Animation
This guide provides some overview on how animations are used within the tool and recommended settings.
What an agent needs
An Animator with an Avatar. That is all. There is no Animator Controller to assign; the tool builds the agent's layer stack itself when it starts. If a model has an Animator without an Avatar the tool still uses it, but with more than one Animator in the hierarchy it picks the one with an Avatar.
Recommended Settings
This is not an exhaustive list but provides highlights.
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| Loop Time | Enabled |
| Root Transform Position (Y) Based Upon | Feet |
Loop Time matters more than it did. An Animator Controller looped a clip whether or not the clip said to; the layer stack respects the clip's own setting, so an idle or walk without Loop Time freezes on its last frame. The tool wraps such clips itself and logs a warning once per clip, and BardTreeLtd/Civil AI/Validate Animation Setup lists them, but it is better to set them right.
Maximo Import
This is a great free resource which can really help kick start prototyping and is recommended for getting going, however there are a few tips to make this quick and easy.
Check your animation works with your Agents
Select your animation and go to the 'Animation' tab. At the bottom you should have a preview window. Drag an agent on which you are wishing to use and see if the animations works are expected. If it doesn't then you will need to update the rig.
To check an animation with an item in the agent's hand, use the Hold Point Editor instead.
Updating the Rig
To update the rig select the animation and go onto the 'Rig' tab. Change 'Animation Type' to 'Humanoid', Avatar Definition to 'Create from This Model' and click 'Apply'. You can then check 'Animation' tab to see the end result.
Rename the Animation Name
Download animations will have the name of what they are from Maxamo but will not have the name on the clip. As the clip is the reference we use to play this can make it hard to keep track when using the tool. It is suggested to rename this to describe what it is. This can be done on the 'Animation' tab.
Apply the settings
Just like any other animation, make sure you apply the recommended settings mentioned above.
Next step
Animation Layers covers playing an action on part of the body while the rest keeps walking.