files/111/2[2].5ElepantXmas.blend

The Keyframes I added move the face bone side to side, but I suspect you’ll still have some trouble with it, it has some googly quirks. I reckon it would be better to if you dropped all constraints that use the elephant and it’s armature on those three objects I moved to layer two, and either animate them seperately or use dedicated empties as constraint targets. I still can’t find why it didn’t work as you had it… logically it should have.

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7

Fligh,
Thanks for your help. I had renamed some of the Bone IPOs for the elephant. Is it possible that in so doing I funkified the file?
By dedicated Empties as constraint targets, I assume you meant add constraints for the Lattice bones. I tried some permutation of this, but without the results I’d wanted. Had you some other method in mind.
Thanks again,
Pam
PS: If you’re in California you’ve earned free tango lessons.

8

Ha ha… I’m in VA. Forgot to mention that the tail moves when you pose the face bone.

By dedicated targets I mean use an object that’s not a part of the elephant’s armature. The IPO names will be used by the Action so it shouldn’t make any difference.

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