Maya Time Editor with HEAT
How to use HEAT animations in the Maya Time Editor to blend together multiple animations on one character.
Last updated
How to use HEAT animations in the Maya Time Editor to blend together multiple animations on one character.
Last updated
CONVERTING ANIMATIONS INTO ANIMATION CLIPS IN THE TIME EDITOR
Begin by importing a base character into your scene using the 'Add Base Character' button () and apply an animation to it by selecting one from your library and hitting the 'Import' button ().
Open the Time Editor within Maya by navigating to 'Windows -> Animation Editors -> Time Editor'.
Clicking this button will convert your keyframed animation into an animation clip within the Time Editor.
If you play the scene now you will see the animation clip playing within the Time Editor.
Now within the Time Editor you are able to scale, crop, or even loop the clip to your needs.
With one animation clip already in the Time Editor lets import a second animation from the HEAT plug-in.
You will notice that the Time Editor will automatically be muted and that the previous keyframes will be replaced with the new animation.
Drag and drop the second animation clip up to the first animation track behind the first animation clip. You can then pull the animation clip to the left and overlap the two clips to create a blend between the two animations.
The animations will now blend between each other when playing back the scene.
You will notice that if the two animations you are blending are not facing the same direction or in a similar position that some odd rotations and sliding may occur. We can fix that by matching the poses of the two animations using a Maya Relocator.
Pull the second clip to the right so that it is no longer overlapping and blending with the first clip.
In the 'Matching Options' window there are three main things we need to check:
'Matching Clip' should be set to 'Previous'. This will ensure that we are matching the second clip to the first clip.
'Matching Time' should be set to 'Start of Second Clip'. This will ensure that the clips are matching at the start of the second clip and not elsewhere on the timeline.
All other options in this window can remain at their default.
Now that the relocator is set pull the second animation clip to the left and overlap the first animation creating a blend. The animations when played back will now blend much more cleanly than before!
Next we will go over some more advanced tools and techniques in Maya that you can use in conjunction with HEAT.
With the animation playback stopped locate the 'Create clip from selection' button () at the top left of the Time Editor.
In order to work within the Time Editor we must unmute it. HEAT automatically mutes the time editor whenever you import a new animation to avoid conflicts between the two systems. Unmute the time editor by toggling the 'Mute/unmute Time Editor' button ().
Just as before press the 'Create clip from selection' button () after importing the animation. You will now see two animation tracks each with an animation clip in them.
Unmute the Time Editor by toggling the 'Mute/unmute Time Editor' button ().
With the second animation clip selected clip the 'Match poses with relocator' button () along the top of the Time Editor.
Its ideal to change the 'Matching Object' to a bone that stays stationary at the point of blending. Typically this is the left or right toe base. Watch two animations and choose whichever toe base is most similar between the two animations. Select that bone in your maya scene and then click the add button () next to the Matching Object 'Name' field.
Press the 'Apply' button () within the Matching Options window.
If it feels like the transition between two animations is happening to fast it can be helpful to extend each animation using the 'Hold mode' (). This will create a freeze frame of your desired length at the beginning of the second clip and end of the first clip. You can then overlap these frozen frames for a slower transition between the two animation.
