8

Link Constraint 387
3.
Select the sphere.
4. Open the Motion panel.
5. Expand the Assign Controller rollout.
6. Select the Transform: Position/Rotation/Scale
controller.
7. Click Assign Controller.
8. Choose Lin k Constraint.
9. In the Link Params rollout, click Lin k To World.
10. Move the time slider to frame 1.
11. Click Add Link and select t he cylinder.
It now becomes a target. The Link C onstraint
relationship is now active between the sphere
and the cylinder.
12. Move the t ime slider to frame 50.
13. Tu rn on the Auto Key button and move the
cylinder a good distance away from where it is.
14. Play back the animation.
Thespherefollowsthecylinderasitmoves.
The sphere is link-constrained.
15. Select the sphere.
16. Move the t ime slider to frame 25.
17. On the Mot ion panel > Link Param rollout,
click Add link and select the box.
You have now added another target that
becomes active at frame 25.
18. Turn off the Auto Key button and play back the
animation. The sphere is linked to the cylinder
from frame 0 to 24. It follows the cylinder until
frame 2 5 where it lin ks to the box.
Interfa ce
Once you assig n a Link constraint, you can access
itspropertiesontheLinkParamsrolloutinthe
Motion panel. In this rollout you can add and
delete targets and animate the time at which each
target becomes the active parent of the constrained
object.
Add Link—Adds a new link target.
Link to World—Links the object to the world (the
scene as a whole). We recommend this be the first
target in the list. This pre vents the object from
reverting to its independent creation or animation
transforms if other t argets are deleted f rom the list.
Delete Link —Removes a link target. Once a link
target is removed, it will no longer influence the
constrained object.