2009

You can use controls at the Link sub-object level on page 4725 to adjust the skin
behavior about a given link. These link parameters define how the skin
deformation behaves, relative to the motion of the underlying skeleton.
There are four kinds of
link parameters on page 4727:
■ Bend parameters affect the curvature of the deformation spline through
the joint at a given link. As a result the skin deformation can range from
more angular at the joint to more like a stiff rubber tube.
■ Twist parameters control how the skin deforms when a joint rotates along
its length, as in turning a doorknob. Consider, for example, winding up
the rubber band on a toy airplane propeller; Twist parameters determine
how the twist is distributed along the link and across the joint.
Twist parameters apply to link rotation whose axis is the same as the axis
along the length of the link.
■ Sliding parameters control how the skin moves along the length of a link
as a joint rotates. On the outside, the side where the angle is greater than
180 degrees, the skin moves toward the joint. On the inside, the side where
the joint angle is less than 180 degrees, the skin moves away from the
joint.
The sliding effect tightens the outside to keep detail at the joint and prevent
the facets of the mesh from moving apart. It relaxes the inside to prevent
the mesh from bunching up at the joint.
■ Radial Scale parameters affect the influence on the skin caused by scaling
links of the skeleton. Certain settings, such as Breathe and Stretch, react
to scaling of the skeleton, but only with standard 3ds Max bones or a 3ds
Max hierarchy.
NOTE Bipeds and 3ds Max IK controllers don't support scaling.
Link Scale provides a way to globally scale all the vertices influenced by
the link. CS Amplitude scales the effect of bulge cross sections across the
entire link. It can be used for animated scaling of the bones or for general
mesh adjustments. The intent is not to edit the character itself, but rather
the effect the bones have on it.
You set Link parameters at the sub-object level, in the
Physique Link Settings
rollout
on page 4727.
Using Physique | 4645