Digital Art Zone

Hi Go_Figure! I picked up KeyMate and its definitely a huge improvement. Coming from the professional realm, I rely heavily on graph/curve editors when animating in my every day packages. Any plans on implementing a graph editor into KeyMate or releasing an additional plugin? As soon as we get that functionality in DS I can see myself integrating it more into my pipeline.

PS I know someone developed that Gepetto plugin for DS3 on PC, but unfortunately I was never able to try it as I’m on Mac and using DS4.5.

Got key mate looks promising your first example in the store shows facial expression key frame editing is this limited to certain characters ?? What information is needed in the poser file import to edit facial key frames in the key mate I am primarily interested in fine tuning face hands and cameras pardon my ignorance I know it is new and I am still learning to use D S have along way to go Thanks for your hard work GO_FIGURE I will watch the ut video

Is it essential to use DS4.5? I haven’t upgraded from 4.0 because I got fed up with Daz continually requiring me to d/l upgrades.

mullhull - 14 December 2012 07:26 AM

Got key mate looks promising your first example in the store shows facial expression key frame editing is this limited to certain characters ?? What information is needed in the poser file import to edit facial key frames in the key mate I am primarily interested in fine tuning face hands and cameras pardon my ignorance I know it is new and I am still learning to use D S have along way to go Thanks for your hard work GO_FIGURE I will watch the ut video

Just switch the TR dropdown to TRSV and keyframe away.

ACThomson - 14 December 2012 08:00 AM

Is it essential to use DS4.5? I haven’t upgraded from 4.0 because I got fed up with Daz continually requiring me to d/l upgrades.

Yes. Sorry.

Thanks Go_Figure got that from your u-tube vid and trying it out thnks for all the work and Happy and Safe Holidays To ALL !!!

Chazdogg89 - 14 December 2012 12:18 AM

Hi Go_Figure! I picked up KeyMate and its definitely a huge improvement. Coming from the professional realm, I rely heavily on graph/curve editors when animating in my every day packages. Any plans on implementing a graph editor into KeyMate or releasing an additional plugin? As soon as we get that functionality in DS I can see myself integrating it more into my pipeline.

PS I know someone developed that Gepetto plugin for DS3 on PC, but unfortunately I was never able to try it as I’m on Mac and using DS4.5.

Ooh Yes VOTE
Me want graph editor and only 1 timeline sir (combine animate, keymate, studiotimeline = 1 timeline animator solution)

One of my favorite parts of Carrara, which has always kept me from getting anywhere with animations in DS, is its sequencer (timeline keyframe editor) and this looks to be what DS users will have now. Gonna have to buy this just to support the cause!
Good to see you guys back in the scene, GoFigure.

PS:
I’ve purchased (and love) ALL of your splendid aniBlock packages. They work extremely well for what I’m doing.
I would love to buy more of them, so suit up people in those little buttons and get that motion capture studio alive again!
Useful additions to what you already have:
Running/Jogging construction kits for V4, M4 and Genesis (like your walk construction kits but for running)
Transitions between the walk and run construction kits
Gymnastics Kits
More fighting - puncher and receiver of the punch
                - Kicker and receiver of the kick
                - etc

Conversation Motions
Walk styles 2
Monsters 2
Heroes 2
Gestures 2
Involuntary Reactions 2
Sword fighting
Gun Fighting

Just some inspirational ideas. The way it works for me is:
You make ‘em, I buy ‘em
When I find a need for an animation that is not offered in one of your packs, I still import one of your aniBlocks, remove the parts that don’t correspond to what I need, and redirect those parts to fit into my needs - the GoFigure aniBlocks are fun to manipulate and are very well made - so if you feel that their profit margin doesn’t fit for you, I’d be happy to pay more for them.
Thanks GoFigure - keep up the great work!

Well I bit the bullet and downloaded 4.5.6 and purchased KeyMate and installed that. Where is the documentation?

Please don’t tell me that that YouTube video is it. It asks more questions than it answers. For example, when the ball is raised to the top of the screen at about frame 15, a key frame is added to the Y Trans channel by default, and the narrator says that I will normally want to add keys in the other channels too - so why is only the Y Trans channel set by default? If keyframing all channels is normal, why is that not the default? What difference does it make? When would I use the single-keyframe default in preference to the “normal” mode? What other things happen in the interface which are not covered by that trivial video? Or is the program as trivial as the video? Or is every user expected to discover all the program’s facilities by themselves?

