Turn prop/figure invisible/visibile at specific frame in timeline

ladywolf1

Hi! Is there a way to turn a figure/prop invisible/visibile (and viceversa) in the timeline at specific frames? I looked around and some people suggested
1) to turn on/off the visibile in render/viewport option but it doesn work, as soon as a I switch it on/off from the previous switching on/off it stays like that the fulle timeline.
2) use a plugin that animates textures (don't remember the name rn sorry!) in order to turn down/up the opacity at specific keyframes. (dunno if this will actually work? Anyone tried it for this purpose?)
I've also read about having the object away from camera, the moving it/resizing it at the right keyframe but I don't like the effect... 
Any idea/help? Thanks! :)

crosswind

Bool values don't go to keyframe...so sometimes we have to throw figures / Props to the sky or under ground haha.. Yes, off the view of Camera. The product you mentioned may be this? https://www.daz3d.com/abas-animated-shaders-system

Gordig

It is possible to animate visibility, but I believe it requires a script that I don't think I still have, but Richard Haseltine has dropped a couple times.

crosswind

I also remember there was a script that Richard ever mentioned... Wait for his chime in.

Quasar

This product shows night be able to do what you need.

https://www.daz3d.com/texture-animator

crosswind

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

You may just create a Float property named Visible in CurrentKey, set its Default Value to 1.0. Then in Property Hierarchy, link Visible to the 2nd Stage Sub-Component of Visible in CurrentKey.

Then go to next frame, set its value to 0, the figure disappears, in both Viewport and Render !  And this process of creating a Float property and setting links to target Bool properties can be automated by a Daz Script for sure.

Edit: Be noted, this way just works for "Show / Hide a figure or a Prop" for animated range. If you want to have a sort of "fade in / fade out" effect, you still need to use some products like above-mentioned to manipulate Surfaces settings.

WendyLuvsCatz

it works in the recent public builds, I dont know about the release but I have certainly animated visibility 

https://hpclscruffy.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/684256/i-see-render-visibility-is-now-animated-yay

LOL scruffy (DAZ website hampster?) makes an appearance in Google search

Elor

From a previous discussion on what is hpclscruffy:

Richard Haseltine said:

We are told, by a human who knows:

HPCL = High Performance Caching Layer
Scruffy = A Futurama character reference, used as the codename for the product delivery system backend

crosswind

WendyLuvsCatz said:

it works in the recent public builds, I dont know about the release but I have certainly animated visibility 

https://hpclscruffy.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/684256/i-see-render-visibility-is-now-animated-yay

LOL scruffy (DAZ website hampster?) makes an appearance in Google search

Yay! and I dbl-checked it, it also works in current General Release, yay!

@ladywolf1  If you aim to render the animation and already use the latest DS General Release 4.22.0.16,  just directly set Visible in Render at the frame

Richard Haseltine

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

A Bool property can be keyed, if it is set to be animatable.

You may just create a Float property named Visible in CurrentKey, set its Default Value to 1.0. Then in Property Hierarchy, link Visible to the 2nd Stage Sub-Component of Visible in CurrentKey.

Then go to next frame, set its value to 0, the figure disappears, in both Viewport and Render !  And this process of creating a Float property and setting links to target Bool properties can be automated by a Daz Script for sure.

Edit: Be noted, this way just works for "Show / Hide a figure or a Prop" for animated range. If you want to have a sort of "fade in / fade out" effect, you still need to use some products like above-mentioned to manipulate Surfaces settings.

crosswind

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

A Bool property can be keyed, if it is set to be animatable.

So how to set it to be animatable?

Richard Haseltine

crosswind said:

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

A Bool property can be keyed, if it is set to be animatable.

So how to set it to be animatable?

In the New Property dialogue, or via script http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/object_index/property_dz#a_1ac2b8a8822b367a10411030921df48b8f

crosswind

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

A Bool property can be keyed, if it is set to be animatable.

So how to set it to be animatable?

In the New Property dialogue, or via script http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/object_index/property_dz#a_1ac2b8a8822b367a10411030921df48b8f

Thank you Richard ! I didn't notice that before ! But has the attribute been always there ? And after creating the property, it could not be found in any user-facing settings but just in DSF / DUF ?

Richard Haseltine

I don't think it is possible to change it directly through the UI, possibly to avoid people making things animatable by setting when they fundamentally are not.

ladywolf1

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

You may just create a Float property named Visible in CurrentKey, set its Default Value to 1.0. Then in Property Hierarchy, link Visible to the 2nd Stage Sub-Component of Visible in CurrentKey.

Then go to next frame, set its value to 0, the figure disappears, in both Viewport and Render !  And this process of creating a Float property and setting links to target Bool properties can be automated by a Daz Script for sure.

Edit: Be noted, this way just works for "Show / Hide a figure or a Prop" for animated range. If you want to have a sort of "fade in / fade out" effect, you still need to use some products like above-mentioned to manipulate Surfaces settings.

But will this work:

1) on textures or only figures?
2) Will it work if you turn on for xxx frame, then off for xxx frame, then on again for xxx frames? 

The question is generic for future purposed, but for this specific example, I'm trying to have a prop appearing at a certain keyframe. Stay there til near the end, then disappear.

