Looping Animation in Motion Flow Mode

Using Motion Flow

Creating Random Motion

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials > Character Animation Tutorials > Using Motion Flow > 

Using a Shared Motion Flow

By including multiple bipeds in a shared motion flow, you can animate multiple bipeds using only one motion flow graph. The Create Random Motion command randomly picks clips to create a unique script for each biped. Use this to create a crowd that is loitering or cheering, for example.

Set up the lesson:

1. Reset 3ds Max.
2. In the Front viewport, create a biped at the far left side that is about 150 units in height.
3. In the Create Biped rollout, turn on Drag Position.

   

4. In the Front viewport, to the right of the original biped, click to create five more bipeds that are somewhat evenly spaced.

   

   A total of six bipeds standing shoulder to shoulder

Create a shared motion flow:

1. Open the Motion panel.
2. If not already selected, select the biped at the far right of the Front viewport and turn on Motion Flow Mode.

   Selecting any part of the biped will enable biped controls in the Motion panel.

3. On the Motion Flow rollout, click Shared Motion Flow.

   The Shared Motion Flow dialog is displayed.

   

4. On the Shared Motion Flow dialog, click New.

   A new shared motion flow is created. A default name appears in the Shared Motion Flows list.

5. On the Shared Motion Flow dialog, in the Parameters group, click Add.

   The Select dialog is displayed.

   

6. Click the Select All icon, then click Select.

   The biped names are displayed in the Shared Motion Flow dialog.

   NoteYou may receive a Biped warning indicating that the scale of the legs of all the biped must match. If you see this, click OK to close the warning. Then, on the Shared Motion Flow dialog, click Reset Wrong Scales: Just Legs. (If you choose to Reset Wrong Scales: Entire Figure, all the bipeds will occupy the same space as the first biped. You don't want that.)
7. On the Shared Motion Flows dialog, click OK.

   The Shared Motion Flow icon on the Motion Flow rollout now has a white circle around it. This means that the selected biped is part of a shared motion flow.

Create a shared motion flow script:

1. On the Motion Flow rollout, click Show Graph.

   The Motion Flow Graph is displayed. The word *SHARED* appears in the graph name. This Motion Flow Graph will be shared by the six bipeds.

2. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, click Create Multiple Clips.
3. From the tutorials\character_animation\motion_flow folder, add HATSOFF.bip, LAUGH.bip, SHOCKED.bip, SNEEZE.bip, and WAVE.bip. Hold down the CTRL key and click each file name to add it to the selection. Click Open

   

   The selected clips are added to the Motion Flow Graph.

4. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, click Select Random Start Clips and drag a selection window around all the clips.

   The clips all turn purple and show a Random Start Probability of 100, meaning that each clip has an equal chance of being chosen first.

   

   TipIf you wanted all the bipeds to start their movement using the same clip, you would reduce the Random Start Probability values of all but the clip you want all the bipeds to use first. Right-click a clip to display its parameters dialog.
5. Click the Select Clip/Transition button, and turn off the Show Random Percentages button. Then drag a selection window around all the clips in the Motion Flow Graph.
6. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, click Create All Transitions. You are asked if you want to create transitions from each selected clip to itself. Click Yes.

   Transitions appear between all the clips.

   

7. On the Motion Flow rollout, in the Scripts group, click Create Random Motion.

   The Create Random Motion dialog is displayed.

   

8. On the Create Random Motion dialog, set Random Start Range from 0 to 30.

   Each biped has a random script based on the clips in the Motion Flow Graph. If two bipeds share a clip, the clip's start frame is picked randomly. This prevents identical motion.

9. On the Create Random Motion dialog, turn on “Create motion for all bipeds sharing this motion flow”, then click Create.

   The Unify Options dialog appears. It will appear for each biped you're creating a motion for.

10. Click OK to accept the default settings on the Unify Options dialog each time it pops up.
11. An alert asks if you want to put all the bipeds into Motion Flow mode. Click Yes.

    The bipeds appear with footsteps, ready to begin their random motion routine.

    

Play and save the animation:

1. Activate the Perspective viewport. Use Arc Rotate, Pan, and Field-of-View so you can see all the bipeds.
2. Click Play Animation.

   Each biped moves to its own script that is compiled from the assortment of clips you added to the Motion Flow Graph.

3. Save the scene as MyMoFlow02.max.