I don’t want this thread to become a repository of tips and tricks for effective use of this tool. I just want to be told where I can find the user manual.

The readme is the current manual right now.  It gives an explanation of each button and area of keyMate.
- http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/15390/start

Though, it sounds like you are wanting more of a step by step lesson or how-to on animating in general.  More videos will be coming, although I know some people are not fond of videos and prefer written instructions and images.

creativemodelsbe - 16 December 2012 04:01 AM

Chazdogg89 - 14 December 2012 12:18 AM

Hi Go_Figure! I picked up KeyMate and its definitely a huge improvement. Coming from the professional realm, I rely heavily on graph/curve editors when animating in my every day packages. Any plans on implementing a graph editor into KeyMate or releasing an additional plugin? As soon as we get that functionality in DS I can see myself integrating it more into my pipeline.

PS I know someone developed that Gepetto plugin for DS3 on PC, but unfortunately I was never able to try it as I’m on Mac and using DS4.5.

Ooh Yes VOTE
Me want graph editor and only 1 timeline sir (combine animate, keymate, studiotimeline = 1 timeline animator solution)

A graph editor would be cool.

Regarding combining animate, keymate, and studiotimeline. 
- I can’t really control DAZ.  Anyone can close the studiotimeline pane which is effectively the same as not ahving it.  keyMate does all that the studiotimeline pane does(except the looping button which was an oversight).
- merging aniMate2 and keyMate is probably asking for trouble.  aniMate is very complex and entirely different system, to do what it doesaniMate2 has to take over the Studio Keys.  keyMate operates on the Studio Keys, so it plays much nicer with other plugins.

Better interaction between aniMate2 and keyMate is certainly a good idea.

Other programs, like Maya, Max, and Blender follow a similar paradigm, the aniMate style NLA system is separate from the main animation system.

Go_Figure - 17 December 2012 10:53 AM

The readme is the current manual right now.  It gives an explanation of each button and area of keyMate.
- http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/15390/start

Though, it sounds like you are wanting more of a step by step lesson or how-to on animating in general.  More videos will be coming, although I know some people are not fond of videos and prefer written instructions and images.

I looked at that readme. I have several comments.

Simple rule, after getting that pose just right, double click on the figure and click the set key button before you go pose the figure at a different place in the animation.

I’ll not ask how I can do a right double click… but I will ask what part of the figure I should double-click on. Or do you mean the figure name in the timeline? And if so, why did you not say that? And what is the effect of doing that double-click? You are leaving your users to find out for themselves.

Only doing motion? then TR (Translate and Rotate) is all you want. Doing some scaling effects? TRS is for you. Animating morphs and want to see those keys also? TRSV (Translate, Rotate, Scale, Values) is what you want.

Why? What’s going on? is it impossible for you to describe the result of making these selections? That kind of statement is what makes this read-me absolutely not a user guide, and I’m wondering if you have anyone on board who actually knows how to write one, or cares enough to actually do that.

And no, I do not want any videos. I want a document which will describe and explain the features of the program. Is that too hard, or too much to ask, or in your opinion unnecessary?

The double click is meant as a double click on the character in the viewport.

I have a degree in Computer science. I guess it shows that technical writing is not my strong point..

ACThomson,,, I can understand your problem,,,

but keymate is expansion of ds timeline and key, so you need to learn about ds timeline f@@;

Go figure can guide us how to use keymate,, but it depend on ds timeline. and

DAZ need to make guide about ds timeline. they stop to guide new user how to use their ds and animation tool.

they only show us in ds 3, with lip sync or Go figure aniblock, but they do not tell us about ds timeline.

I believe, Go figure need not make manual how to use ds timeline . it is work for daz programmer.

actually,, Keymate seems so simple but powerful, but for use kemate more,, to understand clear,

how daz timeline work. I perfectly disappointed about lack of basic manual about daz stuido timeline.

if I was user who start with ds 3 or more old version,, it seems no problem. because, daz supprot them

with manual and it work with the 3rd generation figure, and there are some plug in.

but now DAZ perfectly forget to guide new user of ds 4 or 4.5 about animation.

Yes, I’ll be patient, because I know it’s impossible to do everything at the same time. And I know that I don’t understand everything right with my school-english

But does the release of graphmate means that I have to purchase graphmate too to solve my problems??? :-(