• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Figure 37.29 shows the checkerboard.

Using the ProSound dialog box, you can load and arrange multiple sound files. ProSound supports loading in WAV and AVI sound files. For the selected sound file, you can view its Length, Format, and Statistics. You also can set the sound's Start and End frame. Multiple other options are available for controlling how the audio file plays and how it interacts with other sounds.

The ProSound dialog box also includes some Metronome settings for keeping a defined beat. For a metronome, you can specify the beats per minute and the beats per measure. The first option sets how often the beats occur, and the second option determines how often a different tone is played. This dialog box also contains an Active option for turning the metronome on and off.

FIGURE 37.29

The checker pieces on the checkerboard

Using the ProSound Plug-in

Max includes an audio plug-in called ProSound for adding multiple audio tracks to a scene. You need to initialize the plug-in before you start, using the Animation panel in the Preference Settings dialog box. You can access this dialog box with the Customize⇒Preferences menu.

To select the ProSound plug-in, click the Assign button and select the ProSound option. Once enabled, you can access ProSound by right-clicking the Sound track in the Track View and choosing the Properties menu. This opens the ProSound dialog box, as shown in Figure 37.30.

FIGURE 37.30

The ProSound dialog box lets you configure sounds to play during the animation.

Tutorial: Adding sound to an animation

As an example of adding sound to an animation, you'll work with a hyper pogo stick and synchronize its animation to a sound clip.

To synchronize an animation to a sound clip, follow these steps:

1. Open the Hyper pogo stick with sound.max file from the Chap 37 directory on the CD.

2. In the Track View–Dope Sheet window, right-click the Sound track and select Properties from the pop-up menu to open the ProSound dialog box. In this dialog box, click the Add button. Then locate the boing.wav file from the Chap 37 directory on the CD, and click OK. Make sure the Permit Playback option is selected.

The sound file appears as a waveform in the Track View, as shown in Figure 37.31.

FIGURE 37.31

Sounds loaded into the sound track appear as waveforms.

Note

The ProSound dialog box includes a play button that lets you play the sound before loading it. •

3. Enter a Start frame value of 2 for the audio file to align with the pogo stick's upward motion.

4. Click the Play Animation button, and the sound file plays with the animation.

Figure 37.32 shows the sound track under the Track Bar for this example.

FIGURE 37.32

To help synchronize sound, the audio track can be made visible under the Track Bar.

Summary

Using the Track View, you have access to all the keys, parameters, and objects in a scene in one convenient location. Different features are available in the different layouts. In this chapter, you accomplished the following:

• Learned the Track View interface elements

• Learned about the different Track View layouts, including the Curve Editor, Dope Sheet, and Track Bar

• Discovered how to work with keys, times, and ranges

• Controlled and adjusted function curves

• Selected specific tracks using the Filter dialog box

• Assigned controllers

• Explored the different out-of-range types

• Added notes to a track

• Added multi-track audio with ProSound

The next chapter dives into working with characters, rigging, and bones.

Part IX: Working with Characters

IN THIS PART

Chapter 38

Understanding Rigging, Kinematics, and Working with Bones

Chapter 39

Animating Characters with CAT

Chapter 40

Skinning Characters

Chapter 38: Understanding Rigging, Kinematics, and Working with Bones

IN THIS CHAPTER

Creating a rigging workflow

Understanding forward and inverse kinematics

Using interactive and applied IK methods

Setting thresholds in the Inverse Kinematics