Time Offset per Particle
#1
Hey, 

im looking for the smartest way to time-offset a referenced animation (apply a time-offset only to a referenced value e.g. customTM channel; not the whole flow or event.).
In my scene i have a master Rotation Controller (dummy with keyframes) and id like to offset the animation by simIndex/BirhtID or some other integer that i can use as multiplier.
So for example: particle 0 has the true timing, Particle 1 has 20 Frames offset, Particle 2 has 40 Frames offset; Particle 3 has 60 Frames offset etc...
You can See in my Scene a simple example of what i try to achieve.



My 2 Questions are: 

1#
Is there a way to get this precisely controlled without Script?
In my attached Scene i included my poor (tyflow) attempt. 
I used several custom properties operators and have each of them filter by birhtID.
Then i used the interpolation to offset them, but its a different behaviour then a clean time-offset i feel? 
Can i somehow tell the custom properties to GET the value and OFFSET by precisely X frames? 

2# 
If its not possible with the GUI tools, im sure this can be done with Script but im to inexperienced. 
Whats the approach to time-offset a referenced animation based on particleIDs? 
Is it even smart to do this inside tyflow? 

Scene is max2022, i hope you can open it) 

Thanks in advance guys!


Attached Files
.max   RotationScriptController_01_04.max (Size: 836 KB / Downloads: 78)
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#2
Can't you simply use surface test to trigger your rotation (or whatever anims)?
Attached is my simple setup of that.

(quick tip: in order that move/rotation/scale work, you should make a group of the object, them open the group, and only then pick it up with the shape operator (otherwise it won't work (but it will work for any mesh deforming animation).
Or you can simply use rotation/spin operator in second event.


Attached Files
.max   trigger_rotations.max (Size: 676 KB / Downloads: 77)
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#3
Hey,
its a neat approach!
The Scene i sent might be a bit confusing. I just put the boxes in a line to visualize the offset im aiming for.
For my actual project it wont work with the SurfaceTest because the related objects are scattered in the scene. They also dont have linear offsets in their scene position so it would be impossible to get a linear time-offset testing their meshes.
Also, you used the shape operator to get the "per-event" offset in the animation.
I would like to keep my mesh though and have only the animation referenced.

I think you already pointed me in the right direction; its time offset so its event related more then anything else.
I tried again by using split operator: Split Per frame (,05 to hold them for 20F); Sort by BirthID ascending.
Now i get them held for 20Frames before they go (in hierarchy)  to the event where the rotation is applied.

So now how can i now get the keyframes synced to event age? Smile))
I have a customTM channel for Rotation. The operator is set to continous and in "keyframe synchronization" i set it to "event age".
But once they arrive in the event they align to the absolute time  value and they all get the same rotation again.
I really want this to work with custom properties because i eventually would like to offset all kind of values.

Thank you!

I updated the tyFlow in the Scene with my described approach with Split.


Attached Files
.max   RotationScriptController_01_05.max (Size: 780 KB / Downloads: 68)
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#4
Try changing  interpolation to this


Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
   
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#5
Uhmm if i do that in my computer (max2022, tyflow v1.011) i get the opposite effect of what im trying to achieve x)
Now (with curve interpolation)  they take 30Frames to align to the absolute rotation in the customTM. And to achieve that they get this easing applied. I cant use that too sorry.
I want them to keep the animation length and speed, just offset the starting frame.

Offtopic: if schematic view and wire parameters wouldnt be such a pain to use i could do it there. But i eventually want to have many rigs of 20-30 objects that use this logic in animation and it would be a much cleaner setup in tyflow then in schematic view...


updated scene attached.


Attached Files
.max   RotationScriptController_01_07.max (Size: 792 KB / Downloads: 71)
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#6
Sorry bro.. I sort of get what you want, but can't get a Big Picture of what you want .

Tyson or someone else might have better understanding, and idea how to achieve.
I'll follow the thread, so I can see what I missed,. and hopefully learn.
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