[SFM] Source Filmmaker Tip of the Day #11- Using locks for fun and profit

In today's Tip of the Day I demonstrate how to use locks by creating a spy, attaching a cigarette to his hand, animating him, and putting a smoke particle effect on the cigarette in his hand.
In this I mention another video by MrUgleh where he describes how to make your models look "alive" by making them appear to be breathing. Get that video here: • Video
(and you even get treated to my children playing upstairs a bit at the end, although you wouldn't think two kids would sound like a herd of elephants)

[@Nick-wg4bf]

These simple little videos you made 8 years ago are still helping people to this day. Thanks G, youve been a big help.

[@TheWhisperPsst]

My gravy, the voice is enough to make me watch, the tips are even better!

[@dbseraph]

You could have stopped at 1:50, that tip was gold! You are doing great work!

[@davidneau8830]

Hi, and Thanks for this tip, in one shot, props to lock, short animation and particle system ! great job. I'm very happy each time I see one of your tip.

[@KingCam20]

You just taught me more about animating in sfm than in all the Valve tutorials

[@yomimitsune]

This is so useful, every tip of the day is really quite inspirational. Many thanks for this series! :D

[@Chubzdoomer]

Excellent tutorial.. Locks are one of the most fun things to use in SFM. Just the other night, I locked the main part of a sentry (minus the legs) to the top of a Soldier's helmet. Needless to say, hilarity ensued during playback. It's pretty crazy just what you can do with that feature!

[@LessMestiar]

Your tutorials are always awesome!

[@MattHorstmanAnimation]

This tutorial helped a ton. I feel like I really have a good grasp for using the lock, even as a basis for another animation. Just put up a video response of a few hours worth of work where I used the techniques you show here. Thanks mate!

[@lowgrasswhite]

THANK YOU, Jimer Lins ^^ I'm in SFM, adding further animation to this Spy. I can't believe i finally managed to make this work. Your video is a miracle

[@corano939]

Very well done! I just started watching and I am surprised at all the little things I didn't know. Could you do a "tip" or tutorial that's all about IK rigs?

[@Mist0013]

Thank you for all the great information! Between your videos and the Valve tutorials, I've gotten just about all the SFM info I need. =D I do have a quick question about part of this video. When you lock the cigarette into place, you lock it to two bones that then work in conjunction to affect it. However, when I attempted to do this, only the last bone that I made the lock with seemed to have any effect. Is there some sort of specific setting or way this has to be done to work properly?

[@JimerXLins]

It's called "stage.bsp" and it's included with the Source Filmmaker distribution.

[@Sashow1000]

cigarettes go to your head, so don't smoke

[@yznor]

You sir, deserve more views.

[@Healasuk]

Thank you, also will you be doing a tutorial or "tip of the day" on how to do facial animations or did you already make one? Thanks for taking the time to reply!!!

[@MrUgleh]

Thanks for the shoutout on my video.

[@dfghj241]

after alot of experimenting, i reached the conclusion that "Jitter" is your best friend!

[@Ferhod]

Why isn't the particles showing up? The folder is just empty, but if I view it outside the program all the files are there.

[@alexwisdom6887]

I have seen tip number 19 a few mins ago, but can you do a video on how to make a model surprised, and then happy or something? And how to move the eyes about?

[@iKonakona]

omg the Shift key! Thank you!

[@PieSpie]

I've never used a movie-maker before, so I have no Idea what I'm looking at when I open up sfm. Do you have to have Gmod to dowmload models/maps?

[@UnawareBlaire]

Oh wow, so thats the reason the guy who made "Meet the Chronic Masturbator" made Spy use his left hand. Learn something new every day :P

[@AKAJerms]

love your tutorials -3

[@Filipe1020]

Jimer, do you know how to get rid, or to prevent Runtime Errors? I have a project I am working on and this is bothering me alot!

[@PixelWitch]

hello, I'm sure you are bombarded with questions but I need to ask--I'm trying parent, or I guess "lock" some sunglasses onto Scout's face and it just is not working. I followed this tutorial very specifically, the little lock appeared by the root transform but the sunglasses stayed floating in the air as soon as the scout moved. Is it that you can't have any animation on the model before you do a lock or something? I'm really stuck. thank you.

[@theCH33F1]

I want to move a model with the keyframe editor, but when I do my book marking and stuff, it just messes up the model, even though I have the whole model selected and im moving the whole thing. Am I doing something wrong? I need to move a scout in walking motion but I cant move his model physically.

[@JimerXLins]

For those asking why I didn't use the Motion Editor, it's mostly that I find the graph editor easier to work with; in this case I specifically wanted to show how you can copy and paste keyframes also.

[@yznor]

I'm having troubles trying to add smoke to the cigar, it just doesn't show any files on the particle system.

[@kylerodil4878]

i see why this has no dislikes :3 this helped me ALOT, danke for this Jimer Lins

[@Bliblixixou]

@Ferhod you have to go in tf/particle, not in usermod/particle

[@P0WS3N]

Hey, nice video but I have a problem. With the Soldier's cigar, I can't lock it to follow his face's movements. :c

[@CraigoTheWinnebago]

I can't seem to drag any bip_ from the model onto the cosmetic bip_ any suggestions?

