3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [376]
4. Click the Play button (or press the / key) to see the car deform over the hill.
Figure 35.15 shows the results of this tutorial.
FIGURE 35.15
The car model hugs the road, thanks to the PatchDeform modifier.
PathDeform modifier
The PathDeform modifier uses a spline path to deform an object. The Pick Path button lets you select a spline to use in the deformation process. You can select either an open or closed spline. The Parameters rollout also includes spinners for controlling the Percent, Stretch, Rotation, and Twist of the object. The Percent value is the distance the object moves along the path.
Note
If you use the PathDeform modifier, you can benefit from using the Follow/Bank utility, which gives you control over how the object follows and banks along the path. •
Figure 35.16 shows some text wrapped around a spline path.
FIGURE 35.16
The text in this example has been deformed around a spline path using the PathDeform modifier.
Linked XForm modifier
The Linked XForm modifier passes all transformations of one object onto another, but not vice versa. The object that controls the transformation is designated as the Control Object and is selected via the Pick Control Object button (which is the only control in the Parameters rollout for this modifier). After the Control object is selected, the Control Object controls the selected object's transforms, but the object that is being controlled can move independently of the control object without affecting the control object.
SplineIK Control modifier
The SplineIK Control modifier can be applied only to spline objects. In the Spline IK Control Parameters rollout, you can click the Create Helpers button, which adds a dummy object to every vertex on the spline. These dummy objects make it much easier to control the spline without having to enter vertex subobject mode. You can also specify how the dummy objects are linked and how they are displayed.
Attribute Holder modifier
The Attribute Holder modifier displays all custom defined attributes in their own rollout. Creating custom attributes and wiring attributes is discussed in Chapter 36, “Animating with the Expression Controller and Wiring Parameters.”
Examining Complex Controllers
Now that you are somewhat familiar with controllers and how they work, let's look at some more complex controllers. Max includes a vast assortment of controllers, and you can add more controllers as plug-ins.
Transform controllers
Multi-track transform controllers work with the Position, Rotation, and Scale tracks all at the same time. You access them by selecting the Transform track in the Motion panel and then clicking the Assign Controller button or by choosing the Animation⇒Transform Controllers menu command.
Note
Each of the available constraints is listed again in the appropriate controller submenu. •
Position/Rotation/Scale Transform controller
The Position/Rotation/Scale Transform controller is the default controller for all transforms. This controller includes a Bézier controller for the Position and Scale tracks and a Euler XYZ controller for the Rotation track.
The PRS Parameters rollout, shown in Figure 35.17, lets you create and delete keys for Position, Rotation, and Scale transforms. The Position, Rotation, and Scale buttons control the fields that appear in the Key Info rollouts positioned below the PRS Parameters rollout.
Script controller
The Script controller is similar to the Expression controller, except that it can work with the MAXScript lines of code for controlling the scene. Right-clicking a track with the Script controller assigned and selecting Properties opens the Script Controller dialog box. Script controllers are available for all transform tracks including Transform, Position, Rotation, and Scale. The flexibility of the Script controller is quite robust. The Script controller is covered in more detail at the end of this chapter, as is the Expression controller.
FIGURE 35.17
The PRS Parameters rollout is the default transform controller.
On the