Smart Layer, Python Script for Maya (Beta)

https://borovikmotion.gumroad.com/l/s...

Smart Layer is a script for Autodesk Maya that allows you to adjust animation in a very easy and quick way. 

Usually, we adjust animation with animation layers. But with this approach, each change results in a ton of routine work, controlling the poses, managing keys and timings to avoid issues like feet sliding, wobbliness, etc. 

Smart Layer eliminates these issues, and work that before could take hours to do - now can be done in seconds. That makes it perfect for tasks like mocap cleanup, game animation, cinematics/movies layouts. 

Main applications:

- proportionally "shift" the animation, and avoid feet sliding 
- proportionally rotate the animation, and avoid feet sliding
- make animation follow a spline, proportionally, without feet sliding
- create variations of the same animation, but with different poses (like the same character stop animation can end with 10 different idles)
- create strafe animations from movement-forward
- create animations for different directions, using only forward animation (character starts, attacks, abilities, etc.) 
- create movement-in-circle animations from movement-forward
- adjust individual controls and keep the original animation flow

The script doesn't care about the rig type, would it be a biped or quadruped, or spider, or centipede, or any other custom creature, it works for everything. 

How it works:
1) add animation controls to the animation layer
2) in layer, create keyframes with necessary adjustments, and run the script
3) the script will do the math, and create a new animation layer, where your adjustments will be applied in a "proportionate" way, preserving the original animation's flow, but with a new poses.


The script is in Beta, bugs and feature requests here:
https://trello.com/b/doArYTKr/smart-l...

Tested in Maya:
2020.4, 2022.5, 2023.3, 2024.2, 2025 (Windows 10);
2022.5, 2023.3, 2024.2, 2025 (Mac OS Monterey 12.4)

Tested on rigs: Advanced Skeleton, mGear, Azri, Pickle Rig*, HIK**, and others.

*Pickle Rig is a custom rig for Maya, made in a simple, "traditional" way, using regular transforms and standard components. 

**HIK requires the "Run Simulation" option to be enabled, to process rotations correctly. 
***When processing a large number of controls - use "Run Simulation" option (parallel evaluation works faster)

SCRIPT REQUIRES CONNECTION TO THE INTERNET