Switch layers are used to group together multiple layers, much like Group layers. However,
switch layers have an interesting twist: only one of their sub-layers can be displayed at a
time.
One reason you might want to do this is for lip-sync animation. In this case, each of the
sub-layers would correspond to a mouth shape for a particular sound ("A", "O", "TH", etc.).
To control which sub-layer gets displayed at what time in an animation, you need to assign
a "switch data file" to the switch layer. An excellent way to create this data file is by
using a program called
Magpie.
Magpie can be configured to output a file that can be used directly in a Moho switch layer.
You can also create a switch data file by hand. To do this (or if you're configuring Magpie's
custom export feature), the data file should look like this:
MohoSwitch1 1 A 2 A 10 B 22 A 37 C 40 C
The first line is a header that just tells Moho that the file is a switch data file. The following
lines contain two items each: the first item is a keyframe. The second item is the name of one
of the switch group's sub-layers. (In this example, the switch layer should have three sub-layers,
named "A", "B", and "C".) In Magpie's export notation, the first line is the "Header text", and
the two items on each following line are the "Frame" and the "MouthName".
Moho includes several sample mouth sets for doing lip-sync with Magpie - take a look at those
files to see how a switch layer should be set up. Also, check out the switch layer tutorial
incuded in this manual.
Don't feel restricted to lip-sync animation with switch layers. They have a lot of potential
uses (controlling eyes, syncing to music & sound effects, etc.) - get creative!
There are three editing modes available for switch layers:
Group,
Bone, and
Animation.