Copy an animation?

[AnimationGuy]

Ok so what I need is a way to copy an animation. So for example, say I have a character walking and I've animated the whole sequence, but lets just say I want 100 of these to be walking. I don't want to have to do the same thing over 100 times. Is there a way where I can just copy the animation and paste it 100 times? I guess I'm asking for a similar function as symbols would have in Adobe Flash or Toon Boom Animate. Thanks!

[Paul Fierlinger]

This has been discussed several times so just make a search for "copy frames" or "copy animation" in the search window above (right corner) and you'll get something like this:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7500&p=67350&hilit=faux#p67350" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[D.T. Nethery]

"Ok so what I need is a way to copy an animation.

So for example, say I have a character walking and I've animated the whole sequence, but lets just say I want 100 of these to be walking. I don't want to have to do the same thing over 100 times. Is there a way where I can just copy the animation and paste it 100 times?"

How to copy and paste frames is covered in Lesson 6 of the User Manual , section 6-8 - 6-10 , under 'Managing the images of an animation layer - Move and duplicate one or several images.'

Copy and Paste commands in TVP are the same as most other applications -- Ctrl C = Copy a frame , Ctrl V = Paste a frame , delete a frame is Ctrl X .

But I'm not sure what you mean when you say "I don't want to have to do the same thing over 100 times."

but then you say: "Is there a way where I can just copy the animation and paste it 100 times?"

Wouldn't copying and pasting the animation for 100 frames mean it's the same thing ? Maybe I misunderstand you ?

"I guess I'm asking for a similar function as symbols would have in Adobe Flash or Toon Boom Animate."

Not really symbols like Flash , but you can copy animation to a Custom Anim Brush and save it in the Bin . (the Bin tab is next to Options tab in the Tool Panel) See the User Manual , Lesson 7 , section 7-25 - 7-26 "The Notion of Anim Brushes" and section 7-32 "The drawing Tool Panel: Bin tab"

Or if you want to re-position and re-use animation (like you could re-use a symbol in Flash) you can have more than one TVP project open at one time , so imagine that Project #1 has the animation of your 100 frames that you want to re-use inside a larger sequence in new Project #2 . You would use the KeyFramer tool from the FX stack and choose Project #1 as the Source in the Render tab , then use the KeyFramer's Position coordinates to place the animation from Project #1 where you want it inside Project #2 , then Apply FX stack to apply the sourced animation to your new project . (see Lesson 15 in the User Manual about the Motion FX - KeyFramer tool ) . You could have multiple projects open with different bits of animation for re-use , referencing these projects as the Source within the KeyFramer when you want to reposition and reuse those bits of animation within a new project.

[AnimationGuy]

Thank you very much I will try those suggestions!

[AnimationGuy]

Oh there's something I forgot to mention that's actually why I'm asking this question. When I tried to copy the animation it works but the position was exactly the same. So what I mean is if for example I want 100 characters to be running, and I made one character running sequence and copied it 100 times, the problem would be that they would all be running on the exact same positions on the screen. In other words, you would still see 1 character running, but 99 other ones would just be exactly behind it so you wouldn't be able to see. What I want is to be able to reposition the start of an animation and let it continue from there. So in this specific example I would want each character to start from a different position on the screen, but the rest of the animation sequence should then be followed. Thanks again!

[Paul Fierlinger]

What you describe here; is that a case where you want to make a cycle run through its frames several times in such a way that the character eventually runs fluidly through the entire screen?
EDIT: I re-read your post and think I better understand what you want to do. You want in the end to fill the scene with a crowd of look-a-likes running through the screen, is that right? If so, you do something like that with the KeyFramer. Which version of TVP are you working with -- different versions have KeyFramers with different levels of development.

[AnimationGuy]

What exactly does the KeyFramer do?

[slowtiger]

It does exactly what you need. See manual.

[Soom]

You could also simply use the Transform tool: select the frames you want to move (on timeline drag with the mouse just below the frames) then move them with Transform tool to a new location on the screen - voila - all frames moved to a new location. If you want to repeat the exact same transform on any other frame, just select Transform Tool, and click Enter.

By the way - when you post a question like this - it's always easier if you attach a screenshot of what you are trying to do.