Lost Keyframes

Imago

Lately I got a strange issue, when I save a DAZ scene I lose all the keyframes that are over the range.
For example I set a translation from frame 1 to frame 120. If I save the scene with range set to 90, all the keyframes from 91 to 120 are ignored and deleted.
Also, when I load an old file (made with previous versions of DAZ) the keyframes that are over the saved range are ignored, ruining the old animations!
Someone else got this issue? There is a solution?

kitakoredaz

I afraid, if 4.9. 4.117 up-date discription cause your problem.

Animation
Current animation range is now saved/read to/from a scene file
Current play range is now saved/read to/from a scene file
FPS is now saved/read to/from a scene file; FPS is no longer written to the startup script
Clearing the scene (e.g., File > New) now resets FPS to the default (30)

 

kitakoredaz

I see, so I set animation range is 100 then set keys,on frame  0,30,60,90.

after that I cange animation range to 50.   I see same animation  about 0 to 50.  then if I retrun animation range to 100, key on 60, 90 still there.

but if I set animation range to 50, then save it as scene, then load it, key on 60, 90 are disappear. then it only contain keys on 0 and 30. I can not return keys on 60 amd 90.

(about frame 30 to 50,  I can not see any movement. because there is no key any more, above 50)

=======

then only solution what I think, is, we need to keep animation range, at least the frame which include last keys.

or only use play range ,to shorten current visilbe animation range. keys out of "play range" are still recorded in scene files. but if we shorten animation range, ds actually try to delete keys out of animation range. (I do not remember, old ds how manage them)

Imago

So no solutions?

I lost forever ALL my old animations, since I can't go to an older version od DAZ Studio?

kitakoredaz

If I were you,  and, if I know daz script, I may try batch which can change saved scene animation range (expand to last key frame) , then change  play range if I hope to limit vislbe frames.  (though I do not know, there is reason you need to use animation range, not play range, to limit frames when you save scene)

But  I can not daz script well , after all,  I open those scene in old version, then I say, at least I need to change animation range fro each, to keep all keys.

or open those scene.duf, then change animation range section, with text editor. (because old ds can open and still keep those keys out of range, it means, saved scene

recorded those keys. but new ds seems exclude them when save.  it is my assamption only.  

So you may feel bad, I know, but I feel daz may not change way about this up-date.  (when we decide animation range, and save scene, ds only record keys include in animation range)  there seems some request, or daz think it is better, I think.

kitakoredaz

So you can still open old animations (which not saved ) , with remain keys, then when you change animation range, it still remain keys. about those animation files,

you can expand range, then save them again. but about saved scene, with current daz studio, I do not think, there is way to return keys. (because they are already deleted,,)

unfortunately, I think so.

 

Imago

I'll try to open the file in word processor as you suggested... I'll let you know soon if it works!
Thanks!

Imago

Nothing to do, I can't find the line referring to the animation range in old or new files...

kitakoredaz

Hi I can not test with old animation files, because, usually I keep animation range to the end of animation. then save it.  I have no clear scene, which record key out of range,when I save the scene. 

But If your save animation with current ds, it actually cut out keys by animation range.  I could test and confrim.  when load the sceen, ds auto set animation range,

what I saved before, and I lost keys out of animation range.  then there should be animation range value discribed in the scene.  file.  I may check again. 

but about scene which you have saved in old version ds,,  I suppose it keep keys out of range.    I do not know why current ds set animation range without animation range value. 

maybe I suspect it depend on default arnimation range. then if you change current scene, set range more. eg to 200 etc,

then load old scene.  or when you load old scene to current ds, then expand animation range, could not it return keys?  

 because in your old scene actually record keys with frame value. (so that you can see it in old ds)I can only advise  "do not save and overwrite animation files (scene.duf) which you saved before (in old version), keep them  as same as before, untill you ask suport or someone can find way to solve it.

 once you save and overwite in current ds,, the keys out of range never return.  anyway, I may check duf scene, then if I can find animation range value, I report here.

kitakoredaz

So it should be there about saved scene with current DS.  I will check old scene.duf too.  only difficulty seems, how ds decide animation range, if it was not discribed about current DS.  

but I think, you can find those value, with same area about saved scene with old version.

