Save different Positions without duplicating geometry?

#1

I do a lot of table top type displays of products, and I’m trying to figure out a way to save different versions of layouts. Say I have 7 products (each in their own model set), I arrange them, set the camera, save a studio, great. Now client wants 3 more options- right now I think I have to duplicate each model set, then move the product and save a second studio with all the duplicated products, so now I have 14 model sets for 2 layouts.

In photoshop I found the thing called Layer Comps- where you can save a layout, then move the layers around. change scale, etc and save it as a second layer comp without having to duplicate the layers.

My hack which I think might work for now, would be to use the timeline and just save frame 1 as “Layout 1” then use frame 2 as “Layout 2”, just have to be super careful to update the keyframes and save a lot.

Hopefully I’m missing something, but I’m not seeing it so far. any ideas?

#2

You can create an animation with some tweaks.
Set FPS to 1 (you can type it into the fps field
Define a keyframe animation for each position
Render out all or specific frames without the video file (frames only).

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#3

yep, i think that is the solution for now.

pssst… @reallysmartkeyshotprogrammers- Check out photoshop Layer Comps. Its pretty cool, and doesn’t grow file size hardly at all, as its just numbers that its storing…

#4

@matt.gerard When I discovered Layer Comps it changed my entire workflow. Set up your naming conventions right and create some actions and you just saved a shitload of time.

Your animation hack is actually how we used to create variations back in the days before KeyShot. With the new visibility animation, my old Maya animation workflow is actually viable now in KeyShot.

@marco.wodarz nailed it! Change the FPS to 1 and then use the visibility animation on to swap out the models/parts.

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#5

Yeha, I just did the animation trick for a client’s live working session, and it worked ok. A little clumsy as I was trying to learn the new process, but it worked. I liked that selecting the keyframe automatically activated the move gizmo, that was slick. There should be a way to select all the keyframes and duplicate them at once, as I had 8 products, I had to manually create 8 new keyframes for a new layout option. not huge, just a PITA. also, would be nice to be able to select all the objects in the animation and hit the “add keyframe” button, but as soon as you select 2 layers the add keyframe button greys out.

#6

I copied the keyframe animation (node) and paste it to the other part. Then select all the keyframes of the copied animation (by RMB) and moved them in the timeline.