Software Trials - 3DS Max

Animating a Character

Step 1:
I first go to the create tab and then from the drop down menu select CAT Objects. I then click on the CATParent button. Under the CATRig Load Save I select Marine to load the preformed character.

Step 2:
I then press Q to quit the sub object cursor. I then highlight the character to select it. As I don’t want to have the base selected I can deselect this by holding ALT and clicking on the base.

I then click on the ABC/bracketed icon and then click on the icon with the brackets with the star to create a new set of bones. I then name these bones the name I wish to give the character. For this example I have given simply named this set as Character 1 Bones.

Step 3:
For the animation I have to create Keyframes. To do this I select Auto Key at the bottom of the window and from the dropdown menu I select the character I wish to animate, in this instance Character 1. I then check the slider is set to Zero and then click on the icon of the key to create a Keyframe.

Step 4:
After clicking on the Motion tab I scroll down the ABS button to create an absolute layer. By clicking and dragging on this activates the layer. I then click on the bone I wish to edit.

Step 5:
I then click on the Keyframe button to create another Keyframe. I can then create a pose for the character by moving the bones ensuring that that I do not move the plate in the ground.

Step 6:
I then separate the Keyframes to get the timing right. I do this by selecting on of the Keyframes and then dragging it to another frame to which I feel gives the appropriate timing.

Step 7:
I then can edit the smoothness of the animation by opening the Graph Editors. To do this I select Graph Editors from the toolbar and then choose Track View – Graph Editor. I can change the smoothness of the tangents by selecting the Set Tangent to Smooth button.

Step 8:
To create a preview of the animation I click on the small + symbol in the view port and then select Preview Animation.

Step 9:
In the Properties box which appears I change the Custom Range from 0-50, as this is the length of the animation, I can choose the Output from AVI or Custom File. By choosing Custom File I can save the animation as a series of JPEGs so if I choose can edit this in an editing programme.

Animation Trial Animation:

Animation Analysis:
I found this process somewhat tiresome and laborious. This maybe because I was rushing to learn to do this as time was of the essence. I will endeavour to do some for the final animation, although the quality of them may be something left to be desired, so to speak!