I have watched multiple times, but I don't see a section where you show how to add a new armature to a new layer. Every time I attempt to do this it always adds the armature to the first layer again. I am an animation noob, so I am sure it's something easy. I tried to google, but I am not having any luck.
I am talking about the transition at around 9:38
Thank you
Hi Mark,
Don't tell me that I forgot to mention how to change and move the bones around.
Eek - I hope that isn't the case.
When you add/create a new bone it will be created on all the currently visible layers.
If you duplicate a bone, it will be on the same layer(s) as the original
To move it to a different layer - just press M.
(shift clicking the pop up boxes will let you add it to multiple layers)
I hope that is what you mean.
mmarkmanno You have to differentiate between "Armatures" (which are "Objects" and therefore added in "Object Mode") and "Bones" which exist inside that "Armature Object" and are therefore added in "Edit Mode" to that "Armature". Until Blender 2.79, "Objects" (and therefore the "Armature Object" as well) were placed on one or multiple of the 20 "Scene Layers":
Since Blender 2.80 this limitation no longer exists for objects since we now have an unlimited number of "Collections" which can - other than the old "Scene Layers" - can be named:
The hotkey for placing objects on a single "Layer" or in a single "Collection" is in both cases "M".
"Bones" on the other hand are (unfortunately) still organized on 32 "Bone Layers":
a) Blender 2.79
b) Blender 3.0.0 Alpha
"Bones" are added in "Edit Mode". You can place a "Bone" on a different "Bone Layer" by pressing "M" and clicking on a "Layer" field:
A newly created "Bone" is automatically placed on all visible "Bone Layers" (which are highlighted in blue):
The filled white dots indicate the layers on which you can find the last selected "Bone" (no matter whether this bone is still active or whether all "Bones" are deselected).
mmarkmanno If you add an "Armature" in "Object Mode", it contains per default already one "Bone" which is placed on the "Bone Layer". Is this what you're meaning when you write "Every time I attempt to do this it always adds the armature to the first layer again "?
Re: moving/grouping bones in LAYERS... Thanks to Ingmar for clearing this up. In 3.4, punching M in Object Mode spawns the MOVE TO COLLECTIONS TAB. M for LAYERS only works in Edit Mode.
Hi Jan,
You can move bone layers in EDIT mode or POSE mode.
This makes sense when you think about the data level you are working on.
In object mode, you're on the object level. This means you are dealing with the object container as a whole.
In Edit (or Pose mode) you are dealing with the data inside that object. For armatures, that is the bones.
This will become second nature with time - but even if you hit the wrong button in the wrong mode, you will know why.
(I do this every so often)