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14.1 The Layout Program, Bones - Part 1
 
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LAYOUT-RELATED THINGS

So, I'm finally going to show you in Layout what I've been talking about in the last chapters.

Bones are set up when you are in the 'Layout' program, and Skelegons are sets of bones which are set up while you are in the Modeler program. In the last tutorial we added skelegons to our arm. In this tutorial you will convert those skelegons to bones in Layout.

Although skelegons were invented to allow a skeleton to be kept with the object, it still lets you assemble bones in the old manner using the 'Layout' program, and you still are really using bones in Layout even if you do use Skelegons. You just convert Skelegons to Bones in Layout to build the chained bone structures, now.


LAYOUT, GETTING STARTED WITH THE LAYOUT PROGRAM

We are finally ready to do something in the 'Layout' program.

Run Layout.exe if it isn't already loaded. Pick 'Load Object' From the 'File' menu and load arm_03.lwo.




LAYOUT, THE ORIGIN

Objects are always loaded at the Origin. The Origin is the center of Layout's grid - 0, 0, 0.

Since Layout is an animation program, there are 'Frames'. The starting default for the Layout program is Frame 0.

From the drop-down menu at the upper left of the window select 'Camera' view.



This would be like looking through the viewfinder of your camera. You can also look at the object in much the same way as you did in modeler (from the top, right, left, back, perspective view, etc.)




LAYOUT, DISTANT LIGHT

Layout program automatically creates one 'Distant Light' for you.

The manual states, "A 'Distant Light' is like the light from the sun. Surfaces receive an infinite amount of parallel light rays traveling in the direction the 'Distant Light points."

The light rays which come from the distant light are all parallel to each other. A 'Distant Light' has a direction. It is simmilar to a 'Point Light', difference being that a 'Distant Light' also has a direction.

"The location of a 'Distant Light' doesn't matter. Only its rotation is relevant... Distant lights are handy when you want equal illumination in a scene."

The 'Layout' program colors lights magenta if they are not selected. A 'Distant Light' is represented as a box with doors on the front.




LAYOUT, POSITIONING THE LIGHT

You'll need to position the light. When I look at my arm object, the light seems to be inside the arm.

To position a light, it's best to select 'Top View' from the view drop-down menu.



Since my 'Distant Light' appears to be inside my object, I'll move it down and to the left. Just as in the top view of Modeler. Notice that the camera initially pointing toward the 'front' of the 3D World. And, the light also is pointing towards the 'Front' of the 3D World. Two reasons why it's a good idea to have your objects face towards the 'Back' of the 3D World.

However, instead of the light being the currently selected object, the magenta color of the light gives a hint that the arm object is the currently selected object rather than the light.



...also, since it's showing blue and red 'Move Up or Sideways' direction arrows, that indicates that 'Move' is the currently selected tool.

Whenever you want to verify what the currently selected item is, look at the bottom of the window.



The currently selected item might have either been an object, bone, light or camera. But, in my case the panel tells me that 'Arm03' is selected and that its an 'Object'.

The Items tab is always the default tab when Layout starts, and is the current tool.

I click on the 'Lights' button (SHIFT-L) and the default light, called 'Light' appears in the 'Currently Selected' drop-down menu.




LAYOUT, THE 'MOVE' TOOL

Whenever one presses the 't' key for the 'Move' tool, it allows you to move the selected object upward in the viewport by clicking with your left mouse button on the blue arrow and dragging your mouse up or down, Or, you can move the selected object sideways in the viewport by left-clicking on the red arrow, holding it down, and dragging your mouse to the left and right.



In this case, I drag the red arrow to the left, then the blue arrow down to move the light to the 'Front-left' of the arm.




LAYOUT, MOTION KEYS

Now, in this particular case, I don't need to create a key for the movement of this light because the button is turned on.

I don't like this as the default. I like to create my own Key Frame each time I do an action. It's too easy to have the program record things you don't wish it to record otherwise.

So, I turn off 'Auto Key' by clicking that button again (or by pressing SHIFT-F1).



However, when you turn off 'Auto Key', that means you will have to create a 'Key Frame' for each item you change an aspect on.

Creating a Key for an item after you've modified it is easy. You just click the button (or press the RETURN key).

The 'Create Motion Key' requester will appear, and you just click 'OK'.



After doing this, the movement I just did on the light will be remembered.

The manual states:

By default the Create Key At field will contain the current frame.

You can change the frame number to create the key (using the animation channel values for the current frame) at a different frame by entering a different frame number here.

This is a good way to copy a keyframe. You can also re-pose your item and create a new key over an old one.

If I hadn't done that, after rendering the scene, Layout would have reverted all items, including the light we moved, back to the position it was at before I moved it.

A 'Key' (or Key Frame) is telling you that Layout is really always an animation program even if you are only using one frame.

Even if you are creating one still picture, you're still having to deal with the program as if you were creating an animation.