[@lombaxlover1234]

hi im just wondering im trying to make a character do a lil dance with his hips but it keeps moving his whole body and I don't want that and I was wondering if there is anyway if u can move the hips without the rest of the body movingI know u have a lot of time and if u don't answer this I understand ur very busy person

[@anamikebrown]

it's called "stage.bsp" and it's included with Source Filmmaker distribution

[@UnawareBlaire]

Just a thought, at the beginning of a tutorial, why not show a rendered result of the tutorial so people know what the outcome will be like. This isn't as important on the earlier ToTDs but now we are getting into some more specific stuff.

[@sh4dow2a]

is there a way to save locks of bonemergering for an other shot?

[@ShotgunSandwichENT]

True, he sounds like a robot. And yes, that is badass!

[@GrimRT]

I guess you could say that "he's a ciggy butt brain" xD

[@Healasuk]

What is the map file you are using for this tutorial Jimer lins?

[@htresty6442]

ATLAST! Thanks you!!! THANK YOU!!! I had to lock an unusual effect to a scout's hair, but i did it wrong for so long. Thanks for that tutorial (even though it's 4 years old)

[@monssavmik]

Great tutorial. Thanks man.

[@VB-92]

Hmm, wish I could find a balance between the motion editor and the graph editor, so far I only find the motion editor useful for setting up the initial poses, animating in it, is a bit annoying.

[@Sebmins]

Can you plz make an in-depth tutorial on how to animate i found the valve one to be to short and brief :D it would be much appreciated and carry on the good videos.

[@AceyMari]

I need help,when i was trying to put the spy in the meet the heavy video,he doesn't show up.Can anyone help me????? Im still new to sfm

[@TheTVs]

Thank so much for this, man!

[@MouseRat6757]

I'm having trouble locking a war pig to the head because it is noticeable if you don't have it right. is there a way to transfer a cosmetic directly to the bip_head joint without manually placing it?

[@MouseRat6757]

the warpig has a different style that makes it have a bandanna over the soldiers mouth and the menu in which you add items doesn't let you change the style and the only way to add the bandanna it to add the in game model the same way you add the soldier and you need to lock it in place and that's what i'm having trouble doing

[@dfghj241]

rigging the model to simple biped and locking both arms and torso to a specific gun makes it so much easier to animate, biped_simple is the easiest way to animate...

[@ericanimations4243]

Any way to lock the cigar to the face?

[@Ninzja]

Thank you so much, This helped a lot

[@andristefanus]

how do you lock bone with no lock box?

[@danielperuchinegris4451]

how do you get that fps? is your pc from nasa?

[@doriangonzalez3266]

IS THERE A WAY TO ADD MORE THAN ONE LOCK TO ONE ITEM?

[@StryderHeap]

Okay so I gave it a try and it didn't even get CLOSE to working. First of all I couldn't drag the bip_ of ANYTHING to ANYTHING else. Just doesn't work. Would you even know why this is?

[@yznor]

Sup guys, I'm having some trouble while creating a clip, i put two dialog lines, and there's two model, a spy and a scout, and i don't know why, the scout is saying the spy's dialog lines. When the spy start talking so does the scout.

[@yznor]

Good job

[@DinoPopToys]

OMG ! your voice like spy on Team Fortress 2 ! :D i like your voice ! xD

[@guysomeson7652]

I was trying this with a Pyro and his Degreaser. It seemed to move to his rootTransform rather than in his hands, and it was stuck inside of him.

[@yamakbats]

jimer lins is credit to community :3

[@Ray3d.]

i love this guy

[@ericanimations4243]

I'm trying to do it with the Market gardner, but the shovel isn't sliding towards the soldiers hand

[@Wrihno]

If you are using the current SFM you can just press Add Team Fortress Item, if you right click the model :D

[@ericanimations4243]

Found that stuff out a loong time ago :)

[@sinyokofficial3952]

How to throw the cigeret?

[@DuTchEr95]

Tip of the day about rendering properly (with mp4 everything is really dark)

[@Xanifur]

Thank you!

[@AceLeach]

IS THERE ANY WAY TO CHANGE LOCKS OVER TIME?? ex: someone is wearing a hat, it is locked to their head, then i want to lock it to the hand, move the hand to the coat rack, and place the hat on the coat rack (and lock it to the coat rack), and continue with the scene...

[@mettmax8395]

Lol I'm searching the same thing that he's grabbing the hat and wearing it.

[@JoeRoganVOD]

cut the scene in half.

[@FenrirWolfe1]

Too complex for no good reason. Simply unlock it from the head once you're done editing the hat-on-head motion and lock it to the hand. You can always re-lock it to the head if you need to edit something.

[@Mmmmkay126]

You're the best :).

[@TheGhostThatWas]

Helpful

[@Nitrodino7875]

AWESOME U ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

[@izvarzone]

Greetings.

[@asiaswiniarska9841]

about model stick to the ground....it's not working

[@themeatman4901]

What a G

[@HardCoreOpening]

Thx for Guid

[@mrcomp1971]

not working

[@blacqwolf]

It's not that hard to get a high FPS in the SFM, and an FPS of 40 isn't impressive.

[@jackskate98]

You sound like paulsoaresjr

[@doub1eduffer156]

No effence but I swear there was a robot talking then he sai and, and sighed

[@KingCam20]

In 15 minutes I meant

[@FranckyFox2468]

Because its microsoft we have to blame for that?

[@wilk4644]

I'm sorry it's work xD

[@nico699]

Thank You!

[@TheGhostThatWas]

Helpful