When designing an animation, consider how to smoothly transition from and to the animation. For example, if you create an animation in which the character gestures right, and another in which the character gestures left, you want the character to animate smoothly from one position to the other. Although you could build this into either animation, a better solution is to define a neutral or transitional position from which the character starts and returns. Animating to the neutral position can be incorporated as part of each animation or as a separate animation. In the Microsoft Agent Character Editor, you can specify a complementary Return animation for each animation for your character. The Return animation should typically be no more than 2-4 frames so the character can quickly transition to the neutral position.
For example, using the "gesturing right, then gesturing left" scenario, you can create a GestureRight animation, starting with a frame where the character appears in a neutral position, and add frames with images that extend the character's hand to the right. Then create its Return animation: a complementary animation with images that return the character to its neutral position. You can assign this as the Return animation for the GestureRight animation. Next, create the GestureLeft animation that starts from the neutral position and extends the character's arm to the left. Finally, create a complementary Return animation for this animation as well. A Return animation typically begins with an image that follows the last image of the preceding animation.
Starting and returning to the same neutral position, either within an animation or by using a Return animation, enables you to play any animation in any order. The Microsoft Agent animation services automatically play your designated Return animation in many situations. For example, the services play the designated Return animation before playing your character's Idling state animations. It is a good idea to define and assign Return animations if your animations do not already end in the neutral position.
If you want to provide your own transitions between specific animations; for example, because you always play them in a well-defined order, you can avoid defining Return animations. However, it is still a good idea to begin and end the sequence of animations from the neutral position.