2009

IK solvers are plug-ins, so programmers can expand the software's capabilities
by customizing or writing their own IK solvers.
3ds Max ships with four different IK solvers.
How Does an IK Solver Work?
An IK solver generally operates in this way: an inverse kinematic chain is
defined on part of the hierarchy, say from the hip to the heel, or the shoulder
to the wrist of a character. At the end of the IK chain is a gizmo, called the
goal. The goal can be repositioned or animated over time in a variety of ways,
often using linkage, parameter wiring or
constraints on page 3287. No matter
how the goal is moved, the IK solver attempts to move the pivot of the last
joint in the chain (also called the end effector) to meet the goal. The IK solver
rotates the parts of the chain to stretch out and reposition the end effector to
coincide with the goal.
Using an IK solver to animate an arm
Frequently, the end effector is constrained to the ground plane. For example,
you might "pin" the toes as the heels lift in a character walk cycle. Then the
movement of the root of the chain poses the legs up from the toes.
Inverse Kinematics (IK) | 3383