Splitting Motion Groups in the Timeline

To make it easier for users, iClone binds some data, such as motion clips, keys or switches, together as a group, so that in addition to basic editing such as copy and paste, when you drag, loop, accelerate, decelerate, break or delete one of them, the change will apply to the other motion data in the group simultaneously.

However, if you need to individually modify these clips in detail, or use keys or switches, then you need to perform the Split function to ungroup them before you can adjust further.

Ways to Generate Grouped Data

• Character Performs by Attached Accessory

  After a character has had intelligent accessories attached, it acquires new abilities to perform the motions that come along with the accessories. When you command the character do these motions, iClone automatically groups up the body motions and the accessory animations.

  1. Apply a wing accessory to a standard character.
     
  2. Right click on the character and select the Move >> Fly Backward command from the right-click menu, and click on the ground to set the destination.
  3. The character generates a body motion as it is flying. At the same time, the wings also generate flapping animations. These two kind of data are automatically grouped in the Timeline.
     
  4. Apply a change to the motion clip, such as looping. The other clip in the group will react to the manipulation simultaneously.
     
• Character Operates an iProp

  Whenever a character is command to operate an iProp, a group of the body motions and the iProp animations will automatically be generated.

  1. Select a character.
     
  2. Right click on an iProp and select one of the Operate command from the right-click menu to have the character interact with the iprop.
  3. When the operation is done, a group containing body motions, iprop animations and even link key data will automatically be generated.
     
  4. Edit the one of the components in the group (such as dragging). The other clip in the group will react to the manipulation simultaneously.
     
• Character Applied with MotionPlus

  When you have a character applied with accessories that are identical to another character, then you may exchange animation data between them in MotionPlus format. After a character is applied with a MotionPlus file, the data coming from the file will be automatically be grouped together.

  1. Create a character and attach an accessory, animate both of them in any motion-animation-related features.
  2. Use the Collect Clip feature to generate a MotionPlus file and activate the settings that you want to be included in the file (if you are not sure what you want to activate, then activate them all).
     
  3. Create another character with the idential prop attached and the same hierarchy.
     
  4. Apply the generated MotionPlus file to the character.
  5. Edit one of the components of the group, such as decelerate. The other clips in the group will react to the manipulation simultaneously.

     Drag the right edges of one of the clips to decelerate the entire group.

     Note:

     Although you can edit the entire motion group across the tracks, the Facial Layer Keys is by default ungrouped. Please note that your further adjustments will not affect the keys in this track.

Splitting the Group for Editing Individual Data

In addition to modifying the data group by group, you can break the group into pieces so that you are able to individually edit the data inside of the group. A talking-walking character with an animated accessory applied with MotionPlus is taken as an example in this section.

1. After you have applied a MotionPlus file to your character and accessory, the data from the file will be grouped in the Timeline as described above.
   
2. Right click on any clip-type data in this group and select the Split command from the right-click menu.
   
3. The data in the group can be edited independently after the Split command.