FrankTheTank

you can also simply scaling it down in size so it basically disappears immediately. You need to keyframe it so its 100% one frame and 0% the next frame for example or vice versa. Or if that doesn't work for you for some reason, you can simply keyframe it so it moves way out of frame immediately, far enough away that it does cast any shadows in the scene. I've used both methods depending on the requirements of the scene.  

crosswind

ladywolf1 said:

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

You may just create a Float property named Visible in CurrentKey, set its Default Value to 1.0. Then in Property Hierarchy, link Visible to the 2nd Stage Sub-Component of Visible in CurrentKey.

Then go to next frame, set its value to 0, the figure disappears, in both Viewport and Render !  And this process of creating a Float property and setting links to target Bool properties can be automated by a Daz Script for sure.

Edit: Be noted, this way just works for "Show / Hide a figure or a Prop" for animated range. If you want to have a sort of "fade in / fade out" effect, you still need to use some products like above-mentioned to manipulate Surfaces settings.

But will this work:

1) on textures or only figures?
2) Will it work if you turn on for xxx frame, then off for xxx frame, then on again for xxx frames? 

The question is generic for future purposed, but for this specific example, I'm trying to have a prop appearing at a certain keyframe. Stay there til near the end, then disappear.

1) It's only for the figure rather than textures...

2) Yes, with this way, you just need to add a couple of keyframes in between disappear and appeart, and set Interpolation Type to Constant

But since Visible in Render property already works well for being keyed ( animatable... ) in both DS GR / PB, you don't need to use the way I suggested... unless you really want to have this disappear / appear effect in Viewport.

ladywolf1

crosswind said:

ladywolf1 said:

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

You may just create a Float property named Visible in CurrentKey, set its Default Value to 1.0. Then in Property Hierarchy, link Visible to the 2nd Stage Sub-Component of Visible in CurrentKey.

Then go to next frame, set its value to 0, the figure disappears, in both Viewport and Render !  And this process of creating a Float property and setting links to target Bool properties can be automated by a Daz Script for sure.

Edit: Be noted, this way just works for "Show / Hide a figure or a Prop" for animated range. If you want to have a sort of "fade in / fade out" effect, you still need to use some products like above-mentioned to manipulate Surfaces settings.

But will this work:

1) on textures or only figures?
2) Will it work if you turn on for xxx frame, then off for xxx frame, then on again for xxx frames? 

The question is generic for future purposed, but for this specific example, I'm trying to have a prop appearing at a certain keyframe. Stay there til near the end, then disappear.

1) It's only for the figure rather than textures...

2) Yes, with this way, you just need to add a couple of keyframes in between disappear and appeart, and set Interpolation Type to Constant

But since Visible in Render already works well in both GR/PB, you don't need to use the way I suggested... unless you really want to have this disappear / appear effect in Viewport.

Yeah my concern was... how do I see what I'm doing if I can't see it (the pun...) in the viewport but only in the render...? Sadly if that's the case doesn't seem a perfect solution? Prone to mistakes?

crosswind

ladywolf1 said:

crosswind said:

ladywolf1 said:

crosswind said:

Ah ~~ a thought just came into my mind.  In fact for this requirement, you don't need any product or script at all ! Though a Bool property cannot be keyed, a Float property can !

You may just create a Float property named Visible in CurrentKey, set its Default Value to 1.0. Then in Property Hierarchy, link Visible to the 2nd Stage Sub-Component of Visible in CurrentKey.

Then go to next frame, set its value to 0, the figure disappears, in both Viewport and Render !  And this process of creating a Float property and setting links to target Bool properties can be automated by a Daz Script for sure.

Edit: Be noted, this way just works for "Show / Hide a figure or a Prop" for animated range. If you want to have a sort of "fade in / fade out" effect, you still need to use some products like above-mentioned to manipulate Surfaces settings.

But will this work:

1) on textures or only figures?
2) Will it work if you turn on for xxx frame, then off for xxx frame, then on again for xxx frames? 

The question is generic for future purposed, but for this specific example, I'm trying to have a prop appearing at a certain keyframe. Stay there til near the end, then disappear.

1) It's only for the figure rather than textures...

2) Yes, with this way, you just need to add a couple of keyframes in between disappear and appeart, and set Interpolation Type to Constant

But since Visible in Render already works well in both GR/PB, you don't need to use the way I suggested... unless you really want to have this disappear / appear effect in Viewport.

Yeah my concern was... how do I see what I'm doing if I can't see it (the pun...) in the viewport but only in the render...? Sadly if that's the case doesn't seem a perfect solution? Prone to mistakes?

Yep, your concern makes sense to me to some extent. Only making Visible in Render animatable is not that perfect... Daz better make Visible animatable as well IMHO ~~

WendyLuvsCatz

I would love more parameters animatable like other programs

colour along spectrum and lightness/darkness

skydome rotation

texture intensity (especially for emission)

horizontal and vertical UV offset

tiling

displacement, normal, bump intensity

subdivision

well just about everything to be honest, why cripple the program?

(yes I know scripts exist like Matanim, Texanim etc for some of this but if it's doable in the UI why not?)

Richard Haseltine

A concern is the likelihood of auto-keyframing (as DS does, at least for now) material settings or other properties is that it is likely to confuse a lot of users. That said, using http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/samples/elements/post_load_material_proxy_create/start will allow the creation and saving of links between material properties and animatable node properties.

 

WendyLuvsCatz

it's never been a problem for me in Carrara, Poser or iClone in 14 years but of course one does get an actual keyframe created in the expanded timeline too one can select and delete.