Garry's Mod

Garry's Mod

Stop Motion Helper
 This topic has been pinned, so it's probably important
(IMPORTANT INFO FOR ANYONE WANTING TO REPORT A BUG OR ISSUE)
Make a discussion, list your issue in DETAIL, also test your own game with SMH as the only active add-on to ensure your collection of add-ons aren't screwing with the mod itself. It's hella simple.

For the basic keybinds, refer to the tutorial video on the main page.

Passive aggressive comments and RP talk in said comments aren't getting you any closer to possible problems being fixed. Seems hard to believe but, yes, most issues are largely user-end. Check your setup first.

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(AUTHOR'S ORIGINAL FAQ)
Q: Why can't I select more than one entity?
A: In the new version, entities are selected for editing their frames. All entities that have any recorded frames are animated automatically, when the playhead is moved or when smh_playback command is used. So if you select one entity, record frames, select another, record frames, both of these entities will be animated.

Q: SMH isn't playing facial animations?
A: If you have the faceposer tool open, it will override any facial changes made when you move between frames with SMH, so you need to unequip the faceposer tool to see the changes.

Q: Command x doesn't work, and I'm getting x error
A: First, make sure the command you use is correct. Most often you may forget the + sign in front of some commands. Check the tutorial to make sure you are typing the commands correctly.
Also, SMH has only been tested on sandbox mode, and most likely doesn't work on other gamemodes. So if you are getting errors and you are not in sandbox mode, disable the addon. Otherwise, leave a comment below including the error you are getting.

Q: I can't understand the tutorial
A: I know my tutorial making skills are not that good, but if you have some patience to fiddle around with the tool, you get the hang of it and understand it better. There is also a video tutorial available, which can clear things up better.

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(COMMUNITY F.A.Q.)

Q: Where are my save files?
- Saves are stored within "GarrysMod/garrysmod/data/smh" as simple .txt files.

Q: I don't want to hold down a key for the menu, can I use a toggle?
- To make a toggle for the menu, you have to type "bindtoggle" instead of "bind"
(EX: bindtoggle x +smh_menu)

Q: My ragdolls dont move but their shadows do.
- If ragdolls are not moving but their shadows are, check and uncheck "Dont animate physbones".

Q: Can we keyframe material changes?
- Material changes cannot be keyframed. If you use the Material / SubMaterial tool on a model, it will keep that matieral throughout.

Q: How do I copy frames?
- Copying frames can be done by having the SMH menu open and clicking on a keyframe with the middle mouse button. You can copy multiple frames by holding CTRL and selecting your keyframes, then clicking middle mouse button and dragging to where your frames need to be.

Q: How do timelines work?
- Every model/ragdoll has its own timeline of keyframes. They can have multiple different timelines for different parts (Eye Posing, Face Posing, etc.)

Q: Can I set a key to toggle the menu open?
- Due to the way the addon was originally coded, BindToggle does not have any effect on "smh_menu". You will have to hold down the key.

When you begin animating on one model, the starting timeline includes every change and setting you have into that one timeline. To have it only change face posing or the like, go into the properties menu of the entity while you have it selected and click on "Timeline 1". You will see a drop down menu that includes all different trackers for that specific timeline. Uncheck the one you want to keep separate and make a new timeline with that option.

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Please keep respectful and always test your game extensively first.
Last edited by S.E.A.F. Exo-Pilot "Dare"; Jan 25, 2022 @ 12:22am
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Showing 1-15 of 15 comments
PenolAkushari  [developer] May 8, 2022 @ 3:42am 
I probably can add stuff here in comments so this thread would possibly show up in the popular 3 so this will be visible

(it seems like you might want to delete the first question-answer related to bindtoggle as the last one kind of disproves it, might confuse some people)

Q: Trying to use +smh_menu (spelled correctly!) or any other command results in console giving "Unknown command" error
A: This appears to be some steam workshop issue that can happen to any addon. This can be possibly solved by disabling all other addons and keeping SMH enabled then loading into a map, or by resubscribing to the addon. This should make SMH mount properly in the future. However these solutions are not proven to always work.
The Man Jul 17, 2022 @ 4:44pm 
whenever i try to playback the physics recorder thing is lags the freak out
PenolAkushari  [developer] Jul 17, 2022 @ 10:39pm 
yeah that's an issue with the current smh version. that will be fixed in the future update, currently performance drops are caused by some high amount of keyframes.
Scanner Man Aug 4, 2022 @ 11:52am 
I have a new problem, every time I use the HWM models when I try to animate them for some reason, their face becomes default (that is, deformed) and I don't have the faceposer open, why should that be? Anyone else has happened?
PenolAkushari  [developer] Aug 4, 2022 @ 12:01pm 
yeah smh seems to default to 0 in all faceflexes when you first record a ragdoll. try getting faceposer and just right clicking on those ragdolls before recording them with smh to let it set up the flexes properly, works for me
Scanner Man Aug 4, 2022 @ 12:13pm 
Well that's weird, since when is that? I had not noticed it ;-;
PenolAkushari  [developer] Aug 4, 2022 @ 12:16pm 
probably has been for a while, as faceposer seems to be setting up faceflexes on its own so lua would pick it up, and it seems to calculate stuff properly if it isn't set up, but smh only records it and if it isn't set, then it assumes it is 0.
McDuders Aug 12, 2022 @ 12:18pm 
Is it possible to animate with sound on the timeline while in gmod? This would make lip syncing so much easier for me.
PenolAkushari  [developer] Aug 12, 2022 @ 12:33pm 
gonna copy a response i happened to write before, just in case if it looks familiar

"i couldn't find functions in gmod to start playing a sound from its middle section, so it might be of a hassle to have to play sounds from their start over and over again to get lipsync stuff right"
regular toggle works, but bindtoggle doesnt, anyone have the solution?
quackTape Apr 22, 2023 @ 2:35pm 
bindtoggle doesnt work :csgohelmet::steamfacepalm::steamfacepalm::krskull::p2blue::p2orange:
Creeper_Me Nov 13, 2023 @ 11:20am 
How do I look through a camera spawned by smh? I worked on an animation with a camera yesterday but now I can't view it though the animated camera. Is there a custom predetermined key bind, or are cameras spawned from previous smh saves just broken like that?
I can't close or use my mouse after i open the menu and it basically makes the addon impossible to use.
InSpiral Feb 22 @ 3:59pm 
When I open up the load window menu its too small and I cannot load any saved scenes, only the entities. How can I enlarge the load windows so I can access the load button ? is there a command to load a saved scene manually ?
the "bindtoggle" thing does nothing at all
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