Cineversity

Been working on compositing crab monster into live action shot. Have my shot well tracked, my lighting set up, and the monster animated (having an issue with the feet but that’s in a separate thread). When I try to bring the animated monster into my scene, the animation disappears and I only have the base model. The base model appears in the footage and tracks well with the footage, but the animation itself is gone.

This happens when I export the animation as its own FBX, then import into the live action project using “Objects”, “File”, “Merge Objects”. It also happens when I merge the C4D file that the animation was created in. It also happens when I copy and paste the entire animation over. Three different ways of bringing it into the project and the animation disappears in all three.

Not sure why the animation looks fine in the C4D file I created it in, but then disappears when I merge it into the overall live action scene I’m working on.

Still shot renders look great though so far though.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/113jo6xUE6siI_UowerXal7CEYyisWVgT/view?usp=sharing

Hi yngvai,

Why use FBX? It is such a limited format.

If you have a Cinema 4D file, you can use the File> Merge Project, no bottleneck with FBX is needed to be endured.

Check the frames per second; it is better when they match before you merge.

Cheers

Even when I do File -> merge project, and ensure frames per second are matched (30 fps), the creature is not animated after I do the merge. Everything appears to be there in the Objects list, but the creature is just standing there in the initial A pose when I scrub through the footage. Everything else is spot on (lighting, tracking, etc). There’s just no movement, and I literally just merged the same animated C4D file you sent me after I fixed the textures in it.

Please try the file I sent back to you this evening, yngvai.

I just did “New File”, then “File Merge,” and selected the file. It arrives just fine.

If you only import set up “1”, it will not contain any animation as it is in rig “2”, as you sent to me. Both are connected.

Please check your PM; I have sent you two versions, Point Cache and PLA (Point Level Animation). One or the other should work.

Enjoy

Yes, that worked! Thank you so much!

For future reference (as I will be working with more animations on this model), what are the steps for baking the animation using the point cache tag?

I found this video, but I’m a bit confused on how to apply it to this particular animation.

https://animadesignsltd.com/new-blog/helpful-tip-for-c4d-users-point-cache-tag

I’m basically just confused on where in the object hierarchy to place all the objects for the rig/animation from the original (“2”, “body”, “Counter”, etc) before I assign the point cache tag. At first I tried creating a null and putting everything in that null, created the point cache tag, and clicked “store state”, but nothing happened, so obviously that’s not the right order. And when I look at the set of recent files you sent me, the point cache tag is attached to “body1”.

Also, will I be able to combine animations using motion clips that have point cache tags? Or is it better to create the motion clips and put them together for a string of animations before you assign a tag?

Another thing I noticed is that while I can rotate/position the model in my scene no problem, the scaling tool won’t work (if I wanted to increase the size of the monster in my scene).

Hi yngvai,

This is a longer answer about point “baking”, usually. Typically you won’t do that, as it leaves you only a few options to adjust.

Point Cache
Cappucino
Alembic

However:

My first suggestion would be to explore the Animation System.
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/2023.0/en-us/Default.htm#html/36839.html#PLUGIN_CMD_465003044
Here I love to have a Null always as a parent to the joint hierarchy.

Please note that the rig’s hierarchy must be the same; then, you can mix and match.
This allows you to re-use animations for characters with matching rigs.

Points are the driving elements of meshes. In that way, they are the ones to take care of; even the Skin object and the joints are both moving points (or the mesh in question).

Please get familiar with the Cappucino function; this is the one I often use after the Point Cache. The point cache needs to sit on the mesh that needs to be baked and which has the points. After Cappucino (PLA), the Point Cache needs to go. PLAs can be adjusted with a “Time Track.”

You can export the animated and point-cached mesh as Alembic. Alembic allows using a time adjustment.

Sometimes it is better to store some animations with specific poses in the Pose Morph, which allows using sliders to animate the wanted parts.

Besides this, there is a Pose Library
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/2023.0/en-us/Default.htm#html/78336.html?TocPath=Character Menu|Pose Libraries|_____0

Animation is typically accompanied by change; here, I have the change over a project time in mind. Baking is not the best way to change things later on. A reason why I have listed a few (not all) options)

The main idea of a good rig is that an animator can change things quickly and effortlessly. With this, even complex animations will feel natural or believable.

Character animation is a deep skill set, and I encourage you to check out the content on Cineversity and the Trainer YouTube site.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiNkO1NyF7mZrGGo6CzgNgw
For new course that might match your needs, please have a look here:
https://www.maxon.net/en/events?page=1

All the best

Thank you for all of your tips and suggestions.

I found some easier ways to work with the model. I brought it into Unreal Engine (as the purchased ZIP file contained an unreal project file for the creature, which had all the animations), then exported animations of interest to FBX from Unreal. Then I imported into C4D, and the whole “foot not on the ground” issue vanished. And now I’ve been able to do motion clips with the model in C4D which has been great.

Thanks again.

Thanks a lot for the update, yngvai.

My best wishes for your project