Creating and Using Motion Flow Scripts

Using Motion Flow

Using a Shared Motion Flow

 

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

Looping Animation in Motion Flow Mode

By creating a script that repeatedly calls the same motion clip, you can create a loop cycle that lengthens the motion. This is a good way to lengthen a walk or run cycle. You will use layers to change the looped animation.

Set up the lesson:

1. Reset 3ds Max.
2. In the Perspective viewport, create a biped starting at approximately 0,0,0.
3. Open the Motion panel.
4. Turn on Motion Flow Mode.
5. On the Motion Flow rollout, click Show Graph.

   The Motion Flow Graph displays.

6. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, click Create Multiple Clips.

   The Open dialog displays.

7. Open walk2loop.bip.

   The motion clip appears in the Motion Flow Graph window.

8. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, click Create All Transitions. A Biped dialog asks if you want to create transitions from each clip to itself. Click Yes.

   A transition is created pointing back at the selected clip.

   

   NoteWhen using Create All Transitions with multiple clips, you must first select all the clips for which you want transitions created.
9. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, turn on Select Clip/Transition, if necessary.
10. Select the transition arrow in the Motion Flow Graph window.

    The arrow turns white.

11. On the Motion Flow Graph toolbar, click Optimize Selected Transitions.

    The Transition Optimization dialog displays.

12. If not already set, select Search Entire Clip and click OK.

Create a script:

1. On the Motion Flow rollout, in the Scripts group, turn on Define Script.
2. On the Motion Flow Graph dialog, click the walk2loop clip five times.

   You’ve created a script that calls for the clip to transition to itself four times.

3. Click Play Animation.

   The clip loops, extending the walk cycle.

   

   Walking biped with trajectory turned on.

Make the motion available in your scene outside of Motion Flow mode:

1. Click the Define Script button on the Motion Flow rollout, in the Scripts group, to turn off scripting mode.
2. On the Motion Flow rollout, in the Scripts group, click Create Unified Motion. Then, in the Unify Options dialog, click OK to accept the defaults.
3. On the Biped rollout, turn off Motion Flow mode.

   The walk cycle is available for editing outside of Motion Flow mode.

Add a layer and modify the walk cycle:

1. On the Layers rollout, click Create Layer.

   A new layer is created.

2. Turn on Auto Key.
3. At frame 0, in the Front viewport, rotate both upper arms about the Y-axis to move the arms away from the body.
4. Click Play.

   The walk loop now has the character swinging his arms farther from his body. The red stick figure represents the original motion.

   

5. On the Layers rollout, click Collapse.

   The layer showing the arms away from the body is collapsed into the base animation.

6. Turn off Auto Key and click Play Animation to watch the animation. You can also open cs4_tut_moflow03.max to see the finished animation.

Looping animations and layers lets you lengthen and modify animations.

• To reduce keys and create footsteps, save the BIP file, and then use Load Motion Capture File in the Motion Capture rollout to reload the file.
• To reduce keys and extract footsteps, use options in the Motion Capture Conversion Parameters dialog. The Convert command on the Biped rollout will not extract footsteps because the feet have no IK Constraints applied.