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874 Chapter 14: character studio
following footsteps can also be pasted anywhere
in the footstep s equence. If you pasted onto the
last footstep, this step do es not occur.
If you don’t want to append the leftover
footsteps, simply click anywhere i n the
viewport to dismiss them.
Wa rning: If any footstep in the buffer overlaps in
time with a footstep previous to the one onto that
you are pasting, a message appears and the p aste
will not be performed.
Tip:
Tocreateacycleofamotionwith
alternating footsteps, you must copy and paste
at least three footsteps.
See also
Footstep Operations Rollout (page 2–990)
An ima ti ng Legs and Feet
When you act ivate footsteps, keys are created for
the legs and feet according to the footstep pattern
and timing. Leg and foot keys are set at each Touch
and L ift frame, and b etween footsteps.
Although the parts of t he leg (thigh, c a lf, foot,
toes) can move and rotate separately, one key
dot appears on the Track Bar and in Track View
for each leg structure unless you have turned on
separate tr acks in the Keyframing Tools rollou t
(page 2–962).
When the foot is not in a footstep, you can move
or delete keyf rames, and animate or reposition
any part of the leg or foot. Simply turn on Auto
K ey and move or rotate the leg or foot to its new
position.
Ani mati ng Legs a nd Feet i n Footsteps
The leg keys created at either end of each footstep
are locked, m eaning they cannot be moved or
deleted.Youcan,however,changetheanimation
at these frames, or add new keyframes within the
timespan of the footstep key.
When the foot is in a footstep, you can animate or
reposition the leg and foot to some degree:
• You can rotate the foot around its pivot point
w ithin the footstep.
•YoucananimatethepivotpointwiththeSelect
PivotoptioninKeyInforollout>IKbar.See
Animating Pivots (page 2–905).
• You cannot mov e a foot out of a footstep . If you
donotwantthefoottobeinthefootstepata
particular f rame, change the t imespan of the
footstep key so it does not include that frame.
See Editing Footstep Timing (page 2–869).
Animating the Upper B ody
When you u se footsteps to animate the legs and
feet, animating the spine, neck, head, arms, and
other upper body parts is accomplished in the
same way as for freeform animation. Simply turn
on Auto Key and start moving and rotating body
parts. See Anim ating by Moving Links (page 2–890)
and Animating by Rotating Links (page 2–891).
You can also click the Set Key button on
the Key Info rollout (page 2–954) to set keys for
selectedbodypartsatthecurrentframe. This
option allows you to move body parts as you like,
settingkeysonlywhenyouhavedecidedtodoso.
Wa rn in g : Do not use the 3ds Max Set Key
button to set keys for the biped.
Animation on the center of mass (COM) works
differently, depending on whether the biped is in a
footstep at that particular frame.
• If at least one foot is in a footstep, moving or
rotatingtheCOMwillanimatetheentirebody
along with the COM, except a foot t hat is i n a
footstep. A foot in a footstep will stay planted in