Some context:
I'm working on a rather extensive experimental thing with 1000+ slots, constraints and bones. It's a character mixer with a vast amount of interchangeable parts and a lot of precise targeted stuff intended for mutilayered animations (only some parts active at a time).
I understand something this size is a rather specific and an atypical use of Spine, but there are some things that would really have a massive impact on medium-large projects like mine, even though I feel they're not the software's target.
- Enable/Disable switch for constraints-slider constraints
Much like attachments work, this would deactivate them as if they're hidden, but able to be keyed into animations to only use when required.
This is almost purely for performance reasons, since constraints need to be always active, and it could be useful to have in general given the new complexity layer the beta has brought out.
For example, I recently attempted to make a draw order multidimensional array built into the rig (partly for style points). Setting up a bone's X-Y position to control 2 separate element's draw order independently, which position corresponds to a specific draw order combination. Then I expanded this into several of these grids to add a 3rd independent element.
It's cool and it works, but sliders always needing to be monitored every frame, and being 1000+ slots on 300-400 draw order keys running at the same time... Performance was, predictably, destroyed .
Cool but expensive stuff like this could be given more room to breathe if inactive sliders could be disabled when not in use.
- Fallback/Return keys
When layering animations on top of one another, it would be useful to return them to a state equivalent to where the key was never in use. This works for transforms when using an animation as additive and set to base value, but it will not for non-additive, or when applied to attachments.
For example, animation1 with attachment A or animation2 with attachment B may be active. If animation 3 is overlaid and changes attachment to C, it is now impossible to return to the previous A/B without disabling the animation. Perhaps animation 3 contains lingering motion of other parts before it blends back. This applies to draw order as well, and could be useful for mixing back any element in non-additive animations.
- Animation pointing sliders
This one's a bit out there, but this could also complement the layered stuff sliders bring to the table. Essentially the same thing as sliders, but setting up animations (in a folder, for example) to be pointed at independently on a numbered basis. This index can then be modified by another animation (as frames work).
Application example: Putting several expressions in a folder, an active control animation dictating the "frame", and a general body animation containing a keyed mix, that would mix in any selected expression.
This can be done with sliders right now if static expressions are put into the same animation, the key difference is on the animation being pointed at, meaning it wouldn't need to be static, nor it would need everything else to be active at the same time.
This may be better left handled by engine, but it may also be useful to have integrated for certain cases.
Thank you for the continuous support and attention