This lecture covers the basic elements of animation tools within 3DS Max.

1. 2672QCA 3D MODELLING
FOR VISUALISATION

2. ANIMATION PRINCIPLES
Introduction to character rigging, constraints and
animation principles.

3. RIGGING
ANIMATION BASICS
Keyframing and animation
principles in 3DS.
INTRODUCTION
Terminology specific to rigging
and animation.
Processes for attaching meshes
to animatable bones.
LECTURE CONTENTS
01
02
03

4. - John Lasseter
“Computers don’t create computer
animation any more than a pencil
creates pencil animation. What creates
computer animation is the artist.”

5. INTRODUCTION
01
Terminology specific to rigging
and animation

6. WHAT IS RIGGING?
Rigging is a technique used in skeletal animation for representing a 3D character model
using a series of interconnected digital bones.
Specifically, rigging refers to the process of creating the bones structure of a 3D Model. This
bone structure is used to manipulate the 3D model like a puppet for animation.
Rigging is most common in animated characters for games and movies. This technique
simplifies the animation process and improves production efficiency.

7. WHAT IS
ANIMATION?
3D animation is the art of using motion to bring characters, vehicles, props, and more to life
within TV shows, films, and games.
3D Artists are often involved in several early steps of the VFX pipeline in order to ensure
they deliver an animation-ready model.
In order to give a character the right personality traits and movements, the Animator needs
to make sure that whoever is rigging the model does it with those things in mind. During
the rigging process, the character is given bones, skin weights, and constraints that allow it
to move in specific ways.

8. DIGITAL BONES
A Bones system is a jointed, hierarchical linkage of bone objects that can be used to
animate other objects or hierarchies.
Bones are especially useful for animating character models that have a continuous skin
mesh. You can animate bones with forward or inverse kinematics.

9. SKIN WEIGHT
Skin Weight is a method of calculating vertex manipulation in relation to bone movement,
as each vertex may be affected by more than one bone.
The ratio of a vertex's Weight values, which always total 1.0, determine the relative extent
to which each bone's motion affects the vertex.
For example, if a vertex's weight with respect to bone 1 is 0.8 and its weight with respect to
bone 2 is 0.2, then the motion of bone 1 will have four times greater influence on the vertex
than will the motion of bone 2.

10. RIGGING
Processes for attaching meshes to
animatable bones.
02

11. As with all 3D processes, there are numerous methods for achieving an end result. Depending
on the desired outcome, one method will likely produce superior results over the others.
The techniques listed below outline different methods of rigging:
1) Object Linking
2) Skin Modifier (Bones and Mesh)
3) CAT Objects
4) Biped System (Physique Modifier)
RIGGING TECHNIQUES

12. Object linking is the simplest and most basic form of achieving an
animated result.
The aim is to identify a hierarchical chain of objects, starting at the
extremities and working back to the “base” or “root” object.
This follows a system of Forward Kinematics (discussed later) to form
the final animation process.
Effectively, when an object in the chain is animated, all “child” objects
(those that are further down the hierarchy) are also animated.
For example, if a hand is animated, the fingers will also be adjusted,
however the forearm and upper arm will not.
OBJECT LINKING

13. When considering the animation of more organic objects, we must consider animation techniques
that include chains of bones, connected to larger physical meshes.
The bones are placed inside the mesh to be affected. These bones are then applied to the mesh
through the Skin Modifier (applied to the mesh).
The effect of each bone on the mesh can be manipulated using capsule shaped objects called
“envelopes”. The size and location of the inner and outer envelope changes the weight of effect on
each vertex from an individual bone.
Once applied through the Skin Modifier, bones can then be animated to manipulate the mesh.
SKIN MODIFIER

14. CAT (Character Animation Toolkit) is a character-animation plug-in for 3ds Max.
CAT facilitates character rigging, nonlinear animation, animation layering, motion-capture import,
and muscle simulation.
The CATRig is the hierarchy that defines the CAT skeletal animation system. It is a fast,
sophisticated yet flexible character rig that is designed to let you create the characters you want
without having to write scripts.
CAT OBJECTS

15. Biped is a 3ds Max component that you access from the Create panel. Once you create a biped, you
animate it using the Biped controls on the Motion panel.
Biped provides tools to let you design and animate the figures and motion of characters.
The biped skeleton created with the Biped module is a two-legged figure created as a linked
hierarchy, and designed for animation. The biped skeleton has special properties that make it
instantly ready to animate.
BIPED SYSTEM

16. A-POSE VS T-POSE
Binding with A-Pose vs. Binding with T-Pose

17. ANIMATION BASICS
03
Keyframing and animation
principles in 3DS.

18. With 3ds Max, you can create 3D computer animation for a variety of applications.
You can animate characters and vehicles for computer games and produce special effects for
film and broadcast.
Whatever reasons you have for producing animation, you'll find 3ds Max a capable
environment for achieving your goals.
ANIMATION CONCEPTS

19. The basic method for creating animation in 3ds Max is quite simple.
First you turn on the Auto Key button, then you move the time slider, and last you transform an
object to change its position, rotation, or scale over time.
You can employ animation throughout 3ds Max. You can animate the position, rotation, and
scale of an object, and almost any parameter setting that affects an object's shape and surface.
You can link objects for hierarchical animation, using both forward and inverse kinematics,
and you can edit your animation in Track View.
ANIMATION CONCEPTS

20. You can create the keyframes that record the beginning and end of each animated sequence.
The values at these keyframes are called keys.
3ds Max calculates the interpolated values between each pair of keys to produce the completed
animation.
Once you have specified your animation parameters, the renderer takes over the job of shading
and rendering each frame. The result is a high-quality animation.
ANIMATION CONCEPTS

21. The main animation controls are found at the bottom of the program window, between the
status bar and the viewport navigation controls, along with the time controls for animation
playback within viewports.
Two additional important animation controls are the time slider and track bar, found on the
status bar to the left of the main animation controls, both of which can be floated and docked.
ANIMATION AND TIME CONTROLS

22. The Auto Key button toggles the keyframing mode called Auto Key.
While Auto Key is on, changes to objects’ position, rotation, and scale are automatically
keyframed (recorded). When Auto Key is off, these changes are applied to frame 0.
When Auto Key mode is active, the Auto Key button is red, as are the active viewport outline
and the time slider.
These indicators serve to remind you that you are in Animate mode, and that you are setting
keyframes with your actions.
AUTO KEY ANIMATION MODE

23. Set Key Animation mode allows you to create keys for selected objects individual tracks using
a combination of the Set Keys button and Key Filters.
Unlike Auto Key, Set Key mode gives you control over what you key and when.
It allows you to pose a character (or transform any object) and then if you like it, use that pose
to create keys. If you move to another point in time without keying, your pose is discarded. Set
Key also works with object parameters.
SET KEY ANIMATION MODE

24. The Time Configuration dialog provides settings for frame rate, time
display, playback, and animation.
You use this dialog to change the length of your animation, or stretch
or rescale it.
You also use it to set the start and end frames of the active time
segment and your animation.
You can display this dialog by right-clicking any of the time control
buttons to the right of the Auto Key button.
TIME CONFIGURATION

25. THANKS!
Does anyone have any questions?