Animation Editor: Nodes – Arma Reforger
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An '''animation node''' is a fundamental block of an animation engine. Each node has a single (and simple) purpose. By connecting these nodes to one big hierarchy, complex behaviour can be achieved. | An '''animation node''' is a fundamental block of an animation engine. Each node has a single (and simple) purpose. By connecting these nodes to one big hierarchy, complex behaviour can be achieved. | ||
Usually the hierarchy is | Usually the hierarchy is organised top to bottom, connecting parent nodes to child nodes. | ||
Each node is displayed as a small rectangle, first line tells us the node type, second line contains node name. | Each node is displayed as a small rectangle, first line tells us the node type, second line contains node name. | ||
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=== Source Sync === | === Source Sync === | ||
Used to play synced animations. Samples a pose from the linked animation. This pose is passed to parent node as a result. | Used to play synced animations. Samples a pose from the linked animation. This pose is passed to parent node as a result. Normalised times are used for synchronization, read more in [[Arma Reforger:Animation Editor: Sync Tutorial|Animation Editor: Sync Tutorial]]. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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'''Pose 2''' node is similar to '''Pose''' node, but it works in two dimensional space. | '''Pose 2''' node is similar to '''Pose''' node, but it works in two dimensional space. | ||
{{Feature|informative|See [[Arma Reforger:Animation Editor: Pose 2D Node Tutorial|Animation Editor: Pose 2D Node Tutorial]].}} | |||
'''Example usage:''' Aim Spaces and Look Animations - mapping horizontal and vertical direction to a pose. | '''Example usage:''' Aim Spaces and Look Animations - mapping horizontal and vertical direction to a pose. | ||
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=== State Machine === | === State Machine === | ||
'''State machines''' contain multiple '''state''' nodes and '''transitions''' between them. Only one state is active in any frame. | '''State machines''' contain multiple '''state''' nodes and '''transitions''' between them. Only one '''state''' per '''state machine''' is active in any frame unless a transition with a '''duration''' attribute bigger than 0.0 has been fulfilled. | ||
State machine tries to switch to new state on every frame, if any '''condition''' on transition is fulfilled. | State machine tries to switch to new state on every frame, if any '''condition''' on transition is fulfilled. | ||
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or even bit more complicated usage is possible | or even bit more complicated usage is possible | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''' | | '''Optimise Min/Max''' | ||
| If '''Min''' is unticked, '''1st Node''' will always play | | If '''Min''' is unticked, '''1st Node''' will always play | ||
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(as '''1''' is maximum, normally) | (as '''1''' is maximum, normally) | ||
'''Note:''' If the main pose is set as '''1st Node''' and an additive animation as '''2nd Node,''' simply untick ''' | '''Note:''' If the main pose is set as '''1st Node''' and an additive animation as '''2nd Node,''' simply untick '''Optimise Max''' and set '''Weight''' to '''1.0'''. | ||
This will always play the main pose, but additively play the second node. | This will always play the main pose, but additively play the second node. | ||
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| set to true when the character is aiming | | set to true when the character is aiming | ||
* then it aligns the weapon orientation with | * then it aligns the weapon orientation with inputs Weapon Dir LR and Weapons Dir UD | ||
* it also force enables IK on primary chain | * it also force enables IK on primary chain | ||
|- | |- | ||
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|- | |- | ||
| Use NTime | | Use NTime | ||
| This defines whether to use | | This defines whether to use normalised time when evaluating the sources | ||
|- | |- | ||
| NTime Cycle | | NTime Cycle |
Latest revision as of 22:12, 24 May 2024
An animation node is a fundamental block of an animation engine. Each node has a single (and simple) purpose. By connecting these nodes to one big hierarchy, complex behaviour can be achieved. Usually the hierarchy is organised top to bottom, connecting parent nodes to child nodes.
Each node is displayed as a small rectangle, first line tells us the node type, second line contains node name. The name has to be unique, which is used as a reference when linking to it from other nodes. Naming is case sensitive.
Slots, which can be found at the bottom of some node types, serve to connect a node to any child node.
Animation Graph Evaluation
Imagine the evaluation as a process happening in two phases.
