3DS MAX – Micro Reference Manual – Animation – Basics

SETUP SCENE

BOTTOM RIGHT MENU:

Time Configuration button> Frame Rate
Time Configuration button> Animation> Start Time – End time
Time Configuration button> Playback> Direction> Forward – Reverse – Ping-Pong

SET KEY

BOTTOM RIGHT MENU:

1. Activate ‘Set Key’
2. Move over the Timeline over frame 50
3. Move an object
4. click the quare button ‘Set Key’ to set a keyframe

AUTO KEY

BOTTOM RIGHT MENU:

1. Activate ‘Auto Key’
2. Move over the Timeline over frame 50
3. Move an object to set a keyframe

EDIT MULTIPLE KEY FRAMES

1. TIMELINE> select keyframe with SHIFT+click or DRAG a Selection Region
2. Left click over a selected keyframe (white highlight) and DRAG it over the time

FINE TUNING KEYFRAMES

Select an animated object> RIGHT COLUMN> Motion, here setup:

– Parameters
– Trajectories

Select an animated object> BOTTOM LEFT BUTTON> Open Mini Curve Editor

Select an animated object> MAIN TOOLBAR> Curve Editor

RESCALE ALL ANIMATION

BOTTOM RIGHT MENU:

Time Configuration button> Frame Rate
Time Configuration button> Animation> Start Time – End time

SCALE KEYFRAMES

CURVE EDITOR:

Modes> Dope Sheet> Edit Ranges> DRAG the handles (you can see in the timeline how the keys are changing)

OR

Modes> Dope Sheet> Edit Keys> Select Time (the clock icon)> DRAG to select keys> Scale Time (clock icon with scale)> DRAG over the yellow line to scale

REDUCE KEYFRAMES

CURVE EDITOR:

Modes> Curve Editor…> DRAG a Selection Region to select multiple keyframes> Keys (menu)> Reduce Keys

EDIT CURVES

CURVE EDITOR:

Modes> Curve Editor…> DRAG a Selection Region to select multiple keyframes, now you can:

– Move Keys

– Draw Curves

– Zoom Horizontal Extends
– Zoom Value Extends
– Zoom
– Zoom Region
– Pan

– Set Tangents to Spline (2 tangents controls for every point)

– Set Tangents to Fast
– Set Tangents to Slow

– Set Tangents to Stepped (stepped robotic movement)
– Set Tangents to Linear
– Set Tangents to Smoot

– Break tangents
– Unify Tangents