8

Using Set Key Mode 275
The results of changing an object or any other
parameters with Auto Key off varies according to
whether or not the object or parameters have been
animated yet.
• Ifyoucreateanewobject,orchangeanobject
parameterthathasnotbeenanimatedyet,you
can work at any time with Auto Key off. The
changes you make are constant through the
entire animation.
For example, you might animate an object
bouncing around your scene and then decide
to create pads for the object to land on. To do
that, you drag the time slider to a time when the
bouncing object hits the ground, and m ake sure
Auto Key is off before you proceed. You can
then create a pad under the bouncing object
and repeat the process at the next time where it
hits the ground. B e cause Auto Key was off, it
doesnotmatteratwhattimethepadobjects
were created. They remain inanimate through
theentireanimation.
• If you change an object or parameter that is
already animated, while Auto Key is off, the
amount of change is applied equally across all
the animation keys.
For example, you might animate a sphere ’s
radius to be 15 at frame 0, 30 at frame 10, and
50 at frame 20. If you drag the time slider to
frame 10, turn Auto Key off, and increase the
sphere’s radius from 30 to 40, the change in the
radius is applied to the other two keys as well.
Because you increased the radius by 10 units
withAutoKeyoff,allradiuskeysareincreased
by10units.Thesphere’sradiusisnow25at
frame 0, 40 at frame 10, and 60 at frame 20.
If Auto Ke y had been on when you changed the
radius, it would have been an animated change
appliedonlytothekeyatframe10.
Identifying What Can Be Animated
Because most parameters in 3ds Max can be
animated, the easiest way to find out if something
can be animated is just to try it. Usually, if you
want to animate a parameter , it can be animated.
Sometimes you need to know in advance if yo u
can animate a par ameter. If so, you can use Track
View. The Track View Hierarchy list displays every
parameter that can be animated. You might also
need to add a controller to a t r ack b efore it can
be animated. See
Track View (page 2–483) and
Animation Controllers (page 2–302) .
Usi ng S et Key Mo de
The S et Key animation system is desig ned for the
professional character animator who wants be able
to t ry out poses and then commit those poses to
keyframes intentionally. It can also be used by any
animator to set keys on specific tracks of objects.
This way of working allows more control than
the Auto Key method, because it gives you the
chance to try out ideas and discard them quickly
without having to undo work. It lets you pose your
character, and select ively key certain tracks on
certain objects through the use of Key Filters and
Keyable t racks in Track View.
Note: Although the following information uses the
example of animating a character, it also applies to
animating a complex mechanical assembly.
Straight-Ahead and Pose-to-Pose
Traditional animation is created one of two ways,
either straight-ahead animation or pose-to-pose
animation. Straight-ahead animation is drawn
starting from the beginning and then additional
frames are drawn sequentially thereafter, moving
straight ahead in time. Pose-to-pose animation
is created by drawing the important f r ames