Generating Annotations from MotionBuilder

Anyone have any ideas on how to best make an abstraction in MotionBuilder for the animators to add annotations to their animations?

Everything I’ve tested so far is either
a) destroyed during a retarget or plot, such as enumerations or keyed bools.
b) results in suboptimal workflow; such as a curve where value x == annotated. This requires 3 keys to be set for every annotation.

So far my best idea is to make a custom timeline interface that does my b example; but automatically shows the 3 keys as 1 annotation.

(to clarify, with annotation I mean a “message” that is attached to a frame, such as a footplanting, or shooting frame)

this might not be the solution but a push in the right directions, you could see if you can use the “Note” in the “Elements”, with this, you can either click and drag the note node to an object in the scene or just click and drag the “static comment” from its properties

have they tried using timeline marks?

right click on the timeline-time- add mark, add notes to it

Is there a way to access or export the timeline marks via python?

[QUOTE=bclark;13114]have they tried using timeline marks?

right click on the timeline-time- add mark, add notes to it[/QUOTE]

Interesting… Didn’t know about that.

They seem to be Take independent though; which won’t work for us. (our different animations exist as different takes, and need different annotations).

Another approach;
Using a Null (for example) add Custom Properties and use List Properties type and populate your list with predefined notes or messages. You can select an item from the dropdown list and key it at any frame.

The unfortunate word in there is “predefined”. You can’t easily append anything to the list.
I’m trying to work out a simple UI for this. Also it isn’t dependent on the user’s current selection.

  1. dropdown to select which object / null (naming and/or namespace dependent)
  2. dropdown: select list item
  3. Text / Message create new item and button to add it to list
  4. button for setting key of list item at current frame

If this seems like a usable solution, input & suggestions are appreciated…as always :slight_smile:

I think you can make a graph curve that’s not representative of anything in the relations editor. Then attach it to a custom property on a null in the characterization; use this for any timing issues and try the notes idea from Jason above.

Hope this helps.