How to use Float reaction when connect with modifying custom attribution?

[PEN]

Have you done the tutorials on the reaction manager that ship with Max?

[asiandreams]

Have you done the tutorials on the reaction manager that ship with Max?

SO surprising, the Author replay my message, Ha ha ha ...
Thanks for your quick reply, I'm a student in digital filmmaking and have been using Max for 2 years already. Now, I'm creating a short animation project as my thesis, I'm intersting in Rigging because I fell it's very useful when create a KongFu scene, much easy than Biped. But here, not many people familiar with this area, So I decided to buy the whole set DVD.

I did follow the each step from the DVD I bought in last month, but I think the Reaction Manager is not easy for me to understand, I mean I only watched Disc 1 and find that there is not enough tutorial try to explain functions for each buttom in Reaction Manager, especially in Max8, I practise and press every buttom in order to get basic knowledge for that, then I lost.

At top line, you can see some buttoms which are appeared in Cross Sign"+",Add Master, Add Slave & Add select, then my question is how to add the bones into this Reaction Window like your did in Max6,

- rectangle 01/ footRoll
Bone 15 / Z Rotation
- rectangle 01/ footRoll
Bone 16 / Z Rotation
- rectangle 01/ footRoll
Bone 17 / Z Rotation

what I did is below:
- rectangle 01/ footRoll
Bone 15 / Z Rotation
Bone 16 / Z Rotation
Bone 17 / Z Rotation

I think they are same because they are all under rectangle 01/footRoll, but how to arrange the Rotation for each Bone in Create Mode (I think it's same name like you did in Max6, called reaction01, reaction02... ), Then, it's impossible to rotate the bones in Max8, I must key in the rotation angle manually, so the works became inaccurate and complex to me :-(

I asked all my school lecturer, none of them know this part. My god, I'm really desperated these days...

[PEN]

Time to change schools and come to my classes;)

Any ways, the basic idea is this.

Add a master track, this is the track that will drive the reaction.
Add as many slave tracks to the master that you want, these are the tracks that will be driven by the master.
You can then enter and edit mode where you can change the master and change the slaves and it will capture it.

[asiandreams]

Time to change schools and come to my classes;)

Any ways, the basic idea is this.

Add a master track, this is the track that will drive the reaction.
Add as many slave tracks to the master that you want, these are the tracks that will be driven by the master.
You can then enter and edit mode where you can change the master and change the slaves and it will capture it.


Thanks Paul,

I've just done successfully (fully understand how the reaction manager works)and going to move on with your guide.

Thanks for your concern. I have a lot of questions need to ask you or senior experts, I worry about my project so much because I feel very stress during the course in last year, we not only need to do paperwork (research work) and also have to finish our physical work (animation or shortfilm whatever), the time is quite tight to me, and I still haven't finished my storyboard, but the outline is already there. When I saw the fantastic sketch in your website, I almost lost hope. Another reason caused me to have this feeling is my school makes me so disappointed, I couldn't find a person to discuss with and share our experience in 3D. So, I try to communicate with net people.

When the day I decided to dedicate myself to 3D world, I doubted whether I set my target a little bit high, why I still haven't achieved my goal since I put so much effort. Am I going to a wrong way in animation ?

Hope you can give me some advices, Thanks again :)

AsianDreams

[PEN]

Deciding if you are going in the wrong direction is only up to you. Just ask your self, do I love it? If the answer is yes then you need to keep going. I am what people would call 100% self taught because the school that I went to didn't have a clue what they were doing. That being said I learned everything by trial and error and with lots of help from people on web boards like this one. Back when I did it there were few people that could offer help. Max was new, the whole industry was new and few of us new what could be done. Now with all the resources you should be able to get a good handle on it faster then I did. Buy DVD's that are out there as they have been done by pros that know what they are doing. Search for free tutorials done by pros and ask lots and lots of questions here, at the-area.com and other sites.

Back in the days of sailing ships, pirates and battles at sea they used to have a saying.

"Hold Fast!"