My suspect is,,  current ds version can set animation range as which dsicrbed in scene files,  but at same time, cut keys out of range.

old version can not set animation range just use current scene value, , but keep all keys (out of range)  I think.  then maybe there is no different about discribe way.

only DS up-date then change how set animation range. 

 

kitakoredaz

Yes you are right, about old saved scene, (I do not remember which ds I saved it)  I can not find "animation setting" section in scene>extra section.

dsicribe way is different between old  version saved scene and current saved scene.duf about animation.

 but If your old saved scene, actually recorded  all key values, but not record animation range, and FPS , I do not know why ds  remove keys.

then I suppose if you load old scene then change current animation range, (expand enough) . it still can not show keys?

 I think, remove keys may only happen when you change range in current ds , then save it again.

At least, untill you save it, ds can not remove keys. even though it can not read by current daz studio.

if current DS can not load those keys, which you saved before, (and actually those keys are discribed,,)  it is bug and need to report I believe.

but if you change range, in current ds and save it, then lost those keys (out of animation range,,) unfortunately,  support may not find way to help ,  I think.

 

Imago

Thanks, Kitakoredaz!
Yes, all you discovered is the same I also found...
I'll try your suggestion and load in an long range scene one of my old scenes, I'll let you know how it goes!

kitakoredaz

If you can not return keys (which actually recorded in old scene) , I really hope daz offer way to you. If it not work, it is bug.

it is important, to tell clear, it can be visible in old version, but curent daz version do not show those keys out of range.

and old ds can not save animation range value, but not show keys in current ds is nonsense. if ds auto adjust range, it need to return keys, when user return animation range.

I thiink,  at least need to offer way, to adjust range when load scene. if there are keys out of range in saved scene (which saved by another version)

mindsong

Scratching here, but...

If you still have the old DS3 (install on a virtual machine?), you could load the old animations and export as poser animations (do you have the PoserFormatExporter, or does it come in a DS3 flavor?). you could then re-import the poser animations right into DS 4.x ...

If you don't have it, perhaps you could find someone who does and hire/trade/beg them to help out with a set of one-time conversions... Maybe in return for their use of the animations if they aren't otherwise limited/constrained/sensitive, etc...

just a thought. I hate to see good work lost because of upgrade incompatibilities...

--ms

Imago

@ mindsong
All my files has been ported to DAZ Studio 4 long time ago and got rid of old files...

@ everyone
Tried to import old files into a 400 frames scene, nothing to do. It looks like DAZ simply ignores the keyframes when loading.
I hope newer versions will fix this... but I'm still waiting for the "frame selected" bug since 3 months and over...

charles_ef977bedc2

This is still a problem. I don't understand why, since it seems to be such an issue, that DAZ support seems to be ignoring it. 

DrNewcenstein

If you make the animation 120 frames, and then you manually force it to play only 90 frames, then save and close and re-open, frames 91-120 are missing? Are these aniblocks? I just tried this with a sphere moving it around the screen every 30 frames, returning to the home position at 120. I had it play only up to frame 90, where it jumped back to the starting position as it looped back to frame 0. I saved with the range set to 0-90, then closed and reloaded, then set my frame range back to 0 to 120, and the full animation was there.

If this is happening with aniblocks or other such (BVH) animations, I would suggest you not adjust the play range, or at least remember to set it back to full before saving.

Imago

I never use AniBlocks, only handmade animations. But I still lose those frames when I save a scene.

JD_Mortal

Try this...

Make a new scene with the old keyframes values that you had, but noting in there... (Add a dummy camera, primitive or something, if it "needs something" to key-frame.)

Now... instead of opening the file directly, try merging or importing that file, into the existing scene. If the rest of the frames are there, they should simply be inserted to the "existing cells" of the dummy scene you just created.

Don't adjust the play range. That is a physical "cropping of data"... Simply adjust the "render settings" to render from frame X to Y...

Imago

No effect with that too. Already tried, just read some post above this.

Schadenfreund

Sorry to totally necro this post, I had this issue literally today and I am in.. all 5 phases of grief. made some 900 frames animation and saved it and boom, next time I open it 2/3 of it is gone. Had a hard time to keep myself from throwing my computer out of my window. 

how can this be overlooked? I mean there could be a simple warning upon saving: "attention: upon saving you could lose keyframes that are out of the animation range"

that would have saved my day, easy as that. But no, instead I lose data without warning. What a mess.