The animations for the same skeleton doesn't work if imported by a different file

[AndreaCatania]

Godot version

f56ae40

System information

Fedora 34

Issue description

I've a blender file that contains a mesh + armature in TPose, and few others where in each there is an animation.

The idea is to import the model in TPose from a gltf file, and the animations from the remaining gltf files. So later combine everything in a scene that contains the Model in TPose and an AnimationPlayer with all the animations imported from the many files.

The advantage of this approach is that more people can work on the different animations of the same model without interfering each other. The side advantage is that each time a file is changed, only one file (with a single animation) is re-imported.

In Godot this is not doable yet because the imported animation works only on the skeleton with specific rest positions, so when I try to play the animation on the same skeleton but imported from a different file it doesn't play correctly.

Steps to reproduce

• Download two animations from mixamo with the same skeleton.
• Convert it to gltf (or just import the fbx file).
• Import the two files in godot.
• Chose one file and make sure the animation is stored externally.
• Inherit the other file.
• Import the first file animation in the scene AnimationPlayer.
• Try to play both animations once at a time.

As you can see, the animation already imported works just fine, but the animation that comes from the other file (even if the skeleton is the same) doesn't work.

Minimal reproduction project

No response

[fire]

Asked Mr. Cat. to write a bug report for a future proposal to fix.

[Anaxan]

Hello Andrea:

If I understand the problem correctly, you want a standardized skeleton that can be used by multiple blender artists to produce a library of actions (animations) that can be used on multiple characters. It is a good idea and has a lot of potential.

I’ve been impressed with a blender addon called autorig pro available on the blender marketplace. You would have to buy it and use it to really understand its potential, but it is not too expensive if I remember right.

If the Godot community approached the author of the addon perhaps he could be persuaded to add a Godot export (currently exports a fbx limited to Unity and Unreal). You can of course export a GLTF directly from blender but there are some extra bones that get exported that are kind of annoying.

The point is, an animation I produce on an autorig pro armature is going to have a good chance of being compatible with an animation you produce on an autorig pro armature. There are some youtube videos that can show you how the addon works.

Food for thought I guess.

[fire]

As someone who wants to contribute to the scientific and understanding of everyone, buying a paid plugin will not achieve those goals.

I would rather write an IK solver and a RESET pose baker.

[Janders1800]

Have you tried to save the animation as a resource and adding it to the animation player?

[stryker313]

Can confirm. Normally to get animations you have to import the skeletons with all the animations you want, or use a Godot retargeting method to keep your animations. But You can't save the animation as a resource and load it into an animation player, you can't switch out animation players without the animations breaking.

[fire]

@AndreaCatania Can confirm that this is resolved on the test cases you sent me because of #53765

[AndreaCatania]

@fire Nice, thanks!!