The default frame when you first enter Layout program is Frame 0. Layout automatically creates a default 'Key' for each item on frame zero.

So, each item in Layout, such as the arm object, has this thing which LightWave calls a 'Key'. A 'Key' tells Lightwave at what 3D rotation angle and 3D spatial location in the 3D World an item is found at (as well as any other attribute you could change about that item).

Thus, when you're clicking , you're really saying, "I just changed something about that item, so please remember that change for me."

Any time that an object is loaded into the Layout program, the program automatically sets a 'Key' for that object. Any item, whether its an object, bone, camera or light, always starts out with a default 'Motion Key' set for it in frame 0. Unless you move away from frame 0, do some changes on an item, then press each item will remain in it's place.

In this case, the object's position was initially set at 0, 0, 0 when I loaded the arm object into Layout and unless I move or rotate the arm, then create a new 'Key' for it, it'll remain at that 0, 0, 0 position pointing towards the back of the 3D World.

And... if I were to move an item but forgot to create a key for those changes for that item, Layout would forget the move the next time I either rendereed the scene, saved the scene, or moved to another frame. In that case, it would revert the arm's position back to 0, 0, 0 and rotation back to zero degrees the way it was before I moved or rotated it.

IMPORTANT - Even when you are not creating an animation, after doing any action to an item you must click 'Create Key' to have it remember that action.

So, to create a keyframe for an item:

1 Select item(s) and pose (move, rotate, size, etc.) it.
2 Click the 'Create Key' button or press ENTER.
3 The Create Motion Key dialog will appear.

LAYOUT, FRAMES

You can tell that we are currently on Frame 0 by looking at the 'Frame Advance' indicator.



You can even look at the object from a particular light's perspective to help your lights to illuminate an object.

Select from the view type drop-down menu.

If you've got the light pointing close enough to the direction and height of the object, you'll see it in the view.

Use the right mouse button, dragging up or down, to position the height of the light. Use the left mouse button to move the light left/right or in/out.




LAYOUT, ENVOKING THE SURFACE EDITOR INSIDE LAYOUT

If the arm is faceted, the facets mean that you didn't checkmark 'Smooth' when you created the Surface Name called 'Arm'.

The same surface editor that you can bring up in the Modeler program can be envoked in the 'Layout' program. Press the 'Surface Editor' button or press the 'F3' key. Make sure that the surface name called 'Arm' is selected and click on the checkmark that says 'Smooth'. Close the Surface Editor window.

IMPORTANT NOTE... Layout will not save that change to that object's surface unless you tell it to.

Don't think you can save the changes by clicking on the button that's inside the 'Surface Editor'. That button saves surface attributes so you can apply the same surface later to some other object.

Even though Layout lets you envoke the Surface Editor, it considers the surface editor to be a function of the Modeler program, and thus figures that it is your responsibility to save changes you make to the surface (a surface name is defined in Modeler).

To save the changed surface, from the file menu pick 'Save All Objects...' from the 'Save' menu.



You must always do this if you modify a surface from inside the 'Layout' Program.

Strange enough, you can't SEE the surface, rendered, until you enter the 'Layout Program'... so that's why they give you the ability to enter the Surface Editor from inside Layout, as well as Modeler.

It's best to try to define all surface attributes while in Modeler, as it's too easy to forget to save the changes when while you're in the 'Layout' program.

Finally, you're ready to render the arm. Up until now LightWave has merely given you representations of the surface of the arm. To actually draw a picture press the 'F9' key to 'Render' an image.


LAYOUT, CONVERTING SKELEGONS TO BONES

I'm now ready to convert the skelegons to bones.

I make sure that the Arm03 object is the selected item.



From the drop-down menu I choose...



And it informs me that three bones were created, which makes sense.



If I now click on the button, or press SHIFT-B, I can select from the 'Currently Selected Item' drop-down menu, choosing the 'ArmShoulder' bone.



I select as my view type.

That way I'll be able to rotate the object, using the ALT key as I do in Modeler in Perspective view.

I next select the tool.

When I press ALT, and use the left mouse to rotate the 3D World, the bones become visible to me.



The instant that I let go of the ALT key, the surface of the Arm03 object appears.




LAYOUT, HIDING AN OBJECT

Oftentimes when working with bones it's handy to hide the object, itself, so you can see the bones better.

To hide the arm object I press the button (or press CTRL-F1).

I select the object I want to hide. In this case I select the 'Arm 05' object.



I select the and choose 'Hide Selected Items'.



The arm object turns into a yellow mesh.



The yellow mesh of the object will only display when I have that object selected. If I select anything else, such as a bone, the arm mesh will disappear from view, allowing us to see the bones, unhindered.




LAYOUT, RECORD PIVOT ROTATION

Now, although I haven't yet properly set the 'Bank Rotation Handles' I'll do a 'Pivot->Record Pivot Rotation' on the bones as I've detailed because that is ALWAYS what you should do after converting skelegons to bones. Lets see how the rotation angles of the bones fared without thinking of the handles at all.

