Clip-On Animation

Author: Vincenzo Mossuto Creation Date: 29/09/2025
Last Reviewer: Sara Altomare/Rossana Mazza

See the Changelog for the full history of updates.

This guide covers the operator object.append_clipon (UI menu: Add animated Clip-on armature).

What it does

• Appends a pre-animated Clip-on armature from the external library at animation_path.
• Renames the armature to match your selected clip-on mesh (CO_*).
• Parents the clip-on mesh to the armature using Armature Deform (Envelope).
• Applies a small NLA fix (toggle tweak mode) to ensure strips evaluate properly.

Prerequisites

• Select exactly one Clip-on mesh whose name starts with CO_.
• Ensure animation_path points to a valid library containing one of:
  • CO_FULL_AN_2.blend
  • CO_CUT_AN_2.blend
• In the UI, open the Clip-on menu and pick the matching preset.

Steps

1. Select your Clip-on mesh (name must start with CO_).
2. From Spaarkly 1.0.0 → Clip-on animation, click Add animated Clip-on armature and choose the correct version.
3. The script:
   • Appends the armature object (may appear as *.001 internally).
   • Renames the object and the Armature Data to Armature_<YourCliponName>.
   • Creates parenting with Envelope Weights.
   • Performs a brief NLA tweak enter/exit to refresh strips.

Troubleshooting

• “Selected object is not a Clip-on or not renamed correctly.”
  → Ensure the object name starts with CO_.
• “Clip-on file not found.”
  → Verify animation_path and that the chosen .blend preset exists.
• If deformation looks off, check mesh scale/origin and try re-parenting.

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