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eternalmisfit
03-12-2009, 05:34 PM
Okay, I am most familiar with Maya and have been using it for quite a while so I was wondering: I know that in Maya you can use attribute editors to apply motion presets to a rig/model so instead of manually creating a hand curl/fist you just use the attribute. Now, what i am wanting to know is if there is a way to do the same thing in max without using scripts. I am not yet efficient at scripting so if I could find a way to add an attribute in such a way that would be splendid. Thanks.

-Misfit
Greymane
03-13-2009, 03:10 PM
If I understand well, you search something like the "set driven key" of maya in max. How drive an attribute/transform by another.


For the driven:

In max you've got 2 tool how can make the same thing. Both are on the animation menu.
- Wire parameter : link two attributes by an expression (a bit like the expression editor of maya).
- Reaction manager : More like the set driven key, you choose a master (driver) and some slave (driven) and after you create "state". (see the max help for more detail on the use of it)

-> In both case the wire parameter or the reaction controller will "lock" the transform of you're object
.so you can (like in maya) use parent to have after the "drive" a manual control of your object
.Or go in the motion panel/assign controller and there use a position/rotation list in order to assign another controller after the wire parameter/reaction parameter.
Don't forget to go on "position list" roll-out to choose the "unlock" controller as the keyable one...
(See the help of "assign contoller" for more detail on that technique how is the base of the structure of max)


For the driver :

You can add attribute on a modifier with the Animation/Parameter Editor (but still better to do that with script for choose the name of the maxscript variable associate with the "ui parameter")

I suggest you to add you're parameter on a modifier you create just for that, and I suggest to use the attribute holder modifier scripted by Paul Neale how have little tool very usefull for save preset of you're custom parameter (really fine for an hand setup)
( http://www.paulneale.com/scripts/penAttributeHolder/penAttributeHolder.htm )

The little problem is that on max it's like use expression editor on maya, you can't have a nodal structure using curves for interpolate the driven by the driver. Could start to be very expensive on complex rig ... This is where you see that the nodal structure of maya is fine for custom rig ;)


PS: I hope that my dirty english is a bit understandable...
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