8

898 Chapter 14: Character Studio
transitions. Once the transitions are created,
you can quickly create scripts with optimized
transitions or generate random motions for a
crowd of bipeds.
A
.mfe file stores pointers to the clips, transition
parameters, and scripts.
See
Placing Motions on the Motion Flow Graph
(page 2–878)
to add clips to the graph, or Creating
Random Motion (page 2–887)
to create a random
script and transitions.
Inter face
Cr e a te Cl i p —Select and click in the dialog
window to create clips.
The clips are empty. Right-click a clip using the
Select Clip tool to display the
Clip Properties
dialog (page 2–910)
;thenselecta .bip file and
set its duration in the Clip Propert ies dialog. You
can also set the Random Start Probability here.
Random Start Probability is used when multiple
clips are selected as possible start clips w hen you
generatearandommotionflow.
Note: Settingclipdurationisnotcriticalfor
transitions; the
Transition Editor (page 2–902)
allowsyoutostartandendatransitiononany
frame of a clip.
Create Multiple Clips—Load multiple mot ion
files.
Displays an open file dialog. Select multiple fi les
and click OK; multiple files are loaded into the
Motion Flow Graph window.
Set lowest star ting foot height to Z=0 (.bip f iles
only )—
Setstheloweststartingfootheightto
Z=0. This is an option in the Load File dialog.
Default=On.
In Biped, the height of a motion clip can be
retained. This is impor tant if you want to retain
the height of a motion clip for motions adapted to
characters of different sizes. If, for example, the
character is jumping off a rock and you want to
retain the Z position of the character , you would
turn this option off. Leave this option off if Motion
Flow motions must be blended that begin and end
at different heights, such as three clips that have the
character mounting a bicycle, riding the bicycle,
and dismounting the bicycle.
Turn ing off this option can, however, cause a jump
in the motion during motion flow transitions.
Turn this on for smo oth transitions in Motion
Flow mode. If adaptation takes place, the height is
set so that the lowest foot at f rame 0 star ts at the
Z=0 height. This lines up clips along the Z axis
and creates smooth transitions.
Create Transition From –> To—Create a
transition between two clips.
Click+drag from one clip to a nother in the Motion
Flow Graph dialog. Click on a single clip and
thenmouseuptocreatealooptransition.Itis
necessary to have this capability in order to creat e
random scripts. You can create transitions which
are not included in a script.
Create Transition To –> From—Create a
transition between two clips.