I first ensure that 'Auto Set' is set up properly by pressing 'o' to bring up the Layout Preferences 'General Options'.

I make sure that 'Modified Channels' is selected under 'Auto Key Create'




Then, I activate by clicking the button until its dark brown (SHIFT-F1).

I first select the 'ArmShoulder' bone by clicking on it with the left mouse button.

To record the Pivot Rotation angles I select 'Record Pivot Rotations' from the drop-down.



The heading, pitch and bank of the bone now all equal zero.



After recording the pivot rotation, I activate the bone and set its 'Rest Direction' and 'Rest Rotation', by pressing the 'r' key.

I'm done with the 'ArmShoulder' bone. In this particular case, little seemed to happen when I did the 'Record Pivot Rotations'. However, lets now move on to the second 'ArmBicep bone and see what happens.

Next, I select the 'ArmBicep' bone by clicking the bone with the left mouse button. If the incorrect bone highlights, try rotating the bones in the 'Perspective' view by pressing the ALT key, holding down the left mouse button, dragging the mouse left and right until the bone you wish to select is better displayed.

If after rotating the world you still can't get at the bone you wish to select, pick that bone's name from the section of the selected item drop-down menu.



This time, when I look at the rotate gizmo, I see that the bank gadget (blue) and the heading gadget (red) are nearly in the same plane with each other.

And, when I look down at the H/P/B gadget I see that the heading, pitch and bank values certainly don't all equal zero.



These are the reasons I've been saying that setting the 'Bank Rotation' angles is so important.

You'll notice that the little blue arrow points to the left.



This indicates the direction that the 'Bank Rotation Handle' is pointing as it was created in 'Modeler' (If you're following along, your blue arrow might be pointing in a different direction than the direction that mine points if you created that skelegon in a different viewport than I did).

If I don't zero the pivot rotation angles, I'll lose the ability to move the bone in one direction.

I again select 'Record Pivot Rotations' from the drop-down.



The heading, pitch and bank of the 'ArmBicep' bone now all equal zero.



And, the heading, pivot and bank gadgets have suddenly become right-angles with each other.



After recording the pivot rotation, I musn't forget to activate the 'ArmBicep' bone and set its 'Rest Direction' and 'Rest Rotation', by pressing the 'r' key.

I do the same thing with the 'ArmForearm' bone, then I'm done.


LAYOUT, MAKING THE OBJECT VISIBLE AGAIN

To make the arm object visible again I again press the button (or press CTRL-F1).

I select the 'Arm 05' object.



Select and choose 'Show All Items'.



The object reverts back to being a smooth arm.




LAYOUT, ROTATING THE ARM

I ensure that I'm on frame zero by looking at the number in the frame number gadget.



I make sure that the currently selected item is the 'ArmForearm' bone. I turn the arm nearly sideways in the 'Perspective' viewport by pressing ALT and dragging with the mouse, then grab the green 'Pitch' circle to rotate the forearm upward.



If you still have turned on, then you don't need to do a 'Create Key', otherwise press 'RETURN' key to create a key for the forearm.

I now pick the 'ArmBicep' from the section of the 'Selected Item' drop-down.



I use the red 'Heading' circle to rotate the arm bicep up, and you can see part of the chest follow it.



This interaction that you see is common. And, is the reason that I drew the arm straight down as I did.

When you create bodies, which you'll be wishing to animate, it's always best to raise the arms so they are perpendicular to the ground. That way, it will be far easier to isolate a bone's influence on the arm from the bone's influence on the body.

Not to say I couldn't get these polygons to obey, but it would take far more effort getting the body polygons to not move when the bicep bone is moved the way it is. If the arm was far away from the body, the bicep bone would have little to no influence on the body.

I look at the 'ArmBicep' weight map and determine that these three points, which only have a 10% value, are the ones which are causing the warpage.



Even a ten percent influence can have substantial effects when a bone is rotated a long distance. However, how much you work on your weight maps has to do with how severe an angle you will be using. The more severe an angle you use, the more accurate the weight maps will have to be.

I select the three points, choose '(new)' from the 'Weight Map' drop-down menu, choose 'ArmBicep' from the 'Create Weight Map' drop-down menu, and give the points a 0 value (you don't have to type the % sign, it assumes that).

I choose 'Update Layout' from the drop-down menu to the right of the layer's gadgets.



So, I'm almost ready to set the camera and render an image. I select the 'Camera' by pressing SHIFT-C so I can move and rotate it.



I select for the view so I can better position the camera. I select and move the camera to the front-left of the arm. I the camera so it points towards the arm.



I select so I can see what the camera is seeing, and select 'move' and 'rotate' to make any last-minute changes in the camera's angle.

I click to have it remember my camera changes.

I don't need to click on 'Create Key' only once, even though I made changes in rotation and position (unless I had moved from Frame 0, which I didn't). However, it can't hurt to click it every time you make a change.

I press 'F9' to render the image.



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