3ds Max 9 Bible

Any object or parameter that is animated is automatically assigned a controller. The controller that is assigned is the default controller. The Animation panel in the Preference Settings dialog box lists the default controllers and lets you change them. You can change this automatic default controller using the Track View window or the transformation tracks located in the Motion panel.

Automatically assigned controllers

The default controllers are automatically assigned for an object's transformation tracks when the object is created. For example, if you create a simple sphere and then open the Motion panel (which has the icon that looks like a wheel), you can find the transformation tracks in the Assign Controller rollout. The default Position controller is Position XYZ, the default Rotation controller is Euler XYZ, and the default Scale controller is the Bézier Scale controller.

The default controller depends on the type of object. For example, the Barycentric Morph controller is automatically assigned when you create a morph compound object, and the Master Point controller is automatically assigned to any vertices or control points subobjects that are animated.

Assigning controllers with the Animation menu

The easiest way to assign a controller to an object is with the Animation menu. Located under the Animation menu are four controller submenus consisting of Transform, Position, Rotation, and Scale.

When a controller is assigned to an object using the Animation menu, the existing controller is not removed, but the new controller is added as part of a list along with the other controllers. You can see all these controllers in the Motion panel.

For example, Figure 32.6 shows the Motion panel for a sphere object that has the default Position XYZ controller assigned to the Position track. If you choose Animation Position Controllers Noise, then the Position List controller is added to the Position track, of which Position XYZ and Noise are two available controllers. This lets you animate multiple motions such as the shimmy of a car with a bad carburetor as it moves down the road.

Figure 32.6: The Motion panel displays all transform controllers applied to an object.

The List controller allows you to set Weights for each of its controllers. Using the Position List rollout, you can set the active controller and delete controllers from the list. You can also Cut and Paste controllers to other tracks.

Assigning controllers in the Motion panel

The top of the Motion panel includes two buttons: Parameters and Trajectories. Clicking the Parameters button makes the Assign Controller rollout available.

To change a transformation track's controller, select the track and click the Assign Controller button positioned directly above the list. An Assign Controller dialog box opens that is specific to the track you selected.

For example, Figure 32.7 shows the Assign Position Controller dialog box for selecting a controller for the Position track. The arrow mark (>) shows the current selected controller. At the bottom of the dialog box, the default controller type is listed. Select a new controller from the list, and click OK. This new controller now is listed in the track, and the controller's rollouts appear beneath the Assign Controller rollout.

Figure 32.7: The Assign Position Controller dialog box lets you select a controller to assign.

Assigning controllers in the Track View

You can also use the Track View to assign controllers. To do this, locate and select the track to apply a controller to, and then click the Assign Controller button on the Controllers toolbar, choose the Controll Assign (keyboard shortcut, C) menu command, or right-click on the track and select Assign Controller from the pop-up menu. An Assign Controller dialog box opens in which you can select the controller to use.

You can also use the Controller toolbar to copy and paste controllers between tracks, but you can paste controllers only to similar types of tracks. When you paste controllers, the Paste dialog box lets you choose to paste the controller as a copy or as an instance. Changing an instanced controller's parameters changes the parameters for all instances. The Paste dialog box also includes an option to replace all instances. This option replaces all instances of the controller, whether or not they are selected.

Setting Default Controllers

When you assign controllers using the Track View, the Assign Controller dialog box includes the option Make Default. With this option, the selected controller becomes the default for the selected track.

You can also set the global default controller for each type of track by choosing Customize Preferences, selecting the Animation panel, and then clicking the Set Defaults button. The Set Controller Defaults dialog box opens, in which you can set the default parameter settings, such as the In and Out curves for the controller. To set the default controller, select a controller from the list and click the Set Defaults button to open a controller-specific dialog box where you can adjust the controller parameters. The Animation panel also includes a button to revert to the original settings.