Skeleton

The animation system in ppModeler is based on skeleton, and a skeleton can only be attached to a single object. Use the merge object tool if you want to apply animation on multiple objects.
First, the user defines the skeleton itself (a hierarchy of bones). Then, he/she defines the type of articulation between the bones (rotation/translation). The vertices are, by default, attached to the root bone. So, the user has to attach the vertices to the bones, so that the object will deform properly when moving the bones. A vertex can be attached to multiple bones, with a weight. This weight gives the influence of a given bone on the vertex.
During the skeleton definition, the object list displays the skeleton hierarchy. A bone is displayed as a square diamond, with two local axis x and y. The purple handle is used to select and move the bone. The two yellow handles to set the bone orientation.
Once the skeleton is defined, the user can create sequences. A sequence is a single movement, for example, a step or a jump. A sequence a time indexed series of keyframes. A keyframe is simply a given position of the skeleton, which is related to a given position of the object.
During the definition of sequences, the object list displays the sequence list. During the sequence edition, the object list displays the keyframe list.
A bone is displayed as a square diamond, with two local axis x and y. The purple handle is used to select and move the bone. The two yellow handles to set the bone orientation. For example, this is a simple skeleton and the associated hierarchy:
There is only one bone selected at a time. The selected bone is displayed in green. Its father is displayed in yellow, and the others bones are displayed in blue. A bone can be selected by a click on its selection handle, or by a click on the bone hierarchy.