2009

Table Of Contents
To simplify the display of the Arm Control node
1 In the Hypergraph, right-click the ArmControl node. Choose Collapse
from the pop-up menu. (You can also double-click a node to collapse or
expand the hierarchy below it.)
The ArmControl node appears as a single node instead of the previous
three node hierarchy. The small arrowhead on the lower left-hand corner
of the node indicates that the node is collapsed.
The control object must be linked to the IK Handle to control the IK Handle.
Constraining an IK system
You can constrain the IK Handle to the control object (ArmControl) using a
point constraint. A point constraint allows the transformation attributes of one
object to be controlled by the transformations of another object. For example,
you select and position ArmControl without having to touch the IK Handle.
You also set the constraint so ArmControl maintains the current distance
(offset) from the IK Handle. The offset ensures that the constrained IK handle
doesnt move to the same position as the control object.
To constrain the IK Handle to the control object
1 In the Hypergraph, select the ArmControl node and then shift select the
ikHandle1 node.
The order of selection when applying a constraint is important: you must
select the constraining object first, and the item to be constrained second.
2 In the main menu, select Constrain > Point >
.
The Point Constraint Options window appears.
3 In the Point Constraint Options window, do the following:
Select Edit > Reset Settings to set the tool to its default settings.
Turn on the Maintain Offset setting.
Click the Add button.
280 | Chapter 6 Animation