[Bf-committers] Shapes / Shape Keys - confusing terminology

[Erwin Coumans]

+1 blend shapes

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 1, 2009, at 5:09, Mango Jambo <moraesjunior at gmail.com> wrote:

> +1 for Blend shapes.
>
> Moraes Junior - aka mangojambo
> 3D Artist Animator
>
>
> 2009/11/1 Nathan Vegdahl <cessen at cessen.com>
>
>> +1
>> I'm good for calling them "blend shapes".
>>
>> --Nathan V
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 1:43 AM, Matt Ebb <matt at mke3.net> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I've noticed some weird terminology creeping into Blender 2.5, which
>>> we'd better clear up. Thought I'd clarify things here so people can
>>> talk about this with understanding.
>>>
>>> In pre-blender-2.40, we had the weirdo name 'relative vertex keys',
>>> which in the 'new' animation system in 2.40 during Orange, we  
>>> changed
>>> to shapes/shape keys. Part of this was improved in 2.4 but there's
>>> still some weirdness, in the code naming and in the UI.
>>>
>>> Right now in 2.5 we are calling 'instances of mesh vertex locations'
>>> as 'Shape Keys'. This is misleading and confusing terminology, since
>>> the word key usually refers to a keyframe, i.e. something that you  
>>> set
>>> while animating, and makes it makes the process more difficult to
>>> understand. A mesh 'shape key', known in other apps as a Blend Shape
>>> or Morph Target really has little to do with the actual keyframing  
>>> in
>>> time. So I propose this clarified naming convention:
>>>
>>> * Key (or keyframe)
>>> --> A stored state of some data at a single point in time,  
>>> represented
>>> by the little gold diamond that shows up in the dope sheet.
>>> For example: "Add a location key at frame 10" or "Key the  
>>> influence of
>>> the constraint".
>>>
>>> * Shape (mesh shape, curve shape, etc)
>>> --> A set of vertex locations, as part of a mesh. Known in other  
>>> apps
>>> as a Blend Shape or Morph Target.
>>> For example "Make a new mesh shape for the character's smile" or
>>> "Delete that shape from the mesh shapes panel"
>>>
>>> * Shape Key
>>> --> A stored state of the influence of a shape, at a single point in
>>> time. The Shape key is the actual keyframe, when you've keyframed a
>>> mesh shape.
>>> For example: "Delete the shape key in the dopesheet at frame 15" or
>>> "Bring up the smile strength a bit more and key it"
>>>
>>> I'm happy to go and fix this in the UI but unfortunately the code
>>> still refers to keys I believe, which might be a bit of a pain to
>>> change... :/
>>>
>>> cheers,
>>>
>>> Matt
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