Can't animate

[Vampyre_Dark]

Not sure what I'm doing wrong here...

I make a cylinder with 5 segments.

I make 3 bones, and assign all verts to the closest bone.

I make a new animation by right clicking in the list, and selecting NEW ANIMATION

In the key frame editor, I click the 'make frame' button, and get a column of blue dots

I move the slider in the main window to frame 10, and then I rotate one of my bones, then I press the create frame button again, and geta  row of blue dots...

I press play to watch my animation.. nothing happens. It seems I actually rotated the bones, and haven't created an animation frame at all. Same happens if I try to move the bones, or do anything else like that.

Is there an animation mode toggle or something?

[JohnD]

You need to set the first frame column as your starting frame.

Follow this link for a tutorial.  I had the same problem.
Be sure to click in the second row, not the first when selecting a keyframe.

http://www.fragmosoft.com/fragMOTION/Help/Tutorials/Animating.html

Regards,
   JohnD

[Vampyre_Dark]

I was following that tutorial, I still don't understand.

Odd, I made animations with this program before, I just take long breaks between sessions. 

[fragmo]

There are two icons in the keyframe editor toolbar, a skeleton and a mesh (red circle thingy).  Make sure you have the skeleton pressed when viewing skeletal animations.  The rotate key tool will warn you if you don't but if you switch it afterwards you won't see any animation.

I'm guessing you loaded an .md2 file at some point before trying this tutorial?  That would switch to vertex animation mode automatically.

dave

[fragmo]

I updated the tutorial to mention setting the animation mode

dave

[Vampyre_Dark]

I'm guessing you loaded an .md2 file at some point before trying this tutorial?

Nope. Fresh session.

[fragmo]

When you used the Rotate Key tool did it show the bone and mesh rotating in the 3d view, and create a key in the keyframe editor?  If not then you may have accidentally used the Rotate Object tool instead???  When you play the animation, make sure the skeleton is showing,  does the skeleton move and not the mesh?  or does nothing move?

[Vampyre_Dark]

Note that I haven't used the animation features since 7.x, this is 2 versions since. 

I use the rotate bone key, after having set my first key frame... I move the slider to 10, then I rotate the bones (which are attached, he verts have have little lines connecting to the bones when I check). I set the key with the create frame button, and I get a frame (supposedly, I see the blue dots under my frame), but what seems to have happened is that I have no key frames, and I actually modified the rotation of the bone permanently.

I was using the bone tools to do it.. where you have move key, rotate key, and the bone widget can come up..

[fragmo]

So am I correct in assuming that you have this working now?

[Vampyre_Dark]

So am I correct in assuming that you have this working now?

No, I just didn't touch it in two days. I'm trying it out now.. what is the difference between yellow dots in the editor, and blue dots?

[Vampyre_Dark]

Okay, I think I see what I was doing wrong, I was using the bone tools, and not the skeletal animation tools.  My bad, I'm sorry. I see my mesh moving with the bones now. But, I'm still not sure of the keyframe editor, and the functions behind all the buttons. I don't really do skeletal animations, I've got some stuff to learn. I understand how it works, but not the workflow.

[fragmo]

Here's an overview of the keyframe editor that may answer some of your questions. 

http://www.fragmosoft.com/fragMOTION/Help/Content/KeyEditor/index.html