3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [422]
To create a custom CAT rig, follow these steps:
1. Open the Marvin Moose.max file from the Chap 39 directory on the CD. This file includes the Marvin Moose skin mesh positioned at the origin.
2. Select and right-click the moose skin mesh object, and select the Object Properties option from the quadmenu. Enable the See-Through and Freeze options in the Object Properties dialog box.
Tip
The keyboard shortcut for making an object see-through is Alt+X. •
3. Click the Helpers category, open the CAT Objects subcategory in the Create panel, click the CAT Parent button, and drag in the viewport to create the object. Make the CAT Parent just big enough to contain the moose's feet.
4. With the CAT Parent object selected, open the Modify panel and click the Create Pelvis button. Then select and resize the pelvis object and position it to match the skin mesh.
5. With the pelvis object selected, click the Add Leg button to create the left leg. Select and rotate the ankle so the foot is flat against the ground. Scale the foot to roughly match the skin mesh's foot.
6. Select the pelvis, and click Add Leg to create the opposite leg; then click the Add Spine button to create the spine and an object for the shoulders. Position and scale the shoulder hub object. Select the shoulder hub object, and click the Add Arm button. Position the arm bones to match the skin mesh.
7. Select the shoulder hub object, and click Add Arm to create the opposite arm; then click the Add Spine button to create another spine and an object for the head. Select one of the new spine bones, and change the name to Neck and the number of bones to 2. Then scale the head bone to match the moose's head and horns, and name the head bone Head.
Figure 39.8 shows the completed custom CAT rig ready to be skinned and animated.
FIGURE 39.8
The moose's skin has been rigged using the CAT tools.
Animating a CAT Rig
The best rig in the world doesn't do you much good if you can't animate it well. Luckily, CAT's animation tools are excellent, just like its rigging tools. CAT uses the concept of animation layers to hold its animation keys. This allows you to blend between different motions.
Cross-Reference
Animation layers are also discussed in Chapter 35, “Using Animation Layers, Modifiers, and Complex Controllers.” •
All the animation controls for CAT rigs are found in the Motion panel whenever any of the rig's bones are selected. Within the Layer Manager rollout, shown in Figure 39.9, is a list of the available animation layers. To create a new animation layer, select from four different types, using the Add Layer drop-down list at the bottom right of the list. The four animation layer types include the following:
• Absolute Layer: Holds animation key data that defines full motions
• Local Adjustment Layer: Holds relative key data relative to the local coordinate system of the above layer
• World Adjustment Layer: Applies relative motion in world space that is independent of the previous layers
• CAT Motion Layer: Creates procedural-based looping motion such as walk cycles
After an animation layer is added and selected, you need to press the Setup/Animation Mode toggle button to begin adding keys to the selected animation layer. You do this using the Auto or Set Key modes to create the keys like normal. Any time a new animation is added, it is automatically placed above the currently selected animation layer.
Tip
If you're animating some of the rig bones using Auto Key and the keys don't appear on the Track Bar, check to make sure you have clicked the Setup/Animation Mode toggle button to enable animation. •
The selected animation layer can be removed from the list using the Delete Layer button. You also can copy and paste layers between different rigs using the Copy and Paste Layer buttons. The Move Layer Up and Move Layer Down buttons are used to reorder the selected layer. Each layer can be given a unique