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Senior Technical Animator/Rigger Slava Borovik has introduced Smart Layer, a revolutionary Python script for Autodesk Maya that drastically simplifies the animation adjustment process, reducing hours of tedious work to just a few clicks.
Addressing the often arduous process of refining animations through animation layers, the script in question resolves issues like controlling the poses and managing keys and timings to avoid sliding and wobbliness, making the adjusting process much easier and faster. Compatible with any rig type, Smart Layer is particularly suited for tasks such as mocap cleanup, game animation, and cinematics/movie layouts.
To get started, just add animation controls to the animation layer, insert keyframes with necessary adjustments, and run the script. It will then compute and produce a new animation layer, applying your modifications in a "proportionate" manner, preserving the original animation's flow but with new poses.
Here's a list of Smart Layer's main applications:
- Proportionally "shift" the animation, and avoid feet sliding.
- Proportionally rotate the animation, and avoid feet sliding.
- Make animation follow a spline, proportionally, without feet sliding.
- Create variations of the same animation but with different poses.
- Create strafe animations from movement-forward.
- Create animations for different directions, using only forward animation (character starts, attacks, abilities, etc.).
- Create movement-in-circle animations from movement-forward.
- Adjust individual controls and keep the original animation flow.
You can learn more and purchase the beta version of the Smart Layer script via Gumroad. Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
100% procedural material made in Substance Designer.