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View Full Version : Rubik's Cube animation problem

ScubaSteve87
05-23-2005, 03:10 AM
I am very new to 3ds max and 3d animation in general. I am trying to animate a 3d rubik's cube that i made in CAD, in 3ds max 7 for a class. I have done a few tutorials(getting started, hourglass). I have figured out how to use Auto Key and animate the sides by rotating them. I have also figured out to align the pivot points off all the pieces with the center of the cube, so that the pieces don't rotate around themselves, but around the center of each face. Now my problem is that the pivot points are rotating when i rotate the faces. This is ok for a few turns of the cube, but eventually i have a face that i am trying to rotate, that has several different pivot points for various pieces on the cube. the pivot points are aligned and orthagonal, but a positive z for one piece may now be a neg z for another piece, or even a y or an x. This causes the animation to go crazy and move pieces in very interesting ways to get to the final point. Every turn of the cube compounds the problem. I am looking for a way to make sure the pivot points do not rotate with the faces, that way all the pieces still have the same pivot points and alignment. I have already figured out that 3ds max doesn't allow me to animate pivot point changes that i make in the heirarchy roll out, so obviously i cannot set keys for this. any help is appreciated, or just let me know if you need further detail.

btw this a 4x4x4 rubik's cube, not 3x3x3
salmonmoose
05-23-2005, 03:53 AM
I can't see it being a 4x4x4 cube will change this any;

what you need to do is align the pivot points for all of the smaller cubes at the centre of the object.

Now, rather than using autokey, use set key (the button just beneath) each time you rotate a square of cubes, select all your cubes and hit the button that looks like a key. this means you will have keys set for each box before it moves.

I'm gusssing most of your problem is coming from not having keys at the start and end of the move for each box, so some of them are starting their animations at different times than others.
ScubaSteve87
05-23-2005, 10:30 PM
Yeah thats how i have it done, i used autokey, but still hit the "key" button and slected all the cubes. I will try and post the file later tonight so you can see what i mean. I also did what you said and made a quick animation using set key instead of autokey and i had the same problem.
ScubaSteve87
05-24-2005, 02:13 AM
https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/sgfaulkner/web Here go to this link, just right click the file on my website and save as
ScubaSteve87
05-26-2005, 03:06 AM
bump....anyone know what i can do? the scene should show it pretty well
uday kadkade
05-26-2005, 08:38 AM
go here:

http://www.effectware.com/cgi-bin/php/ViewDatabase.php?lang=1
check the utility section.there's a rubik cube thingy there ...
pixel-abuse
05-26-2005, 03:09 PM
That might be cheating a bit as he's supposed to be doing it for a class.
uday kadkade
05-26-2005, 04:49 PM
LOL!!!

me bad!
ScubaSteve87
05-26-2005, 06:41 PM
Yeah haha i kind of need to know HOW to actually do it, versus already have it done
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05-26-2005, 06:41 PM
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