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View Full Version : Animation:3DSMAX8: Parmetric Walkcycles or not ?

SittingDuck
04-11-2006, 10:46 AM
First post here on CG :thumbsup:

I need to create a lot of cyclic animations for a computer game and the parametric tools in CAT do this wonderfully...BUT, I also need to be able to create my own custom rigs.

Q: How do you, the pro's, do it ?
Do you animate "freehand" key by key ? (that would really set my ego back centuries!!!) or do you script your own parametric tools ? Maybe there are tools in MAX that I am not aware of !?

I would also like to thank Paul Neale for the excellent rigging DVD's (CG Academy). They have been most helful while learning rigging. :)
gdimmrt
04-11-2006, 11:42 PM
Most of us do it by hand and just set it to loop.
SittingDuck
04-22-2006, 09:35 AM
Thanx,
then I will simply work harder to learn how to walk :)
/Jens
PEN
04-27-2006, 08:28 PM
Your welcome and i'm glad that I could be of help.
Gräck
04-30-2006, 10:24 AM
If you need looped walk cycles only, you won't need CAT necessarily. The CAT parametrical walk cycle system is very useful for cutscene animations in games, where it is needed to align the character to a path and a surface. The final animation will be done in a couple of minutes and can be adjusted afterwards with a few clicks.

I am using CAT for all our character rigging and animations. The characters have about 40-80 bones, including facial bone setup and bones for secondary motion. I am using script controllers for some of the extra bones to create tail and cloth setups for example, all within CAT. Some of the bones are simulated by reactor, too. The beauty of CAT is that you can use all Max controllers with it, so custom setup rigs are possible.
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