DOWN. Animator and character programmer agree on "master" (main, topmost) node. The animation graph evaluation starts at this node and continues to child nodes. Logic in animation nodes affects which child paths are evaluated and which are ignored. This way the evaluation traverses from topmost node to bottom of the graph.
UP. Once there are no valid child nodes where to continue the search, the evaluation returns back, carrying an animation pose as a result. This pose can be blended with other poses returned from different child paths or for example.
(SIMPLIFIED. Logic is evaluated from top to bottom, left to right. Results (animation poses) are passed to parent node until they reach the topmost node.)
Order of evaluation is important, because it affects values used in conditions and other expressions. For example, when using tags, remaining time or events in an expression, it must be checked after all child nodes are evaluated, otherwise these values are still unknown.
Time and Timing
One of the inputs of an animation node is a time. Time is for advancing animations, essentially - playing the animations. The node usually passes this time to linked child nodes, however, some node hold their own clock. There are two ways to measure time:
- Real time. Time as we know it, it advances forward.
- Normal time. Time used to synchronise animations. It scales between synchronization points, so multiple animations can be blended nicely.
Node Types
Common Properties
Property | Description |
---|---|
Node Name | Unique node name, case sensitive. |
Tags | User defined tags. Tags are returned together with resulting pose. Game code can read the returned tags and react to them. |
Child | Link to child node/multiple children |
Source InLoopOut
Used to play animations. Samples a pose from the linked animation. This pose is passed to parent node as a result.
Animation is composed of three parts.
- Intro
- Loop (surrounded by In Event and Out Event)
- Outro
Loop part keeps repeating until a condition is satisfied.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Source | Source id selecting an animation from Anim Set (Group.Column.Line or Group.Line when relying on a Group Select node) |
In Event | Marks the start of the loop |
Out Event | Marks the end of the loop |
End Expr | Condition which interrupts the loop and continues to outro. |
Source
Used to play animations. Samples a pose from the linked animation. This pose is passed to parent node as a result.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Source | Source id selecting an animation from Anim Set (Group.Column.Line or Group.Line when relying on a Group Select node) |
Loop | loop: Loops the animation
noloop: Doesn't loop the animation |
Source Sync
Used to play synced animations. Samples a pose from the linked animation. This pose is passed to parent node as a result. Normalised times are used for synchronization, read more in Animation Editor: Sync Tutorial.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Source | Source id selecting an animation from Anim Set (Group.Column.Line or Group.Line when relying on a Group Select node) |
Loop | loop: Loops the animation
noloop: Doesn't loop the animation |
Sync | See Animation Editor: Sync Tutorial. |
Pose
Used to sample a pose from an animation. Unlike Source node, Pose node does not play the animation. Animation frame is computed from variables.
Pose node can blend between two closest frames when the variable value falls between them.
Example usage: steering in a vehicle, having all steering poses in one animation and using a variable to select a pose to be played.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Source | Source id selecting an animation from Anim Set (Group.Column.Line or Group.Line when relying on a Group Select node) |
Time | 0 to 1, where 0 maps to the first frame of animation, and 1 maps to the last frame of animation |
Pose 2
Pose 2 node is similar to Pose node, but it works in two dimensional space.
Example usage: Aim Spaces and Look Animations - mapping horizontal and vertical direction to a pose.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Source | Source id selecting an animation from Anim Set (Group.Column.Line or Group.Line when relying on a Group Select node) |
Value Y | Expression for the Y direction |
Value X | Expression for the X direction |
Table | Table which maps X and Y values to frames, details here |
State Machine
State machines contain multiple state nodes and transitions between them. Only one state per state machine is active in any frame unless a transition with a duration attribute bigger than 0.0 has been fulfilled. State machine tries to switch to new state on every frame, if any condition on transition is fulfilled.
Blend
Used to blend between two child nodes. Blend node supports both "normal" and "additive" blending and required no further setup for that manner, since every animation track already contains information whether it is additive.
