Getting animate 2 and Keymate
NinjaUmbreon
Posts: 21
Is it worth it to get Animate 2 as well as Keymate and graphMate?
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Yes, the lite version is limited for tracks and creation.
n.b. AniMate2 is also part of this bundle: http://www.daz3d.com/animate2-leisure-time-bundle-for-m4
Yes, the lite version is limited for tracks and creation.
n.b. AniMate2 is also part of this bundle: http://www.daz3d.com/animate2-leisure-time-bundle-for-m4
Thanks for the advice. Although I was mainly wounder if I got Animate 2, would it make getting Keymate and Graphmate unnecessary?
Nope, The KeyMate and GraphMate both work on the DAZ Studio Timeline. The Nice thing is when you Burn AniMate to the DS Timeline you can Edit all your animation at one time. I find all three to be a nice set of tools when used together.
hi jade
just to clarify
for me there is the dstimeline just called timeline
and the animate2 timeline
you are baking aniblocks to animate2 timeline which is connected to the "timeline"
graphmate and keymate only work with the timelines
aniblocks cannot be altered by those
they have there own Editor
as working with different aniblocks for me there are some unpredictable overwritings Happening
i really got some more Grey hair with
and after a while the playhead is losing its correct Connection to the timeline
maybe Gofigure has to update this old Version of animate2 to 64bit
i don't know
btw how can i Switch off this weird automated spellcorrection?
Between Animate 2 or Keymate and graphmate witch would you recommend?
Okay this is a Bit of a learning curve at the start. So let me address each one at a time here.
AniMate2 allows a user to, First, use any and all AniBlock sets, sold or free, in a easy to use drag and drop interface on the Animate timeline. Second the full AniMate2 allows the user to Edit all AniBlocks in many ways, most of which are not explained but inferred. You can Cut them, you can Edit any of the movement or motion directions and strengths in the Key Frames using the Built in AniMate Graph editor. You can Cut and Paste or delete Key Frames from any AniBlock with the Editor as well, just to list a few of the options. Using the different BASE levels, each AniBlock has 15 levels, each of which, you can edit more movements into by setting the scrub Head and then posing the Figure in the Viewport. That will then be a Keyframe you can ADD to the proper node in the Graph editor and adjust. This is very powerful and over looked by most users. This brings us to the most powerful AniMate2 feature, Third, Saving new AniBlocks. Not only can you edit all AniBlocks as you like, you can create AniBlocks from any supported Animation type in DAZ Stuido. Add a BVH to your figure on the DAZ Studio timeline, or a PZ animation, open AniMate Right click on any OPEN area of the AniMate2 Interface and pick the Create AniBlock from Studio Timeline option. You can then again Edit the new AniBlock in any way you please. The only way to REALLY learn any of this is to set aside some free time and just try things. I also suggest all users even those using the AniMate Lite version Download and READ both versions of the AniMate PDF's they both have info needed by the user.
KeyMate is a DAZ Studio timeline only tool. Its major function is Hand created animation by adding key frames to the timeline. It can Copy Paste, Move and edit Key frames in many modes. You have access to all translations and rotations of a item and all nodes it might have. That means you can set key frames that only effect forward motion for a item or you could edit motions for just the nodes of the right arm on a figure. Or mix all into one smooth motion controlled by the key frames you add to the item and any of its nodes. Real power comes when you copy and paste multi Key frames to more than one item, need 4 girls to all follow the same dance steps? Done. I Suggest a user watch all the Youtube Tutorials for KeyMate and to then again set aside time to just try things.
GraphMate is again a DAZ Studio only Timeline tool. It is as powerful as KeyMate on its own but works better when both are used together, but that is not needed. The Power of GraphMate is the control of key frame interlaption. If your needing a FLAT liner movement for a item you can edit that in with GraphMate. You Can also LOCK all movement of a item with GM so random rotations never happen. Your camera suddenly rotate over during a movement? This is your tool to stop that. Just as in KeyMate you have full access to all translations in GraphMate, for SIZE changing in a SMOOTH way only GraphMate works properly unless you have great skill. This tool too Needs time and Play and the tutorials on Youtube before a user will understand its real potential.
Now, with all these tools together you can control every aspect of a animation. And think outside the box as you use them. By that here is what I mean. Load a BVH to a figure. Correct bad areas by moving Key Frames, edit the motions from jerky to Smooth in the graphs or vise-a-versa, Send your Edited Timeline to AniMate and Create a NEW Aniblock for your figure to use as often as you like.
In Summery: AniMate2 is powerful on its own and has the advantage of ready made motions, all of which can be edited. GraphMate gives a user the ability to edit in Key Frames on the timeline and control the motion interplation used at any time. Giving great control to the user. KeyMate gives a user the ability to EDIT each key on each node at any point, as well as moving, coping and other functions. And all this can be done to either a AniBlock by First sending it to the DS Timeline then Editing and Sending it BACK to be saved as a New AniBlock or just working on the DS Timeline after you have done all your work in AniMate2 or AniMate lite. If I was going to use one tool only for me it would be GraphMate. But real control comes from using all three in your work.
This is my personal view only and not the View of DAZ 3D or GoFigure.
I've had these products (Animate 2, Keymate and Graphmate) for over a year now. I found them confusing (especially the latter two) and looked for tutorials but, apart from a basic bouncing ball video, I could find nothing that would answer my questions. I checked their site (GoFigure) but it seems to have stagnated and has not been updated since 2012.
Searching Youtube has come up with very little of consequence. If anyone knows where else I might look, I would be grateful. I'd like to have another shot at animation but am quite lost at the moment.
As I did point out, the Info Video Tuts are all we, I think, will have for them. You will grasp them fully only when you use them in some test work on your own. Be sure to play with each on a prop item and a rigged figure. In GraphMate be sure to try all the different modes and change the interpolation modes from curves to liner to see the difference that makes. In KeyMate it's power is on Rigged figures to my point of view, controlling hands, arms, and the upper torso separate from the rest of the figure adds that something the basic animation files just leave out.
In short, until you play with them they do not appear to be of much use, but to me a day of playing with both in turn and then all three combined opened my eyes.