3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [271]
• Point3 controllers: Consist of color components for red, green, and blue, such as Diffuse and Background colors
Note
Understanding the different controller types is important. When you copy and paste controller parameters between different tracks, both tracks must have the same controller type. •
Float controllers work with parameters that use float numbers, such as a sphere's Radius or a plane object's Scale Multiplier value. Float values are numbers with a decimal value, such as 2.3 or 10.99. A Float controller is assigned to any parameter that is animated. After it is assigned, you can access the function curves and keys for this controller in the Track View and in the Track Bar. Because Float and Point3 controllers are assigned to parameters and not to objects, they don't appear in the Animation menu.
Assigning Controllers
Any object or parameter that is animated is automatically assigned a controller. The controller that is assigned is the default controller. The Animation panel in the Preference Settings dialog box lists the default controllers and lets you change them. You can change this automatic default controller using the Track View window or the transformation tracks located in the Motion panel.
Automatically assigned controllers
The default controllers are automatically assigned for an object's transformation tracks when the object is created. For example, if you create a simple sphere and then open the Motion panel (which has the icon that looks like a wheel), you can find the transformation tracks in the Assign Controller rollout. The default Position controller is Position XYZ, the default Rotation controller is Euler XYZ, and the default Scale controller is the Bézier Scale controller.
The default controller depends on the type of object. For example, the Barycentric Morph controller is automatically assigned when you create a morph compound object, and the Master Point controller is automatically assigned to any vertices or control points subobjects that are animated.
Note
Because controllers are automatically assigned to animation tracks, they cannot be removed; they can only be changed to a different controller. There is no function to delete controllers. •
Assigning controllers with the Animation menu
The easiest way to assign a controller to an object is with the Animation menu. Located under the Animation menu are four controller submenus consisting of Transform, Position, Rotation, and Scale.
Note
Although constraints are contained within a separate menu, they control the animating of keys just like controllers. •
When a controller is assigned to an object using the Animation menu, the existing controller is not removed, but the new controller is added as part of a list along with the other controllers. You can see all these controllers in the Motion panel.
For example, Figure 22.7 shows the Motion panel for a sphere object that has the default Position XYZ controller assigned to the Position track. If you choose Animation⇒Position Controllers⇒Noise, then the Position List controller is added to the Position track, of which Position XYZ and Noise are two available controllers. This lets you animate multiple motions such as the shimmy of a car with a bad carburetor as it moves down the road.
FIGURE 22.7
The Motion panel displays all transform controllers applied to an object.
The List controller makes it possible to add several controllers to a single track. It also allows you to set Weights for each of its controllers. Using the Position List rollout, you can set the active controller and delete controllers from the list. You also can Cut and Paste controllers to other tracks.
Assigning controllers in the Motion panel
The top of the Motion panel includes two buttons: Parameters and Trajectories. Clicking the Parameters button makes the Assign Controller rollout available.
To change a transformation track's controller, select the track and click the Assign Controller button positioned directly above the list. An Assign Controller dialog