Modifying Footsteps

Animating with Footsteps

Changing Footsteps Using IK Keys

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials > Character Animation Tutorials > Animating with Footsteps > 

Making a Biped Stop and Start Walking

In just a few key strokes, you can generate multiple footsteps to make a biped walk. But what if you want the biped to stop and pause? To do that, you'll use a simple manipulation of the footstep keys in the Track View - Dope Sheet. Just stretching the length of the selected footsteps changes the animation so the biped pauses in its path.

Make the biped stop and start:

1. Open standstill_start.max.

   

2. In the viewport, select any part of the biped.
3. Open the Motion panel.

   The Biped controls are displayed in the rollouts.

4. Play the animation of the biped by clicking the Play Animation button.

   The biped walks seven steps forward without stopping.

   

   You'll use footsteps 4 and 5 as the footsteps where the biped pauses.

5. In the Biped rollout, turn on Footstep Mode.
6. In the Perspective viewport, select footsteps 5–7, then right-click and choose Move.
7. Move the footsteps so that footstep 5 is next to footstep 4.

   

8. Play the animation to observe the change.

   The animation looks a little funny right now; something's not quite right.

   It's good practice to deactivate the footsteps, and then create new keys from the moved footsteps. This will recreate the correct upper body motions. You'll do that next.

Create keys to correct upper body motions:

1. In the viewport, select footsteps 4–7. On the Motion panel, in the Footstep Operations rollout, click Deactivate Footsteps.

   To manipulate the footstep keys, you'll use Track View in Dope Sheet mode.

2. On the 3ds Max menu bar, choose Graph Editors > Track View - Dope Sheet.

   The Dope Sheet opens.

3. In the controller window, scroll till you can see the Bip01 Footsteps > Transform track, and click to highlight it.

   You should see the footsteps in the keys window.

4. Right-click the top of the Track View window and choose Dock > Bottom.

   The Dope Sheet moves out of the way of the viewport.

5. Make adjustments as needed to your viewport so you have a clear view of the footsteps and the biped. When you select footsteps in the viewport, you also select footstep keys in Dope Sheet.
6. Select footsteps 4–7 in the viewport, if they aren't already selected.

   In the Dope Sheet, the selected keys appear in a brighter color, with white dots on them.

7. Hold down the ALT key and click the white dot at the left side of footstep key 4. This deselects the left side of that footstep key. Repeat for key 5, deselecting the left side of the key.

   Keys 4 through 7 are selected, but keys 4 and 5 display only one white dot.

   

8. From the right side of key 5, drag to the right so the key ends at frame 200.

   

9. On the keyboard, press ALT+R to extend the animation to match the footstep keys.

   Frames are automatically added to the animation.

   

   The light grey background extends behind the footstep keys. The time slider now shows that there are 230 frames in the animation.

10. Play the animation and observe the biped motion.

    The biped walks, then stops and waits, and then walks again. The motion seems a bit odd, though, as he steps off around frame 180.

    TipThere are a number of different ways to play and observe biped motion. One way is to drag the time slider to play the animation. For more control, press the < and > keys on the keyboard. This lets you stop instantly if you see a problem, and is more like a traditional animator flipping through the pages of drawings.
11. In the Footstep Operations rollout, click Create Keys For Inactive Footsteps.
12. Play the animation again.

    The motion is better. When new keys are created, 3ds Max applies a new upper-body motion.

    TipFor this reason, when you animate starting with footsteps, work out the foot motion before you worry too much about the upper body motion.

    

13. Save your work as my_standstill.bip, or open standstill_final.max to check the completed file.