Blending is immediate - based on a value or variables. Blending weight can change rapidly between frames, no time-based blending is done.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Weight | Expression (0.0 - 1.0)
0: 100% 1st child 0.5: 50% 1st, 50% 2nd child 1: 100% 2nd child If this needs to be dynamic and controllable, create a float variable and use it in this expression. For example or even bit more complicated usage is possible |
Optimise Min/Max | If Min is unticked, 1st Node will always play
If Max is unticked, 2nd Node will always play This also makes the unchecked side multiplied, so a 2 will make 2nd Node play multiplied (as 1 is maximum, normally) Note: If the main pose is set as 1st Node and an additive animation as 2nd Node, simply untick Optimise Max and set Weight to 1.0. This will always play the main pose, but additively play the second node. |
Blend N
Used when blending between multiple child nodes. Each child node corresponds to one threshold value.
Can be useful for example when blending between different directions of walking animations (0-360).
Blending is immediate - based on a value or variables. Blending weight can change rapidly between frames, no time-based blending is done.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Blend Weight | Expression. Value which controls the blending between two thresholds (=two child nodes). |
Blend Fn | Shape of blending curves between particular thresholds. Use Lin in order to avoid curves. |
Is Cyclic | Enable cyclic behavior (first threshold is identical to last, even with different values). Tick and add another Threshold at the end of Thresholds
that corresponds to the first Input Link (for example, threshold would be -180,-90,0,90,180 when doing directional animations) |
Children | Links to child nodes. |
Thresholds | Each child nodes corresponds to one threshold, thresholds must go from lower to higher values. |
Blend T
Blend T Add
Used to blend between two child nodes over time - unlike other blend nodes. When a condition is met, Blend T starts blending towards the other child node over time.
Blend T Add always plays the main child node and the second child pose is blended with it. Condition in Blend T Add is always evaluated after main child node but before second child node.
Property | Description |
---|---|
Blend Time | Blending time between child nodes in seconds. |
Blend Fn | Shape of blending curves between particular thresholds. Use Lin in order to avoid curves. |
Trigger OnTrigger Off | Trigger On switches from first to second, Trigger Off switches back to first. Both have to be filled, otherwise Condition is used. |
Condition | If Triggers are empty, condition serves as a switch between child nodes. When false, first child node is active, when false, second child node is active. |
Post Eval | If Post-Eval is set to true, triggers or conditions are evaluated after child nodes. This is required when expressions refer to tags or events returned by child nodes.
Condition in Blend T Add is always evaluated after main child node but before second child node. |
Group Select
Used to select a Column in a Group in Anim Set. If any Source Node below selects an animation by source id in following format:
Locomotion.WalkF
Then the Column is injected and new animation source id is formed by the Group Select between these, to form:
Locomotion.Erc.WalkF
Property | Description |
---|---|
Group | Defines in which anim set group the column is selected |
Column | Defines which column of the Group should be selected |
Queue Node
Queue node provides solution when queueing up animations and playing them on top of main animation, such as a gestures or other actions.
This can be used for both additive and full body animations, where the full body will override the main link, and the additive animation will play on top of the main link.
Property | Description | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Main Link | Link to "main" child node which is played (evaluated) all time | ||||||||||||||
Items | Press + to add new items, - to remove.
Each item links to a child node and has the following properties:
|
Buffer Save
Buffer Use
Buffer Save stores current animation buffer aside under chosen name. Stashed buffer can be used (loaded) later.
Buffer Use loads a stashed buffer with matching name, replacing current animation buffer.
This node might be slightly more complex than it seems. Please refer to the Absolute & Differential Animations and Buffer Nodes article for further details.
Var Update Node
Var Update node is able to remember values of chosen variables and can keep their values fixed for child nodes below. Updates of remembered values can be turned on/off in different situations:
- On Init: Update remembered values when the Var Update node becomes active
- On Main Path: Update remembered values when the Var Update node lies on main path (is active)
- On Blend Out: Update remembered values when blending out.
Unticked situations keep the values fixed.
Example Usage:
This node is used when are blending from one state to another that is using the same internal variable, such as direction or speed.
Say, the character is moving towards left (-90) and wants to switch to going right (-90). Normally the Direction variable would go from -90 to 90 immediately, and the character would then do an unnatural skip between these two.
The game could gradually blend from -90 to 0 to 90, but then the character would be forced to interpolated direction for a short time.
