transfer driven keys to new driver in maya

melviso

I wanted to ask if there is a way to transfer driven keys for say bones from the original driver it was keyed with to another new driver.I tried keying the new driver while using the old driver to pose the bones at the required positions but the new driver does not have the positions of the driven bones(all values are at 0).I am wondering how I can still retain the positions for the bones but with a new driver.I know of a method where u can duplicate the bones at the posed positions,and reset the original bones to bind pose and then snap the original bones to the duplicate ones and key them..problem is there are a lot of bones with rotational changes,it would be a pain to snap and rotate each joint.

Pola

There is a copy set driven key function under maya bonus tools animation menu. It only does one at a time though

melviso

Thanks Pola.I just started playing around with the graph editor to find out if i can solve the problem and i am now able to copy driven keys to other objects,fix double transformations and mirror the keys as well.
Will still check out the bonus tool.

melviso

I got the maya bonus tools and there are some really nice scripts and plugins here that can fasten ones workflow.Thanks for the suggestion.

I am not really getting the copy set driven keys,it appears it only works if u are copying to a new driver and new driven objects,u can't copy from an old driver to a new driver using the same driven objects,cause the joints that are being driven move far out of place.

But I have found a fast method,though I am still using the graph editor to fix double transformations and slight offset issues.I duplicate the joints,change the color and then use them to mirror the joints with the mirror animation script I want to set driven keys for,way faster and better than snapping to joints and rotating the joint to match the duplicate one.I am doing this for a facial rig with only bones.Rigging is quite technical but fun.

Pola

I was able to copy from one driver to a new driver making the new driver control the driven object, this was just cubes with drivers translateZ controlling the drivens translateZ at half the amount. I am curious how you are mirroring the keys, perhaps not in the same way that I am after, sort of like scaling the keys dragging horizontally to flip the curve, but I need precision.

melviso

I was trying to get a new drivers translate x to copy an old drivers translate y that drives the tx,ty,tz,rx,ry and rz of like 6 different bones.When i click the copy button,the driven bones move far out to the left or right causing very bad deformations.so I had to scrap using it.
As for the mirror animation,I do like say one side of a smile for a face I am rigging, set the driven keys for it,now for the other side (right)of the face,I duplicate the driven bones for the left side of the face with the smile and then move my driver where I want it,use the mirror animation tool to mirror between the right and duplicate left smile bones and then key the right side.

I later realized this only works between the x axis grid in Maya.Isn't there a way to set topological axis for ur mesh in Maya without ensuring it is well placed between the negative and positive axis of the grid?and then u use tangent space if u wanna mirror stuff?I had to resort back to using the graph editor for mirroring,and copying driven keys,works better for me.