I'm on exercise six and I've spent weeks on it, because I keep encountering something. All goes well with having the guy turn the doorknob this way and that. He pulls on the door. Then he lifts his foot to put it up on the door frame. And it all goes bad from there. Suddenly his foot is curling up and lifting up from the very first frame rather than from the frame I wanted it to - frame 00;00;03;20 in my case. All movement is now going back to that first frame instead of where I wanted it. I don't like that and it's discouraging me. Why is it happening? What am I doing wrong - every time?

When you first move a bone it sets a key frame at the frame you are on. It also looks backwards to see when you last told the bone what to do. If you have not set any key frames before this, it will look all the way back to time 0. This applies to both translation and rotation key frames. Rober Holmen has an excellent short video on this concept - here's the link - http://www.hash.com/two/RCHolmen/MakinBone...yInPlaceMP4.mov

Hope this helps,

Scott

Thanks, Scott. I watched the video, took notes to help myself remember and to help my partner, since she is experiencing the same problem. I work with keyframes in my video editing and understand the concept. I don't think I understand having to make all the extra keyframes. In editing, the first keyframe means -start the motion at this very frame- and the next keyframe means -stop the motion at this very frame-. So this is similar, but yet different. I think I'll do a little better now that I understand though. We'll press on and see what we can accomplish. Thank you again.

Shelley

In animation, the concept is very similar, except that the first keyframe for the model and all its bones is at 0, so the first non 0 key frame is actually your second key frame. If the key frame at 0 and the next key frame (say at 10) is the same as 0 then you get what is called a hold. Holds are the key to delaying and separating motion.
Try a search on line about holds in animation and you may find more helpful resources.

Here's a useful tut that talks about holds in A:M. It is based on an old version, but it still should be useful.
http://www.hash.com/users/ed/tutorials/animtut.htm

You'll get all the help you need here on the forum, so keep asking questions.

Scott

Imagine if you were editing volume levels for the audio in your NLE. If you wanted the volume to stay normal for the first ten seconds (00:00 to 10:00), then ramp up for five seconds (10:00 to 15:00) then fade out completely for 2 seconds (15:00 to 17:00) you'd need several keyframes.

you'd have to put one normal key at 10:00 before you put the high volume key at 15:00 or the volume would be ramping up continuously from 00:00 to 15:00.

bones are like that.

As always, Robert has an excellent way of explaining it!

Listen when the wise man speaks!

Scott

The light has come on! I get it. You're absolutely right. Now that I understand. Thank you. This forum is going to be a lifesaver. Thanks to you all!