animation problem with shape keys

[gregcoll]

I am using Blender 2.62 and love it tremendously. I also have a serious (and probably noob) problem when trying to animate with shape keys. The problem is this: if I create a new shape key that uses vertices from a previously created key then the mesh becomes seriously deformed as the new key is applied. Example: I create a key that moves the arms forward to grab an object. I then create a key that rotates and/or moves from that position to another position. The result is severe distortion of the mesh.

 

According to the 2.4 manual (there is no page for this in the online 2.6 manual), a new key is created according to the currently selected key. This seems to not be the case for 2.6. There is an option to select the parent (can't remember exactly what it's called) and I assume that this would create the new key in that shape. Not always the case, regardless of where I have the sliders set.

 

I have tried moving the keys up or down, muting them, changing the parent from basis to the previous key and to itself. I have tried putting the shapes in full on or off before making changes and probably every combination of the above.

 

None of this has any effect on the problem. Sorry if this is a simple thing but I have been searching online and can't seem to find an answer and most tutorials only show the basic things that I already know. I am certain that there is something easy that I am not doing because this is a major problem and I doubt that they would have released this version with such a bad animation problem. Please help if possible.

 

One other thing. I noticed that even with my first key that if I rotated a set of mesh then the off axis would be scaled with the rotation. Example: in '3' side view I rotate a group in the y and z directions. The result is that the x scaling is slightly increased as the rotation moves through its cycle. I've tried to make sure that I am always in an axis view before making any rotations to keep the alignments correct. I don't know.

[gregcoll]

I may have solved the problem. It seems to have something to do with the relative setting and the degree of amplitude when creating the key. I wish there was an instruction page for this. Please close this thread.