[asiandreams]

Thanks for your sincere words, I'm usually having a perseverance attitude to my decision. From your message, I could say I saw a good model here. If you don't mind, I would like to invite you to be an interviewee in my study, Quite funny, I was worrying about where I can get my interviewees in this industry 3 weeks ago. Now, I have to extend the scope for my investigation, ha ha ha:applause: just fill in a very simple survey form that's one part of my research work if you have time.

Now, back to the main topic, I'm stagnated again in Leg Streach System - the last chapter in your Disc 1.

Mr. Paul, I'm not very clear on the Expression Controller. I watched more than 5 times, it seems not hard to be understood, but when comes in depth, I have some more questions arised from that steps.

In expression window(the top right of the Expression Controller), actually, What kind of equation it is? is it a formular to calcuate the length (distance) between the two Vectors?

As you set below:

Scalars: con (the distance between point helper and bone18)
Vectors: an (the last bone in foot )
th (point helper)

My perspective is:
The origin (axes) starts with the bottom bone in calf (bone14 in your tutorial), we need to get the best position for con through the calculatioins, both need a proper twist and bend for thigh, calf & knee. So, you did the four steps :

length (an-th)
length (an-th)-con
(length (an-th)-con) /2
if ((length (an-th)-con)/2>0, (length (an-th)-con)/2,0)

I understand the first two steps, but what's the purpose for the 3rd step? is it because the twist is too fast, so you divide by 2 ? If it is, the calculation is like for speed not for length :) And what the relationship from here to the last step - if (c,t,f).

I'm confused again:sad: Hope you can point out for a dull student here.

Thanks a lot.

AsianDreams

[PEN]

Well I divide by 2 because there are two bones, and if each stretched 100% it would stretch to fast. I'll see if I can get back and answer a couple of the questions later.

[asiandreams]

Ok, I see, thanks Paul.

Just two comments for your DVD2:
1). it seems that there is a missing step in Chapter - Control Object and HI IK. The video doesn't cover how you create the IK solver for the arm, but the rest Chapters are all started with a completed IK solved arm. So, in my works, I did the IK linked from the uparm to forearm, and then, link with the control object at the wrist, pick up the control object behind the elbow as the target. (please open my attachment)

This is the basic human rigs I've done so far. Actually, I rebuilt it last night and I'd like to send for you to see any problems with this simple rigs in order to move onwards. Just felt a bit strange to the leg bending if you drag the time slide, you will see that the thigh, calf and foot are not in a straight line from Top view. But yours is in a perfect shape. Maybe that's because my modelling is different from yours.

2). did you also provide the script for the custom attribute interface for hand controller? I follow the same concept used in the foot controller but my script doesn't run properly to create so many spinners and slides at the right hand side and help to deal with different poses. As a beginner in Max Script, how to efficiently handle the MaxScript in Rigging system? I'm afraid that my "script" will spoil the whole soup in my works :(

Finally, a big thank to Paul Neale, you produced such a great DVD that helps me a lot in the basic knowledge about Rigging. One month ago, I was still an outside door stranger in this area, and I strongly recommend you continue write other series about animation :) Because when I finished my rigs step by step, I felt I'm eager to learn more from that. And I think Rigging has direct relationship with animation, that's why I was scared by some of your detailed methods used in creating bones, rotation & controller, until I read animators' work, I understand the intention for some "scary" steps you used in rigging.

Anyway, I’m waiting for the good news from Pen Productions.

[PEN]

Glad you like the DVD's, As for the missing chapter it is intended as an intermediate rigging DVD series, I assume that you already have done all the tutorials in Max about the tools and features that are needed and progress from there. I didn't want to recover steps of creating an IK solver when I had already done that with the legs and it is in the help. It always drives me nuts when I see an advanced DVD and it starts by telling you how to put your pants on one leg at a time.

Can you just post a link to the script or just post the code here or in the Max Script forum and I'm sure that my self or many others can explain what you have done.

[asiandreams]

Mr. Paul,

I just post a new message in Max Script forum. And I will not use this thread any more.
Sorry for my late reply, I'm busy on doing other project and just came back from school right now.
Thanks for your help again.

AsianDreams

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