[Bf-committers] Bug applying an action to multiple armatures?

[Peter Amstutz]

Hello all, I originally posted this in the forums but did not get a reply.

I want to apply an armature action to different models. My use case is
taking a set of character animations for one character and applying them
to a different character.  I was hoping someone could clarify what is
going on, since it works at first but then fails on subsequent
interaction.  Either I am doing something wrong, or there is a bug.

(Also, I have tried this with 2.58 as well as the pepper branch).

1) Create a mesh. A simple box will do.

2) Duplicate the mesh.

3) Create an armature with one bone. Make it influence the first mesh.

4) Create a second armature with one bone and make it influence the
second mesh.

5) Go to the Dopesheet -> Action Editor and create an action

6) Add some keyframes moving the bone on the first armature. The first
object will animate, the second will not.

7) Select the second object with the second armature and select the
action created in step 5. The action should apply to the second object
since both armatures have a bone named "Bone". Both objects will animate.

8) Select the first object again. The objects stop animating.

9) If you expand the "Bone" line on the action editor with the object
selected, normally the lines would say "X Location (Bone)". In this
case, I get "pose.bones["Bone"].location[0]" with a red underline. Now
nothing animates, and I can't get the action to apply to anything.

Somehow binding the track to the bone becomes broken. Is this a bug, or
do I need to to something else to fix it?

- Peter