Height adjustment animation

[Meow Spore]

Right, this is something I saw mirco avatars use. So wonder if it can be done on a normal avatar.

What I wonder is if I can create an animation that only adjusts my characters height position. One that I can use to move my avatar up or down  while sitting on a pose or the ground. Without it otherwise twisting the pose already playing or moving it sideways.

So, simply. Can it be done? And if so, how will I do it?

[George Orellana]

You can use either Phoenix or Dolphin 2 if you prefer V2, both have a z modifier feature which let you adjust the position of your avatar without the need of a special animation. Dolphin 2 is much easier to use because the setting is a slider at the top of the screen so you don't need to go to preferences to switch it back and forth. 

[Meow Spore]

Oh, that's even better. Already using phoenix and rather not change it.

So as a little follow up question(even if in the wrong forum part) Think it's possible to make a script that for example changes that Z modifier from 0 to -0.5 on and off with a click on a prim placed on the screen? 

Not necessarily asking for that script. Just asking if it can be done.

Oh, and on a third note... I assume the changes I get when changing the Z modifier is also seen by others even not using phoenix?

[George Orellana]

I am unsure it there is such a script. I do believe however that a script would require you to be sitting on an object for it to work that way. If I am not mistaken the z modifier feature is a client feature that cannot be controlled by a LSL script, maybe I'm wrong. I'm sure an experienced LSL scripter will answer this question soon. 

[Cerise Sorbet]

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George Orellana wrote:

I am unsure it there is such a script. I do believe however that a script would require you to be sitting on an object for it to work that way. If I am not mistaken the z modifier feature is a client feature that cannot be controlled by a LSL script, maybe I'm wrong. I'm sure an experienced LSL scripter will answer this question soon. 

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Yes, that number is beyond the reach of scripts. The standard system calculates mBodySize on the viewer side from some shape values, then sends that to the server. The Z modifier hack lets the user add an arbitrary number to the calculated size before it is transmitted. The server may perform some clamping if the transmitted size is outside the predefined minimum and maximum.

It is possible to do this using only animation assets, It could be easiest to start with a "null" animation and alter the anim.ini offsets. Some freely available examples are included with OpenCollar, the animations named like ~-35 etc. Those examples are only set up to lower a standing avatar, but the same principle can be used to raise too.

[Pussycat Catnap]

As you noted, the micro avatars do this.

I have a mini rabbit and a mini bilby avatar that both shove my avatar under the floor and surround it with an invisiprim.

- They're old.

If you were to make that today, the smarter move would just be an alpha texture over the whole body.

 

But if you need to move yourself up or down rather than hide yourself... the techniique they used is what you want. Unfortunately those are avatars I bought not made. I don't know what the method used to do it was - just that it can be done.

 

[Medhue Simoni]

From a purely animation standpoint, this is easy. Positioning is just another part you can animate. The only real issue is that you will need to do some minor testing inworld to match up the correct height. Once you know this, all that is needed is to adjust the height of the Tframe. Everything references off of the Tframe position. So, if you lower it, it raises all the actual playing frames, and the reverse when you raise the Tframe.

[Strawberry Lionheart]

The Old Micro Avatars (before mesh) are using a fixed pelvis position animation file that re-run itself on a 0.1 second timer (it's considered a very resource taking script (cause lag) but also the only way to prevent any other animation to rewrite it during play). 

Depending on how you want to "Adjust" your avatar it will end up with hundreds of animation files needed. But making an adjuster is possible. (Check Marketplace for BB Micro Adjuster for example)

For Up Down only it's easy.. But if you want a match of Up Down + Left Right or Front Back. You will need a script that do math with a series of animations to match the calculated math and playback the animation file with a 0.1 timer. eg.. Front 1 Up 1 = 1 file, Front 2 Up 1 = 1 file, Front 1 Up 2 = 1 file, Front 2 Up 2 = 1 file. The more "adjustable positions" there are, the more animation files you need.

The above method is the only method that works with script command so far. (as of date of this post there's no way we can control the offset with script)

We are currently voting to get SL to add a new script command so we can adjust offset without any use of animation just like the llSitTarget with both Position and Rotation in Jira. If you guys are interested in a new function like that do go and add a vote. And hopefully we will get enough votes to get Linden Lab to add the new script command.

Vote site: https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SCR-349