8
Fixing Curves 861
thekeysaroundthem.Oryoucanusetheerror
location merely to identify the keys, then manually
make changes using standard interpolation
techniques. Right-clicking a key in the Curve view
w i ll display the properties dialog that allows for
such adjustments.
Results of the Analyze operation can
be loaded or saved as a file using the Load or Save
buttons a t the bottom of the interface.
Results of the last analysis can be cleared
using the Clear button, also found at the bottom
of the panel.
Fi xi n g Cu rv es
After you have selec ted curves and analyzed them
for error, you can use the tools found on the Fix
panel to process the curves and reduce the errors.
The fixes are determined by w hich type of fixer
you choose, and the parameters you set for that
fixer. Clicking Fix Selected or Fix All at the bottom
of the panel performs the Fix operation.
In general, fixes are made either by changing the
position or va lue of a key, or by removing the key.
Thebasicfixingtechniquesinvolvesmoothing,
blurring, boosting, or key deletion. This is similar
to audio-editing software, where you view music
as a waveform, and then edit the waves in various
ways to alter the sound. Similarly, the motion
of the biped body parts , as defined by position
and rotation tracks, can be evaluated for error
conditions regarding speed, angle, acceleration,
or change of direction.
Of course, you can a lso fix curves manually. You
canselectthekeyonthecurveandmoveit,using
the standard Track View key buttons duplicated
in the Workbench, such as Move, Slide, Scale or
Delete Keys.
You can achieve a layered range of keys by
turningonShowLayeredEdit. Thisisaspecial
Workbench mode that extends the edit to affect
keys surrounding the one you are editing. I t works
like soft selection in 3ds Max but gives you greater
control over the displacement. It can help you
blend your edits into existing m otion.
Worki n g w ith E u le r Curv e s on
Biped Animation
It is possible in 3ds Max to control a biped’s
position and orientation using Euler curves as
well as qua ternion curves in the Workbench and
Curve Editor. Using the Euler XYZ controller is an
efficientwaytoanimateyourbipedbecauseyou
can use bezier tangents to change the interpolation
of y our XYZ curves (quaternion curves do not
have tangents). To learn more about how the Euler
XYZ and TCB Rotation controllers differ from
each other, refer to
Euler XYZ Rotation Controller
(page 2–312)
.
You can switch between Euler XYZ and TCB
Rotation controllers via the
Quaternion/Euler
rollout (page 2–803)
.The
Curve Editor (page
2–864)
displays the animation curves based on the
chosen con troller. The curves are labeled as one of
the following:
• “Quaternion R otation of the...”
• “Tangent Euler Rotation of the...”
• “TCB Euler R otation of the...”
You can animate most biped p arts (center of mass,
pelvis,spine,head,neck,arms,legs,andtail)in
Euler. However, fingers and toes are considered
differently, as all first base links are controlled
as Quaternion and any subsequent links as
TCB/Euler. Fingers and toes do not have tangents.