This Var Update Node can bypass that by saving the old variable value (-90) to the old state and pass new variable value (90) to new state while the states are blending from one into another.
Rotation Node
Rotation node provides procedural rotation (or even translation) of bones according to expression.
Property | Description | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expression | This is the expression the node will use to evaluate the bones listed below | ||||||||||||
Bones | Each item affects one bone.
|
IK2 Target
IK2 Target saves transforms of end effectors for later use by IK2 node.
Property | Description | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chains | For each chain, model space positions and rotations of their end effectors are computed. Then, end-effector transform is saved under Ik Target identifier.
Ik Target can be used later in IK2 nodes.
|
IK2
IK2 computes inverse kinematics on a chain of bones to reach a specific target.
Property | Description | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weight | Weight, 0-1. When zero, no IK is applied, when one, IK is fully applied. | ||||||
Snap Rotation | Snap the rotation of end effector to be the same as ik target rotation. | ||||||
Chains | List of chains and their IK targets.
|
IK2 Plane
IK2 computes inverse kinematics on a chain of bones to reach a specific target plane. Target planes are set by application (character/gameplay programmers).
Property | Description | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weight | Weight, 0-1. When zero, no IK is applied, when one, IK is fully applied. | ||||||
Active Distance | Distance which the IK is applied from. If the chain of bones is further, no IK is applied even when weight is one. In meters. | ||||||
Threshold smoothness | Smoothing the "edge" of active distance to turn on IK continuously. In meters. | ||||||
Custom Rotation | When zero, IK2 Plane pushes the end effector along the normal of plane. In some situations it may be feasible to move it in a custom direction, for example pushing up when correcting feet by IK. | ||||||
Snap Rotation | Snap the rotation of end effector to be the same as ik target rotation. | ||||||
Chains | List of chains and their IK targets.
|
IK Rotation
Animation node applying inverse kinematics to reach target rotation. Position is untouched. Useful for spine inverse kinematics instead of counter-animating hip rotations.
Property | Description | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weight | Weight, 0-1. When zero, no rotations are applied, when one, rotations are fully applied. | ||||||
Chains | List of chains and their IK targets.
|
Weapon IK
This node is used for weapon related pose corrections and inverse kinematics.
- Compares current weapon direction with desired direction
- Rotates weapon to correct direction
- Snaps primary and secondary chain (arms) onto weapon
Property | Description |
---|---|
Config Name | This defines what the IK setup is called |
Config | Configuration of IK node.
Binding to names of joints of primary/secondary chain. Select which joint axes match with chain orientation. |
Aim On | set to true when the character is aiming
|
Prim On | set to true to enable IK on primary chain
(usually right arm) |
Sec On | set to true to enable IK on secondary chain
(usually left arm) |
Blend Time | Blending time for changes of "Aim On", "Prim On"
and "Sec On". (how long it takes to blend from/into aiming state or primary state or secondary state) |
Weapon Dir LR Angle | Horizontal aiming angle, used for aligning the weapon
when Aim On is set to true. |
Weapon Dir UD Angle | Vertical aiming angle, used for aligning the weapon
when Aim On is set to true. |
Switch Node
This node enables switching between multiple sources which variable chances between each source.
Property | Description | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Use NTime | This defines whether to use normalised time when evaluating the sources | ||||||||
NTime Cycle | |||||||||
Items |
|
Attachment
Attachment node provides dynamic link to a different graph.
The attachment is provided by the game and attachment node picks it by the binding name. Link may lead to different animation graph with different animation instance.
Attachment nodes are useful for example for weapons, vehicles, animation modding...
Attachments can be inserted for debugging in the animation editor through Attachments Debug window:
Property | Description |
---|---|
Binding name | Name of the attachment. |
Fixed | Attached animation graph and instance are bound once the node starts playing. The binding is reset only when the node stops playing. |
Event
Event node fires a set of animation events once the node becomes active.
This is useful when we need to signal other parts of engine or game code that a branch in animation graph became active. (for example, audio engine can react to stance changes)
- Fill in the expression to limit when the event is triggered.
- Empty expression means that the event is triggered every time.
- Event can be triggered on node init only or on every time the node is updated.