

In this case, the ball is the only animating object. The Filters dialog box is similar to the Display command panel in function.Selecting Animated Tracks in the Show Only section of the Filter dialog boxtells max to show just the information for the objects that are animated in theshot. Click on the Filters button to open the Filters dialog box, and click on Animated Tracks in the Show Only section, as shown in Figure 9.įigure 9 Use the other filters in this dialog box to customize what the Track View displays and how it displays its animation information. Using the Filter dialog box, you can tell max to show just the specific pieces that you want to work with in the Scene Hierarchy list. When you are working with the Track View Editor, sometimes it is confusing to see every piece of max information concerning the animated elements of the shot. The best way I've found to use Track View is to doas much as I can in the other related tools in the main interface Trackbar, Motion Command Panel, and so onand then use Track View and itscapabilities for more sophisticated and complex animation control. In manyways, it is like max itself in this respecta full-function, multilayered,deep CGI animation tool.
#ELASTIC REALITY 3.0. FULL#
I've been using the Track View Editor for almost four years now andstill haven't begun to scratch the surface of its full capability. Itcontains all the information regarding the animation of all the max materials,lights, objects, and so on in your shot. However, for this exercise,you'll use the Parameter Curve Out of Range Types to tell max to create anongoing repeating cycle.Ĭlick on the Track View icon to open the Track View Editor, shown in Figure 8.įigure 8 The Track View is the main control center of all animation in max. If you wanted the ball to bounce and slowly dribble to an end, you would haveto animate it using more keyframes, decreasing the time between frames andshortening the distance of the bounce in the z-axis. Using Track View to Create an Animation Cycle Exit Animation mode and save yourfile.įigure 7 Having the ball pass below the ground plane now saves a step later when yousquash it to create a more realistic bounce. Setting this third keyframecompletes the rough animation and sets the ball up for the squash and stretchadjustments that you'll add in a moment. The Absolute: World Z value for this position is 15the same as the beginning position. Ĭhange to Right view, move the Time slider to frame 45, andmove the ball down so that it passes about 1/3 of the way through the groundplane, as shown in Figure 7.The grossmovement in this case is the basic up/down motion of the ball. When you make thismove, you'll see keyframe dots appear at frame 0 and at frame 30 in theTrack Bar.įigure 6 Establishing the gross movement is also called rough animation. Using the z-axis of the Ball object, move it up in the Camera viewuntil it reaches the top of the screen as shown in Figure 6. Establishing the basic gross motion of the animation is the firststep.Ĭlick on the Animate button and move the Time Slider to frame 30. When you first begin animating an object, you are not trying to create allthe little details of secondary or overlapping movement, although you will keepthem in mind.

After youcomplete the animation of the primary up/down movement of the ball, you'lladd the squash and stretch animation to give the ball its bounce. Squash and stretch are considered secondary animation movements. Using it creates the appearanceof elasticity, mass, weight action, and reaction, thereby creating a dynamic,lifelike appearance in your animation.

Figure 5 illustrates this effect.įigure 5 The dynamics of the squash and stretch can be applied, in an appropriatemeasure, to every animating object in your shot. When the ball hits a surface, it squashes upon impact and then stretches out as it bounces off the surface. This phenomenon is referred to as squash and stretch the simplest example is a bouncing ball. Learn More Buy Elastic Reality: Squash and StretchĪll objects and characters exhibit an elastic quality as they are animating.
